The Promi(e of Jttflifti:ation. 149 will fay to them which are not my people, thou arc my people ; and they ihall fay, Thou art my God. .' Dying both morally and legal1y, thro' the breach of the firfr covenant, they, fell under a relative death too: whereby the blefrrelation between God and them was d~olved: and it <;ould not ~e confiituted again, while they lay uncle~ the condemnatory fentence ofthe . Jaw. But upon Chrifr's undertaking, in the covenant, to bring in an everlafiing righteoufi1efs, the price of th'e redemption of~11 faving benefits, this promife was made.Wherefore they being come to Chrifi by faith, - united with him, and jufrified thro' his righteoufnefs) · .which they partake of in him; God meets them there, even in Chrifi the appointed meering place : and there, with the fafety of his honour, he takes them by the hand and joins them again in a faving relatiQn. Thus they have a relative life, according to that, Pfal. xxx. 5. In his favour is life.' . The which life is eternal: for· afmuch as the relation is for ever indiffoluble ; the bond of the fecond .covenant, being fo much furer than, the bond of the firfi, as the fecond Adam's un– dertaking was fuFer than the firfr Adam's. Now of this promife there are three chief branche$, namely, the promife of reconciliation, of Adoption,- and of God's being their God. . . Firfl, The promife of reconciliation between God. and them, Ezek. xxxvii. 26. ' I will make a covenant of peace with them, it £hall be an everlafiing covenant. , They were by fin, in a.!late of enmity with God ; on their part, there was a real enmity againfl: God; on God's part, a legal enmity againfi them, fuch a judge bath againfi a malefactor, whom notwithfianding he may dearly love. But Jefus Chrifr haveing undertaken, in the coveQant, to expiate their guilt, by the facri– fice of himfelf, the Father made a promife of peace anCl reconcilia~ion with them thereupon. Hence we are filid to be ' reconciled to God by the death of his Son,' ·Rom. v. 10, infotiluch as, by his death and fufferings, · · K 4 he
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