Perftvtrance in Grace. 177 :it into the fiate of grace, much as if they had got a fpar}5 of fire to keep alive in the midfi of an ocea?· .. .At r)flat rate, they might all have periihed :· and Jefus Chrifi, notwithftanding of the ihedding of his blooq for them, might h~ve e,ternally remained a head with– out·members, a king wit.hout fuh)ect.s. ~ut the glory of Chrifi, and the falvation of his redeemed; were not left at fuch uncertainty. That perfeverance, which the fidl: Adam failed of, and w-as made the con• dition of the n~cond covenant,... the fecond Adam did undertake in their name: and hereupon was made the . promife of their perfeveran€e. A~id he having accor .. dingly perf.evered unto the end, in obedien<;e to the law for them, being obedient even unto the death; it was purchafed for them.' Thus Chrifi,s perfeve- - ranee in obedience to the law, till the condition of, the covenant was. perfeCtly fulfilled, is the ground in law, upon which the perfeverance of the faints is, in– fallibly ·fecured, in virtue of the faithfulnefs of God in the promife. ' . Now this promife begins to be performed to them~· alfoon as they are united unto Chtifr; and it goes on all along, until their death, that they enter into glo– ry : yea; firicHy fpeaking, death is not the lafi, but a middle term of their perfevefance ; after which it proceeds far mor.e il1ufirioufly than before. Upon their union with the fecond Adam, being favingly in.. terefl:ed in his obedience which he perfevered in unto the eud, they are confirmed, that they can n~ mor(,!. fall away: even as the firfi Adam's natural feed wou'ld have been c~n'firmed, upon his having cor:npleated the courfe of his probationary obedience, and fulfille ing 'the condition of the covenant of works. The mv– flical members of Chrift do then obtain the forruer, as the reward of his continued obedience ; as in the . otb~r fuppofed event, Adam's natural feed wou ld have obtained the latter, as the reward of .his continued o– bedience. '· ' M 2 Tbe
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