Chapter 1

Ch. 1.

Mans dubious and tottering estate under the first, his safer estate under the second Adam. 2 True liberty. 3 Grace loves to be restrained from doing of evil. Adam was not to believe or pray for perseverance.

There being in the Covenant of works no influences, by which we may will and doe to the end, promised to Adam; and no predeterminating influences, and no Gospel-fear of God, by which we shall persevere, and not depart from the Lord, being promised in the new and everlasting covenant (Jeremiah 32:39). This principal difference between the covenants remains to be discussed.

There must be in this point, considerable differences between the covenants; as 1. God intended that no man should be saved by the Law: for grace, mercy, forbearance, and the patience of God towards sinners should for eternity, have been hid from sinful man, if righteousness and life had been by the Law. But God intended that all men to be saved, should be saved by the Covenant of grace (1 Corinthians 1:21; Romans 3:21, 22; Romans 10:5, 6, 7 compared with Romans 3:9, 10, & 20; Galatians 3:8, 9, 10), as both the Scripture and the issue of two dispensations, of Law and Gospel, do evidence. 2. Man in the covenant of works was under no tutor but Adams free will; but now man as an interdicted heir, for former wasteries, is disinherited, so that he has not the mastery of his own estate, is put under another Lord, even Jesus Christ, as his tutor; and since it is so, the less our own, the better; the more we are under the law, the less we are under grace, as Romans 7. The less freedom (or rather physical licence) to sin, the more true liberty (Psalm 119:45): I will walk at liberty, for I seek your precepts. Christ by his covenant layeth the law of grace upon us; whether grace be taken physically, for an inward principle of grace; or morally, for a gracious fear to sin, its all one; the more under Christ any is, the less is he free to sin; as the better and stronger the keeper is, who is put upon a broken man and a prisoner, who is a bankrupt, the less can he take on new debt (Romans 6:20, 22), the less can he make a sinful escape. Ungracious are they, who say, Ah if I had my will, I would doe otherwise; grace loves to be restrained from doing evil (1 Samuel 22:23). Satan seeks leave, or rather cursed licence, if it were but to destroy the Gadarenes swine, and he reputes it his torment not to dwell with his Legions, in the distracted man to torment him (Matthew 8). Such cannot complain, Would God breath on me with his influences of grace, I would be as holy as David; no, there is in the man a tormenting sorrow, that he cannot have more power, and stronger influences of hell to doe more evil; and so he hates these influences of grace of which he speaks.

It may be doubted (ere we speak of other differences) whether perseverance was promised to Adam in a law-state, or not; for if prayer was a worship enjoined to Adam before the fall, no less then public worship of praising for the workmanship of creation (Genesis 2:2, 3), it may be said, if Adam was to suit any thing in prayer to God, then especially was he to pray that he might not sin, and might not be led into temptation, but might stand in obedience, and so might have influences to determine his will to stand and continue therein, and this the law of nature seems to say. 2. If he was to trust in God for acts of providence, for his standing in obedience, then especially, for acts of the Lords free predetermination to cause him to stand; and so both praying and believing must relate to a promise; and if so, then must the Lord have promised in the first covenant of works, perseverance and influences to persevere.

Ans. It may be probably said, Adam was to pray, but the particulars he was to suit in prayer are as unknown to us as any thing; he was to sanctify a Sabbath, and to praise, and to exalt God in his works of creation; but for praying for perseverance and predeterminating influences by which he might persevere, while Scripture speaks, we must doubt. He was to desire, to intend and purpose to persevere, as he was obliged by the law of God to persevere; but for instituted praying or believing that God should give to Adam perseverance, either absolutely or upon condition, that he should pray for perseverance; and so upon condition that he should persevere in praying for, or in believing of influences to persevere, the Scripture is silent; and we can say nothing, where Scripture-light does not lead the way. Its like that the only means moral of persevering must be here a law without, the image of God within, and Adams free will in obeying; but God having a purpose that the covenant of works should not be the fixed standing way of justification and life; and that the elect Angels should be confirmed, that they should not fall, nor be able to fall; yet have we no warrant to say, that they came to that state either by praying or meriting, or law obedience, but of free grace: or that Adams first sin was neglect of praying for perseverance. As to the other, there is no doubt but the first command did engage Adam to rely upon God for strength and divine influence, as promised by any covenant; of works or grace, is another thing. Yes, its unwritten that either Law or Gospel (which then was not) promised any such thing.

What a blessed condition are we in, above that of Adam! Grace was given to Adam immediately from God, but in a separated way from God, the stream being as it were cut off from the fountain, and was in Adam as a winter well that in summer may goe dry; but grace is now given first to the second Adam as the head and fountain, and to the Elect in a way of unseparable union of the stream with the fountain, as he partakes of grace in Christ, and mediately. And the neerer the streams run to the fountain, the stronger and the more unfailing is the emanation, as may appear in the man Jesus united personally to God, in the Angels now confirmed in Christ their head (Colossians 2:10), in the glorified who act by an immediate influence from God in Christ immediately, and at the well head enjoyed. Any distance from God may be neer some fall.