2. 46. How are the elect of God to be confidered in this covenant and fœderal representation?

A. They are to be confidered as loft finners, and as ntterly unable to help themselves in whole or in part, Hof. iii 9.; and yet withal as given to Chrift by the Father, as objects of eternal, fovereign, and free love, John xvii.6.9. 247. Wherein does the freedom of this electing love appear?

A: In pitching upon objects altogether unlovely, Ezek.

xvi. 6.

Q. 48. Wherein does the fovereignty of it appear?

A. In pitching on fone fuch uniovely objects, and paffing by others in the fame condition, Rom. ix. 21,

249. Was it any difparagement to the fœderal reprefentation of the fecond Adam, that he reprefented only fome of mankind, whereas the firft Adam reprefented the whole of his race?

A. No; because it was unfpeakably more for Chrift to undertake and contract for one finner, than for Adam to contract for a whale righteous world.

Q. 50. Is what is called by fome divines, the covenant of redemption, a diftinct covenant from the covenant of grace? A. Although Chrift alone engaged from eternity to pay the price of our redemption, on which account the covenant is wholly of free grace to us; yet there is no warrant from feripture, to fuppofe a covenant of redemption diftinct from the covenant of grace.

Q. 51. How many covenants are there for life and happinefs to man in scripture reckoning?

A. They are but two in number: whereof the covenant of works is one, and confequently the covenant of grace must be the other.

Q 52. How do you prove, from feripture, that there are but two covenants, whereof the covenant of works is one?

A. From Gal. iv. 24. where it is faid These are the two covenants, the one from Mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage.

253. How doth it appear that the one from Mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, is the covenant of

works?

A. Because the generating of bond children excluded from the inheritance, Gal. iv. 30. is a diftinguishing character of the covenant of works, which cannot agree to the covenant of grace under any difpenfation thereof.

Q. 54. Was then the covenant at Mount Sinai a covenant of works?

A. The covenant of works was only repeated at Mount Sinai, together with the covenant of grace to fhow to all Ifrael, that the clearing of both the principle and penalty of the covenant of works, was laid on Chrift, as the condition of the covenant of grace.

Q5. Does the fcripture make mention of the blood of any more covenants but one?

A. The fcripture makes mention of the blood of the covenant, in the fingular number, four several times, namely, Exod. xxiv. 8. Zech. ix. 1. Heb. x. 29. and xiii. 2c.; but no where speaks of the blood of the covenants, in the plural number

Q. 6. What is the native confequence of the fcripture's mentioning the blood of the covenant, in the fingular number, and not the blood of the covenants, in the plural number?

A. The confequence is, that the covenant, the blood whereof the fcripture mentions, and upon which our falvation depends, is but ONE covenant, and not Two.

Q57. What is the received doctrine in our standards upon this head?

A. Our standards make no diftinction between a covenant of redemption, and a covenant of grace*.

Q. 58. Is the covenant of grace conditional, or abfolutely free?

A. It was ftrictly conditional to the Surety, Ifa. xlix 3. but is abfolutely free to the finner, Jer. xxxi. 33, 34.

Q. 59. What is the proper condition of the covenant of grace.?

A. It is Chrift, as reprefentative and furety, his fulfilling all righteousness, owing unto God by his fpiritual

*For proof of this, fee Larger Catechism, Quest. 31. 'With whom was the covenant of grace made? Anfw. The covenant of grace was made with Chrift, as the fecond Adam, and in him, with all the cleft as his feed, Ifa. liii. 10, 11. Rom, v. 15. to the end, Gal, iii. 16.'

feed, in virtue of the broken covenant of works, Mat.iii. 15. 2. 60. Wherein consists that righteousness which Chrift had to fulfil, as the condition of the covenant of grace? A. In the holiness of his human nature, perfect conformity to the law in his life, and satisfaction for fin in his death.

2. 51. Why was holiness of nature neceffary as a conditionary article of the covenant?

A. Because nothing being fo oppofite to God as an unholy nature, and yet the elect having their natures wholly corrupted, it was therefore neceffary, that Chrift, their reprefentative, fhould have a human nature perfectly pure and holy, fully answering for them, the holiness and perfection of nature required by the law, Heb. vii 26.

2 62. Why was righteousness of life, or perfect conformity to the law, neceffary as a conditionary article of the covenant?

A Because Adam, as a public head, having failed in his obedience, there could be no entering into life for him, or any of his natural feed, without keeping the commandments by the Surety, Matth. xix. 47-If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

263. Has Chrift fulfilled this part of the condition? A. Yes: for, he became obedient unto death, Phil ii. 8 264 Was fatisfaction for fin any part of the condition of Adam's covenant?

A. No: holiness of nature, and righteousness of life, were the fole condition of it.

2. 65. How then came satisfaction for fin to be a conditionary article in the new covenant ?

A. Because the covenant of works being broken, and the penalty thereof incurred, the holiness, juftice, and veracity of God infifted, that without shedding of blood, there should be no remiffion, Heb ix. 22.

2. 66. What was the conditionary article of the cove'nant relative to fatisfaction for fin?

A. That all the fins of an elect world, being fummed up as fo many branches of the law, or covenant of works, Chrift, as a public perfon, fhould fatisfy publicly and completely for them all, Ifa. liii. 5, 6.

2. 67. How was he to make this fatisfaction?

A. By fufferit Luke xxiv. 26. Ought not Chrift to have fuffered thefe things.

PART I.

2. 68. What was it that he had to fuffer?

A. The fame very punishment the elect fhoud have un dergone, for the breach of the covenant of works; and that is death, in its full latitude and extent, Gen. ii. 17. compared with 2 Cor. v. 14.

269 What is that death, in the full latitude and extent thereof, which Chrift had to endure, in a way of fatisfaction for fin?

A. It was both the curfe, or fentence, of the broken law, binding him over, as the Surety, to fuffer all that revenging wrath which fin deferved; and likewife the actual execution of this fentence upon him to the uttermost, for the full fatisfaction of justice, Gal. iii. 10. Ezek. xviii. 4.

2. 70. Hath Chrift fulfilled this part of the condition? A. Yes he was made a curfe for us, Gal. xiii. 13. — and bath given himself for us, an offering and a facrifice to God for a fweet fmelling favour, Eph. v. 2.

271. How doth it appear, that this righteousness of Christ is the condition of the covenant of grace?

A. Because his fulfilling all righteoufnefs is the only ground of a finner's right and title to eternal life, Rom. V. 21.; and the fole foundation of his plea before God, Phil. iii. 8, 9.

Q72. Why may not faith, or believing, be the condition of the covenant of grace?

A. Because faith is promifed in the covenant itself, Zec. xii. c. and therefore cannot be the condition thereof.

273. May not faith be the condition, when the scripture faith, that Abraham's faith was counted unto him for righteoufnefs. Rom. iv. 3. ?

A. It was the object which Abraham's faith terminated upon, namely, Chrift and his righteoufnefs, and not his faith itself, or his act of believing, that was counted to him for righteoufnefs.

Q74. What place then has faith in the covenant?

A. It has the place of an inftrument and gift; and is neceffary, as fuch, favingly to interest us in Chrift *, Joha i. 12.; and to determine us to acquiefce in his fulfilling the condition of the covenant for us, Ifa. xlv. 24.

Q. 75. What may we learn from the conditionary part of the covenant, as fulfilled by Chrift ?

Larger Cat. Answ. to Queft, 32

A. That the redemption of the foul is precious, being ranfomed at no lefs a fum, than the holy birth, righteous life, and fatisfactory death of the Son of God, 1 Pet, i. 19.; and that the law is fo far from being made void through faith, that it is established thereby, Rom. ii, 31.

Q. 76. Seeing in every covenant there is a promise, what are the premises of the covenant of grace?

A. They are fuch as have either their direct and immediate effect upon Christ himself, as the Head : or such as have their direct and immediate effect on the elect, comprehended with him in the covenant.

Q. 77. What are thefe promifes that have their direct and immediate effect on Chrift himself, as the head of the covenant?

A. The promife of affiftance in his work, Pfalm lxxxix. 2.; of the acceptance thereof, Ifa. xlii, 21.; and of a glorious reward to be conferred on him, as the proper merit of his work done, Ifa lii. 13.

Q78. What are these promises that have their direct and immediate effect upon the elect?

4. They are all the promifes pertaining to life and godlinefs; the promises of grace and glory, and of every good thing, which may all be comprehended in this one, to wit, the promise of eternal life, mentioned Tit. i, 2. In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie, hath promifed before the world began: and 1 John ii. 25. This is the promise, that he hath promifed us, even eternal life,

Q79. What is meant by the promise of eternal life? A. It comprehends in it all true happiness, and the everlaftingness thereof,

Q. 80. How is it evident, that all true and eternal happinefs is comprehended in the meaning of the promise of eternal life?

A. In as much as the death threatened in the covenant of works, comprehended all misery in this world, and the world to come: fo the life promised in the covenant of grace mut needs comprehend all happiness in time and eternity, with all the means by which it is compaffed, Rom vi. 23.

2. 81. To whom was this promise of eternal life made? A To Chrift primarily, and to the elect fecondarily in and through him; as is evident from l'it. i. 2. compared with John ii, 25.

82. To whom are the promises of the covenant indorfed or directed?