As king Pharaoh made Joseph chief ruler of his kingdom, and gave him a ring off his finger, and a chain of gold, only he must not touch his throne. Gen. xli. 4-0., in like manner God dealt with Adam : he gave him a sparkling jewel, knowledge, and arrayed him with a fine vesture, put upon him the garment of original right- eousness, only, saith God, touch not the tree of knowledge, for that is aspiring after omniciency. Adam had power to have kept this law : Adam had the copy of God's law written in his heart. This covenant of works had a promise annexed to it, and a threatening. 1. The promise, ' Do this and live.' In case man had stood, it is probable he had not died, but had been translated to a better paradise. 2. The threatening, " Thou shalt die the death ;" Hebrew, " In dying thou shalt die ;" that is, thou shalt die both a natural death, and an eternal, unless some other expedient be found out for thy restoration.
Quest. But why did God give Adam this law, seeing God did foresee that Adam would transgress it ?
Ans. 1. It was Adam's fault that he did not keep the law; God gave him a stock of grace to trade with, but he of himself broke. — 2. Though God foresaw Adam would transgress, yet that was not a sufHciciit rea- son that Adam should have no law given him : for, by the same reason, God should not have given his written word to men, to be a rule of faith and manners, because he foresaw that some would not believe, and others v/ould be juofane. Shall not laws be made in the laud, because some break
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them ?— 3. God, though he foresaw Adam would break the law, he knew how to turn it to a greater good, in sending Christ. The first covenant being broken, he knew how to establish a second, and a better. Well, concerning the first covenant, consider these four things.
1. The form of the first covenant, in in- nocence, was woi'king; Gen. xlii. 18., " do this and live." Working was the ground and condition of our justification, Gal. iii. 12. Not but that working is required in the cove- nant of grace: we are bid to work out our sal- vation, and be rich in good works. But works
, J^ in the covenant of grace are not rc<juired under the same notion, as in the first covc- oant mth Adam. Works are not required to the justification of our persons, but as a testification of our love to God ; not as a cause of our salvation, but as an evidence of our adoption. Works are required in the covenant of grace, not so much in our own strength, as in the strength of another ; " It is God which worketh in you," Phil, ii. 13. As the scrivener guides the child's Hand, and helps him to form his letters, so that it is not so much the child's writing as the master's, in like manner our obedience is not so much our working as the Spirit's co-working.
2. The covenant of works was very strict. God required of Adam and all mankind, 1. Perfect obedience. Adam must do all tliintrs written in the ' book of the law,' Gal. iii. 10., and not fail, either in the mat- ter or manner. Adam was to live up to the whole breadth of the moral law, and go exactly according to it, as a well-made dial goes with the sun ; a sinful thovight had for- feited the covenant. — 2. I*ersonal obedience: Adam must not do his work by a proxy, or have any surety bound for him ; no, it must be done in his own person. — 3. Perpetual obedience : he must continue in all things written in the ' book of the law,' Gal. iii. 10. Thus it was very strict. There was no mercy in case of failure.
3. The covenant of works was not built ujwn a very firm basis : therefore it must needs leave men full of fears and doubts. The covenant of works rested upon the strength of men's inherent righteousness ; which though in innocency was perfect, yet
was subject to a change. Adam was cre- ated holy, but mutable ; he had a power to stand, but not a ])owcr not to fall. Adam had a stock of original righteousness to be- gin the world with, but he wa.s not sure he would not break. Adam was his own pilot, and could steer right in the time of inno- cency ; but he was not so secured, but that he might dash against the rock of a tempta- tion, and he and liis posterity suffer ship- wreck ; so that the covenant of works must needs leave jealousies and doubtings in A- dam's heart, he having no security given him, that he should not fall from tiiat glo- rious state.
4. The covenant of works being broken by sin, m.an's condition was very de})lora- ble and desperate ; he was left in liimself helpless ; there was no place for repentance : the justice of God being offended sets all tho other attributes against mankind. Wheij Adam lost his righteousness, he lost his an- chor of hope and his crown : there Avas no way for man's relief, unless God would find out such a way, as neither man nor angel could devise.