From the nature of its " condition," perfect obedience, and to distinguish it from the covenant of grace, which secures the sal- vation of God's people independently of their works. It is also, though less frequently, called the covenant of life, because of its design, and of the promise which was attached to it.
6. Who were the parties to this covenant, and how may it be proved that Adam therein represented all his natural de- scendants ?
The " parties" were God and Adam, and in him represen- tively all his natural posterity. That he did thus represent his descendants is evident. 1st. From the parallel which is drawn in Scripture between Adam in his relation to his descendants, and Christ in his relation to his elect, Kom. v., 12-19, and 1 Cor. xv., 22, 47.
2d. From the matter of fact that the very penalty denounced upon Adam, in case of his disobedience, has taken effect in each individual descendant. — Gen. ii., 17 ; iii., 17, 18.
3d. From the biblical declaration that sin, death, and all penal evil came into the world through Adam. — Kom. v., 12 ; 1 Cor. xv., 22. See below, Chapter XVI., questions 14r-23, on Im- putation of Adam's Sin.
230 COVENANT OF WOKKS.
7. What is the meaning of the term probation ?
A probation is a trial. The word is sometimes used to express the time, and sometimes the state, and at others the act of trial. The probation of the human race took place once for all in the trial of Adam in the garden of Eden. That trial resulted in loss, and since then the conditions of the covenant being impossible, and its penalty having been incurred, any pro- bation is of course impossible. " Men are by nature children of wrath/'
Considering the advantages of Adam's character and circum- stances in Paradise, our probation in him appears immeasurably more favorable than it would have been if each individual of us could have a separate probation in the dawn of moral agency in infancy.
8. How far does the covenant appear to rest upon natural and universal principles of justice, and how far upon the special and sovereign ordination of God ?
It appears to be founded on a basis of natural and universal justice in respect to the following elements : 1st. The promise of divine favor, conditioned upon perfect obedience. 2d. The threat- ened penalty of death, conditioned upon disobedience. 3d. The appointment of a probationary period, during which man's loyalty was tested, upon which test his future character and destiny was made to depend.
It appears, on the other hand, to rest upon the special and sovereign, though most wise, righteous, and merciful ordination of Grod, in respect, 1st, to the representative element involved, whereby Adam stood for all his descendants ; 2d, to the ap- pointing of abstinence from the fruit of the tree of knowledge as the special test of obedience.
9. What was the condition of that covenant ?
Perfect conformity of heart, and perfect obedience in act to the whole will of God as far as revealed. The command to ab- stain from eating the forbidden fruit was only made a special and decisive test of that general obedience. As the matter forbidden was morally indifferent in itself, the command was admirably
ITS CONDITION. 231
adapted to be a clear and naked test of submission to God's ab- solute will as such.
10. Was there any virtue in the obedience required which, could, of itself, have merited the promised reward ?
It is infinitely absurd to conceive of the creature as ever merit- ing any thing from the Creator. Creation itself, and every op- portunity for either obedience or enjoyment, is a free gift, and a ground of thanksgiving. — 1 Cor. iv., 7.
The covenant of works, therefore, was a further gracious con- stitution, wherein additional benefits were promised to the crea- ture on the condition of the performance of duties already due. The only right the creature would have acquired in case of obe- dience would have sprung from the free promise of God in the covenant itself.
11. What teas the promise of the covenant ?
The promise was not expressly stated, yet that it was life, or confirmation in a holy character, and in the blessedness of God's favor, is evidently implied in the veiy language of the threatened penalty, as appears clearly from Matt, xix., 16, 17 ; Gal. iii., 12.
12. What was the nature of the death threatened in case of disobedience ?
This word in this connection evidently includes all the penal consequences of sin. These are, 1st, death, natural, Eccle. xii., 7; 2d, death, moral and spiritual, Matt, viii., 22 ; Eph. ii., 1; 1 Tim. v., 6 ; Kev. iii., 1 ; 3d, death, eternal, Kev. xx., 6-14.
The instant the law was violated its penalty began to operate, although on account of the intervention of the dispensation of grace the full effect of the sentence is suspended during the pre- sent life. The Spirit of God was withdrawn the instant man fell, and he at once became spiritually dead, physically mortal, and under sentence of death eternal.