Adam, and the condition performed by him; the covenant comes natively, in the gospel, to be set before us in them, to be by us received and embraced in and through Christ, by faith. Thus the promises are the covenant by way of eminency; even God's covenant, wherein he hath bound himself to perform his part, as the Mediator hath already performed his. And in this sense, indeed, the covenant of grace is not conditional, but consists of absolute promises; that is, promises become absolute, through the condition thereof actually performed already: but being considered in its full latitude, and in respect of Christ the covenant, and all the promises thereof, are properly and strictly conditional.

3. The promises of the covenant are the purchase of the blood of Christ; the fruit of his fulfilling all righteousness, in his birth, life, and death. As the curse came by the demerit of Adam's sin; so the promises are owing to the merit of Christ's righteousness; they are the new testament in his blood, 1 Cor. xi. 25. From the promise of the bread and water, (Isa. xxxiii. 16.), to the promise of a seat with him on his throne, (Rev. iii. 21.), they are all the purchase of his meritorious obedience even to death. Justly are they called exceeding precious promises, 2 Pet. i. 4, as being the price of his blood. Of what unspeakable weight and importance must they be, that cost such a price, between the Father and his own Son!

4. The great design and end of the covenant is accomplished in the performing of the promissory part thereof; and that is, the glory of God, and the salvation of sinners. The great glory to God, and grace to sinners, springing up from the whole of the covenant, meet together here, namely, in the accomplishment of the promises, as all the rivers meet together in the sea. The promises were the great thing the parties-contractors had in view, when they entered into the covenant: it was room for them the Father sought by his proposal of the covenant; and that was what the Son intended to purchase, by his fulfilling the condition. The condition of the covenant is the foundation of the promises; the promises the glorious superstructure reared upon that costly foundation. The administration of the covenant, is subservient to the accomplishment of the promises. The condition of the covenant was performed on earth, in the space of about thirty-three years; the promises have been a-performing more than five thousand years on earth, and will be a-performing in heaven, through the ages of eternity.

5. The happiness and comfort of all the elect, for time and eternity, depends upon the promises of the covenant. What keeps unconverted elect persons from dying in that state, and so dropping down to hell, but the promises of the covenant? What makes

grace overtake them, when they are fleeing from it, but the promise? What preserves grace in them, like a spark of fire in an ocean, that it is not extinguished, but the promise? And what is their security and comfort in the face of death, but the same promise? 2 Sam. xxiii. 5.

6. The glory of the man Christ, as Mediator, depends on the promise of the covenant. This was the security, in the faith of which he lived on earth, about the space of thirty-three years, in a very low condition; and in end died an ignominious death: Psalm xxii. 4," "Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them." He paid the price of the redemption of sinners, while as yet many of the redeemed were not born, nay nor as yet are; and several of them imbrewed their hands in his blood: but he rested on the promise of the covenant. He pleaded it when he was just entering into the swelling waves of death, where he was, like Jonah, to be swallowed up. John xvii. 5, "Now, O Father, glorify me with thyself." And in the faith of the accomplishment of the promise, he completed his performance of the condition: " for the joy that was set before him" in the promise, he "endured the cross, despising the shame," Heb. xii. 2.

7. Lastly, God hath sworn the promise of the covenant: "I have made a covenant with my chosen: I have sworn unto David my servant." The apostle tells us, that "God willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath," Heb. vi. 17. A tender man will not swear a promise, but in a matter of weight. Of what unspeakable weight and importance then must the promise of the covenant be, which the God of truth hath confirmed with his oath ?

Now, for clearing of this part of the covenant, we shall, 1. Consider the promises in general; and, 2. Take a more particular view of them.

OF THE PROMISES IN GENERAL.

As to the promises in general, two things are to be inquired into : 1. What are the general kinds of them? 2. To whom they are made? I. As to the general kinds of the promises; considering the parties on whom the promises of the covenant of grace have their direct and immediate effect, they appear to be of two general kinds.

1. Some of them have their direct and immediate effect on Christ himself, the head of the covenant; such as the promise of assistance in his work, and the promise of a name above every name. So in the first covenant, there were promises which were to have their direct and immediate effect, on Adam himself, and looked not, but

mediately and indirectly, to his posterity, such of them, at least, as should have lived after the complete fulfilling of the condition of the covenant; namely, the promises of natural life continued in vigour and comfort, and of spiritual life in favour and fellowship with God, during the course of his probationary obedience.

2. Others of them have their direct and immediate effect on Christ's spiritual seed, comprehended with him in the covenant; such as the promises of regeneration, of the new heart, and cleansing from the defilement of sin. So in the first Adam's covenant, the promise of life contained a promise of the holy conception and birth of his natural seed; in respect of which the promise would have had its direct and immediate effect, not on Adam himself, but on his posterity.

II. The next thing to be considered, is, To whom they were made? And we may take up this point in two things.

First, The promises of the first sort, namely, those having their direct and immediate effect on the person of Christ, were made to Christ himself. Of this no doubt can be moved. And they were made to him as head of the covenant, the second Adam, the representative of his seed. This appears from our text, wherein he is called the Chosen, the head-elect, and representative of the election, David God's servant; in which capacity, the covenant was cut off, or made to him, by the Father. It is evident, that all the promises of assistance in his work, and of his subequent reward, were made to him in view of his performance of the condition and therefore since he performed the condition, as head of the covenant, second Adam, and representative of his seed, these promises were made to him in that capacity.

The promises of this kind then were made to Christ only. And that was the peculiar honour put upon the head of the covenant, in the promissory part; as it was his peculiar burden to fulfil the conditionary part. So he hath the name which is above every name, and is anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. In the election, whereof he is the head, he shines above the rest, as the sun in his meridian brightness above the twinkling stars. He is the Benjamin at God's table with his brethren, whose mess of promises in the covenant is five times so much as any of theirs; the Joseph, who was separated from his brethren, in fulfilling the condition of the covenant, and hath a double portion in the promised land made over to him, as the first-born amongst many brethren.

Nevertheless, as the honour and prosperity of the head redound to the members, their interest, in respect of their union and communion, being a joint interest; so the glory and honour settled on

Christ by promise, are a spring of grace and glory to his members, an enriching treasure, their glory and crown. He is that head of gold which puts a glory on the body: and the ointment poured upon the head, cannot miss to go down to the skirts of his garments. And hence is, (1.) The continual cry of prayer by the whole company of the faithful, for the accomplishment of the promises made to the Mediator, Psalm 1xxii. 15, "Prayer also shall be made for him continually." It is evident that psalm concerns the Messias. But prayer made continually for Christ! how can that be? Why, till the world's end, that cry in prayer shall never cease among the faithful, Thy kingdom come, Matth. vi. 10. It began with Adam's embracing the promise by faith, was carried all along the time of the Old Testament; and now it hath been sounding in the New Testament church more than sixteen hundred years, and shall not cease until the consummation of all things. (2.) Hence also the joyful acclamations of praise, by the same company, for the accomplishment of promises to the Mediator. Whensoever there appears any such accomplishment made, it is matter of joy to the church; and the more there appears of it, the joy is the more increased. Thus the church hath a song upon the fulfilling of the promise of the gathering of the nations unto him, Isa. xii. 1; of this victory over Antichrist, Rev. xix. 1; of the calling of the Jews, ver. 6. And when, the end being come, all the promises made to him shall be accomplished, that will afford them an everlasting song of praise.

Secondly, The promises of the other sort, namely, those having their direct and immediate effect on the elect, are made to Christ primarily, and to them secondarily: first, to the head; then, to the members, through him.

1. The promises having their immediate effect on the elect, are made to Christ immediately, primarily, and chiefly. God hath in the covenant promised grace and glory, all that pertains to life and godliness, unto a select company of mankind: but the promise of all these was first and chiefly made to Christ their head; so that he hath not only an interest in these promises, but the chief interest in them. This appears by several documents from the word of God.

1st, The apostle testifies, that the promises were made to the seed, which is Christ, Gal. iii. 16. And the promises he speaks of, are, promises of the blessings, of the Spirit, ver. 14; of the inheritance, ver. 18; the promises received through faith, ver. 14. Even these are made to Christ the bead of the body. This is confirmed by those passages which shew God's covenant to be made with Christ, and in the meantime explain it by a promise of the happiness of his seed, Psalm 1xxxix. 3, 4; ver. 28, and 29, ver. 35, and 36. And what is

more natural, than to make a promise to a father in favour of his children?

2dly, Our Lord Jesus is constitute the heir of all things, (Heb. i. 2.), in virtue of the promise of the covenant, "I will make him my first-born," Psalm lxxxix. 27. Now, if Christ, as the second Adam, be heir of all things, by his Father's promise, the promises of all things are made to him; and, consequently, the promise of eternal life, comprehending all happiness to his people, is made to him in the first place. So Christ is the first and chief heir; and they are secondary heirs in and through him. Hence, in view of the great promise of the covenant, "I will be their God," our Saviour hath that endearing expression, "I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God," John xx. 17, compare Rom. 17, viii. "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and jointheirs with Christ."

3dly, As in the covenant of works, God promised life to Adam's natural seed; upon condition of his perfect obedience; which is evident from death's coming on them by his disobedience: so in the covenant of grace, he hath promised life to Christ's spiritual seed, upon condition of his obedience; for "as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive," 1 Cor. xv. 22. But that promise of life for Adam's natural seed, was primarily made to Adam himself, while as yet none of them were in being; and they were to partake of it only through him, to whom it was made as their representative. Therefore the promise of life to Christ's spiritual seed, was made chiefly to Christ himself; and to them only in and through him. Accordingly we are told, that the promise of eternal life, upon which the hope of believers is built, was made before the world began, Tit. i. 2. And to whom could it be then made immediately and primarily, but to Christ the head of the covenant?

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Lastly, These promises contain a part of the reward made over in the covenant to Jesus Christ, "who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross," Heb. xii. 2. A great part of which joy lay here; He shall see his seed, the travail of his soul," Isa. liii. 10, 11. All of these promises were the price of his blood to him, the purchase of his obedience and death; therefore called the New Testament in his blood. To whom could the reward be chiefly promised, but to him who, performing the condition, wrought the work? Unto him therefore it was of debt, namely in virtue of the promise, which made it due to him upon his performing the condition. The blessings of the covenant which come on the elect, are certainly to be considered as a reward to Christ, as well as a free gift to them. And considering them in the first of these views, there is no