Again, the law of God was given both as a law and as a covenant to Adam,
as the representative of the human race. Though the giving of the
positive precept put him into a covenant state as a federal head, and
though by breaking it he fell, and in consequence of his sin they fell
in him, yet it is unwarrantable to maintain that the duty of abstaining
from the tree of life was the only condition of the covenant to be
observed by him as the public covenant head of his descendants. What
would have been his condition had he neglected any other duty incumbent
on him? Would he not have been depraved as an individual personally
guilty? and accordingly seeing that he that offends in one point is
guilty of all, would he not have been unworthy of representing his
posterity, or in consequence of his depravity would he not have resolved
to eat of the tree of life, and thus have exposed himself to the stroke
of Divine indignation, and have been cut off? As, had he existed alone,
he would from the very constitution of his nature have been under
covenant obligation to perform whatever duties his Creator might have
made known to him, so in his public character, his obedience to the law
of God on his own behalf and towards the fulfilment of the peculiar
duties connected with his relation to his descendants, was due as
required by covenant. As one with his posterity he was bound by
requirements that would have brought them under obligation. Feeling
himself commanded to obey on behalf of many of whom he himself was one,
no less than as if he had acted in an individual capacity, did he or
could he recognise his obligations to acquiesce in duty prescribed, nor
less was he called and urged solemnly by covenant to engage to them.
Accordingly, man in his original condition, was, from his constitution,
engaged in covenant to God by his law. By a twofold bond, the obligation
laid upon him was imposed. The authority of God requiring obedience was
one of the bonds. The authority of God requiring fulfilment of an
engagement made according to his command was the other. The giving of
the law implied the disposition of the constitution of man to respond to
its appeal, and demonstrated that both were of God. Seeing that He
determined to create moral subjects on earth, his arrangements provided
that he should make them disposed to acquiesce in that law; and hence,
so long as man continued to possess the moral standing in which he was
placed at first, he must have had an impression that by the constitution
which had been given him, God was engaged to bestow good upon him, which
he was brought under obligation by Covenanting to accept.
Covenanting is adapted to the moral constitution of man in a state of
grace.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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