. The covenant of nature, or of works, was made
with Adam, and all mankind in him. This covenant Adam broke, and God
presently had a quarrel against him for breaking of it. And, to avenge
the quarrel of the covenant, he was thrust out of paradise, and there
was a sword also placed at the east end of the garden of Eden, to avenge
covenant-breaking. And by nature we are all children of wrath, heirs of
hell, because of the breach of that covenant. And therefore we should
never think of original sin, or of the sinfulness and cursedness of our
natural condition, but we should remember what a grievous sin
covenant-breaking is.

But, after man was fallen, God was pleased to strike a new covenant,
which is usually called a covenant of grace, or of reconciliation. This
was first propounded to Adam by way of promise, "The seed of the woman
shall bruise the serpent's head." And then to Abraham by way of
covenant, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed."
And then to Moses by way of testament. It is nothing else but the free
and gracious tender of Jesus Christ, and all His rich purchases to all
the lost and undone sons of Adam, that shall believe in Him: or as the
phrase is, "That shall take hold of the covenant." Now you must know
that baptism is a seal of this covenant, and that all that are baptised
do, sacramentally at least, engage themselves to walk before God, and to
be upright; and God likewise engages Himself to be their God. This
covenant is likewise renewed when we come to the Lord's Supper, wherein
we bind ourselves, by a sacramental oath, unto thankfulness to God for
Christ. Add further, that besides this general covenant of grace,
whereof the sacraments are seals, there are particular and personal, and
family and national covenants. Thus, Job had his covenant; and David.
And when he came to be king, he joined in covenant with his people to
serve the Lord. Thus Asa, Jehoiada, Josiah, and others. Thus the people
of Israel had not only a covenant in circumcision, but renewed a
covenant at Horeb and Moab, and did often again and again bind
themselves to God by vow and covenant. And thus the churches of Christ.
Christians, besides the vows in baptism, have many personal and national
engagements unto God by covenant, which are nothing else but the
renovations and particular applications of that first vow in baptism. Of
this nature is that you are to renew this day.

Now give me leave to shew you what a s