A continuation of the exposition of the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the…

Hence the whole Evil of the one, and the Good of the other, as they were, and as far as they were, Heads of the Covenants are imputed unto them who derive from them in their respective Covenants. But after the first Sin Adam ceased to be an Head unto his Posterity, as to the Good or Evil of that Covenant, which was now broken and disannulled. Neither was he nor any of his Posterity ever after restored or assumed into the same State and Condition. It is therefore highly vain to confound the Consideration of our Concernment in what Adam did as he was the Head of the Covenant, with what he afterwards did, and other intervenient Progenitors might do. All this our Apostle confirms at large, Rom. 5. (7.) Abraham was taken into a new Administration of the Covenant with new Promises and Seals. But he neither was nor could be made the Head and Representative of that Covenant whereinto he was taken, otherwise than Typically. Hence his Moral Good or Evil could not be reckoned unto his Posterity in Covenant. But yet he was made the Head and Spring of the Administration of its outward Privileges; and this so far as his Trust extended, was imputed unto his Posterity, as in the case of Circumcision. Wherefore seeing what he did unto Melchizedek belonged unto the Administration of the Covenant committed unto him, Levi is rightly said to have done it in him also. And so these things do mutually Illustrate one another. But to deny that we were all in Adam as the Head of the first Covenant, that we sinned in him, that the Sin which we in any sense have sinned is imputed unto us, is not to dispute with us, but expressly to contradict the Holy Ghost.

Hence the whole Evil of the one, and the Good of the other, as they were, and as far as they were, Heads of the Covenants are imputed unto them who derive from them in their respective Covenants. But after the first Sin Adam ceased to be an Head unto his Posterity, as to the Good or Evil of that Covenant, which was now broken and disanulled. Neither was he nor any of his Posterity ever after restored or assumed into the same State and Condition. It is therefore highly vain to confound the Consideration of our Concernment in what Adam did as he was the Head of the Covenant, with what he afterwards did, and other intervenient Progenitors might do. All this our Apostle confirms at large, Rom. 5. (7.) Abraham was taken into a new Administration of the Covenant with new Promises and Seals. But he neither was nor could be made the Head and Representative of that Covenant whereinto he was taken, otherwise than Typically. Hence his Moral Good or Evil could not be reckoned unto his Posterity in Covenant. But yet he was made the Head and Spring of the Administration of its outward Priviledges; and this so far as his Trust extended, was imputed unto his Posterity, as in the case of Circumcision. Wherefore seeing what he did unto Melchisedec belonged unto the Administration of the Covenant committed unto him, Levi is rightly said to have done it in him also. And so these things do mutually Illustrate one another. But to deny that we were all in Adam as the Head of the first Covenant, that we sinned in him, that the Sin which we in any sence have sinned is imputed unto us, is not to dispute with us, but expressely to contradict the Holy Ghost.