Federal Headship

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The covenant of grace, the second covenant, was made with Christ as the last or second Adam, head and representative of a seed.
Adam is called the first man, and Christ the second man, 1 Cor 15:47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.
As Adam was the first federal head, or the representative in the first covenant. Agreeable to which Paul represents Adam as the head of the earthly men, and Christ as the head of the heavenly men, ver 48, As is the earthy one, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly one, so also are those who are heavenly.
The former being those who bear Adam's image, namely all his natural seed; the latter, those who partake of the image of Christ, namely his spiritual seed, ver 49, Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.
All this is confirmed from Adam's being a figure or type of Christ, which Paul expressly asserts in Rom 5:14, Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the violation committed by Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
By Adam's covenant-breaking sin, and death came on all that were his, so by Christ's covenent keeping righteousness and life come to all that are his, vs. 17-19, For if by the offense of the one, death reigned through the one, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then, as through one offense the result was condemnation to all mankind, so also through one act of righteousness the result was justification of life to all mankind. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

Whereas, as the first covenant was made with Adam, as the head and representative of his natural seed, so the second covenant was made with Christ, as the head and representative of his spiritual seed.

Federal headship.

 

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Psalm 89.
2 For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,
4 Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations.

The psalmist, from the type of the covenant of grace, namely the covenant of royalty made unto David, he saw a building up of mercy for the royal family of Judah, when they were brought very low. From the substance of it, he saw a building of mercy for sinners of mankind, who were laid in ruins by the breach of the first covenant. This is that new building free grace set on foot for us; into which they that believe are instantly thereupon received, and where once received, they shall dwell for ever; a building of mercy, in which every stone, from the bottom to the top, from the foundation stone to the cap-stone, is pure mercy, rich and free mercy to us.

 

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Of this building of mercy:
1) The plan of it was established from all eternity, in the council of the Trinity. It is according to the eternal purpose purposed in Jesus Christ, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: Eph 3:2.
The objects of mercy, the time and place, the way and means of conferring it on them, were designed particularly before man was created.
2) The builder is God Himself, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. 1 Cor 3:9.
All hands of the glorious Trinity are at work in this building.
The Father chose the objects of mercy, and gave them to the Son to be redeemed; the Son purchased the redemption fpor them; and the Holy Spirit applies the purchased redemption unto them.
But it is specifically attributed to the Son, on account of his singular agency in the work.
Zech 6:12-13
12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord:
13 Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
Paul, considering this, cries out, "O the depth!"
Romans 11:
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

 

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The first stone of this building that appeared was a promise, a promise of a Saviour, made in paradise after the fall, And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Genesis 3:15.