Book HI. L8'dkii1g- utJts :Jtfm. Chap.1Sett.4 Gocf..to be ~heir flod ·; buf by faith·· in:Clie Meifrah. :In tlte P,to~ phets we read frequently t-hefe exhortation"i : mrft in the Lord p, .c.ommit thy [elf u·nto the Lord, lean upon the Lord, androul~ . th) burden upon the Lord; but what the Prophets exhort -unto, · that is.comman4ed in this c-xpreffure of the Covenant, and who can truft in the Lord, or commit himfelfto the Lord, or lean up. on the Lord , or roule his burthen on the Lord, if he be a fin ncr , unleffe it be in and through aMediator ? Ifrael muil walk before '.Hcb.n.6 God in all weU-pleaGng; and the Apoille tells us , that withQut faith it is impojfible to plea[t God. But to go no further, what is the meaning of this firil commandment in the affirmative part, but to have one God in (hrifl to be our Cjod by faith? it is true • there i&no mention made of Chrift, or faith, but tnat is nothing, there is no mention of love , and yet our.Saviour difcovers and commands it there; when the Lawyer tempted Cbrift, Mafter . _ ~hic.h iJ th~ great Commmtdm'mt in the· La'?'? you know Chrill; Mst.U.36,37, anfweJ?, thoH/)tflt love the Lord thy Godwsth aN thJ he11rt, witb ,3 8 • a/t thyfoul', and' .With ail thy mind, this is the firH'IfruJ 'gre11t Com. mandment,Mat.22.36,3 7;3 8. Now as our Saviour difcovers lov1 there , fo in l~ke manner is faith and Chrilhh~re the necetfary confequents. But you may objea:, what fay we to obedience? is not.that rather the condition of this covenaqt tHus thiningin theLaw? ' . Indeed the Law an& obedience are Correlatives. But in this, .cafe•we are not- co look to the Law as meercly mandatory. we gave you the fenfe ofthe word' , and how it i~ufed ai a cov;nant of gr.ace; remember- onely ·tliis; the Law is confidered: either more ftri&ly, as it is atraliftraCled rule ofrighteoufncffe, lfolding .forth life· upon no other termes but perfect obedience~ 9r more largely as that whole doctrine delivered, on Mount Sinai with the preface and promifesadjoyned: in the former fenfeit is a covenant ofworkes; butinthelatterfenfeit is acovenantof grace.- And yet I dare not fay, that as the Law is a covenant of grace , it doth exclude obedience. In fome fort obedience as well as faith may be faid to be acondition ofthe covenant of grace ; 1fhall give you my thoughts in this difiinction, obedience to all Gods commandments, is either confiderable as a 1:aufe oflife. or as a qualification of the fubjed:; in the former fenfeit cannot be·a condicjon of the covenant of grace, but in - . . the
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