(382) required, for the atchieving of thefe favours andhonours. The Covenant oftheLaw flood in thefe terms, He that cloth thefe things (hall live thereby : fo that the condition was righteoufnefs according to the exait Rule of the Law. By the Gofpel the Lord enters into a New Covenant with man,the condition whereof is, Believe and thou (halt be faved,] This is that which the Apoftle teacheth us concerning the Lords accounting of faith for Righte- oufnefs. Whereas by the Law, Righteoufnefs was nectfrarily re- quired, that a man might have an intereft to Heaven ; Now by the Gofpel, faith is accepted inftead of righteoufnefi. Do this, faith the Law : Believe in C hrift, faith the Gape!. So that when the queftion is of Reconciliation and the parts thereof, or either of them, whether it be by faith or no ? The meaning is this, Whether believing be the condition which we are to perform, that we may be reconciled to God , or no ? To this doubt the Apoille anfwereth, that Abraham believed God, and it (that is his believing) was counted to him for tighteoufnefs] Leg. mitre Dem de Reamed. part. .1. 2. C 18, he cites many Authors to 'prove faith a condition of the Covenant, and addeth [Faith therefore is a condition, and fuch a Condition to Iuftification by Chrift in the free Covenant, as Works were to Inflification by the works of the Law. And therefore the Ri teoufnefs of the Law and Gofpel are oppofed to one another, Rom.t o. 6, 7.&c. and this in verf. 9.is explained by the Conjunaion [if_l Ifthou be- lieve : on which place Calvin gathers, that [as the Law exaeleth works, fo the Gofpel requires that men bring faith to Receive the Grace of God] Whence it followeth that he that believeth in Chrift, feeing he bath performed the Condition which the Gofpel requires to be performed, is judged to have done no leis according to the Gofpel Covenant, then he fhould have been judged tohave done according to the Legal Covenant, if he had perteemed mac petfea :obedience to the Law. And this is to lroptite or Repute faith to Righteoufnefs.] ldern
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