174 The Oldand New Covenant. Chap.24. Though Mc- ¡es delivered a Covenant of Grace to t frac , yet the Law is .fòsretiine tak- en in that re- {trained fenfe as to:holdforth ¡.a Covenant of Works. ty poner of rod through faith unto falvation, 1 Pet.r, 5. Our falva tìon is not in our own keeping , it is not our own care that frees us from deftruc`tion; yet John faith , He that ù begotten of God fanncth not, and keepeth hamfen, that the Wicked one toucbeth him not, I John 5. 18. Here are the fame words affirmed denied and both from one and the fame mouth of truth ; a- different fenfe is! therefore to be enquired after. A righteoufneffe which is the condition of the Covenant ofWorks , out of our own inherent' ftrength and abilities in an exa& perfection is denied. A righte -'t oufneffe; not of us, but through grace wrought in us in u nceri- ty, which the Covenant of Grace calls for, is afferted and required. Ninthly, Though the whole that Mofes delivered from God, on Mount Sinai to the people (and is among the facred oracles of, God for poflerity)do contaire (as bath been fhewed)a Covenant of Grace ; yet the Law is taken fometime in that firie.t fenfe, as containing a Covenant of works, and holding forth life upon condition of perfect obedience. So the Apoftle , Rom. ao. 5, 6, puts an oppofition between the righteoufneffe of the Law , and the righteoufneffe of Faith, fo Gal. 18. If righteoufnelfe be by the Law, it is no more of Promife fo that there is a neceflïty of diftinguifhiing between the Law abftrafted from the Promife the Promife of Chrift , I mean the. Evangelicall Promife ) and the Law,that is,the whole writing of Mofer including this Promife, and writing of Chriff Jefus ; fo that the works of the Law confi- dered in the bare mandatory part of it can fave none ; If right& oufnefe come by the Law, then ChriJt is dead in vain; yen the righ- teoulnefs witne fled by theLaw and theProphets,even the righteouf nefs of God which by Faith of >effts Ghrtfl, Rom. 3. 2I, 2?. that is our juflification,and brings falvation, as there followes. And no marvel,that Mofes, apd the Law delivered by Moles, fhould be taken in Scripture in fo different an acception ; when Circumcifi- on, that leading ceremony of the Law, is fometimes looked upon as a Prviledge, as bath been Ihewed, Rom. 3. i. What advantage then Lath the ?eta ? or what profit ú there of (ircuracifon ? And a faxing Ordinance, R osn 4 11. A Peale of the ri-ghteou, ne f fe of Faith, 4r leading unto Chris` ; And fometimes as a yoke, eA 1s 5.10. A I yoke that neither our fathers nor We were able to bear ; yea, as a deadly Ceremony dividing and cutting off from Chrift. I Paul fay
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