18 The Covenant of Works Chap. 3' Chrift crowns thofe thatcorne upto the terms of the Covent Faith is a duty of theMoral Law. Anf w. The lift work is to crown with glory thofe ',that by grace he railed up to the termes of the Covenant, thus qualifying them, he crowns them, 1 have fought a good fight, I have finifhed my courfc henceforth there is laid asp for me a crown of righteou, f- nefe, which the Lord, the righteous judge (hall give me at that day, 2 Tim. g.. 7, 8. I go to prepare a place far you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, 1 will come againe aná receive you to my fe1 f, John 14. 2, 3. Here forne difficulties offer them - felves, If the Covenant of works (pall between God and man in his integrity) were immediate, and the tranfaftions of it with- out reference to Chrift, then it follows that faith in Chrift is not commanded in that Law which was given to man for a rule,there being no pofiibility of it, there cóuld be no command for it,and there was no poflibility of e4dams believing it, feeing Chrift was not revealed, and was not as Mediatour of any ufe. This opini- on is ftrongly maintained by Arminians. Armin. in rV. ad artic. decimum nonum. Corvinm Contr. Mohn. cap. I I. And to this end that they may make it good,that God cannot in juftice require faith in Chrift, from man in his fallen condition, unleffe he with - all conferre upon him abilities to beleeve , feeing he never had that power from him in his integrity and flare of purity ; and upon this fuppofition the argument is of force. We vindicate Gods juftice in commanding works, though to us now impoflì- ble, feeing once we had power to reach the higheft of his pre- cepts, and his command is no rule of our empaired flrength, but of our duty. But if men never had that power, and the Law ne- ver required it, it is injuftice (according to all parties) to exact it. Let thofe that fall to the Arminians in this tenent, (that they may make the Law an imperfect rule, an infufficient direction) fee how they can avoid it, how they can vindicate Gods juftice thus impeached. But the Orthodox party have ítitl maintained that Adams had in his integrity that faith that dòth juftifie,though then it performed not that office of juftification; As he had that faculty whereby we fee dead bodies, though then there was no poflibility of fuch fight, there being no dead bodies to be feen. And that faith in Chrift is commanded in the firft pre- 1 cept of the Law is manifeít. There we a e commanded to have God for our God, no Interpreter will deny that, the affirma- tive is contained in that negative : Mop, 'halt have none other gods
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