Chap. 3. and tñe Covenant ofGrace. __----°--===-.,- gods but me. Now God : is the God of beleevers, Heb. z t. t 6, 1`.10 man can have any communion with God but by faith in Chrift. And fo confequently this faith is there required ; what Expofitor of the Law loth not put truft and affiance in God, within the affirmative part of the firft Commandment, as well as fear, love, and obedience ? And without Chrift there can be no affiance or truft. If we conceive the Moral! Law to reach no farther then the duties expreffely there named, or the evills forbidden, we ¡hall make it very fcant and narrow, we {hall fee fmallreafon of that of the Pfalmift, T by Commandment is ex- ceeding broad, Pfal. 119. 96. But in cafe we take in all that by neceffary confequence may be inferred, according to the appro- ved rules of interpretation, then fcarce any duty is more clearly laid down then this of faith in Chrift. And whereas Maffer faith, cfl mom cannot preach Faith in Chrift out of the Adorall Law, page 189. I fay a man out of the Morali Law mayevince the neceffity of Faith in Chrift unto every one that lives in Gofpel-light to whom Chrift is tendered ; The Law re. quires the duty, and the Gofpe! difcovers the objet{ no man . out of the Law could have evinced Abraham that he muft offer his fon nor that be muft have left his Countrey. But when Gods minde was made known to him in thofe things,the Moral! Law did binde him to obedience, and he had finned againft the Morali Law, in cafe he had refufed, There is no command gi- ven of God to any man, at any time, of any nature whatfoever, but the Moral! Law ties him to the obfervation of it , not im- mediately, explicitely, but upon fuppofition of fuck a command intervening. Therefore ye fhall obferve all my Statutes and all my judgements and do them, I am the Lord, Levit, 19.37. Faith in Chrift being commanded of God, I john 3. 23, the Morali Law obliges to obedience of it. See !Violin. e4natom, Armini- ari Re f j onf. YYallai. ad Cenfuram 7ohannis Arno!. Corvini. cap. Y r. Ball on the Covenant, page Ion . Barges Vindicia legts. a II p gA farther difficulty here offers it felf, and an obftrudion laid againft that which in this Treatife is after intended. If the Covenant, or fecond Covenant (as oppofite to that of works) be in Chrift,and grounded on the work reconciliation, then it is commenfurate with it, and of no greater latitude and D z only
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=