· hy Faith or~ Beiievi.trg. 285 he ofdebt to u~, €ontra·ry to the d~clared end andd~· fign ofthat medi0d of falvation, which is w exalt rhe ' ftee grace ofGod, to out off aH bO>afiing .from ,us, Eph. ii. 8·, 9· r BtJt the nat:\ilre of faith's efficacy in the bufinefs, ' is adapted t0 that ,end and ddign C?f the covenant: inafmuch a·s; it is a grace, not gi•dng;, but - pur;ely receiving ;. taking all freely fFom Chr:ifi, w'ith• Dut money, and without price'~ laying the fhefs of rho foul's acceptance ·with God wholly on whlat Chrijf tl:ath done and fuffered~ al'ld entirely renounCing all doings and fufferrngs ofour owE, in that point. And thus the promife is fure' to us: for whereas the plea of any work of ours would be a very uncertain one J fairh 's·plea is ever fure and !h;d£1.ft, as grounded; al• · ' lenarly on what Chrifl ha:th \Vrougbt. · Secondlyi Hereby the.Gnner's entrirrg into the CO• venant, is by uniting with Chrifi the Reprefentative, winh whom it was made, as party contra£ter; which is the Scripture-a·ccoont of tne .matter~ John x. 9· 'I am. the doot: by me if~ny man ent~r in, he lhaH be /· _faved :1' and fo the ooiry of thecoven~ntr and the te· . prefentation in 'it,. are: preferved. lf men entred. into the covenant, fQme other' \Vay, a.s h>y their ac~ , , , cepting., properly called terms to the·m propofed, a·.rrcit promfililg for themfelves the performanr~ of them: in that cafe, the reprefentation in · the €ovenant is inarr'd; a,nd there would be, in dfe<ft, as ~any .~o'• venants of gra-ce·, as there are perfons eml?r.at"ing it~ at different times ; at lea.fi, Chri:ft's· G<!>V.enant \vould be one 1 and·oilrs am>tilr.ter diftinfr from tha;t, lhe €on• trary of whkh is before .evinced' from the Scripturd. , But the covvnan!: &f gracte b~ing made wilt:h Ch,rijl as fecond Adam, in the tnnne 0f :d~ firch as fltould bt hrs ; it plainly follows, that the onJy way of, ~l'le's entring perfonally into it, mufr b€ by becoming hi:s,. fianding related to ·the Head of the coverrant as our Head : and it is.. by tai.th, a1:1d no wor~ n.or confent,of CJurs differing frol}l faith , that we areunited eohim, ~rnd be~ ' I . ...
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