· , peifonal Coven8nting. . 36' ~uit~ mar the furprifing match, which was in a fait ,way _to be carried on. _ . . But, li.keas in that cafe, nothing remains for the woman to do, to entitle her to the ben~fit of the con .. traCt, but believing it to be a real and ferious, not a ;ludicrous deed, to fign her acceptance; which figning :with the hand is neceffary, b'ecaufe her' belief. of th~ reality of the offer'd contract, and trufl:i!lg to it ac– cordingly, being inward aCl:s of the foul, cannot be known among men, but by a proper exte,rnal fign: even fo, aH that remaini for you, to enfiate you fav– ing1y in God's co-venant if grace, offered and exhibi– ted to you in the gofpel 2 is to take holdof it, Ifa.lvi. 4· · And to the end that, · in your aiming to take hold of the covenant, you may not be at ·a. lofs fearing that you may mifs any part or parts thereof, lying fca.ttered through the blefi bible; know, . that Jejiu Chrifl, the fecond Adam, Head of the c.ovenant, is by · his Father given for a covenant to you, Ifa. xlix. 8. So that you have the whole covenant in him; and you take hold of it, by taking hold of him offered and exhibited to you in the free promife of the 'gofpel. , And this is done by. faith, or beliving on his name, according to John i. 12. ' As many as received him, to ~hem gave he power :to become the ions of God, even to them that believe on his name.' Wherefore, by believini on the name of Chrijl, _we take hold ot the covenant, and are enfiated in it unto f.1lvati'on. , And God bath made believing to be the means of onftating finners perfonally and favingly in the cove– Iiant, in confonancy with the great defign and end thereof, declared in the word, and of which before. Rom. v. 16. ' Therefore it is of £1ith, that it might b,e bygrace.' Chap. iii. 27. '" Where is boafling then~ it is excluded. By what law? Of works ? Nay: but by the law of faith.' · Now, tobelieve en the '!ame of Chrifl,' is to believe _0~ credi~ the free promife of the- &!Ofpel wi~h applica- . A a 2 tion
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