r · of the Covenant. 83 Jy, ·as the condition . of the covenant. Ifany will make it the ground of their plea, they mufi needs. produce it as awork of a law, that is, as a deed done by them, whereby they have fulfilled and anfwcred a law, and whereupon they crave the benefit promifed: the which will, according to the Scripture, be found a: dangerous adventure, Rom. m. 20. Gal. ii. I 6. and v. 4· · · Thirdly, 'Tis by this, and this alone, the falvation offinner~ becomes a debt : therefore this. alone is the , condition of the covenant. For the reward is ofdebt to him, and him only, who fulfills the condition of a covenant; ' To him that \vorketh, not to him 'that worketh not, but believeth,' Rom. iv. 4, 5· And fo ' 'it is of debt to Cbrifi: alone, not 'to us : and therefore 'twas he that fulfilled the condition of the covenant ; we fulfil no part ofit. This is confinn'd from the primitive fituation of mankind with reference, to eter– nal life, in the firfi Adam's covenant; duly 'confidered. The .condition there~f was perfect active obedience. And, according to the nature of that covenant; if this obedience had been fulfilled by Adam, eternal 'life, to him and his, ,would thereupon have become a debt to him. !\.nd the plea ofhis pofierity for life, in that cafe, would not have been founded on thejr perfonal obe– dience coming after that fulfilment ; fince it would not have been the performance of the condition, but the fruit of the promife of the covenant: but it would have been founded on that ·performance ofAiam their Reprefentative; forafmuch as, in the cafe fuppofed, it would have been the only obedience wl~ereby the condition of that covenant was fulfilled: ai1d fo they .would have obtained life, not for any perfonal '\vork or deed of theirs; but for the obedjence of the firfr .Adam their reprefentative, to, which God did graci– oufly make the promife of life, in the fidl: covenant. . Fourthly, Faith and obedience ·are benefits promifed in the coven~nt, upon the copdition of it, as bath F 3 been
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