. ~f the Covenant 85 T it. iii. .5· ' Not by works of rigli eoufnefs which we have done, but according to his mercy he faved us! Eph. ii. 9· 'Not ofworks lell: any man fuould boafl.' · God forbid we £hould go about to jufile faith and obedience out of the covenant of grace! tnefe whp do fo in principle or ptaCl:ice, wiJl thereby juf}:le them– felves out of the kingdom of heaven, 1\tfatth. v. 19. c Whofoever fhall break one ofthefe leafi ~ommand· ments, and £hall teach men fo, he £hall be called the leall: in the kingdom of heaven ;' that is, he !hall be treated as he treated that one of thefe commandments, he fhall be judg~dunworthy ofthe fellow£hip"ofthat ' kingdom. Faith is neceffary, favingly to interefl: us !n Jefus Chrifi the Head of the covenant: and none can attain to eternal ~appinefs, without aB:ual believ– ing, who are fubjeCl:s capable of it: nor can any at... tain it without the Spirit of faith indwelling in them ; obedience is necelfary, as the chief fubordinate end of the covenant, being that ·whereby God hath his glory he' defigned therein ; and without obedience begun here, none who are fubjeCl:s capable of it, can fee heaven. But withal, 'tis necelfaJ1y, that they be kept in the place and ll:ation affign'd them in the co– venant, by the Father and the Son, from eternity. 'By faith we perfonally embrace the covenant, con– fent to, and rell: in, the condition of the covenan-t, f~lfilled by Chrill: ; and fo are jufiified and brough.t into, a fiate of falvation, John x. 9· 'I am the door : by rpe if any man enter in, he £hall be faved.' .Corn· , pare John i. 12. and iii. 16. and xiv. 6. By evan– .gelical repentance and gofpel-obedience, we tefiify our thankfulnefs to God, and evidence the truth of eur faith, and our being within the covenant, 1 Pet. ii. 9· ' Ye are a chofen generation, a royal priefl:- ,"· hood, an holy nation, a peculiar people ; that ye fhould £hew forth the praifes of him who bath called you out of darknefs into his marvellous light ; ver. Io. Which in time pafl: were not a people, but are F 4 . now
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