56z Arguments againfi Univerfat Redenspt on. its Nature, and transforming it into a new Covenant of Works , making it one & the fame with that as to kinde , & only to differ , as to the change of Conditions to be performed by man : for as , in the firft Covenant , Adam was to obtain right to, & poffe Pion of life promifed , in , by,for ,through and upon the account of his fulfilling the Condition ofperfe&obedience, im.. poled by the Lord ; fo , in the New Covenant , man is to obtaine & acqui- re to himfelf a right to & poffeflion of the Life promifed , in , by ,for,through & upon the account of his performance of the Condition of Faith & new obedience, now impofed in the Gofpel; and all the difference is, that in ftead of perfect obedience to the Law, which was the Condition of the firft Covenant now Faith & fincere Gofpel Obedience is made the Condition And thus we can no lets he faid to be juftified by works of the Law , or which we do , then Adam should havebeen faid ro have been fo juflified, had he flood; and this juftification giveth as great ground of boafling unto man, & of making the reward of debt , & not of grace , as juflification by the firft Covenant would have done; for though it be faid , that Chrift hath made fatisfa&ion to juflice, for the breach of the -firn Law , & thereby pur- chafed to all , upon Condition , Juflification & Salvation ; yet this remo- veth not the difficulty ; for what is purchafed by Chrift's death is made Uni. verfal &;Common to all ; and fo can be nothing ( according to our Adver- faries) but a putting of all men , in flatu.quo prius , in cafe to run & obtai- ne theprize for themfelves ; as God's abfolute free love put Adam in that .;Condition at firft Chrifl's, death ( though thereby , as they fay , he pur- chafed the New Covenant, which with them is the chiefe , if not the only, .effc ;t & fruit of his Death & Merites ) can be no more , than a very remo- te ground of Right to Life & Salvation , unto any perfon_; for it is made Univerfal & Common to all , fo that all have equal share therein, & ad- vantage thereby; man himfelf, by performing the new Conditions, only making the difference; fo that the .immediat ground of the Right to life., which any have , is their own Faith & Obedience , or performance of the New Covenant - conditions. Whereby it is manifeft, that as to our Parti- cular , and Iinmediat Right to Happinefs, we are to plead our own works, .& lean to them , as our ground whereupon we may (land & appear before God's Tribunal; and upon the account thereof plead for the crown, as our due debt , having now run for it & performed the Condition , agreed u- pon , aud:fo fing praifes to our felves, in (lead of ffnging praifes to our Re, deemer. Hence the Righteaufnefs ,wherein we mull appear before God , is not the Righteoufnefs of Chrifl, but our own ; for the Righteoufnefs of Chrift . fay they , is only imputed in regard of its effects, whereof the new Covenant is the All , or the Chiefe; and fo that dotti not become the Righ- teoufnefs of any man, nor can be faid to be imputed to any man properly , ( which allo they afiert) but his own Faith is only imputed properly ( which alto they plead -for) as his Righteoufnefs ; not, as a Way , Medium , or Methode, of Gofpel- Righteoufnefs (efpecially when Gofpel- Obedience isadjoyned) The Righteoufnefs of Chrift being thereby only accounted to .sae imnputed, in that it hath procured, that our own Gofpel Righteoufnefs, Faith
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