and Nature of it, declared. 99 flopped, and who is guilty before God, obnoxious to the Law, and Phut up under Sin. A fenfe therefore of this eflate and all that belongs unto it, is required unto Believing. Hence Le Blanc who hath fearched with Tome diligence into thefè things, commends the Definition of Faith given by Metre zat that it is the flight of a penitent (inner unto the mercy of God in Chrift. And there is indeed more Senfe and Truth in it, than in twenty other that feem more accurate. But with- out a fuppofition of the Convi&ion mentioned, there is no underflanding of this definition of Faith. For it is that alone which puts the Soul upon a flight unto the mercy of God in Chrift, to be faved from the wrath to come, Heb. 6. 18. fled for Refuge. 21y. The Order, Relation, and ufe of the Law and the Gofpel do uncontroulably evince the neceffity of this Con - vi &ion previous unto Believing. For that which any man hath firll to deal withall, with refpe& unto his Eternal Con- dition, both naturally and. by Gods Inflitution is the Law. This is firft prefented unto the Soul, with its Terms of Righ- teoufnefs and Life, and with its Curie in cafe of failure. Without this the Gofpel cannot be underflood, nor the Grace of it duely valued. For it is the Revelation of Gods way for the relieving the Souls of men from the fèntence and curfè of the Law, Rom. z. 17. That was the Nature, that was the life and End of the firfi Promife, and of the whole work of Gods Grace revealed in all the enfuing Promifes, or in the whole Gofpel. Wherefore the Faith which we treat of be- ing Evangelical, that which in its efpecial nature and ufe, not the Law but the Gofpel requireth, that which hath the Gol pel for its Principle, Rule, and Obje &, it is not required of us, cannot be a&ed by us, but on a fuppofition of the work and effe& of the Law in the convi &ion of fin, by giving the knowledge of it, a fenfe of its Guilt, and the Elate of the firmer on the Account thereof. And that Faith which hath 0 2 not
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