that God requireth of us. 345 is (inlets and perfect ; and it requires no Duty, nor prohibits any fin, but under the Penalty of Death upon difobe' dience. 2. It is true, that he who is once a (.inner, if he fhould afterwards yield all that perfect Obedience unto God that the Law rerires, he could not thereby obtain the Benefit of the Promife of the Covenant. But the foie Reafon of it is, becaufe he is antecedently a (inner, and fo obnoxious unto the Curfe of the Law. And no man can be obnoxious unto its Curfe, and have a right unto its Promife at the fame time. But fo to lay the fuppofition, that the fame perfon is by any means free from the Curfe due unto fin, and then to deny that upon the performance of that perfect finlefs. Obedience which the Law requires, that he fhould not have right unto the Promife of Life thereby, is to deny the Truth of God, and to reflect the higheft difhonour upon his Juftice. Jefus Chrift himfelf was juftified by this Law. And it is immuta- bly true, that he who doth the things of it (hall live therein. 3. It is granted, that man continued not in the Obferva- tion of this Law, as it was the Rule of the Covenant between God and him. The Covenant it was not, but the Rule ofit, which that it fhould be was fuperadded unto its Being as a Law. For the Covenant comprized things that were not any part of a Refult from the neceffary Relation of God and Man. Wherefore man by his fin as unto Demerit, may be Paid to break this Covenant, and as unto any Benefit unto themfelves to difannul it. It is allo true, that God did never formally and abfolutely renew or give again this Law as a Covenant a fecond time. Nor was there any need that fo he fhould do, unlefs it were declaratively only, for fo it was renewed at Sinai. For the whole of it being an Emanation of Eternal Right and Truth, it abides and muff abide in full force for ever. Wherefore it is only thus far broke as a Covenant, that Y y all
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=