54 General Conf derawns previoußy ne(V.iag whole of our Relation unto God, with its refeet unto all parts of our Obedience. There was no fuch thing, nothing of that nature or kind, in the firft conftitution of that Relation and Obedience by the Law of our Creation. We were made in a Bate of immediate Relation unto God in our own perlons, as our Creator, Preferver and Rewarder. There was no my- fiery of Grace in the Covenant of Works. No more was required unto the confummation of that flare, but what was given us in our Creation, enabling us unto rewardable Obe- dience. Do this and live, was the foie Rule of oñr Relation unto God. There was nothing in Religion originally of that which the Gofpel celebrates under the name of the Grace, Kindnef and Love of God, whence all our favourable Re- lation unto God doth now proceed, and whereinto it is re- folved ; nothing of the Interpofition of a Mediator with re- fpe& unto our Righteoufnefs before God and Acceptance with him, which is at prefent the Life and Soul of. Religion, the Subftance of the Gofpel, and the Centre of all the Truths revealed in it. The Introduc` lion of thefe things is that which makes our Religion a myftery, yea a great myftery, if the Apoftle may be believed, r Tim. 3. 16. All Religion at firft was fuited and commenfurable unto Reafon ; but being now become a myflery, men for the moft part are very unwilling to receive it. but fo it mull be ; and unlefs we are reftored unto our primitive Re &itude, a Religion fùited unto the princi- ples of our Reafon, which it bath none but what anfwer that firft {fate, will not ferve our Turns. Wherefore of this IntroduC`l'ion of Chrifl and Grace in him, into our Relation unto God, there are no notions in the na- tural conceptions of our minds, nor are they difcoverable by Reafon in the beft and utmoft of its exercife, z Cor. 2. 14. For before our underftandings were darkened, and our Rea- fon debafed by the Fall, there were no fuch things revealed or propofed unto us ; yea the fuppofition of them is incon- fiftenu
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