ST?<ffi. RVIII.] FAITH THE WAY TO SA2.VATION. '3O9 to 'every christian. It is true indeed, that every one- -ought to seek after it by the. frequent exercise of faith and love, and every grace, thus brightening the evi- dences of his saving interest in the blessings of the gos- pel daily; and where. assurance is obtained -upon solid grounds, holiness and joy will rise by - swift degrees, and the soul will make glorious advances towards the heavenly state- and complete salvation : But some chris- tians scarce ever arrive at this attainment all their days. Since therefore a mere assent to thegospel in general isnot sufficient for salvation, ..and a hill assurance of our own interest is not necessary, . it follows, that an affiance -or trust in Christ as a Saviour is the most essential and important act of faith. This is that sacred and appoint- ed duty of a convinced soul, whereby it is made par- taker of the-blessings of salvation according to the gos- pel, if it be practised in the way which' havejust before ,described. REMARK II. Take notice Isere of the difference be- tween the law and the gospel, between the covenant of works and the covenant of grace: The one gives us life upon our working, the other saves, us from death, and gives us a right toheaven upon our believing, therefore one is called the law of works, and the other the law of faith, Rom. iii. 27. It is proper here to Observe, that the scripture some- times speaks: of two covenants; the old and the new : and means chiefly the oeconomy or dispensation - of the Jews under Moses, and the.oeconomy of Christ, or the dispensation of the gospel since the Messiah came. But by the two covenants I now speak of, I would be under- stood to mean the law or constitution of innocency, and the constitution of grace. By the constitution, or law of innocency, .man was to have obtained eternal life before his fall ; - and as this law or covenant was given to Adam as the head and re- . presentative of all mankind, so every son and daughter of Adam continues under it till they accept of the cove- nant of grace, or the offers of the gospel, either in the darker or brighter discoveries of it : And therefore all mankind, Jews and gentiles, are laid under condemna- tion by it in the writings, of St. Paul, in the second and third chapters to the Romans. By this law of works every x
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=