Watts - Houston-Packer Collection BX5207.W3 S4x 1805 v.3

168 THE DIFFERENCE EETWEEN THE [DIsc. ni. they are under a sentence of condemnation-by the law ofGod, whatsoever law they are under, whether the law of nature, or any laws of revelation : forasmuch as no man hath ever perfectly fulfilled any law that God had given him, and therefore all are come short of justifica- tion and life, all are fallen short of the glory of God, promised to obedience. See this at large, both declared, pronounced, and argued; Rom. iii. 9-20. By the law shall no,flesh living bejustified, &c. Quest. 6. What is that promise given by the faith of Christ to them that believe ? Answ. The promise of salvation, and the inheritance of heaven, typified by the land of Canaan, given origi- nally and eminently to Abraham, and his seed, and con- tinued to those who are his spiritual seed, viz. who be- lieve or trust in Christ, who is the Messiah promised to Abraham : for by faith in Christ we are made the chil- dren of Abraham ; Gal. iii. 29, i. e. as we are imitators of his faith, so we are invested with his benefits; i. e. those who imitate Abraham by trusting in the mercy of God through the Messiah, Crow he is come in the flesh, as Abraham trusted in him before he came, are accounted in the sight of God, the children or posterity of Abra- ham, and are partakers of those blessings of the inherit- ance of eternal life, which was promised to Abraham, under types and figures of the land of Canaan ; Gal. iii. 7, 8, 9, 29. And as Abraham was made a child of God by trusting in the ancient promise, so we are made the children of God by faith, or trusting in Jesus Christ, the Messiah ; Gal. iii. 26. Having explained the words so particularly, I come to lay down these observations : I. C}bserv. There is a constant and happy harmony between the several revelations of God to men. The promise to Abraham, or the gospel proposed and preach- ed to him, is not contrary to the law given by Moses to theJews. The law signifies the precepts of God revealed or dis- covered to men, more particularly to the Jews. The gospel is the promise of the special blessings of God revealed or discovered to men, particularly to Abraham of old, and to us in a plainer manner, in these latter days. Here I shall chew, in thefirst place, that the law and

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=