250 FAITH THE. WAY TO SALVATIOS. 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 uponour 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 sometimes speaks of two covenants ; the old and the new : and means chiefly the eeconomy or dispensation of the Jews under Moses, and the eeconomy of Christ, or the dispensation of the gospel sincethe Messiah came. But by the two covenants I now speak of, I would be understood to mean the law or constitution of innocency, and theconstitution 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 representative of all man- kind, so every son and daughter of Adam continues under it till they accept of the covenant of grace, or the offers of the gospel, either in the darker or brighter discoveries pf it.: And therefore all mankind, Jews and Gentiles, are laid under con- demnation by it in the writings of St. Paul, in the second and third chapters to the Romans. By this law of works, every mouth is stopped, and the whole world is becomeguilty be,fore God ; Rom. iii. 19. Though the nations of the Jews and christians, and perhaps the greatest part of the heathen world, have had some revelations of the gospel or covenant of grace, and have been under the outward offers of it; yet Jews, heathens, and national christians, are all under the sentence of the covenant of the law of works,. till they enter into the covenant of grace by repentance andfaith in the mercy of God. , But thecovenant of grace, or the gospel is a new constitu- tion, whichGod hath ordainedfor the relief of poor fallenmiser- able man, condemned and perishing under the curse of the law of works. It is a constitution of grace, whereby alone fallen sinners can obtain salvation. The law of works demands universal obedience to all the commands of God, obedience perfect and persevering; for 'this is the language of it; the nzan thatdoth them shall live in them; Rom. x. 5. and it curses every sinner without hope or remedy; cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them; Gal. iii. 10, 12. But the voice of the gospel, the righteousness of faith, or the way of justification by Christ, speakethon this wise, With the heart man beliei+eth unto righteousness, andwith the mouth confession is made unto salvation; for the just shalllive by faith; Rom. x. 10. Gal. iii. 11. The one proclaims eternal life to all that pterfect1y obey, the other publishes salvation to all that believe, though their obedience be very imperfect.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=