352 HARMONY OF ALL RELIGIONS. circumcised, as hoping for salvation by this covenant of Sinai, he is a debtor to the whole law. Nor can he be saved thisway, un- less he obeys it all perfectly ; and he that seeks salvation by such a covenant of works; isfallen from grace, or has left the doctrine of grace, verse 4. V. Now, since this law of Moses taken by itself, as the mere Sinai covenantwas in thevery natureof it a sort ofcovenant of works, for the man that Both the commands thereof, shall live by them ; Rom. x. 3. Lev. xviii. 5. hence it comes to pass, that in thewritings of St. Paul, who was well acquainted with all the dispensations of God, the law of Moses in some places is not only called the first covenant, to intimate another or clearer dispensa- tionof grace to followit, but it is brought in sometimes alsoas a representation or specimen of that original covenant of works, or law of innocency, which was made at first with man for immortality and eternal life ; which law all mankind have broken, and by nature they all lie not only under the commands; but under the curse of it; and therefore by it no man can be jas- tjfied or saved, as in Rom. iii. 19, 20. and x.,5. Gal. iii. 10, 12. It is evident from several verses in these two epistles to the Romans and Galatians, that the Sinai covenant does certainly represent the original covenant of works, and the curse of it under which all men lie by nature, for it is said that Christ had redeemed the Galatian Gentiles, as well as St. Paul the Jew, from the curse of the law, by bearing the curse for them, verse 13. but the Galatians were never under the law of Sinai, nor did that law curse them, any otherwise but asbreakers'of theorigi- nal moral law of God, Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things written in-the book of the law to do them; verse 10. VI. And indeed we' may take notice, that the original co- venant or law of works which required perfect obedience,in order to man's justification or acceptance with God, is frequently ex- hibited and represented up and down in the writings: of Moses, and setbefore the Israelites in many views, and that for several wise purposes : as, 1. To shew them what was the perfect rule of obedience and duty which God required of man ; and, 2. To instruct them how much God insisted upon perfection of righ- teousness, in order to justification by their own works in his sight. He did this, also : 3. To convince them that they had all wretchedly transgressed this law of works, and broken this covenant of perfection: and, 4. That they might despair of eternal life by this law ; and that after all their necessary en- deavours to obey this law, they might still betake themselves to faith, or a dependence on the pardoning mercy and grace of God ; in short, it was to lead them to trust in that gospel which is contained in thegeneral promises given them by Moses, and typified by the sacrifices of their Sinai covenant, and other ceremonies.
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