Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/125

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Faith in Christ is not commanded in the Morall Law as it was engraven in the heart of Adam in the state of innocency: but as it was given to Israel, to be a rule of life to a people in Covenant, it was presupposed or commanded. For the generall substance of duty, the Law then delivered and formerly engraven in the heart was one and the same: but not in respect of the subject by whom, the object to whom, or the grounds whereupon obedience was required. Confidence in God was required of Adam by the Law of nature written in his heart. Confidence in God through Christ or the Messiah was required of the Israelites by the Law published upon the Mount. Adam was to performe obedience to the Lord immediately without a Mediatour, being himselfe pure and innocent. But the Israelites being in themselves sinner, could not in their own names performe service pleasing and acceptable unto the Lord. Adam knew he was beloved of the Lord, so long as he continued in obedience, but had no warrant to wait upon his mercy, when he had broken the Covenant of works. But to the Israelites God bound himselfe in Covenant upon Mount Sinai, promising to be their God, and take them for his people, notwithstanding they were sinners in themselves, which could not be without forgivenesse: and this Covenant they might and did renew by repentance after transgression. The Law is not to be confounded with the Gospell, but the sacred and inviolable knot of the one with the other is to be maintained, unlesse we shall make God contrary to himselfe.

The Law doth not so directly and expressely teach faith in Christ, but require obedience, yet doth it leade us to Christ, and more obscurely command faith in him. The Gospell doth more fully reveale Christ, and the grace of God in him, commanding faith by name: but it doth also urge, presse, and exact obedience. Thus sweetly doe the Law and Gospell consent together. But here it is to be noted, that faith is commanded in the Law, which exacteth every thing that is good, but it is given to us, not by the Law, but of the holy Ghost. The distinction of the Law and Gospell as they are opposed one to another is cleare and evident: but as the Law was given to the Jewes it is not opposite, but subordinate to the Gospell. The Law in it selfe considered exacted perfection of works as the cause of life: but when that was impossible to man by reason of the infirmity of his flesh, it pleased