A discourse of the true nature of the Gospel demonstrating that it is no…

I know that with a scornful Smile it will be said, that it is an absurd Assertion to affirm the Precept of Faith to belong to the Law, when the Command of believing on Christ is perpetually repeated in the Gospel, which only discovers this Saviour of Sinners. It is granted, that we meet with this Precept in all the Books of the New Testament; but then the Objectors must also grant, that we find there too the Precepts of loving Christ, of abandoning all things, and denying our selves for his Sake, of loving our Enemies, of the Obedience due from Children to their Parents, of the sincere Service which Servants owe to their Masters: and now if the Gospel is not a New Law in requiring these Duties, which were all commanded by the old one, it will no more be a new Law for commanding us to believe, since this hath been demonstrated to be a Precept of the old Law as well as any of the other. All therefore which can be inferred is, that the Gospel borrows these Precepts from the old Moral Law, (and then they are not properly its own Commands) and employs them in its Service, and for the Interests of our Salvation; or to speak briefly and clearly, in the Words of the Holy Ghost himself, Gal. 3. 19. the Moral Law is in the hands of Christ our Mediator, and made by him to subserve his gracious Designs.

I know that with a scornful Smile it will be said, that it is an absurd Assertion to affirm the Precept of Faith to belong to the Law, when the Command of believing on Christ is perpetually repeated in the Gospel, which only discovers this Saviour of Sinners. It is granted, that we meet with this Precept in all the Books of the New Testament; but then the Objectors must also grant, that we find there too the Precepts of loving Christ, of abandoning all things, and denying our selves for his Sake, of loving our Enemies, of the Obedience due from Children to their Parents, of the sincere Service which Servants owe to their Masters: and now if the Gospel is not a New Law in requiring these Duties, which were all commanded by the old one, it will no more be a new Law for commanding us to believe, since this hath been demonstrated to be a Precept of the old Law as well as any of the other. All therefore which can be inferr'd is, that the Gospel borrows these Precepts from the old Moral Law, (and then they are not properly its own Commands) and employs them in its Service, and for the Interests of our Salvation; or to speak briefly and clearly, in the Words of the Holy Ghost himself,