The everlasting covenant, a sweet cordial for a drooping soul, or, The excellent nature…

2dly, That he did Obey, and suffer in Obedience to the Law, in our stead; and we are accepted by, and for that Obedience of his, (for else, the Glory of that Law is darkened) and not that his Obedience did only procure, or merit a milder Law, or easier Terms of Life, and Righteousness, and we not be dealt with, according to the Law of Works, but according to the New Law of Grace; and in the Third Place.

3dly, The Righteousness, and Benefits of Christ's Righteousness, is made ours, when we rely, or trust to God's free Promise, as the immediate and sole Cause of Pardon and Life, (as all true Protestants formerly affirmed) and not by Christ's procuring a New Covenant for us to enter into with God, which if we answer the Condition thereof, i. e. repent and believe, we shall be saved▪ Which Faith (as Mr. Baxter, Mr. W, &c. assert) taken in the full Extent and Latitude, is nothing else but universal Obedience, and that so it is to be understood, when 'tis said, that Faith, alone Justifies, viz. Faith and all other Graces, both in Habit and Exercise, Mr. Baxter's Aph. 65. And they that thus believe and obey the Gospel, shall be saved, though their Obedience be not perfect; but if Christ fulfilled the Law for us, then (say I) that Obedience of his, must be imputed to us, as if we had wrought it, and so we, by the Application of that Righteousness, are Justified in God's sight, from the Accusation of the Law, without any Works, or procuring Conditions, performed by us. But (as one observes) when these Men speak of Faith, as a single Grace, 'tis defined to be a sincere Acceptance of Christ, as Lord and Saviour, and so it Justifies merely, as it is a consenting, to be ruled and saved by Christ; which is, (saith he) neither an Assent to the Truth of the Promises, nor Assurance or Trust in them (one, or both of which, all Men understand by Faith, both in Scripture and common Speaking) but it is an Act of Obedience, or rather a Covenant, or Promise of Obedience, whereby a Man engageth, That he will seek after Salvation, in ways of Obedience to Christ's Commands; and indeed, they refer to the Baptismal ⟨p. 30⟩Covenant made in Infancy: And thus Faith Justifies, (as they intimate) as it doth in part, fulfil the New Law, by engaging us to Obedience; and in all this, Christ is looked upon as King or Rector chiefly, and not as a Saviour; for, (as Mr. Troughton notes) if Christ's Righteousness doth not immediately Justify us, and is made ours, then he is a Saviour but remotely as the Word is usually taken, to denote his making Satisfaction for us, as a Priest, viz. As by his Death he procured a Possibility of Pardon, and makes way for a New Covenant to be made with Man;