Human nature in its fourfold state ... In several practical discourses

Lastly, It must be perpetual, as the man Christ's obedience was, who always did the things that pleased the Father; for the tenor of the law is, Cursed is he that continueth not in all things written in the law, to do them. Hence, tho' Adam's obedience was for a while absolutely perfect; yet because at length he tripped in one point, viz. in eating the forbidden fruit, he fell under the curse of the law. If one should live a dutiful subject to his prince, till the close of his days, and then conspire against him; he must die for his treason. Even so, tho' thou shouldst, all the time of thy life, live in perfect obedience to the law of God; and only, at the hour of death, entertain a vain thought, or pronounce an idle word: that idle word, or vain thought, would blot out all thy former righteousness, and ruin thee; namely, in this way, in which thou art seeking to recover thyself.

Now such is the obedience thou must perform, if thou wouldst recover thyself in the way of the law. But tho' thou shouldst thus obey: the law stakes thee down in the state of wrath, till another demand of it be satisfied, viz.

SECONDLY, Thou must pay what thou owest It is undeniable thou art a sinner; and whatever thou mayest be in time to come, justice must be satisfied for thy sin already committed. The honour of the law must be maintained, by thy suffering the denounced wrath. It may be thou hast changed thy course of life, or art now resolved to do it, and set about the keeping of the commands of God: but what hast thou done, or what wilt thou do, with the old debt? Your obedience to God, tho' it were perfect, is a debt due to him, for the time wherein it is performed; and can no more satisfy for former sins, than a tenant's paying the current year's rent, can satisfy the master for all bygones. Can the paying of new debts acquit a man from old accounts? Nay, deceive not yourselves, you will find these laid up in store with God, and sealed up among his treasures,