Now, the real answer which men return unto themselves is accord- ing to the influence which their minds are under from one or other of the two divine covenants, — that of works or that of grace. And these two covenants, talcen absolutely, are inconsistent, and give answers in this case that are directly contradictory to one another: so the apostle declares, Rom. x. 5-9. The one says, " The man that doth the tuo7'ks of the latu shall live by them; this is the only way whereby you may be saved :" the other wholly waives this return, and puts it all on faith in Christ Jesus. Hence there is great difference and great variety in tlie answers which men return to themselves on this inquiry; for their consciences will neither hear nor speak any thing but what comj^lies with the covenant whereunto they do be- long. These things are reconciled only in the blood of Christ; and how, the apostle declared, Rom. viii. 3. The greatest part of con- vinced sinners seem to adhere to the testimony of the covenant of
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works; and so perish for ever. Nothing will stand lis in stead iu this matter, nothing will save us, " but the answer of a good conscience towards God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ," 1 Pet. iii. 21.
2. The wa}^ that God hath prepared for the saving of sinners is a fruit and product of infinite wisdom, and powerfully efficacious unto its end. As such it is to be received, or it is rejected. It is not enough that we admit of the notions of it as declared, unless we are sensible of divine wisdom and power in it, so as that it may be safely trusted unto. Hereon, upon the proposal of it, falls out the eternally distinguishing difference among men. Some look upon it and em- brace it as the power and wisdom of God; others really reject it as a thing foolish and weak, not meet to be trusted unto. Hereof the apostle gives an account at large, 1 Cor. i. 18-24. And this is mys- terious in religion : — the same divine truth is by the same way and means, at the same time, proposed unto sundry persons, all in the same condition, under the same circumstances, all equally concerned in that which is proposed therein : some of them hereon do receive it, embrace it, approve of it, and trust unto it for life and salvation; others despise it, reject it, value it not, trust not unto it. To the one it is the tuisdom of God, and the power of God ; to the other, lueak- ness and foolishness : as it must of necessity be the one or the other, — it is not capable of a middle state or consideration. It is not a good way unless it be the only way ; it is not a safe, it is not the best way, if there be any other ; for it is eternally inconsistent with any other. It is the wisdom of God, or it is downright folly. And here, after all our disputes, we must resort unto eternal sovereign grace, making a distinction among them unto whom the gospel is proposed, and the almighty power of actual grace in curing that unbelief which blinds the minds of men, that they can see nothing but foUy and weakness in God's way of the saving of sinners. And this unbelief worketh yet in the most of them imto whom this way of God is proposed in the gospel; they receive it not as an effect of infinite wisdom, and as powerfully efficacious unto its proper end. Some are profligate in the service of their lusts, and regard it not; unto whom may be a^Dplied that [saying] of the prophet, " Hear, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish." Some are under the power of darkness and ignorance, so as that they apprehend not, they understand not the mystery of it ; for " the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not," Some are blinded by Satan, as he is the god of this world, by filling their minds with prejudice, and their hearts with the love of present things, that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, cannot shine into them. Some would mix with it their own works, ways, and duties, as they belong unto the first covenant ; which are eternally irreconcilable unto this way of God, as
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the apostle teacheth, Kom. x. 3, 4. Hereby doth unbelief eternally ruin the souls of men. They do not, they cannot, approve of the way of God for saving sinners proposed in the gospel, as an efiect of infinite wisdom and power, which they may safely trust unto, in opposition unto all other ways and means, pretending to be useful unto the same end; and this will give us light into the nature and actings of saving faith, which we inquire after.
3. The whole Scripture, and all divine institutions from the be- ginning, do testify, in general, that this way of God for the saving of sinners is by commutation, substitution, atonement, satisfaction, and imputation. This is the language of the first promise, and all the sacrifices of the law founded thereon; this is the language of the Scripture : " There is a way whereby sinners may be saved, — a way that God hath found out and appointed." Now, it being the law wherein sinners are concerned, the rule of all things between God and them should seem to be by what they can do or suffer with resjDect unto that law. "No," saith the Scripture, "it cannot be so; 'for by the deeds of the law no man living shall be justified in the sight of God.' " Ps. cxliii. 2; Rom. iii. 20; Gal. ii. IC. Neither shall it be by their personal answering of the penalty of the law which they have broken; for they cannot do so, but they must perish eternally: for, " If thou. Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, 0 Lord, who shall stand?" Ps. cxxx. 3. There must therefore be, there is another way, of a different nature and kind from these, for the saving of sinners, or there is no due revelation made of the mind of God in the Scrip- ture. But that there is so, and what it is, is the main design of it to declare : and this is by the substitution of a mediator instead of the sinners that shall be saved, Vv'lio shall both bear the penalty of the law which they had incurred and fulfil that righteousness which they could not attain unto.