6. _But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise: say not in thine heart, who shall ascend into heaven, that is, to bring down Christ from above_ (as tho’ it were some impossible task, which God required thee previously to perform, in order to thine acceptance:) _or, who shall descend into the deep, that is, to bring up Christ from the dead_; (as tho’ that were still remaining to be done, for the sake of which thou wert to be accepted.) _But what saith it? The word_ (according to the tenor of which, thou mayst now be accepted as an heir of life eternal) _is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart, that is, the word of faith, which we preach_: the new covenant which God hath now established with sinful man, through Christ Jesus. 7. _By the righteousness which is of faith_, is meant, that condition of justification (and in consequence of present and final salvation, if we endure therein unto the end) which was given by God to _fallen man_, through the merits and mediation of his only begotten Son. This was in part revealed to _Adam_ soon after his fall, being contained in the original promise, made to him and his seed, concerning the seed of the woman, who should _bruise the_ serpent’s _head_.[17] It was a little more clearly revealed to _Abraham_, by the angel of God from heaven, saying, _By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, that in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed_.[18] It was yet more fully made known to _Moses_, to _David_, and to the prophets that followed: and through them, to many of the people of God, in their respective generations. But still the bulk even of these were ignorant of it; and very few understood it clearly. Still _life and immortality_ were not so _brought to light_ to the _Jews_ of old, as they are now unto us _by the gospel_.