8. Now this covenant saith not to sinful man “Perform unsinning obedience and live.” If this were the term, he would have no more benefit by all which Christ hath done and suffered for him, than if he was required, in order to life, to _ascend into heaven and bring down Christ from above_: or to _descend into the deep_, into the invisible world, and _bring up Christ from the dead_. It doth not require any impossibility to be done; (altho’ to mere man, what it requires would be impossible; but not, to man assisted by the Spirit of God:) this were only, to mock human weakness. Indeed, strictly speaking, the covenant of _grace_ doth not require us, to _do_ any thing at all, as absolutely and indispensably necessary in order to our justification: but only, to _believe_ in him, who, for the sake of his Son, and the propitiation which he hath made, _justifieth the ungodly that worketh not_, and imputes his faith to him for righteousness. Even so _Abraham believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness.[19] And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith――that he might be the father of all them that believe――that righteousness might be imputed unto them also.[20] Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it_ (i. e. faith) _was imputed to him. But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed_ (to whom faith shall be imputed for righteousness, shall stand in the stead of perfect obedience, in order to our acceptance with God) _if we believe on him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead: who was delivered_ to death _for our offences, and was raised again for our justification_:[21] “For the assurance of the remission of our sins, and of a second life to come to them that believe.” 9. What saith then the covenant of forgiveness, of unmerited love, of pardoning mercy? _Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved._ In the day thou believest, thou shalt surely live. Thou shalt be restored to the favour of God; and in his pleasure is life. Thou shalt be saved from the curse and from the wrath of God. Thou shalt be quickened from the death of sin, into the life of righteousness. And if thou endure to the end, believing in Jesus, thou shalt never taste the second death, but having suffered with thy Lord, shalt also live and reign with him for ever and ever. 10. Now _this word is nigh thee_. This condition of life, is plain, easy, always at hand. _It is in thy mouth and in thy heart_, through the operation of the Spirit of God. The moment _thou believest in thine heart_ in him, whom _God hath raised from the dead_, and _confesseth with thy mouth the Lord Jesus_, as _thy_ Lord and _thy_ God, _thou shalt be saved_ from condemnation, from the guilt and punishment of thy _former_ sins, and shalt have power to serve God in true holiness, all the _remaining_ days of thy life.