A57966:113
The covenant of life opened, or, A treatise of the covenant of grace
The covenant of life opened, or, A treatise of the covenant of grace containing something of the nature of the covenant of works, the sovereignty of God, the extent of the death of Christ ... the covenant of grace ... of surety or redemption between the by Samuel Rutherford ...The covenant of life opened, or, A treatise of the covenant of grace containing something of the nature of the covenant of works, the soveraignty of God, the extent of the death of Christ ... the covenant of grace ... of surety or redemption between the by Samuel Rutherford ...
Edinburgh: printed by Andro Anderson for Robert Brown, 1655
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Arminius saith, the reward of keeping the Covenant of Works, cannot be spiritual,1 nor can the punishment be spiritual, because you teach (saith he) that the obedience is natural. Ans. It followeth not, for the reward is spiritual, yea and supernatural from the free promise of God: It was, that God should recompense our natural obedience, coming from connatural principles, with so eminent a Crown as communion with God Creator, in a life of glory. And this came from no innate proportion between a natural work and supernatural reward; Otherwise we must say, first that there is such an intrinsecall connexion ex naturâ rei between ⟨p. 23⟩Adams work and so high wages, as that glorious communion was, as the Lord could not but in justice, so have rewarded his obedience, except he would be unjust, but there is nothing in the creature, that can conclude, limit, or determine, his will […] wisdom, who is infinite. 2. It had been nothing against justice, if the Lord had followed Adams obedience, with no reward at all; For man as a creature, owes himself to God, 2and as sweetly and pithily Anselm saith, as a redeemed one I owe my self and more then my self to thee, because thou gave thy self who art so far more then my self, for me, and thou promises thy self to me. Now God, who is more and greater then Adam, promised himself, to be enjoyed by Adam, if he should continue in obedience. For what can the highest goodness (sayeth he) give to one that loves it, but it self?
Arminius saith, the reward of keeping the Covenant of Works, cannot be spirituall,1 nor can the punishment be spirituall, because you teach (saith he) that the obedience is naturall. Ans. It followeth not, for the reward is spirituall, yea and supernaturall from the free promise of God: It was, that God should recompence our naturall obedience, coming from connaturall principles, with so eminent a Crowne as communion with God Creator, in a life of glory. And this came from no innate proportion between a naturall work and supernaturall reward; Otherwise we must say, first that there is such an intrinsecall connexion ex naturâ rei between ⟨p. 23⟩