A57966:463
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.
IT may appear that Christ suffered not for any sin which is only against the Gospel, such as final unbelief: If any sins be considered in any other respect as against the Gospel only, then Christ was not to suffer for any such sin so considered, for where no death is threatened, none is explicitly due, and where it is not so due to the sinner, nor should have been execute upon him, there it could not have been due to Christ nor executed upon him, For the Gospel threateneth not death to any sin, but final unbelief and rebellion (and for that Christ never died) therefore Christ died not for any sin as against the Gospel, nor suffered that which is no where threatened. But this is most doubtsome and cannot well stand. Its true that Christ suffered not for final unbelief, it being the proper sin of some reprobates, to wit, of such as hear the Gospel, Joh. 8.21, 24. 2 Thes. 1.7, 8. But it seems against all Scripture that Christ should die for these, for whose sins he dies not: And so that 1. Christ should half and part the sins of the Reprobate, and the Scripture, I judge shall not admit that Christ bare in his own body, on the tree, some sins of the Reprobate, to wit, all their sins against the Law, absolutely, or conditionally, and he that bears not either absolutely, or conditionally their other sins against the Gospel, ⟨p. 182⟩to wit,1 their final unbelief and rebellion, for Christ was wounded and bruised for the transgressions and iniquities of these for whom he died; He must then have been wounded for some of their transgressions, and not wounded for other of their transgressions. And so the sins of the Reprobates, are divided between Christs satisfaction upon the Cross, and their own satisfaction in Hell: But he suffered (one may say) conditionally only for the Reprobates sins against the Law upon the Cross, if they believe, not otherwise? Ans. The same real satisfaction conditionally that he performed on the Cross, for the Elect, the same (say the Authors) he performed for the Reprobate, conditionally, if either believe, but because the one believes, it is accepted for payment for them, and the other believes not, it is not accepted for them.