A57966:535
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.
A. It is the legal power to condemn all such as are under the Law, as a Covenant of Works; as marriage is dissolved, if either of the parties be dead: So Rom. 7.4. Ye are dead to the Law through the body of Christ, and it is not every commanding power that Paul, Rom. 7. denies to the Law, but a Lordly dominion, such as Lords of life and death have and exercises,1 [Greek or Hebrew], and we are dead to the Law through the body of Christ, which mortification or dying is not understood subjective, as if it were in us, but legally and objectively in Christ, because Christ in his body on the tree did bear our sins, 1 Pet. 2.24. and was made a curse for us, in our place, Gal. 3.13. For Christ (saith Ambrose, 2clearing the place) giving his body as a Saviour, overcame death and condemned sin: Hence these two words, Rom. 7.4. Wherefore ye also my brethren, are become dead to the Law. Gal. 2.19, For I through the Law am dead to the Law, that I might live unto God; As the death to the Law is legal, I am no more under Law-condemnation then a dead man, so the living to God is a Law living to God on a Law-absolution (as the absolved malefactor cleared of a capital crime which might have cost him his head, liveth, and so is set free) so there is another most emphatic word which insinuates that Christ is dead to the Law, as Paul was, for after Paul saith, Gal. 2.19. I through the Law am dead to the Law, he adds, v. 20. I am crucified with Christ legally, that is, as Christ was crucified for sin by the sentence of the Law, so I am crucified with him. Rom. 6.8. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, which is not only to be expounded of mortification and inherent newness of life, but also of legal dying with Christ: For Christ died no death but legal death, there is no inherent mortification or slaying of a body of sin in him as in us, though from his death there also flow a merited and inherent personal mortification in us, for it is added, v. 9. knowing that Christ being raised