A57966:620
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.
Therefore, 3. this, that the death of Christ is of its own nature preachable to all Nations, in every age, is not true: For the phrase is neither in Scripture, in Old or New Testament, nor is the thing it self in Scripture: For the meaning is, either GOD may send Apostles in any age to all the Nations of the world, to Preach: If that be, by his extraordinary power, he may save all the damned,1 that way. That Preachablenesse is not the object of our faith: Nor is that Preachablenesse a fruit of Christs dying for all. If it be meant that God by his ordinary power may send Apostles in any age to all Nations: How is that to be said? Except we say God hath decreed in his will of purpose to send Preachers to all; That cannot be, except his decree be disappointed. O• 3. If it be his command and revealed will that the Gospel be Preached to all Nations, every age, they grievously sin, who Preach not the Gospel to the Brazilians and Antipodes, whether they can speak in their Language or not. And if the Doctrine of the Covenant of its own nature may so be Preached to all Nations, without exception, in every difference of time, then must all the Nations of the earth, in all differences of time, be in a capacity to be a Covenanted people of God, the Church of Christ, the Vineyard of the Lord, his inheritance, the Spouse of Christ, his Body, his Called, and Chosen flock. For to have the Doctrine of the Covenant fixedly Preached to a Nation, and Christ offered to them, is to be the planted Vineyard of the Lord, for to Preach to Macedonia, fixedly, they willingly hearing, is indeed the Lords entering in Covenant with Macedonia, and his choosing them to be his confederate people, and the Lords planting a Vineyard, and building a Wine-press in it, and setting up a Ministry therein; and therefore the Lord was not in Covenant with them before. Indeed to Preach the Word simply to scoffers who reject it, and that occasionally in the passing, so as there is no sort of accepting of the Covenant nor any fixed Ministry there, is not a renewing of the Covenant with them, nor does it presuppose a Covenant before made with them. 2. It ⟨p. 246⟩is against the wisdom of God, that 1. there should be such a band of love the greatest love that ever was, Joh. 15.13.