The covenant of life opened, or, A treatise of the covenant of grace

Obj. How could we be in Christ as in our surety (for saith Arminius) we did not give nor appoint Christ to be our Cautioner or Surety?

Ans. Its evil arguing of Arminius or Satan, who would make the union either natural or legal betwixt us and Christ, weak,¹ far off, general, and such as is betwixt Christ and Pagans and all the world: But this reason is nought, for we sinners were not born and very nothing, when God made the first Adam our father and head in Law as in nature, nor had we any hand or action in substituting the first Adam in his place, and yet we sinned in Adam, and his sin is ours, by divine imputation. But can any deny but Christ on the Cross did act the cause of many believers not born? This is peculiar to this dispensation, that the creditor, not the debtor, appoint both the Law-head, and the Evangelic Surety. The Surety had from us a Cautionary, sponsorie, and deputed nature, but no subscribed commission from us, it was in the heart of the Creditor by grace efficacious to obtain our consent, and to make a sort of legal marriage assuming our nature before we either knew our husband, or gave consent to the marriage-Covenant. As the Advocate speaks in the person of the Client absent and sleeping, and when the Client hears and sees how his cause is promoved, he both assents unto, and renders thanks and praises to the Advocate: and so the absent and far off Client not knowing ⟨p. 261⟩any thing does act in the Advocate. And how many answers doth our Advocate in Heaven make for sinners on earth in his pleadings, of which we know not in particular any thing? Nor doth Christ speak or plead for believers as a private man, nor appear in his Name as it were, but in our person.

Ans. Its evill arguing of Arminius or Sathan, who would make the union either naturall or legall betwixt us and Christ, weak,¹ far off, generall, and such as is betwixt Christ and Pagans and all the world: But this reason is nought, for we sinners were not born and very nothing, when God made the first Adam our father and head in Law as in nature, nor had we any hand or action in substituting the first Adam in his place, and yet we sinned in Adam, and his sin is ours, by divine imputation. But can any deny but Christ on the Crosse did act the cause of many beleevers not born? This is peculiar to this dispensation, that the creditor, not the debter, appoint both the Law-head, and the Evangelick Surety. The Surety had from us a Cautionary, sponsorie, and deputed nature, but no subscribed commission from us, it was in the heart of the Creditor by grace efficacious to obtain our consent, and to make a sort of legall marriage assuming our nature before we either knew our husband, or gave consent to the marriage-Covenant. As the Advocat speaks in the person of the Client absent and sleeping, and when the Client hears and sees how his cause is promoved, he both assents unto, and renders thanks and praises to the Advocat: and so the absent and far off Client not knowing