A57966:690
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.
And often men judge themselves mortified, because they are dead, it may be to riches, but alive to ambition and desire of honour. As Nebuchadnezzar spared no charges for his gods, his pleasure, but he was alive to honour, Dan. 4.30. Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the Kingdom, by the might of my ⟨p. 273⟩power, and the honour of my majesty? 1Satan doth often change Post-horses, and can seemingly deaden men to riches, when they are not mortified, and yet the heart is strongly vigorous to honour. When it was told Zeno that his ship, which he did trade withal, was broken: Well done, Fortune, (saith he) thou compels us to go within our cloak; he meant, To live upon the glory of virtue and learning, when riches are spent and gone, was well done. But mortification, in the habit and root, is like the works of nature. The Sun equally enlightens the whole Air from the East to the West: Life comes in equally upon the whole Embryo and birth. Saving mortification goes through the whole soul.2 Christ merited by his death deadness to honour as well as to riches; Though in the actual subduing of lusts D. Preston does well observe that there is not that labour required in subduing and mortifying all sins. For love of sin being the dominion, life and castle of sin, the more love to the heart-idol and to the right eye, the harder it is to be mortified. Some sins cleave to us as our hair and nails, as a custom of some sinful words, these are sooner mortified; and yet if mortification be not in the heart, these take life again, as hairs and nails cutted and shaven grow again. The trees in Winter are not dead: but there be master-devils and strongly rooted heart-darlings, pride, covetousness, to which we are mortified, with a huge greater deal of pains and wrestling, for they are to men as the eye and the right hand.
And often men judge themselves mortified, because they are dead, it may be to riches, but alive to ambition and desire of honour. As Nebuchadnezzar spared no charges for his gods, his pleasure, but he was alive to honour,