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

¹2. Arg. Is taken from the Lords way of calling of Christ to his Office of Mediator: So, he who is the Lords chosen, called, and sent servant, is either engaged in the service, by necessity of nature, so that God cannot choose, but he must choose and call him, and he must, by the same necessity of nature, be chosen and called to that service, or he is the Lords chosen and called servant by free agreement and consent of the Lord who calls, and of the party called, which is a Covenant between Master and Servant, the Lord and the sent Ambassador who is sent, the Lord, the Messenger who comes with such news. Now of Christ it is said, Isai. 42.1. Behold my servant whom I uphold, my chosen in whom my soul delights. And of mere grace and free-love, both God sent him, and he came, Joh. 3.16. 1 Tim. 1.15. for by no necessity of nature was Christ sent to preach glad tidings to the meek, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, Isai. 61.1. to say to the prisoners go forth, Isai. 49.9. For Isai. 42.6. I the Lord have called thee (saith he) in righteousness — 7. To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house. Nor can we say, that any thing, but the good will of the Lord did conclude or determine him to send: 1. To save men, not Angels, Heb. 2.16. 2. Some men, not others; Joh. 15.13, 14. 3. So ill deserving men, as lost ones, Luk. 19.10. sinners, • Tim. 1.15. Rom. 5.6.8