A57966:815
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.
goodwill and free grace is become the engager of the faithfulness of God as he is true God, and with a Covenant-tie to keep sure our salvation, as he will be true to his Son, and so to himself and to his own Holy Nature, that we shall be saved, yea, and not that only, but by Office, as King and High Priest, he hath laid bands upon himself, and made it the duty of his Office to save us: So that any good man thinks his office of a King, and a Prophet, or a Priest, lays bands upon him to acquit himself faithfully in the charge; So that Christs sworn Office of High Priest lays bands upon him to compassionate as a feeling head,1 all his own, and to be touched with their infirmities: then must unbelief in these particulars say, we judge that Christ will not do his duty in his Office, and that he shall break his faith of Suretyship, and fail under his band of Suretyship. How needful then must the firm persuasion of complete qualifications and fullness of anointing of Christ for the complete discharge of his duty be?2 O! believe him to be the faithful High Priest, who expiates and heals you in all the measure, kinds, degrees, circumstances of time, place, of the particular transgressions you are guilty of, Psal. 103.3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities: who healeth all thy diseases. And if a man judge himself engaged to go about such duties as his surety and ransom-payer in his name hath promised,3 far more are we to walk as the redeemed of the Lord, since there was an eternal Covenant-undertaking between Jehovah and the Son of God, that we should fulfil the undertaking. And sure it is, Law-faith or believing of Law-threatenings cannot have such influence upon our spirits to cause us obey the Law, as the motives of a concluded act of suretyship ⟨p. 333⟩and closed compact between the Father and the Son, that we shall obey him: And indeed it is a meditation that morally and spiritually should obtain from us that we be holy as he is holy, and strongly melt the rocky heart. When we remembered that JEHOVAH, as a designed Surety, gave band for the heart of a sinner from eternity, and enters himself Cautioner for our rebellious will, it should put us to believe so much, and morally lay bands on our will.