A57966:849
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.
2. Not only will they have the Spirit• to be all the believers Law and word, and the letter of the command to lay on no obligation, but the Spirit as actually breathing and giving actual influences must be the Law: For though the natural conscience or habitual light say that the man should not commit this wickedness, ⟨p. 346⟩nor omit this duty, seeing present necessity of one starving for want, of one drowning in a water crying for my help, is a call of God to perform the duty. And if the Spirit give inward warning that I should do the duty, yet if the Spirit actually breath not and contribute not his actual influence, the man hath no warrant of any command or Law to act without his rule, since the Spirit acts not at all: and cannot so be guilty in the committing of the most vile abomination; for where no Law is, no sin is.
2. Not only will they have the Spirit• to be all the beleevers Law and word, and the letter of the command to lay on no obligation, but the Spirit as actually breathing and giving actuall influences must be the Law: For though the naturall conscience or habituall light say that the man should not commit this wickednesse, ⟨p. 346⟩nor omit this duty, seeing present necessity of one starving for want, of one drowning in a water crying for my help, is a call of God to perform the duty. And if the Spirit give inward warning that I should do the duty, yet if the Spirit actually breath not and contribute not his actuall influence, the man hath no warrand of any command or Law to act without his rule, since the Spirit acts not at all: and cannot so be guilty in the committing of the most vile abomination; for where no Law is, no sin is.
M. Crisp pag. 160. brings this Argument, The Covenant is everlasting: if the Covenant stand upon any conditions to be performed by man, it cannot be an everlasting Covenant, except man were so confirmed in righteousness that he should never fail in that which is his part, but he daily fails, & so daily breaks the Covenant?