A57966:96
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.
Whither was God under an obligation, to make a Covenant with man?
WHither was God under an obligation, to make a Covenant with man?
Hardly can any maintain the dominion and Sovereignty of God, and also assert an obligation, on the Lords part, of working upon the creature: The Lord is debtor to neither person nor things.1 He as Lord commands, but it is condescension that he commands Covenant-ways, with promise of a reward to the obeyer. The Leviathan in strength is far above Job, he cannot command him. Job 14.4. Will he make Berith a Covenant with thee, wilt thou take him for a servant for ever? That is, the Leviathan will not engage as a servant to obey Job as his master. A Covenant speaks ⟨p. 16⟩something of giving, and taking, work, and reward, and mutual engagements, betwixt parties, though there be something in the Covenant between God and man, that is, not in the Covenants of men. The rational creatures owe suitable, that is, rational obedience to the Creator, but God is under no obligation to give life, especially so excellent a life as a communion with God, in glory, yet he does it. What a God must he be, who will come down and put himself in a lovely and gaining capacity to be a Covenanting debtor to our feeble obedience, whereas he owes nothing, and to make heaven and glory so sure to us, that the heavens should sooner break and melt, like snow before the Sun, then his promise can fail.
Hardly can any maintain the dominion and Soveraigntie of God, and also assert an obligation, on the Lords part, of working upon the creature: The Lord is debtor to neither person nor things.1 He as Lord commands, but it is condescension that he commands Covenant-wayes, with promise of a reward to the obeyer. The Leviathan in strength is far above Job, he cannot command him.