The fountain opened, or, The great gospel privilege of having Christ exhibited to sinful…The fountain opened, or, The great gospel priviledge of having Christ exhibited to sinfull…

2. That this fountain is opened in the outward discoveries and offers of it, to those that are not of the Seed of Christ, or of his mystical Body. Christ hath a visible, as well as a spiritual seed: i. e. such as are only so in outward appearance; there is a Jew that is so outwardly, and one who is so inwardly. Now it is the visible Church of Christ which is the subject of the outward Dispensations of the Gospel, and exhibitions ⟨p. 48⟩of Christ therein. Christ is preached as well to Reprobates as to Elect; the Gospel is afforded, and the Grace of it offered, as well to those in whom it is a Savour of death, as to those to whom it becomes a Savour of life, 2 Cor. 2. 15, 16. The Apostle tells us, in Rom. 9. 6. All are not Israel that are of Israel. i. e. All do not belong to the true Seed, that have the external denomination: and yet these are they to whom the Ministration of the letter is equally afforded.

3. This notwithstanding the direct aim, and great design of opening this fountain, is for the sake of those that are given to Christ. This is a great truth, though the carnal minds of natural men are prejudiced at it, and engage in so many earnest cavils against it; and it becomes a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to them, yet it is fully asserted in the Word of God, and is necessary to be laid open in the Ministry of the Gospel. That then this truth may be cleared up, let us observe the following Propositions.

1. That there is a select number of Adams ruined Posterity, whom God hath appointed to bring to eternal life by Christ. We must begin here, if we would follow this grace down from the fountain of it. Gods last end in this great affair was the exaltation of the glory of his Grace; but in the ordering of the Media by which this was to be brought about