The Covenant of Life Opened: Or, A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace,

Containing something of

And especially of

The nature of the Covenant of Works,

The Sovereignty of God,

The extent of the death of Christ,

The nature and properties of the Covenant of Grace:

The Covenant of Suretyship or Redemption between the Lord and the Son Jesus Christ,

Infants right to Jesus Christ, and the Seal of Baptism:

With some Practical Questions and Observations.

By Samuel Rutherfurd, Professor of Divinity in the University of St. Andrews.

Zech. 6:12. And speak unto him, saying. Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts, saying, Behold the Man whose Name is the Branch, and he shall grow out of his place, and He shall build the Temple of the Lord.

13. Even He shall build the Temple of the LORD, and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His Throne, &c.

EDINBURGH,

Printed by, A.A. for Robert Broun and are to be sold at his Shop, at the Sign of the Sun. Anno 1655.

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Christian Reader,

Many have written, to the edifying of the Godly, of this excellent Subject: Its not much I can do in this, but have added some thoughts to what is said, intending a more Practical way of the last Points, in another Treatise, to wit, of the application of Covenant-Promises, and of the influences of the Spirit under the Covenant of Grace, of which, especially of the latter of these two, few have practically written: And it is of much concernment, to make out the Union of our Duty and the breathings of the LORD, and what can be done under deadness, to either fetch the wind, or to be put in a spiritual condition, that the soul may lie fair for the receiving of the influences of GOD. I desire in this to speak for Truth, not either for or against persons of whom I am silent, concealing the names of any Contradicent, judging Truth so much the more desirable, when it may possibly be had with peace, and as little blowing or stirring of the fire of contradiction as can be. What is here said in a way of Disputing, the Moderate Reader, who is not taken with that way, may pass by and read what is practical. The Author hath been (lest Truth should suffer by him) a little darkened, as report bears, with the name, I know not what, of a Protester, as one who hath deserted the Government and Discipline of the Church of GOD in SCOTLAND; But my humble thoughts are the same they were before: though I can add nothing to the Truth. I look on these men the world so names Protesters, Schismatics, Separatists, as sinful men who stand in need of a Saviour, and as such as desire to fear GOD and love His Name, and would gladly have our practice and walk come a little more near to the Rule of the Gospel, and that our Land might mourn for all the abominations committed therein, which I desire to be spoken without any reflection upon any of the Godly in the Land, who, in that point, are of another Judgment. It is my desire to the LORD, that he would let us hear experienced by the reality of that: Thus saith the Lord, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servant’s sake, that I may not destroy them all [Isa. 65:8.]. The Lord Jesus be with your Spirit.

Yours in the Lord Jesus

S. R.

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Contents of the I Part

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CHAP. I and II

The four particulars of the Treatise. p. 1

Propositions touching Adam’s state. p. 1, 2

Adam was predestinate to life eternal in Christ, and how. p. 2

CHAP. III

What is the intent and sense of the threatening, Gen. 2.17. and Gen. 3.20. Dust thou art, &c. p. 3, 4, 5

Threatenings of the Law reveal what the Law-giver may jure inflict, by justice and Law deserving, not what shall come to pass. p. 4

Except it be both a threatening and a Prophecy. p. 5

What is carnal security. ibid.

What Adam was to believe in that threatening. p. 5, 6

How the promises and the threatenings differ in this. p. 7

How Law threatenings to the Elect are Evangelic. p. 8

CHAP. IV

The Elect before Conversion bear no part of the Law-curse, nor is the Law-curse divided between them and Christ. p. 10, 11

Faith is too near to be made a cause of satisfaction for sin by all who hold that Christ gave a satisfactory ransom for all and every one of mankind. p. 11

Accepting or not accepting satisfaction is, before faith, and so believing or not believing can be no ground of the sufficiency of the price paid for the Reprobate, or of the laying of the sins of all upon Christ. p. 11, 12, 13.

God may accept the satisfaction of Christ without any condition required on our part. p. 13.

CHAP. V

God intended a Law-dispensation, but for a time. 2. Adam how he was ordained for a Law life. 3. How predestinate to Glory, how not. 4. That the heathens have no more universal grace then Devils. 5. No ground for such grace. p. 13, 14, 15

CHAP. VI

It was condescension in the Lord to enter in Covenant with man. 2. Temptations in fearing we are not chosen, discovered. 3. Beings and not-beings are debtors to God. 4. Self-denial required in sinless nature, as in sinful. 5. Man considered three ways.

How faith lays hold upon conditional promises, and temptations of unbelief thereabout. p. 16, 17

Of the Covenant of nature. p. 18, 19, 20

CHAP. VII

Its not written in the heart of man by nature, that God should promise life Eternal to man, upon condition of obedience. 2. The debt of justice cannot tie God. 3. God punisheth not sin, by necessity of nature. 4. Nor defends he his own declarative Glory by necessity of nature. 5. Nothing can be given to God All sufficient. 6. No meriting of the creature. 7. We are to have humble thoughts of free-Grace. 8. Low thoughts of our selves. 9. Promises make no strict justice between the Lord and us. p. 20, 21

God falls in no sort from his natural dominion, though he impose not penal Laws upon the reasonable creature. p. 25, 26

God loves his essential Glory by necessity of nature, but not his declarative Glory, by any such necessity p. 28, 29, 30

In every Covenant there is some out goings of Grace. p. 35

The passage 1 Chron. 29.11, 12. cleared, and why none can give to God. p. 37, 38

Our vain boasting of self, my, and such proud pronouns. p. 39, 40

How excellent to obey. p. 45

Sanctified reason is not soft. p. 45, 46

How near are we to justification by Works, and to be sick of love for proud (I.) p. 46, 47

CHAP. VIII

What place death hath in the Covenant. 2. What Reprobates and the damned are to do. p. 47, 48

What Adam was to do in the interval between the fall and the publishing of the Gospel. p. 48

How the Lord is Adam’s God. p. 49

What life is promised in the Covenant of Works. p. 47, 48

Willfulness of unbelief, Some doubts are to be left to GOD only to solve. p. 48, 49

How the Lord is the God of Adam. p. 49

No promise of influences is made to Adam. p. 49

CHAP. IX

What life is promised in the Covenant of Works. p. 49, 50

Whether or no did Adam and all the Reprobates in him lose all right to the creatures. p. 50, 51

A threefold right. 1. Natural. 2. Providential. 3. Spiritual. What right Reprobates and unbelievers have to the living, eating &c. p. 53, 54

What way God is ours. p. 55, 56

A furniture of Grace, and a want of Christ. p. 56

CHAP. X

The Arminians ground that God was in a manner compelled to appoint the New Covenant. p. 56, 57

The natural antecedent love of God a dream. p. 57

CHAP. XI

The threefold Covenant of some considered. p. 57, 58

And of the Arminians, p. 64, considered, and rejected. The Law as propounded to Israel was the very Covenant of Grace, p. 60, 61, 62. and the Covenant in the Old one with that of the New Covenant, but differenced in some accidents. p. 63, 64

CHAP. XII

Self-searching to know under what Covenant We are, a spiritual condition, and why? p. 65, 66

The threatenings under the New Testament more spiritual. p. 67, 68

What it is to be under the Law. ibid

The combat between the flesh and the Spirit, and the combat in natural men differenced. p. 68

Compelled convictions argue a Law Spirit. ibid

Its easier to be sound in the faith, then to be Godly. p. 69

Of the legal terrors. ibid

Of literal and legal convictions and these of the Gospel. p. 70

Marks of such as are under the Law. p. 70, 71

A sweetness in the hardest command, because holy. ib

An heaven in duties. p. 71

A new nature stands for a command. ib

CHAP. XIII

Covenanting external, visible, professed, conditional, and Covenanting internal, invisible, real, absolute, and how they differ. p. 72, 73, 74

Infants are within the Covenant. p. 73, 74, 75, 76

And to be baptized, and invested with Covenant privileges. p. 76, 77, 78, 79

Its false that none are in Covenant under the New Testament but converts. ib

The Covenant made with Abraham and us, the same. p. 80, 81

Nor is that Covenant a civil Covenant. p. 81, 82

The New Testament Kingdom is spiritual, though there be seals in it and external worship. p.82, 83

Of federal holiness. ibid

External Church privileges of the Covenant are given to Nations and societies. p. 83, 84

Its not the Physical but the Moral root that is the first subject of the Covenant conditional, and external. p. 84, 85

The formal ground of right to Baptism. p. 85, 86

The places Acts 8.37. Mark 16.16. opened, and are nothing for, but much against Anabaptists. p. 85, 86

The text, Acts 2.39. opened, is strong for Infant baptism. p. 86, 87

A conditional Covenant is properly a Covenant, though it be not ever a fulfilled Covenant. p. 90, 91

No means are proved, by Law, or Gospel, to save infants by the opposers of infant Baptism. p. 91, 92

Two diverse considerations of the Covenant, one in abstracto as a simple way of saving sinners, and so all in the Visible Church are in the Covenant; another in concreto, as it contains the Lords will of pleasure, and as it is acted upon the heart, and so the Elect are only in Covenant. p. 94

The new heart is only commanded to some, and to others it is both commanded and promised. p. 95

CHAP. XIV

The place Gen. 17. opened. p. 95

Circumcision and Baptism compared. p. 95, 96, 97

What blessings and privileges must infants want, if they be without the Covenant. p. 98, 99, 100

The place Mark 10.15, 16. Luke 18. Math. 19. Of such is the Kingdom of heaven, opened. p. 100, 101, 102

What blessing Christ bestowed upon the infants, whom he took in his arms. p. 102, 103, 104

A Covenanted seed is promised to be added to the Church of the Jews. p. 104, 105

Considerable differences between external and internal Covenanting. p. 107, 108

The place Rom. 11.6. If the root be holy, so are the branches. p. 110, 111

By the holy Root cannot be meant the predestinate to Glory only. p. 113, 114

But visible Professors, fathers and children. p. 115, 116

The children are in Covenant not by birth, but by such a birth. p. 116, 117

Covenant holiness is not the complete and adequate cause of real engrafting in Christ. p. 116, 117, 118

CHAP. XV

Other considerable differences between external and internal Covenanting. p. 118, 119

There is no universal Grace subjective or objective given to all, Rom. 10.18. Psal. 19.3. p. 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124

Nor power of believing given to all. p. 124, 125, 126

CHAP. XVI

The judgement of men esteeming such visible Covenanters to be real converts before they can be admitted, makes all Egypt, Assyria, the Kingdoms of the world, all Judea Baptized, to be real converts in the judgement of John Baptist, Paul and the Apostles. p. 129, 130

The invisible Church is the first subject of the promises of special note, &c. p. 131, 132

Hypocrites have no warrant to challenge the seals from any command of God, as M. Thom. Hooker sayeth. p. 132

CHAP. XVII

Who are Hypocrites. p. 133, 134

What Hypocrisy is. p. 135

Parties in the Covenant of Grace as acted upon in heart. p. 137

The Word and the Spirit. p. 138

Of God speaking himself. ib

Prophesies that now are different from Scripture Prophesies, and how. p. 139

Revelations made to the Godly, when they are in much nearness to GOD p. 140, 141

Marks of a spiritual disposition. p. 142, 143, 144, 145

To do a duty as a duty, and not as delightful is a spiritual disposition. p. 144

Not as successful, but as a duty. p. 145

CHAP. XVIII

The nature, characters, properties of the new heart and the new spirit of Covenanters. p. 145, 146

The heart, the man. p. 146

The good heart. ib

How rare a piece the heart is. p. 147

Of the reigning evils of the heart. ib

Why we are more shamed of lying then of pride. p. 149

The concurrence of the Word to the act of infusion of a new heart a mystery. p. 149, 150

The Atheism and impossible lies of the heart. p. 150, 151

The signs of the new heart p. 151. 152.

CHAP XIX

The place of Evangelic Works in the Covenant. 2. Possession of glory and right to glory different. 3. A twofold right to glory. 4. We are not justified by Works. 5. The place of declarative justification by Works, Jam. 2. discussed. 6. Faith and Works different. 7. Possession of life and right to life cleared. 8. Faith and final believing both commanded in the Law. Final unbelief not the sin forbidden in the Gospel only. 9. How life is promised to our Works Evangelic. p. 153, 154, 155, 156, 157

Our mistakes of God. p. 151, 152

The faith that James speaks of is not true faith. p. 160

The acts of saving faith. p. 161, 162

James must speak of two sorts of faiths. p. 162, 163

The Arminian Argument to prove that James speaks of declared justification, answered. p. 165, 166

How faith μόνον only justifies. p. 170, 172

The Socinian and Arminian faith, and Papists formed faith includes new obedience and repentance. p. 172, 173

Contrary to the Scripture which differenceth between faith and new obedience. p. 174, 175, 176

Right to life eternal and possession of life eternal differ in their nature and causes. p. 176, 177

The necessity of Works. p. 177, 178

Possession of life and right to life differ. p. 178, 179, 180

And contrary objections removed. ib

CHAP. XX

Whether or not suffered Christ for any sin against the Gospel only, such as final unbelief, which is conceived to be the only sin against the Gospel. That Christ died not for all without exception. The unwarrantableness of that Doctrine, how the Law commands justifying faith and repentance, how not. p. 181, 182

Sins against the Gospel are also sins against the Law. p. 188, 189

CHAP XXI

Whether the Lord Mediator as Mediator command the same good Works in the Covenant of Grace which are commanded in the Covenant of Works. p. 192, 193

Christ lays one way Evangelic commands upon the Elect, and another way upon the Reprobate. p. 193

How the Reprobate are still under the Covenant of Works, how not. p. 193

CHAP. XXII

No promise of perseverance to Adam p. 194, 195

Nor any promise to him of influences of Grace. p. 195, 199

4. Classes of obediences considerably compared among themselves. p. 196, 197, 198

Christ’s obedience most perfect, most of his own. p. 196

Most undue or least of debt coming from God man, & so most meritorious. p. 197

Angels’ obedience. 2. Of their own, but not so as Christ’s of his own, and so less meritorious. p. 198

3. The obedience of Adam more of his own, then that of Angels, yet less obedience. ibid

4. Gospel-obedience hath least of the nature of obedience. p. 198, 199

CHAP. XXIII

The Law of Works required not simply doing, but doing to the end. p. 200, 201

CHAP. XXIV

Whether faith as true, or faith as continuing to the end, be the condition of the Covenant of Grace. p. 201, 202

Faith which endures to the end, but not quatenus [so far] as it endures to the end is the condition of the Covenant of Grace. p. 201, 202

Faith in the first lively acts saves and justifies. p. 202, 203

CHAP. XXV

Whether is Christ’s righteousness imputed and made ours, because we believe and apprehend it ours, or do we believe, because it is ours, because we believe. p. 206, 207

Faith presupposeth three unions. 1. Natural. 2. Legal. 3. Federal, and maketh a fourth. p. 208, 209

There be four or five sundry Adversaries against whom the holy Ghost in Scripture contends in the point of justification. p. 210, 211

The dominion of the Law. p. 211, 212

What is meant by the oldness of the letter. p. 213

How we are freed therefrom. ib

A threefold bondage of the Law. ib

Of the dignity of the Gospel above the Law. p. 213, 214

CHAP. XXVI

Of the perpetuity of the Covenant of Grace, and the considerable differences between it and the Covenant of Works. p. 214, 215, 216

How it continues with these that are asleep in the Lord, Mat. 22. Exod. 3.6. p. 216

Of the graciousness thereof. p. 216, 217

CHAP. XXVII

Of Law-fear and Gospel-fear. p. 217, 218

Of the Law-fear of falling away, and the Gospel faith of persevering. p. 218, 219

Why feelings of sin seldom wants unbelief, and should have the faith of a paid ransom. p. 221, 223

CHAP. XXVIII

Christ died not to blot out all sense of sin, but rather to quicken a godly sense thereof. p. 216, 217

Contents of the II Part

Of the Mediatour of the Covenant

CHAP. I

Christ’s room in both Covenants. p. 225

Of Christ’s active and passive obedience, how they concur as one satisfaction. p. 229, 230

CHAP. II

Wherein stands our right to Christ, and the satisfaction made for us by Christ? 2. Faith is not the cause of our right. 3. Christ’s incarnation and dying are not favours merited by Christ. 4. How Adam’s sin and Christ’s righteousness are ours. p. 230, 238

CHAP. III

How Christ suffered for us in our room and place. 2. He died not for all and everyone. 4. How many ways Christ may be said to die in our stead. 4. The Lord’s so dying for all makes not all savable in Christ, nor the Gospel preachable to all Nations. 5. Christ died in the stead of the elect. p. 236, 237, 238, 239

Though we did not substitute him in our place. p. 249, 250

The differences between Christ’s dying and the punishment due to the Elect. p. 250, 251, 252

The legal oneness between Christ and us. p. 251

To die ὑπὲρ & ἀντὶ for us, is to die in our stead, in all eminent languages. p. 253

Christ died not for sins and in the stead of sins, as he died for sinners. p. 256

CHAP. IV

How we are in Christ dying, and crucified in him. 2. A twofold crucifying of us with Christ. 3. A discourse of mortification. 4. The actings of the mortified. 5. That we are to be mortified in our affections. p. 257, 258, 259

Though we die personally yet we died in Christ legally. p. 259

We are not to desire a Law-wakening. p. 259, 260

What mortification is, p. 261

The influence of Christ’s death on mortification, p. 262

Four sorts of actings in mortification, p. 265, 266

We must be mortified to all sort of created things, p. 268, 269, 270, 271

Forbidden desires. p. 270, 271

CHAP. V

The Covenant of Suretyship or of Redemption between God and the Mediator Christ. 2. Christ is not a mere witness, but the Author of the Covenant. 3. The Socinian way of Works cannot quiet the conscience. 4. Christ is upon both sides of the Covenant. 5. Justice mediates not. 6. Reasons of the entrance of sin.

CHAP. VI

That there is a Covenant of Suretyship between JEHOVAH and the Son, is proven by 11 Arguments. p. 290, 291, 292

Christ calling to the Lord his God proves this. p. 291, 292

(2.) Christ is a Servant, Messenger, Shepherd, not by nature, but free compact and agreement. p. 292

(3. Ar.) Christ offered his service freely. p. 293

(4. Arg.) There is giving and taking between God and Christ. p. 293, 294

(5. Arg.) Christ received the seals whither he needed seals, or not. p. 295, 296

(6) Christ with the Father dispensed with the Law. p. 296

(7. Ar.) Rich promises that speak a Covenant made to Christ. p. 296

(8. Ar.) The Prophesies of Christ, and the promises of, and to him. p. 298

(9. Ar.) Ask of me. Ps. 2. 10. Arg. The work and wages of Christ prove it. p. 299

And, [10 Ar.] O how low a wager, and how high a design. p. 300

(11. Arg.) Christ is admitted by an oath and the use of it against Apostasy of Believers. p. 300, 301, 302

CHAP. VII

The Covenant of Redemption is explained in three eternal acts. 1. Designation of one. 2. Decree and destination. 3. Delectation in the work. p. 302, 303

The attributes of God declared herein. p. 304, 305

The Father’s eternal delighting in the Son. p. 306, 307

The strength of God’s love to man. p. 306, 307, 308

CHAP. VIII

The differences between the Covenant of Suretyship made with Christ, and the Covenant of Reconciliation made with sinners. 2. The conjunction of the Covenants. 3. How the promises are made to the Seed. The place, Gal. 3.16. opened. 4. Christ suffered and acted ever as a public head. p. 308, 309, 310

CHAP. IX

The 13. Argument from the necessity of God’s call. 2. Of Typical sprinkling of the blood of the Covenant, and of the Testament. The place, Heb. 13.20. opened. Of the place, Heb. 7.22. the act of Suretyship, the assurance of our state. p. 316, 317, 318

How the promises are made to Christ. p. 317

The peculiar nature of Christ’s Testament as such a Testament. p. 318, 319

Of the Suretyship of Christ. p. 323, 324

Punishment suffered by the Surety can remove punishment from the guilty man but cannot remove formally the inherent guilt, and how this was done by Christ. p. 323, 324

Christ’s undertaking for all. p. 326, 327

Of the place, Prov 8.22, 23, 24, &c. p. 326, 327

Arminius yields a Covenant between the Father and the Son. p. 327, 328

And how, for Jehovah cannot promise a seed to Christ as a reward of his work by their way, having no Sovereign power over the will, p. 328, 329, 330

Of such as are his seed. Of the Covenant of the Lord with David, p. 336, 337

Ps. 89. opened, ibid. p. 338 339. Mic. 5.2, p. 339

CHAP. X

Christ procures the Gospel to be Preached to Reprobates, but undertakes not for them. A necessary distinction of the Covenant as Preached according to the approving will of God, and as acted upon the heart according to the decree of God. The place, Jer. 31, Heb. 8. This is my Covenant, opened. p. 339, 340, 341, 342

The distinction of the approving will of God & of his will of pleasure. p. 342, 343

Antinomians confound the efficient cause of the obedience and the objective cause or the rule of the Word. p. 345, 346

The purpose and scope of the Holy Ghost is not, Heb. 8. and Jer. 31. to speak or treat of the Covenant of Grace as Preached in the letter, but as acted upon the heart, that so Christ may be advanced as a more spiritual and effectual teacher and Priest, then Moses, Aaron, &c. p. 346, 347, 348

Which two are confounded by Antinomians.

CHAP. XI

Of the promises made to Christ in the Covenant of Mediation. p. 349, 350

A twofold justification of Christ. p. 349

Christ had a promise of influences, Adam had none at all, p. 350, 351

Our mistake touching comforts and duties. p. 351

Christ’s satisfaction, p. 351, 352

We may flee to the Covenant, because of Christ. p. 352, 353

Rods are booked in the Covenant of Works, Deut. 28. and in the Covenant of Grace to both the Covenanters, Psal. 89.30; 31, &c. p. 353

CHAP. XII

The condition and properties of the Covenant of Redemption. p. 356, 357

No such condition is required of Christ, as of Adam. p. 356

The paying of the price of blood and dying is the formal condition of the Covenant of Redemption upon the part of Christ, p. 356, 357

The holy qualifications of Christ in the Covenant of Suretyship. p. 357, 358

These qualifications how to be followed by us.

Christ’s Grace of headship what force it may have upon us. p. 359

The properties of the Covenant of Suretyship. 1. Freedom. 2. Graciousness. 3. Eternity, p. 361, 362, 363

The exposition of that place, 1 Cor. 15.28. p. 363, 364

Christ even after the universal judgement, a mediatory Head, King and Lord, p. 366, 367, 368