Blake - Houston-Packer Collection BT155 .B53 1653

2O The Co 'venant o f Works Chap.,, The Covenant of grace not conimenfurate with elation. lnfw, only the eletr and chofen in Chrift, the called according to Gods purpofe, being reconciled, only thefe are in Co venant ; when the Scripture ( as (hall be, God willing, made good ) confines not this Covenant within the limits of the invifible Church known only to God. But it is as large as the Church vi- fible. To this I anfwer,that the Prophetical office ofChrifl, as Shep- herd and Bithop of our fouls, and fo much of his Kingly office as confifis in a legiflative power, hath its foundation as well as theCovenant) in this work of reconciliation, Had not this been undertaken by Chrift for mankinde, man had never enjoyed that light, man had never had an oracle: or an ordinance as the fruit of his Prophetick office, yet thefe ordinances are not corn- menfurate with reconciliation, nor of equal latitude with ele- dion. So neither is the Covenant, but eithe?of both in order to- wards it. As ordinances therefore are Chrifis gift from heaven,as the fruit of his death and refurred} ion, (when yet all that par- take of thefe ordinances do not yet die or rife with Chr ft) So is the Covenant, when yet all in Covenant are not ftedfaf f in it, or obtain the graces of it, Therefore I know not how to admit that which a Divine fingularly eminent bath laid down : That all the e f fe .r of Chrifts death are ffiirituai, diftingutfhing and faving Owen againft Baxt page 56. Seeing gifts of Chrift from his Fathers right hand are fruits of his death, yet not fpiritual,d.fiinguifhing and faving.. That they are in Tome fort fpiritual I dare grant that is, in ordine ad J iritnal?a, (if I may fo fpeak) they have a tendency to a fpiritual work, that they are difiinguifhing from the world, as it is taken in oppofition to the Church vifible I yeeld, for Ì do not enlarge the fa.it of Chrifts death to all man - kinde, aflrenting to Mailer 02,07 and Matter Statham in the grounds they lay, of Gods refpite of the execution of the whole penalty on man; with the continuance or outward favours not to be upon the account of Chá ,{f, but for other reafons; yet I know not how to affirme, that ordinances which yet are fruits of his death, are all faving, fpiritual and diflinguifhing, Peeing they nei- ther conferre falvation nor laving grace on all that artake of them, fo that Chrift is a Mediatour of this Covenant, a id yet rhofe enter intcf-it that have not reconciliation by Chrifi Jefus; The Ephefians that were atarre off, are made nigh by the blood of

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