. ' . Objetl of the Covnta,zt. 209 the fick, , and. the lefs tenfibl t ye are, the more ~angerou!ly fiek; there is a V<:~luable relation then betwixt Chriil: and you, as fuch, Matth. ix. 11, r2. He is the great burden bearer, that give3 refi .to them that f(z .. bour and are heavy laden, Matth. xi. IlL Pfal. lv. 22. le labour! fp c: nding y-our labour for that which fatis– fieth not; and are laden with iniquity, even heavy laden, and noth ing the lefs fc?, th at you are .not du1y ft~ nfible thereof: there is a relation then 'rwixt Chrift and you, on th at very fcore ·: No~v, if Chrifl: Hands · · related to the world of mankind fi :mers, as their Sa– viour_, then they are the objeCts of h.is adminiitration of the covenant. · L~flly, If it were not fo, then there would he fome excepted perfons of the world of 111ankind finners, _for whom there is no warrant, more than for devils, ~o take holdofthe covenant bybelievin Q' in Chrifl:; COlJ• trary to th~ confiant voice of the gofpel, John iii. 1·6 . .Mark xvi. 15. For- furely they have no warrant · , to take hold of the covenant, to whom the Admini– firator is not impowered to g.\v e it . Which of the 'vorld of mankind finners can t~efe excepted perfons be? Not ·Pagans· and other ir1fidels, who h t a'r not the gofpel : for howbeit in the .depth of fovereign wif- ' dom, that w.arrant is not intima-te to them ; yet it · doth · really extend tq them as ' included under that ge.. neral term whatfoever, john iii.- 16 And ifit did 'not extend to them , the covenant could not lawfully be preached .and offered to them•. by minifl:ers of the' gofpel; more than. a crier could la.wfully go and pro~ claim and offer the king'.s ind~mnity, to thefe who have no concern in it, 'but are excepted out o f it• . The ,minifl:erial gofpel offer is undoubtedly null and void, as far as it' exceed ~- the bounds of the object .of Chr ifl:'s adminifl:ration of the covenant: as being)u · fo far, fi·om one or more having no power to .niaky if. Neither are any, who hear tl1e gofpel , · excepted :: for the not taking hold of the covenant by, faith in 0 z Chrift,
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