Sommario01
From Diwygiad
La deplorevole condizione in cui ci troviamo per natura avendo infranto il Patto d'opere
Osea 13:9. "È la tua perdizione, Israele, l'essere contro di me, contro il tuo aiuto".
L'onnipotente ed eterno Dio, il Padre, il Figlio, e lo Spirito Santo, tre Persone distinte in un'unica e sola Essenza divina indivisa, ugualmente infinito in ogni perfezione, ha determinato nel modo più saggio, prima che il tempo stesso esistesse, per la Sua propria gloria, tutto ciò che sarebbe avvenuto nel tempo. Egli, nel modo più santo ed infallibile, esegue tutti i Suoi decreti, senza essere in alcun modo responsabile del peccato in una qualsiasi creatura.
Questo Dio, in sei giorni, ha creato tutte le cose dal nulla e molto buone, secondo le loro specie. In particolare, Egli ha fatto tutti gli angeli santi; ed Egli ha fatto i nostri progenitori, Adamo ed Eva, la radice dell'umanità, sia giusti che capaci di osservare la legge scritta nel loro cuore. Questa legge essi erano naturalmente tenuti ad ubbidire, sotto pena di morte; ma Dio non era tenuto a retribuire il loro servizio, fino che Egli ha stabilito un Patto, o contratto, con loro e con la loro discendenza in loro, per dare loro vita eterna, su condizione di perfetta ubbidienza personale. Nel tempo stesso Egli li ha minacciati di morte nel caso che avessero fallito [fossero caduti]. Questo è il Patto d'opere.
Sia angeli che uomini erano soggetti al cambiamento dovuto alla loro libera volontà, come prova l'esperienza. Dio, avendo riservato a Sé stesso la proprietà incomunicabile di essere naturalmente immutabile. Di fatto, molti angeli, di loro proprio accordo, sono decaduti dalla loro prima posizione a causa del loro peccato e sono diventati diavoli. I nostri progenitori, essendo stati sedotti da Satana, uno di questi diavoli che parlava attraverso una serpe, ha infranto il Patto d'opere, mangiando del frutto proibito. Per questo motivo, essi, insieme alla loro discendenza, essendo nei loro lombi, come rami di una radice, e compresi con loro nello stesso patto, sono diventati non solo passibili di morte eterna, ma hanno pure perduto ogni capacità di compiacere Dio. Sì, essi sono diventati per natura nemici di Dio e di ogni bene spirituale, ed inclini solo continuamente al male. Questo è il nostro peccato originale, la radice amara di ogni nostra fattiva trasgressione, in pensieri, parole ed opere.
2.The Remedy Provided in Jesus Christ for the Elect by the Covenant of Grace.
Hosea 13:9."O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help."
Albeit man, having brought himself into this woeful condition, be neither able to help himself, nor willing to be helped by God out of it, but rather inclined to lie still, insensible of it, till he perish; yet God, for the glory of his rich grace, hath revealed in his word a way to save sinners, viz. by faith in Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, by virtue of, and according to the tenor of the covenant of redemption, made and agreed upon between God the Father and God the Son, in the council of the Trinity, before the world began. The sum of the covenant of redemption is this: God having freely chosen unto life a certain number of lost mankind, for the glory of his rich grace, did give them, before the world began, unto God the Son, appointed Redeemer, that, upon condition he would humble himself so far as to assume the human nature, of a soul and a body, unto personal union with his divine nature, and submit himself to the law, as surety for them, and satisfy justice for them, by giving obedience in their name, even unto the suffering of the cursed death of the cross, he should ransom and redeem them all from sin and death, and purchase unto them righteousness and eternal life, with all saving graces leading thereunto, to be effectually, by means of his own appointment, applied in due time to every one of them. This condition the Son of God (who is Jesus Christ our Lord) did accept before the world began, and in the fulness of time came into the world, was born of the Virgin Mary, subjected himself to the law, and completely paid the ransom on the cross: But by virtue of the foresaid bargain, made before the world began, he is in all ages, since the fall of Adam, still upon the work of applying actually the purchased benefits unto the elect; and that he doth by way of entertaining a covenant of free grace and reconciliation with them, through faith in himself; by which covenant, he makes over to every believer a right and interest to himself, and to all his blessings. For the accomplishment of this covenant of redemption, and making the elect partakers of the benefits thereof in the covenant of grace, Christ Jesus was clad with the threefold office of Prophet, Priest, and King: made a Prophet, to reveal all saving knowledge to his people, and to persuade them to believe and obey the same; made a Priest, to offer up himself a sacrifice once for them all, and to intercede continually with the Father, for making their persons and services acceptable to him; and made a King, to subdue them to himself, to feed and rule them by his own appointed ordinances, and to defend them from their enemies. 3. The Outward Means Appointed to Make the Elect Partakers of This Covenant, and All the Rest That are Called, to be Inexcusable.
Matthew 22:14."Many are called."
The outward means and ordinances, for making men partakers of the covenant of grace, are so wisely dispensed, as that the elect shall be infallibly converted and saved by them; and the reprobate, among whom they are, not to be justly stumbled: The means are especially these four. 1. The word of God. 2. The sacraments. 3. Kirk-government. 4. Prayer. In the word of God preached by sent messengers, the Lord makes offer of grace to all sinners, upon condition of faith in Jesus Christ; and whosoever do confess their sin, accept of Christ offered, and submit themselves to his ordinances, he will have both them and their children received into the honour and privileges of the covenant of grace. By the sacraments, God will have the covenant sealed for confirming the bargain on the foresaid condition. By kirk-government, he will have them hedged in, and helped forward unto the keeping of the covenant. And by prayer, he will have his own glorious grace, promised in the covenant, to be daily drawn forth, acknowledged, and employed. All which means are followed either really, or in profession only, according to the quality of the covenanters, as they are true or counterfeit believers. The covenant of grace, set down in the Old Testament before Christ came, and in the New since he came, is one and the same in substance, albeit different in outward administration: For the covenant in the Old Testament, being sealed with the sacraments of circumcision and the paschal lamb, did set forth Christ's death to come, and the benefits purchased thereby, under the shadow of bloody sacrifices, and sundry ceremonies: but since Christ came, the covenant being sealed by the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's supper, doth clearly hold forth Christ already crucified before our eyes, victorious over death and the grave, and gloriously ruling heaven and earth, for the good of his own people. 4. The Blessings which are Effectually Conveyed by these Means to the Lord's Elect, or Chosen Ones.
Matthew 22:14."Many are called, but few are chosen."
By these outward ordinances, as our Lord makes the reprobate inexcusable, so, by the power of his Spirit, he applies unto the elect, effectually, all saving graces purchased to them in the covenant of redemption, and maketh a change in their persons. In particular, 1. He doth convert or regenerate them, by giving spiritual life to them, in opening their understandings, renewing their wills, affections, and faculties, for giving spiritual obedience to his commands. 2. He gives them saving faith, by making them, in the sense of deserved condemnation, to give their consent heartily to the covenant of grace, and to embrace Jesus Christ unfeignedly. 3. He gives them repentance, by making them, with godly sorrow, in the hatred of sin, and love of righteousness, turn from all iniquity to the service of God. And, 4. He sanctifies them, by making them go on and persevere in faith and spiritual obedience to the law of God, manifested by fruitfulness in all duties, and doing good works, as God offereth occasion. Together with this inward change of their persons, God changes also their state: for, so soon as they are brought by faith into the covenant of grace, 1. He justifies them, by imputing unto them that perfect obedience which Christ gave to the law, and the satisfaction also which upon the cross Christ gave unto justice in their name. 2. He reconciles them, and makes them friends to God, who were before enemies to God. 3. He adopts them, that they shall be no more children of Satan, but children of God, enriched with all spiritual privileges of his sons. And, last of all, after their warfare in this life is ended, he perfects the holiness and blessedness, first of their souls at their death, and then both of their souls and their bodies, being joyfully joined together again in the resurrection, at the day of his glorious coming to judgment, when all the wicked shall be sent away to hell, with .i.Satan; whom they have served: but Christ's own chosen and redeemed ones, true believers, students of holiness, shall remain with himself for ever, in the state of glorification.
