Chapter 20

Of the Gospel, and of the Extent of the Grace Thereof

1. The covenant of works being broken by sin, and made unprofitable unto life,
God was pleased to give forth the promise of Christ, the seed of the woman,
as the means of calling the elect, and begetting in them faith and repentance;

Genesis And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed
3:14 above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and
dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
Genesis And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed;
3:15 it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

in this promise, the Gospel, as to the substance of it, was revealed, and therein
effectual, for the conversion and salvation of sinners.

Revelation And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in
13:8 the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

2. This promise of Christ, and salvation by Him, is revealed only by the Word of
God;

Romans For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written,
1:17 The just shall live by faith.

neither do the works of creation, or providence, with the light of nature, make
discovery of Christ, or of grace by Him, so much as in a general or obscure way;

Romans How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they
10:14 believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a
preacher?
Romans And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the
10:15 feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Romans But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our
10:16 report?
Romans So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
10:17

much less that men destitute of the revelation of Him by the promise, or gospel,
should be enabled thereby to attain saving faith or repentance.

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is
he.

Isaiah And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and
25:7 the veil that is spread over all nations.

Isaiah For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the
60:2 LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
Isaiah And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
60:3

3. The revelation of the gospel unto sinners, made in divers times, and by
sundry parts, with the addition of promises, and precepts, for the obedience
required therein, as to the nations, and persons, to whom it is granted, is
merely of the sovereign will and good pleasure of God,

Psalm He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known
147:20 them. Praise ye the LORD.

Acts Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were
16:6 forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
Acts After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered
16:7 them not.
not being annexed by virtue of any promise to the due improvement of men's natural
abilities, by virtue of common light received without it; which none ever did make, or
can do so:

Romans For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
1:18 unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Romans Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it
1:19 unto them.
Romans For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being
1:20 understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that
they are without excuse:
Romans Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were
1:21 thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Romans Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
1:22
Romans And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible
1:23 man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Romans Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts,
1:24 to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Romans Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more
1:25 than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Romans For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change
1:26 the natural use into that which is against nature:
Romans And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust
1:27 one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in
themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
Romans And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to
1:28 a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Romans Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness,
1:29 maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Romans Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things,
1:30 disobedient to parents,
Romans Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable,
1:31 unmerciful:
Romans Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of
1:32 death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

and therefore in all ages the preaching of the gospel has been granted unto persons
and nations, as to the extending or limiting of it, in great variety, according to the
counsel of the will of God.
 4. Although the gospel be the only outward means of revealing Christ, and
saving grace, and is, as such, abundantly sufficient thereunto; yet that men
who are dead in trespasses, may be born again, quickened or regenerated,
there is moreover necessary, an effectual insuperable work of the Holy Spirit,
upon the whole soul, for the producing in them a new spiritual life;

Psalm Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the
110:3 womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.

I Corinthians But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
2:14 foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned.

Ephesians Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the
1:15 saints,
Ephesians Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
1:16
Ephesians That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the
1:17 spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Ephesians The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the
1:18 hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Ephesians And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according
1:19 to the working of his mighty power,
Ephesians Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his
1:20 own right hand in the heavenly places,
Ephesians Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that
1:21 is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Ephesians And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to
1:22 the church,
Ephesians Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
1:23

without which no other means will effect their conversion unto God.

John No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise
6:44 him up at the last day.
II Corinthians In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,
4:4 lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should
shine unto them.
II Corinthians For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your
4:5 servants for Jesus' sake.
II Corinthians For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our
4:6 hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ.