圣约中的救赎之约 （著：亚历山德•派登 译：追求永生）

我建议这些关于救赎之约的观念，想法，以及要点，作为对神爱的概要，以便你们不管是背十字架还是不背十字架，都可以有喜乐。

人所尽知，在那古老的时日，在神圣的三位一体中的位格之间，签署了一个最终的一致同意的合约。在他们以无比智慧所订立的圣约中，约的一方是伟大而无限的天地之主，约的另一方，是完全的神和完全的人，即天地之主确凿无疑永恒的继承者，耶稣基督。他们用下面所描述的方式，形式，以及规定的各种效果缔结了这个圣约。

本圣约规定，耶稣自己是这个约的主体内容。这些内容包括对耶稣的约责要求：他必须承担保证圣约实现的责任；他必须圆满履行所有律法的要求；他必须承受苦难成为赎罪祭；他必须把神的儿女都引导归主；他必须使这些归于他的人良言善行得以完全；他必须使他们在耶稣的完全里从恩典中得到恩典；他必须在天庭代表这些得救的男女成人和孩童；他必须保证这些人没有一个失落；他必须把他们在末日全部复活；最后，他必须把这些天父的孩子全部背负到天庭。

为此，圣约的另一方，神圣的天地之主，就对基督也承负不可违背的相应责任。这些责任包括：他必须遣送所有被他拣选者临到世间；他必须把他们都交托到基督的手里；他必须使基督经历在履行这些托付中所遇到的各种情况；最后，他必须用手托住基督。与此同时，他还必须派遣圣灵，也就是这位与天父和基督同等者，临到世间，作为履行这项伟大使命的同工以及荣耀他的这项无与伦比的救赎计划；他必须使圣灵用关于三位一体的真知光照这些蒙拣选出世界之众人的心念，让他们认知自己失丧的状态；他必须通过激励使他们能够接受和认同天地之主无偿的爱之邀约；他必须在他们所有的试炼和苦难中给予支持和安慰，特别是为了那些为了我们名的缘故而受逼迫者；他必须使他们成为圣洁，包括身体和灵魂，以至于成为合用的仆人，与我们同在，并为我们这个神圣计划中的无偿恩典高歌颂赞，直到永远。

同样，这位高贵的天地之主用他圣约的恩典和荣耀以及他所成就的一切美好激励众人使他们接受他为众人的主，并作他们的王和他们的神。非但如此，他还允许约中的耶稣基督通过他的仆人向世人宣告，凡是奉他的名和他同在的人，他都会给予崇高的报偿，既有今时立刻交付的礼物，又有丰厚的永恒产业。

同时确证的是，所有那些不接受这个救恩的人，因为同样的原因，必然为他们的骄傲和叛逆，被认定有罪，并承受魔鬼带来的诸般折磨和永远的责罚。这些都是为了神公义的荣耀，从今时直到永远。

特此见证，他认承这些礼物，这些都与圣经中所记录的相同，并把他们留传到子孙后代。自天国时间某年某月某日，这个神圣合约将永远存留在古老而永恒的史册之中。

I recommend these views, thoughts and notes upon the Covenant of Redemption, as the extract of God's love, that in crosses and out of crosses ye may rejoice.

BE it known to all men, that, in the presence of the Ancient of Days, it was finally contracted, and unanimously agreed, betwixt these honourable and royal persons in the God-head, to wit, the great and infinite Lord of Heaven and earth, on the one side; and Jesus Christ, God-man, his eternal and undoubted heir, on the other side, in manner, form and effect, as follows; That forasmuch as the Lord Jesus Christ is content and obliges himself to become surety, and to fulfil the whole law; and that he shall suffer and become an offering for sin, and take the guiding [management] of all the children of God on him, and make them perfect in every good word and work; and that of his fulness they shall all receive grace for grace; and also present them, man, wife and bairns, on Heaven's floor, and lose none of them; and that he shall raise them up at the last day, and come in on Heaven's floor with all the bairns at his back: therefore, the noble Lord of Heaven and earth, on the other side, binds and obliges himself to Christ, to send all the Elect into the world, and to deliver them all fairly to Christ; and also to give him a body, flesh of their flesh and bone of their bone; and to carry Christ through in all his undertaking in that work, and to hold him by the hand: and also, let the Holy Ghost, who is our equal, go forth into the world, that he may be sharer in this great work, and also of the glory of this noble contrivance; and let him enlighten the minds of all those whom we have chosen out of the world, in the knowledge of our name; and to convince them of their lost state; and perswade and enable them to embrace and accept of his free love offer; and to support and comfort them in all their trials and tribulations, especially these for our name's sake; and to sanctifie them, soul and body, and make them fit for serving us, and dwelling with us, and singing forth the praises of the riches of our free grace in this noble contrivance, for ever and ever. Likewise, the same noble Lord of Heaven and earth doth fully covenant grace and glory, and all good things, to as many as shall be perswaded and enabled to accept and embrace you, as their Lord, King and God: and moreover, he allows the said Jesus Christ to make proclamations by his servants, to the world in his name, that all that will come and engage under his colours, he shall give them noble pay in hand for the present, and a rich inheritance for ever; with certification, that all those who will not accept of this offer, for the same cause, shall be guilty and eternally condemned from our presence, and tormented with these devils, whom we cast out from us, for their pride and rebellion, for the glory of our justice, through eternity.

In testimony whereof, he subscribes thir [these] presents, and is content the same be registrate in the Books of Holy Scripture, to be kept on record to future generations. Dated at the throne of Heaven, in the ancient records of eternity.