Northern Crofter
Puritan Board Sophomore
"Under the gospel, when Christ the substance was exhibited, the ordinances in which this covenant is dispensed are the preaching of the Word and the administration of the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper;" (WCF 7.6, see also LCQ 35) How is this not true? I never said the Spirit of God cannot make the reading of the Word an effectual means of enlightening sinners (which is why I used words such as "primary" and "ordinary"). But the reading of the Word is not an ordinance in which the covenant of grace is currently dispensed (though, like prayer, it is an ordinance Christ makes use of to communicates to His elect). I think it can be argued that the reading of the Word was an ordinance in which the covenant of grace was dispensed in the previous dispensation.With regard to Scripture, this is simply not true. The Spirit of God especially, but not exclusively, makes the preaching of the Word an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners (WSC 89). He also makes the reading such.