A30345:117
A treatise of the covenant of grace wherein the gradual breakings out of Gospel…A treatise of the covenant of grace wherein the graduall breakings out of Gospel…
A treatise of the covenant of grace wherein the gradual breakings out of Gospel grace from Adam to Christ are clearly discovered, the differences betwixt the Old and New Testament are laid open, divers errors of Arminians and others are confuted, the nature of uprightness, and the way of Christ in bringing the soul into communion with himself ... are solidly handled / by that faithful servant of Jesus Christ, and minister of the Gospel, John Ball ; published by Simeon Ash.A treatise of the covenant of grace wherein the graduall breakings out of Gospel grace from Adam to Christ are clearly discovered, the differences betwixt the Old and New Testament are laid open, divers errours of Arminians and others are confuted, the nature of uprightnesse, and the way of Christ in bringing the soul into communion with himself ... are solidly handled / by that faithfull servant of Jesus Christ, and minister of the Gospel, John Ball ; published by Simeon Ash.
London: printed by G. Miller for Edward Brewster, 1645
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The work of Christ the woman's seed is to bruise the Serpents head: which is a phrase of speech fitted to the condition of the Serpent, which is obnoxious to this hurt, when he is compelled to creep on the ground, that his head should be crushed and bruised by the feet of men. And thereby is signified, that Christ should destroy death, and him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, Heb. 2. 14. that he should destroy the works of the devil.1 1 Joh. 3. 8. And this is true of the faithful al•o by communication with Christ. Christ hath bruised the Serpents head by his own power: but the faithful overcome by the power of Christ. The victory is common to all the seed: but the author of victory in the seed, is he who is the Head and chief, and to whom as to an Head, ⟨p. 40⟩the unity of all the rest is reduced. Ye have overcome the evil one, 21 Joh. 2. 13. By bruising the Serpents head we must not only understand the deadly wound given to the actors person and his instruments, but the desolation of those works, which the Tempter had by the fall planted in the nature of the fallen creature, as pride, vanity, ignorance, lust &c. 1 Joh. 3. 8. Ephes. 2. 15. Now the nature of the fallen creature is such, that if you continue his being, and remove off him the works of the Serpent, you must necessarily bring in the contrary habits of Grace and goodness, as of knowledge, faith, love, fear and other Graces of the Spirit. So that under this one blessing is comprehended whatsoever is necessary to spiritual blessedness. For if Satan be vanquished, the curse of the Law is removed, sin is pardoned, the Image of God repaired, spiritual freedom and adoption obtained, and everlasting happiness shall in due time be possessed. All these blessings, which concur to make up perfect happiness, are inseparably linked, and the possession of any one is an undoubted pledge of the rest in due season to be enjoyed, So the Apostle saith, God that cannot lie, promised eternal life before the world began, or rather,