A30345:136
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.
This Covenant was made in form of a Promise to be performed according to the purpose of Election: In thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed: and in form of a Covenant consisting of a free Promise and restipulation, I am God all-sufficient, walk before me, and be thou perfect: Gen. 17. 1. And therein the inward force and virtue of the Covenant is to be distinguished from the outward administration, as we are to show hereafter.
This Covenant was made in forme of a Promise to be performed according to the purpose of Election: In thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed: and in forme of a Covenant consisting of a free Promise and restipulation, I am God all-sufficient, walke before me, and be thou perfect: Gen. 17. 1. And therein the inward force and vertue of the Covenant is to be distinguished from the outward administration, as we are to shew hereafter.
The Head upon whom this Covenant is settled, both as Undertaker and Confirmer, Purchaser and Treasurer of all good things promised therein, is Jesus Christ: which is more fully expressed ⟨p. 49⟩and often repeated in this second breaking forth of the Covenant. Gen. 17. 3, 4. and 18. 18. and 22. 18. In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed: which cannot be understood of the seed collectively but singularly, scil. of Christ, as the Apostle expressly proveth, saying, Now to Abraham and his seed was the promise 1made, he saith not to the seeds, as speaking of many, but of one who is Christ. But we must not conceive the Apostles argument to be taken from the Grammatical use of the word-Seed: for that is often put collectively in the singular number: but from the quality of the blessings there promised, which could not be accomplished in any other but in Christ alone. And this is evidently holden out to be the literal sense in other places.