A30345:232
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 Covenant which God made with Israel is called the Old ⟨p. 93⟩Testament or the Law, not because it was first, as some suppose, but because it was to wax old, and to give place to the more excellent Covenant succeeding, and finally to be abolished.1
But here at the first we meet with a great difficulty, How, and whether at all the Covenant of Grace, was manifested by Moses?
Some make the Old and New Testament, as the Covenant of works and grace, opposite in substance and kind, and not in degree alone: and that to introduce an unsound distinction, viz. of promise set against Covenant or Testament, as though God conferred Grace unto the Fathers only by promise, and not by Covenant, leaving all that Moses puts under Covenant to be the Covenant of works and old Testament, not considering that God calleth his promise of Grace to Abraham a Covenant. Gen. 17. 1. being in every branch a complete Covenant: not adverting that the Apostle (who knew how to speak according to the sense of the old Scriptures) calls the promise made unto Abraham a Covenant or Testament. Gal. 3. 17. and the Covenant of promise, distinguishing the degrees of manifestation. Ephes. 2. 12. Neither can it be proved, that ever God made the Covenant of works with the creature fallen: but whensoever the Scripture speaks of Gods entering into Covenant with man fallen and plunged into sin, and for sin deserving wrath, it must be understood of the Covenant of Grace, as shall be showed hereafter.