A30345:237
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.
With the Covenant of Grace it agreeth, that the Author of both is God, both contracted with man a sinner: both doth show sin: both restrain from sin: both lead to Christ: both the Symbol of the Church: both made by a Mediator, and life promised in both. They differ in these, that in the Covenant subservient, God is considered as reproving sin, and approving righteousness: in the Covenant of Grace, as pardoning sin, and renewing man in righteousness; the stipulation of the old Covenant is, Do this and live: Gal. 3. 12. Of the New, Believe, and thou shalt not come into judgement. Joh. 3. 18. The Old Testament was added to the Promise of Grace, which went before. Gal. 3. 16, 17. and shows sin not primarily, but by experience of humane weakness in keeping Covenant. But the Covenant of Grace doth this primarily, for it teacheth expressly that all men are sinners. Rom. 3. 9, 23. and that his happiness doth consist in the remission of sins. Rom. 4. 6. The old Covenant did restrain from ⟨p. 95⟩sin by compulsion. Rom. 7. 23. 24. the Covenant of Grace with a free inclination of mind and soul. Rom. 6. 12. The Covenant of Grace leads to Christ directly: the old Covenant indirectly. The old Covenant is the carnal Symbol of the Church of the Jews, the new Covenant a spiritual Symbol of the Church both of Jews and Gentiles. Moses is the Mediator of the old Covenant: Christ God and man Mediator of the new. In the old Covenant is given the spirit of bondage; but the Spirit of Adoption in the new. Rom. 8. 15. The old Covenant was a mean to the end: the new the end it self. The old Covenant did terrify the consciences: the new doth comfort: Man a sinner fallen a sleep is the object of the old Covenant: the conscience terrified with sin the object of the new. The old Covenant showed the manner of worshipping God, but gave not ability: the new Covenant doth both. The old Covenant was an hand-writing against us.