A30345:250
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.
Some Divines hold the old Testament, even the Law, as it was given upon Mount Sinai, to be the Covenant of Grace for substance, though propounded in a manner fitting to the state of that people, time and condition of the Church. It was so delivered as it might serve to discover sin, drive the Jews to deny themselves and •lie to the mercy of God revealed in Jesus: but it was given to be a rule of life to a people in Covenant, directing them how to walk before God in holiness and righteousness, that they might inherit the promises of grace and mercy. This I take to be the truth, and it may be confirmed by many and strong reasons out of the word of God. As first, by the contract of that spiritual marriage a little before the promulgation of the Law, described in these words: Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on Eagles wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my Covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests, and an holy Nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel: whereunto the Prophet1 Jeremiah hath reference, saying, Hear ye the words of this Covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and say thou unto them, thus saith the Lord 2God of Israel, Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this Covenant, which I commanded your Fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the Land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying obey my voice and do them, according to all which 3I command you, so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God. And this without doubt is to be understood of the Decalogue, as it was given upon Mount Sinai, seeing Moses himself doth in express words testify it. God himself (saith he) declared unto you his Covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten words, and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. In these passages observe, that the Law is called a Covenant, as it is often ⟨p. 103⟩else-where the Covenant of the Lord. What Covenant, but of grace and mercy? even that wherein God promiseth to be their God, and take them to be his people, if they obey his commandments.