A30345:256
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.
Thirdly, Christ our Saviour thus reciteth the first Commandment, Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, therefore 1thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. And Moses in the explication of the Decalogue condemneth incredulity, saying,2 Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah; for there they tempted God by incredulity. Where it is most apparent, that in this first Precept we are enjoined to take God to be our God, to choose him to be our portion, to cleave unto him, to trust in him as our only Saviour. And it can hardly be questioned, whether that Covenant wherein we are bound to take God to be our Father, King and Saviour be the Covenant of grace or no? And by the same reason it is manifest, that the Law requireth faith as well as love and obedience, and doth build these upon it as a foundation. It prescribeth faith in the first place, and throughout, namely that we acknowledge God the Law-giver, to be the Lord our God, the only true God, and testify that faith unto him, by an universal and uniform obedience to that whole Law and every title thereof. The Law was given for this end, that it might instruct us in faith, which is the mother of a good conscience and of love. Christ and faith is the end and soul of the ⟨p. 106⟩Law, not understood of the Jews. The sum of the Law is faith or love, and both these carry the same sense, because though Moses 3make mention of love, and Paul of faith, yet that love doth comprehend faith, and this faith doth contain love. Certainly, Whatsoever is not of faith is sin, even all works, though good in show, and for substance seeming agreeable to the rule of the Law, if they issue not from faith, they are vain and hypocritical, if they be not quickened and enlivened by faith, they are but the carcass of a good work. And then if God command not faith in the Law in some sort, why doth he command other things, which without it are frivolous? Our best works are unsavoury before God, if they be not seasoned with faith: For without 4faith it is impossible to please God. Therefore the Lord in Covenant commanding the observation of his Law, exacteth faith also, without which the Law cannot be obeyed in an acceptable manner. For when the Law is spiritual, and commandeth true worship and invocation, how can it be observed without faith?