A30345:257
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.
Would the Lord have the Israelites remaining in infidelity to observe the Law? Or did he ever allow man since the fall of Adam, to come or have access unto him, but only in the name of a Mediator? Or was life and salvation ever promised to man since the fall, but upon condition of faith in the Messiah? Indeed the condition of obedience, which God requireth and man promiseth, is the chiefest thing urged in the Law: but free and gracious pardon, wherein consisteth the happiness of the Saints is therein promised and proclaimed. They under the old Testament lightly following the letter, mistook the meaning, not looking to the end of that which was to be abolished, whereunto Moses had an eye under the veil. For they perceived not so well the grace intended by the legal Testament, which the perfection of the moral Law, whereof they could not but fail, should have forced them to seek; and the imperfection of the typical Law, which made nothing perfect, should have led them to find: but they generally rested in the work done, as was commanded by either Law, when as themselves were unable to do the one, and the other was in it self as unsufficient to help them.
Would the Lord have the Israelites remaining in infidelity to observe the Law? Or did he ever allow man since the fall of Adam, to come or have accesse unto him, but only in the name of a Mediatour? Or was life and salvation ever promised to man since the fall, but upon condition of faith in the Messiah? Indeed the condition of obedience, which God requireth and man promiseth, is the chiefest thing urged in the Law: but free and gracious pardon, wherein consisteth the happinesse of the Saints is therein promised and proclaimed. They under the old Testament lightly following the letter, mistooke the meaning, not looking to the end of that which was to be abolished, whereunto Moses had an eye under the vaile. For they perceived not so well the grace intended by the legall Testament, which the perfection of the morall Law, whereof they could not but faile, should have forced them to seeke; and the imperfection of the typicall Law, which made nothing perfect, should have led them to find: but they generally rested in the worke done, as was commanded by either Law, when as themselves were unable to do the one, and the other was in it self as unsufficient to help them.