A30345:266
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.
Many things are objected to the contrary, which must be cleared before we pass further. As first, it will be said, that in the Law there is no mention made of Christ, without which there is no faith. And what the Law revealeth not, that it commandeth not. But in the Law there is frequent mention of the Messiah, and perpetual adumbration and representation of him, and1 his oblation in washings and sacrifices. The Apostle Paul, where he professedly handleth the chief heads of faith, to wit, that Christ ought to suffer, and rise again from the dead, denieth that he2 said any thing besides that which the Prophets and Moses did foretell should come. And our Saviour proved out of Moses, that he must first suffer, and then enter into glory. And no marvel,3 seeing Moses by divers types and figures shadowed forth the death and resurrection of Christ, as shall be showed after. ⟨p. 112⟩But in the Decalogue there is no mention of Christ. Neither is4 that absolutely true. For when God saith, he is their God, who delivered them out of the Land of Egypt, doth he not propound himself a Redeemer, a spiritual Redeemer of them from the bondage of sin and Satan, whereof that deliverance was a type? But he is not a Redeemer from spiritual bondage but in Christ. Implicitly therefore in these words Christ is contained and proposed unto us, which is done according to the condition of those times, wherein as yet all things were infolded and wrapped up. And it cannot easily be imagined, how Christ should be revealed in the Ceremonial Law, if there be no mention of him express or implicit in these words. As the Moral Law doth show and discover sin, so was the Ceremonial Law as a bill or bond put into the hand of God, whereby they did acknowledge themselves indebted to his Divine Majesty: and as the Ceremonial Law was a School-master to point out and direct us unto Christ: so was the Moral a rule of obedience to them that be in Covenant with God: which of necessity doth presuppose the revelation of Christ in some sort. The Ninevites in the threatenings denounced against them by the Prophet Jonah did apprehend a promise of mercy to be implied upon condition of their repentance: which promise was made in Christ. And is it any marvel then we should affirm, the knowledge of Christ to be manifested in some sort, in those words of the Law: