A30345:291
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.
The Law was given to one Nation, whom God did choose to1 be his peculiar people, scil. Israel, with whom God entered into Covenant, and it became his. He showeth his Word unto Jacob: his ⟨p. 129⟩statutes and his judgements unto Israel: He hath not dealt so with any nation, and as for his judgements they have not known them. Therefore they have not known the Judgements, because God did not make them manifest unto them: as we say, a place is full of darkness; because the Sun doth not enlighten it with his beams: Not that God is the efficient cause of their darkness, but that he doth not hinder or remove the cause of their ignorance, or he doth not shine upon them by the revelation of his Word. That the earth is lightsome, this it oweth to the Sun: but that it is darksome, to it self: God is the Author of all good, the cause of our faith, but ignorance and infidelity are of our selves. And these words, He hath not dealt so, do import a mere negation, and not a similitude: they deny the thing it self, and not the manner of2 the thing alone, as might be proved by many instances: but this may plentifully suffice, that in the whole Scripture, we shall never find this phrase to note a negation of the manner of the thing, but a negation of the thing it self. So that this is the meaning of the Prophet, He hath not dealt so with any Nation, that is, he hath not revealed his Statutes and Judgements unto them.
The Law was given to one Nation, whom God did chuse to1 be his peculiar people, scil. Israel, with whom God entred into Covenant, and it became his. He sheweth his Word unto Jacob: his ⟨p. 129⟩statutes and his judgements unto Israel: He hath not dealt so with any nation, and as for his judgements they have not knowne them. Therefore they have not knowne the Judgements, because God did not make them manifest unto them: as we say, a place is full of darknesse; because the Sunne doth not enlighten it with his beames: Not that God is the efficient cause of their darknesse, but that he doth not hinder or remove the cause of their ignorance, or he doth not shine upon them by the revelation of his Word. That the earth is lightsome, this it oweth to the Sunne: but that it is darksome, to it selfe: God is the Authour of all good, the cause of our faith, but ignorance and infidelity are of our selves. And these words, He hath not dealt so, doe import a meere negation, and not a similitude: they deny the thing it selfe, and not the manner of