A30345:305
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.
These words, Do this and live, must not be interpreted, as if ⟨p. 137⟩they did promise life upon a condition of perfect obedience, and for works done in such exactness as is required: but they must be expounded Evangelically, describing the subject capable of life eternal, not the cause why life and salvation is conferred: and by doing sincere, uniform, unpartial obedience, not exact fulfilling of the Law in every title is to be understood. Do this and live, what is it more then this, If ye will obey my voice, and do my Commandments, 1ye shall be to me a peculiar treasure. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, and delighteth greatly in his Commandments. 2Blessed are they that keep judgement, and he that doth righteousness at all times. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the Law of 3the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. Who so looketh into the perfect law of liberty, 4and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. To them who by patient 5continuance in well-doing, seek for glory, and honour, eternal life: which passages are to be understood of sincere and upright walking, and show who are justified, and to whom the promises of life pertain, but not why they are justified. And in like manner that of the Apostle, The doers of the Law are justified, may be expounded6 Evangelically, not of them that fulfil the Law, which should be justified by their works, but of them that soundly obey, who are justified of grace by faith, not for their works. And hence it appears what works the Apostle opposeth to faith in the matter of justification: not only perfect works done by the strength of nature, of which sort there be none at all: but works commanded in the Law as it was given to Israel, such as Abraham and David walked in after they were effectually called, such as without whose presence faith it self could not be existent, such as are necessary in the person justified: these works are opposed to faith, in the matter of justification, not that faith can be without them, but because they cannot be causes together with faith in Justification. And of necessity, if faith be opposite to works exactly perfect, it must be opposite to them that are imperfect and stained in part, that be impurely pure: