A30345:384
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.
3. Sincerity or godly simplicity without fraud, craft or guile, where the in-side and out-side are one, the heart and mouth equal and well consenting. Truth is an ingenuous life without deceit and dissimulation, Ephes. 4. 15. Holiness of truth is true or sincere holiness, Ephes. 4. 24. To keep the truth, Isa. 26. 2. is to embrace true piety and true virtue without hypocrisy, without lying, or perfidiousness. To serve God in truth, Josh. 24. 14. 1 Sam. 12. 24. is to serve God unfeignedly, from the heart, according to his1 will. To walk in the truth, Joh. 3. 3, 4. is to walk sincerely or in godly simplicity. For truth is ingenuous, void of simulation. And in this sense some understand that of the Apostle, Love rejoiceth in the truth, that is, love sincerely or in truth rejoiceth2 ⟨p. 168⟩with them that rejoice. Truth is opposed to lying and falsehood, and to empty shadows and rites: and thus it may be applied to3 this purpose, as noting a plain simplicity contrary to lying and empty shows. To stay upon God in truth, Isa. 10. 20. is unfeignedly, and not in word to stay upon him. To preach Christ in truth, Phil. 1. 18. is sincerely to preach him: A true heart is single, Act. 2. 46. resolved not in some things, but in all to walk with God, or as the Lord hath appointed. Thus a true Christian hath but one mind, one intention, one delight, one face, one tongue; he is all but one man, all the powers of the soul go but one way.