A30345:388
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.
First, It doth adorn us: for this was the use of the studded belt, which the Soldiers did wear to hide the gaping of the joints of their armour, which would have been unseemly: and nothing doth more adorn a soul, beautify our actions, or raise admiration in them, then sincerity; as our Saviour commending Nathaniel, gave this speech of him, Behold, a true Israelite in whom▪ 1there is no guile.
First, It doth adorne us: for this was the use of the studded belt, which the Souldiers did weare to hide the gaping of the joynts of their armour, which would have been unseemly: and nothing doth more adorne a soule, beautifie our actions, or raise admiration in them, then sincerity; as our Saviour commending Nathaniel, gave this speech of him, Behold, a true Israelite in whom▪ 1there is no guile.
Secondly, A girdle doth tie other clothes about us, which otherwise the winds would blow abroad, and would hang but loose upon us: so this girdle of truth doth contain and hold together all other graces, wherewith the soul is arrayed, and unless truth do keep them together, in time all of them will be blown away with the wind of temptation. That grace which was not knit together with honesty of heart, came to nothing in the end, as appears in the Parable. The body, when the soul is once gone, may not long stay above ground, it must needs be buried. The hypocrites graces are but the body of grace, they want the soul and life, which is sincerity, and we cannot think they should long endure. An unsound horse, that hath some secret fault, may carry as good a show as the soundest, and at first for a mile or two, trav•ll as freshly and cheerfully as the best, but at length he tires, and shows what he is: so it is with an unsound Christian, notwithstanding all his shows, fair beginnings, and hopeful entrances, he continueth not.