A30345:427
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.
1. Constant and conscionable dependence upon the preaching of the word, effectual receiving and sound feeding upon it. Desire 1the sincere milk of the word, saith the Apostle. He calls the word sincere milk, a milk without deceit: It is in it self truth, having the God of truth for the Author, Christ Jesus the truth for2 the witness, the Spirit of truth for the composer of it: and it worketh truth in the hearts of them that hear and receive it kindly. It is mighty to the purging out of that leaven of fraud, which is within us, and to the transforming of us into the image of God, if it be kindly planted and soundly rooted in the heart and conscience. Sanctify them with thy truth, thy word is truth. This is3 that which begets faith, and faith is that which purifieth the heart. How came the Romans to that heartiness and sincerity of obedience, which Paul commends so much, was it not by that form4 of holy Doctrine which was delivered? Or as we read it sometimes, unto which they were delivered: wherein the truth of God is compared unto a mould into which they were cast, and by which they were transposed into a new form, enabled to walk sincerely and without halting before the Lord. The mind must be truly informed, or the heart can never move aright. But there is no means to come to the knowledge of the truth, but by the word of God, which is the word of truth, and Gospel of salvation. ⟨p. 187⟩It is truly said, the heart can never be sincere, till it be humbled and broken, and brought to abasement and denial of it self: and what means hath God ordained so effectual, as his word to work this humiliation of spirit? Is not this the hammer which5 breaketh the stone? Is not this that which pricketh the heart, and maketh it to melt, and sometimes wringeth tears from the eyes of them that hear it? Besides, what hope that ever any mans disease of a false heart should be cured, until he be brought to the sight of it? Who seeks for health, till he know himself to be diseased? And shall ever any man be brought to the understanding of his defect in this, until he hath been made to see it by the word? What health is to the body, that truth and uprightness is to the soul: now bodily health ariseth from the seed, is preserved by sound and good diet: But the word of truth is the wholesome food, whereby the soul is nourished.