A30345:43
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.
But this Covenant was so made with Adam the root of all mankind, that if transgressed, his whole posterity should be liable to the curse temporal and eternal, which entered upon his fall. This Covenant was a Covenant of friendship not of reconciliation; being once broken it could not be repaired; it promised no mercy or pardon, admitted no repentance, accepted no obedience, but what was perfect and complete. If Adam had a thought after his breach, that he might have healed the matter, it was but vain presumption, and least he should rely upon a vain confidence in eating of the tree of life, God drove him out of the Garden. But this Covenant was not peremptory, not the last nor unchangeable. Woe to all the posterity of Adam, if God should deal with them according to the sentence here denounced. When man had plunged himself into misery, it pleased the Lord to reveal his abundant ⟨p. 12⟩Grace in the Covenant of Grace, of which hereafter.
But this Covenant was so made with Adam the root of all mankind, that if transgressed, his whole posterity should be liable to the curse temporall and eternall, which entred upon his fall. This Covenant was a Covenant of friendship not of reconciliation; being once broken it could not be repaired; it promised no mercy or pardon, admitted no repentance, accepted no obedience, but what was perfect and compleat. If Adam had a thought after his breach, that he might have healed the matter, it was but vaine presumption, and least he should rely upon a vaine confidence in eating of the tree of life, God drove him out of the Garden. But this Covenant was not peremptory, not the last nor unchangeable. Woe to all the posterity of Adam, if God should deale with them according to the sentence here denounced. When man had plunged himselfe into misery, it pleased the Lord to reveale his abundant ⟨p. 12⟩Grace in the Covenant of Grace, of which hereafter.
The end of this Covenant is the demonstration of Gods wisdom, bounty, goodness and justice, both rewarding and punishing: and it made way for the manifestation of his rich grace and abundant free mercy brought to light in the second Covenant.