A30345:487
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.
This is the Privilege of the New Testament, that God was1 in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, as is most apparent in the words next following, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation, and by the sentence it self; God was in Christ. But what is proper to the times of the New Testament cannot be attributed to every man in the world, even those that sate in darkness and the shadow of death, before the light did shine upon them. The reconciliation here mentioned is actual, effectual, particular reconciliation, purchased by Christ, published by the Apostles to the world of Jew and Gentiles, and received2 by them in the Covenant of grace. For it is explained by the non-imputation, or remission of sins, (at least as one part or branch of reconciliation) which is a transient act, conferred in time, and inferreth a change of state and condition in the party justified or reconciled, and of other reconciliation betwixt God and man the Scripture speaketh not. And it is to be observed, that the Apostle saith not, Christ hath purchased that God is reconcilable, or actually reconciled on his part, as if before he were irreconcilable: but God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, where the world is the subject or matter of reconciliation, which is changed in respect of state or condition, now received into actual favour, whereas heretofore it lay under wrath. In another place the Apostle puts reconciliation by the death of the Son of God, and justification by Christs blood for the same: where justification cannot be taken for possibility of justification, but for actual justification by faith in the blood of Christ, wherewith Salvation is joined, whereby we are acquitted from the guilt and punishment of sin: and so the justified or reconciled are opposed to sinners, ungodly and enemies. In respect of3 our antecedent state, we were enemies, when4 reconciled to God by the death of his Son: but by reconciliation we are received into grace, and of enemies made friends and sons. In these passages we cannot find reconciliation put for reconcilableness, nor predicated of all the world, nor all the enemies of God, nor in any other Scripture. For though ⟨p. 220⟩