A30345:528
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.
As the Covenant is general, so is the fruit and application of Christs death, in and through whom the Covenant is made, that is, proffered of God, and accepted of man. As all and every man is called into Covenant, liveth under the Ordinances of grace, is partaker of the fruits of the Spirit, and applieth the death of Christ, so Christ died and rose again for him. But this manner of ⟨p. 243⟩Christs death pertaineth to the event, act or application, which they confess is not common to all men, and is manifest in this, that God entered not into Covenant with every Nation at all times, neither under the Law, nor in times of the Gospel, scil. 1with the Nations he passed by, and which as the Scripture saith were without God. God expressly declared himself in the time wherein the distinction of Jew and Gentile took place, that he would accept of strangers, as well as any, if they should love and fear his name, Isa. 56. 7. But the Covenant at that time was not made with all Nations, as it was with the Jews, not made known unto all the Gentiles, they did not enjoy means sufficient to come to the knowledge of the truth; That the promises of mercy did at all times belong to them that fulfilled the condition, is needless to be proved: but that the Covenant was made with every man, or that means sufficient or grace to receive the promises was granted to every man, at all times, in all ages if they would, is that which no Scripture testifieth. And that passage of the Prophet, which promiseth the acceptance of the stranger, if he repent and turn unto the Lord, is manifestly spoken of the times of the new Testament, when the partition wall was broken down, as the verses following do convince. In the days of grace the Covenant was more general, then in former times it had been: but God hath not erected his Tabernacle, nor walked amongst all Nations, in every age of these last times, as experience teacheth. How then is the Covenant general, respecting every man? Peradventure they mean no more but this, that every man that will be saved, must be saved by it, and whosoever doth believe, be he bond or free, Jew or Gentile, male or female, rich or poor, he shall be saved, though the Covenant was never made with most Nations of the world, nor accepted by them, nor they had means to come to the knowledge of it, much less grace to perform the conditions: