A30345:539
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.
they that be truly and effectually in Covenant, do soundly and unfeignedly believe. When the Scripture speaks of them that be out of Covenant, it saith they are not known of God, neither do they know God, that is, they are not regarded of God, neither1 do they regard him: when of them that live in Covenant, it stileth them the people of God, sons or children of God, the sons of the living God, a peculiar people, reconciled unto God, justified unto life; the daughters of Zion and of Jerusalem, who have the Jerusalem that is above for their spiritual mother, the seed of Abraham, who is the Father of us all; And as Jerusalem which is above is the mother of us all, so is Christ said to die for us all, and God to have mercy upon all. Rom. 8. 32. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all. Rom. 11. 32. God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. Rom. 5. 18. By the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life, that is, of all them which pertain to the posterity of Christ by spiritual regeneration. It may well be, that all to whom Paul wrote that Epistle, did not unfeignedly believe, but as they professed the Doctrine of Salvation, and in some measure walked according to the policy of ⟨p. 251⟩the new Jerusalem, and as they enjoyed the Ordinances of grace, whereby Christ was applied, so the Apostle speaks of them as Saints and beloved and faithful. And in the same sense in other places, they are reckoned amongst the faithful, beloved and elect, who believe for a time, and profess the doctrine of Salvation, and partake the seals of the Covenant, though afterwards they fall away: and as they are called believers, converts, disciples, members of Christ, temples and sons of God; as they are said to be justified, sanctified, and redeemed, so is Christ to have died for them, as he is applied in the Ordinances of grace, and they partake of the benefits of his death. But as for them that be not in Covenant, we shall never read that their sins are pardoned,2