A30345:556
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.
An example of this general Intercession, wherein Christ prayeth that all men might believe in him, we have (they say) ⟨p. 261⟩in that 17. of John, ver. 21. That the world may believe that thou hast sent me. Some by the world in that place understand the elect, who then were dispersed abroad, or them that were to be converted from infidelity to the faith. But because the word world in the whole Chapter is taken in another sense, it is most natural in this place to understand it as before, for men that be of the world, not enlightened, or converted to the faith: and the word Believe to be put improperly for to acknowledge or confess. The sense is, that the world, although unbelieving, although1 an adversary to me, yet seeing the great love and concord of my Disciples, may be compelled to believe, that is, to acknowledge and confess, that I was sent of God, that is, that I am not as now it thinketh, a seducer, but that I am truly sent of the Father; or that the Infidels may by experience be convinced to confess my glory, and be compelled to acknowledge and confess that thou hast sent me a Saviour into the world. This sense is so plain and easy, that we need not seek any further for the meaning: but if we grant it to be meant of true and sound faith, it will not follow thence, that Christ made intercession for every man in the world, that he might believe. For the world is usually taken for men in the world indefinitely, and not simply for every man, nor yet for the greater part of men in the world. There went out a decree from Cesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed, Luk 2. 1. but this cannot be extended to every nation, much l•sse to every man. The 2impure spirits go forth unto the Kings of the earth, and of the whole world. Rev. 16. 14. All the world wondered after the beast. Rev. 13. 3. The whole world lieth in iniquity. 1 Joh. 5. 19. He was in the world, and the world knew him not.