A30345:563
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.
The second person in Trinity, the Son of God by nature, the Image of the Father, by whom all things were made, was made man, that he might renew what was disordered by sin, and make us the sons of God by grace and adoption, who were by nature the children of wrath, it being fit our redemption should be wrought by the Son, and sealed by the holy Spirit. For whereas a double mission was necessary, the one to reconcile, the other to give gifts to reconciled friends: the Father being of none, sent his Son, the first proceeding person to take our nature and make satisfaction: the Father and the Son both send the Spirit, the second proceeding person, to seal up them that Christ hath redeemed by his blood. And who was fitter to become the Son of man, then he that was by nature the Son of God? who could be fitter to make us the Sons of God by grace and adoption, then he that was the Son of God by nature? who fitter to repair the Image of God decayed in us, then he by whom at first man was made after the Image of God? Thus Christ was a fit and equal middle person, conjoined by the bands of friendly society, and peaceable agreement with both the parties, God and men, that he might be a Mediator of reconciliation and peace between God and man. He took unto him the sanctified nature of man, that therein he might draw near unto men, and be the root of them that are sanctified; and retained the nature of God, that so he might not depart from God.
The second person in Trinity, the Son of God by nature, the Image of the Father, by whom all things were made, was made man, that he might renew what was disordered by sinne, and make us the sonnes of God by grace and adoption, who were by nature the children of wrath, it being fit our redemption should be wrought by the Sonne, and sealed by the holy Spirit. For whereas a double mission was necessary, the one to reconcile, the other to give gifts to reconciled friends: the Father being of none, sent his Sonne, the first proceeding person to take our nature and make satisfaction: the Father and the Sonne both send the Spirit, the second proceeding person, to seale up them that Christ hath redeemed by his bloud. And who was fitter to become the Sonne of man, then he that was by nature the Sonne of God? who could be fitter to make us the Sonnes of God by grace and adoption, then he that was the Sonne of God by nature? who fitter to repaire the Image of God decayed in us, then he by whom at first man was made after the Image of God? Thus Christ was a fit and equall middle person, conjoyned by the bands of friendly society, and peaceable agreement with both the parties, God and men, that he might be a Mediatour of reconciliation and peace betweene God and man. He tooke unto him the sanctified nature of man, that therein he might draw neere unto men, and be the root of them that are sanctified; and retained the nature of God, that so he might not depart from God.