A30345:591
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.
In the sufferings of Christ we must consider the circumstances, and substance of his sufferings. The circumstances, as the person of the sufferer, the cause of suffering, and efficacy of the passion: in which respect it was more then the Law required: for the Law did not require that God should die, nor that any one should die that had not finned, nor such a death, and of such efficacy, as not only to abolish death, but to bring in life, and that by many degrees more excellent then that which Adam had lost: but if we respect the substance of punishment, it was that which the Law required, which he paid of love free and voluntary, and yet of justice. Justice requireth the same sum of debt, the dignity of Christs person nothing hindering: and according to justice Christ made satisfaction. As concerning the substance of punishment, Christ suffered what was due to us, but in the circumstances, which pertained not to the substance of the debt, some thing was pardoned, to the dignity of the person. In this stands the dignity of Christs person, that he might be fit meritoriously to pay our debt, so far was it from freeing or acquitting him for any part of our debt. He that knew no sin, was made sin for us, 2 Cor. 5. 21. Surely he hath born our griefs, and carried our sorrows. Isai. 53. 4. When the Scripture speaks so fully, why should humane curiosity limit the sufferings of Christ, as if they were not fully satisfactory, but by divine acceptilation only? Christ suffered not every particular punishment that every particular sinner meeteth withal: but his passion was a common price payed at once for all his people, satisfying justice for all their offences, Rom. 5. 19. Heb. 10. 14. Rom. 8. 33. He bore our sins in his body upon the tree. 1 Pet. 2. 24. We are redeemed by his blood. Eph. 1. 7. The blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin. 1 Joh. 1. 6