A30345:68
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 Covenant of mercy we bind our selves to believe and rest upon God with the whole heart, so as doubting or distrust of weakness and infirmity, must be acknowledged a sin, but every such frailty doth not argue the person to be a transgressor of the Covenant. And the same holds true of obedience. But of this more largely in the particular manner how God hath been pleased to administer this Covenant. Man then doth promise to serve the Lord, and to cleave unto him alone, which is both a debt of duty, and special prerogative, and he doth restipulate or humbly entreat, that God would be mindful of his holy Covenant or testimony, that he would be his God, his Portion, his Protector, and rich reward. These things be so linked together in the Covenant, as that we must conceive the Promise of God in order of nature to go before the Promise and obedience of man: and to be the ground of faith, whereby mercy promised is received. The offer of mercy is made to man an unbeliever, that he might come home, and the promise must be conceived before we can believe, else we should believe we know not what, and faith should hang in the air without any foundation: ⟨p. 23⟩but mercy offered is embraced by faith, and vouchsafed to him that believeth. Also the duty which God calleth for, and man promiseth, is mans duty but given of God. By grace man is enabled and effectually drawn to do what God commandeth. The Covenant could not be of grace, nor the good things covenanted, if man by his own strength did or could perform what God requireth.
In the Covenant of mercy we bind our selves to believe and rest upon God with the whole heart, so as doubting or distrust of weaknesse and infirmity, must be acknowledged a sinne, but every such frailty doth not argue the person to be a transgressour of the Covenant. And the same holds true of obedience. But of this more largely in the particular manner how God hath been pleased to administer this Covenant. Man then doth promise to serve the Lord, and to cleave unto him alone, which is both a debt of duty, and speciall prerogative, and he doth restipulate or humbly intreat, that God would be mindfull of his holy Covenant or testimony, that he would be his God, his Portion, his Protectour, and rich reward. These things be so linked together in the Covenant, as that we must conceive the Promise of God in order of nature to goe before the Promise and obedience of man: and to be the ground of faith, whereby mercy promised is received. The offer of mercy is made to man an unbeleever, that he might come home, and the promise must be conceived before we can beleeve, else we should beleeve we know not what, and faith should hang in the aire without any foundation: