A30345:686
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.
God doth freely give his Word to whom he please, as long as he please, and in what manner it seemeth best unto him in his infinite wisdom. He gave his Law unto Jacob, his Statutes and Judgements unto Israel, he hath not dealt so with every Nation. The1 times of ignorance God regarded not. Greater things were ⟨p. 328⟩done in Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida, then were done in2 Tyre and Sidon, Sodom or Gomorrah. Paul was forbidden to preach the word in Asia: and the Disciples, to enter into the3 ways of Samaria. Greater means God doth vouchsafe to them that are worse, and more means to them that be more obdurate4 in their sins; like to them that are unlike, and lesser to them that be not so deeply plunged into profaneness. For God doth exhort them, that they might be inexcusable, that they might know a Prophet had been amongst them; that it might be for5 a testimony against them, that they might be hardened, and that the glory of God might be manifested in the vessels of wrath. Thus Christ is set up for a sign, that shall be spoken against, and for a rock of offence, 1 Pet. 2. 7, 8. The Word is a moral instrument of conversion, which God is pleased to use, without which he doth not ordinarily work, but it hath no power of it self to work: and therefore conversion is the immediate work of the holy Ghost, notwithstanding the means which God useth in the turning of a sinner. Natural instruments being moved have some power to work of themselves, or by their own faculty; moral not so. The Word is a fit instrument, though of it self it have no power to produce the effect. For though conversion be not a bare moral persuasion, yet it is effected by persuasion, or at least not without persuasion. In the change God dealeth with man as a reasonable creature or instrument, which is to be renewed by grace, and allured by promises, sweet, pleasant, profitable, firm and sure. Now the Word is very fit to convey those admirable and most forcible persuasions from the ear unto the soul.