A30345:692
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.
This word propounded by the ministry of man is not only preparatory, as if an other word, which may be called consummatory, must be suggested by the Spirit unto the mind. For the holy Ghost doth not enlighten the soul by his internal action into any other acknowledgement of Christ, then that which is contained in the Word externally proposed, or affect the heart with other senses, then which are proposed out of the same Word. Faith is1 by hearing, that is, by preaching, and preaching by the Word of God, that is, by commission or edict from God. But this preaching ⟨p. 330⟩did perfectly contain all things consummatory for the sanctification2 of the Church, even all things which Christ taught to his disciples, which he had heard of the Father, and were delivered unto him, who was in the bosom of the Father; all truth, whereby not the Apostles only, but the whole Church, even to the end of the world, shall be sanctified. The wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hid wisdom, which God had determined before the world, unto our glory, the glory of the universal catholic Church: the wisdom which none of the Princes of this world hath known: which containeth those things which3 God hath prepared for those that love him, all that love him, and not only them that were in the Apostles time. The wisdom containing the deep things of God, even the things which God hath freely given to his Church, called, the unsearchable riches of Christ, the riches of his glory. The wisdom which is the very mind of Christ, and the knowledge whereof is called, the very knowledge of the mind of Christ: of which the spiritual and perfect men are only capable.
This word propounded by the ministery of man is not only preparatory, as if an other word, which may be called consummatory, must be suggested by the Spirit unto the minde. For the holy Ghost doth not inlighten the soule by his internall action into any other acknowledgement of Christ, then that which is contained in the Word externally proposed, or affect the heart with other senses, then which are proposed out of the same Word. Faith is1