A30345:739
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 answer on our part, is a free and willing coming unto1 Christ, that in him we might be satisfied; the embracing of Jesus Christ, and lodging him in our bosom. And therefore that ⟨p. 348⟩which first of all receiveth that Vocation, is faith, whereby we believe, that if a man perform the condition, he shall possess the promise, if he come unto Christ, he shall be satisfied: but if he perform not the thing required, he shall not enjoy the promise; he shall not be satisfied, if he drink not the water of life. And not only so, but he shall continue poor, naked, blind, miserable, captive, a prisoner, an alien from the Covenant, and without God in the world: nay, he shall be punished with contrary evils, according to the nature of the Covenant divine, where there is no promise without a commination contrary to it. This faith is grounded upon the free and gracious Covenant, whereby God is pleased to bind himself first unto us, before he bind us unto himself, that his promise might be apprehended as the ground of our faith, upon which we should firmly believe: And upon the2 free and gracious invitation of Christ generally made to all and every poor, thirsty, languishing, fainty soul, parched with the sense of wrath, and withered for lack of the sap or fruit of grace, to come unto him for ease and sweet refreshing, to the contentation and satisfying of their souls: to come and drink of the waters of life freely. Where let it be observed, that Thirst and Dryness, in phrase of Scripture, doth note the want of good things, as3 on the contrary, absolute good, whereby the desire of soul and body may be satisfied, is usually compared to waters. To thirst, is from a total defect of the Spirit of Grace, or a defect of the whole Spirit of Grace tormenting the soul, to desire it. And so not to thirst for ever, and the graces of the Spirit to remain4 in us for ever, or that water, to be in us a fountain of water springing up to life eternal, is one and the same. In Heathen authors, to thirst, is exceedingly to desire, but for the most part that desire comes from some tormenting want. Artemidorus, [Greek or Hebrew]. And Cyrus willing to declare his ardent desire of doing good to others, saith, [Greek or Hebrew], i. Sitio aliis gratificari. In which signification it is used by the Latins also. Cic. pro Planc. Deinde sitientem me virtutis tuae deserüisti.