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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30345	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.	Ball, John, 1585-1640.; Ashe, Simeon, d. 1662.	1645 (1645)	Wing B579; ESTC R6525	360,186	382

his Word and Spirit as he knoweth it becommeth both his justice Rom. 9. 24 25 26. 10. 17 18 19 20. Rom. 11. 25 29 30 32 33. and mercy in Christ alwayes reserving to himselfe full and free power to call whom he please according to the good pleasure of his will But this distribution of vocation into externall and internall is not a distribution of the kinde into its specialls but shewes rather what doth concurre to that worke of vocation 1 Cor. 3 5 6. Rom. 1. 5. whereunto obedience is willing and freely yeelded This vocation is instituted and administred according to the eternall decree and purpose of God for knowne unto God are all Act. 15. 18. his workes from eternity and God doth nothing in time which he decreed not to doe from all eternity Whosoever therefore is Ephes 3. 5 6 9 11. Jam. 1. 18. 2 Tim. 1. 9. called in time he was predestinated from eternity that he should be called and in what state place time manner meanes soever a man is called he was predestinated to be called in that state at that time by those meanes and neither sooner nor later nor otherwise for the execution cannot vary from the decree but the note of changeablenesse must be ascribed unto God The company of them that are called effectually is the Church which is visible and invisible as this vocation is inward and outward Rom. 10. 10. visible which doth professe with the mouth and invisible which doth believe with the heart as man is distinguished 1 Cor. 4. 16. into inward and outward And as vocation inward and outward are not two callings but one and the same so the Church visible and invisible are not two Churches but the same Church differently considered Christ hath not two Kingdomes but There is but one Lord one Temple one Ministery Hieron ad Nepotian de vit Cler. Bilson Perpet govern cap. 11. one Kingdome one body one Church whereof every one that is savingly called is a living member The work of grace and heavenly calling is that which giveth being to the Church and make it a different society from all other companies of men whatsoever By effectuall calling and the answer of the soule unto God calling men are admitted into the Kingdome of Christ or Church of God every one that is thus called is of the Church and every one of the Church is thus called He that is not thus called is not of the Church and he that is not of the Church is not thus called He cannot be out of the Church who is in Covenant with God nor can he be a member of the Church who is not in Covenant The sheepe of Christ by predestination and eternall purpose are gathered into this fold some sooner others later some after one Joh. 10. 16. Mat. 20 3. 5. Act. 11. 18. Gal. 3. 28. Rev. 5. 9. Psal 68. 18. manner some after another of all nations kinreds and ongues Jewes and Gentiles bond and free male and female neere and farre off such as haue lyen longer and ●●●ke deeper into sinne and such as have beene preserved from the pollutions of the world The end of this vocation as it is the worke of God calling is that they who are given unto Christ of the Father should freely and willingly answer to God and Christ calling and so become the confederates of God by Christ the Mediatour of the New Testament and being faithfull and confederate they should love feare honour worship and obey God in Jesus Christ In respect Pro. 1. 24. Heb. 3. 7 8. Rev. 3. 20. Eph. 2. 11 12 13. Jer. 32. 38 39. Luk. 1. 74 75. Deut. 6. 4 5. Phil. 2. 12. Ephes 1. 6. Act. 13. 47 48. of the outward invitation it is their office and duty to answer to the call In respect of the inward and powerfull worke of the holy Ghost they are certainly inabled and drawne to come unto Christ and give up themselves unto him Another end remote is the Salvation of the elect and the glory of God in which respect calling to grace is a meanes ordained of God and according to the ordinance of God necessary to the communication of Salvation and the answer of the called is a condition requisite and necessary for the obtaining of that end according to the ordinance and appointment of God The glory of God most wife good mercifull just and powerfull doth so Rev. 4 8 9 10. 5. 8. 9 10. brightly shine forth in the communication both of grace and glory that it doth worthily draw the mindes of men and Angels into admiration and loose their tongues into the praise and magnifying of God E● si respect● singulorum qui pe●e●nt optabile esset ut homo non peccasset respectu tamen universalis boni c●jus potius habenda fuit ratio non debuit Deus potentiam suam ex●rere ad impediendum ne peccaretur Opposite unto this vocation is 1. That God doth suffer some to walke after the vanity of their owne hearts and blindnesse of their mindes and doth not invite them to come unto him or exhort them to repent Thus God regarded not the Gentiles in the dayes of their ignorance but gave them up to the lusts of their owne hearts And at this day many nations are shut up in ignorance and have not heard so much as the sound of the Gospell for many generations It is true the Lord calleth them in a sort by his long-suffering and patience and by the workes of providence in that he filleth their hearts with food and gladnesse but by the promise of mercy he is not pleased to speake unto them 2. Some that be outwardly called they contemne the counsell Luke 7. 30. Act. ●3 46. Act. 7. 51. Psal 81 12 13. Isai 63. 10. and 6. 9 10. Joh. 12. 37 38 39 40. Ezek. 20. 25. Per statuta m●la intelligi possunt leges Ethnicorum vel lex Dei quae ipsis in perniciemcessit of God put away from them the Word of grace resist the Spirit of God speaking unto them in the mouth of his Prophet whence followeth blindnesse of minde hardnesse of heart efficaciousness of errour that men should beleeve lies a reprobate sense and delivering into the power of Satan Jer. 4. 20. Thou hast seduced this people scil by false prophets promising them peace which God promised not and giving them up to the efficacy of errour as a punishment of former transgression 3. God doth call some by the Gospell and bestow upon them divers spirituall good things though not such as accompany Salvation And thus some doe heare and receive and rejoyce in the Word and bring forth some fruit but not to ripenesse or perfection CHAP. V. How Christians answer to the call of Christ and so come to have Fellowship with him IN the matter of Salvation it pleased God to deale with man by way of stipulation and promise and so

and the want of such learning was a smart rod to beate them Moses also brought in the Priest-hood as a setled ordinance for that present which for the persons were to succeed him The things which they had proper were two First to offer Sacrifices for the people and thereby to cleanse them from the breach of Ceremoniall commands put upon them by Moses to testifie their homage But the blood of those sacrifices was a tipe of Christs Heb. 9. 9. 10. 4. 9. 23. blood our true and unchangeable high Priest whereby the conscience is purged from the guilt of sinne and from all failings in the least and highest degree of morall obedience And though the carnall Jew saw it not in their sacrifices yet the spirituall which brought a right sence of sinne and fitting disposition both saw it and reached pardon in these sacrifices by faith in the blood of Christ tipified by them And hence we see in what respect the Gal. 3. 21. Heb. 8. 7. ●● 13. Law is said to be weake and unable to give life to purge the conscience or pacifie the wrath of God because it was not the blood of Bulls or Goats but of Christ the immaculate Lamb of God who thorough the eternall Spirit offered up himselfe a sacrifice to the Father that did purge the conscience and bring in eternall redemption which was not shed but tipified under that Covenant though the spirituall seed by faith laid hold upon i● and were partakers of the benefits thereof Secondly It was the effect of this ordinance to offer up prayers to God for the people upon their Incense To runne into every particular in this kind were infinite The effect of this Covenant that it bringeth forth children but in some kind of bondage pressed and kept under with servitude For the heire so long as he is under Tutors and Governours differeth Gal. 4. 3 4. not from a servant though he be Lord of all The Jewes were children and heires but tutored and kept under with many Ceremoniall ordinances and observations as appendices to the Law expedient for that time and state But there is a twofold servitude one to damnation which shuts the sonnes of such disposition out of the Kingdome of Heaven which was figured by the bondage of Ismael and Hagar This the Covenant doth not beget in it selfe but in them that rejected Christ the soule of the Law and trusted in their workes to be justified thereby The other of sonnes which are held under the nourture of the Law and legall rites but rest not in them but by them are led unto Christ which abide still in the house and partake of the dignity of sons though under Tutours and this servitude is an effect of the Covenant thus administred Under this Covenant the naturall seed of Abraham bore the face of the Church and state and God had promised abundance of temporals and of spirituall a scantling But all under the outward administration of the Covenant were not in like manner partakers of the blessings promised in Covenant For some had their part in the temporall blessings only and the outward ordinances others were partakers of the spirituall blessings promised But whatsoever good thing any of them enjoyed either temporall or spirituall it was conferred upon them freely according to the Covenant of Grace and not for the dignity of their workes It is true the promise is conditionall if they obey they shall reape the good things of the Land but obedience was not a causall condition why they should inherit but consequent what they must doe when they should inherit the Land God would not that his people should live dissolutely in the promised Land but he gave them not that inheritance for their righteousnesse Certaine it is also that God did reward partiall obedience with temporall blessings as he spared some upon their temporary humiliation and fained repentance and he permitted some obstinate and rebellious to abide in the promised Land and take roote and prosper for a season but this he did of his free bounty that he might performe the Oath which he sware unto the Fathers So that herein there appeares no intexture of the Covenant of workes with the Covenant of Grace nor any moderation of the Law to the strength and power of nature for the obtaining of outward blessings But rather that God of his aboundant goodnesse is pleased freely to conferre outward blessings promised in Covenant upon some that did not cleave unto him unfainedly that he might make good his promise unto the spirituall seed which by word and oath he had confirmed unto the Fathers In this expression of the Covenant it pleased God to add unto the former another seal for confirmation of their faith sc the Passe-over which was a tipe of Exod. 12. 1 Cor. 5. 7. Christ the immaculate Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world ourtrue Passe-over who was sacrificed for us as well as a seale of their deliverance from the bondage of Egypt And the celebration of the Passeover was as a gratefull remembrance of their most powerfull and gracious deliverance from the fiery fornace and consequently of their possession of that good Land which the Lord had promised to give them so was it a testimony of their faith in the bloud of Christ whereby they were set free from the powers of darknesse and the curse of the Law and restored into spirituall liberty being made heires of the kingdome of heaven And from all this we may see wherein this expression of the Covenant doth exceed the former and wherein it differs from and fals short of the new Covenant of which in the latter end of the next Chapter CHAP. IX Of the Covenant that God made with David THis Covenant of Grace was further manifested to David to whom the Lord doth most aboundantly and familiarly make knowne the riches of his free-grace and love And is this O Lord the manner of men 2 Sam. 7. 19. Or as Junius readeth it and that after the manner of men O Lord God that is thou dealest familiarly with me as a man dealeth with man Amam idque secundum consuetudinem hominis seu hominum i ac si amicus cum amico ageret S●hingler Huc adducit Chald. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et hoc hic agendi modu● conveniens est filijs hominum q d. ita ●olet amicu● cum amico colloqui familiariter animi sui sententiam depromere Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Em. Sa. Lex hominis q d. sic mecum agi● ut solet h●mo cum amico 1 Chron. 17. 17. And thou hast provided for me according to the manner of men concerning this excellency O Lord God or thou hast provided for me this excellency according to the manner of men I see for I provide for for the Hebrews when they have not compound verbes doe use simple in their stead Pisc aspexeris me secundum

from before his face that he might make him a great Name like to the name of the great men upon earth And thus the Lord delivered him from the hand of Saul and all his enemies who did oppose him that he should not raigne O ye sons of men how long will ye turn Psal 4. 3 4. my glory into shame How long will ye love vanity and seek after leesing Selah Know ye that the Lord hath wonderfully separated to himself the man that is godly the Lord will heare when I call upon him 2. That he would appoint a place for his people Israel and plant 2 Sam. 7. 10. ● Kin. 5. 3. 1 Chron. 20. 9. it that they might dwell in a place of their owne and move no more nor be disquieted any more by wicked people as in former times And so God gave Israel rest from all their enemies round about and setled them in peace and quietnesse by the hand of David 3. That when the daies of David were fulfilled and he shall 2 Sam. 7. 12 1● sleepe with his Fathers he would set up his seed after him which should proceed out of his body and he should build an house or Temple for the Name of the Lord God of Israel I purpose saith 1 King 5 5. ● Chron. 20 10 which is called an house of rest Psal 132. 8. 1 Chro 28. 2. 2 Chro. 6. 41. and the Lords seat or habitation Ps 132. 13 Ps 68 17. 1 Kin. 8. 18 19 20. Solomon to build an house unto the Name of the Lord my God as the Lord spake unto David my Father saying Thy Son whom I will set upon thy throne for thee he shall build an house unto my Name And at the dedication of the Temple he maketh mention of this promise The Lord said unto David my Father whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my Name thou didst well that thou wast so minded Neverthelesse thou shalt not build the house but thy son that shall come out of thy loyns he shall build the house unto the Lord. And the Lord hath made good the word which he spake I have built thee an house to dwell in an habitation for thee to abide in for ever ● Kin. 8. 13. 4. He promiseth to be a Father to Davids seed and take him 2 Sa. 7. 14. Psa 132. 12. Ps 89. 26 27. for his Son He shall call upon me thou art my Father my God the rock of my salvation And I will make him my first-born higher then the Kings of the earth that is the Prince and chiefe Col. 1. 15 18. Heb. 1. 2. Iust in institut l. 2. tit ●9 de baered qualit differ ult of the Kings the most glorious and famous of all Kings As Christ is called the first begotten of every creature not that he was created before all other creatures but because he is the Lord Prince and head of every creature and hath dominion over all creatures and so the heire of all things as heire is sometimes put for Lord or owner and pro haerede gerere is pro Domino gerere Haeredes enim veteres pro Dominis appellabant 5. That his house should be established and his Kingdome for ever 2 Sam. ● 16. 1 Chron. 22. 16 Ps 89. 29. Psa 89. 36 37. 1 Kin. 11. 38. And if thou hearken unto all that I command c. I will build the● a f●rme house c. before the Lord even his throne should be established for ever His seed will I make to endure for ever and his throne as the daies of Heaven His seed shall endure for ever and his throne shall be as the Sun before me He shall be established for evermore as the Moon as a faithfull witnesse in the heaven that is his Kingdome shall be perpetuall and glorious For although the Moone waxeth and waineth and seemeth sometimes to be gone yet it is continually renewed and so stable which is a fit resemblance of the Church which hath not alwaies one face or appearance in the world though it be perpetuall And though for the sins of the people and Davids house the state of his Kingdome and house Ps 89. 30 31 32 33. decayed yet God reserved still a root till he had accomplished this promise in Christ 6. That his house should be as the Morning light when the Sun 2 Sam. 23. 4. Ps 132. 15 16. Her victuals I will blesse her poore I will satisfie with bread Psal 18. 28. The Lord hath lightned my candle that is given me comfort joy prosperity after troubles 2 Sam. 23. 5. ariseth the morning I say without clouds and as the grasse of the earth with cleare shining after raine that is it shall shine with all light of glory and prosperity and flourish or be green perpetually as the herbes and grasse which is refreshed with seasonable rain and heate These gracious and free promises God made to David and to his house and to the whole Kingdome of Israel not for their righteousnesse but of his manifold and great mercy And as he promised them without consideration of their desert so of his rich grace and love undeserved he made them good For Davids house was not such as it ought to be before God they kept not promise Covenant but the Lord was mercifull and gracious he did not forget his truth nor suffer his mercies to faile If his children Ps 89. 30 31 32 forsake my Law and walke not in my judgements if they breake 2 Sam. 7. 14 15. 1 King 11. 11 12 32 33 34 36. Psal 132. 11 12. my statutes and keepe not my Commandements Then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stroakes But my loving kindnesse will I not take from him neither will I falsifie my truth True it is the Lord did correct the posterity of David for their sinne with moderate correction and for their profit that they might be partakers of holinesse But even when it did not bud or come on according to that which seemed to be promised the Lord was most faithfull in his promises for it was their sinne that kept them downe And for this saith the Lord 1 King 11. 39. to Solomon I will afflict the house of David but not for ever for the whole spirituall kingdome was restored in the Messiah I will make the horne of David to bud I have ordained a lampe Psal 132. 17 18. 1 King 15. 4. for mine annointed that is I will make the Kingdome and power to encrease For Davids sake did the Lord his God give him a light in Jerusalem and set up his son after him and established Jerusalem Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah for David his 2 King 8. 19. servants sake as he had promised him to give him a light and to his children for ever Great deliverance giveth he unto his King he is the magnifier of