Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/120

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108
Of the Covenant of Grace under Moses till the

dest say, Who shall goe over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may heare it, and doe it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou maist doe it. But the Law given by Moses is engraven in the heart of the spirituall seed, or people effectually in Covenant, as Isai. 51.7.
Psal. 37.31.
they are called a people in whose heart is the Law. No man will deny the Covenant which God keepeth with them that love him and keepe his Commandements, to be the Covenant of Grace. But the Covenant which Israel entred into, is Dan. 9.4.
Nehem. 1.5.
Deut. 7.12.
that which the Lord keepeth with them that love him, and keepe his Commandements.

Josh. 24.22,
23,24,25.
Judg. 10.16
1 Sam. 7.3,4,5.
2 Chro. 15.12
2 Kin. 11.17
2 Chro. 23.16
2 Ki. 23.3
Neh. 10.30,31
2 Chro. 34.31.
Fifthly, the godly Kings and people of Israel repenting of their transgressions and sinnes committed against God, did oftentimes renew their Covenant, binding themselves to the Lord to be his people, and to walke in Gods Law, which was given by Moses, and to observe and doe all the Commandements of God the the Lord, and his Judgements, and his Statutes, with all their heart, and with all their soule. But Jehoshaphat, Josiah, Nehemiah, and other godly Governours, who were well acquainted with their infirmities, and knew themselves utterly unable to fulfill the Law, would never promise punctuall and exact obedience, in hope thereby to deserve eternall life, or to receive it from God as the reward of their perfect service: nor flatter themselves as though they could stand before the Tribunall of Gods Justice in their own Righteousnesse, when upon proofe sufficient they saw, that no flesh could be justified in his sight. Without question, they understood, that God of his free grace had promised to be their God, and of his undeserved and rich mercy would accept of their willing and sincere obedience, though weake and imperfect in degree; which is in effect, that the Covenant which God made with them, and they renewed was a Covenant of grace and peace, the same for substance that is made with the faithfull in Christ in time of the Gospell.

Sixthly, the Covenant that God made with Abraham was the Covenant of grace, as it is acknowledged: Gen. 17.1but the Covenant made with Abraham is for substance the same with the Covenant made with Israel upon Mount Sinai: the promise is the same, and the things required the same. For in that God promised that he would be God all-sufficient to Abraham, to blesse himwith