Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/215

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and how God hath revealed himself therein.
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With others God doth make his Covenant effectually, writing his Law in their hearts by his holy Spirit, and they freely and from the heart give up themselves unto the Lord, in all things to be ruled and guided by him. And thus God hath contracted Covenant with the faithfull only. The first sortRom. 2.28. are the people of God outwardly or openly, having all things externall and pertaining to the outward administration. The second are the people of God inward or in secret, whom certainly and distinctly the Lord only knoweth. Experience hath confirmed it, that in the dayes of the Gospell, the Church of Christ hath sometimes been shut up within narrower bounds and limits, sometimes it hath spread it selfe over the face of the earth more gloriously, and so much was plentifully foretold in the Scriptures, that such as lived in the times of that great apostasie and falling from the faith, might not be offended at it. What the state of Gods Church shall be in these latter dayes, time will manifest more certainly then we can yet define: but some Divines are of opinion that the bounds thereof shall extend further, and the glory thereof be greater then ever heretofore. And this is not improbable: for when the seventh Angel sounded,Apoc. 11.15. there were great voices in heaven, saying, The Kingdomes of this world, are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall raigne for ever and ever; which accordeth with that of Daniel,Dan. 7.13,14. Behold, one like the Son of man, came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of dayes, and they brought him neere before him: And there was given unto him dominion and glory, and a Kingdome, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not passe away, and his kingdome that which shall not be destroyed.


C h a p.   II.

Christ the Mediatour of the New Testament for whom he died and rose againe.

CHrist Jesus incarnate is the Mediatour of the new Testament, a reall Mediatour, a fit middle person betwixt God and man: a Mediatour and Testatour both, who hath confirmed the Testament with his bloud. But seeing the Covenant ismade