Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/124

 112

But in the Decalogue there is no mention of Christ. Neither is that absolutely true. For when God saith, he is their God, who delivered them out of the Land of Egypt, doth he not propound himself a Redeemer, a spirituall Redeemer of them from the bondage of sinne and Satan, whereof that deliverance was a type? But he is not a Redeemer from spirituall bondage but in Christ. Implicitely therefore in these words Christ is contained and proposed unto us, which is done according to the condition of those times, wherein as yet all things were infolded and wrapped up. And it cannot easily be imagined, how Christ should be revealed in the Ceremoniall Law, if there be no mention of him expresse or implicite in these words. As the Morall Law doth shew and discover sinne, so was the Ceremoniall Law as a bill or bond put into the hand of God, whereby they did acknowledge themselves indebted to his Divine Majestie: and as the Ceremoniall Law was a Schoole-master to point out and direct us unto Christ: so was the Morall a rule of obedience to them that be in Covenant with God: which of necessity doth presuppose the revelation of Christ in some sort. The Ninevites in the threatnings denounced against them by the Prophet Jonas did apprehend a promise of mercy to be implyed upon condition of their repentance: which promise was made in Christ. And is it any marvell then we should affirme, the knowledge of Christ to be manifested in some sort, in those words of the Law: if we consider the words of the Law, it doth command that we love God above all, and our Neighbour as our selves: but if we search out the meaning of the words, we shall find it to be such a love as proceeds from faith; and from what faith, but in the Messiah? That is the foundation upon which all works of love are builded. In faith it self or with it, there is a motion of the soule towards, or a desire of the heart to obtaine the good promised, joyned with an hatred of sinne and wickednesse, which may be called inchoate love: but true, sound, intire love, whereby we affect God as our Father most neerely conjoyned to us, and reverence him as the fountaine of all good things and benefits, which of his meere grace he conferreth upon the children of his love, and we daily expect from him, even such as accompany life and salvation: this is the effect of faith, and followeth the apprehension and habitation of Christ in the heart.