Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/173

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Lord did bind his Israel unto him more strongly then heretofore. Behold, ''the dayes come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt. But, the Lord liveth, which brought up, and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the North Countrey, and from all Countries whither I had driven them, and they shall dwell in their own Land.'' In respect of this late and new blessing vouchsafed, the Covenant that God made with his people now brought back and planted in their own Land, may be called New: but in respect of the Author, matter, forme, end, effects, and meanes of administration, teaching and applying, it was one with the former. Neverthelesse, the Covenant which God made with his inheritance upon their delivery from the North Countrey, did exceed the former which he had made with their Fathers, when he brought them out of Egypt, in divers respects.

First, the Mediatour in and through whom this Covenant was made or promised, is more plainly revealed, both in respect of his person, humiliation, resurrection, place of his birth, time of his comming, kingly office, and manifest tokens whereby he should be knowne, then in the former expressions. Behold, ''the dayes come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a King shall raigne and prosper, and shall execute judgement and justice in the earth. In his dayes Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely, and this is his name, whereby he shall be called, The Lord our righteousnesse. Surely he hath borne our griefes, and carried our sorrowes: yet we did esteeme him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted: but he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed: yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to griefe: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his dayes, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the travell of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many: for he shall beare their iniquities. But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is to be ruler in Israel: whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Seventy weekes are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy City, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sinnes, and to make reconciliation''