Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/34

 22 to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman, 2 Chron. 15. 12, 13. And the King stood by the pillar, and made a Covenant before the Lord, to walke after the Lord, and to keepe his Commandements, and his Testimonies, and his statutes, with all their heart, and all their soule, to performe the words of this Covenant that were written in this booke: and all the people stood to the Covenant, 2 Chron. 34. 31. 2 Kings 23. 3. They entred into a Curse, and into an Oath to walke in Gods Law, which was given by Moses the Servant of God, and to observe and doe all the Commandements of the Lord our God, and his Iudgements, and his Statutes, Neh. 10. 29. And thus runneth the exhortation of Joshua to the two tribes and halfe when he sent them home; Take diligent heed to doe the Commandements of the Law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walke in all his wayes, and to keepe his Commandements, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart, and with all your soule, Iosh. 22. 5. Which must not so be understood, as if he that did of frailty and infirmity offend in any one jot or tittle, should be held a Covenant breaker: for then no man should be innocent, but the promise must be interpreted according as the Law or rule of obedience is given, which calleth for perfection but accepteth sincerity. In the Covenant of mercy we bind our selves to believe and rest upon God with the whole heart, so as doubting or distrust of weaknesse and infirmity, must be acknowledged a sinne, but every such frailty doth not argue the person to be a transgressour of the Covenant. And the same holds true of obedience. But of this more largely in the particular manner how God hath been pleased to administer this Covenant. Man then doth promise to serve the Lord, and to cleave unto him alone, which is both a debt of duty, and speciall prerogative, and he doth restipulate or humbly intreat, that God would be mindfull of his holy Covenant or testimony, that he would be his God, his Portion, his Protectour, and rich reward. These things be so linked together in the Covenant, as that we must conceive the Promise of God in order of nature to goe before the Promise and obedience of man: and to be the ground of faith, whereby mercy promised is received. The offer of mercy is made to man an unbeleever, that he might come home, and the promise must be conceived before we can beleeve, else we should beleeve we know not what, and faith should hang in the aire without any