Nations be blessed Compared with ver 16. Now to Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made He saith not To Seeds as of many but as of one And to thy Seed which is Christ From which Words I do observe this Truth That the Covenant entred into by God with Abraham was but a renewing of the same Promise of a Messiah to come which the Threatning in the 3d Chapter of Genesis and the 15th Verse contained in it granted unto him for the strengthning of his Faith in the Messiah whose Day of appearance he beheld by Faith and rejoyced to see it and so was justified before God by that which Faith beheld in these new Covenant Promises Rom. 4.21 22 23 24. And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform And therefore it was imputed to him for Righteousness Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead As Abraham by Faith was led to believe this Promise which related to the Coming of the Messiah and thereby was privileged in a large share of the Mercies which accompany the Messiah so all true Believers that can lay claim to the same Faith with blessed Abraham are reckoned his Spiritual Seed and become Sharers with him in the same Mercies Gal. 3.28 29. There is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus And if ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham 's Seed and Heirs according to the Promise As faithful Abraham was made Partaker of such pretious Promises by Christ to whom all New Covenant Promises do first run so every Believer coming to share in the same Faith with Abraham lays claim to the Promises with him and becomes a Sharer in them Abraham in respect of the Greatness of his Faith above others stands as a glorious Pattern before them where we may behold him led forth to God by Acts of Obedience in a wonderful manner not staggering how God would accomplish his Promises but minding his Obedience So that he that had received the Promises in Isaac offers up this his only Son accounting that God was able to raise him from the dead from whence he received him in a Figure We may by looking at what passed betwixt God and Abraham as in a Glass behold his sincere Obedience to God and God's Faithfulness to him in performing to a tittle what he had promised to his Servant which may be matter of Encouragement to us humbly to relie upon our Heavenly Father Having treated of God's renewing the Promise to Abraham of the Coming of the Messiah of his Seed I come in the next place to treat of that numerous Offspring which were to proceed from him and the Privileges of which his natural Seed as such were made Partakers In the 15th of Genesis ver 4 5. God promises him a numerous Offspring And behold the Word of the Lord came unto him faying This shall not be thine Heir speaking of Eliezer of Damascus but he that shall come forth out of thine own Bowels shall be thine Heir And he brought him forth abroad and said Look now towards Heaven and tell the Stars if thou be able to number them and he said unto him So shall thy Seed be As God did perform his Promise to his Servant Abraham in bringing forth such Multitudes of People from him as the Promise treats of so he is pleased to afford them Privileges above the rest of the World for many Generations together which are held forth in the 17th Chapter of Genesis Where God is pleased to grant unto the Seed of Abraham the Promise of the Land of Canaan for a Possession and a Church-State set up amongst them wherein his Worship should be carried on in such a way as was of his own appointing until the Coming of the Messiah Gen. 49.10 The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his feet until Shiloh come and unto him shall the gathering of the People be That God's End in affording this People his Worship before the rest of the World was thereby to gather the Elect that were amongst them into the Covenant of Grace is clear from a multitude of Scriptures but that their Admittance to be Members of this Old Testament Church which was a Privilege that they enjoy'd by Birth-right did of it self bring them into the Covenant of Grace is against both Scripture and Experience The Apostle in Rom. 9.4 5. doth reckon up the many Privileges that they enjoy'd In the 6th Verse he breaks forth Not that the Word of God hath taken none effect yea it had answered the end for which it was appointed the Elect were gathered in by it But all are not Israel that are of Israel Ver. 7. Neither because they are the Seed of Abraham are they all Children but in Isaac shall thy Seed be called That is they which are the Children of the Flesh these are not the Children of God but the Children of the Promise are counted for the Seed These Scriptures if compared with Gen. 17. do let us clearly see what that Covenant was even a Church-state unto which the Children of the Flesh had admittance to be Members by virtue of their Birth-right and that by the very appointment of God This Covenant having answered the end for which it was appointed is ended and a better state in respect to the Church doth succeed it which I hope to clear up when I come to treat of the Church of Christ now in the times of the New Testament CHAP. III. Of the Ordinances of the Old Testament Church what they did point at to the Seed of Abraham as descending from him by Generation and what they pointed at to his spiritual Seed IN the last Chapter I shewed the nature of that Covenant made with Abraham and his Offspring as they proceeded from him by Generation that it contained in it the Promise of an Earthly Canaan or Earthly Inheritance to all his Seed God intending to shew forth some particular marks of his Bounty to them as they were the Offspring of this holy Man To which Covenant or Promise Circumcision was added as a Seal even in the time of the Infancy of that Old Testament Church and the Paschal Lamb afterwards added when they were brought out of Egypt as a Confirmation of the fulfilling of the Covenant made with their Father Abraham of which Covenant the Apostle speaks in Heb. 8.7 8 9. For if that first Covenant had been fauliless then should no place have been sought for the second For finding fault with them he saith Behold the days come saith the Lord when I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah Not according to the Covenant which I made with their Fathers
and that Circumcision was only a Seal of these things to be enjoy'd by them will further appear from that account which the Scriptures give us of Esau If the Covenant mentioned in Gen. 17. unto which Circumcision is annexed be the Covenant of Grace and the Infant-seed of Believers by virtue of their Parents Faith have a right to new Covenant-Mercies and ought to be sealed with the Seal of the Covenant how doth this agree with Gen. 25.23 And the Lord said unto her that is to Rebekah Two Nations are in thy Womb and two manner of People shall be separated from thy Bowels and the one People shall be stronger than the other People and the elder shall serve the younger Compared with Rom. 9.12 13. It was said unto her that is to Rebekah The elder shall serve the yopnger As it is written Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated What shall we say then is there Vnrighteousness with God God forbid He as an absolute Soveraign over the Works of his hands may dispose of Persons and Things as pleaseth him But to return to the matter in hand here is Esau the Seed of believing Isaac and so without controversy he had a Covenant-right to what was intended by the Covenant to the Seed of Abraham as such yet even while in the Womb excluded from any share in new Covenant-Mercies it must then follow that this Covenant did not convey new Covenant-Mercies but was a Covenant of Peculiarity to the natural Seed of Abraham others se there is a failure in the Covenant but it is the highest Wickedness to imagine there should be any on God's part in performing what he covenants to give But if we look upon the Covenant here as intending Earthly Blessings there was no failure of these Blessings either to Ishmael or Esau or to the natural Seed of Abraham from Jacob after they were imbodied into a Nation and had that Church-state set up amongst them until by aggravating Sins and Rebellion they forfeited their right to these Covenant-Mercies Secondly As the Covenant mentioned in Gen. 17. carried in the Womb of it the imbodying of the Seed of Abraham into a separate Nation in order to have that Old Testament Church-state set up amongst them so their Deliverance out of Egypt and the appointing of the Paschal Lamb was to shew forth to them that God was punctual in the accomplishing what was contain'd in the Covenant Altho God in Gen. 17. did enter into Covenant with Abraham and with all his natural Seed yet the accomplishment of what was contain'd in the Covenant in respect of the gathering the Seed of Jacob into a National Church was not accomplished until many hundred years after Exod. 2.23 24 25. And it came to pass in process of time that the King of Egypt died and the Children of Israel sighed by reason of the Bondage and they cried and their Cry came up unto God by reason of the Bondage And God heard their groaning and God remembered his Covenant with Abraham with Isaac and with Jacob. And God look'd upon the Children of Israel and God had respect unto them He remembred what he had promised in Gen. 17. and so remembers it as to take in hand the accomplishment of it Exod. 3.17 And I have said I will bring you up out of the Affliction of Egypt into the Land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites unto a Land flowing with Milk and Honey This the Apostle calls the entering into Covenant with the Israelites when he brought them out of the Land of Egypt which was the accomplishing of what was contain'd in Gen. 17. the faultiness of which Covenant lay in the Promise of Earthly Enjoyments which were fading and liable to be lost and the want of inward Grace by which God comes to be enjoy'd and new Covenant-Mercies presented to the Soul That the Apostle in Heb. 8.7 8 9. compared with ver 10 11 12 13. doth thus lay it down is plain to every Person that hath not a mind wilfully to shut his Eyes against the Truth For the further Confirmation of what is said look into Deut. 29.1 2 3 4. These are the words of the Covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the Children of Israel in the Land of Moab beside the Covenant which he made with them in Horeb. And Moses called unto all Israel and said unto them Ye have seen all that the Lord did before your Eyes in the Land of Egypt unto Pharaoh and unto all his Servants and unto all his Land the great Temptations which thine Eyes have seen the Signs and those great Miracles Yet the Lord hath not given you a Heart to perceive and Eyes to see and Ears to hear unto this day Notwithstanding this Chapter does contain in it a renewal of the Covenant to bring them to the accomplishment of the Covenant Gen. 17. yet we find not in the whole Chapter a promise of internal Grace without which no Person can be said to be brought into the new Covenant for notwithstanding the wonderful Trials that they went through and the Soul-amazing Deliverances which they received from God the holy Spirit being wanting inwardly to fasten these upon their Hearts and to soften their Hearts before God these great Appearances of God on their behalf quickly wore off their Hearts and they forgot all his Benefits That the gathering the Seed of Israel into a Nation and the appointing of the Passover led to point unto the natural Seed the fulfilling of what was contain'd in Gen. 17. which was the enjoyment of Earthly Inheritances will appear in that the admittance unto the Passover run to the same Persons to whom Circumcision was granted Gen. 17.13 And that it was to be a Sign to the natural Seed of God's performing his Promise in bringing them to the enjoyment of the Earthly Canaan which was but a Type of that Heavenly Canaan reserved for the spiritual Seed doth appear from Exod. 12.25 26 27. And it shall come to pass when ye be come to the Land which the Lord will give you according as he hath promised Gen. 17. that ye shall keep this Service And it shall come to pass when your Children shall say unto you What mean you by this Service that ye shall say It is the Sacrifice of the Lord 's Passover who passed over the Houses of the Children of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians and delivered our Houses And they bowed the Head and worshipped It is clear from a multitude of Scriptures that from the first giving forth of the Covenant in Gen. 17. until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ the Seed of Abraham from Jacob downwards were made Partakers of many outward Privileges even those of them that were strangers to internal Grace which no other People that stand in the outward part of the Worship of God in Gospel-times can lay claim unto
and a share in the Worship of it But the time of the Old Testament Church-state being expired the aim of the New Testament being to gather together the spiritual Seed of Abraham the fleshly Jew must be broken off and the believing Gentile must take his place that so the Church in the times of the New Testament may consist of the spiritual Seed and if he spared not the natural Jew because there was a want of the Qualification be not high-minded but fear for if thou wantest the Qualification thou hast not long to continue a Member of the Church of Christ in the times of the New Testament I have in treating of this Covenant contain'd in Gen. 17. gone from the common Opinion of Expositors and through Mercy I can appeal unto the Lord that I have desired sincerely to follow the leadings of his holy Spirit in his Word If I have varied in any thing from the holy Scriptures which I desire to follow as my Rule and Guide if any can shew me my Error and will do it in the Spirit of Meekness I shall be greatly obliged to them I must desire the Reader 's favour to overlook the weakness of the Stile in which these Truths are laid down and to look at the Truth it self which shines the clearest when it appears in its own native Beauty If it agree with thy Experience bless God for it for thou mayst see in reading of the Appendix which contains the Author's Experience and Advice to his Children that the Author hath nothing to glory in before the Lord It was by rich and free Grace alone that he was brought to see the Truth and to give Obedience to it It is through rich Grace that he receives strength to walk in it and it is by Grace alone that he hopes to come to that eternal Blessedness that is held forth by it CHAP. IV. Of the New Testament Church and what is required to be a Member of it BEfore I come to the matter contained in this Chapter I shall speak of the Church of Christ in general and so it comprehends the whole Elect Body from the Fall to those that shall be living at Christ's second Personal Appearance Ephes 3.14 15. For this cause I bow my Knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named Some of the Family are gotten to their rest others are conflicting with the World and some have only their being in the Decree of God to appear at the time appointed for them The Church so considered is the Body of Christ which he hath redeemed by his pretious Blood not having Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing when presented to the Father at the Last day But of the Church thus considered are many Members who are not brought to be Members of a gathered Church constituted according to the Rule of God's Word That Lot Job and his Friends were of the Body of Christ and so Members of the Church I think no Christian will deny yet it doth not any where appear that those were Members of the Old Testament Church who never imboided together and so became thereby visible to the Nations round about them As Christ in the times of the Old Testament had many Members who were not brought into the Church so hath he likewise in the times of the New Testament The idolatrous Church of Rome hath assumed to her self the name of the Church or the Spouse of Christ and so was owned for many Ages by the great Ones of the World while the Members of Christ were not visible to the World and in many places not one unto another In not distinguishing the Church as it is here laid down some Persons have driven on strange Designs against God's Children by their Cry That out of the Church there is no Salvation Which is true if we consider the Elect Body to whom Christ was given as a Saviour but will not hold true to any particular gathered Church for many Members of Christ are so scatter'd in the World that for many Ages it hath been and at this time is morally impossible that they should be gathered into a Body according to the Rule of the Word Of the Church as taking in the whole Body of the Elect do I reckon Elect Infants Whether only all Believers Infants or Unbelievers Infants likewise be so to whom Grace is applied by the Holy Spirit I leave as a Secret which God is pleased to reserve unto himself But that they are uncapable of Membership in a visible gathered Church in the times of the New Testament and have no Right to the two Ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper will appear in the prosecuting of this and the next Chapter if regard be had to the Holy Scriptures as a Rule and Guide unto us By holding forth the Purity of the Church I do not thereby unchurch those several sorts of Protestants that differ from the poor despised Baptists in many things yet do hold with them the Foundation the Lord Jesus Christ as Redeemer and the one Mediator betwixt God and Man in opposition to the many Mediators brought in by the Idolatrous Church of Rome Yet if regard be had to the Holy Scriptures as a Rule many of the Protestant Churches will appear to have been building upon the Foundation Wood Hay and Stubble they have retained in their several Churches something that hath been handed down unto them from the idolatrous Papists and not from the Authority of the Holy Scriptures Although God hath born with these Churches several Ages as he bore with the Churches of Asia yet it is visible that his Presence is greatly withdrawn from them and may end in the unchurching of them when the Church comes wholly to be delivered out of her Wilderness State if there be not a hearty and speedy return unto him Having by way of Introduction open'd the way into what remains chiefly to be consider'd in this Chapter I shall lay down these two general Heads as that which may take in the whole matter First Treat of the Nature of the Publication of the Gospel under the New Testament Secondly What is required to be admitted a Member of the visible Church according to the Rule laid down in it First I shall treat of the Nature of the Publication of the Gospel under the New Testament and that is in a different manner from the Publication of it in the times of the Old Testament The Lord Jesus Christ was then held forth under such Types and Figures that the end for which they were instituted in the Church was beheld with great difficulty so that the Saints themselves that were waiting for his coming were ignorant of the manner of it and the nature of that Deliverance that should be wrought by him being much upon the expectation of a visible Kingdom in this World and outward Glory attending of it not being brought clearly to distinguish betwixt
which he plants is his affording the People of the Jews the Privilege of having his Worship set up amongst them and hedged it round about for distinction to shew that it was a Favour granted only to that People for the rest of the Nations had not that Privilege granted to them and digged a Wine-press in it that is appointed such Ordinances as were the instrumental Means in the hand of the holy Spirit to bring the Elect that were amongst them into Communion with God built a Tower that is the glorious Temple and let it out to Husbandmen and went into a far Country that is gave forth a Grant with an Entail that they should enjoy it for many Generations until the ruining of their Church and State for their grievous Sin in crucifying the Lord Jesus Christ Ver. 38 39 40 and 43. Therefore say I unto you The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof By the Kingdom of God he means his Worship which is the instrumental Means to fit for the Kingdom of Heaven The Old Testament Church-state being ended that which secures the continuance of the New Testament Worship amongst any People is the improving of it to God's Glory and the good of their immortal Souls God's removing of his Worship from Asia into Europe from one Nation of Europe to another from one City to another is a sufficient Evidence to us upon what terms his Worship is continued amongst us When the Churches in Asia were threatned with a Dissolution no mention of a Covenant made with their believing Fathers or their being saved by their Parents Faith Rev. 2.5 Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first Works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candlestick out of its place except thou repent So that it is plain that it is not by any Right descending from believing Parents to Children that they are admitted Members of the New Testament Church or have the Worship of it continued amongst them I do foresee that this will go to the quick with a great many Persons whose Cries are if the Children of believing Parents be not admitted to be Members of the New Testament Church you make their State and Condition to be worse under the New Testament than under the Old To which I answer that I do not straiten the Privileges of Believers Children for I shew'd before that Salvation doth not wholly depend upon Church-Membership or upon the admittance to outward Ordinances for many of God's Children were saved who were not admitted to be Members of a visible Church yet I do still own it is a great Privilege where it hath its Warrant from the Word of God for then they may expect his Blessing upon it to answer the end for which he appoints it Some Persons do say that believing Parents Children are not admitted to Membership into a visible Church but God with the believing Parent doth take their Infant-seed into the Covenant of Grace But they do not consider that Infants admittance to the Ordinance was by virtue of a right of Membership as Members of the visible Church under the Old Testament That Believers Childrens Privilege is better than theirs that are Unbelievers doth appear in this that those of them that die in Infancy have the Prayers of their believing Parents put up for them in the Name of him through whom rich Grace hath been extended unto them and I think a Heart drawn out to wrestle with God by the believing Parent on behalf of a dying Infant and a Heart enabled to leave the dying Infant to the rich Grace of God which flows through the undertaking of the blessed Jesus will yield a more abiding Comfort to the Parent than a pretended federal Holiness will afford them the Parent many times at the same time being under the sense of inward Corruption And as to these Children of believing Parents that are grown to years of Understanding and are not as yet admitted to be Members of the visible Church if the Parent be found in the discharge of his or their Duty to them they will in Truth and Faithfulness lay before them what is required to their orderly admittance and will seek to the Lord for them that they may enter in at the right Door for the Heart comes not to the Enjoyment of God neither to receive Comfort from Ordinances but as it first is brought into a right frame and hath its Warrant from the Word of God that it is in the way of his Appointments the Worship must be in Spirit and in Truth Secondly A second Reason why the New Testament doth require a Work of true Conversion upon the Heart as that which qualifies or fits a Person to be a Member of the visible Church is because without it the Duties required from one Member to another cannot be discharged as they are concerned in one and the same Interest on the behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ so there is a holy Watchfulness required over one another in order to the faithful discharge of these Duties which their Lord requires of them And saith the Apostle if one Member suffer all the Members suffer with it or one Member be honoured all the Members rejoice with it Where a Church is imbodied together according to the order of the New Testament our Lord hath left us an excellent Rule to walk by that so these things that may tend to bring Dishonour upon the Church may be stopt when they first begin to break forth or otherwise that things may be managed in such a way as that the Church may free themselves of the Offender Mat. 18.15 16 17. Moreover if thy Brother shall trespass against thee go tell him his fault betwixt thee and him alone if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother But if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three Witnesses every word may be established But if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church and if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen Man and a Publican If thy Brother do thee any wrong or else sin against God and thou be privy to it for that Sin may be said to be against us which is against God in respect of that common Interest that such Persons are engaged mutually in If a sinning Member have his Sin laid before him by that fellow Member that is privy to it and he bear to be told of his fault so as to be brought to an acknowledgment of it before the Lord and to repent of it and return from it then that Member is gained but if he be stubborn let him be again admonished before Witnesses not one only but two or three Witnesses that so it may appear that means are made use of for the reclaiming of the Offender But if
it when it hath answered the end for which it was brought upon you the Providence will be changed or you taken from under it home to your Father's House 5thly Endeavour to get imprinted upon your Minds the necessity of having your Zeal in the Worship of God regulated by the Word of God It is good for to be zealously affected always in a good thing mind that it be from the Inlightenings of the Spirit within you that you are led to behold the Truth in the Letter of the holy Scriptures and that by comparing Scripture with Scripture you receive full satisfaction concerning the Truth you lay hold upon Let this go before and then your Zeal in worshipping of God by it and in bearing a Testimony for it follow after How many Persons are exceeding zealous for things which they practise in their Religious Worship that they have no ground for from the holy Scriptures and do place all their hope in this their superstitious Zeal not being brought in the least to witness the dealings of God with their Hearts What mischievous work hath blind Zeal made in the Christian World All the Sufferings and Troubles that have befallen the Children of God in all Ages have come in by it true Zeal desires to destroy Error and to save the Person that is carried away with it false Zeal falls upon the Person and endeavours to ruin the outward Man for the pretended Errors of the inward Man Where Persons are one with you in the Foundation and do walk with God by Faith answerable to their discoveries of Truth tho you should differ from them in many other things let your Moderation be shewn towards them And for those that may differ from you in the Publick Worship of God upon further discoveries of Light received have you a care of condemning any such of being guilty of Error before you are able from the Letter of the Scripture to lay open their Error It is the Scripture laid down in the Letter that is the Rule and not Mens Consequences from it Consequences may be allowed to strengthen the Rule but must not be allowed to be added to it 6thly Endeavour to get imprinted upon your Minds the necessity of a holy Conversation before Men this is that which keeps up the Credit of Religion in the World in despite of all its Adversaries The World knows how to deal with Religion when they meet it in a loose Professor but they know not what to say to it nor how to deal with it when they meet it in a sincere self-denying Christian whose Conversation pleads for the Reality that is in Truth and gives a check to the Opposers of it By a holy Conversation we vindicate the Interest of the Son of God in the World and do invite poor Sinners that are convinced of the Evil that is in Sin to come and taste of that pleasant Fruit that the ways of Holiness do afford to those that walk in them There is a great difference betwixt the ways of Sin and Holiness Sin tho it affords a seeming Pleasure in the committing of it yet draws after it Guilt and Misery Holiness tho in the Acts of it we receive Reproach from the profane World a train of inward Peace and Comfort doth follow it A Profession of Words cannot be taking to any Person where the Conversation doth speak a quite contrary Language To be loose in Conversation under a pure Profession is for a Man to contrive how he may make himself the miserablest of Persons when he comes in Eternity The Prophet Isaiah speaking of the Gospel in Chap. 35. v. 8. saith And an High-way shall be there and a way and it shall be called the way of Holiness the unclean shall not pass over it but it shall be for those the way-faring Men tho Fools shall not err therein It shall be called the way of Holiness the unclean shall not pass over it Where pardoning Grace is inwardly received for all Sins the Soul under the sense of Divine Love hath an inward hatred against the very nature of Sin begotten in it and an inward yearning after Holiness as that which adds Strength and Vigor to the new Creature in the Souls of the Saints Where there is inward Strength and Vigor in the Soul against that Corruption which hinders Communion there will be a watchfulness against those things that tend to the dishonouring of God by our Conversation Holiness inwardly and sincere Obedience outwarldy are so inseparable that whoever hath the one it is impossible but he must have the other As by a growth in Sin Sinners do ripen for Hell and eternal Misery so by Holiness Saints do ripen for Heaven and eternal Glory Holiness makes us meet for the Heavenly Canaan without Holiness no Communion with God in this Life without Holiness no Enjoyment of God in Glory and as it makes us meet for the new Jerusalem so without Holiness no entering into that holy City Rev. 21.27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh Abomination or maketh a Lie but they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life I shall conclude this Book and my Directions to you with the words of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians Chap. 4. v. 8 9. Finally my Children whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any Vertue think on these things Those things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen of me do and the God of Peace shall be with you FINIS The Contents PART I. Chap. I. OF the first Adam the Excellency of the State in which he was created page 1. Chap. II. Of the Nature of the first Covenant-light in the state of Innocency page 4. Chap. III. Of Adam's Fall the miserable change of his Condition thereby how all his Offspring were included in it page 13. Chap. IV. Of God's Image on the Heart of Adam how it discovers it self in the Hearts of his fallen Children The nature of the leadings of that first Covenant-light and the Condition of those that stand under the highest attainment of it page 25. PART II. Clearing that the Covenant of Grace and Redemption is but one and the same Chap. I. Of Election bottom'd on the Soveraignty of God How the Eternal Word united to Man's Nature is chose by electing Love as the Head of the Elect c. page 38. Chap. II. Of the Redemption of the Lord Jesus in two parts 1. Perfect Obedience to the Law 2. Satisfaction to the Penalty of it for the Elect c. page 47. Chap. III. Of Christ's Mediatorship in two parts 1. In sending the Spirit to fit for the publishing of the way of Salvation 2. For the Spirit 's accompanying the outward Declaration by opening the Heart c. page 61. PART III. Chap. I. Of the Publication of Gospel-Grace from the Fall to Abraham the Church-state during that Dispensation page 87. Chap. II. Of the Covenant made with Abraham and of the Old Testament Church-state what was required to be a Member of it page 92. Chap. III. Of the Ordinances of the Old Testament Church what they pointed at to the carnal Seed of Abraham and what to his spiritual page 97. Chap. IV. Of the New Testament Church and what 's requir'd to be a Member of it page 116. Chap. V. Of the Ordinances of the New Testament Church what is requir'd to fit for the partaking of them and what they hold out when administred according to the Rude of the Word page 132. PART IV. Being an Appendix which the Author leaves for a Legacy to his Children page 149. 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the Lord revealed things to us and our Children PART III. Setting forth the Publication of Gospel-Grace from the Fall to Abraham the State of the Church until that time the Covenant made with him the Nature of the Old Testament Church-State and the New Testament Church-State CHAP. I. Of the Publication of Gospel-Grace from the Fall to Abraham the Church-State during that Dispensation OUR first Parents Adam and Eve having by Disobedience brought themselves and all their Offspring being included in them under the Penalty of the first Covenant the great God whose Mercy Grace and Goodness is over all his Works doth in his threatning against Satan publish the glad Tydings of the Gospel and doth hold forth a Redeemer to come of the Seed of the Woman Gen. 3.15 And I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed it shall bruise thy Head and thou shalt bruise his Heel In which Threatning we may observe that in the Word It and His the Person of the Redeemer was held forth unto our first Parents and upon the performance of this Threatning against Satan which did carry Gospel-Grace in it did the Children of God that lived in the World before Abraham relie They by Faith beheld him that was to come and through that Grace which was granted to poor Sinners in him they were brought to walk with God and to enjoy him In the prosecuting of the third Part of this Book I shall by the Assistance of the Spirit of God make it appear That the Gospel as to the Matter of it is one and the same with what is contained in this Threatning against Satan and that what renewals of Grace God hath in a Covenant-way bestowed upon any of his Children as upon Abraham and David they were but as so many Confirmations of the Certainty of a Redeemer to come and tended to streng-then this first Threatning and to confirm the Faith of the Fathers in the certain Performance of it That the Publication of Gospel-Grace did not br with God that were under the found of it is very clear It is not the bare Performance of those Duties required by the Gospel that doth evidence Persons being in Covenant with God but the Principle by which they are enabled to perform them An Instance of which we have in the two Brothers Cain and Abel Gen. 4.3 4 5. And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the Fruit of the ground an Offering unto the Lord. And Abel he also brought of the Firstlings of his Flock and of the Fat thereof and the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his Offering And unto Cain and his Offering he had not respect and Cain was very wroth and his Countenance fell We cannot think that these two Brothers as they were the Children of Adam and Eve could be ignorant of the Threatning against Satan That the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpent's Head But one of them offer'd a more excellent Sacrifice than the other by Faith having a view of this blessed Redeemer upon the account of whose Worthiness and in whose Name he offer'd up his Offering unto God Abel's Soul being led by Faith to the Redeemer and through him unto God meets with the acceptance of his Person and of his Offering Cain who wants Faith hath both his Person and his Offering rejected How small was the number of the Spiritual Seed yea into what a small compass was the outward face of the Church brought when God brought the Flood upon the old World the outward face of the Church confined to Noah's Family Gen. 6.11 12 13. And the Earth was corrupt before God and the Earth was filled with Violence And God looked upon the Earth and behold it was corrupt for all Flesh had corrupted his way upon the Earth And God said unto Noah The end of all Flesh is come before me for the Earth is filled with Violence through them and behold I will destroy them with the Earth Although wicked Ham lived in this religious Family whose Father hath this Character given him by God himself Gen. 7.1 And the Lord said unto Noah Come thou and all thy House into the Ark for thee have I seen righteous before me in this Generation And although he was preserved with his Father from the Deluge his Heart is not the least touched with it but he seems rather hardned in his Wickedness as appears by that brutish Act of his to his Father when he lay uncovered in the Tent. Although Christ had a Church in the World from Adam until Abraham's time and as far as Light can be afforded from the holy Scriptures the Church did remain privately in Families yet that all those that were in the Family were Members of the Church much less brought into the Covenant of Grace the Scripture gives us no ground to believe I cannot but a little wonder to behold the Confidence of some Men who do assert That there was no Covenant of Grace before Abraham and in publick in my hearing have affirm'd that to make the Threatning against Satan the Covenant of Grace is to make God covenant with the Devil And again That when God ever took any Person into Covenant with him he also took all the Offspring or all his Seed into Covenant with him To question the Reality of such Assertions is to bring one under the Reproach of being Deniers of the Covenant of Grace as if they had a mind to inhance a kind of Infallibility to themselves by making Persons believe things from their pare Assertions CHAP II. Of the Covenant made with Abraham and of the Old Testament Church-State what was required to be a Member of it THAT the Covenant made with Abraham had something in it peculiar to him as a Believer for the strengthning of his Faith and likewise relating to a numerous Offspring which were to proceed from his Loins is that which I hope to clear up in the following Discourse And first relating to him as a Believer for the strengthning of his Faith in the blessed Redeemer who then was to come He hath this exceeding great Favour bestowed upon him to have the Promise of the Redeemer's coming renew'd unto him and that by a new Promise with this additional Favour annexed to it that the Redeemer according to the Flesh should be of his Seed which must certainly bring a great deal of comfort with it to believing Abraham Gen. 12.3 And I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee and in thee shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed compared with Gen. 22.18 And in thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed The Apostle Paul recites the very Words of the Promise and calls it a preaching the Gospel before unto Abraham Gal. 3.8 And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the Heathen through Faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all
viz. an Entail of a particular Enjoyment of the Worship of God amongst them for many Generations together But this will fall under Consideration when I come to treat of the New Testament Church Thirdly Where internal Grace did accompany these Ordinances of Circumcision and the Paschal Lamb with other parts of the Old Testament Worship the Elect Seed were brought to have spiritual Mercies convey'd to their Souls through it Abraham hath that Honour conferr'd upon him to be a Father not only to a numerous Offspring who did enjoy an Earthly Inheritance by Covenant-right as descending from him but likewise a Father of the spiritual Seed both Jews and Gentiles who should share with him in the same Faith and so come to share in those precious Promises made to him as a Believer through the Lord Jesus Christ That he stood as a Father to this twofold Seed doth appear from the words of our Lord Joh. 8.37 I know that ye are Abraham 's Seed but ye seek to kill me because my Word hath no place in you That is ye are only of that Seed who by virtue of descent from him do enjoy the Privileges of Earthly Enjoyments Ver. 39. They answered and said unto him Abraham is our Father Jesus saith unto them If ye were Abraham 's Children ye would do the Works of Abraham That is if you were of his spiritual Seed and of the same Faith with him it would shew it self by its Works as Abraham's Faith did who saw my day of appearance as a Redeemer and rejoiced Of his natural Seed as such I have already spoken and the Privileges they enjoy'd I now come to treat of his Spiritual Seed that did descend from him who did not come to their Right by being the Offspring of believing Abraham but by being of the same Faith with him Rom. 9.7 8. Neither because they are the Seed of Abraham are they all Children but in Isaac shall thy Seed be called That is They which are the Children of the Flesh these are not the Children of God but the Children of the Promise are counted for the Seed That is as Isaac's Birth was not by the natural strength of the Parents but by virtue of God's Promise which bound his Truth to set his Omnipotency on work to perform what he promised even so it is with all the spiritual Seed Without the moving of the same Power upon the Heart to subject the Heart unto him none could come into that state which will give its Evidence according to the Scriptures that they are of the spiritual Seed As it was by preaching of the Gospel unto Abraham or a renewing of the Promise of a Messiah to come which had been given out in the threatning against Satan Gen. 3.15 that Abraham was brought into Covenant so it was by the means which the Wisdom of God did think fit to make use of to convey the knowledg of the Messiah to come unto the Souls of these Israelites who were to be Abraham's spiritual Seed and the ordinary means was that Worship appointed by God in the Old Testament Church to these that were of years The way that God takes to convey Grace to elect Infants in all Ages being a Secret which he is pleased not to discover unto us I desire to leave them to his rich Grace which flows to Sinners through a dear Redeemer and to his own way to apply it unto their Souls and shall return to treat of the matter in hand As Abraham was a Father to a twofold Seed and the believing Israelites were to proceed from him by Generation as well as the Unbelievers and as both these were to be imbodied together into one Nation and Church for many Generations so the natural Seed having the things intended for them by the Covenant sealed unto them it was necessary that his spiritual Seed should have their Covenant-Mercies sealed to them Abraham received the sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Righteousness of the Faith which he had yet being uncircumcised that he might be the Father of all them that believe The outward part of the Ordinance was not the Evidence of the Israelites being Abraham's spiritual Seed but that which was figured out by it unto the spiritual Seed was the Evidence which was the having their Hearts circumcised Corruption removed and Grace planted in the Soul for altho an outward Ordinance be the means leading to the inward where the Spirit concurs with it it is from the inward that the Soul receives Comfort being thereby brought into a condition to enjoy Communion with God and through Faith to behold the Heavenly Canaan before it As the Paschal Lamb was appointed to figure out to the natural Seed that God was accomplishing his Promise in bringing of them to an Earthly Canaan so where the spiritual Seed were led by Faith to behold that the Paschal Lamb was but a Type of the Lord Jesus Christ the great Passover they through Faith were brought to behold that God was upon the accomplishing of his Promise in bringing of them to the Heavenly Canaan The Apostle in Heb. 9.9 10. shews us that the Old Testament Church-state was but a Figure for the time then present in which were offered both Gifts and Sacrifices that could not make him that did sacrifice perfect at pertaining to the Conscience which stood in Meats and Drinks and carnal Ordinances imposed on them until the time of Reformation Not that the Ordinances were carnal in respect of the things typified by them and apprehended through the help of the Spirit by the spiritual Seed But saith Mr. Hildersam such as carnal Men might perform and very sutable to the Disposition of a carnal Heart God by his Wisdom ordering his Worship in this manner that so the natural Seed and the spiritual Seed of Abraham from the first setting up or forming that People into a Church might remain imbodied together until the times of Reformation that is the New Testament Church-state Their Privileges by fleshly right do then end and the natural Seed ceaseth from being counted any longer a Church or People to God but as they fall in with the spiritual Seed of Abraham and receive the Qualification which the New Testament Church calls for in order to be a Member of it Rom. 11.19 20 21. Thou wilt say then The Branches were broken off that I might be graffed in Well because of Vnbelief they were broken off and thou standest by Faith be not high-minded but fear For if God spared not the natural Branches take heed lest he also spare not thee These words I think do comprehend the whole matter of which I have been treating in this Chapter the Branches that are broken off are the natural Seed of Abraham or as Paul calls them the Children of the Flesh such as tho destitute of spiritual Grace in their Souls yet by virtue of Birth-Privilege did enjoy as a Branch from Abraham a right of Membership in the Old Testament Church
he shall neglect to hear these two or three Witnesses then tell it to the Church that is let his Offence and his persisting in it after Admonition be laid before the Church to whom the Offender belongs as a Member but if he neglect to hear the Church in admonishing of him of his Offence then let him be unto thee as an Heathen Man and a Publican that is as a Person that is a Stranger from the Church and not belonging to it Thirdly A third Reason why the New Testament requires a Work of true Conversion upon the Heart as that which qualifies or fits a Person to be a Member of a visible Church is because as every Member doth receive Grace in a measure so it is their Duty to communicate of that Grace to their fellow Member holding the Head the Lord Jesus Christ who by Faith ties and knits every Member of the Body unto him and from that fulness that is in him gives forth Nourishment to every individual Member so that as they grow up by the strength of Grace they are enabled to add something to the edifying and strengthning of their fellow Members and to add to the Beauty of the Church to whom they do belong for altho many Men that are Members of the Church may not have received such Gifts as to fit them for publick Exercise in the Church much less Women who are strictly forbidden the contrary 1 Cor. 4.34 35. yet in their private Discourses one with another whether Men or Women if the Matter which they discourse of tend not to the advancing of the Lord Jesus Christ and the exalting of the Grace of God through him by which they may be edified such Persons little consider what is required of Church-Members in order to the discharge of their Duty to God and to one another CHAP. V. Of the Ordinances of the New Testament Church what is required to fit for the partaking of them and what they do hold out when administred according to the Rule of the Word THE Apostle Paul lays open the different state of the Church under the Old and New Testament in Heb. 3.5 6. And Moses verily was faithful in all his House as a Servant for a Testimony of those things which were to be spoken after That is Moses was faithful in giving forth the Pattern of the Old Testament Worship which was figurative of what was to be done by the Messiah at his appearance in the state of his Humiliation He by his appearance performing what was figured out by the Old Testament Worship it must follow that there was an end put to that Worship and with the Worship to the Church-state likewise Ver. 6. But Christ as a Son over his own House whose House are we if we hold fast the Confidence and the rejoicing of the hope unto the end The New Testament Church hath the honour to have the Son of God to be the first Discoverer by his own Mouth what was required to be a Member of it and to be the Appointer of the Ordinances to be continued in it Mat. 16.15 16 17 18. He saith unto them But whom say ye that I am And Simon Peter answered and said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God And Jesus answered and said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona for Flesh and Blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven And I say unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Leigh upon the words faith that it was the Judgment of Hilary Cyril Chrysostom Theophilact and Ambrose that by the Rock is not meant Peter's Person but the Faith which he had professed in Christ an inward discovery of the Lord Jesus Christ by Faith accompanied with an outward Profession of the fame is the Matter of which the New Testament Church is built 1 Pet. 2.4 5. To whom coming as to a living Stone disallowed indeed of Men but chosen of God and precious ye also as lively Stones are built up a spiritual House an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ Every Member of the Church is not fitted to be a Publisher of the Gospel but every Member of the Church if such an one as the Word requires is brought through Christ to receive the Grace of God and from an inward feeling of this Grace received to offer up a thankful Heart devoted to him For the gathering in of such Members into the New Testament Church is the Commission given forth to the Apostles and direction is given to admit Persons thus gathered to the initiating Ordinance of Water-Baptism as appears from the words of the Commission and the Practice of the Apostles by virtue of the Commission Mat. 28.18 19 20. And Jesus came and spake unto them saying All Power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World Here three things lie fair from the words without any wresting of them First Outward Teaching the instrumental Means appointed by Christ and made use of by the Holy Ghost to bring to the inward knowledg of him and the acceptance of Grace through him thereby to be made fit Matter for the Church under the New Testament This I have spoken so fully to in the last and in this Chapter that the visible Church of Christ under the New Testament doth consist of such as are call'd out of the World by true Conversion to lay hold of the Lord Jesus Christ and Grace through him that I need not enlarge upon this first Head The second thing contained in the Commission is the admittance of such to the initiating Ordinance of Baptism Acts 2.41 Then they that gladly received the Word were baptized and the same day were added to them about three thousand Souls Thirdly Here is the continuation of what is commanded by the Commission in these words And lo I am with you alway unto the end of the World The Apostles liv'd not till the end of the World therefore I am with you and your Successors who shall be fitted by me for the preaching of the everlasting Gospel appointed to gather the Elect unto God until this World come under a Dissolution As by the Commission and the Practice of the Apostles upon the Commission Baptism is appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ as the initiating or entering Ordinance into a visible Church of Christ under the New Testament so his last Supper is appointed by him to be practised by these that are in a visible Church-state Luke 22.19 20. And he took Bread and gave Thanks and brake it and gave unto them saying This is my Body
which is given for you this do in remembrance of me Likewise the Cup after Supper saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you The Apostles were the visible Church at that time and to them doth he appoint the Supper Ordinance and from the Appointment of Christ doth Paul recommend the Practice and the continuance of this Ordinance to the Church of Corinth After he had condemned their sinful abuse of the Ordinance 1 Cor. 11. from ver 20 to 23. at ver 23 24. he lays before them how that Ordinance was appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ to be continued in his Church For I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betray'd took Bread And when he had given Thanks he brake it and said Take eat this is my Body which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me After the same manner also he took the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood this do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me As the Ordinance of Baptism was appointed by Christ to be administred to those who were qualified according to the Rule of the Word to be Members of the Church so it was appointed likewise to be the entering Ordinance into a visible Church-state and the Ordinance of the Lord's-Supper to these that were visible Members Which serves to clear up the former part of this Chapter what the Ordinances are and what is required to fit for the partaking of them The second branch of this Chapter is what they do hold out when administred according to the Rule of the Word First To have the Ordinances administred according to the Rule of the Word there is required that the Administrator the Subject to whom the Ordinance is administred and the Way of the Administration have its Warrant from the Word of God for God is a God of Order and not of Confusion In the second Part of this Book and the third Chapter I shew'd that there was an extraordinary and ordinary Qualification The extraordinary Qualification was that of the Apostles who had a large extensive Power accompanying them granted by Christ for the first planting of the Churches That this Office of Apostleship is ceased is clear seeing there is no appearance of the Qualifications to that great Work in any of the Dispensers of the Gospel in these latter Ages so that for any Person either to preach or administer the Ordinances as sent out by Christ as Apostles favours of Pride and Presumption But there is a more ordinary Qualification from Christ to dispense the Gospel which depends upon the Inlightnings of the Spirit in the Word and a Gift of Utterance to declare it unto others and for the carrying on of this Work God hath pleased to raise up several Persons to dispense his Truth before they bore any Office in the Church or over it But the Administration of the Ordinances of Christ being that which particularly concerns the Church it seems to me by the Rule of the Word that before such Administration of the Ordinances there should be a setting apart of fit Persons for Office by the Church and an Approbation of their Choice by the Elders of other Churches together with the laying on of Hands and likewise a solemn and earnest seeking unto Almighty God through Jesus Christ for a Blessing upon the Persons whom they have chose And this is to be done as a previous Qualification whereby to invest such Persons into a Right duly to administer the Ordinances I do remember that after God had fully convinced me of the Ordinance of Believers Baptism I went a great many miles to come under the Ordinance but the Person to whom I went not being able to give me a satisfactory account of his regular Admittance as an Administrator I was constrained to return unbaptized although at that time I had a very great desire to have been made a Partaker of that despised Ordinance This may serve to shew that to have the Ordinances administred according to the Rule of the Word there should be a fit Administrator Secondly To the orderly Administration of the Ordinances there is required a right Subject or such a Person as the Rule of the Word doth require And first I shall shew the Qualifications required of those that come to the Ordinance of Baptism and that is Repentance for Sins that are past Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and a seeking unto God through him for pardoning Grace and Power to walk with him Acts 22.16 And now why tarriest thou arise and be baptized and wash away thy Sins calling on the Name of the Lord. Compared with Chap. 8.37 38. And Philip said If thou believest with all thine Heart thou mayst and he answered and said I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God And he commanded the Chariot to stand still and they went down both into the Water both Philip and the Eunuch and he baptized him As the Rule doth require a Qualification to fit Persons for the orderly admittance to the Ordinance of Baptism so doth it likewise for the orderly admittance to the Lord's Supper 1 Cor. 11.27 28 29. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. But let a Man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup For he that eateth aad drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh Damnation to himself not discerning the Lord's Body He that eateth and drinketh unworthily that is as an ignorant Person not discerning the Lord's Body that is not having any inward apprehension of him by Faith upon their own Souls or come not with that holy humble Reverence and with that due regard which belongs to such an holy Action If it be so that the Rule doth require Qualifications of those that come to the Ordinances then it doth condemn the Practice of such who do administer without any regard whether the Qualification be there or no. And secondly It greatly condemns such who under the pretence of a spiritual Baptism and a spiritual Supper do lay aside the Ordinances which Christ hath appointed in his Church The more clear the Evidences are of the Work of the Holy Ghost upon the Heart it tends to hold forth the Persons right to the Ordinance of Baptism Acts 10.47 Can any Man forbid Water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we We may in these words behold the different Path that Truth and Error doth walk in Error makes a pretended Enjoyment of the inward a ground to lay aside the outward Truth makes the real Enjoyment of the inward the Qualification it self to partake of the outward and the more clear that the Enjoyment of Christ by the Holy Ghost doth outwardly