upon the same account when after the travaile of his soule in the new creation he entred the second time into his rest as it is declared that he did Heb. 4. 9. 10. as was shewed p. 11. 12. as also appeareth by what he saith of himselfe Mark 2. 28. that he is Lord also of the Sabbath which he could not be unlesse he also had a rest which he entred into as God did into his Because that was upon the first day of the week when he rose from the dead therefore by vertue of that command Remember the rest-day to keep it holy the first day of the week is now to be remembred and kept holy in as much as that is now the rest-day of the Lord our God as formerly the seventh day was As for his Ascention I confesse it is not so clear although very probable to be upon that day from Acts. 1. Acts 1. 3. 12. by the computation of the forty days from his Resurrection and the mention of a Sabbath dayes journey from mount Olivet to Jerusalem occasioned as is likely from their making that journey then upon that day vers 12. But albeit his rest was not compleated till he passed into the Heavens and sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high yet he first entred into it at his Resurrection in as much as he was raised in incorruption with a spiritual body and in glory 1 Cor. 15. 42. 43. 49. 20. And because he did then first cease from the travaile of his soul Which I say being upon the first day of the week there needeth no more to fix that command upon this day as a day which God hath sanctified and blessed because it comes within the general rule prescribed that the rest-rest-day of the Lord must be remembred and kept holy and that the Lord blessed the rest-rest-day and sanctified it So as if we should analyse that fourth commandement we may take it thus In that commandement we have 1. A duty commanded namely that the Lords rest-day that is the day wherein he entred into his rest be remembred that is that the memorial of it be solemnized and that by keeping of it holy In that sense the word remember is used Exod. 13. 3 4. to 9. Remember this day in which ye came out of Egypt c. So Hester 9. 27. 28. The Jewes ordained and took upon them and their seed and upon all that joyned themselves unto them that they would keep these two days according to their writing every year and that these dayes should be remembred and kept and that these days of Purim should not faile from among the Jews nor the memorial of them perish from their seed So the Lord here commands the memorial of his rest-rest-day to be preserved by keeping that day holy 2. The duty explained by shewing 1 The nature of it 1. As to the day 1. In general one in seven six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but c. 2. In particular for that season it is declared of the week the seventh day to be the day The seventh day is the Sabbath or the rest of the Lord thy God 2. As to the manner of observing and keeping of that day namely thou shalt do no manner of work therein thou nor thy son nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant nor thy cattell nor thy stranger that is within thy gates In which by a Synecdoche all other Sabbath days duties are commanded 2. The reason of it 1. Because God made the world in six days and rested the seventh 2. Because he therefore blessed the rest-rest-day and sanctified it because therein he had rested So as by this analysis we see that the seventh day was commanded to be kept in this manner not as the seventh but as the rest day of the Lord for that we see is the reason of the duty because God had rested therein and because he therefore blessed and sanctified the rest-rest-day I have been the longer upon this point concerning the Sabbath because it receives so much a like measure in the world with this of Infant-Baptisme and the clearing of the one will help us in the other For in like manner also in this of Abrahams Covenant there is 1. A duty commanded viz. to keep that covenant viz. the token sign or seal thereof which is a part of it which Abraham and his seed were and are to keep 2. A declaration or explication what was then the token of it namely that the man-child be circumcised and in case the Child was not circumcised that the covenant was broken By all which we see that notwithstanding the token of the covenant was specified then to be the circumcising of the child which is now abolished Yet the command of keeping the covenant in performing that which is the token of it is still in force and lieth on the seed of Abraham even his spirituall seed to this day Secondly For answer further it is to be considered that baptisme is now in the roome of circumcision and is the very same for substance to us as circumcision was to them before Christ namely the token and seale of that covenant made with Abraham and his seed as appeareth Gal. 3. 27 29. As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ And if ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heires according to the promise By which we see as was before observed that whatever we have as Abrahams seed we have it all in Christ and what we have in Christ we have it all as Abrahams seed and that we are baptized into Christ that is our initiation into Christ and whatever we have in Christ and whatever we have as Abrahams seed is sealed unto us in baptisme By which it is evident that as circumcision was to them so baptisme now to us is the token and seale of that covenant made with Abraham and his seed A further proofe of this we have also Coll. 2. 11. In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sinnes of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ being buried with him in baptisme wherein also ye are risen with him Where we see First that the thing signifyed or sealed or the spirituall fruit of circumcision was the circumcision of the heart in putting off the body of the sinnes of the flesh And that the very same is the spirituall fruit of baptisme signified and sealed thereby namely a death and buriall to sinne and a spirituall resurrection which is the same with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sinnes of the flesh Secondly that whereas Christ was circumcised and that not because he had a body of sinnes of his owne to be put off but the body of the sinnes of the flesh of the members of his mysticall body those only who are in Christ receive this benefit because they
world by multiplying Abrahams spiritual seed and that by making beleevers blessings to families and nations Let not the people of God so easily part with so ancient entayled priviledges wherein the Saints have rejoyced for so many ages Let them have so much compassion on their Children as not to blot their names out of Heaven or thrust them out of the Kingdome of Christ into the Kingdome of Satan for to one of the two Kingdomes they must belong Those who know their owne priviledge herein will not upon such slender grounds part with it as the manner of some is to do And as Gods promise unto Abraham and his seed is called a Covenant and therefore something to be performed on their part as a duty commanded and required by the Lord that his Covenant be not broken so let beleevers search and see what that duty is for which purpose let us make this further use of this point Vse 3. From thence to learne not to confine that great promise made to Abraham and his seed Gen. 17. within the compasse of an earthly Canaan as meant onely of the temporal things of that Land or the multiplying of his natural seed therein but also of all such blessings in Christ whereof Canaan and the good things thereof were types That very promise vers 8. of the Land of Canaan to be an everlasting possession to his seed and he to be their God by what hath been said in opening this point we see is yet in fulfilling even to us of the times of the New Testament in the spiritual blessings of the Heavenly Canaan and in the conquest of the World by the people of the God of Abraham whereof the conquest of that land by Joshuah was a type as hath been shewed If any shall affirm that in neither of these two respects that promise can be brought down to these times it behooveth such to find out some other sense wherein it may be so extended because we see that what the Lord confirmed unto Abraham of blessing multiplying and causing his seed to possess the gate of his enemies he confirmed it to us even to beleevers of the New Testament as his seed and heirs according to the promise In opening the point I was the larger in the proofe hereof and have therefore insisted upon some things by the by concerning the Kingdom of Christ although a full unfolding thereof would require a farre larger discourse because it conduceth much towards the clearing of Infant-Baptisme to be a duty which God requireth of his people that the full extent of Gods promise unto Abraham whereof we have found that to be one branch be considered and understood For if this be granted that the promise made to Abraham Gen. 17. especially that part of it v. 8. concerning Canaan to be an everlasting possession to his seed be of such extent and made also to his spiritual seed of the New Testament it will follow that that command of God in those words next following vers 9. Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore thou and thy seed after thee in their Generations is to be meant also of his spirituall seed even in our dayes and as a command that now lieth upon the same spiritual seed in all Generations Psal 105. in as much as that command is brought in with a therefore upon the promise made to the same seed in the words next afore going Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore thou and thy seed after thee in their Generations And saies God This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee every man-child among you shall be circumcised and ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin and it shall be a token of the covenant between me and you and v. 14. The uncircumcised man-child shall be cut off from his people he hath broken my covenant Obj. It will be said how is this command of keeping this covenant obliging to beleevers now since the covenant to be kept was then specified to be the circumcising of the child in as much as circumcision is now abolished Or what is this to baptizing children the point in hand to be cleared in this discourse To this I answer Answ First It is to be observed that this command of God is primarily fixed upon the generall duty namely the covenant to be kept and not upon this or that way of keeping either by circumcising or baptising so as the circumcising of the Childe came under the command onely upon this because it was declared then to be the token of the covenant and by the words it is supposed that when it should cease to be the token of the covenant it should no longer be a duty and what else by the same authority should be made the token of the same covenant would be the duty in stead thereof Mark the words he doth not say Thou shalt therfore circumcise every man-child among you as a token of the covenant between me and you for so had that been made the token for perpetuity to have continued so long as the covenant it selfe But first in general he saith Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore thou and thy seed after thee in their Generations that is they should observe and performe the token of the covenant whatever that prove to be and in the second place he addeth This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee every man-child among you shall be circumcised and the uncircumcised man-child hath broken my covenant therefore as I said as for circumcision that was a duty onely upon those words declaring that to be then the token Circumcision is now abolished yet the command of keeping the token of Abrahams covenant is still in force and binding to Abrahams spiritual seed in their Generations therefore what is now the token of that covenant must be observed in stead thereof The like manner of institution we have concerning the Sabbath therefore those who deny Infant-Baptism oftentimes deny the Sabbath and not without cause for there is the same reason of both and we may illustrate the one by the other The Lord intended in time to change the day from the seventh to the first day of the week as he intended in time to change the token of Abrahams covenant therefore in the fourth Commandement also the command is not primarily fixed upon the seventh or any day to be remembred and kept holy but upon the general duty that the rest-day of the Lord be remembred and kept holy what ever that day fall to be Exod. 20. 8. 11. Remember the Sabbath day that is the rest-rest-day to keep it holy and the Lord blessed the rest-rest-day and sanctified it And the remembrance and keeping of the seventh day is in the commandement made a duty for this reason because that was declared to be then the day wherein God had entred into his rest after his making of the world And
THE COVENANT OF GOD WITH ABRAHAM OPENED WHEREIN I. The duty of Infant-baptism is cleared II. Something added concerning the Sabbath and the nature and increase of the Kingdom of Christ Together with A SHORT DISCOURSE Concerning the MANIFESTATIONS of GOD unto his People IN THE LAST DAYES Wherein is shewed the manner of the Spirits work therein to be in the use of ordinary gifts not by extraordinary Revelations By WILLIAM CARTER Minister of the Gospel in LONDON LONDON Printed by T. C. for John Rothwell at the Fountain and Bear in Goldsmiths row in Cheapside 1654. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORD MAYOR AND To the right Worshipfull the ALDERMEN and SHERIFFS of the City of London IN Observance of their Commands And Testimony of his hearty affection and due respects These short Discourses I. THE COVENANT OF GOD WITH ABRAHAM II. THE MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD UNTO HIS PEOPLE Are humbly presented by their Servant in Christ W. CARTER TO THE READER WHat I desired to offer upon this subject of Infant-Baptism I have brought into as little room as I could I have therefore purposely avoided a particular answering of every Objection urged by those that differ neither have I mentioned all nor many arguments to prove what I assert therein but have singled out that which I conceive to be the chief which is that express command of God to Abrahams seed Gen. 17. 9. to observe the token of his Covenant in their Generations Baptism being now the token and seal therof as Circumcision was and the Application of it unto Infants part of that token Dissatisfaction therein as in other cases in many is for want of industry in searching out the truth therefore I would not discourage my Reader by too large a Volume Solomon saith we must seek for Wisdom as for Silver and search for it as for hid Treasures Prov. 2. 4. in which labour the way is not to stay onely upon some lesser veines but by them to finde out the maine body of the Mine Many hints we have of this truth in Scripture here and there but the root of this matter is the Covenant of God with Abraham to which therefore I have especially confined this discourse The reason why yet notwithstanding I have thus far enlarged is because this Covenant is of such extent it being indeed a summary of the whole Gospel of the Kingdom in opening whereof therefore I could not but insist upon sundry things touching the kingdom of Christ Concerning the Sabbath also I have been forced to inlarge a little because I find it a parallel case between that and Infant-Baptism I have therfore in my way unto my text stayed a while in opening the third and fourth Chapters of this Epistle to the Hebrews inserting some brief heads of what some years since I have handled more at large in that subject of the Sabbath Nor could I well avoid a digression upon the Doctrine of the Law that so I might vindicate and perswade the Study of the Old Testament in order to an establishment in and a right understanding both of the Sabbath and of the Ordinances of the Worship whether it be Infant-Baptisme or any of the rest The good Spirit of God who is the comforter of his people lead us into all truth and guide our feet into the way of peace which is the prayer of Thy Servant in the Gospel W. C. ERRATA Pag. 6. lin 28. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ◠p. 39. l. 33. for confirmed r. conferred p. 86 l. 6. for there r. then p. 94. marg r. Psal 62. 12. p. 102. marg r. Mark 10. p. 111. l. 15. r. is sealed p. 117. l. 28. for let not the people of God imagine r. the people of God may not expect p. 154. l. 33. r. Thirdly it appears p. 155. marg r. Vse 1. p. 159 marg r. Vse 2. p. 170. l. 18. r. against THE COVENANT OF GOD WITH ABRAHAM OPENED Heb. 6. 13 14 15 16. For when God made promise to Abraham because he could swear by no greater he sware by himself saying surely blessing I will bless thee and multiplying I will multiply thee And so after he had patiently endured he obtained the promise For men verily swear by the greater and an Oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an Oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us IN opening this Scripture it will be necessary for a clearer proceeding first to consider the Apostles scope in this whole Epistle Hee writeth this Epistle to believing Hebrews such at least as did profess the faith of Christ as appeareth in that he calleth them holy Brethren partakers of the Heavenly calling of whose profession Christ was the Apostle and High Priest chap. 3. 1. They had been instructed in the Doctrin of Christ chap. 5. 6. He commends them for their labour of love in ministring to the Saints chap. 6. And they are supposed to be in a Christian Church chap. 13. 7. 17. Now these believers were many of them forsakeing the Ordinances of the Worship of the New Testament they were casting off their holy profession whereof Christ Jesus was the Apostle and High Priest and were going back again to Moses as we see also in other Epistles to the Churches especially in that to the Galatians This Apostasy he endeavoureth in this Epistle to prevent and cure And that is his main scope therein as appeareth because still in the close of his Argumentations which are many his conclusions are by way of exhortation to that purpose As for instance to hold fast their profession and their liberty ch 4. 14. having said something before by way of Argument thus he concludeth Having therefore such an High Priest Jesus the Son of God who is entred into the Heavens let us hold fast our profession And verse 16. let us come with boldness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with liberty or freedom of speech to the Throne of grace spoken in opposition to the Jewish bondage who had not in their worship that free access to that throne or mercy-seat as we now have but were kept at more distance and made to stand without the vaile Heb. 9. 8. Again chap. 7. 8. 9. See how he argues all along not to prove that Christ was come but taking that for granted to prove that upon his comming there was to be a change of the Priesthood and of the Law of the worship of God Then after all see how he concludeth which is not till chap. 10. 19. Having therefore Brethren boldness the same word again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated liberty in the margent to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus and having an High Priest over the House
they all are separated things But we finde not in the new Testament what it is but in the old we must search and there we finde it often made opposite to that which is common that is which is and worketh onely within the common road of nature therefore we finde that then a thing is separated when it is set apart for a supernaturall efficacy and end of which nature all the Ordinances of the worship then were and are so still So for the Sabbath where shall we find that the first day of the week is to be remembred and kept holy as the Rest day of the Lord as the Seventh day was if you have not recourse to the fourth Commandement where the command is fixed upon the generall duty of remembring and keeping the Rest day whatever that day fall to be as was before observed Page 75. I might give many such instances I shall name but one more and that is this the applying of the token of Abrahams Covenant to infants which must have been more particularly appointed in the new Testament had not the command of God when he gave to Abraham that Covenant and the seal thereof been so expressely fixed upon the generall duty of keeping the token of the Covenant yea whatever that token prove to be for God did intend to change it as was shewed And withall the application of it to the Infant so expressely made an essential part thereof as being that wherein was signified and sealed that branch of Abrahams Covenant which made it to be his and to differ from what was given before in reference to which also and to the seals thereof he was called the Father of them that believe and therefore receiv'd both the one and the other both for himselfe and us as was shewed before namely a blessing upon families in order to the multiplying of the spiritual seed Which being considered the silence of the new Testament in this matter of Infant-baptisme is an argument rather for it then against it because had it not been taken for granted and as a thing commonly received by all the Churches from the light of the old Testament that this token of Abrahams Covenant should also be applyed unto Infants those who had so many questions and disputes to be decided by the Apostles had never let so great a priviledge go so quietly without so much as a question put about it And it had been necessary that the Lord should have given a caution for leaving Infants out of this new administration that we might have known his minde had he so intended Vse 4. Hence we see a reason why the Apostle faith of the children of beleeving parents that they are not common or uncleane but holy 1 Cor. 7. 14. one reason is because they come under this word of blessing from God in as much as that word was confirmed not only unto Abraham but also to all beleevers Blessing I will bless thee and thou shalt be a blessing and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed That which God blesseth he sanctifieth and separateth from that which is common or unclean As it is said of the Sabbath day he blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it that is made it a day which should not be reputed common but holy Nor are the children of beleevers under a blessing onely in a common way of providence as he blesseth the corne and the beasts of the field as hath been shewed although according to the ordinary course of causes and things in nature it must be acknowledged a blessing to be born and brought up of beleeving parents for if that were all it would not make their children holy It is said that Christ upholdeth all things by the word of his power Heb. 1. 3. so as the common course of things in nature is not without a word of blessing from God The earth which drinketh in the raine that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God Heb. 6. 7. So Psal 107. 38. yet here is no holiness in all this because this is done in the common course of nature and that which maketh any thing to be holy is something which is spiritual and supernatural or separated from that common road And this is the case of Infants of beleeving parents they are not onely under a word of common providence but also under such a particular word of blessing from God by meanes whereof beleevers are made blessings to their children in that which is spiritual and supernatural even to the conversion of their soules to God without which word of blessing all prayers and good example or meanes of education whatsoever are not so effectual thereunto Hence it is that the Apostle puts that difference between the Gentiles and the Jewes as between a wild Olive and a good Olive tree Rom. 11. 24. If thou wert cut out of the Olive tree which is wild by nature and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good Olive tree That which made this difference was not to be found in that which was meerly natural for the Jewes were borne in originall sinne and corrupted thereby as much as the Gentiles but in something supernatural namely because the Jewes though they were sinful too yet they were under the means of grace and they had God engaged by covenant to them and their children for their good But as for the Gentiles he left them to their natural condition without such means to mend them nor was God engaged so to them for their good but they were under the curse of God therefore they grew wild as a tree in the Wildernesse that hath none to order it And so were all those that came of them such children of such parents alike under the curse of God in sinne and not looked after or regarded by the Lord as it is said Acts 14. 16. He in times past suffered all the Gentiles to walk in their own ways And whereas the Jews are called the natural branches of this good Olive tree and are said to be Jewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles Gal. 2. 15. this is not spoken because this difference was from nature onely and not from that which is supernatural but because this priviledge they had by birth according to the covenant of God with Abraham And we see by that of the Apostle Rom. 11. that look what priviledge the Jewes had of this kind the beleeving Gentiles do now enjoy since their being graffed into the same Olive tree from whence the Jewes for a time are broken off and that when the Jewes shall be again graffed into it they shall enjoy the same again as was shewed p. 39 40 41 c. Therefore I say this is one thing which makes this difference between the children of beleevers and of unbeleevers that they are holy and these common or unclean because they are under such a word of