God doth not take some or many but all they be all in Covenant with the Lord until they eject themselves When the Lord made this Covenant and took Abraham into it he took all his Seed with him Cain was in covenant as well as Abel and Ishmael as well as Isaac though some have from Electing Love and Special Grace a greater Blessing from the Covenant than others as you will see presently This Covenant runs to Abraham and his Seed and to his Seeds Seed Let not us curtail and contract Gods Covenant and confine it to narrower bounds than ever the Lord design'd There be some Men that talk great Words of the Grace of God and yet in the mean time are great Enemies to the copiousness and amplitude of it largely expressed in his Covenant 3. Quest Some may say How can that he that the natural Seed of such that be in covenant should be in covenant too Do not we see by sad experience that many of the Children of pious Parents prove very profane and wicked What do you hold falling from Grace Here is a Rock that many mistaken Persons do split themselves upon in respect of falling into Errour in this Affair and many through ignorance do stumble upon Answ More generally we must know that as to the Posterity of Abraham there are two sorts of them though both in corenant There is a Seed according to the Flesh a carnal Off-spring and Generation and they were the Seed of Abraham and did highly value themselves upon this and boasted much upon it Mat. 3.9 And think not to say within your selves We have Abraham to be our father Bear not too much upon this think not that this will excuse you you may be the Seed of Abraham and yet Enemies to the Messiah for it was the Seed of Abraham that did hate persecute crucifie and slay him Acts 2. So there is a Seed after the Spirit that be pious and holy and walk in the Steps of Abraham and in the Paths of the Faith of Abraham There is a double Paternity there is the begetting Abraham and a believing Abraham so there is a twofold Sonship Children according to the Flesh and Heirs according to the Promise Rom. 9.6 7 8. Not as though the word of God had taken none effect For they are not all Israel which are of Israel 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 Viz. In short though all that be in covenant are Children in a proper sense yet all are not the Spiritual Seed for we see here that the Carnal and Spiritual are called the Seed of Abraham ver 7. yet do not all walk in the Steps of Abraham nor partake of the special Grace that Abraham did The Apostle doth here tell us that we must not think that the word of God had taken no effect because not all nay not compacatively many that are the Seed the natural Seed of Abraham did believe and embrace it therefore he doth distinguish of the Seed of Abraham them that be under the Purpose of God to Salvation and are chosen to Eternal Life they do and shall believe and become the holy the spiritual and peculiar Seed Abraham had two Sons Ishmact and Isaac and both taken into covenant I but the Line of Election was to run through the Lines of Isaac That we may something more fully open this Matter to your satisfactions and that you may rightly understand how any may be said to be in this Covenant of Grace and yet in a State of Nature and in the First Adam I shall distinguish herein this well understood would contribute greatly to put an end to this Controversie Some may say the Covenant is full of gracious Promises and what right can any have unto the same that be but the natural Seed Are they Promises of saving Grace or outward Priviledges or temporal Mercies Or what are they How is this to be understood that the Promise is to the Children of those that are in covenant if by Children are meant the natural Seed Answ By Promise I understand the Covenant of Grace as I have said call'd also the Covenant of Promise Eph. 2.12 and because of this they that be in it are called the Children of the Promises Now the Promise or the Covenant is taken two ways and so there are two ways of being in the Covenant 1. Strictly And that which Divines call Foedus Internum or Pars Foederis Interna the Internal Covenant or the spiritual part of the Covenant that which doth contain Promises of spiritual Blessings and saving Graces such as Justification Reconciliation Regeneration Adoption Persevetance and Glorification or Eternal Life and hence we read that God will give a new Heart that he will take away the Stony Heart out of the Flesh and will give a Heart of Flesh that he will circumeise the Heart to love and fear him that he will write his Law in their Hearts and they shall never depart from him that he will sprinke clean Water upon them and they shall be clean and from all their filthiness and Idols will he cleanse them that he will blot out all their Iniquities and cast their Sins into the depth of the Sea and remember them no more This is the Internal and spiritual part of the Covenant These be the Excellent Promises of Special Grace that God will accomplish and fulfil to all the Elect both Adult and Infants that die in their Infancy 2. Sometimes it is taken more largely which Divines call Foedus Externum or Pars Foederis Externa the External Covenant or the External part of the Covenant they being both in truth but Branches of one and the same Covenant This External Part contains Promises of many choice Mercies and Priviledges which God out of the bounty of his Grace bestows upon People that be in covenant with him which he does not bestow upon the rest of the World which be not taken into covenant with him One may be in covenant and partake of many precious and eminent Promises and yet have no saving and special Grace or Interest in God So it was with a Multitude of the Jews yea with the greatest part of them and that when our Lord and Saviour himself was amongst and conversed with them Rom. 2.28 29. For he is not a Jew that is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh But he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Viz. He is not internally and savingly a Jew he is but only an external one partaking of the external Blessings of the Covenant injoying the circumcision of the Flesh not that of the
no Gospel Covenant But let us hearken to Christ the best Expositor and applyer of Scripture who is the Substance and infallible Oracle of all divine truths Mat. 22.31 32. But saith he touching the Resurrection of the dead have ye not read what was spoken unto you by God saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead but the God of the living where our Saviour affirms that the present glorification of Abraham's Isaac's and Jacob's Spirits and the future Resurrection of their bodies to live with God both Soul and body for ever to be included in that Promise and the very accomplishment of that promise I am the God of Abraham c. Hence this clearly appears to be a Covenant of grace of Spiritual and eternal Blessings 2. The promise of the Spirit is made to the Children of those Parents that be in Covenant therefore they must be also in Covenant Such unto whom God promiseth his own Spirit their's is the promise and Covenant of grace for that is a Covenant of promise Ezek. 36.26 A new heart will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you ver 27. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my ways The promise of the Spirit is one of the most gracious promises that the Covenant of grace is inriched withall Christ and the Spirit are the two Emphatical promises When Christ was upon the earth and hastning towards his ascension this was the great promise that he made to be left behind him and this is the promise that by the gracious gift of God doth appertain to the Children of those that are in Covenant with the Lord Isa 44.3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and flouds upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed and my blessing upon thy off-spring Little Children that spring like little twigs from their parents that be graffed into the Covenant Chap. 59.21 As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put into thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever Here is a blessed Promise to the Parents and the Children of this rare Priviledge of the Spirit with a perpetual Entail Acts. 2.38 39. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of the Lord Jesus for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost For the promise is unto you and to your children Viz. The Promise of Remission of Sin and of the Holy Ghost The Truth is Dying Infants without this promise could never be saved 3. The Promise of Regeneration belongs to such Children Such to whom the Lord promiseth Regeneration and Renovation must needs be in covenant to them doth belong the Promise and Covenant of Grace for that is a Blessing of the Covenant of Grace Ezek. 36.26 A new heart also will I give unto you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh This doth expresly set forth the Work of the Holy Spirit in renewing and sanctifying and regenerating the Hearts of the Elect this is that which is promised to the Off-spring of those in covenant with the Lord therefore they themselves must also be in covenant Deut. 30.6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul The Seal of Circumcision the Token of the Covenant did eminently signifie and Assure this to all the Elect Infants that were in covenant therefore Regeneration and Sanctification are oftentimes set forth by Circumcision and when the Lord calls for them he doth it under the Name and Notion of Circumcision This might have been evidenced by many place 〈◊〉 Without this Promise and the accomplishment of it in the Hearts of dying Infants they can never be saved for those Scriptures that exclude all unsanctified Persons out of the Kingdo◠of Heaven are as applicable to the young Children as to those that are the most Adult I need not stand to call in here any of those many Scriptures that have set an unmovable Barre before the Gate of Heaven against all unsanctified Sinners 4. The Promise of being taught of God is an Excellent Promise of the Covenant of Grace those that do partake of a Standing in this Covenant this is one of the Evangelical Promises that they are entituled unto those shall have a greater Teacher than Man viz. they shall be taught of God and by his Spirit This is the Promise that is made with such Infants that are in covenant with their Parents though some do scornfully say What can they learn Or what are they capable to be taught Let such know that they have reasonable Souls and God by his Spirit can easily teach them and they be under the promise of being taught of God Jer. 31.34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest God can teach the least Infant to know him Isa 54.13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. Let us consider can any but those that be taught of God be admitted unto the Eternal Injoyment of God He will take no ignorant Sinner into the company of the Glorifi'd It is said of Timothy that from a Child he knew the holy Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.15 Every one of you I presume will readily grant that his Knowledge was saving and that he was effectually taught of God and I must tell you that he was very little when first he was taught and this will appear if we consider the Word in the Text And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from his infancy Some that be learned and critical do tell us 〈◊〉 the Word doth signifie the very Embryo 〈◊〉 the Womb. God is able to teach and to sanctifie there propriè dicitur de partu recèns edito a Child so soon as brought forth of the Womb. It is an easie matter for God to fulfil the Excellent Promises of the Covenant and to cause the Babe that falls out of the Womb to fall into the Arms of Grace and he that sucks on the Breast to draw in the Heavenly Knowledge of Christ otherwise how can many be taken from the Breast and the Womb to Heaven as doubtless a Multitude of Coverant-Babes are 5. The Promise of Justification and the Remission of Sin is an Excellent Promise of the Covenant of Grace The Blood of Christ is assured
Prodigy to me that any should Assert that the Covenant that God made with Abraham was a Covenant of Works and yet Circumcision was the Seal of it for so it is expresly commanded of God to be as we have seen Did we ever read of this Seal amx'd to the Covenant of Works No in the perfect state that Man was in when God enter'd into a Covenant of Works there was no need of nor occasion for this Sacrament or Seal Let us but a little consider the Uses and Words of this Seal and we may see that that must be a Covenant of Grace to which it is affix'd as a Seal for either it holds forth our need of Grace or the merciful provision of Grace prepared for us I shall only mention a very few Particulars 1. This doth intimate unto us that vile polluted State of Sin that we were conceived and transmitted into the World in This may give us the knowledge of our undone State by Nature how God may loath and abhor us for ever The cutting off of the Fore-skin of the Flesh discovers the filthiness of our Flesh and how by Sin we have forfeited our selves and all into the hands of Justice that we be filthy and guilty Sinners 2. This sets forth the gracious Purposes and Intentions of a merciful God to wash and to cleanse and to sanctifie us by his Grace and by the Blood of Sprinkling The Blood that did follow the circumcising Instrument did clearly signifie that therefore cleansing and sanctification are set forth by Spiritual Circumcision When God doth graciously promise to wash and to sanctifie he doth promise to circumcise the Heart Deut. 30.6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul that thou mayst live Col. 2.11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ viz. By the Sanctification of the Blood and Spirit of Christ Phil. 3.3 For we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit We have the inward Spiritual Circumcision of the Heart which was graciously signified by that Seal of the Grace of God belonging to that Covenant of Grace the Lord was pleas'd to make with Abraham and his Seed 3. To denote and set forth the need we have of the Blood of Christ to justifie us and that God would justifie us through his Blood And this Abraham had a special eye unto and his Faith was firmly fix'd upon after God had made this Covenant with him and his Seed and fix'd this significant Seal unto it This might be evidenced by many Scriptures Rom. 14.1 2. In many Verses in that Chapter therefore it is that Circumcision is called a seal of the righteousness of faith of that righteousness that is apprehended received and applied by faith certainly then that Covenant that hath such a significant gracious Seal added unto it can be nothing less or else than a Covenant of Grace 7. Reason To prove that this was a Covenant of Grace may be the great Result and Period of it which is no less than Heaven this is obviously implied in the comprehensiveness of this Promise we have here Gen. 17.7 I will be a God unto thee and unto thy seed after thee I will be a God unto thee and all thine Elect Seed for ever I will be a God to love thee to provide for thee to be with thee and with my self eternally to reward thee How vain and frivolous is our Challenger in Asserting that this Covenant made with Abraham was not a Covenant of Grace Because the great Promises of it were outward Blessings and the greatest of all was the Land of Promise Canaan What is not that a greater Promise for God to promise himself to be a God to Abraham and his Seed Is not an Infinitely Glorious and Blessed God better than Canaan than all the Canaans and Paradises in the World yea than thousands of Worlds But further to see the ignorance of this Man in the Scripture and in such Expressions which denote a higher good intended by God than what they themselves may import as this Promise is explained in the New Testament When God did make the Promise of an Earthly Canaan to Abraham and his Seed he did ultimately intend a better Land than this viz. an Heavenly one when the Lord doth promise this Canaan he doth promise Heaven which this was a Type of the main thing and good that the Lord design'd for his People by this Promise was Heaven and that they should be eternally saved Abraham did so understand it and others of the Fathers and so set their Hearts upon and rais'd up an Expectation of that blessed City and Country that was above that what they had here were but dark Shadows and cloudy Representations of what was to come Heb. 11.10 13 14 15 16. 8. Reason To prove that the Covenant made here with Abraham was a Covenant of Grace is viz. Because of that Obedience the Lord did both require and accept at the hands of Abraham in this Covenant There was Obedience and there was Service that the Lord did command and expected from Abraham this will determine whether this be a Covenant of Works or of Grace If it be a Covenant of Works it requires nothing less than perfect Obedience nothing short of it will or can be accepted therein as it was in the Covenant made with Adam Do this and live I but now here in Abraham's Covenant the Lord doth call for and accept of sincere and upright Obedience as in Gen. 17.1 2. And when Abram was ninety years old and nine the Lord appeared to him and said I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect viz. right or sincere And I will make my covenant betwixt me and thee Every one knows that though Abraham for Grace and walking with and obeying God was an excellent Man yet he was not a sinless perfect Man he had the perfection of sincerity but not a sinless perfection such an one as Adam had in Innocency In this Covenant Abraham did walk before God he did please God and he was accepted by God in vertue of this Covenant which could never have been had it not been a Covenant of Grace that had Christ to be the Mediatour of it in whom he believed and found acceptance Thus Beloved I promise my self that I have given you such Reasons to prove that this Covenant was of Grace which the Lord made with Abraham and his Seed for an Everlasting Covenant as cannot well be denied 2. Quest Whether some only or all the Children of Believers are in this Covenant of Grace with their Parents Whether this Covenant doth inclose and impale them all or not Answ All they that are the Seed of the Faithful the Lord takes into this Covenant with their Parents
to bedew them with all those Heavenly Blessings thou hast promised those whom thou hast placed and planted in such a capacity so near unto thee These Natural Endowments be great Mercies but hast thou not promised a New Heart a New Spirit also to write thy Law and to put thy fear into their Hearts Oh! be a God to me and mine in the communication of all Covenant precious Blessings in the greatest Latitude of them When God had said he will be a God why may not we hope for the accomplishment of the fullest Sense thereof Say to God Hast thou not made with me an Everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure and this is all my salvation and all my desire 2 Sam. 23.5 We ought to understand believe and plead the Covenant in the greatest Latitude of it for our selves and ours 4. Improve the Covenant to Duty and Obedience let the Promises of the Covenant strictly and for ever bind us to Obedience where there is the greatest Grace dispenced there is the greatest Inducement and Obligation to Duty and Obedience The Covenant that saith God will be our God requires us and ours to be his People there is a Covenant-engagement upon us and ours to be the Lords But alas how little is this thought upon Most covet to have their Children to be baptized and glory in their Baptism but seldom make this to be any part of their care and endeavour that their Children be the Lords How little care have many Parents about the holy Education of their Children How they bring them up in the Fear Nurture and Admonition of the Lord How few command their Children and Houshold to walk in the ways of the Lord What Falsehood and Breach of Covenant is here That Charge may be drawn up and Exhibited against such careless and treacherous Parents Psal 78.36 37. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto them with their tongues For their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his covenant How many Parents do flatter God and his Ministers Promising great Things at the baptizing of their Children but soon forget all never taking any care according to their Covenant of the Souls of their Children that they may partake of the Blessings of the Covenant they are very earnest for the Outward Seal but little concerned for the Inward Grace What will Baptism avail for you and your Children if you are contented only with the outward Badge and Mark of the Disciples and Followers of Christ Rom. 2.28 29. For he is not a Jow that is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh But he is a Jew that is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Outward Priviledges and Ordinances will never prove you to be good Christians you and yours must have the Inward Circumcision of the Heart Regeneration the New Birth and Sanctification short of which nothing will avail to Salvation Gal. 5.6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new creature We are said to be baptized into Christ and to put on Christ we must see that we have an Union with Christ and are renewed by the Spirit of Christ if ever we hope or desire to be inriched with the Saving Benefits of Baptism 3. Exhortation is to those that are the happy Possessors of the Incomparable Mercy of the Covenant admire and magnifie the Grace of God herein that he should not be content to ingage his Grace to and for you but to yours with you You and yours were all Rebels and Traitors to God and he hath received both into Favour and Grace with himself God might have taken you into covenant and have left out your Children and that would have been an high Expression of his Grace and Favour unto you but this is confer'd upon you and your Seed too this gives you the fullest occasion and obligation to magnifie him above the Heavens and to cause his Praise to be continually in your Hearts and Mouths How should this alwayes affect and ravish your Hearts To consider many of you that the Lord should be pleased to pass by you when you were polluted in your Blood and should say unto you Live that when you were in your Blood and Filth through your pollution and contamination fit for nothing but to be abhorr'd by God that that should be a Time of Love to you that he should then spread a Skirt of Grace and Favour over you and cover your Nakedness and swear unto you and enter into Covenant with you and not only you but also yours should be taken into the Bonds of the same and become his Ezek. 16.6 8 9 10 c. What Grace is this that we should be taken poor Gentiles and cut off the Wild Olive-tree and graffed into the Good Olive-tree which is contrary to Nature That some of the natural branches should be broken off and we should be taken and grafted in in their place and partake of the root and fatness of the Olive-Tree What matter of perpetual Thanksgiving to God is here administred to us Rom. 11.17 c. Remember oftentimes what you were by Nature into what a miserable plunge of all infelicity you were cast how remote and distant from God many of you before Conversion were without the Covenant having no Promise This might be the condition of sundry of you born out of the Covenant and every way in a desperate condition as to the concerns of your Souls and Eternal Life I cannot present you with a fuller and a clearer description of your former state before the Lord brought you under the means of Grace and effectually called you then you have in Eph. 2.11 12 13. Wherefore remember that being in times past Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands That at that time ye were without Christ being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world But now in Christ Jesus ye who some times were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ The poor Gentiles of whom we were part were afar off because not within the pale of the Covenant This was the opposition that was between the Jew and the Gentile the former was nigh being in Covenant but the other afar off not being taken into that inclosure ver 17. Oh! magnifie God that thou that wert afar off art brought nigh by the Blood of Christ The Blessing of Abraham is come to the Gentiles and come unto thee and thy Family through Christ Gal. 3.14 What cause hast thou to wonder that art yet within the bonds of the Covenant and thy Little