be on an eighth day by his bodies resurrection and therefore then on an eighth day precisely Infants were to be admitted visible members of Christs mysticall body on earth in the Kingdom of grace implying their right by him to his glory (b) Then Infants have much more right to be â—eceived into the Church Militant by Baptisme triumphant in Heaven From which ground when people brought little Children to Christ that he might blesse them hee was angry with the Apostles which kept them from him and commanded them to suffer little (c) Notwithstanding the males onely were admitted to be visible members of Christs body by circumcision yet not onely the women but all the female Infants were then members of Christs body though they received not the seale of the Covenant they being not capable of it in their flesh yet the Grace of the Covenant in Christ received them to be visible members and the ground why that signe of the Covenant was precisely related to the males was to figure that the Lambe of God of the seed of the woman was not to be a female but a male therefore this hinde eth not but that the Infants of believing parents under the Gospel much more may be admitted visible members by baptisme and from the beginning of the world as appeares in the practice of the ten fathers before the flood they esteemed their Infants visible members of Christ for in their infancy they stablished upon their persons by their names the conveyance of the Oracle of life or the object faith once given to the Saints variously to ensuing posterities as appeareth at large in the fifth Chapter of this Treatise Children to come unto him and renders this as a reason of his command for of such is the Kingdome of Heaven therefore so departing this world they ascend to that Kingdome which so belongeth unto them Quest Now the question may be whether circumcision was onely intended to mankinde as in Infancy Answere It was not onely intended unto mankind as Infants but also to men as capable of reason as is Baptisme now for to them it did not â—nely prefigure that the nature of Divels became not totall and the imputed damnation of the Covenant was cut off by Gods mercy in Christ but also to men capable of reason it did prefigure that they submitting in beliefe of truth to receive Gods guift of Christs righteousnesse imputed theâ—r sinne should not onely be cut off in the habite of sinne in them against Christ weakned in this world and in the next world none (d) Hence it is God adding the law to the promise gave this one law viz. that the Paschal Lambe must be eaten with sowre herbs Exod. 12.8 to remaine but also that they in glory with Christ should ever remaine therefore God to Abraham called the sharpe cutting of the fore-skin of the member of Generation his Covenant meaning that to man believing truth that sharpnesse was a seale of Christs imputed righteousnesse which they received by faith including their vivification and mortification and the ground of all happinesse for so it was to Abraham being circumcised at a full age as Rom. 4 And therefore saith Christ hee that believeth in mee hath eternall life Againe although God cut off the fore-skin of the Member of generation yet but the foreskin for hee left the next innermost skin uncut off this implicitly told men capable of reason that although the grace of the Covenant did cut off the serpentine nature yet hee left a seed to remaine to let men understand that as Abraham could not be justified by workes having this serpentine seed remaining in him therefore in this life man must submit to God guift of Christs righteousnesse imputed as did Abraham for justification and his rule for imitation therefore saith the Apostle being justified by faith meaning men capable of reason we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom also we have accesse by faith into this grace wherein wee stand and rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.1.2 But the question may be here Quest whether mens sins which themselves commit be against the law naturall as supernaturally related to Gods Covenant with the first Adam I answer no for in the second Adam onely after the fall Answ this law of nature in it's perfections was inherent and was related as a meanes to attaine that supernaturall end and then given to us imputatively for justification in him and a rule for imitation for us and therefore all our sinnes are against that law of righteousnesse so manifested to us in him by the Covenant of grace and not as the law was in the first Adam a Covenant of workes and man capable of reason stands bound so to receive it by beliefe of truth in Christ Iesus or the rejection of this rule cuts him from Christ for be that believeth not is condemned already and that by just consequence because he that is guilty of sinne in one is guilty in all for hee that rejects it in point of justification rejects it also as his rule in point of sanctification and from this ground Moses pronounced that man accursed which did not doe all things contained in the Law that is as not intentionally ayming to doe all things contained in that Law as leading to Christ as hereafter in due place will appeare Yet if man did then or now doth but at least intentionally respect this object of Faith as the truth is in Iesus hee is guilty of none although hee actually sinne in many things wherein we offend all Iam. 3. â— and the ground of the point is this that in Christs righteousnesse imputed and by beliefe of truth received as the truth is in Iesus this man wants no righteteousnesse which in heart hee desires to have in Christ nor is guilty of no sinne which in heart hee desires to be freed from Rom. 7.22.25 and Rom. 8.1 Quest Againe another question here to be resolved will be this that in regard Gods mercifull imputation did remove from all mankinde that imputed damnation of the Covenant for Adams sinne then how farre forth doth it also extend to take off the guilt and punishment of mens owne sinnes individually committed against the Law of grace as it is in Iesus Christ Answ It extends exceeding farre in this case also even to any man submitting by beliefe of truth to receive this gift of righteousnesse as the truth is in Iesus for then it takes off all manner of sinne committed against him one sinne onely excepted for saith Christ All manner of sinne and blasphemy against the Sonne of man shall be forgiven unto men but the sinne against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men Mark 3. And the ground why God thus foreappointed Christ before the world was to be ready as the Ram in the bush in that point of time to enter the worke of the Covenant to take off the just
Canaan by oath because of their unbeliefe Heb. 3.1.8.9 and therefore in the next Chapter the Apostle applyes the figure namely that Canaan was to them a figure of their supernaturall rest in the kingdome of grace by faith and the kingdome of glory by fruition Heb. 4.1.2.3.10.14 so that the Apostle implyes they were and wee are bound to beliefe it was so to them though it was never declared in plainnesse of speech So neither in the old Testament in plainnesse of speech to the ten Fathers before the flood neither by the Prophets after the flood was it made knowne that hee intended the heavenly glory to mankind but figured that hee intended it to man submitting to him in the obedience of faith by the agreeablenesse of the type with the antitype as in the first world by Enoch who in the obedience of Faith walked with God and was received into the highest heavens soule and body joyntly So likewise by Elias in the time of the Prophets Genes 5.24 Heb. 11.5 2 King 2.5.11.12 So likewise the particular place in which Christ should finish the worke of raising the world to what it travels till now was no more exprest by Moses to man in plainnesse of speech for that end then was the garden of Eden for the same end to Adam but onely by the agreeablenâ—sse of the Type with the antitype as by Abraham offering Christ in Isaac within the Land of Canaan upon the mountaine assigned him by God as is further amplified in the 8. Chapter of this Treatise Likewise the garden of Edens glory as Gods terrestriall Throne before the fall prefigured to Adam the eternall glory of God so in the land of Canaan Salomons thronized glory from the agreeablenesse of the type with the antitype by the Psalmist is brought in as a figure of Christs eternall throne of glory and not in plainnesse of speech Psalm 45.6 Heb. 1.8 Likewise when Christ by the brightnesse of his comming and the spirit of his mouth shall have consumed the mysterie of iniquity now maintained by the great Roman Antichrist so as that the (a) This is Gods fouâ—th extraoâ—dinary me cy in Christ extended to the world the other three are in pag. 120. fulnesse of the Gentiles and the miserable Iewes shall heare the spirit and the Bride say come in the outbreake of the purity of the celestiall doctrine and that most simple godlinesse universally shall abound as the most immediate embleme in the kingdome of grace of the Saints in glory that ever the world did yet containe Then that Church or the city of the living God or the heavenly Ierusalem issuing the streams of this celestiall doctrine and so convey Christ the object of Faith to the health of the nations is likened to Adams first originall paterne in the garden of Eden for saith the Text Rev. 22.17 the 1. 2. he shewed me a pure river of water of life cleare as Christall proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb and in the midst of the (b) Whe eaâ— Rev. 20. this most transcendent in largement of Christs visible Church is called the Saints raignâ— with Christ 1000 yeeres and it implyeth no more but this that this glory shall certainly he and that it shall have a time of duâ—ation although since the world began the Saints successively did onely in faith and love with Christ remaine but with him in this world they did never raign for the g ound of the point is this because till now Christ did never sway the utmost end of the earth for his possession by his Scepter of truth for aâ— Satan in the old world and so to the time of Christs comming swayed the greatest part of mankind in his lying operations so after Christs rising as the Sun of righteousnesse to the nations by the Scepter of his truth and then Satan extinguished the Saints raigne with Christ by the Heathen Emperours and the abundance of heresies and by the Roman Antichrist in the confines of Christendome and so Satans throne was advanced and the Saints then onely remained with Christ witnessing that of right Christ should raigne but did not but this raigne of the Saints with Christ shall revive that cause of the martyrs and so they shall now live in the glory of that cause for which they then died and by the force of divine truth in that transcendent raigne shall Satans lying operations in the prevalencie thereof be extinguished and so shall Satan be imprisoned in the said duration for 1000. yeeres that is a certaine number put for an uncertaine See pag. 14 15. and pag. 104 105. street of it and of either side of it was the tree of life Likewise to this alludes the Lord Iesus Christ Rev. 2.7 saying I will give to eate f the tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God All plainly proving that this last and greatest splendor of grace by the second Adam was with reference to the paterne of the first Adam in the Covenant and that the eternall felicity by faith and fruition was intended therein though not in plainesse of speech And heere observe two things from this Chap. Rev. 22. First that the Apostasie of mankind from Christ in that purity of the celestiall Church on earth at the most immediate embleme of the glory of God in heaven God will therefore expresse more severe justice upon the world for their apostasie from that then ever before The first is that God will never more extraordinarily raise man out of his filthy apostasie from his grace in Christ Iesus but will leave him to perish in his owne corruptâ—on And this is implied in the 11. vers when it is said he that is unjust let him be unjust still be that is filthy let him be filthy still and he that is righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy lâ—t him be holy still The second thing is this that their apostasie from this greatest light and grace shall bring on the greatest demonstration of Gods righteous judgement upon the world that ever was namely the last day of the worlds generall judgement implied in the 12. verse where the Lord Iesus saith and behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his worke shall be I am Alpha Omega the beginning and the end I am the first and the last whereupon saith S. Iohn Blessed are they that doe his Commandements that they may have right to the tree of life verse 14.15 So much for the third part of time of Gods impartiall proceedings intending and extending eternall life and death to all and all alike without respect of persons from the time of Christs comming in the flesh to the time of his comming at the day of judgement in flames of fire And from the whole Treatise take this generall observation consisting of five particulars namely what Gods decree was Observat after the counsell of his owne will before the world was As first Gods decree before the world was that God purposed in himselfe to create this world perfect in all it's parts and man the chiefe thereof as appeares in Chap. 1. That then God also purpos'd in himselfe for the eternall praise of his communicative goodnesse and justice to raise this world by Adams improvement of his perfections being the chiefe part therin to a celestiall perfection or to sinke it downe to an evill equivalently contrary to the glory of his Iustice as is described in Chap. 2. Thirdly then also God purposed in himselfe that the knowledge of evill which he in time pronounced to Adam that in the day he did eate the forbidden fruit then that sentence should passe to immediate execution for the eternall praise of his justice as appeares in Chap. 3 Fourthly God then also purposed in himselfe that by Adams most ungratefull fall hee would glorifie the riches of his mercy and his communicative gâ—odnesse and justice and therefore before the world was God covenanted with the second person in sacred Trinity Tit. 1.2 2. Tim. 1 9. Ephes 1.4 being essentially the one God and sonne of God to assume in time the nature of Adam as the chiefe part of this creation not onely to be ready in point of time as the Male Lamb in the bush but also that then the execution of divine justice should and did immediatly upon Adams eating of the forbidden fruit passe upon Christ to the fall praise of Gods justice to all eternity and so brought in the glory of his mercy by restoring the fallen world to the promulgation of his communicative goodnesse as first in the beginning of time in the type and secondly in the fulnesse of time in the truth in the redemption of the world as is proved Chap. 4. 8. Fifthly God then purposed in himselfe to glorifie his mercy communicative goodnesse and justice by the distribution of that mercy individually upon every of mankind first by giving to all and all alike in Christ Iesus both the meanes and end namely to eternall glory I doe not say he gave any thing to them to attaine eternall life but onely as a meanes to receive his gift of eternall life as attained by Christ the second Adam and Saviour of the world and so to glorifie his gracious goodnesse and mercy in their salvation Or on the contrary to glorifie his justice on them which abuse his grace by a proud persisting in obstinacy for terrestriall trifles to reject his gift of Christ and his righteousnesse the onely ground of mans felicity And that God doth thus impartially glorifie his Iustice and mercy individually upon mankind is proved in the threefold parts of time as from Adams casting out of Paradise to Abraham from Abraham to Christ from Christs comming in the flesh to his comming in flames of fire at the end of time as Chap. 6.7 9 10 11 12. And as for any other decree of God then this concerning the eternall state of mankinde the Scripture speakes it not Glory be to God in the highest heavens on the earth peace and good will to men FINIS
time God in Christ with Abraham by covenant thus predestinated Iewes and Gentiles to glory yet called not the Gentiles till about eighteene hundred yeeres after but called the Iewes to inherit this glory in the birth of Isaack Hence observe the onely ground why the Iewes were first in this honour in respect of time was because God for his owne names sake was pleased then to begin the execution of that blessed predestination and from â—his ground Christ gave them the priority commanding the twelve saying goe not into the way of the Gentiles and into any of the Cities of the Samaritans enter yee not but goe yee rather unto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Mat. 10.5 Likewise at Antioch Saint Paul and Barnabas rendred the same priority to them saying It was necessary the Word of God should first have beene spoken unto you Acts 13.46 c. But when Christ in the expiration of all righteousnesse upon the crosse had made open the way to bring in the Gentiles so making both one generall assembly and Church of the first borne inroll'd in heaven Hebr. 11.25 Yet our Saviour in a Parable foretelling the Iewes of this joyning the Gentiles to them implies his proceeding in this generall assembly shall be without all respect of persons choosing and refusing as betweene Cain and Abel for hee concludes his discourse saying Many are called but few are chosen Matth. 10.14 Further implying notwithstanding the extraordinary fluxe of grace and truth which was then to be powred out upon all flesh yet if they did not apply themselves therein to receive his righteousnesse imputed to be their wedding garment for acceptance they should not be respected Fourthly is it so that the second Adams faith and obedience is the alone condition of the covenant of grace which by mercy brought eternall life to all mankind alike Hence observe that the fruition of that eternall life in Heaven is to all alike without degree of glory to one more then another although here the degrees of grace are different some more and some lesse as they apply more or lesse their talents to Christ as the object of Justification Yet the fruition of that glory depends onely and alone on Christs righteous workes which is mans by free gift therefore that glory is enjoyed there by al alike without degrees Christ onely excepted who in all things must have the preheminence for one mans reasonable soule is not more uncapable then anothers in it's essentiall faculty simply considered but all the difference of capacities ariseth from error transgression and sinne or the effects of sinne but in the fruition of that glory all this for Christs his righteousnesse sake is removed and not remaining consequently their capacities being then alike their enjoyment of that glory is all alike without degrees to the praise of Gods grace to all eternity Yet it is not so on the contrary to mankinde in eternall death because their sinne abides upon them so that they descend to eternall death not for anothers workes as men ascend to eternall life but for their owne despising Gods grace leading to eternall life Therefore as they more or lesse were in sinne consequently Justice requires more or lesse punishment for despising eternall felicity Gods way Fifthly observe it stands all mankind hereupon to beware of remissenesse to God in his way by Christ Iesus for their eternall felicity for as wee all in Adam by remissenesse to Gods Covenant fell so low in misery as never any meere creature could raise us from thence as Chapter 3. Likewise in this last Chapter wee see Christs elect Spouse by her remissenesse to her felicity by Christ Iesus brought upon her selfe a connexion of causes necessitating her selfe to unavoydable rejection from Christ as a fugitive remarkeably despicable here on earth this sixteene hundred yeeres and more Sixthly Is it so that the Law was added because the off-spring of Abraham did transgresse the object of Justification given in the promised seed to Adam and renewed to them with Abraham Hence observe how rightly speakes the Apostle that the Law was not given to the righteous man that is as unto Abraham who terminated his operations by beliefe of Truth and Love to God and man by a right relation to God in the object of Justification for here in this Chapter wee see Moses law added to the Promise to schoole Abrahams lawlesse off-spring to Christ because they precedntly transgresse the promise Seventhly although God did communicate to the world with the first Adam naturall perfection by creation and celestiall perfection by the Covenant yet here observe that God never restores any of that to mankinde but by mercy ever turning his eyes onely upon Christ and his satisfactory righteousnesse for as before the world was it was appointed for all alike in him by redemption so accordingly upon the fall in him hee chose us to life and glory from perishing with reprobate divels to whom in respect of our selves we were unrecoverably joyned So likewise when with Noah hee renewed this mercy to the second world it was by turning his eyes only upon Christ and his satisfactory righteousnesse so likewise when with Abraham he predestinated both Iewes and Gentiles to life and glory from being fit vessels of wrath as lying in their owne apostasie from the grace of God yet then onely in the promised seed God turned his eyes in mercy to the world in the precedent predestination as in this Chapter clearely appeareth So much for the second part of Time I now should come to the third namely the calling of the Gentiles but here will arise a necessary question viz. In what estate for eternall life stood the Gentiles from the time they were scattered at Babel untill they were called to mercy in Christ but by Gods help I will answer it in the next Chapter CHAP. VII Shewing in what estate or condition were all the families of the earth from the rejection at the Tower of Babell to their call to Christ in whom they were elected ANswer In respect of the Object of Justification they were excluded not to have it resident amongst them and therefore in that respect they lived as without God in the world and so the day of grace in this world was to them not as a day of grace being left to walke in the vanitie of their mindes they wanting the pillar of truth or Oracle of the promised seed and so remained under wrath about 18 hundred yeares This text Ephes 2 3. no way excludes infants departing this world from eternall life See the last Observation in the 7 Chapt. and therefore when some of those Gentiles by the Gospell were returned from their Apostacie and received life in the object of Faith The Apostle saith unto them yee were the Children of wrath even as others therefore they were so under wrath throughout all those precedent generations Ephes 2.3 But it may here be objected God threatned to visit the sinnes