dreams in which God hath often revealed himself but somwhat darkly but the young men shall see visions q.d. They have a clearer sight oftentimes than old men in those days for they have the help of those that went before them now if you set a child upon a Giants shoulders he will see farther than the Giant sees Stella 6. This new Covenant is established upon better promises in regard of the continuance of it That is as to the ceremonial part thereof which was to be done away Heb. 10.9 * Porro lex ceremonijs quodammodo vestiobatur nunc post corporis interitum qui vestium usus erit Tritum est illud vulgi proverbium accessorium sequi naturam sui principalis Non mirum igitur si ceremoniae quae nihil sunt quam appendices veteris Testamenti simul cum totâ— Mosis ministerio finem habeant Cal. in Lev. cap. 8. v. 8. He taketh away the first that he may establish the second Which appears to be meant of the typical part thereof ver 8. But this Covenant of Abraham is a Covenant that lasts for ever even to a thousand Generations 7. In regard of the stability of it Jer. 31.33 Not according to the Covenant made with your father Abraham when I brought you out of the land of Aegypt which my Covenant they brake or continued not in But this is my Covenant I will make with you saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts if these ordinances of Moon and stars depart from me v. 36. then shall the seed of Israel cease from being a nation before me for ever if heaven above can be measured then will I cast off the seed of Israel for all that they have done saith the Lord. Jer. 33.20 If you can break the Covenant of the day and my Covenant of the night then also may my Covenant be broke with David That he should not have a Son to sit upon his throne namely Christ to reign and with the Levits that is the evangelical Ministers so interpreted Esa 66.21 and the spiritual seed of Christ Add to these that great scripture Esa 54.9 10 11. This is to me as the waters of Noah for as I have sworn the waters shall no more overflow the earth so will I be angry with thee no more This scripture relates to the Jew's last call as appears plainly by the verses following describing their glorious state who though sinful shall never be dischurched more after this Esa 33.20 For this Covenant is an absolute Covenant Ad hanc foederis naturam respiciens Paullus ait 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grot. extending to their seeds seed for ever Esa 59. Iast That is there is no condition required which God doth not undertake to perform and therefore as that Covenant of nature shall never be broken nor these ordinances of heaven fail so neither shall this Covenant with the Jew ever be made voyd Hence it is Rev. 10. that Christ is described ver 1. as cloathed with a cloud and a rain-bow upon his head in that place the Apostle speaks of the mystery of God to be finished ver 7. That is the calling of the Jews upon the sounding of the seaventh trumpet Christ is described with a rain-bow about his head signifying That though their state then be dubious as it will be till the 45 years are expired Dan. 12.12 yet it 's clear at bottom and That that Church shall never totally so be overwhelmed as it hath formerly been Obj. That was a national Covenant but the Covenant of grace was never tyed to any Nation Ans The Covenant given to Abraham was not National at first but domestical as is well observed bur Jacob's blessing and so his Covenant did exceed the Covenant of his progenitors Gen. 49.26 Now it 's not said That the blessing of Iacob for so it should be national but That the blessing of Abraham should come upon the Gentiles Gal. 3.14 Gen. 28.4 And give thee the blessing of Abraham to thee thy seed 2. What say you to those places of the Psalmist Psal 2.8 72.10 102.22 47. last The voluntary of the people shall be gathered to the God of Abraham Or what say you to those passages of the Prophet Esa 49.1 42.4 10. 51.5 66.9 In which places the holy Ghost seems to have a special ey to thâ—se Islands Esa 55.7 Nations shall run unto thee Ezek. 20.40 In my holy mountain there shall all the house of Israel all of them in the land serve me Eze. 39.25 I will have mercy on the whole house of Israel Thus Rom. 11.26 All Israel shall be saved That is the body of the 12 tribes Eze. 42.15 The portion of the Levites allotted to them as the verge of the Temple amounteth to a space bigger than all the land of Canaan and the Temple it self bigger than the Citie As Ezekiel measureth the Citie so Iohn Rev. 21. Which prophesie pointeth out the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven I mean the Jews again called after their rejection and holdeth forth Jerusalem that is that Church of the Jews as far larger than that of Ezekiel 3. Was it not an act of grace that God separated that people to himself above all the people under heaven Deut 4.6 7 8. And will it not be an act of the same grace to restore them to a far more glorious state and condition 4. This Covenant is never to be reversed as you have heard from Esa 54.9 This is unto me as the waters of Noah I would fain know of any Neopelagian Whether that if the world be never so sinful it shall once more be destroyed with water they will say no but I must tell you that as in the law a pardon of felonie binds the malefactor for so the pardon runs so a pardon of sin binds the sinner to his good behaviour Even so saith the Lord This is unto me as the waters of Noah surely though the Jews should much degenerate which I trust they never will yet they shall never be brought so low as they have been in this their last Captivity To this agrees that of the prophet Esa 33.20 Sion shall be a tabernacle that shall not be taken down Amos 9.15 They shall no more be plucked out of their land For the gifts and calling of God to that Church are without repentance Rom. 11.29 As therefore this Covenant was National so it shall be It will be saith reverend Mr Burroughs a sufficient ground for any to plead an interest in Church priviledges that he is a member of that Nation Esa 4.3 He that is left in Jerusalem shall be called holy the rebels being cast out Ezek. 20.38 Obj. Notwithstanding that Covenant the Jews were equally in a damnable condition with the poor heathenish infidels all equally guilty before God Ezek. 20.38 Ans They were so by nature but that they miscarried it was because they
after your old estates and will do better for you than at your beginnings Or as some read it I will bestow benefits upon you more than at the first Then doubtless their children were not left out Ez 47 14 Ye shall inherit it one as well as another yea saith the Lord the strangers with their children shall have inheritance with the children of Israel in that land of Canaan vers 22. This is a Gospel-promise as appears by many arguments which I could produce the land being but a type of the Church or heaven in which children share with their parents Hos 14 8 They that dwell under thy shadow shall return This must needs include the children which shall be made good especially to the Jews upon their last return Obj. These promises are made to the Jews and can not properly be applied to the Gentiles with their Children Ans They were made in Christ in whom all the promises are yea that is affirmed and amen that is confirmed to us Gentiles 2. * See Glas Amos 9 12 Vt possideant residuum Edomi Junius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per cum vertit ut haeredes sint cum reliquijs Edomi omnibus gentibus quae vocantur de nomine meo 1. Vt non tantum Judaei verùm etiam gentes reliquae communi cum illis haereditate persruantur LXX pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 possidebunt legerunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 requirent unde illud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 legerunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 homo unde illud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 addiderunt vocem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are so interpreted Act. 15.16 17. Hos 2 23 compared with Rom. 9.24 25. Hos 12 4 He found him in Bethel and there he spake with us So that the promises made unto Jacob are applicable unto us also Hence it is that all the people of God Gal. 6 16 are called the Israel of God If any shall say That children in the old Testament were ceremonially holy The Apostle answers 1 Pet. 2 9 writing to the twelve tribes scattered Iam. 1.1 they and their children were an holy nation Add to all these scriptures Exod. 20 5 Shewing mercie unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments Matt. 1. Abraham is brought in as the first explicit Covenanter to whom the promise was made which runs along in the natural line to Christ taking effect in some of his seed in every generation But least this should be thought to be a typical Covenant abolished in Christ whereas Matthew descends from Abraham to Christ Luke ascends from Christ to Adam to shew us that the Covenant extends to all believing Gentiles as well as Jews even to all the Sons of Adam I hope none will say that the moral law or the promises thereunto belonging are abolished Here is a promise made to those that worship God in the beauties of holiness I mean in the purity of his ordinances to such and their seed doth the Lord extend mercie which is a fruit of the Covenant of grace not of works The like phrase we have in Timothy Keep this command to the coming of Christ that is if thou shouldest live so long So if the world should continue to a thousand generations which I suppose not for Mat. 1 those three 14 generations took up a great part of the time from Abraham to Christ God will make good his word to them if they cut not off the entail of the promises Obj. * When Princes offend their favorites are heaten So when Parents transgress their children are punished This is meant to those children that love the Lord and the contrary threatning to those Children which imitate their fathers vices Ans 1. * Exod. 34.7 Vtrumque absolutè ponitur Qui custodia misericordiam in millia qui reddis iniquitatem patrum filijs ac nepotibus Riv. Shewing mercie unto thousands but visiting the sins of the parents upon the children to the third and fourth generation The words are put absolutely without restraining them to those that love or hate him because they relate to the parents so that doubtless the child may suffer temporal punishment for the fathers sins as being a part of the father but not eternal Ezek 18. If the command be so understood then is there no pretence for children to complain The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge if God did punish children onely for imitating their parents vices 2. If he spake of children hating God as their fathers why might he not have said Visiting the iniquitie of the fathers upon the children unto a thousand generatons as well as to the third or fourth 3. If the words be so understood then is the force of the comparison lost for he extolls his mercie above his justice saying Visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation but Shewing mercie to thousands For the attributes of God are equal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. What force were there in this dehortation You parents take heed of idolatry for if your children to the third or fourth generation committ idolatry I will punish them It is not to be imagined that the wisdom of the father should argue thus irrationally For so he should punish not so much the sin of the father as the sins of the children Let none say these are old Testament proofs intrenching upon the prophetical office of Christ as if that which was written wâ—â—â— not written for our learning or as if Christ were not sent to confirm the promises made to the Fathers Rom. 15. We thought much that the Papists should make void and unlord the second Commandment and the Bishops the fourth but what shall we say to those that wave the old Testament unless it be in such places which seemingly make for their own opinion these have the leprosy in their heads and therefore are altogether unclean For doth not Moses expound Christ and doth not Christ send the Jews to Moses for instruction Ioh. 5 46 Luk 16 31. Let us come to the new Testament though we say there is no more inconveniency upon supposing of children in the new Testament to be in the Covenant than formerly therefore to reject Infants now is to condemn the wisdom of God in admitting them in the old and hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Matt. 22 32 compared with Ex. 3 6 I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. The Lord makes mention of this Covenant made with our fathers for then he was about to bring them out of the land of Egypt wherein he failed not but made good his word to a day though the promise was made four hundred and thirty years before Ex. 12 42. It is a night much to be observed wherein the Lord brought them out of the
for new Scriptures or a new Gospel to save us Is not the faith that is the Doctrine of faith delivered once and for ever as a perpetual rule Is not God one and the same though we be changeable and at odds with him Gal. 3 20 Is not Christ yesterday and to day and for ever the same Heb. 13 8 Was this once an evangelical promise I will be thy God and is it not so still And if that be evangelical as is confessed shall we deny the later I will be the God of thy seed to be evangelical also 6. If the command of teaching our children which God gave to Abraham belong unto us then the promise made to him and his belongs to us also for the promise is the ground of the duty and the duty is the means of the performance of the promise Gen. 18 19 For I know him that he will command his Children and his household after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him 7. Christ came not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to loosen or slacken the Law much less the prophesies or promises but rather to confirm them made unto the fathers Rom. 15 8 that is not onely to the Jews but also the Gentiles and because the incorporating of the Gentiles was a great mystery i. e a divine hidden secret to the Jews the Apostle quotes * Hence Ministers may learn in doubtful things to be more copious in proofs four places of Scripture to evince that great controverted Truth sc That the Gentiles should be incorporated into one and the same body with the Jews 8. Why should it be conceived that the Covenant of Grace should run in a different course from all other of Gods Covenants God made a Covenant with * Mr. Patient saith That Covenant with the Priests was a Covenant of works Observe there is a vein of error runs through his whole Discourse Phineas did it not reach his posterity Num. 5 So with David Psalm 89 28. And did not that extend to his posterity also Did God ever make a Covenant with any wherein the children were not comprehended In the first place where this Covenant is mentioned it runs thus To thee and thy seed Gen. 15 18 8 which was ratified by the dividing of an heifer of three years old 9. Gentiles are ingrafted into the same olive tree and made partakers of the fatness thereof that is the ordinances promises and their appertenances the root was Abraham and the holy ancestors the bodie of the tree the Church the branches particular members whereof Infants were a great part Observe three things 1. That Children were in the Covenant this cannot be denied 2. They with their parents were broken off and therefore may plead with their Mother as an harlot Hos 2. 3. They with their parents are to be ingrafted in again into the olive tree of the visible Church of Christ 10. Where is that great Statute repealed or that Magna Charta vacated and made void I will be thy God and the God of thy seed Was not this one of the greatest promises of the old Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exceeding great nay the greatest promises 2 Pet. 1.4 greater than which could not be The promise in the 17 of Genesis is greater than that in the 22. For the Father was greater than Christ as Mediator and therefore doubtless that was chiefly in the Apostles ey This promise was confirmed by many and sundry ways 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by piece-meals or parcels Heb. 1.1 yet one and the same Covenant gradually revealed to Abraham as he walked more exactly with God The glorious discovery of the Covenant was reserved to Christs time for the farther the times were from Christs coming the less light they had but the nearer they came to Christ the more fully was that Covenant discovered as appears from Dan. 9. to whom the Angel reveals the time of Christ's suffering and so doubtless when Christ shall more gloriously appear in his Kingdom upon the calling of the Jews then shall the Ark of the Covenant be seen in the Temple Rev. 11.19 But the Covenant was confirmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Abraham 1. By Sacrifices Gen. 15.18 being not mentioned before 2. By the Sacrament of Circumcision Cap. 17. 3. By an oath Cap. 22. Yea it was confirmed by God in Christ therefore must needs be of grace Gal. 31.7 1. By the death of Christ 2. By the merits of Christ 3. By the preaching of Christ and his Apostles Dan. 9. He shall confirm the Covenant for one week which was spent in the confirmation thereof for Christ preached * Usually the work of a Minister for conversion is done as to the old standers in 7 years three years and a half and the Apostles three years and a half or thereabouts before the Jews were discovenanted the ceremonies de jure did cease at his death with all the sacrifices when the vail was rent asunder but the Covenant was not made null till they voluntatarily and obstinately rejected the Lord Christ This Covenant I will be thy God was before the Law and therefore was not made void by the Law and the ceremonies annexed thereunto Gal. 3.14 15. That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles which blessing extends to fathers and children Brethren saith the Apostle I speak after the manner of men Though it were but a mans Covenant if it be confirmed as this was no man disanulleth or addeth thereunto who then shall dare to disanull Gods Covenant made to Abraham and Christ mystical that is the whole visible Church as we see clearly in the body of the Jews to whom the external administration of the Covenant did appertain if there be any force in the Arguments of the Antipedobaptists pleading for the spiritual seed onely the like might have been pleaded against all the carnal seed of Abraham as the Lord pleads Psal 50 What hast thou to do to take my Covenant into thy mouth And yet even the Children of such had a right unto Circumcision though their parents were suspended from the Passover as being Children under Abraham's Covenant The 11 Argument is taken from the absurdities that will follow from the contrary tenent 1. If Children be excluded then the Covenant is not the same seeing the persons engaging are not the same 2. Then are the Children of believers no more priviledged than the Children of heathens for even the Children of heathens when called have an interest in the Covenant and Seal as well as the Children of believers 3. Then are no Children in a visible way of salvation Eph. 2.12 and without hope and therefore Rachel may weep for her Children because they are not There was a great Lamentation in Israel when one tribe was cut off but have not all the Churches in the world cause bitterly to
I am thy exceeding great reward the Lord leaves himself in pawn that I may so say till he had made good his promise to him But in cap. 17.22 he more fully explains the Covenant Eleventhly The V. Commandment is not carnal though it have a temporal promise annexed to it Eph. Deut. 5.16 Ut prolongent dies Potest verbum accipi impersonaliter prolongent pro eo quod est prolongentur Junius 6.3 Children obey your parents that it may be well with you and that ye may live long on the earth Surely none will say but that children are bound to obey their parents under the Gospel as well as the Jews were under the Law notwithstanding that motive Is there not the like reason for the Covenant May it not be spiritual though the Lord engage to Abraham and his seed to give them that temporal land of Canaan and shall we say this Covenant is a temporal and a carnal Covenant hath not godliness the promise of this life and that which is to come They might as well have said the ten Commandments belong not to us because Deut. 5. they are enforced with this consideration which brought thee out of the land of Aegypt though in a spiritual sense that may be applyed to us as literally to the Jews Twelfthly Abraham was heir of the world by virtue of the Covenant of grace and surely Canaan was included in that promise as being a little world in the great world Rom. 4.13 The promise that he should be heir of the world was not through the Law but through the rightousness of faith Where you see it 's plainly opposed to the Covenant of works Thirteenthly From the absurdities that will follow hereupon for then so many particular promises so many Covenants whereas a Covenant is but a bundle of promises solemnly sealed and confirmed The Papists having excluded the second Commandment Such as will deficere in necessariis will abundare in superfluis they are defective in the second Command therefore they superabound in the X whereas the text mentions but one Commandment as Moses one Covenant throughout ch 17. divide the tenth into two whereas they might as well make eight of it as first Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors house 2. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors wife 3. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors field 4. Nor his man servant 5. Nor his maid servant 6. Nor his ox 7. Nor his ass 8. Nor any thing that is his As they divide the Commandments so others divide the Covenant I will be thy God This they make a new Covenant or a Covenant of grace Gen. 17 to 6. and from 7. to 14. And to thy seed will I give this land a Covenant of works they grant the former to be the new Covenant or Covenant of grace and why not the later I will be the God of thy seed c. but they might as well according to all the particular articles in the Covenant multiply the Covenant into several species making every promise a Covenant and so many promises so many Covenants Fourteenthly If Circumcision was a seal of the Covenant of works then the seed of Abraham had no seal to the Covenant of grace at all for they say that relates to the land of Canaan which they hold to be given to the posterity of Abraham by a Covenant of works whereof Circumcision was a seal If this be granted then was the Lord wanting to his people for did they not stand in need of a seal of the rightousness of faith as well as Abraham much more Abraham though strong in faith was sore put to it as appears by the story being willing to sit down well contented with Ismael not having obtained the promised seed Yea cap 16.3 the holy Ghost seems to imply that he doubted ten years therefore he used unlawful means to obtain issue going inâ—â— Hagar Did Abraham stand in need of strengthening and did not his seed much more Had he a seal annexed to the promise and had not his seed the like or did God ever make a Covenant with his people and not seal it Hath any a just title to an inheritance and not a right to the seals and conveyances or had any ever a right to the Covenant of grace that had not an external right at least to the seal Fifteenthly Here is not onely an Husteronproteron for thus Abraham is first under the Covenant of grace and then of works long after but at the same time under both Covenants contrary to Rom. 6.14 Sixtenthly The Covenant of works admits of no repentance or mercy therefore cannot be renewed but this doth Deut. 4.7 12 13. Seventeenthly That Covenant was sealed with bloud for the letting out of the bloud did signifie the shedding of the bloud of Christ therefore it was not a Covenant of works Again it 's to thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for ever Gen. 17.10 11. Psal 105.8 Mr P. p. 43. The ever of the Law is to be understood of the time of the Gospel-state if these words to you and your seed in their generations be put in At negatur He gave that land for an everlasting Covenant even to a thousand generations Now from Abraham to Christ there was but 42 generations and therefore that Covenant ceased not when Christ came in the flesh as some say Jer. 25.5 Esa 24.5 Num. 25.13 Ex. 3.15 I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac the God of Jacob this is my name for ever this is my memorial to all generations Eighteenthly If Circumcision were onely a seal signifying That God would give the seed of Abraham the land of Canaan what need was there of this seal after they were possessed of the land Obj. The subject matter of the Covenant is That they should be circumcised but in that all the works of the Law are included Ans Rom. 2.25 Act. 15. Circumcision profiteth if thou keep the Law saith the Apostle on Gods part it was a seal of all the gracious promises if on their part they did perform the condition which was to walk in obedience to his Commandments but it did not profit them if they kept not the Law as baptism now availeth not if men lead an evil life The Apostle speaks not by way of supposition as of a thing impossible to be done but as supposing it a thing possible evangelically to be done If he had spoken of the perfect keeping of the law legally which is impossible then all profitable use is denyed to Circumcision but he would not so much detract from that holy institution of God as to denie all profitable use thereof Circumcision indeed did bind them to keep the whole law perfectly but it did profit them if there were an endeavor and a care in them to keep it though imperfectly Cap. 3.1 What priviledg then hath the Jew what benefit then is there of Circumcision if the Jews were not justified by Circumcision
wilfully rejected the Covenant of Grace 2. So are many of the rebaptized ones though under the outward administration many of them in a sad and deplorable condition and damnable state though taken for saints by others therefore doubtless there is no force in that Argument Obj. Circumcision was a seal onely to Abraham a sign to his posterity An. Are there not signs exhibitive as well as significative and wherein did such signs differ from seals 2. May not seals be to confirm a future as well as a present benefit Or 3. Is that seal Rom. 4.11 applyed to Abraham alone and not written for those hereafter that shall beleive Rom. 4.23 It was not written for his sake alone saith the Apostle that it was imputed to him for rightousnes but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe 4. Was not the promise to Abraham to be heir of the world that is of Canaan included in that promise Was it not I say through the everlasting Covenant and not through the works of the law which the carnal Jew rested in Rom. 4.13 5. Did not Abraham's posterity stand in as much need of a seal to strengthen their faith as Abraham did Abraham was troubled with doubtings and the Lord again and again strengthened his faith If he that was so eminent for believing was so put to it what shall we say to the poor shrubs Psal 105. Will the Lord be wanting to them in any thing that may strengthen their faith Obj. If this opinion be maintained That the Covenant of circumcision was a covenant of grace it shakes the foundation of the Gospel and overthrows many fundamental points of religion Ans Here are great swelling words but such do but verba dare there is no proof for what is asserted Dare any say in the presence of Christ when taking leave of the world That this doctrine destroys the foundation of Christian Religion Will they justifie this at the last day before the Lord Christ the Judge of quick and dead * Expectemus judicium tuum Domine Augustin We expect the judgment and determination of God himself in this controversie as Austin sayd in another case But let 's see their Arguments They say First The first fundamental point must needs be denyed Gal. 2.15 Jews by nature Quia promissio haereditariam bâ—nedictioâ—â—m faciebat ideo naturâ â—ocatur Cal. in Gal. That all mankind by nature are the children of wrath Eph. 2.2 If all men by nature be the Children of wrath then are they not under this Covenant of Grace for to be under the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace are contradictories which cannot be true at the same time Ans Contradictories may be true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a diverse respect 2 Kings 17.34 41. They feared the Lord and they feared not the Lord that is they feared the Lord in their way and the Gods of the nations also and therefore it 's sayd they feared not the Lord. Thus Elisha to Hazael concerning Benhadad 2 Kin. 8.10 He may recover howbeit the Lord hath shewed me that he shall certainly dy that is he may recover of this disease but he died notwithstanding by the hand of Hazael Sons in some sense are no sons Deut. 32.5 Their spot is not the spot of my children There are promises for grace 2. to grace children are under both in some sense yet saith the text they are children in whom is no faith 1 Kin. 2.26 Abiathar is a man of death and yet by the Kings favor he lives The Israelites at the same time were enemies for our sakes and yet beloved for the fathers sake Rom. 11.28 Paul was under the Covenant as being descended of Abraham and yet was by nature as he tells us Eph. 2.2 a child of wrath as well as others So children considered in their natural state as the sons of Adam are under wrath but considered as children of such gracious parents in Covenant with God so are they under grace and therefore under those divine Dispensations which they are capable of Gal. 2.15 We who are Jews by nature that is by descent from such parents cannot with all our birth-priviledg attain to rightousness Thus we say Such are naturally English that is by descent In this sense the Apostle useth the word Rom. 11.24 If the natural branches are broken off c. The Gentiles wanted this being by offspring sinners 〈◊〉 nature in Eph. 2.2 is taken for that corrupt qualification of nature which they draw out of their parents loyns Grace at first was connatural to us and had been propagated from parents to children ex traduce if Adam had stood as now corruption is As therefore the children of Israel were called the holy seed and yet some of them are stiled the children of the Sorcerer and the whore Ethiopians c. Esa 57.3 Amos 9.7 So may one and the same person be holy by way of Covenant and yet unholy in respect of those internal qualifications For there is a relative and a positive holiness though they want the later yet may they be under the former 2. Their children are under grace for are not many of them under the everlasting Covenant made between the Father and the Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before these secular times therefore all time even from eternity Are not elect children given to Christ before all time Doth he not know them by name And having loved them with an everlasting love doth he not in time draw them with the cords of his love even with the cords of a man suitable to a rational creature out of the hands of sin Satan and this present world Doth he not swaddle them and bring them into the bond of the Covenant even into that Covenant called the sure mercies of David Doth he not gloriously irradiate with the beams of his countenance on their souls in heaven for their heaven is the face of God Will not Christ at the last day embrace such as he did on earth saying Here am I and the Children which thou hast given me And were they not under grace Is not all this a part of electing grace Surely this is the spring of all the first wheel that moves all the rest Rom. 11.7 and though there be a wheel in a wheel yet all shall tend to their good as all the wheels in a clock tend to make the clockstrike Obj. The second fundamental point that this error opposeth is the stability in the Covenant of grace they say The Covenant made Abraham's seed was conditional and broken by them but the Covenant of grace is absolute Ans The Covenant of grace is conditional as appears by the whole current of the scriptures Deut. 7.12 13. Wherefore it shall come to pass if ye hearken to these judgments and keep and do them that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the Covenant and the mercie which he sware unto thy Fathers Lev. 26.41 If then
their uncircumcised hearts be humbled then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob and my Covenant with Isaac and my Covenant with Abraham will I remember Joh. 3.16 That whosoever believeth should not perish Where we see plainly That the Covenant of grace is conditional 2. This Covenant hath been broken therefore it 's conditional 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foedus Foedus enim faâ—ientes primo jurabant postea transibant inter partes pecudis quasi dicerent discindantur dividantur ejus membra fiat sicut pecus istud qui juramemtum violaverit sicut habetur Jer. 34 18. Sic foederis faciendi morem describit Livius Sacerdos feriebat porcum silice sic a Jove feriatur is qui sacrum hoc fregeriâ— foedus ut ego hunc poroum feris Psal 89.28 to the 37 the Psalmist pleads the breach of it Thou hast made void the Covenant of thy servant 2 Kin. 17.15 They rejected his Covenant that he made with their Fathers therefore v. 20. the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel Esa 24.5 They have broken the everlasting Coâ—enant Num. 14.34 Ye shall know my breach of promise For they failed in point of faith therefore â—hey did not enter into his rest Dan. 9. He shall confirm the Covenant with many for one week in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifices and the oblations to cease Christ preached 3 years and an half and did confirm or was ready to confirm that Covenant made with Abraham and his posterity which Covenant was tendered by the Apostles to the Jews for another 3 years and an half but they not closing with Christ as the sacrifice ceased with his death so the Covenant not long after was made void for the ax was all that while layd to the root of the tree and at last for their unfruitfulness they were discovenanted and cut off from the root Abraham Joh. 8.35 Then was the staff of beauty broken Zac. 11.10 even that which was the beauty and glory of that nation which the Covenant of works never was and this upon their wilfull and obstinate rejecting of Christ which shews plainly it could not be the Covenant of works 3. There were two sorts of Israelites the spiritual and the carnal Israelite with both these the Covenant was made conditionally the Lord promised them the land of Canaan but they believed not either that ever God intended it There are many that are visibly in a Covenant of grace under the Gospel that may be cast out from Gods people yet it follows not but that it is a Covenant of grace though broken by them or that the land was so good as was reported to them or that ever they should be able to enter in because the Anakims were there therefore saith the Apostle they could not enter in for though the promise was absolute to some of the seed of Abraham to enter in yet for particulars it was conditional The Lord promised they should enjoy the land for ever 2 Chron. 33.8 Neither will I remove them any more out of the land so that they will take heed to do what I commanded them Thus Ethan pleads as was mentioned Ps 89.34 My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone of my lips but saith he thou hast made void the Covenant of thy servant thou hast profaned his Crown by casting it to the ground Solomon broke Covenant with God in tolerating idolatry setting up two Gods therefore God set up two Kings and cut off the line of Solomon in Coniah so called ob contemptum Jer. 22.30 Write ye this man childless for though he had seed yet were they cut off in the captivity so that no man of his seed did sit upon the throne of David for ever And were not the Children of Israel cast out Did not God depart from Sion and the Temple though he had promised that in Sion he would dwell for ever and that his ey and heart should be upon the Temple because they had been unsteady and falsified with God in the Covenant Psal 89. Thus he dealt with the carnal Israelites and with the body of that nation and could the spiritual Israelite plead not guilty But yet because their hearts were right before him for the main the Lord did not look at their miscarriages as a breach of Covenant so as to make it null and of none effect There may be articles in a Lease broken by the Tenant but whilst the main Covenant is not broken as non-payment of Rent the Lease is not forfeited So in the Covenant of grace there are many particular articles which are often broken but the main condition is This Pepper-corn of obediâ—nce is the Condition That thou shalt take me for thy God as I am willing to take thee for one of my peculiar people now if this Condition be not broken the Covenant is not broken neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant saith the Psalmist Psal 44.17 This condition was not broken by the spiritual Israelite for say they v. 18 20. Our heart is not turned back neither have we forgotten the name of our God There may be fallings out betwixt the wife and the husband but unless she chuse another husband the marriage is not null So there may be many fallings out between God and the soul but till the soul makes choice of another God there is no breach of the Covenant as to the main But here is the happiness of a true Israelite That God keeps Covenant with him and for him there is no condition in that Covenant of grace which Christ hath not undertaken to perform for us therefore Hezekiah when he sees the Father angry turns to the Son the second person in Trinity saying Lord undertake thou for me Esa 38.14 There are two things by which we live by what God saith and what he doth by a promise and a providence thou hast said it and thou hast done it v. 15. In these two is the life of my spirit Temporals were but as nuts and apples given to that infant Church in the time of their infancy to engage their hearts to God Hence that phrase I will give the land to thy seed Jer. 17.7 to be a God to them but though God denied the husk and outside of the promise yet he gave the kernel and inside of it to the spiritual Israelite he promised them silver and payd them with gold Esa 60. To those gave he rest in a better land with them as his Church he did rest and abide for ever his ey and his heart was towards them and their prayers though poor shrubs praying in the Temple or towards it i. e. in Christ or towards Christ though they could not evidence their union with Christ a wistly look after Christ was accepted 4. Therefore I say from adherent federal grace such as are onely visible members of the Church may fall Gal. 5.1 2. Dan. 11.30 And shall have intelligence
with them that forsake the holy Covenant Heb. 4.1 Let us therefore fear least a promise being left us of entering into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it that is should really fall short of it as the word is usually taken in scripture phrase but as for the elect Christ hath undertaken for them that they shall never perish Joh. 10.28 Esa 55.3 I will give you the sure mercies of David that is Christ Obj. This Tenent overthrows the necessity of Conversion Ans This Covenant includes regeneration and conversion in it Deut. 30.7 I will circumcise the heart of thy seed which sheweth That the outward Circumcision did signifie the circumcising of the heart which the Lord promiseth to make good to our seed now in the days of the Gospel as appears from v. 1 5 11. Compared with Rom. 10.6 Hos 14.7 Those under thy shadow shall return 2. Hath not the Lord made faith and repentance the condition of the Covenant on our part Joh. 3.16 which Christ hath undertaken with the Father to work effectually in the elect For want of which qualifications many thousands are damned for ever though the Children of Abraham visibly What hast thou to do saith the Lord Psal 50.16 to take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed Yet were their children under the outward administration of it therefore we say They might as well have debarred all the children of Israel from that outward priviledg as now debarr the children of believers upon the same account it 's said Mat. 8.12 Many shall come from the East and from the West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of heaven but the children of the Kingdom shall be cast out that is such as were so born and visibly so continued for a while such I say shall be cast out of the Kingdom of heaven or the Church here below not the Church above out of which none are properly said to be cast because they were never in it Obj. This opinion overthrows the foundation of all Gospel-Churches As First It destroys the matter of a Church which ought to be Saints by calling 1 Cor. 1.2 But this tenent doth unavoidably admit into the Church all the unconverted and unregenerate children born of the bodies of such persons that either were or have been accounted believers Secondly It admits into the Church good and bad promiscuously and all those unbaptized and what light in the Gospel have you to justifie such an Assembly to be the true Church of Christ Ans To the first we say It destroys not the matter of a Church visible consisting of visible Saints Therefore they are incompleâ—â— Members of the Church for such are children and so owned by the Apostle as holy i. e. relatively holy if not positively 1 Cor. 7. Ezra 9.2 the holy seed i. e. such as are set apart for God and dedicated to him in a peculiar manner and many of them sanctified from the womb Thus Jeremiah Esaias John Baptist the last of the old and the first of the new Testamenâ—â— Now whether should we take the testimony of God or the testimony of men If we receive the witness of men saith the Apostle the witness of God is greater 1 Joh. 5.9 Man makes confession or profession of Christ this is an human testimonie and we accept it and shall we reject a divine testimony God forbid Let God be true and every man a lyer Rom. 3. 2. They are acknowledged as members of the Church by the Apostle Paul for writing to the Churches of Coloss and Ephesus Col. 1.2 3 and 20. Eph. 2.1 he directs his Epistle to châ—ldren as well as parents 3. We answer That children upon their discovery of themselves not to be visible Saints are to be suspended from the Ordinances as in the old Testament the Priests were to distinguish between the holy and the profane Jer. 7. The Lord complains that they made his house a den of thieves such then were not to be admitted to the Passover In order to which the Porters were charged to keep back from the Temple such as were unclean in any matter though they were circumcised 2 Chron 22.19 If this rule were observed in the old Testament then surely it is not to be neglected in the new Ans To the second Objection Mr Pat. pag. 69. Whereas they say Such Assemblies are no Churches because they are not baptized which is essential to a particular visible Church therefore we may have no communion with them for God never had any Church-union or communion with any soul which was not baptized that is rebaptized Here are great swelling words as the Apostle Jude saith such spirits it seems there were in his time But we answer First If such were no Churches then for many hundreds of years Christ's promise fell to the ground Mat. 16.18 19. I will give unto thee the Keys of the Kingdom of heaven The Keys as they grant were given to particular visible Churches against which making up the body of Christ the gates of hell saith Christ shall not prevail but by this Doctrin they did prevail for above 1500 years seeing that till that time we read not of any such Churches as they challenge to themselves these therefore are but sandy foundations and certainly when the winds of temptation shall blow and the rain of affliction shall fall and the flouds of persecution come their houses will fall 2. What say you to Rev. 11.4 Are not the two Candlesticks the Churches according to scripture phrase We had Churches in England before there was any Church at Rome as Matthew Paris tells us Therefore we received not our doctrine or ordination originally from Rome which farther appears by this That the Brittish Churches in the celebration of Easter observed the custom of the Eastern Churches and not of the Church of Rome which doubtless they would have done had they received the Gospel from thence as Flaccius Illyricus well observeth which are to be slain as well as the olive trees a little before the last downfall of Anti-Christ and doth not the scripture own these Churches as true under the reign of Antichrist for one thousand two hundred and threescore years and will or dare any disown them because not rebaptized 3. Had they minded well the command of the holy Ghost they had not been so grossly mistaken Son of man saith the Lord There is but one going in and that in the singular number but many goings out of the Church of God which last word is in the plural Ezek 44.5 Pones cor tuum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in ingressu domuâ— omnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exitus Sanctuarij Ez. 44 5. mark well the entering in of the house and every going forth of the Sanctuary They say we must enter in by baptism which is essential to a Church but thus they unchurch all the Churches in the world but
their own whereas we are visible members of the body of Christ before being under the Covenant of grace which is the in-let to the Church of Christ but solemnly admitted by baptism 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 2. For Christ himself was head of the Church before he was baptized being King of the Jews 4. Whereas they say Christ hath no such union or communion with our Churches because not baptized This is one of the greatest errors that ever was broached in the world but we say The communication of Faith is made effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which Christ hath wrought Phil. 6. Non habet dei charitatem qui Ecclesiae non diligit unitatem Augustin I answer I am sorry to see such a spirit of error and pride gone forth into the world that men should maintain such palpable errors with so much confidence and arrogancie for have we not proved that our Churches are true Churches Where Christ vouchsafes his presence there we may and must vouchsafe ours unless there be some apparent ground to the contrary But in our Churches Christ vouchsafes his presence Why then should any withdraw seeing they can render no reason for so doing And hath not Christ walked in the midst of our candle-sticks hetherto Rev. 2. The experience of thousands yea millions of souls may bear witness to this truth and rise up and call us blessed yea upon our late repairing of the Tabernacle or Tabernacles hath not the Lord vouchsafed his presence and filled our Tabernacles with his glory Exod. 40.34 Num. 9.15 On that day the Tabernacle was reared the cloud covered the Tabernacle Thus upon the casting out of the poor blind man Ioh. 9.35 Jesus appeared unto him and made such a discovery of himself to his soul as you shall scarse read in all the book of God but they have not onely excommunicated some few that dissent in judgment from them in this point though godly but all the Churches of God in the world crying as they in Esa 65.5 Stand by thy self come not near me I am holyer than thou that is I have devised a holyer way of worship than thou These are a smoke in the nostrils of the Lord and a fire that burneth all the day and doubtless God will appear to the joy of such as are cast out clave errante with an erring key and to the shame of those that thus have cast them forth as abominable branches Esa 66.5 Obj. The Jews were truly under the Covenant of Circumcision Gen. 17.10 but never all of them so much as visibly in the Covenant of grace An. We grant they were all circumcised which still they call the Covenant but that they were all under a Covenant of grace savingly we deny though so far as it extended there was a reality in it 2 Pet. 2.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Having truly escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledg of Christ these common gifts purchased by Christ and given by the spirit to the sons of men are true and real though not saving grace Thus the carnal Jews and carnal Gospellers children may be said to be under a Covenant of grace truly and really so far as it goes though they never attain to the enjoyment of the spiritual part thereof the Jew had much benefit by that Covenant as we shall shew hereafter But it was not fulfilled to them all in the utmost extent of it Secret things belong to God but things revealed to us and to our children That God will be our God and the God of our seed is a thing revealed therefore it belongs to us but how many of our children he hath chosen or how far he hath taken them into Covenant with himself or how far the promise belongs to them is a secret thing which must be left to God It is true Abraham and his posterity were circumcised Gen. 17.10 but it doth not follow that all his posterity were in reality and truth under a Covenant of grace as to the spiritual part thereof though visibly they were under it as to the outward administration and enjoyed many common mercies by virtue of that Covenant For what hast thou saith the Lord to do to take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed But God did not cut off that entail till he gave them a bill of divorce Obj. No children fare the betteâ— for the faith of their parents in respect of this Covenant Ans This query the Apostle answers Rom. 3.1 What advantage hâ—th the Jew more than others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quid amplius Judaeo He answers Much every way First That unto them were committed the Oracles of God Word and promises non ut alienae rei depositum but as their own proper treasure Psal 147.19 Deut. 4.6 7.8 What Nation is there so great c. Three things make a nation great 1. That they have God nigh to them and that they are nigh to God again 2. That they have statutes and judgments so rightous as theirs were 3. In that they are a wise and understanding people These three you have in the Text But how came they to be so wise if not by the enjoyment of these Ordinances which are the glorie of all lands Secondly By virtue of this Covenant they had the Tabernacle of God amongst them a Church erected and they with their children members of that Church Psal 147.13 He hath blessed thy children within thee How highly doth the Apostle extol this christian priviledg Heb. 12.22 Ye are not come to Mount Sinai but to Mount Sion viz. To fellowship with the Church below and the Church above for these two differ but as the porch and the house the suburbs and the city Great is the priviledg that members have in this respect Consider how near and dear such are to God Psal 87.2 He loves the very gates of Sion in which gates they had their Assemblies even the outside of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob What sweet enjoyments have they that walk in such ways If it be so sweet on earth where a few imperfect members mixed with many corrupt members meet together ah how much more sweet will it be in heaven when that great Assembly shall meet and have no mixtures at all Is it therefore no advantage to children that they may sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdom of heaven But ah how sad will it be with them if they be hereafter cast out into utter darkness Thirdly The presence of God is in his Tabernacle Exo. 40.34 The glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle when they punctually observed the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses Fourthly By virtue of this Covenant the Angel of his presence saved them and stood betwixt Pharaoh and them Exod. 14.19 q. d. Thou must strike through my loins if thou wound Israel my first-born Yea the Archangel Christ hath his Angels under him
simply the argument is not conclusive In Scripturis non datur prius posterius But if they will argue hence That they must first be taught by men we retort Mark 1 4 Iohn did baptize in the wilderness and preach the baptism of repentance where you see baptism is put before preaching 3. * Matt. 28 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The antecedent to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per Synthesis Thus Romans 9 24 v. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gall. 4.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col 2.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caput ex quo Mat. 15.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 16.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which notes the personality of the holy Ghost If we precisely stick to the words then women are excluded for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the masculine gender 4. For the adult we say teaching ordinarily goes before the administration of the Seal but not so in infants It was sufficient that Abraham was effectually taught though his children were not as yeâ— capable of instruction notwithstanding as he so they were all admitted to the seal of circumcision 5. If the Lord had given a Commission to the Apostles saying Go teach all nations circumcising them in the name of the Father had this been inconsistent with Infant-Circumcision I say no but if the Lord say Go ye disciple all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost why should any imagin that Infants are excluded This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies properly to disciple them q. d. admit them into the school of Christ thus the word is constantly used in the new Testament as in Mat. 27 57 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Heb. 7.11 The people received the Law that is were legalized disciplined after a legal manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was Iesus's disciple or he was disciple to him Where we see plainly That relative discipleship may be admitted of in scripture Acts 14 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having evangelized that city that is turned them into the mold of the Gospel and discipled a competent number they ordained Elders in every Church v. 23. 6. Making disciples being an aorist hath the force of a future tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and baptizing is of the present tense therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to have the precedencie 7. Though make disciples be first in order of words yet not of things For he doth not say Go make disciples and baptize them but make disciples â—aptizing them As if he had said By dedicating â—hem to God in that Ordinance they are made disâ—iples of Christ 8. If children be left out in this commission it is because 1. They are not named and so women are excluded also for they are not named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being of the masculine gender Or 2. Because they are not capable of being taught and so of being Disciples of Christ But the contrary hath been proved That they are taught by God and after they are come out of their infancie are capable of being taught of men The Second Argument Such children as are incovenanted are to be sealed with the initial seal of the Covenant But the children of believing Parents Si rem concedant que major est cur nâ—n signum quâ—d minâ—s est In omni enim Sacrament signum iâ— quantum signum incomparabilitèr minus est quam Res ipsa Luther de cap. Bap. are incovenanted Therefore They are to be sealed with the initial seal of the Covenant The first Proposition is proved Gen. 17 7 9 and I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God to thee and to thy seed after thee Thou shalâ— keep my Covenant therefore thou and thy seed after thee in their generations You see the Covenant is made by the Lord himself a ground of Circumcision Now where we have a promise laid for the foundation of a duty it is equivalent to any express command seeing the will of God is as well known by promise or threatning Ier. 10 25 or necessary consequence as by express command or example Yea those words thou shalt keep my Covenant therefore extend to us also in the new Testament but not as to circumcision therefore to baptism I would fain know whether by virtue of this covenant made with Abraham the posterity of Abraham shall not be reinstated into that land Mic. 7 14 15 Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old and according to the days of thy coming out of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things Ver. 20 Thou wilt perform thy truth to Iacob and thy mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old If so as I shall shew hereafter more fully then these words thou shalt keep my Covenant therefore can not be meant of circumcision which was long since abolished but must needs be meant of baptism which cometh instead thereof seeing there is no other initial seal mentioned in the new Testament Which seal of the Covenant not onely the natural feed of Abraham the Jews but all his spiritual seed the Gentiles are bound to apply to their children by virtue of this command Had not circumcision been ceremonial and another sign instituted instead thereof no doubt it had been in force to this day As that of the Sabbath what is moral in that command remains though that seventh day of rest from the creation be abolished yet there is another seventh day instead thereof appointed which is the first of the last seven as the other was the last of the first This then is moral in that of circumcision That our faith is to be held forth and professed to the world by the dedication of our children to God Gen. 17 12. He that is eight days old shall be circumcized This is no institution of Circumcision Erg. Exod. 12 When he speaks of the circumcision of the children of Proselytes there is no day limited for the observance thereof as is well observed by some but a subsequent directory for the particular day The institution it self we find in vers 10 without any restriction to infancie in that latitude See Ainsworth Num. 9 6 7 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as comprising Males of any age omnis mas every male whether man or child shall be circumcised Thus the new Testament Gal. 3 28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 male female there is no limitation of it therefore it may as largely be taken as the word before mentioned Gen. 17 10. We see then that the Covenant is still in force and the command thereto annexed sc That Infants should be sealed onely the Seal of circumcision is turned into baptism Those males and females Gal. 3 28 are equally priviledged
out they had lost by the coming of Christ Secondly The grace of Christ had been straighter in the new Testament than in the old Thirdly Then what ground of hope had the parent to plead for his child Or how may the child come in the name of his fathers God which they were wont to do pleading the Covenant if he have no interest to it as from his parents 6. We have sufficiently proved That the Covenant runs in the natural line of believers as to the outward administration of it 〈◊〉 at lest till it be cut off by parents or children onely it is established with Isaac and all such as are true Isaacs 7. Except in relation to the Covenant in that place Act. 2 there could be no occasion of naming Children For The Apostle might have said The promise is to you and those that are afar off even as many as the Lord shall call without putting in Children but he lets them understand That notwithstanding that bitter curse his bloud be upon us and upon our children they were not as yet discovenanted though the ax lay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 3 at the root of the tree ready to cut them off from Abraham if they closed not with Christ 8. That limitation to children when they are called holds forth no more priviledge to the children of bâ—lievers than to the children of Pagans but how uncomfortable this doctrine is let the world judg 9. Is not this strange doctrine That tâ—e faith of the parent should set the child farther â—ff from Goâ— before they were near by the bloud of the Lord but now afar â—ff In that very moment the parent believes not the child is under a Covenant in the next moment the parent believes for regeneration is in an * Generatio fit in instanti instant as generation is the child is discovenanted how comes this sudden change 10. The Argument so put as formerly is alledged is no Argument at all for whether the parent repent or not repent in case the children be called the promise belongs to them If a Landlord should move his Tenant to give up his old Lease wherein the lives of his children are included which also hath certain priviledges to him and his children and to take a new one in which his childrens lives are left out having no more priviledges than mere strangers could he rationally perswade him to surrender up the old Lease or grant and to take a new one from the benefit that may accrue to the Tenant by it the lives of his children being left out in the Lease And what force is there in this manner of arguing judge ye You and your children have been hetherto under a Covenant of grace now in case you believe your children shall be discovenanted but if hereafter they or any of the heathens shall believe they shall be admitted into the Covenant but their children shall be left out Had this been of any force to perswade them to enter into the way of the new Testament Or to comfort poor souls that doubtless were much troubled about that bitter curse his bloud be upon us and our children Would it not have disheartened them for ever and made them stumble at that stumbling-stone Obj. This promise is meant of extraordinary gifts Ans This salve reacheth not the sore they were pricked and wounded in the very heart and stood in need of comfort to support their fainting spirits of a God to pardon a Christ to save a Spirit to sanctifie and comfort therefore we may not limit the promise to those extraordinary gifts For what comfort had it been to them to tell them they should receive the gift of Tongues and working miracles when they hung over the chimnies of hell as I may so speak or the smoak of the damned ready to be cast into the everlasting flames for ought they knew every moment 2. It 's to all that are a far off to wit Gentiles Now all such do not receive any such extraordinary gifts neither have they any such promise if so none in these days for ought I know are effectually called To put an end to this Text observe these 3 things First The promises that are made to Parents are made to their children also Children are under the same Covenant with their parents Secondly A right to the promise is a ground of right to the Seal Or being in Covenant is the ground of being baptized for to whom belongs the Covenant to them belongs the Seal of the Covenant Foederati sunt signandi Thirdly * Ad quos causa legis proxima immediata pertinet ad illos etiam lex illa pertinet Tom. Exer. Upon the same ground that parents are baptized their children may and must be baptized for there is the like reason for the one as for the other But parents are baptized because the promise is to them Therefore the Children may and must be baptized on the same ground because the promise is to them also q. d. Ye Jews that now repent and believe be ye baptized with your children for the promise is to you and to your children The duty of being baptized extends as far as the ground or reason of it But that extends to Children Therefore so doth the duty also VVE come now to other Scriptures For with this great scripture Act. 2 the body of the scripture doth concurr Abraham Nomina in futurum proposita nihil possunt in futuruÌ„ promittere sed quod nomen os Domini nominavit propheticum est futurorum Riv in Gen. 17 Datum fuit nomen pro signo effectus futuri ut quotiescunque occurreret ei nomen suum revocaret in memoriam dei promissionem Nomen Abrahae mutatum ante institutionem circumcisionis ut liquido constaret pactum promissionis non tantum ad unam gentem circumcisam sed ad multas gentes pertinere Gat. As Gen 17 7 and 28 4. And give thee the blessing of Abraham to thee and thy seed after thee Compared with Gal 3 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles This later text is explained by the former Lev. 26 42 I will remember my Covenant with Jacob and my Covenant with Isaac and with Abraham Observe how he ascends He begins with Jacob Esau being cut off from Jacob to Isaac Ishmael being cut off from Isaac to Abraham This will he do when they accept of the punishment of their iniquity that is kiss the rod and humble themselves under the mighty hand of God because and because for so the original renders it they dispised his judgements Then saith the Lord ver 45 I will remember the Covenant of their Ancesters this promise relates to their last captivity ver 44. Compared with Rom. 11.1 26 28. Deut. 43 If in thy later days thou return he will not forget the Covenant made with thy fathers Verse 37 Because he loved thy fathers therefore he chose their seed after them
lament That two parts of three are cut off from the Covenant of Grace 4. Then are Children losers by Christs coming in the flesh as hath been already proved for before they were in the * A baptized Jew having one Infant born before the abrogation of Circumcision and another after might look at the former as a member but the later without hope as a heathen or else on that elder as a heathen to day who was a member yesterday Covenant but now discovenanted so should they be in a worse condition in the new Testament than they were in the old yea then was the first Adam more prevalent to damn than the second to save for had he stood we with our Children had stood but though parents in the second Adam stand yet their Children are cashiered before they have done any thing to discovenant themselves 5. Then should the grace of God be more large in the times of the old Testament than in the new but the Apostle tells us Christ is a surety of a better Testament Heb. 7.22 established upon better promises Heb. 8.6 Ex. 26.9 compared with Ex. 36.9 The five curtains on the one side of the Tabernacle and five on the other side were of one size and made up one Tabernacle Ex. 26.6 these were coupled together by loops that the Tabernacle might be one ver 11. And what are those two curtains but the Church of the Jews and Gentiles making up one Tabernacle Ez. 47.14 And ye shall inherit it one as well as another They are all to share alike in the division of that land which did signify That Aequale est omnium fidelium Jus in possessione haereditatis coelestis partes enim aequales dantur omnibus expressà voluntate dei non inaequales ut à Mose Josua qui distribuorant terram juxta multitudinem hominum Polan that is one Church of God These are of an equal size that is equally priviledged and all of them by bonds and sinews that is the bond of the Covenant and the grace of the Spirit coupled and united together Col. 2 19. Ex. 20.37 If then that Covenant did extend to the Jews Children as a part of the Tabernacle then also must it of necessity extend to the Children of the Gentiles which make up the other part of the Tabernacle and so both make one Eph. 2.14 6 If Children have no interest in that Covenant I will be thy God and the Gods of thy seed then have they no interest in the Mediator of that Covenant nor any part in Christs mediation which is limited to them that are under the Covenant Heb. 9.15 12 24. If so then not saved for tell me I beseech you are any saved or brought out of the pit wherein is no water of comfort but by the bloud of the everlasting Covenant Zach. 9. Are not we and ours bound up in that as in a bundle of life 2 Sam. 23. Obj. The Covenant of Circumcision was not a Covenant of grace and life but a Covenant of works by virtue of which the land of Canaan was given to Abraham and his seed Ans Here is a palpable mistake as appears clearly by Neh. 9.8 Thou foundest his heart faithful before thee and madest a Covenant with him to give the land of Canaan to his seed and hast performed thy words for thou art rightous What can be more plain than this that the land of Canaan was not given him considered as a working but as a believing Abraham But because the main stress of the Arguments of the Antipaedobaptists lies here for they do confess and publickly have affirmed That if that Covenant made with Abraham were a Covenant of grace there is no question but that the seal of baptism must be annexed therefore I shall be the more copious in shewing you that the land of Canaan was not given by a Covenant of works but by a Covenant of grace For 1. God doth engage to be his God and the God of his seed which implies more than a temporal blessing for it 's as much as if he had said First I will visibly own thy seed in the world above all the people under heaven whereupon he sets up his Tabernacle and erects his Church amongst them he gives them his word and ordinances he hath not dealt so with any nation saith the Psalmist yea he vouchsafeth his own presence and that in a glorious manner Secondly When he saith I will give thee the land of Canaan and I will be thy God his meaning is I will give them a visible subsistance in the world thus he made good his word to Abraham who had the use of that land though not by way of inheritance the promise lay so warm and so near his heart and did so glow upon his spirit as that by faith he enjoyed it as his own as it is with many a gracious spirit in these days that expects the fulfilling of many glorious promises For faith is the substance of things hoped for and giveth being to such things as have no being themselves Thirdly If they take me for their God I will be their God and give unto them the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holy things of David Esa 55.5 Matt. 22. He is not the God of the dead but of the living that is applied to the resurrection 2. Canaan it self was not given as a mere temporal blessing but as a type and pledge of spiritual and eternal blessings Therefore First It was called the land of Emmanuel Es 8. Secondly Hence it 's made a great part of the glory of that land that it flowed with milk and honey even the ordinances of God sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb Mell◠stillante the life-honey Psal 19. or dropping honey this phrase Ezekiel goes over and over again flowing with milk honey which is the glory of all lands Ezek. 20.6 3. Canaan was a type of the Church and of the state of glory Heb. 4 1 If spirituals and eternals were not promised to the Fathers then were they not by faith apprehended for that which is not promised by faith cannot be apprehended he speaks of another Rest after they were entered into that Rest Heb. 11. If they had rested in that land God would have been ashamed to own them as Children but now they desire a better Country saith the Apostle therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God Hence it was that the Lord loved that land above all other lands in the world and in that Jerusalem and in Jerusalem Sion he loved the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob Psal 87. in Sion the Temple and in the Temple the Holy-of-holies The nearer any thing comes to God the more he loves it 4. Gal. 3. last Then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to promise not of an earthly Canaan but an heavenly For the Galatians had nothing to do with that of Canaan 5. Hence it was
that Moses was so desirous to see that good land that goodly Mountain and Lebanon his mouth runs over he was so taken with it repeating it again and again which prayer the Lord heard as in reference to the end sc to see the land but not in the way and means as he desired Go up to Mount Pisgah and view the land saith the Lord to many a saint yea and to many a reprobate that shall never set foot upon that blessed land 6. Hence it was that they were so ambitious to have their bones carried out of other lands into that land Thus Jacob and Joseph 7. Upon this account it was that Esau was branded with a black coal of infamy to all eternity That he rejected this land that so as oft as he heard his name he might remember upon what terms he sold his birth-right Esau who is Edom Gen. 36.1 8. Edom v. 19. who is Edom and why so because that for a little red-red that is red pottage he sold his birth-right his interest in the promises ordinances heaven Christ whose land that was and when he had sold it he went away from the presence of the Lord to Mount Seir being not at all troubled for what he had done sc that he had discovenanted himself and his 8. Gal. 4. Mount Sinai in Arabia Why should Paul make mention of the situation of that Mountain when as there was none of the Galatians as might be supposed ignorant of it but that there did lie a mystery in the situation of Sinai to wit that it was without the * Foedus de quo nunc agitur modum legis complectitur finem illius nimirum Evangelium Christi locus hujus foederis notabilis est in terra Moab vel in parte haereditatis vel in aditu haereditariae terrae Canaan igitur in ingressu terrae de fine hujus habitationis terrenae admonentur duci ipsos ad praestolationem redemptionis ne vel limitem ipsum sine fide â—alvantes inquinarent Cocceius borders of the promised land which did shadow out that heavenly Country to which we are brought not by the old covenant of works but by the new Covenant of grace of that Covenant of works as it was taken by the carnal Israelites doth the Apostle speak of in Gal. 4. But in Deut. 29.1 you have another Covenant made with Israel in the land of Moab besides the Covenant which he made with them in Horeb. See Deut. 32.8 9. The giving of this land is made a sign of Gods love to Jacob Mal. 1.2 I have loved thee saith the Lord yet ye say Wherein hast thou loved us Was not Esau Jacob ' s brother yet I loved Jacob and hated Esau Mali â—dumaei è sedibus suis ejecti nunquam redituri Glass Mal. 1.1 2. If the giving of the land had not been a sign of his love the Apostle had not alledged those two examples to purpose Rom. 9. Which was to shew who were the Children of God and who not for Canaanaeae privatio etiam rejectionis a salute symbolum Arg. 3. Circumcision was a seal of the rightousness of faith either had or offered Rom. 4. It was a seal of the rightousness of faith with Infants that believe not that look what rightousness the faith of a believer layd hold on Circumcision was a seal of that rightousness Rom. 4.11 Therefore a seal of life tendered to the seed of Abraham For what it was to Abraham the same was it to all his seed that did lay hold on this Covenant If any failed and fell short thereof their destruction was of themselves because they sought rightousness by the works of the Law and not by faith in this Covenant of grace We must not pry into the decrees of God to find out the reasons of eternal election and reprobation Secret things belong to God things revealed to us and to our Children Deut 29 last But if we look into the execution of that decree of reprobation we shall find the ground of it from our selves who wilfully reject the offers and tenders of grace Rom. 9.32 Fourthly It is one and the same Covenant Gen. 17.7 and throughout this is mentioned 13 times in that chapter So Psal 105.8 The Covenant he made with Abraham and Isaac and confirmed the same to Jacob for a law v. 10. Gen. 17.2 to the 7. There are promises more particularly applied to Abraham in which all his seed did share For what ever promises are made to any are made directly or indirectly to the whole body being all yea and amen in Christ and therefore collaterally may be applied to us as That God would multiply his seed both natural and spiritual and make him a father of many nations as the Apostle interprets that Text Rom. 4 and do not we share in that promise Gen. 7.7 19. I will be thy God and the God of thy seed I will establish my Covenant between me thee and thy seed after thee He speaks of it as one and the same Covenant throughout and not as two Covenants as some fondly do imagin Fifthly That women are enabled to conceive bear and bring forth and that their children are provided for 't is of grace 1. Women if believers are saved by grace in child-bearing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. in it as a way though dangerous by it as a means to further their salvation 2. Children are given by grace to the rightous Gen. 33.5 These are the Children which God of his grace hath given me So the multiplying of Children is an act of grace 1 Chron. 28.23 Deut. 33.24 Let Asher be blessed with Children Act. 7.8 He gave him the Covenant of Circumcision and so Abraham begat Isaac yea so great a mercie is it that it engaged the heart of Enoch to walk with God 300 years after he begat Methusalah Gen. 5.22 Thus Abraham walked with God after he received the promise for the multiplying of his seed Gen. 13. which is to be understood literally Deut. 10. last as well as spiritually 3. The provision the Lord maketh for such Children Iisdem nutrimur ex quibus constamus is a fruit of the Covenant of grace for God is the God of the whole man as our Savior reasoneth therefore not onely of the soul but of the body also who by Covenant binds himself to provide for both How sweet is it to a gracious soul to see all things dispensed to him not onely by a providence but also by promise and to see the Throne of God compassed about with the rainbow of his Covenant for so I understand it Rev. 4.3 So that all his dispensations did pass through this rainbow whether they be afflictions which to the rightous are an appendix to the Covenant 2 Sam. 7. or temporal spiritual and eternal mercies all these come swimming to us in the bloud of Christ Sixtly It had been little comfort to Abraham and his seed to have had onely a temporal portion sealed
to them Others of his Children were before the Children of promise for outwards These saith the Text are the Kings that reigned in the land of Edom before there reigned any King over the children of Israel Gen. 36.31 1 Chron. 1.43 But what is all this yea what is that vast Turkish empire but as a crum given to a dog as Luther speaks Doubtless if Abraham had so understood the Lord he would have said as once Luther did to the Duke of Saxony who offered him a great gratuity Non sic satiabor Domine I will not be so put off this Lord shall not suffice me Sevently The bondmen born in Abraham's house had no inheritance in the land of Canaan yet were circumcised yea Abraham's seed for the space of 430 years enjoyed it not therefore Circumcision was not solely a seal of the land of Canaan for as those had no right unto it so Abraham in his posterity enjoyed it not for that space Eighthly The Apostle determines * Quum Deus sacramenta gratiis suis adjungere soleat ex eo quod sacramento privati erant colligit neque gratiae ipsos fuisse participes non est quidem perpetuum argumentum valet tamen quantum ad ordinariam dei dispensationem Calv. in Eph. Eph. 2.12 upon their uncircumcision that they were without God in the world v 11 Remember that at that time ye were Gentiles who were called uncircumcision that at that time ye were strangers to the Covenant of promise Hence that phrase They dy the deaths of the uncircumcised he saith not death but deaths as signifying not onely their corporal but their spiritual and eternal deaths Ezek. 32.25 26. and 28.10 Ninthly When the Lord renews the Covenant for that land of Canaan mark well the Lord did not reinstate them into that land after their return from Babylon Gen. 17.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And I will freely give my Covenant So Galat 3. nor will he bring them back out of their last captivity into that land but by that gracious Covenant Jer. 3.19 How shall I put thee among my Children and give thee the pleasant land Thou shalt call me father and shalt not depart from me Some say the Covenant of Circumcision is to be understood as everlasting as Canaan and the possession thereof which untill Christ's coming who was the substance thereof it being a typical Covenant but it 's as clear as the sun That that land is promised to them in the later times upon their general Call for into that land must they return and fight with the sons of Greece Zac. 9.13 i. e the Turk and his adherents Ezek. 20.37 I will bring them into the bond of the Covenant v. 12 There shall the house of Israel even all of them in the land serve me This relates to their last return Rom. 11.26 So all Israel shall be saved that is the body of the 12 Tribes Thus Ezek. 36.24 I will gather you out of all Countries and bring you into your own land then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers v. 28. And ye shall be my people and I will be your God Yea saith the Text not for your sakes do I this v. 22 32 saith the Lord God be it known unto you q.d. You must not expect that land by a Covenant of works as Moses again and again minds the Israelites Deut. 9.4 Say not for my rightousness hath the Lord brought me to possess this land v. 5 6 7. And adds this memento for fear Israel should forget it Remember and forget not how thou provokedst the Lord in the wilderness Will any then for ever say for the future That the land of Canaan was given to Abrahams ' seed by a Covenant of works I wonder at the confidence of some who strongly affirm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1.7 that which they are wholely ignorant of Surely they were hard bestead when forced to fly to this distinction to avoid the force of that Argument taken from Abraham's Covenant But alas There are many that are enemies to the Cross of Christ as Paul saith Phil. 3.18 of whom I tell you weeping I desire to bemoan the sad condition of such for a spirit of delusion is gone forth into the world to deceive the nations God having given Satan a commission or rather a permission judicially to harden not onely carnal Gospellers but some of his own dear people and this is the sorest judgment that I know that lies upon this nation this day Tenthly That Covenant was Gospel therefore not a fleshly carnal Covenant Gal. 3.18 God gave the inheritance by promise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Gen. 17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 3.8 The Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham Gen. 12. Saying in thee shall all Nations be blessed cap. 22. He saith in thy seed but from that time namely Gen. 22. to the coming out of Aegypt viz. Exod. 12.41 was not * Nay scarse 390 neither can the words Gal. 3. be referred to the first promise Gen. 12 For there was no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or confirmation mentioned before Gen. 17.18 Where it was confirmed by sacrifice after by the sacrament of Circumcision lastly by an oath cap. 22. four hundred and thirty years Therefore it must be referred to this 15 chapter or to the 17. But it 's not much material to which place of the two you referr it seeing that it 's one and the same Covenant But more fully explained accordingly as Abraham walked with God cap. 12 Lecleca It 's Dativus commodi when God calls them out of his country he bids him go for himself and tells him v. 3 he will bless him and that in him all nations shall be blessed upon this Abraham departed and comes into this land where the Lord appears to him cap. 12.7 and saith Unto thy seed will I give this land he had not told him that before after this there was a great famin in that land which was no small tryal to Abraham's faith that coming out of such a fertil soil as Chaldea was he should be put to such straits and forced to travel to Aegypt for food where he sojourns awhile and thence returns to the land whence he came there God appears to him again upon that self-denying act ca. 13.7 Abraham takes notice that the Canaanite dwelt in the land and therefore yields to his brother Lot who made choice of the fattest soil as intending rather to feed his flocks than to feed souls but the Lord again appears to Abraham cap. 13.4 saying All this land will I give he enlargeth his charter and lets him know he shall be no loser by him upon another act of self-denyal least the King of Sodom should say He had made Abraham rich the Lord again appears to him cap. 15.1 saying