at all of Abraham's Seed as such but of Isaac's and besides 't is not said to thy Seed but it is spoken of or concerning his Seed But now I say the Apostle must needs refer to and intend some promise wherein this very phrase to thy Seed is expresly used The strength of this Argument as I have said lying in the manner of expression there being a mystery in that phrase implying that the blessing of Abraham should not be enjoyed by all that might lay claim to this relation to Abraham as his Seed but by his Seed which were of the faith as the Apostle explains it Rom. 4.13 Secondly That the blessing said to be come come upon the Gentiles through Christ is that blessing contained in that promise of the Covenant is evident from verse 29 where saith the Apostle If ye be Christs then are ye Abraham 's Seed and heirs according to promise Heirs of what Why verse 14 tells us of the blessing of Abraham But heirs according to what promise Why verse 16. tells us that promise made to the Seed of Abraham Now how could they be heirs of that blessing according to or by vertue of that promise unless the blessing they were heirs unto were the blessing or good contained in that promise Can any be heirs to a blessing according to or by vertue of that promise in which that blessing is not contained Or can a promise convey a right to that good which is not contained in it who can imagine it Therefore doubtless the blessing must needs be the blessing contained in that promise made to Abraham and his Seed in their generations Thirdly That the blessing of Abraham said to be come upon believing Gentiles through Christ is the blessing contained in that promise is evident from verse 9 where it is said they that are of the faith are blessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with faithful Abraham that is blessed with the same blessing that Abraham was blessed with Now there is no blessing that Abraham was blessed with that can possibly come upon the Gentiles but only the blessing contained in this promise and therefore that must needs be the blessing here intended But three things will be objected against our taking this Scripture as an express settlement of Abraham's blessing as it consisted in that promise of God being a God to him and his Seed upon believing Gentiles First It will be objected That this blessing is not meant of that blessing with which Abraham himself was blessed but of that blessing promised to him with reference to his Seed which was that God would be a God to them as he was to Abraham himself To this I answer It is all one whether we understand it of the blessing promised to Abraham with reference to himself or with reference to his Seed in as much as the Promise made to Abraham himself and that made to him with reference to his Seed is one and the same What God promised to Abraham viz. That he would be a God to him and his natural Seed that he promised to his Seed viz. to be a God to them in their generations that is as before explained to them and their Seed and besides taking it so the promise to Abraham's natural Seed was to them in their generations And in like manner as the Apostle here affirms it runs to believing Gentiles viz. to them in their generations including Parents and Children But if we compare this phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the blessing of Abraham with verse 9. it is evident it was the blessing wherewith Abraham himself was blessed the blessing of Abraham according to the propriety of the phrase properly signifies the blessing that Abraham himself injoy'd and to be blessed with Abraham to enjoy his blessing and to inherit the good promised to him with reference to his Seed intends in the language and disputation of the Apostle one and the same thing an undeniable evidence that the promise as made to Abraham with reference to his Seed contained the very same good it contained as made to Abraham himself the Father of that Seed Now to him it was to him and his Seed that is his natural Seed and therefore it is the same to his Seed to them and their natural Seed or which is all one to them in their generations Secondly It will be objected That this blessing is not meant of a relative good consisting in a Covenant-relation between God and Abraham and his Seed but is meant of these spiritual blessings of Reconciliation Justification Adoption and Eternal Life vouchsafed to Abraham as personally considered and 't is granted that Abraham's blessing consisting of these spiritual blessings is come upon believing Gentiles through Christ But what is this to that promise made to Abraham concerning Gods being a God to him and his Seed in their generations constituting an external Covenant-relation between God and them To this I answer This Objection will be obviated by the second thing proposed for the clearing up of the settlement made of Abraham's blessing upon believing Gentiles by the express letter of this Scripture and therefore I shall only say thus much at present that it is granted the spiritual benefits or blessings now mentioned were included in this blessing said here to be come upon the Gentiles through Christ yet not exclusive of that relative good of a Covenant state and relation between God and Abraham and his Seed but that is the first and primary good intended and that which is the foundation of all the rest and in which they are all vertually included Thirdly It will be further objected That the blessing here said to be come upon the Gentiles through Christ is not that blessing wherewith Abraham himself was blessed but that blessing promised to the Nations in him and consequently the Apostle intends not the blessing contained in that promise of the Covenant mentioned in that Gen. 17.7 but that blessing spoken of Gen. 12.3 where God Promises unto Abraham that in him all the Nations of the earth should be blessed and that the Apostle intends it of that blehng contained in that promise and not of that blessing contained in that Gen. 17. appears from verse the eighth of this third of Galatians To this I answer two things First That though I freely grant that this blessing said by our Apostle to be come upon the Gentiles be that blessing with which 't was promised to Abraham That the Nations should be blessed in him yet it will not follow that it is not the blessing or good contained in that grand promise of the Covenant yea that it is the blessing contained in that grand promise of the Covenant is abundantly proved from what hath been already spoken And therefore Secondly I answer That that blessing with which God promised so to bless the Nations in Abraham is the same blessing contained in that grand promise of the Covenant and therefore the Apostle might have and certainly
hath reference to both these promises in this Chapter For the clearing up of this let it be observed that there are three things considerable in this blessing promised to Abraham with reference to the Nations of the Earth First There is the matter of this blessing and that is summarily their having and enjoying God as a God unto them and theirs Secondly There are the means of their injoying that blessing and these are either chief and principal viz. Christ as removing the curse of the Law and purchasing that blessing for them by his death and suffering 2. The subordinate and less principal viz. Abraham himself Thirdly There is the notion or consideration under which they should receive and injoy this blessing and that is as Abraham's Seed Now in that Gen. 12.3 we have a more general promise of this blessing with which God intended to bless the Nations and also a specification of the means both supream and principal and also subordinate and less principal of their coming to the injoyment of it they should be blessed in Abraham that is in Abraham himself as the less principal means in Christ the Seed of Abraham as the chief and principal means But in this Gen. 17 7. we have both the matter of the blessing asure promised and the notion under which they should receive and injoy it I will be saith God a God to thee and thy Seed often thee in theirs generations The notion under which God promised to bless the Nations in Abraham is as they were his Seed the matter of the blessing is that God would be a God to them in their generations that is to them and theirs So that these two Promises Gen. 12.3 and Gen. 17.7 are not two distinct Promises containing two distinct blessings but they contain one and the same blessing and as taken joyntly together declare the full mind of God concerning his blessing the Nations of the Earth in Abraham The sum of all comes to thus much That God would make Abraham as a Father of natural Children from among whom the Messiah should come so a spiritual or mystical Father and answerably would through the interposal of that one principal Member of his Seed viz. Christ be a God to him and his Seed both natural and mystical in their generations and consequently I the Nations of the Earth whether of Abraham's natural Race or Posterity or of the Gentiles that were designed to be blessed should be blessed in Abraham as his Seed or in him as a common Father to them all And in his Seed viz. Christ as the procuring cause of that their blessedness Hence it is no wonder though the Apostle in speaking of the way of the blessings coming upon the Gentiles hath reference to both these promises both as I said taken together and in conjunction one with the other containing the full mind of God concerning his blessing the world As a close of all let me add that as God promised to bless the Nations in Abraham as before opened so he made Abraham himself a copy or pattern according unto which he promised to bless them in him and that both in respect of the blessing it self with which he would bless them and in respect of the terms and manner of their possessing and inheriting that blessing viz. Through faith in Christ expressing it self in universal obedience For the further proof of this let it be observed that both the Hebrew prefix and the Greek preposition we translate in may be translated after the manner or according to For the Greek see Hebr. 4.11 whence Calvin gives the sense thus Non tantum significat ipsum fore exemplar sed causam benedictionis Junius and Tremelius give this gloss Familiae terrae tibi insitae per fidem participes fiunt harum promissionum benedictionumque tuarum And thus the Apostle expounds this promise of being blessed in Abraham by another phrase blessed with Abraham Now then having proved that this blessing said by the Apostle to be come upon the Gentiles through Christ is that very blessing or good contained in that grand Promise of the Covenant and that not only in that branch of it that refers to Abraham's Seed but in that branch referring directly unto Abraham himself wherein God ingaged to be a God to him and his Seed and consequently that this is the blessing said to be come upon the Gentiles I come now to the second thing proposed viz. to prove that this blessing is come upon the Gentiles in the same extent and latitude in which it was given to Abraham himself Now this is sufficiently evident from the alone consideration of the indefiniteness and universality of the expression the blessing of Abraham we see the Apostle affirms the blessing of Abraham is come upon the Gentiles without any restriction or limitation he doth not say this or that part of the blessing but the blessing absolutely and unlimitedly It is true notwithstanding the indefiniteness and universality of the Apostles expression yet in case any part of the blessing vouchsafed to Abraham be of that nature as that the Gentiles are simply and absolutely incapable of it or in case God himself hath any where else withheld any part of it from them in this case a limitation and restriction must be understood as necessarily implied in this general and universal expression but otherwise we ought to understand the Apostle according to the full latitude of his expression the blessing that is the whole blessing of Abraham is come upon believing Gentiles And hence we argue If the whole blessing of Abraham be come upon believing Gentiles so far as they are capable of injoying it and God hath by no express revelation of his will withheld it from them and this to have God a God to him and his natural Seed was an essential part of his blessing which believing Gentiles are capable of injoying and God hath not by any revelation of his will withheld from them then this part of his blessing is come upon them in the same extent and latitude in which it was given to Abraham But the former is true therefore the latter It 's true If any man can make it appear that this part of Abraham's blessing viz. Gods ingaging to be a God to his Seed with him be a blessing the Gentiles are incapable of injoying or that God by any express revelation of his will hath withheld that part of the blessing from them we shall cease any further claim to it But as for the first The incapacity of believing Gentiles to injoy this part of Abraham's blessing sure none can pretend it for suppose it should be granted which is not that believers under this present dispensation are not in a like capacity to injoy this good that Saints in future times will be or that their Seed are not alike capable of that good the Seed of Believers in those times will be capable of Yet none can say that either believers or
good promised who in time are savingly wrought upon and these in a special and peculiar manner are in the esteem of God accounted for the seed Fifthly That yet they were the natural seed of Abraham as immediately descending from his own loins who were intended in this promise as the next and immediate subjects of it and that the natural seed of Abraham intended in this first Proposition And that is the thing that I shall now apply my self to the proof of CHAP. II. The truth of the first Proposition as before explained evidenced two wayes 1. More generally by such Arguments as will evince that all Abraham's immediate natural seed one as well as another were intended as the immediate and next subjects of this Promise 2. More particularly by instancing in such of his natural seed as upon a supposition of whose being intended in the Promise it will necessarily follow that all his natural seed were in like manner intended and proving that they were indeed intended by God in that Promise THat when God at his first entring Covenant with Abraham promised to be a God to him and his seed intended his natural seed as immediately descending from his own loins as the immediate and next subjects of that promise may be evinced two wayes 1. More generally 2. More particularly 1. More generally And thus I shall only offer a two-fold Argument The first shall be taken from the Promise it self as taken according to the literal and most proper sence and signification of those words it is exprest in and it is this What God speaks unto men ought to be interpreted and understood according to the literal and most proper sense and signification of those words he expresseth himself in unless there be some necessary Reason enforcing a recession from that literal and most proper sence and signification of his words But according to the literal and most proper sence and signification of the words of this Promise now made to Abraham his natural seed immediately descending from his own loins and that universally one as well as the other must be intended as the immediate and next subjects of it and there is no Reason enforcing our recession from that literal and most proper sence and signification of his words Therefore we ought to interpret and understand them as intending his immediate natural seed as the immediate and next subjects of that Promise When God said to Abraham He would be a God to him and to his seed in their generations surely the literal and most proper sence and signification of the words wherein the Promise is expressed must needs lead him to apply it as to himself so to his immediate natural seed and that universally It 's true God promised to Abraham That he would make him the Father of many Nations and doubtless Abraham did understand the Promise as reaching and taking in all those he should sustain the relation of a Father unto But no Reason could be drawn from the words of the Promise it self why either Abraham or any other since should understand it as intending his remote or adopted seed to the excluding of his own natural seed as immediately descending from him Now that what God speaks ought to be interpreted as before exprest cannot be doubted by any And therefore all that possibly can be objected for the invalidating this argument is That there is a necessity of interpreting and understanding this Promise as now made to Abraham differently from what the literal and proper signification of the words seems to import Whether there be any such necessity shall be considered by and by In the mean time let it be observed that we have the letter of the Promise on our side as to the interpretation put upon it The second Argument shall be taken from Abraham's applying of the seal or token of that Covenant whereof the Promise under consideration was a principal part to his immediate and natural seed and that universally to one as well as to another and that under that very notion and consideration as the seal and token of the Covenant Hence I argue If Abraham according to the will and appointment of God did apply the seal or token of that Covenant wherein the Promise under consideration was one special Article on Gods part to all his immediate natural seed to one as well as to the other and that under that very notion and consideration as the seal or token of the Covenant then God in that Promise must needs intend all his immediate natural seed as the Subjects of it but the former is true therefore the latter The Assumption sure cannot once be questioned by any that have read over the Book of Genesis yet exabundanti Let me touch upon the proof of it in the several branches or clauses of it It contains three Branches 1. That Abraham did apply the seal or token of that Covenant wherein this Promise is contained unto all his immediate natural seed If that term Seal offend any let them keep only to the other word token it 's all one as to my present purpose That Circumcision was the seal or token of the Covenant that God now entred into with Abraham and his seed is past all doubt 't is expresly called The Taken of the Covenant Gen. 17.11 Ye shall circumcise the foreskin of your flesh and it shall be a token of the Covenant between me and you A token of the Covenant Of what Covenant Why of that no doubt now established with Abraham and his seed in their generations and that Abraham did apply this token of the Covenant to all his natural seed is evident partly from Gods Command read that Gen. 17.9 10 11 12 13. partly from Abraham's practice mention is expresly made of his circumcising of Ishmael and Isaac verse 23 with Gen 21.4 But some will say There 's is no mention of his circumcising his Sons by Keturah To that I answer No more is there mention made of Jacob's circumcision nor of his twelve Sons circumcision and yet shall it be questioned whether they were circumcised or no The command of God engaging it and the testimony that God gives of Abraham's faithfulness and his circumcising all his male servants is superabundant evidence that he did circumcise them though their circumcision be not mentioned So that it 's undeniable that Abraham did apply the seal or token of the Covenant to all his Seed immediately descending from his own loins 2. That Abraham did apply this seal or token of the Covenant to his seed under that very notion and consideration as the seal or token of it this is evident thus Look under what notion God commanded it to be applyed under that notion and consideration Abraham did apply it That Abraham did apply it under that notion as the seal or token of the Covenant as he was commanded is unquestronable from the forementioned testimony that God gave of him Now that God did command it to be applyed
in all following Ages should be entred and continued between God and his Seed Primum in unoque que genere est regula aâ—â—â—â—â—fura ceterorum ejusdem generis God did 〈◊〉 Abraham set a pattern how he would deal in relation to the tenour of his Covenant with all his Seed and Abraham being a Father of all admitted into a Covenant-relation with God It highly concerns us rightly to understand and know the terms and tenour of the Covenant as made with him in reference to us who are his Seed it being made with his Seed in the same tenour and upon the same terms generically considered as it was with him he was the great pattern as I have said both of priviledges and duties to his whole Seed as will appear more fully in our second Proposition which I now proceed to CHAP. IV. The second subordinate Proposition laid down How to be understood declared The first way of its confirmation viz. the tenour of the Promise as at first made to Abraham proposed and prosecuted Objections answered The Second Proposition THat the same Promise that God made unto Abraham with reference to himself and his natural Seed is by God himself and that in the same latitude and extent given to and seiled upon believing Gentiles The Promise runs in the Jame tenour both in regard of extent and limitations to Abrahams Seed whether natural or mystical that it ran in to Abraham himself it is continued to the Seed as it was first established with their Father Only for the preventing mistakes let it be noted That Abraham had some preheminency above any of his Seed as it was meet the Father should have something of preheminency above his Children Abraham had a twofold preheminency First He had a preheminence in point of paternity or fatherhood he was not only a natural Father of natural Children as any of his Seed may be but he was constituted a mystical Father to all that should in after ages be admitted into the same Covenant with himself whether Jews or Gentiles Rom. 4.11 Secondly He had a preheminency in regard of his natural Seed Race or Posterity He had a threefold preheminency in regard of his natural Seed First In their multiplication God never multiplied the Seed of any Believer as he multiplied the natural Seed of Abraham Secondly In their segregation or separation from other people and their incorporation together as one Nation Body politick or Commonwealth Thirdly In Gods singling them out as the special Subjects of his Kingdom and vouchsafing unto them his Covenant with the benefits priviledges and blessings thereof in so general and extensive a way as he hath done and will yet do His Church or spiritual Kingdom under the first Testament consisted in a special manner of Abraham's natural Race or Posterity and he will again take his natural Posterity as the people who in a special manner shall injoy the good things of the Covenant of Grace as yet to be administred in the world This twofold preheminency we grant that Abraham had above any of his Seed whether natural or mystical But yet take Abraham as a natural Father accepting of the Covenant God made with him and so the same Promise that was given unto him is given and setled upon his whole Seed and consequently which only falls under our present consideration is given to and setled upon believing Gentiles The truth of this Proposition I shall the Lord assisting evidence four wayes First From the tenour of the Promise made to Abraham with reference to his Seed at the first establishment of the Covenant between God and him and here we must have recourse to what hath been already said for the explication of this Promise The sum of all is this That when God promised Abraham to be a God to him and his Seed in their generations his meaning was that he would be a God both to Abraham and his whole Seed as before explained in their respective generations that is to them and their respective Children descending immediately from their own loins yet so as that their interest in the Promise and enjoyment of the good promised should be continued and vouchsafed to them upon condition of their walking in the steps of the faith and obedience of their Father Abraham and consequently that the Promise did not actually appertain either to any of Abraham's natural Race or Posterity beyond his Children immediately descending from him or to any of his Seeds Races or Posterities beyond their immediate Children included with them in that phrase their Generations by vertue of that their remote relation unto them Now then all that I have to do for the proving the settlement of this Promise in the same extent and latitude upon believing Gentiles in which it was given to Abraham himself by the tenour of the Promises as now made to Abraham is to prove that this is the true sence and meaning of this Promise as made to him with reference to his natural Seed for look as the Promise was to be understood as referring to his natural Seed so it is to be understood as referring to his mystical Seed in as much as both are equally and alike intended in the Promise as at first made unto Abraham both his natural and mystical Seed standing in one and the same capacity respective to the Promise and therefore as it ought to be interpreted as it had reference to the one so it ought to be interpreted as referring to the other Now that this Promise as referring to Abraham's natural Seed was to be interpreted and understood in the extent and latitude and yet with the limitations before expressed I shall make good by these two or three Arguments First That must needs be the true sence and meaning of this Promise which alone is consistent with the truth and faithfulness of God in performing it But that sence and meaning which is given according to the extent and limitations afore expressed is only consistent with the truth and faithfulness of God in performing it Therefore that sence and meaning must be the alone true and genuine sence and meaning of it and answerably is so to be interpreted and understood by us That we ought to interpret and understand the Promises of God in such a sence and meaning as is consistent with his truth and faithfulness in performing them and when there is but one sence and meaning consistent with the truth and faithfulness of God that that must be the alone true sence and meaning sure none will deny God is a true and faithful God a God that cannot lye not only will not but cannot lye therefore that sence and meaning put upon his Promises which is consistent with his truth and faithfulness in performing them cannot possibly be the true sence and meaning of them Now that the sence and meaning put upon this Promise according to the extent and latitude and with the limitations before expressed is alone consistent with the