it when it hath answered the end for which it was brought upon you the Providence will be changed or you taken from under it home to your Father's House 5thly Endeavour to get imprinted upon your Minds the necessity of having your Zeal in the Worship of God regulated by the Word of God It is good for to be zealously affected always in a good thing mind that it be from the Inlightenings of the Spirit within you that you are led to behold the Truth in the Letter of the holy Scriptures and that by comparing Scripture with Scripture you receive full satisfaction concerning the Truth you lay hold upon Let this go before and then your Zeal in worshipping of God by it and in bearing a Testimony for it follow after How many Persons are exceeding zealous for things which they practise in their Religious Worship that they have no ground for from the holy Scriptures and do place all their hope in this their superstitious Zeal not being brought in the least to witness the dealings of God with their Hearts What mischievous work hath blind Zeal made in the Christian World All the Sufferings and Troubles that have befallen the Children of God in all Ages have come in by it true Zeal desires to destroy Error and to save the Person that is carried away with it false Zeal falls upon the Person and endeavours to ruin the outward Man for the pretended Errors of the inward Man Where Persons are one with you in the Foundation and do walk with God by Faith answerable to their discoveries of Truth tho you should differ from them in many other things let your Moderation be shewn towards them And for those that may differ from you in the Publick Worship of God upon further discoveries of Light received have you a care of condemning any such of being guilty of Error before you are able from the Letter of the Scripture to lay open their Error It is the Scripture laid down in the Letter that is the Rule and not Mens Consequences from it Consequences may be allowed to strengthen the Rule but must not be allowed to be added to it 6thly Endeavour to get imprinted upon your Minds the necessity of a holy Conversation before Men this is that which keeps up the Credit of Religion in the World in despite of all its Adversaries The World knows how to deal with Religion when they meet it in a loose Professor but they know not what to say to it nor how to deal with it when they meet it in a sincere self-denying Christian whose Conversation pleads for the Reality that is in Truth and gives a check to the Opposers of it By a holy Conversation we vindicate the Interest of the Son of God in the World and do invite poor Sinners that are convinced of the Evil that is in Sin to come and taste of that pleasant Fruit that the ways of Holiness do afford to those that walk in them There is a great difference betwixt the ways of Sin and Holiness Sin tho it affords a seeming Pleasure in the committing of it yet draws after it Guilt and Misery Holiness tho in the Acts of it we receive Reproach from the profane World a train of inward Peace and Comfort doth follow it A Profession of Words cannot be taking to any Person where the Conversation doth speak a quite contrary Language To be loose in Conversation under a pure Profession is for a Man to contrive how he may make himself the miserablest of Persons when he comes in Eternity The Prophet Isaiah speaking of the Gospel in Chap. 35. v. 8. saith And an High-way shall be there and a way and it shall be called the way of Holiness the unclean shall not pass over it but it shall be for those the way-faring Men tho Fools shall not err therein It shall be called the way of Holiness the unclean shall not pass over it Where pardoning Grace is inwardly received for all Sins the Soul under the sense of Divine Love hath an inward hatred against the very nature of Sin begotten in it and an inward yearning after Holiness as that which adds Strength and Vigor to the new Creature in the Souls of the Saints Where there is inward Strength and Vigor in the Soul against that Corruption which hinders Communion there will be a watchfulness against those things that tend to the dishonouring of God by our Conversation Holiness inwardly and sincere Obedience outwarldy are so inseparable that whoever hath the one it is impossible but he must have the other As by a growth in Sin Sinners do ripen for Hell and eternal Misery so by Holiness Saints do ripen for Heaven and eternal Glory Holiness makes us meet for the Heavenly Canaan without Holiness no Communion with God in this Life without Holiness no Enjoyment of God in Glory and as it makes us meet for the new Jerusalem so without Holiness no entering into that holy City Rev. 21.27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh Abomination or maketh a Lie but they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life I shall conclude this Book and my Directions to you with the words of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians Chap. 4. v. 8 9. Finally my Children whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any Vertue think on these things Those things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen of me do and the God of Peace shall be with you FINIS The Contents PART I. Chap. I. OF the first Adam the Excellency of the State in which he was created page 1. Chap. II. Of the Nature of the first Covenant-light in the state of Innocency page 4. Chap. III. Of Adam's Fall the miserable change of his Condition thereby how all his Offspring were included in it page 13. Chap. IV. Of God's Image on the Heart of Adam how it discovers it self in the Hearts of his fallen Children The nature of the leadings of that first Covenant-light and the Condition of those that stand under the highest attainment of it page 25. PART II. Clearing that the Covenant of Grace and Redemption is but one and the same Chap. I. Of Election bottom'd on the Soveraignty of God How the Eternal Word united to Man's Nature is chose by electing Love as the Head of the Elect c. page 38. Chap. II. Of the Redemption of the Lord Jesus in two parts 1. Perfect Obedience to the Law 2. Satisfaction to the Penalty of it for the Elect c. page 47. Chap. III. Of Christ's Mediatorship in two parts 1. In sending the Spirit to fit for the publishing of the way of Salvation 2. For the Spirit 's accompanying the outward Declaration by opening the Heart c. page 61. PART III. Chap. I. Of the Publication of Gospel-Grace from the Fall to Abraham the Church-state during that Dispensation page 87. Chap. II. Of the Covenant made with Abraham and of the Old Testament Church-state what was required to be a Member of it page 92. Chap. III. Of the Ordinances of the Old Testament Church what they pointed at to the carnal Seed of Abraham and what to his spiritual page 97. Chap. IV. Of the New Testament Church and what 's requir'd to be a Member of it page 116. Chap. V. Of the Ordinances of the New Testament Church what is requir'd to fit for the partaking of them and what they hold out when administred according to the Rude of the Word page 132. PART IV. Being an Appendix which the Author leaves for a Legacy to his Children page 149. 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which he plants is his affording the People of the Jews the Privilege of having his Worship set up amongst them and hedged it round about for distinction to shew that it was a Favour granted only to that People for the rest of the Nations had not that Privilege granted to them and digged a Wine-press in it that is appointed such Ordinances as were the instrumental Means in the hand of the holy Spirit to bring the Elect that were amongst them into Communion with God built a Tower that is the glorious Temple and let it out to Husbandmen and went into a far Country that is gave forth a Grant with an Entail that they should enjoy it for many Generations until the ruining of their Church and State for their grievous Sin in crucifying the Lord Jesus Christ Ver. 38 39 40 and 43. Therefore say I unto you The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof By the Kingdom of God he means his Worship which is the instrumental Means to fit for the Kingdom of Heaven The Old Testament Church-state being ended that which secures the continuance of the New Testament Worship amongst any People is the improving of it to God's Glory and the good of their immortal Souls God's removing of his Worship from Asia into Europe from one Nation of Europe to another from one City to another is a sufficient Evidence to us upon what terms his Worship is continued amongst us When the Churches in Asia were threatned with a Dissolution no mention of a Covenant made with their believing Fathers or their being saved by their Parents Faith Rev. 2.5 Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first Works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candlestick out of its place except thou repent So that it is plain that it is not by any Right descending from believing Parents to Children that they are admitted Members of the New Testament Church or have the Worship of it continued amongst them I do foresee that this will go to the quick with a great many Persons whose Cries are if the Children of believing Parents be not admitted to be Members of the New Testament Church you make their State and Condition to be worse under the New Testament than under the Old To which I answer that I do not straiten the Privileges of Believers Children for I shew'd before that Salvation doth not wholly depend upon Church-Membership or upon the admittance to outward Ordinances for many of God's Children were saved who were not admitted to be Members of a visible Church yet I do still own it is a great Privilege where it hath its Warrant from the Word of God for then they may expect his Blessing upon it to answer the end for which he appoints it Some Persons do say that believing Parents Children are not admitted to Membership into a visible Church but God with the believing Parent doth take their Infant-seed into the Covenant of Grace But they do not consider that Infants admittance to the Ordinance was by virtue of a right of Membership as Members of the visible Church under the Old Testament That Believers Childrens Privilege is better than theirs that are Unbelievers doth appear in this that those of them that die in Infancy have the Prayers of their believing Parents put up for them in the Name of him through whom rich Grace hath been extended unto them and I think a Heart drawn out to wrestle with God by the believing Parent on behalf of a dying Infant and a Heart enabled to leave the dying Infant to the rich Grace of God which flows through the undertaking of the blessed Jesus will yield a more abiding Comfort to the Parent than a pretended federal Holiness will afford them the Parent many times at the same time being under the sense of inward Corruption And as to these Children of believing Parents that are grown to years of Understanding and are not as yet admitted to be Members of the visible Church if the Parent be found in the discharge of his or their Duty to them they will in Truth and Faithfulness lay before them what is required to their orderly admittance and will seek to the Lord for them that they may enter in at the right Door for the Heart comes not to the Enjoyment of God neither to receive Comfort from Ordinances but as it first is brought into a right frame and hath its Warrant from the Word of God that it is in the way of his Appointments the Worship must be in Spirit and in Truth Secondly A second Reason why the New Testament doth require a Work of true Conversion upon the Heart as that which qualifies or fits a Person to be a Member of the visible Church is because without it the Duties required from one Member to another cannot be discharged as they are concerned in one and the same Interest on the behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ so there is a holy Watchfulness required over one another in order to the faithful discharge of these Duties which their Lord requires of them And saith the Apostle if one Member suffer all the Members suffer with it or one Member be honoured all the Members rejoice with it Where a Church is imbodied together according to the order of the New Testament our Lord hath left us an excellent Rule to walk by that so these things that may tend to bring Dishonour upon the Church may be stopt when they first begin to break forth or otherwise that things may be managed in such a way as that the Church may free themselves of the Offender Mat. 18.15 16 17. Moreover if thy Brother shall trespass against thee go tell him his fault betwixt thee and him alone if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother But if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three Witnesses every word may be established But if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church and if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen Man and a Publican If thy Brother do thee any wrong or else sin against God and thou be privy to it for that Sin may be said to be against us which is against God in respect of that common Interest that such Persons are engaged mutually in If a sinning Member have his Sin laid before him by that fellow Member that is privy to it and he bear to be told of his fault so as to be brought to an acknowledgment of it before the Lord and to repent of it and return from it then that Member is gained but if he be stubborn let him be again admonished before Witnesses not one only but two or three Witnesses that so it may appear that means are made use of for the reclaiming of the Offender But if
and giving attendance to it the Impressions of the Law which contains our Duty to God and to our Neighbour which is ingraven upon the Souls of all Adam's Offspring comes to be discovered to us and we are led to follow the Rule of this inward Law And by giving Obedience to it Peace is gain'd and by keeping in our Obedience Peace is continued the Light giving the Soul no further disturbance than as it becomes guilty of the breach of this inward Law which the Gentiles on the other side and every moral Person with them coming to witness makes them press after it more and more by which they come to shine forth before Men by a sober Conversation That this Light is a distinct thing from the Work of the Holy Ghost upon the Souls of the Saints is evident because all its dealings with God are as Creator and upon the first Covenant terms that is obey and live In its Obedience lies its Hope upon its Obedience is its enjoyment of God here bottom'd and the eternal enjoyment of God in Glory to these the Reward is not of Grace but of Debt Rom. 4.4 By Reward is meant eternal Life they are not brought to see the Imperfectness of their Works that so as Sinners they may come to Christ and through him to God to receive a Pardon upon Grace's account from a sensibility of Soul that they have a real need of it They never were yet brought out of the first Covenant but only stand as Witnesses of it and for God in it under high Attainments Their everlasting State we are to leave to him who is appointed to be the Judg of all Men only before I leave them or end this Chapter I shall shew by the holy Scriptures how their State differs from the State of Children The Light by which these Persons are led is by Will. Penn call'd the Light of Christ and that it is sufficient if followed to lead to eternal Salvation And indeed if his Christ which he describes unto us were the true Christ then the Gentiles on the other side and every moral Person were brought to the enjoyment of him but his words being brought to the Rule of the holy Scriptures and tried by the Experiences of Saints he is found to be a poor deceived Person William Penn's Christian Quaker p. 96 97. And this is unquestionably confirm'd unto us by that known and very weighty Expression of the Apostle Paul to the Romans chap. 9.5 Whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the Flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Amen Since here both Christ is distinguished from the Body he took and made one with that God who is over all blessed for ever Amen As much as to say of whose Flesh Christ took therefore Christ was before he took it or his taking it did not constitute him Christ In Answer to William Penn If the Manhood united to the eternal Word Creator did not go to constitute him Christ then these Gentiles of which he treats were Christians for they were all led to the acknowledgment of God as Creator But herein he abuses the Apostles words and contradicts the Faith of Christians in all Ages the Apostle is shewing us that he who was held forth in the Promises to be the Lord 's Christ was to take his Flesh or Manhood of the Fathers that is according to the Promises he was to be of Abraham's Seed and David's Son and yet as to his Divine Nature was from everlasting God blessed for ever The Apostle is distinguishing his two Natures in this Scripture William Penn is endeavouring to throw away his Manhood Besides by the same way of arguing may his Godhead be removed from constituting him Christ Acts 2.36 Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ The holy Scripture is sometimes giving the name Christ to him as he was God in other places it gives the name Christ to him as Man that so we might have his two Natures distinguished to us not that thereby they might be separated And mark it Christian Reader that altho the Lord Jesus Christ stood in the Decree of God as God-man in one Person to appear in the fulness of time and was so held forth in the Promises to the Fathers in the Old Testament yet those Promises were subservient to his Appearance in the state of his Humiliation in the Land of Judea and pointed at it and so were the Fathers by the Light of Holy Ghost inabled to behold him and lay hold of him as their Saviour Hebrews the 11th Chapter and 12th ver 1 2. Christianity in the Power of it is a relinquishing the first Covenant-Principles of Light in the Creator and do and live as the Condition of eternal Life for the Light of Faith in the eternal Word made Flesh or join'd to Man's Nature John 1.12 But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name The Childrens admittance into the Presence of God is upon the account of a Redeemer upon the account of a Mediator held forth outwardly in the Scriptures apprehended inwardly by Faith through the help of the holy Spirit the Children go without Works when they go to Christ and through him to the Father They then leave their Works behind them before Men they take the Law with them and walk by it as a Rule of Life But seeing I shall have occasion to speak more of this in the second Part I shall here shut up this Chapter and the first Part which was to shew the nature of the Covenant of Works PART II. Clearing up that the Covenant of Grace and Redemption is but one and the same Covenant CHAP. I. Of Election bottom'd upon the Soveraignty of God How the Eternal Word united to Man's Nature is chosen by electing Love as the head of the Elect and made the way through which electing Love doth pass to every elect Person IN clearing up the weighty Truths contain'd in this Chapter I shall treat of it under these three Heads First Set forth the Soveraignty of God Secondly Shew that Election proceeds from him as an Act of Grace and Goodness the advancing of his own Glory being that which is carried on in the Decree of Election Thirdly I shall shew how the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the Elect and made the way through which electing Love doth pass to every elect Person First I shall set forth the Soveraignty of God from the holy Scriptures Isa 40.12 13 14 15. Who hath measured the Waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out Heaven with a Span and comprehended the Dust of the Earth in a measure and weighed the Mountains in Scales and the Hills in a Balance Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord or being his Counseller hath taught him With whom
sitting And there appeared unto them cloven Tongues as of Fire and it sat upon each of them And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other Tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance As their Commission was to preach the Gospel to all Nations so the Qualification for the Work was agreeable to the Commission Where Persons do pretend to the same Commission with the Apostles and that they have as large an extent of Power and Jurisdiction as they had and want the Qualification wherewith they were endued they carry saith the learned Dr. Owen the mark of Antichrist in their Foreheads That this Qualification for the first publishing of the Gospel did proceed from the Intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ as Mediator for the gathering of the Elect out of the World will appear if we compare these two following Scriptures one with another Acts 2.32 33. This Jesus hath God raised up whereof we all are Witnesses Therefore being by the right-hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear Compared with Acts 10.34 35 36 43 44. Then Peter opened his Mouth and said Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of Persons But in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him The Word which God sent unto the Children of Israel preaching Peace by Jesus Christ he is Lord of all To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of Sins While Peter spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word In Acts 2.32 33. the Qualification is laid down without which Peter had been unable to preach the Gospel to those of Cesarea here is the Holy Ghost as a fruit of the Lord Jesus's Intercession attending the outward preaching of the Gospel and setting it home upon the Heart with Power the outward preaching of the Gospel being the instrumental means appointed to gather the Elect out of the World unto God Rom. 10.17 So then Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God By the Word of God here is meant the Declaration of the Gospel The outward Declaration of the Gospel doth contain in it these Truths appointed by God for the Salvation of the Elect the Holy Ghost removes the Vail of Darkness from the Heart subjects the Heart unto the Truth and inclines the Heart to join with it I come in the second place to treat of the ordinary Qualification to preach the Gospel without which a Person can have no real Satisfaction to his own Soul that he is called of God to that great Work and Service The extraordinary Qualisication and the ordinary Qualification do not differ in a different Declaration of Truths delivered but in a different work of the Spirit upon the Heart in discovering one and the same Truth the one having it by the immediate impulse of the Spirit of God overpowering all the Faculties of the Soul and making it stoop to the leadings of the Spirit in the other the holy Spirit works not so powerfully but by giving in of Light to behold the Truth already delivered in the Word and sealed by Miracle gives a Gift of utterance to declare it unto others For the clearing up this Qualification I shall compare two Scriptures Ephes 4.7 8. But unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the Gift of Christ Wherefore he saith When he ascended up on high he led Captivity captive and gave Gifts unto Men. Which Gifts to Men he tells us in ver 12. are for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ the Body of Christ taking in the Saints until Christ's second appearance The Gifts here intended must be meant the ordinary Qualifications of the Spirit for the work of the Ministry as the means appointed by God to gather the Saints into one Body and to edify them when they are gather'd in until they be brought safe to the Mansions of Glory because the extraordinary Qualification did cease in a little time To clear up this a little further lock into 1 Pet. 4.10 11. As every Man hath received the Gift even so minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold Grace of God If any Man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God if any Man minister let him do it as of the ability which God giveth that God in all things may be glorified through Jesut Christ to whom be Praise and Dominion for ever and ever Amen Here is contained in these words the Gift given from God the Father here is the Lord Jesus Christ through whose Intercession this Gift is given here is the nature of the Gift which is the Spirit 's inlightnings into the Oracles or holy Scriptures here is the twofold end God's Glory and the Saints Edification Where this Qualification is wanting the Soul can have no real Satisfaction that it is called of God to that Work and Service which I shall make appear by these following Rensons First Altho Learning be very serviceable in order to have recourse to the Original Text for the understanding the Letter of the Scripture in the Original for to stop the mouth of Gainsayers yet the Darkness which is upon the Soul by Nature is not thereby removed Neither can Learning of it self comprehend that inward Life and Virtue which breaths in the holy Scriptures The natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Secondly Without this ordinary Qualification of which I have been speaking the Soul can have no real Satisfaction that it is called of God to the work of the Ministry of the Gospel because that altho by Learning many weighty Truths may be collected from the Writings of experienced Christians who have lived in the Power of Christianity yet the inward work of the Spirit being wanting in him that delivers them to others they give an uncertain sound there being a want of an inward sense of these Truths upon the Heart and often a great deal of Man's Corruptions mixt with them which they receive from the Vessel through which they pass Thirdly Without this ordinary Qualification of which I have been speaking the Soul can have no real Satisfaction that it is called of God to the work of the Ministry of the Gospel because without it the Heart is not engaged in the Work that such Persons take upon them neither are their Aims and Ends right in their entering upon this great Work nor in the carrying of it on the getting an outward Support in the World for themselves being the thing they are most concerned for Fourthly Without this ordinary Qualification of which I have been speaking the
Nations be blessed Compared with ver 16. Now to Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made He saith not To Seeds as of many but as of one And to thy Seed which is Christ From which Words I do observe this Truth That the Covenant entred into by God with Abraham was but a renewing of the same Promise of a Messiah to come which the Threatning in the 3d Chapter of Genesis and the 15th Verse contained in it granted unto him for the strengthning of his Faith in the Messiah whose Day of appearance he beheld by Faith and rejoyced to see it and so was justified before God by that which Faith beheld in these new Covenant Promises Rom. 4.21 22 23 24. And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform And therefore it was imputed to him for Righteousness Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead As Abraham by Faith was led to believe this Promise which related to the Coming of the Messiah and thereby was privileged in a large share of the Mercies which accompany the Messiah so all true Believers that can lay claim to the same Faith with blessed Abraham are reckoned his Spiritual Seed and become Sharers with him in the same Mercies Gal. 3.28 29. There is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus And if ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham 's Seed and Heirs according to the Promise As faithful Abraham was made Partaker of such pretious Promises by Christ to whom all New Covenant Promises do first run so every Believer coming to share in the same Faith with Abraham lays claim to the Promises with him and becomes a Sharer in them Abraham in respect of the Greatness of his Faith above others stands as a glorious Pattern before them where we may behold him led forth to God by Acts of Obedience in a wonderful manner not staggering how God would accomplish his Promises but minding his Obedience So that he that had received the Promises in Isaac offers up this his only Son accounting that God was able to raise him from the dead from whence he received him in a Figure We may by looking at what passed betwixt God and Abraham as in a Glass behold his sincere Obedience to God and God's Faithfulness to him in performing to a tittle what he had promised to his Servant which may be matter of Encouragement to us humbly to relie upon our Heavenly Father Having treated of God's renewing the Promise to Abraham of the Coming of the Messiah of his Seed I come in the next place to treat of that numerous Offspring which were to proceed from him and the Privileges of which his natural Seed as such were made Partakers In the 15th of Genesis ver 4 5. God promises him a numerous Offspring And behold the Word of the Lord came unto him faying This shall not be thine Heir speaking of Eliezer of Damascus but he that shall come forth out of thine own Bowels shall be thine Heir And he brought him forth abroad and said Look now towards Heaven and tell the Stars if thou be able to number them and he said unto him So shall thy Seed be As God did perform his Promise to his Servant Abraham in bringing forth such Multitudes of People from him as the Promise treats of so he is pleased to afford them Privileges above the rest of the World for many Generations together which are held forth in the 17th Chapter of Genesis Where God is pleased to grant unto the Seed of Abraham the Promise of the Land of Canaan for a Possession and a Church-State set up amongst them wherein his Worship should be carried on in such a way as was of his own appointing until the Coming of the Messiah Gen. 49.10 The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his feet until Shiloh come and unto him shall the gathering of the People be That God's End in affording this People his Worship before the rest of the World was thereby to gather the Elect that were amongst them into the Covenant of Grace is clear from a multitude of Scriptures but that their Admittance to be Members of this Old Testament Church which was a Privilege that they enjoy'd by Birth-right did of it self bring them into the Covenant of Grace is against both Scripture and Experience The Apostle in Rom. 9.4 5. doth reckon up the many Privileges that they enjoy'd In the 6th Verse he breaks forth Not that the Word of God hath taken none effect yea it had answered the end for which it was appointed the Elect were gathered in by it But all are not Israel that are of Israel Ver. 7. Neither because they are the Seed of Abraham are they all Children but in Isaac shall thy Seed be called That is they which are the Children of the Flesh these are not the Children of God but the Children of the Promise are counted for the Seed These Scriptures if compared with Gen. 17. do let us clearly see what that Covenant was even a Church-state unto which the Children of the Flesh had admittance to be Members by virtue of their Birth-right and that by the very appointment of God This Covenant having answered the end for which it was appointed is ended and a better state in respect to the Church doth succeed it which I hope to clear up when I come to treat of the Church of Christ now in the times of the New Testament CHAP. III. Of the Ordinances of the Old Testament Church what they did point at to the Seed of Abraham as descending from him by Generation and what they pointed at to his spiritual Seed IN the last Chapter I shewed the nature of that Covenant made with Abraham and his Offspring as they proceeded from him by Generation that it contained in it the Promise of an Earthly Canaan or Earthly Inheritance to all his Seed God intending to shew forth some particular marks of his Bounty to them as they were the Offspring of this holy Man To which Covenant or Promise Circumcision was added as a Seal even in the time of the Infancy of that Old Testament Church and the Paschal Lamb afterwards added when they were brought out of Egypt as a Confirmation of the fulfilling of the Covenant made with their Father Abraham of which Covenant the Apostle speaks in Heb. 8.7 8 9. For if that first Covenant had been fauliless then should no place have been sought for the second For finding fault with them he saith Behold the days come saith the Lord when I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah Not according to the Covenant which I made with their Fathers
when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the Land of Egypt because they continued not in my Covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord. The Apostle in these words doth refer us to the bringing the Children of Israel out of Egypt the imbodying of that People into a Nation and God's setting up his Worship amongst them which the 17th Chapter of Genesis and the Covenant there mentioned carried in the Womb of it the Insufficiency of which Covenant lay not only in the unvailed Administration of Gospel-Grace which was darkly typified forth in the times of the Old Testament but chiefly in the want of internal Grace from having a share of which Grace the greatest part of the Seed of Abraham were excluded not the Elect who were of his Offspring but those which were put off with Earthly Enjoyments which they by their Rebellions in process of time forfeited the Forbearance and Patience of God being wearied out Having by way of Introduction opened the way to that which I intend to treat of in the following Discourse I shall lay down these three Heads to enlarge on First That the Seed of Abraham were in Gen 17. taken into Covenant with God unto which Covenant temporal Mercies were annexed and Circumcision given as a Seal of the performance of it on God's part Secondly That as the Covenant mentioned Gen. 17. carried in the Womb of it the imbodying of the Seed of Abraham into a separate Nation in order to have that Old Testament Church-state set up amongst them so their Deliverance out of Egypt and the appointing the Paschal Lamb was to shew them that God was actually on the accomplishing what was contained it the Covenant Thirdly Where internal Grace did accompany these Ordinances and other parts of that Old Testament Worship the Elect Seed were brought to have spiritual Mercies convey'd to their Souls through it First That the Seed of Abraham were in Gen. 17. taken into Covenant with God unto which Covenant Temporal Mercies were annex'd and Circumcision given as a Seal of the performance of it on God's part doth appear as it is laid down from ver 4 to v. 15. extending it self not only to all his Seed that should descend from him by Generation but likewise to those that were born in his House or bought with his Mony And the uncircumcised Manchild whose Flesh of his fore-skin is not circumcised that Soul shall be cut off from his People he hath broken my Covenant That all the Persons that were brought into this Covenant had inward Mercies convey'd to their Souls crosseth the words of Abraham ver 18. And Abraham said unto God O that Ishmael might live before thee If he had understood that this Covenant into which Ishmael was going to be taken by the initiating Ordinance of Circumcision had been the Covenant of Grace he needed not have doubted of that there being a sincere performance of what was required of Abraham's part on the behalf of Ishmael But we find by God's Answer that there was not that intended by that Covenant for him but as the Covenant promised an Earthly Canaan so Ishmael tho he had not that Land yet he should have other Earthly Greatness which should carry with it the performance of what was held forth by the Covenant unto the natural Seed of Abraham ver 20. And as for Ishmael I have heard thee Behold I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly twelve Princes shall he beget and I will make him a great Nation This is that which the Covenant intended for him and doubtless Abraham did so look upon it or otherwise he would have interceded farther for Ishmael Evident it is that Ishmael was taken into this Covenant contain'd in Gen. 17. for Abraham did circumcise him as the Covenant required yet we find the Apostle Paul making Agar and Ishmael to represent the Covenant of Works Gal. 4.22 23 24. For it is written that Abraham had two Sons the one by a bond-maid the other by a free-woman But he that was of the bond-woman was born after the Flesh but he of the free-woman was by Promise Which things are an Allegory for these are the two Covenants the one from the Mount Sinai which gendereth to Bondage which is Agar Mr. Edward Leigh in his Annotations upon the New Testament doth speak so fully to the Truth that I shall insert his words at large Ver. 23. Born after the Flesh That is by a bare natural Power of Generation By Promise That is not so much by the natural strength of Parents as by virtue of God's Promise which bound his Truth to set his Omnipotency at work above Nature Ver. 24. Which things are an Allegory That is being the things that they were signify the things that they were not a Figure of some other thing mystically signified by them that is they represent or signify the two Covenants For these are the two Covenants That is distinct Covenants of Works and Grace first and second Covenant not the Covenant of Grace differently administred in the Old and New Testament Ishmael was not under the Covenant of Grace in any sense Isaac and Ishmael represented all Men regenerate and unregenerate all which are under the Covenant of Works and Grace Mount Sinai Which came thence being there published and promulgated the Law and Covenant of Works To Bondage That is begets not Children of a free and ingenuous Spirit loving God and out of Love doing him Service and meerly of his Grace Love free Favour and Promise expecting their Reward but Bondslaves which out of a fear of Punishment or hope of Reward do Service and expect the Reward for the worthiness sake of their Works This Covenant is Hagar That is signified by Hagar so called for a double respect First For its Condition because it begets all Children to Bondage Secondly For Subordination Sarah's Maid the Law is a Servant to the Gospel and Gospel Ends. If as Mr. Leigh saith Ishmael was not under the Covenant of Grace in any sense I do wonder how he can as he doth in other places make it the Covenant of Grace and Circumcision the Seal of that Covenant for of it was Ishmael made a partaker Gen. 17.23 24. And Abraham took Ishmael his Son and all that were born in his House and all that were bought with his Mony according to the appointment of the Covenant ver 13. every Male among the Men of Abraham 's House and circumcised the Flesh of their fore-skin in the self-same day as God had said unto him A second Proof for the Confirmation of what I have laid down under this first Head that the Covenant mention'd in Gen. 17. did only hold forth Earthly Things to be enjoy'd by the Seed of Abraham by the Seed of Abraham I intend the great number of his fleshly Seed as separated from the Elect which were amongst them That this Covenant did only hold forth Earthly Enjoyments
which is given for you this do in remembrance of me Likewise the Cup after Supper saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you The Apostles were the visible Church at that time and to them doth he appoint the Supper Ordinance and from the Appointment of Christ doth Paul recommend the Practice and the continuance of this Ordinance to the Church of Corinth After he had condemned their sinful abuse of the Ordinance 1 Cor. 11. from ver 20 to 23. at ver 23 24. he lays before them how that Ordinance was appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ to be continued in his Church For I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betray'd took Bread And when he had given Thanks he brake it and said Take eat this is my Body which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me After the same manner also he took the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood this do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me As the Ordinance of Baptism was appointed by Christ to be administred to those who were qualified according to the Rule of the Word to be Members of the Church so it was appointed likewise to be the entering Ordinance into a visible Church-state and the Ordinance of the Lord's-Supper to these that were visible Members Which serves to clear up the former part of this Chapter what the Ordinances are and what is required to fit for the partaking of them The second branch of this Chapter is what they do hold out when administred according to the Rule of the Word First To have the Ordinances administred according to the Rule of the Word there is required that the Administrator the Subject to whom the Ordinance is administred and the Way of the Administration have its Warrant from the Word of God for God is a God of Order and not of Confusion In the second Part of this Book and the third Chapter I shew'd that there was an extraordinary and ordinary Qualification The extraordinary Qualification was that of the Apostles who had a large extensive Power accompanying them granted by Christ for the first planting of the Churches That this Office of Apostleship is ceased is clear seeing there is no appearance of the Qualifications to that great Work in any of the Dispensers of the Gospel in these latter Ages so that for any Person either to preach or administer the Ordinances as sent out by Christ as Apostles favours of Pride and Presumption But there is a more ordinary Qualification from Christ to dispense the Gospel which depends upon the Inlightnings of the Spirit in the Word and a Gift of Utterance to declare it unto others and for the carrying on of this Work God hath pleased to raise up several Persons to dispense his Truth before they bore any Office in the Church or over it But the Administration of the Ordinances of Christ being that which particularly concerns the Church it seems to me by the Rule of the Word that before such Administration of the Ordinances there should be a setting apart of fit Persons for Office by the Church and an Approbation of their Choice by the Elders of other Churches together with the laying on of Hands and likewise a solemn and earnest seeking unto Almighty God through Jesus Christ for a Blessing upon the Persons whom they have chose And this is to be done as a previous Qualification whereby to invest such Persons into a Right duly to administer the Ordinances I do remember that after God had fully convinced me of the Ordinance of Believers Baptism I went a great many miles to come under the Ordinance but the Person to whom I went not being able to give me a satisfactory account of his regular Admittance as an Administrator I was constrained to return unbaptized although at that time I had a very great desire to have been made a Partaker of that despised Ordinance This may serve to shew that to have the Ordinances administred according to the Rule of the Word there should be a fit Administrator Secondly To the orderly Administration of the Ordinances there is required a right Subject or such a Person as the Rule of the Word doth require And first I shall shew the Qualifications required of those that come to the Ordinance of Baptism and that is Repentance for Sins that are past Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and a seeking unto God through him for pardoning Grace and Power to walk with him Acts 22.16 And now why tarriest thou arise and be baptized and wash away thy Sins calling on the Name of the Lord. Compared with Chap. 8.37 38. And Philip said If thou believest with all thine Heart thou mayst and he answered and said I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God And he commanded the Chariot to stand still and they went down both into the Water both Philip and the Eunuch and he baptized him As the Rule doth require a Qualification to fit Persons for the orderly admittance to the Ordinance of Baptism so doth it likewise for the orderly admittance to the Lord's Supper 1 Cor. 11.27 28 29. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. But let a Man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup For he that eateth aad drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh Damnation to himself not discerning the Lord's Body He that eateth and drinketh unworthily that is as an ignorant Person not discerning the Lord's Body that is not having any inward apprehension of him by Faith upon their own Souls or come not with that holy humble Reverence and with that due regard which belongs to such an holy Action If it be so that the Rule doth require Qualifications of those that come to the Ordinances then it doth condemn the Practice of such who do administer without any regard whether the Qualification be there or no. And secondly It greatly condemns such who under the pretence of a spiritual Baptism and a spiritual Supper do lay aside the Ordinances which Christ hath appointed in his Church The more clear the Evidences are of the Work of the Holy Ghost upon the Heart it tends to hold forth the Persons right to the Ordinance of Baptism Acts 10.47 Can any Man forbid Water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we We may in these words behold the different Path that Truth and Error doth walk in Error makes a pretended Enjoyment of the inward a ground to lay aside the outward Truth makes the real Enjoyment of the inward the Qualification it self to partake of the outward and the more clear that the Enjoyment of Christ by the Holy Ghost doth outwardly