The Covenant of God Entered with Mankind, Chapter 45
CHAP. XLV.
The queſtion ſtated concerning the Birth-Priviledge of the iſſue of Beleevers.
A Fourth difference ſuppoſed to be (and aſſigned by ſome) between the firſt and ſecond covenant is,The fourth ſuppoſed difference between the Old and New covenant. That the firſt Covenant was in that latitude to comprize, not alone unregenerate men profeſſing the worſhip of the true God, but the whole of the ſeed of thoſe that made ſuch profeſſion. But the ſecond covenant is entred perſonally, and ſo veſted in them that make actually profeſſion of it, that it is terminated in them, and none of their ſeed are taken in with them. Here I cannot be ſo clear in my method as in the former, ſome have ſo mudded the way, that it is not eaſie to proceed in any faire and cleare order; As to the latter branch (concerning the New Covenant) their opinion is fully and clearly enough held out. All beleevers according to them are in covenant, and onelyonly thoſe that actually beleeve; They entitle themſelves, but cannot intereſt their ſeed in any title to it. But as to the firſt Covenant ſome make it to conſiſt meerly of carnal promiſes, and Circumciſion they anſwerably make a carnal badge, and ſo their opinion is clear, that the firſt deſcends to poſterity, but not the ſecond. The ſeed is included in the firſt carnal covenant, but excluded from the ſecond. But one undertaking a full Comment upon thoſe words of the Covenant, Gen. 17. 7. I will be a God to thee and thy ſeed, diſtinguiſhes of the ſeed of Abraham, and ſaith it is many wayes ſo called, and by his diſtinction inſtead of clearing much darkens the thing in queſtion.
1. Chriſt is called the ſeed of Abraham by excellency,Diſtinction of the ſeed of Abraham examined. Gal. 3. 16.
2. All the Elect, Rom. 9. 7. all Beleevers, Rom. 4. 11, 12, 16, 17, 18. are called the ſeed of Abraham, that is, the ſpiritual ſeed.
3. There was a natural ſeed of Abraham to whom the inheritance did accrue, this was Iſaac, Gen 21. 12.
4. A natural ſeed, whether lawful, as the ſons of Keturah, or baſe, as Iſhmael to whom the inheritance belonged not, Gen. 15. 5. Here by the way he much miſtakes himſelf.
(1.) In caſting Iſhmael out of Covenant, in that manner that all the time of his Circumciſion he had not any title to it; as afterwards he more fully explaines himſelf, to that end that he might make (were it poſſible) the Covenant and the Seale diſtinct of themſelves, without any relation one to the other, Conceiving ſome to be ſealed, that were never in Covenant; and ſome to be in Covenant that were never ſealed. But Iſhmael was in covenant, as was Eſau alſo at his Circumciſion, and his circumciſion (were there no more arguments) doth witneſſe it, Gen. 17. 11. Ye ſhall Circumciſe the fleſh of your fore-skin, and it ſhall be a token of the Covenant between me and you. Circumciſion was bottomed on the Command, we grant, had there been no inſtitution, no man might have preſumed to have ſigned it with ſuch a Seale, but the Command had relation to the Covenant; Men in Covenant were the adequate ſubject of Circumciſion, and are of Baptiſme; Gen. 17. 9, 10. God ſaid to Abraham, Thou ſhalt keep my Covenant therefore, thou, and thy ſeed after thee in their generations. This is my Covenant which you ſhall keep between me and you, and thy ſeed after thee, every man-childe among you ſhall be circumciſed. He was indeed after caſt out, with his ſeed, as was Eſau; not by a Church-cenſure, as Maſter Cotton affirmes, Holineſſe of Church-Members, Church-cenſures, fall not ſo heavy as to reach all poſterity; but by divine prerogative as the Apoſtle, Rom. 9. abundantly declares. His caſting out ſufficiently argues that he was once in, and when he received the token of the covenant, he was in covenant.
(2.) He does ill, in laying upon Iſhmael the brand of baſtardy, as though he were a ſonne of whoredomes to faithful Abraham; Concubines in Scripture have the name of wives, and their ſeed was ever accounted legitimate; neither will this ſerve his purpoſe at all to argue Iſhmael out of Covenant. It was the caſe of Dan and Nepthali, Gad and Aſher, (out of whoſe loines a conſiderable part of Gods Covenant-people did iſſue) as well as Iſhmaels. And could he faſten that ignominy on Abraham, and Iſhmael, to make it an illegitimate iſſue; yet this would not caſt Iſhmael out of covenant. It was the caſe of Pharez, Zarah, Jephthah, and yet they were all in Covenant with God. 2. He makes applicat on of this diſtinction, and ſaith, Of the three former kinds of Abrahams ſeed the promiſe recited is meant, but in a different manner thus: That God promiſeth he will be a God to Chriſt, imparting in him bleſſings to all the Nations of the earth, to the ſpiritual ſeed of Abraham in Evangelical benefits to the natural ſeed inheriting in domeſtick and political benefits. So that it evidently appeares, that he caſts out all the natural ſeed of Abraham, (legitimate or baſe, as he calls them, inheriting or not inheriting) from any title to that Covenant, ſave in domeſtick and political benefits. Here I ſhall undertake a Poſition in full oppoſition, that that Covenant in thoſe words expreſt; 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 unto thee and to they ſeed after thee, Gen. 17. 7. in their fulleſt latitude, as they are there ſpoken, in the largeſt comprehenſion (which according to Scripture they can be taken) are entred with all the natural ſeed of Abraham, by Iſaac and Jacob. But before I come to the confirmation of it (which is a matter of eaſe, if any) give me leave, (as well for the help of the Reader, as ſatisfaction of the Adverſary,) to premiſe ſome things to avoid all miſunderſtandings being neceſſitated to it by the foul miſcarriage of ſome in their ſtating of this queſtion.
Firſt,Poſitions premiſed for a right underſtanding of the queſtion. we take not in all the natural ſeed of Abraham, as the Poſition plainly expreſſeth, but the ſeed by promiſe which I underſtand not of the Elect, or Regenerate ſeed; but of that ſeed which God by miracle (according to promiſe) gave to Abraham by Sarah, All the natural ſeed of Abraham is not in Covenant, but onelyonly the ſeed by promiſe.when ſhe was paſt years of child-bearing. The natural poſterity (which was the birth by Promiſe) we only underſtand; And ſo the Apoſtle explaines it, Rom. 9. 7, 8. 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: Where [children of God] is taken in the ſame latitude as [Adoption] ver. 4 comprizing all the viſible body of the Jewes, as it is alſo taken, Deut. 14. 1. Only thoſe that are borne by Promiſe are included, and all the ſonnes of Iſhmael and Keturah, (though their parents were once in Covenant) are by Gods ſpecial command ſhut out▪ Neither are all theſe included; for as God caſt off Iſhmael and his ſeed, ſo he alſo caſt out Eſau, and his poſterity, Therfore the Apoſtle having brought the former diſtinction of ſeeds, reſts not there, but addes, verſe 10, 11, 12, 13. And not only this, but when Rebecca alſo had conceived by one, even by our Father Iſaac; for the children being not yet borne, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpoſe of God according to Election might ſtand; not of works, but of him that calleth. It was ſaid unto her, the elder ſhall ſerve the younger, as it is written; Jacob have I loved, but Eſau have I hated. And therefore the denomination of the ſeed, is, in Jacob, ſirnamed Iſrael; Therefore when the head, or if you will, the root of the covenant, is mentioned in Scripture, it is not barely Abraham, but Abraham and Iſaac, to exclude all Abrahams ſeed of any other line; not barely Abraham and Iſaac, but Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob. The natural ſeed of Jacob, then (not according to ours, but Gods own limits) is included in that covenant, in the full latitude and extent of it.
Secondly,The Covenant w…s entred of God with Abraham as accepting the termes of it for himſelf and his natural iſſue. we do not ſay that this covenant was entred with Abraham as a natural Father, nor his ſeed comprehended as natural children, we well know that quâ tale is omne, then all natnral parents were in Covenant, in that they had natural children, and all natural children were in Covenant, becauſe they were the natural iſſue of their parents. Abrahams Father was a natural father, and Abraham was his natural ſon, yet neither of them, upon that account were in covenant, we ſay it was entred with Abraham, accepting the termes of it from God, for himſelf, and his natural iſſue, all his natural iſſue, not by God himſelf excluded were in covenant, He that made the covenant (according to his good pleaſure) might put limits to it; Abraham may be conſidered, 1. As a man, the Son of Terah, of the race of Adam. 2. As accepting of Gods call, and receiving his tender for him and his. 3. As a faithful and an upright man, regenerate and ſtedfaſt in covenant. It is not as man that God enters covenant in this latitude, for Abraham himſelf was not thus in covenant, If he had been in covenant, as a man, then no man had been out of covenant: Neither is it as an upright man before God, and keeping covenant, for thoſe of his poſterity, whoſe hearts were not ſtedfaſt, were in covenant, and did hand it over to their ſeed, But as a profeſſour of the Faith accepting the covenant, taking God for his God, in contradiſtinction to falſe gods, he accepted it for himſelf and for his ſeed, his natural poſterity. And all that profeſſe the faith hold in the like tenure, are in covenant, and have the covenant; not veſted in their own perſons only, but enlarged to poſterity.
Thirdly,The Covenant entitles to ſpiritual mercies, and life eternal upon Gods termes and condition. we entitle the ſeed of Abraham, as before, to ſpiritual mercies, and ſo the ſeed of all that hold in the tenure of Abraham to ſaving grace and life eternal; not by an abſolute conveyance, infallibly to inherit, we know, though Iſrael be as the ſand of the ſea, yet a remnant only ſhall be ſaved, Rom. 9. 27. but upon Gods termes, and conditions in the Goſpel held out of God to his people. Salvation is made over by vertue of covenant, to all thus in covenant, in that ſenſe, as Chriſt ſpeaks, John 4. 22. Salvation is of the Jews. In that ſenſe as Chriſt uſeth it of Zacheus family; This day is ſalvation come this houſe, Luke 19. 9. In that ſenſe as the Apoſtle to the Hebrews ſpeaks of it, where he ſets out the danger of neglecting ſo great ſalvation, Heb. 2. 3. In that ſenſe (as I conceive) the Apoſtle ſpeaks of it, where he ſaith, that upon the cal of the Jews, All Iſrael ſhall be ſaved, Rom. 11. 26 They ſhall enjoy thoſe priviledges, in which ſalvation upon Gods terms may be obtained, and this is all that can by any means be ſqueezed out of their words, that ſay, the covenant of Grace was made of God, with Abraham and his natural ſeed, or with beleevers and their ſeed. It is even irkſome to read the large buſineſſe that is made, to find out our meaning about the covenant of God made with Abraham and his ſeed; and we muſt per force confeſſe that we mean it of a covenant, infallibly, abſolutely, to conferre grace, and conſequently ſalvation. To be ſo in Covenant, as that a man cannot fall from it. To this end, words of mine are produced, that I never uttered, and ſeveral arguments produced, againſt this ſuppoſed tenent and authorities multiplied out of Proteſtant Writers, Beza, Twiſſe, Wallaeus, The Annotations on the Bible, Ames, Paraeus, Downham. I am content that all theſe Worthies ſhall ſtill ſtand up in their honour, and that this ſhadow ſhould fall with ſhame, as well as I am that Bellarmine, Stapleton, a Lapide, Becanus, Eſtius ſhould fall with it, whoſe arguments in this controverſie one after other have been brought againſt me. To draw all up towards a concluſion, All that is neceſſarily included in Gods entrance of covenant with a people, engaging to be their God, and taking them for his people; is here by this grand Charter of Heaven made over to Abraham and his natural iſſue by Iſaac and Jacob. All their poſterity are branches of this root by nature ſimply conſidered, and they are holy branches by vertue of this covenant, which neceſſarily implies priviledge of Ordinances, the fruition of Gods Oracles, which are his covenant-draughts; without which no people are in Covenant, but all are ſtrangers: And this priviledge of Ordinances implies alſo all Priviledges, leading to, and accompanying ſalvation, and ſalvation it ſelf upon Gods terms, in his word revealed: and ſo before the diſputation, the Reader hath my ſuppoſition.