The Covenant of God Entered with Mankind, Chapter 46
CHAP. XLVI.
Arguments concluding the natural iſſue of Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob to be taken into Covenant.
MY firſt Argument is taken from the addition annext to this covenant in the words immediately following.The natural iſſue of Abraham poſſeſt the land of Canaan The Lord having made a covenant in full words with Abraham and his ſeed, he addes, and I will give unto thee, and to thy ſeed after thee, the land wherein thou art a ſtranger, all the land of Canaan for an everlaſting poſſeſſion, and I will be their God. That ſeed of Abraham that had poſſeſſion of the land of Canaan, through the gift, and by vertue of the promiſe of God, is the ſeed here taken into covenant, to have the Lord for their God. This is ſo plaine, that nothing can be plainer to any that read the words. But the natural ſeed of Abraham, all the ſeed of Jacob in their ſeveral Tribes, (according as God ſet them their bounds) inherited the land of Canaan, which is called the land of their inheritance, and not onelyonly the ſpiritual ſeed Regenerate. Look into the Hiſtory of of Scripture, who thoſe were that inherited Canaan, and you may ſee who were in this covenant; The natural ſeed were there, and not only the ſpiritual, Even thoſe of Abrahams poſterity that died, not having obtained the promiſes, Heb. 11. 13. that only ſo journed in Canaan, and were never poſſeſt of it, had title to it. It was theirs in reverſion, though they never came into actual poſſeſſion.
My next Argument is drawn from the Seale that is annext in the words immediately following this additional promiſe,Had the ſeal of Circumciſion. ver. 9, 10, 11. And God ſaid unto Abraham, thou ſhalt keep my covenant therfore, thou, a…d 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. And ye ſhall circumciſe the fleſh of your fore-skin, and it ſhall be a token of the Covenant betwixt me and you. They that had the ſigne and ſeale of the covenant, that had it by divine appointment, were a people in Covenant. This is ſo plaine, that nothing can be more plaine; God doth not enter covenant with one, and give the ſigne and ſeal to another: but all the natural ſeed of Abraham by Iſaac and Jacob, had the ſeal, viz. all the males, all thoſe that were in a capacity of it, it was not limitted to the ſpiritual ſeed. There had been no place for that diſtinction of Circumciſion in the fleſh, and Circumciſion of the heart; if none muſt be circumciſed in fleſh, but thoſe that are circumciſed in heart.
My third Argument is drawn from the Comment that God himſelf makes of this covenant,Were owned of God as his people. in the whole Series of Scripture-hiſtory, holding it out every where in this way of tenure, to Abraham and his natural iſſue, as before; Where God himſelf ſpeaks to the whole body of Iſrael when they were newly come up out of the land of Egypt, he ſayes, I am the Lord your God, Exod. 20 2. Deut. 5. 6. God owned all of that whole people as his, all of them being Abrahams natural iſſue, yet all of them were not ſpiritual▪ and while they were in Egypt, God ſpeaks of them all in community as his; Let my people go, that they may hold a feaſt unto me in the wilderneſſe, Exod. 5. 1. We ſee the titles that he gives them, Children of the Lord your God, an holy People, a peculiar People above all Nations, Deut. 14. 1, 2. That ſpeech of the Lord to Iſrael, Amos 3. 1, 2. is very full to our purpoſe: Heare ye the Word of the Lord that he hath ſpoken againſt you, O children of Iſrael, againſt the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, ſaying, You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore I will puniſh you for all your iniquities. Every one that deſcended from Jacob, the whole of the family that came out of Egypt, were a ſelect people to God in covenant; He was according to the termes of that Covenant, their God. There is not a place, where God calls them by the name of his people (which are almoſt endleſſe;) but there we have this confirmed, that that people were the Lords by vertue of this grant made to Abraham and his ſeed.
In the fourth place,Pleaded their intereſt in the Covenant for obtaining of mercy. I argue from the practice of the people of God, making this Covenant of God entred with Abraham and his ſeed, a plea to obtaine mercy from God for all Iſrael, the worſt of Iſrael, in their loweſt ſtate and condition, Deut. 9 26, 27. O Lord God, deſtroy not thy people and thine in heritance, which thou haſt redeemed through thy greatneſſe, which thou haſt brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Remember thy ſervants Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob, look not unto the ſtubbornneſſe of this people, nor to their wickedneſſe, nor to their ſinne. If this Divinity had been then known, Moſes might have been ſent away with this anſwer; That he ſpake for dogges, and not for children; not for Iſrael, but for aliens and ſtrangers to the Common-wealth of Iſrael. But as this and the like requeſts of the people of God were made in faith, ſo they prevailed with God; Moſes there urges, They are thy people, and thine inheritance, verſe 29. as doth the Church, Iſa. 64. 9. Be not wroth very ſore, O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever; behold, ſee, we beſeech thee, we are all thy people; and Moſes petition takes as the Hiſtory ſhews, Exod. 32. 14. And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people; yea, when God vouchſafes mercy to his people thus in covenant, Levit. 26. 42. it is upon this account of the Covenant; Then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob, and alſo my Covenant with Iſaac, and alſo my covenant with Abraham will I remember, and I will remember the land, Lev. 26. 42. And appearing for the deliverance of Iſrael out of their hard and preſſing bondage; he ſaith to Moſes, I am the God of thy Father, the God of Abraham, the God of Iſaac, and the God of Jacob, Exod. 3. 6. and that to ſtay up his faith in confidence of deliverance.
To this here in this place delivered one replies, Object. The Covenant (ſaith he) with Abraham and his ſeed I finde, Gen. 17. 7. and the urging of this covenant I deny not, Exod. 32. 13. Deut. 9. 27. Lev. 26. 42. Exod. 3. 6. And though I ſay not that it contained only the promiſe of Canaan, but grant it contained the Promiſe of Redemption by Chriſt, Luke 1. 17. yet I like not Chamiers ſaying, to call the Promiſe of Canaan an appendant to the covenant, ſith the Holy Ghoſt me thinks ſpeaks otherwiſe, Pſalme 105. 8, 9. 10, 11.
I ſhall ſay no more,Sol. but leave it to the Reader, whether this be any anſwer, only for his cenſure of Chamiers calling the promiſe of the land of Canaan an appendant to this covenant; the thing is ſo clear in the narrative of it, Gen. 17. that nothing can be more evident. The Covenant is full, verſ. 7. To be a God to Abraham and to his ſeed, and this he might have been had he pleaſed, in the land of Vr of the Caldees, or in any land whatſoever where Abrahams ſeed had been planted: But when the covenant is thus made, there is added; And I will give unto thee, and to thy ſeed after thee the land wherein thou art a ſtranger, all the land of Canaan for an everlaſting poſſeſſion. As for that of the Pſalmiſt, where he thinks the holy Ghoſt ſpeaks otherwiſe; the force of this Argument muſt needs be this. That which is any where called a Covenant, that is not an appendant to a covenant; but the giving of the land of Canaan to the ſeed of Abraham, is there called by the name of a Covenant. He will not, I think, ſay, that Circumciſion is the Covenant between God and his people, he will not deny, but it is a ſigne and ſeale annext to the covenant; and yet, Gen. 17. 10. it is called a Covenant, This is my Covenant which ſhe ſhall keep between me and you, and thy ſeed after thee, every man-childe among you ſhall be circumciſed. Metonimies of the adjunct are well enough known, and the common uſe of them in Scripture; but that it is his wiſdome for his advantage to conceale it.
My fifth and laſt argument is drawn from thoſe ſeveral Texts in the New Teſtament,New Teſtament Scriptures concluding Abrahams natural ſeed to be in Covenant. which interpret this Covenant thus entred with Abraham, in that latitude; as extending to his natural iſſue, and not with limit to his ſpiritual ſeed; and that not barely in domeſtick or civil, but in ſpiritual promiſes; ſo that this one hath many in the bowels of it.
Firſt,Rom 9 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Rom. 9. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. verſes. The Apoſtle aggravating in the higheſt and ſaddeſt way, that great heavineſſe, aud continual ſorrow of heart, that he had for Iſrael; (not reſpective to civil or domeſtick, but higher concernments,) even for the whole body of Iſrael; his brethren and kinſmen according to the fleſh, as he expreſſeth himſelf, v. 3. For amplification of the real grounds of his trouble, that ſuch a people ſhould be caſt off; he reckons up their priviledges, the priviledges of all that according to the fleſh were Iſraelites; Priviledges formerly enjoyed, but now loſt, nine in number: Who are Iſraelites, to whom appertaines the Adoption, and the Glory, and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the ſervice of God, and the Promiſes? Whoſe are the Fathers, and of whom as concerning the fleſh Chriſt came, who is over all, God bleſſed for ever, Amen. Here ſure is enough to conclude them of the ſeed thus in covenant, to be of Gods adopted ſeed under the Promiſes.
Secondly,Rom. 11. Throughout. Rom. 11. Throughout the whole body of the chapter, the Apoſtle ſpeaks of the caſting off of Gods people. Thoſe that are caſt off from being a people of God, were once his people; thoſe that are put out of covenant, were a people in Covenant; but the natural iſſue of Abraham (called natural branches, verſe 21. being by right of birth of that Olive) are there broken off, caſt off; therefore the natural iſſue was the ſeed in covenant.
Thirdly,Mat. 8. 11, 12 Mat. 8. 11, 12. Upon occaſion of the Faith of the Centurion, which Chriſt ſo magnifies, and preferres before the faith of any in Iſrael; he prophecies of the call of the Gentiles, and the rejection of the Jewes, I ſay unto you, that many ſhall come from the Eaſt, and Weſt, and ſhall ſit down with Abraham, and Iſaac, and Jacob in the Kingdome of heaven: But the children of the Kingdome ſhall be caſt out into utter darkneſſe, there ſhall be weeping and gnaſhing of teeth. Nations from all quarters of the world, every point of the Heavens ſhall embrace the Faith, and be received viſible members of the Kingdom of God; when the children of the Kingdome that are now in it, and enjoy it, ſhall be caſt out of it; children of the Kingdome that are to be caſt out, are in the Kingdome only upon an intereſt of birth, for the fruition of the priviledges of Ordinances, and not upon any ſpiritual title, infallibly giving intereſt in Salvation: But the children of the Kingdome were upon our Saviours ſentence to be caſt out, therefore they were in the Kingdome only on an intereſt of Birth.
Fourthly,Gal. 2. 15 Gal 2. 15. In that chapter among other things we have a narrative from the Apoſtle, of his dealing by way of reproof with Peter at Antioch. In which we may obſerve.
(1.) The occaſion given by Peter, verſ. 12. Before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles; but when they were come, he withdrew and ſeparated himſelf.
(2.) The iſſue which followed upon this carriage of his, And the other Jewes diſſembled likewiſe with him, inſomuch that Barnabas alſo was carried away with their diſſimulation.
(3.) Arguments brought for conviction of Peter of this error, which are two. The firſt in the 14. verſ. If thou being a Jew liveſt after the manner of the Gentiles, and not as do the Jewes, why compelleſt thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jewes? Thus the Argument runnes; It is unreaſonable to draw others into a practice that thou thy ſelf purpoſely forbeareſt; But thou thy ſelf keepeſt not the Jewiſh Rites and Ordinances, and therefore it is an unreaſonable and blame-worthy practice, by thy example to compel others to their obſervation; yea, thou being a Jew, takeſt thy ſelf to have freedome unreaſonably, then doſt thou draw on others, who were never under any ſuch obligation. The ſecond Argument is in the 15. and 16. verſes, We who are Jewes by nature, and not ſinners of the Gentiles; knowing that a man is not juſtified by the works of the Law, but by the faith of Jeſus Chriſt, even we have believed in Jeſus Chriſt, that we might be juſtified by the faith of Chriſt, and not by the works of the Law; for by the works of the Law ſhall no fleſh be juſtified, which is thus enforced. In that way wherein we who are Jews, with all our birth-priviledges cannot attain to righteouſneſs, we may not teach the Gentiles to attain to it. But we who are Jews by nature, and not ſinners of the Gentiles, cannot this way attaine to righteouſneſſe. We know that a man is juſtified by faith; we are compelled to quit the Law, and to cleave to Faith without works, for juſtification. Theſe words which come up to our preſent purpoſe, containe. (1.) The priviledge of Peter, Paul, Barnabas with the reſt of the Jewes. (2.) The character of the Gentiles in oppoſition to the Jewes▪ As to the full purpoſe for which theſe words are brought by the Apoſtle, they have for the ſenſe of them their dependance on the words that follow; but ſo farre as they containe the priviledge of the Jewes, in oppoſition to, and above the Gentiles, (to which we are to ſpeak) ſo farre they are full of themſelves; ſhewing, Firſt, Poſitively, what himſelf and Peter were, Jewes by nature. Secondly, Negatively, what they were not, ſinners of the Gentiles. Where [nature] is taken, not in the proper, but vulgar acceptation, for birth or deſcent from Anceſtours, as uſually in our common phraſe of ſpeech we ſay, men are naturally Dutch, French, Spaniſh, Iriſh, when they are ſuch borne and bred; This Scripture therefore Camero cites for one, in which the Apoſtle ſpeaks after the vulgar manner. We have a Scripture parallel with this. Rom. 11. 24. wher [nature] and [natural] is only by birth and off ſpring, Peter, Paul, Barnabas were all naturally Jewes, borne of Jewiſh Parents, and bred up in the way and Religion of the Jewes; ſuch onelyonly Chriſt choſe for Apoſtles, being himſelf a Miniſter of the Circumciſion. Peter therefore being one of the twelve muſt neceſſarily be ſuch, Paul was ſuch▪ as we know from his own mouth, a Jew, and of the Tribe of Benjamine Barnabas was ſuch, of the Tribe of Levi. And being ſuch they enjoyed a priviledge which the Gentiles wanted, they were by birth and off-ſpring of a Nation that is holy. No Nation was ſo great as they, who had God ſo nigh unto them, who had ſtatutes and judgements ſo righteous. The Jew had every way prerogatives and advantages, but chiefly the Oracles of God. God had not dealt ſo with every Nation; when other Nations were without God, they had God nigh unto them; when others were uncleane, they were holy. This great priviledge of Birth, Gentiles wanted, and ſo were by off-ſpring ſinners; as Birth renders all, ſo they remaine unholy and uncleane, among the unholy and unclean without any ſuch title to the Covenant of God, that thereby they might obtaine any other denomination; they are dogs, while the people in Covenant are children. And by this means the ſeeming oppoſition which is between this text and that of the Apoſtle, Epheſ. 2. 3. is eaſily reconciled. Here the Apoſtle makes an oppoſition nature, between Jews and Gentiles; Jewes by nature had priviledge above Gentiles. There he makes Jewes and Gentiles in nature equal? We (ſaith he) were by nature children of wrath as well as others, as well as Heathens, that have no Birrh priviledge [Nature] in that Text is not the ſame as nature in this [Nature] there is taken for the qualification of nature, which is equally defiled in Jewes and Gentiles, which is there evidenced in the converſation of the Jewes, being (before convertion by grace) the very ſame with the Gentiles. Among whom alſo we all had our converſation in times paſt in the luſts of our fleſh, fulfilling the deſires of the fleſh and of the minde, and were by nature children of wrath, even as others. [Nature] here is taken for a Birth-priviledge, and ſo the Jews (though in themſelves ſinners) are reputed an holy people a people by covenant holy to the Lord. Nature ſimpl conſidered, is ſtained, and renders Jewes and Gentiles equally ſinners and obnoxious to Gods wrath; of which, Juſtification by faith is an acknowledgement, as the Apoſtle here ſhews, verſe 17. But birth of Jewiſh Anceſtors, of the ſtock of Iſrael puts them into a ſelect condition, into the number of a people holy to the Lord. Neither is this any contradiction; common things dedicated for holy ſervice and uſe, are holy: A people by nature ſinners dedicated to the Lord, are for holy ſervice and uſe, for the ſervice of the Lord, when others are for ſervice of idols. Therefore jeruſalem a City, none of the holieſt for any tranſcendent manners of the inhabitants thereof, is yet called by the Evangeliſt, the holy City, by reaſon of the Temple and worſhip there, that were holy.
That which is a priviledge of nature or birth, belongs to the natural iſſue, that cannot be denied: But to be incovenant with God as a people holy and exceeding others that are without as ſinners, is a priviledge of nature or birth; therefore this priviledge belongs to the natural iſſue. This Argument, as it is cleare of it ſelfe, ſo it hath this advantage, that for interpretation of the word [Nature] it hath approbation from profeſt adverſaries; one ſaith, I grant his ſenſe of the word Nature, and that the Apoſtle there ſpeaks of himſelf and other Jewes, as in reputation more holy then the Gentiles, becauſe of their intereſt in Circumciſion, and obſervance of Moſes Law; And this grant involves him not in a few contradictions. 1. That this was a Birth-priviledge as he here acknowledges, being the Jews priviledge by birth of nature, and therefore belonged to the natural ſeed; when… elſewhere he ſaith, they inherit onelyonly domeſtick and civil benefits. 2. This intereſt in Circumciſion, and obſervance of Moſes Law, was a priviledge of Ordinances, and he is wont to deny, that birth entitles any to ſuch priviledges. 3. This is ſpiritual mercy which the Jews here had in Circumciſion, and Moſes Law. Circumciſion by his confeſſion ſeales Goſpei-mercies, the ſame that Baptiſm ſealeth. And Moſes in the Law wrote of Chriſt John 1 45. John 5. 46. and yet he denies the natural ſeed any Promiſe of ſpiritual mercies. Any one of theſe arguments ſeverally, much more all joyntly make good this Poſition, that all the natural ſeed of Abraham by Iſaac and Jacob are in that great Charter (vouchſafed of God) taken into covenant, ſo as to be the people of God, and to enjoy all priviledges of his people, in order (upon Gods termes) to everlaſting ſalvation.