The Infants Advocate of Circumcision and Baptism, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Circumciſion conſidered as a Seal of the Goſpel Covenant; and what ſpiritual Graces were conveyed and confirmed thereby.
MAny behold Circumciſion with a flighting and neglectful eye; as a meer legal Ceremony, an outward Type and ſhadow; having nothing Evangelical therein. But on ſerious Enquiry it will appear, to have a Goſpel ground-work under a Ceremonial varniſh.
The clearing hereof is of great conſequence to our Preſent Controverſie: For if the Covenant of God made with Abraham at Circumciſion was meerly typical, then it died at Chriſts death with the reſt of the Ceremonies; But if it were a Goſpel Covenant, then it deſcendeth at this day to all the faithful. It is our preſent endeavour to evince, this Covenant of Abraham was Evangelical, eternal, and hereditary to all the Faithful.
For proof hereof take notice that God never made but two grand and ſpiritual Covenants: Though the latter hath been manifeſted by different degrees, and diſpenſations thereof.
The old Covenant.
1. Made with Adam and Eve, and (in them, as repreſentatives) with all mankind.
2. In Paradice, whilſt as yet they perſiſted in their original innocence.
3. On the condition, that they ſhould obſerve Gods law in refraining from the forbidden fruit.
4. Promiſing to the obſervers thereof a perpetuity only in Paradiſe. Indeed ſome Divines ſay, (but they only ſay it) that Adam on his good behaviour ſhould have been tranſlated from Paradiſe to Heaven, but this is more then can be demonſtrated from Scripture.
The New Covenant.
1. Made with Adam and Eve, and ſuch only as ſhould ſucceed them in the viſible church
2. In Paradiſe, after their fall, when the ſeed of the woman was promiſed to break the Serpents head.
3. On the condition, that with a lively faith they ſhould believe in the promiſed ſeed.
4. Putting believers into poſſeſſion of a comfortable ſubſiſtance here, and the reverſion of heaven▪ and happineſſe hereafter.
This ſecond, or New Covenant is the ſole ſubject of our preſent diſcourſe, which God made firſt with Adam without a ſeal, and now renewed it with Abraham, with a ſeal, when the ſign of Circumciſion was affixed thereunto.
Here we muſt be cautious not to miſtake the ſeveral declarations of this New Covenant to ſundry perſon…, to be ſo many new diſtinct Covenants. For, afterwards the ſame was repeated to Iſaac, Jacob, Moſes, the whole body of the Jews at mount Sinai, Joſhua, (I wil never leave thee, nor forſake thee, a promiſe applied by the Apoſtle, Heb. 13. 5. to all Chriſtians) David, and others. Yea, ſcarce any of the Prophets wherein this new Covenant is not reinforced. Now, ſuppoſe a man cauſeth his will (formerly roughly drawn up in paper) to be afterwards ingroſſed in parchment, then fairly to be tranſcribed in vellome, afterwards to be ſeverally written in Roman, Secretary, Court, and Text-hands, ſo long as the ſame and no other legacies, are on the ſame termes bequeathed to the ſame, and no other legatees, all will acknowledge theſe no diſtinct Wils, but the ſame in ſubſtance, and effect. As here the ſame new Covenant, at ſundrie times, and in divers places was made to the Fathers, by the Prophets, and at laſt moſt plainly by Chriſt himſelf.
Object. 1. If this were a new, or Goſpel Covenant made with Abraham at Circumciſion, then was there a third, and newer then this made afterwards to the Jews. For, ſo ſaith the Prophet, Jer. 31. 31. Behold the days come ſaith the Lord, that I will make a new Covenant with the houſe of Iſrael, and with the houſe of Judah.
Anſw. Nothing more uſual, and obvious in Scripture then to call that new, which is renewed; eſpecially if what was but dark and obſcure before, hath the old impreſſion ſet forth in a new and fairer edition thereof, John 13. 34. A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; and yet this new commandment was from the beginning, John 2. 5. though lately almoſt antiquated, and obliterated by mans vindicativeneſs Chriſt Heb. 10. 20. conſecrated for us a new and living way, yet is it the ſame with the Prophets old path, Jer. 6. 16. traced with the feet of Adam, and Eve, and thorow which alone all the Patriarchs made their paſſage into heaven, yet termed a new way (as a new Covenant) becauſe after Chriſts coming, more cleared, explained, and enlarged then before.
Object. 2. It is improbable that this covenant with Abraham at Circumciſion, ſhould be, a Grace-Goſpel-new-Covenant, becauſe God four hundred years after, (namely Exod. 20. at Mount Sinai) gave the Law, or Covenant of Works, to the Jews the children of Abraham. Now Gods mercy obſerveth a progreſſive motion, it doth, not (with the Sun on Ahaz his Dial) go backwards; but with the maſter of the feaſt, John 2. 10. He keepeth the beſt wine unto the laſt: They therefore in a manner degrade Gods goodneſſe, ſet it retrograde, who make his covenant with Abraham a new-covenant of Grace, when He gave an old covenant of Works ſo many years after it.
Anſw. They are much miſtaken who account the Law given to the Jews, a meer Covenant of works, though indeed there was very much of workiſh-neſs mingled therewith. The face of the new covenant at the giving of the Law, is dreſſed, I confeſſe, in old clothes; many old forms are uſed therein, alluding to the covenant of Works made with Adam. Yea, the erroneous Jews (partly through their own Ignorance, partly thorow their Rabbins, and Phariſees falſe gloſſes thereon) miſtook it for a direct, down-right covenant of works, reſting in the Rinde, or outward Bark thereof, and depending on the performance of it for their Salvation.
But let not this Covenant be denominated for the moſt, but the beſt part thereof, let it be expounded, (not as the blind Jews miſinterpreted it, but) as God graciouſly intended, and the good Patriarchs and Prophets wiſely accepted it, for a covenant of grace, wherein Meſſiah (though obſcurely) was tendered to ſuch, who could not perform what the rigour of the Law required. There is one word in the ſecond Commandment, which demonſtrateth this Law, to have Goſpel in the bowels thereof, namely the word Mercy, Exod 20. 6. ſhewing Mercy unto thouſands of them that love me and keep my commandments. Now Mercy is a Shiboleth which a covenant of works can never pronounce, as utterly deſtructive to the very nature thereof, and keeping commandments there muſt be taken, for ſuch as deſire and endeavour to keep them, though falling ſhort of legal exactneſſe
But we leave the farther proſecution of this point to thoſe learned Divines, who have written juſt Treatiſes thereof; conceiving it more proper for our preſent purpoſe, to prove this covenant with Abraham a new-Goſpel-covenant; and the ſerious peruſal of one verſe, Gen. 17. 7. will afford us three arguments for the evincing thereof.
And I will eſtabliſh my covenant between me and thee, and thy ſeed after thee, in their generations, for an everlaſting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy ſeed after thee.
Hence we collect it a Goſpel-Covenant.
From
1. The language, and expreſſion of it.
2. The continuance, and duration of it.
3. The bleſſings, and benefits conveyed by it.
For the language, and expreſſion, the voice is the voice of Jacob. The ſpeech agreeth thereunto (not to betray it as it did Peter to his ſhame, and ſorrow, but) to diſcover this covenant to its honour, and our comfort, to be an Evangelical Covenant. That very phraſe, to be a God unto thee, is a Goſpel-phraſe. Otherwiſe, how cometh he, who upon the breach of the covenant of works, was left our enemy, our inraged judge, to be a God unto us? I ſee here Matthew in Moſes, the New couched in the Old Teſtament. Parallel is the expreſſion, Mat. 1. 23. And they ſhall call his name Emanuel, which (being interpreted) is God with us. God with us, and to be a God unto us, differ ſomething in ſound, nothing in ſence.
Secondly, for the continuance and duration of it. An Everlaſting Covenant, that with Adam was but a ſhort-laſting covenant. Some conceive Adam never naturally ſlept in his Innocency, (accounting that cauſed deep ſleep, Gen. 2. 21. before Eve her creation, ſupernatural) but forfeited his Innocency before night. As there be ſome kind of inſects, (called foreign) which, Naturaliſts ſay, ſurvive but a day; ſo ſome conceive Adams integrity of no longer duration And, though we dare not certainly cloſe with their opinion (the Scripture not acquainting us with the date of Adams perſeverance in paradiſe) we may be confident, that covenant of works was of no long continuance before it was broken.
This ſhort-liv'd covenant thus expired, it was never reviv'd again on the ſame conditions, but utterly extinguiſhed. Yea, herein God magnified his mercy, that upon any termes he would treat with mankind, whom he might have condemned as incapable of any future contract, for once breaking of Covenant. Yet now he draweth up a ſecond agreement with them, being a covenant of grace, and that everlaſting; ſuch his goodneſſe, that, though we (if ſtrictly examined) break it with him, he will not break it with us. I confeſſe everlaſting in Scripture is ſometimes taken for long-laſting (in which ſenſe the Hebrew tongue accepteth of an ever after an ever) but here it is taken truly for eternity, ſeeing, whom God loveth he loveth to the end, without end.
The third argument to prove the evangelical nature of Gods covenant with Abraham, is drawn from the bleſſings, and benefits conveyed thereby; whoſe ſize and meaſure is ſo great, they are only of a Goſpel proportion, to be a God unto thee. Could leſſe be ſaid then this, ſo ſhort the words? yet could more be ſaid then this, ſo large the matter? All things herein are comprized, a promiſe to give repentance, faith, hope, and charity; patience in afflictions, preſervation from, or in them, competency of outward maintenance, perſeverance unto the end; in a word, grace, and holineſſe here, glory and happineſſe hereafter. How tedious are the inſtruments of our age (a ſpan of ground being ſcarcely paſſed under a ſpan of parchment) in compariſon of the conciſe Grants of our ancient Kings, ſome of whoſe Charters contain not ſo many words, as they convey Manours therein. Yet even thoſe Patents are prolix, if compared with Gods Covenant in my text, to be a God unto thee, promiſing therein more, then what man can aſk, or deſire. God hath ſet us a pattern, therefore let thy words be few, Eccleſ. 5. 2. not to be babling to him, in our prayers, ſeeing he is ſo plain, and pithy to us in his promiſes, couching all things in ſo ſhort an expreſſion.
To put all out of doubt, this Covenant of Circcumciſion made with Abraham and his ſeed, appears to be a Goſpel Covenant, becauſe S Paul ſo expoundeth it. If any ſcruple ariſe about the ſence of a Law, to whom ſhould people repair for ſatisfaction, but to the makers thereof, if alive. Thus on the emergency of doubts, about the nature of this Covenant, we may and muſt have recourſe unto the Author thereof. Now the ſame ſpirit, who indited Geneſis by Moſes, indited the Epiſtle to the Romans by S. Paul, who plainly affirmeth, Rom. 4. 11. that Abraham received the ſign of Circumciſion, the ſeal of righteouſneſs by faith.
Object. It is ſtrange to conceive how in that age there could be a Covenant of faith, the word faith appearing properly but once, Habac. 2. 4. in all the old Teſtament, (and once afterwards with a negation before it in reference to the Jews) Deut. 32. 20. Children, in whom is no faith: Seeing therefore ſuch ſilence of faith in the Old Teſtament, (ſo frequently reſounded in the New) this Covenant with Abraham ſeemeth ſuſpicious, to be an old Covenant of Works, and to have nothing of Goſpel therein.
Anſw. The word Faith only, not the thing ſignified thereby is wanting in the old Teſtament. What Chriſt and his Apoſtles call faith and believing, that the Prophets and pen-men of the old Teſtament expreſſe by Truſting. The Religion and Creed of the Ancient Patriarchs is briefly drawn up by David, Pſal. 22. 4. Our Fathers truſted in thee, they truſted and thou didſt deliver them; they cried unto thee, and were delivered, they truſted in thee and were not confounded. I will not ſay the Triplication of the word Truſt, denotes their belief in the Trinity, Father, Son, and holy Spirit; but here it plainly appears, they had their confidence in, and dependence on God; (though then not ſo clearly revealed unto them) which ſheweth the ſameneſs in ſubſtance of their belief with ours.
Ʋſe. This ſerveth to confute ſuch who account the Jews a meer huſk, ſhell, and ſhadow of Gods people; as if all the promiſes made unto them, meerly terminated in temporal happineſſes. Thus they feed the Jews bodies with milk, and fill their bellies with hony (even to a ſurfeit) flowing from the fruitfulneſſe of the land of Canaan; whileſt in the mean time they ſtarve and famiſh their ſouls, excluding them as incapable of heavenly, and ſpiritual bleſſings.
Their uncharitable errour is grounded on this argument; becauſe when their bleſſings are reckoned up, Deut. 28. 3. it extendeth only to the city, field, fruit of their bodie, ground, cattle, kine, ſheep, &c. but no mention of their eternal beatitude hereafter in heaven. Yea, when Iſaac cordially bleſſed Jacob, deſiring no doubt to make the ſame as compleat, as he could beſtow, and Jacob receive, his expreſſions, Gen. 27. 28. amount no higher then to the dew of heaven, the fatneſs of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine. On the other ſide, when the Jews curſes are ſolemnly pronounced, Deut. 28. 16. they are confined to city, field, basket ſtore, fruit of the body, land, kine, ſheep, &c. Here a deep ſilence of hell, and damnation, ſo that the ſmiles or frowns of God to the Jews, ſeem to reach no farther then to their well or ill being in this life.
To this it is anſwered, firſt in general; by the ſame argument one may conclude, that under the Goſpel no temporal, or outward happineſſe is promiſed to thoſe that fear, and ſerve God,; becauſe no expreſſes thereof (deſcending to the like particularities as in the old) are found in all the new Teſtament. I meet but with one in that nature (tendering an exact Inventory of earthly wealth) namely, Mark 10. 30. And the ſame hath bitterneſſe as well as ſweetneſſe therein; ſave that the cloſe thereof maketh recompence for all the reſt. But he ſhal receive an hundred fold now in this time, houſes, and brethren, and ſiſters and mothers, and children, and lands with perſecution, and in the world to come eternal life.
To come cloſer to their argument. Though generally temporal bleſſings are only expreſſed in the Old Teſtament, yet in and under them, is ſpiritual happineſſe contained. Thus when in the fifth commandment, long life in the land which God ſhall give them, is promiſed to dutiful children, eternity in heaven is included; and ſo did the judicious amongſt the Jews alwayes accept, and expound the ſame.
Moſt true therefore is S. Pauls poſition, 1 Tim. 4. 8. Godlineſs hath the promiſe of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. But where hath it the promiſe of this life? Chiefly in the old Teſtament, where temporal good is largely, and clearly; ſpiritual, briefly, and dimly propounded. Where hath it the promiſe of the life to come? Principally in the new Teſtament, where ſpiritual bleſſings are fairly and fully; temporal, ſhortly, and ſlenderly preſented. Stock thy ſelf with the one out of the Law, with the other out of the Goſpel, with both out of the Bible.
So much for the Covenant made as inherent in Abrahams perſon; come we now to conſider it as hereditary, and deſcending on his poſterity. I could name the Caſtle, and rich Manour in England, which was ſetled by Patent from Queen Elizabeth on one of her Courtiers. But, when the Grant came to be examined under King James, thoſe operative words, to him and his heirs, were found omitted in that emphatical place of the Patent, where the eſtate therein ſhould have been effectually conveyed. Whereupon the Grant was interpreted meerly perſonal, and forfeited to the Crown on the attainture of the foreſaid Courtier.
God maketh ſure work in his Covenant of Circumciſion. To prevent all miſcarriages, and to intail the ſame on Abrahams poſterity, how often doth he inſert, and repeat him and his ſeed, Gen. 17? twice in the 7th verſe, once in the 9th verſe, once in the 10th verſe, again, in the 12th verſe, and thy ſeed after thee. If in after-ages a wicked ſon chance to deſcend from-Abraham, and the ſame prove a ſpiritual unthrift, yet God hath put it paſt his power to alienate the ſpiritual inheritance of the Covenant from his children, they ſhall not ſuffer for their fathers default; the ſame being made over to Abraham and his ſeed; and now we come to ſhow what perſons are included within the compaſſe of that relation.