A Christian, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. About the nature of the Covenant made with Abraham.
THE firſt great thing in this Controverſy is, to conſider the nature of the Covenant, which is the firſt foundation of the priviledge to believers, and their ſeed, as it was firſt made with Abraham and his ſeed, in the name of all believers, and their ſeed, both Jews and Gentiles; for ſo large is the extent of that Covenant to both, as hereafter ſhall be proved from New Teſtament expreſſions; and if we find the ſame Covenant reaching Gentile-believers, and their Children, as Abraham and his, we cannot be denied the new external ſign and ſeal of the ſame Covenant; for though the outward ſigns may be changed, yet there is no change of the priviledges, if the Covenant remain entire. For the opening of which we ſhall conſider,
1. The nature of Abrahams Covenant.
2. How perſons may be ſaid to be in that Covenant.
For the firſt, we muſt begin with that place, Gen. 17. where God began not only to expreſs the Covenant in larger terms then formerly, but to adde a viſible ſeal to it, viz. that of Circumciſion: There be many conjectures about this Covenant; thoſe that differ, conceive it to be a mixt Covenant, made up of ſpiritual and temporal bleſſings together, and not of the ſame purity with the Covenant in the New Teſtament, and ſo make a carnal part, and a ſpiritual part of it, and Circumciſion to be annexed eſpecially to the former, not ſo to the latter; this is the true relation of their judgement about this. Let us review the Covenant, and its terms, and we ſhall ſoon find the miſtake.
Firſt, and chiefly, We affirm this was a Covenant of pure grace, the ſame in ſubſtance with the Covenant adminiſtred now under the Goſpel, ſince Chriſts coming in the fleſh and ſpirit.
1. It was founded upon pure grace, Gods love to Abraham, and 'tis not any thing in Abraham, or his, to move God more then to the Gentiles.
2. It was a Covenant without works, therefore of pure grace, Rom. 4.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. and all along the Chapter.
3. It was a Covenant made only with a believer upon Goſpel terms; the ſame the New Teſtament holds forth in the 3, 4, and 5, v. of that Chapter; now faith is the only condition of the Covenant of grace.
4. It was a Covenant made in Chriſt, and therefore a pure Covenant of grace, as any can be in the Goſpel, Gal. 3.16, 17, 18, and 29.
5. Conſider the tenure of this Covenant, Gen. 17.7. I will eſtabliſh my Covenant between me and thee, and thy ſeed after thee in their generations, to be a God to thee, and thy ſeed after thee. Here is the ſubſtance and ſtrength of this Covenant, to be a God to Abraham and to his ſeed; and what can be more then to be Jehovah to him? can there be any expreſſion more high, or that can ſet forth more grace in purity then this? It's more then can be expreſt, that God ingageth his Deity to him; and it is as much as if God had ſaid, whatever I am in mine own Godhead, I will be to thee and thy ſeed, to make you happy and bleſſed: this is the firſt and main thing premiſed, and it comprehends Chriſt, grace, glory, all bleſſings above imagination; the Apoſtle in Heb. 8.10. uſeth the ſame expreſſion as the ſum of all, when he ſpeaks of the new Covenant, I will be to them a God, and they ſhall be to me a people. We need adde no more, if that were not a Covenant of pure grace, the Goſpel knows none other.
That which they have to ſay why it's a mixt Covenant, and a temporall, as ſome of the moſt ignorant affirm, is from the following expreſſion of Gen. 17.8. 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, &c. Now, ſay they, if the promiſes be mixt, ſo is the Covenant.
To which I anſwer, that the Land of Canaan, and ſuch like promiſes, were but additional, and added ex ſuperabundanti, to the firſt promiſe, not at all incorporated to the bulk and body of the Covenant which was made in Chriſt, and conſiſted of more pure conſiderations; theſe promiſes were but fitted to the outward adminiſtration of the firſt promiſe of grace, and the ſtate of Abrahams family, but there was no mixture; For,
1. The Covenant with Abraham is repeated in the New Teſtament entire, without any of thoſe additions, as is proved formerly.
2. The promiſe of Canaan was typical of Heaven, and ſo did but more open the firſt promiſe, to be their God; ſhewing them that God would bring him and his to Heaven, and the fulneſs of his glory, as he would bring them to an outward Canaan; and this was ſuited to Gods deſign, in adminiſtring that vaſt promiſe by types and outward figures: ſo Abraham cloſed in with it by faith, as a promiſe expounding figuratively the ſubſtance of the Covenant, Heb. 11.8, 9, 10. ſo 13, 14, 15, 16. So that the firſt promiſe was poſitive, and ſhewed the nature of the Covenant; the other was typically expoſitory, Canaan ſetting out Heaven, and the eternity of their reſt with this God in Covenant; and this will no more make a mixt Covenant, then the type and the ſubſtance when they meet together will differ in ſignification.
3. We may as well ſay, theſe promiſes in the New Teſtament make up a mixt Covenant, and ſo of a different nature, when God ſaith in Mat. 6.33. Seek firſt the Kingdome of God, and all things elſe ſhall be added; and 1 Tim. 4.8. Godlineſs hath the promiſe of this life, and that which is to come; which are as much mixt as ever the Covenant made with Abraham was; whereas all know, theſe are but accidental appendixes of the promiſe of grace, and diſpenſed according to the uſe he hath for, and the conditions of his Saints: thus Canaan was added to the Covenant, as all other things to the Kingdome of God.
4. If this be a mixt Covenant, becauſe Canaan is added, and the like, then how comes it to be the ſame in the N. T. and to be of force now, when no notice is taken of Canaan, and the temporal promiſes? Sure in this mixture the promiſe of free grace was primary, and like oyl, at top; for Abrahams Covenant the very ſame for ſubſtance, is clear, and without mixture in the Goſpel, though it is adminiſtred externally, as it was then, and the bleſſings of Abraham come on the Gentiles, though not of an external Canaan.
If they ſay that Canaan was added only for the diſpenſation of the Covenant to the Jews, it's granted; but that it ſhould make a mixture in the Covenant, is moſt falſe, which is the ſame for ever, though the outward adminiſtration be different; things may be added, yet not mixt, as a mans cloaths to his body, and yet there is no mixture between a mans fleſh and his cloaths.
But let us come to Circumciſion, the ſeal of this Covenant; it ſealed it, ſay they, as a mixt Covenant.
Then 1. It ſealed the one part as well as the other; take it in their own ſenſe, that is, it ſealed God to be their God, as Canaan; and ſo it was not a ſeal meerly to a temporal promiſe.
2. If the Covenant was ſo mixt in the nature of it, then Circumciſion ſealed unequally, though it was added to a mixt Covenant, for it ſealed the promiſe of Canaan to thoſe that never went into Canaan, as many that died before that time, and afterwards many that were circumciſed died in the Wilderneſs, and under Gods wrath, and ſo ſealed nothing at all, neither part of the Covenant viſibly; and that is hard, that to ſo many there ſhould be neither the fulfilling of ſpiritual, nor temporal part of the promiſe.
3. Grant them this Covenant was mixt, then it was either in the ſubſtance, or circumſtances; if in the ſubſtance, then Abrahams Covenant was not Goſpel, and believers muſt ſeek for another Father, as to the example of faith, and that were to make it rather like Nebuchadnezzars Image of Iron and Clay, then made up of Goſpel materials; If in circumſtances of adminiſtration, and additaments of external types, it's granted, and we have the ſame promiſe now, with new outward adminiſtrations; if this mixture were in the nature and ſubſtance of the Covenant, then it muſt remain as long as the Covenant laſted, and ſo unto this day; for no man is ſo bold (though many are bold enough) as to ſay that Abrahams Covenant is abrogated; if it be under any other conſideration, it's eaſily waved, and the truth the ſame: So that Circumciſion ſealed the Covenant primarily in its nature, as a Covenant of grace, and God being a God to circumciſe their hearts, &c. and Canaan, and other things conſequently and accidentally, as God made a promiſe of them, for the better viſible adminiſtration of the Covenant to them in that external polity. And ſurely it's beyond an ordinary reach to believe, that God ſhould make a Covenant with Abraham, and for his faith in it ſhould create him the Father of the faithful in all ages, and this Covenant ſhould be brought in the N. T. and renewed, and the tenure of it freſhly held forth to believers there, and yet at the firſt making of it God ſhould mix temporal promiſes with the ſpiritual ſubſtance of it, and annex a ſeal that ſhould only or ſpecially ſeal the temporal part of it, and ſo poorly confirm the main and eſſential nature of it, eſpecially when God ſpeaking of Abrahams faith, ſtiles Circumciſion the ſeal of the righteouſneſs of it, Rom. 4. But of this more in another Chapter.