the doctrine of baptism/chapter 18

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THE

Doctrine of Baptism,

AND THE

Distinction of the COVENANTS;

A Plain Christian Treatise, explaining
the Doctrine of Baptism, and the two
Covenants made with Abraham, and
his two-fold Seed.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

An Answer To That Objection:

One Covenant With Two Administrations

But some may object and say, But this which you call a Covenant of Works, consisting of temporal promises, and also Laws and Statutes, you are not to understand that to be a distinct covenant from the Covenant of Eternal Life, but a form of administration, that the Covenant of Grace was then administered in. And the carnal children were not then interested in the main privileges of the Covenant, as adoption and justification, but the outward promises and privileges only made to their Father.

Answer

I know some do bring this objection, which if it be well weighed is inconsistent with their own argument. For if this objection be true, then was there no covenant made to Abraham's seed but only an administration of a Covenant. Therefore ill do they affirm that the covenant was made to them, therefore the administration. But this doubtless is false and this objection is false and groundless as appears by several express testimonies in Scripture which does evidently prove two distinct covenants, as for example:

God says in Gen. 17:7, "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 to thee, and to thy seed after thee."

The Lord Did Not Say He Would Establish An Administration Of His Covenant,
But His Covenant

Here observe that the Lord does not say, that He will establish an administration of the Covenant with his seed in their generations, but His covenant. In the 13th verse, this My Covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting Covenant, not this administration of my Covenant shall be in your flesh. So in Heb. 8:6-9, "But now hath he obtained a more excellent Ministry, by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant, which is established upon better promises.:

Note Two Covenants With Two Different Promises

Mark, (as I have before shown at large) here were two covenants. The one upon better promises, the other upon worse promises. This must needs be understood as temporal blessings, deliverances, and privileges. Therefore, Paul says "they serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things." In the 7th verse, he says, "if that first Testament had been faultless, there should have been no place sought for the second." In the 9th verse he says, "that the old covenant they continued not in, therefore God regarded them not;" and in the 12th verse, he says, "a New Covenant, he has made the first old. Now that which decays, and waxes old, is ready to vanish away." These Scriptures do evidence as clear as the sun at noon day, that there was a real covenant made with the Jews. It was made before with Abraham, but committed to the Church in writing by Moses when he led them out of Egypt. This Covenant they broke, said Jeremiah 31:32. Here the Apostle says, "they continued not in it," and the last verse says, "it was made old, and therefore vanishing away;" and in Heb. 9 the Apostle calls this Old Covenant that contained in it shadows and patterns of heavenly things, the First Testament wherein the Apostle, in verse 17 and forwards, does show there were Two Testaments, the one confirmed by the blood of Bulls, the other confirmed by the blood of Christ. If this were not true, then most falsely do such affirm that the Covenant and its privileges were made with Abraham's seed, if Abraham lineally had no covenant made with them, but only an external and outward administration and privilege, etc.

Upon that ground there was no National Covenant at all made with Israel but only an outward administration and that being granted to be ceremonial except you can prove another ceremonial administration as carnal, as that administration was, now in force. There is not the like ground why carnal and unbelieving children should have any share in it.

An Exposition of That Text, Gal. 4:21, etc.

Which Shows That There is Now Only One Covenant
For Christ and His Seed

That there were Two Covenants is most evident. This appears in the New Testament as I have formerly at large endeavored to make good, now only I shall add that in Galatians 4:21 and forward. Here the Apostle says,

"Tell me, ye that would be under the Law, do ye not hear the Law, for it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bond-maid, the other by a free-woman, but he who 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 two Covenants, the one from Mount Sinai which genders to bondage, which is Agar, for this Agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem that now is, and is in bondage with her children, but Jerusalem, which is above is free, which is the Mother of us all."

"Now we Brethren as Isaac was, are children of the promise, but as then, he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him that was born after the Spirit; so it is now, notwithstanding cast out the bond-woman and her son, for the Son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman. So then brethren, we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free." And in the next chapter he says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free, and be not entangled again, with the yoke of bondage," which he afterwards explains to be the Covenant of Circumcision, Gal. 5:1-3.

The Two Covenants and The Two Seeds

Abraham here represents God by way of type and figure with his two women, Sarah and Hagar. These represent the two covenants of God. The two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, represent (as the text hints) the two seeds in these two covenants of God. Sarah, the free-woman, represents the Covenant of Grace, and Hagar represents the Covenant of Works. Both these women continued in Abraham's house together for a time.

Abraham Begat Ishmael By Natural Strength Without Faith in the Promise,
and Begat Isaac In Faith in the Promise Without Natural Strength

Abraham begat the first child by the strength of nature from a bond-woman, without faith in the promise. He begat Isaac by faith in the promise without strength of nature, of a free-woman. The free-woman continued in Abraham's house with the bond-woman and her son without any Scruple till Isaac was born and also weaned. When the son of the bond-woman persecuted Isaac, the free-woman testified against the bond-woman and her son, and would have them abide in the house with her son no longer. Abraham likewise had first the free-woman, and the last the bond-woman. The free-woman was sometime barren in Abraham's house, but the bond-woman was fruitful.

This Mystery Explained

Now the mystery held forth in this history is clear, from which he speaks in this 4th chapter of Galatians, which must be this:

The Strength of Nature and The Power of Faith in the Promise

God, in like manner first made a Covenant of Grace, even as Abraham first had a free-woman. This covenant (in a great measure) was barren. It brought forth no seed. Or it was else totally barren as Sarah was in respect of that substantial seed, Christ Jesus, Whom Isaac typed forth. As soon as God had made this Covenant, He in the same house or Church, also has a Hagar, that is, a Covenant of Works. In this, God has an abundance of seed, becoming His by strength of nature, without faith in a promise. For a time the Covenant of Grace as Sarah (in a sense) becomes barren. All which time the Covenant of Grace and Covenant of Works both agree very well to be in God's house together. But at the last, as the free-woman brought forth Isaac, so the Covenant of Grace brings forth Christ Jesus, without strength of nature, by faith in a promise, as in Matt. 1:21 and Luke 1:31.

The Weaning of Isaac and Jesus Christ

When this substantial seed is come, then the Covenant of Grace and works remained in God's Church together. But afterwards, when Christ, the true Isaac, was (as it were) weaned, that is come to maturity so as to appear that He was now in the office of the Ministry, the Scribes and Pharisees with the High Priests, all the sons of Hagar, the Old Covenant, persecuted Christ, and those in Him.

The Free-Woman and the Bond Woman Do Not Belong Together
in the House of God

Whereupon, the free-woman, or rather the free Covenant of Grace, does testify, that a Covenant of Works with her seed, shall no longer remain with her in the Church of God. But, now, the free covenant and her sons, that is, the Covenant of Grace only and her children born by faith in a promise, must only from this time forward remain in the house of God.

The Fruitful Abundance of the Covenant of Grace

"So that now rejoice thou barren that barest not," the Covenant of Grace becomes fruitful, having seed in all nations. Therefore, the Apostle says, "the Jerusalem which is above, which is free, is the Mother of us all." Those us or we, who are members of the primitive Church, were born from above by faith in a promise.

Therefore, it is plain from hence that there were no carnal babes in that Church. But when Christ, the true seed of the Covenant, was persecuted by the Jews, who were the children of the Covenant of Works, the Gospel does plentifully testify of the abolishing of the Covenant of Works, and the casting forth of those bond-children out of God's Church, Acts 13:45,46.

"But when the Jews saw the multitude they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you, but seeing ye put it far from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, so we turn to the Gentiles; for so hath the Lord commanded us."

Hagar is a Type of the Old Covenant Which Has Been Cast Out

As appears in the 11th chapter of the Romans, and as that 4th chapter of Galatians, in express words says in the 25th verse, by this Hagar is meant Mount Sinai in Arabia which answers to Jerusalem that now is and is in bondage with her children. It is so clear that the bond-woman and her son, that is to say, the Covenant of Works and all those related to Abraham only in a Covenant of Works, are cast out of the house of God.

How opposite then is their opinion to the truth, who still would have a fleshly generation to be in the house of God with their children.

The Natural Jews Were not Brought Into the Covenant Of Grace
Nor Were the Natural Seed of the Gentiles

But seeing the natural branches, who truly were descended of the Line of faithful Abraham, might not have that honor, how much less the unbelieving seed of the Gentiles who are wild by nature?

INTRODUCTION

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