the doctrine of baptism/chapter 14

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

In the next place, let us speak to that in Rom. 11:16,17. This is made use of by some to prove a Covenant of Eternal Life in the flesh. The words are these, "For if the first fruits are holy, then the Lump is also holy; and if the Root be holy, so are the Branches; and if some of the Branches are broken off, and thou being a wild Olive-tree art grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the Root and fatness of the Olive," etc.

The usual exposition is, this root is Abraham and these first-fruits are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These branches are to be understood as the body of Israel who came out of their loins as the root and the branches. So the Jews (through unbelief) with their generation, were broken off. So also, the Gentiles with their Generation and seed are brought in. This last Clause, which mainly serves for their purpose, they bring in by head and shoulders, is that the Gentile and his seed are brought in. What is there in that text which will support that position if it be truly examined?

Does This Text Say There is a Covenant of Eternal Life Running
to the Believing Gentiles and their Natural Seed?

But, let us consider this text and see if it will prove a Covenant of Eternal Life to run in the flesh of believing Gentiles? That is what the text must prove. Without this, it is alleged in vain. For the better examining of this we will take for granted that by root is meant Abraham. By first-fruits is meant Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who are spoken of. If so, then you must of necessity distinguish in Abraham, as the Apostle does, a begetting and working Abraham, and a believing and faithful Abraham.

You must understand that Abraham was in a two-fold covenant. Wherein he was holy in a double sense. As he was in that absolute Covenant of Grace he was spiritually holy. When he was considered in the Covenant of Works, that conditional covenant made with him, he was legally holy.

All the Nation of Jews being separated by God from all other Nations in and by the same Covenant, are in this sense holy, as Abraham was. As he was holy in a Covenant of Life with a spiritual holiness, so only those of the spiritual and believing seed as his branches in that sense, can be said to be holy.

The like may be said of those Patriarchs who, as the first fruits, consider them in the spiritual covenant. They, as the first fruits, may be said to be spiritually holy. So, by the Lump you must understand that seed in that covenant to be only spiritually holy as the first fruits were. But, if you consider them in the Covenant of Works, the external National Covenant, as the first fruit in that covenant who were legally holy, so were the whole lump, that is, the whole Nation of the Jews were thus holy, till that covenant was abolished and put an end to. Then, this covenant entailed on the flesh of Abraham, being put an end to or abolished, it must needs be that the branches must be broken off, viz. such as only by nature or birth had an interest to that covenant or joining only to the family.

The distinctions of the Covenants and seeds being here observed, it will enlighten the soul to understand this place. We find this distinction carried on in the beginning of the chapter, viz. two covenants, and two seeds, and both in the Church of Israel, such as some would call the covenanting seed. There were two seeds amongst the external covenanting seed, there was the Covenant of Works, and the Covenant of Grace. As for example, the Apostle speaks of the whole body of Israel, then of a select number out of Israel which God forknew, and therefore brings in the case of Elias, 1 Kings 19. Here God had in Israel 7,000 selected from the rest of the same body of Israel in the outward covenant with him. Also, in the Apostle's time, he says That there were a select number, according to the election of grace, which God had chose out of Israel. Then he says, If by grace, then not by works if by works, then not by grace? Here you hear the Apostle clearly distinguish two seeds in Israel, as two covenants. The one is a conditional Covenant of Works, the other, of grace, an absolute covenant, as in the 4-7 verses of that 11th chapter of the Romans. So the main drift here of the Apostle is to hold forth that God did now cast off from being His Church the carnal seed who were only in the Covenant of Works, this covenant standing no longer in force but growing old and vanishing away, as in Heb. 8:13, in which covenant He chose this nation to Himself. Yet, nevertheless, the Apostle does affirm that God had a remnant who were elect who should be called out of that natural seed of Israel, even to the end, though for the present, the greatest part were hardened in unbelief. So that when he says the branches were broken off, we are not to understand that such of them as related to Abraham as a Father or Root of Believers in a Covenant of Grace, were broken off. For then we should hold falling away from and out of a Covenant of Life, which would be a gross error. But the branches were broken off from the Root considered in that National Covenant of Circumcision which was a Covenant of Works, which carnal people might really be in, as you heard before. This National Covenant, being the partition-wall at that time between Jews and Gentiles, has now ceased (as I have shown). Being brought to an end by Christ, He become the substance of the same covenant.

But the Apostle now affirms in Gal. 5:6 and 6:16, That circumcision availeth not any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a New Creature and Faith that worketh by Love. Therefore all of the Jews who believed not, ceased to be members of God's Church. Because now Abraham is no way considered as a Father and a Root in the Gospel Church, but as faithful and believing Abraham in a Covenant of Eternal Life, therefore, unbelief now cuts off the nation of the Jews.

Why unbelief had not cut them off many hundred years before? The answer is plain, so long as the typical Covenant of Works stood in force, Israel, by being of that family or that generation whether they had faith or no, or any appearance of grace or no, were interested in that covenant and in the privileges thereof.

But now when Christ was fully exhibited in the flesh, and that covenant ceasing and the Covenant of Life (now) only remaining, it becomes so that only those branches and that lump of believers, the spiritual lump, only remains in the Church, whether Jews or Gentiles.

So that if you will seriously mind the scope and drift of the Apostle, you shall see that the Lump and the Branches here intended, must needs be holy, because the First-fruits and Root are holy. This means those of God's spiritual elect of the Jews whom He would call to the end of the world. This is confirmed in the 28th verse. For the Apostle says, "As concerning the Gospel they are enemies for your sakes, meaning the Gentiles, but as touching the election they are beloved for the Father's sake." Not as if God hated these rejected Jews for the sakes of these Gentiles properly, or loved a certain number of the Jews for their father's sake properly. But thus, for the Gospel's sake, they became enemies, that is, the Gospel promise or Covenant, having (as you have heard before) respect to all Nations, Gen. 12:3; Gen. 22:18 with Gal. 3:8.

Now this Gospel Covenant, being not capable to be divulged to all Nations as long as this external electing love to the Nation of the Jews was kept on foot in that Covenant of Circumcision, being a partition-wall, therefore this bond of favor and friendship, being broken in this external covenant, they came to be enemies because of the accomplishment of the promises of the Gospel to the Gentiles, that those beloved and elected of the Jews and ten Tribes, even are beloved for their Father's sake, meaning for the promise sake made to their fathers concerning their calling, which must needs be accomplished, Isa. 65:23. They are the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their offspring with them, meaning all such elected offspring, as this 11th chapter of the Romans speaks of the calling. For the text says, "As touching the election they were beloved for the Father's sake," so that for the promise's sake made to their Fathers, they shall in time be actually elected with an eternal electing love.

But, to mind this Scripture further, it makes exceedingly against any fleshly covenant running in the fleshly line of the Gentiles, because these words in verses 20 to 24 do declare that the Gentiles came to be Abraham's spiritual seed, and so a branch of that stock only by faith in Christ that fat Olive. "For if you are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to promise," Gal. 3, last verse. As it is said, the Gentiles are grafted into this stock or root of Abraham contrary to nature, it must needs cut off such a conclusion as, That all believing Gentiles' seed shall come by nature into this Stock. This is not only against the whole scope and drift of this place, but against the express words which say, the Gentiles are grafted in contrary to nature, and stand by faith, and further, that unbelief broke off the Jews.

Now it would be a strange riddle (in my judgment) first to conclude that the whole nation of the Jews were in a Covenant of Eternal Life, and the greatest part of them yet never had faith, no not so much as visibly.

Secondly, they were broken off from a Covenant of Eternal Life, and why? Because of unbelief. Yet, nevertheless, believing Gentiles and their unbelieving seed, in the midst of his unbelief, is grafted in.

This, in substance, is what is drawn from this text for providing a covenant in the flesh. But let any impartially judge how much a shame it would be to wrest Scripture so contrary to its Scope and meaning. For this chapter shows that there were two seeds and two covenants, one of Grace, or the Gospel and the other of works. It also shows that men could not obtain a right to this Gospel Covenant, but by virtue of election which is merely of grace.

The Covenant of Works and Its Fleshly Seed Are Broken Off
From Being Abraham's Seed

The Covenant of Works with the fleshly seed in that Covenant, were broke off from any privilege coming from Abraham according to the flesh. That fleshly covenant had an end put to it by Christ's being come in the flesh. All unbelieving Jews, upon that ground, cease to be God's Church. Even so, it is much more true of unbelieving Gentiles. For if unbelief broke off the Jew, be sure it will keep out the Gentile as effectually. It is clear that it does because they stand by faith only, and are grafted in contrary to nature. It is said that the Jew, if he abide not in unbelief, shall be grafted in again.

From all this it is plain that there is no other way now, under the Gospel, to come into or stand in the house or Church of God but by faith, either for Jew or Gentile. So far is the Apostle free from concluding that the Gentiles come in by nature, that he affirms the contrary, that he is grafted in contrary to nature. This plainly holds forth that all, both Jews and Gentiles, in a state of unbelief, were excluded from those privileges.

For (as before has been proved) the ground upon which the Covenant of Circumcision was made unto Abraham and his seed according to the flesh, was not because he was a believer; but because Christ was to come of that line according to the flesh. If you could find any Gentile under the Gospel out of whom the Messiah should come, according to the flesh, then here would be the same reason and ground that an external typical covenant should run in his line or flesh, till the Messiah was fully exhibited.

But, I hope none will be such an Anti-christ as to deny that Christ has come in the flesh seeing Paul says, "Henceforth we know no man after the flesh," for he says, "We have known Christ after the flesh, but henceforth we know him so no more."

Men were known, that is, approved of as privileged persons in God's Church by being in that covenant entailed upon the flesh of Abraham, viz. that Covenant of Circumcision, but from henceforth we know no man, no not Christ Himself should be minded as standing interested in that covenant. This is because He is now known to be One Who has received a more excellent ministry than the Ministry of Circumcision. This is a better covenant grounded upon better promises, Heb. 8:6,7. The following words confirm this exposition, "Therefore, if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature, old things pass away and all things become new," compared with Gal. 6:15, "It is not Circumcision availeth any thing,: etc. Therefore, we are not now to know men according to the flesh.

Neither are we to know Christ as come in the flesh circumcised and by virtue of that, His privilege in the Church. But, we are now to know Him as fully exhibited, and (as before) a Minister of a better covenant grounded upon better promises.

Being in the Covenant by Faith is Contrary to Being In the Covenant By Nature

So that this 11th chapter of the Romans does so little serve to countenance the Covenant of Eternal Life to run in the flesh, that it exceedingly makes against it and cuts it up by the Roots affirming none of the Gentiles or their seed to be grafted into this stock or root, but contrary to nature, which he expounds to be by faith.

Therefore, take the whole drift and scope of that place and you shall have two seeds and two covenants with a certain select number out of those who were in the Old Covenant elected into the New Covenant and the rest of all the body of Israel in that old Covenant were blinded and hardened, and never obtained an interest into the New Covenant.

When Jesus Christ, the Substance of the old Covenant, was come then that Covenant ceased and now there is but one covenant remaining, the Covenant of God's Church. It includes only believers as a spiritual seed which only now can remain in the Church. Hereupon, all the unbelieving seed of Jews and Gentiles, are utterly excluded out from the Church and all Church-privileges which never was so long as an old, external covenant stood in force.