the doctrine of baptism/chapter 15

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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.

The next Scripture text brought in for defense of the Covenant in the flesh is, 1 Cor. 10:1-3,

"Moreover Brethren, I would not have you ignorant, how that all our Fathers were under the Cloud, and all passed through the Sea, and were all baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea, and did all eat of that spiritual meat, and drink of that spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ."

The New Covenant Preaching Sets Forth the Heavenly Substance,
Not the Earthly Shadows

This is another Scripture made use of to prove a Covenant of Salvation to run in the flesh. But beloved, the drift of the Apostle here (as it is throughout the Scripture) is to explain the mystery and substance which shadows typed out, which were to come, according to that in 2 Cor. 3, "We are not Ministers of the Letter, but of the Spirit." This means that the main thing which the Apostles did hold forth in their Ministry, when they had to do with types and shadows was, to set forth the substance or Spirit, or heavenly things that were pointed at.

Beloved, know this that these things were all types and ceremonies here spoken of belonging to the carnal Jew. Therefore, says the Apostle, "They were all baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea." He does not say that they were all baptized into Christ but unto Moses. This is the main point I would present to you.

You must understand that Moses was a solemn type. He was a Savior to save them out of the Land of Egypt, their present bondage, into Canaan. He was a Mediator of that temporal covenant, Gal. 3:19. In this did Moses type out Christ. The temporal Covenant did type out the spiritual and heavenly covenant as the temporal Israel did type out the spiritual Israel. This temporal redemption of Israel out of Egypt into Canaan, typed out the spiritual redemption from sin, Bondage, the World and the Devil into that heavenly Canaan.

The Covenant Moses was the Mediator of (you have heard) was the Covenant of Circumcision. This was a Covenant of Works which was also delivered in substance to Abraham and after it was committed by writing to Moses. In Acts 15:1, here the Teachers did command them to be circumcised and keep the Law after the manner of Moses, compared with John 7:22. "Moses therefore gave unto you Circumcision, not because it is of Moses, but of the Father." In Acts 15:1 it is said by the false teachers, "That except they were circumcised after the manner of Moses they could not be saved." Those teachers were of the same opinion with these in our days who hold that the Covenant of Circumcision was a Covenant of Life. Therefore, they concluded that such persons out of it could not be saved. Their conclusion was (doubtless) answerable to the promises. For if that Circumcision had been as they judged it, a Covenant of Eternal Life, then out of it none could have been saved. Therefore it is said in the 5th verse, Certain of the Sects of the Pharisees that believed, did say, it was needful to Circumcision, and to command them to keep the Law of Moses. And in the tenth verse it is said, Why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the necks of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we are able to bear; which was the Covenant of Circumcision, which on God's part, was the promise of the Land of Canaan, with all the good things thereof; and the external privileges, as protection and preservation. And on their parts, they were bound to keep the Law, therefore you shall find that Ezra and Nehemiah, entered into an oath and a curse with the people then to keep this covenant on their part, as that Nation were bound to do.

This was that Covenant which the false teachers persuaded the Galatians to be a Covenant of Life, and that they could not be saved without it. This covenant the Apostle Paul called the flesh, in Gal. 3:3 meaning that Covenant which God had established in their flesh for an everlasting Covenant, as he so calls it, Gen. 17:13. "This shall be my Covenant in your flesh, saith the Lord, for an everlasting Covenant.." Therefore Paul says in Rom. 4:1, "What shall we say that Abraham our Father as appertaining to the flesh hath found; if Abraham were justified by works?" Mark his Exposition of that Covenant appertaining to the flesh to be a Covenant of Works. In the 10th verse he clears it to be Circumcision in opposition to that Gospel promise which Abraham had before he was circumcised. Here in the 3rd of Galatians he does set the Covenant of Grace and that of works in opposition. One he calls the Spirit and the other flesh. By this he most evidently explains in chapter 5:1-3 where he says, "Stand fast in that liberty which Christ hath made you free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

Here observe again that he calls it, as Peter does in Acts 15:10, "a yoke of bondage." Here it is evident that they were set at freedom and liberty from that which was abolished. They were freed from it as a yoke, which neither they, nor their Fathers were able to bear Gal. 5:1-3, "Behold I Paul say to you, if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing." Nay in verse 3, "For I testify to every one that is circumcised, that he is a Debtor to do the whole Law," and in verse 4, he sets it in opposition to the Covenant of Grace which is explained more in Gal. 6:12,13.

Now when all this is considered, you may clearly see the Covenant of Circumcision made to Abraham and his seed in their generation, that God would give them Canaan with the blessings thereof, and in that sense, be their God to protect, preserve and externally to privilege them with the means of grace and tenders of the Gospel and the external blessings of Canaan, upon condition they would be circumcised and keep the Law.

All these things were typical. The deliverance out of Egypt typed out the deliverance out of Hell. That temporal Israel after the flesh who were redeemed out of Egypt, typed out the spiritual Israel who were redeemed out of the spiritual bondage. Moses was then a temporal Redeemer (as before has been said), Mediator or Savior, who typed out Christ the spiritual Mediator and Savior. Therefore, in 1 Cor. 10:6 the Apostle tells us that these were our figures or types.

Faith and Baptism Demonstrate the Spiritual Israelite is in the New Covenant

So this being premised, we have the sense of the text here plain, that as the spiritual disciple or Israelite, when he believes and confesses his faith, thereby showing his interest in Jesus Christ, is baptized into Christ Jesus, Who is the Mediator of that Covenant which the spiritual disciple or Israelite is in by faith.

The Confirmations Set Forth By These Two Baptisms unto
Moses and Unto Jesus Christ

So the temporal Israel by birth, or being bought with money, or cohabitation in that family of Israel, coming to have a right to the Covenant of Circumcision whereof Moses was the Mediator, they were likewise baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and the Sea. This baptism was a real confirmation to them of the temporal deliverance from Egypt into Canaan by the hand of Moses, even as our baptism is a confirmation to the spiritual Israel of their spiritual deliverance by Jesus their Mediator from death and condemnation to eternal life.

Whereas the Apostle calls that meat, spiritual meat, and that drink, spiritual drink, he here speaks figuratively as before affirmed. Not that the Manna eaten by the whole Nation of Israel was in itself spiritual, but it was a figure of the spiritual bread. Therefore, Christ says to the Jews in John 6:32.33, "Verily, verily I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven." Observe that word giveth, not did give, but giveth for the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. Therefore he says, "My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven," that is, the substance of that shadow. So that rock was Christ, meaning a figure or type of Christ.

What is all this, Beloved, to the proving of a Covenant of Life running in the flesh, either then or now, to the Gentiles under the Gospel? It is clear that all these Ordinances, as the Apostle calls them in Heb. 9, are Carnal Ordinances and did type out, or figure out, spiritual and substantial things. For their sacrifices for sin, typed out Christ, but they were not Christ, and their typical remissions, which they had by their sacrifice, that remission I say, which the whole body of Israel had by offering up their sin-offering can be understood to be no other but typical.

A man might be under that typical remission, and yet be under the wrath of God and be damned. A poor Gentile, at the utmost part of the earth, believing as Rahab did in Canaan, may be as truly justified, though he had none of this typical remission and none of these before mentioned figures. So that we conclude the whole Nation of the Jews had not a Covenant of Eternal Life in the flesh made unto them though they had a temporal, typical covenant as I have all along called it. It consisted of such Laws and privileges that had not Christ in them, but did point at Him to come.

Therefore, they are called in Heb. 9, "Patterns of heavenly things," but not the very things themselves. They are called by the Apostle, "Beggarly elements or rudiments of the world, or a school-master to lead to Christ." The Jews literal obedience to the Law, typed out the obedience to faith, Deut. 30:12-14, with Rom 10:6-10.

Now, beloved, the literal obedience in itself performed by the carnal Jew, though it figured out the substantial obedience, viz. faith in Christ, and though the rest in Canaan, typed out the spiritual rest in Christ, yet I hope no man will be so absurd, but he will confess that this literal obedience was not the spiritual obedience, and this rest in Canaan was but a shadow of that rest in Christ and not the very rest itself.