6 0. 5. g. 6. 0. 7. Ouenefs of the Church And herein lay the great miftake of the Jews of old, wherein they are followed by their Pofterity unto this day. They thought no more was needfull to interett them in the Covenant of Abraham, but that they were his feed according to the flefh.. And they conftantlypleaded thelatter Priviledge, as theground andReafonof the for-. mer. It is true, they were the children of Abraham according to the fieh; but on that account they can have no other Priviledge than Abraham had in the flefh himfelf. And this was, as we have{hewed, that he fhould be let apart as a fpeciáll channel , through whofe loins God would derive the promifed feed into the world. In like manner were they feparated to be a peculiar People as his Polterity,from amorgft, Whomhe fhouldbe fo brought forth. That this Separation and Priviledge were 'to ceafe, when the end of it was accotn- plifhed, and the Meßab exhibited, the very nature of the thing declares. For to what purpofe fhould it be continued, when that was fully effeEtedwhereunto it was defigned ? But theywould extend this Priviledge, and mix it with the.other, con- tending that becaufe they were the children ofAbraham according to the flefh , the wholeBlefling and Covenant of Abraham belonged unto them. But as our Saviour proved that in the latter fenfe they were riot the children of Abraham, becaufe they did not the works of Abraham ; fo as our Apoftle plainly demonflrates, Rom. 4.9. to. r I. Chapters. Gal. 3. 4. Chap. that thofe of them who had not the faith of Abraham, had no intereft in his Blellings and Covenant ; Seeing therefore that their other Privi- ledge was come to an endwith all the carnal Ordinances that attended it, by the aétual coming of the Mefab whereunto theywere fitbfervient, if they did not ,by faith in the promifed feed attain an interett in this of the Spiritual Blefsing, it is evident that they could on no account be confidered as achuall tharers in the Covenant of God. We have feen then that Abraham on the account of hisfaith, andnet ofhis fepara. tion according to the ßeJh, was the Father of all that believe, and Heir of the world. And in the Covenant made with him, as to that which concerns, not the bringing forth of the promifed feed according to the flefh, but as unto faith therein ; and in the work of Redemption to be performed thereby, lyes the foundation of the Churchin all Ages. Wherefoever this Covenant is, andwithwhomfoever it is eftablifh- ed, with them is the Church, unto whom all the Promifes andPriviledgesof theChurch do belong. Hence it was, that at the coming of the Mefliah there was not one Church taken away, and another let up in the room thereof, bitt -the Church continued the fame in thofe that were the childrenofAbraham according to the faith. The Chri- JtianChurch, is notanother Church, but thevery Earle that was before the coining of Chrifi, having the fame faith with it, and intereffcd in the fame Covenxrit. It is true, the forts carnal Priviledge ofAbraham andhis Pofierity expiring On the groundsbefore mentioned, the Ordinancesof Worfhip which were fùited thereunto, did neceffarily ceafe alfo.4 And this call the Jews into great perplexities, and proved the lati tryall that Godinade of them. For whereas both their, namely the carnal and fpiritual Priviledges ofAbrahams Covenant, had been carried on together in a. mixed way for many Generations, coining now to be feparated, and a triall to be made (Mal. 3.) who of the Jews had interett in both, who in one only, thofe who had only the carnal Priviledge of being Children of Abraham according to the fief', con- tended for a (hare on that tingle account in the other alío, that is Mallthe Promi- fes annexed {into the Covenant.- But the foundation of their Plea was taken away, and the Church unto which the Promifes belong remained with them, that were'heirs ofAbrahams faithonly. It remains then, that theChurch founded in the Covenant , and tinto which all the Promifes did and do belong, abode at the coming of Chrilt, and doth abide ever finer inand among thofe who are the children of Abraham by Faith. The OldChurchwas not taken away, and a new one fen up, but the fame Church was continued, only in thole who by Faith inherited the Promifes. Great alterations indeed were then made in the outward hate and condition of the Church. As ( I.) The carnali Priviledge of the Jews in their fpáration to bring forth the Illef?iah then failed, and there- with their claim on that account tobe the children of Abraham. (0.) The Ordi- nances ofWoe hip fuited unto that Priviledge, expired, and came toan end. (3.) New Ordinances ofWorthip were appointed, fuitedunto the New Light and grace granted then unto the Church. (4. ) The Gentiles came in to the faith of Abraham toge- ther with the yewsto be fellow-heirs with them in his birthing. But none of their,
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