JLoolttn!J unto jjdu.s. Book H. power of rhe promife, we begin then to know that we are in that fame Covenant. Bur this is rather (fay they) to feel our felves in that Covenant wluch God bath made with · Chrill, then to entennro Co,enanr with God our felves. . . , . 37 z. Others mgue hence, that there i, no Covenant ot· promtfe made wtth Chrtfl: per– fonat, but onely with Chrill: myhical, fuch who are members of Chnfl:. and fo umted to Chrill:; for mark the text (fay they) the promife is made firft to Abraham , and then to his feed ; this feed is fuch a feed as comes to have right to the promtfe tn order from Abr~ham· now this cannot be Chr.:l: perfonal, bur Chnftmyfhcal: And whereas the rext fayes: the promife is not made tofeeds, bttt to onefeed, which t5 Chrift. they difringuilh John.8·37· of a double feed of Abraham; fir/!, there is a carnal natural feed according tO the tlelh, G•l-3 7· •9· and' in this fenfe Chrift fpeaks to thofe wicked unbelieving Jewes, which wem about to kill him. I k_nowye are Abrahams feed, butyefeek_tokj;fl me. Secondly, there is a fpirituai feed that walk in the faith and ileps of Abraha,, ~nowye therefore that they which Are of faith, thef~meare the children ofAbraham. And if Y.e b~ Chrifts, then are ye, Abrahams feed,and heirs according to the promife; now the promtfe_ ts made to Abraham and hufe~d, not (eeds. ;_(i.e.) not to both feeds, bod1 carnal ~nd fpmtual,_ but onely to tbe one,_winch is the fpmtual; and tins feed ts Chnfl:, (t.e.) Chnfl myflrcal, the body of Chnfi, the faithful that are knit to Chrifl:by a true and a lively faith. 3. Others argue htnce , that this C<tvenant is made both betwixt God and Chriil, and betwixt God and us ; Fir/!, betwixt God and Chri(!: all the work of redemption and falvation was tranfacred betwixt God and Chrift before the foundat-ion of the world; but this doth not hinder but that thefame promife is afterwards in time made to us alfo: Look as it is in Covenants among(! men,\ while the child is yet unborne the father takes .conveyanc~ of an inheritance for his child, which he keeps in his own hand till the child - be born and come to years , and then he puts it into his own poffeffion; fo it is here; we a.-c for a time hid in the womb of Gods elecrion , till we ,are brought fonh by the grace of regeneration; now during this time we are not in our [elves capable of recerving any promife of life made to us; bur it is m1de to Chrift in our behalf, and he receives the pr mife from the Father in our !lead : but yet (o that when we come to be borne anew, the promifes are made umo our felves, and then we are put into poffellion of tbem. Here then is the meaning of the text, the Covenapt i! made with Chrift; (i.e.) with Chrift, and his heirs; principally with Chrift, and with Abrahams nature in Chrifl:, and yet perfonally with believers, wl•o are alfo the feed of Abrahdm. All the difference is in that retme Chrift, what thereby is meant, whether Chrifi pCj"fonal, or Chrifl: myfiical, or Clorift reprefentative: And we fay----- r. Not Chrill: perfonal,I mean not Chri!ls, perfon fingly confidered,for that, I. Would fight with the [copeof Paul, whofe bent it is to prove the promife of erernallife to be ver. 17 • made to all bdievers:and that, 2 .. Would conclude the promife of eternal life to be given ver.s. onely tO Chriir, and not at all to rhofe that are believers·in Chrifl:. ' vor.r4. 2. Not Chriftmy(rical, for r. Thepromife.ismadeto Chrift, In whom the Covena'Z. vcr''J• !Vas co1jirmed. Z. In whom the nations lV<Ye biejfed. 3. In whom we recei-,;e tke promife of rhe semr thmrghft~<th. . 4:· Who ?'as made a curfefor ~ts. Now not any ofthefe can agree to <;.hrrfc myfucal; Chnlt myfncal dtd nO( ~onfirme the Covenant, nor blefs the Natiorls, nor give the Spirit, nor was made a curfe. · - J. It is Chrift reprefemative. Chrifr-Medlatour, Cbrifta publick perfon, to whl!>m the prom1fes were made, for Chrift and .his heirs are but ail of them one confederate fa- _ . mily; and as the Covenant ofworks was made with Ad~m, and all his : and there were lCor.r;.•l• not two Covemms; fo here, the Covenant is made with the fecond Addrn and' his children: Bm every man in his own order, Chrift thefirft-fruits, and afterwartls they that ar• Chrifts. · ;' } have now propounded the Object we are to look_unto ; it is 'fefus in that eternity before all ttme unt,llthe Creation. Our next bufinefs is to direcr us in the Art or Myfrery of Grace, ho~vwe arero/ook_untohim,in:thisrefpecr.- · -- . - - €HAP.-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=