Chap·•·SeCt·3· rt..ooatng unto jJcfu.s. Boo!._ !II: 65 --~---~----~-- and eflablijl' hi& Coven~nt ;. a.fomerimes by his promifcs; fomerimes by an oath ; fome- . timesby rhebloodofChnfthlf':'felf; fomeumesby feals. So here m th1s very pl~ce, God adds the feal of Circumci(wn, ye Jbal! circumcife thejiejiJ of)'ollr fore-skf:n ([auh God}Gen.q.~r. and it pJall be a to/:gn of the Covenant betwixt rr.e and you. As fomettmes he fa1d of the Gen 9 . , 3 . Rainbow, I do [et my Bow tn the cloud, and 1t ]hall be for a to/:gn of a Covenant between , 5 , , 6 • me andthe earth;-·That the W<~ters jhall no more become a ~ood to dejlroy all jiejh.--For I wi!lloolzJtpon the Bow, that I may remember the everla(fing Covenant. Afrer thiS manner are rhe Cigns and feals of the Covenant; Circumcifeyour felves fai'h God, and when I fee rhe circumcilton I will remember my Covenant, and I wdl make good to you all the promifes rhereof.--:-But what is circumcilton to the Covenant ? much every way;. circumci(ion was not without Jl1eddmg of blood,becaufe the Covenant was not yet eftabhn1ed in rhe blood ofrhe Meffiah; fure there was much in this; howfoever the rite of it felf was nothing; yet as ir led th,e faithfu l Patriarchs to the ~lood of Chrill, and~~ it affured the puroing away of !in by ue blood ofChnft, and as 1t iigned the nrcumnlron of the heart by rhe Spirit of Chrifl; fo it found acceptance With God ; no fooner he looks on it, but he remembers his Covenant, and confirms it, and makes it good to Abraham, and to his feed afrer him. 3. Betwixt whom is the Covenantto be eflablilhed? bmveen me and thee, (f1ith God) andthy (eedaf«r thee. The two heads of this Govenanr aeeGod and AhrP.bam; on Gods parr are the whole Triniry of perfons, the bleffed Angels, and all the Haft of heaven; on Abraham's parr are all his feed, and his po!lerity, yet with this limirati~n, that all R.om. 9 . 6 , 1 , 8 • are not I(racl, which are of Ifrael; neither becaufe they are the feed ofAbraham, are they all children of Abraham; but in Ifaac fha/1 thy feed be called ; that is, they which are the children of theJlcjh, are not the children ofGod, btttthechildrm ofthe p>·omife are counted for the feed. No <JUeHion this Covenant was nor to be extended to the Ilhmaelites, Idumeans, or Ketlrureans, Abraha>n's carnal feed ; thefe quickly departed both our of AbrahAm s family, and Abraham's faith; No, no, faith God, I will eflablijh my Covenant with Jfaac Gen. 17." r;>.' for an everl•Jfing Covendnt, and with his feed after him. With lfaac, and· with his feed (i.) With the fpiricual feed of Abraham; now under the feed, I. All believing Jews, and 2. All Gentiles are comprehended, all may be called the fpiricual feed of Abraham that walk in the !leps ofthe faith of Abraham ; and indeed rhus runs the promife , in thee Jha/1 all the families ofthe earth be bleffid. Gen. I 2. 3. And in thee jiJa/1 all the Nations ofthe earth be blejfed. Gen. IS. 18. Thefe families and Nations mull need• comprehend the Gentiles; the Apoftle is very plain; As it is written I ha-;;e made thee a Father of rnany Rom 4 . , 7 • 11 • ~Vations.- Thathemightbe thefather of all them th.rbelieve, though they be not cir- G•l·l· '•· cumcifed.-- Thattheblefling of Abrahaw might come on the Gentiles through 1-JUf Chriji, thattvemight receive the promife of the Spirit thro~<gh f~ith. Chriftians! here is our lrappinefs, theCovenanrw.as not written fm· Abraham's (ak.f alone, but for m aifo, if l\om.4·'3•2J• we believe in him that raifed up Jefm our 1 Lord from the dead. You may think all this while we are only difcoveringthe p.riviledge~ of Abraham, lfaac, Jacob, and ofthe Jews; no, bleffed be God, .Heaven is no freereo a Jew, than tO a Gentile; there is neither Jew nor Greek_, there i< neither bond nor free , -male nor female, &c.· But ifye be Clrri.fls, then areye A~raha.,'s feed, and heirs according to the promife. Gal. l· 28, 29. 4. For wbar rime is rhe e!lablin1ed Covenant to endure? iris nor for a few dayes, or months, orye;ns, but forever and ever; 1t !San everla.fling Covenant, and indeed the wordeftablijhed founds this way; I wi/leflablifhmy Covenant, that is (fay fame) I w'ill have lt !land and continue for ever; as it was faid of David, I have made aCovenant rvith mychden, Ihavefivoln lmtoDavidmyfervant, thy feed will I ejfablifh for ever; and \'[,89·3· agatn, my mercy will] kgep fo>' him for evermore, my Covenant jha/1 .fland fafl with P' 8 a h1m.- "9· 1 • Now rhis Covenant is faid to be everlafiing a parteante. (as we fay) and a partepofl. I. A parte ante, as being from everlafting, in refpe<'t of the promife made to Chri!l for ?s, whlcb was done (a< you have beard) befoFe the foundation of the world ; it is nor an tnfanr of dayes; this Covenant bears rhe fame dare wich the divine being it felf; As the mercy ofGod ufrom everlafting, fo the Covenant of grace is from:everlafting; the Writs, Pf. 103 17. Evidences, and Sharrers ofour falvation were concluded, and paffed the iign and feal of . the bl~ffed Tnmry from ererniry; rhe Gofpel and.this Covenant is not ofyefierday; no, no, lt IS an old counfel of the infinite wifdom of God. · 2' A parte pofl, as continuing from ever! ailing to everla!ling. Hence iris called aCo- '71enant offait, becau~e 1t corruprerh nor, it faileth nor; hence all the bleffings ofthe Cove- , Chron. 13 . 5 • K - - nant
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