Earth so as that Terah Abraham's Father was not free from it though both Noah and Shem and divers other good Men it 's likely were then living but that is to be attributed to Mens corrupting themselves God nevertheless was dispensing the knowledge of his word to and amongst them but more fully yea more fully than to the Holy men in former Ages was he pleased to dispense and give it forth to Abraham with Isaac and Jacob and their Children Abraham he called and chose and brought out 〈◊〉 Vr of the Chaldees and made known him self more familiarly and clearly to him by way of Covenant with him finding his heart faithfull Gen. 12.3 18.18 22.18 26.4 28.14 Gal. 3.8 9. as Neh. 9.7 8. with Gen. 12.1 Heb. 11.8 To him he revealed That of him should the promised Seed be and so to Isaac and Jacob after him and that in that Seed all the Families of the Earth should be blessed there blessing should be prepared for them and given unto them with respect to which he called his name Abraham as ordaining him a Father of the many Nations that they might be directed thither to look for blessing To him therefore Melchisedeck also the Priest of the most High God and King of Salem Gen. 14.19 20. gave a most solemn blessing after his return from the slaughter of the Kings Rom. 4.11 12. by which his name was made famous doubtless in all those Nations To him God gave the word of Faith even the promise of blessing in his Seed to all the Families of the Earth to propagate a Spiritual Seed to God by of whom Abraham Ministerially should be the Father and added to it the sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Righteousness of the Faith which he had both as it signifies a gracious believing and as it signifies the Word and Doctrine to be held forth to his Children and Servants and in the World as he had opportunity before he was Circumcised for the Sealing unto men the truth of that Faith that was given to him and held forth by him that therein they that received it might be justified and accepted of God as righteous even they that believed God's Revelation to him of blessing in his Seed to all the Nations and there sought it Which blessing what could it signifie but that in and by his Seed sin should be satisfied for and taken away Rom. 4.6 7. 2 Cor. 5.19 20. and the Curse and Death removed and that access to God and Grace and a fvour with God might through him be had even by them all which same blessing and promise was also given to Isaac and Jacob as may be seen in the Scriptures fore quoted yea to them all also was given further the promise of another Inheritance an Heavenly Countrey figured too by the promise of the Land of Canaan which they believed and hoped for and sought after and plainly declared their Faith and expectation of Heb. 11.9 10 13 14 15 16. Something sure was in this beyond what the former Fathers had revealed to them by vertue of which he obtained the honour of being called the Friend of God and the Father of all that believe 2 Chron. 20.7 Jam. 2.21 23. Rom. 4.16 Gen. 49.10 To and by Jacob also was yet further revealed that the promised Seed should be of his son Judah whom also he calls the Shiloh or Peace-maker as implying his work should be to make peace between God and Men and between Men and Men for unto him should be the gathering of the People or their obedience yea and this famous hint was further given him of the time of Christ's coming that it should be before the Scepter or Tribe should depart from Judah and a Law-giver should cease from between his feet that is they should be continued a Tribe and have the form of a Commonwealth and Government amongst them though for sometime interrupted as to the power with them yet not taken or removed wholly from them till Shiloh should come or be born to him Now this manifestation of God and of the knowledge of himself and Son vouchsafed to those Patriarchs they transmitted to their Children and it was kept by and with them in Egypt till the time of their delivery Heb. 11.25 26. thence by Joseph and his Brethren during their lives and after that by the Fathers that succeeded them though the generality of them declined from walking with God perfectly and defiled themselves with the Idols of the Egyptians even as the Children of Ishmael Abraham's Son by Hagar and his Sons by Keturah and Esau and his posterity too to whom yet their Fathers Abraham and Isaac were not wanting to transmit the knowledge of God they had received from him too generally had done And yet we may not think that because those Worthies onely had the honour and priviledge to be chosen to have such further dispensations of the Mystery of God opened to them and be trusted with them and no others so as they that therefore there were no other holy Men in those times but they or no knowledge of God and means of Salvation afforded to other Nations For beside what we have said Sect. 1. it is evident as we noted above that Shem and Arphaxad and Heber were living a good part of those times yea and there was Lot too and Melchisedech if a man in the days of Abraham and Lot is called a Righteous man 2 Pet. 2.7 8. yea evident it is that amongst the Children of the East there were Job and his Friends good men Job 1.1 5 8. 17.8 9. yea Job highly commended as not inferiour to any for the fear of God and uprightness of his heart and they spoke of Righteous and Innocent men in their discourses as supposing there were such then to be found amongst them and they are probably conceived to have lived about the time of Israel's sojourning in * Colligimus ex libro ejus tertia generatione posteriorem fuisse Jobum quam Israel Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 18. cap. 47. Egypt And at the time of Israels deliverance out of Egypt God did marvellously make bare his Arm amongst the Naâ—ons that they might know and seek him especially to Israel by the hand of Moses and Aaron Now the Ages spoken to in this Section contain at least eight or nine hundred years according to Bishop Vsher eight hundred fifty seven beginning the 430 years which it is said the sojourning of the Children of Israel in the Land of Egypt continued from Abraham's coming out of his own Countrey into the Land and so from his and his Seeds becoming sojourners and the promise being made to him of Blessing in his Seed for all the Families of the Earth mentioned by the Apostle Gal. 3.8 16 17. which promise he says was confirmed with him four hundred and thirty years before the Law And indeed it is to be minded that the
we find some confessing their sins and others professing their faith nay on the contrary it intimately testified of men that they are naturally or as in themselves sinners and so unclean filthy unfit for fellowship with God and therefore need to be washed and cleansed by his grace in Christ but it directly witnesseth to and of Christ and God in Christ that he hath provided a Laver and Fountain of Grace in Christ for us to be washed in John 1.31 thence it 's said also that John in his Baptizing was sent that Christ might be made manifest to Israel not that Israel might be made manifest to Christ Matth. 28 19. or to John Yes thence also Christ after his Resurrection appointed it as a medium for discipling all the Nations or Gentiles unto him and bids them baptize men into or unto the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost which name is but one and is all included in the name of Christ neither limiting it to Disciples really already such as believe for he said not go ye disciple the Nations baptizing those of them that believe but disciple all the Nations or Gentiles baptizing them namely in or as a means of discipling them nor much less did he bid them baptize them in the name of or by vertue of their Faith Repentance goodness as sealing or bearing testimony to them but in or unto the Name Authority Government Doctrine of the Father Son and Holy Ghost as witnessing that to men therein and engaging them thereto to seek all forgiveness cleansing grace and blessing therein and assuring them that therein is to be met with by them whatsoever may conduce unto their salvation thence they that are baptized into Christ Gal. 3.26 27. have put on Christ are engaged to let go all other considences and grounds of expecting favour and blessing from God and to seek and expect all in Christ in believing in and obâ—ying him and so in the main end of it it â—grees with Circumcision sealing the righteousness of the faith of Abraham which he had when Uncircumcised that is to say that in believing the word and doctrine of God concerning Jesus Christ they do rightly and truly and are theâ— in justified and accepted with God 〈◊〉 and rather that there is forgiveness â—â—stification and cleansing from sin freely prepared in Christ for men and held forth or given in him to them and that therefore God requires and approves of it in men that they come to him for it Thence also we no where find that John or Christ or his Apostles did either will it or did practice it to turn away any that came to be baptised by them and so to be received into Gods Church or Kingdom we read indeed that some Pharisees refused to submit to that Ordinance as not owning 〈◊〉 or their need of it and that John admonished and warned others not to rest in any conceits of their fleshly priviledge as their being descended of Abraham or in their being baptised by him for in 〈◊〉 much as he tells them that he baptised them with Water he would rather have them but wash away such carnal rests and look directly to the end of his baptisms namely to Jesus the Lamb of God that takes away the Sin of the World and Baptizes with the holy Ghost and Fire But we find none of Christs Servants turning any way from it Matth. 13.47 young or old but on the contrary That they gathered together so many as they found i.e. 〈◊〉 the gracious Providence of God ordered to come to them good and bad Mat. 21.10 We find them turning out some for time or giving them over to Satan 〈◊〉 some scandalous or enormous Disorderg after they had joyned themselves to the Church of God but never keeping out any Man Woman or Child that desired or were brought to them for admision except we shall reckon as such their rebuking some that brought little Children to Christ for the laying on of hands for which Christ Mark 10.13 14. to shew his great dislike thereof and admonish them to do no more so for the future sharply rebuked them and instructed them that of such is the Kingdom of God and what Kingdom but that in which were such outward Administrations to men and of which he gave the Keys to them And the reason of it surely is because the grace of God in Christ brings Salvation to all Men. There is in Christ help healing and blessing for all the Families of the Earth and therefore all are called and invited to come to him his Church being as a great and publick Hospital whereunto all Sinners are called that they might be healed by him Indeed it is not the outward Baptism or Baptizing that Saves It is not the servants washing or Baptizing the outward man and therefore did they not Preach or lift up their Baptisme as that which was sufficient or much less Baptize men into their Baptisâ—â— but unto Christ Nay they told them they Baptized that they admitted into the floor of the Church one and other both Wheat and Chaff but Christ would in his due time make a Separation But yet inasmuch as Christ hath ordained this Ordinance to witness to himself and oblige and ingage the Baptized to seek their Help and Salvation in him and so in the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost we may expect Christ's Presence and Blessing upon and unto the Baptized therein who hath not said to the Seed of Jacob that they seek him in any of his Ordinances in vain Lastly This Ordinance though not at all times appointed to the Church or observed in it not till the actual coming of Christ in the flesh as now it is though the Fathers passing through the Red Sea had something of like nature and use after a sort with it 1 Cor. 10.2 3. yet it is to continue to the Worlds end or to the appearance of Christ again as appears Matth. 28.19 20. in that enjoyning his Disciples to Disciple Baptizing c. he promises his Presence with them to the end of the World True there is no express mention there of Water but yet that being the known way of baptizing which the servants of Christ were capable of baptizing in and that being also afterward practised by them both upon Jews and Gentiles though the pouring out the Name or Doctrine of Christ and the instructing the Nations thereinto was their main and principal work no doubt but the baptizing with water was included therein so that this is one of the Ordinances of Christ now in force with us to witness to him besides which we have another namely the Supper of the Lord of which nextly SECT 8. Of the Lords Supper DOubt cannot be made of this Ordinance but that Christ is the ground and end of it seeing he himself did institute it in the Night in which he was betrayed after He with his Disciples had
we may find that the same acts or actions are in Scripture ascribed to God and to Man as to purging cleansing making the heart new c. tho yet differently and upon diverse accounts One Scripture saies Circumâ—â—se your selves to the Lord and take away the foreskin of the heart Jer. 4.4 Another saies The Lord will Circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God c. Deut. 30.6 One saying Cast away all your transgressions and â—ake you a new Heart and a new Spirit for why will ye die c. Ezek. 38.31 Another saies A new heart will I give you and a new Spirit will I put into you c. Ezek. 36.26 27. Some Scriptures say God and Christ purify and purge Men Acts 15.9 Tit. 2.14 Ephes 5.25 26. And others exhort men to purify and cleanse themselves and say that believers have purified their own hearts by the Spirit in obeying the truth as 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Pet. 1.22 The reason of which may be seen in what hath been said for therein it appears how both work and that there is an evident distinction between the manner of their workings to the same effect and so distint grounds for the attributions of the same works to both as 1. God is said to do those things and most properly in asmuch as he both prevents men with his grace in and by which he capacitates and inables and then also incites and stirs men up to do those things to cleanse purge and waâ— themselves c. and men yielding up themselves to him in the grace given them in his calls and counsels then his grace and God in and by it works also in with them yea acts in them the things required of them and produces the effects renews their hearts purifies their Spirit c. and yet 2. Men are said to do the same things inasmuch as through his grace theâ— yield up themselves to God and his grace to do those things in them in listening to him looking to and waiting upon him in the strength and motion of hiâ— grace preventing and accompanying them and in the meanes he vouchsafes them And so in acting forth by their powers and members the things which grace yielded to worketâ— in them to will and to do of good pleasure as that in Deut. 30 may clear it in that it renders the circumcising work of God to love and obey him as a consequent work to their being brought in the strength of his preventing grace in and with his afflicting them and again returning to them to call and subdue them afforded to them to listen to his voice and turn to him And so also doth that in 1 Pet. 1.22 and that in Rom. 6.12 13. and 8.13 Which speaks of yielding up our Members Weapons and Instruments of Righteousness to Holiness of mortifying the deeds of the body by the Spirit and purifying our souls by the Spirit in obeying the Truth clearly implying that both the Man and the Spirit are Agents differently working together in the same Works Much what like as a Scholar and his Master when the Master guides the Scholars hand and by it frames a Letter the Master doth it by the Scholars hand as an Instrument or Subordinate Agent and the Scholar by the Master as the Principal Agent Director Framer c. The Scholar yields his hand and the Master uses it even so the Spirit doth those things in us by our Faculties and in our Obedience and we in obeying the Spirit do them by the strength power and guidance of the Spirit So as that neither doth the Spirit those things in us without our compliance and obedience nor do we noâ— can we do them in and of our selves but by the Spirit yielded to by us and leading strengthning and governing of us Thence the Scripture also represents the believing Man or Man called of God as a third person between two others calling for his subjection and obedience the new Man and the Old the flesh and the Spirit the flesh moves him to give up his mind and members unto it and its motions and the Spirit on the contrary challengeth them for his and moves excites and provokes to his service If the man yield up to the Flesh it becomes his Master and He its servant framed more into its mind and if the man through the grace of God yield up himself to the Spirit then the Spirit in and by him as his Master works the works of God creates him in Christ Jesus to good works and renews him more and more by his Divine Power and influence as is to be seen Rom. 6.11.12 13 14. c. and 8.2.4.12 13. Gal. 5.16.17 18. Ephes 4.17 18.20 21. But yet let this be also minded that that which God requires of man is not properly and formally Gods working or operation no more then the Childs yielding his hand to his Master and moving it in his Motion is properly and formally his Masters holding and guiding his hand and framing the Letter with it And so neither doth God fault men for not doing that of and by themselves which is properly the work of his power to do nor for not doing that that is properly his operation but for not doing that which is theirs to do by his grace afforded them That is their not yielding themselves to him and moving in his Motion for their two operations are so distinct Ezek. 24.13 Isa 48.17 18. Jer. 13.10 11. Rom. 2.4 5. as that they may be also seperated and the withdrawing of the one prevent or hinder the other whence God is said to have purged Men and yet they not purged to teach Men and yet they not taught by him to make Men cleave to him and yet they not cleave to him but refuse to hear him to lead Men to repentance and yet they not led of him inasmuch as God prevented and followed them with his grace to have moved and provoked them to those things which yet they refusing to yield themselves to him in were not done the effects of Gods grace and profit of his teachings missed by them Which stubbornness of Men in refusing him and his operations provokes him to leave them and then the things he offers to work and in some sence is working in them as the fire burneth under the Pot that purges the Scum from the Water Ezek. 24.3.4 5.13 that it might be cast off by the Servant are never effected nor can be but they perish in their Sins For as God worketh not such effects in Men without their Members and Powers yielded to him and working instrumentally and subordinatly under him So neither can Men work or effect those things in themselves without God and his Spirit or he withdrawing from them which should provoke us to diligence in listening and yielding our selves as obedient Children to him not quenching his Operations in us nor provoking him to wrath against us least in his wrath he