it needs not much be questioned but that their possessing of the gate of their enemies in the earthly Canaan was a type of what the spirituall seed should doe as to the enemies gate in the times of the New Testament But because to some it may be it will be yet a question let us consider Thirdly what is said of Canaan Gen. 9. 26. Where the Lord giveth a promise to Shem and Japheth to the selfe same purpose and of the same tenour as here in these two places he doth to Abraham and his seed Blessed be the Lord God of Shem and Canaan shall be his servant God shall enlarge or perswade Japheth and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem and Canaan shall be his servant As for his being a servant unto Shem that was fulfilled in the conquest of the earthly Canaan by Abrahams seed who were Shems posterity but for his being a servant to Iapheth dwelling in the tents of Shem that is to be fulfilled in the times of the New Testament when Iews and Gentiles make one Church one spiritual seed of Abraham Gal. 3. 16. Rom. 4. 16. That I think will be granted to be the meaning of those words God shall enlarge Japheth and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem. And upon the same account as Shem and Japheth are put for the Church of the New Testament wherein none can with any certainty affirm which is Japheths posterity in nature and which is Shems Canaan is there put for the wicked of the world whether of his posterity or not And as Shem and Japheth are there made types of the one so also is Canaan of the other and the meaning this that in the times of the New Testament there will be a season wherein the wicked of the world shall be under the Church of God Therefore here when God comes to renew the same promise unto Abraham with an addition touching the manner how it should be accomplished namely by his blessing and multiplying his seed he speaketh in the same phrase and saith To thee and to thy seed will I give all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies The meaning therefore must be the same namely that he and his seed should be heirs of the world and that his seed should fill the world at last and rule over it as hath been shewed For a further clearing hereof consider how the Prophet Zachariah speaking of those last times wherein that promise Canaan shall be his servant shall bee fulfilled saith In that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hosts Zach. 14. 21. where by Canaanite is meant a wicked man or a man of the world according to that in Rev. 21. 27. a place parallel to this in Zachariah speaking of the same times and things There shall in no wise enter into it that is the Church or House of God any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye but they which are written in the Lambs Book of life And for a further illustration of this matter it is considerable what one very probably observeth concerning that of Abraham Gen. 14. how in rescuing Lot he overcame those four Kings whose people afterwards became the four Monarchyes or Kingdomes set forth by Nebuchadnezzars image which Abrahams seed at last shall break in pieces and obtain their power Dan. 2. Amraphel King of Shinar afterwards the Babylonian Monarchy Gen. 11. 2. Arioch King of Ellasar the Grecian for Hellas is the name of Greece 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he came into Greece Acts. 20. 2. Chedar-laomer King of Elam the Persian Esai 21. 2. Dan. 8. 2. And Tidal King of Nations the Roman for it is said Gen. 10. 2. that by Japheths posterity were the Isls of the Gentiles or of the Nations divided which is the same title with this in Gen. 14. King of Nations or of the Gentiles for it is the same and it is taken for granted that the posterity of Japheth did inhabit and people Europe where afterward the Roman Monarchy did obtain Which being so then Abrahams conquest was a type or sample of what God would do for Abrahams seed his Saints in after ages then a long time to come Thus we see in these foure things what that promise is which God made to Abraham and in him to all beleevers as his seed and what particulars are contained in it And it needeth not seem strange that it is so comprehensive because it was intended to contain the whole Gospel which Gospel we see doth not only bring us the glad tidings of remission of sinnes and salvation by Christ but also concerning the Saints being put into a Kingdome as also the increase and power which that Kingdome shall obtain and by what means it shall be made so to increase for which cause also it is called the Gospel of the Kingdome and godliness is said to have promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1. Tim. 4. 8. Now let us in the next place consider the reasons of the point and that in each of those particulars before mentioned which therefore I shall shew by answering so many Questions viz. four Quest 1. Why the Lord should take this course in blessing of his people Evident it is that he was resolved to blesse them as his Children with all spiritual blessings in Christ but why should he do it in such a method to single out one of his people namely Abraham and to blesse him as the originall pattern and in him to blesse all the rest as his seed For so the point is that what God confirmed by oath to Abraham he confirmed it to us even to all beleevers to the Worlds end To this I answer Answ The reason of it is in the Text. Namely that he might shew the immutability of his counsel to the Heirs of promise and that he might doe as much as might be to help and strengthen his peoples faith that they might the better trust him The Lord knew that by drawing out his work into length of time as he hath done and laying his designes so long before he should have occasion to do the same things over againe and againe and therefore should in his works to former of his Saints give types and samples of what his people might expect in after times even in that great work the conquest of the world by the Gospel of Jesus Christ As for instance what he did for Israel in the flesh in their deliverance from Egypt driving out the Canaanites before them managing the affairs of his Kingdome among that people in that Land he doth over again though in a more spiritual way for his people under the Gospel which are the Israel of God and the seed of Abraham also Gal. 3. 29. 6. 16. Heb. 8. 8. And their condition made parallel with ours by
his covenant for ever the word which he commanded to a thousand Generations saying unto thee will I give the land of Canaan the lot of thine inheritance If any branch of Gods promise unto Abraham may seem to be meant onely of the Old Testament and not of the New it is this of the Land of Canaan Gen. 17. 8. I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee the Land wherein thou art a stranger all the Land of Canaan for an everlasting possession and I wil be their God Yet is it expresly said that this promise was a Covenant for ever a word commanded for a thousand Generations and for an everlasting possession which needs must extend to the times of the Gospel because else it had been only for thrice fourteen Generations Matth. 1. 17. And we know that Canaan hatâ— long since ceased to be the possession of Abrahamâ— natural seed Thus also the Apostle sayth here That the promise and oath which we have Gen. 22. 16. By my selfe have I sworne that blessing I will blesâ— thee and multiplying I will multiply thy seed as thâ— stars of heaven and as the sand which is by the Sea shore and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies which cannot but refer to the conquest of that land of Canaan is made and so confirmed unto us that we might have strong consolation If the Question be what that is which is contained in that promise concerning Canaan to be an everlasting possession to Abrahams seed and the Lord to be their God which is to be fulfilled in the times of the New Testament I answer It is all that of which Canaan and the good things thereof was a type namely the spirituall blessings of the heavenly Canaan the Church of the New Testament yea of Heaven it selfe And for the proofe hereof First something we have in that of Ezek. 47. where the Prophet speaketh of the Church of the New Testament under the type of Canaan and saith The Strangers are appointed the lot of their inheritance with the children of Israel Verse 22. They shall have inheritance with you among the Tribes of Israel Not in the Earthly Canaan but the Heavenly represented by it So Esai 65. 9. Mine Elect shall inherit it and my Servants shall dwell there and Sharon shall be a field of Flocks Speaking of the Church of the New Testament Secondly Observe that Abraham accordingly did by faith embrace that promise of Canaan to be an everlasting possession to him and his seed as a promise referring to and including not onely an earthly but also an heavenly inheritance Heb. 11. 8. 9. 10. The reason there rendred by the Apostle why by faith he left his own country went into the Land of promise and lived there with Isaac and Jacob in Tents as strangers is given v. 10. because he looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God So v. 13. 14. 15. 16. in what they did and said when they counted themselves strangers and pilgrims upon earth saith the Apostle they declared that they did seek a better country that is to say an heavenly Then mark what followeth Wherefore he is not ashamed to be called their God namely in that which he did in fullfilling of his promise implying that if it had been onely an earthly Canaan which by promise they received from him it had not been worthy of him to give as their God In this the Apostle interprets that promise to Abraham Gen. 17. 8. To thee and to thy seed will I give the Land of Canaan for an everlasting possession and I will be their God That is by the Apostles interpretation he would be so in giving them not onely an earthly but also an heavenly Canaan so as together with those earthly blessings he would bestow himselfe upon them Therefore also when the Israelites brought their first fruits to the place which God did chuse to place his name there and were there to make their acknowledgment before the Priest of the fulfilling of that promise and were required to rejoyce there before the Lord their God for every good thing which the Lord their God had given them Deut. 26. 1. to 11. Interpreters do well refer it not onely to temporal but also to the spiritual good things whereof they were a type because the good things were such as God is there supposed to give them as their God And because not onely their first fruits thus given to God but also the whole lump was holy Rom. 11. 16. which implyeth that they had not onely a natural but also a sacred and religious use of their estates in Canaan And because this whole action was an act of solemne worship in which the type and the thing typified always go together Hence also is it that Esau is branded for a profane person for selling his birthright to this promise Had it been onely of a temporal and not of a spiritual Canaan also there had been nothing of profanesse in it which alwayes is a contempt or neglect of something spiritual And his sin is made the same with theirs who sell their birthright now for a morsel of meat Heb. 12. 16. which those beleevers do who for worldly advantages forgo their priviledges in the Church and house of God and of such the Apostle meaneth it as is evident by the scope of the place and of the whole Epistle as was shewed before and not of wicked men for their birthright is nothing else but death and hell To this I may add what the Apostle saith Heb. 3. 4. chapters namely that the Lords offer to the children of Israel in the Wildernesse to carry them into Canaan and to destroy the inhabitants before them and that in performance of his promise unto Abraham Exod. 2. 24. with 3. 6. 8. 6. 8. Numb 14. 23. Matth. 11 29. was a preaching of the Gospel to them chap. 4. 2. 3. And whereas the Gospel is a promise of rest in God through Christ to every beleever he saith also that it was an offer to them of an entrance into Gods own rest And when he sware that they should not see the good Land concerning which he sware unto their Fathers and that their carcases should fall in the wildernesse this by the Prophet David Psal 95. and by the Apostle in that place is called a swearing against them in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest Which could not have beene said unlesse in that promise the spiritual blessings of the heavenly Canaan also had been comprehended Which albeit I suppose by that which hath been said is evident to an impartial mind yet because so many stumble at this mistake that this promise concerning Canaan was no Gospel promise nor to be in any part fulfilled in the times of the New Testament and because the vindication of this truth is of concernment to our work in hand I shal stay a little in opening this
world by multiplying Abrahams spiritual seed and that by making beleevers blessings to families and nations Let not the people of God so easily part with so ancient entayled priviledges wherein the Saints have rejoyced for so many ages Let them have so much compassion on their Children as not to blot their names out of Heaven or thrust them out of the Kingdome of Christ into the Kingdome of Satan for to one of the two Kingdomes they must belong Those who know their owne priviledge herein will not upon such slender grounds part with it as the manner of some is to do And as Gods promise unto Abraham and his seed is called a Covenant and therefore something to be performed on their part as a duty commanded and required by the Lord that his Covenant be not broken so let beleevers search and see what that duty is for which purpose let us make this further use of this point Vse 3. From thence to learne not to confine that great promise made to Abraham and his seed Gen. 17. within the compasse of an earthly Canaan as meant onely of the temporal things of that Land or the multiplying of his natural seed therein but also of all such blessings in Christ whereof Canaan and the good things thereof were types That very promise vers 8. of the Land of Canaan to be an everlasting possession to his seed and he to be their God by what hath been said in opening this point we see is yet in fulfilling even to us of the times of the New Testament in the spiritual blessings of the Heavenly Canaan and in the conquest of the World by the people of the God of Abraham whereof the conquest of that land by Joshuah was a type as hath been shewed If any shall affirm that in neither of these two respects that promise can be brought down to these times it behooveth such to find out some other sense wherein it may be so extended because we see that what the Lord confirmed unto Abraham of blessing multiplying and causing his seed to possess the gate of his enemies he confirmed it to us even to beleevers of the New Testament as his seed and heirs according to the promise In opening the point I was the larger in the proofe hereof and have therefore insisted upon some things by the by concerning the Kingdom of Christ although a full unfolding thereof would require a farre larger discourse because it conduceth much towards the clearing of Infant-Baptisme to be a duty which God requireth of his people that the full extent of Gods promise unto Abraham whereof we have found that to be one branch be considered and understood For if this be granted that the promise made to Abraham Gen. 17. especially that part of it v. 8. concerning Canaan to be an everlasting possession to his seed be of such extent and made also to his spiritual seed of the New Testament it will follow that that command of God in those words next following vers 9. Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore thou and thy seed after thee in their Generations is to be meant also of his spirituall seed even in our dayes and as a command that now lieth upon the same spiritual seed in all Generations Psal 105. in as much as that command is brought in with a therefore upon the promise made to the same seed in the words next afore going Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore thou and thy seed after thee in their Generations And saies God This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee every man-child among you shall be circumcised and ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin and it shall be a token of the covenant between me and you and v. 14. The uncircumcised man-child shall be cut off from his people he hath broken my covenant Obj. It will be said how is this command of keeping this covenant obliging to beleevers now since the covenant to be kept was then specified to be the circumcising of the child in as much as circumcision is now abolished Or what is this to baptizing children the point in hand to be cleared in this discourse To this I answer Answ First It is to be observed that this command of God is primarily fixed upon the generall duty namely the covenant to be kept and not upon this or that way of keeping either by circumcising or baptising so as the circumcising of the Childe came under the command onely upon this because it was declared then to be the token of the covenant and by the words it is supposed that when it should cease to be the token of the covenant it should no longer be a duty and what else by the same authority should be made the token of the same covenant would be the duty in stead thereof Mark the words he doth not say Thou shalt therfore circumcise every man-child among you as a token of the covenant between me and you for so had that been made the token for perpetuity to have continued so long as the covenant it selfe But first in general he saith Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore thou and thy seed after thee in their Generations that is they should observe and performe the token of the covenant whatever that prove to be and in the second place he addeth This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee every man-child among you shall be circumcised and the uncircumcised man-child hath broken my covenant therefore as I said as for circumcision that was a duty onely upon those words declaring that to be then the token Circumcision is now abolished yet the command of keeping the token of Abrahams covenant is still in force and binding to Abrahams spiritual seed in their Generations therefore what is now the token of that covenant must be observed in stead thereof The like manner of institution we have concerning the Sabbath therefore those who deny Infant-Baptism oftentimes deny the Sabbath and not without cause for there is the same reason of both and we may illustrate the one by the other The Lord intended in time to change the day from the seventh to the first day of the week as he intended in time to change the token of Abrahams covenant therefore in the fourth Commandement also the command is not primarily fixed upon the seventh or any day to be remembred and kept holy but upon the general duty that the rest-day of the Lord be remembred and kept holy what ever that day fall to be Exod. 20. 8. 11. Remember the Sabbath day that is the rest-day to keep it holy and the Lord blessed the rest-day and sanctified it And the remembrance and keeping of the seventh day is in the commandement made a duty for this reason because that was declared to be then the day wherein God had entred into his rest after his making of the world And
whereby it shall subdue the world and that also as it is managed by his Saints in their families and congregations the Lord so making them blessings to one another and his kingdom thereby to be as leaven whereby the whole lump by degrees at last shall be seasoned with the knowledge of Jesus Christ This is the nature of that conquest whereby his kingdom shall be made so great 2. Observe moreover that this power whatever it be shall be in the hands of Abrahams seed So the promise is Thy seed even his spirituall seed for that promise was made to his seed of the New Testament also as hath been shewed shall possesse the gate of his enemies It is not said that such as are pretenders to be Abrahams seed shal have this power The same seed which God will blesse and thereby multiply shall possesse the gate of his enemies Therefore also when this is brought to passe it shall be said The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce Psal 47. 97. Rev. 11. 15 16. which could not be so said if this power was to be given to any but his own people Therefore since it is to be in such hands it will be matter of rejoycing not of any griefe at all Obj. It will be objected that even hypocrites in the Church till they are discovered are in the judgement of charity to be reputed by the Church to be Abrahams seed and to be received to all externall priviledges and ordinances accordingly therefore we cannot appropriate or restraine this promise only to the true spiritual seed of Abraham To this I answer Answ First It is true that even such are to be so reputed and received by the Church but it is one thing what the Church may and must doe in her administrations another thing what God will doe in his work of providence Now this promise is of what God will do in his work he will cause the seed of Abraham to possesse the gate of his enemies Where the Scripture speaketh of what is to be done by the Church to her members it taketh in all the branches of that vine both good and bad but where it speaketh of what God hath promised to doe or give unto the Church it confineth it onely to beleevers Yea even those externall priviledges of the Church in the administrations of the worship although the Church may impart them even to hypocrites being members for such will get in unawares yet God hath not given them unto such but to believers onely As for hypocrites they are partakers of them upon another account namely because among other priviledges which God hath given unto his people this is one that they shall have to doe with one another in the communion of the Church in the ordinances of the worship as confessours and the Church-relation to be built upon confession and the ordinances given to them not as beleevers onely but as confessours Matth. 16. 16 17 17 19. Upon this it is that hypocrites also are received by the Saints when unknown to the same externall priviledges with themselves because they also are confessours of Christ Not that they have any right to claime any of them though the Church have warrant to give them unto such being claimed by them they take them at their own perill the people of God doe but their duty although they doe not theirs Were this power therefore of possessing the gate to be given by the Church as part of that which she is to administer unto her members it would follow that it should be imparted in the same latitude namely to the same persons together with other priviledges to which professours are received in the Church and so hypocrites would it may be have the greatest share But Christ hath left no such Legacy in his Testament to the Church to be a disposer or dispencer of civil power His Kingdom is not of this world as hath been shewed This promise therefore speaketh not what the Church shall doe but what God the most high will doe who ruleth in the kingdome of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will Dan. 4. 17. Secondly yet because what God doth in this matter he doth it by men and by Saints too among others although not in a Church capacity for a further answer to this objection I must also adde that in those daies wherein the seed of Abraham shall obtain this power the Church shall be brought to that perfection as that there will be few or no hypocrites therein and if but a few the power in effect will be in the hands of the true seed of Abraham notwithstanding by reason of their number What perfection the Church in those daies shall be brought unto is held forth in sundry places As for instance Esay 60. 21. the Prophet speaking of those times as appeareth by Esay 59. 20 21. compared with Rom. 11. 26. saith Thy sunne shall no more goe down for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light and the daies of thy mourning shall be ended thy people also shall be all righteous and they shall inherit the Land for ever the branch of my planting the work of my hands that I may be glorified I the Lord will hasten it in his time Till that time come it is not to be expected So Esay 35. 8. An high way shall be there and a way and it shall be called the way of holinesse the unclean shall not passe over it no Lion shall be there nor any ravenous beast shall goe up thereon it shall not be found there but the redeemed shall walke there and the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall flee away This promise is reduced to Gods Covenant with Abraham concerning his blessing and encreasing his seed Esai 51. 1 2 3. 11. And of the same times is that spoken Rev. 21. 27. when it is said God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes v. 4. And the City had no need of the Sun for the glory of the Lord did lighten it v. 23. v. 27. is added there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye but they which are written in the Lambs Book of life So Rev. 22. 14 15. Blessed are they that do his commandements that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the City for without are Dogs c. and whatsoever loveth and maketh a lye Zach. 14. 21. In that day every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holinesse unto the Lord of Hosts and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hosts From these places I determine not an absolute perfection in the Church then or an exemption from all Hypocrisie but a far greater measure of Purity then as yet is