ii. 41. viii. 12. 13. 38. ix. 18. x. 48. xvi. 15. 33. and xviii. 8.

IX. Albeit God's covenant, and promifes therein, be firm, complete and valid, and altogether fure, being uttered by the God of truth, who cannot lie, and his alone word might be enough for us to rest

VI. Sacraments, depending upon the relation betwixt the fign and the thing fignified, hold forth no benefit, but in fo far as they are used and applied; their inftitution prefcribing application, fheweth, that their being confifts in ufe, and that unless they be ufed and applied, they are fruitlefs: Abraham received the fign of circum-on, being furer than heaven and earth; cifion, and then it was a feal of the righteoufn-fs of faith.

yet it hath pleafed the good and gracious God, fo far to condefcend to our low capaVII. Howbeit there be an infinite dif- city, as not only to make ufe of carnal and tance betwixt the Creator and the rea- fenfible creatures, fuitable to our natures, fonable creature, fo as there can be no to help our weak understandings the better equality betwixt them, and man be bound to take up fpiritual things, as Christ used as a creature to obey his Maker, though homely fimilitudes and parables, John iii. 5. God fhould never indent with him, and 8. Mark iv. 33. Hof. xii. 10. but also to bind himself to reward his obedience; yet make use of outward feals to confirm and it hath feemed good in the Lord's eyes, ftrengthen our faith, that we might have whofe goodness is unfearchable, to conde-Strong confolation, Heb vi. 18. for circumfcend fo far as to enter into a formal cove-cifion was both a fign and feal, and for this nant with man, and deal with him by way end appointed of God. of promise and reftipulation, the more to engage man to obedience, and to rational obedience, out of love, when he sees what he is bound to, and what advantage he will get by his obedience: fo. here God entered into covenant with Abraham, and promised righteoufnefs, &c. and Abraham was to believe and obey; for feals do always presuppose a covenant or bargain, they being added for confirmation fee Gen. xvii Deut. xxvi. 17. 8. 19. Hof. ii. 19. 20. and hence the fins of his people are often called, breaches of covenant.

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X. As facraments do reprefent and fignify, by fome external fign, fomething that is fpiritual; fo do they ferve as feals to confirm the covenant, and to ratify the promifes thereof, not in themselves, as if they were not true and fure before, but unto us who are ready to question the truth of them, and to stagger through unbelief, and fo they are as earnests of a bargain, feals and earnests being one, 2 Cor. i. 22. Eph. i. 13. 14. fo circumcifion is here called à feal; and are not bare, void and ineffectual figns, but fuch as exhibit grace, and feal and confirm the covenant.

VIII. The facraments, being appointed for the confirmation of this mutual cove- XI. Sacraments are not phyfical, efficient nant, belong only to fuch as are in cove- caufes of grace, principal nor inftrumental, nant; and their being in covenant only nor do they effectuate and produce grace gives them a fundamental right to the fa- and holinefs by any inherent quality or craments; for Abraham was first in cove- power in them, or by God's elevating them , and then received the fign of circum- for the production of fuch an effect, but them, and thus it was a feal of the righ-all that they work is only by way terafness of faith: Hence his pofterity who were received into covenant, were called the CIRCUMCISION; and in the New Tef tment fuch as believed, and fo entered Covenan, were baptized immediately, Acts

of fign

and feal; and no inward graces do they confer, but what an outward fign or fel is apt to confer, viz. by working upon the understanding and faith of the receiver, for nothing that is material can produce T 2

any

God, Rom. x. 3. Phil. iii. 9. and hence is he called our righteousness, Jer. xxiii. 6 1 Cor. i. 30.

Chap. IV. any fpiritual effect; they are here only whom, this covenant made with Abraham faid to be figns and feals of the righteouf was fetled; he was the purchafer and treanefs of faith, and of that faith too which furer of all the good things in the coveAbraham bad, yet being uncircumcifed, and nant; for it is his righteoufnefs which is fo he had grace before he was circumcifed. here fealed, as the marrow of the whole XII. Altho' in that covenant which God covenant, called the righteoufness of faith, made with Abraham, there were fome tem- to difference it from our own righteoufporal promiles added, as protection, mul- nefs, Rom. x. 3. Phil. iii. 18. and becaufe tiplication of his ifte, honour and riches, it is only applied by faith, Phil. iii. 9. Heb. and the land of Canaan, which were large-xi. 7. being in itfelf the righteousness of ly bestowed upon his natural feed; yet it was a pure gofpel-covenant, thefe temporal Eloffings notwithstanding, feeing even in new teftament days, there are promifes of temporal bieffings, 1 Tim. iv. 8. Pfal. xxxvii. 3. Ephef. vi. 8. the moft eminent promifes, (which are the marrow and fubftance of all, and cught to give the denomination unto the covenant,) being fpiritual, as Gen. xii. 2. 3. and xvii. 1. and thefe other only appendices: See Heb. xi. 6. where the apoftle difputes the matter; for here the apoftletion, 1 Pet. iii. 20. 21. Col. ii. 11. 12. 13. fays, that the righteousness of faith was fealed by circumcifion; and fo if that which the facrament fealed be fpiritual, the covenant must be fpiritual; but that which here was fealed is laid to be the righteoufnefs of faith, that is, the righteoufnefs of Chrift, which faith lays hold on for juftification.

XIII. Man being now fallen into a finful and miferable eftate, and unable to rid himself out of that condition, and the covenant of grace being a covenant entered into, to deliver him out of that eftate of fin and mifery, the main promife of this covenant is the righteoufnefs of faith, or that righteoufnefs of Chrift by which we must be juftified before God, and which faith alone lays bold on, and applieth, and that no lefs under the Old Teftament than under the New; for circumcifion was a feal of the righteousness of faith, and fo it was a main blefling promifed in the covenant, for here it is put for the whole co

XV. The facraments of the New Covenant, as they exhibit and reprefent Chrift, who only is the Mediator thereof; fo do they obfign and feal his righteousness promifed and held forth in the covenant, without whom there is no falvation, Heb. v.9. Acts iv. 12. nor pardon of fin, 1 John i. 7. Now facraments are for pardon and falva

Rom. vi. 4. not that every one who partake of the facrament, de certainly partake of the righteoufnefs of Chrift, for the facraments do not feal abfolutely fo, but only fuch who believe in him, and fo perform the condition; and to fuch the facrament makes fure and fealeth the promife: Circumcifion was a feal of the righteousness of faith.

XVI. Tho' the facraments under the law did differ from these under the gospel in feveral circumftances, as in their outward figns, external rites, and time of duration; as alfo, in that thofe under the law were more painful and coftly, and hence called a yoke, Acts xv. 10. and in feveral other circumftances, yet are they one and the fame for fubstance, seeing they feal the fame covenant, the fame gofpel-promifes, Gal. iii. 8. Heb. iv. 2. and were given to children of the fame father, Rom. ix. 4. and to fubjects of the fame kingdom, Mat. viii. 1. for here circumcifion is defined to be a feat of the righ teoufnefs of faith, which is a promife pureXIV, So that Chrift Jefus, the Mediator ly evangelical, Rom. iii. 22. 30. and x. 3. of the new covenant, is the head upon | Phil-iii. 9. and hence we hear of circum

Tenant.

cifion of the heart, Jer. iv. 4. Deut. x. 16. and xxx 6. Ezek. xliv. 9. which fays it looked to promifes fpiritual, and fo is not a carnal badge, nor yet a type which fhadowed forth ours under the gospel...

if this were looked on as proper and peculiar to him alone, it would prove nothing as to others...

XX. This covenant which God entered into with Abraham, was not made with Abraham as a natural father, nor with his

XVII. This covenanted righteoufuefs, which is the prime promife of the new coiffe as his natural children, otherways all venant, is applied by faith; this is the natural parents and children fhould be in way how it is appropriate and made ours, covenant; but as a believing head, not onfor it is neither wrought by us, nor inhe-ly of children, but alfo of fervants and rent in us, and fo it must be made over to trangers, and fo as accepting of God's us, and faith is only that which gives us a call for him and his that profefs the faith: title to, and intereft in it; and as the righ-for it is faid, that he might be the father teoufuefs by which all are juftified, is the of all them that believe.. fame, both under the law, and under the gofpel, being the righteousness of Chrift, who is the fame yesterday, to-day, and for ever; fo the way of applying this righteoufnefs is the fame under both teftaments, viz. faith; therefore this rightcoufnefs fealed, is called the righteoufnefs of faith.. XVIII. Hence we have a complete definition of a facrament, viz. That it is a holy fign, inftituted of God, whereby Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are reprefented, fealed, and applied unto believers." See Gen. xvii. 7. 10. Exod. xii. Cor. xi. 13. 26. Matth. xxvi. 46. 27. 28.

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XIX. Howbeit in refpect of priority of receiving this fign and feal, there is fomething peculiar to Abraham, who is made the father, the first with whom God cove nanted, as head of the family, feeing all could not be firft; yet circumcifion was not an individual feal of Abraham's individual faith; but feeing father and child are comprehended in the fame covenant, Abraham and his feed, who are alfo hence called fathers, Luke i. 72. 1 Cor. x. 1. and fo having intereft in Chrift, and right to the -kingdom of heaven, circumcifion must be an univerfal feal of faith; therefore is he called father, and other ways he fhould crofs his own intention, which is to prove juftification to be by faith, and for this caufe bringeth in the inftance of Abrabam, which would be a mere inconfequence;

XXI. The privileges of ordinances de- fcends to pofterity, by virtue of a covenant, and fathers and children are comprehended in the fame covenant, so long as they do not openly renounce the fame; otherways there fhould be no grounded hope of their falvation, if they were without the covenant when their fathers were in it; for Abraham is here called a father, as in covenant; yea, he entered into covenaat, or received the feal, that he might be a father, which could not be if his fucceffors were not in covenant with him, . and fo his children as in covenant; hence God owned their children as his, Lev. xxv. 39. 40. 41. 42. Ezek. xvi. 20. 21. Pfalm ›

cxvi. 16...

XXII. The natural iffue of Abraham,. by Ifaac and Jacob, were taken into covenant with himself, and therefore, verfe 12, he is called the father of circumcifion; and as he was a father unto them, even as in covenant with God,: fo they received the feal of the covenant, and were circumcifed, and hence called the circumcifion; and fo of neceffity they behoved to be in covenant; for to whomfoever God gives the feal, thefe are in covenant, and hence God owns them as his, Exod. xx. 2. Deut. v. 6. and xiv. 1. 2. and thereupon they ground their fuits often, Deut. ix. 26. 27. Ifa. lxiv. 9.

XXIII. All that seriously profefs faith in Jefus Chrift are comprehended in the

fame