Chapter Eighteen: An Answer To That Objection: One Covenant With Two Administrations

                              CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

                An Answer To That Objection: One Covenant With Two Administrations        

But some may object and say, But this which you call a Covenant of Works, consisting of temporal promises, and also Laws and Statutes, you are not to understand that to be a distinct covenant from the Covenant of Eternal Life, but a form of administration, that the Covenant of Grace was then administered in. And the carnal children were not then interested in the main privileges of the Covenant, as adoption and justification, but the outward promises and privileges only made to their Father.

                                   Answer

I know some do bring this objection, which if it be well weighed is inconsistent with their own argument. For if this objection be true, then was there no covenant made to Abraham's seed but only an administration of a Covenant. Therefore ill do they affirm that the covenant was made to them, therefore the administration. But this doubtless is false and this objection is false and groundless as appears by several express testimonies in Scripture which does evidently prove two distinct covenants, as for example:

God says in Gen. 17:7, "And I will establish my Covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee in their Generations, for an everlasting Covenant, to be a God to thee, and to thy seed after thee."

The Lord Did Not Say He Would Establish An Administration Of His Covenant, But His Covenant

Here observe that the Lord does not say, that He will establish an administration of the Covenant with his seed in their generations, but His covenant. In the 13th verse, this My Covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting Covenant, not this administration of my Covenant shall be in your flesh. So in Heb. 8:6-9, "But now hath he obtained a more excellent Ministry, by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant, which is established upon better promises.

               Note Two Covenants With Two Different Promises

Mark, (as I have before shown at large) here were two covenants. The one upon better promises, the other upon worse promises. This must needs be understood as temporal blessings, deliverances, and privileges. Therefore, Paul says "they serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things." In the 7th verse, he says, "if that first Testament had been faultless, there should have been no place sought for the second." In the 9th verse he says, "that the old covenant they continued not in, therefore God regarded them not;" and in the 12th verse, he says, "a New Covenant, he has made the first old. Now that which decays, and waxes old, is ready to vanish away." These Scriptures do evidence as clear as the sun at noon day, that there was a real covenant made with the Jews. It was made before with Abraham, but committed to the Church in writing by Moses when he led them out of Egypt.

This Covenant they broke, said Jeremiah 31:32. Here the Apostle says, "they continued not in it," and the last verse says, "it was made old, and therefore vanishing away;" and in Heb. 9 the Apostle calls this Old Covenant that contained in it shadows and patterns of heavenly things, the First Testament wherein the Apostle, in verse 17 and forwards, does show there were Two Testaments, the one confirmed by the blood of Bulls, the other confirmed by the blood of Christ. If this were not true, then most falsely do such affirm that the Covenant and its privileges were made with Abraham's seed, if Abraham lineally had no covenant made with them, but only an external and outward administration and privilege, etc.

Upon that ground there was no National Covenant at all made with Israel but only an outward administration and that being granted to be ceremonial except you can prove another ceremonial administration as carnal, as that administration was, now in force. There is not the like ground why carnal and unbelieving children should have any share in it.

Objection

But some may say, It's possible that such a little child may believe, because in Matt. 18:3-6, it is said, We should not offend such little ones that believe.

                                   Answer

If you grant that some children do believe when little, and therefore do belong to the kingdom of God, to that I assent. Let them be whose children they will, whether of believers, or infidels.

If they believe, they are in Christ, and so interested in the Kingdom of
God.

But what makes this for the covenant in the flesh of carnal unbelieving seed?

Again, if by Kingdom of God should be understood the Jewish state or Church, and children here understood for children of that Jewish nation, then in that sense it is true. All the children born in the Jewish church, by virtue of their birth in that family or nation, belonged as members to that National Church and were interested in the Covenant of Circumcision, which was the National Covenant, and the privileges of the same, and by natural birth were interested therein.

                  The True and Proper Meaning of the Text

But the true and proper meaning of the text appears plain in Mark 10:13-15 compared together. For when He had said in the 14th verse, "of such belongeth the Kingdom of God," in verse 15 He presently says, "Verily I say unto you, whosoever receiveth not the kingdom of God, as a little child, shall not enter therein." This interprets these words before, "Of such is the kingdom of God." That is, of such like in grace as these are by nature, such souls who are by God's grace, subdued and brought into a child-like frame of spirit, they only are such as are of the kingdom of God. For example, when the disciples reasoned as to who should be greatest among them, Christ set before them a little child as a pattern of humility, innocency, and harmlessness. Also the Apostle says, "Be you children in malice, and old men in understanding," 1 Cor. 14. Peter says, "As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye might grow thereby," 1 Pet. 2:7.

     There Is A Parity Held Forth Between the Natural and the Spiritual

As there is a parity held forth between a man and his wife, and Christ and His Church, so in Scripture there is also a parity between a child in nature, and a child in grace, as the natural begetting and the spiritual begetting, alluding to the natural birth and the spiritual birth by that sucking of the mother's breast, and by sucking of the breast of God's word. A little babe in nature will trust to his parents. So the newborn babe will trust in Christ. If the natural babe want anything it will go to its parents and ask them for it, so must a newborn Babe make his request known to God in all his wants. If any thing hurt a babe, he will cry and make his complaint to his Father, so the child of God, if any straight oppress him, cries to God his Father. The natural child will imitate his Father and his brethren, so the newborn babe imitates God the Father and Christ, and the rest of his brethren. The newborn babe when young, a little will content it, so should the newborn babe in grace, will be content in all conditions and states. And this I understand, is the proper meaning of this place, "Of such is the Kingdom of God," that is, of such souls who are spiritually qualified by God's grace, answerable to little children in nature, Matt. 18:1-6, of such godly, newborn, heavenly babes, is the kingdom of God.This exposition agrees with the right scope of the place, and the true analogy of faith.

Therefore, I would have you seriously to consider that the whole word of the Lord disclaims this Covenant of Grace in the flesh and will give no countenance to any such notion which is so destructive in its consequence to the truth of God.