Chapter Eleven: To Defend a Covenant of Life, Entailed on the Flesh, is Virtually to Deny that Christ is Come in the Flesh

 CHAPTER ELEVEN

            To Defend a Covenant of Life, Entailed on the Flesh,

           is Virtually to Deny that Christ is Come in the Flesh.

But when Christ came and became fully exhibited in the flesh, then the ground upon which this Covenant was given ceased. Therefore, the covenant also ceased. For any man to go about to defend a covenant in the flesh, is a doctrine virtually denying that Christ is come and fully manifested in the flesh.

  The Covenant of Eternal Life Made Only To Christ and His Seed, Believers

You may draw this Conclusion from all that has been spoken, That there was never a Covenant of Eternal Life made with any but only with such as did and do believe, all along till Christ, nor since.

                        The New Covenant Commission

This objection is answered, that the spiritual privileges are not less under the Gospel than under the Law, though we deny all the carnal Generation to have any right to the Covenant of Grace or privileges thereof, both then as well as now. The offers and tenders of the Gospel, we must confess, were to that Nation. In that sense they were called the children of the Prophets and of the covenant, Acts 3. In that respect now the privileges are larger because all nations are in the same sense the children of the Prophets and of the covenant now since Christ came Who is the Prophet and Minister of God having a Commission now to publish the Gospel or New Covenant to all Nations.

       Reasons to Show That None Have Right to the Covenant of Grace,
                 But Such as are United to Christ by Faith.

But further, to prove that none have any right to a Covenant of Grace or life, but such as had and have union with Christ by faith, is most plain.

              New Covenant Was Confirmed of God in Christ Only

First, because as you have heard, the New Covenant was confirmed of God in Christ only: Gal. 3:17. All the promises are in Christ, Yea and Amen.

              New Covenant Stands Only in Christ's Blood Line

Therefore, this Covenant cannot belong to any soul out of Christ, because they are Yea and Amen in Him, 1 Cor. 11:25. "This Cup is the New Testament in my blood," says Christ. If the New Testament be in Christ's blood, then what has any carnal or unbelieving wretch to do with this Testament, that have not faith in His blood?

         The Blessing of Being In Christ and Well Pleasing Unto God

Further, we do find in Matt. 3:17 the Lord says, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Mark the words, in Whom. Then to be sure out of Him, He is not well pleased. That is, in respect to this especial well pleasedness, or electing love in the Covenant of Life, according to that in Eph. 1:6.

               Accepted Only in the Beloved One, Jesus Christ

"He hath made us accepted in the Beloved;" out of the beloved there can be no acceptation. Therefore it is said, "God accepted Abel and his offering," Gen. 4:4. The Author to the Hebrews, 11:4 tells you, "By Faith, Abel offered a more acceptable or excellent Sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness, that he was righteous." So by Faith in the promised seed he came to be righteous and accepted of God, as you have heard in Eph. 1:3. "God hath blessed us with all spiritual, and heavenly blessings in Heavenly things in Christ Jesus." Therefore, no heavenly or spiritual blessing can belong to any out of Christ, for "as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall be made alive." There is none made alive, but those who are in Christ, for the wicked men's resurrection is not said to be to life, but to damnation, 1 Cor. 15:11, with John 5:28,29. "And therefore in thee shall all the nations of the Earth be blessed," Gen. 18:18 must imply thus much, that out of Christ the true seed, all the Nations should be accursed, Gen. 12:3 with 22:18, Gal. 3:8.

            Only Those In Union With Christ By Faith are In the
          State of Salvation and Visibly in the Covenant of Grace

I must confess it is a sad thing that at such a time of the world as this,

where the means of grace and knowledge of the Gospel has been so plentifully held forth, that we must be forced to bestow such pains to prove, that men cannot be in a State of salvation and acceptation before God in a Covenant of Grace, without union in Christ by Faith. But, howsoever, considering that the Apostle says, "There is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved," but by the name of Jesus, and a particular faith in Him, Acts 4:13, and therefore Peter says in John 6:69, "Whither shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life, he is the way, the truth, and the life," John 14:6.

There is none can come into the Father's love and mercy, nor into the Covenant of Life, or any spiritual privilege, but by Him, He is the narrow way Who leads to life, and few there be Who find it, as Matt. 7:14. Therefore, the Apostle says, "He that hath Christ hath life, but he that hath not Christ, hath not life." All the carnal, unbelieving children, from the foundation of the world unto this day, have not Christ. Therefore, they have not life, that is to say, the Covenant of Life, nor the justification of life, which every man must needs have, that is, in that Covenant of Life. We find that all the Patriarchs and holy men of God, by faith and patience, not by generation, inherited the promises, Heb. 6:12 and 11:12. Therefore sprang there, even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the Stars in the sky for multitude, and as the Sand which is by the seashore, innumerable, these all died in faith.

                          Hebrews 11:12 Explained

This text speaks of Abraham as believing and faithful Abraham who was the Father of that spiritual and believing seed, according to Gen. 15:5,6, "so shall thy seed be."

                 The State of Unbelieving Jews and Gentiles

Secondly, it further appears that the Covenant of Eternal Life was never made with any but such as believe because all unbelievers, both of Jews and Gentiles, are charged under sin, Rom. 3:9 and have the wrath of God abiding on them, John 3, last verse. Yea, though of the seed of Israel and children of that Covenant of Circumcision, to them Christ says, "Except ye believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins," John 8:24. The Gospel tells the national Church of the Jews, John 3:18, that those of them who believed not, were condemned already because they believed not in the only begotten Son of God. Which clearly proves that none of them were in a Covenant of Life by Generation, for if they had, then the lack of conversion would not have damned them, nor left them in a state of damnation.

  

Further, does not Christ Himself, call and account the unbelieving Jews the world? When He says to His disciples, If you were of the world, the world would love his own, but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. This world that Christ chooses His disciples out of, that hated His disciples as they had formerly hated Him, are but the Nation of the Jews, who were in that Covenant of Circumcision. This plainly proves that all unbelievers in that nation were of the world and therefore, not in a Covenant of Grace.

              Romans 4:16 Shows a Sure Promise to All the Seed

It must needs be so, because the Apostle says in Rom. 4:16, "therefore is it of Faith, that it might be by Grace, to the end that the promise might be sure to all the seed."Observe from the text that if the promise or covenant or any spiritual privilege should be entailed upon the flesh, or conveyed any way than by Faith, it could not be by Grace.

            Faith is the First Differencing Grace to Distinguish
                     Between God's People and All Others

Faith is the first differencing Grace, to difference God's people from all others, Acts 15:9, "and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith." Therefore, it is impossible that the Covenant of Grace can be made to any other but such as have faith. I find no one counted the Spiritual seed of Abraham, unto whom the Covenant of Life belongs, but them that are in Christ by faith, as Gal. 3:28,29. "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, there is neither Bond nor Free, neither Male nor Female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus," and "if you be in Christ, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise," and so Rom. 4:14. "If they which were of the Law be heirs, Faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect," meaning thereby the Covenant of Circumcision, as appears in verses 10 and 11, and so in Rom. 9:7,8. "Not because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called, that is, they which are the children of the flesh, they are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed."

      Only Those Born of Promise are Accounted for the Seed of Abraham

Where you see that the Apostle does deny that the seed of Abraham, who were only his children according to the flesh, is the spiritual seed. But such as are born of promise, or begotten by promise, they are accounted for the seed chosen in him, and united to him by Faith.

           Only Those Born Again By Promise Are The Heavenly Seed

These were pointed and figured out by the National and Temporal seed coming out of the Loins of Isaac. Those Souls who were born in the house and bought with money, were in the outward covenant and privileges. But these regenerate and born again by promise are the Heavenly Seed. So the heavenly generation are such only born from above. This is what the Psalmist speaks of in Psalm 22:30, "A seed shall serve him, and it shall be accounted to him for a generation." For the Temporal Israel and the typical Election of them into the temporal covenant, did point out this Spiritual Election in a Spiritual Covenant, confirmed of God in Christ Jesus.

        Cain and His Sacrifice Were Rejected Because He Had No Faith

Further, it appears that none but such as believe are in a Covenant of Grace. Without faith, it is impossible to please God, Heb. 11:6. Therefore, by faith, Abel had his person and his offering accepted, Gen. 4:4. But Cain and his offering being not in faith, God accepted them not.

 The Thoughts and Imaginations of All Men, Before Conversion, are Only Evil

For all the thoughts of such a man are only evil, and that continually till they believe, as Gen. 6:5 and 8:21. All the imaginations of all believers are evil, and only evil continually till converted.

                            Their Words are Evil

Secondly, their words are evil, Matt. 12:34. "O Generation of Vipers, how can you being evil speak good words, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil things," and as their thoughts and words are evil, so in like manner, their actions are all evil, natural actions, as eating, Job. 20:23. "When he is eating to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of His wrath upon him and shall rain it upon him while he is eating."

                  Natural Actions of Unbelievers are Evil

Thus you see natural actions are evil, such as eating and drinking for satisfying his hunger, and also civil actions are evil, as Prov. 21:4, "an high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked is sin." If plowing, then all his civil actions, and also his best duties of worship, as his sacrifice is an abomination to God, Prov. 28:9 and 15:8; Isa. 1 with 66:4. Upon this ground it must needs be that the Covenant of Grace and Eternal Life cannot belong to any who do not believe. For it is impossible to be in a Covenant of Grace, and yet not have persons nor any of their best actions accepted.

          Natural Men, as Unbelievers, Are No More Wise Toward God
                           Than a Wild Ass' Colt

Yea, further, all mankind are compared to beasts, till they believe, Job 11:11. "Vain man would feign be wise, but man is born like a wild ass's colt," with Jer. 2:23,24. Yea, the Lord says in Rev. 21:8 "that the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and Sorcerers, and Idolaters, and all liars, shall have their portion in the Lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

      May God Grant Repentance To Those Who Hold this Contrary Opinion

Beloved, therefore if any have been so deluded as to believe such a notorious error as this is, to think that any ever has been in the Covenant of Life, but such as are in Charity by faith, I desire God may give you repentance for maintaining such a fundamental error as this is.