and thy Seed fhall keep my Covenant. Thou fhalt keep my Covenant therefore, (and not only Thou, but) Thon, and thy Seed after thee, in their Generations: Thou; thou and thy Seed.

So that, if the Believing Gentiles be (as indeed they be) the True Seed, and Principally intended in the Promife; for it is Seed, not Seeds Seed; fpeaking but of one, and that One is Chrift; and Chrift not Personal only, but Mystical, or Chrift with his Members; for it is of Many in One: For the Seed, which is to keep the Covenant, is to do it in their Generations; not in his Generation, but in their Generations, and that is Plural. I fay, if the Believing Gentiles do become the Seed of Abraham, (as they do) they come alfo under Equal Obligation to obferve the Covenant, with Abraham himself: For it is, Thou shalt keep the Covenant therefore, thou and thy Seed. And to keep the Covenant, (as I have evinc'd already) is for him that is in it, in token of his Dedication and Affignment of himfelf, and of all his to God, not only to wear the fign of the Covenant himself in his own Perfon, but to put it upon all his that is capable of it; fo to manifeft, that he owns not any Intereft or Property at all in any thing, or Title to any, but what he returns

to

to God; and that both himself, and all his, are the Lord's. And think, Are not the believing Gentiles as much obliged to affign, and dedicate, and give all, as Abraham? Yes, doubtless, and are as much bound to Shew, and Own, and Declare they do fo, as He.

But whereas it may be objected, "That "Circumcifion was the Sign and Token "of the Covenant then, [This is my Cove"nant which you shall keep between Me and "You, and thy Seed after thee; Every Man"Child among you fhall be Circumcized:] "And that Circumcifion, as being a Legal "and Carnal Ceremony, is abolished un"der the Gofpel; and therefore, as all In"gagement and Obligation unto That, fo "all Ingagement and Obligation unto any "Sign and Token by vertue of the Com"mand of That, is ceased.

I anfwer, Though Circumcifion, that at First was the Sign and Token of the Covenant, be taken away; yet it will not fol low, that the Obligation to obferve and keep the Covenant in any Other Sign or Token, doth ceafe with it. And to de- 4 monftrate this; it must be minded, that as the Equity and Reafon of the Command doth hold in Baptism, as well as in Circumcifion; and for any other Sign and Token.

as

༡

as well as for This; and to the Seed, as well as to Abraham; God being as much a God to the One, as to the Other: So alfo that in the Form of the Words, the Qbligation impofed upon Abraham, and his Seed, is in the First place, to keep the Sign and Token of the Covenant, or to keep the Covenant in the Sign of it: And but in the Second (place,) to observe Circumcifion; namely, but as it is that Sign. So that a plain Diftinction is made between the Obligation to obferve the Sign and Token of the Covenant, (or to keep the Covenant in the Sign and Token of it) and to keep it in Circumcifion, as that Sign and Token; the Former arifing from the very Nature of the Covenant, (Thou foalt keep my Covenant therefore) and therefore of as perpetual Obligation and Exiftence, as the Covenant it felf: But the Latter is more pofitive, and Secondary. Wherefore, tho' there be an Alteration in the Second, it will not follow that there must be one in the First, or that the Covenant ought not to be obferved in the Sign and Token of it, if, for certain Reafons, Circuncifion be no Jonger; but fomething else be that Sign and Token: The taking away the Second, doth not deftroy the Firft; for being before it, it may be without it. Thou fhalt keep

the

the Sign of the Covenant, that is First; Circumcifion is that Sign, that is Second: And why One in the first Place, and the Other but in the Second, but to fhew, the Covenant must be kept in the Sign of it, even when no longer Circumcifion, but fome other thing is in the Counfel of God ordained to be that Sign? And indeed, it is much, that the taking, and the putting of the Sign of the Covenant, fhould (as it is) be called keeping of the Covenant? Muft not we Now keep God's Covenant?

And to the end you may see the Harmony of the Scripture, and (with it) the Cogency of that illation, which I make from the Form of the Words here; fee the like (Form of Words) in the Fourth Command- 1 ment, in relation to the Sabbath, bottoming the like Illation; Remember the Sabbathday, to keep it holy; that is firft; and, as it is firft, fo it is primarily Moral, and Eternal and unchangeable: But the Seventh is 1 the Sabbath of the Lord; that is in the fecond place, and is but fecondary and positive. What? Doth the Obligation to the First, and that which is Primary in the Command, cease, because there is an Alteration in the Second and that not the Seventh, but the1 ;. First Day of the Week is now the Sabbath of the Lord? Who will fay it?

So,

So, though Circumcifion be no longer the Sign and Token of the Covenant, but another thing be It; 'twill not follow, the Covenant is no longer to be obferved in the Sign and Token of it, because not Circumcifion; but that other Thing is now (become) that Sign and Token: Which you will conceive the better, if you bethink that Circumcifion was not abolished in the Gofpel, as it was of the Fathers, but as it was of Mofes, (a Diftinction Chrift himself 4 makes;) or not as it had relation to the Covenant of Promife, as the Sign of it, as if in that refpe&t it were a weak and carnal thing; but as it was Adopted by the Legal Mediator, and made a Sign of that Adminiftration and Covenant, in which He had to do; for afterwards, who fo was Circumcifed, did become a Debtor to the whole Law; and therefore, if the Law did ceafe, Circumcifion could not continue.

But remember, it was on an Evangelical and Gracious Confideration, that Circumcifion did become the Sign of the Legal Covenant or Adminiftration: For why was. it? Were there not other Matters enough to make Signs of, but that Circumcifion, which was a Sign of the Promife, must be Impropriated to be the Token of the Mofaick Covenant? Why was it then? Not truly

(as