Sign and Token of the Covenant, as it is between Me and YOU; between Me and Thee, Abraham, and thy Natural Houfhold. But as for the Seed, no mention of 1 It, when he faith, This fhall be a Sign of the Covenant, &c. which fufficiently impli1 eth another Administration to be with That afterward.

And I pray you mark, that where he calleth Circumcifion the Covenant, Verf. 10. 1 he faith, You fhall keep it between Me and You, and thy Seed; because the Covenant (of which Circumcifion was a Sign) was a Covenant between God, and the Seed too, as well as between God and Abraham, and his Natural Family. But when he faith exprefly, It fhall be a Sign and Token, then he restrains it; It shall be a Sign of the Covenant between Me and You: Implying, that though the Covenant be alfo with the Seed, and Circumcifion was a Sign of that Covenant; yet it was fpecially and particularly a Sign of it, as tranfacted between God and Abraham's Natural Perfon and Family; and fo a special and particular Sign of that Oeconomy in the Natural Houfhold. It shall be a Sign between Me and You; [and not between Me and You, and thy 1 Seed.] And fo much for the First Objecti

on.

What

What you next offer in Objection to my Argument, is; "That it follows not, that "because the Subftance of the Covenant on "God's Part, is Immutably and Unchange"ably the fame, (that) therefore the Duty and Incumbence is alfo fo on ours: "For feeing God hath Abfolute Soveraign66 ty in and over all his Creatures, and "hath unlimited and boundlefs Right, as "to command, fo to fufpend and alter the "Inftances and Duties of their Obedience, "both as and when he pleases; that may "be the Duty of his People at one time, [You should have added, to make it pertinent; By vertue of the fame Covenant and Edict, and in the fame Respect,]," which

is not fo at another. This you Confirm; "because elfe, you fee not how it fhould "come to pass, that for at least two thou"fand Years before the Time of Abra"ham, no fuch Duty or Incumbence did "lie on the Patriarchs; particularly, not "on Adam, on Abel, on Enoch, on Noah, "or on the other Antediluvian Fathers; of "whom we do not read, that any of them

were Signed, or that they were obliged "to any Sign; though you fay, It cannot "be denied, that they were in the Covenant. "of Grace, and faved by It as much as A« braham himself, or any of His. So that

"here

"here is an Objection, and an Enforcement and Confirmation of that Objection.

As to the Objection, (viz.) That it will not follow, (that) because the Subftance of the Covenant, on God's Part, is immutably and everlastingly the fame; therefore the Duty and Incumbence on ours, is alfo fuch: I anfwer. It will follow well enough, if the Duty and lucumbence on our Part, be founded on the Subftance of the Covenant, which is on God's (Part,) as the Duty and Incumbence in difpute between us is: It being, I will Eftablish 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, &c. And God faid unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my Covenant therefore, thon and thy Seed after thee, in their Generations. For though Almighty God be abfolute Soveraign over all 'our Persons, and alfo over all his own Tranfactions and Me thods, fo as he may make at one time to be our Duty, that which he doth not another; and may tranfact and deal in way of Covenant with fome, when yet he hath not pleas'd to do fo with others: Yet if at any time, or with any Perfons, he pleafes to tranfact in way of Covenant, and to Confirm that Tranfaction by his Word and

"

Oath,

Oath, the two immutable things in which it is impoffible that he fhould Lye, and alfo to bottom the Duty and Incumbence to which he doth oblige by vèrtue of that Covenant, on that which is unchangably and immutably confirmed in it; We can no more, without a Blafphemous Imputation to him of Inconftancy and Weakness, introduce him making an Alteration in the Duty, than in the Promife it felf, feeing

the Obligation to the Duty, is a neceffary

refult and emanation of the Reason of it, and confequently, is uncapable of being changed without a change of the Covenant, the unchangable Promife of God to Abraham, and to his Seed, is the Foundation of the Duty lying on Abraham and on his Seed; and the fame Covenant as the fame, muft alwayes have the fame effects, and make the fame Duties.

Ay? but then how came it to pass that Adam, Abel, Enoch, and others the most Antient Fathers, who were under the Covenant of Grace as well as Abraham and his defcendants, God being a God to them as well as to him, did not keep the Covenant in the fign thereof, if the Duty to keep the Covenant in the fign thereof be Everlaftingly the fame, and of an unchangable nature? This is your Confirmation. H

But

But to manifeft the Invalidity of all is faid by way of Confirmation, I need but to demonftrate, Eirft; That though all the Fathers were faved on the account of Jesus. Christ, and by vertue of the Eternal Compac and Agreement between God and him, be being the Everlasting Father; yet (contrary to what you do fuppofe) it did not please God, at least not in the Account of the Scripture, to Tranfact with all, or any of them, in way of Covenant for Grace, Eternal Life and Salvation, before he did fo with Abraham. Secondly, That if he had. been pleafed to tranfact, with all or any of them in way of Covenant for those ends; yet that Tranfaction could not be the Covenant of Abraham; and therefore seeing the believing Gentiles do not claim the Inberitance, Eternal Life and Salvation from by and under Adam, Abel, Enoch, Noah, or any other Covenanted Ferfon or Perfons before Abraham (if there were any fuch) but only from, by, and under Abraham, nor by vertue of any other Covenant whatever, made with all or any of them, but only by vertue of Abrahams; It is certain that the Termes, which it pleafed God to go upon with them in any tranfaction he had with them (be they what they will) are, in account of Scripture, as Little to us, as thofe he

went