THE COVENANT OF GRACE,
As it is dispensed to the Elect Seed, effectually unto Salvation.
Acts 7:8 And he gave him the Covenant of Circumcision.
his blessed Servant of God, Steven, being called to account concerning what he had said touching Jesus Christ his Destroying the Temple, it is the scope of his whole Discourse throughout this Chapter, to justify the Doctrine that he had taught; that though he had taught Jesus of Nazareth should destroy that place, yet in so teaching, he taught no Blasphemy: And this he doth in an Historical Narration make clear and evident:
1. From the sweet Communion which their Fathers had with God before either Temple or Tabernacle was built: and if so, then he would not have them look at it as unsafe for them, or as an utter ruin to Religion, if that both the Temple and the Ordinances of the Temple were destroyed in themselves, and fulfilled in him. Three passages of Abraham’s communion with God, Steven doth relate and maintain that he had them before any of Moses his Customs were known.
1. God did effectually call him; which call he did also obey, (2,3,4. verses) though as yet he knew no Circumcision.
2. God giveth him a trial of his Faith, wherein he found Abraham faithful, 5,6,7 verses. God promised to give him the land of Canaan for a possession, but he gave him not a foot’s breadth. He promised to give it unto his Seed, when as yet he had no child: and when God gave him Seed, yet they should sojourn in a strange Land, and be in
Bondage four hundred years.
3. God gave him the Covenant of Circumcision, in the words of the Text. And Abraham in the strength of the Blessing of God begat Isaac, and Circumcised him according to God’s direction; and all this before Moses gave any Ordinances unto them to keep; and before either Temple, or Tabernacle was built. From hence we have heard, that the soul may have very spiritual and gracious communion with God, before it partake in any seal of Church-fellowship. For Abraham’s Faith was throughly tried before he had the Seal of Church Covenant given him. We heard also this propounded, which is the words of the Text, that God gave unto Abraham the Covenant of Circumcision which Doctrine doth imply in it four principal parts, all of them serving to clear Steven’s meaning.
1. The Author and manner of dispensing it: God gave, so it was by Gift.
2. The Articles of it; and they are to be inquired into.
3. The Confederates, and they are expressed; God on the one side, and
Abraham and his Seed on the other side.
4. The Seal of it, Circumcision, which was also the Seal of the Church-Covenant. These four parts do yield so many Notes; the first of them was spoken unto in the last point formerly handled. Now for the second and third parts, (to wit, the Articles of the Covenant, and the Confederates) we comprehend them both in this one Note.
Doctrine: That in the Covenant which God made with Abraham, God gave himself to be a God to Abraham and to his Seed; and received Abraham and his Seed to be a People unto himself; and the chiefest of this Seed, the Lord Jesus Christ, he took to be the Mediator, or Surety of this Covenant between them both. This is the sum of the Articles, and of the Confederates: what the Articles be is not here mentioned; But Genesis 17:7 they be, (for to speak of Circumcision before the Covenant, it is but a seal to a blank) where the Lord expresseth himself thus, saying, I will stablish my Covenant between me and thee, and thy Seed after thee, in their Generations, for an everlasting Covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy Seed after thee. As for other parts of the Covenant, they were more properly given unto himself, as to be exceeding fruitful, and to be the Father of many Nations, to inherit the land of Canaan, Gc. those things were more peculiarly proper unto Abraham, though they have also a moral and universal use and force in all the Faithful, whom the Lord doth make fruitful, and giveth them a Nail in his Tabernacle. In the Covenant these three things are implied:
1. God gave himself to be a God unto Abraham, and to his Seed: This is such an Argument as the strength and wisdom of men and Angels cannot unfold: It is a Catechism-point, and by way of Catechism to be opened, (as the Lord hath revealed it), I mean, plainly, and familiarly.
2. God did receive Abraham, and his Seed, to be his People: this is implied, and necessarily inferred by the rule of Relatives: for if God do give himself to be a God to Abraham, and to his Seed, and doth not firstly require it of Abraham and of his Seed that they should give up themselves to be his People, then it must of necessity follow, that the Lord will undertake to receive them to be a People unto himself, and so he will perform both his own part of the Covenant, and Abraham’s part also, according to what we read in Deuteronomy 7:6,7,8. The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special People unto himself: Not because ye were in number more than any People, (for ye were the fewest of all People) but because he loved you, and would keep the Oath which he had sworn unto your Fathers, therefore hath he brought you out with a mighty hand, Gc. when as they were in a land of Idols, and the Lord lifted up his hand to have destroyed them there; yet he remembered, and wrought for his own Names sake: So that though they were far off yet the Lord (to make good his Covenant) brought them out of Egypt, and so from one Covenant to another: by all which things it doth appear, that the Lord will keep our part of the Covenant also; and this is necessarily implied, in that he promiseth to be a God unto Abraham, and to his Seed, and there is no Restipulation on Abraham’s part; we see this likewise held forth, Deuteronomy 29:1,13, where the Lord entereth into another Covenant with them in the land of Moab, besides the Covenant which he made with them in Horeb; avnd in this Covenant he doth establish them to be a People unto himself, as well as give himself unto them to be their God erse 13. And as God required it of them to Circumcise the outward man, even the foreskin of their children; so he will also Circumcise them, taking possession of them, and Circumcising their hearts, taking away the stoniness of them, and so fitting them to be a Temple for himself to dwell in.
3. The Lord in this Covenant taketh the chiefest of Abraham’s Seed even the Lord Jesus Christ, to be the Mediator and Surety of the Covenant, and unto him do all the Promises belong; so the Apostle doth expound it, Galatians 3:16: Unto Abraham and to his Seed were the Promises made: He saith not, And to his seeds, as of many, but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. And so by him are all the Promises and Blessings of the Covenant conveyed unto Abraham, and to his seed, (his faithful seed) all the world over: and therefore he is called the Mediator of a better Covenant, Hebrews 7:22, meaning the Covenant of Grace, Hebrews 3:6. These three things do contain the sum of the Covenant of Grace, and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and would therefore be plainly discovered unto Christians: As,
1. What is the meaning of this, that God gave himself unto Abraham?
2. How doth he take Abraham, and his seed, and make them his People?
3. How doth he take Jesus Christ, and make him the surety of the Covenant between them both? For the Covenant is established, and so is a firm, and sure, and everlasting Covenant: Now in this gift, that God gave himself unto Abraham, Observe three things,
1. The Blessing given.
2. The Order in which it was given.
3. The Manner of giving it.
