A treatise of the divine promises in five bookes : in the first, a generall description of their nature, kinds, excellency, right use, properties, and the persons to whom they belong : in the foure last, a declaration of the covenant it selfe .../ by Edvvard Legh ...

CHAP. VI. 6. The persons to whom the promises be∣long

• 1. CHRIST as the head.
• 2. His mem∣bers.

* 1.1FIrst, a Covenant of Grace is made with CHRIST the Head of the Church, Hee is the Foundation of it, He was GOD and Man to reconcile both; and is therefore called The Angell of the Covenant, Mal. 3.1. The Covenant of the people, Esay 49.8. The Mediator of the New Testament, Heb. 12.24. and next in CHRIST it is made with all Christian men and wo∣men. As he was Head of the Church and Redeemer, he is the heire of all GODS Promises, In him they are Yea and Amen, that is, in him they are propoun∣ded, ratified, and accomplished.

This is evident by those gene∣rall promises which are the foundation of all the rest. Hee (that is, CHRIST) shall breake thine head, Gen. 3.15.* 1.2 In thy seed (that is, CHRIST) shall the nations of the earth be blessed, Gen. 22.18. The promises are made not to seedes, as many, but to seede: viz. CHRIST (in aggregato) with his Chu••ch, the Head and members toge∣ther; for JESUS toge∣ther with all the Saints, make but one mysticall body which is CHRIST, 1 Cor. 12.12. Any promise or blessing that be∣longs to us, belongs chiefely to CHRIST. He is the El∣der Brother. That speech, Hos. 11.1. I called my sonne out of Aegypt, is meant speci••lly of the delivery of Israel by Moses out of the bondage of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and yet it is a prophes••e of CHRIS•• and applied to him, Matth. 2.15. That which is spoken Psal. 8. of mans digni••y above all other

creatures, as having all things put in subjection under him, is interpreted of CHRIST,* 1.3 Heb. 2.6. 1 Cor. 15.27. All the good we have, comes to us by and through him. We are elected and called in him, Ephes. 1.3, 4. In him we have redemption, Ephes. 1.7. Col. 1.14. Sanctifica∣tion, 1 Cor. 1.2. Adoption, Ephes. 1.5. In him GOD is well plea∣sed with us, Matth. 3.17. He is Heire of all things, Heb. 1.2. The Faithfull are Co-heires with him, Rom. 8.17. They shall have the same substantiall (though not gra∣duall) glory, the same crowne, the same kingdome, Ioh. 17.22, 24. GOD loves them with the same love that hee lo••ed CHRIST, verse 23. They are heires of all GODS most pre∣cious promises. They are stiled Children of the Covenant, Acts 3.25. Children of the Promise, Rom. 9.8. Gal. 4.28. because they are made children of GOD by vertue of GODS promise. Thus

was Isaac the child of the pro∣mise in that he was borne to Abraham,* 1.4 not by the strength of nature, but by GODS pro∣mise. They are also called Heires of the Promise, Gal. 3.29. Heb. 6.12, 17. & 11.9. that is, not onely such to whom the promi∣ses doe belong, but such as claime their inheritance onely by adoption and promise. A∣mongst men the eldest childe usually is the heire, and carries away the Inheritance, and the rest have but pettie portions; but all the LORDS children are Heires, and that not alone of the promises, but of the glory promised. Pareus hath an ex∣cellent similitude to illustrate this: every one there (saith he) inherits all, even as every man injoyeth the light of the Sunne, as if it were made onely for him.

The promises made to Christ, are, Thou shalt be a Priest for ever, and I will give thee the

kingdome of David; thou shalt be a Prince of peace, and the go∣vernement shall be upon thy shoul∣ders;* 1.5 thou shalt be a Prophet to my people, shalt open the prison to the captive.

The promises made to us are passive, You shall be taught, you shall be made Prophets, you shall have your sinnes forgiven, you shall be subiect to his government, you shall be made Kings.

If onely they that are CHRISTS have benefit of the promises in CHRIST,* 1.6 then the wicked have no part nor portion in this businesse: the Divell sweeps all that are out of the covenant, the childrens bread shall not be given to dogges, GOD will not cast away preci∣ous things upon swine, and those that are strangers from the cove∣nant of promise, Ephes. 2.12. GOD p••omiseth to satisfie, but it is such as hunger for righte∣ousnesse sake; to comfort, not the carelesse, but such as mourne,

forgivenesse of sinnes, but to the Penitent, eternall life, but to such as beleeve. Except the condition be wrought in us, the promise shall never be accomplished upon us: walke before me and be thou upright (and then) I am GOD All-sufficient, Gen. 17.1. Blessed are the undefi∣led in the way, Psal. 119.1. Psal. 84.11. Ioh. 1.12. Gal. 3.7, 9. Psal. 34.9, 10. Pro. 19.16.

Therefore in the 1. of S. Matthew,* 1.7 when Abraham is said to have begotten Isaac, there is no mention made of Ishmael which yet he begot, and likewise when Isaac is said to have begotten Iacob, there is no mention made of Esau, whom he begot also. But when Iacob is said to have begotten Iudah it is added, and his brethren, be∣cause the promise of Redemp∣tion which was to come by CHRIST, was pronounced to them also. But that promise be∣longed not to all them neither, but onely to such, who following

the steps of their holy Fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, applied it by a true faith to themselves, as the Apostle sheweth.* 1.8

* 1.9This is a comfort to the peo∣ple of GOD; they can ne∣ver loose Evangelicall blessings of grace and glory, because CHRIST is made the Lord Treasurer and Lord Keeper of them. We are not trusted with them our selves, for then wee should loose them; but he re∣ceives them for us, and com∣municates them to us.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Christ is the scope and foundation of all Gods promises, partly by merit, and partly by efficacie; by merit, be∣cause hee ha••h procu∣red by ••is death and passion, re∣mission of si••nes and life everla∣sting; by his efficacie, be∣cause hee seales up un∣to us in our consciences remission of sinnes, and withall re∣stores to us the image of God. Perk. on Ga∣lat.
• * 1.2

  Gal. 3.16. Caput & Cor∣pus uniu est Christus▪ Au∣sten.
• * 1.3

  Omnia salu∣taria commu∣nicari nobis dicuntur in Christo, ut in Capite; prop∣ter C••ristum ut merito suo impetrame••; & per Chri∣stum, ut essi caciter appli∣cantem.
• * 1.4

  S. Paul Rom 9.8. oppo∣seth the chil∣dren of the promise to the children of the flesh, which were borne by na∣turall strēgth.
• * 1.5

  Luk 1.32, 33. The active part is com∣mitted to the Messiah.
• * 1.6

  The promi∣ses of the Gospell are not univer∣sall, but be∣long to the Elect onely. God hath promised by Esay 8 16. that t••e Elect onely shall be his Disciples, & not all men indifferently
• * 1.7

  Piscator in 1 Matth.
• * 1.8

  Rom 4.12.
• * 1.9

  It is our comfort tha•• we which cannot stand of our selves may subsist in Christ. Bish. Lake.