The covenant of nature made with Adam described and cleared from sundry great mistakes. And thereby proving, I. That the kind of death that was threatned in that covenant, in Gen. 2.17. ought not to be understood of any other kind of death but of a double spiritual death, 1. By depriving Adam of Gods concreated image: and 2. By corruption of nature that followed thereupon. II. Proving that the said covenant was totally extinguished and made utterly null, as soon as Adam had but tasted of the forbidden fruit, and received the said threatned punishment. III. Expounding Gal. 3.10. and proving that the curse therein threatned must not be understood of the curse of the said covenant of nature, but of that curse that is threatned in the covenant of grace to the fallen posterity of Adam, for their not doing of Moses law by faith in Christ, which was given to them for the covenant of grace and reconciliation only. ... VIII. Expounding Rom. 8.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 8. in ch. 25. By William Pynchon.

These following instances, or at the least some of them, will evidence the truth of my said assertions.

1. God propounded this positive Law and Covenant to Gid••on: That he would imploy him to be his instrument, for the delivering of his people Israel, from under the bondage of the Midianites; upon this condition, that he should not take unto him any other Souldiers to effect it then he should appoint, Jud. 6. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. and for his most sure knowledge of those particu∣lar Souldiers, God appointed Gideon to bring his whole Army down to the water, that so he might try them, by lapping water, which of them should be the par∣ticular persons, that he should take unto him, for the effecting of the said deli∣verance.

And therefore, in the second place, because Gideon was careful to observe the said condition on his part, God was as careful also to perform the promised deliverance on his part, Judg. 7. 6, 7.

3. It is worth the marking, that this Law and Covenant, was made onely with Gideons person, but yet it was for the bodily deliverance of all Israel.

4. Observe also that this transient positive Law and Covenant is no way reducible to the moral Law of nature, but it is rather contrary to the wisdom of it, for the moral Law of nature would rather have directed him to meet his numberless enemies with an equal force; which is according to our Saviours advice, in ••uke 14. 31. and accordingly Gideon did at the first labor to fur∣nish himself with a numerous company of Souldiers; until it pleased God to direct him otherwise, and to promise him the victory, in case he took no more but the said 300 Souldiers that lapped water; And that promise implyed a threatning also of some evil that should befal him, in case he did not observe those d••rections.

2. The Lord made another positive Law and Covenant, with a young Prophet, that he▪ should go to Jeroboam the King of Is••ael, and denounce a dreadful threatning against him for his idolatry; and for his better incou∣ragement, the Lord was pleased to enter into a transient positive Covenant with him, to protect him from the fury of Jeroboam, and from any other evil, upon this condition, that he should neither eat bread, nor drink water in that place, nor turn back again, by the same way that he came; but on the contrary

this promise implyed a threatning, that in case this young Prophet did trans∣gress these prohibitions on his part, then God would also be at liberty from this Covenant of protection: and 2. The said prohibition did also imply a threat∣ning, that some evil should befall him, in case he did transgress the said con∣ditions on his part: and so it fell out; for he was killed by a Lion, as it is re∣corded in 1 Kings 13. 9.

This positive Law and Covenant is as I conceive no way reducible, neither to the moral Law of nature, nor yet to the Covenant of nature, nor yet to the Covenant of grace, because neither of these three sorts of Laws did forbid him to eat and drink in that place, (in case his hunger did invite him) nor yet to return by the same way that he came: but these things became unlawful unto his particular person by Gods arbitrary Law and Covenant only; and such a kind of arbitrary Law was the Law of the Covenant of nature.

3. The Lord commanded another young Prophet to go unto Ahab king of Israel, to tell him that he would deliver Benhadad into his hands, 1 King. 20. 28. implying thereby, that it was his positive will and command, that he should put Benhadad (his mortal enemy) to death, which was but good justice in Sauls apprehensions, 1 Sam. 24. 18, 19. And the word, I will deliver him into thy hands, doth imply as much, as it appears by the same phrase Deliver, in Deut. 7. 23. But because Ahab did not observe this positive Law and command, but did disobey it by sparing Benhadads life, therefore the Prophet told him that he should lose his own life for it: and 2. Our larger Anno••. on 1 Kings 20. 42. doth parallell Sauls disobedience to Gods positive Law in sparing Agag, to this disobedience of Ahab in sparing Benhadad.

4. It was Gods positive command to Elijah to go to Zarephath, and then it was his positive Covenant, that he would provide a widow there that should sustain him during the time of the famine, 1 Kings 17. 9. and because Elijah obeyed this positive command, God was tyed by his positive Covenant to pro∣vide that Widow with sufficient food to make good his promise to Elijah: and tis observable, that this positive command and Covenant was no way re∣ducible, neither to the moral Law of nature, nor yet to the Law of the Covenant of grace; but it was a particular arbitrary Law and Covenant, made only for the comfortable sustaining of Elijah's life during the time of that famine.

5. It was Gods positive command to Elijah at another time, to eat of the cake that he had provided for him, and then it was his positive Covenant that he should walk in the strength of that meat for the space of forty days and forty nights together, 1 Kings 9. 8. This transient arbitrary Law and Covenant was made only for his bodily preservation, during the time of that persecution: and it is also observable, that this positive Law and Covenant is no way redu∣cible to the moral Law of nature made with Adam, neither is it reducible to the arbitrary Law and Covenant of nature, no otherw••se, but as it doth exem∣plifie that God used the like arbitrary power in both those positive Laws and Covenants.

6. It was Gods positive command unto the two Kings of Judah and Israel, that they should make Ditches in the Valley; and then it was his positive cove∣nant to fill those Ditches with water, for the comfortable relief of their whole

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host, both man and beast, which were now ready to perish for the want of wa∣ter, 2 Kings 3. 16. This positive command and Covenant is no way reducible to the moral Law of nature, nor yet to the Covenant of nature, except to ex∣emplifie: that both these Laws and Covenants are from the meer arbitrary will of God alike: and thence also it follo••es▪ that neither the moral Law of na∣ture, nor yet the Covenant of nature were given to Adam as a rule of univer∣sal and absolute obedience, whereby he stood obliged, not only unto what God d••d at present, but also unto whatsoever God should afterwards require, as Mr. Norton doth hold in Reply 3. before.

7. It was Gods positive command unto the Prophets Widow, that she should borrow Vessels of her neighbors, as many as she could get; and then it was his positive command to fill those Vessels with oyl, that so the might thereby be en∣abled to pay her debts, and might live of the rest, 2 Kings 4. 3.

8. It was Gods positive command to Naaman to wash his body seven times in Jordan, and then it was his positive Covenant that he should be cured of his leprosie, 2 Kings 5. 10. This positive command and Covenant, and the former at N^o 7. are no way reducible to the moral Law of nature, nor yet to the Co∣venant of nature, (seeing that Covenant is now utterly null) except it be to exemplifie that Gods arbitrary will was the only ground of them both: and we see that Naaman by the light of his natural reason thought it to be so pub∣lickly a means of his cure, that he thought to have disobeyed this positive com∣mand, because he thought that the Rivers of his own Countrey were better water then the water of Jordan. But his Servant perswaded him to follow the Prophets direction, and so he did, and then he was cured. But in case he had disobeyed. then this positive promise did imply a threatning of some evil that should have befallen him for his disobedience, as was instanced before in the case of the young Prophet at N^o 2. Yea, in case he had washed his body not on∣ly seven times, but seventy times seven in a better River then Jo••da••, he should not have been cleansed; and in case he had washed himself no more but six times in Jordan, he should not have been cleansed neither, but some worser evil should have befallen him then his leprosie for his disobedience.

The healing vertue therefore did not lie neither in the quality, nor yet in the quantity of that water; but in case of his obedience it lay in Gods posi∣tive Law and Covenant: and so in like sort it was from the vertue of Gods po∣sitive Law and Covenant, that the Tree of the twofold life should have confirmed Adam in his concreated perfections, ••f he had obeyed Gods will by his act of eating it, as it was of death to him for his disobedience in eating first of the forbidden fruit.

9. * 1.1 It is also observable, that some of Gods positive Laws and Covenants were made only to the obedient bodily act of seeing, hearing, eating, drinking, washing, touching, &c.

As for example, The Lord by his Propher Elijah did make a positive Cove∣nant with El••sha, that in case he could but see Elijah with his bodily eye when he was taken from him, he should have a double portion of the Spirit that was upon Elijah; but in case he did not see him, then it should not be so: but be∣cause El••sha did see Elijah with his bodily eye when he was taken from him, therefore the Lord was tyed by his said positive Covenant to bestow upon him

the double portion of the Spirit that was upon Elijah, 2 Kings 2. 10, 12.

10. God made a positive Covenant with David, that he would deliver the Army of the Phil••stines into his hand, in case he did but hear a noise of going in tops of the Mulbury trees, (with his bodily ears) and did but then bestir himself, because then the Lord would according to his Covenant go before him to smite the host of the Philistines: and because David was careful to ob∣serve the said conditions on his part, the Lord was tyed by the free promise of his positive Covenant to perform the condition on his part; and accordingly he went before David, and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazar, 2 Sam. 5. 24, 25.

11. God made a positive Covenant with Elijah, that in case he did but eat of the cake that he had provided for him, he should walk in the strength of that meat for forty days and forty nights together; of which I have spoken be∣fore at N^o 5. and so in like sort, in case Adam had but first eaten of the Tree of the twofold life, he should by the vertue of Gods free Covenant have been confirmed in his concreated life of moral perfections, and all his posterity for ever, in the sweet contents of an earthly Paradise.

12. It was Gods positive prohibition to the young Prophet, as I noted it before at N^o 2. neither to eat nor drink in that place (in Bethel) implying thereby that some evil should befal him, in case he did, and so it fell out, though he did it not wilfully, but through the deceitful perswasion of the old Prophet: and so it fell out with Adam and Eve, she did not sin wilfully, but through the spe∣cious perswasion of the good Angel, as she thought it was: and so Adams sin was not a wilful sin, but he sinned through the perswasion of his beloved Wife; and yet they were both alike punished with a twofold Spiritual death, because they transgres••ed the condition of that Covenant.

13. It was the good pleasure of Christ Jesus to command the man that was born blind to wash his eyes in the Pool Syloam, and then it was his positive Co∣venant that he should receive his sight: and because he did obey this positive command, by performing the condition on his part, by washing his eyes in the said Pool, therefore Christ Jesus was tyed by his positive Covenant to give him his sight, and accordingly he received his sight, John 9. 7.

14. The Lord made a positive Covenant with all Israel, that they should pass s••fely through the overflowing River of Jordan, as soon as ever the soles of the feet of them that bare the Ark of the Lord did but touch the waters: and be∣cause those that bare the Ark of the Lord did perform the condition on their part, the Lord was tyed to perform the condition on his part: and thereupon he caused the waters above to stand on a heap, until they were all passed over in safety, Josh. 2. 13.

15. It was Gods positive Covenant with Lot, (including therein hi•• Wife and children) that they should be preserved in safety, in case they did fly out of Sodom to the Mountain, adding thereto this condition, that they should not look behind them, Gen. 19. 17. but because Lot's Wife did not observe this condition, but did turn back her head to look behind her, therefore the said promise implyed a threatning of some evil so: her disobedience, and so in v. 26. she became a pillar of Salt: yet I question not but that Lot might and did look back in the sorrow of his mind for the loss of his Sons in law, without any

breach of the said condition, because it was but a transient condition to be ob∣served only in their way to Zoar.

These positive Laws and Covenants are no way reducible neither to the moral Law of nature, nor yet to the Covenant of nature; and therefore these two sorts of Laws were not given to Adam and his poste∣rity as a rule of universal and absolute obedience to whatsoever God should afterwards require.

But yet there are other positive Laws and Covenants which do belong to the Decalogue in a typical relation to the Covenant of grace; and yet they have no relation at all neither to the moral Law of nature, nor yet to the Covenant of nature.

15. It was Gods positive command and Covenant with his national Church in the Wilderness, that in case any of them were bitten with fiery Serpents, they should make a brazen Serpent, and set it aloft upon a Pole, that whosoever did but look upon it with their bodily eye, they should instantly be healed. But this healing vertue came not from any natural vertue that was in that brazen Ser∣pent, nor yet from the natural vertue of the eye-sight, but it came from the supream power of Gods positive Covenant, during the time of their travels in the Wilderness, and no longer; and therefore Hezekiah did afterwards break it in pieces as useless for the former purpose: and so in like sort the twofold Spi∣ritual death in Gen. 2. 17. came not from the natural operation of the apple, but from the supreme power of Gods relative justice in that Covenant for Adams disobedience.

This positive Covenant was ordained to be for a typical representation of Gods Covenant of grace and reconciliation by the death of Christ, as our Sa∣viour doth expound it in John 3. 14, 15. and therefore it doth belong to the Decalogue, but not to the moral Law of nature, in the which Adam was created.

16. It was the good pleasure of Gods supream will to make a positive Cove∣nant with Samson, (as it was declared to his parents before he was born) that he should deliver Israel from under the dominion of the Philistines upon this condition, that he should observe the Law of the Nazarites from his birth, by letting his hair grow, &c. Numb. 6. compared with Judges 13.) but when he suffered Dalilah to cut off his Nazari••es hair, he brake the condition of that positive Covenant on his part, and then God was disobliged from performing the condition of the Covenant on his part, and therefore he deprived Samsoa of his victorious Spirit, and of his protection also; and then the Philistines got the mastery over him, and used him with all reproach and shame as their capi∣tal enemy: but as soon as Samson by his repentance and faith in Christ, had ob∣tained Gods reconciliation, and that his hair was grown again, it pleased the Lord to repent him of the evil that he had done unto Samson, and to renew his Covenant with him, and then he did restore unto him his former victori∣ous Spirit, and then he conquered the Philistines at his death, more then in time of his life: but this new power and strength came not from the natural vertue of his long hair, but from the operation of Gods positive Covenant, who sanctifieth outward types at his pleasure, as he did the act of washing in the River Jordan to Naaman, for the cleansing of his leprosie: and as he would

have done the Tree of the twofold life to Adam, in case he had but observed the conditions of the Covenant of nature on his part, by eating first of the said Tree.

17. God did by his positive Law prohibit his national Church to sowe their fields with divers kind of grains mixed together, Lev. 19. 19. Deu. 22. 9. and from thence it did follow, that in case they did so do, then they should lose all their crop; for all those sorts of grain were made thereby utterly unlawful to be eat∣en, though otherwise they were good food by creation: and so in like sort was the prohibited fruit, but yet it became unlawful to be eaten in the first place, under the penalty of a double Spiritual death, by vertue of Gods positive pro∣hibition.

Notes

• * 1.1

  God made ma∣ny positive Co∣ve••ants for the bodily good of some particular persons, upon condition of their perform∣ing the bodily act, either of seeing, hearing, eating, &c.