Vindiciae Foederis: OR A Vindication of the INTEREST that the Children of Believers, as such, have in the Covenant of Grace, with their Parents; under the GOSPEL-DISPENSATION BEING The Substance of Two Sermons, with Addition, Preached to a Congregation in Wapping.  
ALSO Some seasonable Reflections upon various unsound, and Cruel Passages  
Taken forth of two Furious Books of Mr. H. Collins, Printed against  
Infants-Baptism,  
By FRAN. MENCE, some time of Pembroke College in Oxford, now an unworthy Pastor of a Church of Christ in Wapping near London.  
Magna est veritas, & praevalebit.  
LONDON, Printed for the Author, and are to be Sold by John Laurence at the Angel in the Poultry, by Mrs. Mary Gurnel in Wapping-street near Bell Alley, and Mr. William Wingod in King-street in Wapping, 1694.   

The Epistle Dedicatory.  
To a Church of Christ in Wapping near London; Grace, Mercy and Peace be Multiplied.  
I Can not (dearly beloved) but judge it my Duty, to Dedicate these Sermons unto you: partly, because you are my peculiar Care and Charge in the Lord, unto whom I do owe my Labour and Pains; and also by reason of that joint Request you were pleased to Attack me withal, viz. that they might be made Public; giving me good assurance that they might be of great use for the good of Christians in this place. I have here (though it be against my own inclination) answered your desire; Let this undertaking be attended with your serious and solemn Prayer, that your hopes of good may be accomplished. What I have wrote in my Epistle to the Readers, many of you can testify, you well know what a long time of Silence I have had; how desirous I was to live in peace; that always being esteemed a Jewel of great price with me, hoping that the dust that hath been raised to the darkening of the Air among us, might have fallen without any attempt of mine to suppress it; but the violent effort of the Pulpit, and the furious Reports of the Press, have something awakened me from that ease and quiet, I should have been glad longer to have solaced myself withal: But alas it was time to be something alarmed, when the flames were enkindled about us, and our little Field in danger of being consumed, here is one that hath put this place even into a Conflagration. I shall (I doubt not) fall under the lash of many censuring Tongues, for this small endeavour, to vindicate this one exploded (though precious) Truth of Christ. You have had experience of my spirit and deportment, and cannot from the strictest observations you have made of me, but say, that so far as may be, I have been willing to live in peace with all men, and what care I have taken to preserve peace in the midst of and round about you. It would be matter of much comfort to me, may this little Essay be instrumental to reduce this place into somewhat a more sedate and calm temper: My Practice (ever since the Lord was plase to call me amongst you) hath been to give perpetual demonstrations that I live, and can walk with all that are sound in the Faith, and of an unblameable Conversation. I found you fixed upon that Noble, Evangelical Foundation, which I have endeavoured to build upon. Your laudable Principle is, that Union with Christ, is the great ground of our Communion one with another; let us magnify God, for what we have found of his Gracious Presence and Blessing, since we came together, and stand in that relation as we do one to the other. I do with much importunity request your Prayers, that I may daily have a remembrance from you at the Throne of rich Grace: Watch against all designs of men that lie in wait to deceive, and to disturb our peace: Study much the Covenant of Grace, blessed be the Lord that he hath not only engrafted you, but also your Seed into it. You that have Children, plead the Promises of the Covenant with God for them: Take heed of such Principles, that do inevitably exclude your dear Babes out of the Kingdom of God, and render their Salvation (provided they expire in their infancy) not only improbable, but in any ordinary way impossible. Beg the Lord to put a stop, and to give a Check to that lying malicious spirit, that like a spiteful Ghost walks in this poor disturbed spot. I doubt not, but what I have here transmitted from the Press, will be attended with the same opprobrious Censure it met withal from the Pulpit; many ignorant and rash  Professors did severely judge me, and my Sermons, that never heard them; and so I do expect many will that shall never read them, pour out their profound invectives against them. I must expect no better quarter, than honest Mr. Giles Shute, who by many was cast and condemned, that never read his Books, neither were able to pass a right Judgement upon them. I do hearty wish, that a greater number of my Anabaptist Neighbours, would labour more after the life and power of Religion; and Study to know their own hearts better: then I promise myself they would not be so prompt, and ready to undervalue and condemn others, as they be. I cannot but admire to see what a change is upon their spirits, words, and actions: in our late times of restraint they could be glad (many of them) to partake of my poor pains, and sometime since; but I do not so much wonder at them, as at their Teacher, who ever since the last breaking forth of our Liberty, hath so much inveighed against all that are not of his opinion, and hath laid so much stress and weight upon his Notion, about Baptism, that hath distilled such bitterness into the spirit of many, that they be turned very sour and morose, to those that cannot imbibe their Sentiments. I bless the Lord, that I can say, I have not been the Incendiary among us; I lay still Six or Seven years till all was (from Pulpit and Press by Mr. Collins) put into Flames about us: It is next to a wonder to me that any should be so impudent, as to accuse me to be the Author of all the trouble that doth annoy us, notwithstanding my long silence, and that little opposition that yet I have made against a turbulent spirit: that he might discover the uttermost of his bitterness, I must have him several times, to pronounce in his Pulpit before all his Congregation, an open Challenge against me. I do expect that so soon as these Sermons, shall have an access to his hands, that we shall hear sufficiently of his tumultuous spirit: I have made a few remarks (as you may see) upon his bold and undigested Doctrine, rashly and ignorantly thrust forth into the World; giving you but a few Glean, to that Harvest, I may (if occasion be offered) present you withal. I make no question, but my challenger will quickly fill our Ears with his Answers, be it so, the Lord (I hope) will enable us to make our reply: I desire that he would remember, the nature of his Challenge, that it was a single Duel, without propounding any Seconds, that he hath engaged me in. Stand fast in the Lord (my dearly beloved) as ye have received the Lord Jesus, so walk ye in him, as ye have received how ye ought to walk, so walk at all times, and abound yet more and more; while some, and that not a few, are crying up an Opinion not necessary to Salvation; let your Zeal run out after those Truths of the Gospel in the believing, and practising whereof, you may obtain Salvation, and greatly rejoice in the day of our Lord Jesus. Love one another; pity and pray one for the other; live in peace and love; and the God of Love and Peace shall dwell with you. Finally, my Brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might; I commend you to God, and the Word of his Grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified; that he in order thereunto, would be pleased to fulfil all the good pleasure of his Goodness within you, and the work of Faith with power, is the hearty desire of him, that is  
Your Servant for Christ's sake, Fran. Mence.   

The EPISTLE To the Candid and Impartial READERS, Especially those unto whom the following Sermons were Preached.  
WE live in a day, and Age of Wonders, in which the Divine Providence, produceth many strange things; behold here is presented unto your eyes, the substance of two poor Sermons with considerable enlargement, that are exposed (through great importunity) to the open light in the World. I have been very averse to contribute to the grieved and groaning Press, that is overcharged by such Writings, which were only fit (after they have been uttered in the Pulpit) to be adjudged to the perpetual Grave of Oblivion; such I readily confess are these Sermons, and deserve no better Censure: It is a Prodigy to myself, that I should be prevailed upon, to suffer these Papers to appear with an open face, and to be exposed to the view of many. I sensibly, and feelingly find cause every day, more and more, to bewail, and to blush at my own ignorance and incapacity, for the work of the Ministry, though I have not been vacant of many Solicitations, accompanied with the Tears of serious Christians, that I would admit some of my Labours to be Printed: But at the same time a cold damp hath seized my Spirits, from a deep conviction of my insufficiency for such an undertaking; judging it to be my Duty, to be like the Deaf Adder, not to hearken to such Charms, but to be inexorable: You may then demand, how comes it to pass, that these two Sermons have obtained more than all the rest ever could?  
I have not only considered the Importunity of dear friends, (I did formerly withstand) which of itself could never have prevailed; but am fallen under a Conviction, that the providential Call of my Lord and Master doth oblige me, by reason of the great dishonour, that is brought to his most sacred and pure Name, from various infamous Doctrines, that have been divulged amongst us; and that with such heat and fervour, that we are upon this little spot in an Inflammation, yea near unto a Conflagration; insomuch that out of consciousness of Duty, and the importunity of those whose hearts do bleed within them, I could forbear no longer, but went unto the Sanctuary, to fill my shallow Bucket, with some of the cooling and quenching waters, that issue from under the Threshold thereof. Oh! that there might be a blessing attending this my Essay; we are so set on fire round about us, (by a man of a vehement Spirit) that seems to threaten all about him, opposite to his Principle, quickly to be consumed and reduced to ashes; God be pleased, graciously to allay his heat, and quench his false fiery Zeal.  
It is well known, that for six or seven years, I have born with his unparallelled Confidence, in his frequent inveighing against Infants-Baptism, with many insufferable reflections upon us that are in judgement and practice different from him. He hath, (besides his frequent Excursions) an anniversary day, (ex proposito) to batter us with his Rams to the ground. A long time we have made no resistance against him, (as many of you that attend upon my Ministry well know) but have patiently received the furious fire of his Broadsides: Good Christians have repaired unto me, begging me to lift up the Standard of God's Word against him; but my reply to them was, Wisdom should rest in the Bosom of some, and that I knew not how short-lived (considering the various Threaten of a Divine Providence, for a multitude of crying Sins that abound among us; particularly the animosities and dissensions of the Professors of the Gospel) our present enjoyments might be; adding, that I judged the Will of my Lord was, that I should improve that little Talon he hath pleased to intrust me withal, (to the utmost of my power) in preaching upon the weighty and most necessary Truths of the Gospel, whereby (through Grace) I might save myself, and those that hear me, 1 Tim. 4.16. Some of his followers waxed bold, looking upon what he delivered, to proceed out of the mouth of an infallible Oracle, crying out of me, why doth he not answer Mr. C. and preach up his sprinkling of Infants; if he had any thing to say, he would not be silent. Yea, some have been so impudent, as to say, that what he doth, as to the baptising of Infants, is against the light of his own Conscience: To such bold Accusers and Boasters, I shall only return in the words of the Apostle, Rom. 14.4. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own Master he standeth or falleth.  
It is common amongst us, for those that understand not the right hand from the left in any great point of the things of God, to judge and condemn the most judicious and pious, that are not of their Measures about Baptism; let but a man renounce his Baby sprinkling (as they scornfully call it) and pass under the Water, he is an excellent Christian. If some of their Preachers be never so raw, crude ●nd illiterate, and can lay about them with abundance of Confidence, though mingled with a great quantity of Nonsense, yet they are admired by them being for dipping, without which what is all the Learning, Experience, Piety, Pains, and sincere endeavours of faithful Ministers in serving souls? It may grieve any one that hath a serious consideration of the worth of Souls, and the weightiness of the work of the Ministry upon his Heart, to hear, how all that those deliver, that decry the Baptising of Infants, is magnified, as flowing from the Spirit of the Lord, though much that is vented, is but the apparent (proles) or offspring of Pride, Ignorance and Confidence. Oh! let not my soul enter into their Secrets: who is sufficient for these things? I wish that there be not only contempt heaped upon the Word of the Lord and his Ministry, but also blasphemy upon the Spirit: Let men take heed of being too bold in fathering their passionate Sallies, and Invectives against their Betters, upon the Holy Ghost; Oh! that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for these things!  
To complete all, the high place in the Congregation is not sufficient to discharge the conception of the stomach against us, but the Press must also groan to bring forth, that there may nothing appear but dung and filth upon our faces, and all the beauty of Religion, and Evangelical Order of the Gospel we walk in, may be totally defaced. From the Press hath been sent into the midst of us, two Pamphlets, like unto Sampson's Foxes that were joined in the Tail with firebrands betwixt them to burn down all our Field; as if nothing less than the total destruction of our Vineyard could suffice. With what care must these Prints immediately be dispersed into all quarters? not only at the public Meeting House, the Booksellers Shops, but some of them must be sent up and down in blank Papers to several Persons by the Penny-Post, and others carried to Coffeehouses, and openly laid upon the Tables, that every one that comes to take a Pipe and drink a Dish, might feast upon and admire this none-such Author, and not only the sober, but the wet Drinkers should be baptised into his opinion. These Books (such as they are) must be diligently in all places scattered, that if it be possible every hand might be furnished with a tool and weapon to beat and cut us all into pieces: what a spirit is this man possessed withal, as if he would be a common troublesome. Ghost; to haunt every house and heart, near unto him? Surely we are greatly engaged, for our peace, and quiet, (by all lawful means) to do all that we can to lay him; for it is he that hath been the great troubles of our Israel, I do sincerely desire him in the cool time of his spirit, provided, when his eyes are opened, he doth ever enjoy such a season, solemnly to consider the description that the wisest of men doth give of a public annoyer, Prov. 26.18. When I first cast mine eyes upon his. Books, I could not but admire them for Pride, Ignorance and Confidence, never yet saw I any thing since I was able to hold a book in my hand for these qualifications so excellent; this hath been the opinion of many, that have been much more able to judge, than ever he will be to write.  
I shall briefly tell you, what was my vehement provocation and prevailing inducement to preach the following Sermons, vid. his audacious cruelty in his Book, offered to our Children, to the Seed of all that have the singular privilege of being in Covenant with the Lord. He could not in his writings content himself (as many of his Brethren do) only to exclude them from their right to Baptism, but must proceed upon such ways, and means, that do inevitably shut them out of the Kingdom of Heaven, if so be they expire in their infancy, Hinc illae Lachrymae! What pious and tender Parent, that hath a serious concernment upon his heart, for the eternal state of his Child, can hear such Doctrine, and his ears not to tingle, and his heart not to tremble?  
I confess, to have such wild and cruel Doctrine to be not only delivered, but licked up and admired amongst us (as if it was one of the choicest Truths of Grace, that our Lord and Master sends his Ambassadors to proclaim) did cause a little zeal for Truth to wax warm within me, and engaged me to draw up some cautions against, and make some mild reflections upon, such Infant-destroying matter: therefore when I preached (as the Lord did enable me) concerning a sound and saving knowledge of Christ in the use of this truth; I did blame some that were chief concerned about other knowledge, little respecting this; adding, That there was such a knowledge of Christ, as to the object of it, but was not that which was most necessary to Salvation, as for instance, that of Baptism, as to the subject of it. Thus I gently delivered myself, saying, that there be some Pulpits that reek with a blind Zeal against Infant-baptism; but pray take notice, that what I am going to speak is neither for, nor against the baptising of Infants, only I cannot but take notice of a Pamphlet, lately risen up in the midst of us, that in its decrying Infants-baptism, does proceed upon such Mediums, that must unavoidably shut those that die in their Infancy out of Heaven, and so a terrible sentence of condemnation is denounced against them all: this bold Writer doth presume to lay it down as one of his infallible positions, that no Infants are in Covenant with their Parents that are Believers, nor capable of habitual Faith, one great branch of Sanctification, and the new Creature, indispensably necessary to Salvation. This he is so confident of, that in a scornful way, he doth rank that odious Doctrine of Antichrist, Transubstantiation, with Infants being in Covenant with their Parents, and their being capable of habitual Faith; it seems they be all of the same import with him: He being sensible what a foundation he hath laid to build the perdition of Infants upon, that he might lick this ill-shapen Monster into some pleasing shape, acquaints us, that he hath found out a way to save Children notwithstanding: One would wonder what this curious invention should be, it is this, vid. those Children that shall be saved, shall so be by an imputed righteousness; thus we see, what it is to be a sagacious Divine. I believe all the brains of the dull Schoolmen, could never find out such an exquisite notion, as this topping Preacher hath not only to send our poor Infants by swarms to Hell, but also can recall them and reverse the doom that he hath denounced against them; as if the power of Life and Death were in his hands: The worst of it is, here is nothing to prevail upon us to imbibe his new invented way, but his own Authority; his ipse dixit, will not satisfy thinking men, tho' it may go smoothly down with his own admirers.  
That Caution given to us about false Teachers, Gal. 1.8. cannot but stick with me; I am certain here is another Gospel, and that in a substantial point of our Religion, and Articles of Faith. I confess (in the hearing of many of you) I did say upon this unscriptural Notion, what I see no reason as yet to retract that to talk of an imputed Righteousness, without a Covenant of Grace, & without an imparted Righteousness, was but Mountebank Divinity. I understand it to be the judgement of all our Divines, that Justification, and Sanctification, tho' different in their Nature and use yet are never separate as to their subject; for those whom God doth justify, them also he doth sanctify, neither do I understand how without a Covenant of Grace, we can be made partakers of either of them: but here is an incomparable man, that can divide these great blessings, and can make Infants happy with one, tho' they are not capable of the other; ay, and that notwithstanding they be not in the Covenant of Grace with their Parents. I wonder where my good neighbour learned this Doctrine; he is such a Professor of Divinity, as that he hath made a Catechism, which he hath dispersed among his Disciples I have not yet seen it, but fear, when I shall obtain a sight of it (as now I do intent) I shall scarce find him more excellent, and sound, than what was the product of that judicious Assembly that sat at Westminster; alas they could find out no such way as here is presented unto us, of condemning and absolving Infants: to mention this Mountebank Divinity with caution and tenderness, was all that I did presume to do for many years; I thought at this, no well tempered and sober mind could suffer a recoil, considering my long and many provocations. But what a noise did this make? What a dust did this raise? Nay, into what a frisk did this put our admired Author? How was he nettled? that any of his Doctrine should, (that was much admired by such that were just as able to judge, as he to write) be called into question: Notwithstanding all that was said, neither his venerable name, nor either of his Books was so much as mentioned, that which was spoke, did not carry any direct opposition to his Believers Baptism (as he calls it;) yet he (as if he was the only Sovereign upon this Spot, and was invested with a despotic power, taking upon him to rule as with an absolute Authority) was put into a terrible commotion and convulsion; and many of his Devotaries were prejudicially possessed, as if some great Treason had been committed against their Ruler and Guide: Why, but what is the matter? A poor man that lay buried for six or seven years in the Grave of patience and silence, upon whom they had long trampled, and over whom they had long insulted, the top-mould of his Grave did a little discernibly move, and what shall we do, provided there should be a Resurrection? Oh! how were all hands (tongues) called to help? How must the mouth of the grave be diligently watched that he creep not forth? lest our tottering foundation be disquieted, our hightowered magnificent Structure be shaken, our direful Principles about dying Infants be detected and disproven, and the fatal Sentence that we have pronounced be reversed; Little can any one suppose or conceive what a tumult was raised from so small an alarm, all must be upon the defence; but with what Weapons must that be made? Out of what Porge or Mint must they come? Surely out of that Infernal One of Hell; that which I must be accosted withal at the first Onset must be Lies, as if nothing else was their Armour of Proof, and Weapons of defence. It is wonderful that so many of those, that would be thought the most Excellent, if not the only People of God amongst us, should themselves give us their true Erymology, and discover what Lineage and Stock they be of, the Lord help them to consider, who is the Father of Liars, and whose Children they are that make Lies; Is this consonant with the description that is given of God's Children? Isa. 63.8. For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie. Let those that would be thought the greatest Inhabitants of the New Jerusalem, and to have their Names wrote in the Lamb's Book of Life, be careful they do not deceive and expose themselves by this Sin to a fearful Exclusion, Rev. 21.27. I have a Black Catalogue of Lies committed to Writing, which I had thought at this Time to have presented you withal, but forbear till another season. I should have been very glad not to have been concerned in this controversy, but since I have suffered such a violent arrest out of my grave of durance and silence, where I should have been glad to have rested all my days, and finding my Pillow to be extremely uneasy, being stuffed with piercing and pricking thorns; I could not but offer this little Testimony for the Truth I am contending for. When I did discourse in my Pulpit about the Covenant state of Infants with their Parents, I did not intent that what was delivered should ever fall under the weight of the Press; what hath been spoken hath not been altogether destitute of a Blessing (through grace) unto many that heard it: the next Sabbath after my undertaking in this affair, my good neighbour (that he might show the rancour of his Spirit) produced in his Pulpit a Paper against me, which he read in his Congregation, at the tail of which he discovered his sting, which was an open challenge that he pronounced against me, to dispute me openly, either in his, or my Meeting House; thus the Gauntlet (I do not say the Club) was cast; the same week he did disperse abroad that upon the next Lord's day, he would preach upon my Text, and confute me. I had thought to have acquainted you what an excellent confitter he is (having his confutation Sermons by me taken from his mouth, by the Pen of a ready Writer:) but upon second thoughts, I shall suspend that until another occasion be offered. This Champion that he might triumph, in his most triumphant and stately Chariot, hath published another Challenge against me in his Pulpit, after he had (as he judged) confuted my Doctrine about the Covenant. If it had been any of my Brethren that he had thus confuted and challenged, I should have wondered what manner of Spirit this Man had been of; one would have thought that if he had had any True Call to the Ministry, (which many question) the consideration of his Education might have something suppressed the proud Elation of his Mind, which in these Things doth eminently and too apparently discover itself, and that he might not have thought himself to have been a Star of the First Magnitude. I remember I have read of a King that was advanced to the Throne from a mean Descent and Calling, being a Potter by Trade, that the Canker of Pride might not approach nor corrupt the Royal Diadem, would have all his Provisions for his Table served with Earthen Vessels, that so he might frequently have such an Object in his Eye, that might keep him humble. I shall leave my good Friend and Antagonist to make the Application. I have oftentimes thought in my grieved and sorrowful silence, that if it had pleased the Divine Providence to have placed some of my Anabaptist Brethren (whom my Soul loveth dearly) in this Man's Post; we might have dwelled like Brethren, might have taken sweet Counsel, and have walked unto the House of God together, yea, might have carried on the Work of the Lord with one Hand, one Shoulder, and one Heart. I can (Christian Readers) truly say, that what I have here put into your Hands to read in the following Sermons is wrote and designed for the Honour of God, the Grace of his Covenant, to interpose a little between our poor Children and Little Ones, and that Soul-amazing Doom that is pronounced against them, to reprove the rash and furious Zeal of our Adversary, to Answer the vehement Importunities and longing Expectations of many of my good Friends, to commode all that hear me, in instructing them in this great and comfortable Truth of the Gospel that I contend for, to give a check to that Lying Spirit that is got lose among us, to satisfy any that are stumbling and doubting about Baptism, and to reduce (if the God of Peace shall see good) this poor troubled Place to a peaceable tranquil Composure. Oh! cry to God, that this my Undertaking, sincerely prostituted to the good of Souls, may meet with some suitable Blessing thereunto, and that all my poor Labours in the Work of the Gospel, may obtain good success. The Lord be with you, and bless you, and cause his gracious Face to shine upon you, guiding you into the Way of Truth, and conducting you to his Eternal Glory: My Heart's desire and prayer for you all is, that you may be saved. I am  
Your Affectionate Servant in Christ, Fran. Mence.   

A Vindication of the Interest of the Children of Believers in the Covenant of Grace, etc.  ACTS two. 39 
For the promise is to you, and to your children.  
IN this Chapter we have one of the first Sermons that was preached after the Ascension of Christ. The very first that we read of, unless we take Peter his divine Oration in the Chapter before concerning the apostasy of Judas, and the choosing of another in his room to fill up the Number of the Disciples, to be the first. This indeed is a most excellent Sermon, and of divine inspiration, in which the holy Scriptures referring to that case, were elegantly, and opportunely explicated, and applied; and the Auditory that he directed himself unto sweetly composed, and instructed in the Election of another Apostle, to fill up the room of him that betrayed his Lord and Master, who through the insufferable anguish of his own Conscience, was a most execrable Executioner of himself, and by the just judgement of God had his bowels burst out, Acts 1.15, etc. We come unto the Chapter which my Text is part of, in which we may observe four general parts.  
First, The Mission of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, who according to the promise and command of Christ were to wait at Jerusalem, for the accomplishment of that rare and necessary blessing, to fit them for that great and difficult undertaking of preaching and planting the Gospel they were commissionated unto, who were to go together and not enter upon this great work, until the Spirit did rest upon them. Ver. 1: etc. we have their obedience to their Lords command, chap. 1.13, 14. There is one thing very observable, that when the Apostles, and those that were with them, were with one accord waiting for the fulfilling of the promise, they did not sit dumb, and silent together; but they did pour out prayer, and supplications to God, they did not keep such a silent meeting, waiting for the Spirit, as the Quakers pretend to do: They were not only waiting but praying, it may be well supposed, that they were making supplications to God, for the obtaining that promised mercy they were under the expectation of.  
Secondly, The Sermon that Peter (by divine assistance) did deliver to the Congregation that was about him. His Auditory was very great; no wonder it was so, partly because of the time of it: Here was a great Season that might contract a numerous Assembly, it was in the time of Penlecost, when there was a great resort of people from many places; and also because of that wonder that was then wrought in the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, which enabled them to speak in various languages, ver. 4, 5. When this extraordinary thing was noised abroad, it brought the Multitude together, some were confounded, others were amazed, and there were those that mocked; they thought the Apostles were full of New Wine, as if their speaking through the Gift of the holy Spirit so miraculously poured upon them, was only the fruit and effect of their excessive drinking. Thus we may observe how Satan doth instigate those that be under his conduct and influence, to blaspheme the most wonderful and obvious Works of God, ver. 6, 7, 8, etc. In this Sermon the Apostle Peter undertakes two things.  
1. To wipe off that foul Aspersion, that was cast upon them, of being filled with New Wine. It was very needful for him so to do, otherwise this might be a means to obstruct the good success of his Sermon: We may see in many Verses the way the Apostle takes to clear them of this Diabolical Accusation, from ver. 14, to 22.  
2. He comes to the peculiar Subject the Spirit of Christ did lead him unto, viz. To set home upon the Consciences of the Jews, their great and sanguinary Sin in their cruel and malicious crucifying and murdering the Lord Jesus, the Prince of life, the only Messiah and Saviour of the World. Many of those that heard him were guilty of it, as we may see by the round and positive charge, he draws up against and fastens upon them, verse 22, 23. Here we may apprehend, how fully and emphatically the Apostle doth fix this Crime upon his Hearers, as to him that was barbarously murdered and crucified; therefore he called him Jesus of Nazareth, to show that he was the true Messiah, promised by all the Prophets, and that they might readily understand that he spoke of that very Jesus, whom they in scorn and contempt called Jesus of Nazareth, and upon whose Cross they fixed that Title; the Apostle to make the charge the more full, he adds that it was that Jesus of Nazareth, that was a Man approved of God among them by Miracles, Wonders and Signs, which God did by him, and that in the midst of them, as they themselves well knew: It was him that they did take, and by wicked hands did crucify and slay. It is to be observed, that this terrible Accusation is exhibited against all the Auditory of Peter, when he saith unto all that heard him, Ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain, he might deliver himself thus unto them all, because in so great a company, many were present that actually poured out the blood of Christ: Moreover the whole People cried out at the Tribunal, crucify him, crucify him, and imprecated, that his blood might be upon them, and their posterity, viz. the guilt of his blood, and the direful fruits of it.  
What a wonderful Spirit of Zeal and Courage, was the Lord pleased to fill this Apostle withal? Even him, who out of fear sometime before had denied his Lord and Master; he was now full of the Spirit of the Lord, which is a Spirit of might and strength, that did animate and support him. One would think that this bloody Congress, that were skilful in, and scarce cool from the effusion of blood, yea of the best of blood, would immediately have dispatched him and emptied his Veins.  
That the Apostle might fasten their execrable sin upon their consciences, in murdering the Messiah, he doth (from the Word of God) prove him to be so. He did not only propound his assertion, but he proved it, that so he might involve his hearers, into a full and through conviction. This doth evidently instruct those, that take upon them to preach the truths of Christ, to prove them, and to be able to defend them.  
The Suitable mediums and arguments, the Apostle insists upon to prove this his Doctrine, concerning Christ, as how God raised him from the dead, and concerning David a type of him, I must not stand to show, but must come to the next general part I observe in this Chapter.  
Thirdly, The good effects and gracious fruits of this the Apostles Sermon. After he had fixed the charge he drew up against the Jews for murdering the Messiah, whom he proved to be so, than he comes with a sharp arrow of application, and strikes it deep (by the efficacy of the holy Spirit) into the hearts of his sinful Auditors, ver. 36. therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ: He told them how eminently he was exalted by God, whom they had vilified and abased unto the greatest contempt and shame, and had put him to the most painful, shameful and cursed death, that ever could be.  
Oh! to deal thus with the Son of God, the Lord of all, the only Messiah so highly exalted at the right hand of the Majesty on high, and made both Lord and Christ, what a cut might this be to those that heard the Apostle, being guilty of so great sin, of such Scarlet impieties? Tunc ingens est stimulus, quo Petrus mirâ libertate et sinceritate, pupugit corda Judaeorum. See and behold, what wickedness ye have committed, the guilt of what blood you have contracted: what maliciously and cruelly to murder the Lord Jesus, the Saviour of the world, who is the Lord of all, who is over all, God blessed for over!  
This had by the blessing of the most high gracious effects and fruits upon those that heard him.  
First, They were pricked at the heart, they were troubled and grieved at their heart, because of their horrid sin they had committed in their detestable murder of Christ. Doluerunt animis, quod crucifixissent Christum. Pisca. Ver. 37.  
Secondly, They ask Peter, and the rest of the Apostles, what they should do? ver. 37. Now they were brought into a miserable plunge, the bloody colour of their sin, and their Consciences boiling hot within them, pronouncing fiery Sentences against them, the very sting of the damned was crucifying them; this might well make them as amazed, and confounded rebels to cry out, what shall we do? what course shall we take, to get free from the charge of this crying sin? no sooner were these poor wretches convinced, and begged council of the Apostles as to their escaping that dreadful wrath that was due unto them for their greatly meritorious sin; but Peter gives them suitable advice, directing them how they might obtain eternal Salvation, by the blood of him whom they had wickedly crucified and slain, as in ver. 38. he doth exhort and direct them, to repent, to be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ, that they might receive remission of sin, and the gift of the holy Ghost; then they may be well assured, that through him whom they crucified, they should obtain a discharge from their foul-confounding guilt, and eternal Salvation. I shall proceed no further in the parts of this Chapter, neither shall I add any thing more as to the happy effects and events of the Apostle's most excellent Sermon, in the hearts, and lives of these wonderful converts, that heard him, who though never so wicked before, were the prinitiae evangelij, showing the glorious efficacy of the sufferings of Christ, that those that were his inveterate enemies, and did so insatiably thirst for his pure and spotless blood, that nothing could satisfy, but their washing their hands in the same by a violent effusion, should partake of the first fruits of it.  
The Apostle discerning, what a miserable condition they saw themselves to be in, and into what a direful abiss of divine wrath they apprehended themselves to be swallowed up, he does not only nakedly call upon them to repent and turn to God, and to fly unto him for mercy; but gives unto them one of the most gracious Motives and encouragements thereunto, telling them the promise is unto them, and their Children. He did well understand, that their horrible sin did not only extend unto them, but also unto their offspring; for they had not only poured out the sacred blood of Christ themselves, but also had involved their Children in the guilt of it, Mat. 27.25. When Pilate had said I am innocent of the blood of this Person, see ye to it, than answered all the people, and said, his blood be on us, and our Children. Surely a lively sense of this, made a deep wound in their Consciences. To relieve and support them in this miserable plunge, when they could not but see the wrath of a just revenging God, ready to invade both them, and their Children, they could not but be in a deplorable case, saying, we have eternally destroyed and ruined both ourselves and posterity: The Apostle presents them with a Plaster broad enough for their Sore; q. d. well though your sin be so grievous and damnable as to yourselves and little ones, yet repent, and turn to God, and it shall be happy both with you, and your Children also: for said he, the promise is to both, and will reach you, and your dying infants; you shall not be cast out of Covenant, but you, and your little ones shall continue in the same, that you were in before the actual exhibition, and death of your Saviour, whom ye did impiously crucify and slay. Oh what a full breast of consolation was here, from the infinite grace of God exposed for these miserable creatures to suck and hang upon! the very marrow and quintessence of the Gospel is proposed to them, for their effectual inducement to repent and believe. Here was the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness, in which these poor trembling sinners might wash and bathe their guilty and filthy Souls; these were those that now look upon him whom they had pierced, and did mourn over him, as one mourneth for his only Son, and they were in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first born, Zech. 12.10. Peter gave them such a Cordial, that could not but greatly refresh and comfort them; here he was like to his blessed Lord and Master, the good Samaritan that had compassion on him that fell among thiefs, and was wounded, who went to him, and bound up his wounds pouring in oil and wine, that so he might both cleanse and cure.  
Now we come to fix upon the words of our Text: That we may see clearly, what is intended in them, let us observe a few particulars by way of general division that are comprehended in them.  
First, To whom this is spoken; it was to the Jews, who were then met together out of many Nations at the Feast of Pentecost, ver. 5. and there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven. Some of these, nay many of them, were effectually touched at the heart by the penetrating Sermon of Peter, or rather by the irresistible compunction of the Spirit of God, cooperating with the preaching of Peter, as it was at another time, when this excellent Apostle was preaching, Acts 10.44. While Peter yet spoke these words, the holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word. When the holy Ghost doth fall upon the heart, and into the heart of those that hear; the word then (the power and authority of it) shall be found, and that by the most perverse and obstinate sinner: it is he that makes the word to be quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and to be a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, Heb. 4.12.  
Secondly, By whom they were spoken; Viz. by Peter, in the name of all the rest of the Apostles. It pleased the Lord at this time, and upon this occasion, to constitute him to be the mouth of all, he was great in utterance, it is very probable the rest of the Apostles might be willing to choose him to be their Spokesman. However the Spirit of the Lord did order it, that it should be so, that Peter should be the man, that should preach this excellent Sermon, all the Apostles were concerned in it, and did even speak in and with him, ver. 14. But Peter standing up, with the Eleven, lift up his voice, and said unto them, ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words, etc. Peter spoke in the company, and in the authority of the rest: those awakened sinners judged that in the speaking of Peter, all were concerned, therefore when they were pricked to the heart, they said not only to Peter, but to the rest of the Apostles, men, and brethren what shall we do? One Minister of Christ, that speaks the word of God, preacheth in the same authority, that all the Ministers of the Gospel do.  
Thirdly, Why these words in the text were spoken and affirmed; It was by way of Motive to press on the exhortation, we have in ver. 38. the Jews had lived under the former administration of the Covenant of grace, in the which the Messiah, that was to come, was exhibited in the promise, and shadowed in many Types, and Figures, by which they were taught to expect, and to look for the coming of the Messiah in Person. At last in the time appointed, he is come to bring, and to establish a new and a more glorious administration, not to dissolve the Covenant (as some would have it) but to establish it under a more eminent, and excellent dispensation, than ever it was before his incarnation, suffering, and ascension. But because he came not with external pomp and state, That the carnal Jews expected him in, he was by them despised, rejected, & persecuted to death, which the infinitely wise God did overule to the accomplishment of his eternal purpose, as to the Salvation of the elect; yet their sin and wickedness was never the less, who took the blessed Son of God, the only Messiah, and by wicked hands, did crucify and slay him, though he was delivered by the determinate council of God: the eternal purpose and council of the everlasting, and infinitely wise God, took place in the Jews perpetrating their enmity and malice upon our blessed redeemer, Acts 4.27, 28. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand, and thy council determined before to be done. Though all was managed, by the adored wisdom of the eternally wise Jehovah, who brought his Son into the world, and delivered him up to be crucified; yet the wickedness of his implacable murderers was never the less. The Apostle finding some of their hearts to be bleeding, relenting, and greatly affected at their amazing impiety, he labours to set conviction home upon their Consciences, to drive the nail up to the head, he persuades them to repentance, and to submit to Christ his dispensation of the Gospel, and to declare their submission, by their being baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  
Fourthly, we are to consider, what is here affirmed, this is the matter that we are most to be concerned about, viz. this promise is to you, and your children. What this promise is, imports the Emphasis of this text; there are two acceptations, I find to be of these words, I will mention, both of them.  
1. Some would have the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to point at the Promise , cited out of the Prophet Joel, ver. 16, 17. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel, and it shall come to pass in the last days, (saith God) I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh: and your sons, and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. This (say some) doth relate to the extraordinary effusion of the Spirit of God, that some should enjoy. But I find, that there are Expositors, that incline not to this. I shall lay down two or three Reasons, why I judge, that the Promise in this Text doth not refer to that of the pouring out of the Spirit in great measure.  
1. The interposition of a large discourse, between the mention of that promise, and the Text, seems to break off all connection, between the discourse concerning the Counsel of God in giving up Christ to death, and then to give him a Glorious resurrection revealed at large in the Psalms, which had been now accomplished by them, tho' with wicked intentions: This interposeth; so that here, the Apostle seems to be upon a new matter, altogether distinct from that promise of the extraordinary, and plentiful effusion of the Holy Ghost.  
2. Because they that did believe, and were baptised, did not receive these extraordinary gifts; therefore it is not to be supposed, that the Apostle would deceive, and delude them, in making such a promise unto them, which was not to be performed, and never to be imparted unto them. The holy Preacher did only induce, and sweetly entice them with a promise, which upon their accepting of his counsel, they might be certain to enjoy: It was indeed a most gracious promise, such an one, that would make them eternally happy, and more necessary than the gifts of Miracles.  
3. Because the promise here meant, is of a perpetual duration, at least to be in force in all Ages; for it is extended to as many, as the Lord shall call, which doth reach to all Ages, and Generations, and so is a promise that is not limited and restrained to some Ages, and to some Christians, but toucheth and belongeth unto all: Wheresoever God shall be pleased to call any, the promise shall be extended to them, and their children; this laid down as a groundwork for the proceed of grace, in encouraging to believe, and repent, to the end of times, even unto the calling in of all the Elect.  
2. There is another acceptation of the Words, which I shall take up withal, such a one that I think is built upon better grounds; let us observe well the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is set before the word promise, and that may give us a clear light herein, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
This must denote some great and eminent promise, that was made to the Jews, and such a promise that they were well acquainted withal: The promise is to you, and to your children, the promise that was made to you, and that is well known to you. This can be looked upon as nothing less, than the Covenant of Grace, or one of the uppermost or top-branches of it; for to them did pertain the Covenant of promise, Rom. 9.4. Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving the law, and the service of God, and the promises. Let us see what they be called in Acts 3.25. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindred of the earth be blessed. But what was that say you, or what Covenant was that? You may see it in Gen. 17.4, 7. As for me, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of many nations; or as the words may be read, of multitudes of Nations. He was then but the Father of one Nation, I but God doth here promise unto him, that he shall be a Father of a multitude of Nations. This must needs look unto the Gentiles, and the many Nations of them, after the Incarnation, Suffering, and Ascension of the Messiah, when the Wall of partition was to be broken down, and the Covenant of Abraham carried over unto them. And I will establish 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. This is the Covenant-promise the Apostle urgeth upon these convinced and awakened Sinners, that he might overcome them to repent, and accept of the new administration of the Covenant; for the promise was to them, and to their Children. Quod illis filios adjungit, pendet ex verbis promissionis; ero Deus tuus, & seminis tui post te, Gen. 17.17. Vbi Deus filios patribus accenset in adoptionis gratiâ, Saith a Learned Expositor, and he addeth, Hic locus abundè refellit Anabaptistas', qui infantes ex fidelibus genitos à baptismo arcent, quasi non sint Ecclesiae membra: This place (saith he) doth abundantly confute the Anabaptists, who drive away the Infants born of godly Parents, as if they were not Members of the Church.  
2. The Promise here spoke of, must be such an one, which gives remission of sins, and the Gift of the Holy Ghost; such an one, that to drooping disconsolate Souls, assures of pardoning and sanctifying Grace: Ver. 38. Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptised every one of you for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost. This is that Promise, that he tells them doth appertain to them, and not to them only, but to their Children also. The same Promise we have, Jer. 31.33, 34, and Ezek. 36.25, 26, 27. It must be such a Promise, as carries in the womb of it, the offer of pardoning and sanctifying Mercy, which is in the Covenant of Grace.  
3. The Scope of the Apostle is to show, what an Obligation there was lying upon them, to accept of and to believe in Christ freely offered unto them, and not to stand out, and be shy of coming under his new administration: From hence he argues, for the promise is to you, and your children. We may sum it up thus, q. d. You are the Posterity of such, whom God accepted, and took into Covenant with himself, promising to be a God to them, and their Seed, to whom he also promised, to send his Son, by whom this Blessing should be confirmed; accordingly this promised Seed, the great Promise of the Covenant, is come for this very end, Rom. 15.8. Now I say, that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promise made unto the fathers: To confirm the Covenant, not to dissolve it; confirm it, to whom? To the Jews, and also to the Gentiles. I but, how is this confirmed by Christ, if the Children must since the coming of Christ be shut out of the Covenant? Oh! what a sweet allurement was here, to hasten their acceptance of the Apostles Exhortation: Oh! (said he) do not you by your infidelity, and distrust of the Grace and Mercy of God, deprive yourselves of such an inconceivable and inestimable Blessing and Privilege: Thus saith an Excellent Author.  
So that the Apostle lays before them a good encouragement to come to Christ, and a firm bottom of hope to found pardon upon their Repentance; because in their Church-estate, which was going also to be carried over unto the Gentiles, they and their Children were under, being in covenant with God, and stood firmly possessed of the same, which God would make good to them, and confirm them in; if by their unbelief they did not cut themselves and their children off. So the Promise is the Covenant of Grace, made to Abraham, and his Seed, continued hitherto to them, and their Children. Here we may evidently see, that the Apostle does not undertake to dissolve the Covenant, nor to cut off the gracious Entail thereof as to the Children, nor shut them out of this great Blessing, he would establish them in; but acquaints these vile, and trembling Sinners, that the Promise is to them, and their Children.  
2. Quest. What is meant by Children?  
Answ. By Children is meant the natural Seed, Children after the Flesh, for the Covenant here is the Covenant made with Abraham, and his natural Seed. This is that Covenant the Apostle mentions when he saith, The promise is to you, and your children: Viz. That Covenant which they were well acquainted withal, and valued themselves highly from. Our Brethren the Anabaptists affirm, That Abraham's natural Seed had only a Covenant of temporal Promises, that the natural Seed had no part in the Covenant of Grace, but only the Spiritual, the Followers of Abraham's Faith.  
But we affirm, That by Children here are meant the natural Seed, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉— Such as were begotten of you, and did spring and proceed from your Loins: As when the Covenant was renewed at first with Abraham, God would be a God to him, and to his Seed, that Seed that was to be circumcised; so the terms of the same Covenant are here repeated by the Apostle, The promise is to you, and your children: Christ would make good his Promise to all Believers: This is that which (I hope) I shall evidently prove in its proper place.  
3. Quest. But if the natural Seed be here meant, as having an Interest in the Covenant with their Pa●●●ts, whether is not their Right and Title limited, and restrained by the following Expression; The time of their calling, as many as the Lord our God shall call, and none but such, and never till then?  
Answ. There have been so many Learned Divines, that have gone before with such clearness of Light in this Controversy, that little can be added, or need to be spoken; something consonant to what they have said, and agreeable to their Answers I shall offer.  
We are to distinguish about Calling, for Calling is either effectual and saving, or only external Calling.  
1. There is an effectual and saving Calling, that which appertains to the Elect of God, by which (by the external Call of the Word, and the inward efficacy of the Spirit) they be throughly Called out of all Sin unto God. To urge a necessity of this, without which, no Benefits of the blessed Covenant of Promise, can be obtained or challenged, is a palpable Error, against which there may be many Clouds of Witnesses produced to testify. In every Age of the Church, and propagation of the Covenant, there have been many Hypocrites, and formal Professors, that have had a standing in the Church, which is a Privilege of the Covenant, yet had no effectual Calling; so it is now, and will be at the coming of Christ, when he shall find amongst the Virgins, as many foolish, as wise: Mat. 8.12. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Isa. 33.14. The sinners in Zion are afraid, fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites: who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burn? Hypocrites that are in the Church, and externally in Covenant, shall possess the hottest place in Hell. Will our Adversaries that apply the Seal, and take into Covenant their way, be so bold, as to say, that all those they admit to Baptism are true Believers, and Gospel-penitents? Do not many of them prove Apostates? And are not many of them cast out of their Churches, and delivered over to Satan? And may they not have cunning Hypocrites among them that enjoy many Privileges with them, and such as they thought to be effectually Called?  
2. If they say that an outward Call be urged, as necessary to the obtaining an Interest in the Promise, than the natural Seed of Believers enjoy this Calling virtually in and with their Parents, with whom they are confederate, which they are Called to do, as Deut. 29.10, 11, 12. Where we have a solemn way of the People visibly standing before the Lord, to enter into Covenant with him, and they had their little ones with them, as confederates with their Parents, and so part of those that were separated and Called to be the distinct People of the Lord, Members of the Church in covenant with him.  
2. Answ. And what I judge the fullest: That that Restriction, As many as the Lord shall call, pertains only to those that are afar off, and hath no respect to these here spoken unto, or to their children: If we consider, the Apostle doth add this, partly to discover the glorious Intention of the Grace of God in carrying over the Promise and the Covenant of Grace under the new administration unto the Gentiles, who were accounted afar off, and also to give those he spoke unto the greater, and the more ample encouragement, to accept of, and close in with his Exhortation, to repent and to believe. As thus, If God will be so gracious to them that are afar off, as upon their repentance to admit them, and their children, into covenant with him; why do ye doubt and fear? Both you and your children are in covenant with him already. They that trouble us with the Dust of their false Glosses, to blind the Eyes of the Simple, and to darken clear Scriptures by all means, would have that Clause to be applied to all the three Subjects, viz. They, their children, and those afar off when Called, than the Promise is theirs; but that the Apostle meaneth and restraineth this only to those that are afar off, I shall evince by several Reasons, which if ponderously thought upon, may give good satisfaction herein.  
1. Calling of Persons supposeth such that are at a distance off; therefore it must peculiarly and only belong to them that were afar off, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉— In this Channel runs the Stream of Expositors, those that be afar off, they mean the Gentiles in opposition to the Jews that were nigh. Thus the Scripture doth distinguish between the Jews, and the Gentiles, Isa. 57.19. I create the fruit of the lips; peace, peace to him that is afar off, and to him that is near: Here is a blessed Promise of the Grace of God, in reference unto the Calling of the Gentiles, that were said to be afar off, in opposition to the Jews that were nigh. They were nigh to God, and they and their children were in covenant: I but said the Lord, I will create the fruit of the lips; peace to those that are afar off, viz. the Gentiles. Eph. 2.11, 12, 13, 17. Wherefore remember that ye being in time passed uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus, ye who were sometimes far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. This was the state of the Gentiles, they were far off; I but the Jews at that time were nigh. And came, and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh, viz. the Jews, Children of the Covenant, God was their God, and the God of their Children: I but the Gentiles were Strangers from the Commonwealth of Israel, not in covenant with God, and afar off; they be called, as we see in the Scripture, those that be remote and distant, and must be meant in this Text.  
2. What rational account can be assigned, or can any give why the Apostle should here mention the Children, if children here, the Seed of the faithful that be in Covenant, should not be meant of the Gentiles. Those two Members of the distinction, you that are nigh, and those that are afar off, would take in all persons in the world; and frustra sit per plura, etc. the Children of these would be found either afar off, or nigh, one of those terms, would have involved them all; the mentioning of the Children must be an impertinency, if it were not for some other reason. There are some I know for a shift (this bearing hard upon them) will urge that imprecation, Mat. 27.25. but it is improbable, that all that were the hearers of this Sermon, did join in that dreadful wish, for many of them were strangers, and lived remote from Jerusalem. However the Apostle presseth them all alike to repent, and to yield subjection to Christ, by an argument from the Covenant, which carries weight enough with it, though they had never been guilty of that horrid imprecation. This argument of the Covenant hath been pressed at another time to prevail upon the Jews to the same duty of repentance, Acts 3.19, 20, 25. Repent ye therefore, and be converted that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord, and he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you. In this verse he doth encourage them from a promise, and observe the rare Motive, ye are the children of the Prophets, and of the Covenant, which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, and in thy seed shall all the kindred of the earth be blessed. This extends to them that were afar off, not only the kindred of the Jews, but also the kindred of the Gentiles, should partake of the blessing of Abraham, viz. of the Covenant made with Abraham. Gal. 3.14. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles, (the blessing of Abraham's Covenant through Jesus Christ) whose blood was the blood of the Covenant.  
3. The Apostle doth here fix his argument, in the benefit that will redound unto them, and to their posterity by their submission to the Gospel Administration; by this he doth Emphatically press them to it. Oh! what an encouraging and cogent Argument doth this Apostle (by a divine instinct) urge them withal, such a one, that poor awakened souls, ready to sink into desperation could not tell how to reject or withstand. This seems to be the genuine sense of it, you are greatly troubled for sin, in general, and some of you have been guilty of that dreadful sin, of a malicious pouring out of the incorruptible and sacred blood of the Son of God, and crucifying the Lord of Glory, therefore have highly deserved that his blood should be upon your heads, and upon the heads of your Children for ever; and since you have instead of reverencing, killed the Lord of the Vineyard, you have dreadfully provoked God to turn you out of it for ever; but if after all, you will but submit to him that you have crucified, it shall not be so, your deserts though never so great and crying, shall never be given unto you; but you shall still be to the Lord a chosen and a peculiar People, the Church and the People of God; to you and your Children the Promise shall still continue, and all under a better Administration than ever; because there is now abundance more of grace, and of the Spirit to be poured out, you and your Children shall have the first experience of it. Oh how sweetly doth the Apostle here entice and allure them to accept of the Seasonable offer made unto them.  
4. That interpretation certainly that renders this Argument of the Apostle, to the Jews (to prevail upon them to the duty exhorted unto) to be a discouragement unto them, and to dishearten them in their submitting to the Gospel-Administration, rather than an encouragement, is not to be admitted. That which doth contradict, or at leastwise greatly impede, and obstruct the design of the Apostle, must not be entertained. What was the design of the Apostle, but to persuade these poor lost creatures to accept of Christ, and his Administration that was taking place. Therefore that he might obtain his end (said he) the Promise is to you, and your Children, for both were concerned in the blood of Christ; and we may rationally suppose, these weeping bleeding sinners were not only concerned for themselves, but for their Children also. They might well deliberate in themselves thus, what will become of us, I and of our miserable offspring too? Why saith the Apostle, here is that that may allay all the amazing and confounding tumult of your self-condemning hearts, the Promise is to you, and your Children. The Apostle did see that their Soul-disease, had so sunk their Spirits, and they were so ready to faint, that they wanted the highest Cordial that could be poured into them, and without this ingredient of their Children, it could never have revived them. This was the opening of a comfortable door of hope, in their pinching and affrighting valley of Anchor.  
I have wondered sometimes, how our Friends the Anabaptists can support their minds, when they behold their dear dying Infants, ready to expire and to give up the ghost; to restrain the interest of the Children of these Jews in the Promise, to the time of their calling, could not but be a considerable discouragement unto them from coming under this Administration, rather than an encouragement. That it would have been so I shall give two Reasons to prove it.  
1 This would make their exchange to be for the worse, and not the better; for the Covenant under which they were before, did run to them, and their Seed, but this runs otherwise to the great disadvantages of the Children, and the great discouragement of the Parents. Children by this way of Interpretation are excluded and dismissed the Covenant till their call. This could not but have a deep regret upon the hearts of these Parents, that were well instructed into their children's Covenant-right with them, and did so strongly depend upon it as they did.  
2. This would put their Children into the same condition, with those afar off, the restriction equally taking hold of the Children of the Jews, with the Gentiles and Heathens yet afar off, which would sound harshly in the Ears of the Jews.  
If it were so, of what import must the Argument be but of this, Viz. If ye will now, ye awakened trembling Jews believe in Christ, and come under his Administration, the Promise shall continue unto you, but your Children shall be cut off and turned out of this privilege, they shall be in the same condition of the rest of the Pagan world; when they hereafter, and any of the Heathen shall be called, than they may have a part in the same Promise too, and not till then. This being contained in that Interpretation, whether it would not in the nature of the Argument, rather drive them off, then draw them on, let any impartial person judge. Was this a probable way to comfort and support, these self-condemned finners, to deliver such a heavy message unto them, as to wrest from out of their bosoms, and to rend all their Children out of the Covenant of grace, and turn them into the herd of those that are afar off, that were out of Covenant, without God and having (remaining in that condition) no hope in the world? Eph. 2.12. This would be but to add affliction to the afflicted, and to cast a wonderful stumbling Block in the way of these Jews.  
But the true and sound Interpretation gives them choice relief, and removes all impediments out of their way, leaving them not remora to obstruct or retard the Apostles exhortation unto them. The Promise is already to you, and to your Children, as you are Jews, which Promise shall be confirmed to you and your Children if you now believe. I the Apostle, that he might give them the highest encouragements, tells them furthermore, that the Promise shall be extended to those that are afar off, even to so many as the Lord in any part of the world shall call, and they, and their Children shall partake of the Covenant made with them. Here is the full breast of the Gospel laid open for to hang upon to suck and be satisfied; here is the fountain opened, and not only the Parents, but the Children also invited unto it.  
It is a good observation, that a learned Man here observes (saith he) hic enim Judaei aliis praeferuntur, quia sunt velut primogeniti in Dei familia, imo singulari privilegio Segregati, tunc erant a reliquis omnibus; ergo legitimum ordinem Petrus observat, quin Judaeis assignat priores honoris parts: Quod illis filios adjungit, pendet ex verbis promissionis, Ero Deus tuus, et seminis tui post te. Gen. 17.17.  
Having spoke thus much to clear up my way for a Doctrine, I come to propound that great truth, that is obviously comprehended in this text for our comfort and improvement. There be indeed two eminet doctrines in the text, I shall name both, but fix only upon one.  
First Doctrine, That the Children of believing Parents, as such, are taken into Covenant with God with their Parents.  
Second Doctrine, the Covenant being made with Believers and their Children, is a very great obligation and inducement; to repent and to accept of the new Administration of the Covenant. This the Apostle doth strongly and aptly urge, upon the convinced Jews unto this great duty. But I shall not stand upon this truth, my business is with the other.  
This is the Doctrine I would by the help of God treat of.  
That the Children of believing Parents, as such, are taken into Covenant with their Parents. This the Apostle positively and comfortably asserts, the Covenant of Promise that is to the Parent, is also to the children; they be both involved in one and the same gracious Covenant. God doth not take in the Parent, and exclude the child; but he admits both into this blessed holding, by the golden rod of his grace. This inheritance hath a grant with an irrepealable Entail, upon the Seed and offspring. Believers and their Seed are in the Covenant of grace with God, by this the Child holds in capite from him from whom he doth descend. This is a Doctrine that is violently opposed by those that venture something boldly to contract, and restrain the Covenant into a narrower compass, than ever the Grace of God in constituting of it intended, by turning (what they can) covenanted Infants into the same miserable Wild Field, with the Seed of Infidels and Pagans. But this is very plain to every Eye that will observe the Scriptures, that when ever the Lord was pleased to enter into a Covenant of Grace with the Parents, he did also with the Children, Gen. 12.1, 2, 3. Now the Lord said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, into a land that I shall show thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee; and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Gen. 17.7. And I will establish my covenant betwixt 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. This is not to last for a time, or for an Age only, but for ever, even to the utmost point of time, until the Mediator (in whose hands this Covenant is) shall perfectly accomplish his Work. Ver. 19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. Acts 3.25. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the children of the earth be blessed: viz. All Nations. here we see, He was not to be a Covenant-Father only to the Nation of the Jews, but also to those of the Gentiles; all of them that should be called, and converted unto God, by the preaching of the Gospel, they were to be impaled in Abraham's Covenant, and he was to be their Father, Rom. 11.17. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou being a wild olive-tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive-tree. Here must be a graffing in, suitable to the casting out or breaking off; that cannot be, unless the Gentiles and their Children (their Spriggs) be graffed in, as the Jews and their Children were broken off, Gal. 3.14. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles (through Jesus Christ;) that we might receive the promise of the Spirit: Viz. The Blessing of Abraham in his Covenant might through Christ be brought over unto the Gentiles.  
The Lord Jesus was the great Seed of the Covenant, and the Mediator of it, and through the offusion of his Blood this Covenant is conferred upon the Gentiles, according to many Evangelical Promises, made before the Actual Exhibition and Incarnation of the Son of God, our Emmanuel, God with us. These are a few of that Cloud of Witnesses, that might have been brought to prove this Doctrine; let them suffice for the present, many more will occur in our Discourse.  
In the handling of this Point I would do these things.  

I. Open the Doctrine something more.  
II. Lay down the Demonstrations of it to prove it.  
III. Give some Reasons of it.  
iv Make a little suitable Use of it.   
The First General Particular, The opening the Doctrine: To do this, I shall propound some Questions, and give the Answers unto them. This may tend very much to clear up this Important and Evangelical Proposition.  
1. Quest. What Covenant are we here to understand to be the Covenant made with Abraham, that Believers, and their Seed, are enclosed in together?  
Answ. It is the Covenant of Grace: This is the Promise, or Covenant, in our Text, that refers to that in Gen. 17.7. It is not a Covenant of Works, (as some would have it to be.) Our Brethren the Anabaptists, would by all means have this to be a Covenant of Works, or a Covenant only relating to carnal and outward Mercies and Blessings, and that, because should this be granted to be a Covenant of Grace, than we have gained the Point, as to the Seal of the Covenant, pertaining to Infants. Our great Champion hath lately laboured extremely to violate this Text, and to pull down that blessed Foundation God hath laid for us to build upon, as to ourselves and little ones; by his so doing, he offered bold attempts to subvert many of the choice Texts, that appertain to this. To promote his Error, and Confidence, he would have this in substance to be the same Covenant of Works which the Lord made with Adam; but I shall have occasion (though but a poor Pismire) to meet with this great Goliath that hath given me several Challenges in his public Pulpit, in the hearing of his Magnifying Auditory.  
Methinks, if Men did but with a serious and impartial Eye, view that Text that mine refers unto, such is the nature, the tenor, frame, and circumstances of it, that they durst not call this into question: But how ready are Men to shut their Eyes against that Light, that would discover unto them something, that they are too tenacious of. It is sad to see how some good Men, that would be thought great Admirers of the Grace of God, and yet do set themselves in this place against this high Expression of his Grace in his Covenant. This is the same Covenant of Grace, for the substance of it, that is now on foot in the New Testament, (since Christ came, and hath sent down his Holy Spirit to enlighten us into the knowledge of his Grace, which runs through the Covenant, whose Blood was the Blood of the Covenant,) made with those Fathers according to the Flesh, of whom Christ came, who is blessed for ever.  
Here because my furious Adversary (right or wrong) will have this to be but a Covenant of Works, or of outward Blessings, and will not suffer one Drop of the pure, and special Grace of God in a Covenant-way, provided for the Salvation of the Elect, nor any Emanation of God's Love to be through this Channel transmitted into the World: I shall endeavour to prove by several things, that this is a Covenant of Grace; if we can out make good this, (I judge) we shall gain a good Point, and drive our Opponent out of one of his strongest Posts, and shall take that, which he runs to as his impregnable Fort. The Lord open our Eyes to see the Truth in this great Affair, with this I think a great deal of Building will stand or fall.  
I shall briefly lay down some Reasons, that to me do carry the Matter beyond all doubt, that the Covenant in Gen. 17.7. was a Covenant of Grace.  
1. Reason May be taken from Abraham, the Person chosen out from the rest of the World, to partake of this distinguishing Privilege. God did appear to him, and did call him to such a great Favour: Thus to take him and his Children, and his Family, into covenant with himself, and to make him the Father of the Faithful in all Ages and Generations; What could move the Lord to this, but his naked Love, Mercy, and Grace? This is that which God did do for him, Infinite Grace did single him out, for this blessed Covenant-work, calling him out from the midst of a wicked and idolatrous People, and Generation, Acts 7.2, 3. And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers hearken, The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelled in Charran, And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee. Here we have the Lord selecting (through discriminating Grace and Goodness) this Father from the rest of the ignorant blind World where he was, and it was that he might confer this honour upon him, and his, in making this Everlasting Covenant of Grace with them. He that called him out of Grace did it much for this end, and purpose, that he might make and establish this Covenant of Grace with him.  
2. Reason. Because of the quality of the Persons, betwixt whom this Covenant was made, let us but consider the state of Man, when this Covenant was made, and then we may easily see the quality of those, between whom was made this happy Covenant. Man was not now in his perfect Station, in the which he was set down, as he came out of the pure Mint, with a perfect Draught and Impression of the Divine Image upon him; but in an apostate sinful state, and Abraham though called, and sanctified, in an imperfect state. Therefore this Covenant must be made between God and Abraham, not as God is a Creator, and as Men are innocent; thus it was in the Covenant of Works made with Adam. But God as gracious, merciful, pardoning Sin through the Blood of the Covenant, and Men as sinful, vile, indebted to Divine Justice, and obnoxious to the Wrath of God. If Abraham had been as perfect as Adam was, when the Lord made a Covenant of Works with him, than we should have some ground to give heed to those, that would have this to be a Covenant of Works. I demand of my Opponent, where God made a Covenant of Works with his Redeemed People, since the Fall of Man? As God ever dealt with his People in a Covenant-way, since the Fall, so they are capable of no other way, Ezek. 16.5, 6, 8. None eye pitied thee, to do any of these things unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but when thou wast cast out in the open field, to the loathing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born. And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thy blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live: yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live. Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love, and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I swore unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, thou becamest mine. What Covenant can it be, but a Covenant of Grace, that such polluted Creatures can be taken into? And thus it was with Abraham, when God found, called him, appeared unto, and entered into Covenant with him.  
3. Reason. Because of the matter promised here unto Abraham in this Covenant; God doth promise to be a God to him, and to his Seed after him for ever. Oh! this is the great matter promised on God's part; this holds forth more than a Legal Covenant; Is there a more gracious, and a more comprehensive Promise, and fuller of the Grace of God, in all the Book of God, than this? Here the Lord doth give, and make over himself, yea all his glorious Attributes, Names, Titles, Grace, Love, all Temporal, Spiritual and Eternal Blessings; here God doth give himself, the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost, the whole Nature of God, and all the Persons, the Godhead with all the Attributes of that Nature, and all the Offices of those Persons: Thus saith Judicious Cotton in his Treatise upon the Covenant, The Lord through this Covenant gives himself, and all his, to his covenanted People through all the Generations of the World. I would willingly understand what may be the reason (if there can be any given) when this Excellent Promise is repeated in many other places of Scripture, that it is allowed to be of Grace, and not here, notwithstanding (if I mistake not) when this Promise is inserted in other places, it is often taken from this, Jer. 24.7. and 31.33. and 32.38. Ezek. 11.20. and 34.24, 31. and 36.38. and 37.27. Here we have the same Promise, and full of Grace, and why not in Gen. 17.7. Oh! there would be great ground of fear, should this be granted; for then the Seal of the Covenant must follow, as we shall see in the close of this Discourse. This is that Covenant that Believers and their Seed be under, since the Ascension of the Messiah, and that we may clearly discern it, God is pleased to use the old Phrase and Form of the Promise, 2 Cor. 6.18. Heb. 8.10. The same Language and Dialect, we have speaking of the New Jerusalem Privileges and Glorious State, Rev. 21.3. And I heard a voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.  
There is the other Branch of the Promise here, that we must by the Rule of Relatives understand. If God doth give himself to Abraham and his Seed, than he takes them, and chooseth them to be his People, and Portion for ever; when the Lord is pleased to say, I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed, this must reeds be involved, thou and thy seed shall be my people for ever; and so it is relatively expressed often in the Covenant-Language: Now I pray, is not all this of pure Grace?  
4. Reason. This is a Covenant made in the Hands of Christ the Mediator, and it was confirmed in him, the great Seed of the Covenant, and the Head and Foundation of all those that God doth take into Covenant with him. This Covenant was ratified and confirmed by the Efficacy and Blood of the Mediator, otherwise neither Abraham nor Isaac could have been saved; and hence the Blood of Christ is called the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant, Heb. 13.20. Now the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, etc. God in making this Covenant had respect to the efficacious and meritorious Blood of his Son, otherwise he could never have made such a Promise here, of being such a gracious God to Abraham, and his Seed for ever. It is judiciously said of a Learned Author, that in this Covenant the Lord taketh the chiefest of the Seed of Abraham (viz. the Lord Jesus Christ) to be the Mediator and Surety of it, and so through him are all the Promises and Blessings of the Covenant conveyed unto Abraham and his Seed, (his faithful Seed) all the World over; therefore he is called the Mediator of a better Covenant, Heb. 7.22. and 8.6. And as it was made with Abraham and his Seed in the Hands of Christ, so when it was translated unto the Gentiles, it was by, and through him, and confirmed unto them by him, Gal. 3.14. That the blessing of Abraham may come on the Gentiles (through Jesus Christ;) that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. The Blessing of Abraham, viz. the Covenant of Abraham: Rom. 15.8. Now I say, that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. He was the Minister of Circumcision, the great Instructor of the Jews, and did first confirm the Covenant to them, and then to the Gentiles. Ver. 9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; viz. for the Mercy of God through Christ, by and through whom, the blessed Covenant was confirmed unto them. So that we may see, that Christ was the Mediator of this Covenant made with Abraham and his Seed; witness those many Types of Christ which were annexed unto it, viz. Their expiatory and propitiatory Sacrifices enjoined the whole Congregation in case of Sin; also the two Goats, one for a Sin-offering for the whole Congregation, and the other the Scape-goat, over which all the Sins of the Children of Israel were to be confessed by the Priests, etc.  
5. Reason. Because this is a Covenant that freely holds out, and offers pardon of Sin without Works; therefore than it cannot be a Covenant of Works. It holds out pardon of Sin freely, by believing in Christ. The Covenant of Works (we know) holds forth no pardon of Sin, no Mercy to Transgressor's that violate and break the smallest point of it, Gal. 3.10. Deut. 27.26. I, but this Covenant doth, it holds out pardon of Sin to the vilest and worst of Sinners, to those that did barbarously and maliciously pour out the Blood of the Mediator of this Covenant, Exod. 2.37, 38, 39 This is a Covenant that did freely offer remission and pardon of Sin, without the Works of the Law. Abraham himself through this Covenant, by believing in the Mediator and Testator of it, was justified and pardoned; read Rom. 4.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. That must surely be a Covenant of Grace, that brings in remission of Sin, and Justification by Christ, through Faith: God did promise to be a God to him, and his Seed, a God to pardon.  
6. Reason. Because of that Seal the Lord did command to be affixed to this Covenant, which was Circumcision; Who can deny, but that the Lord did command this Seal, Sign, or Token, to be set to the Covenant to confirm and establish it? Gen. 17.10. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep between me, and you, and thy seed after thee; Every manchild among you shall be circumcised. This God did Institute, as the Initiating Ordinance; by this they were to enter, as visible Persons into this Covenant, or to be visibly discovered, and owned such that were in covenant with God, and in a covenant way devoted and given up unto him. Let me here ask this Question, Did not this Seal of the Covenant denote, that that Covenant it did appertain unto, to be a Covenant of Grace? It is next to a Prodigy to me, that any should Assert, that the Covenant that God made with Abraham, was a Covenant of Works, and yet Circumcision was the Seal of it, for so it is expressly commanded of God to be, as we have seen. Did we ever read of this Seal amxed to the Covenant of Works? No; in the perfect state that Man was in, when God entered into a Covenant of Works, there was no need of, nor occasion for this Sacrament or Seal.  
Let us but a little consider the Uses and Words of this Seal, and we may see, that that must be a Covenant of Grace, to which it is affixed as a Seal; for either it holds forth our need of Grace, or the merciful provision of Grace prepared for us. I shall only mention a very few Particulars.  
1. This doth intimate unto us, that vile polluted State of Sin, that we were conceived and transmitted into the World in. This may give us the knowledge of our undone State by Nature, how God may loathe, and abhor us for ever. The cutting off of the Foreskin of the Flesh, discovers the filthiness of our Flesh, and how by Sin we have forfeited ourselves, and all into the hands of Justice, that we be filthy and guilty Sinners.  
2. This sets forth the gracious Purposes and Intentions of a merciful God, to wash, and to cleanse, and to sanctify us by his Grace, and by the Blood of Sprinkling: The Blood that did follow the circumcising Instrument did clearly signify, that therefore cleansing and sanctification are set forth by Spiritual Circumcision. When God doth graciously promise to wash and to sanctify, he doth promise to circumcise the Heart, Deut. 30.6. And the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayst live. Col. 2.11. In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ: viz. By the Sanctification of the Blood and Spirit of Christ. Phil. 3.3. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit: We have the inward Spiritual Circumcision of the Heart, which was graciously signified by that Seal of the Grace of God belonging to that Covenant of Grace, the Lord was pleased to make with Abraham and his Seed.  
3. To denote, and set forth, the need we have of the Blood of Christ to justify us, and that God would justify us through his Blood. And this Abraham had a special eye unto, and his Faith was firmly fixed upon, after God had made this Covenant with him and his Seed, and fixed this significant Seal unto it. This might be evidenced by many Scriptures, Rom. 14.1, 2. In many Verses in that Chapter; therefore it is that Circumcision is called, a seal of the righteousness of faith, of that righteousness that is apprehended, received, and applied by faith; certainly then that Covenant that hath such a significant gracious Seal added unto it, can be nothing less, or else, than a Covenant of Grace.  
7. Reason. To prove that this was a Covenant of Grace may be the great Result and Period of it, which is no less than Heaven; this is obviously implied, in the comprehensiveness of this Promise we have here, Gen. 17.7. I will be a God unto thee; and unto thy seed after thee; I will be a God unto thee, and all thine Elect Seed for ever; I will be a God to love thee, to provide for thee, to be with thee, and with myself eternally to reward thee. How vain, and frivolous is our Challenger, in Asserting that this Covenant made with Abraham, was not a Covenant of Grace? Because the great Promises of it were outward Blessings, and the greatest of all was the Land of Promise, (Canaan.) What, is not that a greater Promise, for God to promise himself to be a God to Abraham, and his Seed? Is not an Infinitely Glorious, and Blessed God, better than Canaan, than all the Canaan's and Paradises in the World, yea, than thousands of Worlds? But further to see the ignorance of this Man in the Scripture, and in such Expressions, which denote a higher good intended by God, than what they themselves may import; as this Promise is explained in the New Testament: When God did make the Promise of an Earthly Canaan to Abraham and his Seed, he did ultimately intent a better Land than this, viz. an Heavenly one; when the Lord doth promise this Canaan; he doth promise Heaven, which this was a Type of; the main thing and good, that the Lord designed for his People, by this Promise, was Heaven, and that they should be eternally saved. Abraham did so understand it, and others of the Fathers, and so set their Hearts upon, and raised up an Expectation of that blessed City and Country that was above; that what they had here were but dark Shadows, and cloudy Representations of what was to come, Heb. 11.10, 13, 14, 15, 16.  
8. Reason. To prove that the Covenant made here with Abraham, was a Covenant of Grace, is viz. Because of that Obedience, the Lord did both require and accept at the hands of Abraham, in this Covenant. There was Obedience, and there was Service, that the Lord did command, and expected from Abraham; this will determine, whether this be a Covenant of Works, or of Grace. If it be a Covenant of Works, it requires nothing less than perfect Obedience, nothing short of it will or can be accepted therein, as it was in the Covenant made with Adam; Do this and live. I, but now here in Abraham's Covenant, the Lord doth call for, and accept of sincere and upright Obedience, as in Gen. 17.1, 2. And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to him, and said, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. (viz. right or sincere.) And I will make my covenant betwixt me and thee. Every one knows, that though Abraham for Grace, and walking with and obeying God, was an excellent Man; yet he was not a sinless, perfect Man; he had the perfection of sincerity, but not a sinless perfection, such an one as Adam had in Innocency. In this Covenant, Abraham did walk before God, he did please God, and he was accepted by God in virtue of this Covenant, which could never have been, had it not been a Covenant of Grace, that had Christ to be the Mediator of it, in whom he believed and found acceptance.  
Thus Beloved, I promise myself, that I have given you such Reasons, to prove that this Covenant was of Grace, (which the Lord made with Abraham, and his Seed for an Everlasting Covenant,) as cannot well be denied.  
2. Quest. Whether some only, or all the Children of Believers, are in this Covenant of Grace, with their Parents? Whether this Covenant doth enclose, and impale them all or not.  
Answ. All they that are the Seed of the Faithful, the Lord takes into this Covenant with their Parents: God doth not take some, or many, but all; they be all in Covenant with the Lord, until they eject themselves. When the Lord made this Covenant, and took Abraham into it, he took all his Seed with him. Cain was in covenant as well as Abel, and Ishmael as well as Isaac, though some have from Electing Love, and Special Grace, a greater Blessing from the Covenant than others, as you will see presently. This Covenant runs to Abraham, and his Seed, and to his Seeds Seed. Let not us curtail, and contract God's Covenant, and confine it to narrower bounds than ever the Lord designed. There be some Men that talk great Words of the Grace of God, and yet in the mean time, are great Enemies to the copiousness, and amplitude of it largely expressed in his Covenant.  
3. Quest. Some may say, How can that he, that the natural Seed of such that be in covenant, should be in covenant too? Do not we see by sad experience, that many of the Children of pious Parents, prove very profane, and wicked? What do you hold falling from Grace? Here is a Rock that many mistaken Persons do split themselves upon, in respect of falling into Error in this Affair, and many through ignorance do stumble upon.  
Answ. More generally we must know, that as to the Posterity of Abraham, there are two sorts of them, though both in corenant. There is a Seed according to the Flesh, a carnal Offspring and Generation; and they were the Seed of Abraham, and did highly value themselves upon this, and boasted much upon it, Mat. 3.9. And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to be our father. Bear not too much upon this; think not that this will excuse you, you may be the Seed of Abraham, and yet Enemies to the Messiah; for it was the Seed of Abraham, that did hate, persecute, crucify, and slay him, Acts 2. So there is a Seed after the Spirit, that be pious and holy, and walk in the Steps of Abraham, and in the Paths of the Faith of Abraham.  
There is a double Paternity, there is the begetting Abraham, and a believing Abraham; so there is a twofold Sonship, Children according to the Flesh, and Heirs according to the Promise, Rom. 9.6, 7, 8. Not as though the word of God had taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. Viz. In short, though all that be in covenant are Children in a proper sense, yet all are not the Spiritual Seed; for we see here, that the Carnal and Spiritual are called the Seed of Abraham, ver. 7. yet do not all walk in the Steps of Abraham, nor partake of the special Grace that Abraham did. The Apostle doth here tell us, that we must not think, that the word of God had taken no effect, because not all, nay not (compacatively) many that are the Seed, the natural Seed of Abraham, did believe, and embrace it; therefore he doth distinguish of the Seed of Abraham, them that be under the Purpose of God to Salvation, and are chosen to Eternal Life, they do, and shall believe, and become the holy, the spiritual, and peculiar Seed. Abraham had two Sons, Ishmact and Isaac, and both taken into covenant; I, but the Line of Election was to run through the Lines of Isaac.  
That we may something more fully open this Matter to your satisfactions, and that you may rightly understand, how any may be said to be in this Covenant of Grace, and yet in a State of Nature, and in the First Adam; I shall distinguish herein, this well understood would contribute greatly to put an end to this Controversy. Some may say the Covenant is full of gracious Promises, and what right can any have unto the same, that be but the natural Seed? Are they Promises of saving Grace, or outward Privileges, or temporal Mercies? Or what are they? How is this to be understood, that the Promise is to the Children of those that are in covenant, if by Children are meant the natural Seed?  
Answ. By Promise, I understand the Covenant of Grace (as I have said) called also the Covenant of Promise, Eph. 2.12. and because of this, they that be in it are called the Children of the Promises: Now the Promise, or the Covenant, is taken two ways; and so there are two ways of being in the Covenant.  
1. Strictly, And that which Divines call Foedus Internum, or Pars Foederis Interna, the Internal Covenant, or the spiritual part of the Covenant, that which doth contain Promises of spiritual Blessings, and saving Graces, such as Justification, Reconciliation; Regeneration, Adoption, Persevetance, and Glorification, or Eternal Life; and hence we read, that God will give a new Heart, that he will take away the Stony Heart out of the Flesh, and will give a Heart of Flesh, that he will circumeise the Heart to love, and fear him, that he will write his Law in their Hearts, and they shall never departed from him, that he will sprink clean Water upon them, and they shall be clean, and from all their filthiness and Idols will he cleanse them, that he will blot out all their Iniquities, and cast their Sins into the depth of the Sea, and remember them no more. This is the Internal, and spiritual part of the Covenant. These be the Excellent Promises of Special Grace, that God will accomplish and fulfil to all the Elect, both Adult, and Infants that die in their Infancy.  
2. Sometimes it is taken more largely, which Divines call Foedus Externum, or Pars Foederis Externa, the External Covenant, or the External part of the Covenant, they being both in truth, but Branches of one and the same Covenant. This External Part contains Promises of many choice Mercies, and Privileges, which God out of the bounty of his Grace, bestows upon People that be in covenant with him, which he does not bestow upon the rest of the World, which be not taken into covenant with him. One may be in covenant, and partake of many precious and eminent Promises; and yet have no saving and special Grace, or Interest in God. So it was with a Multitude of the Jews, yea, with the greatest part of them, and that when our Lord and Saviour himself was amongst, and conversed with them, Rom. 2.28, 29. For he is not a Jew, that is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God. Viz. He is not internally, and savingly a Jew, he is but only an external one, partaking of the external Blessings of the Covenant, enjoying the circumcision of the Flesh, not that of the Spirit. When our Lord and Saviour was in the Flesh, he had much to do with such Jews, that boasted themselves of their outward Privileges, which were great; but neglected the internal part of the Covenant, which he did caution them against; but did not shut them out of the Covenant, but left them as he found them.  
This I know is a distinction though never so solid and sound; yet the Anabaptists will not take it down: Notwithstanding, I know not how they themselves can subsist without it, in their Covenant-way. They take into the Covenant, and affix the Seal of the Covenant to those that be Adult, profess their Faith in, and Obedience to Christ, and their repentance and renouncing their Infant-baptism, if they have had any. I, but here is the Question, Are all that do so, internally and savingly in covenant with the Lord? Dare they be so bold as to say so? If they dare, I shall offer two things unto them.  
1. This is against the plain and evident Truth of the Word of God. Is not the Visible Church otherwise represented in the Scriptures unto us? what are all their Israel of the peculiar Seed of Isaac? Is this agreeable to the Parables of the Tares, of the Net, of the Wedding, of the Virgins, and of the variety of the Vessels in the Church Visible, and in the House of God? These things are so well known to all that read, and consider what they read, that I need not stand upon them. The Lord Jesus in his little Church, and Family, had one Devil: They be happy Churches indeed, in whom there are no Hypocrites; and from which never any do fall off, and prove Apostates. Oh how many out of the purest Churches shall increase the number of the Damned!  
2. This is against too great experiences. How many have we seen to turn out of the way of Truth into Error? Many that after they have seemed to be washed from their Sins, and have escaped the Pollutions that are in the World through Lust, by the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, are again entangled, and turned with the Dog unto the Vomit, 2 Pet. 2.20, 21, 22. How many be there, that the unclean Spirit doth but go out of, and after returns again, and takes a greater possession than ever? So that the last end is worse than the beginning, Mat. 12.43, 44, 45. Let me apply myself unto you, my Brethren of the Anabaptist Persuasion; Have you no Revolters among you? None that fall from Truth to Error, from Strictness to Looseness, from an outward holy Conversation to Profaneness? Have you never any occasion to exert your Authority in Excommunication? Have you never any rotten Members to cut off? I am misinformed, if my good Neighbour be not something good and frequent at this Work, after he hath laid his Hands upon his Converts, and rebaptised Proselytes, no wonder when we consider his numerous and easy Admissions. But what I do speak of one, that is but the Head of an overgrown Schism, (his Church, as it is called,) declared to be so, not only by Congegrational, but also by Anabaptistical Elders. When the Antipaedobaptists admit any to the Seals of Church, and Covenant-Fellowship, is it not possible that some false Brethren may creep in unawares? Judas 4. Some Wolves get into Sheeps-clothing, and they be looked upon to be the covenant-People of God; this is undeniable, and their revolt proves themselves to have none of the saving special Gifts and Graces of the same; but at best were only externally in covenant. You will not pretend to put Seals to Blanks; but you will say, They did appear to us to be so, and so, and to be in the Covenant of Grace. For my part, I must say, though I desire to be very careful in my Admissions, yet I have as great a hope, and as much confidence, about the Salvation of Infants in covenant with God, dying in their Infancy, as I have in any that I do admit. Here I may reto●●… upon my Brethren, (because many of your Members that you have taken into covenant, unto whom you have affixed the Seal, do fall off.) Do you hold falling from Grace? So that this may be as well objected against you, in your Adult Persons; as against us in our Infants.  
4. Quest. If it be granted, That Children with their Parents be taken into covenant, even the natural Seed of believing Parents; yet you say, they are but External Privileges, and Benefits, that many of them do partake of, and a great number of them fall short of the Spiritual and Eternal Advantages of the same: Therefore, what do they obtain thereby, seeing he is not a Jew that is one outwardly, & c.? What profit did Cain reap by being circumcised, or Ishmael? For (as the Apostle saith) circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law; but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision, Rom. 2.25. Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised, Isa. 9.25.  
Answ. They have great Advantages more than others have, that are not so much as externally in covenant; I will refer you to the Apostle, who propounded and answered this Question for us, Rom. 3.1, 2, etc. He had said in the close of the Chapter before, to cut off the vain confidence of those that did securely repose themselves in their External Privileges, that he was not a Jew, that was one outwardly, etc. He was very sensible what Objection some would make at that time, therefore he propounds this Question, and returns a free Answer, What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? I Answer with the Apostle, first generally, Much every way; and then particularly, chief, because unto them were committed the oracles of God, etc. Thus say some, You stand stiffly to this, that Children be in covenant with their Parents, and God hath taken them into covenant with them, but what are they the better for it? What advantage doth accrue unto them from thence? I Answer, Much every way. Methinks the Spirit of God foreseeing how the Covenant, and the Infant-right in it, would be infringed, and invaded in the Times of the Gospel, did inspire the Apostle here to contradict, and oppose those bold Usurpers, that should attempt to make Breaches upon the Lords sacred Enclosure. I could show in many particulars the wonderful advantage that those have, that are but externally in covenant, above those that are not, and what an inestimable Favour and Blessing it is to be within the Pale of the Covenant. I shall mention some of the chief Privileges that such do enjoy.  
1. They have the Excellent Oracles of God reposited among them, and committed unto them; this was the Privilege of the Jews in propatulo, and their great advantage, which did distinguish them from the rest of the World, and represented them to all Nations to be a peculiarly happy and dignified People, Rom. 3.2. Much every way: chief, because unto them were committed the oracles of God. This the Lord himself declares to be one of their singular Prerogatives, Deut. 4.8. And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgements so righteous, as all this law which I set before you this day? Psal. 147.19, 20. He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and judgements unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: as for his judgements, they have not known them. Therefore from the sense of this wonderful Blessing, the Psalmist cries out, Praise ye the Lord. To have the custody of God's Ordinances, and the use of them, the Word, Sacraments, Worship, Ministry, Pastors after Gods own Heart, and all the Service of God. Who can express or declare, how happy the People are, that have such Depositions, and are so distinguished, and magnified, as to have the Means of Grace, in and by which they may come to know and learn the Mind of God; to have Ordinances, wherein they may draw nigh to God; to have a Membership and visible Standing in that Society, where Salvation is ordinarily dispensed, John 4.22. For salvation is of the Jews. There were the Means, and no where else, not among the Samaritans; hence the Law was called the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob, Deut. 33.4. Certainly those that understand in any competent measure, the Excellency of this Privilege, cannot but adore, and admire God in it, and magnify his Name for it.  
2. Such that be but outwardly in covenant are part of, and go to make up the Vineyard of the Lord, they be planted in the Lord's Vineyard, they be part of the Garden of the Lord, hedged in, and separated from the rest of the World, and God doth own them to be so. It is no small benefit to be within the Pale of the Church, and to have a fixed Standing in Zion, Isa. 5.7. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant.  
3. They have the Proposals and the Offers of the highest Mercy, they live under the Overtures of the richest Grace, they be in the Kingdom, and are the Children of the Kingdom; therefore have the highest Tenders, and the choicest Invitations to the best of Mercies. They are in the Kingdom, and Salvation is nigh unto them, the Bosom and the Arms of Grace and Love are always before their Eyes, and ready to receive and embrace them. After the Days of the Messiah, the Jews being in covenant with God, their happy Estate was not to be overlooked, but to be honourably respected, therefore they had the first offer of Life, and Salvation by Christ after his Ascension. So it was in Acts 2. and in other places, Acts 3.25, 26. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first, God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. They were yet in covenant, and the Lords Vineyard, and had this precious Tender of Christ, and Salvation by him, sent unto them to bring them to Faith and Repentance, before it was sent unto the poor out-cast Gentiles, Acts 13.46. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should have first been spoken unto you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. Paul the great Apostle of the Gentiles did not betake himself to them, till his Embassy was rejected by the Jews, unto whom he was to make his Application. Our gracious Lord when he gave Commission to his Apostles; to Preach Repentance, and Remission of Sins in his Name, directed that they should begin at Jerusalem. Oh! how was his Heart upon his Covenant-people, and how unwilling was he, that their Covenant-State should expire; therefore he waited upon them to the utmost period of the time, set for the Patience of God to attend them. Oh! Go, said he, break up, and execute your Commission in that bloody City, see if they will Repent and Believe, that I may not lay them waste. The Jews (as is well observed by one) had a double Privilege before Christ came; they were [Soli,] they were alone, they were the only Church and People of the Lord and enclosed from all the Nations of the World; there was a Partition-wall erected between them, and the spurious part of the World. And at the Ascension of Christ, and the Tenders and Exhibitions of the Grace of Life, and Salvation, they were [Primi,] they had the first Effort of Mercy sent and directed unto them.  
4. Such have their dwelling, and residence, where the gracious and peculiar Presence of the Lord is to be enjoyed; such have an Habitation where God hath fixed his Throne of Grace, and where are his delightful Walks, the gracious presence of the Lord is with his Church and People; those that are his Covenant-Ones, they have the Signs, and the Symbols of his residence in the midst of them. His general Presence by a glorious Extension diffuseth and disposeth itself every where; but This is the alone Happiness of his select People to enjoy, Deut. 4.7. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them? Great, because nigh. Psal. 76.1, 2. In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel. In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling-place in Zion. Viz. His peculiar place of residence, Rev. 21.3. And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. Where the Tabernacle of God is, himself is, and there he will dwell. How happy are they that dwell where God in a distinct manner doth dwell! And this is the Happiness of all those that dwell within the Bounds of the Covenant.  
5. Those that be in covenant, and are Members of the Church, are always comprehended in, and have the benefit of having a share in the Prayers that are continually ascending up unto God for all Israel. As it is the Duty of every sincere and true Believer to make Supplications for himself, and to offer up this Sacrifice to God with the public Assembly; so to be sure to be very mindful of Zion, and to be very importunate with the Lord for all the Inhabitants of Jerusalem, Psal. 122.6, 7. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. There is a continual Cloud of Prayers going up to Heaven for those that are the Lords Enclosure, for all that are the Dwellers therein; every one, that is internally in covenant, will be sure to pray for all that are any way in Federal Relation to God, Psal. 137.5, 6. If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. There is a continual Stock of Prayer treasuring up for the Church of God, in which the Infant Seed of Believers have no small Share. What an unspeakable Benefit is this? To have an Interest in the many Thousands, that dwell at the Throne of Grace, always putting God in mind of, and pleading with him the Covenant, Day and Night, for all those that are within the compass of it.  
6. The Election of Grace, doth eminently run among, and through the Lords Covenant-Ones; God hath his Election eminently amongst them; the Golden Veins of Election are chief laid and disposed in the Visible Church; there be some to gather in, and some to build up, when the Lord hath gathered up and called in his Elect in any Place, or among any People, he will cast away the rest: When all the Mine of Election is spent, than God departs, and transplants his Gospel, and pitcheth his Tabernacle elsewhere, he knows where the secret Veins (of those that are eternally chose by him) are to be found: He forsook the Places where the Seven Churches of Asia had their residence, when he had brought forth all his Elect: The Jews were not to be rejected, till all the Remnant of God's Choice were secured, Ro● 11.5, 7. Even so then at this present time also th●●● is a remnant according to the election of grace. Wh●● then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeke●● for; but the election hath obtained it, and the 〈◊〉 were blinded. John 4.22.— salvation is of t●● Jews. Till God did pluck up the Boundaries the Election of Grace did ordinarily run in t●● Jewish Channel, though now and then in a ve●●parsimonious manner, one from without might 〈◊〉 brought in, as Job, the Eunuch, etc.  
7. The Privilege of a General Adoption a● pertains to those that be in covenant; there is 〈◊〉 Special, and there is a General Adoption; and 〈◊〉 is a great Favour to have a Standing where ther● is a General Adoption: This is so reckoned by th● Apostle, Rom. 9.14. Who are Israelites; to who● pertaineth the adoption, and the covenants. This is Blessing always attending the Covenant; hence 〈◊〉 is that all such have such Names given to them that set out, and signify their Adopting-relatio● unto God, their Great and Glorious Father. Le● us a little consider what Terms of Filiation th● Scripture doth cloth and adorn them with, whic● doth demonstrate that great Advancement that 〈◊〉 conferred upon them thereby. Nothing ought t● be of a slight and extenuated Estimation with us that is greatly magnified and advanced in Divin● Writ. The Body of those, that be in covenant with the Lord, though many, far remote and distant from any peculiar, Special and Internal Fruition, are called  
(1.) The Sons of God. He is pleased to accept of the Title of a Father unto them, Gen. 6. 1●.— the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair. Thus we see how early (because of Covenant-relation) they bore this Denomination▪  
(2.) They be called the Children of the Lord, Deut. 14.1. Ye are the children of the Lord your God. They were brought forth in a Foederal Bond, therefore the whole Mass and Body of them obtained this Appellation: The most Holy, and the most High God admitted them unto this tall Pinnacle of Honour, of being his Children.  
(3.) Hence it is that all Israel God doth call his Son, intimating how distinguishingly the Lord doth assume and appropriate him to himself in this near Relation, Exod. 4.22. And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn. This was to be used as a powerful Motive to prevail upon Pharaoh, to set Israel free from his cruel Bondage, he was the Lords. Ver. 23. And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: Wilt thou be so bold, as to detain in bondage him, that I the Great and Terrible God do own, and declare to be my Son?  
(4.) Hence Ephraim is called Gods dear Son. Covenant-relation is very near, and so very dear unto God: All those that are in covenant with him, are very near, and very dear unto him. Jer. 31.20. Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spoke against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him. Here is not only Relation, but Bowels of Affections: Ephraim is not only the Lords dear Bon, but dearly and deeply beloved of God.  
(5.) They be from hence called the Children of the Promise, viz. the Children of the Covenant. Those that have such an Interest and Title to the Promise, as to be called the Children of the Promise, being born within the Pale of the Covenant, they are the Heirs of the Promise descending of such Parents, that do convey the precious Inheritance unto them.  
(6.) They be also called the Children of the Kingdom, born within the Covenant, and so brought forth in the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Christ in the World, where he as the great King and Mediator rules, and sways the Sceptre, Mat. 8.12. We see that those here tha● shall for want of special grace, be cast out for ever, yet that doth not hinder their being in Covenant, they are the Children of the Kingdom I might add to all these particulars that have 〈◊〉 touched upon under this head, that because of this Covenant-relation, we read of children's bread▪ Them that are in Covenant, and in the Kingdom of God, they are the Children, and all the provisions of the Kingdom, in respect of the precious means of grace, are called children's bread; being most immediately and directly provided by their heavenly Father for them, Mat. 15.26. But he answered and said, it is not meet to take the Children bread, and to cast it to dogs. These that were not in the Compass of the Covenant, were called dogs; the Jews were the Children, they being within; the Gentiles in comparison of them, were like unto dogs being without.  
(8.) Those that be in Covenant are honoured with high and glorious Titles; and if we consider what is the nature and dignity of them, we may see that they are not purely Titular, but are such that do import some rare and renowned Privilege; I shall name some of these Titles that be ascribed unto them. (1.) Holy, those that be in Covenant (although but externally so) are called holy, Deut. 14.2. For thou art a holy people to the Lord thy God, a people separated to God from the rest of the World, the Covenant is holy, and those that are enclosed within it are a holy People, they are the Lords holy, separated one's. This we have translated into the new Testament upon the new Administration of the Covenant. 1 Cor. 7.14. For the unbelieving Husband is sanctified by the Wife, and the unbelieving Wife is sanctified by the Husband: else were your Children unclean, but now are they holy. Strange violence is offered to this Text, to destroy that federal holiness that shines forth in it. The Anabaptists (one would think) are put greatly to their shifts, in shifting off the force of this Text from them; when all that they will allow Believers from this Text is, that if one Parent be but a Believer, than they will free their Children from the foul charge, and scandalous imputation of being Bastards: Thus they comment upon the words else were your Children Bastards, but now they be Legitimate, lawfully begotten; what must be the consequence of this, but that the Children of those Parents neither of which is a Believer must, tho' they be never so lawfully Married, and live never so chastely together, be Bastards; what a multitude of the offspring of this our Nation, must after this interpretation be illegitimate, and a spurious bastardly Brood: This hath been so often confuted, that I will say no more to it, the very naming of it may be a sufficient confutation of it. (2.) A peculiar people, a people set a part from others; the Covenant is for an enclosure, and so for a separation of some from the rest of the World, to be distinct, and peculiar from others, Deut. 14.2. For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself above all the nations that are upon the earth. The Lord hath a visible people that are to him a peculiar people, they are his Church, those that are in a peculiar Covenant-appropriation unto Him. We have this Title and that before of Holy ascribed to those that are under the Administration of the Covenant in new Testament times. 1 Pet. 2.9. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal Priesthood, an holy Nation, a peculiar people. (3) They be called God's Household or Family: the worship of God, and the blessing of the Covenant first took place in Families, and those were the Families of the Lord; since the more open, public and diffusive dispencing of the Covenant, those that are the Lords Covenant one's, retain still the Title of a Family and Household, and so this is brought down unto the time of the Gospel, Gal. 6.10. As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith, Viz. God's Covenant-houshold, Eph. 2.19. Now therefore we are no more strangers and foreiners, but fellow Citizens, and of the household of God; those Gentiles that were not in Covenant, and so not of the Household of God. Now saith the Apostle, you are made partakers of the Covenant, which was the peculiar Blessing of the Jews, and ye are become now of the Household of Faith, and of God, or of the Household of Faith, and so of God; you are grafted into the Olive, and this is some of the sweet and precious fat and juice of it. (4.) Such be called God's Vineyard, or the garden of the Lords, surely it is a Singular Privilege to be planted in the Lord's Vineyard, and not to have a standing without in the Wilderness of the World, which the Lord hath little regard for, or care of, Isa. 5.1, 7. Now I will sing to my well beloved, a song of my beloved touching his Vineyard: My well beloved hath a Vineyard in a very fruitful hill; For the Vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant. The Church of God in Covenant with Him is by the Lord Jesus, the Husband and Bridegroom of it delightfully called a garden, it being the sweetest, the most pleasant and fertilest spot in all the World, Cant. 4.12, 16. A garden enclosed is my Sister, my Spouse; Awake, Oh northwind, and come thou south, and blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Cant. 5.1. I am come into my garden, my Sister, my Spouse, Cant. 6.2. My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather Lilies. Thus was the Church of the Jews that was the Lord's Covenant-inclosure styled, Zach. 2.5. Therefore particular Churches that make up the Church Catholic, are called golden Candlesticks, Rev. 1.20. The mystery of the seven Stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden Candlesticks, are the seven Churches: The Lord Jesus walks in the midst of them, they are the place of his feet, and his delightful walks, Rev. 2.1. He walketh in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks, to show his delight that he hath in them, the peculiar watch of his Providence about them, and his plentiful and his inexhaustible supplying of them. Oh how good is it to dwell where Christ hath his continual residence, and his perpetual walks: 'tis a comfortable thing to have the Lord of infinite grace, to walk constantly to, and fro, by ones door; how soon may he open the door and come in, and bring his Blessed retinue of peace, mercy, grace, and love along with him. (6.) The Church of Christ involved in this Covenant, is called Heaven, this is Heaven upon Earth, where the Throne of the blessed God is fixed; when the Lord takes Believers and their Children into Covenant with himself, he takes them into Heaven; those that be out of Covenant do inhabit such darkness, as to represent those that are even in Hell. I, but the Church of God that hath the light of the Word, and grace of God, shining upon it, is God's heaven below, Rev. 12.1. And there appeared a great wonder in heaven, a woman clothed with the Sun. This wonder was seen in the Church of God below, I, but here called Heaven for her trampling upon the World, having the righteousness of Christ begirt about her, and living in the Starry Region of Evangelical and Divine light.  
Thus I have in some Particulars endeavoured, to discover something of the Privileges of those, that be in Covenant with the Lord from this head.  
I come to another Privilege which is this, that many of them that are thus in Covenant shall be saved, a multitude of them are Elected, for here chief lies the secret Mine of Election, where many shall be called, and Effectually brought home to God; the great Bulk and Mass of the Elect are taken, and dug out of the Loins of Believers, that are brought under Covenant, many of those that be in Covenant shall be sure be to saved; therefore surely 'tis a great privilege to have a standing among those that shall be saved; how is it the duty of those that do enjoy this mercy to bless the Lord for it, and to improve it for their own children's advantage: 'Tis good to have a footing and dwelling in that Body, out of which the Lord doth call many to saving grace and glory, to be in the best capacity and the most hopeful disposition as to Externals for life and Salvation. The Sovereign Grace of God calls whom he pleaseth; but most frequently the lot of Salvation, falls upon the Children of Covenant Ones, they are the most hopeful to partake of that great blessing of the Covenant of effectual calling, and of having the Law of God to be engraven upon their hearts, Isa. 54.13. And all thy Children shall be taught of the Lord. Those that are not in Covenant with the Lord, as they do not regard, so neither are they under such a hopeful expectation of the accomplishment of such a promise, as those are, that are themselves the Children of the Promise, who have good right to approach unto the gracious Throne, and plead such a promise with him that sits there with the Rainbow of the Covenant about his head.  
10. This is the great ground, that is administered unto pious Parents, greatly concerned about the external good of the Souls of their little Ones, to build their hopes upon; godly Parents, would cast out the Anchor of hope upon a firm ground, such that may hold; and this is the great, if not the only one, those the Lord is pleased to bereave them of, and demand out of their tender bosoms, this may quiet their hearts about their death, and their eternal State. So that upon this account, a Parent may say more than what one said of a dead Child, Ego in illo puero nihil habeo praeter dilectum, he may compose, and sedate his Spirit with David, who while his Child was sick, did fast, and weep, refusing to eat; I, but when the pleasure of the Lord was signified by his death, he could arise, wash and eat, and go to the house of the Lord, and calmly pour out his sincere devotions unto the most high, saying unto them that were struck into stupendous admiration of his great change, I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. Surely David had a further prospect than the grave that prevailed upon him to this Sedate composure, and Serenity of mind, he did intimate that his heart was at rest as to his felicity above; that his Soul (that he was most concerned about) had made its escape from the sick and painful Body, into Abraham's bosom: the great Covenant Father, he having this heart-supporting promise, I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed: This is Gospel and a man interested in this promise may, nay is bound to lay hold upon it, and to cast himself upon the promise, as well for his little Ones, as for himself. Wherefore hath the Lord, as an Instance of his unsearchable grace, given such a promise, if not in our great and close afflictions to be choice, and suitable food, for our faith? 〈…〉 but this can support Parents when they see their tender Infants in the bitter bonds of death, reclining their heads upon their dissolving Pillows, and having their Bowels to be sounding and yearning within them. Now this, I would humbly demand, what they can build their hopes upon, to make them readily to comply with Divine Pleasure? When the Souls of their Little Ones sit upon their Lips, to take their flight into an Eternal Ocean, that exclude● them out of that Covenant, they be confident they themselves be in, and upon which they bottom and centre all their trust and confidence as to their own Salvation; for the ordinary way of Salvation is by and through the Covenant.  
11. Those that be in covenant thus have many great and temporal Blessings bestowed upon them, which others fall short of; they share in the peculiar Providential Care, and Watch of God; there is the general Providential Care of God, which as he is an Omnipresent Majesty, filling all Places, Persons, and Things, with his Essential Presence, out of which there can be no departing, or absconding, he doth extend unto all, Psal. 139.7, 8, 9, 10. But moreover there is the peculiar Transmission of the Providential Care, Observation and Tuition of God, and this is that which every Moment doth environ and encircle the Church and Covenant-Ones round about, and all that are interested in the same stand possessed with the free fruition of, they are the proper Objects of the peculiar and special Providential Watch of God, Psal. 121.4. Behold, he that keepeth Israel, shall neither slumber nor sleep. This denotes the careful and the diligent keeping of the Church, the Lord is ever in the exercise of, as one saith, Curam, solicitudinem & diligentiam cannot at, nec dormit nec dormitat, He neither sleeps nor slumbers. The Lord sets a peculiar Fence about his Church, Isa. 5. ●2▪ And he fenced it,— After he planted it, he set the Fence of his peculiar Providence round about it, to preserve it, Isa. 27.3. I the Lord do keep it, I will water it every moment; lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. Thus we see what a peculiar Vigilancy the Divine Eye doth exhibit unto the Covenant-People: This is no small Privilege, to have a Place with those that are thus beautified. I might have added, that such have many outward Favours of Peace, Plenty, and Prosperity, and that People, Places, and Nations, do enjoy many rare Mercies for their sake; the Old World sped the better for Noah's sake, Sodom for Lot's, Pharaoh for Joseph's, as Obededom for the Arks sake, and Laban was greatly blessed for the sake of Jacob. A Nation speeds the better for the Gospel's sake; most far the better for the Elect, the greatest Body of which descend from Covenant-Ones: Temporal Blessings are the Appendices of that Covenant made with Abraham, Gen. 17. where the Land of Promise was inserted, though a far greater in that was intended, as hath been shown. More Privileges might have been convened unto these; but let what hath been said suffice, and I think what hath been insisted upon may satisfy as to this Question. We have seen that those that are in covenant have advantage, and that much every way.  
But before we dismiss this, let us a little distinctly apply the Matter suitable to the distinction that I have laid down concerning the way of being in covenant, as to those that be Externally, and those that be Internally in it.  
Observe heedfully here, that the same Promises that are to the Parents, are to the Children, I will be their God, and the God of thy Seed. Those that the Lord is pleased to take into covenant with himself, some are Elect, and some not Elect; so amongst the Children, some are Elect, and some not Elect; and here I chief mean those that arrive unto the Years of the Adult.  
1. Those that be the Elect of the Natural Seed, they do partake both of the external, and internal part of the Covenant; for they do partake of the Promise in the extent of it, such peculiar salvificable Blessings, as Justification, Adoption, Sanctification, etc. and Eternal Glorification; in a Word, they do partake of Temporal, Spiritual, and External Privileges.  
2. The Non-elect they do partake of the external part of the Promises, and of the Covenant-Priviledges (as have been mentioned) which be exceeding great, though not saving; therefore not to be relied and rested upon. I shall here lay down Two Positions, that shall conclude this present Matter in hand.  
(1.) That as God by the Election of Grace doth make the distinction among the Natural Seed of Covenanters with God, accordingly is their children's participation of the Promise. The Elect have the Promise in the extent, the other in the external part only, which in itself is a Privilege and a great Advantage. There might have been given great Instances of this in Abraham's Family, and others, but I forbear, and shall not need to stand upon it. There is the Elect Isaac, the Covenant was established with him in all its Spiritual and External parts; and Ishmael the Son of a Bondwoman in covenant, and must be circumcised too, and participate of the Seal, and become a great Nation, and have a Standing till his time come to be cast out.  
(2.) That there is great ground, and very good foundation, for a Parent in covenant with God, to pray, and to hope for the accomplishment of the Covenant in the extent of it. Pious Parents in covenant with God, should labour to lay hold upon the gracious Promises thereof, and put them daily in suit at the Throne of Grace, pleading of them for their poor Children with God; Ay, and this should be done with a great deal of hope, and that partly, because the Purpose of God is secret, and not to be the Rule of our Covenant-Duties, and the Promise is open in the full and ample Extent of it; and also because Gods gracious Promise is so full, copious, and comprehensive, as to be the God of the Seed of those Parents he hath highly gratified, and graced, in taking them into covenant with himself; which Faith ought in the largest sense to take hold upon, and swallow down, and to be warmly, and comfortably exercised about the inward, spiritual, and eternal Blessings of the Covenant for Children. But somewhat more of this, if the Lord please, in the Use of this Doctrine. Thus much for the first General Thing, Viz. The opening of this Point: Now we come unto the  
II. General Head proposed in my Method, which is to offer some Demonstrations, to Evince the Truth of my Doctrine, and so we shall insist upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this Great Truth.  
1. This hath ever been God's way in covenanting with his People; this way God hath observed ever since the Fall, yea, this was the way that he took in the first Covenant that ever was concluded between him and Man, viz. The Covenant of Works that he made with Adam in innocency, in his perfect State; Adam and all his Posterity were strictly included in that Covenant; so that as it fared with him, it was to be with all, that were to descend from his Loins, or all his Seed, he falling, all fell in him, and with him. Upon his Fall, the blessed Covenant of Grace (that was eternally provided through Christ the great Channel of the Grace of God) took place and was published with Gods own Lips, Gen. 3.15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Here we have the Seed immediately comprehended; this I take to be the very same Covenant for substance, that was made, and more fully explicated, confirmed, and established with Abraham; where was the first emanation and springing forth of the inexhaustible Fountain of Grace, through a Covenant for apostate and trembling Adam; who was capable of no other Covenant in that his miserable State: It was only naked, and pure Grace that could support him from sinking into eternal desperation, and destruction. Ever since the Fall of Man, God hath been pleased to gather a Church and People to himself by covenant, and he evermore hath taken in the Children with the Parents; when ever he hath made a Covenant with a Family, with a People, and with a Nation, he never excluded, and shut out the Children, and Seed, accounting the Children to be of that Family, People, or Kingdom: This might be abundantly proved, were it needful. We have fully seen it in the Lords covenanting with Abraham, taking in all his Natural Seed with him; a famous and obvious Instance hereof we have in Deut. 29.9, 10, 11, 12. One would think, that this should for ever silence the Opposers of this Truth. Here we have the Adult, and all their Little Ones, standing before the Lord, to enter into covenant with him; the Little Ones were confederate with their Parents, and entered into covenant in, and with them; thus when the Covenant was carried over to the Gentiles, Children were still involved, as in our Text, Acts 2.39. For the promise is to you, and your children: And so it shall be unto all that are afar off, when they shall be called, and brought home unto God, they shall come with their Children with them, and enter into covenant with the Lord, Rom. 11.17, 19 If here Children of the Gentiles be not taken into the Covenant with the Jews, in the place of those that were broken off, then there would be no Analogy, or Proportion, between the rejection of one, and the acceptation of the other.  
2. Demonst. This hath been God's way in his conveying all saving Good unto the Elect; this is God's ordinary way of communicating unto the Salvation of the Infants of Believers, they being actually in the Visible Church, and in covenant with God, out of which ordinarily no Salvation can be expected, and hoped for. All the Promises that be made to Infants of any Spiritual Blessing, conducting to their Eternal Happiness, are lodged in the Covenant; and the Promises are the Instruments of the Spirit of God, in its great Covenant-work of distilling, and infusing Grace into the Hearts of the Elect dying Infants. Even before the World began, God ordained and instituted all Good to be conveyed to us in a way, and by virtue of a Covenant; therefore 'tis called the everlasting covenant, and the everlasting gospel, Heb. 13.20. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant. Rev. 14.6. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell upon the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. This everlasting gospel I think may here be (though not exclusively, yet eminently) meant the Everlasting Covenant of Grace, through which in the preaching of it, is transmitted all saving Good to all the Elect, in all the Nations, Kingdoms, Kindred's, and Languages in the World. Nay, Christ himself, that unspeakable Gift, is all the Elects, both Infants, and Adult, in a way of a Covenant, Isa. 42.6. I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, and for a light of the Gentiles. His Blood is the Blood of the everlasting covenant, and there can be no Interest in it, nor in himself, but by way of Covenant; as there can be no Redemption, no Reconciliation, no Justification, no Sanctification, nor Salvation, but by and through his Blood; and that Blood is the Blood of the everlasting covenant, Zech. 9.11. As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant, I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit, where there is no water. Some do understand this of a temporal deliverance out of some great and grievous Affliction, which the Lord did deliver his People; if so, then certainly it must be by the blood of the covenant; by and through which the Elect are delivered out of all their Pits, and Miseries, into which their Sins have cast them. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Mediator of the New Covenant, and if Infants be not in this Covenant, they can have no Interest in him, as Mediator; for he is no Mediator, but of such a Covenant: His great Business is to confirm a Covenant, to all such, to whom he is a Mediator. Therefore to deny Infants being in covenant, is to shut them out of all hopes of partaking of one Drop of the Precious Blood of Christ, which is Covenant-Blood. And thus here is a dreadful Rock in the midst of that Ocean of Misery, that Sin hath brought them in, which poor Infants dying in their Infancy must unavoidably split upon for ever; moreover here we may see them all to have suffered Shipwreck, without the least part of a Wreck left them to swim to shore on. If it be so, that the Infints of Believers are excluded from Right in the Covenant, and the Promise of the Holy Ghost, and Remission of Sin, unless they do personally profess their Faith and Repentance, as our Challenger would have it, than they are out of all the ordinary way of Salvation, and desperately exposed to be lost for ever.  
3. Demonst. This hath been the way, that a holy and just God hath observed in ejecting, and casting out of the Covenant. When Parents by their sin have been disinherited, and cast out; their Children also have been turned out with them, we read of the breaking and taking in, Rom. 11.17, 19 The one must expound the other, and one must be commensurate and responsible to the other: otherwise the parallel, of the Holy Ghost, and the harmony of the matter will be broke. They which were broken off, were called natural branches; they and their natural Seed did grow upon this root, and both were broken off, not only the Parents, but the Children; God wrote upon them and their Children a Loammi. So when the Lord (through rich grace) did fill up their vacancy, and inserted the Gentiles in their Room, in graffing them into the same Stock, making of them to partake of the root, and fatness of the Olive tree; it was they, the adult Parents that did believe, and all their Sprigs, their Children, that sprang from them, that were graffed in. Here we must observe a meet Similitude in the rejection of the Jews, and the implantation of the Gentiles; look how the One was by unbelief broken off, so the others were taken in by Faith: but the one both Parents and Children were broken off through the stubborn rejection of the Covenant, not submitting to the new Administration of it, when it was offered by the Apostles after the ascension of the Messiah, which was expressed by the Parents only; therefore the Gentiles are inserted with their Children, notwithstanding the Parents only express a Believing embracement of the Covenant, and the Promises thereof.  
4. Demonst. Children are Members of the visible Church, where their Parents be in Covenant with God, they be initiated by Baptism, and admitted into visible Membership; the breaking off was the casting out of a visible Church, Mat. 19.14. But Jesus said, Suffer little Children to come unto me, and forbidden them not: for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. Our great Champion, will not have these to be little, in respect of the smallness of their growth, or littleness of their age, tho' it be never so ridiculous, and absurd to deny it; what will not rash men obtrude upon, to uphold their crude indigested notions. Observe a little here these be not only called Children, but little Children, Luke calls them Infants, Chap. 18.15. And they brought unto him also Infants that he would touch them, viz. that he would bless them; they were such that were brought, or born to Christ, they could not come themselves: then were there brought unto him little Children, nay, they were so small, and little that the Disciples that attended upon their Lord, thought that they could only be a trouble to him, therefore they rebuked them that brought them; yea, and further 'tis said that Jesus took them up into his arms, when he laid his hands upon them, and blessed them; he took them out of their Parents arms, or the arms of them that brought them, when he blessed them, Mar. 10.16. Yea one thing more fully to prove that Children are to be taken literally, and not allegorically, and that from the Greek word, that the Evangelist Luke makes use of, where 'tis said, that they brought unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, signifies a very little child Infants, puer recens natus, 1 Pet. 2.2. As new born Babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that they may grow thereby: The very same word we have for a Babe, yet unborn, and not enjoying any habitation but the Womb, Luke. 1, 41. And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the Salutation of Mary, the Babe leapt in her womb, and so ver. 44. the Babe leapt for joy! Oh how did our Neighbour lately abuse this precious Text, in his endeavouring to prove that which Christ will never thank him for, Viz. that Children are not capable of Habitual Faith: He would be thought a very great Scholar, tho' we well understand what University he was brought up in; but had he, or could he but have consulted the Original text, he would scarce have been so bold with Christ, as to have attempted to destroy his Love to Infants, and to have vented his cruelty to those, that he took up into his arms, to bless those that did hang upon the Breast, and were also brought in the arms of godly Mothers, that brought them forth unto Christ, to receive some Spiritual blessing. I do prefer the judgement of Learned and Critical Beza, before a thousand such Doctors as ours is: I will give you his sense of the words in Luke ch. 18.5. and how he opens the words. There he tells us what these Infants are, these are his words, Teneri nimirum et adhuc ab uberibus pendentes pueruli, very little Children that hang upon the Breast, sucking Babes, which are carried in the arms. Beza adds something more and saith thus, Est enim adversus hosts Paedobaptismi servanda propria significatio verbi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et nominis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the proper signification of the words Infants, and that they were carried to Christ, and also that he took them into his arms, when he blessed them, must be kept. But I may have an opportunity to meet with my Adversary in a more suitable place: Thus we see what little things the Seed of Believers be, that are Members of the Church visible; for by Kingdom of Heaven is (by all judicious Divines) taken to be the visible Church: Now because they be declared by Christ himself to be such Members with their Parents, they must also with them be in Covenant with God.  
5. Demonst. The Parents by Covenant do engage themselves, and their Children unto God. When Parents do enter into Covenant with the Lord, they do by the Bonds of the same, oblige themselves, and theirs unto the Lord, and to be the Lords for ever. Every Covenant-Parent does oblige himself, and his Seed to God, to walk according to the Covenant of Grace, to which the Initiating Seal of the Covenant is annexed; and God doth promise to be his God, and the God of his Seed, Gen. 17.7. Parent's when they do dedicate their Children to God, by the Seal of the Covenant, than they do engage to the utmost of their power, that they shall observe the Duties of the same: So Children when they are Adult, aught by Faith to lay a firm hold upon the Covenant, and answer the Obligation of their Parents. In a Federal Consideration, when Parents do engage for their Children; this (as it hath always been) is accounted among the Judicious the Act of the Children, in, and by their Parents, and they are obliged strictly to the performance of the same. That Parents have thus engaged for their Children in covenant with God, might be easily proved, Deut. 26.17, 18. In which place Parents and their children are comprehended, as is more fully and specifically expressed in Chap. 29.10, 11, 12, 13, 14. There we have the little ones expressed, which are involved with their Parents in the former place. Some that are Adversaries herein, pretend to wonder how this can be; but what is more common among Men? In a Man's Covenant, do not Men put their children's Names in their Writings Obligatory? And their Little Ones, and those unborn, shall stand firmly obliged thereby; and the Law doth take it as firm, as if the Child had actually bound himself. A little to Illustrate and Invigorate this; We are to consider that the Children when grown up, and prove sinful, walking contrary to the Covenant, yea, and those that never did receive the Token of the Covenant by Circumcision, stand accused of the high Charge of breaking the Covenant, which is an Evident Proof of their being (when but Infants) in covenant; otherwise this Charge could not be so clearly exhibited against them, Deut. 29.25. The men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers; Viz. the Covenant which the Lord God made with their Fathers. This you have but a few Verses before, to demonstrate that it was that Covenant the Lord made with the Parents and their Little Ones that stood before him, to covenant with him, 1 Kings 19.10, 14. You may see what Covenant this was, 2 Kings 13.23. And the Lord was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence: Yet they had broken this Covenant, and for the Covenant's sake, they descending from the Fathers, and being the Seed of those, with whom he had made this Covenant, he would not enter upon them for the breach they made upon it, to extinguish or to destroy them, as yet. It was the Covenant that did bind up and restrain the Hands of Justice from casting off the Jews, the Children of the Fathers, and of the Covenant; therefore the Lord is said, Psal. 111.5.— He will ever be mindful of his covenant. Gen. 17.14. And the uncircumcised manchild whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people: he hath broken my covenant. Surely if the Seed of Parents in covenant are accused for the breaking of the Covenant, they themselves must be in covenant, and obliged by their Parents to keep it.  
6. Demonst. Such as God is pleased to account and accept as holy, are in covenant. Those that have a Foederal Holiness must be federates, and such that be in covenant with the Lord; but this is the great Blessing of those that are the Children of believing Parents; there is a Holiness attributed to them, that is not to the Seed of Pagans, and Infidels, and it is a Covenant-Holiness; therefore it must follow by undeniable consequence, That they are in covenant with their Parents. What makes Israel, and his Seed, more holy than the Egyptians, or Canaanites, and their Seed, but God's taking one into covenant, and not the other? Thus Israel and his Seed are said to be holy, Deut. 14.2. For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God. If but one Parent be in covenant, the Children be accepted as holy with the Lord, 1 Cor. 7.14. Because of this, the Children are not unclean as the Canaanites, but holy like the Israelites. I have spoke something to this in the Explication of this Point, therefore shall hasten over it; it would be to small purpose to enter into the Miry Labyrinth, wherein some have lodged this precious Scripture: I shall only say this (with an Acute Person,) That commonly Reasons of Positions are brought à notiori, to prove a thing doubtful by a thing known, yielded, or confessed; this I judge to be a granted and a well-known Truth, as one of the Jews Divine Axioms: But that none but Believers Children are Legitimate, and that none but Believers have a lawful use of their Children, which are the two usual Expositions of the Adversaries on that Text, which to me seems very jeiune, and spurious; those will hardly pass for unquestionable Truths among the wisest of Men: And to make the Apostle argue thence to prove the lawful continuance of the Believer, in conjugal Society with the Unbeliever, would make the Apostle guilty of proving obscurum per obscurius, an obscure thing by that which is more dark and obscure: But to take Holiness there, for that which is Foederal, that is a clear Medium to prove that; and whosoever shall stand up and oppose it, there is the Dispensation of the Covenant with Isaac all along, and that continued in the Christian Churches to prove it. Your Children are holy, Viz. Heirs to the Covenant, a known Truth, then granted and allowed by all, even like unto our Text, That the Covenant was to the Parents, and their Children. How can the Children of Believers be said to be holy, if they be not in covenant with their Parents? From whence all the Seed of Believers do receive the denomination, Rom. 11.16. For if the first-fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. The Root is Abraham, and the Fathers, and they may be said to be the First-fruits, because they were first consecrated to God; and the Branches are denominated from the Root, Exod. 19.6. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. Here the whole Nation was called holy: How could it be called so? Not because all the Individuals of the Nation were personally holy, partaking of a saving Work of Holiness upon their Hearts: There were but a few such: But because as a Nation the Adult, and Children were in covenant with the Lord; for the Children were no small part of the Nation. We have this very Phrase conferred upon the Christian Church, in the Times of the Gospel, 1 Pet. 2.9. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people. Believing Gentiles, with their Seed, were engrafted into the same Place from whence the Jews were broken off, and are become a holy nation unto God.  
7. Demonst. Those unto whom the Promises of the Covenant are made, and do appertain; they are in Covenant with the Lord: Some time the Covenant is expressed by the Promise as in our Text, and the Covenant of Promise, the gracious promises of the word are the branches of the Covenant of grace: Some do style the Covenant a Collection or bundle of Promises which God hath bound up, and conferred (through Christ) upon his People, unto which there are annexed the duties of the Covenant, unto the performance: Of which there is provision made in the same Covenant of grace, and divine assistance: But the promises of the Covenant are made to the Children of those, that are themselves in Covenant, as well as to the parents; it seems to be very cruel and irrational to turn those out of the Covenant, unto whom are assured the gracious promises of it, not only Temporal and external, but Spiritual and eternal blessings are promised unto the Children of Believers. Those that are the opposers of this truth, must first Obliterate all the Promises that are comprehended in the Covenant, as the inheritance of the Seed of the Parents that themselves are in Covenant with the Lord. As to any common ordinary rule appointed to us, belonging to our duties and hopes concerning our offspring; we have nothing (as I know) to build upon, but Covenant promises: What an) excellent one is our Text unto pious Parents, as to their Children; and in this it is founded, for the Promise is to you, and your Children. To illustrate and amplify this, I shall in several particulars show you some of the Ranks of Covenant-Promises, that are extended unto such little Ones, that are the undoubted Proprietors of them.  
(1.) That great and Capital promise, of the Lords being their God, this comprehends all the rest, and is instar omnium. Is not this Promise, made to the Seed, of Believers, wrote in Capital Letters in many places, in the word of God? This is God's great record in the Covenant of grace; and the great foundation the Church of God is built upon, (viz.) this of Gods promising to be the God of his people, and of their Seed in every age, and generation of time, yea, to the end of the World, usque ad consummationem omnium, unto the completing and fulfilling of all things. Thus the blessed constitution, and promulgation of the Covenant hath always run; this is wrote with a Noverint universi. That which every one under the sound of the Gospel should know and understand; yea, even those that are but raw, and rudely instructed in the very Principles and Rudiments of Religion. This gracious promise, is the golden Frontispiece of this Covenant. The heart of God was so full of grace and love, to the Seed of the faithful, that when he called Abraham to establish his Covenant, the fountain of his grace, did immediately emit this sacred, sweet, and most refreshing Stream, Viz. That I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed; and that in all Successions and periods of time, unto the utmost bound and period of all, read the Scriptures following, Gen. 17.7. Jer. 24.7. and 31.33. and 32.38. Ezek. 11.20. and 34.24, 31. Chap. 36.28. Chap. 37.27. Mat. 22.27. 2 Cor. 6.17, 18. These rare promises must be expunged out of the Book of God, before I can, (unless left by God to fall into error;) put this Article out of my Creed, that the Children of Believers naturally Springing from their Loins are in the Covenant with them. I have spoke much already to prove that the Covenant in Gen. 17.7. made unto Abraham, did refer to the Covenant of Grace. Some may be making of some Query, about that; because they see, what must be the Consequence of granting of it. Wherefore I would desire them to return back unto what hath been said upon that Point: Only I will add one or two things here. (1.) In this form run the promises (which are acknowledged by all, that know any thing) of the Gospel-Covenant, or Covenant of grace; let all the places of Scripture, immediately here before mentioned, be examined as to the Phrase of them, I will be a God to you, or your God; and you my people, which includes Believers and their Seed: Now in as much as this in the 17. of Gen. runs in the same Phrase of the Covenant of grace that we see in other places that are allowed to be such, we may conclude, that such is this also. Doctor Ames saith thus against Bellar. Omnia illa quae spectant ad novum foedus eadem phrasi summatim explicantur. So that when we are challenged to prove the Covenant with Abraham, to be a Covenant of grace, and Circumcision to be a Seal of the Covenant of grace; Note that in this Point we have to do with our old Adversaries the Papists, tho' marching forth under the banner of a People of another Denomination; for their Doctrine as to the Covenant made with Abraham, in the place mentioned, is thus, that it was a Covenant of outward blessings, this is indeed the Doctrine of the worst of them, thus saith Bellar. Legimus Deum promisisse Abrahamo, quando illi injunxit Circumcisionem, terrena tantùm ad literam, i. e. propagationem posteritatis, & terram palestinae. Again, Illis verbis, ero Deus tuus, significat totum promissum peculiaris protectionis. Thus we may see, that our great disputant doth sweetly lick up the Doctrine of this great Doctor of the Church of Rome, tho' to give him his due, I believe he is not overmuch versed in him; to which Doctor Ames answers, Legimus benedictionem illam Abrahamo promissionem fuisse plane eandem cum illâ, quâ jam fideles ex gentibus justificabantur. Gal. 3. Now when the Holy Ghost testifies in Scripture every where, that the Gospel-Covenant runs in that form; why should we fall in with the Papists, and take their word for it, that that is no Gospel Covenant? But let us hearken to Christ, the best Expositor and applyer of Scripture, who is the Substance and infallible Oracle of all divine truths, Mat. 22.31, 32. But (saith he) touching the Resurrection of the dead, have ye not read, what was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living; where our Saviour affirms, that the present glorification of Abraham's, Isaac's and Jacob's Spirits and the future Resurrection of their bodies, to live with God, both Soul and body for ever, to be included in that Promise, and the very accomplishment of that promise, I am the God of Abraham, etc. Hence this clearly appears to be a Covenant of grace, of Spiritual and eternal Blessings.  
(2.) The promise of the Spirit is made to the Children of those Parents, that be in Covenant; therefore they must be also in Covenant. Such unto whom God promiseth his own Spirit, theirs is the promise and Covenant of grace; for that is a Covenant of promise, Ezek. 36.26. A new heart will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you, ver. 27. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my ways. The promise of the Spirit is one of the most gracious promises that the Covenant of grace is enriched withal. Christ and the Spirit are the two Emphatical promises. When Christ was upon the earth, and hastening towards his ascension, this was the great promise that he made to be left behind him; and this is the promise that by the gracious gift of God doth appertain to the Children of those that are in Covenant with the Lord, Isa. 44.3. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground, I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed, and my blessing upon thy offspring; Little Children that spring like little twigs from their parents, that be graffed into the Covenant: Chap. 59.21. As for me, this is my Covenant with them, saith the Lord, My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put into thy mouth, shall not departed out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever. Here is a blessed Promise to the Parents, and the Children, of this rare Privilege of the Spirit, with a perpetual Entail, Acts. 2.38, 39 Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of the Lord Jesus, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children; Viz. The Promise of Remission of Sin, and of the Holy Ghost. The Truth is, Dying Infants without this promise could never be saved.  
(3.) The Promise of Regeneration belongs to such Children. Such to whom the Lord promiseth Regeneration, and Renovation, must needs be in covenant, to them doth belong the Promise and Covenant of Grace, for that is a Blessing of the Covenant of Grace, Ezek. 36.26. A new heart also will I give unto you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. This doth expressly set forth the Work of the Holy Spirit, in renewing, and sanctifying, and regenerating the Hearts of the Elect; this is that which is promised to the Offspring of those in covenant with the Lord; therefore they themselves must also be in covenant, Deut. 30.6. And the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. The Seal of Circumcision, the Token of the Covenant, did eminently signify, and Assure this to all the Elect Infants that were in covenant; therefore Regeneration and Sanctification are oftentimes set forth by Circumcision, and when the Lord calls for them, he doth it under the Name and Notion of Circumcision: This might have been evidenced by many place 〈◊〉 Without this Promise, and the accomplishment of it in the Hearts of dying Infants, they can never be saved; for those Scriptures that exclude all unsanctified Persons out of the Kingdo● of Heaven, are as applicable to the young Children, as to those that are the most Adult. I need not stand to call in here any of those many Scriptures that have set an unmovable Bar before the Gate of Heaven, against all unsanctified Sinners.  
(4.) The Promise of being taught of God is an Excellent Promise of the Covenant of Grace; those that do partake of a Standing in this Covenant, this is one of the Evangelical Promises that they are entitled unto, those shall have a greater Teacher than Man, viz. they shall be taught of God, and by his Spirit. This is the Promise that is made with such Infants, that are in covenant with their Parents, though some do scornfully say, What can they learn? Or what are they capable to be taught? Let such know, that they have reasonable Souls; and God by his Spirit can easily teach them, and they be under the promise of being taught of God, Jer. 31.34. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest. God can teach the least Infant to know him, Isa. 54.13. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. Let us consider can any but those that be taught of God be admitted unto the Eternal Enjoyment of God: He will take no ignorant Sinner into the company of the Glorified. It is said of Timothy, that from a Child he knew the holy Scriptures, 2 Tim. 3.15. Every one of you (I presume) will readily grant, that his Knowledge was saving, and that he was effectually taught of God; and I must tell you, that he was very little when first he was taught, and this will appear, if we consider the Word in the Text, And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉— from his infancy. Some that be learned and critical do tell us 〈◊〉 the Word doth signify the very Embryo 〈◊〉 the Womb. God is able to teach and to sanctify there— propriè dicitur de partu recèns edito, a Child so soon as brought forth of the Womb. It is an easy matter for God to fulfil the Excellent Promises of the Covenant, and to cause the Babe that falls out of the Womb, to fall into the Arms of Grace, and he that sucks on the Breast to draw in the Heavenly Knowledge of Christ; otherwise how can many be taken from the Breast and the Womb to Heaven, as doubtless a Multitude of Coverant-Babes are?  
(5.) The Promise of Justification, and the Remission of Sin, is an Excellent Promise of the Covenant of Grace: The Blood of Christ is assured in this Foederal Mercy, not only to wash away the Filth, but also to remove the guilt of Sin. Pardon of Sin is one of the most desirable Branches of this Covenant, there can be no obtaining the pardon of one Sin without it; all the Promises of pardon are founded upon the Grace of God, and satisfaction made to Divine Justice by the Blood of the Son of God, whose Blood is the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant. I shall not stand to mind you of the many Promises that we have of Remission; the Word of God doth abound with them, and wheresoever you find any of them, you may conclude, that they do relate to the Covenant of Grace. Now the Covenant-Seed of those that be Believing Parents, have a share in those Promises that hold out a Free and Full pardon of Sin, Acts 2.38, 39 Repent, and be baptised every one, etc. for the remission of sins, For the promise is to you, and your Seed, Viz. That Promise and Covenant that hath made provision for the Remission of your Sin, and the Sin of your Children; for they had involved their Children into the guilt of their Sin, but in the Covenant there is pardon for both, Isa. 45.24, 25. Surely, shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and glory. The rich Provisions of the Covenant of Grace have laid up for the Justification and Remission for the Seed of Israel.  
(6.) Such to whom God is pleased to promise Blessedness, theirs is the Promise, and the Covenant of Grace: But the Children of those that are in covenant, are promised Blessedness. Such that be under such a Promise as this is, have right to be looked upon to be in the Covenant of Grace. In the Covenant of Works, there are the terrible Curse of a Just and Righteously angry God: But in the Covenant of Grace, there you may hear the Soul-comforting Voice, that pronounceth all Blessings, yea Blessedness itself; and this Blessed Voice is sounded out to the Little Ones of those Parents that are in covenant, Psal. 37.25, 26. I have been young and now am old: yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and dareth: and his seed shall be blessed. What Blessedness is there which is not in, and from that Covenant, Psal. 3.8. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Thus I have done with this Demonstration of the Doctrine, by which I have endeavoured to show that the Seed of those that are in covenant must be so, because the precious Promises do belong unto them.  
8. Demonst. To Evidence the Truth of this Point, those from whom God demands Covenant-Duty, and doth challenge the same from them; to them the Promise, and the Covenant doth appertain: The same Covenant that saith, You shall be my people, saith, I will be your God. Now the Covenant requires of the Children of God's People, that they be God's People too, therefore they be in covenant. Look as the Parents do covenant for their Children, in their Infancy, so 'tis their Duty (so soon as may be) to counsel, and to instruct them, as Covenant-childrens to know, to love, to fear, to serve and obey God. These are Covenant-Obligations: Those that the Lord is pleased to take into Foederal-relation with himself, to be his People; it is that they may be found in the constant and persevering discharge of Relative Duties: Thou shalt be my people, What only to partake of Privilege? No; but also to perform Duty. Abraham was very sensible of this, and therefore did command and oblige all of his, what he could, to be conversant in all necessary and incumbent Covenant Duties. See what observation the Lord did make of him, and what a Commendation he fastens upon him, Gen. 18.19. For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgement. All Parents in covenant ought to see to this; they are engaged in covenant with, and for their Children, and are under an indispensable Obligation to see that their Children walk and act suitably to the Privileges, and Duties of it. God expects a Revenue of Honour from covenant Children, therefore he doth command their Parents to bring them up in the Fear and Admonition of the Lord, Eph. 6.4. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Thus Timothy was educated and brought up from a little child. Children are to be dedicated unto God by the Seal of the Covenant, by which they be bound to fear God, to serve, to obey him, to keep his Word, and to walk in his Way; as Abraham did instruct and command his to do. Believers Children must be under God's discipline, bound to God's Worship, kept in God's Way; they be the Lords People. Must this be, and no Covenant-priviledge belong unto them, and be what Pagans and Heathens only be? This is the Covenant-Dispensation, first Privilege, and then Duty; therefore Children that are in covenant with the Lord are called Disciples, Acts 15.10. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples,— They are in a peculiar manner to be instructed, and taught as those from whom God expects early Service.  
9 Demonst. The same Covenant is transferred unto the Times of the Gospel, since the Actual Exhibition and Ascension of the Messiah; the same for Essence, and Substance, though in the Administration of it, it may vary in some circumstances; the believing; and the covenanted Gentiles, stand in the very same Condition by Faith, and in the very same Kingdom-state for the Essentials of it, out of which the Jews, through unbelief, were broken and cast off; for they were graffed, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in the place and room of those broken Branches, as Beza hath it, Rom. 11.17. And it hath its first rise from that seasonable and neverfailing Promise, Gen. 3.15. which will run through all the Ages of the World, wheresoever God hath his Elect, by the preaching of the Gospel to call into, and to enclose within the limits of the Covenant. It was the Saying of a great Man, that Adam and Eve, when they entered upon a new Covenant bottom, were seminally a Visible Church; for by them, the World, as well as the Church, as to be built. Here when the Lord did reveal his Grace, and gracious Covenant, he took in the Seed also, in the very downing and first dayspring of the Gospel, God takes in the Seed of the Woman, so afterwards to Abraham, and so all along until the Time of the calling of the Gentiles. Now in the Times of the Gospel, those that be called, be the Children of Abraham, they, and their Seed, have a happy admittance into the Covenant of Abraham, and are Heirs according to promise, and blessed with that everliving Father. The New Testament doth abundantly testify of this; in many Scriptures we have the Old Testament Phrase and Way, Mat. 8.11. Many shall come from the east and from the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. By the Faith of the Centurion Christ takes an occasion to touch by way of prediction of the calling of the Gentiles, and the rejection of the Jews, and the bringing of the Gentiles into the Covenant made with those Fathers, and Patriarches. I do not know how to forbear the inserting of an excellent Observation that a Judicious Man makes upon this Text, thus, Quare non sine admiratione hoc additum fuit domesticos regni Dei, & haeredes fore, qui tunc extranei erant, neque id solum, sed foedus salutis mox publicandum esse, ut totus orbis in unum Ecclesiae corpus coalesceret, dum Gentiles qui ad fidem accedunt ejusdem cum Abram, Isaac, & Jacob, salutis participes fore dicit. Luke 19.9. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is the son of Abraham. Here our Lord Jesus did preach the Covenant, and upon the Faith of this good Man, Abraham's Covenant entered into his House, himself, and whole Family were taken into covenant, Exod. 16.31, 32, 33. This was the happy State of this Man, so soon as he did believe, God took him into covenant and his whole House, and all of them in the same Hour of the Night, did partake of the Seal of the Covenant, after this Example we practice, v. 14, 15. This was the case of Lydia, upon her believing, she, and all her House were Baptised, 'Tis strange if that in all these houses, there might not be one Child, there might be children in several of them; however children be a part, and a choice part of households. So that here is a Rule for us to walk by, that when the Master or head of the house doth embrace the Faith, that was never Baptised before, both he, and his, are to receive the token of the Covenant, as upon their believing, they do enter into it with God. This is the right way to be observed, that Parents entertaining the Gospel, that were never under the bond of the Covenant, neither partakers of the Seal of it, must be baptised; and their Children, that are federally received with them by God, must be also with them, Rom. 4.16. Therefore 'tis of faith, that it might be by grace, to the end the promise or the Covenant might be sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, Viz. He is the Father of all that do believe, both Jew and Gentile, Eph. 2.13, 14. But now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ: For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition. Now by the blood of Christ the parting Wall that was between the Jew and the Gentile is taken away, and both of them that believe are enclosed in one Covenant. The Gentile that was afar off being out of Covenant, and the Jew that was nigh being in Covenant. Now in the New Covenant all our Spiritual and Eternal blessings come swimming to us upon the blood of Christ, which blood for ever runs through the Covenant. We have no other way of remission of Sin, of renovation and Regeneration, or of Eternal life, than Abraham had in the Old Testament, John 8.56. Neither doth the Lord require any other obedience from us, than he did from Abraham, therefore we are to walk in the steps of our Father Abraham.  
10. Demonst. God doth challenge the Children of his people, that be in Covenant with him, to be his Children. There is a special Interest and propriety, that God lays claim to have in the Seed of his, they be more his children, than theirs; they are brought forth for him, and by the Seal of the Covenant are, and aught to be devoted and dedicated to God, Ezek. 16.20, 21. Moreover thou hast taken thy Sons, and thy Daughters, whom thou hast born unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured: That thou hast slain my children. This is brought in, as a great aggravation of their sin, in their cruel and wicked Idolatry; because their Children were those that God had a propriety in, tho' they were their Parents children by generation; yet they were his by Adoption, and Federal assumption. To offer any Creature to an Idol, is a great sin, but to offer Children is far worse, and to offer God's Children, that is worst of all. What greater Sacrilege can there be, than this, to rob God of his Covenant-Seed, brought forth unto him, and to cast them away upon Idols? May not they be said to rob God that endeavour to rend, and tear his Children out of the Covenant, and refuse by the Administration of the Seal to give them up unto God?  
11. Demonst. Shall be taken from many gross, (I wish I might not say wicked) absurdities, that follow the denying Infant's interest in the Covenant of grace with their Parents. That Doctrine cannot be of God, that is clothed with, or attended upon with many absurdities. I do find that those that are great zealots in casting Children out of their hold, which the great Lord Proprietor hath given them in the Covenant, are not apprehensive what absurd things do attend them. The Livery of this Doctrine discovers it to be of no good Family; its retinue may render it very questionable, yea, very unsound. The truths of Christ admit of no absurdities, of no gross Inferences; you can infer nothing from any Doctrine of the Gospel, but what is pure, and precious: Men to support their Errors, may endeavour to extort, and wrest the holy Scriptures, to speak their filthy Language, and to give countenance to their odious Tenants. This is one of the Worst abuses and hellish Rapes that can be offered to the word of God. Satan himself hath an exquisite skill herein, and he hath taught many of his Disciples a dextrous knack in this black Art. Did but the Adversaries of this my Doctrine consider into what absurdities they chase their Game; and how the pretended beautiful face of their opinion is scratched and torn, it would make them a little more modest and moderate in their assertions and conclusions. I shall touch upon some few of that multitude of absurdities that do inevitably follow shutting Infants out of the Covenant of grace, they are included in with their Parents.  
1. This doth impose a great restraint upon the blessed Covenant, contracting the large and copious grace of God, that is involved in it. This eclipse the wings of the love, grace and mercy of God, that doth dilate and amplify themselves in a Covenant way. Men may boast and vaunt that they are the great admirers, and promoters of the riches of Divine grace, but so long as they do Eclipse, and obscure the glory, and the brightness of it in the Covenant; so long they are but empty Pretenders, like unto sounding Brass, and a tinkling Cymbal. The great way that the fountain of Grace hath always taken to diffuse and to convey itself, ever since the miserable state of Man stood in need of it, hath been through the Covenant of grace; out of which to exclude Infants, is the ready way to contract, abbreviate and to confine it in straighter Channels than ever God intended it for. What a wonderful restraint is here fixed upon the grace of God, when Parents must only be taken in, and all their Infants must be thrust out; when Parents must be the Children of the Covenant and of the Promise, and their Seed must be the Children of the Pagans and Heathens, and in no better a capacity as to any Spiritual privileges than they; when much of the Lustration and admired beauty of it is (by every unprejudiced Eye) clearly to be seen from the gracious extent of it, to the Seed of those that are taken into it. Thus with Abraham, and all along, and thus in our Text, the Promise is to you, and your Seed. Nay, this is to make an essential violation upon, and alteration of the Covenant, without any colour of pretence, or shadow of reason in the least: For we never read since the institution of it, that ever Children were shut out.  
2. This makes the case and condition of Children far worse than they were before the Incarnation and ascension of Christ; and it makes the Covenant-State of believing Parents to be worse: for before they were not only themselves in the happy compass of the Covenant, but they had their Children with them also, [to thee, and to thy seed.] Here ran the Glory, the Grace, and the Promises of the Covenant, to encourage the convinced Jews to believe, and repent. The Apostle in my Text doth assure them, that the Promise is not only to them, but to their Children likewise. Methinks what a bloody Knife is here at the Throat of all the gracious Covenant-promises made to Infants, or poor Children. By this opinion they have small ground of rejoicing at the appearance of Christ in the flesh, that did immediately abandon them out of the Covenant. We read Mat. 21.15. of Children crying in the Temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David: But this Doctrine of shutting them out of the Covenant gives them but little ground of those acclamations. But their sounding out of the praises of the Redeemer, is a clear Indication that it was for their sake, that he was come to impart unto, and to enrich them with all the redemption-blessings wrapped up in the Covenant. Doubtless their amazing Hosannah's they poured out to their Mediator of that Covenant they did partake of, were by a Supernatural instinct and influence, Mat. 21.16. Have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes, and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? The Lord Jesus never came into the World to contract, but to enlarge the Covenant; he was so far from turning Children out of the Covenant, as that he hath extended it unto the Gentiles, and all the nations of the World, and their Seed, upon their believing.  
3. This shuts out, and deprives them of the ordinary way of Salvation; as to extraordinary ways, we have no Rule to walk by, what a prejudice is here offered to Infants? And what a Soul-destructive Tenent is that, which deprives little ones of all ordinary ways and means of eternal Salvation? They have as precious Souls as any; and by nature (through the guilt and filth of sin) as miserable and obnoxious to Divine wrath as others. They have equal necessity of the grace of God, and the blood of Christ with their first Parents they descended from: And I know no ordinary appointed way for their help, relief and recovery, but by and through the Covenant of grace. How slenderly do many consider of this cruel absurdity, that they cannot free their opinion from? How helpless doth this reader all children of pious Parents to be? I might illustrate and amplify this by many particulars, some of which I shall just propound.  
(1.) This doth deprive them of being Members of the visible Church of Christ; for this Church is enclosed within the Covenant; to shut them out of this enclosure, is directly opposite to Christ's own and open assertion, Mat. 19.14. Suffer little children, and forbidden them not, to come unto me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. So that to exclude Believers Infants, being part of th' visible Church in general, is to exclude them from any ordinary State and way of Salvation; this hath been a long received saying, that extra Ecclesiam non est salus, no Salvation in an ordinary way. To exclude all Infants of Believers from a notion of Abraham's Spiritual Seed, from a Covenant and Church State, is to put them into the same State of the Children of Infidels and Pagan Gentiles, who are strangers from the Promise and Covenants, and in a godless, Christless and hopeless State, Eph. 2.11, 12. This the Apostle sets out to be the deplorable condition of all such, making no distinction of potentia remota, aut propinqua, let this be well considered.  
(2.) They cannot be judged to be the Elect of God to Eternal life; all that shall saved, are the chosen to Salvation before all time, Eph. 1.4, 5. According as he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself. 2 Thess. 2.13. But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord; because God hath from the beginning, chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and the belief of the truth. The line of Election doth usually, and for the most part runs through the Lines of the inchurched incovenanted Parents; there the greatest part of the golden Veins are placed. So it was amongst the Jews in the duration of their Church and Covenant-State, Rom. 11.5. Even so then at this present time also, there is a remnant according to the election of grace. Now for men to turn them out of the Covenant of Grace, is to render them in a very unpromising Station of the Election of God, to appertain unto them. This is as to God's eternal choice to make them altogether as hopeless as the Seed of Pagans and Infidels. Tho' I readly grant that secret things belong unto God; yet from what is revealed, we have little ground to judge that any considerable quantity of the Elect are to be concluded to be amongst the Heathen world; where the Covenant is not on foot, where Christ is neither preached or known, where Souls be not converted nor called, nor any saving signs by the fruits and effects of Election discovered nor Demonstrated.  
(3.) Such cannot be supposed (by any ordinary prospect) to be any of them, that God hath eternally given to Christ to Save; those that are saved in time, are such that are given to Christ before all time: When Christ came into the World, to suffer, to lay down his precious life, he openly declared, that it was for his sheep, for those the Father had given him, and for none beside, John 10.11, 15, 17. and 17.6, 9 There was an eternal Covenant of Redemption concluded between the Father and the Son; in the which the Son did engage to satisfy Divine justice, by being a Propitiation in his blood, for the Redemption of those that were given him: And the Father promised all grace here, and everlasting glory hereafter unto them as the fruit of his own grace, and the purchase of their Mediator that offered up himself as an offering, and Oblation of a sweet-smelling savour, 2 Tim. 1.9. Tit. 1.2. And all this is conveyed and transmitted to them by, and through an Evangelical Covenant of grace made unto believing Parents and their Elect Seed: For this is the great Sluice, through which all the blessings of the Covenant of Redemption do run. Now to banish Infants out of this Covenant, what foundation can we descry to build any hopes upon, that they be any of those, that be eternally given by the Father, to the Son to bring into a State of grace here, and mansions of glory hereafter, Psal. 89.28. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him, Viz. with Jesus Christ.  
(4.) We cannot look upon any of the Seed of Believers to be loved by God from the beginning, (if they be excluded that gracious compact they be in with their Parents,) Gods love to his Elect before all time is manifested to them in time; the establishing of a Covenant of Grace, is the great effort and emanation of the love of God to the eternally, designed and determinated Subjects of the same God did single out Abraham, and his Seed, from the rest of the World, to make an open patefaction, and discovery of the hidden, and secret purposes, and intentions of his grace, and love to them; therefore he entered into a Covenant of Grace with them, not only with Abraham, but also with his Seed, that being the great conveyance of all unto them. Eternal grace, and love streams through it from the fountain of grace and love: So that if they be thrust out of this, they be diverted from the usual current of all gracious designs and purposes; and this must of necessity render their condition to be very dangerous and desperate.  
(5.) Neither can they be hopefully looked upon to be redeemed, and purchased by Christ and his meritorious blood: That which gives believing Parents any good assurance of hopes, that Christ extended his mediatory undertake and sufferings for their Children, is the Covenant-interest their Children have obtained with them. Take away this Anchor-hold, and the Anchor that is cast out, will come home, and Hope will languish, and quickly grow very faint. But here in my Doctrine is a good bottom for Faith and Hope, in our wrestling with God by Faith in Prayer, for the glorious Fruits and gracious Effects of the Effusion of the Blood of the Lamb of God, that gave up himself unto death for us. The Lord Jesus Christ himself came through the Covenant, and was the great Seed of the Promise; therefore he hath this Attribute given to him, That he is the Mediator of the Covenant, Heb. 8.6. All his Mediation is promoted and transacted through this gracious Covenant, therefore also he is called Jesus, the Mediator of the new Covenant, Heb. 12.24. And also his Blood is called the blood of the Everlasting Covenant; it cometh swimming unto us through the Everlasting Covenant: So that to shut the Seed of the Faithful forth of this Covenant, you do (as much as you can) carry them besides the usual passage of this Covenant-Blood.  
(6.) Neither can they be capable of Remission and pardon of Sin. Infants as well all others be Sinners, guilty Sinners, and have an indispenfable necessity of the pardon of Sin, as well as the Adult; they be born with the guilt of Adam, Sin lying at their door, which is a strong Bar to keep them out of Heaven, unless it be by pardoning Grace removed: They come into the World, and can never go to Heaven, though they be never so few Moment's in it, without pardoning Mercy. But where is Forgiveness sealed? Is it not in the Covenant of Grace? Are not the Free and Gracious Promises great Branches of, yea Essential Parts of the Covenant? And are not the Promises of Remission, some of the Promises of it? Therefore we may see that all those that are or shall be pardoned, it must be by and through this Covenant; and if so, where are the Hopes placed for the pardon of the Sins of our dying Infants, that are shut out of it? I need not (I hope) stand to prove by several Scriptures; that pardoning Mercy is Covenant Mercy, and is assured by the Promises of it; indeed there is not one Promise of this, but what is a Covenant one. Oh! then let us have a care what we do, that we do not dare to disinherit the Children of Believers, in that which gives the greatest hopes of their pardon of sin.  
(7.) They cannot be the Lords Adopted Children, without this Covenant of Grace: Adoption is a Covenant Blessing, take it in a general and in an especial acceptation; there cannot be so much as a general Adoption without this Covenant, as I have shown you, because of this all Israel was called God's Son and his Children; this I have proved by many Scriptures which do abound with it: much less can there be any special and peculiar Adoption without a Covenant of Grace, this being one of the prime blessings of it. Gracious Parents are greatly concerned that their Children should be the Lords, that they should be the Adopted Children of the Heavenly Father, and Heirs according to promise: but this is the peculiar favour and privilege of such, that are concluded within the compass and bounds of the Covenant, Act. 3.25. Ye are the children of the Prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our Fathers, etc. It is by Covenant that ye become Children, and do partake of the Adoption; for unto Covenant-ones doth the Adoption appertain, Rom. 9.4. Who are Israelites, to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the Covenants. Here we see that the Adoption, and the Covenant go together; he that is shut out of one, cannot be a Partaker of the other.  
(8.) They cannot be sanctified nor washed from their Sins; turn them out of the Covenant, and you drive them from the Laver of Regeneration and Sanctification; nay, you send them away from the very Fountain of Grace, that is opened for Sin and for Uncleanness, Zech. 12.10. Infants, yea those of the most pious and sanctified Parents, were shapen in iniquity, and conceived in sin, Psal. 51.5. Those that spring from corrupt Parents cannot be clean, Job 14.4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. and 15.14. What is man, that he should be clean? and he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? It is impossible that he should; Parents by propagation can only convey Sin to their Posterity, not Grace; but all the hope that they can have of their Sanctification is lodged in a Covenant of Grace, where there are Provisions of cleansing and Sanctification treasured up; and unless Infants be sanctified, they cannot be saved, nor inherit the Kingdom of God, Eph. 5.5. But the Covenant of Grace is eminently adorned with excellent Promises of cleansing and Purification. And for this our Lord Jesus poured out his Immaculate Blood, which is the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant; this he did for his Church, which Children are a numerous part of, Eph. 5.25, 26, 27. And all the washing and cleansing of Souls is promised in, and transmitted through the Covenant; so that for Children to be excluded from it, they must be bereaved and deprived of all this great Covenant blessing, without which they must be lost eternally, and be concluded with the abominable and filthy, to be the Fuel of inextinguishable Flames of Revenging Wrath. But Parents may encourage themselves, from the good Inducements that are administered to them, in reference to their little Children, from this Heart-supporting, and Soul-reviving Covenant, Jer. 31.33. Viz. This is one great Branch and Blessing of my Covenant: Ezek. 36.25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean 〈◊〉 from all your filthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you. Infant's must be included in these Promises, Deut. 30.6. And the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. This is a blessed Encouragement vouchsafed by the Covenant of Grace, but deny Infants a Title to this, and then you have no room left to expect (in an ordinary way) their Purification and Holiness. So that still it appears to be dangerous to exclude them this Covenant.  
(9) They cannot enjoy the Lords gracious Presence without partaking of the Covenant; it is his Covenant-Presence that is his peculiar and gracious Presence, that he doth enrich his People withal. The Church, and the Covenant-People of the Lord, did partake of this Presence, before Christ came it was with them, and with their Children, 2 Cor. 6.16. I will dwell with them, and walk with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people: Viz. My peculiar, and my Covenant-People; for unto such doth this Special Presence appertain; God pitcheth his Tabernacle, and fixeth his Presence, and Residence, among his that are in this Happy Compact with him, Leu. 26.11, 12. And I will set my tabernacle amongst you: and I will walk among you, and ye shall be my people. To turn Children out of this Covenant, is the next way to send them from all the Beatifical Shines of this Mercy, and to dismiss them from the gracious Presence of the Lord, and to make them wand'ring and perpetually exposed Vagabonds, like unto Cain; yea, this is the way to bring the Children of Believers under that direful Imprecation, Psal. 109.10. Let his children be continually vagabonds,— The worst Vagabonds in the World are those that be stigmatised with the infamous Brand of being Excluded the Covenant, and the gracious Presence of the Lord. We see then, that Men had need be careful how (in respect of the Covenant) they deal with poor Infants.  
(10.) They cannot be gathered to Christ, nor brought under the Wings of his Mercy. It is an Excellent Promise of Christ, That the gathering of the People, viz. of all the Elect, shall be unto him, Gen. 49.10. The sceptre shall not departed from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, viz. Christ, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. But still the gathering of Christ is a Covenant-gathering, Psal. 50.5. Gather my saints together, that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. The Wings of Christ, underneath which the gathering must be, are lifted up in this Covenant; though his gracious Wings be never so receptive, and large, yet the only way to creep under them, is by getting within the Bond of the Covenant. Those that be not within the Enclosure of it, are not said to be gathered, but to be remote, and distant from Christ, Eph. 2.12, 13. That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus, ye that were afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. You be called and brought into the Covenant, though you were afar off, yet now are brought nigh by the Blood of the Covenant; so that all that are not in the Covenant, are still afar off, and remote from Christ. This is the condition that Children of pious Parents must be unavoidably cast into, that are banished the Covenant of grace, by which a people are brought nigh and gathered into and unto Christ.  
(11.) They be by this way of dealing shut out of (in a word) all Covenant-Blessings, and Privileges; and so are represented to be in a most deplorable and miserable condition, this strips them naked of all the covenant-blessings, they be clothed and invested with. It is the promise of the Lord, and it is a promise full of grace, that he will show mercy to thousands of them that love him, and keep his Commandments, Viz. To many generations of their Seed, and posterity. I shall here enlarge no further. Thus, by what hath been said, you may see that by excluding Infants out of the Covenant of grace, they be shut out of all the ordinary ways and means of Salvation. For a full confirmation of all these particulars, we see our friends, the Anabaptists deny to the Infant-Seed of Believers, the token of the Covenant, which Seals up all the Covenant-mercys that God hath promised and graciously provided: For it is to be observed, that when the Lord did establish his Covenant with Abraham, and his Seed, Gen. 17.7. in the 10. ver. He instituted and appointed Circumcision the Seal of the Covenant to assure Abraham of the performance of all the gracious promises of it is. To deny the Seal then, is to break the Covenant, and (as far as man can) to deprive the Seed of all privileges, and benefits of it.  
4. The next absurdity from the Doctrine of turning Infants out of Covenant is this, It doth not only hinder them, from being Members of Christ; but makes them the miserable offspring and Members of Satan. Those that deny children's Covenantship, by which they be federally holy, pretend some kindness unto them; in as much as they would not have them to be bastards, they would not have them to be the product and Children of harlots, and whoremongers; but they indeavuor to make them the Children of the Devil, they cannot be the Members of the Body of Christ, if not in Covenant; because all that are his he receives them by, enjoys them in, and communicates to them through a Covenant: Doth he pardon them? Doth he Adopt them? Doth he sanctify them? Doth he preserve them? All is through a blessed Covenant, without which they must be plunged into a miserable condition; God is not their God and Father, Christ is not their Redeemer and Advocate, they be remote and far distant from God, they be in the Tents of the Egyptians, of the Synagogue of Satan and his Children, if they be not in the Covenant of Grace, they cannot be in the Kingdom of God, but must be in the Kingdom of Satan, the God of the World, and the Prince of Darkness, that rules in the Hearts of the Children of Disobedience. Until the converted Ephesians were called out of Sin, they were without the Covenant, and without a Promise, yea, without God and Christ, and all hope in the World, both for themselves and Children also.  
5. This takes from, and defeats godly Parents of all ground of hope, concerning the Eternal Happiness of their dying Babes, Children and Little Ones. A Pagan, an Infidel may by this Doctrine have as good a Foundation to build their Hopes of Happiness upon, as to their deceased Little Ones, as the most holy Saints of God in the World: For what is that, which can give any one great hopes of another, but a visible Covenant-State, where all Salvation is lodged and founded? To turn Infants out of the Covenant, and to make them Strangers thereby to all the salvificable Promises thereof, is the way to leave them no hope, nor their Parents for them. I wonder what hopes in an ordinary manner (and we must not build upon extraordinary things) they can have concerning their Departed Infants, who before they were dismissed out of the World, were by them dismissed out of the Covenant. For my part, I do comfortably profess, that the hopes that I have of the Salvation of my dear Young Ones, that are out of the Body, is purely built upon the Grace of God in this Covenant, which I would not be without for Ten Thousand Worlds. Oh! Christians, Christians let not this Hold of Mercy go, as ever you would encourage yourselves to hope, that your dear Expired Babes are in the Bosom of Christ.  
6. And by consequence, according to this Doctrine of our Adversaries, we can have no hope of seeing our buried Infants again in comfort, when we die, or at the Blessed Coming and the Glorious Appearance of the Lord Jesus in the last and ultimate Day. What hopes can we have that our deceased Infants are fallen asleep in the Arms of Christ, and that he will bring them again with him, and you shall enjoy them eternally? If they be not enclosed and entrenched in the Covenant of Grace, vain are the hopes of all in this matter without it. But whereas the Lord in covenant, hath in a most gracious manner proclaimed himself thus, I am the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and Jacob, and of their Seed for ever; this is sufficient ground to comfort ourselves that we shall have a blessed fresh View, and a glorious Enjoyment of our little absent Ones, and that for ever. There can be no ground of a happy Resurrection to Eternal Life for ourselves, or Infants, but by and through a Covenant; without this, Parents can have no warrantable, nor comfortable expectation of seeing their Infants at the Right hand of Christ, in the Great Day, but on the Left, among them that were never in covenant, but lived and died afar off from Christ, and so without all hope. What can we expect to hear of our Little Ones, when Christ shall judge the World in Righteousness, if they be then found without the Pale of the Covenant, but a formidable, though a righteous, Doom pronounced against them, to inhabit the Flames of Eternal Burn?  
Thus I have insisted upon some of the gross Absurdities, that do fall in with their cruel and unwarrantable turning the Children of Believers out of the Blessed Covenant of Abraham, the Father of us all. I wish that all that have heard me may seriously, and impartially without all prejudice, ponder upon these things. I persuade myself, did but Christians throughly consider these Matters, it would not be that many durst be so prompt, and bold, to disfranchise Infants of this Covenant Charter, as they are. Many make nothing to make Breaches upon the Lords gracious Enclosure, that they may turn the Lambs forth into the Herds of the Goats and Wolves. Thus I have done with the Second General Head, propounded to be observed in the Method of this my Discourse, and so I proceed.  
III. To the Third General Head, the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this Matter, which is to give some Reasons to show, why it is so, why the Lord doth take Infants into covenant with their Parents. Many good Reasons might be given for this: But I have been large upon the immediate preceding Head, that was in this Controversy chief to be insisted upon; insomuch, that I design much brevity in this; but however, I judge it very suitable to give you a few Reasons of this good and precious Point of Gospel Truth.  
1. Reason Shall be taken from the Rich and abundant Grace of God; that is the inward moving Cause of all this Covenant, is all of pure Grace; and it is a great Birth from the Infinite Womb of Grace. Here is an unconceivable Instance of the Riches of the Grace of God to Sinners. Oh! what but unsearchable Grace did the Lord manifest in calling Abraham out of an idolatrous place and Nation, and to establish his Covenant with him, and his Seed for ever, and make him to be the Father of many Nations, Kindred's and Tongues? Away with that pitiful Notion of a Covenant of Works, and outward Blessings made with Abraham and his Seed, in Gen. 17. whereas the very Tenor of that Covenant representeth it to be a Sparkling Constellation of the Shining Refulgency of the Grace of God. The God of Grace takes whom he will, and impales in this Covenant; first he was pleased to take the Jews into it, and leave out all the World besides, to enter into covenant with them, and to be their God; then Grace took the Gentiles in among the Jews, and into the place from which some through unbelief were broken off, Rom. 11.17. The casting away of some of the Jews was the reconciling of the World; God would show his Goodness and his Severity to whom he pleased, and who can say unto him, What dost thou?— he gives no account of his matters, Job 33.13. Grace hath accepted of the Gentiles, and of their Seed to be holy, under the Administration of the Gospel. Is Grace less abounding, giving out less Privileges now, under the New, than under the Old Testament? Hath Grace contracted the Covenant more now than before? Hath Grace no Covenant-Blessings for the Children of Believers now? And must their poor Offspring suffer a cutting off of the Entail of the Covenant? Hath Jacob carried away all the Blessing, and none left for the Children of the inchurched and incovenanted Gentiles? Surely Grace is not now straitened. Our dear Lord and Saviour hath the same Bowels of Mercy to poor tender Babes that ever he had, and as he had then, when he said, Suffer them to come unto me, and forbidden them not, and declared that of such are the Kingdom of Heaven, Mat. 19.13, 14. He took them up into his Arms, and put them into his Bosom, as we may well suppose, when he laid his Hands upon them and blessed them: Hath not Grace the same effects as to Children, as when he sent his Apostle to tell the poor awakened and bleeding Sinners, that the Promise was to them, and their children? As when it graffed in the Gentiles among the Jews, to partake with them of the Juice and Fatness of the Olive-tree, it hath not spent all its Fatness upon them; but if there be any Fatness, Nourishment, Satisfaction, and Comfort, to have hope in God from the Covenant for poor Little Ones, we have it, and the Apostle comforts trembling Creatures in our Text with it, and so the Apostle Paul in telling the Gentiles, that they be inserted in this Covenant among the Jews, and are Partakers of the same Fatness with them. This therefore doth Answer them, that demand and question How natural generation can entitle a Man to Covenant-Priviledges? I demand, How doth natural generation entitle a Man to the Curse? A corrupt Man under the Curse of the First Covenant begets a Child in his own likeness as corrupt, and as accursed as himself; How comes this to pass, but through the Justice of God, in imputing to Children the Curse of that Covenant, under which they were born? So é contra, a Believer under the Covenant of Grace, begets a Child, though corrupt as from him, yet by virtue of the Grace of the New Covenant, under which he is born, he hath a Foederal Holiness, and is a Partaker of the Privileges of the same Covenant. So Grace in the appointed time, shall reassume the Jews that be cast out, and graft them again into their Old Stock, and they shall be a Glorious People.  
2. Reason, Shall be taken from the final Cause, there is a double final Cause of it.  
1. That the Lord may have and reap the Glory of his Grace, of this high expression, and signification of his grace, Viz. in taking Infants into Covenant with their Parents; which they do rob him of, that deny this grace to Infants, they do greatly abbreviate, extenuate and veil the grace of God, that will only admit the Adult believing, and repenting▪ Parent into Covenant; but by no means will their Seed and Little Ones: This is the way to congeal the divine bowels that be full of inward yearning to enclosed Little Ones. That the Apostle in my Text might administer the best, and so the most expedient Cordial to the broken and afflicted Jews; who were greatly concerned not only about their own, but the safety and Salvation of their Children; tells them, That the promise was to them, and their children: The belief and exercise of faith about this matter, is the ready way to promote, an excellent Revenue of praise and honour for the grace of God: What wrong and indignity is offered to the grace of God, by shutting of poor Infants that cannot plead for themselves, for whom the grace of God and blood of the Covenant of the eternal Son will effectually plead, out of this Covenant? Let men talk what they will of the Spiritual Seed, of the grace of God in Christ, yet so long as they labour to abandon an innumerable multitude of the Subjects of it, they are great Prevaricators from, and perverters of that grace; and so become grand obstructers of that Crop and harvest of praise and honour, that he expects from his Covenant-transactions of grace with Parents and their Children.  
2. That so by this means he might allure and graciously intiee men and women to accept of, and to come under this Covenant: This is indeed a sweet decoy, that a gracious God is pleased to make us of in this affair; this is to insinuate the minds of men into a well liking of, and acceptation of the Covenant, and the Gospel administration of it: This is the scope of the Apostle in my Text. Here the Apostle was alluring his pensive and weeping Auditory to accept of this; therefore he milks out of this breast of Consolation that which might taste sweet upon the Palates of them, whose Sins were now bitter as Wormwood and Gall, and were under Soul-sinking fears about their own and their children's eternal welfare and condition. Well said the Apostle, I discern your trembling and aching hearts, your overwhelming doubts and fears; but be still, sedate, and compose your minds and thoughts, accept of the Gospel dispensation, and for your comprehensive encouragement and complete satisfaction, I say unto you, The promise is to you, and your children. Oh! methinks, how did this revive their disconsolate and dejected hearts, and drooping sinking spirits, quickly melting their wills into a ready compliance with the Apostles Exhortation, as we find presently after our Text. If this privilege were cut off, the Jews would have little encouragement to leave Moses to follow Christ; to forsake the Old, and to cleave to the New Dispensation of the Covenant which was then setting on foot, and which they were exhorted unto. They well knew before, that they themselves, and also their Children, were in Covenant with God; and the Apostle speaks unto them as so instructed and established; therefore said he, The promise is to you, and your children. As if he had said, I know that this is an Article of your Faith, that which all the Jews do very tenaciously adhere unto, and this shall be continued unto you. This the Apostle doth firmly assure them of, to win them over; telling them that they should be no losers by coming under this Dispensation; seeing the privilege of having the Promise to them, and their Children, should not be taken from, but confirmed unto them. This removed all impediments out of their way, and so they did readily and unanimously fall in with the Apostles Exhortation.  
3. Reason. Because the Lord would discover his peculiar love to, and care of the Children of his own People. This is a peculiar privilege, and it is to demonstrate peculiar love and affection: It is also (as I shall show you presently) that the Lord may discover his peculiar love to the believing Parents. Here is the distinguishing love and kindness of God to them both. God hath such a love for pious Parents and their Children, that he hath not for the rest of the World; therefore he takes them both into Covenant with himself. Covenant Love is always expressed in the Scriptures to be peculiar Love, that God might show even to the face of all the World; that distinct and special Love, which out of infinite and special Grace and Favour he had lodged in his heart to Abraham and his Seed; he was pleased to take them both into Covenant with himself; and so they came under a blessed Marriage Bond, which doth not only denote a near Relation, but also Conjugal Affection. God hath a peculiar Love for them, will make them his Church and People, therefore brings them under a Covenant Bond, and Compact, and Engagement; Deut. 4.37. And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them. This hath been the way of the Lord, to express his peculiar love that he hath to and care over a People to enter into Covenant with them, which is of a distinguishing and of a discriminating nature from the rest of the World and their Seed; Ezek. 16.8. I entered into covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine. Mine and Covenant do always go together.  
4. Reason. Because the Lord may lay a good and sure foundation for the hope, comfort and joy of pious Parents concerning their Children. God knows how much the hearts of good men are concerned about their little ones the Lord is pleased to bestow upon them; how much and how deeply they be taken up in their considerate and studious minds about their Eternal State. Religious Parents know what immortal and never dying Souls their Children are inspired withal, that must be everlastingly happy or miserable; that must live with Saints and Angels, or Devils for ever; they know not how soon it may please the Lord to demand them back again from them, and consign them to an unalterable station; they know that they have conveyed and communicated to them a sinful Nature, and as they are descended from them, they be plunged in the filthy labyrinth of Sin, and that they be born under the guilt of Sin, by Nature Children of Wrath: These, and such like matters cannot but oftentimes sink and overwhelm the thoughts of good Parents, and occasion pensive meditations about their little ones: Now for them to sit down and contemplate what grounds of hope God hath been pleased to give them, in relation to the Souls of their Children; oh how comfortable is it? And they find that all their hopes must centre in this blessed Covenant, which the Lord hath been graciously pleased to make with Parents and their Children. A Covenant abundantly enriched with all Temporal, Spiritual and Eternal Blessings and Privileges, which may give full solace, and acquiescing content and satisfaction to godly Parents that are thus concerned about their Children. There is enough in that promise of the Covenant, I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed. By reason of the Covenant of Grace, Believers may look upon their Children to be the gracious gifts of God unto them: So did Jacob, Gen. 33.5. said he unto Esau, These are the children which God hath graciously given thy servant; and by reason of this Covenant they may hope and believe, that God will graciously take care of and provide for them. If Parents did believe that their Children were not in Covenant with the Lord, and that the promises and privileges did no more appertain unto them, than unto the Children of Pagans and Infidels, as some do too impiously assert; I know not what joy and comfort they can conceive in their minds about their Children, nor what can feed their Faith in crying unto and wrestling with God for them: What comfort can poor grieved Parents take concerning that miserable state they receive their Children into the World in? unless they find sweet and comfortable support and relief from the everlastingly gracious Covenant; which doth wonderfully magnify the Grace of God to Parents, in that he hath taken their Children with them into it, and makes abundantly for their peace and consolation. This was that which satisfied, and even ravished the heart of David with joy, concerning his Family and Children; 2 Sam. 12.23. when his Child was dead, he was greatly comforted and satisfied, saying, I shall go to him, but he shall not come to me; which words, as I apprehend, denote the good hopes that quieted his mind, through the thoughts he had of the eternal happiness of his Child, and that he should shortly go to him, and enjoy the same happiness with him. This good man David did meet with great disappointment in his House and Family; but from the consideration of the Covenant, he had a neverfailing spring of joy and comfort, which did exhilarate his Spirits in their depressing sinkings; 2 Sam. 23.5. Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure; for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. This is a full breast of consolation, upon which all godly Parents may hang, and suck, and draw a fullness of peace and comfort for themselves and Family in their most discouraging and dying dispensations.  
5. Reason. Because by this means the Lord may provide for a perpetual and an uninterrupted succession for his Church and Kingdom in the World. That God will have a Church unto the end of the World is founded upon his Eternal Purpose, the Mediatory Transactions of his ever blessed Son, and upon the infallible Promises of the neverfailing Word: But this is the way and expedient, that he is pleased to pitch and fix upon, for the preservation and perpetual propagation of it; he hath taken his Church into Covenant with himself, the Parents and their Children, the latter of which are to promote and to provide for its continual succession; that so when Parents have finished the work of their generation, and shall descend the stage of the World, their Children may take place, and fill up the vacancy in the Church of God. This was one great reason why the Lord did take Adam, Noah, Abraham; Isaac and Jacob into Covenant with their Children, that out of their Loins might issue a Seed to populate, and to secure the Church as to a perpetual succession in God's Family, House and Kingdom: So the Covenant in the new Dispensation of it takes in the Parents and their Seed, for the same end, and purpose. For the great built of the Elect, and body for the future provision of the Church, are provided from the Covenant Seed: Therefore as it hath before been proved that Children are Members of the Kingdom and Church of God, this is one great end why the Lord hath instituted Marriage for Covenant Parents, that he might provide a constant Seed for his Church. The Metaphors by which the Church is illustrated, described and lively represented do abundantly demonstrate this; sometimes the Church is compared to a Vineyard, sometimes to an Orchard, and sometimes to a Garden; see Cant. 4.13. Psal. 80.15. Isa. 5.1, 7. Matth 21.33. Cant. 4.12, 16. and 5.1. and 6.2, 11. now we know that those that have the care of Orchards, Vineyards and Gardens, one principal thing that they have in their eye and endeavour, is a succession, either of Trees, Plants, Herbs or Flowers, therefore they have their Nurseries and their Seeds. Oh! so it is here, the great God that takes care of his Orchard, Vineyard or Garden, hath a curious regard of, and respect to a constant succession; and the Infants and Children of his enclosed and impaled Covenant one's, are his Nursery and his Seed to secure a perpetual supply for all vacancies, that frequently by Death are incident to his Church and Kingdom: though the Lord doth not so confine himself, but that he doth sometimes take a wild Plant, and set in his Garden, such a one as he may find in the Wilderness or Forest of the World; but we speak of his usual way of provision in this matter; and because of this, Parents in Covenant with the Lord, must be careful in their educating and admonishing of their Children, which are the Lords Nursery, that they may be a visible and hopeful provision for a succession in the Church of God. For this very end they ought to have a singular respect unto, and a careful and diligent compliance with that holy command, Eph. 6.4. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; bu● bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord: Thus they must endeavour to do that; and when they shall have finished their work and course in the World, that then their Children may stand up in their room and place, as the immediate successors to them in the Church, in the work and service of the Lord in their Generation. So much for the Third General Head propounded in my Discourse, and for the Doctrinal part of it; now we approach unto the Use of this Point, which is the last thing I promised and propounded in this matter.  
iv The Fourth General Thing to conclude this Point, is to make some useful improvement of it by way of Application. I did not, neither do I intent to be large in this particular, only I thought it was pity that such a Truth should be wholly overlooked without some, though but little Application.  
1. Use, By way of Information. This Doctrine doth inform us of many precious Truths; it is a Field out of which we may gather most rare and excellent Flowers; it is a full Fountain, from whence doth issue variety of Streams: Some of those things that may be deduced and inferred from it, I shall set before you.  
1. This doth inform us of the exceeding Riches of the Grace of God, both as to Believers and their Seed. The Grace of God hath always been expressed in a Covenant way; here is Grace abounding and running over to Parents, those that God hath taken into Covenant with himself; here it is intended to all sorts and degrees of the Children of Men; here is help to the poor helpless Infant, even to him that sucketh upon the breast, and a ground of hope administered to tender and concerned Parents to their dying Little Ones. In this Covenant is lodged a blessed plethory of Grace, a full provision made for the smallest as well as for the greatest, not only for electing, but for calling, justifying and sanctifying Mercies; here is that which is sufficient to supply the least twig with liquor, to fill all sorts of vessels: There was a fullness of Oil poured out in a Covenant way upon the head of our great High Priest, that ran down and extended itself to the uttermost skirts of the garments, Psal. 133.2. It was of wonderful Grace, that God was pleased to single out Abraham, to establish his Covenant with; and that it might appear in its clearest beauty, and be most transparent, it did comprehend his Seed for ever. So in our Text, when the Apostle would give his awakened and almost succumbing Hearers the most suitable and supporting relief, he opens the bosom of Grace in the Covenant extent of it, telling them, The promise is to them and their children.  
2. This doth instruct us into the high honour that the Lord is pleased to confer upon his People. It was not only an Act of Grace, but also of Honour, that God was pleased to admit Abraham unto, when he took him and his Seed into this Covenant with him: This is that which made the Nation of the Jews so honourable, as it was above all the Nations of the World besides, they and theirs were the Lords enclosure and Covenant People; and so were discriminated and distinguished from all the rest of the World: I may allude to that place, Psal. 149.9. This honour have all the saints; praise ye the Lord. Oh I Christians, you that do enjoy this high preferment, though you have never so small a proportion of the matters of the World, yet God hath gratified you with greater honour than if your Families had appertained to Crowned Heads, and Sceptred Hands; Ezek. 16.8. And I entered into covenant with thee, saith the Lord God: Then did the Lord deck her with all manner of rich and noble Ornaments; and ver. 14. it is said, Thy renown went forth among the heathens, for thy beauty was perfect, through my comeliness which I put upon thee.  
3. This doth inform us of the great mistake of those that deny the Children of Believers, as such, to have any interest in the Covenant of Grace. This is the Doctrine of our Friends the Anabaptists; but we have (I hope) sufficiently proved, that God is so gracious as to take them into Covenant with their Parents: They be not left out, till they be so adult as to make profession of their Faith, Repentance and Obedience, and until then to be looked upon as the miserable offspring of Heathens, Infidels and Pagans. They that oppose this Truth, shut out the Natural and talk of a Spiritual Seed, and so out of a pretence to magnify the Grace of God, they do greatly eclipse and restrain it. I might have insisted upon the many evils, and the dangers of this, but I must not enlarge or distinctly stand upon particulars; I might have told you, and proved;  
(1.) That our Adversaries herein make another Covenant than what the Lord hath made, a Covenant of Grace, excluding all the Children of those that are taken into it. It would be easy to show that from the Lords making of a Covenant at first, and so all along, both in the Old and New Testament, he never made one leaving out of the Children.  
(2.) That by this means there is very great and apparent wrong done unto the Infant Children, which are the Seed and Embryo of the Church of God. It's sad for those that take upon them the power and exercise of the Keys, to exclude and shut them all out together. Into what a miserable state and condition must they be east into? Our great Champion and Challenger hath laboured extremely in this matter; but how poorly and weakly is easy to be apprehended by any competently endowed with Covenant-Knowledge.  
(3.) That by this means the ordinary way and dispensation of conveying and communicating the Fruits of Christ's Death to Children, even to all the Infant part of his Church, is cut off. How can they partake of the Blood of Christ for their renewing, cleansing, sanctification, justification and remission of Sins? These be some of the great and singular Blessings of the Covenant of Grace, through which the Blood of Christ, which is the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant, doth in an ordinary way run.  
(4.) By this means Men do undermine and labour to destroy the validity and efficacy of all that God hath been pleased graciously to determine, and hath done in a Covenant for Babes: Indeed the foundation of God stands sure, and God knows who are his: Though Men may labour to cut off the Seed of God's People from the Covenant, yet the Lord is more merciful to them than men are. I make no question but the infinite Grace of God doth (through a Covenant) save many of those poor Children that their cruel Parents do endeavour to shut out.  
(5.) This cuts off the hopes that Parents from this Covenant may and aught to have concerning their dying Children, this being the ground for their anchor hope to be cast out into; and this cuts off their hopes as to the Sanctification and Regeneration of those that are living.  
(6.) This is the way to render the Prayers of Parents, and of the Church of God for Little Ones, to be altogether insignificant and vain; this doth pass a Sentence of condemnation upon them all. There ought always to be poured out a Flood of Prayers for the Seed of the Church. It is a very dangerous thing to condemn the Prayers of pious Parents, and of the whole Church, daily poured out upon this account, for those Children of the Covenant that have passed under the Seal of it, and by the same have been devoted and dedicated in a solemn manner unto God. Let some think as contemptuously of it as they please, and reproach it with never so much scurrility and contempt; I would humbly advise such, to consider what is said, Rev. 13.6. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven; viz. them that dwell in the Church. Infants they dwell in the Church, they be a Multitude of the blessed Inhabitants of it.  
(7.) By this means how do Men undermine all the Churches of Christ, that adhere to this Doctrine of Infants, and for their Baptism. Many of the Anabaptists do Found their Churches in renouncing Infant-Baptism; accounting it no better than Antichristian, and imposing another Baptism, which they make to be an essential part of the Foundation that their Church Structure is built upon, and the only Door to admit into the same; nay, many of them do say, that ours are not True Churches of Christ, and all because we differ with them as to the Subject of Baptism, and that we are but as Heaps or Herds of uncircumcised Philistines.  
(8.) By this means there is a great Stumbling-block laid in the way of the Jews, in coming over unto the Messiah, and accepting of the New and Gospel-Administration of the Covenant: They (viz. the Jews) are for the Old Testament in the latitude, and full extent of it; therefore they are for the Seal of the Covenant to be fixed still unto the Infant; which accordingly in their way, they do strictly observe and practise to this very day; but to Assert another Covenant, which excludes, all their Infant-Seed, this will never go down with them, neither would it with these here in the Text, had the Apostle mentioned to them a Covenant without their Children. This would have been but faint and cold Encouragement to them, to have accepted of the Apostles Exhortation, Thoughts of the Exclusion of their Children would have made them to hang back.  
(9) This makes the Case of the Jews worse, since the owning of the Messiah, than it was before; and this in the Days of the Gospel, greatly contracts and narrows the Grace of God, as to Believers.  
(10.) This bereaves the Church of God of a Multitude of its Members; for Children are the declared Members of the Visible Church, by Christ himself, as I have shown. Oh! what a cruelty is here offered to, and an Invasion made upon the Church of God? If Infants be not in this Covenant, they cannot be in the Church; this is to make such a Church that God never planted, one that is only constituted, and made up with Adult Members. I am apt to believe, that the greatest number of the Church is comprehended in the Infant-Seed of it: The Body of Christ is but small respectively, but this is the way to make it small indeed. Many more things might have been here added; but I have said something before in this Affair, and shall therefore at present say no more.  
4. This Doctrine doth inform us, how cruel they may be looked upon to be, that exclude themselves and Children out of this great Privilege; I mean all wicked and ungodly Parents; for by their sin and wickedness they deprive themselves and Children of the Blessings of the Covenant, the only ordinary way of their Welfare and Happiness. Wicked and ungodly Parents do not only labour to ruin themselves, but also their Children, by cutting off themselves and Little Ones (so far as they can) by their Sins, from all the Grace and Mercy of the Covenant. It may well be said of such, They are not Parents, sed Peremptores, they have not the Love, the Bowels, and Care of Parents, that they may be Instruments of their children's Salvation, which they are bound by all Bonds and Obligations unto; but they labour to destroy themselves and theirs for ever. Ungodly Parents are more savage and cruel to their Little Ones than the most unnatural and cruel Brutes, or Beasts in the World: All that they do in their wicked ways and practices, hath not only a tendency to their own, but also to their children's eternal misery and destruction; such declare, that they themselves are not in covenant with God, and they endeavour by this means to exclude their Children for ever.  
5. This informs us of the great Sin of those that were the Seed of the Godly, and are become Adult, but do not walk in the Steps of their Parents, nor observe the Covenant-Obligations, that they be under to serve, to fear, to honour, and to walk with God, that do not observe their dedication to the Lord, and to be the Lords by their baptismal Vow. What Parents did engage to endeavour that they should do, they have no regard of, or respect unto; but violate the Sacred Bonds of the Covenant by a wilful perpetrating of, and a voluntary giving up of themselves unto all Sin and Impieties; all that they do is effectually to accomplish their Exclusion by the just Procedure of God against them, even their utter Exclusion out of the Covenant. How sad will it be with such, when God shall reckon with them, and avenge the Quarrel of his Covenant! This is a Sin that a Jealous God doth resent with great complaint, and with high displeasure, Psal. 78.37. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant: Ezek. 44.7. Isa. 24.5. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof: because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Jer. 31.32. Not according to the covenant I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which covenant they broke, though I was a husband unto them. How unkindly did God take this of them, in breaking such a Covenant, in which the Lord stood in the gracious relation unto them of a husband, which should have obliged them to Honour, Chastity, and Obedience for ever.  
6. This doth inform us of one great ground that we have, and proceed upon for the baptising of the Infants of believing Parents, that be in covenant with God; because their Children are in covenant with them. This is very evident in our Text, Acts 2.39. Those the Apostle had here to deal withal, he doth exhort them to repent, and be baptised, and so to enter into the then Establishing Administration of the Covenant, they and their Children also, for the Promise was to both. Children that are taken into covenant with their believing Parents, aught to partake of this Seal of the Covenant with them, for the Covenant is to the Children, as well as unto them. If Children be Foederati, than they ought to be Signati, there is a necessary connection between the Covenant and the Seal; when the Lord was pleased to take Abraham and his Seed into covenant with himself, the Seal of the Covenant was (upon strict command) to be Administered unto the Infant-Seed, Gen. 17.10. The neglect of which was very displeasing to God. To talk of being in covenant, and to deny the Seal to such that are, is very absurd; for this is to cross and contradict the Express Command and Institution of God. Therefore our Friends the Anabaptists, being very apprehensive of this, endeavour to evade the Stroke of this Blow by their miserable Shifts, and fruitless Attempts, to prove that that Covenant in Gen. 17. made with Abraham, was a Covenant of Works; herein they have laboured in the Fire, altogether in vain, for the Tenor and Circumstances of that Covenant do loudly proclaim it to be a Covenant of Grace, and the natural Language of it, if it be sincerely harkened unto, will be Grace, Grace. Abraham's Natural Seed were in covenant with God, therefore had the Seal of the Covenant, which was Circumcision enjoined them, as a Singular Privilege: So in proportion thereunto in Gospel-days, the Seed of Believers in covenant with God, aught to have, and to enjoy the Seal of it, which is Baptism. 'Tis brought in as a great Objection against Infant-Baptism, That there is no Command for it; but if Men will but lay aside all prejudice, and make use of the Reason that God hath furnished them withal, they may here see a clear Command for it, (though it be by consequence,) Was it not the manifest Will of God, that they to whom the Covenant belonged should partake of the Seal of the Covenant? Therefore the Seal is called the Covenant, Gen. 17.10. as if to have the Seal was to have the Covenant, or to be in it, there is such an inseparable communion and connexion between them; nay, we may carry it home here, we may easily see a clear Command for it; for it was the obvious and the undoubted Command of God that those in covenant should have the Seal of the Covenant, tho' the Seal be altered, as to the Instrument, yet not as to the Substance, and the Command for the affixing of it remains inviolable: As in the Sabbath, though the Day of it be changed, yet the Command for it remains untouched, not in the least abrogated. If we renounce the baptising of Infants upon a presumption, that it can only be proved by consequential Commands, than we shall involve ourselves into an inextricable plunge, and intanglement of other great Truths of the Gospel, which can chief be proved this way; that the Administration of the Lords Supper must continue to the End of the World, must be drawn consequentially from such places as Mat. 28.19, 20. 1 Cor. 11.26. So when it is said, As often as ye do this, our Divines do infer a Command that it ought often to be done, and not once, or twice, or thrice a Year, as the manner of some is. What Rule can we have of dealing with Women, and censuring them, in case they offend, but by the way of consequence, for the Rule is expressy, If a Brother doth offend thee, etc. Nor is a Brother of the common Gender, Mat. 18.15. 2 Thess. 3.6. Here I might make mention of some great Things in matters of Faith, That Great Doctrine of the Resurrection of the Dead, that was something sparingly, and darkly expressed in the Old Testament, our Lord and Saviour proves by undeniable consequence to the Learned saducees, that were vehement Deniers of it, Mat. 22.31, 32. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Mark, this is founded by way of consequence upon that place, Exod. 3.6. Thus the Fathers proved against the Arrians that denied Christ to be Essentially one with the Father, they held him out to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, consubstantial, or coessential with the Father: This is a great Point of Divinity, and a great Article of our Faith; yet there is no direct Scripture to prove it. This is the way that is taken in Reasoning with those that deny and dispute against the Deity of the Holy Ghost; How can it be proved, but by infallible consequence of the Scripture, that there are Three distinct Persons in One Divine Essence, or Godhead, or that there is in our Blessed Mediator but one Person, and yet Two distinct Natures Essentially distinguished? Thus, also we may read in Matters of Fact, where the same Rule doth hold, and must be strictly observed, as for Instance, where it is said, Acts 4.4. Howbeit, many of them which heard the word, believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand. What were there no Women among them, none of their Wives? The word here is not the common Gender that might comprehend the Woman, for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. It is strange if here should be no Woman, that did at this time believe, and were baptised. I persuade myself the Anabaptists will yield that here might be some Women; Ay, but that must be drawn by consequence. Certainly we must not doubt, but that in the Churches of Ephesus; Philippi, Coloss, and all the Churches of Asia had Baptism among them, yet this must be concluded by consequences, or no way as I understand. According to the Analogy of Faith, Evangelical Duties are not always grounded upon Express Commands, either in Old or New Testament, but from consequences drawn from either; as the Duties of praying Morning and Evening in the Family, and also in the Closet alone, daily reading of the Scriptures, and prefixed time of Meditation, setting apart a Time or Day to seek God by Prayer, in a more than ordinary manner. Many more things might have been mentioned and improved in this Affair; How can any Man that is so prove himself to be a Minister of Christ? Or any serious and pious Christian, that he hath an Interest in Christ, that he hath Saving and Special Grace, and is an Heir of Heaven, but by consequence? How many Arguments do the Anabaptists found upon consequences to prove their Believers Baptism? When they make for them, than they can cleave to them, and make the utmost Improvement, but when they make against them, than they be of no use or validity, but they cry out, Give us plain and positive Proofs, and an absolute Command for such Infant-sprinkling, (as reproachfully they phrase it,) which my Antagonist is wonderfully subject to. One great Reason why many well-minded Christians run away with their Notion of rejecting Infant's Baptism is their not wisely considering, and pondering upon what I have (though in much weakness) said of the Covenant, and of the new Administration of it in the Times of the Gospel: An Excellent Specimen we have of it in our Text, where the Gospel that never was before, in its recent Administration is preached and believed by those that never were before baptised, there the Adult do enter into covenant, with their Children, and both aught to be baptised, and afterwards this is confirmed by whole Families that were so. Alas: it followeth not that because we read that those that were never under the Gospel Administration were never baptised before, but many were Heathens and Gentiles, and were upon their Faith and Repentance admitted into covenant, and received the Seal of it, that therefore their Children that enter into the same Covenant must be excluded the same Token or Seal of the Covenant, but the quite contrary is true, for still the Promise runs to you and your Children.  
7. This Doctrine doth inform us that Children are capable of sundry Blessings of Baptism, and that because they are with their Parents graciously taken into Covenant; most certainly the God of Grace would never have conferred this privilege in vain; this Seal is not for blanks, God hath great Grace and Mercy to bestow upon them, therefore he is pleased to impale them in this enclosure, that he may be gracious unto them. I need not stand upon this, for I have largely discovered to you what singular Blessings of the Covenant they be capable of, and what exceeding great and precious Promises are made unto them; of which if they are not capable than God hath promised in vain, and deluded the faith and hopes of good Parents that are built upon them: But who dare be so bold as thus to accuse God? I have shown you, how that to Infant's God hath made Promises of the Gift of the Holy Ghost, of Remission of Sin, of Renovation and Regeneration, of being taught of God, of having the Law of God wrote in their Hearts; though they be not capable of Man's teaching, yet what cannot the Lord do for them? He can as easily by his Spirit frame and fashion the New Creature in them, as he could curiously form and fashion them in their Mother's Womb; and so it must be, otherwise dying Infants can never be saved. We have a late confident Writer Mr. H. C. who hath transmitted such things into the World, that plainly declare that Infants are not capable of the Blessings of this Ordinance, and so by consequence not of the Kingdom of Heaven. I will give a few of his bold Say, very fatal to poor Infants: He saith, This Ordinance (speaking of Baptism) cannot concern Infants, but Believers, because it is a testisication of the Remission of Sins, and Salvation to the worthy Receiver, and Subject of it. What doth he mean by his testification but a Sign and Seal of it? then it must inevitably follow, that Children are not capable of Habitual Faith, nor of the Pardon of Sin; for here Believers and Remission of Sin are set in opposition to Infants (if what he saith should be true) as not capable of either. Again he saith; That Baptism is a lively representation of Regeneration, therefore can only affect Believers, (meaning adult Believers, that he is pleading for, to be the only subject of Baptism): The Apostle (said he) alludes to Baptism, when he speaks of the washing of Regeneration, Tit. 3.5. his meaning is, that the Ordinance is a lively body, symbol and sign of Regeneration: It is very true, 'tis so; but mark how this is brought in, and upon what account it is; viz. to prove that Believers (that is adult ones) that profess their Faith, Baptism can only affect them, it is such a sign, body and symbol of Regeneration, and the New Birth only: So that here Infants are shut out of Regeneration and the New Birth; they must not be Baptised, because they are not capable of them, which is the unavoidable consequence of this desperate Doctrine. Again he tells us, that in Luke 18. where we read of Infants that were brought to Christ; which he took up into his Arms and blessed; that the Greek word signifieth, a Child capable of teaching. Surely if he, notwithstanding his flourish of Learning, had been able to have examined the Greek word, he would not have been so confident as to have spoke thus: It is great pride for Men to pretend to have such Learning they never had any Education, nor Opportunity to attain unto. I have showed before the proper and true meaning of the Greek word in that place, and that from good Authority, unto which I refer you, and the same that we have in Timothy: Let this Man talk of his Learning among those that are not acquainted with his Education, and from what his immediate access was to the Pulpit. Again he saith, If it be their Duty who believe to be Baptised, than I infer, that those that are not capable of this Grace of Faith are under no Divine Obligation, nor their Parents neither, to Baptise them, it is only a piece of Will-Worship which God never required. He speaks of the Grace of Faith in general, and denies that any Infants are capable of it, no not so much as Habitual Faith; if so, than I understand no hopes given to their Parents of their Union with Christ, Justification, Remission and Salvation. Again he saith, That Infants Baptised are not tanght of God, nor made Disciples of Christ. This is directly against the express Word of God, Isa. 54.13. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord: Is not this giving God the lie? so in saying, They be not the Disciples of Christ, is also directly opposite to the Word of God; Acts 15.10. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples; which Disciples are evidently Children: Here still you may see what fatal Doctrine this bold Asserter delivereth about poor Infants; can they be saved without their being taught of God? Though they be not capable of the teaching of Men, yet they are of Gods, and must be taught of him, otherwise I understand not how there can be any possibility of their Salvation. Thus I have given you a few hints of many, that might be brought out of this Author's Works. I think such sanguine say as these are, about Infants in Covenant with God, do loudly call for trembling from me, and Repentance from him.  
8. This Doctrine doth inform us, that a great part of the Scripture was written for the good and sake of Children; God did greatly design and intent them in the choicest part of his Word. The Covenant of Grace doth comprehend the most precious and gracious part of the Word of God; though our late Author, and my Confuter tells us, That they were writ for the Adult, and not for the Infants: His Reason (I suppose) is, because of their present ignorance. This is some of this excellent Divines New Doctrine. We may as well say, that their Mother's Womb and Breasts, that the Heavens and the Earth, and all the Elements; that Meat, Drink and Raiment, do not belong unto them; that Eating, Drinking and Sleeping, do not belong unto them: But we may ascend a great deal higher; if the Scripture was not wrote for their sakes, what will become of these poor Creatures for ever? Can God, can Christ, can any special Grace be theirs? What are the Scriptures relating to the Covenant, the Blood of it, and the gracious Promises of Remission, Union with Christ, Adoption and Sanctification, not appertaining to them? Were not the Scriptures wrote for their sake? when there are so many Directions and Commands abounding concerning their Parent's Duty to them in all things, and all for the good of them, and to demonstrate the great concernedness of a gracious God for them, and the value he hath of them. Surely if we do but consider, what is wrote of Children in the Word, we may easily see that God did greatly intent them, in writing of it. I will name a few places; Psal. 78.6. That the generation to come might know him, even the children which shall be born. Psal. 127.3. Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward. Prov. 20.7. The just man walketh in his integrity, his children are blessed after him. Deut. 4.37. And because he loved their fathers, he chose their seed after them. Isa. 61.9. Psal. 18.50. A multitude of Scriptures might be brought to show, how that in many Predictions and Promises, and other ways, the Scripture was eminently wrote for the sake of Infants and Children, and the Seed of God's People. What doth not those precious Scriptures of Christ, taking little children up into his arms, and blessing of them, appertain unto Children? Is it not left upon Divine Record for their sake? But that which is beyond all may make us all to be amazed, which is this; If the Scriptures were not wrote for the sake of Infants, what shall we say of all those Blessed Scriptures that were wrote about the Holy Child Jesus, of his Conception, Birth and Infancy? If it be as this bold Asserter would have it, than all Scriptures relating to the same, must not be the subject matter of our Faith and Hope, but all of them should be expunged out of the Word of God, or stand upon its record as idle insignificant Stories. It is clear, that if the Scriptures were not wrote for the sake of Infants, than our Lord Jesus Christ must come in for a share in this Doctrine, which well may be called the Doctrine of Devils. This Man is greatly skilled in propounding such Doctrine, that hath a direct tendency to exclude poor Children and Infants out of the Kingdom of God; not only out of the Kingdom of Grace here, but also the Kingdom of Glory hereafter. If the Scripture be not wrote for their sake, I know not the Duties that are incumbent upon Parents concerning them, neither any hopes of any good here and hereafter can be conceived about them: But one would think the very naming of this, should be more than sufficient to baffle it, and its Author, from the stage of his Presumption and Confidence.  
2. Use, of the Doctrine; and all that furthermore I shall make of it, shall be of solemn and serious Exhortation, and that to those Pious and Godly Parents, who are enriched and honoured with this transcendent privilege of being in Covenant with God, they and their Children also: As your Mercy is great, so those Duties that do refult from hence are very great. God hath bestowed much upon you, and he doth expect much from you: Where much is given, from thence much is expected: The Lord hath done more for you than he hath for others, therefore he doth expect more from you than he doth from others. A few of these many Duties that this Covenant, and your Interest in it, do call for from you, I would set before you, and exhort you to a diligent observation and practice of.  
1. Make a great account of the privilege of this Covenant State; esteem it very high, tho' some, and that too many reproach and trample upon it; yet let it be a matter of wonderful valuation with you. God hath revealed much unto you, if he hath but revealed unto you a right understanding of his Covenant; Psal. 25.14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant; or he will make them to know, to understand the Covenant in its Nature and Latitude, this is a secret that God reveals. All those that enjoy this Blessing, had need to esteem it very highly. What a blessed entail is here upon your Children? Those look upon themselves to be very happy, that be the Heirs of great Estates in the World, though they have not a present possession; yet there is a sure and certain entail upon them and theirs: But what is this to the entail of the Covenant? and unto the being Heirs to the Promise? How glad would some be, should they be assured, that such a great Lordship was continued to them and their Children? Ay, but here is the incomparable and for ever to be esteemed dignity, viz. The promise is to you and your children. Some good Parents when they shall come to die, are like to have but little of the World to leave their Children; but this is their great Comfort, they being in Covenant, that they can cast them upon the Promise. How much better is it to leave them possessed with the Covenant, than with the greatest Kingdoms in the World? I marvel with what Peace and Comfort they can leave their Children, when they come to die, that shut them out of the Covenant: Next to a Mans own interest in the Covenant, must be the interest of his Children in it. I know not what a good Man should prise more than the Covenant for himself and Family. How should this be valuable to a pious Parent? When he cannot say, I can leave my Children in the enjoyment, or an assurance of any great matters of the World; yet I can comfortably part with them, leaving them in the Arms, and in the Conjugal Embracement of this Covenant. I would have your estimation of this comfortably to remain and continue with you, notwithstanding the contempt, reproach and dirt that is cast upon it. Our Adversury is behind but very few in pouring Odiums upon it. I shall at present mention a very few of his opprobrious say, not being willing as yet, to expose him very much, until he doth necessarily oblige me unto it: Take a few of his invidious and foul Speeches. He saith, That those that Baptise Infants, Baptise Heathens. Here he calls all the Infants of Believers; Heathens; he cannot keep off from his Infant-damning Doctrine. I wonder in a common ordinary way of Salvation, what assurance he can give us of the Salvation of Heathens? I know not that there is Salvation in any but in Christ, nor that there is any Name given us under Heaven, by which Men, Women or Children can be saved, but the Name of Jesus. The Covenant was, and still is a distinction between the Children of Believers and Heathens: Let such a one turn his own Children out of Covenant, and Heathenize and Paganize them if he please: through Mercy we know better things. It is worth while to consider his great Reason that he gives to prove, that the Children that are Baptised be Heathens; because all are the Children of Wrath before born again. If this be a Reason, than it stands in as full strength against Baptising Believers, as he calls it, because the very best of them were Children of Wrath by Nature; so the Apostle saith to the Ephesians to whom he wrote. Thus I might argue with the same parity of Reason, They that baptise: adult Believers, Baptise Heathens, for they were Children of Wrath by Nature; and how can he know that all of them be born again? I am sure many of those that he Baptizeth, both in their Knowledge and Conversation, give but small proof of their being born again: But yet every one may see, here is a vile suggestion, that Infants cannot be born again. This doth agree with what he saith furthermore, Believers Baptism confirms unto them Justification, Remission and Salvation; but Infants have none of them confirmed to them in their Baptism; and that the Baptism of Infants cannot be a sign of Regeneration to them. Did ever Man speak with more Confidence, and lesser Sense in this. World? Is the Seal of the Covenant of no use or benefit to the Covenant Seed? It is little matter what rash Mer. say: God hath made it the Seal of the Righteousness of Faith, and sealeth up all Covenant Blessings by it. Ay, but he saith, Infant-Baptism never was sealed by God. This is a sad doom upon Infants, and upon all that are for their Baptism. By the Sealing of Baptism, I suppose he must mean, the partaking of the Covenant Blessings that be sealed up by Baptism: These Blessings are either conveyed when Baptism is administered, or after; as John did baptise unto repentance, Matth. 3.11. But who hath made this Author a Judge, to pass such a furious Sentence? The best of it is, we have but his say so, without the smallest attempt of Proof. I doubt not but the experience of many thousands of Infants in Heaven, and others, and many now upon the Earth, will testify against such an abominable Assertion. He addeth further, That Infants weep when they are Baptised, as if they did descent. What a Childish Expression is this? What think you? had they not as much cause of weeping when they were Circumcised? which put them to the greatest sense and pain, and gave the greatest occasion of weeping. Oh that ever such stuff should show its face in the World: Pray consider, is there not as great a sign of dissent in many that he doth Baptise, as a little weeping in some Infants? Do they not go into the Water trembling and quaking, and overwhelmed with fears, when they are plunged over Head and Ears? So that though he speaks of their joy, a great number of them are otherwise possessed with dismal frights, and want the best Cordial that he can administer unto them again. Again he saith, That Infants-Baptism hath not one Promise. Confidently said still, without any Proof, I doubt not but my Text is a sufficient confutation of this; where 'tis said, The promise is to you, and your children; and many more places that have been mentioned. Now we shall come to a swinging piece of his Divinity. I think, saith he, Transubstantiation, Habitual Faith, and the Infant-Seed of Believers in Covenant, are terms equally allowable, and probably equally understood among their various Professors. Now this is to speak through, and to disgorge his Stomach at once. Pray consider what things or Doctrines he ranks together to be equal with him; by this he gives us to understand, that the odious Doctrine of Transubstantiation is as grateful to his Palate as Habitual Faith in Infants, and their being in Covenant with their Parents. Papists breaden God, which (by gross Idolatry) they adore, is of the same estimation with him as the two others: Oh! let not my Soul enter into his secrets; what Malice and Envy doth this import? and if Infants are not capable of Habitual Faith, which is one blessed branch of the New Creature; and if they are not in Covenant, I know not how they can be saved. If it be so, I must confess, that I can descry no ground of hope of the Salvation of my dear deceased Children; but blessed be God, I am better acquainted with the Covenant, and precious Graces of the Spirit, than that such froth and spittle should in the least degree affect my Hopes. I never read or heard of any Man that professed any Sobriety in Principles and Moderation (to those that in lesser matters were not of his size and measure) to speak after this desperate rate; thus to rank us with Papists, and that in one of their most detestable Principles, which have caused the effusion of Rivers of the Blood of Martyrs, and to render our Children, as we cannot but judge, uncapable of being said, dying in their Infancy. There is something follows close unto this, which is a new invented way of Saving of Infants, though they be not in the Covenant, nor have any Habitual Faith; and that is, to have their Sins done away by an imputed Righteousness: This would be something, had he given us any Proof of his New Invention, but not a word of this: Indeed I think he must have a New Gospel to prove this. I did say, when I Preached these Sermons in my Congregations, That to talk of a Righteousness of Imputation without a Covenant Interest and inherent Sanctification, was Mountebank Divinity: And so I say still, not doubting, but in a short time, I shall not only say, as he hath, but prove what I say, as he hath not: I am sure the Scripture is abundantly on my side. I pass it by at present, because I intent if the Lord please, suddenly to demonstrate this matter: I am a weary of this pitiful trash, therefore shall say no more, till I shall Epitomise his Books, provided I have a further Challenge and Provocation: Only I shall give you one branch of his Charity to us, that sometimes pretendedly he calls Brethren, the Wounds he gives us, and the Darts he would strike into our Hearts, and the Hearts of our Children, discover him to be more like an inveterate Enemy, than a kind Brother; for his Pen and Pulpit, as to us, are filled with little less than Wormwood and Gall; yea, I may add (from what I have here discovered) even with Poison: But pray take one touch of his Charity to his Brethren, as he calls them: He saith, without the least Proof, That not only the Conformists, but also the Nonconformists, have lost the Door, and the Subject that should enter the Door: So that we have lost the very Essence of the Ordinance, viz. of Baptism; we have neither right Form nor right Subject; and who are they that enter not in by the Door, but climb up, and come in some other way? We know the Scripture you refer to, and apply unto us, John 10.7, 8, 9 'Tis easy here to see your judgement of us, that we are the Thiefs and Robbers that come not in at the right Door. I shall say but little to this now, for 'tis but the proud and empty sound of a Man that seemeth little to consider what he saith; only I do humbly, in the Name of the great Shepherd, Challenge my bold Challenger, to answer this Censure he hath put upon all his faithful Servants, that are for Baptising of Infants at the great Day: Here he doth discernably enough Unchurch us, Unminister us, and Inordinance us; the Lord lay not this Sin to his door. We have little reason to wonder, that he should give us such foul play, when he ventures at the same time to deal no more kindly with the Church of England, that is guarded by the strong Walls and Fences of the Laws of the Nation; for he saith, That the Conformists also have lost the Door, and the Subject that should enter the Door, and the very Essence of the Ordinance, and they their Ministers enter not in at the Door. Here is a Man that will not only tread over the low Hedge, but will venture upon the sharps of the Piltes to vent his Unchristian and Censorious Opinion. Christians, I hope such pitiful, raw, spurious and jejune Allegations as these I have presented you withal, will rather turn your Stomaches against them, than open your Throats to swallow them. Alas, I have given you but a little to what I might have presented you withal; let not such empty Assertions, without the least shadow of probation, lessen your esteem of this Blessed Doctrine I have been upon. Truth is never the less precious because it is calumniated by opprobrious and dirty Pens. Look upon this choice Truth by the Light of the Word of God, and you cannot but see such a lustrious beauty in it, as to cause an inconceivable estimation and value in you for it.  
2. Word of Exhortation I would press upon you is, that you would improve this Doctrine in the best ways, and unto the best advantages that you can. You and your Children being in covenant ought to be made the best use of, that may be. There be several ways by which you ought to improve this Doctrine; I shall propound some of them unto you, begging you to put them into practice.  
1. By giving up your Children to God, in the use of the Seal of the Covenant; (I mean Baptism.) When God did make this Covenant with Abraham, and his Seed, he did so, and so it was all along when there was opportunity for it; the Covenant is the same still for the Substance of it, and the Seal ought to be affixed to the Subjects; Let Men never so much vilify and reproach it, calling it Baby-baptism, and Sprinkling of Infants, without the least soundness of Mind or Judgement. That is a pretty Saying for Children to laugh at, which our Neighbour in one of his Books brings in thus, That it may be very much questioned, whether the Jailor we read of, Acts 16. (that was baptised and all his House) had any Children, seeing it hath been observed, some Years ago, that for very many Years together, not one Child was born to all the Jayl-keepers in all the County of Essex. This is a pretty Observation; it seems it was some Years ago, I believe he knows not when, however he is not minded to acquaint us of the Author of this Excellent Story. Let Men talk their fill, pray do you mind your Duty God requires, that your Children that be his by covenant, should be given up to him by the Seal of the Covenant. Christians have many Inducements lying upon them, thus in this Ordinance to devote their Children unto God: (1.) By this they do manifestly own, and set forth their Belief of the Doctrine of the Covenant. It is Practice that is the best Indication of the Belief of Divine Truth; we must not only be Knowers and Professors of the Will of God, but must be Doers also; that Man discovers but a slender Manifestation of his Knowledge of the Covenant, whose Actions are not something comporting with the same. 'Tis observed by some, that the reason why God met with Moses, and threatened to kill him, when he was sending him for the deliverance of his Brethren into Egypt, was because he had not circumcised his Son, Exod. 4.24, 25. (2.) By this means we do openly show forth the Grace and Goodness of God unto us, in making such a Covenant, and the wonderful Love and Kindness of Christ in dying for us, which Blood is the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant; as in the other Seal of the Covenant, the Lords Supper, Christians do show forth the Death of Christ, 1 Cor. 11.26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Ye do openly declare, preach, and publish it; so by the affixing the Seal to your Children you do set out and declare the Infinite Grace, Love, and Goodness of God in taking you, and your Seed into the Covenant. (3.) By this you do enter your Children visibly into the Church of God, or visibly declare and set them out to be such: Christ hath declared them to be of the Kingdom of Heaven, that is of his Church, and Parents ought by this Ordinance to represent and openly to declare them to be such. This is a visible incorporating of them into this body, and a listing them under the Banner of Christ, to serve and to cleave unto him. They must be put into Christ's List, and brought under his Banner, though they do him at present but little service. Thus we find in the Scripture, when God hath called his People solemnly to enter into covenant with him, to love him, to serve him, to obey him, they have appeared before the Lord with their Little Ones with them, Deut. 29.10, 11, 12, 13. Children that are brought under the Bonds of the Covenant, and Listed for the Lord, it is their Duty when they attain to understanding to be very sensible of the same, and to do and manage themselves accordingly; for God will require their dedication and Parental obligation at their Hands. (4.) By this way Parents do show their right understanding of, and do give a good testimony unto the covenant which the Lord has been pleased to gratify them withal. Thus did Abraham by his immediate complying with the Lord in the Seal of it; by this they do openly declare their well liking of, and their great pleasure they take in the covenant, and how joyful and ready they are, that their Children should obtain, and be made the happy partakers of the Blessings and Privileges of it, and be the open and visible Proprietors with them in it; methinks Parents should commend, and set out the excellency of this covenant, and what sweetness and comfort they have had in it, by being very willing and desirous, that their children should be within the compass of it, and as they have done, partake of the rich and eminent Blessings of it. Pious Parents do not know how to live in any condition without the covenant, and the suitable and seasonable Promises of it; and how can they choose then, but be very solicitous and desirous that their children should succeed them in such an Enjoyment and Tenor? (5.) By this they do testify their belief of the Truth, and of the Faithfulness of God, and the Veracity of all the gracious Promises comprehended and lodged in the Covenant: Indeed the Seal and Token is to assure and to confirm all; therefore when the Lord was pleased to establish his Covenant with Abraham, and his Seed, there was Circumcision as the Seal affixed, to be a great Encouragement unto the Faith of Abraham to believe, and expect the Accomplishment of all the Covenant-Promises that God had made with him and his Seed for ever. Now when Parents that be in covenant, do suddenly by this Seal devote and give up their Children to God, they do signify and declare their firm and unboubted Faith in all that God hath promised to them and their Children; and in this Matter they put up their Requests to God, exercising Faith in the Promises for their Children, and so also after in their frequent Requests for Covenant-Mercies for them. (6.) By this means Parents do as they ought to do, lay great Obligations upon themselves, unto the greatest care and diligence that may be, that their Children may partake of the Internal Part and saving Blessings of the Covenant. What a strict Tie and Bond must this be to Parents to be greatly concerned for the Souls and Eternal Salvation of them? They have given them up unto God, as his Children, in a Covenant-Obligation, and have engaged for them, now they must look to their Charge and Trust, that the Souls of their Little Ones do not perish through their default, by their carelessness and negligence in their discharge of their weighty and incumbent Duty, that the Living God in this gracious Covenant hath imposed upon, and enjoined them. Abraham had a great respect unto this, which caused the Lord to give him this commendation, Gen. 18.19. For I know him that he will command his children, and his household after him; and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgement. It was but in the Chapter before this, that he did enter into covenant with the Lord for himself and his: Oh! said God, I know that he hath a sense of his Covenant-Obligation upon him, that he hath lately received from me, and he will observe it, being careful of his Household that they may perform the Duties, and enjoy the Blessings of the Covenant. What a close and strict Engagement is this to Parents, that they bring up their Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord? How doth this call upon us to prayer, to educate carefully, and to instruct our Children in the knowledge and fear of the Lord?  
3. Improve this great Blessing of the Covenant for the Encouragement of your Hopes as to the Spiritual Birth of your Children. This is the great Concern of pious Parents about their Children, so soon as they see that they be once born, that they may be born again, that they may not only be born of the Flesh, but also of the Spirit, that they may not only have a Natural but also a Spiritual Birth: It is for this that godly Parents do groan and travail. You that are thus concerned for your Children, 'tis the Covenant of Grace that must be your great Encouragement in besieging the Throne of Grace for them, your Fangs for the New Birth in your Children must be covenant Ones, it is the Covenant, and the Mediator, and Blood of it, that must animate, quicken, and support your Hopes in this great Affair; you must put the Promise in suit, and plead them with that God of Infinite Grace, Love, and Faithfulness, that hath put you and yours into this Feederal Compact. You may humbly go to God, and tell him that he hath promised to be your God, and the God of your Seed, to teach you, and your Children, and to circumcise your Heart, and the Heart of your Children, to love, and to fear him, that he hath promised to pour out his Spirit upon your Offspring, and that your Children shall be taught of God, Gen. 17.7. Deut. 30.6. Ezek. 36.26, 27. Isa. 44.3. and 59.21. and 54.13. And many such Golden Promises of rich Grace comprehended in the Covenant, as Food for the Faith of Parents that make conscience daily to pursue and wrestle with God, for the renewing and sanctifying of their Children. Wherefore go to God, and plead his Covenant after this manner, Hast thou not promised to be a God to me and mine? Is not the Promise to me, and my Children? Thou hast shown abundance of Mercy in giving them all Natural Parts of the Body, and Endowments of Mind; Ay, but, Blessed Lord, thou hast conferred greater Mercy than this upon them, Thou hast put them in thy Covenant, and hast planted them in thy House and Family, they have a Standing in thy Church: Lord be pleased to bedew them with all those Heavenly Blessings thou hast promised those whom thou hast placed and planted in such a capacity so near unto thee: These Natural Endowments be great Mercies, but hast thou not promised a New Heart, a New Spirit, also to write thy Law, and to put thy fear into their Hearts? Oh! be a God to me and mine in the communication of all Covenant precious Blessings, in the greatest Latitude of them. When God had said, he will be a God, why may not we hope for the accomplishment of the fullest Sense thereof? Say to God, Hast thou not made with me an Everlasting Covenant, ordered in all things and sure, and this is all my salvation, and all my desire, 2 Sam. 23.5. We ought to understand, believe, and plead the Covenant in the greatest Latitude of it for ourselves and ours.  
4. Improve the Covenant to Duty and Obedience; let the Promises of the Covenant strictly, and for ever bind us to Obedience; where there is the greatest Grace dispensed, there is the greatest Inducement and Obligation to Duty and Obedience. The Covenant that saith, God will be our God, requires us, and ours, to be his People; there is a Covenant-engagement upon us, and ours, to be the Lords. But alas! how little is this thought upon? Most covet to have their Children to be baptised, and glory in their Baptism, but seldom make this to be any part of their care, and endeavour, that their Children be the Lords. How little care have many Parents about the holy Education of their Children? How they bring them up in the Fear, Nurture, and Admonition of the Lord? How few command their Children, and Household to walk in the ways of the Lord? What Falsehood and Breach of Covenant is here? That Charge may be drawn up, and Exhibited against such careless and treacherous Parents, Psal. 78.36, 37. Nevertheless, they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto them with their tongues. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant. How many Parents do flatter God, and his Ministers? Promising great Things at the baptising of their Children, but soon forget all, never taking any care according to their Covenant, of the Souls of their Children, that they may partake of the Blessings of the Covenant; they are very earnest for the Outward Seal, but little concerned for the Inward Grace. What will Baptism avail for you, and your Children, if you are contented only with the outward Badge and Mark of the Disciples and Followers of Christ? Rom. 2.28, 29. For he is not a How, that is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, that is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men but of God. Outward Privileges and Ordinances will never prove you to be good Christians; you and yours must have the Inward Circumcision of the Heart, Regeneration, the New Birth, and Sanctification, short of which nothing will avail to Salvation, Gal. 5.6. For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature, 2 Cor. 5.17. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. We are said to be baptised into Christ, and to put on Christ; we must see that we have an Union with Christ, and are renewed by the Spirit of Christ, if ever we hope or desire to be enriched with the Saving Benefits of Baptism.  
3. Exhortation is to those that are the happy Possessors of the Incomparable Mercy of the Covenant, admire and magnify the Grace of God herein, that he should not be content to engage his Grace to, and for you, but to yours with you. You and yours were all Rebels and Traitors to God, and he hath received both into Favour and Grace with himself; God might have taken you into covenant, and have left out your Children, and that would have been an high Expression of his Grace and Favour unto you, but this is conferred upon you and your Seed too, this gives you the fullest occasion and obligation to magnify him above the Heavens, and to cause his Praise to be continually in your Hearts and Mouths. How should this always affect and ravish your Hearts? To consider many of you, that the Lord should be pleased to pass by you, when you were polluted in your Blood, and should say unto you, Live; that when you were in your Blood and Filth, (through your pollution and contamination) fit for nothing, but to be abhorred by God, that that should be a Time of Love to you; that he should then spread a Skirt of Grace and Favour over you, and cover your Nakedness, and swear unto you, and enter into Covenant with you, and not only you, but also yours, should be taken into the Bonds of the same, and become his, Ezek. 16.6, 8, 9, 10, etc. What Grace is this, that we should be taken (poor Gentiles) and cut off the Wild Olive-tree, and graffed into the Good Olive-tree, which is contrary to Nature? That some of the natural branches should be broken off, and we should be taken and grafted in in their place, and partake of the root and fatness of the Olive-Tree? What matter of perpetual Thanksgiving to God is here administered to us? Rom. 11.17. etc. Remember oftentimes what you were by Nature, into what a miserable plunge of all infelicity you were cast? how remote and distant from God, many of you before Conversion were without the Covenant, having no Promise? This might be the condition of sundry of you, born out of the Covenant, and every way in a desperate condition as to the concerns of your Souls, and Eternal Life. I cannot present you with a fuller and a clearer description of your former state, before the Lord brought you under the means of Grace, and effectually called you, than you have in Eph. 2.11, 12, 13. Wherefore remember, that being in times past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision, by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands: That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus, ye who some times were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. The poor Gentiles, of whom we were part, were afar off, because not within the pale of the Covenant. This was the opposition that was between the Jew and the Gentile; the former was nigh, being in Covenant; but the other afar off, not being taken into that enclosure, ver. 17. Oh! magnify God that thou that wert afar off, art brought nigh by the Blood of Christ: The Blessing of Abraham is come to the Gentiles, and come unto thee, and thy Family, through Christ, Gal. 3.14. What cause hast thou to wonder that art yet within the bonds of the Covenant? and thy Little Ones, the Children that the Lord hath graciously given thee to be with thee? That thou and thine are become the Children of the Covenant and of the Promise, magnify God for so inestimable an enjoyment, and improve it to the utmost advantage of thyself and thine, but be not ignorantly gulled and trapan'd out of it, as many are in this day.  
4. Exhortation. Teach and instruct your Children, so soon as they be capable of it, in the right knowledge and understanding of the Covenant. As the Lord hath honoured you, in taking you and your Children into Covenant, you ought to be much in explaining and unfolding the Privileges and Duties of it to your Children. This is one of (the Magnalia) the great things that God hath written in his Word, viz. that we ourselves and offspring should be well versed in, and acquainted with. This is one great way to discover the high esteem that you have of the Covenant, for yourselves and Children, when you take delight to study to arrive unto a good understanding of it, and carefully to instruct and teach your Children the knowledge of it. Timothy had Conscientious Parents, or Parent that did so teach and instruct him, that when he was very little, he was well acquainted with the Scriptures, 2 Tim. 3.15. Many there be that are very desirous to have their Children to be Baptised, and to partake of the Seal of the Covenant; but little make it their work and business to admonish and instruct their Children, suitable to that Relative Duty, which they stand under the obligation of to their poor Children. One great reason why many (as I find) do renounce and reject the Seal of the Covenant, is, because they were never well instructed into the knowledge of it, nor the Duties they were bound unto the performance of, by the Seal of it. Few Parents (no not some that have the root of the matter in them) do take that care, as they are bound to do, to inform their Children into the Gospel-administration of the Covenant, since the time of the Incarnation and Ascension of the Messiah, and to show the parallel that there is between the Covenant first openly established with the Jews and their Seed, and now with the Gentiles and their Seed. Wheresoever the Gospel is sent (by Divine Conduct) unto any place, and Preached, that never had the Beams of its Glorious Light shining before; there those that believe and repent must be Baptised, and their Children with them, and enter into the Covenant together; for saith the Apostle, The promise is to you and your children, and to those that are afar off, and even to as many as the Lord shall cast. The promise, viz. the Covenant, is to you and your children; ay, and so it shall be with those that are afar off, even the poor Children of the Gentiles, so many as the Lord shall call, they with their believing Parents shall be received into Covenant with the Lord; Acts 2.38, 39  
I shall conclude all with one word of Exhortation, unto ungodly and unconverted Sinners: It is to exhort them in the name and fear of the Lord, that they would convert, repent and turn unto the Lord. To Repent is one of the great Doctrines that is charged upon us in our Commissions to Preach to, and urge severely upon Men. John the Baptist did much fill up his Ministry, in calling upon those that did at any time attend upon it, to repent. Our blessed Lord began his Ministry in sounding out the same Doctrine. This is a Doctrine, that we that Preach the Gospel, aught to be solemn and instant in. How happy would it be, if there were no other contention among Ministers than this, for every one to strive to bring most Souls to Faith and Repentance? It may be matter of lamentation, to see how many take upon them the Work of the Ministry; such that I fear, though they make nothing to condemn and disannul the Ministry of others, are scarce able to prove their own Call thereunto; how they labour abundantly more to proselyte their followers to their Opinions, than to obtain Converts to Christ. But to close all; I do here entreat and beg all that hear me, that be yet out of Christ, impenitent Sinners, to repent and turn to God, and take hold upon the Covenant, and the rare Blessings and Promises of it; and for your encouragement, The promise shall be unto you, and your children. You and yours will be taken into this Covenant: If you are not in it already, what will you stand, and stout it out against God, under the precious means of Grace, and the rich tenders of the Gospel proposed unto you? and to labour to ruin yourselves and Children for ever ●o far as you can? After all the terrible threaten of the Word that have been defeated by you, oh let not this be rejected, but let it melt your Hearts into Repentance: This (I say of my Text) The promise is to you, and your children. Amen.  
FINIS.