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 expresly commanded of God to be as we have seen Did we ever read of this Seal amx'd to the Covenant of Works No in the perfect state that Man was in when God enter'd 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 affix'd 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 loath and abhor us for ever The cutting off of the Fore-skin of the Flesh discovers the filthiness of our Flesh and how by Sin we have forfeited our selves 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 sanctifie us by his Grace and by the Blood of Sprinkling The Blood that did follow the circumcising Instrument did clearly signifie that therefore cleansing and sanctification are set forth by Spiritual Circumcision When God doth graciously promise to wash and to sanctifie 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 pleas'd to make with Abraham and his Seed 3. To denote and set forth the need we have of the Blood of Christ to justifie us and that God would justifie us through his Blood And this Abraham had a special eye unto and his Faith was firmly fix'd upon after God had made this Covenant with him and his Seed and fix'd 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 my self 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 Canaans 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 intend 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 design'd 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 rais'd 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 vertue of this Covenant which could never have been had it not been a Covenant of Grace that had Christ to be the Mediatour of it in whom he believed and found acceptance Thus Beloved I promise my self 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 inclose 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
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 rejoyce 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 expos'd 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 overcharg'd by such Writings which were only fit after they have been utter'd in the Pulpit to be adjudg'd to the perpetual Grave of Oblivion such I readily confess are these Sermons and deserve no better Censure It is a Prodigy to my self that I should be prevail'd upon to suffer these Papers to appear with an open face and to be expos'd 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 accompany'd 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 seiz'd 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 obtain'd more than all the rest ever could I have not only consider'd the Importunity of dear friends I did formerly withstand which of it self could never have prevail'd 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 fervor 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 consum'd and reduc'd to ashes God be pleas'd 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 unparallell'd Confidence in his frequent inveighing against Infants-Baptism with many insufferable reflections upon us that are in judgment 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 receiv'd the furious fire of his Broad-sides Good Christians have repair'd unto me begging me to lift up the Standard of Gods Word against him but my reply to them was Wisdom should rest in the Bosom of some and that I knew not how short-liv'd considering the various Threatnings of a Divine Providence for a multitude of crying Sins that abound among us particularly the animosities and dissentions of the Professors of the Gospel our present enjoyments might be adding that I judg'd the Will of my Lord was that I should improve that little Talent he hath pleas'd 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 my self 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 baptizing 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 mans 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 â—nd illiterate and can lay about them with abundance of Confidence though mingled with a great quantity of Nonsense yet they are admir'd 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 Baptizing of Infants is magnified as flowing from the Spirit of the Lord though much that is vented is but the apparent proles or off-spring 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
was like to his blessed Lord and Master the good Samaritan that had compassion on him that fell among thieves and was wounded who went to him and bound up his wounds pouring in oyle 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 spake 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 chuse 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 c. Peter spake 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 crucifie and slay him though he was delivered by the determinate councel of God the eternal purpose and councel 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 councel 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 murdrers 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 perswades them to repentance and to submit to Christ his dispensation of the Gospel and to declare their submission by their being baptized 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 before-mentioned 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 prophesie 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 encline 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 baptized 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
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 c. 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 their's 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 inriched withall Christ and the Spirit are the two Emphatical promises When Christ was upon the earth and hastning 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 flouds upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed and my blessing upon thy off-spring 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 depart 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 Priviledge of the Spirit with a perpetual Entail Acts. 2.38 39. Repent and be baptized 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 expresly 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 Off-spring 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 signifie 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 Barre 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 entituled 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 Injoyment of God He will take no ignorant Sinner into the company of the Glorifi'd 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 signifie the very Embryo 〈◊〉 the Womb. God is able to teach and to sanctifie there propriè dicitur de partu recèns edito a Child so soon as brought forth of the Womb. It is an easie 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
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 lodg'd in a Covenant of Grace where there are Provisions of cleansing and Sanctification treasur'd 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 bereav'd and depriv'd 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 administred 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 Infants 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 vouchsaft 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 Lev. 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 wandring and perpetually expos'd 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 stigmatiz'd 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 scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a law-giver 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 Inclosure 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 common-wealth 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 Priviledges and so are represented to be in a most deplorable and miserable condition this strips them naked of all the covenant-blessings they be cloathed and invested with It is the promise of the Lord and it is a promise full of grace that he will shew mercy to thousands of them that love him and keep his Commandments Viz. To many generations of their Seed and posterity I shall here inlarge 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 priviledges 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 off-spring and Members of Satan Those that deny Childrens Covenantship by which they be Foederally holy pretend some kindness unto them in as much as they would not have
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 compleat 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 defac'd From the Press hath been sent into the midst of us two Pamphlets like unto Sampson's Foxes that were join'd in the Tail with fire-brands 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 disperst into all quarters not only at the publick 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 carry'd to Coffee-Houses 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 baptized into his opinion These Books such as they are must be diligently in all places scatter'd that if it be possible every hand might be furnisht with a tool and weapon to beat and cut us all into pieces what a spirit is this man possest withal as if he would be a common troublesome Ghost to haunt every house and heart near unto him Surely we are greatly ingag'd 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 publick 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 offer'd to our Children to the Seed of all that have the singular priviledge 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 wayes 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 deliver'd but lick'd up and admir'd 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 preach'd as the Lord did inable me concerning a sound and saving knowledge of Christ in the use of this truth I did blame some that were chiefly concern'd 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 deliver'd my self 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 baptizing 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 dye in their Infancy out of Heaven and so a terrible sentence of condemnation is denounc'd 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 denounc'd 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 satisfie 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 judgment 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 justifie them also he doth sanctifie neither do I understand