of Keturah, used circumcision, as well as the Jews: and though circumcision cease, infants' church membership ceaseth not; for these two were separable before. In the wilderness, for forty years, all the Jews' children were uncircumcised, and yet they ceased not to be church members; yea, (Deut. xxix.,) they were expressly entered into the covenant of God. 2. It appeareth, therefore, that the institution of circumcision proveth not that infants' church membership was then instituted; yea, it is plain that it continued from Adam's time. 1. Because there is not one word of intimation in the Scripture else when it began. 2. The word "seed," (Gen. iii. 15,) in the new covenant, is extensive to all ages; for though it be meant of Christ, as the Head and Captain, it is meant of all the holy seed as his members. 3. God did still join the children with the parents, in promises and threats, blessings and cursings, in all ages, before circumcision. 4. There is no proof that ever God had any church on earth of which infants were not members. 3. God hath, by nature and institution, (Deut. xxix. 10—12; Gen. xvii. 13,) made it the duty of parents to enter their children into the covenant of God, which is no where reversed; but under the gospel there is no appointed way of entering them into the covenant but by baptism. If God command us to de dicate them to him, he will surely receive them. 4. Scripture telleth us that Christ would not have cast off the Jewish nation, and consequently their children, from their church state, if their own unbelief and rejecting him had not done it. (Matt. xxiii. 37.) O Jerusalem! how oft would I have gathered thy children, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not. (Rom. xi.) They were broken off for unbelief. Therefore, but for unbelief, they had not been broken off; and the Gentiles are grafted into the same olive, or church state. And, mark it, it is plain here, that the believing part of the Jews were not broken off from a church state, though they ceased to be a kingdom and national church; and therefore their children lost their church and covenant right: and if the children of believing Jews had it, all had it, when the church was one. 5. He tells us that nations are capable of being discipled; (Matt. xxviii. 19;) and the kingdoms of the world are to be the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ; but there is no nation or kingdom which infants are not a part of. 6. And Christ himself was angry with his disciples that would have kept little children from him, and said, "Forbid them not to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven;" and therefore he is still ready to receive them, when dedicated to him, though he then baptised them not, because the common use of christian baptism was to begin after his death. 7. And the apostle, (1 Cor. vii. 14,) tells us, that our children are holy, which must needs signify more than legitimate, for so are heathen's children. S. And the apostles still baptised whole households. 9. And the universal church, in all ages, hath observed it. 10. And infants have a visible way of sin and misery by generation; and if there were no visible way of their recovery by forgiveness, that is, if there were no promise or covenant of pardon which they had a certain part in, Christ's remedy would be so narrow as to exclude the age that is first miserable; and what hope could we have of the salvation of any of our infants without a promise? S. But they believe not. P. Nor they sin not, and yet they are guilty of original sin, and need a Saviour. Though they believe not actually, they are the infants of believers; and their parents' faith is as far imputed to them for their reception as the unbelief of the wicked is imputed to their children for their rejection and greater punishment, which is plain in Scripture. Indeed, while they have no reason and will of their own, their parents' reason and will hath the disposal of them, they being as their members. S. But what good doth it to those that understand not? P. Is it no good to have a solemn delivery of a sealed pardon of original sin, and a covenant relation to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and a visible title to the blessings of the covenant; and to be no more strangers, but fellow-citizens of the saints, and of the church or household of God; and if they die, to have right to life eternal; when it is the dogs that are without the doors? The benefit is the child's, and the comfort is the parents'. Is it not a privilege that you may take a lease of lands for your child's life as well as your own, and make him a party in the covenant, and bind him to pay the rent, though he understand it not? And if at age he thinks he is wronged, he may quit his part in Christ and heaven whenever he pleases. S. But I perceive by my own case, we should do it more sensibly, if we stay till we understand what we do. P. 1. Your parents should be as sensible when they dedicate you to God, though you could not. 2. And your former baptism hindereth not your personal covenanting now as understandingly and sensibly as if you never had been baptised before. All men are prone to outsideness and formality, even about God's own institutions. Too great stress is laid by many sorts upon the outward washing," who weigh not enough the nature of the covenant. Though you may not be baptised again, you may as seriously and solemnly again covenant with God, even the same covenant which you made in baptism; and it is the same which is still renewed in the Lord's supper: so that it did you no harm to be baptised in infancy, though you have been so sinful as to neglect the due consideration of it, you may, nevertheless, upon your repentance, renew the same covenant; and the same covenant will give you the same benefits, though you be not re-baptised. Therefore now set to it, not only as if you had never done it before, but with double humiliation and seriousness, as beseemeth one that made and broke it. S. Have you any more to say to me about it? P. Yes. I must before let you know in what manner it is that this covenant must be made, if you will be a Christian indeed, and have the benefits. 1. You must consent to the whole covenant of God, and not only to some part of it. You must be devoted to your Creator, your Redeemer, and your Sanctifier: you must take him for your Owner, your Ruler, and your Saviour: you must be willing to be sanctified as well as pardoned, and to be saved from sin, and not only from punish ment. X 2. You must understand all the terms well, and count your costs, and reckon upon taking up the cross, and denying yourself, and forsaking all this world, in heart and resolution, for Christ, and take God and heaven for your whole portion, and resolve to stick to God if you have nothing else; and if you meet with never so much tribulation in the world, you must believe that heaven is as sure as if you saw it, and take that and the necessary means thereto for all your part, and not reckon upon ease, pleasure, profit, or safety to the flesh. 3. You must covenant absolutely, without any secret exceptions or reserves. If you secretly keep a reserve in your heart "1 Pet. iii. 21; Mark xvi. 16; John iii. 16; Jam. v. 20; 1 John ii. 1. * Matt. xxviii. 19, 20, and xi. 28; Luke xix. 27; Rom. xiv. 9; Eph. i. 22 ; Luke xiv. 26, to the end; Rom. viii, 17; Matt. xiii. 46, and vi. 19, 20. y Luke xiv. 26, 33. that you will come to Christ but upon trial, and that you will be religious as far as will stand with your prosperity and safety in the world, and so you may not be undone. If you except seceretly either honour, estate, or life, which you resolve not to lay down if Christ require it, you then play the hypocrite and lose all. 4. You must consent to a present change, and at present thus wholly give up yourself to God, and not only that you will do it some time hereafter. As he that will not take up Christianity and a holy life till hereafter should not be baptised till hereafter, when he will do it; so, if you do but consent to repent and be converted till some time hence, this is at present no repentance, conversion, nor true covenanting with God. All this you must understand and do. And now I will give you time to learn and resolve of all this that I have said to you. Read over and over the exposition of the covenant which I have written; and what you understand not, ask the meaning of it. And when you have done all, come to me, and tell me your resolution. THE THIRD DAY'S CONFERENCE. The Confutation of Ungodly Contradicters. Speakers.-Paul, a Teacher; Saul, a Learner; Sir Elymas Dives, a malignant Contradicter. PAUL. Welcome, neighbour. You are come sooner than 1 expected you. Are you well resolved of what we talked of? SAUL. Since I saw you, I opened my case to my landlord, Sir Elymas Dives; and he is accounted a man of wit and learning; and he saith so much against all that you persuade me to, that I am perplexed between both, and know not what to say or do; but, at last, I got him to come to you, and say that to you which he said to me, that I may hear which seemeth in the right. P. You did very wisely; and I have the more hope of your conversion and salvation, because you are diligent, and deal faithfully with yourself, and do not let deceivers carry you away quietly, without hearing what can be said against them. Desire him to come in. Sir Elymas Dives. Good-morrow, Mr. Paul. I perceive you have troubled the mind of my poor tenant, here; so that he can scarce sleep. You, precise preachers, make such a stir with your religion in the world, that you will not let men live in quiet by you. Z P. Sir, he that is called and consecrated to this office, to declare, from the word of God himself, things, great, and necessary, and true, concerning the everlasting state of their souls, must needs call men to sober and serious thoughts. And if there be some trouble in these thoughts, to those that have foolishly neglected their own happiness, it is no wonder. El. The man hath been all his time an honest, painful, labouring man. I never heard that he said, or did any man harm; but hath followed his business, and gone to church, and received the sacrament, and lived in love and peace with his neighbour. I never saw him drunk, nor any harm by him; and now you will make him doubt of his salvation. P. Sir, I would have no man doubt of his salvation without cause; nor no man presume of salvation without cause. The saving or losing of the soul, for ever, is a great business, and not to be cast upon presumptuous and blind hopes. I would but have him a make sure of heaven; and can any man, think you, make too sure? It is not you, nor I, that are the Judge of souls, but God; and his laws are the rule of his judgment. His word tells us who it is that he will save. If I tell any man that Christ will not save him, to whom the Gospel promiseth salvation, condemn me, and spare not. But if you tell any man that God will save him, to whom God hath spoken no such thing, but the contrary, what wrong can be greater to God and him? And as to his good life, which you talk of; faith and repentance, and the love of God, and a holy life, are matters of another nature than all that you have said. Pardon me for telling you, that you speak out of your element, like an unlearned man about law, or physic, and not like one that had made divinity the study of his life, as we have done. I have but inquired of the man himself how the case standeth with his soul, and set the Word of God before him, and directed him how to judge himself. Ask him, whether he hath lived by faith, or sense; after the Spirit, or after 2 Psalm iv. 5-7; li., and exix. 59; Acts ii. 37. |