NUMBER I.

THat all the Tribes of Israel might be San­ctified as one Mysticall Man, the younger of every Family in Sanctification of the first-born from their Infancy, the first-born in the Levites that appeared for them, the Levites in their High-Priest, their High-Priest in the Sanctification of them All by dependance in Truth on Christ the Mediator of the new Covenant; In which we are come to the Church of the first-born, whose names are written in Heaven. Heb. 12. [Page 2]All the members therefore of the true Church, in that privilege of the first-born, were either Sancti­fied in their Infancy, or did help toward Sancti­cation of other Infants, or both, with Holy, blessed, indeavours, as themselves had been Sanctified by the help of others, and all in Christ the first-born of the dead, (Revel. 1.5) at his Resurrection, for raising us up, Great and Small, (Revel. 20.12.) The vertue of which his Death and Resurrection he con­vayeth by his Ordinance of Baptism, Sanctifying and Clensing his Church with the washing of wa­ter, by his word, (Ephes. 5.26.) his word of pro­mise, in truth of his own will begetting us, Iames 1.

NUMBER II.

THe first-born were to be Redeemed: All from a Moneth old and upward, by the Levites in their stead, appearing before God in the Services of his Sanctuary (figurative of Christ our Temple) in­teressing Small and Great in the fruits of his Holy­nesse for sanctification by the workes of Holy Mini­sters. Numb. Chap. 3.40, 45, 46.

Whether they were redeemed by the Vicarage of a Levite, or (for want of such peculiar help) by a ran­some for neighbourly Levites assistance Ordained of God, It was Geremonious engagement for par­taking in the Redemption of Christ, who was made under the Law to Redeem them that were under the Law: But Infants were under the Law, to which they were bound when circumcised, Gal. 5. And from which they were redeemed by the blood of Christ, the true Sacifice and Ransome, figured by the blood of the young Pigeon or Turtle; Mysticall [Page 3]of love, to preserve, or happily recover the divided unto unity, laid each peece (in Hebrew, each man) in order one against another (Gen. 15.10.) ready for union of all at last; by the Spirit like a Dove; the Dove not to be divided as others, but by the Sacri­ficers nail, in so slow oblation to mind, how unar­med, God made him unapt for cruelty; receiving a like ransome from every one numbred (Exod. 30.) that he might pray for them as every one equally redeemed by the blood of Christ, figured by the blood of the Pigeon, young, for the young Chil­dren interessed in the Sin-offering after Child­birth, whereby the guiltinesse of Adams sinne (as the Publique Trustee for man-kind) originally tainteth Children, as their Sin: Sin needing the Saviour; be­hold the Saviour at need.

Jehovah (God the Son) entring covenant with Abraham, that he would by sheding blood at his Cir­cumcision be bound to the greater blood-shed at his death: as the promised seed of Abraham, in whom all Nations and Families might be blessed. He that is Circumcised, is a debtor to do the whole Law (Gal. 5.) but Christ chiefly (Gal. 4.) made un­der the Law, that wee might receive the Adoption of Sonnes, and because yee (Galathian-exemplary Gentiles) are Sons, God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, the same Spirit of Adoption, ealling God Father, as Children of his Covenant in Christ through his blood, which as a Sin-offering he shed at his death, as the was bound in that Cove­nant of blood, mutually shed at the Circumcision. His Circumcision binding him as debtor, in that a Surety to redeem them by the Sin-offering of his [Page 4]uttermost blood, and their blood-shed in Circum­cision (as the Seal and token of Covenant) bind­ing them bodily to depend on that his Redempti­on as his Circumcised Covenanters: both small and great, as well of the Gentiles as of the Jewes, Exod. 12.48, 49. And the stranger upon condition of Circumcising his male-Children, he was accep­ted with them into the Covenant, or else not.

As for the outward, so for inward Circumcision of the heart, most valued, and chiefly, therefore or­dained in the Covenant of God (Deut. Chap 29.10.) Yee stand this day all of you before the Lord your God: your Captains, &c. your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger in thy Camp: that thou shouldest enter into Co­venant with the Lord thy God, and into his Oath, that the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day: That he may Stablish thee to day to be a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he sware unto thy Fa­thers. Neither with thee onely do I make this Covenant and this Oath; but with him that standeth with us here this day before the Lord our God, and with him that is not here with us this day]

A Rule of equity, for the future also, binding Pa­rents, (Jews, and Gentiles) to engage their young Children with the Little Ones the Lord God addeth his promise to circumcise their hearts, and the hearts of their Seed. Deut. Chap. 30.6.

If any would restrain the Goodness of God here­in onely to the Secret ones of Gods eternall pre-election,

The word of Moses may prevail at the end of the twenty ninth of Deut. [secret things—to the [Page 5]Lord our God: but those things which are revealed, unto us and our Children for ever, and that at the end of the 30th Chap. [I call Heaven and Earth to Record this day against you—I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: Therefore choose life, that both thou and thy Seed may live.

In awfull hope of Gods assistance under his Di­vine eternall providence, it is his Servants humble duty to choose the good proposed with promise of a blessing, and to abstain from evill in fear of the curse threatned.

This duty bindeth Parents to choose good for themselves and for their Children, even their seed, to include them at the lowest foundation of blessing under the Covenant of God.

Thou and thy Children shall obey with all thy heart, Deut. chap. 30.2. thy heart obeyeth for them, and chooseth good for them, and deriveth the bles­sing unto them.

Yea stand this day all of you before the Lord your God—your little ones—that thou shouldest enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his Oath which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day: that he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God. Remember this Record of Heaven and Earth for litle childrens right by Covenant to live by their fathers choyce of life and blessing for them amongst the chosen people in this their standing (outward) with their little ones as the people of God chosen on purpose for the glory of his faithfulness in truth and mercy: Ioshua conducted them every one to the land of promise; a pattern of Christs Kingdome [Page 6]under his new Covenant of Grace; appertaining unto them as the truth in Spirit to circumcise their heart, and the heart of their Seed to love God, by vertue of that promise made, Deut. 30.6. unto them while with their litle ones as Gods people un­der his Covenant and oath: not onely for that time, but for the future at their returning by repen­tance, yet still in acknowledged verification of the blessings and cursings as set before them in that their standing before God in covenant with their litle ones, and the stranger and his litle ones also with them: in whose favour the solemn Psalm. Deut. 32. hath an express clause inviting the Nati­ons to joyn with that people of God in such holy constitution for young & old, under promise of in­ward Circumcision, as well as outward, solemnly performed again at entrance into the promised land for renewing the Covenant with God. It is often times called cutting a Covenant, in as much as beto­kened by cutting, at other times, cutting Beasts, but in this the persons were cut in token of Gods right unto them, and their right unto God the Sonne by covenant of mutuall cutting in their flesh as his, and his flesh as theirs, given in his love unto death, for their redemption.

The Fem was concerned as (in desire) one, in Spi­rit, Circumcising the heart: which Circumcision of the hearts is so acceptable, that thereby the Male be­cometh as Feminine in grace of marriage union with our Saviour; intended in that Circumcision of heart unto his love, Deut. 30.6. promised to the Seed (Male and Female as one at the beginning of life) in the heart of their Seed; to be perfected in [Page 7]Gods good time, by his good Spirit, without which that inward moderation of heart cannot be wrought; on the contrary their adversaries the Ca­naanites hearts melted, neither was there Spirit in them any more, after the waters of Iordan had yeel­ded passage unto the faithfull Israelites with their little ones. The wisdom of God the Lord of Hosts hath also recorded there (in the fift Chapter of Jo­shuah) that all the men of war w^ch came out of Egypt were consumed, according as God had sworn, for di­strusting Gods performance of promise about their little ones, except Joshuah & Caleb well-spirited wit­nesses of Gods truth, in mercy causing their little ones and all born after the departure out of E­gypt to be there circumcised and blessed into pos­session, at that mysticall blest passage through Jor­dan where the Israelites and their little ones, and Strangers and their little ones, being conjoyned in Covenant with God, and that Covenant being outwardly sealed by Circumcision, under promise for circumcising the heart, which must be by the Spirit, there to shew the readiness of the Spirit to be given and to yield the glory to the true giver, at that place, as there was opened the land of pro­mise, the heaven opened, and the holy Ghost came down in likeness of a Dove when at that place Christ did chuse to be baptised among others in Jordan, that all the duties of this mystery might blessedly be conjoined in him and in his grace.

Abraham by Circumcision, as Joacob by halting, les­ned in body, raised up faith to the better in heart by the Spirit which Christ ordained for a perpetn­all duty by Covenant of the Spirit (holy christi­an [Page 8]morality) though exchanging the sign of out­ward Circumcision (in pitty to spare the least drop after his own sufficient bloodshedding) for the wa­ter of Baptism, to mind washing and purifying the heart under the new covenant of the Spirit, for Jewes and Gentiles and their little ones, that they might with one mind and one mouth glorifie God, as the blessed Apostle perswadeth, Rom. Chap. 15.6. And for setling this joynt, observe how he there addeth [That Jesus Christ was a Minister of the Circumcision to confirme the promises made unto the Fa­ther, and that the Gentiles might glorifie God, as it is written—Rejoyce ye Gentiles with his people—And again Esaias saith, a root of Jesse shall rise to raign over the Gentiles] All which favoreth his little ones interest, if ye note.

First, That Christ confirmed the promises made to the Fathers: which comprehended little ones with them.

Secondly, That the Gentiles were alike com­prehended with their little ones.

Thirdly, That the places of Scripture here al­leged for proof thereof, also teach the little ones; that (at the tenth verse of this fifteenth Chapter to the Romans) being the very clause which God prepared in that solemn Psalm Deut. 32. for invi­tation of the Nations to joyn with the Israelites, as then with their little ones constituted the peo­ple of God by Covenant under his promise, to cir­cumcise their hearts, and that other proof alleged out of Esaias for Christ out of the root of Jesse to reign over the Gentiles as Ensign for their submis­sion [Page 9]to the Kingdom of God at Baptism, hath ex­press mention of Sucking Children, to be further opened in season about Christ as King.

Fourthly, this is all in vertue of the Circumci­sion in heart by the Spirit whereof Christ is Mi­nister.

Num. 3.

Accordingly behold the spirituall Circumcisi­on of the Gentiles hearts at their Baptism, Colos. chap. 2.11, 12. In Christ yee are circumcised, and buried with him in Baptism. The Holy Ghost there teaching, that the baptized are circumcised as it were on purpose to countenance the right of Gen­tiles (old and young) unto the promised Circumci­sion of their hearts as appliable unto them at Bap­tism, the old and young having right in the death and buriall as the redeemed of Christ, by the price of his bloody sacrifice to pacifie God towards them. And with his prayers (as incense) appea­ring before God in the Heaven of Heavens (true high-Priest in the Holie and Holies) presenting the memoriall of his blood-shed, and bearing their me­moriall, as did Aaron on his shoulders, and on his breast-plate, in love to small and great. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that dyed, yea rather that is risen again: who is at the right hand of God, who al­so maketh interession for us, Rom. 8. For whom he prayed on Earth, John 17.26. even for all that shall beleeve on him in any generation at any time un­to the worlds end; praying for such as are unborn, the new-born are included also for accomplish­ment of what by the same Spirit his father David beleeved, Psalm. 115.12, 13. The Lord will bless the house of Israel, he will bless the House of Aaron, he [Page 10]will bless them that fear the Lord both small and great. He telleth how be blesseth the house of Isra­el, in that he blesseth the house Aaron as appointed to bless in his name them that fear the Lord. Deut. 21.5. The Priests, the Sonnes of Levi, shall come near, for them hath Jehovah thy God chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the Name of the Lord, as then they were (the small with the great) when all the Children of Israel were in that well-ordered Army, young and old, the Priests, Aaron and his sons, were appointed to bless them thus, Numb. chap. 6. Jehovah lift up his face upon thee and give unto thee peace. And they shall put my name upon the Sons of Israel, and I will bless them

Here is a threefold Relative unto Christ, First, As Aaron and his Sons were all figures of Christ his Priesthood.

Secondly, For that it was his face in which their blessing was to be fulfilled, 2 Cor. 4.6. Ephes. 1.3.

Thirdly, Because his fulfiling of that Benedict­ion (in putting the name of God upon the Chil­dren of Israel) was at their Baptism, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost.

NUMBER 1.

THat express tenour of the new Cove­nant (Isaiah chap. 54.13. All thy Children shall be taught of the Lord, applied in the Gospell of John chap. 5.25.) The hour is comming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voyce of the Sonne of God, and they that heare shall live; which is true both of the dead in body to revive at the last resurrection, and of the dead in Sinne to revive by the first resur­rection unto the life of grace; of both which Christ affirmeth there, as appeareth of the last resurrect­ion in the words following; but of the first resur­rection in the words preceding, Verily, verily, hee shall not come into condemnation (for the future) but is passed from death to life (for the pre­sent) and hath evenlasting life begun in him, Grace beginning glory, and Glory finishing grace, every part of everlasting is everlasting: the ear­nest of the Spirit is an immortall Seed though [Page 12]not appearing first in Little ones: yet that Seed hath life begotten by God the Son, that is the All-quickning word, as easily raising the Children by the voices of his servants (Elias and Elasha figures of him their Lord) as other men were raised by him, as easily giving life of the Spi­rit as restoring life of the body, whether to young or old; his Allmighty power equally can give life in death to make the dead hear, though their audi­ence be not equall in outward operation; the act of creation is the same in vertue of life to the one in the Seed and root, to the other in the fruit, of hearing and beleeving. Jeremiah cap. 31.33, 34. This is the Covnenat that I will make in those dayes, they shall all know me from the least unto the greatest. Admire the method of this Doctor al­mighty, from the least to the greatest, indefinitely from the least, for the manner dispute not with God, Who to pose Job chap. 38. asked, Hast thou entred into the Springs of the Sea? Hast thou walked in the search of the deep?

Gods mercies unsearchable: his unspeakable gift, 2 Cor. 9.15. bringing joy unspeakable in change from Gods wrath to the Covenant of love in his appointed Seasons of good pleasure. At the presence of Christ in conception, the Babe exulted, that was to be the Baptiser; hope for baptised Infants through his ministery of the Spirit; when their sins are to be forgiven, as in the next words of the New Covenant about the Least: [I will forgive their Iniquity] You will say it is a conversion by prea­ching; read the words again. It is a transcendent way of teaching ascribed unto God and not to [Page 31]Men [They shall teach no more every man his bro­ther] Jer. 31. 1 John 2. Yee need not that any man teach you, but as the same annointing teacheth you. The holy Ghost a fountain of Unction spiritu­all and heavenly wind entereth as hee will; At Baptisme introducing elder men like New-born babes; the babes then are included; as when Gen. chap. 47.13. Joseph fed his Father and Brethren as a little Child is nourished, the little ones also were nourished: So Christ in comparison of the Elder to a little includeth the Little one in his School of hope: if then without effect, it may be not without affect of his Fatherly mercy, who calleth those things which be not, as though they were, because they shall be. Rom. 4. Where the Gentiles are taught after the Example of Abraham to beleeve in hope, God glorying therein to be trusted as God of hope whose promise wanteth not effect in due season of mercy promised for a thousand age after age, and in his new Covenant express to teach the Least either then or at the age of Understanding, when (after the peoples peti­tion Deut. 18) the Lord teacheth them by Man:

Numb. 2.

The Man Christ as Prophet appointeth speciall regard of Infants, as his, by Covenant under seal, binding them to knowledge, but in their future opportunitie whether Jewes or Gentiles. Exod. 13.14.16. It shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, &c. Deut. chap. 6.7. These words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children, and thou shalt bind them as a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as [Page 12] [...] [Page 31] [...] [Page 14]Frontlets between thine eyes, &c. Deut. 29.30. And the wives with the Little ones entring Covenant with the Lord, The Lord saith, Chap. 31.12. and 19. Gather the people together, men women and Children, and thy Stranger that is within thy Gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God: Now therefore write yee this song for you, and teach it the Children of Isra­el: parts of which song (Deut. chap. 32.) are re­peated in the new Covenant, as Rom. 10.8.9. and chap. 12.19. and chap. 15.10. On purpose for invi­tation of the Nations to joyn with the Jewes, as the Lord then directed for our Learning. Learn we therefore to bring our young Children into Cove­nant with the Lord, binding them to the duties which they are afterwards to learn, as the young Children brought through the waters of Iordan into the Land of promise were sealed with Cir­cision, in token of the Covenant obliging them for the future to learn Gods Commandments plainly written upon twelve Stones taken out of Iordan by twelve men chosen out of the Tribes, as the Lord commanded Ioshua ch. 4. who thereup­said, When your children ask their fathers in time to come saying, what mean these Stones? Then yee shall let your Children know: for the Lord God dried up the waters of Jordan untill yee were passed over, as the Lord God did the red Sea (baptising the young as well as the old in figurative mystery) That all the people of the earth may know the hand of the Lord that it is mighty, that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever. What was for ever unto them in figure, shall find a truth in the Church of Christ figured by that Land of promise.

Numb. 3.

For that Christ was to be a Prophet like Moses, so to teach and bless them, in blessing and teaching their Children.

And that they whom the great Prophet (like Mo­ses) herein blesseth under such Ordinance of his Prophetique Office in time of his new Covenant are to receive the blessing in his name with the to­ken of his Covenant at Baptism, that for his sake, in his fear, his bride the Mother. Church may shew the howells of her love to them, Parents their love, Bre­thren their love, in prayer, care, and needfull help toward them, as known to be his, in that signed with his seal, to the glory of his infinite wisdom and almighty power in helping the weak and sim­ple, as dearly purchased as the greatest, and accep­ted in his free mercy, which here seemeth to be revealed on purpose by the holy Ghost in appli­cation of the blessing of that great Prophet to the baptized, Acts chap. 2. and chap. 3. as it were to shew his will for their baptizing, whose teaching he pro­videth for, Great and Small.

NUMBER 1.

OF the Small you doubt, by reason of the last verse, Chap. 3. God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turn­ing every one of you from his iniquity.

[...]: This Article ( [...]) reacheth as far here as the same Article Tit. 2.12. [...], the whole life of man in this world being called this now, wherein we ought to turn from worldly desires, to live soberly, justly, and Religiously, whensoever the grace of God so turneth us: ( [...]) in this turning may be verified Christ his Prophetique blessing; a Prophet looketh upon every season of time, past, present, or future: Moses in the spirit of Prophecie wrote of the beginning, and the great Prophet was in the beginning, yea he was both beginning and end. The sense of this word Prophecie (prospect­ing the future in best propriety of speeh) his truth (as a Prophet in sense of his blessing now) is not onely for now, but also for future opportunities in turning from sin.

Christ the same yesterday, to day, and for ever; his word of Blessing the same by his Omniscient Wisdom, and Omnipresent Excellency, at all times which either were present, or are, or shall be pre­sent hereafter: his blessing was [...] when Repentance was preached by Iohn Baptist, and by Christ, when Christ prayed on the Cross, when he arose and departed at his Ascension, blessing his A­postles Commission, with authority to bless all fu­ture generations to the worlds end in his Name, by baptizing them with the baptism of Repentance to turn from sin, though in event, their turning from sin be afterwards in any year, month, or day of their life, after they have with Peter denyed Christ, or walked contrary to Christ, in errour, schism, un­charitableness, unrighteousness, uncleanness, I­dolatry, covetousness; from which a time of re­turning by Repentance, is allowed unto such, as have thought, willed, and done contrary to Christ after their baptism. The Covenant of baptism holding out such expectative grace of Repentance, would you for expectation of grace deny the Co­venant of baptism unto such as never have done, willed, or thought contrary to Christ, who can in any moment bless for everlasting, as he most loving­ly provided from everlasting? and dare you forbid blessing in his Name for the future, without his ex­press word? yea, against his word, helping against you by many notables in the very Text, which with good Coherence, are enough for Application of Christs blessing against you, unto the little ones bap­tized in his Name, Acts 3.

1. Besides that, to the baptized are applyed the [Page 18]words of Moses, when he spake of Parents duty to teach their Infants, when they should afterwards be able to learn.

2. The great Prophet was to be like Moses, that had such care of Children.

Numb. 2.

3. The holy Ghost calleth that Prophet [...], the child Jesus, to mind how the Covenant was sealed unto Jesus a child, in regard of Childrens sal­vation.

4. As the Parents are included in the seed by foe­derative correlation, what is said of the seed, Gen. 22.17. is expounded of the Parents, Heb. 6.14. so what was promised to the Father, Gen. 12.3. is ex­pounded of the seed here, Acts 3.25.

5. Abraham is named, whose Covenant included his young son Isaac, and Isaac is named here, whose Covenant included his son Jacob, and Jacob is na­med, whose Covenant of blessing included his sons also: these are named as examples for all other Co­venanting Fathers to include their Families, that the blessing might so be communicable through the earth unto all Families, called here [...], from the Father-hood, which hath right of including his In­fants under the Covenant of blessing, to be taught as they should be able to learn.

Num. 3.

6. The baptized (here capable of the blessing in that Prophets name) are called Children of the Pro­phets, as their style usually verifyeth the blessing of the future time in the words of the present or pre­terit, to assure, what is in Gods Name affirmed by his servants the Prophets, as if it were already per­formed; in which sense Preaching the Word, in ad­ministration of the Sacraments, aptly may be called Prophesying.

So the preaching Jew, and the preaching Gentile, Gods two Witnesses said to Prophesie Rev. 11. and Rev. 12.16. are said Pascere to feed, implying their Pastoral duties in Administration of the Word with the Sacraments.

2. As the Prophetique word expressing Infants sucking at the breast, as meant in the Promise to be applyed by baptism elsewhere noted, by compa­ring Ioel 2. with Acts 2.

3. As the Prophets own Infant-sons, sealed a­mong the Disciples, to be signes of what Christ would have done in his brotherly-kindness, else­where argued more largely, by comparing Isaiah 8. with Heb. 2.

4. Children of the Prophets, to learn this (with other things) which they fore-tel about admission of Infants among the blessed.

7. The words here Acts 3.23. are so cited from Deut. 18.18. with conjunction of other words from Gen. 17.14. that include Infants, as well as those of riper age; assuredly, the wisdom of the holy Ghost would teach somwhat by this notable conjuncti­on; what other cause, if not interesting Infants as well as others under the Covenant-blessing (by this great Prophet here) in fear of danger to be cut off for contempt of such his Covenant-blessing? danger under the New Covenant as under the Old, which threatens also Parents, as deserving to be cut off, if they (through contempt) engaged not their Infants under the Covenant of blessing by that great Pro­phet; danger threatned to the soul, argueth these words, (Gen. 17.14. as repeated Acts 3. in time of the new Covenant) to concern the salvation of the [Page 20]soul, for which Almighty God tyreth us to means when they may be procured, though his own Infi­nite free mercy can help other wayes.

8. They all are to be baptized under the bles­sing of this Prophet, that were then Children of the Covenant made with the Fathers: But Infants then were Children of the Covenant which God made with the Father, Gen. 12. saying, All the Kin­dreds of the earth shall be blessed in thy Seed; an ever­lasting Seed to bless them that hold the Covenant in truth, rightly called an everlasting Covenant, even where Infants are included (Gen. 17.13.) in the everlasting vertue of that blessed Seed; that blessed Seed by blood-shed in his Infancy, bound to shed his uttermost blood at death for young In­fants like himself, as well as for elder; it is called The blood of the everlasting Covenant, Heb. 13.

Infants thus therefore, as well as other Children of the everlasting Covenant are comprehended in the blessing, by this great Prophet, Acts 3, like Mo­ses in that care of Children.

NUMBER 1.

YEa this great Prophet here was the very same in person who made the Covenant with Abraham for Sealing the young Children, and who spake to Moses with Commandement for Fathers to teach young Chil­dren when they shall be able to learn. The Prophet (so to bless, Acts 3.) was no other person but the person of Christ the Son of God, who so spake to Moses in love of Children, Deut. 5.29. O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my Commandements alwayes; that it might be [Page 22]well with them, and with their Children for ever, Deut. 6. Now these are the Commandements which the Lord your God commanded to teach you: Hear O Israel, and thou shalt tech them diligently thy Children, &c.

Christ being God the Son, spake in the glory the vision of Majesty presentative of Christ as he was to be man in future Offices of our Prophet, Priest, and King: The visional presence in the Name of God, but in the similitude of man, speaking face to face with Moses, by interpretation, taken out, (to wit, out of the water an Infant) designed in great My­sterie to guide the people of Israel and their Infants at their mystical baptism through the Red Sea, the Presence, or Angel of the Presence of the Lord, that in appearance of a flame of fire said unto Moses, Behold, the cry of the Children of Israel is come unto me: Come now therefore, I will send thee, that thou mayest bring forth th Children of Israel out of Aegypt. Thou shalt say unto the Children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you: I am that I am, or [I will be that I will be] gorying for the future, as well as for the pre­sent, in mercy to the Children, as well as to the Pa­rents: As before in Abraham's Family to Children new born, yea unborn; to Jacob unborn, the son of Isaac; to Isaac when he was new born, and when he was unborn; Yea to that other son of Abraham, the first whom God named before he was born, putting some of Gods Name [EL] into his Name [Ismael] in a mystical blessing under a shadow of a curse, for him in Type, and his Anti-Type the Jewes now.

As his Mother had a double Relation, one bles­sed, another accursed; as Hagar, by interpretation a [Page 23]Fugitive, banished from the house of Abraham, but blessed in returning thither; in an Allegory figuring the old Jerusalem, Gal. 4. with her carnal Children, the Israelites, that shall be blessed in returning to the Church of Christ, in the Graces, Mercies, and Du­ties of new Jerusalem, figured in Allegory by Sarah the Free-woman, true Wife of Abraham; which re­turn of the carnal Israelites, must be by the gate of entrance into the Church of Christ, and that gate appeareth afterwards to be by baptism, as at a Fountain Hagar met this Angel of God, which as­sured the Birth of her son, with addition of Gods Name in the end, saying, Thou shalt have a son, and thou shalt call his name Ismael, because of God hath heard thy affliction, and she called the Name of God that spake unto her, [Thou the God that seest me] therefore they (Heb. therefore he) called it, [The well of him that li­veth and seeth] Whence Psal. 36. the speech of Pro­phetique mystery raiseth the Well of Life with him in the Spirit of David, the Spirit of the Son of David; in truth whereof, the house of David as God, as the Angel of God before them, and the feeble as David, Zach. 12.8. Who more feeble then Infants? yet strong as David, having God for his strength by Covenant. In that day shall be a Fountain opened to the house of David, and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin, & for turning from uncleanness, Zach. 13.1. Isa. 55.1, 3. Every one that thirsteth, come to the waters: The sure mercies of David, in everlasting Covenant to the house of Judah first, and to the Gentiles, and at last to the Rebellious Israelites at the Well of Life, mystically returning from their sinful aversness, un­to the mystical Sarah under the new Covenant, as [Page 24]personal Hagar (with Child) was directed to return at that Well by that Angel of God, who (for that mystical joynture of both Covenants in one) might rightly be called the Angel of the Covenant, still the same in Essence to faithful Believers and their Children, by the prayer of Parents faith, in hope for their young Ones to be under Covenant of Gods mercy. Was not Abraham's desire and prayer unto God, O that Ismael might live before thee? And God said, For Ismael I have heard thee, behold I bless him. And Abraham took Ismael his son, and all the Male Children of his house, and circumcised the flesh of their fore-skin, in the self same day, as God had spoken with him. Gen. 17. What knowest thou to the con­trary, but Circumcision was to him a Seal of Gods promised blessing for Righteousness by Faith? As to his father, who for him (in faith) procured a bles­sing, though not to be the Progenitor of Christ, nor to inherit the figurative Holy Land; yet so, that he might inherit Heaven thereby figured, and to be blessed in Christ according to the Gospel-pro­mises preached unto Abraham, and to his Seed; un­less in time of tryal they refuse the inward Circum­cision of their heart, promised also by God unto such as walk not contrary thereunto for ever.

In Aegypt the Lord spared all the first-born of Is­rael, young or old, by claim of the first unto his service, preserving all their other Children. In that famous deliverance (not forsaking any one of them to be left behind in the servitude of Aegypt) he Spi­ritually baptized young and old in the Cloud, and in the Red Sea: in the Cloud, as a token of his presence by Covenant; when the Cloud rested, they [Page 25]rested, and when the Cloud progressed, they pro­gressed; all in the Army, young and old, Numb. 10.34. The Cloud of the Lord upon them by day, when they went out of the Camp, and when the Ark of the Cove­nant of the Lord set forward, Moses said, Rise up Lord, and let thine Enemies be scattered; and when it rested, he said, Return O Lord unto the many thousands of Is­rael: Which the spirit of David enlarged with a Commentary, Psal. 68. Let God arise, A Father of the fatherless: The Heavens dropped at the presence of God, Thou O God didst send a gratious rain upon thine Inheritance—Ʋnto God the Lord the issues from death.

Numb. 2.

Doth not this relate unto the Resurrection of Christ, and his Ascension, giving Gifts unto men at baptism, as Peter interpreted at Descension of the Holy Ghost on the same day of Pentecost, whereon formerly the Law had been given? In remembrance whereof, it is here added in Psal. 68.17. The Chari­ots of God are twenty thousands, (even) thousands of Angels; the Lord (is) among them (as) in Sinai, in the holy place.

By this gift of the holy Ghost, upon the same day whereon the Law was formerly given, this Lesson is held out unto us, That the holy Ghost was given on purpose to put the Lawes in our inward parts, as he promiseth in the new Covenant, to write in our hearts even the same Lawes of Morality, which were given on Sinai among the Thousand of An­gels.

By that Angel of the Lord Christ (his visional presence called Arch-Angel) as Prince among the thousands of Angels, when the Law was givne on [Page 26] Sinai, in the hand of a Mediator: by such Angelical Ministry, Christ (who shall proclaim his Advent by the voyce of the Arch-Angel) did then deliver the Law by the hand (it may seem) of the Arch-Angel: Christ as the Son of God the Lord, speaking by that glorious Presence, visionally presenting Christ as man, (that was the be Mediator) and also writing the Law in that visional Presence of glory; the Law might in that sense (Gal. 3.) be ordinate by Angels in the hand of a Mediator, and that Evangelical accomplishment by the Holy Ghost, being Prophe­tically praised in this 68 Psalm, in effect to be that glorious Legislative Ordination on Sinai; as on Si­nai the Lord in that Angel of the presence, giving the Law written, in the hand of a Mediator, did write the fifth Commandement, which appertain­ing to both Tables, for the duties both to God and man; so that God is honoured in honouring of Pa­rents, which are living Images of God, and Instru­ments of his Father-hood; by Parents producing us, feeding us, and blessing us; so should, and ought it to be with honour and thanks acknowledged, that when by the Godly care and Faithfulness of Parents, their Children are offered to be bound in Covenant unto the service of God, to be blessed in his Name, that God doth work in that Religious work of the Parents, and doth accept their Chil­dren to the Covenant-blessing in his holy Name, as it may further appear by that Angel of the Cove­nant in the Wilderness, and in the Land of Pro­mise, they distrusting their own, and their Chil­drens safety, though promised by the Lord; As tru­ly as I live (saith the Lord) your little Ones which ye [Page 27]said should be a Prey, them will I bring into the Land, but your Carcasses shall fall in the Wilderness; All that were numbred of age for War, except two, Numb. 14. Rev. 11. the mention of two Witnesses again, in the Wilderness again, journeying from Aegypt in Spirit, argueth for the like care of Children again, as under the Promise and Covenant of the Lord: And Numb. 22. when Balaam for a bribe would have cursed the uttermost parts of Israel, the Angel of the Lord (that with a Sword met the Prophet) so terri­fyed him, that he blessed, and could not curss the least of Israel: The name of Balaam encourageth our Hope again in Gods Promise and Covenant for sal­vation of the Small as well as great, Rev. 2.14, 17.

Numb. 3.

In the holy Land of Promise, the Angel of the Lord with a Sword in his hand, as a Captain of the Lords Host, Joshua 5. though sent to cut off the Cana­anites, yet spared such as through belief of the Pro­phecies had Covenanted with Israel; for the Cove­nants sake he spared Rahab and all in here house. The 2 Israelites had said, When we come into the Land, thou shalt bind this Line of Scarlet in the Window, by which thou didst let us down, (mystically referring to the blood of Christ) thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mo­ther, and thy brethren, and all thy fathers houshold home unto thee, and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood on our head, if any hand be upon him.

These words were general enough to save their Children then, if they had any; yea, that the safety might be extended to such as should be born after­ward, Joshua (figure of Jesus Christ) chap 6. bid, Bring out the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her. And the young men that were Spyes, went in, [Page 28]and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had, and they brought out all her kinred; and she dwelleth in Israel unto this day, inhabiting the Land of Promise.

A blessed example, which the wisdom of antient Fathers esteemed to be figurative of the Gentiles admission into the Church of Christ Jesus; as she Covenanted for Brethren, and Kindred, with her Fa­ther and Mother, (which in age are said to become twice Children) why should it seem unreasonable for such friends to be Sureties in Covenant for Children?

Numb. 4.

The Lord also spared the Gibeonites and their lit­tle Ones for Covenant sake, with Oath in the Name of the Lord God, whose Prophecie they believed; but spared not King Saul's Family for breach of that Covenant, though in zeal for the people of Israel, and with countenance for the Lord God his charge for cuting them off; the Lord in judgment remem­bring mercy, delighteth to have his servants merci­ful, and faithful in Covenant, for honour of his great Name in which they swear or vow, specially for the good of Children: The Children of the Gi­beonites were sanctified and blessed at the return from Babylonian Captivity, to re-possess that holy Land, as a pattern of mercy for encouragement of Hope, to Sanctifie the Nations and their Children into the Church-Covenant of Christ Jesus, even in time of Reformation, at our departure from the corruptions of new Babylon.

Though these practises of Rahab and the Gibeo­onites were corrupted with some fraud and fals­hood, their Covenant was not thereby annulled, [Page 29]but they Covenanting for themselves and their Fa­milies, were accepted, and so blessed, though under the general charge to be cut off as Enemies unto Gods people; much more may Gods beloved peo­ple hope to be accepted and blessed in Covenanting for their families to serve their Lord God, as Sureties by Promise and Vow in their name at Infant-bap­tism, under the new Covenant, Rahab being com­mended unto the faithful for example of fruitful­ness in works of faith, justifying her before men by interpretation of the Apostle James, chap. 2. And the Gibeonites finding mercy when the Plague was upon Israel for their sake, and that Plague ceasing through Gods mercy, when justice was done against their Adversaries by David after his Inquisition, and Gods most holy direction:

Numb. 5.

This appertaineth to the holy mercies of David under Covenant, Isa. 55. and asserted by the Apostle, Acts 13. through the Resurrection of Christ, the power whereof shall raise up great and small, according to the Prophets high exaltation of Gods Heavenly mercies in Cove­nant toward his Servants and their little Ones, car­ried as upon Eagles wings, from bondage towards their rest, Deut. 32. In progress of which mystery, Rev. 12. Behold the mystical woman upon Eagles wings in the Wilderness again, assured signification of mercy to young Children again; by the way, not to forget the contrary note against the Ostrich, for leaving her Egs in the dust; forgeting that the foot may crush them, or the wild beast may break them; she is hardened against her young Ones, for that God hath not given her wisdom, Job 39. Look ye rather on the Eagles face of the Cherubins, by their [Page 30]thanksgiving unto the Lamb of God, for Redeem­ing them by his blood out of every Tribe, whereso­ever scattered among the Nations, Rev. 5.8, 9. with grateful joy at such performance of mercy, re­membring how (to betoken interest in this great re­demption) their Infants at a month old, were re­deemed in that their well-ordered Camp of Israel, upon the four parts about the Mercy-Seat, on the Ark of the Covenant, visioned Prophetiquely by those four Cherubins; the sound of whose wings (like the Host of Israel, Ezek. 1.24.) comprehend­ing the young as Chickens under the wings of Christ, on his mystical Throne, as prince of Pro­phets, for Sanctification of small as well as great, ac­cording to the Prophetique holy Rules, and that at baptism, as undeniably cleared in holy Prophecies, about Christ his next Office of Kingliness.

NUMBER I.

KIngly presentation in that Apoca­lyptical Office, Num. 1 defendeth those whom his Priestly washeth in his blood at baptism, and Sealeth in the forehead, to learn the song of the Lamb, and of Moses, prescrib­ed by God, as already noted a­bout the Prophetique Office of Christ, for instru­ction of Gods Servants small and great, the small preceding the great in that express from his Throne, Rev. 19.5.

All his Offices well agree, touching Infants Ad­mission into the Kingdome of Christ, having a Crown of gold round about his Ark, where was his Throne or Mercy-Seat, Exodus Chapter 25. and a Crown of Gold round about his Altar [Page 32]of Incense, Exod. 30. arguing his Kingly Priest-hood in his continual intercession of Prayer unto God for his Servants, and their Children of all Tribes, which furnished his Altar with Jncense.

His Prophetique promise of Instruction also was Kingly, by way of Covenant, to write his Lawes in his peoples hearts, that they might know him from the least to the greatest in appointed times of his Grace, as merciful, and faithful, to the least, as to the greatest; to the Children, as to the Parents; his eternal mercy co-existing equally to all Times and Ages, that his glory may reign over all: Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts by the mouth of his Prophet, Zach. 6. The man whose name is BRANCH shall bear the glory, and shall sit and Rule upon his Throne, and he shall be a Priest upon his Throne.

An Olive-branch in token of peace and mercy, brought in the moputh of a Dove unto Noah, preser­ved by waters, as we by baptism. Behold the Holy Ghost in likeness as a Dove at baptism of Christ that Branch of the house of David; but thenceforth becoming an Olive-tree, to which the Holy Ghost by the word of Grace and Peace, bringeth young Plants of Jewes and Gentiles, that they may be [...] complantati, planted together in Christ at baptism, Rom. 6.

• Some to be broken off,
• Some to be Grafted in,
• Some to be re-grafted that were broken off,
• Some to continue on the Tree.

All help to clear Infants Right for their com­plantation [Page 33]into Christ by baptism, as an entrance into his Kingdom under Covenant, with holy Scripture warrant.

For understanding whereof, the condition of the Tree and the Root are to be sereiously viewed. Ga­briel having revealed the time when the Messias was to be cut off, not for himself, but for our Redem­ption, chap. 9. In the next Chapter, Daniel saw in a Vision, the Lord, that Messias, in similitude of a man at Hiddekel (the place of that River where A­dam and Even were driven out of Paradise) to fore­shew how he would open Paradise again, as he did at his death, Luke 23.24. dying on the dead Tree of the Cross for sin, he recovered the life, in hope of Immortality, lost by eating of the forbidden li­ving Tree; O Death where is thy sting! Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ, made sin for us: So making the Sting which killed him a Root of life to us; hence as that Sting of Death is called [...], 1 Cor. 1.15, 25. So the Lord who maketh us partakers of benefit by that sting of Christis death, is said [...] to graft in, Rom. 11.23. and those that are grafted in [...], to note, that their grafting into Christ, is to have felowship in the benefit of his death, that fellowship is one Root.

A second Root, is fellowship in the benefit of Christ his Resurrection; both which are joyned to­gether by the wisdom of the Apostle Paul our Pa­tern, Phil. 3. I do count all things loss, that I may gain Christ; that I may know him, and the Power of his Re­surrection, and the fellowship of his Suffering, being made conformable to his death, if I may apprehend it, for which also I am apprehended of Jesus Christ. A [Page 34]double apprehension, As the Branch taketh hold of the vertue of the Root, and the Root holdeth the Branch in life by Sap, without which the Branch dyeth, and is to be broken off: Answerable to the Sap of Branches, is the grace of Christians faith, in love of Christ, who saith, I am the Root and Off-spring of David, Rev. 22. The words of Davids Spirit and Zeal are applyed to Christ in the Gospel, and Christ applyeth to himself as the green Tree, what David (who lived not to see the Temple) foresaw of Christ, I like a green Olive-Tree in the house of God, Psal. 52. Christ verifying in himself whatsoever was in the Temple the House of God.

When Zachariah thught he had seen two Olive-Trees, upon farther view he called them two O­live-Branches, the Jew, and the Gentile: The Jew called Natural, not as in pure naturals, nor as in naturals corrupted with sin; but as exalted above natural corruption, to be in dignity and duty the people of God, the choysest Plant, in the 5^th of Isaiah by Covenant with Abraham and his successive Chil­dren, in that sense his Natural Branch.

The Gentile called Wilde, as neglected in the wilderness of Self will, without the Covenant of God, though it had alwayes a door open for admis­sion of the strangers that would come in unto them, as Prophecie foreshewed, that the Gentiles would be grafted in amongst the Jewes, and with them partake of the Root and fatness of the Olive-Tree.

These two Branches the Revelation calleth Can­dlesticks, two Churches, Chap. 11. two Catholique Churches, One of the Jewes in all Countryes of all [Page 35]Tribes, according to the Prophecies of their disper­sion, and recovery from thence in Gods most Righ­teous and most merciful true judgments; for ac­complishment whereof, the Canonical Epistles written by (their designed Apostles, Gal. 2.) Peter, James, and Iohn, are called Catholique Epistles, though pertaining (as profitable for learning) to all Nations: The other Catholsique Church of Gen­tiles, for accomplishment of other Prophecies a­bout their Conversion; yet both for their unity of Spirit, and light in Evangelical Doctrine of Christi­an faith, appeeared as one Candlestick in Zach. 4. yea as one Olive-Tree. Though twice before he con­ceived them to be two Olive-Trees in distinct ob­servations: Yet at his last review, when he concei­ved them as two Branches, the Angel interpreted them to be two Anointed Ones; in the Hebrue, Two Sons of Oyl, standing before the Lord of the whole earth, The Christian Jew, and the Christian Gentile colle­ctive, representing Jewes and Gentiles, full Witnes­ses of Gods truth in his Church, one true Catho­lique holy Church, uniting them, or admiting as u­nited in Christ to Regeneration (their washing of Regeneration, Tit. 3.) by Grace in baptism, Rege: nerated sons of Oyl, Grace; Grace who hath despi­sed the day of small things?

Let the Despisers (as they would seem Religi­ous) ingenuously consider, how Oyl-Olive, (signifi­cative of Grace) sweet Incense, (significative of prayer,) and the blood of Sacrifice, (significative of Christs blood,) were by Divine Ordinance ap­plyed to the Ark of Testimony, the token signifi­cative of the Lords presence on his Mercy-seat, be­twixt [Page 36]twixt the Cherubims wings made of Olive-Tree, (Hebr. Tree of Olive) significative of Peace, 1 Kings 6.23, and 32. Within the two doors of Olive-Tree, with carvings of Cherubims, (in face Child-like) as the Rabbins have conceived the signification of their names also to be Cerubh, by compounding with a Particle of similitude. Our fatih believeth the sub­stance of whatsoever Divine Ordinance of that fi­gurative Temple, to be fulfilled in truth by Christ, the Temple, the Door, the Light, the Bread, the Veil, the most Holy, the King of Glory compassed with his Cheerubims wings of mercy, by Covenant of his good will, for admission of little Children, as a Hen gathereth her Chicken under her wings in to­ken of love; his Fathers love in sending, his own love in coming to dy for the sins of the World; love unto blood-shed for us, when we were his Ene­mies, Rom. 5. Praying for his Enemies, Prayer of love for his Enemies, even for them that shed the blood of his love; and after his Ascension from Mount Olivet the place of his Prayer, in love he sends down Gifts for his Enemies, even love the fruits of the holy Spirit, to make the Branches of his Olive-Tree fruitful in diligence to make their Calling and Election sure; first their Callig to be sure.

The first Calling is from God his act of Eternity, the same without change in it self for ever, God hath Elected, Called, Justified, and Glorified, in that act, all that shall be Called, Rom. 8.30. in iden­tification of that Infinite, call-perfect, unchanged act, acting in others acts of change, past, present, or to come, as he purposed from everlasting.

From this Calling of his Divine purpose, are [Page 37]the acts of secondary calling by Man, Ministers, Pa­rents, and helping Friends: Ministers call by the Word and Prayer, the two means calling effectual­ly towards Sanctification ordained of God, 1 Tim. 4. Ministers calling by the Word, is either Inde­finite by Preaching the pure Word, which declareth what manner of men the Elect are to be in their du­ties if they will be saved; or definite, applying the promises of the Word unto the baptized by name in Prayers with them, or for them, if Infants; that these means of the Word and Prayer may be effectu­al for them to the glory of Gods grace; so calling out of Aegypt Spiritual, as of the Typical. At the Trans­figuration of Christ, appeared only Moses and Elias, two notable Witnesses of great mercies, in love to little Ones; and their discourse was about Christs decease (his Exodus in Greek) glorious for conduct, most effectual to little Ones departing thence, and their [...] entrance into the Kingdom of Christ, as before through water into the figurative place of rest, 2 Pet. 1.11. So they made sure Election also; while they made sure the calling by diligence in ad­ding to Faith, Love, either for themselves, or others, as Ministers to the Flock, Gods heritage, Psal. 127. Children an heritage of the Lord, (to inherit their Fa­thers God) the fruit of the womb a reward. As Ar­rows in the hand of the Mighty, so Sons of the youth: O blessed the man that hath filled his Quiver with them, as helps against Enemies in the Gate, either of judge­ment or defence: A Quiver keeps them ready pre­pared to be shot, the Father shooteth them as Ar­rows at a Mark, by good means, good Counsels to the Intelligent at ripe age; good Prayers, good pur­poses, [Page 38]good vowes, to Gods glory, by Gods Ordi­nances; Gods Ministers, Gods Deputies, Parents, or Parents Deputies, good Sureties may be said to shoot, destinate, or sub-predestinate Infants, in sub­ordination to God good Will, revealing his Eter­nal Predestination by good means, to a good end; all in the Bow of Gods Covenant, which Christ hath in his hand, Rev. 6. wherein he holdeth the Book for direction, Rev. 10. and Ministers, Rev. 2. and the Spirits, Rev. 3. enabling the Shooters to direct, and others as Arrowes directed in Covenant to proceed by Faith and Love. Those Children as Arrowes here, (in the next Psal. 128.) are called Olive-Plants, Paul planteth, Apollo watereth, in hope God will give the increase. Faith is the ground of hoped things, and the evidence of what is yet unseen; In­fants capacity, Grace-hability, Grace-agibility to do the work of Faith, in love of Christ his Cove­nant.

Election to Faith grafteth not sufficiently, Faith is Temporal in some, Eternal in none; yielding to the light of Glory: Charity rooteth unto Eternity by Prayer, Eph. 3.17. So rooted in love, that ye may know the ove of Christ in you, your calling made sure unto the end, maketh sure your Election, according to the Eternal purpose in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Assured finally by your own Prayers for perse­verance in love, toward which the Prayer of Mini­sters, Parents, and Sureties, are helpful to make all men see the fellowship of the Mysterie, that the ma­nifold Wisdom of God might be known by the Church, (saith the Apostle) intending thereby to praise the visible dispensation of the Gospel-Unsearchabl-Riches [Page 39]among the Gentiles.

Although the faithfullest in their infirmities of­tentimes intermit the duties of love, Rev. 2. The Church of Ephesus first of the seven Candlesticks, receiving the first praise, and first promise of reward of Conquest, [I will give to eat of the Tree of Life in Pa­radise] yet the pastor thereof heard, Thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thopu art fain, and repent, and do thy first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and remove thy Candlestick, except thou re­pent. Had not those other exemplary Churches falte­red under sin also? [...], Go-Ecclesiate, God did con­clude all (in the Church) under sin or disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all, Rom. 3.11. Mercy to the Jewes that are broken off, for they had hold before they were broken off, and possibly might be grafted in again, by the Spirit anointing Christ to heal and bind up the broken, Luke 4.10. that no fragment be lost, Iohn 6.12. his goodness agitating to Repen­tance, even the impenitent, Rom. 2. mercy to the Gen­tiles grafted, in that in their mercy, the Jewes might find mercy; whosoever make their calling sure to the end, thereby making sure their Election.

Election from Eternity decreeing to work, but as in event it worketh in mens works, either for a time or to the end; in supposal of which final effect or defect, men seem not here to be considered, Rom. 11. but rather in proposal of mercy, to prevent by good perswasion, that they might not be cut off finally with the Reprobate in impenitence or infidelity, but rather be saved among the Saints elect from e­verlasting free Grace in Gods holy good pleasure, of infinite mercy to everlasting glory. Such absolute [Page 40]Election, appeareth not to be taught in this Aposto­lique Doctrine of breaking off, or ingrafting, pre­pared by way of condition, If thou continue in goodness, otherwise thou also shalt be cut off: And if they continue not still in unbelief, they also shall be grafted in. If the fall of the Jewes be the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fulness? In as much as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles, I magnifie my Office, if by any means I may provoke my Kindred the Jewes to emulation, and might save some of them. This was Evangelical agitation in the Visible Church, progressing in his former sense of the tenth to the Romans, With the heart man believeth unto Righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation, by the Covenant of that Saviour out of Sion, to turn away ungodliness from Jacob; Isa. 59.21. My words which I have put in 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 for ever saith the Lord: Gratiously by Divine Providence, reciting part of that his Covenant, Rom. 11.26. to give light to the Visible Church, that she might derive his mercies unto all in her duties.

Yet with awful admiration of his unsearchable judgements in his wayes past finding out, about that Doctrine of his absolute Election, in a right sense of excellent use, his Divine Omnipotence working all in all.

But with needful cautions, to prevent extreme a­buses in saddest Agonies of the Church; God help in season, with grace and mercy from his Throne of glory, by the light of his holy Prophecies, for a­greement, establishment, and accomplishment, in [Page 41]truth of all duties for the Common-weal of all.

1. Caution needful, that none presuming on Gods Election, neglect due Christian Ordinances, efficacious towards enduements of saving Grace in Saints, elect to the means of labour, as well as the Harvest.

2. Caution, that none despair in the God of Hope and Love, while he giveth life.

3. Caution, for inspired Theologie, to transcend the wisdom of Philosophie, that had experience e­nough against condemning any before their end, and against flattering any that must end.

4. Caution, not to wrong Children new born, whom God appointeth to be his Witnesses and Judges, after thousands in the dust and waters sink; that with liberty, like as the Olive-sprig (betoken­ing peace by Grace in Jesus Christ) the Gospel of peace in the mouth of Ministes, (bid to be like Doves, in remembrance of that Dove taken in by Noah the Type of Christ) might with Prayer for ad­mittance at baptism, offer young Infants (the fitter for tenderness) to be ingrafted in the green Olive-Tree, whereof Christ maketh Application to him­self, Luke 23.31. as in figure of Christ, Jeremiah 11. did to himself, and to the people in Covenant with God: The Lord called thy name Green Olive-Tree, fair, of good fruit, yet to be cut off, I like a Lamb brought to the Slaughter—they devised devises, let us destroy the Tree; let us cut him off from the Land of the living. To cut off the Prophet Jeremiah (in figure of Christ) fore-warning that they should be cut off, for cutting themselves from the Covenant, by cutting off Christ the Lord of Life: So sure that Jeremiah was forbid [Page 42]to pray against it, as a Prophet, and yet to teach how they by Prayer might be re-grafted, as a charitable Servant of God then prayed against their cutting off,How Jeremiah prayed, and prayed not. when God remembred his Covenant, saying, Obey my voyce, so shall ye be my People; that I may per­form the Oath which I have sworn unto your Fathers. To that answered Jeremiah, [Amen O Lord] Amen the name of Christ, Rev. 3. the God of Truth, Jer. 10.8. Isa. 65. That he who blesseth himself in the earth, shall bless himself in the Name of God, Amen. In whom all the Oaths, and Promises of God are Yea and Amen, to such as pray in his Name, by vertue of his Intercession as Incense with their Prayers, even such as had been his Enemies: The world he prayed for, (Ioh. 17.21, 23.) yet (v. 9.) not for the world; for­asmuch as they applyed not his Prayer, it was not effectuall for them who would not be Sanctified by his Atonement for them among his Enemies, nor bless themselves in his Name Amen, as Isa. said, and Jer. did here, that the Covenant might be true and firm, which God had sworn; see Deut. 7. v. 6, 9, 12, 13.

Thou art a holy people, the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, the faithful God which keepeth Covenant and mercy with them that love him, and keep his Commandements, to a thousand Gene­rations, and repayeth them that hate him.

Wherefore if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep them, and do them; the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee, the Covenant, and the mercy which he sware unto the Fathers, and he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee, he will also bless the Fruit of thy body.

1. Consider, that Children being thus blessed in this first Covenant, made with the House of Isra­el [Page 43]and Judah, the new Covenant also made with the same House of Israel and Judah (Heb. 8.) for enlarge­ment of Gods mercies and love, includes also Chil­dren with their Fathers.

2. Consider, that this first Convenant of the Israe­lites as a chosen People, was from Gods Election of them to an outward Holy State by Covenant.

3. Consider how there was veiled under the first Covenant somewhat of the substance of that se­cond, in that Oath of God in his mercy, love, and blessing to them and their fruits, as holy to God by Covenant.

Thus it appeareth that here is no warrant for presumptuous searching in that unsearchable Foun­tain-Election of Gods Eternal, Infinite, free, good pleasure by mortal men, thereupon to shut out o­thers, old or young in particular, or to restrain the means of Grace from them now as of certainty, but in the fear of God, with awful humility, to con­sider how (by good means) to make sure Gods Ele­ction as revealed in his holy Word, and Oath, and Covenant of his free love and mercy to faithful Fa­thers, and by their Prayerful acceptance thereof, with hopeful and thankful obedience toward in­grafting also their Children, (a Branch in our Translation being a Son of the Tree in Heb. Psal. 80.15.) accordingly now at baptism into the benefit of Christs death, the precious Corner-Stone, for Jewes and Gentiles to be laid upon him, little as well as great, helping to fill up, as in material, so in Spi­ritual edification, (praised 1 Pet. 2.) in truth, an­swerable to that of the Covenanted holy people, [Page 44](Deut. 7.) if the Pharisees were here to deride them, as understanding in their Infancy no more then stones, Iohn's answer might serve, to the glory of Gods mercifulness, able (as raising Isaac in a manner out of a dead hope) so to raise up Children unto A­braham out of these Stones, Isaiah 54.

Numb. 2.

Sing O barren (Sarah) that did not travel with Child, thy Seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate places to be inhabited: I will have mercy on thee (saith the Lord thy Redeemer) neither shall my Covenant of Peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. I will lay thy Stones with fair Colours, and I will make thy Windowes of Agats, and all thy Borders of pleasant Stones; and all thy Children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy Children: With whom God adorneth his Temple of mercy, as the tender affectioned Mother adorneth her Children with Agats, and other precious Stones, Rev. 21. Holy new Jerusalem descending out of Heaven to be the Lambs Bride, his Church pregnant and Militant on the breadth of the earth, having the glory of God (to fill the earth, from the greatest to the least) and her light like unto a stone, most precious, even like a Jasper stone,Rev. 21.11, 18, 19, 22. clear as Christal, (All in Christ the Lamb, being the Temple thereof) and the build­ing of the Wall of it was of Jasper; the last stone whereon the name of Benjamin as youngest was written, according to the order of their birth, Exod. 28. to shew that the young are dearly beloved of the Lamb of God, and others dear as they comply with the young.

All ye dear Christian Mothers, and all others, whom Christ would have to be his Mothers in dear­ness [Page 45]of love to young Children; all trusty good Nur­ses, and dearly dear affectionate Sisters, as you a­dorn Infants with Corral-stone, that grew on a Tree in the water; Also ye grave Fathers and Bre­thren, who find among the Mirables of Oxford Li­brary that Coat (which as an honourable Agent of Queen Elizabeth had for a presentment in Muscovia, and from him I beheld, when represented from his Honour, with Preface of gratitude to blessed-Uni­versity) made of the Wool of the Muscovite-Lamb, that from the Navil, as a Plant groweth on the earth by Divine Providence of our Almighty good Creator, in such conjunction of the Plantanimal,—a Tree-Lamb, and a Coral-stone-Tree, to shew how his excellentest goodness delighteth in accord of his handy-works, whereof Christ the Lamb of God is chief under his holy Government.

Pray for the blessing of baptism in effectual Grace, according unto such unoffensive represen­tation of the nursing Child, as a Lamb, a Stone, and a Plant to be complanted at baptism into Christ the Lamb, the Stone, and the Tree of Paradise; having such fruit (a month old) every month for accrescion of Jew and Gentile, twelve manner of fruits for the twelve Tribes of Israel, in accomplishment of their fore-fathers Prayers, Prophesies, Benedictious, to be communicated unto the Gentiles entring by the Gates, that have their twelve names after exam­ple of their baptismal ingraftings into their Olive-Tree, with an Ax laid by the first baptizer unto their Root, for cutting (as fuel for Hell-fire) all that bring not their fruit to good; as in Covenant with the only true God; the Apostle Jude for his [Page 46]care for the common salvation, lamented to see such, whose fruit withered as fruitless already, then rooted out in his time, and twice dead, through their unbelief cut off from the comfort of both Co­venants, (theirs by right, Rom. 9.) alleged by the Apostle Ministerially, to try for reviving them, or some of them so far as he could in his Office of Mini­stery, that made him a debtor to Jew and Gentile for outward dispensation of Gospel-mysteries, Or­dinances of Grace, in care for all the Churches of Christ.

The old Covenant of Ceremonies at first being mortal, appointed to dy; mortua, dead at the death of Christ, but mortifera, deadly through unbeleef of the new Covenant, after sufficient proclamation thereof: Such final unbeleeving Jewes became twice dead from helps by either Covenant; dead in themselves, and dead toward their Children, whom they might have helped by their Prayers of lively faith and love to Christ; and the Children al­so twice dead, dead in the root of their unbeleeving Parents, and dead in themselves, by want of lively faith in the Covenant of Christ, and want of hung­ring and thirsting in Prayers of love, for his love unto the death by his blood shedd, precious enough to Redeem them with others; all in sin.

They that were baptized by Iohn, about the 30. year of Christ, above the 51. year of Christ, (when the Epistle to the Romans was written) were of age to be cut off by their own dissent: and others by their Fathers disswasion, either after baptism, or a­gainst baptism in Christs time, who for remedy thereof taught, that the holy Rule Matth. 10.38. [Page 47] He that loveth Father or Mother more than me, is not worthy of me.

Worthily therefore cut off from benefit of the Root, as fruitless Sprigs or Branches of withered bows; faithless Parents through unbelief destroying themselves and their Children with after-consents to their evil example, and evil counsel, contrary to the good will of Christ.

[I would, and ye would not.]

Contrary causes hindring the work one of ano­ther.

[I would have gathered together, and ye would not.]

It seemeth as if he had said, I would have admit­ted into my Church, my Convocation, or Congre­gation, my Mystical body, you and your Children as my Members in my Church-Assemblies in Cove­nant with me, for protection under my Mercy-seat, as fulfilling the mercy which called for Infants sucking at the breast to be Members of the holy Assemblies of Israel.

That this desired gathering (as under the Hens wings) was at baptism, the Reason of our perswa­sion may be seen.

[Christ would:] A favourable affect, of a reaso­nable (and as considered by it self possible) effect; the Parents belief in present, and their Childrens with them, to be gathered together amongst Belie­vers, in expectance of their belief afterwards: The Jewes would not have this, but rather the defect in both their own and their Childrens unbelief, yea and a contrary effect of hatred against the belief of Christ.

Such effect and defect privatively, but effects in [Page 48]love and hatred of belief contrarily opposites, ap­pertain to the same subjects capacity. The same Children which Christ would have had to be colle­cted, the Jewes would not; their belief which Christ would, and the unbelief and hatred of belief which the Jewes would, concerned the same object, the same Gospel concerning the Jewes and their Chil­dren; the same by which Christ would have gather­ed their Children into his Congregation, they re­jected from themselves, and from their Chil­dren.

NUMBER I.

THe same which the Jewes refused, was offered upon occasion in Gods great mercy to us Gentiles, by dispensation of the same Gospel of Christ; therefore Christ by his Gospel would gather together our Children, the second sort of Branches succeeding in the place of the first so cut off.

The first sort of Branches (the Jewes Children) [Page 49]were cut off by their Parents unbeleef.

So great force as the Parents dissent had in cut­ting off, their consent and faith, might, and ought to have had in com-planting their Children with Christ, and in Christ.

What they neglected, may, and ought to be by the Gentiles accepted.

Therefore our consent and faith, may, and ought to conclude our Children under the Gospel-bles­sing to be believed; beleef taking hold of the pro­mised blessing under the new Covenant of the Gospel.

1. God directing the Wise men of Nations to worship Christ new born, encourageth by that Sa­viour a Child, to hope for salvation of their Chil­dren.

2. Joel calling the Nations for the future to be judged in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, in reference to what had fore-passed there, 2 Chron. 2.13. when the little ones presented, immediately the Spirit of the Prophet assured of victory, while the Ministers praised God, for his mercy endureth for ever, the E­nemies fell to the earth dead bodies, that the Nations might learn not to oppose, but joyn with the Chil­dren of Israel, and partake in the promise of Spirit on all flesh, including Infants sucking at the breasts, applyed to baptism, Acts 2. See our Chapter 9. Number 4.

3. Christ being baptized, openeth the door of his Kingdom by baptism to Galilee of the Gentiles, Matth. 4.15. fulfilling what Isaiah prophecied chap. 9. of them that in Galilee of the Gentiles sate in dark­ness: Who more dark than Children? who need­ing [Page 50]more to be warmed by that comfort of the Savi­our there shining out, as born a Child? of which a­non more in our Chapter 9. Number 1. See there also for

4. The generation of Vipers, & other sort of cruel beasts, meeked with Infants at the Ensign of Christs Kingdom, explained to be baptism, and that to be set an Ensign for Nations, from the four corners of the earth, Isaiah 11.8, 10, 11, 12. applyed Acts 10. mystically by that Vessel (as it had been a great sheet tyed at the four corners) containing all man­ner of beasts to be cleansed; Nations of all sorts to be baptized, with pre-caution for Infants and suck­ing Children, by the precedent word of the Pro­phet Isaiah.

5. The Gentiles shall joyn with the Jewes to be Children of Jerusalem which is from above, Gal. 4. born from above at baptism, Iohn 3. Isaiah 60. The Gentiles shall come,—then thou shalt see flow together the Nations by National consent in their Councils, as Rivers shall flow, and so the noyse of the Sea shall be converted unto thee; the Nations that will not serve thee, shall be utterly wasted.

The Sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee, to wit, as the Wise-men in worship of Christ thy Son, thy Saviour and theirs. An eternal Excellency, by whom a little One shall become a thousand; the greater his glory, to hasten so great a work through a little One.

Whether in truth it were intended by way of ex­ample, upon demonstration, sufficient for the duty to baptize one little Infant, a thousand should be brought into the like baptism: Or whether (other­wise [Page 51]of introduction) a single one baptized (after sufficient advertises of Christian duty) were to be so strengthned in conscience thereof, that he should become Eloquent, or Potent enough in Christ, who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth, to strengthen a whole Nation in love of Christ, to sub­mit under his Ensign of baptism, and that such a Nation as had afflicted Christians before: The Cha­racter of true Christianity, to Bless Enemies, and o­vercome evil with good.

Hath any more afflicted the People of God than the Turk? Hath not his Alcoron a clause about Je­rusalem to be a Village until the Nations come in? By the Providence of God it may seem a prepara­tive for an expectation of the Nations coming fore­told herein by the Prophet Isaiah: It being not un­like, that the Contrivers of the Turkish devotion, had some knowledge of the Scriptures, as waged in the great Armies of Heraclius a Christian, after the six hundredth year of Christ, and the story not dis­covering impatience in the Turk at a late address in writing, to perswade, that the time was come for his conversion unto Christ; in which was alleged a Tradition from the Priests of Mahomet, that he being asked on his death-bed how long his Religi­on and Empire should last, in answer only lift up his ten fingers toward Heaven.

Whether his meaning were to have the Rule con­tinued so long as could by strength of hands, or that it was to be over-ruled by the Angel of the Lord, who lift up both his hands in Oath, for the good of his people Israel, 1290 dayes, (years in Pro­phetique accompt) after the full scattering of Dani­els [Page 52]people, Chap. 12. Their most famous scattering, when they had digged up the foundation of their Temple, not leaving a stone upon a stone.

Ecclesiastical Story reporteth, as about the year of our Lord 363. which added unto the fatal Num­ber 1290. pointeth at the year 1653. Many great concurrences have appeared lately for encourage­ment hereof, both in this Nation and elsewhere, as in the Jewes late Assembliing to dispute about Christ, and their appointment of another Assem­bling.

That the conversion must be to baptism, it well accordeth with the Prophetique expression of Da­niel, chap. 12. As upon the waters to be purified and made white, Rev. 1. expoundeth to be by Christ, in his white Robes of Priestly Function, to make atonement, washing us in his blood, and put­ting on us his white Garment of Praise, in stead of the red Cap put on them by the Romane Beast in pride, of Scarlet, pointed at by the finger of Gods Spirit, for the Jewes and the Romans conspiring in derision, to put a Scarlet Robe on Christ King of the Jewes, who triumpheth in his white of mercy, leading Captivity captive, and giving Gifts unto his Enemies, over-ruled by his victorious Grace, willingly to yield their Children captive to Jerusa­lem, whose Children they had held captive, sold as Tribute, specially to Graecia, where the Turk now Reigns.

One baptized Child becoming Tributary, may work about the great work, when his baptismal Grace, which is but ableness, or hability, shall re­ceive further efficacy of Gods efficacious Grace, [Page 53]compared to flashes of Lightning, in Scholastique Theologie; by rule of Prophecie, those flashes of Lightning are out of the fire amidst the Cherubims of the redeemed Ones, under the Throne of the Mercy-seat of God by Covenant, Ezek. 1. the Throne of Grace; whence efficacious to help in time, is by Prayer, with freedm of access, and con­fidence of success: If Christians did pray enough, efficacious Grace would flow to all baptized, and most where is most need, under the Turkish cruel­ty for the small to ruine the great unto Christs most Glory. Esaias named the Child about six score years before he was born, that was to deliver Israel out from the Babylonian Captivity: Daniel, (one of the Captive) prayed God not to defer, for the Tem­ple, and for the City Jerusalem, and for his People; and God deferred not, but granted his desire, and the People had liberty to return authorized. And God said, I will remove the iniquity of the land in one day, Zach. 3.9. In gratious answer unto the Pro­phet Esayas, chap. 66.8. Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day a Nation at once? The Lord undertook it, and that he would hasten it in his time, chap. 60.22. His heart in love abideth not hinderances, but overthroweth them all, whether Wise, Rich, or Mighty: Not to glory but in him, a God of loving-kindness to the Small also. Shall I bring to the birth and not bring forth? saith the Lord, Isaiah 66. upon complaint of Children brought to the birth, but not brought forth. The wrath of the Lord broke forth, and slew in one night thousands in the Assyrian Army, an hundred fourscore and five thousands in the morning, all dead corpses, [Page 54]and Sennacherib himself was slain by his own Sons; many more having perished in Turkish Armies, the Turk may happily relent toward Christians Children, and for safeguard of their own lives, de­fire to have their Children seasoned with duties, at baptism by the grace of Christ.

Interpreters agree not about the sense of that complaint about Children not brought forth.

But the Messenger was Eliakim, by interpretation [The resurrection of God, or God ariseth] answerable whereunto, the Apoclyptical Angel of Christ his presence, One like unto the Son of Man saith, I was dead, and am alive for evermore: And have the Keyes of life and death, Rev. 1. and chap. 3. I shut, and no man openeth, I open, and no man shuteth: So ta­king unto himself these words that were spoken of Eliakim Isa. 22.22. and by consequence hath right also to the words there following about Eliakim his glory, to have hanged on him all Vessels of small quantity, from the Vessels of Cups, even to all the Vessels of Flaggons, or Vials, v. 24. to be purged and washed for the uses of the Lord, (baptizing in his Name) for that purpose (without over curious presumption) our humbleness of sincerity stayeth at the outside of the complaint by way of comparison, whereas in extremities of Pestilence, Famine, War, or any great calamity, Faitn women unable to bring forth their Children, fall to sad complainings; So when after seeking from place to place, from Mini­ster to Minister, if there be not procured liberty for their Childrens Admission to baptism, (wherein they hope for partaking of the Covenant of New­birth, by the Water and Spirit of Christ, in their e­stimation [Page 55]more precious than the first birth to life:) In pitty blame not their lamentations, but in awe of Gods more dreadful judgements, uprightly seek to know his good will herein.

In truth of humble docibility praying to learn how God ordaineth to be well pleased in Christ his Son towards us great and small.

1. His Divine Providence revealed that his good pleasure, first after his baptism by John, who bap­tized others; as it were Gods purpose to raise up their hope of partaking in that good pleasure of God for his Sons sake, as an establishment, or accom­plishment of their baptism through his Prayer, Luk. 3.21. When all the people were baptized, [...] [therein Jesus also being baptized, and praying] a voyce came from Heaven saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased. In Christ to others by the gift of God, Matth. 11.25. all the good pleasure of God, fulfilled by God in others, 2 Thes. 1.11.

2. This good pleasure of God was revealed with the Holy Ghost, both upon Christs being baptized, and praying, Luke 3.21. as a blessing upon his Prayer, and upon his baptism in baptizing all the people, Christ was also baptized, and prayed; thereupon Heaven opened, and the Holy Ghost descended with a voice from Heaven, revealing the good pleasure of God toward the baptized.

3. Jesus thus prepared by baptism and Prayer, with the Holy Ghost, overcame the Devil for us, and taught us to overcome for our selves, and for ours in him, by baptism and Prayer with the Holy Ghost.

4. Christ herein averreth himself to be the true [Page 56]Christ, foretold and figured by the Prophets; fore­told by the Prophet Esaias, chap. 61. This day is the Scripture fulfilled, Luke 4.

5. There he proclamed the acceptable year of the Lord, as prefigured by the year of Jubilee, wherein deliverance, redemption, and liberty was to Parents, and to their Children, Levit. 25.40, 41. The poor as an hired, as a Sojourner shall serve with thee, unto the year of Jubilee, when he shall depart from thee, both he, and his Children with him, and shall return unto his Family, unto the pos­session of his Fathers shall he return, for they are my servants. God the great Lord will have it so. The great and small shall be accounted his, that he may be glorified for his mercy, in delivering them from grievances, and settling them in possession of inhe­ritance in the Land of Promise, a Pattern or Figure of his Kingdome, which he then began to preach af­ter baptizing, Mark 1.15. saying, The time is fulfil­led, and the Kingdome of God is at hand: Into which his Kingdome, the gate is opened at baptism, Iohn 3.5. Jesus answered, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God. But of Infants he saith, Mark 10. Suffer little Children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdome of God.

O heavenly blessed Jubilee for small and great, unto the glory of his Spirit, the Fountain of Life in baptism, by his holy new Covenant.

6. The holiness of which good Spirit, Christ here compareth unto Oyl, by his interpretation of the Prophesie for himself and for others, Luke 4. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed [Page 57]me to preach the Gospell to the Poor, the acceptable year of the Lord, as foretold by Esaias 61. to give Oyl of joy for mourning. That they might be called Trees of Righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

O Glory for Plants aswell as for Trees, Oyl of Joy for Young and Old, the Child and his Mother! How seasonably did Christ mind that Widdow and Child so preserved with Oyl as a figure, ful­filled by him in his Oyl of the Spirit at this begin­ning of his Kingdom in Baptism.

7. As Elias was a figure of Christ, Oyl a figure of the Spirit; and that supernaturall preservation of life by Oyl, a figure of preserving the Spirituall life in Christ his Kingdom; so beginning at Baptism, the fundamentall occasion upon which our Sa­viour appeared to build his whole discourse, for Application of these Prophetique words and fi­gures to himself, and those holding with him: in Conformity thereunto might that restitution of the Childs life figure the Resurrection of Christ assured in his new Covenant to the baptised: A precious thred of eternity through the Needles eye of a little One in the Armes of his Mother and of Elias.

8. A blessed mercy rewarding for her Motherly prayer in faith & repentance; Her sin came to mind for which death was due: But art thou come for that? onely that? when I thought that I and my son must dye for want, Elias saying fear, not her heart con­ceived a seed of faith for longer help: A little seed of weak faith which faileth not while any jot of the word is unfulfilled, or while the minister is pre­sent, [Page 58]and forsaketh not, nor is forsaken, but asked whether any further hope of retaining him with a blessing may hinder separation at the brink of ex­tremity; what? any thing more? words it may be of temptation to despair (what have I to do with thee) yet not of desperation, as remembring from whom he was sent: O thou Man of God in whose name thou camest saying, Fear not, for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, the Barrell of meal shall not wast, neither shall the Cruse of Oyl sail, untill the day that the Lord gi­veth rain, and the Barrel of Meal wasted not, neither did the Cruse of Oyl fail, according the word of the Lord w^ch he spake by Eliah: Had she not faith to beleeve this and upon this to beleeve further? Ought her Faith to dye with her son? or rather ought she to beleeve in that God who preserved life so mightily, so mer­cifully, that he could and would restore life upon prayer of a penitent and faithfull heart seeking in the name of God to consult about the Uttermost of his Message sent in his Word? Answer O Man of God; Answer for thy Message wherein thou art sent from God; Answer for the Glory of God, the God of Israel— Elias had not then an express warrant, but stirred up the spirit in him to the utter­most that he could: In reason as a Man arguing by consequence to the full performance of his warrant, in effect his warrant was at Sarepta to a Widddow not named, but by consequence hee concluded her that he met to be the Widdow intended for his sustenance; upon her readiness to fetch a little wa­ter in a Vessell, by consequence hee required her to bring for him a Morsell of Bread in her hand: Upon her Oath of scarcity that there was but one [Page 59]dressing for her and her son to eat and so to dye, by consequence of Gods promise that Elias should be susteined by her untill the end of three yeares and a half, Elias would first have a little Cake, and then he bid her make for her self and her Son; in hope of supply, which promised without an express, in as much as God commanded her to su­stein Elias, Elias was bold to promise by conse­quence that God would sustein her and her son by continuance of the Meal and Oyl, and it continued according to the word of the Lord which he spake by Elijah (the Hebrew saith by the hand of Elizah, the hand lift up in Prayer) it was blessed as the word of the Lord which the faithfull and praierfull spirit of Elizah spake by consequence of reason deducing such hope out of Gods word though not express, The Lord made good the word of his ser­vant the Prophet, and so the widdow and he and her house did eat thereof many dayes. She affor­ded one meal to him, his ministery procured ma­ny meales to her and hers, and fed her with spiritual sweetning of hope for continuance of blessing to them and him, hoping so by consequence of Gods word in that the Lord said I have commanded her to sustein thee, the Lord of all using mercifully to bless them with sufficiency whosoever obey him commanding for good to the obedient; By conse­quence whereof Elias bid her not fear what she had feared, untimely death of her and her son together, Which the good affection of the Mother would have to survive after her decease for a living me­moriall of her Name and Kindred to posterity, but if he dye before her, her soul more dreadeth [Page 60]it than dying with her, which I bid her not fear: what will be said there among the Gentiles, where I bid her not fear, and that in thy Name O God of hope the Lord God of Israel? How shall thy name be Sanctified by thy Servant a fugitive from Israel, If I must be fugitive hence also from amongst the Gentiles? asking what to do with me there: Hast thou no blessings nor mercies for them by thy Servant? and he cried unto the Lord and said, O Lord my God, Hast thou brought evill upon this Widdow with whom I sojourn by slaying her Son? Is it for evill? And not at extreme opportunity rather for greater good in thy rich Mercy? Mercy thou treasurest up for them that dwell in thy blessed enjoyment for everlasting; But would not that be more loved and thy name magnified if here were an outward token of thy gracious dealing with thy Servant sent hither as on purpose that thy Glory may shine among the Nations? in hope of which desireable among the Nations, and con­sequence of such hope Elias cryed unto the Lord and said; O Lord my God, I pray thee let this Childs Soul come unto him again; And the Lord heard the voice of Elias, and the Soul of the Child came into him again, and he revived. This Christ called to mind in that his Catechisticall Lecture after Baptism, Luke 4. When he said the word Prophetiquely foretold was that day performed, by consequence whereof the Church of the Gen­tiles hopeth good intended thereby to her young Children in Christ his fullfilling his prayer at Bap­tism, being more powerful & his heart more pittiful in joyning his effectuall prayer with the prayers [Page 61]of tender-hearted mothers, & the prayers of Mini­sters in tenderness of Spirit as Mothers to beget a new life of the Spirit, as John Baptist in the spirit of Elias, Elias procuring Oyl for preservation of the Childs life, & restitution of life after death, By con­sequence hope much more in Christ the Lord both of Elias and John, and the Lord of Life and Death; Christ his promise being express for grant of the Spirit unto Children upon the prayers of Parents whose Spirit is the more rooted in themselves ther­by, like as this Widdow of Sarepta procured the continuall Supply of Oyl to Her self and her son by continuall dependance on the word of God sent by Elias, though not express; but in this by con­sequence of good reason in prayer Our Mother Church Ministery promiseth in Christs name the Spirit like Oyl to the Children of faithfull Parents at Baptism: Which some divert, abhor, and blas­pheme, and in that blasphemy forsake the Mother-Church of England and her baptism, and her Mi­nistery for so baptising Infants.

Thus while they refuse to beleeve the Sanctifi­cation of the Spirit at Infant-Baptism, their faith faileth about their own Baptism, that Oil ceaseth to them and their Children by their own confession, and so they run into the Wilderness after new de­vises: God in mercy call back, or hold us and others back from following them, and make us faithfull and thankfull for the Graces of our Baptism, and dutifull in performing the vowes and promises thereof in forsaking the Devil & all his workes, that the Devil may have no more power over us or ours, in sinfull waies of the world or flesh; that we [Page 62]may beleeve the Articles of our Christian faith, do­ing the will of God in his Commandements as his Children: a Gospel way of Love.

Christ in this (4 of Luke) after Baptism mindeth of two more Prophetique Instances, both from the figurative service of Elisha by his double portion of Elias his Spirit, designed chief in succession of his Ministery; the first implyed, the second expressed: that implied was of the like success in restitution of life by that succeeding Minister at the like im­portunate intreaty for a Child; and if you will ra­ther minde the other widdow complayning that she and her sonnes were to be sold to pay the debts of her husband (a Sonne of the Prophets) by mutu­all interest of Parents and Children as One; by consequence whereof as Children were liable to suffer towards discharge, of their Parents debts, Pa­rents ought to have prevented the Childrens suffe­rings by discharge of those debts, those debts being discharged by the Oyl figurative of Grace; By conse­quence the Parents ought to have provided, & one failing, the other ought & did by prayer with Elisha provide for the Childrens redemption, in event by Oil then, by Grace now in Christ redeeming Chil­dren from the debts of their parents faults: and bor­rowing vessels from their Neighbours houses, that they also might bee filled as with oyl of Elisha, with grace of Christ.

That other expressed was of Naaman (helped by direction of a good with from his wife her captive little maid) a noble instance of hopely probability by divine Providence as it were on purpose apted for the great Syrian, Assyrian, Scythian, or Barbarian, [Page 63]all one in Christ, not to disdain helpers bond or free, since God the Holy Ghost hath sanctified the duties of Servants to their Masters 1 Tim. 6.1. and the faithfull wives 1 Pet. 3.16. to win their Hus­bands unto the honour of his Holy Name, and powerfull doctrine by Ministeriall intercession of Elisha for that Leper whose flesh became like the flesh of a young child by washing in Jordan, where Christ was to be baptized, for accomplishment of his Mysticall washing away sinnes both of old and young, as the children of Israel young and old pas­sed through Jordan into the land of promise in fi­gure of Christs Kingdome.

The figurative passage of Mercy for Children at Jordan, where the spirit of Elias & Elisha both in pas­sing were discerned by the children of the Prophets. 2 Kings 2. A lesson of the Spirit of Prophesie look­ing toward the Spirit Elias-like in John Bapti­zing at Jordan, under Christ his Almighty Spirit for Sanctification of Baptism, Originally there, where the waters were so divided for passage of safety to the glory of the Spirit [And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan] This solemne Re­petition was not in vain at the beginning of the 4th. Chapter of Luke's Gospel, where Christ pre­miseth the mention of these Prophets Elias and Elisha sent to the Gentiles, against the malignant Jews ready there to have cast him down head­long from the brow of the hill whereon there Ci­ty was built: perverting to evill in envy toward the Gentiles what Christ intended for mercy both to Gentiles and Jewes in favour of our purpose. Thus the Spirit of Elias rested in Elisha, and John [Page 64]Baptist came in the spirit of Elias a Fore-runner of Christ the Lord of the same spirit baptized at Jordan being Author of Baptism and ordainer of Sanctification through the same Baptismal Spirit of Unity to his Glory.

The Spirit of Elias and Elisha was efficacious by prayer for mercy to young Children of the Gentiles.

The Spirit of John Baptist was the Spirit of Elias and Elisha.

Therefore the Spirit of John Baptist was a Spirit efficacious in prayer for mercy to young Children of the Gentiles.

The Strength of this increaseth by Christ his praise of John Baptist as more than a Prophet: And therefore his spirit by neerness unto Christ, likely to be more efficacious in prayers for mercy both in Power and Act of essicaciousness as at fulfilling, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares, Luke 4.21. about the Spirit anointing, and deli­vering, and accepting, as the acceptable year of the Lord, accepting in mercy Young and Old; And this acceptableness in Spirit like sweet healing Oyl being mentioned by the providence of Christ (a­nointed with the Holy Ghost) upon his bapti­zing the great Messias anointed above his Fellows. Ps. 45. In his societie to be anointed under him, as his by Covenant of Grace: That Grace as pre­cious anointing oyl may blessedly flow from his Head-ship down on them as members of his bo­dy, so baptised in his Spirit of Christianity. Thus by reasonable and mighty consequence of apply-plying to the baptismall spirit Efficaciousnes like that of Elias and Elisha by prayer effectuall for [Page 65]mercy to young Children of the Gentiles, mercy to be so baptized into the Spirit of Christ, alike the Saviour of Gentiles as of Jewes.

Numb. 2.

And behold a like Argument of Gracious Effi­cacy for the Jewes and their young Children in that the blessed Apostle James in his Epistle gene­ral to the twelve Tribes scattered abroad, chap. 1. Warranting them to speed when they ask in faith of God the Father of lights, who giveth liberally to his Children, of his own will begat hee us with the word of Truth, that wee should bee a kinde of first fruits of his Creatures, according to the Pro­phetique word, Jeremi. 2.3. Israel holiness to the Lord, the first Fruites of his increase: Applied to all the Families in Israel, v. 4. & 9. Wherefore I will yet plead with you saith the Lord, and with your Childrens Children will I plead: All engaged in that holiness according to Gods Ordinance of the figurative Fruits, sanctified and sanctifying others. Rom chap. 11. If the first Fruits be holy, the lump is also holy. Yea and in offering the fruits, the Israelites per­sons were offered also to be first Fruits as first Possessors of that holy Land, in duties to be holy to the praise of God in Profession and in Prayer. Deut. 26. In profession: Thou shalt take the first of all the Fruit of the Land, and say unto the Priest, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come into the Countrey which the Lord sware unto our Fathers to give us, (mark how they were included at first as Children, and in conscience then of the like Duty to include Children) I have brought the first fruits of the Land, v. 9. & v. 13. I have brought the hallowed things & given to the Fatherless and wid­dows. [Page 66]I have done according to al that thou hast comman­ded—And then in prayer unto the Lord God, Look down from thy holy Habitation, from Heaven, and bless thy people Israel— Thou hast professed or avouched the Lord this day to be thy God: And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar People: They and their Little Children in Covenant with God, chap. 29. part akers in the blessing, chap. 2. v. 4. Blessed shalbe the Fruit of thy Body. As the Fatherless and Widdowes partaked in the Profession and Prayer at oblation of the first Fruits, in reference whereunto the blessed Apostle James praiseth it as the pure Religion to visit the Fatherless and Widdowes: The word [...] entendeth to the least Pupils that see not how to help themselves, as in [...] dark of igno­rance, for help whereof the visit here in the Greek is [...] from which the Pastor or Elder is cal­led [...], implying the Pastorall Act of Ministery for Orphans help: A religious act toward them for their Sanctification amongst the blessed fruits of Israel. And that oblation of Fruits being an Act commanded for the time after their possession of the holy Land as a figure, must have answerable truth under Christ his Kingdom of Grace for their young Children.

That interest of Israels young Children at their return (the third sort of Branches) hath fur­ther growth by this Thundring Apostle James, bles­sedly showred out in that rain of Elias, who shewed himself before a ready Friend in effectuall prayer for that Widdowes little Child among the Nati­ons: And his own Country men beleeving that (as he said) there should be no rain but at his word for [Page 67]three yeares and an half, long enough to bring them into extremity like that of another dearth. Ier. 14 Their Nobles sent their little Ones to seek, but finding no water they returned with their vessels empty; Their little ones in what sense soever needed help, no marvell if they sent into every Nation to seek Elias his help who by Gods command was found of faithfull Obadiah; And the heavens gave a little sign of rain first like a man's hand, and then great abundance of rain, and the Earth brought forth fruit, from little beginnings abundance of fruit. Almighty God hath a great delight in che­rishing the Little by degrees to encourage the Progress of Zeal in prayers with fervency to pro­cure efficacy through the Spirit of prayer in El­ders of the Church scattered abroad to mind Lit­tle Ones as Elias did: Although his prayer be not expressed in the Storie, but by consequence, e­nough for St. James to say that Elias prayed again, and the Heavens gave rain. If you will not allow alike consequence of effectuall praier for Orphans and other young Children to be sanctified a­mong the first fruits as the first born formerly to­wards sanctifying others, 1. Kings 19.3. Behold E­lias in Zeal of the Covenant fugitive again for life: Hee came to Beersheba blessed to Abraham, Gen. 21. blessed again to Isaac, Gen. 26.23.33. By inter­pretation the well of oath, for him and his Poste­rity, degenerated since into the condition of Ha­garenes. Galath. 4. And so needing again the An­gels invitation to Beersheba the well of oath which gave denomination to that Country; where be­hold the Lord asisting Iacob and his children with [Page 68]their little ones, Gen. 46.3.5. The angell of the Lord saluting Elias again, & sending him to oridan Elisha to be successor in his Spirit of Ministery for the remnant of Israel beloved for the Fathers sake, for Isaac who made an Oath of Covenant for his posterity there at the holy well of Oath, Beersheba fitly patterning the Fathers of the Remnant of Israelites at their hoped return under Covenant for their Children at the waters of Baptism, as I­saiah foreshewed chap. 52. vers. 4, 7, 8, 15. The son of God in that appearance of his glory fitted the premises for application to the baptismal-bles­sing-Mystery, for as much as Elias in Spirit was fore­runner of John Baptist who baptized Christ, and Christ after his baptism alleged the practise of Elias, and the angell of Christs Kingly presence assisted Elias, who came for life to that well of oath, and thence in Zeal of the covenant unto death after sacred ordination of his successor in the Ministery for reducing the remnant of Israelites under Covenant: And both Elias and his succes­sor Elisha praying effectually: to the Lord of Glory for Young Children: And the Evangelist Iohn cap. 12. Affirming it to be Christs Glory, which Esaias saw, chap. 6. & 7. Esaias being bid by the Lord to take with him his son, whose name by interpretati­on is [The Remnant shall return] when he was to give the Prophetique sign of Christ. Thus the promise of the Remants returning unto Christ was sent by the name of Esaiah his son, the nomination using to be at the time of sealing the Covenant unto them in Childhood; how this appertaineth unto their baptism, it more will appear anon.

The Remnant of Israel were not to leave the Children out of the new Covenant at their return which Prophetically was brought unto their Chil­dren, as Disciples by this lesson in their very names, and for allaying the tedious nights, and carefull daies of Nursery, consider the reward everlasting, for what is done or suffered about Gods Children the sons and daughters of Jerusalem, after return unto the love of Christ her dear Husband. And I­saiah 66. Rejoyce with Jerusalem, that yee may suck and be satisfied with the brests of her consolations, for thus saith the Lord, Behold I will extend peace to her like a River, and the Glory of the Gentiles like a flowing Stream, and then shall yee suck; yee shall be dandled upon her knees, as one whom his Mother com­forteth; likewaies Hosea chap. 2. 14. I will speak com­fortably unto her (23.) I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy: Of the house of Israel saith the Lord (verse 2.) She is not my wife (verse 4.) I will not have mercy upon her Children.

This change of Israel from having Gods mer­cy to be without mercy, reached from the Parents to their Children, after which another Change of them that were without mercy was to bring them under the new Covenant of mercy.

But the Children were without mercy.

Therefore the new Covenant of mercy was for Children also.

Yea and that it might be known to conclude them in their Childhood the Lord revealed this great Mystery to the Prophet in the names which the Lord prescribed for the young Children of that Prophet, Hosea chap. 1. It shall come to pass that [Page 70]in the place where it was said yee are not my People; There it shall be said unto them the Sons of the li­ving God: Upon this change followeth that com­mand; Say unto your Brethren [Ammi] that is, my People: And to your Sisters [Ruhamah] that is, having obtained mercy] Behold the Children of the Pro­phets Hosea and Isaiah Children under Covenant of mercy for signes to the house of Israel in their changes.

Children sealed under Covenant, as prophetical signes to foreshew the sealing of children under the New Covenant of mercy: When the Chil­dren of Israel return and seek the Lord their God, and David their King (in his Son Christ) In the latter dayes, Hosea chap 3. 5. and chap 2. 15. 18. I will give her the valley of Achor for a door of a hope, And she shall sing there as in the dayes of her youth, When she had newly sealed her Children at Gilgal the way to that their door of hope betwixt their place of bondage and Jerusalem their holy place of rest in peace and mercy, there groweth the Tree of life wherein they are to be regrafted Rom. 11.

Such as were cut off through unbelief are to be grafted in again by faith.

Children are to be grafted in again through faith, that God may be glorified for his mercy to such as had no mercy.

Children had not mercy when they were cut off for their Parents unbelief.

Children are to find mercy when through their Parents faith in the New Covenant they are to bee grafted in again: such being grafted into Christ, Rom. 11. as were complanted with Christ at Bap­tism [Page 71](Rom. 6.) according to the sense of the Pro­phets children sealed young to be signes for the Church of Christ to learn this lesson of mercy for sealing her young in Christs name, Hosea 14. like dew to Israel, his branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the Olive Tree; they that dwell under his sha­dow shall return: O Israel return unto the Lord God, for thou hast fallen by thine own iniquity; take with you words and say, Take away all iniquity, and receive us gratiously; who is wise and he shall understand? pru­dent, and he shall know them? as this hath a reflection of like comfort unto us Gentiles for our Infants Baptism, since they were to find mercy in our mer­cy, Rom. 11. both concluded alike in mercy with­out difference. The Jew and the Gentile one in Christ.

NUMBER 1.

SO did it most specially prepare to bless Chlidren of the Primitive Christian Jewes, whose Children are the fourth sort of branches complanted with Christ, and in Christ, at Baptism as under the Covenant of mercy, which then began (according to the Prophet Hosea, praised Rom. 10.) though it were to be more accomplished at the return of Israel unto Christ their David Prince of the Covenant, extending Armes of Mercy to young and old; he useth not to take away privilege from any without their default, The Children of belee­ving Jewes in Christs time had committed no fault in their Infancy to lose their privilege of their for­mer sealed inheritance.

Had the most mercifull God of Jsrael exacted of those Infants, blood in his Covenant of Circumci­sion for nothing? onely that his Seal of Covenant might remain in their flesh, to betoken thereby no blessing covenanted in Christ? no truth answerable to that figure? no substance but emptiness at that fulness of time for fulfilling all things by Christ his fulness, to fill all in all, the small vessells as well as the great? this ordinance of Ceremonies under that stile [for ever] had right for ever to some blessed ac­complishment in him; the Sun of Righteousness had warmth for the least in Covenant with him. Infants while Infants (as his in Covenant) had certainly right to what he gave and promised by his servants Ministers then: whose word he maketh good and [Page 73]condescended for himself to be tryed by their word which they had from him: Hee is rich in mercy to all for whom he is called on: And his gifts are without repentance, as a most mercifull Father, specially to the Children of Israel whom he made Judge in their own cause [What could I have done more to my Vineyard, that I have not done in it? Isaiah 5.

Gal. the 4th. The Heir while he is a child is under Tutors untill the time appointed by the Father. Even so wee were children: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a wo­man made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law; Were not Infants under the Law? was not the price of his redemption enough for them also? Did he reject them after he had so dear­ly redeemed them, Unless they afterwards un­gratefully rejected him? Infants while Infants un­der the Law were acknowledged Heirs of all by the holy Ghost; though at the time appointed by the Fathers higher elevation of Spirit in du­ties answerable to higher occasion of dignities are ordained, yet the same persons Heirs still: though under greater manifestations of the Fa­thers will, yet in truth for the same blessed inhe­ritance, granted by the Steward, confirmed by the Lord; sealed at first by the servant, afterwards sealed by the son of God Christ the true Lord of all, in brotherly kindness offering to make his Confederates Joynt-Heires: First by the seal of more speciall commission to the Children of Is­rael, afterwards by the great seal of his Commis­sion for all Nations. The former Speciall, The lat­ter [Page 74]Generall, but national Commissions both.

The prayers of faithfull Israelites (as that of David Ps. 83. was) against their spirit as Malig­nant who would have Israel cut off from being a Nation. Jeremiah chap. 33. 24. the Lord him­self observeth, Thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a Nation before me: But allegeth his own Covenant as sure as that with Heaven and Earth to the contrary. Ezek. chap. 37. Thus saith the Lord God, I will take the Children of Israel from among the Heathen, and I will make them one Nation, and I will make a Covenant of Peace with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Rom. chap. 11. 2. God hath not cast a­way his People.

The New Covenant was their Nationall Cove­nant first, Heb. chap. 8. 8. as their speciall prefer­ment, Rom. 3.2. and chap. 9. 4. to be the first fruits, a pattern of other Nations, Rom. chap. 15. as pre­scribed in Gods own holy directions, Deut. 32. for other Nations to joyn with them, while they and their little ones were in Covenant with God, as one people, Deut. 29.11. Isaiah chap. 60. 12. The Nation that will not serve thee shall perish; For accomplishment of Prophecies, John is to pro­phecy before many people and Nations, Rev. chap. 10. 11. and Rev. chap. 22. The leaves of the Tree of life are upon the first discovery (that my­sticall way) to heal the Nations; And then the 12 fruits of that Tree for the twelve Tribes, accor­ding to the prayerfull predictions and benedicti­ons of Jacob and Moses, in the new City of God, whose 12 Gates have the Names of the 12 Tribes [Page 75]of Israel for all Nations to enter as fellow-Citi­zens in the Covenant of holiness and peace to find Christ our beginning and end there.

To this glory, blessing, and nationall way, whe­ther in speciall for his people Israel, or in gene­rall for other Nations to joyn with them by ver­tue of his all-power, Math. 28. ordaining a Suc­cessive ministery for all ages to baptize and teach what he commanded; not excepting that com­mand [Suffer little Children to come unto me] to come in the Armes of their Parents to partake in his blessings, as by their Parents sinfulness they are infected with our first-Parents sins.

The Children of beleeving Jewes had right to help by their Parents Faith and Charities procu­ring them to be sealed within the Covenant of Mercy.

The Nation comprehendeth Infants, as the whole comprehendeth each part.

Neither is there any word express in holy writ for excluding Infants from under the command of baptizing the Nations, as if they either were not baptized, or ought not, being formerly sealed under Gods Covenant.

Numb. 2.

The Covenant is the same still in Essence though for the change of Circumstances (some ceasing and others succeding, as the Lord of the Cove­nant willeth) it is for distinction sake called old in respect of the ceasing, and new in respect of succeding circumstances: The covenants be the same in essence, according to Gods Oath, Luk. chap. 1. 72. To remember his holy Covenant, the Oath which he sware to our Father Abraham that he would [Page 76]grant unto us: Gal. 3. The Gospell was preached before unto Abraham, when the Lord said, In thee shall all Nations be blessed, Gen. 12, and 22. By my self have I sworn saith the Lord, In thy Seed shall all Na­tions of the Earth be blessed. This is the Matter co­venanted.

And secondly the Form is an agreement sea­led, for though a promise might hold without a seal, yet when it is agreed to be sealed, then it is Null if it remain unsealed: God after his promise of Salvation willing to enter Covenant with man, for further assurance agreed to have it sealed by a token. And in that sense he called the token by the name of Covenant, as it were intimating the Covenant to be void if not sealed, as agreed, Gen. 17.10, 11. This is my Covenant which yee shall keep betwixt me and you and your seed after you, it shall be a token of the Covenant betwixt me and you.

After such agreement the token or seal is cal­led the Covenant, as essentiall to the Covenant, which if Papists would hear they needed not dream of Christ transubstantiated, the token as a seal assuring the benefit agreed on, though the matter of the seal be but circumstantiall, as in Contracts of men whether their seal be wood or brass. So the Covenant of God for our pardon ought to be sealed as covenanted, though whether the seal be flesh or water, that was a circumstance, changed, not at our pleasure, but as pleased the supreme heavenly power in pardoning.

Thirdly the Covenant being a relative agreement, the Correlatives are essentiall as agreed betwixt God [Page 77]and Man, correlative; Parents and Children, great and small, principally the small in truth of this clause in the agreement, the Child Christ being included: as the promise was made principally to the seed expressed alone, Gen. 3. So the Covenant principally to Christ the Seed most blessed, and blessing others, the seed of the woman, the seed of Abraham, the seed of David covenanted in unity of Person to be God who covenanted with Man: the Son of God in unity of Person to be the Son of Man, sealed to be the Mediator betwixt God and Man, Parents and Children, great and small, sealed small as agreed by himself in his God-head covenanting with Man to be sealed in childhood, with obligation of duty to pay in fulness of time the ransome for Mans redemption at his death by the blood of E­verlasting Covenant to Justifie the circumcised in heart.

The mercies and blessings of the Circumcision in heart appertaining by Gods promise to young chil­dren with their Parents upon their entring into Co­venant with God as formerly proved, Deut. chap. 29. 11. & 30. 6. the Covenant of love to be sealed inwardly by the Spirit, outwardly by Gods Ordi­nance, though the manner of that Seal were a cir­cumstance, yet needfull, as commanded by God though diversly, first by Circumcision alone, at last by Baptism alone, but by both at the fulness of time to compleat all in Christ, who being circumcised was also to be baptized to fulfill all Righteous­ness: all extendeth unto Jewes and Gentiles trea­ding in the steps of the faith of faithfull Abraham, sealed with the seal of righteousness by faith as [Page 78]beleeving Gods everlasting Covenant to be God unto him and to his seed as their God: That clause of the Covenant to be [their God] being the principall object of faith, as interessing him and them in Christ the blessed seed to bless all Nations and Families on earth to find righteous­ness in faith by Christ in that everlasting Cove­nant for them and their Children sealed, as Abra­ham found Righteousness by faith for himself and his Children though sealed young, under Covenant of faith binding them in their appoin­ted season also to beleeve in him unto their Ju­stification, for which the Prophet Jeremy said chap. 23. This is the name whereby he shall be cal­led [The Lord our Righteousness] in mercy so far exceeding the deliverance of Fathers with their Children out of Aegypt, Jer. 16.14. as if that were no more to be named in comparison of this, where Fa­thers and Children are delivered from the wrath of God, the curse of the Law, and power of Satan and Hell, and admitted into the Kingdom of God as partakers of Christs righteousness put on them by vertue of their faith in the Covenant for them and for their Children brought under Covenant with them, that Christ his fulfilling all righte­ousness in the new Covenant under seal of Bap­tism, may thus reach them with his Covenant blessing, revealed under the new Testament, vei­led under the Old, in essence thus the same through the meditation of that blessed seed Christ the Child sealed, as by the former seal, so by the latter, to become Mediatour of the Covenant of Salva­tion unto them that would apply the same under [Page 79]the New seal unto which they have right through the former Seal of Righteousness by faith in God: The eyes of faith which saw the day-star of the Prophets in dreams and types, might and ought to have perceived this sun of righteousness arising, if they had not winked with their eyes, and yet boasted as if they saw reason in worldly policy, for which the wrath of God remained on them, and on their Children through unbelief refusing the righteousness of Christ at Baptism, that might and ought to have sealed unto them, and their young Children this essence of the Covenant, de­pending thus on that clause for sealing principally the young, otherwaies void both toward the Chil­dren and toward their Parents.

Toward their Children, Gen. 17.14. The uncir­cumcised Male his Soul shall be cut off from his peo­ple: Hee hath broken my Covenant, that was to be in the flesh, an everlasting Covenant for ever­lasting good, but upon breach for everlasting con­demnation of his soul to be cut off for ever; in which sense the word is doubled, Numb. 15.31. That Soul shall be cut off in cutting off, in this world, and cut off in the world to come, his iniquity being upon him: And while iniquity remaineth the wrath of God is remaining toward the Parents, though circumcized, yet obnoxious for neg­lecting the circumcision of their Children. Exod. 4. The Lord met Moses and sought to kill him: But upon circumcision of his son; Zipporah (by way of Plea in form of foederall claim) might say a husband of bloods thou art to me, and he (the Lord Jehovah) letting him go, she might faith­fully [Page 80]and thankfully say a husband of bloods for circumcisions: blood in the Circumcision of her husband, and blood in the Circumcision of her son and their Posterity that had been cut off if not sanctified with that outward seal of Circum­cision; hearing the Lords threatning (to cut off) in the very same words, from circumcision of Children, Gen. 17.14. applied under the new Co­venant, Act. 3.23. about them that were admit­ted to the new seal of baptism; betwixt such fear and hope would the religious Fathers of Is­rael have dared to leave their Children unsea­led without express countermaund for not sea­ling them? would not they else desire earnestly both as a comfort in their own hearts, and an honour and safeguard unto their Children to have them outwardly sealed for distinction sake as the Lords people? would the Lord abbre­viate his covenant which he sware to enlarge, that his Glory might fill the Earth (Numb. 14.) in that promised blessing for all Nations and all Fa­milies? as for the honour of the Lord who created the whole Nation and redeemed the whole Na­tion, is the whole Nation claymed for his holy name unto his service by the seal of Sanctification which hee sent for the whole nation needing his help, all we like Sheep have gone astrvy, & the Lord lay­ed on him the Iniquity of us all, Esaias 52. As a Lamb for the transgression of my people— Thus he offered for sin. And expressed care of the Lambs as his, in love to them, aswell as the sheep, in that threefold charge of love commended unto Peter, it was the Lord who said All soules are mine, the soules of the Chil­dren [Page 81]aswell as of the Fathers, Ezek. 18. he profes­sing himself to come unto the lost Sheep of the house of Israel: By this light we may see to whom he sent his word of salvation by Baptism. Math. 3.5. All Judaea went and were baptized of him; though not (all) particularly, yet (all) generally, without restraint of any sort or age. Their confession al­so might be generally without confessing par­ticularly. John preached repentance to (all) people of Israel. Acts 13.14.

Thus the presentment of Gods rich mercies (at performance of what he promised) ought not to lessen the parents hope of their Childrens benediction through the blessed seed as if now un­sealed unto them in the new, though formerly sealed in the old Covenant.

Numb. 3.

The new Covenant extending also to Chil­dren expresly by most merciful provision of the holy Ghost. Jeremiah chap. 32. 38, 39, 40. They shall be my people and I will be their God, and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for ever (all dayes) for the good of them and their Children after them: And I wil make an everlasting Covenant with them, that I wil not turn away from them to do them good: But I wil put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not (or will not) depart from we.

Thus the Lord interpreteth the sense of his own promise in the next precedent chap. of Jeremiah 31.31. I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah; house here compre­hending the Children by such express interpre­tation of the Lord: Therefore it also compre­hendeth Children in that recitall of the new [Page 82]Covenant by the holy Chost after Christs time, Hebrewes chap. 8. 8. The name of house compre­hending Children and all therein, unless excep­tion thereof be found; when Jerusalem and all Ju­dea went to John's baptism, exception of their Little Ones is neither expressed our implied, but rather the contrary, for that the Mothers did carry the Little Ones in their Arms at such new wonder­full presentments. Matth. chap. 14. 21. They that had eaten were about five thousand, besides women and children, chap. 19. 13. then were there brought unto Christ Little Children that he should put his hands on them and pray. Hebrews chap. 6. 2. Imposition of hands following after Baptismes in the plurall number; baptism of old and young among prin­ciples of religion; for though some were as babes new born in the Spirit, yet that excludeth not, but rather includeth the babes new born in body by vertue of comparison.

If the sense had been that onely such young men are admitted into this Kingdom of Christ as are in meekness like unto young Children, it had been a reason of such grown mens access: would Christ have alleged others interest in his Kingdom as reason of his command about Little childrens ac­cess unto him without interest of the Little chil­dren, as if they and others such little ones were not in that his Kingdom subjects of his love and beneficence? Jesus said, Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the King­dom of heaven, into which none can enter unless he be born of water and of the Spirit, John 3.5. behold Baptismall regeneration appointed as [Page 83]the entrance into the Kingdom of God. They therefore had right unto Baptismall regenerati­on who by Christs appointment had right unto the Kingdom: But those little children had right unto the Kingdom, and for confirmation there­of Christ imposed his hands on them, and affir­matively commanded their access unto him, and ne­gatively forbad the prohibition of them or of such other Little children in definitely for their access un­to such effect, as perteining to his Kingdom; and for­get we not Christ his protestation, That all must be like children who shall enter into the Kingdom of God; come therefore all old Men, and old Chri­stian Women, profess your consents unto what was promised for you in hope of what was pro­mised unto you at baptisme in the name of Christ as his members to be joynt-heires of his Kingdom of heaven, that you may say with our blessed Apostle the pattern of mercy to us Gentiles, I have finished my course, and with old Simeon about to depart in peace accoding to what was revealed unto him by the holy Ghost after he had seen that in Isaiah thrice blotted out by him, and thrice wonderfully reprinted at last in golden letters about the son of a virgin, as it was said, old men should dream dreames, blessedly becoming twice Children, as new born babes in the milk of the word tasting how gracious the Lord is to such as in the Spirit of David having engaged their Children under the Covenant of God, behave them selves as his weaned Children, in such humiliation, the Psalmist framing the 25: Psalm by the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, [Page 84]what sweet lessons of Gods Covenant were there taught? And Ps. 34. & 37. & Ps. 111. & Ps. 12. some­times two verses unto every letter, sometimes two letters for a verse: And in that longest Ps. 119. 8 verses for every letter in the alphabet, leaving O­mega for Christ.

As the Locks having upon many wheeles letters to be joyned in a certain before they can open, so the great mysteries are locked up untill the word be found.

Is not that the word of Christ Revel. 21.6. [...], I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning & the end: It is done in Christ the Temple, the Lamb, all in all: the Angell of his presence reinstiled Alpha and O­mega, the beginning and the end, for all in Christ, the first and the last, Rev. 22.13. Be silent all contro­versies of imaginaries before Christ, or after Christ, that his smiting Angell may be stayed in mercy, which God grant in Jesus. Amen.

NUMBER 1.

MAtthew 18.10. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones, for I say unto you that in Heaven their Angels doe alwaies be­hold the face of my Father which is in Hea­ven, [...], a very generall word for the readiness of those heavenly messengers attentive to serve Gods good pleasure at any time, any way, upon any occasion, for the Children as members of Christ their Lord, Mark 9.37. Whosoever shall receive one of such Children in my name receiveth me: Christ ac­compteth the Childrens good, his own, having in­terest in that their common cause under the blood-thirsty commission of Herod (subordinate Agent of Roman cruelty) to kill the young children in hope of destroying Christ among them: But as Christ was delivered by the Message of an Angell, he cal­leth such heavenly messengers the Childrens An­gels.

Herods Edict for killing all the children that were two yeares old and under, was overcome by Christs heavenly praedict for them.

If you plead such Infants saved though unbap­tized, it was (before institution of Baptism) by vertue of Circumcission, or if any uncircumsi­cized (as the Son of Herod or of other Gentiles) had then their soules accepted, it was the superabun­dance of Christs compassion towards them that suf­fered for him a Baptism of blood (anciently so called) not that they could be saved by such wash­ing of their own blood, but by the blood of Christ in his supposed free love unto them, exceeding the love of Joseph unto his Brethren, for them and their [Page 86]Little ones, Gen. 45.19. and 46.15. for which the Church of Israel was called Rachel, Mat. 2. as Iere­miah 31.5. Rachel mourning for her children: Thus saith the Lord, refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from teares, for thy work shall be rewarded saith the Lord, A reward to her comfort for her lit­tle Children, not onely those Children so slain; for Christs abundant mercies appear to the chil­drens Children in the precendent and subsequent expresses of that Prophet Jeremiah, as chap. 31. v. 1. I wil be the God of all Families of Israel, saith the Lord. (7.) Sing with gladness for Jacob, and say, O Lord save the remnant of Israel. (8.) I will gather them from the Coasts of the earth, and the woman with Child and her that travelleth with Child. (9.) I am a father to Is­rael, Ephraim is my first born, partaking of the Pri­mogeniture, though the younger, referring to the benediction of Iacob, The Angell which redeemed me from all evill (the Angell visionally, presenta­tive Christ our Redeemer) bless the Lad (10.) Hear the word of the Lord yee Nations, and declare it among the Isles after off: Hee that scattereth Israel will gather him, and keep him as a Shepheard his flock. (12.) Sing for the young of the flock and of the herd, and their Soules shall be as a watered Garden. (20.) Ephraim is my dear Son, a pleasant Child, for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him stil, therefore my bowells are troubled for him, I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord: Thus the Lord expresseth his mercies by the bowels of love to the Israelites, as to Ephraim a child, (27.) The dayes come saith the Lord, that I will sow the house of Irsael and the house of Judah with the seed of man, (29.) a signification of [Page 87]hallowing their young successively, In those dayes they shall say no more, The Fathers have eaten sorw grapes, and the childrens teeth are set an edge; (30.) Every one shall dye for his own iniquity, every man that eateth the sowr grapes his teeth shall be set an edge.

Original sin being forgiven in Baptism by the new Covenant which God promiseth in the fol­lowing words, to remember their sins no more: 34. This being the blessed Mercy promised unto such as escape from Babylon accursed for her ernelty, specially toward young Children, for which Eli­sha wept, 2 Kings 8.12. Esaias complained, chap. 13. 16. with a threat, as ps. 137.9. and Jeremiah magni­fieth it as the vengeance of the Lord, chap. 50. 29. & 51. 11. 64. behold as the destruction of old Babylon was signified by casting a stone into the water, A mighty Angel cast a great Milstone into the Sea, Rev. 18. Saying, thus with violence shall be thrown down that great City Babylon, in whose forhead is written Mystery, the Mother of Harlots, in which is to be found the blood of all slain upon the earth, Rev. 18. For which they shall rise up in judgement a­gainst her both great and small: Infants of vota­ries in single life without the gift of Chastity for shame in secret murthering them unbaptized in danger of his wrath as dreadfully denounced, Luk. 17.2. Wo be to him by whom offences come, it were bet­ter for him that a Millstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the Sea, then that he should offend one of these little ones: [...], by putting a hindrance or hindring him from Christ, to come as they could [Page 88]by others help unto Christ, and be joyned with him in his name, in his compassion weeping be­cause when he would their parents would not suffer him to gather their Children as a hen her chicken, and bid the company of women not to weep for him but to weep for themselves and their Children, for the miseries to come upon them by the Roman of the new Babylon under that Im­periall headship of cruell Rome oppressive of Chri­stians then, after whose deliverance, Revel. chap. 21 4. and 6. with the promise of wiping away all tears, is a promise to give of the Fountaine of the waters of life freely, the same which Isaiah 55. his proclamation expounded by buying milke with­out money, Milk is for Children, and so for Chil­the wiping away teares, the tears of all the Tribes, by the angell of Christs presence officiating Rev. chap. 1. 7. 13. chap. 3. 7. assuming to himself the accomplishing of Eliakims charge Isaiah chap. 22. 22. and by consequence of his glory (24.) [The Off spring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity from the vessels of cups even so all the vessels of Flaggons or vialls, to be purified by washing] the Angell over ordering all other angells as from the beginning to the end.

Numb. 2.

The Angell promising victory to and by the seed or son of the Woman before his birth, Gen. 3. the Angel promising to save Noah and his Children while they were unborn or new born by an Ark to be prepared for their future preservation by the Fathers faith, Heb. 11.7. The angell which seeing saw the Israelites affliction, Moses a child in water, other male Children under charge of threats to be [Page 89]killed, yet conducting them through the red Sea as a baptism; The angell that swore for preserva­tion of little children in the sigurative wilderness;Numb. 14. The Angell that protected them in possession of the holy Land;Jud. 13. The Angell of good newes for the Child Sampson, for the Child Immanuel, the Child Jesus, the Jehovah that spake to his father Jehovah, Zach. 3.2. Archangell, Prince of angels coelestiall, visionall, or pastorall;

Numb. 3.

The seven angels pastorall of the seven exemplary Churches are the seven Spirits breathing by the seven horns of the Lamb, Rev. chap. 3.1. and chap. 5. 6. throughout the Reve­lation, for small and great; and as they are the seven Eyes of the Lamb in love and pitty seeing small aswell as great Objects of ministeriall care­fullest duty; thus angelicall as sent from God; the name of Angell signifying a messenger, by an ex­cellency such as God sendeth on his message for the good of his Children, young aswell as old; oele­stiall angels (appearing in countenance of the young) encourage Ministers Angell-like to be for the young, chap. 1.13. Haggai an angell for the young as well as the old to be blessed at deliverance from the Babylonian captivity toward congratulation in the reformed holy City with praise and thanks unto the Lord for his mercy for ever towards Israel, from age to age, from old Parents to their Children; all the people shouted with a great shout when the Priests praised the Lord because the Foundation of the house of the Lord was laid, unto which joyfull holy work none were admit­ted that had not their name in the Register, a book conteining it may seem the name of the circum­cised, [Page 90]called holy every one, that is, written among the living or to life in Jerusalem as a branch of the Lord (Isaiah chap. 4. 2, 3.) having right to live ther­in as figuring Christs Kingdom of Grace and glo­ry; Malachy (chap. 2. 7, 14, 15.) the Priest an angell of the Lord for a godly seed or a seed of God by the Spirit of Covenant or Covenant of the Spi­rit, a Covenant of life and Spirit by the ministe­ry, chap. 3. 1. an angell to prepare the way before the Lord of the Temple, angell of the covenant chap. 4. to prepare Parents for a blessing to their children, and children for a blessing to their parents, for escaping the curse of the whole earth by the holy seed, as at the beginning, so now at the end of the old Covenant in mercifull remembrance of his holy promise for all Nations and all Fami­lies to be blessed from the curse in that holy seed to come; So blessedly joyning the beginning and end of the old Testament, with the beginning of the New Testament of Jesus Christ the Lord (who said, I will send my Angell, so, to prepare my way before me, (expoundeth that angell to be John baptist) Math. 11.10. John himself after sanctification of his Children by the Spirit, so prepared for blessing Parents and Children to Christ the blessed seed in Spirit of Elias an approved ministeriall helper of the young, & that Spirit of ministery being applied by Christ here (in the name of his angell) unto John the baptizer, are not al those among the angels of Little Children in prayers of Charity behol­ding the fac of God for them to be joynt-heires with Christ? take heed of a curse in his displeasure if you cast a scandall to hinder them from his arms, [Page 91]and from the bosome of his beloved the Congre­gation of Christs flock to mark them for his as­well Lambs as Sheep, to wash them in the Co­venant of his blood, shed for young aswell as old; all needing his help under the curse of the Law to free them from the wrath of God against Sin, Hee laid his hand on them and blessed them, and shall not the ministers of his word bless them in his name with the sign and meanes of blessing which he mercifully sent to every Creature, to deliver them from the power of Satan, and admit them into the Kingdom of Christ who professeth him­self the door aswell as keykeeper, saying, I open and no man shutteth? The Kingdom of heaven is of such as these young ones, ye cannot enter into the King­dom of God except yee be born of water and of the Spirit: This is the way, presume not to stop this way against young ones; would you hinder their new birth easie to God the Father of Spirits as he will in secret conception? afterward ordaining speech for profession of Faith; Ordinances of new Covenant being not less effectuall than that of the old, where Infants received Circumcision of the heart, Deut. 30. and the Gentiles there being invited to walk in the steps of Abraham as the Father of the faithfull whether Iewes or Gentiles for instating their Children: if they afterwards suffer under Gods severity for breach, neglect, or trans­gression of covenanted fidelity, they ought to blame themselves onely, not their Parents, their Parents may joy in conscience of their carefull perfor­mance in hope of Gods acceptance unto the pro­mised reward, here and in heaven: If neverthe­less, [Page 92]Children through breach of such holy Cove­nant suffer in hell, the blame is upon self-will not upon the good wil of Parents engaging therin under hope of right to the blessing hereditables; as Esau had to the birth-right untill he wilfully sold it, and as the Prodigall had right to his Portion, untill he vainly spent it

Extremity made him not ungratefully murmur against his Fathers improvidence in providing the former, but humbly confessing himself unworthy to be the Son of such a Father as had another por­tion for him upon repentance, owning him as a son at first, but with more joyfull manifestation of love at last, as the woman for finding her little piece of silver that had been lost.

Betwixt these two joyes immediately Christ said there is a like joy in the presence of the Angells of God, and that heavenly joy of angels is compared to another like joy in the former words for finding the lost sheep, a fit embleme of man lost in sin, not onely gone astray, but taken by the enemy Satan that goeth about seeking whom he can devour; yea the Spirit of Prophecy lamenteth for a sinner as it were swallowed by the devourer almost, A­mos chap. 3.12. As the Shepheard taketh out of the Mouth of the Lion two legs or the piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be taken out, &c. Hee saith not that they shall be delivered by their tongus, In­fants aswell as other children might be capable of that deliverance in that prophetique sense of the future to be assured in such manner as it had been in time passed, Amos herein seeming to refer unto that of David 1 Sam. 17.34. There came a Lion and a [Page 93]Bear, and took a Lamb out of the Flock, and I went out and delivered out of his mouth the Lamb or the Kid, young and feeble, yet strong as David; the son of David, Zachary 12.8. the house of David, as the an­gell of the Lord for strength to the weak as his Lambs, his sons: it pleaseth Christ the son of God as Prince over angels to make them ministring spirits for such as shall be heirs of Salvation, though weak in their own appearance yet acceptable in mercy under such relation as his under seal of covenant in expectance of their serviceableness when they should be framed thereunto by their Parents or over-seers as deputy-Parents, Parents by reason of their mortality providing that their young might not be destitute of help either from faith­full Men, Angels, or God the great helper, by pro­vidence ordering angells to attend his good plea­sure, and holy men for administring unto young children as his, under Covenant. In token whereof that Apocalyptical angel (of his similitudinary pre­sence) had a rainbow about his head, his right foot on the waters (having all the Revelation in trust at his disposal, and therefore the angell of the waters) in his right hand the seven exemplary Pastors and their spirits to mark in the foreheads with the mark or seal of subjection (under the Throne) small and great in the Kingdom of Christ, King of Saints, his by Covenant old or new, as intended in Christ his command to discipulate or make disciples all Nations by baptism.

The sense of our Saviour Christ in this Gospel Commission is the same with his sense in the Gos­pel-promise, the Gospel-promise intended to in­clude [Page 94]Infants while Infants; Therefore the sense of Christ in Gospel commission intended to include Infants while Infants; the Gospel-commission be­ing but ministeriall for application of the Gospel-blessing, as it was promised for all Nations.

Now that the promise of Gospel-blessing inten­ded to include Infants (while Infants) is textually proved thus, Rom. 4.20. Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief: But Abraham was strong in faith to the glory of God, who (as he promised) gave a Son to Abraham in his old age, Isaac, & blessed him an Infant, according to promise, Gen. 17.21. My covenant wil I establish with Isaac which Sarah shal bear unto thee the next year; the Covenant of faith the fa­thers faith, a Covenant of Grace for a blessing to all Nations, Rom. 4. all Nations deriving this con­solation by faith in the Covenant of a blessing pro­mised to and through an Infant: The name of Nati­ons including Infantrie thus blessed in this Gospel promise, includeth infancy to be blessed in the Gos­pel commission; how unlike Abraham, & un-Gospel like is the new sense obtruded on the Name of Na­tions now, for unblessing an Infant (while an In­fant) as if not within the Covenant of grace? Oh all ye Nations, having interest in the Gospel Covenant of grace published thus by the Angell in Gods name about the child Isaac (and afterwards by an Oath) be faithfull in beleeving and thankfull for such mer­cifull heavenly condescension to such Infant-inte­rest in the Gospel-promise, and Gospel-commission, applying the promised blessing as to you heretofore, So now by you in prayers of faith & charity to the good of your little ones favoured thus by mini­sters [Page 95]sters angelicall and evangelicall as the children ministers by Christs will be holding the face of his Father for their good; as heavenly ministers of God to give a reason of our ministeriall acts herein at this utmost provocation for farther manifestation of his holy good pleasure in his holy word of pro­phecy.

NUMBER 1.

Numb. 1 THe name Immanuel, by interpretati­on God with us, given to a child, whether to the child Jesus imme­diatly or mediately let the more learned judge.

Christian Rules of interpreta­tion use to take things of that old Testament as signs of things future under the new, and not on the contrary things of the new so many hundred yeares after to be signes of acts in the former old Testament.

If the son of Esaias were immediately so named [Page 97] Immanuel in event there might apear truth to the glory of Christ our Saviour.

This prophecy signall under that Mysticall name for deliverance was in the reign of King Ahaz, when the King of Damascus and the King of Samaria conspired in war, that war beginning in the reign of Ahaz, Esaias cap. 17. In which time also Damascus was taken, and Rezin the King thereof slain by the King of Assyria, 2 Kings chap. 16. 9. Ahaz reigned sixteen yeares 2 Kings 16. his son Hezekiah was twenty five years old when he began to reign, in the sixt year of his reign was that other ma­lignant City Samaria taken by the king of Assyria, 2 Kings chap. 18. 2. 10. King Ahaz his son Hezekiah being then at the age 31. could not be meant by the child, before whose yeares of discre­tion that work was to be done for delivrance of Jerusalem from the war of those two malignant Cities confederate, but accompting from the 4. of Ahaz unto the sixt of Hezekiah, the time of that event it was within 18. yeares from that prophe­cy under the name of that other child, and by Davids rule, 1 Chron. 23.24. The Levites did the work of the service of the house of the Lord from the age of twenty yeares and upward, accordingly was the age of publique cognizance, Numb. chap. 1. 3. So that reall accomplishment appeareth before such a child of Esaias atteined the full years of discreti­on legally to refuse the evill and choose the good.

In respect of which child as a prophetiquesign of such accomplishment for deliverance of Jeru­salem, the Jew allegeth the Mother to be called the prophetess, as conceiving by the prophet Esaias [Page 98]chap 8.3. and therefore denyeth the translation of a virgin-mother, chap. 7. 4. as if the hebrew word (alma) did nto properly signifie a virgin, but one hid (alam, abscondere, to hide) there being a hidden Mystery prophetically assuring such deliverance as followed in manifest event.

Accommodation. God give ears & heart to un­derstand, Oh Jew! one event is not an impediment, but a sign of another in Gods most mercifull accom­plishment, elevating the faithfull from carnal to spi­ritual help, from earthly deliverance and peace to heavenly, wherin God willing to shew his abundant mercy bid King Ahaz ask a sign in the height above, or in the depth, the former son by that nominall sign extending to the return of the remnant in future prediction of posterity, doth this sign nominall fall short which aimeth at greater extension either in the height above or in the depth? (Oh altitudo!) The depth of the riches both of the wisdom and mercies of God! would he give less than he profered, who giveth usually more than is desired? is all the mer­cy meant (by that sign in the height above or in the depth) but an overthrow of those two malignant Damascus and Samaria, subdued to the King of Assyria, more potent and more malignant in utter­most opposition at last against the land of Judah? Esaias chap. 8. 8. Behold the Lord bringeth upon the waters strong and mighty, the King of Assyria and all his glory, and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks and he shall pass through Ju­dah, he shall overflow, & the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of the land Oh Immanuel; Be­hold Immanuel here intituled to the Kingdom of [Page 99] Judah to deliver the Land from the Assyrian, as the prophet Micah interpreteth, chap. 5. Bethlem out of thee shall come forth unto me, to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth from of old, from the dayes of eter­nity, therefore will he give them up untill the time that she that travelleth hath brought forth, then the remnant of his brethren shall return up to the Children of Israel and he shall stand and rule in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God, and they shall abide: for now he shall be great unto the ends of the earth; and this shall be the peace when the Assyri­an shall come into our land (the land of Immanuel) Thus shall he deliver from the Assyrian—and the remnants of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peo­ple, as a dew from the Lord, as the showrs upon the grass that tarrieth not for man, Micah 5. The dew of the birth of him that was to rule among his enemies in the beauty of holiness, of whom David prophecied, Ps. 110. David's son in whose time the Lord would again recover the remnant of his peo­ple from Assyria, Isaiah chap. 10. 11. the recovery in Galilee where Zabulon and Napthalie were first affli­cted by the Assyrian, in event Christ there begin­ning to preach his Kingdom of peace, Matth. 44.15. as Isaiah prophecied chap. 9. 16.

By plain coherence of these propheticalls it ap­peareth that there was intended in this course of Esaias prophecy deliverance not onely from the King of Samaria vanquished by the King of Assy­ria, but also deliverance from the Assyrian bondage long after when the Messias swas to be born in the city of David, a child and yet a God [Immanuel, God with us] in the child intended principally by the [Page 100]prophet Isaiah chap 8. 13, 14. Sanctify the Lord of hosts, the Lord himself, and let him be your fear, and he shall be for a Sanctuary, but a stone of stumb­ling, and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Is­rael, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and many among them shall stumble and fall, through ignorance stumbling at the lowness of that stone cut out of the mountain without hands, as born without help of man; yet becomming great to the confusion of the Assyrian (the Babylonian) Dan. chap. 2. A precious stone in Zion for salvation of the faithfull, but for scandalls to the unfaith­full Jewes, which have eyes, yet see not, and hearts, yet understand not, as Esaias chap. 6. & 8. fore­shewed the Jewes ignorance about that hidden Mystery, chap. 7. Immanuel the son of the hidden, that is the virgin hidden from man, according to the most modest Hebrew phrase, calling the con­trary, knowing man and known of man, but she that was unknown so being hidden in this sense; the word here translated virgin, Esaias 7. is the same which was ascribed to the virgin Rebecca, Gen. 24.16. & to the virgin Miriam, Exod. 2. so Esaiah 7. to the virgin (Mary) whose child was to be called wonder­full, because born not an ordinary way, but as the dew of the morning-womb without man: God open the Jewes eyes & others also, that they may not stumble and fall for ever, in as much as after the prediction of stumblings in offence hereat Esaias applieth Gods command, Seal the Law among my disciples—Behold I and the children which the Lord hath given me for signs, in a propheticall sense de­signing the child Immanuel, God with us, in his new [Page 101]covenant of Grace, for salvation and sanctificati­on of such young sealed disciples as his brethren by the testimony of the holy Ghost applying these very words (which the prophet Esay spake of him- and his children as signes) to Christ and Christian children, as signified Heb. 2.11, 12, 13. Both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all of one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare unto my Brethren, in the midst of the Church will I sing praise unto thee; and again, behold I and the children which God hath given me. Behold that verified in Christ and his, which prophecy spake of Esaias and his young Infants under seal for the perfect praise of Gods mercifulness toward young aswell as old, after Christ came aswell as be­fore, Matth. 21.17. Have ye never read [out of the mouth of babes and Sucklings thou hast perfected praise] said Jesus in defence of the children crying in the tem­ple Hosanna to the son of David, his kindness apply­ing that which was spoken by some in event to those that could not speak, Infants as by their ex­clamation or presence eloquent in his mercifull acceptance to the praise of God.

Heb. 2.14. Forasmuch then as Children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also likewise took part of the same in all things; mercifulness designed to children as Christs brethren un­der the seal of his covenant, their infancy per­teining to the Church, amidst whereof Christ was to praise the mercies of God both his fathers and ours, as partakers in his Spirit of adoption who thus did partake in our flesh. Oh blessed Union with him as sanctified by Covenant in his name, [Page 102]small and great, as young and old were preserved in his name, Hosea 11.1. When Israel was a child I loved him, and called my son out of Aegypt: Thus the excel­lency of Jacob was humbled to depend as a child, and a child advanced to such excellency to be first engaged in that blessed application of Immanuel, God with us, if so first with the prophets infant son in name, yet in nature first with Jesus when he was an infant, all in favour of infancie thus dignified and to be sealed with the sign of Christ his King­dom;

Numb. 2.

That seal, sign, or ensign of Christs Kingdom to be baptism, and that appertaining to Infants the words of Esaias are clear Gospell, chap. 9. as Christ began to preach his victorious word of grace where his people were first captives, which their children, and their childrens children, 2 Kings 17.14. there Christ newly baptized held forth that ensign of his Kingdom in military speech, an ensign­bearer to the glory of God to reign over the Gentiles, Gentiles that shall be saved being diffe­renced from others as a sign of their submission to the Kingdom of Christ, Isaiah 11.

A sign of change in themselves professing to be­come as Christ requireth, Matth. 18.3. Verily except ye be converted and become as little children, yee shall not enter into the Kingdom of God, Esaias (chap. 11.6.) prescribed it excellently, The wolf shall dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard shall lye down with the Kid, and the young Lion and fatling together, and a little child shall lead them (not by resemblance only but by presence for encouragement of the great to partake with the small (in Gods gracious mercie to both ages) And the Cow and the Bear shall feed, [Page 104]their young ones shall lye down together, and the Sucking child shall play on the hole of the As [...], and the weaned child shall lay his hand on the hole of the viper.

In event compare this of the Prophetique Spi­rit with that of John Baptist, Matth. 3. O Generation of vipers bring forth fruits meet for repentance? an­swerable to the amendment of life required of you at baptism, amending your poysonfull malice to become harmless as children, and so meet to par­take in mercy with sucking children at baptism, the sign of Christ his Kingdom in grace, that ye may be saved from the wrath of God under which you were born; And unless ye repent it burneth unto the nethermost hell, where the worm shall not dye nor the fire be quenched, Esaias 6.6. a spark of which divine wrath was erelong to burn old Jeru­salem for their ungratefulll rejection of Christ, the true Saviour.

When some Pharisees and Lawyers rejected ( [...] defeated) the counsell of God against them­selves (being not baptised, Luke 7.30.) John said unto others that came to his baptism, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Matth. 3. by that putting them in mind of what Esaias had so fore­told of the vipers change, aswell as of other angry creatures, Beares, Lions, and Leopards, mildly to converse as children and with children, at the sign of submission unto the Kingdom of Christ in bap­tism, as it soundeth in our humble eares by reflex­ion from those questions, Why baptizest thou? who art thou? and the Baptist his answer alleging for his warrant only the prophet Esaias, as if he had said, Know yee not that the prophet Esais warneth you [Page 104]to flee from the wrath to come by the baptism of Repentance for the remission of your sins upon your conversion from your sins at baptism to be­come like children in harmless conversation, that you may be blessed with children in subjection to Christ the King and Saviour of small and great together, as one people, so to make ready a people pre­pared for the Lord, Luke 1.17. how ready? but by baptism in the name of the Lord; where may wee more likely find what sort of people the Lord accepteth to baptism than where the Baptist himself perceived his originall warrant for bapti­zing, in Esaias 40.11. and there is an express for lit­tle ones, Comfort yee comfort my people saith the Lord; every valley shall be exalted, Behold the Lord God will come, he shall feed his flock as a shepherd, he shall ga­ther the Lambs with his arm & carry them in his bosom.

Behold his acceptation of Lambs more express than of baptism it self whereunto John Baptist his faith warranted his practise, unless you can mysti­cally draw such water out of the wels of salvati­on, Esaias chap. 12. (by that bucket or whatsoever else that vessell be) Esaias 40.12, 15. Behold the Nati­ons as a drop of a bucket, who hath measured the wa­ters in the hollow of his hand: in the very next vers after that his expression, to the Lambs in his arms, with a promise of his Spirit also, chap. 44. 34. [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 my buds, my blessing upon thy offspring, and they shall spring up as willowes by the water-cour­ses] the little plants of willowes using to grow aswell as the greater, and the comfort is, the stron­ger, [Page 105]in that the Lord here speaketh unto them as his servant Jacob formed from the womb, the chil­dren in the fathers name accepted to partake in the fathers blessing, as in Gods mercifull accep­tance by covenant, one mysticall man from age to age as Jacob chosen of God in the womb to choose the service of God in after seasons of free cove­nanting for good, Esaias 43.1. Thus saith the Lord that created thee oh Jacob, and he that formed thee oh Israel, fear not, when thou passess through waters I will be with thee, for I am the Lord thy God, the holy one of Israel thy Saviour.

How comfortably doth this explain the former words, Esaias 40.11. He shall gather the Lambs with his arms, and carry them in his bosome, and shall gent­ly lead those that are with young? in reference to the fafe conduct of Jacobs family toward the promised holy land in figure of heaven, Gen. 33. The children are tender, and the flock with young, I will lead on gently according as the cattle and children be able to indure. Thus in confidence of gods mercifull answer to the prayer of Iacob in his fatherly tenderness, chap. 32. O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, The Lord which saidst unto me, return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee—deliver me I pray thee from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, lest he smite the mother with the children (brought out onely by consequence of reason in pitty without an express then for them) I am not worthy the least of all thy mercies, and of all thy truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant, for with my staff I passed over th is Jordan, and now I am, become two bands. Notwithstanding two bands of [Page 106]adversaries under Laban and under Esan came to­ward him, Jacob went on his way, & the angels of God met him, and when Jacob saw them, he said, this is Gods host, & he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

How safe are they whom God in mercy defen­deth? an Angell of God favoured Jacob with a providentiall holy dream, who pilled strakes of white on rods and layed them in the gutters in watering troughs, when the flocks came to drink in the season of conceiving, that by strength of imagination, they might (and so they did) bring forth young ones with strakes or speckles of white in token of apperteining to Iacob for his wages in separation from the flocks of Laban the Syrian, those young ones so blessedly marked were gently conducted toward the land of promise, by Iacob then gaining the name of Israel as pre­vailing with God in prayer for his young children, a gracious pattern to be fufilled by the Messias that blessed seed of Iacob, to whose honour he was forepraised thus by the wisdom of holy prophecy for leading gently those with young (or that gave suck) and taking the lambs in his arms, in the ve­ry place where the holy Ghost authorised bap­tism prophetiquely, chap. 40. of Esaias.

As (it might seem) on purpose to mind us how the Lord God of Israel (according to that pat­tern about markes for distinction to be procured in watering time) would have parents by their prayers of faith (as a spiritual conception) at bap­tism blessedly to procure that their young chil­dren might be marked mystically for entrance of right appertaining to the Israel of God; a com­fortable [Page 107]mark of dignity with duty for distin­ction from others without that mark of God bles­sing.

When at Baptism Christ said, Thus it becommeth us to fulfill all righteousness; amongst all, would not Christ mind the Righteousness of his forefather Ja­cob, which Jacob so solemnly prepared for the time, Gen. 30.33. So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come; Let it be accompted stoln with me, what is not marked as agreed: In which agreement betwixt Laban and him, two things are specially to be regar­ded, Gen. 31.8, 9.11, 13. if Laban said the speckled that come of the white Flock shall be the wages of Iacob, all the strong cattell bare young ones with speckles of white like haile stones (by the Hebrew word) signifying the blessing to be from God above whose providence in mercy would spare his holy Flock when he stormed others.

If Laban said the ring-straked shall be Iacbos wa­ges, then all the strong cattell brought young ones with a strake of white about the Legg as a Ring for dutying them by Covenant to Iacob the servant in the service of the Lord God of Israel; with admi­ration found to bee Christ himself in the Angell of presence by comparing together 11, and 13 verses Gen. 31. The Angell of God spake to Iacob saying [I the God of the house of Bethel where thou vowedst a vow to me] After the vision of the Ladder from earth to Heaven, at the top whereof the Lord stood, his n­gels ascending and descending applyed to Christ (Iohn 1.) with comfort to the lowest and smallest in Gods house as in a holy flock of Israel, over which he reignes as a shepheard; Fear not little Flock, all [Page 108]here as in resemblance of blessed old Iacob & his re­turn with a flock blessedly distinct from others by a sign from the water of sacred signification as is Bap­tism.

Numb. 3.

Yet, more evidently by Ioel 2. expounded by Peter Acts 2. The Lord God made a Covenant to spare all flesh from perishing again by such an other flood over the whole earth: the whole earth rather shall be covered with the knowledge of Gods glory like a Sea at Baptism, over-ruling the Element which was before destructive to be salvisicall as a meanes & pledge betokening the Covenant for our common Salvability, spiritually now in the Church who were bodily saved all as with our forefathers in Noahs Arke, even we now all alive were then pre­served in Gods love to Man-kind; and in progress of his free mercy towards Sanctification of Old and Young, he prophetiquely promised to powre out his Spirit in abundance, sufficient to render all un­excusable that are without the Spirit powred so a­bundantly both on Old men and Young, on Sonnes and Daughters, Men-servants and Maid-servants, although with a difference in manner of effusion; on some visible with an outward signe, as on Christ in likeness of a Dove, on his Apostles and others in likeness of firy tongues, for the more assured holy perswasion of others to beleeve the promises of receiving the Spirit invisibly by ordinary dispen­sation in the Church of Christ, by his Co-ordina­tion of Water and Spirit for the New Birth at Bap­tism.

The visible and invisible Effusion of his Spirit from the same love of Christ in the Holy Ghost by [Page 109]divine providence to stirr up our gratefull admira­tion in love, circumspectly where we finde his word of a promise recited in part to search for the whole, as the part, (Rom. 11.26.) The whole (Isaiah 59.20, 21.) So for the outward visible effusion of Spirit, Acts 2.16. reciting the promise out of the second of Ioel, that we may find there Infants included in the promise for invisible ordinary powring the Spi­rit on all flesh, the promise made to Parents and their children, from which Peter concludeth the duty to baptise them every one; Be baptised every one of you, for the remission of sinnes, and ye shall re­ceive the gift of the Holy Ghost: Infants have sin, and have need of the Holy Ghost, authour of life, for their sanctification in Spirit that they may have interest in that remission of sinnes in the name of Jesus Christ; Be ye baptised every one of you: It is not said for the present, Every one repent, there are seasons for the reasonable service of this duty, no duties of precepts affirmative are reasonable at every season: It was seasonable then for every one to be baptised as Peter bid, but the form of speech is altered for repenting them, he saith not there Re­pent ye every one, but repent ye; ye that have rea­son to change your mind, for the signification of Re­pentance is known to be transmentation, a change of the mind from evill to good by the grace of God: His Apostle calleth it an unspeakable gift as a Seed or Root enabling to grow and fructifie by Gods Coöperation in his proper seasons. And if no­thing will satisfie the disputers rigid enquirie but actuall penitencie, let them refrain untill in our chap 13. Numb. 2. it may appear, how we scriptu­rally [Page 110]prove Gods actuall acceptance of Infants as penitents; Howbeit the duty well performed by parents penitency may help the child, hurt by the fathers unbelief and iniquity, deserving punish­ment into eternity, from whence to eternal good is a ready passage by faith in the covenant of grace, though a great depth, wherein the minds of sacred Theologie swims with gratefull admiration of our deliverance so wonderfull.

The first Adam forsaking God (in whom is all good) ingulfed himself and all his generation by him into all evill, from which onely the second Adam (by comming to be one with the son of God, Christ, God and Man in one person) hath redee­med us by his pretious blood, although the shed­ding thereof was most unrighteous by the Iews false accusations, aggravated with the guiltiness of all the righteous blood shed from Abel to Christ, all figuring his blood, which was to redeem all those Martyrs and all the Saints in the world as a propitiatory-sacrifice for them all. Behold the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the world by his blood as a ransome enough for sin in gene­rall as sinfull even to redeem the shedders of it his adversaries, for whom he prayed, and whom he would raise from death by vertue of his resur­rection to life, notwithstanding the watch set a­gainst it and their refuge in lies at laying that pre­tious stone, as Isaiah chap. 28. forewarned of that untruth preached Mat. 28. by the Roman souldiers, against their own professed knowledge, blasphe­ming the disciples of Christ under his commissi­on to make disciples by baptising and teaching all [Page 111]daies unto the end of the world, with his word of authority to eject the devill that engineer in all the Mines of sin through his old serpentine enmity then at height against the seed of the wo­man, our saviour in tenderness of his love so care­full against the enemy, that for suggestion in a re­spectfull word (master pitty thy self) he called Peter Satan that would have diswaded him from death; (his way) the like to be feared by any that would keep the least from benefit of his love un­to death yet censured them as children of the devil that in heart desired his death (their way of enmity) with imprecation of his blood to be on them & on their children, as combined against him in their covenant with death and hell, to hold him fast with warrant of their seal upon his Tomb-stone, to keep him ever under meagre of Satanicall confederacy.

Yet all quickly disanulled by Christ his act Isa. 28. his strange acts in rising and raising up sinners in newness of life by his covenant of grace, manifold grace of manifold operations who can number them? to order them aright as God worketh them, beginning to manifest sometimes one, sometimes a­nother, but enabling for all, & binding to all by faith in his holy seasons, the word preached assured them by the mouth of his witnesses that God had made the same Jesus whom they had crucified, both Lord and Christ, Messias, the anointed with the oyl of gladness above his fellowes, for his oyl of grace to descend from his head-ship on them in fellowship with him by covenant of grace, which they dis­covered themselves there to beleeve, by sorrow pricked at the heart for it, and by desire of that [Page 112]anointing oyl his grace to do what he their Messias requireth, by submission to what his ministers taught, what shall we do? repent, change your mind, as from infidelity to faith, and from enmity to the love of Christ as Lord of life to you, so to your children aswell as to you, and to all (children being the next precedent substantive) to all whom the Lord our God shall call, children aswell as parents, all afar off aswell as near, afar in time, afar off in place, whom the Lord shall call in their seasons as he calleth you to repent by change of mind from whatsoever hath made you guilty; guilty in your selves, guilty towards your children, that they may be clensed from the blood-guiltiness and sinful­ness of all bloody fore-fathers in shedding all the righteous blood of Martyrs from Abel unto Christ, and all sinfulness in unjustly shedding the blood of Christ, in spitefully blaspheming Christ and his good Spirit, in false accusing him to death, and en­mity toward him dead, in cursed imprecation of his blood on you and your children, as it were pre­sumptuously boasting to answer for it, from all such wickedness you are not sufficiently changed untill you have done all that may be to recover your children from under that curse to the con­trary blessing, that the blood of Christ may an­swer for you and your children by your earnest effectuall prayer of faith and charity to disingage them from that your imprecatory curse and cove­nant with death and hell under the power of Satan, which is not done until you have ingaged them un­der Christ the Lord of heaven and earth the true most almighty Lord of life and death in his cove­nant [Page 113]of grace to raise them from the death of sin unto newness of life, as Debters to the Spirit, to live in the Spirit, and walk in the Spirit, after the teachings of the Spirit, when they shall be able to learn obedience to Christ in his Kingdom of grace, the ensign whereof is baptism in his name, that others may regard them as his, sign them as his, teach them, and they may be blessed as his sig­ned ones, and in due time accordingly bless themselves in prayers and performances of what­soever they were sanctified unto by their Mother-Church, as his bride, in his holy name at baptism of repentance, his blessed ordinance for such change in every one, Repent and be baptized, every one, Joel chap. 2. God expresly calleth for sucking-Chil­dren to be brought into the solemn assembly, when he made the promise Joel 2. applied by baptism, Acts 2. This is that which was spoken by the prophet Jo­el v. 38. Be yee baptized every one of you—(v. 39.) the promise is to you and to your children, for that promise sake as a cause, effectually seek to pro­cure the blessing promised, the cause and effect are morall ingagements to be conjoyned.

To whom the cause apperteineth to them ap­perteineth this effect, for because the promise ap­perteineth unto you and unto your children mind your duty commended herein, that the effect ap­perteining unto you and to your children, may by vertue of that promise be gained unto and to your children, even such children as the Lord meant at his proclamation of the promise by that prophecy.

Such children are meant in application of that promise by baptism.

But children sucking at the breasts were expre­sly meant by the Lord at that his proclamation of the promise. Therefore sucking children are meant by the Lord at his application of the promise in baptism; that application is by way of command in the Imperative mood, preceptive, as taught in the name of the Commander in chief by vertue of his commission, therefore go baptizing all nations and teaching them to observe whatsoever things I have commanded you.

So taken in practise, the Angell said to Cornelius, send to Peter, He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do, Acts chap. 10. v. 6.—v. 21. Peter said, what is the cause wherefore ye are come? v. 33. Cornelius said, now therefore are wee all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God, v. 48. And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.

This openeth the sense of that imperative [be ye baptised] Acts 2. by way of command: both the promis and command apperteining to Christ as principall efficient in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost, the minister and his administrati­on of baptism serve as instrumentall causes in re­lation to Christ his power and his Spirit for sancti­fication & remission of sins here promised towards salvation of the baptised, and magnification of Gods glory, v. 21. v. 11. the finall cause twoard all these causes here vertually referreth this causall particle for, enim, [...] Acts 2.39. If any will attempt to barr you from your right of inheritance unto the king­dom of Christ as if this conjunction which the grm­mar affirmeth to be causal were not causal for your right to the blessing promised by doing the duty [Page 115]which is commanded, attend & pray young scho­lars that you may rather hold than lose your right unto that blessing in heaven by holding rather than breaking your grammar rules, so dearly learned in plenty of stripes, hunger, and cold; and you likewise Students in the University by gratitude holding fast your excellent art of right reasoning in Logiques, and Theologiques principally which fin­deth in the sacred text a prohibition, whatsoever thing I command thou shalt not add thereto nor dimi­nish from it, Deut. 12.32. and a commination most terrible, Rev. 22.19. with a most solemn asse­veration, Matth. 5. God who suffereth not one Iot or tittle of his Law to pass unfulfilled, will not have to be sleighted what he hath commanded in duty for effectuall attainment of what is promi­sed, as required in this causall particle for appli­cation of the promise as made to fathers and their sucking children, although curiosity presume to take the sense of causality from the causall here (for, [...],) by pretending such use of the particle in some seeming mistaken instances.

1. Instance [...] for, Acts 4.34. mistaken, as if it were not causall in yeelding so good reason of that which went before, for in that they lacked nothing in such times of persecution it was great grace of God in fellow-members toward them, and great cause of thanks to God for so great charity by his grace in such extremity.

2. Instance Act. 8.31. as if it were not causall, [...], for, being almost at the beginning of an answer, mista­ken that answer being by way of interrogatiō preg­nant of a negative the cause whereof is expressed to [Page 116]be for that he had no guide, & therfore desired Philip a Minister to teach what he understood not, & that a primary pattern of Gentiles becōming Christians; if that cause had bin observed, here would not have monstered so many corruptions against the ordinan­ces of Christ to grieve the good Spirit of reformatiō.

3. Instance, 2 Cor. 13.4. mistaken (as meer simili­tude without cause) for Christ being crucified in his willing infirmity for us, and yet living in power, is excellent cause of comsort in our infirmity to shew Christ in us.

4. Instance Philip. 3.20. mistaken, for the Apostles heavenly conversation is alleged as cause of that ex­hortation to walk after that example, the neglect whereof is cause of destruction, in the antecedent words.

5. Instance, Rov. 22.18, 19. in that most terrible comminatioon to take his name out of the book of life, if any man shall take away from the word of that book, is it safe even there to take away this causall use of this causall word ( [...], for) where is so dreadfull cause to fear the neglect of that use in those needfull things offered there to him that heareth, about the bride of Christ, or his mar­riage supper, and the everlasting covenant in the son of David with reference to prophetique invi­tation, Isaiah 55. to partake of the sure mercies of David, for himself and his children, at the free wa­ter of life, for pardon of sins to be taken when thus offered at the waters? is it not a dangerfull mistake to think that terrible commination not well applied by this ( [...] for) as a causall shewing so great cause why the hearer should not neglect [Page 117]so great ordinances of Christ for his bride the church in his and her marriage supper at the como­munion, and for his and her children at the waters of baptism? curiosity by such extreme provocation hath awaked charity thus as at perill of extreming into eternity the seeming mistakes of such instan­ces to help aggravated.

The sixt Instance in this of the Acts chap. 2.39. about ( [...], for) as if this causall conjunction were not causall, wheras the promise is applied as a cause of right to procure the blessing promised, by the duty commanded, that parents and children might partake with Gods people in that blessed effect, according to promise, to the glory of Gods truth and faithfulness in his promised child Jesus Christ at his great work of accomplishment. Acts 2.

Ye to whom the promise was made be ye bapti­zed.

The promise was made to you Fathers and to your children; ye fathers and your children there­fore are to be baptised.

Numb. 4.

O be ye baptised every one, O comfortable com­mandment in sweet accord of prophecy with event, opened thus further by that vision of Christ his glory which having filled the temple departed to Mount olivet on the East side, Ezek. chap. 11.23. whence Christ ascended after that he there had bin betrayed, but before his departure, Ezek. 9. the glory of the God of Israel commanded a mark to be mar­ked in the fore-head of the men that sigh and cry for the abominations of Jerusalem, & all the marked to be spared, but all to be destroyed old & young, both maids and little children, whosoever were [Page 118]not marked; if crying little children were spared in Niniveh, much rather in Jerusalem a remnant shall be brought forth sons and daughters; chap. 22. God called her children his children, chap. 16.21. & saith, I will preserve thy fatherless children alive, Jer. 49.11. those that were preserved were marked in the fore­head, little children were preserved, therefore little children were marked in the forehead, in that mi­sticall marke was a designation of them to Christs glory by prophetically-figurative vision of baptism the Ensign of Christ his Kingliness upon the throne. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord (to wit of Christ as Man king over his Church) which glorious appearance of his kingly mystery stood upon the sole of Cherubims feet like the sole of a calves foot, Ezek. 1.7. it may well be minded whether to signify Christ his Kingdom of grace to be placed over Infants as calves in tenderness at baptism.

That the prophetique sense is about some quali­ties of man-kind mystically resembled in the vi­sion of calves, it is not usually denied, as Ezek. 1.5. The four living creatures had the likeness of a man, Rev. chap. 5. the redeemed out of every tribe and every Nation were signified by them which had the faces of a Lion, an Eagle, a Calf, Rev. 4. or that the Calves simplicity most fitly resembleth childrens infancy; but to prove that children as baptized as intended here are three notable occurrences.

As first in reference to the divine command­ment for the children of Israels departure out of Aegypt to offer sacrifice unto God, whence proce­ded 3 consequences collected by reason in par­ticulars of great consideration in this very case.

[Page 119] 1. When the Lord said unto Moses in Midian, Go, re­turn into Aegypt, Exod chap 4 19, 20. by consequence hereof Moses took his wife and his sons and re­turned to the land of Aegypt.

2. When God said to Moses, goe gather the Elders of Israel together, and thou and they shall say to the King of Aegypt; Now let us god (wee beseech thee) three dayes journey in the wilderness, Exod. 3.16.18. upon whose earnestness at last the King said, Goe ye now that are men, and serve the Lord, for that you did desire, Exod. 10.11. A rigorous interpretation to stay the litle ones in Aegyptian slavery whom Moses by a consequence of Reason resolved to have included in the deliverance, chap 10.9. We will goe with our young, and with our old, with our Sonnes, and with our Daughters, for we have a Feast unto the Lord: mark, the young named in a caution First, as specially welcome unto the Lord of the Feast, as if he feasted in delight of their safety first.

3. When Pharaoh said, Serve the Lord, let your lit­tle ones also goe with you, onely let your Flocks and your Herds bee stayed, chap. 10.24. He had before said, chap. 8.28. I will let you goe that ye may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness, (that was the word of their own Petition, chap. 3.18.) Moses by consequence of reason required all, chap. 10.26. Our cattell also shall goe with us, there shall not an hoof be left behind, for therof we must take to serve the Lord our God, and we know not with what wee must serve the Lord untill we come thither, and Pharach said, goe serve the Lord as ye have said, also take your flocks and your herds as ye have said, and be gon, and bless me al­so, chap. 12.32.

The zeal of Israel would not spare one little Child to stay behind them, nor one hoof of a Calf to be detained from serviceableness at the pleasure of God, the glory of God brought them out of Ae­gypt the place of Bondage through the Red Sea in figure of Baptism, 1 Cor. 10.2 into the land of pro­mise, a figure of Christs promised Kingdom in hea­ven, whence the multitude of strong men was shut out, who murmured in distrust of their childrens safety.

Thus Childrens Baptismall safety may seem con­cerned in that reference of Ezekiel about the soles of a Calves foot to the least hoof safe-guarded out from Aegypt through the Red Sea as was the least child concomitant in that wonderfull way of safety through water, by conseuence of reason arguing to Gods glory from so great care for calves to greater care of children: Children also because of their great likeness to calves in harmless tenderness well according thus with that mysticall appearance of calves in this prophetique reference to what had passed in Israels story figurative of future mercy.

Joyn a second notable occurrence in Ezekiels vi­sion of a Rainbow there about the throne, chap. 1.28. A token of mercy to all flesh, young aswell as old, Gen. 9. to be saved from a like perishing by wa­ter; and as out of the waters at the making of the world, the living creatures abundantly came forth by vertue of the Spirit upon the waters as a hen hovereth over her young, so the word signifieth, herein is a third notable notable occurrence for un­derstanding the words of Christ (about gathering the children of Israelites like chicken under the [Page 121]wing) with the Prophetique word of Ezekiel about the Cherubins wings under the Throne of Christs glory, by covenant of a new spirit, a new heart with sprinkling water to make clean from sin, Eze­kiel, chap. 36.

The noyse of their wings like the noyse of great waters, as the voyce of the Almighty, Ezek. 1.24. the Revela­tion expounding waters to signifie people and tongues, declaring the voyce of the Almighty, the voyce of his word in his name, a Baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost, as by the Commandement of the Almighty Lord of Hosts sanctifying People and Nations in his Name by the watery token of his holy Covenant in Bap­tism. Jesus baptizing and John also where was much water, John 3. In prospect of such mysteries, Cherubims being formed upon the bases of the bra­zed Sea, the great vessell of water figuring Baptism wherein the Ministers of the Temple washed before they were to administer the ceremonies for clensing of others, and that great vessell of brass standing upon 12. Oxen of brass, three looking to­wards the North, and three towards the West, three towards the South, and three towards the East, fig­nificant of the twelve Apostles labours to carrie the Doctrine of Baptism towards the four quarters of the Earth, in which respect the vessell of water was called Sea in comparison of the Sea that running through the world about into little springs aswell as great Rivers with recourse twoards the Sea a­gain. Habbac. 2.14. The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the Sea. Revel. 4. Before the Throne was a Sea, and a­midst [Page 122]the Throne the foure living, (to wit Cheru­bims) one face as a man, another like a calf, young and old, the redeemed, Revel. 5. the first fruits (first born) to God and the Lamb, Revel. 14.4, 6, 7. An Angell there exhorting to fear God, and give glory to him, and to worship him who made the Sea and the Fountaines of waters, the small as well as the great. Gods fatherly mercifulness hearing groanes as well as prayers, accepting Children in their dif­ferent abilities & different duties by the same Spi­rit in the same Church, so resembled by the vision of living Cherubins under the Throne, whether as Eagles in high flying meditations, or else offering up the Calves of lips in simplest affectioned-Infant-vociferations.

In Hosea 14. the command to take words with them may appertain to sureties undertaking for Infants, to teach them the words of Covenant at years of discretion, with obedience unto such fa­therly providence gratefull to God and Man.

NUMBER 1.

BOth duties of fatherly providence to care for young children, and of childrens obedience unto their carefull parents undertaking to covenant for right unto both, hol­deth in truth as ordained of God in the new covenant also, for such intent proposed Jer. 32. after his own prophetique pattern about the figurative inheritance, read, and consider; when the Babylonian conquerors had A­nathoth the place of Jeremiah his natitivity, from which the malignant inhabitants had threatned to out him off tree and fruit, chap. 11. there the Lord God bid Jeremiah to purchase land offered unto him by his cosen, in form of lawfull right by evi­dences of purchase and sufficient witnesses of such his purchased right descendable to the heirs whe­ther old or young, a prophetique application to encourage the peoples hope of returning from Babylonian captivity with their children unto the land of promise a figure of Christs Kingdom. chap. 29. Jeremiah said, take you wives and beget sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons, and give your [Page 124]daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters, for thus saith the Lord, that after seaventy yeares be accomplished at Babylon, I will perform my good words towards you in causing you to return to this place, Jeremiah 30.10. Therefore fear thou not my servant Jacob, saith the Lord, for loe I will save thee from afar off, and they seed from the land of their cap­tivity, and Jacob shall return, chap. 32.37, 38, 39, 40. I will bring them again unto this place, and they shall be my people & I will be their God, and I will give them one heart that they may fear me for the good of them and their children after them, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, the new covenant of grace ap­plied as meant here by the Lord in answer to faith­full Jeremiah admiring at the Lords command for conveyance, and the evidences thereof, one sealed, another open, to be put in an earthen vessell, for thus saith the God of Israel; houses and fields shall be possessed again in this Land, as it came to pass after expiration of the limitted time of seaventy years; Daniel received the message from Gabriel for sea­venty times seven weeks of years, wherein Christ, the prince of the covenant, came, and (broken at death as an earthen vessell) discovered the cove­nant, sealed it with his holy Spirit, and committed it sealed to the witnesses, his Apostles witnesses of his Gospell of grace to all nations, the treasure in earthen vessels, 2. Cor. 4. now made manifest by the Scripture of the prophets according to the com­mandment of God to all Nations for the obedience of faith, Rom. 16. faith in the covenant conveyed to children by their faithfull parents-right and help in life, and after their parents (as vessels of earth) as­sured [Page 125]by witnesses of the covenant sealed by their parents, and that other open evidence to be sealed on the childs part by his own consent at full age, all as by covenant to the glory of God through Jesus Christ in his Kingdom, figured by that land of promise hereditable by the young through their fathers acts, through faith and love purchased by Christs blood as a ransom weighed for old as well as young Behold in the Rechabites also, Jer. 35. an ever­lasting example encouraging obedience to parents undertaking for their children from one generation to another, as Isaiah said also, Behold the childrē which God hath given me, chap. 8.18. Heb. 2.13. The vow of Hannah the mother, and the vow of Elcanah the fa­ther, for their son, were accepted of God 1. Sam. chap. 1.11.21. with a great blessing; Levi was blessed in the loines of his great grandfather Abraham, and A­brahams servant (enfeoffed to choose a wife for his masters son) was blessed with choice of Rebecca mother in the blessed linage of Christ; Christ did choose to be born of Judah surety for Benjamin, Christ our surety biddeth us love as he did, and learn of him to take his yoak, and bear one anothers burthen, to covenant in others names at baptism; afterwards through manifold deceipts and slips of our hearts the covenant often on our parts is to be renewed, but not by renewing bap­tism, for that were to make vain the supper of the Lord, which is rather commanded for establishing us by way of renewing the covenant often, 1. Cor. 11. This cup is the new covenant in my blood (the sea­ling covenanted on our part) this do as often as ye drink it in remembrance of me, for as oft as ye eat of [Page 126]this bread, and drink of this cup, ye shew the lords death untill he come— But let a man examine himself, & so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. Self exami­nation is pre-required in each worthy receiver of the holy Communion; not so for baptism, God ac­cepting the nationall acknowledgment of consent for themselves and their Infants as parts of the nati­ons unto which this Embassage of mercy came.

Numb. 2.

The blessing sent by Christ to all nations may deserve the best advisement of highest in trust of nationall supreme authority, to have their young ones prepared with hope of grace, in subordinati­on of all duties toward effectuall helps of grace in them; grace is a gift of God above nature, to bind in duty to God, and to lift up man above his natu­rall ability toward the dutifull service acceptable unto God in his freedom of mercy, sure by cove­nant through the meritorious blood-shed of Christ our Saviour admitting us all to be one body mysti­call under his headship which influenceth out of his fountain of Spirit divers gifts into divers mem­bers, for their divers operations, towards the good one of another, in their severall measures and sea­sons, according to the rules of his manifold wis­dom in his word, sufficient for the duties to which he calleth them, and by which he worketh in them and with them for union, communion, and com­munication of his gracious gifts among them as trusted by way of holy dispensation in this pasto­rall ordinances and paternall offices at his com­mand. 1 Pet. 4.10. As every man hath received the gift, minister the same on to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God, ministring, [...], inclu­deth [Page 127]Deacons, and speaking the oracles of God as stewards, includeth such ministers as Paul and those other called the stewards of the mysteries of God, 1 Cor. 4.1.

Numb, 3.

That they dispensed grace is undeniable by any that heareth Paul say, My little Children of whom I travell in birth again untill Christ be formed in you, Galath. 4.19. I have begotten you, to Titus mine own son after the common faith, but excludeth not others from dispensing grace in their paternall duties also. Christ accounteth such as do the will of God to be his mothers, begetting him by grace in others, not by their own ability but by the grace of God which is communicative as light of light, life of life, by the lively seed of the word, Isaiah chap. 59.20, 21. The redeemer shall come to Zion: as for me, this my cove­with them saith the Lord, my spirit that is upon thee, and my words that I put into thy mouth shall not de­part, 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; thus from age to age the word of seed, and the Spirit therewith, by the new Covenant are communicated from parents to their children as a gift, Eph. 4.29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is able to give grace to the hearers, it is the word of Christ that gi­veth grace: But so surely by the covenant, that they by the word and by prayer may freely procure it, & promise with confidence in the words of grace, and vow the work of grace, and bind their children in that baptismall vow for their Good; a blessed bond which bindeth to mercy, safety, felicity, to the glory of Gods truth, wonderfull in mercies to the little ones in the great, and to the great in the little ones, [Page 128]according to his oath,Chap. 10. Numb. 4. and to othes oath in his holy name.

Numb. 4.

As when Joseph bound his brethren of Israel for their children afterward, to perform as they did in conscience of that oath for bringing the bones of Joseph from Aegypt into the land of promise, be­lieved by him and to be believed by them for their own departure from bondage bodily figu­rative of spirituall,1 Cor. 10.6. for our learning, as our types or patterns, whereas Joseph bound the Israelites by oath for what their children were afterwards to perform.

We parents and sureties by vowes bind our selves at baptism for our childrens departure from the bondage of sin to the Kingdom of Christ, to the glory of grace, in prayer of parents and for parents, as for Ruth; the Lord make her famous in Bethelem and he made her famous in Bethelem of David her great Grand-child, and Jesus her most grand, of whose fulness wee all receive grace for grace [...] grace against grace, as in a looking glass, to the glory of grace, in good example, as Tim. 1.3.5. I thank God whom I serve from fore-fathers in a pure conscience, and joy for the faith which is in thee, which dwelt first in thy Graad-mother Loys, and thy Mother Eunice, grace seconding grace, from age to age, by good counsell and instruction of the Spirit, as brea­thing makes alive the fire again (for so the Apost­les word doth signify) s dying coales under ashes of burning consumptions. All ye remaining yet in temptations call to mind how the lively fire of grace warmed in your hearts by the blessings of religious grand-fathers, good grand-dames, dear [Page 129]parents, and other baptismall sureties, for you; and be thankfull and faithfull in minding others of the like, and prayerfull against over-daring, with new extinguishers of thoe old Graces and ho­ly comforts of your Infant-baptism, and praise Gods fatherly providence (admirable heavenly pro­vidence) having formerly fitted those many links in the pattern of mercy; when old Israel sent his children into Aegypt to provide bread for the life of small and great in his family, Simeon was bound for securing the return of his brethren with young Benjamin. Ioseph afforded them corn for their jour­ney, with their money in their Sacks mouth.

Iudah (in confidence of blessing upon young and old) offered to undertake for safety, saying unto Israel his father, send the lad with me, and we will goe, that we may live and not die, both we and thou, and our little ones: I will be surety for him, of my hands shalt thou require him; If I bring him not unto thee, then let me bear the blame for ever; without such a seaso­nable surety there had not been safety to them or their little ones: All had untimely dyed with famine, all might live by meanes of such a surety. Father Israel at such extremity submitted his belo­ved Benjamin with surety but in prayer, take your Brother, and God Almighty give you mercy before the man. God hath heard the prayer before hand in providing such a Man for mercy, though in an o­ther Country: Mercy to Benjamin for his liberall maintenance and education there, mercy to them all, though shadowed a little from them to make it sweeter unto them upon triall and exercise of the sureties fidelity. Ioseph asked them of peace (he­brew) [Page 130]is there peace unto your Father? and he lift up his eyes and saw his brother? Benjamin his mothers son? yet asked is this your younger brother? God be gracious unto thee my son: And this prayer also before it was spoken was heard by God in gracing Josephs heart to become a father in providing graciously for him as a son: Ioseph a new and true surety for Benjamins assurance of welfare in a new Country.

What now could his other surety do but ac­knowledge his charge, faithfully plead for it, and constantly proceed through the difficulties of it? Judah said, I pray thee let me abide a Bondman to my Lord instead of the Lad, and let the Lad go up with his Brethren, for I became a surety for the Lad unto my fa­ther who will dye if he see not the Lad with his brethren, his life being bound up in the Lads life.

Out broke the tears with the words of Josephs brotherly kind heart, up went the waggons for fa­ther Jacob and the little ones, so came those holy blessed sheafs bound into the barns of blessed plen­ty, with whom came also the Lord of the harvest, as he promised to Jacob, Gen. 46.4. fear not, I will be with thee; God the God of thy father.

Christ the son of God who chose to be born of Judah the surety for his young brother, and became our surety to God the father even unto death for us, excelling all other in heavenly rich mercies of brotherly kindness, and acceptance of dear sure­tiships in true gratious holy bonds of baptismall vowes and promises, acceptable to God and to his beloved Church, and profitable to the baptised ra­ther in their Infancie, more acceptable unto the son of God Christ Jesus incomparably more earnest [Page 131]in love than was Josephs affectionate desire of good speed for his brother Benjamins enjoyment; far greater in the providence of our heavenly father by sanctification in the holy Ghost, than the heart of man can think or tongue express; in 4. of Esaias where baptism was intended, read how the Spirit censureth men as Grashoppers, and nations as the small dust, to set forth the greatness of Gods glory toward the young children of Israel, even such as have no might: His unsearchable understanding layeth their first foundation, the everlasting God their Crea­tour and Recreator soweth all their seeds, and best accepteth the first fruits without delay offered by their Mother-Church in prayers, with thanks of Parents love, care and vowes: The practice of more vertues, as the fruits of more graces, having promi­ses of more reward in his mercies to his greater glory, more acceptable to his loving Church and her faithfull ministers, with parents more congra­tulatory joyfull, seeing the fruits of their bodies under covenant of blessing in Gods name before their decease, rather than tempt God by presump­tion upon future uncertainties, with neglect of pre­sent opportunities, for interest in the ordinances of his free grace so long denied as wilfully delayed in unassurance for the future: wise parents therefore hast. Isaiah 35. biddeth say to the Hasty or strong fear not, in performance of the duty to strengthen the weak hands and confirm the weak knees: among others, joy to the desert there blossoming as a Rose, it shall blossom abundantly by waters breaking out in the desert, a little water in a vessel by Gods co­venant having a spring of his Spirit, even in the [Page 132]driest Countires (elswhere praised by him as buc­kets of salvation) for salvation of fools in that way of holiness, fooles cannot erre, the Covenant of God saveth them according to the prayers and vowes formerly made for them: And if others attain the gift of discretion they may find these forward vows and prayers of faith in the covenant more profita­ble unto them in bringing them so soon from un­der the curse of sin into the Kingdom of Christ, the curse of parents in sin damaging the children, by the sin of one death upon all, Rom. 5. by the justice of God visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation; the iniquity of the Amo­rites not then full, Gen. 15. afterwards filled to the destruction of their children; and Israelites also were permitted to fill up the measure of their fathers sins, treasuring up wrath as for themselves & their chil­dren, yet to themselves onelywrath, if they do duty for their children.

2. This pre-ingagement for their good preventeth temptation, not onely saveth from fa­thers sins, but prevents temptation at their first dawning of knowledge, that the devil usurp not the first fruits by surreption in the deceivableness of the evill Spirit that worketh in the children of dis­ebedience, by nature children of wrath.

3. That they harden not therein by tast of things forbidden.

4. That delay make not duty more difficult through unruly strifes that would arise about limita­tions of the time for exigence of binding afterwards.

5. Lest the licentious unbound slip from good utterly the next way to hell by self-will, the Re­probate [Page 133]way of Belial, without yoak, from all which dangerous evils, Infants are bound in baptizing to their good by promise for this life and that which is for ever: such sacred hope and fear are blessed bonds of conscience to keep them safe in duty by teachings of parents sureties, and friends, approved helps at first in proceeding and finishing by the preachers of the word.

6. To the glory of Gods superabundant grace in Christs conquest over to devils enmity, that as In­fants are guilty but through anothers fault, they might have remedy cōming on others feet, & with others mouth professing the Christian faith, which alloweth one to bear anothers burthen, and com­mandeth the work of the ministery for the per­fecting and edifying of the body of Christ by that which every joynt supplyeth in season, effectual­ly working, as bound all to be compassionate parts of the same body, the same holy mysticall incorpo­ration under one Christ, who taketh upon him to pay for our sin, and putteth on us the robe of his own Righteousness. I am Esau thy first-born said Iacob, Isaak said, art thou my very son Esau? and he said I am; Understanding by contract for the birth-right of the first born, he gained the blessing in the name of the first-born. We pray and attain in the name of Je­sus (who is the Amen, Rev. 3. [...]) yea and Christ vouchsafeth himself for performance of what was undertaken by that great God-father David, They part my garments and cast lots upon my vesture, Ps. 22. Mat. 27. I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the Church or congregation will I praise thee. Ps. 22. Heb. 2.12. Then said I, loe I come to do thy will O [Page 134]Lord. Ps. 40. Heb. 10. While thus David answered before for Christ, Christ answereth for us, we pray as one with Christ, and good faithfull Christians pray one for another: it is Pietie, Providence, Cha­rity, not Mockery but earnestness, with bowels of mercy conforming in spirit unto David after Gods own heart. 2. Samuel chap. 7.25, 27. Establish for­ever, and do as thou hast said, therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee; With thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed, chap. 23.5. God hath made with me an everlasting co­venant, ordered in all things and sure, for this is all my salvation and all my desire. Esaiah chap. 55. Ho every one that desireth the mercies of David, sure by ever­lasting covenant, take therof as ye desire by prayer of faith in that everlasting covenant for a blessing to you and to your children in Christ the son of David. Ps. 132.12. If thy Children will keep my Covenant, their children also shall sit upon thy throne for evermore. Mark this ye fathers covenanting for your children in hope that they also shall reign with Christ ac­croding to your prayer of Faith including them under his covenant of salvation. Ps. 112.2. The ge­neration of the fathers shall be blessed. Prov. 13.22. A good man leaveth inheritance to his children chil­dren, whether in Davids sense as becommeth the wisdom of such a son; The covenanting Father by prayer of Faith is heard for his children for the like blessing to be conveyed by the covenanting of his children for their children, in Hebrew, the Fa­ther leaveth heirs childrens children.

If it were prooveable that Solomon (having re­ceived his right unto the mysticall inheritance by [Page 135]Gods covenant with David his Father) did not here gratefully remember that, but onely temporall in­heritance on earth; yet this serveth for argument by way of comparison grounded in the word of God; as the mystical inheritance exceedeth the temporal, so the mystical father-hood in Gods mercies and in mens duties exceed the fleshly father-hood out of love to make childrens children heirs.

The like force of just comparison inferreth, that as the vertue of ordinary Grand-fatherhood (bles­sedly providing inheritance for childrens children) abhorreth the son as unblessed that provideth not in like love for his own family, but deceiveth them in cutting off childrens children from inheritance which their fore-fathers had provided for them.

So may the son seem unblessed who would cut off his young children from the benefit which hee received for himself and them by forefathers faith in prayers for their interest in the signall covenant of grace to be sealed heirs of heaven in Gods most mercifull acceptance of such faithfull officiousness of forefathers or others in dispensation of other du­ties by the manifold graces of God for one to help an others weakeness, in the body mysticall as well as politicall; Pupills have Guardians, Courts of Ju­stice, sureties stand bound untill ripe age, then they sue out their liveries and take into their own con­sideration what are their duties; how know they but by witnesses, or understand but by counsellors? Iohn 1. As many as received Christ, to them gave he power (the right or privilege) to become the sons of God, To them that believe in his name: How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? Rom. 10. [Page 136]Preaching exciteth to consider, and directeth to find that privilege right or power of Gods children in actuall believing and living as they ought, whe­ther then presently converted unto Christ in their full age, or in minority before adopted in in the name of Christ; a foederall adoption which whosoever have, certainly they were elected here­unto; therein also they were elect unto that their great and blessed help of prayer in publique con­gregation, where God delighteth to be trusted ear­nestly, charitably, and faithfully beleeving his pro­mise to hear the prayer of Faith that the Lord would graciously vouchsafe to sanctifie and bless his ordinance of baptism, that he would joyn the inward baptism of his Spirit with the out­ward baptism of the water, and make this bap­tism to the Infant (the baptized) a seal of adop­tion, remission of sin, regeneration, and eternall life, and of all other promises of the Covenant of grace, &c.

At fuller age it were another good help for assu­rance of their continuance to pray so for themselves rather than to speak against their affectionate Mo­ther-Church, against her directory so to pray, and against her thanksgiving unto God for them in hope of his blessing upon such good meanes which they had so long wanted as unbaptised, in danger of utter destruction for ever, if cut off before bap­tism for contempt.

No just occasion of contemning appeareth in the words that are by way not of addition but of ex­plication in prayer, as bid to call on God, Acts 2. for the baptised to receive effectuallly the benefits, [Page 137]Mercies and Fruits of Christs institution which comprehendeth what Christ did aswell as what he said for our imitation at baptism; As (hoc facite) do this leadeth to consider what Christ did, and what he said for our imitation at the Lords supper; though each circumstance be not required in that charge of imitation, as to receive unleavened bread, and after supper, Judaicall rites to be pre-accom­plished by Christ answerable to the figure at the age of thirty when hee was to begin the publique dispensation of the new covenant at institution of baptism, he gave no rule for others to delay their baptizing untill they attained his age, or to be baptised at Jordan were he was in a mystery.

NUMBER I.

YEt may Jordan be well remembred by us, not that any should delay their baptism as Constantine ac­knowledged at Nichomodia that he had delayed untill he was rea­dy o dye. The wisdom of our re­formers added that Christs bap­tism sanctified other waters also for this mysticall use, though that of Jordan were specially renowned in respect of Christs own baptism, as before by the purgation of Naaman's leprosy, figuring baptismall purgation of the Gentiles from the guilt of sin by a new spirit, and before that (in figure of our baptis­mall entrance into the Kingdom of Christ) for the Israelites entrance into the land of promise as out from bondage through the red Sea (all my­stically baptized, young and old, with spiritualls, 1. Cor 10.2, 11. as types for our learning) so through Jordan for a memoriall, in that when the ark of the covenant passed, the waters of Jordan were cut off from running rowards the dead Sea of Sodom, 12 chosen men for every Tribe one, carried from thence twelve stones to the first lodging place in their possession as a token for the remembrance of Gods mercy for ever according to his covenant.

The first nights lodging was at Gilgal the place of their circumcision, Joshua 5. so joyning together both types of our baptism, their children though Infants were spiritually comforted and baptized in their passage from bondage of Aegypt through the red Sea, and through Jordan, into the holy land of [Page 139]promise figurative of Christs Kingdom.

These being our types, therefore our children (as under covenant of more spirituall ministery) to be spiritually baptised for their passage from spirituall Aegyptian servitude of sin into the King­dom of Christ, the entrance whereof by the Spi­rit as in a new birth of spirituall life, Christ hath affirmed to be by Water and an unspeakable gift of God, 2 Cor. 9. but very credible by covenant for his Spirit to thee and thy seed and thy seeds seed for ever, in secret primary mysteries of seed of Fa­ther-hood, Mother-hood, Bowells, Womb, Navill, Prov. 3.8. Cant. 78.2. For sustenance of Infants; Nero-like schismest thou thy Mother-church alive in tor­ments of anatomy to find what God hath hid from thee, revealing her brests and dewes that tarry not for man? his promised Spirit on thy buds, his Spirit or wind blowing on thy gardens sweets, Herbs, Plants, Roots, small and great, from the four winds with blessings on the whole house of Israel, enlive­ning their children and childrens children for ever, Ezekiel chap. 37.11.25.

Numb. 2.

The wind bloweth where it listeth saith Christ, about the new born of God, John 3. We are wonderfully ge­nerated & wonderfully regenerated at baptism, the washing of our regeneration & renewing of the holy Ghost. Tit. 3. When Christ was baptised the holy Ghost descended visibly for a majestick warrant of credence the more readily to be trusted in his or­dinance of baptismall grace for others, Acts 2. Re­pent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (the sin of Adam infecting all so soon as they are children of Adam) [Page 140] and yee shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost, for the promise is to you and to your children: behold the gift of the holy Ghost, to them and to their children, to the Jewes out of every nation under heaven. This is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel, And it shall come to pass in the last daies, I will powr out my Spirit upon all flesh, saith God, who is the best intepreter of his own abundant mercies. Having said there, Gather the people, sanctify the con­gregation, assemble the Elders, Gather the children and those that suck at the breasts, He thereupon addeth, I will powr out my spirit upon all flesh,

Such children as God spake of when he made this faithfull promise, such children are included in his mercifulll performance.

But God spake of such children sucking at the breasts when he made this promise, Joel 2.

Therefore children sucking at the breasts are included in his mercifull performance; his merci­full performance was with baptism and the holy Ghost by Peters interpretation of the promise, To them and to their children: therefore baptism and the holy Ghost by Gods faithfull and mercifull per­mance of his promise are ordained to sanctify suck­ing children.

The promised effusion of Spirit upon all Flesh, implying not onely that miracle of fierie tongues then, but inward sanctification of grace for remis­sion of sin at baptism unto them afar off in time and place, by Peters interpretation Acts 2. the washing of regeneration, renewing of the holy Ghost, which he hath powred out abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that being justified by grace we [Page 141]should be made heirs according to the hope of eternall life, Tit. 3. Hee saith, through Christ; For Christ as a mysticall head powreth of his Spirit, into the eye, the finger, or other least parts of his Church as his mysticall body, for we are baptized in one Spirit, 1 Cor. 12. that is the washing of regeneration, by a figurative speech which hath four severall expres­sions in holy Scripture.

1. The name of the sign is given to the thing signified; as the name of the Paschall Lamb, of the Rock, and of Bread, given to Christ.

2. The name of the thing signified is given to the sign; as the name of blood to the fruit of the vine, the Name of Christs body to the bread.

3. the use of the sign (as eating and drinking) is applied to the thing signified.

4. The use of the thing signified is applied to the sign; As Christ his bearing of our sins was applied to the Goat in sacrifice, on whose head the Priest laied his hand, and put the sins of the people.

The ground of such usuall figurative speech in holy Scriptures is not onely the likeness or simili­tude betwixt the sign and the signified, to help our weak understanding (that through visible outward things ascendeth more easily to consider of Hea­venly) but chiefly the coordination of them to help our faith, as by a seal to believe assuredly that by receiving the sign we have right also to partake in the benefit of the thing signified, by the good good will of our Saviour in his covenant of mercy coordeining the sign and the thing signified joyntly for the faithfull receiver.

NUMBER I.

OUtward washing of Water and inward inspiring of Grace, as a new birth, which put together therefore might be so cal­ed, the washing of Regeneration, we being born again to live a new life in Christ through assured faith in his Covenant; Heb. Chap. 10.22. In full assurance of faith having our hearts sprink­led from an evill conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water, Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering: For he is faithfull that pro­mised, &c. As in the former speech the use of the sign [washing] was applied to the regeneration, Here (sprinkling) is applied likewise to signify puri­fying of faithfull soules from the guilt and fowl­ness of an evill conscience, by grace as instrumen­tall cause, and the bloodshed of Christ as meritori­ous cause, through faith believing the covenant of Remission as applied at the washing with water sprinkled on the baptised by Christs ordinance of new covenant more spirituall: And therfore not re­quiring more of materiality than the old type, Heb. 9.19. He look the blood with water and sprinkled the book [Page 143]& all the people, saying, this is the blood of the Covenant which God hath enjoyned you. All that had any of the sprinkling were accepted, aswel they that were prinkled with less as they that were sprinkled with more.

The benefit arising by Gods acceptance in his good pleasure for his glory, through the covenant of his mercy, not for the abundance of the material sign (then blood with water) a little sign being e­nough for assurance of his infinite mercy by that voice from the Throne to small and great; The small having precedence in expression of Gods lo­ving providence toward all. Rev. 19.

5. The soul after the image of God whole in eve­ry part of the body, the washing of the whole may be signified by washing one part of the body, speci­ally the face, appearing as it were for the whole and many drops being sprinkled upon one little face may suffice in Gods sight to whom many Na­tions are as one drop, Isaiah 40.15. a drop is round and hath the nature of the whole element, as a spark is fire & may enkindle a great flame to burn a great City, neither is a drop of less ability to quench that spark; yea, had it not been too late after death to cry for help in that torment of flame, by the tip of a finger dipt in water, Luke the 16. the tip of a bap­tizers finger through Gods Ordinance might have preserved the penitent from that everlasting flame into which he desired his brethrne might not come. god grant the grace of providence unto all others that by delay of baptism they fall not into the same endless, easeless and remediless fire.

For prevention whereof it may be Christ used [Page 144]this parable, or if it were a story, what miserable Dives (in remembrance of what he had seen used in baptising) perhaps did wish [...], that the very top of a finger baptising might cool that tormen­ting flame, an effect so great, that unlikely to be wished upon so small means unless upon suppo­sall of such like covenant though out of season, Zach. 4. Who art thou that despisest te day of small things? 1 Cor. 1 God hath chosen weak things to con­found the strong, that no flesh should be presumptuous in his presence: It was a great offence of wofull con­sequence, as to eat the forbidden apple, so to dis­trust in that little Manna like coriander seed.

A little seal in wax is enough for assurance of e­vidence in a great purchase, a little washing by way of token or sign in covenant of Christianity may oblige a Christian to patience in suffering with Christ, that he may reign with Christ, this is the fimi­litude o Christs death unto which we are baptized, that we may be like him in resurrection, twofold.

The first from sin to the new life of grace.

The second to the new life of glory; The tense is suture, Rom. 6.5. We shall be (to wit) in the likeness of the resurrection, if we be planted into the likeness of his death; How? it is expounded in the sixt verse, Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that hence­forth wee should not serve sin; for he that is dead is freed from sin; Now if we be dead with Christ, wee believe that we shall also live with him. The death of Christ was by crucifixion; The crucifixion of Christ is not resembled by immersion into the water: Therefore the death of Christ is not resembled by immersion [Page 145]into the water. Or what resemblance betwixt the lock of Christs sepulcher in a Garden, and the flow­ing stream of Jordan? resemblance appeareth not, but assurance of our hallowed rest by vertue of Christs buriall, as represented to our belief, for our resurrection, Rom. 6.8. [...], We believe that we shall also live with him. This Faith in our co-resurrection is that intended in baptism by St. Pauls own inter­pretation, Colos. 2.12. [...], buried with him in baptism, wherein also you are risen through faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead: And you being dead in your sins and the uncir­cumcision of your flesh, hath he quickned together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses, being circum­cised with the circumcision made without hands, as St. Paul there promised; to shew how baptism succee­deth in effect as a new kind of circumcision my­sticall, engaging therefore Infants again according to their former interest of such in circumcision; by such resemblance reall in spirit and in truth va­nisheth your imaginary resemblance signall in bu­riall under water, which St. Paul could not institute, nor doth expresly teach to be requisite by the ge­nerall tenour of Christs institution.

Num. 2.

Beware of flesh and blood in hanckering too much after what is carnall in materials. It is not much water for putting away the filth of the flesh; but the answer of a good conscience which now saveth us by baptism, as figuratively Noah was saved in the Ark from the flood of water; After which, ex­cessive trust in the creature brought unto his shame drunkenness and nakedness together: If that high­virtuous David were overcome by seeing once one, [Page 146]how are they sure not to fall into temptation who lust to see so many nakednesses though in pre­tended washing?

The Scripture is express for covering [Marke. 1.4, 5. John baptizing was clothed and guirded) not express for such uncovering in baptism as hath been committed with fame and scandals; as if they had not read our Saviours caution, Revel. 16.15. blessing such as keep their garments, That they be not found naked to their shame, by way of Parenthe­sis, advertizing thus amidst the plagues of the last and worst Mysticall stormings, as it were purposely to prevent or correct such abuses.

The foul Spirits, which through affectation of knowledg made our first Parents shamefully naked, have no less will nor less skill by the allurements of over-wise curiosity to make naked still out of dis­content of distrust of what is in the Name of God all-sufficient.

That his holy will be not despighted under shew of bettering his Ordinances, which with his con­currence once don are don for ever; thus his Pro­phecy prescribed: I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness, Ezek. cap. 36.25. And He shall sprinkle many Nations, Esaias 52.15. Is not that a promise for Baptism? that is washing though with little water, enough, as in sprinkling, Numb. cap. 19.12.13.18.19.20.21. is expounded to be washing, Heb. 19.10. Matth. 3. John had his raiment of Camels hair, and a leather girdle about his loines: we read not that John or any other were ungirded to baptise or be baptised.

If that Eunuch voluntarily went into the water, [Page 147]that was not his baptism, but his baptism was in what he received there by Philips act to baptise him: It was neither necessary nor likely to be totall immersion in his apparell, nor is there any dis-ap­parelling of the whole body mentioned or implied; But rather according to the fashion of that Eastern Countrey wherein they had onely Sandalls on their feet slipping them off they might wade into the wa­ter, and by aspersion, or perfusion, receive a watrie token by the hand of sacred Ministery betokening their faith in the promised assistance of the Holy Ghost for cleansing their souls inwardly by vertu of Christs Prayer for sanctification in his Covenant, Luke cap. 3.21.22.

Did not the Baptist in such Prophetique sense of humiliation protest, I am not worthy to untie the latchet of his shoes? in service it may seem preparato­rie for such his Baptism-Evidence. Enough of that Fastern fashion. Luke 7.44. Simon seest thou this woman, shed hath washed my feet with teares and wiped them with the haires of her head; since the time I came in she hath not ceased to kiss my feet, Luke 24. See my hands and my feet that it is I, John 13. He washed the disciples feet, Acts 12. Peters Sandalls argue the like fashion, as they had another gesture of accubitus at their last supper not required at ours: now such Nationall Circumstances being not essentiall by in­stitution for all, And the sick unfit to be dipt in a River might be baptised though they dispaired of recovery, So that their Counsellors in Physick gave them off as dead in judgment of Art, 1 Cor. 15. Enviest thou that Children should have the benefit of like help and care for their weakness? Rather [Page 148]approve their sprinkling for convenience of their baptism, than disprove their baptism for sprinkling upon so manifold urgencies of reason in holy writ; about what Christ sent to Nations after publique Nationall advisement and consent of lawfull au­thority, tenderness of good conscience may confide in Regular Obedience to Christian guidance, which God bless unto them that need, as this Countrey disputant humbly prayeth in charity with zeal a­gainst deceivable contradiction.

NUMBER 1.

THe would of Faith prooved to take hold of Children at Baptism by all the four testimonies of holy Pro­phets alleged in that very tenth Chapter to the Romans: as Verse 15. [How beautifull are the feet of them that preach the Gospell of peace?] which Isaiah foetold of Christ in singular; How beautifull are the feet of him that publisheth peace? Christ and his Ministers in his name preach the same Gospell of peace, and that too applyed by Baptism as followeth in that same 52. Chapter of Isaiah; Be yee clean yee that hear the vessells of the Lord: yee are the greater vessells, But yee bear the lesser vessells to be made clean by sprinkling with water, so shall he sprinkle many Nations. Yee Mi­nisters of such good newes remember it is for little young ones as well as old, in accomplishment of what God promised to his People aforetime when they went into Egypt to sojourn there, Behold al­ready prepared for you (in the fourth verse of that Chap.) a Prophetique light of Reference to Genesis 46, 47. where God said to Jacob, I the God of thy Father will goe with thee into Egypt, and will also sure­ly being thee up againe; thereupon Jacob arose and his sonns carried him and their little Ones, as in Event through the Red Sea figuring Baptism: So the Prophet Isaiah there Chap. 52. foreshewed the return to Zion.

Awake, awake, put on thy beautifull garments O Je­rusalem the holy City, there shall we more come into Thee the uncircumcised and the unclean, break forth into joy, for the Lord hath comforted his people, the name of his holy people (as at first) containing Fathers and Childrens Children, even little ones, to be com­forted and cleansed by holy sprinkling; are not the Preachers of the good Tidings of the Gospell of Peace here to be rather for, than against the baptiz­ing of little ones?

Numb. 2.

Secondly, That this word of Faith appertaineth to Children, by that faith of their Parents, It is manifestly prooved by looking to the place from whence the word of Faith (here Rom. 10.7, 8.) is alleged (out of Deut. cap. 30. v. 12, 13, 14.) Look to the antecedents & to the consequents, And then to the very word s there.

In the antecedents at the 6. verse of that 30. chap­ter of Deut. [The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live] A promise, by the first verse of this, applied to those in the precedent chapter with their little Children in Covenant with God. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. like as the Lord had professed before, Deut. chap. 1.39. Your little ones which ye said should be a prey, which in that day had no knowledg between good and evill, to them will I give the Land promised to their Fathers. Secondly, look into the consequents, Deut. 30.19, 20. Remember the Parents choice benefi­ciall to their seed, the seed living by their Parents choice for themselves and for their little Children to live in Covenant with God amongst his beloved [Page 151]People, and that forepraised Psalm, inviting the Nations to joyn with the people of Israel in that blessed condition of their Children aswell as them­selves to live in Covenant with God, Deut. 32.43.

From this collation of consequences aswell as antecedents come we to that word of faith Deut. 30.13, 14. So nigh that thou needest not say who shall goe over the Sea for us.

Num. 3.

The Hebrew exposition in the Jerusalem Targum hath it [That thou shouldst say, O that we had one like Jonas the Prophet that might go down into the bottom of the great Sea and bring it to us] Christ delighteth in the Evangelical sense of this comparison betwixt his own death three dayes, and Jonas his journey through the Sea to preach unto the Ninivites the word which by consequence of their repentance had in effect mercy to them and their small Chil­dren.

The people of Nineveh believed God, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them, partaking in this mournfull guise as they were capable, and in the fasting commanded by full authority, likewise in the crying mightily; the Lord heard the cry of the least thus changed as penitents in their way, the Lord shewed mercy to the least for their penitent parents sake, what if one should say for their own, yea and for their sake to the parents, or rather to both sorts for his own glo­ries sake? [Should not I spare Nineveh that great City wherein are more than six score thousand persons that cannot discern betwixt the right hand and the left?]

A greater than Jonas is here, said Christ of his own glory, in ableness, and greater in willingness of mer­cy [Page 152]to Small and Great alike in guiltiness of origi­nall sin by the first Adams disobedience, alike need­ing help of Christ the second Adam for their par­don, and accordingly behold like helpfull mercy, Micah 5.7. And the remnant of Jacob shall be as a Dew from the Lord, as the Showres upon the grass that tarrieth not for man. Mican cap. 6.4. O my people, I sent before thee Moses, by interpretation Drawn out, for as much as drawn out of the Ark of Bulrushes from danger of perishing by water, that he might be prepared with confidence of Gods mercy to lead out the Children of Israel, great and small, through the red Sea, in figure of Baptism now saving by ver­tue of Christ his death called his Exodus, Luke cap. 9.31. by Moses appearing there to magnify the glory of Christs passage through the red Sea of his blood­shed for the Redemption of small as wel as great: Hear yee now what the Lord saith there by Micah cap. 6. I sent before thee Moses and Miriam, O my peo­ple remember now what Balak consulted with Balaam that he might see the uttermost part of the people, Numb. cap. 22.41. that yee might know the righteous­ness of the Lord: who would not suffer him to curse the utmost, hindermost, or of most mean, of smallest age among them, cap. 7.14, 15, 18, 19, 20. As in the dayes of old according to thy coming out of the land of Aegypt—who God like unto thee that par­doneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage, He reteineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy—Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the Sea; Thou wilt perform the truth unto Jacob, the mercy which thou hast sworn unto our Fathers from the dayes of old.

Numb. 4.

O true and mercifull word of faith to be believed by Parents (Jacob like) for them and their Children, and by Children also, for themselves and their Chil­dren age after age, through the deep mysteries of Christs death, like Jonas his passage through the Sea, to preach the Word of God, so wonderfull in effect of mercy toward Infants, thus interessed in the benefit of Christs death applyed by Baptism, Rom. 6. according to that word of faith, Rom. 10.8. according also to the prayer of faith in the 13 verse of that chapter, grounded upon promise from Joel's Prophecy, where after preparatory monitions in the 1 chap. 3.14. hear this ye old men (tell ye your Chil­dren and their Children another generation: Sanctify yee a fast, call a solemn Assembly, gather the Elders, all the Inhabitants of the land to the House of the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord, Chap. 2.16.) who re­quireth Children to be gathered into that holy pray­erfull Assembly (to fill up the cry) Rom. 8.26. [The Spirit helpeth our infirmities, and maketh inter­cession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.] If the strongest are glad to plead infirmities, how can any deny the benefit of infirmity to the more infirm by the Spirits unspeakable help? Without speech, as a seed-root or principle inwardly moving in Children so required to cry by the Lord, who put­teth teares in his bottle as precious, and sighes in his register as prayers of immortall soules of his own appointing, his mercifulness excelling infinitely the tender compassion of Mothers and Nurses, who day and night satisfy the necessities of Infants upon their cryes as Prayers efficacious for help unto them­selves, and usually procuring helps of mercies to [Page 154]their Mothers and Nurses also by such cryes.

Secondly the cryes of Parents and others com­passionate friends in prayers for the Children, and the cryes of Gods Ministers in Prayers for both Pa­rents and Children, and the cries of the High Priests in prayers for them all, and for sanctification of all their prayers as was used every day, much more all (then in great dangers) were in that solemn assem­bly to cry for preservation of all, in their severall duties united as one man for better acceptance of their prayers in love, to the greater praise of the Lord God their preserver: who for preserving the whole families of Israel accepted the first born, as holy to him from among the old, Numb. cap. 18.15. And for each first born his holiness accepted a Levit to serve the Priests, and the Priests to offer sacrifice upon the Altar, and prayers, and over them the High-Priest daily to offer prayers as Incense on the Altar of Incense in the holy place, with fire taken from the Altar wherein the Lamb was offered for a daily burnt Sacrifice, significative of the death of Christ, to be offered by the fiery zeal of Christs love for redemption of young and old: All this be­ing implied by the utmost earnestness of the Priests, as Ministers of the Lord, crying in prayer between the Porch and the Altar (cap. 2.17. of Joel.)

Thirdly, the Spirit (who knoweth the secrets of God) intended all this for all the members requi­sit in that crying assembly to be sanctified by the Spirit: I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, all sorts which the Lord required to be present in that assembly: Sucking-Infants being required there es­pecially.

Fourthly, that promise of the Spirit intended obedience in the season of Children from age to age, as it appeareth, Acts 2. by application of that promise upon the very day of Pentecost, when the first born were to meet at Jerusalem as an holy pre­sentative of Israel, Exod. 23. it being the very day wherein the law was formerly given at Sinai, with two gracious Allaies of Evangelicall mercies by Co­venant in present acceptance of Children, because of Gods love to their parents, Deut. 4.37. and ex­pectative faithfulness of Childrens duties in future seasons as they that should grow able to learn from parents and Ministers of Gods Word, Deut. cap. 5.2, 28, 29. The Lord our God made a Covenant with us in Horeb—speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee, and we will do it—And the Lord said, the People have spoken well—O that there were such an heart in them—Alwaies, that it might be well with them and with their Children after them for ever, Deut. cap. 6.2——20: or els­where more largely: Now in the sense of Joels pro­phecy thus opened, Almighty God accepteth the Prayers of Israel in that solemn Assembly for Infants as required in the common cry through the Spirit helping infirmities (wayes unutterable,) And as one with their first-born brethren, One with their Parents, One with their Deputy-Levites, One with the Ministers, and One with the High-Priest Offi­ciating before the Lord for a memoriall of all the Tribes of Israel and their members as One man.

Fiftly, This holy Prophetique Spirit of Prayer­full unity prepared for Infants baptizing actively and passively; Actively, Luke 1.10. the multitude [Page 156]of the people were praying without at the time of Incense offered by Zachary the Priest, upon whose prayer the Angell brought the glad tidings for con­ception of John that was to be Baptizer in the Spirit of Elias, to turn the heart of Parents to their children, and the heart of children to their Parents, so joyning the end of the old Testament with the beginning of the New as one in this substance of holy Covenant for union betwixt Parents & Children and betwixt People and Ministers of the Lord in prayer.

Passively; Acts 1.14. These all continued with one accord in prayer, and chap. 2. They were all which one accord in one place on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost descended, and Peter said, This is that which was spoken of the Prophet Joel—Repent and be baptized, for the promise is to you and to your Chil­dren—for applying the benefit of the promise, take the seal for assurance thereof. The seal is Bap­tism; Be ye baptized therefore applying the bene­fit of the promise to you and your Children even such as were meant in the promise which God made when He called for Infants sucking at the breasts to partake in the blessing promised.

As by vertue of Christs prayer, his prayer for the Spirit on the Baptized, and for fulfilling all righte­ousness by dealing for them who need, as all need him both small and great, for remission of sin, Matth. 3. Christ his prayer for them whosoever shall be­lieve in after generations, and that the world might believe, John 17.20, 21. Christ his prayer at death for them who knew not what they did, Luke 23. on the tree of the Cross, promising Paradise and open­ing way thereby to the tree of life in which he graf­feth the baptized.

The prayer of Christ at the right hand of God, his continual intercession able to save to the ut­termost [...] to all ends for Young and Old that come unto God by him, Heb. 7.25. in his Priest­hood after the Order of Melchizedeck, blessing Ahra­ham Father of the faithful, in whose blessed Seed he believed that all Nations were to be saved before he had any Seed, God calling things to come, as if they were already; suffer little Children to come to me said Christ; how? by their Parents or friends arms bring­ing them to Christs Arms, Mark 10. Are not such among the called of the Lord, whom the Lord call­eth for himself, and blesseth when they come? thus Infants helped of others passively to their Bap­tism.

To which agreeth also the word of Faith ground­ed on that other Prophetique testimony, Rom. 10.20. I was found of them that sought me not, I was made ma­nifest to them who asked not after me, from Esaias 65.1.23, 24. They shall not labour in vain, for they the Seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their Budds or of spring with them—before they call I will answer, the next verse referring to the eleventh Chapter of Esaias, where at the Ensign (Baptism the Sign of Nations obe­dience to the Kingdom) of Christ, Infants and Children sucking at the breasts, meet with Vipers, applied by John the Baptist at the time of baptizing, Matth. 3. Thus the Word of Faith, and the Power of Faith, take hold of baptized Infants, whether by the Seed of Faith in the unspeakable gift of the Spirit, or in the prayers of Parents or other Sureties by vertue of Christ his prayer for futurition of good seasons, enough to bind them in Covenant [Page 158]unto the duties of Faith as shall come the sooner the better.

Affirmative precepts oblige in vertue semper, non ad semp r, this praecept of Faith bindeth all in Cove­nant still, but not still to the Acts of Faith, untill ripeness of Age and opportunities, Acts the 10. If thou believest thou maist be baptized; To beget from that Particular Affirmative about an Eunuch, an Uni­versality to the deniall of others, were an unrea­sonale fallacy by the Judgement of common expe­rience in mens discourses, allowing respits of duties according to the diversities of ages capable of fa­vour, to infants in states of Coppihold or Inheri­tance, which yet require actuall Homage at admit­tance of the Elder; actuall Faith is of absolute ne­cessity to Salvation onely, then when want of Faith absolutely bringeth damnation, Mark 16.16. He that believeth not shall be damned, which our Saviour himself expounds to be in the last day, John 12.48. the word that I have spoken shall in the last day judge him; He that receiveth not my Words, he receiveth not me. Such infidelity damneth, when it is finall; but he who re­ceived not the Word yesterday, may to day, he that to day rejecteth Christ in the morning, may be­lieve and obey, in the eleventh hour; Behold now is the accepted time, now is the day of Salvation, 2 Cor. 6.2. [...], nunc saeculo, As Matth. 12.31. [...], exten­deth to the whole life of Man without remission; So the [now] extendeth to the whole life of Man for acceptance to Salvation; whensoever in heart he consenteth to believe in the Covenant of grace, then may it be truly said, now is the day of Salva­tion, now is the accepted time of saving Faith, to [Page 159]believe through the blood of the everlasting Cove­nant.

Gods everlast love, decrees, and purposes do Coexist and Cooperate by grace, in whatsoever differences of time efficacious grace doth Operate in the baptized, Exod. 3. when God would be known to the Glory of his Name in delivering Small and Great from Aegypt, and favouring the Small more in Event, as those which he purposed to bring into the Land of Promise, Figurative of Heaven, whereas in our translation he hath this name [I am that I am] the Hebrew word properly fignifieth [I will be what I will be] specially de­lighting in magnification of his Glory for the Fu­ture, though present alwaies, simul & semel, in the nunc of eternity, which verifieth the future in words prae­terit, Rom. 8. Whom he hath praedestinated he hath called &c. In his wisdom omniscient, with power om­nipotent, both omnipresent in assisting as well as ordaining all opportunities in Christ, the same yester­day, and to day, and for ever, opening the everlasting doors as King of Glory, Priest for ever to save [...] to the uttermost, the great Prophet upon Oath to fulfill all which the Prophecies have de­clared for Small and Great in mysterious holy rati­habitions of Faith; if thou comprehended not, re­prehend not.

NUMBER 1.

ACcommodation; Christ was put on them, when they were baptized to be Mem­bers of his mystical body the Church, to be covered with the Garment of his Righteousness, through the merits of his blood­shed to wash them from the guiltiness of sin in his name, as their surety paying their debts, and be­comming comming a Mediator of the new Covenant betwixt God and the faithfull, according to their prayers of faith in that Covenant of mercy, to them and to their Children, through Christ his righteousness, applied unto them in Christ, when Baptized in his holy name; so made one mysticall Christ, by his good pleasure to have interest in him & his righte­ousness; And trusting in that alone, and glorying in that alone, as called thereunto; yea & known to be the true Church of Christ, by professing it for her self and all her true Children, as the Prophet of the Lord foreshewed in praise of the Covenant of mer­cy that endureth for ever, Jerusalem shall dwell safely, [Page 161]and this is the name wherewith she shall be called [The Lord our righteousness] Jeremia 33.76. Ours: mo­therly dear affection holding fast her young under her best garment, and most precious ornament, her husbands heavenly good pleasure, for adorning and subbrachiating them neer to his heart, under his white garment of love, both safely together. Loe the Son of Righteousness, Malach. 4 Christ his Face shin­ing as the Sun, Rev. chap. 1. Rev. 12.1.5.17. The Sun Clothing the woman pregnant, and pained to be delivered of her Man-child: after which the rem­nant of her seed. So Jerusalem the mother of us all according to the analogie of Sarah and her young Isaac in Covenant of Grace, a Covenant of faith: the Parents faith believing the promise before the Child was born, and afterwards all the time of his Minority, for example of all Nations to be blessed in him, Rom. chap. 4.16, 17, 24, 25. blessedly believing the Covenant of Grace by faith about a Child and to a Child for the time to come, faith imputed for righteousness unto Abraham as believing the pro­mise, and faith to be imputed unto the Nations for righteousness in believing Christ to be raised from death for Justification of them and their young Children in that Covenant to blessed Isaac as a pat­tern of grace in that allegory.

For contempt whereof Ismael cast out of the fa­mily became a pattern of the Israelits, and that bloody Jerusalem, degenerated into the condition of Hagar.

Take heed of mocking at the Covenanted interest of the young, by God judged persecution there. Gal. cap. 4.29.27. Now we bethren are Children of the [Page 162]promise as Isaac was, before he believed actual­ly, by vertue of his Father Abrahams faith: so we by vertue of the faith of our parents and ghostly Fa­thers, ministers of Christ his Church, by vertue of Christ his Commission for admitting all Nations at baptism in his Names; so putting Christ on the faith­full and their Children.

Christ was put on them at baptism who were then not to be Circumcised; But the Jewes children were not then to be Circumcised; Therefore the Jewes children had Christ put on them then: If you be Circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing, you are fallen from Grace; to which you were called in Christ whom you have put on at baptism, out of whom you fall again if you are Circumcised; They that are freed from Circumcision have Christ put on them at baptism; Children are freed from Cir­cumcision; Therefore Children have Christ put on them at baptism; their freedom is in Christ put on at baptism; stand in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free. The wisdom of the Holy Ghost re­proved the Golathians as if they were bewitched in refusing the grace of such liberty for them and their children in Christ from the bond that was sured for ever, on them not to be exonerated, but in mystery by some higher verification of Christ put on: and that putting on is by Covenant of union with Christ in spirit at baptism in his name.

Numb. 2.

2. Obj. 1 Pet. 3. That which now saveth us is the answer of a good conscience, like Noah his Arke. Accommodation; The benefit of that preservation was to us all, young and old, preserved in Noah and his sons then, but by the fatherly providence [Page 163]of Noah, praised, Hebr. chap. 11.

Noah by faith being warned of God of things not seen (then) as yet moved with fear prepared un Ark for the saving of his Family, by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith: faith in believing; what? Gods promise or Cove­nant so to save him & his family: Faith about what things, unseen? about the flood, and about saving them of his family then unseen, as unborn (it may seem) or but new born; when he began to prepare for the preservation of himself & of his family to the condemnation of unbelievers, when he preached unto them Gods righteous anger against sinfull man­kind: Auger revealed, when? in the next words precedent, Noah was five hundred years old, and he begat Sem, Ham, and Japhet: Sem about two yeares after. Sem an hundred yeares old two yeares after the flood, Gen. 11. and the flood came in the six hundredth year of Noah his life, Gen. 7. by which In­terpreters argue Japhet to be elder, Noah begetting Children about the 500. year of his age, about his beginning to prepare for their preservation by faith in Gods Covenant, after ward established with him and his that entred into the Ark, 1 Pet. 3. to the praise of Gods longanimity, long patience, in the dayes of the Ark prepared, [...], the long affe­ction of God expecting the triall on the one side of the disobedient scorners, and on theother side of ripening obedience unto the Covenant which the Father in faith had undertaken for his Childrens preservation by water; [...] Cui, to which the Corresponding Antitype in baptism that now sa­veth us, now prepareth us to be saved in fellowship [Page 164]with Christ everlastingly, by virtue of his Resur­rection to raise us up again; Not the putting away the filth of the flesh, as by washing, which is the outward token; but more principally, the Spiritu­all part in duties of a good Conscience, Asking, Sti­pulating, Interrogating, Answering, as the word is diversly translated upon supposall of these diverse signification, all contained in this word, [...] from [...] to ask God or Man, to ask God in Prayer, as Christ implyeth, Ioh. 16.26. and Luke 7.3. in that word was the Petition that Christ would save or preserve.

1. In this alowed sense at Baptism, as the Mini­ster asketh in prayer unto God; So the Parents or their Supplies ask in their prayer unto God for the baptized, and the baptized Infants afterwards are to ask in praying for themselves.

2. This is to be the prayer of Faith, believing the Covenant in God holy N me at his Command for baptizing all Nations.

3. This prayer of Faith in obedience to Gods command, and in belief of Gods Covenant, im­plieth those Acts of Duty to be covenanted in sea­sons respectively, so to pray and believe as in truth each of their bounden duty.

4. This respective covenanting for Acts of their own duties, implieth also Stipulation Ministeriall and Paternall. The Minister in the name of the church, under whose Charge, Nurture, and Educa­tion the Motherhood of holy church admitteth and sealeth the baptized among her children as Gods children by his Ordained, and her trusted Minstery, may be said to be stipulate; undertaking [Page 195]her part in the Covenant betwixt Christ and his young babes; for whose Future fidelity their Fa­thers also may be Sponsors to stipulate and under­take the Vow of Duty for their Children, that in acceptable time the Children may with their own gratefull consent be bound to perform and stipulate for their Children, in faithfullness, to sanctify the perptuall fruitfulness of Holy Church.

5. This holy stipulating or undertaking by way of surety needeth and therefore implieth Interro­gation, to mind of these duties. As what dost thou here Eliah in Spirit forerunning the baptizer? and Secondary baptizers interrogating Sureties; and both Ministers and Sureties after wards interroga­ting the baptized in Catechism for consent unto the vows in their names.

6. By such needfull Interrogations, intending faithfull answers of a good conscience unto God, that the baptized with their own after-consent, may willingly stand bound in the promises and vowes as it was before covenanted for them.

7. There is intended also seeking in prayer unto God for grace, that such answer of a good consci­ence with these other duties may effectually pre­pare the baptized in faith of the Covenant-blessing to be saved by the Resurrection of Christ Jesus un­to life everlasting.

8. The Notion of all these duties being all com­prized by virtuall Implication in the large sense of this [...], the word here signifying virtuall engagement of faith in a good conscience, for fa­ving the baptized through all Future extremities; all these translations accord in truth, correspond­ing [Page 166]as the substantiall Antitype of what was sha­dowed by that outward preservation of Noah and his Children, it inferreth excellent comfort in our baptismall covenant for Infants, In believing and glorifying God for his longanimity; would yee rob him of his glory which the wisdom of the Holy Ghost would have betokened unto posterity by the token of his everlasting covenant in the Rainbow? in remembrance whereof he might be said for his Israelites safety to baptize them in the cloud and in the Sea, when the token of his presence by covenant of mercy led them through the red Sea into the wil­derness, as they went through the waters of Jordan into the land of Promise, so when they were to re­turn into the land of promise at their deliverance from Babylonian captivity the Prophet Ezekiel cap. 1. saw the appearance of a Rainbow again at Che­bar the river running into Euphrates, whose waters were divided for safe passage of Cryus their deli­verer, by drying the water, as Isaiah had prophecied chap. 44.27, 28. and chap. 54.8. I will have mercy upon thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer, for this the wa­ters of the Noah to me. Luke chap. 17, As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man.

Noah in his Artificiall Whale above water, Jonah in his living Ark under water, figured Christ in the deep of Death for our sins, yet arising again for our Justification: in truth whereof the Spirit of pro­phecy might say, the Lord our God will cast all their Sins into the dapths of the Sea, Micah 7. Enough to Baptize us all from our sins: all repenting after ex­ample of Niniveh, they and their children, of which see our chapter 13.

NUMBER 1.

IF it had been prophecied of Christs time, Obj. it would have been practised in Christs time, But what warrant of the writ­ten word for that?

Accomod. Enough many ways already noted here.

1 Christ his generall Commission for the Ministry to baptize all Nations as the sign of their subjecti­on to the Kingdom of Christ, Infants being such parts of the Nations as have right unto the King­dom [Page 168]of Christ by Christ his warrant, and by Christ his interpretation, all being required before their entrance into his Kingdom to be born of water and of the Spirit, which is the New birth of the bap­tized.

2. More speciall commission about Infants open­ed, by comparing the testimonies of holy Prophe­cies alleged out of the old, and applyed to baptism in the new Testament, as above discoursed; for In­stance:

1. Comparing Esaias cap. 8.4.16.18. alleged Heb. 2.13. Infants were sealed Disciples as signes to shew that Christ would sanctify such in his Church to be his brethren (in the name of the Father cal­led on them at baptism.)

2. Rom. cap. 15.12. alleging Esaias cap. 11. where Infants meet at the sign or ensign of Christ with Vi­pers to be changed as the sign of baptism, applied Matth. 3.

3. John Baptist for warrant of his baptism, to prepare a people for the Lord, alleging Esaias cap. 40. where the Lord specially designeth Infants among the people whom he will have, according to that Prophecy.

4. Christ compareth his death three dayes to the three dayes-journey of Jonah through the Sea to preach the word which conteined mercy to Infants, And saith, there shall none other signe be given, none contrary to such mercy.

5. Israel a watered Garden, Isaiah 58.11. A Gar­den having young Plants as well as old, applied to the Church at Baptism, when they are Complanted, Rom. 6. as Willows by the water course, and as budds [Page 169]on which the blessing is by promise and the Spirit on the Seed, Isaiah 44.3, 4.

6. The acceptable year of Jubilee (when Inhe­heritance acrueth to Parents and their children, Le­vit. 25.41. Esaias 61.) fulfilled by Christ, as He al­leged, Luke 4. upon his return from baptizing.

7. When he minded also the Spirit of his Fore­runner in Elias a Reliever of the young as well as old with oil in figure of Grace.

8. The first fruits sanctifying the elder in pro­fession and Prayer for young children, Deut. 26. ap­plied by James cap. 1.18.27. cap. 5.16, 17. to make pure by the washing of Regeneration, Tit. 3.5. John 5.13.

9. The Holy flock of Jacob distinguished by marks through the Dams conception by reason of the party-coloured Rods in water; Figurative of Holy distinction betwixt Infants marked unto the Gospell-grace according to the Parents conception in prayers of Christian faith at baptism, and others unbaptized: unclaimed by Christ in his Righteous­ness, Matth. 3.15. after his Forefather Jacob's ex­ample of Righteousness in claiming only the mark­ed, Gen. 30.33.

10. The Saviour of Israel as a Shepheard saving young and old; His Arm shall rule for Him (such as understand not yet his Word) with his Armes He will gather the Lambs, and carries them in his bo­som, Isaiah 40.10, 11. the baptism of John there being Prophetically premised applied to Christ the good Shepheard. Lambs preceding the care of Sheep, John cap. 21. Understand our Heavenly Shepheards love for your own pasturing, washing, [Page 170]and marking your Lambs; as your tender hearted Mothers by what you do to your broods, your henns to chicken: So Christ to your children and His.

11. Christ granting to little children a right in the Kingdom or God, into which he saith that none can enter, except He be born of water, and of the Spi­rit, thereupon by the Spirit blowing as the wind, is called to mind that promise of his Prophet Ezekiel cap. 36.25, 26. I will sprinkle water upon you, and you shall be clean from all the filthiness: And a new Spirit will [...] put unto you, and chap. 37. A Spirit of life to re­vive the Children of Israel from the four winds on the Quarters of the earth, blowing in events of Gods wrath against the obstinate, but in mercy to the re­turning children of Israel, and to their childrens children for ever Rev. 7. At the presentation of the four winds, hurt is restrained untill the children of Israel were marked in their foreheads, all that were to be spared: Childrens children were to be spared, while they were little; Therefore they were to be marked into that preservation, to wit, in the sprink­ling of water by covenant in the Spirit.

So come from the four winds, O Spirit, and blow upon the dead in sin, that they may be raised, small and great, unto the new life of grace. Ezek. 37.9.14.25. Rev. 20.12. Amen.

Numb. 2.

12. For conclusion of baptism from the promise to them and their children, Acts 2. alleging the se­cond of Joel, where God calleth for Infants, at the promise-making to pour his Spirit on all flesh: In­fants are concluded in that promise performing at baptism. Besides these manifold speciall reasons for­practising [Page 171]childrens baptism, That practice was ex­pressed in generall, Mark chap. 1. 46. the land of Judaea went out, and they of Jerusalem were all bap­tized of him, confessing their sins, (to wit Generall) the law then requiring and accepting confession in generall, Lev. 16. verse 21.

4. The Evangelist supposed that the world would not contein the books, if all should be writ­ten that Jesus did: Silence of holy writ therefore is not sufficient proof that there was no pratice of particular Infants baptized, if that be silence which noteth the women and children among the thou­sands that came to Christ and had benefit in what he commanded, Matth. 15.35. [...], the verb in­definite, from whence is derived [...], (1 Thess. 4.16.) the word of command wherein the Lord will raise the dead, small and great (Revel. 20.12.) unto which baptism prepareth & interesseth (Rom. 6.5.) by vertue of Christ his command, with promise of his presence in baptizing to that end, as the ma­ster of a ship for preservation of small and great from perishing by waters.

Num. 3.

5. Resting in that excellent rule of Theology, That there is no sur ehold for Christian people but the light of Gods word, all men being liable to de­ceive or be deceived, by report of errour or uncer­tainty; yet Students in the Monuments of Antiqui­ty find many weighty graines for inclination of their Prudentiall Scales toward the reteining of Infant-Baptism, as in accord with the practice of the Apo­stles time, among the witnesses whereof is that con­fessed antient book in the name of Denis the Areo­pagite, whose praise is in the holy Scripture, a learn­ed [Page 172]man, called to be a Christian by report of Miracle in fact, or probable observation of that Eclipse of the Sun at noon-tide on the day of Christ his passi­on about the Paschall full Moon.

6. The practise of Apostles is implied so far, as their successors praise Infant baptism to be an Apo­stolique Tradition: The first traditors or writers whereof being so antient, that their own immediat Fathers might have conversed with John the longest surviving Apostle.

7. Antients both of Greek and Latin Church so accepting the report of Infant-baptism from the Primitive age, their agreement is a stronger induce­ment of our credulity.

8. The first Synod of Reverend Antients as­sembling in Councill to consider thereof approved Baptism of Infants in the time of Cyprian.

9. Jerome, who lived in the holy Land time suf­ficient for Inquisition, a diligent Inquisitor of A­postolique practices there, approved infant-Bap­tism as derived from their times.

Augustin agreeing with Jerome therein, are of much esteem for their excellent Administration in the Church of Christ. Hence same of Baptism was more lowdly trumpeted, and the Church of Christ enlarged mightily thereby.

10. Yea, God blessed the practice and doctrine of Child-Baptizing, also to purge the Church from the wicked Pelagian heresy: for as much as the ma­lady beng perceived, to wit childrens guiltiness of Adams Originall Sin, Faithfull Christians held it their Paternall duty for abundant caution of safety to speed the remedy by baptizing children: Note [Page 173]in those Antients how they grounded their practice in the holy Scriptures though some differed out of error, doubting of remission if they sinned after baptism.

11. It was the fate of the Roman Imperiousness to be so long unbaptized untill they were ready to be prevented by death: whereas their baptism should have sealed them from the temptations of Satan that affected to usurp them as his Instruments, in advances of the fatall accursed Roman Mystery: Think what it is to have the Seal of Christ, for re­straint of Satan, (Rev. 20.3.) by vow renouncing his works and snares, for munition of the baptized.

12. The practice of Child-baptism having con­tinued throughout all ages by succession, Christian prayer had joyes in comfortable hope of blessing by so succeeding from the Apostles, with whom our Saviour promised to be (Matth. 28.) unto the end of the world, to wit in the successors of the Apostles Ministery, baptizing and teaching as Christ com­manded for all Nations and all times unto the worlds ends.

NUMBER I.

CHrist promised to be present with his Apostles; Obj. in whose age many great things were to be done, for destruction of the Temple, desolation of Jerusa­lem by an Army, dissolution of the Judiciall Government there; In Sense whereof, [Page 175]the Apostles admonished the Jews as then in the last times, yea, that it was the last hour, and that the ends of World were come upon them.

The name of the World may be restrained unto the then present Age or Seculum, a signification not unusuall of [...], the word there.

Answ. The words in greek are all dayes, [...], to the finishing, con­summation, or accomplishment of all which Christ commanded to be taught, believed, and to be done in all Nations, as his Disciples by teachers and lear­ners in Event, as Conclusions, Effects, and Inferen­ces from his all Power in Heaven and Earth; All is given to me, Go ye therefore; Lo I am with you all daies to the end for perfective finishment of the World through effectuall presence of my Power in Spirit and truth. Amen.

Our Saviour had foretold his departure, and was professedly departing even then from his A­postles; Therefore his promise was not for the con­tinuance of his bodily presence with them, nor of their bodily presence to the end here inten­ded.

The woes threatned for their times, he calleth the begining of Sorrows, implying for the Future long-lasting calamities, banishment of the Jews out of their Land, oppression in other Countries, and dis­sipation to the four winds, and yet the Generation or Kindred of the lews not utterly to pass in end­less misery, but to be delivered and called from the four winds in the end, when the times of the Gen­tiles are fulfilled, by the free grace of God enliven­ing them from the death of sin and unbelief, to a [Page 176]lively, Faith in Christ through the Seed of his holy Word fructifying to a plentifull harvest, which Christ himself Lord of the harvest calleth the end of the World, Math. 13.39. [...] the very same word in the same sense used, as in this promise of his presence with them to the end; in the succession of their ministeriall Authority by Christs his assistance promised to them, and in them, to their lawfull Successors, rather than to their personall Operation onely, which continued not unto that end of the Great harvest, the full In­gathering of Jews and Gentiles in Christ, to the Glory of his Spirit by the Ministry of Glory dis­pensing the Gospell of Glory in the Face of Jesus Christ, untill Christ be all in all; Agratious pre­sence of his holy Spirit assisting, ordering and blessedly sanctifying all after his will in Piety, Cha­rity and unity to his Glory before his advent to Judgment; in a we whereof the Apostle so beseeched the Thessalonians, 2. epist. chap. 2. About or by the comming of our Lord Jesus, and by our gathering together unto him, [...] not to be shaken in mind, or be troubled, as that the day of Christ is at hand, for before that day, the Man of sin was to be revealed, two wayes, One in vision discovering the time, place and manner of his arising; the other in operation, according as the vision forewarned; books are written of both.

Onely take here a little gleaning, if to the pur­pose. Before that Vintage and Harvest of Jews and Gentiles gathered under. the victorious Rider on the white horse, by name the Word of God, Rev. 19. A voice of accusation was heard against the [Page 177]seven-hilled city, for that in her was found the blood of Saints and of all that were slain upon the earth, amongst whom there were of the Apostles: Christ forewarning Peter by what death, he should glorify God, and secured not John from death as it was mis-reported, but said, what if I will that he tarry till I come?

Holy writ praiseth a threefold comming of Christ.

• 1. In appearance of vision, as revealed to John.
• 2. In efficiency of the holy Spirit at sanctifica­tion of Jewes and Gentiles in the day of their full conversion to the Kingdom of Christ on Earth.
• 3. At his coming from heaven in great glory, to which Ministers serve, and are preserved in order of Succession from the Apostles.

God in mercy give us amongst his faithfull ser­vants humble eyes of sincerity to see what he hold­eth out by Apocalypticall presence for warrant and assistance of Ministeriall duties in such order of suc­cession untill the finishing of his Church by his com­ming the latter two ways, in accomplishment of his Prophecies for the fulness of his Church and his glorious day of Judgment. The Angell of Christ, or visionall appearance of Christ, in his office of Trust as administring the Revelation, holdeth out many wayes the manner and praise of succession in the Servitours about the Throne of Christ, revealing in the fourth Chapter to Jahn in the Spirit what must be hereafter, [...], oportet, it ought to be.

1. By the vision of 24. Elders attending about the Throne, throughout the Revelation, in effica­cious accomplishment of Spirit, verifying the Type [Page 178]of successive Ministers elect for Gods service, 1 Chro. 24.

2. By vision of the Ministeriall attendants on four sides of the Throne, in reference to the succes­sive Ministery on the four sides of the Mercy Seat on the Ark of Covenant, in the book of Numbers chap. 3.

3. By vision of seven lamps burning before the Throne, in Spirituality fulfilling what was typed by the seven lamps ordained by God to be kept burn­ing through the successive Administration of Mini­sters in the Temple, by sacred intention of their con­tinuall prayers, with eyes toward God, in hope of his mercy, that his eyes may continually behold his people in all their necessities night and day; there­fore mystically called seven Eyes, and seven Spirits, as breathing the peoples prayers unto God; and Gods word of promises to help the people. For which officious Adspiration the seven Spirits are joyned to the seven Pastors by the Revelators right hand which he laid upon John, so joyning them to­gether in Spirituall Mysterie, that all which have eares to hear (may) what the Spirit saith unto the seven Churches by their seven Pastours in Spirit, having not onely their severall Epistles, but also the whole Revelation of Mysteries unto the end thereof from the Apostle John in Spirit, as ordered by Christ mysticall the Revelator, at the beginning, and at the end of the Revelation attested also by Christ, as having elected those seven Pastours to be Pat­terns of spirituall ministery to the end: Not as if they were perfect without fault, but as that which Christ reveleth to them, and about them, was to [Page 179]direct the whole succession of Ministery to the end for consummation of the Church, as a mysticall heaven by Christ his gracious presence, which there­fore holdeth out those seven Pastors, as seven Stars, in performance of what shined out by the Spirit of Prophecyes for the time of the new Covenant, un­der which Ieremiah chap. 31.34, 35. They shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord [in so saying alone every one shall not efficiently teach another] but, as they need, they shall be taught of God himself (in his teaching by his holy Spirit and his Word, in his Or­dinances of Ministery) Thus saith the Lord which giveth the Sun for a light by day, the Ordinancea of the Moon and of the Stars for a light by night—chap. 33.20, 21. Thus saith the Lord, If you can break my Covenant of the day, and my Covenant of the night, that there should not be day and night in their season—may also my Covenant be broken with my Ministers.

4. By the name of Jezebel again Revel. 20. cal­ling to mind her superstition and presumption in patronage of Ministers that were not ordained ac­cording to the Lawes of the Lord then for right of succession of the Ministery: the presumptuous breakers whereof through intrusion unblessed er­ring notoriously were dreadfull blamed by Elias, and Elias (bid by the Lord) annointed Elisha to suc­ceed in his room, and imposed his mantle on him, suitable to his profession, & for performance there­of procured of his Spirit to be upon that his succes­sour a double portion as hereditable, and as Elias was called Father, Father, by Elisha, Elisha was cal­led [Page 180]Father, Father in Israel, having at his command Sons of the Prophets, Eye-witnesses of Proof enough to testify that succession of Elias his Spirit to rest on Elisha, who diverted them from dependance on res­pects to the deceased in body which they found unprofitable, that they rather attend to the search of Prophetique writing, as they lived in Colleges, to prepare for succession, as of Children after Fa­thers, in Prophetique learnings to administer aright the Word of the Lord unto his people, as in the still and small voyce regarding the small as his for grea­ter manifestation of his glory, choosing to praise this spirit of Elias as convenient for his forerunner John Baptist and his followers by succession in the Ministery, to baptize in his holy name, without change of such novelties as are affected by that old ghostly enemy joyned with Jezebel, in that fore­warning to all which have eares to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches, Rev. 2.24, 25. Un­to you, I say, and unto the rest in Thiatyra, as ma­ny as have not known the depths of Satan as they speak, I will put upon you none other burden, but that which you have already keep.

5. By the earthquake, Revel. 11.19. after the Oath, chap. 10. for finishing the Mysterie of God, as declared by the Prophets, the Prophet Zachary, 14.5. Prophetically warning, specially to fly like as they fled in the days of King Ʋzziah, which Earth­quake Josephus affirmeth to have been, when the Lord smote King Ʋzziah with leprosie for presum­ing to do part of the Priests Office in burning In­cense.

6. By the waters issuing out of Jerusalem there, [Page 181] Zach. 14. Rev. 22. from the Throne of the Lamb slaine, waters from under the threshold of the Tem­ple, Ezek. 47. as from the services of the ordinary Ministers in figure.

7. By vision of the Sanctuary, where to sanctify the succession of Ministers ordained, and ordaining others by a spirituall fatherhood, for commendati­on whereof in Spirit and Truth correspondent unto the Leviticall succession, the wisdom of Prophecy by what had been in the old, aptly foreshewed what should be in the new Sanctuary, the Church of Christ, the Lord of Glory, God of Israel, Ezek. 43.2. The Earth shined with his glory. So the Spirit took me up— And behold the glory of the Lord filled the house, where the Priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadock doe minister, and chap. 44. verse 15, 16, 23, 24. The sonns of Zadock that kept the charge of my Sanctuary (when the Children of Israel went astray) they shall enter into my Sanctuary, and they shall come neer to my Table to Minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge, and they shall teach my people to discern between the holy and prophane, and in Controversie they shall stand in judgment, and they shall judg it according to my judgments: And they shall kep my Lawes and Statutes in all mine Assemblies, and they shall hallow my Sabbaths. Be­hold the Ministers of Christs Church in the look­ing glasse of this figurative Orderly succession from Zadock, fourteen generations after Zadock (Matth. 1.) Zadock having received that notable holy charge to take care that none should intrude Ʋzza-like to serve about the Ark. God mind us herein to fear the like, considering the Sanctuary open, and the [Page 182]Ark, and lightnings, and voices, and thundrings in the Temple of heaven, heaven upon earth: The Church of Christ in great and terrible tempests (God help us.) Revel. 11.19. Summarie contents) but in event, Revel. 15.8. The Temple was not opened for entrance untill the finishing of the seven Plagues out of the seven villas: After the last was powred out, a voyce out of the Temple from the Throne said [It is done,] 8 It is done: what was threatned about the plagues of spirituall Aegypt, and sinnes of the wilderness intruding into the Ministe­riall duties upon mistake of peoples holiness, And about Babylon after the figure of the old to whom the Ministers of Israel in their office successively passed toward reparation of the Temple, 9 figurative of Reformation: And another voyce from him up­on the Throne said, It is done, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, in teachings of the Church, And behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be:—And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. Behold even untill Christ his coming in Judgment his Ordinance in the Church as his Bride continueth, 10 and that by such Ministers as Christ used at the beginning. It appeareth thus they were [...], ministers, imploy­ed in that case of spirituall infliction upon him that wanted a wedding garment, Matth. 22.13. After o­thers were judged unworthy for their recusancy when formerly called [...], the Jewes: But af­ter many generations the [...], they that had been called, to wit of the same nation, came with their addition [...], and again [...], to the ful I Communion with Christian Gentiles at the wed­ding [Page 183]supper of the Lamb, Rev. 19. his wife being the Church of the Jewes and Gentiles in Covenant of Love and Mercy, Rom. 9.24, 25. Hosea chap. 1.10. chap. 2.15, 18, 19, 20, 23. I will give her the valley of Achor for a door of hope, and she shall sing there as in the dayes of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Aegypt (under benediction of an orderly successive prayerfull Ministery) And in that day I will make a Covenant, and I will betroth thee un­to me for ever, in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving kindness, and in mercies; and I will sow her unto me in the Earth (a foederall seed continued by succession of Teachers) by whom I will say to not my People, Thou my People; and they shall say, my God: Esaias 30.20, 21, 29. Thy teachers shall not be moved any more; thine eyes shall see thy Teachers, and thine eares shall hear a word behind thee saying: This is the way, walk yee in it: yee shall have a Song as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept. Revel. 21. He that sate on the Throne said, It is done: And one of the seven (that powred out the last plagues) said, I will shew thee the Bride the Lamb's wife, and he shewed me that Great City the holy Jerusalem descend­ing out of heaven from God, and the wall of the City had twelve foundations, & in them the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb: Hetherto Christ held his pro­mise to his Apostles by his presence with their suc­cessors in building his Church on the foundati­ons in their names, and the beloved Apostle John hath countenanced the succession of their ministery from the beginning of the Revelation unto the end.

And to the like intent the blessed Apostle Peter [Page 184]gave charge unto his fellow Presbyters, to be conti­nued for oversight of the Flock, untill the visitation of Christ the Pastor and Bishop of our Souls, Arch-Pastor of Pastors, to continue for manifestation of Christs Glory to the day of Eternity. Peter also de­clared it in the Acts, of Apostolique duty, that an o­ther ought ( [...], oportet) to be ordained to the Mi­nistry from which Judas fell; And accordingly they ordained Mathias by their Suffrages imployed by the word [...] though in prayer for Gods di­rection of them therein; And so Mathias succeeded in the Clergy, Lot, or Office of the same Ministery and Apostleship; the same therefore to continue by succession, after other Apostles as well as after Judas; his wickedness annulled not his Ministery, whose wickedness therefore shall (John chap. 17.)

Numb. 2.

Christ calleth Judas the Son of Perdition, and (2 Thes. 2.] An­tichrist being called the Son of Perdition, to signifie likeness betwixt them; And therefore as the wick­edness of Judas did not cut off the Ministery, nei­ther is Antichrist likely to cut off, but rather to de­prave it, and cut off himself and his finall admirers from the benefit of Salvation by it; Nor is Christ likely to cut off his own Ordinance of the Ministe­ry, but to purge the flower of his Church, and re­form his house rather than burn it; like the vulgar translation of the Papists Latin bible, mistaking e­vertit for everrit, as if the woman instead of sweeping, had overthrown her house to find a groat to her greater loss.

It is urged very strongly, that the depth of the A­postacy, the mark of the beast, and mystery of ini­quity [...], lawlesness or Antichristianity were [Page 185]not finished untill the Corncill of Trent.

Nothing of the Proposalls in matters of Faith be­ing defined at the great Laterane Councill.

And the determinations of Articles for the Arme­nians at Rome, was Aulicall not Conciliar, agreed on three months after dissolution of the Florentine Councill, or rather Anti-Synodall, as in schism a­gainst the Councill at Basil assembled and confirmed wonderfully by Pope Eugenius against himself, be­side other after approbations of the Ecclesiasticall, impostumating by degrees to the fatall period, af­ter which, they that will be saved must depart out of the Mysticall as out of the Figurative Old Baby­lon, at Gods call in his appointed seasons of righte­ousness and of mercy, to be viewed at large in books rather than in such an occasionall Chapter, yet in hope without blame of digression to ease the minds of some young neighbours in fear of this horrible scandall about the Mass and Idolatry through the new unquoth name of Transubstantiation, unheard above a thousand years in publique devotions of the Church, those antient Fathers expouning their own senses in conformity to the truth of Christ his sacrifice on the Cross, by vertue of his Testament, bequeathing himself to death for us, by the ransom of his bloodshed, to deliver us from Gods wrath by satisfaction of his justice in merci­full acceptance of Christ his suretiship in our case through the blood of the everlasting Covenant sea­led in particular to our mouths, and eyes, and hands, as the word of promise entreth our ears, a word of grace to strengthen our hearts in belief and love of Christ, thus gratiously covenanting with [Page 186]us, as that antient Father Cyril excellently profess­ed; Nostra conjunctio (scilicet cum Christo) nec miscet personas nec unit subflantias; sed affectus consociat, confoe­derat voluntates.

This sense of holy mystery being omitted by dark thoughts of Monks in their Cells, mistaking the magnificent words of Antients, a new errour was hatched in the name of Transubstantiation never in publique Conciliar Authority monstred before the Councill of Trent.

Then at Trent also was approved the second of Nice for adoration of Images, which stood condemn­ed in the Church about seven hundred yeares by the decrees of the Councill of Frankford condemn­ing that second of Nice, and preferring the Generall Councill of Constantinople, which in the year seven hundred fifty and four, decreed against the wor­ship of Images the first decree of Generall Councill in matter of Controversie betwixt us and Rome: which insinuated then with other novelties also fa­tally, whereof God forewarned in the Revelation, notwithstanding the manifold heavy grievances of good-meaning forefathers, and Petitions for, and Conciliary promises of Reformations, abuses were established for Lawes, and errours of Opinion im­posed for Articles of Faith, with peremptory pro­fession of an Oath and bloody persecution, against contrary protestants, by the Popes Bull, actuating thus in his now pretended fulness of Super-conciliat authority, limiting the year 1564. for obligation of all to begin obedience under the definitions of faith and other Decrees of that trent Councill, affecting to be the last; After which they presumed, there [Page 187]should need no more definition nor declaration of Generall Councill for Nations to meet in, as rivers in the Sea. The dead Sea whose waters are deadly, Revel. 16. After which no more Sea, Revel. 21.1.

Blessed be God who kept us from tasting thereof by the Articles of our faith published in the year 1562. Our Reformation beginning on Saint John Baptist day, 1559. as in love of the Baptists Spirit for turning the disobedient to the wisdom of just primitive Fathers: to reform a Nation at once in their baptismally vowed profession of Christian o­bedience to faith in the covenant of new birth with­out any recusant: O saintly day of Christ-worship­ping unity well according with the word and pray­er of Christ, that they all may be one, John 17.21. 1 Eliz. whose sages in Parliament having examined the complaints of Objectors, after deeper advisement, in great wisdom and piety established our moderat humble ministery: with prayers and hope, studying how to bless the people of God with peace and saving truth, in lawfull obedience eve­ry where for finishing by the holy Ghost who began the succession of Ministery by that command [Let another take his office and charge.]

Likewise the Apostles Barnabas and Paul ordained Ministers in every Church, Paul finally the Doctor of us Gentiles (and professed pattern of mercy for perpetuity with thanks unto Jesus Christ our Lord for putting him into ministery) 1 Tim. 1.2 Tim. 1. gave unto Timothy this double charge: To stir up the gift which is in thee by putting on of my hands. And 2. chapter 2. Thou my son be strong in the grace that is in the Lord Jesus, and the things which thou hast heard of [Page 188]me by many witnesses the same commit thou to faithfull men who shall be able to teach others also.

Behold the praise, pattern, and ordinance of committing sacred trust in succession of Ministery for finishing after intention of that good beginning, Eph. 4. Enaeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. One Lord, one faith, One baptism, but severall gifts for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministery, for the edifying of the body of Christ in mystery revealed to his Apostles, and Prophets, by the Spirit, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs with the Jewes, and partakers of the same promise in Christ, by the Gospell dispensati­on of the grace of God, in the ministery of Glory, to the Glory of God, the finishing end of the world, to the end of its enduring: Both conteined in this pro­mise of Christs presence with his servants in their commanded ministery to the end of the world.

[...], the word which objectors would restrain to the Apostles life-time alone, but the large sense is verified as by what is already noted in the Ante­cedents, so by cleer use of the word in holy writ.

The word [...], (Ephes. 3.21.) conteineth all Generations through which Paul wisheth Glory to God in the Church, and Titus chapter 2. the grace of God appearing that we should live soberly, righte­ously, and godly in this now world (nuno, now) hin­dreth not the large sense of the world, there to sig­nifie so long as those duties endure of living sober­ly, righteously, and godly, which are perpetuall du­ties while men live in mortality before Christ come to Judge all; and while men marry in this world, Luke 20.34. which is untill Christ come, Luke 17. [Page 189]30. And while the sin against the Holy Ghost is not to be forgotten, Marke 3.29. and Matth. 12.32. Who­soever speaketh against the holy Ghost it shall not be for­given him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come: Both worlds are concerned in this promise of Christ his presence with his Ministers in his Church unto the end or consummation, or finish­ment of the world. By their Ministery finishing themselves and the souls of their charge in duties preparative, obsignative and apprehensive to take hold of life everlasting in the world to come. Luke the 18.30. Behold here [...], for the world to come, and [...], adjectively for everlasting life, Heb. 9.12. for everlasting redemption from evill, and the 2 Thess. 2.16. everlasting consolation, according to the prayer and preaching of the Gospell, whereby Ministers save themselves, and their hearers; will they restrain these everlastings also? Titus 1.2. God who cannot lye promised before the world began: but hath in due time manifested his Word through preaching according to the Commandment of God our Saviour, who will have his members, where he is, in happy mansions eternall in the heavens, John 13.2. Cor. 5.1. O enemy-spirit, thou with such unblest Cacocriti­cism in vain attemptest to restrain such eternity, and cut off humble and faithfull ministers, and their Flock, from the bodily presence of Christ in such lo­call glory, by conformity to his glorious body, through the power of his, and our fellowship of co­resurrection, as if he were not truth who told of Treasures where the Thief cannot Digg through, nor Steal, and of baggs that wax not told, a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away for faithfull Pastours at the ap­pearing [Page 190]of Christ their chief, 1 Pet. 5.4. Inheritance uncorruptible in the heavens from whence thy subtle malignity was cast down with thy sectaries evill Angells examples of reprobate men: The God of peace will tread down Satan under the feet of Christ, in Chri­stians, Rom. 16.20. Christ who saith, He that heareth you heareth me, And he that rejecteth you rejecteth, [...] me. When the Disciples returned with joy saying; Lord even Devills are subject unto us through thy name; He said unto them, Behold, I give unto you power to tread on Serpents, and over all the power of the enemy, not as under the then head alone, but over all the power of the Seven-headed Dra­gon unto the end in the last times also: Behold, I that have all power [...], authority, Luke 10. (What ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven) and what­soever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. So powerfully present is Christ in Administration of his Ordinances, his Ministers in his Name by his word and by his Spirit in prayer blessedly and bles­singly doe shut out of themselves, and out of all obedient members of Christ, thee with thy malig­nant Sectaries, and seal thee out by setting on the seal of Christ in everlasting Covenant of love, to such as by grace will believe and obey the Com­mandements of Christ in covenanted seasons, and ministerially by conduct of that Angell of glory, with the word of grace shut up the Dragon that old Serpent the Devill Satan into the bottomless pit, though loose too long already for want of such shut­ting and binding in the great chain: God help us now by the word of Truth to bind his enmity fast in everlasting chaines in the fire of hell that never shall [Page 191]be quenched, [...], the fire goeth not our, [...], the fire goeth not out; the fire goeth not out, the worm dieth not, [...], endeth not, is not finished there; here it may by doing what Christ comman­ded his Ministers to teach in assured belief of his pro­mised assistance unto the finishing of the world: But if neglected in this world never to be finished in the next world where they burn with the Devill and his Angells in chaines everlasting [...], another word for the Devills everlasting torment in hell to stop the mouthes of his Critick Sueclelists, lest by mistake of the same word which they urge to end Christs ordinated Ministery, they let loose their li­centious curiosity, to think that the Devills tor­ment shall be ended. And lest by the like Criticall abuse of this [...], the Devill also blaspheme Christ his eternity who is God bles2ed for ever [...]. Rom. 9.5. his going forth from everlasting, Michah 5.2. by whom God made the worlds [...]; and the De­crees of Predestination and Election, before the foun­dation of the world, Eph. 1.4, 5. Before the worlds be­gan, 2 Tim. 1.9. King of the worlds, 1 Tim. 1.17. whose Kingdom hath no end: and his Priesthood no end [...], perpetuall, A Priest without end of life, [...], unsoluble, Heb. 7.3.16. A Priest for ever af­ter the Order of Melchisedeek, cap. 5. Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever, Hebr. 13.8. mind the strength of this reason for establishment of res­pect unto the Ministers of the word in the verse next before towards perfecting the Saints unto Christ his glory through the blood of the everlast­ing covenant after death, as in the latter part of that Chapter, to warrant the Ministery with the solemn [Page 192]charge, verse 17. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit your selves, for they watch for your saules as they that must give account, that they may doe it with joy and not with grief, for that is unprositable for thee, [...], a word decompounded of three, 1 not. 2 paying. 3 fine, as in common use, the name of fine signifieth what is done and payd, for an end of trou­ble in purchases (especiall for acquittance from the supreme power) amongst men, so for acquitting our claim for eternall Inheritance, and ending Gods wrath, and discharging us from Gods righte­ous judgments, a Fine is requisite, without which the worm finisheth not, finisheth not, finisheth not, and the fire goeth not out, goeth not out, goeth not out, as our Saviour threatneth, Marke 9. for which the Ministers of grace grieve at the reprobate unsubordinate, as without that fine requisite for their Rulers to give accompt with joy to him, that for finishing the world by vertue of his All-power in heaven and earth sent to baptise all Nations, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, as he commanded.

To baptize as He commanded, is to baptize in his name. By faith in his name believing his pro­mised Assistance through efficacious power of his gratious presence in such baptism as he command­ed, according to this his command in the Gospell is to be understood the narration in the Acts, of the Apostles, who in Historicall brevity might be truly said to baptize in the name of Jesus, when they baptized at the command of Jesus, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost; That Glory of holy trinity vouchsasing to sanctifie [Page 193] Johns Baptism, though with severall presentations of their Excellencies, the better to discover the dif­ference betwixt the outward and inward baptism then ordained to be ordinary with admiration of such extraordinary divine Authority.

Numb. 3.

Mistake not those in the 19^th of the Acts, to have been baptized again then; whereas they were but instructed to rest in the baptism which they had before. There is not any signification of any after baptizing, at that time when Paul there spake, but of that in the former time, when they were at first baptized; In the Aorist Passive as the Interrogation was put in the second plurall, [...] verse 3. in the same tense resolution sufficiently referreth unto that their baptizing in the third person plu­rall, [...], they were at first baptized with the baptism of Repentance to believe in Jesus Christ who was sanctified at baptism by the glory of the holy trinity to sanctifie the baptism of others in their holy name, by their unitive holy grace of di­vine Authority to glorifie the blessed and ever blessing Trinity now omitted in their new dipps, and consequently disbelieved by too many through Satans extremly malignant subtilty to pre­vail as he did over those presumers in the name of Jesus without lawful mission from the Apostles. Acts 19. The evill Spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are yee? And the man in whom the evill Spirit was, overcame them that unwarrantably took upon them to deal in the name of the Lord Jesus; and the dippers appear unwar­rantable herein, as against the command of Christ, and against the truth of Christ his promise; But let [Page 194]hope and obedience of continuall prayers hold in our Ministery faithfully to serve the Glory of the eternall Trinity, that Infants being baptized in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the holy Ghost, others may deal with them as the Children of God, the members of Christ, and Temples of the holy Ghost, and they may so deal with others in all duties, in holy conversation, and in themselves, which God grant to the comfort of his People in accomplishment of his Prophecies and Promises to his dear Church, shooting up (Spirituall Ejaculati­ons of love) her prayers of faith in the Covenant, betokened by the Rainbow for Common Salvation of Small and Great through the continuall Inter­cession of his beloved Son Jesus, the Amen, our A­men, Amen.

NUMBER 1.

OTher Objections have been suffici­ently cleared in books of the more learned, yet, lest they may seem here to be declined, for their urgencies, a syllable or two of them.

Object. Infant-baptism ingraff­eth dry sticks, and incorporateth dead members in­to Christ.

Accom. Elisha by the touch of his dead bones rai­sed up a dead Man, 2. Kings 13. In figure of Christ who cured the withered hand, the blind eyes, the deaf ears, and raised up the dead body: wonder not at our hope of Resurrection in Spirit to a new birth at baptism by the merits of Christ dying for us all his Enemies to redeem us from death in our sins.

Numb. 2.

Object. The Doctrine of Child-baptism profaneth this privilege of Elect Saints, as if it were common to the reprobate; Out of mistake, as if redemption of all Particulars were meant in the words of holy Scripture, which intends but all Generalls verified [Page 196]in that some of all sorts are accepted, as Elect to be sanctified and saved through the redemption of Christ.

Accom. God at his Election of some, effectually to be sanctified and saved, by the sweet providence of goodness, willed Christ his mediation to be suf­ficient in merits and Ordinances of Grace, though not efficient for the sanctification and salvation of all particulars, ascribing all the glory of efficacy to God in his grace, and the blame of deficiency to men.

The narrow conceipt restraining words of story to Generalls in your sense, hath not the like warrant of boldness to restrain the sacred words of Gods glory, promised to be the fulness of the Earth; his glory of mercy shining over all his works in offer of mercies to man-kind (through sin) all his ene­mies; Glory of mercy to them whom he elected and saved effectually, though they had not deserved a­ny mercy; Glory to the not-elected, whom he call­ed, invited and threatned, that in hope and fear they might amend and be saved; Glory of his justice in reprobating them that obstinately refused such mercies offered to them and theirs, in his offer of holy covenant to be a God unto them and to their Children, that the blessing of Abraham might be to all Nations and to all Families in the blessed seed of Abraham, Jesus that dyed to save the World as himself in truth proclamed, John 3.12. God sent his Son into the World, not to condemn the World, but that the World through him might be saved; as Jude the A­postle gave all diligence to write of the common Salvation, all diligence is required for manifestation of Gods glory, blessing, sanctifying, and justifying that common in his holy name.

[Page 197] 2. That narrow sense in Affirmative signes of Universality, restraining to some particulars of all sorts (but exclusive of others) is unconsistent with notes of Negative Universality, denying any such exclusive, and holy scripture denieth any such in this case, 2. Pet. 3.9. The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. this universall Affirmation (with an universall Ne­gation of any left out) is a compleat Universality for the savableness of all by the will of God.

3. They that were dead in sin, are all redeemed by Christ; But all were dead in sin, 2. Cor. 5.14. If one died for all, then were all dead, in a manner de­serving to dye, doomed to death, yet with an Am­bassage of mercy by the word of Reconciliation itrusted to the Ministery, beseeching all to be recon­ciled that were at enmity through sin; God having made Christ to be sin for them as a sacrifice for sin at large: The Lamb of God taking on him the sinns of the World.

4. This is a faithfull saying, worthy of all accep­tation in faith, and hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, chiefly of believers, [...], maxime fidelium, the Saviour of the faithfull in the highest.

The Superlative supposeth toward others a Po­sitive and Comparative degree of mercy to glorifie God as Saviour of all, though of the faithfull in a superabundance of excellence, 1. Tim. 4.10.

5. False teachers bring in damnable heresies, e­ven denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift damnation, 2 Pet. 2.1. Seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh, Heb. 6.6.

[Page 199] 6. Some works never done, might have possibly been done, abstractedly considered in the freedom of enabled Agents, who chose not to do them when they were able. And some by doing escaped the punishment, unto which they possibly had been liable if they had not done. The Ninevites had been destroyed if they had not repented; as they of Jeru­salem did not repent when Christ would; and they of Tyre and Sidon would have repented if they had seen what Bethsaida saw. Possibilities are very sup­posable in Application of means; May not Salva­bility be well conceived of other Out-casts, by the grounds of their pattern in our 4^th Chapter, about Christ our great Prophet? who by his Angell (1) called Hager to teturn unto Sarah, Mother of the faithfull in her blessed Family; (2) Promising a Son by name Ismael; (3) Having in the end additi­tion of praise in Gods holy name; (4) To Father Abrahams prayer that Ishmael may live before thee, (5) Gods answer for Ishmael, I have heard thee, be­hold I will bless him; (6) Gods Covenant with A­braham and his Seed to be their God; Almighty con­teining all good, Father of Spirts and giver of Spi­ritualls; (7) An everlasting Covenant with pro­mise of an everlasting Possession; (8) Therefore Abraham and his issue male were to be circumcised every one in token of that Covenant; The seal up­on every male in Abrahams Family betokened their interest in that everlasting, so Covenanted by way of Inference as betwixt the Cause & the Effect; One inferring the other by right reason of Conjunction in Gods Covenant for the one, and therefore the o­ther without exception of any.

[Page 198] 9. Not without distinction betwixt the Land of Promise as the figure, and eternall life in heaven figured thereby; Both in the Covenant, though not both alike inherited by the Covenanters; but in distinct dispensations of Gods mercies to the grea­ter praise of his divine providence, true, faithfull, and mercifull in all. First to Abraham, though he li­ved as a stranger there, expecting that better Possession Eternall in heaven to his full content; So that it seemeth little curtesie to bring him a 1000 years from his celestiall Inheritance conteining all that need to be desired for perfect enjoyment; And leaving that other Possession of the figurative In­heritance to his seed, as one with him in hope of the like everlasting. (10) Though with a distincti­on also betwixt them of his seed; Moses appeared with Christ in glory, though having but prospect­ed and not stept a foot in that Land of Promise; for the word of a slow or stammering tongue; what syllable miss-spoken by Ishmael? But laughing a­bout him that had his name of laughter; And that not at full age for rejection of Inheritances by the Law, (11) much less by the Gosple of more mer­cy pattern'd in Sarah, Mother of the faitfull in be­lieving the Covenant of God, all infinite for mer­cies above all his works; And that for Ishmael as her Son conceited in her mercifull heart to be blessed heir in her Family, Sarah said, peradventure I shall be builded by her; In hebrew Phrase from (Ba­nah) builded, (Ben) signifieth a Son, and so Sarah longed to have a Child by her Bond-maid Hagar.

How unsafe it was from the beginning for a wo­man [Page 200](though wise and holy) to have the wardship of her husbands faith in matters of Religion; All­though out of rare indulgence for him to take ano­ther wife as after her death Law alloweth; And her imagination of sacred melancholy by self-deniall in barrenness as a dead Womb-man yielded to her husband in hope of the promised seed to be Heir of the World. The Almighty who called Abraham to offer that promised seed for a Burnt-Offering, (notwithstanding the Law of Nature against kill­ing) hindered the deed of slaying him, with accep­tance of the Fathers obedience, and the Sons pati­ence, in similitude of Christs true death, yet hindred him not (against the Law in state of Innocency for one wife to one) upon such imaginary death of Sa­rai to take another, In his overstreced Patriarchall Agonie, by Gods permission ordered with Poeni­tentiall high Regreet; Sarah being ungratefully despised, her Son mocked; Hagar and her Son cast out, they knew not whether in the Wilderness, to Abraham's great grief, unto God's greater Glory, blessing them all in his mercy through faith. Abra­ham and Sarah having therein dealt with faith, though not by faith in All: with faith believing God's promise, but not by faith, in as much as they staid not for Gods performance in his season by his way, but overdared another way, as gracious ser­vants of God, erred in all ages, not as if they would abuse the grace of God, which they knew to abound in themselves, but upon presumption of such abun­dance unawares working after the wiles of the Tempter, by carnall devices, Thus with faith, though a weak faith of Abraham, and of Sarah, [Page 201]brought they Ishmael within their faithfull family to be circumcised in token of partaking in God's Co­venant.

12. With a distinction in the manner of par­taking diversly for the diverse sorts of Seeds. One carnally presumed upon mistake of the promise: the other truly promised: Isaac the true seed by pro­mis had two priviledges covenanted unto him: One to be the true Forefather of Christ for a blessing to all Nations: The other Priviledge to be right Inhe­ritour of the promised holy Land.

From both which Ishmael the carnall seed was ejected by the sentence of Sarah, ratified with Abra­ham's consent by God's appointment; in respect whereof Gal. 4. Paul affirmeth it to be the Scripture which said: Cast out the Bond-woman and her Son; For the Son of the Bond-woman shall not be Heir with the Son of the Free-woman. Blessed be the Fa­herly providence of God, who made this to be scrip­ture, that is, the written holy Word of God; whose goodness overruleth all according to his everlasting Covenant, to be God unto faithfull Abraham, and to his Seed: that will keep covenant with him in their different degrees: one Principall, another Accesso­ry, both blessed: upon Isaac Principall by right of Inheritance: Ishmael by right of brotherhood, to have benefit of access in seasons of duty by volunta­ry kind consent of Isaac. Christ the Son of God, hearing the cry of Ishmael, by interpretation (God hath heard) by that very name prompting to faith, with warrant for believing, that God would hear and help: as he did in extremity, when Ishmael was about to perish with thirst; opening his mothers eyes [Page 202]to see the well, and said, what aileth thee Hagar? Feare not: and God was with the Lad: When he wandered thus in the wilderness, or wheresoever, untill he brought him back: not in mocking, scan­dalizing, or persecuting, but in living brotherly.

What said gratious, angry, just Sarah then? not a a word; Peace, Piety, Reverence. All sacred si­lence in the Grave. Abraham also died, in whom was the High Priesthood, by death reconciling offen­ders, and pacifying avengers of blood, Numb. 35. In figure of Christ, Isaac's blessed seed, by whose heavenly guidance and assistance of brotherly kind­ness, Isaac and Ishmael together in filiall duty buri­ed their Father Abraham; Then, and not till then a true Freeholder in the promised Land, by Cove­nant assured, blest, taking possession of Inheritance in heaven. Ishmael also died amongst them: not ex­communicate, nor (which is worse) excommunicat­ing himself, as a Sepuratist, but as God in blessing had promised, Gen. 16.12.—He shall dwell in the presence of all his Brethren. So Gen. chap. 25.18.— He dyed in presence of all his brethren.

Christ the best brother, making attonement; Jew and Gentill, bond & free, all one by the blood of the everlasting Covenant at his death to slay enmity: yet is not the enmity dead: her mother Envy (that enchanting Witch) her blasphemy ceaseth not to bring (from whence it came) into the restless disor­ders, torments and woes of hell, flaming continual­ly by the way, assaulting, endangering, as personall Isaac, and Ishmael before: So mysticall Isaac, and Ishmael their Collective Issues in their two Cove­nants, whether as distinct, or as oftentimes inter­changeably [Page 203]mixed: Ishmaelits becoming Israelits by faith in the Covenant of Isaac his blessed seed: And his grand-children Israelits becoming Ishmae­lits in trusting onely to the Covenant of their out­ward works and Ceremonious priviledges of Moses his Laws.

Heavenly providence interweaving them for op­portune exchange, or triall of their mutuall aides in his most mercifull wise judgments: untill at un­awares for the common salvation one of the twelve Apostles sold Christ the blessed Seed, as of the for­mer twelve brethren, Sons of Israel, envy sold Joseph to the Ishmaelits issuing from Hagar, and Madianits issuing from Keturah, Abraham's other wives; their children, in association, as merchants carrying Balm from Gilead: And therewith selling Joseph into Egypt, Hagar's native Countrey; thus occasioning all Isra­el into that place of bondage; old Jacob himself, the beloved heir of Isaec, went: having sent thither balm of Gilead with prayerfull outcry for Mercy, to redeem his little Benjamin thence, but could not: untill himself came thither. Highest fatherly Provi­dence ordering him and all his, to tast of that Egyp­tian Hagar's cup; And by her Son Ishmael's balm be­yond admiration suddenlyto heal that old sad Israel's heart, and all the wounds of his Sons; And by right application thereof how to heal Schismes, Heresies, Envies, in Prophetique sence prescribing that Balm of Gilead, with such fathers prayers and brotherly Treaties of mercy blessed by Jehovah the Lord God Almighty, who when he heard his Pro­phet wish, his eyes had been a fountain of teares to weep day and night for that every brother will sup­plant, [Page 204]and every neighbour will walk with slanders, thundered out that voice of Awe: Let not the wise­man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I [am] the Lord which exerciseth loving kindness. This in conclusion directed to Aegypt and Judah (who treat­ed so dutifully for a Fathers life, in the freedom of his little brother, to a brother greatned in prospe­rity) likewise to Edom, Esau, the brother supplant­ed by Jacob: And to the children of Ammon and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: not excluding the children of Ishmael, whose Plaint in the wilderness under a shrub the Lord heard, and out of a bush in fire said to Moses; Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy Ground: As the holy Mount Horeb: Also from the bramble bush, in Hebrew Seneh, called Sinai: In this Allegorie, that is a figurative speech of another sense than at first ap­peareth, Gal. chap. 4. This Agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia. Behold, Agar hath ground of holiness, or ho­ly Land, also for Sarah and her children come from Aegyptian Agars captivity now to this holy Land of Agar. Now let envy cease betwixt the children of Sarah, and of Agar, thus conjoyned in holy mystery to serve the Lord, as he commanded Moses at his first message of deliverance. Exod. 3. When thou hast brought forth the People out of Aegypt, ye shall serve God at this Mountain called Holy Ground, for the presence and apparition of God's holiness there; as 2 Pet. 1. That other was called Holy Mount, where [Page 205]the Glory of the Lord outshined.

And they of Israel had there a promise to be a ho­ly Nation, Exod. 19. applyed 1 Pet. 2.9. to them that had not, but now had obtained mercy to be the People of God, expounded of Jewes and Gentils in Covenant, Rom. 9.24, 25. out of Housea 2.23.

A Covenant to them and their little children to be their God, and to circumcise their hearts unto his love: A Covenant of the Spirit of grace: the ho­ly Ghost covenanting to write his Lawes in their hearts, and to forgive their sins, Heb. 10. Though but a Covenant of works, as written in Tables of Stone, and by the pride of Merit-Mongers, trusting to the righteousness of their own works, through fault of their unbelief not taking hold of Christ, but persecuting him unto death, for which Jernsalem it self then became Hagar, and the Children of sarch were then bondslaves to sin, captived under the curse of the Law, as transgressors of the Law, untill yeilding themselves dead to the Law, and by grace of the new creature, finding the letter of the Law dead to them; they be married unto Christ a new Husband in Covenant of Love, satisfying the Law for payment of her debts, and clothing her anew with the white Priest-like rob of atonement, for which shee shall be called in his name: The Lord our Righteousness; Jer. chap. 23. chap. 33. of whatsoever Nation. Col. 3. The Partition-wall being down at the death of Christ, there is neither distinction of Jew and Gentill, Barbarian, Scythian, nor of bond and free, but Christ is all, and in all for his promise sake to faithfull Abraham; in prayer for Ishmael also, blessing Ishmael into a Nation.

According to the vote of his Father David's heart and harp Psal. 68.17, 18. The Lord among them in Sinai in the holy place. Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; Heb. in the man; Christ that ascended to the right hand of God, and by his dispensation for men, yea, for his enemies. Ephes. 4.

Out Translatours offer it in little letters [as] in Sinai, Psal. 68. was it not according to the Cove­nant of Grace? when the Lord said in Sinai to Moses; Thou hast found grace in my sight, and to Moses his Petition [Shew me thy Glory] The Lord said; I will make all my Goodness pass before thee; teach­ing to be content in the knowledg of God as Good, and as it is good for us to know, (without overcuri­ous presumption about his incomprehensible se­crets) and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord be­fore thee (to wit, that in hearing his gracious Name, thou shouldst believe his Word of Grace, and re­ceive his gracious helps and gracious effects) and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious: and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy, chap. 33. and chap. 34. of Exodus: Moses early went up into Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him: And the Lord descended in the Cloud, and stood with him there (it may be in that gracious presence which had often visited him in vision) and pro­claimed the name of the lord: The Lord God mer­cifull and gratious, long-suffering, and aboundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thou­sands, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and sin; according to the tenour of Covenant, for them that believe, and by repentance turn unto Gods [Page 207]love: But for sinners that continue as enemies, to hate God, is the latter part of that Proclamation of his righteous Name [That will by no means cleer: visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the children, and upon the childrens children, unto the third and the fourth generation.

Not to forget the report of an Assembly Colle­giat, inhabiting Mount Sinai, whose chief head cal­led Archimandrita this year in England, collecting Benevolencies toward his redemption; as at Oxford, at London: What may be the mind of the Lord here­in, but mercy and justice: justice against iniquity, yet mercy to iniquity, when forsaken by grace in love of God: and mercy to mercy, doing the lesson of our Lord Jesus Christ learned by our Apostle Paul in Paradise: how it is more blessed to give than to receive; certainly blessed both.

In loving kindness, righteousness and judgement I delight, saith the Lord. Of infinite eternall free good pleasure having at first put into the Creature (after his Image) and now again into the new Creature, a free good pleasure of Grace offered to sinners, and refused, or soon ejected by such as take more pleasure in sins of unbelief, and uncharita­bleness and unrepentance; herein (as they freely profess, or profess not the Covenant of Christ) is a copy legible, how Christ will profess, or not pro­fess men in the book of the Lamb, his eternall, good pleasure, mercifully vouchfafeing to mens weak capacities, by what they (made after Gods Image) do find in their books of Laws, Ordinances, Coun­sells, Purposes, Decrees, and remembrances, help­ing to believe, infinitely more excellent in Gods-all-sufficient, [Page 208]Essential, inward, pure Act of everlast­ing Covenant; constantly free, freely perfect, per­fectly constant, unchangable ordering outward, outward changables from everlasting to everlast­ing, as in time past, present or future, revealed to them that will not, or will hear, see and love the good pleasure to, or for Babes made in Gods sight by the will of Christ, [...], the word being of the middle voice, both of Active and Passive significa­tion, Passive; in prime Donation of Grace from God: Active, in using or refusing that offered gist of Grace, by men taing pleasure to wink with their eyes, and so not seeing what they might see, thus hid in that good pleasure made in the sight of God, Math. 11.26.

To those questions, Ezekiel 18.23. have I any pleasure at all, that the wicked should die (saith the Lord) & not that he should return from his waies and live? We dare not approve other answer, than what the Lord gi­veth himself upon Oath, Ezek. 33.11. I live saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way, and live, turn ye, turn ye from your evill waies, for why will ye die O house of Israel; hath not God ordaind his own Oath to be an end of all strifes and controversies herein? Heb. 6.

Object. Grace of Child-baptism how consistent with perseverance in grace; Since many baptized are wicked in life, and accursed in death; Here­tiques or Apostates from the profession of the faith, into which they were baptized.

Accomod. at baptism is applied outwardly the Covenant of grace, as by the token or Seal thereof, and the words of promise, which after­ward [Page 209]upon advertisement inwardly presenteth an offer of that promised grace in the understanding to notice, consideration, and belief, as true, and thereupon an offer of the same grace in the will to love, as good from the truth and goodness of God, co-ordaining that outward and inward offer in consequence, orderly to follow one an other though with difference of Effects, according to different applies and circumstances, as seed by the way side devoured by fowls. So the word stollen by the Devil out of remembrances; Or as seed among thornes, so the word among cares of the World and deceiveableness of riches. Or as seed in stony pla­ces springing up without deepness of earth, but when scorched with the Sun, withering away for want of root; so he that heareth it, but having no root in himself in the heat of persecution, often doth but as the good seed in good ground; the Saints rooted in faith and charity perish not, belie­ving and loving the Covenant of salvation for e­ver.

A voluntary consent of their hearts by the graces of faith and love, when for defect thereof others de­struction is voluntary neglecting, opposing, defeat­ing somewhat in the way of salvation positive, the-ticall and federative, offered by the Counsell of Gods will in possibility toward saving them as (of that old word [...]: pono, statuo) Acts 11.23. x proposito, [...] Eph s. 1.11. Ex faedere, Heb. 8.8.) in rejecting the word of salvation they re­ject Christ, [...], defeating Christ from being their Saviour, John 12.48. Luke 7.30. [...], the Phari­ses defeated the counsell of God against themsel­ves, being not baptized: in rejecting baptism they [Page 210]rejected Christ from being a Saviour unto them, and their children; it was their fault; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a Hen ga­thereth her Chickens under he wings, and yee would not, Luke 13. and chap. 19. He wept over the City, saying: If thou hadst known, even thou in this thy day; an imperfect speech to be understood by his teares: but of them who weep as he did for them, and their Children? teares are melting prayers, spirituall dewes descending and ascending unto the Throne of Grace for young budds as well as old, unto his glory who dyed for them; and as the Sun shineth on them in his good pleasure, and blessed them with his own Mouth, and in his holy Name be they blessed with those that blesse them. Amen.

A Parallel about admitting women to the holy communion, upon reason of conse­quence, unless an express be found in holy writ,
A PARALLEL.

WHereas a Lady proposed the like doubt about admitting women unto the holy Communion; the like Accommodation by good consequence, out of what the Holy writ expresseth.

1. Women were baptized (Acts 8.) New birth by water and Spirit at Baptism begetteth a new Creature, once born, yet neding to have that new life of the Spirit nourished often by Spiritual cating and drinking at the Supper of the Lord; The Lord in his Ordinances providing abundantly what is needfull.

2. Male and Female are one in Christ, Gal. 3.28.

3. Man and Wife are heirs together of the Grace of life. 1 Pet. 3.7. [...] Coheirs of the living Grace. Therefore to communicate in that means of Grace, eating the Bread of life by faith, and drink­ing into the same Spirit of Grace.

4. By the Holy Ghost there is commended the hidden Man in a Womans heart. 1 Pet. 3.4. [...], the very same word which is used. 1 Cor. 11.28. and therefore under that word (in the name of Man) Woman also being comprehended, is there bid to examine her self, and so eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup.

AA Postscript.
Vnoffensive Postulation in equity for infants.

THat as you cannot hinder Infants from crying (nor us from hearing their crie) you will not denie their infirmity, which being granted, our beneficence is due by Commandement of the Holy Ghost, [...] ae­hemus, we owe this duty to bear the weakness of the Impotent, Rom. 15. ver. 1.10.12. where are alledged the very words of duty, which prescribed for the Gentiles in joyning with the Jews as then with their Infants in covenant with God, Deut. 32.43.29.11. and also the words of Isaiah; His Prophecie for the sierce Creatures, hoping in the Child Jeses to agree with the sucking Babes; in this duty, proceed wee by the Grace of God accordingly to bear Infants in our arms of Charity to the Congregation at Bap­tism, with prayers of faith in his holy Covenant of Grace unto his Glory, that in his name God may bless them and us each in other, that their prayers may be heard for us in old aged extremities, when unable to speak for our selves; as they are now by the spirit of congratulation, Christ in his fore Fa­ther David, speakr of the universe made every ereature hear and speak the praise of our Creator and the Lamb; A child exposed had on the swad­ling clours Inscription to this effect.

Wheretothus.

A Rescript of what was blotted out from Chap. 1. Numb. 1 if with leave, hum­bly representing at last about the blessing of Christ his Melchisedechian priest­hood, as unitive of the Father and the Child in Covenant at baptism, by the baptist a Levite in refined ministery, sent from Christ as God, to prepare for Christ a man, Angel of the Coe­nant.