396 Of EleClioll r~~t; B~c ;~grafted nfter their cuttingotr: yet fo ~ [looK V. that when we are once engrafted in, that then brandies lhould grow out of u; .._,.-...,-....;in the lame way (even by a prop1gated fuc"ellion) that they did among them: for fo (as was alore obferved ) engrafted branches ufe to do: For we putake of the root, and ot the fame f'atnejs; Only fiill with this difference, (as I {aid at firfi, which the Apoflle here acknowledgeth ) which maketh thi' their priviledge, to bemore eminent than ours, in thefc particulars t, In that A6rqham our common Root was their Root or~j,illally: verfe 24, it is c.illcd thnr ou.11: They were Na111ri1! Branches, we after many bun· dred years mgrajttd. 2, That we being bmmgraftedbranches, and having onte been wild bran– ches; both we and our pofkrity are in agmJilr da11ger (intimatedverfe 21.) more fpeedily to be cut off, not continuing in faith: A few Generations may make a flop, a breal,ing off in our Pofierity; whereas the\' had continued ma– ny hundreds of} ears. Theirs was a CovenmJtfurr, (as 'D,wid fays) tbough his Houfe w.u 1101 Jo, that is, not fuch to God, as God's Covenant required ot· them, but had many unbelievers in his Line; yet God revived it in the Virgin Mury, and others, to the lafi. · And ~· That our danger is, tJever to bt mgrafted i11 again, if once our fucceJiion fail to continue in his goodnefs, and fo to be broken off for tvcr, or at leafi not to continue in that firength and firmnefs as theirs; as that after fix· teen hundretl years interruption, they fhould be tngrafttd in agailt, vtrf. 2), 26, 27. and this (or their fathers fake, verje 28. and a!J lfrae!jba!J 6e faved, 7Hrjr 26. All which agrees with that limitation which I gave at firfi. And thus out of this place you fee, that this Covenant to our Children is not only derived to us Gentiles as a Family privilcdge only, in a conformity to A6rabam's Family, (as I !hewed before) but.alfo by venue of a Church Pri· viledge, in a conformity to the Jews as grown a Church, as grown up into a Tree, which conlifis of many arms, having lelfcr branches or families there· on: God promifing to the Gentiles, till they cut themfelves off by unbelief, to continue and keep up the fucceJiion of Churches out of their loins. Therefore further, Ephe[.l, 11, f§c. we arefaid to partafte of thrir CommoiiWtllith or Cu;·Pri•nledge, we art of tht Commoll'wealth of Ifrael, a11d h.1Vt thr Covr· 1JtJ11t of thePromi(e, the 12, 1 ~' '4• and 19th verfts compared, and are of the fame 6ody with theM, Chap. ~· 6. which arc fpoken becaufe God bath efla. ted us into thefe their Priviledges, as all thofc expreJiions c3rry it; for if we have their Commonwealth or City Efiate, or Priviledge, then thofe Societies or Churches, under the Gofpel (which therefore inherit the Name and Title of the City of God, f§c;) are admitted to the fame fpiritual rights that be· longed to their Nation, City, or Commonwealth: And a Church is now called a City, becaufe as a City confifls of many "Families, fo a Church. Now this in all Nations is one Priviledge of a City, and the common Pri· viledge to all Citizens; that their Chddren are free Burgers, 1w.u borna Ro· mrm, fays PatJ!. Yea, he further adds, that we have tht Tej/rtmtitts of 'Promtfe: Mark - how he ufeth the fame cKpreffion which he had ufed of the Jews, when he yet fet out the emi11t11t Priviltdge of their Nation, in relped of their birth, Ram. 9· 4• Th<Jt to them pert,>illtd tht Teflammts or CovmtJIIt.r, tJ!ld the 'Pro· mi[(s: He ufeth the word Tejlnmmts in the plural number; becaufe all the forts of bleffings in things fpiritual, belong unto them; and of'Promife s that are, or may be efieemed Priviledges; whereof we are made partakers as well as they, though they more eminently, as Rom. g. 4· he tbews; yet we in a conformity to them. Now was not this one Covenant with them, and one grcot promife that God Wot~!d6e a God of tbem r>nd of their Sud? And are we debarred of it? If fo, then are we jltli flrrmgtn from thu pflr· ticu!ar Cuvnumt, a1td from thu Promife .: Yea further, yet to fircngthen this, as we are the Sons of A6rah,>rn, Jo Chi!drm of the .7ews a!fo, • Cor, to. r. They are called 011r Fathers. The Apo!lle fpeaks to the CoritJ· thimz Gentiles, and yet calls rhe Jews their Fathers; and we come in as their Children, as truly as thofe of their Nation did. I now urge not much that
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