.Are all !J)eliewrs Infants fanEtifted when tbey are jrljhfied ? ---------------------- bt:Jptiz.cd fet:d of true Chriftianr are pardoned, ju)lified, adopted, tJnd have a title to tbt Spi,it snd [alv:ttiou. Bur the difficulties in this cafe are fo g:eat, as_driveth away moll who do not equally perceive rhe greater inconveniencies wh~ch we mull choofe, it this opinion be forfaken : that is, that all Infants mufi be taken to be out of tl¥: Covenant of God, and to have no promifc of falvarion. Where~ as furcly the La.w of Gra.ce as well as the Covenant of Works included aU tbe feed in their capa,iry. . I. To the firfi of thefe Q!!e!\ions, I anfwer, I· As all true btlievers, fo all their Infarts do re– ceive !ni.tiaf!y ~y the promifc~ and b~ way ofobfignation and Sac~amental Inveftiture. in Buptifin, a Jz 1 r h RtlattonJJ, a t1ghr ot pecultar Rtlutton to all the three perfims m the bldTc:d Trimty : As to God as Mltt • 28 ' 1 {;, their Hconcikd Adopting Father, and to Jtfus Chrift as d1tir Redeemer apd adual Head 'ar.d 1 Cor. 12• 11, Juftifier, fo alfo to the Holy Ghofi as their Regenerater and Sanctifier. This Right and Relation. 13. adhereth to them, and is given them in order to future aCtual operation and communion. As ~ ipb. 4· ~' 5· Mauiagc Covenant givcth the Rtlatipn and Rigbt to one another, in Qtder to the !u!HCquCnt Con:– mnnion and duties of a married life: And as he that fwearcth allegiance ro a King, or is lifted into an Army, er is cntred into a.School, rectiveth the Right and Relatio1t, and is fo corrc:h.ted, as obli– geth to the mutual fubfc:quent Offices of each, and giveth right to many particular benefits. By this Right and RelrJtion,·God is his own God and Father; Chrili is his own Head and Saviour; and the Holy Spirit is his own Sanctifier, without atTcrting what operations arc: already wrought on his fou1 but only to what future ends and ufes thefc: Relations are. Now as thcfe Rights and Relations ar~ given immediately, fo thofc Benefits which arc: Relative, and the: Infant immediately c~p1ble of 1h,m, are prcfcndy given by way ofcommunion : He hath prefcntly the pardon of Otiginal fin, bf vutuc of the Sa.cr1fice, Mc:nt and lnterceffion ofChn(t He hath a flare of Adoptlon, and Right to Divine Pmtcdion, Provifion and Church-communion according to his natural C1pa,ity, and Right to evcrlafiing lifr. 2· It muft be carefully noted, that the Relative Union between Chrifi the Mediator and the bap– tized pnfons, is that which in Baptifrn is firfi given in order of nature, and that the rdl do flow from this. The Covenant and Baptifmdeliver the Covenanter x. From Divine: Difplicency by Rt:– conciliation with the father, a .• from Legal Penalties by ]ufiitication by the Son ; 3· From fin it fdf by the operations of the Holy GhoH. But it is Chrif! as our Mtdiat.,·H<ad, that is firjl givm ., ia RelativeVnion: And then, J.TheFatherLovobus with Complacency asinthtSoJt, and for thcfakc: Th~ Spirit is of his firfi beloved. 2· And the: Spirit which is given us in Relation is tirfi the Spirit ofChrijl our n?t given. r:- . He11d.; and not fitfi inherent in us: So that by Vnio1z with our Head, that Spirit is next united to du;~~~~r •mus, both Rtlativrly, and as RadicaUy Inherent in the Humane Narurc: of our Lord, to whom we are ::/~th~~i:~', united. As the Nerves and Anim~l Spirits which are to operate in all the body, arc Radically only in but to Chrifi the He01d, from whence: they Aow m to, and opc:nte on the members as there IS need ( though there: our H~.1d. may be obllruCfions ) :, So the Spirit dwellcth in the Humane Nature of our Head, ind there ic can alonr,snd trom never be loll ; And it is not nccdfary that it dwell in us by way ofR.t~dicq_zion, but by way of Infiu· H;m to us. tnce andOperation. Thefe things are difiinctly and clearly underfiood but by very few ; and we are all much in the dark about them. llllt I think (however doctrinally we may fptik .. better, ) that moll Chrifiians are habituated to this perilous mifapprehcnfion (which is partly againfi Chrifiiaoity it fc:lf,) that the Spirit floweth immedit~tly from the Divine Nature: of the f ather and the Son ~as to the Authori· talive or Potcftativc conveyance) unto our fouls. And we forget that it is firft given to Chriji in his Glo– rijitdHuma11ity as our Hiad, and radicated in Him, and that it is the Office of this Glorified Heail, to fend or communicate to all his membtrs from Him[elf, that Sptrit which mull operate in them as they have need. This is plain in many Texts of Scripture, Rorn. 8. 32. He that [pared not his own Son, but gave him up for "' aU, bo.. jhaQ be not alfo with him freely give 11< aU tbing1 l ( when he giveth him particularly to us.) 1 John 5· t 1, 12• And thi1 i1 tbe record that Cud bath givm m ettrnal lift, and tbi1li[e UiJJ bi1 Son: He th:zt lt~Jtb the Son bath the life, andhttbat batfl not the Son bath not the lift. Rom. 8. 9· If any man have not the Spirit of Chrif!, tht fame i1 noneo(}f hi1. 'Eph. 1 • 22 , 2 3. And gavt him to be the He.d ovtr aU thing• to tbe Cburch, which il his body, tht fulne[t of him th" fiUetb aU in aU. ]nhn 1 5· 26. 1ht Advocalt orComfarttr whom I ~iU Jtnd u;tto yoHfrom t!Je Fatbtr, &c. John t6. 7· If I dtpart, I wiU find him unto J•ou. John 14· 26. 1'be Comforter whom the Father will ftnd in my Name. Gal. 4· 6. And b~caufi ye are foni, God bath jint forth t!Je Spirit of hir Son into your HMit, crying Abba, Father. • • • . . . . . Gal. 2 • 20. ·I liot : yet ""I, bnt Chrift lti!<th m me (I know that IS true of hts Ltvmg mus Objdlit•ely and Finally, but that feemeth not to be aU. ~ . . . . _ _. Col. 3· 3, 4· For ye art dtad, and your life "hzd nmb Chrift'" God; "'hm Chrif! who u our life j/ull appear, then fhall ye al[o appear with him in Glory. I know that in verji 3· by ~ife ·tS meant felicity or Glory; But not tmly; as appeareth by vErfe 4• where Chnfi u called 011r Life. Matth. 28. I9· .AU power i1 given unto me in Heaven and Earth::=:::::::::::Vcr. 20• 1 am with yo11 ~lwayeJ~
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