How far Parents l1alle conditions tope1Jorm after t/1eir Infants IJJaptiJm. tially be far.Cbfied, by their Union with him and his fpirir, and rheir Parents Dedication, and be in the way for more, as they grow fit ; And be CluiHians and Saints in fieri, or initially only, as rhcf are men. Quell:. 43· Is the rigl1t of the 73aptized ( Infants or adtilt) to the J.mflifying . operations of the Holy Ghofl, no1v .Abjolute, or juf]mzded on further [onditions ? ,And are the Parents further duty for tlmr [htldrm Jttch conditio1u of their [hi!< drms reception of the .AEttial aftjlances of the Spirit! Or are [hilclrms· own aEI:ions JuciJ [onditJOm < .And may dpoflate Parents forfeit tl1e Collenant benefits t/J their iBapm;sd Infantr ? or not ! Anfw. THE qu<fiion is great and d:lllcult, and few dare meddle with it. And almotl all In· fant-cafc:s arcw us obfcuic. 8u I. l• It is certain that it is the Parcntsgrear duty to bring up their Children in the nurture and admonition of tht: Lord. 2· It is certain that God hath appointed this to be the mc.a1u of their actual knowledge> faith Eph. 6 <b )~ and holinefs. . Col. 3· 2. t. 3· And God doth not appoint fuch means unneccff..~rily or in V.Ji;r : nor may we ordinarily expe6t g~~;.~~6~;,'s. his grace but in the ufe of the meam of Grace, which he harh appointed us to ute. & u.JS, 19, 4 • It is certain that Gods receiving the Children of the faithful is an act of Gods Love 'to the :.ci. Parent! as well as the Children, and promifed as apart of his blcffingon themfelvcs. 5· It is certain that thefc Parents hold their ~wn mercies upJn the conditio~ of their own continu~ cd fidelity: And ( let their Apofiafie be on other reafons· never fo irnpoilible, or 11ot future, yet ) the prornife of continuance and confummuion of the pcrfonal felicity of the greatefi S1int on earth, is fiill condjtional, upon the condition of his pcrlevering fidtlity. 6. Evenbifort Children ue capable of Inflru{Jioll, there are certain duties impoftd by God on the Parents fo.r their fanctification ; vi~. I· That the Pnents pray earneftly ami. believir.y,ly for them. Second Com; 2· That they themfelves folivetowards God as may invite him Uill to blcfs their Children for their m:tndmenr, fakes, as he did AbrahawJ, and ufually did eo the faithful's feed. p,.,. 2o. 1· 7• lt is certain that the Church ever rc.quired Parents; not only to enter their Children iato the Covenant, and fo to leave them, but to do their after duty for lhcir good, and to pray f0r them, and educate them according to their Covenant. 8. It is plain that if there were none to promife fo to educate them, the Church would not ba.. ptize them. And God himfelf who allowed ehe lfr>clires, and flil) a\loweth us to bring our Chi!-· drcn into his Covenant, doth it on thH fuppofition, that we prcmife alfo to go on to do our duty for them, and that we actually do it. 9· All this fct together makcthit plain, y, That God never ptomiferh the adult in .BaptiCin, though true believers, that, he will work in them all graces further by his f:mCtifying fpiric, lee them ncverfo much neglect or refifi him: or that he will abfolutdy fee that they never Oull refill: him 1 nor that the fpirit fhallfiill help them, though they nc~leCt all his means; or that he will kerp th<:m from neglecting the means ( Ele{Jion may fccure this tO the Eleli M fUch; but the B.apti[mal Covena1tt as Juch, fecureth it n9t to the baptizul, nor to believer I as jitcb. ) 2· And confequendy that Infantl are in Covenant with theHolyGhofljl~~cond~tionaUy as their Parents arc : Arid that the meaning ?fit is, thanhe Holy Gho!l as your fanchtier wtll afford you all nccdfuy help, in the ufc of ehofe means bh' Holy _ which he bath appointed you to receive his help in. m7~~ 1i~P~~: ptifmtoei~·c theChi)t\ gnce in his Parmts and his own f.1ithf1d ufe of the :tpp,}imcd me~nt!' .Obj. Ir{an11 havr no mran1 10 •fr· · . Anfrt'• While Infants fiand on their Parents account, or TYiUI, the Parents have mean& to ufe for the 'continuance of their gracc;as well as for the beginning of ir. 10. Therefore·( cannot fee but that ifa believer !hould apofiatize (Whether any do fa is not the quefiion) and his Infant not be made anothers Child, he forfCiteth the benefits of the Covenant to his Infant. But if the propriety in the Infant be transferred to another, it may alter the cafe. · r 1. And how dangeroufly Parents may make partial forfeitures of the fpirits aflJtlance to their Chi!~ dren, and operations on them, by their own finful lives, and negle61: of prayer, and of prudent and holy edUcation, even in particular acts, I fear many believing Parents never well confidcred. • 12. Yet is not this forfeiture fuch as obligeth God to deny .his fpirit : For he may do \\'ith his own, as a free benefactor, as he !ill; And may have mercy freely, beyond his promife ( though not M m m m m 2 againll
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