1Jotb ~ttptijm oblige, and operate ahvay preje1itly ~ Qgell:. 44· 'Dot/, 'BaJ'tifin al1va)'es oblige tts at t!Jc pre[mt, and giwGrace at t/,e pre[ent! .lnd is the Grace which is not giwn till long after,giwn by 'Baptijm ! or an ejfeEt of 'Baptifm ! Au[w. I Add this Cafe for_ two Reafons 3 1. To open their pernicious errot who think that a Covenant or Pro.m1fc mad~ by us .to God, only f:J.r a /ttture d!{f~m duty ( as wRepent and helicve before we dyt, ). ~s all that JS effentu.l to. our BJptlfrnal Covenanrmg. 2 • To open the ordinary faying of many DJvmes, who fay, ~hat hlptlfm wor~tb not alwayeJ at the prefem, but fome~ rimes only long afu~rward. The truth I tha~k m.;jy be thus txprdTc:d, 1• 1r iS not baptijm, ~f there be ~or ~he profeffion of a p~efem belief, a prrflm cowfcnt, and a prt– [ent d£dition, .or rehgnatlon, or dedication ~f the perfon ~oGod, _by the adul( for themfelves, and by Parents for their Infa?ts. He that onl~ fa1th, [! fromi[t toheluve, repent _and ob,"} o;z'J at twenty or thirty yearJ of age, J IS not morally baptJz:.ed; for 1t ts anotht?r Covwant of h1s own whH:h he would make which God acceptcrh nor. 2 . ic is not only a fuwre, but aprefent Relation to God, as his Own, his SubjetlJ, his Children by Redemption, to 'Yhich the baptized pcrfon doth confenr. 3. le is a prefont correlatim a_n.d not a.future only, ~o which_ God confc:n~eth on his part, to be their Father, Slviour and SmCbfic:r, thcJr Owner pecultarly, the1r Ruler gral'toufly. and their chiefBt.. nefa{Jor, and Felicity, and End. 4 . it is not only a future but a prc[wl Remif!ion of fin, and Atkptim and right to tempoul and et;rnal mercies, which God giveth to true ConfenttfJ by his Covenant and Baptifm. 5· But thofe mercies which we are not at that prcfent ca!able of, are nor to b_e given at the prefent, but 8 ftrrtrJard when we are capable; As the particular .affitlanccs of rh_e_Spirir, neceff.uy upon all future particular occafions, &c. The pardon of future fins; Actual Glonfication, &c. • Rom. 6. r, 4; 6. And the Duties which are to be performed only for tll.e future, we mull promife at lrefen't to 6~ 7,&c. perform only for the future, ln their fcafon) to our lives end. Therefore we cannot promi~e that lniants !hall believe, obey or Love God, till they are naturally capable of doing it. 7• If any hypocrite do not indeed Rtpem, Believe or Crmfem when he is baptized, or baptizeth his child, he fo far faileth in th.e Covenant.profeffcd: And fo much of baptifm is undone; And ·God AI\, a. !7,JS: doth not enter into the prefent Covenant-Relations to him, as being uncapable thereof. 1 3• 10> 11>2~; S. If this pcrfon afterwards Repent and Believt, it is a doing of the fame thing which was omitted 2J• in baptifm, and a·making of the fame CoVenant; But not as.a part of his Bap1i[m it [elf, which is long pafi. · 9• Nor is he hereupon to be Re-baptized; Bccaufe the external part w~ done before, and is not to be twice done. But the Internal part which was omitred ; is now ro be done, not as- a part of baptifm (old @r new); but as a Part of Penitence, for his omHTion. Object. If Cln!enanting b·ea part ofB.zpti{m, thtn tbit pcrj011, wbo[t Covmant is mvtr a p.;rt of hi1 Baptifm, d1tb live and dyt unbaptizrd. Anfrr. As baptifm fignifieth only the external Ordi,ance, heart-covenanting is no put of it, but the Profrffitm of it, is: And if there was no Profof!ign of faith made, by word or fign, the perfon is rm.. baptiztd. But as bapti[m fignifieth the llfttrn,d part with the rxtcrual, fa he will be 1zo baptized per[on while he liveth; that .is, 9ne thar in b~p~ifm_ did truly Crmftnt, and Rec~ivc the fpiritual Relations to God: But he wJH have the fame tlung m another way of Gods appomrrncnt. 10. ~'hen this perfon is after fand:ified, it Is by GO_ds performance of the fomt Covmant in {pecie, which baptifm is made to feal, th>t God doth pardon, JUfiifie and adopt him: But this is not by his pajl baptifm as a Caufe, but by after grace and ..ibfolutioll. The fdme C~mant cloth it, but not haptifm. Bccaufc indc:ed the Covenant or Prornife faith, [ TFhm ever thou believefo and repeme(l, I nriU [irgive tbee : But B:~p1i[m faith~ Bec11u{e thou now believcjl, I da fargivt thee, and wajb away thy jin; J and makcth prdcnt application. 1 I· So if an Infant or adult perfon live without grace, and at age be ungodly, his Baptifina1 Co– venant is violated :, And his after Convcrfioll (or faith and repentance ) is neither the fulf.illing of "od·s Covenant, nor of his baptifm nC_ither. Thereafon is, bcca_ufc though Pardon. and Adoption be given by that Conditional CoDenant ofGrace Which baptifm [ealeth, yet fo is not that firft Gr_ace ofFaith and Rtpcn(ance which is the Condition of Pardon and Adoption, and the ride to baptifm it fclf. Elfe Infidels lhould have right to baptiftn, and thereby to fcith and rrprntancc. But thefe are only the free Gift.s of God to the Elell, and the fullilling of fome Abfolutc predictions concerning the Cal– ling of the Elect, and the fulfilling of Gods Will or Covenant to Chrill the Mediator, that He ]hall fee the travail of hi1 foul and 6e fotisfied, and poffefs thofe that arc given him by the Father. . 12. But when the Condition of the Covenant is at firf/ perform<d by the Parent for the Infant, and this Covenant nevl'r brok.fn on this. childs behalf, ( notwirhfianding fins offnfirmity,) in rhis cafe the fir/1 Aiiual faith and repentance of children as they grow up, is from Gods fulfilling of his B~ptifma\ Covemnt with them. The reafon is, bccaufc that God in chat Covenant did ~ive rhcm a 1\tght of IJ.el"ion to the boly Spirit in Chrill their Head, as their Sml.tifier, to operate on them as they ar<
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