Chap. 28. The Old and New Covenant. o9 j children, and brethren, and fitters ; yea, and his own life allo, he can- not be my `Difciple. Thefe qualifications arejigne.r of Regeneration, and the,è only that are thus qualified, are Difciples ofChrifl; Rege- nerate men then only have that honour of Difciples. I anfwer, They only do the duty of Difciples, they only are worthy of that title as Chrift explains himfelf, Matth. to. 37. He that loveth father or mother more then me, ra not worthy of me; Yet others have the name, as we have heard, and the outward priviledges in order to bring them to the duty of true Difciples. There are Difciples as to the fruition of vifible priviledges , and thofe are they that make vi- fible profeffions. There are Difciples for glory and life,and thofe only are Regenerate ones, Iohn 3.3. except a man be borne again,he cannot teethe Kingdome of God.Ordinances are granted in a greater latitude,then Regeneration. All that enjoy the priviledges of Or- dinances are Difciples,and therefore it is no honour proper to Re- generate perfons. Secondly, As thefe titles argue a Covenant- intereft, when the parties are yet,íhort of Regeneration; fo the manifold abfurdi- ties that will follow upon this reftraint of the Covenant alone to Regenerate, plainly evince that it is to be taken in a larger extent, and that it rakes in unregenerate Profefl'ours. I. This reftri& ion of the Covenant (to Phut out all non -Rege- nerate) makes an utter confufion between the Covenant it felf, and the conditions of it; or (if that expreffion do not pleafe) the Covenant it felf. and the duties required in it, between our entrance into Covenant and our obfervation of it, or walking up in faithfulneffe to it. All know that a bargaine for a fumme of money, and the payment of that fumme : the Covenant with a fervant for labour , and the labour according to this Covenant, are different things. Faithful men that make a bargaine, keep t, enter Covenant, and ftand to it; But the making and keeping, the entring and obferving are not the fame ; many enter and tranfgreffe Covenant for much, and performe nothing ; So it is in the Covenants of men, and fo Scripture fpeaks of thofe Cove- nants which God enters with man. There are thofe that e ter Covenant, and keep Covenant Pfd. 44.17,18. X111 thù is c me upon tu, yet we have not forgotten thee, neither have We dealt falfeiy in thy Covenant ; our heart u not turned back, neither bave our /ieps declined from thy Way. Thefe have mercy promifed ; All to which Ee God! The abfurdi- ties that fòllow upon the re- ftri &ion oftt;e Cove4nant to the Fled Re- generate do evince it.
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