Ch. 37 of the ne' of Beleetier.r. 271 But this clear text wants not wits that ftudy.to cloud ir, fome ex- Ob,,,Rio :s cept againft the word children, and will have them to be the fame n4hered. as the formes and daughters mentioned,verfe 17. of that chapter, from Joel chap. 2.2 °. and confequently the promife is of the Spi- rit of prophecie, and appertaining to none but thofe of age and capacity for prophecie. To this I anfwer. r. The extraordtnarÿ gifts, of the holy Ghoft in this vifible way cannot be the promise here by Saint Peter mentioned, feeing it is enlarged to all that are arfarre of even to es many a.s the Lord fhall call. But all there have not the holy Ghoft in that way extraordinary, nor any pro - mite of it ; That promife is a Baptifine proper to thofe primitive Saints, baptifme with the holy Ghoft and with fire , wherewith they were told that they fhould be baptized not many daycs after. 2. Howfoever the promife be interpreted fo as to belong to all that are beleevers, and call on the name of the Lord, as there fol - lowes, yet that promife is on condition of their Baptisme ; The meanes are to be , ufed in reference to the end, Baptifine is the meanes , receiving of the holy Ghoft ( there fpecified ) is the end And the poftle confirming them in the promife of the end, doth likewife encourage them to the ufe of the meanes, in Ba- ptifine ro cxpeet the gift of the Spirit, and fo (according to this in- terpretation) that place is an encouragement to Baptifine. The promife is the fitteft encouragement to the Signe and Scale of the promife_ Baptifine is the Signe and Seale to which they are here encouraged,and in that latitude as they had formerly known the command of Circumchion. Neither are the children here menti- oned the fame with formes and daughters fpoken of by the Pro, phet, nor limited to filch Tonnes and daughters as are ofgrowth, and capable of the gift of prophecie. i. The Apoftle urg th the promife in the way as in the Scriptures it is delivered, which is to men and their poíterity, to them and theirs.' So God prcmifes to be a Godin Covenant to his and their feed,. and this the Apoftle holds out, to draw them on to this Seale of the Covenant to ac- cept Baptifm on the fame termes, that Abraham did Circumcilon. z.. It is without re:,fon to beleeve that the Apoftle fhould inftance, in one peece of the diftribution of the Prophet there, and to leave out the reft;to put in alone formes and daughters, when we haves in the Text young men, old men,fe.rvants andhanérnaids..'3. Chil- dren here are mentioned under a promife to the parents, t. yoo acrd..
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