3 2. The Birth-Priviledge and Covenant-holne Ch.42 God ownes children borne in the Church as his fervants, and as his children. Parent asid; childe refpe 8ive to Church- inter -I eft , are not in an oppolke condition, No prefident in Scripture,of abelieving Pa rent., briqginr up a ctlli.de for C.ovenant and Inot in C.ove- nant. are common principles that are the fame in all Religions, and' we muff beleeve them to hold, unleffe Scripture hold forth a diff'. rence. Fourthly, God ownes children borne in the Church as by birth!, his, his fervants, Levit. 25. 39, 40, 41, ç2. If thy brother that'! dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be fold unto thee, thou Alit not; compel him to ferve as a bond-fervant but ass an hired rervant,ana as a fojourner he (hall be with thee , and fhall ferve thee unto the year; of labile. And then (hall he depart from thee both he and bis chit dren with ham; and 'hall returne unto has otvn family,andunto the pot i felon of his fathers fhall he returne; For they are my fervants. Root and Branch , Parent and Childe are fervants of God; As they were the fervants of their Matter; when they could dorthem actually no fervice, by reafon of their relation to them ; fo they are the fervants ofGod on the fame account. And as he ownes, them as his fervants, fo allo he ownes them as by birth his chil- dren, Ezek. t 6.20, 21. Moreover, thou hag tallen thy fonrves and thy daughters, Whom thou haft borne unto,me, asid thefe haft thou fa- crificeduntothem to be devoured; Is thù of thy whoredomes a fwall matter, That thou haft Elaine my children , and delivered them to caufe them to pap through the fire for them ? If there were no Birth - priviledge, how had God this property in Infants ? and this David pleads, t'f. t 16.16. 0 Lord, 1 am thy fervant, truly I am thy fervant, and the fon of thy band-maid; becaufe he was 'borne in Gods houle and was a childe of a fervant of his; he pleads his intereft. Fifthly, If the parent be not in Covenant,the parent and childe are heterogeneal , refpeCtive to Church - relation in the moft op- polite condition : the Parent in the Kingdorne of God by vertue of the faith that he profeffes : the childe in the Dingdome of Satan by reafon of his non intereft in the Promife, and want of title to Covenant relation. But Scripture makes -them fä11 as one Jewes children are Jewes by nature, Gentiles children are finners, that is, Gentiles by nature. The Root being holy, the Branches are holy ; Parents not fandified, children are unclean; but Parents being fanäified, they are holy. Sixthly, If children be not taken into Covenant with their pa- rents, then ite mot's godly of Parents bring up children; not in Covenant, but for a Covenant; not in any prefent intereft of re- lation
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