398 The Birth- Privïledgeand Covenant- holinef C11.43 faft, and pertinacioufly adhere to the way of old received, when the Publicanes accept and imbrace the .fpiritual flare of the Church by Chrift fet up. From this impenitence of thefe chiefe Priefls and Elders with whom thefe joyned in crucifying Chrift; Peterditiwades and exhorts to the repentance of the Publicanes and Hatlots. The fecond Scripture which may give light to this text, is much parallel to this, Luke 7. 9, 30. Chrift having given a large teflimony to yohn and his Minitlery ; the different effeé that it took, is there held out: Firff in the people and the Publi_ canes, ver. 29. And all the people that heard him, and the Publi- cares jufiified God, being baptized With the Ba ti me of Secondly in the Pharifees and Lawyers, ver. 3o. But the Pharifees and Lawyers rejelled the councell of God againfi tbemfelves, be- ing not baptized. Tlrey perifhed in their old way in oppofiti- on to that way held forth by Fohn, approved by Chrift, and re- futed baptifine ; there with whom Peter had to deal, had gone with the Priefis and Pharifees, kept full pace with them even to the guilt of the death of Chrift, they were now in a good way to follow the Reps of the Publicanes and People, to embrace the counfel of God, and accept baptifine. The Jewes impenitence had held them (as we have fees) from baptifine, horn en- trance into a new Covenant -way, Peter therefore exhorts to repent and be baptized. Thirdly', This appears by the Text it felfe, whereas Maflery Tombes will have the illative particle For, to inferre no warrant' or right in them to be baptized, but only a motive in a moral way urged (as we have heard in his Taft exception.)It is worth our enqui- ry to learne what good interpretation he can put (fuitable to- Pe- ters exhortation) here on thofe words; To you ù the promi fe made, . and to your children, excluding all confideration of right in them and their children, becaufe Chrift as (he fayes) was promifed to them and their children, therefore they muff repent and be bapti- zed, Not to infift upon that jua exception of Mailer Cobbet, pag. 23. (to which I cannot fee that Mailer Tombes in his full refutati- on hath made any anfwer) That the Apo file doth not fay,the pro. mite war to you as in reference to the time of making it to the fathers, with ref etl unto them, or in reference to Chrift who was not now to cof , but already come, as the Apofdle proveth from ver. 3 to 37. Nor is it the ufe of the Scripture when mentioning promifes as
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