46 The Covenant of Works Chap. S. fealeth conditionally. And. I can make nothing elfe oflvïr. Tombes his aptitudinal and aelual feale. But that the Sacrament 1hath an aptitude to feale in an abfolute way to all that communicate. It doth atually feale to beleevers and penitent ones. Neither let any think that here I feek a ftarting hole to recede from any thing that heretofore I have publifhed on this fubjeâ. In my anfwer to Mr. Tombes, page 99. I explain my fell no otherwife, having quoted Dr. Ames and, Mr. Rutherford, in the words now recited, I there adde. The conditional feafe of the Sacraments is made abfclute , by our putting in the condition of beleeving and this I take to be the meaning of the Directory , 'where di- ret?tion is given to pray to this purpofe. Make this Taptifm to The Infant a feale of Adoption, RemiJon of finne, Regeneration. and Eternal 'lfe and of all other promifes of the Covenant of grace. A feale it is '(as you rightly fay) of its own nature. It is needle Jf e therefore to pray (and will not beare a Trayer,) That it may be a Seale when it can be no other. The Prayer -then is, When it to a feale conditional of it Pelf, it may aí`lually and abfolutcÿ Peale chafe graces mentioned, to the Infant , Which interpretation of the Petition, that which immediately goes before clears_, that God would joyne the inward Raptifme of the Spirit with -the outward baptifine of Water. In cafe my anfwer had been in Mr. Baxters hand, when his Appendix came out, as he (ayes it was not, that he might have feen how I explained my Pelf : I fuppofe he would have Peen that in the refute of the whole I little differ from him, fo that I can fcarce fee, that when the matter is'brought'home, that I have in this Controverfie any adverfary. CHAP. VIII. God -in his Covenant with man, doth fo manifeft his free grace, that he ftill keeps up his Sovereignty. A Third Pofrtion,neceífary to be premifed, is, that God in his entry of Covenant With man in finne, dath fo manifeft his free grace, -that hePillkeeps up his Sovereignty, fo exalts -mercy that'he lofeth" nothing of his rule and authority; his chief aime is to ex- alt the
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