Clarke - BV4500_C46_1659_v1

Chap, i 7 about BaptiJ'me. Ib7 of Chrill Jefus. Its a feale ofthe bond, and mutual love, and fellowfhip, both of Chrifl with his members, and of hismembers one with another, i Cor. 12. 13. 7. Irs a Peale and pledge to affure us, that God will provide for us in' this life, r raife up our bodies to life at the larkday, and bellow upon us that everlafting Kingdom and Inheritance which he hath prepared for us, Mar. i 6. 16. Tit, 3. 5, 6, 7. 1 Pet. 3.21. Secondly, its a feale Of our duty promifed, and fo a fpurre, and provocation fI° to repentance, faith, new obedience, brotherly love , and unity, and that as 1. Its a fpurre to repentance andmortification : For Baptiime feales re- million offins to them only that repent, and as we expe& the bleffing, we mull fee that we perform the condition. 2. Its a provocation to faith, and a pledge thereof. We have Gods Promife under his hand and Peale, that he will wafh us from our iniquities, receive us for his children, remember our neceffities, andbellow upon us his Kingdom. Nov we much dishonour him, if we quellion his performanceof that which he bath fo freely promi fed and confirmed by Covenant andSeal. 3. Its an incitement tonew obedience, and a pledge thereof, Rom.6.4. we have folemnly fworn to fight againft thedevil, the world, and the fíelh : and ha ving taken preife-moneyof Jefus Chrifl, it were a foule fault CO accept of a truce with Satan. 4. Its a pledge or pawneof love and unity. We mull keep the unit, of the Spirit in thebond of Peace, for we are all baptized into one body. We muff not jarre, for we are brethren. Itsunnatural that the members of this myfti- cal body fhouldbe divided. See Ball on faith, p. 419. Heft. 6y what _Arguments may the lanfulneffc of Infant-Bapt:fate be proved ? 5nf Firtl, the Infants of believing Parents are under the Covenant of I. grace, belon;in, to Chrifls Body, Kingdome, Family, therefore are to partake of the feale of this Covenant, or the diflinguiihin badge between them who are under the Covenant ofgrace, and them who are nor. The whole Argument will be clearedby these five Conclulicns. 1. That the Covenant of grace bath alwayesbeen for the fubfiance one and the fame. z. That God will hare the Infants of fach as enter into Covenant with him, be counted his as well as their Parents. 3. God bath ever finte e fbrahams time, had a Peale tobe applied to fuch as enter into Covenant with him. 4. By Gods own orderthe feed, or Infants of Covenanters before Chrifls time, were tobe fealed with the Peal ofadmiilìon intohis Covenant, aswell as their Parenw. 5.Thepriviledges of fuch as are in Covenant fince Chtifts time, are as honoúr- able, large, andcomfortable both to themfelvesand their children, as they were before Chrifis time. That the Covenant was the fame for fubflance both to '_Tower and Gentiles. is proved, Fi-fl, by the Prophecies, where the fame things are promifd to the Gentiles, when the Gofpel fhould be preached to them, as Were firft promifed to Abraham and his feed. So Ter. 31. 33. Ifa. 59.21. feelz. 32. But more fully in the New Tefkament, Luke 1. 54, 55, 69, 70, 72, 73 Luke 2.31, 32. . (M'lat.21.41X43. Gal.3.S,14,16. Eph. z. t 3. to the end ofthechap. So Gal. 3.16. we finde three forts of eAbrabamsfeed. 1. Chrifi, theroot of the refl. z.All true believers, chap. 3.19. thefe partakeof the fpiritual part of the Covenant. 3. Such as were onlycircumcifed in the flefh, but not in the heart, Rom. 10.3. Y of

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