Infant Baptism of Christs Appointment, Appendix
AN APPENDIX.
HAving Evidenced the Covenant Intereſt, not only of Believers, but of their Infant ſeed, I may add two other Inferences thence.
Inf. 1. Then it is of great concernment to own the high priviledge and glorious advantage of Believers and their ſeed above all others in their Covenant Intereſt.
Some would deny this external Covenant Intereſt to be a priviledge, directly againſt Rom. 3. 1, 2. What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of Circumciſion? much every way.
It is then a high advantage, altho internal ſpecial priviledges be wanted, or be not actually enjoyed, as Juſtification, &c. for in that reſpect he expreſly declereth the Jew was not better, v. 9▪ 22. all are under ſin, and there is no difference. There is unſpeakable condeſcention in it, that God will admit any of his creatures into Covenant with himſelf, when he might have dealt only in a way of Prerogative and Soveraignty with them.
There are many priviledges and advantages of being even externally and viſibly in Covenant with God, as
1. The Covenant-ſtate it ſelf is agreat priviledge, above what others enjoy: for, it is a great miſery (Eph. 2. 32.) to be ſtrangers to the Covenants of promiſe. Being in Covenant, ſpeaketh ſome nearneſs to God when others are at a diſtance afar off, v. 13. argueth relation to him, Ex. 4. 21. and having the Kingdom of God nigh, Luk. 10. 9, 11. and 11. 20. in Ordinances and influences from the fatneſs of the Olive. Rom. 11. 17. 24.
2. Various Divine Promiſes believing Parents may act faith upon the Lord in for their ſeed above others: Gen. 17. 7. 8. Iſ. 44. 3. Iſ. 59. 21.—whereas the ſeed of the wicked are under threatnings, Pſ. 37. 28.
If it be ſaid, how doth God keep Covenant▪ then, ſeeing many of the ſeed of Believers prove wicked?
This is anſwered before; Abraham had an Iſhmael, and Iſaac an Eſau—who were viſibly in Covenant and under the token of it, yet God kept Covenant; but the Lord rejecteth▪ none till they caſt themſelves out of Covenant, as Iſhmael did and others may do, who are only externally in it, thus the Jews were externally in Covenant, as their priviledge, Rom. 9. 4. to them pertaineth—the Covenants, and many of them were bad and broken off, Rom. 11. 20. yet God kept his Covenant; ſo if ſome of the ſeed of Believers be wicked, yet God may keep Covenant.
And from theſe promiſes, Believers have a higher encouragement than others can have, to hope that their ſeed ſhall afterwards ſhare in Spiritual and Eternal Bleſſings, tho they be not regenerated and ſanctified for the preſent. As Monicha the Mother of that famous Auſtin, mourning for his ſinful courſes, [be of good cheer (ſaid a Miniſter) for it cannot be that a Child of ſo many Prayers and Tears ſhould periſh.]
Alſo they may be ſecured and delivered from many evils and temporal judgments, which others lie open to; God remembreth his Covenant for his, Ex. 3. 6, 7. Lev. 26. 41, 42. they are ſealed. Rev. 7. 2▪ 3. from hurt which others are expoſed to.
Inf. 2. Then the Govenant Intereſt of Believers and their ſeed, lay Parents and Children under powerful obligations to Duty and Caution.
Indeed every priviledge is improvable towards Duty eſpecially ſuch as this.
As to Parents.
1. Beware of degenerating or forfeiting your Intereſt in the Covenant: for, you forfeit not only for your ſelves but for your ſeed alſo, their right reſulting from yours. Thus not only the Jews were broken off, but their poſterity by their unbelief; and the ſin of Parents often hath dreadful conſequences to their ſeed; ſaith the Lord, Iſ. 14. 21. prepare ſlaughter for their Children for the iniquity of their Fathers. Often a keeping the Covenant or Commands is required, as Deut. 4. 40. and 12. 25. 28. that it may go well with their Children after them.
2. Be much in giving inſtruction and Counſel in the matters of the Covenant to your Children; leave not your poſterity ignorant thereof, Deut. 6. 6. 7. theſe words which I command and thee—thou ſhalt teach them diligently unto thy Children, Deut. 11. 19. and 32. 46. Eph. 6. 4.
3. Be much acting faith upon the Lord in the Covenant, and pleading that with him in Prayer for your ſeed; ſeeing he hath ſaid he would be a God to them as well as to your ſelves. Thus Abraham having a promiſe for his ſeed, he acteth faith and poureth out his Soul to God, Gen. 17. 18. even for Iſhmael, altho but externally in Covenant with him, and it was with good ſucceſs, v. 20. and as for Iſhmael, I have heard thee—
4. Be in a Submiſſion to the will of God in the diſtinction, which he maketh in the diſtribution of Covenant bleſſings; the Lord vouchſafeth to one, what he will not grant to another, Gen. 17. 19. My Covenant will I eſtabliſh with Iſaac. i. e. in the ſpecial bleſſings of it, not with Iſhmael. And afterward, when he was mocking, he was rejected, Gen. 21. 9. 12. yet God is quieting Abraham there; let it not be grievous in thy ſight.
This is difficult work for Parents to acquieſce and ſit down without murmuring complaints, when the Lord rejecteth ſome of their ſeed, who ſin, whilſt he communicateth his grace to others.
5. Be good preſidents and examples to your ſeed that are in Covenant; they are apt to follow your courſe, walk and converſation; and be good Copies or Patterns to them, for imitation in keeping the Covenant.
6. Lay your ſeed as much as poſſible under engagements for owning the Covenant: Eli a good Man reproved his Children, 1 Sam. 2. 24▪ yet not doing his utmoſt to reſtrain them from ſin, his houſe is ſeverely threatned, 1 Sam. 3. 13. 14. I will judge his houſe for ever.
If Parents do not what they can to reſtrain their Children from ſin it is greatly diſpleaſing unto God.
And God highly commendeth Covenanting Abraham, for commanding his Children and his Houſhold after him, to keep the way of the Lord, Gen. 18. 19. he would have us by Counſel conſtrain Children unto duty, as a way to mercy.
As to Children who are growing up.
1. Beware of truſting in your priviledge, or in being externally in Covenant, neither Children nor adult ones, are to take up their reſt in any outward priviledge, Mat. 3. 9. ſay not we have Abraham to our Father—
2. Beware of a rejection of the Covenant, as Iſhmael did, leaſt the Lord reject you as he did him; although your firſt Covenant Intereſt is by your Parents, know this will not always laſt, your ſtanding there afterwards, muſt be in your own right by taking hold of the Covenant.
It is indeed a difficult queſtion. How long are the Infant ſeed intereſted in the Covenant, upon the account of their Parents faith?
I think it is, till either the Parent or the ſeed do reject or caſt themſelves out of the Covenant; Iſhmael was circumciſed on his Fathers account, when Thirteen years old, Gen. 17. 25. but a certain number of years cannot be aſſigned as the determining rule for all, how long they are in Covenant upon the account of their Parents. There may be a difference herein as to years.
If early you reject the Covenant, you may early be caſt out, or when you are very young. And the Covenant may be rejected various ways, not only by rejecting of Jeſus Chriſt, through poſitive unbelief as the Jews did, Rom. 11. 20. but by acting contemptuouſly againſt the matters of the Covenant, as Iſhmael did mocking, Gen. 21. 9. how young ſoever, if you come to ſcoff or mock at Religion or matters of the Covenant, eſpecially if you be deſcended of Religious Parents, you are in eminent danger of being caſt out. And ſo by preferring carnal ſenſual enjoyments before Spiritual Bleſſings, as Eſau did, who in diſtreſs ſold his birthright for a trivial matter, even the gratifying a ſenſual appetite, Heb. 12, 16. as a profane perſon, he was rejected.
3. Set your Covenant Intereſt against all temptations to ſin; God hath impreſt ſomething of his name upon you, calling you holy; and then depart from Iniquity, 2 Tim. 2. 19. Do not act againſt the name of God and Jeſus Chriſt, which you are ſolemnly engaged for the owning of Mat. 28. 19.
You that are the Children of Believing Parents if you live in ſin, know you ſin at a higher rate than others, becauſe againſt the Covenant that you are under, as well as againſt your Religious Education; your ſin admits of higher aggravations than others, for you forſake the God of your Fathers, 2 Chron. 7. 22. and 24. 24. to aggravate the evil of Nabals doings, it is ſaid 1 Sam. 25. 3. and he was of the houſe of Caleb. The excellency of the Forefather Caleb increaſed the Sin of Nabal, he being a degenerate Plant.
4. Improve your Intereſt in the Covenant towards ſeeking an Intereſt in Jeſus Chriſt, and the Saving Bleſſings of the Covenant: He urgeth attendance unto the voice of that Great Prophet Jeſus Chriſt, Act. 3. 22. And it is from their being the Children of the Covenant, v. 25. Do not content your ſelves with being externally in Covenant in Parents Right, but ſeek a Perſonal Intereſt in the ſpecial Bleſſings of the Covenant.
5. Make your Covenant Intreſt a Provocation to Repantance; Act. 3. 19. Repent ye▪—Why? v. 25. ye are the Children—of the Covenant,—Act. 2. 38, 39. Repent—Why? for the Promiſe is to you.
6. Walk ſuitable to your Intereſt in the Covenant, in imitation of Abraham. When they pleaded they were the ſeed of Abraham, Chriſt reflecteth on them, becauſe they did not the Works of Abraham, Joh. 8. 39. O walk in the ſteps of the Faith of Abraham, Rom. 4. 12. Againſt Hope believe in Hope, that you may be bleſſed with Faithful Abraham.
FINIS.
A POSTSCRIPT.
TO prevent Miſtakes, know that page 3. runneth not upon my Principle, but is an Argument ad hominem; and the meaning is only this, that Infant Baptiſm is not expreſly forbidden, therefore either it is lawful, or elſe Scripture Conſequences muſt be admitted, which is undeniable.
ERRATA.
IN the Preface, page 4. line 5. blot out that. In the Book, p. 4. l. 14. for foreign r. foreign. p. 10. l. 5. for faederatiare r. faederati are. p. 24. l. 13. for myſtery r. miſery. p. 28. l. 12. r. Rom. 11. p. 34. l. 5. for yet r. yea. p. 38. l. 11. r. from being. l. 12. after limit for to r. and. p. 40. l. 16. for that r. the. p. 46. for te r. to. p. 69. l. 6. for are r. were. l. 22. 24. for may r. might. p. 78. l. 6. for in r. of. l. 22. for Arnon r. Aenon. ſo alſo p. 81. In the Catalogue, p. 1. l. 4. for Definitive r. Defenſive. p. 3. l. 21. for Sadbury r. Sudbury.