comprehended in the visiblâ— administration of the Covenant Truly in thiâ— case the believing Jews might well be offendeâ— in a rational way with the new administratioâ— of the covenant Suppose a man in his former graâ—… or conveyance had his children included but noâ—… in a new grant they are left out and excluded will such a man be willing to give up his formâ—… grant and accept of the new grant or rather wiâ—… he not look upon it as a great infringement of hâ—… priviledge It is just so here if the Covenant noâ—… under the new administration do not externalâ—… belong to the Infants of believers as it did to tâ—… Infants of the Jews it may well be look'd on as a great infringement of their priviledge 2. Whereas our dissenting brethren say that the Jews indeed had this priviledge that their children were reckoned in the outward administration of the Covenant as branches of the Olive but the believing Gentiles have not this priviledge Is not this to abridge and straiten the priviledge of Gentile believers yea and of the believing Jews themselves with reference to their children who take hold on Christ and the Govenant now under the new administration thereof But let any man produce if he can one text or syllable out of the word of God where the priviledges of Believers under the Gospel are straitned and cut short touching their Infants visible right to the covenant and Church of God and the initiatory seal thereof Once the children of believers had this priviledge let it be shewed when and where it was taken away and abolished 3. Such as go about to deprive believing Parents of so great a share of their comfort in reference to their poor babes had need produce clear testimony out of Gods word to convince and perswade them because next to the glory of God and the salvation of their own souls their childrens interest in the Covenant is one of the greatest benefits and privileges which believers have from the Covenant of Grace namely to have their children visibly to belong to Gods family and kingdom and not to Satans children being a great treasure to their Parents and the salvation of their souls very dear and precious to them But 4. The Apostle Paul tells us plainly that the blessing of Abraham is come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ Gal. 3.14 Which shews that in this respect the priviledges of believing Gentiles are not lessened or abridged now under the new Testament administration what is this blessing of Abraham but Gods gracious Covenant and promise that he will be a God to us and to our seed If this covenant and promise belong not now to believers children in their Infancy then saints under the New Testament do not fully partake of the blessing of Abraham then are they deprived of a great and precious privilege which did belong to believers in the old Testament If it be said this blessing comes upon believers children when the children themselves believe the same may be said of the children of Pagans who when they actually believe may as well claim the promise to belong to them as believers children may when themselves do believe And therefore certainly this blessing of Abraham this covenant blessing doth include and not exclude the Infants of believers otherwise they had that advantage and priviledge before the coming of Christ which they have not since And shall we think that the Lord Jesus who is a propitiation for the sins of the world and hath broken down the partition wall that was between Jews and Gentiles who was so compassionate and tender-hearted to all sorts of people when he was upon earth did come into the world and die the cursed death of the cross that he might lessen and abate our privileges and comforts and the grounds of our hope touching the Covenant-interest and salvation of our poor Infants far be it from us to entertain such a thought Sixthly Consider further that the Jews themselves in the later days shall be converted to Christ with â—…ect unto and by vertue of the Covenant which was â—…e with their Fathers Rom. 11.25,26,27,28 â—…ere the Apostle saith That when the Fulness of the â—…iles is come in then shall all Israel be saved and this â—…ll be in respect of Gods Grace and love even his Coâ—…nted Grace and Love with their Fathers If the â—…dren of godly Parents be not in Covenant before they â—…ally believe according to the opinion of our disâ—…ing Brethren truly then there are two or three difâ—…ties in this eleventh Chapter to the Romans which â—…ot be answered nor cleared The first Difficulty is 〈◊〉 How God in the New Testament should convert the â—…erity of Abraham Isaac and Jacob out of his love 〈◊〉 their Fathers and with respect to his Gracious Coveâ—… made with their Fathers and yet no child is parâ—…er of Grace by the Covenant of his Fathers till himâ—… doth actually believe How can this hang together â—…ot Conversion and Faith here made a fruit and effect 〈◊〉 Gods love his convenanted love unto their Fathers and 〈◊〉 the Fathers sake unto their Seed Secondly If God â—…is Covenant hath no respect here to the natural Seed 〈◊〉 Branches as our Brethren pretend why then should 〈◊〉 Apostle Paul call the Jews the natural Branches of 〈◊〉 good Olive tree and make their Conversion much â—…e kindly and as it were more easie and natural than 〈◊〉 Conversion of the Gentiles was Thirdly if the â—…trivance of foederal interest from believing Parents to â—…ir natural children now under the New Testament be â—…yed and rejected how can the Apostles Argument here 〈◊〉 answered whereby he proves the Conversion and â—…iness of the Jews in future ages from the holiness of â—…ir godly Ancestors in times past If saith he the â—…ing away of the Jews was the reconciling of the â—…ld what shall the receiving of them be but life 〈◊〉 the dead Rom. 11.15 That there shall be such â—…ceiving of them he proves from the Holiness which 〈◊〉 the Institution of God is derived from the First â—…its to the whole Lump and by the Covenant of God from the Root to the Branches Verse 16. For saiâ—… he If the first fruits be holy so is the whole lump 〈◊〉 if the root be holy so are the branches The force aâ—… strength of this argument depends wholly on the Covenaâ—… of grace and the continuation thereof from godly pareâ—… to their natural children now in the days of the new Tâ—stament and this receiving or taking in of the Jews 〈◊〉 the latter days doth take in their children also by veâ—… of Gods Covenant made with their godly ancestors aâ—… accordingly it is prophecied and promised that the Jeâ—… shall be converted and their children also shall be as afoâ—… time Jer. 30.20 And that in Ezekiel chap 37. veâ—… 20.21,25,27 is very remarkable when the scatterâ—… tribes of Israel and Judah shall become as the two sliâ—… joyned in one in ecclesiastical respects the Lord wiâ—…