Gen. 17.23 Gen. 22. Gen. 18.19 For example God commanded Abraham to walke before him and be perfect This binds us as well as Abraham though Abrahams circumcision of himselfe and his family his purpose and endevour to offer up his sonne Isaac his commanding and teaching his children and houshold not onely in morall duties but also ceremoniall in respect of circumcision and sacrifices were parts of his walking before God and being upright yet we may not imitate him in those very particulars But in those duties required in the New Testament which are analogicall and proportionable to these as giving up our selves and ours unto God in the use of those Ordinances which he for the present hath appointed in denying our selves in our dearest comforts and bringing up our children in feare and information of the Lord. And so whereas God promiseth to Abraham to be his shield and exceeding great reward and his All-sufficient God we may apply these promises to our selves though our condition be not the same in all things with Abrahams though we be not in danger of having the nations to rise up against us for rescuing Lot c. So God promiseth to be God to Abraham and his seed and requires that he should lay hold on the promise by faith not onely for himselfe but also for his children and so give up his children unto God in circumcision which is a ground sufficient for Christian parents to lay hold on the promise of God for themselves and their children give them up to God God in baptisme notwithstanding some circumstances wherein the promise and command made to Abraham differ from them as they are applied unto us So God gave a command and a promise unto Ioshua I will be with thee Josh 1.5.6 to the 9. I will not faile thee nor forsake thee Be strong and of a good courage c. This promise and command we may and ought to apply to our selves in any worke that God calls us unto as if it had beene made unto us in particular Heb. 13.5 Though we be never made Captaines of hosts to goe against Canaanites or take possession of a promised land or be types of Christ the true and reall Ioshua or Iesus all which were peculiar to that Worthy yet the command and promise concern us as well as him as the Apostle in that place sheweth Else if you will not grant that we are bound to beleeve promises and obey commands made to Abraham or some other speciall persons unlesse we observe all circumstances and particular actions in obeying the command and jumpe with their estate in every particular qualification in receiving the promises you will deny that we have any thing to doe with any command or promise of God and so go about to overturne all the consolation of the faithfull and discharge them of all their dutie But seeing none I hope is so foolish as to follow such absurdities we may safely hold notwithstanding what you object that Abrahams promise for his children and command to circumcise them is a good ground for Christian parents to lay hold on the covenant for their children and to present them to God in baptisme Thirdly whereas you say As Abraham did what God commanded him so must we doe as he commandeth us and again we must baptize infants when we are commanded and not before Answ I hope your meaning is not that we must have immediate revelation from God as Abraham had for if untill then we sit still we shall never obey nor beleeve Otherwise so many as are the children of Abraham acknowledge themselves bound by Gods command to him to give up himselfe and his children unto God to doe the like though they have no new revelation from God neither are bound to observe all circumstances that Abraham was You bring us in objecting God gave to infants circumcision which was a signe or seale of the righteousnesse of faith and regeneration Gen. 17.11 Rom. 4.11 and we know God gave no lying signe nor sealeth a covenant to any persons that are not therein Therefore infants are in the covenant have faith and regeneration and so ought to be baptized now as well as circumcised then To which you answer It is true God gives no lying sign nor sealeth to any persons that they are in covenant when they are not and therefore seeing that Ishmael was circumcised after that God had declared and made it knowne that he was not in covenant Gen. 17.18 19 20 21. it must follow that circumcision was not by God ordained nor by Abraham understood to be to the persons circumcised a seale of their being in covenant and much lesse of their being in the faith and regeneration Wherefore Gen. 17.11 Rom. 14.11 which this objection is grounded upon of necessitie must be understood as it is applied by the Apostle to wit that circumcision received both upon himselfe and his seed was to him and to them a signe and seale that righteousnesse should be by faith Rom. 4. vers 3.11 12. to 24. Answ God doth not declare there Gen. 17.18 19. and cited by you nor any where else that Ishmael was not in covenant for though the covenant was established with Isaac so that he and his posteritie should continue in covenant untill the promised seed should come of his posteritie yet Ishmael was outwardly in covenant Gen. 17.10 11 12 13 14.23.25 untill he discovenanted himselfe Secondly whether is it fit that we should beleeve you or God himselfe speaking Gen. 17. and Paul interpreting that place Rom. 4. who had the mind of Christ and the Spirit of God you say that circumcision was not ordained by God nor understood by Abraham to be to the person circumcised a seale of their being in covenant much lesse of their being in the faith and regeneration though we say not that it was so God saith Gen. 17.10 11. This is my Covenant which ye shall keepe between me and you and thy seed after thee every manchilde among you shall be circumcised and you shall circumcise the fore-skinne of your flesh and it shall be a token of the Covenant betwixt me and you And Paul saith that Abraham received the signe of circumcision a seale of the righteousnesse of faith c. Let men judge whether of these two parties testimonies is more worthy credit Thirdly It is not to be questioned but those Scriptures Gen. 17.7 Rom. 14.11 must be understood as the Apostle applieth them But so farre is the Apostles application there from excluding or denying our interpretation of those Scriptures viz. that God ordained and Abraham understood circumcision to be a seal of their being in Covenant and so a seale of faith and regeneration to those that worthily used it that the Apostles application presupposeth this and therefore gathers because circumcision was a signe of the Covenant and a seale of the righteousnesse of faith that righteousnesse comes by faith not by workes Fourthly If the same was not the
it is the dutie of all that are beleevers children of Abraham and will be blessed in Abrahams seed that is Christ to imitate Abrahams example in laying hold on the covenant for themselves and their children and giving them up to God even in their infancie by requiring the seale of the Covenant to be administred unto them and not to loose any part of that inheritance that God entayled upon Abraham and his children seeing as it hath been proved it is no peculiar priviledge of Abraham to have his seed in covenant nor his peculiar dutie to lay hold on the covenant for his children but the common priviledge and dutie of all the faithfull You proceed Therefore though the promises were made to Abraham and his seed yet the consequence will not follow that the covenant is likewise made with all beleevers and their seed for beleevers onely are the seed and the seed onely and none of them a father in the Gospel sense nor any other save onely Abraham to whom and his seed the covenant and promises were made Answ First If the consequence will not follow Because God is the God of Abraham and his seed Therefore he is to all the faithfull and their seed how is Abraham a father of the faithfull and patterne of beleevers Or how will it follow that Abraham performed any dutie or received any priviledge Therefore all beleevers ought to doe those duties may receive those priviledges Secondly your reason that you bring for your deniall of our consequence is a bold assertion manifestly repugnant to plain Scripture as Exod. 20.5.6 Where God having laid downe the summe of the covenant vers 2. bindes his people to his true worship and to avoid Idolatrie with a promise of mercy unto thousands of those that should love him and keepe his commandements Now these thousands are meant of the godly mans posteritie as appeareth by the Antithesis of vers 5. visiting the sinnes of the fathers on their children unto the third and fourth generation c. Doth not this promise belong to all that are in covenant with God and are bound to the obedience of the morall Law and to the pure worship of God and abstinence from idolatry so Esa 59. last vers Act. 2.37 What is meant by Gods shewing mercy to a thousand generations making a covenant that his Spirit and word shall be continued to their seed and seeds seed that the promise is made to them whom the Lord doth call and their children but the same that God promiseth unto Abraham that he will make a covenant with him and his seed be a God to him and his seed So that this answer to your boldly-affirmed but never-proved assertion that to Abraham and his seed onely the promise was made may suffice to overthrow the inferences you bring thereupon and your absurdities that you would father upon us mingled with divers untruths as may appeare to any intelligent Reader not worth answering Onely that which you lay downe in the beginning For beleevers onely are the seed and in the conclusion Abraham hath not two sorts of seeds in the sense and acceptation of the Gospel Vpon which as upon a ground-work of all your reasoning is built that the rottennesse of the foundation being discovered it may appeare how easily the superstruction will come down of it selfe I answer therefore Answ We read in the Gospell or new Testament of three sorts of Abrahams seed First Christ is called his seed Gal. 3.16 Secondly the faithfull of what Nation soever are called his seed Gal. 3.29 Thirdly those who naturally desended from his loynes Iohn 8.37 2. Cor. 11.22 And in this last kind to be Abrahams seed was sufficient to intresse men to the outward Covenant and the seale thereof and the promise was made to Abraham Gen. 17. literally and properly in this last sense not in the first or second as is apparent by the text For with that seed God made the Covenant in Abraham and to that seed God became a God which was to be circumcised at eight dayes old in respect of the males as you say the females in the males But the natural issue of Abraham was to be circumcised at 8 dayes old in respect of the males in them the females See Gen. 17.7.10.11.12 for proofe of both propositions Therfore the naturall issue of Abraham is the seed to which according to the litteral and proper meaning of the Scripture God promises to be a God in Covenant And so it appeares to be false which you say that beleevers only were the seed of Abraham sith many naturally descending from Abraham and circumcised and so outwardly in Covenant were unbeleevers You add that wee say Infants were then members of the Church and demand when they were cast out to which you answer that they were cast out when the Iewes Church-state and old Covenant was abrogate by the comming of Christ and preaching of the Gospell and planting of other Churches farre different from that of the Iewes in many respects Answ But I hope Gods people are not so simple as to beleeve your bare words against Gods expresse truth though you were an Angell from heaven or an Apostle Gal. 1. â— much lesse being as you are discovered and to think that in former times indeed Infants were in Covenant with God but now are excluded that now all Infants of christian parents dying without actuall faith and under yeares of discretion must certainly perish as aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and out of Covenant with God that grace is so farre straitned under the Gospell in comparison of what it was under the law that whereas God was then a God to parents and to children even to many generations yea to the children of Proselytes Exod. 12.48 of what Nation soever now the holyest Christian parents can apprehend no benefit from the Covenant for their children at least till they come to yeares of discretion and actuall faith and till then must accompt them infidells and wholly under the power of the devill Is this to advance Gods Grace to extoll the Gospell and glorifie Iesus Christ Or rather is it not a tricke of the devill greatly to obscure and indeavour the utter extinguishing of the glory of Gods grace the virtue of Christs death the lustre of the Gospell and the comfort of a Christian all at once They that will hearken to such deceits as these let them make account at the last to be cheated of all grounds of comfort in Gods word Act. 2.39 Doth not the Apostle say the promise is to you and your children and to them that are afarre off c. when the Iewes Church-state and old Covenant were abrogated But let us come to consider the many respects wherein you say that the Church of the Gospell differs from the Iewish state or old Covenant whence you would prove that Infants are now cast out of Covenant wherein because you repeat for substance some toyes and
their externall confession of sinne and profession of faith and repentance they shewed themselves to be externally in Covenant and so to have right to the outward seale which they therefore administred to one as well as to another So though we are not bound to think that all the children borne of parents in covenant are or shall be sanctified yet because they are outwardly in covenant and under the promise which promise God makes good as seemeth good in his eyes therefore the Minister that is not to judge of the inward worke of sanctification on the heart whether present or future but of the outward estate neither if he could discerne the inward estate might he withhold the outward priviledge from any though wanting inward grace that hath right thereunto by being under covenant outwardly may and ought to administer baptisme to the children of all Christian parents under his charge that requires it so long as by wilfull Apostasie from the faith or just excommunication wherein they obstinately continue they with their children are not discovenanted Obiect If any should object That those promises of the Spirit or Gods teaching c. made to the seed of the faithfull to all both small and great c and the promise made to the faithfull and their children belong onely to the spirituall seed of the Church viz. those that are borne againe in the wombe of the Church Answer I Answer 1. These promises made to the Christian Church are like to that promise made to the Iewish Church Deut. 30.6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God Now this they were to understand not onely or principally of Proselytes that should be converted to the Church nor onely of their posteritie when they came to the use of reason but even of Infants as may appeare in that God appointed them to circumcise their Infants For circumcision of the flesh was a sign of circumcision of the heart which if infants had not been capable of God would not have commanded the outward signe to have been administred unto them And so these promises made to the Christian Church to their seed to their seeds seed to their children from the least to the greatest appertain to infants in the Christian Church as well as others The universall note being understood De generibus singulorum not de singulis generum as they say of all sorts sexes ages and condition some though every individuall of all sorts be not comprehended therein And therefore Baptisme sealing such promises belongs to Infants in the Christian Church as well as circumcision did in the Iewish Secondly I answer It is absurd to understand these promises onely of the spirituall seed as if they belonged only to the regenerate For what is it to be taught of God and have the Spirit powred but to be converted or regenerated and drawn to Christ so that by this interpretation the meaning of these promises should be this much I will powre my Spirit on whom I have or shall powre my Spirit and they shall be taught of God that are or shall be taught of God It is true God may here well promise a greater measure of the Spirit and illumination where he hath given some measure But withall it is certaine here is promised the Spirit and illumination also to those that are quite destitute and so to such as are not yet the spirituall seed of the Church Thirdly I answer What matter of consolation can this be to beleeving parents if not withstanding their prayer for and religious education of their children none of these or the like promises belong to them but onely to the spirituall seed of the Church that is such as are already converted and declare their conversion by actuall faith What ground of prayer for or hope of the salvation of their children have they more then of the Heathens if this be admitted 2. Argument If Governours of families upon their beleeving and tendring up themselves and theirs to God and Christ were not onely themselves baptized but all the persons in their houshold and which were under their government of what age soever were baptized also so that where there is no mention of preaching to or the beliefe of any but the Governours themselves yet their whole housholds were dedicated unto God in Baptisme Then it is lawfull yea a dutie to Christian parents to tender their children being part of their family unto God in Baptisme and Ministers have good ground yea ingagement for baptizing such But Governours of Families upon their beleeving and tendering up themselves and theirs unto God and Christ were not onely themselves baptized but all the persons in their houshold or which were under their government so that where there is no mention of preaching to or the beliefe of any but the Governours themselves yet their whole housholds were dedicated unto God in Baptisme Act. 16.14 15 and 31 32 33. 1 Cor. 1.6 Therefore it is lawfull yea the dutie for Christian parents or governours of families to tender their infants which are part of their houshold unto God in Baptisme and Ministers ought to baptize such being tendred of their parents The Major needs no confirmation it being granted by all yea by the Adversaries themselves as I conceive taken for an undeniable principle that the Apostles example in baptizing is a sufficient warrant for us and that such are to be admitted to Baptisme now as were admitted by the Apostles For most of their reasoning is grounded hereupon and they hence condemne our baptizing of Infants because say they it is not agreeable to the practise of the Apostles so that that Baptisme which is agreeable to the Baptism of the Apostles is warantable by their own grants and so the sequele standeth firme and good If in the Apostles times whole families of beleeving governours were baptized they ought so now and so consequently the infants of those families which are parts thereof if there be any such For as Abraham and his Family was a pattern unto all such as should enter into the Covenant of grace during the time of circumcision that as he and his Family were circumcised so should all whether of his posteritie or proselytes circumcise all their Males even the babes So those primitive Converts that were the first fruits of the Gentiles and when they beleeved were baptized with their whole families are examples for the beleevers of all Ages to follow in consecrating themselves and theirs to God in Baptism As for the Minor those places of Scripture cited prove it Act. 16.31 32 33. To the Iaylour demanding what he should doe that he might be saved Paul and Sylas answer bidding him beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ promising that he should be saved and his houshold Teaching that the beleefe of a father or governour of a family is sufficient to bring a whole family that is at his disposing and to be ruled by
tenets practise and worship and not take them up meerely of custome because they are generally received But it is not safe for people to leave the Ministery of the word and hearken to none but those that wil humour them in their opiniōs say as they say It is an argument that peoples opinions and practises are workes of darknesse when they refuse to come to the light to have them tryed How miserably may Satan and his instruments abuse silly soules if they can perswade them to come into no company but such where they may be confirmed in their errours I would intreat such to take heede lest being drawn to renounce their Baptisme received in infancie which is the drift of these men by perswading them that it is no Baptisme and keeping their Children unbaptized they cast themselves and their posterity out of Covenant reject God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost to whom they were consecrated in Baptisme by their parents and so cast away their Christianity their soules and salvation all at once and not onely their owne but their posterities too It cannot but bee very offensive to God whereas he hath offered himselfe to be our God from our infancy and taken us into his family having made the promise and covenant to our parents and us their children and sealed the same Covenant to us and really bestowed on us at least some of us and is ready to bestow on us all if we be not wanting to our selves what was in Baptisme sealed namely remission of sinnes regeneration and the spirit of adoptions if all this notwithstanding we shall hearken to the enemy of Gods glorious grace and our soules greatest comfort perswading us that neither wee were in Covenant with God in our infancy by vertue of the Covenant made with our parents neither our children in any better condition then the children of Turkes and Pagans untill the time of actuall faith If we set so little by Gods ancient mercies conveyed to our parents and us successively for many generations according to his mercifull promise and covenant let us take heede lest wee provoke him to cast us off and give us over to strong delusions because we have followed lying vanities and forsaken our owne mercies Secondly seeing the children of the faithfull have right to the promises of those blessings which are sealed in Baptisme and not onely the beleeving Governours of families themselves but also the whole families were baptized the children of the faithfull are holy within covenant and have right to Baptisme as well as infants in the Iewish Church had right to Circumcision upon which and the like grounds it hath beene proved that they ought to be baptized This should call upon Christian parents that have or shall dedicate their children to God in Baptisme and all the posterity of the faithfull that have beene consecrated to God in their infancy by Baptisme both highly to esteeme this priviledge and ancient faederall mercy of God so that they doe not suffer themselves to bee cheated of it by impostors And so thankfully holily and fruitfully to use it that it may be a meanes to strengthen their faith and confirme them in the assurance of Gods love and a speciall spurre to holinesse and curbe to restraine from profanenesse and by all meanes take heede of so abusing it that it should be an occasion of Gods dishonor by causing this holy ordinance to be blasphemed the offence stumbling of others and their own greater condemnation And this they should the rather look unto First because so many Christians by profession bring their children to baptisme meerly of custom neither regarding the grounds on which nor the end for which nor the manner how they ought to do this neither considering the mercies which God offers to them and their children in this sacred ordinance nor yet the duties whereunto they and their children are herein obliged as if Gods ordinances whereunto he cals us the priviledges which he bestowes on us and the duties whereunto he bindes us were but matters of fashion or sport And in like manner many when they come to yeares of discretion no more regard their baptisme then a trifle hardly so much as inquiring why they were baptized Secondly because as the Apostle said of circumcision Rom. 2.25 that it became no circumcision if men kept not the Law so may I say Baptisme becomes no baptisme to those which walke not according to the Gospel Let us not thinke that the meere worke done makes us sufficient Christians If men perswade themselves they may live ignorantly profanely and carnally and yet hope to be saved because they have been baptized let them read 1 Cor. 10. vers 1. to the 12. for confutation of their errour and discovery of the dangerousnesse and damnablenesse of that opinion Thirdly as the name of God was blasphemed by the Gentiles through the vicious lives of the Iews Rom. 2.24 who were by circumcision consecrated to God and made his people by profession so is God and Christ blasphemed and this holy Ordinance of Baptisme spoken evill of by occasion of the wickednesse of many that have beene baptized For not to speake of the blasphemy of Turkes Pagans and Papists cast upon the Christian Religion for the profanenesse of Protestants doe not we heare that some hence make bold to speak evill of the Baptisme of Children as if it were the cause of all profanenesse and impietie that is in the Church which though it be a most false calumnie and I know not how it can be excused from blasphemy For are not many of those that were baptized in infancie pious wise and garcious Chrstians How can baptisme then in infancie be the cause of profanenesse seeing where the cause is it produceth the effect Were not there among the Iewes as many profane ignorant and disordered persons as among us shall men say that circumcising their children in infancie was the cause of it that were plaine blasphemie Was there not notorious profanenesse in the Primitive Church as among the Corinthians c. Was baptisme whether of infants which yet I thinke they will not say or of professours of faith and repentance the cause of it This imputation a Christian eare will abhorre Is not the word of God a savour of death and occasion of hardning to some the Sacrament of the Lords Supper an occasion to some of temporall and spirituall judgements Yet what Christian dare say that these are the causes of sinnes in the Church Yet I say though this be a false and wicked imputation that the baptizing of infants is the cause of evils in the Church let them looke to it that give occasion of such blasphemy Fourthly all Christians should be stirred up the rather to make a good improvement of this priviledge of Christian parents in having God not onely for their God but also for the God of their children and so of the baptizing of their children because we see Satan
so busie to rob them of this most comfortable doctrine and precious priviledge concerning childrens being in covenant by vertue of the covenant made with their parents and so to drive Christians to renounce their baptisme received in infancy and disswade them from tendering their children to God in baptisme and so to overthrow a maine ground of our comfort in Gods ancient love to us and a speciall motive to obedience Fifthly in a word If we doe not prize and profit by this ancient love of God to us which he hath shewed us from our birth in taking us into externall covenant wherein he is ready to bestow the internall blessings If we doe not take God for our God repent of sinne and beleeve in Christ according to the obligation of the covenant of grace that was sealed to us in baptisme If the baptized doe not give up themselves to God actually in their own persons when they come to yeers of discretion And if parents be not carefull to bring up their children whom they have presented to God in baptisme we must know that all these mercies of God offered unto us all the professions of faith and obedience we have made will rise up in judgement against us and increase our condemnation above the condemnation of those that never were in outward covenant Other men are not so fast tied unto God as we that are baptized who are now no more our owne but Gods tied unto him by covenant which if we breake it will be to our greatest perill If it be demanded wherein this dutie of highly prizing and holily improving this priviledge of baptisme in infancie consists I answer First we should labour to be well instructed and settled in the grounds of this action viz. baptizing infants which are Gods gracious covenant and promise c. as hath been shewed before that we may give a reason of our being baptized in infancie That seeing our priviledge bestowed by God we may not suffer our selves to be sophisticated out of it by any so as to be driven from our hold in the covenant of mercy which God hath made to us and ours To this end we should solidly study the doctrine of Grace and of Baptisme and those Arguments that have beene before handled The reason why we so easily be driven by temptations from faith and obedience duties and priviledges is because we doe not well meditate on and throughly digest the grounds thereof But when we are well and throughly perswaded on Scripture grounds that this is a dutie enjoyned and a priviledge bestowed by God we shall see there is cause to contend for the faith delivered to the Saints Iud. 3. Secondly let parents looke that they offer up their children to God in baptisme with faith prayer and unfeigned purpose of heart to consecrate them wholly unto God And that they may make it appeare that they doe so indeed let them look that they give up themselves unto God in holy obedience repentance and faith praying earnestly for their children and when they be capable of instruction let them give them good example bring them up in the feare and instruction of the Lord putting them in minde of the covenant whereinto God hath taken them and use all holy meanes to bring them to actuall faith and holinesse and let them know that this is a necessary dutie required at their hand whereunto at least implicitly they obliged themselves when they tendred their children to baptisme wherein they may not be negligent without grievous sinne of disobedience to and mocking of God and most heinous injurie and dangerous hazard to their owne and their childrens soules Deut. 6.7 Prov. 4.4 Ephes 6.4 Thirdly all those that have beene baptized remembring that now they are not their owne but given up to God in the covenant of grace and solemnly tendred to his Majesty in this sacred Ordinance of Baptisme in the presence of the Angels and the congregation of the faithfull which act of their parents was not arbitrary but necessary and that whereunto they were absolutely bound by Covenant viz. to take God for their God and the God of their children and give up themselves and their children to God All Christians I say considering this that they were given up unto God in baptisme and that God graciously tooke them into covenant and admitted them into his family before they knew the right hand from the left must so soone as they are able to doe a morall act give up themselves unto God in their owne persons voluntarily and gladly assenting unto and ratifying that covenant which their parents entred into in their behalfe seeing it is not now in their owne choyce to be of what Religion or conversation they will They are bound to be Christians and Saints and that not onely by vertue of the creation preservation and redemption which God hath wrought for men but also by solemne promise vow and covenant Insomuch as those who having beene baptized live in wilfull ignorance superstition unbeliefe profanenesse covetousnesse following the lusts of the flesh continue all that while in most treacherous breach of covenant and rebellion against God whose servants they have bound themselves to be and yet serve his sworne enemies namely the devill and their owne lusts So that they have not onely forfeited their bonds and deserved for ever to be deprived of all those glorious and incomprehensible benefits contained in the covenant of grace but also have deserved to be dealt with as perfidious Apostates and traiterous revolters from their Lord and King Which breach of Covenant though the Lord will not impute to those which seasonably heartily and sincerely repent when they come to see what they have done for they are in a covenant of grace which admitteth repentance yet when people come to consider how they have sinned against God in this kinde must be the more humbled by this consideration that so many yeares after they were consecrated unto God they dealt traiterously and rebelliously against him and for the future be the more carefull to redeeme the time and by so much more diligently and zealously to honour him for ever after by how much carelesse and loose they have beene before But they that doe not thus repent and take care to keepe touch with God shall know to their woe Gal. 6.7 that God will not be mocked and that it had been better many waies never to have beene baptized or heard of the covenant of grace Eccles 5.4 5. 2 Pet. 2.21 then to live wickedly and impenitently in a profession of Christianitie Let Christian parents whet these and such like considerations on their children yea let all Christians from the youngest that are capable to the oldest whet them on themselves and one on another that they may be stirred up to give up themselves wholly and really to God Fourthly whensoever Christians finde themselves tempted to sinne or drawne from holinesse inclined to loosenesse or backward to good duties