their life times For he gave him none inheritance in it no not to set his foot upon Acts 7.5 They lived not to enjoy it for their portion and though his seed after the flesh had it and dwelt in it yet that was but a little while Isai 63.18 whereas in the Covenant it is given for an everlasting possession Therefore sure the Glory of Christs Kingdom in it is the thing mainly promised and so in the restauration of all things they shall possess it even the spiritual Seed when made new and in a new and glorious way in the New-Jerusalem when become the joy of the whole Earth 2. Though these promises were fulfilled carnally out of his loins naturally Kings and Princes came and many of his natural Seed had and dwelt in the Land yet that would not make the Covenant to be carnal for if promises of carnal mercies in a Covenant make it carnal then the Covenant in Christ now is carnal too for therein also is the promise of this life as well as of that that is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Thence the Apostle Ephes 6.3 applyes that carnal promise of the Land of Canaan with a little alteration to children of the Gentiles now That thou mayest live long in the earth answers to that That thou mayest live long in the Land that the Lord thy God giveth thee Those temporal promises then cannot make it to have been a carnal Covenant no more then the adding of promises for the things of this life makes the Covenant in Christ a carnal Covenant Indeed the Mediation and Ministry of Moses as a Minister of the Old Testament given by him was exercised more immediately about those carnal promises as Deut. 28.1.14 As Types of the more heavenly things even as his Law was an injunction of typical carnal Services and ceremonial Observations Heb. 98 10. To which the Ministration of Christ and Mediation of better promises Heb. 8.5 6. is opposed as is evident throughout the Epistle and not to the Covenant and Promises made with Abraham to which Circumcision was first annexed 3. Though Circumcision obliged to the Observation of Moses Law when it was given yet as the Apostle tells us it was a seal not so much of the carnal promises as of the righteousness of Abraham's faith viz. That God would reckon them the Seed of Abraham and impute righteousness to them as to Abraham in so believing Rom. 4.11 12.23 So that the Covenant as circumcision was annexed to it as a Seal was rather as it was a Covenant of spiritual promises even as to such promises Baptism especially witnesses 2. The Seed of Abraham interested in and heirs of this Covenant are and were always not a carnal as such but a spiritual Seed Though a multiplication of his carnal seed also was promised in the Covenant as to his own particular yet the proper heirs of the Covenant in the righteousness of the faith that circumcision sealed were only a spiritual Seed the Sons of promise The Apostle is clear for this when he makes Christ the Seed to whom the Covenant or Promises were made and that is Christ personally and mystically Gal. 3.16.29 If ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise And so in Rom. 4.12.16 Abraham is Father not only of them that believe being circumcised but of those that are Gentile-believers of the uncircumcision also They that are of the steps of the faith of Abraham whether circumcised or uncircumcised they are the Seed and the promise is sure to all them And what more plainly then that in Rom. 9.6.8 That not all that are of Israel therefore are Israel nor because they are Abrahams seed are they therefore children but the children of the promise they are counted for the seed that is They that are born of the promise or grace of God held forth in the promise or Gospel of Christ For in his death and resurrection the promise is said to be performed to us that was made to Abraham Acts 13.32 33. There is no branch in the Covenant of Abraham sealed and confirmed to all the natural seed of Abraham as their proper legacy and portion that God would not fail to give them absolutely no not in the things that were but external the Land of Canaan was not the portion of them all nor enjoyed by them nor fruitfulness in issue c. It s true all the outward mercies that the natural seed enjoyed yea their very beings of his off-spring were parts of the faithfulness of God to Abraham and they themselves were in a part the fulfilling of the Covenant to him But those things that Abraham hath heirs in after the Covenant heirs of the Covenant promises were not to the Seed after the flesh but after the Spirit Christ and his members 3. That Covenant made with Abraham is the same that the believers of the Gentiles are under and it s performed in them and to them In them as his seed in Christ to them as God is their God and they his people and shall have the New-Jerusalem and Canaan with him as they are blessed with him in remission of sins and righteousness And this flows from the former For if they be his seed and heirs then inheritors of his blessings Gal. 3.14 And if not so then not his seed and heirs if what they enjoy or are interested in are other riches then those given to him Indeed this is peculiar to him That he is Father of us all that believe even of many Nations and so that Christ in whom the seed is chosen and begotten is his Son according to the flesh and was to come of his seed after the flesh Though in this latter the peculiarity is not his from all others for many of his seed also had it with him but from multitudes of his seed and others that had not so But the Scripture is express That the uncircumcised Gentile-believers have interest in the same Covenant in other things in that it calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same Body with the believing Jews and partakers of the promise in Christ graffed into the same root with them and partakers of the same juice and sap not of other but the same thence fellow-heirs and brethren Abraham being the Father of them all in respect of the Covenant Indeed the Administrations or holding forth of the Covenant and means for nurturing men up in the expectation and enjoyments of it in some beginnings were divers There the heirs were under the Law and all the seed of Abraham after the flesh were to be trained up in that way of bondage under types and shadows pointing to Christ but now under the Gospel-declaration in a plainer way and more spiritual with such Ordinances as are annexed and fitted thereto that Law of Ceremonies being accomplished so put to its period in the coming death of Christ Thence there is a difference
both of Gospel-preaching Ordinances now from what was then they having such as might nurture them to the expectation of the promised Seed the Son of God in his coming in the flesh we such as witness to him as already come dead risen and glorified and instruct to expect him coming in power and spirit 4. The Medium for begetting and bringing in sons to Abraham according to the Spirit was and is one and the same in substance though otherwise now then then in its declaration They were always born of the Gospel and not of the Law though nurtured under the Law both before and after And the Gospel was the same as preached to them and unto us the same in substance viz. That in Abraham and his seed all the Nations of the earth should be blessed not in the works of the Law but in him believed in To the which faith the Law shut them up taking away all possibility of life and blessing in and from themselves while it discovered their sins and shewed them their obligation under the curse for its transgressions Indeed then that Seed was preached as to come now as already come and perfected for saving us But always of that Gospel or Word of Gods free-grace were the true Seed begotten they were in all times the believers and not the workers for life and trusters in their works And the word of faith was always Jesus Christ or the Seed that is Jesus Christ who was yesterday to day and the same for ever These things being considered that difference before objected appears false and to spring from wrong apprehensions Thence the inference there-from follows not viz. That Baptism must be upon a spiritual Seed as Circumcision was upon a carnal both of them in their several seasons have been upon a spiritual and upon a carnal too Circumcision was upon a carnal seed in Ismael and all the natural Israelites upon a spiritual when a stranger joyned himself to the Lord in love to his Name Isai 56.3.6 1 King 8.41 42. And so Baptism was upon the natural carnal seed and not spiritual when the multitudes even the generality of the people were baptized by John chaff as well as wheat And upon the spiritual and not carnal seed in the Eunuch Cornelius and others of the Gentiles That inference springs from this wrong conception that the one and the other are seals of the Covenant as due to the parties signed with them which we have shewed before to be an errour Circumcision sealed but the righteousness of Abrahams faith held forth to them not the righteousness of each person circumcised and his enjoyment of the Covenant otherwise then upon condition of his so believing as Abraham did neither doth Baptism witness the faith of the party baptized or that he is an heir of promise but to Christ and the faithfulness of God in performing his promise in Christ that we are sinners in our selves and need cleansing otherwise not fit for fellowship with God but that there is in Christ a cleansing and propitiation made ready for us that he takes away the sin of the world and that whoso believeth in him turning from all other things to God by him shall meet with righteousness and forgiveness they are both of them Ordinances of the outward Court or of admission into the outward Regiment of Christs Kingdom in which men are to wait upon him for instructions and teachings to salvation and therefore it saith men should believe in him and having believed that they should yet go on to do so and they shall meet with a performance of the blessing of Abraham unto them The Baptism with the Holy Ghost is indeed upon the spiritual Seed only if we grant them in Heb. 6.4 5. to have been spiritually born sealing them up to the day of Redemption but the outward Baptism is not so limited it being a more carnal thing acted upon the flesh Nor say I that persons Infants or others are to be baptized upon this ground that they are in the Covenant and heirs of it in a proper sense but because Christ being Lord and Saviour hath salvation and forgiveness in him for them all and they are to submit unto him and be trained up for him that in minding and holding fast his sayings faithfully they may become heirs and inheritors of his Covenant and Kingdom as to that purpose we find John instructing the people that came unto his Baptism That they might be made meet to inherit with the Saints or to receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and be gathered into the Garner Luke 3.10 11 12 13 14. Matth. 3.9 10 11 12. And we find him baptizing Publicans Souldiers Pharisees Sadduces yea the generality of the people concerning whom he never saith That they were therefore the Heirs of the promise or Seed of Abraham according thereunto but exhorts them not to reckon themselves so because of their birth of him nor think because of their present Baptism that they were sure enough telling them his Baptism was but with water unto repentance or to instruct them that they should repent that he admitted one and other chaff and wheat that Christ to whom he witnessed and instructed them to look had the true Baptism that would indeed cleanse and renew them the Baptism of the Spirit c. The like we may observe of the Apostles baptizing the Gentiles That it was a bringing them into the house of God where the Feast is to be had into the society of those that acknowledge him come in the flesh and to be the Son of God there to attend the Kings coming to them and taking them into his banqueting Chambers Matth. 22.9 10. And he puts the difference between those that are made meet for the Feast by and in his Servants Ministration and them that are not and accordingly deals with them Indeed it s too low a conceit to think that an external Ordinance should seal an internal spiritual heirship That 's the work of Christ or Christ by the Spirit of promise When men in the Gospel hearing have believed and in attendance to such outward nurture as the external form of the Kingdom affords are brought into and made single for Christ then he seals them with his Spirit of promise and owns them for heirs as the Scripture witnesseth Tit. 3.6.5 Heirship follows his justifying by his grace which is met with and received by faith Rom. 5.1.9 and 1 Cor. 6.11 and then after that follows the Spirits sealing Ephes 1.13 14. Rom. 8.15 16. Indeed there is a double justifying washing and cleansing One Ministerial by men as when a Jew or Pagan turning in to the Doctrine of the Gospel to own it is washed by Baptism and therein ministerially acquitted and cleared from all his former idolatry so that the Church charges it not upon him as to their carriage towards him The other is Gods act when a soul in and through the Gospel throughly and cordially believing
is acquitted and owned of God Upon this second follows his sealing It s true the Jews with all their Proselytes were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the children of the Kingdom because in its outward Court or Regiment and because to them it was in the first place in its altered form to be tendred Matth. 8 12. And in this respect too they were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Children of the Prophets and of the Covenant that God made with Abraham Which signifies not only that they were the natural Seed of the Prophets and of Abraham for perhaps that they might not all be there might be many of them who had grown in with them out of other stocks by becoming Proselytes but all that were circumcised as they were were to have the Covenant first tendred to them and indeed conditionally made with them and they were under that part of it that afforded directions and means to them to become of the spiritual Seed viz. The Doctrine of the Messias and the salvation in him further explicated by the Prophets in their succeding generations and that added Doctrine for Precepts and Ceremonies for instructing unto him and for shutting them up in sin from all confidence in themselves that they might be forced to accept of him this they were under and children of and born and brought up in a way of nurture to seek after and look for its most glorious promises which in obeying the voice of God so as to have their hearts circumcised thereby to walk in the steps of the faith of Abraham they should also have had made good unto them as is clear to me in Jer. 11.4 6. where the Prophet calling upon the people to hear the words of the Covenant and pronouncing a curse to every one that obeyeth them not tells them it s the same he commanded them when he brought them out of Egypt saying Obey my voice and so shall ye be my people and I will be your God that I may perform to you the Oath that I sware to your Fathers to give them a Land flowing with milk and honey What more clear then that the Covenant of Gods being a God unto them and taking them for a people and the things absolutely promised to Abraham and his spiritual Seed were conditionally made and propounded to them that were the natural seed and family of Abraham yea and so he was also with them to protect and keep them yea to circumcise their hearts and draw them nearer to him while they were with him but in forsaking him and hardening their hearts against him he also withdrew from them from doing them good Psal 81.9 10 11 c. 2 Chron. 15.2 Psal 95.6 7 8. So that in this sence they were foederati in the Covenant it was held forth to them upon condition of walking in the steps of Abrahams faith and obedience of faith and they were taken in under the wing of the Almighty for the nurture of his Law and Doctrine with reference thereunto In which they were priviledged above all other peoples and distinguished from them they being an holy people to God and all others unclean to them unless proselyted to them and yet the seed of Abraham to whom the promises were properly made were as we have seen only the seed according to grace that walk in the steps of the faith of Abraham to them only God ingaged himself to give the righteousness of his faith that was sealed in the signe of Circumcision and not to any of them that mistaking the mind of God thought themselves Abrahams seed because born of his flesh and therein rested or because observers of the Law commanded for their instruction and convincement and there rested or sought righteousness therein Rom. 9.6 7.31 32. But now the promised Seed being come who is the heir of blessing and that brings it down to us and he having done and accomplished all those things in himself that those foregoing shadows of the Law pointed to concerning him they were now to have ceased looking to him and in stead thereof have come to him and his institution even all of them Mat. 23.37 as may appear clearly in this That those that rejected him were old and young infants and sucklings included in the punishment denounced upon rejecters of him viz. desolation and unchurching Matth. 10.14 15. and 11.21 22 23 24. Luke 19.44 And by this that when they shall come in the whole Nation shall come in together Isai 66.8 but now most of them refused him and his Kingdom Whereupon the partition wall of the legal ceremonial Ordinances being broken down in Christs death it pleased God rejecting them again to set forth his salvation unto all people and to send his servants with as full and large a Commission for bringing in all Nations into his house as before they had to invite the Jews that were forbidden Matth. 22.8 9. that so he might perform his Covenant and promise to Abraham in making him a Father of many Nations Thence that Command Go and disciple all Nations or all the Gentiles not circumcising them and subjecting them to the former way of nurture fitted for the times and ages before Christs actual coming but baptizing them and teaching them to observe all things not which Moses but which I have commanded you About which rejecting of the Jews and taking in the Gentiles that we may yet the better see whether all Infants were rejected from the external Court of Christs Kingdom or those only that were in tuition of those that actually rejected it let us 5. Consider a little that of the Apostle in Rom. 11.16 17. in which he compares Abraham Isaac and Jacob as having the Covenant Kingdom and Worship of God to a root and the members of that Church or people in that faith or profession to branches growing upon that root whereof some he says are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to nature born of them and brought up to that faith and profession Others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 besides nature by nature branches not only of other parents but originally or naturally springing and growing up under other Religions and so wild Now he tells us some of those branches were broken off through unbelief namely from unity with Abraham c. in the priviledges and blessings derivable unto men in and through the Covenant and Kingdom given them and from being owned of God as members of their Family and subjects of that Kingdom in which the faith and covenant of Abraham are rightly held forth and where Gods protection is ingaged and so from fellowship too with them that are thereof and therein and whom as yet God had not rejected and cast out there-from Which Subjects with their priviledges were of a double rank viz. 1. Those that are born of the faith of Abraham begotten unto God believers in him as he was and to them by vertue of the Covenant appertained the special presence and blessing of God
in justifying sanctifying owning peculiarly and absolutely as his people and making out himself to them as their God to eternal life 2. Such as were brought under the tenders of the Covenant with whom God was dealing and whom he was instructing to hear and listen to him and so conditionally holding forth the Covenant to them but not overcome as yet to be of his spiritual Seed to believe and walk in faith as Abraham did Yet to them he granted the liberty of his Ordinances and the Instructions held forth therein and therewith and such a dispensation of his presence and operation of his Spirit with them as in yeilding to which and following on after him therein they might be brought to the true Circumcision of heart in the spiritual knowledge of God and so to be of that spiritual Seed with much patience and goodness towards them with protection and defence of them against those who for their profession sake would harm them Psalm 81.9 10 11 Isai 48.17 18. and 5.3 4 5. The latter of these many of them not being by the operations of the Spirit vouchsafed brought to believe and to be circumcised in heart but contenting themselves with an outward profession after many rebellions of themselves and Fore-fathers were broken off from those ordinantial priviledges and operations and protection of God therewith afforded them and so from the way and means of participating of that juice and sweetness peculiar to the spiritual Seed much more from the enjoyment of those things themselves As many of them in their particular persons had been before-time more secretly and indiscernably for their miscarryings in the receipt of and subjection to the Doctrine held forth from Abraham and in his house broken off from liberty to the former who yet possibly might continue in the external profession and society of the Church owned by God unto their deaths so now after many desires to gather them and after their many resistings of the Holy Ghost the generality of them or the greatest part of their present springing branches with multitudes of their dependant twigs that is their posterity were broken off and unbodyed from the latter also his servants with their message being sent from them to whom God used formerly to send his Prophets to the Gentiles and not only the promises held forth to them but the Church-form-state and priviledges delivered to them And this is to be minded that the thing most evidently spoken to in this business of breaking off and graffing in is that Church-state which is more visible and outward with that presence and operation of Spirit that is suited thereto and not as some say The invisible state of the highest favour by election for that those broken off never had nor could those graffed in been in possibility to have lost as is intimated in that expression If thou that art grafted in dost not continue in his goodness thou shalt also be broken off But doth not that distinction of Branches that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Object and others graffed in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 natural and contrary to nature imply that there is a difference put between Jews and Gentiles as to their childrens having right of branchship the Jews were under the Covenant as they sprang up naturally from Abraham but the Gentiles only by election and inward gracious implanting by faith and spirit into Christ otherwise believing Gentiles children should be natural branches too Answ 1 The Covenant-state which the Jews naturally sprung up under was not that election to eternal life for to that only spiritual-birth intituled them they being in that regard by nature children of wrath as well as others and therefore concerning that the distinction into natural and preter-natural is not made 2. It s true that no Gentile or his children hath so immediate right by nature to branchship in this root as Abraham's natural Seed had No Gentile is of this tree or stock but by insition nor ever was in the times before Christ which insition is not tyed up to election and an inward gracious implanting there-from springing as the Objection sayes for as to the branchship in Church-state the Jews rather had that by election then any other people they being in that respect called an Elect people Deut. 7.6 7 8. and 10.15 And as for the eternal Covenant-state none are more or less naturally in that then other it being meerly by grace in which there is no room for fear lest they be broken off if the Doctrine of Election be not mainly mistaken It s plain that that which the one were broken off from the other were graffed in into and that from that there is supposed a possibility of some of those graffed ones to be broken again and its plain that unto that branchship in standing in actual and visible fellowship with Abraham in the institution and profession of the faith delivered to him as to its substance and so to the external Church-state and priviledges some came according to nature as born of him and brought up from their beginning therein as out of the true Olive spring naturally many branches that never were brought from other whereunto it though even of those branches all may not prove fruitful and so many be lopt and cut off and others by natural growth or birth spring not out of that root and stock but are taken out of other wild Olives and are implanted into this fellowship and thereby have union with and partake of the sap of the root Now those twigs which naturally shoot up from these latter are also in the same root with them from which they spring by vertue of their insition into it till some way broken off though neither they nor their branches from which they spring are originally natural branches to the root but branches by insition which this root naturally and originally did not produce And so in all ages the Gentiles were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ingraffed preter-naturally When a man became a Proselyte he became of that stock by faith by first believing the Doctrine either really or professedly and so by insition or adoption into that society or tree and by vertue of that insition all his children that sprung up from him while in that Stock or Church-fellowship at least became branches of it too but yet inasmuch as they sprung naturally from an ingraffed branch and not from the natural they were originally ingraffed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They have it naturally to be branches of that ingraffed branch and so they should have been had it stood in the wild Olive and never been translocated but they have it not by nature to be branches of this tree and such or so disposed as now that they have by vertue of their being twigs or branches of an insition between which and the natural branches as to right of participation of the juice and fatness of the root there is now no more difference Thus it was with the Gentile
is in thy Camp c. That thou shouldest enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God and into his Oath which the Lord thy God maketh this day with thee that he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself and that he may be unto thee a God as he hath said unto thee and as he hath sworn to thy Fathers to Abraham Isaac and to Jacob. Neither with you only c. but with him that standeth here with us this day before the Lord our God and with him that is not here with us this day To which clause the Apostle Peter seems to allude in saying And to all afar off c. Yea and one clause of that Covenant made with them and their children even their little ones there is expresly in their returning to the Lord and obeying his voice namely in listening to the great Prophet and to the word of faith as compare Chap. 30.11 12. with Rom. 10.8 9. To circumcise their hearts Deut. 30 6. and the hearts of their seed to love the Lord c. Which how is it done but by the giving forth his Spirit in his Church and Ordinances to them And what is it in substance but that in Acts 3.26 Vnto you first God having raised up Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from your iniquities Which though now at this time they almost generally rejected yet in their turning in again shall be performed to them and their children Mark 10.16 as he did actually give his blessing to those little children that came that is were brought to him 4. To that how this promise was to them and their children Let me say 1. Negatively Not so as it was to Christ who had actually and immeasurably received upon his Ascension the Promise of the Spirit in the man or nature of men to communicate to them in listening to and obeying him and who is the Store-house and way of making out all the promises of God 2 Cor. 1.20 So they neither had nor could have the promise to them or their children Nor if were the things promised absolutely theirs nor the promise as made in an absolute form so or upon such terms as that they must certainly and without fail receive the Holy Ghost and the Blessing of Christ whether they repented of their unbelief and obstinacy yea or no or were discipled to him and baptized into his Name or not for that would rather have undermined the Apostles counsel to them then have added strength to it making their Repentance and Baptism needless to them or their children Now many of them though called Chap. 3.15 children of the Covenant and though Christ was sent to them to bless them not hearkening to the great Prophet received not his blessing but were broken off and wrath came heavily upon them But 2. Positively and Affirmatively The promise was to them and their children because they were made by way of proposition to them and the proposal of them and so the promise or promises as so made were given to them and their children as their standing priviledge in which they were preferred before all people who in that respect were strangers to the Covenants of promise Ephes 2.12 and knew them not nor were born or educated up under the hope and in the way of enjoyment of them Thus their's was the adoption they were chosen to be a people nearer to God Exod. 4.21 22. and had his Name put upon them as the fathers name is on his child and God more especially owned and cared for them and they were born and educated in the Kingdom of God where his Blessing and Spirit was conversant for teaching and bringing them to be the children of God by faith and regeneration And so theirs was the glory they had the manifestations of Gods glory amongst them and were honoured above all other people theirs were the Covenants to them made with them left that they might be trained up in the knowledge of them So theirs was the giving of the Law and the Service or way of Gods worship and the promises they were promulgated to them and they were brought up under the hope of them being children of the Kingdom Rom. 9.4 5. 2. They were made as the choice things promised conditionally with them so as that they submitting themselves and training up theirs to and for God according to his will manifested to them by Moses and all the Prophets and now by the Great Prophet Jesus he would be a God to them and theirs Jer. 11.7 do all to and for them that was needful to be done of God for making them his people a people every way happy and so now sent his Son to them having died for them to bless them in turning away every one of them from their sins which blessing even the forgiveness of their former sins against him and wickedness against Christ in crucifying him and the Holy Ghost to be present with and bless them and theirs according to their several capacities if they would repent of their wickedness and every one of them be subject to his Government being baptized into his Name they should receive otherwise they to be cut off from the Congregation of God and from the Blessings promised them 5. By what hath been said It appears how or upon account the promise was to them and their children not in respect of any particular birth repentance or faith or the like in the sences even now cleared for this is asserted concerning them not by way of promise as something that should accrue to them by their repenting and being every one of them baptized only the things promised they should actually receive in so doing but as a motive and ground to move them to repent and be baptized Was it to them as they were pricked in their hearts for the same is affirmed of them in Chap. 3.25 that were not as then so pricked that we have any mention in the least of yea of those for whom the Apostle had great sorrow and heaviness of heart as actually rejecting their own mercies and not attaining the blessings promised yet theirs also says he are the promises Rom. 9.4 But as they were the seed or family of Abraham either lineally descended from Jacob as the natural Jews or adopted or proselyted thereunto as the Proselytes of the Gentiles and such as were here amongst the people that Peter preach'd to Acts 2.10 by vertue of Gods having called and chosen them the Family of Abraham Isaac and Jacob to be to himself an holy people Deut. 7.7 8 9. And so as they sprung from or grew upon that holy root that was holy by vertue of Gods call and account as Rom. 11.16 So they are called natural branches though by their actual unbelief after broken off So even their children were born to God and owned as his Ezek. 16.20 21. Children of the Kingdom and members of Gods Congregation or