rested upon I shall here lay down Two Positions that shall conclude this present Matter in hand 1. That as God by the Election of Grace doth make the distinction among the Natural Seed of Covenanters with God accordingly is their Childrens participation of the Promise The Elect have the Promise in the extent the other in the external part only which in it self is a Priviledge and a great Advantage There might have been given great Instances of this in Abraham's Family and others but I forbear and shall not need to stand upon it There is the Elect Isaac the Covenant was establisht with him in all its Spiritual and External parts and Ishmael the Son of a Bond-woman in covenant and must be circumcised too and participate of the Seal and become a great Nation and have a Standing till his time come to be cast out 2. That there is great ground and very good foundation for a Parent in covenant with God to pray and to hope for the accomplishment of the Covenant in the extent of it Pious Parents in covenant with God should labour to lay hold upon the gracious Promises thereof and put them daily in suit at the Throne of Grace pleading of them for their poor Children with God Ay and this should be done with a great deal of hope and that partly because the Purpose of God is secret and not to be the Rule of our Covenant-Duties and the Promise is open in the full and ample Extent of it and also because Gods gracious Promise is so full copious and comprehensive as to be the God of the Seed of those Parents he hath highly gratified and graced in taking them into covenant with himself which Faith ought in the largest sence to take hold upon and swallow down and to be warmly and comfortably exercised about the inward spiritual and eternal Blessings of the Covenant for Children But somewhat more of this if the Lord please in the Use of this Doctrine Thus much for the first General Thing Viz. The opening of this Point Now we come unto the II. General Head proposed in my Method which is to offer some Demonstrations to Evince the Truth of my Doctrine and so we shall insist upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this Great Truth 1. This hath ever been Gods way in covenanting with his People this way God hath observed ever since the Fall yea this was the way that he took in the first Covenant that ever was concluded between him and Man viz. The Covenant of Works that he made with Adam in innocency in his perfect State Adam and all his Posterity were strictly included in that Covenant so that as it fared with him it was to be with all that were to descend from his Loyns or all his Seed he falling all fell in him and with him Upon his Fall the blessed Covenant of Grace that was eternally provided through Christ the great Channel of the Grace of God took place and was published with Gods own Lips Gen. 3.15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel Here we have the Seed immediately comprehended this I take to be the very same Covenant for substance that was made and more fully explicated confirmed and established with Abraham where was the first emanation and springing forth of the inexhaustible Fountain of Grace through a Covenant for apostate and trembling Adam who was capable of no other Covenant in that his miserable State It was only naked and pure Grace that could support him from sinking into eternal desperation and destruction Ever since the Fall of Man God hath been pleased to gather a Church and People to himself by covenant and he evermore hath taken in the Children with the Parents when ever he hath made a Covenant with a Family with a People and with a Nation he never excluded and shut out the Children and Seed accounting the Children to be of that Family People or Kingdom This might be abundantly proved were it needful We have fully seen it in the Lords covenanting with Abraham taking in all his Natural Seed with him a famous and obvious Instance hereof we have in Deut. 29.9 10 11 12. One would think that this should for ever silence the Opposers of this Truth Here we have the Adult and all their Little Ones standing before the Lord to enter into covenant with him the Little Ones were confederate with their Parents and entered into covenant in and with them thus when the Covenant was carried over to the Gentiles Children were still involved as in our Text Acts 2.39 For the promise is to you and your children And so it shall be unto all that are afar off when they shall be called and brought home unto God they shall come with their Children with them and enter into covenant with the Lord Rom. 11.17 19. If here Children of the Gentiles be not taken into the Covenant with the Jews in the place of those that were broken off then there would be no Analogy or Proportion between the rejection of one and the acceptation of the other 2. Demonst This hath been Gods way in his conveying all saving Good unto the Elect this is Gods ordinary way of communicating unto the Salvation of the Infants of Believers they being actually in the Visible Church and in covenant with God out of which ordinarily no Salvation can be expected and hoped for All the Promises that be made to Infants of any Spiritual Blessing conducting to their Eternal Happiness are lodged in the Covenant and the Promises are the Instruments of the Spirit of God in its great Covenant-work of distilling and infusing Grace into the Hearts of the Elect dying Infants Even before the World began God ordained and instituted all Good to be conveyed to us in a way and by vertue of a Covenant therefore 't is called the everlasting covenant and the everlasting gospel Heb. 13.20 Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus the great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant Rev. 14.6 And I saw another angel flie in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell upon the earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people This everlasting gospel I think may here be though not exclusively yet eminently meant the Everlasting Covenant of Grace through which in the preaching of it is transmitted all saving Good to all the Elect in all the Nations Kingdoms Kindreds and Languages in the World Nay Christ himself that unspeakable Gift is all the Elects both Infants and Adult in a way of a Covenant Isa 42.6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness and will hold thine hand and will keep thee and give thee for a covenant of the people and for a light of the Gentiles His Blood is the Blood of the
Prodigy to me that any should Assert that the Covenant that God made with Abraham was a Covenant of Works and yet Circumcision was the Seal of it for so it is expresly commanded of God to be as we have seen Did we ever read of this Seal amx'd to the Covenant of Works No in the perfect state that Man was in when God enter'd into a Covenant of Works there was no need of nor occasion for this Sacrament or Seal Let us but a little consider the Uses and Words of this Seal and we may see that that must be a Covenant of Grace to which it is affix'd as a Seal for either it holds forth our need of Grace or the merciful provision of Grace prepared for us I shall only mention a very few Particulars 1. This doth intimate unto us that vile polluted State of Sin that we were conceived and transmitted into the World in This may give us the knowledge of our undone State by Nature how God may loath and abhor us for ever The cutting off of the Fore-skin of the Flesh discovers the filthiness of our Flesh and how by Sin we have forfeited our selves and all into the hands of Justice that we be filthy and guilty Sinners 2. This sets forth the gracious Purposes and Intentions of a merciful God to wash and to cleanse and to sanctifie us by his Grace and by the Blood of Sprinkling The Blood that did follow the circumcising Instrument did clearly signifie that therefore cleansing and sanctification are set forth by Spiritual Circumcision When God doth graciously promise to wash and to sanctifie he doth promise to circumcise the Heart Deut. 30.6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul that thou mayst live Col. 2.11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ viz. By the Sanctification of the Blood and Spirit of Christ Phil. 3.3 For we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit We have the inward Spiritual Circumcision of the Heart which was graciously signified by that Seal of the Grace of God belonging to that Covenant of Grace the Lord was pleas'd to make with Abraham and his Seed 3. To denote and set forth the need we have of the Blood of Christ to justifie us and that God would justifie us through his Blood And this Abraham had a special eye unto and his Faith was firmly fix'd upon after God had made this Covenant with him and his Seed and fix'd this significant Seal unto it This might be evidenced by many Scriptures Rom. 14.1 2. In many Verses in that Chapter therefore it is that Circumcision is called a seal of the righteousness of faith of that righteousness that is apprehended received and applied by faith certainly then that Covenant that hath such a significant gracious Seal added unto it can be nothing less or else than a Covenant of Grace 7. Reason To prove that this was a Covenant of Grace may be the great Result and Period of it which is no less than Heaven this is obviously implied in the comprehensiveness of this Promise we have here Gen. 17.7 I will be a God unto thee and unto thy seed after thee I will be a God unto thee and all thine Elect Seed for ever I will be a God to love thee to provide for thee to be with thee and with my self eternally to reward thee How vain and frivolous is our Challenger in Asserting that this Covenant made with Abraham was not a Covenant of Grace Because the great Promises of it were outward Blessings and the greatest of all was the Land of Promise Canaan What is not that a greater Promise for God to promise himself to be a God to Abraham and his Seed Is not an Infinitely Glorious and Blessed God better than Canaan than all the Canaans and Paradises in the World yea than thousands of Worlds But further to see the ignorance of this Man in the Scripture and in such Expressions which denote a higher good intended by God than what they themselves may import as this Promise is explained in the New Testament When God did make the Promise of an Earthly Canaan to Abraham and his Seed he did ultimately intend a better Land than this viz. an Heavenly one when the Lord doth promise this Canaan he doth promise Heaven which this was a Type of the main thing and good that the Lord design'd for his People by this Promise was Heaven and that they should be eternally saved Abraham did so understand it and others of the Fathers and so set their Hearts upon and rais'd up an Expectation of that blessed City and Country that was above that what they had here were but dark Shadows and cloudy Representations of what was to come Heb. 11.10 13 14 15 16. 8. Reason To prove that the Covenant made here with Abraham was a Covenant of Grace is viz. Because of that Obedience the Lord did both require and accept at the hands of Abraham in this Covenant There was Obedience and there was Service that the Lord did command and expected from Abraham this will determine whether this be a Covenant of Works or of Grace If it be a Covenant of Works it requires nothing less than perfect Obedience nothing short of it will or can be accepted therein as it was in the Covenant made with Adam Do this and live I but now here in Abraham's Covenant the Lord doth call for and accept of sincere and upright Obedience as in Gen. 17.1 2. And when Abram was ninety years old and nine the Lord appeared to him and said I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect viz. right or sincere And I will make my covenant betwixt me and thee Every one knows that though Abraham for Grace and walking with and obeying God was an excellent Man yet he was not a sinless perfect Man he had the perfection of sincerity but not a sinless perfection such an one as Adam had in Innocency In this Covenant Abraham did walk before God he did please God and he was accepted by God in vertue of this Covenant which could never have been had it not been a Covenant of Grace that had Christ to be the Mediatour of it in whom he believed and found acceptance Thus Beloved I promise my self that I have given you such Reasons to prove that this Covenant was of Grace which the Lord made with Abraham and his Seed for an Everlasting Covenant as cannot well be denied 2. Quest Whether some only or all the Children of Believers are in this Covenant of Grace with their Parents Whether this Covenant doth inclose and impale them all or not Answ All they that are the Seed of the Faithful the Lord takes into this Covenant with their Parents
God doth not take some or many but all they be all in Covenant with the Lord until they eject themselves When the Lord made this Covenant and took Abraham into it he took all his Seed with him Cain was in covenant as well as Abel and Ishmael as well as Isaac though some have from Electing Love and Special Grace a greater Blessing from the Covenant than others as you will see presently This Covenant runs to Abraham and his Seed and to his Seeds Seed Let not us curtail and contract Gods Covenant and confine it to narrower bounds than ever the Lord design'd There be some Men that talk great Words of the Grace of God and yet in the mean time are great Enemies to the copiousness and amplitude of it largely expressed in his Covenant 3. Quest Some may say How can that he that the natural Seed of such that be in covenant should be in covenant too Do not we see by sad experience that many of the Children of pious Parents prove very profane and wicked What do you hold falling from Grace Here is a Rock that many mistaken Persons do split themselves upon in respect of falling into Errour in this Affair and many through ignorance do stumble upon Answ More generally we must know that as to the Posterity of Abraham there are two sorts of them though both in corenant There is a Seed according to the Flesh a carnal Off-spring and Generation and they were the Seed of Abraham and did highly value themselves upon this and boasted much upon it Mat. 3.9 And think not to say within your selves We have Abraham to be our father Bear not too much upon this think not that this will excuse you you may be the Seed of Abraham and yet Enemies to the Messiah for it was the Seed of Abraham that did hate persecute crucifie and slay him Acts 2. So there is a Seed after the Spirit that be pious and holy and walk in the Steps of Abraham and in the Paths of the Faith of Abraham There is a double Paternity there is the begetting Abraham and a believing Abraham so there is a twofold Sonship Children according to the Flesh and Heirs according to the Promise Rom. 9.6 7 8. Not as though the word of God had taken none effect For they are not all Israel which are of Israel Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children but in Isaac shall thy seed be called That is They which are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed Viz. In short though all that be in covenant are Children in a proper sense yet all are not the Spiritual Seed for we see here that the Carnal and Spiritual are called the Seed of Abraham ver 7. yet do not all walk in the Steps of Abraham nor partake of the special Grace that Abraham did The Apostle doth here tell us that we must not think that the word of God had taken no effect because not all nay not compacatively many that are the Seed the natural Seed of Abraham did believe and embrace it therefore he doth distinguish of the Seed of Abraham them that be under the Purpose of God to Salvation and are chosen to Eternal Life they do and shall believe and become the holy the spiritual and peculiar Seed Abraham had two Sons Ishmact and Isaac and both taken into covenant I but the Line of Election was to run through the Lines of Isaac That we may something more fully open this Matter to your satisfactions and that you may rightly understand how any may be said to be in this Covenant of Grace and yet in a State of Nature and in the First Adam I shall distinguish herein this well understood would contribute greatly to put an end to this Controversie Some may say the Covenant is full of gracious Promises and what right can any have unto the same that be but the natural Seed Are they Promises of saving Grace or outward Priviledges or temporal Mercies Or what are they How is this to be understood that the Promise is to the Children of those that are in covenant if by Children are meant the natural Seed Answ By Promise I understand the Covenant of Grace as I have said call'd also the Covenant of Promise Eph. 2.12 and because of this they that be in it are called the Children of the Promises Now the Promise or the Covenant is taken two ways and so there are two ways of being in the Covenant 1. Strictly And that which Divines call Foedus Internum or Pars Foederis Interna the Internal Covenant or the spiritual part of the Covenant that which doth contain Promises of spiritual Blessings and saving Graces such as Justification Reconciliation Regeneration Adoption Persevetance and Glorification or Eternal Life and hence we read that God will give a new Heart that he will take away the Stony Heart out of the Flesh and will give a Heart of Flesh that he will circumeise the Heart to love and fear him that he will write his Law in their Hearts and they shall never depart from him that he will sprinke clean Water upon them and they shall be clean and from all their filthiness and Idols will he cleanse them that he will blot out all their Iniquities and cast their Sins into the depth of the Sea and remember them no more This is the Internal and spiritual part of the Covenant These be the Excellent Promises of Special Grace that God will accomplish and fulfil to all the Elect both Adult and Infants that die in their Infancy 2. Sometimes it is taken more largely which Divines call Foedus Externum or Pars Foederis Externa the External Covenant or the External part of the Covenant they being both in truth but Branches of one and the same Covenant This External Part contains Promises of many choice Mercies and Priviledges which God out of the bounty of his Grace bestows upon People that be in covenant with him which he does not bestow upon the rest of the World which be not taken into covenant with him One may be in covenant and partake of many precious and eminent Promises and yet have no saving and special Grace or Interest in God So it was with a Multitude of the Jews yea with the greatest part of them and that when our Lord and Saviour himself was amongst and conversed with them Rom. 2.28 29. For he is not a Jew that is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh But he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Viz. He is not internally and savingly a Jew he is but only an external one partaking of the external Blessings of the Covenant injoying the circumcision of the Flesh not that of the
in this Foederal Mercy not only to wash away the Filth but also to remove the guilt of Sin Pardon of Sin is one of the most desirable Branches of this Covenant there can be no obtaining the pardon of one Sin without it all the Promises of pardon are founded upon the Grace of God and satisfaction made to Divine Justice by the Blood of the Son of God whose Blood is the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant I shall not stand to mind you of the many Promises that we have of Remission the Word of God doth abound with them and wheresoever you find any of them you may conclude that they do relate to the Covenant of Grace Now the Covenant-Seed of those that be Believing Parents have a share in those Promises that hold out a Free and Full pardon of Sin Acts 2.38 39. Repent and be baptized every one c. for the remission of sins For the promise is to you and your Seed Viz. That Promise and Covenant that hath made provision for the Remission of your Sin and the Sin of your Children for they had involved their Children into the guilt of their Sin but in the Covenant there is pardon for both Isa 45.24 25. Surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and glory The rich Provisions of the Covenant of Grace have laid up for the Justification and Remission for the Seed of Israel 6. Such to whom God is pleased to promise Blessedness theirs is the Promise and the Covenant of Grace But the Children of those that are in covenant are promised Blessedness Such that be under such a Promise as this is have right to be lookt upon to be in the Covenant of Grace In the Covenant of Works there are the terrible Cursings of a Just and Righteously angry God But in the Covenant of Grace there you may hear the Soul-comforting Voice that pronounceth all Blessings yea Blessedness it self and this Blessed Voice is sounded out to the Little Ones of those Parents that are in covenant Psal 37.25 26. I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread He is ever merciful and lendeth and his seed shall be blessed What Blessedness is there which is not in and from that Covenant Psal 3.8 Salvation belongeth unto the Lord thy blessing is upon thy people Thus I have done with this Demonstration of the Doctrine by which I have endeavoured to shew that the Seed of those that are in covenant must be so because the precious Promises do belong unto them 8. Demonst To Evidence the Truth of this Point those from whom God demands Covenant-Duty and doth challenge the same from them to them the Promise and the Covenant doth appertain The same Covenant that saith You shall be my people saith I will be your God Now the Covenant requires of the Children of Gods People that they be Gods People too therefore they be in covenant Look as the Parents do covenant for their Children in their Infancy so 't is their Duty so soon as may be to counsel and to instruct them as Covenant-children to know to love to fear to serve and obey God These are Covenant-Obligations Those that the Lord is pleased to take into Foederal-relation with himself to be his People it is that they may be found in the constant and persevering discharge of Relative Duties Thou shalt be my people What only to partake of Priviledge No but also to perform Duty Abraham was very sensible of this and therefore did command and oblige all of his what he could to be conversant in all necessary and incumbent Covenant Duties See what observation the Lord did make of him and what a Commendation he fastens upon him Gen. 18.19 For I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment All Parents in covenant ought to see to this they are ingag'd in covenant with and for their Children and are under an indispensable Obligation to see that their Children walk and act suitably to the Priviledges and Duties of it God expects a Revenue of Honour from covenant Children therefore he doth command their Parents to bring them up in the Fear and Admonition of the Lord Eph. 6.4 And ye fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Thus Timothy was educated and brought up from a little child Children are to be dedicated unto God by the Seal of the Covenant by which they be bound to fear God to serve to obey him to keep his Word and to walk in his Way as Abraham did instruct and command his to do Believers Children must be under Gods discipline bound to Gods Worship kept in Gods Way they be the Lords People Must this be and no Covenant-priviledge belong unto them and be what Pagans and Heathens only be This is the Covenant-Dispensation first Priviledge and then Duty therefore Children that are in covenant with the Lord are called Disciples Acts 15.10 Now therefore why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples They are in a peculiar manner to be instructed and taught as those from whom God expects early Service 9. Demonst The same Covenant is transferr'd unto the Times of the Gospel since the Actual Exhibition and Ascension of the Messiah the same for Essence and Substance though in the Administration of it it may vary in some circumstances the believing and the covenanted Gentiles stand in the very same Condition by Faith and in the very same Kingdom-state for the Essentials of it out of which the Jews through unbelief were broken and cast off for they were graffed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the place and room of those broken Branches as Beza hath it Rom. 11.17 And it hath its first rise from that seasonable and never-failing Promise Gen. 3.15 which will run through all the Ages of the World wheresoever God hath his Elect by the preaching of the Gospel to call into and to inclose within the limits of the Covenant It was the Saying of a great Man that Adam and Eve when they entred upon a new Covenant bottom were seminally a Visible Church for by them the World as well as the Church as to be built Here when the Lord did reveal his Grace and gracious Covenant he took in the Seed also in the very downing and first day-spring of the Gospel God takes in the Seed of the Woman so afterwards to Abraham and so all along until the Time of the calling of the Gentiles Now in the Times of the Gospel those that be called be the Children of Abraham they and their Seed have a happy admittance into the Covenant of Abraham and are Heirs according to promise and blessed with that ever-living Father The New Testament
Demonstrated 3. Such cannot be supposed by any ordinary prospect to be any of them that God hath eternally given to Christ to Save those that are saved in time are such that are given to Christ before all time When Christ came into the World to suffer to lay down his precious life he openly declared that it was for his sheep for those the Father had given him and for none beside John 10.11 15 17. and 17.6 9. There was an eternal Covenant of Redemption concluded between the Father and the Son in the which the Son did ingage to satisfie Divine justice by being a Propitiation in his blood for the Redemption of those that were given him And the Father promised all grace here and everlasting glory hereafter unto them as the fruit of his own grace and the purchase of their Mediatour that offered up himself as an offering and Oblation of a sweet-smelling savour 2 Tim. 1.9 Tit. 1.2 And all this is conveyed and transmitted to them by and thro' an Evangelical Covenant of grace made unto believing Parents and their Elect Seed For this is the great Sluce thro' which all the blessings of the Covenant of Redemption do run Now to banish Infants out of this Covenant what foundation can we descry to build any hopes upon that they be any of those that be eternally given by the Father to the Son to bring into a State of grace here and mansions of glory hereafter Psal 89.28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore and my covenant shall stand fast with him Viz. with Jesus Christ 4. We cannot look upon any of the Seed of Believers to be loved by God from the beginning if they be excluded that gracious compact they be in with their Parents Gods love to his Elect before all time is manifested to them in time the establishing of a Covenant of Grace is the great effort and emanation of the love of God to the eternally designed and determinated Subjects of the same God did single out Abraham and his Seed from the rest of the World to make an open patefaction and discovery of the hidden and secret purposes and intentions of his grace and love to them therefore he entered into a Covenant of Grace with them not only with Abraham but also with his Seed that being the great conveyance of all unto them Eternal grace and love streams thro' it from the fountain of grace and love So that if they be thrust out of this they be diverted from the usual current of all gracious designs and purposes and this must of necessity render their condition to be very dangerous and desperate 5. Neither can they be hopefully lookt upon to be redeemed and purchased by Christ and his meritorious blood That which gives believing Parents any good assurance of hopes that Christ extended his mediatory undertakings and sufferings for their Children is the Covenant-interest their Children have obtained with them Take away this Anchor-hold and the Anchor that is cast out will come home and Hope will languish and quickly grow very faint But here in my Doctrine is a good bottom for Faith and Hope in our wrestling with God by Faith in Prayer for the glorious Fruits and gracious Effects of the Effusion of the Blood of the Lamb of God that gave up himself unto death for us The Lord Jesus Christ himself came through the Covenant and was the great Seed of the Promise therefore he hath this Attribute given to him That he is the Mediatour of the Covenant Heb. 8.6 All his Mediation is promoted and transacted through this gracious Covenant therefore also he is called Jesus the Mediatour of the new Covenant Heb. 12.24 And also his Blood is called the blood of the Everlasting Covenant it cometh swimming unto us through the Everlasting Covenant So that to shut the Seed of the Faithful forth of this Covenant you do as much as you can carry them besides the usual passage of this Covenant-Blood 6. Neither can they be capable of Remission and pardon of Sin Infants as well all others be Sinners guilty Sinners and have an indispenfable necessity of the pardon of Sin as well as the Adult they be born with the guilt of Adam Sin lying at their door which is a strong Bar to keep them out of Heaven unless it be by pardoning Grace removed They come into the World and can never go to Heaven though they be never so few Moments in it without pardoning Mercy But where is Forgiveness seal'd Is it not in the Covenant of Grace Are not the Free and Gracious Promises great Branches of yea Essential Parts of the Covenant And are not the Promises of Remission some of the Promises of it Therefore we may see that all those that are or shall be pardoned it must be by and through this Covenant and if so where are the Hope 's placed for the pardon of the Sins of our dying Infants that are shut out of it I need not I hope stand to prove by several Scriptures that pardoning Mercy is Covenant Mercy and is assured by the Promises of it indeed there is not one Promise of this but what is a Covenant one Oh! then let us have a care what we do that we do not dare to disinherit the Children of Believers in that which gives the greatest hopes of their pardon of sin 7. They cannot be the Lords Adopted Children without this Covenant of Grace Adoption is a Covenant Blessing take it in a general and in an especial acceptation there cannot be so much as a general Adoption without this Covenant as I have shewn you because of this all Israel was called Gods Son and his Children this I have proved by many Scriptures which do abound with it much less can there be any special and peculiar Adoption without a Covenant of Grace this being one of the prime blessings of it Gracious Parents are greatly concern'd that their Children should be the Lords that they should be the Adopted Children of the Heavenly Father and Heirs according to promise but this is the peculiar favour and priviledge of such that are concluded within the compass and bounds of the Covenant Act. 3.25 Ye are the children of the Prophets and of the covenant which God made with our Fathers c. It is by Covenant that ye become Children and do partake of the Adoption for unto Covenant-ones doth the Adoption appertain Rom. 9.4 Who are Israelites to whom pertaineth the adoption and the glory and the Covenants Here we see that the Adoption and the Covenant go together he that is shut out of one cannot be a Partaker of the other 8. They cannot be sanctified nor washt from their Sins turn them out of the Covenant and you drive them from the Laver of Regeneration and Sanctification nay you send them away from the very Fountain of Grace that is open'd for Sin and for Uncleanness Zech. 12.10 Infants yea those of the most pious and sanctified