highly reasonable he fhould) that Abraham, and all he owned, and that Abraham's Seed, and all they own,

fhould be His:And that in Token of being fo, both Abraham himself thou'd keep the Covenant, by wearing the Initiating Sign thereof himfelf, and putting it on all His, (that was capable of rit) and also, that his Seed fhould keep it in like manner. Certain it is, the Seed of Abraham is as much obliged to keep the Covenant, as Abraham himfelf; [Thou

Chalt

S

fbalt keep my Covenant therefore, Thou and thy Seed af ter thee in their Generations.

And I have proved the Be

lieving Gentiles to be That

Seed; fo that, though the

Gentiles muft believe, to be

come the Sood of Abraham ;

11

of 1x

yet, on becoming his Seed, they come alfo under the Obligation to obferve the Covenant, as much as Abra- bam himself.

I have alfo proved, That the Covenant of Abraham, is the first Solemn Formal Covenant of Grace, for E

ternal Life and Salvation, through our Lord Chrift, that, in Account and Rec

koning of the Scriptures, it

pleafed God to make with Man; and confequently, that the First Separate and Inftituted Church, was then appointed in the Fas mily of Abrabam So that, from the very Beginning that it pleafed God to Eftablish and Ratifie his Cove ant, and to Constitute and Frame a Church, as did Or dain the Signing of the A-dult ; fo he did the Signing

of

of Infants: Therein laying the Foundations of the Common-wealth of Ifrael in the Membership of Children, as well as in that of the Parents. God never Conftituted any Formal Church, until he had made a Formal Covenant; and the Sign of the Covenant, is the Rite of Initiation into the Church: None comes into the Latter, but by the Former; and Baptifm is fuch a Sigh her down

Ndo not fay, That Baptifm is come in the Place of

Circumcifion; I know too

well the ufe is made of that Expreffion, though in it felf, and as meant, it be moft Innocent and Inoffenfive: But I fay, It cannot be denyed, that as Circumcifion was the Initiating Rite and Sign before the Coming of Chrifto (that) Baptism is after it. And that, Now, to dedicate and give a Perfon to God vifibly and falemnly, is, by that Sign and Rite to Matriculate him; that is, to Enter and Initiate him into the Church.

And