More proofs of infants church-membership and consequently their right to baptism, or, A second…

And when I consider the Parents, breeding and manners of Rebekah, I think it far more probable that she was a Church-member from her Infancy, than that she was entered afterwards at age, or that she was a heathen or infidel when Isaac married her.

And when I consider the Parents, breeding and manners of Rebekah, I think it far more probable that she was a Church-member from her Infancy, than that she was entred afterwards at age, or that she was a heathen or infidel when Isaac married her.

And as here are before mentioned standing Covenants, so it is to be noted how God intimateth the extent of the main blessing of them to be further than to Abraham's natural seed, not only in the express promise of the blessing to all the nations or families on earth (of which before) but in the assigned reason of the blessing which is common to Abraham with other true believers. For Gen. 22.16, 17, 18. it is thus alleged [because thou hast done this thing, &c. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice.] And Gen. 26.3, 4, 5. the Covenant is renewed with Isaac, and the same reason assigned, [because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes and my laws.] How mans obedience is said to be a cause of Gods blessing, I am not determining; but taking the words as I find them in general, I may conclude, that they are here ⟨p. 129⟩given as a cause or reason of it some way or other? And though a special mercy may be given on a common ground or reason, yet where there is no apparent proof of the restriction, we are to judge the blessing common where the reason is common: At least, if a special blessing be superadded to Abraham's seed (upon the freeness of Gods grace, or the eminency of Abraham's obedience,) yet there goes with it a mercy common to all where the reason of the mercy is found. It being therefore the case of every true believer to be faithful and obedient, yea, to prefer that before his own life, and not a son only, it may be hence gathered, that God who blessed Abraham's seed on that account, will bless theirs on the same, with the same blessings in the main (as to his favour and acceptance of them) though not with the same in the variable superadditionals or overplus of external things.