The covenant of life opened, or, A treatise of the covenant of grace

Ans. The Adverb (really) relates to the real fruit of the fulfilled Covenant, and so such as are only externally within the Covenant,¹ are not really within the Covenant, for God never directed, nor intended to bestow the blessing Covenanted, nor grace to perform the condition of the Covenant upon them? But they are really Covenanted and engaged by their consented profession to fulfil the Covenant. And as the commands and threatenings of the Covenant of Grace lay on a real obligation, upon such as are only externally in Covenant, either to obey or suffer, so the promise of the Covenant imposes an engagement and obligation upon such to believe the promise, but some times, we say the promises of the Covenant of Grace are not really made to the Reprobate within the Visible Church, because God intends and decrees to, and for them, neither the blessing promised, nor the saving grace to fulfil the condition or to believe. And therefore these words are figurative, Heb. 8.10. This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, I will write my Law in their minds, &c. that is, this is the special and principal Covenanted blessing, I will give them a new heart: which must not be called a simple prediction, though a prediction it is, but it is also a real promise made absolutely to the elect, which the Lord fulfils in them: And this is called the Covenant. Because 1. they are no better then non-Covenanters upon whom the Lord bestows not this part and blessing of the Covenant. 2. The truth is, the promise of a new heart is not made to the Visible Church, which is only Visible: but to the Elect and Invisible Church. And if Anabaptists shall expone these words, Acts 2.39. The promise of a new heart is made to you and to your children, upon condition that you and your children believe, which they cannot do until first they have a new heart, its as good as Peter had said, God promiseth to you ⟨p. 93⟩and to your children grace to believe, and a new heart to obey him, upon condition that you first believe. And that is,² Gods promise to you to believe upon condition that ye believe, which is ridiculous, and therefore we cannot say that this promise of a new heart is made to all that are commanded to believe and repent and be baptized. For Elect and Reprobate and all are under these commands, if they be members of the Visible Church: