The grounds and ends of the baptism of the children of the faithful. Opened…The grounds and ends of the baptisme of the children of the faithfull. Opened…

It is true, the Covenant of Abraham bequeathed this Legacy to a male of eight days old, to be circumcised; but circumcision was only the seal of the Covenant. The chief Legacy bequeathed in that Covenant, was the promise that God would be a Father to Abraham and to his seed. And a God he was to them, whilst they were yet in the womb, or being borne, were not yet come to be eight days of old. Else all the Infants of Gods people that dyed in their first week, lived and dyed out of Covenant. And so the Covenant shall depend upon the seal, not the seal upon the Covenant: and the grace of the Covenant shall not know, nor acknowledge, nor own infants the first seven days, until the eight; and so the eternal Jehovah (to whom a thousand years is but as one day) shall limit the grace of his eternal Covenant, not to shine forth upon the Infants of believers, till the eighth day shine forth upon them. It remaineth therefore that the Infants ⟨p. 136⟩of Abraham and of his seed were under the Covenant as soon as they were his seed, to wit, even from their conception, though none of them were circumcised, but the males only, nor the males neither, till the eighth day. The males only, partly because the Females had not such a foreskin of their flesh, as was to be circumcised; partly because God would have them trained up (both males and females) to expect all the blessing of their circumcision, from the circumcision of Christ Jesus, mentioned, Coloss. 2.11. Neither were the males circumcised till the eighth day, not because they were not subjects of Abraham's Covenant till the eighth day, but for some ceremonial respect, or for some other reason peculiar to that Rite. Circumcision being a cutting of the flesh, it was a work of mercy not to put infants the first week to the pain, till they were better able to bear it. Some have anciently thought the circumcision of the eighth day did prefigure the sanctification of the eighth day for a Sabbath in the days of the Messiah. Others have thought God would have Circumcision deferred till the eighth day, that a Sabbath might pass over the Parents, that he might solemnly renew his Covenant with God, before the seal of the Covenant should be applied to his Infant. Others have conceived, that as God would not have a Kid or Lamb sacrificed to him till it had sucked of the Dam seven days;

It is true, the Covenant of Abraham bequeathed this Legacy to a male of eight dayes old, to bee circumcised; but circumcision was onely the seale of the Covenant. The chiefe Legacy bequeathed in that Covenant, was the promise that God would bee a Father to Abraham and to his seed. And a God hee was to them, whilst they were yet in the wombe, or being borne, were not yet come to be eight dayes of old. Else all the Infants of Gods people that dyed in their first weeke, lived and dyed out of Covenant. And so the Covenant shall depend upon the seale, not the seale upon the Covenant: and the grace of the Covenant shall not know, nor acknowledge, nor owne infants the first seven dayes, untill the eight; and so the eternall Jehovah (to whom a thousand yeers is but as one day) shall limit the grace of his eternall Covenant, not to shine forth upon the Infants of believers, til the eighth day shine forth upon them. It remaineth therefore that the Infants