The saints dignity and duty· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardness. /…The saints dignitie and dutie· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardnesse. /…

First, Negatively thus, Abraham is the father of circumcision, not only to them who are of the circumcision; that is, not only theirs who have the privileges of the Jews, the Word, and the Oracles of God, Circumcision, and the Passover. Tis true; Abraham is their father, but not only theirs that have no more but those privileges, but also theirs, that walk in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham. So that by Circumcision you must here understand all these prerogatives and privileges which the Jews had above any other Nation; and consequently, that none of all those privileges then could, that none of ours, as, to be in the Church, to be baptized, &c. now can make a man to be the son of Abraham. Abraham is the father of the circumcision, not to them who are of the circumcision only; but he is the father of the circumcision, if they have faith. They that have bare circumcision only, may indeed applaud themselves therein, but they shall never receive thereby, those things God hath promised. This is the Negative.

First, Negatively thus, Abraham is the father of circumcision, not onely to them who are of the circumcision; that is, not onely theirs who have the priviledges of the Jewes, the Word, and the Oracles of God, Circumcision, and the Passeover. Tis true; Abraham is their father, but not onely theirs that have no more but those priviledges, but also theirs, that walk in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham. So that by Circumcision you must here understand all these prerogatives and priviledges which the Jewes had above any other Nation; and consequently, that none of all those priviledges then could, that none of ours, as, to be in the Church, to be baptized, &c. now can make a man to be the sonne of Abraham. Abraham is the father of the circumcision, not to them who are of the circumcision onely; but he is the father of the circumcision, if they have faith. They that have bare circumcision onely, may indeed applaud themselves therein, but they shall never receive thereby, those things God hath promised. This is the Negative.

Secondly, The Affirmative part showeth, who they be indeed that shall truly be partakers of the comforts and graces of Abraham, namely, those that walk in the footsteps of that faith of Abraham. If a man believe as he did, work as he did, walk as he did, so only he may come to have title unto, and interest in the promises God hath vouchsafed in his Word. Thus much for the opening of the words.