An humble inquiry into the rules of the Word of God, concerning the qualifications…

Secondly, To that which I think must be the Consequence, viz. That none ought to be admitted to the Privileges of adult Persons in the Church of Christ, but such as make a Profession of real Piety. For the Covenant, to be owned or professed, is God's Covenant, which he has revealed as the Method of our spiritual Union with him, and our Acceptance as the Objects of his eternal Favour; which is no other than the Covenant of ⟨p. 29⟩Grace; at least it is so, without Dispute, in these Days of the Gospel. To own this Covenant, is to profess the Consent of our Hearts to it; and that is the Sum and Substance of true Piety. 'Tis not only a professing the Assent of our Understandings, that we understand there is Such a Covenant, or that we understand we are obliged to comply with it; but 'tis to profess the Consent of our Wills, it is to manifest that we do comply with it. There is mutual Profession in this Affair, a Profession on Christ's Part, and a Profession on our Part; as it is in Marriage. And 'tis the same Sort of Profession that is made on both Sides, in this Respect, that each professes a Consent of Heart: Christ in his Word declares an entire Consent of Heart as to what he offers; and the visible Christian, in the Answer that he makes to it in his Christian Profession, declares a Consent and Compliance of Heart to his Proposal. Owning the Covenant is professing to make the Transaction of that Covenant our own. The Transaction of that Covenant is that of Espousals to Christ; on our Part, it is giving our Souls to Christ as his Spouse: There is no one Thing, that the Covenant of Grace is so often compared to in Scripture, as the Marriage-Covenant; and the visible Transaction, or mutual Profession there is between Christ and the visible Church, is abundantly compared to the mutual Profession there is in Marriage. In Marriage the Bride professes to yield to the Bridegroom's Suit, and to take him for her Husband, renouncing all others, and to give up her self to him to be entirely and forever possessed by him as his Wife. But he that professes this towards Christ, professes saving Faith. They that openly covenanted with God according to the Tenor of the Institution, Deut. x.20. they visibly united themselves to God in the Union of that Covenant: They professed on their Parts the Union of the Covenant of God, which was the Covenant of Grace.

Secondly, To that which I think must be the Consequence, viz. That none ought to be admitted to the Privileges of adult Persons in the Church of Christ, but such as make a Profession of real Piety. For the Covenant, to be owned or profess'd, is God's Covenant, which he has revealed as the Method of our spiritual Union with him, and our Acceptance as the Objects of his eternal Favour; which is no other than the Covenant of