they walked not in the steps of the faith of Abraham, and therefore indeed and truth they were not the seed. And the Apostle speaking to the Jewes, who had put Christ to death, saith, Act. 3.25.Ye are the children of the Prophets, and of the Covenant, which God made with our Fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the Kinreds of the earth be blessed. Further it is to be observed, that in all the seed the Covenant reacheth to Infants borne of the seed under the Covenant, which was the reason why they must receive the seale of the Covenant at eight dayes old. Neither must we put off this, that Infants have only jus fœderis, for they be fœderati. Your children are holy, saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 7. 14. Holy by Covenant, though by nature sinfull. Indeed it is true they be not capable of many actuall injoyments under the Covenant, nor of actuall Faith: but through the free grace and acceptation of God, the Promise of forgivenesse, and the Kingdome of Heaven belongeth unto them. So that if any person come into Covenant and procreate children, that man and his issue are fœderati, and may grow up into a further body from that beginning. From this we may see the true ground of all Covenants as Luk. 18.9.they receive difference from the parties injoying, whether personall, family-Covenants, or nationall. Personall is the cause of family-Covenants, as Abrahams Covenant, the ground of his Families entrance: and so the Covenant made with the Family the ground of nationall, as in the Families of Jacob cast together, made all Israel under Covenant. And herein appeares the truth of the former distinction, that the Covenant is made according to internall force and efficacy, or outward administration only.
The things on Gods part promised under this manifestation to Abraham and his subfederates are held forth in these and the like expressions: Gen. 12.2,3.I will make thee a great Nation, and I will blesse thee,and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will blesse them that blesse thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all Families of the earth be blessed. ver.7.
Gen. 18.18.Unto thy seed will I give this land. Gen. 13.14,15,16.Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, Northward and Southward, and Eastward and Westward. For all the Land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth; so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbred. Gen. 15.1.Feare not Abraham, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. ver.5.Lookenow
