Romans

v. 12.

"By

Such

Sin has abounded in this connexion. one man sin entered into the world." was the connexion between Adam and his children, that they became sinners in consequence of his sin. And such has been the connexion between parents and children ever since. And is not the remedy, provided for the ruins of the fall adequate to the disease, and adapted Romans to its operations? "For as by one man's disv. 19, 20. obedience many were made sinners; so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.-But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.". For the Lord is a jealous God, visiting the xx. 5, 6. iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him; but showing mercy unto thousands of generations of them that love him.' And as the natural connexion between parents and children so exposes them to destruction; how reasonable is it, that God should establish a gracious connexion, as favorable to their salvation. How eminently wise and proper !

Exodus

7. God established his gracious covenant with Abraham and all Christians, for an everlasting covenant. The covenant is this; "To be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee." All Christians are Abraham's seed. I repeat it; all Christians-all that are Christ's, are Abra

Gal. iii. 29.

28.

ham's seed. "If ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." The Lord is your God, as well as the God of Abraham. "For ye are all one in Christ Jesus." And his covenant is essentially one, though renewed, and securing different temporal blessings at different times, according to the various circumstances of his people. This same covenant, "I will be your God and ye shall be my people," has been renewed, and is called a new covenant. called new in comparison of the one made with Israel when they were led out of Egypt.* "In that he saith a new covenant, he hath made the first *The covenant made at Sinai, or Horeb. Deut. v. 1-4.

Lev. xxvi. 12.

Jer. xxxi. 32.

It is

Heb. viii. 8-13.

1 John

ii. 8.

old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old, is ready to vanish away.' The covenant is also new in the same sense that the commandment to love one another is new, "Because the darkness is past and the true light now shineth." But though the covenant is new in these respects, yet, like the commandment, it existed long before the days of our Saviour's incarnation. The God of his people, is a title in which the Lord delights. He said to Moses; "The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations." Some suppose it was only a temporal covenant, and secured only temporal blessings. But the Scriptures plainly teach us, that it was an everlasting covenant, and secured a resurrection to future life and glory. "Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." "God is not ashamed

Exod.

iii. 15.

Luke

xx. 37.

Heb.

xi. 16.

to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city." Here we are taught, that God would have been ashamed to be called their God, had he not prepared for them a Heavenly city, according to his covenant, which included their resurrection to future life and glory. He is the God of him that overcometh.

Rev. xxi. 7.

There are also many other considerations, presented in the Scriptures, which shew, that the covenant, established with Abraham and his seed, is continued; that it is highly spiritual, and gracious; and that it has its fulfilment only, by the coming of Christ, and the saving power of his Gospel.

nant.

Rom.

St. Paul tells us, that Abraham is the father of all Christians, as it is written in the cove- iv. 16, 17. The covenant then is fulfilling, as fast as people become the children of Abraham by faith, and will continue as long as they are his children; that is, as long as they are Christians, even forever.

The promise, that Abraham should be the heir of the world, by being made the father of all nations, and having them blessed in him as his children-this promise

was not to Abraham, or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. Again, it is of faith, that it might be by grace, &c.

Rom.

iv. 13, 16.

Rom. xv. 8.

Gal.iii.17.

Christ was a minister of the covenant of which circumcision was a seal, to confirm it. It was confirmed in Christ.

It included the promise of a Saviour, and the blessings of salvation. It was only through Christ, that Abraham could be made the father of believers, for they became his children, by faith in Christ. It is in this way that the nations are blessed in him, according to the covenant.

Gal. iii. 8.

Gal. iii.

The Gospel was preached to Abraham, in the covenant God established with him.

In this covenant, faith was the condition of Rom. iv. justification.

In view of these things, it is abundantly manifest, that the covenant established with Abraham and his seed, is continued, and that it is highly spiritual and gracious. Some, however, have thought the covenant peculiar to the Rom. Jews. But, "Is he the God of the Jews only? iii. 29, 30. Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes of the Gentiles also; seeing it is one God which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith."

And here, let it be particularly observed, and remembered, that circumcision was the token of this covenant, till Christ came, and instituted baptism as the mark of his flock.

8. The covenant, which God established with Abraham and all Christians, included* their children in such a manner, that the token of the covenant belonged to them, and was applied to them, by the command of God.

Temporal blessings have been connected with this covenant, or included in it more or less, according to the circumstances of the church. "Godliness is " now, and always has been, "profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, as well as of that which is to come."

1 Tim. iv. 8.

But the sum and substance of the covenant was this,

* See note on page 5,

Gen. xvii. 7.

"To be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee." God says to Abraham, "I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant; to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee." This covenant included infants. And whatever may be doubtful about the manner in which it included them, or what, or how much, it included for them-one thing is not doubtful, but this one thing is certain, it included them in such a manner, that the token of the covenant belonged to them, and was applied to them, by the command of God.

Please to remember, my hearers, that this covenant was established with Abraham and with all Christians. And if the token of this covenant belonged to the infants of Abraham and other Christians, and was applied to them; it also belongs to the infants of Christians now. The change of the seal, or token, does not alter the covenant, any more than changing the seal of a letter alters what is written in the letter. All with whom the covenant was established, for an everlasting covenant are still included in it, if God has not excluded them from it, for no other one has any right to exclude them.-And all, who are included in the covenant, have a right to the seal or token of the covenant. All Christians then have this right for themselves, and for their children-for they were included in the covenant themselves, and their children were included in such a sense, that the token of the covenant belongs to them, and was applied to them, by the command of God. And what God has thus joined together, let not man put asunder.

9. Baptism has no higher, or more spiritual character, than circumcision.

Deut. x. 16.

The circumcision of the flesh had a signification highly spiritual. It pointed to the heart-to its natural corruption, and its renewal by divine grace. This is evident from the following passages; "Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart :-And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. Cir

Deut.

xxx. 6.

Jer. iv. 4. Rom. ii. 29.

iv. 11.

Philip. iii. 3.

Col. ii. 11.

Gal. v. 3.

cumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart. Circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter. Circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh."

The obligations that circumcision involved, were great, and when they were performed, it was profitable. "For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. For circumcision verily profiteth if thou keep the law. What profit is there of circumcision? Much every way.

Rom. ii. 25.

Rom. iii. 1, 2. Col. ii. 11, 12.

Spiritual circumcision and spiritual baptism are spoken of as being the same.

According to the meaning of circumcision then, it was no better suited to the character and condition of infants, than baptism.

10. Isaac was a child of the promise of the Lord to Abraham, "To be a God to him and his seed." And this promise, so included Isaac's infants, as to give him a right to the token of it for them. "Now, we, iv. 28. brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise." We then, like Isaac, have a right to the token of the promise for our infants.

Gal.

11. In revivals of religion God is richly manifesting a special regard for those who have been dedicated to him in baptism.

"During the year past, the churches belonging to the Synod of Kentucky have been visited with a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and from three to four thousand additions have been made to them. A very large proportion of these converts were, in early life, consecrated to God by Baptism."

"In 1815, there were received into the second church in Boscawen, at one time, thirty-one; twenty-one of whom were baptized in infancy. A young man, educated a Baptist was a spectator of this interesting scene.

He