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A 
 
 PRESENT TO FAMILIES: 
 
 A PllACTICAI. WOUK ox THE 
 
 COVENANT OF GRACE, 
 
 AS GIVEN TO ABRAHAM. 
 I)ESIG>'E1) TO 
 
 PROMOTE FAMILY RELIGION. 
 
 'J' 
 Y J0HN4a 
 
 NKIN 
 
 Pastor of the Presb3'terian Church of Riple}', and author 
 of "Letters on American Slavery." 
 
 RIPLEY : 
 
 PRINTED & PUBLISHED BY C. EDWARDS. 
 1840. 
 
Entered according to act of Congi-ess, in the year 184< 
 
 BY JOHN RANKIN, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Ohio. 
 
 Stereotyped hy J. A. James, Ciucinnati. 
 
•^■1 
 y. 
 
 AT] 
 
 DEDICATION. 
 
 The following work is respectfully dedica- 
 ted to families, of all classes and denomina- 
 tions. 
 
 It is intended to promote family religion 
 which is the surest means of reforming soci- 
 ety, and of securing the best interests of our 
 race, both in time and eternity. It is hoped 
 that even those families that do not accord in 
 sentiment with the author, may derive bene- 
 fit from reading the work. Such are ajETec- 
 tionately invited to read, and examine it, to 
 see if it be not in accordance with the sacred 
 oracles. 
 
 The subject of the work is of vital impor- 
 tance to every family, and demands serious 
 and prayerful attention, whether the writer 
 has, or has not, succeeded well in its inves- 
 tigation. In relation to it he has spent much 
 
 time, in carefully and prayerfully studying 
 
 iii 
 
IV DEDICATION. 
 
 the sacred Scriptures. He has not followed 
 other writers on the subject; but has endea- 
 vored to take his views entirely from the Bi- 
 ble. He has aimed to present the views that 
 a careful investigation of the Scriptures pre- 
 sented to his own mind. He has not indulg- 
 ed a controversial spirit. Nothing calculated 
 to offend any pious mind has been written. 
 He has aimed to heal, not to make, division. 
 It is by open and candid discussion that the 
 great christian family must be so brought to 
 unity in sentiment and practice, as to form 
 one grand communion, and stand as a united 
 host against the powers of darkness. When 
 this shall have been accomplished, the shout 
 will soon ascend to heaven — "the kingdoms 
 of this world are become the kingdoms of our 
 Lord and of his Christ.'* 
 
COVENANT OF' GRACE. 
 
 Ot^ 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE CHURCH HAD HER ORIGIN IN THE FIRST 
 
 FAMILY. EXISTED UNDER THE COVENANT OF 
 
 GRACE BEFORE GIVEN TO ABRAHAM. 
 
 The church is distinguished from all other 
 societies, by the worship of the true God 
 according to a divine revelation, which she 
 adepts as her infallible rule of faith and prac- 
 tice. There is to her, " one Lord, one Faith, 
 one Baptism, one God and Father of all." Of 
 all societies organized among men, she claims 
 to be the most ancient and the most important. 
 Faith in the true God, as he has revealed him- 
 self to mankind, is her organizing principle. 
 The open profession of this faith by external 
 acts of worship, and by obedience to the re- 
 vealed will of God, distinguishes her from the 
 world. Such faith, accompanied with external 
 acts of worship and obedience, existed in the 
 family of the first man. Cain and A.bel were 
 professors of the true religion, and their pro- 
 fession was founded upon divine revelation. 
 " By faith, Abel offered unto God a more excel- 
 lent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained 
 witness that he was righteous, God testifying 
 
 5 
 
6 COVENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 of his gifts, and by it he being dead yet speak- 
 eth." Heb. xi. 4. From this, it is clear, that 
 Abel's faith and external acts of worship were 
 founded upon revelation. The bloody sacri- 
 fice which he. offered, pointed to a suffering 
 Savior as the only hope of fallen man. This 
 Savior was indirectly promised in the denun- 
 ciation against the serpent, Gen. iii. 15: "it 
 shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his 
 heel." Hence, in the family of the first man 
 we find the beginning of the christian system. 
 Abel's faith is recognized by Paul as the same 
 with that of christians. Consequently, it is 
 reasonable to conclude that the church had her 
 origin in the first family. And the continued 
 succession of such worshipers, from that pe- 
 riod to this, confirms this conclusion. The 
 institution of sacrifice was continued from that 
 time to the death of the Messiah, in order to 
 point out to the faithful, the true sacrifice for 
 sin. So soon as the human family began to 
 multiply, the worshipers of God associated 
 together for religious purposes. Hence, it is 
 said, " then began men to call v.pon the name 
 of the Lord." Gen. iv. 26. These were cal- 
 led " the sons of God." Gen. vi. 2. — a name 
 by which his people have been distinguished 
 in all ages. Thus it appears that they were 
 organized as a religious society, and plainly 
 distinguished from the world by the practice 
 of godliness up to the time they were led to 
 apostasy by marrying the daughters of men, 
 
COVENANT OF GRACE. 7 
 
 thai is, of those who belonged to the world. 
 They were also favored with inspired teachers. 
 Enochs the seventh from Adam, was a proph- 
 et of great eminence : his predictions extended 
 to the remotest ages, and now form a part of 
 the sacred volume. And his piety has never 
 been excelled. Jude, 14, 15. " By faith, 
 Enoch was translated, that he should not see 
 death — for — he had this testimony, that he plea- 
 sed God." Heb. xi. 5. After the apostasy, 
 occasioned by improper marriages., religion 
 was propagated by Noah. He was an inspir- 
 ed preacher of righteousness, and some of his 
 predictions are a part of the sacred oracles. 
 With him and his seed God established his 
 covenant, after the deluge. He, by his holy 
 confidence in God, condemned the world, and 
 became the heir of the righteousness which is 
 by faith. The same righteousness that was 
 sealed to Abraham by circumcision. This 
 shows that Noah and Abraham had one com- 
 mon system of faith. They alike offered sac- 
 rifices, and were alike guided by divine inspi- 
 ration. The right of circumcision sealed the 
 rigliteousness which Abraham had in common 
 with Noah. It was an external sign which did 
 not affect the vitals of religion. Abraham was 
 called for special purposes, and the great char- 
 ter of privilege, held by the church from her 
 origin up to his time, was given to him with 
 some additional promises, in order to secure, 
 with greater certainty, and more extensively, 
 
8 COVENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 the propagatioivof religion in the world. But 
 this special call did not separate him from 
 other professors of the true religion. He 
 paid tythes to Melchisedec, and acknowledged 
 his authority as priest of the most high God. 
 In the case of Abraham, there was an exten- 
 sion of privilege which is perfectly consistent 
 with the identity of the church. The church, 
 like a nation, may have her privileges extend- 
 ed, and her external form varied without affec- 
 ting her identity. She has certain distinctive 
 principles that have been the same in every 
 age. She has ever professed faith in the true 
 God, and has ever been guided by divine reve- 
 lation. And by sacrifice, she has ever hoped 
 for acceptance with God. Jesus Christ has ev- 
 er been the chief corner-stone on which she 
 has rested her eternal interests. From her ori- 
 gin np to the hour when he groaned on the 
 tree, she looked to him through types and shad- 
 ows darkly, but now she looks to him through 
 the light of gospel day, as the "Lamb of God 
 which taketh away the sin of the world." The 
 covenant made with Abraham, although it 
 varied the external form of the church, did 
 not change her distinctive principles ; and of 
 course did not affect her identity. This is 
 confirmed by the fact, that an inspired apostle 
 represents xibel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham, 
 as having the same kind of faith. The iden- 
 tity of the church before and after Abraham is 
 sufficiently evident ; but her identity under the 
 
COVENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 old and new dispensations, is vastly more im- 
 portant to christian practice, and the evidence 
 to establish it is much more abundant. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE COVE- 
 NANT GIVEN TO ABRAHAM. 
 
 Every thing which tends to promote the 
 salvation of men is of vast importance, and 
 should be deeply interesting to all classes of 
 human beings. Most earnestly should we at- 
 tend to every thing which may light up the 
 way to endless enjoyment. Man, by nature, 
 lies in the darkness and ruins of apostasy, 
 alike hopeless and helpless in himself ; but the 
 Father of the universe has opened a way to 
 heaven, and caused the Sun of righteousness 
 to shine upon it, and impart to the benighted 
 mind the light of life. When the M^orld was 
 sinking rapidly down into hopeless idolatry, 
 he called Abraham, and renewed with him his 
 covenant which had been almost lost and for- 
 gotten amidst the ravag-es of sin. This cove- 
 nant has been the grand means of preserving 
 in the world, the true knowledge of God, and 
 of securing to man the revelation of his will, 
 as well as the means of restoration to his fa- 
 vor. True religion has prevailed no where on 
 earth but under the reign of this covenant. 
 
iO COVENANT OF GRACE. Vi..^ 
 
 It has in all ages been the prominent means of 
 promoting the, knowledge of God and the sal- 
 vation of men. It is the great charter of reli- 
 gious privilege, and fundamental in the chris- 
 tian system. The sacred Scriptures are but a 
 development of its principles. No other con- 
 stitution is so important as this. No other 
 ever tendered to men blessings so great, or 
 privileges so noble. It confers perfect freedom 
 and boundless happiness. How important 
 then to understand well a covenant so val- 
 uable, one that is God's v/isest, best, and only- 
 plan of saving men, and one that has, in his 
 hand, been the means of gathering millions of 
 our race into the kingdom of glory ! Is it the 
 charter of privilege, the treasure of promises 
 great and precious ? and shall we not investi- 
 gate it with unceasing delight ? We shall find 
 it a precious key to unlock the sacred volume, 
 and let us into the richest fountains of wisdom 
 and happiness ; we shall find it the great stan- 
 dard of christian doctrine and practice, and the 
 surest means of causing the fountain of life to 
 flow down upon future generations. It will 
 be to us the cause of everlasting gratitude to 
 the Father "bf our spirits for a plan so w^ell 
 adapted to promoting our eternal interests, and 
 it will for ever enrich the song of the redeemed. 
 
k 
 
 COVENANT OF GRACE. 11 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE MEANING OF THE TERM COVENANT. 
 
 Any order or plan laid down according to 
 which any one is bound to act, is a cove- 
 nant. A common contract between parties 
 is a plan of action by which the contrac- 
 tors are bound, and in that respect is a cove^ 
 nant. And for this reason contracts are in 
 Scripture called covenants. There is a sense 
 in which every contract is a covenant. In 
 every one there is an order laid down accor- 
 ding to which the parties are bound to act. 
 
 A will is an order or plan laid down accor- 
 ding to which executors and heirs are obliged 
 to act, and is a covenant without regard to con- 
 sent of parties. It is not therefore the consent 
 of parties that constitutes a covenant. Any 
 law or rule of action imposed by authority, is 
 a covenant in the scriptural sense ©f the term. 
 The command given to the parents of our race 
 was a covenant without respect to their con- 
 sent. It was a rule or law given by which 
 they were bound. God made a covenant with 
 Noah and his seed, and with the beasts of the 
 earth. Gen. ix. 9, 10, 11, 12: "And I, be- 
 hold, I establish my covenant with you, and 
 with your seed after you ; and with every liv- 
 ing creature that is with you, of fowl, of cat- 
 tle, and of every beast of the earth with you." 
 The fowls and catde were incapable of making 
 
12 COVENANT OF CUAGE. 
 
 a contract, nor could they give consent. Anc' 
 the same is true of the unborn posterity of' 
 Noah. Hence the covenant made with Noali 
 was simply God's plan of dealing with him, 
 his seed, the fowls and beasts of the earth. 
 
 The ten commandments are a covenant 
 Exod. xxxiv. 28 : " And he wrote upon the 
 tables the words of the covenant, the ten com- 
 mandments." These were not a contract, but 
 a law or rule of action imposed by divine au- 
 thority. 
 
 That a covenant is a rule of action, or plan 
 of dealing is also evident from Jer. xxxi. 31 — 
 33 : " But this shall be the covenant that I 
 will make with the house of Israel ; — I will 
 put my law in their inward parts, and write it 
 in their hearts ; and will be their God, and 
 they shall be my people." This covenant is 
 God's plan of dealing with the house of Is- 
 rael. 
 
 The obligation of God's covenant arises not 
 from the consent of his creatures ; but from 
 his authority. He has a right to lay down his 
 own plan of dealing with his creatures, and 
 enforce it according to his sovereign pleasure. 
 God may deal with his creatures either in mer- 
 cy, or in judgment, and consequently, a cove- 
 nant may contain promises or threatenings, or 
 both, as circumstances may require. 
 
 The covenant which God gave to Abraham, 
 is his plan of dealing with him and his pos- 
 terity. I. Chron. xvi. 15—18: "Be mindful 
 
COVENANT 05" GRACE. 13 
 
 Iways of his covenant ; the Avord which he 
 ommanded to a thousand generations ; even 
 fihe covenant which he made with Abraham, 
 f his oath unto Isaac ; and hath confirmed the 
 ame to Jacob, for a law, and to Israel for an 
 iverlasting covenant, saying, unto thee will I 
 five the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheri- 
 ance." This covenant is a word commanded 
 a thousand generations, a law to Jacob of 
 )erpetual obligation, and to Israel an everlast- 
 ng covenant. It is imposed by divine au- 
 hority upon Abraham and his seed to a thou- 
 iand generations, even for ever, without re- 
 ipect to their consent. The obligation to obey 
 t arises from God's authority, and not from 
 he consent of those on whom it is imposed. 
 X is as the rightful constitution of a state, 
 vhich binds posterity equally with those who 
 nade it, because civil government is an ordi- 
 lance of God, and derives its authority from 
 lim, and not from the consent of those govern- 
 id. The covenant given to Abraham is pro- 
 )erly a constitution of perpetual obligation, and 
 lot a contract between parties. No doubt 
 Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all their believ- 
 ng posterity, consented to it most cheerfully ; 
 )ut their consent was no part of the covenant. 
 ;t was a covenant previous to their consent. 
 \.nd their consenting to it was but the taking 
 lold of God's covenant, which already existed. 
 L.et it then be understood, that the covenant gi- 
 /en to Abraham is a constitution of perpetual 
 
14 COVENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 obligation, binding upon posterity, as does tht 
 rightful constitution of a state, and that no om 
 can excuse himself for disobedience to its re- 
 quisitions, upon the ground that he never gave 
 to it his consent. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THERE WAS BUT ONE COVENANT MADE WITH 
 ABRAHAM. 
 
 As the opinion has prevailed, that two dis- 
 tnict covenants were made with Abraham, it is 
 deemed necessary to show that such opinion is 
 not well founded. In the fifteenth of Genesis 
 It IS said that God made a covenant with Abra- 
 ham, and in the seventeenth it is said " I will 
 
 make my covenant between me and thee." Up- 
 on these statements the opinion is founded, that 
 two distmct covenants M^ere made with Abra- 
 ham. The language in the latter place, it should 
 be noticed, is different from that used in the for- 
 mer, and seems to imply the extending and con- 
 hrming a covenant already in existence. It is 
 not said, I will make a covenant, or I will make 
 another covenant between me and thee ; but I 
 will make ^^ my covenants And as for me 
 .my covenant is with thee." Such expresi 
 sions plamly imply the previous existence of the 
 covenant. This is confirmed by the fact that 
 the same things are promised in both places. 
 
COVENANT OF GRACE. 15 
 
 In the fifteenth chapter it is said, — '* He that 
 shall come forth out of thine own bowels, shall 
 be thine heir. Look now toward heaven, and 
 tell the stars if thou be able to number them — 
 so shall thy seed be. I am the Lord that brought 
 thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this 
 land to inherit it. In that same day, the Lord 
 made a covenant with Abraham saying, unto 
 thy seed have I given this land." In the sev- 
 enteenth it is said, — " Sarah thy wife shall bear 
 a son indeed. — She shall be a mother of na- 
 tions. — I will make thee exceedingly fruitful, 
 and I will make nations of thee. — Thou shalt 
 be a father of many nations. And I will give 
 unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land 
 wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Ca- 
 naan, for an everlasting possession." It is obvi- 
 ous that in both places the same things are prom- 
 ised. Consequently, the seventeenth is but a 
 repetition and confirmation of the covenant 
 made in the fifteenth. It is unreasonable to 
 suppose that two distinct covenants were made 
 with the same individual, each promising the 
 same things. 
 
 As additional evidences, it can be shown that 
 God himself recognizes but one covenant made 
 with Abraham. The phrase "my covenant" 
 occurs nine times in the seventeenth of Gene- 
 sis. He confirmed but one with Isaac and Ja- 
 cob. " But my covenant will I establish with 
 Isaac." — Gen. xvii. 21. " And I appeared un- 
 to Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob. And 
 
Id COVENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 I have also established my covenant with them, 
 to give them the land of Canaan ; and I have re- 
 membered my covenant with them." Exod. vi. 
 3, 4, 5. 
 
 Thus, in every instance, God speaks of but 
 one covenant made with Abraham, and confirm- 
 ed with Isaac and Jacob. 
 
 Again, the Old and New Testament writers 
 and speakers mention but one covenant made 
 with Abraham. Deut. viii. 18 : " But shalt re- 
 member the Lord thy God. — That he may es- 
 tablish his covenant which he swore unto thy 
 fathers." Neh. ix. 7, 8 : " Thou art the Lord 
 the God who didst choose Abraham, and ma- 
 dest a covenant with him." Psal. cv. 8, 9, 
 10: "He hath remembered his covenant for- 
 ever — which covenant he made with Abraham, 
 and his oath unto Isaac, and he confirmed the 
 same unto Jacob for a law ; and to Israel for 
 an everlasting covenant." Luke, i. 72, 73: 
 " To perform the mercy promised to our fa- 
 thers, and to remember his holy covenant, the 
 oath which he sware to our father Abraham." 
 Acts, iii. 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 kindreds of the earth be 
 blessed." Acts, vii. 8 : " And he gave him the 
 covenant of circumcision." Gal. iii. 15, 16, 
 17: "Though it be but a man's covenant, yet 
 if it be confirmed, no man disannuUeth or add- 
 eth thereto. Now to Abraham and his seed 
 
COVENANT or GRACE. 17 
 
 were the promises made. He saith not, And 
 to seeds, as of many ; but as of one, And to thy 
 seed, which is Christ. And this I say, That 
 the covenant that was confirmed before of God 
 in Christ, the law which was four hundred and 
 thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it 
 should make the promise of none effect." Gal. 
 iv. 24 : " For these are the two covenants ; 
 the one from Mount Sinai,"-— the other must 
 have been the one made with Abraham. 
 
 From all these passages, it appears that but 
 one covenant made v/ith Abraham was known 
 among his descendants. 'I'his covenant is re- 
 peatedly represented as containing the promi- 
 ses, and securing the inheritance of believers. 
 It is the one which Daniel calls " the Holy 
 Covenant." — Dan. xi. 28. And the one of 
 which the Messiah is the messenger. Mai. 
 iii. 1 : "The Lord, whom ye seek, shall sud- 
 denly come to his temple, even the messenger 
 of the covenant." 
 
 Thus it is abundantly evident that but one 
 covenant was made with Abraham, that but one 
 descended to his posterity, and that, of course, 
 was the covenant of circumcision. 
 
 This point is of some considerable impor- 
 tance, because, if there were but one covenant 
 niade with Abraham, there can be no doubt but 
 that it is still in force. There is a covenant 
 .made with Abraham, recognized in the New 
 Testament as securing to christians a spiritual 
 inheritance. And if that be the covenant of 
 B 
 
18 COVENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 circumcision, it must have an important bear- 
 ing on christian privilege and practice. If but 
 one covenant descended from Abraham, that 
 was the covenant of circumcision. Conse- 
 quently, the privileges it formerly conferred on 
 believing parents, are still to be enjoyed ; and 
 the practice founded on the existence of these 
 privileges, is correct. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION IS THE COV- 
 ENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 1. The covenant of grace is the one, according 
 to which God bestov;ed all temporal and eter- 
 nal favors on those that are saved, or, in oth- 
 er words, that by which he confers on them 
 eternal life, and all the means necessary to it. 
 Of all covenants ever made with men, this is 
 the most important, and therefore ought, above 
 all others, to be clearly distinguished in the sa- 
 cred oracles. Now if the one made with Abra- 
 ham be not the covenant of grace, where is it 
 to be found distinctly described in the sacred 
 volume ? There has but one covenant de- 
 scended from Abraham to us, and that, we 
 know, is the covenant of circumcision. This 
 has, in the Scriptures, a prominence beyond 
 all others. Is it not, then, reasonable to con- 
 clude that it is tlie covenant of grace ? 
 
COVENANT OF GRACE. 19 
 
 2. In the covenant of circumcision the Mes- 
 siah was promised. He is one of the numer- 
 ous posterity promised to Abraham. Isaac 
 was a type of Christ, and as such Was offered 
 as a sacrifice on the altar, and "in a figure re- 
 ceived from the dead." As Christ was actu- 
 ally raised from the dead " for our justification.'' 
 
 In Isaac, as a type, was Abraham's seed 
 called. The event has proved that they are 
 called in Christ. "If ye be Christ's then are 
 ye Abraham's seed, and heirs" according to 
 promise : Gral. iii. 29. They are called chris- 
 tians. 
 
 To this it may be added, that Christ is the 
 seed to whom the promises were made. Gral. 
 iii. 16, 19 ; " Novv^ to Abraham and his seed 
 were the promises made. He saith not, And 
 to seeds, as of many, but as of one, And to thy 
 seed which is Christ." The law " was added, 
 till the seed should come to whom the promise 
 was made." Thus it appears that Christ was 
 promised as the seed that should be the pri- 
 mary heir of the whole inheritance. And it is 
 evident that Abraham understood that the 
 Savior was promised. He desired to see 
 Christ's day. " He .sav/ it and was glad." 
 John viii. 56. He "died in the faith, not ha- 
 ving received the promises, but having seen 
 them afar off." Heb. xi. 13. 
 
 Must not the covenant in which Christ, the 
 richest favor ever bestowed upon man, was 
 promised, be the covenant of grace ? 
 
20 COVENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 3. Christ was the surety of the covenant of 
 circumcision. The blessings promised in this 
 covenant were such as could not. consistently 
 with divine justice, be bestowed upon fallen 
 man, but upon the credit of one who could an- 
 swer the demands of the covenant broken by 
 tlie parents of our race, and all their descend- 
 ants. The flaming sword that turned every 
 way te guard the tree of life, was an emblem 
 of that justice which closed up, against fallen 
 man, every avenue to the favor of God, and 
 the happiness- of heaven. Consequently, when 
 the covenant was first given to Abraham, it 
 was through the blood of innocent animals as 
 types of the suffering Messiah. — Gen. xv. 2, 
 18. In this way it w^as " confirmed of God in 
 Christ." Gal. iii. 17. This leads to the con- 
 clusion that the blessings of the covenant were 
 promised through the sufferings of Christ, s.nd 
 that he, of course, was the surety. 
 
 The confirming of the covenant by circum- 
 cision teaches us the same truth. From the 
 Scriptures, it is evident that this rite was an 
 emblem of spiritual cleansing. Hence it is 
 said, " I will circumcise your hearts ;" the 
 same as to say, I will regenerate your hearts. 
 Circumcision as a sign of regeneration was "a 
 seal of the righteousness of faith," which is 
 Christ's righteousness. "For he is the end of 
 the law for righteousness to every one that be- 
 lieveth." Rora. x. 4. And " who of God is 
 made unto us — righteousness" *' even as David 
 
COVENANT OF GnACE. 21 
 
 also describelh the blessedness of the man un- 
 to, whom God impiiteih riijiiteousness without 
 works : 1 Cor. i. 30. — Rosn. iv. 6. Hence it ap- 
 pears that circumcisi .>n was a seal of Christ's 
 righteousne;;s. Asa p;^infiil and bloody rite it 
 taught that the blessing- of reg-eneration of which 
 it was the sign, and the righteousness of faith of 
 whicli it was the seal, must come to fallen man 
 through suiVering and blood. This shows that 
 the blesshigs of the covenant, were bestowed on 
 the credit of Christ. Circumcision was the 
 pledge tiiat his rii^hteoiisness should stand for 
 the justirication of the true believer, and thus 
 by it the covenant " v/as confirmed of God in 
 Christ" as the surety on the part of man. 
 
 In support of this point I shall also adduce 
 the confirmation of ihe covenant by oath. — 
 Gen. xxi'. 15, 17, ,18: "By myself have I 
 sworn, saith the Lord ; for because thou hast 
 done this thin^, an:i hast not v»ithheld thy son, 
 thine only son, that in blessing I will bless 
 thee, and in mulli plying I will multiply thy 
 seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand 
 whicli is upon the sea shore ; and thy seed 
 shall possess the gate of his enemies. And 
 in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be 
 blessed." All of these promises are contain- 
 ed in the covenant of circumcision, though not 
 precisely in the same language. The offering 
 up of Isaac was typical of God's oifering up 
 his only son for the salvation of sinners. Abra- 
 ham, in a figure of Christ's resurrection, "re- 
 
23 COVENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 ceiv^d " Isaac 1' from the dead." The result 
 was, God confirmed his covenant by oatli, and 
 in terms more explicit than he had previously 
 used. It is plainly stated that all nations shall 
 be blessed in Abraham's seed. The New Tes- 
 tament shows that Christ is the seed through 
 which the nations shall be blessed. Thus it 
 appears that the confirming oath was founded 
 upon the sacrifice of Christ. Confirmation 
 was added to confirmation in order to give the 
 highest possible assurance. Hence, it is said, 
 *' God, willing more abundantly, to show unto 
 the heirs of promise the immutability of his 
 counsel, confirmed it v>dth an oath." Heb. vi. 
 17. Now, as the covenant was thus "con- 
 firmed in Christ" by oath, and that with direct 
 reference to his death, it is evident that he was 
 the surety. 
 
 To all that has been said upon this point, it 
 may be added that Christ has fulfilled the me- 
 ritorious conditions of the covenant. By meri- 
 torious conditions I mean whatever was neces- 
 sary to be done in Order to make it consistent 
 with divine justice to bestow upon sinful crea- 
 tures the blessings promised in the covenant. 
 
 That he did perform this, is evident from 
 Heb. ii. 10-17: " For it became him for whom 
 are all things, and by whom are all things, in 
 bringing many sons to glory, to make the Cap- 
 tain of their salvation perfect through suffer- 
 ings. For both he that sanctifieth, and they who 
 are sanctified, are all of one ; for which cause 
 
COVENANT OF GRACE. 23 
 
 he is not ashamed to call them brethren, say- 
 ing, I will declare thy name unto my brethren. 
 — And again, behold, I, and the children which 
 God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the 
 children are partakers of flesh and blood, he 
 also himself likewise took part of the same ; 
 that through death he might destroy him that 
 had the power of death, that is, the devil ; and 
 deliver them who, through fear of death, were 
 all their lifetime subject to bondage. For ve- 
 rily he took not on him the nature of angels ; 
 but he took on hha the seed of Abraham. 
 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be 
 made like wwXo his brethren: that he might be 
 a merciful and faithful High Priest in things 
 pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for 
 the sins of the people." From this it is evi- 
 dent that the sufferings of Christ were indis- 
 pensable to bringing many sons to glory. And 
 it is undeniable that this glory is the promised 
 inheritance of the true children of Abraham. 
 It is equally evident that the '' many sons " are 
 the brethren of Christ. He and they are all of 
 AbraViam. By regeneration they are also chil- 
 dren of Christ. He took upon him their na- 
 ture that he might die for them, and so destroy 
 him that had over them the power of death. 
 All this was done to save the children of Abra- 
 ham. He made reconciliation for their sins, 
 and so fulfilled for them the meritorious condi- 
 tions of the covenant. 
 
 The same truth is equally evident from Gal. 
 
24 COVENANT or GRACE. 
 
 iii. 13, 14 : " Christ hath redeemed us from the 
 curse of the law, being made a curse for us : 
 that the blessing of Abraham might come on 
 the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, tliat we 
 mij:ht receive the promise of the spirit through 
 him." This curse vrould have excluded, for- 
 ever, both Jews and Gentiles from the blessing 
 of Abraham, hud not Christ endured it in his 
 own body on the cross. Hence the believer's 
 inheritance is called a purchased possession. 
 Eph. i. 14. He purchased the v.hole posses- 
 sion with his ov,-n blood, and so became the 
 meritorious heir of Abraham ; and it was by 
 him that Abraham became the father of ail 
 thein that believe. According to the interpre- 
 tation which Paul gives of the covenant of cir- 
 cumcision, it promised that Abraiiam should be 
 the heir of the world, and that promise was 
 by grace: Rom. iv. 19 — 25. For we say that 
 faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteous- 
 ness. How was it then reckoned ? When he 
 was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision ? 
 Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 
 And he received the sign of circumcision, a 
 seal of the righteousness of the faidi which he 
 had yet being uncircumcised: that he might 
 be the father of all them that believe, tlioifgh 
 they be not circumcised, that righteousness 
 might be imputed unto them also ; And the fa- 
 ther of circumcision to them who are not 
 of the circumcision only, but who walk in the 
 fteps of that faith of our father Abraham, which 
 
COVENANT OY GRACE. 25 
 
 he had being yet uncirciimcised. For the pro- 
 raise that he should be the heir of the world 
 was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through 
 the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 
 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith 
 is made void, and the promise mads of none 
 effect. Because the law worketh wrath : for 
 where no law is, fhei'e is no transgression. 
 Therefore it is of faith that it miglit be by 
 grace, to the end the promise might be sure' to 
 all the seed ; not to that only which is of the 
 law, but to that also which is of the faith of 
 Abraham, who is the father of ns all. " As it 
 is Vv-ritten, I have made thee a father of many 
 nations" before him whom he believed, even 
 God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth 
 those tilings which be not, as though they 
 were. Who against hops believed in ho^^e, 
 that he might become the father of many na- 
 tions, according to that which was spoken, so 
 shall thy seed be. And being not weak in 
 faith, he considered not his own body now 
 dead, when he was about a hundred years old, 
 neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb. He 
 staggered not at the promise of God through 
 unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory 
 to God ; and being fully persuaded, that what 
 he had promised, he was able also to perform. 
 And therefore it was imputed to him for right- 
 eousness. Now, it v/as not written for his 
 sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but 
 for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if W3 
 
26 COVENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord 
 from the dead,- who was delivered for our of- 
 fences, and was raised again for our justifica- 
 tion. This is an inspired comment on the co- 
 venant of circumcision ; for the language and 
 promises of that covenant are expressly re- 
 peated, and circumcision is declared to be the 
 seal of the righteousness of faith, and the seed 
 promised is show^n to be spiritual as well as na- 
 tural, and that they who are Abraham's natural 
 seed can he heirs, only by faith, that it might 
 be by grace. Now we know that grace came 
 by Jesus Christ, and that it is by faith in him 
 that all the children of Abraham are justifi- 
 ed. For he is the end of the law for righteous- 
 ness to every one that believeth : Rom. x. 4. 
 This righteousness, Paul tells us, shall be im- 
 puted to us, if we believe on him that raised 
 up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was de- 
 livered for our offences, and was raised again 
 for our justification. Thus we see that the 
 very righteousness that was imputed to Abra- 
 ham, and sealed by circumcision, is imputed 
 to us when we exercise faith in Christ. Hence 
 it is evident that the promises made in the co- 
 venant of circumcision, were founded upon the 
 merits of Christ. For all the promises of God 
 in him are yea, and in him Amen: 2 Cor. i. 
 20. It vv^as by the merits of Christ that Abra- 
 ham became the " heir of the world " which is 
 ultimately to be brought into the church, so 
 that all nations shall become the children of 
 
COVENANT OF GRxVCE. 27 
 
 Abraham. The heathen shall be given to the 
 son for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts 
 of the earth for his possession . Psal. ii. 8. If 
 ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed, and 
 heirs according to promise. Christ has pur- 
 chased the church with his own blood : Acts, 
 XX. 28. He loved the church, and gave him- 
 self for it : Eph. v. 25. 
 
 From all that has been said, it is abundantly 
 evident that Christ was the surety of the cove- 
 nant of circumcision. Must not that be the 
 covenant of grace of which he stands surety, 
 and the token of which is the seal of his right- 
 eousness imputed for justification ? 
 
 In the covenant of circumcision heaven was 
 promised. This promise was given typically 
 in the promise of Canaan. This land was 
 consecrated to the service of God. It was the 
 residence of God's chosen people. Natural 
 descent from Abraham gave no title to it. Ish- 
 mael and Esau were excluded. The same is 
 true of his descendants by Keturah. The un- 
 believing offspring of Jacob perished in the 
 wilderness. They could not enter into Ca- 
 naan, because of unbelief, Heb. iii. 19. For 
 apostasy from the service of God, the ten 
 tribes were banished, and Judah endured se- 
 venty years' captivity. And since the rejec- 
 tion of their promised Messiah, the Jews have 
 been expelled near eighteen hundred years. 
 And Paul tells us, " Because of unbelief they 
 were broken off." It was tiien, a holy land, 
 
28 COVENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 to be inherited by faith. God's temple was to 
 be in it. The h'oly place where he displayed 
 his glory on earth. There his saints worship- 
 ed him, and celebrated his praises in hymns 
 and spiritual songs. In all these respects the 
 land of Canaan was a type of heaven. Hence, 
 the promise of Canaan was typically the prom- 
 ise of heaven. 
 
 Again, there is now reserved for the chil- 
 dren of God a spiritual inheritance, promised 
 to their father Abraham. This inheritance, 
 Paul says, " God gave to Abraham by pro- 
 mise." Gal. iii. 18. Now we know that Ca- 
 naan was literally the inheritance promised to 
 Abraham, and therefore it must have been ty- 
 pically the promise of one that is spiritual, that 
 is, heaven, which is the inheritance of all the 
 true children of Abraham. 
 
 It may be added, that David's throne was in 
 Canaan. God promised to establish his throne 
 forever, and that he should " never want a man 
 to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel." 
 2 Sam. i. 16, and Jer. xxxiii. 17 — 20, 21. This 
 promise was fulfilled in the Messiah who sits 
 upon David's throne ; Isa. ix. 7, and Acts, ii. 
 30. But the Messiah's throne is in heaven. 
 This shows that Canaan was the type of hea- 
 ven. Consequently, the promise of Canaan 
 was the promise of heaven. 
 
 In further conlirmation, it may be remarked 
 that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob understood the 
 promise of Canaan as comprising in it the pro- 
 
COVENANT OF GRACI!. 29 
 
 mise of lieaven. Heb. xi. 8 — 16: " By faith 
 Abraham, when he was called to go out into a 
 place which he should after receive for an in- 
 heritance, obeyed: and he wentont, not know- 
 ing whither he went. By faith he sojourned 
 in the land of promise, as in a strange country, 
 dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, 
 heirs with him of the same promise : For he 
 looked for a city which hath foundations, 
 whose builder and maker is God. These all 
 died in faith, not having received the promises, 
 but having seen them afar off, and were per- 
 suaded of them, and embraced them, and con- 
 fessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on 
 the earth. For they that say such things, de- 
 clare plainly that they seek a country. And 
 truly if they had been mindful of that country 
 from whence they came out, they might have 
 liad opportunity to have returned; but now 
 they desire a better country, that is a heavenly, 
 wherefore God is not ashamed to be called 
 their God : for he hath prepared them a city." 
 
 Thus through Canaan as a type they sought 
 a better country than their native Chaldea, 
 even the heavenly Canaan, in which God has 
 prepared for them an eternal city, aiid is not 
 ashamed to be called their God. Hence we see 
 that the promise of Canaan was to Abraham, 
 Isaac and Jacob, the promise of heaven. In 
 this sense it was truly " an everlasting posses- 
 sion." 
 
 We see then that in the covenant of circum- 
 
30 COVENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 cision lieaven was promised ; and therefore 
 there is reason to believe that it is the cove- 
 nant of grace. 
 
 5. That the covenant of circumcision is the 
 covenant of grace, appears from the promise 
 made in it that God would be the God of 
 Abraham and his seed. Gen. xvii. 7 : " And 
 I will establish my covenant between me and 
 thee, and thy seed after thee, in their genera- 
 tions, for an everlasting covenant; to be a God 
 unto thee, and thy seed after thee." 
 
 This covenant is declared to be everlasting. 
 God will, to all eternity, be the God of Abra- 
 ham. This expresses the sense of a prom- 
 ise previously given. Gen. xv. 1 : " Fear not 
 Abraham, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding 
 great reward." This implies all grace, both 
 for time and eternity. That the promise ex* 
 tended to eternity, is evident from the circum- 
 stance that our Lord proves the resurrection, 
 by the fact that God is the God of Abraham, 
 Isaac and Jacob. Mat. xxii. 32 : " God is not 
 the God of the dead but of the living." After 
 the death of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, God 
 still declared himself to be the God of Abra- 
 ham, Isaac and Jacob, and from this our Lord 
 infers the doctrine of the resurrection. 
 
 Thus we see that, in the covenant of circum- 
 cision, God promises to be Abraham's God 
 both for time and eternity, and to be his shield 
 and exceeding great reward. What covenant 
 could promise more grace ? 
 
COVENANT OF GRACE. 31 
 
 Here it is proper to notice the most plausi- 
 ble objection against the doctrine supported 
 above. It is this : " The covenant of circum- 
 cision cannot be the covenant of grace, be- 
 cause it includes the children of Abraham as 
 well as himself, and surely all Avho are included 
 in the covenant of grace must infallibly be 
 saved." 
 
 In answer to this, I v/ill state, 
 
 1. That the promise that God Avoiild be the 
 God of Abraham and his seed after him, was 
 made to Abraham himself, and not to his seed. 
 Isaac was not yet born, and of course could re- 
 ceive no promise. This was adapted to Abra- 
 ham's parental feelings. Abraham as a pious 
 man, desired that his ofi^spring might be saved 
 as well as himself. In answer to this desire, 
 God promised him that he would be the God 
 of his seed after him. 
 
 2. As the promise was made to Abraham, 
 so it was sealed to himself by the circumcision 
 of himself and his household. As the promise 
 was twofold so v/as the seal. The circumcision 
 of the household sealed to Abraham the prom- 
 ise on behalf of his seed. Circumcision as al- 
 ready shown, was the sign of regeneration, and 
 the seal of the righteousness of faith. The 
 sign of Abraham's regeneration, and the seal 
 of the righteousness of his faith was put upon 
 his household. This answered two purposes. 
 It was, as put upon them by divine authority, 
 the piedge on the part of God that he was will- 
 
S3 COVENANT 0? GRACE. 
 
 iiig to b8SiO\v regensration and the righteons- 
 ness of faith upon Abraham's seed, and to be 
 their CTod aa he had promised. It also was 
 calculated to teach that the blessings of the co- 
 venant must descend to Abraham's seed through 
 regeneration and ihe righteousness of faith. 
 
 3. The promises descended as an inheri- 
 tance to Abraham's posterity. None but true 
 believers were heirs. Hence it is said, " thou 
 shalt keep my covenant, therefore, thou, and 
 thy seed after thee, in their generations." Gen. 
 xi. 9. And again, it is said, " I know him, 
 that lie will command his children and his 
 household after him, and they shall keep the 
 v/ay of the Lord, to justice and judgment ; that 
 the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which 
 he hath spoken of him." Gen. xviii. 49. Thus 
 we see that Abraham's children and household 
 must not only be instructed, but their hearts 
 must be so changed by divine grace, that they 
 v/ill do justice and judgment, before God can 
 bring upon Abraham the things spoken of him. 
 " He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly ; 
 neither is that circumcision, Vvdiich is outward 
 in the flesh : but he is a .Tew which is one in- 
 wardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, 
 in the spirit, and not in the letter ; whose 
 praise is not of men, but of God." Rom. ii. 
 28, 29. " If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abra- 
 ham's seed." Gal. iii. 29. " The children of 
 promise are counted for the seed." Rom. ix. 8. 
 " Now, we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the chil- 
 
oovbnant qf gracs. 33 
 
 dron of promiss." Gal. iv. 28. From these pas- 
 sages it is evident that natural descent of itself 
 did not constitute heirship. Had not Isaac 
 been a believer, he could not have been a true 
 heir of Abraham : God could not have been his 
 "exceedino- great reward" in time and eter- 
 nity. *' Thsy are not all Israel, which are df 
 Israel ; neither, because they are the seed of 
 Abraham, are they all children : but in Isaa"c 
 shall thy seed be called. That is, they which 
 are the children of the flesh, are not the children 
 of God ; but the children of promise are count- 
 ed for the seed." Rom. ix. 6, 7, 8. This 
 shows beyond doubt that none of Abraham's 
 seed, but such as v»'ere children of God, were 
 heirs according to promise. Hence, they who 
 fell in the v/iklerness could not enter into Ca- 
 naan " because of ij:3belief." And it is evident 
 that a Gentile, by becoPjing a child of God 
 even under the old dispensation, might be an 
 heir according to promise. Rahab the harlot, 
 Ruth the Moabitess, Arauneth the Jebusite, 
 are instances of this. They were incorporated 
 with Israel, and were honored as the children 
 of God. And one at least, was a mother of 
 high standing in Israel, and from her descended 
 the Savior. 
 
 From all this it is abundantly evident that 
 none bat true believers are heirs of promise ac- 
 cording to the covenant of circumcision. They 
 inherit blessings for themselves, and for their 
 children. The manner, then, in which ths 
 C 
 
84 COVENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 children of believers stand connected, forms no 
 objection to its being the covenant of grace. 
 
 The blessings which believers inherit for 
 their children are as truly grace as any others 
 whatever ; and they are indeed precious grace, 
 and such as has made the hearts of parents 
 glad in every age. 
 
 To state the blessings inherited for children, 
 and thus show that they are grace, will give 
 greater clearness to the subject, and will also 
 have a tendency to promote the practice of pa- 
 rental duty. Then, 
 
 1. They inherit for their children connec- 
 tion with the church during the time they are 
 under parental authority. I say during the 
 time they are under parental authority. For it 
 is connection with a believer's household, that 
 gives them connection with the church. This 
 is evident from the fact that an adopted child 
 inherited the same privileges in this respect 
 with the natural child. " He that is born in 
 thy house, and he that is bought with thy mo- 
 ney must needs be circumcised." Gen. xvii. 
 13. He that was bought with money was 
 adopted as a son ; and though he might not be 
 an equal heir in temporal things, as was some- 
 times the case with children of the same pa- 
 rents, yet in spiritual things he was placed on 
 equal ground : and the reason of this is ob- 
 vious. His spiritual privileges did not lessen 
 those of the real children ; but in fact was 
 grwtly to their advantage, especially as they 
 
COVENANT or GRACE. 35 
 
 tended to influence his conduct, and so cause 
 him to present a good example. Nothing 
 tends more to impede the progress of piety in 
 a family than a continued bad example. Hence, 
 in order to guard against it, and also to provide 
 for the salvation of orphans and of the children 
 of the poor, that might be placed by the provi- 
 dence of God in pious families, the covenant 
 was made to embrace all under the permanent 
 authority of believing parents. There was in 
 this respect, one law to him that Avas home- 
 born and to the stranger. This is a striking 
 trait of benevolence exhibited in the covenant 
 of circumcision, and nothing could be better 
 calculated to bless the poor, and to propagate 
 true piety. 
 
 Thus it is evident, that being placed perma- 
 nently under the authority of believers, as be- 
 ing of their household, forms a connection with 
 i the church. Hence, the Savior said, *' suffer 
 the little children to come unto me ; — for of such 
 is the kingdom of heaven." The households 
 of believers are as really a part of the visible 
 I church as the households of citizens are a part 
 ' of the nation. The children of a nation, when 
 k they come to maturity may renounce their al- 
 legiance to the government, and go to a foreign 
 country, and so the children of the church, 
 may when they arrive at maturity, break con- 
 nection with their pious parents, step out of 
 the church into the world, and throw off all 
 allegiance to the King of Zion. They may 
 
36 COVENANT OF GUACE. 
 
 become rebels, but they never can release 
 themselves from obligation. Whenever they 
 break connection with their professing parents, 
 without making a profession of religion, they 
 break connection with the church. The pa- 
 rents are the officers through whom the church 
 exercises discipline upon them, and when their 
 authority ceases, the church cannot reach them 
 by her discipline. They are branches broken 
 off through unbelief, Rom. xi. 20. They may 
 be grafted in again by faith, without which it 
 is impossible to please God. All v/ho con- 
 tinue to live without this, must sooner or later 
 be cut oft' forever from the church, and ban- 
 ished from the favor of God, whatever may 
 be the external tie that binds them now to his 
 people. 
 
 Thus we see the nature of that connection 
 which the households of believers sustain to 
 the church. It is one that cannot be perma- 
 nent beyond the continuance of parental au- 
 thority unless by profession of faith, — " Thou 
 standest by faith." This is the everlasting 
 bond of union, and without this none can be 
 heirs of promise. 
 
 2. Believers inherit the privilege of conse- 
 crating their children to God, and of receiving 
 the pledge of his promise in relation to their 
 spiritual interests. 
 
 That such a privilege existed under the Jew- 
 ish dispensation all will admit. The pious 
 parent then, in the ordinance of circumcision, 
 
COVEXANT OF GRACE. 37 
 
 set apart his children to the service of God ; but 
 v/hether such a privilege now exists is matter 
 of doubt with some who, we trust, are indeed 
 the children of God, and who no doubt would 
 highly esteem such a privilege, could ihey be 
 satisfied that it is gi*anted in the sacred oracles. 
 This doubt has arisen {\-om two sources. The 
 one is improper viev>rs of the ordinance of cir- 
 cumcision. The other is the abuses that have 
 attended household baptism. That the institu- 
 tion of household baptism has been greatly abus- 
 ed is readily admitted, but the same is equally 
 true of the Lord's supper. Indeed there is no 
 institution of religion that wicked men have not 
 profaned. The abuse of an institution is no ar- 
 gument against it. Circumci?;ian has been sup- 
 posed by many to be a carnal ordinance, intend- 
 ed merely for national distinction. But against 
 this there is the clearest evidence. The fact 
 that this ordinance was not confined to the nat- 
 ural seed of Abraham proves that it was not in- 
 tended for national distinction, and there are 
 many facts to show that it did not seal the right 
 to Canaan. The circumci.-sion of Ishmacl is 
 one, and thiit of Abraham's servants is another. 
 That it was not a carnal orcUnance will be evi- 
 dent, if we consider, 
 
 1. That, as a purification, it signified die 
 cleansing of the heart. Duut. x. 18: "Cir- 
 cumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart." 
 Also, XXX. G: "The Lord thy God will circv.m- 
 eise thv heart, and tlie heart of thy Feed, to love 
 
88 COVENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with 
 all thy soul." Jer. iv. 4: "Circumcise your- 
 selves to the Lord, and take away the foreskin 
 of your heart." These passages show that cir- 
 cumcision represented the regeneration of the 
 heart. As an emblem of regeneration it was 
 *'a seal of tlie righteousness of faith." Rom. 
 iv. 11. 
 
 2. None but a true believer had a right to re- 
 ceive circumcision, either for himself or for his 
 household. Abraham was a believer before he 
 received circumcision for himself and for his 
 household. He received the sign of circum- 
 cision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith, 
 which he had, yet being uncircumcised : Rom 
 iv. 11. This shows that faith was necessary in 
 order to the proper reception of circumcision, as 
 it now is in order to baptism. 
 
 3. The same truth is evident from the nature 
 of the ordinance. It was the emblem of regen- 
 eration, and "a seal of the righteousness of 
 faith." This shows that the man who proper- 
 ly received it must have the things signified 
 and sealed by it. He must be regenerated and 
 have the righteousness of faith, in order that God 
 may be his God, according to the promise seal- 
 ed by circumeision ; nor without these, could 
 he inherit the second part of the promise seal- 
 ed to him by the circumcision of his household. 
 The sign of the father's regeneration, and the 
 seal of the righteousness of his faith was put 
 upon his householt^ to seal to him the promise 
 
COVENANT OF GRACB. 90 
 
 that God would be the God of his seed. I have 
 before shown that none but true believers aro 
 heirs of promise. Hence, none but a believer 
 could properly have his household circumcised 
 in order to seal to him the promise that God 
 would be the God of his seed. 
 
 4. It is said the holy seed mingled themselves 
 by marriage with the Gentiles, Ezra, ix. 1, 2, 
 Some of the wives were daughters of Moab. 
 This was contrary to the divine law which pl*o- 
 hibited marriages with idolatrous women, and, 
 therefore, they were required to put them away 
 and the children born of them, Ezra, x. 3. The 
 children born of them were not allowed to be 
 consecrated to God. They were put away 
 with their unbelieving mothers. But Boas 
 married Ruth, a Moabitess, and from her des- 
 cended the chosen family in Israel. And why 
 this difference ? Ruth had chosen the God of 
 Israel for her God, and was eminently pious. 
 Faith made her fit to be a mother in Israel. 
 The children of a Jew by an unbelieving Gen- 
 tile were counted unclean, that is, unfit to be 
 consecrated to God, because it was unlawful for 
 him to take such a wife. 
 
 But under the new dispensation, when a Gen- 
 tile who was converted after marriage, while the 
 husband or wife remained in unbelief, the seed 
 was reckoned to the believing party. I Cor. 
 vii. 14 : " For the unbelieving husband is sanc- 
 tified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is 
 sanctified by the husband ; else were your chil- 
 
40 COVENANT or GRACE. 
 
 dren iincle[in ; but now are they holy." The 
 unbelieving partner was not to be pnt away, be- 
 cause tiiey had violated no law by their mar- 
 riage, as the Jews had in the case mentioned. 
 And the children were counted holy, that is, 
 they might be consecrated to Gf;d as a holy 
 seed: Ezra, ix. 2. That which may be con- 
 secrated to God is in Scripture called holy. 
 Thus the children of believing parents are 
 counted a holy seed. Hence none but a believ- 
 er had a right to circumcision for his household. 
 I use the term household, because although the 
 females were not literally circumcised, yet they 
 were reckoned as such, and were permitted to 
 eat of the passover, of which, it is said, no un- 
 circumcised person shall eat. 
 
 Hence, it is abundantly evident that a believ- 
 er, and none but a believer, had a right to cir- 
 cumcision for himself and his household. The 
 doctrine of the old Testament in relation to cir- 
 cumcision was the same vv'ith that of the new, 
 in relation to baptism. He that believeth and 
 is baptized shall be saved. The doctrine of the 
 old was, he that believeth and is circumcised shall 
 be saved. The just shall live by faith. " Abra- 
 ham believed God, and it was counted to him 
 for righleousness." " And he received the sign 
 of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of 
 the faith which he had yet beincr uncircumcis- 
 cd." 
 
 This view removes all difnculty with regard 
 to the proper subjects of baptism. None but 
 
COVENANT OF GRACE. 41 
 
 a believer has a right to baptism, either for him- 
 self or his household. Circumcision and bap- 
 tism are hut different modes of administering 
 the same seal. This will be evident if we 
 consider, 
 
 1. That the covenant of circumcision is still 
 in existence, as before shown. It is this cove- 
 nant that constitutes Abraham the father of all 
 them that believe, and consequently, it must 
 continue so long as the christian system shall 
 be promoted in the world. Then, inasmuch as 
 the covenant still exists, it is reasonable to con- 
 clude that the seal still exists, and if it does, it 
 is administered by baptism. 
 
 2. The seal was the sign of regeneration, and 
 consisted in external cleansing. The blood 
 and pain in circumcision were circumstances 
 attending the removal of pollution, but con- 
 stituted no part of the cleansing. The blood 
 of a sinful being is no emblem of purity : 
 the seal consisted in the external cleansing. 
 The painful and bloody mode of cleansing was 
 significant of the dispensation that preceded 
 the sufferings of Christ. Baptism is an ex- 
 ternal cleansing, and as such an emblem of re- 
 generation. "He ?hall baptize you with the 
 Holy Ghost." This, v/ith a great many other 
 passages in the new Testament, proves that 
 baptism is the emblem of regeneration, just as 
 circumcision was. Baptism and circumcision 
 then are but different modes of administering 
 the same seal, and significant of different dis- 
 
42 COVENANT OF GRACB. 
 
 pensations of the same covenant. Circumcision 
 as a painful and bloody mode of administering 
 the seal, v/as significant of the dispensation 
 that preceded the sufferings of Christ. Hence, 
 to receive it in its original design under the 
 new dispensation, amounts to a denial that 
 Christ suffered. Gal. v. 3, 4 : " For I testify- 
 again to every man that is circumcised, that he 
 is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is be- 
 come of none effect unto you." That is, the 
 man that received the painful and bloody rite 
 of circumcision, declared by that act that Christ 
 had not suffered the penalty of the law, and 
 having thus denied the atonement, he was a 
 debtor to do the whole law. Baptism, as un- 
 attended with blood and pain, is significant of 
 the new dispensation, and amounts to a decla- 
 ration that Christ has suffered. Hence, it was 
 necessary that such as had been circumcised 
 under the old dispensation, should be baptized 
 under the new. The new mode of administer- 
 ing the seal of covenant was an acknowledgment 
 that Christ had suffered, and the refusal to re- 
 ceive this new mode, was in effect, a denial that 
 he had fulfilled the demands of the broken law. 
 Hence, on the day of pentecost, they who had 
 been previously circumcised were baptized. 
 The baptism then, of those that had been cir- 
 cumcised, forms no objection to the identity of 
 the seal under both dispensations. The sig- 
 nifTcancy and necessityof the different modes, 
 form a sufficient reason for a repetition in the 
 
COVENANT or GRACE. 43 
 
 case of those who lived under both dispensa- 
 tions. 
 
 3. Circumcision as the seal of the righteous- 
 ness of faith, was for the remission of sins. It 
 was a seal of the only righteousness throuo-h 
 which the remission of sins can come, and 
 therefore, it did seal to all true believers the 
 remission of sins. Baptism seals the same 
 righteousness to every true believer, and there- 
 fore is for the remission of sins. Acts, xxii. 
 16: "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away 
 thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." 
 Acts, ii. 38, 39 : " Repent and be baptized, ev- 
 ery one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, 
 for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive 
 the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise 
 is unto you, and to your children, and to all 
 that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our 
 God shall call." 
 
 According to these passages, in baptism 
 there is a calling on the name of the Lord ; 
 and it is performed in the name of Christ who 
 is the end of the law for righteousness to eve- 
 ry one that believeth. Again, we are said to 
 be baptized into Christ, and so " have put on 
 Christ." Gal. iii. 27. Whether this be inter- 
 preted to mean spiritual, or water baptism, it 
 is equally to the purpose. Water baptism is 
 significant of that which is spiritual, and of 
 course, it represents that by which the true be- 
 liever is put into Christ, and puts on Christ ; 
 and by putting on Christ, he puts on his right- 
 
44 covt:-\a?;t of grace. 
 
 eousness for the remission of sins. Hence, 
 baptism is a seal of the righteousness of faith, 
 as circumcision was, and is therefore, as ex- 
 pressly said in Scripture, " for the remission of 
 sins." In this respect circumcision and bap- 
 tism are the same. 
 
 4. Circumcision sealed the promise, and 
 connected those, who received it, with Abra- 
 ham. The same is true of baptism. " Re- 
 pent and be baptized, every one, of you in the 
 name of Jesus Christ. — For the promise is 
 unto yon, and to your children." " For as 
 many of you as have been baptized into Christ, 
 have put on Christ. — And if ye be Christ's, 
 then are ye -Abraham's seed, and heirs accord- 
 ing to promise." Acts, ii. 38, 39. — Gal. iii. 
 27, 29. Here baptism stands connected with 
 the promise embracing parents and children, 
 just as circumcision did. And all that are 
 baptized are children and heirs of Abraham, 
 just as all circumcised were. This shows 
 that baptism and circumcision are but different 
 modes of administering the same seal. 
 
 5. The language' and history in the new 
 Testament in relation to baptism is such as the 
 identity of the seal requires. Mark, xvi. 16: 
 " He that believe ih and is baptized, shall be 
 saved." Here the language is so framed as to 
 suit the doctrine of household baptism. It is 
 not, he that believeth, and C!;efs baptized,, but 
 he that believeth, and is baptized. — Now, sup- 
 pose a person baptized in infancy, and to-day 
 
COVENANT OF GRACE. 45 
 
 he believes, such a person has all that the 
 text requires, he believes and he is baptized. 
 Language could not be better framed to suit 
 the practice of household baptism. 
 
 Again, the narratives of the practice of the 
 apostles is just such as supposes the practice 
 of household baptism. In the short narrative 
 given, the baptism of a number of households, 
 is stated. Cornelius and his household were 
 baptized.. Stephanes and his household, the jail- 
 or and his household, and Lydia and her house- 
 hold. This is just as if the practice in rela- 
 tion to circumcision and baptism were the 
 same. We know that believers and their house- 
 holds were circumcised, and now the apostles 
 baptize believers and their households. Is it 
 not reasonable to conclude that the practice 
 was the sjme in both cases ? When I baptize 
 a believer and his household, I practise as the 
 apostles did ; who can prove that I am wrong? 
 If it be said that failh is required in order to 
 baptism, I have alreidy shown that faith was 
 equally necessary to circumcision.' It, like 
 baptism, was a seal of the righteousness of 
 faith, and was for the remission of sins. If it 
 be urged that there were no infants belonging 
 to those households, it may be rej)lied that in- 
 fants are not baptized because they are young, 
 but because parts of believers' households. 
 Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was 
 circumcised, Gen. xvii. 25. All that perma- 
 nently belong to a believer's household, and 
 
46 COVENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 are subject to his authority, or in other words, 
 all children, real or adopted, were circumcised 
 without regard to age: "He that is born an 
 thy house, and he that is bought with thy mo- 
 ney must needs be circumcised." This is the 
 only law on the subject. It is true, the com- 
 m.and was to circumcise children on the eighth 
 day after birth, because previous to that day 
 they were ceremonially unclean, and could not 
 sooner be dedicated to God. But if any pro- 
 vidence prevented its being done on the eighth 
 day, it could be done at a later period. The 
 object of the command was to have the child 
 dedicated to God at the earliest period practi- 
 cable. And this command should be carefully 
 noticed by those parents who carry, or, might 
 carry their children several times to the house 
 of God before they dedicate them to him in 
 baptism. Unnecessary delay is a violation of 
 the divine command, and shows a want of due 
 regard to the privileges of the holy covenant. 
 
 But to return to the point in hand : the child 
 was not circumcised because there was any 
 thing holy in its lieart ; but for the purpose of 
 sealing to the parent God's promise to give it 
 a new heart, and the righteousness of faith, and 
 also to teach him that it needed these in order 
 to salvation. Hence, there was the same rea- 
 son for circumcising Ishmael at thirteen years 
 of age, that there was for circumcising a child 
 at eight days old. If a child had a holy na- 
 ture, there would be no need of circumcisingr 
 
COVENANT or GRACE. 47 
 
 it. It would need neither regeneration, nor the 
 righteousness of faith. And of course the pa- 
 rent would need no promise respecting its sal- 
 vation. It would be already safe. The cir- 
 cumcision then, of a believer's household re- 
 garded not the particular age of those compo- 
 sing it, but their fallen state, and their need of 
 salvation, and the promise made in relation to 
 their redemption through a Savior. It is not 
 then necessary to enquire whether there were 
 little infants in the households baptized by the 
 apostles or not. They baptized believers and 
 their households. I do the same ; he that 
 charges me with error in practice, is bound to 
 prove his charge, in order to compel me to 
 abandon such practice. This can never be 
 done. The narrative in the case of Lydia, in 
 particular, goes to show that she was the only 
 believer in the family. " If ye have judged 
 me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my 
 house, and abide there ; and she constrained 
 us." Acts, xvi. 15. She says, " if ye have 
 judged me," not us. This is entirely natural 
 on the supposition that she was the only pro- 
 fessor belonging to the family, and altogether 
 unnatural on the opposite supposition. Had 
 there been other professors in the family, she 
 would, doubtless, have included them with 
 herself, and would have said, if ye have judg- 
 ed us to be faithful to the Lord. This would 
 have given strength to her argument. As the 
 brethren would naturally collect at the house 
 
48 COVENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 which Paul and Silas made their home, to 
 meet them after they came out of prison, there- 
 is no reason to conchule, that those mentioned. 
 Acts, xvi. 40. were of Lyclia's household. 
 
 The language then, and the history in the 
 new Testament in relation to baptism, are 
 such as the practice of household Iraptism re- 
 quires. And hence anotlier argument for the 
 identity of the seal under both dispensations. , 
 
 6. All that has been said in relation to the 
 identity of the seal, under different modes of 
 administration, will be confirmed by proving 
 the identity of the church, under the old and 
 new dispensations. As this point involves the 
 authority of the old testament scriptures and 
 christian practice, under the new dispensation, 
 it is necessary to extend the argument beyond 
 what has been already said on the subject. I 
 shall, therefore, first enquire whether there is 
 any evidence against the identity of the church 
 under the old and new dispensations. And, 
 secondly, I shall present testimony to prove 
 her identity under both dispensations. 
 
 1st. Is tliere any evidence against the identi- 
 ty of the church under the old and new dispen- 
 sations? The following passage has been in- 
 troduced as evidence against such identity ; 
 Dan. i. 44 : " And in the days of these Kings, 
 shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom, 
 which shall never be destroyed ; and the King- 
 dom ehali not be left to other people, but it 
 shall break in pieces, and consume all these 
 
COVENANT OF GRACE. 49 
 
 Kingdoms, and it shall stand forever." This 
 is a prediction relative to the new dispensa- 
 tion. It was made at a time when Jerusalem 
 and the temple were in ruins, and the people 
 of God were captives in a foreign land. The 
 church, then in her visible form, had fallen 
 down so far that she never, during that dispen- 
 sation, rose to her former eminence. The ta- 
 bernacle of David had fallen down. The pre- 
 diction then is, that the fallen kingdom shall 
 be set up again, and break in pieces, and con- 
 sume all those kingdoms by which it had been 
 broken down, and oppressed, and that it should 
 never be in the power of any kingdom to de- 
 stroy it. It shall stand forever. A similar 
 prediction is found in Amos, ix. 11, 12 : "In 
 that day will I raise up the tabernacle of Da- 
 vid that is fallen, and close up the breaches 
 thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I 
 will build it as in the days of old, that they 
 may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all 
 the heathen which are called by my name, saith 
 the Lord that doeth this." This is expressly 
 applied to the new dispensation. Acts, xv.16,17. 
 It is admitted by all, that the setting up of the 
 kingdom predicted by Daniel, was the setting 
 up of what is now called the church. And ac- 
 cording to the prediction of Amos, interpreted 
 and applied iti the Acts of the Apostles, the set- 
 ting up of what is now called the church, was 
 the setting up of the tabernacle of David that 
 had fallen down. The setting up then of a 
 D 
 
50 COVENANT OF GRACD. 
 
 kingdom in Daniel, cannot possibly mean the 
 originating of a kingdom, but merely the set- 
 ting lip of one that had fallen down. The pre- 
 diction of Amos, as applied by an inspired apos- 
 tle, proves most decidedly, the previous exist- 
 ence of what is now called the church. Thus 
 far there appears to be no evidence against the 
 identity of the church under the old and new 
 dispensations. 
 
 Again, it is urged, that John's declaration that 
 the kingdom of Heaven is at hand, Mat., iii. 1, 
 militates against the previous existence of what 
 is now called the church. To this it may be 
 replied, that there are special reasons for call- 
 ing the church under the new dispensation, the 
 kingdom of Heaven. Previous to that time slie 
 was in a minor slate, and kept under the law as 
 a schoolmaster ; Gall. iii. 23, 24 ; and iv. 1, 2. 
 She, as an heir, was under governors and tu- 
 tors ; but then her king came, and liberated lier 
 from the law as a schoolmaster, and abolished 
 the system of tutelage under which she had 
 been placed. She nov\r arriyed at mature age, 
 and her Lord became more directly her king 
 and head. Thus the church is called, more ap- 
 propriately, the kingdom of heaven under the 
 new, than under the old dispensation. At tlie 
 commencement of the new dispensation, her 
 king appeared visibly in her, and her system 
 of law was compleled, and she received that 
 maturity which prepared her for the dominion, 
 and the greatness of the dominion under the 
 
COVENANT or GRACE. 51 
 
 wliole heaven. Hence, with the utmost pro- 
 priety, the coming of that period of her matu- 
 rity is called the coming of the Icingdom of hea- 
 ven. All this is perfectly consistent with the 
 identity of the church under the old and new 
 dispensations. Against such identity, there is 
 no evidence. 
 
 2d. I am to present testimony in favor of the 
 identity of the church under both dispensations. 
 
 1st. The same general covenant now exists, 
 that existed under the former dispensation. — 
 Paul argues that the lav/, which was four hun- 
 dred and thirty years after it, could not disan- 
 nul it, so as to make the promise of none effect ; 
 Gall. iii. 17. And he also represents ail believ- 
 ers as cliildren and heirs of Abraham, accord- 
 ing to the promise contained in this covenant. 
 Hence, Abraham is the father of all them that 
 believe, under both dispensations. This shows 
 decidedly the identity of the church under both 
 dispensations. 
 
 2d. Promises made to those under the old, 
 are fulfilled to those under the new, as being 
 the same people; Acts, iii. 22. Moses truly 
 said, " unto the fatliers, a prophet shall the Lord 
 your God raise up unto you, of your brethren, 
 like unto me ; him shall ye liear in all things 
 whatsoever he shall say unto }'ou." The same 
 people are recognized as still existing, and hav- 
 ing the promise fulfilled to them. The .same is 
 true of all the promises fulfilled under the new 
 dispensation, as well as all yet to be fulfilled ; 
 
53 COVENANT OF CRACK. 
 
 they all imply the continued existence of the 
 people to whom they \vere made, and of course, 
 prove the identity of the church under the old 
 and new dispensations. . 
 
 3d. The prophets, when predicting the con- 
 version of the Gentiles, represent them as being 
 added to the church that then existed ; Isaiah, 
 ii. 2: "And it shall come to pass in the last 
 days, that the mountain of the Lord's house 
 shall be established in the top of the moun- 
 tains, and be exalted above the hills ; and all 
 nations shall flow unto it." Isa. Ix. 3, 4, 5 : 
 "The Gentiles shall come to thy light, and 
 kings to the brightness of thy rising. — All they 
 gather themselves together, they come to thee : 
 ' — The abundance of the sea shall be con- 
 verted unto thee, and the forces of the Gentiles 
 shall come unto thee." These are a specimen 
 of the many passages that might be quoted to 
 the same purpose. They prove beyond the 
 possibility of a doubt, that the Gentiles under 
 the new dispensation are to be added to the 
 church that existed under the old, and thus 
 prove her identity under both. 
 
 4th. John the Baptist teaches the same doc- 
 trine. Matt. iii. 10, 12 : " The axe is laid to the 
 root of the trees ; — therefore every tree which 
 bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and 
 cast into the fire. — Whose fan is in his hand, 
 and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and 
 gather his wheat into his garner ; but he will 
 burn up the chaflf with unquenchable fire." 
 
COVENANT 01 GRACE. 53 
 
 By these two figures he shows that Christ will 
 purge but not destroy his church. As the hus- 
 bandman goes through his helds and cuts down 
 every useless tree that cumbers his ground, so 
 the Lord Jesus Christ cuts off from his church 
 all unfruiiful members. This impHes that fruit- 
 ful members are spared, and the existence of 
 the church continued ; for he would, of the 
 stones that lay on the earth, make children of 
 Abraham to fill up his church sooner than let 
 his promise fail. 
 
 Again, as tiie husbandman comes into his barn 
 floor with his fan, and separates the chaft' from 
 his wheat, and burns it with fire, and puts his 
 wheat into a garner ; so the Lord will come in- 
 to his church, and separate the barren members 
 from the fraiiful. Tlie one class he finally casts 
 into hell, and the other l.e gathers into heaven. 
 The fruitful members are spared until ripe for 
 heaven. The church then is purged but not 
 destroyed. Hence it is siid, " who may abide 
 the day of liis coming I Who shall stand when 
 he appearcth ? For he is like refiner's fire, and 
 fuller's soap." Ma!, iii. 2. The church shall 
 be purged, the wicked Jews shall be cast out, 
 and the Gentiles shall be gathered in. 
 
 5th. Our Lord teaches the same truth. Matt. 
 viii. 11, 12 : " IMany shall come from the east 
 and west, and siiall sit down v/ith Abraham, and 
 Tsaac, and Jacob, in tlie kingdom of heaven. 
 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast 
 out into outer darknoss." 
 
54 COVENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 Ill this passage heavea cannot be meant, for 
 the children of that kingdom are never cast out. 
 The church must be meant, and the very church 
 of which the Jews were members, for they were 
 to be cast out into outer darkness, that is, the 
 darkness that is in the world, and if they had 
 not been in they would not have been cast out. 
 The occasion on which this declaration was 
 made shov/s what w^as meant. A centurion 
 tliat had been brought up a heathen, exhibited 
 greater faith than had been found in Israel. 
 This was a strong indication that God was 
 about to gather the Gentiles into the church 
 aiid cast out tlie Jev/s The Gentiles shall 
 come from the east and west into the church, 
 an.d setde down under the charter given to Abra- 
 ham, and Isaac, and Jacob, as the constitution 
 of the kingdom, for each of these held the cov- 
 enant in succession ; but the Jews, the cliildren 
 of this kingdom, shall be cast out into that dark- 
 ness that is wiiliout the church, and the m.ost 
 terrible judgments of God shall come upon 
 them, especially in th.e unparalleled destruc- 
 tion of Jerusalem, and hence there shall be 
 weeping .and gna^siiing of teeth. Thus we see 
 that the Gentiles were gathered into the very 
 kingdom or church out of which the Jews were 
 cast, just as the prophets h-4d foretold. 
 
 Again, our Lord teaches the same thing in 
 the parable of the vineyard. Matt. xxi. 33 — 43. 
 A householder planted a vineyard, and let it out 
 to husbandmen who refused to jrive him the 
 
CX)VENANT OF GRAC-S. 65 
 
 fruits of it, and after othor deeds of wickedness 
 they murdered his son. In the judgment of 
 the Jews themselves, the owner of the vine- 
 yard will miserably destroy those wicked men, 
 and let oiit his vineyard unto other husbandmen, 
 •who shall render him the fruits in their season. 
 The application shows what was intended. 
 *' The kingdom of God shall be taken from 
 yon, -and given to a nation bringing forth thte fruits 
 thereof." The Jews shall be cast out of the 
 church, and be miserably destroyed, and the 
 Gentiles shall be gathered into it. If the Jews 
 had not possessed the kingdom, it could not 
 have been taken from them. The veiy king- 
 dom taken from the Jews, was given to the 
 Gentiles, xMoses predicted that every soul 
 which will not iiear Christ as a prophet, sliall 
 be destroyed from among the people. This 
 shows that only t,lie Jews, who rejected the Sa- 
 vior, were to be destroyed from among the peo- 
 ple. Of course, the people from among whom 
 they w;ere destroyed, remained in the church. 
 Hence it is evident that the same church exist- 
 ed iiniler botli dispensations^. 
 
 Gth. It is said that Christ loved the church, 
 and gave himself for it. Eph. v. 25. That he 
 purchased it with his ov/n blood. Acts, xx. 28. 
 And again, it is said, that his death was for the 
 redemption of the tranrsgressions that were un- 
 der the first testament, or dispensation. Heb. 
 ix. 15. This shows that the same church ex- 
 isted under both dispensations. 
 
©6 COVENANT or GRACE. 
 
 7th. The apostle Paul teaches, that the Gen- 
 tiles are brought into the same church that ex- 
 isted among the Jews. Rom. xi. 17 — 25. He 
 represents the unbelieving part of the Jews, as 
 branches broken oH' from the good olive tree, 
 and the Gentiles as branches of the wild olive 
 tree, grafted into the same tree from which 
 some of the Jewish branches were broken off, 
 and that too among the Jewish branches that 
 remained. For only some of the branches 
 were broken off. He also says, that the Jews 
 broken off, shall be grafted in again, " into their 
 own olive tree." Tiie good olive tree, then, is 
 still living. The believing Gentiles are grafted 
 into it, and supported by it, and the unbelieving 
 Jews shall yet be inserted into it by faith in 
 their promised Messiah. Can any thing be 
 more evident than the identity of the church 
 under the old and new dispensations? 
 
 Again, Paul teaches tlie same truth, in anoth- 
 er form, Eph. ii. 11 — 23. The Gentiles are 
 represented as having been far off, without 
 Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of 
 Israel, and strangers .to covenants of promise, 
 having no hope, and without God in the world. 
 But now they are mads nigh by the blood of 
 Christ, and in common with the Jews, they 
 have " access by one spirit unto the father.'* 
 They are no more strangers and foreigners, but 
 fellow citizens with the saints, and of the 
 household of God ; and are built upon the foun- 
 dation of the aposdes and prophets, Jesus Christ 
 
COVENANT OF GRACE. 57 
 
 himself being the chief corner stone, in whom 
 all the building, fitly framed together, groweth 
 unto a holy temple in the Lord. This shows 
 that the Gentiles were added to the church that 
 existed under the old dispensation. The apos- 
 tles are added to the prophets, and Jews and 
 Gentiles unite on them as one common founda- 
 tion, and all the building rests upon Christ, the 
 chief corner stone, under both dispensations. 
 Prophets and apostles alike, are founded on 
 him. Who can, in view of this, doubt the 
 identity of the church, under the old and new 
 dispensations ? 
 
 8th. The church, under the new dispensation, 
 is guided and governed by the old 'J'estament 
 scriptures. The authority of prophets is equal 
 to that of apostles. The church is built upon 
 the foundation of the apostles and prophets. 
 The Savior himself recognizes the authority of 
 the old Testament scriptures. Matli. v. 17, 18, 
 19 : *' Think not that I am come to destroy 
 the law and the prophets. I came not to de- 
 stroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, 
 till heaven and earth shall pass away, one jot or 
 one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, 
 till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall 
 break one of these least commandments, and 
 shall teach men so, shall be called least in the 
 kingdom of heaven. But v/hosoever shall do 
 and teach them, the sam.e shall be called great 
 in the kingdom of heaven." Nothing shall pass 
 from the law and the prophets till all be ful- 
 
63 COVENAKT OF GRACE. 
 
 filled, but the lav/ and the prophets are not yei 
 fulfilled, nor will they be to the end of timOi 
 Of course they will continue to guide and gov- 
 ern the church, u^itil the last prophecy shall 
 have been fulfilled. 
 
 Again, whosoever shall break even the least 
 commandment of the law, under the new dis- 
 pensation, shall be called least in the kingdom 
 of heaven, that is, least in the church. Frpm 
 this it is evident that the law is to govern the 
 church after the old dispensation is passed 
 away. To this it may be added, that Christ 
 enjoined upon the Jews the duty of searching 
 the old Testament scriptures, and assigns as 
 a reason for it " They testify of me." Jo!in, 
 V. 39. 
 
 Paul teaches the sam.e with regard to the old 
 Testament scriptures. He calls them <' thu 
 holy scriptures." Rom. i. 2. He says, Rom 
 iii. 31 : "Do we then make void the law ? Got) 
 forbid : yea, we establish the law." He ab 
 horred the idea of abolishing the law. He es- 
 tablished the doctrines of faith and justification 
 by the imputation r^f rightec^usness, by the an- 
 cient scriptures, Rom. chap. iv. and Gal. chap. 
 111. He likewise decides by them the real di- 
 vinity of the Savior in the first chapter of his 
 epistle to the Hebrews. He tells Timothy 
 that, " from a child thou hast known the holy 
 scriptures, which are able to make thee wise 
 unto salvation." The old Testament scriptures 
 then, under the new dispensation, are able to 
 
OO VEX ANT OF GRACS. 59 
 
 • 
 
 tnaks a man wise unto salvation. He declares 
 that " all scripture is given by inspiration of 
 Grod, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, 
 'or correction, for instruction iu righteousness, 
 ;hatthe man of God may be perfect, thorough- 
 y furnished unto all good works." 2 'I'im. iii. 
 16, 17. This establishes most decidedly the 
 luthority of the old Testament scriptures as a 
 •ule.of faith and practice. Indeed, the Savior 
 md his apostles continually appealed to them ■ 
 o justify both what- they did and taught. This- 
 iccords with ^vhat Paul says in his defence be- 
 bre Agrippa. Acts, xxvi. 22, 2.3 : " Having 
 )btained help of God, I continue unto this day, 
 vitnessing both to small and ^reat, saying 
 lone other things than those which the proph- 
 jts and Moses did say should come : That 
 Dhrist should suffer, and that he should be the 
 ifst that should rise from the dead, and should 
 ihov/ light unto the people, and to the Gen- 
 iles." He taught and did nothing but v/hat 
 vas in strict accordance with the old Testa- 
 nent scriptures. Hence what is now called 
 he church, is governed by the scriptures that 
 rvere given under the old dispensation. The 
 lew Testament is but an extension and devel- 
 )pment of the principles contained in th.e old. 
 Christianity is tlie same religion that existed 
 jiPiOng the Jews. Christians and Jews are 
 ilike called the chosen people of God, a holy 
 nation, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people, 
 the church. Nothing can be more evident than 
 
60 COVENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 the identity of the churcli, under the old ail 
 new dispensations. And if the same covena' 
 and the same church exist under both dispens^ 
 tioiis, It IS reasonable to conclude that the san: 
 seal exists under both. The seal I have show 
 consisted in outward cleansing-, which was tl 
 «ign of the cleansing of the heart ; the mod^^ 
 of cleansing were different, but the thino- sio-n 
 fied has Gver been the same. Baptism, thei 
 IS but a new mode of giving the seal that ^vl 
 formerly given by circumcision, and as sue 
 significant of the new dispensation. Belie vin 
 parents,_then inherit the privilege of consecra 
 ting their children, real or adopted, to God b^ 
 the washing of water, in the name of the Fa 
 
 ther, and ol the Son, and of the Holy Ghost 
 ihe doctrine IS plainly this : The believer, anc 
 none but the believer, has a ri^ht to baptism fo 
 himself and for his household. The promise 
 made to him in the covenant contains two parts 
 
 none but the believer, has a ri^ht to baptism fo 
 himself and for his household. The promise 
 made to him in the covenant contains two parts. 
 I will be a God to thee, and to thy seed aftei 
 thee. The one part is sealed to him by his 
 
 own bapasm the other is sealed to him by the 
 bapt sm onus household. Take the case of 
 the jador for dlustrauon. The promise was 
 tendered to him ; " believe on the Lord Jesns 
 Chnst, and thou shah be saved and thy I'ouse " 
 1 us ,s substantiaUy the promise given to Abr'a- 
 ham Phot. Shalt be saved, is sealed to him 
 
 houL ho f ''i '" ^"" •'y "^^ b^P'i^™ of his 
 nousehold His own baptism is the sign of 
 
COVENANT OF GRACE. 61 
 
 is regeneration, and a seal of the righteous- 
 ess of faith. The sign of his regeneration, 
 ml the seal of the righteousness of his faiih, is 
 lUt upon his household as a pledge on the part 
 f God that he is willing to give them the same 
 egeneration and righteousness of faith, that he 
 las given to their father, and so to be their 
 7od, as he is their father's God. It also teach- 
 s the parent that regeneration and the right- 
 iousness of faith are necessary to the salva- 
 ion of his household, and it presents to him a 
 trong inducement to provide for them the 
 neans of grace,-especially as parental instruc- 
 ion is implied in the promise as a condition, 
 rhat such condition actually existed in the case 
 ►f Abraham when the covenant was first given 
 md sealed, is evident from an injunction given 
 lim, and a statement made respecting him. 
 ' Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou 
 md thy seed after thee." " I know him, that 
 le will command his children and his household 
 ifter him, and they shall keep the way of the 
 Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the 
 Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he 
 las spoken of him." Thus we see that pa- 
 :ental instruction is indispensable to securing 
 the blessing, promised and sealed to Abraham 
 in relation to his seed. If Abraham do not 
 command his children and household after him, 
 they will not keep the Lord, to do justice and 
 judgment, and therefore he will not bring upon 
 Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. 
 
I 
 
 62 COVENANT OF GFiACE. 
 
 Parental instruction, then, stands connectec 
 with the promise, sealed by household baptism 
 as the channel through which the blessing i: 
 to flow down to, the seed of the righteous; 
 Hence the dut5^of instructing children is mos 
 carefully enjoined both in the old and new Tes- 
 taments. Deut. vi. 6, 7 : " These words wliicl 
 I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart; 
 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy 
 children, and shalt talk of them when thou sit- 
 test in thy house, and when thou walkest by 
 the way, and when thou liest down, and wher 
 thou risest up." Eph. vi. 4: "Ye fathers, 
 provoke not your children to wrath ; bnt brine 
 them up in the nurture and admonition of the 
 Lord." And to the fulfillment of these injmic- 
 tions the strongest inducements are presented, 
 " Train up a child in the way he should go, 
 and when he is old he will not depart from it.'' 
 Prov. xxii. 6. The way he should go, is the 
 way to heaven. Nothing could be bettei 
 adapted to the fallen condition of man than the 
 covenant of circumcision. It takes hold of the 
 strongest principles of human nature. By i' 
 pious parents and their household were organi- 
 zed into a little church, over which the parents 
 presided as rulers and teachers, and the pledge 
 was given in the ordinance of circumcision, thai 
 God would bless their government and instruc- 
 tions to the salvation of their children, both real 
 and adopted. " I will establish ray covenant 
 between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in 
 
COVENANT OF GRACE. 63 
 
 Lheir generations, for an everlasting covenant; to 
 be a God unto ihce, and to thy seed after thee.'* 
 rhese are the greatest blessings that can be 
 jestowed on man. The solemn seal is annex- 
 ed as God's pledge that he will stand to his 
 promise. He commands the children to be set 
 ipartforhim. " He that is born in thy house, 
 and he that is bought with thy money, must 
 bleeds be circumcised." All children, real and 
 idopted, all subject to government and instruc-' 
 lion, must alike be consecrated to God. The' 
 females were accounted circumcised as well as 
 the males; for they eat of the passover, of 
 which no uncircumcised person might eat. The 
 whole family was covered by the gracious 
 pledge. The business of the parents was to 
 bring them up for God. Thus the family of 
 the pious was made the garden of the Lord, in 
 which the plants of righteousness v/ere reared 
 up to everlasting life. The parents were stim- 
 ulated to labor by the expectation of meeting 
 their precious charge around the throne of God. 
 In this way the current of salvation has been 
 made to roll down from age to age, and thou- 
 sands of orphans, and the children of the poor 
 and wretched have, by the providence of God, 
 been gathered into it, and borne on by it to the 
 world of glory. Hence, painful and bloody as 
 was the rite of circumcision, it was ever cher- 
 ished by the pious as one of the highest privile- 
 ges bestowed on the children of God. But 
 now the Savior has come, and endured the 
 
O* COVENANT OF GRACg. 
 
 dreadful penalty of the broken law, painful rite^ 
 are no longer needful ; now the gracious pledae 
 IS given m a milder form; now christian pV 
 rents consecrate th^^ir households to God bv 
 the ^vashlng of water in the name of the Fa- 
 t^ier and of tlie Son, and of the Holy Ghost, 
 fehouid we not now cherish the privilege the 
 more since Christ has abolished its painful and 
 bloody form? The covenant, the^rivile^e, 
 and the seal are still the same. Why shcSld 
 they not be ? What good reason can be given 
 for abolishing a system better than all others 
 calculated to promote true religion? Why 
 break down the hedge that encloses the garden 
 of the Lord Why root up the plants of ricrJu- 
 eousness which the Lord himself planted in 
 
 into which tlie orphan and the children of the 
 poor and wretched have been gathered from 
 age to age, and brought up in the nurture and 
 admonmon of the Lord? Why take away 
 ^e of the strongest incentives to parental duty ? 
 
 leZrf '^" T''^ ^'''^'' ^hat sweetens 111 
 the oil of parental care ? All the reasons that 
 existed for the promise and the seal, under the 
 old dispensation, still exist. Human nature r^ 
 the same in every age. There is the same ne^ 
 cessity now that ever existed, for bringin. up 
 Lod""TL''l T'T -^-^^--tionofth^ 
 dken is .L^'^^^^^!^" between parents and chil- 
 
 vZnVt "^'""^ '? ''?'y P^^^^^ °f the world, 
 l^arents now as ardently desire the salvation of 
 
COVENANT or GRACE. 65 
 
 their cliildren as at any former time. They 
 need the same promise, the same seal, and the 
 same incentives to parental duty, as in days of 
 old. There is the same reason for household 
 baptism, that there was for household circum- 
 cision, and it is equally calculated to promote 
 piety. And against it, when fairly stated, there 
 can be no reasonable objection. Baptism is 
 not, as some have superstitiously supposed, ad- 
 ministered to little infants because they cannot 
 believe for themselves, or because that the pa- 
 rents' faith is substituted for that which the in- 
 fant cannot exercise for itself; or because it is 
 supposed that the child cannot be saved with- 
 out baptism. Nothing can be more absurd than 
 such notions. No such substitution takes place, 
 nor is an infant baptized because it cannot be 
 saved without it. There is reason to hope thai 
 all infants dying in infancy, whether children 
 of believers or others, are regenerated and sa- 
 ved through the merits of Christ. The power 
 of God to save, is not confined to external forms 
 even of his own appointment. How often do 
 the children of true believers die without the 
 possibility of baptism ? The salvation of in- 
 fants dying in infancy is not by charm, but by 
 the power of the Holy Ghost. Neither are 
 little infants baptized because they are sinlessly 
 perfect ; for in that case they would need nei- 
 ther regeneration nor the righteousness of faith, 
 of which baptism is the sign and seal to the 
 larue believer, and which are the things sealed 
 E 
 
66 COVENANT OF GRAC2. 
 
 to him in the baptism of his household. Iii 
 plain wortls, they would not need the salvation 
 scaled to parents in household baptism. In 
 these two absurd notions, have originated near- 
 ly all the abuses of the ordinance of household 
 baptism that have so often disgraced and injur- 
 ed the church ; and which have been the only 
 successful arguments against this sacred insti- 
 tution. Infants, then, are not baptized, because 
 either incapable of believing for themselves, or 
 because they are sinlessly perfect, or even be- 
 cause they are ^oung; but because thev belong 
 to a believer's household. Ishmael was thi^ 
 teen years of age when he was circumcised. 
 He was capable of believing for himself long 
 before that age. Nor are they baptized to give 
 them a right to the Lord's supper. They can 
 have no right to that ordinance until they be- 
 lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor are they 
 baptized because they have any good in them 
 beyond others. They are, '* by nature, chil- 
 dren of wrath, even as others," and can in 
 themselves, have no claim to any privilege 
 whatever. But they are beloved for their fa- 
 ther s sake. The doctrine, then, is plainly 
 this: a believer, as an heir of Abraham through 
 Christ, has a right to the ordinance of baptism 
 for himself and his household. He has the 
 privilege of thus cc^isecrating his household to 
 t^od, and having the sign of his own regenera- 
 tion .nd the seal of the righteousness of his 
 taith, put upon his household, as the pledge 
 
COVENANT OF GRACE. 67 
 
 that God is willing to give his household the 
 same regeneration and righteousness of faith 
 that he has given to himself, and so, be their 
 God, as he is their father's God. And the pa- 
 rent's example, government, prayers and in- 
 structions are to be the means through which 
 God will bestow these blessings upon his chrl 
 dren. The gracious seal of the covenant is put 
 upon every member of his household, and thu« 
 he is taught to labor alike for every one of 
 them, hoping, through divine assistance, to be 
 the means ♦f saving all of them. While he la- 
 bors to bring them all up in the nurture and ad- 
 monition of the Lord, he is animated by the 
 hope of meeting every one of them in heaven. 
 What reasonable objection can there be to such 
 an institution? What can be belter calculated 
 to seeure the discharge of parental duty ? And 
 is the covenant the less gracious, because i-t 
 grants believers such a privilege ? The utility 
 of such an institution must be obvious. Every 
 time a child, or a household, is baptized, the 
 duty of parental instruction is urged, and urged 
 too upon the same individual, as often as he 
 dedicates a child to God. This cannot fail to 
 produce a good effect, and hence all those de- 
 nominations who practice household baptism 
 in a proper manner, do pay more attention to 
 the instruction of children than others. 
 
 I have been thus particular in explaining the 
 doctrine of household baptism for two purposes. 
 The one was to remove from pious people those 
 
68 COVEXANX OP GRAC«. 
 
 objections which have arisen from improper 
 views of the nature of the institution. Th( 
 other was to show that the institution is con 
 sistent with the covenant of circumcis^ion, be^ 
 ing the covenant of grace. The baptism of the 
 household seals nothing to the children, but tc 
 their believing parents. Believers alone are 
 heirs of Abraham. The blessings which thej 
 inherit for their children, are as truly of grace 
 as those which regard their own salvation. Anc 
 the blessings sealed are on condition of the dis- 
 charge of parental duty, as before shown, and 
 therefore never secure the salvation of any chil- 
 dren, but those who are regenerated,, and have 
 the righteousness of faith. The seal is no more 
 infallible than the promise it seals. Whatever 
 is implied in the promise, " I will be a God to 
 thy seed after thee," or as given to the jailer, 
 " thy house shall be saved," is sealed. If this 
 promise be conditional, the seal of it is condi- 
 tional; but if it be absolute or unconditional, 
 then the seal of it is the same. God's promise 
 is infallibly true, whether sealed or not, and 
 will always be faithfully performed. The fact,, 
 then, that all Abraham's natural descendants 
 were not saved, shows that some condition ex- 
 isted, and with that condition it was sealed. 
 
 The question now arises, what is sealed to 
 the man who makes a false, but credible pro- 
 fession of faith, and receives baptism? I an- 
 swer, with men, because they cannot judge 
 th« heart : he mw«t hold all the external privi- 
 
COVENANT £>¥ GRACE. OH 
 
 eges of the church, upon the presumption of 
 lis being a true believer, unless he forfeit them 
 )y neglect of external duty, or by. scandalous 
 ronduct; but in the sight of God he is an in- 
 ruder upon the holy covenant, avid not a sin- 
 gle blessing is either promised or sealed to him. 
 [n his sight neither "circumcision nor uncir- 
 jumcision availeth any thing, but a new crea- 
 ure." *' He is not a Jew, which is one out- 
 svardly ; neither is that circumcision which is 
 Kitward in the flesh: but he is a Jew v/hich 
 s one inwardly; and circumcision is that of 
 ;he heart, in the spirit, and not in the ktter ; 
 whose praise is not of men but of God." God 
 no where encourages men to make a false pro- 
 fession of religion. Philip baptized the eunuch 
 on the presumption of true faith. " If thou 
 believest with all thy heart, thou raaye.n,'* 
 A.cts, viii. 37. The unbeliever, then, has nr> 
 right to baptism. Bat as God has authorized 
 hi's ministers to administer baptism upon a cre- 
 dible profession of iVwh, the ordinance when 
 thus administered is valid for all church par- 
 poses. Its validity in this respect depends up- 
 on God's appointment, and not upon the virtue 
 either of him that administers, or of huii that 
 receives it. The man who fraudulently obtams 
 a countv seal, mav, with those wl\o cannot 
 detect his fraud, obtain all the advantages of 
 tliat seal; so a man, bv false profession, may 
 obtain the seal of God's covenant, and by it 
 obtain among men, who cannot judge his heart. 
 
70 COVF.NA.NT OP GRACS. 
 
 and so detect his fraud, all the external privi- 
 leges of the church. Should such a man re- 
 pent of his sin, and^ believe on the Savior, he 
 would then become an heir of what he had be- 
 fore fiauduienlly obtained. It becomes pro- 
 perly Ids own when he believes. So, the bap- 
 tism of those who were baptized, as belonging 
 to households of believers, becomes properly 
 tiieir own when they truly believe. They at 
 first received- it as inherited for them by their 
 parents, and not by fraud, and it becomes tru- 
 ly their own by faith. The baptism then ad- 
 niinisiered to households cannot entitle them to 
 full privileges in the church, without a credible 
 profession of faith. Baptism is the sign of re- 
 generation, and can finally avail nothing for 
 salvation, without the thing signified by it. 
 And as a man is regenerated but Once, so he is 
 baptized but once. AnoUier objection demands 
 a short notice. It is said that because the cov- 
 enant of circumcision promises temporal bless- 
 ings, it cannot be the covenant of grace. To 
 t'lis it may be replied, that man, by his apos- 
 t;i^y, forfeited temporal as well as spiritual 
 blessings. The curse of the law would deprive 
 !;lm of every ble^ssing, were it not for the coui> 
 ti^racting influence of the covenant of grace. 
 Fallen man must be fed and clothed, as well as 
 saved, by grace. Temporal blessings, being 
 essential to man's existence on earth, are indis- 
 pensable to the operation of this system of 
 gmco. Hence, had not the covenant' provided 
 
cdvexaxt of grace. 71 
 
 for man's natural existence, it could not have 
 dispensed to him spiritual blessings. The cov- 
 enant of grace is intended to operate upon the 
 world, down to the remotest period of time, 
 and for that reason the world must be preserv- 
 ed. And in this sense all the families of the 
 earth are to be blessed in the seed of Abraham. 
 His family is to be collected out of every na- 
 tion, and it v/iil ultimately include the whole 
 world ; and there is such a natural relation be- 
 tween his children and the rest of mankind, 
 that temporal blessings cannot flow to the for- 
 mer without extending to the latter. Indeed 
 the one cannot exist without the other. The 
 whole world must be put under a dispensation 
 of grace. The sun must rise on the evil and 
 Ihe good, and the rain must descend upon the 
 just and the unjust. All these blessings flow 
 through the sufferings of Christ. All temporal 
 blessings are of grace. It is reasonable to be- 
 lieve that the covenant of grace promises bless- 
 ings for both worlds. Hence the old and new 
 Testaments abound with promises of temporal 
 blessings. A few specimens may be profitable. 
 Psalm, xxxvii. 3, 25 : " Trust in the Lord and 
 do good, so shalt thou dv/ell in the land, and 
 verily thou shalt be fed. I have been young, 
 and now am old ; I have not seen the righteous 
 forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." Matt. 
 vi. 33 : " Seek ye first the kingdom of God, 
 and his righteousness, and all these things shall 
 he added unto you," Matt. v. 5 : "Blessed 
 
72 COVEXANT Of GRACB. 
 
 are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." 
 1 Tim. iv. 8 : " Godliness is profitable unto all 
 things, having the promise of the life that now 
 is, and of that which is to come." Will any 
 one say that these promises and blessings are 
 not from the covenant of grace ? The covenant 
 of circumcision promises the Savior, the source 
 of all blessings both temporal and eternal; hence 
 it promises all the giace bestowed upon man. 
 It proffers to him the kingdom of glory, and 
 all the provisions necessary on his way to the 
 crown. God will be his God, to bless him in 
 time, and crown him with glory in eternity. 
 What covenant could promise more ? Can such 
 a covenant as this be abolished ? Can God ever 
 cease to be the God of Abraham and his seed ? 
 Can all these precious promises, ratified in 
 blood, and by solemn oath, fail ? Never! while 
 there is virtue in a Savior's blood, truth in Je- 
 hovah's heart, or strength in his arm. The 
 covenant is everlasting, the believer's privi- 
 leges are safe, and his hope stable as the throne 
 of God. *' Glory to God in the highest, on 
 earth peace, good will towards men." 
 
B A P T I S Pil 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE PROPER MODE OF ADMINISTERING BAPTIS:»r. 
 
 As baptism is a divine institution, it is rea- 
 sonable to suppose tliat the scriptures contain 
 all that is necessary to be known in relation to 
 the mode in which it should be administered, 
 and that there is no need of an appeal to heathen 
 authors in order to understand a christian ordi- 
 nance. It is well known that the Greeks used 
 the word bapfizo in a variety of senses, and 
 with a considerable latitude of meaning:. It is 
 not probable that the sacred writers used it in 
 all that variety of meaning found in classic au- 
 thors. The sense in which the new Testament 
 i writers use the verb bapfizo, baptize, and the 
 ! noun baptismos, baptism, must be ascertained 
 ii by the facts and circumstances connected with 
 the use of them. We should then enquire what 
 would the fticts and circumstances connected 
 with the use of these words prove to one igno- 
 rant of all modes of baptism. Then let us eu' 
 quire, 
 
 I. Whether there are any facts and circum- 
 slanwes to prove that baptizo, as used in the 
 new Testament, means immerse, and that bap^ 
 iismos means immersion. 
 
 The first passage that claim3 notice is Matt. 
 
 73 
 
74 BArTISM. 
 
 iii. 5, 6: "Then went out to him Jerusalem, 
 and all Judea, and all the region round about 
 Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, 
 confessing their sins." Now wliat would this 
 passage prove to one ignorant of all modes of 
 baptism t What action did John perform in Jor- 
 dan ? Did he immerse ? Did he wash by rub- 
 bing ? or, did he pour large quantities of wa- 
 ter upon the people? or, did he sprinkle them ? 
 He may have done some one of these, but which 
 of them did he do ? To one accustomed to see- 
 ing parsons immersed, the passage v/ould seem 
 to give the impression that John immersed the 
 Jews ; but such impression arises from the 
 practice he has witnessed, and not from the 
 sacred text. To one ignorant of all modes of 
 baptism it would give no sueh impression. The 
 im.mense number that John baptized is against 
 immersion. The mass of the nation were bap- 
 tized — -Jerusalem, all Judea, and the region 
 round about Jordan came to his baptism. Is 
 it reasonable to believe that John stood in the 
 vv^ater to immerse a nation ? The sacred writer 
 asserts that they "were all baptized of him in 
 .Jordan." All was done by John himself. The 
 strength of one man was not sufficient to im- 
 merse auch a multitu-de. Nor could he have 
 washed by rubbing a number so immense, nor 
 even poured large quantities of water upon each 
 individual of them. That he baptized them by 
 a gentle effusion is the most that the facts will 
 sualain. No circumstances are mentioned that 
 
fivor immersion. Had it been said that John 
 laid them down in the water, and raised them 
 up again out of it ; or iiad any thing been said 
 about the peo})le being wet, or changing clothes, 
 W3 might have sTipposed John suslained by 
 miracle' to immerse so great a multitude. But 
 not a single circumstance is presented that in 
 the slightest degree supposes immersion. 
 
 From the Greek scriptures there is no evi- 
 dence that John was in the water. The Greek 
 preposition en, translated IN, means AT as well 
 as IN. ^ Rom. viii. 34 : " Who is even at the 
 rig} it hand of God." The word rendered AT 
 in tb.is passage is en, Heb. xii. 2 : "And is set 
 down (^en) at the riglit hand of the throne of 
 God." The passage then in Matthew might 
 have been translated thus: "And were bap- 
 tized of him at Jordan." And that it ought to 
 Irave been so translated appears from the fact, 
 that John baptized beyond Jordan, and not in 
 it. John, i. 28 : " TJiese things were done in 
 Bethabara. beyond- Jordan, where John was 
 baptizing." John, x. 40 : " And went away 
 again beyond Jordan, into the place where John 
 at first baptized." These passages show that 
 John baptized beyond Jordan, and not in it. 
 Hence the preposition en in this place should 
 have been translated AT, and not IN. They 
 were baptized of him at Jordan, and not in it. 
 
 The fiicts and circumstances in this case ane 
 decidedly against immersion. 
 
 The b:-.pii«m of our Savior now claims atten- 
 
TG BAPTi.s:,f. 
 
 tion. Matt. iii. 16 : '♦ And Jesus, when he was 
 baptized, went up straiiway out of the water." 
 The translation represents the Savior as having 
 been in the water, but the Greek is, "AyH baptis- 
 theis Jesoits, anche ev.Uats apo ton udatos. 
 *' And Jesus bein^ baptized, ascended immedi- 
 ately from the water."^ The preposition apo, 
 translated OUT OF, means FROM, and is so 
 translated in Matt. iii. 7 : " AVho halh warned 
 you to flee (apo) ft-om the wrath to come." 
 The Savior then was baptized at Jordan, but 
 not in it. John baptized beyond Jordan, at 
 the other side of it, and not in it. 
 
 Now let us enquire why was the Savior bap- 
 tized ? and why was it delayed until he was 
 *' about thirty years of age," Luke, iii. 21 — 23 ; 
 and what law of the old dispensati-on required 
 him to be baptized? At thirty yeais of age he 
 entered upon his priestly otBce, and the law 
 of that dispensation required the priests to be 
 set apart by washing with water. Exod. xl. 12: 
 '* And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons 
 unto the door of the tabernacle of the congi-e- 
 gation, and wash them with water." John was 
 the son of a priest, and as sncli, a proper per- 
 son to wash the Savior, and thus consecrate 
 liim to the priestly office; and immediately af- 
 ter he was set apart to that office by washing 
 with water, he was literally anointed by the 
 Holy Spirit, the thing signified by anointing 
 the priests with oil. The Savior needed no 
 repentance, and, of course, was not, as olhsrs, 
 
BAPTIiJM. 77 
 
 baptized iinto repentance. He was baptized 
 because it became him to fulfill all righteous- 
 ness. There was some requisition of the dis- 
 pensation under which lie lived, that required 
 his baptism. What could this be but the law 
 that required the priests to be set apart to their 
 ofFiee, by washing with water ? — and he was 
 now tiiirty years of age, the proper age for en- 
 tering upon that office. 
 
 It is reasonable, then, to conclude, that John 
 washed the Savior as Moses washed x\aron and 
 his sons, when he set them apart to the priestly 
 office. There is not the least evidence that the 
 Savior Avas immersed. 
 
 John, iii. 23, is worthy of some notice : 
 *' And John a-Iso was baptizing in iEnon, near 
 to Salem, because tliere was much water there j 
 and they came, and were baptized." The 
 Greek is ^"^poila udala,^^ many waters, from 
 which ft seems that ^Enon abounded with 
 springs, and, of course, was ver}' suitable for 
 holding meetings so large as those held by John. 
 The vast numbers that attended John's minis- 
 try, made it necessary that he should hold his 
 meetings for baptism in places that abounded 
 with water ; for this reason he selected ^^non 
 as a place of baptism, and not on account of the 
 mode in which he baptized. Tliis passage 
 proves nothing with respect to the mode in 
 which John baptized. 
 
 The baptism of the eunuch now claims our 
 notice. Acts, viii. 38,39: "And they went 
 
78 BAPTISM. 
 
 down bolli into tlie water, bolli PiiiUp and the 
 eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they 
 were come up out of the water, the Spirit of 
 the Lord caught away Philip." 
 
 Now admitting just what the translation says, 
 tliat both went down into the water, and came 
 up out of the water, still, to. one ignorant of all 
 modes of baptism it would not prove immer- 
 sion. The circumstances do not determiue 
 what Philip did. Nothing is said about laying 
 the eunuch down in the water, or lifting him 
 out of it. Not a word is said about the eunuch 
 being wet, or changing his. clothes. Had Phil- 
 ip intended to wash a part or the whole of the 
 body, or to pour a. large quantity of v/ater up- 
 on the eunuch, he would as certainly hare 
 gone into the water as if he had intended to 
 immerse him ; consequently, going into the 
 Avater does not prove what was done in tl-e 
 water. There is, then, no proof that Philip 
 immersed the eunuch. 
 
 From the Greek there is no evidence that 
 Philip and the eunuch went into the wa4;cr. 
 Kaiebesan ampkoieroi eis to udor ; they boih 
 descended to the water. Eis translated INTO, 
 is, in Matt. iii. 11,^ translated UNTO. "I 
 indeed baptize you with water unto {eis) re- 
 pentance." In John, XX. S, 4, 5, eis is t^-ans- 
 lated TO, and must mean TO ; " iVnd cajne to 
 (eis) the sepulchre." *' The other disciple did 
 outrun Peter, and came first to (eis) the sepul- 
 chre — yet went he not in." He came TO the 
 
BAPTISM. 79 
 
 sepulchre, but went not in. This shows that 
 m, in this place, means TO. Hence <'they 
 both descended to the water," is a correct trans- 
 lation. Ote cte aneh.es an ek foil udatos ; "And 
 when- they were ascended FROM the water." 
 This is a literal translation. In Matt. iii. 17, 
 ek IS translated FROM. "And lo, a voice 
 (ek). frona heaven." Mark, i. 11 : " And there 
 came a voice (eli) irom heaven." Eh means 
 UNTO and TO, as well as INTO, and' ek 
 means FROM as well as OUT OF. Conse- 
 quently it never can be proved by these words 
 that Philip and the eunuch vv^ere in the water. 
 They both descended from the chariot to the 
 water, and Philip baptized the eunuch. This 
 they would have done to baptize in any mode. 
 There is no reason to believe that the eunuch 
 would either sit in his chariot, or stand on the 
 bank, until Philip should have brought up wa- 
 ter to baptize him. For both, in_ such a case, 
 to descend to the, water, was natural, suppos- 
 ing that the baptism was performed by eflusion. 
 They did just what th6y would have done, bap- 
 tizing in any mode whatsoever. Their des- 
 cending to the water, in such circumstances, 
 is no evidence in favor of one mode more than 
 another. There is then, in the baptism of the 
 eunuch, no proof in favor of immersion. 
 
 Let us now examine Rom. vi. 3,4: " Know 
 ye not, that so many of us as were baptized in- 
 to Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 
 therefore we are buried with him, by baptism, 
 
so BAPTISM, 
 
 into death ; that like as Christ was raised up* 
 from the dead by the glory of the Father, even 
 so we also should walk, in newness of life." 
 Some suppose that this alludes to baptism by 
 immersion, but for such supposition there is 
 no reason; there is no likeness between im- 
 mersion and the burial of Christ. He was laid 
 in a sepulchre, a room hewn out in a rock, and 
 was not covered in the ground with clay, aa 
 we now cover dead bodies. There is no re- 
 semblance between laying a dead body in a 
 room, and immersing a living person in water, 
 in addition to this, it is evident that spiritual 
 baptism is naeant. To purify with water is to 
 baptize, and to purify with the spirit is to bap- 
 tize ; hence purification, whether by water or 
 by the spirit, is, in the scriptures, called bap- 
 tism. To be baptized into Christ is to be 
 united to him by regeneration. Let us ask the 
 question, how are we baptized into Christ? 
 Paul answers, " by one spirit we are all bap- 
 tized into one body, whether we be Jews or 
 Gentiles/' 1 Cor. xii. 13 : "And because that 
 one body was crucified, dead and buried, we 
 are said to be crucified, dead and buried with 
 it, and as it was raised by the glory of the 
 Father ; even so we, by the baptism of the 
 Holy Ghost, arise to newness of life." The 
 baptism of the spirit constitutes such a oneness 
 between us and Christ, that we are represented 
 as suffering, dying, being buried, and riaing 
 ^ith him Paul ireues that we canrot hvm ia 
 
BAPTISM. 81 
 
 sin, because we are baptized into Christ. If 
 he meant water baptism, then his argument is, 
 we cannot live hi sin because we are baptized 
 with wa^eV. ^Yho can believe that an inspired 
 apostle would argue,' that, because baptized 
 with water, we cannot live in sin ? Some of the 
 worst sinners on eralh are baptized with water. 
 
 There is lao likeness between the burial of 
 Christ and ?.ny mode of baptism ; and spiri- 
 tual, and not water baptism, is intended in the 
 passage. Hence it is abundantly e^ddent that 
 it contains no proof of immersion. 
 
 None of the passages we have considered, 
 contain any evidence of immersion, nor can 
 any passages be produced from the new Testa- 
 ment that will prove, to one ignorant of all 
 modes of baptism, that either John the Baptist 
 or the apostles baptized by immersion. 
 
 II. The facts in the new Testament are 
 against immersion. 
 
 1. John is represented as having himself bap- 
 tized the inhabitants of Jerusalem, of Judea, 
 and of the region round about Jordan. It ap- 
 pears that he had no assistance from his disci- 
 ples, they " were all baptized of him." "I 
 indeed," says he, *' baptize you with w^ater." 
 He alone is called the Baptist, or more cor- 
 rectly, the Baptizer. No one man, unless sus- 
 tained by miracle, could have immersed so 
 many as John baptized. But "John did no 
 miracle." The facts, in the case of John, are 
 clearly against immersion. That he baptized 
 F 
 
82 BAPTItiM. 
 
 by a gcniU'al cilusion, or sprinkliiig, as Mose::^ 
 sprinkled the book and all the people, is more 
 probable than any thing else. That he should 
 have immersed a nation is incredible. 
 
 2. Three thousand were baptized on tlie day 
 of Pentecost, Acts, ii. 41: "Then they that 
 gladly received his .word were baptized ; and 
 the same day there were added unto them 
 about three thousand souls." From this it is 
 evident, that three tliousand gladly received 
 the word, and were baptized. Peter began to 
 preach at the third hour of the day, our nine 
 o'clock. It appears he preached a long time. 
 Three thousand that had come together by the 
 promptings of curiosity, were converted, re- 
 ceived, and baptized on the same day. They 
 had come without change of clothes. Nor is 
 there the least probability that there was wa- 
 ter convenient, sufficient to immerse three 
 thousand persons, and if there had been, there 
 was not time to receive their profession and 
 immerse them. That the three thousand were 
 immersed is wholly incredible. Such a fact is 
 decidedly against immersion. 
 
 3. The baptism of Cornelius and others 
 with him seems to preclude the idea of immer- 
 sion. Acts, X. 47, 48 ; " Can any man forbid 
 water, that these should not be baptized whicli 
 have received the Holy Ghost as well as we ? 
 And he commanded them to be baptized in the 
 nume of the Lord." Can any forbid water, 
 is an expression not likely to be used with re- 
 
EAi'TIS.-V?, 1:3 
 
 Kpcci to a river, or a lar/jy quantity of v.-ater 
 necessary to iinmersi()n. Can any man forbid 
 a cup of water, tlie little quantity necessary to 
 baptize these persons, is natural, and is thft 
 idea conveyed. These ought to be baptized, 
 and who can forbid us the use of a little water 
 for that purpose. And the baptism soenisvlo 
 have been so immediately performed as to 
 preclude the idea of immersion. The passage 
 is against immersion. 
 
 4. The baptism of tlio jailer and liis liousc- 
 hold is against the belief that the apostles im- 
 mersed. Acts xvi. 33 : " And he took thqm 
 the same hour of the night and washed /A^'/r 
 stripes ; and was baptized, he and all his strait- 
 way." The baptism was performed some- 
 where within the v/ails of the prison; for it 
 appears that the apostles would not g'o cut un- 
 til the magistrates brought them out. Acts, xvi. 
 35 — 39. The baptism was performed immedi- 
 ately, in the building of the prison of which 
 the jailer's house formed a pari, and consc- 
 quentl}^ there is no probability that the jailer 
 and his household were immersed. 
 
 5. The baptis.m of Paul is against the idea 
 that immersion was practl(;ed by the apostles. 
 Acts, ix. 17, 18: "And Ananias went his 
 way, and entered into the house ; and putting 
 his hands on him, said, brother Saul, the Lord, 
 even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way 
 as thou earnest, hath sent me that thou might- 
 est receive thy sight, and bo filled with the 
 
Holy Giiost, And imiaediately llicre fell from- 
 his eves as it had been scales ; and lie receiv- 
 ed sight fortivv.'ith, and arose, and was baptiz- 
 ed." Grcok, anastas cbaptistlie- — being risen 
 up, lie was b;tpil/-ed. A. similar account is 
 given, Acto, xxii. 18: "And now, why tar- 
 riest thou ? arise, and be baptized, and wash 
 away tliy sins, calling on the name of the 
 Lord." These passages show that Paul was 
 eitlier sitting- or lying in a house, and that up- 
 on rismg, he was baptized. In this case, im- 
 mersion cannot be supposed. Paul w^as cer- 
 tainly baptized standing in a house. 
 
 The facts then in the new Testament are 
 against imtnersion. 
 
 III. In the usage of the new Testament wri- 
 ters the verb bap/izo — baptize — does not mean 
 immerse, nor does tiie noun b apt isinos — bap- 
 tism — mean immersion ; I mean they do not 
 use baptizo in the sense of immerse, nor hap- 
 tismos in tlie sense of immersion. Whatever 
 haptizo means in other books, in the new Tes- 
 tament it never means immerse, nor does bap- 
 t{s7nos mean immersioa. Baptizo uniformly 
 means cleanse or purify, and bapiismos clean- 
 sing^ or purification. 
 
 1st. That bapHzo means purify is evident 
 from Matt. iii. 11: "I indeed baptize you 
 with wator-— -but — he shall baptize with the 
 Holy Ghost and with lire." To baptize with 
 the Holy Ghost and v/iili lire, is to purify wath 
 the Holy Ciiost and with lire. Li reo-enera- 
 
KAPTIf^?.!. 85 
 
 tioii the Holy GIicsl purines' IVoip. the polUuloii 
 of sill. Hence llie c.'xpvejrsion " the wasliing 
 of regeneration," Tit. iii. 5. Fire purifies me- 
 tals, ai)(i tlierefore lire is a fit emblem of puri- 
 ty. Joiiu's was '-the baptism of repentance," 
 Acts, xix. 4. He preached repenlance, tliat 
 is, reformation. His baptism \Va:s signilicant 
 of rcforination. which is spiritual purilication. 
 Hence lie says, " I indeed purify you with wa- 
 ter unto repentance, but — he shail purify you 
 with the Holy Ghost and witli lire." Purify 
 is here a fair translation of the word baptizo. 
 For whatever was John's niode of baptism, in 
 baptizing, lie purilied the people. His bap- 
 tism Yv'as a'^)uriiication. 
 
 2d, The same is evident from Mark, vH. 
 2, 3, 4 : " And when tliey saw some of his dis- 
 ciples eat bread with defiled, (that is to say, 
 unwashen) hands, they found fault. For the 
 Pharisees and all the Jews, except the}^ wash 
 their hands oft, eal. not, lioldiug the tradition 
 of the eiders. And when they come from the 
 market, except they wash, they oat not. And 
 many other things there be, which iliey have 
 received to hold, as the washing of cups, and 
 pots, and brazen vessels, and tables." 
 
 Fault was charged upon the disciples because 
 they eat with defiled hands ; tliey did not wash 
 accorchng to the tradition of l!:io eulers. The 
 Pharisees and iiU the Jews v/aslied their hands 
 often before eatmg, or, as it fnay be translated, 
 ('' pugme nlpsonlai tas hciras'' ) they wash- 
 
80 MAPTISM. 
 
 ctl tli^ir linnJ.:- r-arofuily. And v.lien lliey come 
 from tlie ir.arket-, (vie haptisontai) unless they 
 are baptized, they eat not. They idso held 
 many other thing-s, such as tlie (bapiismous) 
 baptism of cups, pots, brazen vessels, and 
 (cnaoii) couclico, as it should have been trans- 
 lated. 
 
 This passage shows that huptizo is used as 
 nlp'o, Avasii, and that haptismos is used to sig- 
 liify washinjj. lience, our translators render* 
 ed bapiisonfai, wash, and bapllsmous, wasli- 
 ing-. 
 
 Tjiesc f:e.veral washings were purifications. 
 Wliatevcr may liavc been the mode of washing, 
 the design was to purify from defilement. The 
 fault found with the disciples was, that they did 
 not purify their hands; but eat with them defi- 
 led. The sacred writer introduced the customs 
 <7f all die Jews to illustrate the ground of charge 
 a g.! in St the disciples. They did not purify 
 themselves from defilement, as the customs of 
 all the Jews required, and these customs were 
 lianded down from tlie ancients ; they \vere the 
 traditions of the elders. This passage is clear- 
 ly against immersion. KipsGntai and baptis- 
 onlai are alike used 'to signify wash. This .5 
 confirmed by Luke, xi. 38 : " And when the 
 Pharisee saw it,, he marveled tliat he had not 
 first (ehaplistht) washed before diimer." Mark 
 says, '' CAcept they (aipsoniai) wash their 
 hands of* they cat not," and Luke says, " the 
 Pharifoj marveled that (ehaptklhe) \iq ,\v<x6. 
 
not waslicd before iliiiiici/' Tlio very custom 
 of washing before eating, mentioned by Mark, 
 is here introduced. The Savior eat with defi- 
 led hands, as the disciples had done, and the 
 Pharisee marveled that he had not been bapti- 
 zed before dinner. This shows clearly, that 
 bctptizo is used as n?/;/o, Avash. And it shows 
 that baptlzo is in the new Testament used as 
 we use the English word purify. The Phari- 
 see marveled that the Savior had not purified 
 himself before dinner, as the tradition of the 
 elders required. The Savior reproved the 
 Pharisee for making clean the outside to the 
 neglect of the inside. The Pharisees purified 
 the outside with water, while within they were 
 " full of ravening and vdckedness." - Luke, 
 xi. 39. 
 
 The passage in Luke shows, that baptizo 
 does not mean immerse. Even in Campbell's 
 Testament, it is not in this place translated im- 
 merse, and this is yn admission that- baptlzo 
 does at least, in one place in the new Testa- 
 ment, mean wash, and if so, it never can be 
 proved that immersion is commanded. If bap- 
 tizo means, as Campbell's Testament repre- 
 sents it, both to immerse and wash, then wash- 
 ing is as much commanded as immersion. i3ut 
 it has been shown that there is no proof that 
 bqpiizo means immerse, as used in the' new 
 Testament. The usage of Mark and Luke, in 
 the passages now under considerations are do- 
 cidedly against imuiersioih 
 
86 BAPTISM. 
 
 According to the statements of Mark, the 
 baptisms were for the purpose of cleansing. Im- 
 mersing a thing in water merely wets it, and 
 does not wash it. Immersing hands in water 
 is not washing them. It is rubbing and rins- 
 ing with water that constitutes washing. Fric- 
 tion is necessary to remove pollution. Hence, 
 the application of water by rubbing, is com- 
 monly called washing. Rinsing a thing, by 
 tossing it in water, or by pouring water upon 
 it, is also washing, because there is in it fric- 
 tion sufHcient to remove pollution. But im- 
 mersion is not rinsing ; there is not friction in 
 it sufficient to remove pollution, and therefore 
 it is never called washing. The baptisms of 
 the cups, pots, brazen vessels and couches, did 
 not consist in immersing them, or merely wet- 
 ting them, but either, in the application of wa- 
 ter by rubbing, or 'in rinsing them by tossing 
 them in the water, or by pouring water upon 
 them. 
 
 It seems the}^ were baptized in both these 
 ways, because baptismous is plural, and is lit- 
 erally baptisms, expressing the idea of differ- 
 ent modes of washing or purifying. Vessels 
 of wood, when defiled, were required by the 
 Levitical law, to be rinsed in water. Lev. xv. 
 12: *' Every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in 
 water." In the Greek translation, it is niphe- 
 setai Uilati^ shall be washed with water. They, 
 no doubt, applied water diflerently to difTerent 
 vessels, and especially, the application of the 
 
water to the long couches on v/hich they recli- 
 ned at meals, was ditferent from that to vessels. 
 The manner of washing these articles varied 
 according to tlie nature and size of the tiling 
 washed. These diilerent applications of water 
 are called baptisms, that is, puriiieations, be- 
 cause every form of washing was intended to 
 purify. Thus it appears, that every kind of 
 purification by water comes under "the Greek 
 word baptismos, as used in t/ie new Tesja- 
 ment, and if iminersion comes under it at all, of 
 which there is no evidence, it is only as one 
 kind of purification. And so litde pollution is 
 removed in immersion, tliat it can scarcely be 
 called a purification, and if it be baptism, it is 
 only because it is a purification. It is the pu- 
 rifications of the cups, pots, brazen vessels and 
 couches, that are called baptisms. There is 
 not the least reason to believe, that immersion 
 was any of the baptisms mentioned by Mark, 
 and, especially, it is unreasonable to suppose, 
 that the long couches on which they reclined at 
 meals, were im.mersed. 
 
 Luke harmonizes with Mark in the use of 
 haptizo. Luke xi. 38 : He represents the 
 Pharisee as marveling that the ^3.w\o^j (ebap- 
 tisthe) had not been baptized or purified before 
 dinner. That cleansing or purification was 
 meant, is evident from the rebuke which the 
 Savior gave the Pliarisee. Luke xi. 39 : "And 
 the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees 
 make clean the out-side of the cup and the plat- 
 
90 BAPTIS:.!. 
 
 ter ; but your inward part is full of ravening 
 and Mdckedness." This shows clearly that 
 baplizo, as used by Luke, means cleanse or pu- 
 rify. 
 
 I'hcre is not tlie least reason to believe, that 
 the Pharisee marveled that the Savior had not 
 been immersed before dinner. Mere immer- 
 sion has but little tendency to make the out- 
 side clean. The making of the outside clean, 
 was tlie thing expected by the Pharisee, as the 
 Savior's reproof shows. 
 
 3d. The Savior says, " I have a baptism to 
 be baptized with, and how am I straitened till 
 it be accomplished." Luke, xii. 50. 
 
 Some suppose this means that lie was to be 
 overwhelmed with sufferings, and is a figura- 
 tive allusion to immersion ; but the allusion 
 seems to be tliis : the high priest entered into 
 the most holy place, being purified by " blood 
 Vv'hich he offered for himself, andybr the errors 
 of the people." Ileb. ix. 7. The sprinkling 
 of blood was a purification under the former 
 dispensation. Ileb. ix. 11 — 28. As the high 
 priest entered into the most holy by the sprin- 
 kling of blood, so Christ, being a high priest, 
 entered into the true 4ioly place "by his own 
 blood." Heb. ix. 11, 12. As the high priest 
 Avas sanctified by the blood of innocent ani- 
 mals, so Christ was sanctified by his own 
 blood. Ileb. x. 29. " The sins of his people 
 were laid upon him." Isai. liii. 6. He was 
 purified from them by his own blood. The 
 
BAPTISM. 91 
 
 passage llien m?.ans tliat lie had a purification 
 to be puriiiod with; baplisma, baptisir., then, 
 means purihcatioii. 
 
 4th. Baptizo, as used, Acts, yxii. 16, means 
 to purify : "Arise and be baptized, and wash 
 away t!iy ^ins." According to this, to be bap- 
 tized is to wash away sins. As water, in bap- 
 tism, pnriiies the body, so tlie spirit purifies 
 the- soul. Ba.plism represents the cleansing of 
 the soul, consequenth', is said to wash away 
 sins. To baj)tize, then, is to purify. 
 
 5th. Tluit baptism is a purification is implied, 
 1 Peter, iii. 21: "The like figure v.'hereunto 
 [bapliarau) baptism, doth also now save us; 
 not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but 
 tlie answer of a good conscience towards God, 
 by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." 
 
 As Noah, by divine command, entered into 
 the ark, and was saved in it from the deluge, 
 so the sinner, at the divine command, enters, 
 by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, into Jesus 
 Christ, and in him is saved from the wrath of 
 God, of M'hich the deluge was an emblem. 
 
 This is not water baptism which merely 
 puts away the filth of the flesh, but that which 
 produces tlie ansv^^er of a good conscience to- 
 wards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 
 wlio was raised for our justification. Christ's re- 
 surrection was his justification, as the reprcsen- 
 t;Uive of his people. By his justification we are 
 jninilied, beiuir made one with him by the bap- 
 tism of U\'i llolv Ghost; and hence wc have 
 
92 BAPTISM. 
 
 tke answer of a good conscience. The believ- 
 er being, by the baptism ef tlie spirit, saved in 
 Christ, is like to Noah's being saved in the 
 ark. It is this baptism that saves us, because, 
 by it we enter into Christ, and come under the 
 covertoi^his righteousness. Peter guards against 
 mistake by telling lis that it is not the baptism 
 that puts away the filih of the flesh, that is, it 
 is not water baptism, but that which cleanses 
 the soul. 
 
 This passage clearly implies that Vvater bap- 
 tism purities the body, as spiritual baptism does 
 the soul. 
 
 7th. Paul, in contrasting the old and new dis- 
 pensations states, that the former "stood only 
 in meats and drinks, and divers wasliings, ami 
 carnal ordinances.'' The divers v/ashings were, 
 di6ij)horois baptismois, different baptisms, Hch. 
 ix. 10. Thej:'? diiferent baptisms were all pu- 
 rifications. Persons and things were, under the 
 former dispensation, purKiod in a great variety 
 of ways, each of which w^as a baptism. One 
 of these baptisms was the washing of tlic 
 priests, when they were consecrated to office, 
 Exod. xl. 12. Another was cleansing from 
 lepros^^ Lev. xiv. 7-: "And he sliall sprinkle 
 upon him that is to be cleansed from the lep- 
 rosy, seven times." 'JMie leper was to " wash 
 himself in water." Two different baptisms, be- 
 sides washing his clothes, were necessary to 
 cleanse the leper — one with blood and the oilier 
 with water. Sprink^ingr the biood of bull* and 
 
BAPTiSX. 03 
 
 gonts, mul the ashes of n heifer, 'opoii ilie un- 
 clenii, piiriuod the flosh, and was a baptism,' 
 H<^b. ix. 13. MGse3-, with the blood of calves 
 and ^roat^s, liiid \v;Uer, spriiihled both the book 
 nnd all ihc people, lieb. ix. 10. 'I'his was a 
 l)aptism or pariiication. All the Jewish puri- 
 fications by water, or by blood, were baptiiims. 
 -The forms of piirification were exceedingly dif- 
 ferent, hence Paul calls them different baptisms. 
 All came under the general term bapti^i:m, be- 
 cause h|1 wcjire purifications. It cannot be de- 
 nied that all the Jewish washing's, of every 
 form, were for purification. These nre called 
 baptisms. Heji^e haptismos, bapti^-m, means 
 purification. 
 
 8th. The scriptures call the cleansing of the 
 soul hy the Holy Spirit, baptism. Matt. iii. 11: 
 " He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, 
 and with fire." , Rom. vi. 3 : " Know ye uoi 
 that so manv of us as v/ere baptized into Jesus 
 Christ, were baptized into his death ?" 1 Cor. 
 xii. 13 : " For by one spirit are we nil baptized 
 into one body." Gal. iii. 27 : *' For as many 
 of you asjiave been baptized into Christ, have 
 put on Christ." Colo-s. ii. 12 ; " Buried v/ith 
 jiim in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with 
 him, t]irou2"h faitli of the operation of God." 
 The Holy Spirit purifies us into the image of 
 Christ, and thus pats iis into Christ. The fact 
 that the Holy Spirit baptizes, in cleansing the 
 soul from the pollution of sin, proves that hap- 
 tizQ, baptize, does mean cleanse or purify. 
 
'J4 BAPTIS.M. 
 
 From all that has !)ce'n said, \{, is abiiiKlaniiy 
 evident that the word lapflzo is used by the 
 new Tcstameat writers to uicaii purify, und not 
 immerse. 
 
 To purify is the tiling commanded, in rela- 
 tion to being- baptized. 'X'he mode of purify- 
 ing, or baptizing, is Kpt commanded ; yet some 
 modes of baptizing are more convenient and 
 significant than others. Of all modes of bap- 
 tism immersion is tho most inconvenient, and 
 the least significant of purifying, whicli is the 
 thing commanded in baptism. Still, if immer- 
 sion were commanded, its inconvenience, and 
 want of significancy, w^ould form no reason why 
 we should not be immersed. We ought cheer- 
 fully to do whatever God commands, how in- 
 convenient soever it may be. But it has been 
 clearly shown that immersion is ftot command- 
 ed, and that it was not practised by the apos- 
 tles. 
 
 IV. Let us now enquire v.diat is the proper 
 mode of administering baptism ? 
 
 1st. This may be learned from a prediction 
 made by John the Baptist. Matt. iii. 11: "I in- 
 deed baptize you with water — but— he sliall bap- 
 tize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire." 
 This prediction was fultilled on the day of Pente- 
 cost, wdien the conversion of three thousand took 
 place by an extraordinary efiusion of the Holy 
 Ghost, which came upon the disciples lirst, and 
 then upon those that heard them preach. Acts, 
 ii. 1 — 4 1 . This was a fulfillment of a prophecy 
 
BAPTISM. 95 
 
 by Joel, Acts, ii. 18, 17 : "I will pour out my 
 spirit upon all flesli." The baptism then, with 
 the spirit, on the day of Pentecost, was by 
 POURING OUT. If POURING OUT the Spirit upon 
 the people is baptism with the spirit, then 
 POURING OUT water upon the people is baptism 
 with water. Hence John's baptism was by 
 
 POURING OUT VV^ATKR UPON THE PEOPLE. "And 
 
 there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like 
 as of fire, and it sat upon each of them." ThJs 
 was an emblem of the spirit coming upon them 
 in the miraculous gift of speaking languages 
 they had never learned. " They were all filled 
 with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with 
 other tongues, as the spirit gave them utter- 
 ance." This was a fulfillment of John's pre- 
 diction — he shall baptize you with fire. If the 
 coming of fire upon the people is baptism with 
 fire, then the coming of water upon the people 
 is baptism with water. 
 
 Peter, in relating the baptism of Cornelius, 
 says, "As I began to speak, the Holy Ghost 
 fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then 
 remembered I the word of the Lord, how that 
 he said, John indeed baptized with water, but 
 ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost." 
 Acts, xi. 15, IG. This reference to John's bap- 
 tism confirms what has been said. The bap- 
 tisni of the Holy Ghost is compared with his. 
 The Holy Ghost was poured out upon Corne- 
 nelius and his household; "he fell on them" 
 as he did upon the disciples and the three thou- 
 
06 BAPTIS-M. 
 
 sand, wlipn poured out, at tlie beginnlug, on 
 the d.-;iy of Pentecost. 
 
 The Savior predicted, as John did, the bap- 
 tism of i]ie Holy Ghost on the day of Pente- 
 cost. Acts, i.4, 5: "And being assembled 
 togetlier with them, commanded them that they 
 should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for 
 the-promiss of the Father, which, scdth he, yo 
 have heard of me. For John truly baptized 
 with water; buj; ye shall be baptized with the 
 Holy Ghost, not many days hence." The sa- 
 cred, writer relates the extraordinary effusion 
 of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, as 
 a fulfillment of this prediction. The disciples 
 waited at Jerusalem for the promise of the Fa- 
 ther, that he would poyr out his spirit upon all 
 ficsh. In these several passages the baptism of 
 John is connected Vv-iththat of the Holy Ghost. 
 John baptizing with water represents the Savior 
 baptizing with the Holy Ghost. The Savior 
 baptized by pouring out the spirit upon the peo- 
 ple ; hence John baptized, the people by pour- 
 ing water upon them. If pouring out the spirit 
 upon the people is baptizing with the spirit, 
 tlien pouritig out water upon the people is bap- 
 tizing wiili. water. Three thousand were bap- 
 tized on the day of Pentecost^ both with the 
 Holy G host and v, itk water. Tlue baptism of the 
 Holy Ghost WAS by pcttring. out; hence the 
 baptism by water must have been by pouring- 
 out; the one xepresents the other. The one is 
 an cxtcnial. and the other an internal^urification. 
 
r.ArrisM. 97 
 
 When Peter perceived that the Holy Ghost 
 Was poured out upon Corndius, and those con 
 vened at his house, he said, " Can any man 
 forbid water, that these should not be baptized V 
 Acts, X. 4i — iS. Can any forbid water, that it 
 should not be poured upon these in baptism, see- 
 ing that the Holy Ghost is poured upon them. 
 *' On the Gentiles also was poured the gift of 
 the Holy Ghost." Acts, x. 45. Of this pour- 
 ing out of the Holy Ghost, water baptism is 
 the symbol. Is immersion a suitable symbol 
 of pouring out the Holy Ghost? Can we sup- 
 pose that Peter commanded them to be immei's- 
 ed, in order to represent the pouring out of the 
 Holy Ghost from heaven upon them ? Nothing 
 can be more unreasonable than such supposition. 
 There is not the least reason to (foubt that the 
 three thousand, Cornelius and liis friends, were 
 baptized by pouring water upon them. Nor is 
 there any reason to doubt that John baptized 
 the vast multitudes that came to his baptism in 
 the same way. The pouring out of the Holy 
 Ghost was represented by the pouring out of 
 water in baptism. Paul was, evidently, as has 
 .been shown, baptized in a house, immediately 
 upon his rising up either from sitting or lying, 
 and must have been baptized by pouring or put- 
 ting water upon him. 
 
 2d. It was predicted that the Savior shou'd 
 
 purify by sprinkling. Isa. iii. 15: "So shill 
 
 he sprinkle many nations." The disciples 
 
 were commanded to teach and baptize a^^ na- 
 
 G 
 
©8 BAPTISM. 
 
 tions. Matt, xxviii. 19. The Savipr purifies 
 the nations by sprinkling them. Baptism is 
 the embiem of this purification. He baptizes 
 the nations by pouring out his spirit upon them. 
 The disciples are commanded to baptize the na- 
 tions, as a symbol of Christ's pouring out his 
 spirit upon them. Hence baptism is properly 
 performed by pouring, or by sprinkling, which 
 may be done by pouring small quantities of 
 water upon the persons baptized. 
 
 The eunuch had, but a little passed, in read- 
 ing Isaiah, the passage "so shall he sprinkle 
 many nations," when Philip joined his chariot. 
 Acts, viii. 32. It is probable that this passage 
 brought up the subject of baptism, with respect 
 to which, Philip, no doubt, instructed him, else 
 how would he have known it to be his duty to 
 be baptized. This passage occurs just where 
 the prophet begins to speak of the sufferings of 
 Christ, about which the eunuch was reading ; 
 and hence it would likely be one of the first 
 passages explained, and it is very probable that 
 it was the text from which Philip preached bap- 
 tism to the eunuch. Hence it is very probable 
 that Philip administered baptism to the eunuch, 
 by sprinkling, in accordance with this text. 
 
 Another prediction worthy of notice is found 
 in Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26 : " Then I will sprinkle 
 clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean ; 
 from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, 
 •will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I 
 giv» yott, and a new spirit will I put witltin 
 
you." The connecuon shows dial this predic- 
 tion is to bo fulfilled when lisrufl tshall be gath- 
 ered out of all nations. The Lord will purify 
 them both by water and by the spirit. . He 
 will regenerate them by his spirit, and j«prin- 
 kle clean water upon them in baptism. What 
 else can the passajjje mean? In what sense 
 will the Lord sprinkle clean water upon them, 
 if not in baptism ? If it be said that the passage 
 means the cleansing operations of the spirit, 
 and not literally water, still it is equal proof 
 that baptism is by pouring or sprinkling, be- 
 cause bap lis m represents the pouring out, or 
 sprinkling, of the spirit. The passage, then, 
 proves that baptism is properly administered 
 by pouring or sprinkling. Under the former 
 dispensation sprinkling v\'as the most common 
 and significant mode of cleansing. Paul sa;/s, 
 " almost all things are by the law purged with 
 blood." Heb. ix. 22. "The priests were 
 sprinkled with blood." Lev. viii. 30. "The 
 altar was sprinkled with blood." Lev. riii. 19. 
 " The tabernacle and all the vessels of the min- 
 istry were sprinkled with blood." Heb. ix. 21. 
 " Moses sprinkled water and blood upon the 
 book, and all the people." Heb. ix. 19. "When 
 the high priest entered into the most holy placo 
 he sprinkled blood upon the mercy seat, and 
 before the mercy seat he sprinkled blood seven 
 times." Lev. xvi. 14, 15. Thus the most im- 
 portant purifications by blood were by sprink- 
 ling, Heuce the blood of Christ is called xhi 
 
100 BAPTl.SM. 
 
 *♦ blooti of sprinkling." Heb. xii. 24. Believers 
 are chosen unto obedience, and " sprinkling of 
 the blood of Jesus Christ." 1 Pet. i. 2. This 
 blood *'cleanseth ns from all sin." 1 .Tohn i. 
 7. '* We must have our hearts sprinkled from 
 an evil conscience." Heb. x. 22. These pas- 
 sages, with many others that might be select- 
 ed, show that the Lord has appointed sprink- 
 ling as the most important and signiiicant mode 
 of purification. It v>as, perhaps, in .allusion to 
 the purifying Icndoncy of rain, v^^hich, owing 
 to tlie distance it falls, wears even the stones, 
 that sprinkling was appointed as the mosit sig- 
 nificant mode of purifying. It is doubtless in 
 allusion to -the pouring out of rain from the 
 clouds, to purify and fructify the earth, that the 
 Holy Spirit is so often, in scripture, said to be 
 poured out; and hence sprinkling is the most 
 Kuitablo symbol of divine influences, which pu- 
 rify the soul and make it fruitful. 
 
 From v.'hat has been said, it is evident that 
 pouring or sprinkling is the most convenient 
 and significant mode of administering baptism, 
 and tliG one practiced by the aposdes. Im- 
 niiersion can scarcely be said to be a mode of 
 ba'ptism, the mere wetting of a person in water 
 can hardly be called a purification, and nothing 
 but the groundless opinion, that baptism repre- 
 sents the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, 
 could have given such a mode of baptism popu- 
 larity in any branch of the church. The Lord's 
 Slipper was intended to represent the death of 
 
bapti?;m. 101 
 
 Christ, and baptism, tlie purifying iiilluenoes of 
 the Holy Ghost. It has been shown, that there 
 is no likeness between the burial of Christ, and 
 any particular mode of baptism. 
 
 3d. There is a seal which the people of God 
 do, on earth, receive in the forehead. Rev. vii. 
 3 : " Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the 
 trees, till we have sealed the servants of our 
 God in their foreheads," — " and his name shall 
 be in their foreheads." Rev. xxii. 4. This is 
 a seal given on earth ; now what can it be but 
 baptism ? It cannot be the Lord's supper ; that 
 is not receiv?d in the forehead. In baptism, 
 water is poured or sprinkled upon the forehead, 
 in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
 of the Holy Ghost, and thus the persons bapti- 
 zed are sealed in the forehead, and the name of 
 God is in their foreheads. 
 
 4th. There is no more reason to believe, that 
 the mode of administering baptism is command- 
 ed, than that of administering the Lord's sup- 
 per. The word baptizo is used by the new 
 Testament writers to signify purify, without 
 expressing any mode of purifying, hence the 
 mode must be learned from other circumstances, 
 and not from the word in which baptism is 
 commanded. The same is the case with the 
 Lord's supper. There is nothing in the terms 
 Lord supper, tliat expresses the mode of ad- 
 ministration. There are certain things evident 
 to all in relation to baptism. The disciples 
 \rere com.missioned lo baptize. Baptism was 
 
101 EArrisM. 
 
 to be perforKieil with water, and in the name of 
 the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy- 
 Ghost. Some water must be used in this or- 
 dinance ; but the quantity is left to human pru- 
 dence, as the quantity of bread and wine, in the 
 Lord's ?upper. Some bread and some wine are 
 essential to tlie Lord's" supper ; but he who 
 takes the smallest portion of wine, and the least 
 crumb of bread, in faith, takes the Lord's sup- 
 per a-s fully as if he had taken a larger quanti- 
 ty. It is a mere symbol, and its significancy 
 does not depend upon the quantity of bread 
 and wine received, nor upon the particular mode 
 of administration, but upon the Lord's appoint- 
 ment of it, to show forth his death till he come. 
 So, some water is essential to baptism ; but as 
 it is a mere symbol of divine influences, its sig- 
 nificancy does not depend upon the quantity of 
 water, nor upon the particular mode of admin- 
 istration ; but upon the Lord's appointment of 
 it, t-o represent the purifying operations of the 
 Spirit. If, then, baptism be performed by a 
 minister with water, in the name of the Father, 
 Son and Holy Spirit, it is all the baptism the 
 Scriptures require. It is only on this ground, 
 that immersion ought to he admitted to be bap- 
 tism ; for the apostles, as has been shown, did 
 not immerse those they baptized, and hence it 
 has no divine sanction as a mode of baptism. 
 
 How desirable is it, that all christians should 
 examme the subject with care, and come to- 
 gether upon clear, scriptural ground, and admit 
 
PARENTAL DUTIES. lOi 
 
 that to be baptism which is administered by a 
 minister, with water, in the name of the Father, 
 Son and Spirit. This is unquestionably all the 
 sacred oracles require. We should earnestly 
 desire and pray for the coming of the time when 
 the followers of the Savior shall cease to divide 
 about the mere mode in which baptism is to be 
 administered. 
 
 It is by open, candid, and christian discus- 
 sion, with the blessing of God, that division is 
 to be healed, and the armies of the Lord united 
 for universal victory, over the powers of dark- 
 ness. 
 
 PARENTAL DUTIES. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE DUTIES OF PARENTS IN RELATION TO SUP- 
 PORTING AND EDUCATING THEIR CHILDREN. 
 
 The church is called a holy nation. She» 
 lilce a nation, is one great family composed of 
 smaller branches. These are private families, 
 and the primary elements both of civil and re- 
 ligious society. The church, like a nation, 
 lives by succession. Hence, her very consti- 
 tution is a system of education. The old and 
 nev/ Testaments are but a development of the 
 covenant given to Abraham, ps the constitution 
 of the church. In theee, parents ar« represent- 
 
lOi FARKNTAL DCTIE8. 
 
 «d a» the natural guardians and teachers of their 
 children. To fathers and mothers are commit- 
 ted the temporal and eternal interests of their 
 offspring. Hence the parental relation is one 
 of the greatest importance, and infers the high- 
 est responsibilities. In proportion as the duties 
 of this relation are faithfully discharged, the 
 church arises in strength and beauty and throws 
 her light abroad upon the earth. Did all pa- 
 rent:i but understand and perform the duties 
 they owe to their offspring, the fountains, of 
 sin and sorrow would be turned back in their 
 channels, and the curse of offended heaven 
 would cease to blight the earth ; the world 
 would become as the garden of Eden, the tree 
 of life Would overshadow the nations, and give 
 its fruits to every land. 
 
 The parental duties are numerous and va- 
 rious. 
 
 1 . The first to be mentioned in the order in- 
 tended, is that of providing for children the ne- 
 cessary comforts of life. This duty is clearly 
 enjoined in the sacred oracles. '* If any pro- 
 vide not for his own, and especially for those 
 of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and 
 is worse than an infidel." This duty is so 
 clearly enjoined in the scriptures, that the ne- 
 glect of it is a practical denial of the faith, and 
 the man that is guilty of such neglect, sins not 
 only against divine authority, but against the 
 •trongest feelings of hum.-^nity, and of all oth- 
 er* hR8 the Iwist claim to being a child of Go4, 
 
PARENTAL DUTIES. 105 
 
 and is even worse than the avowed infidel. In- 
 dustry and economy are obligatory on all, but 
 in the case of parents, the obligation is increas- 
 ed in proportion to the number of children de- 
 pendent for sustenance. A comfortable main- 
 tenance of children is essential to their moral 
 culture. Poverty and want throw around them 
 the strongest temptations to vicious practices. 
 While every thing extravagant should be care- 
 fully avoided, children should be comfortably 
 fed and decently clothed. Parents should use 
 their best efforts to render happy the existence 
 they have been the means of creating. They 
 should ever feel the duly of comfortably sup- 
 porting their children as of the highest obliga- 
 tion. 
 
 2. The duty of giving children an education 
 suited to the station they are intended to occu- 
 py in society, is one that arises from the strong- 
 est necessity. 
 
 Education is necessary to the existence and 
 the appropriate exercise of civil government. 
 A nation without education would be unable to 
 frame laws for their own government and pro- 
 tection ; under such circumstances their rights 
 could not be maintained, and the liberty neces- 
 sary to the service of God, and the best inter" 
 ests of man could not exist. Civil government 
 is an ordinance of God. " The powers that 
 be, are ordained of God," consequently, what- 
 ever education is necessary to the existence of 
 this ordinance, it must be tha duty of parents 
 
106 PAREISTAL DUTIES. 
 
 to give their children. A good government is 
 one of the best gifts that the father of the uni- 
 verse bestows on men, and one that is highly- 
 necessary to the best interests of the church. 
 Parents then should give their children such 
 educations as are calculated to promote the best 
 state of civil government. 
 
 Education is also indispensable to carry on 
 the common enterprises of the world. The 
 duty of prosecuting the callings necessary to 
 sustenance and comfort, is clearly taught in 
 the word of God, " Let every man abide in the 
 same calling wherein he was called." Accor- 
 ding to the sacred oracles, men should be " di- 
 ligent in business," not indeed for mere selfish 
 purposes, but that they " may have to give to 
 him that needeth." Then all the various enter- 
 prises that are calculated to better the condition 
 of the human family should be industriously 
 carried on in the spirit of benevolence. Every 
 man should labor in his calling to bless the 
 world, and every piece of machinery should be 
 put in motion for the good of man and the glo- 
 ry of God. All the mechanical arts, and all 
 the various honest employments of life, should 
 be consecrated to the service of God. Holi- 
 ness should be written upon the horse bells. 
 Then it must be the duty of parents, so far as 
 practicable, to give their children such educa- 
 tions, as are necessary to carry on, in the best 
 manner, the various ptirsuits of life. 
 
 It is mors than equally worthy of remark. 
 
t'Ar.ENTAL DUTIES. 107 
 
 bat some education is indispensable to the ve- 
 )' existence of Christianity. So much as is 
 lecessary to read and understand the bible is 
 ssentiai'to the continuance of true religion in 
 he world. Without this the knowledge of the 
 ruth would soon be lost, and the w^hole world 
 vould sink into a state of eniire heathenism, 
 yonsequendy, there is the strongest necessity 
 or education. And hence the sacred scrip- 
 ures sanction not only a common, but the 
 nost extended education. Moses, destined to 
 ^ive laws to the world, could not receive an 
 !X tensive, education. among the enslaved He- 
 )rews, and therefore the providence of God 
 )laced him in Pharaoh's family, that he might 
 )btiiin the learning necessary to the station he 
 ^-as intended to fill. In extensiveness of cdu- 
 jation, none, in his age, exceeded Moses, and 
 10 man ever surpassed him in extended useful- 
 less. The apostle Paul is another instance in 
 tvhich God has sanctioned an extended educa- 
 tion ; none in his day, excelled Paul in litera- 
 ry acquisitions ; and 'in usefulness he had no 
 Dqual. It is readily admitted that the other 
 apostles, when chosen, wers not men of liberal 
 sducation ; but it should be recollected that they 
 were afterwards taught by a teacher that infin- 
 itely transcended Gamaliel, and that the Holy 
 Spirit was given in a miraculous manner, to 
 enable them to remember all that they had re- 
 ceived from their heavenly teacher. In addi- 
 iioR tx) all this, they received the power oC 
 
108 PARLNTAL DUTlK.^. 
 
 Speaking languages that they liad never lean) 
 
 ed, so tliat every deficiency- in learning \vd 
 
 supplied by positive miracfe. Consequently 
 
 they had more ample qualilications for the': 
 
 work than has the most learned missionary ii 
 
 modern times. Nothing dien can be more alj 
 
 surd than the notion that many have entertaii! 
 
 ed, that the Savior in the selection of his disc; 
 
 pies, sanctioned ignorance, and that christian; 
 
 ty is opposed to etlncation. I'he very re vers' 
 
 is true. One of the most prominent tendeni 
 
 cies of the holy scriptures is to promote ediij 
 
 cation. And it is undeniable, that whereve 
 
 the bible has the most extended induence, edui 
 
 cation is not only more than elsewhere genei^ 
 
 ally diilused among the common people, Ijut iil 
 
 advanced nearer to a state of perfection. It i; 
 
 this tendency that places christian nations, iij 
 
 respect to learnino-, so far in advance of th{| 
 
 heathen. Since the days of inspiration. Got' 
 
 has by his providence given the highest sanc.i 
 
 tion to education. The prominent instruments! 
 
 of the reformation have been men of educa-i 
 
 tion. This is true of Luther, Calvin, and! 
 
 llnox, to whom the protestant nations are pe^ 
 
 cuxiarly indebted for light and lihertv. These! 
 
 were men of education, and God's chosen iii-i 
 
 struments for dispelling papal darkness and tv- 
 
 ranny, and giving ligju and liberty to the nai 
 
 tions that had so long been shrouded in igno- 
 
 rance and bound in the iron chains of desno4 
 
 imn, Were^ it ncT2..arv thousands of ntUr c 
 
PARENTAL DUTIES. 109 
 
 istances niight be presented to tlie same pur- 
 ose. Rciison, revelation, and the providence 
 f God cop-.'^nire in pressing upon parents the 
 iity of giving to their children, so far as the 
 teans is allbrded^. snch educations as are suit- 
 3 to their capacity for usefulness. And when 
 leans are limited, the most rigorous economy 
 id industry should be used to -extend them. 
 It should also be remembered, that if it be 
 le duty of parents to give educatipn to their 
 :iiidren, it must be incumbent upon all to ira- 
 rove their own minds, so far as they have an 
 ppovlunity. If th-e tim.e spent in idleness and 
 ■ifiing amusements were devoted to reading 
 istory, systems of geography, chemistry, phi- 
 )Sophy, aiid astronomy; the merchant, the 
 irraer^ th? mechanic, or even the day laborer, 
 light iTiake striking advances in science, and 
 ossess a high degree of mental improvement, 
 'he svstem's of science are row so happily 
 impliPied as to present, the greatest facility for 
 le acquisition of knowledge. The mind is 
 Imofvt the whole of man, and therefore, to im- 
 rove and elevate it^is a prominent end of our 
 eino-. To make some retrenchment in the 
 tyle" of living aud clothing for mental im- 
 irovement, should in many cases be felt as an 
 Qdispensable duty. Every calling should be 
 o co'Aducted as to allow sufficient time for cul- 
 ivating the mind. And m.uch that is given for 
 uxuries and extravagant clothing should be 
 •xpended for iieeful books. Christianity is m- 
 
110 PARENTAL CUT 11,9 
 
 tended for the entire elevation of the huma 
 family, and to this, mental improvement t.s e; 
 sential. In the millenial age there will be r 
 degraded class in society, there should be nor 
 now. It is vice and ignorancs tliat degrade 
 men, and not humble occupations. Every h( 
 nest occupation should be esteemed reputabl< 
 The Lord of the Universe washed his disc 
 pies' feet, and he extends his care as readily t 
 the crawling worm as to the massy work 
 The cottages of the poor are oftener his dwe 
 ling place than the palaces of the great Edi 
 cation should be so conducted as to better th 
 heart while it improves the mind. The know 
 ledge to be gained by education is the knoH 
 ledge of God and his works. In every d( 
 partment of science, there is much to lead th 
 mind to the contemplation of the power an 
 wisdom, of the Greater. In the study of lar 
 guages we see much of the wonderfurcapacit; 
 of the human mind. The structure -of laii 
 guage, and the vast variety, thought, and 'pas 
 sion displayed in it, exhibit the immense pow 
 er of the soul, and invites us to admire ant 
 adore the eternal fountain of excellence fron 
 which the immortal mind emanated. In thi 
 study of geography, chemistry, philosophy 
 and astronomy, the pious heart may exclaia 
 with the inspired Psalmist, " O ! Lord, ho\i 
 great are thy works ! O I Lord, how m^ni-i 
 told are thy works ! In wisdom hast thoai 
 made them all. The earth is full ©f thy rich 
 
PAHEXTAL DUTIES. Ill 
 
 es ; so is this great sea." " When I consider 
 the heavens the work of thy fingers ; the moon 
 and the stars, which thou hast ordained ; what 
 is man, that thou art mindful of him ? or the 
 son of man, that thou visitest him ?" " All 
 thy works shall praise thee, O Lord." In all 
 the vast field of science there are continued 
 and grand displays of the wisdom^ power, and 
 goodness of God. From the beginning to the 
 end of the most extended education, the pious 
 teacher may continually direct the minds of his 
 pupils to the divine excellence unfolded in the 
 works of creation. Hence parents should be 
 careful not only to select competent, but pious 
 teachers. Every part of education should be 
 conducted with a direct view to the promotion 
 of piety. Parents should feel that the educa- 
 tion of their children is a christian duty, and 
 one to be performed for the glory of God and 
 the best interests of man. The entire system 
 of science should be consecrated to the service 
 of God. 
 
 This part of the subject ought not to be clo- 
 sed without urging the necessity and impor- 
 tance of making the study of the sacred scrip- 
 tures a part of common education. That there 
 is a strong tendency to exclude the scriptures 
 from the common schools, is a matter of the 
 deepest regret. It is urged by many, that the 
 bible is too sacred to be a school book, chil- 
 dren are prone to use it in a profane manner. 
 Others say that to make it a school book is 
 
112 PARENTAL DUTIES. 
 
 calcylateJ to induce disgusi in the minds of 
 children at, sacred truth, and that in future life 
 they will have no relish for reading the word 
 of God, In all this there seems to be good in- 
 tention ; but why is the bible too sacred to be 
 a school book? Should not schools them- 
 selves be sacred ? And should not children be 
 taught to pursue their study as a duty they 
 owe to themselves, and to the God that has 
 made them ? Is the fact that some children 
 profane the sacred oracles, a reason why they 
 should not be made to read them ? Should 
 our children profane the public preaching of 
 the gospel, ought we on that account to exclude 
 them from the house of God ? Should we not 
 rather correct their profanity, and still lead 
 them to the holy temple to hear \]ie life-ffivin^ 
 sound of the gospel ? If children at school 
 profane the bible, their profanity should be 
 corrected, but surely the holy oracles, the best 
 means of reformation, should not be taken out 
 of their hands. In the papal world the scrip- 
 tures were taken out of the hands of the com- 
 mon people to prevent abuse ; and what was 
 the result? The nations were shrouded in 
 darkness that could be felt. 
 
 It is not true that making the bible a school 
 book IS calculated to induce disgust in the 
 minds of children, and prod.uce a disrelish for 
 reading it in after life. We are p?one, in ad- 
 vanced age, to venerate beyond all others the 
 lirst books read at school. With them are ai- 
 
 i 
 
PARENTAL DUTIES. 118 
 
 sociated the scenes of early life,^and by th«m 
 were made upon our minds some of tlie first 
 and stixjiigest impressions. They ever bring 
 to view the fond recollections of ehildliood and 
 youth. 
 
 But after all it is urged that the translation 
 is so antiquated, that some things have become 
 indelicalje to modern ears, and that the compo- 
 aition is such as is unfavorable to making good 
 readers. To this it is replied, that indecency 
 of expression does not consist in the jnamee of 
 real and known existencies, but in the ridicu- 
 lous use of those names. Now in the transla- 
 tion, there is no such ridiculous use of names. 
 Nothing is named but what every one knows 
 €xists, and about which all must think and 
 fipeak. The language of the translation is 
 grave and necessary, and conveys no ideas 
 that are not often brought up in the most de- 
 cent circles of society. And we may venture 
 to say that it always gives most offence where 
 there is the least modesty. 
 
 That the composition is unfavorable to mak- 
 ing good r'^ers cannot be maintained. The 
 vast number of good readers produced from 
 the schools in which the bible has been read 
 as a school book, is against the objection. 
 The composition of the common translation Ib 
 both grave and dignified, and has all the varie- 
 ty of style and expression necessary to good 
 reading. 
 
 While no sufhcient reason can be given for 
 H 
 
Hi PARENTAL DUTIES. 
 
 the exclusion of the bible from schools, many 
 may be given for making the study of it a part 
 of common education. 
 
 If we desire to present to our children a 
 book that is calculated to excite the deepest in- 
 terest, and induce a desire for reading, the bi- 
 ble is that book. There is in human nature a 
 strong propensity for the marvelous. With 
 this the scriptures abound. It may be found 
 on almost every page. And what gives pecu- 
 liar interest is, that the wonderful transactions 
 related are not fictitious, but real. In this the 
 bible as a school book, has vastly the advan- 
 tage of all others. It meets fully, one of the 
 strongest propensities of human nature, and 
 thus presents the sh'ongest inducements to 
 reading. 
 
 If we would give our children the best spe- 
 cimens of historical writing, they are found in 
 the bible. The narrative of Joseph is the fin- 
 est ever written. It is simple, yet dignified, 
 marvelous, yet true. By the simple narration 
 of facts without eulogy, it gives the fairest spe- 
 cimen of human character. No efibrt is made 
 to move the passions, and yet nothing can be 
 better calculated to touch all the finer feelings 
 of the human heart ; no one can read it with- 
 out the strongest sensations of sympathy, ad- 
 miration, and delight. And while it commands 
 the noblest passions of the soul, it impresses 
 the brightest example of piety upon the deep- 
 est sympathies of the heart. 
 
PARENTAL DLTIES. 115 
 
 This sacred narrative stands not in the scrip- 
 tures as a mere insulated instance of excel- 
 lence ; all the historical parts of the bible are 
 worthy of imitation. He that would write his- 
 tory in the best manner, should draw bis mo- 
 del from the sacred volume. The gospel by 
 Luke, and the acts of the Apostles, should be 
 ever in his mind ; thiy have been equalled by- 
 no uninspired writer. In these there is a shn- 
 plicity and candor that exceed all praise. . 
 
 It should also be observed tliat the bible con- 
 tains the most important history ever presen- 
 ted to the world. It gives us the richest facts 
 in relation to this world, and all we know 
 about the spiritual and eternal world. It gives 
 VIS the true character of God, the creation of 
 the universe, the origin and character of man, 
 and many vast and important transactions be- 
 yond the date of any history. Surely, in re- 
 spect to history, nothing can equal the bible. 
 Such is tlie profusion of historical light it has 
 poured upon the world, that, like the never- 
 failing fountains that water the earth, it has 
 ceased to be valued. The bible not only con- 
 tains the richest treasure of liistorical know- 
 ledge, but the first that should be studied. 
 Hence it claims the precedence of all other 
 books. Should we not put it into the hands 
 of our children so soon as they are capable of 
 reading ? What else can tiiey read with so 
 much interest and profit 1 
 
 If we should enrich the jaindd of our chil- 
 
115 PARENTAL DUTIES. 
 
 dren with ihe noblest samples of the sublime, 
 we should give them the bible. It will not be 
 denied that in sublimity it immensely exceeds 
 all other books. If we desire to find a speci- 
 men that no uninspired writer has equalled, it 
 may be found in the very beginning of the sa- 
 cred volume. " God said, let there be light, 
 ^nd there was light." "^low simple the lan- 
 guage, but how sublime the idea expressed. 
 The Creator spoke, and light came into exis- 
 tence by the energy of his word. The idea 
 of God's lighting up the vast universe by sim- 
 ply saying, '* let there be light," is exceeding- 
 ly grand. It gives us the highest possible view 
 of divine power. 
 
 ; Almost every part of the bible abounds with 
 the sublime ; the book of Job, the psalms of 
 David, and the prophecies of Isaiah, are wor- 
 thy of special notice as being exceedingly rich 
 in sublimity. The close of the sacred volume 
 is no less sublime than the beginning. In 
 Rev. XX. 11, is a striking instance of true sub- 
 limity. *♦ And I saw a great white throne, and 
 him that sat on it, from whose face the earth 
 and the heavens fled away ; and there was 
 found no place for them." Nothing can be 
 more sublime than the idea here given of the 
 divine majesty. What is better calculated to 
 ennoble and enrich the minds of children than 
 such examples of sublimity ? The bible con- 
 tains th« richest treasures of sublime thought, 
 and of course is better than all other books, 
 
PARENTAL TfUttES, 117 
 
 calculated to expand and elevate the yoatliTu! 
 mind. 
 
 If we desire to give our children a perfect 
 system of morals, the bible contains the only- 
 one found on earth. Our duties to God, to 
 our neighbor and to our relatives, to civil and 
 religious society, and even to our enemies, are 
 clearly set forth under the strongest sanctions. 
 They are enforced by tlie authority of God and 
 the stupendous realities of eternity- " 'JThoo 
 shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart 
 — ^and thy neighbor as thyself,'* ** Husbands^, 
 love your wives, i^ftd the wife see that she 
 reverence her husl'^nd/* " Ye fathers, pro- 
 voke not your (I'lildren to wrath ; but bring 
 them up in the nurture and admonition of the 
 Lord." "■ I sxy "nto you, love your enemies." 
 *' All thino-' whatsoever ye would that men 
 should dr unto you, do ye even so to them ; 
 for this IS the law and the prophets." Were 
 these facred precepts written upon the hearts 
 of al« mankind so as to induce obedience, tlie 
 wlx)le world would become free and happy, 
 jv<d the nations would learn war no more. 
 .What can be more appropriate to children than 
 such a system of morals ? Can they be made 
 to read it too soon ? 
 
 If we would have our children practice god- 
 liness, which has the promise of the '^' life thr^t 
 now is, and of that which is to come," we 
 should cause tlu?m to read the bible so soon as 
 practicable. Fri^m a child, Timothy kn«w th» 
 
118 PARENTAL DUTIES. 
 
 scriptures which were able to make him wise 
 unto salvation. The same siiould be true of 
 our children. The bible contains the truth ne- 
 cessary to their salvation. This makes it in- 
 finitely important that they should read it soon. 
 Our children, while reading the scriptures at 
 school, may as readily become wise unto sal- 
 vation as when I'^ading them elsewhere. The 
 truth of God is bs ellicacious when read at 
 school, as when rervl at home on the sabbath. 
 The efficacy in savin-.r .souls depends upon the 
 operations of the IIolj Spirit, and these may 
 as readily flow down upon the school, as upon 
 the family at home. And uo doubt, if schools 
 were as religiously conducted as they ought to 
 be, conversions would often t^ke place among 
 the children. Besides, the knorfedge acquired 
 by reading the scriptures at schoo'i may be the 
 means of conversion in after life. There is 
 reason to believe that few who do novread the 
 scriptures at school, become familiarly atquaint- 
 ed with them. 
 
 The memories of our children should be^vell 
 stored with divine truth. It is the sword of 
 the Spirit, and must be wielded against thei; 
 spiritual eneniies, if they are to escape the pol- 
 lutions of the world, and gain the crown of life. 
 Whether, then, w^e view the bible as a source 
 of literature, or as a system of divine truth, it 
 is the most valuable treasure we can put into 
 the hands of our children. It contains such 
 ancient literature as cun be had from no other 
 
PARKMAL DUTIES. 119 
 
 source, and sucli as is of the highest value. 
 And it contains the knowledge of the true God 
 and the plan of salvation ; it unfolds to us the 
 unsearchable riches of Christ. The love of 
 God manifested by the gift of his Son for the 
 salvation of sinful men, is the grandest truth in 
 the universe. It is the sun of the moral world 
 to diffuse light and life throughout the dark re- 
 gions of sin and death. Who would withhold 
 from his children such a treasure of light and 
 life ? Sure no one who values, as he ought, 
 their eternal interests. 
 
 Every part of education should be religious- 
 ly conducted. Common schools should be nur- 
 series of piety, in which the holy scriptures 
 should be read and studied. The most impor- 
 tant knowledge should be communicated first. 
 The bible contains such, and therefore it should 
 be the first book read and studied. In this 
 way, a permanent foundation will be laid for 
 future usefulness. The purity and grandeur of 
 divine truth will purify, expand and elevate the 
 minds of children, and better tlian any thing 
 else, prepare them for important stations in so- 
 ciety, as well as for an endless inheritance in 
 heaven. 
 
IJO PARENTAL DlTTIEf. 
 
 CHAPTER Vni. 
 
 XT IS THE DUTY OF PARENTS TO BRING UP THEIR 
 CHILDREN TO INXXUSTKY. 
 
 Parents should bring up their children \o 
 hal^ts of industry. This duty becomes diffi- 
 cult in proportion to the inci-ease of wealth. In 
 wealthy communities, it is often the case that 
 idleness becomes" fasbimiable, and industry dis- 
 reputable. In soiMe grircles, none are esteemed 
 gentlemen and Isrdies, but such a» live upon 
 their estate, and spend their lives in idleness. 
 Nothing can be either more absurd or more per- 
 nicious than such estimati<xn>. Tlie tendency 
 of it upon society is the very wonrt. It de- 
 cades the honest, indostrioui?, and in truth, the 
 best classes of people. And hence a stong in- 
 ducement to live without labor, and by unfair 
 means. The father of the universe formed man 
 for industry, and made it indispensable to the 
 existence and happiness of our race. How ab- 
 surd then is it, to despise that which is essen- 
 tial to our very being, — that which dotlus and 
 feeds us, and spreads around us all the comfort* 
 of life ! The vei-y wealth upon which men so 
 much plume themselves, rs itself the fruit of in>- 
 dustry. And how transcendantly wicked and 
 mean is it to despise and degrade the men and 
 women, without whom nakedne&s and starva« 
 ti^n would pervade the world ! The Lord of 
 glory honored industry by his own example'. 
 
PARENTAL DUTIES. 121 
 
 "When he came to our world on the errand of 
 mercy, he labored, for a time, at an honest oc- 
 cupation. Hence, when he began his public 
 ministry, it was said of him, *' is not this the 
 carpenter?" Industry is necessary to susten- 
 ance, to health, to mental vigor, to morality, 
 and of course, to happiness. Consequently, it 
 is the duty of parents, whether they live in the 
 city or in the country, and whether they are 
 rich or poor, to provide for their children use- 
 ful improvement. This is a duty of imperious 
 necessity. The neglect of it will bring upoi'i 
 our offspring the sorest evils. How vast the 
 number of children through want of suitable 
 employment, fall into vicious practices, and of 
 the most degrading kind, and thus bring pover- 
 t}' and ruin upon themselves. How many have 
 died by the hand of the public executioners ! 
 how many have lingered out years in public 
 prisons, and still how much greater the number 
 that have perished by debaucher}' and intem- 
 perance ! How great the number of females 
 that fall into consumption, and languish and die 
 in consequence of b'^ing brought up without 
 employment! And how many others linger 
 out a more protracted life of continual debility, 
 and live strangers to the flowings of health and 
 to the enjoyments of a vigorous youth. How 
 inexpressible is the anguish of such a life I 
 Who can estimate the wretchedness and mise- 
 ry that result from bringing up children with- 
 out suitable industry 1 And are not parents ae- 
 
123 PARENTAL DUTIES. 
 
 countable for such results ? AVill they not have 
 in such cases, to account for the sufferings and 
 premature death of their own offspring ? Let 
 every parent, who is disposed to bring up his 
 children in idleness, bear this in mind. 
 
 Parents, then, should enforce upon their 
 children the duty of being industrious, while 
 they at the same time, provide the means of 
 useful industry. Utility should always be pre- 
 sented as a motive to action. Children should 
 be taught that piety, intelligence, and industry 
 are the constituents of true greatness. They 
 should be instructed to estimate character ac- 
 cording to these, and not according to wealth 
 and external appearance. The pious, intelli- 
 gent, and industrious man is indeed the man of 
 real value in society ; and therefore, whether 
 rich or poor, worthy of the highest estimation. 
 
 Every useful occupation ought to be regard- 
 ed with due respect, so that none should be 
 either degraded or despised on account of his 
 particular employment. When young persons 
 have proper impressions on this point, they will 
 the more readily employ themselves in some 
 one useful occupation or another, rather than 
 live in idleness. The children of the rich often 
 become poor ; and having been taught to des- 
 pise certain occupations that might still be with- 
 in their reach, and afford them an honest living, 
 reject diem, and engage in enterprises that ter- 
 minate in ruin. False notions on this subject 
 have led to many a public execution. Parents 
 
PARENTAL DUTIES. 123 
 
 then should exercise great caution on this point. 
 (.,'hikircn should be made to feel that useful oc- 
 cupation is honorable, and that any one should 
 be chosen, rather than idleness. And they 
 sliould be made to understand that poverty is 
 no disgrace, except when it is the result of idle- 
 ness or bad conduct. The wealthiest may, by 
 adverse providences, be reduced to entire pov- 
 erty ; and should they be the less esteemed be- 
 cause eveuts over which they had no control 
 rendered them poor? Why then should the 
 honest and industrious man be the less esteem-' 
 led because he has never had the means of be-' 
 coming rich ? The Lord of the universe was 
 born in a stable of a poor virgin ; his cradle was 
 a manger, and when publishing the glad tidings 
 of peace and salvation, he had not where to lay 
 his head. - 
 
 The duty of training children to industry is 
 so palpable, that it seems, at first view, unne- 
 cessary to urge it ; but facts show that there is 
 no duty to which many parents pay less consci- 
 entious regard. Many appear never to feel the 
 slightest ebliffation to make the duty of indus- 
 try a part of the moral instruction given to their 
 children. Indeed, in some circles, it is even 
 fashionable to bring up children in idleness; 
 and not a few think it an honor so to have been 
 'brouiTht up, because, as they suppose, an evi- 
 dence of wealthy descent. But what is the 
 honor of beinc? born a drone to eat up the wealth 
 accumulated hv indunrious ancestors? And 
 
124 TARE NT AL r^TTTIE^. 
 
 what honor is it to parents to rear »p a faniiTy 
 of drones to eat out the wealth oi community ? 
 What can either the church or the state expect 
 from such a progeny ? What would be the 
 gtate of the world if all parents were to bring 
 up their children in this way ? Is not the rear- 
 ing up of such progenies one of the most pro- 
 minent sources of crime and poverty ? Surely, 
 then, parents should feel that it is highly crim- 
 inal to bring up children in such a state ; and 
 it should be esteemed worthy of deep disgrace. 
 How shameful is it to rear up a family to be a 
 dead weight upon society ; or in other words, to 
 throw upon the world a progeny of nuisances? 
 The duty of bringing up ehildren to indus- 
 try, is urged with the more earnestness, be- 
 cause it is essential to the best interests of so- 
 ciety, both civil and religious. Upon it (de- 
 pends the prosperity of church and state, and, 
 of course, it involves eternal interest. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 PARENTS KHOULD TEACH THEIR CHILDREN THE 
 DOCTRINES AND FRECEPTS OF CHRISTIANITY. 
 
 Parents should teach their ehildren the doc- 
 trines and precepts of Christianity. This duly 
 is clearly enjoined in the scriptures. " And 
 these words whicli I command thee this day, 
 shall be in ihy heart; and thou shalt teaeh theui 
 
PARENTAL DUTIES. 125 
 
 tUllgently unto thy children, and shalt talk of 
 them when thou sittest in thy house, and when 
 thou walke^t by the way, and when thou liest 
 down, and when thou risest up." Deut. vi. 6, 
 7. The doctrines that relate to the existence 
 and character of God, the fellen condition of 
 man, and the plan of salvation through a Sa- 
 vior, are essential to eternal life. " And this 
 is life eternal, that they might know thee, the 
 only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou 
 hast sent." John xvii. 2. How is it possible 
 to love God supremely and worship him ac- 
 cording io his infinite excellence, unless we 
 understand the truth in relation to his divine 
 perfections? How shall a man, ignorant of 
 his fallen state, be induced to seek a Savior? 
 Or how shall he receive a Savior of whom he 
 has no knowledge ? The scriptures represent 
 faith as es-^ential to salvation. '* He that be- 
 lieveth, and is baptized, shall be saved, but he 
 that belie veth not, shall be damned." Faith 
 consists in accrediting aright divine truth. 
 Hence, it is said ; ** Faith cometh by hearing, 
 and hearing by the word of God." *' He that 
 cometh to God, must believe that he is, and 
 that he is a rewarder of them that diligently 
 seek him." This shows that it is impossible 
 to come to God without the medium of divine 
 truth. Consequently, the popular notion, that 
 it is no differetice what a man believes, provi- 
 ded his practice is good, is both absurd and 
 Kiangerous. No practice can be good, farther 
 
126 PARENTAL D l TIES. 
 
 than il is directed by trutli ; just so fur a» a 
 man errs in faith, he must err in practice. A 
 person may entertain false views on some 
 points, and yet believe and practice the trntli 
 on others ; but on the points where his faith 
 is vrrong, his practice must be in accordance 
 with it, and cannot be good. For ilhistration, 
 suppose that a man "believes that the Savior is 
 a mere creature. Can he worship him as God 
 equal with the Father, and honor him even as 
 he honors the Father ? Any one can see that 
 it is in the very nature of things impossible. 
 A good practice is simply the practicing of the 
 truth, or to use a scriptural phrase, it is v/alk- 
 ing in the truth. What is the practice of idol- 
 atry but the practice of error ? The heathen 
 believe that their idols are gods, and therefore 
 they worship them. Their practice is the re- 
 sult of their faith, but their sincerity in their 
 false faith, cannot make idolatry right. Idola- 
 ters shall have their part in the lake that burn- 
 eth with fire and brimstone, which is the second 
 death. 
 
 Then it is abundantly evident that some doc- 
 trinal knowledge, where there is a capacity to 
 receive it, is essential to salvation. Hence it 
 is said, " where there is no vision, the people 
 perish." Consequently, there is the strongest 
 reason why parents should give their children 
 doctrinal instructions, and why they should 
 give them so soon as there is a capacity to re- 
 ceive them. While thev dandle their children 
 
PARENTAL DITTIES. "127 
 
 lipon their knees, they should imparl to them 
 the words of eternal life. In this way, many 
 a pious mother has been the means of making 
 upon her children deep and lasting impressions. 
 The Holy Spirit may, at a very early period, 
 make the truth effectual to salvation. The 
 young mind is less hardened in sin, and conse- 
 quently more susceptible of serious impressions, 
 than when more advanced in a sinful life. This 
 should encourage parents to begin the work of 
 religious instruction as early as possible. 
 
 Parents should also teach their children the 
 precepti^'-e parts of divine truth. The duties 
 they owe to God as their creator, and preser- 
 ver, and redeemer, should be clearly pointed 
 out to them, and urged with earnestness pro- 
 portionate to their importance. The duties 
 they owe to man as tlieir fellow-being, are en- 
 joined by the same authority, and, therefore, 
 should occupy suitable attention. Children 
 should be instructed in all civil, social, and re- 
 lative duties. All these are enjoined in the sa- 
 cred oracles, and consequently form a part of 
 religion. And the discharge of them are ne- 
 cessary to the happiness of individuals, of fam- 
 ilies, of neighborhoods, and of nations ; and 
 they must ever form a prominent part of chris- 
 tian practice. 
 
 It is obvious that parents, in order to in- 
 struct their children in the doctrines and duties 
 of religion, must qualify themselves by study- 
 ing diligently the scriptures. They^ occupy in 
 
128 PARENTAL DUTIES. 
 
 their families a station similar to that of a pas- 
 tor in a congregation. God has made it their 
 duty to teach immortal beings the doctrines and 
 duties of religion. But how shall they teach, 
 unless they understand the things to be taught? 
 How awfully criminal are those parents who 
 never study the sacred oracles, and, of course, 
 live in ignorance of the tlrst principles of the 
 gospel, and thus are incapable of giving their 
 children the instructions necessary to eternal 
 life I Surely such will have to account for the 
 souls committed to their care. How liable are 
 parents, through ignorance, to teach their chil- 
 dren error, even fatal error, instead of truths, 
 O parents, liow will you be ^le to meet your 
 children at the final judgment, if you prove un- 
 faithful to their eternal interests ? If they shall 
 perish forever through your ignorance and neg- 
 ligence, ho\/ will you stand when God shdl 
 rise up in judgment against you ? O, how un- 
 natural and ;iorrible is the sin of destroying the 
 souls of our own offspring ! Who will sink 
 so deeply in the gulf of eternal ruin, as un- 
 faithful parents ? 
 
PARENTAL DUTIES. 129 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE DUTY OF PARENTS TO GOVERN THEIR CHIL- 
 DREN. 
 
 The duty of family government devotes 
 upon parents. This is a duty of the greatest 
 importance, and one of more than ordinary 
 difficulty. The variety of dispositions and 
 capacity that exists among children, renders it 
 difficult to form a plan of government suited to 
 the condition of each individual. A know- 
 ledge of the disposition and capacity of each, 
 child is necessary to a suitable exercise of go- 
 vernment. The manner of governing should 
 be varied according to disposition and capa- 
 city. 
 
 In the exercise of family government, there 
 should be as much uniformity as practicable. 
 This will render obedience the more easy, and 
 inspire the greater confidence and respect. 
 
 The government of a family should be. so 
 managed as to secure the affections of those 
 governed. This vv'ill render obedience plea- 
 sant, and make it a matter of choice, and not 
 of compulsion. Hence, family government 
 should always be mild and persuasive. Com- 
 mands should be given in the language of ten- 
 derness. In this way, correspondent feelings 
 will be excited, and will form strong indusa- 
 ments to cheerful obedience. 
 
 Parents should carefully avoid moroseness 
 i 
 
130 PARINTAL DUTIES. 
 
 of temper and sarcastic or provoking language. 
 These are hateful things ; they will make pa- 
 rents hateful in the eyes of their children, and 
 destroy that influence which should ever be 
 extended over a family ; and nothing will 
 more discourage the efforts of children to 
 please their parents. *' Ye fathers, provoke 
 not your children to wrath," is an injunction 
 that should be carefully regarded in the exer- 
 cise of family government. 
 
 Parents should be careful neither to expect 
 nor require more of children than is consistent 
 with their age and capacity. Due allowance 
 should be made for the vivacity of youth. The 
 sedateness and gravity of mature age, should 
 neither be expected nor required. Playfulness 
 in childhood is necessary to health of body and 
 Tigor of mind, and tlierefore is not in itself 
 criminal, and consequently, should be indul- 
 ged at proper times, and under suitable res- 
 trictions. Such amusements as have a natural 
 tendency to immorality, should be entirely pro- 
 hibited. The innocency or criminality of an 
 amusement, must, in a great measure, be de- 
 termined by its tendency. That which uni- 
 formly tends to extravaganc-e and consequent 
 immorality, must be criminal. Such is the 
 uniform tendency of promiscuous dancing and 
 theatrical exhibitions. The same is true of all 
 petty g^mes, for trivial sums. These are the 
 primary fountains of vice ; seemingly small at 
 ftnt, but aeon swell to mighty streams whose 
 
FAIWNTAL DDTIBS. 131 
 
 ©verflo wings deluge the world. No amuse- 
 ment then, should be allowed without consid- 
 ering well its tendency*. While on the one 
 hand, we guard against extreme rigor, we 
 should, on the other, carefully avoid too much 
 looseness. Human nature is prone to ex- 
 tremes ; and therefore, it is necessary that eve- 
 ry man, in order to govern well, should guard 
 against this tendency. Too much rigor imbit- 
 ters life, and renders government hateful, and 
 too much laxity undermines authority, renders 
 children impatient of restraint, and results in 
 all the evils which the exercise of government 
 is intended to prevent. While then, undue ri- 
 gor is avoided, the exercise of family govern- 
 ment should be firm and decided. The com- 
 mands given should always be reasonable, and 
 founded upon justice, and should be enforced 
 by suitable authority. The giving of trivial 
 or unnecessary commands should be avoided. 
 Children are more inclined to neglect such 
 than they are those that are more important ; 
 and it is more difficult to enforce such than 
 those of greater utility ; consequently, there is 
 a strong liability on the part of children to dis- 
 obey, and on the part of parents to neglect 
 enforcing obedience. And thus habits of diso- 
 bedience are brought on to the subversion of 
 authority. If children are allowed to neglect 
 commands of little importance, they will soon 
 learn to do the same wdth respect to those in- 
 volving the utmost interests. No commands 
 
132 PARENTAL DUTIES. 
 
 then should be given but such as are intended 
 to be enforced. The full maintainance of au- 
 thority is essential to good government. Pa- 
 rents who do not support their authority, will 
 neither have the respect nor the affections of 
 their children, and of course, will soon find 
 themselves incapable of exercising government. 
 The most painful part of family government 
 is the giving of reproof, and the infliction of 
 punishment. Both these are, sometimes, ne- 
 cessary, and often attended with serious diffi- 
 culty. When to give reproof, and in what 
 manner to give it, so as t» produce the best re- 
 sults, requires the exercise of much discretion. 
 If reproof is too frequently administered, it 
 will not have a salutary efTect. It will become 
 vexatious and discouraging ; it will harden the 
 feelings, and be ultimately disregarded. Many 
 of the indiscretions of children should be pass- 
 ed without notice. Reproof should be given 
 when there has been a manifest intention to do 
 wrong. It should be administered with ear- 
 nestness and affection, and the reasonableness 
 and necessity of it should be clearly shown. 
 So long as reproof will answer the purposes 
 of reclaiming and restraining children, there 
 should be no infliction of punishment. To 
 punish without necessity is cruel, and must 
 have an injurious tendency. There should be 
 no infliction of punishment but when the crime 
 has been willful and perverse. To punish, as 
 some parents do, for wrongs that were not in- 
 
FARSNTAL BUTHSS. 133 
 
 tentional, is unjust, oppressive, and calculated 
 to produce in the minds of children feelings of 
 unhappy tendency. There have been many 
 instances of children being severely punished 
 for doing what they thought right. Such in- 
 flictions are unreasonable and cruel, and can- 
 not be profitable. As to the kind of punish- 
 ment to be inflicted, there is a variety of opin- 
 ions. In modern times, it has become fashion- 
 able to punish children by placing upon them 
 some mark of disgrace, or by confining them 
 in dark rooms. This has been thought to be 
 an improvement, and as such has been substi- 
 tuted in place of using the rod of correction. 
 To such modes of punishment, there are strong 
 objections. To place upon a child a mark of 
 disgrace, is to operate merely by means of the 
 corrupt pride of its nature, and is calculated to 
 cultivate such principle, rather than to remove 
 it, and tends more to provoke the child, than 
 to bring it to repentance. To say the least of 
 this mode, it is calculated to excite the worst 
 feelings of the heart, and gives time for their 
 indulgence. 
 
 To confine a child in a dark room may so 
 frighten it as to produce serious consequences. 
 In this respect it is, in some cases, dangerous. 
 And when it does not tend to frighten, it gives 
 time for the long indulgence of a sullen and bad 
 temper, and thus tends to cultivate ill nature. 
 The process is too tedious to produce the best 
 ejects. 
 
iM PARSNTAL DVTIB8. 
 
 The tendencies of such punishments were 
 well understood by the Holy* Spirit, and had 
 they been best, they would have had his sanc- 
 tion. The fact that no such measures are sanc- 
 tioned in the scriptures, is against them. We, 
 in modern times, may improve in understand- 
 ing the sacred oracles, but the things taught in 
 them cannot be improved. The Holy Spirit, 
 being infinitely wise, knew every thing from 
 eternity that can be known now. Consequent- 
 ly, whatever he has revealed for our instruction 
 is best. He says, " Foolishness is bound in 
 the heart of a child, but the rod of correction 
 shall drive it far from him." Prov. xxii. 15. 
 *' Withhold not correction from the child ; for 
 if thou beatest him with a rod, he shall not die 
 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shall de- 
 liver his soul from hell." Prov. xxrii. 13, 14. 
 " Chastise thy son while there is hope, and let 
 not thy soul spare for his crying." Prov. xix. 
 18. " The rod and reproof give wisdom ; but 
 the child left to himself bringeth his mother to 
 i5hame. Correct thy son, and he shall give 
 thee rest ; yea, he shall give delight unto thy 
 soul." Prov. xxix. 15, 17. "He that sparetb 
 the rod, hateth his son ; he that loveth him, 
 chastiseth him betimes." Prov. xiii. 14. Here, 
 then, we have the mind of the unerring spirit of 
 God, both as to the necessity of punishment and 
 the instrument with which it is to be inflicted; 
 The rod is God'* appointed instrument of cor- 
 fe^ion. It was no doubt okos«n b«C3use it was 
 
FARENTAL ©mW. 156 
 
 die beat. It is the speediest and most certain 
 means of reducing a child to submission; and, 
 of course, gives little opportunity of indulging 
 in bad temper. There is a vast difference be- 
 tvireen the process that reduces to submission 
 and good temper in a few minutes, and that 
 which requires hours, and that, with great un- 
 certainty of success. The one subdues ill tem- 
 per immediately, while the other gives long 
 time for its indulgence, and thus brings it into 
 habit. 
 
 When correction is necessary, it must be 
 given thoroughly, so as to subdue the child en- 
 tirely, and bring it to submission. This is a. 
 very painful duty, and requires the exercise of 
 much fortitude. We are prone to spare for his 
 crying. Partial correction has a bad effect. It 
 makes frequent repetitions necessary ; the re- 
 sult of which is so to harden the child as to 
 cause him to disregard correction. Thus it 
 happens that some parents are almost continu- 
 ally coiTCcting their children with no advantage. 
 Parents should never attempt correction unless 
 tlrey intend to carry it through, so as to bring 
 the child to entire submission. When this is 
 once done, it will ever afterwards be easy to 
 support authority, and little more correction 
 will be necessary. 
 
 Government should be exercised so soon as 
 the capacity of children will admit Thej 
 should be early taught to r«veren»a and ofeoy 
 iheir parents. 
 
136 PARENTAL DUTIES. 
 
 The rod of correction should never be used 
 as an instrument of revenge, but as an ordi- 
 nance of God. The indulorence of revengeful 
 feelings is under all circumstances sinful ; but 
 it is peculiarly so when exercised towards one's 
 own offspring. 
 
 In the exercise of family governm^it, the 
 father and mother should be mutual and equal. 
 The authority of the mother should be regarded 
 oy the children with as much promptness as 
 that of the father. The authority of one parent 
 should never be set in opposition to that of the 
 other; but they should mutually support the 
 authority of each other. Nothing is better cal- 
 culated to prostrate all parental authority and 
 influence, than that of one parent taking part 
 with the children against the other. In all 
 such cases, the authority of one or both parents 
 must be abolished. There may be extreme 
 cases in which it may be the duty of one par- 
 ent to assume the entire government of the 
 family, in opposition to the other. Such ne- 
 cessity may arise from such profligacy and 
 wickedness as may incapacitate one parent for 
 exercising authority, while the other maintains 
 the utmost integrity, and is well calculated to 
 exercise government. The duty, in such a case, 
 to assume the government of the children so 
 far as practicable, is manifest ; but yet it must 
 be attended with extreme difliculty. Many 
 pious mothers, owing to the intemperance and 
 profligacy of their husbands, have had this dif» 
 
PARENTAL DUTIES. 137 
 
 ficulty to encounter, and not a few have suc- 
 ceeded well in governing their children, and 
 saving them from the influence of a profligate 
 example. 
 
 Family government should be so exercised 
 as to protect the morals of children. They 
 should be separated so far as practicable, from 
 all immoral company. They are ever liable to 
 fall into the habits of those with whom they as- 
 sociate. Hence they should be prohibited from 
 making companions of such as are of bad mor- 
 als. Children should also be prohibited from' 
 frequenting places of immorality, and from in- 
 dulging in any immoral practices. How vast 
 is the number of promising children that are 
 ruined by wicked company, by frequentino- 
 places of immorality, and by not being restrain"^ 
 ed from immoral indulgences. These are pro- 
 minent sources of ruin, and against them par- 
 ;ents should set up the strongest barriers. 
 
 Children should not only be required to ab- 
 stain from what is wrong, but also to do that 
 which is right. God speaking of Abraham 
 teays, "I know him that he will command his 
 children and household after him, and they 
 shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice 
 md judgment." Parents, like Abraham, should 
 bommand their children after them, to keep the 
 way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment. 
 They should require them to attend upon both 
 he public and private means of grace. They 
 should enjoin upon them the strict observancs 
 
138 PAKENTAL DUTIES. 
 
 of the sabbath. This is of the utmost import- 
 ance. The proper observance of the sabbath 
 prepares the mind for the discharge of every 
 duty. It is a day set apart for moral improve- 
 ment, and a suitable attention to it never fails 
 to better the heart. The violation of the sab- 
 bath corrupts and hardens the heart, and thus 
 prepares it for every species of immorality. 
 Hence it is generally the entrance to the gross- 
 est crimes. The confessions of criminals show 
 that it is often the beginning of the course of 
 wickedness that leads to public execution. It 
 is the rock of danger on which thousands have 
 been dashed to ruin ; and thousands more are 
 hastening on to the same fatal termination. 
 How carefully should parents, in the exercise 
 of government, guard their children against 
 this rock of ruin ? 
 
 The duty of requiring children to attend upon 
 the means of grace, and to observe the sabbath, 
 has been urged for two reasons. The one is, 
 that attendance upon the means of grace, and 
 the observance of the sabbath, are preparatory 
 to the discharge of all other duties. The other 
 is, that the duty urged is lamentably neglected, 
 even by many professing parents. Not a few 
 professors of religion go to the house of God 
 themselves, and permit their children either to 
 stay at home, or roam abroad at pleasure on 
 the sacred sabbath. How vast a number of the 
 children of professors spend the sabbath in 
 idleness and play I What can be hoped for 
 
PAESNT^L ȴTIBS. 199 
 
 »uch children ! How many of them uhall be 
 tenants of public prisons, and how many of 
 them shall die by the hands of the public ex- 
 ecutioner, time will reveal ! And how many of 
 them shall go down to endless perdition, will 
 appear on the records of eternity ! What an 
 account will the parents of such children have 
 to render, when the judgment shall sit. How 
 will they endure to meet their ruined children 
 at the bar of God ? Let such parents remember 
 that the blood of the souls of their children will 
 be required at their hands. O! how awful 
 will it be to stand in judgment, charged with 
 the crime of destroying the souls of our own 
 offspring ! To avoid this, how carefal should 
 we be to bring up our children to the discharge 
 of every duty. 
 
 It is obvious that, in order to govern a family 
 well, parents must carefully study to know 
 their duty. The art of governing well should be 
 made a matter of prayerful and diligent atten- 
 tion. Without this, success cannot reasonably 
 be expected. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE DUTY OP PARENTS TO PROCURB FOR THEIR 
 CHILDREN THE MINISTRATIONS OF THE GOS- 
 PEL. 
 
 God has appointed the preaching of the go»- 
 "^1 as one of tha most prominent means of sal- 
 
140 PARENTAL DUTIES. 
 
 vation, and therefore it is the duty of parents 
 to provide it for their children. This is a part 
 of that provision which every man is, so far as 
 practicable, to make for his own household. 
 This is better far than furnishing houses and 
 lands. These can, at best, but accommodate 
 the poor dyin^ body, that must soon become 
 the prey of loathsome worms. The body 
 needs but little, nor does it need that little long. 
 The soul is of infinite value, and consequendy, 
 demands peculiar regard. The gospel presents 
 to it the unsearchable riches of Christ. Hence, 
 parents should make every reasonable effort to 
 have the gospel preached to their children. To 
 have the souls of our offspring saved, should 
 be the primary object of parental care. To 
 this, every thing eke shoidd be made subservi- 
 ent. How many professing parents expend 
 vast sums in supplying the temporal wants of 
 their children, wdiile they contribute almost 
 nothing to procure for them the public means 
 of grace ! How many, for the sake of procu- 
 ring houses and lands for their children, move 
 them from the temple of God into the wilder- 
 ness, no more to enjoy statedly the public or- 
 dinances of religion ! Does this look like ma- 
 king the salvation of their children a primary 
 object of pursuit? It may, indeed, be the duty 
 of christian families to emigrate to new coun- 
 tries, but surely not in such a manner as to de- 
 prive themselves and children of the ordinances 
 q{ the gospel. Unless they p^ii go in suc-Ji 
 
PARENTAL DUTIES, HI 
 
 lumbers as to establish the gospel among them, 
 no earthly gains should induce them to move. 
 Enlarged estates will make no compensation 
 for the loss of souls. Parents should permit 
 no prospect of gain, how flattering soever they 
 may be, to interfere with the eternal interests 
 of their children! True religion is the one 
 thing needful to immortal beings. Death will 
 soon strip us of all else on earth ; but this 
 will give us an eternal home in heaven. Then,- 
 christian parents, let your most ardent exertions 
 be made to promote the salvation of the souls 
 of the children God has committed to your 
 care. Show by your liberality in supporting 
 the gospel, that you prize religion above every 
 thing else. Better far that you and your chil- 
 dren should be as poor as Lazarus, and go to 
 heaven, than that you and they should possess 
 kingdoms on earth, and sink to hell. God will 
 |curse the basket and the store of the wicked. 
 iWealth without grace affords the means of 
 wickedness, and that tends to the deeper ruin 
 Of the never-dying soul. Hence, in thousands 
 bf mstances, the houses and lands which pa- 
 rents have, with ceaseless toil and anxiety, pro- 
 cured for their children, will be the means of 
 seating for them sevenfold hotter the furnace 
 )f immortal woe. And during an endless eter- 
 lity, they will curse that worldly care that de- 
 lied them the means of grace, and furnished 
 hem the means' of crime, and so became the 
 fccasion of sinking them more deeply in the 
 
142 PARENTAL DUTIES. 
 
 gulf of perdition. Awful, indeed, is the thought 
 of bringing such calamity upon the children we 
 love ! but awful as it is, it will be realized by 
 millions. 
 
 We should then remember, that nothing but 
 divine grace can make our children happy ; 
 without this, all that we bestow upon them will 
 but aggravate their future condemnation. This 
 should induce us incessantly to provide for 
 them the means of grace. 
 
 The gospel ministry has been ordained of 
 God as the prominent means of propagating the 
 gospel, which is the power of God unto salva- 
 tion. It pleased God, by the foolishness of 
 preaching, to save them that believe. Faith 
 Cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word 
 of God. But how shall they hear without a 
 a preacher ? Thus we see, according to the 
 scriptures, the living preacher is appointed as 
 an active instniment in saving souls. Hence, 
 it is said, " take heed unto thyself, and unto 
 the doctrine ; continue in them ; for in doing 
 this, thou shalt both save thyself, and them 
 that hear thee." 
 
 The gespel minister should give himself 
 wholly to his work. It is not reason that he 
 should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 
 Hence arises the necessity of support. We 
 must not engage in secular employments, as 
 other men do. *' Even so hath the Lord or- 
 dained, that they which preach the gospel 
 shall live of the gospel."^ The 6ii|)port of the 
 
PARENTAL mJTIES. 143 
 
 gospel ministry is a matter of justice, and not 
 of charity. This will appear, if we consider, 
 
 1st. The expense and labor necessary to 
 qualify a man for preaching the gospel. The 
 bible is not only a large book, but one of great 
 antiquity, and it was originally written in dif- 
 ferent languages, that have since ceased to be 
 spo«ken. Now, whatever literature may be ne- 
 cessary to enable a minister to explain and de- 
 fend the holy oracles before the people, should, 
 be acquired. 
 
 An ignorant minister is ever in danger of 
 misleading the people, as well as of becoming 
 the scoff of infidels. It is easy to see that 
 years must be spent, and at great expense, to 
 enable a man to be mighty in the scriptures, as 
 a minister should be. The apostles spent years 
 under the instruction of him who taught as man 
 never taught, and, in addition to this, they had 
 the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to lead them 
 into all truth, and even to enable them to speak 
 languages that they had never learned. The 
 day of miracle has now passed away, and men 
 must gain by industiy, the knowledge neces- 
 sary to preach the gospel. Is it reasonable, 
 then, that men should labor, at great expense, 
 for years, to qualify themselves for service, and 
 then receive no compensation for their servi- 
 ces ? Could the congregation that would take 
 such services without reward, expect the favor 
 of God ? Could they oxpect to grow and thrive 
 upon unrequited toil ? 
 
144 PARENTAL DUTIES. 
 
 2dw A devoted minister, in a temporal point 
 of view, is worth more to any neighborhood 
 than an ample support will cost. The faith- 
 ful preaching of the gospel promotes morality, 
 industry, economy; and these are essential both 
 to comfort and wealth. Consequently, every 
 neighborhood will become more wealthy by 
 supporting a faithful minister than it would oth- 
 erwise do. This observation is founded upon 
 fact. Wherever people support a faithful min- 
 istry, they improve in their temporal circum- 
 stances more than others do. In this respect, 
 godliness is profitable unto all things, having 
 the promise of the life that now is, as well as 
 that which is to come. Hence, it is the inter- 
 est, as well as the duty, of all men to support 
 the gospel. 
 
 3d. It requires all the time of a minister to 
 attend to the duties of his office. A preacher 
 of ordinary good talents, may find profitable 
 employ for every day and every hour. If the 
 limits of his immediate charge are too narrow 
 to require all his kbor, he should go beyond. 
 Every where, multitudes are crowding the 
 broad road to ruin. These he should aim to 
 arrest, as they are hurrying on to destruction. 
 To fulfill hh duty, he m,ust preach the word, 
 and be instant in season and out of season. For 
 this reason, he is not allowed to entangle him- 
 self with the affairs of this life, as other men 
 do. Is it not reasonable, then, that he should 
 have a competent support ? 
 
PARENTAL DrTIES. 145 
 
 4th. Secular employments tend to disqualify 
 a minister's mind for the duties of the sacred 
 cffice. They allow not time for the study and 
 devotion necessary to expand the mind and 
 warm the heart, and hence his discourses be- 
 come barren, the life-giving glow of piety is 
 lost, and they fall upon the people like the 
 frosts of the second death. Worldly minded- 
 ncss enters his heart, and embarrassing care 
 distracts his mind ; his piety languishes, his 
 soul ceases to burn with heavenly fire, and in- 
 stead of giving life to his iiock, he imparts spi- 
 ritual disease. Saints and sinners are permit- 
 ted to slumber in carnal security, and thousands 
 crowd the gates of eternal death ! Such must 
 be the results of a secular ministry. And the 
 want of suitable support tends to make such a 
 ministry. ! what an account will ministers 
 and congregations have to render at the bar of 
 God, in relation to the mutual discharge of du- 
 ty ! How many churches have wasted the en- 
 ergies of their ministers, by denying encour- 
 agement and support, and have been wasted, in 
 tuMi, by barren and lifeless discourses. 
 
 5th. The spiritual advantages imparted by a 
 faithful minister are such as can never be esti- 
 mated. To some he is made the instrument 
 of conversion and eternal salvation. He is, in 
 the hand of God, the means of raising them 
 from tlie deepest ruin to a crown of endless 
 glory. The children of God he feeds with ce- 
 lestial food, and guides them in the way to hea- 
 
146 PARENTAL I>UTIES. 
 
 ven. Who can estimate the value of such 8€P- 
 viees ? What on earth «an requite the gospel 
 minister for the responsibility he bears, while 
 watching over never-dying souls ? If he sows 
 unto the people of his charge spiritual things, 
 is it a great thing if he reap their carnal things ? 
 So reasons an inspired apostle. Nothing is 
 more plainly taught in the sacred scriptures 
 than the duty of supporting the ministry. The 
 Savior sent out his disciples to preach the gos- 
 pel, with nothing more than a present supply, 
 that they might depend upon the fruits of their 
 labor for sustenance. The laborer, he assured 
 them, was worthy of his hire. The support of 
 the minister, then, is a matter of justice, and 
 not of charity. It is the duty of every one, ac- 
 cording as the Lord has prospered him, to con- 
 tribute liberally and cheerfully to support the 
 gospel ministry. The Lord loveth a cheerful 
 giver. Christian parents should attend to this 
 duty with peculiar interest. It is the surest 
 method of procuring the eternal happiness of 
 their children. Parents who neglect this duty, 
 have little reason to expect that they and their 
 children will ever meet together in the kingdom 
 of glory. If we would have all our offspring 
 gathered into heaven, we must earnestly em- 
 ploy all the means that the Lord has appointed 
 to accomplish this happy end. 
 
 To defraud any laborer is a crying sin ; but 
 to defraud the gospel minister, whom God hag 
 set to watch for our souls, and toil for out sal- 
 
PARENTAL DUTIES. til 
 
 vation, is a crime attended with peculiar aggra- 
 vation. This is, no doubt, a sin that is in many 
 places wasting the church of God. It often 
 turns the fruitful field into the barren wilder- 
 ness. Parents, then, should see to it, that the 
 minister has an ample support to dismiss him 
 from secular cares, and if he does not sacredly 
 attend to the duties of his office, he should be 
 dismissed, that one more faithful may be em- 
 ployed. Never can we hope well for our 
 children, but when they are placed in the 
 hands of God, and under the care of a faithful 
 pastor. 
 
 To place them in such circumstances we 
 should count no sacrifice too great ; and to ac- 
 complish this, we should labor with infinitely 
 more ardor than to gain for them the wealth 
 and honors of this world. And when parents 
 shall have come up fully to the discharge of this 
 duty, their children will crowd the way of ho- 
 liness, and the church will arise from the dust, 
 and shine forth with the brightness of the morn- 
 ing. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE DUTY OP PARENTS TO MAINTAIN FAMILY 
 WORSHIP. 
 
 There is the same reason that parents should 
 pray in their families, as that ministers should 
 pray ia their churches. Prayer should be of^ 
 
148 PARENTAL »UT1B«. 
 
 fered in families, at least morning and evening; 
 and should be attended with singing praises and 
 reading the scriptures. 
 
 Nothing is more likely, than morning and 
 evenimg devotions, to impress the hearts of 
 children with a deep sense of religion, and se- 
 cure them from the paths of sin, the tempta- 
 tions of the world, and enticing snares of the 
 devil. 
 
 The exercises in family worship should be 
 short. Long exercises tend to weary children, 
 and cause them to dread the hour of devotion. 
 Many parents, by long prayers, weary their 
 children, and thus prevent the good that should 
 result from family worship. Tediousness 
 should be carefully avoided. Due eflforts should 
 be made to render the exercises interesting and 
 pleasant. 
 
 Some excuse themselves from performing 
 family worship on the ground of incapacity. 
 Such excuse springs rather from the want of 
 inclination to pray, than from incapacity. Any 
 that can ask for a piece of bread can pray. A 
 long prayer is not necessary. When the pub- 
 lican went up to the temple to pray he made a 
 much shorter prayer than that of the pharisee, 
 and yet it was very efTectual. He simply said, 
 *' God be merciful to me a sinner." The pha- 
 risee was rejected, and the publican was justi- 
 fied. There is no parent that has the power 
 of speech, but can bow down with his family, 
 and say, God be merciful to us sinners fof 
 
rARE^'TAL DUTIE?. 149 
 
 Christ's sake. This is as long as was the 
 publican's prayer. And if presented from a 
 fervent heart, in the exercise of faith, it will 
 be as certainly heard and answered. Every 
 one whose heart is right, and who has the 
 •power of speech, can pray in his family. It 
 may not be the duty of every one to lead de- 
 votion in public, especially when there may be 
 others better qualitied to do it; but it is the 
 duty of all parents who have the power of 
 speech, to lead the devotions of their own fam- 
 ilies. When the father is absent, it is the duty 
 of the mother to lead in devotion, unless some 
 one else is present to supply the place of the 
 father. 
 
 Parents should not allow the hurry of busi- 
 ness to prevent them from the constant perfor- 
 mance of this important duty. They should 
 always feel that religion is the great business 
 of life, and that to promote the salvation of 
 their children is infinitely more important than 
 gathering the perishing treasures of this world. 
 God has given ample time for secular employ- 
 ments without encroaching upon the hours of 
 devotion. 
 
 Parents should endeavor so to improve their 
 minds as to enable tliem to give variety to 
 family worship, and not be under the necessity 
 of repeating Uie same prayer every morning 
 and evening. Variety will give interest to de- 
 votion, and better secure the attention of cliil- 
 dren. 
 
150 DUTY OF BAPTIZED CHILDRBX. 
 
 Professing parents are God's consecrated 
 ministers of religion to their household. And 
 will they refuse to worship God in their fami- 
 lies ? If they do, how will they answer for 
 their violated vows ? How will they be able 
 to stand when God shall require at their hand, 
 the souls committed to their care ? Let all pa- 
 rents feel deeply their responsibility, and never 
 fail to present morning and evening, the exam- 
 ple of prayer to their children. How lovely 
 is the truly devout family ! O may the world 
 soon be filled with such ! 
 
 DUTY OF BAPTIZED CHILDREN. 
 
 CHAPTER Xm. 
 
 THE ADVANTAGES THE HOUSEHOLDS OF BELIEV- 
 ERS DERIVE FROM UNION WITH THE CHURCH. 
 
 It has been shown that the households of 
 believers do belong to the church as certainly 
 as children belong to a nation. We shall now 
 notice some of the advantages they derive from 
 this relation. 
 
 I. The children of believers are under the 
 immediate care of the church. The officers 
 of it are bound to see that their parents have 
 them taught to read the scriptures, that they 
 instruct them in the knoAvledge of divine truth, 
 and govern them as the scriptures require, that 
 
DUTY OF BAPTIZED CHILDRExX. 151 
 
 they separate them from such company as may 
 corrupt their minds, that they pray with them, 
 and for them, and set them a holy example, by 
 carefully walking according to all the requisi- 
 tions of the gospel ; and that they provide for 
 them the public and private means of grace so 
 far as practicable. The officers of the church 
 have a right to require parents to discharge all 
 these duties, and ought to call them to account 
 for the neglect of any one of them. They have 
 a right to require parents to give reproof and 
 correction in cases of immorality. It is through 
 the parents that discipline is to be exercised 
 upon their households. The officers of the 
 church may also teach, counsel, reprove, and 
 warn them as circumstances may require. And 
 in case of the decease of the parents, it is the 
 duty of the church officers to use due efforts 
 to have the children placed under pious guar- 
 dians, and have them brought up in the nur- 
 ture and admonition of the Lord. And dying 
 parents are under obligation to lea>-e their chil- 
 dren thus to be brought up. And where they 
 have not pious relatives with whom to leave 
 them, they ought to leave the officers of the 
 church guardians with power to have them rcr 
 ligiously edilcated. 
 
 Now in case church officers discharge Uieir 
 duty, children thus situated have, over others, 
 the advantage every way. Such a system is 
 better than any other calculated to promote 
 the temporal and spiritual welfare of children. 
 
152 DUTY OF BAPTIZED CHILDREN^. 
 
 How deeply is it to be lamented that a large 
 proportion of church officers seem to have lost 
 sight of their duty in relation to the children 
 of the church. O how many children perish 
 by the negligence of those appointed to watch 
 over them I O what an account must many 
 ehurch officers and parents render at the bar 
 of God for neglecting the souls committed to 
 their care ! Great indeed are the responsibili- 
 ties of church officers, as vrell as of parents. 
 
 2. Children of believers are committed to 
 the care and praye^-s of all in the communion 
 of the church. It is the duty of each member 
 to guard the morals of all the children of the 
 church, to set them a good example, and to 
 give them good advice so far as they have op- 
 portunity. One grand end of church associa- 
 tion is that of mutual aid. Every individual 
 member of the church is bound to projnote the 
 spiritual interests of every professing family, 
 and to watch over the children as well as the 
 parents. A particular church is in fact but a 
 larger family associated for mutual aid in pro- 
 moting the salvation of souls. Every one then 
 should feel that he or she is charged with the 
 duty of watching over the children of the 
 church, and also of praying for them. In case 
 church members discharge their duty, it is one 
 bf the greatest privileges on earth to have our 
 children connected with such a society. O 
 that church members did feel as they ought, 
 their obligations in relation to the children of 
 
DUTY OF BAPTIZED CHILBREN. 153 
 
 the church, and did live in the constant dis- 
 charge of their duties ! Then would Zion 
 arise from the dust, put on her beautiful gar- 
 ments, and shine forth with the brightness of 
 the morning. 
 
 3. God promises to bless the means which 
 the church uses for the conversion of her chil- 
 dren. Isa. Ixi. 9 : " And their seed shall be 
 known among the Gentiles, and their offspring 
 among the people : all that see them shall 
 acknowledge them, that they ctre the seed 
 which the Lord hath blessed." Isa. Ixv. 23 : 
 " They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth 
 for trouble ; for they are the seed of the bless- 
 ed of the Lord, and their offspring with them." 
 Isa. xliv. 3 : " For I will pour water upon him 
 that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground ; 
 I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my 
 blessing upon thine offspring." These passages 
 show that God has special blessings for the 
 children oi his people. They shall be known 
 among the Gentiles by their piety, as the seed 
 which the Lord hath blessed, by the saving in- 
 fluences of his spirit. He will pour out his 
 spirit upon the seed of the righteous, and his 
 blessing upon their offspring. In this respect 
 the promise is unto their children. Acts, ii. 39. 
 He does promise to save their households, 
 Acts, xvi. 31': "Believe on the Lord Jesus 
 Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy 
 house." 
 
 From what has been said, it is evident that 
 
154 DUTY OF BAPTIZED CHILDREN. 
 
 children of believers by union with the church, 
 not only inherit the best means of grace, and 
 the prayers of the pious, but also the promise 
 of God's spirit to niake those means effectual 
 to salvation. And the fact that a large propor- 
 tion of those who profess and evidence faith, are 
 the offspring of the righteous, proves that the 
 promise of God is verified. If it be asked 
 then, what advantage have the households of 
 believers by union with the church, and what 
 profit is there in their baptism? we answer, 
 much every way. 
 
 In view of these privileges, let me address 
 some important considerations to baptized chil- 
 dren. 
 
 1st. " 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 kindreds of the earth be blessed. 
 Unto you first, God having raised up his son 
 Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away 
 every one of you from his iniquities." Acts, 
 iii. 25, 26. You now stand where the Jews 
 did. They were, by unbelief, broken off from 
 the good olive tree, and the Gentiles were graft- 
 ed into it. Rom. xi. 17—24. You then are 
 the children of God's covenant, and the Lord 
 Jesus Christ has been raised up to bless you, 
 in turning every one of you from his iniquities. 
 You are his in covenant relation. You have 
 been solemnly consecrated to the service of 
 God, by the washing of water, in the name of 
 
.* OF BAPTIZED CHItDRfeN. 155 
 
 the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
 Ghost. All this is of mere grace to you ; God 
 has no need of you ; he has power to raise up 
 the very stones of the earth children to Abra- 
 ham. All then is done for your benefit, to 
 make you forever happy. You have peculiar 
 encouragement to embrace the Savior ; he w^s 
 raised up for you, and is tendered to you in a 
 special manner; " the promise is unto you,'*— 
 he is ready to bless you, in turning you away 
 from your iniquities. 
 
 2d. God has said " those that seek me early, 
 shall find me." This is a special promise made 
 to the young. When persons are young, the 
 mind is more susceptible of religious impres- 
 sion, hence, in early life, is the most favorable 
 time for becoming truly christians. The long- 
 er persons live in sin the more hardened they 
 become, and the less susceptible of religious 
 impression, and therefore is there less reason 
 to hope that they will ever be saved. This 
 forms a good reason why children, so soon as 
 capable of understanding gospel truth, should 
 believe in the Savior and obey him. 
 
 Another reason why they should, as early as 
 practicable, obey the gospel, is, that their own 
 happiness, even in this life, depends upon the 
 discharge of their duty. God has constituted 
 us to be happy only in the enjoyment of him- 
 self. The sooner that we enter upon this en- 
 joyment tlie better. Religion is calculated 
 to make us happy, both in time and eternity. 
 
i66 DUTY OF BAPTIZED CHH.DREX. 
 
 '* Godliness is protitabie unto all things, hav- 
 ing the promise of the life that now is, and 
 of that which is to come.'* Nothing could 
 make this world so happy as entire conformity 
 to the gospel. It would banish the thorn and 
 the thistle, dry up the very sources of sorrow, 
 and spread the beauties of Eden over the face ! 
 of the whole earth. Pale-faced sickness would ' 
 bid the world adieu, and health and vigor would 
 sit radiantly on every countenance. The bible 
 commands nothing but that which is best for 
 us in this life, as well as in the life to come. 
 The sooner, then, that children obey the gos- ' 
 pel, the sooner they will be happy. 
 
 3d. The sooner you embrace the Savior, the , 
 more you may accomplisli in his cause, and- 
 the greater will be your reward in heaven. 
 "The Lord will reward every man according 
 to his works," "and tht^' that be wise shall 
 shine as the brightness of the firmament ; and 
 they that turn many to righteousness, as the 
 stars for ever and ever." Every moment, then, 
 you live in sin, you lessen the amount of future 
 glory to be expected, even if afterwards you 
 should become christians. All wlio do not 
 serve Christ, serve th© davil. The devil is a 
 vile and mean master — the meanest and most 
 hateful being in the universe. Why should 
 you give to him the sweet morning of life ? 
 Why give, in sacrifice to the ruthless prin«e of 
 hell, th« baet of your days .' Why deny to the 
 compassionate and bleeding Savior, the sweet 
 
DUTY OJ HAPTIZED CHILDREN. 157 
 
 incense of early gratitude and praise ? Why 
 not give to liirn the blooming flower of youth, 
 before it become^? withered and defaced by the 
 blasting winds of crime and vice ? No hand but 
 his can protect you, and guide you safely 
 through the rugged paths of life. All his ways 
 are pleasantness, and all his paths are peace. 
 Nothing can give you so much happiness as 
 walking in the highway of holiness. Nothing 
 is so adorning to youth as true piety. Give 
 then, ! give the sweet morning of life to the 
 Savior, who has loved you and given himself 
 for you. 
 
 4th. Permit me to say to you, in the language 
 of David to his son Soloman : " Know thou the 
 God of thy father, and serve him with a per- 
 fect heart and with a willing mind; for the 
 Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandetb 
 all the imaginations of the thoughts ; if thou 
 seek him, he will be found of thee ; but if thou 
 forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.'* 
 i If you seek the God of your fathers, he will 
 be found of you ; but if you forsake him, he 
 kill cast you off for ever. He knows all the 
 ^ecret purposes of your hearts, and will re- 
 ceive nothing but honest devotion. He says to 
 bach of you, ''Son, give me thine heart;'* 
 You must give your hearts to him, and serve 
 him with a willing mind, else he will cast you 
 off for ever. And how intolerable will be your 
 condition, if after being exalted to heaven in 
 .point of privilege, you be cast down to endless 
 
158 FILIAL DUTIES. 
 
 perdition. All your present privileges will be 
 the savor of death unto death ; they will heat 
 for you sevenfold hotter the furnace of im- 
 mortal woe. O how can you think of lying 
 down in everlasting burnings, and of dwelling 
 for ever with devouring flames ? *' It is a fear- 
 ful thing to fall into the hands of the living 
 God." O be persuaded now to '* break off 
 your sins by righteousness, and your iniqui- 
 ties by showing mercy to the poor." ** Cease 
 to do evil and learn to do well." Engage imme- 
 diately, in the discharge of duty, relying alone 
 upon the Savior for assistance, and expect to 
 be accepted only for his righteousness' sake. 
 Christ is the way to the Father ; all must either 
 come unto God by him, or perish for ever. O 
 come to him and live — come without delay ! 
 " The Spirit and the bride say, come. And 
 let him that heareth say, come. And let him 
 that is athirst come. And whosoever will, 
 let him take the water of life freely." 
 
 FILIAL DUTIES. 
 
 Children owe special duties to their parents. 
 " Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy 
 days may be long upon the land which the 
 Lord thy God giveth thee." Exod. xx. 12. 
 This commandment is repeated in the new 
 Testament. Eph. vi. 1, 2, 3 : " Children, obey 
 your parents in the Lord; for thia is right. 
 
FILIAL DUTIES. 159 
 
 Honor thy father and thy mother, (which is the 
 first commandment; with promise,) that it may 
 be well with thee, and thou mayest live lon^ on 
 the earth." The perpetuity of this injunction 
 cannot be doubted, and this solemn repetition 
 of it speaks its importance. Parents are the 
 means of the existence of children ; they are 
 their natural guardians ; they watch over them 
 in helpless infancy, with the utmost tenderness 
 and solicitude, and with toil and expense pro- 
 vide for them the comforts of life. God has " 
 constituted them the governors and teachers of 
 their children, during the state of minority. Pa- 
 rents love their children with an intenseness 
 that cannot be estimated. No amount of in- 
 gratitude and rebellion can break the bands of 
 parental affection. Absalom rebelled against 
 David, his father, and not only sought to take 
 his kingdom, but even his life ; and yet, when 
 David heard that Absalom was dead, he ex- 
 iclaimed, " my son, Absalom ! my son ! my 
 son Absalom! would to God I had died for 
 thee, O Absalom, my son, my son !" Such 
 was the intensity of a father's feelings towards 
 a most ungrateful and rebellious son. Love in- 
 tense, and solicitude incessant, possess the bo- 
 soms of parents, and call for the highest re- 
 turns of affection and gratitude on the part of 
 children. The honor which children are re- 
 quired to render to their parents, is a mattar of 
 justice. Next to God, children are indebted to 
 their parents. They should return to their pa» 
 
150 FILIAL DUTIES. 
 
 rents love, gratitude and respect proportionate 
 to the love and favors bestowed upon them. All 
 the lawful commands of parents should be 
 strictly obeyed. The authority of parents is 
 derived from God, and, consequently, extends 
 only to things law^ful. They have no right to 
 command their children to violate the law of 
 God, nor are children required to obey unlaw- 
 ful comn:>ands. But all the injunctions of pa- 
 rents that do not contravene the scriptures, are 
 to be strictly obeyed, even though unimportant 
 in themselves. The Lord has denounced the 
 severest judgments against children who treat 
 their parents with disrespect. Prov. xxx. 17 : 
 " The eye that mocketh at his father, and despi- 
 seth to obey his mother, the ravens of the val- 
 ley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall 
 eat it." The disobedient child may expect to 
 die by some sudden judgment of God, lie un- 
 buried, until the ravens shall pick out his eyes, 
 and the eagles shall eat them. Sudden and 
 unexpected death is the penalty denounced 
 against disobedient children. And if they die 
 suddenly for their sin, without time for re- 
 pentance, they will perish for ever. 
 
 THE END.