ence, met with the covenant of peace, and the promises of eternal life sealed in the blood of the Redeemer.

Is baptism, then, a certain title to eternal life? I say not that; but it is a solemn and authentic proposition of the covenant of grace, with all its privileges, blessings, and conditions under the seal of God. It is, therefore, a visible and sacramental confirmation of the provisional title of the baptized to life and immortality on the terms of the gospel; that is, on sincere repentance, and a true faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Let me illustrate this principle by a familiar example. By charter from the government of your country, or bequest from a dying parent, you may become entitled to ample privileges, or rich possessions, on the performance of certain conditions. The seal annexed to that charter, or that testament, by the proper authority, is the declaration of the will of your parent, or your country, and consequently, the formal authentication, and security of your title the moment the condition shall be fulfilled. This condition is, to all who have grown to such mature age as to be capable of actual sin, not perfect obedience, according to the tenor of the first, and broken covenant, but according to the constitution of the covenant of grace, repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, which, however, leads to perfection, and plants in the heart the seeds of holiness, and of eternal life. But to every infant dying in infancy, it is an unconditional assurance, of a glorious inheritance in the

kingdom of heaven. The infant being placed under the grace of the second covenant, is delivered from the curse of the first, so far, that, being united by a new and blessed relation to the Second Adam, its original taint and impurity, derived from its relation to the first, is covered by the blood of the atonement. It is, therefore, through the mercy of God in Christ, made an heir of eternal life. Of these precious truths baptism is the sacramental pledge, and seal of assurance given by God. What a consolation does this view present to the christian parent, who weeps over the dear remains of the infant snatched untimely from his embrace! What a comfortable and extended prospect does it exhibit of the grace of the gospel.*

Having offered to your consideration, in a few plain and obvious principles, the right of infants born within the church, to the seal of the covenant, and pointed out the blessings of which they become partakers by it; I will next endeavour to designate, more particularly, the limits of the visible church, and exhibit the nature and extent of that profession of the name of Christ which entitles a parent to offer, and the

* Very far would I be from insinuating that those who die without baptism do, therefore, fail of salvation. But between the baptized and unbaptized infant dying in infancy, there is this difference-that, to the one, the inheritance of eternal life is conveyed by covenant from God, under his appointed seal; the other is left to his free, indeed, but unauthenticated pledge of his mercy in this ordinance.

church to receive his infant offspring to a participation of this holy ordinance.

The principal question which has been raised upon this subject, turns on this single point, whether the church on earth, consists only of those who are truly regenerated, and have added sincere and new obedience to their open profession of the name of their Redeemer; or, on the other hand, embraces all those who have been baptized, and continuing to profess the doctrines of the Saviour, submit themselves to the counsels, admonitions, reproofs, and to the whole discipline of that spiritual body whose head is Christ.

The constitution of the Jewish church the type and counterpart of the Christian, will assist us to determine this question. All who believed in Moses, the great prophet of God, and submitted to his law, were embraced in the external bonds, and received the distinguishing seal of the covenant. But, they were not all Israel, who were of Israel. A distinction existed among them, which must always exist upon earth, among the professing disciples of Christ, between the visible, and the invisible church. The latter is composed of those only, who, by sincere piety, and an entire renovation of heart, bear the inward image of their Lord and Master. The former embraces all who are united together under the profession of the same system of doctrines, who enjoy the same ordinances, and who submit to the same discipline for

regulating the exterior order and manners of its members. To the church of Israel, comprehending the entire nation, were the oracles of God committed. And the seal of that gracious covenant, which was contained, and explained in these oracles, and exhibited to the ancient church under a thousand typical rites, was impressed on all their offspring, and on all who were born in their houses, and trained up in the knowledge of divine truth under their care. Analogy, then, will lead us to extend the application of the christian seal to the households, and especially, to the children of all who are members of the visible church; that is, who have been baptized themselves, who acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, who profess to embrace the holy scriptures as containing the only certain rule of duty, and the only foundation of their immortal hopes, who submit themselves and their households to the discipline and instruction of the church, and who promise to concur with her in the pious education and government of all those whom nature hath given to their affection, or providence subjected to their authority.

To the invisible church baptism cannot be confined, be cause men have no certain rule by which to discriminate it from the mass of visible professors. Let me ask those who suppose that somewhat more is necessary in the recipient to the validity of this ordinance than regular morals, an open profession of the faith, and submission to the discipline of the

church. Is it because they esteem the actual sanctification of the parent essential to the rightful administration of baptism to the child? Who, then, can know, with certainty, that he is baptized? Do they say that it is, at least, necessary, that in the judgment of charity, a parent should be a sincere believer? Where is the scripture rule which rests the benefit of baptism on our judgment of the internal state of a man's heart? or makes it the standard by which we are to admit his infant to the external privileges of the covenant of grace? Will not those judgments of charity vary in different churches? Will they not vary, perhaps, in different pastors in the same Church? Too earnestly he cannot be admonished, indeed, that vital and universal holiness of heart and life is essential to salvation, and essential, likewise, to the faithful and acceptable discharge of this, and of every duty in the sight of God; yet it cannot be essential to the validity of this ordinance, and its spiritual benefit to his infant offspring.

Let us recur again to the proper meaning and design of this ordinance, and this conclusion will not fail to strike us with additional force. It is, in the first place, the rite of our initiation into the school of Christ, in which we receive those lessons of divine wisdom, which cannot be taught to man by the wisdom of the world; and in which we enjoy the happiest means of promoting our virtue and holiness, and the most effectual aids for the attainment of our salvation.