we contend. But it will be evident to any one, at leaft to every impartial mind, who attentively reads this and the following chapter, that the apoftle here refers only to the law given at Sinai, or the Jewish difpenfation. This, we have proved, may be abolished, and the privileges which God had be⚫fore granted his church, with the command by which they were enforced, remain unaffected. Whatever, in the Jewish difpenfation, was defigned by the old covenant, which was taken away, it could not difannul the covenant which was before confirmed in Chrift, it could not fo difannul it, as to make void any of the fpiritual privileges and bleffings. For thefe were before confirmed in Christ to believers.--(Gal. iii. 17.)

It also appears from this whole epiftle, that the apostle was laboring to convince the Jews, that God's defign in the abolition of the Sinaic economy, containing many coftly, carnal, and bloody ordinances, and a worldly fanctuary, was to make way for the gofpel difpenfation, a difpenfation which, instead of contracting the bleffings and privileges of his dear people, fhould establish them on a better foundation, with great additions, and should increase their spiritual bleffings in heavenly places in Chrift Jefus. Here certainly can be nothing like a repeal of the grant made to Abraham. It is worthy of particular notice, that in giving a view of the new covenant, the apostle makes ufe of the fame expreffion which God ufed with Abraham. By this he doubtlefs intended to fhew, that the privileges granted to Abraham are confirmed and continued to believers under the gospel.

But if the Abrahamic bleffing respecting infants is confirmed and continued to believers under the

gofpel, it is moft certain that the command allo comes clothed with all the weight of the vastly fuperior light and grace which diftinguifh the gospel difpenfation. We may, with much greater propriety, infist, that the Baptists fhould point out a repeal of this command-that they fhould point out an exprefs prohibition of infant-baptifm in the New Teftament, with much greater propriety, I fay, than they can demand of us a new command for a privilege once granted to the church, a privilege always enjoyed before, and a privilege fo clearly eftablished and continued to believers under the gofpel. We cannot, we dare not give up this privilege of believers without fome exprefs warrant from God. An exprefs command from him is as neceffary to nullify, as to establish a pofitive inftitution, to revoke as to grant a privilege to the church.-The Chriftian church thus understood it, and both circumcifion and baptifin were at first administered together even to the Gentiles, till circumcifion was exprefsly prohibited by infpiration, and baptifm alone established in the church, as the fign of the covenant, and feal of the righteoufnefs of faith. But there is no prohibition of the privilege granted to the church, refpecting their infant feed; it, therefore, remains to believers under the fanction of the divine command, and is fealed to them for their children in the ordinance of baptifm. We have no neceffity of a new command, fince baptifm is now the feal of the righteoufnefs of that faith by which we become the feed of Abraham, and heirs according to the promife. We might, with the greatest propriety, reft the controverfy here, for the Baptifts cannot fhew any prohibition of this privilege in the facred fcriptures-believe

and be baptized refpects adult perfons in the firft inftance, and their offspring through them, as is proved. If the grant is no where repealed, it is moft certainly continued to believers under the gofpel difpenfation. But in addition to this, we think it is eafy to fhew, that this privilege is confirmed to believers in many places in the New Testament. We have fhewn from fcripture, that God did grant this privilege unto Abraham as the father of believers, and that he did command that infants fhould be received into the visible church with their parents, and enjoined, that the feal of the righteoufnefs of faith be administered to them. When, therefore, we find the apostle declaring, that they who are of the faith are the children of Abraham, that, they are bleffed with faithful Abraham,† that the bleffing of Abraham is come on the Gentiles through Jefus Christ, (Gal. iii. 14.) and then declaring, in our text, that if ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's feed, and heirs according to the promife; we must firmly believe that this Abrahamic privilege or bleffing, as well as others, is confirmed to believers under the gospel difpenfation.

The apostle, in his epiftle to the Romans, affirms very clearly, by a ftriking fimilitude, that the Gentile believers were to enjoy, at least, the spiritual privileges and bleffings granted to the Jewish church, Romans, xi. 16, 17. "For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is alfo holy and if the root be holy, fo are the branches.-And if fome of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatnefs of the olive

tree."

For whether by the root is meant Jefus Christ, or Abraham, and by the olive tree is understood the church, or the covenant, yet being grafted in by faith they partook of the root and fatnefs of the olive tree.This cannot be underftood of the enjoyment of any thing fhort of the fame spiritual privileges and bleffings, of which the Jews were deprived. But the Jews once enjoyed this Abrahamic privilege refpecting infants, and are now deprived of it by their unbelief. If Gentile believers, under the gofpel, are cut off from the privilege of having their infant offspring admitted with them into the vifible church by baptifm, then though they partake of the root, yet are they cut off from the fatnefs of the olive tree-a confequence which is both unnatural and abfurd. It is evidently contrary to the apoftle's defign; and it greatly weakens, if not wholly destroys the force of his reafoning in this place. Our bleffed Saviour very feverely reproved thofe difciples who forbad that little children fhould be brought to him, that they might receive his bleffing. On that occafion, he gave them a command, which may be confidered as binding upon all his difciples. He replied, "fuffer littie children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for, faid he, of fuch is the kingdom of God:" Or, in other words, fuch as are brought to me by faith for my bleffing, belong to my church, or kingdom on earth. The order which immediately follows refpecting the admiffion. of adult members into this kingdom, feems to favor this fenfe of the words, (Mark, x. 14, 15.) This command also seems to be a plain confirmation of the former privilege granted to his people, Thus the apostle learned of Chrift, and taught the

Corinthians, (1 Cor. vii. 14. and onward) that if either parent was a believer, the children were, by God's appointment, fet apart for him, or confecrated, as the word, tranflated holy, often fignifies in the facred oracles.

To bring the matter to a point-That the infant children of believers are to be baptized, is a neceffary confequence of the propofitions which have been already established. In whatever light we take them, either together or feparately, it will clearly follow, that the infant children of believers are to be baptized. God granted unto Abraham, as the father of believers, that infants fhould be received into the vifible church with their parents; and he alfo commanded that the feal of the righteousness of faith fhould be administered unto them. But we have proved that this great privilege is, under the gofpel, confirmed and continued to believers, confequently the infants of believers, under the gofpel, are to be received into the vifible church with their parents, and, by the command of God, muft have the feal of the righteousness of faith given to them, which is the christian circumcifion or baptifm.

1. God did grant unto Abraham, as the father of believers, that infants fhould be received into the vifible church with their parents. All true be lievers, under the gofpel, are Abraham's feed, and as his children they are the true heirs, in Chrift, of this privilege, therefore, by the divine appointment, their infant children must be received into the vifible church with them, and are to be circumcifed with the circumcifion of Chrift; or, in other words, they must be baptized.