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 a* EZEKiKT., xvm. 25. I 
 
 PUBLISHED BY NATHAN WEED. 
 
 1813. 
 
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SYSTEMATIC 
 VIEW OF DIVINITY; 
 
 OR] 
 
 THE RUIN AND RECOVERY OF MAN. 
 
 BY MOSES MATHER, D. D. 
 
 vLATE PASTOR OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IN STAMJOuii, 
 (MIDDLESEX SOCIETY) CON. 
 
 Hear noiv, O house of Israelj Is not my way equal ? 
 Are not your ways unequal ? 
 
 EZEKIEL, XVHI. 25. 
 
 STAMFORD, COJV. 
 PUBLISHED BY NATHAN WEED, 
 
 1813. 
 
 .i. iSpooner, Printer, BrooklyiU 
 

 PREFACE. 
 
 
 A PROBATIONER for eternity, who must be ac- 
 countable for his belief, as well as for his practice,^ 
 can surely never need to apologise for his making a 
 free inquiry into the principles of our holy religion." 
 It is easier much, to take things upon trust, and to 
 profess and practice according as things have beea 
 handed down by our predecessors, than to take the 
 pains of examining for ourselves, that our faith may- 
 stand upon the clciu' evidence of the truth, rather 
 than an implicit affiance in the sufficiency and cer- 
 tainty of those searches after truth, which have been 
 made by such as have gone before us. But although 
 a free inquiry is not only justifiable, but even lauda- 
 ble ; yet a respect and veneration for our worthy 
 predecessors ought so far to prevail, as to make us 
 cautious how we depart from their sentiments ; lest 
 the love of novelty, (a passion incident to the hu- 
 man mind) should betray us into errors and danger- 
 ous niist^akes : yet where the light of truth, upon a 
 close and deliberate search after it, shines in upon 
 
Xv PREFACE. 
 
 the mind with its clear and convincing energy, it U 
 not to be controled by any human authority, though 
 the mo§t worthy among men. How far the author' 
 will be accused of departing from the beaten track in 
 the following discourse^ especially with respect to 
 his manner of explaining some important points of 
 the christian system ; or what censure may be pas- 
 sed upon him on account of it, cannot easily be de- 
 termined before-hand. The reader will find some 
 points of divinity brought up to view, in a dress, in 
 some respects, different from that in which they have 
 commonly appeared ; especially the doctrine of ori- 
 ginal sin i which doctrine, as it has been commonly 
 stated and defended by Calvinistic divines, is con- 
 fessedly encumbered with some pressing difficul- 
 ties, which their Arminian antagonists have eagerly 
 laid hold of, and strenuously improved to the great 
 disadvantage of that doctrine. But that doctrine, in 
 the manner in which it is stated and explained in the 
 following discourse, will be found to have no connec- 
 tion with such things, nor to admit of such conse- 
 quences, on which the Arminian triumphs are chiefly 
 grounded ; and yet, every thing retained that a strict 
 Calvinist looks upon useful. The reader will also 
 find some other doctrines, which the author, in conse- 
 quence of his diligent inquiry after truth, has been 
 led to view and exhibit, in a manner something sin- 
 gular ; but whether it is, upon the whole, of any real 
 advantage to religicn, must be subi-aittcd to the read- 
 ei's own judgment;. 
 
PREFACE. V 
 
 It is obvious, that the brief system held up to view 
 in this discourse, proceeds upon the supposition of 
 the prc-existent state of the created nature of the 
 Son of God ; a sentiment, though not generally re- 
 ceived yet has been held by many learned and pious 
 divines, in the christian church, it is not necessary 
 for nie to essay the establishment of this point. Such 
 as have already undertaken the proof of it, have 
 brought such evidence from divine revelation for its 
 support, as is not easily answered. For although 
 this prc-cxistcnt state may not be expressly asserted 
 in any one text ; yet it is so strongly implied in vari- 
 ous descriptions of the glorious character of our ex- 
 alted Redeemer; as is suITicient to persuade a rational 
 mind into the belief of it ; especially since the ob- 
 jections brouglit against it arc of so Uttle v/cight, and 
 none of the trutJis and doctrines of divine revelation, 
 in any measure, Aveakened by it ; and as the admis- 
 sion of i^ will set many difficult texts in a plain and 
 easy light ; and will give us a more ncble view of the 
 necessary, impcntant, and e:;alted character of the 
 Redeemer, than the contrary supposition will easilv 
 admit of : v/hich consideration is in itself, no con- 
 temptible argument in proof of it. 
 
 Union to, and communion with God is essential to 
 the well-being and blessednes of created and rational 
 nature. This is a truth too evident to need proof. 
 And it is not much less evident, that such a mediator 
 of access to God as the Lord Jesus Christ is descri- 
 bed to be, is necessary as a foundation of, and a meihi 
 
 1* 
 
\i PREFACE. 
 
 od to bring about and accomplish this union -with 
 God, among all rational creatures. And if created 
 nature stands in need of such a mediator of access, it 
 "vvill follow that this is the case of the highest, as well 
 as of the lowest rank of rational creatures : all which ' 
 is strongly implied in that connexion and relation be- 
 tween the Son of God, and all things visible and in- 
 visible, so often mentioned in the sacred scriptures. 
 And if the creator of the universe is uniform in all 
 his works, it will lead us to suppose, that as God, be- 
 fore he formed man to be lord of this lower world, 
 iirst prepared an habitation for him, in creating this 
 earth, and filling it with vegetable and animal life ; 
 so he also jjrovided for the well-being and blessed- 
 ness of all his rational creatures, before he brought 
 any of them into existence, by this mysterious union 
 of the created and uncreated nature of the Son of 
 God : which will lead us to understand that text in 
 its most plain and literal meaning, where Christ styles 
 himself " The beginning of the creafion of God." 
 
 To suppose the union of the created and uncreated 
 nature of the Son of God, did not commence till his 
 incarnation, when he was made flesh and dwelt among 
 us, casts great obscurity upon all such texts as point 
 out his connection with, and relation to all orders of 
 rational creatures, even the angels of light, as well as 
 the children of men, who are gathered together into 
 one in him ; and brings down the mediatorial char- 
 acter so low, as to confine his influence in that capa- 
 city, merely to the fallen race of Adam ; which is a 
 
PREFACE. \u 
 
 low, and diminiitive character, compared to that 
 which our Redeemer appears clothed with, when we 
 consider him as a mediator of access to God for all 
 rational creatures throughout the whole system ; 
 which with strong evidence appears to be the doc- 
 trine of divine revelation. Indeed, we should not 
 have needed a Redeemer to save us from the curse, if 
 we had not violated the divine lav/. But does it 
 hence follow, that the original natural distance be- 
 tween God and man, was not so great, but that man 
 was capable of enjoying all necessary union and com- 
 munion with God, for securing his safety, and com- 
 pleting his blessedness, without assistance from such 
 a mediator as Christ is described to be, in the gos- 
 pel ? Such a conceit must surely arise from too low 
 conceptions of the Deity, and exalted notions of the 
 creature. There are but few truths which appear to 
 the rational mind in a stronger light, than that of our 
 necessary dependence on God# And if in connexion 
 with our necessary dependence on him, we consider 
 the infinite distance between God and the creature, 
 modesty would teach us at least, to acknowledge the 
 propriety, if not to see the necessity of a mediator of 
 access to him, as the way in which our interest in 
 him might be secured, and the enjoyment of him 
 obtained. Some have *expressed themselves in 
 bold and strong terms, concerning Adam's right 
 which he had in his innocent state, to expect favor 
 and protection, and even perfect blessedness, at the 
 hands of his creator ; considered merely as an iimo- 
 
viii -^- PREFACE. 
 
 cent creature. But in harangues of this sort, we are 
 apt to forget that God had as much power over him, 
 as the potter has over the clay, who of the same 
 hirop, makes one vessel unto honor, and another to 
 dishonor ; which, if true, might teach us that an in- 
 nocent creature, considered merely as such, can« 
 properly speaking, have no right or title to any good 
 thing, nor make any challenge or demand upon his 
 creator. All right or title that any creature can have 
 to any good thing at the hand of God, must be the re- 
 sult of some condescension on God's part, in making 
 a covenant of grace with his creature, and treating 
 him as a probationer. There is no other conceivable 
 way in which a creature can plead any title before 
 God. And the experience we have ah'eady had of a 
 probation-state, under both th@ first and the second 
 covenant, might be reasonably supposed sufficient to 
 convince us of the usefulness and propriety of a me- 
 diator, even in our j^est estate. And for the same 
 reason we ought to acknowledge the propriety and 
 usefulness of a mediator to Qvery rank of rational 
 beings, how many, or hov/ noble soever we may sup- 
 pose them to be. 
 
 How greatly does it enlarge our conceptions of the 
 glorious and exalted character ©f our divine Re- 
 deemer, when we consider him as the beginning of 
 the creation of God, the first-born of evecy creature, 
 and the universal mediator by whom every order of 
 rational creatures throughout the whole system, en- 
 joy access to God, and communion with him j above 
 
prefacl:. 3x- 
 
 what our views of him wili be, if we confine his me- 
 diatorial influence to the single race of fallen Adam ? 
 Especially when we turn our thoughts upon the 
 countless number of the several and different ranks 
 of creatures which are to be found among the works 
 of the great Jehovah. How countless and innumera- 
 ble are the number of worlds which God has made ! 
 if we may give credit to modern astronomy, which, 
 as it is founded upon the mathematics, that of all sci- 
 ences, is the least liable to deceive, clearly discovers 
 the number of world* that God hath made, to exceed 
 our most lively imagination. Our Solar System con* 
 tains six primary Planets, one of which ^specially, is 
 more than an hundred times as large as this earth ; 
 and there are ten secondary planets like the moon, 
 which accomplish their several revolutions round the 
 primary ones, as they do round the sun. So that 
 there are no less than sixteen worlds included in our 
 solar system, all receiving their light and heat frona 
 the sun.* Add to this, the late transit of Venus 
 across the sun, has discovered a small satellite or 
 moon attending that planet also, which, by reason of 
 its situation between us and the sun, escaped the ob- 
 servation of the ancients. Such also as have been 
 accounted as spots in the sun, are more rationally 
 supposed to be less planets revolviiig round the sun 
 in less circles. And even the sun itself, the source 
 of light and heat to the whole system ; although vul- 
 
 * This work was v.'iitten pieviou!) to the Ute discoveries 
 ia Astronomy. 
 
s PREFACE. 
 
 garly accounted a great mass of fire, is much mor§ 
 reasonably esteemed an electrical machine, which is 
 very consistent with the supposition of its being* 
 well replenished with rational inhabitants, capable of 
 knowing, glorifying and enjoying the great God of 
 the universe. Instead therefore of sixteen, there 
 may be sixty worlds included in this Solar System. 
 
 Some will say, who knov^rs of inhabitants in any of 
 these planetary worlds ? I also will ask, who has any 
 reason to doubt of it ? Was not God as able to create a 
 race of rational beings in them, as he was to form man 
 ©n the earth ? The only reason why any can doubt of 
 there being inliabitants in the planets, is because they 
 cannot conceive how God should be sufficiently great, 
 good and powerful as to make so many worlds, fill 
 them with inhabitants, and exercise a constant kind 
 providence over them. The only objections we* can 
 bring ag- .dnst it, arise from our too low and mean con- 
 *»eptions of the incomprehensible Jehovah I Tis true, 
 we read, these lights were set in the firmament for 
 pigns, and for seasons, and for days, and for years.. 
 T/iat 2s, these, are the purposes for which they were 
 to serve this earth. But does it therefore follov/ that 
 these are tiie only purposes for which their maker de- 
 signed them ? Why should they not be replenished 
 with aniin:d and rational life, as well as this earth, 
 when muiiy of them are much greater, and as well 
 formed for such a purpcEc r Nor is conjecture all that 
 may be pleaded in tiiis case. For the apostle express- 
 ]y tells us that all tlungs visible ar.d invisible were 
 
PREFACE 
 
 Xi 
 
 made by Christ, and for him. But in what sense can 
 xhe planets, which are certainly included in things 
 visible, be said to be made for Christ, especially con- 
 sidered in his mediatorial character, which is the 
 point the apostle is there discoursing upon, unless 
 there are dwelling in them, some rational inhabitants, 
 between whom and God, Christ performs the office 
 of a mediator ? Many other texts also might be al- 
 hedged to the same purpose, which carry in them a 
 strong implication, that the planetary worlds are stor- 
 ed with rational inhabitants, all gathered together in- 
 to one, in Christ, and united to God through him. 
 Contemplations on these things tend greatly to en- 
 large our conceptions, and exalt our thoughts of th© 
 great God, and of his son Jesus Christ, the universal 
 mediator. 
 
 It will serve the same valuable end to turn our at- 
 tention to the stars, whose number is a countless mul- 
 titude. Such as are visible to the naked eye, are in- 
 deed a great multitude ; and yet, these are compara- 
 tively few to the number which become visible by the 
 assistance of glasses. Now these stars being consid- 
 ered as so many suns in the centre of as many systems 
 of planetary worlds, each of them as numerous as 
 our solar system ; it will cause the number of worlds 
 that God hath made, to increase beyond the stretches 
 of the most lively imagination. How amazingly ex- 
 tensive are the dominions of God, the inexhaustible 
 fountain of existence, who counteth the number of 
 the stars, and calleth them all by their names I This 
 
:j:ii PREFACE. 
 
 should leach us to veil our faces before him, ani 
 adore the infinitely incomprehensible author of nature^ 
 and fountain of life. 
 
 It is truly surprising to see the boldness of sdmc 
 conceited mortals in their arraignment ot God, in his 
 •works, in his laws, and in the discoveries which he 
 hath made of himself to us, in his word j particularly, 
 in denying, and even bantering the mysteries of the 
 Trinity, and the incarnation. Must these things be 
 denied because we cannot comprehend them ? The 
 smallest parts of God's works contain mysteries that 
 we cannot understand. Where is the philosopher 
 that can explain so small a matter as muscular mo- 
 tion, a power daily exerted by the most contemptible 
 insect ? How then shall we be able to comprehend 
 the- nature and manner of the existence of him who 
 has displayed but part of his perfections in the forma- 
 tion, preservation, and government of such a countless 
 multitude of worlds ? 
 
 When we turn our thoughts upon the incompre- 
 .liensibleness of the Almighty Creator, it should teach 
 us to think and speak Avith modesty, concerning his 
 moral government, in suffering sin to take place ^' 
 mong his creatures. The introduction of moral evil 
 is confessedly attended with some difficulty. But 
 let it be considered that a state of probation must ne- 
 cessarily be such in the nature of it, as to admit of a 
 possibility of sinning. For unless the state of trial 
 be such that it is possible for sin to take place, there 
 ^n be really no trial of the obedience of the creature. 
 
PREFACE. xiii 
 
 if then, a possibility of sinning is essential to a state 
 of trial, where is the ground of admiration, when wc 
 find sin has in fact, took place among God*s crea- 
 tures ? If the state of trial in which the creature is 
 placed, is such, that humanly speaking, there is a 
 greater probability of sinning, than of standing, it will 
 confessedly bear hard upon the wisdom and goodness 
 of God. But when the prospect of standing is equal 
 to that of falling, it cannot be denied to be a fair trial. 
 And if the prospect cf standing, is much greater than 
 that of falling, as was the case with our first parents 
 in their trial under the first covenant, we have rea- 
 son to acknowledge divine wisdom and goodness ap- 
 pearing in the constitution, altho' the event was that 
 man fell. 
 
 In opposition to this, some may alledge an argu- 
 ment from facts. Angels did fall, and the human 
 race have fallen ; which are all the creatures we know 
 of ; therefore we have reason to conclude from these 
 facts, that the state of trid under which both were pla- 
 ced was such as to render their falling the most pro] 
 bable event. 
 
 To ti.is I ansv/er, we are not at present, under a ca- 
 pacity to form a juchj,ment from facts. 'Tis true, 
 the first human pair did fall, and some angels have 
 fallen : But when v. c lift up our eyes to the starry 
 heavens, thousands of millions of worlds present 
 themselves to our contemplrtlion, douVtless well re- 
 plenished with rational inhabitants, in none of which, 
 fcv what yet appears, bus sin taken place, Amonfc a]! 
 
xiv PREFACE. 
 
 these, out* world, as far as we at present know, is the 
 oiiiy one in wliich sin has entered And if u possi- 
 bility of sinniiig is essential to a state of trial, why 
 should it be thous^-ht strange that one world iunorg so 
 many ndiiions, should be tuinted with it ? 
 
 Another objection that some miy have against the 
 following discourse, is, that it tends to weaken the ev- 
 idence of the divinity of oui Savior, as it leads us to 
 apply mt.iiy of those texts to his mediation, which 
 Tririitarian writers have improved for the evidence of 
 his divinity ; and thus tends to undernnine that gospel, 
 mystery. And I readily grant, the following tiea- 
 tjse will naturally lead us to explain many texts, as 
 speaking of the mediatorial character and influence of 
 the Lord Jesus Christ, which have been by some, un- 
 derstood as a proof of his God-head. But instead of 
 weakening, this discourse tends to confirm the truth 
 of these revealed mysteries of the Trinity, and the in- 
 carnation ; for they evidently lie at the foundation of 
 the brief system here advanced, and are the chief cor- 
 ner stone on which it rests. Gospel truths have ma- 
 ny times suffered by tlie injudicious conduct of their 
 friends, in their improving many texts in proof of 
 them, which altho' the expressions detached from 
 their connexion seem to f..vor them, yet when duly 
 exc^mined, will appear to have another meaning. And 
 •when it is found, that many of tlose texts which are 
 brought in proof of the doctrine of the Trinity, upon a 
 fair examination contain a different meaning ; they 
 will be ready to conciude that all other texts brought 
 
PREFACE. xy 
 
 in support of that truth, do likewise really mean some- 
 thing else, provided we could hit upon their true in- 
 terpretation. But if no texts were brought in proof 
 of the doctrine, but such as plainly speak, to the pfjii.t^ 
 and can fairly admit of no other interpretation, many 
 of the triumphs of the adversaries would have been 
 prevented. The doctrine of the Trinity, and of the 
 divinity of our Savior, are points plentiiully attested 
 by texts which can have no other construction put up- 
 on them. I will mention one, John i. 3, " All things 
 were made by him.'* If any should say, that God 
 created the Logon with such noble powers, that he 
 T^aa able to make the world, which is the common 
 Socinian evasion ; I will afBrm such men use words 
 without ideas, it is by the works of creation we know 
 there is a God. As says the apostle, Rom. i. 20, " For 
 the invisible things of hira from the foundation of the 
 world, are clearly seen, being understood by the 
 things that are made, even his eternal power and God- 
 head." if these words are true, the truth of which is 
 established both by the light of reason and divine rev- 
 elation ; and if the Logos did create the world, as is 
 expressly said ; then we have, in the works of crea- 
 tion, the convincing evidence of his eternal pov/er 
 and God-head ; v.iiich is the highest evidence we 
 can have that there is a God. If therefore God cre- 
 ated tho Logos with such noble powers that he was 
 capable to make the world ; it is but saying in other 
 words, i/iai one God can make another^ Therefore.^ 
 
xVi PREFACE. 
 
 besides the absurdity of a created Gcd, the Deist^ 
 the Arian, or Socinian, will be obliged to give up his 
 creed, by his own argument ; and to embrace that of 
 Polytheism, or Atheism, between which there is not 
 mueh to choose. 
 

 ' -.^>' V^ 
 
 
 VIEW OF DIVINITY, <Scc. 
 
 I. CORINTH. XV. 21,22. 
 
 For since by man came deaths by man came aho the 
 reaurrection of the dead. For as in Mam all die, 
 even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 
 
 x\lTMOUGH the apostle here treats of the doc- 
 trine of the resui'rection-of the dead with a special 
 reference to the s.iints, yet it is manifest he docs not 
 mean to confine it to such ; for all both good and bad, 
 shall be raised from tiie dead, in the last day. " All 
 that are in their graves shall hear the voice of the 
 Son of God, and shull come forth, they thai have done 
 ^ood, unto the resurrection of life ; and they that 
 have done evil, unto tiie resurrectio'i of damnation.'* 
 The apostle speaks of the resurrection of the dead 
 in the text, in sucii general terms as to include all 
 mankind. ^' As in Adam, all die; so in Christ 
 shall ALL be made alive." And it h evident that tlie 
 resurrection of the wicked is the fruit of Christ's 
 purchase, as well as that of the ri;^hteous ; for all 
 those that died in Adam, are made alive in Christ. 
 " For since by man came death by man came also 
 the resurrection of the dead." The ruin of mankind 
 by Adam, and their recovery by Jesus Christ, arc ve- 
 ry interesting subjects here set before Ub ; each of 
 which I purpose to consider, 
 2 * 
 
18 
 
 The ruin of mankind by the fall of Adam, first de- 
 mands our attention. 
 
 The ruin brought upon us by the apostacy of our 
 first parents, is a matter which should be carefully 
 looked into, that we may entertain just thoughts of 
 that divine constitution under which we have fallen 
 into an estate of sin and misery, and may truly know 
 what our fallen state is We are prone to entertain 
 very dishonorable thoughts of God, on account of 
 those covenant transactions with our first parents 
 vhcreby we are involved in a state of sin and misery 
 through their apostacy. But if we carefully look 
 into that matter, and view it in the light in which it 
 is set before us in the word of God ; we shall see 
 reason to acknowledge that the dispensation under 
 which God at first placed man, was not only just, but 
 very wise and gracious ; although Adam by his mis- 
 conduct under it, brought ruin upon himself and his 
 posterity. And for a distinct view of these things, I 
 shall consider, 
 
 I. The state in which man was at first created. 
 
 II. The covenant transactions of God with man in 
 his first estate. 
 
 III. The fall of Adam, and the state into which he 
 thereby brought himself and his posterity. 
 
 I. I shall inquire into the state in which man was 
 at first created. 
 
 In the begin: ing, God created man in his own im- 
 age, and after his likencos. Man was made a little 
 lower than the angels : yet he was made perfect hi his 
 kind. His natural faculties were wisely suited to the 
 state which his Maker designed him for, and every 
 way fit for the performance of the duty which God 
 required of him. And full provision was made for 
 his being completely blessed in the favor of God, and 
 in the enjoyment of him 
 
 The perfection of man in his first state, consisted 
 in his being made in the image and after the likeness 
 of God. And it will greatly help us in the knowledge 
 
19 
 
 of the true cliaracter ofnian, to get a clear and dis- 
 tinct view of this divine imaire, or wherein it consist- 
 ed ; because that is a leading point, and will greatly 
 assist us in our after inquiry, as will appear in the se- 
 quel. But our present subject makes it necessary to 
 consider this divine image, more especially as it is of 
 amoral kind; of which I would give this general 
 description. 
 
 The moral image of God in which man ivas atjirat 
 created^ is the imjiression of such a iiksness to Gody 
 •that man might be said to be corforniable to him in all 
 moral res/: cats. 
 
 This image and likeness of God on the soul, has a 
 respect both to the communicable, and to the incom-^ 
 municable perfections of God. We cannot form just 
 conceptions of this divine image, unless we take into 
 our idea of it a correspondency, or agreement of soul 
 ■with such incommunicable perfections of the divine 
 nature, of which there can be found no proper like- 
 ness, or real resemblance in the cieature. What I 
 here mean, is an answerableness of the frame of our 
 heart towards God, as a being of inftnile perfections, 
 the original, independent, and all-sufficient fountain of 
 being and blessedness. 
 
 I shall be here liable to be charged with an impro- 
 priety, for speaking of a likeness^ ■where there is not 
 nor can be any real resemblcmce. But it must be re- 
 membered that image or likenei:s is often spoken of in 
 such an extensive sense, as to include any thing 
 whereby the properties of a being arc represented, 
 expressed, or shadowed forth. And if the propei'- 
 ties of an infinite being are expressed or represented 
 by a finite, limited creature, it is evident that it must 
 be by. way of correspondency or agreensent. The 
 moral image of God therefore on the soul of man, 
 cannot be called complete, unless wc take into our 
 idea of it, a correspondency, or agreement of the 
 frame of our heart with those infinite perfections of 
 the divine nature, of which there can be no proper 
 likeness, or direct resemblance s as well as a con- 
 
20 
 
 fornuty to him in liis moral attributes, or imituble 
 and communicable perfections. Anci this answera- 
 blcness of soul to these incommunicable pei-fections 
 of the divine nature, is an essential part or property 
 of the ima^e of God, in which man was at firsi crea- 
 ted. I will illustrate my meaning in a few paiiicu- 
 iars. 
 
 1. Our likeness to God in this respect, includes 
 an entire drfiencience on him^ answerini^ to his being 
 the fountain of life and blessedness. Ail the several 
 parts of the creation are dependent upon the same 
 power to preserve and uphold them in being, 
 which first gave them their existence. But the de- 
 pendence which I here me.m, is not a natural and 
 necessdry dependence ; but it is a dependence of a 
 moral kind, in wjiich the soul is active and voluntary. 
 It is a dependent frame of heart, in which the soul 
 feels and acknowle'iges its dependence on God for 
 being and for blessedness, in the way of hope and 
 twist. This temper of mind was lost by the fall. A 
 sinner under a consciousness of guilt, feels afraid to 
 trust himself in tlie hand of God. lie would choose 
 to have the power of securing his own well-being in 
 his own hands ; but is fearful of trusting God in this 
 case. He has such jealousy of God upon his 
 mind, that he fears God will not do so well for him, 
 as ne could do for himself. But when the divine 
 image is again restored to to the soul by redeeming 
 grace, this dependence on God is riot only seen, but 
 chosen and delighted in. Under a believing view of 
 the divine perfections, the soul yields itself up into 
 the hand of God, with full trust and confidence in him 
 as an all-sufficient God. The soul chooseth to 
 rely on God, and him alone. In tb.is dependent 
 frame of spirit, there is a corresponding agreement 
 and answerabienessof soul to the independent all-suf- 
 ficiency of God ; aiul it is one essential property of 
 that origin d conformity to him, in wluch the divine 
 image on man did consist. 
 
21 
 
 2. This original conformity to God includes full 
 complacency, delight and vesting of r^oul in him, as 
 an all-satisfying portion corresponding with his in- 
 finite glory and amiableness. The infinite perfec- 
 tions of God render him a being worthy of supreme 
 love and delight. And this delight, complacency 
 and resting of soul in God, is that felicity which was 
 originally intended for the human mind, which would 
 render it completely blessed. Thus to delight in 
 God, is, in its ov,n nature, an appropriating act ; 
 tliereiwthe soul interests itself in God, as its God ; a 
 God in whom it is interested, and to whom it has ac- 
 cess. This is what is principally meant by the en- 
 joyment of God. Where there is no interest, there 
 can be no delight. Psalm xxxvii. 4, " Delight thy- 
 self in the Lord, and he shall giro thee the desires of 
 thine heart " Indeed, in some of those exercises of 
 soul which are included in the general notion of love, 
 there is no special interest implied. Thus, we may 
 think honorably of, and highly esteem a person, as be- 
 ing truly excellent, in whom we can have no interest. 
 The devil may fitly think of God as a being in him- 
 self truly glorious and infinitely excellent, although 
 he is forever shut out from all interest in him. But 
 such exercises of love as are styled complacency and 
 delight, in their own nature, imply an interest in him, 
 and access to him. This delight in God is a temper 
 of mind corresponding with the infinite glory and 
 amiableness of the divine perfections ; and is a very 
 material or principal property of that image of or 
 conformity to God, in wliich man was at first crea- 
 ted. 
 
 3. Intire subjection to the will of God, answering 
 to his absolute authority, is also necessary, that we 
 may bear his image, or be conformable to him. 
 God's right to govern his creatures is very plain and 
 indisputable. And that there may be a correspond- 
 ing agreement with this divine prerogative, it is 
 necessary there should be in us, a complete and 
 iinrc?crvcd submission of soul to Iiis will ; a read- 
 
22 
 
 iness of mind to give ourselves up to his will in all 
 
 thin^-s. 
 
 I'hese particulars may suffice to illustrate my 
 meaning, or shew what that conformity to God is, 
 with respect to his incommunicable perfections, 
 which is necessary to constitute tht; divine likeness 
 on the human soul. This dependence on God, this 
 complacency in him, and this subjection to him are 
 essential properties of it. For although there cannot 
 he in a creature, any direct and proper likeness to 
 those infinite excellencies and perfections of God, to 
 v/hich these exercises of soul refer ; yet the impres- 
 sion of the im-ige of God on the soul, necessarily im- 
 plies such a moral agreement with and conformity to 
 him, in these respects. 
 
 And as the image of God in which man was crea- 
 ted, did include such conformity to him with respect 
 to his incommunicable perfections ; so it also in- 
 cluded a likeness of God with respect to his moral at- 
 tributes, or imitable perfections. The moral attri- 
 butes of G®d are his holiness, justice, goodness. Sec. 
 And with respect to these, our nature is capable of 
 bearing his proper image, or more direct likeness. 
 And when God made man in his own image, and af- 
 ter his likeness, there was the resemblance of his 
 Maker in all moral respects to be seen in him. Man 
 was made capable of the service of God; not only 
 wilh respect to his natural faculties ; but this his na- 
 ture was made with an aptness, promptitude or read- 
 iness for all holy and upright exercises, in perfect 
 correspondency with God ; Avith no jarring tenden- 
 cies, contrary inclinations, or even reluctance with 
 respect to his acting in complete conformity to the 
 divine perfections. Herein consists the moral im- 
 age of God in which man was created. 
 
 These observations may sufiice to give us a brief 
 and general viev/ of that moral image of God in 
 which man was at first formed. And by attending to 
 this likeness cfGod, we may learn the general na- 
 ture of that .service or duty which God required of 
 
^3 
 
 him. For the image of God on the soul is the same 
 as the h\w wiitven on the heart. It is the same thing 
 set forth by dii^erent expressions ; or the same ob* 
 ject viewed in different points of light. And there- 
 fore by uttending to the image and likeness of God 
 in which man was at first created, w^e may clearly 
 gather this general description of the moral law, or 
 the bonds of duty which man was under to his Maker 
 by the law of his creation : viz. 
 
 The duty required of man consisted in inainCaining^ 
 exf-rcising and exfi^^essing this divine image or like- 
 ness of God^ in the several uaions, and on the various 
 occasions of life. 
 
 In this view of the case we most readily obtain 
 clear and distinct ideas of those natural obligations to 
 our Creator, which, with propriety have been com- 
 monly styled the moral law. And by attending to 
 this view of it, we may see the natural consequences 
 of sin. Man by sin forfeited his whole interest in 
 God. The natural penalty of this law excludes sinning 
 man from all access to God, and restrains and shuts 
 him out from all dependence, hope, trust and enjoy- 
 ment of God ; and shuts him up under wrath. Hence 
 ariseth moral depravity and total inability, as I shall 
 shew in the sequel. 
 
 The duty of maa in his primitive state consisted in 
 exercising this dependence on God, this complacen- 
 cy in him, and subjection to him, with purity and up- 
 rightness, truth and faithfulness. Herein he would 
 exercise, preserve and express that likeness of his 
 Maker which was his original excellency and per- 
 fection. By this God would have received that hon- 
 or and glory from man which w-^.s required ; and 
 man's interest in the love and favor of God would 
 have been preserved 
 
 There was then no separate interest between God 
 and man. God's interest is the display of the glory 
 of his great name ; and it v»as the interest of man to 
 exhibit a display of the glory of his Creator. This was 
 his interest,, his happincs:>, and his duty. Herein he 
 
24 
 
 did both glorify end enjoy God. In this state there- 
 fore, nian could not act inconsistent with the glory of 
 God, -vrithout acting at the same time inconsistent 
 with his own happiness. There was a perfect union 
 with God, in the motives and springs of action which 
 belonged to his nature. His love of God, and re- 
 gard for the divine honor and glory, and his love and 
 regard for his own well-being, all influenced the same 
 way, and tended to the sume thing, in this union 
 with God consisted the life of his soul, or what we 
 call spiritual life. As the natural life of man con- 
 sists in the firm and healthful union of soul and body, 
 so spiritual life consists in this full and perfect moral 
 union with God. and as natural death consists in 
 breaking up the union between soul and body ; so 
 spiritual death consists in breaking up tliis spiritual 
 union between God and the soul- And that moral 
 depravity, and corruption of nature which is in fallen 
 man, consequent upon his breach of union with God, 
 may, not improperiy, though fi<juralively, be styled 
 The jiutrt faction of the i,ouL The soul of man in his 
 first state was in perfect health and vigor, no ways 
 diseased, tainted, or viiiuted ; but was every way fit 
 and in readiness for perfect obedience to the divine 
 will ; for full commuinon with God, and complete 
 blessedness in the enjoyment of him. But yet, this 
 life of the soul was not so essential to the nature of 
 man but that it might be lost ; and yet, his natural 
 faculties still remain ; as is evident from sad and 
 d.iily expeiience. The commission of sin in any one 
 instance would be desti•ucti^c to the soul ; because 
 guilt would break up this union with God ; it would 
 diNide the soul from God, and cast it out of his favor, 
 and bring it under his wrath. For all those consiticr- 
 atic^i'S which show^ it to be the duty of man to yield 
 obedience to the w ill of God, do equally show^, that 
 sin forfeits God's favor, and deserves to be punished 
 with the exccutiouo of his wrath. This spiritual life 
 rherefore was wliat man enjoyed in his primitive 
 ^tate, in dependence on God j he was dependent or. 
 
25 
 
 him for the preservation and continuance of it : it 
 was to be preserved by maintaining communion with 
 God, in ways of obedience to iiis will. It was by 
 maintaining communion with God, and enjoying the 
 bright and near manifestations of the divine glory to 
 the soul, that this spiritual life was to be preserved 
 in its vigor and activity. We find by common expe- 
 rience, tiiat the activity and vigor of our heart to- 
 wards any object whatever, very much depends upon 
 the presence of the object with the mind. When an 
 object, is present to immediately affect our senses, its 
 influence on the heart will be greater than when it is 
 present only by remembrance and reflection. And 
 in this respect, human nature was very much the 
 same in its original state, as it is now. And this 
 •shows, how necessary it was for man in his state of 
 perfection, to maintain nearness to God, that he 
 Diight preserve his love, delight and complacency iu 
 God, and the vigor and activity of soul in his service. 
 If we now have a strong regard in our hcartj and 
 clo^e union of affections to any particular object ; yet 
 by long absence from it, and untiioughtfulness about 
 it, cur attachment to it will huiguish and decay. And 
 in like nranner, the vip^-or of soul, and union of heart 
 with God, vrhich v.ere in man in his original state of 
 perfection, were to be preserved by constant commun- 
 ion Vv'ith God ; otherwise they must have languislicd 
 and decayed, as is evident from the limited, depend- 
 ent frame of our nature. 
 
 Attention to these things makes it manifest, that 
 although man held his original slate of perfection in 
 dependence on God ; yet there v/as something for him 
 to du for the preservation of it. It was necessary for 
 him to improve his interest in God, to keep near to 
 him, and maintdn communion with him ; that by 
 abiding in the sun-shine of the divine glory, the rec- 
 titude, life and vigor of his soul might be preserved. 
 For as man was made capable of voluntary acwm^ it 
 is evident that he might so behave as to withdraw 
 froni God, turn off his attention from the divine glo.-' 
 3 
 
26 
 
 ry, fix his view upon some creature ; and in that way, 
 full under the influence of the creaiuic insteud of 
 God. Or in other words, he was cafmbLc of sinning. 
 
 And as the human nature is thus capable of de- 
 fection, so it was equally capable of receiving such a 
 conflrmed state ot rectitude, as never to be liable to, 
 or in danger of falling from it. For so long as man 
 continued under the full sun-shine ol the divine glory, 
 it is not supposable that his heart should fall under the 
 influence of any creature's vanity, or sinful enjoy- 
 ment. Therefore by being put into such a state, in 
 which he should be constantly incircled with the 
 bright and full display of the divine glory, it would be 
 an eiiectuai security of his preservation, and an un- 
 failing source of his blessedness. Hence that confirm- 
 ed state in glory which is now hoped for by the belie- 
 Ter, is represented by our Lord, under such figurative 
 expressions as intimate this special preserving and en- 
 livening influence of the divine presence with them. 
 Rev. iii. 12, '' Him that overcometh, will 1 make a 
 pillar in the tem.ple of my God, and he shall go no 
 more out." And to the same purpose, the glory of 
 the New-Jerusalem is thus described, Rev. xxi. 23, 
 <' And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the 
 jnoon to shhie in it : for the glory of God did lighten 
 it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." It is by liv- 
 ing in the full streams of the divine glory, from 
 which " They shall go no more out,** that will secure 
 them in the future state, from being ever liable to 
 fall from it. The confirmed state in eternal life and 
 blessedness, which is the promised portion of belie- 
 vers, consists not in any thing that is inherent in their 
 nature, or that is put into them by divine grace : but 
 they will hold their everlasting blessedness, in con- 
 stant dependence on God. God himself undertakes 
 for them. He is their security ; and has promised 
 "To be with them, and to be their God." It will 
 be the full enjoyment of God in that world of glory, 
 which will be the constant preservation and support 
 of their life, and unfailing sbvjree of their blessed- 
 
27 
 
 ness. And as such is the nature of that confirmation 
 in glory which the believer shall receive in the fu- 
 ture state ; so this confirmation is what the human 
 nature was at first made capable of. But this is a 
 privilege which is not necessarily connected with 
 that state of perfection in which man was at first cre- 
 ated. God made man capable of preserving his bles- 
 sed state, by acting uprightly : but to undertake for 
 him, to secure him from a liableness to depart from 
 God, by the effectual manifestations and communica- 
 tions of himself to man, is what God was not obliged 
 to do. Such protection is to be looked upon as a spe- 
 cial favor, flowing from free and sovereign grace, in 
 whatever manner, or upon what conditions soever it 
 is granted to a creature. 
 
 Man being made such a noble creature, in the im- 
 age and after the likeness of God, with sufficient abil- 
 ities and advantages to preserve this perfection of his 
 nature by an upright and faithful conduct ; and capa- 
 ble either of a defection from it by the commission 
 of sin ; or of being confirmed in it by the grant of 
 special favor from God ; therefore he was a creature 
 capable of, and suitable to be put into a state of trial, 
 that he might act as a probationer for life or death : 
 to be cast out of the favor of God if he sinned, and 
 receive the punishment due to his offence : or to be 
 confirmed in a state of peace and favor v/ith God, as 
 the reward of his obedience, if he proved faithful un- 
 der a proper trial. But then it is manifest, this 
 whole matter respecting man*s trial, is what wholly 
 depended upon the sovereign pleasure of God ; what 
 his state of trial should be — how long it should con- 
 tinue — and v.'hat should be the reward. 
 
 God mig'at have retained man as a probationer for 
 his favor, in the state in which he was created. Iii 
 which case, all that the luv/ of nature, that is, the 
 moral lawi would have given him reason to expect at 
 the hand of God, was no more than a continuance in 
 well-being so long as he remained faithful. He could 
 have had no elaim to any reward for his obedience ; 
 
28 
 
 but would have been liable to sin, -syhcreby lie wotilci 
 licive deserved death. He could never have deserved 
 u confirmed stare in life and blessedness by obedience 
 to the moral Uav ; for perfect obedience was no more 
 than God's due from him; by yielding of which, he 
 conld never make God his debtor. For if he had pre- 
 served his integrity for thousands of years, he must 
 siill have confessed, that he had done no more than 
 was his duty to do. And after all, he vrould still re- 
 main liable to fall into sin ; and thus lose his hi.ppy 
 state. 
 
 Or if God had been pleased, in the sovereign ricli- 
 cs of his grace, to set a limited time for the trial of 
 man's obedience ; and had given liim a promise, thdit 
 if he coj^tiniied faithful till the time appointed, he 
 should be confirmed in his state of rectitude and bles- 
 sedness, as a reward of his fidelity ; yet still it must 
 depend upon sovereign grace, as to the length of 
 time the trial should last — how extensive the tried 
 should be, as to the various branches of duty — and 
 hcv/ great should be the reward of his obedience :— 
 Whether it should be merely a confini:iation in his pre- 
 sent happy state ; or receive any additional privileges 
 and blessings. In this case it is manifest, that God., by 
 assigning sucli a limited time for the trial of man'tf 
 obeciience. and subjoining the inotivesof promises and 
 threatenings, would have so far changed the tenor 
 and form of his government over man. as that his law 
 would put on the form, and partake of the nature of a 
 covenant. And if God had put man into such a state 
 of trial, under such a covenant-dispensation ; he might 
 have justly extended the limits of the trial of hiti obe- 
 dience to the whole compass and matter of his dut}', 
 and insisted upon having the perfection of his obe- 
 dience to the whole law, brought to a trial in every 
 branch of duly, as the condition of the promised re- 
 ward. And he might have confirmed and enforced 
 this covenant ^\ith this strict threatening : " Cursed 
 is every one that continueih not in ail things which 
 are written in the book of the huv, to do thenu'* 
 
29 
 
 Such a state of trial ns this, would have justly been 
 csteen^ed a great favor, granted hy God to his crea- 
 ture man. For hereby no obedience would have 
 been laid upon him, more than w.ss his duty before ; 
 he would be no more liable to fall into sin, than lie 
 would have been, if no such covenant had been made 
 with him : But hereby advantages would have been 
 put into his hands of obtaining a confirmation in his 
 happy state, which is a privilege he could not have 
 been entitled to without such a covenant. 
 
 But God*s treatin.g with man in a covenant form, 
 as a probationer for rewards and punishments, is a 
 matter which wholly depends upon his sovereign 
 pleasure ; therefore we must be determined in our 
 sentiments about it, by the light of his word. 
 
 II. I proceed to consider the covenant-dispensa- 
 tion of God to our first parents, in the state in which 
 they were created. 
 
 Closes has told us, that the Lord God planted a gar- 
 den in Eden, into which he put the man whom he had 
 made, to dress it, and to keep it. In this garden,'* The 
 Lord God caused to grov>/ out of the ground, every tree 
 that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food : the 
 tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree 
 of knowledge of good and evil. And the Lord God 
 commanded the man, saying. Of every tree of the 
 garden thou mayest freely eat : but of the tree of 
 knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it : 
 for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt 
 surely die." This is a very short and concise ac- 
 count of this first covenant-dispensation : and yet, it 
 is the fullest and most particular of any that God hath 
 given us in his word. Doubtless, these things were 
 more fully expressed to our first parents, than Moses 
 has here recorded them. And although this short 
 account is not full enough to satisfy our curiosity in 
 several inquiries that may arise in our minds ; yet, i' is 
 sufficiently fulli to give us all that knowledge of these 
 things which our present circumstances require. 
 5* 
 
30 
 
 We may liere observe, that two trees are parlicii- 
 lai-ly nientioned, by way of distinction from all the 
 rest ; the tree, oflife^ and the tree of knoivltdge of good 
 and evil ; with a special command, more especially 
 respecting- one of them. As to the tree of life, we 
 know but little more about it, than v/hat is intimated 
 to us by the name by which it is called. But as it is 
 here m.entioned in connexion with the tree of know- 
 ledge of good and evil, it is sufficiently plain, that as 
 by their eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, 
 they were to become subject to death : so, by a prop- 
 er use of the tree of life, they were to secure their 
 title to life and blessedness ; although the particular 
 manner in which our first parents were to make use 
 of that tree is not expressly told us. This seems 
 plainly implied in the reason assigned for driving 
 them out of the garden, " Lest he put forth his hand, 
 and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for- 
 ever." These two trees seem to have been appoint- 
 ed as sacramental tests, in this covenant : the tree of 
 life, as a sign or pledge of the favor of God ; and the 
 tree of knowledge prohibited upon pain of death. As 
 to the tree of life, it is not necessary for us to know 
 juore about it ; since the event was, that our first pa- 
 rents did fall ; and that way of life is now forever 
 done v.ith : But with respect to the tree of know- 
 ledge of good and evil, by eating of which, our first 
 parents broke covenant with God ; and involved 
 themselves, and their posterity, in a state of sin and 
 misery ; it concerns us carefully to attend to it. 
 Several things relating to it should be carefully ob- 
 served. 
 
 1. Death ivas exjiresdy threatened only for the sin 
 <if eating of the fruit oj the tree of knoivledge oj good 
 and e-oil. 'I' here was no express declaration, that 
 they should be liable to death for any other sin, or in 
 any other way. Indeed, the wages of sin is death, by 
 the moral law ; and every other sin (had they been 
 guilty of it) would have deserved death, as well as 
 this. But as the threatening of death is limited to 
 
31 
 
 this sin in particular ; it shows the limitation of the 
 trial of the obedience of our first parents. The 
 whole trial of their obedience was confined to their 
 conduct v/ith respect to the tree of life, and the tree 
 of knowledge of good and evil. And this implies 
 the special protection which God would exercise 
 over them, while that state of trial lasted, that tl^ieir 
 innocency should not be endangered, by their falling 
 into temptation to the commission of any other sin. 
 This special care and watchfulness of God over them, 
 in that state of trial, seems to be intimated by his 
 putting- them into the garden of Eden. God did not 
 leave them to the wide world, nor suffer them to be 
 tned in any other matter ; no other temptation could 
 tlien approach them, whereby their innocency could 
 be endangered. And herein appears the rich grace 
 of God, in this first covenant-dispensation to his crea- 
 ture, man. If God had been pleased to have prom- 
 ised life, as the reward of his obedience, for any lim- 
 ited time ; yet, he might justly have appointed to 
 him, to pass through the trial of his obedience, in the 
 various branches of duty required in the whole lav/ ; 
 in many of which, he would have been as liable to 
 have fallen into sin, as he was in this pcUticular point 
 expressly mentioned. Yea, the command which 
 prohibited him from eating of the forbidden fruit, 
 seems to have been the most easy precept that could 
 have been devised. And consequently, man was put 
 under all imaginable advantages for obtahiing divine 
 fuvor. If it was proper, the obedience of man should 
 be tried at all, surely, such a light trial as this, was 
 the most gracious and favorable tiiat could be propo- 
 sed. And yet, the v/hole trial of man's obedience, 
 for life or death, lay in so narrow a compass, as far 
 as we have any account about it in the word of God. 
 
 Aitliough the event shows, that we are brought in- 
 to an estate of sin and misery by the breach of the 
 first covenant ; yet, no blame can be cast upon God, 
 nor fault found v.'ith the covenant. For man would 
 have been as liable to have sinned against the moral 
 
law, which is the law of nature, if it had remained in 
 the mere form of law ; as he was, to bin against it 
 when it was cast into this covenimt form ; yea, and 
 much more liable ; for here was but one single pre- 
 cept upon which his obedience was to be tried : 
 whereas, if God had rc>t made this covenant with 
 him, but had left him under the law in the state in 
 v/hich he was created ; the whole law, in all the 
 branches of duty, would have lain before him, as the 
 matter of the trial of his obedience ; against which, 
 he would have been as liable to have sinned, as he 
 was of sinning against this particular precept which 
 was singled out, as the special matter of his trial j 
 and death would have been his due by the law, as 
 much as it was by this covenant. The risk there- 
 fore, of falling into sin, would have been much great- 
 er, had it not been for this covenant ; and that, with- 
 out any opportunity of ever obtaining a confirmed 
 state of life, or being entitled to any reward for his 
 obedience. 
 
 Although I have here represented man as put up- 
 on tlie trial of his obedience for life or death, only in 
 the particular precepts concerning the tree of life, 
 and the tree ol knowledge ; yet we are not to sup- 
 pose, this was the whole duty he w\is under obliga- 
 tion to perform. No, the moral law was not set 
 aside ; but was taken into this covenant-dispensation, 
 and still remained to be to man a rule of duty. It is 
 easy to conceive, that a man may be made a proba- 
 tioner under a perfect rule of righteousness ; and yet, 
 that the trial of the perfection of his obedience should 
 be limited to a single point. Man was under obliga- 
 tion to maintain conformity to God, by the law of his 
 creation, if there had been neither promises nor 
 threatenings set before him. But in this covenant- 
 dispensation, God subjoined a particular test of obe- 
 dience, adding promises and threatenings which 
 stood in a special connexion with this instituted test. 
 The constitution therefore, under which man was 
 made a probivtioncr, v/as not to be considered as the 
 
33 
 
 law merely ; but the tenor of the divine government 
 was changed so as to put on the form, and piirtakc of 
 the ninnro of a covenant. And althcigh the fidelity 
 of man was not brought upon trial in every branch of 
 duty ; yetj hi.d he been faithful in those points where- 
 in his special trial consisted, to the end of his proba- 
 tion ; his obedience to tlic whole law would have 
 been complete ; yea, herein would have been a com- 
 plete trial ol roan, with respect to the whole of that 
 image and likeness of God in which he was created. 
 For he would have exercised and expressed his de- 
 pendence on God, his complacency in him, and sub- 
 jection to him, with the integrity, faithfulness, trHth 
 and holiness vhich the law required' : His whole 
 conform.ity to God would have passed through a prop- 
 er trial, altnough his obedience had not been tried in 
 cvery>point of duty. 
 
 2. The death threatened in this covenant, is that 
 death tvhich is the firojier ivages of sin. The word 
 death, is what we are apt to confine to the body, as if 
 no more was intended by it than a bodily death. But 
 tins is far short of the import of it, as that word is 
 used in the Bible, when the punishment or wages of 
 sin is thereby expressed. Indeed, the death of the 
 body is doubtless ii. eluded in it ; but yet, it has a re- 
 ference to the soul as well as the body, and includes 
 the future suiTerings of the wrath of God. The 
 threatening v/as in these words : — '* In the day that 
 thou eatest thereof tnou shalt surely die." Or as it 
 is translated in the margin, " Dying thou shalt die," 
 which doubling of the expression makes it a more 
 strong and emphatical way of speaking, to denote 
 something very great and fearful ; as well as to ex- 
 press the greater certainty of it. And it is evident 
 from the very nature of sin, that the soul must suffer 
 for it, as well as the body. For the soul being foi m- 
 ed, in its oiiginal make, for an everlasting duration, 
 it must still exist after the death of the body : but 
 having the guilt of sin upon it, its union with God 
 must be broken up ; its conformity to him defaced ; 
 
34 
 
 and its interest in him forfeited. All these are the 
 natural consequences and ciTects of sin. And be- 
 sides, it appears fittini^, that God should show his 
 hatred of sin, by infiictiilJ^ some proper and positive 
 punishment upon the soul for it, above v/hat l!ie nat- 
 ural effects of sin contain. Hence then, it is neces- 
 sary that we understand this threatening of death, 
 contained in the first covenant, to include future suf- 
 ferings, as well as a bodily death. 
 
 3. It appears from the express words of the threat- 
 ening, that the punishment of sin was t© speedily fol- 
 low the commission of it. " In the day that thou 
 eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.'' It is evident 
 that hereby, Adam had reason to expect, God would 
 take speedy vengeance upon him ; and that, if he 
 sinned, the death threatened should be executed upon 
 him on that same day. 
 
 Some have supposed, if God had left fallen Adam 
 in that stale of sin and misery into which he brought 
 himself by his transgression, vathout bringing in the 
 new covenant by a Redeemer ; that his days would 
 have been prolonged on the earth, till children should 
 have been born unto him ; and that, the several gen- 
 erations of men would have been brought into being 
 much in the same manner as is now the case. But 
 I can see no sufficient evidence to support such a 
 supposition, neither in reason nor scripture. It is a 
 mere supposition, witliout evidence to support it. 
 This supposition makes it necessary to put a very 
 forced construction upon the words of the threaten- 
 ing. Nor vrould it be easy to reconcile it to the glo- 
 rious perfections of God, that he should delay his jus- 
 lice, and suifer a rebel, after he had deserved death, 
 to continue in life, and become instrumental of bring- 
 ing" a posterity into being, who must be involved 
 with himself, in the same common ruin and misery. 
 For it is a divine precept, early given to mankind, 
 " Whoso sheddcth man's blood, by man shall his 
 blood be shed." One who so gives himself up to 
 wickedness, as to destroy the lives of his felloNY-creiV» 
 
35 
 
 Uires, is not ntto live on the earth, t/od himself being 
 judge ; and has theitiorc ordcieci- thai ii;t iiie of 
 such shall be taken iVom the earth, by the hand of 
 civil justice. And if ttiib diviric statute is founded 
 upon natural justice and equity? the sauie reason 
 v.'ould forbid the sjnirini^ Adani's life, till he should 
 become instrumental of bringing his posterity into 
 being, to be involved v»ith himself, in suffering tha 
 death contained in the curse. For to suffer eternal 
 vengeance, is an unspeakably greater evil, than the 
 mere loss of bodily life And tlierefore, the sparing 
 Adam till, he should leave a seed behind him, would 
 be, to allow nim to do infinitely more evil and mis- 
 chief to the human race, than can be supposed to fol- 
 low from letting a murderer go free, alihorigh he 
 should repeat the same crime as often as he had op- 
 portunity for it. Divine justice therefore, did mani- 
 festly require the speedy execution of the original 
 threatening. Indeed, God is now, long suliering to us 
 ward ; and divine vengeance is not how speedily exe- 
 cuted upon the children of men. But this is ov.ing 
 to the interposition of a medi?»tor ; without which, 
 such delays ot justice are not reconcilable to the di- 
 vine perfections. 
 
 Again; if we suppose the days of Adam were to 
 be lengthened otit, and children born unto him, and 
 the several generations of men coming into the 
 world, in the succession and order of nature ; we 
 must suppose also, such kind dispensations and inter- 
 positions of divine providence towards them as there 
 are now, to feed and clothe them, and to bestow the 
 good things of this life upon them ; without which, 
 7-nankind could not subsist on the earth. But to 
 suppose this, W'Ould be to make the great governor 
 €f the v/orld inconsistent with himself ; and to con- 
 tradict that, in the language of his providence, which 
 he had spoken with his mouth. For such kind inter- 
 positions of providence really express divine good 
 will to man. This is the construction which tWc 
 Jipcstle puts upon them, as their plain and manifest 
 
import. Acts xiv. 17, " Ncvcrtlieless he left not 
 himself Aviihout witness, in that he did j^ood, and 
 gave us rain from heaven, r>nd fruitful seajjons, filling- 
 our heart with food and t^ladness." It is the plain 
 language of such a kind providence, that God has 
 some real good will towards us, that lie is willing to 
 pardon and be reconciled to us notwithstanding all 
 our transgressions. But liow inconsistent would such 
 providential expi'esbions of divine favor be, if God 
 had no good will in iiis heart tow^ards us, and had de- 
 clared, that nottiing but wrath should be our portion 
 at his hands ! 
 
 Seeing then, it is not so agreeable to the perfec- 
 tions of Ged, nor the glory of his providential gov- 
 ernment, to suppose Adam would have lived so long- 
 after his fall, as to leave a seed behind him on the 
 earth ; so neither is this supposition necessary to es- 
 Icibiish any article of faith contained in the gospel. 
 li is much more rational, and more agreeable to the 
 scripture^ to take tliis threatening of death, contained 
 in the first covenant, in i'.s plain and obvious import ; 
 and to believe, that, had it not been for the inteip^isi- 
 tion of the promised Savior, death would liave been 
 executed upon Adam, in the day that he sinned. 
 
 And had ihis been the case, then many of those 
 difficulties wiiich arise in our minds «ibout original 
 sin, are taken out of the way. For as to Adam iiim- 
 ^tii', it is easy to see, as appears from v. hat has been 
 observed, that it was a very gracious dispensation of 
 God towards him, to m-jkc this covenant with 
 liim. I'or he was every way as well provided ior, 
 raid under as good circumstances as lie would have 
 been, if God had not made this covenant with him ; 
 but had left hin; in the state iu wlixh he was created. 
 And as he was worse ofl in no respect : so he was 
 better off' in ntany. lie had a short and easy point of 
 tiiul assigned him ; and fair advantages put into his 
 bonds of securing a blessed immortalily. 
 
 But the greatest difiiculty that attends this coven- 
 ant which God made with our first parents, is the in- 
 
3T 
 
 uluiUng- their posterity, to stand or fall with them, 
 and be ec|ual sharers with the original transgressors, 
 in the fruits and punishment of their disobedience. 
 In t^is respect, some look upon that dispensation of 
 God, as inconsistent with the rules of moral equity. 
 That we should fall under the curse for the sin of 
 Adam, which was not in our power to prevent, and 
 Avas committed before we were born, looks incredi- 
 ble to some ; and it rftust be confessed, that it is at- 
 tended with some difriculties : yet I trust, the diffi- 
 culties which attend this doctrine, truly stated, arc 
 not so great, but that a satisfactory solution may be 
 given of them ; which 1 shall attempt to do, under 
 the second general head of this discourse, when we 
 come to enquire how we are inade alive in Christ, 
 loi^ the docliine of original sin cannot be rightly un- 
 derstood, by attending only to this covenant made 
 with Adam j but Ave must also vicAv it, in its connex- 
 ion Avith the covenant of grace, brought in by the 
 inedi-idon of rl-e Lord Jesus Christ. But I shall here 
 ofier seme evidence of the truth of this doctnne ; and 
 leave the difficuities that attend it, to be clccired up 
 in their proper phicc. I tiierefore proceed to ob- 
 serve, 
 
 4. 7y-usjirst covenani iva-v Tnade Kvith Adam., both 
 for hhn'sd/^ und his jiosterity. They that hold the 
 .doctrine of the iii4)uta!.ioij* of Adam's firs^t sin to his 
 
 * I haA'e used the word imputation \x\ this disccurse, in 
 writing both of original siiu awd ol jusvirication, in conform- 
 ity tQ the comtiion st) la of Christian writers for many years ; 
 aithoug-h 1 have therein d. ported from tlie li<ng-uage of the 
 inspired vvriters, who have never used that word in treating* 
 of eiUicr of ihc-se dortrlt-es. 1 he apostles doubtless knew 
 hov/-io treat of our participation of i.he henefiis of Christ's 
 mediation, in the most proper terms : and the phrases wiiich 
 ihey have used are, *' Tu be in Chriat To be joined to the 
 Lord To have fclUivship -with him. To be partakers of 
 Chriiit^'' ; and such like. Union to Chrrst by faitii, is the 
 way ifi which our partp.king of the benefits of his mediation 
 is iv()resented in the gospel : but to use the word imputation 
 in this case, cloth not so directly lead our thoughts to this 
 
 .4 
 
38 
 
 posterity, pround their belief, not upon his being 
 their natural lather : but upon his beiii^- < p^'ointed to 
 aci for ihem in that covenant, as their covenant-head. 
 We bulier for the sin of Adam, not so properly be- 
 cause he was our natural lather ; lor then, there 
 Avcnid be as niuch reason why \Ve bhould suffer for 
 ali his oiher sins, as lor his first sin : yea, and lor ail 
 the sins of ali our lore-fathers, as weli as for Adam's 
 sin : but the reason why his first sin isinrputed to us, 
 is because that is the sin by which he broke that cov- 
 enant hi which he was to act for us, as our covenant- 
 head. 
 
 In that covenant, Adam was to stand a probationer 
 for some certain limited time, (how long- is not told 
 us) before he should finish his course, had he been 
 faithful under it: But this we know ; as s^on as he 
 sinned, he put an end to all further trial. It then be- 
 came impossible for him to obtain life, according- to 
 that dispensation. His death was become a deter- 
 mined m/atter. Yea, he then so finished his proba- 
 tion, that, accordmg to the express words ol the 
 covenant, he was to suffer death on that very day. 
 And, that he acted under that covenant for his pos- 
 terity, us well as for himself, is a truth of which there 
 is abundant evidence, both from daily experience, and 
 the plain testimony of the sacred scripture. 
 
 union, as those expressions do, which are used by the apos- 
 tles. Although oui justification by Christ's rigbteousi ess 
 may be expi £ ssed, witb some degree of propriety, by say- 
 ing, his righteousness is imputed to the belitxer ; jetl can see 
 no reason why we shoulci usr a word to express i;ur recei- 
 ving bent fits from his obedience-, which will not express our 
 receiving ihr benefits cfibt other parts of his mediatorial 
 Work. Christ -was delivered for our ifftnces and -zvas raised 
 agtJnfor our justtjicutiof, .- yet, whc.t woviid be the prcpiie- 
 ty ol speakinj; ol his resuireciion, *as being m'puted to us ? 
 
 But the u&e of the woid imputation has so generally ob- 
 tained, in speaking of originai sin and of justification by- 
 faith, that bait ty negUc'ii g the us. oftl.at word, would 
 prejudice niw.y readers agamst any ilung that can be writ- 
 ten. 
 
39 
 
 That God hath dealt with mankind as sinners, ofe 
 account of this first sin of Adam, is evident from un- 
 deniable facts. 
 
 1. Tis fact, that for his transgression, a curse was 
 laid upon the earth ; and upon them that dwell on it. 
 The sentence passed upon Adam for his transgres- 
 sion, was, " Cursed is the ground for thy sake ; in 
 sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy liie. 
 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee r 
 and thou shalt cat the herb of the field. In the sweat 
 of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto 
 the ground; for out of it wast thou taken : for dust 
 thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." This is 
 the curse which was laid upon Adam for his breach 
 of covenant. And it is evident, that this curse' as 
 fully lies upon his posterity, as it did upon him And 
 God, by thus extending the chastisement of hisbreach 
 of covenant to his seed, makes it manifest, that by 
 divine appointment, he acted for them in that coven- 
 ant, us v/cll as for himself. 
 
 2. 'Tis fact, that Adam's seed are no sooner born, 
 but they share in the natural evils of this present 
 state, pains, sorrows and distresses of one kind or an- 
 other, and often times with bodily death, before they 
 are capable of committing actual sin. But such 
 treatment of creatures v/ho are innocent and pure 
 from all sin, at the hand of an holy, just and good 
 God, must be acknowledged as unaccountable. Fo?^ 
 death is the nvages of sin. Unless therefore the guilt 
 of sin lies upon mankind, as they come into the world, 
 such treatment of them atthe hand of God, can never 
 be reconciled to his perfections. For sin is tJie pro^ 
 curing cause of the divine displeasure. Therefore 
 these expressions of God*s displeasure towards man- 
 kind, as soon as they are born, before they can com- 
 mit actual sin, contain convincing evidence of their 
 sh?.ring in the sin of Adam. 
 
 3. 'Tis fact, that upon Adam's transgression, our 
 first parents were driven out of the garden ; they, 
 ;i;KJ their posterity were fjrever cut off from all ac- 
 
40 
 
 t>ess to Uie tree of life, and the tree of knowledge of 
 good and evil. Immediately upon the first transgres- 
 sion, that way of life was forever set aside ; and these 
 two sacramental trees were of no further use, eithef 
 to them, or to their posterity. And as the covenant 
 made with Adam, was laid aside upon his sin, and a 
 :ie\v one introduced ; it i.^ therchy evident, that all 
 trial under that first dispensation was confined to our 
 first parents, in whom their posterity were included. 
 Why also were not his children allowed liberty of a 
 personal trial under that dispensation ? 
 
 4. 'Tis fact, that mankind are born into the world, 
 in a slate of moral depravily. 'Tis too evident to be 
 denied, that there is some moral defect belonging to 
 mankind by nature, which is the reason why " They 
 all go astray as soon as they are born," are all aliena- 
 ted from God, and inclined to creattire-vanities and 
 sinful ^courses. If vre consider what that image and 
 likeness of God was, in which man was at first crea- 
 ted ; it will appear evident lUai we do net come into 
 the world in such a state, at this day. Instead of the 
 divine likeness, our nature is corrupted, and stored 
 with the seeds of all manner of sin and wickedness ; 
 which is the fruit of the original apcstacy, and a clear 
 evidence of our being included in our first parents, in 
 ;that covenant. How the imputation of the sin of 
 Adam to his posterity, should have such a depravhig 
 effect upon their nature, I shall shew hereafter ; but 
 that this is the case, cannot be denied, and is there- 
 fore a full proof of the doctrine of original sin. 
 
 Observation and experience thus afford us con- 
 vincing evidence of our participation in the apostacy 
 of our first parents : to which we may add, the plain 
 testimony of God in his word The very terms of 
 the covenrint as it was set forth to Adam, clearly 
 show, that his seed were included with him in that 
 dispensation. For when Adam was made, his Crea- 
 tor pronounced that blessing on him, " Multiply and 
 replenish the earth." Here, a seed was evidently 
 given him. But when God entered into covenaHt 
 
41 
 
 with him, the threatening set before him was, " la 
 the day that thou eatest thereof, thou sh I. i;uiely 
 die." As therefore, he was put upon trial tor life or 
 death, and was to suffer death on the d;iy that he 
 sinned, it is evident that, had the punishment bten 
 executed upon him accordinc^ to the ey.pi ess icrn^s of 
 the threatening, both he, and his seen together, vrould 
 have been cut off at one stroke. The then future 
 existence of his seed would have been prevented by 
 his sin. inasnuich tiien, as a seed was granted to 
 him, and yet, the very existence of his seed de- 
 pended upon his conduct in that state of trial, it ne- 
 cessarily follows, tlii.t he then acted for them, as well 
 as himself. 
 
 The tenor also of the covenant of grace plainly 
 shows, that we are by nature, in a fallen state. The 
 errand upon which God sent his Son into the world, 
 was to save sinners. None but sinners need a Sav- 
 ior; and such only he came to save. "Neither is 
 there salvation in any other ; for there is no other 
 name under iieaven, given among men, whereby we 
 must be saved " If then, mankind come into the 
 world in such a state, that they can obtain life only 
 by Christ; it is evident that they come into the 
 world in a state of sin. " The whole need not a phy- 
 sician ;. but they that are sic*v." Unless we are sin- 
 ners we stand in no need of a Savior : but if we need 
 a Savior, it is because the guilt of sin lies upon us. 
 If an infant, dying in infancy, enters into life ; it 
 must be cither by its own sinless perfection ; or by- 
 virtue of Christ's mediation. But to say, it enters 
 into life by its own innocence ; is to say, that there is 
 some other way, some other name given among 
 men, whereby we may be saved ; in express contra- 
 diction to the scriptures. But if we say, they enter 
 into life through the merits of Christ ; we must ac- 
 knowledge that the guilt of sin lies upon them. And 
 if we come into the world with the guilt of sin upon 
 %is ; it must be, by our fellowship with Adam, in his 
 breach of eovenant. And this is the constant repre- 
 4 * 
 
sentation in the sacred scripture. On this account, a» 
 comparison is so often made between Adam and 
 Christ. An instance of this we have in Rom. v. 12, 
 and following verses, where we find such expres- 
 sions as these : " Wherefore, as by one man, sin en- 
 tered into the world. — Through the offence of one, 
 many be dead. — The judgment was by one to con- 
 demnation — As by the offence of one, judgment 
 came upon all men to condemnation : even so, by the 
 righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men 
 to the justification of life. For as by one man's diso- 
 bedience many were made sinners : so by the obedi- 
 ence of one, shall many be made righteous." And 
 to the same purpose, are the words of our text : *' For 
 since by man came death ; by man came also the res- 
 urrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die : so 
 in Christ shall all be made alive.'* 
 
 Thus, we have sufficient evidence, that Adam 
 acted in that covenant made with him, both for him- 
 self, and his seed. He being appointed by God, as 
 their covenant-head ; they are legally guilty by his 
 transgression ; and on that account, God treats them 
 as sinners. What those evils are, which his posteri- 
 ty suffer on account of his sin, shall be hereafter con- 
 sidered. All that I here aim at, is to prove the 
 point ; or to show that we are become guilty in the 
 sight of God, by his transgression. 
 
 III. I proceed to consider the fall of Adam, and 
 the state into which he brought himself, and his pos- 
 terity. 
 
 I'Jotwithsthstanding the rich grace which God had 
 jnanifested to man, in treating with him in a covenant 
 form, wherein such great and valuable privileges 
 were proposed, and such easy terms of trial prescri- 
 bed ; yet we find, man proved unfaithful to God, 
 broke covenant with him, and forfeited all the privi- 
 leges of it. He put forth his hand, and took of the 
 fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and 
 <Md eat of it j although God had commanded him> 
 
43 
 
 saying, " Thou shall not cat of it ; for in the day that 
 thou eatest thereof, thou shalt su\;ely die." Here 
 then, let us consider this breach of covenant, and the 
 destructive consequences of it. 
 
 1. Hereby Adiim put an end to his trial, and fin- 
 ished his probation-state. By this sin Adam deter- 
 mined his own state, that death should be his por- 
 tion. There reinained no possibiiiiy for lum, under 
 that dispensation, to obtain Life. His case was deci- 
 ded. His probation was finished. His after-conduct 
 was of no avail. That covenant no Ioniser answered 
 any purpose to him, but his condemnAlion. If Adam 
 had faithfully kept covenant with God to the end of 
 Ins probation-state, he would have had a covenant-ti- 
 tle to the reward of life, according to tlie promise. 
 But this covenant, and the promises of it, were of no 
 further advantac^e to him ; he could reap no benefit 
 from them. The threatened punishment now be- 
 come his due, without further trial. 
 
 2. By this sin, Adam cut himself oiTfrcm all in- 
 terest in God, and fell under his wrath. By con- 
 tracting guilt, he became vile in the sight of God ; 
 and armed the righteousness, trutli and faithfulness 
 of God against him for the execiuion of threatened 
 vengeance. He proved himself a rebel against his 
 Creator ; and thereby the God that made him was 
 turned to be his enemy. The glory of his great 
 name made it necessary not to suffer this sin to go 
 unpunished. 
 
 3. Hereby Adam divested himself of that image 
 of God in which he was created. The image of 
 God in which m.an was at first created, did include, 
 as has been observed, dependence upon, and subjec- 
 tion to him, with full delight and complacency ia 
 him, as an all-satisfying portion to the soul ; togetli- 
 er with an holy rectitude of mind, and conformity of 
 heart to the moral perfections of the divine nature. 
 But if we attend to this matter, and consider the sev- 
 eral properties of this divine likeness on the soul ; 
 wc shall see how Adam, by committing this sin, di- 
 
44 
 
 vested himself of it. For, as to dependence on Godr 
 this was v.holly rooted out of his heart. lie could 
 have no dependence on God, for any good thin;^ ; 
 nothing but deserved wrath was iic to expect from 
 him, in !iis guilty stute. This is evident tror.i the 
 threat ; in ;• of the covenant unc!er which he sitnied. 
 
 As to subjection to divine authority, this was re- 
 nounced in the very act of sinning. 
 
 And as to cojnplacency of soul in God, wherein the 
 soul takes up its rest in the enjoyment of him, as an 
 all -satisfying good and portion ; this was counter^ cted, 
 and the sou!, in the very act of sinning, was turned 
 av/ay from God to the creature ; and that interest in 
 God, on which this delight in him depended, vras 
 forfeited. 
 
 And as to any likeness to God v/ith respect to his 
 moral perfections, consisting in rectitude, purity, l;o- 
 liness, &c. what idea is it possible for us to have of it 
 in that heart, from which ail dependence on God, 
 complacency in him, and subjection to him are lost 
 and gone ? A little attention to these things will give 
 us clearly to see, hov/ by the first act of sin, Adain 
 lost and defaced that image and likeness of God from 
 his nature, in which he was created ; and rendered 
 himself unlike Gcd, and contrary to him, throughout 
 his moral frame. 
 
 4. By this first sin Adam turned himself out of the 
 service of God. It was not becoming the glory of 
 God, under that constitution, to retain a rebel in his 
 service : but it became necessary to punish him as a 
 sinner. 
 
 The general nature of that service which was 
 tlue to God from man, by the moral law, which 
 still remained to be his rule of duty in this covenant- 
 form, was for man so to behave as to exercise and 
 exhibit a proper manifestation of that image and like- 
 ness of his Creator in which he was made ; as has 
 been already shown. But man, by blotting out this 
 imi^ge, disabled himself for this service. This di- 
 vine image being lost, there could no Ipng^r be any 
 
tibilily in inan for an cxl'biuon of it. Yea, there was* 
 not only this loss of ability ; but man was hereby re- 
 ally tnrned cut of the service of God. 
 
 As (his is a fioint i7i vjhich I have been heretofore 
 greatly viisundcrsiood^ I nvill take the raore fmit.s no%v 
 to give a more full illustrution of it. 
 
 Doubtless it will be readily g-ranted, that Adam, by 
 his shi, cut hiinseif off from God, and forfritcd ail 
 interest in him. Let it then be remembered: that 
 the g-encral nature of that service which was requir- 
 ed of man, by the moral law, consisted in preserving, 
 exercisini^- and expressing the severarproperties of 
 that divine image in which he was created, in the 
 several actions, and on the various occasions of life ; 
 as I have shewn in tiie lirst part of this discourse'. 
 SoiTie of the leading and principal exercises in which 
 this divine imag-e is expressed, are such exercises as 
 these, viz. delights comjilacencij-, hope,, trust-^ and dc- 
 p<ndaici'. Now, all these exercises imply and pre- 
 suppose, that the soul enjoys access to God, and is 
 interested in him. While Adr.m's interest in God 
 remained, it was his duty to maintain these exercises 
 cf soul towards him : but when his interest in God, 
 on which these exercises depended, was forfeited ; 
 the penalty of the broken law must be ailow'cd to 
 take place. The penalty or sanction of the broken 
 law, cut him off from God, and from all hope, trust 
 and dependence upon him ; and it no longer allowed 
 him to enjoy God as l.is portion in tiie exercises of 
 complacency and delight, wliich exercises depend 
 upon, and pre-suppose and imply some interest that 
 the soul has in him. In these respects then, it is ev- 
 iiient, that Adam, by becoming guilty, did turn him- 
 self out of the service of Ciod. i'or vhen all such 
 exercises of soul as imply interest in God., i.re ex- 
 cepted ; there will but very little remain, that can 
 properly be called duty. 
 
 Ofjectlon. Was it not still Adan-j's duly to love 
 God v.'iih all his iie-M t ? Did the first sin forever after 
 exempt liim from all duty to God; and ail obligation 
 
46 
 
 lo his Creator r Was he not still under obUp;ation to 
 obey the whole law ? Or mii^ht he act as he pleas- 
 ed ; and yet, none of his actions be acccounted crim- 
 inal ? 
 
 ^fisiver. Is it proper to require a man, -who hath 
 cut off both his lef^s, to rise up and walk ? Is a dead 
 man under obligations to perform the services of the 
 living ? Indeed, I grant, the inability which Adam 
 brought upon himself by his own misconduct, con* 
 sidered merely as inability, did not excuse him. A 
 mun that cuts off both nis legs, thereby fixeth a last- 
 ing blame upon himself. The simple act of cutting 
 off his legs, is but a transient act ; but the crime, or 
 criminal quality of the action, is permanent, fixed, 
 and as lasting as his life : but I cannot see, how a 
 man can be blamed for not using his legs, when he 
 has none to use. But the inability of Adam's fallen 
 state, was not mere inability j but he was disfranchis- 
 ed, or incapacitated by the constitution under which 
 he sinned. For consider : Did the penalty of the 
 broken law cut him off from ail hope, trust, depend' 
 ence, and expectation of favor from God ? Or can the 
 law require thef^e exercises of hope, trust and de- 
 pendence, of a man, in such a state in which the pen- 
 alty of the iavv' cuts hi in off from them ? And yet, 
 these exercises are included in loving God with all 
 the heart. Can we view Adam, in his fallen state, 
 and without a mediator, as performing his duty, if he 
 had exercised the same hope, trust, dependence up- 
 on, cjid confidence towards God, as would have been 
 his duty, if he had never forfeited his interest in God ? 
 It is common for preachers to tell sinners, *' It is 
 presumption to trust to the goodness of God to save 
 them, wiiiist they neglect and disregard the Savior. '* 
 And for the same reason, that confidence in God, 
 which was Adam's duty before the fall, was presump- 
 tion in him, after he sinned. 
 
 Reqviired obedience is not merely duty, but it is 
 a privilege. This hope, trust, dependence upon, and 
 vesting' of soul in Godj in which obedience primarily 
 
47 
 
 jlnd radically consists, may as properly be ranked un- 
 del the heaci of piiviicgcb, as ot duiies ; but tliey are 
 piivilei^cs which were lorfcited by sin. In these 
 thini^s the lite, the glory, and the blessedness of the 
 human nature consisted. 1 trust, such as do net es- 
 teem cbeclience io God> as a most valuable piiviiege, 
 hciVe a very nistaken notion of it. Is ii not a privilege 
 that we may have access lo God ; that v/e may come 
 before hmi wiih holy boldness and humble coiifidcnce 
 as children to a father, abk; and ready to help us ? Is 
 it not a piiviiege to devote ourselves to him, put con- 
 fidence ill him, and trust ourselves with him in life 
 aiKi death ? And are not these exercises that inwhi^di 
 all true obedience primarily and radically consists I 
 Or v/hat is there, that the law requires, that does not 
 fiow from, but is wholly destitute of all such exerci- 
 ses of heart as are necessarily predicated upon au in- 
 terest in God l or i would query whether the law can 
 require Adam in his guiliy etate, to maintain these 
 exercises of soul towards God, and at the same time 
 cut him off' from that interest in him, winch is the 
 Ibundadon, life and spirit of these exercises ? It was 
 fallen Adam's punishment to be cut off from, and 
 turned out of the service of God. Herein iie was dis- 
 franchised by '.he constitution under winch he sinned. 
 He v/as hot excused from duty because cf inabiiiiy ; 
 nor was he to be considered as having received a re- 
 lease from anyci^biigation that had been laid upon liim ; 
 but as cast off by God, and turned out of his service, 
 no more to have any access to him, dependence upon 
 him, or expectation of any good thing from him. 
 Thus was he a totally ruined creature- 
 
 It must be here remembered that I am speriking of 
 the state Adam was in, after the fall, before the cove- 
 nant of grace was revealed. Tlic disfranchisemeni is 
 nov/ taken off by the mediator, as 1 shall more fully 
 show hereafter ; and it has thereby become our intds- 
 pensableduty to ioye God with all the heart ; although 
 Adam was cut off from it, for his sin, till the new cov- 
 enant was brought in. And the seeming absurdity of 
 
48 
 
 fiaying, that x^.cuim in his iallqii state, was not required 
 to love Goci with all his heart, is partly owing to oiu' 
 not attencHiii; to the nature of those CKcrciscs of hope, 
 trust, dependence, Sec. which are included in lovins^- 
 God with all the heart, and the connection there is 
 between them and an interest in God, and partly to 
 our accustoming; ourselves to foim our apprehension 
 of the state of fallen man, according- to what it now isj 
 since the new covenant is brought in. 
 
 I readily grant, that our inability in our prcseiU 
 fallen state, is no excuse for us ; because the inlro- 
 duction of the covenant of grace by the mediaiion of 
 Christ, has made our present state gi'eatly different 
 from that into which Adam brought himself by the 
 fall : the disfriuichisement is thereijy taken off. I 
 know that it sounds strange to some, to say that Ad- 
 am, afttr his fall-) nvas not rdcuirecl to love Gad with 
 all his heart. But the address of it is, in a great 
 measure, owing to our accustoming ourselves, to a 
 loose, general way of speaking, without exact and 
 fixed ideas. For wlien all such exercises are ex- 
 cepted, which imply and pre-suppose interest in God, 
 and access to hiira ; viz. complacency, delight, hopj, 
 trust, dependence, and confidence towardsGod ; theie 
 Vv'iil be but a very small part of the heart left, where- 
 with we niay love God. Nor are these distinctions 
 to be styled rnetapJiysiccly nice, or ciLvioiia afieciilu- 
 tionsy which tend to puzzle and cpnfotmd men's 
 minds ; but it is an important aiid very useful point. 
 It is this thut convinceth the sinner of t'le misery of 
 a sinl^l state, sis he is cut off from God, and in per- 
 ishing need of a Savior. It is a conviction of this 
 truth, that effectually humbles the proud, self-justify- 
 ing licai t to the toot ot a sovereign God. And it is a 
 sense of tiiis truth, that more especially prepares 
 and disposeth the humbled soul, to receive eternal 
 life, iis a tree gift of sovereign grace. 
 
 Although Adam was disfranchised for his sin, and 
 -turned out ot the service of God, especially in all 
 .buph exercises us imply access to him, or interest in 
 
4$ 
 
 hiin, by the sanction of the law that he had broken j 
 yet, it will not Ibilow, that his obligations of every 
 kind were cancelled, so that his after-conduct could 
 be no ways criminal. He still continued a rational 
 creature, and ought to act a rational part. He ought 
 still to maintain honorable thoughts of God, as a Be- 
 ing in himself, infinitely glorious ; although he was 
 not to look upon him any longer as his God, or a 
 good for him to enjoy. He ought still to ascribe 
 righteousness to his Maker ; and to take blame to 
 himself, in a silent submission to the sufferings of 
 deserved punishment. In such instances as these, 
 Adam might be said to be under obligations <^f duty, 
 if the word duty may be applied to the actions of a 
 rebel, in such a totally ruined state. And although 
 A<lam's eating the forbidden fruit was a transient ac- 
 tion ; yet it was of such a criminal nature as to fix 
 everlasting blame upon him ; he would have been to 
 blame, in every moment of his miserable existence, 
 for not having faitlifully retained his original perfec- 
 tion and blessedness. No limited period could ever 
 h-ive worn ofCfiom him the fault of his apostacy. 
 
 5. Adam, by this sin, broke up that union between 
 Ood and him, in v/hich he was iit first created. 
 Vv liilst he remained innocent, i\\cve was a close and 
 intimate union between God and him ; and one com- 
 7Tion, undivided interest. God's interest was the 
 glory of his great name ; and the interest of man lay 
 in glorifying and enjoying God : both having one 
 common, undivided interest. He effectually secured 
 his own interest, whilst he continued to glorify God. 
 His regard for the divine glory, and for his own hap- 
 piness, were inseparable in that state. Herein con- 
 sisted his spiritual life. But when he became guilty, 
 this union was broken up ; spiritual death, which 
 primarily consists in this breach of union with God> 
 seized upon his soul. He was divided from God, 
 and ci;.me to have a separate interest. God's gloiy 
 -required that man should receive tlae punishmeiit 
 5 
 
50 
 
 tiuc to his offence : but man's de&ire of his ow h hap- 
 piness must make him desirous of escaping this pun- 
 ishment. Here then, God's glory, or man's happi- 
 ness, must fail. From hence therefore, enmity and 
 contrariety between God and man naturally takes 
 place. For man's well-bcinc: was no longer consist- 
 ent with the glory of God. This contrariety between 
 God and man was a natural consequence of the first 
 sin. 
 
 6. This breach of Union between God and man, 
 made way for the supreme love of the creature to 
 grow and increase in the heart of man. Being divi' 
 ded from God, and having no more interest in him, or 
 access to him, man was left to seek his own happi- 
 ness where he could find it. He was not a self-suf- 
 ficient creature : but he became happy by the enjoy- 
 ment of some suitable object. The happiness of 
 man, for which his nature was first formed, and 
 which was originally intended for him, consisted in 
 the enjoyment of God. But when he had cut him- 
 self off from God, his desire of happiness led him to 
 seek it in such objects to which he could have ac- 
 cess. Hence it came to pass, that his heart natu-" 
 rally went out after the creature, instead of God : 
 ■which attachment to creature-enjoyments becomes 
 more fixed and streng, by daily exercise, and long 
 continuance. 
 
 Thus we see by v.'hat has teen now said, how ru- 
 inous and destructive the first sin was to the human 
 nature ; and what evil fruits and consequences natu- 
 rally and necessarily follow from it. The things 
 which have been mentioned, are no other than the 
 natural consequences of guilt. Hereby the human 
 nature was thus totally ruined. But besides these 
 natural evil consequences, there is the wrath of God, 
 and the execution of threatened punishment still due 
 to man for sin ; which includes the death of the body, 
 and the suffering divine Yengeance in the eternal 
 state- 
 
51 
 
 Hitherto we have considered the effects of sin up- 
 on Adam himself. But let us continue oui' view, an^ 
 consider how his posterity are affected with it. And 
 if the sin of Adam is imputed to his seed, as has 
 been shown ; it will have a like depraving effect upon 
 them, as it had upon him. It has been thought by 
 some, a matter of special difficulty to account for the 
 propagation of native depravity from Adam to his 
 posterity. But if the imputation of his sin to them 
 be allowed, depravity of nature will follow as a neces-? 
 sary consequence For where the gailt of sin takes 
 place, it divides the soul from God, and shuts it out 
 from all access to iiim- and communion with him. 
 Hereby Adam's posterity, considered merely in their 
 connexion with him, are disabled, and cut off from 
 that dependent, complacential resting of soul in God, 
 which was such an essential part of the divine im.- 
 age ; and are left only to the enjoyment of such de- 
 grees of pleasure as creatures are able to afford 
 them, in like-manner as Adam was. Some delight 
 and complacency in creatures, is doubtless consistent 
 with a state of perfection. It is not to be questioned 
 but that Adam, in his innocent state, tasted a sweet- 
 ness in, and was pleased with such things as divine 
 goodness had provided for him to eat and drink ; al- 
 though he was at the same time perfect in his lova 
 of God. And so in our fallen state, our nature is ca- 
 pable of partaking of that pleasure which sensible ob- 
 jects are able to afford us. But as man in his inno* 
 cent state, was interested in the favor of God, and 
 enjoyed coramwnion with him ; therefore if he had 
 U'^ly improved this privilege, his acquaintance with 
 God would have given him such views and tastes of 
 the divine glory, as would have filled the heart with 
 the love of God, and prevented the soul from going 
 abroad after ha|')piness. And if our first parents had 
 maintained their innocent stute tiii children had been 
 !)orn unto them ; these children would have come 
 into the world in a state of covenant love, peace and 
 favor with God. Tiiey would have been interested 
 
in, and favored with theit communion with God, and 
 those early manifestations of the divine fjlory? hy 
 which their hearts would have been possessed of tho 
 love of God, before any creature-enjoyment had be- 
 come rooted in their affections. But when our first 
 parents had cut themselves o{T from the love of God^ 
 and the precious privilege of communion with him ; 
 ^' Adam begat a son in his own likeness." And as 
 his children were born under the guilt of his sin, by 
 which they vrere disabled for that dependent, com- 
 placential resting of soul in God, v/hich belonged to 
 the divine image ; and were cut ofr" from commun- 
 ion with him, and denied those early manifestations 
 of the divine glory, whereby their souls would have 
 been enlivened with the love of God ; they being; 
 thus divided from God, grew up in an acquaint- 
 ance with the things of this world. As soon as their 
 bodily faculties were capable of receiving im [Ses- 
 sions from sensible objects, and tasting som.e degrees 
 of pleasure in them ; their hearts would naturally go 
 out after them, as the things in the enjoy nient of which , 
 all the happiness they knew of, did consist. Whence 
 it comes to pass, tl'.at the things of this world get 
 deeply rooted in their hearts^ even before they obtain 
 any knowledge of God. The imputation of Adam's 
 sin to his posterity, being allowed ; it will be easy to 
 account for all that moral depravity which is thus be- 
 come universal to mankind. For if we come into 
 L?-C world under the guilt of his sin, are thereby cut 
 oiT from communion with God, and denied thosi' 
 manifestations of the divine glory which would awa^ 
 ken the love of God in the heart ; it will naturalV 
 aiKl necessarily follow, that we shall be united in our 
 affections to the enjoyment of this life : which tem- 
 per of mind is fitly styled enmity against God ; and 
 is such a source of sin as is sufiicientto account Ibrall 
 that wickedness which has overspread the whole hu- 
 man race. There is no need to suppose any vicious 
 taint, or corrupt principle infused in our nature, either 
 by the righteous judgement of God, or by the force 
 
63 
 
 of natural generation ; for all the sin and wickednesf, 
 of mankind will follow merely from the imputaiion of 
 Adam's first sin to his posterity. Whut we receive 
 in the course of natural generation, is a natural ex- 
 istence ; or the powers and faculties which belong to 
 our nature, by which we become beings capable to 
 put forth natural, rational and moral exercises. And 
 if what wc receive in a course of n.itural generation, 
 are only those naturalfaculties which render us capa- 
 ble of moral agency ; then we shall be denominated 
 holy, or sinful, according to the nature of such moral 
 exercises as we put forth. If from the beginning*, 
 we were favored with communion with God, and prop- 
 er manifestations of his glory to our souls, those nat- 
 ural faculties which render us capable of moral agen- 
 cy, would naturally put forth such moral exercises as 
 would be agreeable to the perfections of God : but be- 
 ing shut out from communion with him by the guik 
 of siji, our natural faculties, of course, fall under the 
 influence of sensible objects ; and will therefore put 
 forth such exercises as are unholy and sinful. And 
 as we thus come into the world under the imputation 
 of Adam's first sin, as a consequence of which, we 
 arc destitute of the divine image, and under the pre- 
 vailing influence of the things of this world ; there- 
 fore we have reason to confess with David, " 1 was 
 shapen in iniquity ; and in sin did my mother con- 
 ceive me." And as our natural desire of happiness, 
 which is a very strorig and active passion, has nothing 
 to feed upon but the creature, it will cause us, " To 
 drink in iniquity like water." Our natural thirst af- 
 ter happiness would not be sinfuU provided we suita- 
 bly sought after the gratification of it in the glori- 
 fication and enjoyment of God : but when the soul is 
 turned away from him, and this thirst runs out after 
 the enjoyment of creatures, it becomes sinful.; it is 
 the source of all that sin and wickedncvSS which ap- 
 pears in our lives ; and is that tern jTer of mind which 
 the apostle justly styles ** enmity against God." 
 
54 
 
 Some win say, It the imputauon of sin will have 
 such a depraving inftuence on the nature of him to 
 whom it is imputed ; why then had it not this effect 
 upon the Son of God, ivken the Lord laid on him the 
 iniquity of us all ? I answer. The case with Adam's 
 seed was widely different from that of the Son of 
 God. The sin of Adam was laid upon his natural 
 seed by the first covenant ; which afforded them no 
 room for exercising any dependence on God, in their 
 guilty state ; but they were, according to the tenor 
 of that dispensation, totally, and forever cut off from 
 God, and abandoned to despair. But it was in the 
 second covenant, the covenant of redemption, that 
 the Lord laid on him tLe iniquity of us all ; wherein 
 it was stipulated, that the Son should give, and the 
 Father accept of an atonement for sin. The Son 
 therefore, notwithstanding our iniquities were laid 
 upon him, could exercise faith in and dependence 
 upon God, through the atonement, by himself in duG 
 time to be made. Our mighty Redeemer was a be- 
 liever ; he stood by faith ; by faith, he wrought out 
 salvation ; and by faith he obtained the victory. The 
 imputation of Adam's sin to his posterity, in the first 
 covenant, must necessarily deprave them ; because 
 through guilt, they were disabled for, and cut off 
 from exercising that dependence on God, which was 
 an essential property of the divine image in which 
 the human nature was first formed. But v/hen the 
 sin of man was laid on Christ in the second covenant, 
 by virtue of faith in God through the atonement, he 
 was still able to preserve, maintain and exercise all 
 the properties, of the divine image on the soul, in 
 like manner as we are now restored to an ability for 
 these exercises, by faith in the Mediator. 
 
 By the way ; we may here see the excellence and 
 importance of true faith. Christ stood by faith ; and 
 by it wrought out salvation for us. And we have 
 the same foundation to stand upon that he had ; and 
 must obtain the victory in the same way that he did. 
 When tiie Son of God took our nature on him, he 
 
55 
 
 embarked upon the same bottom with fallen man ; 
 either to perish with themj (if I may so speak) or to 
 bring them off victorious with liimself. i'hc atone- 
 ment of his own blood was the foundation on which his 
 faith rested ; and that is as free, and as sufficient for 
 us, as it was for him. And to strengthen our faith 
 in God through this atonement, we have the virtue^ 
 efficacy and sufficiency of it illustrated to us, in that 
 victory which Christ thereby obtained over death and 
 the grave. Heb. xiii, 20. " Now the God of peace 
 that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, 
 that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood 
 of the everlasting covenant." I am sensible that 
 good expositors connect that expression, " through, 
 the blood of the everlasting covenant," with the next 
 sentence, " Make you perfect," &c. But they 
 may be taken in connexion with the preceding sen- 
 tence with as much, yea, more propriety. But to re- 
 turn : 
 
 Hitherto we have considered the effect of the apos^ 
 tacy on the human race, without any reference lo 
 the relief provided in the nevr covenant. And from 
 this view of the case and state into vv'hich Adam 
 brought himself, and his posterity, by the breach of 
 the first covenant ; we may see wherein the spiritual 
 deat/i^ the ?7iGral dc/waviii/y or im/iotericy oi mankind 
 consists. That mankind are naturally without strength 
 and labor under an inability of some kind or other, 
 is a truth very manifest : but wherein this impotcncy 
 consists, is a point in which we are not so well agreed. 
 Some suppose they have sufficiently described it, by 
 calling it ?norol iuadiliiy^ in distinction from natural 
 inability. And this moral inability, they say, consists 
 in the will ; that man is unable to yield due obedi- 
 ence, because he is uwivilling. But this is far from 
 being a just representation of the case. From the 
 preceding observations on the original apostacy, it 
 appears that several things must be taken into the 
 account, that we may give a just representation of it. 
 Indeed, this >vant of ability for the performance of 
 
56 
 
 our duty, is not natural inability : that is, the natura! 
 powers and faculties which man is possessed of, are 
 sufficient for the performance of the whole cf his 
 duty. But this impotency may, in a proper sense 
 be called moral iirabiliiy ; tliough it consists riot 
 merely in the want ot a will. There are some prop- 
 erties of it distinct from and quite independent on 
 the present slate of the will. 
 
 1. The loss of the image of God in which man 
 v.as at first made, rendered him spiritually dead, or 
 vin ible lo yield required obedience. The general na- 
 ture of that obedience to the w^il of God which was 
 man's duty, I have shown to consist in those exercise* 
 of soul by which man was to exhibit his likeness to 
 God, in the several actions of life. But it appears, 
 that as soo:i as the guilt of sin look place, this con- 
 formity to God ceased. It rr> cut man off from God, 
 that although he was never so Tvillir.g and desirous to 
 have God for the foundation of hi^ hope am* depen- 
 dence, and the enjoyment of him as his all-satisfying 
 portion ; yet he could not, because this interest in 
 God was irrecoverably forfeited. He could now 
 have no dependence on God, nor any enjoyment of 
 him. And so in all other respects, by ijecoming 
 guilty, he divested himself of the divine image. And 
 as the general nature of that obedience Vvhich was 
 God's due, and man's duty consisted in exercising 
 and manifesting this conformity to Goc ; therefore, 
 the divine image being lost, there remained no abili- 
 ty in man to make a true manifestation of it. 
 
 2. Fallen m.an has lost his ability, in that he hath 
 put himself out of the reach of the proper influence 
 of motives. Man was made to be influenced by mo- 
 tives. This is evident, because his IVJ^iker did pro- 
 \K)se to govern him by motives. This appears by hi& 
 setting life and death before him. But as soon aB 
 man had sinned, the motives to obedience lost their 
 influence upon him. Promises could no longer influ- 
 ence him ; because the promised blessings were irrc- 
 
57 
 
 coverably lost. Threatening^* coultl no longer take 
 their full hold upon him, for it is too late to deter a 
 man from sin, by threatening him with deatli, after 
 he is already condemned to it ; because despair takes 
 off their influence. And as man had thus removed 
 himself from under the proper influence ofmoiives, 
 it is evident that he wanted those springs of action, 
 for yicldin|2; obedience to the will of God which were 
 suitable and necessary to furnish him for his duty. 
 
 3. Fallen man became unable to serve God, be- 
 cause be was excluded from it by the eondemnin.er 
 sentence of the law which he had broken. By reason 
 of his forfeiture, the penalty of the law cut him oft' 
 from God. And as the service of God principally 
 consisted in exercising hope, trust,' dependence, and 
 such like exercises which are predicated upon, and 
 suppose interest in him, therefore the condemnhig- 
 sentence of the broken lav/, lay in man's way, as an 
 insuperable obstruciion to his performing that service, 
 or duty which was originally required of him : This, 
 impediment lay before fallen man, independent on- 
 the present state of his will. To say therefore that 
 fallen man was unable to perform required obedience 
 enly because he was unwilling, is far, very far from 
 being a full representation of the case. 
 
 4. Another reason of the inability of man for the 
 service of God, is tlie prepossession of his heart in 
 iavcr of creature-enjoymenis. As we come into the 
 world under tlie guiit of the original apostacy, and 
 arc therefore excluded from communion with God ; 
 it comes to pass that crealure-enjoyments get posses- 
 sion of our hearts in the early part of cur life. And 
 as we groM' up in acquaintance with these things, 
 they get deeply rooted in cur allections before we 
 obtain any kno\vledge of God, or that there is any 
 thing better than the creature to be enjoyed. And 
 by re^ton of this habitual attachment to the things of 
 lliis world, which we coiitract by use and custom, it 
 is exceeding difficult to reitiove our heart from the 
 love of the world, to the Jove of God* And no small 
 
pan of the inability of man for the service of God, 
 lies in this prepossession and attachment of heart to 
 creatures. Tliis is that which is more frequently 
 spoken of as the cause of our rebellion. It is that 
 carnal mind which is so justly styled ciimitij atjainst 
 God. And it is this triendship for the world that 
 makes us the enemies of God. To this it is the 
 prophet refers, as the reason why we cannot do good. 
 Jer. xiii. 23. " Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or 
 the leopard his spots I Then may ye also do good, 
 thjt are accustomed to do evil." This also is one 
 reason why the apostle speaks of us as dead in tres- 
 passes and sins. And it is in this respect thr.t our 
 present inability to obey, consists very much in our 
 "will. This carnal mind is voluntary and chosen. 
 The gaining of the will for God, would very much 
 remove our inability in this respect, for the service ot 
 God. 
 
 5. I may further add : the reason why the inability 
 ©F our fallen state abides upon us, is the unbelief of 
 our hearts in divine revelation. The introduction of 
 the new covenant by the mediation of Christ, has 
 opened a way of access to God for us in our guilty 
 state ; and a sure foundation is thereby laid for re- 
 covering our forfeited interest in God, and of conse- 
 quence, for the exercise of all christian graces to^ 
 wiu^ds him wherein the divine image consists ; ior 
 exercising that hope, trust, dependence, complacen- 
 cy and delight in God, which the penalty of the bro- 
 ken law had cut us off from : that the image of GocI 
 in all its parts, might be again restored to the soul. 
 And a hearty belief of these gospel-truths would have 
 a great influence in restoring the soul to a capacity 
 for this service of God. But till faith in God through 
 the Redeemer takes place in our hearts, this inability 
 ior the service of God, which is brought upon us by 
 the fall, will abide in us. 
 
 I have saiJ, the disfranchisement laid upon man. 
 for the breach of the first covenant, is taken off by 
 the introduction of the second. That is, there is a way 
 
59 
 
 Opened by the IVIecliator for us to return to God, and re- 
 cover our Ibrfeiled interest in him ; and ot"cont;equence, 
 all the right exercises of soul towards him. Hut then, 
 the soul must see and believe this new and living way 
 consecrated by Christ, before it will feel itself enlar- 
 ged, or discover any possibility of ccniidence towards 
 God in its guilty state . When under awakenings and 
 convictiuns, natural conscience shows the sinner the 
 sanction of the law which he hath broken, excluding 
 him from all interest in Gcd, and cutting him off 
 from all confidence towards him. And the soul, 
 while under these riews cnly, can exercise no depen- 
 dence upon God, sees uli interest in him forfeited, 
 and can place no hope, nor put any trust in him for 
 the bestowmcnt of any favor, till the saving fulness of 
 the Mediator, and the riches and sovereign fieedoni 
 of the grace of God through him to the guilty, come 
 into view. So that although the disfranchisement is 
 removed in law ; yet the soul doth not actually par- 
 take of, or possess that liberty wherewith Christ 
 makes it free, till the glory of the Mediator com.es 
 into view, and the soul is suitably afrected and influ- 
 enced by the new covenant. For it is plain that guil- 
 ty creatures can have no real or true confidence to- 
 wards God, nor any hope or trust in him, but what 
 must be predicated -upon a Mediator. And there- 
 fore that inability which was brought upon us by the 
 fall, will abide in us till it is removed by faith ia 
 Christ ; that is, by the effectual operation of the new 
 covenant on the heart. 
 
 Still, it may be inquired wherein the inability of 
 the sinner to believe in Christ doth consist I 
 
 To this 1 answer. We cannot believe the truth 
 of any report, till we see reason for it ; that is, tili 
 we see sufiicicnt evidence to confirm the truth of it. 
 And a divine faith must rest upon a divine testimony. 
 When, the soul discovers that God hath borne wit- 
 ness to his Son Jesus Christ, it will immediately give 
 credit to the gospel. And although human reason 
 may collect sufficient evidence to prove the tiuth •f 
 
Co 
 
 the gospel ; yet an awakened conscience will not be 
 satisfied, nor be brought to rest upon the promises 
 without divine illumination or teaching. John vi. 44. 
 '* No man can come to me, except the Father who 
 hath sent me, draw him." But when the divine 
 spirit teacheth, the soul will so learn as to come to 
 the Son. John vi. 45. " Evei*y man therefore that 
 hath hcarJ, and hath learned of the Father, cometh 
 unto me." 
 
 Here is the impotency of oui' fidlcn state, of which 
 we can Jiavc very clear and distinct ideas, without be- 
 ing perplexed with those abstruse speculations and 
 meUipliysical distinctions between nedural and moral 
 ir.abilily, which many divines make use of in treating 
 of moral impotency. The soul finds itself utterly 
 unable to exercise any hope in, or confidence towards 
 God ; unable to exercise complacency, or to take up 
 its rest in God, as his God, b.is satisfying good and 
 portion, till the glory of God in the face of Jesus 
 Christ shines in upon it. Herein we see total inabil- 
 ity in the sinner with respect to ail holy exercises 
 towards God, very dillcrcnt in some respects from 
 mere un-tviUingjiess. 
 
 And tluit fanious dispute about a self-determining- 
 power in the ivill., may be wholly set atide, and left 
 to the philosophers to determine as they please, 
 while the religion of the gospel remains unconcerned 
 with it. 
 
 Attention to tlicse awful effects of sin upon our na- 
 ture, will lead us to see something of the evil nature 
 of it, how hateful it is in its ov/n nature, and how ru- 
 inous to the soul.. The la»v of God, tlxrefore, is 
 good, as well as holy and just, in its forbidding all sin. 
 It aims at our good, as well as the glory of God. in 
 every J. instance in which we choose sin, we forsake 
 our own mercies. It is what, in its own nature, 
 brings total ruin upon tlie soul. Although it was a 
 very gracious covenant that God made with man, 
 whereby he was put into much better circumstances 
 iban he would have been, if God had left him to stand 
 
61 
 
 Uijclei" the law oi" his creation ; in tYiuch "less dan?>;er 
 of tailing into sin ; and hdd peculiar adviuituj^-es of ob- 
 taining very great and valuable privileges which could 
 not have been obtiuned without such a covenant ; yet 
 We see man soon ruined himself. And hereby v.'e 
 see something of the dependent nature of a creature^ 
 how exceilenti or how perfect soever he is made. A 
 creature is of a finite, limited, mutable nature ; and 
 its effectual security is therefore not in itself, but in 
 God. And it is a natural transition, for our minds to 
 be hereby led to a view of the transcendent goodness 
 of God, expressed to fallen man in providini^ such a 
 glorious new covenant head, who partakes of an un- 
 changeable nature, which aiTcided infallible security 
 of success in accoaiplisning the probation eissigned 
 him in the new covenant, for the recovery and salva- 
 tion of the children of men. An attentive view of 
 the ruins of our fallen state discovers our perishing 
 need of help from the rich and sovereign grace of 
 God. Man was lost beyond all possibility of deliver- 
 ing himself ; could lay no claim to any help from 
 God ; and is therefore infinitely indebted to tiic 
 boundless riches of divine grace, in laying help upon 
 one that is mighty to save, one able to save to the ut- 
 termost, all that come to God by him. 
 
62 
 
 THE RECOVERY OF iMAN BY JESUS 
 CHRIST. 
 
 In the preceding part "vvc have been entertained 
 witii a melancholy view of the ruin of our nature by 
 the apostacy of our first parents. But we come now 
 to take a view of the bright side of our subject, and to 
 turn our thoughts upon the glorious discoveries of 
 redeeming grace, manifested to us by God*s sending 
 his Son to save sinners. Known unto God are ail 
 his works. The fall of Adam was foreseen before 
 the foundation of the world ; and the plan was laid 
 in the eternal counsels of the divine mind, for the 
 redemption of fallen man by the mediation of the 
 Son of God ; who in due time was to take our na- 
 ture on him, become man, and perform that work by 
 which he might be the author of eternal redemption 
 to all them that obey him. And although the real 
 appearance of the Son of God amongst men, and his 
 actual performance of the v/ork of redemption, Avas 
 not till many years after the fall ; yet his mediation 
 took place before his incarnation ; and, in the accept- 
 ance of God, he was " The Lamb slain from the foun- 
 dation of the world." For when God came to our 
 first parents after the fall, and had convicted them of 
 their breach of covenant ; he thereupon revealed to 
 them the covenant of grace, in the promise of the 
 seed of the woman that should bruise the serpent's 
 head. Then it was, that the covenant of grace was 
 introduced, the Redeemer's kingdom was set up, 
 and the influence of his mediation took place be- 
 tween God and man, as the foundation of all his sub- 
 sequent dealings with them. And for a distinct view 
 «f these important matters, I shall divide my subject 
 into the following heads : 
 
 I. I shall represent the true character of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, by whom this new dispensation is 
 brQught in. 
 
63 
 
 ^ !I. Take a general view of this dispensation which 
 is brought in by the Son ol" God. 
 
 III. Inquire into the state of mankind under tbis 
 dispensation, and the tenor of God's various deal- 
 ings with them. 
 
 I. The character of this glorious person, the Son 
 of God, who hath brought in this new dispensation, 
 is first to be attended to. 
 
 This wonderful person who appeared for the im- 
 portant purpose of sustaining the sinking v/orld is 
 Lmjianuel, God ina7iifest in ihe Jiesh. The fall of 
 man has perhaps been the occasion of revealing in a 
 more' clear light, the great mystery of a Trinity in 
 the God-head, who are distinguished by the personal 
 appellations of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 
 it is the second person in the Trinity, the Son, who 
 came into the world, took our nature on him, and is 
 truly God and man, in two distinct natures and one 
 person ; who has brought in the dispensation of re- 
 deeming grace for a lost world. Many questions 
 both curious and important, might be moved con- 
 cerning these gospel-doctrines of a Trinity in the 
 God-head, and the incarnation of the Son ; all which 
 1 purposely pass by, and take this character of the 
 iSon of God as it is clearly revealed in the gospel, 
 which is sufficient for us to know, that v/e may form 
 iu3t thoughts of the present divine constitution under 
 wiiich we stand probationers for the rewards or pun- 
 ishments of the eternal state. 
 
 The two natures in the person of the Son render 
 him a meet person for the work upon which he came 
 into the world. The human nature was necessary, 
 that he might be under the law, might fulfil all right- 
 eousness, and might suffer the death due for sin. 
 And the divine nature was necessary to prevent his 
 sinking under the weight of his sufferings, and to 
 render his obedience and sufferings truly meritori- 
 ous. No one that Avas less than divine, was able to 
 alone for sin, to overcome death, to ascend in:o the 
 
64 
 
 heiwens, to exercise all power irt heavcQ and o« 
 cartl), lo judy,c the world, ur.d lo distribute rewards 
 and Diuiishmeius to every one according to their 
 
 Pa^iiy things were necessary for tlie Son of God to 
 perforn) in his prosecuting this great work ; and 
 tnany and v^uious were the blessings to flow there- 
 frcri) to the ci.ildren of men. And that this all-sutn- 
 cicncy and compitte fulness of our Almighty Savior 
 mighc be represeiited to us in a clear and plain liglit, 
 he h descriued in the gospel as Leing vested with, 
 ai^Ji executing various oifices for us ; the right un- 
 derstanding of which is necessary to the saving 
 knowledge of :um. 
 
 The first character under which I shall consider 
 our Lord Jesus Christ, is that of a covenant-head. 
 Tl e heddship of Christ is often mentioned, and va- 
 riously represented ; sometimes in a more exten- 
 sive, and sometimes in a more limited sense. 
 
 He is sorrxetimes represented as the head of his 
 spiritual body, or of real shunts. Thus is he spoken 
 of in Coi. ii. 19, where the apostle speaks of men of 
 corrupt minds, as " Not holding the head, the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, from which all the body by joints and 
 bands, having nourishment ministered, and knit to- 
 gfctlier, increasetb with the increase of God." 
 
 1'his he-dship of Christ is also sometimes repre- 
 sented in a more extensive sense, or expressive of 
 his reldtion to the whole visible church. Col. i. IS^ 
 '* He is t'-.e head.of the body, the Church." 
 
 This headship of Christ is also represented still 
 mere extensive, and expresseth his relation to tho 
 whole human race. Hence, he \s styled the second 
 Adam. As Adam stood in a covenant-relation to all 
 his seed ; so also is Christ, in some sense, related to 
 and stands in tiie relation of a covenant-iiead to all 
 mankind, as vAW more fully appear in the sequel. 
 
 Christ susto'ins the relation of a liead to both an- 
 gels and men. Epli.i. 10. " That in the dispensa- 
 .ticn of tl-c fulness of time, he might gather together 
 
06 
 
 ■h t-ne, nil tliinr^s in ChrisU both which arc in heaven^ 
 and A\ hich are on earth. 
 
 Headship is also sometimes ascribed to Christ 
 with respect to the whole creation. This is, in part? 
 llie import of that lofty character which the apostle 
 gives him in Col. i. 15, 16, 17. " WIio is the image 
 of the invisiole God, the first-born of every creature : 
 for by him were all thiny;s created that are in heaven, 
 and that are in earth, visible and invisible, uhethcr 
 they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or 
 powers : all things were created by him, and for him. 
 And he is l)efore all things, and ^ him all things 
 consist." The title and privileges of tlie first-born 
 are headship and dominion ; and in these respects 
 Chiist ij the first-born of every creature. 
 
 Thus then we see, that Christ is represented as the 
 head of various and very ditterent bodies. And as 
 Christ stands in the relation of a head to such difler- 
 cnt bodies ; there must l3C a proportionable differ- 
 ence in the relation itself, althou^>-h expressed by tiic 
 same title : and there is a proportionable difference 
 in the. privileges which these different bodies receive 
 from their he.id. Thus, when Christ is spoken of as 
 tlie head of his body, the church, it is a headship in a 
 different respect from what is intended when he is 
 represented as the heud of the whole human race, 
 and very different privileges are connected with it. 
 
 Another character under which the Lord Jesus 
 Christ is spoken of, is ihwt o^ a Redec7ner. A Re* 
 deemer is one thdt pays the price by which freedom 
 i-i obtained for one that is captivated or enslaved. 
 Thus, Christ redeems us from under the curse, with 
 the price cf his ov/n blood. Andanother title by which 
 he is spoken oi, nearly of the same import, is that of 
 a Savior. This is the title by which he is most 
 commonly ppoken of, in the New Testament, and is 
 the proper signiiication of his Hebrew name Jesus. 
 Mutt, i 21. " Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he 
 shall save his people from their sins." And the sal- 
 vation that Jesus Christ is the author of is very great. 
 6 * 
 
66 
 
 and includes a great variety of blessings ; ancl all 
 iTicinkind share in them, in a greater or less degree, 
 as I shall shew hereafter ; for which cause he is styl- 
 ed "The Savior of all men J especially of them that 
 believe." I. Tim. iv. 10. 
 
 Another important character by which Christ i;i 
 described, is that of a Mediator. I. Tim. ii. 5. 
 " There is one God, and one Mediator between God 
 and man, the man Christ Jesus " A Mediator is one 
 that steps between two that are at variance, to heal 
 the breach, and make peace between them. This is 
 the most significa»|; and important character by v/hich 
 our Lord Jesus Christ is described to us in the gos- 
 pel. Sin has made a wide breach between God and 
 man ; and the whole world must have sunk into ru- 
 in, had it not been for this glorious Mediator. And 
 that we may have a just representation of Christ in 
 his mediatorial character, v/e must attend to the sev- 
 eral offices which he executes in the performance of 
 his mediatorial work ; which are Prophet, Priest, 
 Surety, Intercessor, Advocate and King. 
 
 The Lord Jesus Christ in mediating between God 
 and us, executes the office of a prophet, in revealing 
 to us by his word and spirit, the will of God for our 
 salvation. He is the great prophet of his church, 
 r/ho by his spirit inspired the prophets under the 
 Old Testament ; and under the gospel-dispensation 
 hatlf given gifts unto men. All divine revelation 
 comes from him. 
 
 Christ mediates between God and man by execu- 
 ting the office of a priest. He is the great high- 
 p'iest of our profession, who, in the execution of this 
 office, has offered up himself a sacrifice for the sins 
 of his people, in his shedding his blood, and laying- 
 down iiis life upon the cross ; and in pursuit of this 
 design, is passed into the heavens, now to appear in 
 the presence of God for us. 
 
 Christ acted as a Mediator when he became a sure- 
 ty for us Heb. vii. 22. " By so much was Jesus 
 m^de a surety of a better testament." A surety sig^ 
 
0/ 
 
 uifies much the same as u bondsman. Many jand 
 great arc the demands v/hich divlno justice has upon 
 us ; for all which, Christ becvomcs our surety. 
 Some suppose this ofilcc ol a surety is included in 
 his priestly office, as they do also his intercession. 
 For the apostle is representing his priesthood when 
 he observes, Heb. vii. 25, " 'i"hat he ever livetii 'to 
 make intercession for them.'' It is the part of an 
 intercessor to mtake request for the beslowment of 
 free favors. And in this respect an intercessor dif- 
 fers from an advocate, whose business it is to defend 
 and plead the cause of another. I. John ii. 1. "If 
 any man sin, we have an advocate with tiie Father, 
 Jesus Christ the righteous." And it is in coniidence- 
 of this, that the apostle makes that challenj^e in Rom. 
 viii. 34. <• Who is he that condemneth ? It is Christ 
 that died.'* 
 
 The last oQice that I shall mention which Christ 
 is said to execute, is that of a King. Revel, xix. 1 6. 
 " And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a 
 name written, Lord of Lords-, and King Cif KivgsP* 
 It has been the general custom of christian writers, 
 to include the kingly ofiice of our Lord Jesus Christ 
 in his mediatorial character. But when we consider 
 that it is the business of a mediator to stand between 
 two that are at variance, that he may reconcile ihem ; 
 there scarcely appears room in such a character to 
 include the idea of kingly dignity and authority. 
 And the province in which our Lord had to act in the 
 exercise of his kingly office, is very distinct from all 
 the other parts of that work which he had to perform. 
 And besides, the honor and dignity which belongs 
 to this office, is represented as a reward bestowed 
 upon him for his service and abasement, rather than 
 as a part of his work. This is the light in which the 
 apostle sets it in Philip, ii. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. " Who 
 being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to 
 be equal with God: but made himself of no reputa- 
 tion, and took upon him the form of a servant, 
 and was made in the likeness of men : and beine- 
 
 #>■ 
 
68 
 
 rouiKl in r.\sl>ion as a man, he humbled himself, and 
 hecaiT.c obcdieiu unlo death, even the death of the 
 cross, irherrforc (iod ulso hat'ii highly cxaUedhim, 
 and j^ivcn him a mime v/hich is above every name : 
 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of 
 things in licaven, and things on earth, and tilings un- 
 der the earth ; luui tliat every tongue should confess, 
 that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the 
 Father." 
 
 Butalthous^^h tlus kingly oiTice v/ith the glory and 
 dignity of it w.s corferrcd upon cur Lord, as a re- 
 ward for his suflerings, yet it was an ofike which was 
 necessary to con-^plele his character ; and the design 
 wliich he came iiilo the v/orld upon, could not be 
 finally executed without his being vested with, rmd 
 executing this liigh oiiice and autliorify. For altho' 
 it belongs to a nicdiiitor to persuade and intreat, yet 
 k is. also evi<!ently fitting that Christ, in his treating 
 with us, should command and enjoin our duty upon 
 us. And he is hereby rendered u more proper and 
 coitiplete object of our faith, and a most sidtable per- 
 son with whom to tf'ust our everlasting interests. — 
 " For such an liigli priest became us, who is holy, 
 harmless, undcSled, separate from sin icrs, and madt 
 higfitr thm. the heavens J' Meb. vii, 26. 
 
 The kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ is variously 
 represented. It is sometimes described as a spiritu- 
 al kingdom set up in ti-e heart of his people. Luke 
 xvii, 21. '• The Ringdom of God is v.^ithin you.'' It 
 is sometimes set forth in a different manner, as in- 
 tending his visible cnurch. Psalm ii, 6. *' Yet have 
 1 set my king upon my lioly hill of Zion." And 
 sometimes the kingly office "of Christ is described as 
 extending to all things visible and invisible. Mat. 
 xxviii, 18. " All porver in heaven and on earth is. 
 given unto me." And the last and closing exercises 
 of this kingly authority of Christ, will be the solemn 
 transductions of the day of judgment, when v/e must 
 all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, to give 
 an account, and to receive the things done in the bo- 
 
 •m-'- 
 
^9 
 
 dy ; afier which Christ shall deliver up the kingdom 
 to the Father, that God may be all in all. 
 
 To this account ot;" the ofrices of our Savior, may be 
 subjoined the name Christ, which is used as the pro- 
 per name of our Lord, the significiuiun of which is, 
 the ajinointed ; whi^:h does not si'^nify any particular 
 office, but has a g-ceral reference to all his offices, 
 and denotes his being- invested v.ith them by the Fa- 
 ther. • 
 
 Thus have I endeavored to give a brief represent- 
 ation of the character, offices and work of the Son of 
 God, who by the execution of these offices, has intro- 
 duced the e;iorious dispensation of redeeming- grace 
 for mankind in tlicir fullen state ; which by common 
 consent has obtniied the name of the covenant of 
 grace., among christian v/riters.* By this title they 
 
 * TIow it has come to pass that christian wintrrs have so 
 jjener,iljy styled tht dispensation of redeeming j^ race, which 
 is brou_^ht in by tlie mediation of Jesus Ohrist, by this title. 
 The covenant of grace, is not easily determined. 'Tis a pity 
 it has ever obtained that nan^e in common use ; not only 
 becnuse it is never so called in the sacred scripture, btit also 
 because it has been the occasion of great mistakes, and 
 m'lch perplexity and confusion among- christian Divines, 
 belli in tl;eir S)Stematic, casuistic, polr-inic, experiment.tl, 
 an. I practical writings This disfinguishing title has led 
 iriinkind to expect to find nolliing in this second covenr.nt 
 but tile displays of divine jrri'cc and .^ood will, without any 
 decl'iraliojis of v/ruth, or executions of vcn_i>eance. Hence 
 have arisen those j^rave perplexities of disting-uishinj^ l)e- 
 tween the moi-al law and the C(>vcnarit of g-race — betweta 
 the duties of natural, and of revealed reiis^ion — whicli texts 
 in tlie bible belong- to the covenant of grace, and which to 
 the covenant of works — whetiier the covenant of graoe con- 
 tains only promises of mercy, or also comnn.ands and threat- 
 en mgs, Sec. To style the second covenant a covsvant f>f 
 r/nice, doth not at all distinguish it from the first coven;;nt 
 ni.ule with Adam. For the one is as much a covenant cf 
 gi-ace as the other. For every covenant that God makes 
 witli his creatures, must necessarily be a covenaiU of ;:ri»ce ; 
 r.hey can in the nature of tilings he nothing- else, There is 
 ;iot. a sentence or word in tlie bible, except the f.vo first 
 '■ap^ers cf Genesis, and part of the tliird,, but what belongs 
 
70' 
 
 mean to disLi!K*;uish it from that covenant which God 
 ini\de with our first p:\rcnts, whicii hc.s commoiiiy 
 ubtained the name ot" Hie coveruint of ivorkn. 'iliis 
 dispensation which is i)ioiiij;ht in by the Son of God, 
 is u glorious scheme Avhich God, in his eternal coun- 
 sel, has contrived for the display of the glory of his 
 great name, in the salvation and happiness of fallen 
 man. Hereby the giorv of God is displayed before 
 principaliics and powers '. the glorious ang-els of 
 light take pleasure in looking into it ; much more 
 th.en ought it to engage the attention of mankind, 
 who arc so greatly interested in it : To a brief view 
 01 which I shall now proceed. 
 
 II. A general view of this dispensation, which i-s 
 brought in by tlie Son of God is next to be ofTercd. 
 
 Ay tliis dispensation was brought in by our Lord 
 .lesus Christ, in the execution of the several offices 
 which he was clothed witlij we must form our senti- 
 ments of it hy attending to his character exhibited in 
 tlie gospel, which has been pointed out under the 
 preceding hciid of this discourse. And the light in 
 wliich some of his ofrices will lead us to conceive cf 
 him, is, a.s bcin^^ under CQ~oenant eiv^a^cments to tht 
 
 to. tlie p:'0'Tiul;^ation of the second covenant. Nor has God, 
 s'iJ^ce the givlnc^oflhe promise of the seed of the woir.an, 
 Irike.n one step in liis dealings witli fallen man, nor ever will 
 to all eternity, l)Ul what is to be considered as his procedure 
 with tliem ia this second covenant, v^'hich is broiv^ht in by 
 the mediation of his son, Tlie executions of divine ven- 
 geance upon the v.i eked in hell is as tnUy God's adminis- 
 tration in the covenant of f,"race, as is the salvation and fu- 
 liire glorification f-f beiievei\s 
 
 Siicii as h;vve confined tin- covenant of grace, in their view 
 r-f it, to the unitinf^ of the .«?ouI v/ith Christ, upon the gospel 
 ortirr, bcwihler themselves with a wiong- notion of it. And 
 setting ou'l upon this wronj^ view of it, as the foundation on 
 which Ihry fiirm their arguments, Iheir conclusions seem 
 ^veil estahiisiied when there is really no truth in tliem ; as 
 wiii readily appear hy a just view ofUic covenant, in its trne 
 light and full latitude. 
 
71 
 
 Father, and fuifJiifig ccvenanted obedience ru lunu — 
 But when Ave viev/ him in some of his other offices, 
 we shall be led lo conceive othim, a.i incdiuting /;<?- 
 irjcc7i God and fnriful ?ncn, and brint^lng about a cove- 
 nant of reconciliation beiwccn them. This dispensa- 
 ticij brought in by our divine Mediator, which is 
 commonly styled the covenant of grace, may be pro- 
 perly divided into two parts, and considered us being-, 
 in some respects, two covenants, in close connexion 
 Vvith each other ; and has accordingly been so distin- 
 guished by christian writers. The cne they have 
 styled the covenant of redcmjition, and the otiier, the 
 covtnant of reconciliation. And as there seenis to 
 be sufficient reason in the several offices of Christ, ■ 
 for this distinction, I shall accordingly consider them 
 as distinct covenants, or at least distinguishable the 
 one from the other. 
 
 1. The covenant ofredi'mfition is a covenant betiveeu 
 the Father and the Son, as the ivjo contracting f-,arde& 
 of the covenant. In this covenant the Father ap- 
 points his Son to take the several offices which he is 
 represented in the gospel as being clothed with ; and 
 to perform the Vvork by which he niight become the 
 author of eternal salvation to perishing sinners. And 
 God the Son accei)ts this designation, und freely un- 
 derti'ikes to perhirm this work. To this covenant 
 are to be referred those various promises made to our 
 Savior, respecting divine support and acceptance in 
 his undertaking and accompiistiing this work, which 
 *\ve fmd dispersed in various j)r.rts of the bible. This 
 covenant of redemption is tije loundution of several of 
 those titles by which he is described in the gospel — 
 Hereby it is that he is uppoiuied to be our Savior and 
 Ivedeemer ; and on this account Ijc is represented as 
 our covenant-head, and is siyied tlie second yidam ; 
 and Jdam is called a figure of him that was to come. 
 As the first covenant was made with Adam, constitu- 
 ting him a covenc;nt-head to his seed, so this second 
 covenant is naade with Christ, cons.i'aumg him a new 
 'X)venant-head. it is he with whom the covenant of 
 
redemption is made, wiio is to act in it. find pcrfont) 
 the v/hoie woi k of it. I'lie behavior of Adam under 
 the first covenant, was that on which the life or death 
 of mankind then depended ; and the behavior of 
 Christ under the second covenant, is that on which 
 the recovery and salvaiion of manitind, as to the me- 
 ritorious cause thereof, do now depe.jd. Rom. v, 18, 
 19. " Therefore as by the oHence of one, judg-ment 
 came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the 
 righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men 
 uuto justification of life. For as by one mane's diso- 
 bedience many were made sinners, so by the obedi- 
 ence of one shall many be made ri.ehteous." 
 
 In these respects there was a plain and manifest 
 similiiude between Adam and Christ, as the heads of 
 the two covenants : yet in some respects there is a 
 great dilieuence betv/een them. I'he covenants 
 were two distinct covenants ; and those to whom re- 
 spect was had in them were in very different circum- 
 stunces. 
 
 I. The covenant made with Christ, is quite distinct 
 from that wdiich was made Avith Adam. When God 
 made the first covenant with Adam, although the 
 moral law remained as the rule of righteousness ; yec 
 the test of his obedience was contracted to a single 
 point ; and was confined to the tree of life, and the 
 tree of knowledge of good and evil : but in this sec- 
 ond covenant made with Christ, i know of no particu- 
 lar test of obedience prescribed to him ; but the whole 
 law lay before him, and perfect obedience to it made 
 the condition of life. In the first covenant, the obe- 
 dience of Adam was brought to a trial c'ily in a single 
 point : but in this second covenant, the obedience of 
 the man Christ Jesus was put to the trial in all points 
 of duty. Indeed, there are some special branches of 
 duty enjoined by the moral law, in some certain cases 
 and circumstances, in which the obedience of our 
 new covenant-head was not put to the trial. The va- 
 rious stations in life have particular duties connected 
 \Tith them ; which arc incumbent only on such per- 
 
7S 
 
 •^0113 as arc in such circumstances. And as Christ 
 never sustained such circumstances and relations, his 
 o!)e{Uencc in such points was not hrought to a trial. 
 But as he was inten^led tp be a common blessing to 
 mankind ; so he stood a probationer in the second 
 covenant, in such circumstances as are common 
 to all inen. And in this respect it may be said. 
 He I'jas temJiCed in all points like as ive are^ yet TJith- 
 out sin. 
 
 The man Christ Jesus was in a state of trial under 
 th.is second covenant, as really as Adam v/as under the 
 first ; and his own life or death was depending, whilst 
 that trial lasted. For when he was made man, he 
 was made under the lavv, and took upon him the form 
 or'a servant ; and if it might be supposed that he had 
 failed in his obedience ;" he would have forfeited life, 
 and fallen under condemnation ; but as he persevered 
 in his obedience to the end of his trial ; his title to life 
 WHS confirmed by the covenant which h?; had fulfilled. 
 Indeed, there v.as a great personal difference between 
 Adam and Christ. Adam was a mere creature, of a 
 livnited mutable nature : but the man Christ Jesus 
 was a partaker of the divine and unchangeable nature ; 
 which diO'erence in their persons, made a great differ- 
 ence in their state of probation, with respect to the 
 certainty, of the issue. A liablencss to sin,orapos- 
 sibiiiiy of sinning seems to be an idea inseparably 
 connected with a state of probation. This is certain- 
 ly the case, when the probationer is a mere creature, 
 of a limited, dependent, mutable nature. When 
 Adam was made a probationer under the first cove- 
 nant, his own strength, or that natural ability for the 
 i.ervice of God with which he was createc, was the 
 fund by virtue of which he was to go through his tri- 
 al. In his case therefore, a liableness to sin was es- 
 sential to his state of probation. And when the Son 
 ©f God in our nature was put into a stute of trial under 
 the second covenant, there was a liableness that he 
 should sin, so far as one who is a partaker of divine 
 im mutability nuvy be said to be liable to it. He was 
 
74 
 
 in ail points tempted like as we are. There was no- 
 thing in the state in which he stood, nor in ihe trials 
 he passed through, on account of which it can be said, 
 that he was not liable to fail. The only infallible se- 
 curity of his not failing, was his own personal fund of 
 divine immutability which the nranhood enjoyed by 
 its union with the Godhead. But this notwithstand- 
 ing, he Was in ail points tempted like as we are ; yea, 
 he seems to have hud all the temptations laid in his 
 "Way, that the cruelty of men, and the malice of devils 
 could invent,ybr then was their houvj aiid the fiovier of 
 darkness ; und all the difference there was between 
 Adam and Christ, with respect to the certainty of the 
 issue of their trials, was owing to the difference there 
 was in their persons. 
 
 How long Adam was to have stood a probationer 
 under the first covenant if he had been faithful, is not 
 told us ; but the term of trial appointed to our new 
 covenant-head was the whole period of the days of his 
 flesh. It began when he took our nature on him, and 
 lasted till the time of his death, when with his last 
 breath, he said, ItisJinUhed. 
 
 This obedience of our Savier is not to be viewed as 
 that in which he alone was concerned ; but he per- 
 formed it in the character of a covenant-head ; and 
 'tis improved by him in his executing his meditorial 
 offices, as a part of his mediatorial work, or as that 
 righteousness by which he procures the justification 
 of life for his people. As Adam's offence brought 
 the sentence of condemnation on him, and on his na- 
 tural seed : so the obedience of Christ brings justifi- 
 cation on him, and on his spiritual seed. Rom. v. 19, 
 <* For as by one man's disobedience many were made 
 sinners : so by the obedience of one shall many be 
 Blade righteous." 
 
 2. 1 hose to whom respect was had in these two 
 covenants, are under very difi*erent circumstances. 
 The first covenant was made with Adam in a state of 
 innocence, and his seed for whom he stood a covenant- 
 hwtl were supposed to come into the world in an in* 
 
75 
 
 Bocent state ; active obedience therefore was all that 
 was then necessary to the obtaininij a title to the pro- 
 mised reward. But the case of mankind since the 
 fall, is widely different, for whom the second Adam 
 acted in the capacity of a covenant-head. We come 
 into the world under sin, our nature is depraved, and 
 our lives filled up with numberless trangressions. 
 The wages of sin are due to us ; we lie open to 
 death, not of the body only, but of the soul too, in suf- 
 fering the vengeance of Almighty God in the eternai 
 stale. These wages of sin were considered as due to 
 us when the son of God undertook to be our Savior ; 
 and he had this guilt of sin to do away, as well as to 
 provide a justifying righteousness for us by his active 
 obedience. And hence it was necessary to our re- 
 demption, that he hU own self^ should bear our sins in 
 his 0TJ71 body mi the tree. This is part of the work the 
 son of God undertook to perform in the covenant of 
 redemption. 
 
 Whether Adam would have had any thing further 
 to have done, after he had yielded persevering obedi- 
 ence to the first covenant, to the period ot his proba- 
 tion state, in order to make his seed partakers of th^ 
 blessings to which he would have thereby procured 
 for them a title, is a matter about which the holy 
 scriptures are silent : But with respect to our Lord 
 Jesus Christ it is very evident, the work which he un- 
 dertook in the covenant of redemption, was of much 
 greater extent, and more lasting continuance than his 
 probation-state. That period in which we are to view 
 our Lord Jesus Christ as acting in a state of probation, 
 was from the time he took our nature on him, till he 
 finished his course in death upon the cross. Bat it is 
 evident, the work of redemption is of much larger 
 extent, and our Savior still had much to do, to make 
 his people partakers of those blessings which he had 
 procured for them by his holy life and atoning death. 
 For as he was delivered for our offences, so he was 
 raised again for our justification; and his work will 
 never be finished till he has brought all his redeem- 
 
til ones to the full possession of the promised inhei;- 
 itunce of eternal liic, and made them complete in 
 glory. 
 
 What has been now offered may serve as a general 
 view of the covenant of redemption. This is the first 
 and leading part of the dispensation of redeeming 
 t^-race, and is properly tlie foundation of all that iol- 
 iows, in all the dealings of God with mankind. 'Tis 
 on this covenant of redcmpiion, that the covenant of 
 reconciliation is predicated. Wherefore 
 
 2. 7Yie covenant of rcconciliaiion is a covenant be- 
 t.rjecii Godcmd &invers^ through the mediation of Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 'Ihe Lord Je^us Christ, by being vested with his 
 several offices, and performing the work he had un^ 
 dertaken in the covenant of redemption, laid a foun- 
 dation for, and became suitably qualified to carry on a 
 treaty of peace and reconciliation between God and 
 the sinful children of n.en ; for which cause he is cal- 
 led a ?y'lediaior. In the prosecution of this desig-n, he 
 is passed into the heavens, to appear in the presence 
 of God for us, to present his own obedience and atone- 
 ment on our behalf ; and to be our advocate ^vith the 
 Father. He has laid a foundation for the exercise of 
 God's parooning mercy, that he may becom.e recon- 
 ciled to siiiuers, and receive them to his everlasting- 
 love, consistent with his holiness and righteousness, 
 and t'le lienor and glory of his government. And all 
 the favor God shows to sinners, and the blessings, of 
 whatever kind he bestows upon them, are for the sake 
 of Christ, and on account of what he hath clone in this 
 mediatorial capacity. 
 
 Christ, in performing the work of a mediator, not 
 only thus applies to God for us ; but has also to deal 
 with sinners, to bring them to be reconciled to God. 
 In prosecution of this design, he has appeared in our 
 nature, to bring the glad tidings of salvation, has giv- 
 en a complete revelation of divine truth, has set up 
 his visible kingdom the chm-ch, has given rules for 
 the regulation of it, and has instituted a gcspei-nuni.-> 
 
try, worship and ordinances ; by all which, as a medi- 
 ator between God and sinners, he lre:its with them 
 about their reconciliation with God ; the terms of life 
 are stated, a compliance with them is urged upon sin- 
 ners, many gracious promises of bestowing the bles- 
 sings of salvation on all such as comply with the terms 
 fixed, are set before them. All these things are to 
 be considered as being included in the mediation of 
 Christ, hy which a treaty of peace is carried on, and 
 the covenant of reconciliation happily concluded be- 
 tween God and the complying soul. 
 
 Tlie terms fixed in the gospel, by a compliance 
 with which we become heirs of the promises, are 
 comprised by the apostle in refientance fvivard God^^ 
 and faith toward Qur Lord Jesus Chrht. Acts, xx, 
 21. Hereby it is we close covenant with God, and 
 become entitled to the blessings promised in it. — 
 These two christian graces, Faith and Refientance^ 
 although in some respects different exercises of the 
 heart, yet are of the same general nature, and inse- 
 parably take place in the soul at the same time. 
 
 Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, is a receiving' 
 him^ in all his offices, as he is offered to us in the gos- 
 pel John, i. 12. "As many as received him, to 
 them gave he power to become the Sons of God, 
 even to them that believe on his name." I am sensi- 
 ble the word faith is used in different senses in the 
 gospel ; but the faith by vrhich we become interest- 
 ed in the promises, is the faith here described. 
 
 Repentance towards God, is the returning of the 
 soul to God, through Jesus Christ. This is a con- 
 comitant act with that of receiving Christ. But as 
 there is some difference in these exercises of the 
 heart ; so a corresponding distinction is to be made 
 in thrs covenant of reconciliation. This covenant is 
 represented in two different points of light, in the 
 gospel ; or rather, as being in some sense two dis- 
 tinct covenants : as much distinct as faith and re- 
 pentance are distinct exercises ; the one is a coven- 
 
 7* 
 
78 
 
 ant'Union tvith Christy and the other a covenant-r ela- 
 tion to^ and interest in God, through Christ, 
 
 1. This covenant of reconciliation is primarily to 
 be considered as a covenant-relation to Christ, or un- 
 ion with him by faith. Hence the common appella- 
 tion of the church is, The Church of Christ, It is 
 styled " Christ*s onvn house.^^ Heb. iii, 6. When 
 the church is styled a Kingdom, Christ is the king of 
 of it. And when it is compared to a building, Christ 
 is the foundation, or chief corner-stone. So, when 
 believers in particular are mentioned, they are spo- 
 ken of as esfioused to Christ ; and their relation to 
 him is frequently compared to the marriage-coven- 
 ant. These things being attended to, make it evi- 
 dent, that the covenant of reconciliation completed, is 
 primarily to be considered as a covenant-closure with 
 Christ. 
 
 2. This covenant of reconciliation is a covenant-re- 
 lation to God, through Christ. As faith towards our 
 Lord Jesus Christ is a covenant-closure with him as 
 our Savior upon the gospel offer ; so repentance to- 
 wards God is a covenant-closure with him, as our 
 God, through Christ. Although faith and repent- 
 ance take place in the heart at the same time ; yet 
 we see, in the order of nature, faith is necessarily be- 
 fore repentance. Hence the apostle speaks of " com- 
 ing to God by Christ." Heb. vii. 25. And our Lord 
 himself testifies, " No man can come unto the Father 
 but by me." John xiv 6. 
 
 When a sinner is brought to this repentance to- 
 ward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 this treaty of peace is concluded ; the penitent believ- 
 er therein obtains a sure and unfailing interest in God 
 and Christ, and a covenant-title to all the sure mercies 
 of Christ, the true David. It is by the mediation of 
 Christ, that this treaty of peace, this covenant of re- 
 conciliation is brought about, and thus happily con- 
 cluded. 
 
 These few observations may suffice for a general 
 account of the covenant of grace, and the several 
 
79 
 
 parts included in it. The covenant of redempiion is 
 the first and leading part of it, on wiucli the covenant 
 of reconeiliation is predicated, and all the subsequent 
 dealings of God with mankind, flow from it ; by at- 
 tending to which, we shall be led into a more full 
 acquaintance with the covenant, and more clearly see 
 the;true tenor of it. Therefore, 
 
 III. I proceed to inquire into the state of mankind 
 under this dispensation of redeeming grace, and the 
 tenor of the various dealings of God with them. 
 
 When God came to our first parents after the fall, 
 and had convicted them of their breach of the first 
 covenant ; he thereupon revealed the covenant o-f 
 grace, by the promise of the seed of the woman that 
 should bruise the serpent's head and thereby the 
 dispensation of redeeming grace was brouglu in, the 
 Redeemer's kingdom was set up, and the influence 
 of his mediation took place, before God proceeded to 
 pass any sentence upon them for their transgression. 
 And this dispensation of redeeming grace being thus 
 brought in, from this time forward it i^ecarne the 
 foundation of all the subsequent dealings of God with 
 mankind ; which I shall essay to illustrate in the fol- 
 lowing observations. 
 
 1. By the introduction of this new dispensation, 
 the execution of the threatening of the first covenant 
 upon our first parents was prevented ; and a new 
 state of trial for life or death was granted them, 
 which made room for their posterity to come into ex- 
 istence in the coarse oi ordinary generation. When 
 Adam had broken the first covenant, death became 
 his due according to the threatening, " In the day 
 that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." — 
 There remained no room for him to continue any 
 longer a probationer under the first covenant ; but 
 his state was effectually decided : nothhjg but death 
 was before him. And as the tenor of the threatening 
 was, that he shottld die on the day that he sinned ; 
 there must have been a speedy end of him, and with 
 
80 
 
 iiim, the end of the whole human race ; and this 
 world which was made for his habitation, must have 
 been destroyed, or remained an uninhabited desert, it' 
 the Mediator had not then interposed to sustain the 
 sinkinj^ vrorld. But as the mediation of Jesus Christ 
 then took place, on that account God continued to 
 uphold the world, to preserA'^c the course of nature, 
 to spare fallen Adam from the execution of the curse 
 of the broken covenant, and to grant him another 
 state of trial on tlie footing of the covenant of grace. 
 
 Some have taken much pains to little purpose, to 
 show a reason why Adam did not suffer death on the 
 day that he sinned, according to the threatening of 
 the first covenant ; and have labored to give such an 
 unnatural turn to the threatening, as to make it con- 
 sistent with God's sparing him from present death, and 
 allowing him to live long enough to leave a posterity 
 of sinful mortals behind him, before the threatened 
 death should be inflicted upon him. But such delays 
 of justice cannot be accounted for, from the tenor of 
 the first covenant : but it v/as manifestly a privilege 
 granted to him in the covenant of grace, as a fruit of 
 the mediation of Christ. After the breach of the first 
 covenant, x\dam lived above nine hundred years ; dur- 
 ing which period he was a probationer for life or death, 
 under the covenant of grace : and this day of grace 
 therefore, must necessarily be looked upon a^, a priv- 
 ilege procured for him by the Mediator, and granted 
 to him in the covenant of grace. A. id this view of 
 the case gives us a plain, natural and easy account of 
 God's sparing Adam from punishment according to 
 the threatening : It was the Mediator who obtained 
 this privilege, or reprieve from death for him. 
 
 When the first covenant was broken, and Adam 
 had thereby laid himself open to the curse of it ; the 
 question to be determined was, whether the curse 
 should be executed upon him, and the whole human 
 race be cut oft at one stroke : or whether that coven- 
 ant should be superceded by the introduction of the 
 second covenant j whereby a trial for life or death 
 
81 
 
 bhould be gran led both to him and to his seed, upoii. 
 this new footing;. It was tb.e last of these which divine 
 wisdom and goodness hrith chosen Here then we 
 are to inquire what that state isj in which Adam and 
 his seed are to be coiisidered, when this change in 
 the divine government was made, in superceding the 
 first covenant by the introduction of the second. 
 
 As to Adaniy it is plain he then stood as a fdllen 
 creature betore Gcd ; and yet, it remained to be de- 
 termined by his conduct under tliis second covenant 
 wliether life or death should be his portion And as 
 to his seed, the state in which they are born, is 
 much the same with that in which he then stood. 
 When Adam was created, his Maker formed him to 
 be the root and father of the human race. The man- 
 ner in which mankind v/ere to come into beuig, was 
 then established to be by ordinary generation. The 
 God of nature then esteiblished such a near and close 
 natural union among them, that they should be all 
 partakers of the same nature, share in like privile- 
 ges, and be dealt with upon the same footing ; this 
 natural union being a proper foundation of, and a 
 leadirg step to that federal union between him and 
 his seed, which was appointed in the first covenant. 
 Union wifh the blessed God, the supreme head of 
 the moral vvorld, is, in the nature of things, necessa- 
 ry to the well being of the rational system. This 
 Slate cf union with God, v.-as the state in which the 
 human nature was first fornied. And for securing 
 and preserving this union of the human race with 
 God, both the natural and the federal union wliich 
 were originally ordained between Adam and his 
 seed, were intended to be subservient. That cov- 
 enanr-union which God appointed betv/een Adam and 
 lus seed, was not to be considered as a mere arbi- 
 trary appointment ; (though on that supposition, the 
 divine right and authority cannot be disputed) but it 
 was a wise and proper m.ethod to preserve and secure 
 that union of mankind with himself, which is essen- 
 tial to the happiness of his rational creatures.— 
 
82 
 
 Whether there was any other, or any better method 
 that could huve aeen devised to secure the union of 
 mankind with God, than that which was provided in 
 nature, and appointed in the first covenant, is not 
 for us to determine. But this consideration should 
 satisfy us in the case, that of all possible methods, in- 
 finite and unerring wisdom made choice of this nat- 
 ural and federal union of mankind with their first fa- 
 ther. But we see, Adam by his misconduct frustra- 
 ted the good tendency and intention of his primitive 
 state, and brought ruin upon himself ; and his seed 
 thereby became liable to be cut off from their tl^en 
 future, intended existence. But as by the second 
 covenant, a new state of trial and day of grace was 
 afforded to our first parents ; it made way for their 
 seed to come into the world according to the origin- 
 ally appointed method of ordinary generation. And 
 this shows that we receive even our natural exist- 
 ence through the influence of the mediation of Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 It has been before proved, that Adam's seed, ac- 
 cording to the constitution of the first covenant, were 
 to be affected with, and sharers in the fruits and con- 
 sequences of his conduct under that dispensation. — 
 And what great advantages would have accrued to 
 them from his fidelity, had he been faith fuU we have 
 not sufficient light from the word of God to deter- 
 mine. But since he fell, and it was the introduction 
 of the second covenant that made room for us to 
 come into being according to the originally appoint- 
 ed method of ordinary generation, it is not reasonable 
 to suppose we shall now suffer any greater positive 
 punishment on accouut of Adam's breach of cove- 
 nant, than v/e should have done if the second covenant 
 had not been brought in ; but the first covenant had 
 had its full operation. Indeed, sins committed un- 
 der any dispensation, are aggravated in proportion to 
 the excellency of the constitution, and the privileges 
 coritained in it. Although, therefore, sins commit- 
 ted under the covenant of grace, arc peculiarly ag» 
 
83 
 
 g-ravated, yet this affords no reason why Adam's seed 
 should have a greater punishment luid iipoii tiicm 
 for his breach of the first covenant, than they were to 
 have suffered according to the covenant under which 
 the offence was committed. And as all the evil tlney 
 wo\iid have suffered if the first covenant had had its 
 full operation, was merely negative, in that their then 
 future existence would have been prevented ; there- 
 fore a greater evil than non-existence cannot be ex- 
 ecuted upon any of the seed of Adam, merely for his 
 breach of covenant And accoidingly we no where 
 find mankind ever threatened with future damnation 
 merely for the sin of Adum. 
 
 Wherefore if the future state of the infants of hea- 
 then dying in infuncy, should be objected against 
 what has been now offered, i would reply — The me- 
 diation of the Lord Jesus Christ procured their natu- 
 ral life ; they were born into the world probationers 
 under the covenant of grace. If, therefore, they pe- 
 rish in tiie next world, it must be not for Adam's 
 breach of the first covenant, but for their non-com- 
 pliance with the covenant of grace. There are no 
 greater difficulties attending the supposition of their 
 perishing for non-compliance with the covenant of 
 grace, than there are attending the supposition of 
 their suffering for the sin of Adam imputed. But I 
 know of nothing that will warrant our saying any 
 such shall perish. For it was the mediation of Jesus 
 Christ that procured their natural life, and they are 
 born probationers under the covenant of grace ; and 
 although they are taken* out of the vrorld before 
 they were capable of yielding actual compliance with 
 the terms of life ; yet neither have they positively 
 rejected them. But it must be confessed the scrip- 
 tures do not afford sufficient light to enable us to 
 Aiake any certain conclusions in the case. 
 
 But it any will insist upon it, that as they are natu- 
 rally depraved by Adam's fall, so they must suffer 
 for it after death ; I answer — As the evil they would 
 hnvc suffered if the first covenant had had its fuD 
 
84 
 
 operation, would have been ncn-cxisiencc^ Uierefort 
 their tuturc punishment must be annihilation. 
 
 Seeing' then the supeieeding the first covenant by 
 the intvoduclion of the second, has made way lor the 
 seed of Adr.m to be born into the world probation- 
 ers for life or death, mider the covenant of grace ; 
 it will be inquired how ? Or whether we be at all 
 interested in, or afiected with this breach of cov- 
 
 enant 
 
 ■ To this inquiry I answer, in tAVo respects. 
 I 1. We enjoy a much less happy state in this life, 
 than mit^ht hav-e been expected, if our first parents 
 bad not fallen. \V e are exposed to innumerable evils 
 in this life, and even to suiTer a bodily death ; all 
 which arc undeniably laid upon us on account of Ad- 
 am's fail ; as evidently appears from that sentence 
 p'.issed upon him ; which nianifestly extends to, and 
 equaiiy lies upon all his seed. Gen. iii. 17, 18, 19, 
 " And unto Adam he said, because thou hast heark- 
 ened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the 
 tree of which I commanded thee saying, thou shalt 
 not cat of it ; cursed is the ground for thy sake ; in 
 soj'row shdlt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. 
 1 norns also and thistles shall it bring forth unto ihee ; 
 anu thou shatt eat the hcvb of the field, in the sweat 
 of ihy face shaJt thou eat bread, till thou return unto 
 the ground ; for out of it wast thou taken ; for dust 
 thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." 
 
 2. We do not come into the v/orld in that state of 
 union and friendship v»'ith God that we should have 
 done, if Adam had not fallen. God at first made 
 Adcim in his own image, in a stale of union and friend- 
 ship with his Maker ; and if children had been bora 
 luuo him whilst he stood in that state, they also would 
 bvive come inio the world in such a state of union and 
 fiiendship with God. But after he fell, he begat a 
 son in his own likeness. 
 
 Union with Aciam v/as the way appointed in the 
 first covenant, i\>r the enjoyment of Iriendship and 
 communion v-iih God : Ikit s-incc the first covenant 
 
S5 
 
 was superseded by the introduction of the second, 
 union witii Christ our new covenant-head, is the only- 
 way tor us now to enjoy friendship and communion 
 wiihGod. If therefore there was nothin;^ to be 
 charged upon us, under the present dispensation, but 
 the Want of that faith by which we should be united 
 to Christ ; it would be sufficient matter of condemna- 
 tion. For tills is the tenor of the new coven mt, 
 M.u'k xvi. 16. *' He that believeth and is baptized 
 shall be saved : but he that believeth not shall be 
 damned." We are born probationers for life or 
 deaii under this- new disp-^-nsation ; and shall he 
 judged in the last day, and dealt with in the future ' 
 state, not accorrlinr^- to the first covenant made with 
 Adam ; but according, to the covenant of grace, 
 brougiit in by the mediation of Christ. For vs'e no 
 where find the children of men threatened with fu- 
 ture damnation on account of Adam's breach of 
 covenant. 
 
 As union to and communion with God tmder tlie 
 present dispensation, is not to be enjoyed by m.uikiud 
 but by faitii in the Mediator ; tiierefore the children 
 of men in their native stvite, are cut off from those di- 
 vine manifestc'.tions which would draw their hearts to 
 the love of God ; and of course, they fail in love v^itk 
 creatures as has before been described. This is the 
 greatest evil we suffer for the siii ot Adam. 
 
 Although the .first covenant is superseded by the 
 introduction of the second, yet the originally appoint- 
 ed method for mankind to enter into life by ordinary 
 generation, is noi thereby broken up ; nor is the first 
 covenant anniiiiiated by being superceded, or mude 
 to be as if it never had been ; but it remains as an 
 antiquated dispensation, under v/hich mankind are to 
 be considered as having once stood For altiiough 
 there is a great disr mce of time between he former 
 and lat.er gor.eryt.igns of \d im's seed as to the pe- 
 riod when they cntf^r into life ; yet this makes no 
 aiter.iuon as to tiiC state in which they come into the 
 world i becr-iuse ttiey virtually existed iti Adam, as* 
 8 
 
S6 
 
 appears from the natural union between him and 
 them, and the covenant-union which was predicated 
 ;ipon it. The coui-se of nature is affected wiih this 
 fiibi constitution throughout all generations ; and by 
 it, the character of a sinner is fastened upon them. 
 If the whole human race had actually existed at the 
 time when the first covenant was superseded by the 
 second, it is easy to see how the first covenant would 
 have fixed the character of a sinner upon them, by 
 virtue of of their union with Adam : but the origin- 
 ally appointed method of entering into life in a suc- 
 cession of many generations, is equally consistent 
 \vith their being all equally affected with that primi- 
 tive constitution ; although there is such great dis- . 
 tance of time between them. But notwithstanding 
 this operation of the first covenant, they arc to be 
 considered as being born under the covenant of 
 grace, under which they stand probationers for life or 
 death. 
 
 Objection. If the first covenant is superseded by 
 the second, and we are born under the covenant of 
 grace, to stand in a state of probation under it alone, 
 why then should we be at all affected wdth the first 
 covenant ? Or be tainted by Adam's breach of it ? 
 
 jlnaiver. When Adam was made, and placed un- 
 der the first covenant, he had a seed given him. 
 When he fell, being spared from present death 
 through the Mediator, it made room for his seed to 
 be born. The introduction of the second covenant 
 did not give him a seed : but it prevented the ex- 
 cision of his then future intended seed, by the execu- 
 tion of the curse of the first covenant ; his seed m-^y 
 be said to be redeemed from non-existence, in like 
 manner as Adam was redeemed from present death. 
 If therefore we have our originally intended exist- 
 ence, we must come into the w®rld as the seed of 
 Adam. Our receiving our originally intended ex- 
 istence, as the seed of Adam, after his fall, could not 
 be separated from our sharing in the depravity of his 
 fallen state. The introduction of the second coven- 
 
87 
 
 ant could not possiblv have prevented this, without 
 breaking- in upon the order of nature, unJ dissolving 
 the originally appointed method of coming into the 
 world in the course of ordinary generation ; whicli 
 would, in reality, have been the bringing in of another 
 race of bein9:s, instead of the originally intended seed. 
 And if we will object against this, it will be ultimate- 
 ly to object against God's gracious dealings with our 
 first parents, in sparing them from present death, by 
 the introduction of the second covenant. But shall 
 our eye be evil, because he is good ? 
 
 Upon the whole then, when we survey the dealings 
 of God with mankind from the beginning, we shall 
 fiuv: no reason to complain of his ways as not being 
 equal, on account of any thing we suffer because of 
 Adam's breach of the first cov«nant. 
 
 2. This new covenant is the foundation of God's 
 present plan of providential government over the 
 world. 
 
 As it was the mediation of Christ which prevented 
 the execution of the curse of the first covenant upoa 
 Adam, and made room for his posterity to come into 
 being in their several generations ; so it is to be as- 
 cribed to the same cause that the earth was preser- 
 ved, the course of nature continued, and mankind en- 
 joy the present life with all the comforts of it. And 
 this shows how pertinently those words may be ap- 
 plied to Christ in Ps. Ixxv. 3. " The earth and all 
 the inhabitants thereof are dissolved : I bear up the 
 pillars of it." God's dealings with mankind in the 
 various dispensations of providence, must be acknow- 
 ledged to be agreeable to the state in which he hath 
 placed them. And as it is the covenant of grace un- 
 der which mankind are placed in a state of probation, 
 in the present life ; we must suppose the plan of his 
 providential government is regulated according to 
 that covenant. For as we have received this present 
 life by the influence of the Mediator of the new cov- 
 enant ; therefore all our circumstances in life must 
 be ordered accordingly. This is the case in all di" 
 
ss 
 
 vine visitations in the way of either mercies, or afflic- 
 tions ; they are ail ^o be consiacied as dispensations 
 dealt out to us by God, accordini^ to the tenor of the 
 covenant of grace ; and are wisely adiipied to pro- 
 mote the great ends of his glory, and the best inter- 
 est of man, for the sake of which the new covenant 
 was brought in. Or in otiier words, i/iey are mtuns 
 of grace. They fall under ti;e general denomination 
 of means, which God is using with mankind to sub- 
 serve the pui poses of his glory in the salvation of sin- 
 ners. 
 
 This is the light in which we are to view the com-- 
 mon bounties ot divine providence. The ap jstle 
 represents it as the tendency of divine goodne.-^s in 
 the bestowment of common bounties, '' l^o lead us to 
 repentance." Rom. ii. 4. It is through the grace 
 of the new covenant that God causeth the sun to lise 
 upon the evil- and upon the good ; and scndcth rain 
 upon the just, and upon the ur.just 'ihe heathen 
 nations who know not Christ* nor piofcss him, are 
 partakers of these benefits of his mediation. 
 
 In the same light also are we to view the afflictive 
 dispensations of divine providence. It belongs to the 
 covenant love and faithiuhicss of God, in son.e cases, 
 to visit mankind with afflictions. '< For whom the 
 Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son 
 whom he rcceiveth. God doth this for our profit, 
 that being chastened of the Lord, we should not be 
 condenmed with the wicked " Afflictions tend many 
 ways to promote the spiritual good of mankind, and 
 great benefits are many times received from them. 
 Indeed, the curse causeless shall not come; sin is 
 the procuring cause of them : but yet, they are not 
 serit properly as punishments, hut as coi rections ; 
 and the design of them is not our destruction, but our 
 amendment. 
 
 Not only these lighter strokes of affliction which 
 are laid Vipon us in this life ; but also that bodily death 
 to which we are su'.ijecied in this present state, is a 
 dispensation of God, appointed to us in the covenant of 
 
89 
 
 ^race. SeeinE^ death was (he punishment threatened 
 for sin, in the first covenant ; it iiiay be thought sir mge 
 that I should vepresent it .iS an appoiiitment in tae cov- 
 enant of grace- But let it be rcinembered thattlie death 
 threatened in the first covenant, inciu led the whole 
 of tliut punishment vviuch was to be inOicted on man 
 for sin ; which punishment must necessarily reach 
 and lie upon the soui as well as the body. Thede.'th 
 threatened in t'ie first covenant, contained much 
 mo''0 than a bodily death. And further : When Ood 
 came to our first parents after the fail, and had convict- 
 ed them of their breach of tiie covenant ; he first re- 
 vealed the covenant cig-racej in the promise of the seed 
 of the woman, before he proceeded to pass any sen- 
 tence upon them for their transgression. And as the 
 covenant of grace was then reve ded, so the mediation 
 of Christ then took place between God and m.m, 
 whereby the execution of the curse of the first cov- 
 enant was prevented ; and a new state ot trial grant- 
 ed to fallen man, under the coven nit of grace. And 
 although the sin of breaking tiie first covenant was 
 not properly pardoned ; yet the covenant itself was 
 superseded by the introduction of the covenant of 
 grace ; and it remained to be determined by their be- 
 havior under this second dispensation whether life 
 or death should be their portion Yet as ii the in-' 
 troduction of the second covenant, mankind are con- 
 sidered as having once stood in a state of pi'obation 
 under the first, and having the character of a sinner 
 fastened upon them by the breach of it ; so it has 
 seemed good in the sight of God to fix some lasting 
 monuments of it upon mankind, by retaining some of 
 the evils included in the original threatening which 
 might be consistent with his gracious purposes in the 
 second covenant ; and in particular, to chastise the 
 "whole human race for the breach of the first coven- 
 ant, by laying upon them the affliction of a bodily 
 death ; which, although laid for that first transgres- 
 sion, yet is not to be considered properly as the ex- 
 ecution of jhe full curse of the first covenant ; but as 
 an holy correction laid upon them under the coven- 
 8 ^- 
 
90 
 
 ant of grace. In this lic^ht Moses leads iis to consid- 
 er the sentence of a bodily death vviiich was pissed 
 upon the human race after the fall. Gen. iii 17, 18, 
 19 " ^nd unto Adam he said, because thou hast 
 hearkened to the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten oi" 
 the tree of wliich I commanded thee, saying, thou 
 shalt not eat of it : cursed is the ground for tliy s >ke : 
 in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of tliy life. 
 Thorns also and thistles sb.all it bring forth *unto 
 thee : and thou shalt cat the herb of the field. In 
 the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou 
 return unto the ground :' for out of it wast thou ta- 
 ken : for dust thou art ; and unto dust shalt thou re- 
 turn." Here we evidenily see, that a bodily death 
 is numbf^red among the other sorrows and afliicticns 
 which m unkind were to be exercised with in this life, 
 and '.ppointed to them on the same footing. These 
 evils are far from being the full import of that threat- 
 ening which was set before* Adam in the first coven- 
 ant. " In the day tliat thou eatest thereof, thou sh dt 
 surely die." This threatening, as I have before 
 shown, i icludes much more than a bodily death, even 
 future sufferings. And besiclci, these other afflicdons 
 €^ this life, are in otner parts of the Bible constantly 
 represented as the chastisements of a covenant-God. 
 As therefore the other ailiictions of this life, are the 
 dealings of God in the covenant of grace ; so also is 
 this of I bodily death. A bodily death which is now 
 the common portion of saints iiud sinners, is not to 
 be looked upon as that in which the full curse of the 
 first covenant is executed upon mankind : but it is to 
 be esteemed as ihi appointment of God in the coven- 
 ant of grace, in the exercise of his wisdom, holiness, 
 and covenant lore, wusely suiled to the state of man- 
 kind in this life, to serve very important purposes 
 respecting their probation under the covenant of 
 grace. It is the present mortality of mankind that 
 in a special manner awakens sleepy sinners, fixes 
 their attention upon their spiritual concerns, restrains 
 their corruptions, and quickens them to diligence in 
 seeking salvation. And it is many ways advantage- 
 
91 
 
 ous to the true believer. It is an armor ag-ainst 
 temptations, a spur to his diligence, a peiiod to his 
 probation-stute, a release tVom labor, and a passa^^e 
 into promised rest. Hence, the apostle numi^ers 
 death amongst the privileges granted to believers in 
 the covenant of grace. I. Cor. iii. 22, 23. " Wheth- 
 er Paul, or ApoUos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, 
 or deatlu or things present, or things to come ; ail are 
 yours ; for ye are Christ's ; and Cl^^rist is God's.'* 
 
 As it has pleased God to grant to fallen man a new 
 state of trial ; so the period of life here allowed us is 
 the limiied time of our probation-state. We must, 
 in this lite, secure our title to the blessings set be- 
 fore us, or our opportunity f r it will be forever over. 
 Our present state of trial being confined to this life, 
 the lengtn of it is determined by the sovereit;n pleas- 
 ure of God : to some he is pleased to allow a longer, 
 and to others a shorter space ; reserving tlih among 
 the secrets of his ow^n w ill, that man, viewing him- 
 self every moment liable to die, might be qiiickencd 
 to greater diligence in improving the day and means 
 of grace. 
 
 The appointment of a day of general judgm.ent, 
 and of the resurrection of tlie dead in order to it, be- 
 long to this new dispensatioii. There was no men- 
 tion of these things in the first covenant ; nor did the 
 first state of man require, or even admit of them: 
 but they are very agreeable to our state of trial un- 
 der the new covenant. God hath appointed a day in 
 ^vl■lich he will judge the world in righteousness by 
 Jesus Christ, w ho will come again in tiie clouds for 
 that purpose ; when all that are in their graves biiuil 
 hear his voice, and shall come foi'th ; they that have 
 doric good, to the resurrection of life ; and they tnat 
 have done evil, unto the resurrection of danmation. 
 The resurrection of the body is an appointment of 
 the new covenant, as well as the day of general judg- 
 ment ; and both are parts of that scheme which di- 
 vine wisdom hath laid in the covenant of grace, under 
 which mankind are now made pro!)ationei s : There- 
 fore all, both good and bad, shall share in them as the 
 
92 
 
 fruit and effect of Chrisi's bein,^ made their coven- 
 ant-head in this dispensation. And thus the words of 
 our text will Le ni.de good in their fullest import. 
 " For since by man cam'15 death, by man came also 
 the resurrection of the de^d. For as in Adam all 
 die, so in Christ shull all be made alive " 
 
 3. This new co\ enu.nt is the rule of God's moral 
 government over the world. God's moral govern- 
 ment is his government over moral agents. And 
 here, man only falls under our present consideration. 
 By the moral law is commonly meant thyt rule of 
 righteousness between God and man, which is found- 
 ed in, and arises from the reason and nv.ture of things. 
 Thus, man was created under such bonds of duly to 
 his Creator ; yea, aiid he necessarily remains so, un- 
 der all the particular forms of divine government 
 which God hath appointed to him. The tenor of the 
 law is, " The man that doth them, shall live in them : 
 But cursed is every one that continueth not in all 
 things which are written in the book of the law to do 
 them." 
 
 Man being at first made under the law, whilst he re- 
 mained so could expect nothing more in consequence 
 of his obedience, than to be preserved in b.is then pre- 
 sent state of happiness so long as he connmied obe- 
 dient : but en the first offence he weuld tail under 
 the curse. But the appointment of a particular test, 
 and subjrinlng a promise of life as the reward of obe- 
 dience, and the threatening oi death as the punish- 
 ment of sin, according to tlie behavior of man during 
 a certain term of time, did so alter the tenor of the 
 divine government, as to make it of the nature of a 
 covenant ; although the same rule of duty tht laiv^ 
 continued under this new form. Tnis was the case 
 when God entered into a covenant of life and death 
 wirh our first parents ; the whole law still remained 
 as (.heir rule of duty, although their tried for life or 
 death was contracted to a single point, as has been 
 before observed ; and thei'^ obligations to obedience 
 to the whole law were increased by uie favors grant- 
 
93 
 
 ed in that covenant. So likeT^'ise, ^vhen God brought 
 in the covenant of grace upon the full of man ; the 
 moral law still remained hU rule of duty, in this new 
 covenunt-forin. I'lie moral law is put into the hand 
 of Christ, and is the law of the Redeemer's king- 
 dom ; and every trunstrresbion of it is a sin ac^ainst 
 the divine authority exercised over man, in this cov- 
 enant. For the moiiil lav/ belongs to. and is included 
 in the covenant of grace, as the rule of duty there set 
 before us. It is by Christ's anthoiity this rule of 
 duly is enjoined upon us; our conforuiiiy to it is 
 properly obedience to him ; and throuti,h tiic influ- 
 ence of his mediation, the motives to cb.edicnce, 
 /ironiisf's and i/i'-tatenigs, now take lidld of us, and 
 and become effectual upon us. Hence, our obedi- 
 ence to it is siyled, The obcditncc of Jai*h ; faith in 
 the heart is tlie root and principle from whence all 
 holy obdience to the lasv ariscth. 
 
 Some pracdc;:! writers have distin punished betweerk 
 the law and gospel, as being; two dif'tinct rules of life 
 to mankind : and they represent soUiC things as du- 
 ties required by the law, and others as being rcquiied 
 by the gospel. But whatever advant -ges may, in 
 some respects, arise from these distinctions ; yet 
 tisey ought to l>e made with the greatest c;.ution, lest 
 Nve thereby darken our conceptions of the rule of our 
 duty, and tiie tenor of the divine government. It is 
 m.-nifestly absurd to represent two distinct and in- 
 corisistent forms of divine government as being in 
 force at the s^me time The'original form of divi.ie 
 government hi the moral law, piomising life to the 
 obedient, ajid threatening death to the offendtr, is 
 very- different from the form of divine government 
 set forth in the gospel, which sets up the Mediator 
 as universal king, promising life to them that believe 
 on him, and cursiiig every unbeliever, it gi\es a 
 very disagieeable chur.xter oft!.«di\iv)e Being, to 
 repiesent i'.im as holding mankin^l under t^o surh 
 widely differing fomis of govern^nent at the S" c 
 lime. This is an absurdity which has not been.stifr 
 
94 
 
 ^ciently attended lo. The various, glorious and ex- 
 alted characters under which the Lord Jesus Christ 
 is descriDed to us in the t;-ospei, evidently show that 
 the dispensation which he has brought in, is the pre- 
 sent plan of the divine government. The laws that we 
 are under as the rule of life, must be considered as 
 the laws of Christ. Christ is king in his own king- 
 rlom : no laws but his can be binding upon the subjects 
 of his own kingdom. It is inconsistent with our al- 
 legiance to him, to be in subjection to any foreign 
 government. The law of nature therefore is the law 
 of Christ, enjoined upon us by his authority, and pre- 
 scribed in the covenant of grace as the rule of duty 
 for us to walk by. 
 
 This dispensation of redeeming grace enforceth 
 the rule of duty upon us by promises and threaten- 
 ings. Some have entertained such a contracted no- 
 tion of the covenant of grace, as to confine it to a cov- 
 enant-closure with Jesus Christ, and containing liitle 
 or nothing more than promiiies of salvation to belie- 
 vers. But I apprehend, a little consideration might 
 convince us, that commands and threatenings belong 
 to it, as well as promises. Indeed, as it was the sub- 
 joining of promises and threatenings to the behavior 
 of man upon trial, which at first changed the tenor of 
 the divine government from that of mere law, to be 
 of the nature of a covenant ; so every particular 
 promise of any good thing may be considered as a dis- 
 tinct covenant : because every one that has those dis- 
 tinguishing qualifications to which particular prom- 
 ises have an express refeience, may be said to have a 
 covenant-right to the thing promised. And in this 
 way wc may make out as many covenants as there 
 are promises. And to this the apostle gives some 
 countenunce, by speaking of the Covenan- of firomise^ 
 in the plural number. But still it must be remem- 
 bered, that all t!ie* promises made to fallen man be- 
 long to the covenant of grace, and are predicated 
 upon the mediation of Jesus Claist. And threaten- 
 ings of punishment for sin belong to the same con- 
 
<)5 
 
 3titution as the prondses ; promises and threaten* 
 itti^s uie counteip.its to eacii ether 1. bciojii^s to 
 the iiiecliaiorial ctlicc ot Ci^srist, to ie\ eal the wiath of 
 God fVoiii htaven cigc mst the uiit;o'ihnesb and un- 
 rii^hteousnebs ol iiien, as weil as to set forth promis- 
 es ot" nieicy to the penitent believer. He was sent 
 into the world, to firocMim the acccfitablc year of the 
 Lord, and the day of vengeance 0/ our God, These 
 things make it manifest, that the threatenings con- 
 tained in the word of Gud belong to the covenant of 
 gi ace, as well as the promises : and this shows that 
 the covenant of i^race can condemn as well as justify. 
 The wicked in the day of judgment, will stand con- 
 demned by the same rule by which the righteous 
 shall be justified. 
 
 4. This dispensation w hich is brought in by the 
 Mediator, is that divine constitution under which 
 mankind are put into a state of pi obation for life or 
 dcc-.th. I have oiten had occasion, in the preceding 
 discourse, to mention our being probationers under 
 the covenant cf grace : but a matter ot this import- 
 ance deserves a particular consideration. 
 
 When Adam broke the first covenant, that dispen- 
 sation was superseded by the introduction of the cov- 
 enant of graoe. Life or death no longer depended 
 upon, nor were connected with that particular test of 
 obedience set forth in the first covenant. Indeed, 
 the first covenant was not abolished, nor Adam's 
 breach of it pardoned : but in the introduction of the 
 second covenant, man was considered as a transgres- 
 sor of the first. That first covenant has so far had 
 its influence, as to fix the character of a sinner, and to 
 fasten the guilt of the breach of it upon mankind ; 
 although his life or death no longer depend upon his 
 behavior respecting that particular test of obedience 
 specified in it. God foresaw the fall of Adam, and in 
 the eternal counsels of the divine mind provided a rem- 
 edy for him, in purposing to send his Son to redeem 
 and save fallen man, by the introduction of the second 
 covenant. And as it was the introduction of this ne>v 
 
96 
 
 dispensation that prevented the execution of the 
 curse upon Adam, and made way for his posterity to 
 be born into the vvoiid according- to the course of or- 
 dinary i^eneration, t'j enjoy a time of trial under tlie 
 covenant ot i^race : therefore the liii,ht in which we 
 aie to view munkincl, is not as liaving been only in 
 connexion with the first Adam, and in a state of ruin 
 by i;is breach of co\i nant ; but also, as in connexion 
 with the second Adam, the i^ord Jtsus Christ, ani in 
 a state of probation imder his tnedi.tion. We are 
 born pr(.b. tioners for life or death uiuier the coven- 
 ant oi grace, wJnch is the rule of the divine f;overn- 
 mei;t over us iri Uiis life, and ti^e i uie by wdiich cur 
 final stale shall be juciged and determined in the day 
 of judgment. 
 
 Although the rule of duly set us to walk by in the 
 covenant of gvace. takes in the wiioie will of God, 
 and requires universal holiness ;ind perfect obedi- 
 ence ; >et it has not made our performance of re- 
 quired obedience the condition of life, or tlie term on 
 which we shall enjoy the salvation offeied in the gos- 
 pel. Under the nrst covenajit, perfect obedience to 
 the wtiole will of God, was the duty of man ; yet his. 
 probation for life or death (as Jias been shown) was 
 limited to the particular precepts relating to the tree 
 of life, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 
 And thus it is in the covenant of grr.ce ; perfect obe- 
 dience to the will of God is still our duty : yet our 
 trial for life or death is limited lo a single point ; 
 viz. Union wilh Jesus Christ by faith. As the first 
 covenant was made with Adaui, as the covenant ht ad 
 of mankind ; so the seccaid coveriant is made wiiii 
 Christ, as a new covenant-head. Our union vviil'. the. 
 fijst Adam was the ioundation of our ruin through 
 his apojtacy ; and so our union v. ith the second 
 Adam by faith, is the foundation of our recovery ,aid 
 salvation, through his obedience. Christ stanus re- 
 lated, in some sense, to ail mankind, as their coven- 
 ani-head ; in that it was Ids stanciiiig in this cap^ti y, 
 th-at prevented the human race from becoming ex- 
 
87 
 
 iinct by the immediate death of Adam after liis fall ; 
 and made way for his posterity to be born. But 
 there is a union with Christ of a higher kind, a mor- 
 al, voluntary inward union of heart ; which is the 
 distinguishing character of a believer. 
 
 Faith in the general notion of it, is a firm belief of 
 the truth of the things which God has revealed to us 
 in his word ; which shall cause them to have an ef- 
 fectual influence on the heart. That belief of the 
 gospel as true, v/hich does not cause the truths in it to 
 have their proper, effectual influence on the heart, is 
 not faith, in a gospel sense. According to this gen- 
 eral account of faith, it appears that many and various 
 exercises of heart are included in it. But that faith 
 in particular which is of such special importance in 
 the covenant of reconciliation, as being the peculiar 
 point of trial to man in his present state of probation, 
 is such a belief of the report of the gospel concern- 
 ing Christ, as that the heart is pleased with him, and 
 receives him in all his oflices and relations, in which 
 lie is offered to us in the gospel. When this faith 
 towards our Lord Jesus Christ takes place, we shall 
 cordially join in with him in the same cause and in- 
 terest ; the effect of which will be, that we shall 
 walk even as he walked. Herein there is inward, 
 hearty, spiritual union with Christ in the new cov- 
 enant. 
 
 This spiritual union with Jesus Christ here briefly 
 described, is the faith to which the promises of sal- 
 vation are made in the gospel ; and all the descrip- 
 tions of a saving faith contained in the gospel, 
 agree with this representation of it. And that this 
 faith is the special test prescribed in the covenant of 
 grace, or the point in particular on v/hich our salva- 
 tion, or condemnation depends, 1 shall endeavor to 
 evince by the following considerations. 
 
 1. This appears to be the particuhir testtn the 
 covenant of grace, fi'om att^ dieting 'jo the character 
 and offices of our Lord Jesus Christ. The first and 
 leading character in which Christ appears ia his in- 
 
 9 
 
m 
 
 .U'oducing the dispensation of redeeming ^race, is 
 thai ol u covcnanL-heud. For the new covenant is 
 firstly made with him, as the head and representative 
 of his people ; and he is to act in, and transacl the 
 aft'.irs of the covenant for them. And this title of 
 covenant-head, with his other titles and offices, show 
 th«t his obedience is the li^hieousness by which his 
 people are justified, his sufferings are the atonement 
 on c.ccuunt of which their sins are pardoned, and his 
 mediation is the foundation of their acceptance with 
 God ; Therefore he is ihe Lord our rig/Ufoiisncss ; 
 he is the firojiitiation for our sins j and he is our ad' 
 •vacate with the leather : all which make it evident 
 that our pardon, justification, and acceptance with 
 God, flow from, and are the eifects of his mediation. 
 And if these benefits are procured for us by Christ's 
 mediatorial work, it is evident our dependence for 
 obtaining them, must be grounded, not upon any 
 thing which we do for ourselves ; but upon what 
 Christ has done and is doing for us. And for this 
 cause, we are so abundantly cautioned against a legal 
 self-righteous spirit, which inclines us to substitute 
 some doings or attainments of our own, as the foun- 
 dation of our hope, instead of the righteousness and 
 merit of Christ ; which disposition is properly oppo- 
 sition of heart to the way of life by Christ. By act- 
 ing under the influence of such a spirit, we impose 
 upon ourselves a m.uch more difficult condition of 
 life than God laid upon man in his innocent state. 
 Adam's trial was confined to a single point ; but 
 here we set ourselves the task of keeping the whole 
 law. But a due acknowledgment of Christ in his 
 mediatorial characters evidently implies the renoun- 
 cing all confidence in the flesh, and placing our whole 
 hope and dependence on him. 
 
 As the mediatorial offices and work of Christ is 
 the meritorious and procuring cause of all divine fa- 
 vor, and savhig mercies ; therefore il is necessary 
 ^ve should be united to him by laith, in gospel-iellow- 
 ship, that we may receive those benefits through 
 
99 
 
 liim. And accordingly this matter is conSrmed by 
 the tenor ot the call ot God to sinners, in the .^'Osptrl. 
 Matt. xi. 28. " Come unto mc all ye that labor and 
 iire heavy laden, and I will s^ive you rest." And very 
 express to the purpose arc those words of the apostle 
 in 1. Corinth i. 9. " God is faithful, by whom ye 
 are called uiito the fellowship of his Son, Cnrist Je- 
 sus our Lord." In these words there is an allusion 
 to fellowship which is practised among men. When 
 a numberof menjoinin fellowship, they put their seve- 
 ral interests into one common stock, have one com- 
 mon hue rest, and all pursue one common design ; 
 and such a federal union takes place among them, 
 that if one makes a good bargain, they all share the 
 benefit of it ; if one contracts a debt, they ali stand 
 obliged for the payment ; and if one makes payment, 
 they are all discharged. And in allusion to these 
 things, we are called of God, unto fellovv^shin with his 
 Son, Christ Jesus our Lord. He took our nature on 
 him, and came into fellowship with us, in our fallen 
 sinful state, by becoming our covenant-head ; and be- 
 ing thus nuni'oered with transgressors, he became 
 liable to pay our debts to divine justice ; for which 
 cause he bore our sin in his own body on the tree, 
 and was made a curse for us. And the end for 
 which he entered into this fellowiihip with sinners, 
 was that they also might join in, and enjoy lellowship 
 with him, in the merits of his holy obedience and 
 sufferings. By being united to Christ in the new 
 covenant, v/e er,j -y tellowship with him m all the 
 privileges and benefits of his mediation : our sins are 
 pardoned, we are justified, have peace v/ith God, 
 are admitted as his children, have the spirit of his 
 Son sent into our hearts, and are made heirs of God, 
 and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. 
 
 2. Union to Jesus Christ by faith, appears to be 
 the special point of trial set forth in the covenant of 
 grace, from this consideration, T/iai there is forgive" 
 ?ies{i of Hns granted to us in that covenant. Perfect 
 obedience to the will of God is unchangeably the duty 
 
100 
 
 of man. In tlie first covenant, although inaH was pujc 
 upon trial only in a single point ; yet he was not left 
 without a rule to walk by in other matters : but per- 
 fect obedience to the whole will of God was still h^s 
 duty ; whilst the perfection of his obedience w^is put 
 to trial but in a single instance. So it is likewise in 
 the Covenant of grace. Perfect obedience is still our 
 duty : yet our yielding this perfect obedience is not 
 made the condition of life. Our trial for life or death 
 is contracted to the single point of union with Christ 
 by faith : and yet, the rule set us to walk by, req^uires 
 perfect obedience. And it is because our trial for 
 life or death is confined to a single point, that there 
 is any loom in the covenant of grace, for the exercise 
 of God*s pardoning mercy to sinners. The great in- 
 quiry to be made in the day of judgment, into our 
 conduct in our probation-state, in order to determine 
 whether life or death shall be our portion, is not, 
 Hoiv inani/ dnHrs ivc haije performed _,- or Hoiv inany 
 sins ive havff committed : But it will be, TVhcCacr ive 
 have believed in C/nist. 
 
 Perfect obedience Is manifestly our duty in our 
 present state of trial, because we are required to re- 
 per of ail that imperiection v/hich is found in our 
 performances. But if any obedience which is short 
 of perfection, did come up to the demands v/hich are 
 made upon us in the rule of duty which is set us to 
 w^alk by, there would be no need of repenting of that 
 imperfection which is found in our obedience. For 
 "where there is no law, there can be no transgression. 
 But if the law does not require perfection from us, 
 our iniperfection cannot be a transgression of it. 
 But it is evident that every imperfection which at- 
 tends our obedience is sinful in the sight of God, and 
 we are required to repent, that we may be pardoned. 
 God hath made provision in the new covenant, by the 
 atonement of Christ's blood for the exercise of his 
 pardoning mercy in the forgiveness ofsuis ; yea Je- 
 sus Christ came into the world to save even tlie chief 
 ©f sinners ; therefore whosoever wilh though Uis sins 
 
101 
 
 are as scarlet, and red like crimson, may come, and 
 receive a tree p.irdon 
 
 Such ample proviiion bein?^ made for the pirdon 
 of the repentin'^' and returning sinner, it is aa evident 
 consequence that our pardon, acceptance with God, 
 and title to life do not depend upon our own ri ^nt- 
 eousness, or our performing- the duties required of us 
 in that rule of duty set us to walk by in our present 
 state : but they must depend upon what Christ has 
 done for us, by whom these privileges are procured : 
 from all which it is :in evident consequence, that our 
 interest in Christ, or union to him by faith, is the 
 turning point on which our life or death depends. 
 Very express to this point, is that text in John iii. 18, 
 " He that belie veth on him, is not condemned : but 
 he that believeth not, is condemned already ; because 
 he haih not believed in the name of the only begot- 
 ten Son of God." 
 
 3. It appears that union with Christ by faith, is the 
 special point of trial in our probation-state ; because 
 all the promises of special favor are made to believ- 
 ers " He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be 
 saved : but he that believeth not, shall be damned. 
 JJy him, all that believe are justified. There is now 
 no condemnation to thsni that are in Christ Jesus." 
 Our interest in all the blessings of a complete salva- 
 tion, is represented as depending upon our union v/ith 
 Cnrist. Gal. iii. 29. " If ye be Christ's, then ye are 
 Abraham's seed,and heirs according to the promise.** 
 Yea, as Christ is constituted the covenant-head of 
 mankind in this dispensation of redeeming grace ; so all 
 the promises of it are made to him, and through him 
 to them that are united to him by faith. Gal. iii. 16. 
 " Now to Abraham, and to his seed, were the prom- 
 ises made. He saith not. And to seeds, as of many : 
 but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.'' Here 
 Christ is pointed out as the seed, to whom the prom- 
 ises of the covenant are made. But then, we are not 
 to understand the seed to be Christ personally : but 
 Christ mystically J including all sucli as are united 
 
 9 * 
 
102 
 
 to him, and made members of that body of which he 
 is the head. 
 
 4. Union with Christ by faith is our special pbint 
 of trial because this faith is the root and principle of 
 universal holiness. This faith is a covenant-closure 
 with Christ, or such an hearty receiving; of him, and 
 devoting ourselves to him in all his offices, as inclines 
 the soul to return to God through him, and to join 
 heartily with him, in hib cause and interest. And 
 when this faith comes to be acted upon in the various 
 occasions of life, it will bring forth the good fruit of 
 new obedience. Good works, (sucii as are good in a 
 gospel-sense) do not go before, but do follow after, 
 and flow from faith. The believer is the workman- 
 ship of God, created in Christ .Tesus, unto good works. 
 And for this reason, new obedience ii so abundantly 
 insisted upon, as the principal evidence of our title 
 to life ; because it is the sure evidence, and genuine 
 fruit of that faith which savingly unites the soul to 
 Jesus Christ. 
 
 5. This faith which unites the soul to Christ, is pro- 
 perly the point of our triul in tne new covenant, be- 
 cause, in the first act of it, the whole imuge and like- 
 ness of God on the soul is included, complete in all 
 its parts, though greatly defective in degree. In the 
 trial of the obedience of Adam, under the first cove- 
 nant, ahhough his obedience was not brought upon 
 trial in every point of duty ; yet that one point con- 
 tained a full trial of the perfection of his obedience, 
 and gave him an opportunity either to exercise and 
 express the several properties of the image of God 
 in which he was created or to counteract them His 
 dependence upon God, his complacency in him, his 
 subjection to him, and the purity and integrity of his 
 whole heart were there put to the trial. So likewise 
 in our trial under the new covenant, in which believ- 
 ing is the special point ; therein we shall exercise 
 and express the complete moral image of God in all 
 its essential properties. And as all the essential pro- 
 perties of the divine image take place in the soul, 
 
103 
 
 tijion, or ill the first act of believing ; so we shall be; 
 hereby led to such a conduct as will express and 
 manifest this coniorniity to God, in the several actions 
 and on the various occasion.s of lilc. Our trial v/ith 
 respect to believing or not believing- in the name Oi' 
 the Son of God, is a proper and full ui.d of our con- 
 formity to God AUho' therefore our trial is brought 
 into such a narrow compass, and confined to a single 
 point ; yet it is so ordered, that the nature of this 
 union with Christ will answer all the salutary purpo- 
 ses of the grace of God ; it will effectually secure the 
 honor of the divine government, and restore the be- 
 lieving soul to a conformity to God in the practice of 
 universal holiness. 
 
 Thus graciously has God dealt with mankino' both 
 in the first and second covenant, as not to let his trial 
 for life or death lie at large, and exteiid to the whole 
 compass of his duty ; but has in both, limited it to a sin- 
 gle point In the first covenant, the trial was conSn- 
 cd to the tree of life, and the tree of knowledge of 
 good and evil ; and in the new covenant, the trial for 
 life or death is confined to a single point of faith in 
 Christ ; he is the tiue tree of life, of which we may 
 cat and. live forever. 
 
 As Adam finished his state of trial under the first 
 covenant, when he broke it ; so we may be said, in a 
 sense, to have finished our trial under the covenant 
 of grace, when we become united to Jesus Christ. 
 For then, Ave obtain a saving interest in him. it 
 thereby becomes a determined point that life shall be 
 our portion, according to the tenor of the many gra- 
 cious promises made to believers. In a larger sense, 
 ail mankind may be said to be interested in Chri-.t, 
 and to partake of many benefits through liim. For 
 it is through him, we receive this present life, with all 
 the comforts and enjoyments ot it ; and througl) him, 
 we enjoy the day of grace, and the n. cans of grace. 
 Yet there is a special sense, in which believers may 
 be said to be interested in him, which is peculiar to 
 such, on accotuit of ilic many great and precious pro- 
 
104 
 
 mises made to believing, both of grace here, and glo- 
 ry heieaftcr. When therefore we become united to 
 Christ by i"aithj our probation may be said to be fin- 
 ished, so far that it is become a determined matter, 
 or settled point, that we shall inherit eternal life. 
 Indeed, " He that endureth to the end shall be sa- 
 ved." Perseverance must be maintained, that we 
 may inherit the promises. But tiiai communion 
 with God. and the indwelling influences of the Holy 
 Spirit in the heart, by which believers shall be kept 
 from total and final upostacy, is one of the privileges 
 promised to believers in the new covenant. There- 
 fore, notwithstandig the necessity of persevering, 
 the title to eteinal life becomes sure, upon the first 
 act of faith, liut although eternal life is the sure 
 portion of the believer, according to God's promise ; 
 yet the reward in glory shall be according to their 
 works. Their fruitlulness in holiness is that by 
 which their degree in glory shall be proportioned. 
 The believer then, in this respect, is still in a state of 
 trial for his future reward ; and will be, till death puts 
 a complete end to his piobation : but after union with 
 Christ, his probation is, in some respects, very dif- 
 ferent from what it was before. 
 
 The method v/hich many practical writers have ta- 
 ken, is to divide mankind into two great classes, be- 
 lievers, and unbelievers ; believers are represented 
 as being under the covenant of grace ; and unbeiiev- 
 ei's, under the law, as being somc-ho-iv^ a covenant of 
 Avorks. These two classes are considered as being 
 under two different constitutions, or forms of divine 
 government ; and the law is considered as a constitu- 
 tion distinct from the covenant of grace. They sup- 
 pose man in his natural state, is under the law ; and 
 stands condemned by it, to suffer the wrath of God 
 for sin : but Vvhen he becomes a believer, he comes 
 from under the law and is taken into the covenant of 
 grace. 
 
 Although this representation of mankind has, for 
 a long time, passed current with many, yet there ap- 
 
105 
 
 pears to mc so many absurdities in it, that I am obUv 
 ged to give it up. For if tiie moral law is the law 
 of Christ's kingdom, it cannot be any thing distinct 
 from, but must be part of the new dispensation which 
 is brought in by his mediation. Its having been 
 binding upon man before, under a former dispensa- 
 tion, is no reason why it should not be again taken 
 into this second covenant. But if tlic moral law is 
 Dot the law of Christ's kingdom, then his subjects 
 cannot be condemned for breaking of it. For to 
 their own master they stand or fall. It is inconsist- 
 ent with their allegiance to Christ that they should be 
 under the jurisdiction of any foreign power. Be- 
 sides, it gives a very disagreeable idea of 3o:l, to 
 represent him as treating with man in his fallen 
 state, about the great concerns of life and death, upon 
 the footing of the moral law ; and a still more injuri- 
 ous character to represent him as putting man, in his 
 fallen state, upon probation under the law, and at the 
 ©aiuv; lime denouncing a curse upon him becau-^rr in? 
 has net believed in the name of his Son Jesus Christ. 
 This would represent the divine government as incon- 
 sistent, absurd, and seir-contradictory. Where shall 
 we find a text in the bible that represents fallen man as 
 being in a state of probation under the law ? Indeed, 
 the apostle often represents the Jevvs as being under the 
 law, and the Gentiles as being without law ; but it is 
 easy to see, that in such texts, bevic; under the luix> 
 means a visible covenant relation to God ; which is 
 widely diderent from the subject v/e are upon. The 
 dispensation brought in by the medicition of Jesus 
 Christ is, as 1 have shewn, the foundation of God's 
 moral government over the world, and therefore it 
 nuvst be the constitution under which v^'e are proba- 
 tioners for eternity, and by which we must be accord- 
 ingly judged in the last day. The covemmt of grace 
 can condemn, as well as justify. It contains tlie re- 
 velation of the wrath of (lod from lieaven, against 
 the ungodliness and unrighteousness of meii, as v/e'd 
 as promises of pardon to believers. I'he churacAvV 
 
106 
 
 'in which God has there revealed himself, is, " The 
 Lord, the l.ord (iod, merciful and gracious, long suf- 
 ferini^, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping- 
 mere v for thousands, forgivinj^ iniquity and trans- 
 gression and sin, and Jiat tviii by no means clear the 
 guilty^' Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. And when we eome to 
 stand before the judgment seat of Christ, the wicked 
 will fall under condemnation, not as being transgres- 
 sors of the law, simply considered : but as transgres- 
 sors against the divine authority exercised over them 
 in tlie covenant of grace, whicli is this new dispensa- 
 tion brought in upon the ildl of Adam, by the media- 
 tion of Jesus Christ. Thus is the case represented, 
 Johui iii. 18. <* He that believelh on him is not con- 
 demned ; but he that belie veth not, is condemned 
 already,'* Why ? Because he hath broken the law ? 
 No. Biit because he hath not believed in the name 
 of the only begotten Son of God. This is the true 
 reason why he falls under condemnation, and re- 
 £i-,ives the inrr.ishulent due lo ;ill his sins. 
 
 When a sinner is brought to believe in Jesus 
 Christ, he th?n passeth from death to life ; from a 
 stale of condemnation, to a state of justiiication ; but 
 lie still remains under the same plan of divine go- 
 vernment. His state is changed, but this makes no 
 change in the rule of divine government over him. 
 It was the covenant of grace that declared him to be 
 a child of wrath, in his natural state ; and 'tis that 
 which declares him to be a child of God, in his be- 
 lieving state. 
 
 All mankind, heathen as well as professing chris- 
 tians, are under this dispensation, the covenant of 
 grace, which was brouglit in by Jesus Christ, after 
 tlie fall. It is through the influence of the Mediator 
 that Adam's posterity are born into the world ; the 
 dispensation of the new covenant is the rule of God's 
 government over them whilst they arc in the world ; 
 and their slate will be decided by it in the world to 
 come. They Lave not, indeed, the advantage of ci- 
 ijnc revelation, to instvuct them in the knowledge of 
 
107 
 
 the tenor of the divine governmert, or of their o\r» 
 stale of probiiion : but they have tac iii^at of iKUiire 
 for their guide- vvi-ach, as far as it goes, teacheth 
 them the same tnings as are taught by ciivinc revela- 
 tion ; if not sufficient to make tiiem wise to salvation, 
 yet sufficient to leave them withoui excuse. The 
 light of nature teacheth ihat God is gracious and re- 
 concilable to sinners. And in this sense, Christ io 
 the light of the tvorld.) and erdij^hteneth every juaii 
 that cometh into the world. For as it was througk 
 the iiifluence of his mediation that tlie world was 
 upheld after the iali, and nature preserved ?n its 
 course ; therefore the course of nature, the sun, 
 moon and stars, m'ay be said to preach the gospel of 
 Clirist, wherever they shine. Tims the psalmist, 
 in showing" how " The heavens declare the glory of 
 Gcd, and the firmament showeth his handy v.'ork,'* 
 saith, " l heir line is gone out through all the 
 earth, and their words unto the end of the world. '^ 
 Psalm, xix. 4. Which is mentioned by the apostle, 
 and explained to be the preaching of the gospel. — 
 Rom. X 17, 18. " So then faith cometh by hearing, 
 i3nd hearing by the v/ord of God. But I say, Have 
 they rjot heard ? Yes verily, their sound went out 
 into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of 
 the world." All nature therefore joins in publishing 
 the grace of God to fallen man : and to call upon, 
 and invite them " To seek the Lord, if haply they 
 might feel after him, and find him." Acts, xvii. 17, 
 
 5. The covenant of grace is the foundation on 
 which Gcd carries on a treaty of peace with fallen 
 man, in the covenant of reconciliation. 
 
 Under the preceding head, 1 have essayed to prove 
 that the covenant of grace is the divine constitu- 
 tion under which God hath put mankind iivo a state 
 of probation for life or death ; that union to Christ by 
 faith, is the special test of our present trial ; and that 
 heathens as well as Christians are under the jurisdic- 
 tion of this dispensation. But when we consider the 
 characters under wLich our Lord Jesus Christ is 
 
108 
 
 cksciibed to us in ihe gospel, especially in tlie exer- 
 cise of those offices which iue inckuled in his media- 
 torial character, by which he carries on a treaty of 
 peace with fallen man, in the covenant of reconcilia- 
 tion ; it is easy to see a wide difference between the 
 \isible covenant-people of God, and tlie heathen part 
 of mankind. They are explicitly taken into covenentj 
 cind the ireaty of peace is actually carried on with 
 them in their enjoyment of gospel li^ht and privile- 
 t^es, and communion and fellowship with the visible 
 church : but the heathen are aliens from the com- 
 monweakhof Israel; and are, in a great measure, 
 neglected by God. But that I may proceed in this 
 inquiry, in a more clear and distinct manner, 1 shall 
 range my thoughts in the following order. 
 
 I. I shall inquire after the first rise of the visible 
 church, and consider why, some are members of it, 
 cind esteemed the covenant people of God : and oth- 
 ers are not. 
 
 II. Show how, or by what it is, that this visible dis- 
 tinciion is uiade. 
 
 Ill Ilcprescnt the great privileges and advanta- 
 ges which the members of the visible church enjoy, 
 whereby the treaty of peace and reconciliaiion with 
 God, is cariied on with, and in a great measure con- 
 fined to ihem. 
 
 IV. Show what obligations people are under to 
 seek for, to attend upon, and to improve these privi- 
 leges. 
 
 I. I shall inquire after the first rise of the visible 
 church ; or consider why it is, that some are mem- 
 bers of it, and esteemed the covenant-people of God : 
 and others are not. 
 
 Some will not allow, any olthe children of men are 
 included in the covenant of reconciliation, or do there- 
 by stand in a covenant-relation to God, but such 
 only, with v/hom the treaty of peace is happily con- 
 cluded, by their being brought to that savu)g union 
 with Christ by fi^.ith, treated of in the preceding head 
 
i09 
 
 of this discourse. This was the leading point of dis- 
 pute in nriy former polemic writings ; and as I liuve 
 no desire to revive that dispute, 1 shall avoid saying 
 any thing provoking to it, so far as may be consistent 
 with doing justice to my present subject. 
 
 It is here necessary to recollect the distinction 
 which is commonly made in the covenant of grace, which 
 I have mentioned in the foregoing discourse Chris- 
 tian v>'riters have commonly considered the dispen- 
 sation of the redeeming grace of God, as disdngtiish^ 
 ed, or at least, distinguishable into two parts, or cov- 
 enants, the one is the covenant of redemptio]i, the 
 other the covenant of reconciliation, of which I have 
 already treated. The covenant of reconciliation,, is 
 predicated upon the covenant of redemption ; or in 
 other words, the treaty of peace and reconciliation 
 which God is carrying on with manliind, is predica- 
 ted upon the mediatorial character, offices and work 
 of tlie Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 Nov/, as the dispensation of redeeming grace was 
 brought in consequent upon the fall of Adam, where- 
 by he was reprieved from the execution of the curse 
 of the first covenant,and room was made for his posteri- 
 ty to be born into the world, to stand probationers on 
 the footing of the covenant of grace ; so God began 
 this treaty of peace with Adam by the revelation of a 
 Savior, the promised seed of the v/oman. This was 
 the dispensation which Adam and his seed were then 
 placed under ; and hereby they stood related to God^ 
 as his covenant-people? or visible church. 
 
 I conceive there is some similitude, and also some 
 difference between God's covenanting with man, and 
 one man's covenanting with another. In man's cov- 
 enanting, one may propose the covenant : but the oth- 
 er is at liberty, either to close with it, or reject it ; 
 and he cannot be holden by it till he has given his 
 consent. But when the consent is given, the contract 
 is made, and the parties are in covenant one with the 
 mlier, and under mutual covenant-engagemeaits j y^et 
 10 
 
110 
 
 the privileges cannot be claimed till the conditions 
 are fulfilled. And somewhat similar to tiiis, may our 
 relation to God in the covenant of reconciliation, be 
 conceived of. God sets forth the blessing-s of his 
 grace, appoints the terms on which these blGssint2,s 
 shall be enjoyed, and binds himself by promise, to be- 
 stow these blessings on ail such as comply with the 
 iern:S fixed. Man is taken into this covenant, and 
 laid under obligations to comply with these terms ; 
 or in case of a refusal, to suffer accordingly : but his 
 title to the blessings remains in suspense till Ids 
 actual compliance with the terms fixed, gives him 
 a right to them according to the promise. It is 
 plain, here is a real covenant subsisting between God 
 and man ; it is not a sham business, but a real cove- 
 nant ; and the bonds of it mutually lie upon both God 
 and man, antecedent to man's actual compliance with 
 the terms of reconciliation. 
 
 And as God's covenanting wiih man, is in some re- 
 spects, like one man's covenanting with another ; so 
 there are likewise some respects in which there is a 
 difference. When God covenants with man. He 
 takes state ujion him^ according to his glorious majes- 
 ty and sovereign power, and putsmanintoacovenant- 
 relation to himself by an act of sovereignty. God 
 has never consulted mankind whether they would be 
 in covenant with him or not : but by his own sove- 
 reign authority, has laid his covenant upon them. 
 They have no right to dispute the matter with him ; 
 nor so much as to deliberate whether they will be in 
 covenant with him or not. This was the case in the 
 first covenant, made with Adam ; it was laid upon 
 him merely by divine authority Gen. ii. 16, i7. 
 « And the Lord God commanded the man saying,'*&;c. 
 And in like manner was he put under the covenant of 
 grace, alter his fall, by sovereign authority, without 
 conaulting nis will in the least, about it. This was 
 also the case v/hen God took Abraham and his seed, 
 into covenant j that dispensation of the covenant was 
 
Hi 
 
 ffom God's soverei^ity alone. That God has dealt 
 thus m the dispensations of his covenant, is evident 
 from incontestible facts ; and that he has a right so to 
 do, none surely, will dispute. Such as would exclude 
 all mankind but true believers, from being in cove- 
 nant with God, under the covenant of grace, hold, 
 that some consent on our part, is necessary to the 
 being of a covenant- relation to God ; and I grant, our 
 concurrence is necessary to our being entitled to the 
 special blessings promised in that covenant : but to 
 make this an objection against the being of a cove- 
 nant-relation, is to dispute against undeniable facts; 
 and all objections of this kind may be justly silenced 
 by the sovereign, absolute authority of God, in laying 
 this covenant on man, whose injunction supplies the 
 place of all human engagements, as to the actual ex* 
 istence of thecov€imt!t. 
 
 As Adam was put into this new covenant-relation 
 to God, and the vi^ible church, and treaty of peace 
 we!*e begun with him, under which he was to stand a 
 probationer for the rewards or punishments of' eter- 
 nity ; so his children also were born in the same state, 
 and covenant-relation to God, ihat he was in ; and 
 v/ere the real church, or covenant-people of God. 
 This was the case with all his posterity till Cain went 
 out from the presence of the Lo^d, renounced and 
 fos'sook this covenant of reconciliation, and rejectetl 
 the treaty of peace ; from which time, we are to view 
 liim, as being much in the same state, with respect 
 to the church, and the covenant-people of God^ as 
 heathen nations arc at this day. Cain rejected God ; 
 and then God rejected him, no longer carrying on the 
 treaty of peace and reconciliation with liim. Cain's 
 going out from the presence of the Lord, did not dis- 
 annul his obligations to God, to submit to, and be gov- 
 erned by this new dispensation : but that which he 
 forsook, and from which he was rejected bv God, v/as 
 the treaty of peace and reconciliatioii, which God is 
 carrying on with his covenant-people through the 
 mediation of Jesus Christ. Cain forfeited these privr 
 
112^ 
 
 ileges ; and then God deprived him of them. And 
 this is the true and real state of such as are excom- 
 ipunicated from the church of Christ. They that are 
 duly cut oft* from the church, are cut off from ihc 
 treaty of peace, no longer to have any interest in the 
 special privileges of Christ's mediation. And this 
 gives us to see the great weight, and solemn impor- 
 tance of that discipline which Christ haih set up in 
 his visible kingdom, and shows what just reason wc 
 have to dread the church censure. Persons excom- 
 municated from tiie church, are to be esteemed as 
 those who are rejected of God, and cut off from those 
 privileges of the church, by which the treaty of recon- 
 ciliation is carried on. They are not indeed, releas- 
 ed from their obligation to yield obedience to the will 
 and authority of God enjoined in the covenant of grace j 
 nor are they discharged from a liableness to condem- 
 nation by that rule of the divine government : but 
 they are rejected of God as persons given up, no long- 
 er to be treated as those whom God will acknowledge 
 in a covenant-relation to himself, to carry on a treaty 
 of peace with them. Indeed, as they were placed in 
 this world, in a state of probati(m under the general 
 administration of the covenant of grace ; therefore, as 
 long as their day of grace lasts, they may repent, and 
 return, and God will again receive them. And one 
 kind purpose with a view to which, discipline is ap- 
 pointed, is to give the offender, a very solemn, and 
 awakening admonition of the necessity of repentance 
 and reformation ; because such a separation from the 
 covenant-people of God in this life, made, by the due 
 exercise of the discipline of the church, carries in it a 
 solemn prelude to the awful separation which our 
 ifighteous judge will makebetw^een the righteous and 
 the wicked, in the day of judgment. 
 
 Thus the distinction between such as were the visi- 
 ble covenant-people of God, and such as were not, 
 first began among men, when Cain went out from the 
 presence of the Lord. And there sprang from him, 
 a sinful posterity who were aliens from the common- 
 
113 
 
 wealth of Israel. To this distinction Moses alludes 
 in Gen. vi. 2. " The sons oi" God smv the daughters 
 of men, Sec." The posterity of Cain, by livinf>- with- 
 out God in the world, made swift pro^^ress in all man- 
 ner of wickedness. And when the sons, of God, (the 
 descendents of the other branches of Adam's posteri- 
 ty) made intermarriages with these daughters of men, 
 (the descendents of Cain) the infection soon spread 
 through the whole church : and Noah only was fomid 
 righteous before God ; with whom God established 
 his covenant, and preserved his church in his family 
 after the flood. And when mankind had again great- 
 ly corrupted their ways, God saw proper to distinguish 
 his coven ^.nt-people by instituting circumcision, -as a 
 token or seal of the covenant, in his dispensation to 
 Abraham ; from which time, the rest of mankind 
 were rejected of God for their apostacy from him, till 
 they were again called into the church, under the 
 gospel-dispensation. Thus I think, the scripture af- 
 fords us sufficient light for discovering the original of 
 the church of Christ : and how, and whence there is a 
 distinction between the covenant-people of God, and 
 the rest of mankind. 
 
 1. Objection. If mankind are born under the cov- 
 enant of grace, to be probationers upon the footing of 
 it ; and if the covenant of grace is the rule of God's' 
 government over mankind in this life, and by which 
 they shall be judged hereafter ; then it follows thai, 
 heathen, and excommunicated persons are still re- 
 lated to God in that covenant, and are included un- 
 der it, as really as the n^embers of the visible 
 church. 
 
 Ansiver. I readily grant this to be in some sense. 
 and in some degree, true. It has been oberved, that 
 the dispensation of redeeming grace which was 
 brought in upon the fall of Adam, which by christian 
 writers, has been styled the covey.ant of grace^mz\ud.e^ 
 both a covenant of redemption made with Christ, and 
 a covenant of reconciliation made with fldlen man 
 through him. And it has been likewise observed, that 
 10* 
 
114 
 
 Christ is described under various characters, cloathed 
 with various offices, and standing in various relations 
 to, and connections with mankind. It has bi en shown 
 that Christ is, in some sense, a covenant-head to all 
 mankind, as well. as to his spiritual body of true be- 
 lievers ; although there is some difference in his head- 
 ship with reference to these very different bodies.. 
 And the like may be said with respect to his being 
 called a Redeeiner.^ and Savior. He is the Savior of 
 all men, esfiecially (in a special sense) qf them that be- 
 lieve. But Christ considered in his character of a 
 Mediator^ is much more confined, and, in a great 
 measure, limited to his visible church, and covenant- 
 people, (as I shall shew hereafter) with whom alone, 
 the treaty of peace which is carried on in the cove- 
 nant of reconciliation, is ordinarily r.onfined. Al- 
 though thereiore all mankind, good and bad, are un- 
 der the general administration of the covenant of 
 grace : yet it is very consistent that apostates, and in- 
 corrigible offenders should be cut oflT, and rejected by 
 God, from the peculiar privileges of the treaty of 
 peace which God is carrying on in the covenant of 
 reconciliadon and the precious advantages of Christ's 
 mediation. It is as consistent for God thus to treat 
 heinous offenders in this life, as it will be, to condemn 
 them in the last day. 
 
 2. Objection. If mankind are born probationers 
 under the covenant of grace ; then the children of 
 heathen, and of excommunicated persons have as 
 good a right to the seal of the covenant, and the privi- 
 leges of the church, as the children of believei s. . The 
 children of Cain for instance, were born in as good 
 an esta+e and standing, as the children of any other 
 branch of Adam's fiimily. 
 
 Am.iucr, God hath manifestly so formed human 
 nature, and so ordered the state ot things, tliat chil- 
 dren are necessarily, in same decree, sharers in the 
 state and portion of their natural parents. They 
 «ome into the world in a weak, hclpiess state ; and 
 (he God of nature has committed the care and dispo- 
 
U5 
 
 sal of them in their minority, to tlieir parents. And 
 if parents who have the care and disposal of their 
 children, go out from the presence of the Lord ; they 
 necessarily carry their children ^vith them. And 
 thus is there a foundation in nature, for God to visit 
 the iniquity of the parents upon their children. In- 
 deed ; when children are grown to years ofunder- 
 standmg, they may return ; and the door of the church 
 is open for their reception. But if they cleave to the 
 error of their fathers, they make their father's sin 
 their own. And in this manner the divine conduct is 
 vindicated by the prophet in the xviii. chapter of Eze- 
 kiel. But with respect to the return of such sin- 
 ners into 'the church, another objection may arise 
 in the minds of some, from the tenor of the moral 
 law. 
 
 Objection. All that God hath required in his law, 
 is LOVE ; love to God and man :. nothing but love, or 
 what is included in it^oris a proper expression of it, 
 can be consistently required of man. Therefore no- 
 thing that a sinner does, or can do, whilst his heart is 
 destitute of true love to God, can be colled obedience, 
 nor be said to be required of him by God.* Theie- 
 
 * Some people have strangely bewildered themselves with 
 those words of our Savior in Matt. xxii. 37 — 40. '* Thou 
 shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with ail 
 thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and giv at 
 commandment And the second is like unto it. Thou shrilt 
 love thy neighbor as thyself On these two commandments 
 hang all tlu- law and the propliets" The) suppose, these 
 words will authorise iht-ir saying, " All that the law re* 
 quires is love ; nothing but what is contained in love, or is a 
 proper expression of it, can be said to be required by the 
 law " Ajid such will be ready to find fault with the des- 
 cription I have given of the moral law in the bi-ginning cf 
 this discourse, where I have said it consists in niaintuinivgi 
 exercising and expressmg the divine imiige. in the various ac- 
 tions, arid on tht- various occasions of life. This divine image 
 I have there illustrated, as consisting in the exercises of de- 
 pendence, complacency and subjection, with moral integrity 
 of heart. Dependence and subjection are as distinct exerci- 
 ses from complacfciicy or love, as any different exercises of 
 
116 
 
 fore God has not reqiiii'cd such to join ■vvith the church 
 or come to ordinances, whilst they remain in this nut- 
 iirai state. 
 
 the heart, and they are as essential parts of the divine image 
 and as much required as iove or con^placency. Their great 
 ■mistake about tiiose words of our Savior, is owing to the 
 want of careful attention to their just import. He has not 
 said that All the laxv and the prophets are contamed, compris- 
 ed, or ivcliided in these tivo cominandwents. But his words 
 are " On these txvo commandments hang all the Into and the 
 prophets.''^ l*he true import of the word hang will be readi- 
 ly discovered, if we attend to the description oi moral de- 
 pravifi/, given in the preceding discourse. I have there 
 mentioned five particulars wherein it consists. The three 
 first are extrinsic of the will. The fourth may be said to be 
 intrinsic, as it consists in the prepossession of the heart in 
 favor of creature-enjoyments. This carnal mind is volunta- 
 ry and chosen ; and the gaining of the will for God, would 
 very much remove our inability for his service in this res- 
 pect. The introduction of the covenant of grace has taken 
 off tiiat disfranchisement laid upon fallen man by tlie bro- 
 ken law ; and has taken out of his way all such extrinsic 
 impediments which disabled him for the service of God. 
 And tlie only remaining impediment is this carnal mind, 
 wiiich is internal in the heart. This is removed by a clear 
 discovery and cordial belief of the truth as it is in Jesus 
 Christ. Hereby the soul is reconciled to God, and the love 
 of Cod shed abroad in the heart. And this love will be at- 
 tended with, or will draw after it all moral virtues, or chris- 
 tian graces, whereby complete conformity to God, or a cor- 
 responding agreement of the whole heart with the divine 
 perfections will be introduced. And hence has our Lord, 
 with great propriety, represented every moral virtue incul- 
 cated upon us by the law and the prophets, as hanging or 
 dependiiig upon love. Love v.'}ll draw the whole lieart to 
 God, and will lead to the due exercise of every gospel-virtue 
 whereby the divine ima!4;e complete in all its parts, will be 
 restored And although many of these exercises are quite 
 distinct from love, and cannot properly be said to be inclu- 
 ded in it ; yet tliey may be said to hang upon it, because 
 iove will lead on the soul to all these exercises. Again ; 
 our Lord by saying, *' On these two hang all the law and the 
 prophets" shows us, that love is the great mark or point to 
 which all that is contained in the law and the propiiets is 
 calculated to bring us ; which is very consistent with there 
 being many things previously enjoined upon us, in order to 
 bring us to it. 
 
117 
 
 Answer. There was a great difference betwecii 
 Cain's remaining in a natural state, and iiis going out 
 from the presence of the Lord. He did very wick- 
 edly in going out ; and it was as great wickedness, lo 
 tarry there, and not return. We are required to 
 eease to do cvll^ as well as to learn to do ivcll. A cov- 
 enant-relation to God was the state in which Cain was 
 born : and he did very wickedly when he quitted it, 
 and went out from the presence of the Lord. Con- 
 sequently, when a man joins to the church, he there- 
 in ctastth to do evil, or returns, and re-assumes his na- 
 tive station, the station in which God set Adum and 
 his seed, when the covenant of grace wa^ntroduced. 
 The being of this covenant-relation to GnP^ and con- 
 sequently, our right of acting agreeable to it in main- 
 taining communion with the visible church, is found- 
 ed on the divine authority which put fallen man into 
 this state. The truth of this cannot be denied, unless 
 the preceding account of the introduction of the cov- 
 enant of grace, as the foundation of God's subsequent 
 dealings with mankhid, shall be disproved. And 
 shall we say, our being in a natural state disqualifies 
 us for keeping that naiive station which the God of 
 nature and grace has put us into ? We must either 
 jubtiiy Cain in going out from the presence of the 
 Lord : or allow a natural man to sustain a covenant- 
 relation to God in the church. 
 
 It may be said, he was not to be justified, either 
 in gcing out of the presence of the Lord ; nor yet, 
 in condnuing in his impenitent natural state. 
 
 J3e it so. But was he required to repent and turn 
 to God without a Mediator, and without an attend- 
 ance upon, and improvement of those means and 
 privileges which God, in the covenant of pjrace, has 
 freely given through Christ lO mankind m their nat- 
 ural state, for the purpose of bringing them to re- 
 pentance r and in the use and improvement of which 
 they are required to exercise and express their re- 
 turn to him ? But that covenant rehstion to God in 
 which the visible church stands, together with ail the 
 
IIS 
 
 privileges of it, are granted by God to mankind ia 
 their natural state, as means to bring them to re- 
 pentance, and in which they are to exercise and ex- 
 press their return to him ; as is evident from all the 
 arguments which prove the federal right of our in- 
 fant seed : all which will more fully appear when I 
 come to point out the privileges of the members of 
 tile visible church, under the following third head of 
 this discourse. 
 
 II. I am next to inquire how, or by what it is, that 
 this visible distinction is made ; or how it is that we 
 become members of the visible church, and are enti- 
 tled to the iiijrileges of its communion. 
 
 AithougiWrod put Adam and his seed into this 
 covenant-relation to himself, after the fall ; yet since 
 there has been an apostacy from it among men, it 
 has pleased God to put a nmrkof distinGiion upon nis 
 LMVcnant-pcople, v/hcreby they are separated to him, 
 HO'U tli-e rest ofmankind,by affixing seals to his cov- 
 enant. Thus in the covenant dispensation to Abra- 
 ham, when mankind had greatly corrupted them- 
 selves after the flood, and were apostatized from God, 
 circumcision was instituted to be the token, or ini- 
 tiating seal of the covenant ; and God commanded 
 him to confirm this covenant upon his seed after him 
 at eight days old. Hereby Abraham, and his seed be- 
 came the visible church, or covenant-people of God : 
 but the rest of the world were rejected fcjm this re- 
 lation for their apostacy. And under the gospel dis- 
 pensation, instead of circumcision, baptism is appoint- 
 ed to be the inilkiting seal of the covenant. And as 
 it v/as requiied under tl:c former dispensation, of the 
 strangci tliat would join himself to the church of Is- 
 rael, to circumcise himseli and his seed ; so, under 
 the gospel dispensation, all such as are I'eceived into 
 the church are admiited by baptism. For since it 
 has pleased God to affix seals to his covenant, it is 
 evideniiy necessary his people shouid be confirmed in 
 their covenant rekuion to him by receiving the ap- 
 pointed s:oaj. 
 
119 
 
 It is the well-known practice of the churches iu 
 this land, to require t!ie person to be received to the 
 coinniunion of the church, to make some express 
 promises, and come under covenant engagements by- 
 some form of v/ords, previous to his receiving the 
 seals ; and the administraiion of the seals thereupon 
 to the person thus covenanting, seems to be esteem- 
 ed "as a confirmation of the covenant wivich he has 
 before exprest. And if this is the light in which 
 tiicse things are to be viewed, it appears to be of 
 great weight, not only thus to covenant, but also 
 what form of words we make use of upon this occa- 
 sion. This, it is well known, Iras bet; n asu])jcctof 
 much debate in these churches. It is very cvidfei^it 
 that the disputes and contentions vvliich have per- 
 plexed and divided the church in all agrs, have 
 generally, if not always, been about some hiiman in- 
 vention, that has been introduced without Jiutlicient 
 warrant from the word of God. And if tills practice 
 of covenanting in some certain form of words when a 
 person is received into the cliurch, is not of a divine 
 original, but a n^?ve human invention unadvisedly 
 brought in, it is no wonder th^t it should cause much 
 strife and division, as ;t manifestly has done. A di- 
 vine warrant therefore is here to l}c demanded for 
 requiring a person to make a verbal covenunt in or- 
 der to his being owned as a member, and admiiied 
 to communion in the church. As far as 1 can learn, 
 this practice wholly rests upon i/ic tradition of the 
 elders. And it .is high lime to consider seriously, 
 wii- ther we have not niade vuid tlie commandment 
 of God tiirough our tradition, if this praclice is of 
 divine original, it seems strange wc sliould be un- 
 able to find either precept or exaijiple for it, to whicii 
 we might appeal for a decision of our disputes ; yet, 
 upon a careful inquiry, 1 presume none that is in any 
 Way plain and express, can be produced. But when 
 we make this inquiry, we must keep in mind tiie dis- 
 tinction between making a profession of our belief of 
 the truth of the christian reiij^iou, anil our making 
 
1^0 
 
 promises, or coming under covenant engaj^cments 
 by any set form ot words, to live a chiibuan liie. — 
 It is evidently reasonuole that one who has been 
 brought up a Jew, or a heathen, when he comes to 
 ask for christian privileges, should declare his belief 
 of the chrisiian religion ; and for this we have sutH- 
 cient warrant in the sacred scripuire, both from pre- 
 cept and example. To this putpose are the words 
 of our bavior, Aiatth x. 32. " Whosoever tlierefore 
 shall confess me before men, him will I also ccjnfess 
 before my Father which is in Heaven." Ami the 
 apobtle deckres, Rom x. 9. *• If thou shalt confess 
 witli thy mouth the Lord Jesus." In these texts it is 
 piuiniy .augiitthat we should confess Chrisc with our 
 mouth. And in lleb x 23, the apostle exhorts us 
 to *• Hold fast the profession of our f.dth without wa- 
 vering.'' As the cip(jstle connects t'lis with our hav- 
 iag- our bodies waslied with pure w^ter, which doubt- 
 less means baprism, as that is the only washing with 
 water under the gospel ; mc may reasonably con- 
 clude the profession of faith here intended, is that 
 profession which is made at the time of^ or in bap- 
 tism. But the most express text is in Acts, viii. 36, 
 37. Where the Eunuch said to Philip, " See here is 
 water ; what doth hinder me to be baptized ? And 
 Philip said, if thou believest with all thy heart, thoU 
 mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that 
 Jesus Christ is the Son of God " It is here plain that 
 Philip required a verbal profession of the christian 
 faith previous to baptism But in all these texts it is 
 to be observed, that no mention is made of any pio- 
 mise, or previous covenanting ; nothing more appears 
 in them than a profession of the christian religion : but 
 it is quite another thing to express covenant engage- 
 ments. 
 
 If we attend to the account we have in the bible of 
 entering into covenant with God, we shall see reason 
 to believe this was done by actions rather than words. 
 For when God made a covenant with Abraham, Gen, 
 iKvii. he instituted circumcision to te a token of ^he 
 
P21 
 
 ebvcuaut, and comiuanded him to circuincise his 
 household ; and gave in charii;e that every man child 
 among his seed should be circumcised at eight days 
 old, in their generations. We have no account that 
 Abraham, upon this occasion, made any covenant 
 \vith God, by any form of words ; or that he spoke so 
 much as one word by way of promise, that he would 
 keep this covenant whick God had prescribed : but 
 all that he did, so far as we have any account of the 
 matter, was to circumcise himself, and the males of 
 Iiis household on that same day, as he was command- 
 ed. And it was by his so doing that he took hold of, 
 or did enter into that covenant with God Circumci- 
 sion beip.g thus appointed, was a significant action, 
 and the meaning of it limited and fixed by God him- 
 self, as the act by which this covenant-relation to him- 
 self was to be entered into, and confirmed. If Abra- 
 ham had made never so many promises, and that, in 
 the most solemn manner, how obedient he vvouid be, 
 it would hivVe signified nothing ; because the way, by 
 divine appointment, for him to enter into this cove- 
 nant, vv'as circumcision ; but promises v/ould not have 
 ans'.-ered the end in this case. Hence it is that God 
 cailE circuiucision, my covermnt, in verse, 10. " This 
 is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and 
 you, and thy seed after thee, every man-child among 
 you shall be circumcised.*' By this dispensation God 
 set up his church in Abraham's family. And these 
 things being attended to, it appears evident, that the 
 way in which any one could become a member of it, 
 was by being circumcised. 
 
 After this, we have an account that the cliildrcn of 
 Israel several times renevvcd covenant with God ; at 
 Ivlount Sinai, on the plains of Moab, afterwards in 
 the days of JoshUa, and once more after their return 
 from tne Hwbyionish captivity, under the direction of 
 Ezra and Nehemiah. But with respect to all these 
 instances, it is to be observed, that to enter into any 
 new covenant-relation to God difterent from what 
 ■subsisted before) was not the thing intended in them j 
 
 a 
 
H<2 
 
 -it was not in order to their being God's visible church 
 and covenunt-people : but for other important purpo- 
 ses. Tiieywere in covenant with Godbelbre, and had 
 been his visible church from the days of Abraham, and 
 continued to be so in their generations, till the gospel 
 clispeuoation took place. Although therefore these in- 
 stances of covenanting may properly be attended to, 
 that we may learn the general nature of a covenant-re- 
 lation to God ; yet they will not so plainly determine 
 whereby it is, we are added to the church, or how a 
 covenant-relation to God is first entered into. 
 
 In some of these instances of covenanting the peo- 
 ple made express verbal promises of obedience ; and 
 in some, they did not. In the time of bondage in 
 Egypt, it may be presumed, the children of Israel 
 had very much lost their know' edge of this coven- 
 ant. When therefore Moses had brought them out 
 ot Egypt unto Mount Sinai, it was very proper to lead 
 them to renew their covenant, that they might have 
 a more just conception of it : especially as God was 
 about to give them a new body of laws, and to form 
 them into a more complete church state. Upon this 
 occasion of covenanting, the people promised, saying, 
 " All that the Lord hath spoken will we do, and be 
 obedient." 
 
 After this covenanting at Sinai, the children of Is- 
 rael provoked the Lord to anger ; and he laid upon 
 them the heavy judgment of wandering forty years 
 in the v/ilderness, till all the men of that generation 
 were consumed. But when they arrived at the bor- 
 ders of the land of promise, on the plains of Moab, 
 by Jordan, near Jericho, Moses again led the people 
 to renew covenant with God. The whole book of 
 Deuteronomy is to be considered as the speech which 
 he made to them upon that occasion. And in the 
 xxix. chapter, 10th and 12th verses, he tells them, 
 ** Ye stana this day, all of ye beiore the Lord your 
 God — that thou shouldst enter into covenant with the 
 Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the Lord thy 
 God maketh with thee tnis day.'* And in the 14tli 
 
133 
 
 and 15th verses, it is added, " Neither with you only 
 do I make this covenant and this oath ; but with him 
 that standeth here with us this day before the Lord 
 our God, and also with him that is not here witii us 
 this day." In this instance of covenanting, Moses 
 did not require the people to make any promises, or 
 bring; themselves under any obligations by words ; 
 but all they did was to present themselves there be- 
 fore the Lord : and even this was not essential to 
 their being included under the bonds of this covenant 
 and this oath ; for such as were not present were 
 as much included, as them that were. Our imagin- 
 ation otten leads us astray about our coming into a 
 covenant relation to God, by comparing it too closely 
 with covenant transactions among men. When a 
 covenant is made between two men, their mutual con- 
 sent is ordinarily necessary to the being of the coven- 
 ant ; and we do not look upon ourselves holden, till 
 our consent is given : but this is not necessarily the 
 case when God covenants with man. God is so in- 
 jinitely above us, and has such absolute, sovereign 
 authority over us, that he can put us into a covenant 
 relation, and under covenant bonds to himself without 
 asking our consent. Thus God dealt with our first 
 parents in putting them into a state of trial under the 
 first covenant, in their innocent state ; they were not 
 consulted upon it, nor asked whether they would con- 
 sent to stand a trial under it or not. And thus God 
 dealt with them after the fall, in putting them into a 
 new state of trial on the footing of the covenant of 
 grace ; whether they consented or not, the bonds of 
 that covenant v/ere upon them. In like manner he 
 dealt with Abraham and his seed ; there was no 
 previous consent asked, before God laid the covenant 
 upon them. And as the being, the validity, and the 
 biiuling authority of thcit covenant was the sole effect 
 of, and did wholly rest upon the divine authority ; it 
 shows the capacity of children to be included in it, 
 and the propriety of laying it upon infants eight days 
 old, as well as upon people grown to years of under-. 
 
124 
 
 standing ; because the being, and the binding aiithoi^- 
 ity of tins covenant relation to God, did not at all de- 
 pend upon any human consent or concurrence what- 
 ever. And it appears to be the same case in this cov- 
 enant transaction on the plains of Moab : no consent 
 of the people was asked ; and the covenant was ex- 
 tended to them that were not present, as well as to them 
 that were. Moses here styles it, " This covenant 
 and this oath," because there is no material difiTer- 
 ence between a divine covenant, and a divine oath. 
 We find that such as were clothed with a divine 
 commission, had power to lay a person under the so- 
 lemn tics of an oath, v/ithout asking his consent. 
 Such authority the Aaronical high priesthood was 
 vested with. Hence, when our I^ord Jesus Christ 
 was brought before the Jewish high priest, he had a 
 divine oath imposed upon him. Matthew xxvi. 63. 
 " But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest 
 answered ctnd said unto him, I adjure thee by the 
 living God, that thou tell us. whether thou be the 
 Christ, the Son of God/' Here, the high priest act-^ 
 ing in his office, imposed a sacred oath upon our 
 Savior, to extort from him a confession of his own 
 divine character and mission, that he might fmd mat- 
 ter of accusation against him. And then Christ an- 
 swered him ; although under all tl:ie questions put to 
 him before, he held his peace ; herein reverencing 
 and submitting to the authority of a divine commis- 
 sion, although exercised by a person of a vile and in- 
 famous character, and with a very wicked design. 
 Thus also Moses acting with divine authority \n this 
 covenant transaction on the plains of Moab, extended 
 fhe bonds of this covenant, and this oath to them that 
 were absent, as well as to those present, without ask- 
 ing any consent in the case. 
 
 The instances of covenanting in the days of Joshua 
 and Nchemiah also, are not to be considered as an 
 entrance into a new covenant relation to God : but as 
 a renewal and recognition of that covenant relation 
 which before subsisted, for special reasons at that 
 time proper. 
 
V^5 
 
 If we proceed in our inquiry, and survey the prac- 
 tice of the Apostles, we shall find no account of any 
 verbal covenanting or promises made by such as they 
 received as members of the church, under the gospel 
 dispensation. The first instance of their admission, 
 is recorded Acts ii. where we find three thousand 
 taken into the church in one day. ^V^hen they were 
 pricked in their heart by the conviction set before 
 them oi their iieinous crime of crucifying the Savior, 
 tliey said unto Peter, and to t!ie rest of the apostles, 
 " Men and brethren, what s'nall we do r" And Peter 
 answers, " Repent, and be baptized every one of you 
 in the name of Jesus Christ." And we are fold in 
 the 41st verse, " I'hen they tiiat g-iadly received his 
 word were baptized : and the same day there were 
 added uiito them abDUt three th.ousan:!." We liave 
 not the least hint that the apostles first led them to 
 make any promises, or to enter into any covenant en- 
 gagements vvhatever, before they were baptized: but 
 tliat by which they were added to the church, v/as 
 their being baptized. Ail the vows, promises, or 
 covenant engagements that could be spoken with 
 tongue, would not have made them meui::: rs of the 
 chuich, or visible disciples of Christ : it was bap- 
 tism, and that only that could do it. There was at 
 U^at time no &ther way known or practised of uniting 
 with the church, but by being baptized, as we have 
 any the least hint of in the bible ; which is the only 
 rule we have to go by in this matter. And after they 
 were baptized, it is said of them, " That they contin- 
 ued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, 
 and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." As soon a^s 
 tliey were baptized, they were esteemed and treated 
 as members of the church in coinplete standing, in 
 fellowship v,'ith tlie aposUes in all ciiurch privileges ; 
 even in the Lord's supper, which is here styled 
 *' breaking of bread," as well as other christian privi- 
 leges. 
 
 Another remarkable instance we have in x\cts x. 
 when Peter preached the gospel to Cornelius ; whilf 
 11 * 
 
126 
 
 he was speaking, the Holy Ghost fell on all them thai 
 heard the word. Upon this, Peter said, " Can any 
 man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, 
 which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we ? 
 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name 
 of the Lord. Here also we find not the least hint of 
 any previous covenanting, or any thing like it, before 
 Peter commanded them to be baptized ; nor any 
 thing else required of them, in order to their enjoy- 
 ment of all the privileges of the visible church. And 
 we may here further observe, that the apostle Peter, 
 acting with a divine commission, as Moses did on the 
 plains of Moab, without asking any previous consent, 
 enjoined the covenant upon them in commanding 
 them to be baptized. To these we may add, the in- 
 stances of Lydia and the jailor. Acts xvi. in which 
 there appears nothing but baptism required of them. 
 Having thus brought into view the principal texts 
 that can discover to us what the practice of the apos- 
 tles was, in their receiving people to the communion 
 of the church ; we may from thence collect an an- 
 swer to the question under consideration, viz. IV/iat 
 it is thai 7nakes a person a member of the visible church, 
 and gives him a right to all the Jirivileges of its co?n- 
 muJiion in special ordinances ? We must say. It is no 
 verbal profession of the faith, nor any couenant en- 
 gagements ivhich we express with our mouths, that will 
 do it : there appears no other way of being added to 
 the church, but by receiviyig that ordinance which God 
 hath appointed, to be the initiating seal of his covenant. 
 Thus it was under the law of Moses, while circu\^r 
 cision was the instituted rite by which a person en- 
 tered into covenant with God. There v/as no way of 
 becoming a member of the church at that time, but 
 by circumcision. To this agrees the command of 
 God to Moses, Exod. xii. 48. " And when a stranger 
 shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover 
 unto the Lord, let all his males be circumcised ; and 
 then let him come near and keep it," Here is no 
 verbal covenanting directed to : but it was only by 
 
J27 
 
 submittine^' to the lite of circumcision, that the stron- 
 ger acquired a right to come near and keep the pass- 
 over. And it is a like case under the gospel, where 
 baptism succeeds in the room of circumcision. A 
 person must be taken into covenant by baptism, before 
 he can have a visible right to the privileges of the 
 covenant: but when the stranger is baptized, he there- 
 by acquires a visible right to come near, and partake 
 at the Lord's table. 
 
 Herein we see, that baptism is a significant ordi- 
 nance ; and the import of it is fixed by its divine e.\\- 
 i\\ov2i^ a covc7ianting act. We thereby confirm, or 
 enter into covenant with God, are laid under covenant 
 bonds, and are entitled to covenant privileges ; ail 
 which further appears from the institution of it.— - 
 Matth. xxviii. 19,20. " Go teach all nations, bapti- 
 sing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
 and of the Holy Ghost ; teaching them to observe 
 all things vvhaisoever I have connnanded you. Here 
 is contained the institution of christian baptism. In- 
 deed, we read of baptizing before this. John the bap- 
 tist did baptize ; and so did the disciples of Christ, 
 before his suffering : but the baptism of John was 
 not christian baptism : but quite ;'.ncthcr ordinance, 
 instituted for another pui'pose, and had quite another 
 meaning. Indeed", John used water in liis baptism ; 
 and in that respect it had some resemblance of chris- 
 tian baptism ; but in all other respects, it was quite 
 different. 
 
 Objection. Jesus himself was baptized by John. 
 And was not that christian ba/itism ? 
 
 AnsTver. Not at all the more for that. Christian 
 baptism is an ordinance appointed by Christ himself; 
 by Vv'hich, our relation to him, as his covenant-people 
 is confirmed. But Christ's being baptized by John 
 doth not in the least prove John's baptism to be 
 christian baptism. Nothing can be more evident 
 than that John's baptism and christian baptism are 
 two diflerent things. John did not, by his baptism, 
 bring people into a covenant rclaiicn to God ; for 
 
128 
 
 they were as nuich in covenant with God before as 
 aderwards : He did not make thtni membeis of the 
 riijible church ; for they were members of it before : 
 His baptism could not be instituted by Christ ; for he 
 . was before Christ ; and therefore it could not be chris- 
 ticin bapiism. John's h:;ptism referi-edto a Saviour to 
 to come ; but chrisii:;n baptism refers to one already 
 come. Chiistian bapiisrn is administered in the 
 name of the Faiher. and of the Son, and of the Holy- 
 Ghost : but John did not baptize in the name of the 
 Son, because he had not then publicly appeared ; 
 nor did he b^.piizc in the name of the Holy Giiost, 
 for some that had received his baptism, had not so 
 much as iieard whether there was any Holy Ghost. 
 See Acts, xix. 1.3, " Paul having* passed throu5:^hthe 
 upper coasts, came to Ephesus, and finding certain 
 disciples, he said unto thiem, Have ye received the 
 Holy Ghost since ye believed ? And they said unto 
 Inm, v.^e h.ave not so much as heartl whether there be 
 xny Holy Ghost. Ard he said unto them, unto w hat 
 then Vv'ere ye baptized ? And they said, unto John's 
 baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with 
 the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, 
 That they should believe on him which should come 
 after him, this is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard 
 this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Je- 
 sus." From this text also it further appears, that 
 some who had been baptized by John, w-ere afterwards 
 again baptized with Christ's baptism ;* which unde- 
 
 *It is pleaded by many learned men that wc must under- 
 stand this iitlh veti,(- to be the words of the aposlle Paul ; 
 and not the words of Luke (who is supposed to be the ptn- 
 man of tlie b(;(jk of tlie Acts of the Apostit-s) in h:s record- 
 ing- this discourse between tlie apostles and the disciples of 
 Jolni ; b'.CiUse the de in this verse, stands as a redditive to 
 the r,ie7i, exjirtssed by Paul in the furegoing- fourth verse. 
 /And It must be acknowledj^ed that it is agreeable to the 
 Greek lang-uajj^e for ine word me7i to be thus fodowed with 
 </c?^s a redditive to it : yea, perhaps this is always the case, 
 unless in such instances where there is an ellipsis in tlie 
 discourse. But this notwithstanding-, I ani of the opinior 
 
129 
 
 niably proved them to be quite distiilci ordinances. 
 And as these were so distinct, no argtiment can be 
 raised from John's baptism, with respect to either the 
 subject or mode of christian baptism. Were itg^ran- 
 ted that John baptized none but adults ; it can be no 
 
 that this fifth verse must be understood as ihe words of 
 Luke, setting- forth the efltct whicli the apostle's preceding 
 discourse had upon these disciples of John, for several rea- 
 sons. 
 
 1 The sense of the discourse seems to plead for it, and is 
 doubtless so understood by ail such readers as are not in- 
 fluenced by the position oi'mejiy and Je, to understand it the 
 other way. 
 
 2. To understand this fifth verse as Paul's words, doth not 
 seem well to rgree with the subject of the apostle's dis- 
 course. Had the apostle been shewing- that the baptism of 
 John was a true and vali-l chri3i:2irbapt:sir<, it v/o'dld havci 
 been suiiuble to his desic^n to tell them, that John's disci- 
 ples ought to look upon themselves as being baptized into 
 Christ, because that John, by his baptism, brought his disci- 
 jeies under 'obligation to believe on him that should come 
 after him, that is, on Jesus Christ. But this dotii not seem 
 to have been his aim. His inquiry respected the Holy 
 Ghoiil. The apostle asked them, " Have ye received the 
 Holy Gliost since ye believed ? And they said unto him. We 
 have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy 
 Ghost " It was their professed ignorance that there was a 
 Holy Gliost, that led the apostle to inquire into their bap- 
 tism. For if taey had been baptized into the Trinity, they 
 must certainly have heard that there was u Holy Ghost. 
 And upon the Apostle's asking- them, " Unto what then were 
 ye baptized !" liiey said " Unto John's baptism." And upon 
 this, the apostle lays open the lenijr and import of Jolui'ii 
 baptism, saying-, " John verily baptized with the baptism of 
 repentance, saying- unto the people, that they should believe 
 on him whicIi should come after biro, that is, on Christ Je- 
 sus" But how does this expianatinn of John's baptism ac- 
 count for their ignorance abot'.t the Holy Ghost, if John's 
 baptism was administered in ths nanie of tlje Trinity, as 
 well as christian baptism i The whole scope of the apostle's 
 discourse therefore shows that t!;ese disciples of John had 
 not received christian baptism, but were yet to be baptized : 
 which makes it necessary to understand the apostle's dis- 
 course as finished with the fourth vt-rse ; and that the fifth 
 verse is the words of the historian, setting- forth the eiltct 
 
130 
 
 objection against infant baptism : and were it fully 
 proved that lie baptized by plunginj^ ; it will not at 
 all prove that christian baptism must be so adminis- 
 tered. Christ's baptism was not instituted till after 
 his resurrection ; nor v/as it once mentioned, till 
 Christ gave this commandment to his apostles, Matth, 
 xxviii. 19, 20. *Tis here that Christ gave commission 
 
 which the foregoing" discourse of the apostle had upon these 
 converts, that when they lieard the apostle declare this, then 
 Were they baptized into Christ, 
 
 3. Where ihe sentence is elliptical we often find the word 
 men, used in the Greek lanj^uage, without being followed 
 with de as a redditive to it; althoug-h the de would naturally 
 come in, if the elhpsis were filled up Instances of this of- 
 ten occur. See Acts xxvii. 21- " Ye should have hearkened 
 unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have saved 
 this harra and loss." If the ellipsis had bet^n filled up, these 
 worvis would have been added at the end of the verse, " Bat 
 ye would not," in which the de would have stood in its prop- 
 er place See also Horn viii. 12. Itom x. 1. 11 Corin. xii. 
 12. Colos. ii. 23. Heb. xii 9 And in the place under 
 consideration, it is most natural to understand the apostle's 
 discourse as elliptical, and tliat it ends with the fourth verse ; 
 which ellipsis if it were filled up, would be an explanation 
 of the different tep.or and import of chi'istian baptism. For 
 we cannot suppose thiit Luke has recorded the whole dis- 
 course which Paul had with these disciples of John. Doubt- 
 less when he found them so ignoi aut in the fundamental 
 doctrines of Christianity as not to know whether there be 
 any Holy Ghost, he would instruct them in the wa^ oi' the 
 Lord more pe; feetly ; althoui^h Luke, in his recording 
 these things, has only given us a brief summary of the mat- 
 ter. 
 
 It is objected, that when these disciples tell the apostle 
 tliey had not so much as heard whether there be any floly 
 Ghost ; it cannot be supposed they were ignorant of the 
 doctrine of the Trinity ; but that which they were ignorant 
 ol, was the descent of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pente- 
 cost : and therefore .lohn might baptizt; in the name of the 
 Trinity, notwith.standing this ignorance of his disciples- 
 
 To this I answer. AUhough the doctrine of the Trinity is 
 an article of the public faith and explicit profession of the 
 go.spel church ; yet it was not so under the former dispen- 
 sation By the clearer light of the New Testameiu we are 
 plainly taught the doctrine of the Trinity, and are enabled 
 
131 
 
 to ills Apostles to make disciples of all nations. In 
 this institution, we may observe, the word teach is twice 
 used, accordin.o; to our translation. " Go teach ail 
 nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, 
 and of the So.i, and of the Holy Ghost ; teaching them 
 to observe all things whatsoever 1 have commanded 
 you.'' But in the original, they are tv/o different 
 
 to discover some references to it and intimations of it, in 
 the writings of Mus>es and ilie projjhets But were we to 
 collect our knowledge of ii or.ly from the Old Testament, 
 we should find thai it is^ not tht- re so plainly revealed as to 
 sui)pose it to be tlie common faith of the Jewish church, 
 held forth by an explicit prof ssion ; nor so plainly taught, 
 but that these disciples of John may easily be supposed to 
 be ignorant of it; yea, such strangers to it as lionestly to 
 tell the apostle, that they had not so much as heard wheth- 
 er there be any Holy Ghost- 
 To say that what these disciples confess their ignoraiice 
 of. was the descent of the Holy Ghost in his miraculous 
 gifis on the day of pentecost, is not to the purpose ; for our 
 being baptized unto the T rinity, refers to the third person 
 in the God-head, not so much with respect to his miraculous 
 gifts, as to hi§ sanctifying influences 
 
 4 Admitting- that Luke had finished his account of the 
 apostle's discourse in the fourth verse; it was proper and 
 agreeable to his common customs to introduce his own 
 words, in his recording- tiie discourses of others, with the 
 word de, .]U*tJn the manner he has done here. See Luke's 
 Gospeh chap. XX. 16 ' And when they htard it, they said, 
 God forbid." I'he words " akonsantes ile eipon" cannot be- 
 long to the precedmg discourse of Christ , nor yet to the 
 reply of the Jews -. but are manifestly the words of Luke, in 
 his recording this discourse between Christ and i!ie Jews ; 
 and introduced with the word de just in the manner as in 
 the text under consideration *' akonsantes de ebaptisthe^-anV 
 Compare also Acts ii. 37. Acts v 21 Acts vd 54. and many 
 other places. These reasons which I have now ofilsred con- 
 strain me to believe this fifth verse contains, not the words 
 of the apostle, but of Luke: and tliat these disciples who had 
 before received John's baptism, were now baptized into 
 Jesus Christ. 
 
 The critical remarks of many great and learned men on 
 this text, giving it a contrary signification, will, I hope, be 
 admitted as a sufficient excuse for this long note. 
 
132 
 
 ^vortl5 ; doubtless because difFercrit things were iu- 
 tended by them. These two Avords in the Gr^ek 
 language, although they have some agreement in their 
 significations, yet they have also some diflercnce.— 
 The first word, in strictness of speech, signifies to 
 discijilc J but the second word properly signifies to 
 teach or instruct ; as is commonly observed by Anno- 
 tators. And therefore the most exact translation of 
 the text would be, " Go disciple all nations, baptizing 
 them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
 of the Holy Ghost : teaching them to observe ail 
 things whatsoever 1 have commanded you." Or 
 without referring to the Greek ; our English transla- 
 tion conveys the same distinction between these., tv/o 
 words ; as they are both explained, and have their 
 precise meaning fixed by our Lord, in the words fol- 
 lowing each of them. " Go, teach all nations, bapti- 
 zing them." The word bapJiziiig^ which follows utter, 
 explains and fixes the meaning of the word teach, 
 which goes before. And so in the latter word teach- 
 ii}g^ the meaning of it is fixed by what follows, '' to 
 observe all things whatsoever 1 have commanded you." 
 The thing commanded to be done in the first word 
 teach-, is performed by baptizing them : but the thing 
 commanded to be done in the second word teachings 
 is performed by instructing them which have been 
 baptized, to observe all things whatsoev%i' Christ hcts 
 commanded. Tise text therefore, as it now standi ia 
 our translation, ii' the sense of it is taken according to 
 the rules of just construction, will give precisely the 
 same meaning as it would have done, if it had been 
 translated, ^o, disciple all nations^, bafitizing ihtvh ^''c- 
 Upon the v/hole then, it appears from the institu- 
 tion itself, us welLas from the examples of the apcs- 
 tles, that tlic way in v.iiich they were to make disci- 
 ples of all nations was by baptizing them. There is 
 110 mention made, r.or any direction given about re- 
 quiring people to mnke any verbal promise, or to 
 bring themselves under any previous covenant- en- 
 g-agcment?; before they were to baptize them ; but it 
 
133 
 
 is baptism itself by which they are visibly made the 
 disciples of Christ, the subjects of his kingdom, or 
 members of his church. By that ordinance, a person: 
 is set apcU t from the rest of the world ; and is feder- 
 ally sanctified, or consecrated, to Father, Son, and 
 Holy Ghost, wliose name is thereby put upon them. 
 Thus the import or signification oftliat ordinance is 
 plainly fixed and determined, in its confirming a 
 covenant relation between God and the person bapti- 
 zed.. And herein lies the difference between bap- 
 tism and the Loi-d's supper ; baptism is an initiating' 
 ordinance, that is> an ordinance by which we enter 
 into covenant w'nh God, or have that relation public- 
 ly sealed upon us ; and for this reason it is but once 
 to be admuiistered to the same person : whereas the 
 Lord's supper is often to be received, because it is 
 the design of that ordinance, io bring to reyyiembrance. 
 We therein enter into no new covenant relation with 
 God different from what we were in before ; but 
 rather call to mind, and renew our covenant engage- 
 ments : But baptism is our first entrance into, orcon- 
 firmaion of our covenant with God ; and it is an ev^ 
 crlasting covenant that can never be made void. In- 
 deed, this covenant may be broken, that is, we may 
 carry ourselves so contrary to it as to forfeit all the 
 privileges of it ; and may be turned out of the church, 
 as persons condenmed l^y the covenant, and cut oft* 
 from all the privileges and blessings of it : but the 
 covenant can never be disannulled ; but it remains as 
 the rule by which the ofiender shall be finally judged 
 and condemned. That tiie covenant which is confirmed 
 upon us in baptism, is thus an everlasting covenant, 
 appears from this, that although a person for his bad 
 conduct, should be cut off f; oin God's covenant peo* 
 pie ; yet th.ere is room for repentance, and upon his 
 repentance, the church will restore him : but there is 
 no re-baptizing to be used in this case ; which shovrs 
 that the covenant relation si ill subsists, although a 
 person by his bad conduct forleiLS the privileges of it,; 
 instead of enjoying privileges by it, the obsthiate of- 
 12 
 
154 
 
 fender is bound over to an aggravated condemnaiioto 
 by the covenant. 
 
 As the covenant we enter into by baptism is ever- 
 lasting, so tlie bonds of it are very sacred : the per- 
 son is thereby devoted to Father, Son, and Holy 
 Ghost ; is laid under the most sacred engagements 
 to renounce the ways of sin ; the tervice of his own 
 lusts, and the vanities of this evil world ; and to yield 
 himself up to God without reserve. Gal iii. 27. 
 " As many of you as have been baptized into Christ, 
 have put on Christ.** We thereby not only put on a 
 profession of Christianity ; but we also come under 
 obligations to have an answerable frame of heart, and 
 manner of life. We must so put on the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, as to be clothed with his righteousness and 
 adorned with his image ; that both in the eye of God 
 who sees the heart, and in the eye of man who sees 
 our actions, we may appear to be clothed tvith Christ. 
 We must have the answer of a good conscience to- 
 wards God, according to the bonds of the covenant 
 which is sealed upon us in that ordinance. I. Peter, 
 iii. 21. " The like figure whereunto, even baptism 
 doth also now save us, (not the putting away of the 
 filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience 
 towards God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." 
 Without this answer of a good conscience, our cov- 
 enant relation to God will be matter of aggravated 
 condemnation to us. 
 
 If baptism is that by which we enter into covenant 
 with God, and are made members of the visible 
 church, as I trust bus been sufficiently proved ; it 
 follows, that all baptized children are to be esteemed 
 the real members of the church, and entitled to all 
 the privileges of its commjnion, which they are ca- 
 pable of improving. It is therefore here necessary to 
 exiiibit some evidence of the divine right of infant 
 baptism. 
 
 God has, from the beginning, included children in 
 the same relc tion to himself with their parents. 
 Ihis was evidently the case in the first covenant 
 
133 
 
 made with our first parents in their state of innocence. 
 It li iS been already proved that the seed of Adam 
 were included with him in the first covenant. And 
 when the covenant of grace was brought in after the 
 full, through the interposition of the Mediator, Ad- 
 am's seed were equally interested in it, with himself. 
 God held said to Adam in the first covenant, *' But of 
 the tree of knowledge of good and eril, thou sbalt 
 not eat of it : for in the day that thou eatest thereof 
 thou shah surely die." And had it not been for the 
 mediation of Christ, which took place between God 
 and fallen man when the promise of the seed of the 
 woman who should bruise the serpent's head, was 
 given, he would have died on the day that he sinned. 
 But by giving this promise, the covenant of grace was 
 introduced, and Adam was put into a new state of pro- 
 bation under it. If the first covenant had h:-.d its full 
 operation, Adam and his seed would have been cut 
 oft" at one stroke : but by the Mediator he was re- 
 prieved from present death ; and his seed were 
 born into the world according to the originally appoin- 
 ted method of ordinary generation to stand probationers 
 under the covenant of grace, upon the same fooling; 
 ■with him. All this ;^ CViClcr.t from facts too plain to 
 be denied. Here God began his visible church with 
 Adam ; and this church was the church of Christ, as 
 is evident, because that dispensation was the fruit of 
 ins mediation. And it is equally evident that his seed 
 were as much members of the church, and by birth 
 interested in all the privileges of that dispensation, as 
 Adam himself was : their natural birth v/as obtained 
 by tiie introduction of the new covenant, which shows 
 that the privileges of the covenant were their birth 
 right. 
 
 So also the church, as established by the dispensa- 
 tion given to Abraham, is the church of Christ. For 
 the Abrahamic dispensation was properly the gospel, 
 as the apostle testifies. Gal. iii. 8. "The scripture 
 foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through 
 ittith, preached before the gospel imto Abraham, say- 
 
130 
 
 ihg, in tlice sliall all nations be blessed.*' As tbO-t 
 dispensation was a dispensation of the covenant of 
 grace, or was really the gospel ; so the church there- 
 by established, was the cnurch of Christ. Christ has 
 bad a church in all ages, and he has never had but 
 one ; although various have been the dispensations 
 by which it has been outwardly establislied among 
 men. The church of Christ therefore at this day, is 
 the same church as was set up in the days of Adam. 
 
 Some perhaps may here object, that the covenant 
 with Abraham w ♦ typical, and was therefore abolish- 
 ed when Christ came ; and for that reason cannot be 
 admitted as an evidence of the divine right of infant 
 baptism. 
 
 But to this I answer by a peremptory denial that 
 the Abrp.hamic covenant was typical. That there 
 were types and shctdows in the former dispensation I 
 readily grant ; the law of Moses was full of them. 
 But the covenant with Abraham was not a shadow of 
 g-ood tilings to come ; but a plain and express ap- 
 pointment for the time tiien present, of a covenant 
 between God and him, and his seed. And the great 
 Xvutn held up to public view in it, was that such fi.ith 
 as Abrahani h^i% would justify and save all such a&^ 
 bave it. See Rom. iv. 11 " And he received the 
 sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of 
 the faith which he had, bein,v yet uncircumcised." 
 This, instead of being abolished, is the great truth 
 which runs thiough the whole gospel. Covenants 
 can never be abolished till the engagements of both 
 parties in the covenant are fulfilled ; and promises 
 ^tand in for' e till they are performed. Now the 
 thing promised to Abraham was, that in his seed 
 should all nations be blessed. As long therefore as 
 there remains any of the nations of the earth to be 
 blessed in Christ, who is niore especially the seed 
 meant ; so long the covenant which God made with 
 him stands in force. And this is the light in whicli 
 the apostle understood that covenant, as appe;irsfrom 
 ^al. iii. 16. " Now te Abraham and his seed were 
 
137 
 
 the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as 
 of many ; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is 
 Christ." Compared with verse 29. " And if ye be 
 Christ's, then ye are Abraham's seed, and heirs ac- 
 cording to the promise.'* And hence, Abraham is 
 calied the heir of the world through the righteous- 
 ness of faith. Rom. iv. 13. Indeed, the particular 
 rite of circumcision by which the covenant at that 
 time, was confirmed, is now superseded by the chrfs- 
 tian circumcision, or baptism. The change of the 
 particular riie of confirmation, makes no change of 
 the covenant. When the covenant was first given to 
 Adam, there appears no other rite of confirmation to 
 be instituted at that time, but sacrifices. To which 
 there is an allusion in Psalm I. 8. " Gather my 
 saints together unto me, those that have made a cov- 
 enant with me by sacrifice." But in the dispensa- 
 tion to Abraham, circumcision was instituted ; and 
 under the new testament, it is baptism that seals the 
 covenant : but ia all these dispensations, it is the cov- 
 enant of grace that mr.kes the relation between God 
 and mankind. And as it was in the first dispensation 
 of the covenant of grace to Adam, that his seed were 
 thereby brought into the same relation to God as he 
 was ; so this likewise very expressly appears in tne 
 dispensation to Abraham. Gen xvii. God there 
 covenanted to be his God, and the God of his seei 
 after him ; and instituted circumcision as a token of 
 the covenant ; and cominanded him, and his children 
 after him, to circumcise their seed at eight days old. 
 It is undeniably evident, that by virtue of this coven- 
 ant, the seed of Abraham became the covenant peo- 
 ple of God, and visible church, from that time for- 
 ward, till the gospel dispensation took place. But 
 such as deny infant baptism, deny that the church un- 
 der the gospel, is the same church continued that 
 was before established among the children of Israel, 
 by the covenant with Abraham. But as infants were 
 expressly acknowledged as members of the church 
 under the Abrahamic dispensation j therefore if the 
 I'i* 
 
138 
 
 church now is the same church continued, it will fol- 
 low that infants are still to be treated as members of 
 it. And in further confirmation of tliis truth I shall 
 mention a few things. 
 
 1. There were many promises made to the ancient 
 church, established by the covenant with Abraham, 
 which were not to be accomplished till the gospel 
 dispensation took place : and if that church was abol- 
 ished before these promises were fulfilled, and anoth- 
 er church set up to inherit them ; then the faithful- 
 ness of God who had promised these things to that 
 church, has failed. A promise to this purpose we 
 have in Isa. liv. 1,3. " Sing, O barren thou that 
 didst not bear : for thou shalt break forth on the right 
 hand, and on the left ; and thy seed shall inherit the 
 Gentiles." The barren woman here spoken to, the 
 apostle tells us is Sarah. Gal. iv. 27. This promise 
 was evidently given to the church established by the 
 covenant with Abraham. God here promised, that 
 the seed of that church should inherit the Gentiles ; 
 and the apostle expressly so applies it. Gal. iv. 28. 
 " Now we brethren, as Isaac wasj are the children ot 
 promise." We brethren, that is, we christians of 
 Gentile nations, are the children of promise ; we are 
 the seed of the church meant in the promi!-:e Here 
 then, we have the testimony both of the prophet Isai- 
 ah, and the apostle Paul, that the gospel church is 
 the same that subsisted under the former dispensa- 
 tion. The whole sixtieth chapter is a promise 
 made to the church, that the Gentiles should come to 
 her light, and kings to the brightness of her rising. 
 There is another promise to the same purpose in the 
 sixty-sixth chapter, twelfth verse. '' For thus saith 
 the Lord, I will extend peace to her like a river, and 
 Ihe glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream." 
 And in Amps ix. 11, 12. We have a promise men- 
 .^oned by the apostle, Acts xv. 16, 17. " After this I 
 will return, and will build again the tabernacle of - 
 David, which is fallen down : and I will build again 
 th© ruins Ihereofj and 1 will set it up ; that the resi- 
 
139 
 
 due of men might seek after the Lord, and all the 
 Gentiles, upon whom my ncime is called, saith the 
 Lord, who doth all these things." Here again, we 
 have the united testimony of the prophet, and of the 
 apostles assembled in council, that this promise to 
 the ancient church was to be fulfilled under the 
 gospel ; and that the gospel is so far from pulling 
 down the church established, that it is: really a build- 
 ing of it up. Again Micah iv. 1, 2. " But in t!ie 
 last days it shall come to pass, that the moun .ain of 
 the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the 
 mountains, and it shaU be exalted above the hilh, and 
 people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall 
 come and say, come and let us go up unto the moun- 
 tain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Ja- 
 cob ; and he will teach us of his ways." Here, the 
 Gentiles arc said to go to the house of the God of Jacob, 
 which is evidently the church wiachthe God of Jacob 
 had established by the covenant made with him, and 
 with his fathers. And in Micah vii. 20, the great things 
 which God would do for the gospel church, are said 
 to be, *' Because thou wilt perform thy truth unto Ja- 
 cob, and thy mercy to Abraham, which thou hast 
 sworn unto our fathers, from the days of old" This 
 is an expi ess testimony that the gospel church is an 
 heir of the privileges and promises of the covenant 
 with Abraham. 
 
 Now these and many other promises in the proph- 
 ets, were m;.de to the church then in being ; wnich 
 were not to be accomplished till the gospel dispensa- 
 tion should tuke place : but if that church does not 
 still live to inherit tliem, then these promises have 
 fallen to the ground* and the covenant faithfulness 
 of God has failed, which none can suppose : and 
 therefore the church at this day, must be acknowl- 
 edged to be the same church as then existed, to 
 which the promises were made. 
 
 2. As a further evidence that the church under the 
 gospel is the same church continued, and is inteiest- 
 ed in all the privileges of the Abrahiimic covenant ; 
 
140 
 
 I shall mention some testimonies out of the Kevr 
 Testament See Rom. ix. 4. There the apostle 
 speaks of the Jews as the people '* To whom per- 
 taineth the adoption, and the glory, and the coven- 
 arits, and the givins^ of the law, and the service of 
 God, and the promises." But how did these church 
 privileges pertain to the Jews under the gospel, but 
 by virtue of the covenant with Abraham ? and as the 
 seed of the covenant, not yet linally rejected ? Indeed, 
 their refusal of Christ did forfeit f.i^se covenant priv- 
 ileges, as Moses had forevv^arned them Deut. xviii. 
 15, referred to by the apostle, Acts iii. 23, ?.S " For 
 Moses truly said unto the fathers, a prophet shall the 
 Lord your God raise up unto you, of your brethren 
 like unto rne ; him shall ye hear in all things v/hat- 
 soever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to 
 pass, that every soul which will not hear that proph- 
 et, shall be destroyed from among his people." 
 Here the apostle testifies, that the prophet spoken of 
 by Moses, was the Lord Jesus Christ ; and that their 
 not hearing him, is one of the sins for which they 
 were to be cut off. But how could they be cut off 
 from the church, under the gospel, unless they v/ere 
 in it ? And it is certain they never were in it, only as 
 they were members of it under the former dispensa- 
 tion. This therefore is an evident proof, that the 
 church is one and the same under both dispensations. 
 And the apostle further ur^^eth this argument, in the 
 25th verse, to persuai e them to hearken to Christ, 
 that they n.ight keep their standing in the church, 
 and not be cut off, '* Ye are the children of the coven- 
 ant which God made with oar fathers, saying unto 
 Abraham, and in thy seed shall all the kindreds of 
 the earth be blessed.** This is a clear evidence that 
 the church established by the covenant with Abra- 
 ham, did continue after the resurrection of Christ ; 
 and the Jews who were members of it, were not cut 
 off from it, till by their obstinate refusal of Christ, 
 they forfeited these privileges. The same argu- 
 ment the apjstle largely urgeth in Horn. xi. 17. 
 
141 
 
 -" And if some of the branches be broken off, and thoii 
 being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among thcrn, 
 and with them purtakest of the root and fatness of the 
 olive-tree." Verse 20. *' Well, because of unbelief 
 they w^ere broken off.'* Verse 23. " And they also, 
 if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be gr: fted in : 
 For God is able to graft them in again. ** The olive- 
 tree from w hich the unbelieving Jews were broken 
 off, and into which believing Gentiles were grafted, 
 is one and the same tree : this cannot be denied. 
 Some only, and not ail the natural branches were 
 broken off. And even these which are broken off, if 
 they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in 
 again. But what shall thev be grafted into? Shall 
 the gospel dispensation be set aside, and the Aoi-a- 
 hamic dispensation be again restored, to make way 
 for their being grafted in again? For wJien toey be- 
 come believers, they are to be grafted in a^-ain, into 
 the same olive-tree from which they wxre broken off 
 for unbelief. What total confusion doth ii make of 
 this whole discourse of the apostle, to deny the church 
 to be the same, under both dispens.iCons I it will 
 amount to charging the apostle with G:rd3s abuse and 
 perversion oi tl!e sci'ipture, in l)is applying these tlungs 
 to the church, and to the rejection of the Jews from it 
 for their unbelief. The Jews had most grievously 
 sinned in crucifying the Son of God ; for which, af- 
 ter the gGspel dispensation took place, God dealt 
 Avith them as persons under suspension, for a season, 
 that the offer of the gospel miij;ht be first made unto 
 them. But by coiitinuing obstinate in unbelief, they 
 appear to be wholly cut off, as God by Moses, had 
 threatened them. Therefore the apostles, in this time 
 o! their suspension, mightproperly urge their interest 
 in the covenant, as a motive to hearken to the gospel. 
 I will mention but one text more under th^s head, and 
 that is Gal. iii. It is manifestly the design of the apos- 
 tle in iliis chapter, to show that the covenant with Abra- 
 ham extends to, and is in force under the gospel dis- 
 pensation ; that he might thcrcl)y estallish his doc- 
 
142 
 
 trine of justification by faith, without the deeds of the 
 law. See verses, 6—9. " Even as Abraham believed 
 God- and it was accounted to him for righti-^ousness. 
 Know ye therefore, that they which are of fuitli, the 
 same are the children of Abraham. And tJie scripture 
 foreseehig thatGod would justify the hecthen throuj^h 
 faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, say- 
 iHJ^, In thee shall all nations be blessed so then they 
 which be of faiih, are blessed with faithful Abra- 
 ham.'* -\nd hence he observes, verse 14. "That 
 the blessinp; of Abraham is come on the Gentiles, 
 through Jesus Christ." More fully to lay open and 
 confirm this matter, he adds, ver. 15, 16, 17. *' Breth- 
 ren, 1 speak atier the manner of men ; Though it be 
 but a man's covenant, yet if it be coniirmed, no man 
 disaunuileth, or adde'ih thereto. How to x'^brahain 
 and Ids seed were the promises made. Ke saith not, 
 Jind to seeds, as of many ; but as of me, and to thy 
 seed, which is Christ, and this 1 Sciy, that the covenant 
 thut was ccufirmed before of God in Christ, (or to 
 Christ) tne law which was four hundred and thirty 
 years uftei', cannot dis^annul, that it should make the 
 promise of none efi'ect." Here tha apostle shows us 
 VS.'J. Christ is more t:^ ecially intended as the seal 
 mentioned in t'fjo CMVa?i.trit, to v/bom tlie promise was 
 made, that is, Christ mystical ; or Christ as the head 
 of that body of which believers are the members. 
 And this covenant could not be disannulled by giving 
 the law. For although covenants may be altered four 
 hundred and thirty years after they are made, by the 
 mutual consent of the covenanting parties, as well as 
 the next day ; yet the covenant made with Christ, hi 
 Abraham, could not be made void by givin?:^ the law, 
 because he did not then exist as the seed of Abra- 
 ham ; and therefore could give no consent to any al- 
 teration in the coveucint. For whatever existence 
 Christ had before ; yet he did not exist as the seed of 
 Abraham till his incarnation. 
 
 The apostle next proceeds to answer the grand ob" 
 jection of tiie Jews, vcr. 19, 2Q. *' Wherefore, tben 
 
143 
 
 scrveth the law ? It was added because of Iransgre^* 
 sions, till the seed should come, to whom the promise 
 was made ; and it was ordained by angels in the hand 
 of a Mediator. Now a Mediator is not of one ; but 
 God is one." Moses evidently acted the part of a Me- 
 diator between God and the children of Israel at the 
 time of giving the law : for which reason, 1 suppose, 
 commentators have generally understood him to be 
 the Mediator here meant. But the apostle is here 
 speaking, not of giving the law ; but of its continu- 
 ance, and the purpose it was to serve, till the seed 
 should come ; in which respect it was ordained by 
 angels in the hand of a Mediator. Moses therefore 
 could not be the Mediator here intended. If we look 
 into the dispensation by Moses, v/e shall see the mor- 
 al law comprised in the ten commnndments as the 
 leading part of it ; the design of wiuch :s^to convince 
 of sin. And in addition lo this, is the institution of 
 sacrifices, and the appointUiCit of the priesthood; es- 
 pecially the high priest, who on the j^rcat day of atone- 
 ment, went into the most holy pluce, to sprinkle the 
 blood of the sacrifice before the mercy seat : by all 
 which Christ Jesus the great high-priest of our pro- 
 fession, who is now passed into heaven, to appear in 
 the presence of God for us, was eminently shadowed 
 forth. The high-priest therefore is evident-y the 
 Mediator of whom the apostle here speaks. But to 
 act as Mecliiit©r under that dispensation was not the 
 office of one man ; but a succession of priests offering 
 often times the same sucrifice, to the same God ; 
 which plainly shows there was no real atonement for 
 sin, mude by those saciificcs. Thus tiie apostle 
 proves that the la^v was given to shadow forth Christ ; 
 and was to continue in force only till Christ the seed 
 of Ai)raham should come. iVnd therefore the w^y of 
 ju tificalion exemplified in Abraham, is the way in 
 which all his seed must be justified. And tiierefore 
 he expresseth the conclusion of his argumciu in verse, 
 29.'' If ye be Christ's, then be are Abraham's seed, 
 and heirs according to the promise." To deny there- 
 
144 
 
 tore that the covenant made with Abraham extends 
 to, and Is in force with the church, uiuier the gospel 
 dispensation, is as much as to say, the apostle has 
 here LiScd a falje, and tallacious argument to support 
 his favorite doctrine ot jusiihcation by faith, witliout 
 the deeds of the hiw. 
 
 Tht above explanation of the dark and difficult I9t/i 
 ^20t/i vtraes oj this chapter <f /leifectly agrees ivith^ and 
 beautifidhj iilustrates the apostle's argument in this 
 place ; and fully agrees with this same apostle^s more 
 /argc explanation cf the laiu, in his epistle to the He- 
 bi'ews. 
 
 Many other arguments might be offered in proof 
 of this truth ; but 1 choose to come nearer to the 
 point we arc upon, and essay to prove it with a spe- 
 cial reference to the ciiurch seed, wiiich wiii clearly 
 evince the divine riv,ht ol inf .nt baptism 
 
 I'hut the seed were included with their parents in 
 the dispensation of the covenant of grace, botii to 
 Adam and to Auraham., is indisputal>le. And unless 
 the tenor of that covenant is ciianged, the church 
 which was thereby related to and in covenant with 
 God, must be still the sam.e, and an heir of the privi- 
 leges and promises of the covenant, with respect to 
 the church seed. This is also evident from the ex- 
 press terms in which many promises a-e given to the 
 church, which relate to the times of the gospel. A 
 promise to this purpose is made to the church in 
 Psai. xlv. 16 ''Instead of thy fathers shall be thy 
 children, whoni thou mayest make princes in all the 
 cartir.*' Heic the seed are expressly mentioned ; 
 and it is evident from the thing premised, that the 
 church was to wait in faith, till tiie gospel dispensa- 
 tion took place, and bv its spread among the Gentiles 
 made way for the accomplishment of it. Psal. cii. 
 28. " The children of thy serv-nts shall continue, 
 and their seed shall be es!ablished before thee.*' If 
 we compare the 25th and 26th verses of this ps-ahr.; 
 with the remarks of the apostle upon them in Hcb. 
 i. 10, 11, we shall see this 28!.h verse is a promise 
 
145 
 
 nnade to Christ respecting his servants and tlieir 
 seed ; and therefore it is a promise that believers and 
 their seed are now heirs to, and interested in. The 
 children of Christ's servants shall continue, and theii* 
 seed shall be established before God In Isaiah xl. 
 11, is another promise to the church, to be fulfilled 
 under the gospel. " He shall feed his flock like a 
 shepherd ; he shall gather his lambs with his arms, 
 and carry them in his bosom." Isa. xlix. 22. " Thus 
 saith the Lord God, behold, 1 will lift up mine hand 
 to the Ger.iiles, and set up my standard to the people ; 
 and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy 
 daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.** And 
 in tlie 25th Averse tiiere is this promise made to the 
 church seed. " I will save thy children." Isa. lix. 
 '2\. "As for me, this is my covenant with them, 
 saith the Lord, my spirit that is upon thee, and my 
 v/ords which i have put in thy mouth, shall not de- 
 part out of thy m.outh, nor out of the mouth of thy 
 seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the 
 Lord, from hencefoith and forever." isa. Ix. 4. 
 *' Thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters 
 shall be nursed at thy side.'* Isa. Ixv. 23. " They 
 arc the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their 
 ofispring with them." Isa. Ixvi. 22. " For as the 
 new heavens, and the new earth which I shall make, 
 shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall youT 
 seed, and your name remain." Jerem. xxx. 20. 
 " 'ilieir chiiuren also si all be as aforetime.'* 
 
 Now these, and many more such like promises 
 were made lo the church, for the accomplishment of 
 • hich, she was to wait in faith, till the gospel dispen- 
 sation should bring her the prondsed blessings. The 
 church therefore under the gospel, is evidently in- 
 terested in these promises, and an heir of these privi- 
 leges, with respect to her seed. It is abunJuritly ev- 
 ident that the apostles esteemed the church seed, 
 under the gospel, as joint heirs with their parents, to 
 church principles. 1 his appears both from theii' 
 •testimony and practice. In proot of this, I will rnqsP^ 
 
14(3 
 
 lion, Acts, ii. 39. " For the promise is to you, and 
 to your chiklreu. and to all that are uilir oft*, even as 
 many as the Lord our God shall call." It will admit 
 of bome dis])Utc, what promise the apostle here speaks 
 of: but all will allow it to be either the promise to 
 Abraham, to be his God, and the God of his seed ; 
 or ihe promise whicii the apostle, in his foregoing 
 discoui'se, recited from the prophet Joel. But be it 
 either of them, it will anmunt to the same thing. If 
 it is conceded to he the prondse in the covenant with 
 Abrahani, it will follow, thai in the apostles view, in- 
 fants are now, as much included in the covenant with 
 their parents, as they were, in the covenant with 
 Abraham ; and must be admitted as an ungainsayable 
 evidence of the divine right of infant baptism. 
 
 liut to me, 1 confess, it appears more rational to 
 suppose the promise intended in tl'is text, is that 
 which the apostle had mentioned in his foregoing 
 discourse, taken fiom the prophet Joel, ii. 28, Sec. 
 because thatistlie only promise expiessly mentioned, 
 to which he could have reference ; and because he 
 here recites tlie last clause of the promise, as it is 
 contained in the prophet. " The remnant whom the 
 Lord shall call '* Or as the apostle expresseth it, 
 *' As many as the Lord our God shall call." It is ob- 
 servable that the prophet makes no mention of chil^ 
 ^/j'^Tz, in this promise. And the reason, or authority 
 ■which the apostle had, to put in childien with their 
 parents, in this application of the promise, saying, 
 •' The promise is to you, and to your children," will 
 appear plain, by looking into the piomise as given to 
 the church, by the prophet Joel. The church to 
 ■which the prophet gave this promise, was evidently 
 and conlessedly, the chtuxh that was established by 
 the dispensation to Abraham, which took in children 
 ■svith their parents. Every promise therefore which 
 God made to that church, from time to time by his 
 servants the prophets, must be necessarily understood 
 agreeable to the tenor of that covenant by which the 
 church was established, and under which it received 
 
J47 
 
 the promise. And hereby it appears that such prom- 
 ises extend to the church seed. Theretbie tlie apos- 
 tle hud good right, and authority from the promise it- 
 self, to mention their children as Leing interested in 
 it, although children were not expiessly meniioned 
 by the prophet. 
 
 The evasion of the anabaptists therefore upon this 
 text, is notjiing to the purpose. They say, *' The 
 children must be first called," before tlie promise can 
 belong to them ; an<l that therefore they imisi Jirst 
 grow ufi to years of understanding. By tliis evasion, 
 they make tlie apostle assert that for truth, which 
 was, in fuct, false. I'or \i the promise did not belonj^' 
 to the children till afier they were grown to years 
 of understandi.ig, and liad the call of the gospel set 
 before them, ihe apostle could not knew that the 
 piomise would ever belong to them. Yea, I say, the 
 apostle could not know this, even by inspiration ; be- 
 cause it was false in fact. For as lo the children of 
 6uch Jews as continued in unbelief; they were soon 
 given up by God to deslrutiion ; the chief of them 
 killed by famine, sword, and pestilence ; their temple 
 and ciiy destroyed ; and such as escaped, sent into 
 captivity to the ends of the earth ; and but few of them 
 even to this day, really enjoy the call of the gospel. 
 And besides, the aposile speaks in tlie time present, 
 and saith, *' The promise is to you and your chil- 
 dren :'' but if the promise did not belong to theii- 
 children at that very time, it does not appear that it 
 ever did belong to them at all. And further ; it is 
 evident that the apostle mentions children^ as an ar- 
 gument to influence his hearers ; whereas, if th.ey had 
 understood him to represent their children in no bet- 
 ter case than such as were afar off, there could be no 
 motive in it : but it would rather raise a piejudice 
 against the gospel, in the minds of these Jews, who 
 had ever been used to consider God, as in covenant 
 with their children, as well as wilh themselves. But 
 5uch quiijbles, and fooiish reasoning must never be 
 ascribed to the apostles. No ; their doctrine is with- 
 
143 
 
 out guile ; and this their testimony was gTOUHded 
 upon the oath and covenant of God with Abraham, 
 whicii warranted them to use this argument with the 
 Jews, to persuade them to acknowledge Christ, as the 
 ^vay to secure an interest in the promises and privi- 
 leges of the covenant, under the gospel, to themselves 
 and their children. 
 
 Again, we have a most express testimony that the 
 infant seed of the church are included in the covenant 
 with their parents, under the gospel, in like mannei* 
 as they were in the covenant with Abraham, by the 
 apostles and elders when they came together to con- 
 sider of this very point, Acts, xv. 10. " Now there- 
 fore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck 
 of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we 
 "Were able to bear ?" It is here evident that the in- 
 fant seed of the gospel church are declared to be dis- 
 ciples ; w^hich fully conlirms the preceding explana- 
 tion of the apostle's words in his saying <'the promise 
 is to you, and to your children." 
 
 Another testimony of the apostle, we have in Gal. 
 iv. 28. " Now we brethren, as Isaac was, are the 
 children of promise " This is spoken to the church- 
 es ofGalatia, wiiich were gospel churches, composed 
 chiefly of Gentile converts ; and the apostle testifies 
 that they are, as Isaac was, the children of promise. 
 Isaac is mentioned by name in the covenant with 
 Abraham, as the seed in particular with wdiom God 
 would establish his covenant ; and who was to have 
 the covenant confiimed upon him at eight days old, 
 including his seed after him. To deny therefore that 
 the gospel church is interested in the Abrahamic 
 covenant, or that its infant seed are entitled to cov- 
 enant seals, is a full contradiction to the apostle. 
 
 So likewise, Gal. iii. 13, 14. " Christ hath re- 
 deemed 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." Here 
 the apostle, in express terms, tells us, That the bles- 
 sing of Abraham is come on the Gentiles. And what 
 
149 
 
 this blessini^ of Abraham is, tivat is here ir.ten'^Ied, ap- 
 pears fro II the ne>ii v/ards, '- T i d wc mi^-ln receive 
 the pro-nise of the spirit tiif.U'j^ii i\iih ;" wtiicli prom- 
 ise of tlie spirit was the principal thinj^ coniaiiiecl in, 
 and the chief substance of tiie covenant tiiat Gud 
 made witii iiini, '' To be i God unto tiiee, and to thy 
 seed uRer thee.'* Tnis blessing of Abraham is come 
 on the Gen'dies. 
 
 To the same purpose are the apostle's words in 
 Eph. ii. 12. " At ihat time, ye were without C!irist, 
 beiuij idiens fr^m the coinmonweiilth ©f Israel, and 
 siraugers from the covenants of promise.'* \nd 
 chap. iii. 6. '*■ That t^ie t ientlies should be fcll;j\v- 
 heirs, luid of the same body, and partakers of nis 
 promi-.e in Christ, l)y the gospel.^ In noth these 
 texts, believi ijj Gentiles are represented as bein;.^' no 
 more stransjjers from the commonwealth of Israel ; 
 but as uien.i()crs of tiie same i:)ody, as fellosv-heirs of 
 the same privi'es^'es, and p iriakerb of the same pro.n- 
 ises vviih liie commonvvcalLh of Israel : But it is evi- 
 dent that the seed were parts and members of that 
 commonwealth, and heirs tof^-ether with tiieir p u'ents 
 of the promises and privile-'cs of it. And let it be 
 here observed, that tne aposJe is here spcakiu:^ of the 
 ch irch as a visiole borly, a commonvvealtii : he is not 
 speakiii!^' of sincere l)eiievcrs, as so many p.trticular 
 persons, or inclividu.ds in an unconnected state ; but 
 as a visible b )Ciy, a Doily-poiitic, a common weaitii : 
 and is tncrefore evidently setting f)rtii the privileges 
 of their visible church standing. And the lenor of 
 his argument necess irily extends the privileges of the 
 churcn to the church seed ; not of Jews only but of 
 Gentiles also. 
 
 The remark, also of the apostle upon the dealing 
 of God with Noah, in Heb. xi. 7. contain the same 
 representation of the matter. " By faith Noah being 
 warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with 
 fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house ; by 
 the vvhicn he cunde nned the world, and became heir 
 cf the righteousness which is by faith.'' It was with 
 1^ * 
 
150 
 
 Noah that God established his covenant, when the 
 whole world had corrupted themselves. Gen. vi, 18. 
 He only is mentioned as a believer ; yet his whole 
 family shared great privileges by the covenant, being 
 saved in the ark during the flood. And the apostle 
 Peter speaks of the same things I. Pet. lii. 21." The 
 like figure whereunto, baptism, doth also now save 
 us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but 
 the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the 
 resurrection of Jesus Christ." By baptism v/e secure 
 a great privilege to our children which may be com- 
 pared to the saving of Noah's family in the ark, where- 
 by they were preserved to the enjoyment of church 
 privileges, when the rest of the world were drowned 
 by the flood. 
 
 Thus have I collected some from among many 
 texts, both in the old and new testament, which evi- 
 dently show the visible church under the gospel, to 
 be that very church which was established by the cov» 
 lenant with Abraham ; which expressly repiesent the 
 church seed um'er the gospel, to be joint heirs with 
 their parents to the privileges of the covenaBt : and 
 the texts produced from the new testament evidently 
 ■show that the apostles so understood them. 
 
 It is objected that we have no instance or exam- 
 ple of the apostle's baptizing any infants. I might 
 for argument sake grant it : for we need not any, to 
 establish infant baptism. It is undeniably evident 
 that the seed were included with their parents in all 
 ibrmer dispensations. This was the case in the first 
 revelation of the new covenant to Adam, after the 
 fall, when the visible church was begun with him ; 
 and his children continued members of it till Cain 
 apostatized, and went out from the pi^esence of the 
 Lord. This was the case in the renewal of the cov- 
 enant with Noah. And this is most expressly the 
 case in the di>-.pensation of the covenant to Abraham ; 
 and with all the renewals of it with his seed through- 
 cut all former ages. And as it is manifest by such 
 ' a great variety of sacred texts that the church under the 
 
151 
 
 gospel, is not another, but the same church ; and the 
 chuvch-seed fco frequently and expressly mentioned 
 in the prophecies and promises contained in tlie \vii- 
 tings of the former prophets, when they evidently 
 speak of the gospel dispensation ; it fully proves the 
 divine right of infant baptism. The seed having 
 been once included in the covenant, is a sufficient 
 evidence that they are still in it, till our adversaries 
 are able to produce plain and evident proof that they 
 Jiave been since cut off. It does not therefore prop- 
 erly lie upon us to prove that the right of the seed to 
 the seal of the covenant, holds good under the gos- 
 pel : But it belongs to them to prove that the seed 
 of God's covenant people has been cut off. But the 
 sum total of the evidence they can, or even pretend 
 to produce in the case, is, that there is no instance of 
 any infant's being baptized by the apostles ; and the 
 want of a capacity in intants for the exercise of fuith. 
 
 As to the first of these arguments, that we have no 
 example of infant baptism ; I ansiver^ We have no 
 need of any, in order to prove the point. For when 
 we consider the prophecies ^and prom.ises of the old 
 testament, which relate to gospel limes, so expressly 
 representing the church seed to be included in the 
 covenant ; which were so understood by the apostles, 
 who have expressly applied them to the church un- 
 der the tijospel ; it will appear manifest that they did 
 baptize inlanis : or at least, if it could be proved that 
 they did not, it would at the same time prove an in- 
 consistency, and self-contradiction upon the apostles, 
 which may not be supposed. If infants are cut off, 
 let our opponents sliew us the text that cuts them 
 off. 
 
 And as to the example of the apostles ; so far as 
 their example is recorded, it is manifestly in favor of 
 infant baptism. For when the Lord opened the heart 
 of Lydia to receive the gospel, her household were 
 baptized. Acts xvi. 15. And when the apostle preach- 
 eci to the jailor, he tells him, " Believe on the Lord 
 Jesus Cixiist and thou shall be Siived, and thy 
 
152 
 
 house. Upon which he, and all his, were straight- 
 way baptized." iVcts xvi, 31, 33. I grant, it is not 
 cerlttin there were any inLnis in either of these lUnii- 
 lies ; but on the contmry, there might be some in 
 both ol' them. And if there were infants in either of 
 them, it is plain from the text, th^t ihey were bupii- 
 zed, because the w'.iolc households were bap izcd ; 
 which would not be true, if there remaiiied .ny 
 unbapiized children in eir.iicr of them There d<;es 
 noL appear lo be any believers in eiiliei of these iami- 
 lies, bui Lydia and the jaiioi- : and the baptism of 
 their house holds, whether infants or aciuits, is repre- 
 sented lo be on the covenant right of the heads ol the 
 families, accordin'^- lo lijc most easy and natural con- 
 struction of the words : vvliich txumples considered 
 in connexion wich the repres-ontuiion of the promises 
 and piivileges which belong to the visible cliurch, 
 anei church-seed, as tl'^ey liund recorded hoLh in the 
 old unci new iesLani;.nt, ;.rrc suflicicnt evidence of the 
 divine v'v^hi of iniant baptism. 
 
 When tlie right of a person, whether infunt or 
 adult, to any privilege in the visible church, is estab- 
 lished by plain scripture testimony, akanugh t.here 
 should be no record of any exanjple of it, it is very 
 injmious to deprive ihem of the piivileges lo which 
 their right thus appears. We nave no example in 
 the bible, tliat any woman ever partook of the Lord's 
 supper. But who ever doubted of their right to it, 
 f]&r such a reason as this ? And yet, there is as much 
 setose, or raihcv tionacnse in this argument, when ap- 
 plied lo ciiildren, as there is when applied to women. 
 The right of tne church-seed to the seals and piivi- 
 leges of the covenant of God with the visible chuichy. 
 is so expressly declared in the prophecies and piom- 
 ises delivered to the church, by tiie lormer proph- 
 ets, to be fulfilled under the gospel dispeiisation, 
 wliicii were so repeatedly usserteci. claimed for, and 
 applied to the church by ii:e apostles, that it must be 
 owiitd ttiat iheir practice contradicted their profes- 
 sion and doctrine, if they denied baptism to the ini .nt 
 seed of believers. So much siieiice in the scripture 
 
153 
 
 concerning the baptism of infants, is not to be thought 
 strange of. For if there v/as, at that clay, no dispute 
 raised about it, there could be no occasion to make 
 mention of it ; their right being pUdnly asserted, 
 there was no need to subjoin examples of it. Yet it 
 is morally certain, that if the seed had been denied 
 the seals of the covenant, it would have caused dis- 
 putes, and raised prejudices in tiiC minds of the Jews 
 against the gospel 1 or since their seed had always 
 been acknowledged as included in tbe covenant of 
 God, from the days of Abraham do'.vn to that time ; 
 it must have been surprising, and very grievous to 
 them, to tind their seed cut off under the gospel. 
 Such a change could not have failed of producing^ 
 discontents ana disputes among a people who v/ere 
 so zealous of the iuw, and of the customs of their fa- 
 thers, as the believing Jews were- The silence 
 therefore of the new testament about the baptism of 
 infants, is so far from being an argument against it, 
 that it is a strong and very conclusive one in favor o£ 
 it. For it their seed had been cut off from the cov- 
 enant mider the gospel, there is the strongest pre- 
 sumption that such disputes about it would have 
 arisen in the church, that we must neressarily have 
 had some mention of it in some apostolical writings. 
 How weak and ridiculous then is it, to make the si- 
 lence of the scripture an argument against the bap- 
 tism of infants, when its whole force is thus evident- 
 ly in favor of it ! 
 
 And their other argument taken from the incapa- 
 city of infanto to exercise faith, is full as little to the 
 purpose. Let them fiisc prove that the real exer- 
 cise of a saving faith is necessary to our being inclu- 
 ded in the covenant of God with the visible church. 
 Till this is proved, the want of faitn in infants is no 
 objection against their being baptized. That the ex- 
 ercise of true fuith is necessary to our being interest- 
 ed in the promised blessing of etenial life, is readily 
 granted But is does not therefore follow that the 
 same f«dlh is necessary to our belonging to the visible 
 
eliurch, and being included in a covenant relation to 
 God, under the covenant of s^race. Was Adum re- 
 generated after the fall, betore God had revealed 
 to h'm the covenant of grace in the promise of the 
 seed of the woman ? No, it is plain he was not.* — 
 Yet at that very linieGod pul him into a new state of 
 trial for lile or dccth, under the dispensation of the 
 covenant of grace, 'n a church covenant rel- tion to 
 hi«nse]f, in which his seed were irciuded wiih him, 
 and tney all coijlinued in t' is reladon tih Cain apos- 
 tatized. Tiie wanL of a saving hiith both in Adam 
 and in his seed, was no objection in the way. So 
 also when God es;al)lished his covenant with Abi^a- 
 ham, his seed, aUhou:;^h by nature children of wrath 
 even as others, were to have the sea) oi" the covenant 
 put upon them at eighi: days old ; tlieir unregenera- 
 cy was never objected agc-inst them. And when 
 from time to time God renewed the covenant with 
 his seed, their unrt^genency, aklio' evicently mani- 
 fested in their lives, was not attended to as an ob« 
 jection against their covenanting, f'or at the very 
 time when they stood before the Lord, to renew co- 
 vena t with him, Moses tells them, " You have been 
 rci^eliious against the Lord, l\om the day that 1 knew 
 you. Yet (he Lord bath not given you a heart to 
 perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this 
 day." Dent. ix. 24, und xxix. 4. And the reason 
 which is assigned of the divine conduct in that in- 
 
 * Some may ask why there is no room for the supposition 
 that Adam was regenerated before God Drought in the new 
 covenant by the promise of the seed oi' the woman ? To 
 such I answer : God had not revealed any gospel-truth to.' 
 him afier the fall, before he gave this promise And as 
 God had not revealed any thing for him to believe, therefore 
 he couid not be a bt liever. If he was regenerated, it must 
 be such a kind of regeneration as may lake place in one 
 who still continues in a state of unbehef But those who 
 entertain such a notion of that regeneration which is> taught in 
 the gospel, are lO be classed an>ong those who still need 
 that one sliouid teach them which are the first principles oi 
 the oracles of God, 
 
stance is fuii to the point of infant baptism. Deut. 
 iv. 27. "' liecause he loved tl)y iUtiieis, thereioie he 
 chose ihtiv seed aiter ihein." And this reason of 
 the divine conduct holds equally good under the gos- 
 pel ; if lie loves the pciienLs» he will choose their 
 seed after theni. And in Deut. x. 15, all other rea- 
 sons are rejected, ai\d this covenant love to the pa- 
 rents is assi:^iied as the ov/y reason of taking, the chil- 
 dren into covenant. " Only i.ie Lord had a delii^ht 
 in thy lathers to love them, and he chose their seed 
 after thern, even you above ail people, as it is this 
 day.'* The conduct of Moses upon n\any occasions, 
 clearly shows that he loohed upon the children ' of 
 Israel as a people in covenant with God, even when 
 they evidenil) discovoied the want of a gracious state 
 of heart ; purticukuly on occasion of their rebellion 
 at the time of the retuin oi the spies. Deut is:. 25 
 — 27. " Thus i feil down belore the Lord forty days 
 and forty nights, as 1 lell down at the j.st ; because 
 the Lord ivad said he would destroy you. 1 prayed 
 therefore unlo the Lord, and said, O I^ord God, de- 
 sti'oy not thy people, and thine inheritance, whic- 
 thou hast redeemed through ihy gieatness, which 
 tliou hast brougjt forth out of Egypt with a mighty 
 hti^id. Heaien)ber thy servants, Abraliam, Lsadc, 
 and Jacob." And ver-e 29. " Yet they are thy peo- 
 ple, and thiae inlieviiance.*' It is here evident tliat 
 M(jses lays the stress of his a'^gunient for them, upon 
 their Deing the covenant peopie of God ; and tiuu by 
 viraie of the covenant of Goc: v.ith their fathers. 
 
 Whei'efore, as it is by being baptized tiiat our cov- 
 enant relation to God in the vi:,ibie church, is enter- 
 ed into or confirmed, v.e are made complete mem- 
 bers, and entitled to ail the privileges of its com- 
 munion ; yea, and laid under obligations, not only to 
 submit to the government of Christ in hi** church ; 
 but also to come forward and take and improve church 
 privileges for our spiritual profiling, as fast as we 
 can attain to the propciqualifical ions for these exerci- 
 ses : and infant baptism oeing thus evidenay warranted 
 
156 
 
 in the word of God, It follows that baptized children ai* 
 to be looked upon as members of the church, and en- 
 titled to all the privileges of its communion, and 
 ought to be acknowledged and treated accordingly. 
 
 Having exhibited abundant evidence of the divine 
 right of infant baptism ; the same arguments equally 
 prove their right to the other ordinance, or seal of the 
 covenant, the Lord's supper : and it appears as evi- 
 dently, to be the duty of parents to dedicate, and pre- 
 sent their children to God, for his blessing, at the 
 Lord's table, as in baptism. Baptised children, when 
 they are grovvn to be capable to eat and drink with 
 decency, ought to be brought to the table of the 
 Lord, to eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 
 
 In the institution of the passover their whole fami- 
 lies were to partake of it. And after the children of 
 Israel were settled in the land of Can'ian, and thtv 
 were required to go up to Jei-usalem to keep the 
 feast, their children, especially the iriales, were to go 
 with them. Indeed, such as lived remote, could not 
 bring all their cniidren, while they were small. Our 
 Savior went up with Joseph and Mary, when he ivaa 
 twelve years old ; Nvhich probably was near about the 
 common age at which such as lived at a distance, 
 brought their children to that ordinance. But in the 
 first institution of it in ligypt, it is plctinly represent- 
 ed as a family meal, in which their children did par- 
 take : which is probably one reason why it was re- 
 quired of the s!.r..ngcr who would keep the passuvei", 
 tli-At all his males should be first circu/ncised. And 
 there is the same reason why children of christian 
 parents should partake of the Lord's supper, as 
 there was why Isi-aelitish children should eat tlie pass* 
 over. 
 
 It may be here asked, what advantage it can be to 
 little children, to partake of that ordinance ; But wc 
 iiiay as well ask, what advantage it can be to them, to 
 be baptized ? They may receive benefit from one or- 
 dinance, as well as from the other. All the argu- 
 meu:s which arc brought in defence and support o| 
 
1^/ 
 
 infant baptism, are equally strong and conclusive of 
 I heir right to be brought to the Lord's table. For 
 they are the children of God, being children of the 
 covenant ; and ought to eat of children's bread. When 
 the new covenant was brought in, after the fall of 
 Adam ; his seed came into the world upon the same 
 footing on which he then stood, and were interested 
 in like privileges. So when God renewed his cove- 
 liant with Abraham, God promised to he his God, 
 and the God of his seed after him. The covenant 
 with all the privileges of it, belonged to his seed as 
 much as to himself. And when God renewed the 
 covenant with thechildren of Israel at Mount Sinai the 
 -covenant and all the privileges of it, belonged to the 
 -whole congregation, in which their ciuidren were in- 
 cluded. And when the covenant was again reJiewed 
 on the plains of Moab, their little ones are expressly 
 mentioned, Deut. xxix. il. And as their ciiildren 
 VrCi e circumcised at eight days old, by vvhich the cov- 
 enant was confirmed upon them ; so in all the dispen- 
 saiions of the covenant with them, their children were 
 considered as included in it, and entiiiGu to the privi- 
 leges of it. And it is a like case under the gospel ; 
 chiidren are still included in the covenant, and inter- 
 ested in the same privileges with their parents. For 
 saith the apostle, »' The promise is to you, and your 
 children." Acts, ii. 39. And as the right of chil- 
 dven to one seal of the covenant, viz. baptism, is here- 
 by made evident ; so likewise their right to the other 
 seal, the Lord's supper, is equally manifest. 
 
 God of the riches of his grace, has granted to his 
 covenant people the privilege of presenting them- 
 fcclves before him, at his table, for his blessing. And 
 as this is one privilege of the covenant ; so it Is the 
 privilege of ail such as are included in the cove- 
 nant. And as children are included with their pa- 
 rents in the covenant ; therefore they have a like 
 right to be brought, and presented to God in that or^ 
 dinance. 
 
 Itmav be objected, w^e have KiO examjilc in thb 
 14 
 
158 
 
 icripture, ihat the apostles suffered little c'nildren to be- 
 brought with their parents to the Lord's table I 
 grant it. So neither have we any express example 
 of their baptizing the infant seed of believers : and 
 yet the silence of the scripture in that matter is not 
 allowed to be a sufficient objection against infant 
 baptism ; and therefore it cannot be a sufficient ob- 
 jection against their coming to the Lord's supper. 
 The silence of the scripture in this matter, is so far 
 from being an objection against the right of infants to 
 both ordinances, that it is a strong argument in favor 
 of it. The book of Acts contains the history of the 
 apostles plantiiig and building up the gospel church 
 for the space of about thirty years ; in which time, 
 many christians doubtless had children born, and 
 grown up ; and yet we have no account how these 
 children were treated by the apostles. But as the 
 church was composed only of converts from among 
 the Jews, for a number of years at first, who still re* 
 tained a great veneration for the law of Moses, under 
 which they had been brought up ; so, if their children 
 had not been treated with like privileges under the 
 gospel, as they had been under the law, it must have 
 given them great uneasiness. Under the law, they 
 had looked upon their children as interested in the same 
 privileges of the covenant as themselves. But if the 
 apostles had treated their children as not being inclu- 
 ded in the covenant, nor entitled to tiic privileges of 
 it : but as aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, 
 atrcingers from the covenants of promise, and as be- 
 hig in no better state than heathen ; it must have oc- 
 casioned great uneasiness, and brought on such con- 
 tention and disputes, as that we must necessarily have 
 had some accounts about it, in sornc part of the new 
 testament. But no hint of it is to be found there : 
 yet we have frequent mention of and lefcrcnces to 
 their disputes about circumcision, which is but a tri- 
 fle in comparison with this privilege of their infant 
 seed. Thus it is evident that the whole force of the 
 argument taken from the silence of the scripture in 
 
1^9 
 
 bliis malter, is m fuvor of the right of infants to botli 
 Gi'clinaiiccs. 
 
 As I have before shown, the examples, of the apos- 
 tles, so far as their practice is recorded, is evidently 
 in favor of infant baptism ; in that, they baptize^ 
 whole households : so likewise their example, so far 
 us ii is recorded, is in favor of bringing children to 
 the Lord's table. See Acts. ii. 46. " And they con- 
 tinued daily with one accord in the temple, and break- 
 ing bread from house to house, did eat their meat 
 with gladness and singleness of heart." Here it ap- 
 pears, that in these primitive times, these first con- 
 verts had the Lord's supper administered in . their 
 own private houses, and that it was connected with 
 their meals ; because their breaking of bread is here 
 mentioned in connexion with eating their meat ivith 
 gladness ; vrhich strongly intimates that their whole 
 liouseholds did partake in it. How far what is here 
 said will warrant the practice of administering that 
 ordinance in private to particular persons, on special 
 occasions, I shall not undertake to determine. It i^ 
 pretty obvious, that one principal design of that or- 
 dinance is to be a public expression, in the face of 
 the world, of our devotedness to Christ ; and that 
 therefore it ought to be administered in a public man- 
 ner. Although the apostles at first administered this 
 ordinance in private houses, to the families of the 
 first converts on the day of pentecost ; yet after the 
 church was wrought up into a more complete state, 
 it appears to have been their practice to assemble the 
 church together for an attendance on the Lord's sup- 
 per. Hence we read. Acts xx. 7, " Upon the first 
 day of the week, when the disciples assembled to- 
 gether to break bread." And the church of Corinth 
 came together in one place for the celebration of this 
 ordinance. L Cor. xi. 18. But then, as the apos- 
 tles at first administered this ordinance in private 
 houses, to the families of their first converts ; so 
 when the church was formed into a more complete 
 state, and oelievers came together in the church foi* 
 
160 
 
 an attendance on this ordinance, we have good reason 
 to conclude they brought tlieir children with them. 
 
 Although there is no express mention in the scrip- 
 ture of bringing little children to the table of the 
 Lord ; yet such as have searched into the writings of 
 ancient christians, tell us, that these ancient fathers 
 of the christian church testify with one voice, that it 
 was the practice of the church, for the first three 
 hundred years after Christ, to bring their young chil- 
 dren with them to partake at the table of the Lord. 
 And if this testimony of the most ancient christian 
 writers may be depended on that this was a real fact^ 
 it must be allov/ed that it was what the apostles prac* 
 lised. And although the opinion of those ancient;, 
 writers in doctrinal points is not of decisive authori- 
 ty ; yet I know of no reason why their testimony, as 
 to particular facts, of which they must be supposed 
 to have the meansof knowledge, may not be depended 
 on ; especially since we have so much evidence and 
 reason from the sacred scripture, to conclude that it 
 was the case. 
 
 I knov/ of but one text in the whole bible that con- 
 tains any thing which looks like an objection againsfe 
 bringing cur children to the table of the Lord ; and 
 that is, 1. Corinth, xi. where the apostle is blaming 
 the Corinthians for not discerning the Lord's body 
 in that ordinance, and directing them to prepare 
 themselvesforadue attendance upon of it by self-exam- 
 ination. I grant that children so soon as they can eat 
 and drink, are not capable of performing the duty of 
 self-examination, nor of making a full distinction be- 
 tween that ordinance and common food ; but this 
 contains no sufficient reason why we should deny 
 them this privilege of the covenant, or exclude the 
 parent from publicly giving a practical expression of 
 his faith in that promise of the covenant, that God 
 will be his God, and the God of his seed. When a 
 parent offers his child in baptism, we are to view his 
 conduct as an expression of his faith in that promise 
 of tie covenant. And it is equally the parent's duty 
 
161 
 
 practically to express and exercise his faith in that 
 promise, by presenting his child to God, at the Lord's 
 table, for his acceptance and blessing. In coming to 
 the Lord's table we practically own the covenant : 
 but if we own the covenant, we ous^lit to own it in its 
 true extent, as it takes in the seed with the parents : 
 but by excluding our children, we practically disown 
 the covenant, especially in that part of it which ex- 
 tends the promise to the seed. The incapacity of 
 children therefore for moral exercises in both ordin- 
 ces is entirely out qf the question ; and the duty of 
 p.irents is left free, in which they have full scope for 
 exercising and practically expressing their faitn in 
 the promise of the covenant, as it extends to their 
 seed. 
 
 But we are to practise the duty of presenting our 
 children to God for his blessing in gospel ordinances, 
 not merely as the duty or privilege of the parent ; 
 but a? a privilege also of our children. Their title 
 to one ordinance is as evident from the word of God, 
 as their title to the other. Here, I might go over 
 again with all the texts and arguments which have 
 been produced in dtfence of infant baptism, and show 
 tb.at they equally prove their right to the other seal 
 of the covenant. The general reason by which in- 
 fant baptism is established, is God's extending his 
 covenant and promise to the seed ; which equally 
 conftrnis their right to one seal, as well as to the oth- 
 er. And they are as incapable of those moral exer- 
 cises v/liich are agreeable with the design of baptism, 
 as they are of those which are agreeable with the de- 
 sign of the Lord's supper. ^Vhen we baptize a per- 
 son grown to the years of understanding, we require 
 hihi, (as Philip did the Eunuch) to maktj a profession 
 •of hii faith in Christ ; but we baptize children with- 
 out wailing for such a profession from them. And 
 so, grown people must prepare themselves for a due, 
 attendance upon the Lord's supper oy self-exavnina- 
 lion ; the dii'ection for this preparatory exercise is 
 given to grown people : but th.it is no reason why 
 
 14* 
 
16^ 
 
 children should be kept back till they become capa- 
 ble of it, any more than why they ought to be kept 
 back from baptism till they are capable of the moral 
 exercises which are agreeable to the design of that 
 ordinance. Although little children cannot make 
 any actual improvement of gospel ordinances, yet 
 they may receive some benefit by them. " They 
 brought little children to Christ, and he took them 
 up in his arms, laid his hands upon them, and bles- 
 sed them." And may not we also hope he will re- 
 ceive and bless them, when we bring them to him in 
 his own appointed way ? To be dedicated to God, 
 and to have his covenant confirmed upon us, and es- 
 tablished with us, is in itself a great privilege, which 
 is one advantapje of infant baptism ; and the same is 
 also done for them, in bringing them to the Lord's 
 table. We ought not therefore to keep off children 
 from gospel ordinances because they cannot, in that 
 stage of life, make all the improvement and reap all 
 the advantages from them which adult people can. 
 If their being brought to gospel ordinances can be 
 in any respect an advantage to them, it is a good rea- 
 son why it should be done for them. And I think it 
 is evident from v/hat has been said, that it is of great 
 advantage, both to the parent, and to the children ; 
 to the parent, as it affords proper scope for the prac- 
 tical exercise of faith in the promise of the covenant, 
 as it extends to the seed, ^ well as the parent ; and 
 to the children, as there is great reason to hope, 
 Christ will receive, own and bless them. The inca- 
 pacity of children therefore for exercising self-ex- 
 amination, or discerning the Lord's body in that or- 
 dinance, is an objection of no weight. While chil- 
 dren are too young for such moral exercises as are 
 agreeable to the design of the ordinance, we are to 
 view their being brought to it, as a practical exer- 
 cise and expression of the faith of the parent, in the 
 promise of the covenant : but when children are 
 grown to sufficient maturity, the duties of self-exam- 
 ination, and of discerninij the Lord*s body, are to be 
 inculcated upon them. 
 
163 
 
 Children will, in the early part ot life, take notice, 
 of a difference between the Lord's supper and a com- 
 mon meal. They will soon perceive that it is made 
 use of for a religious purpose ; which will put them 
 upon askinc^ after the meaning of it, and lay open 
 their attention to receive such religious instruction as it 
 is the duty of parents to inculcate upon them on such 
 an occasion. Isa. xxviii. 9, 10. *' Whom shall he 
 tteach knowledge ? and whom shall he make to un- 
 derstand doctrine ? Them that are weaned from the 
 milk, and drawn from the breast. For precept must 
 be upon precept, precept upon precept ; line upon 
 line, line upon line ; here a little, and there a little." 
 And hence it is that Mo^es gave that command to 
 the children of Israel, Deut, vi. 20. *' And when thy 
 son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean 
 the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments 
 which the Lord our God hath commanded you ? 
 Then thou shalt say unto thy son, we were Pharoah*s 
 bond-men," Sec. In like manner our children, by 
 being brought to the Lord*s table, would be put upon 
 inquiring into the meaning of it; which would give 
 us a fair opportunity of instilling into tlieir young and 
 lender minds, the knowledge ot divine truths, which, 
 through the blessing of God; would have a saving in- 
 fluence on their hearts. 
 
 But with respect to this matter, I apprehend it is 
 manifest from what has been offered, that God has 
 not left it to us to determine tliis case by our ov/n rea- 
 son or prudence ; but hath determined it for us, in 
 that the right of little children is so plainly deter- 
 mined, with respect to both ordinances, and all the 
 privileges of the visible covenant people of God. 
 
 Accordingly the apostle has taught us to consider 
 our children as being in this sense holy. I. Cor. vii. 
 14. " Else were your children unclean ; but novv are 
 they holy." And the command enjoined on parents 
 " To train up their children in the nurture and ad- 
 monition of the Lord," Lph. vi. 4, plainly requires 
 ws to bring them up according to thei-.- interest in 
 
164 
 
 the covenant, and their title to the seals and piivils- 
 g-es of it. And inasmuch as every argument whicli 
 can be brought in defence and support of infant bap- 
 tism, as fully proves the duty cf bringing th.eni 
 to the Lord's table ; it manifestly appears to be an 
 absurdity and inconsistency to plead for and practise 
 the one, and not the otlicr. That admonition there- 
 fore of Christ, Mat. xviii. 6, challengeth cur special 
 attention : *' \Vhoso sh..ll offend one of these little 
 ones, luhich believe in me^ it wei'e better for him that 
 a millstone weie hanged about his neck, and that he 
 were drowned in the depth of the sea,'* which seems 
 to be spoken by the spirit of prophecy, as a warning 
 to those who, in alter agesj should cut off the infant 
 seed of the church from the seals and privileges of 
 the covenant ; which seems to have been the effect 
 of those errors thateaily sprung up in the church, 
 which finally terminated in the doctrine of transub- 
 stanliation ; from which we are not lully purged to 
 tills day. 
 
 Some will be ready to find fault that I should open 
 the doors of the church so wide as to let in all bapti- 
 zed persons to its comnuunon. To this 1 answer: 
 It does not belong to us to open, or to shut. We 
 are none of Chrn^t's counsellors. It is our business 
 to follow his du'cciions, and trust him with the conse- 
 quences, indeed, 1 grant ihat many baptized peo- 
 ple, by reason of the manner in which they have been 
 educated, treated and nctlected by the church, are 
 far from being meet subjects of its communion. But 
 this might serve to convince us of the error of our 
 past conduct* and should admonish us of the necessi- 
 ty of a refoi-mation, and not to persist in such depar- 
 tures from divine rules in our treatment of the rising 
 generation, as have been productive of such evil ef- 
 fects. 
 
 It is manifest there is but little of the divine pre- 
 sence with these churches, but littlc effect of the gos- 
 pel audits institutions on the hearts of people ; which 
 is not without a reason. The primitive church, while 
 
165 
 
 she retained her simplicity and apostolic purity, was. 
 greatly enlarged among the heathen nations. Bift 
 when she became corrupt, and innovations and hu- 
 man inventions were brought in, her enlargement has 
 ceased ; and her bounds, for these- many hundreds 
 of years, have been rather contracted thuii extended ; 
 which must be because of the withdrawment of the 
 divine presence, on account of some accursed thing 
 that is found with her. As to the churches in this 
 land, 1 trust they are built upon the true foundation, 
 and have some golcl^ silver^ firecicus stones^ in the 
 building ; but I apprehend there is also ivood^ hay^ 
 stubble.^ which must and will be burnt up. If there 
 is any truth in what I have said of the visible church, 
 of membership in it, and of the privileges of it ; we 
 greatly need a reformation, even in the outward and 
 visible form of the church. The apostles, according 
 to the command of Christ, made disciples by bapti- 
 zing them, which was the only way they received 
 people into the church ; but we do not treat baptism 
 as that which constitutes discipleship, or makes peo- 
 ple members of the church. Instead of this we lift 
 lip our tool upon them, Ave receive members into the- 
 church by personal professions, and verbal covenant- 
 ing of our own devising ; in which one useth one 
 form, and another another. And why not ? For eve- 
 ry one has an equal right to make his own forms. And 
 when we undertake to make members of the church 
 of our own manufacture, ix. is to be expected that eve- 
 ry one, while he has them in hand, will fashion them 
 to his own liking. But the apostle has given us a 
 very seasonable caution, I. Cor. iii. 10, 11. " Accor- 
 ding to the grace of God which is given unto me, as 
 a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and 
 another i)uildeth thereon. But let every man take 
 heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other founda- 
 tion can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus 
 Christ" The charge which God gave to the chil- 
 dren of Israel, Exod. xx. 25, doubtless had a mystical 
 meaning in it : " And if thou wilt make me an altar 
 
166 
 
 of Stone, thou shalt not make it of hewn stone : for 
 if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it." 
 And the particular notice which is taken of the build- 
 ing of Solomon's temple, I. Kings, vi. 7, that there 
 was neither hammer, nor ax, nor any tool of iron 
 heard in the house, while it was building, seems to 
 be a mere trivial circumstance, otherwise than as it 
 contains a veiy instructive moral to the builders of 
 the gospel church. 
 
 Although there is no express mention of the apos- 
 tles treating the infant seed of the believers as disci- 
 ples, or members of the church ; yet they are said to 
 be disciples, Acts, xv. 10. and there are many things 
 said which strongly imply such a treatment. The 
 charge given to parents to bring up their children in 
 the nurture and admonition of the Lord, as I have 
 " shov/n, must be understood in this sense. The com- 
 mand that children should obey their parents in the 
 Lord. Eph. vi. 1. plainly implies that the apostle 
 considered little children as disciples, and subjects of 
 Christ's kingdom. iVnd the apostle John, exp, essly 
 and repeatedly directs his discourse to old men, to 
 young men, and to little children ; L John, ii. 12. 
 which plainly shows that he viewed them in the same 
 light. All which well agrees with that express com- 
 mand of our Lord given after his resuirection to Pe- 
 ter, and through him, to all the apostles, to feed his 
 Iambs as well as his sheep, John, xxi. 15. Ought 
 not then, these Irmibs of Christ's flock, to be fed with 
 children's breud, as well as the sincere milk of the 
 word ? And that kind and affectionate treatment 
 with which our Lord used little children, when they 
 were brought to him ; together with that reproof he 
 gave to his disciples, when they shewed a disposition 
 to have little children used in like manner as we have 
 treated the children of the church ; might well cause 
 us to tremble, and think seriously of a reformation. 
 Mark, x. 13, 14, 15, 16. " And they brought young 
 children to him, that he should touch them ; and his 
 disciples rebuked those that brought them. But 
 
167 
 
 when Jesus saw it, lie v.a.j Jinich disjilcased^ and said 
 iinio them, suffer the little children to come unto me, 
 and forbid them not : for of such is the kingdom of 
 God. Veriiy, I say unto you, whosoever shall not re- 
 ceive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall 
 not enter therein. And he took them up in his at ms, 
 put his hands upon theni and blessed them." Herei 
 Christ himself declares infant children are of, or do 
 belong to his kingdom. And have we not evident 
 reason to conclude that he is niuch displeased with 
 us, for denying; them the priviie:<es of his kingdom ? 
 It is an ackno\vledged principle, that believers are en- 
 titled to all church privileges. But our Lord declares 
 that the mfant seed of his people are believers. Fore- 
 cited Matt.xviii 6. " \\ hoso shall offend one of these 
 little ones which believe in me." \Ve cannot here un- 
 derstand our Lord, speaking of tliese little ones as be- 
 lievers, on account of the internal exercises of faith 
 in the heart ; for that is a matter about which we are 
 not capable of judging ; but it is here implied, that 
 we arc capable of distinguishing among little ones, 
 ^vhich are believers, and which not : which rule of 
 judging can be no other than the covenant of God 
 with his people and their seed. Christ has therefore 
 here expressly determined the case, that it would bo 
 better for us that a mill-stonc were hanged about our 
 neck, and that we were drowned in the depth of the 
 sea, than to treat our children as we have done, in 
 excluding them from the pri\ ilcges of the visible 
 church. I ask no p.irdon for tins warmth of expres- 
 sion ; for it is no niore than is iitiing, while I am 
 pleading the cause of those little innocents, those 
 young believers, those injured Iambs of Christ's flock 
 .who cannot speak for themselves. These lambs arc 
 included in, and are parts of the flock, as well as the 
 sheep ; they belong to the same o.vncr, should feed in 
 the same pasture, and lie down in the same fold : ai'id 
 be that will separate them, acts more like aMoIf than 
 a shepherd ; and is condemned of himself for practi- 
 sing infant baptism. For every argument which 
 
168 
 
 can be brought against bringing- ciiikiren to the 
 Lord's supper equally militates against infant bap- 
 tism. 
 
 Some may object to my applying Matt xviii. 6, to 
 little children, because it was the intention of our 
 Lord to teach humility to his disciples by v.hat is 
 here said. And I grant that in what is said concern- 
 ing offending, our Lord has a reference to little ones 
 in a moral sense ; but not to the exclusion of little 
 ones in a literal sense. For unless whut is here said 
 is applicable to little children, the argument is not 
 conclusive respecting ourtreatment of such as are lit- 
 tle ones in a mural sense. For the tenor of cur Lord's 
 argument iiere, is from the less to the greater. 
 
 Buptisni which gives a child a right to the privile- 
 ges of the church, subjects hiui also to the discipline 
 of it, accoifUng to his age and capacity. And hence it 
 ;^ppears, that although a person has been baptized in 
 Lib ijifancy, and was thereby made a member of the 
 fchurch, and entitled to ail the privileges of it ; yet, 
 ])y his ov.n misconduct, may have forfeited his right? 
 and it may be the duty of the church to deny him ilic 
 enjoyment of theai, till he shall give gospel satisfac- 
 lion. 
 
 To ccnfinc the discipline of the church to such 
 i-mong us as come to the Lord's supper, is attended 
 with many very hurtful consequences. It makes 
 ])eople think light of baptism, and sii.:^ht the sacred 
 bonds of duty sealed upon tl.em in that ordinance. 
 Hence also they take the iibtity to live more loose 
 and careless lives. And v.'hen they fall into scanda- 
 lous practices, it deprives tlicni of that ordinance of 
 Chiist which was insiituted to guard tliern from dn, 
 to keep them upon their watch against it, and to re- 
 cover them to repentance when they have fallen. 
 And if the church exercised due discipline over their 
 baptized seed, by giving tiicnr proper instruction, 
 taking care of their education, and giving them suitan 
 bie reproof when tlicy go astray ; and when they ar- 
 rive to a proper age, to Lring them to the Lord's sup- 
 
1(T9 
 
 per ; tn this way, biinj^ing the matter to a point with 
 them, either to comply with the rule of the gospel 
 or to be censured as covenant breakers, and cast out 
 of the church ; it would have a great influence upon 
 them, and an happy tendency to prevent sin, and 
 quicken them to duty. In this way, the distinction 
 between ihe /u-ecioits and the vile^ would be kept up 
 by the institution of Christ ; and the profane and har- 
 dened sinner be put out of countenance. But whilst 
 there aie such great numbers of people, who have 
 been baptized in their infancy, of good conversation, 
 and reputable characters, that keep back from tlie 
 communion of the church, and are not looked upon 
 as members ; the vicious and profane who ought to 
 be debarred from chur-ch privileges for their wicked 
 lives, find themselves in good company ; and this 
 keeps them in countenance, and hardens them in in- 
 iquity. Whereas if none kept back from the com- 
 munion of the church but such as were debarred for 
 their bad conduct ; the wicked and profane would see 
 themselves evideiuly pointed out to deserved shame 
 and contempt for their iniquities ; and would make 
 them see more evidently, the necessity of repentance 
 and a religious life. But when they see many of as 
 good public character as the communicants, who en- 
 joy no better privileges in the church than themseives ; 
 it greatly tends to keep up their courage, and to 
 strenghen tliem in their iniquity. 
 
 As it is baptism that seals a person a member of 
 the church, entitles him to its privileges, and subjects 
 him to its jurisdiction ; I can find no rule in the gos- 
 pel, for enjoining any tliint]^ further, (such as verbal 
 covenanting, or any thing of that nature) in order to 
 .his enjoyment of the privileges of church fellowship. 
 It is true, a person must be qualified for, as well as 
 entitled to these privileges ; but one who is al- 
 rpady a member of the church, is entitled to a differ- 
 ent treatment, from one that is not, but now comes to 
 ask lor admission into it. One who has not been bap- 
 tized, but now comes to ask for admission intg tlie 
 15 
 
170 
 
 timrch, ought to exhibit positive evidence of his be* 
 ing duly qualified : but when one ^vho is already a 
 member, by having; been baptized in his infancy, 
 comes to seek privileges ; that church which will 
 deny him, ought to be able to produce positive evi- 
 dence that he has forfeited his right to these privile- 
 ges, or is disqualified for the enjoyment of them . A 
 little consideration will show, there is a Vv'ide differ- 
 ence in these two cases, and the burden of proof lies 
 upon difterent parties. 
 
 Discipline which ought carefully to be kept up in 
 the church, is attended with peculiar dhTiculty. We 
 cannot easily determine what sins should lay a person 
 open to a censure in the church. For although some 
 sins are more heinous in the sight of God that others ; 
 yet no sin can, in a proper sense, be called small ; yet 
 it is easy to see the impropriety of treating every im- 
 perfection, as a matter of church censure. PerhapSv 
 the same sin may, at one time, and under some cir- 
 cumstances, be treated as a censurable evil, which 5t 
 another time, and under other circumstances, may 
 properly be winked at, and passed over in silence. 
 For instance, polygamy was practised by the best of 
 men in former ages ; such as Abraham and David ; 
 yet we find no censure passed upon them for it. And 
 if we look into the practice of the apostles we shall 
 find it a general rule of their conduct, not to make 
 any alteration in the civil state or circumstances of 
 their converts. And in their receiving people into 
 the church, they seem to have winked at this prac- 
 tice of polygamy, which was common among the hea- 
 then, and to have passed over it in silence, in their ad- 
 mission of such. Indeed, they plainly discovered 
 their disapprobation of this practice of having more 
 wives than one, at the same time ; in that they ex- 
 cluded such from any promotion in the church, they 
 were not to be made bishops or deacons. But these 
 prohibitions plainly imply that some such were 
 ad itted to common privileges of church members : 
 otherwise it would have been impertinent to have 
 
171 
 
 umle exceptions to their sustaining offices in the 
 church. 
 
 Objection. The apostle also directs that such 
 should be chosen bishops and deacons, who were not 
 given to much wine, Sec. Does it therefore follow 
 that private members might be drunkards, and not 
 be censured ? 
 
 Ahsiver. Doubtless many were received into the 
 church by the apostles, who, in their unconverted 
 state, had contracted a strong habit of drinking, and of 
 other vices ; consequently would be more liable to 
 fall into this sin, than those who had not contracted 
 such customs. Bishops and deacons were not to be 
 chosen, of such as had these blemishes. There are 
 degrees in most other vices ; b»it there can be none 
 in polygamy ; it therefore plainly follows, that such 
 vve. e received by the apostles, without being obliged 
 to put away any of their wives which they had marri- 
 ed before their conversion. 
 
 But notwithstanding this connivance of the apostles^ 
 we shall doubtless agree at this day, to treat polygamy 
 us an offence worthy ofchurcii censure. And like 
 reasons may be given why some other sins may be 
 connived at under some circumstances, and not under 
 others. The power of discipline which Christ has 
 given to the church, is designed, not for destruction ; 
 but for edification. There may be cases, in which it 
 may be more for edification to connive at certain of- 
 fences, tiian rigidly to treat them as censurable evils. 
 And Iiere vjiadom h JirofUablc to direct. Moses, by 
 divine direction, suffered the children of Israel to 
 give their wives a biii of divorcement, and to put 
 them away ; although that practice was, in itself, 
 far from being justifiable. 
 
 J3ut there is one case in particular, in which we are 
 far from being agreed ; and that is, whether unregcn- 
 eracy is to i)e treated by the church, as a censurable 
 evil. Not only Anahajitists^ but many other church- 
 es among us, look upon a person's being in his natur- 
 al, unregenerate stnte, as a sufficient reason why he 
 
172 
 
 should be kept off from comniunion in the visibte 
 ehurch, although he has been m^de a member of it 
 by baptism. 
 
 But how criminal soever it may be, for a person to 
 continue in an unre generate state ; yet it appears to 
 me, to be expressly excepted by Jesus Christ, as 
 what should not be deemed censurable by the church. 
 In the parable of the Tares-, the servants were for 
 going and gatheriiig them out : but our Lord says, 
 •' No, let both grow together till the harvest ; lest 
 while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat 
 also." Here observe : The servants plainly saw 
 cares among the wheat, and knew them to be tares y 
 yet the Lord suffered them not to gather them put. 
 Separating them from the wheat is a work Christ has 
 reserved to himself, as the business of the day of 
 judgment. Unregeneracy is a matter for which we 
 are not to be dealt with by fellow-servants. Had it 
 been the will of Christ that unregeneracy should be 
 treated by the chmxh as a censurable evil, he would 
 have given some rule to judge by, and determine 
 who were regenerate, and who not ; but no such 
 rule is given. Indeed, in some instances the case is 
 easily discerned. The openly loose and unsavory 
 lives of some, clearly show the unrenewedncss of 
 their hearts. Thus the servants plainly saw tares 
 among the wheat. But although we may easily dis- 
 tinguish in some instances, yet there are many in 
 which we cannot. This is plainly implied in the 
 reason the Lord gives why the servants should not 
 gather up the tares, " Lest they should root up the 
 wheat also." Although they might discern in some 
 cases which v/ere wheat, and which were not ; yet 
 there were many in which they could not. And even 
 where they could distinguish the tares, they were to 
 let them stand. Therefore it may be properly said, 
 Christ has given us no rule whereby to judge of oth- 
 ers, whether they are regenerate or not ; but has let 
 us know we have no business with it. For that can- 
 Bot be properly called a rule, which will not enable 
 
173 
 
 us to make up asafe judg-ment in one half, nor in one 
 quarter of the cases to which we shall have occasion 
 to apply it. And seeing that even when we know 
 them to be tares, we are not to meddle with them, it 
 would be useless to have given us a rule of judgment 
 in the case. 
 
 The Lord o;ave a special charg-e to the children of 
 Israel to be kind to strangers, because they knew the 
 heart of strangers ; for they had been strangers 
 themselvco in the land of Egypt. And for the same 
 reason, the church ought to have a tender regard to 
 unrc -generate sinners, because that is the common 
 state <;i all men by nature. 
 
 Unregeneracy cannot be a reason why Chvist should 
 not undertake to perform the office of a Mediator be- 
 tween God and us, for then he must have nothing lu 
 do with any of mankind. But church privileges and 
 gospel ordinances belong to Chri.it's mediation ; by 
 them it is, that he carries oil a treaty of peace with 
 God among mankind. To debar therefoio a person 
 from church privileges, is to cut him off from the 
 benefit of Christ's mediation. And if a sinner is de- 
 nied the benefit of a Mediator, by what means shall 
 he ever become regenerate ? Such therefore as ex- 
 clude people from church privileges because they 
 are unregenerate, act in direct opposition to the evi- 
 dent purpose for which the Redeemer's kingdom 
 was set up in the world, and the important purposes 
 for which he came clothed with the characler, and is 
 performing the work of a Mediator between God and 
 the sinful children of men ; and totally subvert the 
 iioctrine of iniant baptism. 
 
 Would we decide this dispute by facts, plain di- 
 .vine facts, as they stand upon record in liie word of 
 God ; we shall see that unregeneracy never was ol;- 
 jected to any one. nor admitted as an objection agaiiist 
 nis enjoyment of any of the privileges of the visible 
 church. There is no room Too so much as a suppo- 
 sition that Alani was regenerated after the f.dl, be- 
 fore God brou^^ht in the covenant of grace, and the 
 15* 
 
174 
 
 visible church began with him. When' God renew- 
 ed the covenant with Abraham, and commanded him 
 to confirm the covenant with his seed after him, as 
 the visible church, and included in the number of his 
 covenant people, at eight days old ; it cannot be sup- 
 posed that it was expected they would all be regene- 
 rated at that age. So likewise when the children of 
 Israel were led to renew covenant with God, from 
 time to time ; it was at the same time evident, that 
 they were, as to the greater part of them, in an unre- 
 newed state. And God often acknowledged his cov- 
 enant relation to them, when, at the same time, their 
 general character was far from that of real saints. 
 
 Some have evaded the evidence which these in- 
 stances afford in the case, by saying, the children of 
 Israel, when they renev/ed covenant, professed a cor- 
 dial compliance with the covenant of grace ; and 
 that God, in admitting them to covenant privileges, 
 did not act in the character of the searcher of hearts ; 
 but accommodating himself to the ways of men, trust- 
 ed to their profession, and, after the manner of men, 
 allowed them to come into covenant upon the charit- 
 able presumption that they were sincere. 
 
 Is this then really the case, that a man, when he 
 visibly enters into covenant with God, in joining to 
 the church, is to consider and regard the divine Be» 
 ing with whom he has to do in the solemn macter of 
 covenanting, not as the searcher of hearts ; but as a 
 God that trusts to, and will accept of an outside pro- 
 fession ? This representation of the matter provides, 
 a very good, and i think a very justifiable pretence 
 for the hypocritical professor. For if, in the solemn 
 matter of covenanting, we are not to regard that God 
 with whom we covenant, as the searcher of heuits ; 
 it will be a matter ot little or no consequence whether 
 we act from the heart, or not. Nor can I see how 
 ?m hypocritical heart, covered over with a splendid 
 outward profession, can justly be deemed matter of 
 condemnation in the duy of judgment. For if God 
 lays aside the character of the searcher of hearts 
 
viien he covenrjits with usj but assumes it when he 
 sits in judgment upon us ; shall we not have good 
 reason to complain, that he hath put the change v.fmn 
 us ? It is sometimes the case with men, that they 
 will appear with t-ioofaces^ upon different occasions : 
 but who dare ascribe such a conduct to the blessed 
 God 1 Or shall we rob God of the glory of some of 
 his essential attributes, tliatAve may, at all adventures, 
 support a favorite hypothesis ? 
 
 Is it needful to essay to prove to any one that has 
 read his bible, that God searches the heart and tries 
 the reins of the children of men ? If we look into the 
 instances of God's allov.'ing his people to covenant 
 with him, it will most expressly appear, that he 
 therein appeared in the character of the searcher of 
 hearts. This was the case in renewing covenant at 
 Sinai, as Moses relates that matter in Deut. v. 27, 
 28, 29. " Go thou near and hear aU that the Lord our 
 God shall say, — and we will hear it, and do it. And the 
 Lord heard the voice of your words wlien ye spake 
 unto me, — they have well said all tliat they have 
 spoken. O that there were such an heart in thcmJ^^ 
 Does not God here appear in the character of the 
 searcher of hearts ? So also in the instance of coven- 
 anting on the plains of Moab, not only God, but Mo- 
 ses too appeared to be well acquainted v.ith their 
 wicked heart. Deut. xxix. 4. " Yet the Lord hath 
 not given you an heart to perceive, nor eyes to see, 
 nor ears to hear, unto this day." And what words 
 can be maore plain and express than those words of 
 Christ. Revel, ii. 23. " And all the churches shall 
 know that 1 am he which searcheth the reins and 
 heart.'' 
 
 The most plausible text w-hich haj. been produced 
 to support this charge of double dealing upon God, 
 is in Isa. Ixiii. S. " Vov he said, surely tlicy are my 
 people;, children that will not iie : so he was tlieir 
 Savior.'* But this text cor.tJns nothing niore than 
 a divine declaration of that which God might justly 
 and equitably expect from hio covenant people. God 
 
176 
 
 dolh not here complam that they hud deceived him ; 
 much less is there any hint, or even distant implica- 
 lion, that he had not acted in the character of the 
 searcher of hearts, when he underiook. to be their 
 Savior : but he here sets foi-th just matter of charge 
 against them, for their falte and perfidious conduct, 
 in not living answei-ablc to their solemn engage- 
 ments, and sacred covenant relation to himself. That 
 God, in his relation to, and in all his dealings with 
 Ins covenant people and visible church, is to b^ con- 
 sidered and regarded as the searcher of hearts, is 
 abundantly evident from every representation which 
 he hath given of himself in liis word ; and the denial 
 of it is no less than bringing up a vile slanderous re- 
 port of the divine character, to evade plain scripture 
 evidence, which, if admitted, would efTcctually de- 
 molish a favorite scheme. 
 
 Some seem to view the discipline prescribed by 
 Christ, as intended chiefly to keep the unregenerate 
 from being received into the communion of the 
 church. But this opinion is inconsistent with many 
 sacred texts, some of which I will mention. The 
 parable of the marriage of the king's son, Matt. xxii. 
 2. " The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain 
 king, which made a marriage for his son." Here I 
 would observe tiiat by " the kingdom of heaven'* we 
 arc to understand the church, as established by the 
 gospel dispensation. For when Christ sent his disci- 
 ples before his sufferings, he sent them to preach, 
 saying, " the kingdom of heaven is at hand," v/hich 
 could mean no other than his church, as established 
 by the gospel dispensation And in the same sense 
 he means his church, by " the kingdom of heaven'* 
 spoken of in this, and many other parables. Verses 
 3 — 7. " And sent forth his servants to call them that 
 were bidden to the wedding : and tliey would not 
 come : Again he sent forth other servants, saying. 
 Tell them which are bidden, Behold, 1 have prepar- 
 ed my dinner ; my oxen and my fallings are killed, and 
 all things are ready : come unio ti)e marriage. But 
 
177 
 
 they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his 
 iarm, another to his merchandize : and the remnant 
 took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and 
 slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he 
 was wroth ; and sent forth his armies, and destroyed 
 those murderers, and burnt up their city." 
 
 Thus fur the parable primarily respects the Jews ; 
 and the repeated calls, refer to. their having the first 
 offers of salvation, to wliom a preached gospel was 
 confined for a number of years after the resurrection 
 of Christ; till their obstinate refusal provoked the 
 king to send forth his Roman armies, and burn up 
 iheir city. 
 
 8, 9, 10. '' Then said the king to his servants, the 
 wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not 
 worthy^ Go ye therefore into the highways, and SiS 
 many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those 
 servants went out into the highways, and gathered to- 
 gether all, as many as they found, both bad and good,, 
 ftnd the wedding was turnidhed with guests." 
 
 This part of the parable respects the calling of the 
 Gentiles. Here observe, the servants are sent into 
 the highways, to bid as many as they should find : 
 without respect to character, or any regard to age or 
 dress. And they gathered together all they found, 
 both BAD and good. Here, as commentators gene- 
 rally observe, our Lord alludes to a custom which at 
 that day prevailed. lyings and rich m^cn kept largo 
 wardrobes of garments made ready to put on. And 
 when they made public entertainments, the guests,, 
 were to appear cloathed out of the king's wardrobe. 
 For the king in the parable could not expect, that 
 such as the servants should find in the highways, 
 v\-ould be dressed in garments suitable to honor the 
 marriage of his son. This to be sure, must be our 
 Lord's meaning in the spirit of this parable. For 
 the wedding garment is not of the sinner's own pro- 
 viding, but it is provided for him by Christ. 
 
 11, 12, 13. " And when the king came in to se^ 
 the guests, ho saw there a ma!\ which had not on a 
 
178 
 
 >ved<Ung; garment : and he saith unto him, Friend, 
 how earnest thou in hither, not havinf^ on a wedding 
 garment ? And he was speechless. Then said the 
 king to the servants, bind him iiand and foot, and 
 take him away, and cast him into outer darkness : 
 there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 
 
 This pnrt refers to the day of judgment. For the 
 man that had not on the wedding garment is arraign- 
 ed, convicted, condenmed and executed ; all which is 
 evidently the procedure of the day of judgment. 
 Here observe, it is the king himself who came 
 to see the guests pit was not one of the servants. 
 No ; ministers of the gospel are the servants who 
 are sent lo bid all they can find. They have no- 
 thing to do v»ith kingly power in the church. 
 They have no right to wriggle themselves into 
 Christ's throne, to take the work out of his hands, 
 and undertake to purge the church of such as have 
 not on the wedding garment : but their business is 
 to bring in all they can find, bad and good, regenerate 
 and unregenerate ; to set open the king's v/ardrobe, 
 to them, set before them the wedding garment, the 
 righteousness and image of the Souoi God, and uvije 
 them to put it on : it may be they will be prevailed 
 with to put it on, before the king comes in to see the 
 guests. 
 
 It is a question v.ith some, what is meant by the 
 feast which the guests are to partake of, whether ti^.c* 
 privileges and blessings of the church in this world, 
 or in the heavenly state. I think both are included. 
 And it is therefore a direct contradiction to both the 
 letter and spirit of this parable, to njake a regenerate 
 state a necessary nualification of the person to be re- 
 ceived to the communion of the church. 
 
 Several parables in Mat. xiii. represent the matter 
 in the same light. Particularly, the parable of the 
 net cast into the sea, which gathered of every kind, 
 bad and good, plainly shows that we are to gatlier 
 bad as well as good, unregenerate and regcnercite, 
 .into the church. The parable of leiwen hid in three. 
 
179 
 
 ir.easurcs of ir.cal, till the uhole v/as Icavc^iietl, teach- 
 clh us, that it is in fcilouship with the cluirch, 
 that the unregcnerate are to have their hearts leaven- 
 ed with gospel leaven. So likewise the parable cf 
 the tares, '^ The kingdom of heaven is likened unto 
 a man which sowed good seed in hiy field : but while 
 men slept liis enemy came and sowed tares." The 
 good seed are the children of the kingdom ; which 
 expression evidently includes, if not primarily in* 
 tends the infant seed of the chnrch. But while men 
 sleep ; while parents sleep* neglecting to bring up 
 their children in the nurtui e and admonition of the 
 Lord ; while ministers sleep, neglecting to. feed 
 Christ's lanjbs, as well as his sheep ; and while 
 church members sleep, neglecting christian watch- 
 fulness over one another, tiie devil improves his time 
 to sow tares, by corrupting the minds, and vitiating 
 the morals of youths. And it is not ihe mind of 
 Christ to separate them here : but to let both grov/ 
 together till the harvest. 
 
 borne will here object, that this sets the door of the 
 church wide open to the most abandoned sinner, and 
 excludes all discipline. lUit I query. May not the 
 door of the church be open wide enough to receive 
 a sinner in an unregenerate state, and yet not be so 
 wide open as to receive such as abandon themselves 
 to the practice of vice ? Christ has expressly enjoin- 
 ipd discipline ; and several important purposes are 
 plainly pointed out for whicli it is to be exercised. 
 Particularly, to m.akc offenders'smsible of the neces- 
 sity of lepcntancc ; to prevent the evil effect of bad 
 examples ; to prevent stumbling blocks from being 
 Itdd in tiJC way of othci's, to discourage them fron^ 
 joining to the church ; and that the way of truth n)ay 
 not be e\il spoken of, to the dishoncr of ihe divine 
 governor. Bui there is net a single text in the bJbJe 
 that directs to the use of discipline for the purpose of 
 excluding persons from the church because of unre- 
 gencracy. No, that practice w holiy rests v.^gh souiC 
 Femoie inferences wiiich v,c. draw from some ^xne--- 
 
180 
 
 ijrfl prece|>(s, by our own iallaciour, reasoning' ; \vhich 
 casts great reproach upon the divme wisdom of the 
 head of the church ; as if he had made laws for the gov- 
 ernment of his kingdom that were inconsistent one 
 ■with another : first, to bring in the unregenerate ; and 
 yet, keep them out for unregeneracy : as it is evidently 
 the case with the doctrine of infant baptism ; unless 
 we make baptism when administered to an infant, an 
 essentially different ordinance from what it is when 
 admitustered to an adult. 
 
 There is a great difference among them that are 
 yet m a natural state. Some lead a regular life, are 
 doctrinally acquainted with gospel truths ; thereby 
 their corrupdons are much restrained, and them* 
 selves awakened to some degree of solicitude to know 
 ■what they must do to be saved, which innucnceth 
 them to attend on many duties of a religious life. If 
 persons of this descriplion were admitted to the 
 Lord's table, and withal, had it inculcated upon them 
 that the outward action of receiving the bread and 
 wine, ought to be attended with tiiose inward e^erci- 
 ces of heart, Vv'herein Christ himself is received in all 
 his offices ; it would have a direct moral tendency tp 
 bring tbera to a true and saving closure with him. 
 And there is not only this moral tendency in the 
 case, but this is also the way in which divine influen- 
 ces are to be sought after, ibr the conversion of sin- 
 jiCis, as Avell as the edification of believers. Fo# 
 *' Of Zion it shall be said. This and that man was 
 born in her." Psalm Ixxxvii. And in confirma- 
 tion of this point I might here produce a large mmv 
 her of promises which God hath given to his visible 
 church ar.d covenant people, of regenerating grace. 
 Pariicuiaily Deut. >:xx 6, '* x\nd the Lord thy God 
 will circumcise ti:ine heart, and the heart of thy seed, 
 to love the Lord t'ly God with alt thine heart, and 
 with all thy soul, tiiat thou muyest- live.'* EzckicI, 
 xxxvi. 25. " A new heart also will I give you, and 
 a new spirit will I put within you ; and I will take 
 av/ay the stonv hc;ut out cf your ficsh, and I v/ill give 
 
181 
 
 you an heart of flesh.'' These are evklciuly promi- 
 ses to give regenerating grace to his covenant peo- 
 ple. 
 
 - There are others of a different character, who arc 
 but little acquainted with gospel doctrines, are very 
 thoughtless of their own souls, break through re^ 
 straints, give a loose to their lusts, and lead vicious 
 lives. For persons of this description to be allowed to 
 continue in the church, would be of a very hurtful 
 tendency both to themselves, and to others. For al- 
 though a serious attendance on the Lord's supper, has 
 a direct tendency to promote the conversion of a sin- 
 ner ; yet for one who lays waste his o\yn conscience 
 by an allowed pracdce of known wickedness, to be 
 admitted to that ordinance ; it would have a direct 
 tendency to harden him in his iniquity. For the 
 church, by suffeiiiig him to continue in their fellow- 
 ship, would pracdcally justify him in his evil ways. 
 And likewise, when a sinner indulges himself in 
 known wicked practices, he not only sliiies his owji 
 conscience ; but he also quenches the strivings of 
 God's spirit, ajid lurr.s him away grieved : and so 
 provokes God to deny his blessing, without which, all 
 the means of grace v»iil be ineffectual. In such cases 
 therefore, it is necessary to make use of disciplijie, 
 that offenders may be excited to consideration, and 
 made to see the necessity of repentance ; as well as 
 to serve many useful purposes to other people. It is 
 very obvioui to reason, that a serious and conscien- 
 tious attendance on tlic means of grace, should have a 
 very different inUuence upon a person, from what a 
 careless and inconsiderate attendance thereon \i\\\ 
 have ; and that tnere ii therefore, sufficient reason 
 for the use of discipiinc ; and yet, rigntfully admit 
 uaregenerate peraoas to the communion of the 
 church. 
 
 Our sentiments concerning the qualifications ne- 
 cessary to a person's iavvfuhy communicating with 
 the visible churcii, will be accoiding to the light ia*" 
 \^-aich v/o view the church. If.we view it as setup 
 
 j6 
 
182 
 
 in the world only for the benefit of true believers, 
 that therein they might hold communion with God ; 
 "\ve shall conclude that none may lawfully join it, but 
 true believers. But if we view it as set up to sub- 
 serve the purpose of Christ's mediation, in carrying 
 on a treaty of peace and reconciliation between God 
 and sinners ; we shall readily see the propriety of ex- 
 lending the privileges pf it to the unregenerate. And 
 that ihis is the light in which we ought to view the 
 visible church, is evident, in that the enjoyment of 
 the gospel is said to be the chief privilege otit. Rom . 
 iii. 1,2. " What advantage then hath the Jew ? or 
 Mhat profit is there of circumcision ? Much every 
 %vay ; chiefly because that unto them were commit- 
 ted the oracles oi God." But it is certain that the 
 gospel is intended for the conversion of sinners, as 
 well as the edification of believers. If then the chief 
 privilege of the visible church is for the sinner, as well 
 as the saint ; it follows that all its other privileges al- 
 so are : unless some plain and express exception caii 
 be produced. 
 
 III. I proceed to show what great privileges 
 find advantages the members of the church enjoy 
 for obtaining and securing their own salvation. 
 
 It is common for such as deny infant baptism, to 
 ask what good it can do them to be baptized or brought 
 to the Lord's supper, since they cannot tmderstand 
 any thing about it ? But an answer to this inquiry 
 %vill readily appear by attending to the many great 
 and precious promises which they thereby become 
 interested in. And the heinousness of the crime in 
 w:^nying them the seals of the covenant bears a pro- 
 portion to the worth of the privileges from which 
 they are thereby cut oft'. It will be here proper to 
 consider first, that great and leading promise made 
 to the visible church in the covenant with Abraham. 
 Gen. xvii. 7. '' I will establish my covenant between 
 me and theej and thy seed after thee, in their genera- 
 tions, for an everlasting covenant 5 to be a God untp 
 
183 
 
 thee, and to thy seed after thee.** This promise Is 
 made to Abraham, and lo liis seed ; to the church, 
 and to the church seed ; and in it are wrapped up all 
 the privileges and blessings of the covenant. But 
 how^much is contained in this promise, " to be their 
 God," is not easily determined ; yet, that there is 
 »son"iet!ung Very great and valuable cannot be denied. 
 The diflerent manner, and the various occasions on 
 \vhich this promise is made, show that very different 
 things, at different times, are intended by it. This 
 promise, '' lo be our God,** as it is expressed upon 
 some occasions, appears to include all the glory and 
 blessedness of the heavenly slate. Thus it is used in 
 Rev. xxi. 3. " God himself shall be with them, and 
 be their God." But the more ordinary occasions on 
 which this promise is given, show that the blessings 
 which are contained in it, are the good things which 
 God will bestow upon his church and people in this 
 world. It is evidently in this sense, we are to under- 
 stand this promise, when God so often sent Moses to 
 speak unto the whole congregation of the children of 
 Israel, saving, " 1 am the Lord your God." Upon 
 these occasions, the promise was made to the whole 
 congregation, young and old, good and bad ; it was 
 made lo the church, as a visible church, a collective 
 body of people, formed into a visible church state* 
 It is therefore manifest violence and abuse of the 
 scripture, to suppose there is as much included in 
 this promise, when made to the visible church in this 
 life, as when it is made to the church triumphant in 
 lieaven. That we are to understand this promise in 
 such a limited sense, when made to the visible church 
 .in this v/orld, as respacting the good things which 
 God will bebtow upon thciii in this life ; is undeni ibly 
 cvident, not only from the manner of giving the prom- 
 ise upon various occasions, but also from God's own 
 explication of it. To this purpose we may consult, 
 li^xod. vi. 5, C, 7, 8. '' I have also heard the groaning 
 of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep 
 in bondage ; and I h.ivc remembered my covcnantv 
 
i8i 
 
 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, 1 ain the 
 Lord, and 1 "vsill bring you out from under the bur-f 
 dens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their 
 bondage : andl will redeem you with a stretched out 
 arm, and with great judgments. And 1 will take 
 you to me for a people, and 1 will be to you a God : 
 and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, 
 >vhich bringeth you out from under the burdens of the 
 Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land 
 concerning the which I did swear to give it, to Abra- 
 ham, to Isaac, and to Jacob ; and I will give it you 
 for an heritage : I «m the Lord." Here Gofl express- 
 ly piomiseth to be their God ; and particularly tells 
 them what good things they were therefore to expect 
 from him. So also, Exod. x\ix. 45, 46. " And I 
 will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be 
 their God. And they shall know that I am the Lord 
 their God, that brought them forth out of the land of 
 Egypt, that I may dwell amongst them. I am the 
 Lord their God." Compare also Levit. xxvi. 11,12, 
 13. " And I will set my tabernacle amongst you : 
 And my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk 
 among you, and will be your God, and yc shall be my 
 people.'' No rational construction can be put upo» 
 these and such like texts, unless we understand this 
 promise to be their God, us being expressive of good 
 things to be bestowed upon them in this life. And 
 ■\vhat is still more to our present purpose is, that ii^ 
 these explications of tlie contents of this promise, 
 there is an express reference to the covenant with 
 Abraham, where this promise was first given. And 
 hereby the promise of that covenant to the visible 
 church and church seed, to be their God, is clearly 
 limited to the good things God would do for them in 
 this life. 
 
 The same is likewise evidently the import of that 
 common appellation which the divine Being so fre- 
 €|uently assumes to himself, in being styled *' The 
 tjsod of Israel ;" it refers to his covenant relation to the 
 visible church} a»d is expressive of the benefits which 
 
185 
 
 his covenant people are to receive from him in this 
 life. And as God is styled " the God of Israel," so 
 they are called *' his people." Deut. xxxix 9. " The 
 Lord's portion is his people, Jacob is the lot of his 
 iiiheritunce." They were the people of his choice, 
 separated unto him from the rest of the world, taken 
 into covenant, under cjvenant bonds, and heirs of ma- 
 ny great and peculiar pdviieges above the rest of 
 mankind. In these thini^s Israel was considered as 
 one collective body of men ; and the promises made 
 unto them, as such a collective b^dy, must necessari- 
 ly relate to the good he would do them in that capaci- 
 ty. Whereas when God sets forth the promises of 
 eternal life, they are never made to collective bodies 
 of men j but are predicated upon personal qualificii- 
 tions, or the distinijuishing marks and character of 
 the true believer. But the promises made to the 
 visible church have no reference to the exercises of 
 saving grace in the heart, as the condition of the prom- 
 ises ; but to a covenant relation lo God in the visible 
 cnurch. See, Deut. x. 15. *' Only the Lord had-'a 
 Ci<-iight in thy fathers to love them ; and he chose 
 their seed after them, even you above ail peopie, as it 
 i3 this day.'* 
 
 Now as God stands related to the visible church by 
 covenant, and has promised to be her God : it is not an 
 unprofitable relation, or empty title ; but includes ve- 
 ry great and valuable privileges, as 1 shall mention in 
 a few particulars, 
 
 1. It is a privilege of the members of the visible 
 church, that they are taken near to God. The apos- 
 tle styles such than that are nigh : but others, /^Ai^/^i 
 that are far off. Eph. ii. 17. They are taken into 
 God's house and family, they have his name named 
 nppn them, and are called his children. Deut. xiv. 
 1. " Ye are the children of the Lord your God." 
 iSuch as are in the visible church, are much more 
 highly favored than those who are left in a state of 
 heathenism. And although the advantages of this 
 relation arc not profitably improved by many that en- 
 
 15* 
 
1S6 
 
 |oy them ; yet it is in itself a great priviles^e, and i^ 
 constantly so represented in the word ol'God. Exod. 
 xix. 5. "Ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me 
 above all people." Deut. vii. 6. " For thou art an 
 holy people unto the Lord thy God : the Lord thy 
 God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto him- 
 self, above all people that are upon the face of the 
 earth." How were they an holy people ? Surely this 
 was not spoken with reference to internal holiness : 
 but to outward, relative, or federal holiness ; holiness 
 Avhich belonged unto them as a people, chosen to be 
 God's special people above all that were on the face of 
 the earth. And shall we say, This is no privilege ? 
 That God herein shewed them no favor ? Nor did 
 them any good ? Shall we say, the heathen were as 
 well off, and as well dealt with as they ? Surely this 
 is not the light in which Moses viewed their case. 
 Deut. iv. 7. " For what nation is there so great, who 
 hath Godso nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is 
 in all things that we call upon him for ?" It is to be 
 observed, that Moses speaks of this, not as the privi- 
 lege of here and thers a true saint among them : but 
 as a national privilege, a privilege belonging unto 
 them as they were God's visible church. This is al- 
 ways justly to be esteemeda great favor. Psal. cxliv. 
 -15. " Happy is that people that is in such a case : yea, 
 iappy is that people whose God is the Lord." They 
 are not particular saints ; but nation and fieofile^ that 
 are here spoken of. 
 
 2. Another privilege of church members is, that 
 God will afford them the means of grace and salva- 
 tion. It is obvious the seed of Abraham partook of 
 great piivileges in this respect, above all other pea- 
 pie ; and that, on account of the covenant which God 
 made with their fathers, wherein they were included. 
 On this account God preserved them in Egypt, and 
 afterward redeemed them from thence. Deut. iv. 37. 
 " Because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose 
 tbeir seed after them, and brought thee out in his 
 >ight, \vith his naigbty power, out of Egypt. On the 
 
187 
 
 same account lie rcnevv-ed his covciK»rit v/itli t'ncrn at 
 Mount Sinai, and on the plains of Pvloabv Tiius Mo- 
 ses sets before them tlie reason of the renewal of the 
 covenant. Dent. xxix. 13. " That he may establi^^la 
 thee to day for a perple unto liimself: ai^l ihat he 
 might be to thee a God, as he halh said unto thee j 
 and as he hath sworn mito tiiV fathers, to Abraham, 
 to Isaac, and to Jacob.'"' It w^as a privilege granted 
 to them in this covenant, that God should set up his 
 worship among them, give them lawb and ordinan- 
 ces, make his abode with them, take them under iiis 
 special care, defend them against the nations round 
 about them, and send them all his servants, the pro- 
 phets. Shall we say, tliere is no advantage in these 
 things ? That God shewed them no favor in granting 
 them these privileges — and that still they v/ere no 
 better dealt with than their heathen neighbors ? The 
 psalmist had quite another thought of the matter — 
 Psalm cxlvii. 19, 20. ** He shewed Jns word unto Ja- 
 cob, his statutes and judgments unto Israel. He hath 
 not dealt so with any nation : And as for his judg- 
 ments, they have not known them. Praise ye the 
 Lord." He thought God's name v. orthy to be prais- 
 ed for these things. The apostle Paul also represents 
 these enjoyments as of great advantage. Rom. iii. 
 1, 2. " What advantage then hath the Jew ? Or 
 what profit is there of circumcision ? Much every 
 way : chiefly because that unto them were commit- 
 ted the oracles of God.** .Our Lord himself mani- 
 fested great favor to ihe Jews upon this very account, 
 as they were a people in covenant with God. Hence 
 he declared he was not sent but to the lost sheep of 
 the house of Israel. And after his resu'Teclion, he 
 gave commandment to his apostles to make tlie first 
 offer of the goispel to the Jews, (though they had been 
 his betrayers and murderers) before they should car- 
 ry the glad tidings of salvation to the Gentiles. Tor 
 this cause the apostle tells them it was their privilege 
 by covenant, to have the first offers of Christ and sal- 
 vation made to them j und improves it as an argu- 
 
188 . 
 
 me'nt to persuade them to acknowlege Christ. Acts 
 iii 25, 26. " 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. UtUo you first. God 
 h.ivins^ raised up his son Jesus, sent him to bless you, 
 in turnine; away every one of you from his iniquities.'* 
 And to the same purpose we read in Rom. xv. 8. — 
 " Now I say, that Jesus Christ was a minister of cir- 
 cumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promi- 
 ses made unto tl'je fathers." Yea, and so much re- 
 gard did God show to the token of his covenant, that 
 he sent the gospel to the Samaritans many years 
 sooner than he did to these nations which were whol- 
 ly heathen. The Samaritans wxre the posterity of 
 the heathen which were planted in Samaria by the 
 king of Assyria, after the cuptivity of the ten tribes. 
 And having a priest sent among them to teach them 
 the manner of the God of the land, they so far obeyed 
 as to receive circumcision ; and in that respect took 
 hold of the covenant ; but still continued idolaters, 
 and never fully joined to the church of Israel. But 
 because the token of the covenant was among them, 
 God favored them with gospel privileges much soon- 
 er than the other nations. See Acts viii. And the 
 gospel church stiil enjoys these privileges. 1'hey 
 ure privileges which the church and the church seed 
 have an interest in by covenant, that God will use meani 
 ■nith them for tlieir good, make them the offers of 
 grace and salvation, and afford them the proper 
 means and advantages for securing spiritual bles- 
 sings ; as saith the prophet Hosea xi. o, 4. *' 1 taught 
 Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms ; but 
 they knew not that 1 healed them. I drew them with 
 cords of a man, with bands of love, and I was to them 
 as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and 1 laid 
 meat unto them." 
 . 3. The mediatipn of the Lord Jeius Christ is, in a 
 great measure, the peculiar privilege of the visible 
 church. The treaty of peace v/hich is carried en in 
 
]89 
 
 ihe covenant of reconciliation, by the mediation of tiie 
 I^orcl Jesus Christ, is mostly confined to the ciuirch : 
 the rest of mankind have little or no interest in it. — 
 Tiie church was erected in the world for tlie sake of 
 carryint; on this treaty with the children of men ; to 
 the church are committed the oracles of God — there 
 "it is gospel v.orsliip and privileges are to be enjoyed ; 
 there it is the divine presence is promised, and there 
 it is the Wcssinj^-s of redeemini^ grace are dispensed ; 
 i)ut with the rest of the world, Christ ordinarily uscth 
 little or no means to reconcile them to God. 
 
 These gospel privileges are the appointments by 
 which Christ exerciseth lus mediato'.-ial office among 
 men, by which sinners are converted, and saints edi- 
 iied. So likewise when he appears in the presence 
 of God as a Medijtor, it is on belutlf of his visii)V, 
 church and covenant people. Ke there improves his 
 mediatorial influence, not for the v/orkl, but for his 
 church. The high-priest who was a type of Christ 
 under the former dispensation, had the names of the 
 twelve tribes of Israel engraven upon his breast-plate, 
 for a memorial when he went into the most lioly 
 place, to appear before God. Thus our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, the great higli-priest of our profession, in his 
 oppearing in the ]:)rcsence of God, has a special re- 
 gard for his church. Tiiut the mediation of Christ 
 iii heaven is very much the peculiar privilege of his 
 visible church, is evident from maiiv sacred texts. 
 See Mat. x. 32, S3. " Wr.osoever therefore shall 
 confess me before men, iiina v. iii I coiifess also be- 
 fore my Father which is in lieaven. But whosoever 
 shall deny liie before men, Jum will I also deny be- 
 Fore my I'ather which is in heaven." But liow will 
 Christ deny such ? Surely he will not 6Quy them, 
 considered in every character and relation. He will 
 not cleny them as being of the number of the human 
 race of whom he was made a federal head in the cov- 
 enant of redemption ; nor will he deny tiicni ;.s he is 
 a great king over all the earth. But v/hen he is said 
 to deny such J it can be understood only in his acting 
 
190 
 
 in tbc^Iurncter of a Mediator; that he v/ili HOt ap^ 
 pear in the pi*esencc of God as a Mediator for such. 
 But those that confess him before men, will he con- 
 fess before his Father. They that confess him be-* 
 fore men, ar*^ evidently such as belons^ to his visible 
 church, and sustain a visible covenant relation to him 
 in the world ; for such will he appear before God 
 in the character, and exercise the oilice of a Media- 
 tor : even as the high-priest had only the names of 
 the twelve tribes of Israel engraven on his breast- 
 plate, when he appeared before God in his office. 
 And if we attend to the specimen which Christ hath 
 given us of his intercession, in that mediatorial pray-r 
 er recorded in John xvii. it will still appear, that it is 
 v.itli a special reference to his church, that he appears 
 before God in the character of a Mediator. This 
 appears in the 9th, 10th, and 11th verses : " I pray 
 for them : 1 pray not for the world : but for them 
 which thou hast given me ; for they are thine, and 
 all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glo- 
 rified in them. And nov/ 1 am no more in the world, 
 and 1 come to thee. Holy Father, keep through 
 thine own name, those whom thou hast given me, 
 that they may be one as we are." A question will 
 here arise about the sense in which Christ speaks of 
 a certain n\imber as being given to him. Some have 
 understood this gift to refer to the doctrine of elec- 
 tion, and the number given to Christ to be the num- 
 i)er which God hath eiecied to eternal life, and given 
 to Chrisi in the covenant of Redemption, hut how 
 true soever that doctrine may be, yet I conceive, our 
 Lord has here no reference to it. For as he several 
 times in this prayer, mentions a certain number as 
 given to him, for whom he especially prays ; I pre- 
 sume it will be readily granted, that he useth this ex- 
 pression in the saiiC sense, in the several pc.ris of 
 this chapter, because it is one continued discourse. 
 And in some places this expression is so used, that 
 we are obliged to understand it as restricted to his 
 apostles. See the 6th verse. " 1 have manifested 
 
'i9i 
 
 thy nam« iituo the rticn which ihon hast given me 
 out of the world." And in the 8t}i verse. *' For I 
 have given them tlie words which tliou guvest me ; 
 and they have received them, and have known surely 
 that I came out from thee, and they hc.ve believed that 
 thou didst send me." These woids are true, if un- 
 derstood only of the apostles ; but they aie not true 
 V. hen applied to the whole number of the elect. For 
 Christ had not at that time declared liis Father's 
 name unto them ; neither had the wht)le number of 
 the elect, at that time, nor even till this day, received 
 Christ's words. Flence we are obliged to confine 
 these words to the apostles, as the particular number 
 for whom he prayed And it is a like case in the 
 12th verse. •' Those that thou gavest me, 1 have 
 kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdi- 
 tion." Here Christ owns he had lost one of the men 
 v/hich the Father had given him, Judas, the son of 
 perdition, Avho at that time was gone away, no more 
 to return to him as his constant follower. And his 
 words in the 20th verse, puts this matter beyond dis- 
 pute. " Nei her pray 1 lor these alone, but for them 
 also that shall believe on me through their* word.'' 
 Upon the whole then, I think it is evident that the 
 certain number our Lord speaks of, that the Father 
 had given him, and for whom he prayed, were his 
 apostles ; and they are said to be given to him, be- 
 cause they were all the visible and openly professed 
 adherents which, at that time, he had in the world, 
 Christ prayed for them, and for all such as should be- 
 lieve on him through their word. And hence it ap- 
 pears, that it is in a peculiar manner, on behalf of his 
 visible church, that Christ appears before God, in the 
 exercise of his mediatorial character. 
 
 To the same purpose we may observe the repre- 
 sentation of the mc-diation of Christ, in Psalm xvi. — 
 The apostle in Acts ii. 25, Sec. mentions the 8, 9, 10, 
 verses of this psalm, and so explains them a? to show 
 us that wc are to understand the whole Psalm as bc- 
 iflg spoken by Christ. And in the 2, S. 4^ verses v>;e 
 
192 
 
 have a representaiion of Chiist's iiitcrcebsion in hea- 
 ven. *' O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, 
 thou art my Lord : my goodness extendeth uot to 
 thee ; but to the saints that are in the earths and to 
 the excellent, in •svhom is all my delight. Thcij* sor- 
 rows shall be multiplied, that haslen af'.cr another 
 God : their drink-offerings oT blood will 1 not offci-, 
 Tior take up their names into my lips." In this spe- 
 cimen of our Saviour's mediation we may observe, 
 that his goodness, his mediatorial goodness, extends 
 only to the saints ; but the idolatrous heathen Christ 
 will not mention, nor take up their names into his 
 lips. Particularly he declares, *► Their diink oiTer- 
 ings of blood will he not offer." It will help us to 
 understand this, ii we compare it with Rev. viii. 3 — 
 >* And anotlier Angel came and stood at the ahar, 
 having a golden censer ; and there was given unto 
 him much incense, that he should offer it witli the 
 prayers of all saints, upon the golden altar wiiich was 
 before the throne." 'i his angel is Ch.rist acting in 
 his mediatorial character, as ci^ieiing up the prayers 
 of ail saints, and rendering them acceptable to God by 
 the incense of his own merits. This Chiist does fv^r 
 all sainis ; but this will he not do, with respect to the 
 superstitious devotion oi the heathen. *' U heir drink 
 offcrinos of blood will he not offer." 
 
 As the mediatorial character of Christ in general, 
 is thus represented as being peculiarly the p!iviieij,e 
 of his visible church ; so the several offices which are 
 included in his niediaiorial character, are also repre- 
 sented as having a special relation to it. Considered 
 in his priesiiy character, he therein is peculiarly rela- 
 ted to the church, [ieb. X. 'il. " Having an high 
 priest over the house of God." The church is this 
 house of God over which Christ ii priest. When he 
 is styled a surety, it is represented as connected witli 
 his covenant, as a relation peculiar to his coveiiant 
 people. . Heb. vii. 22. ^^ By so nmch was JcbUS made 
 surety of a better testameiit." When described 
 ii^. kijig, " he is seated upon his hoJy hill of Zicn." 
 
193 
 
 liis- propheuc office also, by whlcli lie commu' 
 lucates to mankind the knowledge of divine things, 
 to make them wise to salvation, is very much the 
 peculiar privilege of his church ; for to it are com- 
 luitted his written word, his preached gospel, and 
 the exercises of public worship. Rom. iii. 1, 2, 
 *' What advantage then hath the Jew ? Or what pro- 
 fit is there of circumcision ? Much every way : chief- 
 jv, because that unto them were committed the ora- 
 cles of God." Psal. xxii. 22. " I will declare thy 
 name unto my brethren : in the midst of the congre- 
 g:ation will I praise thee." As all church privileges 
 llow from Christ's mediatorial character and offices ; 
 so they are to be considered as the things in and by 
 "\vhich Christ performs the part of a Mediator, and 
 executes his several offices. In these things he me- 
 tliates with men that they may be reconciled to God j 
 nnd imparts of his benctits and saving lulness, for 
 their salvation. 
 
 Upon the whole then, it appears that the mediation 
 of Christ is very much the peculiar privilege of, and 
 \u a great measure confined to his visible church and 
 covenant people ; whilst the rest of mankind have 
 little or no interest in it ; from which it appears, how 
 greatly it concerns us to enjoy fellowship with the 
 church, that we may be sharers in Christ's mediation, 
 by which the treaty of p:ace a\id reconciliation with 
 God is carrying on in the new covenant. Indeed, tho 
 rest of mankind are not totally and forever shut out 
 from all ijenetit of his mediation. For the father hath 
 given to the son " power over all flesh," that he might 
 gather in from among them, subjects into his visible 
 kingdom, to trtdn them up for, and bestow on theni 
 eternal life. And it is one thing promised to the So:) 
 in the covenant of redemption, that upon lus request, 
 the heathen should be given him. Psal. ii. 8. " Ask 
 of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine in- 
 heritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy 
 possession." Here is an instance in which our Loi-d 
 is represented as extending his mediation beyond thie 
 
 17 
 
194 
 
 toutids o{ his church. But vhen the Mediator thus 
 asks, he obtains his request ; and such heathen are 
 thereupon so given unio Christ, as to come into his 
 church, and in that sense, he will have them in his 
 possession. Herein then it still appears that the me- 
 diation of Christ is ordinarily the peculiar privilege 
 of his church : which in a clear and strong light 
 shows how great a privilege, fellowship with the 
 rhurch is to be esteemed, not only for ourselves, but 
 for our children. 
 
 4. The influences of the holy spirit to accompany 
 the means of grace, whereby they may become efl'ec- 
 tuai for salvation, is a privilege which the visible 
 church, and church seed are interested in by cove- 
 nant. The influences of the holy spirit to accompa* 
 ny divme insiituiions, lendering them effectual to be- 
 gin and carry on a work of grace in the heart, is one 
 of the blessings included in the promise of the cove- 
 nant with Abra'.iam For when God renewed the 
 covenant w ith the children of Israel at Sinai, it was 
 promised, Exod. xx. 24—*' In all places where I re- 
 cord my name, 1 will come unto thee, and I will bless 
 thee." And thus we have the promise of the cove- 
 nant with Abraham explained in Levit. xxvi. 11, 12. 
 « And 1 will set my tabernacle amongst you ; and my 
 soul shall not abhor you. And 1 will walk among 
 you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people." 
 To the same purpose is this covenant explained by 
 the prophet, as inciuding the promise of the spirit. 
 Hag. ii. 5. ** According to the word that 1 covenant- 
 ed with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit 
 remaineth among you : fear ye not " And of like 
 import is that promise of our Lord to the church un- 
 der the gospel. Matt, xxviii 20. *' And lo, 1 am 
 with you alway, even unto the end of the world.'* So 
 likewise the apostle applies the promise of the spirit? 
 in the covenant with Abraham, to the church as it 
 takes in Gentiles under the gospel. Gal. iii. 14. 
 •* That the blessing of Abraham might come on the 
 Gentiks; that wc might receive the promise of the 
 
193 
 
 spirit through faith." TIi€se texts cleariy show that 
 the presence of God by his spirit, is a privilege which 
 the visible church is interested in by covenant. And 
 that promise to the church stands good in all ages, 
 Psal. cxxxii. 13, 14, 15. " For the Lord hath chosen 
 Zion : he hath desired it for his habitation. This is 
 my rest forever : here will I dwell, for I have desired 
 it. i will abundantly bless her provision : I will sat- 
 isfy her poor with bread.** There are many such 
 promises of the presence of God, and the influences 
 of his spiri::, made to the church, in all which the 
 church seed are interested. For this is the tenor of 
 the covenant, as appears from the renewal of it on the 
 plains of Moab Deut. xxx. 6. " The Lord thy God 
 will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, 
 to love the Lord thy God with ail thine heart and 
 with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.'* And of like 
 import is that promise in Isa. xliv. 3. " 1 will pour 
 water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the 
 dry ground : I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and 
 my blfessinfj upon thine offspring," Isa. liv. 13 "All 
 thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great 
 shall be thepeaceof thy children.*' Isa. lix. 21. « As 
 for me, this is n-fty covenant with them, saith the Lord» 
 my spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I 
 have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy 
 mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the 
 mouth of thy seed's seed, saiih the Lord, from, 
 henceforth and forever.'* And we have the v/it- 
 ness of the apostle, that the church and the church 
 seed are heirs of the promise of the spirit, under the 
 gospel. For it is with express reference to this 
 privilege in particular that he saith, Acts, ii. 39. 
 , ** The promise is to you, and to your children." 
 
 The texts above cited, with many others to the 
 same purpose, clearly show, that the covenant of God 
 jvith the visible churcli contains many great and pre- 
 cious promises ; and the church and church seed are 
 thereby interested, both in outward privileges, and in 
 inward, spiritual, and soul saving mercies. God him- 
 eelf undertakes for them, has promised his divine 
 
ISO 
 
 presence and spirit, has promised to eircnmcise iheiv 
 heart, to biir.g; thcnri to a cordial ctnipiiance with 
 the way of life, that they may live. It is a covenant 
 in which God promiseth t© work true holiness in the 
 heart of h.is people and their seed, by his word and 
 spirit. The before meniioned texts expressly asseit 
 that the promise of the spirit is given to the church 
 and her seed indefinitely, that God will not only af- 
 ford them the means of grace, but will also bless these 
 means, that they shall become ellectual to bring them 
 to a saving union with Christ, and to eternal life 
 through him.* 
 
 1 hiive said, tl:e promise of the spirit is m.ade to 
 the church and her seed indefinitely ; not that every 
 one in particular, can thence infer that God will cer- 
 tainly do this for him. No, these things notwithstand- 
 ing-, there are many that have a promise left them of 
 entering into rest, who finally come short of it : and 
 yet there is no breach of promise with God. The 
 apostle very particularly vindicates the divine faith- 
 fulness in this case. Rom. ill. Having moved this 
 question in the first verse, '* What advantage then 
 hath the Jew ? Or what profit is there of circnmci- 
 sion f " and answered " Much every way,'* in the 
 
 * We may here observe that these promises to the church, 
 expressly relate to the divir.e influences whereby a work of 
 grace is begun in the heart ; which evidently show that con- 
 verting jjrace is to be hoped for, and sought after in the 
 way offellowship and communion vviih the church. And 
 hereby our controversy about a gracious state as a necessai*y 
 qualification forjoining ourselves to, and holding fellowship 
 wiih ihe visible church, appears to be effectually decided 
 by God himself, in the express terms of his promises. 
 For if it was the will of God, that a gracious state should be 
 htld, as a necessary qualification to our being received 
 into the church ; then these pi omises of regenerating grace 
 which are made to the church, can liave no m.eaning in them ; 
 or if they liave any meaning, it must be such as will involve 
 God himself in an absurdity, and inconsistency ; in his first in- 
 stituting a church to be composed only of such as are al- 
 ready regenerated, and afterwards promising to bestow 
 regeneraing gracfe upon them. 
 
197 
 
 second ; he queries upon it in the two following ver- 
 ses, " For what if some did not believe? shall their 
 unbelief mike the faith of God without effect ? God 
 forbid : yea, let God be true, and every man a liar." 
 When God renewed the covenant with Noah just af- 
 ter the Hood, he promised that the world should no 
 more be destroyed with water. Gen. ix. Although 
 this promise stands good ; yet no p-irticular person 
 can thence infer, that he himself shall not be drown- 
 ed. And in like manner are we to understand the 
 promise of the spirit to accompany the means of 
 grace, to make them effectUctl on the heart to the sal- 
 vation of the members of the church and her seed ; 
 tiie promise is not absolute, to every one in particu- 
 lar : but to the members of the church and their seed 
 indefinitely, as a collective body. The dispensation 
 of the covenant of grace by which the visible church 
 is set up, and in which the members of it stand rela- 
 ted to God as his covenant people, contains many 
 privileges and many promises ; and some of these 
 p-.'omises are absolute and unconditional ; others are 
 expressed conditionally. The promise of eternal life 
 is made conditionally ; that is, in case of faith and re- 
 pentance : others, many of them, are unconditional 
 and absolute. Consequently all enjoy more or less 
 privileges and blessings. But there are many that 
 belong to the visible church, who act contrary to their 
 covenant engagements, and thereby forfeit all the 
 privileges of the covenant : which forfeitures God 
 has a right to take, according to his sovereign pleas- 
 ure. Some like Cain, go out from the presence of 
 the Lord, forsake his church and worship. Some 
 neglect to attend upon, or improve the privileges of 
 the church, which are the appointed means of grace, 
 and thereby frustrate the grace of God. And some 
 quench the spirit by doing violence to their own con- 
 sciences, in the allowed practice of known and hein- 
 ous sii>s. Now where there are such breaches of 
 covenant, their mouths will be stopped, although God 
 should deny them his blessing, and deprive them of 
 
198 
 
 forfeited privileges. Psal. Ixxxi. 11,12. « But my 
 people would not hearken to my voice : and Israel 
 Avould none of me. So I gave them up unto their 
 own lusts : and they walked in their own counsels." 
 By reason of these forfeitures, there is abundant room 
 for the display of divine sovereignty in the bcstow- 
 ment of his grace amongst his covenant people ; and 
 yet his faithfulness to his promises etands clear of all 
 impeachment. 
 
 5. Another privilege of the visible church is that 
 God will gather in his elect chiefly from among them. 
 It is no small privilege to belong to that part of man- 
 kind out of which such shall be chiefly taken, who 
 shall be saved. And that part of mankind from 
 among whom the heirs of salvation are gathered in, is 
 doubtless God*s covenant people. Who can 
 doubt but that such as were saved from the time God 
 made the covenant with Abraham, till the gospel dis- 
 pensation took place, were mostly taken from amongst 
 his natural seed ? Can it be supposed with any ap- 
 pearance of reason, that there were as many who ob- 
 tained salvation, during that period, in any one hea- 
 then nation ? Yea, or all heathen nations taken to- 
 gether ; as there were, from among the children 
 of Israel ? And since the gospel has extended the 
 privileges of the church to the Gentiles, will any sup- 
 pose there has been as many sons and daughters 
 brought to glory from such places, and from among 
 such people as have not enjoyed church privileges, 
 as from those that have ? Although the apostle Ptiul 
 was not suffered to preach the gospel in many places 
 where he passed ; yet he was directed to continue 
 preaching the gospel in Corinth, a year and six 
 months ; and the reason assigned for it is, ^' I have 
 much people in this place." Acts xviii. 10. We 
 have therefore abundant reason to adore divine good- 
 ness, that our lines are fallen to us in pleasant places, 
 and our God hath given as a goodly heritage, by bring- 
 ing us into the number, and to the enjoyment of the 
 privileges of those from iimong whoiHj he ^vill chiefly 
 
199 
 
 pather in his elect unto eternal life. It is doubtless 
 true, that out of the church, where the ordinary me^ns 
 of salvation are enjoyed there is ordinarily no sal- 
 vation. The truth of this may be reasonably in- 
 ferred from the many great and precious promises 
 made to the members and seed of the church, Vvhich 
 have been mentioned. And there are many texts 
 which represent the matter in this light. To this 
 purpose our Lord told the woman of Samaria, John 
 iv. 22. " Salvation is of the Jews.'* The church of 
 the Jews, (corrupt as it was at that time) was the 
 church in communion with which salvi»tion wastobe 
 sought after, and hoped for. And in Acts ii.' 47. 
 we are told, ♦' The I>,ord added to the church daily 
 such as should be saved." But it is grossly absurd 
 for any one to hope he shall be saved, whilst he turns 
 his back upon,' and neglects the ordinary means of 
 salvation. 
 
 Thus have I taken a brief and general view of the 
 privileges conveyed to the visible church in that cov- 
 enant, by V/hich it is devoted to God. And they ap- 
 pear to be very great and valuable. And in propor- 
 tion to the worth of these privileges of this covenant 
 relation to God, is the aggravation of *the guilt of 
 those who deny such persons the enjoyment of them, 
 to whom they rightfully belong. To cut off the 
 church seed from this covenant and the privileges of 
 it, under a pretence of their not having grace, is do- 
 ing what in us lies, to prevent their ever obtaining 
 grace to the saving of their souls, and a ready way to 
 make our children cease from fearing the Lord. 
 
 Before I dismiss this particular head, it is proper 
 to mention some things relating to the subject under 
 consideration, the truth of which appears from what 
 has been now offered, and will further serve to clear 
 the subject. 
 
 1 . The right of infants to the seals of the covenant, 
 and the privileges of the visible church, appears from 
 the tenor of the covenant, to be a gift of the free and 
 sovereign grace of God. It is an objection in the 
 ininds of some, against including intents in a cove- 
 
200 
 
 r.ant rclaliOD to God, " That the seed of GocPs coven- 
 ant people come into the world as corrupt, and as 
 much the children of wrath by nature, as others." 
 But this objection when searched to the bottom, will 
 be found to arise from that vain, self-righteous spirit 
 "which takes its encouragement to have confidence lo- 
 wards God, from some disiinc;uishing worth, where- 
 by one is made to excel another. It is evident to 
 every one who attentively considers the plain tenor 
 of the gospel, that God never treats with the sinful 
 children of men about their salvation because of any 
 distinguishing excellency which he beholds in one 
 more than another. For if one excels another, it is 
 God by his sovereign free grace that hath made him 
 to differ ; in which way God often puts great differ- 
 ence among them who are by nature children of 
 "Wrath, even a» others. Thus it is "wiih respct to 
 the seed of his covenant people ; it is God himself 
 that hath put a difference between tiiem and others, 
 by the free sovereign grace extended to them in his 
 covenant. Although they come into the v.orldin the 
 same corrupt state as others, yet God himself under- 
 takes for them, to establish his covenant with them, 
 and to cause it to take effect among them. And see- 
 ing God is their surety, what better reason or surer 
 ground c-an there be for putting the seals of his cov-» 
 enant upon them ? God did not take the seed of 
 Abraham into covenant, upon presumption that they 
 would be truly holy ; but because he intended to 
 to make them holy. He did not take ihem in, be- 
 cause of any holiness which he expected to find in 
 them, more than in others ; nor was their hitercst in 
 the covenant predicated upon any charitable supposi- 
 tion of their being truly gracious : but their interest 
 in the covenant was a free gift of the rich and sove- 
 reign grace of God, granted to them in the covenant. 
 The electing love of God is in no case represented as 
 arising from any superior excellency or worthiness 
 which he beholds in one, more than in another. — 
 When God chooseth one to eternal life, it is not be> 
 
201 
 
 ■Oiiuse the person chosen is more worthy of biich grace 
 than another ; but it is " even so Father, for so it 
 seemed good in thy sight." And it is a like cuse 
 when God elects any to the enjoyment of the privi- 
 leges of a covenant relation to hiniselfj in this life : it 
 is a gift of sovereign grace. The seed of Abraham 
 were by nature children of wraih, even as others ; 
 yei it pleased God to choose them to be his covenant 
 people, to dwell among them by his word, ordinances 
 and spirit, and to take out from among them the heirs 
 of eternal life. The want therefore of a gracious 
 state in infants is nothing to the purpose ; it is no ob- 
 jection against their being taken into covenant, and 
 being admitted into the enjoyment of covenanl seals 
 and privileges in the visible church. 
 
 ' In whatever light we view the covenant of grace 
 we sh«Il find liberty granted to the sinful children of 
 men to close in with it, and in that way, become in- 
 terested in all the privileges of it, without regard to 
 any previous distinguishing personal qualificationB 
 whatever. ** Whosoever -will, may come and drink 
 of the water of life freely." This is the case when 
 the covenant is considered in its most limited tenor, 
 or the special promises of it, which insure eternal 
 iife to the true believer. It is not necessary for a per- 
 son to be in a gracious state before he may come to 
 Clirist,and close with hin-i upon the gospel offer, and 
 thereby become interested in all the special promises 
 of the covenant. For it is his thus coming to Christ, 
 that is his entrance into a state of grace, and becom- 
 ing truly holy. And as ii is not necessary for a per- 
 son to be in a state of grace before he may close cov- 
 enant wiih Christ ; so neither is it neressary to our 
 entrance into a covenant relation to jii v* \n his visible 
 church ; unless we wiu insist upon better qualifica- 
 tions in the person whom the church may receive, 
 than in him whom Christ himself will receive. The 
 want of a gracious state ot heart is no more a reason 
 why we should be kept back fiem uniting with the 
 church, than it is, why wc should be kept off from 
 
unithig with Christ. The right which any one hasj 
 whether infant or adult, to come into a covenant rela- 
 tion to God, in any respect whatever, does not arise 
 from any personal goodness v/hereby one excels an- 
 other ; but their right hereto is a gift of the 
 free and sovereign grace of God, granted in the cov- 
 enant itself.* 
 
 2. God hath made provision for the preservation 
 of his church, and the continuance of it from genera- 
 tion to generation, by extending the covenant with Ijis 
 people to their seed after them. As it is the pur- 
 pose of God to preserve to himself a church among 
 mankind continually, and has decreed that the gates 
 of hell shall not prevail against it ; so, he has in such 
 a manner framed his covenant with it, as is wisely 
 calculated to carry this decree into execution, by ex- 
 
 • Some liave denied that Infant baptism includes a real 
 confederation of the infant : and assert that it is only the 
 privilege of the parent to present his child to God in that 
 ordinance. President Edwards, in his treatise upon qualifi- 
 cations for communion in the visible church, labors hard, 
 for a number of pages together, to establish this view of it. 
 And many have thereby been led to consider infant baptism 
 as the doings of the parent ; and that the binding influence 
 of it rests upon parental authority. But if baptism is a seal 
 of the new covenant, that single idea of it. totally subverts 
 all that President Edwards has there said upon it. Every 
 thing in religion that rests upon human authority, is vain 
 will-worship. And if the binding influence of baptism rests 
 upon the authority of the parent, it can be viewed in no 
 other light than a commandment of man ; and falls under 
 that censure of our I^ord, Mark vii. 7- *' In vain do ye wor- 
 ship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men." 
 It was not the authority of Abraham that made it the duty 
 of the children ^f Israel to circumcise their seed ; but the 
 command of G i It is said indeed of Abraham, that he 
 would commanu his household to serve the Lord. But the 
 command of Abraham with respect to circumcision, was not 
 the command of a parent ; but of a prophet : and the bind- 
 ing influence of that command wholly rested upon divine 
 authority. And it is alike case with infant baptism under 
 the gospel. I Cor. xii. 13. " For by oae spirit we are all 
 l?»ptiacd into one body." 
 
SOS 
 
 teiKlini^ the promise to, and undertaking; to cstafjlisfc 
 his covenant with the church-seed. This is evident- 
 ly the cdse in the covenant with Abraham, wherein 
 God undertook to establish it with Isaac, even before 
 he was born Gen. xvii 21. "But my covenant will I 
 establish with Isaac whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at 
 this set time the next year.'* Thus also in Psal. cii. 
 28. *' The children also of thy servants shall continue, 
 and their seed shall be established before thee.'* I 
 have before observed, this promise is given to on/ 
 Lord Jesus Christ, respecting his servants and their 
 seed ; and must therefore necessarily be understood 
 to relate to the gospel dispensation. This is an ex- 
 press testimony that God hath taken tlie same care, 
 and made the same provision for the preservation ot 
 his church in the world now, as he did under the 
 former dispensation. And thus the prophet repre* 
 3ents the provisica which God hath made for 
 the preservation of his church from one generation 
 to another, by taking the seed of the church into cov- 
 enant, comparing it to an oak when it casts its leaves 
 at the approach of winter. Isa. vi. 13. "But yet in 
 it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be 
 eaten : as a teil-tree, and as an oak whose substance 
 is in them, when they cast their leaves : so the holy 
 seed shall be the substance thereof." God's extending 
 the covenant to the seed, is manifestly the provision 
 he hath made for upholding and preserving his 
 church, that it should not be subject to die with its 
 present set of members. Thus was it upheld under 
 the former dispensation ; not indeed in all the branch* 
 es of Abraham*s family ; it soon failed in Ishmael, 
 and in the children of Keturah : but with Isaac was it 
 established, and was renewed with Jacob, and from 
 time to time with his seed after him. And it is in 
 like manner the church is preserved under the gos- 
 pel It has maintained its succession in the church- 
 seed ; not indeed in every place where the church has 
 been set up ; for in some instances God has as it were. 
 given a bill of divorcement to particular churche^*, 
 
i^04 
 
 •n^hen they haic greatly corrnpted tl^.emselvcs, i.i con- 
 sequence of whicli they have soon come to notliing : 
 but in other places the covenant has been established 
 with their seed ; tlicy have taken deep root, and spread 
 far and wide ; and by the cliurch-seed, have been 
 handed down from generation to generation ; instead 
 of the fathers have been the ciiildren, according to 
 God's promise ; herein dispkiving his truth pnd cov- 
 cnant-fuithfulness, and proving hiniself to Lc the God 
 of his people, and of their seed after them. 
 
 Such therefore who, in their great zeal for a pure 
 church, composed only of real saints ; cut oil the 
 church seed, deny them the seals of the cove- 
 nant, disown their interest in the promises, exclude 
 them fi-oin the priviieges of the visible church, and 
 put them among those who in God's account, have 
 broken his covenar-t ; are really striking at the very 
 being of the church, and counteracting the express 
 appointment of God for the piescrvation of it. And 
 if VtC view facts, it will readily appear that the denial 
 of the covenant right of mfants directly tends to the 
 litter ruin and death of the church. Let us look 
 %vhere we will, and inquire after such as have exliibit- 
 ed the best evidence of, real religion, in their lives 
 and conversations ; and it will generally be found 
 that they are such as from their infancy have in 
 some good degree been acknowledged and treated 
 as children of the covenant. Indeed, it must le 
 •acknowledged as a sorrowful truth, that nuiny, who 
 Recording to the tenor of the covenant, were early ded- 
 icated to God in baptisin\, and educated in a chiistian 
 manner, have received the grace of God in vain ; to 
 >vhom that complaint may be justiy applied, Psul. 
 Ixxxi. 11. 12. *' But my people would not heark- 
 en to my voice : and Israel would none of me, so I 
 gave them up unto their own lusts, and they walked 
 in their own counsels " But this notwithstanding, if 
 we compare such families who have been considered 
 and educated as the children of the covenant, with 
 sucii as have been brotight up unbaptizcd. nor treated 
 
20, 
 
 (i 
 
 or ackno'vvledp;cd as being included in the cavenalil 
 with God ; we shall find that generally, the difference is 
 very great. How rare a thing is it to see any one 
 who has had such an unchristian education, that be" 
 haves in the world like a person of real religion ?-^ 
 Those who like Cain, go out from the presence ot' 
 tlie Lord, both they and their children very com- 
 monly live without God in the world. Much may 
 be seen of this, in single families which live here 
 and there, in a christian neighborhood : but how 
 much more evident does this appear, when we look 
 into such places v/here it has been the general' prac- 
 tice of people to deny the seal of the covenant to their 
 children ? It is generally the case in a few genera- 
 tions, that there is next. to nothing ofchristianity to 
 be found among them. 
 
 3. Infant baptism is not an unproRtable ceremony'5 
 but is attended with real and great advantages. I 
 grant, an infunt, through his present incapacity of 
 exercising his rational faculties, can make no per- 
 sonal improvement of his baptism : but this is no real 
 objecti/)Ti against it. There are many advantages 
 arising from a covenant relation to God, some of 
 which an infant in his infancy is capable of receiving. 
 A cliiid is capable of receiving the regenerating and 
 sanctifying influences of the Holy Ghost ; for John the 
 baptist was sanctified from his mother's womb. And 
 if a child that has had his covenant relation toj and 
 interest in God, sealed upon him by baptism, should 
 die in infancy, before he is capable of personally refus- 
 ing the offers of salvation which are made in the gos- 
 pel, I know of no reason why we may not suppose ha 
 Avill reap the benefits and blessings of the coverjant, in 
 the future state. As infants are sulijected to a bodily 
 deatii through the sin of Adam, so riicy are doubtless 
 capable of inheriting, eternal life through the obedi- 
 ence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And as they are 
 capable of receiving so great a blessing, their being 
 admitted to, and confirmed in thisr.ew covenant relation 
 to God in their baptism gives us much more reasoji 
 18 
 
206 
 
 to hope they shall be saved, than we should have, if 
 they were exchided from the covenant. And seeing 
 the promise of God to such a child, to be IlS God, is so 
 plain and express, it falls but little, if any thing, short 
 of an absolute promise of eternal life, to all such as are 
 thus taken out of the world in an infant state. But 
 tiiis we must leave. 
 
 Whether baptism will secure eternal life, to a child 
 dying in infancy, or not ; yet there are some privileges 
 to be enjoyed in this life, an interest in which is con- 
 firmed to children in baptism, if they live to grow 
 up ; especially such blessings and privileges as af- 
 ford them a fair opportunity to secure eternal life. — 
 There is the special care of divine providence order- 
 ing all things which concern them, in covenant love 
 and faithfulness ; the enjoyment of the external light 
 of the gospel and means of grace, and the internal 
 strivings of the Holy Spirit, tending to render means 
 effectual on their hearts, for salvation. And can it 
 be esteemed no privilege for a child to grow up, and ga 
 forward in life, with a covenant interest in such advan- 
 tages as these ? 
 
 Some will object here, that if children grow up 
 among us, they will enjoy the means of grace, the 
 light and privileges of the gospel, as well without 
 baptism as with. 
 
 Well, allowing that a child growing up among us 
 lanbaptized, may have the advantages of reading God's 
 word, of hearing a preached gospel, and of attending 
 on the common exercises of public worship ; I grant, 
 a sovereign God may add his blessing with them, and 
 afford the influences of his Holy Spirit to render these 
 privileges effectual for salvation to such a person : 
 But the question is, whether we have as much leason 
 to expect, or ground to hope God will do it for one 
 not in covenant, as for one that is ? Especially since 
 God hath said, Gen xvii. 14. *' The uncircumcised 
 man-child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circum- 
 cised, that soul shall be cut off from his people : he 
 hath broken my covenant." It is the blessing of God. 
 that readers the means of graqe effectual for salvation j 
 
207 
 
 but what reason have we to hope for, or expect GofV*s 
 blessing out of his own appointed way ? A baptized 
 child has a covenant interest in the means of grace 
 and influences of the spirit, v/hich gives great reason 
 to hope for salvation : but an unbaptized child has 
 nothing to hope in but uncovenanted mercy. 
 
 4. It is likewise evident that such as have been 
 brought into covenant by baptism, should look upon 
 themselves thereby under obligations to devote them- 
 selves to the service of God. We see that baptisni 
 confirms a special covenant relation to God, which 
 involves the person under covenant bonds, and enti- 
 tles him to special privileges which further serve to 
 add weight to the bonds of duty, upon such persons 
 to whom they are granted. We are very prone to 
 forget our covenant relation to God, to make light of 
 the bonds of duty thereby laid upon us, and to look 
 upon ourselves at liberty to live very much as 
 we please, to regard or disregard the obligations of 
 our baptismal covenant, because it was our parents, 
 and not ourselvc<>, that were active in having the seal 
 of the covenant put upon us. But it should be re- 
 membered, ih?.t it was not so properly the act of our 
 parents, as the act of God, that the bonds of the 
 covenant v/erc sealed upon us in baptism. It is God's 
 authority and appointment, and not the authority of 
 our parents that makes baptism binding upon us. 
 And shall we dispute the point with Mm ? In cov- 
 enant transactions among men, no one is holden till 
 he has given his own consent : but it is not so in 
 God*s covenanting with us ; he has a right to lay us 
 under covenant bonds without our consent ; and wc 
 are holden by them whether we will or no. Every 
 baptized person therefore ought to know, that he has 
 no right to dispute these covenant engagements ; but 
 is holden to look upon himselt bound thereby to re- 
 nounce and forsake the ways of sin, to give himself en- 
 tirely up to the service of God, and to set himself to 
 seek divine favor in the way pointed out in the cove- 
 HL-nt : but if he violates his covenant, he does it at his 
 pcriii If the discipline of the church was duly excrci^- 
 
ed toward all snchasarc made members oiit by baptiiJUi 
 as well as toward such as come to the Lord's table, rt 
 would have a direct tendency to lead people to more 
 juBt conceptions of the bond of duty laid upon them 
 -in baptism. But if the church neglects them, and 
 thus treats them as not being members ; it has a ten- 
 dency to lead ihcm not to look upon themselves so 
 ^luch holden by their baptismal engagements as they' 
 would do, if the authority of Christ in his church was 
 duly exercised over them. 
 
 5. The preceding representation shows the crimi- 
 nal nature of the conduct of those who renounce the 
 baptism they received in infancy, as being of no va- 
 lidity. If infant baptism is a divine appointment, war- 
 ranted by the constitution of the visible church, and 
 the express terms and tenor of that covenant by which 
 It stands related to God ; and if the person thereby 
 ©btains an interest in such great privileges, and pre-, 
 -cicus promises ; all which have been abundantly pro* 
 Ved ; then the heinous nature of that conduct by whick 
 this divine ordinance, this covenant relation, and these 
 invaluable privileges arc renounced, and these sacred 
 bonds violated, is proportionably aggravated. And 
 even that very principle which they profess to act up* 
 on, is a double aggra v ation of their crime. All such 
 i\% thus renounce their baptism, hold, that a person 
 must be in a gracious state before he receives bap* 
 tism. This is their professed principle, and they all 
 pretend to act upon it in being re-baptized. Now to ad- 
 mit the supposition, that such persons are not deceived 
 inthemseves with rcspectto that saving change ol heart 
 which they look upon themselves to be the happy sub- 
 jects of ; allowing God has poured out his spirit upon 
 them in his saving influences ; this then is a very 
 strong confirmation of their b;. ptismal covenant ; it is 
 God's own seal, witness and testimony to the divine 
 original, validity and authority of their infant baptism. 
 For here observe ; this is one of the blessings prom- 
 ised in the covenant of God wiih the visible churchy 
 that he would aiFord the influences of his spirit to ren- 
 der the priviley;c ©.f the ^fospel effectual for sklyation 
 
^209 
 
 lo the members of the church. I have plentifully 
 proved th^t God hath promised hij> people, that he 
 will circumcise their heart, and the heart of their 
 seed, to love the Lord their God, that they may live ; 
 that he will take away the stony heart, and will give 
 his people an heart of flesh ; that he will create in 
 them a clean heart, and renew in them a right spirit. 
 When therefore God accordinc^ to his promise, ful- 
 fills these gracious covenant engagements to his peo- 
 ple, in bestowing so great a blessing as the special, 
 saving influences of his holy spirit ; he therein. proves 
 their covenant relation to hims(^lf, and shows himself 
 to be their covenant God, in this fulfilment of his 
 promise to them. And if God thus owns and bles- 
 ses his own institution of infant baptism, and that, by 
 the bestowmcnt of such an unspeakoble fiwor, which 
 confirms the -.^^lidity of their baptism, and their cov- 
 enant relation to himself ; how criminal then, must 
 their conduct be, in denying their baptism, and re- 
 nouncing their covenant with God, after such a gra- 
 cious fulfilment of it upon his pint, wherein he has 
 confirmed his covenant v.dth them ? And what still 
 heightens the iniquity oi their conduct is, that they 
 take occasion to renounce covenant with God, from 
 his fulfilment of it to them. Such perfidious conduct 
 towanls their covenant God gives just grounds to sus- 
 pect, that they are really deceived in the judgment 
 they make upon their own state, and that their sup- 
 posed change is really nothing more than a specious 
 delusion of Satan transforming himself into an angel 
 of light. 
 
 6. When we look into the tenor of the covenant 
 which God hath made with the visible church, we see 
 a glorious display of the riches of his free and sove- 
 reign grace towards mankind, that should influence 
 us to love and gratitude. It is wonderful rich gracf: 
 in God to treat with the sinful children of racn about 
 their salvation, in the form of a covenant ; and much 
 more that he siiould extend his promised favor unlo 
 children's children. Children are veiy near to their 
 
210 
 
 parents ; they have a very tender regard to their off* 
 spring, and esteem a kindness done to them, as high- 
 ly as one done to themselves. There is therefore a 
 great motive to praise God, set before his people, on 
 account of the many gracious promises which extend 
 to their seed after them. Thus the psalmist excites 
 Israel to praise God. Psal. cv. 1, 2. " O give thanks 
 unto the Lord ; call upon his name ; make known 
 his deeds among the people. Sini^ unto him, sing 
 psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works." 
 And as a motive to enforce these duties, he reminds 
 them of the covenant love of God to his people, and 
 4heir seed, in the 6th and following verses. " O, yc 
 ,&eed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his 
 -chosen. He is the Lord our God, his judgments are 
 in all the earth. He hath remembered his covenant 
 forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand 
 generations. Which covenant he made with Abra- 
 ham, and his oath unto Isaac ; and confirmed the same 
 imto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting 
 covenant." Andin Psal. cxlvii. 12, 13. ** Praise the 
 Lord, O Jerusalem : Praise thy God O Zion. For 
 he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates : he hath 
 Messed thy children within thee." It is rich grace 
 in God to take the children of his people into cove- 
 n^nt with himself, to put his name upon them, tl.f t 
 they should be called the children of God ; to sepa- 
 rate them to himself as a peculiar treasure above all 
 others, and to prevent them with his mercy, by laying 
 grace in store beforehand for them, that he may dra\y 
 their hearts to himself, even before Satan can get any 
 advantage against them. Adoption is one of the 
 grounds on which wc are called the children of God. 
 It seems to be the sentiment of some, that the rela- 
 tion of children unto God, both by adofitio?i, and by 
 regeneration go together, and are inseparably connect- 
 ed, inthe same person. But this is a great mistake. 
 To be the children of God by adoption, in some de- 
 gvee at least, is a privilege that many partake of, who 
 -aifj Bot the ftbildrcn of God by regeneration : yea> 'ti 
 
Ill 
 
 IB a privilege shared in common by all the membei'S 
 of the visible church, that they are the adopted chil- 
 dren of God. Hence Moses spake to the whole con- 
 gregation of the children of Israel. Deut. xiv. 1. 
 " Ye are the children of the Lord your God." And 
 the apostle speaks of the Jews as the people " to 
 whom pertaineth the adoption." Rom. ix. 4. And 
 upon this account it is, that our Lord in the parable 
 of the rich man, represents Abraham as speaking to 
 him in torment with the appellation of son. Luke 
 xvi. 25. '* And Abraham said, Son^ remember that 
 thou in thy life time received thy good things." 
 
 IV. I now proceed to show what obligations peo- 
 ple are under to seek lor, lo attend upon, and to im- 
 prove the privileges of the visible church, that they 
 may be saved. 
 
 The members of the visible church being united 
 to the same head, are united one to another, and form- 
 ed into one body, by the same covenant by which 
 they stand related to God as his covenant people. 
 And the purpose for which the church is thus form- 
 ed and united, is the joint attendance upon, and per- 
 formance of the several exercises of public worship ; 
 v>hich are the appointed means of communion with 
 God, as well as of communion one with another. 
 The several religious exercises to be attended upon 
 by the church, are prayer, singing praises, reading 
 the word, a preached gospel, and the celebration of 
 gospel ordinances, such as baptism and the Lord's 
 supper. And the Lord's day is the set time for the 
 church ordinarily to meet together for these purpo- 
 ses. And the bonds of the covenant of God, in a ve- 
 ry sacred manner, bind and oblige the members of the 
 church to give their attendance on these religious 
 exercises. 
 
 Some may imagine, it is no matter whether they at- 
 tend on public worship or not : they can read the 
 bible, can read as good, yea, better sermons at home» 
 than they shall hear delivered in public j tnence es* 
 
212 
 
 teem it a lit^ht matter whether they give their attend- 
 ance in public or not. But let such remember, that 
 the thin;4- required in the covenant, is attendance on 
 divine institutions. Our public attendance is that by 
 which we give public honor to God, and to his ap- 
 pointments ; it is there we are to present ourselves 
 before God ; and there it is that he has promised to 
 meet with and bless his people. The means of grace 
 become effectual on our hearts through the blessing 
 of God ; therefore his blessing is to be sought after 
 in his own appointed way. And it is by attending on 
 public worship that the kingdom of the Redeemer is 
 upheld in the world, and the influences of it extended 
 and propagated among mankind. Our attendance 
 therefore on the public religious exercises of the 
 church appears to be a very important duty, enforced 
 upon us by many considerations, but more especially 
 by our covenant engagements. 
 
 . But the most common neglect of people is their 
 non-attendance on gospel ordinances, baptism, but 
 more especially the Lord's supper. The conduct of 
 many among us is very blameable, who are of the 
 church seed, included in the covenant, and laid under 
 the sacred bonds of it by baptism, to obey all the com- 
 mands of God, that they keep back from this ordin- 
 ance,therein acting in direct disobedience to the express 
 command of Christ, " Do this in remembrance of 
 me." Unaccountable is the conduct of many in turn- 
 ing their backs upon this ordinance. Some perhaps 
 are influenced by one reason, and some by another. 
 It seems to be in some the effect of mere carelessness, 
 that they slight that ordinance and care nothing about 
 it ; who may be fitly compared to profane Esau, who 
 for one morsel of meat sold his birth right, and so 
 lost the blessing. Some seem to make themselves 
 easy in the neglect of this ordinance, because they 
 think they have some excuse for their neglect, 
 ,and are very willing to be excused ; either because 
 they expect tliey may take more liberty in the ways 
 of sin, than would be allowed of if they joined in full 
 
0,13 
 
 with tb.c church ; or because they feel moi*c easy ia 
 their minds about their loose and careless way of liv- 
 ing, than they imagine they should do if they came 
 to the Lord's supper ; and not being willing heartily 
 to engage in a strict religious life, they choose to stay 
 away. But with some, and perhaps many, it may be 
 a real scruple of conscience whether they may come 
 to that ordinance till they have attained to a truly gra- 
 cious state. But with such, I would query, la it the 
 ivay to attain to a truly gracious atate^for a ficrson to 
 live in the alloived neglect of the means of grace ? 
 
 I will here alledge the express command of the 
 kingof the church " Do this in remembrance of me."' 
 This command is evidently binding upon the churcht 
 and reacheth every member of it. Here then, the 
 only question is, who are the church ? who are the 
 3Tiember3 of it ? for all such come v/iihin the binding 
 peach of this command. And 1 think, the answer to 
 this inquiry appears so plain and evident from the 
 preceding discourse, as to admit of no evasion. The 
 covenant by v/hich the visible church is formed, is evi- 
 dently that which was brought in by the mediation of 
 Christ, after the fall, which was first revealed to 
 Adam, and afterwards renewed with Abraham : the 
 church was then set up in his family ; and is contin- 
 ued to this day, in the church seed. If therefore we 
 are of the church seed, and have had the covenant 
 established with us by baptism, the command is bind- 
 ing upon us. 1 have offered abundant evidence that 
 we arc made members of the church, not by any per- 
 sonal profession, or covenant engagem.ents and prom- 
 ises : but it \s baptism which alone visibly constitutes) 
 or publicly seals and confirms our union with the 
 church, and our covenant relation to God. And if 
 infant bapiism is of divine right, as has been proved ; 
 it follows, that the church seed, having the covenant 
 established and confirmed by baptism, are thereby 
 rendered the true and real members of the church, 
 and entitled to all the priviliges of its communion, as 
 st>on as they attain to a competent age or ca^acit^.*^ 
 
214 
 
 The truth of this cannot be denied by any, unless 
 they will deny iiifcint baptism, or plead for a mungrel, 
 hali-vvay church member-ship which the apostles 
 knew nothing of : and yet, 1 am not so sanguine in 
 my expectations, as to suppose mankind will be easily 
 persuaded to admit it into practice. No, the custom 
 of obtaining accession, to the communion of the church 
 by making a personal profession, and verbal cove- 
 nanting, has so much, and so long prevailed, and 
 carries such a dazzling lustre with it, that it can- 
 not be easily removed. It has ever been the case, 
 "When human inventions have been brought into 
 use in the church, divine institutions have been 
 obliged to truckle to them. The custom of ob- 
 taining a right to the privileges of communion 
 in the church by making a personal profession, lias 
 something in it which is suited to please the vanity* and 
 elate the pride of human nature ; as it gives them an 
 opportunity to distinguish themselves above others ; 
 and especially in such places where the practice of 
 making a relation of their experiences has obtained, 
 which above all other methods, affords to people of a 
 Pharisaic turn, an opportunity to trumpet their own 
 praises, that a man must hazard his own character to 
 appear in opposition to it. The bulk of mankind 
 have their eyes so dazzled with the splendor of making 
 personal professions, that baptism has very much lost 
 t)ie sacred veneration which ought to be given to it : 
 and Satan finds his account in it too ; as mankind are 
 thus brought to make light of that divine ordinance, 
 iind to feel little ov nothiiig of those sacred obligations 
 which their covenant relation to God lays upon them. 
 It is discernable even by a superficial observer, that 
 the baptism of a person, whether infant or adult, is, in 
 tlie common acceptation of mankind, but a light thing, 
 in comparison with that profession, and those covenant 
 engagements, wiiich a person makes when he is re- 
 ceived as a member of the viiible church. Thus have 
 mankind " made void the commandment of God 
 throtigh their traditions/' and very much lost the just 
 
215 
 
 apprehensions of the true import, and sacred naliire 
 of that ordinance, which was divinely instituted to be 
 a covenanting transaction. But to return from this 
 digression. 
 
 If this command of Christ, " Do this in remembrance 
 of me," is given to the Church, it is binding upon all 
 the members of it; and that, whether the present 
 state of their hearts is gracious or not. We do not 
 inquire whether our children are renewed, before we 
 seek baptism for them ; by the receipt of which or- 
 dinance they are confirmed members of the visible 
 church, their title to the privileges of it, even to the 
 Lord supper, as well as other privileges, is confirmed 
 by the ordinance ; and they are laid under covenant 
 obligations to come forward, and attend upon all acts 
 of communion, as fast as they grow up to a sufficient 
 capacity. If the unregeneiacy of our children is no 
 reason why we should defer their baptism, then their 
 unregeneracy cannot cancel their ri^ht to these privi- 
 leges to which they are thereby entitled, nor their 
 obligations to attend upon God in them : as, I think, 
 is evident to a demonstration. 
 
 Some will say, the command under consideration 
 requires us to come to this ordinance with a believ- 
 ing penitent heart '. but we may not come with- 
 out it. 
 
 I readily grant, it is the duty of every one to believe 
 in Christ, and repent of sin ; no sinner can be ex- 
 cused for continuing one moment in an impenitent 
 state. And 1 grant likewise, that 'lis the duty of 
 every one to come to this ordinance with a believing 
 penitent heart. But what I assert, as evident from 
 the foregoing discourse, is, that whether such an 
 heart be in us or not, the act of attending is not to be 
 omitted. It is a like case in every other religious 
 exercise ; yea, and in eveiy moral action of life. If 
 we pray, the command is to pray in faith ; and if the 
 want of a saving faith is a reason why we should 
 not come to the Lord's supper ; it is equally a reason 
 why we should not pray. \Ve are required to read 
 
God^sword and to bear it preached, in faith -, but if the 
 ■■^vant of faith is a reason why we shoujd neglect an 
 .ittend^incc at the Lord's supper, it is equally so why 
 ^ve should neglect to read the word, or hear it preach- 
 ed. We are required, " Whether we eat or drink, 
 or whatever we do, to do ail to the gh)ry of God ;" 
 which command implies the exercise of true faith ; 
 But if the want of faith is a reason why we should 
 neglect to eat at the Lord's table, it is equally so, why 
 Vv'c should neglect to eat our daily bread. The com- 
 riiand to attend on the Lord's supper is of the same 
 tenor with every other command ; they ail respect 
 the heart, and require a gracious manner of perform- 
 ance. i:Vnd if the want of a gracious frame of heart, 
 is a reason why we should neglect to perform the 
 matter or outward act of duty required in one com- 
 mand ; it is equally so in all the rest : and by this 
 argument, the sinner will be discharged from every 
 exertion, or attempt of performing every duty of both 
 natural and revealed religion : and must sit stiil in 
 total inactivity wiih respect to the use of all means, 
 wailing for God, to be found of them, who in this sense 
 seek him not. And to be consistent, they must also 
 in like inactivity, wait for common mercies, without 
 Uising the means cf providence. 
 
 All such religious exercises as are appointed to the 
 visible church, properly fall under a double considc- 
 rytion. They are duiies to be performed ; and they 
 are means to be used in seeking ihe blessinos of divine 
 grace. It is by an attendance on the religious exer- 
 cises of church fellowship that sinners are to wait up- 
 on, and seek to God, that he may meet with and bless 
 them in his own appoined way, according to his 
 promise to the church. Exod. xx. 24. " In all places 
 where i record my name, 1 will come unto thee, and 
 J will bless thee" Altho' religious exercises, when 
 they are to be simply considered as duties, are to be 
 pt rformed wiih a gracious heart ; yet, considered as 
 means of grace, they are to be attended on whether 
 there be ijuch an iieiUt in us or not. bucli argu- 
 
1^17 
 
 merits as will support certain conclusions concerning 
 them, considered as duties ; will not support the 
 same conclusions concerning them, when they are 
 considered as means of grace. Thus for instance, 
 to hear the word preached, considered as a duty, we 
 must hear it in faith : but a preached gospel is to be 
 attended upon whether we have faith or not. " For 
 faith comes by hearing.'* And it is a like case with 
 -all the religious exercises which the church is to at- 
 tend upon ; they are all means of grace, means which 
 by the blessing of God, become effectual to produce 
 grace in the heart. We must wait upon God in his own 
 appointed way, for the blessing of a new heart. Ezek, 
 xxxvi. 37. " Thus saiththe Lord, I will yet for this be 
 enquired of by the house oi Israel, to do it for them.*' 
 The many gracious promises made to the visible 
 church, that God will be theirGod, that he will circum- 
 cise their heart, to love him with all the heart, that he 
 will pour out his spirit upon them, and take away the 
 stony heart out of their flesh, and give thcra an heart 
 of flesh ; these I say, and such like promises which God 
 hath made to his visible church, with respect to what he 
 will do for its members ; and which therefore evident- 
 ly stand in close connexion with the means of grace, 
 and the religious exercises which the church is to ob- 
 serve, afford an undeniable evidence, that wc are to 
 wait upon God with such hearts as we have, in 
 his own appointed way, in the communion and fellow- 
 ship of his church, for the bestowment of the promis- 
 ed blessings of his grace. 
 
 Objection. Whatever a man does in his natural 
 »tate, is sin ; and if we eat and drink unworthily, we 
 shall eat and drink da«Tination to ourselves. 
 
 jiiuiver. This objection thoroughly searched, wil! 
 be found to have no foundation but a self righteous 
 spirit which takes encouragement to go to God, from 
 some supposed.personal excellency, like the phari- 
 sec, " God I thank thee that \ am not as other men 
 are.** There never was one yet found among tho 
 Children of men, who in the sense Qf this objection, 
 
 1.9 
 
218 
 
 %vas worthy to sit down at the Lord's table. Worthi- 
 ness, in the text referred to, respects not the qualifica- 
 tion of the person partaking, but the ordinance itself, 
 or rather the mannerof partaking of it. The unworthy 
 receiving, of which the Corinthians were reproved, 
 consisted in not discerning the Lord's body ; that is 
 not making a proper distinction between that ordi- 
 nance and common food ; not attending to its spirit- 
 ual signification. And although it may be in some 
 sense true, that whatever a man in his natural state 
 does, is sin ; yet it is equally true, that he sins as 
 greatly, and perhaps more, in neglecting the Lord's 
 supper, than he might do, in attending upon it ; as 
 he therein rebels against an express command, " Do 
 this in rememberance of me : which shows the ob- 
 jection to have no foundation. 
 
 Although God hates the sin ; yet he loves the sin- 
 ner ; and that, even in his unregenerate state. John 
 iii. 16. '* God so loved the world, that he gave his on- 
 ly begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, 
 should not perish but have everlasting life." Rom, 
 V. 8. " God commandeth his love towards us, in that 
 while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Eph. 
 ii. 4, 5. " But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great 
 love wherewith he loved us, even when we were 
 dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ." 
 And although we should make a thousand metaphy- 
 seal distinctions in the love of God ; as, a love ©f pity, 
 a love of benevolence, a love of complacency, and the 
 like ; yet it is evident from the scripture, that God 
 loves us whilst we are yet in our sins ; and does ex- 
 express his love towards us various ways. God has 
 expressed his love towards us in the gift of his Son ; 
 he expresseth his love in the bounties of his provi- 
 dence, and in the publication of his word, in setting up 
 his church in the world, in taking us into covenant 
 with himself by baptism, admitting u$ to the privile* 
 ges of the Redeemer's visible kingdom^ and promis- 
 ing to meet with us, and bless us in his own appoint- 
 ci waj. Aad to pretend that we must not come to 
 
^19 
 
 the enjoyment of these privileges, because of our owu 
 unworthiness, is voluntary humility ; or rather, the 
 insufferable pride of our own corrupt hearts, that we 
 will not accept of a favor or privilege, as a free gift, at 
 the hands of God's rich, self moving and sovereign 
 love and grace, because we cannot receive it upon 
 the footing of some worthiness or deservings of our 
 own. 
 
 As our coming to this ordinance is an action ex- 
 pressive of our devoting ourselves to Christ : so on 
 the other hand, our turning our back upon it, is an 
 action expressive of our rejecting him. . We there- 
 by practically say, we will not have this man to reign 
 over us. We act und-er the influence of the same 
 wicked heart, if we keep back from this ordinance, as 
 we do, when we come to it, without sincerely yield- 
 ing our hearts to Christ. All the difference is, in 
 coming to the ordinance, the wickedness of the heart 
 is kept under restraint ; but in keeping from it, the 
 wickedness of the heart is complied with, indulged, 
 gratified, and openly acted out. And if there is great- 
 er wickedness in practising sin in our lives, than there 
 is in merely conceiving it in our heart ; it must be 
 allowed to be greater wickedness to keep back from 
 the ordinance, than to come to it, Vrith the sameun- 
 renev/ed heart. It was wickedness in Cain to contin- 
 ue impenitent, but it was increased wickedness in him 
 to go out from the presence of the Lord. Thus are we 
 to view the matter with respect tothe man himself: but 
 in the eye of the world, in his coming to the ordinance., 
 Christ is openly honored and acknowledged ; in his 
 keeping back, Christ is openly despised and rejected. 
 Although the preparation of the heart ought carefuly 
 to be attended to, yet there isnot so much depends up- 
 on it, as a self-righteous spirit inclines to imagine. For 
 my own part, 1 freely own I h.ad much rather people 
 should attend on religious exercises with corrupt 
 views, than not to attend at all. For it was doubtless 
 curiosity that brought together that great multitude 
 «n the day of pentecost. Axts ii. And yetj three thou- 
 
£20 
 
 sand of them, in constquence of it, were gained ovci 
 to Christ. 
 
 Let it be here further considered, that all churcli 
 T)rivileges and ordinance&belong to, and are the exerci- 
 ses of Christ's mediation. Christ as Mediator, has not 
 only to apply to God on behalf of sinners ; but also la 
 apply to sinners, that he may reconcile them to God 
 He carries on the treaty of peace and reconciliation 
 ■with God, among his professing people, in his church, 
 by his word, t\ orship, ordinances and spirit. When 
 a man therefore is denied the enjoyment of church 
 fellowship, by any church, he is therein cut off from 
 a share in the mediation of Christ. It therefore great- 
 ly concerns every church to take special heed to the 
 grounds and reasons of their own conduct, when th^y 
 refuse such as offer themselves to their communion * 
 lest thereby they should be found guilty of restrain- 
 ing the mediation of Christ, and cutting off such from 
 the enjoyment of it, for whom Christ died. And it 
 equally concerns every person to take heed to his own 
 c;onduct, lest he is found to reject the Mediator, and 
 Tefuseth to suffer Christ to execute his mediatorial 
 office between God and his own soul ; lest he thrust 
 himself away from those divine appointments by 
 which Christ carries on the treaty of reconciliation, 
 and like Cain, goes out from the presence of the 
 Lord. If we reject and turn from the Mediator, in 
 those things wherein he, in the exercise of his offices,, 
 applies himself to us ; we cannot expect he will ap- 
 ply to God for us. For if we deny him before man, 
 he also will deny us before his Father who is in hea- 
 ven. Shall vfc think our being in a natural state is 
 any reason why Christ should have nothing to do with 
 us, nor we with him, in his mediatorial capacity ? is 
 that a reason why he should not mediate between 
 God and us ? Must we be first savingly changed, be- 
 fore Christ may treat with us about our salvation ?' 
 Let it then be well considered what we- do, when w^e 
 turn our back upon the exercises of church fellow- 
 ship ; that we therein turn our back upon Christ, re- 
 ject his mediation, and refuse to suffer him to carry 
 
221 
 
 on the treaty of peace ^ith \is. Sucii sinners reject 
 the coir.isel of God aj^ainst themselves. 
 
 Thus I trust it is evident, that all such as are uni- 
 ted to the church by baptism, ought to maintain com- 
 iTkunion with it in all religious exercises, and gospel 
 institutions. Yet it must be remembered that a bare 
 attendance is not the whole, which in these things, is 
 required of us. No, our business there is to meet 
 with God, to devote and give up ourselves to him, 
 with our whole heart, according to those bonds of 
 duly laid upon us in our covenant wiih him. If we 
 are destitute of a gracious frame of heart, we ought 
 not to make ourselves easy, and sit down content in 
 our outward privileges ; for the time will come when 
 such children of the kingdom shall be cast out. And 
 although our not being in a state of grace, is not to 
 be admitted as a reason for our neglecting an atten- 
 dance at the Lord's table ; yet wq are not to quiet 
 ourselves in this state, nor look upon it that we have 
 attended as we ought, till we truly yield up our he-art 
 to God. As when Moses led the children of Israel 
 to renew covenant on the plains of Moab, he tells 
 them, tliey stood before the Lord, that they should 
 enter into covenant with him ; not barely to recog- 
 nize their covenant relation ; but to yield up them- 
 selves to God, from the heart in that relation : so 
 when we come to the Lord's table, we there appear 
 before God, not merely to renew covenant with him ; 
 but our business is to yield up our hearts to a sincere 
 closure and compliance with our covenant relation to 
 God, and our obligations to him. And when vre have 
 attended, if we find our heart, like a deceitful bow, 
 has turned aside, and our souls are not truly reconcil- 
 ed to God ; that sacred transaction should serve to 
 impress our minds with a more thorough conviction 
 of our guilt, and fill us v/ith a more serious and ef- 
 fectual engagedness of soul, to seek a renewed change 
 of heart ; and are therefore not to give over, but 
 must renew our attempts, if perhaps a sovereign God 
 may meet with iis and bless us in hisown appaintcd 
 
 19* 
 
222 
 
 way. It is in this manner that sinners should watcb 
 at wisdom's gates, and wait at the posts of her door. 
 
 Our not being in a gracious state is so far from 
 being a reason why we should keep back from the 
 communion of the church, that it is really a reason why 
 we should come into it. The many promises to the 
 visible church, in which God engageth to work holi- 
 ness in its membcis, should be prevailing motives 
 with such as iind their need of grace, influencing 
 them to come to the ivatersy where they may buy ivith- 
 out money and ivithoui price. The right which any 
 one has to come into covenant, and to take and use the 
 privileges of the church, doth not arise from any ho- 
 liness or worthiness that is in them ; but from the 
 free gift of sovereign grace. And if it is the sove- 
 reign pleasure of God to grant liberty for the enjoy- 
 ment of the means of grace, and all church privileges, 
 to the chief of sinners, and the utterly vile, who is he 
 that may gainsay it ? All the blessings of redeeming 
 grace are to be sought after in the church ; it is there 
 only we can rationally hope and pray that God would 
 meet with us, and bless us. But when we turn our 
 back upon the church, and neglect the privileges of its 
 communion ; we do, in just construction, turn our 
 back upon God, and all the blessings of his grace. 
 We therein act like Cain, who went out from the 
 presence of the Lord. And if we, like profane Esau, 
 despise our birth-right, it is but equal that we are 
 like him rejected. It then surely concerns us to 
 liearken to the rich grace of God who invites us into 
 the number of his children, to give us a place in his 
 family, and a seat at his table. We have abundant 
 yeason to admire divine goodness in layi7tg meat unto 
 js, with this gracious promise to his church : " I 
 will abundantly bless her provision : I will satisfy her 
 poor with bread.^ 
 
 Consider further, it is not a matter left to our choice 
 "whether we will attend on this mstitution or not ; but 
 it is made our indispensable duty by the express com- 
 /»and oij^hnsi^ The Lord's supper is an ordinance 
 
22S 
 
 that succeeds in the gospel church, to the passover 
 in the church of Israel. I. Cor. v, 7, 8. T/jcn it was 
 expressly required to cut off every one that should 
 neglect to keep the passover in its appointed season. 
 Num. ix. 13. And this is a rule that ought nozv to take 
 place in the church ; and would be put in praclicci 
 were it not for our criminal neglect of church disci- 
 pline. I therefore can see no room for any such to 
 hope for salvation in the future state, who neglect 
 and refuse to attend on this institution of Christ. 
 For who can suppose Christ would require any to 
 be cut off from his church in this life, for a matter 
 for which he will not exclude them from heaven in 
 the day of judgment '. And those words of our Sav- 
 ior are ^ery applicable in this case, John vi. 53, " Ver- 
 ily, verily I say unto you, except ye eat the fiesh of 
 the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life 
 in you/' Here it is to be observed, that our Lord 
 useth a double asseveration, " -verily^ -verily^^^ there- 
 by to engage our more special attention and regard 
 to the truth which, in this solemn manner, he de- 
 clares to us. Indeed I grant, our Lord had no refer- 
 ence to the supper, when he spoke these words, for 
 this ordinance was not then instituted. But when 
 our Lord did institute this ordinance, it was manifest- 
 ly his design that we theiein should eat his flesh, and 
 drink his blood, of which he here speaks ; and a due 
 attendance on this ordinance is the instituted way in 
 which this duty is to be performed. And for us to 
 suppose that we can eat his flesh, and drink his blood, 
 so as to live by him, by some private actings of faith, 
 not exercised and expressed in his own appointed 
 way, is at once to set aside his authority, and to make 
 ourselves wiser than he. Herein we act over the 
 same sinful conduct of the pharisees, in the contempt 
 they cast upon John's* baptism. Luke vii. 30. " The 
 Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God 
 against themselves, being not baptized of him.** 
 
 Some perhaps will say, I make a partaking of 
 gospel ordinances too essential to salvation. But 
 
224 
 
 wherein ? Let us attend to the tenor of that promise 
 of Salvation, Mark xvi. 16. " He that believeth and 
 is baptized, shall be saved ; but he that believeth not, 
 shall be damned '* It is here manifest, that we must 
 be baptized as v/ell as believe, that we may be inter- 
 ested in this promise. Indeed baptism is not taken 
 into the threatening, " He that believeth not, shall be 
 damned.'* Where God in his providence has put 
 the enjoyment of gospel ordinances out of our reach, 
 it may be hoped, that if there be a willing mind, it 
 shall be accepted according to what a man hath, not 
 according to what he hath not. But what is this to 
 the case of those who have gospel privileges at their 
 doors, and continue to treat them with open neglect 
 and contempt ? I confess, I can see noway pointed out 
 in the gospel, for such to hope to be saved. Indeed, 
 ■what allowances our merciful Savior will make for 
 weak and tender consciences, en account of those 
 many stumbling blocks that have been thrown in their 
 way, we cannot tell. When I consider the many 
 books which have been published, the pains which 
 have been taken, and the plausible arguments which 
 have been used to deter people from their duty, their 
 conduct does not appear so strange ; especially when 
 I also attend to the practice of these churches in re- 
 ceiving persons to their communion, not at the door 
 of Christ's institutions ; but compelling them to 
 climb up some other way, on ladders of personal pro- 
 fessions, and verbal covenanting, of their own devis- 
 ing ; which naturally tends to make common people? 
 who generally form their sentiments more from com- 
 monly received customs, than doctrinal instructions, 
 to imagine that none must come there but such as 
 are well satisfied of their gracious stale. Jeroboam's 
 sinful conduct was often stigmatized, many genera- 
 tions after his death, by the remark that Israel con- 
 tinued to walk in the wayb of Jeroboam the son of 
 Nabat, who made Israel to sin. And this practice of 
 neglecting to attend on this ordinance, and of exclu- 
 ding the infant seed of the church from the privile- 
 
225 
 
 ges of its communioi^ cannot be justified by the cxs- 
 ample of the church, of a thousand years continu- 
 ance, through the ages of popish darkness. 
 
 I am sensible what I am here pleading for, will 
 have to combat with abundance of popular prejudice. 
 For I have found it not an easy thing to bring my 
 own mind fully to give in to the conviction of the 
 light of truth, in opposition to the prejudices and pre- 
 possessions which 1 have labored under. But if peo- 
 ple would be persuaded to look candidly into the mat- 
 ter, and be v/illing to be guided only by scripture 
 light ; I fully believe they would see the reasons I 
 have offered abundantly sufficient to confirm what I 
 am pleailing for. I have had this matter under close 
 and serious examination for about fifteen years, in 
 the most mature part of life ; so that the sentiments 
 in which I am now settled, cannot be the ebullitions 
 of youth, nor the dotages of superannuation. And as 
 I ajjproach towards the verge of life,* I v/ould leave 
 tills as my dying testimony to these churches, of the 
 absolute necessity of a reformation, that they may en- 
 joy more of Christ's presence with them. Yet I 
 have little expectation of success, because 1 appre- 
 hend that prophesy is not yet fully accomplished, Rev. 
 xi. 2. " But the court which is without the temple, 
 C the external form of the -vidble church) leave out^ 
 and measure it not ; for it is given unto the Gentiles i 
 and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and 
 two months." 
 
 But it such arguments will not prevail, especially 
 %yith such as are already in the church, and laid under 
 tlie bonds of the covenant by baptism, to come for- 
 ward and use the privileges, and take the blessings 
 which God thus graciously lays before them, they 
 must even abide the consequences. Yet let me fur- 
 ther urge this matter with these twq considerations. 
 
 1 . Consider that the religious exercises observed 
 by the church, have a natural tendency to promote 
 
 * These things were chiefly written when the author vr?8 
 between fifty and sixty years of age. 
 
225 
 
 religion in our hearts ; and not only so, but they are 
 the means which God hath appointed for this very 
 purpose. The rich grace of God in taking sinners 
 into a covenant relation to himself, is a persuasive 
 consideration, and a powerful motive to lead them to 
 repentance. Thus Moses urgcth this argument upon 
 the children of Israel. Deut. 15, 16. <' Only the 
 Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and 
 he chose their seed after them, even you above all 
 people, as it is this day. Circumcise therefore the 
 foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked." 
 Our being in covenant not only lays us under strong 
 obligations to repent, but it is appointed as a means 
 to bring us to it. In like manner the apostle also 
 urgeth the duty of repentance upon the Jews, with 
 the same argument. Acts iii. 19. '' Repent ye 
 therefore,'* kc. alledging as a motive to it, in the 
 25 ih verse, " Ye are the children of the prophets, 
 and of the covenant which God made with our fa- 
 thers.'' According to this tenor and tendency of the 
 covenant, the prophet expostulates with the ten tribes 
 of Israel, after they had been for many years as it 
 were, cast out from the presence of God, in a state 
 of captivity among the heathen, Jcr. iii. 1. "They 
 Sciy, if a man put away his wife, and she go from him 
 and become another man's, shall he return unto her 
 again ? shall not that land be greatly polluted ? But 
 thou hast played the harlot with many lovers ; yet 
 return again to me, saith the Lord." And in the 14th 
 verse. " Turn O backsliding children, saith the 
 Lord, for I am married unto you." And in the 22d 
 verse, they are represented as being prevailed upon 
 to return, and improving their covenant interest in 
 God, in their prayers, pleading it as an argument for 
 their recovery and reception, " Return ye backsli- 
 ding children, and I will heal your backslidinpjs : be- 
 hold, we come unto tiiee, for thou art the Lord our 
 God.'* And God lath declared his gracious readiness 
 to barken to the cries of such sinners, bemoaning their 
 condition. Jer. xxxi. 18. "I have surely heard 
 
^^i7 
 
 Kphraim bemoaning himself thus. Thou hast clias- 
 tised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccus*' 
 tomed tothe yoke : turn thou me, and I shall be turned ; 
 for thou art the Lord my God." And it is thus the 
 prophet teacheth us to plead our covenant interest in 
 God. Isai. Ixiv. 9. "Be not wroth very sore, O Lord, 
 neither remember iniquity forever : behold, see we 
 beseech thee, we are all thy people. 
 
 Thus the bonds of the covenant of our God being 
 upon us, very strongly oblige us to repent ; and the 
 great and undeserved favoi of God in taking us into cov- 
 enant, assures us of his gracious readiness to receive 
 repenting and returning sinners, which greatly tends 
 to draw us to repentance. And our holding com- 
 munion with the visible church in gospel ordinances, 
 is the way to keep up the attention of our minds to 
 divine things, to excite religious affections in the 
 heart, and to draw the soul to a cordial compliance 
 with the way of life. The privileges of church fel- 
 lowship have not only a tendency to these things in 
 their own nature, but they are the appointments of 
 God for these very purposes : and connected with 
 them is the promise of the influences of the Holy 
 Spirit to render them effectual on the heart, for the 
 production of these effects among the covenant peo- 
 ple of God, as has been fully proved. Very strongly 
 then do these considerations urge the duty of coming; 
 forward, and improving the privileges of the church, 
 upon all such especially as are laid iinder the bonds 
 of the covenant by baptism. 
 
 2. Our coming forward in the improvement of the 
 privileg-es of the church, is the way to secure great 
 privileges and blessings to our children, and to trans- 
 mit them to rising generations. If we desire God 
 should be our God, and the God of our seed alter us, 
 we must embrace this covenant in which this bles- 
 sing is promised. A regard to our childien's good, 
 as well as to our own, should influence us in this case. 
 Indeed, to seek the privileges of the covenant mere- 
 ly for the sake of having our children baptized, (aud 
 
228 
 
 Vii&t perhaps chiefly because it is looked upon as re- 
 putable among men) is not the best of motives ; yea, 
 such as herein act only from such views, are very 
 criminal in overlooking motive's of the greatest im» 
 portance, and regarding only the less. But still, 
 this is a motive which ought to have its due weight 
 •with us, to quicken us to take hold of God's coven- 
 ant, and to use diligence and faithfulness in impro- 
 ving all covenant privileges, j^hat we may transmit 
 ihem to our children after us ; and in that way, dis- 
 charge our duty to Christ, as well as to our children, 
 in contributing our part towards the support, preser- 
 vation and propagation of his kingdom in the world. 
 "Were it not proper that a regard to the good of our 
 children should have its influence upon us, inclining 
 us to covenant faithfulness, God would not have so 
 often used it as an argument with his people, to this 
 purpose, as we find he has done. Deut. iv. 40. " Thou 
 shak keep therefore his statutes and his commund- 
 Bients which 1 command thee this day, that it may 
 go well with thee, and with thy children after thee.'' 
 Deut. v. 29. " O that there were such an heart in 
 them, that they would fear me, and keep my com- 
 mandments always, that it might be well with them, 
 and with their children forever.'* Deut. xxx. 19. "I 
 eall heaven and earth to record this day against you, 
 that I have set before you life and death, blessing and 
 cursing : therefore choose life, that both thou and thy 
 seed may live." Thus we see God urgeth his people 
 to covenant faithfulness, both for their own sake, and 
 for the sake of their children. The rich grace of God 
 manifested in his covenant, by jiis promise to be our 
 God, and the God of our seed after us, is an argu- 
 ment to quicken us to duty v/bich is directly adapted 
 'tf>'move and influence our parental affections, that 
 every spi-ing of action in our nature may be consecra- 
 ted to the purpose of religion. Our love to our chil- 
 dren is thus irt^proved by divine wisdom and grace, 
 to engage us to prizd and improve the privileges of 
 this covenant, because wc there see that grace is Jaid 
 
ii\ beforehand in stoio for them. God haLa made 
 provision for them, ihat they should be born in bis 
 liouse, and broughl np in his family, under the best, 
 advantages, and fairest prospects of obtaining eternal 
 life. This gives parents a comfortable prospect for 
 their children. If v/e view them only as an increase 
 of sinful men, who come into the world under the 
 ruins of the fall, we shall have such a dark and mel- 
 ancholy prospect concerning them, as might reason- 
 ably stifle the desire of having children. But by at- 
 tending to the tenor of the covenant of promise we are 
 taught to view them in another light, and under an- 
 other character ; as born under the covenant of grace, 
 as God's children by adoption, and as heirs of many 
 valuable privileges and promises. If they die in 
 childhood, I know of no reason why we may not sup- 
 pose it is well with them : or if they live to grow up, 
 we liave grounds of hope they shall reap the beneht 
 of the privileges of the covenant for their salvation. 
 The many gracious promises of the covenant are a 
 strong foundation for the faith of parents to rest upon, 
 and to improve in their supplication at the throne of 
 grace for their children. These promises likewise 
 afford great encouragement to take special pains in 
 their education, in hopes that their endeavors to bring 
 them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, 
 shall not be in vain ; but that, whilst they are endeav- 
 oring to instruct them, and to lead them forward to 
 know and acknowledge their covenant God, he will 
 pouF out his spirit upon them in his saving influen- 
 ■ces. 
 
 m 
 
!250 
 
 THE CONCLUSION. 
 
 THE ruin and recovery of man, appear From what 
 has been offered, to be properly ascribed to Adam, 
 and Christ. As Adam was the head and leader of 
 the apostacy of the human race, so is Christ the head 
 and author of their recovery. And by attending to 
 the glorious characters under which the Son of God is 
 revealed in the gospel, it appears that he stands in 
 various relations to different denominations of the- 
 children of men ; and they accordingly are different- 
 ly interested in him, and receive very different privi- 
 leges and blessings from him. Christ is in some 
 sense a covenant head, Savior and Redeemer to the 
 "whole human race ; and they receive from him in 
 these relations, the present life, with all the comforts 
 and enjoyments of it. But Christ in all his offices, 
 is more nearly related to his visible church and cov- 
 enant people, than to the rest of the world ; and they 
 receive from him the more valuable privileges of 
 divine revelation, with the means of grace, and pe- 
 culiar advantages for \\orking out their salvation. 
 And ab the Lord Jesus Christ is more nearly related, 
 and more closely connected with his visible church, 
 than he is to the rest of mankind ; so he is connect- 
 ed more closely still to his spiritual body of true be- 
 lievers, with whom the treaty of peace is happily 
 concluded, in their being brought to a saving union 
 with him by faith ; in consequence of which they 
 have obtained a sure title to eternal life. 
 
 Careful inspection into the character and offices of 
 the Lord Jesus Christ, not only discovers tliese va- 
 rious connexions with the different denominations of 
 mankind ; but we may also here discover him in 
 some connexions which surpass the human species, 
 and take in the angelic world ; yea- the whole sys- 
 tem of the intellectual creation. For it is declared to 
 be the good pleasure of God, " That in the dispensa- 
 tion of the fnJiness ol limes, he might gather togethev 
 
i231 
 
 in one, all things in Christ, both which arc in hcav* 
 en, and which are on earth." Eph. i. 10. 
 
 It evidently appears in the gospel plun, that the 
 safety, blessedness and glory of men, consist in, and 
 flow out from their union with the blessed God ; a 
 foundation for which is laid in the union of the divine 
 and human nature in the Son of God. And as the 
 safety, glory and blessedness of men consist in thisj 
 so this must also necessarily be the case with the 
 whole intelligent created system, so far as we are 
 able to judge of it : union with their Creator seems 
 necessary in the nature of things, to theii' safety and 
 blessedness. And the Son of God appears plainly 
 pointed out, as the person in and by whom this union 
 Li accomplished. He seems to be the Medi-itor of 
 access to God, and of divine communications from 
 him, even to the angels of light, who are gathered to- 
 gether into one, in him, as weU as to the children of 
 men. Indeed, the tenor and form of the union of the 
 angelic world with the Son of God, is not so express- 
 ly set forth in the gospel, as is that of mankind ; doubt- 
 less there may be a great variety with respect to 
 tliat, among the different ranks of beings; but that 
 they are somehow united to Christ, and to God thro' 
 him, is manifestly a doctrine taught in the gospel. 
 This is represented in forccited Eph. i. 10, where 
 we arc told of the purpose «f God '' to gather to- 
 (^ether in one, all things in Christ." And of the like 
 import is that hi the 20 — 23d verses, where we are 
 told that " God raised him from the dead, and set 
 him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far 
 y.bove all principality, and power, and might, and do- 
 minion, and every name that is named, not only ia 
 tide world, but also in that which is to come : and 
 hath put iill things under his feet, and gave him to be 
 bead over all things to his church, which is his body, 
 the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Eph. iv. 10, 
 ^ He that descended is the same that also ascended 
 up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things." 
 rhilip. ii. 9r 10^ 1). *' Wherefore God also hat^ 
 
232 
 
 iiighly exalted him, and given him a pame which is 
 above every name ; that at the name of Jesus every 
 knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things on 
 earth, and things under the earth ; and that eveiy 
 tongue should confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to 
 the glory of God the Father." Colos. i. 15,16,17, 
 *' Who is the image of the invisible God, the first 
 born of every creature : for by him were all things 
 created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visi- 
 ble and invisible, whether they be thrones, or domin- 
 ions, or principalities, or powers : all thmgs were 
 ereated by him and for him ; and he is before all 
 things and by him all things consist." And verse, 
 20. ** By him to reconcile all things to himself, 
 by him, I say, whether they be things in heaven, 
 or thines in earth." Heb. i. 2, S. '^ Hath in 
 tlicse last days spoken unto us by his son, whom he 
 hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he 
 made the w^orlds. Who being the brightness of his 
 glory, and the express image of his person, and up- 
 holding all things by the word of his power." 
 
 Thus we have the apostolic representation of this 
 wonderful and glorious connextion and union of the 
 whole intelligent system with our exalted Savior, who 
 is the mysterious person in whom the whole intelli- 
 gent creation are united to God as the foundation of 
 their safety and blessecness. How the Creator and 
 the creature, between whose natures there is such an 
 infinite distance, shall be brought into a state of such 
 a close and intimate union as should be an effectual 
 security of safety, and source of blessedness to the 
 creature, is beyond fiiiitc understanding to discover. 
 And that the son of God, who is ou?' Redecmel* 
 should be the person, in and by whom this union with 
 God, of all rational, created beings, should be brought 
 about, should render him glorious in our eyes, and 
 precious to our hearts. 
 
 And if such a Mediator of access to God is, in the 
 nature of things, necessary to fill up that infinite dis- 
 tance between the Creator and the creature, and bring 
 about that union of the creature to God which is ne- 
 
133 
 
 ircssaiy to their saicty and blessedness, as is clearly 
 intimated and implied in the foregoing glorious and 
 exalted character of the Son of God ; it v\ill be neces- 
 sary to allow, that the case of Adam, in the state in 
 \vhich he was ci'eated, did require such a ^Icdiator^ 
 as well as the rest of the intelligent creation ; and that 
 the discovery of the Son of God in this character, was 
 included in that covenant dispensation which he was 
 placed under. The record which Moses hath made 
 of this first covenant dispensation is so very concise, 
 that we are unable positively to say whether it con- 
 tained any discovery of such a Mediator, or not : yet 
 there are some things in the sacred scripture, (as 1 
 ^hall show presently,) referring to that dispensation, 
 .which very naturally intimate such a discovery as be- 
 ing contained in it. Indeed, if the Son of God was re- 
 vealed to Adam in the first covenant, as a Mediator of 
 access to God ; yet v,e cannot suppose him to be then 
 revealed in such a character, clothed with such offi- 
 ces, and having such work assigned Iiim, as were af- 
 terward necessary to his redeeming fallen, sinful man. 
 These thingo became necessary to him that he might 
 save sinners. But Adam might see the necessity of a 
 Mediator of access to God, although his then present 
 state did not require a iNIediator with such characters 
 as were necessary to save from sin. The Son of God 
 is said to be, " The brightness of the Father's glory, 
 and the express image of his person ;*' but I cannot 
 see how he should acquire such a character by his in- 
 carnation and sufferings : doubtless this character be- 
 longed to him before he was manifested in the flesh. 
 His glory was eclipsed, or as it were, veiled, when 
 he took flesh upon him. But when he was about to 
 finish the eccne of his humiliation, we find him pray- 
 ing to be restored to the glory Avhich he had with the 
 Father before the world wns John xvii. 5. Which glo- 
 ry, it is natural for Us to understand to be that, on cic- 
 count of which he is said to be the brightness of the 
 Father's glory, and express image of his person. 
 Perhaos, no created mind was capv\ble to discover the 
 20* 
 
234 
 
 uncreated glory of the deity, and obtain the vital knowl- 
 edge of, and union to him, without such a mirror, or 
 Mediator of access. 
 
 The introduction of moral evil into the system has 
 been supposed by some, to be necessary to the full 
 display of the divine glory : but of this, I can see no 
 necessity. I grant, the glory of God in pardoning 
 sin, never could have been manifested by any exerci- 
 ses of it, if there never had been any sin to pardon. 
 But to infer from this, the necessity of introducing 
 sin ; and even to impute its production to the divine 
 agency, is a very bold assertion, which, instead of ex- 
 alting, doth greatly debase the divine chamcter. For 
 it is a very puerile exploit to make a noble machine, 
 and then throw it into confusion, for the sake of shew- 
 ing one's dexterity in reducing it again to order. 
 JVone but a madman will cast about Jire-brandst ar- 
 rows and death ; and say, am I not in sfiort ? 
 
 It is not the introduction of moral evil ; but the mys- 
 terious union of the created and uncreated nature in 
 the person of the Son of God, that is the device of di- 
 vine wisdom to enable created intelligences to behold 
 the glory of the God-head : which might have as well 
 been brought about, if sin had never taken place in 
 the system ; and which was most probably the case 
 before sin, or even any creature existed, except he 
 who was the beginning of the creation of God. I see 
 not why the introduction of moral evil may not be sat- 
 isfactorily accounted for, from the necessarily limited 
 and mutable nature of created beings ; especially 
 when such are put into a state of trial, which necessa- 
 rily implies a possibility of sinning, because without 
 a possibility of it there could be no trial of the obe- 
 dience of the creature. When Adam was set a pro- 
 bationer under the first covenant, his security a- 
 gainst sinning must be the strength and stability 
 of his own nature : otherwise his fidelity would not 
 have been tried. In like manner also when the Son 
 of God stood a probationer under the second covenant, 
 there was no security that he should not sin, but wha^ 
 arose from his own divine strength and immutabilits* 
 
23S 
 
 There was notliin.^ in the constitution he was un-, 
 tier, nor in the nature or cu'cumstunces of his trials, to 
 prevent it. But mere created nature must necessai 'r? 
 ly be liable to sin when put into a state of probation. 
 These remarks show there is no need of supposing 
 the divine agency in bringing- moral evil into tho 
 system. And although the wisdom and goodness of 
 God appear in overrulin.^ sin, and bringing good out 
 of evil ; yet this not at all in:iplies any necessity of in* 
 troducing sin, that the glory of God might be made 
 manifest. 
 
 What would have been the case if sin had never 
 been committed, is a matter of v/hich we are very in- 
 competent judges. For the discoveries which God 
 hath been pleased to make of himself to us, are such 
 us are suitable to be made to such creatures as we 
 ^re, in our present state ; which are sufficient to ena- 
 ble us to obtain the saving knowledge of himself : but 
 whether his glory would not have been as fully dis- 
 played, if sin had never been committed, is what we 
 cannot determine. This however we may see, that 
 God hath wisely suited the dispensadon of his grace 
 . to the needy circumstances of fallen man ; the pecu- 
 liar excellency of which is the method thereby laid 
 open for our being brought into such a state of union 
 to Christ, and to God through him, as will be an effec- 
 tual security of our glory, blessedness, and everlasting 
 safety. Indeed, the first covenant was equitable, wise 
 and gracious ; and the only objection we can have ag?dnst 
 it, with any color of plausibility, was God's including 
 Adam's seed Mith him, whereby they should be Uabic 
 to ruin by his misconduct. But this objection is, in a 
 great measure, removed by this consideration. That 
 if the curse of the first covenant had been executed 
 upon him according to the tenor of the covenant, he 
 ■never Mould have had any seed actually existing, to 
 hz involved in ruin by it. And when we consi4er that 
 the safety, glory and blessedness of the creature con- 
 sist in, or result from union with God ; it may sug- 
 gest the proper reason of the divine procedure., and 
 20 * * 
 
me 
 
 show the necessity of constituting such a union be- 
 tween Adam and his natural seed. For in the second 
 covenant, we very readily see a necessity of our being 
 united to our new covenant head, that he might bring 
 \is to God. And we have reason to suppose there 
 was the same necessity of our being in a state of 
 union with our covenant head in the first covenant. 
 We find it is now, the plainly revealed purpose of God, 
 to gather together in one, all things in Christ, both 
 which are in heaven, and which are on earth ; doubtless 
 because the case of created nature requires such a Me- 
 diator of access to God, in order to communion with 
 liim, and the participation of complete blessedness in 
 the transcendent perfections of the uncreated God- 
 head. And if this is the case, as it appears to be from 
 the best light we can get in the matter, it must be 
 conceded that this Son of God, this Mediator of access 
 to God, was necessary to man, in his first estate, and 
 that the revelation of it was made to Adam in the 
 covenant made with him. And this Avill give us 
 great reason to conclude, the union constituted be- 
 tween Adam and his seed, in the first covenant, was 
 a wise, and even necessary appointment for"* bring- 
 ing about our necessary union with God, through 
 this Mediator of access, if Adam had preserved his 
 integrity; but through his failure, this union brought 
 on our ruin. 
 
 With respect to the necessity and usefulness of 
 that federal union which God ordained in the first co- 
 Tenant, between Adam and his seed, something may 
 be argued from the natural union Trhich subsists 
 among them. It was equally easy to almighty pov/er 
 o have made each individual of the human race, at 
 the same time, and in the same manner as he did 
 Adam ; in which case, there would have been no na- 
 tural union among them. But we see, unerring v/is- 
 dom judged it best that mankind should come into 
 existence in a state of natural union, by the course of 
 ordinary generation. And as to the slate of mankmd 
 in thifi world, much of the wisdom and goodness of 
 
^37 
 
 God appears In it, in that this natural union many vVaVs 
 serves to promote our usefulness, and to add to the 
 delight and satisfaction of life And the nature of mam 
 requires a moral, as well as a natural union among^ 
 them. This appears not only from our need of mu- 
 tual protection and defence, in our present fallen 
 state ; but also from the sociable tendency of our na- 
 ture in its primitive state. But it is evident, God, in 
 the formation of our nature, and in ordering our con- 
 dition, had a higher and more noble end in view, 
 than any thing of a \Torldly nature ; even our union to 
 and communion with himself. And this natural any 
 moral union which is so conducive to our present hap- 
 piness, we have reason to suppose, was equally adapt- 
 ed to serve and promote our better and more noble 
 end. Nor is this a mere rational conjecture, bu^ it is 
 much countenanced by divine revelation. This is 
 not a little countenanced by the manifest necessity 
 of our being united to our neVv' covenant head, which 
 strongly im])Iies, there was a like necessity of our 
 union with the first Adam, in order to our commun- 
 ion with God. That our natiu'al union was intended 
 to stibserve this purpose is plainly contained in the 
 reason which the prophet assigns why God made but 
 one at first* to be the root of mankind, and chose this 
 natural union, in the course of ordinary generation, as 
 the method to bring us into existence. Mai. ii. 15. 
 " And did he not make one ? Yet had ho the residue 
 of the spirit : and wherefore one ? That he might 
 seek a Godly seed." 1 am sensible the prophet men- 
 tions this, to bear trslimony agains'", the practice of 
 putting ar.-ay their wives : but the truth here laid 
 tlov/n, from which he takes his ar^ ument, equally fa- 
 tore the point under consideration, and clearly shows 
 the reason of the divine appointment of the course of 
 ordinary generation, wr3 a view at prcrriotmg godli- 
 ness. Arid that our moral as well as our natural un- 
 ion was originally intcnc'sd for the same purpose, is 
 confirmed by the apostle in his styling Adam a figure 
 of Chri«t. Rom, t. 14. It is certain our union wltk 
 
^3B 
 
 tuc second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ, b. in orcter 
 to our lite ; and therefore, according to this iigure? 
 our union to the first Adcim was intended for the 
 same purpose. And ii is further to be observed m 
 in tl.is representation, that the aposue speaks of Adam 
 in his primitive state, when tije first covenant was 
 made with him, and therein represents him as a fig- 
 ure of Christ. But it is not easy to see how he could 
 then be a figure of Christ, in the character of a Sav- 
 ior of sinners ; because there was no apparent room 
 before the fall, for his coming in such a character. 
 I. therefore seems necessary we should view Adam, 
 as he was the head of mankind in tlie first cov€n;int, 
 to be figurative of the Son of God in his character of 
 a Mediator of access. And if, in the first dispensa- 
 tion, Adam was intended to be thus figurative of the 
 •Son of God, it will follow, that there was then a reve- 
 lation of him ii:i that chmactcr, made to oni- first pa- 
 rents in that covenant. Indeed, after the fall, there 
 were given many figures, types and shadows of 
 Christ in the character of a Mediator of reconciliation 
 for the redemption of sinners. I5ut how the Son of 
 God could be figuratively represented by Adam inf 
 the first covenant, before the fall, as a Redeemer o 
 sinnerss has been a knot too hard to be untied by any 
 that have taken in hand to wpite upon the types, in 
 any consistent manner. It is therefore here strongly 
 implied, tiiat Christ was revealed to Adam in the 
 first covenant, in the character of a Mediator of ac- 
 cess to God ; and that the union which God had or- 
 dained between him and his seed, in that dispensa- 
 tion, was appointed to be a means of securing their 
 vital union to God through that Mediator. 
 
 The same may be likewise inferred from the rep- 
 resentation of the tree of life, as being figurative of 
 Christ. Kev. xxii. 2 The tree of life certainly be- 
 longed to the first covenant, before there was any ap- 
 parent room for the coming of Christ, in the charac- 
 ter of a Redeemer of sinners : but it might be then 
 properly ordained to point to him in the chi-iracter of 
 
rS9 
 
 A Mediator of access to God, and was therefore prop-- 
 eriy a sacramental test of obedience, in tiiC first cov- 
 enant, to Adam and his seed. 
 
 It may be objected to these things, that whatever 
 difiicuhy uu\y attend our viewing Adam in the first 
 covenant, as a type of Christ ; yet when the apostle 
 styles him a figure of him that wus to come, he plain- 
 ly aiiudes to his conung in the flesh, in the character 
 of a Redeemer of sinners. But to tliis it may be an- 
 swered, the character given of Christ in the gospel, 
 includes the character of a Mediator of access to God, 
 as well as that of a Redeemer of sinners ; and it does 
 not appear the apostle meant to represent Christ as 
 figured forth in Adam, in any other character than 
 that ot a Mediator of access ; which he might very 
 consistently improve for our instruction in tiie know- 
 ledge of Christ under the gospel, although that fig- 
 ure might properly belong to the first covenant. 
 
 Upon the whole then, '.vc have j^rcaL reason to con- 
 clude, the Son of God was revealed to Adam in the 
 first covenant, in the character of a Mediator of ac- 
 cess to God for mankind ; and that the covenant un- 
 ion then ordained between him and his seed had a di- 
 rect reference to this Mediator of access, and was a 
 necessary means of securing both to Adam, and to 
 his seed, that union to God, and communion with 
 him, so necessary to the well being of mankind. For 
 although it does not now appear to us, how that union 
 v/ith Adam was to have operated under the first cov- 
 enant, for securing our vital union with God, in so 
 plain a light as we now see how our union with Christ 
 will ansv/er this important purpose ; yet we have 
 reason to conclude that all the obscurity in these 
 things, is because the way of life in the first covenant 
 is not so fully revealed to us in the word of God, as is 
 the way of life provided for us in the new covenant. 
 
 When Adam fell, God saw fit not to cut off the 
 vvhole human race by exccutmg the curse of the first 
 covenant ; but thereupon brought in the covenant of 
 grace, whorcia his eternal Son, who before was u 
 
240 
 
 Mediator of access to God for the whole intelligent 
 system, was appointed to become incarnate, and be 
 also a Mediator of reconciliation for fallen man ; 
 whereby there was made room for the seed of Adam 
 to be born into a state of probation under the covenant 
 of grace. If therefore any will find fault with the 
 procedure of God with man, either in the first or 
 second covenant, it most certainly is because of their 
 own ig-norance of the true state of the case. For if 
 the first covenant with Adam had been as fully laid 
 open to our view in the word of God, as is the second 
 covenant with Christ, we should doubtless see that 
 the first covenant was truly holy, just and good, ar. 
 Well as the second. As it was the mediation of 
 Christ which prevented the curse of the first coven- 
 ant from taking place upon Adam in the day that he 
 sinned, and made way for his seed to be born into the 
 vorld, and stand probationers under the covenant of 
 grace ; therefore If ^re at ail find fault with the ways 
 of God, it must be for putting us into a state of trial 
 under such a wise and gracious dispensation as is that 
 of the covenant of grace. 
 
 Accordingly we find mankind ofien complaining 
 that God now requires a compliance with such terms 
 for which fallen man has not in himself sufficient abil- 
 ity. If man in his fallen state, had sufficient ability 
 in himself to c'ose with the terms of reconciliation 
 appointed in the new covenant, it seems that all their 
 objections would be answered. But inasmuch as 
 they are dead in sin, without strength, and are de- 
 pendent upon the sovereign grace of God for that as- 
 sistance which shall enable them to believe to the 
 saving of the soul, they think they have reason to 
 complain. 
 
 But let us view the matter according to the prece- 
 ding representation of the ruin and, recovery of man. 
 it is true, man, by the breach of the first covenant, 
 was totally ruined ; cut off from all interest in God, 
 and access to him, from all moral dependence upon 
 hinij and from all enjoyment of him. But the impos- 
 
241 
 
 iibility fallen man was under of access to God in thess 
 respects, is manifestly removed by the introduction 
 of the covenant of grace- And as to the prospect 
 which the sinner has, of obtaining a saving interest 
 in Jesus Christ, notwithsttmding the impotence of his 
 fallen state, there is no reason to murmur and com- 
 plain. For I will just mention several things, the 
 truth of which appears from what has been already- 
 offered ; which servo to display the excellency of our 
 present state of trial under the dispensation of the 
 covenant of grace. 
 
 One peculiar excellency of the covenant of grace 
 is its containing provision for the pardon of sin. In 
 the first covenant made with Adam, there was no 
 room for pardon : but the first sin was effectually 
 ruinous and decisive of his state. But in the cove- 
 nant of grace there is rich provision made for the par- 
 don of many sins ; yea, even the chief of sinners have 
 the hope of pardon and salvation set before them. 
 This is a very eligible circumstance in our present 
 state, which had noplace in the first covenant. 
 
 Another peculiar excellency of our present proba^- 
 tion state is the rich and sovereign grace of God free- 
 ly exercised towards sinners, through the Mediator, 
 which afibrds great encouragement and grounds of 
 hope that we may obtain salvation. 
 
 Here we may consider how fair a prospect Adam 
 had of securing life, when God made the first cove- 
 nant with him. The test and trial of his obedience 
 must be owned to be as easy and favorable as could be 
 devised ; and he had doubtless sufficient str'jngth for 
 the performance of required obedience. 15 ul then, 
 it appears that his own created strength and stability 
 were what he had to depend upon to preserve him 
 from falling. It is essential to created nature, how 
 excellent soever the creature is, to be mutable : but 
 it is the incommunicable prerogative of the divine na- 
 ture to be independent and unchangeable. And how 
 much dependence may be put upon the strengh 
 and stability of a raere creature, even in his best estate 
 
242 
 
 •f innocence raid perfection, we may see in Adam* 
 We indeed, are ready to think, that were we in his 
 case, we would not do as he did. Bat what :eason 
 iiave we for it ? He Ijad motives abundantly suffi- 
 cient, had he duly regarded them, to have inliuenced 
 iiim tofaithfuhiess ; why tiien should not we be as liable 
 to fall as he ? It may be suid, if the whole human race 
 were each of them to stand in such a state of trial, if 
 some fell, others would take the warninr^, and avoid sin 
 which they saw to be so ruinous to others. It mig-lit 
 be so ; but who can say, how many of the human race 
 would have acted that wise part ? We now see, that 
 multitudes are far from taking due warning, by tlie 
 miscarriages of others, even in cases where there is 
 DO room to plead inability. And when we consider 
 how little dependence is to be placed in a mutable 
 creature ; we shall see, it is far from being evident, 
 that a greater number would obtain life, were they 
 placed in such an easy state of trial as Adam was, than 
 will now, in our present state of trial under the cove- 
 nant of grace. 
 
 When we consider that a liableness to sin is essen- 
 tial to a state of trial, it will appear, there could not 
 have been any ctTectual security of Adam's persever- 
 ing in this trial, but by the interposition of God's sov- 
 ereign, unprouiised grace. And I see not why it may 
 not be said, that Adam was as really dependent upon 
 sovereign grace to preserve him from falling, as we 
 are for our recovery. Yea, and 1 see not how it is 
 possible for any creature to be in a state of trial, in any 
 circumstances whatever, and not be dependent upon 
 Sovereign free grace, as his only effectual security. 
 The truth of this isf evident not only from the nature 
 <»f a state of trial as it necessarily implies a possibility 
 of sinning; biit also from. th«^ necessarily dependent, 
 mutable nature of created beings. And therefore the 
 dependence of the sinner upon divine sovereignty, in 
 a st.ite of trial under the covenant of grace, for that 
 help and assistance by which he shall be enabled to 
 make his calling and election sure; is upon tlie whole 
 
<243 
 
 litlie or nolhiiig different from what must necessarily 
 be the case of a creature in a state ©f trial under any 
 constitution whatever. 
 
 Dependence on the free and sovereign grace of 
 God for divine aid to secure our salvation, is evident- 
 ly our case ; but instead of looking upon it with an 
 evil eye, we have abundant reason to esteem sovereign, 
 grace, as a sovereign good. Tor the constant repre- 
 sentation of the sovereignty of God in the great con- 
 cern of our salvation, which is set before us in the gos- 
 pel, is not to make void, or ineffectual, the sinner's 
 endeavors to work out his own salvation : but to 
 point out a source of hope, help and relief to the guil- 
 ty, under the most distressing and discouraging cir- 
 cvimstances. I find no other representation of our 
 dependence upon the sovereign pleasure of God, in 
 the matter of our salvation, than there is in all other 
 affairs of life. It is in God we live, move, and have 
 our being. It is the blessing of God that maketh 
 rich. We can till our land, and cast in the seed ; but 
 it is the blessing of God that gives us the harvest. 
 We can also attend on the means of grace ; but it is 
 the blessing of God that gives them an effectual and 
 saving influence on the heart : we are as dependent 
 on divine sovereignty in the one case, as in the other ; 
 and there is the same necessity of attending upon, 
 and improving the means of grace, to obtain our sal- 
 vation ; as there is of improving the means of provi- 
 dence to obtain the good things of this life. The 
 truth of these remarks I take to be evident from the 
 comparisons of things temporal with things spiritual 
 which so often occur in the scripture ; particularly 
 in I. Corinth, iii. 6. " I have planted, Apollos water- 
 ed ; but God gave the increase." These words of 
 the apostle must be allowed to be equally pertinent, 
 and applicable both to the moral, and the natural 
 world 
 
 Dependence on the Creator is essential to, and in- 
 separable from created nature. And the dependence 
 of the sinner upon sovereign grace in the great con- 
 
244 
 
 cem cf salvation, is propci-ly called valurai (h/icntU ncc^ 
 Such iherefore as will find lluilt with it, are in reali- 
 ty findinc^ fault that they are made creatures^ and not 
 Gods: for it is the incomnnmicable prerogative of 
 the God4iead to be independent. Moral dependence 
 is a temper of mind that corresponds with our natural 
 dependence ; wherein the soul feels its own depen- 
 dence on God, with approbatioa and complacency^ 
 with suiti.b!e exercises of heart toward him. This 
 moral dependence, I have shown to be a very materi- 
 al property of that original conformity to God, in 
 which that divine image wherein man was created, 
 did consist. This dependence was blotted out of the 
 heart by the apostacy : but it again takes place in the 
 soul, in its lestoration to the divine image. This 
 doctrine of the gospel therefore v/hich teacheth the 
 necessary dependence of the sinner upon the sove- 
 reign grace of God, for needed divine influences, is 
 wisely suited, and naturally tends to produce in us a 
 feeling sense of our natural dependence ; and in that 
 v/ay, to work in our hearts that temper of moral de- 
 pendence whic'.i is such a raatcrial part of the divine 
 image. But all sucli roareK/^ntations of things as 
 tend to prejudice the mind pgaiust, and to take off the 
 attention from this dependence upon .O/'c end sovereign 
 c;race5 do, so far as tiieir influence prevails, oppose 
 the reconciliation ©f the heart to God, and the recovery 
 of the soul to the divine image. The satisfaction 
 with which a believing soul, in the lively exercises of 
 faith, feels its natural dependence, and exercises mor- 
 al dependence, upon God, clearly shows that those 
 gloomy and desponding apprehensions that arise in 
 the sinner respecting his dependence on the Creator, 
 arise not from any just ground of objection that iie can 
 have of it, but are v/holiy owing to his unacquainted- 
 liess with God's character, and the want of a right 
 temper of mind towards him. Upon the whole then 
 when we consider the unsearchable riches of divine 
 grace towards the sinful children of men, in providing 
 Buch a glorious Savior, in setting up his church in the 
 
245 
 
 world, giving to il such a Complete revciuiion which k 
 able to make us wise to salvation, institutinn,- such 
 spiritual and heavenly exercises of religious worship, 
 promising his divine assistw.nce and the influences cf his 
 Holy Spirit with his church, and institutions, to ren- 
 der them effectual for the salvation of his people ; 
 and that by these things, Christ as a mighty and all 
 sufficient Mediator of the new covenant, is currying 
 on a treaty of peace and reconciliation with God 
 among the sinful children of men ; I say, when wo 
 consider these blessings, we see abundant reason to 
 bless God for the unsearchable riches of his grace ; 
 in setting before us such a fair and glorious prospect 
 of obtaining eternal life ; and notwithstanding the 
 impotence of our fallen state, must acknowledge, that 
 if we come short of it the fault will be wholly our 
 own. 
 
 God manifestly dealt very graciously with Adam 
 m making the first covenant with him ; and he 
 thereby had a much fairer prospect of life than 
 he would have had if he had stood under the law of 
 his creation. And if the state and circumstances 
 of our present probation under the glorious Mediator 
 of the new covenant be but ft.irly viewed ; it v/ill ap- 
 pear that our prospect of obtaining salvation ; provi- 
 ded we would labor for that meat which -v^ iil endure 
 •luito everlasting life, with equal diligence as we do 
 tor that which pei ishcth ; ia Sittlo or uolhing sho) l of 
 ihat prospect which was set before Adam of obtaining 
 his immortality, notwithstanding all the impotence 9i 
 our fallen state. In Adam's case under the first 
 covenant, any rational mind would have judged, ante- 
 cedent to his fall that the prospect of his stand- 
 ing, compared to his falling, was perhaps, ten thou- 
 sand to one ; yet v/e see he fell. So when we consider 
 the rich provision divine grace has made for the re- 
 covery and salvation of sinners, we should judL>:e con- 
 eerning all such as live under gospel light, and enjoy 
 gospel privileges, that the prospect of their ob- 
 t-ainiug salvation stands unspeakably greater thaiv 
 
€if iheir coming short of it ; were it not for what 
 we daily see among mankind, of their sloih, 
 carelessness, carnality, and voluntary yieldiiit^ them- 
 selves up to the government of their ovvn lusts ; in 
 opposition to the dictates of reason, the remonstrances 
 of conscience and the plain and frequent warnings of 
 God's word and providence. " And now, O inhabi- 
 tants of Jerusalem, and thou of Judah, judge, I 
 pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could 
 have been done more to my vineyard that 1 have not 
 done in it ? Wherefore, when I looked that it should 
 bring forth grapes; brought it forth v.iid grapes r' 
 
 FINIS'. 
 
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