"'J^ 
 
 
/ 
 
 O PRINCETON, N. J. '^' 
 
 Presented by Mr. Samuel Agnew of Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 Agneiv Coll. on Baptism, No. 
 
 10 
 
 
^-^ 
 
r^ 
 
rAiiDirr OF BAPTISM B? SPRINKLING, and the Riani 
 •9 INFANTS TO THAT ORDINANCE, 
 
 SUPPORTED AND DEFENDED IN 
 
 TWO DISCOURSES, 
 
 Delivered at Maiden^ 
 
 IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR 1804, 
 
 OCCASIONCS 
 
 BY THE SETTING UP OF A BAPTIST SOCIETT 
 
 IN THAT PtACB. 
 
 Br DAVID 6sG00Dy D. D. 
 
 Minister oi" a Church in Medford. 
 
 Second Eoirioir, 
 
 CHARLSSTtnriT : 
 
 Printep and sojld by SAMUEL ETHERIDGE, 
 1804. 
 

 ACTS X. 47. ,, 'fc 
 
 CAN ANY MAN FORBID WATER, THAT THESE SHOUI^ 
 
 NOT BE BAPTIZED, WHICH HAVE RECEIVED THE 
 
 HOLY GHOST, AS WELL AS WE ? 
 
 W HILE Peter was preaching the gofpel 
 fah'ation to Cornelius and his affembled friends, 
 the Holy Ghoft fell upon the hearers in a manner 
 fo vifible and ftriking, as nearly to refemble what 
 had before happened to the apoftles themfelvcs on 
 the day of Pentecoft. Obferving this, Peter im- 
 mediately propofes, in the words now read, the ad- 
 miffion of thefe new converts to a regular Handing 
 in the chriftian church, by the ordinance inftituted 
 for that piirpofe. As they had already been bap- 
 tized by the Holy Ghoft, the water baptifm, which 
 they Were now to receive, was intended as an out- 
 ward feal or token of what they had inwardly ex- 
 perienced. The one was the immediate gift of 
 God, producing a real change in the heart, purg- 
 ing it from fm and dead works, and bringing it to 
 tbe ansiver of a good conscience toward God ; the 
 other was to be the work of man, and, of itfelf, 
 could avail to nothing more than the purifying, of 
 the flesh. As a divine inftitution, however, render- 
 ed fignificant by the command of God, its obferv- 
 ance becomes indifpenfably incumbent. 
 
( 4 ) 
 
 From the beginning, it hath pleafed God, that 
 Ihey \vho acknowledge him, and embrace the true 
 religion, fhould, by fome vifible mark or token, be 
 leparated and diftingiiiflied from the reft of man- 
 l^ind. When he admitted the patriarch Abra- 
 liam and his family into a covenant relation to 
 iiimfelf, and gave him that emphatical and com- 
 prehenfive promife, to he a God to him, and to his 
 seed after hiin, choofing them for his peculiar peo- 
 ple ; he condefcended to confirm the engagement 
 ,by an ordinance, which was to continue a ftanding 
 inemorial of his promife to them, and of their 
 fpecial obligations to him. He was pleafed to fay, 
 ^bii is my covenant, or the fenfible fign of it, 
 fi'very man child among you shall he circum* 
 (ised-—^ — and it shall be a token of the co'venant 
 ketwixt me and you. By tliis fignificant rite, they 
 were dedicated to God, and diftinguifhed from the 
 reft of the world, as his church and people. At the 
 iame time that it ferved as a pledge of the faith- 
 fulnefe of God in fulfilling his promifes to them, 
 at tended to remind them of their duty to him, of 
 their obligations to purity of heart and life, and to 
 perfeveranceinacourfe ofholy obedience to his will. 
 During the continuance of the Old-Teftament dif- 
 penfation, thefe purpofes were anfwered by circum- 
 cifion. But, on the publication of the gofpel and tlic 
 introdu«5lion of the Gentiles into the church, it pleaf- 
 ed God to lay afide this bloody rite, and fubftitute 
 baptifm as an initiatory feal of his covenant. Go 
 ye, and disciple all nations ^ baptizing themy—^yas 
 
C 5 ) 
 
 the final charge of Chrift to his apoftlcs. As many 
 as fhoLild receive the gofpel were, by baptifm, to 
 be made vilible difciples and members of the 
 chriilian church. As Abraham rccehed the sign 
 of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the 
 faith which he had, being yetitncircumcised;(o 
 Cornelius and his friends received baptihn as a 
 feal of what they had already experienced in tJie 
 gift and grace of tlie Holy Spirit. Neither the one 
 ordinance or the odicr did, of itfelf, convey faith 
 or any other inward grace to the fubjeas of it ; 
 but denoted their regular entrance into the vifible 
 church and covenant relation to God as his pro- 
 fefiing people. As tlie one denoted a relation to 
 the Jewilh church, fo the other denotes a relation 
 to the Chriftian church. In this refpea, both 
 rites have the fame import, and were evidently 
 intended for the fame purpofe. As circumcilion 
 was not to be repeated or adminiilered more than 
 once to the fame fubjea, fo neither is baptifm. 
 In all theefiential meanings therefore of the two 
 rites, the one evidently fucceeds the other, and 
 was,' probably, prefigured by it in the fame man- 
 ner as the Lord's fupper, called the chriftian paff- 
 over, was prefigured, under the law, by the Jew- 
 ilh pafTover. In a more general fenfe, baptifm 
 may be underftoodas fignificant of all the efiential 
 duties and privileges of the chriftian profcfilon. 
 As many of you, fays St. Paul to the Galatians, 
 OS haiis been baptized i?ito Christ, have put on 
 Christ : Your baptifm denotes your fubmiftlon to 
 
( 6 ) 
 
 Chrift in his mediatorial chara6ler, and your title 
 to the bleflings of his purchafe, the wafhing away 
 both of the guilt and pollution of your fins through 
 f.iitli in his blood, your feparation from an unbe- 
 lieving and finful world, to be his peculiar people, 
 and your incorporation into his myftical body, to 
 walk with them in newnefs of life. In confirma- 
 tion of this general import of baptifm, referring to 
 the things fignifieil by it, the apollie adds, hy one 
 spirit are ive all baptized into one hody^ ivbether 
 ive be jfews or Gentiles y nuhether ive be bo?id or free. 
 With refpe<Sl to the manner in which the ordi- 
 nance ought to be adminiftered ; the form of words 
 to be ufed on the occafion, is prefcribed by our 
 Lord himftlf, — baptizing them in, or into, the name 
 of the' Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
 Ghost. To be baptized into the name of another, 
 denotes our taking that other perfon, for our maf- 
 tcr, and our (landing in the relation of fcholars or 
 difciples to him. This we learn from that query 
 to the Corinthians, ivere ye baptized into the 7iame 
 of Paul? They were called Johi's disciples, whom 
 John had baptized ; and when the flime perfons 
 afterwards became the difciples of Chrift, they 
 were again baptized in the name of Christ, or, of 
 the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, 
 thereby profeffing their fubje6lion to that religion 
 which God revealed by his Son, and confirmed by 
 bis Spirit. So long as this baptifmal form of 
 words be repeated, with the wafhing of WcVter by 
 tlie regularly authorized minifters of the gofpcl. 
 
C 7 ) 
 
 andtlie whole ceremony is conduclcd with decen- 
 cy, piety and devotion ; we may fafely conchide 
 hat whatever is eflential to the inllitution, is duly 
 obferved. 
 
 As for the opinion ofthofe who look upon it 
 eflential to baptifm, that a perfon be plunged all 
 over in the water ; when they a6t herein accord- 
 ing to their ferious and beft judgment, we cenfurc 
 them not. We are content that our brethren 
 fliould underltand the fcriptures for themfelves. 
 Nay, we allow that fome plaufible things may be 
 faid in favour of immerfion. We only rcqueft that 
 they wouldjudge as favourably of us, who have as 
 much to fay for ourfelves as they, and, we think, 
 fomewhat more than they. The language of the 
 text is evidently in favour of our mode of admin- 
 iftration. Had Peter entertained the idea of 
 plunging Cornelius and his friends, would he not 
 have faid, " can any forbid our going forth to a bath 
 or pool .''"or, " can any forbid that thefe fliould be 
 put into the water that they may be baptized ?'* 
 But, inftead of this, he ufes a form of fpeech which, 
 I prefume, no Baptift minifter ever did adopt on 
 fuch an occalion ; he exprefles himfelf in the very 
 vvord^vhich, we fliould expert, one of our min- 
 iflers would have done under fimilar circumflan- 
 ces, can any man forbid watery that is, forbid its 
 being brought into the room ? Is not this the mod 
 natural and obvious meaning — an idea which the 
 form of words and mode of exprefTion infiantly 
 and fully excite . in our minds ? Accordingly, 
 there is uoliir.t of their going abroad, or of any 
 
C 3 > 
 
 other preparation in order to their being baptized, 
 but that of bringing a little water into the room. 
 The hiftory leads us to believe, that it was per- 
 formed at the very jun6lure when Peter propofed 
 it, and in tlie very apartment in which they were 
 then affembled. To me, indeed, this appears the 
 only mode in vvhich the ordinance can be admin- 
 iftered conliftently with that order, decency and 
 devotion which the gofpel exprefsly requires in the 
 whole deportment of a worfliipping affembly. 
 Their leaving the place of worfliip, ftreaming away 
 in the open air, to fome pond or river, and in all 
 feafons and climates, changing their apparel in 
 order to their being totally immerfed in the water, 
 out of which they come drenched and fliivering ; 
 thefe circumftances are fuch an interruption of 
 devotion, and are neceffarily attended with fuch 
 inconvenience, irregularity and confulion, as are, 
 in my view, utterly inconfiftent with the beauty of 
 holiness^ with that 'decorum and propriety which 
 become the houfe of God forever. I never fee a 
 baptifm thus condu6led, without thinking of the 
 fuperftitious fooleries of paganifm or popery ; it 
 furely has not the appearance of that reasonable 
 ser'uice prefcribed in the gofpel. 
 
 The great Head of i\\t church requires water to 
 be ufed in baptifm, and bread and wine in the eu- 
 chariil ; but the precife quantity of thefe elements 
 as pertaining to each ordinance, and the modes oi" 
 adminlftering them, feem to be left to the difcre- 
 tion of his members. To me it would appear as 
 
C 9 ) 
 
 reafonable to deny the Lord's fupper to be cele^ 
 brated by thofe who make not a full meal on the 
 occafion, as to deny thofe to have been baptized 
 who did not pafs wholly under the water. In all 
 probability, our mode of celebrating the Supper is 
 as different from that of tlie primitive chriftians, as 
 is our mode of baptifm ; yet we have no reafon to 
 doubt of the divine acceptance in either of thefe 
 ordinances, when we ferioufly and confcientioufly 
 obfei-ve them. In the difcourfes of our Saviour, 
 and in the writings of his apollles, we are caution- 
 ed againll a difplay of zeal about forms, againll an 
 over fcrupulous exa6lnefs in the things pertaining 
 to the outfide of religion. Great precifion in thefe 
 matters is frequently accompanied with a faulty 
 negligence in things more weighty and important. 
 Bod'ihj excrche, we are told, projiteth but little. 
 We read of fome, who, though very cxacl in cere- 
 monial obfervacces, in diverfe wafhings, and in 
 making clean the outfide, are yet cenfured for their 
 inward pollution ; who, while in fome inflances, 
 they feemed to i'/r^m at a gnat^ in others, would 
 swallo-iv a camel. To me nothing appears more 
 incredible, than that the only way to heaven, 
 fhould be by paffmg under the water ; or, that a 
 perfon plunged in the ocean, fhould be, in the 
 fight of God, a whit freer from moral defilement, 
 than another upon whofe face a little water only 
 has been poured or fprinkled. In my view, and 
 fo far as I am capable of judging from the fcriptures, 
 
 the quantity of water ufed in the adminiflration of 
 s 
 
c 10 ) 
 
 the ordinance, is a circumftance of fuch indifFer- 
 ence tliat I fhould not think it a fubje6l worthy of 
 any ferious difcuiTion, did not our brethren of the 
 Baptift perfuafion deny the vaUdity of our mode ; 
 and aiSling upon this principle, withhold com- 
 munion from us, thereby treating us as unchrift- 
 ened heathens, aliens from the church and cov^ 
 enant of God. Sliould one of our members, 
 though of a character the moft exemplary and 
 refpeclable, requeft communion with them, he 
 would be refuftd, unlefs he would firil fuffer them 
 to plunge him in the water. His plea of having 
 been baptized already in away which he judges 
 to be agreeable to the fcriptures, would avail him 
 nothing. They would anfwer, that he muft fub- 
 mit to it in their way, or he could not be received. 
 Each individual whom they can perfiiade to re- 
 nounce his former baptifm, by being thus baptized 
 over again, they confider as recovered from a ftate 
 of heathenifm. Thefe profelytes from other 
 churches, they reckon as fo many additions to the 
 church of Chrilt, and his kingdom to be extended 
 in proportion to the numbers thus obtained. Of 
 courfe, they would rejoice in the overthrow of all 
 the other churches around them, in hope, from 
 the general wreck, to coUe^l materials for their 
 own. Nor do they fail to take advantage of any 
 neighbouring fociety when it happens to be fhakeii 
 by divifions. Whatever falls adrift on fuch oc- 
 cafions, is ufually fccured by them. 
 If Ibme individuals among them ibrm honour- 
 
C 11 ) 
 
 able exceptions from this narrownefs and bigotry j 
 Hill, clofc communion, zeal in profclyting from 
 other focieties, and the re-baptizing of all their 
 profelytes, being the difcriminating fpirit of their 
 fe6\, all other chriftians are excluded from gofpel 
 imion and fellowfliip with them. To the making 
 of this divifion in the kingdom of our Redeemer, 
 and the fetting up of this wall of partition, they 
 are led by a principle, in its own nature, the fource 
 of unceafmg difoord ; I mean, their claim of an 
 cxclulive right to interpret the fcriptures, and to 
 impofe their fenfe of them upon all believers. 
 Nothing furely fliort of infallibility, can fupport 
 fuch a claim. It refts precifely upon the fame 
 baUs on which tiic hierarchy of the Romifh church 
 is built. Like that, it infringes the right of pri- 
 vate judgment, and deftroys the equality which 
 Chrift ordained among his followers. — Confident 
 as we are, that our mode of baptifm is more fcrip* 
 turalthan their's, as well as more convenient, be- 
 coming, and fuitable to the nature of religion and 
 the purpofes of devotion ; ftill we are far from 
 calling in quefticn the validity of their's ; nay, in 
 condefcenfion to the consciences of thofe who re- 
 queft it, our minifters fcruple not to baptize by 
 immerfion. Were they equally liberal and can- 
 did, the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace 
 might be prefer ved, and all clamour, ftrife, and 
 divifion, happily prevented. Upon whom, then, 
 does the guilt of thefe evils lie ? 
 Is our reverence for a divine inftitution to be 
 
C 12 ) 
 
 meafiired by the quantity of water In uhich we- 
 are baptized ? Does such a circumftance form 
 the elTcnce of our obedience to Chrift ? The laws 
 of moraUty are, indeed, unalterable ; but ritual 
 laws, deriving their whole authority from pofitivc 
 inftitution, may befufpended or varied when a con- 
 currence of circumftances renders them imprac- 
 ticable or extremely inconvenient. In fuch cafes, 
 ** the letter of the law yields to the intention ofthe 
 lawgiver, which was not to burden and dillrefs 
 any one by minute and fcrupulous ordinances." 
 Such variation was a6tually pra6lifed in the Jew- 
 ifli church, with refpe£l to the ordinance of cir- 
 cumcifion, the law of the fabbath, of the annual 
 fealls, of facriiices, and of ceremonies in general. 
 By parity of reafon, the ritual precepts of the gof- 
 pel are to be thus accommodated to the circum- 
 ftances of chriftians. While our Saviour feverely 
 cenfured the Scribes and Pharifees for their 
 rigorous interpretations of the ceremonial pre- 
 cepts of their law, and the accumulated bur- 
 dens thereby added to that ancient yoke ; he 
 ipake of his own yoke as eafy, and difcovered a 
 difpofition to mak-e it fo, in his tender regard for 
 the health and comfort of his difciples. When the 
 latter were accufed of violating the fan^ity of the 
 fabbath, by plucking fome ears of corn to fatisfy 
 their hunger on that day ; he juftified them by 
 fhowing that mercy is before facrifice, and moral 
 confiderations fuperior to ritual obfervances. 
 Can we then fuppofe that he would require bap- 
 
C 13 ) 
 
 tifm by Immerfion, in all feafons and climates, 
 and under all circumllances of health and confli- 
 tution in his minifters and people ? His obferva- 
 tion on the occafion juft referred to, that the sab- 
 bath %) as made for man^ and not man for the sab' 
 bath^ applies, with all its force, to this inltitution ; 
 baptifm was made for man, and is therefore to be 
 adminiftered in a way the moil fuitable and prof- 
 itable to him ; and not man for baptifm, fo that 
 he Ihould be obliged to fubmit to it in a form dif- 
 tra<Sling to his thoughts and dangerous to his 
 health. 
 
 In the warm climates of the eaft where baptifm 
 was firft inftituted, bathing was a common and a 
 refrefliing exercife ; but the difference of climate in 
 thefe northern regions, renders the idea of it, 
 through a great part of the year, fliocking to the 
 feelings of moft people. We are exhorted to attend 
 upon the Lordimthout distraction. Tliat mode 
 of admiiiiftering every ordinance, and of perform- 
 ing every ael of religion, is always to he pref^f red 
 which is tlie molt fubfcrvicnt to the exercife of 
 devout a fte^lions. But w here is the pcrfon, who 
 could receive baptifm by immerfion without hav- 
 ing his thoughts wholly deranged, his mind fo ag- 
 itated, and his fpirits 'iii Ruttercd, as to render him 
 utterly incapable of thofe devotional cxereifes 
 which ought always to attend fo folemn an ordi- 
 nance. This reafon alone, in modern times and 
 cold countries, would be fuliicient, on thofe fcrip- 
 
( 14 ) 
 
 ture grounds already exhibited, to juJdify an alter- 
 ation in the mode, were it a certain fa (51 that im- 
 merfion was the primitive pradlice. 
 
 There is another confideration not wholly un- 
 worthy of attention. Theincreafe of knowledge 
 and of the arts of civilization and refinement, in 
 modern times, have eftablifhed ideas of propriety 
 and decency, very different from thofe which pre- 
 vailed in the rude ages of antiquity. The fcrip- 
 ture abounds with general cautions not to ofiend 
 againft thefe ideas. Our Lord himfelf, in many 
 inftances, ' ' paid a condefcending regard to the 
 genius and cuftoms of the people among whom 
 he lived ;" and his apoftlcs after him, have enjoin- 
 ed it upon chriftians to pravicle things honest and 
 decent in the sight of all men, and to gine none of- 
 fence^ either to Jew or Gentile^ or the church of God. 
 Baptifm by immerfion, might not, perhaps, eigh- 
 teen hundred years ago, be offenfive in Judea, nor 
 can we fay that it would difgull: the uncultivated 
 and unclothed inhabitants of the fouth of Africa 
 even now, but it is certain, that the cuftom of 
 plunging mixed multitudes of men and women, 
 either in thin veftments, or in their ufual drefs, is 
 deemed indecorous by moft people accuflomed 
 to poliflied manners. If St. Paul, referring to the 
 cuftoms then prevailing in the cities of Greece, 
 pronounced it uncomely for a woman to be feen 
 worfliipping God, uncovered; " profefling chriftians 
 
( 15 ) 
 
 in general, and women in particular, Ihould fee to 
 it that they have the authority of an exprefs com- 
 mand of Chrift, before they fubmit to be thus 
 plunged in water, with all the folemnity of a chrill- 
 ian inftitution," in the prefence of a congregation 
 confifting of both fexes and of all character s, left 
 they oftend fome, and gi\'e occafion to others to 
 fpeak evil of the gofpel and of its divine Author. 
 
 But where will they find his exprefs command, 
 fo necelTary to their juftification, and to the fupport 
 of their chara6ier for modefty and a delicacy of 
 manners ? For myfcif I can fafely fay, that I have 
 never met with it, though it be now more than 
 tliirty years fince I began the habit of reading the 
 fcriptures in their original languages. Every per- 
 fon who has the like acquaintance with them, well 
 knows that the Greek word for baptifm, fignifies 
 any kind of wafliing, by fprinkling and affufion, as 
 often, if not much oftener, than by dipping. The 
 primitive word of which it is derived, is ufed in 
 the Septiiagint tranllation of the Old Teftament, 
 to denote the falling of the dew upon Nebuchad- 
 nezzar. What we read, " was wet with the dew 
 of heaven," is there, baptized with the dew of 
 heaven. Of the Ifraelites, it is faid, 1 Corinthians 
 X. 2. that they " were all baptized unto Mofes in 
 the cloud, and in the fea. " If thefe words have any 
 reference to water baptifm, they furely cannot 
 mean that Mofes plunged all the millions of peo- 
 ple whom he led forth out of Egypt. Thisj in* 
 
( 16 ) 
 
 deed, was true of the Egyptian hofl purfuing after 
 them, when the floods returned upon them, the 
 depths covered them, and tliey fank, as lead, in 
 the mighty waters. But, of the Ifraelites, it is faid, 
 tkey ivalked upon dry land in the midst of the sea. 
 The only way therefore, in which they could have 
 been baptized, mull have been by their receiving 
 a fprinkling from the cloud, hovering over them, 
 or a fpray from the waters Handing, as a ^vall , on 
 each fide of them. In Mark vii. 4. we read, 
 *' when they (the Pharifees) come from the mar- 
 ket, except they ivash,^^ (in the Greek, be baptiz- 
 ed) " they eat not." This is mentioned in order 
 to account for their complaining of our Lord's dif- 
 ciples/or eating bread with iiniv ashen hands. In 
 the language of fcripture therefore, a man is faid to 
 be baptized when his hands only are wafhed ; and 
 what the Jewifli mode of wafhing the hands was, 
 we may learn from what is faid of Elilha, that he 
 poured ivater upon the hands of Elijah. If pouring 
 water upon the hands, be baptifm in the fcripture 
 fenfe, can our Baptift brethren tell us, why pour- 
 ing it upon the face may not be fo too ? It is added 
 concerning the Pharifees, in the paflage now cited, 
 *' and many other things they hold, as the wash- 
 ings (in the Greek the bap ti zings) of clips, and 
 pots, brazen vefiels and of tables." Now, as thefe 
 baptizings, both of their hands, and of their com- 
 mon utenfils, and the furniture of their houfes, 
 were performed as religious ceremonies ; wc have 
 
( 17 ) 
 
 the higlieft reafon to believe tliat they were done by 
 fprinkling ; for this is the mode exprefsly required 
 for accidental uncleanneiles in Numb. xix. 18. 
 " a clean pcrfon fliall take hyfTop, and dip it in 
 ^^'ater, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all 
 the veflcls, and upon the perfons that were there, 
 and upon him that touched a bone, or one flain, or 
 one dead, or a grave." In cleanfmg the leper alfo, 
 the prieft was dirc6led to *'' sprinkle upon him fcv- 
 en times." By fprinkling too, perfons and things 
 were confecratcd to the fervice of God. Thus 
 *' Mofes took the anointing oil, and anointed the 
 tabernacle, and all that was therein, to flmclify 
 them." And " he sprinkled thereof upon the al- 
 tar feven times and poured it upon Aaron's 
 
 head, — to fan^lify him." The fame ceremony 
 was obferved with the blood of the facriiice : 
 " Mofes sprinkled upon the altar round about, and 
 took Aaron and his fons, and put of the blood 
 upon the tip of their right ear, the thumbs of their 
 right hands, and the great toes of their right feet." 
 The covenant between God and his people was 
 alfo ratified by sprinkling: " He took the blood 
 of calves and of goats, with water and fcarletwool, 
 and hyifop, and sprinkled both the book and all the 
 people; he sprinkled X\\iQW\k.ho\h the taber- 
 nacle, and all the veflels of the miniftry." Now 
 thefe divers fprinklings are, in Heb. ix. 10. called 
 di-vers baptisms. In our tranflation, the words 
 arc divers •vjasbings^ but in the Greek, divers bap^ 
 
C 18 ) 
 
 thms. The aflcrtion therefore, fo often repeated 
 and fo ftrenuoufly maintained, " that fprinkling is 
 not baptizing," is, in dire6\ terms, a contradi6lion 
 of the word of God. According to our Baptift 
 brethren, the author of the epiftle to the Hebrews 
 ought " not to have ufed the word baptisms, unlefs 
 the people, the book of the law, and the taberna- 
 cle itfelf, had been dipped in blood or in water. — 
 He has however called them baptisms, though 
 they were only fprinkled ; and therefore we not 
 only may, but ought to call fprinkling baptizing.'* 
 It will, I believe, be difficult to find afmgie paflage 
 in fcripture, which fo fully authorizes us to give 
 the name to immerfion. At prefcnt, I am unable 
 to recolle6l a fingle fentence in the whole Bible, in 
 which immerfion is the certain and exprefs mean- 
 tng of the word baptism. 
 
 As for thole examples of baptifms recorded in 
 fcripture, which are fuppofed to have been admin- 
 iftered by immerfion, they are not related in fuch a 
 manner as to leave no room for doubt with refpe6l 
 to the mode. We read, indeed, in our Englifh 
 tranflation, that " Jefus was baptized by John in 
 Jordan ; and then came up out of the v.ater ; — and 
 that the eunuch went down itito the water with 
 Philip, and when he was baptized, they came up 
 out of the water." But whoever is capable cf 
 reading thcfe paiTages in the original Greek, muft 
 know that they might, widi equal propriety, have 
 been rendered, — "they wei^ down to — were bap- 
 
C 19 ) 
 
 iizQd at — and came up from, the water." Or, 
 admitting that they ftepped into the water, Hill 
 this is no proof that they were plunged in it. In 
 thofe warm regions, they might ftep into the edge 
 of the water, when the defign was only to fprinkle 
 or pour a handful of water on the flice. 
 
 Great Itrefs is laid upon John's baptizing in or 
 at Jordan. By the way, however, it ought to be 
 remembered that his baptifni was not the ordi- 
 nance afterward inftituted by Chrift, nor was it ad- 
 miniftered in his name. Its main intention was 
 to denote the repentance and reformation necefla- 
 ry to prepare the people for his fpeedy reception. 
 As John was of the line of the priefts, and accuf- 
 tomed to the obfervanccs peculiarly enjoined upon 
 them, we are led to fuppofe that he might take the 
 hint for baptizing at a river or current of water, 
 from an order in the Levitical law, to sprinkle the 
 leper aver running water in order to his cleansing. 
 But, inafmuch as it is faid, that John baptized irir 
 Enon, because there was much water there y it has 
 been concluded that he did it by immerfion. This 
 however feems to be a hafty conclufion, fupported 
 by no other circumftance but the mention oimuch 
 water. The words might be rendered many 
 streams or ri-vulets. . Accordingly travellers, who 
 have examined the fpot, report that " they confift 
 of fprings and a brook that a man might ftep over/* 
 It is not faid that John chofe this fituation for the 
 convenience of plunging liis heareits. This is 
 
C 20 ) 
 
 mere conjecture ; and if we attend to the circum- 
 ftances of the hiftory, vv€ may conjeclure another 
 reafon, in my view, more probable. Thcgreater 
 part of John's life was fpent in the folitude of a 
 dry and barren wildernefs ; and when he entered 
 on his public miniftration, there went out to him 
 Jerusalem and all Judea, atid all the region round 
 about Jordan. This dcfcription gives us the idea 
 of vaft multitudes, not only from the metropolis, 
 but from many other cities, towns, and villages, 
 throughout the land, travelling on mules, aflcs, 
 camels, and all the various beafts of carriage. In 
 a country where the inhabitants Mere fo frequent- 
 ly diftrefled for the want of water, it was abfolute- 
 ly neceflary that John fliould meet this immenfe 
 concourfe of people in a fituation like that in the 
 neighbourhood of Enon, whofe many ftreams, in 
 that fultry climate, might ferve for their refrefli- 
 ment. As thoufands were continually flocking in, 
 and as thofe who had come from a diflance would 
 probably tarry fome days, had there not been 
 much water in the place, they ^vould prcfently 
 have been in danger of fuffering. We may now 
 appeal to the common fenfe of any pcrfon, whofe 
 mind is not blinded by prejudice, wlietlier this 
 be not a more natural and probable account for the 
 mention of much water^ than that which would 
 reprefent John as {landing up to his waift in a river 
 from morning to night, and this, day after day, 
 plunging a mixed multitude of all ages and fexes ? 
 
( 21 ) 
 
 Did he plunge them naked ? or did he fend them 
 home dripping in their clothes ? or did they bring 
 change of raiment from home with tliem, though, 
 in all probability, few of diem had any thought of 
 being baptized, till after they had heard him 
 preach ? The hiftory is totally filent with refpcdl 
 to all thefe fuppofitions ; and, in my view, to be- 
 lieve either of them, is contrary to common fenfe 
 and common decency, and even carries a reflec- 
 tion upon facred fcripture. 
 
 There is an exprcffion, occurring once or twice 
 in the writings of St. Paul, which fcems to have 
 full pofllflion of the imagination of our Baptift 
 brethren, and renders them pofitive that immer- 
 fion was the primitive mode of baptifm. It is 
 found in Romans vi. 4. ' " We are buried with 
 him in baptifm into death ;" and again in Colof- 
 fians ii. 12. " buried with him in baptifm, v»^hereia 
 alfo ye are rifcn with him through the faith.'* 
 But in order to infer Immcrfion from thefe texts, 
 they (liould firfl prove that baptifm was inftituted 
 as a memorial of Chrift's burial and refurre6\ion ; 
 and when they have proved this, they ought to 
 adminifter it after the Eucharift which celebrates 
 his death, and repeat the one as often as they ik> 
 the other : For, no reafon can be afligned, why we 
 fhould commemorate the death of Chrifl every 
 month or two, and his burial and refurre6\ion but 
 once in our lives. Into fuch abfurdities do people 
 precipitate themfelves by fuffering Uieir imagina- 
 
 D 
 
( 22 ) 
 
 tlons to become the interpreters of fcripture. If 
 they would lay their fancies afide, and let their 
 reafon judge of the meaning of thefe texts, they 
 would, at once, fee that, in them, there is no allu- 
 fion to any mode of baptifm. In each of thefe 
 palTages, the apoftle is treating of that great moral 
 change, which confifts in putting off the old man 
 with his lufts, dying unto fin, and reviving un- 
 to righteoufnefs, into a new and holy life refem- 
 bling that of Chrift. As the principles of this 
 great change originate in the nu ashing of regenera- 
 tion and the renewing of the Holy Ghost ; as, by 
 their baptifm, believers profefs fuch an inward 
 renovation to have paffed upon their hearts, and 
 receive that ordinance as a fign and feal of it ; for 
 this reafon, the apoftle mentions their baptifm as 
 what had laid them under obligation to cetife from 
 their old evil habits and corrupt converfation as 
 entirely, as they who are buried ceafe from among 
 the living. In the fame fenfe in which we are faid 
 to be buried with Chrift in baptifm, we are alfo 
 laid to be crucified with Chrift, to die and to rise 
 with Chrift. All thefe expreflions refer to the 
 fame thing, our being created anei\} in Christ unto 
 good works ; and this is what our baptifm denotes. 
 Its mode of adminiftration, therefore, refers as 
 much to the crucifixion and death of Chrift, as to 
 his burial ; but, in reality, has no direct allulion 
 to eitlier. 
 
C 23 ) 
 
 Having confidered fome of thofe examples of 
 baptifm and paflliges of fcripture, which have been 
 thought the moil favourable to immerlion ; I fliall 
 now fet before you fome others, in which the 
 probability is evidently againft that mode. In 
 Acls ii. 41, we read, Theii they that gladly receh' 
 ed his word were baptized : and the same day 
 there were added unto them about three thousand 
 souls. This was the day of Pentecoft, on which 
 the Holy Gholl was poured forth upon the apoliles, 
 and they began to fpeak in different tongues. It 
 was at a grand feflival, when Jerufalem was filled 
 with foreign Jews, profelytes and ftrangers from 
 all the diiferent countries and nations into which 
 the Ifraelites had been difperfed. The report of 
 what had happened to the apoftles, collected a 
 great aflembly, who came rimning together, afton- 
 iihed at hearing themfelves addrefied by apparent- 
 ly unlearned men, in each of thofe different lan- 
 guages which were peculiar to tlieir refpe6Uve 
 countries. At length, Peter fo gained the general 
 attention as to deliver a long difcourfe. The effect 
 of it was, the converfion of about three thoufand 
 of this mixed multitude, who were all immediate- 
 ly baptized. Now, they who think that it was 
 done by immerfion, fhould inform us, where the 
 apoftles found conveniences for the purpofe in the 
 midft of an hoflile city ; how they guarded againft 
 tlic tumult and danger to which fuch a procedure 
 muil have expofed them in the prefence of an af- 
 
C 24 ) 
 
 femblcd nation, the bulk of whom, and all their 
 rulers, civil and religious, were violent oppofers ; 
 and if plunging men and women naked, would 
 have been indecent, they lliould alfo inform us, by 
 what means thefe new converts, the moft of w horn 
 were probably llrangers from diftant parts, provid- 
 ed themfehes, at fo fliort a warning, with fuitable 
 changes of apparel ; and laflly, how the tnelve 
 apoflles, the work being diftributed among them, 
 got through the labour of plunging fcveral hun- 
 dreds apiece, after having received a confeiTion of 
 faith from each of them ; and all this in one day, 
 which day feems to have been far advanced be- 
 fore any of this bufmefs was entered upon. Until 
 thefe difficulties and improbabilities can be cleared 
 up, we fliall continue to believe that the three 
 thoufand were baptized in a way more expeditious 
 than by that of immerfion. 
 
 In A6\s ix. 17, 18, 19, we thus read, "Annanias 
 went his way, and entered into the houfe ; and 
 putting his hands on him, faid, Brother Saul, the 
 Lord, even Jefus, that appeared unto thee in the 
 way, hath fent me, that thou mighteft receive thy 
 fight, and be filled with the Holy Ghoft. And 
 imm-ediately there fell from his eyes as it had been 
 fcales : and he received fight forthwith, and arofe 
 and was baptized. And when he had received 
 meat, he was llrengthened." Is there a fingle cir- 
 cumftance in this account of Saul's baptifm, that 
 would lead one to fufpc6t that he was plunged ? 
 
( 25 ) 
 
 Docs not the whole tranfadlion appear to have 
 pafled in the houfe where he lodged, and in a very 
 fhort time ? Three days had elapfed fince he had 
 lain blind, allonilhed, and, beyond conception, 
 agitated in mind ; during which fpace of three 
 days, he had neither ate nor drank. Worn down 
 by fo long fading and by confternation of mind, 
 equally weakening ajid wearing to the fpirits, we 
 may reafonably fuppofe that by this time, he had 
 fcarcely ftrength to raife himfelf up in his bed ; and 
 as his baptifni is exprefsly mentioned as previous 
 to his receiving any refrefliment, is it probable 
 that Annanias would have taken him, in his pref- 
 ent exhaufted and debilitated condition, out to a 
 river or pond, or in any other way fubjected him 
 to the fliock of immerfion ? They who make fuch 
 ftrange luppofitions to fupply what is not hinted at 
 in fcripture, mull, I think, conceive of the apof- 
 tles and firfl chriftians as beings very different from 
 what reafonable men are found to be in modern 
 times. 
 
 Equally improbable is it that the jailor and his 
 houfehold, mentioned in Acls xvi. were baptized 
 by immerfion. For this feems to have been done 
 in the middle of the night. The apoflles, Paul 
 and Silas, had been committed to his cuflody. 
 Having received a charge unufually ftrict, he 
 thruft them iato^.the inner prifon, and made their 
 feet fad in the (locXs. At midnight, a great earth- 
 quake Ihook the prifon to its foundations ; all the 
 
( 26 ) 
 
 doors fiew) operiy and emery one^s bands ivere loosed* 
 The keeper awoke in a great fright, and was about 
 to difpatch himfelf. But when he perceived that 
 the prifoners had not made their efcape, nor were 
 difpofed to attempt it, his opinion of them was 
 fuddenly altered. A very different concern took 
 polTeflion of his mind. Having brought them out 
 of the dungeon, or from what is called the inner 
 prifon, with the deepeft humility, he inquired of 
 them the way of falvation . They directed him to 
 faith in Chrift, and, fays the hiftory, " fpake unto 
 him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in 
 his houfe. And he took them the fame hour of 
 the night, and wafhed their ftripes ; and was bap- 
 tized, he and all his, ftraightway." Is there a 
 fmgle hint in this account which can give us the 
 idea of immerfion ? Nay, with what eyes muft 
 tbey look at this paffage of fcripture, who can fee 
 the jailor with his whole family, and his prifoners, 
 whom he was charged to keep at his peril, and 
 whofe backs were covered with blood and wounds 
 from their fevere fcourging — having been beaten 
 with rods, and received many ftripes but a few 
 hours before ; — all this company thus circumftanc- 
 ed, turning out at midnight, groping their way in 
 the dark, or going Avith lanterns, .or torches, to a 
 river or pool, no one knows where-..through a city, 
 juft waked up by a great earthquake, and the ftreets 
 probably filled with the terrified inhabitants ? 
 Would Paul and Silas have clone fuch a thing ? 
 -As was obferved before, fuch reprefentations 
 
C 27 ) 
 
 make the apofllcs to have afted a ftrange and un- 
 accountable part, inconfiftent not only with reafon 
 and common lenfe, but with themfelves ; for we 
 find, in the morning, that they refufed to leave the 
 prifon, till the magiftrates came themfelves to take 
 them out. How abfurd, then, is the fuppofition 
 of their having gone abroad in the night, to plunge 
 their converts ? Do not all the circumftances men- 
 tioned in this hiilory, tend ftrongly to confirm us 
 in the belief that the jailor and his family were 
 baptized by fprinkling or aifufion ? 
 
 That this was the mode in which the ordinance 
 was adminiftered to Cornelius and his friends, we 
 have already fhown the language of the text to be 
 a proof nearly as decifive, as it would have been 
 if the very word sprinkling had been ufed. As 
 thefe perfons are reprefented as baptized in the 
 place where they were' then affembled ; fo, there 
 is not a fmgle inftance among all the numerous 
 baptifms mentioned in fcripture, of aperfon*s going 
 from the place where he happened to be when he 
 requcfted it, to any river, ftream, pool or bath, in 
 order to his receiving the ordinance. All thofe 
 perfons who are faid to be baptized in or at any 
 river, or other colle(£lion of water, were by fuch 
 waters at the time when they firft offered them- 
 felves to baptifm. If, upon any occafion, there 
 was more water than would have been neceffary 
 for fprinkling, this was a matter of mere accident, 
 and not a circumftance that was ever fou^lit after, 
 
C 28 ) 
 
 or the leall pains taken to obtain. But had Im- 
 merfion been the univerfal pra6tice, and eflential 
 to Uie due adminiftration of the ordinance in alt 
 ages and cHmates ; is it credible that all the writers 
 of the New Teftament fliould have obferved fuch 
 profound filence on the fubje6l ? They might 
 have infilled upon it in terms fo explicit, that no 
 honeft inquirer could have miftook their meaning. 
 On the contrary, they have actually recommended 
 sprinkling in the reprefentations which they have 
 given us of the things fignified by baptifm. Thefe 
 principally confift in our justification through faith 
 in the blood of Christ J and in our fan6lification by 
 his Spirit. 
 
 With refpe6l to the former, we read that Jefus 
 Chrift hath washed us from our sins in his own 
 blood. As a token of our being thus wafhed, we 
 are diredled to wafh with water in baptifm. iVbw, 
 w-6y tarriest thou ? fays Annanias to Saul ; arise^ 
 and be baptized^ and wash away thy sins. That 
 blood, by which we are wafhed, and which aiSlu- 
 dUly cleanses from all sin, is, with reference to its 
 application to believers, exprefsly called the blood 
 of sprinkling. It was of old typified by the blood 
 of the pafchal lamb, sprinkled on the houfes of the 
 Fraelites in Egypt, for their protedlion from the 
 angel of death. It was alfo typified by the sprink^ 
 ling of the blood of all the numerous facrifices 
 under the law. "If," fays the writer to the He- 
 brews, " the blood of bulls and of goats, and the 
 
C 29 ) 
 
 afhes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, fan6^ifi- 
 eth to the purifying of the flelh ; how much more 
 fhall the blood of Clirift purge your confcience 
 from dead works ?" Again in 1 Peter i. 2. chrift- 
 ians are mentioned as " ele6led through fandlifica- 
 tion of the Spirit, and sprinkling of the blood of 
 Jefus Chrill." Can any tell us, or is it poflible 
 for any to imagine, why the application of the 
 blood of Chrift to believers was, under the la^v, 
 typified by fuch manifold sprinklings ; and in the 
 gofpel is thus repeatedly called the blood of sprink- 
 ling^ unlefs it be in allufion to baptifm, its fign 
 and feal ? 
 
 In regard to the other part of our flilvation by 
 Chrift — our fan6lification by his Spirit ; in what 
 forms of fpeech is the gift of the Holy Spirit, for 
 this purpofe, fet forth ? In what part of the Bible 
 will you find the uncouth language of plunging or 
 dipping into the Holy Ghoft, or words of a like 
 confufed and unintelligible import ? Yet we know 
 that baptifm is the outward fign of regeneration, of 
 the renezmng of the Holy Ghost, which, fays tlie 
 apoftle, he shed on us abundantly through Jesus 
 Christ. Shedding, pouririg out, or sprinkling, are 
 the ufual terms by which the donation of the Holy 
 Spirit to chriftians is exprelfed. Thus, in our 
 context, on the Gentiles was poured out the gift of 
 of the Holy Ghost. The language alfo of the many 
 promifes in the Old Teftament, foretelling this 
 blefling, is not, " I will dip or plunge you in clean 
 
( 30 ) 
 
 water, and ye Ihall be clean ; " — but, "I will sprin- 
 kle clQSin water upon you, and ye fliall be clean." — 
 *'My fervant, Cnieaning the Mefliah) fhall sprinkle 
 many nations." — " I will pour water upon him 
 that is thirfty." — '* I will pour my Spirit upon thy 
 feed, and my bleffing upon thine offspring." Do 
 our Baptift brethren inquire after our fcripture 
 warrant for sprinkling ? Are not the many paf- 
 fages of fcripture now mentioned, and many others, 
 of limilar import, which might be mentioned, war- 
 rant fufficient, full and ample, as we could wifh ? 
 *' Some are fond of being baptized by immer- 
 fion, becaufe in that form only the whole body is 
 waflied with water. — ^How, fay they, can it be faid 
 that a perfon is baptized with water, when only a 
 little water has been fprinkled or poured upon his 
 face .-* We may anfwer this queftion by propofing 
 anotheriviz. How could the apoftles be faid to 
 be baptized with the Holy Ghoft and with fire, 
 when the celeftial fire relied only upon their 
 heads ? We have an account of that event in A6ls 
 ii. 3. There appeared unto them clo'ven tongues like 
 as ofjire^ and sat upon each of them. John, the 
 forerunner of Chrift, foretelling that defcent of the 
 Spirit, fays, " I indeed baptize you with water 
 unto repentance .; but he that cometh after me, 
 (liall baptize you with the Holy Ghoft and 
 with fire." If thofe were baptized with fire, 
 upon whofe heads only the fire refted, thofe 
 are equally baptized with Avater, wha have water 
 
( 31 ) 
 
 fprinkled or poured upon their faces. Examine 
 the words of John in both fenfcs. If j^ou fuppofe 
 them alluding to immerfion, you explain them 
 thus : jis I baptize you unto repentance by plung- 
 ing you in the ivater, so be that cometh after me^ 
 shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost by pouring 
 itt in the likeness qfcloiien tongues of fire ^ upon your 
 heads. — But confider him as alluding to the cuftom 
 of baptizing, by pouring water upon the head or 
 face, his language is, " As I pour water upon you 
 in my baptifm, fo fliall Jefus, ere long, baptize 
 you with the Holy Ghoft, pouring it down upon 
 you as in ftreams of fire." — We need not alk 
 which is the moft natural conftru6Vion of the 
 words ? But there is reafon to afli, why fliould any 
 require the plunging of the whole body in bap- 
 tifm ? We have fearched the New Teftament, 
 from beginning to end, without finding any certain 
 proof of either precept or example to enforce the , 
 requifition. But we have found, in anfwer to Pe- 
 ter's requeft to be wafhed all over, not his feet 
 only, but his hands and his head, our Lord faying, 
 he that is washed, i. e. fpiritually, by regeneration 
 and the renewing of the Holy Ghoft, fieedeth not^ 
 sai}e to wash his feet, but is clean every whit ; — 
 words which, if conlidered as referring to baptifm, 
 are conclufive againft the need of a total immer- 
 fion. They probably led Peter, many years after, 
 when having faid. Baptism doth now save us ^ to 
 add the following explanation, not the putting 
 
( 32 ) 
 
 away oftheflth of the fiesh^ hut the ansivef of a 
 good conscience toivards God. The latter is the bap- 
 tifm which faves us, and this indeed is eflentially 
 neceffary, without which, the former, baptifm in 
 any mode, and every other ordinance, will avail us 
 nothing. They upon whofe minds this truth is 
 duly impreflld, and who have a proper concern 
 about the things fignified by baptifm, will not, I 
 think, be very fcrupulous about the mode or form 
 of its adminiftration. 
 
 The llrefs which our Baptift brethren appear to 
 lay upon this, and their narrow and uncharitable 
 fpirit manifefted in excluding all other chriilians 
 from their communion, are, in my view, their 
 greateft and leaft excufable miftakes. Doth water 
 commend us to God ? Are we to be faved or loft 
 according as a greater or lefs quantity of this ele- 
 ment has been ufed in our baptifm ? Or does the 
 difcrimination confift in our being dipped in it, or 
 having it poured or fprinkled upon us ? Is this a 
 difference of fo momentous a nature, of fuch fol- 
 emn importance, as to mark thofe w^ho rccei\'e it 
 in the one form as belonging to the kingdom of 
 heaven, to the exclufion of thofe who receive it in 
 the other; deftroying all brotherly relation between 
 tiiem, rendering them incapable of ufmg the means 
 of grace together, caufmgthe divifion of religious 
 focieties, the breaking up of churches, and the 
 defertion of gofpel-called and regularly ordained 
 pallors ? Are thefe circumftances proofs of a reviv^ 
 
C 33 ) 
 
 al of religion ? Do they proceed from that Spirit^ 
 whofe fruits are love, joy, peace, long-fuffering, 
 gentlenefs, meeknefs ? My brethren, there is 
 another and a very different Spirit which, fome- 
 times, under the guife of religion, gets poffeffion 
 of the minds of men, and renders them on a fud- 
 den, remarkably zealous, not indeed of good 
 works, but of innovation, for fome new mode or 
 form by which they think to fecure heaven in a 
 way more expeditious than that by \\ hich their 
 pious anceftors afcended thither. Beloved^ the 
 gofpel warns you not to belicue every spirit, but to 
 try the spirits ID het her they are of God ; for many 
 false prophets are gone out into the ivorld. Like 
 the mailer to whom they belong, " they go to and 
 fro in the earth, and walk up and down in it.'* 
 They creep into houfes, and lead away filly wom- 
 en ; throwing darknefs upon their underlland- 
 ings, and prejudices and evil furmifes into their 
 hearts. Their fubliftence, as well as their popu- 
 larity and the eilimation to which they afpire, de- 
 pend upon their fnccefs in fowing difcord among 
 brethren, flirring up a party fpirit, making divil- 
 ions, and thereby advancing the caufe of fuperfti- 
 tion and bigotry. *' By their fruits ye fliall know 
 them." Are there any who "would four and 
 leaven your minds with uncharitablenefs ; who 
 would lead you away from the fcriptures, to fol- 
 low enthufiaftic impreflions and impulfes ; who 
 endeavour to perfuade by noife and clamour, and 
 
{ 34 ) 
 
 fiercenefs, and ftriking the paffions, inftead of en- 
 lightening the underftanding by plain fcripture, 
 and fair calm reafoning ; any that endeavour to 
 move men from their fteadfaftnefs, by flatteries, or 
 cenfures, by confidence, by pitying the blindnefs 
 of others, or boafting of their own illuminations ? 
 Such as thefe you have reafon to be cautious of 
 hearkening unto. Take heed that you be not im- 
 pofed on with chaff, inftead of wheat ; with vain 
 dreams and hurtful prejudices, inftead of divine 
 truths. Make the fcriptures the rule of your re- 
 ligion, according to the plain and natural interpre- 
 tation of them ; and let it be your care confcien- 
 tioufly to pra6tife agreeably to what you have 
 already learned of the will of God. This is a 
 good prefervative againft dangerous miftakes, and 
 being carried about with divers and ftrange doc- 
 trines." If any man will do the will of God, he 
 shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God. 
 
LUKE xviii. 15, 16. 
 
 AND THEY BROUGHT UNTO HIM ALSO INFANTS, THAT 
 HE WOULD TOUCH THEM : BUT WHEN HIS DISCIPLES 
 SAW IT, THEY REBUKED THEM. BUT JESUS CALLED 
 THEM UNTO HIM, AND SAID, SUFFER LITTLE CHIL- 
 DREN TO COME UNTO ME, AND FORBID THEM NOT* 
 FOR OF SUCH IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 
 
 JK.EASON leads us to expe6l, and reve- 
 lation to believe, the immortality of the foul, and 
 that every human being is an heir of eternity. 
 This ftamps an inconceivable value on man. 
 Millions of filver and gold^ crowns and kingdoms, 
 and all the riches of the material creation, are 
 nothing in the balance againft a foul immortal. 
 The moment a rational immortal fpirit animates a 
 human body, though it be yet in embryo, a fpark 
 is kindled that will never be extinguiflied. Yon- 
 der fun in the firmament will, one day, ficken and 
 languilh, and all his fires become extin6l : The 
 ftars which gild the celeftial arch, fliall fall from 
 their orbits and be loft in darknefs : The Jieavens 
 themfelves fliall wax old and pafs away. But this 
 intelledlual fpark, kindled up in the moral world 
 by the breath of the Almighty, fliall burn on with 
 undiminifhed, probably, with ever-increafing luf- 
 tre through an endlefs duration. 
 
( 3G ) 
 
 The birth of an infant is fo common and ordi- 
 nary an event, that we hardly deem it worthy of 
 notice ; and in the eye of fenfe, the little helplefs 
 ftranger makes but a diminutive appearance. But 
 if wc view it in the light which immortality throws 
 upon it, if we confider it as emerging from eternal 
 night into life without end, an heir of worlds un- 
 known, dellinedto furvive the funeral of material 
 nature, and either to rife from glory to glory, by 
 endlefs gradations afcending the fcale of perfection ; 
 or to fink from gulf to gulf in the bottomlefs abyfs 
 of mifery, according to the manner in which it 
 fliall acquit itfelf during its pafTage through this 
 probationary ftate ; confidered in this light, how 
 amazingly important is its birth, its entrance on 
 this unceafing exiftence ! What muft the thought- 
 ful parent feel, while he contemplates his new born 
 child as thus beginning its career for a happy or 
 miferable eternity ! Aware of the numbcrlefs 
 fnares and temptations attending its pilgrimage in 
 this ftrange country, previous to its return to the 
 great Father of Spirits, and confcious of his own 
 infuf&ciency fuccefsfully to guide, or efFe(5lually to 
 guard it, even from temporal, and much kfs from 
 fpiritual dangers, what folicitude muft he feel to 
 devolve the ultimate and principal charge of it upon 
 One mighty to fave ; and, if poflible, engage for it 
 the protection and blefling of Him, who is able to 
 keep it unto life eternal ! How wife and rational 
 in itfelf, as well as confonant to the feelings of pa- 
 
C 37 ) 
 
 rental affe6lion, was the condu6l of thofe parents 
 who, in the days of his flefli, thus brought their 
 little children to the great Saviour of the world, 
 imploring for them his favour and blefling ? 
 
 Ages before the coming of the Mefliah, he was 
 predicted under the character of a Shepherd ; a 
 Shepherd fo tender and compaflionate, that he 
 would not only take care of his flock in general, but 
 pay a fpecial attention to thofe whofe circumftances 
 were peculiar, gathering up the feeble lambs in his 
 arms, and carrying them in his bofom. The nar- 
 ration in our text fcts before us the pleafuig ac- 
 complilhment of this ancient prophecy. The 
 great and good Shepherd of tlie flieep was now in 
 a part of the country where many of his chofen 
 flock refided. So great was their veneration for 
 him, that they not only brought their fick to him 
 for healing, but their babes for his blefling. As 
 thefe little ones were as yet incapable of being in- 
 ftruQed by Chrifl:, his difciples oppofed their be- 
 ing prefented to him, from an apprehenfion, per- 
 haps, that they might be troublefome to their 
 matter. But though infants could receive no 
 prefent inftrudlion, they were capable of his blcfT- 
 ing, and were as much the objects of his redemp- 
 tion as their parents, or as the difciples themfelves. 
 For this reafon, our Lord was indignant, much 
 displeased, ^ays the evangeliftMark, at this con- 
 duct of his difciples, and rebuked them, -He fre- 
 quently corre6\ed their miftakes, but feldom with 
 c 
 
C 38 ) 
 
 more pointed disapprobation, than wl:ien they, 
 would have kept little cJiiAdren from , him, or dil- 
 couraged their dedicatipi) to him. • Suffer them to 
 come^i2iysh,Q, and forbid tbe77i not ; and then goes 
 on to aflign a reafon why he vyould have them thus 
 come or brought to him^ a reafon yv'hich ought to 
 filence every obje6lion, and forever prevent anj^ 
 future exception, againft .theirij^ for of suck is the. 
 kingdom of God. 
 
 In thefe wprds, we behold the great Head, of th,^, 
 church numbering little childi-en ampng the ful?*. 
 je^s of .his kingdom ; we l^ear him declaring thejr , 
 title to all the. privileges of his -church, either in its 
 Hate of grace on earth, or ij^ its ftate of glory in 
 heaven. If the latter fhould be underftood hy the 
 kingdom of God, ftill it prefuppofes an intereft in 
 the former. The extent of this grant is alfo wor- 
 thy of our grateful notice. It is not limited to the 
 few children then prefent, but extended to all like 
 them, in every age and nation ; o^ such is the king-r 
 dom of God. In John iii. 5. we are moft folemnly 
 affured that not one of our lapfed race can be the ; 
 fubje^lof this kingdom, unlefs he be, rsgen$-at^d 
 by the Holy Spirit and water -; Ferily, 'uerijy,!, 
 say unto you^ except a man (in the Greek, any pnej . 
 he born-of water andof the Spirit, he cannot enter , 
 the kingdom of God. The certain fhference thcH- 
 is, that in pronouncing infants the fubjedls of his 
 kingdom, our Lord has pronounced them tha 
 futse^ts of th(^ regenerating influence of his 
 
'C 31) ') 
 
 fpirit, and' (if the Sviafliin'g 6f wafer "in b^jptifm'as 
 the outward fign of fuch an inward influence. 
 When he faid, concerning little children, of such 
 "is the kingdom of Gody he "implicitly declared his 
 "will that they fllould be baptized. Authorized by 
 this, and innumerable other pafTages of fcriptufe, 
 in Which their feed are reprefented as included lu 
 the covenant 'inade with tliemfelves, chriftian par. 
 'ents have the linfpeakable fatisfaSlion of looking 
 upon their infant oftspring as born the fabje(51:s of 
 Chrift's kingdom, and as fuch they bring them to 
 'baptifm, the ordinance by which Chrift requires 
 'hisfiibje^s to'be cliftinguifliedTrom the reft of the 
 "<Vorld. To the feelings of pioiis parents, how 
 cdrifolingjhoWtranlportingly joyful is the opening 
 'of this profpefl in favour of their offspring ! Next 
 to the hope of their own falvation, nothing can be 
 to thetiEi the ground of more alDundantthankfulncfs 
 to God, 'of more overflowing gratitude to the Re- 
 'diEeiner. is there, however, a fe(£l of our fellow 
 'chriflia:ns who take ^Ve place of the emng difci- 
 ples ori this occafion, and, with airs and looks of 
 'difai^obation, attempt to hinder the dedication 
 of our little ones to that Saviour who fo kindly in- 
 vites them to him, and fo gracioufly calls them his 
 fubjects ? Would they dilfuade us from applying 
 the feal of the covenant to thofe whom the great 
 Mediator of the covenant has thus explicitly in. 
 eluded in it ? Wlien, in obedience to the com* 
 mand of the great Shepherd, we are fetting his 
 
C 40 ) 
 
 mark upon his (heep, do they pretend, in oppofi- 
 lion to his own declaration, that lambs are no part 
 of his flock ? 
 
 Controverfy, my friends, is irkfome and unde- 
 firable, yet it is agreeable to the feelings of a gener- 
 ous mind, to plead the caufe of thofe who are un- 
 able to fpeak for themfelves. In the prefent quef- 
 tion, I offer myfelf an advocate for little children, 
 vindicating the title fo gracloufly vouchfafcd them 
 in the text. I am indeed aware, that any argu- 
 ments, however forcible in themfelves, which 
 touch the prejudices of ignorance and fuperllition, 
 inflead of curing them, have frequently an oppofite 
 eife6l, rendering them more inveterate and incura- 
 ble ; I would yet hope better things on this occa- 
 fioii, for more candour, liberality, and good fenfe 
 in my prefent auditors ; that they will hold them- 
 felves open to conviction, and ready to receive the 
 truth in proportion as its evidence fliall be duly 
 exhibited. When I fet before you any hiftorical 
 fa(S\s, you will do me the juftice to believe that I 
 {late thelfi with fairnefs and impartiality ; and 
 when I refer you to the law and the testi7nony^ you 
 will, like the noble Bereans, search the scriptures 
 to fatisfy yourfelves with refpe6l to their true 
 meaning. 
 
 My hearers, — We ourfelves, in general, were 
 baptized in our infancy ; fo were our parents, 
 grand parents, and anceftors back for generations 
 immemorial. This is the general practice of Qur 
 
( 41 ) 
 
 country. In thcfe United States, there arc prob- 
 ably more than fix millions of people, wearing the 
 chriftian name. Of thefe, fcarcely an hundredth 
 part is of the Baptifl perfuafion ; yet this is, I be- 
 lieve, a greater proportion than is to be found in 
 any other country of Chriftendom. The Epifco- 
 palians, and great majority of DiiTenters in Eng- 
 land and Ireland, the Prefbyterians of Scotland, 
 the Greek churches in the Eaftern hemifphere, as 
 well as the Romanifts of the Weft, together with 
 the Lutherans, Calvinifts and Proteftants in general 
 throughout Germany, France, the Low Countries, 
 and the north of Europe, — are now, and have been 
 for ages paft, in the practice of infant baptifm. 
 Upon this fubje6l, the Baptifts and perhaps the 
 Quakers excepted, there is but one fentiment 
 among all the other numerous fe6ls and denomi- 
 nations which compofe the chriftian world. All 
 thefe denominations, however, are pronounced 
 unbaptized, and virtually excommunicated by the 
 little modern fe6l of Baptifts. Infant Baptifm is 
 denounced a deviation from the footftepsof Chrift's 
 flock fo grofs, a corruption of his ordinance fo 
 effential, as renders it an abfolute nullity. Of 
 courfe, our pious forefathers, the firft fettlers of 
 New England, whom we have been accuftomed to 
 efteem and venerate as pofTefling more of the fpirit 
 and cuftoms of primitive chriftiimity than any 
 other defcription of people fmce the apoftolic age, 
 abfolutelv failed of an entrance into Chrift's church. 
 
lived and died without the feal of God's coveirant, 
 aliens from the commonwealth of Ifrael, and dcfti- 
 ^tute of all fellowfliip with the houfehold of faidi. 
 
 My brethren, do not our minds revolt from 
 -fuch ideas ? Does not our reafonlead us -to query 
 whether they, who bring fo heavy a charge againft, 
 not only their fellow chriftians now living, but 
 againft the former generations of God's people, 
 Tnay not themfelves be the innovators, if not the 
 ^corrupters of Chrift's ordinance ; in ifhort, Avheth- 
 'serthe ftiiftake may not be wholly on tbei'r'fidt ? 
 ^Vre the Salp'tift teach e'fsfo eminent fortheir^ru- 
 ^dition, the extent of their knowledge, the found- 
 •ifcfs of'^heir judgment, and the tiprightnefsof their 
 "views, a^ -to be above the fufpicion 'of error ^ 
 ■Ought we, without inquiry or examination, to 
 exchange 'the religious obfervances of our pioifs 
 forefothersfor tlie pra6lices which ihefe newteach- 
 'Cfs are fo earneft to introduce ? Does it becotne 
 the fteadfaftnefs o^f fober enlightened chriftians to 
 ^e fo hafty in changing their religion ? Since \\*b 
 fere told with fo confident an air, that infant ba'p- 
 lifm is a grofs corruption of Chrift^s ordinance, 
 have we not a right to demand of them, \vhen, and 
 by t\'hom, this corruption was introduced ? We 
 «r6 able to trace back tbeir opinions upon the fub- 
 je6t to tl'te very period when thofe opinions were 
 firft divulged. Hiftory fets before us the firft au- 
 thors of thofe opinions, gives us their names and 
 their chara^lers. We know, wjth certainty. 
 
where, when, and by whom their fe<3: was foiiad*: 
 etl. But when we look back and fearch the. recw. 
 ords of church hiftory for the origin of infant bap^ 
 tifm, we go up century after century without find, 
 ingthe leAft hint of its, firft introduaion until we- 
 arrive to the very age. of the apoftles. Are we not 
 then conflrained to belieye that it is coeval with 
 chriftianity itfclf ? 
 
 We acknowledge, ii^eed, that during the ages: 
 of darknefs which preceded the Protellant reforra- 
 atipn, the inilitutions^ as well as the doarines of 
 Ghrift, were exceedingly ,corrui>ted by. the. mix, 
 ture of human inventions. We learafrom hilloryi 
 the origin of thefe coryuptipns, and that, in each 
 fucceffive age, there, w^re witjiefles againft them^ 
 w^hofe teftimony fliows that they never were, even 
 at the feafon of the thickeft darknefs, univei-folly; 
 received. I fliall now prove that infant baptifm; 
 ilands not on the foot of thefe corruptions, ^^-asuot. 
 introduced with them^ and during die; courfeofx 
 many revolving ages, wasnotfo jntich as.once: 
 fcrupled by a fmglechriftian.i. Of the writings 06 
 the primitive Withers, ^hq immediate fucceffors of. 
 the apoftles, fome foattqred, fragments, only havei 
 reaqhed modern timers .yetv .in- thefe fragments,; 
 vve have unq^cftionable.evidmee.tI^at, infant bap., 
 tifm was the, generalpraaice in:the very. century 
 after the :ap^e5., They, had beeij:, dead abaub 
 forty ye^r^, wh^n J usm Man?/ rpuhMiedihm 
 apology, in whichiie, mentions .fonit;" agedcbrifti' 
 
C 44 ) 
 
 lans who were made difciples in or from their in- 
 fancy." This is underftood as implying that they 
 were baptized, as that was the known method of 
 making vifible difciples. Irejueus, who was born 
 before the death of St. John, is yet more full in his 
 teftimony. Origen was born about one hundred 
 years after the deceafe of the apoftles, and from 
 him we have thefe words, " The church received 
 a tradition or order from the apoftles to adminifter 
 baptifm to infants." About fifty years after this, 
 or one hundred and fifty from the apoftles, baptifm 
 being then univerfally confidered as fupplying the 
 place of circumcifion, a queftion arofe, whether it 
 ought not, as circumcifion was, to be deferred till 
 the eighth day after the birth of the cliild. For the 
 difcuflion of this queftion, a council of fixty-fix 
 bifhops, or paftors of churches, was aflembled at 
 Carthage, In their refult, they give it as tlieir 
 opinion, that " baptifm ought leaft of all to be re- 
 fufed to a new bom infant ;" and as to its being 
 put off* to the eighth day, they add, " there is not 
 one that approves of it : it appears to us all, who 
 are here met in council, far other wife." Un- 
 doubtedly fome of the elders upon this council 
 could remember what the pra6lice of the church 
 had been for feventy or eighty years before, at 
 which period there were probably many living 
 who were born within the age of the apoftles, and 
 who iriuft have known what their practice had 
 been. If the baptizing of infants had not originat* 
 
( 45 J 
 
 ed with the apollles, is it credible that aH the 
 churches of Chriftendom fliould have fo foon and 
 fo univerfally departed from the apoftolic inftitli- 
 tion ? If fo ftriking and notorious an innovation 
 had been attempted, is it not beyond all belief, that 
 it fliould have been every where received without 
 a fmgle obje6lion from any of thofe myriads of 
 faints, confeflbrs and martyrs, who lived in the 
 pureft and beft ages of the church I 
 
 After this period, as we come down to the third 
 and fourth centuries, the writings o^ Austin, John 
 Chrysostom, Pelagim, and a multitude of others, 
 fhow that, in thole centuries, there was not a fin- 
 gle exception to the baptifm of infants. The 
 learned Dr. TVally who inquired moll accurately 
 into this fubjeft, fays, " For the firft four hundred 
 years, there appears only one man, TcrtuUian^ that 
 advifed the delay of infant baptifm, in fome cafes, 
 and one Gr^^ory J. that did, perhaps, pra6life fuch 
 delay, in the cafe of his own children ; but no fo- 
 citty fo thinking, or fo pra6lifing ; nor any one man 
 faying that it was unlawful to baptize infants. In 
 the next feven hundred years, there is not fo much 
 as one man to be found, that either spoke for, or 
 pra6\ifed any fuch delay ^ but all the contrary. 
 And when, about the year 1130, one fe6l among 
 the Waldenfes declared againft the baptizing of 
 infants, as being incapable of falvation, the main 
 body of that people reje6lcd tlielr opinion ; and 
 they of them that held that opinion, quickly dwin- 
 
( 46 ) 
 
 died away and difappeared, there being no more 
 heard of, who held that tenet, until the rifing of 
 the German Antipedobaptifts, in the year 1522." 
 This account by Dr. JVall brings us down to the 
 era of the Protellant reformation. Amidfl the 
 commotions attendantAipon that great revolution, 
 fprang up the founders of the prefent fe6l of Ana- 
 baptifts. " Soon 2Sitv Luther'' s appearance," fa5's 
 Dr. Robertfon in his hiflory of Charles V. " the 
 rafhnef^ or ignorance of feme of his difciples led 
 them to publilh tenets no lefs abfurd than per- 
 nicious, which being propofed to men extremely 
 illiterate, but fond of novelty, and at a time when 
 their minds were turned wholly towards religious 
 fpeculations, gained too eafy credit and authority 
 among them. — The moll remarkable of their re- 
 ligious tenets related to the facrament of baptifm, 
 which, as they contended, ought to be adminifter- 
 ed only to perfons grown up to years of undcr- 
 ftanding, and fliould be performed, not by fprink- 
 iing them with water, but by dipping them in it. 
 For this reafon they condemned the baptifm of 
 infants, and rcbaptizing all whom they admitted 
 into their fociety, the fe6l came to be diftinguiflied 
 by the name of Anabaptifts. — To this peculiar 
 notion concerning baptifm, diey added other prin- 
 ciples of a molt enthiifiaftic as well as dangerous 
 nature. By a monflrous and almoft incredible 
 conjun6lion, voluptuoufnefs was ingrafted on re- 
 ligion, and diflblute riot accompanied the aufteri- 
 
C 47 ) 
 
 ties of fanatical devotion. — Luther, who had teftr- 
 fied againft this fanatical fpirit on its firll appear- 
 ance, now deeply lamented its progrefs, and ex- 
 pofed the delufion with great ftrength of argument, 
 as well as acrimony of ftyle." Not Linker only, 
 but Cahiuy Mdanctho?!, BuH'mger^ ZuhigliuSy 
 Giialtery Skidan, Zanchy^ and indeed all the emi- 
 nent reformers, united their voice in bearing fol- 
 emn teftimony againft the principles of this fe6t, 
 reprobating them in terms of great feverity. 
 
 Perhaps thefe great and good men would have 
 ufed lefs afperity of language in fpeaking of them, 
 had they been chargeable with no other errors 
 befides thofe relating to baptifm ; but, in that 
 age, they did not content themf-lves with 
 difturbing the peace of religious focieties, and 
 breaking up of churches : they committed out- 
 rages upon civil focicty, which united all the 
 ftates of Germany againft them. They were fub- 
 dued and diiperfed by military force. But, as 
 generally happens in this mode of fupprefling any 
 feci or party, the fugitives were the more confirm- 
 ed in the belief of their principal peculiarities, and 
 fpread their tenets in every country whither they 
 fied for flielter. Dropping the extravagances 
 which had armed the civil magiftrate againft them, 
 they rigidly adhered to many of their other no- 
 tions. "The party,'>faysDr.Robertfon, "ftiU fub- 
 lifts in the Lcnv Countries^ and a fmall number of 
 I this fcC\ is fettled in Kngland." Having found 
 their way into England, Tome of them very 
 
( 48 ) 
 
 early appeared in America, formed a fociety at 
 Swanzt/i and another at Bofton, in the year 1^65. 
 Ofthislaft, Dr. Mather relates, "that they ad- 
 mitted into their fociety perfons whom our church- 
 es had excommunicated for moral fcandal, and 
 employed them as adminiftrators of the two facra- 
 ments." — From fuch an origin and fuch begin- 
 nings has this fe6l arifen. If there be any truth in 
 hiilory, their opinions are wholly modern and un- 
 known to antiquity. If infant baptifm be an hu- 
 man invention and an abfolute nullity, as they 
 pretend, it is certain that, three centuries ago, 
 there was not a fociety of baptized chriftians in the 
 world, nor had been for many preceding ages. 
 What then are we to conclude ? Did the church 
 of Chrift remain, during the lapfe of centuries, 
 overpowered by the gates of hell ? If we could 
 fuppofe this ; yet, would it not be more difficult 
 ftill to fuppofe, that it was, at length, recovered by 
 the madmen of Munster, the German Anabaptifts ? 
 Though the fcriptures be, at laft, our only fure 
 guide, yet it is a fatisfaclion to know in what fenfe 
 our fellow chriftians underftand the fcriptures with 
 reference to any difputed point, and how the^ have 
 been underftood by the church of Chrift in former 
 ages ; and if we be able, as in this queftion con- 
 cerning infant baptifm, to trace the pra6\ice of it 
 •up through all preceding ages to that of the apof- 
 tle&, it muft be allowed a ftrong prefumptive argu- 
 ment in favour of its having originated with the 
 
X 49 ) 
 
 apoRles themfelves. It is, in this way, that \vt 
 argue the change of the fabbath from the laft to the 
 firft day of the week. The New Teftament con- 
 tains no exprefs order or contmand upon the fub- 
 je6l ; but as we can trace the obfervance of the 
 firft day of the week up to the age of the apoftles, 
 and find that tbcj/ a<5limlly met on that day for re- 
 ligious worfliip, we conckidc that the practice 
 originated from their authority and appointment. 
 In my view, the argument is equally full and ftrong 
 in favour of infant baptifm. 
 
 But I fliall now go on to fet before you the 
 fcripture authority for this pra6lice. An illuftra- 
 tion of all the numerous pafTages of fcripture coun- 
 tenancing it, cannot be expelled in a fingle dif- 
 courfe. I propofe but a brief fketch of the princi- 
 pal arguments. As there is abfolutely no text or 
 fentence in the whole Bible forbidding it, if we can 
 find any degree of evidence in its favour, if, from 
 the reafonablenefs of the thing and the general ten- 
 our of fcripture, we have room to believe that it 
 will not be difplcaling to God for pious parents, in 
 dedicating themfelves to him, to give up their off- 
 spring alfo in an ordinance w hich Icals and marks 
 them as the fubjecls of the Redeemer's kingdom^ 
 no religious parent ought to delay the feeking of 
 this privilege for his children. 
 
 If we confider what the law of nature and nations 
 
 teaches concerning a ftate of infancy, it may afford 
 
 a probible prefumption that, if the parents fuftain 
 I 
 
( 50 ) 
 
 a vifible relation to the church and people of God, 
 their infant offspring are alfo to be viewed as be- 
 longing to the fame fociety. It was never made a 
 qiieftion among aiiy civilized people, whether 
 parents had a right to covenant for their children, 
 as well as for themfelves. By virtue of fuch en- 
 gagements, children in all countries, as they arrive 
 to years of difcretion, not only inherit the poffef. 
 fions of their parents, but enjoy many privileges. 
 They are confidered as parts of the community, 
 and are treated as fuch. No forereign prince 
 would think the honour of his kingdom confulted 
 by thofe who fliould go about to deny the children 
 bom within his realm to be his fubjt'6ls. As thefe 
 form a large proportion of the fubje6ls of every 
 government, it would be accounted the heiglit of 
 abfurdity for any to pretend that, till they have 
 themfelves fworn allegiance, they neither owe o1)e- 
 dience to the government, nor arc entitled to its 
 prote6lion. By the Mofaic law, it was provided* 
 .that, if a fer\\int married and had children, all the 
 ■ children born in his mailer's houfe were to be con- 
 fidered as the property of the mailer, fubjei^ to 
 his authority, and entitled to his fupport and pro- 
 tedlion. Is it not equally reafonably that the chil- 
 dren of Chrift's fervants ftiould be conlidered as 
 belonging to him ; that they who are born in his 
 houfe, Ihould be acknowledged as members of his 
 family ? David feems to have viewed it in this 
 light when, in manifeft ailufion to the law now 
 
( 51 ) 
 
 mentioned, he fays, Lord, truly I am thy serV' 
 ant ; I am thy servant and the son of thy hand- 
 maid^ i. e. bom in thy houfe. 
 
 It is granted on all liands, that the covenant of 
 works made with the firft Adam, included his off- 
 spring. We all feel the fatal confequences of his 
 breach of that covenant. By the offence of one^ 
 judgment is come upon all men to condemnation^ 
 and the whole race cut off from juflification and 
 life by the deeds of the law, or on the condition of 
 the covenant of works. The hopes of all mankind 
 now refl on the fecond Adam, on the covenant of 
 grace in the hands of the Mediator. The fcrip- 
 tures lead us to view him as the channel through 
 which the whole current of divine mercy, in tem- 
 poral as well as fpiritual bleflings, is conveyed to 
 an apoftate world. From the beginning, faith in 
 him has been the condition of our reconciliation to 
 God through him. Adam, after his fall, with all 
 fthe patriarchs, and the whole Old Teflament 
 church, founded their hopes on thepromifed seed 
 of the ivomany and believed in a Saviour to come, 
 in the fame manner as chriflians now believe in 
 him as already come. The faith of the former re- 
 garded its obje6l as future ; that of the latter as 
 already manifefted. With this circumftantial <M. 
 ference, the principle is the fame in both. But 
 infants, at all times, are equally incapable of the 
 cxercife of faith.. With this condition of the cove- 
 nant of grace, req^iired of. adults, their, new bom 
 
( 52 ) 
 
 offspring cannot comply. Yet they ftand in equal 
 need of the bleflings and pri\ ileges of this cove- 
 nant. By one man fm entered into the world, and 
 death by fm ; and fo death pafles upon all men, 
 even upon thofe who have not finned after the 
 fmiilitude of Adam's tranfgreflion. Little infants 
 are no fooner born, than they become liable to the 
 penal confequences of Adam's fin, and fuffer, as 
 his defcendants, not only many infirmities and 
 miferies while they live ; but multitudes of them 
 fink into the darkjiefs of the grave almoft as foon as 
 they receive the light of life. It has been com- 
 puted that a third part, if not half, of the human 
 race die in infancy. Are they loft in perdition, or 
 fvvept back into n^onentity ? Is it not more confo- 
 nant to fcripture, as well as to reafon, to believe, 
 that if, without their perfonal confent, they were 
 fo included in the covenant of works as to be fub- 
 jedled to the manifold evils confequent upon its 
 breach, their own perfonal confent (which it ii#> 
 equally impoflible for them to give) fhould not be 
 neceflary in order to their being entitled to the 
 privileges and bleifings of the covenant of grace ? 
 Is not this hope, concerning them, encouraged by 
 the favourable terms in which they are frequendy 
 mentioned in fcripture ? For their fakes, God 
 fometimes averts or delays the threatened ruin of 
 whole communities. Should not I spare Nineveh 
 that great city, 'wherein are more than six score 
 
C 53 ) 
 
 thousand pcvsonx that cannot discern between their 
 right hand and their left ? 
 
 But though the children of heathen parents 
 iliould be confidered as left to the uncovenanted 
 mercy of God ; j^et furely there is feme fpecial 
 room for hope concerning thofe of liis covenant and 
 profcffing people. The pious parent, in entering 
 into covenant with God, and giving up himfelf, 
 does, at the fame time, dedicate to Him and his 
 ferrice whatever he can call his own, making over 
 all his rights and interefts to God, and fubmitting 
 the whole to his difpofal. His children, above all 
 his other pofTeflions, are the objects of his greateft 
 afte6lion and concern. Thefe therefore are, in 
 fpecial, devoted to God with fervent fupplications 
 that they may be his, wholly and forever ; and, if 
 they be fo included in the covenant made with 
 their parent as to receive the promife of God's 
 blessing and spirit ; if they have been redeemed 
 ^y Chrift, ought they not to be baptized in token 
 of that redemption ? 
 
 Jewidi parents were allowed to make vows in 
 the name of their children, which vows thofe chil- 
 dren, as they came of age, were bound to perform. 
 By virtue of the paternal authority, and on the 
 fuppofed* right of the parent to covenant for his 
 child in all things pertaining to the child's in- 
 tereft and happinefs, it was lawful for parents to 
 dedicate their chikken to the immediate and fpecial 
 fervice of God. Thus the mother of the prophet 
 
( 54 ) 
 
 Samuel vowed him to the Lord before ke was 
 born, and, from his birth, dedicated him to 
 the fervice of the tabernacle under the high prieft ; 
 and it feems that God approved of the vow, and 
 accepted the gift. Have not chriftian parents the 
 fame right to difpofe of their children ? May not 
 they, by the fame paternal authority, and, for the 
 famereafon, in baptifm dedicate their children to 
 be the fervants of Chrift ? When we thus prefent 
 our little ones to the gracious Redeemer, can there 
 be any other queftion but this, whether he will ac 
 ceptthem? I congratulate you, Chriftians, on the 
 afiiirance which we have received, that when he 
 was here on earth, a fair experiment of the cafe 
 was tried, and our text contains his decifion. 
 
 By thus deciding, however, he did but confirm 
 privileges which had been always enjoyed by the 
 children of his profclTmg people. Confult your 
 Bibles, and you will find the fignal deliverances 
 wrought in favour of God's fervants, his promife^ 
 to them and covenant tranfac\ions with them, 
 bearing, in almoft every inftance, a refpe6\ unto 
 their oflfepring. To Noah he faid, Genefis vii. \. 
 Come thoii^ and all thy house, hno the ark : for 
 thee han^e Iscen righteous before me in this genera- 
 tion. Oil account of his righteoufnefs, his ^vhole 
 family were allowed to fhare with him in the privi- 
 leges of the ark. Again, God fays, chap. ix. 9. 
 *' And I, behold I eftablilli my covenant with you, 
 and with your seed after you." In the refcue of 
 
( 55 ) 
 
 righteous Lot from the overthrow of Sodom, for 
 /lis fake, we find the offer of the fame deliverance 
 extended to his whole family, and even to the 
 young men who were but forming an alliance with 
 his daughters. So the faith of Rahab the harlot 
 availed, not only to her own prefervation, but to 
 that of all her relations. If it fhould be faid, that 
 thefe were temporal deliverances and bleflings on- 
 ly, ftill it muft be acknowledged that they were 
 vouchfafed through Chrift in confequence of the 
 covenant of redemption, and were typical of fpir- 
 itual and eternal bleflings. 
 
 The new covenant was virtually propofed to our 
 firfl parents when they received the firft promife 
 of a Saviour, and their family was thereby confti- 
 tuted the vifible church and people of God. It 
 continued in the families of fuch of their defcend- 
 ants as adhered to the knowledge and worfhip of 
 the true God. As we have no account of public 
 affeniblies during the patriarchal age, the ordinan- 
 ces of God, and the forms of (bcial worfliip feem to 
 have been kept up and celebrated in feparate and 
 diftin6l families only. A foundation however fcM* 
 a national church was early laid, in the call and 
 feparation of Abraham and his pofterity from the 
 reft of theMorld, to be the peculiar people of God. 
 All the bleflings of the gofpel were comprifed in 
 the promife made to him on that occafion. This 
 promife, together with the feal of God's covenant, 
 was exprefsly extended to his pofterity tlirough: 
 
C 56 ) 
 
 their fucceflive generations. In tliis language 
 did the Almighty addrefs his faithful fervant, Gen. 
 xvii. I imll establish my covenant ivitb thee^ qnd 
 
 thy seed after thee^ in their generations to be a 
 
 God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. — This isjny 
 . coi^enant ijohich ye shall keep between me and you., 
 and thy seed after thee ; every man child amofig 
 
 you shall be circumcised and it shall be a token 
 
 of the co'venant betwixt me and yon. That the 
 covenant here mentioned was the fame covenant 
 of grace which is made w idi believers under the 
 gofpel, can, with no fhew of rcafon, be doubted. 
 The promife, I ivill be a God to thee and to thy 
 seed^ includes blefiings of every kind. According- 
 ly the prophets in predi6ling the outpouring of the 
 Spirit, the forgivenefs of fins, and a new heart, rep- 
 refent God, in the beftow ment of thefe blefiings, as 
 fulfilling this his covenant with Abraham, per- 
 forming the truth unto Jacobs and the mercy which 
 he swore to the fathers of old. To the fame prom- 
 ife, the writers of the New Teftamcnt frequently 
 refer while illuftrating the blefiings of the gofpel. 
 It is alfo obfervable that the token of the covenant 
 here enjoined upon Abraham and his feed, is cx- 
 prefsly called the seal of the righteousness of faith. 
 From this, it appears that faith was really the con- 
 dition of the Abrahamic, as it is of the gofpel cov- 
 enant, and was as truly denoted by circumcifion of 
 old, as it is by baptifm now. Thus we fee that, 
 in this early conftitution of God's church, infants 
 
( 57 ) 
 
 were, by his authority, made members, mcludec! 
 in the covenant with their parents, and received 
 the feal of the covenant in circumcifion. In this 
 ordinance did Abraham and his numerous defend- 
 ants, through their fuccefiive generations, give up 
 their infant offspring to God and initiate them into 
 his vifible church. At a moll folemn renewal of 
 this covenant, defcribed Deut. xxix. Mofes fays 
 to die affembled tribes of Ifrael, " Ye ftand this 
 day all of you before the Lord your God — all the 
 men of Ifrael, your wives, your little ones — ^that 
 thou Ihouldeft enter into a covenant with the Lord 
 thy God, and into his oath — ^that he may be unto 
 thee a God, as he hath faid unto thee, and as he 
 hathfworn unto thy fathers." Exprefs reference is 
 here had to the covenant with Abraham ; the 
 very language of that covenant is adopted, and if it 
 does not comprehend whatever is cffential in the 
 covenant of grace, it is hard to conceive in what 
 terms that covenant fliould be expreffed. What 
 can \vc defire or imagine more on the part of the 
 Almighty, than for him to be a God unto his peo- 
 ple ; and on their part, what can they promife 
 more, than is implied in an oath of allegiance and 
 fidelity to him ? Such was the tranfadtion at this 
 time between him and them, and in this tranfac-' 
 tion, little children are exprefsly mentioned as 
 bearing their part. In oppofition to fuch abund- 
 ant evidence, is it not ftrange that any, who profefs 
 a reverence for the fcriptures, Ihould affed to rep- 
 
( 58 ) 
 
 refent infants as Incapable of church memberfhip, 
 of fuftaining a covenant relation to God, and of re- 
 ceiving the feal of his covenant ? 
 
 Knowing that the divine promifes were not lim- 
 ited to themfelves, but extended to their offspring, 
 the pious patriarchs not only committed their chil- 
 dren to God by faidi and prayer, but, putting their 
 hands upon them, folemnly blefled them in the 
 name of the Lord. Being thus included in the 
 covenant made with their parents, the children of 
 his profefling people are exprefsly claimed by God 
 as his own, in a peculiar fenfe ; and when the If- 
 raelites, in their apollacy, led their children to the 
 altar of idols, they are charged with the guilt of 
 alienating the Lord's propriety. " Thou haft 
 taken thy fons and thy daughters, wliom thou haft 
 borne unto me, and thefe haft thou facrificed un- 
 to them to be devoured thou haft flain my 
 
 children." Ezckiel xvi. This language is not 
 ufed with reference to the offspring of heathen par- 
 ents. From them the feed of Ifrael are alfo diftin- 
 guifhed by manifold promifes. It is faid, all thy 
 children shall be taught of God — The Lord shall 
 circumcise their heart — They shall spring up as 
 among the grass, as ivilloivs by the water courses. 
 One shall say, lam the Lord^s, &c. In the writ- 
 ings of the prophets, numerous paffages occur 
 which foretel a variety of bleffmgs and privileges in 
 ftore for the children of God's people. On thefe 
 principles, the pfalmift calls children an heritage 
 
( 59 ) 
 
 of the Lord, and fpeaks of them as given for the 
 increafe and replenilliing of the church, as well as 
 for the comfort of their parents. The feed of the 
 righteous are pronounced blessed, are called God^s 
 servants, as well as ^6/5 children ; and are required 
 by Joel, to appear in Zion before him, coeti the 
 children that suck the breast. A child at the breaft 
 is reprefented as hoping in God, and as cast upon 
 him from the ivomb. To one, God fays, before 
 thou earnest forth from the ivomb I sanctified thee ; 
 concerning another, an angel from heaven tcftified, 
 that he should be filled with the Holy Ghost even 
 from his 7nother^s ivomb. 
 
 It is certain tHat, from the beginning of thofe 
 difpenfations towards mankind which are carried 
 on through a mediator down to the coming of the 
 MeiTiah, children were uniformly confidered and 
 treated as members of God's church, by his au- 
 thority conftituted fuch, included in the covenant 
 with their parents, and received the fealof that cov- 
 enant, the seal of the righteousness of faith. Our 
 Baptift brethren have turned them out of God's 
 church,and out of his covenant, and declared that no 
 feal of the covenant fhall be given them any longer. 
 Ought they not to fhow by what authority they 
 do this, and who gave them this authority ? They 
 are accuflomed to demand of us an explicit war- 
 rant for our conduct ; but where do they find any 
 . Ihadow of a warrant for turning out of God's 
 church thofe brought in by his command ? Had 
 any thing in the doctrine or condu6l of the apolUes, 
 
( 60 ) 
 
 at the firft publication of the goipel, been under- 
 ftood as excluding children from being number, 
 ed among the fubjedls of Chrifl's kingdom, from 
 memberfliip in his church, and from the feal of it 
 in baptifm, is it not utterly incredible that fo great 
 an alteration, with refpefl to the conllitucnt mem- I 
 bers of the church, fhould not have been explicidy ^ 
 recorded ? Had the friends of chriftianity been 
 filent, its enemies, moil furely, would have pro- 
 claimed it throughout the earth. How eagerly 
 would the great body of the Jewifli nation have 
 lain hold on fuch an handle, to excufe their rejec- 
 tion of the gofpel. Thofe of them, who received 
 it, were extremely reludlant to part with circum- 
 cifion, even after they knew baptifm to be fubfti- 
 tuted in its place ; and had not this latter rite been 
 applied to their children, as well as to themfelves, 
 they would have been Hill more tenacious of the 
 former. Nay, we can hardly fuppofe that any con- 
 fiderations would have induced them to drop it. 
 The probability is, that they would fooner have 
 joined the general oppofition againft the gofpel. 
 The idea of feeing their children Itript of privileges 
 tvhich they had hitherto always enjoyed, would 
 have been fo univerfally offenfive to the Jews, that 
 perhaps fcarcely an individual of that nation would 
 have embraced chriftianity. Their unbelieving 
 priefts and rulers would not have failed to take the 
 advantage of fo plaufible and popular an objeflion J 
 againft the gofpel. They knew the tenour of the | 
 
C 61 ) 
 
 Abrahamic covenant, and gloried in the privileges 
 derived from it to themfelves and to their children. 
 If a}iy thing in the dodlrine of the apoftles could 
 have been conftrued as a diminution of thofe priv- 
 ileges ; if it could have been obje6\ed that, by em- 
 bracing chriftianity, their infant offspring would 
 be obviouily in a worfe condition than they were 
 under the law, would even lofe the feal of God's 
 covenant and be caft out of his church ; they fure- 
 ly would have made this the fubje6l of general and 
 vehement clamour againft the gofpel. Nor could 
 the apoftles have hope d for fuccefs in preaching it 
 to the Jews, unlefs they firft removed fo great and 
 dangerous a Humbling block. But neither in their 
 fpeeches nor writings, nor in any ancient authorj 
 do we find the mod diftant hint of any fuch objec- 
 tion, either as advanced by the enemies, or as ob- 
 viated by the friends of the gofpel. We conclude, 
 therefore, that no room for fuch an objection was 
 ever given by the apoftles. On the contrary, their 
 writings abound with paflages which cannot be 
 \inderftood but on the principle of infants being 
 included in the covenant made with their parents, 
 and thereby entitled to the feal of it in baptifm. 
 
 The covenant made with believers under the 
 gofpel is, in Romans iv. and Galatians iii. repre- 
 fented as eflentially the fame with that of Abraham 
 of old. On this ground the bleffing of Abraham 
 is faid to come upon the Gentiles through Jefus 
 Chrift ; and chriftians are called the cliildren of 
 
C 62 ) 
 
 Abraham, and- heirs with him, to the fameprom- 
 ife or covenant which, the apoftle fays, God con- 
 firmed m Christy and which could not be difannul- 
 led or vacated by the law four hundred and thirty 
 years after. The ceremonial and typical inflitu- 
 tions of this law were given to aflift the faith of 
 God's people in looking forward to the coming of 
 the promised seed in whom tliey would have their 
 accomplifliment, and, of courfe, be abolifhed. 
 Through the duration of thefe ritual inftitutions, 
 the covenant with Abraham continued, and after 
 their abolition, remained the fame that it was be- 
 fore. It defcended with all its privileges to the 
 chriftian church. If ye are Chrisfs^ fays the apof- 
 tle, then are ye Abraham'' s seed^ ancl heirs accord- 
 ing to the promise. As the promife was to him 
 and his feed, fo it is now to cliriftians and their pff- 
 ipring. This is alTerted by St. Peter, AQs ii. 38, 
 39. where he thus exhorts his awakened hearers, 
 *' Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jefus 
 Chrift for the remiflion of fins, and ye^fliall receive 
 the gift of the Holy Ghoft ; for the promise is unto 
 you and your children^ and to all that are afar off, 
 even as many as the Lord our God fhall call." 
 That the covenant with Abraham is here meant 
 by //6d' j&/Y7W/\?d', will appear highly i^obable if we 
 confider how frequently this covenant is, by way 
 of eminence, fo llyled ; but uhat fets Peter's 
 meaning beyond a doubt, is his own explanation 
 of it, in A6\s iii. 25. where, addreffuig the fame 
 
( 63 3 
 
 hearers on the fame fubje6\, he urges this argu^ 
 ment, Te are the children of the covenant %\)hich 
 God made ivith our fathers, saying tinto Abraham, 
 &:c. His reminding them here of their being the 
 children of Abraham's covenant, is of the fame 
 purport with what he had before faid of the prom- 
 ise being to them and their children. Taking 
 the promife then as referring to the covenant with 
 Abraham, let us attend to Peter's argument in this 
 exhortation, repent and be baptized ; for the prom- 
 ise is unto you and your children. The promife 
 in the covenant with Abraham being unto them, is 
 here urged as a reafon why they flioukl be bap- 
 tized ; but as the fame promife is extended to 
 their children, it is a reafon equally good for 
 the baptifm of their children. As Jews, the 
 prefent auditors, with their families, had hither- 
 to been members of the church of God as it had 
 fubfifted under the difpenfation of Mofes ; but as 
 it was for the future to fubfift under that of Chrift, 
 they, with their children, are exhorted to be bap- 
 tized into the name of Chrift in token of their re- 
 hition to the church under its prefent new form. 
 To them, as the natural feed of Abraham, thefe 
 gofpel privileges were firft tendered ; but as the 
 offer of them would foon be extended to thofe as 
 yet afar off, and the bleffing of Abraham would 
 come upon the Gentiles, to the latter when thus 
 called, the fame promife would apply, furnifhing a 
 
( 64 ) 
 
 reafon for tlie baptifm of believing Gentiles and 
 tht'ir offspri:ng. To every man, whether Jew or 
 Gentile, on his exercifing the faith of Abraham, 
 this promife is fiire, 7 wi// be a God to thee^ and to 
 thy seed after thee. Of courfe, the Hal or token 
 of the divine promife, whether it be circumcifion, 
 as under the law ; or baptifm, as under the gofpel, 
 belongs as really to the infant oifspring of the be- 
 lieving parent as to the parent himfelf 
 
 This conftitution of the covenant of grace under 
 the gofpel, is confirmed by the jdrain of reafoning 
 in Romans xi. There the church is reprefcnted 
 under the figure of a good olive tree, and the Jews 
 as its natural branches. When fome of thefe 
 branches were broken off for their unbelief, the 
 Gentile converts, by nature a wild and foreign 
 growth, are fpoken of as graffed in among the re- 
 maining believing Jews, and with them partaking 
 of the root and fatness of the olive tree — enjoying 
 the privileges of God's ancient covenant with 
 Abraham, \A'ho is here reprefcnted as the root or 
 patriarch of the church, and all believers, whether 
 Jews or Gentiles, as his children or branches from 
 him. And if the root be holy, fays the apoftle, so 
 are the branches. In confequence of their con- 
 nection with it, the branches are confidered as 
 ftiaring in the holinefs of the root. If this were 
 true with refpeCl to the Jews, the natural children 
 of Abraham, it muft be equally true with refpeCt 
 to liis adopted children. The latter being graifed 
 
( 65 ) 
 
 into the (lime flock, partake of its root andfatnesSi 
 of every privilege indulged to the natural feed of 
 old ; and as the covenant with them included their 
 oifspriiig, fo are the children of chriftian parents 
 included in the covenant with them. If they, as 
 the root, be holy, fo are iheir children as branches 
 from fuch a root. 
 
 An exemplification of this truth occurs in 1 
 Cor. vii. 14. where the apoftle decides on the cafe 
 of thofe children but one of whofe parents is a be- 
 liever : He determines that the federal holinefs of 
 the believing wife or hufband, defcends to their 
 common ilTue, and that fuch children are to be 
 reckoned, not as unclean^ but holy^ not common 
 as the heathen, but 6'/3W/.? on account of their cov- 
 enant relation to God and memberOiip in his 
 church. The word holy^ in this text, is elfewhere 
 generally tranflated Saints, the common appella- 
 tion by which the members of Chriil's church are 
 diftinguifhed throughout the New Teftament. 
 As the children of believers have the appellation 
 o[ Saints from St. Paul, fo they have that of disci- 
 ples from St. Peter in A6Vs xv. 10. why tempt ye 
 God, to put a yoke on the neck of the disciples ? The 
 yoke here principally intended was circumcifion, 
 which the Judaizing chriftians attempted to impofc 
 on the children of the believing Gentiles. By call- 
 ing thcfe children disciples, Peter recognizes their 
 relation to ChrilL Saints or disciples always de- 
 note perfons belonging to the church, and entitled 
 
( 66 ) 
 
 to its diflinguilliing rites and privileges. It would 
 be eafy to multiply quotations from the fpeeches 
 and writings of the apoftles, in which they appear 
 uniformly to confider the oifspring of believers as 
 included in the profcflion of their parents, and with 
 them numbered among the peculiar people of God. 
 But had the apoftles been filent upon the fub- 
 je6\, the declaration of our Saviour in the text, 
 with the circumftances attending it, is, in my view, 
 decifive. After he has, with his own gracious 
 lips, fo exprefsly encouraged their dedication to 
 him ; in fo pointed a manner teftified his difpleaf- 
 ure at an attempt to keep them from him, and in 
 terms fo explicit declared, of such is the kingdom 
 ofhea'ueti; there can be no room to doubt of his 
 acceptance when, in holy baptifm, we prefent our 
 tender babes as the lambs of his flock, to this great 
 Shepherd of the flieep. Do our Baptift brethren 
 tell us, that all our Lord meant on this occafion 
 was, that his kingdom ccnfifts of adult perfons, 
 who, in meekncfs and humility, are like children } 
 Why then, we afk, may not his kingdom confift 
 of children themlelves, whom thefe adult perfons 
 are thus required to be like ? But if he had aimed 
 at nothing more than teaching a leffon of humili- 
 ty, there could have been no reafonfor his difpleaf- 
 ure againft the difciples for keeping little children 
 from him. Lambs and doves might haveanfwered 
 bis purpofe juft as well ; and thefe, as often as in- 
 fants^ are mentioned in fcripture as emblems of the 
 
C 07 ) 
 
 innocence, meeknefs and humility which ought to 
 adorn the lives of chriflians. But would Chrift 
 have taken lambs and doves mto bis arms^ hid his 
 hands upon them^ blessed tbem^ and faid, of such is 
 the kingdom of heaven ? 
 
 It feems, by his manner of receiving thefe in, 
 fants, as if he meant to fatisfy his followers 
 through every age, that they are to be confidered 
 as his fubje£ls, and the heirs of his grace. To» 
 wards whom did he ever give more expreffive to- 
 kens of his favour ? The blessing was always ac- 
 counted a facred thing in the church. The laying 
 on of hands was ufed in the confecration of minif- 
 ters, and alfo for the communication of the Holy 
 Spirit. It was indeed one of the very lall tokens 
 of acknowledgment which the difciples received 
 from their Mailer, at the moment of his parting 
 from them, and afcenfion into heaven. Yet, with 
 each of thefe folemn forms did he own little chil- 
 dren as his, and confccrate them to himf:lf — at the 
 fame timq^adding, as a further rebuke upon the dif- 
 ciples for feeming to think them incapable of the 
 blcifingsof his kingdom, Verily^ I say unto yoUy 
 nuhosoever shall not receive the hingdom of God as a 
 little .child^ shall in no wise enter therein : As if he 
 had faid, *' you feem to ftand upon diftindlions, 
 and to think of qualifications as entitling you to 
 the privileges of my kingdom ; but, be it known 
 to you, that the very beil of you are as far from 
 l)avins any thing to recommend you to thefe priy- 
 
( 68 ) 
 
 ileges as little infants ; and if you receive them at 
 all, it muft be in the fame way in wliich they are 
 extended to them, by the free gift of God." 
 
 On another occafion, mentioned by three of the 
 evangelifts, we find him noticing young children, 
 and fpeaking of them in a moft remarkable man- 
 ner. Having taken one up into his arms, he faid, 
 'Whosoe'ver shall receive one such little child in my 
 name, receive th tne. — /; is not the ivill qfyotir Fa- 
 ther who is in heaven, that one of these little ones 
 should perish, — The Son of man is come to save 
 that vihich was lost. — Take heed that ye despise not 
 one of these little ones ; for I say unto you, that in 
 heaven their angels do always behold the face of 
 my Father who is in heaven. I know not how 
 others may underftand this language of our Sa- 
 viour, but to me, it founds as pointedly againft the 
 principles and practice of our Baptift brethren as 
 though it had been defigned for an exprefs warning 
 againft their miftakes. Can we, my hearers, doubt 
 whether it be the will of the fecond Adafp, the cov- 
 enant Head of all the redeemed, that the children 
 of his people fliould be baptized into his name, af- 
 ter we have feen and contemplated him in the at- 
 itude in which he is here exhibited, holding a little 
 child in his arms, and declaring it not to be the 
 will of his heavenly Father that any fuch little one 
 (hould perilh ; that though all be in danger through 
 the original apoftacy, yet since the Son of man 
 is come to save that which was lost, he, in Ipecial, 
 
C 69 ) 
 
 claims little children as the objedls of his redemp- 
 tion, and having a peculiar afFetlion for them, re- 
 quires them to be received, acknowledged, and 
 treated as his members -, hereby promifing that 
 any kindnefles rendered to them for his fake, fliall 
 be accepted and rewarded as done to himfelf ; and 
 folemnly cautioning his difciples, and through 
 them, all others, againft overlooking, neglecting, 
 or in any way defpifing fuch little ones ; for as his 
 members, they are the charge of thofe exalted be- 
 ings who Hand in the prefence of God, and have 
 the angels of heaven for their guardians I 
 
 Thefe ideas of the difciplefhip of little children, 
 and of the eftimation in which they are held by 
 Chrift, taught by himfelf in the courfe of his per- 
 fonal minirtry, may aflifl us in underflanding his 
 final confmiffion to his apoftles, diretSling them, by 
 the rite of baptifm, to enrol all nations in the num- 
 ber of his vifible fubje6ls : Go ye and teach (the 
 import of the Greek word is disciple or proselyte) 
 all nations, baptizing them. Could thefe orders 
 be fulfilled without the admiffion of infants into- 
 the church ? Do not children form a numerous 
 and important part of every nation ? Are they not 
 always included in the meaning of the word ?'Does 
 not the term, in every language, comprehend both 
 fexes, and every age ; from an infant of a day to 
 the hoary head ? Is it conceivable that the apof- 
 tles, after having fo repeatedly feen little children 
 in the gracious arms of their Saviour, again and 
 
C 70 ) 
 
 again witneffed the tender exprefiions ofhis favour 
 and affe<Slion towards ihem, been tliemftlves the 
 objedts of his difpleafure, and fuifered his rebuke 
 for keeping them from him, heard him folemnly 
 pronouncing them his fubje6ls, and declaring that 
 lukoe^er receheth them in his namey receiveth 
 him ; — after all this, is it conceivable that when 
 they admitted parents into the number of vifible 
 difciples, they fhould reje6\ their infant ofFcpring, 
 and withhold from them the difcriminating fcal of 
 difciplefhip ? Being commanded to baptize all na- 
 tions, would they have denied baptifm to the chil- 
 dren in every nation ? They knew what the tenour 
 ofGod^s covenant had always been, that when of 
 old, the gospel ivas preached iinto Abraham, its 
 promife was to him and his feed, his whole family 
 being interelled in it, and diflinguilhed by its ap- 
 pointed token ; that thus, in the line of his de- 
 fcendants, children continued to be included in the 
 covenant witli their parents, from generation to 
 generation, down to the then prtfent time. They 
 alfo knew that when any of the heathen were prof- 
 elyted to the religion of the Jews, the children of 
 fuch profeiytes were always included in the profef- 
 fion of their parents, and by circumcifion and the 
 other rites then in ufe, became as regular mem- 
 bers of the Jewifn church as the childrtn of Jews 
 themitlves. When therefore the period arrived 
 for extending to all the families of the earth, privi- 
 leges w'hich had hitherto been peculiar to the fami- 
 
( 71 ) 
 
 ly of Abraham, and the apoftles were commilSon- 
 ed for the purpofe ; niiift they not have concluded 
 that according to all former ufage, the children of 
 thofc oti^er families were to be profclyted with 
 their parents ? 
 
 It will be faid, that inilrii£lion precedes bap- 
 tifm. With refpefl to adults, this is ^o far true, 
 that there muft be a profefied willingnefs to re- 
 ceive inftru6lion. Such a willingnefs, however, 
 feems to have been the only pre-requifite deemed 
 neceflary by the apoftles. When any hearer of 
 the gofpel was fo far convinced of its truth as to 
 exprefs a willingnefs to enter the fchool of Chrift 
 in order to further inflru6lion, he was, by baptifm, 
 forthwith fo entered and put upon the lift of difci- 
 ples. This is the precife meaning of the command 
 to disciple or proselyte. It was thus that the apof- 
 tles fulfilled their commiflion. They perfuaded 
 as many as poflible, in this way, to become dif- 
 ciples. The multitudes baptized on the very day 
 on which they began to be inftrudled, muft have 
 been, with refp^^ft to chriftian knowledge, but 
 babes indeed. Thus, however, tliey, and with 
 them their children, u ere put in the way to learn. 
 The latter, according to their age and Handing, 
 and with refpe6l to what the chriftian covenant 
 required of them, might be as peTfc6\ as their 
 parents. Chriftians c^imparativeiy the moft emi- 
 nent, are but learners : they know but in part, 
 and are fan6\ifitd but in part. Tlie grades in 
 
C 72 ) 
 
 Chrill's fchool are various and proportioned to the 
 ages; capacities and opportunities of all the fchol- 
 ars, from the infant to the old man, and from the 
 newly converted pagan to the learned rabbi in If- 
 rael. The Baptifts confidently pronounce young 
 children incapable of the qualifications of Ghrift's 
 difciples. Their modefly would be more appar- 
 ent in fubmitting to his judgment ; and juftnefs of 
 obfervation might lead them to a better opinion of 
 the capacities and early improvements of children. 
 After their birth, not many weeks, perhaps not 
 many days pafs, before they begin to learn. 
 Though it may be fome time before they will be 
 able to underftand the chrifiian doctrines, yet, fa- 
 voured with the tuition of chriftian parents, and 
 conftantly experiencing a chriftian treatment, they 
 may very early poffefs the very temper of Chrift's 
 fubjefts. 
 
 But, admitting that in early infancy children ar€ 
 incapable of inftrudlion, this can be no argument 
 againft their being made difciples. Thus they are 
 entered into Chrift's fchool, and deftined to learn 
 of him. When it has been agreed to fend a child 
 to any particular mafter, he is thereupon called the 
 fcholar of that mafter, though as yet he has not 
 begun to learn. In Numbers iii. 28. we thus read 
 with reference to the Kohathites, " In the number 
 of all the males, from a month old and upward, 
 were eight thoufand and fix hundred, keeping the 
 charge of the sanctuary,^'' If Jewifh infants of a 
 
C 73 ) 
 
 month old, might be, not only the difclples of 
 Mofes, but officers under him, keepers of the 
 charge of the fan6luary, why may not chriflian in- 
 fants be the difciples of Chrifl ? — God promifed 
 Abraham, iti thy seed shall all nations be blessed. 
 In fulfilment of the promife, Chrift commanded 
 his apolUes, to disciple all nations^ baptizing them. 
 Will any undertake to prove that neither in the 
 promife, nor in the command, the word nations 
 includes children ? Had the command been as the 
 Jcwifh zealots at Antioch underftood it, A6ls xv. 
 that all nations were to be circumcised after the 
 manner of Moses^ every one would have fuppofed 
 that children were included. Why then fliould 
 not this be fuppofed, when the fame purpofe is to 
 be anfvvered by baptifm ? This latter rite was not, 
 in that age, a novelty. Of the whole congregation 
 of Ifrael, upon their firft entering into covenant 
 with God after tJieir exit from Egypt, St. Paul fays, 
 that they vjere all baptized unto Moses in the cloud 
 and in the sea. From ancient \\'riters, both Jewifh 
 and Chriflian, it appears that in conformity to this 
 original baptifm of their whole nation, the Jews 
 were accuftomed to baptize their profelytes ; and 
 that on fuch occafions, the Vvhole family of the 
 profeiytc, as included in his profeffion, were bap- 
 tized with him. When John theBaptift was afked, 
 lu^y baptizest thou then^ if thou be not the Christ ? 
 the queftion implies that, as their nation of old 
 had been baptized unto Mofes, fo the Jews expert- 
 
C 74 ) 
 
 ed that,- at the coming of the Meffiah, they would 
 be again baptized as profclytes to him. When, 
 therefore, the apoftlcs were fent forth for this pur- 
 pofe, would tliey not be led by the prior ufe of bap- 
 tifm, to apply it to children with their parents ? 
 
 Our brethren alls:, *' can infants repent and be- 
 lieve ?'* They might, with as much reafon, afk, 
 Can infants be faved ? Thefe conditions of adult 
 baptifm are alfo the exprtfs conditions of falvation. 
 But if the falvation of an infant depends not upon 
 thefe conditions, no more does his baptifm. Our 
 Saviour has taught us, that none can be faved but 
 thofe ijoho are horn ofivater and of the Spirit. In 
 hope that our infants may be born of the Spirit, 
 we wafh them with water. But to pretend* that 
 they ought not to be fo wafhed, becaufe they can- 
 not believe, is as abfurd as it would be to pretend 
 Uiat they ought not to eat becaufe they cannot 
 li^ork. — What are the excellencies of faith and re- 
 pentance that, by virtue of thefe qualifications re- 
 cently obtained, adults only (liould he confidered 
 as meet for difciplefliip to the exclufion of unof- 
 fending infants ? When an old fmner laments that 
 hitherto he has lived worfe than in vain, that his 
 whole life has paffed in treasuring up *wrath 
 against the clay of ixirath ; does this his repent- 
 ance render him more worthy of a relation to Chrift, 
 than they are who have never offended ? If, by 
 faith and repentance through the infinite grace of 
 the gofpcl. the fpots of fuch leopards may be walh- 
 
C 75 ) 
 
 cd out, the fable hue of fuch Ethiops may be 
 changed ; is it not fuppofable that to a holy God, 
 new bom infants, juft emerged from his forming 
 hand and free from all a<Slual guilt, when prefented 
 in baptiiin by chriftian parents, may be an oftering 
 full as acceptable ? Why fliould they not be thus 
 offered ? If parents belong to the number of Chrift's 
 vifible fheep, why fhould they not bring their 
 lambs into the fame fold with themfelves, to feed 
 in the fame paflure, and be under the care and 
 guardianlhip of the fame divine Shepherd ? 
 
 To me, it is matter of admiration how any can 
 ferioufly doubt whether children were, in fa6l, thus 
 introduced by the apoftles, when we find that of 
 fix baptifms recorded as adminillered by St. Paul, 
 three of them were fo many houfeholds, that of 
 Stephanas, of Lydia, and of the jailer. The cir- 
 cumftances of the two laft are particularly related ; 
 and fi*om the relation it appears that each of thefe 
 families were baptized on the profelTed faith of 
 their refpe6live heads, there being no intimation 
 of any profeiuon on the part of the other members. 
 If children, in all ages, were to be excluded from 
 the ordinance, is it not aftonifhing that the Holy 
 Ghoft, under whofe guidance the fcriptures were 
 written, fhould have ufed a term which naturally 
 leads every unprejudiced reader immediately to 
 think of children ? Not only in common fpeech, 
 but throughout the Bible, the word household fug- 
 gefts the idea of children. When Pharaoh invited 
 
C 76 ) 
 
 Jofeph's brethren to bring their h ouseholds mio 
 Egyp^ they thereupon carried their wives and 
 their little ones^ Genefis xlvi. 5. When, in iTim- 
 ©thy, iii. 4. St. Paul fays, A bishop must rule well 
 his own house or household (for it is the fame word,) 
 this explanation follows, *' having his children m 
 fubje6tion with all gravity." The baptifm of 
 houfeholds, then, unqueftionably implies that of 
 children, together with that of other young perfons 
 belonging to the family in the condition of ferv- 
 ants. 
 
 You will not wonder, my hearers, that fimilar 
 inftances of the baptifm of children occur not more 
 frequently in the A6ls of the apoftles, or that more 
 upon the fubje6\ is not found in their fpeeches and 
 writings, when you lliall reflet that at the com- 
 mencement of chriftianity, the great and immedi- 
 ate objc<Sl was, to profelyte adults. If houfeholders 
 could be brought over to the faith, none, in that 
 age, doubted of their families. The ideas enter- 
 tained by the ancients, of the onenefs of a man*s 
 family with himfelf, of his authority over them, 
 and refponfibility for them, were much higher and 
 more ftri6l, than thofe which prevail in modem 
 times. By the laws of Romulus, children were 
 placed under the unlimited control and at the abfo- 
 lute difpofal of their parents ; and by the \?cs\s of 
 Mofes, they were fo far confidered as the property 
 ofthefatherthat, if he became a bankrupt, they 
 were liable to be feized among his other effe^s, 
 
C 77 ) 
 
 and fold into flavery, or retained in bondage to the 
 creditor. It was therefore taken for granted uni- 
 verfally, both among Jews and Gentiles, that all t*lie 
 branches of a family were included in the profef- 
 fion of its head. When the parents embraced 
 chriftianity, and fubmitted to baptifm, that of their 
 children followed as a thing of courfe. As this 
 accorded with the feiife of all men, and with the 
 cuftoms and ufages univerliiliy predominant in 
 that age, and was never once called in queftion, 
 there was no occafion for any particular ftatement 
 upon the fubjedt. 
 
 Our Baptift brethren endeavour to evade the 
 force of ail our arguments by urging, that " no 
 perfons are the proper fubjedls of a pofitive infti- 
 tute who are not exprefsly mentioned in the infli- 
 tute it{l:lf. ' » But do they, in other refpe 6ts , adhere 
 to this rule ? I charitably fuppofe that thofe of them 
 whi arc ferioufly religious, make confcience of 
 keeping holy the firflday of the week ; but ^here 
 has Chrift or his apoftles faid, " Thou fhalt re- 
 member the firflday of the week to keep it holy ?" 
 They admit females to the Lord's -table ; but 
 where is it faid, "Let women, as well as men, do 
 this in remembrance of me ?" I am far from inti- 
 mating that they are wrong in thefe obfervances ; 
 but furely there is as much evidence from fcripture 
 to prove that we ai-e right in the baptifm of infants. 
 Indeed, with refpe6l to this ordinance of baptifm, 
 they require the immerfion of the whole body. 
 
( 78 ) 
 
 and deny baptifm in every other form ; bat where 
 do they find the divine injun6lion, " Thou fhalt 
 baptize by immerfion only ?" If they think two or 
 three words, vaguely and incorre6:ly tranflated, tch 
 be an authority equivalent to a command ; we 
 think that we have produced incomparably better, 
 more fubftantial and fatisfa6\:ory proofs of the dif- 
 ciplefhip of infants, of their being included in the 
 covenant with their parents, and of their fcripturep 
 right to the feai of that covenant. They were thus 
 included in it from its firfl propofal to an apellate 
 world. By the expreis command of God, they 
 received the external token of the covenant from 
 the days of Abraham down to the coming of our 
 Saviour. This covenant conftituted the church 
 and kingdom of God, of which the Ifraclites were ' 
 members and fubjedls. Its outward form and 
 rites have been changed, but the qualifications of 
 its fubje6ts have been always the fame. The 
 prop't'tsand apofUes were all members and minif- 
 ters of the fame church. When, for their rejec- 
 tion of the MtiTiah, the kingdom of God was taken 
 from the Jews, and given to the Gentiles, the 
 transfer made no alteration with rtfpcft to what is 
 required in its fuhje6ls. The gofpel is but an 
 illuftration and fulfilment of God's promife in his 
 eovenant with Abraham,/;/ thy seed shall oil na- 
 tions be blessed. For the carrying of this promife 
 into effe6\, the apoftles were fent forth to disciple 
 elinationSi baptizing them. Authorized by this 
 
C 79 ) 
 
 commiflion, they proclaimed the promife of grace 
 as extending to children, with their parents, and 
 baptized the families of believers, exprefsly declar- 
 ing their children, as theirs, to be saints. While 
 thcfc truths are prominent in the word of 
 God, there can be no reafon to fcruple the lawful- 
 nefs of infuit baptifm. However faulty our 
 churches may be in other refpedts, yet in this 
 queftion, we have the fcriptures, as well as an- 
 tiquity, and all the national churches in Chrillen- 
 dom, on our fide. 
 
 As the mode of baptifm by immerfion, and the 
 exclufion of infants from the ordinance, are two 
 diftind't queftions, having no apparent conne6\ion 
 with each other, and draw after them trains of ar- 
 guments equally feparate and diftin6l ; it feems 
 fomewhat fmgular and unaccountable that thefe 
 two points, fo diffimilar in themfelves, fhould have 
 been, for more than two centuries paft, uniformly 
 aflbciated in the minds of a particular feci of chrift- 
 ians. It affords fome room, at leaft, for fufpicioii 
 that their opinions are formed not from evidence 
 alone. I would not, however, be underftood as 
 infmuating that there are no fmcere chriftians among 
 them. I rather hope that there may be fome fuch 
 among each of the denominations in Chriftendom, 
 and (hould rejoice to fee all thefe different perfua- 
 fions mutually extending their chriftian charity to- 
 ' wards each other. This would be a fubftantial 
 proof of the reaUty of their religion. By this, fays 
 
( 80 ) 
 
 our Saviour, shall all men knovt that ye are mtf 
 disciples, if ye lo'ue one another » 
 
 The fpirit of divifion and reparation, which fo 
 generally n-arks thofe of the Baptill perfuafion, is J 
 moft oppofite to that of chriflian charity. Their ^ 
 exckKling all other chriftians from ftllowfhip with 
 them, favours not a little of the fpirit of thofe an- 
 cient hypocrites who faid, stand by thyself, come 
 not near me ; for I am loiter than thou. The 
 very plea which they offer as an excufe for 
 this condua, is, in itfelf, a further exprtfTion of 
 an .JTuming and arrogant fpirit. ' ' Ye have not been 
 bciptizcd," fay they, " therefore we cannot com- 
 mune with you." Thus i\\ty judge tbcir brcth. 
 ren, deny their baptifm, and set them at nought as 
 unchriftened heathens. By excluding us from the 
 tabic of the Lord, they implicitly tell us that we: 
 cannot Ihafe with them in a crucified Saviour. 
 Christ is not divided, nor has he two tables, one 
 for them and another for us. By engrofling it to 
 
 themfclves, they treat us asoutcafts When men 
 
 have been once plunged, they feem to be incur- 
 ably baptized into this uncharitablencfs, into a fc6l 
 or party, rather than into that religion \\hich is 
 intended for all nations, which breathes peace on: 
 earth and univerfal good will. In dire6l oppofi-' 
 tion to this fpirit of the gofpel, they in this place, 
 who have lately gone over to the Baptiil perfuafion, 
 have thereupon withdrawn themfelves from this 
 houfe of worfliip, from the word and facraments 
 
 J 
 
( 81 ) 
 
 here adminiftered, from all conne6lion with this 
 chriftian affembly, and are now fetting up altar 
 againft altar. Thus fchifm, with all its attendant 
 evils, has taken place. Could the great enemy of 
 Chrift and his church have hit upon a proje£l 
 more effe6lual for the fubverfion of the general 
 interefts of religion ^ A houfe or a kingdom divided 
 againft itfelf, cannot ftand. Of all the duties en- 
 joined upon us in the gofpel, are tliere any upon 
 which greater ftrefs is laid, or more precepts and 
 exhortations given, than upon thofe of peace and 
 union, brotherly love and mutual charity ? Behold y 
 how good^ and hoi\) pleasant it isy for brethren to 
 dweii together in unity f Addreffing himfelf to the 
 Corinthians, St. Paul fays, JV^ow I beseech youy ' 
 brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christy ' 
 that there be no divisions among you. To the 
 chriftians at Rome, difputing about religious cere- 
 monies, he continues through the whole of the 
 14th. and part of the 15th. chapter of his epiflle, 
 to urge them to a mutual charity, notwithftanding 
 their different fentiments. With all his apoftolici 
 authority he enjoins it upon each party to receive 
 one another as brethren in good Handing. He 
 clearly teaches the right of private judgment, and 
 that no man ouglit to be cenfured for doing or not 
 doing what he either does or forbears to do from ai 
 principle of obedience to the divine will. I^Fho. 
 art thou that judgest another man's ser'uant ? 
 
 Tq his own master he standeth or falktb, la 
 o 
 
( 82 ) 
 
 matters of confcience, we are accountable to 
 God only. Let eijery man^ therefore, be fully 
 persuaded in his own mind. AVhile our brethren 
 are left in the full enjoyment of this liberty, what 
 juft caufe can they have for feparation ? If with their 
 new ideas of baptifm, they have alfo obtained new 
 hearts and right fpirits ; by continuing here, with 
 thefe newly acquired principles of grace and holinefs , 
 manifefting themfelves in every good word and 
 work, how much evil might have been prevented, 
 and how greatly might the general interefts of re- 
 ligion be advanced by fhining examples of the pow- 
 er of Godlinefs ! To the peace and welfare of the 
 town, to the interefts of civil fociety, as well as to 
 thofc of religion, continued union would be exceed- 
 ingly beneficial. For what are all thefe fignal ad- 
 vantages facrificed ? Can any believe that, with fuch 
 facrifices, the God of peace and the Prince of 
 peace, are well pleafed ? Throughout the New 
 Teftament, fchifm appears in the catalogue of the 
 moft grievous fins, is branded as the fruit of a car- 
 nal and flefhly mind, and the authors and abettors 
 cf it are reprefented as dangerous affociates whom 
 all ferious chriftians are required moft heedfull}^ 
 to fhun. The eminently pious, as well as learned^ 
 Baxter ;\v\io^ in his day, is faid to have written mor©- 
 books againft the Baptifts, than any other Britifh 
 author, gives it as his judgment that their fpirit of 
 feparation is the moft dangerous of all their er- 
 aocs. ' * I am not, ^ ^ fays he, * ' half fo zealous to tura 
 
C 83 ) 
 
 men from the' opinions of the Anabaptifts, as I 
 am to perfuade both them and others, to Hve to- 
 gether ill mutual love and church communion, 
 notwithftanding fuch differences." While we 
 continue to lament what was fo fincerely lament- 
 ed by this good man, and muft forever be lament- 
 ed by all good men ; let it be our care, my breth- 
 ren, fo to condu6l, that, if offences come, we may 
 not be the faulty caufe ; and may the fpirit of 
 truth preferve us from every falfe way, and teach 
 us how to walk fo as to pleafe God ! 
 
DESCRIBED i 
 
 THE 
 
 QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP 
 
 STATED; 
 
 ^ffRISTIJN- FELLOJVSHIP ILLUSTRATED ; 
 IN TWO 
 
 DISCOURSES. 
 
 By JOSEPH'LATHROP, B.D. 
 
 Minifter of a Confiregational Church, in lV;ii-Spr\n'^p •■11. 
 
 THIRD EDITION 
 
 cHARiEsrom: : 
 Printed and sold bt S. ETHERIDGF. 
 
 1804. 
 
THE 
 NATURE AND DESIGNf 
 
 OF A 
 
 CHR IS TUN CHUR C K 
 
 1 CoRiN. i. 2. 
 
 Utito the Church of God^ ivhich is at Corinth; to them , 
 luho are sanctified in Christ Jesiis^ calledto besaints, 
 luith all that in eiiery place call upen the name of 
 Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours, 
 
 THAT we may better wnderftand the apoflle's 
 idea of a church of "God, we muft bear in 
 mind that the Corinthians, before the gofpel was 
 preached among them, were gentiles carried aiuay 
 unto dumb idols, ei)en as they were led. Thofe of 
 them who received the doctrine preached by the 
 apolUes, renounced the idolatrous forms and places 
 of Avorfliip, and united together to worfhip God 
 through Jefus Chrift, in the manner which the gofpel 
 prticribes. These are called a church, which in the 
 original lartguage, properly fignifies a select company^ 
 or an afiembly called forth from the reft of mankind for 
 fome particular purpofe, more efpecially for the pur- 
 pofe of religious worlhip. The church in Corinth 
 was that number of perfons, who had come out from 
 among their idolatrous fellow citizens for the true 
 worflup of God in Chrift. 
 
( 4 ) 
 
 The apoftle defcribes them, as sanctifiedin Christ 
 Jesus ^ and called to be saints. We cannot fuppofe, 
 that by this clcfcription he intended to reprefent alt 
 the members of the Corinthian church to be graciouSy 
 godly perfons : many paflages, in this and his fecond 
 cpiiUe to them, import that he thought otherwife ; 
 but thefe phrafes rather fignify, that they had been 
 called out of the world, and feparated from others, that 
 they might be a peculiar people to God. They tvere 
 called to be holy. The words, sanctified^ saints ^ 
 and hdy^ applied to bodies of men, are ufually ta 
 be taken in the fame general fenfe, as christians, 
 disciples^ and brethren ; to exprefs their 'visible rela- 
 tion and professed chara^ler, rather than a certain 
 judgment concerning their habitual temper. The 
 labbath, the temple, its utenfils, and the ground on 
 which it ftood, are called holy^ and faid to be sancti- 
 Jied^ becaufe they were feparated from a common to 
 a facred ufe. The nation of the Jews, in which, at 
 its beft ftate, were great numbers of ungodly men, i& 
 called holy, as being feparated from other nations, 
 for the fervice of the true God. Mofes fays. Te are 
 a holy people to the Lord, a peculiar treasure, a king' 
 dom of priests. So the chriftian church is called a 
 ehosen generation^ a royal priesthood, a holy nation^ 
 a peculiar people. The Avord saints, in many places 
 Hands oppofed, not to unfound Chriftians, but to the' 
 heathen world, particularly in the paflages ^vhich 
 fpeak of perfecution againft the saints, of miniilering 
 to the saints, and of diitributing to the necelTities of 
 the saints ; and in that remarkable palTage which de- 
 nominates the children of a believer holy, in difUnc- 
 iion from the children of the unbelieving, wko are" 
 called unclean* 
 
( 5 ) 
 
 'The apoftle farther defcribes the Corinthian church, 
 as confiding of thole who call on the name of thd 
 Lord Jesus Christ ; who own him to be their Lord 
 and Saviour, profefs to hope for fah^ation through him 
 and worfhip God in his Ucime. 
 
 He directs his epillle/^ all^ nuho, in e'oery place, call 
 on the name of Christ Jesus the Lord, both theirs and 
 ours. In this addrefs, he fignifies, that there is a fa- 
 cred relation fubfifting among all Chriftians in every 
 place, and that, as they profefs fubje6\:ion to one com- 
 mon Lord, fo they ought to maintain communion 
 one with another. 
 
 The words of our text will naturally lead us to 
 confider, 
 
 L The nature of a church of God. 
 
 ir. The f;z^ofits inflitution. 
 
 ni. The relation which children bear to it. 
 
 IV. The qualifications requifite for admifiion in- 
 to it. And, 
 
 V. Th £ fellowship, which ought to fubiill among 
 its members. 
 
 I. We are to confider the nature df a church of 
 God. 
 
 Its general nature, as a feledl company, called 
 forth from the world, for the worfliip and ferviee of 
 God, we have already ftated in the opening of our 
 text. Some further illuflrations, hoNvever, will be 
 necefiary. 
 
 The church is fometimcs diHinguiflied into the m- 
 lisible andthe n}isil'le church. By the invisible church, 
 is intended the whole number of real faints in all pla- 
 ces and ages ; the xvhole fam.ily in Heaven and 
 €aith ; thofe whom Chrill will gather together in one 
 A 
 
( 6 ) 
 
 body in Heaven. This is thatMouxTzioN, the ci-. 
 
 TYOFTHE LIVINgGoD, THE HEAVENLY JerUSA- 
 
 LEii, which confifts of an innumerable company of 
 angels, the fpirits of juft men made perfe(St, and tlic 
 general affembly and church of the firft born, who 
 were enrolled in Heaven. By the n)isible church are 
 meant all thofe who have been vifibly dedicated to 
 God in Chrift, and have not, by infidelity, herefy, or 
 fcandal, cut themfelves off from the fociety of Chril- 
 tians ; or, in the words of our apoftle, all wbo, in 
 coery place^ call on the name of Jesus Christ our 
 Lcrd. 
 
 The vifible church is again diftinguifhed into the 
 catholic or ge7-ieral chuvoh^ and into local or particular 
 churches. The word is often ufed to denote all the 
 professed people of God in all nations and ages. In 
 this large fenfe it is to be underftood, when Chrift is 
 faid to be made head of the church, and the church 
 is defcribed as fubje6l to him. The whole Jewilh, 
 nation, which was chofen of God, to be a peculiar 
 people to hi mfelf, is called the church. It is laid of 
 Mofes, he ivas in the church in the wilderness. 
 
 When this people, by their great and increafmg 
 corruption, were ripening apace for deftru6\ion, Gocl 
 font his own Son, the promiied Redeemer to refcue 
 from ruin his fmking church, and place it on. a larger 
 im;] furer eilabliiliment. By his teaching, and the 
 minillry of his apoftles, who v/t re trained up under 
 his immediate difcipline, a confidcrable number of 
 fubjt6\s were gained over to his kingdom, while he 
 was on earth. • Juft before his afcenfion, he gavethefe 
 apoftles a commiflion to go forth, and fpread his 
 doctrine, and colle6^ fubje^s among all nations* 
 
His church, which before flood on the foundation o£^ 
 the prophets, now ftands on the foundation of the 
 apoftles alfo, he himielf being the corner ftone, in 
 whicli both parts of the foundation meet and are 
 united. The church was formerly limited to one 
 nation, but now it is indifcriminatel}' extended to ail. 
 In the city of Jerufalem there were many, who, be- 
 fore the defcent of the Holy Ghoft, conforted for the 
 worfhip of God in Chrift. To thefe were foon added 
 multitudes, who continued in die apottles' doclrine 
 and fellowfhip, and in breaking of bread and in 
 prayers. They were called the church. After the 
 gofpel was fpread tofuch an extent, that it was no 
 longer ^poiiible for all the believers to attend tlie 
 worfhip of God in the fame place, particular relig- 
 ious focieties, in divers places, were formed for the 
 convenience of worlliip, each of which had the name 
 of a church. 
 
 These focieties ofChrifdans, united indifferentr 
 places for mutual edification in the joint worfliip o£ 
 God, are what we mean by particular churches, in 
 c[i(lin6^ion from the catholic or uni'ucrsal church. 
 Thus the Chrlftians in Corinth, thofe in Galatia, thofe 
 in Ephefus, thcfe in ThefTalonica, are called a church> 
 But as all thefe particular churches received the fame 
 gofpel, maintained the fame form of worOiip, and 
 profefTed fubje6\ion to the fame Lord, fo they are 
 often confiidered as cae church. Though v.e read of 
 many churches, yet thefe are only fo many different 
 parts of the fame Univerfal church. They are mem- 
 bers of the fame great body, apartments of the fame 
 houfe, provinces of the fame empire. With regard 
 to their feverai jurifdi6iions and places of worfhip, 
 they are diflin^ ; but yet one in the main, as they call 
 
C 8 ) 
 
 on tlie fame Jefus, their common Saviour and Lord. 
 
 As there was in the apoilolic times, fo there i^now, 
 frequent occafion for new churches to be formed. 
 But from the preceding obfervations, it appears, that 
 whenever a new church is ere6led, careful regard 
 fliould be had to her communion with other churches, 
 as well as to the communion of her own members 
 among themfelves ; otherwife the body of Chrill is 
 divided, and the bond of peace is broken. 
 
 Among the 'members of every particular church, 
 there is always fuppofed to be a folemn covenant and 
 agreement to walk together in the commands and 
 ordinances of Chrift, to watch over one another 
 in meeknefs and love, and to be fellow-helpers to the 
 kingdom of God. The church in Corinth is faid to 
 come together into one place. The church in Jeru- 
 falem is cautioned not to forsake the assembling of 
 themsehes together ; and required, to exhort one 
 another ^ and to consider one another ^ that they may 
 prouoke to lo^uC and to good works. And Chriftians are 
 are enjoined to be subject one to another. 
 
 The covenant between the members of a partic- 
 ular church, to walk together in the ordinances of 
 Chrill, is of facred obligation ; and when any of them 
 have cccafion to remove to another church, they 
 jfhould do it in a manner confiftent Vvith Chriftian 
 order, peace and communion. WTien a number of 
 Chriftians unite in a new church, ftill tliey muft con- 
 fider themfelves as members of the general body, and 
 feek, not merely their own profit but the profit of 
 many. 
 
 II. The end for which a church was inftituted, 
 and the purpofe for which we are called into it, is V-'hat 
 ive propofed, in the fecond place, to coiifider, 
 
C 5 ) 
 
 Christ's kingdom is not of this world. As the 
 nature, fo the dcfign of it is purely fpifitual ; it is, 
 tliat in the enjoyment of fuitable means we may 
 be trained up in knowledge and holinefs ; and thus 
 formed to a meetnefs for future glory. 
 
 It is faid, the Lord added to tl:>e church daily such 
 as should be sa'ved. This is not to be underftood as 
 importing, that all whojoined themfelves to the church 
 were finally faved. There were in that, as there are 
 in all ages, many who call Chrift their Lord, and eat 
 and drink in his prefence, but Hill are workers of 
 iniquity. But they are called the sa'ued, becaufe they 
 are admitted to the oiFers and means of falvation. In 
 this fenfe alfo, baptifm is faid to save us ; not as con- 
 veying an immediate right to falvation, but as being 
 the appointed way of introduflion into the vifible 
 church, where the means of falvation are afforded. 
 In the fame fenfe we are to underftand thofe palTages, 
 where falvation is promifed to whole families on the 
 feith of the head. Not that bis faith entitles them to 
 eternal life, but that it brings them into the vifible 
 church, and to the enjoyment of the means of fal- 
 vation. Noah, by failh, prepared an ark to jhe sa^' 
 ifi'g' of his house; the like figure 'vohereunto^ e'ven- 
 baptism doth no-iv sa've us.. 
 
 As without holinefs, none can be admitted into 
 God's heavenly kingdom, Christ gaw himself for 
 the church, that he might sanctify and cleanse it %vitb 
 the ivashing qfivaterby the ivord, that he might pre- 
 sent it to himself a glorious church, not hamrig spot or 
 vmnkle or any such thing ; but that it should be 
 holy and without blemish. The church, in our text, 
 is defer ibed, as confining of thofe luho are called to be 
 
C 10 ) 
 
 holy. Chrift has fet in his church, teachers for her 
 edification, that ive might all come in the wjity of 
 faith and knowledge, to the measure of the stature of 
 the fulness of Christ ; and professing the truth in love, 
 7night grow up into him i?i all things. 
 
 Love is a moll important branch of gofpel holinefs. 
 Chriftians are chosen in Christ, that they might be holy 
 and without blame before him in love ; and might 
 purify their souls in obeying the truth, through the 
 spirit, unto unfeigned love of the brethren. Chrift 
 has, tlierefore, appointed that his difciples, dwelling 
 together in fecial connexion, and maintaining 
 fellowfliip in religious duties, fliould increafe and 
 abound in love one toward another, and toward all 
 men. They are directed to forbear one another in 
 love, and keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of 
 peace, because there is one body, or church, of which 
 they are all members, and one spirit, one Lord, one 
 faith, and one baptism. In order to their enjoying 
 the grace of God, for their increafe and edification, 
 they muft, like the parts of a building, ht fitly fram- 
 ed into each other, a^id be builded together for an hab- 
 itation of God through the spirit. 
 
 Having illuftrated the nature and defign of a 
 church of God, we will now attend to the next pro- 
 pofed inquiry. 
 
 III. What relation children bear to the church ? 
 
 This will be necelTary, previoufly to our ftating 
 the qualifications of adult profelytes. 
 
 When firft the apoftles went forth to preach the 
 goipel, andere6l churches in the world, mankind in 
 general were in 2i^2L\.^ oi heathenism, ot Judaism ; 
 and, either had not heard of the gofpel , or did not 
 
C 11 ) 
 
 believe it to be divine. From among thefe, were 
 they to make profelytes to Chriftianity. 
 
 What they required of the profelytes, whom they 
 admitted into the church of God, was a profefled be- 
 lief that Jtfus was the Chrift, the Son of God. This 
 profeflion of faith in Chrift necefUirily implied a prom- 
 ife of obedience to him. 
 
 Now as the apoftles admitted adult profelytes into 
 the church by baptifm, fo there is fufficient ground to 
 believe, that they admitted to this ordinance the chil- 
 dren of profelytes, in tok^n of God's merciful regard 
 to them, and of their parents' obligation to bring them 
 up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. In 
 this general fenfe, the baptifed offspring of belie vers 
 are within the church ; having God's covenant feal 
 upon them, and being under the care of thofe who 
 have covenanted to bring them up for him. 
 
 As many as are comprehended within God's cove- 
 nant, and are the fubjeds of its gracious promifes, 
 undeniably belong to the churcli ; for this is founded 
 on the covenant. That the children of profelTed be- 
 lievers are within the covenant, is evident from paf- 
 fages of fcripture, too numerous to be here particular- 
 ly recited. The promife to Abraham was made 
 alfo to his infant feed, who were to recieve the feal 
 and token of the promife, as well as he ; and as 
 many as received it not, were faid to ha\'e broken 
 God's covenant; and thefe were to be cut off, or 
 excluded from among, their people. Had they not 
 been v\ ithin the covenant, aiid among the people of 
 God, their want of the feal could not have been a 
 breach of the covenant, or an cxclufion from the peo- 
 ple. Mofes %sto the congregation oflfrael, Te 
 standallofyoubsfore ih^ Lord your God; all iba 
 
( 12 ) 
 
 fnen of Israel^ your little ones and your ivhes ; that 
 thou shouldst enter into coi)ena?it ivith the Lord thy 
 God^ that he may establish thee for a people to himself^ 
 as he hath sivorn to Abraham. Exprefs promifes are 
 made to children, as the feed of thofe who are in cov- 
 enant, particularly the promife of God's word, and 
 of his fpirit. God established a testimony in Jacohy 
 mohich he commanded the fathers, that they should 
 make it known to their children, that the generation 
 to come might also knoiv it. Circumcision has 
 much the advantage every iwxy, chiefly because to 
 them are committed the oracles of God. To Jacob his 
 servant, and to Israel his chosen, God promifes, / 
 ijoill pour my spirit on thy seed, and my b!essi?ig on 
 thine offspring, and they shall spring up as among 
 the grass, and as willows by the water courses. This 
 is God's covenant with them who turn from tranigref*. 
 fion in Jacob. My spirit ivhich is upon thee, and my 
 ivords which I have put in thy mouth, shallnot depart 
 out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed. In-- 
 fants are called the children of the church; and the 
 gentiles are defcribed in prophecy, as coming to the 
 cliurch with their children in their arms. All these 
 gather themselves together and come to thee ; to Zion, 
 God's church, they shall bring thy sons in their arms, 
 and thy daughters shall be carried on their shoulders-* 
 The children of thofe who are in covenant, arediftin- 
 guiflied from others as God's children, born unto 
 him. God fays to his ancient church, I entered ifits 
 covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine ; but thou 
 hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whicli thou 
 hast born unio me, and hast sacrificed them : thou 
 hast slain my children. It is foretold , that in the time 
 of the churcli's profperity, the people shallnot labour 
 
C 13 ) 
 
 hi vain, nor bring forth for trouble^ for they are the 
 seed of the blessed of the Lord> and their of spring 
 ijjith them. The Redeemer is defcribcd by Ilaiah^ as 
 one ijoho shall feed his fock like a shepherd, and shall 
 gather the lambs with his arms, and carry them in 
 his bosom. When he appeared on earth, he com- 
 manded that children lliould be brought to him : 
 thofe who were brought, he took into his arms, and 
 blefled, declaring them fubje6ls of his kingdom. 
 But in what fenfe are they fuch, if they belong not 
 to his church, but to the kingdom of Satan ? When 
 Chrilt inftituted the ordinance of baplifm, he pointed 
 out the lubjcdls of it in fuch general terms, as might 
 naturally be fuppofed to include children ; and his 
 apoftlcs, who knew how he had ever treated children, 
 who had heard his dire6lions concerning them, and 
 who could not be ignorant, that, under former difpen- 
 fations of the covenant, children were comprehended 
 with their parents, mull underlland them to be in- 
 cluded in this inftru^ion, disciple all nations, bap- 
 tizing them. Accordingly, in the fit ft inllance of 
 their adminiftering baptifm, after this commifilon, 
 they placed the reafon cf it, and the right to it, on a 
 bafis which alike fupports the baptifm of belieyers, 
 and of their children. Repent and be baptized fer 
 the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of 
 the Holy Ghost, for the promise is to you and to your 
 children. They confidered the children of believers 
 as holy, in diftin6lion from the cliildren of unbelievers. 
 And it appears to have been their practice, when 
 they baptized a believing houfeholder, to baptize 
 cilfo his houfehold ; thofe v ho were his, and under 
 his government. And it is obfervable, that among 
 
 all the infiances of baptifm, mentioned in the New 
 B 
 
TeflaiTfierit, wc find not one baptised at adult age, 
 who appears to liave been b Jia of Chriftian parents ^ 
 ibutthey were all profelytes fromjudaifm, or from 
 heathenif in . 
 
 Our Englifh word church, fignifies the houfe, or 
 family of the Lord. It is a well chofen word ; for tlie 
 church is often called, a family oi household. But who 
 needs to be told, that children are members of the fam- 
 ily in which they are born ? It is often called a city^ a 
 nation^ ?ipsopls. But who ever imagined that thefe 
 terms excluded children ? If a city is incorporated are 
 not children members of the corporation, as well as 
 tlieir parents? If a privilege is granted to apeople, do 
 not children become intitled to it. If a form of gov- 
 42rnment is fettled in a nation, do not children come 
 •under die form. 
 
 You \>'ill aik, liow can children be brought \vithl« 
 the church without their own coufcnt ? But as well 
 may you afk, how fhould they be born under the gof- 
 pel ; or how fliould they be created rational beings, 
 ivithout their own confent ? If it is a privilege to enjoy 
 the example, inftru(Slion and prayers of good men, 
 and to be placed under the care of thofe who are fol- 
 emnly bound.t© give tliem a pious education, then it 
 is a privilege to be born within the church, and to 
 receive m childhood the feal of tlie covenant. 
 And will any complain, that God beftows on them 
 mercies, before they had confentcd to tike them ? 
 
 Certain religious duties are incumbent on chil- 
 dren, as foon as they arrive to a natural capacity to 
 perform tliem. Bat has not God a right to enjoin 
 fuch dutits as his wifdom fees fit ? Muft he confult 
 bis creatures to know what laws he may make for 
 them ? Was not the covenant in the plains of Moab 
 made with little ones, as wtU as with the men of If- 
 
C 15 ) 
 
 tael ? With thofe who are not, as well as with thofe. 
 who were then prefent ? Are there ret moral obliga- 
 tions which refiilt from our rational nature, and from 
 our place in the creation, as well as from our fpecial 
 covenant relation to God ? Shall we conclude that all 
 thefe obligations are void, for want of our previous 
 confent ? To the validity of contracts between mani> 
 and man, who iland on the foot of equality, mutual 
 confent is neceiTary : But God is a fovereign, and 
 * his covenant he commajuh us.' When he prom- 
 ifes us bleffings, and enjoins duties as conditions of 
 the bleflings, he ftates to us the tenor of his covenant, 
 7(vs\^ by his fuprcme authority, brings us under the 
 obligations of it, ^^hether we have conitntcd to it,, 
 or not. 
 
 Now if the children of believers are under the: 
 covenant, and within the church of God, they ought 
 to receive the feal and token of their relation to him ; 
 to be taught, as foon as they are able to underftand, 
 the nature of religion ; and to be confidered, when 
 they come forward In life, as under the watch of thcJ 
 church. They fhould be nurfed at her fide ; and^ 
 "when they have competency of kncvkdge, flhouldbe 
 invited to her a^ual communion. If they behave in 
 a manner unworthy of their relation, they fhould be 
 treated with, and exhorted to repentance. If they 
 prove contumacious and incorrigible, they are, after 
 due patience, to be cut off from their people. Such 
 appears to be the flate of children. 
 
 IV. We proceed to inquire, what qualifications ara 
 rcquifite fcr the admifficn of adults into the church, 
 and for their enjoyment of all gofpel ordinances? 
 
 The qucflion is twofold : First, What a church- 
 ought to require of thole whom fhe admits. to h€K 
 
( 16 3 
 
 eommunlon ? And, Secondly, What qualifications a 
 perfon muft find in liimfelf tojuflifj- his coming to the 
 comnnunion ? 
 
 Tpie firft qiieftion is, What a church ought to re- 
 quire of thofe whom Ihe admits to her communion ? 
 
 THE'anfwer in general is, She is to require the 
 fame as the apofllcs required. 
 
 Those whom the apoftles admitted to felloM'fliip 
 with them in breaking of bread, and in prayer, being 
 firft inftru6ted in the do(5lrines and evidences of 
 Chriftianity, profeffed to believe, that this was a di- 
 vine religion. 
 
 The Jews, who were baptized on the day ofpente- 
 coft, gladly received the w^ord of the gofpel. The 
 eunuch, who was baptized by Philip, declared his 
 belief, that Jefus was the Son of God. The heart of 
 Lydia Was opened to attend to the doclrine of Paul ; 
 and fhe v;as judged faithful to the Lord. The jailor 
 is faid to have believed in God. When the people of 
 Samaria believed Philip, preaching the things con- 
 cerning the kingdom of God, they were baptized, 
 both men and women. 
 
 The churches were enjoined to put away from 
 among them thofe wicked perfons who would not be 
 reclaimed, We may, therefore, conclude, that fuch 
 were not received without a profeffion of repentance. 
 
 A Christian church is, then, to require of thofe, 
 whom flie admits to her communion, thefe three 
 tilings ; a competent knowledge of the effential doc- 
 trines and precepts of religion ; a profeffed belief of, 
 and fubje6lion to them ; and a blamelefs converfation ; 
 or, where this had been wanting, a profeffion of re- 
 pentance. Thefe things are, in the nature of ihe- 
 
C 17 ) 
 
 cafe, neceflarj' ; for it is palpably abfurd for a marl t©^. 
 join himfelf to a Chriftian church, and attend upon its 
 CH-dinances, iinkfs he underftands the nature, and 
 believes the truth of that religion on which it is found- 
 ed ; and has fuch a fcnfe of its importance, aafto re- 
 folve that he will be governed by it. And every per- 
 fon of competent knowledge, a good profclTion, and a. 
 correfpondent life, has a right, in the view of the 
 cliurch, to the enjoyment of gofpel ordinanceSyr 
 whenever he claims it. 
 
 Whatever may be the opinion ofa church,.con. 
 cerning the necellity of faving grace to qualify one, in 
 the fight of God, for Chriftian communion, (he can- 
 not juftly exclude the perfon we have defcribed ; be- 
 caufe a good prof( ffion, and a converfation agreeable 
 to it, is all the evidence v hich flie can have in his fa- 
 vor. She can judge the heart only by vifible fruits. 
 The controverfy concerning the neceffity of internal 
 holinefs, in the prefent cafe, can have no reference to 
 the real practice of the church, in admitting members ; 
 for whether fhe judges this to be a neceffary qualifica- 
 tion or not, ftill fue mull conduct in the fame manner, 
 and admit the fame perfbns. Namely, thofe, and 
 only thole, who have fuffxient knowledge of the gof- 
 pel, profefs a belief of, and fubjcPiionto the gofpel, 
 and contradi6l not that proftflion by an ungodly con- 
 verfation. She may, perhaps, think. proper to require 
 of her members a particular relation of their Chriftian 
 experiences. But be this relnti'on ever fo full, ftfll it 
 is but the evidence of words — of a good profeifion; 
 The real fmcerity of the heart, after all, isknov.n only 
 to him, M'ho feeth not as man feeth. 
 
 A CHURCH has no right, on mere jcalovsy, to ex^ 
 B 2- 
 
( 18 ■) 
 
 dude from her communion any one who offers lihn^ 
 felf. She mult firft make it appear, that he is, by igno- 
 rance, herefy or wickednefs, difqualified for commun- 
 ion. It is not incumbent on him to demonflrate his 
 inward grace ; but . on the church to prove his want 
 of it. The burden of proof, in this cafe, lies wholly 
 on the cliurch ; not on the claimant. If one claims 
 privileges, the church is not to rejetl him, in a fover- 
 cign, arbitrary manner, of her own will, without of- 
 fering reafons : She is either to admit him, orfhew 
 ciuife why fiie refufes. If fhe fliall convi61; him of 
 any difqualiiication, ftiil flie is not to treat him as an- 
 enemy, but admonifli him as a brother : She is not 
 to abandon him at once, but labour for his amend- 
 ment. To reje6l claimants, in any other way, than 
 by conviction on fair and open trial, is to fet up a ty- 
 ranny in the church, which Chriil has no where war- 
 ranted. It is to fiib^'ert that liberty with which Chrift 
 has made us free. The church ought to caution all 
 againll hypocrify and diiTunulation in their approaches 
 to divine ordinances ; but ilie is not to affume the 
 judgment of men's hearts, raihly intruding into 
 things, which flie has notfeen, and which belong only 
 to God. 
 
 We are to aim at perfe^lon, both as private chriit- 
 ians, and as churches. But we are to purfue this 
 aim in a fcriptural way ; not by ufurping God's prero- 
 gative, or by excluding from our charity and fellow- 
 ihip, all who hope humbly and fpeak modtflly ; all 
 who cannot give th.e higheft proof of their godly fin- 
 cerity ; but by'cleanfing oursches from all lilthinefs 
 of the fieih and fpirit, and by confidering one another 
 to provoke unto love and good works. 
 
( 19 ) 
 
 ■ After all, there will be bad, as well as good, in 
 Chriftiaii foeieties. The kingdom of He an) en is like a 
 7iet cast into the sea, which gathered of eiicry kind; 
 and when it was full, they drew it to shore, and gath- 
 ered the good into 'vessels and cast the bad away. So 
 shall it be in the end of the world ; then the wicked shall 
 be sen)ered from among the just. 
 
 Having ILewn what a church is to require of thofe 
 whom (he admits to lier communion, we proceed to 
 the fecond qucftion. 
 
 What qualifications a perfon muft find in himfelf 
 to juftify him in entering into the church, and attend- 
 ing on all gofpel ordinances ? 
 
 That we may bring this queftion within a narrow 
 compafs, and reduce it to a fingle point, it will be 
 neccfiary to remove fome things, which have often 
 been blended with it, and occaiioned much confufion 
 in thinking and arguing upon it. 
 
 I. The queftlon is not, Whether every perfon ed- 
 ucated under the gofpel, is in duty bound to attend 
 on all divine ordinances in fome Chriftian church I 
 For this is univerfally gi^anted. 
 
 Religion, in all its branches, is indlfpenfibly en- 
 joined on all men. Chrift calls all men to be his dif- 
 ciples, to profefs themfelves fuch, and to a6t accord- 
 ingly, on pain of final rtje£\ion from his prefence. 
 No man can free himfelf from his obligation to enter 
 into the cliurch, any more than he can free himfelf 
 from his obligotion to prayer, or any other duty. His 
 , vvickednefs may be a bar in the way of his admiffion ; 
 bat it cannot be an excufe for his voluntary negle6>. 
 It is abfurd to fuppofc, that one's fins fhould vacate 
 his obligations to obedience. They who apprehend 
 that they have no right to the communion of faints, 
 pught by no means, to make themfelves eafy in thi 
 
( 20 ) 
 
 ftatc. The coimnand flill extends to tlicm ; and 
 their immediate concern fhould be, to repent of that* 
 iinfuhiefs, which obftru6\s their compliance with it. 
 
 2. Th e qjieflion is not, whether one ought to come 
 to the communion in an mpcnhe?ityuncon'Dcricd^vAt ; 
 for no man is allowed to continue in fiich a ftate. 
 The fcripture never propofes, or anfwers this queft- 
 ibn, whether a man may attend on thi^, or that ordi- 
 nance, while he remains impenitent in his lins ? be- 
 caufe it grants no man permiffion to remain fo ; but 
 commands all men, every where, to repent. It re- 
 quires them to perform every duty in a pious and ho- 
 ly manner. It allows no negle6l of, or hypocrify and 
 formality in duty. The man^ \A'ho calls himfelf a fin- 
 ner, is not to imagine, that the fame duties, or the' 
 fame tempers, are not required of him, as of others ; 
 for all are required to be holy in all manner of conver- 
 fation, and to be deeply humble for all the corrup= 
 tions of their heart, and en-ors of their life. But, 
 
 3. It will be faid, though no man ought to remain- 
 in a fmful flate, 3'et there are many who know them- 
 felves to be in fuch a ftate ; many who evidendy find, 
 that they have no goveraing regard to God and his- 
 commands, but are under the prevailing love of fin 
 and the world : New, ought they, while they per- 
 ceive themfelves to be in this ftate, to come into the 
 church and attend on the holy communion I 
 
 If any afk this qntftion, my anfwer is, it is a queH 
 tion in which no body is concerned. It cannot poffi- 
 bly be a cafe of confcience w ith any man. The per- 
 fon here fuppoft'd is one, ^^ho knows himfelf to be an 
 habitual finner ; one who has no ^oveming regard \.o 
 hiis duty ; but isprevnilingly bent'to v/ickednefs ;and, 
 jthercfore, he cannot be fuppofed to have any c^Mi'- 
 
C 21 ) 
 
 « 
 
 rntioiis folicitnde about his c'litj? in this matter. It 
 is abfurd to imagine, he Ihoulcl be folicitoiis to know 
 and do his duty here, and yet have no regard to it in 
 any tiling tlfe. If in other external acls of duty he 
 is infinenced by unworthy motives, the firVne unwor- 
 thy motives, and not a regard to the vvill of God, 
 would influence him in coming into the church. The 
 queftion is merely a matter of fpecwlation ; it concerns- 
 no man's praclice. One, who lives regardlcfs of the 
 will of God in general, is ju ft as regardlefs of it in the 
 cafe under confideration. He does not willi to be 
 inilrutied in the matter, that he may conform to the 
 divine will : if he did, he would be as careful to con- 
 form to it in things which are ali\ady plain. The 
 fcripture puts no fuch cafe, for it is not a fuppofable 
 cafe, that a man, whofe heart is fet in him to do evil, 
 fhould have any confcientious fcruples in this point, 
 or any other. The proper anfwer to fuch an inquireir 
 will be, you are in a molt awi'ul itate, imder the pow- 
 er and guilt of fm. So long as you live in fubjec\ion 
 to the flefli, you cannot pleafe God. You are ex- 
 pofedto everlafting condemnation. Repent, there-, 
 fore, of your wickednefs, feek God's forgivenefs, and 
 henceforward walk in all his commandments and or- 
 dinances blamelefs. 
 
 4. The only queftion which caTi be a CJife of con- 
 fcience, and which it concerns us to anfwer, is this ; 
 what a serious perfon ought to do, who is in doubt 
 concerning his fpiritual ftate ? 
 
 He believes the gofpel to be divine, has fome ftnfe 
 of its importance, and fl:els a concern to obtain the 
 (l^lvation which it brin^^s. It is his dc fire to know, 
 and his purpofe to doy the will of God. But ftifl 
 he finds fo many corruptions in his heart, and devia* 
 
( 22. } 
 
 tions from duty in his pra6^ice, that he dares not con- 
 clude hiiiifclf in a ftate of grace. If he has hopes, 
 they ai-e mingled with painful fears. Now ought 
 lijch a perfon to come within the church, and partici-^ 
 pate in all divine ordinances ? Or is he to delay till 
 his fears are dilpelkd ? 
 
 This is the real ftate of the quefiion ; and can any 
 hefiiate what anfwer to give ?. 
 
 We have before fliewn, that the purpofefor T^hich 
 men are called into a church ftate is tliat, in the en- 
 joyment of fuitable means, they may be trained up in 
 knowledge and holinefs, to a preparation for future 
 glory. And if we have the fame end in attending on 
 ordinances, as God had in inftituting them, it cannot 
 be doubted but we are qualified for the enjoyment of 
 tiicm. If then we can ll^y, our end in coming to the 
 communion is, that we may conform to God's will, 
 may be in the way of his bleiFmg, and may be directed 
 and quickened in his fervice, vi e are undoubtedly 
 w arranted to approach it. 
 
 For a perfon to judge whether he may come to the 
 communion, the qutftion rather is, what are Jiis 
 prefent viev>s, defiresand purpofes ; than wh.at is the 
 Iiabitual ftate of his foul ? The former may be kno^^ n 
 by immediate inward reflt6\ion : the latter is to be 
 difcovered only by a courfe of examination and ex- 
 perience. 
 
 Let us tiow attend to the pradlice of the apoftles. 
 
 The Jews, who afiembkd at the temple on the day 
 of pentecoft, to celebrate that fcftival, beheld within- 
 clignation, and treated with mockery, the miraculous 
 gifts of the fpirit, then beftoj.-ed on the difciples of 
 J'efus, in confirmation of his divine authority.. Peter, 
 
( 23 ) 
 
 on thlsoecafion, rofe up, aiid, in a pertinent difcourfe, 
 laid b-^fore them lUch llriking evidence of Jefus being 
 the promifed Meffiuh, that thoufands were convinced 
 of their great guilt in rejecting and crucifying the 
 Lord of glory, and anxiouily inquired what they mull 
 do ? Being told, that they mult repent and be baptiz- 
 ed for the remiflion of fins, they gladly received the 
 word, and were baptized, and admitted to the apollle's 
 fellowfliip. It is the do6lrine of this fame Peter, that 
 believers mull make their calling and election fure, 
 by adding to their faith virtue, and to virtue knowl- 
 edge, and every other grace. But does Peter tell 
 thefe new converts, that, becaufe they had not had 
 time thus to prove the fincerity of their converfion, it 
 ^vas not fafe to receive baptifm, and enter into the 
 church ? Does he advife them to wait a while till they 
 could manifeft the reality of their repentance by its 
 fruits ? No, he admits them to fellowfliip immediate- 
 ly ; but with this important caution, saiic yowsehcs 
 from this untoward generation. 
 
 In the fame manner the apoftles condu(Sled in the 
 baptifm of Cornelius, the people of Samaria, the Jay- 
 lor, Lydia, and the Ethiopian Eunuch. 
 
 Ha d diey confidered alTurance, as a qualification 
 iicceflary to juftify perfons in coming into the church, 
 would they not, on thefe occalions, have cautioned 
 their profelytes againll receiving baptifm immediate- 
 ly ? Would they not have advifed them to a greater 
 trial of themfelvcs than could have been made in a 
 few hours ^'^ 
 
 It canjiot be pretended, that theft- profelytes had a 
 certain know ledj^e of their own fincerity. Much lefs 
 can it be f ippofcd; lint the apoftles knew them to be 
 fcur.d converts. They knew ir.en's hearts no other- 
 
C 24 ) 
 
 wife, than u'^-may know them, by view of what ap- 
 pears ill their lives. They could only, hence, form a 
 rational judgment, a charitable prefumption. The 
 difciples at Jerufalem believed not Paul to be a difci- 
 ple, nor did even the apoftles venture to receive him 
 as fuch, till they had evidence from the teftimony of 
 Barnabas. Yea, we find in fact, that they admitted 
 into the Chriflian church many, who afterward ap- 
 peared to be ungodly. Simon, the forcerer, is a re- 
 markable inftance. We learn fi'om. Paul's epiftles, 
 that in moft of the churches to which he wrote, there 
 were great numbers of unfouiid profeffors. The apof- 
 tles, therefore, did not know, that all, whom they re- 
 ceived into. the church, were favingly converted ; for 
 it is manifeft, that many of them v/ere not fo. And 
 fmce they received new profelytes, whofe fmcerity 
 muit, at prefent, be doubtful to themfelves, as well as 
 others, without the leaft intimation of a necefiity cf de- 
 laving for the removal of doubts, we may with great 
 fafety, conclude, that a ferious perfon, who believes 
 the gofpel, and defires to be found in the way of duty, 
 and of the divine bleffing, though ftill in doubt con- 
 cerning the gracious fmcerity of his heart, has a right 
 to come to the communion of the church. 
 
 And indeed, if Chriilians were to delay, till all 
 their doubts were removed, I am afraid few would 
 come to it at all. And perhaps tfiefe few would not 
 be of thebetter fort. While the fclf confident hypo- 
 .crite drew near, the meek, the modeft, the humble, 
 ^would Hand afar off. 
 
 The members of the church in Corinth, as we 
 learn from Paul's fii ft letter to them, ran into molt 
 fcandalous diforders in their attendance on the Lord-s 
 furuer Thev behaved in facha riotous manner, as 
 nl'ade it evident that they difcemed not the Lord's 
 body i diftinSuiHied not tliis ordinance from a com- 
 
C 25^ ) 
 
 rtion meal, or even from a Pagan feflival. One took 
 before others his own fupper ; and one was hungry^ 
 having eaten nothing before he came to it ; and anoth- 
 er was drunken, having indulged to excefs there ; and 
 the poorer members were dcfpifed. This unworthy 
 partaking the apollle rebukes in the fevereft terms ; 
 and warns them, that they were eating and drinking 
 judgment to themfelves, of which they had melan- 
 choly proof in the fieknefsr and raortaUty wiiich had 
 been fent among them. 
 
 But what advice docs he give them in thecafe I 
 Does he dire6t them to withdraw from the Lord's ta- 
 ble ? No, he fliews them the danger of coming in this 
 manner, and exhorts them to come better prepared! 
 and difpofed,- X.ei a man examine himself^ and so let 
 hhn eat. He does not fay, let a man examine 
 himfelf and' withdraw ; but let him examine and 
 partake. And when ye come together^ tarry for OTte 
 another ; and if any man hunger^ let him eat at bome^ 
 that ye come not together to condemnation, Thiis paf- 
 fciije, far from being a jiiil ground of difcouragemcnt, 
 proves the point which we have Hated, that fuch as 
 have a delire to comply with a divine inllitution, ai^e 
 not to delay, on account of tlieir humble doubts con- 
 cerning their converfic«i. If the fear of unworthy 
 partaking were a reafon for not partaking at all, as 
 well might the fear of praying, or reading and hear- 
 ing the word, in an unworthy manner, be a reafon 
 for omitting, thefe ; for it is e\'ident that the fcripture 
 enjoins the fame temper of heart in these duties, a§ 
 in that. The truth is, we are required to attend.on 
 every ordinance w ith godly fmcerity ; and a fufpicion 
 ofour infmeerity is not an excufc for ncglecl ; but a 
 reafon for examination, repentance and amendment. 
 
 Some perl-japs will Hiy,. for fome have tuid, we have 
 
C 26 y 
 
 fenlible defire;s to approach to God in all his ordinan- 
 ces ; but there may be deiires which are not gracious ; 
 and we fear ours are Rich ; we, therefore, dare not 
 approach, for we think lefs guilt is incurred by ablli- 
 nence, than by attendance. 
 
 But confider, God requires your attendance ; and 
 J^'ou muft either attend or forbtar, comply or refufe : 
 There is no medinin : and certainly there can be na 
 more grace in your fears, tiian there may be m your 
 desires. If your defires to attend an ordinance are 
 not fpirituaJ, neither can the fears, wliich reftraiii 
 you from attending, be called fpiritual : You can, 
 therefore, be no better accepted in your negleCi, than 
 in your compliance ; for you a£l on no better prin- 
 ciples in the former, than in the latter. 
 
 It is vain to inquire, in what wayyou fliall contrail 
 Icall guilt : Your bufmefs is not to contrive how you 
 can fm at the cheapefl rate : Your care fhould be not 
 to fm at all. 
 
 If you fay, you decline the communion through 
 fear of offending God ; examine whether you are not 
 deceived. Are you as confcientious in every tiling 
 elfe, as you would feem to be in this ? Are you as 
 much afraid to offend God in other matters, as you 
 pretend to be in this ? If you allow yourfelves in any 
 fin, or in the negle61: of any duty, be alFured it is not 
 the fear of offending God, but fomething elfe, that 
 hinders your approach to his table. But if you really 
 have fuch a fear running through all your conduct, 
 and operating in all your deliberate a(Slions, you have 
 » very good evidence of your right to the holy commu- 
 nion : for, in al! a6^sof worfiilp, youferveGod accepta- 
 bly, when you fervehim withrt verence and godly fear. 
 
 The man found at the marriage feaft without a 
 wedding garment, fell under the awful cenfure of die 
 king, wlio commanded that he fhould be bound aud 
 raft into outter darknefs. 
 
( 27 ) 
 
 Will you fay then, it is the fafcrpart not to come 
 to the marriage feaft at all, left being found unwor- 
 thy, we fhare the fate of this gueft ? Remember, they 
 who made light of the king's invitation, andrefufedto 
 come to his fon's marriage, were treated with no more 
 lenity than the unworthy gueft. He fent forth his ar- 
 mies and deftroyed them, and bnrnt up their city. 
 What then fliall we conclude ? Why, that a wicked 
 man is lafe no where. He who will not forfake ini- 
 quity, is fecure neither in the church nor out of it. 
 
 The crime of this gueft was, not that he was 
 found at thtfeas! : but that he was found unsnitabhj 
 attired. The fame dirt and rags would have been of- 
 fcnfive elfewhere. 
 
 The fervants were ordered logo out into the high* 
 ways, and call to the marriage as many as they found ; 
 and they accordingly gathered together both bad and 
 good. The man, you fee, was a poor beggar, called 
 into the king's honfe, from out of the ftreet. How 
 iliould he obtain a ^vedding garment ? He had none 
 of his own. He muft come to the king's houfe to re- 
 ceive one ; for there was clean raiment, as well as 
 meat and drink. Where then lay his great crime ? 
 Surely not coming in to the king's houfe, for he was 
 bidden to come ; and fuch as rei'uied were deftroyed ; 
 but in fitting among the guefts in his ragged and de- 
 filed condition, and refufing to \\'ear tiie pure raiment- 
 provided forhim. Andifuch will be the condemnation 
 of falfe profefTors at the laft day ; not fimply that tiicy 
 have come witiiin God's church, and attended on his 
 ordinances ; but that, while they have fat under the 
 gofpel difpenfation, made a good profeffion, and en- 
 joyed all the means of holinefs, they have contin- 
 ued in the love ar'' nraclice of their fins ; that while 
 
 they have heard C.i .\ich in their ftjeets, and have 
 
 eaten and drank iahis prcftiice,they have been work-i 
 
C 28 ) 
 
 'Crsofiriunilly. We are not to imagine that wemayfafe- 
 iy work iniquity, if we will only keep^ out of the churclr. 
 Such will , be condemned wherever they are found. 
 The kingdom of God is come nigh to us ; his word 
 and ordinances are given to us. We cannot place 
 oui-l^:lvcs in the condition of heathens, if we would ; 
 for God has placed us in a very different condition. 
 The light has rifen upon us ; the word of falvation is 
 ieiit unto us. And now what choice fliall we make ? 
 If we treat God^s ordinances with utter contempt, we 
 are condemned ; if we attend upon them in fuch a 
 manner as to receive no benefit from them, ftill we 
 are condemi"ied. Our only laHty then i», to profefs 
 the gofpcl, and obey it ; name the name of Chrift 
 and depart from iniquity ; this is to come to the mar- 
 riage fupper, and put on the wedding garment. 
 
 Let us fear left we receive the grace of God in 
 vain. Let us beware left our privileges, inftead of 
 being the means of our lalvation, ferve only to aggra- 
 vate our final condemnation. 
 
 You fee how the cafe ftands. All are required to 
 come within God's cliurch, and attend on his appoint- 
 ed ordinances ; and none are allowed to do tliis in a 
 hypocritical and ungodly manner. 
 
 Your duty lies plain before ycu ; ftudy no eva- 
 fions ; God's commands are exprefs ; your obliga- 
 tion to obey is indifpenfible. Attsnd on the ordi- 
 nance in queftion, and every other, as you have op- 
 portunity ; keep in new the end of their inilitution, 
 which is die promotion of fliith and purity. Imagine 
 not that ordinances operate by a kind of charm, to do 
 you good without making you better ; you will only 
 be accepted in hearing Chrift teach, and ui eating in 
 his prefence, when you alfo depart from iniquity. 
 For his kingdom is not merely meai wid drink, but 
 
 figkcpusms amlpcaaj mdjcy m the Holy G.bcsi* 
 
CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP. 
 
 1 CoRiN. i. 2. 
 
 Unto the church of God, 'which is at Corinth ; to them 
 that are safKt'ificdin (Christ Jesus, called to besaints^ 
 ivith all that in en^ery pla^e call on the fiame of 
 Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. 
 
 WE have already confidered the nature of a 
 Chriftian churcli ; the purpose of its inlli- 
 tution ; the relation o^ children to it ; and the qualiji' 
 cations neceflary to an attendance on its ordinances. 
 What now lies before us is, 
 
 V. To explain that fcUov^ship, or communion^ 
 which does, or ought to fubfift among profeiUng 
 Chriftians, whether in the fame or in divers churches. 
 
 To diis fubjedl, we are led by the laft claufe in our 
 text ; Grace and peace to the church of God in Corinth^ 
 nvith all ivho, in €\)cry place, call on^ the name of Jesus 
 Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. 
 
 We -are here taught, thit, as all Chriflians, in 
 whatever place they may dwell, or may worfliip, are 
 difciples of the Hime Lord, and call on God in tlie 
 name of the fame Mediator ; lb there is an important 
 relation, and ought to be a facred fellowlliip amon^ 
 them. 
 
 For the illuf\ration of this matter, I would obfen-e, 
 
 I. There is a virtual fellowfliip or communion 
 
 among all true faints, whether near or remote : 
 
 \>hether known or unknown to each other. Tliev 
 D 
 
C 30 ) 
 
 are all engaged in the fame defign, united in the fame 
 intereft, and partakers of many of theiame things. 
 
 This is the fenfe in wliich the word is moll fre- 
 quently uled in fcripture ; and this is analogous to the 
 ienfe which it ordinarily hears in common life. Par- 
 ticularly, 
 
 Keal faints Jiave ftflowsbip in the gospel. They 
 have received one and the fame rule of faith and prac- 
 tice. Though they may differ in their opinions con- 
 cerning fome particular things contained in the gf^pel, 
 yet their ftntiments in tlie elfential doctrines and pre- 
 cepts of it, are the fame. 
 
 They have received or\Q common faith ; like prec- 
 ious faith. Though their faith may differ in its extent 
 and degree, yet, in its objeiSl, nature and influence, it 
 is one and the fame. The object of it is divine truth ; 
 the nature of it is receiving the love of the truth ; 
 the influence ofit is purifying the heart. 
 
 They are all formed to the fame holy temper. 
 They are renewed after the image of God ; are joint 
 partakers of a divine nature. There may be great va- 
 riety in the time, manner and circumfl:ances of their 
 renovation, and in the ftrength and degree of the 
 Chrillian tcnrper ; but holinefs, in its general nature, 
 is the fame iii all. It is a coiilbrmity to God's moral 
 character. 
 
 The^y are all partakers of the Hune divine ^y^i/vV. 
 
 There are diveriitics of gifts and operations ; but it is 
 
 the fame fpirit that worketh all in all. He ncc the a- 
 
 ' poflle fp.^aks of the fclhmship of the spirit^ and the 
 
 cofnmimion of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 They arc engaged in die fame good 'tvorh ; in the 
 l^uTie great design. They arc working out their lal- 
 vation. and promoting in their rcfpeclivo places, the 
 
( 51 ) 
 
 interefl of Chrift's kingdom. They are fellow labour:, 
 ers in the fame fervice, the fervice of God and their 
 own fouls. They are fellow workers in the fome ho- 
 ly calling'. They are fellow foldiers in the lluiic fpir- 
 itual warfare ; fighting againft the fame enemies, lin, 
 fatan, and the world ; applying the fame armour, the 
 ihield of faith, the helmet of hope, the brcaftplate of 
 righteoufnefs, and the fword of the fpirit ; and they 
 aa under the fame leader, Jefus the captain of their 
 falvation. 
 
 They have one common interest. They have a 
 joint interell in the blelTed God ; for there is one God 
 and Father of all, who is above all, through all, and 
 in them all. Tliey bear the fame relation to Jefus 
 Chrift ; for there is one Lord and Saviour,, by ^vhom 
 are all things, and they by him. There is one com- 
 mon falvation, in which they all are fharers. They 
 are all juftified by the fame atonement, wallied in the 
 fame blood, fanftified by the fame grace, and favedby 
 tlie fame interceflioii. They have an intereft in the 
 fame promifes, and a title to the fame inheritance^ 
 They are called in the fame hope, and are joint heirs 
 of the fame glory. They are fellow citizens with the 
 faints, and of the houfehold of God. 
 
 In thefe refpe6ls, there is a fellowfliip among all fm- 
 Lcre Chriftians. In many of thefe things, faints on 
 earth have communion with thofe in Heaven. 
 
 One connot but remark here, howdiverfe this fel- 
 lowfliip is, from that which fome boaft of; a mutual 
 sijmpathy^ or fellow feeling^ b'etiueen sincere Chris^ 
 tiaris, by ivhich one immediately percehes the grace f 
 and knovjs the character of another. The fcripture 
 never ufes the \\or(\ fellowship in this fenfe,.nor docii 
 
( 52 ) 
 
 it fpeak of any_fuch thing in other terms. It is cer- 
 tain, that the apoftles and firfl Chriftians were not 
 acquainted with fuch a fympathetic intercourfe of 
 fpirits. If they were, why did not the eleven difciples 
 difcern, that Judas was a hypocrite ; Why did not 
 the Chriftians of Jerufalem believe Paul to be a difci- 
 ple ? Why did not they [feel his graces, when, after 
 his converfion, he elTayed to join himfclf to them ? 
 Why could not the apoftles themfelves be fatisficd of 
 his converfion, without the teftimony of Barnabas I 
 What occafion was there, that Chriftians Ihould car- 
 ry with them letters, of commendation, as we find 
 they did, when they travelled to places where they had 
 not been known. 
 
 As the gofpel knows no fuch correlpondence of heart 
 between Chriftians ; and never once ufes the word 
 fellowfhip, or communion in any fuch fenfe, it is a 
 perverfion offcripture, as well as reafon, to pretend to 
 fjch a thing now, and call it by a fcripture name. I 
 proceed to obferve, 
 
 2. Besides the ^irm^/ communion, before de- 
 fcribed, among fmcere Chriftians, there is an actual 
 communion among thofe who are known to, and have 
 intercourfe with, one another. This confifts in mu- 
 tual regards and good offices. 
 
 The good Chriftian extends his benevolence to all> 
 to ftrangers, heathens and enemies ; and, from this 
 principle, fhews kindnefs to all, as far as their occa- 
 iions require, and his circumftances permit. But 
 \ for them who appear to him in the character of faints, 
 he has a love, not only of benevolence, but alfo of 
 efteem and approbation. He wifhes well to all, 
 whether good or bad ; but he values men chiefly ac- 
 cording to their virtuous converfation. While he is 
 difpofed to do good to all, he reckons himfelf undei' 
 
( 53 ) 
 
 Tome fuperior obligations to thofe who are of the 
 hourchold of faith. He delights in the faints as the 
 excellent of the earth, and is the companion of them 
 who fear God. He loves the brethren, and fuch he 
 efteenis all Chrillians, whether they belong to the 
 fame fociety with him, or to another. He confines 
 not his regard to thofe of his own fe6l, or his own 
 particular community ; but, like the apoftles, extends 
 it to all who, in every place, call on the name of Jefus 
 Chrift, their Lord, as well as h'ls^ and the common 
 Saviour of them who believe. 
 
 In order to the exercife of true Chriftian love, it is 
 not neceflary to know the fmcerity of men's hearts. 
 It is enough that, by their proftliionand convcrfation, 
 they appear to us in the chara6\er of Chrillian breth- 
 ren, and by their v>^orks give us reafonable ground to 
 think they have faith. We may, in a proper fenfe, 
 have this actual fellowlliip v> ith one who is not a fin- 
 cere Chriftian ; and may not have it with one who 
 is fuch. So long as Judas appeared in the charadler 
 ofadifciple, his brethren had fellowfhip with him; 
 they efteemed him, placed confidence in him, aad 
 even thought him better than themfelves ; but with 
 Paul, the difciples at Jerufalem had not this actual 
 fellowfhip ; they confided not iw him, nor believed 
 him to be a difciple, till he produced fome proper 
 evidence of a change in his fentiments and practice. 
 
 3. TwERE is ^A^o 2L special communion, which 
 does, or ought to take place among tliofe Chriftians, 
 who are united in the fome particular church, or relig- 
 ious fociety. 
 
 As they have explicitly covenanted together for 
 focial worfliip and common edification, fo they are un* 
 
C 34 ) 
 
 cter peculiar obligations to each other, unitedly topirr- 
 fue this important purpofe. 
 
 This special communion principally confills in a 
 joint attendance on the ordinances of Chrilt. 
 
 It is faid of thofe who received the word preached 
 by Peter, on the day of pentccoft, that they continued 
 steclfast in the apostk^s doctrine and fellowship, and 
 in breaking of bread and in prayers. They were 
 together, and contitnicd daily with one accord in. the 
 temple ; praising God. The apoftle to the Hebrews 
 exhorts the profeflbrs of religion, that they consider 
 one another, to provoke to love and good works, iiat 
 forsaking the assembling of thcmsehes together. 
 St. Paul fpeaks of the Corinthian believers, as cojti- 
 ing together i?i the church, and into one pLce. He 
 reprefents the whole church as coming together in one 
 place, for breaking of bread, for focial prayer, and for 
 attendance on the preaching of the word. Thefe ex- 
 prefTions teach us, that the members of a. particular 
 church ought to Wiilk together in the ordinances, and 
 unitedly to attend on the Hated woifhip of God, as 
 they are able, without unnecelfary negle6l. And, 
 indeed, it is included in the very idea of a particular 
 church, that they worfhlp God together, at the fame 
 time, and in the fame place. TJhe apofttc dire^lstlie 
 Corinthians, =zc;/6(?n they come together, to tarry for one 
 another ; for which furely there could be noreafon, if 
 they might dllperfe here and there, and fome worfliip 
 in one place, and fome in anotlier, and fome no 
 where. 
 
 The acceptablenefs of worfhip, indeed, depends 
 
 Biot on the place where it is performed. But it much 
 
 , Spends on a fpirit of peace and union among the wor»- 
 
C 35 ) 
 
 finippers. For this reafon, the church is to come to* 
 gother into one place, that there may be no Ichifm, 
 but all her members may with one mind, and one 
 mouth glorify God. They muft be builded togeth- 
 er, that they may become an habitation of God 
 through the fpirit ; muft be fitly fi-amcd together, that 
 they may grow into an holy temple in the Lord. 
 
 There may be frequent occafions for the members 
 of the fame church to meet for fociul woriliip in 
 different places, and even in private hon((:s. Pan), 
 when he abode in Eplufus, preached and taught 
 both pu"blicly, and from houFe to houfe. We are not 
 to imagine a temple, or public houfe, fo peculiarly 
 facred, that divine worfhip can no where elfebe 
 ufeful to men, or pleafing to the Deity. Tiie private 
 meetings of chriftians, conducled with a real view to 
 peace and edification, are much to be commended. 
 But M'hen any of the members of a church withdraw 
 from the ufual place of worfhip, and aill nible elfe^ 
 where, either with an intention to caufedlvifion, or in 
 a manner which tends to it, they violate the order of 
 Chrifl's houfe, and interrupt the communion which 
 ought to fubfift in it. Though Paul taught from 
 houfe to houfe, yet he approved not thofc teachers, 
 who crept into houfes to lead the fimplc captive, antl 
 difturb Chriftian fellowfliip. He warns Cliriftians to 
 mark and avoid thofe who caufe divifians, for fuch 
 fcrve not the kingdom of Chrift, but their own private 
 dciigns. One great end of fecial worfhip is peace and 
 union ; and it ought always to be conducted in a 
 manner which tends not to defeat, but promote this 
 end. It is not the facrednefs of one place rather than 
 another, but the common edification, which obliges 
 
C 36 ) 
 
 the whole church to come together in one place. The 
 members no longer walk in fellowfliip, thanthej' thus 
 unitedly attend the facred ordeis of "Chrift's houfe. 
 
 Among divine ordinances, the Lord^s supper dc- 
 ferves particular attention ; for one main defign of this 
 was to be a mean of brotherly communion. Eating 
 and drinking together, at the fan:ie table, is a natural 
 a6toffellowfhip. Doing this at the Lord's table is 
 ana6i of Christian ftllowfliip. The cup which we 
 bless ^ and the bread which we breaks is the com??nmio?t 
 of Christ^ s bloody and of his body: and by our joint 
 participation of them, we acknowledge ourfelves to be 
 one family, the children of one parent, the difciples of 
 one Lord. IVe being 7n(Piy are one body, and one 
 breadj or loaf ; for we are all partakers of that one 
 loaf. I'his ordinance is a love feaft, and ought to be 
 kept, not with the leaijcn of ?nalice and wickedness, but 
 with the unlea'vcned bread of sincerity and truth. No 
 triHing caufes lliould divert or detain us from it ; and 
 no evil pallions accompany us in it. 
 
 And here I cannot but take notice of a practice too 
 common among tlie profe-ffors of religion ; their with- 
 dr awing from the Lord's table, because a particular 
 brother has ifijuted, or offended them ; for which I 
 find no foundation in the gofpel. We are, indeed, < 
 to withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly. 
 But how ? By breaking up the communion ? No, 
 but by putting away the ivickcd person from among 
 us ; and by purging out the old leaven, that we may 
 be a new lump. We may think our brother unwor- 
 thy of the privilege whicli he aflumes ; but Ihali his 
 imworthinefs deprive us of theprivileg;e? We are, in 
 proper feafon, to take the meafures prefcribed in the 
 gofpel, foi' his reformation ; but, in the mean time, 
 
C 37 ) 
 
 wc arc neither to abfent ourfclvcs from the table, nor 
 to forbid his attendance ; for wc can jullly exclude 
 him only by convi<Stion in a regular procefs. If the 
 cafe is fo circumftanced, that fufficient evidence for 
 his conviction cannot be produced, he miift be left to 
 the judge of all men. Whatever our opinion may be 
 of his guilt, we are not to withdraw on account of his 
 attendance. Judge nothing before the time. 
 
 You vi'ill fay, Charity is necessary i7i our attend- 
 ance at Chrisf^s table, but with such a brother, hoio 
 can ive sit down in charity ? People often confound 
 themfehes in this matter, by their partial notions of 
 charity. If by charity were intended an opinion of 
 others as good Chriftians, you could not fit down in 
 charity with, thofe of whom you diought othcrwifc. 
 But where do you find this defcription of charity ? or 
 where is this good opinion of all your fellow commu- 
 nicants required, in order to your fitting at Chrift's 
 table ? It is the effcfl, not the eifcnce of charity, to 
 hope all things. If you have a benevolent, meek, for- 
 giving temper toward thofe whom you think not to 
 be true Chriftians, you can fet down in charity with 
 them : for this is the fcriptural idea of charity. If 
 you remember a brother hath ought againft you, go 
 and be reconciled to him. If you ha\e ought againft 
 a brother, go and tell him his fault. If he repent for- 
 give him ; if he repent not, ftill indulge no rancor nor 
 hatred in your heart. Thus fit down at the fcaft in 
 cliarity, in kind affeclion, to your brethren and to all 
 men. 
 
 Perhaps fome will fay, ' We withdraw from the 
 table when a brother has injured us, bccaufe his prcf- 
 cnce awakens in us unfuitable paiVions,' 
 
C 38 ) 
 
 ' But remember, the indulgence of malevolent pal", 
 ifions is your fin ; and you are not to abfent your- 
 felves from communion, but to difmifs them ; and fo 
 keep the feaft in fmcerity and love. Malice and ill- 
 will indulged in the heart are wrong, whoever is the 
 object, whether a brother, or a heathen. And on this 
 plea, you might as well withdraw, when the latter, as 
 when the former had done you an injury. 
 
 Consider alfo, you were required to pray, and to 
 hear the word, with the fame charity which is re- 
 quired in the fupper. When you stand praying^ you 
 are toforghe if you have ought against any man. 
 And you are to lay apart all guUc, malice and envy ; 
 and thus to desire the sincere milk of the ivord ; recciu- 
 ing it ivith meekness. Your pica', therefore, might as 
 well be urged for negle6ling public worfliip, or even 
 family prayer, be fure, if die offender happens to be 
 prefent, as for abfcnting from the fupper. 
 
 The truth is, you are never to excufe j'ouifelves 
 from a(5ls of duty, on account of evil paflions working 
 in you ; but immediately to war againlt them. 
 
 It will be afked, How can I ha^e communion with 
 a church, while she tolerates ungodly afid scandalous 
 members ? 
 
 But let me afk you, my friend, does flie tolerate 
 them ? If flie does, whofe bunnefs is it to take the 
 firft ftep tov.-ards rectifying the diforder ? It is yours, 
 as much as any man's. It is yours principally. You 
 pretend, that you fee fuch perfoiis in the church. 
 Others perhaps fee them not, or h:\^■e not evidence 
 againll tlien^. Have you reproved them ? Have you 
 taken a brother or two to afiill you ? Have you brought 
 your complainlto the church ? if you have done none 
 of thefe things, you arc the moft rcprehenfible of aay 
 
C 39 > 
 
 member ; for you fee the fin, and expofe it not. Go 
 firft, and do your own duty. You can have no pre- 
 tence for withdrawing, till you know that the church 
 a^lually tolerates vicious chara6\ers; and this you 
 cannot know till you have taken the meafures which 
 Chrift enjoins. 
 
 But though I may think a church to be, in the 
 main, a true church, yet if I fee errors in her, ought 
 I not to tcftify againft them by withdrawing from 
 them ? By no means. Your withdrawing is no tef- 
 timony againll her particular errors ; it is only a gen- 
 eral, indifcriminate charge. It fignifics that you are 
 difpleafed at fomethhig ; but points out nothing. You 
 are to commune with her ; but not adopt her errors ; 
 then your condu^ will fpeak an intelligible language. 
 Chrifl tellified againft the errors of the Jewilh church, 
 '*and laboured for her reformation ; but flill he helcj 
 "communion with her as a church of God. Let his 
 example be your rule. 
 
 This leads me to obferve farther, that fpecialfel- 
 lowfliip among the members of a particular church 
 muft include mutual watchfulnefs, reproof and ex- 
 hortation. 
 
 As Chriftians, in the prefent ftate, are but imper- 
 feft, one end of their covenanting and aflbciating to- 
 gether is, that they may afford mutual afiiftancc in the 
 great concerns of religion, and be fellow helpers in 
 the work of their common falvation. Accordingly, 
 they are required to confider and admonifli, comfort 
 and encourage one another, as there is occafion ; to 
 be all fubje6l one to another, and to be clothed with 
 humility. By virtue of our fpecial relation, as mem- 
 bers of one church, we ai'e to rebuke our brethren^ 
 
( 40 ) 
 
 and not fuffer fm upon them. Thofe wlio offend, 
 we are firft to addreis in a more private manner : 
 them who are deaf to priN-ate expoftulations, we are 
 to bring before the cliurch ; fuch as contemn the 
 counfels of the church are to be cut off from her com- 
 munion ; but the penitent are to be reftored in the 
 rpiritof meeknefs. Once more. 
 
 Our fpecial ftllowfhip requires mutual candor, 
 condefcenfion and forbearance. 
 
 We are to confider ourfelves, and our brethren, 
 not as fuilefs, but imperfe6l beings, attended with in- 
 firmities, fubje6l to temptations, hable to offend, and 
 to be offended. While we are cautious not to give 
 offence by doing things grievous to them, we fliould 
 make all rcafonable allowances for them, when they 
 do things grievous to us. We fhould neither ftiffly 
 oppofe, nor zealoufly urge indifferent matters. We 
 Hiould not feverely animadvert on fmaller faults, nor 
 magnify accidental failings into heinous crimes ; but 
 give every one's condudt the moll favourable turn it 
 \vill bear. Such is the apofllc's advice. JVe that 
 are strong ought to bear the uifirmities of the weak, 
 and not to please oursehes. L et eiiery one of us please 
 his neighbour for his good to edification. Him ivho Is 
 iveak in the faith receive ye ; but not to doubtful dispu- 
 tation. Let us not judge one another ; but judge this 
 rather, that no man put a stumbling block in bis 
 brother^ s war/ . Be of the same mind one toward anoth- 
 er. Condescend to men of low estate. Let no man 
 seek his own, hut every man anotfier'^s wealth. Fol- 
 low the things wuch make for peace and edification. 
 Let all your things be done with charity. 
 
 4. The lafl branch of Chriftian fellowfhip, which I 
 ihrul mention, is that which o'jsht to fubfift among 
 
( 41 ) 
 
 different churches ; among all who, in ev^rj'' place, 
 call on the name of our common Lord. 
 
 As all Chriftian churches are united under, and 
 fubje6l to one head, fo they are members one of 
 another, and therefore ought, like'the members of the 
 natural body, to preferve a reciprocal intercourfe. 
 Tlie apoftle faj's, As the body is one and hath many 
 members^ and all the tnernbers of that one body^ being 
 many^ arc one body ; so also is Christ. For by one 
 spirit are we all baptized into one body^ whether we be 
 ye%vs or Gentiles ; whether wc be bond or free. Care, 
 therefore, fliould be taken, /i?^/ /Zyt*? be no schism^ 
 or di-vision in the body^ but all the members should 
 have the same care one for another. 
 
 A particular churcli oiijht to confider herfelf, not 
 as an unconnected fociety, but as a part ofChrill's 
 general kingdom : her care muft not be confined to 
 herfelf, but extended to her fifter churches : She is to 
 feek, not merely her own profit, but the profit of 
 many. 
 
 Some diverfity of fentiment and practice may take 
 place in different churches, and yet all remain true 
 churclies of Chrift ; as there may be divers opinions 
 among the members of the fame church, and they 
 Hill be real chriftians. We are neither to reject a 
 church, nor to exclude a particular Chriftian from 
 our felloM-fliip, for fuppofed errors, which appear not 
 to be of fuch a nature and magnitude, as t-o fubvert 
 the foundation of Chriftianity. Our apoftle teaches 
 us, * that we are to regard all as our fellow chriftians, 
 and all churches as fiftcr churches, who, in every 
 placcf call on die name of Jefus Chrift our Lord, both 
 theirs and ours ; who profefs one body, one fpirit^ 
 
( 42 ) 
 
 and one liope of their calling ; and who hold die fame 
 head from which all the body is knit together. In a 
 1^ ord, he cautions us, that ' we reje6l not thole whom 
 God has received.' If wt know a particular church, 
 in which errors are admitted, we are to afford our 
 alliftance for her amendment. But fo long as we be- 
 lieve God owns her, by continuing to her his w ord 
 and ordinances, and bleiTmg them for her fpiritual 
 benefit ; it is arrogance, it is impiety, for us to difown 
 her. We have no warrant to w ithdraw our fcllow- 
 fliip from a church, unlefs flie has effentially depart- 
 ed from the gofpel ; or impofes on us terms of fel- 
 low fiiip, which we cannot in confcience comply with. 
 
 If it be afked, in what a6lions different churches 
 are to havt fcllovvihip ? I anfwer ; 
 
 They ouglit occafionally to commune with each 
 other in the w-ord, prayer, and breaking of breael ;. to 
 admit each other's members to occafional commun- 
 ion with them ; to recommend their ow n menibcY-s 
 to other churches, into w hole vicinity tlicy may re- 
 move ; and to receive members of other churches on 
 their recommendation. When Apollos pafied from 
 Ephefus into Achaia, the brethren in Ephefus wrote 
 to the difciples in Achaia to receive him. When 
 Phebe went from Cenchrea to Rome, Paul wrote to 
 the Roman church, that they fhould receive her in 
 the Lord, as becometh faints.. 
 
 Churches are alfo to liave fellowfhip, by mutual 
 counfel and advice, when difficulties arife. 
 
 Though no church, or number of churches have 
 an abfolute jurifdi(5\ion over other churches, yet diey 
 fliould always be ready to afford help and aflift^nce, at 
 the rcqueft of fifler churches, as-occafions may re. 
 
C 43 ) 
 
 quire. We find in the hiflory of the AcHs, that the 
 church of Aiitioch, on a diHicuhy which arofe there 
 relating to circumcilion, fent Barnabas and Paul, and 
 certain others with them, to Jerufalem, to confult the 
 apoftles and elders of the church there, and to alk their 
 advice upon the matter. When thofe mtifengers from 
 Antiochcame toJurufalem, they were received by 
 theapoftles and elders, and by the church. And 
 when the apoftles had determined the matter inquef- 
 tion, they, together with the church, fent meffengers, 
 and by them, a letter to the Antiochean and other 
 eburches in the vicinity, declaring their opinion and 
 advice in the cafe referred to them. 
 
 Thi3 example, as well as the reafon of the thing, 
 fliews the propriety and neceffity of mutual aliiftance 
 among churches by counfel and advice, in order to 
 the common edification and comfort. 
 
 I HAVE now diftin6\ly illuftrated the fe vera] matters- 
 propofed to your confideration. Permit me, before 
 I conclude, to point out to you the proper improve- 
 ment of this fubjedl. 
 
 We who have made an open profeflion of religion, 
 and have joined ourfelves to the church of God, with 
 an explicit engagement to walk together in his com- 
 mandments and ordinances, are now called upon to 
 confider the obligations we are under, and the duties 
 efpecially incumbent upon us. 
 
 1.^ Let MS be well fettled in the principles of that 
 religion which we profcfs. 
 
 We are called into a church (late, that, being ediii- 
 cd in tlie faith and iaiowledge of the Son of God, we 
 may be no more children, carried about with every 
 windof doariiie, by the flight of men, and the cun~. 
 
C 44 ) 
 
 ning craftJnefs wherewith tliey He in wait to deceive. 
 Jefus Chrift is the fame ytilerday, todaj', and for 
 ever. His goi'pel is ever tlie fame ; not variable like 
 the humors and opinions of men. Therefore, be ye 
 not carried about u itli divers and ftrange dodrines, 
 as if religion was fometimes one thing, and fomctimes 
 another. It is a good thing that the heart be eftab- 
 lifhed with grace. We ought not indeed to be ftiff 
 and inflexible in our own fentiments and ufages, 
 merely becauie they are our own. We lliould give 
 up former opinions, and adopt others, when evidence 
 is offered fufiicient tojuftify the change. But then a 
 ficklenefs of temper, a verliitility of lentiment, a dif- 
 pofition to fall in with every novel opinion, and to fol- 
 low every impulfe of fancy, is utterly unbecoming a 
 Chriftian. Such unfteadinefs indicates either tlic 
 want of competent knowledge, or the want of any 
 fixed principles in religion. 
 
 Amidst the various opinions which are propagated 
 and maintained, an honelt chriltian, I am fenlible, 
 may often be perplexed to determine what is truth. 
 But then, I would obferve, it is by no means necef- 
 fary, that he fhould be able to anfwer every argument 
 adduced in fupport of error. There are certain great 
 and leading principles, in which every chrillian mull: 
 be fuppofed to be fettled ; and by thefe he may try the 
 doctrines propofed to him, ai>d judge whether they 
 ai'e of God. 
 
 There are two grand points which the gofpel al- 
 ways keeps in vie^v. One is the indifpcnfible ne- 
 ceflity of holinefs in heart and life, in order to eternal 
 bappinefs. I'he other is, our entire dependence on 
 tlie grace and mercy of God, tlirough the Redeemer, 
 
( 4iS ) 
 
 for pardon, fan^lification and glory. Every man,' 
 who profelFes to be a Chriilian, mult be fuppofed to be 
 fettled in thefe grand points. The man, who imag- 
 ines that he is not indebted to, nor dependent on a 
 Saviour, or that there is no need of a conformity to 
 his holy pattern and precepts, in order to final falva- 
 tion, can, with no confiltency, pretend to be a 
 chriftian. 
 
 All fuch do6lrines, as plainly contradi«Sl either 
 of thele principles ; fuch, on the one hand, as exalt 
 men above a dependence on Jefus Chrift, and the in- 
 fluences of the divine fpirit ; and fueh, on the other 
 hand, as confound the difference between virtue and 
 vice, and obftru6\ the influence of the divine com- 
 mands, mull be reje6ted, whatever fpecious argu- 
 ments may be urged in their favour. 
 
 2. Let us maintain a conllant, devout attendance 
 on the appointed ordinances of Chrift, 
 
 If we carelt'fsly nesle6\ thefe, we contradict the 
 defign of a church, and our own chara^er as mem= 
 bers of it. 
 
 Christians are bound to attend on all ordinances, 
 one as well as another. The gofpel makes no diltinc- 
 tion. The primitive Chriftians continued ftedfalt in 
 the apollles' do6lrine and fellowfhip, and iii breaking- 
 of bread, and in prayer. 
 
 There are among us fome, who profefs the relig- 
 ion of Chrift, and who, by their regular attendance 
 at the fan6tuary, as well as by their general converfa- 
 tion, exprefs a regard for the religion which thej' pro- 
 fefs ; but yet abfent themfelves from the Lord's table. 
 Such was not the practice of Chriftians in the apof- 
 
 tolic times. The celebration of the fupper was then 
 F 
 
C 46 ) 
 
 a. part of the ftutccl worfliip of the Lvord'schy; and 
 in this, as well as in other parts, all profellbrs joined. 
 They continued ftcdflift in fellow (hip w ith the apof- 
 tles, as well by breaking bread, as by prayer and 
 dodlrine. The difciples at Troas, we are told, came 
 together, on the fii ft day of tiie week, not only to hear 
 l^aiil preach, but alfo to break bread. 
 
 I URGE none to come blindly, or againft his con- 
 ii:ience, to the holy table. Every one muft judge for 
 himfelf, and be perfuadcd in his own mind. One 
 Jnan cannot fee w ith another's eyes, nor a6\ on anoth- 
 er's faith. But then, it is a plain facl, Chrift calls all 
 to be his difciples, and commands all his difciples 
 to fliew forth his death by an attendance on his fup- 
 per. And therefore, fuch as are hindered by fcru- 
 ples concerning their fitnefs, muft not make them- 
 fclves eafy with them, but take pains for the removal 
 cf them. They muft feek light, that, if they are in an 
 error, they may rt6lify it ; and if they are under fin, 
 they may repent of it. They muft humbly apply to 
 God for his grace to lead them into truth, and to puri- 
 fy their fouls ; and whatever doubts they have about 
 a particular ordinance, they muft diligently attend on 
 all thcfc means which they think themfelves wairant- 
 cd to ufe. * The meek, God will guide injudgment ; 
 the meek he will teach his way.' 
 
 3. \\'£ are called to brotherly love, peace and 
 unity. 
 
 The gofpcl urges love as the bond of perfL^tnefs, 
 as a virtue of the firft importance. Paul, in his epif- 
 tks to the churches, never forgets to recommend to 
 them, that they be joined together in the flune mind— 
 Jhat they fpeak the flime things— that they have the 
 fiime ]cve-~*l''^t there be no di'.ifions among then:— 
 
( 47 3 
 
 riiat they avoid fuch as caiifj dlvifions and offences. 
 To llievv how elLntiuI unity is to the being of a 
 church, he comparts it to a houfchold, which lubfifls 
 by love, and in w hich all the members have one inter- 
 eft, and are guided by one head— To a building, all 
 the parts of v\ hich are framed and compaaed togeth- 
 er — To a natural body, all whole limbs are animated 
 by the fame vital principle, and feel for each other. 
 
 Brothehly love is an extenfive grace. It is not 
 confined to thofe of our own fociety ; but reaches to 
 ail Ckriftians, and Chriltian focieties in every place. 
 The apoftle wiilies grace and peace to all, who, iii 
 c\-ery place, call on the name of Jefus. We are to 
 confider all as our bretliren, w ho appear to hold the 
 ( filntials of the Chriltian faith, and to maintain a prac- 
 tice agreeable to it ; and to all fuch brotherly love 
 ijiufi extend. If our love reaches no fartlxr than to 
 thofe of our own fcft, or ihofe who ufually worfliip 
 with us, it is only a p^irty fpirit; it has aotliing of the 
 nature of Chriltian love. 
 
 Against fuch a contra fted idea of love, the apof- 
 tie, in our context, carefully guards us, ' It has been 
 Cxedared to me,' lays he, ' that there are contentions 
 among you. Every one of you faith, I am of Paul, 
 and 1 of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Chrift.' 
 1 hey were puffed up for one teacher againft anotlier. 
 One admired this preacher ; another that ; and anoth- 
 cr a third ; and, by their party attachments, railed 
 troubltfome difputes and dangerous contentions in 
 the church. But, fays he, ' Is Chrilt divided ?' 
 Were ye not all baptized in his name ? Have ye not 
 all profcffed his religion ? Why then run ye into par- 
 tic s, as if Chrilt was divided ? Was Paul crucified for 
 you ? Why fay ye, * wc are of Puulr' Do yc expe^ 
 
C 48 ) 
 
 falvatlon through him ? He was not crucified for you. 
 He only preaches Chrift crucified ; and Peter and 
 Apollos do the fame. ' Or were ye baptized in the 
 name of Paul ?' Do ye imagine that baptifm was de- 
 iigned to form you into diftina feas ? or that every 
 one ought to follow the minifter who baptized him, 
 in oppofition to others ? And do ye think, that ye 
 ought to love and efteem, as brethren, thofe only 
 who are baptized by the fame apoftle, or in the fame 
 place and manner as ye were, as if ye were baptized 
 into the name of the man, who baptized you ? No, 
 ye were baptized in the name of Chrift, and are be- 
 come members of his body, and, therefore, ye are the 
 brethren of aU Chriftians, by whomfoever baptized ; 
 for ye are all baptized into one body. 
 
 You fee that baptifm, a Chriftian profeffien, and a 
 relation to' a particular church, are not defigned to 
 unite one company of Chriftians here, and another 
 there, in oppofition to each other ; but rather to unite 
 the whole Chriftian world. This then, and tins only, 
 is true Chriftian love, which extends its good wifhrs 
 to the whole houfehold of faith ; regards, as Chrift s 
 difciples, all who, in every place, call on his name ; 
 and purfues, not merely its own private ends, but the 
 general intereft of Chrift's kingdom, and the common 
 welfare of his fubjeas. , 
 
 True Chriftian love to thofe of our own fociety 
 cannot ftop fhort of a general love of ilunts. Ihe 
 love of the brethren, as fuch, is a love of their holy 
 and virtuous charaaer; and if, on this account we 
 love our neareft brethren, for the fame reafon we (hall 
 love all, who exhibit the fome charaaer.^ The good 
 Chriftian defires the prevalence of religion^ every 
 ■^vhere : he would rejoice that all men were virtuous 
 
C 49 ) 
 
 and happy. He will not, therefore, piirfue the relig-: 
 bus intereft of his own community, family or perfon, 
 in ways prejudicial to the general intereft of religion. 
 He will not confult merely his own edification, or that 
 of thofe with whom he is immediately conne^ed ; 
 but will feek the profit of many, that they may be 
 faved. 
 
 This love of the brethren leads to a more general 
 love of the human race. Chriflians are required ' to 
 add to their brotherly kindnefs charity ;" to increafc 
 and abound in their love one toward another, and 
 toward all men.' 
 
 O.YE who loves the brethren, becaufe they have the 
 temper and obey the laws of Chriil, mult be fuppofsd 
 himfelf to have the fame temper, and to obey the fame 
 laws. Chrift exemplified, and has enjoined a univer- 
 fal philanthropy. He did good to enemies, as well 
 as friends ; he prayed for his crucifiers, as well as 
 for his difciples : and he has enjoined on us the fame 
 extenfive benevolence. 
 
 Whatever pretenfions we make to Chrifi:ian feK 
 lowfliip, if our love is confined to any particular com- 
 munity, or even to Chriltian profeiTors, and does not, 
 in fuitable expreffionsof meeknef3,goodnefs and mod- 
 eration, extend itftlf to others; it is not that love of 
 the brethren which Chrift enjoins ; for where is broth- 
 erly kindnefs, there will be charity. The brotherly 
 love, which Chrift has taught, will make us meek 
 and gentle toward all men. It will tame and foften 
 the paflions, corred and fwceten the temper, and dif- 
 pofc us to fliew kindnefs to all men, whether they be 
 Chriltians or heathens, good men or finners. 
 
 Ox 
 
C 50 ) 
 
 4. As members ofthe church of God, we are call- 
 ed to an exemplary holinefs. 
 
 Christ gave himfelf for the church, diat he might 
 fan6lify it, and finaliy preient it glorious. We are 
 called to be feints ; feparated from the world, that 
 we maybe a peculiar people, zealous of good works ; 
 placed under gofpcl light, that we may be the chil- 
 dren of God without rebuke, in the midft of a crooked 
 and perverfe nation, fliining among them as lights in 
 the world. The honor of religion, and our own pro- 
 feflion, oblige us to walk circumfpe6lly among men. 
 Thofe, whom the apoflles admitted to their fellow- 
 ship, were exhorted to keep themfelvcs from an un- 
 toward generation. The loofe and unguarded con- 
 verfotion of Chriftian profeflbrs, gives occafion to 
 others to fpeak reproachfully of religion itfelf. They 
 ,are, therefore, to walk in wifdom toward them who 
 are without ; to provide things hone ft in the light of 
 iill men, that the enemies of truth may be put to 
 filence, having no evil thing to fay of them. 
 
 5. Let us exercife a mutual watchfulnefs in our 
 Chriftian relation. 
 
 We are called into this relation, that we may by 
 love ferve one another, and be fellow workers to the 
 kingdom of God. Let us be ready to receive, as 
 veil as to give, counfel and reproof, as there is occa- 
 fion ; and in this imperfca ftate occahons will be 
 frequent. Much allowance is indeed to be made for 
 human weaknefs, for mifapprehenfion, and for wrong 
 report. We expea fuch allo^^-ance from our breth- 
 ren, and they are intitled to it from us. Too great 
 forwcrdnefs to remark, and too hafty a zeal to reproxc 
 every trivial fault, ^nd every unguarded aclion in our 
 
( 51 ) 
 
 brethren, uill tend rather to vex, than reform them ; 
 rather to Imrt our influence, than to mend their tem- 
 pers. Reproof is a delicate matter. It is not to be 
 omitted, when occahon calls for it ; but it fhould be- 
 given with tendernefs and prudence, that it may be 
 received wiUi meeknefs and gratitude. 
 
 6. OuRfubjedl reminds us of the duty which we 
 owe to our youth. 
 
 If the children of profefTmg Chriftians are within 
 God's vifible church, they are entitled to our particu- 
 lar notice and regard. Though it fliould be conced- 
 ed, that baptifm denominates them members of the 
 catholic church only, and they become not members 
 of any local church, till, by their own acl, they join 
 themfelves to it, yet there is a duty which that church 
 peculiarly owes to them, in which they were public- 
 ly given up to God, of which their parents are mem>. 
 bers, and umler the immediate infpe6lion of which 
 they live and a6t. If they are members of the church 
 at large, thofe Chriftians, among whom providence 
 places them, and who are witnefles of their conduct, 
 are efpecialiy bound to watch over them. 
 
 We ought then to admonifh and reprove them, 
 whenever we fee them behave in a manner unfuita- 
 ble to the relation, W'hich they bear to Chrift ; to re- 
 buke their levity, impiety and profanenefs, that we 
 may reftrain them from making themfelves vile ; to 
 put them in remembrance of the facred obligations, 
 which they are under ; and call their attention to that 
 folemn day, Vv'hcn every work will be brought into 
 judgment. 
 
 While they are under the immediate government 
 of parents or others, it becomes us, in the raoft tender 
 and. friendly manner to give thofe, wdio have the. 
 
. ( 52 ) 
 
 care of them, information of their miftehaviour, when 
 it is grofs and repeated, and appears to proceed from 
 a perverfe difpofition. If Chriftians would thus affiil 
 each other in the government of their farnihes, at the 
 fame time exhibiting an example worthy of tlieir 
 character, m^uch fervice might be done totherifmg 
 generation, and to the general intereft of religion. 
 
 When youth have aiTived to competent age, it 
 would be proper that the church, as a body, fliould 
 deal with them for open im.moralities, obflinately 
 perfifted in againft more private admonitions ; unlefs 
 they difavow their relation to the church, and her au- 
 thority over them. In this cafe fhe may, in a formal 
 manner cut them oif from among their people, and 
 declare them no longer under her care. 
 
 7. Our fubje6\ deferves the ferious attention of the 
 youth. 
 
 My children ; God, in his good providence, has 
 ordered the place of your birth and education, under 
 the light of the gofpel, within his church, and in Chrif- 
 tian families. The moft of you have been folemnly 
 dedicated to God in baptifm, and have received the 
 vifible feal of his covenant. See then, that you walk 
 worthy of the privileges to which you are born, and. 
 of the chara6ler which you bear, as God's children, 
 fet apart to be his. Receive, with filial reverence and 
 obedience, the inllru6lions and counfcls of your par- 
 ents, who have bound themfelves to God for your 
 virtuous behaviour. Attend on the appointed means 
 ^ of religious knowledge, converfe \\ ith the holy fcrip- 
 tures and other inftrutStive books, ferioufly regard the 
 Hated fervices of the fan6\uary, and endeavour in the 
 ufc of thefe advantages, to become wife tofalvation, and 
 
( 53 ) 
 
 to fiirnifh yourftlves unto every good work. As you 
 have been coafccrated to God, li^e to him. Be not 
 conformed to this world, but be transformed by the re- 
 ncvoing of your minds. Let your ht:.>rts be imprefTed 
 with a lenfe of your fmful and helplels condition ; look 
 to Jefus as the only Siniourof a lollan:! guilty world : 
 go to God in his name, and humbly implore the rcr 
 newing and faiiclifying influences of his holy fpirit. 
 Make an aSlual dedication of yourfelves to God 
 through Jefus Chrift, deliberately refoh'ing on a courfe 
 of pure religion, and letall your converfation be as be- 
 comes the gofpel. Keep up a daily corrcfpondence 
 \\ ith God in fecret. Think and fpeak of him with rev- 
 erence, detelling and a\oidlng every fpecies of profan- 
 ity. Ceafe to hear the inftruciions which caufe to err 
 from the words of knowledge. Entertain no licen- 
 tious opinions, Rich as would encourage vice or pac- 
 ify the confcience under guiit. ■ Say to evil doers, de- 
 part from us, for we will keep the commandments of 
 our God. Flee youthful lulls, and follow after right- 
 eoufntfs, faith, charity, peace, with them who call oti 
 tlie Lord out of a pure heart. And reft not till you 
 have a6):uaHy taken the covenant bonds on your- 
 felves, by a public profeflion of religion, and have 
 come up to all gofpel ordinances. Do not this raflily 
 and thoughtlefoly, but humbly and ferioufty, in the fear 
 of God, and in obedience to him. Thi«k not that 
 you have a right to llye at large. You are bound to 
 confefs Chrift's name before men, and to fubmit to 
 the government of his church. It was foretold by 
 the prophet, that, wlien God fliouki pour out his fpir- 
 it on the offspring of his people, one would fay, 1 am 
 the Lord's, and another Vv'ould ful^fcribe with his 
 hand to the Lord. Thus the cliurch would increafc 
 
( 54 ) 
 
 by the acceffion of the young ; her fons would come 
 from far, and her daughters be nurfed at her fide. 
 You cannot be lliid to have fulfilled the obligations 
 of your baptifm, fo long as you hve in a carelefs neg- 
 lect of any of the ordinances of Chrift. There is 
 reafon to believe, that, in the inftitution of the fupper^ 
 Chrift had a primary reg-ard to the young, who were 
 always theobje^ls of his particular attention. This 
 ordinance was inftituted immediately after the cele- 
 bration of the pailover, which was a figure of the fuf- 
 fering Siiviour. In allufion to that fedival, Chrift is 
 called our palTover, facrificed for us. And in al- 
 lufion to the mannerjn which the paftbvcr was, eaten, 
 we are required to keep the feast of the holy (upper, 
 not imth the leaiien of malice and ^wickedness, but with 
 the unleaDened bread of sincerity and truth. Now 
 thefpecial reafon afligncd for the paffoverwas, thab 
 ivhcti children in time to come should inquire, %v/iat 
 ■ mean ye by this service ? The parent miglit thence 
 take occafion to inftru^ diem how the Lord sai'cd his 
 people from Egypt. Accordingly the youth were to 
 attend on the pafTover, in the appointed place, asfoon 
 as they Avere able to bring an offering in their hand. 
 Nou- if the fiipper fucceecls in the place of the paflb- 
 ver, was not this one intention of it, that the young, on 
 feeing this fervice, might be led to inquire, what was 
 meant by it, and thus open the way for inftru<Slion in 
 the glorious redemption by Jefus Chrift. Come then, 
 my children, attend a ftftival appointed for you. 
 Here behold what j^our afftr6lionate Saviour has done 
 and fuffered for fuch loft and helplefs creatures as you. 
 Behold, admire and love ; finite your breafts and re- 
 turn with new fentiments of the evil of your lins, and 
 ©ew refolutions of future obedience. Remember 
 
that all ordinances, and this in particular, were infti- 
 tilted as means of promoting a holy life ; and kt eV' 
 cry one^ nvho nameth the name of Christy depart 
 from iniquity. 
 
 8. The invitation given to the young fliall now be 
 addreiTed to others. Come, join yoiirfelves to the 
 Lord in a perpetual covenant, uhich fhall not be for- 
 gotten. 
 
 The Son of God has come down from Heaven, 
 and has purchafed a church with his own blood. 
 Here he offers that falvation wliich guilty mortals 
 need. He prefcribes the terms on which it may be- 
 come yours. He has appointed ordinances, in the 
 \\{^ of wliich you may be made meet for the enjoj'- 
 ment of it in Heaven. He has particularly inftituted 
 the ordinance of the fupper, to remind you of his dy- 
 ing love, and the rich bleffings purchafed by his 
 blood. He has required your attendance, to awaken 
 your remembrance of him, warm your love to him, 
 and ftrengthen your faith in him. 
 
 Have you any fenfe of your guilt and unworthi- 
 nefs, and of his wonderful goodtiefs and love ? Any 
 defire to become conformed to his image, attempered 
 to his gofpel, and entided to his falvation ? Any 
 gratitude to your Divine Benefa6^or for all the great 
 things ^A-hich he has done and luffered for you ? Any 
 purpofe of heart to honor and obey your glorious Re* 
 deemer and Lord ? Any concern to promote peace 
 and unity among his difciples, to excite and encour- 
 age them to love and good works, and to advance 
 the general interefl of his kingdom ? Then come 
 and confefs his name, declare your regard to his relig- 
 ion, fubfcribe with your own hand, to him, attend on 
 the ordinances of his houfe, walk in fellowfliip 
 
C 56 ) 
 
 with his profeffcd difcipks, join your infiuence to pro- 
 mote his caufc, anci llicvv by your holy converfaiion, 
 that you really believe, and heartily love the religion 
 which you profcfs. 
 
 To conclude, let us all unite our endeavours to 
 make Chrift's church glorious. Let us as workers 
 together witli Chrilt, cind v»'ith one another, contribute 
 in our refpe6live places, and according to our feveral 
 abilities, to edify and enlarge It. Let us not content 
 ourfelves wath appearing as members of the vifible 
 church here below ; but be concerned to become 
 real members of the invilible church above, that 
 when the time of our departure is come, we may go 
 to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heav- 
 enly Jerufalem, to an innumerable company of an- 
 gels, the fpirits of juft men made perfc6\, the general 
 alfembly and churcli of the firll born, whole names 
 are enrolled in Hea\'en. 
 
 THE END. 
 
WARNING 
 
 AGAINST THE 
 
 SIN OF DRUNKENNESS. 
 
 D, 
 
 'rUNKENNESS, or excefs in driuking, is fuch an enemy to all 
 that is wife and good, vlrtuou-i, and comely in a man, that every one 
 ought to rife with indignation a:gain(t it as a molt deftruilive and 
 pernicious evil, which renders him viler than, the beads that perifli. 
 
 The poor fenfelefs brutes may, by accident, be overcome by ftrong 
 liquors, becaufe they have no reafon to govern their appetites, nor 
 fenfe of duty nor fhame ; they have no confclence to be offended by 
 it, nor future judgment to fear after it ; and when the dog returns 
 to his vomit, or the fow to its wallowing in the mire, they d© 
 but ait according to their natures • but for that noble creature man, 
 tliat is made after the image of God, and next to the angels in dignity 
 and excellence ; Man that has a difcerning mind to know good from 
 evil, and a capacity to do the will of his great Creator and Lord ; for 
 a Chriflian, that h.is the vows of God upon him, who profe^Tes hirafelf 
 a difciple of the holy Jeius and an expedlant of the heavenly kingdom 
 and glory ; for fuch a creature to dlfcurb his health, degrade his reafon, 
 injure his confclence, olTeud his God and Saviour, and lofe his heaven 
 and happinefs to pleafe a brutifli appetite, by drinking to excefs, or by 
 a habitual praiflice of tippling, is fuch a defperate pitch of lin and fol- 
 Jv, as can never be fufnciently cenfured and condemned. 
 
 Let me therefore befeech your ferious attention to, and may the 
 God of all grace, by the powerful influence of his holy Spirit, render 
 cffetSiual this kind attempt, that you, who are now funk in the pleaf- 
 uresof the flefh, abullng the good gifts of God by excefs, and felling 
 your heavenly inheritance for a few fenfual draughts, may be happily 
 reftored to flrid\ fobriety and temperance; and by attending to the 
 rules of reafon and religion, bs filled to ferve and glorify your great 
 and bleffed Creator and Redeemer here, and for ever, Confider tliea 
 that, by drinking to excefs. 
 
 I. You areguilty of the grcatefl ingratitude to God. TLegoodcrea- 
 turcs v.-hich he has afforded you for your' comfort in his fervice, you 
 £ic offering as a iacrifice to lus enemy the devil, for drunkcnnefs is his 
 
C 2 ) 
 
 tlelight : You are converting his aordiab Into poifon, his wine into the 
 gall of afps, and turning the good gifts of God againft himfelf, while 
 you are uling thofe things to dilhunor him, which his bounty has be- 
 flowed upon you for his praife : and abufing that to excels, which he 
 dcfigned only for your cheerful refrefhment. 
 
 2. You are deftroying that In you, in which the very excellency of 
 our nature, and your difdnction from brutes confifts, namely, the ufe 
 of reafon, the drunkard has neither the fpeech nor carriage, the fenfe 
 nor civility of a man, he is wild and diforderly, fenfual and brutifli. 
 If thou flioaklll mangle and deform thy body, and render it ufelefs for 
 the purpofesof life, it were a far lefs crime than to deftroy thy reafon, 
 and debafe thy foul by vile indulgencies, which was originally made af- 
 ter the image of God, and was deiigaed by him for the moft excellent 
 ends and ule». If thou hadft been born an ideot, or deprived of thy 
 reafon and fenfes by fome difeafe or cafual difafter, thy cafe had been 
 greatly to be pitied ; but to unman thyfelf, and make thyfelf mad, de- 
 ferves the fevereft punitliment from him who gave thee an excellent na- 
 ture, and formed thee for nobler purpofes. And as drunkennefs dif^ 
 orders the underflanding for the prefent, fo the habit of drinking 
 more than enough gradually impairs the faculties of the mind, till, at 
 laft, the perfon is rendered ftupid and fottifli, ufelefs and coutemptib!«, 
 fo long as he lives : for, 
 
 3. This fin makes you vile and contemptible in the fight of othert. 
 The drunkard is the fport of the foolilb, and the grief of the wife : 
 JLike a fhamelefs bead or a raging devil, he is no longer fit for hiimaa 
 fociety, but is a mere nnifance and difturbance to all that are about 
 him, and every one is ailiamed that he flioulJ be thought their friend 
 or acquaintance. His reputation andefleem among mankind is blafttd, 
 tor there is fcarce any name more infamous than that of a fot. Look on 
 a ftrunkard fpewing, reeling, and bawling, and fee if he appear not viler 
 than t'ne bealls that perifli : The beft that can be done for- him, in that 
 itate, is to lay him out of the way till time and fieep have recovered 
 kis loft fenfes. 
 
 4. Excefs in drinking expofes you to numerous evils and temptations. 
 What numbers have unawares been drowned, broke their limbs, been 
 burnt iij their beds, and loft their lives in a drunken, fit ? How many 
 grievous difeafes does immoderate drinking bring upon the human 
 body .' Fevers, drop'ies, palfies, ccnfumptions, and many other difor- 
 der?, winch caufe them to live in miiery, and fliorten their days, fome 
 B.ore floY/ly^ ajid others Biore hailily ; fo that ■vvhtie the iwtrd has 
 
C 3 ) 
 
 fiain its thoufands, intemperance has flaiu its ten thoufands ; who mirf! 
 all be feutenced by God, at his great tribunal, as fo many felf deftroy- 
 ers. What poverty and diftrefs does the drunkard bring upon hi mfeif 
 and family, his wife and childi-en ? What fad temptations does he of- 
 ten fall into when liquor prevails over him, which, when fober be 
 trembled at the thoughta of fuch, as murder, inceft, whoredom, blaf- 
 pheming God's holy name, &c. For when reafon is gone, the devil 
 and hib own lufls get dominion over Jiim, and what has the man thea 
 to reftrain ihem ? 
 
 5. By this fin you caufe the holy Spirit of God to depart from you' ; 
 and untit yourfelf for every religious duty. How can the bleiled and 
 holy Spirit of God dwell in a naily iwinilh drunkard ? * What com- 
 munication can light have with fucii darkneis, or the Spirit of Chrift 
 with i'uch a belial i" And wiicn God is departed from the raiferabl« 
 linner, how clreadi'ul is his (tate ! Who then can make hiiu holy or 
 faappy ? When this is fo, the heart grows hardened from the fear of 
 God, evil iufts and palhons more anUmore prevail, and the devil gains 
 increaiing dominion over him, until he links into remedilefs horror and 
 uelpair. How untit alfo is the poor befotted wretch for any thing 
 •hat is fpiritual and good ? He cannot fo much as think one fober 
 thought, or receive any good impreliion from the wife advice of others, 
 nor iilt up his eyes witn acceptance to the God of heaven in prayer, 
 in that fcjilelefs polluted condition. Is it not, then, a miferabie thing 
 to fee a reafonahle creature who is capable of communion with his 
 great Creator, of contempiatsug his excellencies, and living fomething 
 of the hfe of angels here below, idling all this happincfs lor the iwiu» 
 ilh pleafure of a little drink. 
 
 6. You hereby expofe yourfelf to the dreadful curfes of Almighty 
 God, whofe anger burns like fire. The facred book 01 God is full ai 
 woes, which, like fo many fpears, (land pointed agaiuft the guilty con- 
 temmers of the laws of temperance. " Wo unto them that rife up 
 early that they may follow Itrong drink, that continue until night, till 
 wine inflame them. 
 
 " Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of ftrengtlk 
 to mingle ftrong drink," whether their reafon is deflroyed by it or no, 
 Ifa. V. II, 12. " Wo unto the crown of pride, to the drunkards of 
 Ephraim, Ifa. xxviii. i. Wo unto him that giveth unto his neighbour 
 druik, that puttleth thy bottle to him, and maketh him drunken that 
 thou mayeft fee his nakednefs. The cup of the Lord's hand ihall be 
 turned auto thee, and thou flialt be filled with fliame for glory." Hab. 
 
C 4 ) 
 
 ii. 25. So that if you were not altogether loA to the fear of God, an4 
 hardened in infidelity, furely the terrors of the Lord Ihould overawe 
 you, and deter you from this evil practice. But, 
 
 7. Lafily, if none of thofe things will caufe you to forbear excefs, 
 God himielf will do it effedlually ; he will feparate your guilty foul 
 from your vile body, and c aft both into the eternal damnation of hell 
 Infallible truth hath faidit, and yout almighty Judge calls upon you to 
 attend unto it, that by fincere faith, and fpeedy repentance, you may 
 avoid the dreadful fentence. " Be ye not de .eivcd, neither fornicator», 
 " nor thieves, nor drunkards, fliall inherit the kingdom of God." i Cor. 
 vi. 9, 10. And again, " If ye live after the flefli, ye fliall die," fpiritu- 
 ally and eternrdly. " Now the works of the fiefli are niamleft, which 
 are thefe, drunkennefs, revellings, and fuch like, of the which I told 
 you before, that they which do fuch things fhall not inherit the king- 
 dom of God." Rom. yii. 13. Gal. v. 19, 2.1. Remember, miferable lin- 
 ner, (if thou art refolved to go on in thy trcfpalTes) when thou art hfting 
 up thine eyes in torments, and begging in vain for a cup of cold 
 water to cool thy tongue, parched with greater heat in proportion 
 to thy former excelTes, for how bafe a price thou hafl fold thy Saviour 
 and falvation, thy God, and thy Heaven, in that thou wouldft not fo 
 much as leave a forbidden draught for them. 
 
 Let every one, therefore, that glories in his ftrength to drink ; that 
 entices or compels others to excefs ; or is apt to be overcome themfelves 
 by wine or ftrong drink, be perfuaded to confider thefe things, and 
 ihew themfelves men. We befeech you, brethren, by all that is dear 
 to you in both worlds, by the honor of the human nature, by the re- 
 gard you owe to yoarfelves and others, by the mercy and love of 
 the bleCed Redeemer, and the reverence and fear of the great God, 
 that you will difdain this deitrucSkive vice, which is fo much your pref- 
 «nt reproach and damage, and will be your eternal torment and coa- 
 fufion. 
 
 Confefs to God with forrow and fliame, thy former excefics. Fly to- 
 the Lord Jefus Clirift for mercy and grace to pardon thy fins, and heal 
 thy nature — Beg earneftly and continually of God to implant his love 
 and fear in thy foul, by his holy fpirit. Be conllant in tlie ufe of all 
 Goo's holy ordinances, and carefully fliun evil company, and all future 
 temptations to this vice. By which means only thou wilt be enabled 
 to reform thy life, and fave thy foul from death. Amen, 
 
*"**