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 littp://www.arcliive.org/details/attempttoexplainOOcliur 
 


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AN 
 
 ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN 
 
 Goci's Gracious Covenant 
 
 WITH BELIEVERS; 
 
 AND ILLUSTRATE THE 
 
 DUTY OF PAP.ENTS, 
 
 TO 
 
 CHILDREN IN BAPTISM, AND TllAIN 
 
 THEU UP IN THE FEAPv 
 
 OF GOD. 
 
 By JOHN HUBBARD'^URCH, 
 
 PASTOR OF THE CHURCH IN PELHAM, A'. H, 
 
 PUBLISHED ACCORDING TO ACT CF COX CRESS. 
 
 AMHERST, N.'H. 
 PRINTED AND SOLD BY JOSEI^H CUSHING, 
 
 i8oc. 
 
or ev^. 
 
DISCOURSE I. 
 
 GENESIS xvli. 7. 
 
 And I will eftahlijh my covenant between me and 
 thee^ and thy feed after thee^ in their genera^ 
 tions^for an everlafiing covenant^ to he a Cod 
 unto thee^ and to thy feed after tJjee, 
 
 ABRAHAM is the father of believers. 
 All, who are of faith, are bleffed v/ith 
 him. It is therefore highly important, right- 
 ly to know, wherein believers are now bkiT- 
 ed with faithful Abraham. To afcertain thiij 
 matter, let us attend to the covenant, which 
 God here promifes to eftabiifh with Abraham 
 and his feed. 
 
 I. This covenant is, eiTentially, the cove- 
 nant of grace. This is evident from the con- 
 fideration, that when the covenant was made 
 with Abraham, he was a believer, and in a 
 juftified ftate. Thus we read. Gen. xv. that 
 Abraham believed in the Lord ; and he counted 
 it to him for right eoufnefs. And the Apoftle, 
 in Romans iv. plainly allures us, that the faith> 
 which Abraham then exercifed, was faving, 
 juflifying faith. It mull therefore be admit- 
 
C 4 ] 
 
 ted that the covenant, which God promifes to 
 ertabliih with him, is elTentially the covenant of 
 gracCjOr the covenant of grace renewed andgiv- 
 en to him in 2. peculiar form. For whocan plead, 
 or evxfin fuppofe that God made a covenant of 
 wc-fc^ ith Abraham. after he had believed, and 
 Vwi3 juftiiied on the terms of the gofpel ? For 
 grace and works are entirely different : Rom. 
 ::i. 6. " And if by grace, then is it no more 
 ui works ; otherwife grace is no more grace. 
 But if it be of works, then is it no more 
 grace ; otherwife v/ork is no more work." 
 Hence it could not be in part the covenant of 
 grace, and in part the covenant of works, be- 
 caufe it is not pofiible to blend the covenant 
 of grace and the covenant of works. 
 
 It farther appears to be the covenant of 
 grc^xe from the feal. The Apoftle fays, Rom. 
 iv. 11, that Abraham '' received the fign of 
 < ircumcifion, a feal of the righteoufnefs of the 
 faitii, which he had, yet being uncircumcifed, 
 that he rnio-ht be the father of all them that 
 believe, thougli they be not circumcifed ; that 
 righteoufnefs might be imputed unto them al- 
 fo." Circumcifion was a feal of this covenant, 
 and of that righteoufnefs which is imputed to 
 believers of every age for their juftification 
 before God. How then can any fuppofe that 
 it was not the covenant of grace ? For a feal 
 of the righteoufnefs of faith can be the feal of 
 no other, except the covenant of grace : It 
 cannot be the feal of the covenant of works,. 
 
[ 5 ] 
 
 The covenant with Abraham has this con- 
 dition — " Walk before me, and be thou per- 
 fect." But this condition does not prevent 
 the covenant's being the covenant of grace. 
 For a condition is elTential to every real and 
 proper covenant. The covenant of grace, in 
 its moft limple form, evidently has a condi- 
 tion. 'For thus we read : " He that belie veth 
 and is baptized dall be faved. IncHne your 
 ear and come unto m.e ; hear and your foul 
 fliall live ; and I will make an everl ailing cov- 
 enant with you, even the fure mercies of Da- 
 vid." No one fulfils this condition and fo 
 has the covenant of grace made with him, ex- 
 cept God works in him to will and to do : 
 Nor could Abraham, without fpecial grace, 
 walk before God and be perfect, and fulfil the 
 condition of the covenant, which God prom- 
 ifes to efi:abliih with him and his feed. 
 
 The promife of temporal blefiings, and par- 
 ticularly the land of Canaan, is no evidence 
 that it was not the covenant of grace. For 
 the covenant of grace may contain a promife of 
 temporal blefilngs, as well as of fpiritual : Tem- 
 poral blefilngs are promifed to the godly in 
 the gofpel. Matt. vi. 33. " But feek ye firil 
 the kingdom of God and his righteoufnefs ; 
 and all thefe things ihali be added unto you." 
 I. Tim. iv. 8. " But godlinefs is profitable un- 
 to all things, having promife cf the life that 
 now is, and of that which is to come." — The 
 feed of Abraham were required to be holy, ia 
 
 A 2 
 
C 6 J 
 
 order to inherit the land of Canaan. Still it 
 appears, from Deut, ix. 5, 6, that it was not 
 through the merit of their holinefs and right- 
 eoufnefs, that they were brought to poffefs 
 this good land ; but on the ground of God's 
 gracious covenant. We are alfo taught in 
 Heb. iii. and iv. that they were to receive the 
 land of Canaan, in the fame Vv-ay in which we 
 are to receive fpiritual bleffings ; that is by 
 faith : " So we fee they could not enter in, be- 
 caufe of unbelief. — Let us labor therefore to 
 enter into that reft, left any man fall after the 
 fame example of unbelief." The promife of 
 rhe land of Canaan was an appendage of the 
 covenant of grace with xVbraham. The great 
 promife was this — " To be a God unto ihee and 
 io fJ?y feed,^' This was a promife of all fpiritu- 
 al bleinngs, and of endlefs glory and felicity. 
 No greater, or more gracious promife can be 
 found in the word of God, 
 
 God had a particular defign in annexing the 
 promife of Canaan to the covenant. He de- 
 fign ed to eftabliili his character, as a faithful 
 God, in the view of meil.'^ To do this, it was 
 expedient to make a promife of fome tempo- 
 ral blciling, fo that it migh^ be feen in the 
 prefent hfe, that he fulfilled his covenant en- 
 gagements. The enioyment of this temporal 
 bleffmg, might lead them to look for fpiritual 
 bleilings and endlefs gloiy. Dwelling in the 
 land of promife mi.dit, lead them to look for 
 eternal reft, in the h'&vcnly ftate. For the. 
 
[ 7 ] 
 
 land of Canaan was viewed by the faints as a 
 type of the heavenly inheritance. " By faith 
 Abraham fojourned in the land of promife, as 
 in a ftrange country, dweUing in tabernacles 
 with Ifaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of 
 the fame promife : For he looked for a city, 
 which hath foundations, whofe builder and 
 maker is God. Thefe," /. e» Abraham, Sarah, 
 Ifaac and Jacob, " all died in faith, not having 
 received the promifes," not having feen or ex- 
 perienced their complete fulfilment, '- but hav- 
 ing feen them afar off, and were perfuaded of 
 them, and embraced them, and confefled that 
 they were ftrangers and pilgrims on the earth. 
 For they that fay fuch things declare plainly 
 that they feek a country. But now tliey de- 
 iire a better country, that is, an heavenly : 
 Wherefore God is not afhamed to be called 
 their God ; for he hath prepared for them a 
 city." As the land of Canaan was typical 
 of heaven, and was to be received by faith, 
 the fame as the heavenly inheritance is to be 
 received, hence the evidence is clear and full, 
 that the covenant v/ith Abraham is the cove- 
 nant of grace. 
 
 IL The covenaat was eftablifhed with 
 thofe, and only thofe, who had true religion. 
 It could not be made with .any, except they 
 had the faith of Abraham. To keep the cov- 
 enant, they vv ere required to walk before God 
 and be perfect. Abraham's defcendants were 
 required, as v/ell as he, to exerdfe faith, and 
 
C 8 ] 
 
 be perfffiS in walking before God, and thus 
 fulfil the condition of the covenant. When 
 Mofes, Jofhua and the Prophets required any 
 to enter into covenant with God, they requir- 
 ed them to love God with all the heart, and 
 walk in all his ways. And God eilabliflied 
 his covenant with thofe who were obedient. 
 But God's covenant is not made with the 
 wicked. He requires the wicked to forfake 
 his way, and the unrighteous man his 
 thoughts, and return to him : On doing this, 
 he promifes to make an everlafting covenant 
 with him. " But unto the wicked God faith. 
 What haft thou to do to declare my ftatutes, 
 or that thou fliouldft take my covenant in 
 thy mouth ?" It is abfurd to fuppofe that God 
 eftabliihes his gracious covenant with the wick= 
 ed — ^with the impenitent — with his rebellious 
 enemies. 
 
 Here we may notice in what fenfe this cov- 
 enant was national* It was national in that 
 it was revealed, in a fovereign manner, to A- 
 braham and his pofterity ; and they were all 
 required to have faith and walk before God 
 and be perfect, and in this way have the cove- 
 nant eftabliflied with them. But the covenant 
 of grace is revealed to other nations. For all 
 of every nation, who hear the gofpel, are re- 
 quired to comply with it in fpirit and in truth, 
 that God may make an everbfling covenant 
 with them, and grant them the fure mercies 
 of David. The covenant with Abraham is 
 
[ 9 ] 
 
 not therefore diflferent from the covenant of 
 grace under the gofpel. 
 
 III. The covenant \^dth Abraham was to 
 extend to Gentiles : It was not to be confined 
 to his defcendants. This is plainly implied in 
 God's words to Abraham, when revealing the 
 covenant to him, and promiiing that he Ihould 
 be the father of many nations : " As for me, 
 behold my covenant is with thee, and thou 
 fhalt be a father of many nations." And the 
 Apoftle, in Rom. iv. fpeaking of the promife 
 that Abraham lliould be the father of all that 
 believe, fays, " Therefore it is of faith, that it 
 might be by grace, to the end the promife 
 might be fure to all the feed, not to that only 
 which is of the law, but to that alfo which is 
 of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of 
 \js all, as it is written, I have made thee a fa- 
 ther of many nations," &c. It is hence evi- 
 dent that the promife made to Abraham ex- 
 tends to believing Gentiles. But this is not a 
 promife of a Saviour only, but alfo of the 
 Spirit, or of fpiritual and faving blellings. 
 Thus the Apoftle, in Gal. iii. informs us that 
 Chrift has been made a curfe, that the bleiling 
 of Abraham mJo^ht come on the Gentiles 
 through Jefus Clirift ; that we might receive 
 the prom.ife of the Spirit through faith. But 
 this promife of the Spirit, or of faving blef- 
 fmgs, is no where fo exprefsly made to Abra- 
 ham, as it is in the covenant, in v/hich God 
 promifes to be a God to Abraham and his 
 
[ 'o] 
 
 feed. Gentile believing parents are as much en- 
 titled to this promife, as any who defcended 
 from Abraham. For, faith the Apoflle, Gal. 
 iii. 9, 29, " So then they which be of faith 
 are bleffed with faithful Abraham. And if 
 ye be Chrift's, then are ye Abraham's feed and 
 heirs according to the promife." Hence the 
 Apoflle teaches us, Rom. xi. that Gentile be- 
 lievers, under the gofpel, have as great and 
 precious promifes as the believing Ifraelites be- 
 fore had. Believing Gentiles are grafFed into 
 the good olive-tree, from which the unbeliev- 
 ing Jews were broken off, and they partake 
 of the root and fatnefs of the olive-tree. Thefe 
 are the promifes made to Abraham, and con- 
 tinued, or renewed to the godly after him^ 
 And one of the moft precious and comprehen- 
 iive of thefe promifes is — " To be a God 
 unto thee^ and to thy feed" — Hence the cov- 
 enant made with Abraham, is now made 
 with believers, as to its great promife of fpirit- 
 ual bleffings. 
 
 IV. The great promife of this covenant is 
 a promife to Abraham, that the Lord will be 
 a God, not only to him, but alfo to his feed. 
 This cannot be doubted, when we confider 
 how exprefs the words are — To be a God imto 
 thee and to thy feed after thee. God here prom- 
 ifes Abraham, to be a God to his natural feed ^ 
 for he promifes Abraham, to be a God to that 
 feed, to whom he promifes to give the land of 
 Canaan. This cannot be denied in view of 
 
[ " ] 
 
 Cod's exprefs declaration in the text and in 
 the following verfe : " I will eftablifti my cov- 
 enant between me and thee, and thy feed af- 
 ter thee, in their generations, for an everlaft- 
 ing covenant, to be a God unto thee and to 
 thy feed after thee. And I will give unto 
 thee and to thy feed after thee, the land 
 wherein thou art a ftranger, all the land of 
 Canaan, for an everlafting poflefiion ; and I 
 wdll be their God." Here God repeats the 
 promife to Abraham, to be a God to that feed, 
 to whom he promifed the land of Canaan. 
 This was Abraham's natural feed, and not be- 
 lieving Gentiles. — The promife refpe^ed that 
 feed, who were to have the feal of the cove- 
 nant put upon them, by being circumcifed. 
 For, after God had repeated the promife to 
 be a God to the natural feed of Abraham, he 
 then faid to him, " Thou flialt keep my cove- 
 nant, therefore^ thou and thy feed after thee, 
 in their generations. This is my covenant 
 which ye fliall keep between me and you and 
 thy feed after thee : Every man child among 
 you fball be circumcifed. And ye fliall cir- 
 cumcife the flefh of your foreikin ; and it 
 fliall be a token of the covenant between me 
 and you." Th^ application of the feal to the 
 natural feed of Abraham was a token that the 
 promife had peculiar refped to his feed. 
 
 But how could God promife, in his cove- 
 nant with Abraham, to be a God to his natural 
 feed ? For God cannot be a God to any, while 
 
C 12 ] 
 
 they are unrenewed and impenitent. For 
 him to be a God to any, in the proper fenfe of 
 the term, they muft be a holy people. Thus 
 he promifes in his covenant, Heb. viii. " I will 
 put my laws into their mind, and write them 
 in their hearts ; and I will be to them a God, 
 and they ihall be to me a people." It is hence 
 fuggefted whether the promife to Abraham 
 w^ere not a promife that his natural fxd ftiould 
 be renewed and become a fpiritual and holy 
 feed, and fo have the Lord for their God. 
 That this is the meaning of the promife is 
 evident from God's exprefs teftimony con- 
 cerning Abraham, Gen. xviii. 19. " For I 
 know him that he will command his chi^^KJi 
 and his houfehold after him, and they 
 keep the way of the Lord, to do juftice ai 
 judgment ; that the Lord may bring upon 
 Abraham that which he hath fpoken of hirn." 
 God here teflifies that Abraham would com- 
 mand his children and houfehold after him : 
 This expreffes Abraham's faithfulnefs. God 
 alfo promifes that in this way, Abraham's 
 children and houfehold fhould keep the way 
 of the Lord, and do juftice and judgment : 
 This exprelTes their piety ; and teaches us that 
 Abraham's faithfulnefs ihoul4 be blelfed, to 
 their faving converfion. We are alfo taught 
 in this paiTage, that, God, by blefling Abra- 
 ham's faithfulnefs to the faving good of his 
 children and houfehold, did bring upon Abra. 
 ham that which he had fpoken of him, or did 
 
C 13 ] 
 
 fulfil his covenant with him. By doing this, 
 God made ibem his holy people, and became 
 their God. In this way, he eflabliihed his 
 covenant with them, as he promifed Abra- 
 ham.* 
 
 * It may be doubted by fome, whether Ifhmael weie 
 a good man : And It may be tliought that he was ex- 
 cluded, from God's gracious covenant, becanfe God ex- 
 prefsly faid tliat his covenant fhould be eitabliHied v/uh 
 Ifaac and with his ieed' after him. 
 
 To fatisfy the doubting, inquiring mind on this fub- 
 jed, it may be obferved, that God for wife reafon* 
 made a difference between Ifaac and Ilhmael. We 
 may fee the propriety of it. The Meffiah was to 
 
 «, from Ifaac ; hence, in preparing tlie way for 
 earance of Chrift on the earth, it was expedient 
 i to promife that his covenant fliould be eftab- 
 /ith Ifiac and with his feed after bin. ; and a 
 Church and true religion be m.aintained among Ifaac's 
 defcendants. until Chrill fhould come. God's defign 
 did not render it expedient that he fnould explicitly 
 make the fame promife refpecling Ifhmael and his feed ; 
 i^r the Mtfliah v^'as not to fpring fiom lilimael. But 
 there is no evidence that Ifhmael was not a good man, 
 and had not the Lord for his God. — A difference was 
 made between Sarali and Hagar ; and yet it appeals 
 that Hagar v/as truly a pious perfon, and tlie LorJ was 
 liei Gcd. So a difference miglitbe made between Ifaac 
 and Iilnnael, and yet Ifhmael be a pious perfon, and be 
 favingly interefled in God's everlafiing covenant. "We 
 have no evidence from fcripture th^ithe was not a pious 
 •perfon ; but v/e have evidence that he was. — When A.- 
 braham. prayed. Oh that Ifhrnael might live before tliee : 
 God faid, As for Ifnmael, I have heard thee : Behold I 
 have bleffed him — Gqvl. xvii. 20. Abraham, no doubt, 
 "in his prayer for Iflmiael, had refped: to faving, fpi ritual 
 B 
 
[ 14 ] 
 
 We have further telHmony, Gen. xxvi. that 
 Ifaac was bleffed on account of his fa- 
 ther's faithfulnefs. God faid to Ifaac — " I 
 ■will be with thee, and will blefs thee. — And I 
 will perform the oath, which I fware unto A- 
 braham, thy father. — Becaiije that Abraham 
 obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my 
 commandments, my ftatutes, and my laws." 
 
 We may hence conclude that it was in con- 
 fequence of Abraham's faithfulnefs, that the 
 Lord was a God to his children. This is 
 further fupported by the text, and what pre- 
 cedes : God faid to Abraham — " Walk before 
 me and be thou perfect. And I will eftablifli 
 my covenant between miC and thee and thy 
 feed after thee, in their generations, for an 
 everlafling covenant, to be a God unto thee 
 and to thy feed after thee." It was on ac- 
 count of Abraham's walking before God, and 
 
 blefilngs ; and Gcd's anfwer to Abraham leads us to 
 cor. elude that Ilhmael was blefTed with fpiritual and 
 laving bleiBngs, and that he fliould enjoy the peculiar 
 favor of Heaven. — God's declaration is alfo exprefs 
 that Abraham's children fhould keep the way of the 
 Lord, to do juftice and judgment. This declaration 
 refpedts Ifhmael, as well as Ifaac ; and is pofitive evi- 
 dence of Iflimael's being a pious man. — Wlien Ifhmael 
 died, it is faid by the infpired writer, that he 'was gather- 
 ed uv.to k'ls people. This is often fpoken of the death of 
 the righteous, but not of the death of the wicked. Job, 
 fpeaking of the wicked, under the character of the rich 
 man, fays, that he Ihall lie down, but he fiall net he gath- 
 ered. 
 
[ '5] 
 
 being perfecl, and, of courfe, faithful to his 
 children, that the Lord would be their God. 
 God promised Abraham, that, if he was faith- 
 ^ful, his children, his natural feed, fiiould be 
 renewed, and be a fpiritual and holy feed. 
 It is hence plain that the feed of Abraham 
 were comprehended in the covenant with him, 
 on condition of his faithfulnefs. 
 
 It is thought that the words of the Apofth, 
 in Gal. iii. i6, accord with this fentiment. 
 To fee that they do, it may fjiHce to obfervc 
 the connection, and the Apoftle's objecl in ui- 
 ing them. After flating, chap. ii. the doclrine 
 of juftification by faith, he labors, in this 
 chapter, to fiiew the neceifity of faith, in or- 
 der to be partakers of the gofpel fah^ation. 
 " Know ye, therefore, that they, which are 
 of faith, the fame are the cliildren of Abraham. 
 And the fcripture, forefeeing that God would 
 juftify the heathen, through faith, preached 
 before the gofpel unto Abraham, faying, In 
 thee fhall all nations be blefled. So then they 
 which be of faith are bieifed with faithful 
 Abraham," He afterwards fays, that Chrift 
 hath redeemed us from the curfe of the law, 
 beino; made a curfe for us : — that the bleflinc: 
 of Abraham might come on the Gentiles, 
 through Jefus Chrift ; that we might receive 
 the promife of the Spirit through faith. We 
 here fee that the bleffing of Abraham comes 
 to Gentiles through Chrift ; and that this 
 bleffing is the promife of the Spirit, which is 
 
 ^ 
 
[ i6 ] 
 
 received by faith in Chrift. In further eftab- 
 Killing this point, it was pertinent to bring 
 into view God's covenant with Abraham, and 
 fay, " Now to Abraham and his feed were 
 the promifes made. He faith not, And to 
 feeds, as of many ; but as of one, And to 
 thy feed, which is Chriil." The promife looks 
 to Chrift ; in him, God's promifes are yea 
 and amen. We mufl be found in Chriil: ; 
 we mufl be his, by faith, in order to be fav- 
 ingly intcrefted in the promiies. " If ye be 
 Chrift's, then are ye Abraham's feed, and 
 heirs according to the promife." But it is no 
 contradiction to this, that God's promife to 
 Abraham had a pecuHar refpecl to his natural 
 iecd, and gave affurance that this feed ihould 
 \:i renev/ed and have faith, if A.braham walk- 
 ed before God and v/as perfect. 
 
 Now all other godly parents, who enter in- 
 to covenant with God, have the fame promife 
 made to them refpecling their children. For 
 the fame covenant, effentially, is made with 
 them, Vv'hich God eftabliHied with Abraham. 
 H^rnce the children of all other godly parents 
 are comprehended in the covenant with their 
 parents, on condition of their p:irents' being 
 faithful. — Here I wifh to have it particularly 
 noticed, that when I fpeak of childrens' being 
 comprehended in the covenant with their pa- 
 ents, my meaning is — That the covenant has 
 peculiar refpecl to the children, and contains 
 a promife that they fliall be fanclified, if their 
 
 k 
 
C 17] 
 
 parents are faithful : Tliey are comprehend- 
 ed in the covenant, in this fenfe, that there is 
 an eftabUflied conne6lion between their par- 
 ents' faithfulnefs and their piety. 
 
 That the children of the godly are, in this 
 fenfe, comprehended in the covenant with 
 their parents, is further confirmed by other 
 paflages of God's word, in which he prom.ifes 
 faving blellings to the children of his covenant 
 people. Jer. xxxii. 38, 39. " And they {hall 
 be my people, and I wdll be their God. And 
 I will give them one heart and one w^ay, that 
 they may fear me forever for the good of them 
 and of their children after them. And I will 
 make an everlafting covenant with them.'' 
 Ifai. Ixi. 8,9." And I will direct their work 
 in truth, and I will make an everlafting cov- 
 enant with them. And their feed fhall be 
 known among the Gentiles, and their offspring 
 among the people : Ail that fee them fhall ac- 
 knowledge them that they are the feed which 
 the Lord hath bleffed." Ifai. Ixv, 23. " Hiey 
 fhall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for 
 trouble ; for they are the feed of the bieil'ed 
 of the Lord and their offspring with them." 
 And in Ifai. xliv. 3, 4, 5, he promifes his cdv- 
 cnant people how^ he w^ill blefs their children : 
 *' I wdll pour my fpirit upon thy feed, and my 
 bleiTmg upon thine offspring. And they fhall 
 fpring up as among the grafs, as willows by 
 the water-courfes. One fhall fay, I am the 
 ,Lord'5 j and another fhall fubfcribe wdth his 
 B 2 
 
[ i8 ] 
 
 hand unto the Lord, and furname himfelf by 
 the name of Ifrael." This is a promife to par- 
 ents, that their children fliall be renewed by 
 fpecial grace. And comparing the promiie 
 with other parts of fcripture, it is evident that 
 it is made on condition that parents be faithfuL 
 AW thefe promifes ferve to explain the cove- 
 nant which God makes w^ith believing parents j 
 and to confirm this truth, that God has eftab- 
 iifhed a connection between the faithfulneis of 
 parents and the piety of their children, fo that 
 the Lord w^ill be a God indeed to children, if 
 their parents are faithful. 
 
 This gracious conneclion is. further taught 
 in thefe plain commands : " Withhold not 
 correction from the child ; — ^for if thou beat- 
 eft him with the rod, he fliall not die. Thou 
 ilialt beat him with the rod ; and {halt deliv- 
 er his foul from hell. Correct thy fon, and he 
 fiiall give thee reil ; yea, he fiiall give delight 
 unto thy foul." The piety and Talvation of 
 children are here proniifedto parents, on their 
 faithfully correcting and inftru^ting them. 
 Here God promifes that children fhall be fav- 
 ed from hell, through their parents' faithful- 
 nefs. 
 
 it is no fuiBcient objection againft this doc- 
 trine, that the children of pious parents have 
 Kved in fin and been openly vicious. For pa- 
 rents may be truly pious, and yet be very un- 
 faithful to their children. Eli was a good 
 Hian : Eut he greatly neglected his children. 
 
 4 
 
[ 19 ] 
 
 and did not reflrain them, as he ought, when 
 they made themfeives vile. Ifaac and Jacob 
 were alfo partial towards their children, and 
 did not perform the part of faithful parents, 
 although they had true religion. The fame 
 may be obferved of David. But if thefe and 
 all other parents had been faithful, as Abra- 
 ham was, we cannot doubt but God would 
 have been faithful and renewed their children. 
 For he did blefs Abraham's faithfulnefs, fo that 
 his children were truly pious, and had the. 
 Lord for their God. — It may be added, 
 
 V. That God exprefsly directed that his 
 covenant of promife ihould be confirmed by a 
 feal. 
 
 The feal which God inflituted in making this 
 covenantwithAbrahamwas circumciiion. This 
 ^he Apoftk exprefsly declares, was the feal of the 
 righteoufnefs of faith. It was therefore a feal on 
 the part of God — a feal of his promife, to be a 
 God to Abraham, and alfo a God to his feed, 
 if he walked before God and was perfect. For 
 the phrafe, the righteoufnefs of faith, is never 
 ufed, in the Bible, to denote the charader or 
 the duty of the believer : But it means a jufUfy- 
 ing righteoufnefs, or a righteoufnefs, on ac- 
 count of which the believer is juilified, fo 
 that the Lord may be his God. Hence a feal 
 of this righteoufnefs of faith is the fame as a 
 feal of God's gracious promife to be a God to 
 -the believer and to his feed. This is called 
 ihe righteoufnefs of God^ for it is the ever- 
 
[20] 
 
 lading righteoufnefs which Jefus Chrift, " the 
 7nighty Qod^' has brought in, by his per fed obe- 
 dience. And this righteoufnefs is faid, by the 
 ApofHcjto be imputed to them that believe. By 
 this is meant, I conceive, that it is wholly on 
 account of this righteoufnefs, that they arejuf- 
 tiiied : They have the everlafting benefit of it. 
 — Circumcifion was a feal of this righteoufnefs, 
 and was to be applied to the believing parenf 
 and to his children. The promife was — I will 
 be a God unto thee and to thy feed. The 
 command followed — Therefore^ every man 
 child among you fhall be circumcifed ; and ye 
 ihall circumcife the flefh of vour forelkin. 
 The command to circumcife is founded on the 
 promife of God to be a God to th|; believer 
 and his feed. Circumcifion is therefore a feal 
 of God's promife. Becaufe God promifes the 
 believer to be his God and the God of his 
 feed, therefore the feal is to be applied to the 
 parent and his children. This was God's ex- 
 prefs appointment. — Circumcifion w^as alfo a 
 feal of the parent's engagements to be faithful. 
 — And God's covenant would not have been 
 kept, but broken, if this feal had not been ap- 
 plied, as God directed. For thus faith the 
 Lord ; " And the uncircumcifed man-child^ ivhofe 
 jlejh of his forejkln is 720t drcwncifed^ that foul jhall 
 be cut off from his -people ; he hath broken my 
 covenant.'* 
 
L" 21 1 
 
 IMPROVEMENT. 
 
 1. WE learn that God's gracious covenant 
 with believing parents very happily anfwers to 
 our loft and ruined ftate. The fin of our 
 firft parents ruined all their pofterity. " By 
 one man's difobedience many were made fin- 
 ners." For " by one man, fin entered into the 
 worldjand death by fin; and fo death pafied up- 
 on all men, for that all have finned." In this- 
 firft tranfgrefiion, which has brought ruin up- 
 on all mankind, our firft parents were jointly 
 concerned. Since this firft apoftacy, parents, 
 in every age, have done more ar lefs to ruin 
 their children. But where fin has abounded, 
 the grace of God can much more abounds 
 This grace can enable parents to be happily in- 
 ftrumental in faving their children. 
 
 Inftead of living in fin and leading their 
 children to endlefs deftruclion, parents may 
 be fanciiiied by this grace, and train up their 
 children for God's kingdom of glory. 
 
 It is abundantly evident that children fuf- 
 fer in confequence of their parents' fins. The 
 iniquities of the fathers are vifited upon the 
 children ; although the children are puniflied 
 for no fins but their own. On the other 
 hand, God's gracious covenant, as it has nov/ 
 been exhibited, prefents a way. in which chil- 
 dren may be favingly benefitted by their par= 
 ents' con duel. Parental fiiithfulnefs will fe» 
 cure the piety of children ^ 
 
[ 22 J 
 
 God*s gracious covenant, as it has now 
 been explained, anfwers to the covenant which 
 was originally made with our firft parents. 
 If Adam continued obedient, all his pofterity 
 were to be holy. But if he tranfgreffed, his 
 children w^ere to be iinners. So now, if par- 
 ents be faithful, their children by divine 
 grace ihall be renewed and faved. But if 
 parents be unfaithful, their children will per- 
 ifh, unlefs mere, uncovenanted mercy prevent. 
 In this view of God's gracious covenant, we 
 behold the abounding grace of the gofpel. 
 
 2. We learn the happy privilege of behev- 
 ing parents. God has made with them an ev- 
 erlafting covenant, in which he promifes to be 
 their God, and the God of their children. 
 He has made other promifes alfo refpe6ting 
 their offspring. Hence the believing parent 
 has the peculiar privilege of prefenting his 
 children to the Lord, and afking him to be- 
 llow on them covenant bleffings. — When 
 Chrift \VaS on earth, fome brought their child- 
 ren to him, that he might bleis them and make 
 them heirs of his heavenly kingdom. This, 
 we may conclude, w^as done by his cordial 
 friends, or by thofe who regarded Mm as the 
 Mefliah. For if they did not view him as the 
 Mefiiah, they viewed him as an impoftor. But 
 they would not afk one, whom they viewed 
 an impoftor, to blefs their children. For in 
 their own view, fuch a perfon would be more 
 likely tobringa curfe upon them than a bleffi. 
 
[ 23 ] 
 
 Ing. How gracioufly did Chrift receive thefe 
 children ? He rebuked thole who forbade 
 them to be brought ; he was difpleafed with 
 them and faid, " Suffer the little children to 
 come unto me, and forbid them not ; for of 
 fuch is the kingdom of God." He then took 
 the children up in his arms, put his hands 5n 
 them and blelTed them. How precious 
 is the privilege of believers, that they 
 may bring their children to Chrift for his fpec- 
 ial blefling. — Unbelieving parents may enjoy 
 the fame precious privilege, when they repent, 
 believe in Chrift, and enter into covenant with 
 G.od. But w^hile they refufe, they reject God's 
 covenant and all its precious promifes. They 
 will not com.e to Chrift that they may have 
 life themfelves : And it would be hypocrify 
 for them to pretend to bring their children to 
 him for his bleffing, while, in heart, they hate 
 and rejecl him, and will not have him for their 
 Lord and Saviour. — Hence we learn, 
 
 3. That it is the immediate duty of unbe- 
 lieving parents to repent and enter into cov- 
 enant with the Lord, that they may accepta- 
 "bly afk him to blefs their children. They can- 
 not do this acceptably, if they do not repent 
 and believe. But when they repent and enter 
 into covenant with God, they are interefted 
 in this gracious promife — I will be a God unto 
 thee and to thy feed. Hence let every parent 
 feel that he is urged by the infinite weight of 
 the divine authority— by the precioufhefs of 
 
the foul — ^by the everlafting worth of the blelT- 
 ings of God*s gracious covenant — and by all 
 the folemnities of the final judgment and the 
 eternal world, to repent immediately, and en- 
 ter into covenant with God, that the Lord 
 may be a God to him and to his children. 
 
 4. Impenitent, unbelieving parents have 
 reafon to indulge many painful refleclions 
 and fears refpecling their children. As fuch 
 parents rejed God's gracious covenant and 
 exclude themfelves and their children from its 
 faving blefiings ; fo they may greatly fear that 
 their children will finally perifh. If your 
 children die in infancy or childhood, where 
 is the ground of your hope that they are fav- 
 ed, if you rejed God's gracious covenant, by 
 unbelief, and refufe to prefent your children 
 to the Lord for his covenant bleffing ? It is 
 true that God is infinitely merciful. But it 
 is your duty to incHne your ear and come un- 
 to God, that he may make an everlafting 
 covenant with you, and give you the fure 
 mercies of David. It is alfo your duty, after 
 taking hold of God's covenant by faith, to look 
 to him for covenant bleflings on your offspring. 
 This is peculiarly your duty, feeing you have 
 been the inftruments of their commencing an 
 exiftence, w^hich will never end. If you neg- 
 lect your duty, can you juftly exped that God 
 will have mercy on your children, by giving 
 them a fpecial intereft in his gracious cove- 
 nant ? If they die without a fpecial interefl in 
 
C 25] 
 
 this covenant, they muil finally perifli. They 
 cannot be faved, except they are united to 
 Chrift, and fanclified by his Spirit, and thus 
 have the Lord for their God. If you there- 
 fore neglect a plain duty, you may expech 
 that you or your children, or both, will iuITcr 
 for it. Your neglect of this gracious cove- 
 nant tends to ruin yourfelf and your dear chil- 
 dren. How painful then may be your reSec- 
 tions ! And hov/ diftrefiing your fears that 
 your children will finally perifh in confequence 
 of your neglect ! " /, the Lord thy God, am a 
 jealous God, vijiting the iniquity; of the fathers up- 
 071 the children^ unto the third and fourth ge?:era' 
 .tion of them that hate me,^'' 
 
 5. Vv'^e learn that children are in a nnfiil and 
 loft fi.ate and need God's fovereign grace. 
 They are, naturally, in the fame lofl: and per- 
 ifhing ftate with their parents, and need the 
 fame fovereign grace, which faves their par- 
 ents. They mufl perifli, if they be not fpec- 
 ially interefted in God's everlafting covenant 
 of grace, and faved by Chriil:. This is evi- 
 dent from the fpecial provifion, v;hich he has 
 -made for them in his gracious covenant with 
 beheving parents. Buf how can children need 
 to be faved by Chrifi:, except they are in a 
 ftate of moral ruin ? For all who are faved by 
 Chrifi:, are fiived entirely by rich and foverelg^i 
 grace ; for they are fmners, jufi;ly condemned 
 by God'siaw, and jufi:ly deferve e'ndlefo mifery. 
 e 
 
[26] 
 
 How can your children be faved by the fpec- 
 iai grace of Chrift, if they do not deferve God's 
 wrath ? If they may not, in juftice, be left to 
 pcrifh, how can they be the objects of mere, 
 fov^ereign grace ? Where is the propriety of 
 prefcnting your children to the Lord to be 
 iaved by his grace, if you do not believe that 
 they are, by naturt-, finful, dead in fin^ and 
 in great danger of being loft forever. The 
 whole need not a phyiician, but they that are 
 fick. Chrift did not come to fave the pure 
 ^nd holy, but the iinful and perifiiing : He 
 came to feek and to fave that which was loii:. 
 
 The word of God teaches us that children 
 are in this flate of mioral ruin. The Apoftle, 
 Rom. v. 1 2, coniiders all. on whom death pafies, 
 as having finned. " As by one man iin enter- 
 ed into the world, and death by fm ; and fo 
 death pailed upon all men, for that all have 
 finned." Eeath pafles upon infants as well 
 as adults ; and tlierefore, according to the A- 
 poftle's reafoning, they have finned. Their be- 
 ing vifited with pain and death is an evidence 
 that they are finners in the fight of God. He 
 evidently treats them as finners. 
 
 " By one man's difobedicnce, many were 
 made finners." Thefe words apply to infants 
 as well as to any others of this fallen world. For 
 it is abundantly taught in Scripture, that all 
 mankind, in their natural, unconverted ftate, 
 are finners. Hence it is as true of infants, as 
 of any others, that they are made or conflitut- 
 
C 27 ] 
 
 ed finners, by Adam's oiTence. And hence it 
 is faid, " I was fliapen in iniquity.'* " Who 
 can bring a clean thins; out of an unclean ? 
 not one. — The wicked are efiranged from 
 the womb ; they go aftray as foon as they be 
 born, fpeaking lies. Their poifon is the 
 poifon of a ferpent." It is the nature of the 
 wicked to do wickedly. By nature, all are 
 the children of wrath. For " fooliihnefs," 
 or fin, " is bound in the heart of a child.'' 
 ^^ The heart of the fons of men is full of evil," 
 And God fays that the imagination of man*s 
 heart is evil from his youth, or from the be- 
 ginning of hfe. 
 
 If it be faid that little children are not capa- 
 ble of being linners ; It may be replied, that 
 if this be true, they are not capable of being 
 holy. For it requires no greater natural ca- 
 pacity to be finful, than it does to be holy. 
 And to deny that children can be fmners and 
 be loft, is to deny that they can be holy and 
 be faved. 
 
 If it be further faid that infants are pure 
 and hoiy, becaufe Chrifl has died for them : 
 It may be replied, that notwithftanding Chrifl 
 has died and ma,de an infinite atonement, yet 
 all are dead in fm, until they are quickened and 
 created anew by the Spirit. Children mufl 
 be the fubjeds of this change of heart, or they 
 will forever remain fmners^ and eternally perifh. 
 
 If it fhould be fuppofed that the children of 
 believers do not need Chrift's fpecial grace, be- 
 
[ ^-8 ] 
 
 caufe the Apoftle, in I. Cor. vii. calls them ho- 
 ly : It may be obferved that both the children 
 of believers and unbelievers are born in the 
 fame ftate of moral depravity : Both are alike 
 dead in fin, before their hearts are changed by 
 fovereign grace. It is in relation to God's 
 covenant, and promife, and fpecial grace, tliat 
 the children of believers are called holy ; for 
 his covenant peculiarly refpeds them, and 
 contains a promife that they fhallbe fanclified 
 by his fpecial grace, if their parents walk before 
 God and be perfect. — Hence believing parents, 
 in view of thefe things, will realize the finful 
 and ioil condition of their children, and deeply 
 feel that they muft perifli forever, if the Lord 
 does not confer on them his fpecial grace. 
 
 6. It is the duty of parents to dedicate their 
 chiiuren to the Lord, v;ith a purpofe of heart 
 to train them up for his fervice and eternal 
 kingdom. God requires that every parent 
 fliouid imm.ediately becomie one of his holy, 
 covenant people. And in his gracious cove- 
 nant, he not only requires that parents fhould 
 be v/hoiiy devoted to him ; but alfo that their 
 children iliould be dedicated to him, to be his 
 holy people forever. Hence we muft dedicate 
 our children to him, to be entirely his, for 
 time and eternity. If we do not, how can we 
 iincerely afk him to blefs them, and make 
 them holy ? If we refufe thus to dedicate our 
 children to him, we may juflly expect that he 
 
C 29 ] 
 
 will refufe to make them his holy people, and 
 to be their God. 
 
 This dedication implies unconditional fub- 
 miffion refpecling our children, or a cordial 
 acquiefcence in the divine purpofe concerning 
 them. As in dedicating ourfelves to the 
 Lord — We cordially acquiefce in his purpofe 
 refpecHng us ; are willing that his cotinfel 
 fliould, (land and that he fliould do all his 
 pleafure ; and deliring, above all things, that 
 he may be glorified : So in truly dedicating 
 our children to him — Our hearts are in harmo- 
 ny with God's will ; our greateft deiire is 
 that God may be glorified ; and it is pleafing 
 to us that in whatever he does refpecling our 
 children, he will be actuated by a fupreme re- 
 gard to his own glory. 
 
 God*s promife to renew and fave our chil- 
 dren, if we be faithful, does not render this 
 fubmiflion unnecelfary. For it wholly de- 
 pends on God's fovereign pleafure, v/hether 
 wefhali be faithful to our children. God 
 muft work in us both to Mall and to do, o£ 
 his good pleafure, and enable us to be faithful, 
 or we fhall not fecure covenant bleiiings for 
 them. 
 
 If we truly dedicate our children to God, 
 we fhall be refolved, that, by divine grace, we 
 will train them up for him.. If we have not 
 fuch a purpofe of heart, we fhall tempt the 
 Lord — we fhall pretend to look to him for 
 c 2 
 
C 30] 
 
 his blejQing on our children, while difpofed to 
 r.egled the means of obtaining it. For it is 
 only in the faithful difcharge of duty to our 
 children, that we can reafonably expect his 
 bleffing, in anfwer to our prayers, or in cove- 
 nant failhfulnefs to us. Not that we need to 
 do any thing to merit his bleffing. But the 
 faithful difcharge of our duty is, in this cafe 
 efpecially, a neceffary means of obtaining it. 
 Our faith does not merit faivation for our- 
 felves : But yet we cannot be faved without it. 
 — So in the prefent cafe, the Lord bleffes the 
 faithfulnefs of parents to the faving good of 
 their children. Hence we muft be refolved to 
 be faithful, and then fulfil our refolution, if we 
 would hope for God's bleffing. 
 
 7. It is the duty of believing parents to of- 
 fer up their children in baptifm. 
 
 It cannot be denied, that God did exprefsly 
 appoint that the feal of the righteoufnefs of 
 faith, ihould be appHed to the child of the be- 
 lieving parent, as well as to the believer. It 
 mufh alfo be granted by every candid mind, 
 that this divine appointment, refpefting the 
 children of believers, ftill continues, unlefs 
 God has fet it afide. For every one knows 
 that what God lias once appointed to be per- 
 formed by his covenant people, is ftill to be 
 performed by them, if he has not ordered to 
 the contrary. 
 
 1 he reafon of this divine appointment was 
 the gTcicious promiie to be a God unto the be- 
 
C3' ] 
 
 lieving parent and to his feed. On t"he ground 
 of this promife-, Abraham and other godly par- 
 ents were required to put the feal of the cove- 
 nant upon their children, as really as upon 
 themfelves. But the fame covenant, as to 
 fpiritual bleflings, is now made with believers. 
 God now promifes, in his gracious covenant 
 with the believer, to be a God unto him and 
 to his feed. 
 
 But has this gracious appointment ever been 
 fet afide by divine authority, fo that believers 
 are no longer required to apply the feal of the 
 covenant to their children ? Or does this ap- 
 pointment continue under the gofpel ? 
 
 It is true that circumcilion, literally, has 
 ceafed, and baptifm has been inftituted. Cir- 
 cumciiion was a feal of God's gracious cove- 
 nant, in which he promifed to be a God to 
 the believer and to his feed — It was a feal of 
 that righteoufnefs, on account of which the 
 believer is juflined. And baptifm does not 
 appear to be a facrament or feal of any greater 
 import. On the contrary, it appears from 
 fcripture, that they are feals of the fame im- 
 port, eifentially ; and that baptifm under the 
 gofpel anfwers to circumcifion under the for- 
 mer difpenfation. 
 
 It is plain that circumcifion, when taken in 
 a fpiritual fenfe, iignified a faving change of 
 heart. Deut. x. i6. " Circumcife there- 
 fore the foreflkin of your heart." Jer. iv. 4. 
 " Circumcife yourfelves tp the Lord, and take 
 
[ 32] 
 
 away the forefkins of your heart/* And hence 
 Mofes fays, Deut. xxx. 6, *^ And the Lord thy 
 God fhall circumcife thine heart and the heart 
 of thy feed, to love the Lord thy God with all 
 thine heart and with all thy foul, that thou 
 mayeft live.*' Hence we are taught that an 
 uncircumcifed perfon, in a fpiritual fenfe, is 
 an impenitent iinner. In Ezek» xhv. 7, God 
 complains of the houfe of Ifrael that they had 
 brought into his fancluary, the uncircumcifed 
 in heart and in flefh. And therefore he fays, 
 verfe9, "Noftranger uncircumcifed in hearty 
 nor uncircumcifed in flefh iliall enter into my 
 fancluary.** Agreeably to this, the Apoftle 
 fays, Rom. ii. 28, 29, '^ Neither is that circum- 
 ciiion which \s> outward in the fiefh ; but cir- 
 cumcifion is that of the heart.** — It is hence 
 plain and certain that a great thing fignified by 
 circumcifion was a change of heart. But, in 
 this refpecl, baptifm anfwers to circumcifion 
 and iignifies the fame thing. It is plainly 
 taught in Col. ii. that baptifm Iignifies, in a 
 fpiritual fenfe, being made alive unto God. 
 " Buried with him in Baptifm, wherein alfo 
 ye are rifen with him through the faith of the 
 operation of God, who hath raifed him from 
 the dead. And you, being dead in your fins 
 and the uncircumcifion of your flefh, hath he 
 quickened.'* Hence Peter fays, I. Epift. iii:. 
 21, that " baptifm doth now fave us, not the 
 putting away the filth of the flefh, but the an- 
 fwer of a good confcience towards God-*' And 
 
[ 33 ] 
 
 hence a perfon, who is- not baptized, in a fpirit- 
 ual fenfe, is dead in (in : He has not the an- 
 fwcr of a good conlcience towards God : He 
 has not been " circumcifed with the circum- 
 ciiion made without hands, in putting ofFth« 
 body of the iins of the flefh by the circumciiion 
 of Chrift," by being " buried with him in 
 baptifm/' — In this view of circumciiion and 
 baptifm, they exactly agree, and point to the 
 fame thing— a renovation of heart by the 
 fpirit of God. 
 
 God required, before the coming of Chrift, 
 that perfons fliould be circumcifed in order to 
 be the fpiritual feed of Abraham, and favingly 
 interefted in God's gracious covenant. Thofe 
 who were circumciied in flelh and in heart 
 were God's holy people. — It is now required 
 of perfons that they be baptized. " He that 
 believeth and is baptized (hall be faved." GaL 
 iii. 27, 29. As many of you as have been 
 baptized into Chrift, have put on Chrift. And 
 if ye be Chrifl's then are ye Abraham's feed 
 and heirs according to the promife." Hence 
 the Apoftle, Col. ii. in warning his chriilian 
 brethren to beware left they fhouM be carried 
 away from the gofpel, aifures themj:hat their 
 baptifm anfwered all the purpofes of circuni- 
 ciiion, fo that if they were baptized there Vv^as 
 no necellity of being circumcifed. if they 
 were baptized and had the great thing fignifi- 
 ed by it, they v/ere complete in Chrift, and 
 the feed of Abraham and heirs of the promife 
 made to him, without being, literally, circum- 
 
[ 34 J 
 
 cifed in the flefli, Baptifm is therefore of 
 the fame import, effentially, with circumcifioPx. 
 
 We have further evidence of this, in that 
 baptifm is conned:ed with the promife, the 
 fame as circumcifion was. Circumcilion ftood 
 conneded with, and was a feal of, this prom- 
 ife, I will be a God unto thee and to thy feed. 
 But baptifm alfo ftands connected with the 
 fame promife under the gofpel. Thus Peter, 
 in preaching the gofpel to the Jews, to whom 
 the great promife, made to Abraham, pertain- 
 ed, fays, " Repent and be baptized every one 
 of you in the name of Jefus Chrift, for the re- 
 miilion of fins, and ye fliall receive the gift 
 of the Holy Ghoft. For the promife is unto 
 you and to your children." It is here plain 
 that the promife to penitent, believing 
 parents and their children, is a reafon why 
 they fhould be baptized, the fame as the prom- 
 ife to Abraham, to be a God to him and to 
 his feed, was a reafon why they Ihould be cir- 
 cumcifed. Hence baptifm is a feal of God's 
 promife as much as circumcifion was. Cir- 
 cumcifion was a feal of the righteoufnefs of 
 faith ; and confequently baptifm is a feal of 
 the fame. 
 
 Here it may be obferved that if baptifm 
 does not anfwer to circumcifion, and is not a 
 feal of the fame import, effentially, then the 
 Jews would have been furnifhed with a migh* 
 ty objecl:ion againft the Apofi:les : They might 
 kave faid to them-^*' You fet afide circuan- 
 
[35] 
 
 Cifion, a feal of the righteoufnefs of faith, and 
 what is there which comes in its place, or is 
 ^qual with it ?" Conlidering how ready the 
 Jews were to objecl, and that they never made 
 this objeflion, we may fafely conclude there 
 never \^as occaiion for it ; and that confe- 
 qoiently baptifm is a feal of the fame import, 
 efientially, with circum.cifion. 
 
 In Ezek. xliv. we have a prophecy of gof- 
 pel times ; and in verfe 9, we are aflured that 
 God's holy people, who are gathered from the 
 Gentiles, fhall be circumciied in ftjh under 
 the gofpel. Hence there miift be a vifible or- 
 dinance, under the gofpel, anfwering to cir- 
 cumcifion, and therefore called, figuratively, 
 circumcifion. This can be no other than 
 baptifm. Hence circumiciiion, a feal of the 
 righteoufnefs of faith, has been changed to 
 baptifm. 
 
 But nctwithftanding this change of the 
 feal, yet God*s appointment refpecling the 
 children of believers has not been fet aiide ; 
 and therefore believers are now required to 
 have the feal put upon their children. For, 
 
 Firji, The change of the feal does not alter 
 the reafon of the appointment to apply it to 
 the children of beUevers. The children of the 
 godly were to have the feal,becaufe the prom- 
 ife ran thus — I will be a God unto thee and 
 to thy feed. But this promife is ftill continu- 
 ed to the godly. Hence there is the fame 
 reafon for believers being required now to 
 
[ 36 ] 
 
 have the feal put upon their children, 25 there 
 was when this appoint m<ent was firft made : 
 There is alfo the fame propriety ; for the cov- 
 enant now refpecls the children of believers,' 
 in the fame manner as it before did ; they 
 are as fit fubjecls of baptifm, as they were of 
 circumcifion ; and they are as capable of that 
 change of heart which is now fignified by bap- 
 tifm, as they were of tlie fame change, when 
 it was fignified by circumcifion. 
 
 The divine appointment to apply the feal of 
 the covenant to the children of believers is 
 iimilar to the appointment of the fabbath. 
 The change of the fabbath, from the feventh 
 to the firft day of the week, neither deftroyS' 
 nor alters the command to keep one day in 
 feven as a fabbath to the Lord. Notwith- 
 ftanding this change, we are as much required 
 to remember the fabbath and keep it holy, as 
 the Ifraelites were. The change of the day 
 does not fet afide the command ; for it does 
 not alter the principal reafon of its being given. 
 So it is with refpe6l to the feal of the cove- 
 nant : The appointment to apply this to the 
 feed of believers is not fet afide nor altered 
 by the change of the feal ; for this change 
 does not, in the leatt, alter the reafon why it 
 was to be put upon the children of the believ- 
 ing parent. Hence behevers are now as plain- 
 ly required to have their children baptized, as 
 they are to remember the fabbath and keep 
 - it holy. 
 
[ Z1 J 
 
 Secondly, The bare change of the feal docj 
 not infer any change of the lubjecl to which it 
 is to be applied. And efpeciaily it does not 
 infer fuch a change as that the children of be- 
 lievers fhould be excluded, and not have the 
 feal, when they are as fit fubjecls of baptifm 
 as they were of circumciiion. Hence the bare 
 change of the feal gives no evidence that it is 
 not ftiil to be applied to the children of God's 
 covenant people. But the bare change of the 
 feal rather implies that it is to be applied to 
 fuch fubjecls as God had before directed. If 
 this be the meaning of Chrift's v/ords, Matt. 
 xxviii. 1 9, " Go ye, therefore, and teach all 
 nations, baptizing them in the name of the 
 Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Gholt, 
 in/icad of circumcijlng than ;" (and this does ap- 
 pear to be his meaning) then it follows that 
 they were to baptize both believing parents 
 and tlieir children, except he gave them fome 
 intimation or direction to the contrary. For 
 the Apoftles well knevv' that God had exprefii- 
 ,ly appointed that both believing parents and 
 their children fhould be circumcifed, and, in 
 this v.a)', have the feal of the rightcoufnefs 
 of faith. And they might juftly luppofe that 
 this appointment refpeding the children of 
 believers is to continue under the gofpel, un- 
 lefs he told ihcm otherwife. But, 
 
 Thirdly, Neither Chriil nor his Apoflles 
 ever intimated that this appointment is not 
 
 D 
 
C 38] 
 
 to continue under the gofpel. For nearly two 
 thoufand years, God's people, by his exprefs 
 direclian, had applied the feal of the covenant 
 of grace, and of the righteoufnefs of faith, to 
 their children. If this divine appointment 
 were to ceafe at the con^.mencement of the 
 gofpel difpenfation, it was a very interefting 
 affair ; and if fo great an alteration were to 
 take place refpecling the children of God's cov- 
 enant peopk, it was neceilary that Chrift and 
 his Apoftles fhould be explicit and definite on 
 the fubjecl. But neither Chrift nor his Apof- 
 tles ever intimated that God's covenant peo- 
 ple ihould no longer be required to put the 
 feal of the covenant upon their children. 
 They never faid nor even intimated that this 
 divine appointment had ceafed, or was to ceafe 
 under the gofpel. They never intimated this, 
 by forbidding believing parents to have their 
 children baptized. — Nor did they ever inti- 
 ir.ate this, by laying that the children of be- 
 lievers did not ftand in the fame relation to 
 God's covenant, as that in which they had 
 ftood before. — Nor did they ever intimate 
 this, by any thing which they faid about the 
 qualifications of perfons, who fliould be admit- 
 ted to baptifm. For when they required perfons 
 to repent and believe before they were bap- 
 tized, they had no reference to the little chil- 
 dren of believing parents, but meant adult 
 perfons. And in requiring repentance and 
 faith of adults before baptifm, they did not 
 
C 39 ] 
 
 differ in the leaft from the tenor of the cove- 
 nant with Abraham. For Abraham was a be- 
 liever when this covenant was made with him, 
 and when he appUed its ieal to himfelf and to 
 the males of his houfehold. Adult perfons 
 were as much required by that covenant to 
 repent and believe before they were circumcif- 
 ed ; as adult perfons Vv^ere required by the A- 
 poftles to repent and believe before they were 
 baptized. — Finally, Chrift and his Apollks 
 never taught that God's appointment to put 
 the feal of the covenant upon the chiUren of 
 believers v/as to ceafe under the gofpel, by any 
 thing which they faid, about the ceafmg of the 
 levitical difpenfation. For this appointment 
 did not begin with that difpenfation. It was 
 notofMofes, originally, but of the fathers. 
 It was a part of that covenant, v/nich was not 
 annulled nor altered by the law given at 
 Mount Sinai, or the rites and ceremonies then 
 inftituted. So that this appointment would 
 continue, when thofe rites and ceremonies 
 ceafed, except it was exprefsly mentioned as 
 being at an end : But this was never done. 
 What the Apoftles faid againft circumcifion 
 was not againft the div^ine appointment to put 
 the feal upon the children of believers, but 
 againft that abufe of circumcifion, which vv-as 
 made by the felf-righteous Jews, after baptifm 
 had taken the place of circumcifion. — Hence, 
 as neither Chrift nor his Apoftles faid or did 
 any thing to fet afide this divine appoint- 
 
[4o3 
 
 TTient to apply the feal of the covenant to the 
 children of the godly, it is evident that it is 
 continued under the gofpel. 
 
 Fourthly, We have poiitive evidence of this, 
 in what the Apoftles faid and did. 
 
 This divine appointment,, to put the feal of 
 the covenant upon the children of believers, 
 is implicitly eftablillied under the gofpel, by 
 what the i:\poii:le fays of believers' being graff- 
 ed into the good olive tree, and partaking of 
 its root and fatnefs, and fo being bielTed with 
 faithful Abraham* This being the cafe, it 
 naturally follows that believers are now to put 
 the leal of the covenant upon their children, 
 feeing God has not fet alide this appointment. 
 
 But the Apoille more directly eilabliilies this 
 appointment, by faying, I. Cor. vii. 14, 
 *• Elfe v/ere your chiklren unclean, but now 
 ;ire they Iioly/* Thefe words exprefs a great 
 diftindion between the children of a believing 
 parent, and the children whofe parents are 
 both unbelievers. This diftinclion is iimilar 
 to Vv'hat took place in the covenant v/ith Abra- 
 ham. There the like diftinccion v/as made 
 between the children of the godly and of the 
 ungodly, of thofe v/ho entered into covenant 
 with God, and of thofe who did not. As this 
 diftinccion continues under the gofpel, and 
 the children of the believer are holy, as they 
 were before the coming of Chrift ; hence it 
 evidently follovv^s that thefe children are to be 
 treated as being holy, according to God's pre- 
 
[41 1 
 
 ▼ious direclion — that is, the feal of the cove- 
 nant is to be put upon them. If this be not 
 done, they will be treated as unclean, and not 
 as being holy. 
 
 In this connection, the words of Peter, Acls 
 ii. are fuorsrefted for our confideration. Beins* 
 aiked by perfons under conviction, What they 
 fliould do to be faved, he anfwered, " Repent 
 and be baptized, every one of you, in the name 
 of Jefus Chrift, for the remiilion of hns, and 
 ye IhaU receive the gift of the Holy Ghoft* 
 For the promife is unto you, and to your chil- 
 dren, and to all that are afar off, even as many 
 as the Lord our GqJ fhall call/' Peter was 
 then preaching the gofpel and addrelling thofe 
 who were well acquainted with the great 
 promife — " To be a God unto thee and to 
 thy feed," which was made to Abraham and 
 continued to the godly after him, from genera- 
 tion to generation. His hearers were accuilom- 
 ed to conlider the promife of the covenant as 
 comprehending the children of the godly; what 
 then, in their view, would be the plain im- 
 port of his words, " The promife is to yoa and 
 to your children ?" Hov/ would they be moft 
 likely to underftand him ? His phrafeology is 
 very iimilar to that in Gen. xvii. 7, and more 
 evidently refers to it, than to any other par- 
 ticular paffage in the Old Teftament. Could 
 they underftand him as teaching a fentiment, 
 which was directly contrary to the promiie to 
 D 2 
 
[ 42 3 
 
 Abraham and to many after him, concerning 
 the children of the godly ? Or mufl they un- 
 deriland him as teaching that the precious 
 promife to Abraham, is continued under the 
 gofpel to parents who have the faith of Abra- 
 ham, to be a God unto them and to their 
 children ? He urges them to repent and be 
 baptized every one of them, by faying, " For 
 the promife is unto you and to your chil- 
 dren." Hence the plain import of his words 
 is this, The promife is unto you and to your 
 children, on condition you repent and com- 
 ply v/ith God's requirements. This is exactly 
 iimilar, in fenfe and fubilance, with the cove- 
 nant with Abraham. And his concluding 
 words may juftly convey the fame idea^ and 
 plainly teach that the fame promife is to all that 
 are afiir off, even Gentiles, whom God fhall ef- 
 fe<5lually call, and to their children. This 
 fenfe of the v/ords is not contradidled, but 
 flipported by the whole tenor of Scripture on 
 this fubjecl. 
 
 As Peter taught the Jews, that the promife 
 of God's covenant, under the gofpel, refpecls 
 believing parents and their children, it would 
 naturally follow, that children were to be ad- 
 mitted to baptifm with their parents in the 
 fame manner as the children of the godly v/ere 
 to be ciixumcifed, as well as their parents, be- 
 canfe the promife refpected both. Here chil- 
 dren are placed in the fam.e relation to bap- 
 tifm, as they wt^rc to circumciiion. Gen. xvii* 
 
[43] 
 
 7, 9? ^^' P'lrents and their children are unit- 
 ed in each promife — To be a God unto thee and 
 to thy feed : The promife is unto you and to your 
 children. The promife in each place has a di- 
 vine ordinance connecled with it — circum- 
 cifion, in one place ; and baptifm, in the other. 
 In both places, the ordinance refults from the 
 promife— or the promife is mentioned as the 
 reafon of the ordinance. In Gen. xvii. 9, 
 God fays, " Thou fhalt keep my covenant 
 therefore^'' that is, becaufe of the promife — To 
 be a God unto thee and to thy feed. " Every 
 man child among you fliall be circumcifed : 
 And ye fhall circumcife the flefh of your fore- 
 fkin." So here Peter fays, " Repent and be 
 baptized every one of you, for^'* or, becaufe^ 
 " the promife is unto you and to your chil- 
 dren." As the children of believers ftand in 
 the fame relation to the promife, now baptifm 
 is the feal, as they did when circumciiion was 
 the feal ; fo they are now to be baptized, as 
 they were before to be circumcifed. 
 
 That Peter taught "the Jews that penitent, 
 believing parents are to have their children 
 baptized, is further confirmed by this — He did 
 not teach that fach parents were no longer re- 
 quired to put the feal of the covenant upon 
 their children : As he did not teach this, it is 
 plain that he implicitly taught the contrary- — 
 viz. that believing parents are ftill required to 
 put the feal on their children. For this had 
 been exprefsly required of them \ and as Peter 
 
C 44 ] 
 
 did not fet afide this requirement, in his direc- 
 tions about baptifm, fo it is plain that he im- 
 plicitly eflabliihed its continuance under the 
 gofpel. 
 
 The duty of believers to have their children 
 baptized, is further evident from the practice 
 of the Apoftles. — In obedience to Chrift's 
 command, they baptized in the name of the 
 Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft, 
 inftead of circumcifmg. It appears that they 
 applied baptifm to the fame fubjecls, as thofe 
 to whom God had directed circumciiion to be 
 applied, with this difference only, that females 
 were baptized, when only males were circum- 
 cifed. 
 
 The Apoftles proceeded according to the 
 tenor of the covenant with Abraham in requir- 
 ing the Eunuch, the Jailor, and Lydia to be- 
 lieve, before they were baptized. The Apof- 
 tles likewife proceeded according to what was 
 required in that covenant, in admitting the 
 houfeholds of Lydia and the Jailor to baptifm. 
 Here we have politive proof of the baptifm of 
 houfeholds ; and we have no evidence that 
 any had faith, except Lydia and the Jailor. 
 On the contrary we have evidence that thefe 
 were the only perfons who believed, in thefe 
 houfeholds. — Lydia plainly intimates that flie 
 was the only believer in her family, in faying 
 to the Apoftles, after flie and her houfehold 
 were baptized, " If ye have judged me to be 
 faithful to the Lord, come into my houfe and 
 
C 45 ] 
 
 'abide there." She does not fay, If ye have 
 judged us or all my houfehold to be faithful : 
 But would fhe not have done it, if all had be- 
 lieved ? feeing fhe was a humble believer, had 
 experienced the marveKous grace of God in 
 her own foul — and was difpofed to notice and 
 extol this grace in others ? — In the account of 
 the Jailor, it is taught ih the Greek, in which 
 language, the account was firil written, that 
 he was the only believer in his family. The 
 account is not this, in the original, that all his 
 houfe believed with him : But it is this, lie 
 rejoiced in every part of his houfe, or over ail 
 his houfe, be having believed in God. The 
 having believed, here mentioned, is confined 
 to the Jailor, being a participle in the lingular 
 number. 
 
 It may be further noticed in the account of 
 the Jailor, that the Apoftles did not bap- 
 tize all in his houfe : They preached the gofpel 
 to all in his houfe ; but, on his believing, they 
 baptized him and alibis only. This fhew^s that 
 they proceeded according to the tenor of the 
 covenant with A])rahani, which fo eonnecLed 
 a man's houfehold with bimfelf, as that both 
 were to have the feal of the covenant. 
 
 As to the proof in fuppcrt of infant baptifm, 
 it is of no confequence, whether thofe who 
 were baptized in thefe families, v/ere infants 
 or children of ten or twelve years of age, or 
 children and young perfons, whom Lydia and 
 the Jailor had taken into their family and un- 
 
[ 46 ] 
 
 der th^ particular care. For in either cafe, 
 the baptifm of thefe perfons, on the faith of 
 the head of the family, is conclufive proof that 
 believers are required, under the gofpel, to 
 have their children baptized. 
 
 ThiTOroof receives additional flrength from 
 this fact — The univerfal practice of adminifter- 
 ing baptifm to the children of believers, in all 
 the churches, which were founded by the 
 Apoftles. This facl is fully eftabliihed by the 
 hiftory of the church, and it clearly proves 
 that the Apoftles did enjoin it on believing par- 
 ents. This fact can be accounted for in no 
 other way, but by admitting that it owed its 
 origin to apoftolic authority.* Hence we have 
 the authority of the word of God, the author- 
 ity of Chriil: and his Apoftles, in faying that 
 believing parents are now required to apply 
 the feal of God's covenant to their children, 
 by having them baptized in the name of the 
 Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft. 
 
 8. Let me earneftly caution parents againft 
 doubting the utility of having their children 
 baptized. 
 
 We may humbly inquire into the reafon, 
 why the children of believers are to be bap- 
 tized, and into the utility of it. But we may 
 not refufe to' have our children baptized, by 
 
 * The candid reader may receive full fatisfadlon on 
 this point, by confulting Dr. WalPs Hillory of Infant 
 Baptifm» or Dr. Lathrop's Sermons on Baptifm, with 
 Mr. Perkins' Letters annexed. 
 
C 47 ] 
 
 iitnply aiking, "What good can it do ? Abra- 
 ham would not have been excufed from cir- 
 cumcifmg his infant feed by afking, " What 
 good can it do, to have the bloody ordinance 
 of circumcifion performed on an infant, at 
 eight days old r" On God's command- 
 ing it, he was bound to obey, and readily cir- 
 cumcife not only himfelf, but alfo hfs houfe- 
 hold : He had no right to afk in an unbeliev- 
 ing, difobedient manner, What good can it do? 
 — ^Perhaps Zipporah, the Wife of Mofes, reaf- 
 oned in this way. When Mofes fuggefted any 
 thing about circumcifing his fon^ Ihe might 
 fay, " What good can it do, to put the dear 
 babe to fo much pain, as to perform this 
 bloody ordinance upon it ? Surely God can 
 blefs it, if it be not circumcifed. A bloody huf- 
 hand thou art^ hecaufe of the circumcifion,^^ Mo- 
 fes probably hearkened to his wife ; and out 
 of complaifance to her, he neglected a plain 
 command. He did not put the feal of the cov- 
 enant upon his child, as God had appointed. 
 But God was difpleafed and fought to kill him 
 for this neglect. By his neglect the covenant 
 was broken, and his child was likely to be ex- 
 cluded from covenant bleflings and privileges. 
 Saint Paul fuggefted to his brethren at Co- 
 rinth, the neceflity of great circumfpedion 
 and watchfulnefs, left Satan fhould get an ad- 
 vantage of them, and intimated that he is art- 
 ful in his devices to impofe on the children of 
 God. May I not then obferve, by way of 
 
C 48 ] 
 
 caution, that you ought not to be furprizeci 
 if you fhouid be foUcited and tempted to neg- 
 lecc the baptifm of your children. Satan has 
 various ways to ruin precious fouls. This 
 may be one very fuccefsful way to fohcit par- 
 ents to neglecl their duty to their children. 
 To accomplilh this purpofe, he may fuggeil to 
 pious perfons that children have not faith, and 
 therefore it will be an abomination to admit 
 them to the ordinance of baptifm. And muck 
 more of the like kind, he mav fuQ:g^eft, and in 
 this way lead them to conftrue feme parts of 
 the Scripture very wrongly. This is doing 
 no more than he did in tempting Chrift. If 
 he can prevail on parent§ to neglecl this duty 
 of having their children baptized, he will very 
 probably prevail on them to neglecl other du- 
 ties connected with it. In this way, he may 
 greatly injure, if not ruin their childreuo As 
 chriftians are fanclified but in part, they are 
 in danger of llftening to the fuggeftions of the 
 great Adverfary, without being aware of it. 
 Thus did Peter, Matt. xvi. 22, 23. 
 
 But will you liften to the fuggellions of the 
 great Adverfary f Will you do any thing, 
 which {hall tend to ruin your dear offspring f 
 Do you not ardently deiire their falvation ? 
 Do you not deiire that they may fhare with 
 you in the bieffings of God*s everlafiing cov- 
 enant ? Be entreated then to receive it as a 
 faithful faying, that God has made fpecial pro- 
 vifion in his covenant for the children of the 
 
[49 ] 
 
 believing parent ; and that, in token of this, 
 he has appointed that thefe children fhall have 
 the feal of his covenant. It is a divine ap- 
 pointment, and confequently, a divine require- 
 ment that believers put the feal of the covenant 
 upon their children. Is not this fufficient to 
 remove all the fuggeftions and objedions of 
 Satan and our unbelieving hearts. 
 
 A right application of this feal to your ofT- 
 fpring may be to their everlafling benefit. 
 The feal is God's ; and it feals covenant biefl- 
 ings, to your child, to whom it is rightly ap- 
 plied, on condition you are faithful. If, by 
 divine grace, you are faithful and bring up 
 your children in the nurture and admonition 
 of the Lord, God will fulfil his gracious prom- 
 ife, to pour his Spirit upon your feed, and bis hlejp 
 ing upon your offsprings and in this way make 
 them his holy people and be their God. 
 
 But will it be no injury to your dear chil- 
 dren, for you to reject God's gracious ap- 
 pointment, and refufe to have his promife, re- 
 fpecUng them, fealed by their baptifm ? What 
 is this, but rejecting God's gracious promife, 
 to be a God to your children ? Would you 
 not, in this way, practically deny that God 
 has made fpecial provifion for the children of 
 his covenant people ? Is it not excluding them 
 from the privileges and blefUngs of God's cov- 
 enant, to refufe to have them baptized ? Does 
 not God declare the fame, in faying that the 
 
 £ 
 
[ 5° ] 
 
 child to whom the feal is not applied, fliall be 
 cut off from his people ? In being cut off from 
 his people, muil it not lofe a Ihare in their cov- 
 enant bleflings and privileges ? — As it is a 
 practical rejection of the Saviour, to neglect the 
 ordinance of the Supper ; fo to neglect the 
 baptifm of children is a practical rejection of 
 that gracious promife which is fealed ty their 
 baptifm. 
 
 In this connection, it may be obferved, that 
 in places, w^here there have been fpecial revi- 
 vals of religion, more have been hopefully con- 
 verted of thofe who had pious parents, and 
 were baptized in infancy or childhood, than 
 of thofe who were not thus baptized. This is 
 agreeable to the intimations of God's word ; 
 and ihews us that he honors his own inftitu- 
 tion. This fad teaches us that baptifm is a 
 7neans of faving good to the children of believ- 
 ers. Baptifm alone will not fave a child ; but 
 when it is duly performed, and the parental du- 
 ties connected with it, are faithfully difcharged, 
 it is a means of the child's eternal falvation. 
 
 Will it not then manifeft great ingratitude 
 to rejed God's gracious appointment, or re- 
 fufe to have your children baptized ? Can you 
 fo flight God's grace, as to deprive your dear 
 children of this precious privilege ? By do- 
 ing this, you will greatly flight the love and 
 grace of the bleffed Jefus. He is ready to re- 
 ceive and blefs you and your children, on 
 your coming to him, and prefenting your 
 
[51 3 
 
 children to him, as he direcls. How can you 
 refufe to do it ? Is it not infinitely important 
 that they fliould have his blefling ? or a faving 
 intereft in God's gracious covenant ? If they 
 have, they will be faved from tJie wrath to 
 come — from endlefs mifery ; and be brought 
 to heaven to the paradife of God, and enjoy 
 endieis felicity. You cannot efkem this a 
 trifling confideration. See then that you cor- 
 dially embrace this everlafting covenant : And 
 fee that your dear children have its precious 
 feal, by being baptized in the name of the 
 Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
 Ghoft. AMEN. 
 
DISCOURSE II. 
 
 EPHESIANS, vi. 4. 
 
 But bring tbem up in the nurture and admonition 
 of the Lord, 
 
 THESE words are addrcfled to parents, 
 and exprefsly require them to bring up 
 their children in the fear of God. 
 
 In confidering this duty, as it is here incul- 
 cated, we muft carefully attend to the import 
 of the expreilion — In the nurture and admonition 
 of the Lord. — This expreffion has two parts, 
 which may be feparately confidered. 
 
 I. Parents are required to bring up their 
 children in the nurture of the Lord. 
 
 This requirement implies that the Lord has 
 made fome gracious provifion for the religious 
 education of children. For the word, nurture, 
 fignifies food or nouriihment, and inftitution. 
 And what can this nurture be, but the prom- 
 ifes, he has given, and the means he has infti- 
 tuted, by which to train up children in the 
 fear of God. 
 
 A part of the nurture of the Lord, con/ifts 
 in the gracious prornifes which he makes to 
 
 E 2 
 
[54] 
 
 his lioly people. He promifes every believ- 
 ing parent, To be a God unto him and to his 
 feed. On the ground of this promife, believ- 
 ers are the bleiTsd of the Lord and their ofF- 
 fpring with them. God's covenant of grace 
 prefents to believers a promife of fpiritual and 
 living blellings for their children. They are 
 to take hold of this promife by faith, and look 
 to the Lord to blefs their offspring. It is by a 
 conftant reliance on this promife for all need- 
 ed grace, both for themfelves and their chil- 
 dren, that they can bring up their children to 
 love and ferve God. Parents need large fup- 
 pHes of this grace to enable them to be faith- 
 fuL Without this grace, they cannot walk 
 before God and be perfect : Nor can they, with- 
 out this grace, be faithful in prayer for 
 their children, and in inftrucling and com- 
 manding them by precept and example. But 
 this grace is abundantly fufficient for parents. 
 It is alfo fufficient for their children. For it 
 can change their hearts, and make them God's 
 holy people. In this v/ay, the faithfulnefs of 
 parents is made, by God's grace, to iffue in the 
 converfion and falvation of their children. It 
 is in the belief and right ufe of this promife, 
 that parents bring up their children in the 
 fear of Gcd. Without this great promife and 
 others which grow out of it, belie\ang par- 
 ents would fink into difcouragement, and def- 
 pair p£ ever training up their children for 
 God*s fervice and kingdom.. But a believing 
 
[55] 
 
 reliance on this promife would excite them to 
 be faithful in duty ; and to hope that God, of 
 his rich and abundant mercy, will blefs their 
 children. 
 
 Another part of the nurture of the Lord 
 conlifts in the means which he has appointed.. 
 — Of thefe means, the ordinance of baptifm 
 may be firft confidercd. 
 
 Baptifm is a facrament of divine appoint- 
 ment : It is a feal of God's gracious covenant, 
 and a pledge of his faith fulnefs.^ It feals God's 
 gracious covenant, in which he promifes the 
 believer to be his God, and the God of his feedj 
 to whom it is applied. In this view, baptifm 
 w^ll ftrengthen and confirm the faith of the 
 believer in the divine promife. On having 
 his child baptized, he will feel that God's cov- 
 enant of promife has been fealed with refpect 
 to the child ; and that he may now look to 
 God for covenant bleffings for it. The bap- 
 tifm of his children will therefore quickea 
 and animate him in teaching them the fear 
 of God. He may alfo realize more fenfibly 
 his own obligations to be faithful. Hence the 
 baptifm of his children may be of great ufe to 
 excite him to perfevere in faithful exertions to 
 train them up in the way of wifdom. 
 
 As God now promifes the believing parent 
 to be his God and the God of his feed, and 
 requires that the feal of the covenant be put 
 upon them ; fo God may fay of the unbaptiz- 
 cd child of the believer, as he did of the uneir» 
 
E56] 
 
 cumcifed man-child — That foul Jhall he cut off 
 from his people ; he hath broken my covenant. 
 As the feal of the covenant is not applied to 
 the unbaptized child, the covenant is not feal- 
 ed and ratified, but broken, with refped to 
 this child. Hence the parent muft take care 
 that this feal is duly applied to his children, if 
 he defires the Lord to make them his holy 
 people and be their God. If he neglect this 
 duty, if he refufe to have God's covenant feal- 
 ed by their baptifm, he takes a method to ex- 
 clude them from all the benefits and bleilings 
 of this covenant : He rejeds an important part 
 of the nurture of the Lord, or of the gracious 
 provi/ion, which he has made for the children 
 of his holy people. How then can he exped 
 God's bleffing on his children ? 
 
 Further : The gofpel and the throne of 
 grace furnilh important means for the religious 
 benefit of children. — The gofpel contains very 
 precious truths. Thefe are the proper food 
 of the foul. Every one, who is renewed in 
 the temper of his mind, defires, as a new born 
 babe, the fincere milk of the word, that he 
 may grow thereby. Children muft be faith- 
 fully taught thefe truths ; if they be not, they 
 cannot be brought up in the nurture of the 
 Lord. They muft be early taught that there 
 is a God — that he is a Being of infinite per- 
 fection and glory, one God in three equal Per- 
 fons — that he is to be loved with all the heart, 
 and obeyed in all things-— that his law is holy. 
 
I 57 ] 
 
 juft, and good, in requiring perfeft love of ev- 
 ery one, and threatening endlefs mifery for 
 every offence — that all by nature are iinners, 
 and juftly condemned, by this law, to endlefs 
 mifery — that God has freely given his Son to 
 fulfil this law by obedience and fuffering, that 
 he may be juft and yet have mercy on linners 
 — that falvation is now freely offered to all — 
 that every one ought immediately to repent 
 'and embrace the Saviour — that all the uncon- 
 verted reject offered mercy — that none will be 
 faved, unlefs God change their hearts— and 
 that all, who are quickened by fovereign 
 grace and made alive to God, will be pardoned 
 and fanclified, and at laft received to glory.-— 
 Thefe, and other truths, conneded with them, 
 are infinitely interefting to every child ; and 
 parents muft take great pains to conimunicate 
 a knowledge of them to their children* If 
 they do not, they muft expect their children 
 to be ignorant and hardened in wickcdnefs. 
 Neglecting to teach thefe truths to children, 
 is depriving them of an intereft in the gofpel : 
 It is ruining their immortal fouls. 
 
 Parents muft alfo daily repair to the throne 
 of grace, and be abundan-t in prayer for their 
 children. In the arms of faith and prayer, 
 they muft prefent their children to the Lord 
 for his fpecial bleffing. The believing parent 
 enjoys a precious privilege in having accefs to 
 the throne of grace : For there he may ol tain 
 mercy and find grace, proportioned to his duty 
 
[ 58 1 
 
 and to all the difficulties of teaching his chil- 
 dren the fear of God. Of the fulnefs in Chrift, 
 he may receive abundant fupplies of grace and 
 ftrength : Apd in anfwer to his fervent, per- 
 fevering prayers, his children may receive 'of 
 the fame fulnefs. He may be greatly animated 
 in prayer, by a believing view of God's gra- 
 cious promife, to be a "God to him and to his 
 feed, which has been fealed by his and their 
 baptilm. By believing prayer, he may take 
 hold of God's gracious promife, and humbly 
 and importunately plead for the beftowment 
 of his bleffings on hintfelf and on his children. 
 When children enjoy the benefit of fuch be- 
 lieving, fervent prayer, from day to day, then 
 much is done to bring them up in the nurture 
 of the Lord. Such effedual, fervent prayer 
 availeth much : It will be gracioufly anfwered, 
 —But, 
 
 II. Parents are alfo required to bring up 
 their children in the admonition of the Lord. 
 
 The admonition of the Lord relates to the 
 authority, which he directs parents to excrcife 
 over their children. Parents are to command 
 their children to keep the way of the Lord. 
 This is evident from God's teflimony concern- 
 ing Abraham. " For I know him that he will 
 command his children and his houfehold after 
 him, and they fliall keep the way of the Lord, 
 to do juftice and judgment, that the Lord 
 may bring upon Abraham, that which he 
 hath fpoken of him." Abraham did his duty 
 
[59] 
 
 in fo commanding his children and houfehold, 
 as that they did keep the way of the Lord, or 
 truly obey his commands. If this had not 
 been his duty^ he would not have been com^- 
 mended, as he is, for thus commanding thofe 
 under his care. But it is equally the duty of 
 all other p,irents and heads of families to com- 
 mand their children and houfeholds to keep 
 the way of the Lord. This is a moral duty, 
 and it is binding on all parents and heads of 
 families ; for it is founded on the rciation ex- 
 ifting between them and their children and 
 houfeholds. It is alfo founded on the fitnefs 
 of things : It is right and fit that every parent 
 Ihould command his children and ail under 
 his care, to walk in the fear of God. Parents 
 among the Ifraelites were required to love 
 God Vv'ith all the heart and Vv^alk in all his 
 ways ; and thefe things they were diligently 
 to teach their children, and to command them 
 to love God and be obedient to all his precepts. 
 " For he eftablifhed a teftimony in Jacob, and 
 appointed a law in Ifrael, w^hich he commanded 
 our fathers, that they fhould make them 
 known to their children ; that the generation 
 to come might know them, even the children 
 which fliould be born, who fhould arife and 
 declare them to their children : that they 
 might fet their hope in God, and not forget 
 the works of God 5 but keep his command- 
 ments." 
 
[60] 
 
 We may fee the propriety of parents' being 
 required to bring up their children in the ad- 
 monition of the Lord, or to command them 
 to love him with all the heart, and walk in 
 all his ways : For children are placed pecul- 
 iarly under the care of their parents — are 
 much dependent on them — and greatly need 
 •their inftrud:ion, their counfel, and faithful 
 admonitions. For who fliall inftruct, counfel 
 and corred children, in their early years, if 
 parents, or thofe who have the particular care 
 of them, do not ? Hence there is great pro- 
 priety in parents' being required to corred: 
 their children, to reftrain them from all finful 
 practices, and to command them to live in the 
 fear of God. 
 
 What has been fuggefted on the nurture of 
 the Lord, may further fhew the propriety of 
 parents' being required to command their 
 iiildreix, to love God and walk in all his ways- 
 — There is a divine promife which connects 
 the piety of children with the faithfulnefs of 
 the parent. In bringing them up in the nur- 
 ture of the Lord, he has embraced this gra- 
 <:ious promife by faith — he lias dedicated his 
 children to God, and the feal of his covenant 
 has been put upon them by baptifm — he has 
 taught them the great truths of the gofpel, 
 and has fervently prayed for them from day 
 to day. If he has been duly faithful in thefe 
 things, he may have great authority and in- 
 fluence over his children. After telling them. 
 
[ 6i 3 
 
 that he has, as he hopes, taken hold of God's 
 gracious covenant by faith — ^that he has ded- 
 icated them to the Lord, and tint the feal of 
 his covenant has been put upon theni— tliat 
 he has inftrucled them in the doflrines and 
 duties of chriftianity, and often, by prayer, 
 fought God's fpecial blefling for them : He 
 inay then very affection ately and folemnly 
 counfel aiid warn, exhort and command them 
 to repent and embrace the .Saviour. And he 
 may greatly enforce his exhortations and com- 
 mands, by clearly ftating to them the guilt 
 and awful confequences of refufing to repent 
 and live godly lives. Ke may plainly Ihew 
 them that a prayerlefs and irreligious life will 
 caft horrid contempt upon God's gracious cov- 
 enant and all the means of grace, v/hich have 
 been ufed with them. He may alfo (hew 
 them, liow awful their condition w4Il be at 
 judgment and to eternity, if they die impeni- 
 tent. He may then repeat his aiTeclionate ex- 
 hortations and com.mands, and, with great fo- 
 lemnity, intreat and urge them to renounce 
 their fms and become holy. — I have heard of 
 a pious woman, v/ho had a very wicked and 
 profligate fon. On her death-bed, ihe called 
 this fon to her bed fide, and addreiled him to 
 this purport : " My dear fon, I have often in- 
 ftrucled, counfelled, and warned you ; and I 
 have daily prayed for you, for the fpace of 
 thirty years. But you have defpifed my in- 
 
 F 
 
[62 ] 
 
 ftructlons and counfels, and contemned my 
 prayers. I am now about to leave you by 
 death. But I fliall meet you at the bar of 
 God ; and then, if you are impenitent, as you 
 are now, I {hall approve the fentence, which 
 will be pafTed upon you, and fix you in endlefs 
 mifery and defpair." — How folemn ! how af- 
 fecting mud have been this reproof and warn- 
 ing ! It was bleffed, if I do not miflake, to his 
 conviction and hopeful con verlion. How happy 
 if all parents, who have vicious and wicked 
 cliildren, could adopt a fimilar method of re- 
 proof and warning. If they could, we might 
 hope, that it would have the fame bleifed ef- 
 fed. — In this connection w^e may fee why Eli 
 was blamed, and judgments were executed 
 upon him and his family, when his fons had 
 made chemfelves vile, and he reftrained them 
 not. 
 
 The great end of parental faithfulnefs is 
 not obtained, except parents fo command, 
 intreat, correct, reprove and warn their chil- 
 dren, as that they keep the way of the Lord, 
 or become truly pious. To bring up their 
 children, agreeably to divine command, they 
 mil ft train them up in the way they fhould go. 
 This is not the way of fm and unbelief, but 
 of holinefs, of evangelical piety. Parents are 
 not required to give grace to their children ; 
 or to do that which God does by the fpecial 
 influences of his Spirit. But they muft be 
 £uthful in ufmg appointed means, that their 
 
[63 ] 
 
 children, by divine grace, may be renewed and 
 faved. While children live in fin, in unbe- 
 lief, and the neglect of prayer, and take more 
 delight in vain amufements and diverfions, 
 than they do in the duties of religion, their 
 parents have not performed the whole of their 
 duty. When ark eminently pious woman was 
 afked, whether flie were ready to die, flie re- 
 plied ; " No, becaufe fuch a fon is not con- 
 verted. He is an impenitent fmner ; and I 
 feel that I have fomethins: more to do for 
 him." Afterwards Ihe was aiked the fame 
 quellion and faid ; " I am now ready ; for 
 God, I hope, has heard and gracioufly an- 
 fwered my prayers, blelled my endeavors, and 
 changed the heart of my fon. I feel as though 
 my work on earth were now completed." 
 
 IMPROVEMENT. 
 
 r. IT is neceiT.iry and highly important 
 that parents fhould be eminently pious. As 
 it refpecls their children, it is abfolutely nec- 
 elTary that they fhould be fomething more 
 than barely regenerated perfons ; for parents, 
 who are real chriftians, may be very deficient 
 in the difcharge of duty to their children, and 
 not bring them up in the nurture and admo- 
 nition of the Lord. Parents, like Barnabss, 
 fhould be eminently pious, full of the Holy 
 Ghoft, and of faith. If this be our charactej', 
 my brethren, wc ihall have a lively faith in 
 
C 64] 
 
 God's gracious promife — '- To be a God unto 
 us and to our children ;" our great depen- 
 dence will be on God's proniifed grace ; in 
 faith we Ihail dedicate our children to the 
 Lord, and daily look to him to blefs them. 
 This lively faith is highly necellary in pre- 
 fcntin^ our children to be baptized. By fuch 
 a faith, we ihall make an entire furrender of 
 them to the Lord, and take hold of that gra- 
 cious promife, which is fealed in their baptifm. 
 To do this is very important. For the chil- 
 dren of the believer muft be the children of faith 
 and of the promife, to be blelTed with faving 
 bkilings. " They which are the chndren of 
 the fieih," faith the Apoftle, " thefe* are not 
 the children of God ; but the children of the 
 promife are counted for the feed." It is not 
 iumcient that children are born of godly par«* 
 ents : They muil alfo be children of the prom- 
 ife by the faith of their parents. Ifaac was a 
 child of promife and of faith. It was by 
 faith in the promife that his parents received 
 him, contrary to the ordinary courfe of na- 
 ture. " Againft hope, Abraham believed in 
 hope : He ftaggered not at the promiie of 
 God through unbelief ; but was ftrong in 
 faith, giving glory to God ; and being fully 
 perfuadcd that what he had promifed, he was 
 able alfo to perform." In this way, he 
 received the promifed blefling. The believing 
 parent, in like manner, mufl take hold of 
 
[ 65 3 
 
 God*s gracious promife refpecling his children, 
 as Abraham took hold of God's gracious prom- 
 ife, which offered him Ifaac. Although his 
 children are, by nature, dead in fin, and chil- 
 dren of wrath even as others, yet he muft fully 
 believe that the Lord can quicken them, and 
 make them a fpiritual and holy feed. 
 
 This faith is not a vain confidence that the 
 Lord will fave our children, Vv^hether we be 
 faithful to them or not. But it is fuch a real- 
 izing view of his promife, grace and faithful- 
 nefs, as fhall lead us conftantly to look to him, 
 and confidently depend upon him, for all 
 needed grace. Such a faith greatly honors 
 the Lord, and is a means of obtaining fpiritual 
 bleflings. When Chrifl was on earth, he re- 
 quired that thofe who wifhed him to heal 
 their children or fervants of any bodily dif- 
 order, fhould believe that he was able to per- 
 form what they requefled. And children and 
 fervants were peculiarly benefitted by the faith 
 of their parents and mailers. But this faith 
 is flill more important in making application 
 to Chrift for fpiritual bleflings for our children. 
 We fhould then have the humble and perfe- 
 vering faith of the woman of Canaan. She 
 deeply felt her unworthinefs, and was wil- 
 ling to be confidered as being no better than a 
 dog : to receive mere crumbs of mercy feemed 
 to be the extent of her defires. She was not 
 difcouraged, by not having her requefl imme- 
 
 F 2 
 
[66] 
 
 d lately granted in behalf of her child : But 
 file perfevered in believing prayer ; and when 
 her faith was fufEciently tried, flie received a 
 gracious anfwer. In like manner, we muft be- 
 lieve in Chrift's grace and fufficiency to do fot* 
 us and for our children, to make us faithful, 
 and to bellow on them fpiritual bleffings. Our 
 children may as well receive fpiritual bleffings 
 on account of our faith, as the children of oth- 
 ers received temporal bleffings on account of 
 their parents' faith. For the faith, w^e are con- 
 iidering, will keep us humble and prayerful^ 
 and excite us to bring up our children in the 
 nurture and admonition of the Lord. Such a 
 faith, God will own and blefs. 
 
 In proportion to our faith and piety, we 
 fliall be concerned for our children j and 
 be abundant in inftru(5ling them^ in praying 
 ^br them, in counfelling, warning, reproving^ 
 and commandinac them. But how can we do 
 thefe things faithfully, my brethren, if we neg- 
 lect relimon ourfelves, or live in a cold and 
 formal manner 't If we do not fet a bright ex- 
 ample of piety before our children, how can 
 we expecl them to imitate us in that which is 
 good ? If we be net uniform in our holy w^alk, 
 but are fometimes engaged in religion, and 
 then indulge in vanity and levity, in foolifh 
 talking and jcfl:ing,; and in a love of the world, 
 its pleafures and riches, muft we not expe(5l 
 our children to imitate us in thefe things, and 
 neglecl religion ? If parents, who have the 
 
C«7] 
 
 name of being cliriftians, fpeak evil, or liglitly 
 and reproachfully of others, and frequently ex- 
 prefs envy and anger, and other evil pailions, 
 will not their children be very likely to do the 
 fame ? Will they not fay, " We may do as our 
 parents do ; for they are chriftians." How 
 then can we be faithful, and bring up our 
 children to love and ferve God, except we dai- 
 ly teach them by a holy example ? As we fail 
 in this, our other inftruflions, counfels and 
 warnings will have no good effecl:. It is there- 
 fore of vaft importance that we daily walk 
 with God, and be blamelefs, walking in all 
 the commandments and ordinances of the 
 Lord. It is in this way only, that we can be 
 faithful to our children. And is it not infin- 
 itely important that we be faithful to them ? 
 We have the charge of their immortal fouls. 
 It is our duty to fee them trained up for 
 God's heavenly kingdom. If v/e be 
 unfaithful, and our children perifh, we 
 muil: anfwer for their fouls. The fouls of 
 children, who periflTL, will be required of their 
 unfaithful parents. It is therefore infinitely 
 important to us, as parents, that we be faith- 
 ful, and avoid the awful guilt of ruining our 
 children. It is alfo infinitely important that 
 we be faithful, as it refpecls our children. 
 For if we be faithful and bring up our chil- 
 dren in the fear of God, he will blefs our 
 faithful exertions and fave our children with 
 an everlafling falvation. But if we be un- 
 
[68 1 
 
 faithful, the endlcfs mifery of our children 
 may be the confequence. Is it not therefore 
 infinitely important that we be eminently pi- 
 ousj and faithfuUy attend to every part of 
 our duty ? Can we feel that it is a light affair, 
 to neglecl any thing which we may do to fave 
 our dear children ? One negle<5l of duty, if it 
 be continued, may prove their ruin. Let us 
 then feel the vaft importance of being emi- 
 nently pious and faithfuL 
 
 1, Parents, who are moral in the view of 
 the world, but not pious in the fight of God, 
 are vaftly criminal with refped to their chil- 
 dren. 
 
 The goodnefs of fuch parents confifts in ab- 
 flaining from what is outwardly immoral, 
 openly vicious and difgraceful in the view of 
 the world ; and doing what they think is 
 necelTary to fecure the efleem of their fellow 
 men and promote their own intereft. Their 
 goodnefs does not in the leaft confift in being 
 penitent, humble and prayerful, in following 
 Chriil and feeking the glory of God. Such 
 parents do nothing, in reality, to bring up 
 their children in the nurture and admonition 
 of the Lord. They do not cordially embrace, 
 but rejedl God's gracious covenant ; they do 
 not dedicate their children to God in the way 
 of his appointment ; nor do they ever, in faith 
 and by prayer, look to God to blefs and fave 
 their children \ they never, in a chriftian man- 
 ner, inilruft their children in the things 
 
[69] 
 
 of their everlafting. peace ; they never intreat 
 and urge them, as they ought, to repent and 
 embrace Chrift as their everlafting Friend. — 
 And what is the daily example of fuch parents? ■ 
 Does their example lead their children to be 
 pious, to be the follovv^ers of Chrift ? Their ex- 
 ample has vaft influence on their children ; 
 for their children daily look up to them for 
 inftruction, and readily imitate them in what 
 they fay and do. Will their children, by at- 
 tending to their example, learn to pray, to 
 love andferve God ? Will their children, while 
 copying after their exam^ple, deeply feel the 
 abfolute neceffity of a change of heart by fpec- 
 ial grace, in order to efcape endlefs mifery ? 
 or will they think that a moral life, as the 
 world term it, is fufEcient, and that they need 
 not trouble themfelves about being born 
 again ; feeing how little their parents concern 
 themfelves about this change of heart, and 
 how fecure they feel without it. Will not 
 fuch children, through the influence of their 
 parents' example, live in ignorance of the 
 gofpel ? Will they not neglect its great falva- 
 tion, and be in extreme danger of endlefs mif- 
 ery ? For they will be led to place dependence 
 on their morality, and feel fecure of future 
 happinefs, while in the gall of bitternefs and 
 the bond of iniquity. They will exped falva- 
 tion, without being born again, and without 
 being juflified by faith in Chrift. " There is 
 a way that feemeth right unto a man j but 
 
[ 70 3 
 
 the end thereof are the v/ays of death. There 
 is a generation that are pure in their own 
 eyes ; and yet is not waflied from their filthi^ 
 nefs." And hence the final Judge declares, 
 " Verily, verily, I fay unto thee, Except a 
 man be born again, he cannot fee the kingdom 
 of God." Thofe parents, who have not ex- 
 perienced this change, and do not, by precept 
 and example, teach their children the neceility 
 and importance of it, but, by their words and 
 conduct, lead their children to treat it as a 
 piece of enthuliafm or fuperftition, are faft 
 filling up the meafure of their own iniquities ; 
 and leading their children to neglect the great 
 falvation of the gofpel to their final ruin. 
 How exceedingly criminal fuch parents will 
 appear, when judged according to the deeds 
 done in the body ! 
 
 3. We may fee why prayerlefs and irre- 
 ligious families i'o greatly defer ve God's wTath. 
 His fury will be poured out, or executed in a 
 iignal manner, on fuch famiUes. For thus we 
 read, " Pour out thy fury upon the heathen 
 that know thee not, and upon the families 
 that call not on thy name." In fuch families, 
 precious and immortal fouls are ruined : They 
 become veiTels of wrath, and fit for nothing, 
 but endlefs defl:ru6lion from the prefence of 
 the Lord. Where the parents are truly pi- 
 ous and faithful, we behold a lovely fight, a 
 family, which is a nurfery of virtue and piety, 
 and where the children may be trained up for 
 
[7^ ] 
 
 God's eternal kingdom. But can this be faid 
 of the family of the ungodly ? Is it in the 
 prayerlefs, irreligious family, that the children 
 will learn to praifa God and become meet for 
 heaven ? or will they be moft likely in fuch a 
 family to be fitted for deftruclion ? Is not 
 amazing guilt contracted in fuch a family ? 
 Is not fuch a family peculiarly deferving of 
 God's difpleafure and wrath ? There his nam.e 
 has been highly difhonored ; the worfhip and 
 praife which are due to him have been with- 
 held ; and children, who ought to have been 
 inftruded to love God and honor his name, 
 have been taught to live without prayer, to 
 flight his word, to profane his holy fabbath, 
 to defpife his ordinances, and reject his beloved 
 Son. To fuch families, it will be a fearful 
 thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 
 For the wicked fliali be turned into hell and 
 all the nations, and confequently, all the fami- 
 lies that forget God, and call not on his name. 
 4. As parents are to bring up their chil- 
 dren in the nurture of the Lord, hence we learn 
 that in catechiiing their children, they muft 
 teach them the great and eflential dodrines 
 of the gofpel. It is not fufficient to teach 
 them fome moral truths, or what heathens and 
 thofe who deny the eflential do6lrines of the 
 gofpel, would teach them. Parents may take 
 abundant pains to teach their children cate- 
 chifms, which do not contain thefe eiTential 
 doctrines. And how much are their chlldrea 
 
[72] 
 
 benefitted ? Are they benefitted in any degree 
 with refpecl to their eternal falvation? They 
 are taught a kind of morality ; but while they 
 are taught this, their minds are filled with 
 prejudices againfi: the doc!:rines of grace, or 
 the way of falvation revealed in the gofpel. 
 True fcripture morality is friendly to thefs 
 doclrines and to this way of falvation ; for it 
 confifts in fupreme love to God, and impartial 
 love to men. This love will embrace thefe 
 doclrines : It will lead perfons to defend and 
 maintain them. But there is a kind of moral- 
 ity, as it is called by the world, which exills 
 entirely without thi^ love. It is fuch a moral- 
 ity as the Scribes and Pharifees poffeiTed, in 
 appearing outwardly righteous, while th^ir 
 hearts were not changed by fpecial grace, but 
 were full of iniquity and hypocrify. And the 
 more perfons acquire of this morality, the 
 more moral or righteous they become in their 
 own view, without a change of heart by fpec- 
 ial grace, the more they diflike and oppofe the 
 gofpel method of falvation. Hence Chriil fdid 
 to the Scribes and Pharifees, " Verily I fay un- 
 to you. That the publicans and the harlots go in- 
 to the kingdom of God before you." — It does 
 not follow from this, that parents may negle<fl: 
 their children, and not teach them good mor- 
 als. But they ought to lay a good foundation. 
 They ftiould teach them thofe truths and doc- 
 trines which are eflential to the chrifdan relig- 
 ion and to all acceptable morality. They 
 
C 73 3 
 
 fhould early teach them their totally iinful and 
 loft ftate, by nature, and that they muft be 
 created in Chrift Jefus unto good works, be- 
 fore they can do any thing which is acceptable 
 to God. 
 
 It is often objected againft teaching children 
 the doctrines of total moral depravity, of elec- 
 tion, of God's univerfal decrees, of the Trini- 
 ty, &c. or the great truths contained in Th^ 
 AJfemhlfs Jhorter Catechifm^ that they cannc t 
 comprehend thefe things. — To this it may be 
 replied, that it is equally true that children, 
 and even adults, cannot comprehend the ex- 
 iftence of God, his abfolute eternity, his being 
 prefent at the fame time in every part of im- 
 menfity, and perfectly knowing ail things, paft, 
 prefent, and to come. But ftiil children may 
 with propriety be taught thefe truths concern- 
 ing God ; for they may believe that which 
 they cannot comprehend. If they be taught 
 nothing but what they can comprehend, they 
 muft be taught but a very little, if any thing, 
 and be taught nothing concerning God ; for 
 what finite being can comprehend the perfec- 
 tions and works of Him who is infinite. If 
 children cannot comprehend the doctrines 
 contained in this Catechifm ; yet they may 
 be taught thefe doctrines and have them 
 treafured up in their minds, as matter of ftudy 
 and delightful meditation. — This Catechifm 
 is fully believed to contain the moft excellent 
 
 G 
 
I! 74] 
 
 fummaryj now extant, of the doctrines of tlic 
 gofpel.— We nnay, 
 
 5. Reflect on the propriety and impor^ 
 tance of Miniilers' aflifting parents in bringing 
 vip their children in the fear of God. Parents. 
 need alTiitance ; for they have a great work to 
 perform ; a work attended with many and 
 peculiar diificulties. But Minifters may affift 
 them. By catechifmg youth and children, 
 Minifters m.ay do fomething to give them a 
 knowledge of divine truth. They may ex- 
 plain anfwers in the Catechifm and pailages 
 of Scripture. They may alfo prefs divine 
 truth and duty on the minds of young per- 
 fons. After inftruCting them in the doctrines 
 and precepts of God's word, they may make 
 an aifeclionate and folemn- application to the 
 heart and confcience. Is it not highly fuita- 
 ble and important that Minifiers fiiould thus 
 aiTifr parents r Many parents feel their need 
 of fuch aillftance, and greatly defire it. Faith- 
 ful Minifters feel the vaft im-pcrtance of afford- 
 ing this aftiftance ; and they may hope by a 
 £xithful difcharge of this duty to win fouls to 
 Chrift. Hence it is proper and vaftly impor- 
 tai^.t that Minifters ihould exert thenifelves to 
 ailHl parents in bringing up their children in 
 the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 
 
 , 6. We may reflect en the propriety and 
 importance of Churches attending particular- 
 ly to the children of profeftbrs. 
 
L75l 
 
 The Church is founded on God*s covenant, 
 in which he promifes the Church his grace 
 and proteclion. This covenant pecuharly re- 
 fpecls th€ children of God's profelling people. 
 For this reafon, thefe children have the feal of 
 the covenant as well as their parents. The 
 baptifm of a believing parent's child appears 
 to have no ciTentially different meaning from 
 the' baptifm of the believer. The children of 
 the believer, who have been baptized, Hand 
 in a veiy different relation to the covenant 
 from the children of unbelievers. Has the 
 Church then nothing to do v/iih thefe child- 
 dren ? Is the Church to view and treat thefe 
 children in the fame light with tiie children 
 of the ungodly at large, and of the pagans of 
 the wildernefi ? Or is the Church to view 
 thefe children as being peculiarly under their 
 care and iniliruction ? Is it right and proper 
 for the Church to overlook what has been 
 done for thefe children ? They have been ex- 
 prefsly and publicly dedicated to God, to be 
 his people forever ; theh' parents arc under 
 very folemn obligation and engagements to 
 bring them up in the nurture and adm.onition 
 of the Lord ; God has made precious promif- 
 es refpecling them, affuring us that he will re- 
 new them if their parents be faithful ; and 
 thefe promifes have been fealed, on the part 
 of God, in their baptifm. Now is it right 
 and proper that the Church ffiould practical- 
 ly overlook all thefe things, and treat thefe. 
 
C 7&] 
 
 children no other wife than they treat the 
 children of unbelievers ? Or is it fuitable and 
 highly important that the Church fhould pay 
 particular attention to thefe children, and fee 
 tha,t they be brought up in the nurture and ad- 
 monition of the Lord ? Ought not the Church 
 to unite their influence and affift parents in 
 teaching and commanding their children to 
 love and fear God ? Is there not a great ncg* 
 lecl in Churches, in this refped, at the pref- 
 ent day ? Are not baptized children fadly, 
 yea awfully negleded ? Is not infant baptifm 
 lightly efteemed, if not defpifed by fome, on 
 this account ? And may not the prefent low 
 ilate of religion in many of our Churches be 
 [greatly owing to this negledt? Muft not 
 Churches reform in this, before we can expedl 
 a general revival of religion ? 
 
 7. It is inconliftent and finful in parents to 
 allow their children to engage in the finful di- 
 verfions and pleafures of the world. There 
 is a very manifefl: inconfiliency in the conduct 
 of parents in dedicating their children to God, 
 having the feal of his covenant put upon them, 
 folemnly engaging and attempting to teach 
 them to fear and love God ; and then allow- 
 ing them to engage in the pleafures and diver- 
 fions of the w^^rld, that iieth in v/ickednefs. 
 Is this fulfilling covenant engagements re- 
 fpecbing children, to let them purfue thofe 
 pleafures, which make them forgetful of God, 
 of death, of judgment, and eternity ? Do par- 
 
[ 11 '\ 
 
 cnts bring up their children for God, in al- 
 lowing them to purfue thofe things, which di- 
 rectly lead to a neglect of prayer and every re- 
 ligious duty ? Do the pleafures and amufe- 
 ments of this evil world, difpofe perfons to 
 feek God with the whole heart and to praife 
 him acceptably ? Does the ball-chamber pre- 
 pare young perfons for the exercifes of devo- 
 votion ? Do perfons, in purfuing thefe pleaf- 
 ures, become heavenly minded, and prepared 
 to die in peace, and enter the paradife of God ? 
 Would perfons wifh to die in the midfl of 
 thefe pleafures ? or would they w^ifh to die in 
 the exercifes of devotion ? Can parents feel 
 that their children glorify God, and prepare 
 to enjoy him in heaven, while fpending their 
 precious time in thefe vain pleafures ? It is to 
 no purpofe to fay, thefe pleafures are innocent, 
 when their dired tendency is to lead perfons 
 to call off the fear of God, and live vvithout 
 prayer. Thefe plcafares deftroy the immortal 
 foul. How then can they be innocent ? To 
 fay that young perfons need thefe pleafures, 
 is abfurd ; for none need thofe things which 
 fit them for deftruclion. You may, with as 
 much propriety, fay that the fecure, hardened 
 fmner needs opportunities to fill up the meaf- 
 ure of his iniquities, and fit himfelf for def- 
 truclion, as that young perfons need thefe 
 pleafares; for they are fitting for deftruction, 
 while purfuing them. To fpend precious time 
 
 G 2 
 
C78 1 
 
 in pleafure is given in fcripture as a part of the 
 characler of the wicked. Of them, it is ex- 
 prefsly faid, Job xxi. " They fend forth their 
 little ones like a flock, and their children dance. 
 They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice 
 at the found of the organ. They fpend their 
 days in wealth, and in a moment go down to 
 the grave. Therefore they fay unto God, 
 Depart from us ; for we defirc not the knowl- 
 edge of thy ways. What is the Almighty, 
 that we {hould ferve him ? and what profit 
 Ihould we ha%^c, if we pray unto him ? — They 
 are as ftubble before the wind, and as chaff 
 that the ftorm carrieth away. God layeth up 
 his iniquity for his children." Ifai. v. " And 
 the harp and the viol, the tabret and pipe, 
 and wine are in their feafts 5 but they regard 
 not the work of the Lord, neither coniider 
 the operation of his hands. — Therefore hell 
 hath enlarged herfelf, and opened her mouth 
 without meafure ; and their glory, and their 
 multitude, and their pomp, and he that re- 
 joiceth fliall defcend into it." — Is it not wrong? 
 is it not fmful in parents to indulge their chil- 
 dren in thofe things^ which diihonor God, and 
 deflroy their fouls ? Is not this very wrong, 
 very finful in all parents ? but efpecially in 
 profefTors of religion ? in thofc who have fol- 
 emnly covenanted to bring up their children 
 for God and his kingdom ? What can they 
 fiy, when God fhall bring them to judgment ? 
 
C79] 
 
 8. Permit me, on this fubjed, to addrefs 
 parents, who have entered into covenant with 
 God. 
 
 God has propofed his gracious covenant to 
 you. You have expreffed your confent and 
 acceptance of it, and have entered into folemn, 
 covenant engagements with your Maker. To 
 fpeak in the language of an eminent Saint— ^ 
 You have fworn that you would keep God's 
 righteous judgments. You have devoted 
 your children to God, and promifed, in de- 
 pendance on his grace, to bring them up in 
 the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The 
 covenant has been fealed in their baptifm.— 
 Are you not peculiarly bound ? are you not 
 under very folemn obligations to teach your 
 children the fear of God ? Is not much de- 
 pending on your faithfulnefs, even the glory 
 of God, the profperity of the Redeemer's 
 kingdom, and your own, and your children's 
 eternal welfare ? 
 
 Your faithfulnefs will contribute to the 
 divine glory ; for it will manifeft your love 
 to God, and regard to his authority. — Your 
 faithfulnefs will alfo have great influence on 
 others, to lead them to be faithful and glorify 
 God. — ^If you and other parents are faithful 
 and bring up your children in the nurture and 
 admonition of the Lord, then many children 
 will actively glorify God. — God will be alfo 
 glorified in his grace, which enables you and 
 
1 80 ] 
 
 others to be faithful, and which bleffes paren- 
 tal faithfulnefs to the converlion of children. 
 But if you negled your duty, you will re- 
 fled great difhonor on God. You will tranf- 
 grefs his command, and reje<5l his authority. 
 Will not this highly difiionor him ? For by 
 fuch condu6l, you pradiically fay that God is 
 not worthy to be obeyed — that he is not wor* 
 thy of your love and conftant fervice. You 
 will exprefs a low efteem of God. — You will 
 alfo lead others to do the fame, and be un- 
 faithfuL — How many children will in this 
 way be negledled, live in fin and unbelief, and-, 
 perhaps, become openly vicious. If this 
 Ihould take place, will not God be greatly 
 diflionored in the houfes of his friends — of 
 his covenant people ? Is not God more dif- 
 honored by the wicked lives of the children 
 of profeffors, than by the wicked lives of the 
 children of others ? And if the children of 
 profeffors are wicked and openly vicious, they 
 are oftentimes more fo than others ; for as 
 they free themfelves from greater reftraints, 
 fo they more eagerly purfue vicious praclices. 
 — Ought not a regard to the divine glory, to 
 excite you to be faithful ? Can you endure 
 the thought of neglecling your children, and 
 of having them, openly, and to a high degree, 
 diihonor God ? Will you indulge and counte- 
 nance your children in thofe pleafures and pur- 
 fuits, which lead them to neglect prayer and 
 eaft off tlie fear of God ? Are you willing that 
 
C 8i J 
 
 your children, through your negle(5l, fiiould 
 profane God's name and Sabbath ; tread under 
 foot his beloved Son ; and do defpite to the 
 Spirit of grace ? To prove that you are not 
 willing, you muft be faithful and bring up 
 your children in the nurture and admonition 
 of the Lord. 
 
 Further : It is for the profperity of Chrift's 
 kingdom for you to be faithful. This king- 
 dom is of great worth — it is of infinite worth. 
 It contains all the redeemed from among man- 
 kind. And the glory and blelfednefs of this 
 kingdom are increafed, as perfons are convert- 
 ed, and become its holy members. There is 
 joy in the prefence of the angels of God over 
 one finner that repenteth. So likewifc there 
 is joy among God's redeemed people, on eve- 
 ry fuch event. They rejoice that Chrift is 
 glorified ; that his grace is difplayed ; that 
 his kingdom is advanced, and another brought 
 to praife the Lord, and be blefled with his fa- 
 vor and loving kindnefs. — Do you not defire^ 
 chriftian parents, the advancement of Chrift's 
 kingdom ? Is not this kingdom dearer to you 
 than any other caufe or intereft ? Is it not ex- 
 ceedingly defirable that your children fiiould 
 be its holy members ? Can you then neglect 
 them ? Can you omit to inftrud them ? and 
 fervently to pray for them ? Can you be neg- 
 ligent and unfaithful, and fo have your chil- 
 dren oppofe Chrift's glorious caufe, defpife his 
 gofpel and grace, and contemn his dying love l 
 
C 82 ] 
 
 But muft yoa not exped that your childreft 
 will do thefe things, if you be negligent and 
 unfaithful ? 
 
 It ought alfo to be remembered that your 
 negiecl and unfaithfulnefs may have great in- 
 fluence on generations yet unborn. Not only 
 your children, but alfo ihe'irs may be led, in 
 confequence of your unfaithfulnefs, to neglecl 
 religion, to diihonor God, and oppofe Chrift's 
 kingdom. If your children live in fin, their 
 children may, and probably will, do the fame ; 
 and fo may the next generation, and fo on 
 from generation to generation. And how muft 
 you feel, to look into the family of a fon cr 
 daughter, and fee their children advancing in 
 life, without religious inllru6lion, and in ex- 
 treme danger of neglecting the gofpel, to their 
 final ruin. But if your children are truly pious, 
 we fhall have more hope that they will bring 
 up their children in the nurture and admoni- 
 tion of the Lord. And thus the confequences 
 of your conduct may extend to m.any genera- 
 tions. O then be faithful, that thofe who 
 come after you, may, by divine grace, honor 
 God and advance the kingdom of the Re- 
 deemer. 
 
 It may be obferved further, that a regard 
 to the fpiritual and eternal welfare of your- 
 felves and your children, fhould excite you 
 to be faithful to them. You will feel the 
 weight of this motive in proportion to your 
 holy, diiinterefted afFe(fliont 
 
C 83 ] 
 
 Unfaithfulnefs to your children may caufc 
 you much pain in the prefent life. Says the 
 pious Mr. Flavei, " Believe this as an undoubt- 
 ed truth, That that child which becomes 
 through thy default an inftrunient to difhonor 
 God, Ihall prove, fooner or later, a fon or 
 daughter of forrow to thee." Your un- 
 faithfulnefs may ib difpleafe God as to de* 
 prive you of the light of his gracious counte- 
 nance. You may aifo be foreiy cliaftifcd, in 
 various ways, for your neglect of duty. But 
 faithfulncfs to your children may be a means 
 of your enjoying the divine prefence and bleff- 
 ing.— You may be exceedingly rejoiced and 
 comforted in your children, if you bring them 
 up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 
 You and thev v/ill then be mutual blei!inf;S 
 to each other. But if you are unfaithful, and 
 they live and die in fin, how different, how 
 painful w^ill be your feelings ! 
 
 If you be faithful, and your children faved, 
 with what joy, with v/hat rapturous joy, will 
 you m.e€t them in the eternal w^orld, and 
 before your Judge r Row exceedingly will you 
 rejoice that you may dwell whh them forever 
 in love and uninterrupted friendfhip ? But how 
 vaftly dilrerent, if you fhould be unfaithful, 
 and your children fhould periili ! How awful 
 and diitreffing muil their condition be ! They 
 muil go away into endiefs punilhrnicnt ! Will 
 it not be peculiarly dreadful and diilrefiing to 
 them to be feparated from their affectionate 
 
[ 84 ] 
 
 "parents and all God's redeemed people, and 
 fent to an eternal hell ! And muft not their 
 final doom be more awful and terrible, on ac- 
 count of the rich and great mercies, which 
 they abufed? 
 
 On the whole — Is not a very powerful mo- 
 tive prefented before you, to excite you to be 
 faithful ? Is not the view, which is now ex- 
 hibited of parental duty, worthy of God ? 
 Does it not afford the moft animating and 
 forcible flimulus to abound in duty to your 
 dear, your beloved offspring ? Be excited then, 
 chriffian parents, to be faithful. Be abundant 
 in inftruding your children. What you find 
 to do for their religious education, do it with 
 all your might. Spare no pains, and negleA 
 no opportunity to teach them the fear of God. 
 Teach them, clearly, their lofi: and guilty fi:ate, 
 and the way of falvation revealed in the gof- 
 pel. Often call them, in a very feeling and 
 folemn manner, to realize death, judgm.ent, 
 and eternity. Counfel and warn ; perfuade 
 and urge them to be reconciled to God, and be- 
 lieve in his Son. They have been fet apart 
 for God, and he denominates them holy : See 
 that they do not debafe and pollute themfelves, 
 by joining in the falhionable amufements and 
 purfuits of the ungodly. Remember how 
 God executed judgments upon Eli and his 
 family, becaufc his fons made themfelves vile 
 and he reflrained them not. However dif- 
 icouraging prefent appearances may be, yet 
 
[ 85] 
 
 periei'cre in your faithful exertions to favc 
 your offspring from fin and final ruin. Con- 
 llantly realize your need of God's fpecial grace. 
 Be abundant in prayer ; and maintain a lively 
 faith in the Redeemer and in the promife of 
 God's everlafting covenant. And the Lord 
 be a God not only to you, but alfo to your 
 children. 
 
 9. Let me addrefs parents who are not in 
 covenant with God. You may perhaps imag- 
 ine that you are not under fo ftrict and fol- 
 emn obligations, as many others, to bring up 
 your children in the nurture and admonition 
 of the Lord. It is true, you have not entered 
 into covenant engagements to bring up your 
 children in this way. But is not this your 
 duty? Gan your neglect of one duty, excufe 
 you for not performing another ? Does your 
 refufmg to repent and to become God*s cove- 
 nant people, free you from obligation to teach 
 your children the fear of God ? Can your im- 
 penitence and unbelief excufe you for not ded- 
 icating your children to God in faith? and 
 for not having them baptized? Can you, on 
 account of the voluntary wickednefs of your 
 heart, be excufed for not praying for your 
 children, and for not training them up in the 
 way they fliould go ? Does the wickednefs of 
 your heart afibrd you the leafl excufe for neg- 
 lecting your duty to your children ? Will it af- 
 ford you any excufe at the judgment dav ? 
 
 H 
 
C 85] 
 
 Let me carneftly in treat you to confider, fe- 
 riouily, the tendency of neglecting religion 
 youriclf, and of not bringing up your children 
 in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. — 
 How can you be faithful to your children, 
 while you negled religion, and live without 
 faith and a fpirit of prayer ? While you con- 
 tinue in unbelief, and reject God's covenant, 
 how can you acceptably dedicate your chil- 
 dren to him ? How can you acceptably have 
 the feal of the covenant applied to your chil- 
 dren, by baptifm ? or what right have you to 
 the feal for your children, while you rejed: the 
 covenant by unbelief, and will not become 
 favingly interefted in it ? How can you faith- 
 fully inftruclyour children in the things of re- 
 ligion, while you live in fin, and, in heart, 
 hate the truth, and know not the way of ex- 
 perimental godlinefs ? How can you faithfully 
 and fuccefsfully intreat and urge your child- 
 ren to be pious, while your example contra- 
 dicts all you fay ? Will not your children re- 
 gard your example more than your words ? 
 Can they confider you in earneft in recom- 
 mending religion to them, while they fee you 
 negled it ? How can you pray for your chil- 
 dren, while prayer is a difagreeable bufmefsto 
 you, and you daily omit it ? How can you re- 
 prove them for living in fin, when you do the 
 fame ? Or how can you warn them of the 
 awful confequcnces of fuch a life, while you 
 live in the fame v/ay ? — Do not thefe confidr 
 
[8;] 
 
 crations urge you to repent and live in the fear 
 of God? that you may be faithful to your chil- 
 dren, and bring them up in the nurture and 
 admonition of the Lord ? 
 
 But what will become of your dear children, 
 if you negledl their religious education and 
 they live and die in iin ? Muft they not periih 
 forever ? Is not this confideration affecting 
 and painful to you r Will not this move you 
 to attend to their religious education, to be 
 affured that if they live and die w^ithout a 
 change of heart, they muft endure endlefs mif- 
 ery ? They are placed peculiarly under your 
 care. It is your duty to train them up in the 
 paths of holinefs, that they may be meet for 
 heaven. And what is the tendency of neg- 
 lecting your duty to your children ? Is it not 
 to deftroy them ? And how muft you feel, to 
 perifti yourfelf, and to have your dear children 
 perifti with you, through your neglect and un- 
 faithfulnefs ? If this Ciould be the cafe, how 
 can you meet your children at the bar of God ! 
 Plow dreadful then to be found an impenitent 
 iinner yourfelf, and wholly unfaithful to your 
 children ! Muft you not ftand at the left hand 
 of your Judge, feif-convicted and felf-condem- 
 ned ! Will not the Judge bring every thing to 
 view which you have ever done ? and all your 
 unfaithfulnefs to your children ?-^May not 
 they juftly accufe you of ruining them ? of 
 deftroying their fouls ? May they not fay — 
 *' O cruel parent ! We v/ere placed under 
 
C 88 ■] 
 
 your care. It was your duty to bring vis up 
 in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 
 You v/holly neglecled your duty. You fpent 
 that time in fm and foliy, which you fhould 
 have fpent in teaching us the things of religion, 
 and in praying for us. You did not recom- 
 mend rehgion to us by your example : But 
 your example led us to neglecl it, and live in 
 awfai fecurity upon the brink of ruin. O that 
 you had faithfully inftrucled and warned us ! 
 O that you had fervently prayed for our falva- 
 tion ! How could you conduct in the awful 
 mar*ner you did, when you had God's word 
 to inftruclyou, and fuch weighty motives fer 
 before you ! You let us live in hn and unbe- 
 lief, v/ithouii reorovins: and warnins: us. Wc 
 vrere then pleafed v/ith it. But we rnuil no%v 
 be fentenced to endlcfs torment !" — What, 
 my dear friend, will you be able to fay to 
 thefe things ? Hov/ will you then view^ 
 your pail impiety and negleci: of prayer ? How 
 will it then appear to you, to negleci your chil- 
 dren ? to let them go on in fm, and fpend 
 their time in folly and vain diverlions, and 
 never teach them that they muft die and be 
 brought, into judgment ? Will you not, in 
 view of the fmal judgment, and the folenm 
 .account you rnufl then give, become truly re- 
 ligious ? If you do not, v/hat has now been 
 offered for your conlideration, will then rife 
 in judgment againft you ! How criminal, how 
 incxcui'iblc vv-iil you be found ! How ceferv-^ 
 
[«9 3 
 
 ing of God^s wrath ! And how terrible will be 
 your final doom ! O then repent, that you 
 may efcape the v/rath to come : And be faith- 
 ful to your children, that they, by divine 
 grace, may ihare with you in endlefs glory and 
 felicity. 
 
 lo. The difcourfe will be clofed with * 
 few words to thoi'e young perfons and chil- 
 dren, who have, and then to thofe, who hav? 
 not, pious parents. 
 
 To have pious parents, my young friends, 
 is an unfpeakable privilege. You ihould ef- 
 teem it a great favor, that your parents have 
 dedicated you to God— r-that the feai of his 
 covenant hath been put upon you by baptifm 
 -^that you have been publicly fet apart for 
 God — and that your parents are under pe- 
 culiar and very folemn obligations to bring 
 you up in the fear of God. Do not view it 
 an injury, or a hardfhip, that your parents are 
 abundant in teaching you the things of relig- 
 ion, and in counrellinn:^ warnin':r and com- 
 manding you to keep the way of the Lord. 
 But view all this as deiigned to promote your 
 beft, vour everlaflino: a:ood. Do not think 
 that you are injured, in. not being allowed to 
 fpend your precious time in thofe pleafures, in 
 which vou fee thouo-htlefs vouno: perfons often- 
 times engaged. But remember that thefe 
 pleafures deRroy the foul. Never fay, " We 
 will purfue them, let our parents and miniilers 
 lay what they pleafe." For you may foon iind. \t 
 
[ 90 ] 
 
 extreme folly to talk and condtK^i: in this man- 
 ner. — Often think how exceedingly you grieve 
 your pious and affectionate parents, if you 
 flight their counfels and admonitions, and per- 
 fift in folly and vanity, in impenitence and un- 
 belief. Remember that your final doom will 
 be dreadful indeed, if you live and die in fm. 
 Notwithflanding what your parents have done 
 for you, you will perifh in a mofl awful man- 
 ner, if you do not repent and embrace the 
 Lord Jefus Chrifl. Think not that the piety 
 of your parents will fave you, without having 
 true piety yourfelves. But feel that what 
 your parents have done for you, will aggra- 
 vate your future mifery, if you die im.penitent. 
 O then repent immediately ; give up your- 
 felves to God in an everlafting covenant ; 
 praife him for his grace ; and live, by faith 
 in Chrift, to the glory of God. 
 
 Let thofe, who have not pious parents, feel 
 that they can have no excufe for living in iin. 
 Your parents' impiety and negleft of duty 
 will not juitify your wickednefs. You muft, 
 my dear friends, anfwer for yourfelves. If 
 you be found at lafl'to be impenitent fmners, 
 God will treat you accordingly, and fentencc 
 you to endlefs mifery. Be entreated to re- 
 pent, and become the humble and prayerful 
 followers of Jefus Chrifl. His favor will be 
 infinitely better to you than any thing, which 
 this world can bellow. He vv^ill be your all- 
 fufficient friend in life, at death, and to eterni- 
 
C 91 ] 
 
 ty. Pity your parents and pray for tliem« 
 Do not reproach them for their impiety and 
 neglecl of duty. But let your pious exam- 
 ple and dutiful behaviour convince them 
 of the reality and importance of godlinefs. 
 God may make you the inftruments of their 
 converfion : He may change their hearts in 
 anfwer to your fervent prayers. How happy, 
 how glorious this would be ! What a founda- 
 tion would then be laid for mutual, everlafting 
 joy ! — Let eternal realities have their due in- 
 fluence on your minds. Keep death, judg- 
 ment, and eternity in conftant view. Be of- 
 ten engaged in fecret prayer. Delight in God's 
 word ; live in his fear ; feek the honor of his 
 name j and you will be bleffed forever. 
 
 AMEN, 
 
1^