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is unto you, and to your children," was confined to them, it is added, "and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God fhall call," shall call to the faith of the gospel, or to the belief that Jefus is the Chrift (who can only be known by their fear of him, producing obedience to him, or caufing them to remember his commandments to do them.)

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promife is equally to them and their children, whe ther Jews or Gentiles, whether in Mount Zion or in Jerufalem, or in the remnant that the Lord shall call,

Joel ii. 32. So much of the glory of the gospel appearing to lay herein, the spirit of God in the Pfalmist, when celebrating the forgivenefs of fins, &c. takes care to celebrate this alfo. Hence the children of believers appear to belong to the vifible church, the righteoufnefs of Chrift being unto them, and the promife being to them with their parents. And as the believers are encouraged to be baptifed from the confideration of the promise being to them; in like manner it is an argument for the baptifm of their infants, because the promise is to them likewife.

Further, if these texts be compared with what Jefus Chrift fays of the little children and infants that were brought to him by thofe who believed him able to bless them, Matthew xix. 14. Mark x. 14. Luke xviii. 16. of fuch is the kingdom of heaven," it will fully appear to those who believe the scriptures, that they are what Jefus Chrift calls them. Doth not Matthew xxviii. 18, 19. help to illuftrate this truth, when Jefus faid, "All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and DISCIPLE all nations," (as it is faid the Greek word there fignifies, and is not the fame that is after used for "TEACHING them to obferve all things whatsoever I have commanded you," in the 20th verfe) baptifing them, &c." The former expreffions disciple and baptifing (in the 19th verfe) feeming to imply a collection out of the nations of those who from hearing the apoftles

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apostles teftimony concerning Chrift, appeared to believe through their word, and feparated themselves to learn his will as his difciples Thefe were to be baptifed on their firft profeffion of difcipleship, or to profess discipleship by being baptifed in his name; who could not appear to believe through their word, nor be admitted to baptifm, if they difputed the truth of the first words of the apoftles teaching, "the promife is to you and to your children.-Believe on the Lord Jefas, and thou fhalt be faved, and thy houfe.?? And the latter expreffion, "teaching them to obferve, &c."" in the 20th verfe, feems to imply their being taught to take their places under Jefus Chrift, by obferving that order he has established among his difciples in his church, there to obferve every intimation of his will in his word,agreeable to Hebrews vi. 1. therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Chrift, let us go on to perfection," not leaving them by departing from them, but by building upon them, agreeable to 3d Corinthians vii. 1. " perfecting holiness in the fear of God."Mer

Now I think it is plain from the paffages above-mentioned, that as thofe who were difcipled from among the nations, were to be baptifed; fo their children are included in the promife, are to be looked upon as difciples, and to be baptifed likewife.

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If it be ftill objected, that those who were difciples, and to be baptifed, were perfons capable of being taught to obferve all things what foever Jefus Chrift commanded the answer may be repeated, Jefus Chrift teaches his difciples to obferve what he and his apoftles have faid concerning infants as being connected with believing parents in the promife, and to treat: them accordingly; which they cannot do, unless they own them as, of the kingdom of heaven. And if they are to be owned as difciples, they are tolbe baptifed; and as fuch are to be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And as they grow capable

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they are to be taught, not creeds, confeffions, càtechifms, and covenants, in which their fear towards God is taught by the precepts of men (fee Ifaiah xxix. 13. Matthew xv. 7 to 9. Mark vii. 6, 7.) but the holy fcriptures, as Timothy was, that are able to make wife to falvation, through faith in Chrift Jefus. It is the fincere milk of the word that is only fit for them. These are the churches breafts of confolation: Let them fuck here, and be fatisfied, milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. And when with Timothy they cometo witness a good confeffion before many witneffes, they are to be received as members of a particular church, collected together on the confeffion of faith made by Peter, which had Chrift's approbation, to obferve all things what foever he has commanded.

I add the apostle Paul's account of the children of believers--yea, though but one parent were a believer, they are holy; 1ft of Corinthians vii. 14. We may be helped to understand this paffage by confidering Exodus xix. 5, 6. " if ye will obey my voice indeed, ye fhall be a peculiar treafure unto me above all people; for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto kingdom of priests, and an holy nation" This nation being feparated or fet apart from all others, to obedience to the divine law, are called, an holy nation; while the Gentiles were called unclean.See Acts x. 28. So the antitype of Ifrael after the flesh, to wit, the fpiritual Ifrael, though they make up no nation of this world, but are gathered out from among them, and scattered abroad, yet are called, ift of Peter ii. 9%% 66 a chofen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation," as being fet apart from the unclean, world to Jefus Chrift (chap. i. ver. 2.) through fanctification of the fpirit unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Chrift Now to this holy nation do the infants of believers belong. It seems probable that the apostle Paul, from the 12th verfe of the

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vii. chap. of his first epiftle to the Corinthians abovementioned, was anfwering an enquiry that had rifen in the minds of the believing Corinthians, from the confideration of what took place among the returned captives in Ezra's time, in their putting away the ftrange wives, and the children that were born of them, as not being permitted to be incorporated into that holy nation.-His words run thus- If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and fhe be pleafed to dwell with him, let him not put her away.And the woman which hath an hulband that believeth not, if he be pleafed to dwell with her, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is fanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is fanctified by the hufband; elfe were your children unclean; but now they are holy," that is, belong to the holy nation of which Peter fpeaks.

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To what is above faid, may be added, the practice of the apostles in baptifing believers and their houses; Acts xvi. 15, 33. If it be enquired, who were their houfes it may be answered, thofe to whom the righteoufnefs of Chrift is reckoned, which is " to childrens children of them that fear him,"-those who are included in the promise which is, unto you, and to your children," thofe expreffed in Acts xi. 14. "who fhall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy houfe fhall be faved."-And thofe in Acts xvi. 31. "believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift, and thou shalt be faved, and thy HOUSE"-which must certainly include the infant children of a believer, even thofe of whom Chrift fays, of fuch is the kingdom of heaven."For however any may endeavour to fhew that there were no infants in thefe houfes, which they cannot prove; yet, if they could, it would by no means make the promife of none effect, which is to believers and their children; the infants being as really their children, and of their houfe, as thofe grown up. It is indeed faid (after the above-mentioned addrefs of

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Paul and Silas to the jailor) verfe 32. " they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his houfe,"-which though it probably implies, that there were others in his houfe befides the jailor himself, who were beyond the ftate of infancy and childhood, yet this by no means proves, that there were not alfo little children in his house; and if there were, they were certainly baptifed; for it is faid in verfes 33, 34.-" and was baptifed, he, and all thofe of him--and believing in God, he rejoiced in the whole houfe-(as it is read from the Greek.) And I think it is evident, from this and the feveral other fcripture paffages alluded to in this matter, that infants or little children are not only certainly included, but principally intended in the promise which refpects falvation, and baptifm as the outward sign or privilege of the new covenant. And therefore that wherever there are any in the house of a believer, they are to be looked upon as heirs of the promise, and are to be baptifed.

As to those who oppofe infant-baptifm, it is evident, that they make the bleffings of the new covenant far lefs extenfive than thofe of the old were; in direct contradiction to Galations iii. 26, 27, 28, 29. For although under the old covenant the bleffings thereof were confined only to the nation of Ifrael, and fuch ftrangers as joined themselves to the Lord with them, and only the males were to be circumcised; yet every man-child of only eight days old was included, I may rather fay, principally intented in the covenant of circumcifion, as well of the stranger profelyted or incorporated with the Jews, as of the defcendants of Abraham. But the apostle fhews, that now Chrift is come, there is no diftinction made, or to be made, among the children of God, of any age, fex, or nation whatever; and plainly intimates, that the bleffings of the new covenant, in this undiftinguifhed fhedding forth of them (which tarrieth not

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