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Children must be religionfly educated.

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manded you?" Then they fhould explain it to them, faying," we were bond men in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand; and commanded us to do all thefe ftatutes, to fear the Lord our God for our good always." In like manner God commanded them, as to the Paffover, Exod. xii. 25, 26, 27. That when they were fettled in the land of Canaan they should keep this fervice and when their children fhould fay, what mean ye by this fervice? Then they fhould explain it to them, that it was the Lord's paffover, who paffed over the houses of Ifrael in Egypt, when he fmote the Egyptians. Thus they were by diligent inftruction, and examplary lives to excite and fead their children to understand the meaning of God's law, and this Sacramental fervice, as foon as poffible; and when they had arrived to a competent understanding, and belief of it,they were to come to the ordinance. But they were not to come empty. This God repeatedly commanded, Exod. xxiii.. 15. Deut. xvi. 16. None hall appear before me PTY. They must not come empty, void of any underftanding or belief of the meaning of the ordinance; but come with a profeffion. We are not directly told what profeffion they were to make. Doubtless their profeffion ought to be according to the inftruation, God commanded they fhould have; that they underflood and believed in the meaning of the ordinance; folemnly profeffing, that all that the Lord hath faid they would do, and be obedient. Such a profeffion Ifrael made at Mount Sinai, which God faid was well spoken. We are not told of any particular age that they fhould be, when they came forward and partook of the paffover. It is not likely there was any particular age fel. It is probable Jefus came forward to the paff

PART III.

Aftubborn child, publickly punished.

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over as early as any inftance. But it appears if they did not come forward by the time they were from under the command of their parents, the congregation were to call upon them, and if they did not come forward and keep the paffover, to excommunicate them, Numb. ix. 13. But the man that is clean and is not in a journey and forbeareth to keep the Paffover; even the fame foul fhall be cus off from his people. We fee by this and the preceeding verses that a perfon while unclean might not eat of the paffover. But this was not to be an excufe wholly to neglect it, he must make it his business to be cleanfed and keep the paffover the next month. So now, perfons guilty of moral fcandal, ought not to come to the Supper, while under fcandal; but make it their business to be cleanfed; by making a public confeffion of their open and manifeft violation of God's law; not ranking open immorality with private and heart fins, which are to be repented of before God, and confeffed fo far as they are known, and no further. But moral scandal is an open manifeft uncleannefs which requires a public vifible cleaning.

We also find, Deut. xxi. from 18 to 21. That if a child while nder the command of his parents was ftubborn and rebellious, and would not be reclaimed by them; but run into moral scandal ; his parents were to bring him forth to the Elders of his city, and declare his immoral conduct; and all the men of his city should stone him with ftones; fo they should put away evil from among them; and all Ifrael fhould hear and fear.

Here it is to be noted, that Ifrael were in a dif ferent condition, as to the mode of punishments; i from chriftians. They were furrounded, and in fome measure mixed with vicious nations, that

238 The Church mufi cenfure for immorality.

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there needed fevere punishment, to keep them in order. But Chrift never affumed civil government, or corporeal punishments in his kingdom, in this world. Yet he no more tolerated any fin or immorality than Mofes; therefore the whole of this will apply to chriftians, as a rule for them; faving only the mode of punishment. Therefore this command is to us fo far, as that when any person elpecially a youth who is baptized, and thus incorporated in the vifible Church; even though he have not perfonally recognized his relation; if he commit moral fcandal, he fhall be brought before the of ficers, and whole body of the church, and all the men of his city, fhall manifeft fuch a decided deteftation against his fin, that he fhall feel the difadvantages of it, so as if poffible he may be brought to repentance, and all this fhould be done fo publicly, and explicitly, that all Ifrael may hear and fear. It fhall be done in the most decided and public manner, and not done to the halves, or fmothered over in the dark, or out of fight.

And now, What have any chriftians to object against all this, which is felected from the law of God by Moles? Is it not according to chriftianity? Does not chriflianity teach much?

As to what is above faid about the immoral per fon. Does not the Apostle Paul fay as much? 1 Cor. v. 5. Deliver fuch an one to Satan for the deftruction of the flesh, that the fpirit may be faved. So alfo in the next chapter, 9th and 10th verfes. He enumerates a long catalogue of immoralifts, who he fays, fhall not inherit the kingdom of

God.

And what is above faid about cutting off, or excommunicating the man that neglected the paffoWhat is it more than the Apcflc fays,

ver.

PART III. Why Should not chriftians make much of children, 137 2 Thefs. iii. 6. Now we command you brethren, in the name of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that ye withdraw yourfelves, from every brother that walketh disorderly? Surely all muft allow it is a diforderly walk for a perfon to live in the neglect of God's inftituted Sacrament.

But the great difficulty, in what is noted from the law by Mofes, is the making fo much of children; and confidering them as members of God's visible Church.

But why should not chriftian parents and Churches be willing, to make fo much of children, and treat them as there directed by God? The Scriptures abundantly make much of children. If it fhould be ftill thought, that the old Teftament is not fo directly binding on us; go into the new there we find the Apoftle giving the fame direction, Eph. vi. 4. For parents to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the LordWhy should not chriftian parents be willing to educate and train up their children, as Cad faid he knew Abraham would; and as he directed Mofes, to command the children of Ifrael to educate their children; to inculcate God's word upon them, and by their examplary lives, and ftrict obfervance of God's ordinances, excite in their children inquiry, into the meaning of God's word and ordinances; and to teach them the meaning of them; and bring them forward as foon as poffible? And why fhould not the Church be ready to embrace them as foon as they profess a knowledge and belief of the mean. ing of those ordinances? Why fhould there be that backwardnefs in chriftian parents, and Churches to own the relation of children? When Chrift the benevolent Saviour whofe name they bear, was fo ready to own and receive them! not

238 Chri's readiness to accept, and blefs children. PART III, only when he took them into his arms and bleffed them: But when he lamented over Jerufalem, Mat. xxiii. 37. O Jerufalem, Jerufalem-how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! verfe 38. Behold your houfe is left unto you def olate. In Luke xiii. 34, 35. is the fame, saving there it is, as a hen gathereth her brood under her wings!

Here is a plain declaration of Chrift, that he owns children, as his brood, that he is ready and difpofed to take them under his wings, to brood and nourish them; but Jerufalem, the Church, would not! Therefore their houfe is left unto them defolate. Surely parents and churches, ought to be very cautious not to obftru& Chrift's gathering their children under his wings, by neglect of duty toward them; or by difallowing, or difowning them to be under their wings.

To have no children nourished up in the houfe, is the direct way to have it defolate. And it is a matter worthy of folemn reflection, and ferious in. quiry; whether the confidering and treating of children, as not belonging to the Church, and ne gleding them accordingly; is not the reafon of the thinnefs, of fo many of our churches! When Chrift expreffes fuch readinefs to gather children under his wings, it defervedly should melt the heart of every parent, into the moft exalted gratitude to him; the greatest carefulness, to do nothing to obftruct him; and to do their part, with the greatest diligence, as God has directed, fo that Chrift may gather them under his wings, and nourish them up to ETERNAL LIEL.