faithful inftruction of pious parents, attended with divine affistance and bleffing, must be confidered, by every ferious and enlightened mind, as advantages unfpeakably great-as privileges moft important and precious.

Fourthly-In childhood alfo they have a special intereft in the prayers of the church and people of God. As members with their parents, they are included in all the prayers which are made for the church throughout the whole world. How great an advantage this may be none can tell. When we confider, that God is pleafed to beftow the greatest bleffings in answer to the prayers of his dear people; and when we confider, that the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much, James, v. 16. we muft confider this is no fmall privilege.

In adult age there are ftill peculiar privileges and bleffings for the children of believers, unless they have cut themselves off by their wickedness, or have been excluded by the difcipline of the

church.

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Though the ax is now laid at the root of the tree, and every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit must finally be hewn down; and though fomething more is required of them, as adults, that they may enjoy all the privileges of the church, yet they are still under the care and discipline of the church. This is undoubtedly a great privilege, and if properly and faithfully exercifed over fuch by the church, may actually be to them, under divine influence, one of the greatest bleffings. They are under the bonds of the covenant-the facred ties are ftill upon them to be the Lord's-the way of fin is more hedged up from fuch, and the way

to final deftruction more barred. Thefe are no fmall advantages.-Such ftill have a special intereft in the prayers of the church and people of God, which may, and will prevail, unless obftinately rejected and despised. They must be under great advantages for eternal life. Thus lifted up to heaven, in point of privilege, if they perish, they muft diffolve every facred tie-break through every barrier; they must burst afunder every band, and obftinately plunge themselves headlong into remedilefs deftruction. Thefe, my brethren, are fome of the inestimable bleffings and privileges of the covenant of promife, in which believing parents, for themselves, and for their children, are interested. Surely they cannot be confidered either few, or fmall, by any serious mind; on the contrary, I am perfuaded that, what advantage is the covenant of promife.? and what profit is their in baptifm? would never have been questions had minifters always been faithful in difpenfing the privilege, and had parents and churches difcharged their refpective obligations.

It is, indeed, a melancholy truth, that in the prefent day, the vifibility of the peculiar bleffings of the covenant of promife have almost disappeared. To this, perhaps, more than to any thing elfe, it may be attributed, that fo many parents, who hold to the covenant, are fo eafy in the neglect of baptifm for their children; and alfo, that fo many wholly deny infant baptifm. Had the adminiftration of infant baptifm never been corrupted-had the church kept up the primitive discipline over both parents and children; and efpecially, had parents always been faithful to their children, according to the covenant, we have the greatest affur

ance, that all the peculiar covenant bleffings would have been enjoyed by believers and their children. The world would then have known that these are the feed of the bleffed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.

III. I am now to fhew how parents may be interested in the covenant of promife, and enjoy the peculiar bleffings and privileges of it, for themfelves, and their children,

Two things here are the fubject of inquiry

1. How parents may be interested in the covenant of promise. 2. How they may enjoy the peculiar bleffings and privileges of the covenant refpecting themselves and their children, under the gospel difpenfation.

With refpect to the first, it is clear from what has been faid, that parents must be true believers in order to be interested in the covenant; or in fcripture language, they must be Christ's, and confequently Abraham's feed, to be heirs according to the promise. The apoftle fays exprefsly, "if any man have not the spirit of Chrift he is none of his." Romans, viii. 9.-Therefore he is not interefted in the covenant of promife, and "can have no right to its privileges.

But how parents, under the gofpel, may enjoy all the peculiar bleffings and privileges of fuch, for themselves, and for their children, must now have a more particular difcuffion.

Some, through ignorance and unbelief, reject and defpife them. Many acknowledge the covenant, and have their children baptized, and yet do not appear to enjoy any of its fpiritual bleffings: and fome, who are interested in the covenant, and appear really to give up their children to God in

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baptism, yet seem to lose the parental bleffing. Parents need all thefe promifes and bleffings-they are treasured up in Chrift for them-they are clearly propofed, and freely offered to them, in the covenant of promife. But O how affecting! how dif treffing muft it be to miss of them, whatever may be the caufe!

To illuftrate this matter, I would fuggeft a few things.-Parents, I beseech you, give your most ferious attention-look to God for his bleffing, and may the Father of light give you understanding. To give yourselves and your children to God, and to his church, in covenant, through Jefus Chrift, is neceffary, in order to have an intereft in the covenant.-Covenant bleffings are given in a covenant

way.

Firft-To infure the enjoyment of these bleffings, parents must believe, and take hold of the Covenant. Not to believe is, perhaps, in God's view, to reject the covenant-not to take hold of it, and depend upon it, is probably to flight the covenant with all its bleffings. This, perhaps, may be the very reason, why fo few parents enjoy these peculiar parental bleffings. It is highly reasonable, and it is agreeable to the analogy of faith, to fuppofe, that when God makes gracious propofals to parents, and they believe them, take hold and depend upon them, as propofed, that the bleffings are fure, and the enjoyment certain.

Secondly-Let parents go to God as to a father, through Chrift, and ask these covenant bleffingslet this be a continual fervent prayer. It is reafonable, and, in fome refpects, it feems necessary to the very enjoyment of them, that parents should ask thefe bleffings of their heavenly Father. "Afk,"

If any of you lack wif

fays the bleffed Saviour, "and ye fhall receive." The apostle James fays, dom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. But let him afk in faith, nothing wavering." -If parents, therefore, are fo ignorant of the cov enant, and so faithlefs refpecting its bleffings, that they do not ask for them, it is no wonder that they fail of their enjoyment.

Thirdly-Let parents be faithful to the covenant respecting their children, in training them up in the way they should go, and in bringing them up for God, agreeably to his will. This is of the laft importance, and feems to be a condition of the enjoyment of covenant bleffings refpecting their children. Parents, who are not faithful in this, do break the covenant. They make light of the promife, and thus lose the bleffing. But, on the other hand, thofe parents, who are faithful, and bring up their children for God, agreeably to the tenor of the covenant, may depend on the enjoyment of the bleffings in their fulleft extent, with regard both to themselves and their children, and with regard to time and eternity. Should any fay, that this is carrying the matter too far, and that, by proving too much, we overfet the whole, and prove nothing. Should any fay, that the faithfulness neceffary to obtain this, is wholly unattainable in this imperfect state. I anfwer, that the objection is very plausible, and probably, with fome, has more weight than merit. But let us try its weight in a fimilar cafe. According to fcripture the Christian must be faithful in order to enjoy the covenant bleffing for his own foul. For the unfaithful will doubtless be shut out.-But how is this? Can a be