liever in this imperfect state be fo faithful with respect to the covenant, as to ensure for himself the promised bleffings for time and eternity? And why not in the cafe before us? especially as we have no reafon to fuppofe, that here a greater perfection of faithfulness is required.

IMPROVEMENT.-1. We learn the duty of parents, under the gofpel, refpecting their children. This is, in general, to fecure the covenant bleffings for them, by giving them to God in baptifm, and bringing them up for him in the gospel way. To this, parents, the gofpel invites you in our text: "For the promife is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God fhall call." The church fays come -minifters call upon you to become heirs according to the covenant of promife-to be faithful, and infure the peculiar, parental bleffings for yourselves and for your dear offspring. But to be more particular-it is your duty, when your children are thus given up to God, to confider them his, and to take the most tender care of them for him in their infant state. You ought to pray for them, and particularly by faith to take hold of the covenant, and ask for them, and for yourselves, the peculiar parental bleffings. When they are capable of inftruction, you are bound, by the most folemn ties, carefully and perfeveringly to teach them the will of God, their heavenly Father. You are to continue in prayer both with, and for them. It is your duty conftantly to fet before them good examples in all godliness and holiucfs. It is your duty. as parents, to reftrain them from wicked ways-from wicked company, and from all dangerous and corrupting practices, however fafhionable.--When

neceffary, you ought to use the rod of paternal correction, always remembering that there is in it a promised bleffing. It is alfo your duty to call, if neceffary, upon the church for affiftance to restrain and govern your children according to the fcriptures. In all things you must look to God for his bleffing.

2. The duty of children, efpecially of those who are given up to God-It is their duty to be the Lord's. But to be more particular-Ít is your duty, O ye little ones! the dear lambs of the flockit is your duty to obey your parents in the Lord. God has put you under their care, and given them authority over you. You are bound to receive their inftruction-to hearken to their counfel-to yield to their restraints, and obey their commands agreeably to his will. You are to be obedient to the calls and inftructions of your minifter-of your Christian friends, and of the church, always remembering your folemn obligations. It is your duty to renounce all the finful pleasures and vahities of this world-the luft of the flesh, and the caufe of the devil. You are under the most facred obligations to give up yourselves to God, through Jefus Chrift, to join the caufe and people of God, and to devote yourselves to his intereft and fervice for ever and ever.

I fhall now conclude with a fhort addrefs to parents and to children.

First-Let me fpeak a few words to those profeffing parents, who deny the covenant, and infant baptifin.-Let me, my brethren, most folemnly befeech you impartially and candidly to examine the facred fcriptures on this fubject.-With all meeknefs let me entreat you to attend, without prejudice,

to what has been now offered to your confideration. You may be affured it comes from a friendly heart-a heart tha: ardently wifhes well to you, and to your dear children, that you may have a large fhare in the peculiar parental bleffings of the covenant of promife. Confider, if you err in this matter, what an affecting lofs you must fuftain, both as to yourselves and your dear offspring. Confider what encouragement, affiftance and comfort you are deprived of as parents-what covenant-privileges and bleffings for your dear little ones are loft for ever!-Thefe you, as parents, ought to have received by faith, according to the covenant of promise, and fecured to them for time and eternity. Be cordially willing to receive the truth, and may the Lord give you understanding, and to his name be all the glory.

Secondly-Let me addrefs thofe who have given up themselves and their children to God in covenant. You, my dear brethren, are interested in this gracious covenant-here are treafures of good things here are precious promises for you, and for your children. But can you be fatisfied with the bare right without the enjoyment of the bleffings? If you can, you are doubtless of those who have a name to live but are dead.-Ye drowsy parents, let me befeech you to awake! Confider what a price is put into your hands, and confider how much depends on your faithfulnefs! Do your dear little ones look to you for temporal bleffings under God? Does your daily labor supply their wants?— In the covenant of promife God has made more ample provision for their precious fouls. He has given you much greater encouragement to labor, that you may obtain for them the meat which en

dureth to eternal life. The unfaithful parent is, in this refpect, cruel like the oftrich.-But I would hope better things of you: Be faithful to the fouls

of your dear children, that you and they may enjoy the peculiar bleffings of the covenant of promife, and be truly the feed of the bleffed of the Lord.

Thirdly-To parents who have not given up themselves to God, nor their children in baptifm.You have heard of the covenant of promife, propofed to you freely, through Jefus Chrift, with all its bleffings; yet, alas! you neglect to comply. Can you be eafy in this fituation? Here are parental bleffings-but where are your parental feelings? Tremble left your children perifh with you. It is true, they are not beyond the reach of uncovenanted mercy. But what will become of you, a faithlefs parent?-Never, never be eafy in this awful fituation" Repent and believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift; for the promife is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God fhall call."

Fourthly-To thofe children who have, from their infancy, been given up. to God in baptifm.You, my dear children, have been fet apart, in a peculiar manner, for God, who has been pleafed to diftinguish you from others in the covenant of promife. He has put you under great advantages to know, to love, to ferve him, and to be happy for ever: He has graciously hedged up from you the path of vice, and barred the broad way to deftruction-and he has opened before you the path of virtue, and fmoothed for you the narrow way of life and eternal happinefs. My dear children, I now befeech you, know the God of your father's: He is the best of beings-He is a good God-his

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favor is life, and bleffed are they whom he bleffeth Let it be your first thing to feek the LordYou have the greatest encouragement. If you seek him early, you fhall find him. Remember you are under the strongest obligations to be his. Receive, I beseech you, the inftructions and admonitions of thofe who are over you in the Lord -of those who earnestly pray for, and steadily feek your everlasting welfare:-Cheerfully obey your parents in the Lord ;-you know not how often they bend their knees at the throne of grace, in agonies of prayer, for you. Remember-oh! do remember, as you grow up, that the ax is laid at the root of the tree. If, therefore, you do not bring forth good fruit you must certainly be cut down, and caft into everlasting fire. But if, after all, you grow up in wickednefs, how great muft be your guilt, and how aggravated all your fins ? -Should any of you thus go on in fin with the wicked, and finally perish, certainly, in the day of judgment, it will be more tolerable for the children of Sodom and Gomorrah than for you.

Lastly-One word to those children who are not given up to God in covenant by baptism.--Though your parents have not given up themfelves, nor you, to God in covenant, and though you have no fpecial intereft in covenant bleflings and privileges, yet you are in a gospel land, and have many advantages for eternal life. You have the callsthe offers and invitation of the gofpel. You are called to give up yourfelves to God through Jefus Christ. There is provifion enough in the uncovenanted mercy of God. The door of mercy is open. If you repent and come to Chrift he will receive you, while he rejects thofe wicked children who,