For the promise is to you, and to your children." It is plain, that there is neither force nor propriety in this, unless repentance and faith were neceffary to baptifm, and to the enjoyment of the bleffings and privileges of the gofpel church. That which qualifies an adult perfon for baptism, gives him, through this ordinance, an equal right to enjoy all the privileges and bleffings of the free citizens of Zion. But nothing fhort of faith in Christ can give an adult perfon, before God, and nothing fhort of a credible profeffion of it can, in the view of the church, give him a right to the enjoyment of all these bleffings and privileges. Faith in Christ, therefore, must be confidered as an esfential qualification for adult baptifm-And, upon the stricteft examination, this will be found to be agreeable to the practice of the church in purest times. It alfo has been the fentiment and practice of the most pious and fuccefsful minifters of Chrift in every age of the church-and it agrees with the confeffion of the faith of our church, and I believe of all the beft reformed churches in the world. This difcourfe fhall now be clofed with a few remarks. 1. Baptifm is a folemn inftitution. It is undoubtedly of equal authority and folemnity with the holy ordinance, the Lord's fupper. Some feem to have loofe ideas of baptism, and of the qualifications neceffary for its proper fubjects, who, at the fame time, are very fuperftitious refpecting the holy fupper. But, according to fcripture, they are both on the fame foundation-both equally folemn and facred. They have one author. They are feals of the fame covenant; and they are both facraments of the new teftament, and require the fame qualifications in adult perfons-in both we have to deal with a heart-fearching God; and we are to give up ourselves in covenant to him, through Jefus Chrift, to be his for ever.-The fin of coming unqualified to both, is equally heinous-the profanation of either is equally dangerous.-He who comes properly qualified to baptifm, ought to bless God, and come cheerfully to the Lord's fupper. 2. The true church is founded on the rock Christ Jesus. Since baptifm is the initiating ordinance into the church, faith in Chrift is neceffary to baptism in adult perfons. A credible profeffion of this faith is the ground upon which baptism is to be administered to any adult perfon. Accordingly we find that when Peter profeffed his faith in Chrift, our bleffed Saviour answered, (Matt. xvi. 18.) "And I fay alfo unto thee that thou art Peand upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell fhall not prevail against it." There may be other churches, and indeed those must be other churches, who are not built on this foundation, and make not any, or a different profesfion. They may be numerous and flourishing; but they certainly will be entirely confumed when every man's work fhall be tried by fire. ter, - 3. The church of Chrift ought to hold the ordinance of baptifm, very dear and facred. This not only fignifies and feals to believers the ineftimable bleffings and privileges of the new covenant, but is the ordinance of admiffion into the church. Oh! how careful should the minifters and churches of Christ be in their conduct, left this facred ordinance be profaned! They fhould always be vigilant, left any should prostitute it to purposes for eign to the facred defign of its inftitution. The world fhould know that minifters have no right, but from Chrift, to adminifter baptifm to any. Every one ought to know, that it is not a matter of favor with them, which they may bestow at pleafure, but at their peril. The word of God is their rule and we all know, or ought to know, that when this facred inftitution is mifapplied and abused, it is always attended with fome of the worft confequences, both to the church and to the fouls of men. 4. They who defpife and wilfully neglect this ordinance, cannot be chriftians. Though we do not hold that baptifm is abfolutely neceffary to falvation; yet fince it is a pofitive inftitution of Chrift, and enjoined on his church as a standing ordinance, they who wilfully neglect it, they who defpife it, are certainly chargeable with continued difobedience to him, and must be confidered as deftitute of the diftinguishing qualifications of christians. 5. All thofe who are baptized are under most folemn obligations to live holy lives-they are given up to God-they are fet apart for him-they ought to give up themfelves wholly to God and his fervice, and to live foberly, righteously and godly in all manner of converfation. For them now to live in fin, and to purfue the ways of the wicked, is to deny their baptifm; is to difown the God of their fathers, and to load their fouls with aggravated guilt. Be perfuaded then, all you of this character, to renounce your tranfgreffions, fpare your own fouls, and give glory to God through Jefus Chrift. Some of you have folemnly acknowledged thefe obligations before God and his people; and have fealed the covenant at the Lord's table: you ought, therefore, to love and ferve him, whom you have thus acknowledged to be your God and Saviour. Confider, oh! confider how aggravated your fins must be against fuch folemn ties! Can you think any obligations fo facred, fo folemn, so often confirmed, as those which you are under, to forfake all the ways of fin, to live to God, and to ferve him with your whole foul? AND IF YE BE CHRIST'S, THEN ARE YE AbraHAM'S SEED, AND HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE. RESPECTING the eternal council of God the Father, and the defign of his grace towards our loft world, we are informed, John, iii. 16, That "God fo loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whofoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” To complete this glorious work of falvation; to redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himfelf a peculiar people; to destroy Satan's kingdom, and to bring glory to God in the falvation of finners-Jefus Christ was appointed Mediator of the New-Covenant. It pleafed God, foon after the fall of man, to reveal this gracious defign, and fet his church and kingdom on earth, which he has fupported in every age of the world. To the members of this kingdom, God has, at different times, promised certain bleffings, and granted cer up |