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God appointed, and commanded to be adminiftered to infants, who were, by it, admitted into the covenant of promife with their parents, was a feal of the righteousness of faith.-Faith is not of works, but of grace.

Whatever ends circumcifion might be fuppofed to answer in this, or the fucceeding difpenfation, yet it was here a feal of the righteousness of that faith, by which a believer is juftified and faved. The apostle Paul referring exprefsly to this commmand of circumcifion, and fpeaking of the bleffednefs of those whose fins are forgiven, fays, Romans, iv. 9, 10, 11, 12. "Cometh this bleffednefs then upon the circumcifion only, or upon the uncircumcifion alfo? for we fay that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.-How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcifion, or in uncircumcifion? Not in circumcifion, but in uncircumcifion. And he received the fign of circumcifion, a feal of the righteoufnefs of the faith which he had, yet being uncircumcifed: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcifed, that righteoufnefs might be imputed unto them alfo :-and the father of circumcifion to them who are not of the circumcifion only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had, being yet uncircumcifed."

Having proved to you that circumcifion was a feal of the righteoufnefs of faith, and having proved, that God himself commanded it to be administered to infants as a standing ordinance in his church, under the Abrahamic and Mofaic difpenfations of the covenant of promife, it, therefore, must be evident to every impartial mind, that the true church

once had this grant from heaven, and that the members of the vifible church did once, and for a long time enjoy this great, this interefting privilege. They did give up their infant offspring to God, and in token of this the feal of the righteoufnefs of faith was administered to them.

These are the points which were to be established under the first and second heads of this dif course. But before I proceed to the next head, it may be neceffary to anfwer fome objections, which have been thrown in the way of the truth, and which may ftill be lurking in fome of your minds.

It has been faid, that the law given at Sinai difannulled this covenant with Abraham; that the law was four hundred and thirty years after this; and that, fince it was an entire new difpenfation, attended with many new ceremonies, it must have rendered the Abrahamic difpenfation ufelefs. In confequence of this remark, fome have faid, that all arguments drawn thence are of no weight, and tend only to confuse and deceive weak minds. All this is very plaufible, indeed, and may have great weight with fome; but it is eafy to fhew every candid mind that the affertion is falfe, and that the objection has no force.

1. Though it should be granted that the Abrahamic difpenfation ceafed, when fucceeded by the Mofaic economy; yet it will by no means follow, that the covenant of promife was made void. Neither will it follow, that any of the bleffings and privileges once granted to believers, were taken away. Thefe may ftand good, and promised bleffings be more clearly holden up to view, and more liberally bestowed on the church, in a new way, by the fucceeding difpenfation, agreeably to

the gracious defign of God, more fully to display

his mercy.

2. It is certain, that circumcifion, as a fign of the Abrahamic covenant, and as a feal of the righteousness of faith, was continued under the Jewish difpenfation; that the privileges granted to the church were continued that many of the bleffings promised to Abraham, as the father of believers, were enjoyed by the Jewish church, and that God bestowed thefe bleffings on that people, as the God of Abraham, the God of Ifaac, and the God of Jacob. It, therefore, must follow, that the Abrahamic covenant was not made void by the Jewifh difpenfation.

3. But what is more than all, we have the apoftle's exprefs declaration on this head-a declaration, which, when properly confidered, must for ever filence all fuch objectors. Gal. iii. 17. “And this I say, that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Chrift, the law which was four hundred and thirty years after cannot difannul, that it fhould make the promise of none effect." If the law, or Jewish difpenfation, had made void this great promife, or privilege, it would now have been of none effect.-The bleffings could not have come upon us Gentiles.

III. It is here propofed to fhew, that the priv ilege once granted to Abraham, as the father of believers, that infants fhould be received into the vifible church with their parents, is confirmed under the gospel, and is continued to believers. Here it would be eafy to fhew, that all the promifes, bleffings and privileges of the church, contained in every difpenfation, in all their true fpiritual meaning, are, under the gofpel, confirmed and

continued to believers; but we are confined, by the narrow limits of our difcourfe, to only one privilege. But let it be our present comfort, that this is not fmall.

1. Every fpiritual privilege once granted to the church by its great King and Head, remains in full force until repealed. This may be thus illuftrated-God once granted unto Abraham, as a father in the church, the privilege of giving up himself in covenant. This remained in force under the Jewish difpenfation to all his feed, and as it is not yet repealed, remains ftill in force to all his fpiritual children. This, I believe, will hold good with refpect to all the fpiritual bleffings and privileges God has granted to his church in every age. Modes and fhadows may be changed, but the fubftance ftill remains. It has been proved, that God did grant and confirm unto his church the privilege that infants fhould be received into the visible church with their parents, and that the feal of the righteoufnefs of faith fhould be given unto them. This, unlefs it has been repealed, moft certainly remains as an inheritance for believers, which they may enjoy as members of the visible church, and true children of Abraham. For to use the apostle's argument, believers are all one in Chrift Jefus, and if ye be Chrift's, then are ye Abraham's feed, and heirs according to the promise.

If believers have now an undoubted right, by heirship, to all the privileges of the covenant of promife granted to Abraham, which are not repealed under the gofpel, we may boldly affert, that if this privilege is not now repealed, the command of God is now on all true believers to give

up their infants to him in covenant; and, as a token to this, ought to have administered to them that which is now the fign of the covenant, and feal of the righteousness of faith.

But we believe, and confidently affirm, that all the fpiritual bleffings and privileges formerly granted to the church are now in full force.

We have particularly proved, that this privilege alfo was once granted, it, therefore, remains confirmed under the gofpel, and continued to believers. Those who undertake to release christians from this command of God, and deny believers the ineftimable pleasure of giving up their dear infant offspring to God in covenant through Jefus Chrift, ought now folemnly to prove, that this privilege is made void by the gofpel. The burden of proof now lies upon our brethren, the Baptifts. Here we ought alway to put the laboring oar into their hands, and then let them labor fince they will undertake it. But, alas! their 'tafk here is as difficult as it is unthankful.-Our bleffed Saviour charges us not to think that he came to "deftroy the law and the prophets." (Matth. v. 17.) The apoftle alfo affures us, that all the promises are yea and amen in Chrift Jefus, (2 Cor. i. 20.) Agreeably to this we may be affured that Chrift came to be unto his dear people all that the law typified of him-to fulfil all that the prophets foretold of him, and to bestow all the fpiritual bleffings promifed in his word.

But let us calmly hear, and let us without prejudice examine, what our brethren the Baptifts fay to prove that this privilege is repealed by the gospel.

1. It is faid that this covenant belonged to the Jewish difpenfation, which was wholly done away