love, that they may be enabled profitably to disinherited, and expelled from God's family. receive baptism for their children. SIXTH DAY.-EVENING. God manifested in the flesh, however, was appointed to do on behalf of humanity, what Adam had failed to perform, and to undo or make an end of all the evil which Adam had wrought; so that the act of disinheritance being, so to speak, repealed, and the exiles recalled, countless multi might, by adoption, become again the children of God. This covenant, or dispensation of grace, was in every age made known to the outcast and suffering children of men, and all who accepted of it and trusted in it were thereby constituted righteous, and received 'power to become the sons of God.' Abraham in the patriarchal, and David in the prophetic age, rejoiced in this covenant and dispensation, and are eminently distinguished in the divine word, as witnesses for the power and efficacy of faith, (see Rom. iv. 3–6). Abraham was not the first man who accepted and relied upon the covenant of promise; but because he is the first made mention of in the divine history, to whom the information was communicated that of his lineage, through a son of promise, the Christ should come; because he was the father and founder of the Hebrew nation; and because he so unequivocally relied upon the promise as to perform several acts most difficult and painful for flesh and blood, he is styled 'the father of the faithful,' and he received the ordinance of circumcision, a seal or assurance of the righteousness which by faith he had obtained. Abraham thus put on Christ as a full and com For as many of you as have been baptized into tudes of Adam's fallen and outcast posterity Christ have put on Christ,' Gal. iii. 27. THERE are two sore evils' among Christians. The one is, that many persons, from inadequate and imperfect views of the plan of salvation in the gospel, are oppressed with the idea that they are still under the law, so as that their salvation to a certain extent depends upon fulfilling its requirements. Such persons, though many of them sincere and pious, are lying under a grievous yoke of bondage, and experience little of the liberty wherewith God hath made his people free. The other evil is, that because Christ is the end of the law for righteousness,' there are professed believers who flatter themselves that they are under no obligation whatever to cultivate personal holiness. Now against both of these evils, or errors, the apostle Paul strenuously contends in this Epistle to the Galatians. That church was partly composed of Jewish, and partly of Gentile converts; and while the former admitted the possibility of the salvation of the latter, they insisted that it was absolutely necessary for them to be circumcised and to observe the whole ceremonial law of Moses. Against imposing such a burthen upon the Gentile brethren in Christ, the apostle urges many considerations in the preced-plete dress, or as a court dress, in which he might ing parts of this chapter. He reminds them, that they had received the Holy Spirit, not through the observance of the ceremonies of the law, but by the hearing of faith,' (ver. 2). That miracles were wrought among them, not by the ceremonies of the law, but by the hearing of faith,' (ver. 5). That it was not by the ceremonies of the Mosaic law, but by faith that they became children of Abraham, (ver. 7). That their salvation as Gentiles was foretold to Abraham in the promise in thee shall all nations be blessed,' (ver. 8). That the law is only a 'schoolmaster to lead men to Christ, that they may be justified by faith,' (ver. 24). That by faith believers are all the children of God in Christ Jesus, (ver. 26). And in the words quoted above, that 'as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.' Adam when created was the Son of God, (Luke iii. 38.) Created in the image and after the likeness of God, (Gen. i. 26.) but when he took Satan for his director, and believed him in preference to God, he was justly 6 with approbation appear at the court of the King of kings; and the same privilege, says the apostle, is enjoyed by every truly baptized Christian, as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.' Believers, in baptism, are represented as closely united to Christ. They are engrafted on him as branches in a tree, (John xv. 1). They are incorporated with him as members in a body, (Eph. v. 30). And they are cemented to him as stones in a building, (1 Pet. ii. 4, 5). Their wants are all supplied; their diseases cured; their weaknesses strengthened; their filthiness purged; their iniquities pardoned, and their poverty converted into riches by him. They cannot be condemned, unless he be condemned. They cannot fall away finally from grace, unless Christ, as man, with reverence I speak it, could fall away from God. Because he lives they live also.' They are bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord their God. These glorious things, however, are true only of those who have been in reality bap tized-who have been born of the Spirit' as airy state; either as water or steam; in anni well as of water; and in them, not the coercion of law, but the power of living faith, produces new and holy obedience. They love him who 'first loved them,' and 'the love of Christ constrains' them to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts. Their treasure is in heaven. The city and country of their home and of their hope are in heaven. And hence their heart and conversation are in heaven. May God, of his infinite mercy and grace, bring all the baptized then, to look and be prepared for heaven! Amen. SEVENTH DAY.-MORNING. hilating distances, and bringing remote portions And no remedy which the world contains, or man can procure, will antidote the poison of sin, or deliver him from the tyranny of the king of terrors; but faith in Christ Jesus communicates renewed youth, and gives to him victory over Man as a sinner walketh in a vain ‘See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be bap-death. show,' (Psal. xxxix. 6), and for him there is no peace, (Isa. xlviii. 22); but faith in Christ gives peace and rest. Man, as a sinner, is deeply stained like the scarlet and the crimson with crime,' but faith in the blood of Christ makes him white as the snow and the wool,' (Isa. i. 18). Men, as sinners, are barren and unfruitful, or if they bring forth fruit, their grapes are of gall, their clusters are bitter, (Deut. xxxii. 32); but by faith in Christ they are made as 'trees of righteousness,' (Isa. lxi. 3), and purged that they may bring forth fruit,' (John xv. 1). Man, as a sinner, is without soundness, full of wounds and bruises, and putrifying sores,' (Isa. i. 6); but in Christ Jesus all his diseases are healed,' (Psal. ciii. 3). To man, as a sinner, God is a consuming fire, but by faith in Christ Jesus he becomes a most kind, affectionate, and merciful Father, (Psal. ciii. 13). And man, as a sinner, is an outcast from heaven, and afar off from God;' but by faith in Christ Jesus he is brought near,' and enabled to rejoice in the prospect of an inheritance with the saints in glory. All these important changes in the sinner's condition are embodied and represented in the baptism by water, but they can only be known or experienced in that ordinance when its administration is accompanied by the operation of the Holy Spirit. The qualification required by the evangelist Philip in the Ethiopian nobleman, is one essentially necessary to the genuine and profitable administration or reception of every Christian baptism. If thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest.' Belief is of different degrees. There is a belief of mere assent, where a truth is not denied, nay, where it is fully admitted, but where it excites no interest, and is considered of little importance. Such a belief, however, although it is to be feared that it is the belief of too many who seek for baptism, is not sufficient to justify its administra- | more imperfectly, if not erroneously understood. tion; belief must be not only of the understand-than the doctrine of repentance. Because in true ing, but also of the heart; nay, it must be with repentance there is sorrow arising from self-con'all the heart,' to entitle a person to receive ad- demnation, therefore many are apt to mistake mission into the church by baptism. Indeed, the the sorrow and regret which the criminal feels surrender of the whole heart to God is an essen- for the offences which have brought him to contial ingredient in genuine or saving faith. No demnation, for that genuine and evangelical man can give a portion of his heart to Christ in repentance which issues in faith and salvation. the prospect of salvation. If he know his own And because the sinner's first acquaintance with unspeakably wretched condition as a sinner, and Christ and salvation must be preceded, or at least the unsearchable riches of Christ, he cannot avoid accompanied by repentance, many are led to the giving all his anxieties to be delivered out of the conclusion, that in the renewed Christian's after one, that he may be made a partaker or joint experience, there is no place for repentance whatheir' of the other. All persons therefore ap- ever. Evangelical repentance cannot possibly be proaching to God through baptism, either in their better defined than in the Westminster Assemown personal case, or in the case of their children, bly's Shorter Catechism. Repentance unto life should prayerfully and diligently seek the direc-is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true tion and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Ethi- sense of his sin doth turn from it.' A true sense opian's knowledge of Christ as revealed in the fifty- of sin, is a just estimate of its nature, character, third chapter of Isaiah, was of very brief standing. and consequences. Sin is in ordinary circumIndeed, it is not certain that he had ever heard stances viewed by the sinner in the light of of Christ until Philip joined him in the chariot; pleasure, profit, or honour; and although he inay but that knowledge was communicated by the have some misgivings respecting its perfect lawHoly Spirit through the word, and was genuine fulness, he flatters himself that, as it was under and saving. How uninteresting to the Ethiopian the impulse of nature that it was committed, nobleman must have been the portion of scrip- God will not be severe to punish him for it. ture which at the time he was engaged in read- This, however, is far from being a just view of ing? He did not know of whom the prophet the matter. A correct or proper estimate of sin wrote, whether of himself or of some other man. will exhibit it as an act of gross folly, flagrant He of course could have had no conception of injustice, and deep ingratitude. It is folly towhat was meant by being wounded for our wards ourselves, it is generally injustice towards transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities.' others, and it is always ingratitude towards God. Being profoundly ignorant of the parties of whom True or evangelical repentance is of course the the inspired writer spoke, the whole passage must condition of mind and feeling which a just and have been to him utterly unintelligible. In fact, deep sense of unworthiness upon all those accounts although he understood the language in which the produces in the converted sinner's mind, accomprophecy was written, he knew as little of its panied by deep detestation of every act that had meaning as though it had been written in a foreign occasioned that unworthiness, and a full detertongue. He was, however, sincerely seeking the mination to employ every means to avoid such Lord, and out of profound respect for his author- acts in future. No sorrow for crime, the deepest ity, reading while he could not understand his throb of which is not occasioned by regret for divine word, and therefore God, by a special having sinned against a glorious and gracious messenger, rewarded his sincerity and diligence God, and which is not accompanied by hatred of by a full knowledge of the truth. How profit- sin, and full purpose after new obedience, deserves able is it to be engaged in reading the scriptures, the name of repentance; and of course, while the even although we should not fully comprehend Christian is in the body, and in many things' their meaning! None ever seek God in vain. offends (James iii. 2), he will be again and again called to the duty of repentance. The Jews, to whom the apostle Peter addresses the words quoted at the head of this meditation, were not gross profligates or abandoned sinners. On the contrary, they are said (ver. 5) to have been devout men. Yet Peter calls upon them to repent, and the call was neither unnecessary or ineffectual, for we are informed (ver. 41) that many of them' 'gladly THERE is no doctrine of the New Testament received the word,' and (ver. 42.) that they con SEVENTH DAY.-EVENING. • Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, Acts ii. 38. see, however, strikingly in this transaction the power of divine truth, when under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Before it human pride, national prejudice, party spirit, and long cherished or habitual contempt for despised inferiors, all vanish like the mists of morning before the ascending day. The high, aristocratic, and self-sufficient Jews become suppliants before the humble Galilean fishermen, and say, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?' and when so directed, they gladly received baptism from them, and fellowship with them. What obligations do men owe to the Saviour! How constantly should they bless Jehovah for him, and how diligently should they seek repentance for every trust in any other refuge, or any act unworthy of their relation to him! EIGHTH DAY.-MORNING. tinued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and bassadors they are reconciled unto God.' We fellowship.' The sin of which these Jews were chiefly called upon to repent, was the combined and complicated offence of negligence, ignorance, and unbelief. God had given them, in the writings of Moses and the prophets, such clear and discriminative marks of the promised Messiah, that had they searched the scriptures with that diligence which their importance merited, they could not have failed to recognise him in Jesus of Nazareth. But they had neglected the divine word, and trusted in traditions of men, and of consequence became grossly ignorant and obstinately unbelieving. Repentance in their case was regret, or sorrow for having forsaken God, neglected his word, and through the blindness of ignorant prejudice crucified the Lord of life and glory; and the reformation required consisted in being baptized for the remission of sins in the name of that Jesus' whom they had crucified, and in the hope, that through him they should ' receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.' The whole Jewish nation believed in the God of Abraham, and considered that in the scriptures they had 'eternal life,' (John v. 39); but at the time of our Lord's coming into the world, they had lost the knowledge of the God of Abraham, and were grossly ignorant of that eternal life which the scriptures were indeed ordained and able to communicate. The God of Abraham was a God in Christ, for Abraham saw Christ's coming day, and rejoiced at the sight (John viii. 56); and all the prophets prophesied of the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow,' (1 Pet. i. 11). But the Jews appear to have entertained very vague ideas of God, and to have expected eternal life through some kind of favouritism, because they were the children of Abraham. The apostle therefore informs them, that they must return to the religious principles of the founders of their nation, and believe not only in God and in the truth of his word, but in Jesus Christ, whom God had sent, and set forth to be a propitiation for sin. Nothing could possibly be more humiliating to human pride, than the doctrine preached to those Jews. They had ever considered themselves as God's peculiar people, rich, and encreased in good things, and in need of nothing. They had specially despised Jesus of Galilee, and the humble fishermen his companions. And they are now told that they must renounce as erroneous all their former religious opinions, lament their ignorance and prejudice, be baptized for the remission of sins in the name of the hitherto despised Jesus, and do honour to the illiterate fishermen, by admitting, that through them as am For the promise is unto you, and to your chil dren, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call,' Acts ii. 39. THE imperfection of man, and weakness of the Christian character, are lamentably exhibited in the feelings and conduct of parents towards their children. They in general love their children with the warmest and strongest affection; but this love is seldom wisely directed. It is either expended in all-engrossing, if not sinful efforts to make them rich and great in this world, or it is dissipated in unmeaning fondness or ruinous indulgence. Notwithstanding the strong obligations under which God has laid them, and the ample encouragement which he has given them to train up their children in the way in which they should go, parents seldom think of their children's true interest, or strenuously exert themselves to put them in possession of the imperishable riches, and unfading honours of the kingdom of heaven. How strong and cogent are the exhortations of the wise man to parents upon this head. Chasten thy son, saith he (Prov. xix. 18), while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.' Again (xiii. 24), He that spareth the rod hateth his son; but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.' And in verse 22 of the same chapter, he observes, that ‘a good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children, and the wrath of the sinner is laid up for the just,' implying that the parent who discharges his duty to his children, by training them up in God's fear, provides for them an inheritance which they will be able to and aliens to the commonwealth of Israel, without God, and without hope in the world, are characterized by afar off,' but still within the reach of divine call. The amount of the whole, therefore is, that the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile is removed; that both are made one in Christ Jesus, and that whenever 6 transmit to their children but the sinful parent who neglects his children's true interest, and labours at the expense of religion or of integrity, to make them wealthy, shall not be able to secure to them that wealth. In God's all-disposing providence it shall wing its way to persons more just. Indeed, experience and observation abundantly demonstrate, that parents who are instru-parents in any nation are by God savingly called mental in procuring for their children the riches to the knowledge of the truth, they are authorized of faith, are in their old age much more honoured to consider the promise which they themselves and respected by them, than those parents who possess, to include or extend to their children. neglect the religious education of their families, In this passage the right of the infants' of such in order to procure for them immense worldly as are members of the visible church to baptism, riches and honours. In the one case the parent is clearly and unequivocally established. The is still respected by his family, because he has promise, extended through the parent to the childone his duty to them, because they fear that dren, must be to them as children, or while they God who has said, 'honour thy father and thy are, from under age, incompetent to appropriate mother,' and because although perhaps old and promises to themselves. If we understand the powerless with regard to this world, he can still words, The promise is to you and to your chillead them to God, and direct them onward to dren,' to signify merely, that the promise is to the world to come. In the other case, children the parent, and will be to their children when as they have not been taught to know and reve- they grow up and claim it, the statement will be rence their heavenly Father, have often little most unmeaning; for the same is the case with respect for their earthly one, and as the only the children of those whom God has not called. property which their parent had provided for If they, the children of unbelievers, when grown them, and taught them to value, they cannot up and capable, forsake their fathers' infidelity uncontrolledly enjoy until he shall have been and wickedness, and turn unto God, the promise removed, they frequently contemplate without is undoubtedly to them (Isa. lv. 7). But there much pain his separation from them by death. is in the words before us, a special promise The portion of scripture prefixed to this medita- through their parents, to the children of ‘as many tion affords to believing Christian parents, the as the Lord our God shall call.' The children highest encouragement to labour for the edifica- are beloved for their fathers' sake (Rom. xi. 28). tion and religious education of their families. The They are holy (1 Cor. vii. 14); of course, being promise is to you, and to your children.' The like the children of Abraham included with their words were, in the first instance, addressed to the parent within the compass of the same promise, Jews, the peculiar people of promise, but were they have, like them, an undoubted right to the not confined to that nation; for the same promise, seal of righteousness obtained by faith in that it is added, is to all that are afar off, even as promise. How encouraging and consolatory is many as the Lord our God shall call.' It is not this portion of scripture to Christian parents? improbable that this latter part of the statement They know that their beloved little ones are in was not fully understood by the apostle himself, danger every hour. They are in danger in at the time when he uttered it, as we find him a amusements; in the performance of duty; and considerable time afterwards unwilling to con- in juvenile folly. The parents' eye cannot always sider the Gentiles within the pale of salvation, be upon them; but through those parents, as the (Acts x. 14—47; and Acts xi. 17). Indeed, called of the Lord, the children have a promise, the prophets generally did not understand, at the and there is an eye that pervades at the same time of their utterance, their own prophecies moment all space, and watches for them. Parfully, for the apostle Peter tells us (1 Pet. i. 11), ents cannot protect their children from disease, or that they searched what time, or manner of early death. They cannot provide for them all time, the Spirit of Christ which was in them did that affection would desire. They cannot expect signify. That the words however, all that are to remain ever with them, but in every such afar off,' refer to the Gentiles cannot possibly be strait, they can derive comfort from this promise. questioned; for the Jews were by inheritance, by How consolatory also, is this passage to ministers privilege, and by ordinance near unto God, and of the gospel, and to Christian missionaries! The were referred to in the first clause, you and | call of God, and promise of salvation, are not conyour children;' while the Gentiles, as strangers fined to one nation, or one department of the |