"born of the flesh," to be so polluted, that unless he be washed with purifying water he cannot be received even into the outward church of God; and unless he be inwardly cleansed by the Holy Spirit he cannot be a member of the true church. In this it coincides with circumcision, which implied, that without the mortification of the corrupt nature derived by generation from fallen Adam, and the removal of that obstacle to the love and service of God, no man could be admitted into covenant with him. And, like that ordinance, it is "the seal of the righteousness of faith;" for he, and he alone, who possesses the inward and spiritual grace, outwardly denoted by both circumcision and baptism, has a divine attestation to the sincerity of his faith, and to the reality of his justification in the righteousness of the Redeemer. The form of baptism, “in," or into, “the name "of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy "Ghost," contains an unanswerable argument for the doctrine of the Trinity, and constitutes a perpetual confession of it: it implies also, that the baptized person is the avowed worshipper and servant of God" the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost," who is become the salvation and portion of all believers.

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When the apostles went forth" to teach," or make disciples of "all nations, to baptize them" in this name, and afterwards" to teach them" more fully "all things which Christ had commanded," that they might observe them; the converts, whether made from among the Jews or gentiles,

1 Deut. xxx. 6. Jer. iv. 4. Rom. ii. 28, 29. vi. 11. VOL. II.

2 H

were baptized on an intelligent profession of repentance and faith. When the Jews made proselytes to their religion, they circumcised the adult males on such a profession, according to the nature of their dispensation; and pædo-baptists, in similar circumstances, would baptize adults both male and female on a profession of faith in Christ. But we maintain (for reasons which have been repeatedly assigned,) that, as the Jews also circumcised all the males in the families of the proselytes, who were incapable of personally rejecting the Jewish religion; so the apostles baptized the households of their converts, including the females, and only excluding such as, being able to answer for themselves, gave evidence, by word or deed, that they did not obey the truth. Nay, we are of opinion that those children who had one believing parent, though the other continued an unbeliever, were thus admitted, as relatively "holy," into the visible church of Christ.1

The adult convert, by receiving baptism, virtually acknowledged, according to the obvious meaning of the ordinance, that he was a sinner by nature and practice; that he repented of his sins, and believed in Christ for the forgiveness of them; that he renounced idolatry, and all other objects or forms of worship, "to serve the one living and true "God," in whose name he was baptized; that he cordially believed the truths of the gospel; and relied on the mercy of the Father, the mediation of the incarnate Son, and the grace of the Holy

Matt. xxviii. 19, 20. Acts xvi, 3, 15, 33. Rom. xi. 1625. 1 Cor. i. 16. vii. 14.

Spirit, for complete salvation; and that he sincerely purposed to forsake all his sins, and every confidence, pursuit, interest, or indulgence which interfered with these engagements. Thus he openly joined himself to the Lord, according to the new covenant in Christ Jesus: and, embracing its benefits as his portion and salvation, he solemnly vowed to renounce the world, deny himself, bear his cross, endure persecution and hardship, and fight against sin and Satan, as a faithful soldier of Jesus Christ, to the end of his days: and doubtless prayers, instructions, professions, and engagements to this effect, accompanied the administration of baptism, as circumstances required or admitted of them. Such a solemn transaction would tend exceedingly to confirm the faith, excite the love, strengthen the mind, and encourage the hope of the true convert. And, though a hypocritical profession could answer none of these purposes, yet we cannot determine that confused views, partial convictions, and general purposes of following Christ, might not frequently terminate in true conversion; even by means of this ordinance, and the prayers, instructions, and admonitions, which preceded, attended, and followed it: for it does not become us to limit the operations of the Holy Spirit. The public administration of baptism would likewise honour God and the Christian religion: establish and edify believers, by reminding them of their privileges and vows; make way for subsequent exhortations, admonitions, or censures, in respect of the baptized person, as occasion required: and excite the attention of numbers to the peculiar doctrines of Christianity.

The baptism of the infant offspring of such converts was likewise a solemn declaration, that they desired the same blessings for their children as they had chosen for their own portion: and they thus pledged themselves to the church "to bring them 66 up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord;" giving them every instruction, and using all means of rendering them "wise unto salvation." When they brought the children which were afterwards born to them, to be baptized; they virtually renewed their former profession and engagements, and declared their persevering purpose of instructing and commanding their households in the fear of God and as the children grew up, such of them as profited by these means would personally accept of the privileges, and enter into the engagements peculiar to Christianity, in the manner which will be shortly considered.

As the number of professed Christians increased, the baptism of infants would proportionably grow more common: and when the progress of the gospel among Jews and gentiles was less rapid, the baptism of adults would not occur so frequently. This accords with facts, even in the earlier and purer days of the church: and afterwards, when the progress of error and superstition made way for the nominal conversion and baptism of whole nations, the baptism of adults was seldom heard of in countries previously professing Christianity. The indiscriminate administration of infant baptism, however, arising from a concurrence of causes during many centuries, has produced many very bad effects and the abuses, misapprehensions, and criminal conduct, which are too manifestly connected

with it, have given many pious persons a rooted aversion to that way of administering the ordinance, and have furnished them with plausible objections. But, when a Christian parent is persuaded, notwithstanding all these crimes and abuses, that the baptism of the infant offspring of believers accords with the word of God, and, in compliance with what he judges his duty, presents his children to be baptized; he solemnly ratifies and renews the profession and engagements of his own baptism; he avows his earnest desire, that the covenant made with him may be for the good of his seed also; and he engages to bring them up in the faith and obedience of the gospel, as far as his instructions, discourse, example, and prayers, can have any influence. As they grow up, he, or other pious relations, may profitably explain to them the nature, meaning, and engagements of baptism; the blessings it signifies; the advantages of being thus early admitted into the visible church, and trained up as her children; and the aggravated guilt of deliberately rejecting the salvation and service of God, from pride and carnal affections; or even of neglecting the means of appropriating these advantages, and complying with those engagements which their parents, or senior friends, had entered into, in their name, and for their benefit. Thus an additional avenue is opened to the consciences of young persons, and an additional restraint imposed on their passions. -Ministers also may employ these topics with great advantage, in addressing both the parents

'Jer. xxxii. 38-40. Acts ii. 38, 39.