than a church state, organised, and enjoying spiritual privileges. In this church state the Mosaic ritual cannot be included, otherwise the Gentiles, on being ingrafted, must have received it, and the Jews, at their future conversion, behoved to revive that economy. It is, therefore, evident beyond all rational contradiction, that the same church existed in Abraham's family, among the Jews in their successive generations, that now exists both among Gentiles and Jews under the gospel.

As a farther confirmation of this I might take notice of another view which the same Apostle gives of it. Eph. ii. 14. "He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us." Here Jews and Gentiles are represented as in one large house, yet separated by a partition, the one from the other. While this partition remained the two societies might have some little intercourse, but could not unite so as to form one family. The good olive tree was in the Jews apartment only, not with the Gentiles, nor could they have it so long as the Mosaic ritual continued which served as a separating partition. It is true, some little intercourse was carried on: for a few of the Gentiles left their own apartment and connected themselves with the Jews, but the great body remained as they were till the removal of the partition wall. Now it is very evident, that the removal of the partition does not imply a new church; what before was limited is enlarged, and those who were excluded are admitted. The good olive tree, which formerly grew only in one apartment, now becomes common property. Jews and Gentiles are made both one 66 new man," one body, or church under Christ their head. The old covenant is abolished, the

law of commandments contained in ordinances, is abrogated, and purely on the footing of the New covenant, which is the same with the Abrahamic covenant, a new church composed of Jews and Gentiles is formed. The newness lies not in any thing essential to the church.

DISCOURSE

XIX.

ON GOD'S COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM.

GEN. xvii. 4, 7, 8.

As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations, &'c.

To the observations already made on the nature of the Abrahamic covenant, I shall subjoin only one remark

more.

4. INFANTS were, by the Abrahamic covenant, constituted members of the church. This requires little illustration. It has been proved that a church state, for the enjoyment of spiritual blessings, was formed by that promise, "I will be a God to thee, and to thy seed after thee." Here God placed Abraham and his seed in such a relation to himself, as was adapted to convey to them all saving blessings. The infant seed of church members are included in the promise, and the same blessings are exhibited to both, the promise being one. A religious rite was also annexed to the promise, qually applicable to adults and infants. "Every man-child among you shall be circumcisedHe that is eight days old,-born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed." Gen. xvii. 10, 12. By including infants in the promise, God declared that they were capable of receiving its blessings, and by enjoining their circumcision, he showed that they were proper subjects of such a religious institution. To suppose that God would authorise the admission of infants into the

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church by a religious institution, of which they were not proper subjects, would be to impeach his wisdom and goodness.

THAT there was a church in Abraham's family, and that it continued among his descendants by Isaac, is not denied, though it is not universally agreed what was the nature of that church. She has been represented as a mere political society with mere carnal privileges, but clothed with a typical meaning; which is as much as to say, that she was no church: for the mere type or shadow of a church is no more a church, than the shadow of a body is a body. It has already been shown that she was properly a church containing means adapted to the salvation of sinners; and that the transition from the Old to the New Testament state, made no alteration in any thing belonging essentially to her as a church. That infants were members of the Old Testament church is universally admitted. Nothing is more essential to a church than members. Her ordinances, government, and ritual may be changed, and others very different substituted in their room, not so with members: for one generation succeeding another makes no change in the church as such. If then infants were members of the church formerly, and the transition made no alteration in any thing essential to her, they must hold their membership still. This is undeniable, unless they are cut off by some positive law, some incapaci ty in themselves, or some change in the nature of the church, which renders them inadmissible. But we can find nothing of any such changes in the New Tes

tament.

INFANTS, it is true, are not expressly mentioned in the New Testament, as church members, nor are they par ticularly specified as proper subjects of any religious VOL. II.

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ordinance. This, however, does not militate against their membership: for having been once recognised as members by divine appointment, it was unnecessary to say any thing expressly concerning them, unless they were to be excluded, or some alteration to take place affecting their relation. Being once admitted members of the church, which is properly one church in all ages, and amidst all changes; and this relation being recognised by the application of a religious ordinance to them, nothing could be more unwarrantable or cruel than to exclude them, without the same authority that admitted them. Under the New Testament, no expli cit warrant is necessary to admit them, because they existed in the church as members formerly; but on the supposition that Christ meant to exclude them, an explicit warrant, or something equivalent to it, was indispensibly necessary. And if, as some assert, in every positive institution, it is neccessary that the will of the Author be explicitly expressed; it will certainly follow that the repeal of such an institution must be equally explicit. But Christ has made no such repeal. There is no explicit warrant for admitting women to the Lord's table, yet their right is not question. ed, because it can be otherwise established. The same thing holds good equally respecting infant membership. The law which conferred that privilege upon them being still in force, and they being as fit subjects of a religious institute now as formerly, their membership must be equally valid.

THE language of prophecy respecting the Christian church requires to be considered; as it clearly implies the membership of infants. As God connected Abraham and his seed in the same promise, he continues to act in the same manner, including the infant seed of