diency; or, if a number of men had joined in this matter; if those men had appeared to have been, in some respects, ever so pious; and, if the practice of infant baptism had afterward become universal in the church; the practice of it, in the present age, would rest on a poor foundation. But the pedobaptists consider infant baptism, as having been handed down from the apostles.

Why do Christians, in the present age, consider the first day of the week, as a day to be kept holy to the Lord? Because, in addition to a few intimations in the Scriptures, it appears from the history of the church, that the first day of the week has been observed, as, in a peculiar sense, "the Lord's day,"* ever since the time of

* Compare, in the Greek, Rev. i. 10. with 1. Cor. xi. 20. See also, John xx. 19, 26. Acts xx. 7. and I. Cor. xvi. 1, 2. The commandment, "Remember the sabbath day," is in the midst of those ten commandments, which, though addressed immediately to the Israelites, are applicable to all nations. The observance of the fourth commandment is highly important towards the observance of all the others. We may be sure, that the apostle Paul in Rom. xiv. 5, 6. refers chiefly to the mere ceremonial part of the Mosaic law; nor do we know, that he has any reference to the weekly sabbath of the Jews. If, "the sabbath days," or sabbaths, in Col. ii. 16. include the weekly sabbath of the Jews, it may be the duty of Christians to keep a weekly sabbath. "The sabbath was made for man ;" not only for the Israelites. It was instituted, at the creation

the apostles. Yea, how do we know; in the present age, except by tradition, which is the first day of the week? Let all persons who

object to infant baptism as a tradition, take care,

of man. As it pleased God to make all things in six days, and to rest on the seventh, to rest one day in seven, in a regular succession, may be said to be in a certain sense, according to the nature of things, and in that respect a moral duty, On which particular day mankind were to rest, seems to be a positive matter, capable of being charged by a particular manifestation of God's will. When we rest on the first day of the week, we celebrate, at once, the work of creation, and the work of redemption. The Jewish sabbath appears to have

been typical of that spiritual rest, which Jesus Christ gives to believers, (a rest superior to that, which, Jesus, that is, Joshua gave to the Israelites), typical in a certain sense, of the Lord's day itself; and typical of that eternal salvation in the heav enly state, to which Christ will bring the people of God. While Christians are waiting for that eternal salvation, they also, need a weekly sabbath, which may be, in a more lively manner typical of the rest reserved. Though in this world, Christ gives them some sweet rest, (anapausin), yet they will not enter into God's rest (katapausin,) till it shall be no longer necessary for them to work. See, in the Greek, Matt. xi. 29. and Heb. iv. 9, 10. Accordingly, Christians esteem the Lord's day a blessed day; not only, as suspending daily labours, but as a day, on which they may more fully enjoy their spiritual rest, have peculiarly refreshing foretastes of the everlasting rest, be much animated to live daily to him, who died for them and rose again, and be enabled the better to enjoy their spiritual rest in the midst of their secular labours, and, as a day, which glorifies the Lord, and greatly promotes the enlargement of the church,

lest they favour a principle, which tends to overthrow the church, and Christianity itself.

There is a wide difference between "teaching" and receiving "for doctrines the commandments of men," even when they are contrary to the Scriptures, and observing those traditions, which are agreeable to the Scriptures, and which appear to have been handed down from the apostles. Against the Christian church the gates of hell were never to prevail. Christ gave to his church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers; "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in [rather into or unto] the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, [in this respect, viz.] tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but, speaking the truth in love, may" "in all things" grow up into

him," who "is the head even Christ."* Does not the nature of such a church seem to show, that it might not be necessary to have every thing important to the good order of the church explicitly taught in the Scriptures?

* Eph. iv. 11–15.

SERMON. V.

ROMANS iv. 11, 12.

And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith, which he had, yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also; And the father of circumcision to them, who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had, being yet uncircumcised.

SINCE

INCE those, who deny infant baptism, generally hold, that no persons are visibly Abraham's seed, who have not been baptized in the mode of total immersion, I shall now endeavour to show, that it is proper to baptize by sprinkling, or affusion, or in some mode, which does not imply total immersion.

1. There is no command to baptize by immersion. The command is to baptize. The Greek word is baptizo, rendered in English baptize. Baptizo is derived from bapto. It is granted, that bapto signifies dip, though not