And as this covenant with Abraham, including his seed with him, was the covenant of grace, which, as to substance, is the same into which God enters with all believers and their children, and is a pattern and example of God's entering into covenant with believers in all ages, taking in their children with them, which all hold who believe in the baptism of the children of believers ; then why does not, why must not this same covenant contain the same promise to believers, of the holiness and salvation of their children, upon the same condition to be performed by them through all ages, to the end of the world? If this covenant made with Abraham, including his seed with him, has been now rightly explained, agreeable to the plain meaning of it, the consequence will certainly follow. And that the true sense and meaning of the mutual promises between God and Abraham, with respect to his seed, has been given, and consequently that the seed of believers have the promise of holiness and salvation, upon the parents being faithful in keeping covenant, as it respects their children, will appear yet more evident from other passages of scripture, which are now to be considered. Those words of God which have been mentioned, "Shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments," compared with the words of Moses, which have reference to these, "Know therefore, that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him, and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations," serve to explain the covenant made with Abraham, and his seed, and to confirm the sense which has now been given of it. It has been shewn, that these words in the decalogue contain a promise to parents who love God and keep his commandments, of mercy to their children, and that this mercy shewn to their children, in consequence of the parents keeping the commandments of God, respects their moral character, which implies true piety, and been considered, viz. That the children of Abraham should keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment. It is said of him, when he died, "He was gathered unto his people." This is said of the good; but of no wicked man. Deuteronomy vii. 9. * Exodus xx. 6. It final salvation: And that the course of this mercy, descending down to posterity, cannot be interrupted, unless the parents are unfaithful in keeping covenant. has also been shewn, that keeping the commandments of God includes their duty to their children, in devoting them to God, and bringing them up for God. And what is implied in this has been particularly explained, and needs not to be repeated. It has been also shewn, that godly parents, who have a degree of true love to God, may grossly fail of keeping his commandments, as they respect their children; and so break the covenant between God and them, so far as it regards their posterity, and fail of having any share in the promise of mercy to them. But those who do not greatly fail of their duty in this respect, but are faithful in the covenant, have the promise of mercy to their children, and are the happy instruments of conveying holiness and salvation to them, and no farther; but if their children be also faithful, they hereby hand down spiritual blessings to their children; and so on to a thousand generations; and the succession cannot be interrupted, but by breach of covenant by some of the parents. These words, therefore, thus explained and understood,* (and it is believed that no other consistent sense can be put upon them) do confirm what has been said of the covenant made with Abraham, and his seed, and with all believers and their children, to the end of the world; and prove that the covenant of grace and mercy contains a promise of mercy and salvation to the children of parents who faithfully keep the covenant and commands of God, as they respect their children. And in this view, the natural and easy sense of those words of the apostle Peter, which have been the subject of so much altercation, offers itself as another proof of the point under consideration. The words are, "Then Peter said unto them, 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. For the promise is unto you and to your children."+ The covenant with Abraham contained a promise to him and his children, which is denoted by the promise. * See page 265, &c. † Acts ii. 38, 39. And as the apostle is speaking to the Jews, they would naturally understand this covenant by the promise, and that these words of Peter imported that this covenant was still in force, and was not curtailed or altered in this respect; and though now baptism was the token and seal of the covenant, instead of circumcision, yet still it contained the promise of saving mercy to every penitent believer, and to his children; as did the covenant of circumcision made with Abraham their father. It was natural, and of importance, when he spoke to the Jews of baptism, and exhorted them to submit to it, to explain to them the covenant and the promise, of which baptism was the seal, and to mention the nature and extent of it; and to show that it reached their children as well as themselves, and included them as much as their parents, as did the covenant with Abraham and their fathers, the covenant of circumcision. The Pedobaptists have generally understood these words in the sense which has now been given, and considered them as a strong and conclusive argument for the baptism of the children of believers, as included in the covenant of which baptism is the seal, and interested in the promise: though they have not agreed in the meaning and extent of the promise made to the children of believing parents; nor in explaining the condition on which the promise is made. It is for them now to consider and judge, whether the true meaning of these words has not been stated above, according to the scripture; and whether any other consistent meaning in favour of infant baptism, and agreeable to the passages of scripture which have been considered under this head, can be thought of, and supported. The following words of Solomon connect the wise, faithful, and pious education of children, with their piety and salvation; and amount to a promise, that the latter shall be the consequence of the former. "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it."* These words assert the same thing which God says of Abraham and his children, which has been considered, "He will command his children, and his household after him; and they * Prov. xxii. 6. shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment." And they coincide with all that has been said on this point; and serve to strengthen the evidence, that parents have a promise in the covenant of grace, that upon their faithfulness in keeping covenant, as it respects their children, they shall go in the way to heaven. With What he says elsewhere, concerning the education of children, may be considered in the same light. "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. hold not correction from the child: For if thou beatest him with the rod he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell. Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest: Yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul."* Correcting a child, the rod of correction, and beating him with a rod, intends the whole of a wise and faithful education of children, as a proper government of them is an essential part of such education, and cannot be properly and thoroughly, and with success maintained and practised, where the other parts of education are neglected. To such proper and wise government, and the faithful, painful, religious education implied in it, are connected the wisdom, piety and salvation of the children, and repeatedly promised in those words. It will drive foolishness far from them. Consequently they will be wise, which implies true piety. They shall not die, but their souls shall be delivered from hell; therefore shall be saved. They shall give rest and delight to the pious parent, which they cannot do, unless they are wise and holy. There are many other passages of scripture which coincide with the idea of the covenant of grace, which has been now given; and serve to strengthen the evidence which has already been produced from the scripture, that it contains promises of saving good to the children of those who keep covenant, as it respects their offspring. Several of these have been mentioned, which contain declarations and promises of blessings to the children of those who love God, and keep his commandments; and that this shall take place, especially in the millennium, when parents shall in general be Prov. xxii. 15. xxiii, 13, 14. xxix, 17. There are others more faithful in keeping covenant. of the same tenor, such as the following. "I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: All that see them shall acknowledge them,_that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble : For they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them."* "He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children; that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God; but keep his commandments."+ In these words, it is represented, that according to the covenant and appointment of God, piety was to be handed down from parents to children, by the care and fidelity of the former, in educating and instructing the latter. The following passage has reference to the words in the decalogue, which have been considered, and confirm the meaning which has been given of them. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting, upon them that fear him; and his righteousness unto children's children, to such as keep his covenant, and to those who remember his commandments, to do them."‡ When the prophet Malachi foretells the introduction of the gospel dispensation, and of John the Baptist, the messenger who should prepare the way before Christ, and the effect and consequence of all this, he comprehends the whole in the following words, with which the Old Testament concludes. "And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to the fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." These words do not only express the effect of the preaching of John, while he was on the stage ef life; but the nature and effect of the christian dispenPsalm lxxviii, 5, 6, 7. || Mal. iv. 6. Isaiah lxi. 8, 9. lxv. 23. |