was filled with wonder and disappointment, that ten only of this number were then to be baptized. As he returned from meeting, he asked an aged professor, if this were not an uncommon case, that so great a proportion of the converts were baptized in infancy? The professor answered no, it was very common for far the largest proportion of converts in a revival, to be those who were dedicated to God in infant baptism. The young man replied, with no little feeling, 'If it be so, then surely, God has respect to his everlasting covenant.' And (says the pastor of the above mentioned Church) I have the satisfaction to add, that this young man, some time after this became hopefully pious, and has, for years, been a very exemplary, active, and influential member of the church of which I am pastor." The same church, "in 1820, received at one time twenty-eight; of whom twenty-one had been baptized in infancy.'

About one hundred were received to the church in Canterbury, in 1810 and 1811. Only twelve of this number were baptized at the time of their public profession.

Many more such facts might be mentioned; and is it not remarkable that they so frequently exist in places, where those dedicated to God in their infancy constitute but a small proportion of the whole?

"As fruits of a revival in Francistown, in 1812, seventy-nine were added to the church. Seventy-five of this number were baptized, on the faith of their parents, in early life."

In the west parish of Chester, during the nine years ministry of the Rev. Clement Parker, fifty professed religion. All but one had been devoted to God in baptism by their parents. Surely, God has respect to his everlasting covenant, and to the children of the covenant who are marked for him.

12. Infant baptism promotes the design of the relation between parents and children.

This relation is the most important, tender, and endearing. Its design is to train up children for happiness, usefulness, and for heaven. It involves duties of high obligation and responsibility, such as are wisely adapted, as means, to promote the high and holy design of the

relation. But in order to this, the parent must be brought to act up to his obligations, and discharge his duty faithfully. And so much is depending here—the duty of the parent is so important-his responsibility so great, that if he is a Christian, he often feels a tender solicitude, and is ready to sink under his burthen.-His spirit is pressed -his heart labors, big with its emotions of parental tenderness, and endearment, mingling with his sense of accountability, and increasing his anxiety for the eternal welfare of his children, which God has committed to his care, and for whom he is, in a measure accountable. In this situation, the parent needs special support and encouragement. And here God meets him on the foundation of his everlasting covenant-He presents it, showing that he is rich in blessings, for parents, and for children-that he has ever connected them in covenantregarded the connexion with peculiar interest, and crowned it with special blessings. This is his memorial unto all generations. He encourages the parent to take hold of the covenant, and enter his name for himself, and Josh. for his children, resolving, with Joshua,

xxiv. 15.

"As

for me and my house we will serve the Lord." The Lord presents his deed of the heavenly inheritance, which is himself, as the portion of his people; to be a God unto him, and giving him all needed encouragement, that he will be the God of his children also, if he is faithful in the discharge of parental duty. But here, the parent trembles again-and now God meets him again— he presents him a token of his gracious regard to himself, and his children. And now, feelings which would otherwise be smothered in his bosom-feelings which would otherwise sink or be restrained, under the awful weight of his responsibility, he is encouraged to put forth in a faithful discharge of parental duty—I say, baptism here affords the parents special encouragement, for it is a token or pledge of the covenant faithfulness, and compassion, and assistance of God, to help his infirmities, and urge him and his family forward in the way to heaven. Baptism makes a merciful demand for feelings, most tender and endearing, high and holy; and whilst it makes the demand, it presents a pledge of divine assistance, to encourage, and animate, and strengthen us, in the work

of training up children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Thus it promotes the high design of the relation subsisting between parents and children.

13. God can covenant with infants.

This has been done. Moses says to the Israelites, "Ye stand this day, all of you before the Lord your God; your captains, your officers, with all the men of Israel, Deut. xxix. your little ones, your wives, that thou shouldest

11-13,

enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day.". "That he may establish thee to-day for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob." In this case, God covenanted with infants, by the appointed agency of their parents.

On this same occasion, God entered into covenant with those who were absent also. It is written; "I make this covenant, and this oath, with him that is not here this day." Those who were present, were the appointed agents for those who were absent, and were called upon to be witnesses to what God had done for them-to make known to them his covenant, and to persuade them to embrace it.

It may appear strange to some of you, my beloved hearers, that God should thus covenant with people, by the agency of others. But I entreat you to consider this point well; for it certainly appears to me, that here is much to inspire love, and gratitude, and prompt obedience. Let us then make this inquiry; Why does God covenant with infants by the agency of others? It is, that he may take them in season, before they are corrupted, and betrayed, and lost, and bind them to his covenantto his people-to his altar-to his throne-to himself— and to the joys of his kingdom, by the bonds of his covenanted mercy and faithfulness. He would thus hold them back from the darkness of his frown-from the consuming fire of his displeasure—and the torment of an everlasting separation from him, in outer darkness, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Such ideas as these are suggested, as the reason of God's covenant transactions with the little ones, and the absent, in the instance we have just noticed.

You know, my respected hearers, that it is common and natural for man, "to bless himself in his heart," that he does not pretend to be a Christian-that he has not covenanted with God, or joined the church, or reckoned himself among the number of the pious. As he has not done this, he feels much more at liberty to walk in his own ways, saying, I shall have peace, however it may be with those who do not live up to their profession. And if my parents covenanted for me, and had me baptized, it was not my doings. I do not wish to be so religious. It appears that God had persons of this character in view, in the instance under consideration. And he covenanted with the infants, and the absent to destroy the force of their objections, and restrain the wickedness of those whose hearts would turn away from him, and rejoice that they have not entered into covenant with him, and are, therefore, more at liberty, and less in danger, while they live in sin. He would not have them feel this liberty, but he would have them feel that they are exposed to his curse, if they disregard the covenant, and if not, that they may inherit his blessings. This is according to what he tells us. He made the covenant, lest there should be man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away from the Lord,-lest there should be a root that beareth gall and wormwood; and it came to pass, when he heareth the words of the curse, (for breaking the covenant) he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of my heart. But says Moses; the Lord will not spare him-all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven.

God is well acquainted with that principle of human nature, which leads a man to "bless himself in his heart," that he has not entered into covenant with God, or joined the church, or reckoned himself among the pious; and then to bless himself in his heart again, that he is more at liberty to live as he pleases, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst. He knows that folly is bound up in the heart of a child, and that the way he would take is the way of death. He therefore kindly besets him at his very entrance into life, and compasses his

REF

path with favor. He draws forth upon him the attention of his parents, and awakens their prayerful solicitude, and their faithful exertions, and encourages them to be workers together with him, for the child's salvation.

Gen.

xvii. 14.

14. Infants are spoken of as breaking the covenant of God, when the token of it was not applied to them. "The uncircumcised manchild, whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant." This is said on account of the close religious connexion, which God had established between children and their parents who were in covenant with him. If they were in covenant with God, so were their infants. God covenanted with these infants, and they broke his covenant, if the token was not applied to them. But in such cases the guilt rests upon their parents; therefore, God met Moses, and sought to kill him, because he did not put the token of the covenant upon his child. He neglected to circumcise his child, and was guilty. "And it came

Exodus

iv. 24.

to pass by the way, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him." All who are included in the covenant, have a right to its seal or token, and it should be applied to them. The covenant, of which circumcision was a token, is not done away. God established it with Abraham and his seed, that is, with all Christians, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto him and his seed after him. In this high and special sense, he is now the God-the portion of his people, according to the covenant of promise. And their children are included with them in this covenant, unless God has excluded them from it; and the token though changed, should be applied to them. The change of the token no more justifies parents in neglecting to put it upon their children than the change of a mark which a man had long put upon his flock, would justify his servants in neglecting to mark the lambs.

15. God calls the infants of his professing people, his children, which they have born unto him.

"Thou hast slain my children-thou hast Ezek. xvi. taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou 20, 21. hast born unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed." These parents were professors of religion. They had taken the