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act of divine appointment, and gives to the person, who undergoes the ceremony, what may be deemed a legal right to all the privi leges of that community, of which he is made a member. But, though Circumcision and Baptism were both of divine origin, yet it seems very probable, or, I should rather say, almost certain, that, even while the ceremonial law was in full force, a child might be saved without the former; and so I conceive it may without the latter. I found this opinion upon the command given to the Jews. to circumcise their children on the eighth day, and not before; and, as we may suppose many infants would die before that time, we can hardly imagine, that a merciful God would have directed the ceremony to be so long deferred, if it had been indispensably necessary to salvation; neither can we believe it possible, that Job and Jeremiah, both too impatient under the calamities of life, would have wished to have perished in the womb, had it been the current opinion of their day, that uncircumcised infants were consigned to the vengeance of the Almighty. The Fathers of the primitive Church only performed the rite of Baptism at the feasts of Easter and Pentecost. Surely, then, they did not think that

*See Christian Observer, vol. vi. p. 73. 74.

an infant would perish, if it were cut off before the ceremony had taken place. Notwithstanding this, I conceive it to be a duty incumbent upon all Christians to embrace the earliest opportunity of presenting their offspring to the Lord, and intreating him to pour down his blessings on their heads, that he would receive them into his family, give them grace to fight against the world, the flesh and the Devil, and to continue Christ's faithful soldiers and servants to their life's end. As

Christ says, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them," no pious parent will consider the baptism of his child as an insignificant ceremony, but endeavour to procure a pious minister, pious sponsors, and a pious congregation, to present with him their prayers to the Throne of Grace upon that occasion.

It will be thought, perhaps, that what I have said above of a seed of life being im planted in the heart of every man that cometh into the world, is a contradiction to that doctrine which I have before maintained, viz. that original sin is the defect of a principle of life and righteousness; but what I mean is only a capacity to receive, or, at best, only a very small spark, which will remain undistinguished till blown into a flame by the breath

of the Spirit of God. Through him is proposed to every one of us a method of recovering, not only the Paradise which Adam lost, but even a higher state of happiness, which Adam could not attain to. To this Christ has led the way, and, by assuming our nature, has shown the possibility of carrying it through every temptation, difficulty, and danger, to the highest summit of glory at the right hand of God. This is done, not by human power, but by divine, so that the feeblest and weakest believer who accepts of the salvation of the Gospel, and commits himself to God through Jesus Christ, is sure of gaining a complete victory over all the enemies that attempt to oppose his progress.

2nd. As we are fallen creatures, " by nature the children of wrath,"* and without the image of God, let the knowledge of our condition induce us to seek a better state. This we shall find, as has been observed, through Jesus Christ; but, to remain satisfied with what we are, would be no less absurd than if a man, labouring under a disorder which preyed upon his very vitals, were to refuse making application to a Physician who offered to heal him, without any fee or reward. To understand that Christ is able to save, and actually to come * Eph. ii. 3.

to him for Salvation, are very different things; and it is much to be lamented, that so many who hear the mercies of God proclaimed through Him from sabbath to sabbath, are deaf to the call, and manifest no sort of anxiety to recover the divine favor, without which they never can be happy. But this indifference is one of the natural consequences of the fall; and this leads me to the second head of my discourse.

II. "There is none that understandeth; there is none that seeketh after God." By the loss of the spiritual life the sensual has gained such an ascendancy, that many persons seem to think they have nothing to do here, but to eat, drink, and be merry. One goeth to his farm, another to his merchandize, and a third to some other occupation. They contrive to be very busy, and fancy they are going on very prosperously, and so indeed they may, for this world; but, if we speak to them concerning the work of Christ, and his salvation, or if we ask them to tell us what is their hope of Glory, confusion and amazement seize them, and it is evident, by their wish to change the subject as soon as possible, that they think our questions at least troublesome, if not impertinent. One cannot be much conversant with the world, without beholding an almost uni

versal indifference to serious things. The most, as St. Paul says, have, "the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God. through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart."* To prevent, however, this blindness from being fatal, they are exhorted by the Ministry of the Word to pray to God, that he would open their eyes, and so enlighten them, that they may perceive the way, which leadeth to everlasting life. Though we preach to men "dead in trespasses and sins,"† yet we are authorised to suppose, that the power of God will accompany our word, and cause them to hear; therefore we address ourselves confidently to every sinner, and say, "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." Though there be a disposition in all to seek their own, and not the things of Christ, yet we venture, with great hope of success, to adopt the prophet's words, and say, "Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found, and call ye upon him while he is near; let the wicked man forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, for he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." We are more earnest in our exEph. v. 14. § Is. lv. 6.

* Eph. iv. 18, + Eph. ii. 1.

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