that the covenant with Abraham comprises the covenant of grace. So long, therefore, as the redeemed subjects of grace continue in glory, the covenant of Abraham will not be forgotten. It will doubtless be stripped of its external appendages, when these shall be no longer needful; but in its more spiritual essential parts, it will be literally everlasting.

SECTION III.

•The Relation of the Children of Covenanting Parents to the Church,

Under the Christian dispensation, as under the Jewish, the infant children of covenanting parents sustain a peculiar relation to the church. What this relation is, or whether it may with propriety be denominated membership, I do not now inquire. This branch of the subject will be considered in another place. But that there subsists an intimate and peculiar relationship between such children and the church, I have no doubt.

This is an incontestable inference from what has been already established. No one doubts that children stood in a very near relation to the church of Israel; but if the church, under both dispensations, has been the same, then this relation continues. It is indubitable, that children were formerly interested in the covenant with Abraham. Its requirements respected them. Its promises reached them. Abraham must circumcise his children, as well as himself. He must "command his children and his household after him," as well as pursue for himself the path of duty. And on the other hand, God promised to be their God, as well as his. But this covenant is still the covenant of the church; and whatever connexion it established formerly between the child and the church, it establishes now. The Christian parent, like the Jewish, is bound in covenant to train up his children for God.

And if the Jew could plead a promise in favor of his offspring, the Christian can do the same : "The promise is

to you and to your children." Acts ii. 39.

But the relation of children to the church under the new dispensation does not stand on the mere ground of inference. It is recognized in many parts of the sacred volume. The ancient prophets, when looking forward to the times of the gospel, assume the continued relation of children to the church. Thus Jeremiah, speaking with an ultimate reference to the restoration of Israel in the latter days, says, "Their children shall be as aforetime, and their congregation (or church) shall be established before me." Chap. xxx. 20. And Isaiah, predicting the future blessedness of God's people, says, "They are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them." Chap. lxv. 23.

Some of the friends of our Saviour, at a certain time, "brought unto him infants, that he would touch them. And when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus said, suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of God." Luke xviii. 15, 16. It cannot be denied that these were literally little children. They are expressly called (Boon) infants; they were brought to Christ in their parents' arms; and were taken up in his arms and blessed. Compare Matt. xix. 13 and Mark x. 16. But "of such is the kingdom of God;" or more properly, to such belong the privileges of this kingdom.

I know it is said that the phrase "of such" imports not "such in age and size, but such in the moral temper of. heart; in humility and docility of disposition."* But this interpretation cannot be admitted. It stamps.ab surdity on the reasoning of the Saviour. Why should he

*. Judson's Sermon, p. 30.

be displeased with his disciples for forbidding infants in years to be brought to him, because a humble disposition was necessary in grown persons, to fit them for his kingdom? Or, as Storr and Flatt express it, the proposition, the kingdom of heaven belongs to humble adults, would be no reason why children should not be prevented from coming to Jesus."*

On another occasion, our Saviour, having taken a little child in his arms, said, "Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me." Mark ix. 37. The phrase," in my name," as interpreted by our Lord himself in a following verse, imports a belonging to Christ, or sustaining some peculiar relation to him. "Whosoever shall give you à cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward." From these passages, taken together, it is certain that our Saviour regarded the children of his friends, who were brought to him for his blessing, as in some sense belonging to him, and entitled to the privileges of his kingdom..

Paul wrote to his Corinthian brethren as follows:*The unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; else were your children unclean, but now are they (aa). holy." 1 Cor. vii. 14. It is obvious to remark on this passage, that if the children are holy when only one parent is a believer, they certainly must be when both are believers. Hence all the children of believing parents, not only at Corinth, but throughout the earth, are here virtually declared, on divine authority, to be holy. But in what sense? I am not aware that the word holy is

* Dr. Gale admits that the phrase, "of such," refers to infants in years. Reflections on Wall, p. 421.-Augustine interprets the passage above considered as having reference to the baptism of children. See Wall's History, Chap. 15.

used in more than two senses in the sacred writings. It uniformly expresses either an internal or external, a real or relative holiness. That the children of believers are really, internally holy, is not pretended. The holiness ascribed to them is, therefore, a visible or relative holiness. They are called holy, because of their consecration to God; and because of the relation which they sustain to his people.*

But it is objected, that the same holiness which belongs to the child is also ascribed to the unbelieving parent: He (para)" is sanctified" by the believer.-A correct interpretation of the passage will be a sufficient answer to this objection. The sanctification of which the unbelieving parent is the subject, and the holiness attributed to the children, are both relative. They pertain to a relation, and not to the moral characters of the individuals. The word sanctify is sometimes used to express a relation to a religious society. So in the passage before us : “The unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife," &c. That is, the unbelieving husband, because of his believing wife, is brought into a near, peculiar, and. in some sense sacred relation to the community of Christians; on account of which his children are not regarded as unclean or pagan, but are holy, consecrated to God, and connected with the society of his people.

Some of our Baptist brethren have insisted, that the Apostle, in this passage, is proving to the Corinthians, from the acknowledged fact that their children were not unclean but holy, that the co-habitation of the believer with the unbeliever was lawful' marriage. But in respect to what law had the legitimacy of their marriage been

ner.

"They are considered as members of the Christian church" Schleus

"They are to be considered as belonging to the Christian community." Wahl.

called in question? Not, surely, in respect to the laws of Corinth. The believer never supposed he violated these laws, by continuing his connexion with the unbeliever. The question (if there was any) must have respected the laws of God. The Corinthians knew that God's ancient people were forbidden, not only to be joined with strangers, but to continue such connexions after they were formed. Ezra x. 3. They knew also that the offspring of these prohibited connexions had been considered unclean, out of covenant, and as not belonging to "the holy seed." Ezra ix. 2. Ezra ix. 2. It is not unlikely, therefore, that the Corinthian believers, who were married to unbelievers, called in question the legality of continuing such connexions; and that the Apostle, for their satisfaction, referred them to the well known fact, that their children had not been rejected as unclean, and out of covenant, but had been publicly recognized as holy.

The Epistles of Paul.are in most instances addressed to particular churches; as the church at Rome, the church at Corinth, the churches in Galatia, &c. But we find, on examination, that several of these Epistles contain directions for children. "Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor thy father and mother, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth." See Eph. vi. 1, and Col. iii. 20. Is it not evident from these passages, that the Apostle regarded the children of church members as in some way connected with the churches, or as sustaining a very, near and peculiar relation to them? Else, why should he so particularly address himself to children, in Epistles directed expressly to the churches?

At the commencement of the new dispensation, the followers of Christ were a body by themselves, and their property was vested in a common stock. They "that believed," we are told, "were together, and had all things