blessings were included in the covenant, it may be sufficient to refer to the gracious words of its institution. Gen. xvii. 7. "I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee in their generations, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee." In Hebrews, 8th chapter, and in other parts of Holy Scripture, a new covenant is mentioned, the nature of which is described in terms so nearly similar to those in which the nature of the covenant made with Abraham is described, that the two, although differing in some of their circumstances, because suited to different dispensations, must be regarded as essentially the same. They are both said to be everlasting, and the great promise of both is, "I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people." Heb. viii. 10. Now can we doubt that this promise carries in it spiritual blessings? If we do, what mean the words of St. Paul to those who stand in the precise relation to God which the promise describes ? "All things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours; and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's. I. Cor. 3, 21.

But that the nature of the blessings promised in the Abrahamic covenant was spiritual, is further most clearly shown in the song of Zacharias, when, on the occasion of the circumcision of his child, he was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people-to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he sware unto our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life." Luke i. 68.

Second, The text already quoted, (Gen. xvii, 7,) will suffice to prove that God's covenanted promise extended to the children of his people: "I will be a God to thee, and to thy seed after thee." Many other passages might be cited to show the same thing were it necessary. The promise being of a spiritual nature, children therefore must be susceptible of spiritual blessings. Zachariah's child John, was to be filled with the Holy Ghost, "even from his mother's womb." Luke i, 15.

Now it is of importance to observe here,

that while the children were thus placed within the scope of the promise, it was to the parent exclusively that the promise was addressed. It was a revelation of the great mercy of God to him, as a parent; and through him therefore it was designed to be conveyed to his children. Here then was the ground for the parent's faith. A most blessed promise-even that of an interest in the favour of God-was revealed to him in the covenant; but, inasmuch as the proffered benefit embraced not himself only but his seed also, it afforded him the same warrant to confide in God for their salvation as for his own. The grace revealed to him in the covenant was for his children as expressly as for himself, and surely he might appropriate by faith the whole of this grace; surely he was free to take the one part of the proffered benefit as well as the other. Without faith it was impossible that any part of the blessing could be his; but it appears clear that he had ground to exercise faith, and so to possess all the blessing contained in the covenant, whether for himself or for his children. "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace, to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed." Rom. iv, 16.

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Third, That the ordinance of Circumcision was designed to ratify or seal to believers the benefits of the Abrahamic covenant, appears evident from the terms in which it was instituted. Gen. xvii, 11, "It shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you." Ver. 14, " And the uncircumcised man-child, whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people he hath broken my covenant." Let it be remembered that the covenant consists, essentially, of grace on God's part, and faith on man's part. Now, circumcision could not be called the token of the covenant unless the covenant itself existed—that is, unless there were the bestowment of grace on God's part, and the reception thereof by faith on man's part. Circumcision, therefore, was designed to ratify and seal the covenant. It was the token appointed by God to show that the covenant, in all its parts and provisions, was established.

This view of the doctrine is confirmed in Rom. iv, 11, where the Holy Ghost testifieth that Abraham "received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith" -namely, of that faith in God's promises by which righteousness and salvation are appro

priated and secured. In the following verse he is called "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." And who are those? See Phil. iii. 3: "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." "For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God." Rom. ii, 28, 29. It seems clear, therefore, that circumcision was an ordinance appointed to seal to believers all the benefits contained in the covenant.

Fourth, I need say nothing to prove that circumcision was administered to children. The warrant to this effect was express, and the observance of it by the Jews universal. A believing parent was thus certified of the gracious promise given to him on behalf of his children. In circumcision the token of an interest in the covenant was administered to them; and if the token was administered, surely surely the parent had the

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