Jesus said respecting Zaccheus, a Jew, when he believed, "This day is salvation come to this house; for" as "much as he, also, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."* Does not this passage imply, that there exists. between heads of families and their households, under the gospel, a connexion similar to that, which was formed in families by the Abrahamic covenant? Does not "that which was lost". include infants?

Cornelius was one of those Gentiles, who were termed proselytes of the gate, because they worshiped the true God, but remained in uncircumcision. This devout man "feared God with all his house." An angel said to him respecting Peter, "Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved." The latter part of this passage is, literally, thou shalt be saved, and all thy house. There may have been no one in the house too young to understand Peter's words. But, if, there were any young children, would not the angel's mode of expression naturally lead Cor nelius to hope, that those children would be saved in the way of covenant connexion ? **Luke, xix. 9, 10. † Acts, x. 2. Acts, xi. 14

Paul and Silas said to the trembling jailor of Philippi, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."* These words are not to be taken in the most literal sense. Otherwise, they would signify, that the salvation of the jailor's house would certainly follow his faith. But they evidently favour the idea of a covenant connexion between heads of. families and their households.

The same idea is favoured by the injunc tion, which Paul gives to parents, (Eph. vi. 4.) concerning the education of their children. Parents may be encouraged by this injunction to hope, that, in observing it, they shall be instrumental of spiritual good to their children.

Although the covenant connexion between parents and children, which I have been endeavouring to prove, is not acknowledged by those, who deny infant baptism, yet, in order to complete the present argument, it will be necessary to illustrate what was said, when the argument was stated, at the beginning of this: discourse, that baptism has, in a certain sense, taken the place of circumcision.

Jesus Christ, before his ascension, said to his apostles, "Go ye," " and teach all nations, baptizing them in [or into] the name of the

*Acts, xvi. 31.

Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."* To this passage in Matthew, the following passage in Mark is parallel. "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He, that believeth, and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned." "To every creature;" literally, to all the creation. "He that believeth;" that is, he that believeth the gospel, which you preach. "Teach all nations;" literally, make all the nations disciples; that is, so preach the gospel in all the world, that persons among all the nations may believe, may become disciples. "Baptizing them," all the nations; baptizing those persons of all nations, who believe the gospel, who become disciples.‡ Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you." The declaration, which Jesus made to his apostles, "He, that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he, that believeth not, shall be damned," is not applicable to infants. They are incapable of believing the gospel; and they are incapable of unbelief. Thus the commission, given to the apostles, ac* Matt. xxviii. 19, 20. † Mark, xvi. 15, 16. ‡ John, iv. 1, 2. Ho apistesas.

cording to both Matthew and Mark, has nothing in it express concerning infants. But the commission respects baptism, as an important thing;* infants are capable of being baptized, and there is nothing unreasonable in the baptism of infants, in itself considered, unless there was something unreasonable in the circumcision of infants. The apostles were directed by our Lord to teach those who should become disciples, to observe all things, whatsoever he had enjoined upon them. In order to fulfil this part of the commission, it was necessary for the apostles to teach believers to show a tender regard towards infants. Moreover, in view of

* An unwillingness in any one of those, to whom the apostles preached, to be baptized would have shown him to be destitute of saving faith. How ready the eunuch was to be baptized by Philip, the evangelist! In any age, and any place, a person may show such a disregard to baptism, as is inconsistent with true faith. That baptism is not important, cannot be infer red from what Paul says, I Cor. i. 17. Paul had not such a particular direction to baptize, as those, who were apostles before him. But he baptized some persons. So important was baptism in the view of Peter, that he commanded Cornelius and his friends to be baptized, after they had received the Holy Ghost. When Christ commissioned the apostles to preach and baptize, he said, "And lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” So, according to Paul, the ordinance of the holy supper is to be observed, till the Lord come. These two ordinances have never become unnecessary in the church.

these words, "teach all nations, baptizing them," let us reflect on the following promises, made to Abraham; "Thou shalt be a father of many nations."* In thy seed shall all the na

tions of the earth be blessed." Let us also remember, that, while one nation enjoyed the oracles of God, the token of the Abrahamic covenant was applied to infants. Thus, in certain respects, the commission, given to the apostles, implicitly favours infant baptism. But it contains nothing explicit concerning infants. The apostles were directed to baptize disciples; those, who should believe, were to be baptized. But, in order to determine, whether the infants of those, who should believe or become disciples, and receive baptism, were to be baptized, we must attend to the Scriptures in general. Will any one say, if the commission given to the apostles, is silent respecting infants, it be came the apostles, and it becomes all ministers of the gospel, to let infants alone, as to baptism This does not follow. Though the commission, of which we are speaking, is silent respecting infants, we may find, in the volume of the Scriptures, sufficient reason to feel persuaded, that infants are to be baptized. Would

*Gen. xvii. 4. † Gen. xxii, 18.