115 / 652
SL+RM.
VII.
CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.
1O5
circumcision
was
a
seal
in
general, both
of
spiritual
bles-
sings,
and outward privileges
;
Rom.
iv. 11.
A
seal
of
the righteousness
of
faith,
as,
well as
of
the possession
of
Canaan, and
of
the covenant
of
grace, as
well
as
of
the
covenant
of
Sinai.
4.
The
children
of
christians were never
cut
off from
this
priviledge, when the
fathers
were
received into the
church, whether
they were
Jews or
gentiles
;
and there-
fore they
are
to be
reckoned
at
least
a
sort
of
incomplete
members
of
the christian
church
also,
under spiritual
promises and
blessings.
When
the
Jews
the
natural
branches
were
cut
off from
the good olive tree,
their
little
buds
were
cut
off
with
them
also
;
and
when
the
gentiles
by
a
profession
of
faith
were
grafted
in as
foreign
branches,
their little
buds were grafted
in
with them.
Christ
received the children
that
were
brought
by
the
hands
of their
believing
parents, and
"
laid
his
hands
on
them, and
blessed them,
and
said,
of
such
is
the kingdom
of heaven;"
Mat.
xix.
13
-16.
The
promises
of
the Old
Testament,
wherein
children are included
in
some
of
the
prophets
do
refer
to the
gentile church
as
well
as
the
Jewish; Is.
xliv.
3,
5.
Is.
lxv.
23.
Joel
ii.
28, 29.
For
it
is
the
"
blessing
of
Abraham,
which
reaches to
his
seed,
that
comes
upon the gentiles through
Jesus
Christ;''
Gai.
iii. 14.
Rom.
xv. 8,
9.
"
that
the gentiles
may
glorify
God
for
his
mercy."
5.
As this
sort
of
reasoning
seems
to manifest the right
of
the children
of
christians
to
these
blessings,
or
that
they have some
interest
in
this covenant,
so
there are
some
considerations
which
render
it
very
probable
that
children should be
admitted into
the
visible
church,
by
the christian
door
of entrance, that
is
baptism.
As
for
instance,
First,
That
circumcision being abolished, and baptism
coming
in
the room
of
it,
baptism should
be
applied
to
all those
who
have
any
interest
in the
covenant,
as
cir-
cumcision was.
Now
that
baptism
is
come in
the room
of
circumcision,
seems
plain
from
Col.
ii. 12.
where the
apostle argues,
that
being baptized
we
need
not
to
be
circumcised
:
And
besides,
baptism and circumcision
signify
the same thing,
that
is,
the removal
of
sin,
one
by
cutting
off,
and
the
other
by
washing away.
Again,
The
gospel, which
is
a
dispensation
of
greater