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This covenant, in raising up a saviour in the family of Abraham. Hence the seal which is stamped under the New Testament, is altogether confirmative of the faith of the subject, and is beautifully described in these words: "To him that overcometh, will I give of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a name written which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it."

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The only seal spoken of in the New Testament as the guarantee and property of all Christians, is "this seal of the holy spirit." Neither baptism nor the Lord's supper are ever so called, nor can they be so called, in conformity to the meaning of words; yet we admit that they are both confirmative of the faith and hope of the Christian. These ordinances have been for a long time called “seals of the covenant of grace:" with what propriety, I confess, I never yet could see; one thing is certain, there is no authority from the scriptures for so calling them. Nor can I understand how any human being could use them as seals, or as sealing ordinances." I should be glad to see a scriptural and rational explanation of them as such. I do not wish to derogate, nor do I, in my opinion, derogate any thing from either their solemnity or importance, by saying, that I do not conceive how they can be called sealing ordinances.. Baptism is an ordinance by which we formally profess Christianity. It is the first constitutional act in the profession of Christianity, It confirms nothing in the covenant of Christ, that was not confirmed before. It is no stamp, nor confirmative mark, of that covenant, for it was ratified by the blood of Christ. The baptized person carries no mark, no seal of confirmation, that is visible to himself, or to others, in consequence of his obedience to this rite. The Lord's Supper is commemorative of the death of Christ, and an expression of our faith in his atoning sacrifice, by which he has male peace, and by which we enjoy the peace of God in our hearts. It confirms our faith, it promotes our love, it cherishes our hope, and produces benevo lence and brotherly kindness. But our participation of it confirms nothing in the covenant of Christ, that was not confirmed before. We might, with as much propriety, call all the ordinances of the Gospel, seals of the Covenant of Grace, as these. The whole blessings of this Covenant, have been as fully enjoyed by many who are

now in Heaven, who could not, who did not, receive those ordinances, as by any other saints in Heaven or in earth. The thief upon the cross, had as full an enjoy. ment of them, as any other in ancient or modern times. And many, both under the Patriarchal and Christian age, have had all the blessings of redemption as fully bestowed upon them, as any who have been baptized, and have participated of the Lord's Supper. Now if baptism and the Lord's supper, were the seals of this covenant, it would follow, that they who never had received them, were deprived of the security, for the enjoyment of this Covenant; and, of course, had no confirmation of it to them. How much more rationally does the Apostle speak of that seal, which all true Christians enjoy-Eph. 1, 15, 4. In whom also, after that ye believed ye were SEALED with that holy spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our faheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." On these words fet it be observed,

1. That all believers, after believing the Gospel, are sealed by the holy spirit.

2. That this seal, or impression of the spirit, is their sole earnest or pledge, until they enter into the enjoyment of the inheritance of the saints.

3. That this seal is a sufficient guarantee and earnest, and requires not any external ordinance to perfect it.

This testimony is further confirmed by the same Apostle, and in the same epistle. Ep. 4, 30: Grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."

So full, so uniform, in his testimony, and so explicit, is the Apostle, upon this topic, that in his Epistle to the Corinthians, 2 Ep. 1-22, he expresses it very clearly, in these words: God who hath also sealed us and given us the earnest of the spirit in our hearts." This inward mark, or seal, is explained to be an impressing of the image of him, who hath created us anew--Col. 3, 10.

Such is the seal of which the New Testament speaks. This is sufficient without our factitious seals, which at best are a prostitution of language, unwarrantable in the highest degree, and tending to perplex and confuse, rather than to enlighten or compose the mind of the Christian. I am sorry that my present opportunity forbids me to

enter into a full discussion of this subject. I have only introduced it but what has been said, is designed to cause the reader to reflect and examine for himself. The subject on which I write, is established independent of these views, and requires not any thing far fetched to support it.

I expect to hear it said, that I have denied the seals of the Covenants of Grace, to maintain my cause-yet the truth is, I have merely volunteered these remarks. My views are established long since, in respect of the subject under discussion-and I deny not, but coutend for the true seal of the covenant of Christ-which, I maintain, in a few words, to have ever been the same in substance, and never to have had any other seal, than that of the Spirit. I call upon them, who say that baptism and the Lord's supper are the seals of the New Covenant, to prove it and I will then engage to prove, in a more systematic way, that they are not. I will prove that the covenant of Christ, or of Grace, has ever been the same, and that its only seal, in all ages, was the impression of the spirit on the minds of the faithful-That if the Lord's supper was a seal of it, and to be used as such, it would be the most unmeaning thing in the world, ever to use it more than once.

10. I have only to observe further, of the Covenants, that the refusal of the subjects of such of them as were conditional, to be obedient to them, and the open violation of them, has ever merited from the Almighty the severest vengeance; and that the consequences resulting from trasgression of them, do not cease with the violation of them, or when a new state of things is introduced

thus we all experience, to this day, the effects of Adam's violation of that covenant under which he was at first placed. And the whole Jewish nation, to this day, feel the sad effects of the violation of the Sinai covenant by their fathers. For the gifts and callings of God are without repentance."

The New Covenant.

The New Testament or Covenant, is the only one that intimately concerns us to understand-it is that which the Apostles labored to explain-it is the only one published since the birth of the Messiah-it accomplishes and

fully exhibits, that, confirmed of God in Christ, 430 years before the Sinai covenant. Of it, Paul says, he and his associates were made able ministers. He speaks of the superiority of it to the old covenant, at sundry times, and in diverse respects. The Covenant of Cir cumcision was to the Covenant at Sinai, what the Covenant of God in relation to Christ promised to Abraham,, is to the New Testament-a full and luminous develope ment of it.

From what Paul alone says of this covenant, in the S chap. to the Corinthians, 2d Epis. Gal. 3, and Heb. 8, 9, and 10 chaps. we are authorised to say, that it" excelleth in glory," in respect of its promises, its subjects, its seal, its inediation, and its duration. The most brilliant discoveries, the most splendid appendages, and the most august circumstances connected with the Jewish covenants, were but feeble types of it, and had no glory by reason of the glory that excelleth." It was devised in eternity-eternal life was promised, in relation to it, "before the world began"-four thousand years prepared its way, and introduced its establishment. All the lights of four thousand years twinkle into insignificance, when the blaze of its splendor burst forth. When its august mediator appears the rod of wonders drops from the hand of Moses the mitre falls from the head of Aaron, and the diadem and sceptre depart from the house of Da wid. When its sacrifice is exhibited, the brazen and the golden altar lose their victims, the golden censor smokes no more, and the sons of Levi no longer minister in sacred emblems. When its promises and its laws are unfolded-no thunder bursts on Sinai, no trembling shakes the ground, no fiery law denounces vengeance but tongues of seraphs whisper peace. When its worship is instituted--the chosen tribes to Jerusalem's temple go up no more, the worldly sanctuary not now is thronged with carnal crowds, the bellowing herds and bleating flocks with mingled sounds no longer rend the skies but social prayers, and united songs of triumph, rise from hearts smit with the love of Zion. When its ordinances are instituted, no bloody rite imbues the administrator's hand; no bitter herbs accompany its sacred feasts, but from rature's wide domain the choicest ele ments distinguish its sacred rites-water that purities

and refreshes-bread, the staff of life-and wine, that "cheers the heart of God and man," emblems of Heaven's best gift, (Judges, 9, 15.) The spirit of benevolence which it breathes, knows no artificial bounds, it respects not climes nor nations, tribes nor tongues ; but embraces in its bosom "the frozen Icelander and the sun-burned Moor." Its spirit, is the spirit of love, ef sacred awe, and of a sound mind-its zeak is not the infuriated demon of religious parties, that oft has gorged itself on blood of human sacrifice; nor is it the child of blinded bigotry nor of wild enthusiasm-it is a true regard for the glory of God and the good of man. Its subjects are not the children of one birth nor those of one particular family they are twice born, ouce from above; their nativity and citizenship are in Mount Zion alone. They are not subjects by constraint, but volunteers, a people made willing by the power of the Highest. Their obedience is the obedience of love, for their king accepts no other. Their seal is no external mark impos ed by the hands of man, but an impression made, not in the flesh, but in the spirit, by the finger of God. The laws by which they are governed, are laws inscribed, not upon tables of stone, nor on paper only, ministered by buman hands, but on the living tablets of the heart. The blessings which it conveys, are not surveyed by the sun, nor measured by time-rivers, nor mountains, nor seas, circumscribe them-they transcend the visible creation, they extend beyond the stars, and endure to eternity. The guarantee of them is not the word of man that repents, nor of the son of man that deceives it is the promise, the oath, and the seal, of the Eternal, who is faithful to execute and omnipotent to accomplish. Blessed are the people that are in such a case; yea, blessed are they whose God the Lord Jehovah is!

For the confirmation of the above, I refer the reader to pages. 39 and 40 of the Debate. I request him, also, to compare, for himself, the answers which Mr. Walker gave to my nine questions on the Covenants, with the preceding article; and then to conclude, for himself, how unscriptural, unreasonable, and self-contradictory, the pedo-baptist system is.

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