The Bonds of Baptism, Proposition 2
Propoſition, II. That when thoſe Baptiz'd in Infancy, grow up to Years of Underſtanding and Maturity; they ought Perſonally to own the God of their Fathers to be their God; to renew their Covenant Engagements to Him, and to walk in his wayes.
THOUGH while they were Infants, they could not act deliberately and underſtandingly for themſelves; yet when they become Adult, and are capable of underſtanding the Gracious Covenant of God, the duties required and benefits exhibited therein; they ſhould then Perſonally and heartily renew their Covenant engagements to be the Lord's.
For the clearing and proving this truth, we may Conſider,
1. The Scripture requires profeſſing Parents, to bring up their Children in the Knowledge, Pew and Service of God. Deut. 6.6, 7. Theſe words which I Command thee this Day, ſhall be in thy mouth; and thou ſhalt teach them Diligently to thy Children, and ſhalt talk of them when thou ſitteſt in thine houſe, and when thou walkeſt by the way, and when thou lyeſt down, and when thou riſeſt up. Eph. 6.4. And ye Fathers, provoke not your Children to wrath; but bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. Prov. 22. 6. Train up a Child in the way he ſhould go; and when he is Old he will not depart from it. Children while ſuch, while Young, ſhould be taught and Inſtructed in thoſe wayes of God, of Vertue and Holineſs, which they ought to walk in when Old, when grown up. And the reaſon why Children ſhould be thus inſtructed in the truths and ways of God, is, that they might hope in God, keep his Commandments; and might Teach and Inſtruct their Children after them ſo to do, and ſo ſucceſſively from one Generation to another. Pſal. 78.5—7. One Generation ſhall praiſe thy works to another. Pſal. 145.4.
2. It has been the good practice of the Saints, thus to Inſtruct and charge their Children to keep the way of the Lord. For this ſee, Prov. chap. 4. throughout. Prov. 31.1. &c. Pſal. 34.11.13, 14. Come ye Children, hearken unto me; I will Teach you the Fear of the Lord. Keep thy Tongue from evil, and thy Lips from ſpeaking guile. Depart from evil and do good, ſeek peace and purſue it. David gave a moſt ſolemn charge to his Son, ſit to be given by all profeſſing Parents to their Children. 1 Chron. 28.9. Know thou the God of thy Father, and ſerve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: For the Lord ſearcheth all hearts, and underſtandeth all the Imaginations of the thoughts: If thou ſeek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forſake him, he will caſt the off for ever. God commended Abraham, ſaying, Gen. 18.19. I know him, that he will command his Children and his Houſhold after him; and they ſhall keep the way of the Lord. Joſoua's good Reſolution, is written for his Commendation, and our Imitation, (Rom. 1…. 4. Heb. 6.12.) As for me and my Houſe, we will ſerve the Lord, Joſh. 24.1….
3 God is often ſpoken of in Scripture, as ſtanding in Covenant Relation to Perſons in being the God of their Fathers.
1. Under this character or conſideration, God recommends himſelf to them; as being mercifully ready to help them. Gen. 28.13.15. I am the Lord God of Abraham thy Father, and the God of Iſace, and behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whether thou goeſt. Gen. 46.3. I am God, the God of thy Father, fear not to go down into Aegypt. Deut. 4.31. For the Lord thy God is a merciful God; he will not forſake thee, neither deſtroy thee; nor forget the Covenant of thy Father which he ſware unto them. See, 2 Kings 13.23.
2. Perſons are Encouraged to ſeek and ſerve God, under this character as the God of their Fathers. King Aſa—Commanded Judah to ſeek the Lord God of their Fathers, and to do the Law and Commandment, 2 Chron. 14. 2.4. Make confeſſion to the Lord God of your Fathers, and do his pleaſure Ezra 10.11.
3. Many truſted in, pray'd to, worſhipped God as the God of their Fathers; and he wonderfully appear'd for their help and relief. Exod. 15.2. The Lord is my ſtrength—my Fathers God, and I will exalt him. Acts 24. 14—ſo worſhip I the God of my Fathers, Believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets, Deut. 26.7. When we cried to the Lord God of our Fathers, the Lord heard our voice, 2 Chron. 13.18—The Children of Judah prevailed, becauſe they relied on the Lord God of their Fathers. See alſo 2 Chron. 30.18—20. and 33.12, 13.
4. Many were blam'd, and greatly afflicted, for Sinning againſt the living and true God, as the God of their Fathers, 2 Kings 21.20. 22. And he did that which was evil—And he forſook the Lord God of his Fathers. Jehoram met with great troubles, becauſe he had forſaken the Lord God of his Fathers, 2 Chron. 21, 10 and 7.21, 22.1 Chron. 5.25, 26. Deut. 29.22—25.
I think theſe things (which might eaſily have been enlarged on) may ſuffice to ſhow; that ſuch as in their minority were given up in Covenant to God, when they grow up, ſhould know, obey, ſerve and worſhip the Lord God of their Fathers. They are comprehended in the ſame Covenant with their Fathers, and, as they grow up and become capable of underſtanding, of acting rationally and deliberately, they ſhould perſonally own the God of their Fathers to be their God, and engage by the help of his Grace that they'l walk in all his ways, as long as they live. Jer. 50. 5—Come and let us Join our ſelves to the Lord, in a perpetual Covenant that ſhall not be forgotten. God's Covenant takes in Children, little ones, as well as Parents. Deut. 29.10, 11, 12. Moſes ſaid to Iſrael in the Fortieth Year after they came out of Aegypt (Deut. 1.3.) when all except two Men were dead, that were numbred at Sinai, (Num. 26.64, 65.) The Lord our God made a Covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord made not this Covenant with our Fathers, but with us even with us, who are all of us here alive this Day, Deut. 5.2, 3. As if he had ſaid, 'tis now about Forty Years, ſince God made a Covenant with our Fathers in Horeb; yet 'twas not made with them excluſive of their Children; for tho' they are all Dead that were then above twenty Years Old (except Caleb and Joſhua) yet their Children were comprehended in it; therefore the Covenant was made with us who are now alive. The moſt of the Iſraelites at this time living, were born within the Forty preceeding Years, born ſince Iſrael departed from Horeb; yet Inaſinuch as God made a Covenant with their Fathers (and ſo with their Poſterity) there; Moſes here ſays, God made a Covenant with us in Horeb. Therefore Moſes aſcribes to them now alive, what their Fathers (now Dead) ſaid, and did ſo long ago, ver. 22. Theſe words the Lord ſpake unto all your Aſſembly in the Mount, ver. 23. When ye heard the voice out of the midſt of the Darkneſs— Ye came near unto me. ver. 24. And ye ſaid—we have ſeen this Day that God doth talk with Man, and he liveth. 28. And the Lord heard the voice of your words, when ye ſpake them unto me, &c. Therefore tho' this was ſaid to be a Covenant, beſides the Covenant which he made with them in Horeb, Deut. 29.1. Yet 'twas the ſame as to the Subſtance, Jer. 11.3, 4. Differing in the time and manner, of it's being renewed.
Theſe things plainly ſhow, that Children of the Covenant, (Acts 3.25.) Don't ceaſe to be in God's Covenant, meerly by their growing up from an Infant to an Adult State; as ſome are too apt to Imagine. No Indeed, God will ever be mindful of his Covenant— He hath Commanded his Covenant for ever, Pſal. 111.5.…9. His Righteouſneſs is to Childrens Children, to ſuch as keep his Covenant, and Remember his Commandments to do them, Pſal 103.17, 13.) even to a Thouſand Generations. Deut. 7.9. I Sware unto thee, and entered into a Covenant with thee, ſaith the Lord God, and thou becameſt mine. Ezek 16.3. He brings them into the bond of the Covenant. Ezak. 20.37. Thoſe in God's Covenant are his; he won't alineate his right to them, and none elſe have Authority to do it; they are under Covenant Bonds to be the Lord's. That Children are oblig'd to obey their Fathers Covenant, is undeniably evident, becauſe a Curſe is denounced againſt thoſe who did not keep the Covenant God made with their Fathers, many Hundred Years before. Jer. 11.3, 4. Well then, you that in your Infancy were given up in Covenant to God, and receiv'd Baptiſm the Seal of it; when you grow up to have Knowledge and Underſtanding, ſtand to the Covenant, perform the words of the Covenant; to keep God's Commandments, Teſtimonies, Statutes; with all your Heart and all your Soul, Neh. 10.28, 29.2 Kings 23.3. Good Joſiah cauſed the People to enter into this Covenant, to renew it; and he is commended for one of the beſt of Kings that Judah had, ver. 25.2. Chron. 34.31, 32. Aſa alſo did commendably, in cauſing the People thus to renew Covenant with God; and whoſoever would not ſeek the Lord was to be put to Death, whether ſmall or great, Man or Woman, … Chron 15.12, 13. You therefore that have been given! up to God, and Baptized; know and ſerve your Covenant God, the God of your Fathers. Miniſters ſhould ſay to you, as the Prophet did, Jer. 11.6.—Hear ye the words of this Covenant and do them. Deut. 4.23. Take heed unto your ſelves, lest ye forget the Covenant of the Lord your God. 1 Chron. 16.15. Be ye mindful alwayes of his Covenant; the word which he Commanded to a Thouſand Generations. Say as he, Pſal. 116.16. O Lord, truely I am thy Servant, I am thy Servant and the Son of thy handmaid. Pſal. 86. 16. O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me, give thy ſtrength unto thy Servant; and ſave the Son of thine handmaid. Plead thy Intereſt in God's Covenant, as proceeding from profeſſing Parents; and own thy Obligations to Duty alſo, as being born of ſuch. David was a Child of the Covenant, Circumcis'd in Infancy; yet when he grew up he perſonally bound himſelf by Covenant to be the Lord's. He ſaid to God. Pſal. 119 106. I have ſworn and I will perform it; that I will keep thy Righteous Judgements. Go thou and do likewiſe. Doſt thou avouch the Lord to be thy God? then ſee what this obliges thee to, Deut. 26.17. Thou art a Baptiz'd Diſciple of Chriſt, and therefore ſhouldſt obſerve all things what ſoever he commands thee. Mat. 28.19, 20. Therefore (among other things) thou ſhouldſt heartily and ſeriouſly come to the Lord's Supper, about which Chriſt has ſaid, Luke 22.19. This do in Remembrance of me. Don't neglect this command of Chriſt, nor Indeed any other; ſhow thy Love and Friendſhip to him, in doing what ſoever he Commands. Joh. 15.14 and 14.15. It's in vain to profeſs him to be thy Lord; if thou doſt not obey him, Luke 6.46. Mat. 7.21— 23. If thou wilt not obey Chriſt, don't expect to be Saved by him. Heb. 5.9. If thou wilt not have him to Reign over thee, he'll ſlay thee, Luke 19.27. If thou wilt not come under his eaſy yoke (Mat. 11.30) Thou ſhalt be broken by his Iron Rod, Pſal. 2.9. Curſed be the Man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant: viz. to obey God's voice, and do his Commands, Jer. 11, 3, 4.
It is ſurely a very provoking thing God, that ſo many in New-England neglect, Baptiſm for themſelves and Children; and alſo neglect the Lord's Supper Doubtleſs God has a controverſy with the Land, becauſe his holy Goſpel is no more obeyed. I know, that a meer external attending on Ordinances, won't pleaſe God nor profit our Souls; God forbid that any ſhould truſt in it. But we ſhould heartily Repent of Sin, Believe in the Lord Jeſus, receive the Seals of his Covenant as he requires; and yield ſincere, univerſal, unwearied Obedience to his Commands, Our hearts ſhould be right with God, and ſiedfaſt in his covenant. Pſal. 78.37. The pare in heart ſhall ſee God, without Holineſs no Man ſhall ſee the Lord Mat. 5.8. Heb. 12.14. That what is thus briefly written, may quicken the Readers of it to their Duty, is the hearty Prayer of the Unworthy Author.
FINIS.
Advertiſement.
LAtely Publiſhed, Twelve Single SERMONS on various Subjects, tending to Promote Godlineſs, and Quicken Perſons to walk in the way of Salvation. By Benjamin Wadſworth, A. M Paſtor of a Church of Chriſt in Boſton, N. E.
Sold by Benjamin Eliot at his Shop in King-Street.
End of the text · Benjamin Wadsworth, The Bonds of Baptism (1717)