venant, and no duty has been neglected, if a fit occasion for affixing the outward seal has not occurred. If indeed such opportunity has been enjoyed, and yet neglected, then the guilt of the parent is unquestionable-guilt which it still may be hoped will not affect the future state of the child, but which, if not repented of, will sure ly affect that of the sinful parent. It clearly follows, also, from the fact that a participation of the grace of God is supposed to precede baptism, that this ordinance cannot be essential to salvation. Many, doubtless, have been partakers of the saving grace of God, who have died without baptism. The penitent thief, on the cross, was, we know, an example of this kind. Yet when this, or any other plain duty, is deliberately, wilfully, or carelessly neglected, it may well occasion doubts and fears in the minds of the neglecters, that they are not, and never have been, sharers in the saving grace of God. Another remark may here find its proper place; namely, that as among men there are certain transactions which can be rendered valid only when the evidence of them is sealed by the proper civil officer, so our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has commissioned none but his ministers to affix the baptismal seal of the covenant of grace, and has commanded that they be accounted "as stewards of the mysteries of God;" and therefore it is on good and scriptural authority that our Confession of Faith teaches [chap. xxvii. sec. 4.] "that neither of the sacraments may be dispensed by any, but by a minister of the word, lawfully ordained." And as there is no command, and no adequate example for the repetition of baptism, our Confession of Faith also declares, in the chapter just cited, that "The sacrament of baptism is but once to be administered to any person;" and that "by Christ's own ap

pointment, it is to be continued in his church until the end of the world."

2. Baptism signifies and seals a "partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace." This follows of course, from being ingrafted into Christ, as members of his mystical body, and the head of that gracious covenant which has been ratified in his blood. The Apostle Paul, in his epistle to the Gallatians (Gal. iii. 27.) says, "As many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ." Compare this with Romans iii. 22. where the same Apos tle declares that "the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, is unto all, and upon all them that believe," and you will see that the union with Christ which baptism signifies and seals to every believer, assures to him the inestimable benefit of being clothed upon with the Redeemer's perfect righteousness, and consequently of justification from the condemning sentence of the law, with the favour of God, and all the blessings of time and eternity which are promised in the covenant of grace. The benefits of this covenant are justly stated in our Larger Catechism to be, "remission of sins by the blood of Christ; regeneration by his Spirit, adoption and resurrection unto life everlasting." Our Confession of Faith also very properly reminds us, that "The efficacy of baptism is not tied to that moment of time in which it is administered; yet, notwithstanding, by the right use of this ordinance, the grace promised, is not only offered, but really exhibited and conferred, by the Holy Ghost, to such (whether of age or infants,) as that grace belongeth unto, according to the counsel of God's own will, in his appointed time."

3. A solemn "engagement to be the Lord's" is contracted by all who receive the sacrament of baptism. It may be considered as the

seal of God set upon every recipient; a seal of the covenant voluntarily assumed on the part of the believer, and pledging him to the fulfilment of his covenant stipulations; binding him to renounce utterly, and oppose forever, all rivals and competitors of his God and Saviour; and engaging him to be the Lord's, in all that he has and is-in body, soul, and spirit, for time and for eternity. In a word, as our Larger Catechism teaches, "the parties baptized are solemnly admitted into the visible church, and enter into an open engagement to be wholly and only the Lord's."

It would be a lamentable error, my young friends, if any of you who were baptized in infancy, should think, or say in your hearts, that you have been subjected to a grievous hardship by your pious parents, when in this ordinance they offered you up to God in your infancy, and had you sealed as his property, and engaged for you, so far as their influence, efforts and example could avail, that you should do and be all that is implied in the baptismal covenant, as now explained. You would not have thought it a hardship, if your parents had, by acting in your behalf in your non age, secured to you the eventual possession of a large and valuable worldly estate, on condition of your doing and acting, in your coming years, in a manner most reasonable in itself, and most worthy of yourselves. But infinitely more and better than this, did they do for you, when they devoted you to God in infant baptism, and placed you under the bonds of his gracious covenant. Nothing can be so reasonable in itself, and so worthy of your rational and immortal nature, as that you should renounce the world, the flesh, and the devil, cordially embrace the great salvation of your redeeming God, and walk before him to your life's end, in obedience to all his command

ments, and in the observance of all his ordinances and institutions: and doing this, you will be the sure possessors of an inheritance infinitely richer than all the treasures of the world-an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, in the mansions of eternal bliss. Oh, may none of you be guilty of the sacrilege of alienating yourselves-the property of God-from his service to that of his adversary! May you all esteem it your privilege, as well as your duty, to be consecrated unreservedly to the Lord, and make your parent's act your own, by your voluntary choice and assumption; and thus insure to yourselves all the blessings and benefits of heirs of God and joint heirs with his own Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

I close this extended lecture by quoting from our Larger Catechism, the admirable statement it contains of the improvement that ought to be made of their baptism, by all who have received it. "The needful, but much neglected duty of improving our baptism, is to be performed by us all our life long, especially in the time of temptation, and when we are present at the administration of it to others, by serious and thankful consideration of the nature of it, and of the ends for which Christ instituted it, the privileges and benefits conferred and sealed thereby, and our solemn vow made therein; by being humbled for our sinful defilement, our falling short of, and walking contrary to, the grace of baptism and our engagements; by growing up to assurance of pardon of sin, and of all other blessings sealed to us in that sacrament; by drawing strength from the death and resurrection of Christ, into whom we are baptized, for the mortifying of sin, and quickening of grace; and by endeavouring to live by faith, to have our conversation in holiness and righteousness, as those that have therein given up their names

We have found a discourse in reply to the above question, by the Rev. Robert Traill, in connexion with his sermons on "The throne of grace," one of which has been given in the last two numbers of our Miscellany. The first part of this discourse we insert in our present number, and in our next the remainder may be expected. We entreat our readers not to pass over this discourse as something put in for the purpose of filling up, or as some antiquated stuff, that happened to hit the fancy of the editor of the Christian Advocate. No, truly. We insert it as an article of rare value, well adapted to edify every attentive reader. It is, indeed, particularly calculated to benefit theological students, and young ministers of the gospel; and those of our readers who are of this characterand we have a good many such we beseech to mark and weigh every sentence, as replete with matter worthy of their serious regard. But it is fitted to profit pious readers of every descripton. It may be particularly useful to show those who have occasion, as many now have, to choose a pastor under whose ministry they and their children are to sit, perhaps for life, what are the qualities or characteristicks which they ought chiefly to look for, and most highly to prize, in the man who is habitually to minister to them in holy things. This discourse was originally preached and published as a sequel to the well known 66 Morning Exercises." It abounds in thought; and every important position is sealed and sanctioned by a pertinent quotation from the oracles of God. Oh, that those who

thirst for doctrinal preaching, of a philosophical character, would read and regard it!

Quest. By what means may ministers best win souls?

1 TIM. IV. 16.

Take heed unto thyself, and unto thy doctrine: continue in them: for in doing this, thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

These words are a substantial part of the good counsel and direction the apostle giveth unto Timothy, and in him unto all the ministers of the gospel.

In them are two things.

1. A threefold duty laid on gospel-ministers, Take heed unto thyself, and unto thy doctrine; continue in them.

2. A double advantage consequent upon the discharge of this duty: For in doing this, thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

1. Ministers' duty is in three things here.

1st, Take heed unto thyself. Thou art set in a high office, in a dangerous place; take good and narrow heed, look well to thyself, thy heart and way.

2dly, Take heed unto thy doctrine. Though thou be ever so well gifted, and approved both of God and men; though thou be an extraordinary officer, (as Timothy was); yet take heed unto thy doctrine. These two we pass at present; because we shall resume them at greater length, when we take their help to the resolving of this question.

3dly, Continue in them. This hath relation, it appears, unto ver. 12, and 15, as well as unto the preceding part of this verse. I shall dismiss this part of the verse with these.

(1.) Continue in thy work. Thou who art a minister, it is a work for thy lifetime; and not to be taken up and laid down again, according as it may best suit a

man's carnal inclinations, and outward conveniences. The apostles that laboured with their hands, have, by that example, set the conscience of a minister at liberty, to provide for the necessities of this life by other employments, when he cannot live of the gospel; yet certainly no man that is called of God to this work, can with a safe conscience abandon it wholly. Paul, for example, obliged by necessity, both preached, and wrought in a handy-craft. As preaching doth not make working unlawful, so neither should any other business of a minister make preaching

to cease.

(2.) Continue in endeavours after greater fitness for thy work. No attainments in fitness and qualifications for this work, can free a man of the obligation that lies on him, to increase and grow therein more and more. It is not enough that a man study and be painful ere he enter into the ministry, but he must labour still to be more fit for his great work.

(3.) Continue in thy vigour, and painfulness, and diligence. Young ministers, that are sound and sincere before God, are usually warm and diligent in the first years of their ministry; and many do decline afterwards, and become more cold and remiss. This exhortation is a check thereunto: Continue in them.

2. The second thing in the word, is, the double advantage proposed to encourage ministers to this hard duty.

1st, Thou shalt save thyself. Thy own salvation shall be promoted and secured thereby.

How becoming is it for a minister to mind his own salvation! and to mind it so heartily, as to be animated from the hopes of it unto the greater diligence in his ministry!

But how doth faithfulness in the ministry of the gospel further the minister's salvation?

(1.) Faithfulness in a man's generation-work, is of great use and advantage to salvation. Well done good and faithful servant, from the Lord's own mouth, is a great security; and diligence and faithfulness in improving the talents we are intrusted with, through grace, procure that testimony.

(2.) Thou shalt save thyself from the guilt of other men's sins and ruin, if thou be faithful in the ministry; Ezek. xxxiii. 9. Thou hast delivered (or saved) thy soul, saith the Lord to the Prophet, in the case of unsuccessful faithfulness. So Paul, Acts xviii. 6. 1 am clean, your blood be upon your own heads: and Acts xx. 26, 27. 1 take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men: for 1 have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Every minister pledgeth his soul to God, that he shall be a faithful servant; and he that is such, may freely take up his stake, whatever his success on others be.

(3.) Faithfulness and painfulness in the ministry of the gospel, promotes a man's own salvation, in so far as the work of Christianity is woven in with the right discharge of the office of the ministry. Many ministers can say, that if they had not been ministers, they had in all appearance lost their souls. The subject of the minister's work is the same with that of a Christian's; and above all men should he be careful of his heart and intentions, that all be pure and spiritual. No man in any work he is called to, is under so strict a necessity of dependance on the influence and assistance of the Holy Ghost, both for gifts and grace. And are not all these great helps unto our own salvation.

2dly, The second advantage is, Thou shalt save them that hear thee. There is little hope of that man's being useful to save others, that minds not his own salvation; and