when they partook of the passover with Christ, the night he was betrayed? At what time did they organize themselves into a new church ? It appears, that they were prepared to receive, the three thousand on the day of their conversion. "The same day there were added unto them." Did they that moment create themselves into a church? If this had been the case, they no question would have mentioned it; as it must have been one of the most important transactions of the day, and vastly interesting to succeeding christians. But not so much as a hint is there to this effect. We may be as sure as of any thing, that at that time, they were in the same church, as they had been in from the beginning. The truth here is of easy access. The apostles had belonged to the church under the first dispensation, when circumcision and the passover were the ordinances, and when these were superceded by baptism and the Lord's supper, they received the latter and in perfect consistency, with being members of the same church to which they had always belonged.The apostles were never members of but one church, though they were under two dispensations. Difference in dispensation does not make two churches, any more, than a difference in the administration of civil government implies a new constitution.

It appears farther that the gentile church is none other than the jewish church extended, because the nation of the jews, which, as a body were cut off from the church of God, for unbe lief, according to prophesy, are to return and become again members of the same church, from which they were excluded. In the elev enth Chapter of Romans, we have the cleares

and most ample information on this point. The Jews as a body are said to have been cut off from the olive-tree, for unbelief. By the olive-tree, is meant the visible church, compared with Ps. 52, 8. Jer. 11, 16. Hos. 14, 6. Isa. 5, 2. Ezek. 15, 6. Luke, 13, 7. Abraham and his family were this olive tree in its first existence, including both the root, branches & fruits. They were the first fruits mentioned in this chapter called holy; the church in every after period, to the end of time, is called the lump, holy in the same sense as the first fruits. The fact was, the Jews as a nation, became corrupt, broke covenant with God, rejected the saviour, who had reared this olive-tree by his grace, and for their wickedness were cut off, as dead and useless branches. This corruption did not extend to the whole nation. A minority received the saviour by faith, and bore fruit. ness in part had happened to Israel. The apostle tells us, in the same connection, how the gentiles, became constituent parts, or branches of this olive tree. By believing in Christ, and possessing the requisite qualifications, they were graffed into the olive-tree, from which the unbelieving Jews had been cut off. They were graffed contrary to nature. The apostle borrows this figure from the graffing of trees. In graffing of fruit trees, we know, that it is according to nature, for the scion to bear the fruit of the stock out of which it had been taken, and not the fruit of the stock into which it is inserted. But the apostle tells us, that it was not so with the graffing of the gentiles. They were taken out of the olive-tree which was wild by nature, and graffed into the good olive-tree, and in common with the believing Jews, who still

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retained their standing by faith, partook with them of its root and fatness. After telling the gentiles not to boast, against the branches, which had been broken off, but to remember they were borne by the same root, which had borne the Jews in every past period, and that they stood by faith, and to take heed; he goes on to inform them, that if the Jews, who had been thus cut off should not continue in unbelief, they should be graffed into the same tree again; and then predicts the period, when the whole nation, including all Israel, should be restored by faith, to the same standing in the olive-tree, which by unbelief they had now forfeited. Intimating that the excluded nation would again be. long to the same church, of which all believing gentiles were the members and to which their ancestry had once been united. "As it is written, there shall come out of Sion the deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob." The apostle's whole statement, without comment, shews with entire clearness, that the gentile church is none other but the jewish church extended.

One more witness, and I shall have done with this section. Christ addressed the church under the former dispensation, in the same endear. ing language, as under the latter dispensation. In the first epistle of Peter, written to the church generally, the gentile saints are addressed in these words. "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priest-hood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; which in time past were not a people, but now are the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have

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obtained mercy." Lord addressed the church, in the time of Mo. ses. "Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagle's wings, and brought you unto myself. Now if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me, above all people; for all the earth is mine, and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." By Moses, God apprized the then existing church of the fatal rocks to which they were exposed. He did the same by the apostle John to the church in his time. I might enlarge greatly here, but my limits will not permit.

In a similar manner the

INFERENCE.-If Christ has never had but one church in the world, or if the gentile church, is the jewish church extended, then infant-membership, under the gospel dispensation, is firmly established. This consequence follows undeniably. If the church in all ages be essentially one, and it once embraced infants, it must embrace them ever after. It being proved, that the church is one and the same from its firstestablishment to the end of time, proves also similarity of membership. For if we give up such similarity, we destroy its identity. The church which rejects one class of members, cannot be one and the same in essence, with a churchwhich receives such class of members. argument, therefore, which proves the sameness of the church, goes with all its force to establish infant-membership, and of course infant baptism; and this notwithstanding the objec tion some times raised respecting females. We place the seal of the covenant on females as well as males, whereas under the Old Testament:

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dispensation males only received the token or seal. But though females did not receive the seal, yet they were always considered as belonging to the circumcision as strictly as males. It was considered profanation for them to intermarry with the uncircumcised, as in the case of Dinah.

SECTION IV.

WATER BAPTISM IN THE NAME OF THE TRINITY, A SEAL OF THE SAME COVENANT, AȘ CIRCUMCISION.

AS circumcision under the ancient dispensation, was a seal of the covenant of grace, so baptism, under the new dispensation, is a seal of the same covenant. That the covenant made with Abraham, and was renewed in Isaac, and preserved in Israel, till Christ made his discent, and during his ministry, was a covenant of grace, I trust has been fully proved, and also that circumcision was a token or seal of that covenant. That circumcision was the seal of the covenant, or the seal of the righteousness of faith, you will permit me to freshen your memories with some passages of scripture, which establish the fact. "And he received the sign of cir cumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had being uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also." It is evident from this passage that circumcision was a seal of the covenant of grace; and from the same words and the connection, it appears also