It will require some strength of mind, and great sedulity to lay all parts of scripture before us, and to compare words with words and things with things, as the apostle speaks, 1 Cor. ii. 13. " Com- " paring spiritual things with spiritual." And though it be true that some important doctrines, as that of justification bv faith, are methodically disposed, and thoroughly cleared and settled in one and the same context ; yet it is as true that very many other points of faith and duty are not so digested, but are delivered sparsim, here a little, and there a little, as he speaks, Isa. xxviii. 10. You must not think to find all that belongs to one head or point of faith, or duty, laid together in a system or common place in scripture ; but scattered abroad in several places, some in the Old Testament, and some in the New, at a great distance from one another.
Now, in our searches and enquiries after the full and satisfying knowledge of the will of God in such points, it is necessary that the w^hole word of God be thoroughly searched, and all those parcels bi'ought together to an interview. Ex. Gr.
If a man would see the entire discovery that was made of Christ to the fathers under the Old Testament, he shall not find it laid toge- ther in any one prophet ; but shall find that one speaks to one part of it, and another to another.
Moses gives the first general hint of it. Gen. iii. 15. " The seed " of the woman shall bruise the serpenfs head."" But then, if you w^ould know more particularly of whose seed, according to the flesh, he should come, you must turn to Gen. xxii. 18. " In thy " seed (saith God to Abraham) shall all nations of the earth be <' blessed." And if you yet doubt what seed God means there, you must go the apostle. Gal. iii. 16. To thy seed, which is Christ. If you would further know the place of his nativity, the prophet Micah must inform you of that, Mic. v. 2. it should be Bethlehem Ephrata. If you enquire of the quality of his parent, another pro- phet gives you that, Isa. vii. 14. " Behold a virgin shall conceive, " and bear a son, and call his name Immanuel." If the time of his birth be inquired after, Moses and Daniel must inform you of that, Gen. xhx. 10. Dan. iv. 24.
So under the New Testament, If a man enquire about the change of the sabbath, he must not expect to find a formal repeal of the seventh day, and an express institution of the first day in its room ; but he is to consider,
First, What the Evangelist speaks, Mark ii. 28, That Christ is
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Lord of the Sabbatli, and so had power not only to dispense with it, but to change it.
Secondly, That on the first day of the weel; Christ rose from the dead, Mat. xxviii. 1, 2. And that this is that great day, foretold to be the day to be solemnized upon that account, Psal. cxviii. 24.
Thirdly, That, accordingly, the first day of the week is empha- tically stiled the Lord's day, Rev. i. 10. where you find his own name written upon it.
Fourthly, You shall find this was the day on which the apostles and primitive Christians assembled together for the stated and so- lemn jierformance of public worship, John xx. 19. and other public church-acts and duties, 1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2. And so by putting together, and considering all these particulars, we draw a just con- clusion, That it is the will of God, that since the resurrection of Christ, the first day of the week should be observed as the Christian-sabbath.
In like manner, as for the baptizing of believers' infants ; we are not to expect it in the express words of a New-Testament institution or command, that infants, under the gospel, should be baptized ; but God hath left us to gather satisfaction about his will and our duty in that point, by comparing and considering the several scriptures of the Old and New Testament which relate to that matter ; which, if we be impartial and considerative, we may do.
First, By considering, that by God's express command, Gen. xvii. 9, 10. the infant-seed of his people were taken into covenant with their parents, and the then sign of that covenant commanded to be applied to them.
Secondly, That though the sign be altered, the promise and covenant is still the same, and runs as it did before to believers and their children, Acts ii. 38, 39.
Thirdly, That the foederal holiness of our children is plainly as- serted under the New Testament, 1 Cor. vii. 14. Rom. xi. 16.
Fourthly, We shall further find, that baptism succeeds in the room of circumcision ; and that, by an argument drawn from the completeness of our privileges under the New Testament no way inferior, but rather more extensive than those of the Jews, Col. ii. 10, 11, 12.
Fifthly, We shall find that upon the conversion of any master or parent, the whole household were baptized. By putting all these things, with some others together, we may arrive to the desired satisfaction about the will of God in this matter.
But some men want abilities, and others are too sluggish and lazy to gather together, compare and weigh all these, and many
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more hints and discoveries of the mind of God, which would give much hght unto this point ; but tliey take an easier and cheaper way to satisfy themselves with what lies uj^pevmost upon the surface of scripture, and so as it were by consent, let go and lose their own, and their children's blessed and invaluable privileges, for want of a little labour and patience to search the scriptures: A folly which few would be guilty of, if but a small earthly inheritance were con- cerned therein.
To cure this spiritual sluggishness, and awaken us to the most serious and diligent search after the will of God in such controver- sial and doubtful points, that we may not neglect the smallest hint given us about it, the following considerations will be found of great use and weight.
Consideration 1. The most sedate, impartial, and diligent inqui- ries after the will of God revealed in his word, is a duty expressly enjoined by his sovereign command, which immediately and indis- pensiblv binds the conscience of every Christian to the practice of it.
Remarkable is that text to this purpose, Rom. xii. 2. *'And " be not conformed to this world ; but be ye transformed by the " renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, " and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Here you find this duty, not only associated with, but made the very end of our non- conformity to the world, and renovation of our minds, the very things which constitute a Christian.