ment

what,

Angels s can do, much lefs has God given fuch illimited Power to the Sons of Men. But, A

Secondly, We may Notice, That the immedi ate Author of Sacraments, is, in a peculiar Manner, the Lord Jefus Chrift. To whom, as the Saviour of the Body, the alone Head and King of his Church, all Power in Heaven and Earth is given of the Father (r).

Matter of Thirdly, We may here obferve, That the a Sacra- Matter of Sacraments is either, aft, Sacramental Elements and Actions, which are the Signs, and thefe are external, fenfible, and applied to the Body. Or, zdly, The Things fignified, applied and fealed, and thefe are all the Bleffings of the Covenant of Grace in its new Difpenfation, in our Lord Jefus Chrift, and with him. Now thefe are internal and fpiritual, and efpecially applied to the Soul.

Defigns Fourthly, We may further take Notice, That of Sacra- the Ends and fpecial Defign of Sacraments, are,

ments what.

ift, To reprefent, fet forth, and keep up the
Remembrance of the infinite Grace and Love of
God in Chrift to loft Sinners; and the Remem-
brance of our Lord and Saviour till he come a-
gain. To be Memorials of his Glorious Perfon,
his Offices, Doing, Sufferings and Dying; of
his great and incomparable Love to poor Sinners;
his compleat Purchase of everlafting Salvation for
them; and, his Willingness that they fhould
Share and Partake of this (), 2dly, To ratify,
feal and confirm to the Partaker, his Intereft in
the Lord Jefus Chrift, his Satisfaction, Merit,
Righteoufnefs and Mediation, and in God's Co-
venant of Grace, with all the Bleffings thereof
(t).
3dly, To be an external visible Taken of
our being folemnly devoted to the Lord; and a
perpe-

(r) Matth. 28. 18, 19. Heb. 2, 17. Heb. 3.2. () 1 Pet. 5. 21. Coloff. 2. 11, 12, -1 Cor. 11. 24, to 28. () Rom. 4. 11. Rom. 6. 3, 4. 1 Cor. 11. 24, to 28.

perpetual Obligation upon us, to be his People, his only, and wholly, and of our holy and active Profeffion of his Name, his Truths and Way (u). But concerning Sacraments in general, more may "be feen in my Practical Efay on the Lord's Supper, Chap. I. Sect. I. & II. Tho' it was proper that this much fhould be repeated here.

And hence we may infer, what enriching Or- Inferen dinances Sacraments are, feeing Chrift and all ces from the Benefits of the new Covenant are reprefented, this. applied and fealed thereby. Such furely is that unfpeakable Glory and Happiness which is wrapped up in them, that the Man whofe Eyes the Lord hath opened, cannot but give them the Preference to all the vain Honours and Treafures of the World, which unthinking Mortals fo much adore, and fo earnestly purfue after. But, zdly, We may here alfo obferve the Pity, Compaffion and Goodnefs of God to us, in condefcending fo low to our Weaknefs and Infirmity, Dulnefs and 'Stupidity, as by vifible Things, which do commonly moft affect us; to affure us, and fo confirm and ftrengthen our Faith, as to our Title to, and Intereft in all the faving Bleffings of his Covenant And, in his making Ufe of fuch vifible and folemn Inftitutions, inviolably to engage and bind us to himself, and divorce us from all other Lovers, and to fet us at Liberty from all His and our Enemies Which Liberty is, by Baptifm, made over and fealed to all who are given to Christ by the Father, and fhall, in the Lord's good and appointed Time, be applied to them, and they put in Poffeffion thereof: And by the Supper, this Grace is folemnly ratified, and more and more increased to Believers.

Fifthly, As to the Objects of Saeraments, or thofe to whom they are to be adminiftrated, thefe

Objects of Sacra

ments

are who.

(z) Rom. 6. 4, 5, 6, 7. Matth. 28. 19. Gal. 3.25. 1 Cor.

11. 25.

12.

Lord's

how di

shed.

are to be determined by the Divine Institution; the different Nature of the Sacraments; and, the Pre-requifites in Perfons, according to their different Capacities, in Order to their Participation thereof. But of this we fhall have Occafion to fpeak in the next Section, and more afterwards in and me this Effay, Baptifm But now, a Sixth and Laft General Obfervaand the tion I make, is this, That there are only Two Gofpel and New Teftament Sacraments, inftituSupper ted and appointed by Chrift, viz. Baptifm, and ftingui- the Lord's Supper: Which Two, tho' they agree in their Author, and in this, That Chrift and the Benefits of the new Covenant are represented, fealed and applied by both; yet they are diftinguifhed, ift, In their outward Elements: In Baptifm, the Element is Water; and in the Lord's Supper, the Elements are Bread and Wine. 2dly, In their Sacramental Actions, in Baptifm, thefe are fprinkling with, pouring on, going into, or washing with Water; but in the Lord's Supper, they are, taking Bread and Wine, bleffing thefe, breaking the Bread, giving both unto Communicants, their receiving both, and cating the one and drinking the other. 3dly, In their Objects: The Infants of fuch as are Members of the vifible Church, may and are to be baptifed, but only thofe, who being baptifed, are capable to examine themfelves, and do profefs their Faith in Chrift, having withal, a compétent Measure of Knowledge, are to partake of the Lord's Supper. And, 4thly, Thofe Two New Teftament Sacraments are diftinguished, as to the Frequency of their Administration, to one and the fame Perfon. Baptifm is to be but once adminiftrated, because it is a Sign and Seal of our Ingrafting into Chrift, of our Regeneration and new Birth, and being received within the Bond of God's Covenant. But the Lord's Supper may,

and

and is to be frequently adminiftrated, because it is fot our fpiritual Nourishment and Growth in Grace: It is Baptifm, or the firft of thefe, that is the Subject of the following ESSAY.

T

Of the Nature of BAPTISM.

HE Words BAPTISE and BAPTISM The Word are Originally Greek. Barto Bárupa, Baptism, Βαπτίζω, Βάπτισμα, and thefe from Bárra, and both Verbs. what it fignifies. Lexographers tell us, fignify, mergo, immergo, tingo, luo, abluo, imbuo, lavo, fpargo, afpergo, madefacio, to dip, dip into, to wafh, wash away, make wet, dye, fprinkle, &c. And the Learned Mr. Leigh noteth, That it is taken largely, for any Kind of Washing, Rinfing or Cleanfing, even where there is no Dipping at all. But whereas, it is the Ufe and Signification of thefe Words in the Holy Scriptures, which alone are to be our Standard and Rule in this Effay, that we are fpecially to attend unto: For this Caufe, I am not here to notice the various Ufes, Senfes and Significations of them in prophane Authors; but in the Entry fhall obferve thefe few Things; First, That as thefe Words are very rarely and fparingly used in Scripture, to fignify the Dipping or Plunging the Body, washed all over, into Water; fo it is moft evident, That they are made Ufe of to fignify fuch a Wafhing, where there was no fuch Dipping or Plunging: And for Proof hereof, thefe Scriptures are juftly adduced, Heb. ix. 10. compared with Numb.viii. 7. Numb. xix. 18, 19, 20. Matth. xx. 23. Matth. xxvi. 23. Mark vii. 4. Luke xi. 38. Of all which, in their

pro

Luminis.

proper Place, when I come to fpeak of the Manner of Administrating this Ordinance.au, s Secondly, We may obferve, That the Words Baptife and Baptifm are varioufly used in the Sacred Scriptures; as, First, To fignify the Baptifmus Doctrine that was preached to People, and which they were taught; fo fome underftand our Lord's Queftion to the Pharisees, Matth. xxi. 25. The Baptifm of John, whence was it? From Heaven or of Men? That is, fay they, The Doctrine of John, whence was it? So it is faid of Apollos, Acts xviii. 25. That he only knew the Baptifm of John; that is, The Doctrine of John. But furely, while the Learned, explain thefe Scriptures of John's Doctrine, we are not to underftand this as exclufive of, but as neceffarily inclu ding his Baptifm by Water. 2dly, Thefe Words are taken for great Sufferings and Afflictions. So Baptifmus Luke xii. 50. I have a Baptifm to be baptifed Sanguinis. with, faith our Lord, and how am I ftraitned till it be accomplished. That is, He had the great and heavy Part of his Sufferings yet to endure. Thus alfo he asked the Children of Zebedee, Matth. xx. 22. Are ye able to drink of the Cup that I fball drink of? And, to be baptifed with the Baptifm I am baptifed with? That is, Are ye able to fuffer with me and for me, and as I have done and fhall do ? And indeed, the Scriptures frequently intend and mean Afflictions, by the Expreffions of Flowing in of Waters Waters coming into the Souls of People; and, Baptifmus their coming into the deep Waters. 3dly, The Flaminis. Words are taken for the Baptifm with the Spirit, efpecially in his extraordinary Gifts and Operations. Thus, Matth. iii. 11. John fays, I indeed baptife you with Water, but he that cometh after me, is mightier than I, whofe Shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptife you with the Holy Ghost, and with Fire. That is, He fhall

70 ?