give you the Holy Ghofts and pour ont his SpiFit upon you, who is of a mighty, purifying, exciting and cleanfing Virtue, as Fire; and who was therefore given by Signs of Fire Acts ii3, 4In the fame Sense is the Word Baptife understood, Acts 1.5. To these some are pleased to add, 4thly, Baptifmus Baptifm of the Cloud; for, 1 Cor. x. 2. It is faid

な

Nubis

of the Children of Ifrael, That they were all baptifed unto Mofes in the Cloud, and in the Sea That is, fay fome, they went down into the Sea, as thofe who were to be baptifed, in the New Teftament Times, fometimes did into the Water The Cloud dropped upon them and fprinkled them, as others in thefe Times were baptifed And, as by thefe extraordinary Signs and Tokens of the Divine Favour, greater and higher Things were fhadowed forth, fuch as, their being fprinkled with the Blood of Atonement, the fantifying Influences of the holy Spirit, and enjoying the divine Conduct and Protection 3 fo hereby, that People were in a very peculiar Manner, laid under the most folemn Obligations to hearken unto the Doctrine of Mofes, and to obey and follow him, as a Leader and Commander appointed to them of God (1). But then 5thly, Baptifmas The Words Baptife and Baptifm, are used as Flumitas, fignifying washing or sprinkling with Water. Andafirit there was a fuperftitious Wafhing, fo Matth. xv. 2. the Pharifees wafbed before they Divers did eat. And Mark vii. 4. Luke xi. 38. When they came from the Market they washed, or baptifed, and held the washing of Cups, or Baptifm of Cups, (according to the Original) and Pots, brafen Veffels, and of Tables or Beds, as Parts of their Religion, and neceffary to be performed. In all which, tho' not divinely instituted, they placed no fmall Measure of their facred Services and Sanctification, 2dly, The New Tefta

1

ment

(i) See Turrettiat de Baptifmo Maris & Nabis, Pag, 140, 145, 142, &c.

Kinds

thereof

ufed a

Gentiles

before

Chrift.

ment makes Mention of Ceremonial Wafhings or Baptifms, which were of divine Appointment under the Old Testament, but are now abrogate under the New. Thus Heb. ix. 10. The Apoftle informs us, That the first Difpenfation, flood in Meats, Drinks, and diverfe Wafhings. But then 3dly, Thefe Words are in the New Teftament, moft ordinarily understood, as fignifying, The folemn initiating Seal of God's Covenant of Grace, and all the Bleffings thereof; appointed and inftituted by God himself. And fo,

Baptifm Thirdly, It deferves our ŎObfervation, That as the Gentile Nations used this Rite of Washing mong the in their more Religious Performances; fo the and Jews, Jews, in later Times (1), and fome think very early (2), admitted their inftructed Profelytes, with their Children, by Sacrifice, Circumcifion, and Baptifm : But that the divine Sacrament of Baptifm was inftituted in Compliance with this Custom of the Jews, or with their Ceremonial Wafhings appointed by God himself, cannot, upon good Ground, be afferted, whatever fome alledge. As it is uncertain when, or by whom this Custom of Baptifing among them took Place; Yet this may be faid, That Baptifm being thus in Ufe among them, as an Initiating Rite, when it came to be practifed as a Divine Ordinance, neither Jews

And as to the Gentiles were offended thereat.

Jews, it is noticeable, That when John came Baptifing, and hereby folemnly received and admitted Difciples, the Scribes and Pharifees among them did not challenge him for his Bapti

(1) See Turrett. Vol. III. Page 428. Prideaux Hiftorical Connections, Part II. Vol. II. Jenkins his Reasonableness of Chriftianity, Vol. II. Page 421. (2) Sir John Floyer's Effay to reftore Dipping in Baptifm, Page 33, to 42. Gil. Lefpie's Mifcellany Queftions, Page 216. Heidegger his Cor pus Theologia Chriftiane Tom. Laft, Page 436. Section 22. cicing Genefis 35. 2.

Baptifing, but asked him, By what Authority he did this? So, John i. 25. And they asked him, and faid unto him, Why baptifeft thou then, if thou be not that Chrift, nor Elias, neither that Prophet? And from this Text, this alfo feems fairly deducible, That as the Jews looked for the Meffiah particularly at this Time, and for Elias, or an Eminent Prophet, that should be a Forerunner to the Meffiah; fo they expected, That when thefe fhould come, they would folemnly admit and receive their Difciples by the Initiating Ordinance of Baptifm. But if this their Expectation was founded upon thefe and the like Scriptures, Isaiah lii. 15. Malachy iv.5,6. or upon fome other Tradition commonly received among them, I do not determine.

Fourthly and Laftly, we may obferve, That Baptifm,, Baptifm is a Sacrament of the New Testament, what it is ordained by Jefus Chrift, wherein he hath appointed the Washing with Water, in the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (a); to be unto the Party baptifed, a Sign and Seal of his Intereft in the Covenant of Grace (b), of his ingrafting into Chrift (c),. of Regeneration by the Spirit of Chrift (d), of Remiffion of Sins by his Blood (e), of Adoption (f), and Refur rection unto Eternal Life (g), and whereby the Perfon or Parties baptifed, are folemnly admitted into the vifible Church (b), and enter into an open and profeffed Engagement to be wholly, and only the Lords, (ż), (3).

And as to this Account of Baptifm, it will not be improper that we notice in the Entry, what I hope will be more fully fpoke of in the After

B

part

(a) Matth. 28. 19. (b) Rom. 4. 11. (c) Gal. 3. 27 (d) Eph. 5. 26. Titus 3. 5. (e) Mark 1. 4. Rev. 1. 5. (f) Gal. 3. 26, 27. (g) Rom. 6. 4, 5. (b) 1 Cor. 12. 13. (ż) Rom. 6. 4. (3) See the Defcription of Baptifm, in our Con feffion, and Larger Catechism,

given of

Obferves part of this Effays! First, That the Lord Jesus on the De-Christ, as he is the. Author of it fo he hath apfcription pointed it to continue to the End of the World, Baptifm. Matth. xxviii. 18, 19. . xxviii. 18, 19. 2dly, That by the Covenant, of which this Sacrament is à Sign and Seal, and the fpecial Bleffings thereof are mentioned in the Defcription it felf; we are to underfland God's everlasting, well ordered, and fure Covenant of Grace; even that Teftament or Govenant mentioned, Ifaiah lv. 3. Jerem. xxxi. 31, 32, 33, 34. and Hebivii.ro, 11, 12. Allthe Blef fings whereof are really made over and fealed, and fhall in due Time be applied to all fuch to whom the Grace of the Covenant belongeth, according to the fovereign Will and Eternal Counfel of God. 3dly, We may notice, That this Ordinance of Baptifm is a Sacrament of the New TeStament, or new Difpenfation of this Covenant of Grace; whereby it is diftinguifhed from Circumcifion, which was the Initiating Sign and Seal of the Old. 4thly, That it is the First or Initiating Sacrament of this New Testament; whereby it is differenced from the Lord's Supper, which is the Second: Baptifm being a Sign and Seal of our Regeneration, and being planted in Chrift but the Lord's Supper of our Increafe in Grace, and Growing up in him. But then, 15thly, Ifhall, in this Chapter, more efpecially and particularly enquire into thefe Things, and allow to each of them a particular Section. 1ft, Into the Author and Caufes of Baptifm. zdly, The Signs in its 3dly, The Things fignified. 4thly, In whofe Name Perfons are to be baptifed. sthly, The Defigns, or Ends, and Ufest of it. And, 6thly, The Confequences refulting from the Whole.

SECT

I

SECT. I

of the Author, and Caufes of BAPTISM.

Am not here to Notice the various Kinds of Caufes mentioned by the Learned, nor to Atretch Matter for the Sake of Words, but to fpeak of thefe, as the Subject in Hand will allow.

not of

Men.

First then, This Ordinance of Baptism is not Baptism is of Men; not of their Devifing, nor appointed by them: For, First, The Gofpel, the Bleffings whereof, this Sacrament applies and feals, is the Gospel of the Blessed God, 1 Tim. ii. 11, and fo muft the Seal of thefe Bleffings be. 2dly, As we have obferved, It is GOD alone, and not Men, who can give and beftow thefe Bleffings, and place a fure Connection betwixt the Signs and Things fignified. And then, 3dly, Becaufe, 1 Cor. ii. 5. The Faith of the Church of God, must not ftand in the Wisdom of Men, but in the Power of GOD.

Chrift the Author of Baptifm,

Secondly, The Lord Jefus Christ is the Glorious Author and Inftituter of this Ordinance, who, as the Great King, only Head, Ruler and Governor of his Church, hath all Power and Authority in Heaven and Earth given unto him, thát fo he may ordain and appoint fuch Ordinances, as are for the Ingathering of his People, and Edifying of his Body, Matth. xxviii. 18, 19. And here thefe Three Things are to be obferved. ift, That when it is faid, That Jefus Christ is yea, all the Perthe Author of Baptifm, this is not Excluding fons of the the Father and Holy Spirit, but rather Including Trinity. and Comprehending thefe; for, 1 John v. 7. The

B 2

Father,