nances, does not at all depend upon the fuperior Excellency of the Adminiftrator, above those to whom it is adminiftrated; for here, the Superior is baptifed by the Inferior, and the Mafter by the Servant. 2dly, That now when our Lord was to enter upon his Publick Miniftry, and to fhew himself openly unto the World, he might take Occafion, by the Divine Teftimony that at his Baptifm was given unto him, to convince the Multitude whence and who he was, and particularly to confirm John in the Faith of his divine Perfon and Office. 3dly, They fay,. Tho' Chrift perfonally confidered, had no Manner of Need of this Ordinance, yet he, as our Fœderal Head and Reprefentative, being made Sin for us, 2 Cor. v. 21. Therefore, as ftanding in our Room, and as our Surety, Reprefentative and Redeemer, he received this Seal of the New Covenant for us, whereby all the Bleffings of that Covenant were fealed, ratified and fecured to us in his Perfon. 4thly, They add, That it behoved him in all Things to be made like unto his Brethren, and fo, in being baptifed. But, sthly, The moft fcriptural and plain Account of this, feems to be, That Chrift, as our Redeemer, being made of a Woman, made under the Law, Gal. iv. 4. It behoved him to fulfil all Righteousness, and give the most perfect Obedience to thefe Inftitutions of the Great Jehovah who fent him. And this is the Reafon our Lord himself gives; for, when John, declined the Office of baptifing him, and it may be, for the very Reason that is the Occafion of this Queftion, becaufe Chrift needed it not, Matth. iii. 14. our Lord, Verse 1 5. fays, Suffer it to be fo now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all Righteousness.

SECT.

Not in

འཛག ཁུ བ ཉམ|:ཀྱི ཁ བྷའུ པ བ མ ལ བ

SECT. IV.

In whofe Name Perfons are Baptised.

THE

.

HERE is fcarce any Thing that would be more grofs and abfurd, than to think, we the Name can be baptised in the Name of Angels or Men. of Angels For, as no meer Creature can appoint Ordinanor Men; ces of this Kind, nor give the Bleffings fignified

But, in

hereby, nor preserve Men in the Poffeffion thereof; fo, we are not to place our Faith and Truft for Salvation, in our Fellow Creatures, nor are we by Baptifm dedicated to them, nor is the Heritage of the Lord and Creator, to become the Inheritance of the Servant and meer Creature, whether they be Creatures in the Heavens above, or in the Earth below.

Wherefore, our Lord and Saviour having finithe Name fhed the Work the Father gave him to do upon of the Ho- Earth, and being now to afcend to his Father; Trinity. he who was faithful over his Houfe in all Things,

fees it meet, for the Edifying of his Mystical Body, to appoint ftanding Ordinances, and a ftanding Miniftry in his Church; particularly, to ordain the Adminiftration of Baptifm to continue to the End of the World: And that his Servants, who were to adminifter this Ordinance, might not want Authority to do it, nor Direction in it, he therefore gives them their Commiffion and Inftructions at once, Matth. xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore, teach all Nations, Baptifing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. For our Understanding of which, thefe Things may be observed.

First, That the Defign and Ufe of a NAME NAME, or NAMES, being given to Perfons or Things, its Use. is, That thereby fuch Perfons and Things may be known what they are, acknowledged as fach, diftinguished from others, and by these brought into our Minds. And albeit Names impofed by ignorant and unskillful Men, may come fhort of thefe Defigns; yet this cannot be faid of thefe NAMES which in Scripture are attributed to GOD, feeing he who alone is infinitely wife, and hath perfect Knowledge of himself, hath, by his deliberate Confel, affumed thefe to himself. Secondly, That NAME, as in Scripture it is NAME applied to GOD, is fometimes fo circumftanti of GOD in Scripated and ufed, as by it we are to understand, Ift, God himself, fo, Gen. xxiv. 26. Deut. xxviii. under58. Pfalm v. 11. Pfalm vii. 17. Pfalm xx. 1, 7. ftood. 1 Kings v. 5. Isaiah xii. 4. Joel ii. 32. 2dly The Attributes or Perfections of God, fo, Exod. xxxiv. 5, 6, 7, 14. 3dly. As to point out the Profeffion, Confeffion, Worship and Service of God, fo, Micah iv. 5. Acts xxi. 13. And, 4thly, As to intimate to us, his Command, Will and Authority, Deut. xviii. 19. 1 Sam. xvii. 45. Hence,

ture, how

the Name

what?

Thirdly, To be Baptifed in the Names To be voux of the Father, and of the Son, and of the baptifed in Holy Ghost, is, ift, A being by Baptifm brought of the Fe and prefented to the Father, Son, and Holy ther, Son, Ghost, that fo the Perfons baptifed may partake and Holy of the Father's Grace and Love in Chrift, and Ghost, by him be admitted into the Number of his Children, and folemnly received into his Family. That they may Share of the glorious Merit and Mediation of the Son, and have the faving Bleffings and Advantages that flow therefrom; and may enjoy the gracious Influences and fanctifying Operations of the Holy Spirit. And by this Deed of Prefentation, they are divorced

from

from all other Lovers, renounce all other Gods, and give up with all other Methods of Salvation, but that which is by the Father's Grace the Son's Merit, add the Spirit's Working. 2dly, İt is, a being baptifed unto, Union to, and Communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; fo that they ftand in the near Relation of Children to the Father, of Members to the Son, and of Temples to the Holy Ghoft, and fo come to partake of the Divine Nature, in the Display and Manifeftation of the Divine Perfections for them; and this, gracioufly, feasonably, fuitably and continually. 3dly, It is, to be by Baptifm folemly devoted, wholly given up, and for ever dedicated to the Service of, and Obedience to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft. So that they are to be wholly and for ever the Lord's, to be ruled by his Law, guided by his Spirit, difpofed of by his Providence, and ever employed in his Service. They are now to call themfelves by his Name, and not by the Name of Minifters or others, however eminent as to their Station, Gifts or Graces, they may be, 1 Cor. i. 12, 13. 4thly, It is, to be baptifed unto a Profeffion, Confeffion and WorShipping of Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft. They are now to profefs and teftify before the World, that they believe this Great Article of our Chriftian Faith, That there are Three Perfons in the Godhead, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, and that thefe Three, tho' really diftinct as to their Perfonality, yet are one Coeffential and Eternal God, equal in Power and Glory. To these only they are to direct their religious Worship and Adoration, invoke and call upon them, and for ever fear, love, trust to, and depend upon the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. And this, when called thereto, they are to make an open, fincere and conftant Confeffion of. And then, sthly, It is to be baptifed by the Will,

Cont

Command and Authority of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. So as the whole Trinity do authorife and approve hereof, and, from aftonishing Condefcenfion, become jointly engaged, to make good (according to the Method fettled in the Eternal Counfels of God) all the great and valuable Bleffings of the New Covenant, that are fignified, reprefented and fealed by this Ordinance of Baptifm. For, as to ratify, feal and confirm a Perfon's Title to a worldly Eftate, in the Name of a King or Prince, does declare, That the Royal and Princely Authority is engaged to hold and preferve that firm and fure, which is thus done in his Name, according to his Will and Standing Law; so it is here.

This

Fourthly, We are to Notice, That as it is very proper, fo it is neceffary, that Perfons be bap- Form in tifed in this very Form, or these express Words, Baptifingto be kept. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft. And that because of the InAtitution of our Lord Jefus Christ, Matth. xxviii. 19. which is very peremptor; because of the great and high Import of thefe Words; because the Words that were ufed by the Lord Jefus, in Inftituting his Supper, are kept by the Apostle, and obferved by him, Matth. xxvi. 26, 27, 28. I Cor. xi. 24, 25. And then, which may have its own Weight, becaufe fo was Baptifm adminiftrated in the Primitive Times (1). Yet when I fay, That this is neceffary, it is not to be fo understood, as if there was any Virtue or Efficacy in the Words themselves; nor dare I affirm, as fome do (2), That they are fo abfolutely needful, as that Baptifm is null and invalid without them: For even thofe Perfons acknowledge, That when

D

People

(2)

(1) King's Enquiry, &c. Part II. Page 12. Sect. IV. Taylor on Infant Baptifm, Pag. 17, 18. Bucan. Pag. 618, 619. Zinch. Tom. IV. Page 491. Et Mifcell. Lib. VUI. Page 570. Attersøe, Pag. 196, 197.

Yet not abfolutely neceffary.