devoted to thee in Baptism. As we have fworn to keep thy commandments and to fight the good fight of faith, give us grace to perform our facred engagements. May we be ever led by thy Spirit, and may thy word dwell in us richly in all wisdom. Grant O God, that this may evidently appear by the soundness of our minds, the purity of our hearts, and the holiness of our lives. Hear thefe our humble requests, O heavenly Father, for the fake of Jefus Chrift, our Lord and Saviour. AMEN.

}

BAPTISM.

FORM II.

THE

HE religion of our Saviour is fimple, pure and fpiritual, and not encumbered with ceremonies; for all fuch rites and ordinances he hath abolished, appointing only two, Baptism and the Communion, both of them plain, easy and fignificant, and which had in them nothing that could feem ftrange either to Jews or Gentiles. Baptism is a religious rite which was generally practifed before our Saviour inftituted it; for the Gentiles, in their folemn acts of devotion, made use of sprinklings and ablutions, and the Jews baptized all profelytes to their religion. Our Lord, in like manner, appointed this ceremony as a form of admission into his fervice, and a public acknowledgment from the admitted perfons that they would, from thenceforth, be his difciples, that they

F

would glory in his cross, and own him for their Lord and Mafter. This ordinance hath often been confidered by pious chriftians, as a proper emblem of moral purity, as a fuitable representation of the washing or cleansing of the foul from fin by the blood of Chrift, and the influences of his Spirit.

When a parent brings his child to be baptized, he doth folemnly dedicate and devote him to the Lord, at the fame time that he puts in a humble claim, in behalf of his child, to all the ineftimable bleffings of that covenant which was ratified by the fhedding of the blood of Jefus. The lawfulness and expediency of infant Baptism, appears from the general practice of the church, and from what the law of nature and nations teaches concerning a state of infancy. In all civilised societies, parents have ever been allowed to covenant for their children as well as for themfelves, and we find accordingly, that children, before they arrive at years of difcretion, are entitled to various advantages and privileges; they are part of the community, and treated as fuch. Since, then,

infants are fubjects of the ftate, and members of civil fociety, by the fame reason, they may be members of religious fociety, and incorporated into the visible church of Christ. But how is Baptifm to be performed? Is it by immerfion or fprinkling? At the beginning it seems to have been a very general practice, but not always, to plunge the whole body into the water at Baptifm. This might answer in a warm climate where bathing was a general practice, but in cold countries like ours, fuch a custom would be highly dangerous, and accordingly we find, the generality of christians are now baptized by sprinkling or pouring water on the face, which being only a sign or fymbol, is fufficient for all the purposes of this positive institution. The great concern of baptized perfons should be, to attain that purity of heart and holiness of life, (reprefented by the washing with water) without which no man fhall fee the Lord.

F 2