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grace. These benefits fignified and fealed by baptifm

are,

[1.] Remiffion of fins by virtue of the blood of Chrift, Mark i. 4. That as the water washes away the ftains of the body, fo the blood of Christ washeth off guilt, and God for the fake of his Son forgives fin. So the apoftle prefcribes it for the ease of the troubled fouls who were pricked and awakened by his fermon, Acts ii. 37. 38. Repent and be baptized every one of you, fays he, in the name of Jefus Chrift, for the remiffion of fins, that fo they might be affured of pardon.

12.] Adoption into the family of God, Gal. iii. 26. 27. We are by nature out of God's family; but here God's name is called upon us, and we are vifibly taken into the vifible family of God; and having his Spirit dwelling in us, we are really taken into the family; which is fignified and fealed by baptifm.

[3.] Regeneration by the Spirit of Chrift, fignified by water, Tit. iii, 5. The Spirit of Chrift in regene ration worketh like water, John iii. 5. cleansing the foul from its impurities, and making it holy. This is neceffary to our falvation, fince no unclean thing can enter the new Jerufalem; and is fignified and fealed by baptifm.

[4] Refurrection unto life eternal out of the grave by the fame Spirit, Rom. viii. 11. That baptifm has an eye to this, appears from 1 Cor. xv. 29. Elfe what Jhall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rije not? And it is reprefented by the water's going off the baptized, though more lively by the coming up out of it in dipping.

3. To fignify and feal our engagement to be the Lord's, to be his only, wholly, and for ever, Rom. vi. 4. It is a dedicating ordinance, wherein the party baptized is folemnly given up to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft. His ear is bored, that he may be the Lord's fervant for ever. He is lifted under Christ's banner, to fight against the devil, the world, and the flesh. He renounces fin and Satan, thefe his

old mafters, as being dead to fin, that he may live in newness of life. And in a word, it is a declared ac ceptance of God's covenant offered in the go pel.

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IV. I come to fhew who are the fubjects of baptifin, thofe to who baptifm is to be administered. Bip. "tifm is not to be administered to any that are out " of the visible church, till they profefs their fait in "Christ, and obedience to him; but the infants of "fuch as are members of the vifible church are to be baptized."

Negatively, (1.) Not any inanimate things, as bells, which the Papitts do, thereby horribly profaning the feal of God's covenant. (2.) Nor yet infidels, who are without the vifible church, and fo ftraners from the covenants of promife, who therefore can have no right to the feals, while they continue fo, Eph. ii. 12.

Pofitively, All thofe and thofe only who are within the covenant, without diftinction of nation, fex, or age. This is clear from the inftitution, of difcipling all nations, and then baptizing them. So whofoever they are who come into Chrift's school, and are members of his visible church, are to be baptized, and none other. So,

1. Those who are of age, whatever they have been before, are to be baptized, upon their making a credible profeffion of their faith in Christ, and obedience to him: Because in that cafe the church is to look upon them as within the covenant. It is true, if they be not fincere believers, they have not a right to it before God, but their credible profeffion gives them a right to it before the church. Both of thefe are plain in the cafe of the Ethiopian eunuch, Acts viii. 37. 38. and Peter's hearers, Act ii. 38.

2. The infants of believing parents, or visible church-members, one or both, are to be baptized : Because they are to be looked upon as within the covent, fince it runs fo, I will be thy God, and the God of thy feed, &c. Gen. xvii. 7. Acts ii. 38. 39. And the 3 A

VOL. III.

benefits of the covenant belong to them, Matth. xix. 14. who then can forbid them the feal of the cove nant? They were circumcifed under the Old Teftament, and the grace of God is not narrower now than it was then. They are comprehended in the inftitution, as making a part of nations, and are reckoned difciples, Acts xv. 10. And fo the apostles baptized whole families, as Paul and Silas that of the jailor, Acts xvi. 15. 33. and Paul that of Stephanas, 1 Cor. i. 16. And it is fufficient if one of the parents be a church-member, though the other be not, 1 Cor. vii. 14.

V. As to the efficacy of baptifm, we may obferve three things.

1. It confists in effectual fealing and applying Christ and his benefits to the baptized party, 1 Pet. iii. 2 1.

2. It is not effectual to all that receive it, as appears from the cafe of Simon, who after baptifm remained in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity, Acts viii. 13. 23. And this the unholy lives of many baptized in their infancy do teftify.

3. It is not tied to the moment of administration, but though not effectual in the time it is administered, may afterwards be effectual, through the working of the Spirit, John iii. 5. 8.

VI. As to the neceffity of baptifm, two things are to be obferved,

1. It is not of abfolute neceffity to falvation, as if the fimple want thereof could hinder falvation. For God has not made baptifin and faith equally necessary, Mark xvi. 16. And circumcifion was not to be administered before the eighth day, Gen. xvii. 12 *.

* The words are, And he that is eight days old shall be circumcifed among you, every man-child in your generations. The author, in his manufcript on Genefis, renders the words thus." "And one going on eight days; he shall be circumcifed for you; [even] every male; ihroughout your generations. That is, fhould one once be going on eight days,

though there is no reason to doubt but fome Jewish infants died before that time.

2. It is neceffary by divine precept, as an inftituted means of falvation. So that the contempt of it is a fin, and a great one, that will damn men, unless it be pardoned through the blood of Chrift, Luke vii. 30. But this contempt cannot be afcribed to the child, before he come to the years of difcretion, and fo cannot. involve him in guilt; but unto the parents. So that Gen. xvii. 14. is to be understood of the child come to years *.

then he is bound by this law. Before he is of that age, he is not obliged to be circumcifed: but on the eighth day he falls under the obligation to it, which still abides on him thereafter, during his uncircumcifion. Compare ver. 14. And every male was to be circumcifed for the family of Abraham, or in their name, fee the note, above, P. 352.; and this throughout their generations fucceffively, during the whole time of the being of circumcifion as a divine ordinance. By this conftitution there would be almoft a continual renewing of the feal of the covenant, among them; and that respecting not only the party circumcifed at the time, but the whole body of the people, men and women. Whence it appears, what ground there is for Chriftians improving the adminiftra ion of baptifm to infants, time after time, for the confirming of their own faith of the covenant. Compare with this phrafe, circumcifed for you, 1 Cor. xv. 29. baptized for the dead. Baptifm, as often as it is administered according to Chrift's institution, doth by his appointment feal the whole benefits of the covenant of grace, not only to the party receiver, but the whole of the body, within the covenant: the refurrection of the dead faints is a special benefit of the covenant, in virtue of it fecured to them, even as remiffion of fin to the living, Mat. xxii. 31. 32; and the church militant and triumphant are but one body, all of them together being embodied in one covenant, Eph. iv. 4. 1 Cor. xii. 13. therefore, baptifm being administered to the faithful for this end, is vain, if there is no refurreclion of the dead."

The words are, And the uncircumcised man-child, whose flesh of bis foreskin is not circumcifed, that joul shall be cut off from his people he bath broken wy covenant, The author, in the aforementioned work, thus tranflates and comments on the words. “And as for an uncircumcifed one a male; who fall not crop, even the flesh of his forefkin; i. c. a male, whether of Abraham's own feed, or born in the houle, or acquired by money; who being come to the years of dif cretion (the Jews fay the thirteenth year of his age), his circumcifion having been neglected by his parents or mafter, thall not then fee to his own circumcifion effectually; he thall be liabl; as follows.

A few inferences fhall conclude this fubject.

Inf. 1. Baptism is not to be administered to any perfon oitener than once. This is plain from the nature of the ordinance, Tit. iii. 5. we being but once ingrafted and regenerated.

2. Improve your baptifm agreeable to the nature of it, and the ends of its inflitution. It is a grofs neglect, that we are not often putting the queftion to our felves, Into what was I baptized? Alas! Alas! many make no more use of their baptifm rightly, than if they had never been baptized. Though ye were but once baptized, ye fhould be improving it all your life long, and particularly when ye fee others baptized.

(1.) improve it for raifing your hearts in thankfulnefs to God, that ever ye were fealed with the feal of God's covenant, and had his name called on you, while many in the world are utter ftrangers to the covenants of promife.

(2.) Improve it for your ftrengthening against temptation; confidering that you are the Lord's, not your own, and are under the moft folemn and awful engagement to God, to refift the devil, the world, and the flesh; and alfo drawing ftrength from the death Then in that cafe that perfon even that, shall be cut off, from his people ahatfoever: i.e. Such a one is guilty, and of whattoever people he be, he thall be cut off from his people, by death; which he thall be put to, for his contempt, whether by the hand of the magiftrate, or otherwife. Even my covenant be bath made void : i. e. He hath thrown it away, or trampled it under foot, as refufe. The punishment to be inflicted, is not more fevere, than the crime is atrocious. The criminal had free access to the covenant of grace, with the righteousness of faith, and all the other benefits of it; whether he was of Abraham's teed, or not; being incorporated with Abraham's family; he was under the obligation of a law, to receive the covenant, perfonally to enter into it; and, in token thereof, to receive the feal of it, ver. 11, 12. 13.: he is come to years, and capable of judging for himfelf: and the hazard of refufing is told him. But he contemns the feel; he will not circumcife himfelf. Thus he makes void the covenant; making the device of heaven for falvation, ufeiefs and of none effect to himfeif, by his obftinacy: he contemptuoufly throws it away from him, as emply kufles, dregs, and refuje, in which there is no force nor energy, no jajn po favour; and treads it under foot. Comp. Heb. x. 28. 29.

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