SERMON I.

The Improvement of Baptifm is a Thing of more Value than the Mode and the Subjects. It was appointed by Christ, adminiftered by Teachers: Always defired by Converts. To be performed in the Ufe of Water, in the Name of God, (which makes it one of the greatest Works in Life) i. e. with regard to his Authority, Command, Perfection, Honour, Favour, Bleffing, Image, Mercy, Capacity, and the Communion of his Saints. It was not a Practice borrow'd from the fetes. Chrift's Deity argued from the Ordinance. We are univerfally refigned to him; worship

him as God, with an open Profeffion.

-Baptizing them into the Name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghoft.

SERM.

I.

Have not chofen thefe Words to enter tain you with any doubtful Difputations about the Subject or the Mode of Baptifm, but upon a fuperior Design; and that is, a right Improvement of the OrdiThe other way of preaching minifters 1 Tim. que- i. 4.

narice.

I.

SERM. queftions, rather than godly edifying that is in Faith; what what I aim at, is a Point in which we are all united. It's a more awful Queftion what it is to be baptized, than who fhould be the Perfons, and how it ought to be performed.

Rom. xiv. 10.

Rom.

XV. 7.

Eph.

iv.5.

I think it no hard Matter for fincere Chriftians to be convinced, that it's poffible to differ with equal Love to God, and equal Charity to one another. There's no Occafion, on this account, to judge and fet at nought your Brother. If If you fee there's a Spirit of Religion in the People, take Care you do not ruin it in the Manner of this Debate; don't fpeak of that with Contempt which others obferve with Reverence; but receive one another as Chrift has received us to the Glory of God. Let not that which is Matter of Conscience to them be matter of Ridicule to you.

I have all the Conviction that can be defired, that many who offer their Children to God in Baptifm durft not be guilty of profaning an Ordinance, and that many who take another Method durft not be guilty of neglecting a Duty. Each of them gives God Thanks, and obey what they take to be his Will. He has a Glory from them both; they are equally accepted by him. Religion has not made either Opinion a Term of Communion with God, and I fee no Need that it should be a Term of Communion with Men. As we have one Lord, and one Faith, fo we have no more than one Baptifm.

'Tis poffible that People may agree in their Notions upon the Manner of Administration, and be never the better for it. Whatever my Opinion is about Dipping or Sprinkling, without the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghoft, 'tis all as Water fpilt upon the Ground, that cannot be gathered. What fignified the Circumcifion of Ishmael in his In

4

fancy,

I.

fancy, or the Baptifm of Simon Magus in his SERM. riper Years? They were each of them called the external Seals of a Covenant, which the Perfons knew nothing of: The one was a Mocker, and Gen. the other in the Gall of Bitterness. And there- xxi. 9. fore, as I faid, 'tis of much greater Importance, 21. to know what it is to be baptized; for as many Rom. of you as have been baptized into Chrift, have put on Chrift.

I don't speak this with any Contempt of the outward Sign. I believe the Ufe of Water in this Solemnity is by the Appointment of Chrift Jefus, and what he has bound upon his Churches to the End of the World. But it's the Spirit, the Meaning, the Inftruction, the Advantage of the Ordinance, that you and I are concerned in.

The Words of the Text are well known to give us fome Account of both, they are the last Orders that our great Law-giver left with his Disciples, after he had finished Tranfgreffion, and made an End of Sin; after he was raised to the Right Hand of God, and had received all Power both in Heaven and Earth. In this Fulnefs of Authority he directs thofe whom he had chosen and ordained. to go into all Nations.

His Empire was now unconfined; He himself was fent only to the Loft Sheep of the Houfe of Ifrael, but his Servants were to make Difciples every where. To which Purpose he does not only appoint the preaching of the Gospel, but a new Solemnity, in which they expreffed their Dedication to him, being baptized into the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Acts viii.

vi. 8.

The Perfons employed in this. Work were the Luke fame who fhould be endued with Power from on xxiv. 48, high, and fent out as Witneffes to Him. 'Tis a 49. Part of the minifterial Office, and joined with our teaching Men to obferve all Things that he has E

com

Acts ii.

41.

SERM. Commanded. We find that the Preachers of the I. Gospel always did it, and the People who gladly received the Word, defired it. How indifferent foever it appears to fome in our Day, yet the Grace of God never failed to ftir up an early Regard to it in Times of Old. The three Thoufand Souls converted at Peter's Sermon, were baptized and added to the Church the fame Day. Though we do not read that Philip did any more to the Eunuch than preach Chrift Jefus from the 534 of Ifaiak, yet the Spirit that opened his Undertanding to a Mystery did the fame to an Ordinance. As they came to a certain Water, the Eunuch makes the Propofal; he was not prompted to it, or pufh'd upon it, but speaks as foon as he faw; bere is Water, what hinders me to be baptized? And though Saul after his Converfion was not thus hafty, yet Ananias would xxii. 16. have made him fo; why tarrieft thou? Arife and be baptized, and wash away thy Sins, calling on the Name of the Lord. And thus faith Peter upon the Succefs of his Miniftry at Cefarea, can any Man forbid Water, that these should not be baptized?

Aas viii.

36.

X. 47.

The Words of our Lord's Inftitution, baptize them into the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, lead us to confider this great Solemnity; firft, as it is an external Action; and, fecondly, as the Defign and Meaning of it is explained at large. The external Sign is baptizing; the Heart, the Soul, the Signification of it is, that it's done in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft.

1. The Thing that he directs them to is Baptifm, which fignifies the Ufe of Water upon the Body. That the Action itself is of no Value, we can own as readily as they who deride it: But the Queftion is, whether it is not the Will

of