the sign and the thing signified, else it were not a sacrament; that as water washeth away the filth of the body, so the blood of Christ delivereth our souls from the guilt and damnableness of sin. "The blood of Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin.”1 The metaphor of cleansing must have respect to baptismal water. Again, "Who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his blood."2 Where the Scripture speaks of washing from sin, it must be taken from the water of baptism, figuring the virtue of Christ's blood, that in the sight of his Father makes us white as snow. The Scriptures, indeed, strike most upon the other string, and more directly, as "Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word."3 "He saved us by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost:" and in many other places. Therefore, our liturgy falls most upon the purifying operation of the Spirit, to be shadowed in the outward washing of water. As when it prays, 'Send thy Holy Spirit to these infants, and grant that they may be baptized with water and with the Holy Ghost:' and 'grant that all that are baptized, may receive the fulness of thy grace.' Spiritual regeneration is that which the Gospel hath set forth to be the principal correlative of baptism. O happy it is for us to be born again by water and the Holy Ghost! For better it were never to be born than not to be born twice. God put a good mind into us, and reform one great fault in us; which is, that our baptism being past over a great while ago, we cast it out of our memory, and meditate but little upon the benefits and comforts of it. We are got into the Church, and do in a sort forget how we got in. Whereas the whole life of a 1 John i. 7. 2 Rev. i, 5. 3 Eph. v. 25. 4 Titus iii. 6. Christian man and woman should be a continual reflection how in baptism we entered into covenant with Christ, to believe in him, to serve him, to forsake the devil, the vanities of the world, and all sinful desires of the flesh.' Water is a pellucid element to look through it to the bottom: so often look through the sanctified water, to see what Christ hath done for you, and what you have engaged to do for Christ. And there is no heart so full of blackness and melancholy, but will recover upon it, and be as fresh in sound health, as if it were filled with marrow and fatness. Well did St. Paul put baptism among the principals and foundations of Christian doctrine;1 for all the weight of faith, sanctification and mercy, doth upon it. Recount this by particulars. lie 1. The first thought that my soul hath upon it is, that I am no longer a stranger and foreigner, but a fellow-citizen with the saints, and of the household of God. I am no more afar off, but made nigh by the blood of Christ, partaker of the privileges of the Church, and called by the new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name,3—a Christian. 2. Secondly; I find that I have gained to have the highest point of faith unfolded to me, which was but darkly discerned in the Old Testament, to confess the Holy Trinity, in which faith I was baptized. For because that mystery was revealed at Christ's baptism, it goes ever along with this sacrament: all nations being baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. 3. Thirdly; I observe that my Christian engagement allows me not the liberty of sinning after the custom of the world; but obligeth me to the strict discipline of my Lord, to live holily, justly, and soberly, to walk in newness of life, as planted into the 1 Heb. vi. 2. 2 Eph. ii. 19. 3 Isa. lxii. 2. likeness of Christ's death, so to die unto sin: for "he that is dead is freed from sin." In every thing, and at all times, I must remember what the sureties at the font, called godfathers and godmothers, did promise for me in my name; which the liturgy of Geneva retains in these words-' Do you promise to warn this child to live according to God's word, and make the law of God the square of his life to live by?' It is a binding ceremony, and we are brought up from our tender years in the knowledge of it, that we continually may feel the work of the ordinance, to have our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with clean water." And " many as are baptized into Christ, have put on Christ."3 To put on Christ, is to follow Christ in the law of a new creature, and to perfect holiness; without which no man shall see God. as 4. Fourthly; I have assurance that the Spirit is not disjoined from the water: for God's word cannot fail, that we shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. "But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."4 The power given to keep the covenant, makes it a covenant of grace: else we shall administer but the letter, and not the spirit. The outward act of man, unless we make ourselves unworthy, is certainly assisted with the increase of God. If the good effect ensue not, the sacrament doth not want its virtue, but the receiver marred it. Very much is to be ascribed to the word preached; it is a powerful means to convert us, and to save us. "Take heed unto thy doctrine, for in doing this thou shalt save thyself, and them that hear thee." And, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and 2 Heb. x. 21, 22. 3 Gal. iii. 27. 51 Tim. iv. 15. 1 Rom. vi. 7. 995 991 abideth in you.' The word disposeth and prepares : God is the efficient cause of our regeneration. Now this sacrament, whether we speak of infants, they are to call to mind how they received the outward seal of grace; or, whether we speak of converts of ripe years, who, at the same time, were taught the virtue of it, it hath reason to work more powerfully and effectually upon their knowledge and affections, than doctrine alone; because Christ and his benefits are manifested in a sensible operation, which himself did dignify in his own person, at the waters of Jordan, and afterward institute it to be used by his disciples. neration."2 5. The fifth thing that I draw from hence, gives me exceeding consolation in Christ, that no man who is made the child of God is in the damnable state of sin; therefore, in baptism, being made the adopted child of God, I have obtained the pardon of all sins, original and actual; as Naaman was cured of all his leprosy. "Who saved us by the washing of rege"Be baptized every one of you, in the name of the Lord Jesus, for the remission of sins." So Ananias said to Paul-" Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins." Yea, but some will cavil, Infants have not faith; and God hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood: and he that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved." I will not contend about it, whether baptized infants have a secret imperceptible habit of faith: I am sure there is innocency of life in them instead of faith. They that are of age to come to the knowledge of faith, must bring their own faith with them to the font but for infants, they have privilege to be in church-communion, by the faith of the church wherein they were born. There is another contest made by some, that, 'Notwithstanding baptism, original sin 11 Pet. i. 23. 2 Tit. iii. 6. 3 Acts ii. 38. 5 Mark xvi. 16. remains in us all the days of our life.' True; the sin is not blotted out in the infant, but it is blotted out of the book of God. And as actual sins are pardoned for Christ's sake, yet it cannot be brought about that they should never be done which are done and past, but it is enough that they shall not be imputed: so original sin cleaves unto us; it is not cast out, for I feel it in me; but it is remitted. 6. For the complement of this subject, the largest and the longest comfort flowing from the grace of baptism is, that we are to rely upon the covenant, made between God and us therein, for the remission of all our sins which we commit after baptism to the end of our life. Far be it from me to say, that it sufficeth us to cast our eyes back to the covenant then made, as if the bare and historical memory of it did suffice to blot out sins; that is but an empty flash and a vapour of presumption. But this I say-build upon the eternity and infallibility of God's truth; and then, by a true and sure grasping faith, joined with repentance, renew yourself in God's mercies by the promise of the old baptismal covenant. Repentance is a condition never to be omitted to lift us up again, when we have been overtaken with sins. But faith doth not comfort itself in the sincerity of repentance, which in us is ever imperfect, but in Christ's merits once for all, consigned to us in baptism. For the Scriptures speak indefinitely, that the laver of regeneration purgeth away all our sins; it doth not speak restrictively of sins past, as if it did operate no longer than in that moment when the water is sprinkled; for baptism doth now, at the very present time, save us.1 And some collect it out of that figurative place,2 Every thing where the waters do come, shall live.' After a shower of rain hath fallen, and ceaseth, the 66 |