THE great Apostle of the Gentiles, in this Epistle, hath been vindicating the same blessed Doctrine, concerning the Justification of the Soul before God by the Righteousness of Christ (which Chap. 4. v. 6. he calleth an imputing of righteousness without works) received by faith, which we are at this day contending for: A Doctrine which Luther was wont to call, The Article of a standing or falling Church: A Church keeping, or losing its purity and integrity, as it upholds, or loseth this great truth. Of which we may say, as one of the Ancients concerning that Text, 1 Tim. 1. 15. It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. We could better want the Sun in the firmament, than this great light in holy Writ. Or as David said of the Sword of Goliah, V. Lutheri E­pist. ad Eremi­tam, in Sculteti annal. in anno 1517. There is none to it; without which it is impossible to relieve a soul in a distress of Conscience, and under the violence of a temptation, as Luther rightly judged upon his restoring of this great point in Germany, in the beginning of that Reformation, of which God made him so blessed an instrument. This is that great Doctrine which made St. Paul profess, Chap. 1. v. 16. that notwithstanding all the opposition the Jews made to it, notwithstanding all their scoffs and drolleries, he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek: For (v. 17.) therein the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; and conformable to the Do­ctrine of the Old Testament (the New Testament being, as Au­gustine called it, the Revelation of the Old, as the Old was Occul­tatio [Page 2] novi, the New Testament in a Mystery), for it was written there, Hab. 2. 4. The just shall live by faith. That text, Rom. 1. 17. Luther tells us infinitely perplexed him, he was miserably tor­tured to understand how the righteousness of God should be revealed from faith to faith; for still he dream'd (having been all his life­time before a Papist) of a righteousness of his own; but at last he began to conceive that the Righteousness of God might signifie in a passive sense, not a righteousness in which a man should walk be­fore, and towards God, but the righteousness wherein a man should appear before God as righteous; as the power of God, and the wis­dom of God, in some Texts signifieth that power by which God maketh us strong, and that wisdom by which God maketh us wise. Now as life and immortality, so this righteousness was not first discovered, but brought to light by the Gospel, fully and clearly there manifested. When Luther apprehended this, he Jam quanto o­dio vocabulum. Justitia Dei oderam ante: tanto amore dulcissimum istud vocabu­lum extollebam, ita miki iste lo­cus Pauli fuit vere Porta pa­radisi. Luth. Jenae. t. 1. op. in praefat. tells us the Gospel looked upon him with quite another face. Now, saith he, look how much I before hated that word, The righte­ousness of God; so much now I loved that most sweet word, and that place of St. Paul was to me the very gate of Heaven. This Doctrine was but darkly revealed in the Old Testament in types and prophe­cies, and dark sayings; but in the Gospel it is fully revealed, viz. That the righteousness by which a soul is justified, and by which it must stand righteous before God, is not a righteousness of Works, neither an obedience of the law contained in Ordinances, which law is perished; nor yet our obedience to the Moral Law, whether by works done before, or after conversion; but the righteousness of Jesus Christ on Gods part imputed to us without works, on our part received by faith, as it is expounded Phil. 3. 10. and in several other places of the New Testament. The Apostle having laid down this Pro­position in Chap. 1. v. 16, 17. he confirmeth it by a very great variety of argument in the remaining part of the first Chapter, and in Chap. 2, 3, 4, 5. In the first and second Chapters he proveth it by an Induction: If works will justifie any, they must either be the works of the Heathens, or the works of the Jews. As to the first, he proveth that the works of the Heathens could not, for they were abominable, such as the wrath of God was revealed against, Acts of ungodliness and unrighteousness. Chap. 2. He proveth that the works of the Jews could not, for they were imperfect, and they rested in some rituals, and external priviledges, which could never justifie a soul. In the third and fourth Chapters he [Page 3] proveth it as by other arguments, so from the instances of Abra­ham and David; the same way that Abraham the Father of the faithful was justified, the same way must all believers (his children) be justified; and the same way that David was justified, the same way also must we be justified; but Abraham and David were both justified by an imputed righteousness. In the fifth Chapter he ar­gueth from the sweet fruits which flow from justification by faith. In that Chapter, v. 20. he had said, But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. The wise Apostle foresaw there would be that very clamorous objection made, which we hear now made against this excellent Doctrine of the Gospel, viz. That it openeth a door to licentiousness, destroyeth any obligation to good works, giveth a license to sin, &c. He therefore in this Chapter obviateth this silly, or malicious cavil, What shall we say then (saith he)? shall we continue in sin, that grace may bound? May we then neg­lect any good works, because we are not justified by works, but by the aboundings of grace freely imputing the righteousness of Christ to us?

1. He aversateth this, and rejects such a notion with utmost abhorrence and detestation. God forbid (saith he) far be it from us to assert any such thing, or to lay down any position from whence any such thing can be reasonably concluded. Then he proceeds to prove, that there can be no such conclusion drawn from his premises: For (saith he) how shall they who are dead to sin, live any longer therein? The strength of the Argument lyeth in this Hy­pothesis, That God at the same time that he dischargeth the soul from the guilt of sin, and the obligation to death, under which sin layeth it, doth also renew and sanctifie the heart, and de­stroyeth the Souls appetite and love to sin; so that sin hath no longer a power and dominion over the Soul: and look as for a dead man to live, is a contradiction; so it is no lesser contradiction for a justified soul to live in sin; every justified soul hath an heart dead to sin, and so cannot any longer live therein; he may be overtaken with faults; he doth sin seven times in a day; and who knoweth how often he offendeth? But he sinneth not as other men; he cannot live in sin, much less take an encouragement to sin from the grace of God abounding towards his soul for the justification of it.

2. In the Text which I have read to you, he proveth it from our Baptism, Know you not (saith he) that so many of us as are [Page 4] baptized into Christ, are baptized into his Death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death. In the words you have,

1. A Preface, Know you not? Which confirms the following Proposition, as a Proposition of undoubted truth, and great Evi­dence, such as all good Christians must be supposed to know; and it were strange if any understanding Christian should be ignorant of so evident a truth.

2. A Proposition, in those words, So many of us as are baptized into Christ, are baptized into his Death.

3. Here is the proof of this Proposition, or (if you had rather call it so) an Inference upon this Proposition, We are therefore bu­ried with him by Baptism into death. What is necessary for the Ex­plication of the words, you shall have in the Explication of the Proposition; which for the advantage of your memories, I shall deliver you in the words of the Text.

The Proposition will only require Explication and Application. In the first I have these Questions (which all of them have their difficulty) to open to you.

• Quest. 1. What this is to be baptized into Christ?
• Quest. 2. What it is to be baptized into the death of Christ? and in what sense those who are baptized, are baptized into the death of Christ?
• Quest. 3. How we are buried with Christ by Baptism into death?

Quest. 1. What is this to be baptized into Christ?

I do not think that this is to be expounded by being baptized ac­cording to the true form of Baptism, In the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost. I can easily allow that to be comprehended in this phrase, but I can by no means allow it to exhaust the full sense of it; for I cannot understand how in that sense a person baptized, can be said to be more baptized into Christ, than into the Father or the Holy Ghost, [...] must certainly be more than [...]. Ambrose is (I think) a little critical, when to justifie this restriction of sense against the aforementioned obvious ob­jection, [Page 5] he tells us, That in the name Christ, is not only to be un­derstood that person whom the name denotes (viz. the second person in the Trinity), but the other two persons, qui mittit, he who sends, who is the Father; and qui ungit, he who annointeth, who (saith he) is the Spirit, the third person in the blessed Tri­nity.

2. We often meet with phrases much a-kin to this in holy Writ, [...], in the name of Jesus Christ, Acts 2. 38. In the name, [...], of the Lord Jesus; in the name of Paul, [...], Acts 8. 16. 1 Cor. 1. 13. [...], into Moses, 1 Cor. 10. 3. We are bap­tized into one body, [...], 1 Cor. 12, 13. Into Christ, Gal. 3. 27. (the only text in Scripture fully parallel to this), Into the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, Mat. 28. 19. We translate it [in] in the Greek, it is [...]. The phrase, as it lyes before us, may signifie several things.

1. The term of the Action: So we may be said to be baptized Actus termi­num. into Christ, 1. As we are baptized into the Gospel of Christ: thus Origen. We are not baptized into the Law, but into Christ; not into the Doctrine of Justification by works, but by faith in Christ. Christ is so much the substance of the Gospel, that his name is sometimes put for the Gospel: so we preach Christ, i. e. the Gospel of Christ The Jews were baptized into Moses, into the Cloud and the Sea, 1 Cor. 10. 3. We are baptized into Christ; they signified a Christ to come; you are baptized into a Christ al­ready come, who hath died for your sins, into a Doctrine that so teacheth you.

2. Or secondly, Into the profession of the Gospel Paul tells the believers at Ephesus, that John baptized with the baptism of Re­pentance, that they should believe on him who should come after him, Acts 19. 3. that is, on Christ Jesus: but now we are baptized into Christ, and into the Baptism of Christ; That we should believe on him who is come, who hath died for our sins, and risen again for our justifica­tion: We are baptized into the profession of this faith.

3. Or thirdly, Into Christ, that is, into the mystical body of Christ: thus Pareus: and Estius, into the number of visible Saints, visible In populum Dei adoptamur. Pareus. Professors, &c. And thus it excellently agreeth with that of our Apostle, 1 Cor. 12. 13. By the Spirit we are baptized into one body.

2. The phrase (secondly) may denote the nature of the Act of Baptism: and so two things are spoken in it.

1. That in Baptism we are dedicated, and given up to the Lord Jesus Christ: By Baptism (saith Estius) we give up our Names to Regno. & grae. illius assignari. Musculus. Christ: We are assigned over to the Grace and Kingdom of Christ. This is the very nature of Baptism, to give up, and assign the bap­tized person to the service of Christ.

2. Nay there is not only in Baptism a dedication of the Soul to Christ, to his Kingdom and Grace; but there is an initiation of the soul, and a solemn adstriction, and binding over of the soul to the service and obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a vow, and a Covenant in Baptism, as Circumcision of old was the Lords Co­venant, the sign and symbol of his Covenant with the Jewish Chil­dren; so Baptism is the Lords Covenant with Children under the Gospel. The soul of the Baptized person is not only given up unto the Lord, but it is bound over to Christ, and entereth a Covenant with him; and as the Married woman upon her Marriage covenants with her husband, and loseth her own name, and taketh that of her husband; so the baptized person covenanteth with Christ, and there takes upon it the name of a Christian. Or as Soldiers upon taking their Sacramentum (for that word properly signifies the Military-Oath taken by Soldiers to their Commander in chief) are bound, and obliged by it to the Obedience of their General; so the baptized person, upon receiving this Sacrament, becomes ob­liged, and engaged unto Jesus Christ, and is sworn in nomen impe­rationi coeti. Thus Bucer, Dickson, and Peter Martyr do expound the phrase.

3. The phrase may signifie the Exterior form of Baptism: as to Baptismi for­mam. the Administration of it, it must be in the name of Christ; so we are baptized into Christ.

1. According to the institution of Christ, he hath commanded his Ministers, saying, Mat. 28. 19. Go preach and baptize all Na­tions. This is mentioned by Ambrose, Aquinas, Pareus, Justinian, Chrysostome, Beza and P. Martyr.

2. By a solemn invocation of the name of Christ. This Beza in­sisteth upon, expounding Mat. 28. 19. Then the sense is no more than, so many of us as were baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, solemnly invoking the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Aquinas thinks this the whole sense of this text, but that I cannot agree; I shall give you my reason for it anon.

4. The phrase may import something of the significancy of this Ordinance: Every Sacrament is significative, a Sacrament is an [Page 7] outward and sensible sign. Now what doth Baptism signifie? saith the Apostle, We are baptized into Christ.

1. It is signum rei, a sign of the redemption of our Souls by the blood of Christ, of that clean water with which he hath promised to sprinkle the Souls of his people, and which he hath poured out for their sprinkling, even the blood of that lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world.

2. It is signum spei, A sign that our hope alone is in Christ Jesus, there being no other name under heaven but his by which we can be Acts 4. 12. saved, nor any salvation in any other. Thus Deodate seemeth to interpret it.

5. The phrase may signifie the End of our Baptism: If any ask, To what purpose are we and our Children baptized? the an­swer is, We are baptized into Christ, to this end,

1. That we should bear a testimony to the death of Christ, and hold forth the great truth of the Gospel to the world, that Jesus Christ is come into the world to save sinners: That he was incarnate, hath died, and is risen again from the dead; that in and through him we might have remission, and forgiveness of sins through his blood.

2. That we might bear witness that he is the alone object of our hopes, that we rest upon him, and him alone for eternal life and salvation: This is the very end why we are baptized.

3. That we might grow up in him: so Beza and Hemingius. We are by baptism, as it were implanted, and ingrafted into Christ, and as the end of the implantation, and ingrafting of a cien into a stock, or of a plant in any soil, is that it might grow up in that soil, or in that stock: So the end for which we are baptized into Christ, is, that we might grow up in Christ.

6. The phrase may be understood to signifie the fruit of Bap­tism; lest any should say, What good is there of this Sacrament? or what availeth Baptism? saith the Apostle, We are baptized in­to Christ. This is the fruit of Baptism, the Baptized person hath an interest and relation given him to Christ, and is become a mem­ber of Christ; Sacramentally so: Really so. All baptized per­sons have a real relation to the Church, whose head is Christ.

7. But lastly, This phrase may be understood to denote the Perfection of Baptism: As the Apostle distinguisheth of Circumci­sion, Rom. 2. 26, 27, 29. telling us, there is a Circumcision in the letter, and of the flesh; and there is a circumcision of the heart, in [Page 8] the spirit: So we must distinguish of Baptism; there is a baptism of Water, and there is a baptism with the Holy Ghost: There is a bap­tism of the letter, and upon the flesh; and there is a baptism in the heart, and the spirit. Now this latter is the Baptism into Christ; the other is in the name of Christ; but this most properly into Christ, it signifieth that we pass into Christ, saith P. Martyr. So, as I think, there is some difference, and that a great one, betwixt the phrase used here, and Gal. 3. 27. Baptizing into Christ; and that used in many other Scriptures, of being baptized in the name of Christ. I will shortly offer you my reason for my opinion, as to this phrase, signifying thus much.

1. In the first place the Apostles phrase seems to me, to restrain the subject of the Proposition: He doth not say All of us were bap­tized into Christ, and so into his death; but as many of us as were baptized into Christ, were baptized into his death: As much as to say, Many are baptized in the name of Christ; but some of us have not only been baptized in the name of Christ, according to the sorm he hath prescribed, with solemn invocation of his name; but we have upon our baptism, truly believing, been ingrafted into Christ, and united to him. Now so many of us as have been thus, not only been formally, but really baptized into Christ, having with the sign received the thing signified, are baptized into his death.

2. Again, Observe the Praedicate, As many of us (saith the A­postle) as are baptized into Christ, are baptized into his death. I am aware that that phrase may be interpreted, and is by some (as I shall shew you more by and by) into the sign and symbol of his death; but I do not take that interpretation to be comprehensive of the full of what that phrase importeth. I think it is interpreted, v. 6. Knowing that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin may be destroyed: which cannot be understood of all bap­tized persons, but such only as are baptized with the Holy Ghost; or according to the phrase of this text, Baptized into Christ.

3. This phrase is but once more found in Scripture, Gal. 3. 27. where you have another predicate affixed to the subject of this Pro­position: There it is, As many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. Now what it is to put on Christ, the Apostle telleth you, Rom. 13. 14. But put you on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts there­of, Eph. 4. 24. You read of putting on the new man: so Col. 3. 10. Now all that are baptized, cannot be said to have put on Christ: [Page 9] Many of them make provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts there of: Many of them have not put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and holiness.

For these reasons I do think, that to be baptized into Christ, sig­nifieth more than to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I conclude then my discourse in answer to this Que­stion, thus.

1. There is an external imperfect Baptism, whereby, and where­in persons are washed with water as a Religious rite, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, with invocation on the name of Christ. Those who are thus baptized, are baptized into the Gospel-Doctrine, and the profession of it; into that one body of which Christ is the Head; they are dedicated to Christ, and make a covenant with him. They receive their Baptism as a sign, that Christ the Saviour of the World is come, hath died and risen again, and that their only hope for salvation is in and through him; they are baptized for this very end and purpose, that they might bear a testimony to the Messias his being come, having died, &c. and that they might ac­cept of him as their Saviour; hope, and rest in and upon him, and him alone, and growing up in him, &c. and their Baptism is not fruitless, in case they do repent and believe in Christ; but is a sign to them, that doing so, he will be their Saviour.

2. But there is also a more perfect Baptism, when persons are not only washed with water, but with the blood of Christ, regene­rated and sanctified, baptized with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Now (saith the Apostle) so many as are thus baptized into Jesus Christ, are baptized into his death. And that brings me to the se­cond Question.

Q. 2. What is this to be baptized into the death of Christ?

This I shall answer in three things:

1. Into the image and similitude of his death: Thus Justinian and In similitudi­nem, & imagi­nem mortis. Gorran expound the phrase: And this is two ways.

1. The first more particularly respected the manner of Baptism in those hot Countreys, which was by dipping the whole body of the baptized person in water: thus John baptized in Jordan. Ezek. 36. 25. Isa. 44. 3. This is doubtless lawful, but we say not necessary, nor amongst us expedient: Not necessary, for the grace of justification and remission, is as well in Scripture expressed by sprinkling and pouring [Page 10] water: And you read of the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, V. Aquinat. Esti. Piscat. Deodati ad loc. 1 Pet. 2. 2. and we are said to be come to the blood of sprinkling, Heb. 12. 24. signified by the blood of sprinkling under the law, Heb. 11. 28. Not expedient, or convenient; dipping a new-born Infant in water, in a probable way would endanger its life. But I say, that custom had a fairer similitude of the burial of Christ: persons buried are covered with Earth; so those baptized per­sons were covered with water: but it is as true, Earth is sprinkled and poured too upon persons buried, as water is upon the Child baptized.

2. But there is another similitude of far more value, expressed v. 6. of this Chapter, Our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed. This must be understood, when the Lord with his internal grace is pleased to concur with the Sacrament; Even as from that day, wherein Christ cursed the figtree, it withered; so from that day that a person is baptized, where Gods inward grace concurreth with the outward sign, the tree of lust and corruption decayeth and withereth.

2. Into his death, that may be into the faith, owning and pro­fession of his death; those who are baptized into Christ, do profess to believe, that Jesus Christ died for sinners; the water poured and sprinkled on them, signifieth the blood of Jesus Christ; so that Christ hath died: and their submission to that rite, to receive Baptism, is a taking upon them the faith and profession of the death of Jesus Christ.

3. Lastly, They are baptized into the fruit of his death: And this may be taken in a double sense.

1. If they be only externally baptized, and receive no more than the outward sign: yet it is, and shall be a sign unto them, that if at any time they shall heartily repent and believe, the fruit and benefit, yea all the fruit and benefit of the death of Christ shall be really and truly theirs.

2. If the Lord doth with the external sign confer the inward grace, and give the thing signified, then they are really and ab­solutely baptized into the death of Christ, and made partakers of the benefits of his redemption, being washed with the blood of the lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world. And thus much may serve to have spoken to the second Question; the third followeth.

Quest. 3. What it is to be buried with Christ by baptism into death, and how the baptized person may be said to be buried with Christ by Baptism into death?

I Answer: A baptized person may be said to be buried with Christ by Baptism into death,

1. Analogically; there being (as I said before) a great Analogy betwixt burying of a dead body, and baptizing a person; the dead person was covered with the Earth, the baptized person with Water. This was according to their manner of baptizing by dipping; to which also the Apostle alludeth, Col. 2. 12. And of old they used a trina immersio, a dipping the baptized person three times, to signifie Christs lying three days in the grave: but this usage was doubtless not so old as the Apostles times, nor was there any rule for it: Others say, they dipped the person bap­tized thrice, to signifie his being baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: Thus Aquinas, Justinian, Chryso­stome, Damascene, Theophilact and Gregory, interpret this text: but I do not think that this takes up the whole of the sense.

2. We are buried with Christ by Baptism into death Symbolli­cally, or Sacramentally: Baptism signifieth thus much to all, That if they live up to that dedication of them unto God, unto that Covenant which they enter into in Baptism, when they come up to years of discretion (if they be baptized in their Infancy) re­penting and believing, their sins shall come no more in Gods sight, but be as much buried, and out of sight, as a person (who is bap­tized by dipping in water) is out of our sight, during that in­stant. Thus the Apostle, Col. 2. 12. saith, We are buried with him in baptism. Baptism, wherein the baptized person is buried with water, signifieth the burial of the sins of that soul with Christ, who shall truly repent and believe, and dye unto sin.

3. When the Lord, together with the external sign, conferreth his grace, signified by that sign, The sins of that soul, are in that moment buried with Christ, so as they shall appear no more, either to their Souls eternal condemnation, or in their former power and dominion, as our Apostle afterward speaks in this Chapter. Sin shall not have dominion over your mortal bodies; because you are not under the law, but under grace. I have now done with the Doctri­nal part of my discourse; and the Proposition thus explained, amounts to these two things:

1. That every person who hath come under the Sacrament of Baptism, by vertue thereof is dedicated to God, and stands obliged to believe the Doctrine of the Gospel, and to make a profession of that faith, and is from that day made a member of the mystical body of Christ (so far forth as it is visible), and hath received that holy sign, upon this trust, That he or she shall not be ashamed of Christ and his Gospel, but shall accept of Christ, and the way of salvation through him revealed to the world, and commit all its spiritual concerns unto him, and rest upon him, and him alone for life and salvation; and grow up in him, avoiding the pollu­tions of the world through lusts. And this Baptism is both a sign to the soul commemorative of what Christ hath done in dying for sinners, and declarative of what he further will do in the applica­tion of his redemption to them; and that every one baptized, walking up to his Baptismal dedication and Covenant, shall cer­tainly enjoy the benefits of Christs death. And all such as come not only under the Ordinance, but who are fully and perfectly baptized with the Holy Ghost, are forthwith ingrafted into Christ, and entituled to a present enjoyment of all the benefits of his death.

2. That all such as have come under the holy Ordinance of Bap­tism, ought to look back upon their Baptism, as the Image of Christs death, and upon themselves obliged by vertue of it, to dye to sin, like as he dyed for sin: and all such as are perfectly baptized into Christ, have their sins buried with Christ, and their sins can no more rise up in judgment against them, than one that is buried can rise up to do his former actions in the world; and the power of sin is also dead in them, so as it is impossible they should any longer serve sin; and therefore the plea of those against Justification of grace for the righteousness of Christ imputed to the soul, must be vain; for that holy Doctrine cannot possibly open a door to a licentious conversation, because all such persons are baptized into Christ, and buried with Christ by Baptism into death. This I take to be the full sense of the text, and the Pro­position which I have delivered in the words of the text. Let me now come to the Application of this discourse.

Instruct. 1. This in the first place may (by way of Instru­ction) let us know, That Baptism (considered as to the action) is a most solemn, serious action, and ought to be so looked upon, [Page 13] both by the Administrator, and by those who offer themselves or their children unto it; and considered as an Ordinance of the Gos­pel, is a most useful Institution. I will dwell a little upon both these branches, it being indeed my great design in this discourse, to recover to this Ordinance the gravity and reverence that is due to it, and to make my hearers a little better to understand the meaning and usefulness of it, than the most of our people seem to do. The truth is, we are degenerated into such a careless, slighty administration of this sacred Institution, as if the Baptizing of a child were an action of no graver import, than washing its face, and an opportunity (amongst the richer) to call friends toge­ther for a banquet, or (amongst those of meaner rank) to call the richer together, to make them, or their Midwives, or Nur­ses some small presents. Let me therefore evince to you. 1. That it is a most serious Action. 2. That it is a most useful Institution.

1. That it is a most serious Action. Two things in my for­mer discourse will evince this: 1. That in Baptism there is a solemn dedication of the person baptized unto Christ. 2. That there is in it a solemn adstriction, or stipulation, or engagement of the party baptized unto Christ.

1. I say first, There is in it a solemn dedication of the person There is in Baptism a so­lemn dedica­tion of the person bap­tized to God. unto Christ. If the person baptized be adult, and grown up, he or she dedicate themselves: If they be baptized in their Infancy, their Parents (whose they are) dedicate them unto Christ. The grown person, that offereth him, or her self to Baptism, doth in effect say, Lord, I am thy creature, the work of thy hands; I have degenerated, and forgotten thee, my maker; other Lords have ruled over me; I have been servant to Idols, a servant to the Devil, to the world, to my own lusts. But, Lord! I am weary of that service, and from my heart renounce it; I have heard that thou hast sent Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners. I desire to look upon it as a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation. Lord! I do here accept it, and of that thy way of salvation, and do from my heart, this day, set my self apart unto thee, and solemnly of­fer up my self unto thee. I am Christs servant, O Lord, I am Christs servant, believing that is he who hath loosed my bands.

Admitting a child to be baptized in its infancy, then the pa­rents dedicate it. Give me leave to allude to that of Hannah, 1 Sam. 1. 27, 28. The good woman had been praying for a child, [Page 14] v. 15. having obtained a child of the Lord, v. 22. She names the child Samuel [asked of God], v. 22. She resolves when he was weaned, to carry him, that he might appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever. v. 26. she brings the child to the High-Priest Eli, and saith, Oh, my Lord! as thy soul liveth, my Lord, I am the woman that stood by thee, praying unto the Lord: For this child I prayed, and the Lord hath given me my petition I asked of him; therefore also I have lent him to the Lord: as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord. She meant it in a particular sense, that she had dedicated him to the Priestly office. But there is no parent that brings a child to Baptism, but says in propor­tion thus unto God:

O Lord! I am the person to whom thou hast given this child; for it I prayed, and thou hast given me the petition I asked of thee. Therefore also I here dedicate him to thee, O thou eternal Fa­ther! To thee, O most dear and blessed Saviour! To thee, O most holy Spirit! To the only living and true God! I here dedicate my child; and my desire is, that thou wouldst accept him, that as long as he lives he may be the Lords. Is not here now a most grave and solemn action, requiring all our thoughtfulness, seriousness, gra­vity and attention imaginable? Was the dedication of an house to God so serious an action, that Solomon at it offered a sacri­fice of 22000 Oxen, and an 120000 Sheep, and kept a feast se­ven days, and then a solemn assembly? Was the dedication of an Altar so solemn an action, that it took seven days time? 2 Chron. 7. 8, 9. And can the dedication of a child, a piece of our selves, flesh of our flesh, unto God, be judged a slighty acti­on, so as that there needs no more, than for parents, with­out any praevious thoughts, on the sudden to send for a Minister, and he in great haste to read over two or three prayers, and sprinkle water on it, saying I baptize thee, &c. I wish this slighty kind of Administration of this sacred Ordinance, flow not from that novel conceit of the necessity of Baptism to salva­tion, or the certain effect of it, upon all that shall not after­wards run on the score with God, for the washing away of the guilt of Original sin. Whatsoever it be which hath incouraged such hasty and perfunctory Administrations, I am sure they no way sute the grave nature of this solemn Administration. Dedications, if they were of no more than wood and stone, and other inanimate things, were wont to be more serious [Page 15] actions, and done in a more grave and serious manner.

2. But there is in Baptism not only a solemn dedication of the A solemn in­gagement of the Soul to God. party baptized unto God, but also a solemn adstriction, or ob­ligation of the person to God. Circumcision of old, was called Gods covenant in their flesh, Gal. 17. 13. Baptism under the Gospel succeeds into its place: It is Gods Covenant in our flesh. We read in Scripture of three ways of making Covenants be­twixt parties.

1. By words only. Thus God made a Covenant with Abra­ham, saying, I will be thy God, and of thy seed.

2. By words, and a ceremony or sign: Such a Covenant you read made of betwixt Jacob and Laban, Gen. 31. 46.

3. By a Ceremony alone. Thus the Masters boring through the ear of his servant with an Awl (the servant submitting to it), was a covenant; though at the time the servant said nothing, yet he was by that submission obliged to be his Masters servant for ever. Thus with us, the Soldiers taking Press-money, or the Kings Colours, is an actual obligation upon him to keep to the Kings service, and subjects him to death if he deserts it. Bap­tism is such a ceremony. The person brought under it is by such submission actually engaged in the service of Christ, no longer to live unto himself, nor to dye unto himself, but unto him who hath dyed for him, the sign of whose blood he hath re­ceived, in the sprinkling or pouring of water upon him. The man or woman that is baptized, doth in effect say, Let the blood of Christ, signified by this water, be a witness against me: let is be upon me for ever to confound me, if I ever apostatize from the profession of the Doctrine of the Gospel, and the Faith of Christ, or wilfully and presumptuously live contrary to his law. Is not this a most serious action, think we? Marriage is but a Cove­nant betwixt man and wife, wherein God is no party, but only called in as a witness, in it the husband and wife mutually bind themselves each to other, for the term of one of their natural lives; yet it is a most grave and serious action. I have always thought, that the most of men and women trifle a great deal too much with that, and should be much more grave and seri­ous than they are; and take many more serious thoughts, be­fore they give away themselves each to other, and put them­selves out of a power over their own bodies; and that the cursed [Page 16] Atheistical lives of very many husbands and wives, their discon­tents and breaches, and the perverse spirit mixed betwixt them, is but the effect and just punishment of men and womens hasty, slighty, and inconsiderate engagements in that Covenant: this is a Covenant of another nature, a Covenant betwixt the great God, and the baptized person; where God is not a witness only, but a party. Ought we not to be serious in such an action? O let this mind you that hear me, to bring your Children to Bap­tism, and to attend the administration of it with much more gravity and seriousness of thoughts than is usual. Believe me, it is no light action to Dedicate a child to God; not to covenant with God, that your child shall be his servant for ever. If after­ward you direct it otherwise, or shew it an example to the contrary, or omit to instruct it, and mind it of its duty, and to call upon it for the performance of it, or as much as in you lyeth to hinder it from the contrary; the child shall perish for its Apostacy, because the Oath of God was upon it; but its blood shall also be required at your hands.

2. But I told you, that as the action is serious, so the Insti­tution The useful­ness of Bap­tism. is useful. There are too many who slight this great In­stitution, because they cannot understand the usefulness of it. There are others that will make an usefulness of it beyond what I can find in holy Writ, making it, upon the work done, to wash away the guilt of Original sin, and to set the soul rectum in curia, right in the Court of Heaven. I cannot allow this; but doubt not to evince to you, That leaving this effect only to the blood of Christ sprinkled upon the conscience, Baptism is a very useful thing, and that upon a fourfold account.

1. To repel temptations to sin; and this, as it is a pre-ingage­ment To repel temptations. upon the soul. It is an excuse you often put men off with in your converses with the world, when you have no mind to meet, or treat, or converse with them, you tell them you are pre-engaged, you cannot meet with them, or deal with them, or be for them, indeed (you tell them) you are pre-engaged: thus you look often upon pre-engagements as very useful to you: You have this from your Baptism to answer all tempters, all temptations to sin, be they from what tempters they will, if Satan, if your own lusts, if the world sollicit you to Apostacy, [Page 17] either from the profession of faith which you have made, or from your practice of holiness. When the Devil makes any such im­pressions upon your souls, you can say to him, Satan! I am ingaged. When the men of the world, the sinful companions in it tempt you to cast in your lot with them, you can say to them, Friends, I cannot, I am ingaged. Every baptized per­son (as you have heard) is an ingaged person, because he is baptized into Christ. When (Nehem. 6. 2.) Sanballat and Geshem, thinking to do Nehemiah a mischief, sent to him, saying, Come let in meet together in the Villages: he sent back messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down, why should the work cease? It was Nehemiah's advantage there, that he was engaged at that time; every tempter to sin, intends to do the soul a mischief, and tempters are ever and anon treat­ing and sending to the best of souls. Baptism furnisheth the soul with a weapon to repel the fiery dart: The soul hath this to say, I am pre-ingaged in the service of my Lord and Master Je­sus Christ: I am dedicated to him; I am bound over to his service: Mark how Joseph resisted the temptation of his Mistris, Gen. 39. 9. How shall I do this great Evil, and sin against God? So should the soul say, I am baptized, I am listed in the ser­vice of Christ: How should I do this thing and break my vow, break my ingagement in Baptism to be the Lords, steal away my self from God, to whom I long since was dedicated?

2. A second thing which I shall insist upon, to shew you the exceeding usefulness of this sacred Institution is, the advan­tage the soul may have from it, to quicken it in and to the exer­cises of some habits of grace, and the performance of some duties. I shall instance in four.

1. The first I shall instance in, stedfastness in the faith of the Go­spel: To quicken the soul to the exercises of Grace. It is an exercise of grace, very often called for in holy Writ. We have indeed a liberty, and it is our duty to prove all things; but we must hold fast that which is good My beloved brethren (saith the Apostle) be you stedfast, 1 Cor. 15. 58. 1 Pet. 5. 9. Whom resist stedfast in the faith, and in many other texts. Now I say, our Reflection on our Baptism must needs have a great force in it to oblige us to this stediness; which it must needs have, if we consider it as an Oath or solemn Covenant and ingagement, under which it brings us to God: [Page 18] Religion hath little force upon that man or womans conscience, whom an Oath will not oblige to do that which he hath sworn to do. It is said of Herod, after he had sworn to give Herodias what she should ask; though she asked John Baptists head in a Charger, which Herod had no mind to give her, nevertheless for his Oath-sake he commanded it to be given her: It is true, in that case Herod was under no obligation, for the Rule is, That an Oath cannot be a bond of iniquity. But where the thing we have sworn to, or engaged for, is such, that we may do, or are otherwise bound to do, an Oath layeth a great hold upon the conscience, and makes the soul to see a further obligation to it, than what it before lay under to the doing of it. Hence you shall observe, that Paul, both to the Churches at Corinth, Ephesus and Galatia, argues to stedfastness, from this Topick. There were in the Churches of Corinth some giddy-headed per­sons, of which one said, I am of Paul; another said, I am of Apollos, another, I am of Cephas; How doth St. Paul endea­vour to reduce them? 1 Cor. 1. 13. Is (saith he) Christ divi­ded? was Paul crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I pray (saith he) consider your baptism: Were you bap­tized into the profession of my Doctrine, or into the profession of the Doctrine of Christ? Are you under Temptations to wa­ver in the profession of the great Truths and Doctrines of the Gospel? Think with your selves, Into what Doctrine, or into the profession of what Doctrine was I baptized? Was it not the Doctrine of Christ? Doth this appear to me from holy Writ to have that stamp upon it? So in Gal. 3 2, 3. This only (saith the Apostle) I would learn of you: Received you the spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith. Some of that Church were at that time running away from their profession of the Gospel, being seduced by those who in those days insisted upon Justi­fication by the works of the law. The Apostle is attempting to reduce them; he doth it by this argument, Received you the spi­rit (saith he) by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? I shall not dispute whether the Apostle there intends by receiving the spirti, the receiving peculiar to those times in the extraor­dinary gifts or manifestations of it: Or such a receiving of the spirit, as is common to all believers; either of which were then generally received, or appeared to be received about the time of [Page 19] their Baptism. Now, saith the Apostle, in all reason you ought to receive that Doctrine, upon the imbracing of which, you had such an eminent evidence of the truth of it, that you received the spirit as a seal of it, and were baptized into Christ upon your first profession and owning of it. So, as I say, our Baptism, and reflections upon it, will and must engage us to sted­fastness, unless it evidently appeareth to us, that that Doctrine was false and erroneous.

2. A second thing which our Baptism is useful to quicken us to, is, The keeping of the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. A Keeping the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. duty mentioned in Ephes. 4. 3. and mark by what argmments the Apostle perswades it, v. 4 There is one body, and one spi­rit, as you are called in one hope of your calling: One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism: There is but one body, compare that with that, 1 Cor. 12. 10. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body: That one body is the universal Church, as appears by the next words, Whether Jews or Gentiles: and upon this argument (which the Apostle would not have used, if he had not judged there had been a force in it) the Apostle perswades Ʋnity; an unity of Doctrine and Affections; for an Ʋnity in words and syllables, and in rites and ceremonies, is a stretching of that text beyond the staple, there having never at that time been such a thing in the Church of Christ, and it being what can never be attained, nor was ever commanded by the Apostle. But to perswade an unity in faith and love, he minds them of the Oneness of their Baptism, by which they were united to the Church, which is but one body: Those that you divide from, or quarrel with, are of the same body with you, and you, as well as they, were baptized into one and the same body. Di­vide not therefore, nor quarrel each with other; fall not out by the way, for you are brethren. It will sometimes put us upon agreeing with, and loving of one another, to consider that we are fellow Citizens and fellow-Soldiers; so it ought to engage us to endeavour unity, that we are fellow-members of the same body, and fellow-Citizens of the same City. There is but one body, and we were all baptized into that one body.

3. It is useful to quicken us both to the exercises of faith and To the Exer­cises of faith, and of repen­tance. repentance. The force of this lyeth in the solemn dedication of the person to God, and the Souls solemn engagement in it to be the [Page 20] Lords: both which inseparably attend this holy Institution. The soul thus reasoneth with it self: I was by nature a child of wrath, a great sinner, blind, unbelieving; when I was baptized, I was dedicated to God; I solemnly engaged my self to the ser­vice of God; I cannot be the Lords, without repenting, and believing his word, and also a receiving of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom God hath revealed to be the Saviour of them that be­lieve. Had I been an Heathen, I ought not to have been bap­tized, until I had given an evidence of my repentance, my hearty imbracing the Doctrine of the Gospel, and as hearty closing with the Lord Jesus Christ, as my hope, and my Saviour. Now though I was baptized, when a child, in my parents right; yet if I ever hope to be saved, this cannot excuse me from those great duties of Repentance and Faith, which God hath made in­separably necessary to salvation: As Circumcision availeth no­thing to those who did not keep the Law, so Baptism availeth as little to those who perform not the terms of the Gospel: Besides, when I was baptized (though an Infant) I could not indeed engage for my self; but my parents engaged for me, that (so far as lay in them) I should repent and believe; they have fulfilled their parts to me, in calling upon me for it, and pres­sing these things upon me; or if they have not, yet the Cove­nant of God is in my flesh: and I am ingaged to do these things, not only because they are the necessary terms of my salvation, but in regard I have covenanted in Baptism to do it. It is true, it is not in my power, without the special efficacious grace of God, to repent, or to believe; but I am under the Oath of God, to do what in me lyes to do it, to avoid those gross sins, which it is in my power to avoid, by vertue of the common grace of God denied to no man; Wherein I have offended, to set down, sadly to reflect on them, and to beg of God a broken heart for them, to wait upon all holy Institutions, which may be conducive to these ends, &c.

4. To name no more. It is useful to quicken us up to Holiness, and that part of it especially which lyeth in the mortification of our To the exer­cise of Mor­tification. members; Why, because, saith the Apostle, we are Baptized into his death, and buried with him by baptism into death: We are not only baptized into a belief, and a profession of a belief of his death, but into a fellowship with his death; a part of which lies [Page 21] in a dying to sin, as he dyed for sin: For, saith the Apostle Pe­ter, 1 Pet. 4. 1. He that hath suffered in the flesh, hath ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh; to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. Observe the words which go before, v. 2. For as much therefore as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm your selves likewise with the same mind, &c. From whence I infer, That our fellowship with Christs suffering in the flesh, lyeth in our cessation from sin. Now I have shewed you, that in Baptism a Sacramental representation of Christs suffering in the flesh, and our submission to that holy Institution, engageth us to a conformity to the death of Christ, and to a fellowship with it, that is, to a ceasing from sin; For, saith my text, we are buried with him by baptism into death: and it followeth, That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. And again, v. 6. Knowing that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin: For he that is dead, is free from sin. The meditation of this, is of great use to ingage us to Holiness; as there is in this Ordinance an ingagement upon us to dye unto sin, and to maintain that as well as other parts of the spiritual fight. Thus I have shewed you the usefulness of this Ordinance to quicken the soul.

3. It is useful likewise to corroborate and strengthen the soul: Baptism, how it is useful to help and strengthen the Soul. and that both in the Exercises of faith, and of holiness. 1. In the exercises of faith. Faith either respects the Proposition of the word, which faith agreeth to as truth: Or, 2. The person of the Mediator, who alone is the object of saving, justifying faith, the primary, and more remote object, though the promises of the Gospel be the proximate and mediate object, in and by which the soul receiveth Christ; and by means of which, through the assistance of the Spirit, the soul committeth it self to him, as to all its spiritual concerns, respecting eternal life and salvation. As to both these, Baptism is (if made use of) a great help: In­deed all Sacramental signs are so, and given for that end. I re­member when God instituted the Jewish Passover, after the de­scribing the rise of it, Exod. 12. from v. 3. to v. 26. he addeth v. 26, and 27. And it shall come to pass, that when your chil­dren shall say unto you, What mean you by this service? you shall [Page 22] say, It is the sacrifice of the Lords Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyp­tians, and delivered our houses. God foresaw, that that great deliverance would in time be forgotten, or not believed, that God should shew such favour to a small oppressed number of peo­ple, as to bring them out of slavery; to slay one in every family of the Egyptians, might be questioned (especially considering the world was never very apt to believe stories of distinguishing Grace or Providence), therefore God instituted the Passover, to continue the memory, and revive the faith of so great a sal­vation. But how much greater a salvation was here, For God to send forth his own Son (the Antitype to that Paschal lamb) to take upon him our flesh, and to dye in our nature for sinners upon the Cross? to agree to this, was like to be a much harder exercise of faith: To revive the memory, and keep alive the ex­ercise therefore of faith, as to this miracle of salvation, God in­stituted two Sacraments of the New Testament: ordained two sacred Actions to be done, that when our Children should say to us, Father! or Mother! What is the meaning of this? We might say, these are the Lords Sacraments, that you may be­lieve what the Scripture tells you, that the sins of souls are on­ly washed out by the blood of Christ, here signified and repre­sented; and that if ever you will be saved, you must, as you submit to this Ordinance, so also submit to the acceptance of him and his righteousness, and look for salvation from him, and no other; and that you might believe the Gospel is not a Ro­mance, but a true History of what he, who was the Son of God, did in dying for your sins, that you might not dye eternally. And that when our own unbelieving hearts are over-whelmed in the thoughts of these things, and saying, Surely such a thing could not be, the mercy is too big for the grasp of our reason and comprehension; we might help our selves by reflecting on our Baptism, and our frequent communicating at the Lords table; and chide down those risings of unbelief, saying, If this were not, What is the meaning of sprinkling persons with water in Bap­tism? or our so often meeting at the Lords table to eat bread and drink wine, signifying the flesh and blood of Christ? And as to that faith which is saving and justifying, the object of which is the person of the Mediator; the soul is also helped in that, as [Page 32] it is helped in the other faith: For the more the Soul is con­firmed in the Doctrine and Proposition of the Gospel, and the truth of that, the more ground it seeth to look for no other name under heaven by which it should be saved, but to go out of it self unto him; as one, who because he was God, is able to save to the utmost; and because he submitted to be made man, to dye upon the Cross, to pay a price for lost man, evidenced his unquestionable willingness, to seek and to save that which was lost, so as the soul hath no longer any pretence or colour to doubt or question the sufficiency, or willingness of this Saviour. Thus this great Ordinance, if duly improved, is of exceeding great use to us, to help our Souls in their exercises of faith: the Soul, as it were here, reacheth its hand to put into the holes of Christ's side, and its fingers to lay in the print of the nails.

2. Nor is it less helpful to the soul in the exercises of holiness: And this not only as it layeth the soul under an engagement to it, of which I spake sufficiently before: but also in regard of the secret blessing of the Lord, attending Baptism, where a Chri­stian setteth himself to fulfil the ends of it.

I Answer. 1. Possibly you have not stirred up your Baptismal-grace. I remember St. Paul calls to Timothy, to stir up the gift of God which was in him; and (1 Tim. 4. 14.) not to neglect the gift of God, which was in him, by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery. I do not think that any saving-gift is given to any by Baptism, more than there is to a Minister, by setting him a-part to the Ministry. But there is doubtless a gift given the Baptized person, conducive to his sal­vation; if he will make a due and just improvement of it, he hath a new character put upon him, and is by it taken out of the Pagan World; he hath a new vow upon him; he hath a new dedication. Now if men and women will never seriously consider, and think on this; never revive the memory of it, or whet it [Page 24] upon their souls; it is no wonder to hear them complain, that they find no benefit, fruit, or advantage by it. A Scholar may be at a loss about a Notion or Question, in which twenty books he hath in his Study would resolve him; but if he knoweth not how to use his books to that end, or will never take down a book to look for any help from it; he may complain that none of all the books in his Study will do him good in the case: The Question is, What they would do if he lookt into them, or knew how to use them?

To this I answer with Cyprian, To take upon us Christs name, Christi nomen induere, & non per Christi vi­am pergere, quid aliud est quam praevari­catio divini no­minis. Cypr. and not to walk in his ways, is but to profane and abuse his most holy Name. The Soldiers taking Press-money, or being listed, helps him, if he runs from his Colours very little, unless it be to a shameful end of his life; but if he keeps him to his colours, it helps him to his pay, and to his reward according to his ser­vice.

A man may have in his Yard several pieces of Timber, which do him no service at all: he may have great heaps of Stones that do him no good, but only annoy and trouble his Yard: But if this man begins to build, then they help him, every stone, every foot of Timber is useful to him. It is thus with our Bap­tism, it lies by us of little use, till we begin the spiritual build­ing; it is a piece of timber, a stone cut out and squared for that: When a man begins this work, then his Baptism helpeth. In short, the water of Baptism is much like the water of jealousie: of which you read Numb. 5. 27. If the defiled woman adventured to drink of it, it became bitter, and made her belly to swell, and her thigh to rot, and the woman to be a curse amongst her people: but if she were clean, it made her fruitful: So doth the water of Baptism in a more spiritual sense. If the baptized person, after it, lives an unbelieving, unholy life, it causeth a rot in him, and becomes a curse to him: But if a person adhereth to the faith, and lives an holy life, in conformity to his Baptismal-Dedi­cation and Vow, and maketh use of his Baptism; it maketh [Page 25] him fruitful, and helpeth him in every good work.

4. The last thing wherein I shall shew you the usefulness of this sacred Institution, is with reference to its confirming, seal­ing to, and assuring of the soul.

1. It sealeth to us, assureth us of, and confirms to us the truth Baptism is useful to as­sure, confirm, and seal. of the great Proposition of the Gospel. That this Rite was used in the Apostolical Church, that it hath been used ever since in the Church of Christ, is out of doubt: Now what is the mean­ing of it? what doth it signifie, but that Christ is come into the world to save sinners, and that our souls are washed clean from their filthiness by the blood of Christ? So that either these things must be true, undoubtedly true, or the whole Christian World in all ages hath been mistaken.

2. It seateth, and confirmeth this unto us, That if we truly repent, and receive the Lord Jesus Christ, our sins shall be washed away with his blood, and sin shall not have dominion over us: These are the two great promises of the Gospel: and in Baptism there is a mutual stipulation, it is neither a single promise on Gods part to us, nor a single vow on our part to God; but it is a Covenant, Gods Covenant in our flesh, as God himself stiled Cir­cumcision; to which Baptism succeedeth, being a seal of the same Covenant.

3. It is a confirmation to us of our favour with God, liberty of access unto God. In baptism we have the Name of God put up­on us; the baptized person, like the circumcised Jew, is called by Gods Name, In populum Dei adoptatur, he is adopted into Gods family. It is very pleasant to see and observe what use the ser­vants of God have made of this being called by Gods Name, in their pleadings with God, Jer. 14 9. Thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not, Jer. 15. 16. I am called by thy name, O thou Lord God of Hosts, Dan. 9. 18, 19. O my God, incline thine ear, and hear and behold our de­solations, and the City which is called by thy name. O Lord hear, O Lord forgive, O Lord hearken, and do for thine own sake, O my God, for thy City, and thy people are called by thy name. Shall not a Christian, that forgets not the kindness of his youth, and the love of his Espousals, go to God, and say, Lord leave me not, I was baptized into thy name? or, Lord help me, for I was baptized into thy name? Mark how many Promises are made to [Page 26] those that are called by the Lords name, 2 Chron. 7. 13, 14. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, &c. If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. So Isa. 46. 6, 7. I will say to the North, Give up: and to the South, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daugh­ters from the end of the earth; even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him, yea I have made him. Admitting a soul to live up to his Baptismal-dedication and Covenant; his Baptism furnisheth him with a great argument to go unto God with, and with a great confidence and boldness in his addresses to the throne of Grace by reason of the promises to persons under those circumstances. Thus I have largely shewed you the usefulness of this sacred Institution, and finished this my first branch of Application. I now proceed to further branches.

Instruct. 2. Observe from hence, how great the duty is which lieth upon all baptized persons. I will open it to you in three or four particulars.

1. There lyeth a duty upon them, to hold fast the profession of the faith of the Gospel. Jude v. 3. exhorteth, that we should contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the Saints. St. Paul, Phil. 1. 27. commands us, together to strive for the faith of the Gospel. The Apostle to the Hebrews calls to us, to hold fast our profession, Heb 4. 14. The profession of our faith, Heb. 10. 23. This discourse will let you see the engagement which we have to do it; we are baptized into it; we are stri­ving for needless Rites and Ceremonies, things of no value; and in the mean time forget this striving for the fundamental truths of the Gospel. These are the things we are to strive, to con­tend for, to be tenacious of; our Baptism layeth an engagement upon us as to this, for we are not baptized into Moses, but into Christ, that is, into the publick and steady profession of the Truths and Doctrine of the Gospel; and whosoever apostatizeth from that profession, renounceth his Baptism, forgetting both his own dedication in it, and his own Covenant and obligation by it. Baptized persons have set to their seal, that God is true, and the [Page 27] Doctrine of his Gospel is true, and that they will own it, and per­severe in it.

2. Hence it appears, That all baptized persons are by their Bap­tism obliged to the acceptation of Christ as their spiritual husband: I have (saith the Apostle) espoused you to one husband, that one husband is Christ; the contract is made in Baptism; the espousals are upon the admission of the soul into the fellowship of the Church, upon the visible evidence of his faith and repentance. You know sometimes there are Contracts betwixt persons that are not of age, for the consummation of Marriage; the contract is in verbis de futuro, in words respecting the time that is to come: the Marriage is in verbis de praesenti, in words obliging for the present. The differences are in those words, I will take (which are the words of a contract), and I do take (which are the words used in an actual Marriage). Every person in Baptism is contracted to Christ. Every person is not of age for an actual Marriage, to which Repentance and Knowledge are precedane­ous: But every Baptized Infant saith, I will take Christ for my wedded husband and Lord. The Act in Infant-baptism, is indeed rather the Act of the Parents, than the Childs, which is not yet capable of a rational act: But be it so, the Parent hath such a right in the Child, that it stands bound to abide by the Act of its Natural Guardian, unless the child grown up can shew a sufficient reason to the contrary. It is thus adjudged as to all legal Acts; what the legal Guardian doth, the Infant, and per­son in Non-age doth: It holdeth much more in things spiritual, where there is a precedaneous obligation to any humane Law, upon every child to confirm and justifie its Parents act: For every soul is bound to this; and the Parent herein engageth the child no further than was its precedaneous duty in obedience to God: so as the Parents obligation, that the child should ac­cept of Jesus Christ as its Saviour, and perform what God re­quireth of it, in order to its salvation, is really an obligation upon the child to do what its spiritual Guardian hath so­lemnly obliged for it; so as every baptized person stands bound to believe in the Lord Jesus, and to live an holy life.

3. It followeth from hence, That there is a duty incumbent upon all good Christians, even with their blood to maintain and de­fend the truth of the Gospel. I would be rightly understood, not [Page 28] that all men are engaged in such cases to take up Arms in the defence of the greatest Truths of the Gospel; that requireth a lawful authority to call them to it, and rests much upon the establishment, or not establishment of the Doctrine of the Go­spel by the Laws of this or that place: But there is another way of defending the Truths of the Gospel by our blood, and that is in a way of Martyrdom, patiently and chearfully suffer­ing even death it self, rather than to deny the truths of the Gospel: This is every Christians duty, by vertue of his Baptism. The very term Sacrament originally signified an Oath that Soldi­ers took to their Prince, or Captain General, to fight, or spend their blood under his Command and Conduct; and the giving of this name to these two great Ritual Institutions, signifies the duty of a Christian that is baptized, to fight under Christs co­lours, and to resist unto blood, fighting against sin.

4. Finally, There is a duty incumbent upon all baptized per­sons, to be continually mortifying of sin, and keeping under their body, and making no provision for the flesh, to obey it in the lusts thereof: For (saith the Text) as many of us as are baptized into Christ, are baptized into his death: and we are buried with Christ by baptism into death. The import of both which phrases, I have at large before opened to you, shewing you, that they signifie this ingagement laid upon us.

Instruct. 3. We may from hence infer, What dreadful, per­jured, Apostate wretches, the most baptized persons are; plain Re­negado's from those colours under which they were listed, in the day wherein they were baptized. Shall I reckon them up to you, that you may see the difference betwixt Christians in name, and Christians in deed.

1. What do you think of those who deny the Lord that bought them; that blow a Trumpet, and say, What portion have we in David, or in the son of Jesse? What will you say to them who deny that Christ is the Eternal Son of God, equal with the Father; that have made shipwrack of their faith in Christ as God, or the only Saviour and Redeemer of the World? Was this the faith into which they were baptized?

2. But how many more are there, who are not in this black bill of Hereticks and Apostates, but yet refuse to come to Christ, that they might have life; to lay hold on him, and make applica­tion of his redemption? By their baptism they were ingaged when they should come to years of discretion, to say unto Christ, Thou art our Lord, our Saviour, and the guide of our youth; and we, as the Embassadors of the Lord Jesus, have be­sought them in Christs stead, to be reconciled unto God; and have not ceased from day to day, with all the arguments we could use, and even with tears to intreat them to be reconciled unto God; yet they live at enmity, and in open rebellion and disobedience to the great Precept of the Gospel. They in their Baptism ingaged that they would take the Lord Jesus Christ to be their spiritual husband; they are now grown up to years of discretion: One is married to his Lusts, another is married to the World; many live in a total ignorance of the Gospel; many more in a desperate unbelief of it, in a neglect, if not a con­tempt of Gods way of salvation: The Lord makes a wedding-feast, he sends to invite men to it: One hath married a wife, and cannot come; another hath bought five yoke of oxen, and hath not tryed them, &c. Every impenitent sinner is maimed unto one lust or another.

3. How many are there, who by their Baptism are obliged to defend and maintain the interest of Christ and his Gospel, whose work it is to persecute the Image of Christ, wherever they see it, and set themselves in a direct opposition to those Truths, In­stitutions, and persons who have any thing of the image and su­perscription of Christ upon them?

4. Finally, What shall we say to those who live in the con­stant practice and indulgence of those lusts, which by their baptism they were ingaged to mortifie, and dye unto? In short, not only every person that is erroneous in Doctrine, and a stiff maintainer of any Propositions contrary to the fundamental Do­ctrine of the Gospel; not only persecutors and open enemies to the Cross, and Gospel of Christ; but every one that abideth and goeth on in his unbelief; or who indulgeth himself in any unmortified lust, is before God, by reason of his Baptismal De­dication and Vow, a sacrilegious, perjured and Apostatized per­son.

Instruct. 4. And from hence (in the next place) will the righteousness of God appear, in throwing multitudes of baptized per­sons into that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone. The Jews of old were wont much to glory in two things: 1. That they had Abraham to their Father. 2. That they were of the Circumcision, and looked upon others that were not circumcised as accursed. Our Saviour, John the Baptist, the Apostle Paul, Matth. 3. John 8. Rom. 2. (as you will find) were put to take a great deal of pains, to beat them out of these vain and empty confidences; I am afraid that we have too many that are apt to flatter themselves with the name of Christ, and that they are called Christians, and are baptized into the name of Christ. Luther complained that there were many that did but crepare Christum, make a vain boast of Christ.— Jactant fumos & nomina vana Catonum. What said John Baptist to the Jews? Think not to say within your selves, We have Abraham to our Father, Mat. 39. What doth Christ say? John 8. 39. If you were Abrahams seed, you would do the works of Abraham: But now you seek to kill me.—This did not Abraham. What saith St. Paul to their boasting of Circumcision, Rom. 2. 25. For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law, but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. v. 28, 29. For he is not a Jew that is one outwardly: neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly: and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit, whose praise is not of men, but of God: and Phil. 3. 2, 3. Beware (saith he) of the concision; he means the Jews, the circumcision; he calls them the concision, because of the russle and rent they made in the Church of God; For (saith he) we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit. Alas! poor creatures, here will be your judgment, your condemnation will be aggravated from this, That you were baptized, and so under a solemn dedication to Christ under a solemn vow to be his disciples: and this vow of God you have broken; this Oath you have satisfied; you were bound to God, and you are run away, and brake your bonds, and cast the cords behind you. Shall the Master be justified that sends his Covenant-servant that runs from him, or neglect his business, to Bridewell? Shall the General be justified, which hangs up the Soldier who runneth from his co­lours? and shall not God be justified in condemning thousands of [Page 31] baptized persons, whole lives are but a continued apostacy? God would be justified in it as Creator, for your not living up to the law of your Creation: but how much more when you have in Baptism dedicated your selves to him, and made a solemn vow to be his servants?

Instruct. 5. From hence you may observe, That there is a great difference to be put betwixt persons baptized: Some are Bap­tized with Water; others not with water only, but with the Holy Ghost also, and with fire: some have been baptized only with a Ministerial Baptism, others have been baptized also with a true, effectual, spiritual Baptism: some have been baptized in the name of Christ, or into Christ only in a large sense; others are baptized into Christ in a true, spiritual and strict sense. And this brings me to a second Use.

Ʋse 2. Which shall be of Enquiry, Whether we be baptized into Jesus Christ yea or no? Multitudes (as you have heard) have been baptized, that in a true, proper and spiritual sense have not been baptized into Christ. But you will say, how shall we ever satisfie our selves in this point? I pray observe my text, and the parallel text to it, Gal. 3. 27. In that text you will find these words, As many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. In this text you have it, As many of us as have been baptized into Christ, are baptized into his death: We are buried with Christ by baptism into death. The phrases of the text I have fully opened: but let me speak a word or two to the other phrase, As many of us (saith the Apostle) as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. We meet with the phrase in other texts, Rom. 13. 14. But put you on the Lord Jesus Christ, Eph. 4. 24. you read of putting on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and holiness: and Col. 3. 10. you have a phrase much like it: But put you on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and holiness: and Ephes. 6. 11. you read of putting on the whole armour of God. Christ and his Graces, in these texts, seem to be set out to us under the notion of a garment, Rev 6. 11. you read of white robes that were given to the Saints: and chap. 7. 9. of a great multitude, to whom were given white robes, and palms. St. John, v. 13. asking what they were who were ar­rayed [Page 32] with white robes? had answer, That they were those who had washed their robes white in the blood of the lamb. In some confor­mity to this, God speaks, Ezek. 16. 10. I girded thee about with fine linnen. Now Rev. 19. 8. the fine linnen is the righteousness of the Saints; not our own righteousness, which is of the law: but the righteousness which is of God, even the righteousness which is of God through faith in Christ, Phil. 3. 10. and the Church owns, that her righteousness was as a menstruous cloth, and as filthy rags; but Jerem. 23. 6. he (Christ) is the Lord our righteous­ness. So then, to put on Christ, is to put on the righteousness of Christ. This is put on,

1. For our Justification. It is the Righteousness of God (in the Gospel) revealed from faith to faith, that is spoken of Phil. 3. 10.

2. For our Sanctification; not that we are to do nothing, but (as the Apostle speaks) that we might be compleat in him; and Rom. 8. 3. that the Righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. This now more generally, but more particularly: Doth any one ask me, Sir, how should I know whether I have put on Christ, or no? I answer.

1. If thou hast put on Christ, thou hast sometime before discerned thy soul to be naked: It is Gods act to put us on Christ; and what God doth of this nature, is all in Charity: He hath commanded us, Luke 14. 13. When we make a feast, to call the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind; not our rich neighbours, v. 12. lest they bid us again, and make us a recompence: God will not be recom­penced for his acts of grace; he feeds the hungry, and cloatheth the naked, the rich he sends empty away. The proud Pharisee is too well cloathed in his own opinion, for the Lord to put him on Christ, and his robes.

Again, Though the putting on Christ be Gods act as to Imputa­tion of Christs righteousness, and the acceptation of us in the be­loved: yet it is also our Act, in respect of the exercise of our faith; no soul will wear the garment of another, that hath a fit and de­cent one of his own; we naturally scorn to be beholden to any. God therefore first causeth the soul to see that it is naked, and to complain of its nakedness; then he putteth Christs robes upon it. Did you ever discern that you were naked? Were you ever [Page 33] truly sensible, that you wanted a righteousness, a garment of righ­teousness to appear in before God another day, lest you at that day should walk naked, and men and Angels should see your shame? if you did not, you may be confident, that you never yet put on Christ, nor were in a strict spiritual sense baptized into Christ.

2. If you have put on Christ, you have put on him alone. The Children of God shall never stand before him another day in a parti-coloured coat: Christs robes will not go over another gar­ment, nor be stitched together with our rags. It is a piece of new cloth that must not, cannot be sown to an old garment: This is the Papists vanity, they would stitch up their own works with the robes of Christs righteousness, and both together shall make up a righteousness for them to appear before God. The good Christian may be resembled to one of you Weavers, who are hard at work all the week long, but never put on a piece of your own making. A good Christian is always hard at work, and working the work of righteousness, praying, hearing, fasting, serving God in the works of his general calling, and of his particular relation with his utmost diligence and faithfulness: but when he hath done, he saith, Lord, let not this be my clothing, I dare not ap­pear before thee in these things! Lord, put me on Christ! help me to put on Christ! Let me, saith the Apostle, Phil. 3. 9. be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. He that hath put on Christ, saith (as Esau to his Brother) to all the Angels and Saints, I have enough, my bre­thren, I have enough, keep what you have unto your selves: nay, he saith to his own Soul, I have been washed in Jordan, I need not my own Abana and Parphar, he will see a need of his own work, as to salvation, and the judicial discharge of him at the last day (if men will call that Justification); but not as to re­mission of sins, or the actual Justification and Acceptation of his Soul by, and before God, in this life; he makes his boast of Christ, and rejoyceth in him, and hath no confidence in the flesh, Phil. 3 3. Thus much as to the putting on Christ as to Justification. As for the putting on Christ, with reference to Sanctification, let me add a few notes, by which we may judg of that.

3. He that hath thus put on Christ, hath put him on, not only for his upper, but for his inward garment: He is not sanctified in [Page 34] body only, but throughout, in mind, and in spirit; he doth not only offer up his body as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God, but he is transformed through the renewing of his mind; he hath not only a demure countenance, an holy look, or tougue, but his thoughts are in a great measure holy, his will, his affecti­ons are holy, with allowance to such infirmities as attend even the best of Saints; he (saith the Apostle) is a Jew, that is one inwardly; so he is a Christian that is one inwardly. St. Paul delighteth in the Law of God after the inward man, Rom. 7. 22. Many put on a face, and outward appearance of Religion: The Pharisees, Luke 11. 39. made clean the outside of the cup and plat­ter: but our Saviour tells them, that their inward part was full of ravening and wickedness. So many are outwardly very fair and religious, but inwardly they are vain and filthy; had you a win­dow into their hearts, there you would see vain, and idle, and sinful thoughts; and those not rare, and crouded in; but frequent, constant, and feasting their Souls; A blind understanding, a will stubborn and rebellious against the will of God, especially if cross to their natural bias, and inclinations, and humours, or interest; sensual and carnal affections not set on heaven and heavenly things, but meerly feeding on earth, and earthly things.

4. If you have put on Christ, you have put off what is contrary unto him. Rom. 13. 12. Let us therefore (saith the Apostle) cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light. Eph. 4. 22. And be you renewed in your mind, that you put off, concern­ing your former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt accord­ing to deceitful lusts. v. 25. Wherefore pntting away lying, speak every man the truth to his neighbour. v. 26. Be you angry, and sin not. v. 28. Let him that hath stollen, steal no more, &c. v. 29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers. v. 30. Grieve not the holy Spirit, &c. v. 31. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice, and be you kind one to ano­ther, tender hearted, &c. Col. 3. 8. But now you also put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth v. 9. Lye not one to another, seeing you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is created in knowledge after the image of him that created him. This [Page 35] is to be baptized into the death of Christ: This is the picture of him who hath put on Christ.

5. Who so hath put on Christ, hath put on both his robes, and his sackcloth, and crown of thorns. As there is a dying to sin, so there is a living to righteousness, in every soul that hath put on Christ: As he puts off what I mentioned before, so he also puts on, as one of the elect of God, holy, and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; he for bears others, and forgives others, if he hath a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave him: so also doth he, he puts on Cha­rity, which is the bond of perfectness; the word of Christ dwel­leth in him richly, in all wisdom; he doth all he doth in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, whether in word or deed, giving thanks to God, and the Father by him, Col. 3. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. He puts on habits of universal righteousness, and holiness, which the Apostle calleth the Image of God; he puts on meekness and patience in suffering; Being reviled, he revileth not again: he is led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before the shearers, he openeth not his mouth, &c.

6. He who hath put on Christ, hath put on the whole armour of God: It all goes along with Christ to a soul; such a soul stands with its loins girt about with truth, having on the breast-plate of righteousness, and its feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace: He takes the shield of faith, whereby he is able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked: he takes the helmet of salva­tion, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, &c.

7. Finally, If the soul hath put on Christ, its face, its gar­ments will shine: That soul will look like Moses when he came from the Mount: Its light will shine before men, that they shall see its good works. How beautiful must that soul be, that is cloathed with light, as with a garment? Its faith, its holiness, its humility, its meekness, will be every where reported of. If now you find these things in you in sincerity, and in some measure, though not in the perfection of degrees, you may conclude you are baptized into Christ, because you have put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ʋse. 3. I shall stand once more on this foundation, and give you a few words of Exhortation, with which I will conclude. I shall speak, 1. to you that are Parents 2. To you that are Chil­dren, or who have been baptized while you were Children. 3. To all in general, whether Parents, or Children.

First, I speak unto you Parents. I have two words to speak to you, upon occasion of this discourse. 1. That you would be very grave and serious when you bring your Children to this great Or­dinance of God. It was indeed one of the ends I proposed to my self, in undertaking this discourse, to correct that woful levity which I generally observe in this most grave and weighty action. And here, were I in a Congregation proper for such a discourse, I would beseech my brethren in the Ministry, to restrain that slightness, and desultory levity that is so ordinary in this Admi­nistration, by their more grave and thoughtful performance of this part of their Ministry. I perswade my self much of this hath been occasioned by that groundless fancy, That Baptism is necessary to salvation; not only by a necessity of precept (as the fulfilling of every command of God is necessary), and by a necessity of the mean; as it is a divine mean, which in its season, and under due circumstances, we ought not to neglect (we freely grant both these); but so necessary, that by it Original sin is certainly washed away, and without it a child cannot be saved; which is that which I call a groundless fancy, if not a Relique of Popery. It is true, we have no certain time limited for Baptism. To give you my opinion in the case: The best argument we have for Infant-Baptism, is the Analogy betwixt Circumcision and Baptism, they being both seals of one and the same Covenant of grace, which is not straitned under the Gospel-dispensation. God prescribed the Eighth day as a certain time for Circumcision, yet were not the Jews tyed to the eighth day under undue circum­stances. All the while the people were travelling in the Wilder­ness, which was forty years, there were no Children circum­cised, as you may read Josh 5. 5, 7. I would fain know how Baptism is more necessary to the salvation of Christians, than Cir­cumcision was to the salvation of the Jewish Children? I am sure they were both seals of the same Covenant: the contempt of an Ordinance of God, that is damnable; but the omission of it, under undue circumstances (as suppose the sickness of the child, &c.) is [Page 37] far from being so; it may be our duty, that the Ordinance of God may be more gravely, and thoughtfully administred. But from that Popish opinion of the absolute necessity of Baptism to sal­vation, and the efficacy of it as a work done, have risen many abuses and prophanations of this holy Ordinance of God. Hence came up the practice of Midwives baptizing, which held amongst us till King James his time: hence the slighty and perfunctory administration of this Ordinance by too many at this day. For my own part, supposing other due circumstances to concur, I should not omit the baptizing my child beyond the Eighth day: Nor on the other side sear, that if due circumstances did not concur, the delaying of it longer. But this is but a digression. Let me beg of you that are Parents, with all seriousness and gravity, and due forethinking what you do, to bring your Children to this most facred Institution. Remember that in it you present your Children before the Lord; you dedicate your Children unto the Lord. What a great action this is! What gravity, reverence, seriousness, deliberation is sufficient for such an action! With what fear ought the Lord to be served in such an action!

2. The second thing which I would call to you for, shall be a faithfulness to your children whom you have so dedicated to God. Your child knoweth not what is done unto it; it knoweth not that it is baptized; that it is so dedicated to Christ; that such an Oath of the Lord is upon it; it knoweth of no vow that it hath made; no Covenant with God in which it is engaged; you have brought it under this engagement. If now you shall not tell the child its state, what you have done as to it, under what a Vow and Oath of God you have brought it, but it shall give up it self to the service of the Devil, and live contrary to its most solemn ingagements: your child shall perish, but shall not its blood be required at your hands? When God fell upon Mo­ses, and had like to have killed him in the Inn, for not circum­cising his child, it is said his wife Zipporah, in a passion, cut off the childs foreskin, and threw it at Moses, saying, A bloody hus­band hast thou been to me, because of the circumcision. How many thousand children hereafter, will throw the very coles of Hell at their Parents, and say, Ah! Bloody Fathers, bloody Mothers, have you been to us, because of our Baptism! you dedicated us [Page 38] to God, when we were Children; we lived with you ten, twenty years, and you never told us of it, but let us run into those sins which have brought us into these flames: you brought us un­der a solemn Vow and Covenant to God in our Baptism, and ne­ver told us what you vowed or ingaged for us; we never heard a word from you of our Baptismal vows; if we had, we should probably not have violated them, as we have done: Bloody, damn­ing Parents have you been to us! Thus much shall serve for what I have to say to Parents.

Br. 2. I speak to you that are Children. That which I have to say to you, is, Remember you have been baptized into Christ. That you have been by your Parents dedicated to Christ, and are under a vow to be his servants: Remember that you have vowed the profession and defence of his truth, the acceptance of him as your Lord and Saviour, an adherence to him, a living up to his law, being baptized into his death, and buried with him by baptism into death. It may be some of your Parents never minded you of this: I now tell you of it; and indeed I have sometimes thought, that one end of Gods instituting us Ministers, hath been to supply the defects of Parents, and Masters of families, in this debaucht and declining age of the world. Let all therefore hearken to me this day; I suppose I speak to none but have been baptized into Christ, in the larger sense, [...], into the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: And if so; If your Parents have forgot to tell it you, or neglected their duty, I tell it you; you are all dedicated unto Christ, yea, and God hath accepted you; for he hath bidden us, Go and baptize in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. We have baptized you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. What follows hence? You are sacred persons, not sanctified in a spiritual sense, but sacred in a ceremonial sense, in which sense all the Jews were called an holy people: and the Apostle saith, 1 Cor. 7. 14. our children are not unclean, but holy; sanctified ceremonially, exter­nally, ritually, that is set a part for God; sanctified, as the Ta­bernacle, the Temple, the Vessels of the Temple under the law were sanctified. I tell you again, that you are under a Vow and Covenant, to own the profession of Christ, and to defend it, to ac­cept of Christ as the Saviour of the World, as your Saviour in [Page 39] particular; to commit all your spiritual concerns unto him, to live to Christ, not to lusts, not to the world: as to these things, you were buried with Christ by baptism into death. Do not think to evade this, by saying it was none of your own act; your parents did it, you did it not: It is in the power of parents to ingage you in a debt (by the laws of men), to which all the estate you inherit by them, shall be lyable for payment, though there be no antece­daneous obligation upon you from the law of God, to pay such debts. It is in your parents power to dispose of you in Marriage in your Nonage; and before God you will be bound, when of age, so to dispose of your selves, unless you can give a sufficient reason to the contrary. As to God, it is in your parents power to render you obnoxious to his wrath and justice, so as for their sins, you shall answer as far as your lives and estates go, though, indeed, they cannot withour a guilt of your own, subject you to the eternal wrath of God: your prrents have, as to this, dedica­ted you to God to be his servants; they have brought you under the Vow and Oath of God, to be his servants, to own, profess and defend his Gospel, and the truths of it; to accept of the Lord Je­sus Christ as the Saviour of the World, as your Saviour, and spiritual husband, to live unto him, in disclaiming the service of lusts, and of the world. Take heed now of Sacriledge, Perjury, and Apostacy. A loose leud life, contrary to the Gospel, brings you under all this guilt, and subjecteth you by the righteous God to be dealt withall as sacrilegious persons; who being holy, have stollen away your selves from the service of God, and robbed God of his right, as false and perjured persons, who have sworn your selves unto God, and have violated the Oath of God upon you: As Apostatized persons, who have put your hands to the Lords plow, and have drawn it back again. There is yet a time for you to repent, and to remember the kindness of your youth, and the love of your Espousals. O neglect it not: To day, while it is called to day, harden not your hearts through Impenitency; nourish not unbelief in your Souls: Return, you Shulamites, re­turn. Remember from whence you are fallen, and how the Oath of God presseth you: Let no baptized person go down to the pit, that will but add oyl to the fire that shall never go out. It will be more tolerable for an unbaptized Turk or Indian, than for a bap­tized Christian, in the day of judgment, if he stands at the Judges left hand in that day.

Br. 3. Lastly, I speak to you all, Men, Brethren, and Fathers, 1. Labour to see your selves baptized into Christ: you are all bap­tized in the name of Christ, but rest not here. Give your Souls no rest, until you find that you are baptized into Christ, that you have put on Christ; how you may know that I have shewed you that you are concerned in it, will appear from the insignificancy (as to your eternal state) of Water-Baptism. O think not that the pouring, or spirinkling of a little water upon your face, can wash away the sin of the soul: Beg of God, that you may be born again of water, and of the spirit; without which, our Lord hath told you, you can never enter into the Kingdom of God, that you may be baptized with the Holy Ghost, and with fire, burning up the dregs and dross of lusts and corruptions, which Water-Baptism leaveth in every soul. Nay, remember, your Water-Baptism with­out this, will be but as the Water of jealousie to the guilty woman, as Gods water of Witness, the more to confound your souls to all eternity.

2. Let all persons reflect on their Baptism: Let the unconverted reflect upon it, and study it, to ingage them to faith and repen­tance, because of their Oath and ingagement in Baptism to do it. Let the converted reflect upon it, and fetch strength from it, more to dye unto sin, and to live unto righteousness; remembring, they were baptized into Christ, baptized into his death, and buried with him by baptism into death. But this is enough to have spoken on this argument. God give his blessing.