As 1. The Ark floting on the Waters.

Gods command to build, and enter in the Ark, signified the Call of God to separate himself, and family from those bastard Churchlings, and commit himself to him for preservation by en­tring the Covenant a new. The Ark signified Je­sus Christ the foundation of all our safety, through whom all the promises are Yea and Amen: Also that the comprehensiveness of Gods gracious Co­venant grounded in the second Adam, is as large as that founded in the first, so as none is excluded [...] and being [...] [...] [...]ir own will [...] [...] of believe [...] [Page 46] they break the Covenant. And that godliness hath the promise of this life, as well as that that is to come, signified by the creatures entring in­to the Ark with Noah, to serve for food and sa­crifice. And so man being in Covenant with God, is also in Covenant with the creatures, Hos. 2. and the creatures in a secondary way in covenant with God, as they are in subserviency to man in serving of God, and do serve God by man. The Ark did also teach, that the means of salvation and true worship is to be had in and from the true Church alone. And so 'tis true, Out of the Church no safety, no salvation.

The Ark was also a sealing and assuring sign on Gods part, that as certainly as Noah and his family with the other creatures were preser­ved from perishing by waters: so certainly should those that commit themselves to Christ, not pe­rish under the condemnation of the first Adam, Ps. 91.2. Rut. 2.12. in token whereof God shut them in, signifying his acceptance of them in Christ, under whose wings they were come to trust.

2. The waters of the Flood above and below the Ark.

These were a teaching sign, That such as are sa­ved by Christ must be holy. They must be washt by the waters from above, the grace of Gods Spi­rit poured on them, and covering them as a gar­ment; Christ must be put on. They must be as it were drowned in the waters below in the de­scending of the waves. The old man and his lusts, according to which the old world lived, must be [Page 47] drowned and buried, that the new man may be raised up on the top of the waves towards hea­ven.

These waters also taught, that through many afflictions and tossings of tentations, we must enter into the Kingdom of God.

The abating of the waters, and the Ark resting on the mountains, signified, That though many are the afflictions of the righteous yet the Lord will deliver them out of all, and there remains a rest for the people of God.

The waters were also a sealing sign, assuring that God would give his spirit to them that obey him, in betaking themselves to Christ for refuge with denial of confidence in the old Adam. And by the same spirit, not only give gifts for prophe­cy and ministerial teachings, but also bless and prosper the means of grace, to enable them to grow up as willows by the water courses.Isa. 44.3.4

3. Noah's Sacrifice.

This was a teaching sign on Gods part, That the covenant of grace was made upon account of Christs offering himself in mans nature, a sacrifice to make a reconciliation and to procure accepta­tion. And Gods smelling and savour of rest was a seal, assuring Noah that he looked on him and his family as persosn sanctified to him by the blood of the Covenant, and justified in a visible di­spensation from the sins they were guilty of in the old world,1 Cor. 6.11. Rom. 3.25 which should never be charged, if they continued to obey him.

The Baptismal Covenant, was also signified and sealed on Noah, and his sons part.

Their making the Ark, and entring into it at Gods command, testified their faith and obedience: Faith, in believing the truth of Gods Word, foretelling the Flood, and promising them safety, and in betaking themselves to the Messias, the on­ly Ark and refuge for poor sinners, who deny themselves.Heb. 11.7. Obedience, it being an open profes­sion to submit to the means of grace according to the measure God should provide for their re­newing.

The sacrifice which they offered of clean beasts and fowls was an open profession of their faith in the promised seed, who was to be slain to confirm the new Covenant, and that they continued in the Religion and Worship which their godly Fore-fathers had received from Adam, the head of the faithful in the old world.

4. Here was a teaching after Baptism, in two things.

First, God renews his laws, restores and en­larges the liberties and priviledges of mankind, and teaches them, and the world in them; how they shall keep their Baptismal engagement, and be preserved from the Apostacy of the old world: which laws and liberties, Noah who was a Preach­er of Righteousness, a Prophet and the chief Magistrate, and the first born in every family, who were the Priests and Rulers in that juncture [Page 49] of time were to teach, and see kept in their seve­ral generations.

They were summarily these.

1. The law of divine and instituted worship, That man is to come to God in the virtue of a sacrifice, or the blood of the Mediator, Gen. 8.20, 21.Gen. 8.20.21. Noah built an altar to the Lord and took of every clean beast and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar, and the Lord smelled a sweet Savour. Noahs example was a sufficient pattern and Gods acceptance a sufficient Intimation of a command. And 'tis probable that the seventh day was used as the day of sacrifice: because Noah entred into the Ark the seventh day after the last warning Gen. 7.4, 13. The clean beast were taken in the Ark by sevens Gen. 7.2. The Ark rested the seventh month, Gen. 8.4. Noah stayed seven days and sent out the dove and then stayed other 7 days, and sent her out again, Gen. 1.10, 12. And the seven and twentieth day of the 2d. Month the Earth was dried, Gen. 8.14. And probably the 28. day might be the day of rest and sacrifice. It adds to the probabili­ty that the Gentiles, as they had always an In­stinct about Sacrificing, so they had about the seventh day: But most of all, because God appoints in the fourth command of the Decalogue the stran­ger to rest on the sabbath; which is an Argument it was one of the precepts of Noah, and not appro­priated to the Jews.

2. The liberty and law of Marriage, Gen. 9.1.Gen. 9.1 God blessed Noah and his sons and said, Be fruit­full [Page 50] and multiply and replenish the earth. By which Blessing is implied,Gen. 9.2. that by marriage the vi­sible Church should be preserved and propagated: Domestical, and Political societies established, and inordinate lusts avoided.

3. The liberty and law of dominion over the Creatures Gen. 9.2.Gen. 9.2. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every foule of the Air, upon all that moveth upon the earth and upon all the fishes of the sea: Into your hand they are delivered. This law establisheth variety of outward callings and imployments for the good of mankind, setleth to every man a propriety in what he or his An­cestors have acquired by a lawful title, and for­bids all cruely and inordinancy in the use of the Creature.

4. The liberty and law of the Food of mankind Gen. 9.3.4.Gen. 9.3, 4. Every moving thing that liveth, shall be meat for you, but flesh with the life thereof, the blood thereof, ye shall not eat. This law is a gracious concession to mankind to feed upon flesh as well as fruits and herbes, which it is probable was not enjoyed before the flood, but by a kind of usurpation eating the flesh in the warm blood, which exercised a cruelty towards the Creature, and tended to dispose the body and spirits to in­humane passions. Therefore God forbids to eat flesh with the life-blood, that is, whilst the life-blood is in the veines and not let out; but reserves the life-blood to be offered to him in sacrifice till the coming of the Messias Levit. 17.11, 12, 13, 14. And after his coming the Apostles advise the continuance of it among the Gentiles after sa­crificing [Page 51] ceased, at least to avoyd offence to the Jews, Acts. 15.29.

5. The law for preserving the life of man and punishing murder: Gen. 9.6.Gen. 9.6. Whosoever shed­eth mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed.

These laws were by the ancient Jews called the seven precepts of Noah, and are set down by M. Mede out of Maimonides and others under these titles. First the precept,Mede Dia­tribe on. Act. 17.4. & Act. 11.4. to renounce Idols and all idolatrous worship. Secondly to worship the true God and Creator of Heaven and Earth. Thirdly Blood-shed, to wit, to commit no mur­der. Fourthly, Detectio Nuditatum, not to be defiled with Fornication, Incest, or any unlawful Conjunction. Fifthly, Rapine, against Theft and Robbery. Sixthly, concerning Administration of Justice. The seventh, Membrum de vivo; so they call the precept of not eating the flesh with the blood. And Maimonides adds, Quicunque haec septem praecepta exequenda susceperit; Ecce is est ex piis gentium mundi, habet que partemin saeculo fu­turo. Whosoever of the nations of the world shall take upon him the observance of these Seven Pre­cepts, he is a godly man, and hath a share in the world to come.

These laws under these five or seven heads were those, the transgression of which brought on the Flood. The Law of Divine Worship by a Mediator seems first to be violated by Cain, who observed not Adams instruction to him as Abel did, which was as we may presume, first to come [Page 52] to God by an expiatory sacrifice, confessing sin and guilt, and going to a Mediator to make peace, before he must expect God will accept his gifts: But he humbles not himself, comes in his own righteousness, and so offers his gifts. This was the rise of all idolatry and will-worship, either worshipping God without a Mediator, or by ma­ny, or one of our won setting up. Promiscuous marriages, prodigious lusts, Rapine and violence against the lives and estates of men, practised by the Giants in stature and wicked manners, who were hunters of men as well as of beasts, whom they fed upon, tearing them asunder whilst yet alive, and eating them in their warm blood, the more to feed their lust and exasperate their cru­elty. These were the sins, which growing from a stream to a River, and from a River to an Oce­an, overflowed all banks and bounds, even of the godly families themselves, and provoked God to send a Flood of vengeance, but saved eight persons only, whom he Baptised a new into the old Faith and Laws of obedience given to Adam in the first place.

Secondly, After this Baptism, God teaches them, and the world in them by a visible sign, the Bow in the Cloud. This was a sign de praeterito, and de futuro. In respect of what was past, it was a sign of Remembrance and Admonition, To re­member that the world was once drowned for the wickedness of the Inhabitants, that God hath his Bow bent and ready to take vengeance of Sinners that follow their example, and hath fire as well as water to execute that vengeance. But for the future it was a Teaching and an assuring sign that [Page 53] God would consider man,Gen. 8.2. and give him a day of grace, use much patience toward him in that day, and not always pour out all his wrath, though man deserve it to the end that such as were cho­sen in Christ from all eternity might be gathe­red to him in their times and generations: For it is a Bow without an arrow, not pointing to the earth but from the earth, and yet hath fiery co­lours in it, to signifie when the patience of God is fulfilled, the earth with the works therein shall be burnt up with fire. This is a standing visible sign to the whole world belonging to the Cove­nant of grace and continues when many of Moses's ceremonies are discontinued. And in asmuch as Christ represents himself with a Rainebow about the Throne:Rev. 4.3.10.1. Isa. 54.9. 2 Pet. 3.9, 7. 1 Thes. 4.17. it should put us in mind to make a more frequent use of this sign, when we see it, in re­membring the Majesty of Christ now in glory, his patience now in a day of grace, his faithfulness in his promises, especially in coming again, to Judg the world by fire, and to be a new Ark to save his people from everlasting burnings.

These are the Morals, Ceremonials and Judici­als belonging to Noahs Baptism.

The first degree was at the Confusion of Tongues.

Whilst they all spake one language they were all one Church. Their division of tongues was a Judgment of God dividing and separating them from the true Church, which continued in the faith of Noah, and were not divided from his language. The house of Sem who was the Father of all the Children of Heber. Gen. 10.21. who was the Father of all the Hebrews, of whom the Messias was to come in a direct line, was the house of the Church, which was now characterised by the Hebrew language in distinction from other na­tions, as it was by Circumcision afterwards: For when the Gentiles were by different languages divided from the house of Sem, and one from a­nother; it was a just Judgment of God for the [Page 55] schism they made from the house of Sem, who were not guilty of the transgression at Babel, but gave advice to the contrary, as those who clave to the faith and fear of Noah, as their keeping of Noahs language doth evidence. But there was an unbelieving and rebellious party, who not believing Gods promise to drown the world no more, though confirmed by a sign frequently obvious, nor obeying the command of God, to disperse and fill the earth whilst they yet spake one language, and so might communicate together as one Church, would notwithstanding follow their own foolish project, to keep together, and build a city and tower, that they might be free from fear of evill that might be by ano­ther flood contrary to the advice of Sem and his house,Heb. 2.9. who kept there station and waited upon God, how to be directed in dispersing themselves. For this cause they are excommunicated as Kain and his seed were. And this Bar of Communica­ting with the true Church not taken away till Christ of the seed of the Hebrews had made peace by the blood of his Cross, and obtained from the right hand of the Father, That prophecy, and the gift of tongues should be Communicated to all Nations.Act. 2.

The second degree of this Election and Rejection was at the Covenant renewed with Abraham.

For in this period twixt Noah and Abraham the Church continued for ten generations and God raised up Prophets and Rulers to help them keep the truth, as it was revealed to Noah, as Noah [Page 56] himself in the first place, who lived 340 years af­ter the Flood; and Sem, and Melchizedeck (if he were not Sem himself) who was a King and a Priest. A King to see Justice done according to the precepts of Noah. A Priest to teach them the way and meaning of the Sacrifices.

Yet the Lord seeing the other Nations depart­ing further and further from him, and so far from returning to the children of Heber, that they grew rather in hatred of them. And perceiving a great inclination in the Hebrews themselvs to false worship, either to have false gods or false media­tors (for Abrahams father had Idols) To preserve his Church from Apostacy, it pleased him to make a visible and solemn renewing of Noah's Covenant with Abraham, and to fix the visible Church-hood in him, & his seed by Isaac, the better to keep them to the true Mediator of whom Isaac was a Type.

Now Abraham is another representative head to conveigh the interest to promises,Is. 41.2. Gen. 12.1. and obligati­on to obedience to the succeeding Church. He is called to Gods foot. His Faith is proved se­veral ways,Gen. 17.5. and his faithfulness approved: He and his seed adopted by a letter of Gods own name added to his in a solemn manner: He stands before God,Gen. 17.9. as the Father of the faithful both of his own natural seed and of his adopted seed of all Nations. God says to him, Thou shalt keep my covenant, &c. That is, Thou, thy son and thy daughter, &c. in all generations, viz. The covenant made with Adam and Noah, the re­presentative Fathers before thee, and all other Laws which I shall further give to thee, and them in future generations, as a peculiar people.

This put the other Nations, a degree further from the true Church: for God set a mark in the flesh of Abraham, and his seed, whereby they were peculiarly dedicated to God by the blood of the Covenant, and separated from other Na­tions in point of Communion in Divine Worship. (For the Gentiles though they used sacrifices yet the worshipped they knew not what)Joh. 4.21. yet in civil commerce, they had communion with them accor­ding to the precepts of Noah.

In this period from Nooh to Abraham, and from Abraham to Moses we may see, That all the world was once again the visible Church; That God rejected the Nations for a Schism made from the true Church, where the way of true worship was fixed, and Divine Oracles revealed, which sin he punisht, by dividing them among themselves, taking away his good Spirit from them, leaving them to themselves, and setting up a partition-wall twixt them and his peculiar people. We may see also that not­withstanding their rejection as a testimony of his great severity: yet he knows how to pre­serve his Church in the seed of the faithful as an Argument of his free grace and abundant mercy; and to carry on the covenant of grace under different dispensations, for this dispensa­tion from Abraham to Moses was a preparation to the compleating that Church by a peculiar Church-discipline under Moses.

The third degree therefore of this Election and Rejection was under the Ministry of Moses.

When the time came, that God would form the seed of Abraham, grown very numerous, into a visible Kingdom, a well ordered Common­wealth, and a Church-estate suitable thereunto: he raised up Moses and associated Aaron with him, to bring his people out of Egypt, and to lead them to mount Sinai, there to receive his Laws for the well ordering of Church and State, and be directed how the transaction of the covenant twixt him and his people, was to be carried on until the promi­sed seed himself came, and the Gentiles visited a­gain with his grace.

Before they came to Sinai, the more to engage them to the Lord to hearken to his voice by his servant Moses: he Baptises them all young and old unto Moses, in the Cloud and in the Sea. This Baptism in the Red sea was preparatory and in­troductory to the formal Covenant made at Sinai; and was like the Baptism of Noah in all the solemn circumstances of it.

1. Here is a teaching before Baptism in special re­ference to belief of the present truth, whereof there is a profession before this general Baptism. The Gospel preached to them, and the present truth by them to be believed,Exo. 4.31. Exo. 14.31. was that God had sent Moses to deliver them out of Egypt. This was preached by Moses and Aaron, and confirmed by divers miracles in Egypt, so that at last after ma­ny conflicts in themselves to the contrary, the [Page 59] Scripture gives this testimony of them all (though it was only actually true of such as had under­standing) They believed the Lord and his servant Moses.

2. Here is Gods Call and Command to enter into the waters; Speak to the children of Israel that they go forward: like as to Noah, Exo. 14.15. Enter thou and thy son, &c. into the Ark. The waters were to be as an Ark to save them from Pharaoh.

The Persons Baptised were as in the Ark. The believing and their seed that were in being, and their generations having a being virtually in them. Indeed those that were in the Ark were but few, but virtually the whole world: Those that past through the Sea, a great multitude, and yet representatively one only family of the whole earth; because since the Baptism of Noah, God had in Justice cast out the Nations, and in great mercy chose the seed of Abraham to carry on the interest of his visible Covenant, who multiplied as the stars of Heaven; and as they were once re­presented in one person, so now the future gene­rations are represented in the present families, and dedicated to God by this solemn Baptism.

The Baptiser was not Moses, who was Baptised himself unto the Office he was called, and the people were baptised unto Moses, not by Moses, but God himself, or the Son of God, who said to Noah, Go into the Ark, and to Moses, Go for­ward into the Sea. He who is the greatest of Pro­phets, who knows the Fathers secrets, and spake to Moses face to face, being the image of the In­visible God, called the Similitude of Jehovah: Col. 1.15. Num. 12.8. He whom the Father hath made Head of the Church, [Page 60] the Church; the great Shepherd and Captain-General of the Lords Armies,Jos. 5.14, 15. Num. 12.5. the only Lawgiver who is able to save and destroy. He by himself, or the Ministry of an Angel, came down in the pillar of a cloud, and with the cloud as with a dark mist covered the whole Army, whilst they passed through the Sea, so that the Egyptians could not discern them. And in this cloud the Angel of the Lord stood in the rear of the Army, and sought against Pharaoh, making him to drive heavily, and brought the waters on his Army, when Moses was past over, and kept Israel from being drowned in those waters. He did as it were bury them in the bottom of the Sea, and raise them up again. He washt them with a misty cloud and covered them with darkness, and brought them out to the pillar of fire on the other side of the cloud, by which they were clothed with light as with a new garment.

3. Here are teaching, assuring, and promising signs, on Gods part and the peoples.

The cloud in which the Lord descended, repre­sented the admirable constitution of the person of the Mediator, being a cloud on one side in re­spect of his humane nature, and light or fire on the other, in respect of his Divine. No man hath seen God at any time, but through the cloud of our nature as through a vail.Joh. 14.8, 9. Col. 9.15 The beams of his glory are so refracted, that God in Christ is made visible and intelligible, because Christ is the image of the invisible. In the cloud of this humane nature he descends to his people.

Moreover, The Pillar represented the condi­tion in which Christ accomplished the work of our Redemption: First to pass through the Cloud of death, before he entred into his glory. As also the way of his Ministrations to his people: He came first by the cloudy Ministration of the Law, and then by the lightsome Ministrations of the Gospel; and therein first by Baptism with wa­ter, then by Baptism with fire.

The watery cloud descending on them from a­bove taught the people, Thy must be wash'd from the filth they contracted in Egypt, which they must not expect to be wash'd from but by the Spirit of Christ poured on them from on high, and so become spiritual, that they might under­stand the Laws to be given them on Mount Sinai; For the natural man understands not the things of God, which are spiritual, and only discerned with a spiritual mind.

Their descending into the depths of the Sea, taught them to remember the desperate misery they were in, whilst they were in Egypt, where their condition was still worse and worse, deep­er and deeper, until God of his meer mercy sent Moses to raise them up, and bring them out, and suffered not those waves to drown them. And so taught them the great misery on all mankind by Adams transgressing the first Covenant, until God sent his Son to be a second Adam to lead our Captivity captive, and bring us out of Satans bondage by his own sufferings, going down to the grave and rising again: And therefore that it is meet we should be conformable to him in his Death and Resurrection,Col. 1.12. and be willing that the [Page 62] old man with his lusts should be buried in us, that so we may be new men through Christ.

The waters of the Sea, through which they past and were saved, but the Egyptians attempting to pass through were drowned, taught them, That the Ordinances of God which are the way of life to them that believe, are the way of death to unbelievers and disobedient. The Word is the savour of death to them. They attempt them to their own ruine. They eat and drink their own damnation. So far from washing and cleansing, that it drowns them. Man fallen is so presumptu­ous as to venture at the tree of Life, though he have transgrest at the Tree of Knowledge; but God thrust him out of Paradise, and set a guard about the Tree of Life, to warn him not to at­tempt of his peril, unless he come in the way of the new Covenant.

The redness of the Sea through which they past, might signifie, That as Christ came by water and blood, so the Church must expect to be bap­tised in water and blood before they come to the land of rest.

God did not only teach them by these signs, but also engage himself, That if they would fol­low Moses, become his Disciples and obey him, who was sent by Christ, the great Prophet, to give them Laws, and rule them in his stead: Then the Lord Jesus, the Angel of his presence, the Son of God, who appeared to them in the fiery and clou­dy pillar, as he did to Moses in the Bush, would be present with them, not only to save them from the Egyptian bondage (the misery of the first Adam) but also assist them in all their conflicts [Page 63] with the Amorites (the tentations and afflictions) in the way to Canaan (the heavenly Jerusalem) and bring them safe thither to enjoy (a perpetu­al) Rest, (by Resurrection out of the deep of the grave). And in the mean while, That he will sprinkle clean water of his Spirit upon them,Deu. 18, 15. Isa. 59.20. Isa. 44.3.4. Psa 74.9. Is. 6.9.10. so that there shall not be wanting a succession of Prophets in Moses his stead, until the Messias him­self come. Nor a blessing upon their teachings. For this is a sign of Christs withdrawings, when he takes away vision; or the blessing of it, Ps. 74.8. Isa. 6.9, 10.

This engagement on Gods part was signified and confirmed by the miraculous dividing the waters, leading them through the deeps, sprinkling them with the misty Cloud; and when they were out of the sea, shading them with the dark side of the Cloud by day, and lighting them with the bright side of the Cloud by night, closing up the sea after they were gone out, whereby they saw with their eyes their enemies destroyed, and a bar put to stop up their way from returning into Egypt, that so they might now look upon them­selves as a people wholy seperate from old Adams Interest, and not only set a part for God, but also actually embraced into his everlasting arms, to bear and carry them as his Sons and peculiar Inheritance, above all nations of the earth; for ever all the glory shall be a defence, Isa. 4.

On the peoples part:2 Pet. 1.12. Here was a solemn profession of their faith in the present truth (which Baptism always looks to) That God had sent his servant Moses to be a Deliverer, and Lawgiver to them. As also a profession of their [Page 64] obedience in that they readily followed Moses in­to the depths of the sea, and sang a song of praise with him, when they came on dry land.

4. Here is a Teaching after Baptism to accom­plish the ends of Baptism.Is. 48.1. God gives them laws at mount Sinai, the preface whereof refers to this Baptismal Covenant, I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of Bondage: Laws, in which they were to educate their Children from their infancy to be observed in all the generations of Jacob, till the coming of the Messias; and to be altred or abroga­ted by him alone.

As it was in the teaching after Noahs Bap­tism, so here the laws are,

• Moral, Containing the general grounds and principles of Godliness and Righteousness which are of perpetual equity.
• Ceremonial, Which are particular determinati­ons of the will of God referring to divine worship.
• Judicials. Which are orders, and penalty for the better observing the other laws.

Because Moses was a Mediator in giving and receiving these laws, they are therefore called a Covenant, an agreement being made twixt God and the people, by the intervention of Moses, solemnly transacted, Exod. 24. Therefore the Apostle says;Gal. 3.20. a Mediator is not of One, but God is one, signifying, that such a Covenant argues two [Page 65] parties in it, God and the people. The people stand before the Lord as a professedly believing people, believing the truth of the present word, and work of their redemption. But says he, God is one: His way of eternal salvation is but one, he abides one and the same for saving his people by the Co­venant made with the Messiah on the behalf of them, that believe and confess they cannot be justi­fied by their own legal righteousness. So that this Covenant made at Sinai, was not intended to be cross or contradictory to the standing Cove­nant of grace, but only subservient, and tempora­ry for the observing of a peculiar Discipline, by a peculiar people, until the Messias should come.

This Mosaical, or Disciplining Covenant,Ex. 19.5, 6 Heb. 9.13. being exactly observed according to the letter and out­ward Ministration, though it justified and sancti­fied them as to the outward enjoyment of Church-hood (for such as were Circumcised and clensed according to the purifications of the law, were a pardoned and an holy people in their Church-estate, and had right to the Rest and Inheritance of the land of Canaan) yet it was not sufficient of it self, to bring to eternal life and justifie in the sight of God: But such as observed this discipli­ning Covenant in a subserviency to the standing Co­venant of faith in the Messiah, were justified be­fore God, as well as before men.

To this end the Apostle and Teacher of the Gen­tiles says,Rom. 3.20 By the deeds of the Law shal no flesh be justi­fied, (whether the Law peculiar to the Jews, or the Law common to the Gentiles) and adds expresly, (in his sight) least he should seem to deny, that [Page 66] remission and holiness which was by the deeds of the Law in the sight of the Church; but he ex­cludes Justification by them, as the Conscience stands in relation to God, as a Judg that knows the heart: And that the law was thus intended to be but as a discipline, the Apostle shews in the words following, By the law is the knowledge of sin. God did ordain that the Ministration of the law should not only direct them how to be an obedient people, but also to be a means to bring them to know themselves, and so they could not be justified in their own legal righteousness; that so being stung by this fiery serpent, they might fly to Christ, who was to be lifted upon the Cross by his sufferings to take away the curse. This legal Mi­nistration was only to be an hand maid, and subser­vient to faith the Mistress in the saving Covenant, which Covenant was transacted with them in their Baptism in the Red Sea.

Whilst the Jews were thus brought under a new disciplining Covenant, the Gentiles were un­der their greatest degree of Rejection: For now they are separated from the true Church, not on­ly by their language, and a mark in the flesh, but by divers laws and observations, which stand as an high wall of partition, to keep them off from Communion with his people, as those that are altogether unclean. And though now they also were grown up into compleat bodys with forms of Church discipline in their degenerate way, yet were they at their greatest distance from God, from Christ and from the true Church. They were strangers from the Life of God, whilst they were strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel: [Page 67] They were aliens from the Covenants: for not being included in the Disciplining Covenant, they were out of the saving Covenant by their forsa­king it, till they repent. They had no hope of the promise (so it seems best to be read [...]) the promise of eternal life by Jesus Christ.Eph. 2.12. And were Atheists in the world, whilst they were ignorant of the true God, and the true way of coming to him.

In this sad and greatest rejection of the Gen­tiles, The Lord left not himself without witness, both of his just proceeding against them, and of his mercy in embracing them, if they should re­turn to him and lay hold of his Covenant. For though they had not the Law written,Rom. 18.19. as the Jews had under Moses, yet they had the principle of worship and righteousness, even that great prin­ciple of one God, and one Mediator in their hearts, that is, in their memories by tradition from Noah. They had the works of Creation and Providence, especially that late act of Providence in drowning the world of the ungodly, and saving Noah and his family, whereof they were mem­bers, and whereof they had a frequent remem­brance by the Bow in the Cloud, to teach, exhort and reprove them. They had a Conscience with­in to accuse and excuse them, together with the patience of God, to lead them to repentance:1 Cor. 8.5, 6. Notwithstanding which they had many Gods and many Lords, and Mediators, so corrupted them­selves in their imaginations,Ro. 1.18. to the end. Act. 17.22 to 31. so neglected to im­prove the work of God, and follow the dictates of their own consciences, that God did justly withdraw his further grace, and left them to [Page 68] themselves and the corruptions of their own hearts, and regarded them not as his Church.

Yet it pleased him to open such a door of mercy, whereby we may charitably think, if not undoubtedly conclude, That God had a remnant among them in this great Schism, as he had seven thousand in Jeroboams Schism, which be­longed to his secret Election, which appears in that it was a truth all the time of their Rejection, That God is no respecter of persons;Act. 10.34 35. but in every nation he that feareth God & works righteousness is accepted of him.Ro. 2.26. That if uncircumcision keep the righteouseness of the law, his uncircumcision shall be counted for circumcision: And doth fur­ther appear by the law of the Proselyte: Of whom there were two sorts.

The first sort of Proselytes were called Proselytae foederis Proselytes of the Covenant.Lev. 25.6 D. Lighfort Harmony, p. 10. Any Gentile strangers who were content to be circumcised; and submit themselves to the whole Mosaical paedagogy were to be counted as Jews, and con­versed with as freely as those so born.Cameron on Mat. 19.3. P. 175.176 The law is, Exod. 12.48. These (the learned say out of the Hebrew Doctors) were admitted by Baptism, circumcision and an offering. And it is very probable that the admitting a Proselyte by Bap­tism as well as circumcision, did arise from the ge­neral Baptim in the Red Sea: For there were a mixed multitude went up then,Ex. 12.38. who were with them in the wilderness forty years, whilst circum­cision was suspended,Jos. 5, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. And their seed that were left (for the fathers died in the wilderness) might be circumcised at Gilgal if they were willing to be the disciples of Moses by the law, Exod. 12.48 Those needed no Baptism, being Baptised with [Page 69] their fathers in the red sea, but other strangers 'tis like were admitted by Baptism and Circum­cision as all Israel was. The strangers were wont to be numbred, and a view taken of them, it may be for this very reason, to see who were Prose­lytes, and who not? They were in Solomons time, by the numbring wherewith David his Father had numbred them, An hundred and fifty thou­sand, and three thousand and six hundred.

The second sort of Proselytes were called Pro­selytae portae, Proselytes of the gate.2 Chron. 2.17. And Gentile stranger, either so journing with the Jews or not, who received the precepts of Noah, which con­tained the sum of the standing Covenant of grace, namely one God and one Mediator &c. though they were not Circumcised were yet admitted to bring an offering to the Temple and worship to­ward the most holy place, which signified one God, one Mediator: Only they were to stand afar of, and not come into the great Court among the body of the Israelites, from whom they were at last severed by a partition wall: whence are those expressions, ye that were afar of, are made nigh by the blood of Christ.Eph. 2.13. Act. 2.39. So that Noahs Bap­tism did so far initiate them into the visible Church, that God did accept of them who owned the true Mediator, and walkt according to their light, though they were not Circumcised A plain evidence of Justification in the sight of God by faith without the work of the law; and that God is no respecter of persons upon any account of out­ward priviledges vouchsafed by himself. The truth of this last sort of Proselytes appears by the rule and by examples. The rule is. 1 Kings 8.41.42. [Page 70] 43. And Isa. 56.6.7. Mine house shall be cal­led the house of prayer for all people. And ex­amples of worshipping heathens, though uncir­cumcised, are Araunah the Jebusite, Naaman the Syrian, Jethro Moses's Father in law; Job and his freinds, who retained the true principle of one God and one Mediator against Idolatry before the Temple was built. And many of these are men­tioned in the Acts of the Apostles,Job. 19.25. Job. 31.26.27.28. who were of the first of the Gentiles in receiving the Gospel. As the Eunuch, Cornelius, a great number of wor­shipping Greeks. Act. 17.4. and devout persons that disputed with Paul. Act. 17.17. Lydia a worshipper of God Act. 16.14. and Justus, Act. 18.7. Many Jews and religious Proselytes follo­wed Paul and Barnabas, Act. 17.43. And the Jews stirred up devout and honourable women, and chief men against Paul. v. 50.

And of these two sorts of Proselytes, may that of our Saviour be understood, when he denounces wo against the Pharisees,Mat. 23.15. who were very zealous to make a Proselyte of the first sort, but when they had proselyted them, they made them Jewes of their own sect, not teaching them the end of the law, but to rest in the letter and their tradi­tional observations: And so made the condition of the circumcised Proselyte worse than that of the uncircumcised, who was nearer the Kingdom of God in observing the precepts of Noah and wor­shipping afar of (yet by the true Mediator) than the circumcised Pharisaical Proselyte, who rested in the letter of the law: Which is likewise opened by the Apostle Rom. 2.25, 26, 27, 28, 29.Rom. 2.25, 26, 27, 28, 29. Where by uncircumcision, keeping the law, he must needs [Page 71] mean the worshipping Gentile, such as Cornelius, and such as were deciphered by the Publican, Luk. 18.10.13.Luk. 18.10.13. in opposition to the Pharisee. He stood afar off as an uncircumcised Gentile, but coming in humility and denial of his legal righteousness, and worshipping toward the mer­cy seat, the Type of the true Mediator, was accep­ted and justified rather than the Pharisee, who boasted of his legal righteousness.

And first of Baptism with Water.

The forming the Gospel Church proceeded by a preparatory, and consummatory work.Mar. 1.1, 2. Act. 1.1.2.5.

The preparatory work was from Johns begin­ning to preach and baptise, until our Lords ascen­ding into Heaven, during which time the ceremo­nial law and difference twixt Jew and Gentile was yet standing.

This preparatory work had also two degrees. The one from Johns beginning to preach and bap­tise, to Christs manifesting himself to Israel, and the other from his being Baptised or publike Mani­festation,Act. 19.4. to his ascension.

For John preacht Repentance in order to the remission of sins,1 John. 1.33, 34, 35, 36.37. which should be obtained by him that should shortly appear but was not yet revea­led. And when Christ was revealed to him by the signal of the holy Ghost ascending on him at his Baptism, John pointed to him in sight of his dis­ciples, saying, Behold the Lamb of God and bear his testimony of him, That Christ must increase but he must decrease, and was presently cast in prison, and so finisht his Ministery. So that those that were Baptised by Johns personal Ministery were not to profess their faith in Christ himself, but their repentance in expectation of him.

Where S. John ends, Christ and his Disciples begin and preach the same thing, The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand: illustrating the state of the Kingdom by divers lively parables. And they carry on this preparatory work one degree fur­ther,John 4.2. still as members of the Jewish Church. Christ himself does not initiate Disciples by water, but his Disciples are put upon that work as of a more inferior nature, reserving to himself the work of preaching and doing miracles, and the baptising with the holy ghost:John 8.24 But the Disciples preach now, that this Jesus is the Christ, for Savour now told the Jews, except ye believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins: And he had instructed his Dis­ciples in the present truth,Mat. 16.15.16. To believe that he was the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and bid them what they heard in secret to preach on the house tops.

The Disciples therefore baptised into Christ as being revealed, but not as having finished the work of our redemption, and confined this preach­ing to the Jews.

When our blessed Saviour was risen and ascend­ed, and the spirit given: Now the foundation was fully laid for the compleat constitution of the Gospel-Church; By Baptism with water to enter into the Kingdom,Mat. 28.19 and by giving the holy Ghost to plant a spiritual Ministry for the continual watering the Church to grow up a new and spiritual temple:2 Cor. 5.16. Act. 18.25, 26. & 19.3, 4. And there­fore Baptism with water, issues forth upon a new Commission, with different priviledges and excel­lencies above Johns Baptism: So as the state of the Gospel-Church before Christs Resurrection is denoted as the time of Johns Baptism and of [Page 81] Christs being in the flesh, as of a time of the first and imperfect draught or edition of the Gospel-Church, when it was but as it were an embrio, con­ceived under the legal dispensation. But the state of the Chuch after the Ascension is deno­ted by this, that now we know Christ no more af­ter the flesh, all things are become new: The Kingdom of Heaven, which John and our blessed Saviour whilst they were in the flesh preached was at hand, is now come.

This excellency above S. Johns Baptism appears in some particulars.

1. Now after Christs Ascension, The pro­mise made to Abraham, In thee shall all Nations be blessed, comes actually to be fulfilled. The state of the Church which our Saviour so oft calls the Kingdom of Heaven comes openly on the stage. The blessing promised to all Nations, was the compleating Remission of Sin by the death of Christ, and giving forth the spirit to soften mens hearts and enlighten their minds to make them new, and bring them from Satan to God, which now comes to be bestowed on all Nations, through Jesus Christ the seed of Abraham ascend­ed to the right hand of the Father.

2. Now the Object of Faith compleated: For though Faith be one in the general nature of it in all Ages; yet the object or thing to be believed, differs according to the manner, and measure of Revelation, according to which the present truth in every age is the word of Faith:Rom. 10.8. So that when our Saviour was in the flesh, the Object of Faith was not Christ, dead, risen and ascend­ed, but that this was He, who was come to do [Page 82] the will of God here on earth, though they yet know not how: But now the Object of Faith is, That God hath made good his promise in sending Christ, and Christ hath done the Will of the Fa­ther in all things. Before the Gospel was in the fu­ture tense, now 'tis in the preterperfect tense, the time perfectly past. Before the Gospel was much in hopes of a Messiah, now in the possession and enjoyment of him, not as he was in the Law, but as he is present in his Church in a spiritual dispen­sation. And as the Prophet says, after their Cap­tivity in Babylon; it shall be no more said, The Lord liveth who brought you out of the Land of Egypt, but the Lord liveth who brought you out of the Land of the North: So now it is no more said, The Lord liveth who brought out of the Land of the North: but who delivered from Sa­tan himself, and lead our spiritual Captivity cap­tive. It is no more said, The Lord liveth who hath taken our nature in the form of a servant, and is become obedient unto death, &c. But the Lord liveth who is risen from the dead, is ascended into Heaven and hath given gifts to men, &c.

Col. 2.2. Eph. 2.4. 2 Cor. 13.14.Now the Mystery of the Father and of the Son is fully revealed. The Father, His wisdom, and the riches of his mercy and kindness in providing and sending such a Saviour so mighty to save. In whom his Majesty is so well pleased that he hath exalted him at his own right hand. The Son, His grace, goodness and love to mankind to take his Nature and Union with the Word, and to do the will of his Father in descending to assume our nature,Joh. 14.16 1 Joh. 1.3. consecrate it to God, and glorifie it in the Heavens. The holy Spirit is now revealed, as [Page 83] proceeding from the Father, and the Son at the request of the Son to the Father.Phil. 6, 7. His communion is revealed as by whom alone we are brought to enjoy fellowship with the Father and the Son, and not by legal and external works. And by the communication of whose gifts we enjoy fellow­ship one with another, as becomes the Gospel, and all difference twixt Jew and Gentile in point of Communion taken away.

3. Now after Christs ascension the name of Baptism is altered: Before, it was called the Ba­ptism of John: Act. 2.38.8.16.19.5. now 'tis Baptism into the Name of the Lord Jesus, that is, to be Disciples under the Name and Profession of Jesus Christ, who is now manifested to be Lord and Mediatour, by his ascending into Heaven, and giving forth his Spirit.

4. The Form and Manner of Baptism differs from John. We know not indeed the very Form of words used by S. John at the application of Wa­ter, or whether he used any certain Form or no: But this seems certain that he preached the Bap­tism of Repentance for the Remission of Sin,Mat. 3.11. which seems to signifie, that in Preaching Repen­tance he Baptised, and Baptising he Preached Repentance, and explained the meaning and im­perfection of his Ministry, saying, I Baptise you with Water unto Repentance: but he that comes after me is mightier than I, &c. not re­quiring particular belief in the Son and Spirit.

But after our Saviours Ascension he expresly commands Baptism to be in the name of the Fa­ther, [Page 84] Son, and Spirit, this mystery being now re­vealed: Not that this form consisted only in pro­nouncing these words at the application of water, but this should if need be, be doctrinally taught and practically exercised, in calling on the Fa­ther, in the Mediation of the Son (who was dead and is alive) by the assistance of the spirit, and openly professed in the time of Baptism. So that though this Baptism is not the very Baptism with the Holy Ghost, the emblem whereof was fire, yet this was ordinarily requisite to go before the Baptism of gifts, as laying a foundation for it: Because Baptism with wather is an evidence of be­lieving, not only in the Father, but also in the Son, ascended into Heaven, and in the Holy Ghost, who is given to them that believe, and obey according to the measure of the gift of Christ. And without this faith the spirit was not given.

That this was the order we may see by the promise,Act. 2.38. Be Baptised and ye shall receive the pro­mised spirit, and by the example of the Samari­tan Disciples, who after they were Baptised with water into the name of the Lord Jesus,Act. 8.14, 15, 16. Peter and John, came from Jerusalem to pray that they might recieve the Holy Ghost. And the twelve at Ephesus who recieved the Holy Ghost by Pauls hands,Act. 19.5.6. were first Baptised into the name of the Lord Jesus: For whereas some learned men do think being Baptised into the name of the Lord Jesus, in that place is a periphrasis of Johns Bap­tism, and relates to Johns personal baptism: it seems a mistake, and a needles criticism. For Baptism into the name of the Lord Jesus is a phrase pro­per to the Baptism commanded by Christ after his [Page 85] resurrection which is in a Contradistinction to Johns and was a necessary foundation for recei­ving the spirit. And the Criticism is needless be­cause though these twelve might be Baptised a­gain after Johns Baptism, because it was necessary they should profess their faith in Christ ascended before they could receive the spirit: Yet it will not follow that Baptism once into the name of the Father, Son and Spirit, may be repeated with­out taking the name of God in vain.

Nevertheles, though the Church was tied to expect the Holy Ghost only by being first Bap­tised with water into the name of the Lord Jesus, yet the Lord is not tied himself by his own order; for Cornelius and his freinds, received the Holy Ghost before they were Baptised with water: Which the Lord was pleased to do as a witness from Heaven of accepting such as believe, Gentile as well as Jew.Act. 10.44 to the end. And to take away all scruple of receiving them into the Gospel Church by Bap­tism, can any forbid water that these should not be Baptised, who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? as if he should say. If God accepts them why should not we?

5. Johns Baptism did not make any separation from the Jewish Church. They that were Bap­tised might circumcise their Children, eat the passover, be cleansed according to the law, yea they were bound to do it. Our Saviour himselfe did not form a Society in a way of distinction from the Temple Communion but only laid in some principles and made as it were a Sciagra­phia, a shady description of the new Church, whilst the old Church was standing: But now [Page 86] after the Ascension there is a new Church Society erected with a word of distinction and separation; Save your selves from this untoward generation:Acts. 2.40 Who out of a blind zeal to the law of Moses have rejected the Messias, and the was of Justification by his grace, therefore you that look for Salva­tion by him alone must not hold Communion with them. They may come to you, but you may not go to them, who are now a people set apart for destruction.

6. Therefore Baptism after the Ascension doth take away Circumcision, which confind Church-hood to one nation, and becomes in stead thereof a comman sign to all nations, that God will be their God and the God of their seed in their ge­nerations keeping Covenant and embracing the present truth of the Gospel, as it is revealed, and to that end will give his Holy Spirit among them, for a supply of his grace in the Continu­ance of his Ministery in all ages. For Baptism in Johns time was not urged upon the Children, be­cause Circumcision was in force, and that was sufficient to seal the Covenant to the infant seed. But when the spirit was given, and the Kingdom of Heaven came to all nations, Circumcision was virtually dead, and no more to be taken notice of, and such a sign of Initiation to be used as might have relation to the promise of the spirit, which was Baptism into the name of the Father, Son and Spirit, that so the New Church might be founded in the Death, Resurrection, Ascension, and spiritual government of our Lord Jesus; and not in the carnal, weak and obscure or­dinances of Moses. So that the establishing this [Page 87] Baptism was the immediate eradicating of Cir­cumcision.

Hereupon, because the standing Covenant doth continue under this new Ministration,The Apo­stles Mini­ster Bap­tism in the same ex­tent as Circumci­sion. therefore the Apostles both by warrant of their commission, and in their practice, do administer Baptism in the same extent as Circumcision was administred for the continuance of the Church in the seed of the first Believers to all generations. As will ap­pear in the story of their Baptisings.

St. Peter at the planting of the first Church of the Jews,Act. 2, 38.39. exhorts them saying—Be Baptised every one of you—for the promise is made to you and your children &c. This latter sentence or reason doth manifestly shew that every one of you, is not to be taken only individually but collectively and is as much as every one of you and your children who are in your power; for the duty and the promise are of like extent. The promise is Remission of sin, that what is past shall not be charged, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, which is the blessing of the Gospel Ministery, a sign of Gods presence in the Church, and owning his people in their generations: So that it is as much as if he had said, Do you and your seed come into Christ, which is signified by Baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus, and God will own you for his people still, and continue his visible Church-hood among you and your seed in this Gospel-dispensation, according to the promise made to your Father Abraham. For the blessing promised to all nations, does in the fist place concern you his naturall seed.Act. 3.25.26. Act. 3.25, 26. Only you must repent of what is past, and you [Page 88] and your seed must be Baptised, and cast off cir­cumcision, which besides that it was a seal of the standing Covenant, was also an engagement to the whole law of Moses. 1 Cor. 7.19. Gal. 5.6. Gal. 5.2.3 And therefore it is now become as nothing or of no effect: And it is now a great truth if ye be circumcised, and stand upon the necessity of continuance of it, Christ shall profit you nothing: For then you must ob­serve the whole law, and that is in effect to deny Christ to be come in the flesh, for it takes away the end of his coming: but if you will be Baptised God will continue to be your God and the God of your seed in their generations keeping Cove­nant, and so all things will become new to you. Otherwise you and your posterity will become rejected as it came to pass in those who submitted not to Baptism.

Touching this taken away of circumcision, we may remember by the way, That there was a time when it was not only lawful but necessary, and a time when it was lawful but not necessary, and a time when it was neither lawful nor neces­sary. It was not only lawful but necessary as a du­ty commanded, till our Saviours ascending into Heaven, after which the obligation to it as a du­ty ceased,Gal. 2.4. but it remained under a liberty as o­ther parts of the ceremonial law, which might be made use of to avoyd the exasperating the Jews for a while, till the doctrine of the Gospel was fully preached; on which account Paul Circumcised Timothy, and says to the Jews he became as a Jew that he might gain the Jews, who were yet to be Judged weak but not ob­stinate: And therefore such as believed and out [Page 89] of weakness observed some of the ordinances, not yet having so much faith,Rom. 14.1 as to see that Christ had set them fre were to be born with. But when some Christian Jews began to stand upon it as a necessary duty it became unlawful: For circum­cision and baptism could not stand together:Gal. 5.1, 2.3, 4. Baptism was sufficient, and the proper sign of Gods fixing his Covenant of Church-hood with believers and their generations of any nation un­der Heaven.

As Peter laid the foundation of the Gospel-Church of the Jews in the union of Baptised families. In like manner did Paul for the Church­es of the Gentiles and owns it as a recieved prin­ciple, That the Children of Believers are holy.

This appears in planting the Church of Philip­pi, the beginning whereof was Lydia and her houshold Baptised:Act. 16.14, 15, 33. The Jaylor and all his Bapti­sed. Also in planting the Church of Corinth, it is said Crispus believed with all his houshold, and many of the Corinthians believed and were Baptised;Act. 18.7, 8, 9, 10.11 where the words many of the Corinthians must re­fer for the full sence to the former part of the sen­tence, and must signifie many of like sort with Cri­spus, many with their housholds, As the verb, Bap­tised, in the latter part of the sentence is under­stood in the former, and so in the full sence it may be read thus,1 Cor. 1, 14, 16. Crispus with all his houshold believed and was Baptised and many of the Corinthians with their houshold believed also and were Baptised, Crispus, and Gaius, and Stephanus, and Justus, probably, with their families are mentioned by name that we may understand that the begin­ning of that Church was in the uniting of families [Page 90] in the Christian Faith, of which there were many in that Church,1 Cor. 7.14. for God had told Paul he had much people in that city and therefore he stayed there a year and six monethes. And in his Epistle to this Chuch he asserts this as a principle, That the children of believers are of the visible Church with them according to the ancient tenor of the covenant I am thy God, and the God of thy seed, the old standing covenant in the Church of God.

That the Apostle brings in this as a Principle, may thus appear.

The question was whether a believer having an unbelieving yoke-fellow was not bound to put her away and her children, if she had any: The rea­son of this scruple seems this, The believing Co­rinthians being studious in the Scriptures,Ezr. 9.1, 2.3, 4. & 10 Chap. and zealous to know the will of God in all things found in the book of Ezra, that the having of strange wives, such as were out of the Church, was a great transgression, and the wives and chil­dren by them put away as unclean: whereupon they might well scruple whether they ought not to put away such wives: The Apostle answers they are not bound to put them away, unless such wives do put away themselves, and bring this Argu­ment to prove it. If by that Law in Ezra you should put away such wives, then you must put a­way the children begotten of them as being ba­stard Churchlings,Ezr. 9.2. & 10.3. and not a right seed, for God had forbid them to marry with the Canaanites. But this was not the rule the believing Gentiles must go by. The ancient Law of the Proselyte [Page 91] must be their rule, whose Males and in them the whole feed were holy to God, and circumcised with him, though it may be the wife were not proselyted. So believing Gentiles were no­thing else than as Proselytes, and therefore their seed holy, and of the Church, though their wives continue in unbelief. Wherefore when the Apo­stle saith, But now your children are holy, his meaning is, That the children of a believer by an unbeliever are not unclean, or bastard Church­lings to be put away as the seed of the Jews by the strange nations whom God had forbidden to marry with by a particular Law, but an holy seed or a seed of the Church.

The word (Now) in that Text doth either signifie change of time, and then it holds out, that now in the time of the Gospel that Law in Ezra of prohibiting to marry with those strangers is of no use; or else it is a note of the Assumption or Mi­nor Proposition in the Argument (as it, in 1 Cor. 15.20. compared with 17. v.) And then the Ar­gument stands thus.

If believers are to put away their unbelieving wives, then their children also born of them, are to be put away as unclean.

But now the children of believers are not to be put away as unclean, As appears by the anci­ent Law of the Proselyte, Exod. 12.48.

Ergo, such wives are not to be put away.

If (Now) be taken either way, This Propo­sition is asserted, That the children of believers are holy: As a principle of the Gospel-Church, and needs no proof and was a sufficient rule to decide that controversie.

This being the Apostles practice in these two Churches, It is to be presumed, it was his uniform practice in all. Moreover, this practice will lead us to understand the rule our Saviour gave for planting Churches,Mat. 28.19. Mar. 16.15, 16. and Commission for Baptising all Nations according to that practice; for there is no doubt but the Apostles practised according to their Commission, which Rule and Commission set down in the Evangelists sounds to this pur­pose, Go and Preach it to Jews and Gentiles, that the Messiah so often promised, Christs-Commission to baptise extends to a believer and all his. and so long expected is come, and hath done the will of his Father in dy­ing for their sins, and rising again for their justifi­cation: And being ascended to his Fathers right hand hath sent down his spirit on the Gentiles as well as the Jews to let all the world know, that it is his will and pleasure, there should be no longer any difference between them, by any partition-wall; but that they should be one Church, one Spirit, one Body, and hath given one spiritual Ministry to them all, to build them up as a new and holy Temple: Whosoever therefore of Jew or Gentile will believe the truth of these things, and signifie the truth of his belief, desiring that he and all his should become my Disciples, such with all theirs you shall receive to Baptism, and by Baptism admit to my visible Church and King­dom, whereby they may at present be accounted in a saved state and way. And (answering the means of Grace, I shall afford them by my spiritu­al and Gospel-Ministry) may be eternally saved from the wrath that is to come, for in Zion God hath promised salvation. And by this means the blessing of Abraham shall come on all Nations.Joel 2 32.

That the word [He that believes and is Bapti­sed] is to be taken thus in a Collective, Politi­cal or comprehensive sence for [He that be­lieveth and is Baptised with all His] will ap­pear if we consider.

1. The blessing of Baptism is declared in that comprehensive manner. The Angel told Cornelius that Peter should tell him words whereby he and all his house should be saved.Act. 11.14.

2. Baptism is exhorted to in the like compre­hensive terms, Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved, and all thine house: in obedience whereunto the Jaylor was baptised and all his straitway.

3. 'Tis Gods manner in the Old Testament,Ezek. 16.6. when he speaks of covenant-transactions with his his people to speak in this collective and compre­hensive manner, as I said unto thee in thy blood live, that is I took thee and thy posterity in thee to be my Church. It is explained to Abraham that when God says, Thou shallt keep my Covenant, tis meant thou and thy seed after thee.Gen. 7.9.13. And he that is born in thy house is he and his seed after him must needs be circumcised.Hos. 12.4. Therefore the posterity of the Church look on themselves as concerned in the transactions of God with their Ancestors. God found Jacob in Bethel, saith Hosea, and there he spake with us,Ex. 20.10. who were then only in Jacobs loins. Thus the word, Thou in the commandments signifies politically, thou thy Son, and thy Daughter and all within thy gates, or within thy power.Ex. 12.48. And thus the [Page 94] Proselyte if he were circumcised himself and not his males, he might not eat the passover, but was as one uncircumcised.

4. In like manner in the new Testament the Baptism of the houshold is comprehended when the Father of the family is said to be Baptised.1 Cor. 1.14.16. Paul saies he Baptised Crispus and Gaius and the houshold of Stephanus. It is manifest he compre­hended the houshold of Crispus and Gaius under their names from Act. 18.8. It seems it was a thing so frequent to Baptise housholds or families, that it was enough to say Crispus is Baptised, when one would intend to say his family is Baptised, and that, he that had a family was not to be ac­counted baptised by his own single baptism unless he brought such as were in his power, with him.

By housholds we are not necessarily to under­stand all and every one in the house. For there might be an unbelieving wife, or a son grown up not in the Power of the Parent. But such either of his Children, as being in their Minority could not will, or chuse for themselves, or other per­sons to whom he was Guardian, who were in the power of his education, or persons that were wholy in his power as his goods being born in his house, or bought with his moneys (of which there were many in those days) being in their minority: Or if at years of understanding whe­ther wife or others if he did what he could to perswade (not violently compel) them. So that if any such did refuse,Gen. 18.19. yet because he had done his duty and testified his faith by bringing in such as were in his power that so his family might be [Page 95] said a family fearing God, as Abrahams was; he is said to be Baptised with all his, and says with Joshua I and my house, we will serve the Lord.

The reason of this first gathering the Gospel-Church by the Children, and houshold of first believers is intimated by St. Paul in the third Chapter of his Epistle to the Galatians. Gal. 3.27.28, 29. After he had asserted that so many as were Baptised into Christ had put on Christ v. 27. And those many were families as well as single persons of Jew or Gentile v. 28. He argues thus v. 29. Those that are Baptised into Christ are Christs, that is of him, belonging to him or of his family and King­dom: If they be Christs then are they Abrahams seed, (not natural but adopted by divine insti­tution) If Abrahams seed, then Heirs according to promise. Now what was that promise, but that as God was the God of Abraham and his seed in the legal dispensation: So he will be the God of Jew and Gentile and their seed, in the Gospel dispensatoin; and accordingly give them his spirit to fit them for eternal life: For he says v. 9. That they that believe are blessed with be­lieving Abraham, that is, with like blessings as he was blessed withal.

And thus the first believers of the Gentiles were as so many Abrahams, Luk. 19.9. or Sons of Abraham, beginning a new Church in respect of the way and manner of dispensation, but continuing the old in the standing priviledges of it (by the grace and grant of God to Abraham their Father) and deriving the blessing of Church-hood in the Gos­pel-way to their houses and families, keeping Co­venant [Page 96] from generation to generation without any Interruption of Church-hood in that space of time wherein the change was made from Moses to Christ.

And those first believers of Jews and Gentiles are a first fruits unto God in whom the lump of their posterity is sanctified: And a prognostick sign that there is a fulness of both to come in to God in his due time, though many branches of both,Ro. 11.16. Ro. 11.12.25. James. 1.18. Ro. 15.16. are some broken of, some not grafted in: And a ground of hope that both shall be uni­ted in the new Jerusalem of the Gospel com­pleted and so all Israel saved by one Baptismal Covenant.

This is that good work which Paul thanks God for,Phil. 1.5.6. begun among the Philippians, the first day of their fellowship in the Gospel,Act. 16.12.13, 14, 15, 33. wherein Lydia, and the Jaylor with all theirs recieved the Gospel and were Baptised, whereupon he declares his confidence that the Lord would car­ry it on to a day of perfection in Christ both in adding more persons and families to the Church, that it should be to the Lord as a generation. And also in carying on their good desires to a stablishment in grace in the of way a Church and Christian education.

How Baptism with water is Continued.

The first Gospel-Churches, being thus planted and constinuted in a company of believers, and their housholds compacted together by Baptism with water into the name of the Lord Jesus into one visible body, whereof every particular con­gregation [Page 97] was a member, and furnished with a Ministery by the Immediate gift of the spirit: It remains to consider how this Baptism and Mi­nistery is continued in the generations of the faithful. For there is not altogether the same rea­son of the first believers and first Ministery as of these believers and that Ministery that does succeed.

The substance of the first constitution, namely Baptism into the name of the Lord Jesus, or into the name of the Father, Son and Spirit, with a confession of saith agreeable thereunto. And a Ministery of gifts to declare the Mystery of the Gospel and apply it to the necessity of the Bap­tised in all the ways which Christ hath appointed for their edification, must needs be continued, as a visible mark of their Church-hood and con­tinuance in the Covenant. But in respect of some circumstances there must be some variation, yet only such as the reason of the thing leads un­to.

As it was when God formed his Church a new in Abraham and his seed, and appointed circum­cision, the visible mark of Church hood, it was necessary that Abrahams faith should eminent­ly, and actually appear, as a pattern and copy for his posterity to follow, whereupon he him­self recieved circumcision when he was old, and the rest of his family taken into Covenant with him at several ages: But the mark of continu­ance in his faith, was continued in his Infant seed. And the actual profession of such as were circum­cised in Infancy did appear when they had chil­dren by their obedience to Gods command in [Page 98] dedicating their children to God, and so continu­ing the profession of Abrahams faith, from gene­ration to generation.

In the like manner in the first forming the Gos­pel-Church,Jude. 3. Jer. 6.26. Eph. 3.5. with Eph. 2.7. It was needful the first Receivers of the Gospel should be persons eminent, and exem­plary in the faith: For the saith first given and recieved by the first Saints and Forefathers is a rule for the succeeding ages to walk after, and is incumbent upon them, to make profession of in their generations: But the profession of the con­tinuance in the faith of the farefathers is most pro­perly made at the Infancy of Church members; partly because it continues a duty still as well as of old, for parents to dedicate their children to Christ, to be educated in his schoool from the first: Partly because they that have children, may have a fit occasion to declare their personal owning of their Baptismal profession: And part­ly that the united company of believers may witness their Joint Continuance in the faith of Christ.

So that the Baptising infants of the Church is not upon any account of their own actual faith, being altogether passive, but on the account of their Parents, or Guardians together with the Church (which is a common parent to all her members) their profession to continue in the faith of the first Churches their forefathers; and this faith shews it self by this work of faith in enga­ging their children by baptism,Gen. 18.19. with. Deut. 6.3. and 7. Eph. 6 4. in the same pro­fession, and themselvs to educate them according­ly as the Lord hath commanded Church members to be both in the old and new Testament, and [Page 99] upon that account is pleased to continue his Co­venant with him.

Wherefore did God threaten to slay Moses for not circumcising his child?Ex. 4.24. but because he there­by neglected a profession of his faith and obedi­ence, in engageing his child to God.Ex. 12.48. Why was the circumcised Proselyte counted as uncircumci­sed unless his males were circumcised:Mark. 16.16 But be­cause the profession of his faith was not full ex­cept he gave his children to God. And if when our Saviour Joyns faith and baptism together, the word He is to be taken, not only in a single but also a collective sence (as hath been declared) it will follow that the presenting children to God will come in as a witness of the parents faith.

And that the child is thus engaged by the Churches & Parents act is evident not only by the law of nature,John 9, 21 which counts children in Infancy as part and members of their parents, and as ha­ving no will of their own, but parents will for them in all things, that seriously concern them, as Food, Raiment, Physick, Education, Trades, Pro­fessions: But also by the innate custom of Church-hood as in cases of vows to God, dispo­sings in mariage, donation of lands and revenews to the use of the Church:Gen. 21. Ezra 9.27.28. Nehem. 10.28. Jacobs vow to give the tithe of all to Gad was a vow of his posterity in his loins: So in the observing the memorial of some signal mercies Ezra 9.27. They took upon them and their seed. And all these that had un­derstanding engaged those that had not yet un­derstanding with them in renewing the covenant, Nehem. 10.28.

When our Saviour not only appoints teaching before baptism in order to the baptising the Na­tions:Mat. 28.20. But also to teach the baptised Nations after baptism to observe his commands, he plain­ly intimates there should be an education in Gos­pel-Principles from Infancy, as well as in legal Principles in time of Moses which education doth necessarily suppose baptism as a part of it, and Introduction to it, as Circumcision was to the legal education. It is part of the nurture of the Lord which Christian Parents owe to their Chil­dren.

Mat. 9.2.When our Saviour interprets the action of those that brought the sick of the palsey, uncove­ring the roofe to come to him, to be an evidence of their faith: And the Action of such as brought children to him to be blessed an evidence of the faith of them that brought them,Mark. 10.13, 14, 15, and as the chil­drens own coming to him being so brought by them in whose power they were, and commands that such actions should not be forbidden, se­ing they were suitable to his Kingdom: He doth plainly enough intimate what would be pleasing to him in the continuance of Baptism after the first plantation.

If Baptism should not be thus nationally or generationally continued, what great chasms and breaches would there be in Gods dispensation of the visible covenant. The children of believers would not be the children of the Church, and no more under their care, than Pagans and Infidels: They would be left to themselves to choose their own religion, and then how easily are they tem­pted to any other than the Christian, which hath [Page 101] the Cross attending on it: and how far that may be a tentation to the Parents Apostacy and dissol­ving the Church nigh as soon as 'tis planted, may easily be guessed: yea what a reproach it would likely be to the christian Religion when it should be said, God hath scattered and unchurched the seed of Abraham and taken him a new Church: but hath taken less care for its continuance than he did before; yea than any other society in the world doth for their preservation.

But however we may be mistaken in drawing consequences,Isa. 42.4. the Scripture gives us great ground to hope that God intends his Gospel shall yet be received of more Nations, and that the Jews shall be nationally converted, when the vail shall be taken off their hearts,2 Cor. 3.16. and they grafted again into their own Olive Tree: For the Apostle says, God is able to graft them in,Rom. 11.23, 24. which is promise enough to assure us of it. For that ability is no­thing else but his ancient promise to Abraham, which the present judgement on the Jews doth not hinder, or is not so absolute and peremptory but that he can put an end to this long captivity, and cause his promise to revive and accomplish the full of all his glorions intentions. And this is as much as he will graft them in again.

Of the Baptism of the Holy-Ghost and Fire, its Rise and continuance.

The whole work and procedure of the Gospel is summarily comprehended in Baptism in Water, and Baptism in Fire. Our blessed Saviour himself is first baptised in Water and then in Fire by the descending of the Holy Ghost upon him, so ful-filling all the righteousness of the Gospel. The Apostles having been Baptised with Water, were Baptised in Fire at the time of Pentecost, And all the first Churches after they were ba­ptised in Water, received the Holy Ghost by the hands and prayers of the Apostles. To signifie unto us that the state of a Christian is not compleat in the Gospel-dispensation unless he be baptised in Water and in Fire: which our Saviour declares to Nicodemus (a man who it was very probable, was baptised in Water, and had now a great opinion that he was a compleat Disciple) saying, Except a man be born again (not only of Water) but also of the Holy Ghost he cannot enter (fully and compleatly enter) into the Kingdom of God.

The Baptism of Water unto Repentance and the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and of Fire are not properly two kinds of Baptism, but as two degrees of the same Baptism, and only distin­guished as weaker and stronger Fire not opposed to Water as destructive, but as perfective of that whose foundation and ground work is laid in the weakness of Water, and is the same distincti­on, which the Apostle gives in other words, when he says, Godliness hath a Form and a Power, or when a man is said to consist of a body and a soul, flesh and spirit.

Baptism hath an outward Form, and is admini­stred by S. John, which is but a weak Ministrati­on: And it hath an inward power for the com­pleating a Christian state ministred only by Christ himself, who S. John says is stronger than he.

Baptism with water implies the beginning state of a Christian, and of a Church: Baptism with fire the compleat state. Baptism with Water affords the materials of the visible Church: Ba­ptism with fire the inward Form, and is as the soul to the body.

As the natural body of Adam was first formed of Earth in all its parts, and then enlivened and strengthned by a Breath from God: So the mysti­cal body of Christ is formed of this spiritual wa­ter, and put into all its lively motions by a Breath of fire from Christ himself.

As in Solomons Temple there was the sacrifice [Page 104] and the fire from Heaven to burn in the sacri­fice to make it acceptable: So in the spiritual and visible Temple built by our greater than So­lomon, there's the water whereby persons of all nations are offered to God, and the fire from Heaven to burn in this sacrifice, which whilst it is kept burning in the Church, and not changed nor extinguisht makes themselves and their ser­vices a sweet Saviour unto God.

Baptism with water proceeded from two foun­tains. First from John under whose Ministery it was whilst the word of the Gospel was the King­dom of Heaven is at hand. But after the King­dom of Heaven was coms at Christs resurrection, it flows forth from himself which he ordains to be used with a new and enlarged object of faith, whence it was cald Baptism into the name of the Lord Jesus, who was now to be confessed to be risen and ascended to the Fathers right hand: And upon a new enlarged subject of all Nations: And to a new enlarged end, That all Nations might be capable of the gift of the Holy Ghost, which they could not be unless they received Christ as ascended into heaven: For the giving of the Holy Ghost being the greatest and most famous miracle that Christ ever did, it requi­red a Faith to make us capable to receive it.

Therefore, Baptism with water since Christs ascension may receive this description: Baptism with water, or the outward form of Baptism is an Ordinance of Christ whereby by the Ministe­ry of men, in the use of water, persons and fa­milies [Page 105] of any Nation under Heaven, receiving Jesus Christ risen and ascended by an open and solemn profession are received into Christ, as members of his visible body, and made thereby capable of the blessing of the Holy Ghost or Ba­ptism in fire,Act. 19.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. in Acts 19.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. S. Paul finds certain Disciples, and enquires whether they had received the Holy Ghost since they belie­ved. They answer they had not so much as heard there was an Holy Ghost: He said unto them, unto what then were ye baptised? they said unto Johns Baptism, &c. Here these things are obser­vable.

1. That the calling them Disciples, supposed them baptised with water.

2. That after our Saviours ascension, the Holy Ghost was usually given to compleat the work begun in Baptism with water.

3. That Johns Baptism did not make persons capable of the Holy Ghost, because it extended not to the belief of Christ glorified, which must necessarily go before receiving the Holy Ghost promised.

4. That Baptism with water into the name of the Lord Jesus, or into the name of the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son, and now manifested since Christs ascending into Heaven, did ordinarily precede the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and Fire.

Baptism with the Holy Ghost and Fire doth signi­fie a work or dispensation peculiar to Christ him­self, the Shepherd and Bishop of Souls: and it contains two things especially:

First the power of Regeneration in all that truly believe in Christ risen from the dead.

Secondly ministerial gifts given to men for promoting that power of Regeneration.

1. The power of Regeneration is signified by the Spi­rit,Joh. 3.5. Joh 2.13,John 3.5, 10. or being born of God, John 2.13. The outward formal and ministerial work is called a being born of water. The ministerial birth by water in Baptism is teaching, and exhor­tations to newness of life by word and sign, water and washing, confessions, promises, obligations prayers and thanksgivings, &c. The power of this birth is the blessing of Christ on the ministeri­al dispensation, which blessing is a breathing from himself on the soul, which is like fire, that kindles and sheds the true love of God into the heart, whereby the mind is enlightned to see the riches of the grace of God in Christ and the purpose fixt and cleave to the Lord and the heart stablisht a­gainst all tentations being now sealed, with this powerful work of Christs own spirit: This is called by Peter, The answer of a good conscience toward God.

This stablishing work is promised, or rather prophesied of, to be given to the sincere believer,Jer. 31.33.32.40. Jer. 31.33. I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts, and Jer. 32.40. I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. And the Apostle S. Paul says,Rom. 5.5. Rom. 5.5. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by (this Baptism of) the Holy Ghost, which is given to us (sincere believers) [Page 107] And declares this in the eight Chapter of the E­pistle to the Romans under the notion of the Law of the Spirit of Life,8.2, 15. and the Spirit of Adoption: and calls this power of Regeneration,2 Cor. 2.21, 22. the stablish­ing and sealing spirit, 2 Cor. 1.21, 22. 1 Pet. 21, 22.5.10.

2. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost and Fire sig­nifies the giving ministerial gifts, to some for the benefit of all, which was the fruit of that solemn Baptism in Fire in the day of Pentecost.

These gifts are sometime described by names of office, Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pa­stors, Teachers: sometime by the manifestation of the Spirit,1 Cor. 12.7. 1 Cor. 12. as a word of Wisdom, a word of Knowledg, Faith, gift of Healing, working of Miracles, Prophecy, discerning of Spirits, Tongues, interpretation of Tongues.

But the ministerial Spirit in the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and Fire is compendiously set forth by Propheey, which doth not only signifie predi­ction, but that which is set forth by a word of wis­dom, and a word of knowledg, and knowledg-ut­terance, 1 Cor. 1.5. And to speak a word in season: intended by the Apostle when he says we know in part, and prophecy in part:1 Cor. 1.5 Isa. 50.4. 1 Cor. 13.9.14.1. Acts 2. which he calls the chief gift, 1 Cor. 14.1. And all other gifts are in a subserviency to it, This gift was specially sig­nified by the Fire in the day of Pentecost appear­ing in form of a tongue.

Act. 2.For the Ministerial Spirit of Prophecy, is,

1. In the use of the tongue: A word of wisdom and knowledge in season.

2. 'Tis a fiery tongue, because the true Mini­sterial spirit, carries with it zeal for God and fer­vent love to mankind. And also because it is a mean to kindle a fire of love in the hearts of men that shall go from heart to heart.

3. 'Tis a fiery cloven tongue, because the knowledge of divers tongues did accompany this gift, that all Nations might understand by prophe­cy the wondrous works of God.

By this Baptism of gifts a prophetical Ministry was establish'd in the Gospel-Church in stead of the Priestly,Isa. 66.21. Joh. 20.22 Act. 20.28 1 Joh. 4.1. 1 Cor. 12.13. as it is written, I will take of them for Priests and Levites: whence the Ministry and Doctrine is frequently denoted in the New Testament by the Spirit. As, Receive the Holy Ghost, that is, the Gospel Ministry. The Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, believe not every spirit, &c. By one spirit we are all baptised into one body, that is by one Prophetical Ministry teaching one and the same doctrine of Faith.

The excellency of this Gospel-prophecying Mi­nistry is with much divine eloquence set forth by S. Paul, who much delighted to magnifie his Office,2 Cor. 3.13, 18. in 2 Cor. 3.13, and 18. He compares the Aposto­lical Ministry with Moses as equal in revelations, but far superior in the glory and efficacy of their Ministration. They were equal in this that the mystery of Christ was a fully revealed to them by the baptism of the Spirit, as it was to Moses in the Mount, when God spake face to face to [Page 109] him, and they as much transformed by it as he was, when his face shone in the eyes of the people: But herein the glory and power of the Apostoli­cal Ministry far exceeds Moses. For Moses shining face, being covered with a vail, did not cause any shining in others that look'd upon it, the spirit of Regeneration and Adoption was not conveyed in that Ministry. But in the Apostolical Ministry the face of Christ being openly shewed, it becomes a transforming Ministry from Glory in the speaker, to Glory in the hearer.

The Baptism of the Holy Ghost and Fire many be considered in the fountain, Lu. 24.47. and in the stream of it. The fountain was when the Apostles were en­dued with power from on high by immediate in­spiration on the day of Pentecost. The stream was the conveighing of this Ministerial Spirit by the Apostles hands to the first Churches. And the conveying it from the first to the second and suc­cessive Churches in a Ministerial education, as the ordinary way of the continuance thereof. By this immediate inspiration on the Apostles, they were enabled to call to mind things past, became sound in the Faith, helped to understand things to come, had a fervent spirit of love, and undaunted courage against oppositions, a ready utterance of their minds in any language, and were so infallible that their dictates were the rule according to the Ana­logy whereof all other teachers were to be guid­ed, or else to be accounted lying spirits as S. John saith, We are of God; 1 Joh. 4.6. He that knoweth God hear­eth us. He that is not of God, heareth not us. Here­by know we the Spirit of Truth, and the spirit of Errror.

So that their writings were their prohecyings to the ages to come, and Epistles written to all suc­ceeding Churches, whereby the truth is carried as a stream continued from the fountain, and is as the river which flowed from the Rock, which Mo­ses smote and followed them in the wilderness. So this infallible spirit flowes into the Church and whilst she is guided by it, she also is infallibly lead in all saving truth.

If there had not been such a Baptism of the spi­rit immediately flowing from Christ on his ascend­ing into Heaven, it could not have been known in after ages what was the faith first given to the Saints. For Satan the God of this world, who is full of all subtilty and mischief, and hath always endeavoured to mar the work of Christ, when he saw he could not hinder the work of Christ, Bap­tises the world with a false spirit of Prophesie, sets up many Jannes and Jambres, and so fils them with a spirit of Prophesie, that many seem the A­postles of Christ, Angels of light, who were but deceitful workers, and false Prophets, whose spi­rits and doctrine must have a rule to be tried by Thus he assaulted Christ himself after he was baptised with the spirit by a false prophetical spirit, and the Apostles also and the first planted Churches, and so in all following ages.

That the ordinary way of continuing this prophe­tical spirit in the Church is a Ministerial educati­on, or by Prophetical Schools, will appear.

1. By the Prophesies of the spirits continuance,Isa. 44.3, 4 Isa. 44.3, 4. I will pour my spirit on thy seed [Page 111] and my blessing on thy off-spring, and they shall spring up as among the grass, and as Willows by the water-courses. This is a promise to the Church that God will give his spirit in a way of education.

Isa. 59.20. This is my Covenant, my spirit that is on thee, (which was a Prophetical spirit) shall not depart out of the mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor seeds seed for ever. As there is a seed of the Church in visible professors: So there is a seed of the Prophets in the sons of the Prophets, whom the Father of Prophets doth as it were be­get to God for his more peculiar service, whom God hath promised to baptise with his spirit in a godly education.

2. By the way of God for the Spirit of Prophe­sie in the old Testament. There was a more im­mediate Baptism of the Spirit on the seventy El­delrs: But this was continued in Schools of the Prophets, wherein some ancient experienced Pro­phet was a spiritual Father, and the Scholars as his sons. Such were Samuel, Elias, Elisha, &c. 1 Sam. 19.20. 2 Kin. 2.5, 7, 15. Amos 7.14.

3. By our Saviours own practice, who laid the foundation of the Evangelical Church in a Pro­phetical School, whereof he himself was the Ma­ster, John 13.13. Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye say well, for so I am: Which School was the Mother and Nurse of the Gospel Ministry,Ezek. 47.9.10. and all succeeding Churches and believers. As the [Page 112] River of Water of Life proceeding from the Throne,Rev. 22.1. watering the trees on the sides of the River and running down into the common Ocean, so that good fish are caught by the Anglers.

4. By the practice of the Apostles, who did as­sociate to themselves divers assistants in the Mini­stry, who were in that respect as brethren to them, but as being under their instruction and govern­ment were as their sons: such were Timothy, Ti­tus, Gal. 4.2. 2 Tim. 2.1. Sostenes, Gaius, Marcus, Aristarchus, &c. who were to S. Paul, as sons of the Prophets to Samuel and Elias: And in many if not all the Churches of the first Plantation did settle Prophe­tical Schools, for the exercising, ordering and improving the gifts received by the prayers and hands of the Apostles, as appears by 1 Cor. 14. and 1 Thes. 5.19, 20. as a Seminary for propa­gating the Gospel by a Prophetical Ministry.

5. By S. Pauls command to Timothy, in refe­rence to future Churches, 2 Tim. 2.2. The things which thou hast heard of me among many witnes­ses; the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. And thus the spirit of Prophesie will be continued in S. Pauls seed and his seeds seed for ever.

This spirit of Prophesie is a sign of Christs spe­cial love and presence and the Adoption of a Church, Rev. 19.10. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of Prophesie, 1 Cor. 1, 5, 6, 7. Eph. 2.13. The Ephesians after they heard they be­leived, and after they believed they were sealed [Page 113] in their Church-hood by the spirit of promise. This, very like refers to the story Act. 19.1.Acts. 19.1. Where the twelve Disciples at Ephesus are said to believe, when they were Baptised into the name of the Lord Jesus, and then received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, and this was the beginning of the Church of Ephesus.

This is one of the three standing witnesses to evidence to the world, that the Messias is come in the flesh. For St. John saies,John. 5.8. There are three that bear witness on earth, the Spirit the Water and Blood, and these three agree in one. Namely to prove that Christ is come in the flesh. For this spirit is a certain evidence,Eph. 4.8. that Christ hath made an Atonement, is gone up in Triumph as Conque­ror.

Tis by means of this spirit,Tim. 3.15. That the true Mi­nistery or true Church or both, is called a pillar,1 pet. 4.11 A 8.7.38. and ground of the truth, and the true Ministery is as a living Oracle.

It is by this spirit that life is preserved in the Church in evil times, if this salt have not lost its savour: And when this fire seems raked up in the ashes, this is that that revives and keeps, that the gates of Hell prevail not against the Church.

Happy is that people that have this Testimony of Jesus among them: Happy are they that have an eare to hear what this spirit says unto the [Page 114] Churches. And thrice happy they that do not falsifie, nor grieve, nor Quench this spirit.

For the Conclusion of this Baptismal history, there remains only to observe the correspondency of Christian Baptism, the Antitype with the other typical Baptisms: Which appears in the manner and the end.

These four things in the manner of Noahs Ba­ptism may be observed to be declared touching the Christian Baptism, in Mat. 28.19, 20.

1. Here is a special, or new word of faith to be believed in order to Christian Baptism: Name­ly that Christ is risen, and hath done the will of the Father, which the stubborn Jews rejected: But they that embraced this truth were tried and eminent believers, as Noah and Abraham were, and so fit for the fundamentals of this new Church.

2. Here is a word of command for such Be­lievers and all their's of all Nations to go into the Ark and be Baptised, that they may be sa­ved.

3. Here is a transaction of a Covenant by wa­ter. [Page 115] For it is manifest that water was used after Christs ascending into Heaven, Acts. 8.26. See here is water, Acts 10.47. Can any forbid water Acts 22.16. Wash away thy sins in calling on the Name of the Lord. And it was used with Instructi­ons, professions engagements, prayers and perso­nal applications as a seal of all, wherein are ma­ny teaching and promising signs on Gods part, and professing and obliging signs on our part.

By the washing and plunging in water is taught,2 Cor. 5.17. Rom. 6.4. Col. 3, 9. That he that is in Christ must be a new Creature. The filth of the old Adam must be washt away, dead and buried, and the holiness of the new and second Adam must be put on as a new garment, and the Baptised be as one risen from the dead

By the application of water,Ezech. 3.6 25, 26. Is. 44.3.4. Heb. 11.28. Gal. 4, 5.6 God doth as it were promise and assure the Baptised, that if he will be teachable and tractable to the means that he shall afford him, he will pour a measure of his grace and spirit upon him, that shall work that in him, which he requires of him and be an Inward pledg and seal of his Adoption, and that he will wash away the guilt of former sins Act. 22.16.

By the persons (or Churches, or guardians un­der whose power the Baptised is) profession of the true faith as it is now compleated since Christs resurrection, and submitting to the plung­ing and washing with water, Baptism becomes a professing and obliging sign on the part of the [Page 116] Baptised, to continue in the faith and to submit to the means of grace, and wait for a further por­tion of the spirit in ways of holy obedience.

So that water in Baptism is a means, which Christ hath chosen and ordained to transact a co­venant twixt God and all the Gospel Churches, whereby the persons Baptised, are separated from the world, dedicated to God, taken into a saved state, under great hopes and possibilities of eternal glory and salvation, and a portion in the resurrection of the just.

4. Here is a teaching after Baptism. Such a teaching as implies a great change for the better, both in the things to be taught and the teachers themselves, from what they were under the for­mer dispensation.

As after the Baptism of Noah, there was a more full Revelation of the mind of God, for reforming the exorbitances of mankind, before the flood: And after the Baptism in the red sea, a more large and full manifestation thereof by a new edition of laws in mount Sinai, for reforming the corruptions crept in among the seed of Abraham: So now the Gentiles were to be adopted into the stock of A­braham, and the natural branches to be cut off by an eminent Judgment, it pleased the supream Head and Governour of his Church to bring forth his laws in a third and new edition,Heb. 9, 10. and lead his Church to the highest pitch of reformation until his second coming.

It was not our Lords design to destroy or alter the old standing way of Salvation by the gracious Covenant, nor the old standing rule of righteousness and equity: but so to order and alter things that the end of the gracious covenant and rule of righteousness might the better be ful­filled and accomplished.

Our blessed Saviour being Anointed, and seal­ed to this work by a voice from Heaven, Mat. 3.17. This is my beloved Son, hear him, did both in his life time,Act. 1.3. Lu. 24.45. Joh. 15.15 26. Gal. 15.16 2 Cor. 12.4. Act. 26.16 1 Cor. 9.1. and after his Resurrection declare to his Apostles, all those explications and alterations of the former Doctrine, Laws, and Government of the Church, which he saw needful. And after his Ascending into Heaven did bring all things to their remembrance with clear­ness, and evidence. And to S. Paul, who was not conversant with him in his life time, nor a witness of his Resurrection. He revealed all things by divine vision, as a singular priviledge.

Therefore to understand what Christ hath al­tered, or abrogated, and what he hath command­ed to be observed, we must have recourse to the records of the story of Christ himself and of the Preachings, Actings and Writings of the Apo­stles to the first planted Churches, who received of the Lord what they delivered to them, which records together with a spirit of Prophesie for understanding of them, have been by a gracious and wonderful providence preserved, and by a faithful tradition of a godly remnant in all ages, derived down to us, through all the opposition and [Page 118] corruption of intermediate times, as the Book of the Law, was to the Church of the Jews: And besides what is there required nothing ought to be imposed as necessary to the spiritual state of a Christian.

In particular among other things, it appears it was the mind of Christ.

As to Ceremonials. That whatsoever in the Mo­saical government did hinder the Communion, or was a partition-wall twixt Jew and Gentile should have an end. Also whatsoever did signifie that Christ was not come in the flesh, was not dead (whereby an atonement was made for sin) nor risen again (whereby the spirit was given to the Gentiles) all such things should cease, and be altered into some other Ordinances, that may hold forth Christ exhibited. To which end he ordain­ed that the Spirit, the Water and the Blood; or in common phrase, The preaching the Word of the Gospel, and use of both the Sacraments should be standing Ordinances or witnesses, that Christ was come in the flesh. Because all those three in the right ministration of them, have a di­rect tendency to the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. But Circumcision and the Pass­over, and the Priestly Ministry pertaining there­to, as signifying the Messias was not yet come, must now cease.

As to Morals. That the righteousness of the Moral Law should be observed in the most spi­ritual manner by all Christs Disciples,Rom. 8.4. 2 Tim. 1.13. Faith and Love being the sum of the Moral Law under the [Page 119] Gospel-dispensation; For our love to God is now specially manifest in receiving Christ whom he hath sent, in worshipping the Father by the Son,Joh. 4.24.6.28, 29. 1 Joh. 1.3. 1 Joh. 5.21 1 Tim. 2. c. 1 Cor. 14.26, 40. 1 Pet. 4.11. having Communion with the Father and the Son, having one God and one Mediator, Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. And observing those ways and outward means of communion with the Fa­ther and the Son, which the Son hath dictated to his Church since the taking away of the old Ce­remonies, and that in such a manner, method and order, that the Name of God in Divine Worship be not taken in vain.

And the duty of love to man,Joh. 13.34. Christ hath exalt­ed to an higher pitch than before, not only to love our neighbours as our selves, but to love our enemies,1 Joh. 2.7, 8. yea to love one another as he hath loved us and given himself for us. So that love ha­ving a new motive, a new example and a pressing command from Christ himself, seems as it were a new Commandment. Thus the Law of Faith as a demonstration of our entire love to God, and the way of his true worship;Mat. 5.17. and the law of love to man are the Morals of the Gospel, whereby it ap­pears that Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it,Rom. 3.31. and that Faith makes not the Law void but establisheth it.

As to Judicials. That Laws with Penalties for restraining the overflowing of mans sin, and cor­recting the disobedient for the benefit of humane society should be constituted among the nations, as agreeable and not contradictory to the Gospel, which is asserted by S. Paul, 1 Tim. 1.8, 9, 10, 11.

As to the Church-estate of the Jews consisting in this, That God was their God, and the God of their seed in their generations keeping covenant. There's no command of Christ that it should be altered or abrogated upon their receiving of him: For this way of Churchood was inherent in the gracious standing covenant from the beginning. And the Jews that did believe were not by Faith first cast out of the Covenant, & then received into a new,Act. 2.37, 38. by Baptism; but Baptism continued them in the gracious Covenant, under a new dispensation, from whence the unbelieving Jews were indeed cut off.Rom. 11.17, 19. Their rejecting of Christ being an high breach of the Covenant of Church-hood. And therefore the Gentiles who believe, do not come in on a new Church-estate,Eph. 3.6. but are grafted into that Church-estate from whence the unbelieving Jews are cut off, and are Proselyted into Abra­hams Covenant, they and their seed being now the children of Abraham: And so God is not the God of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles also, Rom. 3.19, 20.Rom. 3.19, 20.

As there is a Correspondency in the manner, so likewise in the end.

The end of Baptism is to save. Baptism is a means of salvation in all the three editions of it. By it Noah and his family was saved from drown­ing in the flood. By it Moses and the Israelites were saved from perishing in the Red-sea by pur­suit of Pharaoh. By it the Jews that did believe in the Messias were saved, with their families from the Judgement of dischurching, which was execu­ted [Page 121] as a flood of vengeance on the body of the nation: And the believing Gentiles with their families were by Baptism saved from the Judge­ment that lay upon their forefathers, of being out of the Church of God, and made capable of being saved from the wrath to come.

Baptism saves, in respect of the outward form and ministerial work. It saves with a temporary salvation. As the ministry is said to save,1 Tim. 4.16. because of the means and possibilities. But in respect of the power and internal efficacy when the fire is added to the water. It saves with an undoubted certainty of Eternal salvation.

Baptism saves us, in a particular and personal way (If we be adult and grown up in the Baptis­mal education) by the answer of a good Consci­ence toward God and conformity to Christs death and Resurrection: But if Infants and in Minori­ty, then in a general way of Gods Covenant with the faithful and their seed, whereby God is plea­sed to call himself our God. For God is not the God of the dead but of the living, and all such live unto him, there being no bar supposed to the con­trary.

How Baptism saves us is declared by S. Paul, Rom. 6.14. Ye are not under the Law, but under Grace.

That this is spoken to the believing Romans in respect of their Baptism, which had been admi­nistred to them and their respective housholds, is [Page 122] evident from the Context from the beginning of the Chapter: And it is as evident from hence,

1. That there is a Law of Works, and a Law of Grace.

2. That Salvation is not by the Law of Works, but by the Law of Grace.

3. That Baptism translates us from under the Law of Works to be under the Law of Grace.

The Law of Works to Adam made perfect personal continued obedience, the only condition of Life: But so did not the called, The Law of Works to the Israelites; but it imposed on them a task of many outward Works; which it gave them not strength to keep, and which became their burden.

But in General, The Law of Works is any Law of God to man, as his creature, enjoyning him operous strict obedience, in the power of meer na­tural ability, under a reward, or penalty.

This may be considered in the

• Obligation
• Dispensation.

In the Obligation. 'Tis a work to be done by the utmost abilities of a creature at the command of the Creator, and so is a Law, and a Law of works.

In the dispensation to fallen man. 'Tis called the Law of Sin and Death. Of Sin, because i [...] draws forth the sinning disposition of our natures and exasperates it. Of Death, because it lays a [Page 123] curse and condemnation, for that opposition of our nature.

The Law of Grace com­prehends three Laws

• The Law of the Medi­ator.
• The Law of Faith.
• The Law of the Spirit.

The Law of the Mediator, is that Law which Christ the second Adam is bound to fulfil, or the doing the will of God for the salvation of man in the nature of man, Heb. 10.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.Heb. 10.5. to 11. Ps. 40.7, 8.Ps. 40.7, 8. John 6.38, 39, 40.Joh. 6.38, 39, 40. The performance of all this did merit our grace and salvation.

The Law of Faith is, Whosoever believes shall not perish, but have eternal life, John 3.16.Joh. 3.16. This is the Law of our Justification and Adoption, Rom. 3.23, 24, 25.Rom. 3.23, 24, 25.

The Law of the Spirit is, The gift of the Spi­rit it self. He that believes and comes to Christ shall have a new heart and a new spirit given him, to enable him to yield obedience to the com­mands of God, willingly and cheerfully, and to as­sure him of the reward of the eternal inheritance which is called a Law within him figuratively, Rom. 8.2, 15, 16, 17.Rom. 8.2, 15, 16, 17.

This is the Law that is the principle of our Sanctification, Adoption, and Glorification.

Grace is considered as it is

• Prepared.
• Dispensed.

It is prepared by the Law of the Mediator, per­formed by him. It is dispensed by the Law of Faith, and the Law of the Spirit. By fulfilling the Law of the Mediator, a way of salvation is obtain­ed for mankind, or the kind of man as distinguisht from Angels, for man in general, and every man in particular to be applied and communicated on fulfilling the Law of Faith.

In respect of the Law of the Mediator, and the salvation prepared thereby for mankind, and the Law of Faith as obligatory, all men may be said to be under the Law of Grace, which amounts to no more than a Salvability, whilst they are yet under the actual dispensation of the Law of Works; That is, they are under the curse of the Law, till they are pardoned by the Law of Grace upon their repenting and believing; but yet they are under the Law of Grace, as meerly obliging them and offering mercy.

But none are consenting subjects, and so under the dispensation or reward of the Law of Grace, but such as are accounted Believers and Receivers of Christ as his Disciples. For such as believe and act toward Christ, to them is the dispensation of Justification, Sanctification, and Adoption. For the Law of Faith and the Law of the Spirit implies mutual engagements, actings and transa­ctings twixt God, Christ, and the Soul of a be­liever.

Now Baptism is a divine Ceremony belonging to the Law [...] [...]ace, and signifies not only that a person is un [...] the preparations or obligations of the Law of Grace, but also under the dispensati­ons of it, having right to the benefits; for as much as Baptism is an open profession of receiving Christ, and submitting to him, and the water and fire of his Spirit. Thus Baptism saves us, namely from the dispensations of the Law of Works which would not condemn us.

From this whole History we may collect a three-fold Character.

First, here is the Character of the true Anci­ent, Catholick, and Apostolick Religion,Eph, 4.4, 5, 6. epito­mised by S. Paul under seven heads.

1. One God, and Father of all who is above all, and in us all.

2. One Lord, the seed of the woman, the se­cond Adam, the man Christ Jesus, by whom, and for whom are all things, the Mediator twixt God and man, the reconciler of all things, the head and Lawgiver of the Church, and Bishop of souls.

3. One Faith, receiving the promised seed with subjection to his Laws, denying confidence in the first Adam. This hath been the nature of Faith more implicitly or explicitly from the begin­ning.

[Page 126]4. One Baptism, which under all the three editions thereof hath signified a profession and en­gagement to one God, one Mediator, and one Faith.

5. One Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son, forming a Ministry for teaching the ba­ptised, and fitting them to enjoy Communion with the Father and the Son, and to love one another.

6. One Body, whereof all the Baptised are professed members, and whereto they are com­pleatly united by that one Spirit.

7. One hope of their calling, namely Resurre­ction of the body and eternal Life, sometime more darkly, sometime more clearly revealed and promised.

Secondly, Here is the Character of the proper work of the Minister and Messenger of Christ.

1. To engage all he can to be Christs Disciples, by transacting a Covenant with them for him by water.

2. To teach the Baptised all the Commands of Christ and the observance of them.

3. To kindle a fire in their bosoms by pressing ex­hortations to the power of Regeneration, from the consideration of their profession and en­gagement in Baptism with water, as the Apo­stle S. Paul oft,Rom. 6.11 Reckon your selves dead to sin and alive to God, yield your selves to God as [Page 127] those that are alive from the dead.Rom. 6.13 1 Cor. 6.11. Gal. 3.27. Eph 4.17, 20. Col. 3.1, 3, 5, 9. Heb. 3.14. 1 Pet. 2, 1, 3, 21. 2 Pet. 1.9. Such were some of you, but ye are washed, &c. He that is baptised into Christ hath put on Christ. Walk not as other Gentiles, ye have not so learned Christ, ye are dead, ye are ri­sen with Christ, therefore mortifie your earth­ly members, ye have put off the old man with his lusts, therefore lie not one to another. We are made partaker of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end. And Peter also when he exhorts, As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word. And declares that the salvation in Baptism is not from the washing of water but the answer of a good conscience. And that, that Christian, that is not diligent to add to his Faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity, &c. hath forgot­ten that he was purged from his old sins. All which argumentations are taken from the form to the power, from the profession to the pra­ctice, from the water to the fire in Baptism.

Thirdly, Here is the Character of a sound Chri­stian, a Disciple indeed. He is such an one as being moved with fear and reverence enters into the Ark for the saving himself and his houshold, Heb. 11.7.Heb. 11.7. One that is willing to be instructed, and desires to understand his Baptismal engagement. One that contents not himself with the washing with water, or ex­ternal form, but labours for the answer of a good conscience before God.

And though there are many Cains, Chams, Is­maels, and Judasses that are wash'd with water, who look at the water in opposition to the fire, and endeavour to quench the power of Godliness, yet he holds on his way, and looks at the water as weak and imperfect without the fire, and is not a­shamed nor discouraged.

He is one that tries all controversies by his Baptismal Faith, and all engagements by his Ba­ptismal Covenant.

He is one that loves the Ministery that teaches the commands of Christ, and watches over him to help him to observe them.

He is one that takes comfort in the promise of Christ (He that believes and is baptised shall be saved) to the assurance of Eternal salvation. Be­cause he can reason thus:

He that believes and is Baptised, or Born again, not only of water but of the spirit of holiness; not only by washing of water but also by the answer of a good conscience before God, shall be certain­ly and eternally saved.

I believe and am baptised not only with water, but also with the spirit of holiness, which I find by the answering of my conscience before God, being able to appeal to God who knows the heart touch­ing my truth and sincerity. Therefore I shall cer­tainly and eternally be saved.

O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men, Psal. 107.8.