,transcribed from the #ahej ,seeleys    
edition by ,david ,price1 email         
ccx#jgdpglaf4org                        
,,baptism                               
,,according ,,to ,,scripture4           
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,by ,e4 ,h4 ,,hoare1 ,a4,m4            
,,vicar ,,of ,,barkby1 ,,leicestershire4
                                    99  
99 99 99 99          ,,jesus 8,,said    
,,unto ,,him1 ,,what ,,is ,,written ,,in
 ,,the ,,law8  ,,how ,,readest          
,,thou80--,,luke ,x4 #bf4               
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,second ,,edition4                     
99 99 99 99 99                          
,seeleys4                      ,,fleet  
,,street1 ,,and ,,hanover ,,street4     
,,london3 ,,mdcccl4                     
99 99 99 99 99          ,,advertisement4
      ,,at a ,clerical ,meeting in the  
country this ,question was lately       
proposed  for discussion2--8,what may be
 deduced from ,holy ,scripture          
concerning  ,baptism1 as a ,sacrament of

 the ,christian ,church80    ,in order  
to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion1 
it appeared to one of  the members      
present to be necessary1 that every     
passage of ,scripture  bearing upon the 
subject should be considered1 and its   
true meaning  sought2 and that care     
should of course be taken1 that no text 
be so  expounded as to make it repugnant
 to another4  ,this course was          
consequently pursued by him4  ,each     
passage was examined in succession2  and
 though the inquiry extended much beyond
 his expectation1 and was not  carried  
through without pains1 yet the interest 
of the research more than  compensated  
for the labour of it4    ,the subject   
being of great importance1 and more     
especially at the present  time1 it was 
thought that the cause of truth would be
 served by the  publication of what had 
been written2 and a request was made to 
that  effect4  ,in the hope1 and with   
the earnest desire and prayer1 that such
  may be the result1 the writer has     

consented to its publication3 and as    
the ,church1 to which it is his         
privilege to belong1 has declared       
concerning ,holy ,scripture1 8that      
whatsoever is not read therein1 nor may 
be proved thereby1 is not to be required
 of any man that it should be  believed 
as an ,article of the faith10 7,art4    
vi47--he feels himself fully  justified1
 as a ,minister of the ,church1 in      
having endeavoured simply to  ascertain 
the sense of ,scripture1 in the several 
texts which have come  before him4      
,january1 #ahej4          ,,on          
,,baptism1  c4  c4      ,,it is thought 
by some1 that baptism1 or the washing of
 the person or  clothes1 as a religious 
ceremony1 commenced immediately after   
the deluge4  ,st4 ,peter certainly      
speaks of baptism in connection with    
that great  event3 7#a ,ep4 iii4 #bj1   
#ba17--8,while the ark was a preparing1 
wherein few1  that is1 eight souls were 
saved by water3 the like figure         
whereunto1 even  baptism1 doth also now 

save us40  ,but1 however this might be1 
we read of  it at an early period4  ,the
 first instance on record in ,scripture 
of this  washing as a preparation for   
,god's service1 is probably that which  
is  found in ,genesis xxxv4 #b4  ,god   
had said unto ,jacob1 8,arise1 go up to 
,bethel1 and dwell there1 and make thee 
an altar unto ,god that appeared  unto  
thee when thou fleddest from the face of
 ,esau thy brother4  ,then  ,jacob said 
unto his household1 and to all that were
 with him1 ,put away  the strange gods  
that are among you1 and be clean1 and   
change your  garments2 and let us arise1
 and go up to ,bethel1 and ,i will make 
there  an altar unto ,god1 who answered 
me in the day of my distress40  ,the    
direction--8,be clean10 taken in        
connection with the change of their     
garments1 did probably1 among other     
things1 mean the washing of  themselves 
with water1 as an emblem of the putting 
away of sin4  ,dr4  ,lightfoot          
understands by it ,jacob's admission of 

the proselytes of  ,shechem and ,syria  
into his religion by baptism2 because   
circumcision was  become odious to them4
  ,the cloud which ,god spread over the 
,israelites  for a covering1 7,ps4 cv4  
#ci17 when they came out of ,egypt1 and 
their safe  passage through the waters  
of the ,red ,sea1 appear to have had    
reference  to the same subject2 for the 
,apostle ,paul1 in #a ,cor4 x4 #a1 #b1  
thus  writes2--8,moreover1 brethren1 ,i 
would not that ye should be ignorant1   
how  that all our fathers were under the
 cloud1 and all passed through the  sea2
 and were all baptized unto ,moses in   
the cloud and in the sea40  ,now  if    
they were 8baptized unto ,moses10 7which
 baptism represented and  confirmed     
their obligation to follow ,moses as    
their leader1 and to obey  the          
instructions and laws which he should   
give them17 much more were they         
baptized and bound unto ,god3 or rather1
 they were baptized and bound unto      
,moses1 as the minister of ,god and the 

medium of communication between ,god    
and the people4    ,when the ,israelites
 had entered the wilderness and had come
 to ,mount  ,sinai1 where ,god intended 
to give them ,his covenant1 ,he 8said   
unto ,moses1  ,go unto the people1 and  
sanctify them to-day and to-morrow1 and 
let them  wash their clothes1 and be    
ready against the third day2 for the    
third day  the ,lord will come down1 in 
the sight of all the people1 upon ,mount
  ,sinai40 7,ex4 xix4 #aj47  ,and thus  
,maimonides1 a great authority in the   
,jewish ,law1 says1 that #8,israel was  
admitted into covenant with ,god in     
three ways3--by circumcision1 by        
baptism1 7alluding to this command1     
8,let  them wash their clothes107 and by
 sacrifice4'  ,when any of the heathen  
became proselytes to the ,jewish        
religion1 and sought admission into the 
,jewish church1 it is said that the     
males were circumcised and              
baptized1--the females were             
baptized1--and the children generally   

baptized  with the parents4  ,and on the
 subject of the baptism of heathen      
children1  ,maimonides again says1 that 
#8if an ,israelite should find a        
,gentile  infant1 and baptize him in the
 name of a proselyte1 behold1 he is a   
proselyte4'    ,by the precepts relating
 to ceremonial pollutions1 the ,jews    
were rendered  incapable of appearing   
before ,god in the tabernacle or temple1
 till they  were cleansed either by     
bathing or sprinkling4  ,in the         
,nineteenth ,chapter  of the ,book of   
,numbers the subject is particularly    
dwelt upon4  ,when any  one was         
ceremonially unclean1 it was enjoined1  
7v4 #ai17 that a 8clean  person should  
sprinkle upon the unclean0 7of the water
 of separation  before spoken of7 8on   
the third day1 and on the seventh day2  
and on the  seventh day he0 7the        
unclean7 was to 8purify himself1 and    
wash his  clothes and bathe himself in  
water10 and then he was to be 8clean at 
even4  ,but10 as it is added in the next

 verse1 8the man that shall be  unclean1
 and shall not purify himself1 that soul
 shall be cut off from  among the       
congregation1 because he hath defiled   
the ,sanctuary of the  ,lord3 the water 
of separation hath not been sprinkled   
upon him2 he is  unclean40    ,when     
,moses received directions from the     
,lord concerning the consecration  of   
,aaron and his sons1 he was commanded   
7as we read in ,ex4 xxix4 #d17 to       
8bring them unto the door of the        
tabernacle of the congregation1 and wash
  them with water20 and then to put the 
,priestly garments upon them4  ,in      
short1 by the law almost all things were
 purged by water1 as well as by         
blood2--the one having as distinct and  
definite a signification as the  other4 
,and so familiar and forcible was this  
figure of water among the  ,jews1 that  
many of the prophecies and promises     
relating to the ,messiah  and the       
spiritual blessings to be enjoyed in the
 times of the gospel were  couched under

 it and conveyed by it4  ,by ,isaiah it 
is said of ,him1 8,so  shall ,he        
sprinkle many nations40 7lii4 #ae47     
,and by the prophet ,ezekiel  the ,lord 
saith1--8,then will ,i sprinkle clean   
water upon you1 and ye  shall be clean3 
from all your filthiness and from all   
your idols will ,i  cleanse you4  ,a new
 heart also will ,i give you1 and a new 
spirit will ,i  put within you4  ,and ,i
 will put my ,spirit within you1 and    
cause you to  walk in my statutes1 and  
ye shall keep my judgments and do them40
 7xxxvi4  #be-bg47    ,with this        
continued reference to water in         
connection with spiritual  things1      
before their eyes1 the ,jews were       
doubtless prepared for its still        
farther use4  ,accordingly1 when ,john  
appeared as the forerunner of the       
,messiah1 and baptized with water all   
who were disposed to become his         
disciples1 no surprise was expressed at 
his doing it4  ,he was asked  indeed by 
the ,priests and ,levites why he        

baptized1 when they understood  him as  
denying himself to be any one of those  
whom they expected to be  sent by ,god4 
8,if thou be not that ,christ1 nor      
,elias1 neither that  prophet1 why      
baptizest thou80 7,john i4 #be47  ,but  
this only shews that  they regarded     
baptism as a natural evidence of a      
divine mission4  ,of  ,john's baptism we
 are told by himself1 that it was a     
baptism unto  repentance4  8,i indeed10 
said he1 8baptize you with water unto   
repentance40 7,matt4 iii4 #aa47  ,and   
thus1 all who were baptized of him      
8confessed their sins20--confession     
being a necessary part of repentance4   
,they also asked of him instruction as  
to their conduct in future3 and to  the 
different classes of his disciples he   
gave appropriate exhortations4  ,in the 
account of ,john's baptism in ,acts xix4
 #d41 it is added1 that he  8said unto  
the people1 that they should believe on 
,him which should come  after him1 that 
is1 on ,christ ,jesus40  ,thus baptism  

was administered by  ,john substantially
 upon the same principle which          
afterwards governed  the ,christian     
,church2 namely1 upon a profession      
7taken to be sincere7 of  repentance and
 the faith of the gospel4  ,for though  
the baptism of ,john  was connected with
 a preparatory dispensation1 it was of  
an evangelical  and very practical      
character4  ,he exposed the folly of    
trusting to  outward advantages2--taught
 men their need of a ,saviour2--and     
declared that  nothing would satisfy    
,god1 and be accepted of ,him1 but the  
bringing forth  of good fruit4  8,every 
tree which bringeth not forth good fruit
 is hewn  down and cast into the fire40 
7,matt4 iii4 #aj47    ,when speaking of 
himself and of his baptism1 ,john was   
naturally led to  speak of ,him1 to whom
 he came to bear witness3 and he said   
that ,he also  would baptize1 and in a  
manner to which he 7,john7 could make no
  pretension4  8,i indeed baptize you   
with water unto repentance2 but ,he     

that cometh after me is mightier than   
,i1 whose shoes ,i am not worthy to     
bear3 ,he shall baptize you with the    
,holy ,ghost and fire40 7,matt4 iii4    
#aa47  ,various expositions have been   
given of these latter expressions4      
,that they refer 7among other meanings7 
to the outpouring of the ,holy  ,ghost  
on the day of ,pentecost1 which was     
accompanied with 8cloven tongues  like  
as of fire10 sitting upon each of the   
,apostles1 and by which they  were      
enabled to speak in languages they had  
never learned1--and to the  gift of     
divers kinds of tongues on other        
occasions1 as in the case of  ,cornelius
 and his company1--is evident from what 
is said upon the subject  in ,acts i4   
#e4 and xi4 #ae1 #af4  8,for ,john truly
 baptized with water2 but  ye shall be  
baptized with the ,holy ,ghost not many 
days hence40  8,and as ,i  7,peter7     
began to speak1 the ,holy ,ghost fell on
 them1 as on us at the  beginning4      
,then remembered ,i the word of the     

,lord1 how that ,he said1  ,john indeed 
baptized with water2 but ye shall be    
baptized with the ,holy  ,ghost40  ,but 
the expressions1 8with the ,holy ,ghost 
and fire10 have  probably a still more  
extensive signification4  ,no element is
 more subtle  and powerful than fire3   
changing whatever it comes in contact   
with into  its own nature4  ,thus fire  
7like water and wind1 both of which are 
also  made emblems of the ,holy         
,spirit17 will represent the efficacy of
 ,divine  grace2 its enlightening1      
purifying1 refining and inflaming power2
 and so  it forms a striking and happy  
contrast to that destroying fire1 spoken
 of  in the former and the following    
verses4  ,and hereby would be fulfilled 
the prophecies of ,isaiah and           
,malachi3--8,when the ,lord shall have  
washed  away the filth of the daughters 
of ,zion1 and shall have purged the     
blood  of ,jerusalem from the midst     
thereof by the ,spirit of judgment and  
by the  ,spirit of burning40 7,is4 iv4  

#d47  8,and the ,lord1 whom ye seek1    
shall  suddenly come to ,his temple3 ,he
 is like a refiner's fire1 and like     
fuller's soap4  ,and ,he shall sit as a 
refiner and purifier of silver3 and  ,he
 shall purify the sons of ,levi1 and    
purge them as gold and silver1 that     
they may offer unto the ,lord an        
offering in righteousness40 7,mal4 iii4 
#a-c47  ,or1 the baptism of fire1 if    
taken in connection with the context1   
would signify the desolating judgments  
of ,god upon the hardened ,jews3 or  it 
might represent the afflictions which   
,christ's true followers were to        
suffer4  ,to these ,he referred1 when   
,he said to the two sons of ,zebedee1   
8,with the baptism that ,i am baptized  
withal shall ye be baptized40 7,mark  x4
 #ci47    ,to the baptism of ,john1     
,jesus ,himself submitted4  ,the reason 
,he gave to  ,john for this was1 8,thus 
it becometh us to fulfil all            
righteousness30  7,matt1 iii4 #ae47     
hereby inculcating the duty of attention

 to whatever ,god  hath commanded2 and  
intimating ,his solemn entrance upon    
,his ,priestly  ,office1 according to   
the directions which ,god gave to ,moses
 concerning  the washing of ,aaron and  
his sons with water1 as already referred
 to4  7,ex4 xxix4 #d47  ,occasion was   
also hereby afforded for the fulfilment 
of  the sign given to ,john for the     
discovery of the ,messiah3 8,upon whom  
thou  shalt see the ,spirit descending1 
and remaining upon ,him1 the same is ,he
  which baptizeth with the ,holy        
,ghost40  ,and ,john 8saw1 and bare     
record  that this was the ,son of ,god40
 7,john i4 #cc1 #cd47    ,after ,his own
 baptism by ,john1 and ,his choice of   
the twelve ,apostles1  ,jesus also      
baptized those who became ,his          
disciples4  ,but the fact  itself is all
 that is recorded4  ,water was evidently
 used2 but we are  not told any thing of
 the time when ,he began to baptize1 nor
 of the  description of persons         
baptized1 nor of the mode and form of   

,his baptism1  nor of what followed     
after it4  ,we are simply informed in   
,john iii4 #bb41  as a part of the      
gospel-narrative1 that 8,jesus and ,his 
disciples came  into the land of ,judea1
 and there ,he tarried with them and    
baptized40  ,and the only farther       
mention of the subject is in reference  
to a report1  8that ,jesus made and     
baptized more disciples than ,john10 and
 that ,jesus  ,himself did not          
administer the ,ordinance in person1 but
 that ,his  disciples 7meaning probably 
the twelve7 baptized for ,him4 7,john   
iv4 #a1  #b47  ,this is all that the    
,scripture says upon the subject4  ,why 
the  ,lord did not baptize with ,his own
 hands1 we are not informed4  ,it could 
not have been lest any should say that  
,he had baptized in ,his own name2  for 
men came to ,his baptism avowedly as    
,his disciples4  ,but for  obvious      
reasons ,he chose to employ ,himself in 
preaching1 and the twelve  in baptizing 
those whom ,he had taught3 as ,he       

afterwards sent ,st4 ,paul  8not to     
baptize1 but to preach the gospel40 7#a 
,cor4 i4 #ae47  ,he would  also wish to 
prevent the preference which would      
doubtless have been  given to ,his own  
administration of the ,ordinance4    ,of
 the baptism of the twelve disciples    
themselves we have no account4  ,as  the
 baptism of ,john was so general1 it is 
probable that they1 or the  greater     
number of them1 had partaken of it4     
,andrew1 ,simon ,peter's  brother1      
undoubtedly had4  ,he was one of the two
 of ,john's disciples who  heard him say
 of ,jesus1 8,behold the ,lamb of ,god60
 and who was afterwards  one of the     
twelve4  ,it probably was the case with 
others of them also4  ,but nothing is   
said respecting them4  ,tertullian      
observes1 that with  regard to          
them1--7the twelve7--8the peculiar      
privilege of the first  accession to    
discipleship1 and of the individual     
familiarity to which  they were admitted
 with ,him1 had power to confer on them 

the compendium  of baptism20 the sum and
 substance of it4    ,no other mention  
is made of baptism by the ,evangelists1 
until we come to  the ,commission which 
the ,lord gave to ,his ,apostles after  
,his resurrection  from the dead1 except
 in one passage1 which occurs in the    
report of ,his  memorable conversation  
with ,nicodemus1 the ,jewish ruler1     
contained in the  ,third ,chapter of the
 ,gospel according to ,st4 ,john4       
,nicodemus having come  to ,jesus with  
the avowed desire to be instructed by   
,him1 as 8a teacher  come from ,god10   
8,jesus answered and said unto him1     
,verily1 verily1 ,i say  unto thee1     
,except a man be born again1 he cannot  
see the kingdom of ,god40  7v4 #c47     
,nicodemus expresses his surprise at    
this saying1 and asks1 8,how  can a man 
be born when he is old80--evidently     
shewing that he did not at  all         
comprehend its meaning4  ,upon which the
 ,lord repeats the  asseveration1 with  
some addition to it3 8,jesus answered1  

,verily1 verily1  ,i say unto thee1     
,except a man be born of water and of   
the ,spirit1 he  cannot enter into the  
kingdom of ,god40 7v4 #e47  ,in this    
instance1 as in  every other1 our       
endeavour shall be1 to ascertain what   
the words of  ,scripture do really and  
simply mean4  ,if there had been no     
intention on  the part of ,christ to    
make baptism with water an ,ordinance of
 ,his ,church  or ,kingdom upon earth1  
the expressions1 8born of water and of  
the  ,spirit10 might still have been    
used by ,him with great propriety2 as   
,john  the ,baptist had previously used 
the words1 8,he shall baptize you with  
the ,holy ,ghost and fire30 water being1
 as well as fire1 an appropriate  and   
beautiful emblem of the ,holy ,spirit4  
,if the 8cloven tongues like as  of     
fire10 had not rested upon the ,apostles
 on the day of ,pentecost1 the  words of
 the ,baptist1 just referred to1 had yet
 been strikingly  applicable to the     
operations of the ,holy ,ghost2 and the 

figure would have  lost none of its     
force and fitness4  ,water too1 in like 
manner1 might  have been connected by   
,christ with the mention of the ,spirit1
 because of  the similarity between     
their effects4  ,but inasmuch as ,christ
 ,himself had  been baptized1 and was   
about to continue baptism in ,his       
,church1 7not only  during ,his personal
 ,ministry upon earth1 but when1 after  
,his return to  ,heaven1 ,his gospel    
should be preached among all nations17  
and as ,john's  baptism had been so     
general1 and had drawn so much attention
 to the  subject1--it is reasonable to  
conclude1 that when ,jesus spake to     
,nicodemus  of a man's being 8born of   
water10 ,he meant his being baptized2   
and it is  probable that ,nicodemus1 who
 knew well that baptism had been already
 used  in the admission of proselytes   
into the ,jewish ,church1 at once so    
understood ,his words4  ,for1 if not    
altogether figurative1 some specific    
act must have been meant2 and what could

 this be1 but baptism8  ,no             
explanation1 therefore1 was given to    
,nicodemus of the terms1 8born of       
water10 because none was needed4        
,having begun1 in v4 #c1 to speak of a  
birth1 the ,lord ,jesus continues the   
same idea1 and applies it to the  other 
subject which ,he wished to introduce1  
namely1 baptism4  ,and this is  not the 
only instance of the use of such        
phraseology3 for1 when arguing  with the
 ,sadducees about the raising of the    
dead1 ,he says of the just1  that they  
are 8the children of ,god20--and then1  
carrying on the idea1 ,he  calls them1  
8the children of the resurrection40     
7,luke xx4 #cf47  ,to be  8born of      
water10 then1 is to be baptized with    
water2 and this1 together  with being   
8born of the ,spirit10 ,christ declares 
to be necessary to an  entrance into    
8the kingdom of ,god40  ,by 8the        
,kingdom of ,god0 is here  meant the    
,visible ,church of ,christ upon earth2 
the members of which are  therein       

prepared for the state of eternal glory 
in ,heaven4  ,this shows us  of what    
characters ,christ designed ,his        
,visible ,church to consist2 namely1  of
 those who are born of the ,spirit1 and 
baptized with water4  ,and thus  the    
true ,church of ,christ may well be     
described as #8,a ,congregation of      
faithful men1 in the which the pure word
 of ,god is preached1 and the           
,sacraments be duly ministered according
 to ,christ's ,ordinance4'  7,article   
,,xix4 of the ,church of ,england47     
,christ would have ,his ,church a       
,visible  ,body1 that it might be 8,the 
,pillar and ,ground of the truth20--to  
maintain  the truth and to hold it forth
 to the world4  ,as there had been      
before  ,his coming1 so it was meet that
 there should continue to be1 an        
associated and authorized ,body of      
,god's ,worshippers and ,witnesses1 to  
which additions might from time to time 
be made of 8such as should be  saved10  
7,acts ii4 #dg471 and by which ,christ's

 religion might be spread  abroad and   
propagated4  ,into this ,body #8faithful
 men1' or those who are  8born again10  
are incorporated by baptism4  ,and it is
 of this spiritual  kingdom1 which 8is  
not of this world10 that ,christ speaks 
in the verse we  are now considering4   
,the ,kingdom of ,god1 or the ,kingdom  
of ,heaven1 has  sometimes in ,scripture
 a more extensive signification1 and    
includes both  good and bad1--the true  
,israel and those 8which say they are   
,jews and are  not40  ,since man cannot 
know the heart of his fellow-man1 he    
must accept  his profession1 where it is
 not contradicted by plain and palpable 
evidence3 and hence it comes to pass1   
that #8in the ,visible ,church the  evil
 will be mingled with the good4'        
7,article ,,xxvi47  ,but ,christ1 the   
,great ,head of the ,church1 does not   
acknowledge the evil as belonging to    
,him1 or as having any right to a place 
in ,his ,church or kingdom4  ,where  has
 ,he ever prescribed or demanded or     

allowed a merely external  profession   
and service8  ,what did ,he say to those
 who were satisfied  with this8  8,ye   
hypocrites1 well did ,esaias prophesy of
 you1 saying1  ,this people draweth nigh
 unto me with their mouth and honoureth 
me with  their lips1 but their heart is 
far from me60 7,matt4 xv4 #g1 #h47  ,and
 if  this spiritual service1 this       
service of the heart1 was required of   
the  ,jews1 and evidently symbolized by 
their distinguishing ,ordinance of      
circumcision1 and if they were branded  
by the ,lord as 8hypocrites0 who  did   
not pay it1--no wonder that it should be
 designed and required by the  ,gospel6 
,otherwise1 ,christ would be the        
minister of hypocrisy1 formality1  and  
sin6  ,but ,he ,himself has told us1    
that ,he soweth good seed only in  ,his 
field2 and that it is ,his enemy who    
sows the tares4 7,matt4 xiii4  #cg1     
#ch47  ,the wicked and such as be void  
of a lively faith1 and all who  8have a 
form of godliness but denying the power 

thereof10 are considered  as intruders  
into the ,church of ,christ1 and as such
 will be dealt with  by ,him at the     
last4  ,this was ,god's complaint of    
,his ,church of  old3--8,among my people
 are found wicked men60 7,jer4 v4 #bf47 
,and ,he  remonstrates with such        
characters for professing that they knew
 ,him1  while their conduct was         
inconsistent with their profession4     
8,unto the  wicked ,god saith1 ,what    
hast thou to do that thou shouldest take
 my  covenant in thy mouth80 7,ps4 l4   
#af47  ,and the ,lord ,jesus saith the  
same  to such like persons4  8,why call 
ye me ,lord1 ,lord1 and do not the      
things  which ,i say80 7,luke vi4 #df47 
8,friend1 how camest thou in hither1 not
  having a wedding garment80 7,matt1    
xxii4 #ab47  ,and ,he declares that in  
the  last day ,he 8will profess unto    
them1 ,i never knew you40 7,matt1 vii4  
#bc47  ,he calls them 8goats10 not      
8sheep20 though while on earth they find
  admittance into ,his fold4 7,matt4    

xxv4 #cc47  ,of such is not the kingdom 
of ,god4  ,the ,kingdom of ,god1 or     
#8the ,visible ,church of ,christ1 is a 
,congregation of faithful men4'  ,now1  
to enter into this kingdom1 or1  which  
is the same thing1 to be an ostensible  
member of this spiritual  ,society1 a   
man must be 8born of water and of the   
,spirit40  ,no one can be  a real and   
recognised member of ,christ's ,church  
on earth1 except he  be baptized and    
born of the ,spirit4  ,the necessity of 
being 8born of the  ,spirit0 in order to
 our becoming the subjects of ,christ's 
kingdom is  shown by ,him in what       
immediately follows4  8,that which is   
born of the  flesh is flesh30--7v4 #f47 
that which proceeds from and is produced
 by  carnal and corrupt nature is carnal
 and corrupt also4  ,hence the          
necessity of a great and thorough       
change4  8,ye must be born again40  7v4 
#g47  ,of this change the ,holy ,spirit 
is--to keep up the idea introduced  by  
,christ--the ,parent or ,father4  ,and  

as that which generates1 generates  its 
like1 so 8that which is born of the     
,spirit is spirit30 in other            
words1--the abstract being here used by 
,christ for the concrete1 7and by  its  
use ,he more strongly expresses the     
reality of what might justly be  called 
a birth and the communication of an     
entirely new nature17--he  that partakes
 of this birth of the ,spirit is thereby
 made a spiritual  man1 whereas before  
he was a carnal and corrupt man4  ,and  
since ,christ  came 7as we have seen7 to
 set up a spiritual kingdom1 7for 8the  
kingdom  of ,god is righteousness1 and  
peace1 and joy in the ,holy ,ghost207   
7,rom4  xiv4 #ag17 none can really      
belong to this kingdom1 except spiritual
  persons4  ,and to this agrees what the
 ,lord said on another occasion2        
8,verily ,i say unto you1 whosoever     
shall not receive the kingdom of ,god as
  a little child1 he shall not enter    
therein40 7,mark x4 #ae47  ,and if not  
real members of ,his ,kingdom on earth1 

we shall certainly not enter into  ,his 
,kingdom of glory4  ,but to be          
recognised as well as real members  of  
,his ,church1 or subjects of ,his       
kingdom1 we must be 8born of water10 or 
baptized4  ,this is ,christ's appointed 
,ordinance4  ,he ordained the use of  it
 in ,his ,church1 while ,he was present 
with ,his disciples1 and ,he            
subsequently enjoined the same in the   
case of all who should believe ,his     
gospel4  ,baptism with water1 therefore1
 is not to be omitted1 wherever it  may 
be had4  ,and1 surely1 the reason which 
,jesus ,himself gave to ,john for       
seeking this ,ordinance1 ought to       
influence those who desire to be        
numbered among ,his friends and         
followers3 8,thus it becometh us to     
fulfil  all righteousness60    ,but     
while these two things1 baptism and the 
birth of the ,spirit1 are  declared by  
,christ to be necessary to a certain    
end1--namely1 an entrance  into the     
,kingdom of ,god1 or ,visible ,church of

 ,christ upon earth1--there is  not the 
slightest intimation given by ,him that 
they are necessarily  connected with    
each other4  ,not a word is said by ,him
 from which we can  deduce this4  ,two  
things are often required for a definite
 purpose2--two  witnesses1 for instance1
 to prove a fact2--an invitation and a  
wedding-garment to entitle any one to be
 a guest at a marriage-feast2--but      
these may be quite independent of one   
another4  ,it cannot be pretended  that 
one thing only is spoken of by ,christ4 
,the birth of the ,spirit is  twice     
mentioned by itself1 and once in        
connection with baptism by water4       
,baptism1 then1 and the birth of ,spirit
 are clearly not identical1--not one    
and the same thing4  ,and their         
necessary connection is neither here1   
nor any where else in ,scripture1       
asserted4  ,it is a statement1 not      
supported by a tittle of evidence2 but1 
on the other hand1 contradicted  by     
express testimonies of ,scripture1 and  

by very general experience4  ,the       
putting of these two things together in 
one sentence is surely no proof  of     
their necessary connection4  ,had the   
two been necessarily  connected1--had   
baptism been the appointed channel for  
the conveyance of  the ,spirit1 ,christ 
would undoubtedly have said so4  ,or    
rather1 it would  have been sufficient  
for ,him to have said1 8,except a man be
 baptized1  he cannot enter into the    
kingdom of ,god20 and ,he certainly     
would not have  omitted the mention of  
baptism1 as ,he did omit it1 in ,his    
first solemn  asseveration to           
,nicodemus4  ,the necessity of the birth
 of the ,spirit  was evidently what     
,jesus wished to enforce upon ,his      
inquirer4  ,this  therefore was the     
first thing spoken of by ,him4  ,in ,his
 second address  ,he introduces         
water-baptism2 as this would serve to   
make the spiritual  subject clearer1 and
 because ,he would show that baptism was
 henceforth to  be the token of the     

,covenant3 but how ,nicodemus was to    
conclude from the  manner in which it   
was mentioned1 that water was to be the 
means of  communicating the new birth1  
or that the two things were always to be
  found together1 it is not easy to     
imagine4  ,especially as in the very    
same address he was told1 that1 in      
giving the new birth1 the ,holy ,spirit 
acts as 8the wind blowing where it      
listeth40  ,now baptism must always  be 
administered at a specific time2 but is 
this the case with the  blowing of the  
wind8  ,did ,christ then use an         
inappropriate metaphor8  ,he  plainly   
tells ,nicodemus1 that as 8a master of  
,israel0 he ought to have  understood   
what ,he was speaking of4  ,but what is 
there in the ,old  ,testament from which
 ,nicodemus could have learned the      
necessary  connection of the new birth  
with any outward ,ordinance8  ,was the  
circumcision of the heart always        
connected with the circumcision of the  
flesh8  ,had not the ,lord1 in the time 

of ,moses1 bidden the people of  ,israel
 to 8circumcise the foreskin of their   
hearts08 7,deut4 x4 #af47  ,and  had ,he
 not said of them by ,jeremiah1 8,all   
the house of ,israel are  uncircumcised 
in the heart08 7ix4 #bf47  ,this was the
 doctrine to which  ,nicodemus had been 
accustomed3--the necessity of both the  
outward and  the inward circumcision1   
but not their necessary connection with 
each  other4  ,so likewise with the new 
birth and baptism4    ,and as ,scripture
 is1 and must be1 consistent with       
,scripture1 let the  latter part of     
,christ's address to ,nicodemus be      
compared with ,his  subsequent          
directions concerning baptism1 and      
compared also with the  writings of ,his
 ,apostles1 and it will be seen1 that   
faith in ,him1 which  ,he so frequently 
mentions as leading to salvation1 is    
that with which  the birth of the       
,spirit is connected1 and that this     
faith is invariably  required before the
 administration of the ,ordinance to    

any4  ,how then  can baptism with water 
convey the birth of the ,spirit1 unless 
,christ and  ,his ,apostles be at issue 
with each other1 and the order of       
things1 which  ,he ,himself appointed in
 ,his ,church1 be inverted8  ,st4 ,john 
expressly  declares in his ,gospel1 7i4 
#ab1 #ac47 that 8as many as received    
,him1  7,jesus ,christ7 to them gave ,he
 power to become the sons of ,god1 even 
to them that believe on ,his name2 which
 were born1 not of blood1 nor of  the   
will of the flesh1 nor of the will of   
man1 but of ,god40  ,and in his  ,first 
,epistle1 7v4 #a47  8,whosoever         
believeth that ,jesus is the ,christ  is
 born of ,god40  ,and the order which   
,christ intended for the  administration
 of baptism by ,his ,apostles was thus  
laid down for  them2--8,he that         
believeth and is baptized shall be      
saved40  ,and they acted  accordingly4  
,no statement was ever more capable of  
proof than this1 that  the birth of the 
,spirit may be without baptism1 and     

baptism without the  birth of the       
,spirit4  ,can any doubt1 that the      
penitent thief on the cross  was 8born  
of the ,spirit10 who yet was not        
baptized8  ,can any venture to  affirm1 
that ,simon ,magus1 though baptized1 was
 8born of the ,spirit08  ,did  not      
,peter tell him1 that he 8had neither   
part nor lot in the matter1 for  his    
heart was not right in the sight of     
,god08  ,man must not put asunder  what 
,god hath joined together2 but neither  
must he of his own authority  join      
together what ,god hath left asunder4   
,we cannot be in manifested  communion  
with the ,church of ,christ1 if we      
wilfully neglect the ,ordinance  which  
,he appointed for ,his disciples2 but we
 may be baptized1 or 8born of  water0   
and so be in professed communion with   
,his ,church1 as ,simon ,magus  was1 and
 yet be1 like him1 void of a lively     
faith and the inspiration of  ,christ's 
,spirit4  ,as it has been well observed 
upon this subject2 #8,it  would violate 

the principles of common sense and      
confound all specific  modes of         
instruction1 to call that a birth at    
which nothing was born1  and that person
 new-born whose moral principles had    
received no  change4' #bj  ,the notion  
of an initial act--of the communication 
of  something in baptism1 which may     
never be perceived1 and never produce   
any  holy fruit1--has no sanction from  
,sacred ,scripture4  ,our ,lord here    
says  nothing like it4  ,he speaks of a 
second birth1--a new existence1--and    
that of a spiritual nature4  8,that     
which is born of the ,spirit is  spirit0
 7v4 #f47  ,the language is the same as 
that which describes a  man's own       
entrance into this world of life and    
activity4  ,and ,his  ,apostles1 when   
writing of this spiritual birth1 always 
ascribe to it  perceptible and powerful 
effects4  8,we know10 writes ,st4 ,john1
 7#a ,ep4 v4  #ah17 8that whosoever is  
born of ,god sinneth not2 but he that is
 begotten  of ,god keepeth himself1 and 

that wicked one toucheth him not40  ,and
  again1 7v4 #d17 8,whatsoever is born  
of ,god overcometh the world40  ,and    
again1 7iii4 #aj17 8,in this the        
children of ,god are manifest1 and the  
children of the devil3 whosoever doeth  
not righteousness is not of ,god40  ,but
 if the birth of the ,spirit1 by which  
men are made the children of  ,god1     
necessarily accompany baptism1 they may 
be at one and the same time  the        
children of ,god and the children of the
 devil6  ,they may be the  children of  
,god1 as being born of ,his ,spirit in  
baptism1 and they may be  8manifested0  
to be the children of the devil by      
committing sin2 for  thousands who have 
been baptized never show the least      
spiritual  disposition1 but live and die
 under the dominion of iniquity6  ,but  
it is  said1 #8,the ,spirit was given to
 them1 and they lost it3--they were     
,god's  children1 but they ceased to be 
such4'  ,can that1 with a shadow of     
reason1 be said to have been lost1 of   

the possession of which there  never was
 the slightest evidence8  ,can that1    
with any propriety1 be  said to cease1  
which1 if the statement of the ,apostle 
is to be the  standard of judgment1     
never began8  8,in this10 says ,st4     
,john1 8the  children of ,god are       
manifest40  ,of thousands who have been 
baptized it  may be asked1 when were    
they manifested to be the children of   
,god8  ,and  the answer of truth must   
be1 ,never4  ,they never did            
righteousness3--they always committed   
sin4  ,they were never therefore  8born 
of ,god30--they never partook of the    
birth of the ,spirit4  8,they went  out 
from us10 ,st4 ,john says again of some 
who had been nominal members of  the    
,christian ,church1 8they went out from 
us1 but they were not of us2  for if    
they had been of us1 they would no doubt
 have continued with us40  7#a ,ep4 ii4 
#ai47  ,the only seminal principle of   
grace which the  ,scripture recognizes1 
is that1 which this same ,apostle speaks

 of2 7iii4  #i47  8,whosoever is born of
 ,god doth not commit sin1 for his seed 
remaineth in him2 and he cannot sin1    
because he is born of ,god40  ,this is  
in perfect harmony with ,christ's words 
to ,nicodemus2--8,the wind  bloweth     
where it listeth1 and thou hearest the  
sound thereof30 thou  knowest that it is
 blowing by the effects which it        
produces3 8so is  every one who is born 
of the ,spirit40 7v4 #h47  ,but to      
believe that 8the  wind bloweth10 when a
 leaf is not shaken1 nor the slightest  
murmur in the  air heard1 is so         
contradictory to the evidence of the    
senses1 that after  this we might       
believe anything4  ,transubstantiation  
itself need not be  rejected by us4     
,why not believe a material as well as a
 moral  change1 if the exercise of the  
understanding and of the senses is to be
  excluded8  ,nay1 transubstantiation   
has a greater show of                   
,scripture-authority in its favour4     
,christ did say of the bread and  wine1 

8,this is my ,body20 8,this is my       
,blood30 but ,he never said1 8,every    
one who is born of water is born also of
 the ,holy ,spirit40  ,the uniform      
tenor of ,his teaching was1 that men's  
profession and principles and           
privileges should be tried by their     
practical effects4  8,by their fruits   
ye shall know them40 7,matt4 vii4 #bj47 
,and as transubstantiation might as     
well be believed1 as that every baptized
 person is necessarily 8born of  the    
,spirit10 so1 to claim the power of     
absolutely setting ,god on work to      
new-create the soul in baptism1 is      
little short of the presumption of the  
,church of ,rome1 which asserts the     
power of her priests to turn the bread  
and wine in the ,sacrament of the       
,supper into ,christ's real ,body and   
,blood6  ,it would not then be true1 7as
 declared in ,john i4 #ac17 that  8the  
sons of ,god we born1 not of the will of
 man20 for baptism is  administered at  
the will of man2--whensoever and to     

whomsoever he  pleases4    ,the next    
thing to be noticed in ,scripture in    
connection with this  subject1 is the   
,charge or ,commission which the ,lord  
,jesus gave to ,his  ,apostles after    
,his resurrection from the dead and     
before ,his ascension  into ,heaven4    
,in ,matt1 xxviii4 #ai41 we find the    
,lord saying to the  ,eleven1 8,go ye   
therefore and teach all nations20--or1  
as it is in the  margin1 8make disciples
 of all nations20--8baptizing them in   
the name of  the ,father1 and of the    
,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost2 teaching 
them to  observe all things whatsoever  
,i have commanded you40  ,in ,mark xvi4 
#ae1  #af41 the ,commission to the      
,eleven is thus given2 8,and ,he said   
unto them1  ,go ye into all the world   
and preach the ,gospel to every         
creature4  ,he  that believeth and is   
baptized shall be saved2 but he that    
believeth not  shall be damned40  ,now  
in both these passages the same course  
is  prescribed1 which had been          

previously adopted by ,christ ,himself  
and by  ,his forerunner1 ,john the      
,baptist4  ,they 7,christ and ,john7    
first made  disciples2 and then baptized
 them1 in token of their being          
disciples4  ,and the ,apostles were to  
do the same4  ,they were first to preach
 the  gospel1 and then1 when any        
believed it1--or1 as ,god only knoweth  
the  hearts1 7for the discerning of     
spirits was not possessed by all who    
preached the gospel1 and does not appear
 to have been exercised in  ordinary    
ministrations17 when any professed to   
believe it1 without giving  cause for a 
suspicion of insincerity1 they were to  
baptize them2 and when  the profession  
was sincere1 the promise of salvation   
was assured unto  them4  ,and according 
to these directions the ,apostles and   
other preachers  of the gospel acted4   
,the ,jews had hitherto been the        
peculiar people and  ,church of ,god4   
,but this state of things was to last no
 longer4  ,the  gospel was certainly to 

be first preached to the ,jews1 but not 
to be  confined to them4  ,it was to be 
preached 8to every creature40--,all     
nations  were to hear the glad tidings  
of salvation by ,jesus ,christ1 and to  
be  called to 8the obedience of faith40 
8,repentance and remission of sins  were
 to be preached in ,christ's name among 
all nations40  ,the teaching1  then1    
which preceded baptism1 and by which    
disciples were made to ,christ1  was the
 preaching of the gospel4  7,of this we 
have a direct proof in  ,acts xiv4 #ba4 
8,and when they 7,paul and ,barnabas7   
had preached the  gospel to that city   
and had taught many20--or1 as the latter
 word  properly signifies1 8had brought 
many to the faith of ,christ and made   
them ,his disciples407  ,and when the   
gospel was believed1 the ,sacrament of  
baptism was to be administered1 and then
 farther instruction to be given  in all
 things which ,christ willed that ,his  
disciples should do4  ,for thus         
continuing baptism as the outward and   

visible token of believing upon  ,him1  
the ,lord ,jesus gave no reason4  ,the  
,ordinance1 in fact1 spake for  itself4 
,the design of ,christ's death being to 
8redeem from all iniquity1  and to      
purify unto ,himself a peculiar people1 
zealous of good works10  what outward   
rite could more suitably be enjoined    
upon those who became  ,his disciples1  
than the washing with pure water8  ,as  
we have seen  already1 every proselyte  
to the ,jews' religion from among the   
heathen was  washed1 or baptized1 as    
well as circumcised4  ,in founding the  
,new  ,testament ,church1 which was to  
consist of some of all nations on equal 
terms with the ,jews1 the ,lord lays    
aside the distinguishing ,ordinance of  
the ,old ,testament                     
,church1--circumcision1--and retains    
that which was its  appendage in the    
case of ,gentile converts1 namely1      
baptism4  ,and how  delightfully        
consonant with the character of the ,new
 ,dispensation was  this proceeding6    

,instead of the painful and bloody rite 
of circumcision1  water only is         
used2--pleasant and refreshing2 and     
moreover1 still more  significant3 for  
while circumcision conveyed only the    
negative idea of  the putting away of   
sin1 baptism includes both the removal  
of uncleanness  and the production of   
its opposite state of purity4  ,in the  
,commission1  then1 which the ,lord gave
 to ,his ,apostles1 we notice these two 
things3--first1 the universal           
proclamation to be made of the gospel2  
and  secondly1 the limitation of baptism
 to those who should believe it4  ,no   
mention is made of the manner in which  
baptism was to be administered1  7of the
 form of words we shall speak presently7
 nor is there any  distinction of       
country1 condition1 sex or age4  ,every 
one who should be  willing to give in   
his name to ,christ and to be saved by  
,him1 was to  partake of the rite of    
baptism4  ,and this seems the proper    
place for the  remark1 that as the use  

of water was thus made common to both   
,dispensations1 and as no new directions
 were given1 the ,apostles would        
naturally be led to pursue the course   
which had previously prevailed with     
respect to the baptism of proselytes to 
the ,jews' religion4  ,these  proselytes
 had been worshippers of idols1 and were
 therefore to be washed  or baptized1 in
 token of their putting away of their   
idolatry and its  accompanying          
impurities4  ,proselytes to             
,christ--from all but the ,jewish       
people--would be of the same            
description4  ,circumcision was to      
cease1 and  baptism with water alone to 
be retained1 and to be applied alike to 
,jews  and ,gentiles4  ,why then should 
not the same course be pursued as       
heretofore8  ,if the children of        
proselytes had been for the most part   
baptized with their parents1 why should 
not the same be continued8--,the        
children of believing ,jews had received
 circumcision when eight days old1  as  

the token of the ,covenant4  ,why should
 the children of those ,jews who        
believed in ,christ1--in whom that very 
,covenant was confirmed1 of which       
circumcision was the token1--why should 
the children of these believing  ,jews  
not have the token of the ,covenant1 as 
well as the children of their  believing
 forefathers8  ,the ,covenant is one and
 the same4  8,the ,lord said  to        
,abraham1 ,i will establish my ,covenant
 between me and thee and thy seed  after
 thee1 in their generations1 for an     
everlasting ,covenant1 to be a  ,god    
unto thee and to thy seed after thee4   
,and ,i will give unto thee1 and  to thy
 seed after thee1 the land wherein thou 
art a stranger1 for an  everlasting     
possession40 7,gen4 xvii4 #g1 #h47      
,these promises were made to  ,abraham1 
as 8the father of all them that should  
believe40  ,the first  thing here       
promised is1 that 8the ,lord would be a 
,god unto ,abraham and  his seed40 #bg  
,and do not the words of ,christ1 when  

,he commanded ,his  ,apostles to baptize
 those who should become ,his disciples1
 convey the  same idea8--8baptizing them
 in1 or into the name of the ,father1   
and of  the ,son1 and of the ,holy      
,ghost08  ,what is this but a           
declaration1 that  the ,triune ,jehovah 
should be their ,god8  ,the other part  
of the promise  is1 that 8,canaan0      
should be their 8everlasting            
possession40  ,this by ,st4  ,paul is   
called a 8promise1 that he should be the
 heir of the  world30--which chiefly    
meant1 that he and his true seed should 
inherit  ,heaven4  ,and does not ,st4   
,paul decide the question as to the     
continuance of ,abraham's ,covenant by  
asserting1 that believers in ,christ    
are heirs of ,heaven in virtue of this  
very promise made to ,abraham8  8,if ye 
be ,christ's1 then are ye ,abraham's    
seed1 and heirs according to  the       
promise40 7,gal4 iii4 #bi47  ,the       
,covenant being thus the same1 were     
children not to be brought into the     

blessings and the bond of it1 simply    
because the token of it was changed8    
,if 7as it has been often observed  on  
this subject7 the ,lord had been pleased
 to continue the original token  of the 
,covenant made with ,abraham1 and had   
commanded ,his ,apostles and  ,ministers
 to circumcise1 in the place of         
baptizing1 all who should  embrace ,his 
gospel1 would they not have continued   
the practice of the  ,jewish ,church1   
and have circumcised the children of all
 believing  parents8  ,how much rather  
then1 when ,he saith1 ,wash2 simply     
baptize with  water2--it is my will1    
that this mild but significant element  
and emblem  be henceforth exclusively   
used in my ,church6  ,and having been   
hitherto  used in the admission of      
,gentile proselytes into the ,jewish    
,church1 it  forms a connection with the
 ,covenant made with ,abraham1 more     
manifest  than any new ,ordinance could 
possibly have done4  ,therefore there   
was no  need of any directions          

respecting the baptism of infants1 as   
this would  naturally follow upon the   
continuance of the ,abrahamic ,covenant4
  ,nay1  after all that had taken place1
 if ,christ had not intended that the   
children of believers should partake of 
this ,sacrament1 as well as the         
parents1 a prohibition to this effect   
would have been needed4  ,but  nothing  
of the kind was given4  ,on the         
contrary1 7to pass on for a moment  to  
another portion of ,scripture17 the very
 first day on which the  ,apostles began
 to execute the ,commission which       
,christ had given them1  ,peter said to 
those who expressed a desire to become  
,christ's disciples1  8,the promise is  
unto you and to your children40 7,acts  
ii4 #ci47  ,this  certainly did not look
 like an intention of excluding children
 from  sharing with their parents in the
 ,ordinances of the ,church of ,god6    
,it has been stated1 that some farther  
notice would be taken of the form  of   
words to be used in the administration  

of baptism4  ,whether the ,lord  ,jesus 
meant1 that the precise form1 8,in the  
name of the ,father1 and of  the ,son1  
and of the ,holy ,ghost10 should        
invariably be employed1 may admit  of a 
question4  ,baptized persons were       
doubtless dedicated to the service  of  
the glorious and blessed ,trinity4      
,they were baptized into the name  of   
the ,triune ,god4  ,but it cannot be    
certainly proved1 that the ,lord  ,jesus
 intended that these very words should  
be used on each occasion4  ,and it is   
remarkable1 that in the subsequent      
account of instances of  baptism in ,the
 ,acts of the ,apostles1 it is called   
8being baptized in the  name of the     
,lord ,jesus40  ,irenus observes1 that  
this might be the  putting of a part for
 the whole1 and that so it would be     
generally  understood4  ,the safest     
course has1 however1 been taken in the  
,christian  ,church by the retention of 
the precise form found in the           
,commission  given by ,christ to ,his   

,apostles2 and no objection can be      
justly brought  against it4    ,this is 
all that is found in ,the ,gospels1     
directly applicable to the  ,sacrament  
of ,baptism4    ,but there is a         
circumstance recorded in three of them1 
which cannot be  overlooked in          
connection with the subject of the      
administration of  baptism to           
children2--though baptism itself is not 
mentioned in it4  ,st4  ,matthew1 ,st4  
,mark1 and ,st4 ,luke1 relate the       
bringing of little children  or infants1
 or both1 either by their parents or    
others interested for  them1 to ,christ1
 8that ,he should put ,his hands on them
 and pray for  them40  ,the disciples1  
unwilling probably that their ,master   
should be  troubled with such an        
application1 8rebuked those who brought 
them3 but  when ,jesus saw it1 ,he was  
much displeased0 with the disciples1    
8and said  unto them1 ,suffer the little
 children to come unto me1 and forbid   
them  not2 for of such is the kingdom of

 ,god4  ,verily ,i say unto you1        
,whosoever  shall not receive the       
kingdom of ,god as a little child1 he   
shall not  enter therein4  ,and ,he took
 them up in ,his arms1 put ,his hands   
upon them1  and blessed them40 7,mark x4
 #ac-af47  ,what doubtless increased    
,christ's  displeasure at the conduct of
 ,his disciples was their evident       
forgetfulness of what had passed a short
 time before2 when1 a dispute  having   
arisen among them who should be the     
greatest1 ,he set a child in  the midst 
of them and proposed him as a pattern of
 humility1 unto which  ,he declared all 
the subjects of ,his kingdom must be    
conformed4  ,with  respect to the       
children thus brought to ,christ1 ,he   
only acted in ,his  usual benevolent    
manner1 when ,he complied with the      
request made of ,him  concerning them4  
,he was asked to 8put ,his hands on them
 and to  pray10--that is1 for a blessing
 to rest upon them4  ,this therefore ,he
 did4  ,the word 8blessed0--,he 8blessed

 them0--is the same with that used by   
,himself in ,his sermon on the ,mount3  
8bless them that curse you30--the       
meaning of which is1 #8,pray that       
blessings may come upon those who call  
down curses upon you4'  ,and when ,jesus
 blessed the children which were        
brought to ,him1 ,he commended them by  
prayer to the compassion and favour  of 
,his heavenly ,father4  ,this is all    
that we can legitimately conclude  from 
what is here said4  ,jesus manifested   
the same kindness of heart  towards the 
rich young ruler1 mentioned immediately 
afterwards2 when  8beholding him1 ,he   
loved him20 though this object of ,his  
love went away  from ,him1 and there is 
every reason to fear that his riches    
proved the  cause of his ruin4  ,the    
same disposition of benevolence which   
led the  ,lord ,jesus to pray for the   
children that were brought to ,him1 led 
,him  also to pray for ,his murderers2  
for while hanging on the cross1 ,he     
cried1  8,father1 forgive them40  ,but1 

were all that were engaged in putting   
,him  to death really forgiven8  ,did   
not many of them continue in impenitence
  and unbelief8  ,undoubtedly they did4 
,it is impossible1 therefore1 to        
conclude absolutely that even these     
children which were brought to  ,christ 
were eternally saved1 whatever hope and 
charitable opinion may  be entertained  
on the subject4  ,but ,he farther said  
respecting them1--8,of  such is the     
kingdom of ,god40  ,what then did ,he   
mean by this declaration8  ,it is to be 
observed1 that this was said by ,jesus  
of these children1 not  after they had  
been brought to ,him and blessed by     
,him1 but before they  were so brought1 
and as the reason why they should be    
brought to ,him3  8,for of such is the  
kingdom of ,god40  ,now it is evident   
that ,christ does  not say this of      
children as they are by nature4  ,he    
,himself had before  described the heart
 of man1 that is1 the nature of man1 as 
full of all  evil4  7,see ,mark vii4    

#bf47  ,and though these children might 
have been  circumcised1 yet this does   
not appear to have been contemplated by 
,christ when ,he spake of them3 and we  
know from what ,st4 ,paul says1 as  well
 as from other ,scriptures1 that the    
outward circumcision was by no  means   
always accompanied with the circumcision
 of the heart4  ,nor does  there appear 
to have been anything peculiar in this  
case1 to which  ,christ's observations  
were confined4  ,if so1 we should have  
nothing  whatever to do with it4  ,it   
seems to be of children1 as children1   
that  ,he here speaks2--not of children 
brought to ,him1 7as already noticed7   
but of children in general3 8,of such is
 the kingdom of ,god40  ,these  words1  
strictly taken1 would intimate1 that    
they were in the kingdom of  ,god       
already2 for ,he does not say this of   
them after that they had been  blessed  
by ,him1 but ,he says it of them before4
  ,it was not1 therefore1  ,his         
reception of them which caused ,him to  

speak thus concerning them4  ,the true  
view of the subject seems to be         
this2--that1 while the whole            
transaction wears a kind and gracious   
aspect toward man's helpless  offspring1
 ,jesus had special regard in it to the 
dispositions found in  children2--for by
 reason of infantile weakness corruption
 is then unable  to manifest itself1 and
 all appears to be gentleness and       
loveliness2--pride and malice and such  
like evils being necessarily  absent1   
and humility and lowliness and          
dependance and such like tempers  being 
by the same necessity present4  ,so that
 it was with regard to  these1 rather   
than to the subjects of them1 that      
,jesus said1 8,of such  is the kingdom  
of ,god40  ,this view harmonizes exactly
 with what ,he said  in immediate       
connection with the words we are        
considering3 8,verily1 ,i say  unto you1
 whosoever shall not receive the kingdom
 of ,god as a little  child1 he shall   
not enter therein40  ,the great object  

of the ,lord  evidently was1 to set     
forth children1 both as to what is not  
seen in  them1 and what is found in     
their meek1 passive1 harmless1          
submissive1  and dependant state1 as the
 pattern for ,his disciples'            
imitation2--as1 in  fact1 the exhibition
 of what must be found in every one1 who
 would be a  real subject of ,his       
kingdom4  ,and that it was of the age of
 infancy or  childhood1 and not of the  
persons of the children themselves1 that
  ,christ was here speaking1 is         
confirmed by a reference to the         
circumstance  already mentioned1 which  
is related by ,st4 ,matthew1 in the     
beginning of  the eighteenth ,chapter1  
and which had occurred not long before  
the  bringing of the children to ,him4  
8,the disciples came unto ,jesus1       
saying1  ,who is the greatest in the    
kingdom of heaven8  ,and ,jesus called a
 little  child unto ,him1 and set him in
 the midst of them1 and said1 ,verily1  
,i say  unto you1 ,except ye be         

converted1 and become as little         
children1 ye  shall not enter into the  
kingdom of heaven4  ,whosoever therefore
 shall  humble himself as this little   
child10--that is1 so as to be as this   
little  child is1--8the same is greatest
 in the kingdom of heaven40  ,now it    
cannot  be supposed1 that this child was
 selected by ,christ as having any      
peculiar excellency in him4  ,any child 
would doubtless have served ,his        
purpose3--the child of a ,gentile as    
well as of a ,jew4  ,neither the  nature
 of the child1 nor the state of the     
child's soul in the sight of  ,god1 had 
any thing to do with the use which the  
,lord here makes of him4  ,it was the   
state of childhood that ,christ         
evidently had respect unto1  and this   
,he makes the model of ,his disciples4  
,just as ,david had  said1--8,my soul is
 even as a weaned child20 and as ,st4   
,paul afterwards  wrote to the          
,corinthians1--8,in malice be ye        
children40  ,and if farther  evidence   

that this was ,christ's meaning be      
needed1 it is found in the  transition  
which ,he1 as it were1 insensibly makes 
from the 8little  children0 to          
8believers in ,him20 8those little      
ones10 7the word used by  ,him being    
changed17 8those little ones10 ,he calls
 them1 8which believe  in               
me20--evidently referring to such as    
regard themselves to be the  meanest and
 most humble of ,his disciples4  ,with  
respect to children  themselves1        
personally considered1 the words of     
,christ seem only to  convey a general  
expression of good will toward them1--to
 be understood  and applied in          
conformity with other declarations of   
the ,inspired ,word4  ,as to the bearing
 of this whole passage upon baptism1 it 
is impossible  to prove by it the       
connection of the new birth with        
baptism1 or indeed  anything about      
baptism at all2--except that it affords 
great encouragement  to godly parents to
 bring their children to this           

,ordinance1 and in it to  present and   
dedicate them to the ,lord their ,god4  
,if we attempt to force  the application
 of the passage1 it may be turned       
against ourselves1 and  used as an      
argument for doing without the baptism  
of children altogether3  for ,christ    
does not say anything about the baptism 
of the children  brought to ,him1       
although baptism was then in use among  
,his disciples4  ,his silence respecting
 it is no valid argument against it2 but
 it  prevents the possibility of proving
 anything absolutely as to the  effect  
of baptism from this occurrence4  ,in   
truth1 the circumstances of  the cases  
must be analogous1 before any           
application can fairly be made  of it4  
,children must not be brought in gross  
ignorance and utter  carelessness to be 
baptized1 that they may receive their   
name from a  minister1 or for some other
 merely temporal object1 without any    
regard to  ,christ or ,his grace1 and   
this be said to correspond with what was

 done  for the children in the history  
before us4  ,this is to profane         
,christ's  ,sacrament2 and shall the    
profanation of it be attended with a    
blessing8  ,no wonder that baptized     
children show no benefit from their     
baptism1 when  it has really not been a 
bringing of them to ,christ at          
all3--,christ having  never been thought
 of from first to last4  ,if an appeal  
be made to the  supposed efficacy of the
 ,ordinance itself1 then this passage   
has  nothing to do with the subject4    
,other ,scriptures must be resorted to1 
wherein reference is made to baptism4   
,from what was done and said on  this   
occasion1 believing parents1 anxious for
 the salvation of their  children1 may  
draw much encouragement to bring them to
 ,christ in baptism1  and to pray and   
hope for a blessing1 in connection with 
the subsequent  use of means for their  
spiritual good3 and they who act thus1  
comply much  more with ,his mind and    
spirit1 than those who withhold their   

children  from the ,ordinance4  ,but no 
absolute and unconditional benefit in   
baptism  can by any fair process of     
reasoning be deduced from it4           
99 99 99 99 99    ,we proceed1 then1 to 
examine the passages in #8,the ,acts of 
the ,apostles1'  which relate to the    
subject of ,baptism2 and we shall there 
see the  directions which ,christ gave  
them concerning it carried into effect4 
,no sooner had the ,apostles begun to   
execute their important ,commission by  
preaching the gospel on the day of      
,pentecost1 than ,god gave testimony to 
their word by convincing many of sin1   
especially of the sin of  8crucifying   
the ,lord of glory20 and they 8said unto
 ,peter and to the rest  of the         
,apostles10 7as we read in ,acts ii4    
#cg17 8,men and brethren1 what  shall we
 do80  ,to this ,peter answered1        
8,repent1 and be baptized every one  of 
you in the name of ,jesus ,christ for   
the remission of sins1 and ye  shall    
receive the gift of the ,holy ,ghost4   

,for the promise is unto you  and to    
your children1 and to all that are afar 
off1 even as many as the  ,lord our ,god
 shall call40  ,in this exhortation1 the
 principle enjoined by  ,christ upon the
 ,apostles is found4  ,repentance and   
faith are first  required4  ,for the    
expressions1 8,be baptized in the name  
of ,jesus  ,christ10 do certainly mean1 
8,make an open profession of your       
believing  in ,jesus ,christ1 by being  
baptized in ,his name40  ,that this is  
their  meaning there can be no doubt1   
when we consider what is said           
immediately  afterwards3 7v4 #da47      
8,then they that gladly received his    
word0 7and how  is the word received but
 by faith8  ,see #a ,thess4 ii4 #ac17   
8were baptized2  and the same day there 
were added unto them about three        
thousand souls4  ,and they continued    
stedfastly in the ,apostles' doctrine   
and fellowship1  and in breaking of     
bread and in prayers40  ,here1 then1    
things were as  ,christ intended them to

 be4  ,they who were convinced of sin   
ask what they  shall do--that is1 to be 
saved4  ,they are told to repent1 and   
openly to  confess ,christ--that is1    
that they believed in ,him as the       
,saviour--by being  baptized4  ,and they
 are assured1 that upon doing these     
things--7the  whole exhortation being   
taken together7 they should receive     
8remission of  their sins0 and 8the gift
 of the ,holy ,ghost40  ,they gladly    
received the  word preached to them2 and
 they were then baptized2 and while     
their  baptism was a public profession  
of repentance and faith on their part1  
it  would doubtless be a means of grace 
to them1 and a seal and pledge on       
,god's part of the forgiveness of their 
sins and of ,his good-will and  favour  
towards them4  ,and this was the right  
and legitimate use of the  ,ordinance4  
,the next instance recorded in ,the     
,acts of the ,apostles is that of the   
people of ,samaria1 to whom ,philip went
 and preached ,christ1 7viii4 #e47      

,they had for a long time been bewitched
 with the sorceries of a certain  man1  
called ,simon2 but1 it is added1 8when  
they believed ,philip1  preaching the   
things concerning the kingdom of ,god   
and the name of ,jesus  ,christ1 they   
were baptized1 both men and women40     
,the same order is seen  here1 as at    
,jerusalem on the day of ,pentecost4    
,they first believe1 and  then are      
baptized4  ,but now a very different    
case presents itself to  us4  ,simon1   
the sorcerer himself1 is said also to   
have believed and been  baptized1 and to
 have 8continued with ,philip10 7having 
of course ceased  from his sorceries7   
8and wondered1 beholding the miracles   
and signs which  were done0 by him4     
,some think1 that by pretending to be   
,philip's  disciple ,simon hoped to be  
able to do the same2 for that his       
opinion of  ,philip was1 that he was but
 a more skilful sorcerer than himself4  
,it  appears that the ,holy ,ghost--by  
which the extraordinary gifts of the    

,spirit1 the ability to speak divers    
languages and such like1 are            
undoubtedly meant1--had not fallen upon 
any of the people of ,samaria at  their 
baptism1 but was reserved to be bestowed
 in answer to the prayers  of the       
,apostles and by the imposition of their
 hands4  ,for 8when the  ,apostles at   
,jerusalem heard that ,samaria had      
received the word of ,god1  they sent   
unto them ,peter and ,john3 who1 when   
they were come down1 prayed  for them   
that they might receive the ,holy       
,ghost3 then laid they their  hands on  
them1 and they received the ,holy       
,ghost40 7v4 #ad1 #ae47  ,the  effect of
 this gift must have been immediately   
perceptible by others2 for  it led to   
that bold and blasphemous offer of money
 by ,simon to the  ,apostles1 which     
betrayed the hypocrisy1 and pride1 and  
wickedness of his  heart4  8,when ,simon
 saw1 that through laying on of the     
,apostles' hands  the ,holy ,ghost was  
given1 he offered them money1 saying1   

,give me also  this power1 that on      
whomsoever ,i lay hands1 he may receive 
the ,holy  ,ghost40 7v4 #ah1 #ai47      
,peter's indignant reply to him proves1 
that1 though  he had been baptized1 he  
was in heart a sorcerer still4  8,the   
dog had  turned to his own vomit again2 
and the sow that was washed1 to her     
wallowing in the mire40 7#b ,peter ii4  
#bb47  ,no change whatever had taken    
place in his character4  ,and no change 
seems to have taken place in him        
afterwards2 if we may judge from what he
 said to the ,apostles4  ,for when      
,peter denounced the just judgment of   
,god against him1 and declared that  he 
8had neither part nor lot in the        
matter10 there was no sign of real      
penitence in his expressions4  ,he      
deprecated the judgment indeed1 and     
asked the ,apostles to pray for him that
 it might not come upon him4  8,pray ye 
to the ,lord for me1 that none of these 
things which ye have  spoken come upon  
me40 7v1 #bd47  ,but even ,pharaoh went 

farther than this4  ,he said to ,moses  
and ,aaron1 8,intreat the ,lord1 that   
,he may take away this  death from me20 
but he also added1 8,i have sinned30 8,i
 am wicked30--a  confession1 which      
,simon never made2 for it is to be      
feared that the  conviction of it he    
never felt4  ,and his case incontestably
 proves1 that  professions and          
,ordinances avail nothing1 unless the   
8heart0 be also  8right in the sight of 
,god40    ,in this same ,chapter we have
 an account of the baptism of the       
,ethiopian  ,eunuch4  ,as far as his    
knowledge reached1 this interesting     
person was a  sincere and devout        
worshipper of the true ,god3 but1 as in 
the case of  ,cornelius afterwards1 it  
was necessary that he should be brought 
to the  clear and full knowledge of the 
gospel of ,jesus ,christ4  ,philip      
therefore  is sent to instruct him1 and 
is gladly received by him as his        
teacher4  ,philip1 taking as his text   
the place of ,scripture which he found  

the  ,eunuch reading1 8preached unto him
 ,jesus40  ,and his word was mixed with 
faith in him that heard it4  ,and coming
 to a certain water1 the ,eunuch1       
having learned what was the rite of     
initiation which ,christ had  appointed1
 was anxious to take this opportunity of
 being openly received  into the number 
of ,his disciples2 and he therefore     
asked ,philip1 8,what  doth hinder me to
 be baptized80  ,our ,authorized        
,version has a reply from  ,philip and a
 confession of faith by the ,eunuch1    
which are not found in  many very       
ancient ,manuscripts4  ,beza says of    
this verse1 8,god forbid ,i  should     
think it ought to be expunged1 since it 
contains such a confession  of faith1 as
 was in the ,apostolic ages required of 
adults1 in order to  their being        
admitted to baptism40  ,but whether it  
be genuine or not1 is  of no material   
consequence4  ,christ had confined      
baptism to believers1 in  ,his          
instructions to ,his ,apostles2 and this

 verse only repeats the  limitation4    
8,if thou believest with all thine      
heart1 thou mayst0 be  baptized4  ,and  
as for the confession of faith          
attributed to the ,eunuch1  it is plain 
that he was prepared and willing to make
 it4  8,i believe that  ,jesus ,christ  
is the ,son of ,god40  ,both he and     
,philip then went down into  the water1 
and ,philip baptized him4  ,in what     
manner1 we are not told2 nor  do even   
the expressions1 8into the water10      
decide whether it was by  immersion or  
the pouring or sprinkling of some of the
 water on his  person4  ,if the mode of 
administration had been essential to the
 validity  of the ,sacrament1 no doubt  
it would have been mentioned4  ,but     
neither  here nor any where else is this
 the case4  ,the ,eunuch1 then1 having  
thus  received the grace of the         
,covenant and the seal of the ,covenant1
  confirmed too by the sign of ,philip's
 miraculous removal from him1--8went  on
 his way rejoicing40 7v4 #ci47    ,in   

the next ,chapter1 the ninth1 we have an
 account of the conversion and  baptism 
of ,saul of ,tarsus4  ,the ,lord ,jesus 
appeared to him as he went to  ,damascus
 to persecute the disciples which might 
be found there3 and ,saul1  having      
fallen to the ground and being told that
 that same ,jesus whom he  persecuted   
stood before him1 exclaimed with all    
humility and entire  submission1 8,lord1
 what wilt thou have me to do80  ,one of
 the most  astonishing instances of a   
sudden change of mind on record6  ,the  
,lord  then bade ,saul 8arise0 from the 
earth1 in order that he might hear what 
more ,he had to say to him4  ,and well  
might ,saul be overwhelmed by the       
communication which the ,lord ,jesus    
proceeds to make to him6  ,in the       
account given in this ninth ,chapter1 it
 is briefly stated that the ,lord       
commanded him to 8go into the city10    
7,damascus7 and that 8it should be  told
 him what he must do40  ,this no doubt  
was a part of ,his  communication4  ,but

 by a reference to the account of this  
transaction  given by himself before    
,agrippa1 as recorded in the xxvith     
,chapter of  this ,book1 it appears that
 the ,lord made known to ,saul at that  
very  time much of ,his mind and will   
concerning him2 and that ,he said to    
him1  8,i have appeared unto thee for   
this purpose1 to make thee a ,minister  
and  a ,witness both of these things    
which thou hast seen1 and of those      
things  in the which ,i will appear unto
 thee2 delivering thee from the people  
and  from the ,gentiles1 unto whom now  
,i send thee1 to open their eyes1 and to
  turn them from darkness to light and  
from the power of ,satan unto ,god1     
that they may receive forgiveness of    
sins1 and inheritance among them  which 
are sanctified by faith that is in me40 
7v4 #af-ah7  ,after this1  ,saul went   
into ,damascus1 and was three days      
without sight or food4  ,ananias was    
then sent to him by the ,lord ,jesus2   
and having put his hands  upon him that 

he might receive his sight1 and having  
repeated to him the  ,commission which  
,jesus had in person given to him1 said1
 7as we read in  the account of this    
event given in the xxiind ,chapter17    
8,and now why  tarriest thou8  ,arise1  
and be baptized1 and wash away thy sins1
 calling  on the name of the ,lord40    
,and he 8arose1 and was baptized40      
,this  address of ,ananias to ,saul1    
taken by itself1 would seem to connect  
the  forgiveness or putting away of sin 
with the act of baptism4  ,but were not 
,saul's sins forgiven before his        
baptism8  ,and did he not know that they
  were forgiven8  ,suppose a subject to 
have a very mistaken view of his        
,sovereign's title to the crown1 and an 
ignorant but very fervid zeal for  some 
other4  ,suppose him not to have taken  
due pains to correct his  error1 and to 
be at the same time under the influence 
of much  high-mindedness and            
self-confidence4  ,he takes up arms     
against his  ,prince1 and for a season  

is very successful in his efforts4  ,but
 suddenly  he finds himself in his      
power3--and at the same time his eyes   
are  opened2--and he is convinced of the
 mistake which he had made1 and of the  
delusion under which he had been acting4
  ,he now casts himself at his          
,sovereign's feet1 and professes his    
willingness to be at his absolute       
disposal for the future4  ,suppose the  
generous ,monarch to reply2--#8,i know  
that thou wast engaged in a blind and   
unequal contest with me3 78it is  hard  
for thee to kick against the pricks307  
but ,i am come to tell thee1  that ,i   
have appointed thee my ,ambassador      
,extraordinary and  ,plenipotentiary1   
and am about to send thee forth to a    
distant kingdom1  there to transact for 
me some difficult and important         
business1 in which  my honour and       
interest and the interest of my subjects
 are greatly  concerned3 78,for ,i have 
appeared unto thee for this purpose1 to 
make thee  a ,minister and a ,witness of

 these things which thou hast seen307 ,i
 will  from time to time communicate    
most confidentially with thee3 78and of 
those things in the which ,i will appear
 unto thee307 all my authority and      
power shall be put forth for thy        
personal preservation3 78delivering thee
  from the people and from the          
,gentiles1 unto whom now ,i send thee307
 and  nothing shall be wanting on my    
part to make thine ,ambassage           
successful4'  78to open their eyes1 and 
to turn them from darkness to light and 
from  the power of ,satan unto ,god1    
c407  ,would this subject1 after such a 
communication and commission1--delivered
 too by his ,prince in person--have  any
 doubt on his mind respecting the pardon
 of his rebellion8  ,he might  for a few
 days retire into secret1 to reflect on 
his case2--to consider  the evil of his 
own conduct1 and the noble and generous 
manner in which  he had been treated1   
when he might justly have been dealt    
with in a very  different way4  ,but his

 preferment of necessity involved his   
pardon and  his full and complete       
establishment in his ,sovereign's       
favour4  ,how could  he1 in the very    
nature of things1 execute the           
,commission given to him1 if  he were to
 be put to death for his treason8       
,nevertheless1 it might be  very        
expedient1 that a public manifestation  
should be made to the kingdom  of this  
change in the state of things3 for the  
,prince's visit to his  subject was in  
secret1 though not the least suspicion  
could attach to the  truth and sincerity
 of it4  ,a public ,ceremony might1     
therefore1 take  place1 at which his own
 change of mind and his ,sovereign's    
pardon might  be proclaimed1 and his    
sealed ,commission delivered into his   
hands3--but  this1 however important1   
would follow the previous interview as a
 matter  of course4  ,what has thus been
 supposed was more than fulfilled in the
  case of ,saul of ,tarsus3 for no      
communication among men could equal the 

condescension and grace of the ,lord    
,jesus towards him and the confidence   
which ,he reposed in him4  ,and the     
manner in which ,ananias spake to ,saul 
of his baptism seems to convey the      
last-mentioned idea2 namely1 that1      
however necessary1 it was to take place 
as a matter of course4  8,and now  why  
tarriest thou8  ,arise1 and be baptized1
 and wash away thy  sins1 calling on the
 name of the ,lord40  ,this washing away
 of his sins  in baptism was a mystical 
or emblematical washing4  ,it was a     
public  manifestation of his penitence  
and his pardon4  ,it was on his part an 
open avowal of submission to ,christ2   
and on the part of the ,lord ,jesus     
,christ it was an equally open avowal of
 the acceptance of his submission1  and 
a seal of his sonship and security4     
,hereby his faith would be  confirmed1  
and his grace increased by virtue of    
8calling on the name of  the ,lord40    
,but how could this confirmation and    
increase take place1  unless faith and  

grace had been possessed by him         
previously8    ,the baptism of          
,cornelius and his company1 recorded in 
,chapter x41 is the  next instance we   
meet with in ,scripture of the          
administration of this  ,sacrament of   
the ,christian ,church4  ,this case is  
remarkable as being the  first-fruits of
 the ,gentiles unto ,christ4  ,peter--to
 whom ,christ had given  8the keys of   
the kingdom of ,heaven10 7,matt4 xvi4   
#ai17 that is1 the high  privilege of   
opening the door of faith both to the   
,jews and to the  ,gentiles1--was sent  
by ,god to preach the gospel to this    
,roman ,centurion4  ,his objections1 as 
a ,jew1 to go unto one of another nation
 having been  removed by a vision1      
,peter went to the house of ,cornelius1 
where he found  him and his kinsmen and 
near friends assembled together to      
receive and to  hear him4  ,he          
faithfully preached ,christ unto them3  
and while he spake  those important     
words1 8,to ,him give all the prophets  

witness1 that1  through ,his name1      
whosoever believeth in ,him shall       
receive remission of  sins10 8the ,holy 
,ghost fell on all them which heard the 
word40  ,under the  influence of the    
,spirit they 8spake with tongues1 and   
magnified ,god4  ,then answered ,peter1 
,can any man forbid water1 that these   
should not be  baptized1 which have     
received the ,holy ,ghost as well as we8
  ,and he  commanded them to be baptized
 in the name of the ,lord40  7#dc-dg47  
,in the  case of the people of ,samaria1
 the ,holy ,ghost was not given when    
they  were baptized1 but some time      
after2--when the ,apostles ,peter and   
,john1  came down from ,jerusalem and   
laid their hands upon them4  ,in the    
case of  ,cornelius and his friends1 the
 same ,holy ,spirit was given before    
their  baptism1 and while ,peter was    
preaching the gospel to them4  ,thus it 
was  not always at the administration of
 the ,ordinance that the ,holy ,ghost   
was given4  ,and though the immediate   

effect of this gift of the ,spirit  was 
manifested in the power to speak with   
tongues and to prophesy1 yet it  also   
enabled and disposed them to 8magnify   
,god30 thereby showing1 that  ,his      
ordinary sanctifying operations were    
included4  ,well then might  ,cornelius 
and they who were with him receive the  
outward and visible sign  of baptism by 
water1 since they had already received  
the thing signified  by it6    ,in      
,chapter xvi41 two very interesting     
cases are recorded1 which are  worthy of
 particular attention4  ,they occurred  
at ,philippi1 in ,macedonia2  to which  
country ,st4 ,paul and his company had  
been called by a vision to  preach the  
gospel there4  ,the first of these is   
the case of a woman named  ,lydia4  ,in 
the #acth and #adth verses the sacred   
historian writes2 8,and on  the ,sabbath
 we went out of the city by a river     
side1 where prayer was  wont to be made2
 and we spake unto the women which      
resorted thither4  ,and  a certain      

woman1 named ,lydia1 a seller of purple1
 of the city of  ,thyatira1 which       
worshipped ,god1 heard us3 whose heart  
the ,lord opened1  that she attended    
unto the things which were spoken of    
,paul40  ,in  consequence of the opening
 of her heart by the ,lord1 she heard to
 her  soul's profit4  ,she received the 
gospel which ,paul preached4  ,we are   
then  told concerning her1 that 8she was
 baptized1 and her household40  ,and her
  faith brought forth fruit3 for she    
immediately invited the ,apostle and    
those who were with him1 to come and    
abide at her house2 and she would  not  
take a denial4  ,they therefore abode   
with her many days4  ,another  case then
 occurred1 which served to show why they
 had been called to  preach the gospel  
in ,macedonia4  ,paul and ,silas having 
been thrown into  prison for casting a  
spirit of divination out of a certain   
damsel1 the  ,lord sent a great         
earthquake at midnight1 which opened the
 doors of the  prison1 and awoke the    

jailor2 who1 fearing that the prisoners 
had fled1  drew his sword and was about 
to kill himself2 when ,paul assured him 
that  they were all there4  ,upon this1 
8he sprang in1 and fell down before     
,paul  and ,silas1 and said1 ,sirs1 what
 must ,i do to be saved80  ,paul and    
,silas  immediately preached the gospel 
to him1 saying1 8,believe on the ,lord  
,jesus ,christ1 and thou shalt be saved1
 and thy house40  ,they then at  greater
 length 8spake unto him the word of the 
,lord1 and to all that were  in his     
house40  ,the same success attended the 
word1 as in the case of  ,lydia4  ,and  
his faith1 like her's1 wrought by love2 
for he immediately  began to show all   
the attention in his power to ,paul and 
,silas4  ,and as  ,lydia was baptized1  
and her household1 so it is said that   
the jailor 8was  baptized1 he and all   
his1 straightway40  ,now it is evident1 
that in the  baptizing of the two       
principal persons in this history1      
,lydia and the  jailor1 the same course 

was pursued by the ,apostle as in all   
the other  instances which have been    
considered4  ,they first believed in the
 ,lord  ,jesus ,christ1 and then they   
were baptized4  ,but a new feature      
presents  itself on both these          
occasions2 that is1 the baptizing of    
their  households4  ,and hence has been 
drawn a very common argument in favour  
of  the baptizing of children2 as it has
 been thought probable that  children   
formed a part of these households4      
,beside these cases1 there  are only two
 other1 in which the house or family is 
spoken of in the ,new  ,testament in    
connection with the head of the         
house1--the house of ,crispus  and the  
house of ,stephanas2 and though it is   
taking them out of their  order1 it may 
be well to notice them also here4  ,let 
us consider first  the case of the      
jailor4  ,it is said that 8he was       
baptized1 and all  his10--that is1 8all 
his house20 to whom1 as well as to      
himself1 ,paul and  ,silas had 8spoken  

the word of the ,lord40  ,but if we are 
told that they  were baptized1 we are   
also told that they believed4  ,in the  
#cdth verse  we read1 that the jailor   
8rejoiced1 believing in ,god with all   
his house40  ,in order to force this    
case to support ,infant-baptism1 an     
attempt is  sometimes made to change the
 construction of the sentence1 thus2    
8,he1  believing in ,god1 rejoiced with 
all his house40  ,this makes very little
  difference in the meaning4  ,for if   
his house were capable of rejoicing     
with him1 they must have been of a      
sufficient age to understand why  they  
rejoiced3 and as his faith in ,christ   
was the cause of his joy1 it  must have 
been also the cause of theirs2 and if   
they could rejoice in  his faith1 why   
might they not have had faith of their  
own to rejoice  in8  ,but the ,greek    
will not admit of the above             
construction4  ,the adverb  translated  
8with all his house0 must be referred to
 the participle  8believing10 which in  

the ,original follows it2 and these     
words express  the reason of his joy1   
which was1 his own faith and the faith  
of his  family4  ,beza gives this as the
 sense of the latter part of the #cdth  
verse2 8,he10 that is1 the jailor1      
8rejoiced because that with the whole   
of his house he had believed in ,god40  
#ej  ,as believers1 therefore1--of      
whomsoever his 8house0 consisted--they  
were entitled to baptism on their  own  
account1 and thus they stood precisely  
in the same situation with  himself4    
,and no inference can hence be drawn    
respecting  ,infant-baptism4  ,of       
,crispus1 the chief ruler of the        
,synagogue at ,corinth1  mentioned in   
the xviiith ,chapter1 it is at once said
 that he 8believed on  the ,lord with   
all his house20 and though their baptism
 is not  particularly spoken of1 it     
would of course take place with the     
baptism of  the other believing         
,corinthians4  ,from ,st4 ,paul's ,first
 ,epistle to the  ,corinthians we learn 

that he himself baptized ,crispus2--no  
mention being  made of his household3   
but as we are informed that they were   
believers1  they would certainly be     
baptized1 like the household of the     
,philippian  jailor4  ,this case1       
therefore1 does not apply to the subject
 of  ,infant-baptism4  ,neither does the
 baptizing of the house of ,stephanas4  
,st4 ,paul tells the ,corinthians1 in   
the beginning of his ,first ,epistle1   
that he baptized this house3 but what   
does he say of them at the close of  the
 ,epistle8  8,ye know10 he says1 8the   
house of ,stephanas1 that it is  the    
first fruits of ,achaia1 and that they  
have addicted themselves to  the        
ministry of the saints30 7xvi4 #ae47--;a
 description this1 of personal          
religion2 and proving that they were all
 capable of meeting the  requirements of
 baptism in their own persons4  ,the    
only remaining case  in which a         
household is said to have been baptized1
 is that of ,lydia at  ,philippi4  ,now 

it seems evident from her history that  
she had no husband4  ,the house is twice
 called her house2 and the household is 
called  hers also4  ,and the invitation 
to ,paul and his company is given by    
herself and in her own name4  8,come    
into my house1 and abide there40  7v4   
#ae47  ,this language could never have  
been used of her and by her1 if  she had
 had a husband4  ,nor does it appear at 
all likely1 that she was a  widow with  
children2 for1 from the particularity   
with which her  circumstances are       
related1 there is every probability     
that1 had this been  the case1 some     
intimation would have been given of it4 
,we have not only  her name mentioned1  
but the place she came from or still    
belonged to1  and the business which she
 followed3 but no allusion whatever to  
any  family4  ,she could not have been a
 person in a low condition of life1 or  
she would not have been able to receive 
and entertain in her house for  many    
days the ,apostle and those who were    

with him4  ,she would therefore  have   
8household servants10 and probably      
persons to assist her in her  business  
as 8a seller of purple40  ,but the whole
 tenor of her history is  against the   
supposition1 that there were in her     
house any who could not  answer for     
themselves4  ,it appears1 then1 from the
 consideration of the  cases in which   
the baptizing of households is mentioned
 in ,scripture1  that no argument       
whatever can be deduced from them on the
 subject of  ,infant-baptism4  ,a       
reference to them1 therefore1 only gives
 an advantage  to the opponents of the  
practice3--an argument which will not   
bear close  examination being always    
worse than none4    ,the xviiith        
,chapter of this ,book of ,the ,acts of 
the ,apostles contains the  account of  
,crispus and his house just referred to4
  ,it is also simply1  though very      
strikingly1 said of many others of the  
,corinthians1 that they  8heard10--they 
8believed10--and they 8were baptized40  

7v4 #h47  ,faith came  by hearing2 and  
baptism1 according to the institution of
 ,christ1 followed  faith4    ,there    
only remains1 in this ,book of ,the     
,acts of the ,apostles1 another         
instance of baptism to be noticed2 and  
this occurred at ,ephesus4  ,it is      
related in the beginning of the         
nineteenth ,chapter4  8,paul came to    
,ephesus1 and finding certain disciples1
 he said unto them1 have ye  received   
the ,holy ,ghost since ye believed8     
,and they said unto him1 ,we  have not  
so much as heard whether there be any   
,holy ,ghost40  ,we are  reminded here  
of that passage in the ,seventh ,chapter
 of ,st4 ,john1 7v4  #ci47 where the    
,evangelist1 referring to some words of 
the ,lord ,jesus1  says1 8,this spake   
,he of the ,spirit1 which they that     
believe on ,him  should0--that is1      
afterwards--8receive20--adding1 8for the
 ,holy ,ghost was  not yet given1       
because that ,jesus was not yet         
glorified40  ,the literal  translation  

of the latter part of this text is1 8for
 the ,holy ,ghost was  not yet30--from  
which it would appear1 that at that time
 there was no ,holy  ,ghost2 and        
therefore that the ignorance of ,his    
existence1 of which the  disciples at   
,ephesus seem to speak1 was not so much 
to be wondered at4  ,but the solution of
 the difficulty is probably the same in 
both cases4  ,when ,st4 ,john says1     
8,for the ,holy ,ghost was not yet1     
because that ,jesus  was not yet        
glorified10 his meaning is made plain by
 the very proper  introduction into our 
translation of the word 8given20--8for  
the ,holy  ,ghost was not yet given40   
,this evidently refers to the           
extraordinary and  abundant pouring out 
of the ,holy ,spirit1 which was reserved
 until ,jesus  had ascended up on high1 
and 7according to the prophecy in the   
lxviiith  ,psalm7 had 8received gifts   
for men20 and when ,he received them1   
,he shed  them forth1 first upon ,his   
,apostles on the day of ,pentecost1 and 

afterwards upon multitudes of believers1
 generally by the laying on of  their   
hands4  ,but the disciples at ,ephesus  
had not heard of these things4  ,they   
had had no communication with any       
,christian ,church or people2 and  thus1
 though they had been baptized with the 
baptism of ,john1 as they  tell the     
,apostle ,paul in answer to his next    
question1 8,unto what then  were ye     
baptized80--and must therefore have     
heard of the existence of  the ,holy    
,ghost1 yet they had not heard of ,his  
having been given2 and they  express    
their ignorance in language very like to
 that which the  ,evangelist uses1 when 
he is describing the period before the  
gift of the  ,spirit on the day of      
,pentecost4  ,this seems a reasonable   
account of the  matter4  ,and if the    
same course had been pursued in the     
translation of  both texts1 the likeness
 between them would have been very      
evident4  ,in  the passage in ,st4 ,john
 the explanatory word 8given0 is        

introduced4  ,in  the ,chapter before   
us1 not only is this or any such word   
omitted1 but the  word 8any0 is         
added1--8any ,holy ,ghost10 without a   
word in the ,original  to justify it4   
,the literal rendering would be2 8,we   
have not even heard  whether the ,holy  
,ghost is40  ,now if the word 8given10  
or 8come10 were  added1 as in ,st4      
,john1 the two passages would exactly   
correspond3--8,the  ,holy ,ghost was not
 yet given30--8,we have not even heard  
whether the ,holy  ,ghost is given40    
,these persons had probably not been    
long at ,ephesus1  but might have been  
7as ,dr4 ,whitby suggests7 8travelling  
into other parts  of the world1 where   
the gospel had not yet been planted40   
,but a question  has arisen1 whether    
what is said in the fifth verse relates 
to them1 or  whether it is not a        
continuation of ,st4 ,paul's description
 of ,john's  baptism1 begun in the verse
 before4  8,when they heard this1 they  
were  baptized in the name of the ,lord 

,jesus40  ,the objection to the         
application of this to the twelve       
disciples found at ,ephesus is1 that it 
involves a repetition of the ,ordinance 
of baptism4  ,but though ,john's        
baptism and the ,christian ,sacrament   
were administered substantially  upon   
the same principles1 there was a        
sufficient difference between them  to  
warrant the baptizing again1 in the name
 of the ,sacred ,trinity1 of  those who 
might already have partaken of ,john's  
baptism4  ,the baptism of  ,john was    
connected with an intermediate1 or1 at  
most1 an introductory  dispensation4    
,it was1 what the ,apostle says of the  
tabernacle1--8for the  time then        
present40  ,but after that ,christ had  
appointed baptism 8in the  name of the  
,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the    
,holy ,ghost10 as the door  of entrance 
into ,his ,church for believers1 there  
was no reason why such  as had been     
baptized with ,john's baptism should not
 be admitted to  ,christ's ,ordinance   

also1 if occasion seemed to require it4 
,and indeed  ,st4 ,paul's question1     
8,unto what then were ye baptized80     
seems to  recognize a distinction of    
baptisms4  ,but no argument whatever can
 be  founded upon this case for the     
repetition of baptism under the same    
,dispensation4  ,to suppose that the    
words in the #eth verse are a           
continuation of ,st4 ,paul's description
 of ,john's baptism1 would be           
inconsistent with the natural course of 
the narrative2 and to say that  ,john   
8baptized in the name of the ,lord      
,jesus10 would be to speak of his       
baptism as it is no where else spoken   
of4  ,beside1 the persons on whom  ,st4 
,paul laid his hands1 as stated in the  
#fth verse1 were the disciples  found at
 ,ephesus1 and not the people in general
 who were baptized by  ,john4  ,so that 
it appears that what is said in the #eth
 verse relates to  these disciples4     
,their knowledge was very limited2 but  
they had the  characteristic            

dispositions of disciples1--humility and
 teachableness2 and  thus1 when they    
were farther instructed by ,st4 ,paul in
 the things  concerning the ,lord ,jesus
 ,christ1 they1 no doubt with the       
greatest  willingness1 were baptized in 
,his name4  ,and then as in the case of 
,samaria1 8when the ,apostle had laid   
his hands upon them10 7but not  before17
 8the ,holy ,ghost came on them1 and    
they spake with tongues and             
prophesied40    ,this is all that is    
said on the subject of baptism1 as a    
,sacrament of the  ,christian ,church1  
in the ,scripture-history of ,the ,acts 
of the ,apostles4                       
99 99 99 99 99                          
,we come1 then1 to ,the ,epistles4      
,the first passage we meet with on our  
subject is in the sixth ,chapter of  the
 ,epistle to the ,romans4  ,st4 ,paul1  
the writer of this ,epistle1 had  been  
dwelling1 in the former ,chapters1 upon 
the great gospel-doctrine of  salvation 
by grace through faith4  ,he had        

declared1 that 8a man is  justified by  
faith without the deeds of the law20    
7iii4 #bh17 that in this  way ,abraham  
was justified2 7iv4 #c17 and that in    
this way every one else  must be        
justified3 7iv4 #bd17 and in the latter 
part of the fifth ,chapter  he had      
spoken strongly of ,god's grace much    
more abounding where man's sin          
abounded4  ,the ,apostle1 then in the   
beginning of the sixth ,chapter         
anticipates an abuse which might be made
 of this doctrine1 and corrects  it4    
8,what shall we say then8  ,shall we    
continue in sin10 in order 8that  grace 
may abound8  ,god forbid60  ,abhorred be
 the thought6  ,and he  proceeds to     
reason upon this2 and to show1 not only 
its incongruity1  but 7in a sense which 
other ,scriptures allow7 its            
impossibility3--8,how  shall we that are
 dead to sin1 live any longer therein80 
,and then  he brings in the subject of  
their baptism4  8,know ye not1 that so  
many of  us as were baptized into ,jesus

 ,christ1 were baptized into ,his death8
  ,therefore we are buried with ,him by 
baptism into death2 that like as        
,christ was raised from the dead by the 
glory of the ,father1 even so we  also  
should walk in newness of life40 7v4 #c1
 #d47  ,after what we have seen  already
 of baptism1 as administered by the     
,apostles and others1 we can be  at no  
loss to perceive the meaning of ,st4    
,paul's expression1 8baptized  into     
,christ40  ,according to ,his own       
command1 all who believed in ,him were  
baptized2 and this act or ,ordinance was
 their open avowal of faith in          
,him1--their public and palpable        
engrafting and incorporation into ,him  
and  ,his ,church1--and their solemn    
dedication and consecration to the love1
  worship1 and service of ,god the      
,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost4
 #eg  ,their baptism into ,christ1      
consequent upon1 and declarative of1    
their  faith in ,him1 publicly and      
manifestly bound them unto ,him2--to    

strict and  spiritual conformity with   
,him4  ,and thus the ,apostle goes on to
 remind  those who had been 8baptized   
into ,christ10--for the ,epistle was    
addressed  to those at ,rome who were   
8beloved of ,god and called to be       
saints10 and  whose 8faith was spoken of
 throughout the whole world10 7i4 #g1   
#h17--that  they were 8baptized into    
,his death20 that is1 into conformity to
 ,his  death2 that in virtue of ,his    
dying for their sins1 and after the     
pattern  of this ,his death1 and by     
motives and considerations drawn from   
,his  death1 they should die to all sin 
and be delivered from the reigning      
power of it4  #8,the faithful1' observes
 ,beza on this expression1 #8are said   
to be baptized into the death of        
,christ1 that through ,his death sin may
  die and be abolished in them4'  ,and  
to carry this conformity still  farther1
 ,st4 ,paul adds1 8,therefore we are    
buried with ,him by baptism into        
death40  ,for as ,christ's burial was a 

manifestation of the reality of ,his    
death1 so ought it to be also with them 
respecting sin4  ,it was likewise  an   
introduction to1 and preparation for1   
,his glorious resurrection4  ,and  thus 
the ,apostle proceeds with his          
exhortation2--8that like as ,christ was 
raised from the dead by the glory 7the  
glorious power7 of the ,father1  even so
 we also 7we who are baptized into ,him7
 should walk in newness of  life40  ,and
 in the following verses--indeed to the 
end of the ,chapter--,st4  ,paul presses
 the ,roman ,christians to devotedness  
to ,god's service1 in  language the most
 forcible which could have been made use
 of4  ,here then  we see what baptism   
is1 in the case of real believers3 and  
it is of such  alone that the ,apostle  
here speaks4  ,the obligations which    
result from it  to righteousness and    
holiness are of the strongest possible  
description4  ,and these obligations    
have their influence upon the faithful2 
though that  influence is capable of a  

continued increase4  ,how different is  
this from  a service which is 8outward0 
only 8in the flesh60    ,the            
expressions1 8buried with ,christ by    
baptism0 and 8walking in newness  of    
life0 8after the pattern of ,his        
resurrection10 seem to imply1 that the  
method of baptizing was by immersion1 or
 plunging the whole body under  water1  
from which it would come forth as by a  
kind of resurrection4  ,that  baptism   
has been thus administered1 and may be  
thus administered1 is  freely admitted4 
,but this is no proof that such was the 
unvarying  method1 and certainly no     
precept that it shall always be         
administered  in this way4  ,it may1    
however1 with much reason be argued1    
that the  expressions1 8baptized into   
,his death10--8buried with ,him10--and  
8walking  in newness of life0 like unto 
,his resurrection1--were not used by the
  ,apostle with any reference to the    
mode of administration1 but to the      
events spoken of2 namely1 ,christ's     

death1 burial1 and resurrection4        
,christians are said to have been       
8circumcised in ,christ10 and to be     
8crucified with ,him10 without any      
outward corresponding actions4  ,but if 
an argument for immersion may be drawn  
from this passage1 an argument  for     
affusion1 or the pouring of water upon  
the person1 may with greater  force be  
drawn from the manner in which the ,holy
 ,ghost descended upon  ,christ ,himself
 at ,his baptism1 and upon the ,apostles
 on the day of  ,pentecost1 and         
subsequently upon others who were       
baptized1 and from the  language used to
 describe it4  ,when ,peter preached to 
,cornelius1 it is  said1 8,the ,holy    
,ghost fell on all them that heard the  
word30 and again1  8,on the ,gentiles   
also was poured out the gift of the     
,holy ,ghost40  ,this  is expressly     
called by ,st4 ,peter1 their being      
8baptized with the ,holy  ,ghost40      
7,acts xi4 #ae1 #af47  ,an argument     
might also be drawn for the  practice of

 sprinkling1 not only from the striking 
similarity between  baptism and the     
water of separation which was to be     
sprinkled upon the  unclean1 7,numb4    
xix4 #ai417 but from the connection     
between the water of  baptism and the   
blood of ,christ1 of which1 as well as  
of the ,holy ,spirit1  this water is an 
emblem1 and which is called 8the blood  
of sprinkling0  from the method of its  
application to the heart4  ,from all    
these things1  and from the absence of  
any specific directions on the subject1 
it is  reasonable to conclude1 that     
baptism may be rightly administered in  
each  of the three ways which have been 
mentioned4  ,and it is too much like  an
 undue magnifying of the sign1 when it  
is attempted to make it in all  respects
 answerable to the thing signified by   
it4    ,this is the only passage        
directly relating to baptism in the     
,epistle to  the ,romans4    ,but there 
is a statement of the ,apostle in the   
eleventh ,chapter1 which  not only      

confirms what has been already said of  
the continuance of the  ,covenant with  
,abraham under the ,christian           
,dispensation1 but which also  bears    
strongly upon the subject of the right  
of the children of believing  parents to
 the token of the ,covenant1 together   
with their parents4  ,the  passage      
particularly referred to is the #bdth   
verse of the eleventh  ,chapter4  8,for 
if thou wert cut out of the olive-tree  
which is wild by  nature1 and wert      
grafted contrary to nature into a good  
olive-tree1 how  much more shall these1 
which be the natural branches1 be       
grafted into  their own olive-tree60    
,the ,apostle is here comparing the     
admission of  the ,gentiles into the    
,church of ,god1 to the cutting off of  
branches from  a wild olive and the     
grafting of them into a good olive2 the 
good olive  being the ancient church1   
planted1 as it were1 in the person of   
believing  ,abraham4  #8,in the view of 
,st4 ,paul1 the establishment of the    

,christian  ,church was no dissolution  
of the ,jewish ,church4  ,it is the same
 ,society  still2--the same ,body       
,corporate4  ,some of its rules and     
regulations1  indeed1 have been altered3
 a disfranchisement of many of its old  
members  has taken place1 and new ones  
have been admitted3 but the same        
,church1--the same ,chartered           
,company1--which existed before the ,law
 and  under the ,law1 exists to this    
present hour under the ,gospel          
,dispensation4  ,it is still ,abraham's 
family4  ,he is 8the father of all  them
 that believe40  8,if ye be ,christ's1  
then are ye ,abraham's seed1 and  heirs 
according to the promise40 #fa  ,when1  
therefore1 any of the ,jews  8abide not 
in unbelief10 and are received into the 
,church of ,christ1 it  is but 8the     
grafting of the natural branches into   
their own  olive-tree40  ,they are      
restored to the privileges which their  
fathers  enjoyed1 and are made members  
of the ,church of ,god4  ,but are their 

children to be left behind8  ,are they  
to be left out of the ,covenant8  ,and  
is this1 might a converted ,israelite   
justly ask1--,is this to be  restored to
 our fathers' privileges8               
8,circumcision was not of the law1  but 
of the fathers40  ,that is taken away2  
and what have we in its  place1 if      
baptism1 which is now the token of the  
covenant1 be withheld  from our         
children8  ,if circumcision was our     
children's birthright before1  how can  
they be deprived of it1 and have nothing
 given them in the stead  thereof1 and  
yet the privileges possessed by our     
fathers not be lessened8  ,this is not  
to be 8grafted into our own olive-tree06
    ,in the first ,chapter of his first 
,epistle to the ,corinthians1 ,st4 ,paul
  speaks of baptism2 but as it is       
principally with a reference to himself1
  it is scarcely necessary to notice it 
in our present  consideration1--except  
for the statement he is led to make of  
the great  object of his mission2 which 

was 8not to baptize1 but to preach the  
gospel30 the latter being the far more  
important and difficult work2  necessary
 as it was that converts to ,christ     
should be baptized4  ,divisions had     
arisen among the ,corinthians3 8one     
saying1 ,i am of  ,paul10--that is1 ,i  
prefer ,paul before all other           
,ministers1 and others of  them         
preferring others4  ,this state of      
things caused the ,apostle great        
distress1 and he anxiously endeavours to
 correct it4  ,he indignantly asks      
them1 whether he 7or any other          
,minister7 had been 8crucified for      
them10  or whether they had been        
8baptized in his name40  ,this shows    
that  baptism implies an entire         
dedication to him1 in whose name it is  
administered4  ,the ,apostle then tells 
them1 that he was very thankful it  had 
been so ordered that he had baptized    
very few of them  himself2--adding1 as  
the cause of this1 8for ,christ sent me 
not to  baptize10--that might be done by

 others1--8but0--,he sent me--8to preach
 the  gospel40  ,the ,apostle here      
cannot intend to put any slight upon    
,christ's  ,ordinance of baptism1 as is 
evident from what he has just said of   
it1  8,were ye baptized in the name of  
,paul80--but he intends to show1 that it
  might be administered by persons of   
inferior station and gifts in the       
,church4  ,and this is manifest from the
 very nature of the service4    ,in the 
viith ,chapter of this ,epistle and the 
#adth verse there is a text1  in which  
7as with respect to the children brought
 to ,christ that ,he  should touch them7
 baptism is not mentioned1 and yet it   
has so decided a  bearing upon the      
subject1 that we cannot but carefully   
notice it4  ,st4  ,paul is speaking of  
the case of married persons1 when one   
party believed1  while the other        
believed not4  ,this he says is not a   
sufficient reason  for their separation3
 at least the separation should not be  
made by the  one that believed4  ,and to

 satisfy the mind of the believing      
8brother or  sister0 that the children  
did not suffer1 he says1--8,for the     
unbelieving  husband is sanctified by   
7or in7 the wife1 and the unbelieving   
wife is  sanctified by 7or in7 the      
husband2 else were your children        
unclean1  but now are they holy40  ,it  
is with the latter part of this verse   
that  we have to do4  ,the ,apostle here
 declares that children1 which have one 
believing parent1 are on equal terms or 
in the same condition with  children1   
both of whose parents are believers2 and
 thus they are said to  be not 8unclean0
 but 8holy40  ,now1 can there be a      
doubt1 that the  ,apostle uses these    
epithets 8unclean0 and 8holy10 in the   
same sense in  which they were used in  
reference to the distinction between the
 ,jews and  the ,gentiles8  ,the latter 
were called 8unclean10 because of their 
idolatries and other abominations2 the  
former were called 8holy10 because  of  
their connection and ,covenant with     

,god4  ,when the ,apostle ,peter was    
sent to preach the gospel to ,cornelius1
 he applied this word 8unclean0 to  all 
who were not ,jews4  8,ye know how that 
it is an unlawful thing for a  man that 
is a ,jew1 to keep company or come unto 
one of another nation2  but ,god hath   
showed me that ,i should not call any   
man common or  unclean40  ,and the      
people of ,israel are repeatedly called 
8holy to the  ,lord10 because of the    
,lord's choice of them and ,covenant    
with them4  8,thou art a holy people    
unto the ,lord thy ,god10 was the       
language in  which ,moses addressed     
them4 7,deut1 vii4 #f74  ,and in this   
description  their children were        
included3 for ,god's ,covenant with     
,israel embraced  them also2 and thus   
every man-child1 when eight days old1   
was to receive  circumcision1 which was 
the token of the ,covenant4  ,from these
 things we  may learn the meaning of the
 ,apostle in the passage under          
consideration4  ,the uncleanness of the 

,gentiles was a barrier against their   
participating in the ,ordinances of the 
,jewish ,church4  ,the holiness of      
,israel was their title to those        
,ordinances2 and this too in the case of
  their children4  ,surely1 then1 when  
the ,apostle says to believing          
,christian parents1 8,your children are 
holy10 he must mean that they are       
entitled to the ,ordinances of the      
,church of ,christ6  ,it seems          
impossible1  if ,st4 ,paul's language   
has any meaning1 to avoid this          
conclusion1--that  the children of the  
faithful1 as soon as they are born1 have
 a  ,covenant-holiness1 and so a right  
and title to baptism1 which is now  the 
token of the ,covenant4  ,their         
holiness1 that is1 their being in       
covenant with ,god1 does not date from  
their baptism1 but from their  birth4   
#fe  ,to every believing parent ,god may
 be supposed to say1 as  ,he said to    
,abraham1 8,i will establish my         
,covenant between me and thee and  thy  

seed after thee1 to be a ,god unto thee1
 and to thy seed after thee40  ,much    
profit ariseth from this connection1 if 
it be made a right use of4  ,baptism1   
like circumcision1 verily profiteth1 if 
the baptized child keep  the law--the   
requisition which ,god makes of faith   
and obedience2 but if he  be a breaker  
of the law1 his baptism is made no      
baptism at all2 as  circumcision was in 
such a case made uncircumcision4  7,see 
,rom4 ii4 #be47  ,and let it be farther 
observed from this text1 that it is of  
real  believers and their children that 
the ,apostle speaks when he says1--8,now
  are your children holy40  ,hence it   
appears1 that the faith of the  parents 
is the foundation of any children's     
claim to baptism4  8,unclean0 is the    
description which is given of all       
others4    ,the only other passage in   
this ,epistle in which baptism is       
referred to1  as a ,christian           
,sacrament1 is the #acth verse of the   
xiith ,chapter3--8,for by  one ,spirit  

are we all baptized into one body1      
whether we be ,jews or  ,gentiles1      
whether we be bond or free2 and have    
been all made to drink  into one        
,spirit40  ,st4 ,paul may here allude to
 baptism in the former part  of the     
verse1 and to the cup in the ,lord's    
,supper in the latter part of  it4  ,but
 whatever he may allude to1 what he     
asserts is this2--that it  was the      
baptism of the ,holy ,spirit which made 
them real members of  ,christ's mystical
 body4  ,the baptism of water was the   
sign of this2 but  the sign would have  
profited them little1 if they had not   
received also  the thing signified4     
,the same may be said of the cup in the 
,lord's  ,supper4  ,it is for the       
nourishment of those who are real       
members of the  ,church of ,christ by   
the baptism of the ,spirit3 in fact1 it 
cannot  possibly nourish any other4     
,the essential unity of all baptized    
believers1 and yet the diversity of     
,offices and gifts belonging to the     

several constituent parts or members of 
,christ's ,church1 seems to be what  the
 ,apostle is here inculcating upon the  
,corinthians2 and this with the  special
 design to show them the inconsistency  
and the evil of their  emulations and   
divisions4  ,he aimed at curing them of 
their unseemly  strife1 by reminding    
them that one and the same ,holy ,spirit
 had made them  all 8members of one     
body10 but had set those members in     
their several and  suitable places2 so  
that each should be content with the    
place assigned  him2 and without        
aspiring to something which had not been
 given him1 or  envying those who might 
be in a higher or a supposed more       
honourable  state1 should use what he   
had for the common good1--for the       
strengthening  and well-being of the    
whole3 8that there should be10 as he    
says in the  #beth verse1 8no schism in 
the body1 but that the members should   
have  the same care one for another40   
,the ,epistle to the ,galatians         

furnishes us with the next passage in   
our  important inquiry4  ,it is at the  
close of the iiird ,chapter1 the #bfth  
and  two following verses3--8,for ye are
 all the children of ,god by faith in   
,christ ,jesus4  ,for as many of you as 
have been baptized into ,christ have    
put on ,christ4  ,there is neither ,jew 
nor ,greek2 there is neither bond nor   
free2 there is neither male nor female3 
for ye are all one in ,christ  ,jesus40 
,here a new idea is introduced2--a fresh
 practical use is made by  the ,apostle 
of the ,ordinance of baptism4  ,and a   
very striking and  beautiful idea it is4
  ,the order hitherto invariably found  
to prevail in  what the ,scripture says 
on the subject of baptism is observable 
also  here4  ,the ,apostle first reminds
 the ,galatians that they were made the 
children of ,god by faith in ,christ    
,jesus1 and then he refers to their     
baptism and what they had done by it4   
,as we have considered the  expressions1
 8baptized into ,christ10 as they occur 

in the ,epistle to the  ,romans1 they   
need not be noticed here4  ,but the     
words1 8have put on  ,christ10 represent
 to us--what in connection with our     
subject we have not  had before--the    
clothing or garments which baptized     
believers have put on1  and in which    
they appear 7when things are as they    
ought to be with them7  both before ,god
 and before men4  ,this phrase is said  
to have been taken  from the method of  
dipping or plunging adults in baptism2  
who1 when they  came forth from the     
water1 were clothed with their own      
garments as though  they had been new1  
or with other garments really new4      
,there are two  senses in which true    
believers may be said to 8put on        
,christ40  ,first1  they put ,him on as 
their righteousness for acceptance with 
,god or for  their justification2 and1  
secondly1 they put ,him on--7and this   
seems  especially intended here7--for   
sanctification2 that is1 ,his ,spirit is
  imparted to them1 by which they are so

 changed as to become new  creatures4   
,the graces of ,christ's ,spirit are    
sometimes thus described  under the     
figure of clothing4  8,put on1 as the   
elect of ,god1 holy and  beloved10      
writes ,st4 ,paul to the ,colossians1   
8bowels of mercies1  kindness1          
humbleness of mind1 meekness1           
long-suffering40  8,and above all  these
 things1 put on charity1 which is the   
bond of perfectness40 7iii4  #ab1 #ad47 
,the ,spirit of ,christ ought to be as  
apparent in those who have  been        
baptized into ,him as the garments which
 they wear4  ,nay1 ,his  meekness1 and  
lowliness1 and gentleness1 and goodness1
 and  heavenly-mindedness1 should become
 a part of themselves--their very       
nature4  ,for as the work of            
sanctification1 expressed by the being  
clothed upon with #8,christ1 is both    
internal and outward1 it may be         
compared to the natural beauty with     
which ,christ ,himself said that ,god   
clothes the plants and the flowers3 and 

when ,christians manifest the  genuine  
influence of the ,spirit of ,christ1 it 
may then indeed be said of  them1 as ,he
 said of the lilies1 8that ,solomon in  
all his glory was not  arrayed like one 
of these40  ,the words in the #bhth     
verse1 8,there is  neither male nor     
female10--connected with what follows1  
8,if ye be  ,christ's1 then are ye      
,abraham's seed10--clearly show that    
circumcision was  superseded1 and that  
baptism now supplied its place4    ,upon
 ,st4 ,paul's declaration in the ivth   
,chapter of his ,epistle to the         
,ephesians1 8,one baptism10 it is       
perhaps only necessary to remark1 that  
it  again follows faith2--8,one         
faith10--the same doctrine of salvation 
once for  all delivered to the saints   
and to be received by faith1--and then1 
8,one  baptism0 with water1 by which    
that faith is professed1 and in which   
believers are by ,one ,spirit baptized  
into ,one body1 and dedicated to the    
service of the ,one living and true     

,god4  ,it is ,one and the same         
,ordinance  for all1--for ,jews and     
,gentiles2 and once administered1 not to
 be  repeated4  ,the practical purpose  
for which this1 with the other ,unities1
  was mentioned by the ,apostle1 was to 
enforce the same lesson as that  given  
to the ,corinthians1--that ,christians  
should 8endeavour to keep the  unity of 
the ,spirit in the bond of peace40 7v4  
#c47    ,in the vth ,chapter of this    
,epistle there appears another allusion 
to  baptism1 when the ,apostle says1    
that 8,christ loved the ,church1 and    
gave  ,himself for it1 that ,he might   
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing
 of  water by the word40 7v4 #bf47  ,it 
is not necessary to the sense and force 
of this verse to suppose that baptism is
 referred to in it2 for the word  of    
,god has a cleansing and sanctifying    
power1 when applied by ,his ,spirit4    
8,sanctify them through ,thy truth3 ,thy
 word is truth20 was ,christ's prayer   
for ,his disciples to ,his heavenly     

,father4  ,and ,he also said unto them1 
8,now ye are clean through the word     
which ,i have spoken unto you40  ,and   
as it is a continuous and progressive   
work1 which the ,apostle is here        
speaking of1 and not any one particular 
act1--for the use of ,god's  8word0 in  
the work of sanctification is           
continually repeated1--it seems  much   
more natural to understand the          
expressions1 8with the washing of  water
 by0 or in 8the word10 as referring to  
the figure of water1 and its  purifying 
properties in general1 rather than to a 
single instance of its  application4    
,but there can be no objection to refer 
these expressions to  baptism1 as being 
an ,ordinance which is supposed to be   
kept always in  remembrance1 and to have
 a constant bearing upon the believer's 
life and  conduct4  ,let us take it     
here1 and every where else1 in          
connection with  the context1 and we    
shall find that it represents--not an   
imaginary1 but a  real--not a temporary1

 but an abiding--influence upon the     
soul2--issuing in  its final salvation4 
,who is this that is said to be washed  
with water by  the word8  ,the mixed    
multitude of professors of ,christ's    
religion8  ,no3--but 8the ,church10--the
 blessed ,company of all faithful       
people--8the  ,bride--the ,lambs wife40 
,and what is the effect ascribed to the 
washing8  ,her cleansing and            
sanctification4  ,but as the ,church is 
composed of  individuals1 every         
individual member thereof is            
8sanctified1 and cleansed  with the     
washing of water by the word10 and so is
 made meet to be  presented by ,christ  
to ,himself at the last in perfect      
beauty4  ,let these  things attend and  
crown the use of the ,ordinances1 and   
men may magnify  them--as ,paul did his 
,office--as much as they please4    ,the
 next place in ,scripture in which      
baptism is spoken of1 is in the iind    
,chapter of ,st4 ,paul's ,epistle to the
 ,colossians4  ,at the #aath verse he   

begins the subject4  8,in whom also10   
that is1 in ,christ1 8ye are            
circumcised with the circumcision made  
without hands1 in putting off the  body 
of the sins of the flesh by the         
circumcision of ,christ3 buried with    
,him in baptism1 wherein also ye are    
risen with ,him through the faith of    
the operation of ,god1 who hath raised  
,him from the dead40  ,the ,apostle's   
object here is to show1 that the        
,christian's completeness in ,christ    
7asserted in the former verse7 is not   
affected by the want of  circumcision2  
for that true believers have that which 
was represented by  circumcision1 only  
under another form and name4  ,by 8the  
circumcision  made without hands10 the  
circumcision of the heart is evidently  
intended4  ,by 8the circumcision of     
,christ0 is probably not meant the      
circumcision  which ,christ ,himself was
 subjected to1 but the circumcision with
 which  ,christ circumcises4  ,this     
would therefore refer to the ,christian 

,sacrament of baptism1 wherever rightly 
received4  ,this is the  corresponding  
type with1 as well as antitype of1      
circumcision2 because1  like            
circumcision1 it represents and seals   
the blessings of the ,covenant  to      
believers4  ,the latter part of this    
passage is so like the one already      
considered in the vith chapter of the   
,epistle to the ,romans1 that it need   
not be dwelt upon4  ,the death1 burial  
and resurrection of ,christ are not     
only signs and patterns of what should  
take place with respect to  ,christians1
 but they are effectual causes thereof  
in the case of all who  are spiritually 
joined to ,him2 and the whole is1 as it 
were1  consolidated in baptism4  ,the   
faith which goes before1 and which is   
exercised in the ,ordinance1 and the    
fruits which follow after1 are all      
summed up in and referred to this       
,sacrament3 and well and happy it is1   
whenever this is truly the case4    ,two
 texts more remain to be considered in  

relation to our subject4  ,the  first is
 found in that passage in the iiird     
,chapter of ,st4 ,paul's ,epistle  to   
,titus1 from the #dth to the #gth verse4
  8,but after that the kindness  and    
love of ,god our ,saviour toward man    
appeared1 not by works of  righteousness
 which we have done1 but according to   
,his mercy ,he saved us1  by the washing
 of regeneration and renewing of the    
,holy ,ghost1 which ,he  shed on us     
abundantly1 through ,jesus ,christ our  
,saviour2 that being  justified by ,his 
grace1 we should be made heirs according
 to the hope of  eternal life40  ,the   
word here translated 8washing0 signifies
 also a  laver1 or vessel for washing3  
but the translation is undoubtedly      
correct1 and ablution or the act of     
washing1 is intended4  ,this word  only 
occurs here and in ,ephes4 v4 #bf41     
which we have already considered2  where
 it must be translated 7as it is7       
8washing30--8the washing of water  by   
the word40  ,that regeneration washes or

 cleanses the soul from the  filthiness 
of sin1 is all that can be proved by    
this passage4  ,the  washing is by the  
regeneration1 and not the regeneration  
by the washing4  ,there may be an       
allusion to the ,christian ,sacrament of
 baptism2 but it  is not at all         
necessary to the understanding of the   
,apostle's words4  ,st4 ,paul is here   
describing what ,god does when ,he saves
 any4  ,he sheds  on them abundantly the
 ,holy ,ghost through ,jesus ,christ the
 ,saviour1 and  this ,holy ,ghost       
regenerates1 and washes and renews2 and1
 in connection  with this1 ,god         
justifies the subjects of this change by
 ,his grace1 and so  makes them heirs   
according to the hope of eternal life4  
,the regeneration  and the renewal are  
not two distinct things2 but the latter 
is the  declaration of the former2--the 
transforming of the soul into the divine
  image1 consequent upon and in         
necessary connection with its           
regeneration4  ,but does this text      

prove1 that all who are washed by the   
water of baptism  partake of            
regeneration8  ,then it also proves1    
that all baptized persons  are saved1   
and that they are renewed by the ,holy  
,ghost1 and that the ,holy  ,ghost is   
shed on them abundantly1 and that they  
are justified by ,god's  grace1 and that
 they are heirs of eternal life6  ,it is
 impossible1  without doing violence to 
,god's word1 to rend the blessings1 here
 spoken  of1 asunder4  ,they are links  
in one and the same golden chain1 both  
the  ends of which are in               
,heaven2--beginning with 8the love of   
,god0 and  terminating with 8eternal    
life40  ,and are these things true in   
the case  of all who are baptized8  ,if 
this were taught in the ,scripture1 what
  then might the infidel say of it8  ,he
 might then say1 that ,scripture and    
matter of fact directly contradict each 
other4  ,or it would follow1 that       
regeneration and the renewing of the    
,holy ,ghost and justification and      

salvation1 are terms which mean nothing1
 because the things they profess  to    
represent have no practical influence   
upon the lives of men6  ,we must1  then1
 take the passage altogether1 or not    
touch it at all4  ,we must not  choose a
 word or two out of it1--caught by the  
sound1--and affix a meaning  to them1   
which is inconsistent with the context  
and other plain portions  of revealed   
truth4  ,if baptism be the washing here 
spoken of1 it is  accompanied with      
regeneration and the renewing of the    
,holy ,ghost1 shed on  the baptized     
abundantly2 and this cannot be without  
the exhibition of the  fruits of the    
,spirit in the life and conduct4  ,and  
if this be ,christian  baptism1 where   
these things are not1 ,christian baptism
 is not4  ,and this  is incontestably   
established by the testimony of ,st4    
,peter1 in the text  about to be        
noticed4  ,let it only be farther       
observed1 in connection with  this      
passage in ,st4 ,paul's ,epistle to     

,titus1 that a no mean authority in  the
 interpretation of ,scripture 7,mr4     
,joseph ,mede7 thinks1 that the         
,apostle here alludes to the cleansing  
of the new-born infant from the         
pollutions which attend its birth3 and  
he refers to the description given  in  
the beginning of the xvith ,chapter of  
the ,book of the prophet ,ezekiel  in   
confirmation of this3--8,neither wast   
thou washed in water40 7v4 #d47  ,here1 
then1 life is first found1 and then     
there is the washing for  purification4 
,the text1 already referred to1 in ,st4 
,peter1 is the #bast verse of the  iiird
 ,chapter of his ,first ,epistle4  ,this
 perfects the proof of the view         
hitherto taken of the ,christian        
,sacrament of baptism2 and is a key     
which would unlock any difficulty which 
other portions of ,scripture might      
present2--if indeed such assistance were
 needed4  ,st4 ,peter is speaking of    
the days of ,noah1 and he says1 that    
8the long-suffering of ,god then        

waited1 while the ark was preparing1    
wherein few1 that is1 eight souls  were 
saved by water20 and then he adds1 8,the
 like figure whereunto10--the           
corresponding type with it1 and the     
antitype of it--7as was observed  before
 respecting circumcision7 8even baptism1
 doth now save us10--but  before he     
completes the sentence1 he breaks off to
 tell us what this  baptism1 of which he
 speaks1 is1 8not the putting away of   
the filth of  the flesh1 but the answer 
of a good conscience towards ,god10 and 
then he  finishes what he had begun to  
say1--8by the resurrection of ,jesus    
,christ40  ,now if the two things here  
spoken of in relation to baptism were   
always  found together1 the words of    
,st4 ,peter would be without meaning2   
for  none1 possessing them both1 could  
be so blind as to imagine that it is    
the outward washing which saves them1   
and not 8the answer of a good           
conscience20 though it is possible 7as  
experience shows7 that men might  be    

satisfied with the outward sign1 and    
look no farther1 as the ,jews had  done 
in the case of circumcision4  ,the ,holy
 ,spirit1 therefore1 by the pen  of ,st4
 ,peter warns against this error1 and   
assures us1 that the baptism  which is  
unto salvation consists of1 not only1   
nor chiefly1 the  application of water  
to the body1 but 8the answer of a good  
conscience  toward ,god40  ,it is       
thought by some1 that a reference is    
here made to  the custom of putting     
questions to those who were about to be 
baptized as  to their faith and         
repentance3 and something of this kind  
had passed  between ,philip and the     
,eunuch1 when ,philip told him that 8if 
he believed  with all his heart he might
 be baptized1 and the ,eunuch answered1 
,i  believe that ,jesus ,christ is the  
,son of ,god40  ,in every such case     
there  doubtless is the baptism--because
 there has been the birth--of the       
,spirit4  ,but though ,st4 ,peter's     
words may be applicable to such a       

custom1 if it prevailed in his time1    
yet1 as ,archbishop ,leighton says in   
his ,commentary on this text1 #8,this   
questioning and answering farther       
expresses the inward questioning and    
answering which is transacted  betwixt  
the soul and itself1 and the soul of    
,god4  ,the word1' he says1  #8is       
judicial1 and means the interrogation   
used in law for the trial and  executing
 of processes3 and this is the great    
business of conscience1 to  hold courts 
in the soul2 and it is of continual     
necessity that it be so4  ,this 8answer 
of a good conscience unto ,god0 7as     
likewise its questioning  to enable     
itself for that answer7 is touching     
great points that are of  chief concern 
to the soul1 its justification and      
sanctification2 for  baptism is the seal
 of both1 and purges the conscience in  
both  respects4  ,now1 the conscience of
 a real believer inquiring within1 upon 
right discovery1 will make this answer  
unto ,god2--8,lord1 ,i have found that  

there is no standing before ,thee1 for  
the soul in itself is overwhelmed  with 
a world of guiltiness2 but ,i find a    
blood sprinkled upon it1 that  hath1 ,i 
am sure1 virtue enough to purge it all  
away1 and to present it  pure unto      
,thee40  ,and this the ,lord does agree 
to1 and authorizes the  conscience1 on  
this account1 to return back an answer  
of peace and safety  to the soul4  ,so  
for the other3 8,lord1 ,i find a living 
work of holiness  on this soul4  ,though
 there is yet corruption there1 it is as
 a continual  grief and vexation3 and if
 ,i cannot say much of high degrees of  
grace1  yet ,i may say1 there is the    
beginning of them2--at least this ,i    
most  confidently affirm1 that there are
 real and earnest desires in the soul   
after these things4  ,it would know and 
conform to ,thy will1 and it would      
gladly walk in all well-pleasing unto   
,thee40  ,now ,he that sees the  truth  
of these things1 owns it as ,his own    
work1 and engages to advance it  and    

bring it to perfection4'    ,such is the
 intercourse which the purified         
conscience hath with ,god2 and  wherever
 this is1 there is the 8baptism0 which  
is unto salvation4    ,in the           
examination which has thus been made    
into the ,scripture-testimony           
concerning the ,christian ,sacrament of 
,baptism1 no text has been--at least    
intentionally--overlooked1 from which   
any additional information could be     
obtained on the subject4                
99 99 99 99 99    ,from the passages    
which have been considered1 the         
following conclusions  may be taken as  
the ,summary of the whole3--    #a4     
,that baptism with water has been       
appointed by ,christ as the door of     
entrance into ,his ,visible ,church1 and
 is the token of the ,covenant of  grace
 under the ,christian ,dispensation1 in 
the place of circumcision1  which was   
the token of this ,covenant upon its    
formal establishment with  ,abraham4    
,to be baptized with water1 therefore1  

is necessary to  constitute any one a   
member of the ,visible ,church of       
,christ or ,kingdom of  ,god upon earth4
    #b4  ,that since faith hath from the
 beginning been appointed by ,god1 as   
the instrument or means by which men are
 admitted into ,covenant with ,him1  it 
was the command of the ,lord ,jesus     
,christ that baptism1 which is now  the 
token of the ,covenant1 should be       
administered only to believers4  ,it was
 the same with respect to circumcision4 
,abraham believed ,god3 and1  as a      
believer1 he was circumcised4  ,and true
 believers only are  acknowledged by    
,christ as rightful members of ,his     
,church4  ,yet as  ,abraham's children  
were admitted to circumcision together  
with himself1  it is hence inferred1    
that the children of believers in       
,christ should be  baptized1 as well as 
their parents3 no prohibition of their  
admission to  the ,ordinance having been
 given4  ,this conclusion is confirmed  
by  ,christ's kind reception of the     

children that were brought to ,him--by  
the  application of ,old ,testament     
promises after ,christ's                
resurrection--by the  declared          
continuance of the root and fatness of  
the ,olive-tree planted at  first in    
,abraham--and by the description given  
of the children of even one  believing  
parent1 namely1 that they are holy2 that
 is1 such as ought to  be presented to  
the ,lord4  ,still1 no direction to     
administer baptism to  children has been
 found1 nor is any instance of it       
recorded4    #c4  ,that although        
,christ1 the ,head of the ,church1 sows 
only good seed in  ,his field1 ,his     
enemy has succeeded in sowing tares     
among the wheat2 and  thus it comes to  
pass1 that evil men are in the ,visible 
,church mingled  with the good4  ,hence 
we learn1 that neither baptism nor any  
outward  ,ordinances are necessarily    
attended with spiritual blessings4      
8,all  were not ,israel1 who were of    
,israel40  8,he was not a ,jew1 who was 

one  outwardly2 neither was that        
circumcision1 which was outward in the  
flesh40  ,and we have seen that the     
8baptism0 which 8saves10 is 8not the    
putting away of the filth of the flesh1 
but the answer of a good  conscience    
toward ,god40  ,simon ,magus1 though    
baptized1 was not sound in  heart from  
the beginning4  ,and if during the      
life-time of the ,apostles1  and when   
persons were baptized upon their own    
profession1 men thus found  admission   
into the ,church1 who 8had the form of  
godliness1 but denied its  power10--no  
wonder that in later times1 and since   
baptism has been  administered almost   
exclusively to infants1 the case should 
have been the  same4  ,for we have met  
with no promise that ,god will give ,his
 grace to  any particular persons1      
except in connection with the state of  
mind and  the character which ,he       
prescribes4  ,in no place of ,scripture 
has ,god  bound the first communication 
of ,his grace to any ,ordinance1 time1  

or  circumstance whatsoever3--and for   
this simple1 but sufficient reason1 that
  if ,he had done so1 it would have been
 an abdication of ,his authority2 ,his  
sovereignty would have ceased2 and man  
would have become--what in truth he     
wishes to be--the virtual ruler in      
,god's ,kingdom4  ,god no where promised
  to circumcise the hearts of all the   
children of the ,israelites1 although   
,he commanded them to be circumcised in 
the flesh4  ,and with respect to  the   
baptism of children1 how can any thing  
absolute and unconditional  be          
predicated concerning it1 since no      
command or direction was given for  it8 
,the administration of baptism to       
infants is certainly most agreeable     
with the spirit of ,christ and of ,his  
,dispensation1 and it is but a          
continuance of what was begun in the    
family of ,abraham4  ,but resting1 as   
it does1 upon inference and analogy1 it 
is not possible to assign any  specific 
spiritual influence with absolute       

certainty to it4    #d4  ,that with     
respect to the advantages and uses of   
baptism1--besides its  being appointed  
by ,christ as the door of admission into
 ,his ,visible  ,church1 and the        
practical purposes to which it is       
applied in the course  of the           
,christian's conduct and                
experience1--very little particular     
instruction is given in ,scripture4  ,to
 the corresponding rite of              
circumcision1 therefore1 we chiefly look
 for direction here4    ,it may be said1
 then1 of baptism1 as of circumcision1  
7#a47  ,that it is a sign of spiritual  
blessings4  ,of ,abraham we are  told1  
that he 8received the sign of           
circumcision40 7,rom4 iv4 #aa47  ,this  
,ordinance represented 8the putting off 
of the body of the sins of the  flesh40 
,baptism with water also signifies the  
washing of the soul from  sin2--both    
from the guilt of it by forgiveness and 
from the pollution of  it4  ,when ,saul 
of ,tarsus was bidden to 8be baptized1  

and wash away his  sins10 this twofold  
purification was visibly represented4   
,and so it is  in all cases4  8,the     
putting away of the filth of the flesh0 
by the  application of 8pure water0 to  
the body1 does in a very simple and     
intelligible1 yet striking and          
significant manner1 represent the       
purging  of the conscience by the       
sprinkling of the blood of ,christ1 and 
the  cleansing of the heart from its    
filthiness and idols by ,god's ,holy    
,spirit4  ,it symbolizes both pardon and
 purity3--especially the latter2--the   
soul's death unto sin and its new birth 
unto righteousness4    7#b47  ,like     
circumcision1 baptism is also a seal4   
8,abraham0 7as we also  read in ,rom4   
iv4 #aa17 8received circumcision1 a seal
 of the  righteousness of the faith1    
which he had yet being uncircumcised40  
,a  seal ratifies a ,deed1 and is a     
token and pledge that the engagements of
  it will be fulfilled by all the       
contracting parties4  ,when ,abraham    

submitted to circumcision1 he ratified  
or confirmed his former faith in  ,god  
and obedience to ,him2 and ,god1 by the 
same pledge1 assured ,abraham of  his   
justification--of his adoption into ,his
 family--and that he should  finally    
inherit a better country1 that is1      
,heaven4    ,baptism1 in like manner1 is
 a seal on the part of those who receive
 it  rightly1 that they believe in ,god 
through ,christ1 and regard themselves  
as bound to forsake all sin1 and to     
serve ,him unto their lives' end3 and   
,god thereby visibly assures them of the
 remission of their sins and of  their  
adoption as ,his children1 and that1 as 
,he gives them grace1 so ,he  will give 
them glory4  ,and if this visible seal  
of the ,covenant had not  been          
serviceable1 the wise and gracious ,god 
would never1 either in the  case of     
circumcision or baptism1 have caused it 
to be affixed unto it4    7#c47         
,circumcision had this 8profit0 also    
connected with it1--that the  different 

means of grace1 which ,god from time to 
time appointed1 followed  in its train4 
,st4 ,paul1 having distinctly declared  
at the end of the  iind ,chapter of his 
,epistle to the ,romans1 that the       
circumcision of the  flesh and of the   
heart did not necessarily accompany each
 other1 supposes  some1 who were 8,jews 
outwardly10 to exclaim1--,if this be    
so1--if the inward  grace does not      
always attend the outward sign1--and    
that the want of the  inward grace puts 
us circumcised ,jews on the same level  
spiritually with  uncircumcised         
,gentiles1 then1 8,what advantage hath  
the ,jew8  ,or what  profit is thereof  
circumcision80 7iii4 #a47  ,is the same 
question asked  respecting baptism1 when
 a like separation is made between the  
water  and the ,holy ,spirit8  ,the     
,apostle's answer shall suffice for     
both3--8,much  every way2 chiefly1      
because that unto them were committed   
the oracles of  ,god40  ,it is here     
evident1 that ,god regards the          

possession of a  ,revelation from       
,heaven as highly advantageous1         
considered in itself2 so  that for the  
neglect or misuse of it men are deeply  
responsible4  ,in the  beginning of the 
ixth ,chapter1 ,st4 ,paul again takes up
 the subject1 and  enumerates several   
other 8advantages0 as belonging to the  
,jews2--8the  adoption1 and the glory1  
and the ,covenants1 and the giving of   
the law1  and the service of ,god1 and  
the promises1 and the fathers1 and that 
,christ1 as concerning ,his human       
nature1 was born a ,jew20--and though   
the  circumcision of the heart together 
with that of the flesh is not found     
among these1 yet the ,apostle maintains1
 that the possession of them did  set   
the ,israelites1 in point of religious  
privileges1 far above all the  other    
nations of the earth4  ,and it is the   
same with those who are  admitted into  
,christ's ,church by baptism4  ,having  
free access to the word  of ,god and    
instruction in its sacred truths--the   

enjoyment of ,his ,sabbaths  and        
,service--having ,his promises and      
threatenings1 and the experience of     
their fulfilment in time past1 together 
with the examples of faith and          
godliness and the blessed effects of    
them in such as have gone before--all   
these are so many means of improvement1 
as will leave speechless at the  last   
those who had them and did not profit by
 them4  ,while all who use  them aright1
 and sincerely seek to derive benefit   
from them1 find to  their exceeding     
great comfort1 that ,god hath 8not said 
to the seed of  ,jacob1 ,seek ye me in  
vain40  ,it was no small advantage to   
,abraham's  family to be 8commanded by  
him to keep the way of the ,lord1 to do 
justice  and judgment30 7,gen4 xviii4   
#ai17 and that children should be       
8brought up0  by ,christian parents 8in 
the nurture and admonition of the       
,lord10 and be  taught what was done for
 them at their baptism1 united too with 
earnest  prayers on their behalf1--is a 

privilege1 for which many will to all   
eternity have cause to bless ,him1 who  
gave them so 8goodly a heritage40  7,ps4
 xvi4 #f47    ,lastly4  ,we would refer 
again1 concerning the advantages and    
uses of  baptism1 to that practical     
application of it which we have seen may
  be made throughout the whole course of
 the ,christian's life upon earth4  ,he 
is to remember1 that he was 8baptized   
into the death of ,christ and  buried   
with ,him10 that so he may die unto sin1
 and have1 as much as  possible1 done   
with it4  8,risen with ,christ in       
baptism10 his 8affections  should be set
 on things above10 and he should 8walk  
in newness of life40  8,baptized into   
one body10 strife and divisions should  
not be seen among  ,christians1 and 8the
 unity of the spirit should be kept in  
the bond of  peace40  8,baptized into   
,christ1 and having put on ,christ10    
they should  appear in the beautiful    
clothing of ,his mind and ,spirit4      
,they should  seek and pray daily to be 

more and more 8sanctified and cleansed  
with the  washing of water by the word10
 that they may be 8prepared as a bride  
adorned for her husband40  ,thus        
baptism1 if used as the ,scripture uses 
it1 would be of great practical         
influence4  ,and when this is the case1 
it  may be productive of much comfort2  
for1 like the bow in the cloud1 it is  a
 token of ,god's ,covenant to save and  
not destroy4  ,the water of baptism1  in
 the case of every true believer1 8is as
 the waters of ,noah unto the  ,lord3   
for as ,he hath sworn that the waters of
 ,noah should no more go over  the      
earth10 so in this ,sacrament ,he hath1 
as it were1 added ,his oath to  ,his    
word of promise1 that 8he that believeth
 and is baptized shall he  saved40 7,is4
 liv4 #i4  ,mark xvi #af47              
,,appendix4      ,note 7,a47 page #bg4  
,,when ,god said to ,abraham1 7,gen4    
xvii4 #g47 8,i will establish my        
,covenant  between me and thee and thy  
seed after thee1 in their generations   

for an  everlasting ,covenant1 to be a  
,god unto thee1 and to thy seed after   
thee10  ,his meaning was1 that as ,he   
was the ,god of believing ,abraham1 so  
,he  would be the ,god of all ,abraham's
 believing children and descendants4    
,and when ,he farther promised to 8give 
unto ,abraham and to his seed after     
him1 the land in which he was a         
stranger1 even all the land of ,canaan1 
for an everlasting possession10 the same
 limitation as to 8his seed0 was  also  
intended4  ,that these1 and these only1 
are the 8seed0 referred to1  is as clear
 as the declarations of ,holy ,scripture
 can make it4  ,in the  ,epistles to the
 ,romans and ,galatians this matter is  
placed beyond a  doubt4  ,the 8seed0    
must partake of the character of the    
father1 and  then the promises were     
theirs1 as well as his4  ,in the ivth   
,chapter of  the ,epistle to the ,romans
 and the #abth verse1 the ,apostle1     
speaking of  ,abraham1 says1 that he was
 to be 8the father of circumcision to   

them who  are not of the circumcision   
only1 7that is1 who are not only        
circumcised  in the flesh7 but also walk
 in the steps of that faith of ,abraham1
  which he had yet being uncircumcised40
  ,could any thing be plainer than      
this8  ,st4 ,paul is here speaking of   
the circumcised ,jews1 7he had spoken   
of the uncircumcised ,gentiles in the   
former verse1 the #aath17 and he says   
distinctly1 that ,abraham was a father  
to those circumcised ones who  should   
8walk in the steps of his faith40  ,so  
that the following is  evidently the    
,apostle's meaning in the #aath and     
#abth verses3 #8,both ,jew  and ,gentile
 may see1 in ,god's dealings with       
,abraham1 an exhibition of the  plan in 
which each is to seek the imputation of 
righteousness4  ,let the  uncircumcised 
believe in ,god1 as ,abraham1 when yet  
uncircumcised1  believed in ,god2 and   
his faith shall be counted to him for   
righteousness1  as ,abraham's was4  ,let
 the ,jews1 too1 learn from the case    

before them1  that though1 like         
circumcised ,abraham1 they bear in their
 bodies the seal  of the ,covenant1 yet 
the sign of circumcision alone will not 
ensure the  blessing signified1 unless  
at the same time they are found         
resembling  ,abraham in the exercise of 
that faith1 in consequence of which the 
seal  was fixed upon him4' #hh  ,these1 
then1--believers1--are the 8seed0 of    
,abraham1 with whom the ,covenant was   
made1 and to whom the promises were     
given4  ,and this is confirmed by what  
follows4  ,in the next verse the        
,apostle goes on to say2 8,for the      
promise that he should be the heir of   
the world10--7which is the inspired     
exposition of the other part or  promise
 of ,god's ,covenant with ,abraham2     
8,and ,i will give unto thee1 and  to   
thy seed after thee1 the land wherein   
thou art a stranger1 for an  everlasting
 possession207--8,for the promise that  
he should be the heir of  the world1 was
 not to ,abraham or to his seed through 

the law1 but  through the righteousness 
of faith30 and again1 in the #afth      
verse2  8,therefore it is of faith1 that
 it might be by grace1 to the end the   
promise might be sure to all the seed2  
not to that only which is of the  law1  
7believing circumcised ,jews7 but to    
that also which is of the faith  of     
,abraham1 7believing uncircumcised      
,gentiles7 who is the father of us      
all10--that is1 of all believers1       
whether circumcised or not1--8before    
,him  whom he believed1 even ,god1 who  
quickeneth the dead40  8,the promise10  
then1 8that he should be the heir of the
 world0 7evidently meaning the  better  
world1 that is1 the heavenly17 8was to  
,abraham and to his seed  through the   
righteousness of faith40  ,not to his   
unbelieving  descendants1 but to those  
only who were partakers of his          
faith2--to all  of whom1 the promise was
 and still is 8sure40  ,we pass over the
 ixth  ,chapter of this ,epistle1 though
 it is full of evidence to the same     

effect2 and proceed to the ,epistle to  
the ,galatians2 where we shall find  the
 description of ,abraham's 8seed0 given 
in language1 if possible1 still  plainer
 and stronger4  ,in the iiird ,chapter  
and the #fth verse the ,apostle  begins 
the subject3 8,even as ,abraham believed
 ,god1 and it was accounted  to him for 
righteousness4  ,know ye1 therefore1    
that they which are of  faith1 the same 
are the children of ,abraham40  8,so    
then they which be  of faith are blessed
 with faithful ,abraham40  ,and then in 
the #adth verse1  the ,apostle tells us 
more of this blessing of ,abraham3      
8,that the blessing  of ,abraham might  
come on the ,gentiles through ,jesus    
,christ1 that we might  receive the     
promise of the ,spirit through faith40  
8,the promise of the  ,spirit0 is here  
said to be 8received through            
faith20--that is1 by them  that believe4
  ,but in the #afth verse1 the account  
given of the 8seed0 of  ,abraham is as  
distinct and decisive as words can make 

it4  ,referring to  the ,covenant made  
by ,god with ,abraham1 7contained in    
,gen4 xvii47 ,st4 ,paul  says1 8,now to 
,abraham and his seed were the promises 
made4  ,he saith  not1 ,and to seeds1 as
 of many2 but as of one1 ,and to thy    
seed which is  ,christ40  ,by 8,christ0 
here 7it is scarcely necessary to       
remark7 is not  meant ,christ personal1 
but ,christ mystical2--,his mystical    
,body1  consisting of ,christ himself1  
the ,head1 and true believers1 both     
,jews and  ,gentiles1 8all one in ,him40
 7v4 #bh47  ,the same expression is used
 in #a  ,cor4 xii4 #ab3 8,for as the    
body 7the natural body7 is one1 and hath
 many  members1 and all the members of  
that one body1 being many1 are one body2
  so also is ,christ40  ,believers in   
,christ1 then1 who compose ,his         
mystical ,body1 are the seed of         
,abraham1 to whom with himself1--8the   
father of all them that believe10--the  
promises of the ,covenant were made4    
,and1 intent upon inforcing this truth1 

and leaving no possibility of  mistaking
 his meaning1 the ,apostle concludes the
 subject with these  words2 7v4 #bi47   
8,and if ye be ,christ's10 7by believing
 in ,him and by  being baptized by ,one 
,spirit into his ,one ,body7 8then are  
ye ,abraham's  seed1 and heirs according
 to the promise40  ,a clearer and a     
fuller  description of the persons1 to  
whom the promises of the ,covenant were 
made1 could not possibly have been      
given6  ,god did not promise to be a    
,god1 and to give the inheritance of    
which ,canaan was a type1 to all the    
natural descendants of ,abraham1 though 
they were all to be circumcised2  but to
 those only who should 8walk in the     
steps of his faith40  ,for  this        
limitation of the meaning of the 8seed0 
of ,abraham does no more  violence to   
the text1 than the extension of the     
meaning of 8,canaan0 to  the heavenly   
world4  ,but there is 7as we have seen7 
inspired authority  for both            
interpretations4  ,these1 then1 were the

 8seed10 to whom the  promises were     
made4  ,and it is the same still4  ,the 
children of  professing believers are   
baptized2 but the outward form of       
baptism does  not secure to them the    
blessings thereby sealed to the         
believer1 unless  they also have a true 
and lively faith4  ,then the promises   
are theirs4  ,the ,scripture warrants us
 to go thus far1 but no farther4  ,and  
when man  attempts to put benefits into 
,ordinances1 which ,god has not revealed
 to  him1 he makes himself wise 8above  
that which is written20 and thus does   
in effect what the ,jews did1--and for  
which they were so justly reproved  by  
the ,lord ,jesus ,himself2--he 8teaches 
for doctrines the commandments of  men40
 7,matt4 xv4 #i47        ,note 7,b47    
page #ej4      ,it is expressly said in 
the #cbnd verse1 that ,paul and ,silas  
8spake the  word of the ,lord to all    
that were in the jailor's house40  ,this
 was  before they were baptized4  ,all  
that were in his house were capable     

therefore of instruction2 and thus their
 8faith came by hearing40  ,and to  show
 more decidedly the existence of faith  
in the family1 not only is  the fact    
itself stated1 but also the fruit which 
it produced3 namely1  its adding to the 
jailor's joy4  ,he rejoiced--of course  
the more--because  that his house       
believed1 as well as himself4           
,note 7,c47 page #eg4      ,the baptism 
of a believer is like the coronation of 
a lawful ,sovereign4  ,the latter at his
 coronation publicly enters upon his    
,office4  ,he is then  anointed1 and    
invested with the robes and other       
ensigns of royalty4  ,the  crown is then
 solemnly put upon his head--the sceptre
 into his hand--and he  swears in the   
presence of the nobles and chief of the 
people to rule  according to law3 and   
any subsequent dereliction of duty would
 be called  a breaking of his           
coronation-oath4  ,but he was in reality
 king before  his coronation4  ,thus    
when a man repents1 he forsakes sin2    

7and what is  the forsaking of it but   
the dying to it87 and when he believes1 
he is  born of ,god2 7and what is this  
but his spiritual resurrection87 and    
this  repentance and this faith are both
 required of every one before1 and  in  
order to1 his baptism4  ,but at his     
baptism he is publicly invested  with   
his privileges as a ,christian1 and he  
then solemnly swears to live  according 
to ,christ's laws for the future4  ,and 
thus every departure from  duty may well
 be called a violation of his baptismal 
engagements4  ,but  in reality his death
 unto sin and his new birth unto        
righteousness  commenced when he        
repented and believed2 that is1 at a    
period prior to  7and under some        
circumstances the interval of time might
 be very  considerable7 his baptism4    
,his claim to baptism is founded upon   
his  having already renounced sin and   
being possessed of a lively faith2--as a
  claim to be crowned is founded upon   
this1 that the person who makes it is   

the rightful sovereign already4  ,in    
both cases1 there is the  confirmation  
of the relationship with all its rights 
and duties1 but not  the commencement of
 it4  ,this had taken place before4     
99 99 99 99 99                          
,l4 ,,seeley1                           
,,printer1                              
,,thames ,,ditton4                      
99 99 99 99 99          ,,footnotes4    
#bj  ,see ,plain ,tracts for ,critical  
,times1 by a ,union of ,clergymen4  ,and
  on this text generally4    #bg  ,with 
reference to the 8seed0 of ,abraham1 see
 ,note ,a4 in ,appendix4    #ej  ,see   
,note 7,b47    #eg  ,see ,note 7,c47    
#fa  ,lectures on ,the ,epistle to the  
,romans4  ,by the ,rev4 ,john ,fry1     
,a4,b41  c4    #fe  ,see the connection 
between the ,covenant-holiness of       
children and  their being presented to  
the ,lord1 more distinctly shown in the 
case of  the first-born of ,israel4     
7,exod4 xiii4 #b1 compared with ,luke   
ii4 #bb1  #bc47    #hh  ,lectures on    

,the ,epistle to the ,romans1 by the    
,rev4 ,john ,fry1 ,a4,b41  c4