lid mai^ fe-fifiad was. not to hC X J # d ^ Q- 1 •"^r T? ! «^ ^ 15 ! , C^ Q. 1 ^ ■o 03 1 1 ^ , 7^ : 1 *^m^ •-D _C cr CL ■ 1 # }^ o 1 > o r ■ c bfl < m H W "a3 ^ <•> o Sz; M :3 E :i i ^ ^ ?^ -D <:i ■■?< _aj ?§ i '^ 53 'o e- r to ^ 1 ^ CL § b^ 1 ^ s ( QN BAPTISM, DESIGNED FOK THE EE^iEFIT OS COMMON READERS, BY JONATHAN ^I'SHER, A. M. BOSTON' : PUBLISHED BY S.UrjEL T. Ail!>ISTROXef, .Yo. 50, CornJiiU. THOMAS C. EAKCS, rrvIJJTES. 1817. >)ISTRICT O? MASSACHUSETTS, TO >VIT: DUtrici Clerk's OJkt, BE it remembered, that on rty, and then it sIiaII appear abun- dantly defective. It is my prayer, and shall be my endeavour, in what follows, to be free from prejudice ; ami how far I sl^all succcvd iu this, those may best judge, who are freest from prejudice thcuiseJvef, Yi JNTROBUCTiOX. tir %5:amin;Hp; tl^ sfcljcet Oi" Bnplisn-: I purr,o~e fo matre tiie I-to>j Scri; iuros my leading guide-. li" I at ;i]] recur lo ether hislcnr, it aXvoXi Kc{. be to bui!d fepon the opinion of uinnspired men, but only in proof fti' facts concerning the slata of baptism since tiie days of the Apos- tles. The ScMptcies, bothoftlie Oldjp.nd New Testcmeuts, I revere ; I bfcjieve both Testaments are still profitable for ddctiine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteou.:nefi!\ AVhatever has a natural tendency to lead us to slight the Old Tcstamcntj or to think lightly of it, as a dead letter, certainly is not of God. I pray for divine illaiuination ; I expect not tny new revelation ; the assistance I hope for from the Spirit of troth, is ihit opening and enlarging of ciind, through which 1 may understand the n;ore clearly the t-uths already revealed, i hope-a'so for that sanctification of Leart, by which I n^ay be disposed to embrace these trnths in the iove of them. To the la'u) and to the itstimo-ny^ to the '.vkolc wrIMen xvord xve must sppeal ; and all other Ijght, vVhich do«s not agrc«; Milh this, \re mnst reject, a?, the glimmering of delusion. Parent of goodness, and Fountain of Light, with whom is no varia- bleness, nor shadovr of turning I nato Thee I Icok ; O help me i'ov the sake of thy dear Son ; I'?ad me by thy Holy Spirit into all truth ; I asK thy blessing upon what I ara £bcat to olierin thy name ; gvj.ut tha,t it iiiay relieve the doubts cf soffie of my fellow trrivelltis, while en ths way to Zion ; ar^d thaX it may help thi;:ii to a more c'ear and enlarged view ofsome of the doctrines of thy blessed noitt ; kt it zssht a little in preparing f=oiae lively stones for thy temple, and in buiidin^ lliat- l^ouse of God, which shall forevtr think, lo thy gloiy, t»id be to ti»v 5)rai-;e of ti:e glcry of tl.y grace. JONATIIA^I FFSII.EIT, f^' ESSAY ON iB^ip^a^m. CHAPTER r. OF BAPTISM IN GENERAL- Question 1. WHAT are we to undersiand by baptism in general ? Answer, We are to understand hj it, I. A acramental washing. 2. The inward commimi- aticn of grace by the Spirit of God. 3. The bedding forth of the miraculons gifts of thfe loly Ghost. 4. A system of doctrine, in which sacramental washing is a leading fvMture. 5, lartjrdora, or suffering death m the cause of uligion. 1. Baptism is a sacramental washing. B} 'Sacramenial 'xashhig we are to imdersLand fie real apphcation of water to a person, or iiing, in some way or other, as a rehVioiis ordi- |ince, or rite, to signify some kind of purifica'* ion or cleansirig. i Baptism in this Si nse of it is fonnd in the allowing texts of scripture, rendered word foi' lord, as nearly as possible, from the Greek j-iginaL 1* ESSAY ON BAPTISiU. 1. Matth. iii. 5, 6. Then went out to him, (to John) Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the re- gion round about Jordan ) and >vere baptised ia (or at) Jordan, of (or by) him, confessing their sins. In this instance there was, no doubt, an appli- cation of water in some way to these persons ; and this v/as a religious rite, because connected with the preaching of John, mentioned before it, and also with their confession of sin. Their \ confession of sin was in order to its removal^! and the removal of sin is a cleansing of the soul ; to signify this cleansing seems to be the intention, in part, of the washing," or baptism, here mentioned. 2. Matth. iii. 11. I indeed baptise you with| (or in) water, to repentance. Here with or in water implies an application of water; this being in order to repentance.! shows it to be a religious rite ; repentance ben ing in order to a cleansing from sin, this applican tion of w^ter signifies cleansing. 3. Matth. iii. 16. And Jesus, being baptized, went up straightway (or immediately) out oi (or from) the water. Here is implied an application of water, am; tliis as a religious ordinance ; for Jesus requircc it as a fulfilling of righteousness. It was ii token of cleansing ; for it signified in genera that those, who enter upon the priest's olhcd should be clean. These instances may suffice to show tha Baptism, in one sense of it, is. a swramentc, v;asuinz ESSAY ON BAPTIS.M. MEDITATION. Look, O my soul, at the great ideas brought .0 ylew by Baptism in this sense of it. Here ^ve are taught by a lively emblem, that we are ill polluted. As said by the Prophet, Iza. Ixiy. 3. We are all as an unclean thing ; and all our Hghteovsnesses are as filthy rags ! To what Dart of us is this filthiness attached ? Not; ;trictly speaking, to our bodies ; there may be m special uncle anness adhering to these. Alas, -ye are the subjects of a more odious defilement ; kiv souls are polluted ! Sin is the filth, which rests upon them ; or rather the stain, which is .!unk deep into them. Our very nature is defiled ; !his defilement we derive from our first parents, ithrough connection with them in their fall ; rom them we inherit a principle, the first fruit. ;j»f which is d(!part\ire from God ; 7 he wicked n^e estranged from the loonih^ they go astray as 'Oon as they are horn^ speaking lies. How justly iaight God cast us all from him in this pollution, ind say to us with abhorrence. Get ye hence, ^iess the Lord, O my sou], that a way is pro- ided, in which the spiritual filth may be re- loyed. ^ Baptism^ as a sacramental washing cf ivine institution, signifies that souls may be jleansed and saved, and God remain just. " Be- jold, a film tain is opened to the house of David^ ml to the ircitahitanis cf Jerusalem for sin and |jr uncleanness. Jesus is. this fountain ; here j-asli, O my soulj and be thou clean. : 2. By Baptism wo may understand the in- ard commimication of grace by the Spirit of Ii> ESSAY ON BAPTIS3^ Rom. vi. 4. Therefc' e we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Baptism here signifies a becoming dead to sin through interest in the death of Christ ; and a becoming alive to holiness, as Jesus was raised to life from the tomb. This becoming dead to sin is through a shedding forth of the influence of the Spirit of God upon the heart, by whicii influence inward g-race is communicated to the 3oul, which grace, as a holy seed, springs up m a new life. Whatever allusion there may be in this place to outward baptism, it is certainly an inward, spiritual baptism, which is here espe- cially intended ; for if the outward, literal bap- tism were intended, thenr it imjst be the bap- tism of martyrdom, or of blood, in which the subject literally suffers death, 1. Corin. xii. 13, For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, (Greeks,) whether we be bond or free ; and have been all made to di'ink into one Spirit. As appears by the connection, the body, here mentioned, signifies the invisible Church of Christ, the whole- number of true believers ; each individual of this number is entered into this body particularly by the inward cojnmuni- cation of grace by the Spirit of God ; this is done in the work of regeneration, in which the Spirit of God is poured forth upon the person, who is the subject of it, according to a frequent mauiier. of speaking m Scripture, in allusion to ESSAY ON BAPTlS^r. 9 fhis mode of speech, tliis inward communicatior? of grace by the Spirit of God is called baptism. xMEDITATION. How great are the mysteries of godliness 1' By one Spirit we are baplized ; Who, or what is tiiis one Spirit ? It is the Holy Spirit of God ; that Spirit, to whom, in the HolyScriptures, a distinct personah'ty is ascribed ; but who is so united in the Godhead, as to be essentially one with the Father and the Son, But O, I ain^ f thee, thou avenlj wind. Cjuickly lost in the contemplation o all-pervading Spirit, who, like a he breathest upon our dry bones, that the spirit o; life moy enter into us ! Glory to thee, O then Jtli present Power, by whom the salvation, pur- chased by Jesus Christ, is applied to our souls, and by whose divine operation we are fitted ta be parts of the one 6ody of Christ, and with wonderful wisdom are united in that glorious body ! — 04-0 — 3. By Baptism we may understand the shed-- ding forth of the miramlous gifts of the Holy' Ghost. Mattli. iii. 11. I indeed baptize you with (cr in) water, unto repentance ; but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you with (or in) the Holy Ghost, and with fire. See also Mark i. 8. and Luke iii. 16. — Acts i. 5. John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be bap- tized with, (or in) the Holy Ghost, not many days heiye. Acts ii. 3, 4. And there appeared lO ESSAY 05 BAPTWI^r. unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, ^nii it sat upon each of them, and thej were all fill- ed with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues^ as the Spirit gave them ut- terance. ¥. 16, 17. This is that which was*. spoken by the prophet Joel ; And it shall come to pass in the last days. (saithGod) I will pour- cut of mj Spirit upon all ilesh. V. 33. There- fore, being by the right hand of God exalted, emd havino' received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. In thes3 quotations w^e have, 1. Tlie predic- tion of John, that Jesus should baptize w^th the Holv Ghost, and with fire. 2. An allusion to this prediction, and a confirmation of it in the words of Christ to his disciples, a little before his as- cension. 3. A history of a miraculous tippear- knee, as of tongues, composed of divided iiamer> of fire, sitting upon each of these disciples, and ?in account of their being filled with the Holy Ghost. 4. An explanation of this event, as being a fulfilment of some part of that prophecy in Joel, in which God promises to pour out his Spir- it upon all ^esh, kc. — and 5, A declaration that Jesuy, ha\ing received the promised Spint of the Father, had shed forth those miraculous effects, >v hich w^ere then manifest to the senses of the wondering people. A just conclusion from this is, that the term Bapiisnu in Scripture, is sometimes used to sig- nify the shedding, or pouring forth of the mi- raculous gifts of the Holy Ghost. tSSAY ON BAPTISM. 1 I MEDITATION. Behold the care of the blessed God over his Church ! It shall be supported through all ages, and it will make its waj through all obstacles. After satan has been suiiered to quench this light of the world, this holy fire, a little on this side, and a little on that side, till but a fev/ liv- ing coals remain, (120 names,) it shall siidde^ily Tbm'st forthj and kindle on every side, to the dis- may and terror pf the adversaiy. Yf hat though the instruments be a few .Galileans, not very jearned, and the multitude around them be a collection from many nations of different tcngues? The gospel of salvation shall be preached to them all, and the word shall reach their ears, their understandings, and their hearts, and be fruitful in the conversion of a large number. And in failure of a sufficiency of human m.eans5 divine means shall be added ; the opporiunity for the learning of tongues not being enjoyed, the gift of tongues shall be besiov/ed, and the great, good work of enlarging the Church, shall be accomplished. O my soul, repose thyself under such parental care, and rest thee in peace : no evil shall come nigh thee. 4. By Baptism we may understand a s?,>sierA of doctrine, in which a sacraeientai washing i% a leading feature. Match, xxi. 25. The £apHs7noi JoliD^whcncf^ v/as it ? from heaven, or of men ? See aiso- Mark xi. 30. Luke xx. 4— Acts i^ 22. Begin- iiing irox^ the Baptism of John. Acts xviif. 25. ;12 , ESSAY ox BAPTIS.^. his man (iVpollos) was instructed in iYiG waj oi the Lord, and being fervent in spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing onlj the Baptism of John. In these texts, especially the last of them, it i'3 very evident that more is included in the word Baptism, than merely that sacramental wash- ing, which John made use of; the calling, cora- missicH, preaching, and doctrine of John are no doubt intended by it. — With this, ApoHos was acqiiainted^and according to the teaching of John, so he taught. But cis baptizing, or the application of a sacramental washing to his hearers was a leading and striking part of John's administration, his w'hole preaching and dcG- trinc, including this application of water, is con- -yeniently expressed by the term, Baptism, MEDITATION. IBehoId, says God in the closing part of the Old Testament, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, before the coming of the ^reat and dreadiul day of the Lord, and he shaU turn the -heart of the fathers to the children, and ihe heart of the children to their fathers, lest J come and smite ihc earth with a curse. In con- nection with. this subject let us view the good- ness and compassion cf God, and the honour, which he pius upon his dear Son, The begin- ning of the administration of Jesus Christ is cal- led, the coming of the great and terrible day of tlic Lord ; an expression, which implies a vast dignity in the person of Jesus, »id that his coming is big with tremendous C0Kscquer*cc3. So ESSAY ON BAPTISM. "J 3 vile, SO polluted, and so utterly unprepared M^erc '4he Jews about this time for the reception of the Son of God, that had ho been ushered m among them with all the splendor of divine light, without the previous administration of John to prepare the way for his coming, he would probably have been treated wdth that contempt and indignity by the nation in general, which would have raised the divine jealousy to aflame, and would have brought swift destruc- tion upon the land. But by the coming and preaching of John, a spirit of enquiry \sias excited ; multitudes of the people were convinced that his administration was from heaven ; the common people in gen- eral accounted him to be a prophet ; by his la- bour, the prejudices of many w^cre removed, even prejudices, which would have barred their hearts against the reception of Jesus, as the Messiah ; and multitudes were brought to be the subjects of that inward purification of heart, and that outward, ceremonial cleansing, by which together they were 60 sanctified, that the divine purity of Jesus should not break forth upon them, like fire, a^d consume them. Luke i. 17. and he shal' go bef;.>re him in the spirit and power of Elias — to make ready a people, prepared for the Lord. Improve the subject, O my soul, as a warning ta en- deavour to be carefully prepared hy inv/ard sanctificatich for all those solemn seasons of worship, and all thoae ordinances, in which the foleosed Redeemer is wont especially to manifest 14*^ ESSAY ON BAPTISM. his glorious presence. Venture not upon the duties of the sanctuary, without the blood of sanctification sprinkled upon thee. 5. The word Baptism is used in scripture to signify Martyrdom^ or the suffering of death in the cause of religion. Matth. XX. 22, 23. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask ; are ye able to drink of the cup, that I shall drink of? and to be baptized with the baptism that I am bap- tized with ? They say unto him. We are able ; and he saith unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with. See also Mark x. 38, 39. Luke xii. 50. But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened, till it be accomplished ! John xviii. 11. Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath ; the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it ? ^ The first of tltese texts is a part of the reply of Jesus to the sons of Zebedee, who had an idea that Jesus was about to set up his kingdom in this world, and were aspiring at high honors in this kingdom ; Jesus intimates that tiiey were laboring under a great mistake, and that to be the subjects of his kingdom, and receive the honours of it, they must pass through suifer- ings and death ; these he expresses by the terras, c2//),and ^ap/tim, both which by the connextion, appear io mean the same th'iqg. That by the cup, Jesus meant his sufferings and death, ap- ESSAY ON BAPTISM. 15 pears from the last mentioned text, which was spoken to his disciples just as he was taken by the Jews, when Peter was about to make re- sistance. In the text quoted from Luke, the word Bafiismyhemg mentioned as somethi»g of which Jesus was to be the subject, and 'm con- nexion with divisions and commotions, of which he should be the occasion, and in connexion with his being straitened, pressed, or pained, till it should be fii^ished ; this being spoken also long after he had receiyed baptism in the literal sence of it ; from these circumstances, and from the parallel texts we may gather, that by baptism, Jesus here merns his sufferings and death ; by the same term he predicts the mar- tyrdom of the sons of Zebedee, which was soon accomplished in the case of one of them, who was slain by the sword of Herod. The use of the word here is fisrurative, and the %ure is contained in the idea of pouring out affliction upon the suffering person, or the idea of his being overwhelmed in distress, or that of his body being sprinkled with his own blood. MEDITATION. Blessed and condescending Immanuel, did it behove thee to be baptized with the out pour- ing of that wrath upon thy head, which w^as due to us, for our sins, that by thy suffering we might be redeemed ? Was it needful. that thou shoijdst be baptized with the drops, yea, the streams of thine own blood, that this blood might be applied to us for the pardon of our sins, fori our spiritual cleansing and sanctifica- 16 ESSAY ON BAPTISM. tion ? Precious blood ! With tliis sbalt thou sprinkle ma»y nations, for its vahie is infinite. Precious sufferings ! by these thou hast made a complete atonement for sin, for they are the sufie rings of God, the sufferings of Immanuel, God ^vith us. Thoti wast ivotmded for our trans- gressicns, thou %cast bruised for our iniquiiies, the chastisement of our peace ^was vpon thee, and by thy stripes, we are healed, 6. The five distinct, yet kindred things, above mentioned, are to bo understood by the word Baptism, in the holy scriptures. Besides these, the apostle Paul speaks of a baptism, v/hich can hardly be ranked with either of them. This is tlie baptism of the Israelites just after they cd.rrie out of Egypt. 1. Cor. X. ], 2. But I would not that ye should be ignorant, Bretlircn, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and were all baptized unto Moses in (or by) the cloud, and in (or by) the sea. If tliis baptism appertain to either of the five kinds, already considered, it must be the first, that of a sacramental washing. The his- tory of the event is found m Exod. xiv. 19,22. And the angel of God, who Vient before the camp of Israel, remoAcd, and went behind thera ; and .the pillar of cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them. And it came be- tween the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel, and it was a cloud of darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these, so the one cai|ie not near the other all the night ; and Mo-= ESSAY ON BAPTISM. 17 ses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind ail that night, and made the sea dry land ; and the waters were divided, and the children ot Israel went into the midst of the sea upon dry ground. And the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. In V. 24, we are informed that the Lord looked through the pillar of fire, and cloud, and troubled the Egyptians. A sublime poetic description of all this is found in Psal. Ixxvii. 16. to the end. The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee ; they were afraid ; the depths also were trou- bled. The clouds poured out water, the skies sent out a sound ; thine arrows also went abroad. The voice of thy thunder was in heaven ; the lightnings lightned the world ; the earth trem- bled and shook. Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known. Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. From all this we may collect the following particulars : 1. That sometime in the day preceeding tlie night' in which the Red-Sea was divided, I he pillar of fire and cloud, attended by the aiii^ciof God's presence, removed from the front, or v-an, of the host of Israel, passed ov^er thoii- heads, and settled down in their rear, between them and the Egyptians. 2. That during the whole night after tliis re- moval of the cloud, a part of the sea beirig held by miraculous power, the other part was driven and divided from it by a strong east wind. 18 BBSAY ON BAPTISM. 3. That the next daj, or night, after the sea "was divided, the Israehtes entered it, aad pas- sed along during the night on the bed of the sea, on dry ground. 4. That during the same night the host of Pkaroah entered the sea, and pursued after them. 5. That three or four hours after midnight the pillar of fire and cloud became very tem- pestuous to the Egyptians, coming over them, pouring upon them torrents of rain, darting forth flashes of lightning, tearing the wheels from Pharaoh's chariots, and uttering peals of thunder, which caused the earth itself to tremble. From the scope of the history we may gath- er, that sometime after this, the cloud passed back again from the rear to the front of the host of Israel. These things taken into vicAV, it appears that the baptism of the Israelites was by their being imder the pillar of cloud, when it passed over them, and came behind them, before they en- tered the Red Sea, or upon its return to their front, whenever that was ; and also by their passing between the mountains of the waters c>{ the sea, which stood in heaps on each side of them; or otherwise, which seems more pro- bable, that it was by the falling of water from the cloud upon them, and by the lighting of the spray of the sea upon them, blown from it for that express purpose ; but after all, v» e must rather content ourselves with high probability tlKin pretend to certainty concerning the mode ESSAY ON BAPTISM. 19 of this baptism ;, this however is manifest, the •whole host, small as well as great, were thus baptised, and the import of their baptism in this case to Moses, might be this, to signify that in connexion with great and solemn events, they were entered peculiarly as his disciples, and put under his conduct and teaching. This baptism farther may be considered, in some general sense, as a type of that baptism, which should come after it, in the days of the gospel. MEDITATION. Help me, O Lord, I beseech thee, to look faithfully at the scene exhibited in this baptism to Moses. Thy much honoured apostle to the Gentiles, desjred, under the influence of inspira- tion, that his Corinthian brethren should not be ignorant of this event. Consider well the sub- ject, O my soul, and labor to draw practical in- struction from it. The host of Israel, with their little ones, were baptized unto Mc-ses ; they were all the subjects of that wonderful conduct under the hand of Moses, which ought to have engaged them ail to be his disciples, and receive heartily from him those glorious in- structions, which he received from God. To '^is they were peculiarly bound by those, great miraculous operations, which waited upon Mc- ses, as their leader, in which the cloud of their defence passed over, and came behind them, and in which they were guarded on both sides by the divided waters of the sea.*' Behold iu- * In vhidi also a plentiful rain rffreiKc LoTd^ when if was wea'y. ihcd lilt inheritance of the 20 EESAY ON BAPTISM. eluded in this baptized host, the real church of God ; behold in this the visible church ; and may we not behold here also a figure of the gospel church ? Moses^ Jesus ; the leader of the church under the former dispensation, the head of the church under the latter ; baptized parents and masters in Israel ; baptized adult,, professing christians ; baptized servants, chil- dren, and even infants to Moses ; baptized ser- vants, children, and infants in the name of Christ ; hypocrites among the covenanting Is- raelites; hypocrites in the visible church of Christ. Some true children of God in the host that came out of Egypt ; many new born souls among those, who professedly forsake the world for Jesus, and his salvation. Judgments tempo- ral, and manifest, falling upon the disobedient of those, who were led by Moses ; judgment eternal awaiting the disobedient among those, who have named the name of Christ. Learn from this, O my soul, to put no confidence in the flesh ; the name of christian \s not to be de- spised, its import is honourable, when it is given, to one, who is a christian in reality ; but to have the name, and all the outward privileges attending it, without possessing the true spirit of Christ, will but sirik thee so much the deepbr hereafter in wo. Did the unbelieving Israelites fall in the burning deserts, notwithstanding they were all baptized to Moses,, and all drank of the smitten rock ? So false professors of Chris- tianity must plunge at last in the burning lake, notwithstanding they bear the christian name, have been baptised unto Christ, and have en- ESSAY ON BAPTISM, 21 jojed the outward benefits of this gospel. The water of the miraculous cloud, and the water of the divided sea, was it not a defence of the liost of Israel ? And may it not be a figure of the blood of Christ ? interest in tho blood of Christ is a perfect defence of the true church of God. O my Saviour, apply this blot)d to my soul, and I also shall be safe, CHAPTER II. OF JOHN'S BAPTISM. Qucs. WHAT was John's Baptism ? Jlns, 1, It w^as not properly christian bap- tism. This we may gather from Acts xix. 2, 6. And he said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed ? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard, whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he paid unto them ; Unto what then were ye bap- tized ? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then Paul said, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him, who should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. And w hen they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Ghost came on them. I am sensible that many have held, tliat what is here said in V. b, When thry heard this ihcy were baptized in (he name of the Lord Jesus, is a continuation of the history, which Paul is giv- ing of til* baptism of John ; ^nd that it was the 22 ESSAY ON BAPTISM. people, to whom John spake, who, hearing what he said, were baptized by him in the name of the Lord Jesus. Thus 1 once thought my- self ; but endeavoring to adhere to the most obvious meaning of the passage, and to interpret it according to the most natural construction, I have been in a manner constrained to believe, that it was the twelve disciples, here found at Ephesus, who, when they heard what Paul said, were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. The very question in V.^ 3. Unto what were ye then baptized^ seems to intimate,, that the apostle supposed that tiiey had not been baptized with the proper christian baptism, in- stituted by Christ for the new dispensation, else. they would have heard of the Holy Ghost, be- cause the christian baptism was to be adminis- tered in connexion with naming the Holy Triri' . ity^ the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, over the^ person baptized. The apostle in answer to the reply of these twelve disciples, seems in effect to say. It is true that John baptized with that baptism, which required repentance, in order to a reception of the Messia.s, who should soon follow him ; but not with baptism in the name of the Holy Trinity, according to the particular institution of Christ, which is frequently signi- fied by being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. — When Paul had in effect said this, ac- cording to the most natural connexion of the words in the 5th and 6th V. it appears that these disciples, found at Ephesus, v*ore now baptized, according to the particular baptism instituted by Clirist ; and that being thus bap- KSSAT ON BAPTISM. 23 tized, Paul laid his hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. This to me seems most agreeable to the scope of the passage, and the construction of the words. If this be the true interpretation, it follows, that John's bap- tism, though of divine institution, was so far dif- ferent from what is properly christian baptism, that it was suitable to baptize a second time those, who had been baptized by him. In these following respects, the baptism of John evidently differs from what is properly called christian baptism. 1. It was not instituted by Christ as already come in the flesii. 2. It was not administered in the name of the Holy Trinity. 3. It pertained not to what Christ calls emi- nently his Father^s kingdom^ the kingdom of God, and the kingdom ^heaven ; for, speaking of John, Christ says. He that is least in the kingdom of heaven, is greater than he, 2, The baptism of John, though not proper- ly christian baptism. ^.' as in some respect of a similar import ; it signified the washing or purg- ing awav of sin, and was a bapt'sm of r;?pen- tance for the remission of sins. It signif.el to the people that they lay under a great Height of sin, an awful burden of gwU. anJ xreie cov- ered with pollution, which needr.> ilobe v/ashed away by the blood of some great atoning sac- rifice. Mark i. 4. 3. The baptism of John was a rite designed to open a way for the manifestation of Christ to Israel : » part of which maaifestation was made 24 ESSAY ON BAPTIS:,!. at the time of the baptism of Christ's person, when the Holy Ghost descended in the visible form of a dove, and sat en him, and when there came a voice from heaven, sajjng-, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. John i. 31. But ihat he should be made manij.st to Is' rael, iherefore am I come hapiizing with ivater. The baptism of John farther assisted in mani- festing Clhrist to Israel by exciting the general attention of the people to the record which he gave of him, as the Lamb of God. 4. The baptism of John was an ordinance in- stituted to assist in making ready a portion of the Jewish Church for the reception of the .Messias. Luke i. 76. speaking of John ; And thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways. MEDITATION. Contemplate a little, O my soul, the scene relating to John the Baptist. Look into the temple at Jerusalem, and behold the aged and venerable Zacl/arias before the alter of incense presenting- an oifering to the Lord. Mark viie astonishmcnl;, 'vith which he beholds a heavenly messenger in visible form. Thy wife shall con- ceive and bear a sen : his name shall be John ;. the sound of grace shall be in his very name ; the Spirit of God shall possess him from his very birth ; many of the house of Israel shall he turn to the Lord ; and shall prepare the way for the corning of tlic King of saints. Look in- to the heart of Zacharias.. behold the wavering. ESSAY ON BAPTISM. of Ulibeliel ; I am old, and Elizabeth is old ; I am Gabriel, replies the angel ; for a sign thou shalt be dumb, till the prophecy be accomplish* ed. Behoid the wonder of the people, who had been prating in the time of incense, when ihej discover the change in the aged priest, and perceive him to be dumb. Here begins an en- quiry, What means this ? Look upon Elizabeth, and mark her faith from this to the birth of the child ; contemplate her sweet, spiritual converse with Mary. — The child is born ; blessed fruit of long tarrying. Her friends would call him Zacharias, after his father. Not so, replied his mother, but his name shall be John. His father wrote, Plis name is John. His tongue was then loosed, he was no longer dumb ; he spake, prophecicd, and praised Gcd. New Avonder is excited ; the fame of this is noised abroad, and thus a little farther preparation is made for the great things to ensue. ^Follow now the prophet of the Highest in his youth into the deserts ; look at the sijnpli- city of his food and dress ; behold him walk- ing to and fro in the wi]derness,wrapt in the con- templation of God, and heavenly things. At the age of about thirty he comes with a divine commission into ihe land of .Judea ; see him now making known his important office ; a few at first collect around him ; upon these he urges repentance, and a prepara/ ion for a spee- dy approach of the kinirdom cf heaven, or the gospel dispensation. The subject is new, it catches the attention of tlie multitude : The remarkable circumstances of his birth recur to 26 ESSAY ON BAPTISM, mind ; his fame spreads, a throng surrounds him. Now behold him in Bethabara, anon upon the bahks of Jordan, then at Enon, near to Sahm,, applying the watery token of purification to vast numbers, and pointing them as with the finger, to one who should soon appear to take away sin by his own precious blood. To the imperj- itcnt Scribes and Pharisees, hear him protest ; The axe is laid at the root of tlie trees ; to become partakers in the blessings intended by this bap- tism, it is not enough that you claim it as chil- dren of Abpaham ; you, who enter the claim, must show your repentance and meetness by outward, and manifest fruits of holiness. Be- hold him consecrating to his glorious ministry the Messias ; see Jesus baptized of him in Jordan ; see the heavens opened — see the spirit descending — hear the voice from above announcing the Sen of God. John in turn announces him also. Behold the Lamb of God, wdio taketh away the sin of the woild ! Joliii has now discharged his most important of- fice ; much he does in a little time. Soon for his faithful reproof of Herod, he is shut up in pri- son ; then to reward the daughter of Herodias for her w^anton dancing, and to gratify the re- venge of her mother, he is beheaded. Il\% ministry gives place to the gospel di^pensatioriy he ascenda himseif to reign in glor^-. " Great God, (3^ dilj shape, Hke a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, whicn said, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased. And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years' o[ age. These texts contain, for substance, the ac- count of the Baptism of Christ, as we have it in Scripture. This we may now compare with, the consecration of Aaron and his sons to the priest's office. 1 . Aaron and his sons are eet apart to minister to God in the priest's office. Exo. xxviii. 4. 2. Before the consecration of Ac-.Ton and his sons, tiie congre- j^ation of Israel was to be gath- ortd together at the door of the tabernacle. Lev. viii. 3. :i, Aaron, ia his consecration, xvas washed with v/ater by the door of the tabercaule. Lev. yiii. C. 4. Aaron, "vvr.en Ava*hed, was clothed with tlie Holy Garments, which were a 1 ad&e •f his high ufQce. }^t. vi:;. 7. 5r Aaron, when" clothed, was nnnointed by Hie pouring of con- secrated oil upon his head. Ler. Yiii. J 2. 6. Aaron was consecrated in a strict observance of the law of the priesthood, ordained of God. Lev. viii. 5. Lxo. xxviii. 29. 7. Aaron's consecration was atteuded with the c/fer.-.r of sa- crince. Ltv, viii. it?. Jesus Christ is called the Hi^h Priest of our profession, Ileb. iii. 1. Before the Baptism of Jesus, the people baptized by John had been generally gathered to- gether to him, and baptized by him. Litke iii. 2L Jesns, in his consecration "tra?, in a sens*, washed with water by the door of heaven, for heaven then opened over his YieiA. — Luke iii. 21. Jesus, when baptized, was in- vested Avith authority from hea- ven for his sacred oflice, by tliat voice, which declaicd him to be the beloved Son of God, and by the descent of the Holy Ghost in a visible form. Matt. iii. 17. Isaiah Jxi.l, 2. Jesus, when baptized, was an- noicted with an unction from the Holy One, by tlie descent of the Holy Spirit upon him. Mark i. 10. L«ai. Ixi. 1. Jesus was baptized to fulfil all righteousness. JMatth. iii. 13. J*^sus, wpon being baptizecJ, ofiVred the sacrifice or prayer. Luke Jii. .21. ESSAY ON BAPTISM. 29 8. The Levites were set apart Jesus, when baptized, begaa for the service of the tabernacle to be about thirty j^ears of age. at the age of 30. Num. iv. 3. Luke iii. 23. 9. Aaron was sprinkled with Jesus, at his second baptism, the blood of the ram of conso- was sprinkled with his ov/a cration. Lev. viii. blood irom his hands, his feet, his side. Luke xii. 50. From a careful contemplation of the subject, keeping in view the foregoing particulars, may we not conclude, that the baptism of Christ's person comprised a solemn consecration to that office of high priest, with which he was cloth- ed ? A consecration, not in all respects similar to that under the law, but bearing a number of manifest allusions to it. That it comprised also a measure of conformity to those, who were about to be his followers, who were to be bap- tized for the remission of sins ; but not a con- formity in all points, for he had no sins to re- mit ; and farther, that it comprised something of jan example of that change of the token of the covenant of grace, which he was about to introduce into his gospel kingdom. In the mean time the baptism of Christ wa^ well adapted to the manifestation of his person, as the true Messiah, and assisted, in counexioii with the descent of the Holy Ghost upon him. and the voice from heaven announcing lijm tlie Son pr God, to make him known to the mulii« tudes attending upon John. MEDITATION. Glorious Immanuel ! We all have need to be washed by thee ; washed by a spiritual appli- catioi^of thy precious blood to our souls. Did it become thee to be washed by one of us ? 3* 30 ESSAY ON BAPTISM. To be washed by that Messenger, whom thou didst send before thy face, to prepare thy way before thee ? Was it for sin in thee, that thou wast washed ? No ! for thou wast of spotless purity. Was it to fulfil the law of the priest- hood, and to consecrate thee to the of- fice, the holy ofhce of High Priest ? Glorious High Priest ! Thou wast not consecrated in vain ; thou hast magnified thine office ; thou hast offered one sacrifice worth more than thou- sands of rams, and ten thousands of rivers of oil ; thou hast offered thjself a sacrifice, once for ell, making an atonement for sin, by which it may be, not in shadow merely, but in reality forever pardoned. Wast thou washed also, that in this respect thou mightest be, in measure, conformed to thy brethren, who were washed by thy servant John, to signify a cleansing from sin ? Gracious condescention ! May it lead us to love and to adore. Wast thou also washed to denote a change of the form of the token of the covenant of grace under the gospel dispensation ? Thanks be to thy name that a painful and bloody rite gives place to one so mild. Finally, wast thou washed to give opportunity for a wonder- ful manifestation of thyself to Israel, as the true Messiah ? Manifest thyself, O dear Re- deemer, even unto me, and in such manner as tbou dost not manifest thyself unto the world. ESSAY ON BAPTISM. 31 CHAPTEIi IV. OF BAPTISM BY THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST. John iii. 22. AFTER these things came Je- lus and his disciples into the land of Judea, and there he tarried with them, and baptized. Vs. 25, 26. Then there arose a question be- tween some of John's disciples and the Jews- -about purifying ; and they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou bearest witness, the same baptizeth, and all men come unto him. John iv. 1, 3. When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (though Jesus himself baptized not, but his dis- ciples,) he left Judea, and departed into Galilee. From what is here recorded we may gather, 1. That Jesus baptized not with his own hand, but by the ministry of his disciples, who applied the token under his direction, and au- thority. He tarried with them, and baptized, Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples, 2. That the number to whom baptism was^ thus administered was very great. So John went out Jerusalem^ and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and werer. baptized of him. The same (Jesus) baptizeth, and all men come unto him, — Jesu^ made, and baptized more disci- vies than John. 3. 'yhat the baptism by Christ's disciples ex- cited a question between the disciples of John 32 ESSAY ON BAPTISM. and some of the Jev/s, about purifying. John iii. 25, 26. 4. That the baptism by Christ's disciples ex- cited a measure of jealousy in the breasts of Jolm's disciples for the honor of their particu- lar master. He that was with thee beyond Jordan baptizetk^ and all men come unto, him. This jealousy John endeavors to remove, by showing abundantly that Jesus was to be by far his superior. — John ill. 30. He must increase^ hut I must decrease. 5. The baptism by Christ's disciples excited the displeasure of the Pharisees, so that find- ing they took notice of it, Jesus thought it pru- dent to avoid a tumult by retiring from Judea to Galilee. I may here propose the following Questions>^ 1. Was the Baptism by the disciples of Je- sus, while he was yet with them, of the same tenor, import, and design with John's baptism? t-ins, We read, Jesus made and baptized more disciples, than John ; ptit^rira^ ^eier, made schol- lar.s, or learners ; induced persons to come into his school, to put themselves under his teach- ing, to follow him, and wait upon his instruc- tions. • These, by his twelve particular disci- ples, called also apostles, be baptized ; applied to them a sacramental washing. John applied the like to his disciples, which was called a Baptism of repentance. The most natural inti- mation oi the circumstances, taken together, se6ms to be this ; that both John and Jesus Christ severally applied baptism to these, who ESS AT ON baptism; Srf professedly put themsclveg under their teach* ing and instruction ; that tills baptism signified to them, that they were naturally under the pollu- tion of sin, which needed to be washed away ; also, that it was a token or witness on the part of these several teachers, that they had re- ceived those baptized by them under their care, guidance, and instruction ; into their several schools, in which w^ere especially taught the great doctrines concerning spiriiual purification, or the remission of sins ; and that it was a to- ken or witness on the part of such disciples^ that they had been admitted to the great priv- ilege of being learners under such holy and heavenly teachers. Between the baptism of John and of Christ by his disciples might be this diirerence,that the former was a baptism to prepare a people to receive the Messias ; the latter a witness that professedly they did receive him ; the former we may consider as a preparation for the gos- pel dispensation, the latter as a transition to that dispensation ; an intermediate passing to it from the Mosaic dispensation. Ques. 2. Did those baptised by John, in con- sequence of that baptism, form a part of what might be properly called the Church under the gospel dispensation ? Jlns. I rather think not : 1. Because our Sa- viour himself seems to assign the administra- tion of John to the old testament dispensation, as before observed, when he says of John, He that is least in the kingdom of Heaven^ is great- er than h'c% 2. Because, as before observed, those S4 £S§AY ON BAPTISM* twelye disciples, mentioned in Acta xix. appeal^ according to the most natural construction, to have been baptized again, and in the name ot Christ, after having been baptized by John. Qnes. 3. Did those baptized by the disciples of Christ before his death constitute a part of' the Church under the gospel dispensation ? j^ns. Respecting this 1 feel a difficulty how to decide. When the blessed Savior instituted the holy supper, he said to his disciples, that he would no more drink of that fruit of th^ vine, till he drank it new with them in his Fa- thers kingdom. Though there may be in this, a remote reference to the entertainment, which he would give them next in the world of glory ; yet the more immediate reference of it is, I think, to the setting up af his Father's kingdoia in a peculiar sense, in this world, after his res- urrection. If this be the case, the implication is, that those baptized by the disciples of Christ before his death, did not, on that account per- tain to the church under the new testament or gospel dispensation. However,, if they were baptized upon an outward manifestation of be- in«; believers in Christ, they pertained to the visible Church of God in a large and general sense of the term; and perhaps in the most ac- curate view of them, they may be considered as belonging to the church of God in its transi- tion from its old testament to its new testament form. MEDITATION. We have great occasion to bless and praise the living God for the gift of his Son, through eSSAY ON BAPTISM. 35 wliGse go^pe] life and immortality are brought 1o light. We have reason to be thankful that we may be pardoned tlirough interest in his atoning blood. To whatever outward rites we submit, without interest in this, evenr personal interest in it by faith, we cannot be saved. But surely we have reason to rejoice in the goodness of God, manifested in allowing from time to time outward helps for the encourage- ment and strengthening of our faith. Among these is Baptism; if it be even true, that this was administred by John, and by the disciples of Christ before his death, under a less perfect form, than afterwards, it by no means becomes tis to boast over them ; but rather to bless God that they were indulged with so great a privi- lege, as they were. If our privileges be still greater, let us remember that it is all of grace: and further, that where much is given, much will be recjuired. VWVV^A/V CHAPTHR V. OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM, Ques. 1. WHAT are we to understand by Christian Baptism ? Ans. In general terms we are to understand by it a sacramental application of water to a person in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Math, xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and ot th^ Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Acts X. 47. Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptised, who have receiv- ed the Holy Ghost a*? weilj as wc ? 3^ ESSAY ON BAPTIS:iI. HQuesL 2. What does Christian baptism sig- nify ? ^Ins. According to the most natural and plain meaning of the ordinance it signifies the taking away of sin by the blood of Christ, Acts xxii. 16. And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be barptized, and icash away thy sins. 1. John i. 7. The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanse th us from all sin. The outward application of water to any part, or to every part of the body, does not liter- ally take away sin, any more than the bread, which Christ gave to his disciples in the holy supper was literally his body. But while we are here in the flesh, we need visible, sensible signs to recal spiritual ideas to our notice, and to lead our minds into spiritual views. Let the v/ater of baptism represent in figure the blood of Christ, let the soul of man be repre- sented by his visible part, the body ; then let tile water of baptism be applied to his body, and the spiritual im[ort may be easily seen, as it is of the nature of w^ater to take away the filth of the body, so it is of the nature of Christ's blood, apv'lied by the Holy Spirit, to take away tile pollution of the soul. Quest. 3. Why shou-ld Christian baptism be called a Sacrament ? Ans, Because, as a Sacrament signifies an oath, or a solemn cncragement for the perform- ance of a thing; so baptism implies r;n o )liga- tion on the part oi those, who receive it, to be obedient tc 'he instructions of Ohrlst, and to sub- mit to the way of salvation revealed in him, in ESSAY ON BAPTISE. 37 Tfhich the great concern Is, the application wdf ills blood to the soul to take away sin. Al^^O; baptism, as an oath, or engagement on the part- of God, implicy, that to thof^e, who received- Christ, and hira crucified, by faith, the full par-ir don of sin, and eternal salvation will be granted^ Quest 4. By whom should baptism be admin- istered ? <^ns. By one, who is ordained, or publicly and solemnly set apart for the particular pur- pose of preaching the gospel, and administering its ordinances, or seals. Acts xviii. 2, 3. The Hoi 3^ Ghost said, sepa- rate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work where- unto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid there hands on them, they sent them away. Titus i, 5. For this cause \e{i I thee in Crete^ that thou shouldst — -ordain elders in every city, as I appointed thee. ^ 2 Tim. ii. 2. The things that thou hast heard of me, among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, wlio shall be able to teach others also. From these and similar texts it may be in- ferred, that the ministers of Christ were to de- scend in regular succession from i\iQ apostles through all ages, by being separated, or set apart, and ordained for the work of the minis- try ; those who follow, by those who go before ; and the administration of baptism, as well, as of the Lord's supper, from the tenor of the new testament, from the nature of the various exam- ples, apnear^ to pertain to the ministrv. 4 ' 35 ESSAY ON EAPTisM, \ MEDITATION. ' . Jesus, Immanuel, blessed be thj name, that tiiou hast appointed for thy church an ordi- nance, in which the washing away of sin by thy precious blood, and the puttino-oif of the old man and the putting on of the new, through inter- est in thy death, burial and resurrection is out- wardly and visibly represented to our eyes, to our senses, to lead cur meditations to the great spiritual realities, thus outwardly signified. When we behold the pure water of the ordi- nance applied to the outward person of any of cur fellow creatures, in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, let this be our thought ; is this token upon me? Has the water of baptism been appli- ed to me ? Has the blood of sprinkling been applied to niy soul ? Have I an interest in that great salvation; which the Father lias devised in his inliniteiy wise counsel ; which thou, O denr Savior, liast purchased at the price of thr blood, at the price of an immense weight ot sufterinov; and which the Holy Spirit applies to the soul in the worl: of regeneration, o'r effectu- al calling P.Happy, liappy, then will be my fu- ture lot, for in such case eternal- redemption u raade sure to me. as bv the oath of Almicchtj GarL ' ' ^ ^ But if I rerr^aina stranger to what is signified in tin's ordinarice, will it not testify against me at the bar of God, and be a swift witness, that i hnr- ibrm of two things may be very similar, anfyet- These ihincrs have no relation lo each other in eilcct or desigii. Thus the argument that bap- tism comes instead ot circumcision, because its main design is the same, is tenfold gre^iter, than the argument against it, taken from the dviTer- ence of its outward form. 2, Circumcision was a token of that gracious^ everlasting covenant, made with Abraham, in- v/hicb. in case of true faith in a Messiah, then to come. God engages to be a God to Abraham, and to his seed after him. Baptisni appears to be from tiie very nature of it, a token ol that covenant between God and man, in which God stands engaged to be a God in a pecuhar sense to all, v/ho look in true faith to a Messiah al- ready come, that they may receive remission of sins through the efficacy of his blood. This is ?i reason to believe that baptism comes in room «>f circumcision. 3. Oar carnal, sinful nature so operates in every ,part and member of our visible body, in i\\Q present state, that it is called a body ofsin.y and a body of death. In circumcision the part of the body cut oif becomes dead, it becomes to the subject as if buried out of sight ; so circum- cision signifies the putting away of sin, as if it were a body dead and buried. In baptism there is a representation of the putting away of outward filth from the body, the puttins: of it out of sight, as if buried in the earth. The im- port in a spiritual respect is, that our body of sin is dead and buried, and so put away out of ear sight, throu£;h iutercst in the deatli and bu- ESSAY ON BAPTISM. 41 rial of Christ for the remission of sin. Here also is evidence that baptism comes in the room of circumcision. 4. In Col. ii. 11, 12, — In putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision af Christy buried with him in baptism. Here the expression is such, as indigates that the spiritu- al baptism, in which we are buried with Christ, is the same thing, as the spiritual circiimcision mentioned immediately before, and called the circumcision of Christ, or Christian circumci- sion. If then the spiritual baptism be the same as the spiritual circumcision, it is a strong reason that the outward baptism comes in the room of outward circumcision. 5. Circumcision was a seal or token of the covenant made with Abraham w^hich God ex- pressly calls an everlasting covenant, and in w^iich he engages to be a God to him, and to his seed after him. The covenant betAveen God and believers since the coming of Christ, is from the very nature of it, manifestly the same covenant renewed ; and an agreement with God's usual manner of proceeding requires that this covenant should have a token -or seal, and if it have a token orseal^this must be bap- tism. Baptism therefore appears to come m the room of circumcision, because a token or seal of the same covenant. 6. The Lord's Day evidently comes in the room of the Jewish Sabbath, the Lord's Sup- per in the room of the Passover ; so analogy, or the proportion, the agreement of one thing with another, indicates that bapt'sm comes in the room of circumc-sioa. 4* 42 ESSAY ON BAPTISM. For these reasons my mind is abundant! j satisfied that baptism comes in the room of cir^ CLimcision. If it be asked, why the change f It may be repHed, because circumcision was bloody and painful, baptism mild, and without blood. Because Christ having spilt his blood, there is reason in this that the bloody part ot" all ordinances should cease; so in the Lord's supper, which is the christian passover there is now no shedding of blood. MEDITATION. O my soul, hast thou not reason to rejoice in this, that though the types and shadows of the ceremonial law, as they represented a Savior to come, are done away, having received their fulfilment in Christ, when he came ; ^q^\ it pleas* €s God to continue several ordinances, trans- mitted from the ancient dispensation into the new, in a more mild and pleasant form, that our faith may still be assisted by our senses ? Cer- tainly for this there is reason to rejoice. Lord, for this r thank thee ! By these few, simple or- dinances, not painful, but pleasant, we are fre- quently reminded of the great and precious things of salvation through a crucified Savior. Blessed be thy name, that as the Jews, thine ancient people, by frequently seeing the admin- istration of circumcision were reminded of the necessity of putting away the body of sin through the application of the blood of Christ; so we, believers of latter days, by frequently seeing the administration of baptism, may be remind- - ed in like manner of the necessity of having our iiBS put away by the application of the sama ESSAY ON BAPTISM. 4^' precious blood to our souls, bj the Spirit of God. - CHAPTER Vir, OF THE MODE OF BAPTISMT* t Quest. IN what mode, form or manner, i^ Christian baptism to be administered ? j2ns. The scriptures do not appear to be de- cisive respecting the mode. The original word rendered, baptize, generally signiiies either ia plunge, or to ivash, sometimes to sprinkle. la- the prdinance of baptism the leading idea, is, to wash. The mode or form of the application of the water in this ordinance should then be such, as may naturally import washing. Acts xxii, 16. ^rise arcd be baptized, and wash away thy sins. Baptism has been administered in the church by plunging in water, by sprinkling water upon the face, or forehead, by pouring water on the head, and by applying it to the face by the hand in a sign of washing by rubbing. If it be by plunging, the allusion may be to the dipping of a thing in water in order to wash it If it be by sprinkling, the allusion may be to the sprinkling of water upon a thing to pre- pare the way to wash it. If it be by pouring water upon the head, the allusion may be to the pouring of water upon a thing in order to wash it. If it be by a sign of washing, by rubbing w^ith the hand, the aOusion may be to the ap- plication of water to the face, or other part of the bodjn with the hand, in this motion, in or-. der to wash it, ■ ^' ESSAY OX BAPTISM In either of these- modes the essence of Bap- tism may be retained. We may now attend to those texts of scrip- ture, which may serve to throw any light upon this particular. Matth. iii. 5, 6. Then went cut to him, (that is to John) Jerusalem, and ail Judea, and all the region round about Jor- dan, and were baptized of him in (or at) Jor- dan, confessing their sins. Jordan beino: a river sufficient to admit the plunging of persons in it, this circumstance may carry with it a degree of probability that those, here baptized by John, were plunged in their baptism. Yet this is not certain, for, 1. The original may be translated at Jordan, consist- ently with the use of the preposition e/?, (e'v) in the Greek language, so the persons might be a/, or beside the river, and be baptized bj sprinkling. 2. Though we should admit in Jor- dan to be the more natural translation of thq place, still the persons, after stepping into tho brink of the river, might be baptized by sprink- ling water upon the face, or by pouring it upon the head. John iii. 23. John also v/as baptizing mEnon^^ near to Salim, because there was much water there ; and they came, and were baptized. The much water, here mentioned, may seem at first YiesN to be an inducement to John to baptize here,^ that he might have a supply suf^ ficicnt for the plunging of those baptized ; and tiiis is a circumstance in favor of plunging as the mode of John's Baptism. But what is here rendered muck water, is in the orii^inal pu- ESSAY ON BAPTiSjr. 4^? ^atapolla, (y ^aT« rcXXa,) literally, many water s^ and may signify many streams^ though but very. small. Farther, tlie much water might be de- sirable for the convenience of the multitudes- who came to John, though it were not requir- ed for plunging. Hov/ever, if we should grant that John did administer baptism in the mode of plunging, it would not thence be certain that the disciples of Christ did not administer the proper Chris- tian baptism in a diiferent mode. In the mean time, if it were evident that John baptized by plunging, it would be a cir- cumstance favoring the idea that christian bap-- tism v/as administered the same way. Acts viii. 38, 39. And they went down into (or unto) the water, both Philip and the Eun- uch, and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of (or from) the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip. According to the original, in this place, it is as probable that Philip and the Eunuch went only to the water's edge^ as that they even stepped into it. If, as the translation imports, they both went into it, still the water of bap- tism might be applied by sprinkling, as well as by dipping, or plunging. Rom. vi. 4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death. — It is evident that the baptism here spoken of is the spiritual baptism; and that the import is, that in this spiritual baptism our body of sin, through in- terest in the death of Christ, is destroyed, or slain, a^d put away, as if buried out of si^ht*^ 4# EiSSAY ON gAFliSM; But if we consider this to be spoken in allusiort to the mode of baptiftm, the allusion would be natural, if plungii g were the mode. The same may be said of Colos. ii. 12. — Buried with iii)}i in baptism. If there be anv thing in scripture, that may be considered as a strong circumstance in favor of plunging, or immersion, as the mode of baptism, it is found, I think, in these tw^d texts ; and these do so lar favor this mode, that we need not hesitate to admit immersion to be valid, that is, good and sufficient baptism. Still I fmd nothing so coiiclusive in favor of immer- sion, as w^arrants me to insist upon it to the ex- clusion of other modes, or to excite a hesitation of the validity, or fitness of sprinkling or pour- ing, or eyen to lead my mind to a preference of immersion. Acts X. 47. Can any Lian forbid water that these should not be baptized, who have receiv- ed the Holy Ghost as w^ell, as we ? — Here the mode of expression rather favors tlie following idea, viz. Can any man forbid water to hs brought ; Vvdiich would indicate some other mode- rather than rJun<>-iiio', but the place is not decisive w^itn respect to any particular mode. Arts xvi. 33. And he took them thb same hour cf the night, and Vv^ashed their stripes, a ^) w^as baptized, he and all his, straightway. The circumstance that the prison, where Paul and Silas were confined, was in a chief city of Macedonia; the circumstance that the jailor had leceived a charge to keep the prisoners safely, and that he was in danger of losing his life, if he lost them ; the probability that ihcr* EbSAY ON BAPTISM, 4% «fcTere watch-men about the streets of the citj, as has been usual in all ages ; and the circum- stance that in the morning Paul and Silas would not leave the prison, till the magistrates came, and brought them out ; these circumstances ta^ ken together, render it very improbable that Paul or Silas went out the prison-houso to bap« tize the houseliold of the jailor. The appear- ance is, that the baptism yvus administered in the outer prison; and the consequent probabil- ity is, that it was administered in some other mode, rather than by immersion, or plunging. Isaiah lii. 15. So shall he sprinkle .many na- tions. This is spoken of the Messiah, and means that he sliould apply a spiritual baptism to many nations ; in other words, that by his spirit he should apply his blood to many indi- viduals of many nations, to take away .heir sins. If we consider this to be spoken in allu- sion t • the mode of baptism, the allusion would be very natural, if Fpnnkling were the mode ; and to administer baplih^m by sprinkling cer- tainly corresponds well with this figure, repre- senting spiritual baptism. The same may be said of that in Eze. xxsvi. 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean. There is an allusion here, without doubt, to the blood of Christ, which is called in scripture, the blood ofsprinh- ling, Heb. xii. 24.— To Jes'i=t the Mediator of t\iQi new covenant, and to the blood of sprink- ling, which speaketh better things, than the blood of x\bel. Here is the Mediaio-r of thft mw covenant, and ike blood of spriti/ding :HqW' ^ ESSAY OK KA?TISai. -corresponderit with this, is the new covenaiii itself, and its toksa or seal, baptism, especially ^if administered b}^ sprinkling. Tlie divers washings, mentioned in Hcb. ix, iO. Were most probably some of them per- formed by sprinkling ; in the original they are X'^ixiprpoif ^xTTTL.^u.'iXT,) various baptisms. When i seriously consider all these circum- stances, they appear so to favor the mode of sprinkling, for the administration oi Christian baptism, that I find no hesitation in considering baptism by this mode to be valid, or good and .suiiicient ; especially seeing that' in scripture, nothing more than probable inference can be brought in favor of immersion. Baptism by the Holy Ghost is expressed in scripture by pouring, or shedding forth. Acts i. 5. For John truly baptized with wa- ter, but ye shall be baptized with t;he Holy Ghost not many days hence. Acts ii. 2- But this is that, which was spoken by the prophet Joel, and it shall come to pass in the last days, (saith GoA) I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh ; Ver. 33. Having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, v/hich ye now see and hear. The pouring out, and shedding forth of the Spirit, in the two latter texts, is evidently the baptism v/ith the Holy Ghost, promised in the ic\t preceding them. There cannot be, perhaps, a more apt, and significant outward symbol of llie baptism bj ' \c Holy Ghost, than that of pouringwater up- ESSAY ON BAPTISM. 49 on the head, in water baptism. So it" any of the dear children of God sec fit to administer baptism, or to receive it in this mode,I cannot find authority in the holy scriptures to divide from them on this account. Finally, if in baptism water be applied to the face with a motion of the hand, in an outward sign of washing, inasmuch as the outward bap- tism is a sacramental washing, I have no fault to find with this mode. My own mind inclines rather to sprinkling for the mode of baptism ; but where it might promote greater peace and satisfaction in the community, I should have no material objectioa to practismg in either of the other modes. MEDITATION. Bless the Lord, O my soul that the service* of the ceremonial law have ceased ; even that yoke, which, though necessary till the coming of Christ, Vv^as burdensome to those, upon whom it rested. Yet we have reason to be thankful that while here in the body, and so much af- fected by sensible objects as we are, God has been pleased to retiiin in the church two visi- ble tokens of the covenant of grace, Baptism, and the Lord^s Supper ; the former to lead our thoughts, when we see it administered, to that precious blood of Christ, which must by the eternal Spirit be applied to our souls to take away our sins, as we hope ever to be pardon- ed ; and the latter to be a repeated memorial of the sufferings and death of our diving Savior, ^nd a token of our spiritual receiving of him by faiih. ^ 5 Od ESSAY 0?r BAPTISM. But why, blessed God, hast th-ou suflcred, in thy holy providence, the ordinance of baptism for many ages to be administered and received in different modes ? And why was thy holy word so written, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that so many thousands of thy dear children should fmd themselves unable to de- cide with respect to several modes, to which the preference ought to be given ? Lord, thou knowcst thine own designs herein. Thou hast suffered it to be thus, and this should satisfy us. But may we not farther believe, that thou hast done it in part, that the same token ex- hibited under different forms, by different fami- lies of thy children.should call to view a variety of different, yet equally important ideas concern- the great work of redemption ? May it not be iin part also, that thy dear children should see the need of mutual forbearance, and have opportunity for its exercise ? And, finally, may it not be in part that the Holy Scriptures may be more studied, and examined, than they would be, if every thing in them were made entirely plain and obvious ? Lord, thy will be done. While for myself I am fully persuaded that the quantity of water used in the ordinance of baptism, and the particular mode of its appli- cation are not material, provided the mode be some natural sign of the application of w ater for cleansing ; suffer me not to feel hard and uncharitable towards those, who appear to be thy friends, who yet believe that but one t)articular mode of baptism is lawful. Let not lim that eateth judge him that eateth not, for God hath received him. tS9AY ON BAPTISM* 51 wwv\^< CHAPTER VIII. OF THE SUBJECTS OF CHRISTIAN BArTISM. Quest. L WHO are the proper subjects of Christian Baptism. Jlns. Adult believers, who have not been bap- tized, and those of their households under their immediate care and command. Quest, 2. How does it appear that adult be- lievers are proper subjects of baptism ? JJns, It appears most plainly and directly from the exhortation of the apostles on the d^y of Pentocost, wdien the multitude of adult per- sons, to whom they preached, being pricked in the heart, and inquiring, what shall we do ? Peter said, Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, ill the name of Jesus Clirist, for the re- mission of sins ; Acts ii. 28. These \vere per- sons, who had not received christian baptism ; in being required to repent, and to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, they were in effect required to believe on the Lord Jesus ; and in ver. 41, we read, Then they that gladly received his word were baptized ; in gadly re- ceiving the word was here included, believing the truth contained in it. These being bap- tized upon the ground of gladly receiving the word, is proof that adult believers are proper subjects of baptism. The same thing IS made very evident by what Philip said to the Ethiopean Eunuch, Acts viii. 36, 37. See, here is water, said the Eunuch, what doth hinder me to be^ baptized? If thou believest with all S2 • iSSSAY ON BAPTISM, thy heart, thou may est, said Philip. From these and other passages in the holy scriptures it is abundantly evident that adult believers, who have not been baptized, are proper sub- jects of b iptism. Ques,, 3. Are adults to be baptized upon no other condition than that of being possessed ef true faith in the Lord Jesus ? Ans» True faith in Jesus Christ is that which alone entitles them in the sight of God to re- ceive baptism in their own behalf; a credible profession of faith entiles them to baptism in the viev/ of the church. By adults^ properly speaking, is to be under- stood those who have closed their state of mi- nority : they have come (ad ultimum) to the last of this state; they have ceased to be under the immediate care of their parents. Even children, who have not been baptized^ and who are capable of understanding the ordi- nance of baptitiin, may receive it, with the con- sent of their parents, in their own behalf, upon a credible profession of faith in Christ ; nor are they to receive it in their own behalf on any other ground ; the Eunuch applied to Philip for baptism in his own behalf, and Philip said. If thou belie vest with all thy heart, thou may- est ; the Eunuch said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God ; upon this Philip bap- tized him. This is suitable to be received as an example, for all, who apply for baptism in their own behalf. They should make a pro- fession of faith in Christ which the church judges to be sincere. The nature of the tiling ESfSAY 0.^ BAPTISM. 53 teaches that when we apply for such a chris- tian privilege, as the token or seal of the cove- nant of grage, we should do it in a professed subjection to that covenant ; the transaction is our own, and there ought to be evidence of godly sincerity in it, to the satisfaction of those, whose part it is to administer the ordinance. . MEDITATION For one, who receives baptism upon a pro- fession of faith in Christ. I have now received the seal of the cove* nant of grace; the water of baptism, which is a symbol of the blood of Christ, has been ap- plied to me. What does it import? Certainly that there should be an appiiv:ation to my soui of the blood of the everlasting covenant, the blood of Christ, to take away my sins, not in figure, but in reality. Have I faith in this blood? Am I satisfied that the Spirit of God has ap- plied it to,my soul ? Do I look to this blood, ao 1 look to the sufferings of the Lord Jesus to make a satisfying atonement for sin ? Do I sub- mit to the terms of the covenant of grace, look- ing for salvation for the sake alone of the obedi- ence and death of Christ? As Christ died, and was buried for sin, am I through interest in his death become dead to sin, and as it were buri- ed from sin ? As Christ rose from the dead foi our justification, am I risen to newness of life and new obedience ? As pure water has been applied "^o my body in baptism, so, has my heart been sprinkled from an evil conscience ? Am I 54 ESSAY ON BAPTISM. now conscious to myself, that it is my desire,, that I may henceforth keep myself pure, and that I may maintain a conscience void of offence towards God, and towards men? Our Father, who art in heaven ! I acknowl- edge thee for my God ; I am thine by creation, I trust I am thine by adoption. O eternal Son of God, Immanuel, God with us ! I receive thee to be my only Redeemer; thou hast paid tby life as the price of my ran- som; I accept the offered salvation. O holy Spirit, I take thee for my sanctifier, my com- forter ; let me never quench thine influence by coldness, nor by disobedience.— c/^me?u vvvvvvw CHAPTER IX. OF INFANT OR HOUSEHOLD BAPTISM. Quest WHAT are we to understand by in- fant, or household baptism ? ' • Ans. By household baptism we are to under- stand the baptism of sucn members of a family, as are under the guardianship, command and controul, or disposal of the single, or united be- lieving head of such family, and in behalf of this head of the family. By infant baptism we are to understand the baptism of those chil- dren of such family, who are in a state of in- fancy, and in behalf of their natural parents, or parents by adoption. Quest, 2. What reason have we to believe that such are proper subjects of baptism ? K-ins. As this is a point of laic much contro- ESSAY ON BAPTISM. 55 yerted, and as many deny that such are prop- er subjects of baptism, it becomes us to answer the question with seriousness, with tenderness, and with circumspection. It is granted that in respect to infant, or household baptism, there may be difficulties not easy for every one to resolve, as also in the case of the observance of the first day of the week, as the christian sabbath. If upon a fair statement the objections to infant bap- tism do, in our minds, surmount and overpower the arguments in favor of it, then, to act con- scientiously, we must omit it ; if the arguments for it overpower the objections, then, to act conscientiously, we must receive it. Let us consider the objections. 1. There is no positive command for infant baptism, Ans, Though a thing be not commanded in express terms in the holy scriptures, yet if we can find an example of it, so set forth, as to im- ply that the thing is to be continued in the church, we are bound to observe it. 2. There is no evident example of infant hap* tism in scripture, Ans. This in some sense may be granted ; but there is example of the baptism of house- holds, as in the case of Lydia, and the Jailor, and their households, Acts xvi. 15, 33. The greater probability in both these cases, if we look at the history itself, is, that the members of these families were baptize . in behalf of their belilving heads. But even if there be neither positive command nor evident exam- 56 ESSAY ON BAPTISM* I le of an observance in scripture, yet if it may e fairly inferred from the scriptures, it is to be received, and held as binding. 3. // is said, He that believeth, and is baptized shall be saved; Mark xvi. 16, and also, Re- pent, and be baptized, every one of you for the re- mission of sins ; Acts ii, 38. Ought any then to be baptized, before they profess to believe and re- pent? Ans, Both these texts were spoken with ref- erence to unbaptized adult persons, concerning whom it has been already shown, that to re- ceive baptism on their own behalf, a profession of faith is requisite. But that believing and re- penting are necessary, that we may be baptiz- ed on our own behalf, is no reason against the baptism of children on the behalf of their be- lieving parents. Besides, if the order of the words is to be regarded, we should do well to consider the words in John iii. 5. Except a man be horn o{ water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. To be born ©f water has allusion Avithout doubt, to the out- ward baptism, to be born of the Spirit signifies to receive the inward baptism, here the out- ward, or water baptism, is set first ; and why may not this order of the Avords allude to the- case of the multitudes, that God intended should be baptized in their infancy, or minority, in be- half of believing parents or guardians ? Can I insist upon the order of the words as important in the one place, and refuse to regard it in the other ? ESSAY Olf BAPTISM. 57 i. It appears in Acts xv .* That cert am men from Judea taught the brethren at Antwch, that except they were circumcised aftvr the manner of Moses, and kept the laiv, they could not be sa- ved; buty after much disputing it was decreed, that those, who from among the Gentiles were turned unto God, should abstain from all pollution of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood ; but that no other bur- den should be put upon them, JVould it nQthave satisfied these Jews at once to have been told that baptism came in the rooin of circumcision, and that their childre?! might be b fptized, instead of being circumcised ? But as nothing is here said of infant baptism^ is it not evident that the apostles knew of no such thing ? Jlns, I acknowledge thtit it mi^ht be verj natural at f^rst view to expect that something should be said, in this place, concerniDg infant baptism ; and why nothing more particular is ?5aid, either of this, '^.r of the christian sabbath, or Lord's Day, in the scriptures, may excite a measure of difficulty in our minds. Bufit may relieve the difficulty in triis case, to consider that it was not merely circumcision for which the Jews contended, hut also, the observance of all the rights of the ceremonial law, as ap- pears from Acts xxi. Nor did they contend simply for the observance of these, but for the observance of them, as necessary to salvation; against this idea the apostle Paul is repeated- ly and justly severe. We have much reason therefore, to think, that merely to have stated that baptism came in the room of circumcision^ while tHe observance of the ceremonial law 58 essaV on baptism^ was excluded, and even baptism not admitted to be a saving ordinance, would not have at all satisfied these Jews, or^udaizing teachers.* If it would not, the Holy Ghost must have fore- seen this, and that of consequence it would be of no avail in settling the dispute, to urge that baptism came in the room of circumcision, or to say any thing about baptism in this place. One reason why so little is said concerning infant baptism, and concerning the keeping of the first day of the week as holy time, may be this, to excite christians to engage in a mbre diligent search of the scriptures, than otherwise they would ; another reason may be, to give room for mutual forbearance. 5. If baptism tome in the room ofcircumcishn, so that infants are to be baptized^ and the Lord^s Supper come in the room of the passover, why- should not infants, and little children come to the Lord^s table, as it is probable from Ecso* xii : that all the members of the families of the Israel- ites eat of the passover ? Ans. This is probably as great an objection, as can be urged against infant baptism, as coming in the room of infant circumcision. But it may relieve our minds of this difficulty, to consider that when the Israelites came out of Egypt, the passover was incorporated with their nec- essary daily food, during the continuance of that feast, so that they must all eat of it, whether all eat in faith, or not. In partaking of the passover, however, sac- ramentally, there appears to be ground to ap- prehend, that none united, or were required to unite, after the Israeliteg were settled in the K-fSAY ©N BAPTISM. 59 land of Canaan, but such as could do it under- Btandiiiglj, and bring their sacrifice unto the Lord. ' So we read in Exod. xxiii. 14, l/>. Three times shall thou keep a feast unto me in the year ; thou shah keep the feast of unleavened breads thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib ; for in it thou camest out of hgxjpt ; and none shall appear before me empty. This was manifestlj the feast of the passover, and as those, upon whom it is here enjoined, are forbidden to ap- pear before God empty, there is reason to be- lieve that the special obligation to partake of it extended only to those, who were capable of covenanting with God personally by sacri- fice. In Luke ii. 42, we read that when he (Jesus) was twelve years old, they, (his par- ents) went up to Jerusalem, after the custom of the feast ; from the verse preceding it appears that his parents went up every year, and that this was the feast of the passover ; and from the verse following it appear^ that at this time Jesus went up with them. The probable im- port of this history is, that now Jesus for the first time went to this feast, and now he was able to understand the import of the passover, and to transact personally with God.* In 1 Cor. xi. 28, The apostle says, Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that breads and drink of that cup. This intimates tliat in the partaker at this ordinance there should be faith. * Ilyrcanus in Josephus, b. xii. chap. 4, says, The Jewish law- forbids the son to eat of the sacrifices, before he has cooie to tkc tcaai- ple, tmd tiere hiaiaelf preeentcd an offering to God. ^0 ESSAY ON BAPTISM. The objections above stated, and answered, are all, 1 think, of material weight that can be urged agrvinst infant baptism, MEDITATION. Now, O my soul, do these objections appear sufficient to authorize us to lay aside, or to o- mit infant baptism ? If, notwithstanding the an- swers proposed, they do appear sufficient, then I ought, while they so appear, to lay aside this docti'ine ; but if they do not so appear, then I ouglit to practise according to this doctrine. Now with my hand upon my breast, in token of sincerity, I can say, before thee, O thou heart searching God, that these objections do not ap pear in my view sufficient to authorize me to lay aside this doctrine. Although the above objections, when first urged, may have excited a temporary difficulty in my mind, yet, when thej have been seriously weighed, their dif- ficulty has so far vanished, that much the greater weight of evidence, in my own view, has been in favor of infant and household bap- tism. Acpordiiig to this, therefore, I practise : and I feel an unfeigned, and solemn, and 1 trust a holy satisfaction in the administration of the ordinance of baptism to the infants, and to the households of believers, in behalf of the believ- ing parents and heads of families, who present them. I feel that if I must renounce this doc- trine and practice for want of express command, or plain, evident example, then for want of the same, I must must renounce the observance the first day of the week as holy time ; seeing the ESSAY ON BAPTlife. 61 fvidencc to warrant us so to observe it is onlj that of i'litimation, or inference. But are we not bound, O heavenly Fnthei' to obey the inti- mations of thy wilj, as well as what is express- ly commanded ? surely we are. Still we may .have a better hope of those, as thy children, ■who omit duty where the light is comparative- ly small, than of those, who omit what is more plain and explicit. I can entertain a belief of piety in those, who omit the baptism of infants and households much more easily, than of piety in many others, who pass under the christian name. Lord, hasten the time, when lliy chil- dren -shall see eye to eye in the truth. -WN,-^ VVX'^ CHAPTER X. liRGUMENTS IN FAVOR OF INFANT AND HOUSEHOLD BAPTISM. 1. THE covenant made with Abraliam in Genesis xvii. 7, must be the covenant of Grace, which, ihouo-h renewed, and called a new cove- nant under the gospel dispensation, is still con- tinued, so that the christian church is constitut- ed under it. But the token of this covenant, made with Abraham, was solemnly enjoined to be put up- on the infants and households of covenanting persons. ' Therefore baptism, wdiicli is now the token of the same covenant, is to be applied to the infants and households of coverianting persons. 2. Baptism, as has been shown, comer; in the room of circumcision, (see derivation of baptii^mj Chap. 6^ : ., 62 e5Say on baptism. But circumcision, by divine command, was applied to infants and households^ Therefore baptism should be so applied un- less there be evidence that God has restricted the application of it; but ^i find no evidence, that he has thus restricted it ; therefore I con- clude that the infants and houseliolds of cove- nanting believers are to be baptized. 3. We are taught in the word of God that the privileges of believers under the gos- pel dispensation are enlarged, instead of being abridged ; as in Heb. xi. 40, God having pro- vided some better thing for us, that they with- out us should not be made perfect. But believers under the old testament dispen- sation, were entitled to circumcision for their in- fants and households. Therefore, believers under the gospel dis- pensation, are entitled to baptism for their in- fants and households. 4. When the Israelites were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, tlieir infants and households were baptized with them; but in this they Avere ensamples for believers under the gospel; 1 Corin. x. 1, 2, 6, 11. Therefore the infants and households of believers under the gospel dispensation should be baptized unto Christ. 5. The temporal thing signified in the cir- cumcif>ion c>f children was, that they might in- herit the land of Canaan ; the spiritual, and far inore important thing signified was, that they might have the Lord for their portion, and in- herii hrrcatter the kingdom of heaven ; but ESSAY ON BAPTISM, 63 Christ says of little children and infants iindu. the gospel ; Suifer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the king- dom of God ; Luke xviii. 10. This is a reason that they should be baptized, to signify that the blood of Christ may be applied to them, to take away sin, and prepare them for heaven. 6. The*^ expression^ Jdrigdom rf Cod^ is often used by our Savior, in the new testament, to signify the gospel church staie, as it appears visi- ble in this world ; and seeing he requires that infants and little children should be openly and visibly brought to him, because they belong to the kingdom of God, we have reason to consid- er this as signifying that they may have a cove- nant relation to his visible church, and so be entitled to baptism, as the token of the cove- nant of grace. 7. In John iii. 5, Jesus says. Except a man be born of water and cfthe Spirit, he cannot enter in- to the kingdom of God, Here being born of \va- ter alludes to water baptism; but it is set be- fore being born of the Spirit ; does not this as much imply that the infants of believers should be baptized, though not yet the subjects of a change of heart ; as the words of Peter in Acts ii. 38. Repent and be baptized, every one of you, for the remission of sins, imply that adult persons, who have not been baptized, should manifest repentance before baptism ? So fa^' ^^ the order of the words is to be looked at, think it does. 8. The baptism of the household of Lydia is a probable example of proper household ba}>- 64 ESSAY ON BArri3I\L tism. Acts xyi. 14, 15. Whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things that were spoken of Paul; and when she wa^ baptized, and her hoiisehoid, she besought us, saying. If ye have'judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come, and abide at my house. If her household had manifested faith, how natural to have said« If ye liavc judged me and mine to be faithful, come, and abide with us. The heart of Lydia alone is noticed, as opened by the Lord, but if Iier household had experienced the same, it is natural to expect that this, w^ould have been no- ticed also. But, as she says, If ye have judged me to he faithful to the Lord, come, and abide at mv lioiise, the moct natural and obvious ap- pearance is^ that her houseliold was baptized on the ground of her faith. 9. In the bantism of the jailor and all his, of which we have an account in x^icts xvi. 33, 34/ we have a highly probable, if not evident ex- ample of proper household baptism. He took them, (the apostles) the same hour of the night, and washed their- stripes, and was bap- tized, he and all his, straightway ; and when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, ami rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. In the last part of ver. 34, the Greek original, with the English answerable to it, runs thus ; r^yxWidtrxro, lie rejoiced, irzyctx!? with all the house, z:c-n^fjrBv^clj<^, he hamivjp belv4iied, tJJ^sc^ in God ; from this it appears that the jailor a- lone is specified as believing, wdiich rendeiy it more probable, than otherwise, that his house- liold was ba;piy2ed on his behalf. ESSAY ON BAPTISM. €5 10. In 1 Cor. vii. 14, the apostle says, Ti.e unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wije, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband^ else were your children unclean ; but now are they holy. To explain scripture by scripture, in il- lustration of this passage we may consult Ezra ix, and x. There we are informed that in consequence of the Israelites having taken for wives the daughters of the Canaauites, the ho- ly seed had minded themselves with the peo- pie of those lands. For this cause the strange wives, and those that were born of them were required to be put avvay, chap. x. 3. According to this the Corinthians might suppose that the unbelieving partners should be put away, lest i\\e children, who should be born of them,^ should be polluted, as under the Mosaic dispen- sation. The apostle appears to teach this, that under the gospel dispensation a milder pro- ceeding should take place; and that the unbe- lieving partner should be accounted so far sanc- tified by tlie believing, as to authorise, in a re- ligious view, their continuance together; that if this were not the case, their cliildren must indeed be, in a covenant respect, polluted; in- stead of which they Avere nov/to be considered, in a covenant respect, holy. Tliis may be lur- ther illustrated by Eze. xvi,i20, 21. Thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacri- ficed unto them to be devoured; is this of thy whoredoms a small matter that thou has slain my children? From all this it appears, that God considers the children of parents in cove- 6* 56 ESSAY ON BAPTISM. nant with him, as his children, as holy w..i. .. federal, or covenant hoHness. This the apostle teaches to be the case, even if but one parent be a behever ; and if thus holy, then it follows, I think, that they are proper subjects for the ^eal of the covenant, even baptism. MEDITATION. Is it then our duty and our privilege to bring our children, and those whom we have taken Hnder cur special care and instruction, public- ly to the Lord Jesus, to receive, in connexion w ith a solemn dedication, the seal of the new covenant, and the token of that precious blood, which cleanseth from all sin.^ Have we in this a precious ground of encouragement to hope that even to our infants and little ones the bene- fvis of the covenant of grace may be applied for their salvation? Gathering from the holy scrip- tures that it is the mind and w^ill of God, that the token of the everlasting covenant is to be applied to the children of believers, how much may this add to our comfort, to our peace. and consolation, when Vve are called to resign our little ones from our bosoms to the cold hand of death! Especially this may be a source of en- larged consolation, if we are conscious that w<^ liaye been enabled by faith to look to the blood of Christ in behalf of our children, and in their behalf also to take hold of covenant bles- sings. While we that arc parents know that we have been instrumental in conveying a cor- rupt, sinful nature to cur childrcDj Q.nd while ESSAY ON BAPTISM. 67 we know that they are by nature children of wrath, and cannot be saved, except the blood of Christ be apphed to their immortal souls by the Holy Spirit, how precious it is to know that the token of this blood, and of the everlasting covenant was enjoined to be put even upon in- fants, when the covenant was made explicitly with Abraham, the father of the faithful ! How precious also to know that the dear Savior has said of little children, of infants, that of such is the kingdom of God ; and how precious to be- lieve, that such are still to receive the token of the everlasting covenant, while presented by believing parents!. Where do we find the com- mand, instruction, or even intimation, to cut off, and exclude the children of professed believers from a covenant privilege, indulged them 1900 years in the family and race of Abraham? We find no such instruction, no such intimation ; it is true we find severe reproof of the abuse of this privilege, by putting it instead of Christ, and we find a change in the form, of the token of the covenant ; but no where do we find an intimation that this token is to be restricted in the application of it, so as to exclude the house- holds of believers. How comfortable it is, when the pure water- is applied to our little child, or infant, to be- lieve that a goodly number of saints are excit- ed to pray for it, that the great thing signified may be effectually applied by the Holy Spirit ! But having gone so far as to devote our children in baptism, let us not stop here ; having enter- ed them lopenly into the school of Christ, we 68 ESSAY ON BArnsM. must consider that our work is but now bcgim ; may God help us to train them for himself, to pray for them daily, to correct tlieir folly, and to endeavor to fill their expanding minds with the seeds of spiritual knowledge. vSo doing, we will hope through grace to meet them here- after in glory. INFANT DEDICATION. Pgal. 1ST, 3. Little babe, I now receive thee From thy Maker's bounteous hanr],' Prov. 20, 7. With his precious i^raee I leave ihesj May'st thou in his favor stand. Clen. S3, 13. Weak and helpless, young and tenderf 1 Chr. 22, 5, 7'hoiiTt eommiUed to my care ; Prov. 4, S. W^hile my tJiaisks to God i rendePp Thou a parent's loye shait share. Psal. 5t, 5 Born in sin, in sin corceived, 1 Fet. 5, 8. Satan wmihl destroy thy soul; But by this my fear's relieved, Luke li, 22, Grace can Satan's wiles control. Psal. 110, 3 God's free spirit in a twinkling Can display resistless power, Heb. 12, 24'. Can apply the bh)od of sprinkling, 4 Pet. 1^2. And thy ruin'd state vesto^e. Thee a gracious God has lent me, For thy precious soul 1 ft^el : Lnke 2, 22 Back to God 1 now present thee, Kom. 4, 11. Tq receive a holy seal. Tliis shall seal the covenant to me InMhichGod lias t!»us ai^rved, ®eT3. 17 ,7. 10. *' I will be a Go*! h.jth to thee, *» And a God unto thy seed. ESSAY ON EAFTlSIVr. ' 6!) Now the holypcal expressing What the blood of Christ has done, Acts 22, 16. 1 commend thee to the blessing Acts 2f 23. Oi'the Sacred Three ia One. Gen. 17, 1. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 18, 19. Ifilruly iaithful be, 22y 17. Stand engag'd, lliro' Jesus* merit, Isa, 41, 3. To bestow free grace on thee. Eze. 16,20,21. Blessed covenant, what extension \ 2o, 37. Grace abounding over sin ! Acts 2, 39. O the glorious caudeseensvin, Mark ]0, 14. Thus to take cirr infants in ! Acts 16, 15.33. Still no cause we £nd to serer Children from their parents dear 5 2, 39. Both united still together Psal 3^. ^. In the gracious promise share. Gen. 17, 11» Of God's covenant, as the tolien, Abr'ams' sons w^re circumeis'd ; 7. If ihf covenant be mii oroken. 14. Infants now ma}' be baptizM. Rom,ll,l6j25. Twas tlie olive once did nourish JhwS: rejected now f jr sin ; Un tlie same the Genti'es ilourishj Now tbro' faiih ingrafted in. Luke 18, 15. If believers for their ofFspriag 16. Then Ivui hraveidy blessings sealMj True btlfevers are in nothing From such blessings now withheld. Rom. 11, 17. Jews the olive's sap and sweetness Did enjiy f<»r Joshs' sake, Of its precious root and fatness Holy Gentiles still partake. 1 Cor. 7, 14. Childr'n still are holy named From th;^ j)arent, wlu) believes; S«ire!y then we must be blamed^ Mat!«i. !•, 14. If ye slight, when Christ receives* 7^ BS3AY ON BAPTISM. Gen. 17, 11. Hearing what (Le word has (old inc., with Precious babe, a call I Und Acts 2, 39. In the arms of faith to h»id thee, Kom. H, 17. To leeeive the seal design'd. Eph. G, ^. O for grace to make me carefal, All my dtity to discharge : Iiumble 1 shall be, and prayerfu!^ Psal. 119, 32. Ifthe Loid my heart enlarge. Beut. 6, 7. Daily I would be instilling 5, 29. Heavenly truths into thy mind; Ecele. 11, 0. If a gracious God be wilJing These t!iy heart at length shall find* Prov. 19, 18. Sharp correction, if required, ^2, 15. For thy failings thou must feel^ 53, 13, 14. To promote the end desired, .29, 17. And preserve thy soul from hell. Still with God*s free grace I leave thee, When my duty all is dtme ; l^ph. 2f 8, 0. His free grace alone must save thee, For the sake of Christ, his Son. A sketch of the history of infant and house- hold baptism. 1. Before the coming of Christ it appears that it was the custom of the Jews to baptize the httle children and infants of those, who were made proselytes to the Jewish religion, together with their parents, as well, as to cir- cumcise their males. This being the fact, when the circumcision of the children of Gentile converts was omitted, there is not much reason to wonder that Jew- ish believers were displeased, as we find some ESSAY ON BAPTISM. 7i of thorn were. If at the same tmie the hap- tisin of the children of Gentile converts had been omitted, we should have probably heard a grefit complaint on that account; but we hear no such complaint; whence it is probable that it was not omitted. Concerning the custom above mentioned see the following extracts from the ancient writings of the Jews. " If an Israelite take a Gentile child, or find a Gentile infant, and baptize him in the name of a proselyte, behold, he is a proselyte.*' MaimGnides, " A little child, who is a proselyte, is baptiz- ed by the sentence of the Sanhedrim. If his father be dead, and his mother lead him, that he may be made a proselyte, the triumvirate [council of three men] become to him in this service instead of a father." Tabnud of Babylon, " Any male child of a proselyte under the age of 13 years and a day, and any female un- der the age of 12 years and a day was baptiz- ed as an infant, at the request, aad by the as- sent of the father, or the auihoriiy of the coun- cil." 7 a! mud of Babylon. 2. After the coming of Christ, and after the times of the apostles we iind nothino- said very particularly concerning infant or house'iold bap- tism, till sometime in the second Centu/y, whea we find Jrenoeus writing thus : T2 , ESSAY ON baptism" ^* Magister ergo exisfens, Magislri (/uorjue hU'^ hehat celatem. ^r. Therefore being himself a master, he had also the age of a master, not disdainirg, nor going in a waj above human na- ture, nor breJiking in his own person the law, which he had set for mankind, but sanctifying every age by the likeness wdiich it had to him- self ; all I say, f Qui per eum. renasciriilur in De- um^J ivho by him are regenerated (that is, baptiz- ed) unto God ; infant?, and little ones, and boys, and young men, and elder person-j," ' ^^y scrip- to advance the !;^-T;iedge of ^'^\^fiui his own tures. -,.j^ almost incredible. * '^•^Siht ^^^^^ hand he wrote them out in seven o^ . ferent versions, according to the most corx^ copies ; wc may well consider it as in a man- " ner impossible, but that he must have known Yyhat was the practice of the church in respect to baptism for a century or two preceding the 70. ESSAY ON BA?TiSIv!. titno in which he wrote. He died about the year of our Lord 252. A. D. 253.. Thi-3 year a council of sixty-six Bishops was as- f^e'iibied at Carthage, to debate u.pon the ques- tion wiiether it were lawful to baptize an in- fant before it were eight days old. Fidus, a Bishop, or elder, in the coimtry, had expressed a doubt whether an infant ought to be baptized beforo the 8th day. When the Councilj convened on this subject, had come to a result, Cyprian, BisliPp of C^arthage, wrote to F^:!:-5 thus : '• As to the case of infants, whereas you judge that they must not be baptized within tu'o or three days after they are born, and that the law of the ancient circumcision is to be ob- served, so that you think that none is to be bap- tized and sanctified before the 8th day after hti is born; we were all in our assembly of a far dif- ferent opinion; for in this Avliich you thought fitting to be done, there was not one that was of your mind: — This therefore, dear Brother, '\v:->*i our opinion in tlie assembly, that it is not'for us to liuider any person from baptism, and the <pears that the debate in this Council was not, IVIidher iiifant baptism were of divine appointment, for this seems to have been take» ESSAY ON BAPTISM. 77 for granted : but the debate was, Whether it ought not to be deferred to the Stk day, as in the case of circumcision. The circumstances taken together do evlde'itly import that infant bap- tism was, and had been generally the undisput- ed practice of the christian church. A. rr. 300 to 370. Gregory Nazianzen. "Hast thou an infant child? Let not wick- edness have the advantage of time, let him be sanctified from his infancy, let him be dedicat- ed from his cradle to (or by) the Spirit." Wall, pt. l.chap. 11. Gregory as well, as many others of VaQ an- cient fathers, used the word sanctified for bap- tized. Ho would have christian parents im- prove the earliest opportunity to do something to counteract the natural pollution of their children. Shall we here ask. What can parents do for the salvation of their children ? In reply it may be asked. What can the ministers of Christ do for the salvation of their people ? Thcr salvation of all the redeemed, whether adults or infants is of the free grace of God, in conformity to his sovereign election ; but he, who has deter- mined the end, has also determined the suita- ble means leading to the end. Believing par- ents are made God's ministers for their chil- dren as well, as ihe preachers of the gospel for their adult hearers. The idea that parents by an early and faithful dedication of their chil- dren in baptism, by their prayers, by religious- IS ESSAY ON BAPTISM. instructions, and bj timely correctinn, should be instruments of their salvation, is by np meaiiPi inconsistent with the tenor of the scripture^j ]iut abundantly confirmed by them. Optatus, Bishop ofMilevis, Explaining Galatians iii. 27. As many of you as have been haptir:ed into Christ, have put on Christ ; he says of Christ, comparing him to a garment, "It is not plaited (or contracted) for, infants, nor stretched out for young men, nor is it altered to suit women.'' The import of what he here says is, that baptism is adapted to every age, even that of the infant, to signi- fy the putting on of Christ. Ambros ; Showing the resemblance between John the Baptist and Elias, and having reference to the miracle of Elias in dividing the river Jordan, sa}^> " Perhaps this may seem to be fullilled in our time, and in the apostles time ; for that returning of the river waters towards the spring head, which was caused by Elias,. when the river was divided, (as. the scripture says, Jordan luas driveii back.^ signiiles the sacrament of the laver of salvation [the w^ashing of salva- tion] which was afterv/ards to be instituted, by which infants, that are bantized. are reformed back again froki (evil) wickedness, (or a wick- ed state,) to the primitive state of their na- ture." Wall, pt. 1. ch. 13. From the above quotation it appears that Ambros believed infant baptism to have been ESSAY ON BAPTISM. 79 in use in the days of the apostles, no less than in his day. A. D. 380. Chrysostom. Speaking of the difference between circum- cision and christian baptism, given in the room of it, he says, '• Our circumcision, I mean the grace of baptism, has no determinate time, as that had ; but one that is in the beginning of his age, or one that is in the middle of it, or one that is in his old age mav receive it." Wall p. 1. ch. U. From this, and various other expressions of the christian fathers, it is very evident that they generally considered baptism as coming in the room of circumcision, and being essentially the same thing. A. D. 400. C^LESTius the Pelagian. Infantes baptizari in remissionem peccatoriimy seciijidvm regulam universalis ecclcesio:^, conjiiemm:. In the English thus, " We confess that in- fants are baptized for the remission of sins, ac- cording to the rule of the whole church." [Quoied hy Augustine^, {or Austin^ as lie is usuaUy called hy a cohiraction of iht name.) in his treaii^e of & rig. sin, h. 2. ch. 5. AUSTIX. " If any one do ask for divine authority in this matter," (the baptism of infants) "though that which the whole church practises, and which has not been instituted by councils, but was ever in use, is very reasonably believed to go E5SAY ON BAPTISM. be no othei%,t}ian a thing delivered by the au- thority of the apostles ; jet we may besides take a true estimate, how much the sacrament of baptism does avail infants, by the circumci- sion which God's former people received." Against the Donatists, b. 4. ch. 15. Note. The Donatists were a sect, who es- teemed all baptism, administered in the Catho- lic church, whether to infants or adults, to be invalid, of no weight, and on that account re- baptized those, who came over to them. A. D. 410. About this time Pelagius began to publish at Rome the following errors. 1. That infants are conceived and born w^ithout original sin. 2. That the supernatural grace of God is not necessary to good works ; some of the fathers of the church, particularly Hierom and Austin came forward in opposition to the form- er of these tenets. Austin urged against Pelagius this argument,- namely : ' Infants are by all christians acknowledged to stand in need of baptism, wdiich must be in them for original sin, since they have no other ; if they have no sin, why are they baptized, ac- cording to the rule of the church, for the for- giveness of sins ? Why are they washed in the laver of regeneration, if they have no defile- ment ?' Pelagius was perplexed with this argument. Could he have denied infant baptism, it w^ould have relieved him of it ] but for this he found ESSAY ON SaPTISM. SI 110 audioritj. Bccau.se bo denied original sin, it was irifej red by some that he denied infant baptism; but in a letter to Pope Innocent I. he vindicates himself from this inference in the following terms ; ' Men slander me, if as I denied the saci;ameRt of baptism to infants, and prom- ised the kingdom of heaven to any person with- out the redemption of Christ. — 1 never heard any, not even the most impious hceretic, that would say such a thing of infants.' Wall Hht. iiif. bap. b. 1, ch. 19. Pelagius was born in Britain ; travelled to Rome, resided there sometime, and went thence into Africa, to Egypt, and to Jerusalem, Hence we may infer that he knew the general senti- ment and practice of the christian world cci> cerning infant baptism. From 410 to 1130. During this peiiod, a space of more than seven hundred years, according to the concur- rent testimony of history, .the wliole christian church in the world was' in the practice of in* fant baptism. Wall, pt. 2. ch. 10. A. D. 1130. jlbout tilts time the Petrobrusfans, a sect among' the yValdepsss^ taking their name from Peter Bruis, or Bruys, their founder^ declared againsi infant baptism^ ajfirming that infants, dying such^ icerc not capable of salvation. The Papists, who • harged the Petrobrusians with this tenet uon- -firning infauls, charged them a^so with teach- S3 ESSAY ON BAPTISM. mg tliat the use of receiving the Lord's supper is not to be continued. Clark's defence of Inf. bap. *The opinion of the Petrobrusians', (iheji* denying infant baptis;n,) ' seems to have been ia a short time extinct, and forgotten.' ^ Wail, pt. 2. cli. 7. There was a time when the Waldcnscs were charged by the Papists with rejecting infant baptism, whicli probably has given rise to the more modern opinion of some fow; tliat the Waldenses were in sentiment against infant bap- tism: but hov/ they clear themselves from this charge may be seen in the following declara- tion. "The time and place of those that are to be baptized is not ordained, but the charity and edification of the church and congregation must serve for a rule therein. — ^And therefore they, to whom the children were nearest allied, brought their infants to be baptized ; as the parents, or any other, whom G-od hath .made charitable in that kind. True it is that being constrained for some certain hundred years, to suffer their children to be baptized by the priests of the church of Rome, they deferred the doing thereof as long, as they could possibly, because they held in detestation those human in- venticns^ which were added to that holy sacra- ment, which they held to be but pollutions thereof. But forasmuch as their Pastors, (whom they call Barbs) were many t-irv^yr^ a- broad employed in the service gC their church- es, they could not have the sacrament of ba{> tism administered to their infants by their own ESSAY ON BAPTISM. 83 ministers; for llifs cause ihej kept them long from baptism; which the priests'' [Romish priests] " perceiving and taking notice of, charg- ed them thereupon with this imposture," [the denying of infant baptism.] — *' which not only their adversaries have believed, but divers oth- ers, who have well approved of their lilfo and faith in all other polms." Perin'b Hist, of VValdenses, b, ]. ch. 3. A. D. \5?y6. We may be further assisted in judging of the 43pinion and practice of the Waldenses by the ihe following d^^claration : " Touching the matter of the sacraments, it hath been concluded by ,the holy scriptures that we have but two sacramental signs, which Jesus Christ hath left unto us, the one is bap- tism, and the other is the Eucharist, which v/e j-eceive to show >vhat our perseverance in the faith is, as we have promised, uhc?! ive were bap- tized, being liitU irifants ; as also in remembrance of that great benefit, which Jesus Christ hath done unto us, when he died for ( ur redemption, washing tis with his most precious blocd;'' This declaration is from the articles of the churches of Piedmont, solemn'y signed and sworn to, at AngrogUce, Sept. 12, 1535. The propositions, they say, had been taught them from the father to the son these many hun- dred years, and taken out of the word of God. Perin's Hist. Wald. b. 2. ch. 4. " As we have promised, — beiiig little in- fants ;"irirom this expression' in the declaration 84 ESSAY GN EArTI5.^1. above, seme have thought, that not infants in age, but iafaiits in grace is meant. But in re- ply it mav be said, that the ancients considered infants, hte rally such, when baptized, as virtu- ally promising to renounce the world, the flesh, and the devil. I inay .further observe, that infants by their l3aptism may be most reasonably considered as brought under a solemn obligation, when they come to years of understanding, to be the dis- ciples of Christ. ilnother testimony concerning thepractice of . the Wctldenses is found in the following passage^ " Whereas baptism is administered in a full con- gregation of the faithful, it is to the end that he, that is received into the church, should be reputed and held of all for a christian brother; and that all the congregation might pray for him. that he may be a christian in heart, as he is outwardly esteemed to be a christian. And for this cause it is, thai ive present our children in baptism^ which they ought to do, to whom the children are nearest, as the parents, and they to vv'hom God has given this cis aerify." This is found in their docir?ns f)/ the sacramtjits^ ^taken from their old books. Perin, pt. 3. b. 1. ch. G. A. D. 1510. A little before the reforDaticn from Pcpery was began by Luther, which wa£intho\ear 1517, there were great discontents, and s(^me commotions an3ong the oppressed coun(ry peas- ^bt 9 of" Germany ^ these disturbances ccntinu- ESSAY ON BAPTISM. 85 ing, about the year 1521 JVicholas Storck^Marh Stuher^ and Thomas Miintzer appeared, and taught the doctrine o( liberty fioin subjection to princes in temporal things, and ot" commimity of goods. These doctrines drew a multitude of the common people after tliem; a tumult was raised, which produced very serious consequen- ces. The multitude at length followed Aiunt- zer, committing dreadful outrages. These dis- urbances being in measure quelled, Muntzer , ^till proceeded; he inveighed against the ref- ormation begun by Luther, as imperfect, and consulted with his accomplices upon the subject of restoring the church to a more perfect state. They then took it into their thoughts, says Spanheim, to baptize anew those that became their disciples ; and lest any scruple of con- science, in respect to their former baptism, should prove an obstruction to their design, they declaimed against infant baptism, condemning it as unprofitable and unlawful, because infants (they said) were not capable of that sacrament ; but only the adult, who \^ere able to judge and choose for themselves, ought to have it admin- istered to them. Clark, Defence of Inf. bap. Such was the origin of the most serious op- position to infant baptism, which it has ever experienced. From this period the opposition has continued and increased, and has extended itself to the present day, a period of about 300 years. Before this, ^vith one or tw© small ex- ceptions, the christian church was in the con- stant, artti general practice of hifant baptism, .86 ESSAY ON BAPTISM. as far as appears from liistorj, for the space of 1500 years. Here I may remark that this his- tory of the fact, thbugh it do not of itself prove the divine authority of infant baptism, yet it is strong; corroborative evidence that we do not mistake in cur deductions, while we infer it from the scriptures ; for it appears that hun- dreds of thousands, among whom especially were the martyrs, have inferred the same doc- trine froTii the same scriptures. Further, ii in- fant baptism be null and void, and yet baptism be necessary to church membership, where, for seveial hundred years was the visible church of Christ ? Did the gates of hell prevail against it ? No, certainly ! and it is a solemn f:Ct that God has owned and blessed, and does own and bless the church, that maintains the doctrine of infant baptism, and practises according to it ; and we are confident that he will own and bless it. A SKETCH OP THE HISTORY OF THE MODE OF BAP- TISM. It appears from history that in the early ages after the apostles, the more usual mode of bap- tism was to immerse the subjects all naked into the water, whether men, vvcmen or children, three times successively, once in the name of each pej son of the holy Trinity ; also upon their coming out of the A\ater to sign them with a mark of the cross, to apply water to their face, to clothe them with white robes, and to fsed them with milk and honey. However, it feSSAY ON BAPTISM. ft/ appears that in tiraes very near to the apostles the mode of sprinkling ifi baptism was occasion- ally used. Cyprian, who wrote about 250 years after Christ, speakino^ of sprinklins^, says, ' In the sacrament of salvation, (baptism,) when ne- cessity compels, the shortest ways of transacting divine matters do, by Gcd's grace, confer thfe whole benefit.' Jn times more modern, as tlie manners of na- tions changed, a regard for decency led to the administration of baptism by immersing the sub- jects in their raiment, when they were im- mersed ; also a regard to comfort and conve- niency led to the administration of it yerj ex- tensively by sprinklings seeing that in this mode there is nothing but what is consistent with all the representations of literal baptism in the ho- ly scripjires. To reject baptism, adminioter- ed in either mode, as unscriptural, and of no %vorth, or validity, is to be wise above v/hat is written. Could it even be proved that the a- postles baptized by immersion, or dipping, (which, however, does not appear to admit of proof,) still as this would be but one of several modes of washing, I am satisfied that we should be no morfe bound to confine ourselves to this particular mode, than we are to confine our- selves to a kiss in our christian salutations ; or to the literal washing of one another's feet, in the expression of christian kindness and conde- scension ; or to a reclining upon the left side in partaking of the Holy supper, as in the case of Christ and his disciples. 28 essay on baptism Miscellaneous Questions. Quest. I. What does (he apostle Paul meaB bj one baptism, in Eph. iy. 5 ? JlnS' lie probably means that christians should be united in receiving the doctrine of cne spiritual baptism, ccnsisiir.g in an apjJicaticn of the benefits of the blood of Christ to the souls of the elect, by the special infiuences of one Holy Spirit ; and in. receiving the doctrine of vrbat is essentially one and the same outward baptism, consisting in the application of pure "water to a person in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in some decent mode of v/ashing, as a symbol of the cne spiritual bap- tism. The baptism may be essentially one, though the modes of administration vary. Quest, 2. What if there be reason to think that my parents were both unbelievers, when they offered me in baptism ; does this render my baptism null and void ? An^, No. Faith in the parents and guardians is an important circumstance' in the baptism of infants and households, but does not come into the essence of it ; this consists in a sacramental •washing in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, by a regularly ordain- ed minister of Christ. Quest. 3. By what means does baptism re- ceived in infancy become truly and properly my baptism ? Jlns. By means of looking back to it with an eye of faith, contemplating it as a token of the covenant of grace, and as a symbol of that RSSAY ON BAPTISM. SO blood of Christ, which, applied to the soul bj the Holy Spirit, cleanses from all sin ; and by means of receiving it to be to me an outward seal of the righteousness of faith. Quest 4. W hat should be the leading exercises of my soul, when I give up a child in baptism . j^ns. I should exercise myself in a serious contemplation of the blood of sprinkling ; be- lieving in the efficacy of that blood to remove the stain of sin ; not doubting but that it is made applicable to the case of the little infant ; and fervently desiring that by the Spitit of God it may be applied to the child, upon whom the token of it is nov/ put, and that such child may be taken into' the spiritual arms of Christ, and blessed with everlasting blessings. Quest 5. What was the desio-n of the aDOS- tie Peter, on the day of Pentecost, in saying to the mixed multitude, For the prdmis^j is to you and to your children^ and to all that are afar off^ even as many as the Lord our God shall call? ^^]ns, I think his design was this ; to remind the Jews then present, that the great promise of the everlasting covenant, made with Abra- ham, to be a God to liim and his seed after him, was still in force, and applicable to thoni and to their seed, under the gospel dispensa- tion, as being the natural seed of Abraham ; and to be considered as an encouragement to them to repent; in hope of pardon. Also, to remind the Gentiles present, that the same promise was then applicable to Gen- tile nations as well, as to Jev/s ; as the Lord should^all them to repentance ; and to be con- 8* 93 ESSAY ON BAPTISI^I. sidercJ as an encouragement to them, on tliLn ground, to repent, in the expectation that God %7ould grant saving blessings to them and io their seed as well, as to the Jews and to their seed. Some have thought the promise, meant by Peter, was tiiat cf the miraculous effusion of the Holy Ghost, predicted by the prophet Joel ; but it could not be thus, for that miraculous in- fluence was indulged only to a feW', and confin- c.d to the days cf the apostles ; but the prom- ise, of which Peter speaks, extends to all be- lievers throughout the world, and in all ages, and has respect to them and to their children. This is no light argument that the children of believers should be baptized. — Quest, 6. What are we to understand by the ^oostle Paul, when he says, Gal. iii. 29. ^^nd if ye be Chrisfs^ then are ijc Ahrahani^s s^ed^ and heirs according to the promise. Ans. He teaches by this, that true believers cfthe Gentiles are the spiritual, or adopted Kced of Abraham ; and that according to the promise, that he should be a father of many na- tions, they are fellow heirs with believers cf his natural seed, to the grea* and precious cove- nant privileges of which Abraham was posses- Fed ; among which v*^e may reckon the covenant engagement on the part of God, to be a God to liim, and to his se;ed after him ; together Vvith tlie privilege of i\\e seal of this covenant for himself and his infant offspring ; and finally, heirs to a title to the heavenly Canaan, of vhich the earthly Canaan v/ as an eminent type. ESSAY ON BAFTJSM. 91 Quest. 7. What are the most like! j means of securing the descent of covenant blessings to children and children's children ? j^ns. Strong faith on the part of the parents in the covenant of promise, and .peculiar care and diligence in training up children under a good discipline, and in giving them religious in- Etructions. / knopj him, says the blessed God of Abraliam, that he will coinmand his children and his household after him, and they shall keep theiuaif of the Lord, to do justice and judgment^ that ilie Lord may bring upon Mrahaia that which he hath spoken of him. Quest. 8. If baptism come in the room of cir- cumcision, are we not bound to confine it whol- ly to males, as in the case of circumcision ? c.^fis. No ; for baptism may be as easily ap- plied to females as to males, it was so applied in the apostles' times; and the apostle Paul teaches that under the gospel dispensation the distinction of Jew and Gentile, male and female, bond and free, is done away. Gal. iii. 28. Colos. iii. 1 1. Qiicst. 9. If baptism come in the room of cir- cumcision, are we not bound io administer it to the infant on the eighth day ? Ans. If under the gospel we Avere bound so strictly to the letter and circumstances of ordi- nances, as the Jews were under the former dis- pensation, there migiit seem to be some occa- sion to baptize precisely on the eighth day. But in that case, the I^ord's Supper, which evi- dently comes in the room of the passover, should be celebrated but once a year ) and we should 92 ESSAY ON BAPTISM. bo bound literallj to wash one another's feet, seeing we have the precept and example of Christ for doing it. However, under the gos- pel dispensation the spirit of ordinances is more to be looked , at, than the letter ; the leadino' idea, and essence of them, rather than forms and circumstances. Under the former dispen- ssation the mother of a male child was the sub- ject of a legal impuritj seven days after its birth, which was a reason for deferring lis cir- cumcision till the eighth day; Lev. xii. 1, 2. but under the gospel dispensation such legal impuritj is not known. Quest, 10. Is the rising of carnal nature in a person againt any sentiment an evidence of the truth of such sentiment ? ^^nS' No, bv no means. 1. Our carnal na- ture does indeed rise against truth, as truth when it is seen to be triiui; so the rising of car- nal nature against a sentiment may be a good reason why we should seriously examine that sentiment by the word of G^od, that we may know whether it be true ; but 2. If a sentiment, though erroneous and false, be advanced v/ith such plausible 'arguments, that for a time it seems to be truth, but is con^ trary to v/]»at w^e heretofore embraced for truth, carnal nature is likely to rise against it ; again, 3. When a sentiment is prevailing, which is likely to interrupt, or destroy our temporal in- terest, or comfort, carnal nature will rise against it, though it be false, and be believed to be false ; so not because it is true, but through a selfish dread of its ccnsequences. ESSAY ON BAPTISM. 93 4. When we are in the embrace of error, the devil is willing to let us rest ; but when we are in the embrace of truth, he will be devising all possible means to draw us into error, and will sometimes stir up our carnal nature against er- ror, that in this way he may entangle our con- science?, and persuade us that error is truth. For want of a careful attention to what ban beem here noticed, many pious i-ersons with- out doubt have been drawn into very detriment- al errors. I would therefore solemnly caution my dear christian friends not to judge of the truth or falsehood of sentiments by their feel- ings, but by the bght ot the divine word, and by the faithful deductions of reason. Feel ins: should • . . ^ be built upon sentiment, not sentmient upon feeling. I have witnessed the embrace of op- posite and contrary sentiments, by persons, "who, before the embrace of them, exhibited the appearance of carnal opposition to them. The opposition was wrong, because it was sel- fish, and not because the sentiment opposed was right. But afterwards, when conscience has given a check, it has been supposed that- the sentiment was right, because the opposition ■was VvTong, and so the sentiment, though real- ly erroneous, has been embraced. Quest 11. Is the prevalence of any sentiment an evidence of its truth ? JIns. No ; neither its prevalency, though ex- tensive, nor its want of prevalency. Some have argued thus ; Our smtimenls are true^ because we are a little despised company. Persons of the same sentiment havQ argued again ; Our scnti* « '•94 ESSAY ON BAPTISI\L ments are iruefiecause they are fast gaining ground^ and. spread'mg ever the world. The truth of a sentiment is not to be inferred from its preva- lencj, ■ or from its want of prevalency ; if it were, we might infer the truth of absolutelj contrary sentiments. Let us be familiar with the word of God, let us receive its doctrines according to their most evident scope and tenor, let us conform our present practice to its plainest dictates, and let us plead often for the teaching of the holy Spirit, let us faithfuiiy interpret scripture by scripture, and we shtiU not need be greatly per- plexed with doubts and uncertainties. The ad- versary of our souls may be suBered sometimes to aiPiict us by throwing a mist ot darkness oyer our minds ; but the briaht shinino^ of trie w^ord will again clear our way, and make our path plain before us, to our great joy and consolation. A HYMN OF PRAISE FOR EARLY DEDICATION Thanks to my parent;^ dear, Whijse kind no wearied care My infant lioiirs uplield; Whose tender faithfal arms Kept me from sncMen harms. And oft ray fears dispell'd. Thanks to my lieavenly king. Who tauirht them soon to briug My tender feeble frame. Where saints unite in prayer, To be devoted there In God'i most holy name. ESSAY ON BAPTISM. 95^ Then, pressM upon my face^ The watery seal of graee III fignre washM away My sins and left a sign That Jesus must be mine, Or death my lot ciust be. By faith the gcal I take ; Faith has the power to make My parents deed my own With joy and peace and love Tlie covetianl I approve, And rest on Christ alooe. O saced Tlsree in One ! Thy holy will be dune 1 Give me to hohl a place In thy West ehureh secure, From all pollution pure, A Trophy of tiiy graee. Address to unbelieving parent*. My dear friends, 1 address you as Parents^ as those who have a charge eiitrusied to you more precious, than all the treasures of the E-ist. This treas- ure is your C/u7c//' 72 ; it is es,)eciaily iXiesynls of your children, their ne /er dying souls. But I address you as parents yet in unbehef ; and in this respect not prepared to take ' proper care of this great charge. Having received your children from God, how greatly it concerns you in a solemn act of devotion to render them back to God again. But by su.»)position you have never yet devoted yourselves to God, While you withhold your own selves from God, 96 KSSAY ON BAPTISJiJ. will he accept your children at your hand ? Will he accept on your part the ofiering that is not of faith ? Will he approve a merely hypo- critical service ? — But can you hear the thought that at the last day your children should rise up against you, and say ; " Our parents set us an example of unbelief ; though their abode was in a christian land, they never entered us into the school of Christ; though they sa\T others covenant with God, and bring their chil- dren publicly to him, to receive the Savior'i blessing, and the token of the covenant of grace, they withheld us from these precious privileges. Though they saw the prayers of saints engag- ed in behalf of other children, they sought no €ach favor for us; nor were they concerned to be possessed of faith, that they might pour forth the prayer of faith for our infinitely precious souls themselves." Can you, I say bear the thought of this ? Should you find yourselves, at the last day, on the left hand, should you also find your children there, and hear these accusa- tions, while conscience must seal the truth of them, would they not come like daggers into ycur bosoms ? — Vo day make your peace with God ; to day believe on the Lord Jesus Christ ; improve the first favcTablc season to be united with the (Children of God, to confess Chrisf be- fore men, — before the world ; then seek for your children the precious token of the blood of Christ, the seal of the everlasting covenant, and feel yourselves solemnly bound to train them up in the fear of God, and by daily persevering t:SSAY ON BAP'riS]\L ^7 prayer to endeavor to call do^Tn upon them the blessings of heaven. TO BELIEVING PARENTS, WHO BRING NOT TllClR CITIT.- DREN TO BAPT1S:>I. Friends and Brethren, I address ycu as believing parents, but as ^parents in some respects yet weak in the faith ; as parents, who at present arc not satisfied that it is your duty to present your children to re- ceive the ordinance of baptism ; as parents who do not apprehend that this ordinance is appli- cable to any, but those who profess faith in tlie Lord Jesus Christ. I come not to contend with you concej ning mere modes and forms ; for myself I see not why a drop of pure v/ater ma} not as well signify the application of the pre- cious blood of Christ, as an ocean ; nor do I on the other hand see that an application to an abundance of water may not be sanctified to signify the application of this blood. But 1 do believe that our children come into the world polluted with sin ; I do believe that one reason for which circumcision was enjoined to be put upon the infants of parents in covenanu was, to teach that even the sins of infants might be taken away by the blood of a Messiah to come ; that they v/ere capable of being the Lord's in a peculiar sense, and of being made meet to inherit the heavenly Canaan. I do be- lieve that baptism comes in the christian church j ill the scope and substance of it, in the room of .9 9u E^SAYON BAPTISM; circumcision, and that it ought to be apphed to the infants and households of beHevers; I am confident that such an appHcationof baptism is of a favorable tendency towards the rising gen- eration. I cannot conceive of circumcision in such a low sense, as to think it to have signified only i\ title to the temporal blessings of an earthly (ranaan ; — to have signified only this, I say, in the case of infants and children, when we know ihat to Abraham it was a seal of the righteous- ness of faith. Believing as I do, that it was a token especially that the blessings of the ever- lasting covenant might be applied to Yittle chil- dren and infants, though they should be remov- ed by death in infancy, I cannot well conceive that the christian church should be left with- out some such token ; to convince m„e of such .1 thing, I feel it needful to have a manifest in- timation of the divine will, that baptism, the present token of the covenant of grace, should be so restricted, as not to be applicable to the infants of believers. While I find no such in- timation, but much to the contrary, it is not without frequent pain of heart, that I see so ma- ny professing parents withholding their children from baptism; it is not Avithout pain that I see an effect of this, in the case of many, in a great neoflect of the rello^ious instniction of their off- j^pring ; it is not w^ithout paui that 1 witness, m ihe case of some, a kindred error, that oi con- sidering the first day of the week as no more pcciu'prly holy time, than any other. ESSAY ON BAPTISM. 99 Ye dear, but thus erring parents ; my pray- er to God for you is, that ye may be led into the truth; that ye may well understand the. solemn duties you owe to your children, and that you may have a heart to discharge them. That you may see that your practice is defi- cient, till you bring your households to the sanc- tuary of God, and seek for them the token of that blood, which speaks better things, than the blood of Abel; and delicient still, while you do not daily pray for them, and endeavor to teach them the fear of the Lord. Notwithstanding the present falling away in this respect, I trust the time is coming, when the congregation of the saints shall be establish- ed before the Lord, and when their children shall be as aforetime,- yea, in an important sense, as they w^ere in the house of Abraham, w^hen God had made with him the everlasting: cove- nant. ADDRESS TO THOSE, WHO PRACTICE IDF ANT BAP- TISM. Jlfy dear Christian Friends^ Though in these last days there is a greaw falling aw5ty from the truth, w^e have reason to rejoice that so many are steadfast in the faith once delivered to the saints, and have not for-i saken the covenant of the Lord. I rejoice (hat, though so many of those that name the name of Christ have such a circumscribed vicv/ of the covenant of grace, that they exclude their infant offspring from a share in the visible ad- ministration of that covenant, and Avithhold the 100 ESSAY O.': BAmSM. token of it from them; there is ret a large »urr;ber, even the greater part of the christian comruunity, who entertain a more enlarged view iof tliis coveDanf, and doubt not but that it so ^Dibiaces their infant seed, as to require the token and seal of it to be put upon them in the ©rdinance ©f baptism. In all my past conflicts upon this subiect, while one has been departiug from ine on the right hand, and another on the left, after much euding on both sides of the cjuesticn, and after kifien carrying the case on my knees before God in secret, for the teaching of his Spirit by the word, these facts, lliat God made a covenant u'lih Jlhrahani for an everlasting covenant, to he a God to him and to Ids seed after him ; that Cod enjoined, that the token of this covenant should he put upon the infants of covenanting ^^far- f.nts ; that Christ has said, Suffer the Utile chil- dren to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God; and that i\\e a- ])ostie Paul has declared, that Gentile helicvers r.re engrafted into the same olive, from which mi- believing Jews were hroken off, and par take of the root and fatness of the same olive ; these facts .1 .say, have abundantly satisfied me tliat I have practised according to divine appointment, in administring the ordinance of baptism to my own children, and to the children of others. To confme the token of the covenant made with Abraham, when applied to infants to sig- nify only, or principally, a title to the earthly Canaan, to me is an idea little, very little, yea little in the extreme ; how vastly more exalt- ESSAY ON BAPTISM, 101 cd is the idea, that it signified especially, that even infants, dying such, were capable of the spiritual and eternal benefits of the covenant of grace ; that the body of the sins of the flesh might be removed even from them, yea should l^e removed from some of them, so that they should be received into the holy Jerusalem, in- to which nothing entereth that defile th ? Noth- ing I have ever yet met with has led me even to doubt but that this was a leading design of circumcision. Small must have been the con- solation of Abraham, if the covenant with its token signified no more for his seed, than that after some hundreds of years they should pos- sess the earthly Canaan. But no ! Doubtless this was not all ; the earthly Canaan w as a type of the heavenly ; and though circumcision had a measure of respect to the one, as a type, it had a vastly more interesting respect to the other, as its antitype. Has the christian covenanting parent noth- ing under the new dispensation of the cove- nant, to teach that his children, his infants, dy- ing such, may partake of the benefits of the Qovenant of grace, may be washed from their sins, and may be received to the mansions of glory ? Yes ; the promise is to them and (o their children ; they are heirs of the blessings and privileges of Abraham ; having believed in God, they and all theirs may be baptized straight- way. But when the symbol of tlie blood of sprink- ling has been applied to our children, have we no more concern with them in a spiriti.:ril re- 102 ESSAY ON BAPTISM. spect ? My dear friends, this is but the begin* jiing of our labors ; by day and by night our prayers should ascend for them ; daily we should look to the blood of Christ for them ; >ve should look with holy desires of its effectu- al applicaiion : as their minds open, we should be careful to instil the first principles of the oracles of God ; and should maintain over them a steady and faithful discipline. From time to time we should remind them of their bap- tism, and explain to them its import ; and let us not fail to set before them a good example. Thus doj my dear Christian Friends, and you may entertain the joyful hope, that hereafter you may stand before the throne of God, and say, Here am /, Lord, end the children iliou hast graciously given me. AMEN. 103 THE COVENANT OF GRACE. Great Gob, how rich ihy grap e. How sovereign and how free, To (leal in covenant with our race To bring us near to thee. *' I am the mighty God/' The voice to Abraham said, ^* Before me in a perfect road *' Let all thy footsteps tread.*' ** My covenant then shall he " Confirmed for endless days, "To be a gracious God to thee, " And to thy future race." " This Canaan liere below " To thee and thine I give ; '* A pledge that I will heaven bestoiv " On all that shall believe," " This token I assign *' To seal the promis'd grace, " Thou must be cireumcis'd, and thine, " While in their infant days." *' The soul that does not bear " Deep ill the flesh the sign, ** That soul shall have no lot nor share " With those accounted mine." Thus the Almighty spake, And made it cletir and plain. That infants for a Savior's sake Salvation might obtain. They bear indeed a yoke, But '(is ia mercy laid ; The blood of eireumcisicn spoke The blood our rauBooi paid. 104 Lonf* Abraham's infant sons The blood? rite endure, 'Till Jesus comas, the covenant o\vdS| And bleeds to make it sure. But blood in type tio more, Since Jesus has been slain, Needs to be shed, as long before, To make salvation plain. The covenant God renews, And to the seal is given A milder form, and clearer views Now mark the way to heaven. Yet still the infant race Of faithful parents find In this new covenant scheme of grace A happy place assign'd. The blessed Savior takes Young children in his arms ; What words of mercy then he speak?, How full of heavenly eharnis. ** Let the young children eome^ " Command them not away ; ** My father's kingdom still has room *" For infants, such as they." If we be Christ's, then heirs Of Abraham, as his seed. In Abraham's blessing we have shares^ And may the promise plead, TiCi faithful parents still Their infant oft'spring bring, Receive for them the milder seal, And give them to their King, 105 Ju faith find prayer, and hope M^e look to Jesus' blood, And freely ^ive our children up, That God may be their God. If God his grace bestow We'll (rain them in the way The young disciples ought to go, To dwell iu endlc&s liiay. If early death's arrest Their budding souls remove, Re^i^^n'd, we'll leava them on the breast Of everlasting love. A ERRATA. ^^ge ^, koe €S— ifcr the read ^^j^. 12, 1 — for /iis read Tkis. SI, £6— for 5o read To. Sr, 32 — after nature of the, add f^ir*', andfraii' 3&, 25 — after spiritual add sg«se. 4I9 4 — after Colos* ii. J 1, t2, add we read. 4a, 1 — for pudata read hudata. ^8,' 7— far ^ia9^?*^*S" ^^^^ ^ii»(f»2^«sr. «'1>T',-V«. ■ y-^ Jf^-'^'lW. ^'y^ ■55»:J»s---^ ■"!B?^«