BloGR^PHlCAL Sketch 
 
 OF 
 
 John the Baptist 
 
 BS2456 
 .B6I 
 
BS2456 .B61 
 
 A biographical sketch of John the 
 
 Princeton Theological Semmary-Speer Library 
 
 1 1012 00081 1945 
 
(^C^( -^' 
 
 A 
 BlOGRAPIIlCxlL SKETCH 
 
 OF 
 
 JOHN THE BAPTIST. 
 
 ALSO, 
 
 A BRIEF ANALYSIS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 IN TWO CHAPTERS: 
 
 By christian LAYMAN. 
 
 I have need to he baptized of thee. Matt. iii. 14. 
 
 And did all drink the same 8[iiritual drink : ( For they drank of that spirit- 
 aal Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ.) I. (Jorinth. x. 4. 
 
 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews 
 or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free ; and have beea all made to drink into 
 one Spirit. I. Corinth, xii. 13. 
 
 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst ; but 
 the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water springing up into 
 everlasting Life. John iv. 14. 
 
 BURLINGTON, N. J. 
 
 PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOI^ 
 
 DT DAVID ALLINSON. 
 
 18^1. 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
 
 OF 
 
 It appears from the accounts in the New Testament 
 of this distinguished Herald of our Lord and Saviour 
 Jesus Christ, that he was the son of a Priest named 
 Zacharias, and Elizabeth his wife, in their advanced 
 age. 
 
 "An angel of the Lord appeared unto Zacharias stan- 
 ding on the right side of the altar of incense, and told 
 him, Thy prayer is heard ; and thy wife Elizabeth 
 shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 
 And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall 
 rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight 
 of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong 
 drink ; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even 
 from his mother's womb. And many of the children 
 of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he 
 shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to 
 turn the hearts of the Fathers to the children, and the 
 disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a 
 people prepared for the Lord.'' Luke i. 11, 17. 
 
(4) 
 
 Accordingly, we find that this prophecy of the angel 
 was fulfilled, and tlie eighth day they came to ciicum- 
 cise the child and named him John. And his Father 
 Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophe- 
 sied, saying, **.Vnd thou child shalt be called the Prophet 
 of the Highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the 
 Lord to prepare his way ; to give knowledge of Salva- 
 tion unto his People, by the remission of their sins, 
 through the tender mercy of our God ; whereby the 
 Day spring from on high hath visited us, to give light 
 to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of deatli; 
 to guide our feet into the way of peace. And the child 
 grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts 
 till the day of his showing unto Israel." 
 
 Here I would call the attention of the reader to the 
 fact, that neither in the prophecy of the angel, nor of 
 Zacharias above quoted, is there any intimation that 
 John should receive a divine commission to baptize 
 with water ; and what is further remarkable, although 
 we have a particular account of his being circumcised 
 the eighth day, when he received his name ; yet not a 
 word is said of his having been baptized with water, 
 then, or at any other time ; neither by sprinkling and 
 crossing with water, nor by immersion in water. 
 
 Therefore, Roman Catholicks, Episcopalians, Pres- 
 byterians and Baptists, are spared the trouble of learned 
 disquisition in splitting hairs, relative to the precise 
 mode in which John the Baptist was himself baptized 
 with water. 
 
 I have lately received a Pamphlet writtea by John 
 
Ryland D. D. which asserts, that " Christian Baptism 
 " is neither more nor less than an immersion of the whole 
 " bod,v in water, solemnly performed in the name of 
 ^* the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. John pro- 
 " fessed to act by a divine commission. His missiou 
 had been predicted by Isaiah the Prophet." 
 
 The author of this pamphlet has however, totally 
 omitted the transcript of both the profession and the 
 prediction, I will therefore insert them here. John 
 i. S3. " I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 
 make straight the way of the Lord, as said the Prophet 
 Esaias." 
 
 Isa. xl. 3. ** The voice of him that crieth in the 
 wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make 
 straight in the Desert a high way for our God." 
 
 The reader will perceive, that Isaiah and John per- 
 fectly agree in pointing out the Office and Commission 
 of the Forerunner or Herald of our Saviour; but neither 
 of them name water baptism as any part of it. There- 
 fore, the Priests and Levites enquired of him, Why 
 baptizest thou then ? John answered them, saying, I 
 baptize with water ; but there standeth one among you 
 whom ye know not ; &c. 
 
 This answer of John admits the fact, but refers to no 
 commission or special command to baptize with water. 
 Verse 33, he adds, " And I knew him not : but he that 
 sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, 
 upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and 
 remaining on him, the same is He^ ^vjiich baptizeth 
 
(6) 
 
 with the Holy Ghost. And I saw and bare recoiil^ 
 that this is the Son of God." 
 
 It may possibly be urged by some vehement advo- 
 cates for water baptism, that in this last passa.^e there 
 appears to be an implication of authority to John. 
 Doubtless he was warranted to make use of water as 
 a sign or figure of real and saving Baptism, and conse- 
 quently, in this identical passage immediately after th« 
 aforesaid implication, points to the great object of his 
 ministry. 
 
 1 see not how it can be possible for either Roman 
 Catholicks or Baptists, to make out a commission trans- 
 ferable to them from the 33rd verse above quoted. 
 
 Whatever that authority was, as respects Water 
 Baptism, it was to John and not to them ; because John 
 has neither revealed nor transfered it to them. 
 
 As well might a Roman Priest, or Baptist minister 
 tell us that a sign or figure of a ship is a ship, or that 
 a portrait of a man is a man : Or that a Wafer by 
 pretended transubstantiation is the real body of Christ ; 
 which we know would be palpable, self-evident false- 
 hoods. 
 
 But was not our blessed Lord baptized of John in 
 Jordan ? I answer, he undoubtedly was. This admis- 
 sion on my part, necessarily leads me to advert to the 
 circumstances connected with this memorable fact, as 
 related by the Evangelist. 
 
 Matt. iii. 11. "1 indeed baptize you with wa(er 
 unto repentance : but he that cometh after me is migh- 
 tier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear : he 
 
(7) 
 
 shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire : 
 whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge 
 his floor, and gather his Wheat into the Garner ; but 
 he will bum up the Chaff with unquenchable Fire. Then 
 Cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be 
 baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have 
 need to be baptized of thee and coraest thou to me ?" 
 
 Let us mark every expression, this distinguished Her- 
 ald in his official capacity, solemnly proclaimed on this 
 occasion, that Christs, or Christian Baptism, should be 
 with the Holy Ghost and with Fire. 
 
 No ambiguous, temporising expression of doubtful 
 construction in this. No. A child, he that is least in 
 the kingdom of God may comprehend the contrast, that 
 fire does not mean water. No implication in this, that 
 will admit of sprinkling the child's face with water, or 
 immersion of the adult externally in that element as a 
 substitute for regenerating the inner man. 
 
 But John forbad hi?n. Instead of a special commis- 
 sion for water Baptism, here affirmed, behold we have 
 a perfect and unqualified negative upon it. 
 
 John knew that the great object of his ministry being 
 come, the sign was no longer necessary. Wherefore 
 he makes a publick surrender to our blessed Lord, say- 
 ing as above, I have need to be baptized of thee, and 
 comest thou to me. 
 
 " And Jesus answering said unto him, suffer it to be so 
 now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. 
 Then he suffered him. 
 
 And Jesus when he was baptized, went up straight- 
 
(8 ) 
 
 way out of the water : and lo, tlie Heavens were open- 
 ed unto him, and he saw the spirit of God descending 
 like a dove and lighting upon him : and lo, a voice from 
 Heaven, saying, this is my heloved Son, in whom I 
 am well pleased." 
 
 This act of transcendent humility on the part of our 
 blessed Lord, was therefore an act, not of commission, 
 but of sufferance, and limited to the then present time, 
 by the word noiVf in order to fulfil or finish that dispen- 
 sation; and accordingly immediate proclamation was 
 made. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well 
 pleased. 
 
 Matt. V. 17. " Think not that I am come to destroy 
 the Law or the Prophets : T am not come to destroy^ 
 but to fulfil." Agreeably to this gracious declaration, 
 we find that our blessed Lord was circumcised the eighth 
 day. Luke ii. SI. " And when eight days were ac 
 complished for the circumcising of the child, his nam% 
 was called Jesus." 
 
 Will the advocates of water baptism in order to sup- 
 port their cause, assert, contrary to the plain sense of 
 the New Testament, that all christians ought to be cir- 
 cumcised and keep the law of Moses ? No. 
 
 Our blessed Lord previous to his passion, gives a full 
 and very particular illustration of the proper use of wa- 
 ter; and a minute, or circumstantial detail of the man ■ 
 ner of using it, which completely puts at rest all contro- 
 versy of Roman Catholicks and baptists, relative to 
 sprinkling and immersion. 
 
 Joha xiii. 3. << Jesus kuowiog that the Father had 
 
(9) 
 
 given all things into his hands, and that he was comd 
 from God and went to God : He liseth from supper 
 and laid aside his garments ; and took a towel and 
 girded himself. After that he poureth water into a 
 basin, and began to wash his disciples feet, and to 
 wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 
 
 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his 
 garments and was set down again, he said unto them, 
 know ye what 1 have done unto you ? Ye call me 
 Master and Lord : and ye say well ; for so 1 am. If I 
 then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye 
 ought also to wash one another's feet : For 1 have 
 given you an example, that ye should do as I have done 
 to you." 
 
 The Roman Pontiff may therefore wash the feet of 
 liis Cardinals, and the Baptist Ministers may wash the 
 feet of one another, or of their congregations. But is this 
 their practice? No. 
 
 Whence do they derive their dispensing power ?* 
 
 The Pope has no authority to grant it. 
 
 Neither has he nor any other man, or number of 
 men, authority to institute human inventions, or external 
 ceremonies as substitutes in lieu of the internal, essential 
 Baptism of the Son of God. Whose fan is in his hand^ 
 and we have reason to apprehend, that all superficial^, 
 fictitious, temporising, artificial subterfuges, will be but 
 as chaff before the wind, or as fuel for the fire. 
 
 Finally, to return : John the Baptist, it appears, was 
 baptized with the Holy Ghost at his birth. 
 
 Luke. i. 1 J. '' He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, 
 
( 10 ) 
 
 even from Lis mother's womb. But he never was bap- 
 tized with water, that we have any account of. He 
 was a Prophet, and more than a Prophet. He was aa 
 experimental, powerful Preacher of tlie renovating effi- 
 cacy of the Baptism of Christ. He was the voice of 
 one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of 
 the Lord, as said the Prophet Esaias. 
 
(11 ) 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 A BRIEF ANALYSIS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 A minister of the Baptist society having presentetl 
 me with a pamphlet, entitled, '' A candid statement of 
 the reasons which induce the Baptists to differ in opin- 
 ion and practice from so many of their Christian Bretb* 
 ren, by John Ryland D. D.'^ 
 
 And as the minister requested me to give him my 
 Notes upon it, I accordingly now present to him my 
 views on the important subject of Christian Baptism. 
 
 I may further premise, that as tiie author has appeal- 
 ed, exclusively, to the doctrines and evidences contained 
 in the New Testament, as the alone standard of deci- 
 sion. I shall not trouble him with the creed of any 
 particular sector party, but join issue with him in a mu- 
 tual submission to the Tribunal of his own choice, the 
 precepts of the Gospel. 
 
 Page 1^. " John Ryland asserts^ that Christian 
 Baptism is neitlier more nor less than an immersion of 
 
r ** 
 
 ( IS) 
 
 the ^vllole body in water, solemnly performed in the 
 name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 
 And page It. In proof of his assertion, he offers the 
 following passage— Matt, xxviii. 18, 19, SO. " All 
 power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth. Go 
 ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in 
 the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
 Ghost ; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever 
 I have commanded you : and lo I am with you always, 
 even unto the end of the world. Amen." 
 itiui; Objections. 1st, Water Baptism is not Christian 
 *j> i*^ Baptism. 
 
 h-u^^ co^ 2nd, The passage, Matt, xxviii. 18. 19. 20. above 
 j^^*^% quoted, in proof of the former, neither expresses nor im- 
 tfdjtih^ plies water baptism. 
 
 i^<j.i i^- 2v^, Water Baptism never was administered by the 
 ^ ^ **• apostles in the manner aflBrmed by John Ryland, viz. 
 " "^J^"*^ In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy 
 %;*f.«^- Spirit. 
 
 4th, Baptism, and Water Baptism, are two distinct 
 things, having no other analogy to each other, than a 
 figure, emblem, or portrait, has to things represented. 
 
 New Testament demonstrations of the foregoing 
 Objections, viz. 
 
 1st, John the Baptist in bis official capacity as the 
 Herald of Christ, made a pnblick surrender of Water 
 Baptism, as is shown in the former chapter — and on 
 the same memorable occasion, John proclaimed in the 
 spirit of prophecy) concerning his glorious successor; 
 
(13) 
 
 Matt. iii. 11. ^^He shall baptize you witli the Holy 
 Ghost and with Fire. 
 
 Language surely, could not comprise and convey a 
 more discriminating contrast. Therefore I conclude, 
 that this is of itself suflBcient evidence to prove, that 
 Water baptism is not Christian Baptism. 
 
 2nd, Our blessed Lord gives an ample and incontro- 
 vertible illustration of Matt, xxviii. 18, 19, 20. which 
 we find very particularly detailed by Luke, in the first 
 Chapter of Acts, viz. verse 4, " And being assembled 
 together with them, commanded them that they should 
 not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of 
 the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me, for 
 John truly baptized with water ; but ye shall be bapti- 
 zed with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence. 8, Ye 
 shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come 
 upon you : and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in 
 Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto 
 the uttermost part of the earth." 
 
 This gracious communication of our blessed Lord, 
 was made to his disciples, forty days after his resurrec- 
 tion, and immediately preceding his ascension. 
 
 It appears hardly possible, to conceive a more deeply 
 interesting occasion, and of course, it ought to make an 
 adequate impression on the minds of all who profess 
 Christianity. 
 
 John Ryland will find in this illustration of our blessed 
 Lord, no mixing of Baptism, with water Baptism : No 
 hiding place for temporising ambiguity. John the Bap- 
 tist and Water Baptism are here explicitly spoken of 
 
( 14 ) 
 
 hv their proper names, and they are together placed m 
 luk\.U by the past tense a, i^P^-J J. ; 
 text And after having disposed of Watei Baptum, 
 he snoke next in due course, equally as distinctly « U« 
 ilp 1 of the Holy Ghost, in the future tense which 
 ItZ enable then, to become hi. witnesses, and which 
 they were to receive not many days hence. 
 
 Lordin^ly, .e ^f^^^^f^-^^-^Z S 
 SrH^/'c^itdb^ntoUwiai other 
 
 tnnffues as the Spirit gave them utterance 
 *"vl U not any candid^ rational man therefore -k-vvl- 
 edae that the baptism spoken of. Matt. xxvi... 18, 19, 20. 
 waf no otlier than the Baptism of the Holy Ghost ; and 
 Tha tie illustration given by our blessed L» , Acts- 
 Is oroof positive, of the highest authority, that it was so. 
 B„Un order m^e fully to exemplify the fact, we have 
 f remarkable demonstration while Peter was pre^hing 
 ,t the house of Cornelius, Acts xi. 15, 16. And as 
 Ibe'anto peak,(says Peter) the Holy Ghost fell on 
 Lem'asonusat'the beginning. Jhen 7embe..d J 
 ,he word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed 
 tplzed with water, but ye shall be baptized with the 
 
 "S/dr'n'ot the apostles baptize with wa^r a«er 
 
 the day of Pentecost? I ''-^^^Vf =J'"' "C^NeU 
 name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost JNei- 
 iTdo wefind any command of our blessed Lord m 
 a the New Testament, for Water Baptism; nor do 
 Sea osO^s profess to have received any commission 
 
( 15) 
 
 for that purpose. The apostles also practised circum- 
 cision. The apostle Paul circumcised Timothy, be- 
 cause of the Jews. Some things he did by permission, 
 and some by commission. 
 
 Acts XV. 1. " And certain men which came down 
 from Judea taught the brethren, saying, except ye be 
 circumcised after the manner of ^Moses, he cannot be 
 saved. 
 
 When therefore, Paul and Barnabas had no small 
 dissention and disputation with them, they determined 
 that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of tliera, 
 should go up to Jerusalem unto the Apostles and El- 
 ders about this question." 
 
 In consequence of this appeal to the Church, it ap- 
 pears by the text, that a meeting was held, in which 
 the subject was discussed; which resulted in a conclu- 
 sion to send the following Letter by Judas and Silas, 
 with Paul and Barnabas, viz. 
 
 " It seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay 
 upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; 
 That ye abstain from meats offered to Idols, and from 
 blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication : 
 from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. 
 Fare ye well/' 
 
 This highly important document of the primitive 
 Church at Jerusalem, therefore obviously excludes both 
 circumcision and water baptism, notwithstanding any 
 acts of individuals to the contrary. 
 
 The united judgment of the Church in their collec- 
 tive capacity, sauctioned by the Holy Ghost, must at 
 
( i6 ) 
 
 that time have been considered paramount to all other 
 authority. 
 
 The apostle Paul who had successfully opposed 
 Circumcision, tells us plainly, he was not sent to bap- 
 tize. Corinth, i. 14, 15, 16, 17. ^* I thank (rod that I 
 baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius ; lest any 
 should say tliat I baptized in mine own name, and 1 
 baptized also the household of Stephanas ; besides, I 
 know not whether I baptized any other : For Christ 
 sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel : not 
 with wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ should 
 be made of none effect." 
 
 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM, as contemplated and 
 promulgated by the Gospel, is therfore no superficial, 
 external act, but a supernatural, internal operation of 
 the Son of God, by his Spirit in man ; which is some- 
 times represented by the similitude of fire in an oven, 
 which burns inwardly, whereby the oven is prepared 
 for its proper use and service. 
 
 If therefore Baptist ministers find that they are in- 
 competent to the discharge of this interesting duty; 
 viz. To teach baptizing, as Peter did at the house 
 of Cornelius ; and as he also taught in his general 
 Epistle: I. Peter, vi. 10. 11. "As every man hath 
 received the Gift, even so minister the same one to an- 
 other, as good stewards of the manifold Grace of 
 God. If any man speak, let him speak as the Ora- 
 cles of God , if any man minister, let him do it as of 
 the ability which God giveth : that God in all things 
 may be glorified through Jesus Christ j to whom be 
 
(17) 
 
 praise and dominion for ever and ever — Amen. Be- 
 loved, think it not strange concerning tlie fiery trial 
 which is to try you, as though some stiauge thing hap- 
 pened unto you. 
 
 Let them who profess to be gospel ministers, look 
 well to their ordination, and not foolishly charge their 
 incapacity to any supposed change in that dispensation, 
 which, according to Matt, xxviii. 20, extends to the end 
 of the world. 
 
 To mix water with baptism, as an ordinance in the ^(fj /, 
 Church, would be, as I apprehend, to attempt an un- ^*C^ : 
 warrantable and bold innovation upon the Prerogative ^/^^/^x 
 of our Saviour. ^*^^ 
 
 Simon the Sorcerer believed, and was baptized with x*^^ j 
 water: Acts viii. 13. " Then Simon himself believed , ^ . 
 also ; and when he was baptized, he continued with j,_^^ 
 Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs y-aJ^J < 
 which were done. And when Simon saw that through "^ ^ 
 laying on of the apostles hands the Holy Ghost was 
 given, he offered them money, saying, give me also , ^* 
 this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may ^ . 
 receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, ^^^ J^ 
 thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought ^^^^^^ ^^ 
 that the gift of God may be purchased with money. ;;^*^^ 
 Thou hast neither lot uor part in this matter : for thy 71,^ m, 
 heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent there- ^"^^ 
 fore, of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps ^ ** 
 the thous:ht of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For ''^ ~ 
 1 perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and m . / ; 
 the bond of iniquity." ^ 
 
 Water Baptism had done but little for him. J3 ^i 
 
(18) 
 
 But the ordination of Ministers of the Gospel according 
 to Christ's rule, is no doubtful, equivocal, or superficial 
 matter : Acts i. 8. " Ye shall receive power, after that 
 the Holy Ghost is come upon you : and ye shall be 
 witnesses unto me^ said our blessed Lord to his dis- 
 ciples. 
 
 Christian Lai^mak. 
 Burlington County, N. J. 
 December S5th 18S0.