every one of you into the name of the Lord Jesus for the remission of sins and so in like manner you shall find Cornelius his family by Peter commanded to be baptized Acts â—0 48 for saith he to the six brethren that were with him How shall we forbid water that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we And he by the great authority which as an extraordinary Apostle he had from Heaven commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus So we find Ananias in a special manner sent to the Apostle Paul at his first conversion to the faith as Acts 22.16 where he also by the authority received from Christ in verse the 16. saith And now Paul why tarriest thou Arise and be baptized for the washing away of thy sins in calling upon the name of the Lord where you see the express command of God enjoyning him upon his Conversion to be baptized And in the next place As God hath commanded his Ministers to baptize or dip Believers only and as his Ministers by virtue of that authority from him have left standing Laws and commands upon Disciples only to be baptized so we find that they did practice that way and that only of baptizing such as believed and repented Acts 2.40 41 42. So many as gladly received the word were baptized and the same day there were added to the Church three thousand souls And they continued in the Apostles Doctrine Fellowship Breaking of Bread and Prayer VVhence you may observe the practice of the Apostles that were guided by the infallible gifts of the Spirit that first they converted before they baptized In like manner you shlla find in Acts 8.12 13. where Philip was preaching to the people in Samaria But when they believed he preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ they were baptized both Men and Women Then Simon himself believed also and when he was baptized he continued with Philip and wondered So that you see this was the continued course of Christs Messengers sent by him First They converted men by preaching and then baptized them In the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost or in the name of the Lord Jesus wherein the name of the Father and Spirit are included when his name is only mentioned In like manner you shall find in the same Chap. that Philip by the Spirit of the Lord being directed to the Eunuch that did belong to Candace the Queen of the Ethiopians who had the charge of all her Treasure and had been at Jerusalem for to worship was returning and reading Isaiah the Prophet then Philip joined himself to his Chariot and upon some discourse together he from the aforesaid Scripture preached unto him Jesus in Acts 8.32 c. And as they went on their way they came to a certain Water and the Eunuch said See here is Water what hindereth me to be baptized Philip said If thou believest with all thy heart it is lawful implying it was unlawful for a man not believing to be baptized And he answered and said I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he commanded the Chariot o stand still and they went both down into the Water both Philip and the Eunuch and he baptized him and when they were come out of the water the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip that the Eunuch saw him no more and he went on his way rejoicing From all these words you may observe That Philip is said to preach Christ unto this man and upon his comming to the water he said What lets Believers should offer themselves to be baptized where you see It is the duty of such as believe to offer themselves to be baptized and that there is no let or hinderance to the Ordinance of Baptism but unbelief and therefore saith he If thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest or it is lawful as the word more properly may be read plainly holding forth that all both young and old that did not believe it was unlawful for them to be baptized And you shall find several families also baptized upon their being converted which many through ignorance and want of taking notice of what the Scripture speaks say it is probable they had some Infants in them But to prevent mistakes in the minds of any that so think I shall prove That these families were all converted Disciples so as to believe the Gospel as for instance First the Family of Lydia Acts 16.14 15. And a certain women named Lydia a Seller of Purple of the City Thiatyra which worshipped God heard us whose heart the Lord opened that she attended to the things which were spoken of Paul and when she was baptized and her houshold she besought us saying If ye judge me faithful to the Lord come into my house and abide and she constrained us Now here in this Text Lydia and her houshold together converted Lydia is only mentioned as to have been converted no mention made what her houshold was only that they were baptized but in the last verse viz. the 40. of that Chapter It is said That when Paul and Sylas were put out of the Gaolers house they went and entered into the house of Lydia and when they had seen the Brethren they comforted them and departed where you may clearly see That Lydia's house consisted of Brethren capable of being visited and comforted by Paul and Sylas as well as Lydia whose houshold they were And also in the same Chapter you have mention made of the Gaoler and his Houshold The Gaoler and his houshold together converted all which were baptized in the 31 32 33 and 34. Verses In which place you shall upon reading find this to be true that they spake unto him the word of the Lord and to all that were in his house and verse 34. He set meat before them and rejoiced believing in God with all his house Where it is plain That the whole houshold of the Gaoler heard the word of God and rejoiced and believed as well as the Gaoler and were all baptized Which is a clear proof that such hearing the word of God and believing ought and they only to be baptized And this will appear further by the house of Stephanus comparing the 1 Cor. 11 6. Stephanus and his houshold together converted with the 16. chap. and the 15. verse of the same Epistle where in the one place it is said that Paul baptized the houshold of Stephanus in the last place he speaketh thus I beseech you Brethren Ye know the House of Stephanus that it is the first fruits of Achaia and that they have addicted themselves to the Ministery of the Saints That you submit your selves unto such and to every one that helpeth with us and laboureth Where you see in one and the same Epistle as he saith he baptizeth this houshold so he affirms they
When Paul had received the holy Ghost Annanias saith And now Paul why tarriest thou Arise and be baptized for the washing away of thy sins calling upon the name of the Lord. Observe that Annanias had an immediate extraordinary commission from Christ by vision to come with the message to Paul and Christ in a vision bids Paul go to Annanias and he should tell him what he should do and Annanias according to that Commission of Christ upon his being filled with the holy Ghost commands him to be baptized And this agrees with the Covenant of grace in Ezekiel 36.27 where the Lord saith I will put my Spirit in them and cause them to walk in my way and Ezek. 11.19 I will give them one heart and will put my Spirit within them and will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh that they may walk in my Statutes and keep mine Ordinances to do them and they shall be my people and I will be their God Where you may see that God is so far from giving his Spirit to the end that souls should plead thereby freedom from the practice of those commanded Ordinances of Christ that on the contrary it is the end why God gives his Spirit to enable and to cause them to walk in his way and in his Ordinances and in particular baptism And observe the Apostles have not left us a bare example only that they did baptize after that Christ powred out the Holy Ghost and that by the authority received from heaven but doth command it as you have heard to all that repent and believe and to all that receive the holy Ghost to submit to it But again the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire that John foretold of it is clear was extraordinarily given upon an especial ground and reason fulfilled in Act. 2. The Holy Ghost falling down in fiery Cloven tongues in the sight and view of the bodily eyes which was that outward sign and that clear light and fervent zeal and love they had in uttering the wonderful things of God in variety of strange tongues was the inward thing signified So that herein the baptism of the Holy Ghost was an outward sign and an inward thing signified but there is now no man in the world hath this baptism only it is true that the Spirit in the saving gifts of faith repentance and the like is held to be essential to the Ordinance of Baptism of water and must be joined together with it without which it cannot be said to be an Ordinance of God there must be the inward grace as well as the outward sign This Baptism that the Apostle according to Christs Commission hath left a standing Command for cannot be Johns baptism his holding forth Christ to come baptizing them in that doctrine But in this we baptize persons in Christ already come and fully exhibited And though it may be objected that the Apostles practiced some things that were abolished as the circumcising of Timothy and the like We also say that as they practised it among the Jews so the Apostle Paul to the Gentiles saith if they be circumcised Christ should profit them nothing but they were faln from grace and we never find that circumcision was practised among the Gentiles that were void of all Religion before they taught them It is evident in the new Tastament that Circumcision is abolished as part of the Mosaical Covenant and yoke of bondage Gal. 5.1 2 3. but the case in baptism is clean otherwise Whereas you hear the Apostle did press Cornelius his family to be baptized who was a Gentile never acquainted with Johns baptism nor wedded to such a doctrine as that whereby we should think that Peter did baptize them to condiscend to that error or weakness in their minds Again he doth not only simply baptize them as a Liberty that might be done or not done but commands them to be baptized and so doth as you heard before he did in Acts 2. and it cannot be said that the Apostles commanded any duty to be done with a promise of blessing to the right performance of the same after the Holy Ghost came down upon them but it must needs be a solemn standing Ordinance of God that every soul upon pain of the guilt and rebellion against Christ his head and King ought to be subject unto But this of Baptism hath as aforesaid many standing Laws left in holy Record speaking to all that believe and repent promising remission of sins and salvation to the right performance of the same which proves it to be a standing Ordinance of the new Testament And truly with the same reason Souls may affirm that Christ ceaseth to be a Mediator as to hold the Law of dipping believers ceaseth so much and no less is affirmed by the Soul that saith the Ordinance of baptism is an expired Ordinance he may as well say Christ is expired and abolished as a a fleshly form as some have had the confidence to say For as in the time of Moses Ministration till there was a change of the Priesthood there could not be a change of the Law no more now except there be another Christ and Saviour come or another Priesthood instead of this Priest and Minister of the New Testament assure your selves there can be no change of this Law as in Heb. 7.12 18. Therefore such as pretend to profess Christ to be their Saviour that came of the seed of David and the same persons deny and slight this fundamental Ordinance of Baptism they do therein testify that they reject Christ in their heart as abolished and have got some pretended fancy-Christ instead of him It is utterly inconsistent with the Faith of the Gospel and with true Religion to hold baptism and the Supper two solemn Ordinances and Symboles of the new Covenant to be abolished for in Ephes 4. the Apostle pressing there a visible Church-union layes down the main things wherein that union consists called saith he by one hope of their calling one Spirit one Lord one Faith one Baptism this one Baptism cannot be meant the Spirit because the Spirit is mentioned distinct but baptism here must needs be meant that standing solemn Ordinance of God commanded to every one that believes Now the Apostle pressing here a Church Union doth mention these particulars that are essential to a visi lâ— Church-union without which they could not walk together if not in these things agreed and where a people in all these particulars are one no other thing coming should make a breach of their union Object But some other souls will object and say That Believers baptism is an Ordinance of God and he thinks they do well that are drawn out to practise it by a power from God But saith the soul I want a divine power upon my heart drawing me out to the practice of the same and that is the let and hinderance in me Answ This objection
THE Doctrine of Baptism And the Distinction of the COVENANTS OR A Plain Treatise wherein the four Essentials of BAPTISM Viz. 1. Who is a Lawfull Minister thereof 2. What is the true Form thereof 3. Into whose name it is to be administred 4. Who is a fit Subject thereof Are diligently handled As also the business of the two Covenants wherein is proved that the Covenant of life is not made to the seed of Believers as coming out of their Loins and therefore that the baptism of Infants is drawn from thence by a false Consequence By THOMAS PATIENT a Laborer in the Church of Christ at DUBLIN Acts 22 16. And now why tarriest thou Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins calling one the name of the Lord. Ephes 2.12 Being aliens from the Common wealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenants of promise John 3.5.6 Jesus answered verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God For that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit London Printed by Henry Hills and are to be sold at his house at Sir John Old Castles in Py-corner 1654. The Epistle to the Christian Reader to whom the Author wisheth all grace and peace from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ. THere being but a small moment of time from the Lord alotted to men in this life to run that Christian race set before them And considering what Christ saith That whilest it is day we ought to work for the night commeth when no man can work And further considering that Christ Jesus is gone to fetch a Kingdom and to return having left his Servants several Talents to be accounted for at his comming when every mans reward or punishment shall be according to his works which ought to provoke and stir up every Christian to a consciencious and carefull improvement of his strength for Gods glory and the service of his generation in this pilgrimage These among many other motives prevailed with me to present this Treatise to thy view being also pressed thereunto by many of Gods People formerly in England and of late in Ireland who have heard me upon the same Subject deliver the substance of what is herein conteined both in England and in Ireland Beloved Reader I know the World is filled with many Books stuffed with very much of mans wisdome which though the Apostle saith is enmity against God yet we find such discourses most pleasing to the carnal hearts of men in our age Therefore if that be the thing that thy itching ears do thirst after thou maiest spare thy self that labour for thou wilt finde that with as much simplicity and plainness as possibly I could I have herein given out by clear Scripture-evidence what the Lord hath made known to me For the clearing of this weighty point which God by his mighty power hath subjected my heart to believe the which formerly by reason of my ignorance and error I was much averse unto For after it pleased God to reveal his Son in me and to work a change in my heart the great and weighty thing that God presented to me was to make my calling and election sure which I found to be a work filled with many difficulties considering how far Hypocrites might attain in the profession of godliness and that they might come to have the counterfeit of all the Grace in the Child of God And this the rather appeared more difficult because I found my own heart so desperately wicked and full of deceit as Jerem. 17.9 and also found the wiles and subtilties of the Devil to be various and I constantly under several temptations and deep desertions when God though for a little season withdrew himself and the light of his countenance from me At which time I judged it my onely thing necessary to prove whether CHRIST were in me and my faith right as also my sincerity to the Lord. At which time I found but little settled rest or peace till the Lord had put that great question out of doubt in giving me a sure and well grounded confidence of my interest in him till which time I found little disposition to search narrowly into other truths which I then thought to be too remote for me to exercise my self in having received so much spiritual benefit in communing with God and mine own heart and searching out the difference betwixt the speaking of Gods Spirit my own spirit and the spitit of Satan But when I came to some good measure of settlement in my confident and well grounded hopes that I was the Lords then presently was I tempted touching the main and material fundamental points in Religion Which temptations as they were a great cause of trouble and restlesness in my soul so they occasioned me with great eagerness night and day in use of the best means God presented to me to seek satisfaction in the same at which time the Lord did carry on my soul with much vehemency after him so with much unweariedness For usually as one case and weighty question was answered to my satisfaction and comfort another was stated in my soul too hard for me in which experiences I for many years was exercised with all in which time I was ignorant of the true way which Christ would have his people to walk in But presently being convinced of the unwarrantableness of the Government of the Lordly Prelates and the Liturgy in the Church of England and the mixed Communions in the Parish Assemblies I was resolved God willing to examine all Religion as well in worship and the order of Gods house as I had done in other points But I at this time being by the divine power of God converted from the Church of England though with a great deal of difficulty being well furnished with arguments from Pulpit and Print and divers able Disputants for the defence of that false way but God breaking in by the power of his Spirit with clear Scripture-light subjected my heart to the obedience of the truth so that I found my heart closing with those truths in the love thereof At this time many godly Christians going to New England and being come up in my judgment to the way of New England in Faith and order went over thither being not convinced of my error and great darkness in sprinkling the carnal seed of Believers But verily I thought I had good warrant for that practise having then in substance the same grounds for the defence thereof that generally to this day is urged for the same Yet having in my heart so clear a light discovering how shamefully in many things I had been deluded and that by those which I could not but have charity to think were the Lords own Servants and finding the danger of receiving truths by Tradition was resolved to examine that point of Baptism And so I
constantly resorted to the meetings of the people in New England desiring to have good satisfaction in them and their doctrine and practice before I joined in Communion In order thereunto I constantly attended the preaching of the word where hearing many often preaching for baptizing of children of believing parents I began to examine the grounds thereof and the weight of their arguments and genuine scope and drift of the Scriptures alleged by them to prove that point and finding that the Scriptures 〈◊〉 generally 〈…〉 contrary to 〈…〉 and proper driâ—â—â—â—â—â—cope Also finding 〈…〉 thâ—sâ—â—â—â—tion Argument by 〈…〉 â—o exceeding contrary to several 〈◊〉 of Râ—â—igioâ— which both theâ— and I did believâ— These things being hinted into 〈◊〉 soul I wâ—â— resolved to examine the 〈◊〉 I 〈◊〉 formerly 〈◊〉 great profit 〈…〉 several other â—â—nts of Reliâ—â—â— Bâ—◠〈◊〉 this Resolution temptations came in 〈◊〉 my 〈◊〉 that I was but weak â—â—nd 〈◊〉 caâ—â— it were not a 〈◊〉 did I think 〈◊〉 â—any â—â—â—nent 〈◊〉 for Religion Piety Gifts and 〈◊〉 should not discover 〈◊〉 sooner 〈◊〉 I therefore it 〈◊〉 purpose 〈◊〉 â—â—me to trouâ—â—â— my self 〈◊〉 whiâ—â— I had this answer in 〈◊〉 soul that I had been too â—â—ng mislead already o◠〈◊〉 grouâ—◠〈…〉 and 〈…〉 〈…〉 â—n th◠〈…〉 cam◠〈…〉 peopâ—◠〈…〉 Not â—it 〈…〉 th◠〈…〉 choice 〈…〉 â—â—ching their flocks by Night In the first place this eminent truth was delivered and revealed to them when all the learned and eminent men in Israel had no knowledge thereof And finding the poor Theef on the Cross to have a sounder Judgement than the General Synod or Council of Learned Men at Jerusalem and also the Speech of Christ to this purpose in Matthew 11.25 where Christ thanks his Father for hiding these things from the wise and prudent and revealing them to Babes and sucklings out of his good pleasure the spirit being like the wind which bloweth when and where it listeth And also finding some of Christs Disciples bearing testimony of Christ in Luke 19.38 39 40. The Pharisees desired Christ to rebuke them But Christ answered and said I tell you if these should hold their peace the stones woulâ— immediately â—â—y out Where I observed Christ to descâ—â—â— and not to ascend he doth not say â—f his simple and weak discipâ—â— should neglect â—â—eir testimony th◠〈◊〉 Pharisees would cry out but if his disciples neglect the stones should which manifests that God loves to choose the most simple and foolish things to reveal his will by And then again I found God had not so much ingaged by promise to reveal himself to men considered of such outward and excellent parts but in Psalm 25.14 The Secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant And Christ saith in John 15.15 You are my Friends if you do whatsoever I command you henceforth I call you not Servants for the Servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you Friends for all things that I have heard of the Father I have made knoâ—â— you And David saith Thou hast made me wiser than my teachers because I have kept thy Commandments Where the Lord promises tâ—aching principally to such as fear him and conscienciously keep his Commandments guiding them in Judgement and in the way that he should choose Notwithstanding I found further Objections in my heart that though it was not men of parts and outward Learning but babâ— and sucâ—â—ings having their hearts bowed to obediâ—â—â— and to the holy fear of God That God would teach yet I was sensible of so much evil in my heart that I questioned whether I might not be mislead upon which I was put upon humble and fervent prayers to the Lord to guide and teach me and to reveal his mind to me having again resolutions to seek the mind of God in this truth and great incouragements to believe that God would satisfy me and the rather from my former experience of his goodness having satisfyed me in many weighty points that I was every way as much unsettled in Upon which this Temptation came in afresh upon me what need I trouble my self in a point so Disputable for if by my search and tryall in that matter I should come to see grounds swaying in conscience against childrens baptism that then I should be generally dispised and slighted of all the godly in that Countrie and not only be frustrated of Communion and Fellowship with them but must expâ—â—â— to suffer imprisonment confiscation of goods it banishment at least which would be my ruin not knowing where to go but in the woods amongst Iulians and wild beasts Under this Temptation I had a sore conflict my evil and treacherous heart resisting the blessed motions of the Spirit of God but considering that the ground of these discouraging arguments did arise from the flesh and the Devil as Peter when he said Pity thy self Master this thing shall not be to thee My Resolution was as Christ saith Get thee behind me Satan thou savourest not the things of God Which put me in no small agony or conflict for some good space together but it pleased the Lord to set that Scripture home upon my heart Buy the truth and sell it not buy the truth at any rate but sell it at no rate if truth cost me my life I must buy it though I might have all the favour and friendship in the world I must not sell it this wrought in mâ— a grounded and settled resolution that I would seek after the mind of God as well in suffering truths as other because Christ saith He that keeps the word of my patience I will keep him in the hour of Temptation apprehending that to be the words of Christs patience he embracing and practizing whereof would bring the crosse that is contempt and hatred from all sorts of men I found Christ said for this cause he was born and came into the World to bear witness to the truth these things satisfyed me and that from the Lord that I ought to make diligent search what his mind was in this point Hereupon I found the special presence of God with me carrying out my heart to the Lord by Faith and earnest Prayer to be instructed and guided all which time I was not acquainted with any that opposed Christening children and conversed onely with such as were for that practice Finding my carnal part to desire satisfaction in Infant-baptism but the more I conferred with or heard any preach for it the more was I convinced of the folly and ignorance of that judgment and practice having heard one man preach fifteen Sermons upon this subject urging that in substance which many considerable Authors had wrote I also searched many Authors who wrote thereof night and day with much attention weighing and examining the grounds they urged many times breaking my sleep by watching in the night season at the last it pleased the Lord to reveal his mind to me so that
as with safety the party as to the manner may be drowned again and again See the instance of Naaman who dipped himself seven times in Jordan 2 Kings 5.14 To this sense of the word at least in this place both the Greek Latine and English Churches agree as is affirmed by able Authors Thirdly In that the phrase in which there is mention made of such an appointment of Christ is affirmed doth necessarily import such a thing and therefore when mention is made of baptizing which is commonly translated in or into suits with Dipping and not that Preposition which signifies with and so suits with Sprinkling And therefore it may be as well rendred I baptize you in Water and he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit Mark 1.8 So it is rendred John did baptize in the Wilderness and in the River of Jordan ver 4 5. or that John was in the Spirit on the Lords day Rev. 1.10 And they were baptized in the Cloud and in the Sea 1 Corinth 10. and â— It may as well be rendred I baptize you or dip you into Water as it is rendred they were casting a Net into the Sea Mark 1.16 for which the words are affirmed to be the same and it would be too improper a Speech to say John did baptize with the Wilderness and they were casting a net with the Sea Fourthly That this appointment of Christ is by way of Dipping and not sprinkling appears In that for the resemblance and likeness hereunto the Israelites passing under the Cloud and in the Sea where the Egyptians that were their Lords and Commanders their Pursuers and Enemies that sought their destruction were drowned left behind and seen no more is by the Holy Spirit called a Baptism 1 Cor. 10.2 They were baptized in the Cloud Where observe It is not here rendred with the Cloud and with the Sea as in the other place Mark 1.8 with Water because it sutes with sprinkling although the word be the same But in the Cloud and in the Sea which sutes with Dipping or Over-whelming and so with the appointment of Christ they passing through the midst of the Red or bloody Sea on dry land which stood on both sides as a Wall and being under the Cloud as men in a carnal eye overwhelmed and drowned and yet truly saved and safe from their Enemies Fifthly That this appointment of Christ was not by sprinkling but by dipping or putting the person into or under Water appears by Philips baptizing the Eunuch It is said They went both down into the Water both Philip the baptizer and the Eunuch that was the person to be baptized and being there in the water Philip baptized or dipped him in that water as John did Jesus in the River of Jordan And it is said They descended or went down into the water so they ascended or went straight way up or out of the water see for this Acts 8.38 39. Mat. 3.16 Mark the expression And Jesus when he was baptized went up straightway out of the Water therefore he had been down in the water Sixthly That this appointment of Christ was not by sprinkling but by dipping or as it were a drowning appears in that John the Baptizer his work being to baptize remains in the Wilderness by the River of Jordan and afterwards in Enon near Salem and the reason that is rendred by the Spirit of the Lord why he abode there was because there was much water which need not have been if that appointment could have been performed by sprinkling and not by dipping See Luke 3.2 3. John 3. 23. Seventhly That this appointment of Christ was not to be performed by sprinkling but by dipping appears from the nature of the Ordinance it self for it is such an Ordinance as whereby the person that submitteth thereto doth visibly put on Christ Jesus the Lord and is hereby visibly planted into his Death holding forth therein a lively similitude and likeness unto his Death whereby only through faith he now professeth he hath escaped death and is in hopes to obtain life everlasting and so to have fellowship with him in his Death and to reckon himself dead with him to sin Sathan the Law and the Curse See Gal. 3.27 Rom. 6.2 3 5 7. 9. 1 Cor. 15.29 But the planting of a person into the likenesse of death is no way resembled by sprinkling but by dipping it is lively set forth and demonstrated Eighthly This appointment of Christs baptism is an Ordinance whereby the person that submitteth thereto doth hereby visibly and clearly resemble the burial of Christ and his being buried in respect of the old man the former Lusts and Corruptions like the Egyptians to be taken away and seen no more See Rom. 6.4 6. Col. 2.12 But sprinkling doth no way lively resemble the Burial of Christ or the person being buried with him as Dipping doth Ninthly This appointment of Christs baptism is an Ordinance whereby the person that submitteth thereto doth visibly and lively hold forth herein the Resurrection of Christ declares him whose life was taken away from the earth to be alive again who although he dyed and was buried yet was not left in the grave to see corruption but was raised again and behold he liveth for evermore And as hereby he holds forth the Resurrection of Christ so doth he also his own being planted in the likeness thereof so as to reckon himself to be in Soul and Spirit quickned and risen with Christ from henceforth to live unto God the Fountain of Life and Christ Jesus the Lord who dyed for him and rose again and so to walk in newness of life in this present world being also begot into a lively hope that in the world to come he shall be raised and quickned both in soul and body to a life everlasting See Rom. 6.4 5 8 11. Acts 8.33 35 36. Col. 2.12 1 Cor. 15.29 1 Pet. 1.3 But sprinkling doth no way lively resemble the resurrection of Christ or the Soul or bodies rising or being raised by him as the way of dipping doth Therefore this appointment of Christ was and still is to be performed by way of dipping or putting the person into or under the water and not by sprinkling Tenthly Dipping doth hold forth a conformity to Christ in his sufferings and afflictions as Christ saith I have a Baptism and how am I streightned until it be accomplished meaning his sufferings Now one end of Baptism is to represent Christs Sufferings and our Sufferings with him which is in a lively manner set out by dipping into water and therefore when the Saints do express their afflictions they do set them forth by being in the depths or in the deep waters as David in Psalm 130. Out of the depths have I cryed unto the Lord meaning deep afflictions and God saith in Isaiah 43.2 When thou passest through the Waters they shall not overflow thee meaning affliction and therefore a believer is to be dipped and plunged all
over into the River or water to hold forth That now he must resolve to take up the Cross of Christ and suffer and not only so but this being raised and delivered out of the water again by the hands of the Minister doth hold forth that so shall such believing souls be saved and delivered from all their afflictions as in Psal 34.17 Many are the Afflictions of the righteous but God shall deliver them out of all And that this doth sign or signify our salvation appears in 1 Pet. 3.21 the like figure wherunto Baptism doth now save us and Mark 16.16 He that believes and is baptized shall be saved So that Baptism is to sign and confirm signally our Sufferings and Afflictions with Christ so Salvation or Deliverance from them all the one in dipping and plunging him in Water the other in Raising him out again Into whose name Baptism is administred The third thing that is essential in this Ordinance of Baptism which I shall speak to will be what is meant by name of Father Son and Holy Ghost The Command is That the Mininister must dip them into the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost the which the Lord Jesus commanding must be therefore essential to this Ordinance I shall therefore endeavour to shew you what is meant by name here That by which Father Son and Spirit are made known as a man is by his Name that is hereto be understood by the name Father Son and Holy Ghost we know the Gospel doth hold forth one God yet distinquished into Father Son and Holy Ghost the name here is to be understood that Gospel that doth so set forth God and describe him as the Subject Matter of our Faith Acts 9.15 But the Lord said unto Ananias Go thy way for he is a chosen Vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and Kings and Children of Israel for I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my names sake Now Name in this place and in the Commission is to be understood that heavenly mystery of the Gospel in which God is discovered and made known as a man by his name One part of the Gospel mystery consists of a Discovery of the name of the Father by which he is distinquishably made known from the Son and Spirit and that in these particulars First In ordaining the Son 1 Pet. 1.18 in choosing and electing the Son Isaiah 28.16 with 1 Pet. 2.5 in sending the Son Gal. 4.4 John 3.16 17 in sealing the Son John 6.27 in promising the Son Isaiah 9.6 in bruising the Son and putting him to grief Isaiah 53. and laying all our iniquities upon the Son and to justify and freely accept such as believe in the Son This I understand is the Name of the Father And by the Sons Name is to be understood that by which he makes known himself to the Sons and Daughters of men as to take Flesh Heb. 2.14 Rom. 9.5 1.3 He kept the Law in order to dy As that just one or as a Lamb without spot and his making his Soul an offering for sin as a perfect offering for the sins and transgressions of his people Heb. 10.12 14. Isa 53. and that he did not only dy for our Sins but rose again for our Justification Rom. 4.25 and ascended into Heaven and makes intercession for us Heb. 2.25 And pours down the Spirit and gives gifts unto men Zach. 12.10 Ephes 4.10 11 12. all this the Son makes himself known by as by a name distinguishably from the Father and the Spirit And in the last place the Spirit is made known in the Gospel as that which in the first place convinceth the world of sin John 16.8 and pricks men in their hearts with a sense of sin and the wrath of God due for sin Acts 2.37 29. And the work of the Spirit by which that is made known Is the revealing of the Father and the Son and those great Mysteries unto the soul of a poor convicted Sinner for as Christ saith the Spirit of God shall lead you into all truth it shall take of mine and shew it to you John 16. and so no man doth understand the things of a man but the Spirit of a man that is within him So none shall or can understand the things of God but by the Spirit of God for the Spirit of God searcheth out all things even the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.9 10. The Spirit doth not only discover mans misery and his lost estate by reason of sin but discovers a remedy which lies in the great love of God in Christ as before mentioned and worketh in the heart true faith and repentance disposing the heart to obedience This is the proper work or office of the Spirit by which he is distinguishably known from the Father and the Son And now when the Soul shall come to the Preacher and make known to him that the Spirit hath experimentally made known unto him his lost and damnable estate by sin and that he same Spirit hath discovered unto him the great love of God the Father in the gift of Christ to be a propitiation for sin as one dying for the chief of Sinners and that the Spirit of God hath made known all this to him and hath wrought faith in his heart to believe it and hath changed his heart from a Course of sin to renewed obedience for no soul can declare to a Minister the true work of Conversion but he must in so doing discover his knowledge of the work of the Father Son and Spirit and into this doth the Minister baptize him as in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost And thus much for these three particulars In the fourth place The subâ—ect of Baptism we shall now come to the Subject that must be baptized and that as you have heard is one that is taught Teach all Nations baptizing them and as my Text saith Repent and be baptized every one of you which doth hold forth the person baptized to be a taught and repentant person But seeing the main thing in question hath alwaies seemed to be the Subject of Baptism who it is that is to be baptized this I shall therefore most insist upon wherein I shall endeavour to make plain to you first as I say that he is to be a believer a penitent person as appears Mark 16.16 Go preach the Gospel to every Creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved where observe That believing the Gospel is to go before baptizing and Matthew 28.19 Teach all Nations Faith and Repentance go before baptism baptizing or dipping them What them them that are taught or made Disciples by teaching and in my Text you find that Peter after Christ had poured down the Spirit upon them doth by that authority received from heaven when he had converted those Jews command every one of them to be baptized or dipped Repent and be baptized
undertaken to perform and to work in the Creature as further appears in Ezekiel 16. latter end For thus saith the Lord God I will even deal with thee as thou hast done which hast dispised the oath in breaking the Covenant Notwithstanding I will remember my covenant with thee in the day of thy youth and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant and as he saith afterward not by thy covenant but by my covenant so that which he calls thy covenant was that which they broke and therein dispised the Oath as he saith plainly holding forth that it was a covenant of works answerable to that in Nehemiah 10.29 They clave to their Brethren the Nobles and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in Gods Law which was given by Moses the servant of God In which case you may discern here was two covenants the one that God calls his covenant and another that was their covenant a covenant of works which they broke And likewise you have further the covenant of eternal life opened in Ezekiel 36.25 26 27. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean from all your filthiness and from your Idols will I cleanse you A new heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you and I will take away the Stony heart out of your flesh and will give you a heart of flesh and I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and you shall keep my Judgements and do them Where you have as I said before this New covenant wholly lying on Gods part that he would first cleanse them from all their Idols and iniquities that he undertakes to give a new heart to take away the heart of Stone and to give them hearts of flesh And that he will give the soul his own Spirit and thereby came these to walk in his ways whom he calls to the obedience of his truth If they sin he binds himself to pardon their sins and to remember their sins and transgressions no more so that it is impossible that this covenant should be broke or that a soul shall ever miscarry that is once in this covenant as in respect of his everlasting estate And to this purpose David very eminently speaks in 2 Sam. 23. and 5. verse Although my house he not so with God yet he hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow Where you have David setting out the Covenant of Grace and the mercies in it to be in all points perfect and sure And to this purpose the Prophet in the 55. of Isaiah and the third verse inviting souls and perswading them to come to Christ saith Incline your ear and come unto me Hear and and your souls shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David that is he will give a Soul those New Covenant mercies which are most sure no way depending upon any condition to be performed in the Creature but wholly upon the Lord as appears in Psalm 89.28 to the 37. ver My mercy will I keep for him for evermore and my Covenant shall stand fast with him his seed also will I make to endure for ever and his throne as the days of Heaven If his children forsake my Law and walk not in my Judgements If they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments then will I visit their transgressions with the Rod and their iniquities with Stripes Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing which is gone out of my lips Once have I sworn by my Holiness that I will not ly unto David His seed shall endure for ever His Throne as the â—un before me It shall be established for ever as the Moon and as a faithful Witness in Heaven Selah Now in these words you have the Covenant of eternal life made with Christ and his spiritual seed which David and his seed were types of which Covenant is a sure Covenant to all those to whom it is once made and to this doth the Author to the Hebrews allude when he saith in chap. 6.17 18. Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his Counsel confirmed by an oath That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to ly we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Now in this Covenant before spoken to you have both the promise and oath here spoken of and here in this Covenant must needs be discovered the immutability of his Counsel because this is as David saith a covenant that is in all points perfect and sure and James in his Epistle alluding to these New covenant blessings or gifts saith Every good and perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning and that he doth here speak of the New covenant gifts doth appear in the next words he saith Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his Creatures Now consider well that in this covenant there is nothing that he requires but he ingageth himself to enable us to accomplish If he command to pray he promiseth to give his Spirit to help our infirmities If he command to walk in all his waies as you have heard he promiseth that he will put his Spirit in them to cause them to walk in his waies But some may object and say That we find the Gospel is held out upon Condition of Faith and Repentance Answer It is true Why though the Covenant of Grace be absolute yet the promises are held forth under a condition the promise of salvation and remission of Sin is held out with a condition to the world because it is Gods free mercy to work that condition in the hearts of his Elect by means of preaching and tendering of the Gospel and in them only But we are not to think that this grace of Faith and Repentance are any Qualifications that persons are to attain by their own abilities unto which the Gospel is tendred But in the new covenant the Lord undertakes to work the condition and to give the salvation tendred upon that condition also for saith he I will be unto you a God and you shall be unto me a people and in particular he saith He will put his Law in their hearts and in their minds will he write them and he will teach them to know him Now doubtless the Law of Faith and Repentance are here included according to those Scriptures Ephes 2.8 For by grace are you saved through Faith and
Abraham First Because this righteousness of faith the Text saith he had before he was circumcised Therefore good reason it might be sealed or confirmed having it before he received the sign of Circumcision a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had being uncircumcised But his posterity after him at eight daies old cannot be said that they had this righteousness of faith to seal having it not preceding their Circumcision The second reason the text affords us is that he might be the Father of all that believe this is the main reason the Apostle insists upon He received the sign of Circumcision a seal of the righteousness of faith that he might be the Father of all that believe This reason cannot be applyable to any of Abrahams posterity besides himself for they were not the Fathers of all that believe That was proper to Abraham to be a high Father or a Father of all nations therefore as I said before God promising in Abraham that publique righteousness as a father of all Nations in the the covenant of grace adds to that covenant an external covenant to be intailed in his line and in his flesh as a confirmation of the same A third reason is this Here is the Spirit of God affirming the sealing use of Circumcision to Abraham only and not to any one of his fleshly seed and as before upon a reason special to Abraham Now where the Scripture hath not a Mouth to speak we must not have an Ear to hear But the Scripture here only affirms Circumcision to be a Seal of the righteousness of faith to Abraham and affords no such thing as to his seed A fourth reason lies in verse 13. That the promise of Abraham to be the heir of the world was not to him nor his seed through the Law that is through the covenant of Circumcision but through the righteousness of faith For if they which are of the Law be heirs then faith is made void and the promise of none effect because the Law worketh wrath therefore it is of faith that it might be by Grace to the end the promises might be sure to all the seed Not to that only which is of the Law but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham who is the father of us all as it is written I have made thee a father of many Nations before him who believed even God who quickneth the dead So that there is not in all the Scripture a place more clearly proves the covenant of Circumcision intailed on the fleshly line of Abraham to be a covenant of works than this 4. of the Romans clearing and setting the covenant of Circumcision and Faith in opposition holding forth that Abraham and all his spiritual seed had their Justification in another covenant and not in the covenant of Circumcision clearly holding forth the covenant of Circumcision to be works and not Grace which doth sufficiently prove that the covenant of Circumcision had no promise of Justification or eternal life in it But further An Appendix to the second Argument to prove Circumcision a Covenant of works That the covenant intailed on the flesh must needs be understood to be a Covenant of works viz. that of Circumcision appears in Philip. 3.2 3 4. and so forward where saith the Apostle Beware of Doggs beware of evil Workers beware of the Concision for we are the Circumcision that worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Jesus Christ and put no confidence in the flesh By flesh he means the covenant entailed upon the flesh the covenant of Circumcision it is plain by his answer for he saith If any man thinketh he hath whereof to trust in the flesh I more circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the Tribe of Benjamen an Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the Law a Pharisee concerning zeal persecuting the Church touching the righteousness of the Law blameless And this he sets by no more than dung or dross in comparison of the other Covenant or Promise of Christ righteousness and salvation by him which he received by faith and he suffered the loss of all things for the sake of him and did accompt all the whole privilege of Circumcision and the covenant of works to be but as dung that he might win Christ which if the promise of Christ and salvation and justification by him had been given in the Covenant of the flesh and line of Abraham then it had been very improper for Paul to accompt this as dung and to cast contempt upon it as that which was wholly void of Christ It would be very sinful for any man in such a case to cast such contempt upon the covenant of grace it self and the privileges thereof peculiarly relating to the same But you see Paul doth here clearly distinguish two covenants The one of saith the other of Circumcision This will further appear in Gal. 3.3 Are ye so foolish that having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect in the flesh Where he again distinguisheth two covenants the one Spiritual the other a fleshly covenant The Gallatians having at the first hearing of him begun to imbrace the Gospel or the Spirit or Spiritual word of the New Covenant and now they would join the covenant of works in the flesh with the Gospel which it is evident he means the covenant of circumcision which here they would seek to be perfected by Therefore in Gal. 4. lâ—tter end he clearly distinguisheth between two Covenants under the figure of Sarah and Hagar and two seeds holding forth the covenant of Circumcision to be the covenant of works and to be that bond-woman as it were in chap. 5.1 2 3. Chap. 6.12 13. So that if you will seriously mind these Scriptures they do most evidently prove that the covenant of Circumcision made in the flesh or fleshly line of Abraham is a covenant of works and that which the Gospel or Covenant of grace is set in opposition to and as this covenant of Circumcision is set in opposition to the covenant of eternal life as having all the works of the Law included in it So consider the new covenant speaks thus I will put my Law in your hearts and in your minds will I write them But Circumcision is a covenant not in the heart but in the flesh only as you have heard This is the second ground why the covenant of Circumcision cannot be a covenant of eternal life but a covenant of works only The third reason to prove Circumcision to be a Covenant of works an not of eternal life 3. Argument to prove Circumcision a Covenant of Works is Because that there is no promise of eternal life in it but of temporal blessings in the Land of Canaan and that God promising himself to be a God is only in that respect as to outward Protection and Provision in the Land of Canaan and other like privileges And that is noted by the Apostle in Heb.
8.6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent Ministery by how much also he is a Mediator of a better covenant which was established upon better promises Herein he clearly doth shew that the covenant waxing old and vanishing away was grounded upon worse promises which must needs be understood temporal promises as in Jerem. 11.2 3 4 5. Hear ye the words of this Covenant and speak unto the men of Judah and Inhabitants of Jerusalem and say unto them Thus saith the Lord God of Israel Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this Covenant which I commanded your Fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt from the Iron Furnace saying Obey my voice and do them according to all which I command you So shall ye be my people and I will be your God that I may perform the Oath that I have sworn unto your Fathers to give them a Land flowing with milk and honey as it is this day then answered I and said So be it O Lord. Where you have this Covenant of Gods being his peoples God and giving them Canaan annexed to the works of the Law as being all one covenant Observe the words in the Text So shall ye be my people and I will be your God that I may perform the Covenant which I have sworn to your Fathers to give them a Land flowing with Milk and Honey You shall see that the promises of Canaan and the blessings thereof are annexed to the Law of works Deut. 30.15 See I have set before thee life and good and death and evil In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God to walk in his waies and to keep his commandments and Statutes and his Judgements that thou mayst live and multiply and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the Land whither thou goest to possess it And so in the last verse where he presseth the people to obey his voice that they might dwell in the Land that the Lord sware unto their Fathers to Abraham Isaac and Jacob to give them And so in Deut. 7.12 13. Wherefore it shall come to pass that if you hearken to those Judgements to keep and do them that then the Lord shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy that he sware to thy Fathers and he will love thee and bless thee and multiply thee he will also bless thee in the fruit of thy womb and the fruit of thy Land thy Corn and thy Wine and thine Oyl the increase of thy Kine and the flock of thy Sheep in the Land which he sware unto thy Fathers to give thee So that you see the covenant of God giving himself a God to the National people of the Jews in relation to the blessing of Canaan was still upon obedience to the works of the Law that this covenant which God elected to himself the body of Israel in and by which he seperated them to himself from all the Nations of the Earth it is clear was a covenant of works wherein the people were bound to outward observance and worship and service to God Upon this Condition would God be their God and give them Canaan For there is a vast difference in Gods making over himself to be a God to a People in a conditional covenant of Works out of Christ and in an absolute covenant established of God in Christ For in such a covenant he was never the God of the whole family of Abraham or Church of Israel the elect obtained that the rest were hardned as in Rom. 11.17 4. Argument to prove Circumcision a Covenant of Works The fourth ground is this That a man by laying out a little money might have brought a Person into this Covenant and interessed him thereby into all the Privileges of the same which if this were a covenant of life wherein the Spirit and Spiritual gifts of the Lord had been given a man might say as Peter did say to Symon Magus Thy money perish with thee But for that reason most certain it is That this covenant of Circumcision is no spiritual covenant which will appear from the words of the Covenant in Gen. 17.12 13. And he that is eight daies old shall be circumcised among you every man child in your Generations he that is born in the house or bought with money of any stranger which is not of thy seed He that is born in thy house and he that is bought with thy money must needs be circumcised and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant Where observe That all bought with money must be circumcised so that if an Israelite should buy a black Moor or the most savage Heathen in the World he was bound to see him circumcised and being circumcised he was now in that covenant The truth is Circumcision was one of those carnal Ordinances that the Author to the Hebrews in Heb. 9.9 doth speak of that was appointed till the time of Reformation Now the person which the Lord would have circumcised must be of the family of Abraham and that is all the qualifications required For God doth not require a person so and so spiritually qualified as he doth now under the Gospel the Lord gives in general a Law and Commandment unto Abraham That all his Family must be circumcised and that he must see it performed It is not in the institution enjoined that the person that doth circumcise must be a believer neither is it enjoined that the person upon whom it is done must have Disciple-ship or the work of grace but this only He must be one of the Family of Abraham either born in his house or bought with his money and so the slave bought with money was as truly interessed into the covenant of God and the right of eating the Passeover as one born in the house of the seed of Abraham A fifth ground is this 5. Argument to prove Circumcision a Covenant of Works That men out of this Covenant might be saved and such as were really interessed in it might be damned As for Example Lot dwelling in the City of Sodom and all the Godly that day in the whole world excepting Abraham and his house or family were no way interessed in the Covenant of Circumcision yet were saved And Israel who for the multitude of them were as the Sand on the Sea-shore and interessed in this Covenant yet but a Remnant of them were saved as Isai 10.23 Lot is commended to be a just and righteous man and yet this covenant was never made to him nor his seed and posterity the Ammonites and Moabites which were as truly the seed and children of a believer as the seed of Abraham were So you find Job in the Land of Vz in the Book of Job and his four friends and besides those of Jobs friends one of his friends doth intimate several other antient and godly persons in those times as Job 8.8 10. Joh 15.10 For
infatuated and had no ears to hear his plain word They of this opinion do defend the contrary to what purpose should any man seek the conversion of any of Believers children whether formerly of the nation of the Jews or now the nations of the believing Gentiles seeing they are born heirs of a covenant of eternal life and so are in as good a state without conversion and believing and being born again as any other soul by believing and by new birth can be brought into This doctrine tends to justify the Rebellious Jews against John Baptist and against Christ the Sadduces and Pharisees came to Johns Baptism Matthew 3. Saith John O ye Generation of Vipers who hath forwarned you to fly from the wrath to come bring for 〈◊〉 fruits meet for repentance and think not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our Father John you see would have this people to be converted to intitle them to this covenant of Grace and so to baptism which is an Ordinance of the same covenant and not so much as think so erroneously as if being children to Abraham according to the flesh should intitle them to the same therefore saith he think not within your selves we have Abraham to our Father and we are his children according to the flesh and therefore we need not a work of conversion or true Repentance to intitle us to the privileges of the covenant such as was baptism And also in John 8.31 and forwards saith Christ unto some Jews unto whom he spake If you abide in my words then are you my Disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free and then you shall be free indeed They answered him We be Abrahams children and never were in bondage to any How sayest thou then We shall be made free Where you may observe these wicked obstinate Jews were of the same opinion that they were in a state of happiness good enough by generation by being Abrahams seed according to the flesh Jesus answereth Who so committeth sin is the servant of sin and the Servant abideth not in the house for ever We find Christ afterwards tells these Sons of Abraham that they were so far from being the adopted sons of God in a covenant of life that they were of their Father the Devil and these same persons Christ speaks to in verse the 24. telling them Except they believed Christ was he they should dy in their sins Christ was far from this opinion as to think that covenant of Circumcision to be a covenant of life but he doth throughly reprehend them for this groundless confidence which error was the main obstacle that hindered the Jews from faith and repentance because they thought it intituled them to happiness enough to be of the stock of Abraham and to be born heirs of the covenant of Circumcision This very rotten opinion was to them one of the Devils sleights to lull them asleep in a carnal and unconverted condition they thought that needed not which thought of theirs had been true enough provided all the children of Abraham had by generation interest in the covenant of life which other men could have no interest in without regeneration But Christ you see presseth a necessity of conversion to these children of Abraham that at the present were as fully interessed in the covenant of Circumcision as Abraham himself even to Nicodemus which was a Ruler of the Jews Christ presseth a necessity thereof to him and also labours by a parable in Luke 16. to convince those sottish Jews that one might be the seed of Abraham according to the flesh and yet be irrecoverably damned and therefore he brings in the rich man in Hell speaking thus Father Abraham I pray thee send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my tongue And Abraham is brought in owning him to be his Son speaking thus My Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things Where you may observe That the man in Hell irrecoverably damned owns Abraham to be his Father and Abraham also doth acknowledge him to be his Son My Son saith Abraham where you clearly see man may be a Son of Abraham and yet damned thou hadst thy good things in this life but Lazarus his evil things Ezekiel 18.9 10. where a just man is presupposed to beget a son that is a Robber and a Shedder of blood and that goes out in all manner of wickedness and that in Israel Wherein observe Abraham owns no other privilege belonged to the rich man by virtue of being the Son of Abraham but what was in this life or in this world Hell was his best portion in the world to come which if he had been born heir to the covenant of life how then could Abrahams affirmation have been true Beloved Let all ingenuous Spirits that are not willing to walk blind-fold consider how contrary to the whole tenor of the Gospel this opinion is and how destructive to this fundamental principle of the Gospel the necessity of Christ of Regeneration and destroys all sense of the necessity of conversion and helps to harden men to destruction as it did the blind Jews who as it appears were fully blinded in the receipt of that opinion that being Abrahams seed according to the flesh interessed them in happiness and eternal life Fourthly This opinion destroys the doctrine of the new covenant and the nature of it and the manner of Gods making of it with the soul for to make a new covenant with the soul is to write the Law of God in a mans heart and in his mind and to infuse saving knowledge and faith by which God unites the soul to himself and so pardons all his sins and without any condition considered in the creature binds over himself to be their God freely in Christ and binds over himself to own them to be his people And only thus and no otherwise is God said to make his new covenant with a poor soul Whereas this dream would seem to bear you in hand that a whole nation may be in a new covenant and have it made with them and yet have none of all this work wrought in their hearts Fifthly This opinion destroys the doctrine of Justification by faith in Christ only seeing that it doth hold out another way than by faith to come to Justification which is by carnal birth of beleeving parents for if a soul be admitted into a Covenant of life I hope you are not ignorant that Justification is a great privilege in the new covenant and really the portion of all that are in that covenant Sixthly This opinion destroys the Doctrine and foundation of all Gospel Churches where it is held which will appear by two things First It destroys the matter of the Church you know that this is a fundamental truth that the matter of the Church ought now under the Gospel to be Saints by calling 1 Cor. 1.2 Spiritual
unbelieving Jews the true fleshly seed of Abraham that the Apostle Paul affirms the contrary Acts 19.9 But when divers were hardened and believed not but spake evil of that way before the multitude he departed from them and Acts 13.45 46. But when the Jews saw the multitude they were filled with envy and spake against those things that were spoken by Paul contradicting and blaspheming then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life Lo we turn to the Gentiles for so hath the Lord commanded us and v 50. the Iews stirred up the devout and honorable women and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas but they shook off the dust of their feet against them and therefore Paul is plain in Rom. 11. saying That God had a certain number that were of the eternal election among the Iews those obtained right to the remission of sins and the rest were blinded and hardened but it should seem to be the general understanding of those that urge this Text for a covenant in the flesh That if they were the seed of the Jews though they were not called nor did not believe but were hardned in their continuance in unbelief yet this promise of remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost belongs to them and this interpretation that this Text must have to defend a covenant in the flesh which I leave to any intelligent man to consider how greatly erroneous it is to affirm that the promise of the remission of sins belongs to the unbelieving and hardened children of the Iews that God hath nor nor doth call So that you may clearly see that the truth lyes in this text that the promise is to no more of Fathers nor children nor those afar off but such as God by his especial grace doth call to be the Sons of of God by faith An answer to that text 1 Cor. 7.14 Another Scripture made use of or rather abused and wrested to defend this error is 1 Cor. 7.14 The unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctifyed by the believing husband else were your children unclean but now are they holy whence is gathered by those of that opinion that this holiness is as they call it a federal holiness of a covenant holiness that is to say God having taken the believing parent with the child into covenant with himself the child is in this sense holy that is covenant-holy Now for the better understanding this Text I pray consider how and in what sense God takes persons into Covenant with himself and that as you have heard is two waies either he takes souls to himself in a typical covenant so he took Israel to himself in that covenant and in that sense they may be said to be separated from the rest of the World which separation of them from the rest of the World to himself is a holiness that the carnal Iew was only partaker of such a typical and legal holiness that people being separated from all other nations in the world to God in this covenant now the word holy signifies so much as separating or setting apart and in this sense the Vessels of the Temple were holy as also the Priests being by Law set apart from the rest of Israel to offer the bread of their God Now in the 2d. place there is also a new covenant or a covenant of life that God takes a people to himself which is to write his Law in their hearts in their minds to sanctify thē to justify them Now this internal holiness which God as an effect of that Covenant infuseth into the heart is only this new Covenant-holiness for there is no other holiness that relates to the new Covenant when the heart and the inward man shall be purified through faith And when the whole heart and affections are by the powerful work of Gods grace separated from sin and those vanities below to heaven and heavenly things this is the only holiness that the covenant of eternal life conveys to souls The Hypocrite may have this in appearance but the elect and chosen have this only in truth he puts no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by faith and he hath by one offering for ever perfected them that are sanctified Heb. 10. this sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth goes alwaies together 2 Thes 2.13 Therefore it is impossible that this should be the meaning of the Text that all believers carnal seed are in a covenant of eternal life and so have their hearts purified and sanctified through the work of the Spirit and faith before they are born and in this sense are born holy I know no other sanctification the Scripture speaks of belonging to a covenant of grace and eternal life and for that external or typical holyness in an outward covenant it cannot be because that was abolished through Christs death as appears in Heb. 8.9 chapters therefore far be it from the Apostle to intend here the countenancing of any such erronious opinion as that every believers Child was by virtue of his first birth internally holy with that holiness of truth as the Apostle calls it Ephes 4.24 If you please therefore hearken to the true meaning of this text which is to this effect The Corinthians having sent several doubts and questions to the Apostle to resolve and answer as appears in the first verse of this chapter he answereth them particularly and it seems among the rest they had a Jewish question started grounded as we suppose upon Ezra 9. Deut. 7.2 where you find it was unlawful for a Jew to marry with a stranger therefore Ezra caused all those men that had taken them strange wives to put them away as not lawfully married because contrary and against the Law given to them therefore they were to put them away and the children born of them as illegitimate and unclean in an unlawful fellowship These Corinthians it seems did propound in writing to the Apostle this question whether such of them as had unbelieving husbands and wives yet reimaining in idolatry might lawfully abide with them in that fellowship in the marriage-bed and whether that fellowship were not unclean and unlawfull as in Ezra's time Unto this question the Apostle answers verse 12. To the rest speak I not the Lord. If any Brother hath a Wife that believeth not and she be pleased to dwell with thim let him not put her away and the woman which hath a husband which believeth not and if he be pleased to dwell with her let her not leave him But also might they say why is not our marriage fellowship unclean Therefore in ver 14. saith he The unbelieving wife is sanctifyed as the Geneva Translation hath it to the believing Husband or else were your children
is grounded upon an error and a mistake taking for granted that a man may be a believer and in a state of grace and yet void of spiritual power to perform obedience to the Commands of God and that a man that is a Christian may know such a thing to be a Command of God and yet left without ability to perform obedience to the same I judge this is a dangerous error and contrary to Scripture For God doth at the very first conversion put his Law in the heart of his child as in Heb. 8.10 and as in Ezek. 36.26 27. God is said to put his Spirit in them to that end to cause them to walk in his waies therefore in some measure doubtless God doth give his people power to obey him as in Ezekiel 11.19 20. I will give them one heart and I will put a new Spirit within them and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and I will give them an heart of flesh that they may walk in my Statutes and keep my Ordinances and do them and they shall be my people and I will be their God Whence you may observe That Gods main drift in making his Covenant and giving his Spirit into the hearts of his people is that they may keep his Ordinances and be able to walk in his waies Therefore at the first Conversion of Paul God puts in him a disposition to obedience for saith he Lord what wouldst thou have me to do in Acts 9. and so in Acts 2.37 when they through the belief of Peters Sermon were pricked at the heart they cryed out Men and Brethren what shall we do So you see there was a disposition of heart in their first Conversion to be doing what God should command and teach them to be his will So we find God gives them power to submit as soon as his will was revealed for if not so we should lay an aspersion upon God that he should enter into a covenant with a Soul by way of engagement and yet neglect to make good his promise which is to put his Spirit in him and to cause him to walk in his waies And again further God gives to every believer the power of believing by virtue of which he is enabled to fetch virtue from Christ his head to strengthen him to duty and to resist sin therefore the Apostle thus reasons in the 2 Cor. 7.1 â— Dearly Beloved seeing you have these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and perfecting holiness in the fear of God Whence observe the Apostle takes for granted the soul having great and precious promises and faith to draw virtue from them should thereby oppose sin and perfect holiness in the fear of God For though it is true God works to will and to do of his good pleasure yet it is constantly and unfailingly his good pleasure thus to work more or less in a soul that is in him thus by faith And a believer by faith ought to look at himself in a capacity to draw Water out of those Wells of salvation for else what difference between a child of God and a wicked man the form of godliness and the power if a child of God must be forced to live in a course of disobedience to the solemn worship of God for want of power to obey And by the same rule we must take for granted that a child of God may be in a state of Grace and want power to resist sin and upon this ground plead excuse for drunkenness and covetousness and theft or uncleanness and say though he is a believer yet he wants power to resist and conquer these sins Beloved thus for any to plead would be very absurd and contrary to the truth and the nature of a Christian in a state of grace And further observe the deceit lying in this objection Hath not God given thy soul power to hear the word of God and to read and to meditate and to pray and that some times earnestly and fervently to God and is it likely that there wants power to perform obedience to this Ordinance of baptism any more than thou doest perform prayer or other duties which require the same spiritual power upon due examination what enabling power is required in the one more than in the other Again consider thou dost in this walk by sense and not by faith contrary to the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. who saith We walk by faith not by sight it is a very childish thing in a Christian to walk by sense only when he feels strength and power sensibly then he thinks himself able to perform duty and resist sin but when he feels not ability and power then to neglect it Whereas contrary to this Christ saith to Paul in the 2 Cor. 12. My power shall be made perfect in your weakness my grace shall be sufficient for you and as after Paul expresseth himself When I am weak then am I strong When Paul was made most sensible of his own weakness in himself then was the time for Paul to be made most strong by Faith in the strength of another Therefore in Isaiah 45.24 In thee Lord have I righteousness and strength In him shall they boast And the Psalmist saith in Psalm 73 â—4 Though my heart fail and flesh fail yet God will never fail he is the strength of my life and my portion for ever So that when in a mans own sense his heart fails his flesh fails then is the only time for God strength to appear in his weakness this is the way of living by faith and the way which Gods believing children have been carryed therefore we find Jonah when in his own sense he was cast out of Gods sight then he resolved to look towards Gods holy Temple and cryed to God out of the belly of Hell as in Jonah 2. therefore surely this objection hath no weight in it Object But some other soul may say I grant the practice of baptism to be an Ordinance of God and the way of such Churches that walk under the baptism of believers to be that only justifiable practice in the Gospel and could willingly walk with them and be baptized were it not for their rigidness in that they will have no Communion with any though godly that are not baptized Answ To this I answer by way of distinction between Church-union and Communion and personal Union and Communion Now if we find a soul not baptized nor joined to any Church and happily ignorant of baptism yet if I have ground in my own heart to judge that soul to be godly and not an enemy to the truth and Gospel of Christ but a soul willing to hear and learn what truth God shall further reveal unto him and so having ground to judge such a soul to have union and personal communion with the Lord in such a case I ought to immitate the Lord in owning a Communion with such a Christian in
that generation must needs be born heirs to if they were born heirs of a covenant of grace which if this should be asserted as it is by those who defend childrens baptism Then this fundamental point of Religion must needs be denyed that all mankind are by nature the children of wrath Ephes 2.2 and that all both Jews and Gentiles are charged under sin Rom. 3.9 And there is none righteous no not one But be it known to you this is a fundamental doctrine of truth generally acknowledged by all the godly That we are dead in sins and trespasses wherein in times past we walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom also we had our conversation in times past in the lust of the flesh and of the mind and were children of wrath by nature as well as others Now the Apostle Paul affirmeth this to be equally the state of himself who was born in the Church of Israel as well as the Gentiles and David doth affirm this of all in general Psalm 14.2 3. which the Apostle Paul urgeth in Rom. 3.9 forwards speaking of himself and the rest of the National Churches of the Jews What are we saith he better than they meaning than the Gentiles No in no wise for we have before proved that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin as it written there is none righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God they are all gone out of the way they are together become abominable there is none that doth good no not one And in Psalm 51. David saith I was conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity who was a child of the Church of God as it is usually termed But beloved this doctrine is clear in Scripture and clearly experienced by every Godly Christian which truth must needs be overthrown if the whole body of Israel were born adopted Sons and heirs of a covenant of eternal life born heirs of Justification then they were never heirs of wrath nor in a state of damnation nor never proved nor charged under sin nor never all unrighteous because born heirs of a covenant of Grace aad of righteousness nor never born dead in sins and trespasses for that is inconsistent with being in a covenant of grace and life This opinion of holding the covenant of grace to be intailed in the flesh opposing it self so directly against this forementioned foundation of Religion must needs be a gross error so considered The second fundamental point of Religion that this error opposeth it self against is stability in a covenant of eternal life it cannot be imagined that I should much insist upon proving this Doctrine of stability in grace to be a fundamental truth I shall take that for granted from the nature of the new covenant in several Scriptures before recited as in Psalm 125. They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion which cannot be removed but as the Mountains are round about Jerusalem so shall the Lord be about them from this time forth and for ever And in Psal 89.33 If thy children sin I will afflict them with the rods of men but my loving kindness will I not utterly take from them nor suffer my faithfulness to fail My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth But taking this for granted to be a truth that all born in the Church of the Jews were born heirs of his stable Covenant and so were really and in truth in the covenant of grace then most of the Church of Israel that were in a covenant of grace were damned and not saved as Isaiah 10.22 23. Though Israel were as the sand of the Sea yet a Remnant of them were saved only And so Isaiah with Rom. 9.27 28 31. But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness hath not obtained to the Law of righteousness Paul saith Rom. 11.5 There was a Remnant according to the election of grace and in verse 7. how they obtained it but the rest were hardened all but the remnant were blinded and hardened Therefore if such multitudes as the sand of the Sea were all really in a covenant of grace most of them must be understood to fall out of the covenant and so to fall out of the covenant of life This is another fundamental truth that this opinion is fully against defending that souls may be truly in a covenant of eternal life and yet perish and be damned The third foundation that this error overthrows is The necessity of Conversion or Regeneration which doctrine is eminently confirmed by Christ in the Gospel as a fundamental truth John 3.4 5. where Christ speaking to Nichodemus tells him th except a man be born again of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God And likewise in John 8.24 Except ye believe that I am he ye shall dy in your sins And John 3. two last verses He that believeth not the wrath of God abideth on him and he shall not see life The before mentioned errors that holds a covenant of life running in the flesh upon the carnal seed opposeth it self against this for might the carnal seed of Israel say to Christ why do you preach such a doctrine to us That except you be born again you cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven We affirm the contrary seeing by the first birth we have an interest in the covenant of grace and eternal life already without believing and being born again and so are entered into the Kingdom of God and the privileges thereof Whereas you say That except you believe that I am he you shall dy in your sins why doth Christ pronounce death without believing seeing we are acquainted with another way to enter into life than the way of believing which is to be begotten of one of the church or a believer We find the Holy Ghost in the 1 John 5. saith He that hath Christ hath life he that hath not Christ hath not life No saith this error there were thousands that were interessed in life without having Christ that is to say by carnal generation Saith the Apostle There is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved but by the name of Jesus Yea saith this error There is another name by which we may come into a covenant of eternal life and so to be saved so that here lies the case where Christ in the Gospel powerfully affirms no other way to life but by believing regeneration and coming to Jesus Christ This opinion destroys all these testimonies opening another door of entrance into the covenant of life besides this and that by fleshly generation though Christ saith to Nicodemus Joh. 3. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit as if souls were