upon us his Grace Tit. 8.5 that we may be saved through the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the H. Ghost According to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.11 the place before mentioned But you are washed but ye are sanctified but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God Where as those words In the name of the Lord Jesus refers to being justified so those words By the Spirit of God refers to their being washed and sanctified So in that place of Ezekiel cap. 36.25 After he had said That he would sprinkle them with clean water it follows as an explication of it vers 26 27 A new heart will I also give you and a new spirit will I put into you c. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes All which doth sufficiently shew that in this Washing with water the Lord ingages to give the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys orat 1. de resur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fourthly We receive hereby a Promise of Resurrection unto life Though we by going into the water profess that we are willing to take up the Cross and dye for Christs sake yet on Gods parts this action of going into and coming out of the water again did signifie that he would bring such persons to live again That he would not leave their soul in grave nor suffer his holy one to see corruption And this according to Chrysostome a very judicious Interpreter who was so full of the Spirit of Saint Paul that he dreamt sometime that he appeared to him is the meaning of that difficult place 1 Cor. 15.29 Else what shall they do that are baptized for the dead c. i. e. for their dead bodies Why do they profess in Baptism that they believe the Article of the Resurrection of the dead among the rest of the Articles of Christian faith Why are they baptized into the hope and expectation of it of which saith he the Minister gives them a sign or symbole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the things themselves that he doth putting them in and taking them out of the water which is a sign of their descending into the state of the dead and their ascending up from thence Now what good do they receive by Baptism if they shall not rise again but remain alwayes in the grave If any think it harsh to render these words For their dead bodies by these For the resurrection of their dead bodies which in Baptism we profess to believe it is only for want of skill in the short manner of speaking which the Hebrews use And methinks they may otherwise be interpreted to the same sense more plainly after this manner Why are they baptized for their dead bodies i. e. for the benefit and profit of their dead bodies for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes the end which an Agent intends in an action as Gal. 1.4 who gave himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some have it which is of the same force for to take away our sins and there can be no end upon our dead bodies which we can have but that they may live again therefore for this end we are baptized that they may rise from the dead which if they should not we should lose saith the Apostle the great benefit which in Baptism was consigned and to what purpose should we use that Rite It may be replied that I have already mentioned many other purposes which render it sufficiently beneficial But if it be considered how near sin and death are one to the other we shall conclude that so must remission of sin and the resurrection from the dead go together and that if the one be not believed we may easily doubt of the other or at the best we shall make forgiveness lame and very imperfect while this great punishment of sin viz. Death remains unremoved Luther indeed in his version of the Bible gives another interpretation of this place but sutable to my present discourse which is grounded Dilheirus thinks upon that practise I mentioned of Baptizing in the places where the Martyrs were nterred The sense whereof is this as one that understands the language interprets it to me What mean they to be baptized Uber Den Toden over the dead To strengthen saith Luther in his gloss upon the words or confirm the Resurrection they used to baptize Christians Vber den Toden grahern over the graves of the dead the intention whereof was to shew that the same the very self same person should rise again But I doubt we shall not find that custom so antient as St. Pauls days wherein there had been but few Martyrs and therefore I wave it thinking the other more clear and proper If any one like it then from both me may conclude that the waâ—â—rs of Baptism are like the waters of heaven which falling upon the dry earth and the dead roots of plants makes them spring forth and live again It gives us assurance that we shall not alwayes sleep in our dust but shall spring up and flourish in a better soil even the Garden of God never to die or wither any more And Circumcision seems not to have been without this signification neither for they used to cast the fore-skin cut off into a vessel full of dust to signifie it is like that the circumcised person did renounce the Devil and his lusts by whose impulse Adam sinned and so died and was turned again into dust V. Joseph de Voysin de leg Div. cap. 7. and that he did cast away all that evil concupiscence by which death came into the world hoping that that being buried he should attain the Resurrection of the body and live again To which purpose a very antient book the Zohar applies a place in Job which shews though not the sense of the Scripture yet their sense of Circumcision Job 19.26 In my flesh I shall see God i. e. by Circumcision which was the Covenant of God in their flesh come to immortal life And a tradition they have to this purpose That when a man is signed with this holy mark he is made worthy of the vision of God Fifthly Baptism is not improperly called by Divines a seal of all these things i. e. a Rite whereby the Covenant between God and us is confirmed whereby we assure God of our fidelity and he assures us that as certainly as our bodies are washed with water so certainly will he give us of his Grace if we perform our undertaking continually assist us with the holy Spirit pardon our sins deliver us from the power of the Devil save our souls and at last raise our bodies out of the grave and make them spiritual and immortal and unite both body and soul together iâ—â—â—ernal Glory That conditional Covenant of Grace and Mercy that was sealed before indefinitely by Christs blood
well known that by those three the Jews submitted themselves to the yoak of the Law And it is as commonly known that they say their mothers entred into Covenant only by Baptism Sacrifice and so did some Proselytes by those without Circumcision ingage to worship the one God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and forsaking all Idols to observe him only as that passage of R. Joshuahs clearly shews which is cited by Raymundus He is baptized Pug. Fidei Part. 3. Dist 3. cap. 11. and not circumcised Behold this is a stranger converted for loe we find of our mothers viz. Sarah Rebecca c. that they were baptized but not circumcised Baptism now hath no different signification but only we lay this Ingagement upon our selves to worship the God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to come to him through his Son to embrace that religion which he teaches us from God which is that whereby we are distinguished from Jews Mahometans and all other people in the world who go not to God through this Mediator nor own that blessed Gospel that he hath delivered unto us If any should ask me why by Baptism we should make this Profession rather then any other Rite The answer methinks is easie if what hath been said he considered together with the partiticulars that I shall mention after I have dispatched this general notion of it And besides it seems considerable to me that Moses the Mediator of the Old Covenant did receive the people into it by Baptism and not by Circumcision For it is not only said Exodus 19.10 That they should sanctifie themselves and wash their cloaths but it is likewise plain from Joshuah 5.5 That none were circumcised while they were in the wilderness and they are not all the while reproved or rebuked for it and were notwithstanding within the Covenant which was sure by some Ceremony or other and the Apostle also saith 1 Cor. 10.2 That they were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea God by the covering of the cloud took them under his wings and protection owning them for his people and they passing through the heart of the sea the waters inclosing them round about did profess to trust in God and there to drown all the thoughts of Aegypt which sometimes they feared and sometimes they loved over-much Now as only Baptism and not Circumcision was used when God conducted his people by the visible ministry of Angels who marched with them in the cloud and delivered them from the slavery and bondage of Aegypt by the hand of Moses so God thought fit to use no other way of making Disciples when he sent his own Son to work a greater salvation for us and to be the Mediator of a better Covenant with us of which the antient Jews do not seem to have been altogether ignorant when they say that there shall be such a multitude of Proselytes in the days of the Messiah Vid. Grot. in Mat. 3.6 that they shal be admitted by Baptism only without any Circumcision It may not be unfit to add that all nations used Washings so much that there could not be invented one would think a Rite more likely to be readily received then this The Jews it is plain not only when they admitted persons into Covenant but afterwards also in case of legal pollutions used divers Washings as the Apostles phrase is Heb. 9.10 Three sorts of which I find observed by a learned man Gaulmyn not in vit Moses l. 1. cap. 11. First There were their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Mr. Pocock hath largely shewn that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do not signifie among them alwayes the Washing of the whole body which is to be observed against those that make it now necessary Not. Miscâ—l cap. 9. their daily washings which were introduced by the Pharisees Secondly There were their Baptisms or Immersions of the whole body into water which all the Jews were bound unto in their confessions And thirdly The bathings of their women which they were tied unto seven weeks after their delivery of a child Unto which I may likewise add that Washing was used as a token of innocency and freedom from such guilt as might be thought to cleave to a person which the Psalmist supposeth in that phrase Psalm 26.6 and the book of Deuteronomy plainly expresseth 21. 6 7. They shall wash their hands and say Our hands have not shed this blood c. which perhaps Pilate would imitate having to do with the Jews when he had condemned our Saviour Mat. 27.24 For he washed his hands before the multitude and said I am innocent of the blood of this just man see ye to it as if it had been but an accidental murther or that which he could no more help then if a man had been killed by chance Certain it is the Gentiles likewise used Washings very much not only after murthers but likewise in case of other crimes and also in their admissions of persons into the secrets of some of their Religions for which see (*) De Baptis cap. 5. de Praescrip cap. 40. Tertullian And if there were nothing else to make us believe the Jews used this Ceremony in these cases this might make it very probable for the Gentiles were but their Apes and the Devil as (†) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Apolog. 2. Just Martyr observes in this very case of Baptism took divine Rites and made them do service in his hellish Mysteries They hearing saith he the saying of the Prophet Isa 1. Wash you make you clean c. would have their Worshippers sprinkled with water when they went into their Temples to make an offering yea and be washed all over before they came thither All which being true our blessed Lord might think it fit to innovate as little as he could so to accommodate this significant and innocent Ceremony to his purposes and translate it from the Jews to be a Rite whereby to profess inward purity of body and soul just as he did in the other Sacrament of the Lords Supper wherein he hath made use not only of the bread and wine but as divers have observed of the accustomed words which the Jews then used at the Paschal Supper For so his Wisdom judged it meet to make former Rites serve his own ends rather then introduce strange and unheard of things which had not been known in former times His design was not novelty but truth not his own glory but the good of men and so he conformed himself in this to their practise which that I may speak more particularly is to be considered Secondly As a profession of Repentance from dead works a relinquishing of all ungodliness and worldly lusts so as never more to be friends with them This is taught us not only by the Baptism of John which was administred with confession of sin and is called the Baptism of
Shepherd took no small pleasure in his milk-white Lambs whose outward lustre did but signifie that they were become the Children of the Light and of the day and would have no more fellowship with the unfruitfull works of Darkness Eph. 5. 8 Filesacus l. 1. select cap. 3. 10. Which place some would interpret of Baptism called therefore by the Antients 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Illumination of which those splendid Garments was a fit signification Georg. Fhelavius annot ad Christoph Angel The Greeks at this day put such a Robe upon the Child immediately after Baptism saying Receive this lucid and immaculate Cloathing and bring it before the Tribunal of our Lord Jesus without spot and thou shall have eternal life Amen Certain it is that all true Christians have ever accounted this the great intent of this outward Rite of Baptism to be an Ingagement to Holiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the sense of them all Be clean not only by the washing of thy body but the purgation of thy mind Bath and steep thy soul in holy truths till they have fetcht out all thy filth For even a Jew can say Qui baptizatur sine intentione perinde est ac si non baptizatur Joseph de Voysin de Lege div cap. 7. He that doth not intend that which is meant by Baptism is as if he were unbaptized for it is not dirt saith he and excrementious adherencies that a man washeth away but there is a Resemblance herein of the cleansing of the soul from all filthiness i. e. from those perverse thoughts and evil habits which he professes to forsake by bringing his soul to the waters of Vertue and Knowledge as Ezekiel saith chap. 36.25 Thus Maimon And therefore they well said He that comes from among the Gentiles unto us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the sake of any worldly vanity Buxtorf in vocab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is not a Proselyte of Justice for which cause they used to examine him whether for the hope of gain or honour or compelled with fear he betook himself to their profession and to search whether there were any young man or woman of Israel that the party made love unto because they would have them only out of holy ends undertake their Religion And indeed their rising again coming out of the water did likewise signifie this that they had left their filthiness behind were made new men hence-forward to serve God in Righteousness and Holiness all the dayes of their life 5. It is a Profession of self-denial and taking up the Cross if we meet with it in our Christian course For Waters signifie in Scripture Afflictions and Tribulations which sometimes go over our heads and overwhelm us And accordingly our Saviour speaking of his sufferings Luke 12.50 Mat. 20.22 saith I have a Baptism to be baptized with c. And are you able to be baptized with the Baptism that I am baptized with i. e. to take part with me in my sufferings and indurances here in the world for Gods sake and immediately it follows You shall indeed be baptized with my Baptism you shall be wet in blood and baptized in your own tears and sweat Whosoever puts on Christ takes upon him his sufferings and renounces as you have heard to all those things though never so dear that would devest him of his dearer Saviour or make him false to that Covevant into which he doth enter So the Samanaeans among the Indians as Porphiry tells us L. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as soon as they were chosen to be of the society of those Divines and had that Title they shaved their body and received a Stole or long Robe after which they renounced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all their Estates never thinking of returning to Wife Children or any other thing making no account of them but wholly imploying themselves in the things of God as his words are they lived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without wives or Possessions or their former Injoyments Such a white Garment I told you the Christians sometime received in token of their putting on Christ Jesus the Lord with that they put on new relations and espoused another Interest and did profess to forsake Father Mother Wife Children Houses Lands and all things else for his names sake and to call nothing theirs but only Christ Which likewise we cannot deny they did very antiently represent by signing them with the sign of the Cross innocently enough it is likely till Superstition did abuse it in token of the crucified afflicted condition into which they must be willing to enter if Christ should call them to it And so we may interpret that place 1 Tim. 6.12 Fight the good fight of Faith lay hold on Eternal life whereunto thou art also called and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses i.e. endure sufferings for Christs sake for thou art called unto it and hast professed in Baptism thou wouldst be his faithfull Souldier before many witnesses i.e. saith Hierom before the people of God and his holy Angels thou didst renounce to the world and all the softnesses and vanities thereof and gave up thy self to indure hardship as it is in another place 2 Tim. 2.3 Like a good Sculdier of Jesus Christ For this cause it was perhaps that their Baptisteria V. Dâ—â—â—rum disp dâ—â—ntiq 〈◊〉 funer or Fonts used to he made where some Martyrs had suffered that so they might be put in mind they entred into a War-fare wherein they must resist unto blood striving against sin Our very first Incorporation into Christ is in effect an Expiration to the world and then we begin to die when we begin to live As soon as ever we declare for Christ and are listed into his Milâ—tia the Devil raiseth all his forces against us and we must not expect to march quietly to Heaven You shall read of nothing but sufferings after our Saviours Baptism and most of the rest of his life before for thirty years which we may suppose had less trouble in it the Holy Ghost passes over as if he would tell us that when by Baptism we give our selves to him and become his Children we enter upon a state of sufferings Rev. 7.14 and perhaps must wash our Garments again in the blood of the Lamb. And having thus shewed the greatest Ingagement that it can lay upon us which is to lay down our lives for Christs sake if he require it I shall pass to the next part of this discourse which is to shew what the meaning intent of it is on Gods part what blessings are thereby conveyed back again to us who thus give up our selves to him 2. God by his Minister that doth in his name and by his Authority baptize doth receive the persons so washed into the Injoyment of some priviledges and benefits that otherwayes are not ordinarily to be enjoyed For what is done by his Minister is
as if the hand of God should do it So it is said John 3.23 That Jesus came into Judea and baptized and verse 26. The Jews say to John He to whom thou bearest witness behold the same baptizeth and again cap. 4.1 It is said That Jesus made and baptized more Disciples then John yet verse 2. We are told That Jesus himself baptized not but his Disciples That which Officers and Servants do by Commission and Authority of their Master is accounted to be his Action And so First God receiveth us hereby into his family to be numbred among his people of whom he will have a special care â—o Chrysost speaks to the newly baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the seal as it were of God upon us his Mark and Caracter whereby he owns us for his sheep and knows us from all other so as to have a more particular inspection over us then the rest of the world that make not this profession to indow us with certain peculiar favours even before we are able to perform any part of our Duty unto him It is the door whereby we enter into the Church the Gate that lets us into Christs fold and the first step to fellowship with God and with his people Whence it was the Font you know used to be placed at the door or entrance of the Church V. August l. 2. de Catec rud cap. 1. to signifie that by this we come into the Congregation of Christs Disciples but yet that by Baptism we are brought but to the beginning of Religion and must make a further progress to perfection till we come to the holy place and into a nearer communion with God The Minister likewise used to take the Infants into his arms to signifie I suppose Gods receiving and embracing of them with a loving affection Yea he used to kiss them either to signifie that love of God to them or that they were now of that community and body whom the Apostle bid to salute one another with a holy Kiss And all this is supposed in the word Proselytes or Comers unto God which clearly argues some relative Action of his which is receiving and entertaining them graciously as those he will have in his favour But more particularly Secondly Hereby God receives us into a state of pardon and forgiveness He assures us that Adams sin shall not undo us and that every sin of our own shall not exclude us out of Heaven but that we shall have the benefit of Repentance and an allowance to retract our follies yea and Grace so to do if we will make use of it He admits us into that Covenant of Grace which accepts of Repentance in stead of Innocence and Amendment in stead of an unerring Obedience This is one of the special favours of the Gospel which by Baptism is consigned unto us that former Iniquities shall not be remembred and that every breach of our Covenant if there be a real chanâ—â— wrought in us shall not void it and make it null and ineffectuall unto us So in Mark 1.4 John is said to preach the Baptism of Repentance for Remission of sin And Ananias saith Acts 22.16 Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins And the Greek Church after Baptism sings those words three times Georg. Fhelavius Ib. Blessed is he whose iniquity is forgiven As those who came to the Baptism of John did thereby receive a distinguishing mark and character that they should not be-destroyed in the ruine of the Nation in so much that he saith to the Pharisees that desired Baptism Mat. 3.7 Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come So they that are baptized into Christ do thereby receive a pledge that no sin which they stand guilty of shall bring the anger of God upon their heads if they will keep his Covenant but all shall be crossed out which they are charged with and be like words writ in the water that are obliterated and vanished nowhere any more to be found Thirdly We receive hereby the Promise of the Spirit the Effusion of which Joh. 3.5 is likened to the pouring out of water and so is in Baptism most aptly signified and represented I will pour saith the Prophet waters on him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground i. e. upon the Gentiles who were as a wilderness Isa 44 3 4 5. I will pour my Spirit on thy seed and my blessing upon thy Off-spring and they shall spring up as among the grass c. In which place that there may be a Prediction of Baptism it is very probable for thus much some of the Jews do acknowledge that the Prophet speaks of Gentiles that should be Proselytes and called by the name of Israel and we Christians know that we are Abrahams seed and that this Promise hath a respect to the times of the Gospel Rasi out of R. Nathan thus glosses upon the fifth verse There are four sorts of Converts here spoken of one shall say I am the Lords (*) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are they that are Proselytes of Justice or the most perfect Converts And another shall call himself by the name of Jacob (†) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are the little Ones of the ungodly And another shall subscribe with his hand to the Lord (‖) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are the Penitents or the men that repent and surname himself by the name of Israel (*) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are the strangers i. e. those that observed the Precepts of the sons of Noah and particularly renounced Idolatry and therefore this part of the verse is by another rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that fear God Where observe V. Raimund pug fidei par 2. cap. 14. that he calls one sort of these Converts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the little ones who were not thought it seems to be unmeet to be made members of a Church and were not judged by their fathers admission to be received but were distinctly admitted by themselves by the decree as they tell us of the house of Judgement And observe likewise that all these Proselytes being said to spring as it were out of the water * So Chrysost calls the new baptized persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Orat. prima secunda de Resurrect these words may well be a Prophesie of Christian Baptism to which a promise of the Spirit is annexed which is very well signified by water for as that cleanses and purifies from filth so the Spirit of God called upon this account the Holy Ghost is the Sanctifier of Gods people purging and cleansing their hearts from all impurities This being therefore the great work of the Spirit so well represented by water we must conclude that when the Minister washeth us in Gods name God thereby promiseth that he will be assistant to us by the holy Ghost that he will send