Mr. Poole's Continuators also obferve"It is from this (John iii. 23.) apparent, that John baptized by dipping the body in water elfe he need not have fought places where had been a great plenty of water."

There is one account more in the word of truth, relative to the administration of this ordinance, which we will just notice. We have, in the preceding part of our difcourfe, given fome account of the Ethiopian Eunuch, who, having profeff ed his faith in the Son of God, was confidered as a proper fubject of Baptism We continue the narrative :" And he commanded the chariot to stand still; and they went down BOTH into the water, both Philip and the Eunuch, and he baptized him : And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the Eunuch faw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing." The objections which have been made by fome learned perfons, as to the natural import of the words of the inspired writer, namely, that the Greek

pre

prepofitions, rendered in our tranflation down into the water and up out of the water, fometimes fignify down UNTO, and up FROM, are trivial indeed: efpecially, when we confider that the facred scriptures were written not to perplex but to instruct the children of men-yea, to inform the plain humble followers of the Lamb of God; many of whom never faw a Greek Lexicon, and have no knowledge of the meaning of words in any other language than their own.-Befides, many learned Pædobaptifts appear perfectly fatisfied with our tranflation, and have made conceffions greatly in favour of the practice of immerfion. Calvin, whom I have before mentioned, in his obfervations on this paffage, writes as follows; "Here we perceive how Baptifm was adminiftered among the ancients; for they immerfed the whole body in water."-Booth's Pædobap.Ex. Vol.I.194.

In Mr. Burkitt's Expofition of the 38th verse of this chapter (Acts viii.) he remarks "Obferve the manner of the adminiftration of Baptism to the Eunuch; he went

down

down into the water, and was baptized by Philip In thofe hot countries, it was usual

:

fo to do; and we do not oppose the lawfulnefs of dipping in fome cafes, but the neceffity of dipping in all cafes "

Dr. Doddridge has faid-" It would be very unnatural to fuppofe, that they (Philip and the Eunuch) went down to the water, merely that Philip might take up a little water in his hand to pour on the Eunuch a perfon of his dignity had, no doubt, many veffels in his baggage, on fuch a journey, through fo defart a country; a precaution abfolutely neceffary for travellers in thofe parts, and never omitted by them."-[Fam. Expofi. on Acts viii. 38.

If additional evidence was requifite to prove that immerfion is the fcriptural mode of adminiftering the ordinance of Baptifm, I would call your ferious attention to those parts of the facred oracles where the word is metaphorically ufed, and alfo where there is an allufion to this ordinance.

The fufferings of the incarnate Son of God-all thofe deep and dolorous diftreffes

which he experienced, when, as the furety of his chofen people, he bore their fins and › carried their forrows-when the waves and the billows of divine wrath overwhelmed his holy Soul-these are termed a baptifm.

In the awful profpect of that important hour, he faid to his difciples-" I have a baptifm to be baptized with, and how am I ftraitened till it be accomplished !" Luke xii. 50. Great afflictions, in the word of truth, are frequently represented under the idea of deep waters and overwhelming floods." Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it." Song of Solomon, viii. 7. Again" Save me, O God! for the waters are come in unto my foul: I fink in deep mire where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me." Pf, lxix, 1-4. These ftrong and ftriking figures are used by the infpired Pfalmift, to reprefent the fufferings of the Bleffed Jefus : this appears from what follows" They that hate me with

Qut

out a caufe are more than the hairs of mine head:-Then I reftored that which I took not away." (See alfo John xv, 25.) Which is most expreffive upon this fubject, an infant being fprinkled, or a perfon being folemnly immerfed in water?-Judge ye.

Dr. Doddridge, in his paraphrase on the 12th chapter of Luke, refers to the above paffage; his words are" I have, indeed, a moft dreadful baptifm to be baptized with, and know that I fhall be thortly bathed as it were in blood, and plunged in the most overwhelming diftrefs."

Mr. Poole's Continuators, in the annotations on Matt. xx, 22. infert as follows "To be baptized is to be dipped in water; metaphorically, to be plunged in afflictions. I am (faith Chrift,) to be baptized with blood; overwhelmed with fufferings and afflictions."

Correfponding with thefe ideas is the language of the Apoftle, when he alludes to Baptifm, and mentions it as a motive to holy converfation :" Therefore, we are buried with him by baptifm into death;

that