cation of thy soul before God, and for Regeneration to newness of life, by means of calling upon God in faith, to obtain from Him His effectual co-operation in the Sacrament."

MATTHEW HENRY, in his exposition of these words, says: "Receive the comfort of the pardon of thy sins in and through Jesus Christ; and receive power against sin, for the mortifying of thy corruption; for our being 'washed' includes being both justified and sanctified. Rest not in the sign, but make sure of the thing signified, the putting away of the filth of sin."

POOLE'S Continuator, is, if possible, still more explicit. He remarks: "As washing causeth the spots to disappear, and to be as if they had not been, so does pardoning Mercy, or the Remission of sins, which accompanieth Baptism as in the true receiver, 1. Pet. iii. 21, 22. Where true faith is together with the profession of it by Baptism, there is * Salvation promised, Mar. xvi. 16. In the mean while, it is not the water, but it is the Blood of Christ which is thereby signified, that cleanseth us from our sins. Yet Sacraments are not empty and deceitful signs, but God accompanieth His own ordinances with His Power from on high, and makes them effectual for those great things for which he instituted and appointed them."

* Regeneration is included in Salvation. Joh. iii. 3.

HAMMOND and WHITBY explain the text, as if Baptism conveyed only remission to penitent and believing Saul. But 1st. *"aμagría" includes original and actual sin. For it literally means every "wandering from the mark" of duty. And 2dly. "Washing" when used in a Religious sense, principally refers to the sin of the heart, and to taking it away; as in Job. ix. 30, Ps. li. 5-7, Is. i. 16, Jer. iv. 14, 1. Cor. vi. 11, Rev. i. 5, vii. 14.

Hence it is concluded, that Baptism was proposed to Saul for the reception of the pardon of his offences, and for the purifying of his heart; or, in other words, Baptism was proposed to Saul as the mean of Regeneration.

5. Rom. vi. 3-11. "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the Glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin; for he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with

* See Suicer Thesaur. Eccl. in voc.

Christ we believe we shall also live with Him; knowing that, Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that He died, He died unto sin once; but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

*BASIL says;

In reference to this passage, "He that is baptized into the death of the Lord, is conformed to His death, that is, he is dead to sin, to himself, and to the world. He that by Baptism is crucified with Christ, is entirely separated from all those who live according to this world; so that he can truly and boldly say, 'Our conversation is in heaven.' For he that is dead is free from sin,' is cleansed from all sin. Now indeed, our inward man being conformed to Christ in newness of life, we perform acts of obedience to Him, so that we can say with truth, 'I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me'."

CHRYSOSTOM observes; "What do these words mean? They mean that we die as He did. For what the cross and the sepulchre were to Christ, that was Baptism to us, though not in the same respects. For He died to the flesh, and was buried; but we are dead and buried unto sin.

* De Baptismo, lib. 1. pp. 657, 658. tom. 1. ed. Paris.
+ Ad Rom. cap. 6.

His was the death of the flesh; our's the death of sin. This was as real as that.-If thou hast had communion with Him in his death and burial, much more wilt thou have it in His resurrection and life. And how a resurrection? sin being mortified, and righteousness beginning, and thy former life having ceased, and a new and angelic life prevailing."

JEROME thus comments upon the text; "He *(St. Paul) shews, that we are baptized for these reasons; that by the mystery we may be buried together with Christ, dying to our sins, and renouncing our former life, that like as the Father is glorified by the Resurrection of the Son, so also He should receive honour from all in consequence of our new conversation.-Reckon thyself crucified by Baptism, who wast made a member of His body."

AMBROSE says; +"Baptisma mors peccati est, ut alia sequatur nativitas."

AUGUSTINE held the same opinion. In his answer to Pelagius, who denied original sin, he asks him; "Are not the words of the Apostle concerning Baptism, when he says, 'As many of us as were baptized in Christ, were baptized in

* Ad Rom.

+ Comment, in Ep. ad Rom. His excellent notes are too long for insertion.

Contra Jul. Pelag. Lib. 1. cap. 28.

His death'? He so explains it, as to say, that he who is baptized in Christ, dies unto sin, as Christ died in the flesh; because, to be baptized in the death of Christ is nothing else than to die unto sin. Unto what sin, therefore, does an Infant die, if it has not contracted original sin? For are not Infants baptized in the death of Christ? seeing the Apostle does not say, some of us, but, 'As many of us as were baptized in Christ, were baptized in His death'.”

It may be thought that the passage has been sufficiently opened; but I will just introduce to the reader's notice one or two Expositors besides, who put it in rather a different, though not a clearer, point of view.

SECKER says; "The practice of baptizing, by immersing the person under water, thereby burying him, as it were, in the water, and raising him out of it, was anciently the more usual method: on which account, St. Paul speaks of Baptism, as representing both the death, and burial, and resurrection of Christ, and what is grounded upon them, our being dead and buried to sin, renouncing it, and being acquitted of it; and our rising again, to walk in newness of life; being both obliged and enabled to practise, for the future, every duty of piety and virtue. The other manner of baptizing, by pouring or sprinkling water, sufficiently expresses the same two things: our being