the Peril of your Salvation if you do not But Preaching of it, we think it very hard we 1 The Second Thing I obferve from these Words is this, That our Saviour here fo puts his Propofition, as to make Baptism as neceffary a Condition of Salvation as Believing; for he doth not fay, Whosoever believeth fhall be faved, but thus, Whosoever believeth, and is baptized, fhall be faved: He joins them both together. What are we to learn from hence? that Jefus Chrift has laid as great a Strefs upon an outward Ceremony, as he hath done upon an inward Virtue? No, by no means: But this; that the Belief of Chriftianity, without taking the Profeffion of it upon us, and obliging ourfelves to live according to it, is not fufficient. A Man will perhaps tell you, that he believes the Hiftory of our Saviour to be a true Hiftory, and that he hath a great Efteem for his Perfon, and looks upon his Doctrine as the most excellent, and useful, and divine Morality that was ever deliver'd to the World. Why now this feems a pretty fair Account of the Man's Religion in Comparifon of what we can have from others. The Gentleman that makes this Confeffion of his Faith, is civil to our Lord Jesus Christ. But yet this extremely falls fhort of what one muft do that means to have any Benefit by our Saviour. How great a Refpect foever a Man pretends to have for the Gofpel, yet if he do not take the Profeon of it upon him, that is to fay, if he do not .enter enter himself into the Number of Chrift's Difciples by Baptism, vowing all Obedience to Chrift Jefus as his Lord and Master, and owning his Religion upon all Occafions, and communicating in his Worship and Service, we cannot fay that he is a Chriftian, tho' he may be a Well-wisher to Christianity. Examine the Scriptures, and fee what it was that made one to be a Jew, or an Ifraelite in the old Time; Was it enough to think honourably of the Law of Mojes? No; but a Man muft become circumcifed, and oblige himself to live according to that Law. The Cafe is juft the fame as to our Christianity. I will fpeak the Thing as plainly as I can; and in what I fhall fay, you will have a full Account of the Meaning of the Words of my Text. The Bufinefs of our Lord Jefus, as our Redeemer, was to mediate or procure a new Covenant between God and Man, and to feal it with his Blood. God's Part in this Covenant was this; He was to grant unto all thofe that enter'd into this Covenant the Forgiveness of their Sins, and the Grace and Affiftance of his Holy Spirit, for the enabling them to live a holy Life; and laftly, an eternal Inheritance in the Kingdom of God. This was God's Part. The Condition of this Covenant on Man's Part was this, That all they who expect to partake of those Benefits, fhould believe in Jefus Chrift, and own him for their Saviour, and affent to all his Doctrines, and endeavour to frame their Lives according to thofe Rules he hath prescribed them. This is that gracious, that happy Covenant which God establish'd with Mankind thro' the Mediation of our Lord Jefus. Well, now here is a Covenant made, an everlasting Covenant between God and Man, fealed with the Blood of the Son of God. All Mankind that will be eternally happy, are to be enter'd into this Covenant; actually and particularly enter'd, not the Father for the Children, but every one for himself, as it was in the Covenant of Circumcifion. But how is that to be done? Why, our Saviour himself hath taken Care to order and prescribe the Way of it; Go, faith he, difciple all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft. Baptifm then is the Way which he hath appointed for the entring into this Covenant; and great Reafon there was for it. Our Saviour found, when he came into the World, that his Countrymen the Jews had used that Ceremony of Baptifm many Ages, for the Admiffion of Profelytes into the true Religion. He, therefore, that came to take all Nations, and Peoples, and Languages into his Covenant, laid hold of that Ceremony, which he already found to his Hands ufed for that Purpofe, and applies it to his own Inftitution, ordering all Per fons |