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for man, nor waiteth for the fons of men) are vaftly more extensive than what took place under the old covenant. His words are thus: "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Chrift Jefus. For as many of you as have been baptifed into Chrift, have put on Chrift. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Chrift Jefus, And if ye be Chrift's then are ye Abraham's feed, and heirs according to the promise." Whereas those who deny baptifm to infants, because they cannot believe, or profefs faith in Chrift, do in effect fay, that fuch are NOT of the kingdom of heaven.

It may be added here, that it ill becomes us to limit the time, or fay, how foon or late a child is capable of understanding the word of falvation, inafmuch as we find it written Pfalm viii. 2. "out of the mouth of babes and fucklings thou haft ordained ftrength, becaufe of thine enemies, that thou mighteft ftill the enemy and the avenger, "When the children cried in the temple, Hofanna to the Son of Da vid, it is faid, Matthew xxi. 15, 16. that "the chief priests and fcribes were fore difpleafed. And they faid unto him, heareft thou what thefe fay? And Jefus faith unto them, yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and fucklings thou haft perfected praife? Thus be confounded the wisdom of the wife, and brought to nothing the understanding of the prudent; evincing, that years and great knowledge are of no avail to falvation, and doth not place any perfon in a jot more advantageous fituation towards obtaining a part in the kingdom of heaven, than thofe are in who have the fimplicity of babes. But not to dwell on this part of the fubject, however incapable infants are of understanding the word of salvation; yet as they are reckoned in the fcriptures to be heirs of the promife, and of the kingdom of God, this is fufficient warrant for their being baptifed. As to

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the paffage in Mark xvi. 16. " he that believeth, and is baptifed, fhall be faved; but he that believeth not fhall be damned," it evidently refers to adult fons, as much as that paffage does where it is faidmany fhall feek to enter in, and fhall not be able." Such as call thefe fcripture truths in queftion, would do well to enquire, whether the bottom of their objection doth not evidence, that they do not receive the kingdom of God as little children? And fo are called foberly to attend to the words of Jefus Christ, Luke xviii, 17. verily I fay unto you, whofoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall in no wife enter therein,"rather than to exercife themfelves in difputing against revealed truth.

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I fuppofe there is a profeffed agreement, that baptifm belongs to the vifible members of the church of Chrift, even as circumcifion to thofe that were Ifraelites born. Who thefe vifible members are, is made manifest in the antitype of Ifrael after the flesh. They that are of faith, are bleffed with faithful Abrahamare the children of Abraham. To them it is declared, "the promife is unto you, and to your children-believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift, and thou fhall be faved, and thy houfe,"-defcribing infants with their be-lieving parents, as the Ifrael of God. Accordingly, the apoftle Paul fays, Coloffians ii. 10, 11, 12. Ye are complete in him, who is the head of all principa lity and power. In whom alfo ye are circumcifed with the circumcifion made without hands, in putting off the body of the fins of the flesh by the circums cifion of Chrift: Buried with him in baptifm, where

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The Expreffion, Buried with him in baptifm, is by fome perfons turned to imply, that the baptifed must be plunged into the water, and buried there. This joined with Matthew iii. 16. Mark i. 1o. and Acts viii. 38, 39. where Jefus being, baptifed, is faid to come up out of the water;" and Philip and the Eunuch to go down into the water, and come up out of the wa zer" is by them fuppofed to fhew the neceffity of plunging in baptifm.

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But refpeeling the paffages in Matthew and Mark, where we read," Jefus came up out of the water," (it is faid) the word in the Greek is 40,

in alfo you are rifen with him through the faith of the operation of God." Here the apoftle fhews the completeness of chriftians in Chrift, even in the an titype

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which fignifies from; and is the fame that is in Matthew viii. 1." when he was come down (APO) from the mountain"-and Acts v. 41. and they departed (APO) from the prefence of the council." So then it appears those paffages might have been more literally rendered-" and Jefus, when he was baptifed,, went up ftraitway from the water"" and ftraitway coming up from the water."

The paffage in Acts viii. 39. is the only one of them where the Greek word is EK, which though it be usually rendered out of, yet it alfo fignifies from. And as to the 38th verfe, where it is faid, "they went down both into the water," the Greek is BIs, which fignifies towards, or to."

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It may be here confidered, that John, as it was prophefied of him, preached in the wilderness. His baptifm feems as if it were almost national, Matthew iii. 5. “ then went out to him Jerufalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptifed of him (EN) in or at Jordan." For he was the forerunner of the Meffiah to prepare his way. He baptifed with the baptifm of repentance, faying to the people, that they thould believe on him that fhould come after, that is, on Chrift Jefus. And as the Meffiah was expected by the Jewish nation, it may appear as a reason for their fo generally going out to him, and its being needful for him to be at or near the waters, But afterwards, when baptifm took place on believing the apoftles teftimony, believers were baptifed in thofe places where they dwelt; as the jailor and his houfhold, Acts xvi. 33. "the fame hour of the night was baptifed. With refpect to Philip and the Eunuch, if they went into the water, Philip's baptifing him was a diftinct thing from going into the water, and might have been performed without, as is evident in the cafe of the jailor juft mentioned,

As for the expreffion, buried with him in baptifm, if it be confidered in connexion with the paffage of which it is a part, and with the apostles dif courfe on the fame fubject, Romans vi. from the 4th to the 12th, it will not appear that the apostle has a view to the mode, but to the thing fignified by baptifm.

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As to the mode of baptifm, if feveral paffages of fcripture be confidered together, I apprehend they will give light thereto, viz. Ifaiah lii, 13, 14, 15, fpeaking of the exaltation of Jefus Chrift after his deep abafement, fays, "fo fhall he sprinkle many nations." Ezekiel xxxvi. 25" then will Z Sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye fhall be clean, from all your filthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanfe you." Hebrews xii. 24, believ ers are faid to be come to the blood of Sprinkling" Ifaiah xliv. 3. "I will pour water upon him that is thurfty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my fpirit on thy feed, and my bleffing on their offspring. And Jefus baptifing with the Holy Ghoft, according as John foretold of him (John 1. 33.) and as Jefus himfel promifed his difciples, when he was about to leave them, Acts 1. 5. ye shall be baptifed with the Holy Ghoft not many days bence; I fay, Jefus baptifing his difciples with the Holy Ghoft, was by pouring out, hedding forth, or falling upon them. Acts ii. 33. therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the gift of the Holy Ghoft, he hath bed forth that which ye now fee and hear," Acts x. 44. "The Holy Ghoft fell on all them that heard the word."

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titype of circumcifion, namely, baptifm; and fo the baptifm belongs to Ifrael after the fpirit, as circumcifion did to Ifrael after the flesh. And thus may And thofe are

they be faid to be complete in him.

in danger of his difpleafure who receive not his teftimony, and the teftimony of his apostles in this matter, according to Matthew xviii. 5, 6. Mark x. 14, 15.

The word, Buried with him in baptifm," having been brought to view, niay be illuftrated not only by the argument of the apoftle in the vi. chap. of Romans, referred to in the margin; but alfo by his expreffion

verfe 45, 66 on the Gentiles alfo was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost." chap. xi. 15. 16. “the Holy Ghoft fell on them as on us at the beginning, Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he faid, John indeed baptifed with water; but ye fhall be baptifed with the Holy Ghoft."

Thefe paffages confidered together, make it moft highly probable, that the method of baptifing with water, was in a manner fimilar to that in which Jefus difpenfed thofe bleffings to which refpect is had in baptifm; namely,, by Sprinkling, pouring out, or shedding forth the water upon the baptifed by the baptifer; not by plunging the baptifed thereinto.

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Further, it may be obferved, that when Chrift washed the difciples feet, though Peter at first said, "thou shalt never wash my feet;" when Jefus Chrift told him, “if I wash thee not, thou haft no part in me," Peter defired to be washed all over,-" Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head." But Jefus let him know it was fufficient to wash his feet, "he that is washed, need not, fave to wash his feet, but is clean every whit." Now if the word fhews that the baptifm of Chrift, namely, the dif ciples being baptifed with the Holy Ghoft, was by his being poured out, or feed forth upon them; then when any one with Peter would defire to be wafhed all over, or to be plunged, as more fignificant, and in their wisdom. better fitted to the defign of baptifm; it may be faid to them, he that is bap tifed, need not, save to have the water shed forth on him, even as Jefus baptifed bis difciples with the Holy Ghoft.

As Chrift's washing his difciples feet has been mentioned, it may not be amifs to enquire, whether thofe who appear fo much against the practice as Peter did, and will not admit it on the authority of Jefus Chrift's words,. Je ought to wash one anothers feet, for I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you, unless they find fome other reafon for it in providence to make it neceffary, fo that they may be indulged in reading the paffage ye ought to wash one anothers feet, IF NEED BE, OR IF IT BE MADE NEEDFUL," I fay, it may not be amifs to enquire, whether fuch are not in the fame danger as Peter was, when Chrift faid, if I wash thee not, thou hast no part in me? Chrift washed his firft difciples feet perfonally: And has left it on record in his word, that his difciples ought to wash one anothers feet. Is there not then the fame danger in refufing in one cafe as in the other?

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preffion to the Galatians, "I am crucified with Chrift," where he cannot be fuppofed to mean, that he was literally crucified, as Chrift was; but that he underftood fo much of the glory of a crucified Chrift, as that he imitated him in a contempt of the world in all its views; or in his own words," what things were gain to me, thofe I counted lofs for Chrift. Yea, doubtlefs, I count all things but lofs, for the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus my Lord; for whom I have fuffered the lofs of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Chrift-that I may know--the fellowship of his fufferings, being made conformable to his death; if by any means I might attain unto the refurrection of the dead."

Thus the effect of the gospel on the first believers was manifested. For fo foon: as they understood the glory and dignity of the perfon of Chrift, they acted as those that faw fomething fuperior to all the glory of the world, and acted towards it as those that were crucified to a hope in it, or those that were dead to it. And fo they were baptifed into his death,Buried with him by baptifm into death-which was manifefted when, instead of the hope in this life that was natural to them, and which had additional hold of them by the religion they had been educated in, promifing a temporal reward to obedience, earthly happiness in the land of Canaan; they let go this hope for the hope laid up in heaven, and fold their poffeffions and goods, and took joyfully the fpoiling of their goods, knowing in themselves that they had in heaven a better and more enduring fubftance. Thus fhewing themfelves to be rifen with Chrift through the faith of the operation of God, fetting their affections on things above where Chrift is, at the right hand of God. And thus being crucified with Chrift, dead with Chrift, and buried with him in baptifm, rifen with Chrift, &c. it was no more a hard faying, "lay not up for yourselves treasure on earth.-Sell that ye have

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