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inserted in the historical narrative.* Of bodies; but if Christianity be a personal these, three, and only three, are cases of and individual affair, received or rejected household baptism-Lydia and the Jailor by every one to whom it is presented for (Acts xvi.) and Stephanas (1 Cor. i.) himself, whether sprung from heathen or Now I think I may venture to affirm, from parents, surely this duty of Christithat there were not infants in any of anity, as well as every other, must have these cases. The household of Stephanas the same individual and personal atten-(1 Cor. xvi. 15)—is described so as to tion. The national Church of these preclude all idea of there being infants realms is consistent enough in her theory; there. Infants cannot addict themselves she baptizes all, and makes Christians of to the ministry of the saints. Of the them by the act; she requires all to come household of the Jailor, four times men- to the table of the Lord as Christians; tioned in as many verses, it will be evi- she regards all as sustaining this characdent on turning to the passage, that in-ter while they live, and after death she fants did not form a component part of it. All who were in the house of the Jailor, had the Word of God spoken to them, and they all believed. In Lydia's house, the apostle, after his persecution, saw the brethren; they comforted each other. I do not say, that these brethren constituted the house of Lydia; I do not think they did; but the facts of the case are all at variance with her household having infants as one of its component parts. I do not think she had infant children; my brethren, who affirm that she had, or who take the matter as so probable, that it may bear an argument for infant baptism, are bound to make out the probability.

buries all “in the sure and certain hope of a resurrection to eternal life." She knows nothing of conversion, or, to use the more common term, of regeneration after baptism. I am astonished, and I cannot conceal my grief, to hear Dissenters, good and excellent men, men who know that Christianity is a perfectly individual matter, talk of national bodies in connexion with religion and of national Christian duties. Is this the time for ministers of Christ in this country to lose sight of man's individuality, in reference to every one thing which Christianity enjoins ?-now that Popery, a vicarious religion, a religion in the lump, so to speak, that leaves every man free Mr.Clayton adds, from the commission from responsibility before God, so that given to the apostles by their Master, he is duly baptized, duly confesses and infants are constituent parts of national duly communicates, is casting a longer bodies; therefore they are to be baptized. and deeper shade over our land?-now This sounds probable; and if the apostles that what has been called Puseyism, are directed to baptize nations as such, Popery in all but in name, is being seduthe conclusion is inevitable; infants must lously inculcated from scores and hunbe baptized. But all the baptized are to dreds of pulpits, and is deluging our be previously taught; so the commission palaces and our cottages with its soulaccording toSt. Matthew runs; and if every deceiving substitutes for personal and baptized person is first to believe, (and so individual godliness? Is this the time for according to Mark the commission is ex- my brother to demolish at one stroke pressed,) surely we ought to hesitate on all individuality in candidates for this conclusion. Infants capable of either instruction or faith, may by all means be admitted to the ordinance when they believe. "Infants," says my neighbour, "are a constituent part of national bodies; therefore they are to be baptized." Is Christianity, then, in any respect national? Judaism was. Is the religion of Jesus Christ like Judaism in My brother says, "In the Jewish this matter? Those who talk of Chris-church, children were admitted to church tian countries and of national churches, privileges; Christ came not to set aside may consistently enough baptize infants, those privileges. I will not press him for they are constituent parts of national with the inquiry whether he admits

baptism, and maintain that because infants are parts of national bodies, therefore they are to be baptized? Shall what we regard as adapted to destroy genuine piety in the established church of these realms, be admitted to do its deadly work upon dissenting churches also?

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They are-The three thousand-Acts ii.; the Samaritans and Simon-Acts viii.; the EunuchActs viii.; Saul of Tarsus-Acts ix.; Cornelius, and those with him-Acts x.; Lydia-Acts xvi.; the Jailor-Acts xvi.; the disciples at Ephesus-Acts xix.; Gaius, Crispus, and the household of Stephanas-1 Cor. i.

baptized infants to church privileges, in the flourishing church under his care. That may be a matter of little moment. But do let me implore him to consider the unhappy lengths, to which such an argument for infant baptism must lead him. But, dear brethren, I will not pursue the subject. If it be thought,

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that I have said more than was ne cessary, let it be borne in mind, that I have been maintaining an appointment of the Saviour. I have been endeavouring to aid you in the inquiry on the subject, What saith Scripture ?" It may be said, I have spoken chiefly of a mode of a certain action—of a ceremony, of nothing but a ceremony: the thing signified is the matter of importance, and compared with this of what importance is the mode? Brethren, I should suspect my own religion, if I could say so. The Saviour deemed it worth while to prescribe a mode; allegiance to Him requires that I should know what that mode is, and comply with it. I dare not so far reflect on His wisdom as to say, 'Any mode will do, so that we have the reality to which the rite points?' There seems to me, to be no religion in the dip, or pour, or sprinkle,' of some Christians, we care not, so that the renewal of the heart be effected.' Renewal of the heart is the all-important matter. Without it, baptism is nothing. "In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.' This, however, is not now our question. The heart being renewed by the Holy Spirit of God, the question is, what is that act of obedience, that external, significant and solemn act, which Christ requires? If He says, "baptism, in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost," it behoves every such renewed, believing man, to "arise and be baptized,"

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Why should he delay? The mistakes of his parents, the rites which men may have devised and which the Church has ordained, the example of multitudes around him, the clamour of anabaptism, are as nothing worth in his esteem; he must" arise and be baptized?" Why tarriest thou?" To such a man, it ought to be no cause for delay, that he can enter the Church on earth, or that above, without being baptized? This were to make an appeal to considerations of selfinterest alone-a low, grovelling, sordid appeal, which should be at once rejected. "What saith the Scripture?" What

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does Christ require? What will attest the entireness of assent by which I have become His? This is the inquiry of such a man. And the very day when his inquiry is met, will witness his declaring in the sight of all, by this expressive rite, "I am the Lord's alone."

In closing, permit me, dear friends, to say one word to you, who are about this evening to be baptized in the name of the Lord. I trust you are duly mindful of the importance and solemnity of this night's act. You are avouching God for your God; Jesus Christ for your Lord and Saviour. You have been brought to this avowal by His own free and abundant mercy. Be thankful for your decision. Ponder the engagements you form; and watch over yourselves, that these engagements may be faithfully kept. You say to-night, that you die to sin and the world; you are "buried with Christ in baptism, unto death, that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of God the Father, even so you also should walk in newness of life." If you die with Christ and rise with Him,

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set your affections upon things above." If you declare yourselves His disciples, let the mind that was in Him be in you. You will feel, perhaps you are feeling, the weight of the duties henceforth to devolve upon you. Sometimes, perhaps, you may tremble under a sense of your weakness, and of the difficulties and opposition you will have to encounter. But Christ is all-sufficient. In His might you will be strong; and preserved by His power and grace, you shall be defended from every evil, and at last presented blameless before the throne of His glory.

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You are putting on Christ now. ver, never, must you put Him off again; never must you relinquish Him. Whatever others do, you must serve Him : serve Him in every condition, in all the relations of life, in each and every duty to which your attention is directed. have set the Lord always before me.' And look forward, I beseech you, now and in times of temptation and trial, look forward to the solemn, the delightful season, when He shall come to acknowledge and bless and reward His faithful servants.

To each of you, I would address the Saviour's own exhortation, and His blessed promise-" Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

A SERMON, BY THE REV, W. JAY.

PREACHED AT ARGYLE CHAPEL, BATH, ON SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 22, 1839.

"The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him."— Nahum i. 7.

trouble," and that He "knoweth them that trust in Him."

THE desire of knowledge, my brethren, is natural. Hence the eagerness of curiosity; hence the constancy of inquiry; Let us review these; premising that hence the eye is not satisfied with see-the sacred writers never speak of the priing, nor the ear with hearing." vileges of Divine grace abstractedly from their subjects.

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Some

These subjects are variously described by them. Sometimes by their sorrow" Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." times by their fear-" Blessed is the man, that feareth always.' Sometimes by their life-" The crown of life, which the Lord hath prepared for them that love Him." Sometimes by their waiting for Him-"Wait on the Lord, keep His ways: "Blessed are all they

wait for Him."

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But the lamentation here regards the soul's activity, the direction which it commonly takes, and the subjects upon which its force is generally expended. There are things, of which it is even desirable to be ignorant. Where is the person, who would not, if it were in his power, throw off from his mind expressions which defile and images which distress? Some of us have lately heard of the "Pleasures of Memory."* Ah! the pains of memory make a much larger and more impressive volume: and if there were a teacher of forgetfulness, he would But you will observe, that there is be frequently preferred to a teacher of something previous to all this, and by remembrance. And there are things, which which all this must be influenced and acit little concerns us to know; the know-tuated; and that is, TRUST IN GOD. This ledge of them is no way necessary to our safety, or conducive to our improvement. But there are things, the knowledge of which is not only desirable, but absolutely and infinitely indispensable. It is a momentous concern, for instance, to know what God is, and who His people are: to know what God is, that we may know what He requires of us and what we may expect from Him; and to know who His people are, that we may compare our selves with them; and, if we are found in their number, we may rejoice and be thankful; and if we are strangers to their state, may pray for the "heritage of Jacob," and "take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that the Lord is with you."

Now our text furnishes both parts of this information; telling us at once what God is, and who His people are. It tells us, that His people are "those that trust

is the basis of every part of religion. We fall by losing our confidence in God; and we can only be recovered by the renewal of it. And remember, that the one simple design of revelation from the beginning to the end is this: "Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." This is the one grand design of the mediation of our Saviour: "God raised Him up from the dead and gave Him glory, that our faith and hope might be in God." Hence we are said to be" saved through faith;" to be "justified by faith;" to be "purified" and "sanctified" by faith; to "live by faith" and to "walk by faith." Now you will observe, that faith is this trust in its principle; and this trust is faith in its exercise.

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Let us proceed the subject is important, and as every thing admits of coun

in Him;" and it tells us, that He is terfeits-as there are specious resemblances of every Christian grace as well as

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good,"

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'a stronghold in the day of

Alluding to a course of Lectures recently delivered in Bath, on the British Poets, by James Montgomery, Esq.

of every moral virtue, and as a mistake | else for this warrant. And it is to be found here will be endless misery-let us consi- in the Word of God: as David says, "I der what it is, that characterizes that trust in God, which distinguishes His people from all others: It is distinguishable by such qualities as these :

hope in Thy Word." It is this, that makes Him known. It is here that He proclaims His name "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious:" it is here, that He holds Himself forth, and says,

Be

It is difficult. Those, who find it otherwise, show that they are entire stran-hold Me, behold Me, and make peace gers to it; or that they mistake for it with Me." It is here, that we have His that common, general undefined reliance engagement, and His engagement conon God, which often indeed leads them firmed by an ath-" As I live, saith the to say, I hope in God,' 'I trust Lord, I desire not the death of him that in God,' for which hope and trust they dieth;" for in order that those, who assign no scriptural reason, but the good- are "fleeing for refuge" might have ness of God, which in their mind is "strong consolation," the apostle says, always severed off from His truth and that God "confirmed His Word by His His holiness and His justice. But take a oath, that by two immutable things we man, whose conscience is truly awakened, might have a strong consolation." And who is led to reflect upon his condition we have not only, to authorize our trust and his desert, who now feels the wrongs in God, His promise, but equally one thing and dishonours he has done to God; and moree-His command. may question he will find it is no easy thing to trust in whether I am entitled to a promise; I a Being, who is "of purer eyes than to cannot question whether I ought to obey behold iniquity," whom he has offended a Divine command. And this is His comtimes without number, "in whose hands mandment, "Look unto Me and be ye savHis breath is, and whose are all his ways," ed"-"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." whose " eye is upon him, and he is not;" "This is His commandment, that we and especially to trust in Him, not only believe on the name of His Son Jesus for pardon, but acceptance, and sup- Christ, and love one another as He gave plies and salvation, and eternal salvation us commandment." Now, here you see, with eternal glory. This Being has never we are, by God Himself, as much authobeen the object of any of our senses; we rized to believe on the name of His Son, have never heard Him, we have never as we are authorized to love one another. seen Him, we have never touched Him. We have the same thing enjoined upon us No; He is therefore, an entirely invisible by the same Being, in the same place, Being to us; and we are to lay hold by the same authority. upon the invisible, and so to hang (as the earth) upon nothing, while it sustains the

whole course of nature.

This leads us to observe, that this trust
Newton finely

in God is warranted.
observes--

"When first before His mercy-seat Thou dids't to Him thy all commit, He gave thee warrant from that hour, To trust His wisdom, love and power." But where is the warrant to be found? There are some indications of this,indeed, in the course of nature and Providence; but these are not clear enough, nor strong enough, to meet the desiring mind. And these are far more than neutralized by counter appearances; for we find there is not only health, but sickness; not only breezes, but storms; not only life, but death ; and these adverse circumstances will have more force on a guilty mind (and every man is guilty and conscious of guilt), than all the prosperous can produce. We must, therefore, look somewhere

This trust, therefore, is always of a practical nature. I may try God in a thousand ways; but I can only trust God, scripturally, in the path of duty, and in the use of means. I wish I may be able to make this as plain to you, as it stands now in my own mind. If you are doing anything for God, or at work for God, or are going to take a journey in the course of your lawful business, you may look to God for guidance and protection, and you may pray for them, and you may pray in faith for them; for there is something for faith to lay hold of, and plead here. "He will give His angels charge concerning thee, to keep thee in all thy ways: they shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.' But supposing you are going to attend a boxing fight, or to step into the boat of an air balloon; could you then retire and pray to be preserved from all danger and accident? or could you pray

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"the strength of your heart, and your portion for ever"—though when they are withdrawn you will feel, and ought to feel, you will not faint, or, if you faint, you will not die; you will surely recover this confidence, and say, "Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee." Birds build their nest in the time of foliage; but their nests are discovered when the leaves fall off. Precisely so is it with re

in faith? What could your faith have to | perity, when you can lie on a soft bed, take hold of in this case? On what and sit in an easy chair, and enjoy a could it rely? Would you not hear well spread table, and are surrounded God confounding you by the question, with health, and servants, and friends, 'What doest thou here, Elijah?" Peter and succeed in business. But it is very says Casting all your care upon Him;" difficult to trust in God then these are not your work. Mind this distinction: the things that keep us from feeling our it is your care, not your work; though need of Him so much. While these reyou may, and ought, to depend upon main, it is difficult to determine whether Him for ability to perform it, and ask you are depending upon these or upon help from Him. Those therefore now, God: but when a separation is made, with regard to temporal things, who, when these are withdrawn, your dependunder the notion of their being careful ance will appear clear enough. If these for nothing," as the Scripture says, and have been your dependence, then you sink taking no thought for the morrow," sit in hopeless sorrow; then you say, "They with folded arms, and say, "Jehovah-have taken away my gods, and what have jireh, the Lord will provide," wandering I more ?" But if while you possessed from house to house as idlers and "busy- these, you enjoyed God, and made Him bodies in other men's matters," and neglecting means and opportunities for their improvement-these tempt God; but let them not suppose that they are trusting Him. Paul would have them all starve; and it were well, if it were so: "If any man will not work, neither shall he eat. It is the same with regard to the means of grace. "The diligent soul shall be made fat." Those who suffer trifling excuses and indisposition to keep them from the house of God, are not likely to be better in body. More careful for their The other state is a state of adversity. health than for their souls, God neglects When events seem to oppose the protheir health as He said to the Corin-mises of God, when He seems to shut thians, "For this cause many of you are out our prayer, when we suffer from the sick;" and He exemplifies by His con- oppression of enemies, and when we pine duct His own declaration here, as well as in langour and disease, while one voli in other cases-"Them that honour Me tion of His will would be enough to set I will honour, and they that despise Me us free; why, we are tempted to say with shall be lightly esteemed." But take the church, "My way is hid from the your souls. I never knew a soul that Lord, and my judgment is passed over prospered in the Divine life, yet that had with my God." Or with Gideon-" If not a due regard to the means of grace; the Lord be with us, why then has all neither can I look for the prosperity of this evil befallen us?" Here is the time, such individuals in spiritual matters, as therefore, for trust in God. Job, you long as I read, "They that wait on the remember, said, "He hath taken me by Lord shall renew their strength, they the neck, and shaken me to pieces." And shall mount up on wings as eagles; they yet this did not affect his confidence: shall run, and not be weary; they shall " Though He slay me," says he, "yet walk, and not faint." will I trust in Him." "In all this Job This trust in God is perpetual. "Trust sinned not with his lips, nor charged God in Him at all times, ye people." "Trust foolishly." He was not insensible; he in the Lord for ever, for in the Lord ought not to be insensible: he rose, and Jehovah is everlasting strength." Now rent his mantle, and fell down on the in general there are two conditions, which ground, and said, "Naked came I out of this trust in God must pervade; and both my mother's womb, and naked shall I of them are great trials of this confidence. return thither: the Lord gave, and the The first is a state of prosperity. There Lord hath taken away: blessed be the are some, indeed, who say that it is a name of the Lord.' very easy thing to trust in God in pros

gard to us and God.

This trust in God, therefore, is very

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