SERM.

VI.

(4.) To Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we fhall give eternal Praifes in Heaven; as appears by all the Accounts we have of what they do in Rev. xxii. that World. The Throne of God and of the 4. Lamb is in it, and his Servants fhall ferve him. There is but one Throne for both Perfons; and the Honours of Salvation and Power, Glory and Strength, are equally afcribed to him that fits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever. 'Tis from thence, that the Spirit fpeaks unto the Churches, 'tis there he will be adored when he has fetched us all up. I fhall therefore now conclude, as I hope to begin the Work of Heaven, with Glory to Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, as three diftinct Perfons, and one living and true God for ever and ever, Amen and Amen.

SER

SERMON VII.

Baptifm is the peculiar and beginning of a Chriftian Profeffion, and is therefore publick. By this we declare who our God is, which fhould be done intelligibly, in a certain Form of Words, and these taken in their natural Senfe. Baptifm obliges to a Profeffion. Faith fometimes the

fame with Hope; both taken objectively, and both the Matter of our Profeffion. Washing with pure Water no Argument for Dipping; but is an Emblem of fpiritual Benefits. An Account of Spirit, Soul, and Body.

A

S the Bleffing of God, upon my own SER M. Family, led me to enquire what Bap- VII. tifm was, fo I took it just as the Lord

himself has left it. Thus it was at once delivered to the Saints; baptize them into the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft ; these are the Words of our Lord Jefus Chrift.

L 2

There

SERM.

There are feven Things to be regarded in that VII. Ordinance, whether you furrender yourselves or your Children to the Lord.

Luke i. 76. Matt. iii.

2, 3.

10.

1. It is peculiar to Christianity. It begun indeed to be administered by John the Baptift, who was ordained a Prophet of the Higheft, and in all his Actions only prepared the way of the Lord. The Kingdom of Heaven was then at Hand; and the Inftitution was compleated, appointed, and established by Christ himself, as the Refult of his having all Power both in Heaven and Earth.

To fetch it from the Jews, and especially from thofe traditional Services that obtained in their Church, is a wild Imagination, and no better than seeking the Living among the Dead. They Heb. ix. had divers Washings and carnal Ordinances, but our Baptifm was not one of them; for thefe were only impofed on the People till the Time of the Reformation. And therefore, as they were all to be abolished, we cannot fuppofe, that any of thofe worldly Elements fhould be transplanted into our Religion, to leave any remains of Bondage upon the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God. Peter fpeaks to thofe that knew nothing of that Ordinance, as if it was a thing entirely new among them, repent, and be baptized every one of you; and it's faid we are baptized into Christ.

A&ts ii. 38.

Rom. vi.

3.

2.

It is the beginning of a Profeffion, either active or paffive, either in ourselves or our Children; for thus runs the Promife, they are the If. lxv. Seed of the bleed of the Lord, and their Offspring with them. "Tis the first thing that a Believer does in a way of publick Declaration to tell what Religion he is of; and they who, in this Manner, bring their Infants to Jefus, take an Oppor

23.

tunity of founding their Faith Abroad, and tell- SERM.. ing Mankind what they believe themselves, and VII. by what Rule of Doctrine they will bring up their Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord.

Any who think that Baptifm fuppofes a perfonal Profeffion, muft needs make it the great Solemnity of that Profeffion; by that, they give out themselves to be Chriftians, as diftinguished from the Heathen, who know not the true God, and from the Jews who do not receive the true Meffiah. When the Eunuch, who had been for some Time a Profelyte to the Jewish Religion, became a Christian, he wanted to be baptized. Saith Philip to him, if thou believeft with all thine Heart, thou mayeft; upon this the other anfwers, Acts viii. I believe that Jefus Chrift is the Son of God. 37. Therefore,

But in

3. In the Nature of it, Baptifm is a publick. Ordinance; appointed on Purpose for a Profeffion of Faith, that it may come Abroad unto all Men; 'tis not a Thing to be done in a Corner. giving up either yourselves or your Children, your Allegiance to Christ, and your Dependance on him ought to be feen and read of all.

Your Rom. i. 8.

Faith fhould be spoken of throughout the whole World; nor is there to a private Christian a greater Opportunity of confeffingChriftbefore Men, than in the Administration of this Solemnity.

4. The particular Declaration that you make in this Ordinance, is of the God, whofe you are, and whom you ferve. 'Tis the Thing for which you're baptized, to let the World know the Name of the Lord that is called upon you, and to whom you have bound yourselves by a perpetual Covenant that fhall not be forgotten. There are feveral Obligations contained in Baptifm; but the immediate, the principal, the L 3

fupreme

SERM. fupreme Defign of the Inftitution itfelf, is that VII. you may mention the Name of the Lord your God. He fays, thou art my People, and they Hof. ii. fhall fay the Lord is my God. Therefore,

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5. This Profeffion is made in fuch a way that Mankind may understand it. If they mistake you, and are not able to tell, whether you worship one God or three; whether three Perfons or two Powers; whether three Equals or two Subordinates, whether as united in one Nature, or diftinguished into three; the very End of Baptifm is loft, and instead of convincing the World, you only confound them.

6. As this is an Ordinance of Chrift Jefus, it must be adminiftered in that certain Form of Words, that he himself has chofen. With this Order he opened out the Gofpel Difpenfation, and as that Difpenfation will laft to the End of the World, fo fhall this Solemnity.

7. The Words ought to be taken in their plain and natural Senfe, becaufe they are a lasting Form to the End of Time. For Chrift to give us Expreffions that People cannot underftand, would be only to abuse them. 'Tis unworthy of him, who is the Light of the World, in whofe Mouth there was no Guile. By this Form they must know to what God I furrender either myself or my Infant; and if the Words. have not a certain Sound, we are only speaking into the Air. There are five Particulars contained in them.

(1.) That the Name into which we are baptized is above every Name, and can be no other than that of the most high God. It contains, introduces, and affures a full Surrender of all that we are, that we have, or that we do. This cannot be done to a Creature without Injuftice, Idol

atry,