Page images
PDF
EPUB
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY GHOST.

MATTHEW XXVIII, 19.

IN seven Discourses, preceding this, I have considered the institution of the Church; the Members, of which it is formed; the Officers, appointed in the Scriptures to superintend its affairs; and the principal Duties, which they are appointed to perform. The next subject in a system of Theology is the Ordinances, which belong peculiarly to this body of men, and which they are required to celebrate.

Of these, the first in order is Baptism; as being that, by which the members of the Church are, according to Christ's appointment, introduced into this Body.

In the text, Christ directs his Apostles to go forth into the

world, and teach, or make disciples of, all nations, and to baptize them in, or into, the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. This, then, is a duty, which the Apostles were required to perform towards all nations, so far as they made them disciples of Christ.

The Text, therefore, presents the subject of Baptism to us, as an ordinance to be administered by the Pastors of the Church to its several members, in consequence of their discipleship. What was the duty of the Apostles in this case, is equally the duty of all succeeding ministers. Of course, it is the duty of every person, who wishes, and is qualified, to become a member of the Church, to receive the ordinance of Baptism.

In my examination of this subject, I shall consider,
I. The Reality;

II. The Intention;

III. The proper Subjects; of this Ordinance: and,
IV. The Manner, in which it should be administered.

I. I shall make some observations concerning the Reality of Baptism.

To

persons, at all acquainted with Ecclesiastical History, it is well known, that several classes of men have denied Baptism, in the proper sense, to be a divine Institution. Some of these persons have supported their opinion from Heb. ix, 10; Which stood only in meats, and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of Reformation. The word, here rendered washing, is, in the Greek, Barrioμois, Baptisms. In this passage, they have, without any warrant, supposed the Baptism of the Gospel to be included. The Apostle, in this passage, refers only to the Jewish worship, as is evident from the preceding part of the chapter, particularly from the ninth verse. That Evangelical Baptism was in use, as an institution of Christ, when this Epistle was written, is abundantly manifest from the following chapter, verses 19-22, particularly from the two last of these verses: Having an High Priest, says the Apostle, over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart, in full

assurance of faith; having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water; or, in other words, being baptized.

The same persons endeavour to support their opinion, also, from 1 Pet. iii, 21; The like figure whereunto, even Baptism, doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), by the Resurrection of Christ. But the objectors are not less unhappy in their construction of this passage, than of that, mentioned above. The true, as well as obvious, meaning in this passage is the following: "Baptism, the Antitype of the water of the Deluge, doth now save us by the Resurrection of Christ; not indeed the cleansing of the filth of the flesh, but that which is signified by it, the answer of a good conscience towards God." This passage is a direct recognition of the existence of Baptism, as an Institution in the Christian Church; and, therefore, instead of being a support, is a refutation, of the scheme in question.

Persons, who deny the doctrine of the Trinity, or the satisfaction of Christ, are, in a sense, constrained to deny Baptism also, in order to preserve consistency in their opinions. The command to baptize in, or into, the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is a plain, unanswerable ex hibition of the Doctrine of the Trinity. The cleansing with water, also, is too unequivocal a symbol of our spiritual purifica tion by the Blood of Christ, to suffer any rational denial, or doubt. It seems, therefore, scarcely possible for those, who deny either the Trinity, or the Atonement, to admit the Institu tion of Baptism, without a plain contradiction in their princi ples.

[ocr errors]

Others, still, have removed both Baptism, and the Lord's Supper, by the aid of spiritual, or mystical, construction. These persons appear to build their scheme, especially, on the answer of John the Baptist to the Pharisees and Sadducess, who came to his Baptism: I, indeed, baptize you with water unto repentance but He, that cometh after me, is mightier than I; whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He will baptize

you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire. From this passage, chiefly, the Doctrine has been drawn, that Baptism with water was not intended to be, nor actually made, by Christ an institution of the Gospel. It is hardly necessary to remark, that this interpretation of the Baptist's words is wholly erroneous; and that they have no connection with the doctrine, to which they are here applied.

The proof, on which this Institution rests as a perpetual ordinance of Christ in his Church, is so entire, and so obvious, that every doubt concerning it is more properly an object of surprise, than of serious opposition. In the text, Christ commands his Apostles, and all his succeeding ministers, to baptize those, whom they should make disciples. In obedience to this command, the Apostles accordingly baptized all those, who were made disciples by them. Those, who followed them in the ministry, followed them, also, in this practice. In this manner, the Institution has been continued in the Church, with the exception of a few dissentients, to the present time. Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. To be born of water is to be baptized. To be born of the Spirit is to be regenerated. The Kingdom of God is a phrase, used in the Gospel, in a two-fold sense; and denotes his visible, and his invisible kingdom; or the collection of apparent, and the collection of real, saints. The indispensable condition of entering the former, or visible, kingdom, is here made by our Saviour Baptism. The indispensable qualification for admission into the invisible Kingdom is Regeneration; the great act of the Spirit of God, which constitutes men real Saints. Baptism, therefore, is here made by Christ a condition, absolutely necessary to our authorized entrance into his visible Church.

II. I shall now inquire into the Intention of this Ordi

nance.

Washing with water is the most natural, and universal, mode of cleansing from external impurities; and is, therefore, the most obvious, and proper, symbol of internal, or spiritual, purifi

cation. Baptism denotes, generally, this purification; and, particularly, is intended to present to us the cleansing of the soul by the blood of Christ; and, still more particularly, by the affusion of the Divine Spirit. To this interpretation of it, we are directed by the Prophet Isaiah, in the forty-fourth chapter of his prophecy: I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. The same explanation is given of it, also, by God, in the Prophet Ezekiel, chapter xxxvi, 25-27, Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my Statutes. As both these passages refer to the Evangelical dispensation; there can be no reasonable doubt, that the application, here made of them, is just; or that Baptism especially signifies the affusion of the Spirit of God upon the soul.

It is, however, to be very carefully remarked here, that, although Baptism is a symbol of this affusion, and of the Regeneration, which is its consequence, yet Baptism neither ensures, nor proves, Regeneration. The Church of Rome has long taught, that regeneration is inseparably connected with this ordinance; and that the ordinance is absolutely necessary, at least in all ordinary circumstances, to the existence of Regeneration. From that Church this scheme has spread, with some variations, through several Protestant Churches. I know not, that it is in my power to express, in precise language, the different views, entertained in the Christian World concerning this subject.

Often, if I mistake not, these views are given to us in phraseology, which is indefinite, and sometimes, perhaps, designedly mysterious. A distinction, unknown to the Scriptures, is sometimes made between Regeneration and Renovation. Baptism is sometimes said to be the cause, or the inseparable attendant, of Regeneration, and not of Renovation. What the word Regeneration, thus used, intends, I confess myself unable to determine. So far as I have been able to find, the Regeneration of the Scriptures is but one thing; and denotes, invariably, that

« PreviousContinue »