CHAP. I. ON BAPTISM.

JOHN the Baptist was sent as a voice crying in the wilderness, to proclaim the approach of the Messiah; to point him out, upon his personal appearance, to the people; to preach the necessity of repentance for the remission of sins; and to baptize with water, as prefiguring the spiritual administration of the Saviour under the dispensation of the gospel, in baptizing with the Holy Ghost, to the purification of souls, and fitting them for an eternal inheritance with the saints in light.

John came not to institute, but to precede and prepare the way for, this glorious dispensation; he therefore represented the new covenant of the Prince of life and peace, under the title of the kingdom of heaven, which he declared to be at hand, or near to take place.

This gospel-establishment the prophet Jeremiah had foretold, should ^a not be according to the old covenant of symbolical forms and shadows, which the inspired author of the epistle to the Hebrews [Page 4]observed, ^b ‘could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;’ because it ‘stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.’

John's baptism, being of the same exterior nature with the rituals of the law, could no more add towards the purification of the heart, and the perfection of a good conscience, than they: like them, it was a figure for the time then present, to shadow forth the internal effect of the Lord's bap­tism, but no further requisite thereunto. John knowing this, when Jesus came to partake of his baptism, as he likewise did of the ordinances of the law (not that he might give a sanction to their continuance, but that he might fulfil them, as having been primarily of divine authority, and not yet disannulled) appeared surprized that he whom he knew to be the inward and effectual baptizer, should apply to him for his outward baptism, saying, ^c ‘I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?’ but upon our Lord's ans­wering, "Suffer it to be so now," (which intimated his own spiritual baptism was not yet to commence, so as to put a final period to that of John) he admitted it; and soon after directed his hearers to him, saying, ^d ‘Behold the Lamb of God, Which taketh away the sin of the world.’

For this gracious end, the Son of God resigned himself up to become ^e a ransom for all mankind, to be testified, or outwardly verified, in due time, by which he shewed the love of God to fallen man, and his willingness to pardon sinners upon their repentance; in order to which, he ‘ ^f received gifts for men; yea for the rebellious also, that the [Page 5]Lord God might dwell among them.’ Hence ^g ‘the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man, to prosit withal;’ that on their embracing it, in faith and obedience, the might, by its baptizing power and virtue, be delivered from the condem­nation due for sins committed, and be cleansed from all unrighteousness.

To this import are the following expressions of John; ^h ‘I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but he that cometh after me (or whose ministration shall succeed mine) is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear, he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire; whose fan is in his Hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into his garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.’ John here shews the true distinction betwixt his own baptism, and that of our Saviour: the first with water; the last with the Holy Ghost; and also metaphorically inculcates, that the baptism of Christ should winnow the soul of its chaffy, or sinful nature, and operate as fire, to the perfect consumption of all its defilement.

ⁱ ‘He must increase, said John, but I must decrease.’ This indicates, that as the spiritual ministration of Christ should advance, John's watery one should recede; not be joined with it. Neither was the regenerating baptism of the spirit consequent upon it when administered; for the ^k Samaritans received the Holy Ghost some time after their water baptism; ^l Cornelius and his friends received it [...]; and ^m Simon the sorcerer received it not at all, though he was baptized with water.

Spirit-baptism, therefore, is not connected with water-baptism, nor at all dependant upon it. The [Page 6]baptism of the Saviour is complete in itself, without exterior form and shadow. By its renewed impres­sions on the believing and attentive soul, the new­birth of the spirit is brought forth therein, and in proportion to its growth and increase, the old man, with his corrupt deeds, becomes crucified, and the soul delivered, and raised up into newness of life.

This is the baptism which is essential to salvation, as our Lord gave Nicodemus to understand, when he said, ⁿ ‘Except a Man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ And again, ‘Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.’ The word water here, like that of fire, Mat. iii. 12. is used to signify the purifying virtue of the spirit in the regeneration of the soul.

^o Bishop Taylor saith, ‘The water and the spirit in this place signify the same thing; and by water is meant the effect of the spirit cleansing and puri­fying the soul, as appears in its parallel of Christ baptizing with the spirit and fire.’

That our Lord meant it of the spirit only, suffici­ently appears from his own explanatory expression, verse 6. ‘That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit, is spirit.’

Those who advocate the continuance of water­baptism, plead our Saviour's commission, Mathew xxviii. 19. but he there makes no mention of water, nor do his words imply it; for his expressions are such as suit only with his own spiritual baptism. Neither did his Disciples from thence begin the practice of water-baptisin. They had taken it up some time before, most probably from John's exam­ple, whom they justly venerated as a messenger sent from God, and in great estimation with their Lord [Page 7]and master; for they administered it after the same manner he did, and so continued to do, when they used it after our Lord's ascension, as well as before. Whereas, if they had understood his command to intend water-baptism, they would certainly have altered their terms, and have administered it in the very words of his commission, which we do not find in holy writ they ever did. It was therefore still John's baptism in nature, and far below the effectual baptism of the great Messiah; who, notwithstanding he bore such honourable testimony concering John, as a burning and shining light, and one of the greatest prophets born of woman, as being his immediate forerunner, yet, at the same time he said, ^p ‘He that is least in the kingdom of God, is greater than he.’ This implies that the lowest attainment in the spiritual dispensation of Christ, is superior in nature to the highest in John's ministra­tion: this being but the temporary sign, and that the substantial and permanent reality signified by it.

Let us now consider what the commission was, and to whom it was given. It appears to have been merely verbal; for we find it was not immediately attended with the authority requisite to its execution. The qualification still necessary was the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, which the disciples were to receive afterwards; without which they were not to enter upon the work of the ministry, but to wait in patience for its illuminating and powerful virtue, to put them forth, and to abilitate them for the service. ^q "Behold," said the great Minister of the sanctuary, ‘I send the promise of my Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. ^r John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be [Page 8]baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."— ^s "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the utter­most part of the earth.’

Thus was the spiritual baptism of Christ, which had been predicted by John, to commence, and those who ministered, were to teach baptizing into the same spirit themselves were baptized with. Unless the ministers were baptized with the spirit, they could not baptize their believing hearers with it; nor could their hearers without faith receive it.

This appears to be the baptism intended in the commission; for it relates not to the baptism of John, but to that of Christ, and holds forth the preaching of the gospel in the spirit and power of God. Therefore the commission was given to those in the primitive age, who were divinely inspired for that purpose, and it unquestionably reaches to all influenced by THE SAME SPIRIT, and to such only, to the end of the world.

The words of the commission are, ^t ‘Go ye, and teach all nations, baptizing them, [...] into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’ The word name here is not to be understood literally, but of that divine power, virtue, and heavenly influence, which em­phatically denotes and characterizes the Godhead above all other beings; which our Lord often expressed by the same word. John xvii. 6. ‘I have manifested thy name unto the men thou gavest me;" ver. 12. "I kept them in thy name;" and verse 11. he prayed, "Holy Father, keep through thine own name, those thou hast given [Page 9]me!’ In this name is strength and salvation. ^v ‘The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.’ The knowledge of it gives faith, ^w ‘They that know thy name will put their trust in thee.’ It is the consolating unction from the Holy One. ^x ‘Thy name is as ointment poured forth; therefore do the virgins (the chaste in heart) love thee.’ Into the internal virtue and influence of this sacred and all-sufficient name, or spirit, are all the truly rege­nerate measurably baptized; for, ^y ‘If any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his.’

The apostles, with many of the primitive brethren, received this baptism into the name, or spirit, of the Godhead to a high degree, which enabled them to teach baptizing with such efficacy, that multitudes ^z were pricked in their heart, ^a ‘and with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,’ so that even ^b their enemies were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which they spake.

Peter relating the result of his visit to Cornelius, and his company, about eight years after the great effusion of the Holy Ghost at the time of Pente­cost, thus testifies to its baptizing power in the true ministry of the word: ^c ‘As I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us in the begin­ning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.’ This plainly shews, that the spiritual baptism of Christ accompanied their preach­ing, and therefore was the baptism intended in his commission. The same apostle also witnesses more [Page 10]generally, ^d that the gospel was preached with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.

Some object, that it is not in the power of men, but of God only, to baptize with the Holy Ghost. But let such consider, that he is pleased to work instrumentally, as well as immediately; and though, in a common way of expression, we may say, the ministers of Christ baptize with the spirit of Christ; it is no more meant that they can do it in their own wills, or by their own powers, than it was so intended of the primitive ministers, who are said to work miracles. To the Lord alone is the power and glory of all to be attributed. He is the sole effector of all good, and the best of men are but his instruments when he is pleased to make use of them; yet by a metonymy of the instrument for the power that useth it, it is usual to say, such a person instantly made the cripple to walk, healed the diseased, or conferred the Holy Ghost, without any intention to attribute that to man which is only due to God.

^e "Without me," said our Lord to his disciples "ye can do nothing." But when he had endued them with the spirit, ^f they ministered the spirit, as well as the doctrines of Christianity; for true gospel ministry is not that of words only, but of words with power. Therefore the true minister of the gospel always baptizeth, more or less, in his ministry according to the measure of divine influence upon him; who without it would be only as salt without savour, however he might be furnished with scho­lastic argument and human eloquence. These may entertain the head, and move the passions, which is not the business of an inspired minister; but [...] subject them, and to instruct, and quicken the soul into an inward sense of the effective power and virtue [Page 11]of the divine life. ^g ‘My speech, and my preach­ing" said Paul, though a learned person, was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit, and of power; that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.’

Our Lord constantly gave his followers an exam­ple of this baptismal teaching in his own practice; which induced his hearers to confess, that he taught ^h with authority, and not as the scribes. They were astonished at his doctrine; for ⁱ his word was with power. The scribes had human authority, but his was divine; which so struck even the officers sent by the chief priests and pharisees to take him, that they excused themselves by saying, ^k ‘Never man spake like this man.’ This was unques­tionably true; for if any other spoke the same words, none could enforce them with the same fulness of divine power and authority. Thus he led the way to what he afterwards commissioned and empowered his disciples to do, in the measure he afforded them respectively.

The Apostle Paul undoubtedly had an equal share in the gospel commission with any other inspired minister, and was equally bound to baptize in the sense intended therein; but, with water, he declared ^l he was not sent to baptize: consequently, water-baptism was not the baptism enjoined in the commission. But, he asserts, he was sent to preach [...] gospel, which is the special matter of that com­mission, that is, to teach, baptizing into the life and power of the Holy Spirit that qualified him for it. Accordingly he reminds the believers, ^m ‘Our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much [Page 12]assurance." He also shews the effect it had on them, ⁿ "When ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men; but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.’ Hence we may observe this distinction, that the preaching of the gospel by immediate inspiration, is to be received as the word of God; but preaching concerning it without inspiration, is only to be esteemed as the word of man.

Many have been trained up to believe, that our Saviour made water-baptisn the condition of our admittance into his kingdom. Were it so, the sal­vation of all mankind depends upon it; and if the sprinkling or dipping of infants be, either the sav­ing baptism, or the sole means through which it is to be received, the salvation of the child who dies before it attains to years of understanding, or power of choice, depends upon the precarious conduct of its parents, or that of others, without any will, knowledge, or default of its own.

But what rational and considerate person can believe, that the just Creator, and kind Saviour of mankind, is so void of equity and commiseration, as to suffer those innocents who die in their infancy, to fall into everlasting misery, for the want of a ceremonial, which, if it be a duty, cannot be theirs, but that of their parents, or of those who have the care of their concerns upon them, and whose omis­sion must be their fault, if it be any, and not that of the children, who can be no way chargeable with it? The solemn denunciation of the great God, who affords of his ^o saving grace unto all men, is, ^p ‘The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father; [Page 13]neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.’

The tender infant hath neither ability to receive a law, nor to transgress it, therefore it cannot be guilty of the commission of sin; and to hold it guilty, because its primogenitors transgressed long before it existed, and that it is justly punishable merely for descending from them in the state of their fallen nature, which it could not avoid, is too barbarous for truth and righteousness to warrant. Yet this cruel notion, the production of error and bigotry, hath been zealously espoused and propagated.

Fidus, an African bishop in the third century, advised the baptism of infants for the purgation of original sin, alledging that the Jews circumcised theirs. This at first seemed new and strange to Cyprian; but he afterwards fell in with a collection of 66 bishops and presbyters, who enjoined it. The practice became preached up afterwards by divers as necessary; and the Milevitan and Carthagenian coun­cils, in the fore part of the fifth century, went so far as to fix an anathema upon all who held that young children might be saved without water-bap­tism; which was ratified by several succeeding popes. Augustine carried the matter still further, teaching that even embryos, if they had been quickened in the mother's womb, and there died unbaptized, were damned, as guilty of original sin. This put the wisdom of the priesthood upon contriving a remedy: some they took up out of their graves, and christened, as they superstitiously called it, the dead body: others they baptized by proxy, in imitation of those early misled professors among the Corinthi­ans, who also doubted of the resurrection; in proof of which, the apostle doubly argued with them; [Page 14]First, from their own practice, who, from a notion of the necessity of water-baptism unto salvation, took upon them to be baptized for those who died without it: ^q ‘What shall they do," said he, who are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?’ The manner of this baptism was thus; one of them placed himself under the bed of the deceased, who being asked if he would be baptized; the party under his bed answered for him in the affirmative, and then was baptized in his stead; which Godwin, properly enough, compares to the acting of a play upon the stage.

Secondly, The apostle reasons from his own exer­cise, and that of his concerned brethren; ‘Why stand we in jeopardy every hour?’ The import of which seems to be, why are we continually bap­tized in affliction, suffering, and danger, for the sake of those who are dead in trespasses and sins, that they may be quickened by the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, if none are to be so quickened, and if there shall be no resurrection hereafter?

As the followers of Jacobus Cyrus took the word water, John iii. 5. in the literal sense, so they did the word fire, Mat. iii. 11. and thence branded their children, either in the face, or upon the arm, with a heated iron in the form of a cross. But this having something of cruelty, as well as absurdity in it, did not so generally obtain as water-sprinkling; in the ministration of which, the Romish church teemed abundantly with modes and fancies of ima­ginary significance.

The self-flattering notion, that the new-birth of the spirit is either concurrent with, or consequent upon, the ministration of water-baptism, is neither [Page 15]supported by scripture nor experience. If it insen­sibly accompany it, how do we know it? If it im­mediately follow, how do its fruits appear more in those who have received water-baptism, than in those who have not? ^r "The fruit of the spirit," saith the apostle, ‘is love, joy, peace, long-suffer­ing, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, tem­perance."— ^s"The fruit of the spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth.’ Are these fruits more conspicuous in the baptized, than in the unbaptized? If those who are baptized with water are born of the spirit, and made heirs of the kingdom of heaven, how comes it that such as have received it, either in adult age or infancy, and become afterwards awakened to a sense of their condition, are still conscious of a body of sin remaining within them, and are made to cry out in anxiety of soul, A Saviour, or I die! A Redeemer, or I perish for ever! Are not such painfully sensible, that they still want remission and regeneration, notwithstanding their water-baptism?

If any say, This may arise from sins committed after their baptism. I answer, the apostle John saith, ^t ‘Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.’ But it is evi­dent in fact, that he who is baptized only with water, can sin as freely and fully as he who is not; therefore he who is baptized with water, is not in consequence born of God.

It is pleaded, that Peter commanded water-bap­tism, Acts x. 48. which he certainly would not have done, had he not held the practice necessary. On the same foundation it may be argued, that he would not have ^v compelled the believing Gentiles to live [Page 16]after the manner of the Jewish law, had he not held it necessary; yet we find Paul openly reproved him for it. This shews, that Peter, though one of the most eminent apostles, in the early time of the gospel, sometimes went a little too far, in com­pliance with the prejudices of his Jewish brethren, divers of whom were present when he commanded those Gentile convert, to be baptized. But in this particular instance at the house of Cornelius, Peter might not be blameable; for we have reason to believe, that such a prudential tenderness both to­wards Jews and Gentiles, was permitted for a sea­son, as to allow the practice of divers rituals, till their attachment to them should become lessened, by the prevalence of the Holy spirit in their hearts.

Upon this ground he probably exhorted the peo­ple, Acts ii. 38, 39. ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off.’

This general promise he had thus cited from Joel in the beginning of his discourse: ^w ‘It shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants, and on my hand­maidens, I will pour out in those days of my spirit, and they shall prophesy.’

This dispensation of the spirit to both sexes, then eminently took place, and the apostle, undoubtedly, expressed himself in the words before-cited, with allusion to the spiritual baptism of Christ, which [Page 17]operates to true repentance, and brings to experience that conversion of heart, which is followed by the remission of sins, and the reception of the Holy Ghost. This he plainly taught in a parallel passage of the following chapter: ^x ‘Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.’

These renovating and consolatory effects follow not in consequence of the ministration of water-baptism; for if they did, Simon the sorcerer, and all the wicked amongst men that ever received it, would have had remission, and the gift of the Holy Ghost.

We find the apostle Paul also conformed at times in this, and divers other ceremonials; but when he afterwards perceived hurt already had, and was likely still to ensue from such conformity, he forbore it; and ^y thanked God that he had only baptized Crispus, Gaius, and the houshold of Stephanas; declaring, that Christ sent him not to baptize, (that is, with water) but to preach the Gospel.

Peter himself also afterwards, probably observing a danger of water-baptism being received and espoused as the real baptism of the Gospel, guards the believ­ers against such a dangerous mistake, ^z by shewing what the true christian baptism is; to wit, that it is not that which puts away the filth of the flesh, but that which produceth the answer of a good consci­ence towards God. Thus it is not the figurative, but the effective baptism pointed to by the figure, the refining baptism of the Holy Ghost that saveth.

It is well known by the experience of many, that this baptism is gradually effected by spiritual immersions of the soul, according to the measure of corruption it hath imbibed, and to the strictness or [Page 18]laxity of its attention to the great Baptizer. A sense of its sinful condition, with the distance it stands at from the God of perfect purity, is first given it, whereby it is brought into self-abasement, contrition, and, at length, into humble resignation of all to him. Thus it becomes baptized into the similitude of the death of Christ, which is a death unto all that is of a carnal and sensual nature. Through baptism it also riseth with him into newness of life, which enableth it to bring sorth the fruits of the spirit to his praise. To those who had thus followed Christ in the regeneration, the apostle said, ^a ‘Ye are com­plete in him, who is the head of all principality and power. In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ; buried with him in baptism, wherein ye are also risen with him, through the faith of the operation of God.’

True Christian baptism is a great and important work; the work of Christ himself whereby the soul is measurably baptized into his spirit, and endowed with its virtues. This is quite another thing than a ceremonious formalization under his name. The latter is easy to the flesh, but the former crucifies it. ^b ‘They that are Christ's, have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts."— ^c As many of you," said Paul, "as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.’ To take the name Christian upon us, and to be joined to the pro­miscuous body of a prosessing church, is only to put on a profession of Christ; but to have really put him on, is to be endued in degree with his Holy Spirit and nature; which those, who have been baptized into him, certainly are. For, ^d ‘if any [Page 19]man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold all things are become new, and all things are of God.’ Such are become inwardly united to Christ, grafted as branches in him the living vine, daily partaking of his life and virtue, which renders them fruitful according to their measure; to these he pressingly shews the necessity of care and watchfulness, that they may abide in him: ^e "As the branch," said he, ‘cannot bear fruit of itself, (or) except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered.’ This manifests that maxim, once in grace, and always in grace, to be no better than a broken reed, and dangerous for any who have been sensible of a divine visitation to rest their salvation upon.

It is improper to imagine, that the sign of cir­cumcision, given to Abraham and his descendants, was a type of water-baptism, which was only an outward and typical sign itself. Ceremony and substance are type and antitype; not ceremony and ceremony. What the circumcision of the foreskin pointed to, was the inward circumcision of the fleshly heart, called for by Moses, Deut. x. 16. and promised, chap. xxx. 6. Water-baptism in like manner typified ^f the washing of regeneration; which is effected by the renewing of the Holy Ghost.

Mark xvi. 16. "He that believeth, and is bap­tized, shall be saved." This must be understood of that saving faith, which worketh by love, to the purification of the heart, and of that saving baptism, which operates to the answer of a good conscience. [Page 20]If we do not believe unto obedience, if we have not that faith which overcomes the world in our hearts, we shall not be found in the faith once delivered to the saints; and, if we are not ^g washed by the Lord himself, whoever else may baptize us, we have no part in him. Simon Magus believed, and was bap­tized with water, yet remained so far from a state of salvation, that when he offered money for the Holy Ghost, the inspired apostle sharply answered him, ^h ‘Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.— I perceive thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.’ What therefore had his bare believing and water-baptism done for him?

Misapprehension at first, and tradition afterwards, having inculcated water-baptism as a permanent institution of our Lord's, and an indispensable part of the gospel-ministration, some of its advocates have weakly argued for it as such, from his washing ⁱ the feet of his disciples, and directing it as their duty to do the like to each other. But this instance had no relation to that ceremony; for our Lord was not then instructing his followers how to initiate new converts, but figuratively shewing them what their own conduct should be amongst themselves, by setting them a pattern of humility, condescension, and brotherly kindness one to another. This undoubtedly was his intent; not the establishment of the exterior act of pedal ablution.

Water-baptism being an essential part of John's commission, he properly admitted his disciples by it; which the great Administrator of spiritual baptism [...] not. When he called to any, Follow me, those, who obeyed his call, immediately became his disci­ples, without any ceremonial. We find he accepted [Page 21]Peter, Andrew, John, James, Levi, Philip, Natha­niel, and Zacheus, without either baptizing them, or directing them to be baptized with water. As it was then, so it remains to be; those who are obedient to his call are his followers, whether they are water-baptized, or not. On the contrary, those who obey not the internal manifestations of his spirit, are none of his, whoever baptizeth them with water. Formality may render any man a nominal Christian; but the effectual baptism of the spirit only can make a real one.

The practice of sprinkling infants under the name of baptism, hath neither precept nor precedent in the New Testament. For want of real instances, mere suppositions are offered in support of it. Because it is said in the case of Lydia, ^k that she was baptized, and her houshold; and by the apostle, "I baptized also the houshold of Stephanas;" it is supposed, there might be infants, or little children, in those housholds; from whence it is inferred such were baptized. But could such improbabilities be ever so well ascertained, they would fall very short of proving the practice a divine and perpetual institution.

The words of our Saviour, ^l ‘Suffer the little children to come unto me,’ afford no ground for infant-baptism. He made no mention of it, much less did he recommend it as requisite to prepare them for his kingdom; for he declared their fitness already: "Forbid them not," said he, ‘for of such is the kingdom of heaven.’ Who are they that presume to forbid such as unqualified to enter it, unless they are sprinkled by their hands? The intention of our Lord in admitting the children to him, appears to have been, that he might exhibit them as examples of innocence and fitness to those actual sinners about [Page 22]him; to whom he said, ‘Verily I say unto you whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.’ Had he meant to adopt and establish paedo-baptism as a standing ordinance, a fairer opportunity could hardly offer, either to baptize the children himself, or command his disciples to do it; neither of which he did; but graciously shewed his acceptance of them without it, for ‘he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.’

We never find either the Lord Jesus, or his apostles, preaching up water-baptism as his, nor telling the people they cannot be his followers without it. His conditions of discipleship are not so easy to the carnal mind. ^m ‘If any man will come after me,’ said he, ‘let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’— ⁿ ‘Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.’ Hence it is clear, that it is not water-baptism, nor any kind of rituals whatsoever, which renders any man a Chris­tian in our Saviour's account; but obedience to the operation of his Holy Spirit, which humbleth the heart, purifieth the soul, and baptizeth it measurably into the divine nature. But mortification of self being irksome, and highly disagreeable to the flesh too many are rather willing to content themselves with assuming the name Christian under the outward sign, than to endure the pain of crossing their carnal propensities, in order to put on Christ, and become Christians indeed. But let such attentively consider this salutary admonition of the apostle. ^o ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that [Page 23]soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corrup­tion; but he that soweth to the spirit, shall of the spirit reap life everlasting.’

The command, ‘Go teach all nations, baptiz­ing,’ &c. shews that the baptism therein meant, should be as general as the preaching there intended, both among Jews and Gentiles; which water­baptism evidently was not. For Paul, who was sent chiefly to the Gentiles, was very sparing in the use of it, and thanked God that he had baptized but two or three families with it, declaring that was not his commission; yet he planted many churches, which contained numbers who received the spirit, and walked in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, and who were as real Christians without water-baptism, as others were with it. This shews, that it was neither made an essential, nor an integral part of Christianity; and consequently, that the conti­nuance of it was but an occasional condescension; for it having been an ancient custom both among Jews and Gentiles, to initiate their proselytes by it, and also administered by John under divine authority, and taken up from him by the disciples of our Lord, it was become a ceremony of considerable account with the generality, who saw not sufficiently into the purity and simplicity of the Gospel: therefore it could not, even after the baptism of Christ by the Holy Ghost appeared, be every where laid aside suddenly; neither was it required so to be, but, as John intimated, to decrease, or fall into disuse by degrees. In like manner the apostles also occasionally complied with the rites of the Mosaic law in various particulars; as circumcision, vows, shavings, exterior purifications, sacrifices, anointings, &c. all which were permitted for a season; yet, had the professors of Christianity abode in the spirit of it, and sincerely sought a growth therein, ceremonials of all kinds [Page 24]would soon have been extinct in the church. But instead of growing in grace, and in the saving know­ledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, a falling away began early to take place, and in proportion as the life of religion dwindled, forms and shadows were more and more fastened upon, and gradually increased upon the declining state of the church, as the spirit of antichrist gained ground. But to return.

We read, Eph. v. 25, 26. ‘Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.’ This is the work of Christ himself, and therefore is done by his own spiritual baptism. The water of the word signifies its cleansing power, as ^p the milk of the word denotes its nutri­mental virtue; and this sanctifying word is the issuing forth of the spirit of Christ for great and gracious purposes, who is himself the emphatical and all powerful Word, through whom the Father effects his will, and communicates all things to his people. By him alone the church can be rendered holy, and presented without blemish.

According to apostolic doctrine, there is but one baptism now remaining in force: ^q ‘One Lord, one faith, one baptism.’ And as the Christian dispensation is that of Christ, the one baptism must be the baptism of Christ; which is not by water, but the Holy Ghost: ^r "For," saith Paul, ‘by one spirit are we all baptized into one body.’ By receiving the same spirit, we become of the same spiritual body. The outward and visible sign may introduce us into membership with such an outward [Page 25]and visible church as holds with the retention of the sign; but it is the effectual operation of the spirit of Christ in us, that renders us members of his body, or true spiritual church.

The distinction betwixt our Saviour's baptism, and that of John, lies not in the same elementary ministration after a different mode, or under another form of words. ^s ‘I, (saith John) indeed have baptized you with water; but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.’ This plainly shews, that the baptism of Christ, and that of John, were two separate baptisms, and that they are perfectly distinct, and different from each other, as type and antitype.

Some have argued, that as the soul is not properly a man without the body, nor the body without the soul, but both in conjunction make the man; so water-baptism and spirit-baptism are both requisite to make up the one Christian baptism. But though soul and body be the two constituent parts of a man, the two baptisms have no such constitutional connection. That of the spirit, being the effective reality, is complete in itself; but that of water was only a temporary figure, and no more a part of the baptism of Christ, than the circumcision of the foreskin was a part of the circumcision of the heart.

The transaction of Philip with the Ethiopian eunuch, Acts viii. hath been treated as if meant to give a miraculous sanction to water-baptism. But it is evident, this great and well-disposed man had been at, Jerusalem with a pious intention to worship the true God, who knowing the sincerity of his heart, sent Philip to instruct him, and to preach his Son Jesus to him, as the Saviour of mankind. After he had so done, as they passed near a certain [Page 26]water, the eunuch judging, according to the custom of both Jews and Gentiles, that he must be entered as a proselyte by the usual ceremony, made a motion to Philip that he might be there baptized. And, as the apostles, in this early time of the gospel, saw fit occasionally to condescend to this and various other rituals, Philip went into the water with him, and baptized him. But, if any miracle was wrought, the text affords no testimony that it was done to give a sanction to water-baptism, nor that it is a perpetual institution of our Lord. It doth not appear in the New Testament, that he ever insti­tuted, adopted, or once administered water-baptism himself. The evangelist declares, that ^t ‘Jesus himself baptized not:’ that is, not with water; and undoubtedly for this reason, because it was not his baptism, but John's, who was the only person we find divinely commissioned for it. Our Lord's submitting himself to it, under John's ministration, was upon the same footing that he submitted to the Jewish ceremonials. They had all been divinely commanded, and in acknowledgment of them as such, he countenanced the practice of them, till the period of their obligation should arrive, by the establishment of his own spiritual dispensation.

No one outwardly-connected body upon earth, hath a right to engross to itself the title of the true church, and thence to assert, there is no salvation but within its own peculiar pale; for all professing churches are composed, more or less, of a promis­cuous number of those who love and fear God, and of those who regard him not with that reverence and subjection all ought to do. Those who walk most in the spirit, will undoubtedly be most in his favour; but without obedience thereunto, none can [Page 27]be so; ^v ‘For, as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God:’ and, ^w ‘If any man have not the spirit of Christ (as his leader) he is none of his.’ Whatever doctrines he may profess, and whatever forms he may practise, he is no true follower of Christ. ^x The sheep of Christ hear his voice; they carefully regard the leadings of his spirit, wherein he gives unto them eternal life, and none can pluck them out of his hand. Here is the pale of true salvation; for ^y there is but one fold under one shepherd. Of this fold are the righteous under all denominations; for ^z ‘God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.’

Our Lord declared himself to be the door of entrance into this fold. ^a ‘Verily, verily, I am the door of the sheep—I am the door, by me if any man enter, he shall be saved.’ No ceremo­nial can open this door, much less can it be the door. By the communication of faith to the returning sinner, Christ opens the way for him to be purified in heart, and fitted for admission into his church militant here, and the church triumphant hereafter: ^b ‘For by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.’

He is also the means of grace: ^c ‘For the law was given by Moses; but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.’ And it always comes by him; for saith the apostle, ^d ‘Unto every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ.’

The seal or pledge of the kingdom of heaven, is what entitles to, or insures it. This is the oil of [Page 28]divine grace, kept burning and shining in the lamp of the wise virgin soul, or, in other words, the earnest of the spirit in the renewed heart. ^e ‘He who establisheth us with you in Christ," saith Paul, "is God, who hath sealed us, and given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts."— ^f "In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise.— ^g "Grieve not the holy spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.’ The Christian seal, therefore, is the sacred impress of the holy spirit.

The mark or badge of true Christian fellowship is love: ^h ‘By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.’ This is not to be understood of a bare natural affection, or the attachment of party; but of that uniting love which is shed abroad in the hearts of the regenerate by the Holy Ghost; to which the apostle John thus exhorts, ⁱ ‘Let us love one another; for love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.’

Typical forms may be made as doors of entrance into outward and visible churches, and as marks and pledges of fellowship amongst men; but they are not such to the spiritual community of the invisible church of Christ, the members whereof, ^k ‘as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.’

CHAP. II. ON CHRISTIAN COMMUNION.

AS the baptism of Christ is purely spiritual, so is that communion which is truly the Lord's Jupper. ^a "For," saith holy writ, ‘by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit.’ This indicates, that the communion of real inward Christians, whereby they partake of divine strength and consolation, is in the one spirit they are all baptized by.

Undoubtedly, the sign hath been piously used by many, and still may be so by those to whom the termination of it doth not yet appear; but seeing it is not in itself of the spiritual nature of the gospel-dispensation, the necessary question now is, Whether our Lord instituted it with a declared intention, that the observance of it should be an universal establishment throughout the Christian churches to the end of time? If this be not ascertained in the affirmative, it cannot, with propriety, be insisted on as an ordinance obli­gatory upon us at this day. Dean Stilling fleet hath justly observed, ‘Whatsoever is binding upon Christians, and so becomes an article either of faith or practice, as an universal standing law, must be clearly revealed as such, and laid down in scripture in such evident terms, as that all who have their senses exercised therein, may discern it to have been the will of Christ, that if should perpetually oblige all believers to the end of the world.’ Let us a little enquire, whether such clear evidence of the perpetual obligation of this ceremonial appears [Page 30]in the texts that most immediately relate to the subject.

Our Saviour and his disciples being engaged in the celebration of the Jewish passover, the same night he was betrayed, we read, ^b ‘As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.’ Luke adds the following expression: ^c "This do in remembrance of me." But the apostle Paul delivers it in a fuller and more explanatory manner. ^d ‘This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me." Adding, For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.’

There is nothing in these texts that enjoins the perpetuity of the symbols. The words, till he come, shews the observance of them to be no longer of obligation than till his second coming. We do not read, You shall thus participate of the signs through all future generations; nor have we any specific direction how often they should be used in the interval, which indicates a liberty in that respect; but no authority for their extension beyond the time of the Lord's coming. When they were received, it was to be in remembrance of him, which must be during his absence from them; for when present, he must be an object of sense, not of remembrance; therefore the time intended for the reception of those tokens [Page 31]of memorial, could only be till he should come again, and afresh communicate a sense of his divine presence to them.

This second coming of our Lord he had repeatedly given them sufficient ground to expect should be after a spiritual manner. ^e "Ye have heard," said he, ‘how I said unto you, I go away, and come again to you.’ He had assured them of this, where he told them, ^f ‘I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever: even the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.’ Here he first speaks of himself in the third person under the name of the Comforter, the spirit of truth; and then assuming the first, inculcates, that he who was then a strength and comfort to them, without them, by his bodily pre­sence, should, after his corporeal departure, come again in spirit, to be the strength and comfort of his followers within them, and to abide with them for ever. He also shewed, that his spiritual advent, and indwelling, was not to be confined to his present disciples; but should also be manifested to all that love him, and keep his commandments. ^g ‘If any man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.’

The apostle Paul likewise concurrently testified, ^h ‘Christ was offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him, shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.’ To those who then looked for him in spirit he certainly did [Page 32]come, according to that testimony of John, ⁱ ‘We know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true; and we are in him that is true; even in his Son Jesus Christ.’ This coming of Christ, by which they received an understanding that they were in him, must be after a spiritual manner, agree­able to his promise, John xiv. 20. ‘At that day, ye shall know, that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.’

Thus they experienced the knowledge of that great gospel-mystery, which had been hid from ages and generations in forms and shadows: ^k "But now" saith the apostle, ‘is made manifest to his saints, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.’

The inward and true Christian thus knows him to be come, by the illuminating and quickening life he receives from him; which all ought inwardly to seek after, and not stick in the outward and visible sign, with an expectation to find him in that from whence he is risen. They who look only thus outwardly for him, in truth see him not. ^l ‘Yet a little while," said he, "and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me, because I live, ye shall live also.’ The unregenerate world could discern no more of him than his corporeal appear­ance, and when that was removed, they saw him no more; but those who have been baptized into him, as a vital principle of divine life, still spiritually see him, and because he lives in them, they live also; and by the influence of his Holy Spirit are most effectually kept in mind of the shedding of his [Page 33]precious blood without the gates of Jerusalem, ^m as a propitiation for their sins, and not for theirs only, but for the sins of the whole world. These stand not in need of signs and symbols to remind them of him. They cannot be forgetful of that inexpressible love and mercy, wherein he gave up his prepared body to die, that they might live; but are graciously pre­served in humble thankfulness, and deep admiration, that he should so condescend to suffer for them, who must ever acknowledge themselves most unworthy of such astonishing goodness.

The outward and visible sign appears to have been recommended by our Lord, only for the interval between his personal departure and his spiritual return, the use of it being to commemorate his death till he came; consequently, when he was come, the observance of it was no longer obligatory, but occasionally permitted, like the washing of one another's feet, or the anointing of the sick with oil, till they should gradually drop away, as the reality wherein they terminated should advance in the hearts of the believers. But the progress of these in spirituality being early obstructed, by the disincli­nation of many towards the cross; their love to truth, and zeal for it waxed cold, and a disposition prevailed to rest in symbolical religion, which they could easily practise, without parting with their inward corruptions, and walking in that self-denial the gospel requires. This became an exercise to the apostles, and occasioned Paul to query, ⁿ ‘How turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?— Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?’

[Page 34] ^o "Behold," saith Christ, ‘I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.’ This is the true supper of the Lord, which stands not in partaking of the outward elements one with another, but in the participation of his divine life, the true bread from heaven, and the new wine of the kingdom. This is also communicated in religious congregations, to those of ^p ‘the circumcision which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." When such draw near to him, he draws near to them. ^q "Where two or three," said he, "are gathered together into my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ Our common translation has it in my name; but in the original it is [...] into my name; which name, as observed in the preceding chapter, is the power and virtue of his spirit, wherein alone true Christian communion is enjoyed.

The spiritually-minded under former dispensations were not excluded from this communion. The apostle shews, that the fathers of Israel ^r ‘did all eat of the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.’ He also intimates, that himself and his brethren then partook in the same spiritual communion, under the metaphorical terms of the body and blood of Christ. ^s ‘The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?’ As if he had said, Is it but the outward shadow, and not the inward and spiritual reality? Certainly [Page 35]it is, for ‘we being many are one bread, and one body; for we are all partakers of that one bread.’ This implies, that by the participation of the one spirit of life in Christ Jesus, they were, in their several measures, made partakers of the divine nature, and, through its cementing virtue, were inwardly united one unto another, as members of the same spiritual body, and all unto Christ the head; ^t ‘from which, saith the apostle, "all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.’

Having spoken to such as had experienced a degree of inward sanctification, the apostle turns to those intemperate carnal professors, who had fallen into a shameful abuse of the outward sign. ^v These he sharply reproved, and intimated to them, that as often as they partook of the exterior elements, it ought to have been in a reverent remembrance of him who suffered for them. For whilst they had no discerning, or inward sense, of his spiritual body, and persisted in such abuse of the form, he let them know they ate and drank to their own condemnation; for such as partake but of the sign, under a pretence of divine communion, and do it so unworthily, are in the judgment of the apostle, guilty of vilifying the body and blood of the Lord; because, whilst they profess to honour him, they, by their evil conduct, may be said, in some respect, ^w to crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Though our Saviour was seen of his disciples at times forty days after his resurrection, he partook not with them of any outward species in the form of communion, as may be concluded from his own [Page 36]words, ‘I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.’ He knew, though it was still hid from them, that by the regenerating baptism of the Holy Ghost, they should be made new creatures, and inwardly trans­lated into that spiritual kingdom, wherein he would give them to partake with him of the new wine thereof. For ^x the coming of this kingdom he had before taught them to pray, and also told them, ^y ‘There be some of them that stand here, who shall not taste of death till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.’ He had also informed them, that this kingdom ^z cometh not with observation, or outward shew; for, said he, the kingdom of God is within you.

If this kingdom cometh not with outward obser­vation, it is in vain to seek it by outward observations, and to pretend to support it by them. If it be within us, it must be an inward and spiritual king­dom, and it cannot come to us, but by the spirit. And if, as the apostle declares, ^a ‘the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost,’ it is not bread and wine; which are meat and drink. As the kingdom is spiritual, its communion is spiritual, and its receivers are spiritually such. Well therefore might the apostle say, ^b ‘He is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit, and not in the letter.’ Thus it is with the Christian. He is not a real Christian, who is only one by profession and form; neither is that the baptism, nor the communion of the gospel, [Page 37]which is outward and ceremonial; but he is a Christian who is one inwardly, and that is the true baptism, and the true communion, which is of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, or outward form. With what sound reason then can any insist on the practice of outward and visible signs, as if the very existence of Christianity depended upon them, and that persons of the greatest faith, piety, and probity, could have no claim to the name of Chris­tians without them?

Had the most eminent of the evangelists, John, esteemed the continuance of the sign to have been of essential moment, or lasting obligation, he would hardly have failed to mention it as such. He is particularly expressive of the circumstance of our Saviour's washing his disciples feet, shewing that he both enjoined it with great precision, and recom­mended it by his example; yet it is generally agreed to have been only figurative and temporary, and therefore disused by Protestants, and very little practised by the Romanists; but John, in his relation of the transactions of that important evening, passeth the outward supper wholly without notice. His total omission of it may reasonably intimate, that when he wrote his history, which was long after the rest of the evangelists, the season for it was fully past; and that the use of it had been only meant as a figure, to weak converts for a time, and then to drop away, and give place to the reality.

Yet, notwithstanding this apostolic historian hath omitted the ceremonial, he hath given a large account of our Lord's discourse concerning the substance, in chap. 6. wherein, amongst many other similar expressions, he saith, ^c ‘My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven—I am the living bread [Page 38]which came down from heaven—Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life.’ This intimates, that those who spiritually partake of the divine life in him, which is of an eternal nature, receive the living bread, and the flesh and blood he here intended. Such feed not of that body which suffered on the cross, but of his spiritual body, which is a mystery to the carnal mind.

Knowing in himself, that by apprehending his metaphorical expressions in a literal sense, many of his disciples, as well as the Jews, took offence, he, for explanation, directly told them, verse 63. ‘It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing.’ From whence it appears, that could we eat the very flesh, and drink the blood of the outward body of Christ, it would not profit us. How vain and useless therefore, as well as contrary to sense and reason, is the Romish notion, that the bread consecrated by a priest, is transubstantiated into that body of flesh and blood, which, if actually received, would profit nothing to the soul!

It is both carnal and absurd to inser, that upon our Saviour's blessing the bread, it instantly became that very body which brake it, handed it to the disciples, and ate of it with them. But, that a new-made wafer, or a piece of bread of yesterday, should, upon the priest's imitative performance of a mere ceremony, be instantly rendered that very body of Christ, which existed many hundred years before it, and that it is to be worshipped as God; and also that every one of the many thousands of these consecrated wafers is the whole of that same body; and all this, whilst they remain as utterly unchanged, to every evidence of sense and reason, as when they came out of the hands of the baker; that any people should suffer these manifest impossi­bilities to be imposed upon them as mysterious [Page 39]truths, is a flagrant instance of the great subtlety of Satan, the boldness of his instruments, and the credulity of mankind.

This irrational and idolatrous abuse hath arisen from the taking expressions, evidently figurative, in a literal sense. Take the connecting verb is, in the phrases, "This is my body, this is my blood," in like manner with many parallel expressions in scrip­ture, and the mystery is easily solved, without putting any unnatural force upon the text, or any imposition upon the senses, understandings, or consciences of mankind. We read, ^d ‘The seven good kine are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years.— ^e This Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia.— ^f The seven heads are seven mountains. —The ten horns thou sawest ar ten kings.’ These are universally allowed to have been only representative signs of what they are literally said to be. In like manner, those expressions of our Lord, "This is my body, This is my blood," figuratively signified, the bread and wine to be exterior signs, representing, that as they imparted strength and refreshment to the body, the communication of his spiritual body should afford strength and refreshment to the soul.

Whatever any thing feeds upon must be of a nature suitable to its own. The soul, being of a spiritual nature, is not to be fed with material flesh and blood; the body prepared for Christ to appear in upon earth was such; therefore it was not that body concerning which he said, ^g ‘Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh [Page 40]my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.’ This flesh and blood is, therefore, another kind of body than that material one, wherein he then appeared to the world. It is a spiritual body, suitable and alimentary to the soul; the true life of which is spiritual, and its feeding spiritual: The flesh profits it nothing. It is both quickened and supported by that spiritual body of Christ (metaphorically called the ^h Rock) upon which the fathers of Israel fed long before he took the outward body upon him, and upon which the primitive Christians fed, and all who are truly such now feed, and, like them, become nourished up unto eternal life.

The rituals of the Mosaic law were once of divine institution, but being only ⁱ shadows of good things to come in the spiritual dispensation of the gospel, the good things themselves being come, their shadows appear to us no longer obligatory; so the exterior forms of water-baptism and the supper, [...] shadows of the good things already come under the spiritual ministration of the Saviour, are [...]perceded thereby, and become of no more force than the past rudiments of the law. Nevertheless, we condemn not those who are conscientious in the [...] of them. ‘Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.’

The profane as well as the pious may partake of the outward elements. Judas partook of these, even when Satan had entered him, and he had covenanted to betray his Lord; but he could not in that state participate of the true communion with him; therefore the outward supper is not the true communion.

[Page 41] The communion of the church triumphant in heaven, and that of the church militant upon earth, is in the same spirit. It is the communion of the Holy Ghost in both; but the latter being in a state of travail and probation, amidst the temptations and trials of the world, doth not enjoy it in that uninterrupted brightness and fulness, which the former doth in the state of perfect purity and immu­table glory.

CHAP. III. ON WAITING UPON GOD, &c.

THE apostle Paul shewed, that ^a ‘there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; ^b through whom we have access by one spirit unto the Father, ^c and in whom alone we are accepted.’ We have no power to draw near unto God but by him. ^d ‘I am the way," said he, "and the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ In order to worship aright, therefore, we must first wait for him, that we may feel the power of his spirit in our hearts, to illuminate, quicken, and enable us, inwardly to approach the throne of divine grace, in faith and resignation; that our offerings may come up with acceptance on his holy altar.

The communication of his spirit being of his own free grace, it is not in the power of man to obtain it when he pleaseth; therefore, it must be waited for. Activity, in exterior ordinances, is an employment very different from true waiting; which [Page 42]consists in a solemn and steady inward retirement of soul to him, in humility, faith, and patience, that he may condescend to renew its strength in him, and enable it to worship him in spirit and in truth, according to his will.

In this practice, the people of God, in all gene­rations, sensibly experienced the times of refreshing from his presence, and ability to withstand tempta­tion, to hold on their way amidst the various assaults of the powers of evil, and occasionally to stand firm in suffering for his glorious cause. Hence we find them, in holy writ, frequent in expressing the benefit of waiting upon God, and earnest in their exhorta­tions to it. Let us attend to a few instances.

Psalm xxvii. 14. ‘Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord.’ This contains encouragement, and repeated exhortation to waiting.

Hosea xii. 6. ‘Turn thou to thy God; keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.’ This intimates the necessity of perseverance in waiting, as well as in the practice of uprightness and charity.

Psalm xxxiii. 20. ‘Our soul waiteth for the Lord; he is our help, and our shield.’ This shews, their waiting upon him was in expectation of his divine assistance.

Isa. xl. 31. ‘They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall [...] up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.’ Herein are held forth gracious assurances of quickening strength in the practice of waiting.

Micah vii. 7. ‘I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.’ This indicates the holy resolution of the prophet, and his confidence in waiting.

[Page 43] Habak. ii. 1. ‘I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, or in me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.’ Watching here is synonymous with waiting, and this passage denotes the dependance of the prophet, in this inward and mental exercise, to have been upon the Lord for instruction.

Psal. xl. 1, 2. ‘I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.’ This evinces the propriety of a continuance in waiting, and the happy success attending it.

That this waiting was not only the practice of particulars, but also of the congregated bodies of God's people, appears from that reprehension of the spirit of prophecy in Ezekiel, against the insincere amongst the Israelites: ^e ‘They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words; but they will not do them.’

We also find, that whilst the elders of Judah sate before the prophet, he was led through such a variety of divine visions concerning the state of that people, as take up from chap. viii. 1. to chap. xi. 4. to relate. During the time he was thus inwardly engaged, the elders undoubtedly sate in silence, as well as himself; for in conclusion, he saith, ‘The spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak,’ &c.

Psalm xxxvii. 7. and lxii. 1. shew the waiting of the Lord's servants began, and continued for some time in silence; for, according to the Hebrew, these texts are, ‘ Be silent to the Lord, and wait patiently [Page 44]for him."—"Truly my soul is silent upon God (or silent in attention upon him) from him cometh my salvation.’

Lam. iii. 25, 28. ‘The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope, and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. He sitteth alone, and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.’ Here is great encouragement to the submissive silent waiter.

The evangelical prophet is still more expressive.

Isa. lxiv. 4. ‘Since the beginning of the world, men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, besides thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.’ This evidenceth, there is something more excellent than is possible to the conceived by the natural, or unregenerate, man, to be enjoyed in devout and patient waiting. Hence ariseth the fervency of zeal for thus waiting, and the great earnestness therein of those who experienced the benefit of it; which we find emphatically expressed in the following texts.

Psalm cxxx. 6. ‘My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.’

Isa. xxvi. 9. ‘With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early.’

Psalm xlii. 1, 2. ‘As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God! My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?’

As the spiritually-minded, under past dispensa­tions, were sensible of their inability properly to [Page 45]discharge their respective duties, without the renewed assistance of God's Holy Spirit, and therefore often waited upon him to receive it; so under this gospel-dispensation, which essentially is the pure ministra­tion of the Spirit, it must necessarily be waited for. Our Lord therefore directed this dispensation to commence in solemn waiting. For, being assembled together with his disciples, ^f he ‘commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father:’ the enduement of power from on high. Accordingly, whilst the disciples were congregated and sitting together with one accord, ^g ‘they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the spirit gave them utterance.’

Thus led into solemn waiting by their Lord and Master, and divinely favoured therein, the primitive Christians had sufficient ground to continue the practice; which it appears they did from the follow­ing texts: 1 Cor. i. 6, 7, 8. ‘The testimony of Christ was confirmed in you; so that ye come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming, or revelation, of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also confirm you unto the end.’ This shews they received the gifts of the spirit, and the confirmation of it, through waiting."

1 Thes. i. 9, 10. ‘Ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven.’ And, 2 Thes. iii. 5. the apostle prays, ‘The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.’ This patient waiting for the revelation of Christ from heaven, must have an immediate respect to their worship, as well as to their qualification for service, and is to be understood [Page 46]of his inward and spiritual appearance; which the apostle gives comfortable assurance of, Heb. ix. 28. ‘Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time, without sin unto salvation.’ By this we understand, that as he once appeared after an outward and corporeal manner, and gave up the body prepared for him, as an expiation for the sins of all who should come to repentance; so to those who should look internally for him in faith, he shall again appear by the revelation of his spirit in their hearts, to effect the work of regeneration in them, in order to their eternal salvation. For, this second appearance of Christ to those who piously look, and patiently wait, for him, cannot intend his last advent; for then he shall also appear to those that look not for him with desire, to their final condemnation.

From what hath been said, it may sufficiently appear, that waiting upon God in silence, faith, and patience, is not a modern peculiarity originated among the people called Quakers, nor the fruit of a despicable enthusiasm; but a necessary practice of ancient date and long continuance amongst the Lord's people, as preparatory and requisite to the reception of divine ability to ^h pray with the spirit, and with a right understanding also. ⁱ "Watch unto prayer," said Peter. Paul likewise exhorts to the duty of ^k ‘praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance.’

Having experimentally received an inward sense of the divine goodness in thus waiting, the living amongst the people above-mentioned are engaged to sit down in a watchful stillness, both in their public meetings and private retirements, before Him who made heaven and earth, the seas, and the fountains [Page 47]of waters; and whoever have any clear sense of the spirit, know it draws their minds into this still waiting for it, so pathetically recommended in holy writ, and so beneficially practised by those who have devoted their souls to the God of their life, and their never-failing helper in time of need. Let none, therefore, by rejecting and deriding what they have not experienced, lose the precious opportunity now afforded them; but address themselves earnestly to ^l seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near, that happily in ^m feeling after him they may find him, who is not far from every one of us.

If we suffer the low concerns of this mutable world, its earthly profits, or deceitful pleasures, its friendships, fashions, or any other of its corruptions, to attach our minds, and divert them from attending to the motions of the spirit of God in our hearts, till we fill up such a measure of iniquity as shall occasion him to forsake us, we may seek him after­wards, as Esau did the blessing, in vain. For, he saith, ⁿ ‘My spirit shall not always strive with man.’ Time sufficient for repentance is afforded to all, and the will of God is our sanctification. Why then, some may query, are we not sanctified? Is Satan too strong for Almighty power? By no means. Such questions are started from improper grounds. As the Lord, in wisdom, hath made man a reasonable creature, he deals with him according to reason, and not by absolute force. He shews him good and evil, with their opposite consequences, persuades, intreats, and presseth him to refuse the evil, and choose the good, that he may reap the fruit of it; even eternal life. If the will of man be so perverse, as to prefer a continuance in the gratifications of sin, he sows to the flesh, and of the flesh must reap corruption. If he wilfully reject [Page 48]the kind reproofs of the spirit in his own conscience, to the full extent of divine sufferance, as revolting Jerusalem did, he sins out the day of his merciful visitation, grace is withdrawn from him, his oppor­tunity is lost, and the way of peace is hid from his eyes. Knowing this, the good apostle thus earnestly addressed the believers: ^o ‘We then as workers together with Him, beseech you also, that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.’ For, though the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared to all men, its appearance is rendered in vain to such as by their disobedience to it, and rejection of it, frustrate the accomplishment of its gracious end and purpose towards them.

It is a weak argument, that we have now a complete canon of the scriptures, and therefore have less need of the spirit than the primitives; as if the letter could supply the place, and do the work of the spirit. As all men by a natural and corpo­real birth enter into the kingdom of this world; so our Saviour himself shewed the Jewish ruler ^p, that unless we experience a spiritual and supernatural birth, we cannot enter into the kingdom of God. The holy scriptures, which so strongly recommend us to be led by the spirit, to live in the spirit, and to walk in the spirit, could not be intended to supersede and set aside the spirit, and to render its internal operation unnecessary.

The apostle Paul, who had a share of both divine and human knowledge, teaches that ^q the natural or unregenerate man (notwithstanding his arts, languages, and philosophy) receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are fooliskness unto him; neither can he know them (by his learned researches) because they are spiritually discerned. That is, they are only to be understood by the light of the [Page 49]spirit; and therefore to be received by its own illumination. We may gather up theoretic notions concerning them from the declarations of those who did receive them; but this will not convey the realities they express to us. It will center far short of creating us anew in Christ Jesus, without which we may profess ourselves Christians; but ^r ‘they that are Christ's, have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts.’

But some, who allow that the assistance of the Holy Spirit is still afforded to mankind, deny that any man now hath an internal sense of it, so as to distinguish its motions in them from those of their own minds. But, certainly, whoever feels any inward convictions for sin conceived or committed, not under the cognizance of law, nor open to other mens knowledge, may easily distinguish the motions of the reproved which leads into sin, from those of the reprover who smites for it, to lead out of it; and if any ever become insensible of it, it is for want of obeying it. Such as continue to reject it, may occasion it to become silent in them for a season; but it always remains present with them, though they feel it not, and will revive upon them with inexpressible terror, at a time when they shall find no way to escape.

1 John iii. 24. and iv. 13. we read, ‘Hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the spirit which he hath given us.—Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his spirit.’ This inculcates that the Holy Spirit, like the sun in the firmament, manifests itself to the mind by its own evidence. Yet, not­withstanding ^s ‘the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world,’ shineth in the dark hearts of men; if they wilfully retain their [Page 50]darkness, they comprehend not the light. ^t ‘Those that rebel against the light, they know not the ways thereof.’ Abiding under the beclouding influence of prejudice, unbelief, or self-confidence, they shut themselves up against the light, and often decry and ridicule it; but those who embrace it as from God, come to experience the new-birth of the spirit, and in the new-birth receive a new life, and in the new life a new sense. The life and sense of the first birth are carnal; the life and sense of the second are spiritual, which nothing but the spirit can communicate.

Peter told the regenerate formerly, ^v ‘Ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit.’ They had joined the truth, that is, the spirit of truth, in its operation to the purification of their souls, and certainly, not without a sense of it. This spirit of truth is the spirit of Christ, which he promised should come to ^w reprove, or convince, the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, and to guide into all truth.

Hence we see, the spirit cometh not only to rebuke, convince, and disquiet mankind in evil to lead them out of it, but also to accompany them in faithful­ness, and guide them into all truth. For when they are brought to receive it, believe in it, and cleave to it, they become the sheep of Christ; they ^x hear and follow him, for they know his voice; that is, they are enabled to distinguish the motions of his spirit from those of the stranger, which they will not follow, but flee from.

There is as much difference betwixt the internal voice of Christ, and other voices, as there is between light and darkness. ^y "He that followeth me," said he, ‘shall not walk in darkness; but shall have [Page 51]the light of life.’ He that walks in the light, must necessarily see by it, and have a sense of it.

^z ‘He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and manifest myself to him.’ This manifestation of himself to those who love him is by his spirit, and the manifestation of his spirit must be the discovery of it the soul of him to whom it is manifested. There can be no mani­festation to any but those who receive a sense of it; for that cannot be manifested to me, which I have no distinct perception of. Insensible manifestation is a self-contradiction.

Eph. ii. 1. ‘You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins’ Who hath not been, more or less, in the death of trespasses and sins? And who ever experienced a resurrection from this death, unto life in Christ, by the quickening power of his spirit, without a living sense of it? Insensibi­lity is not a property of life, but of death; therefore the living members of the body or church of Christ, cannot be insensible of the life of Christ, by which their souls are quickened, or made alive in him.

The ministration of the spirit hath ever been the life of true religion. The fairest form, and most plausible profession, are no more than a lifeless letter without it. ^a ‘The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life;’ and whosoever receiveth the spirit, receiveth life, and those who receive life, receive a sense of that life; for life is not without sense in proportion to its degree, and the higher degree of life any receive, the more sensible they are of its quickening virtue.

The express terms of the new covenant, cited from the prophet, Heb. viii. 10, 11, are, ‘This is the convenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws [Page 52]into their mind, and write them in their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. And they shall not (of absolute necessity) "teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord, for all shall know me from the least to the greatest.’

This plainly shews, that under the gospel-esta­blishment, the Lord himself is the teacher of his people, and that individually; that he openeth his law in their hearts so clearly and indubitably, that none who duly attend to his immediate instructions, in their consciences, need to remain under a necessity of being taught their duty to him by their brethren, or their neighbours.

From the gracious illumination of this Divine Teacher, ariseth the strongest internal evidence of the truth of Christianity to those who become subject to his instruction. Many, under various denominations, have acknowledged, that the truth and excellence of the Christian dispensation hath been rendered more clear and certain to them by this inward principle, than by all other kinds of evidence whatsoever; and it is a great proof of the good will of God to man­kind, that he hath laid open to all, whether learned or void of literature, this shortest and surest way to that evidence, which brings with it the most clear and cogent degree of convincement.

^b "We are not under the law; but under grace," saith the apostle. Great grace indeed! That the God of infinite wisdom, and immutable excellence, should condescend to be our immediate teacher! With what cordiality, humility, and thankfulness ought we to ac­cept of and embrace it; ever remembering that awful warning, ^c ‘See that ye refuse not him that speaketh; for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven.’