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the utmost abhorrence; God forbid, says he; how dare you charge the doctrine of grace with such a horrid consequence? God forbid that it should enter into our hearts; for how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? Know ye not, saith he, that as many of us as were baptized into Christ, are baptized into his death: therefore, saith he, so far from sinning that grace may abound, we look upon ourselves as being buried with Christ by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. This I thought a proper supplement to some discourses I have endeavoured to deliver you for some days last past, when treating on the credibility and authenticity of our blessed Lord's resurrection.

I cannot make sport for the devil by railing against infant or adult baptism; it is a strange thing how bigots can set the world on fire by throwing water at one another, and that people cannot be baptized, or sprinkled, as the others call it, without bespattering one another, and show that the chief thing they have been baptized into, are the waters of strife; this is catching at shadows, and making sport for the devil, while the combatants, on both sides, being thus engaged in throwing the shadowy water at one another, lose the substantials of religion, while they are defending the outside of it. For my part, I do not enter into the debate about infant or adult baptism; there has been a dispute about the mode, as well as the subjects of baptism; persons equally skilled in language, pretend to bring various texts from the original, to prove that the word baptizo,

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signifies either sprinkling or plunging; and I believe you and I might as well attempt to draw two parallel lines, and bring them to meet at some certain place, as to bring these learned combatants together; for of all disputants, religious disputants are the most fiery and obstinate; therefore, I am for those that have learned to throw water upon bigotted fire, to think, and let think, about the mode, and consider what it imports.

It is certain, that in the words of our text, there is an illusion to the manner of baptism, which was by immersion, which our own church allows, and insists upon it, that children should be immersed in water, unless those that bring the children to be baptized assure the minister that they cannot bear the plunging. We will allow this then, that one was plunged when he was young, another plunged when he was old; and, in fact, when adults are plunged as they ought, it is backwards at once but whether I am plunged in a great deal, or buried with a little water, as a body is when it is said, Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, what signifies it, if I go in and come out, and continue just the same as before, unless you can say, in Heathen, and out Christian; but we see very often they are not one bit the better, they have not one grain of Christianity more. Supposing a child when young grows up to a man, is sprinkled, or dipped as the children. I saw at Lisbon, or in our front, as they are made large enough to dip in, though now they sprinkle; suppose one of these grows up a child of the devil, and says, I don't look upon what was done in my infancy to be baptism, I will be baptized really and yet suppose also, that person takes up only the outward sign, and both of them die and go to

the devil, would it give either of them satisfaction to say, I am in hell, but I was baptized when an infant, or adult? both of them would have to lament they were tormented in the flame. Would

it not be better for us to take care not to offend our brethren, not to raise one anothers spirits and corruptions, but rather, when we come together, talk of the heart, and enquire whether when we received the outward sign by sprinkling or dipping, we really received the thing signified in our hearts. and exemplify that thing signified, in our lives.

Now pray what is the thing signified? we need not go farther for an answer than our text, As many of them as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death and it is worthy remarking, that our Lord told his disciples, that they were to baptize all nations in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Now I believe all persons that have but a little skill in scripture interpretation, must allow that the word name signifies Christ; my name is in him, speaking in the Old Testament of Christ's name; and when we say, in or by the name, it has a peculiar reference to every thing that belongs to God; and I verily believe that when the Redeemer said, baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, he not only intended to establish the doctrine of three persons in one God, but also to point out the nature of true baptism, namely, to be baptized into the nature of the Father, into the nature of the Son, and into the nature of the Holy Ghost, and this seems to be the meaning of our text, Know ye not that so many as were bap tized if we have been baptized aright, have been baptized not only in the name of Christ, but have been baptized into Christ? that is, we have not

only put on Christ in an outward profession, but have been so baptized by the Holy Ghost, as to be made members of Christ's mystical body, united to him by the blessed Spirit; so that in a degree, though not in every sense, we are one with Christ, and the Father, through him. This is religion common to all, whether we are Baptist or Pado-baptist; for we may call one another by this and that name, it is no matter what we are called, the grand matter is, what God looks upon us to be; whether we are become by baptism, and with the powerful operations of the Spirit of God accompanying that ordinance, branches of Jesus Christ, the true vine. It has been always an argument with me, and I may plead for the same liberty that I give, that I think infant baptism is an ordinance of Christ, because if our Children are not to be baptized, they are left inferior in their privileges to the Jews, their children were circumcised to God, and why should not our children be as soon initiated into Christ as they? The apostle saith, He is not a Jew that is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outwardly in the flesh, but circumcision is that of the heart and of the spirit, whose praise is not of men but of God so it may be said of outward baptism, he is not a Christian who is baptized ony outwardly, but he that is baptized inwardly of the Spirit, whose praise is not of men, but of God. When we get a proselite, we are so fond of them that we hug them to death: I have got the praise of men especially when religion walks in silver slippers; when a person says, I may get business if I get into such a church, into such a society; a man may become religious as he may go to 'Change for trade, but he is a Christian who is

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one inwardly, who has no worldly views, no designs but what are subordinate to the glory of God. The primative Christians gave great proof of their sincerity, they were baptized over the dead; what shall they do who are baptized for, or over, the dead? notwithstanding they saw their fellow creatures murdered, they dared to go openly to be baptized; though they knew very well soon after that for their baptism with water, they should be baptized with fire, and yet they dared openly to avow their profession of Christ. This is being baptized into Christ; well, what then? why, then we are baptized into his death. Can you tell me what that is? I cannot fully, I don't know that myself; and we should preach according to our experience, (a man of little true grace, he will give a little, little, little practical application; very little, because he has but little himself; a man that has à good deal of it in his heart, he will not neglect his principles, but he will give the people a good sound meal of practical religion) though I am but a babe in Christ, though I have been in Christ four or five and thirty years, and know but little of Christ, yet I think I can tell you a little what it is to be baptized into his death. Am 1 immediately to die in the body? that does not always follow, but we are to die daily, we are to be conformed to Christ's death, which we never can till we have been enabled by his power to die. When we talk of dying the death of Christ, we mean being crucified to the world with him. I live, says Paul, yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the world is crucified to me, and I unto the world. Now we all come into the world alive to the world, the flesh, and the devil. Some people say, a child must cry in order to prove itself an heir; what do you think

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