again; that they may obtain forgiveness of their sins, and inheritance among them who are sanctified by faith in Him, who saith, "Except a man be born of water," &c.

And

Not only a man, in contradiction to a child, or a woman, but as it is in the original, ¿av μý tɩç, except any one, any human creature whatsoever, man, woman, or child, "except he be born of water," &c. .... So that our LORD is so far from excluding children from baptism, that He plainly includes them, speaking in such general terms, on purpose that we may know that no sort of people, old or young, can ever be saved without it. so He doth too, where He commands, as was observed before, that "All nations should be made disciples by being baptized in the name of," &c. . . . . For, under all nations, children must needs be comprehended, which make a great, if not the greatest part of all nations. And although these general expressions be sufficient to demonstrate the necessity of Infant Baptism, yet foreseeing that ignorant and unlearned people would be apt to wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction, He elsewhere commands children particularly to be brought unto Him, saying, "Suffer the little children," &c. (Mark x. 14.) But if the kingdom of GOD consist of children, as well as other people, they must of necessity be baptized, or born of water and the SPIRIT; for otherwise, He Himself saith, "They cannot enter into the kingdom."

Hence it is, that we find the Apostles baptizing whole families, children, if any, as well as others and the whole Catholic Church, in all places and ages ever since, hath constantly admitted the children of the believing parents into the Church, by baptizing them according to the institution and command of our SAVIOUR; none ever making any question of it, but all Christians, all the world over, taking it for granted that it ought to be done, till of late years.

SHARP, ARCHBISHOP.-Vol. v. Sermon v. p. 71.

There is the same relation between CHRIST and Christians, that there is between the vine and the branches; the same necessity of communication of vital influences from the root to

the branch in the one as in the other which communication of influences is made by the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD, derived from CHRIST, and diffusing Himself into every particular member of the whole body of Christians. Hence it is Christians are so frequently called the Temples of the HOLY GHOST. "Know ye not," saith St. Paul," that ye are," &c.; and, again, "Know ye not, that your bodies are the members," &c. which he explains presently after thus: "Know ye not that your bodies are the Temples," &c. And the same St. Paul, in the eighth to the Romans, lays the foundation of our relation to CHRIST, and our hopes of eternal life, in the very thing, viz. the SPIRIT of GOD his dwelling in us; as may be there seen more at large.

This, then, being the privilege of all Christians, that by their being consecrated to CHRIST, they have a right to the continual presence of the HOLY GHOST in their souls; or, if you will, GoD hath so great a right and property in them, that He sends down His HOLY SPIRIT to take possession of them, in order to the securing and sealing them for His own in the other world; we may easily, from hence, gather what it is to grieve the Holy Spirit, (which is the thing we are now inquiring into,) viz. We then grieve Him, when being already Christians in profession, we either will not vouchsafe Him a lodging in our hearts, which He doth desire; and, in order to the obtaining it, makes frequent applications to our souls by His holy motions; or, when we have already given Him entertainment, we carry ourselves so unbecomingly towards Him, as to tempt Him to forsake us. We then grieve the HOLY SPIRIT, when, having taken upon ourselves the covenant of Baptism, and thereby consecrated and consigned ourselves to GOD, we either refuse to admit the SPIRIT to take possession of us, or having admitted Him, do not show that respect, nor observe that decency, nor express that kindness, that is due to so worthy a guest: but by our rude, and unmannerly, and ill-natured behaviour towards Him, put such affronts upon Him as highly provoke Him to quit his habitation.

SCOTT, PRESBYTER.-Christian Life, chap. ii. sect i. p. 354. Second sort of the HOLY GHOST's operations, viz. that which

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He ordinarily doth, and always hath done, and will always continue to do; for upon the cessation of these His miraculous operations, the HOLY GHOST did not wholly withdraw Himself from mankind, but He still continues mediating with us under CHRIST, in order to the reconciling our wills and affections to GOD, and subduing that inveterate malice and enmity against Him, which our degenerate nature hath contracted. For it is by this blessed SPIRIT that CHRIST hath promised to be with us to the end of the world. (Matt. xxviii. 20.) And CHRIST Himself hath assured us, that upon His ascension into heaven He would pray His Father, and He should give us another Comforter," meaning this HOLY GHOST," that he might abide with us for ever;" (John xiv. 16.) and, accordingly, the HOLY GHOST is vitally united to the Church of CHRIST, even as souls are united to their bodies. For as there is one Body, the Church, so here is one SPIRIT, i. e. the HOLY GHOST, which animates that Body, (Eph. iv. 4.) and hence the unity of the Church is in the foregoing verse called the unity of the SPIRIT: because as the soul, by diffusing itself through all the parts of the body, unites them together, and keeps them from flying abroad, and dispersing into atoms; so the HOLY SPIRIT, by diffusing Himself throughout this mystical Body, joins and unites all its parts together, and makes it one separate and individual corporation. So that, when by Baptism we are once incorporated into this body, we are entitled to, and do at least, de jure, participate of the vital influences of the HOLY CHOST, who is the soul of it; and accordingly, as Baptism joins us to that body, of which this Divine SPIRIT is the soul; so it also conveys that Divine SPIRIT to us. So that, as in natural bodies, those ligaments which unite and tie the parts to one another, do also convey life and spirit to them all; so also in this mystical body, those federal rites of Baptism and the LORD's Supper, which are, as it were, its nerves and arteries, that join and confederate its members to one another, are also the conveyance of that spiritual life from the HOLY GHOST, which moves and actuates them all. And hence the "washing of regeneration," and "the renewing of the HOLY GHOST," the "being born of water and of the HOLY GHOST," are put together as concurrent things; and in

Acts ii. 38. Baptism is affirmed to be necessary to our receiving the HOLY GHOST; and if by Baptism we receive the HOLY GHOST, that is a right and title to His grace and influence, then must the HOLY GHOST be still supposed vitally united to the Church, whereof we are made members by our Baptisın, and, like an omnipresent soul, to be diffised all through it, and to move and actuate every part of it by His heavenly grace and influence.

JENKIN, PRESBYTER.-On Christian Religion, vol. ii. p. 427. Baptism is very agreeable to the nature of the Christian Religion, being a plain and easy rite, and having a natural significancy of that purity of heart, which it is the design of the Gospel to promote and establish in the world; and it is fitted to represent to us the cleansing of our souls by the Blood of CHRIST, and the grace of purity and holiness, which is conveyed in this sacrament, and the spirit of regeneration which is conferred by it. Tit. iii. 5.

SHERLOCK, BISHOP.-Vol. ii. Disc. vii.

You see the power of Baptism, and the blessings that are annexed to it, to which all are entitled who partake in the Baptism of CHRIST: for Himself He was neither born nor baptized but for our sakes; that the blessings of both might descend on us, who, through faith, are heirs together with Him of the promises of GOD.

By Baptism the gates of heaven are set open to us, and the way paved for our return to our native country. By Baptism we are declared to be such sons of God in whom He will delight, and whom He will appoint to be heirs of His kingdom. By Baptism we receive the promise of the SPIRIT, by which we cry, Abba, Father.

Are not these great privileges? And is not here room for mighty expectations? And yet how unsuitable to these claims do the circumstances of a Christian's life often appear? He is upon the road to heaven, you say, and the gates stand open to receive him; but how does he stumble and fall like other men, and sometimes lose his way, and wander long, bewildered in night and darkness? Or, if he keeps the road, how lazily does

he travel, as if he were unwilling to come to his journey's end, and afraid to see the country which he is going to possess? The Christian only, of all men, pretends to supernatural power and strength, and an intimate acquaintance with the SPIRit of God; and yet how hardly does he escape the pollutions of the world, and how often look back, with languishing eyes, upon the pleasures, riches, and honours of this life? And though he boasts of more than human strength, yet how does he sometimes sink below the character and dignity even of a man? Ye sons of God, for such ye are, how do ye die like the children of men, and how like is your end to theirs?

And what must we say of these things? Is the promise of GoD become of none effect? Is Baptism sunk into mere outward ceremony, and can no longer reach to the purifying the heart and mind? The fact must not be disputed; it is too evident, at least in these our days, that the lives of Christians do not answer to the manifold gifts and graces bestowed on them.

WALL, PRESBYTER.-On Infant Baptism, part ii. chap. vi.

I believe Calvin was the first that ever denied this place (John iii. 5.) to mean Baptism. He gives another interpretation, which he confesses to be new. This man did, indeed, write many things in defence of Infant Baptism. But he has done ten times more prejudice to that cause, by withdrawing (as far as in him lay) the strength of this text of Scripture (which the ancient Christians used as a chief ground of it) by that forced interpretation of his, than he has done good to it by all his new hypotheses and arguments. What place of Scripture is more fit to produce, for the satisfaction of some plain and ordinary man, (who, perhaps, is not capable of apprehending the force of the consequences by which it is proved from other places,) that he ought to have his child baptized, than this, (especially if it were translated in English, as it should be,) where our SAVIOUR says, that no person shall come to heaven without it? meaning, at least in God's ordinary way.