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The proper fubjects of Baptifm.

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prehend God's gracious covenant, in faving fouls by baptizing them with the Holy Ghoft on Chrift's account, as head of all believers.

The Baptifm of Ifrael, in the cloud, and in the fea, was on Abraham's account; who had been in heaven above three hundred years. They were all old and young, men, women and children, baptized on his account. Perhaps it is generally understood and believed, that all God did, in bringing Ifrael out of Egypt, was on Abraham's account. A few places of Scripture may fairly establish this pofition.

When God first appeared to Mofes in the Bufh; he prefaced all that he was about to do, by flying himself the God of Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob. And Mofes tells Ifrael, in the 7th and 9th Chapters of Deut. that God did thofe great things he had done; and would do for them; not for their own goodness or worthiness. But that he might perform the word and oath, which he fware, unto their fathers, Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob. But the Pfalmift is very explicit, in the cv. pfalm; and meations these very Sacraments, which are above noticed, viz. Baptifm and the fupper; and afferts that they were on Abraham's account. the 39, 40, 41 & 42 verfes. He Spread a cloud for a covering, and a fire to give light in the night. And fatisfied them with the bread of heaven. He o pened the rock, and the waters gufhed out; they ran

As it is in

fince the woman has brought the Saviour into the world, without the aid of the male: God has exalted the woman, from that depreffion in his economy of religion, fo that the woman is head of the family, in fucli fenfe as that the children are holy, or in a visible relation to God, on her account, as much as on account of the man, 1 Cor, 7.14. So that now as to religion, the woman is no more contained in the male; than the male in the woman,

in the dry places like a river. For he remembered his holy promife, and Abraham his fervant. Here. it is exprefs, that God baptized Ifrael; that he did those things which the Apoftle calls Baptifm; on Abraham's account. Which things we are authorized, by the Apofile, to confider as our pattern and for our infiruction. Here it is plain, that God baptized the children of Abraham, on his account.

But here it will perhaps be faid, this was feven or eight generations after Abraham; therefore cannot be a rule for us. But it will doubtless be fo far a rule for us; that as Abraham is the father of all fuch as believe; fo he is the father of all us that believe. And if we claim Abraham for our father, we muft do the works of Abraham; in order to approve ourfeives his children. And he, when in a family ftate upon earth, applied the fame diftinguifhing mark to all his family, he did on himself. We therefore mult do likewife. But there was a particular reafon for Abraham's pofter. ity's being baptized, and circumcifed too, directly on his account, fo many generations after him. Because in the divine economy; God faw best, to fet up his vifible church, felected from the world, in the family and posterity of Abraham, till his fon fhould come in the flesh; and to bring his fon into the world in that lineage; and for this purpose, to make it known to Abraham; making him the public covenant vifible head, of his vifible Church in the world. So all the vifible privileges Ifrael enjoyed, were confidered as on Abraham's account, as being contained in the covenant God made with him. All this was what belonged to Abraham as public head. An exact miniature of this econo my, God inftituted in Abraham's individual family. Which therefore belongs to every child of

Abraham, i. e. every believer, in his family. There. fore, God's baptizing all the Ifraelites, on Abraham's account, is an exact pattern for every believer to foliow, refpecting his family. And it appears that the Apoftles underflood and practifed fo; baptizing whole households with the believing head. As the households of the Jayler, Lydia and Stephanus.

But fhould any, after all, have any fcruples, about the propriety of infants being baptized, becaufe they have not knowledge, to underftand about the tranfaction; and thence fuppofe it does them no good. Such, if any there fhould be, muft remember that God baptized thousands of infants, among others of Ifrael, and it is too affumng, for us to call in queflion, the propriety of what God does, or directs to, whether we can fee the propriety of it, or what good it does, or not.

Thus I fee not, but it conclufively appears, by the above famples of Baptifms, which God himself wrought by his own band or operation; that it is exprefsly his will, that whole houfeholds fhould be baptized, on account of the believing head. All that are under the command, and at the disposal of fuch head; whether they be infants, or of more advanced years. And when we take into view, the Baptifms above confidered; I fee not how any can prefume, to make a queftion of the duty, and propriety of it; or that it is clearly required by God.

We may alfo clearly underftand by thefe fpecimens of Baptifm, performed by God himself, that although Baptifm is a Token of the new birth, or true faith unto Salvation; yet, as is obferved of eircumcifion page 57th, it does not evidence or fig. uify, that the fubje& is, previous to Baptism, at the

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The proper MODE of Baptifm

PART IF time of it, or ever will, certainly be born again, or have true faith: for the Scriptures are exprefs, that many of those whom God baptized, never had true faith, but perifhed through unbelief.

SOMETHING NOw will be attempted, to illuftrate, what is the proper MODE of applying, the water, in Baptifm. Although the principal meaning, and defign of Baptifm; and who are the proper fubjects; are clearly decided in the above famples; yet the Mode is not. Because those were performed, by God himself. And the modes of applying the water, for the Salvation of the fubje&t in thofe Baptifms, are inimitable. And it appears that God never defigned, that we fhould take our modes of worship, or ordinances, from fimilitudes, or fuppof ed fimilitudes of himself; or of his operations. But has ftrictly forbidden our attempting any fuch thing.

However, perhaps fo much may be learned, from thofe inftances of Baptifm; that the mode: fhould be fuch, as fignifies; or is a figure of Salvation by water, by purifying or cleanfing away, that which tends to the injury of the perfon. Hence although we cannot directly determine, from thofe inftances above confidered, what the mode is, or ought to be; yet we may from thofe Baptifms,in fome meaiure determine, what it is not; or what cannot be the proper mode. And here, from the above. Baptifms, performed by God himself; we may conclude that immerfion, or plunging, cannot be the proper mode of Baptifm; for that is rather a Figure, or emblem of deftruction, than of Salvation. And it was the real mode, in which God defiroved by water, thofe he took away, to baptize, thole he fave by water. Now it would be fo in.

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The proper MODE of Baptifm.

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congruous to inftitute a mode, for a figure or token of Salvation, which God himself had used in Baptilm, as a mode of real deftru&tion; that we can. not fuppofe that God would do it. It could nev. er ftrike our minds as a Token of Salvation. There. fore we mult conclude, that immerfion is not a mode of Baptifm, that God ever inftituted or defigned.

Again, we find no particular mode of Baptifm, de fcribed in the New Teftament. And the filence of the New Testament, as to the mode of apply. ing the water in Baptifin, may be confidered as one evidence, that Baptifm was common among the Jews under the Mofaic difpenfation. So that Baptifm was a thing familiar to them; therefore the mode was familiar. So that when Chrift inftituted Baptifin as a Sacrament: He commanded the form to be, in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghoft. But faid nothing about the mode, of applying the water. This is evidence that he meant, the mode fhould be the fame, to which they had always been accustomed. But the filence of the New Teftament, as to the mode of Baptifm, is not the only evidence we have, that Baptifins were common among them, under the Mofaic difp‹ nfation: For the Apoftle to the Heb. ix. 10. Says, that difpenfation, among other things, flood in di. vers Baptifms: It is tranflated Washings; but in the original it is Baptifms. This at once proves, that there were Baptifms inftituted, in the Mofaic difpenfation; and that they were the fame, which are there called Wafhings. The lame alfo appears, from what he fays to the fame people, who were under that difpenfation, Chap. vi. 2. he fpeaks of the doctrine of Baptifms, Which fhows that they had been taught, and had practifed, di