SUMMARY and APPLICATORY

CONCLUSION.

A

1. SUMMARY.

SUMMARY review of the foregoing TR TISE may perhaps be of fervice; as it need not be incumbered with thofe arguments and obviations which were unavoidable in the courfe of the Treatife.

It has been confidered that the Nature of Sacraments, is to excite and maintain in creatures a pro. per fenfe of God, of the reality of his exiftence and operations, and of the relation creatures are in to him.

The Neceffity of them arifes from the abfolute impoffibility for creatures to apprehend abfolute Deity, or to have any Idea of the Mode of his exiftence, or of his operations, only of the effects and relations thereby formed.

Hence the importance of Sacraments, Creatures being finite and fallable, are liable to loose a fense of the reality of that which is invisible; and of their relation to an invisible object. But rational intelligences, are in a special relation to, and connection with the Deity, who is the great and only original fupreme fource of all intelligence ; they having all their intelle&ual powers, and every faculty from him. They are therefore effentially in relation to him, of abfolute dependence and fubordination; and all their life and happiness confifts in this relation and connection. Their being rational intelligences capable of contemplating the

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Nature and Necefity of Sacraments.

SUM. COX. divine perfections, and their relation to the Deity; makes it effential to their life and happiness, to contemplate, adore, worship, obey and serve him.

But as before confidered, Deity being abfolutely out of fight of creatures, makes it effentially ne- · ceffary, that there fhould be fome perpetual, fenfible fign or token, fitted to excite and maintain in the creature a fenfe of his relation to God, and conftant dependence upon him. This is what in this Treatife, is called a perpetual Sacrament.

It has been confidered, that the Sacramental token to Adam in innocency, was the reservation of the fruit of one tree in the Garden, which was as a feal to the covenant God made with him.

That after the fall of man that firft covenant could breathe nothing but death to the man, thou Jhalt furely die.

God then made known to the man that he had provided life and falvation for man, by fo accepting of the life of another, as to fave the man from the death he had incurred.

God then gave the man a fenfible fign or token denoting his relation to God; which was the man's offering to God living creatures flain. The man thereby acknowleding his own defert of death, and apprehending the infinite grace of God, in accepting the life of another fe as to fave the man.

Of

this token God advanced further degrees, as people were in a condition to receive them. And efpecially at the exit of Ifrael from Egypt, he inflituted the paffover a full Sacramental token denoting all the principle Ideas of the man's relation to God, and of God's moft gracious commutation for the falvation of man. This, bating the forty years they were in the wilderness, was the effential Sacramen. tal token God inftituted for man to obferve as

SM. CON.

Incidental Sacrament.

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the perpetual Sacrament, till the paffion of Jefus Chrift.

From thence down to this time and till the end of the world, God has inflituted the Holy Supper, the perpetual Sacrament, to excite and maintain in us a fenfe of our defert of death and the wrath of God, of God's gracious commutation in fo acceptng the life of another, as to fpare and five us : and of our abfolute dependence on him, for life and fupport. This Sacrament was literally inflituted to excite and maintain in our minds a fenfe and remembrance of Chrift, God manifeft in the flesh, and his fuffering death for fallen finful man. And Chrift, God manifeft in the flesh, will no doubt be the object of apprehenfion for all intelligent creatures to excite and maintain in them a proper fenfe of God, and of their relation to him forever, without intermiffion or end. Therefore I denominate it a perpetual Sacrament; which is common and neceffary for all rational intelligences, whether they have retained their primitive innocency or not.

But man having finned, and therein apoflatized from God, departed from him, and thus became unclean. As before confidered, all uncleannefs confifts in things being out of proper place, or being in improper relations to each other. Hence there could be no falvation for man, but by cleanfing and bringing him again to God; the divine cperation in this, as well as all other things, being in visible to creatures, needed fome vifible fenfible fign or token, which is therefore a Sacrament, pe culiar to fallen man; and could have had no place, had not man finned, and God provided a way of refloration. This therefore is properly an Inci dental Sacrament.

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Incidental. Sacrament.

SUM. CON If the following metaphor is admitted, it may help to illuftrate the matter; in which it may be confidered that God placed man fo that his courle would lead on in a way of life and happiness: The man by tranfgreffion deranged; or off fet into filth and pollution, fo that his courfe neceffarily led into a gulf of death and deftruction.

And God having provided a new head, a fecond Adam, in and through whom, is the way or courfe of life and falvation; of neceffity there must be a cleanfing and tranfition from the course of death to the courfe of life, a tranfplanting or in. grafting from Adam into Chrift. Or as Chrift expreffes it, being born again.

This Sacramental token appears to be fairly contained, or fuggested in God's taking Adam out of the garden where he had finned; and tranfplacing Lim, fo that where Adam was placed, was called the Prefence of the Lord; for we read that Cain went out from the Prefence of the Lord, when he departed from his father's family. It was alfo very firikingly exemplified in the transition of Noah from the old world to the new, by the flood; which the Apoftle Peter fays was the fame, or a like figure of chriflian baptifm. Here God placed lis name and prefence with Noah. When God called Abraham, he gave him circumcifion a bloody feal, a fign or token of his prefence, that he would be a God to him, and his feed; which was a placing his special Prefence with them. And God in his word, frequently fpeaks of chocfing a place, to put his NAME there; where he would vouchfafe his gracious prefence and bleffing; which he did from time to time, according to the condition and circumstances of his people; and he exprefsly put his name, and placed his prefence in the

SUM. CON. To renounce Infant Baptifix, is like Cain. 243 Temple, which was a type of Chrift. But fince the paffion and refurre&ion of Chrift; God has chofen baptifm, to put his whole TRIUNE NAME therein, to place his fpecial Prefence and Bleffing ; fo that it is emphatically a Token of God's Prefence, and badge of his vifible Church as well as of tranfplanting from Adam to Chrift; or being born again. Those therefore, who renounce, or fet at nought their baptifm unto which they have been brought, by virtue of their connection with their parents, do literally, with Cain, go out from the prefence of the Lord.

Thus baptifm appears to be of great and folemn importance; and that the more, when we alío at. tend to Chrifl's explanation of being born again, wherein he fays, it must be of water, and of the fpirit; without which, he most folemnly declares, that No one can enter into the kingdom of God.

From which folemn affeveration of Chrift the only faviour, may be understood the great, folemn and indifpenfable importance of baptifm. And when we alfo take in with it, what the fame divine Saviour, and teacher fays at the inftitution of baptifm. He that - believeth and is baptized fhall be faved. An abfolute promife of falvation to him who believes and is baptized. Chrift therefore requires the external as well as the internal operation, in order to falvation. It is therefore the command of Chrift, and cannot be neglected, but at the hazard of eternal damnation.z

So alfo as to the other Sacraments, which God has from time to time inflituted. We fee of what awful confequence it was, for Adam to violate the Sacramental token God gave to him. It was

This is not to be understood of fuch inftances, where Providence gives no opportunity for baptifm. But where it is neglected.