He hath entered into a new one with Mankind, through Jefus Chrift: in which He hath promifed to free us, both from the Mortality, which our firft Parents had brought upon us, by reftoring us to Life again; and from the Inability, by the powerful Affiftance of his Holy Spirit. Nay further yet, He hath promifed, (and without it the reft would have been of fmall Ufe) that fhould we, notwithstanding his Affiftance, fail in our Duty, when we might have performed it; as we havet all failed, and made ourselves, by that Means, Children of Wrath, in the ftricteft and worst Senfe: yet, on most equitable Terms, He would ftill receive us to Mercy anew. And thus the Chriftian Covenant, delivering us, if we are faithful to it, from every Thing we had to fear, and beftowing on us every Thing we could hope, brings us into a State fo unspeakably different from our former; that it is juftly expreffed by being dead to that, and born into another. And this new Birth being effected by the Grace or Goodness of God, external and internal, we, the Children of it, are properly called the Children of Grace. Now Baptifm is not only a Sign of this Grace; (as indeed it fignifies very naturally the wafhing off both of our original Corruption, and our actual Guilt) but the appointed Way of entering into the Covenant that intitles us to fuch Grace; the Means whereby we receive the fame, and a Pledge to affure us thereof.

Indeed the mere outward Act of being baptized is, as St. Peter, in the Words already mentioned, very truly expreffes it, the mere putting away of the Filth of the Flesh; unless it be made effectual to fave us, as he teaches in the fame Place it muft, by the Anfwer of a good Confcience towards God: that is, by the fincere Stipulation and Engagement of Repentance, whereby we for fake Sin; and Faith, whereby we believe the Promises of God, made to us in that Sacrament. For it is impoffible that He should forgive us our paft Sins, unless we are forry for them, and refolved to 'quit them: and it is as

impoffible that we fhould quit them effectually, unless a firm Perfuafion of his helping and rewarding us excite and fupport our Endeavours. These two Things therefore we see our Catechifm juftly mentions as neceffary, in Anfwer to the Queftion, What is required of Perfons to be baptized? Both have been explained in their proper Place, and therefore I enlarge on neither here.

But hence arifes immediately another Question: If thefe Conditions are neceffary, why are Infants baptized, when by Reafon of their tender Age they cannot perform them? And as this Difficulty appears to fome a great one, I fhall give a fuller Solution of it than the Shortness of a Catechifm would eafily permit. Repentance and Faith are requifite, not before they are poffible, but when they are poffible. Repentance is what Infants need not as yet, being clear of personal Guilt: and happy would it be, were they never to need it. Faith, it may be reafonably prefumed, by the Security given for their Chriftian Education, they will have, as foon as they have Occafion to exert it. And in the mean time, Baptifm may very fitly be adminiftred: becaufe God, on his Part, can certainly exprefs by it, both his removing, at prefent, the Disadvantages which they lie under by the Sin of Adam; and his removing hereafter, on proper Conditions, the Disadvantages which they may come to lie under by their own Sins. And though they cannot, on their Parts, exprefsly promife to perform these Conditions; yet they are not only bound to perform them, whether they promife it or not; but (which is the Point that our Catechifm infifts on) their Sureties promife for them, that they fhall be made fenfible, as foon as may be, that they are fo bound; and ratify the Engagement in their own Perfons: which when they do, it then becomes complete. For it is by no Means neceffary, that a Covenant should be executed, by both the Parties to it, at juft the fame Time: and as the Chriftian Covenant is one of the greatest Equity and Favour, we cannot doubt, to fpeak in the Language

of

of our Liturgy, but that God favourably alloweth the charitable Work of bringing Infants to his holy Baptifm. For the Promife of the Covenant being exprefsly faid to belong to us and to our Children", without any Limitation of Age; why fhould they not all, fince they are to partake of the Promise, partake alfo of the Sign of it? efpecially, fince the Infants of the Jews were, by a folemn Sign, entered into their Covenant; and the Infants of Profelytes to the Jews, by this very Sign, amongst others, of Baptifm. So that, fuppofing the Apoftles to imitate either of these Examples, as they naturally would, unless they were forbid, which they were not; when they baptized (as the Scripture, without making any Exception, tells us they did) whole Families at once; we cannot queftion but they baptized (as we know the primitive Chriftians, their Suc-ceffors, did) little Children amongst the reft; concerning whom our Saviour fays, that of fuch is the Kingdom: of God and St. Paul fays, they are holy; which they cannot be reputed, without entering into the Gofpel Covenant and the only appointed Way of entering into it is by Baptifm; which therefore is conftantly reprefented in the New Teftament as neceffary to Salva-tion.

Not that fuch Converts, in ancient Times, as were put to Death for their Faith, before they could be baptized, loft their Reward for Want of it. Not that fuch Children of Believers now, as die unbaptized by fudden Illnefs, or unexpected Accidents, or even by Neglect, (fince it is none of their own Neglect) fhall forfeit the Advantages of Baptifm. This would be very, contrary to that Mercy and Grace, which abounds through the Whole of the Gofpel Difpenfation. Nay, where the Perfons themselves do defignedly, through mistaken Notions, either delay their Baptifm, as the Anabaptifts; or omit it intirely, as the Quakers; even of thefe it belongs to Chriftian Charity not to judge

Acts ii. 39. Acts xvi, 15, 33. Mark x. 14.1 Cor. vii. 14.

hardly, as excluded from the Gospel Covenant, if they die unbaptized; but to leave them to the equitable Judgment of God. Both of them indeed err: and the latter especially have, one fhould think, as little Excufe for their Error as well can be: for furely there is no Duty of Chriftianity which ftands on a plainer Foundation, than that of baptizing with Water in the Name of the holy Trinity. But ftill, fince they folemnly declare, that they believe in Christ, and defire to obey his Commands; and omit Water-Baptism only because they cannot fee it is commanded; we ought (if we have Caufe to think they speak Truth) by no Means to confider them in the fame Light with total Unbelievers.

But the wilful and the careless Defpifers of this Ordinance; who, admitting it to be of God's Appointment, neglect it notwithstanding; thefe are not to be looked on as within his Covenant. And fuch as, though they do obferve it for Form's Sake, treat it as an empty infignificant Ceremony, are very unworthy of the Benefits which it was intended to convey. And, bad as these Things are, little better, if not worse, will be the Cafe of thofe, who, acknowledging the folemn Engagements into which they have entered by this Sacrament, live without Care to make them good. For to the only valuable Purpose, of God's Favour and eternal Happiness, He is not a Chriftian, which is one outwardly; neither is that Baptifm which is outward in the Flefb: but He is a Chriftian, which is one inwardly; and Baptifm is that of the Heart, in the Spirit, and not in the Letter; whofe Praife is not of Men, but of God.

Rom. ii, 28, 29,

LEC

LECTURE XXXVI.

Of the LORD'S SUPPER.

PART I.

S by the Sacrament of Baptifm we enter into the Christian Covenant; fo by that of the Lord's Supper we profefs our thankful Continuance in it; and therefore the firft Anfwer of our Catechifm, concerning this Ordinance, tells us, it was appointed for the continual Remembrance of the Sacrifice of the Death of Chrift, and of the Benefits which we receive thereby. Now the Nature and Benefits of this Sacrifice have been already explained, in their proper Places. I fhall therefore proceed to fhew, that the Lord's Supper is rightly faid here to be ordained for a Remembrance of it; not a Repetition, as the Church of Rome teaches.

Indeed every Act, both of Worship and Obedience, is in fome Sense a Sacrifice to God, humbly offered up to Him for his Acceptance. And this Sacrament in particular, being a Memorial and Representation of the Sacrifice of Chrift, folemnly and religioufly made, may well enough be called, in a figurative Way of fpeaking, by the fame Name with what it commemorates and represents. But that He should be really and literally offered up in it, is the directeft Contradiction that can be, not only to Common-fense, but also to Scripture, which exprefsly fays, that He was not to be offered often, for then muft He often have fuffered; but hath appeared once to put away Sin by the Sacrifice of Himself, and after that, for ever fat down on the right Hand of God: for by one Offering He hath perfected for ever them that are fanctified.

This Ordinance then was appointed, not to repeat,

* Heb. ix, 25, 26,

b Heb. x. 12, 14.

N 6

but