The Kings Bath, Title page
THE KINGS BATH. AFFORDING MANY SWEET AND COMfortable obseruations from the Baptisme of Christ. Gathered by THOMAS TAYLOR, Preacher of the Word of God at Redding in Barkshire.
AVGVST. Christus baptizatus non sibi, sed nobis.
AT LONDON, Imprinted by Felix Kyngston, for Thomas Man, and Iohn Bartlet, and are to be sold at the signe of the Talbot in Pater-noster Row. 1620.
THE KINGS BATH.
MATH. 3. 13. to the end.
Then came Iesus from Galile to Iordan vntounto Iohn, to be baptized of him.
14. But Iohn put him back, saying, I hauehave neede to be baptized of thee, and commest thou to me?
15. But Iesus answering, said to him, Let be now, for thus it becommeth vsus to fulfill all righteousnesse: So he suffered him.
16. And Iesus, when he was baptized, came straight out of the water, and loe, the heauens were opened vntounto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a Doue, and lighting vponupon him.
17. And loe, a voice came from heauen, saying, This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased.
IN this Chapter the holy Euangelist hath preached Christ in Iohns ministrie and baptisme: now hee beginneth to preach him from his owne facts and ministry, and in the words are two things:Parts to be handled. 1. The baptisme of Christ. 2. His solemne inauguration into his office.
1. In the baptisme are, 1. the preparation: 2. the baptisme it selfe. 1. In the preparation are, 1. the time, Then. 2. The place, Christ came from Galile to Iordan. 3. The end of his comming, he came to Iohn to bee baptized of him. 4. The dialogue betweene Christ and Iohn, verse 14. 15. 2. The baptisme it selfe: Then he suffered him.
2. In his solemne inauguratiō are three particulars: 1. The opening of the heauens. 2. A visible appearance of the holy Ghost, in the shape of a Doue. 3. His Fathers voice and testimonie of him.
FIrst, of the time,Sect. 1. Of Christs offering himselfe to Iohns Baptisme. 1. The time when. then: Marke saith, chap. 1. 9. in those dayes, inferring it (as Mathew) vponupon Iohns ministerie: when Iohn had enflamed the people with earnest affection and desire to see Christ, whom he had so highly preferred aboue himselfe; when the mindes of men were so impatient of delay in this expectation of the Messiah, as they would hauehave giuen this honour to Iohn himselfe, then came Iesus. 2. Then when Iohn had prepared the people with the baptisme of repentance, had smoothed the way to Christ, had cast downe high mountaines of pride, and had humbled men, then most fitly commeth Christ: so Luk. 3. 21. when as all the people were baptized, then Christ was baptized. 3. Then when Iesus began to be about thirty yeeres of age, (saith Luk. 3. 23.) at which age the Leuiticall Priests were admitted to publique ministry, and not before: for Iohn began in the fifteenth of Tiberius, and all consent that he was borne in the fifteenth of Augustus. 1. Note hence the truth of Scripture,Consent of Scripture. and consent with it selfe; this circumstance letteth vsus see the accomplishment of two prophesies, the former in Malach. 4. 5. that Iohn Baptist must goe before Christ in the spirit of Elias, that preaching that saluation which Christ now brought after him, men might better both take notice, and giuegive better entertainement to him, whom now all expected: the latter in Malach. 3. 2. that after this Messenger is sent, the Lord must speedily come to his temple: this Marke expresseth plainly, chap. 1. 19. that when Iohn was committed to prison, then came Christ into Galile preaching; and Math. 4. 12. when Iesus heard, that Iohn was deliuered vp, he returned into Galile: see Act. 1. 21, 22.
Whence learne, that the wise prouidence of God guideth not only al actions,Gods prouidence guideth all circumstances as well as actions. but all the circū stances of them also. Eccles. 3. 1. To eueryevery thing there is an appointed time; whatsoeuer is done, suffered, enioyed, whether naturall, voluntary, or inuoluntary, it hath a set time wherein it is beautifull and comely. But especially eueryevery vision and word of God is for an appointed time, Habak. 2. 3. and though long, yet at length eueryevery promise, eueryevery threat, eueryevery prediction shall come to his iust period and performance. There was a due and appointed time, when Christ was to be incarnate, that is, the fulnesse of time, Gal. 4. 4. and then God sent his Son made of a woman: There was an appointed time to vndertake his ministry, when way was made for him by Iohns ministry: There was an appointed time to finish his worke in, an houre for the power of darknesse to worke in, before which time, though they could take vp stones against him, they could not throw them at him, but, when his houre was come, he went out to meete them. There was an appointed time, in which he was to be laid in the house of death, after which three dayes he could not be held. And as it was with him, so is it with the children of God by adoption, no thing befalls them but in Gods time, which they must waite and expect, not prescribe. Wantest thou any good thing? waite Gods leasure as Abraham did: Art thou in misery vnderunder any euill present, or in feare of euill to come? patiently expect the Lords set time; sowe prayers, sowe teares, thou shalt reape in due time if thou faint not; only make not haste. Lazarus must not be raised till the fourth day, nor Christ himselfe til the third. Times and seasons are in his hands, for the Father hath put them in his owne power.
Againe, let vsus be wise in obseruing and entertaining his seasons; hee hath appointed vsus a time of mercy, a day of visitation, a time when he is neere and may be found, a time when with the wise virgins we may enter, a time when the blessing may be obtained: and there is another time when if wee seeke with teares we shall not obtaine it, as Esau. This present day is our day; now know God, enter fellowship with him, beleeue his word, obey his voice, and in this thy day follow the things of thy peace.
2.Christ fitly followes Iohn. Note that then Christ is fitly preached, when Iohn hath made way for him: the law must prepare men, and leade them to Christ as a Schoolemaster; the ceremoniall law points at him and shadowes him,Medicus primò erodit, & ab…adit putrida in vulnere, postea ligat, & pharmacum subdit: ita sidelis mysteriorū dei dispensator, &c. but the morall forceth vntounto him by shewing sinne and damnation without remedy, so as wee must despaire in our selues, & flye forth of our selues vntounto Christ. He is a good scholler in Christs schoole that hath heard Iohns voice humbling him, and being driuen out of himselfe, hath heard the voice of Christ, saying, Beleeue in me, turne vntounto God, and bring forth the fruites of new obedience.
Secondly, the place: He came from Galile to Iordan. … The place.Christ dwelt in Nazaret, a towne of Galile, where all the while before he liued priuately, and by his labour in his calling sustained himselfe and his mother: for, that hee was called the Carpenter, and Carpenters sonne, proues that hee exercised that trade, Mark. 6. 3. and Iohn 7. 15. the Iewes wondred at his doctrine, seeing hee was not brought vp in learning. Thus he liued in obedience to his parents, and was counted a Nazarite.
Christ hauing thus in his owne person sanctified the priuate callingsChrist in his owne person sanctified both priuate and publique callings. of priuate men, now hee commeth forth in publique, and entreth vponupon the gathering of his Church, by being himselfe gathered into it: now he leaues his parents, friends, and all, that hee may doe the worke for which he is sent.
Here ariseth one question by the way,Quest. Whether a man may change his calling, and turne himselfe out of one into another as Christ here did?
The generall rule of a Christian,Answ. is,1. Cor. 7. 24. to abide in the vocation wherein he is called, and one of the necessary conditions is constancy: But yet sometimes there may be a change of one calling into another, as in these cases: 1. For priuate necessity; as when a man is disabled from his calling, as suppose, not suffered to execute it; or else hindred by sicknesse, age, or any incurable disease; or when one calling is not sufficient for his honest maintenance; or when a calling is out of request; or the worke of it is hindred: now a man may lawfully chāge his calling, good aduice and prayer going before. 2. For the publique good, as when a priuate man is called to be a Magistrate in a society; and thus Christ changed his calling, and of a priuate man is called by his Father to be a publique person, euen the Mediator betweene God and man.
But why is the Euangelist soQuest. diligent in the accurate describing of the places where these things were done?
For these reasons.Answ. 1. For the trueth of the History. 2. Christ and Iohn were by Gods prouidence brought vp in seuerall places so distant, as one knew not the other, till Christ came to his baptisme. This was so by Gods appointment, lest the Pharises should slander them, as if there were a collusion or plot between them: and therefore, Ioh. 1. 32. Iohn professed he knew him not, otherwise than by the signe which God gaue him, On whomsoeuer thou shalt see the Spirit descend and abide, that is he, ver. 33. it had not been fit for Iohn to hauehave spoke so much as he did of a familiar and knowne friend: Besides, Christ sent Disciples to Iohn, to shew him what was done: The blinde see, the deafe heare, and the poore receiue the Gospell, &c. 3. Nazareth was an obscure village, not fitted for this worke which Christ would hauehave to be done, not in a secret or remote place out of mens eyes, but in publique and in sight of all the people; for so Luke saith, that when all the people were baptized, Christ was baptized; hee would not creepe into his office, but would be solemnly and openly inaugurated, that men and Angels might take notice of him. 4. The Lord must come to his temple, as Malachi prophesied,Malac. 3. 1. and to his owne, Ioh. 1. 11. Now the place where Iohn preached, was in Iudea: for Palestina was diuided into three parts, Galile, Samaria, and Iudea; now Iudea was the place, wherein Christ was especially to conuerse, and therefore it was meete he should be there called and set out: that was the place fittest for Iohn to performe his ministry towards him, whom he must make knowne to Israel, & point at as the Lamb of God, Ioh. 1. 31. 5. Christ made choise of Iordan, a famous riuer where Naaman was clensed from his leprosie, 2. Kings 5. 14. and which riuer those famous Prophets Eliah and Elisha had deuided with their cloke,Congruè Iordane: quia sicut per illud flumen silij Israel transierunt ad terram promissam, sic per baptismum fideles transeunt ad terram viuentium. 2. King. 2. 8, 13. For speciall reason, 1. for whereas the Israelites about 1500. yeeres before passed ouer on dry land, vnderunder the conduct of Ioshua, vntounto the land of Canaan: about the very same place did the true Ioshua, our Iesus, fulfill that type: for at Bethabara (signifying the house of passage ouer, in memory of that famous passage:) did Iohn baptize Christ; secondly, there were the waters diuided againe; that way might be made for our passage into our hea… ly Canaan, our Country … aboue, Heb. 10. 20. Thirdly, there the Arke of God stood in Iordan, Iosh. 3. 17. Now our Propitiatory descends into Iordan. Fourthly, there God magnified Ioshua that day before all Israel: here God magnifies our Iesus to all the Israel of God, giuing such testimony vntounto him as neuer was giuen to any creature. Fiftly, Iordan was but simple, pure and common water, fittest for baptisme, not mixt or distilled: and Christ will be baptized with no better, to shew that the words of Institution leaue no inherent holinesse in the water after the vse; Iordan after this was a common floud & vsed to common vses, and so any thing may bee done with the water after a child is baptized. Neither find we to this Iordan-water, added eyther oyle, or salt, or creame, or spittle, or any such other deuice.
But why doeth Christ come to Iohn? Quest.the Lord to the seruant?Dommus ad seruum, lux ad lucernam, sol ad Luciferum. why rather did not Iohn goe to him? or Christ might hauehave sent for him, and commaunded him to come to him; but he takes a wearisome iourney vntounto him: for from Nazaret to Bethabara was about 14. myles.
Thus carnall reason iudgeth,Answ. that it had been fittest for Iohn to hauehave gone into Galile, and there hauehave preached and baptized, if it had bin only for Christs cause and ease; but Christ in great wisedome would hauehave it otherwise. 1.Why Christ commeth to Iohn, not Iohn to Christ. In respect of Iohn: for it was prophecyed before of him, that hee must be the voice of a cryer in the wildernes of Iudea, and he must keepe his place assigned. 2. That which the first Adam lost from vsus by pride, the second Adam would restore to vsus by humility; & in eueryevery thing debaseth himselfe, and stoopeth to helpe vsus vp being falne: and therefore hee that was borne in so meane a condition, & brought vp in a poore village, out of which it was a maruell that any good could come, he sorts himselfe among the common people, commeth to Iohn his seruant like a common man; as before he was circūcised with the same knife with others, so now he will be washed with the same waters, in a common riuer with others; he would not be singular, but, being clothed with ye same flesh, would be like other men, except in sinne, laying aside his glory for the time of dispensation. 3. He would hereby honor the ministry of man, in yt he submits himselfe vntounto it, and seeketh to it with much paines and labour. Whence learne 1.Phil. 2. 5. To put on the same minde with our Lord, who for our good refused the glory of heauen, and laying dignity aside, would liue a temporal life among sinners, eate, wash, suffer and dye, and lye in the graue with and for sinners: Thus for our owne and others true good, wee should lay aside our reputation,Heb. 11. 24 as Moses refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter, to suffer with Gods people: a strange choyse, yet when he was of age, stayednesse and discretion, he made it.
2. As he was baptized, not by an Angell or Prince, but by an homely man that liued like an Eremite in an austere manner of life for dyet and clothing, so must not we account baser of the sacramēts for the meannesse of the man, if a lawfull minister, seeing Christ refused not the sacrament at Iohns hand; neither must wee from the meanest minister, seeing the least in the Kingdom of God is greater then Iohn: nay, not the meannesse only, but euen the wickednes of a minister doth not pollute the sacrament to a worthy receiuer; why? 1. A good minister doth not make it the better to a bad man: therefore not a bad minister the worse to a good man. 2. The efficacy of a sacrament depends on Gods ordination, on the truth and power of Christ, not on mans goodnesse or badnesse. A message may bee as truely deliuered by a bad man, as a good: and good wax will receiue an impression as wel by a brazen seale as a golden one. But of this point (God willing) wee are to deale more fully elsewhere.
3. Christ was content to wash in a common water, in the floud Iordan; he feared no infection from it, though Naaman the leper were washed there; though the Pharises & hypocrites washed there, yet he takes no exception,Obesse mali bonis non debent, sed magis mali à bonis adiuuari, Cyprian. Epist. synod. 54. contracts no vncleannesse: so the wickednesse of another Communicant doth not preiudice him that is rightly prepared; though hee communicate with him in the Sacrament, yet not in his sinne.
It maketh indeed for our cō fort, when we doe receiue with such as of whose godly life and conuersation we are perswaded, because in it wee professe our selues members & fellow Christians with them, and desire to be confirmed in that communion: Besides, our louelove and zeale may be better stirred vp by the prayers and example of such, rather then by wicked ones: But notwithstanding, 1. no mans sin can defile another, or make Gods promise in vaine, nor the seale of it, to him that is no way accessary to it; neither hath power to hinder him from the Sacrament. Eze. 18. 20. The same soule that sinneth, shall dye: & Gal. 6. 5. EueryEvery man shall beare his owne burden. 2. Christ not onelyonly communicated heere in the seruice of God with common men, but elsewhere with those assemblies in which were many notoriously wicked,Nec propter zizania segetem Christi, nec propter paleas aream Christi, nec propter vasa inhonorata domum magnam Christi, nec propter pisces malos retia Christi derelinquunt, Aug. cont. Crescon. lib. 3. cap. 5. as at Maries purification, Luk. 2. 22. and when he went vp yeerely with his parents to Ierusalem, Vers. 14. Besides, the Apostles were continually in the temple, notwithstanding all grosse corruptions in it, Luk. 24. 53. Act. 21. 26. And lastly, we should otherwise bee bound not to examine our selues onelyonly, but al others with whome we communicate: but the Apostle saith, Let a man therefore examine himselfe, and so let him eate and drinke; and, Hee that eateth & drinketh vnvvorthily,Non dicit, alijs. sed sibi, Calu. eateth & drinketh his owne damnation, 1. Cor. 11. 28, 29.
4. Seeing Christ so honoured the ministerie of man, who dare disdaine the holy ministry, and societie of the Church, which the Sonne of God sought vntounto? Where be they that think it too base for them to goe to Church, to seek the Sacrament? Oh it is more state to hauehave Baptisme come to them into their houses. Nay, but the Church is now our Iordan; hither come, or else thou art more stately than Christ. How dare great men so despise our ministerie, which Christ in his owne person hath graced, that it is not worthie their presence?
The third point is, the end of Christs comming to Iohn, namely,The end of Christs comming to Iohn. that hee might be baptized of him.
Why would Christ be baptized?Quest. what need had he of it?
Christ needed not for himselfe:Answ. for 1. he needed not the regeneration of the holy Ghost, being sanctified in the wombe, and conceiued of him. 2.Baptizari vis domine Iesu? nunquid sano opus est medicina, aut inundatione mundo? Quam maculam habere potest agnus sine macula? Bernard. serm. 1. de Epiphan. Baptisme is a Sacrament of clensing sinne, with which hee was neuer polluted. 3. What should it seale and signifie to him, which hee wanted? But for sundrie other reasons it was fit he should: for (to omit that giuen here by himselfe, till we come to it, So it becomes vsus to fulfill all righteousnes:) 1, as the high Priest when he was inaugurated, had his whole body washed with water, so would our High Priest entring, be commended to his Fathers louelove, and care, and protection in his office, by the publike ministerie of the Church, that the Truth might be answerable to the type. 2. Although hee vndertooke not the Sacrament as a Sacrament of regeneration, or as a symbole of new life, yet hee did, 1. as it was a Sacrament of Christian societie, 1. Cor. 12. 13. for, as by it the faithfull are set into his body, so would hee by it be set into the body of the Saints, and take on him the common marke and priuiledge of his members: euen as we see Kings and Princes, by whom all hold their freedome, will sometimes bee made free, and so receiue a publike testimony of association from their people: and loe here our Prince in the colours of a common souldier. 2. As Baptisme is a symbole of affliction, so hee would vndertake it: so Mar. 10. 38. Christ calles his crosse and death by the name of Baptisme. 3. Christ would bee baptized, not to wash himselfe, but vsus;Vnus mersit, sed lauit omnes: Theoph. not to put off sinne as we, but to put on our sinne, that so our sin in him might bee washt away, that hee might sanctifie this Sacrament to vsus,Baptizatus Christus vt homo, sed idem peccata soluit vt Deus: non quòd aquis lustralibus ipse egeret, sed vt aquas sanctificarit: Nazianz. orat. 4. de filio. and all waters the element of it, and in his owne person he might commend and confirme it vntounto his Church: also to put an end to legall worship, and to testifie that we must be spiritually washed, whereto he sets seale first in his owne person. 4. That in nothing hee might be vnlike vsus, sinne onelyonly excepted, Hebr. 4. 15.
But Iohn baptized the baptismeObiect. of repentance, which Christ needed not.
Being sent in the similitudeAnsw. of sinfull flesh, Rom. 8. 3. hee would not disdaine the marke and badge of sinners; he was as sicke among the sicke, that hee might be a most familiar and acceptable Physician, Is. 53. We counted him as plagued & smitten of God, and hee was numbred among the wicked, yea reiected behinde Barrabas.
But how could he, no sinner,Obiect. take vponupon him the Sacrament, which is a symbole of remission of sins, of purification, of putting off the old man, and putting on the new?
1. Hee was content to be as like sinners as might be,Answ. Christ no sinner, tooke on him the symbole of remission of sins and not be a sinner, and therfore he that tooke the curse of sinne vponupon him in his execrable death, abhorred not to take a badge of sinne vponupon him in his holy baptisme. Admire the Lords humility who knew no sinne, yet standeth among sinners to be baptized.
2. Of the couenant of grace, whereof Baptisme is a seale, be two parts: 1. On Gods part, the promises of grace and remission of sinnes to beleeuers, with renouation of nature, &c. and thus Christ receiued it not for himselfe. 2. On mans, that is, by accepting of his seale or badge; the obligation of our selues to resigne vp our selues wholly to him, and his seruice, and become his: and thus it was meete that Christ should accept the seale of the Couenant, that he might be bound in our name as our head to fulfill that, which we had promised, and God required at our hands by vertue of the Couenant, I will be thy God, and thou shalt be my people.
And hence al the significatiue actions of Baptisme,The significatiue action in Christs baptisme what they betokened applied to Christ, imply nothing else, but how hee was resigned vp wholly to his Father for vsus and in our stead: as for example: 1. When Christ descended into the water, was signified his descending from heauen, and humbling of himselfe, to take flesh, suffer, and dye in it, chusing rather to lose his life, than his Father should lose the obedience of his Law.
2. The dipping, sprinkling, or his abode vnderunder the water, signified his death and buriall, by whose power and vertue our old man is dead and buried, that is, our corruption of nature is slaughtered and consumed.
3. His ascending out from the water, betokeneth his resurrection for our iustification, by the power of which we are regenerated and rise to life eternall: So as it appeares, that what wee were bound to, Christ hath first in himselfe performed; and enableth vsus also in some measure here below, but at last by his grace shall perfectly performe it in our full holinesse aboue with himselfe.
But seeing Christ had been circumcised,Obiect. his baptisme seemed needlesse.
Indeed if hee had been a priuate man,Answ. and his baptisme only personall, this obiection might seeme the stronger, (although the Iewes, conuerted by Peters sermon, and already circumcised, were baptized:) But Christ as a publike person,Why Christ was both circumcised and baptized. and head of the Church, in other respects was to vndertake both Sacraments: 1. To shew himselfe the author of all Sacraments, both of the old Testament and new. 2. To manifest himselfe the Mediator of both peoples, redeemer of both, the destroyer of the wall of separation, who being our peace, hath ioyned Iew and Gentile, and of two made one. 3. To sanctifie both Sacramēts to both peoples, in whom they both attained their right ends and efficacie, and therefore hee that had sanctified Circumcision in his owne person to the Iewes, would now also sanctifie Baptisme to ye Gentiles. 4. That the law, which himselfe gaue to both peoples, himselfe might fulfill: for, seeing hee came to both peoples in the similitude of sinfull flesh, he would not refuse, but sanctifie the remedy of clensing the flesh to both; hee would lastly approue and iustifie both Gods institutions to both peoples both of the old and new Circumcision, and cleare the whole Law to be holy, iust, and good.
This is for our consolation:Vse 1. here we hauehave Christ manifesting himselfe our flesh, our brother, our suretie: here is the Word made flesh, God with vsus, Immanuel; God, not come downe in the likenesse of man, (as they of Lystra thought of Paul and Barnabas:)Act. 14. 11. but cloathed with the very nature of man, who in his perfect age, hauing growne out the seuerall ages of infancie, child-hood, and youth, to shew himselfe true man, now of thirty yeeres of age, becomes as man, our brother in the couenant, and in the seale of it: yea our surety as God and man our absolute Mediator: he would, by vndertaking both Sacraments, shew himselfe not onelyonly a member of both peoples, but also the Sauiour, head, and chiefe cornerstone, knitting both into one body, and spirituall house, which is his Church: And all this is for vsus, that wee might hauehave sweete comfort; Christ is among men, among sinners, that we might be among the sonnes and Saints of God; he is washed as a sinner,Christ washed, to clense, not to be clensed. not to bee clensed, but to clense vsus: he stands in Iordan, that the waters of Gods wrath beeing staied on both sides,Iosh. 3. 17. both peoples might passe ouer to the heauenly Canaan: In a word, that he might eueryevery way helpe vsus, he will bee eueryevery way like vsus: and to this purpose is this tabernacle of God amongst men, that we might hauehave way made to the tabernacle of God amongst Angels. Therefore if Satan or the infidelitie of our owne hearts set vponupon vsus, wee see whom wee hauehave beleeued, our saluation is surer than the gates of hell shall euer be able to ouerthrow.
Againe, this is for our instruction, to note the excellencie and dignitie of this Sacrament, and what esteeme wee ought to hauehave it in: the Lord comes to the seruant a tedious iourney to seeke it; yet many of vsus, when it is brought to vsus, turne our backes vponupon it. What price set they vponupon it, who flye foorth of the Church, when this Sacrament is to be administred? Shal Christ that needed it not, come to it, and shall we that neede it, runne from it? Shall he seek only the baptisme of water? and shall we so vnderunder-value the baptisme of water and the Holie Ghost? Shall he (no sinner) notNemo refugiat lauacrum gratiae, cùm Christus nō refugit lauacrum poenitentiae, Ambros. in Luc. refuse the signe of repentance for sinne? and shall wee despise the broad Seale of remission of sinne? Shall Christ himself seek to Iohns baptisme, and darest thou runne from Christ?
This I will adde to what I hauehave elsewhere largely deliuered, that whosoeuer doe not present themselues with due reuerence and meditations, but runne out carelesly and profanely when Baptisme is administred, they be farre from Christs example, and little comfort can they hauehave of their baptisme, but may well feare, lest those mysteries and benefits, offred and sealed to a member of the Congregation, belong not to them: for if they did, they would owne them, and not runne contemptuously from them: as good neuer baptized, as neuer meditate on it. But, were thy selfe to take no good by the Sacrament, in calling to minde thine owne couenant made in baptisme, with the fruite in thy selfe, yet good order requires thy presence: 1. Because the ordinance belongs not onelyonly to the infants, parents, and sureties, but to the whole Congregation, as the entring of a free-man into a Corporatiō is by the whole. 2. God lookes it should be graced, and not scorned by turning thy back vponupon it. Were it not a most irreuerent contempt, to runne out from the Word? and is it not also, to runne from the Seale? especially the blessed Trinitie being met to such a purpose, to seale such benefits to a member of that Congregation? 3. Thy presence is requisite to helpe the infant by prayer, to ioyne with the Congregation in prayer, and in praise for the ingrafting of a member into Christs body.