The New Covenant, Book 2 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII. Of the third vſe of Baptiſme.
THe third vſe of baptiſme is to kill and buryaThe third vſus… o… ba… ti… …to t… vsus our d…g to ſin, and …ſi… to …wn i…e of life. our naturall corruption by the power of Chriſts death and buriall, and to raiſe vsus againe to ſanctification of our nature and newnes of life by his reſurrection. Hence it is, that ſin hath his deaths wound and is ſt…icken to the heart, ſo that it cannot liue and raigne in the children of God. Hence it is, that baptiſme is oftenbLuk. 3, 3. called the Sacrament of repentance, as Luke 3. Iohn came into all the parts and coaſts about Iordan, preaching the Baptiſme of repentance for the rem ſs…on of ſinnes. So likewiſe Marke 1, 4. Iohn did baptize in the Wildernes and preach the baptiſme of amendment of life. And the apoſtle affirmeth as much, Col. 2, 12, 13. declaring that one end of baptiſme is the death and buriall of the old man by the almighty power of God.
This alſo was taught in thoſec1 Pet. 3, 20.21. liuely types anſwering our baptiſme, to wit, the flood that drownd the old world, while Noah and his family were preſerued in the Arke. Alſo the red ſea in which Pharaoh and his hoaſt periſhed, but the people of God were deliuered. For as God deſtroyed in the waters and as it were buried in the flood the old world, but ſaued a remnant of grace: ſo doth God through Chriſt mortifie the old man, raiſe againe the new man, and ſeale them both in our baptiſme. Likewiſe as God deliuered his people out of the hands of Pharaoh, and opened them a way through the red ſea, and drowned their enemies that they ſaw them no more aliue: ſo by baptiſme hee aſſureth our deliuerance from the thraldome and bondage of ſinne (which bringeth greater ſlauery & captiuity then any ſlaue is in vnderunder his earthly maiſter) and the deſtruction of the fleſh, that it ſhall not hurt or condemne vsus. Wee are alldPſal. 51, 7. Rom. 5, 12. borne in ſinnes and treſpaſſes: wee hauehave need of repentance and regeneration.
We ſee then what vſe we are to make of our baptiſme, euen labour to attaine to the efficacy and fruite of it, that it may not be a bare and barren ſigne. Moſes and the Prophets earneſtly exhort the people of Iſrael to ſhew foorth the force and effect of their circumciſion,eDeut. 10, 16. and 30, 6. to cut away the fore-skin of their hearts, and harden their necks no more, as we ſee, Deut. 10, 16. The Lord did ſet his delight in thy fathers to louelove them, and did chuſe their ſeed after them, euen you aboue all people, Circumciſe therefore the foreskin of your hearts, and harden your necks no more: and in another place, The Lord thy God will circumciſe thine heart, and the h…art of thy ſeed, that thou maieſt louelove the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy ſoule, that thou maieſt liue. So the ProphetfIer. 4, 4. Ieremy ſaith, Breake vp your fallow ground, and ſowe not among thornes: be circumciſed to the Lord, and take away the fore-skins of your hearts, ye men of Iudah, and inhab tants of Ieruſalem, least my wrath come foorth like fire, and burne, but none can quench it, becauſe of the wickednes of your inuent…ons.
Circumciſion was the thing wherein they boaſted aboue all things: it was their glory whereof they bragged, to be a crcumciſed people, peculiar to God. Now the Prophets recall and reclaime them from truſting in outward ſignes and lying words,gIer. 7, 8. that ſhall not profit: and ſtirre them vp to conſider the power and effect thereof, not to reſt in cutting off a thin peece of skin, but to cut off quite and cleane their luſts and corruptions which rebell againſt the Spirit. This the Apoſtle teachethhRom. 2 28.29. euidently, Rom. 2. Hee is not a Iew which is one outward, neither is that circumciſion which is outward in the fleſh: but he is a Iew which is one within, and the c…rcumciſion is of the heart in the Spirit, not in the Letter, whoſe praiſe is not of men, but of God.
The outward Letter is of no moment with God, it muſt be the circumciſion of the hart, otherwiſe the circumciſing of the fleſh is nothing. So if we would hauehave God to take vsus for his people and heritage,iWe muſt a… be baptized in heart. we muſt be all baptized in our hearts and our ſoules. What will ſome ſay, baptized in ſoule, and in heart? What is that? Or how can this bee? Can the water waſh the ſoule? Surely the water caſt vponupon our bodies is nothi…g, if we hauehave not the truth of it. As then the apoſtle Paul maketh a difference betweene inward circumciſion of the ſpirit, and outward circumciſion of the letter, inſomuch that if they would hauehave the true circumciſion indeed, they muſt hauehave that which is within: ſo is there a great difference between the baptiſme of the ſpirit and of the letter, betweene that of the ſoule and the other of the body, betweene that which is outward, and that which is inward. Whoſoeuer would hauehave the true baptiſme indeed, he muſt be clenſed within, repent of his wickedneſſe, mortifie his imaginations, deny himſelfe, renounce his affections, and offer vp his ſoule and body in ſacrifice to God, that he may renew and regenerate vsus: otherwiſe, it is a certaine thing, we were neuer indeed and in truth baptized. For as the Iewes were charged to bee vncircumciſed, though the fore-skin of the fleſh were cut off, and ſo they were circumciſed in body: ſo wee may in like manner bee charged to be vnbaptized, albeit we hauehave bin outwardly waſhed with water.
The Iewes choſen aboue all Nations to be the people of God, were oftentimes condemned of forgery and falſhood for breaking the couenant of God, & not anſwering to the truth thereof,kEſay 2, 4. and 57, 3. and were vpbraided with the vncircumciſedneſſe of their hearts, that they were worſe then the heathen themſelues, a baſtard brood, witches children, and vnworthy to be accounted Abrahams ſeed, to the end they ſhould bragge no more of their circumciſion, as Act. 7.Acts 7, 51. Stephen a faithfull witneſſe of God, obiecteth againſt them. Ye ſtiffe-necked and of vncircumciſed hearts and eares, yee hauehave alwayes re…ſted the Holy-Ghoſt, as your fathers did, ſo do you: they ſlew the Prophets which ſhewed before of the comming of that iuſt, of whom ye are now the betrayers & murtherers: where we ſee he diſcouereth their hypocriſie, & ſetteth their ſins before their faces, telling thē that as their fathers rebelled againſt God, ſo the children followed their fathers footſteps. Do not th…ſe things concerne vsus? Though we hauehave not circumciſion in action and practiſe, belong they not to vsus now a dayes? Yes euen to vsus. For we ſhall be condemned for our vnclenſed and vnſanctified hearts, not anſwering to the truth of our baptiſme. For ſo much we profit by baptiſme, as we profite in mortification. If then we be once baptized and waſhed with water: we ſhall pay dearely for our defiling that ſacred water, which God hath appointed to ſo holy an vſe.
True it is, the water of it ſelfe is as nothing, no other in ſubſtaunce and nature then that wherewith wee waſh our hands: but when once it is ioyned to the word, and applyed to an holy end, it is as it were an authentical ſeale which God hath engrauen in it. Now he that counterfeiteth the ſeale of a Prince, ſhall he not be puniſhed? Behold, baptiſme is the ſeale of God, which ſerueth not to ſeale conueyances of earthly poſſeſsions as houſe and lands: but to aſſure vsus, that we are called to the heauenly life: and bringeth good aſſurance and warrant with it, that we be waſhed from our ſinnes by the blood of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and borne againe by his holy Spirit. Shall we breake all and eſcape vnpuniſhed? Let vsus not then boaſt of our baptiſme, and Chriſtianity, to ſay, oh, we are baptized: we are chriſtened: we weare the badge of God: theſe things, theſe things I ſay, will coſt vsus deare, if we make not our baptiſme auaileable to our ſelues and our owne ſoules by killing our corruptions: for therebylEccl. 5, 3. wee ſhew our ſelues like vntounto the foole that maketh a vow, and immediately after breaketh it.
For what a miſery is this, that ſcarce one of an hundred knoweth the right end of his baptiſme, and whereunto it auaileth? So that albeit they boaſt of the outward ſigne, yet they are no more ſound Chriſtians indeed, then Turks and Pagans, Infidels and miſcreants, inaſmuch as they are no way mortified or renewed by repentance, no way changed in the inward man, but lye rotting in their ſinnes and remaine in the condemnation of Adam. Theſe ſhall one day finde by wofull experience, what a coſtly thing it is to take ſo deare a pawne of ſaluation at the hands of God in vaine. Indeed we beare the name of Chriſt, and we profeſſe the Goſpell: yet you ſhall find a great number that know not this vſe of baptiſme, nor to what end it was ordained. They doe call it indeede their Chriſtendome, but are altogether ignorant of the nature thereof, and are vnacquainted with the effect of it: yea they bring their children to no other purpoſe to be baptized, then becauſe it is the vſual manner and common cuſtome ſo to do, being led thereunto not by the commandement of Chriſt, but by the example of others, foraſmuch as they can giuegive no reaſon at all of that they do. This will coſt them deerely, for abuſing ſuch a pledge-token at Gods hands, ſeeing it is a meanes wherby we are vnited to our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and ingrafted into his death and reſurrection. Wherefore, whereas many hauehave receiued baptiſme in their infancy, and hauehave liued forty or fifty yeares in the world, without knowing to what end they were baptized: it had beene better for them that they had beene borne dead, or periſhed in their mothers womb as an vntimely fruit, then to hauehave vnhallowed ſo holy and precious a thing. Thus much of the third and laſt vſe of baptiſme, as alſo of the parts thereof, and generally touching this whole Sacrament.
The end of the ſecond Booke.