The New Covenant, Book 2 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Of the third inward part of baptiſme.
THe third inward part of baptiſmeaThe third inward part of baptiſme is Chriſt Ieſus. is Chriſt, repreſented and ſignified by the water. For, as the Apoſtle teachethbHeb. 10, 4. That the blood of buls and calues cannot take away ſin: ſo the water in baptiſme cannot waſh away ſinnes. It toucheth the body, waſheth it, cleanſeth and purgeth it, but it can proceed no further. Nay al the water in the riuers and in the Sea cannot ſcowre and make clean the conſcience; it is another water, euen the Spirit, that muſt do it. Hence it is,Ier. 2, 22, that the Lord ſaith by his Prophet Ieremy, chap. 2. Though thou waſh thee with nitre, and take thee much ſope, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, ſaith the Lord. To this purpoſe ſpeaketh Iob, Iob. 9, 30.31.chap. 9. If I waſh my ſelfe with ſnow-water, and make my hands neuer ſo cleane: yet ſhalt thou plunge me in the Ditch, and mine owne clothes ſhall abhorre me. It is not therefore the outward water, but the inward water that auaileth vsus. For thiscAct. 2, 38. & 10, …8. & 19, 5 cauſe the beleeuers are ſaid to bee baptized in the name of Chriſt, as Act. 2, 38. Be baptized eueryevery one of you in the name of Chriſt. So chap. 19, 5. They were baptized in the name of the Lord Ieſus. Not meaning heereby the forme and manner of baptizing, but the fruit, foundation, and end of baptiſme. Likewiſe,d1 Pet. 3, 21. the Apoſtle ſheweth the ſame, 1. Pet. 3, 21. Baptiſme anſwering to the figure of the Arke, ſaueth vsus by the reſurrection of Ieſus Chriſt. There is no force in outward baptiſme to ſaue, the whole vertue and force floweth from the ſtreame of Chriſts blood, as the true materiall cauſe thereof, wherein the power of inward baptiſme doth conſiſt. The truth beeing euident, that the pouring out of the blood of CHRIST is one of the inward partes of Baptiſme, let vsus ſee the vſes.
Vſe 1 The vſe of this part teacheth diuers points. Firſt, that the outward waſhing with water, is not the waſhing away of ſins: for thē whoſoeuer were dipped in it ſhould receiue forgiueneſſe of ſinnes, repentance from dead workes, and ſanctification of the Spirit, whether he beleeued or not:eActs 8.22. which is otherwiſe, as we ſee Acts 8, 22. Alſo, they ſhould not, and could not be Chriſtians and eternally ſaued, which are not outwardly waſhed, but departing this life without baptiſme, they ſhould periſh in the next world without redreſſe or redemptiō; and ſo our condition were worſe then the Iewes their condition in times paſt, and the grace of God more reſtrained vnderunder the Goſpell, then it was vnderunder the law, Moſes offering more mercy then Chriſt himſelfe. So then, the waſhing with water ſerueth to ratifie the ſhedding of Chriſts blood for the remiſsion of our ſinnes, and the imputation of his righteouſneſſe to our iuſtification,f1 Ioh. 1, 7. as 1. Ioh. 1, 7. The blood of Ieſus Chriſt his Sonne doth cleanſe vsus from all ſinne. So Reuel. 1, 5. He hath loued vsus and waſhed vsus from our ſinnes in his blood, and made vsus Kings and Prieſtes vntounto God euen his Father. And Col. 1, 14. the apoſtle ſaith, In him we hauehave redemption by h…s blood that is, forgiueneſſe of ſinnes.
Againe, when we ſee with our bodily eyes the water Vſe 2 poured vponupon the body of the baptized: wee muſt behold and conſider with the eyes of faith the blotting out of all our ſinnes, as well originall as actuall, as well after baptiſme as before baptiſme, by the precious blood of Chriſt, that we may aſſure our ſelues it is no idle action. For we muſt not behold the Sacramentall rites, as certaine dumbe geſtures or ſtage-like ſhewes without ſubſtance and ſignification, but we muſt make them ſerue to further our faith and edification: or elſe we do horribly abuſe them to the great diſhonour of God, and to the fearefull deſtruction of our owne ſoules.
Laſtly, it teacheth vsus not to be led by the outward ſenſes Vſe 3 to meaſure the truth, or to iudge of the ſubſtance of baptiſme by the outward ſigne and viſible parts: but to hauehave our faith fixed on Chriſt crucified on the Croſſe, and ſignified in baptiſme. The Infidell ſeeing children ſolemnly baptized in the name of the Father, of the Sonne, and of the Holy-Ghoſt, will raſhly and ignorantly coniecture nothing to be there, but naked rites and bare water: but the faithfull and true Chriſtian doth behold the waſhing of the ſoule and cleanſing of the heart by the deareſt blood of Chriſt.
So in the Lords Supper, to the vnbeleeuer appeareth nothing but Bread and Wine, becauſe we ſee with our eies, wee receiue with our hands, wee taſte with our mouth no more: but the beleeuer knoweth, that together with theſe ſignes, God the Father offereth the body and blood of his Sonne to be ſpiritually receiued and digeſted, Euen as he that is vnlettered and vnlearned, if he lookegEſa. 29, 11, 12. vponupon the face of a booke, beholdeth onelyonly blacke colours and ſpots vponupon the Paper, ſeeth certaine figures and characters of Letters differing each from other, but cannot reade the writing or comprehend the meaning: but he that hath learned his Letters and is able to reade them, reapeth great profite and inſtruction thereby: So is it in the Sacraments. He that reſteth in the outward ſigne, deceiueth himſelfe: but hee that reſpecteth the thing ſignified receiueth the profit and aduantage.
The Croſſe of Chriſt and preaching of the Goſpel,h1 Cor. 1, 23.24. are a ſtumbling blocke to the Iewes, and fooliſhneſſe to the Graecians. For the Infidell hearing that Chriſt was crucified and nailed vponupon the Croſſe, is offended at him, accounting it a fooliſh and weake meanes to ſaue mankinde, that life ſhould ſpring out of death, glory come out of ſhame, power proceed out of weakeneſſe, and triumphant victory ariſe out of his contemptible ſufferings: but the faithfull ſoule acknowledgeth in this myſtery of godlines, the high hand and vnſearchable wiſedome of God. It may ſeeme ridiculous vntounto ſome men,iGen. 17, 10. that God ſhould require circumciſion of Abraham and of his houſhold, young & olde, bond and free, maiſter and ſeruants to vncouer all their ſhames, and to open the hidden parts of nature: yet Abraham ſubmitted himſelfe to the ordinance of God. Naaman the Syrian thought it a toyiſh precept and preſcript, when he was bidden to waſh himſelfe ſeauen times in Iordan, hauing many Riuers in his owne country as good as that: yet byk2 Kings 5, 11 12, 14. obeying the Prophet, he was cleanſed of his leproſie. The inhabitants of Iericho ſcorned Ioſhua and the men of Iſraell, when they ſaw them compaſſe their Citty ſtrong & walled,lIoſh. 6.20. and to blow with their Rammes hornes: yet by this weake meanes the wall fell downe, the enemies were deſtroyed, the Citty was ſacked, and the people of GOD preuailed. Chriſt ſeeing a blinde man and willing to heale him, he ſpat on the ground,mIoh. 9, 6. and made clay of ſpittle, and annointed the eyes of the blinde with the clay, and ſaid vntounto him, Go waſh in the poole of Siloam: he obeyed, he went, he waſhed, he returned ſeeing.
Thus doth God by ſimple, baſe, and weak things, oftentimes confound the mighty, ſtrong, and wiſe of the world, that no fleſh ſhould reioyce in his preſence, and croſſeth all the high conceits and proud imaginations of mans wil and wit. Wherefore, we muſt not follow our owne vnderſtanding, nor meaſure the matters of God by the crooked rule of our carnall reaſon. Whoſoeuer will yeeld obedience to God muſt deny himſelfe, and renounce his owne wiſedom,n1 Cor. 3, 18.19. and become a foole that he may be wiſe in God, as 1. cor. 3. Let no man deceiue himſelfe, if any man among you ſeeme to be wiſe in this world, let him be a foole that he may be wiſe, for the wiſedome of this world is fooliſhneſſe with God.
Thus we ſee, that in the Sacraments we muſt vnderſtand more then we ſee, and beleeue more then we can behold. Such as are without knowledge and faith, comprehend no more of baptiſme then the bodily eye directeth them vntounto: but the faithful conceiue the blood of Chriſt to be offered, to purge the ſoule and conſcience from all ſinne,oGen. 2, 10. as the riuer watered the garden of Eden.