The New Covenant, Book 2 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. Of the firſt vſe of baptiſme.
HItherto we hauehave handled the parts of baptiſme both outward and inward: now let vsus proceed to the vſes, the laſt point to be obſerued in this Sacrament. The vſes of baptiſme are in numberaThree vſes of baptiſme. three: firſt to ſhew our planting, ingrafting, and incorporating into the body of Chriſt: Secondly, to ſeale vp the remiſsion and forgiueneſſe of all our ſinnes: Thirdly, to teach vsus to dye vntounto ſinne and liue vntounto righteouſneſſe and true ſanctification. Theſe endsbRom. 6, 3, 4.5, 6. appeare euidently by the words of the Apoſtle, Rom. 6. Know ye not that all we which hauehave beene baptized into IESVS CHRIST, hauehave beene baptized into his death? We are buried then with him by baptiſme into his death, that like as Chriſt was raiſed vp frō the dead to the glory of the Father, ſo we alſo ſhould walke in newneſſe of life. For if wee bee planted with him to the ſimilitude of his death, euen ſo ſhall wee be to the ſimilitude of his reſurrection, knowing this, that our olde Man is crucified with him, that the body of ſinne m…ght be deſtroyed, that henceforth we ſhould not ſerue ſinne. In this place the Apoſtle ſeteth before vsus the former ends of baptiſme expreſly.
Touching the firſt vſe,cThe firſt vſe o… baptiſm is to ſhew our ingrafting into Chriſt. he ſheweth that by it is ſignified and ſealed our vniting, ſetting,d1 Cor 12, 13. and inſerting into the body of Chriſt, to remaine in him for euer, as branches in the vine, as 1. Cor. 12. By one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we be bonde or free: where he teacheth that by baptiſme we become one body with Chriſt. And Gal. 3. All ye that are baptized into Chriſt, hauehave put on Chriſt. This coniunction with Chriſt is not bodily or naturall, it is not by bands in the fleſh, it is not by neerenes of blood, for ſuch wee ſee may be ſeparated, as the father from the ſonne, the husband from the wife, the brother from the ſiſter: but this is wholy myſticall and ſpirituall, aboue reaſon and aboue ſence, becauſe it is wrought not by naturall wayes as by ioynts, ſinewes arteries, ligaments, and ſuch like, but by ſpirituall meanes, to wit, by the power of the Spirit, and by vertue of faith: he ſendeth downe his Spirit, wee ſend vp our faith. Firſt, he muſt ſend downe his Spirit, becauſe all goodnes is of him. Indeed we louelove him, but it is becauſe he loued vsus firſt, giuing vsuseRom. 8, 15. the Spirit of adoption to cry Abba father: Indeed we come vntounto Chriſt to be eaſed and refreſhed as he commandeth, but it is becauſefIoh. 6, 44. the father draweth vsus. Indeed we perſeuer in faith and louelove, but this is becauſe he perſeuereth in louing of vsus. Indeed we repent and turne vntounto God, but this is becauſe heegEzek. 36, 26 27. taketh away our ſtonie heart, and giueth vntounto vsus an heart of fleſh.
Secondly, as he putteth his Spirit within vsus, ſo our faith mounteth vp to the heauens, and apprehendeth Chriſt ſitting at the right hand of the Father. And thus his Spirit deſcending, our faith aſcending, and both of them ioyning the members to the head, the branches to the vine, vsus to Chriſt, being once ingrafted,hIoh. 15, 5, 6. we are neuer ſeparated, as Ioh. 15. He that abideth in me and I in him, the ſame bringeth foorth much fruite: for without me ye can doe nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is caſt foorth as a branch and withereth, and men gather them, and caſt them into the fire and they burne. No man can be partaker of Chriſts benefits to ſaluation, which isiWe are ioyned to Chriſt in ſpirituall mariage. not made one with him. As a woman cannot be partaker of the riches and honour of ſome great man, & hauehave intereſt in his perſon, except ſhe be ioyned to him in marriage, that they become one body and one fleſh: and as the members cannot draw life from the head except they bee ioyned with it: ſo there is no partaking of Chriſt, except there be an vnion and communion with him,kIoh. 6, 53. as himſelfe teacheth vsus, Ioh. 6. Ver…ly, verily I ſay vntounto you, except yee eate the fleſh of the Sonne of man, and drinke his blood, yee hauehave no life in you. If Chriſt be preſent to vsus, life and all things accompanying ſaluation are preſent to vsus. If Chriſt bee abſent from vsus, death is preſent, wrath lyeth at the doore, life and ſaluation are abſent: ſo that wee are neuer partakers of his graces, except wee be as neerely coupled to his humanity, as meate and drinke are coupled with our body, which of all other is a moſt neere vnion and inward coniunction.
Thus we ſee, we are ſeuered from the world to hauehave fellowſhip with Chriſt, and are ſet once in him for euer;l1 Ioh. 2 19. Rom 8, 33, 34 35, 37, 38, 39. becauſe he that commeth to Chriſt once, he caſteth him not away, he ſhall neuer hunger, he ſhall neuer thirſt, hee ſhall not be loſt but liue for euer, as the Apoſtle ſaith, 1. Iohn 2. If they had beene of vsus, doubtles they had continued with vsus. And Paul to this purpoſe ſaith, Rom. 8. Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods choſen? It is God that iustifieth, who ſhall condemne? Who ſhall ſeparate vsus from the louelove of Chriſt? Shall tribulation, or anguiſh, or perſecution, or famine, or nakedneſſe, or perill, or ſword? In all theſe wee are more then Conquerours through him that loued vsus: for I am perſwaded, that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things preſent, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature ſhall bee able to ſeparate vsus from the louelove of God which is in Chriſt Ieſus our Lord. If once we be ioyned to him in ſpirituall mariage, notwithſtanding the difference and diſparagement betweene him and vsus, nothing ſhall be able to worke our diuorcement from him.
True it is, God findeth vsus wallowingmEzek. 16, 4.5, 6. in our owne filthineſſe, polluted in our owne blood, defiled by our owne vncleannes, he hath made an eternall couenant with vsus, he hath ſpoken peace vntounto our ſoules, ſaying, Thou ſhalt liue, euen when we were ſunke downe in ſinne to death, he ſaid vntounto vsus, Thou ſhalt liue: ſo that he will neuer turne from vsus to do vsus good, but we ſhall be his people, and he will bee our God, he will giuegive vsus one heart and one way, that wee may feare him for euer, and that it may be well with vsus and with our children.
This made the Apoſtle to write, Eph. 5, 30, 32. We are members of his body, of his fleſh, and of his bones: this is a great myſtery, but I ſpeak concerning Chriſt and concerning the church: Where he ſeemeth to allude to thenGen. 2, 21. firſt creation of the woman made of one of the ribs of the man, ſhaddowing and ſhewing our knitting and coniunction with Chriſt, which we hauehave by faith, not by nature: by vertue of the Spirit, not of the fleſh.
Now as we hauehave ſhewed that this coniunction is made by Gods Spirit and by our faith which he hath giuen vsus: ſo the meanes and inſtruments to worke it, are the word and Sacraments. This is a dignity peculiar and proper to the elect, to hauehave perpetuall fellowſhip with Chriſt, and to grow vp into one body with him, as he teacheth, Ioh. 17, 20, 21. I pray for all them which ſhall beleeue in me through their word, that they all may be one as thou O Father art in me and I in thee, euen that they may be one with vsus, that the world may beleeue that thou haſt ſent me. If then there be not an vnion betweene Chriſt and vsus, we hauehave no acceſſe to God the Father, being quite cut off from all hope of life and ſaluation. As then all the ſubſtance and nouriſhment of the tree commeth frō the roote, and all the vitall powers of a true naturall body, come from the head: ſo it is betweene the Son of God and vsus, we hauehave not ſo much as one drop of the heauenly life in vsus of our ſelues,oIoh. 14, 6. Chriſt is the way, the truth, and the life, no man commeth vntounto the Father but by him.
To conclude this firſt vſe, ſeeing ſuch as come to this ſacramentpMar. 16, 16. muſt be Chriſtians before, it appeareth to bee a very corrupt cuſtome of the people, when they require baptiſme of the Paſtor for their children, to ſay, God hath giuen me a Pagan, I deſire you to make him a Chriſtian. For Baptiſme cannot make a Chriſtian, but ſignifie: the Sacraments cannot make that which is not, but aſſure that which is already made, as ſeales do not giuegive the right, but confirm it. Thus much of the firſt vſe of Baptiſme: the ſecond followeth.