Of Baptism, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Wherein of the ſecond great uſe and end of Baptiſme, aſſuring us of our Iustification in the remiſsion of all our ſinnes, together with certain corollaries and inforcements.
HAving told you that Baptiſme is the great ordinance of Chriſt, to confirme & ſeale up to us our union with himſelfe, whom having, wee have all things, that wee may further ſee how conſiderable an ordinance this is, wee will beate it out, as far as the Scripture gives light, in the point of Communion, and ſo wee ſhall find, that as it ſeales and confirmes our union with him; ſo it alſo ſeales and confirmes to us, the moſt deſireable thing in the world, which is the pardon of all our ſinnes. It is ſafe giving ordinances that notion the Scripture gives them, which while you doe, you will get the true juyce they afford, and you ſhallbe ſure not to erre from the true nature of them: This you have Acts 2.38. Repent and be baptized every one of you for the remiſsion of ſinnes. As if he ſhould ſay, you are now pricked at the heart, & you ſee your ſelves in a loſt condition, and therefore cry out what to doe, as men amazed and at aſtand, ſaith hee there is hope for you, God hath made an ordinance to relieve you in this ſtraight, Repent and be baptized for the remiſsion of ſinnes; This Ieſus whom I preach, and whom God hath made Lord and Chriſt, can remit ſinnes (for that is it which gaules you when light comes in) now for this God hath formed an ordinance on purpoſe to confirme and ratify unto us the remiſſion of ſinnes, and that is Baptiſme, therefore be not amazed, but repent and be baptized: So Acts 22.16. when Paul was in an ill condition, being humbled with a witneſſe (it is the greateſt repreſentation of the humiliation of a ſinner that wee have,) and Ananias was ſent to raiſe him; ſaith he, VVhy tarrieſt thou, ariſe and be baptized, and vvaſh avvay thy ſinnes; what can be ſaid more comfortably to a diſtreſſed ſoule, then this, that God hath ſet and inſtituted an ordinance on purpoſe, that thou maiſt be acquitted of every ſinne, to witneſſe and ſeale up what is done by faith: Therefore doe not languiſh in this condition, why tarrieſt thou? ariſe & be baptized, and waſh away thy ſinnes; ſo 1. Pet. 3.21. The like figure vvhereto Baptiſme doth novv ſave us, not the putting avvay the filth of the fleſh, but the anſvver of a good conſcence; We know that ſalvation lyes, eſpecially in juſtification and diſcharging all our ſinnes; Baptiſme doth this, it doth novv ſave us, that is, this ſignes and ſeales your ſalvation to you, which lyes in juſtification and diſcharge of ſmne; but you muſt not thinke that it is onelyonly the vvaſhing avvay of the filth of the fleſh, not a carnall ceremony onelyonly, but the anſvver of a good conſcience; that is, it is that confidence and aſſurance which we have before God of his reconciliation to us; which this ordinance outwardly doth ſeale & exhibit: it is the ſtipulation of a good conſcience, when a conſcience appeaſed and pacified with the diſcharge of ſin, can cry Abba Father, with a holy ſecurity, can ſpeake to God himſelf; now, ſaith hee, this ſtipulation of a good conſcience, this is that which is the effect of Baptiſme, and which Baptiſme ſeales up to you; for what Baptiſme findes it ſeales, although it doth alſo exhibit more of the ſame kind; Baptiſme and ſo all the ordinances of Chriſt, thoſe we call Sacraments, ſeale up what is already, elſe how could it be a ſeale, but doth alſo conveigh more of the ſame.
This ſtipulation of a good conſcience Beza ſaith; clearly refers to the anſwer of the Catechiſts of which there is a pattron 8. Acts 37. when Philip told the Eunuch the condition of Baptiſme, which was to beleeve with all his heart, and he gave the anſwer of a good conſcience, that hee did beleeve; that which hee deſired baptiſme ſhould ſeale up to him, here was a plaine ſtipulation, for ſo the word ſignifies; now that ſuppoſeth one aſking or demanding, & another anſwering and making the bargaine, or contract; as when one aſkes do you do this? cā you beleeve with all your heart; and a conſcience voyde of fraude, ſpeaks clearly and evidently what it can doe and doth, then comes Baptiſme.
This they were uſed to doe in the primitive Churches, & in the ſame manner wee find, ſome doe in this age, to infants, who underſtand them not, which is not very wiſely done, for ſurely what ever they can doe, they cannot give the ſtipulation of a good conſcience: If they intend the infants which they ſay ſpeake by others, they may well retaine the old forme, but not with any good underſtanding. It is the ſame Baptiſme that ſaves us, that did then, that acquits and diſchargeth us, as the ordinance of God appointed for that end, though it ſuppoſeth eſpecially the inward workes, He that beleeves & is baptized ſhall be ſaved; beleefe muſt goe before, this is that which on Gods part ſeales us, and ingrafts us into Chriſt, & conveyes Chriſt to us; and on our part it is the ſtipulatiō of a good conſcience anſwering clearly and boldly to the intent of the ordinance: Thus you have another great uſe of this ordinance, it ſeales the remiſſion of ſins, & it ſeales to us the remiſſion of the ſins of our whole life, for it ingrafts us into Chriſt, and ſeales him up to us for the remiſſion of ſins; and therefore it muſt ever be conſidered for that purpoſe, & when it is ſo conſidered, wee muſt looke upon it, as the diſcharging and acquitting ordinance, which ſeales up, not onelyonly ſinnes paſt, but all ſinnes, paſt, and to come; which ſome not underſtanding, and finding that thoſe places for remiſſion of ſinnes were great and comfortable, have refuſed to be baptized till death, as is affirmed of Conſtantine and others, mis-taking the true uſe of it, which is to ſeale up the pardon of ſinnes, and reſpects all ſinnes, in all times.
You ſee what the nature of Baptiſme, coroll. 1 what the intention of it is in this particular; Conſider therefore the greatnes of this ordinance, to which, as to the ſigne and ſeale, remiſſion of ſinnes and reconciliation with God is annexed: What ſay you, I beſeech you? you that are ſenſible of the guilt of ſinne, that know the vvages of ſinne is death, would you not be glad of ſomething to diſcharge you & eaſe you; would you not be glad of all meanes that ſhould aſſure you, that iniquity ſhould not be your ruine? would you not be glad, to be baptized for the remiſsion of ſinnes, to have your ſinnes vvaſht avvay by baptiſme; to be ſaved by baptiſme in the ſtipulation of a good conſcience, anſwering the ſigne and ſeale. This I thinke is no queſtion to them that are ſtung with ſinne, and pricked in their hearts; then bleſſe God for this ordinance, value it much, let it not be an empty ordinance to you, ſince there is fullnes in it, let it not ſleepe & be a dead thing to you, ſince there is life in it, it being the ground of all our life & good; but improve it to its advantage, get the marrow and ſweete of it, for there is much in it.
Secondly, let us underſtand by this that hath bene ſaid, and by the nature of this ordināce, Gods heart, and mind, for the remiſſion of ſinnes; hee who is Lord of all, and able onelyonly to give all, hee is ſo free of nothing as of pardon, becauſe that is the firſt ſteppe to good & happines; if hee will us any good, if hee would have us in any proportion happy, the firſt ſteppe is by pardon of ſinne, & therefore hee is ſo free of nothing as that; when the law condemnes a man, and when a mans conſcience condemnes him, hee needs no word to carry him to hell, hee hath that within him, will doe that faſt enough, guilt makes us runne from God, as Adam did, and when we runne from God, wee runne to death; God therefore in goodnes and mercy, hath made the way to pardon ſo open and expoſed, as nothing more. The very name of pardon and remiſſion of ſins, ordinarily implyes offenſe againſt ſome lawgiver, ſome ſtate, ſome great perſon, & implyes guilt which needes that pardon: Now guilt abaſeth & greatnes terrifieth; what can there be more therefore to ſet us at a mighty diſtance from God, then guilt, which layes ſo low, and what greatnes terrify us more then his; But God hath provided that wee may come boldly, and he hath done it by two things; firſt by ſetting up a throne of grace, inſteed of a throne of majeſty and juſtice. Secondly he helpes us, by giving us a tender and ſenſible high Prieſt, who ſhall uſher us in, and pleade our cauſe at this barre and diſpatch the buſines with his Father, that wee may obtaine mercy, 4. Heb. 15.16. And to ſhew his heart the more in this worke, hee hath not onelyonly a throne of grace, & a high Prieſt to manadge this affaire; but hee hath invented this ordinance of Baptiſme, that wee might have an abundant entrance; In this you may ſee Gods heart for the pardon of ſinne, for as Baptiſme doth it, ſo it is by Gods appointment; Therefore know the mind of God, and labour not anxiouſly about ſinnes, and the pardon of them, which is a great impediment to the comfort & holines of our life. Now, that Baptiſme doth this, you have heard from ſeverall places, ſo as it is a great end of that ordinance, to remit and pardon ſinnes, and aſſure that to us.
But if you aſke how it doeth it? Anſwer, by your being baptized into Ieſus Chriſt; by being baptized into his death, by being viſibly ingrafted into his death; & condition, that as hee did conflict with the wrath of God, it brought him to the croſſe, carried him to the grave, kept him there, and layed him low, but at laſt hee get out, we being intereſted in what hee did, as in a common perſon, who did all for us, and in our names might by the helpe of this ordinance (which viſibly and ſenſibly repreſents our communion with him, in that which gaines the diſcarge of our ſinnes, which is his death, into which wee are baptized) have full aſſurance that nothing remaynes us of the guilt of ſinne; nothing remayns us, undiſcharged, ſince Chriſt, who was as wee were, that is, made guilty of ſinne, that wee might be as hee is, that is, diſcharged from ſinne, hath broken the cords of death, having made a full ſatisfaction, death having no more dominiō over him, becauſe there is no more guilt upon him; ſo that baptiſme doth it this way, and as many as are baptized into Ieſus Chriſt, into his death, are put into that condition, that he was after his death, and riſing againe; and this muſt of neceſſity be, becauſe hee was as a common perſon, wholy in his death and reſurrection; therefore they that makes themſelves of that community, for whom hee acts and trades, and by this viſible ſigne and inſtitutiō of his, ſubmit themſelves to that way of ſalvation, they put themſelves into that ſtate and condition that hee is in after his death and riſing againe. If any aſke, why did Chriſt dye? hee dyed for our ſinnes, ſaith the Apoſtle; and why did hee riſe? for our juſtification, we being baptized into his death, partake of the end of it, which is the diſcharge of our ſinnes, & our juſtification; it is certain therefore, our ſinnes made him dye, and it is as certain, that his righteouſnes made us juſt and righteous. Therefore what ſhould keepe any man under the power of death and ſubject to bondage, ſince if Chriſt be any thing to him, the great thing, & which the firſt Chriſtian inſtitutiō, Baptiſme, holds out, is, that hee is pardon to him, and that hee hath dyed & riſen with Chriſt, and therefore may goe boldly with Chriſt unto the throne of grace; and it is well called a throne of grace, becauſe it is not we, that have done this for our ſelves, but it is Chriſt that hath wrought all this good for us, ſo as it is grace to us, even the grace of Chriſt, who perſonally ſuffered what we doe miſtically, and by way of communion.
Secondly it is a throne of grace, becauſe it was not wee that did or could make the termes but God, for hee might have required from us, the perſonall payment of our owne debt: Now that God would make this the termes, to take that at Chriſts hand, which lay upō us, as a perſonall debt, it makes it a throne of grace to which wee may goe with all boldnes and liberty of ſpeech, and with the ſame aſſurance, that Chriſt himſelf did, becauſe by vertue of his owne contract ſealed to us by his owne ordinance; wee are what he is, and have done what hee did.