Eighteen Sermons, Sermon 13
SERMON XIII.
Spiritual Baptiſm.
ROMANS vi. ver. 3, 4.
Know ye not, that ſo many of us as were baptized into Jeſus Chriſt, were baptized into his death? therefore we are buried with him by baptiſm into death: that like as Chriſt was raiſed up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even ſo we alſo ſhould walk in newneſs of life.
I BELIEVE, my dear hearers, I may venture to tell you, that the longer you live, the more you will find that the royal preacher ſpoke truth when he ſaid, There is nothing new under the ſun; for as God is always the ſame, ſo the world, the fleſh, and the devil will be always the ſame, frail, vile, inimical and deceitful. New ſcenes ſurpriſe us, not becauſe they are really new, but becauſe they are new to us: our lives are moſtly taken up with viewing only the preſent appearance of things: we have neither time or leiſure to look back as we ought, or might, upon the events of providence, or the effects of the doctrines of grace. I will not ſay, my thoughts always run in a religious channel, but I will ſay I wiſh they did. The words in our text, as connected with what precedes and follows, contain the unchangeable truths of God; nor am I any ways ſtaggered by oppoſition to the vindication of what the good old Puritants, and the Diſſenters of the preſent age, call evangelical doctrine. I do not know a man that has wrought in a legal ſtrain, or that reads, or talks in common converſation in a legal ſtrain, but diſcovers his ignorance of, if not his enmity to the doctrine of juſtification by faith alone, by charging it with very bad conſequences, and endeavouring to explode it as a dangerous doctrine, deſtructive of holineſs, which they would ſeem to patronize; though if one were always to judge of them by their calumniating practice, one would imagine they had never read with proper attention, either the preceeding or following chapters, nor that wherein is our text, which proves it to be a doctrine according to godlineſs, and therefore properly begins What ſhall we ſay then, ſhall we continue in ſin that grace may abound? You will ſay, I have been inſiſting upon the univerſal depravity of nature, I have been bringing all down upon an equal level; that I have not only mentioned the dreadful ſtate of Heathens, but the equally dreadful ſtate of the haughty Jews, & ignorant Gentiles, one only ſinning againſt the light of nature, and the other ſinning againſt the light of revelation, by which both, in one ſenſe, ſtand on an equal footing, though the laſt, who thinks he ſtands upon higher ground, appears to be only ſuperior in ſin; why then, how muſt either or both be ſaved, ſince they have nothing to recommend them, nothing to plead as an atonement for their ſins? Here comes in the bleſſed doctrine of juſtification, by the glorious imputed righteouſneſs of Jeſus Chriſt, to be received by faith as inſtrument by the poor convicted ſinner. If this be the caſe, ſhall we ſin that grace may abound? this ſerves as a ſoil, to ſet off the riches of grace with a greater luſtre. Is it not a very unfair deduction, to ſay never mind holineſs, but ſin that grace may abound, that God's grace may be more conſpicuous? Pray how does the apoſtle treat this? with the utmoſt abhorrence; God forbid, ſays he; how dare you charge the doctrine of grace with ſuch a horrid conſequence? God forbid that it ſhould enter into our hearts; for how ſhall we that are dead to ſin live any longer therein? Know ye not, ſaith he, that as many of us as were baptized into Chriſt, are babtized into his death: therefore, ſaith he, ſo far from ſinning that grace may abound, we look upon ourſelves as being buried with Chriſt by baptiſm into death, that like as Chriſt was raiſed from the dead by the glory of the Father, even ſo we alſo ſhould walk in newneſs of life. This I thought a proper ſupplement to ſome diſcourſes I have endeavoured to deliver you for ſome days laſt paſt, when treating on the credibility and authenticity of our bleſſed Lord's reſurrection.
I cannot make ſport for the devil by railing againſt infant or adult baptiſm; it is a ſtrange thing how bigots can ſet the world on fire by throwing water at one another, and that people cannot be baptized, or ſprinkled, as the others call it, without beſpattering one another, and ſhow that the chief thing they have been baptized into, are the waters of ſtrife; this is catching at ſhadows, and making ſport for the devil, while the combatants, on both ſides, being thus engaged in throwing the ſhadowy water at one another, loſe the ſubſtantials of religion, while they are defending the outſide of it. For my part, I do not enter into the debate about infant or adult baptiſm; there has been a diſpute about the mode, as well as the ſubjects of baptiſm; perſons equally ſkilled in language, pretend to bring various texts from the original, to prove that the word baptizo, ſignifies either ſprinkling or plunging; and I believe you and I might as well attempt to draw two parallel lines, and bring them to meet at ſome certain place, as to bring theſe learned combatants together; for of all diſputants, religious diſputants are the moſt fiery and obſtinate; therefore, I am for thoſe that have learned to throw water upon bigotted fire, to think, and let think, about the mode, and conſider what it imports.
It is certain, that in the words of our text, there is an illuſion to the manner of baptiſm, which was by immerſion, which our own church allows, and inſiſts upon it, that children ſhould be immerſed in water, unleſs thoſe that bring the children to be baptized aſſure the miniſter that they cannot bear the plunging. We will allow this then, that one was plunged when he was young, another plunged when he was old; and, in fact, when adults are plunged as they ought, it is backwards at once: but whether I am plunged in a great deal, or buried with a little water, as a body is when it is ſaid, Earth to earth, aſhes, to aſhes, duſt to duſt, what ſignifies it, if I go in and come out, and continue juſt the ſame as before, unleſs you can ſay, in Heathen, and out Chriſtian; but we ſee very often they are not one bit the better, they have not one grain of Chriſtianity more. Suppoſing a child when young grows up to a man, is ſprinkled, or dipped as the children I ſaw at Liſbon, or in our front, as they are made large enough to dip in, though now they ſprinkle; ſuppoſe one of theſe grows up a child of the devil, and ſays, I don't look upon what was done in my infancy to be baptiſm, I will be baptized really; and yet ſuppoſe alſo, that perſon takes up only the outward ſign, and both of them die and go to the devil, would it give either of them ſatisfaction to ſay, I am in hell, but I was baptized when an infant, or adult? both of them would have to lament they were tormented in the flame. Would it not be better for us to take care not to offend our brethren, not to raiſe one anothers ſpirits and corruptions, but rather, when we come together, talk of the heart, and enquire whether, when we received the outward ſign by ſprinkling or dipping, we really received the thing ſignified in our hearts, and exemplify that thing ſignified, in our lives.
Now pray what is the thing ſignified? we need not go farther for an anſwer than our text, As many of them as were baptized into Jeſus Chriſt, were baptized into his death: and it is worthy remarking, that our Lord told his diſciples, that they were to baptize all nations in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoſt. Now I believe all perſons that have but a little ſkill in ſcripture interpretation, muſt allow that the word name ſignifies Chriſt; my name is in him, ſpeaking in the Old Teſtament of Chriſt's name; and when we ſay, in or by the name, it has a peculiar reference to every thing that belongs to God: and I verily believe that when the Redeemer ſaid, baptize them in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt, he not only intended to eſtabliſh the doctrine of three perſons in one God, but alſo to point out the nature of true baptiſm, namely, to be baptized into the nature of the Father, into the nature of the Son, and into the nature of the Holy Ghoſt, and this ſeems to be the meaning of our text, Know ye not that ſo many as were baptized: if we have been baptized aright, have been baptized not only in the name of Chriſt, but have been baptized into Chriſt? that is, we have not only put on Chriſt in an outward profeſſion, but have been ſo baptized by the Holy Ghoſt, as to be made members of Chriſt's myſtical body, united to him by the bleſſed Spirit; ſo that in a degree, though not in every ſenſe, we are one with Chriſt, and the Father, through him. This is religion common to all, whether we are Baptiſt or Poedo-baptiſt; for we may call one another by this and that name, it is no matter what we are called, the grand matter is, what God looks upon us to be; whether we are become by baptiſm, and with the powerful operations of the Spirit of God accompanying that ordinance, branches of Jeſus Chriſt, the true vine. It has been always an argument with me, and I may plead for the ſame liberty that I give, that I think infant-baptiſm is an ordinance of Chriſt, becauſe if our children are not to be baptized, they are left inferior in their privileges to the Jews, their children were circumciſed to God, and why ſhould not our children be as ſoon initiated into Chriſt as they? The apoſtle ſaith, He is not a Jew that is one outwardly, neither is that circumciſion which is outwardly in the fleſh, but circumciſion is that of the heart and of the ſpirit, whoſe praiſe is not of men but of God: ſo it may be ſaid of outward baptiſm, he is not a Chriſtian who is baptized only outwardly, but he that is baptized inwardly of the Spirit, whoſe praiſe is not of men but of God. When we get a proſelite, we are ſo fond of them that we hug them to death: I have got the praiſe of men eſpecially when religion walks in ſilver ſlippers; when a perſon ſays, I may get buſineſs if I get into ſuch a church, into ſuch a ſociety; a man may become religious as he may go to 'Change for trade, but he is a Chriſtian who is one inwardly, who has no worldly views, no deſigns but what are ſubordinate to the glory of God. The primitive Chriſtians gave great proof of their ſincerity, they were baptized over the dead; what ſhall they do who are baptized for, or over, the dead? notwithſtanding they ſaw their fellow creatures murdered, they dared to go openly to be baptized; though they know very well ſoon after that for their baptiſm with water, they ſhould be baptized with fire, and yet they dared openly to avow their profeſſion of Chriſt. This is being baptized into Chriſt; well, what then? why, then we are baptized into his death. Can you tell me what that is? I cannot fully, I don't know that myſelf; and we ſhould preach according to our experience, (a man of little true grace, he will give a little, little, little practical application; very little, becauſe he has but little himſelf; a man that has a good deal of it in his heart, he will not neglect his principles, but he will give the people a good ſound meal of practical religion) though I am but a babe in Chriſt, though I have been in Chriſt four or five and thirty years, and know but little of Chriſt, yet I think I can tell you a little what it is to be baptized into Chriſt, to be baptized into his death. Am I immediately to die in the body? that does not always follow, but we are to die daily, we are to be conformed to Chriſt's death, which we never can till we have been enabled by his power to die. When we talk of dying the death of Chriſt, we mean being crucified to the world with him. I live, ſays Paul, yet not I, but Chriſt lives in me: and the world is crucified to me, and I unto the world. Now we all come into the world alive to the world, the fleſh, and the devil. Some people ſay, a child muſt cry in order to prove itſelf an heir; what do you think it cries for? I believe ſome people think 'tis becauſe it is in pain, but I am afraid the child cries becauſe he is hurt; I believe he finds the air too cool for him; and the firſt thing he does, is giving a proof of original ſin to his parents, and all the attendants about him: this is called in ſcripture, the old man; and however ſome may find fault with the Church of England, and its forms (perhaps they may be mended, but I queſtion whether we have men capable of mending them now-a-days, either for zeal or ſpiritual knowledge) yet I am ſure there is ſomething in it very good, particularly there is that prayer to be put up by a child, deſerves to be written in letters of gold, Grant, O Lord, that all things belonging to the old man may die in me; and then follows (what I ſhall ſpeak of by and by) and all belonging to the new man may live and grow in me. There is the whole ſum and ſubſtance of religion, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning, the middle and the end, as Mr. Ambroſe's works are intitled. We want nothing but all things belonging to the old man to die in us, and all things belonging to the new to live, to make us fit for the kingdom of Chriſt: and if we can find this in us, God grant we may not quarrel one with another, though I verily believe young men think the old man is very troubleſome. There is one does not live very far from hence, who is a very worthy man, I remember a few years ago he came in, in his firſt love, ſaying, "he had got on the mount; the fire burnt upwards, though there was a good deal of ſmoak. Pray, ſays I, is the old man dead yet? no, ſaid he, he is not quite dead, but ſpoke as if he thought he was expiring; ſays I, I will ſpeak to you three or four years hence. Some time after that, meeting him, I aſked him concerning the old man, he ſaid he thought he was alive and worſe than ever, and that he was a fly creature, would lie down as if he was aſleep, that he may attack you when off your guard the better." I heard of a good man in the country, who ſaid, he found his corruptions were a monſter of a thouſand heads; now this is called a crucifixion, which is a painful and a gradual death, but a certain death: God forbid any of you now ſhould turn the food into poiſon, ſaying, this is a very good doctrine, I like it; the miniſter ſays the old man dies slow, ſo I will not crucify him; they tell me he will die by and by, but not yet, ſo I will not trouble myſelf much about him; why then, my dear hearer, whoever thou art, thou talkeſt like a ſtinking hypocrite, or a rank, vile Antinomian; how, how, is the old man ſuch a pleaſant companion, that you love to have him dwelling under your roof? would you chuſe to have a parcel of whores and rogues to live in your houſes? would you like, if you lived by letting of lodgings, two or three rooms ſuppoſe, to have a parcel of thieves and robbers, and pickpockets, come and tell you their profeſſion, would it not be fooliſh for you to let ſuch people in, would it not? and juſt ſuch fools you are to let pickpockets, ſtreet-robbers, God-robbers, vile proſtitutes in your wicked hearts, the luſts of the fleſh, the luſts of the eye, and the pride of life, ſtay not only till quarter-day, but long after: before you turn them out, you may be dead; no, no, it is not an inſtantaneous, but a gradual, progreſſive work.
Then we are baptized into Chriſt, when we ſtudy to glorify Chriſt; that is the reaſon that God Almighty ſends you ſo many trials, that you may be baptized into his death; and generally you will find, when you have had moſt communications from God, that ſome croſs trials ſoon follow. Haſt thou been praying for reſignation? perhaps God takes away a beloved child; you have been praying for great patience, perhaps a croſs wife, a Nabal of a huſband, bad ſervants, undutiful children, or ſomething or other, and the devil at the head of them, making you uneaſy, ſo that you find you have not ſo much patience as you thought you had; you never was upon the mount in your lives, but when you came down, you were tempted to break the tables: was it not ſo with Moſes after forty days communion with God? down he came, and ſeeing the people dancing round the calf, down he throws the tables, and breaks them all to pieces; and if God was not to keep us, after all our communion with him, we ſhould break the tables to pieces and be damned. After all that perſon then is dying every day, who looks upon himſelf every morning as one that is to be crucified afreſh, that looks for croſſes, and at the ſame time walks ſo inoffenſively as to bring no croſs upon himſelf. I ſpoke to a perſon yeſterday about the croſs; pray ſir, ſays he, would you have me bring a croſs upon myſelf; no, ſaid I, only be honeſt, and you will find croſſes enough.
Then we muſt be raiſed to newneſs of life, as Chriſt was raiſed from the dead by the glory of the Father; this points out to us in what ſenſe Jeſus Chriſt is the reſurrection and the life, and ſhews us that every thing Jeſus Chriſt did and ſuffered, muſt be ſpiritually experienced in our hearts. You have often heard me ſay, as he was born in the Virgin's womb, he muſt be born in our hearts, and as he died for ſin, we muſt die to ſin, as he roſe again, we muſt riſe to newneſs of heart and life. What is the new birth? ſays a great doctor: ſuppoſe any of theſe doctors were to come to any woman when her travelling pains were upon her, and ſhe was crying out, and labour pains came on faſter and faſter, and they ſhould ſtand preaching at the door, and ſay, good woman, theſe are only metaphorical pains, this is only a bold expreſſion of the Eaſterns, it is only metaphorical, I queſtion whether the woman would not wiſh the doctors ſome of theſe metaphorical pains for talking ſo, which they would find real ones though ſhe could not read ſhe might feel. But notwithſtanding the reality of the new birth, and the pains that attend it, yet they ſay it is only a metaphorical thing. I am of an odd temper, and of ſuch a temper, that I heartily wiſh they may be put under the pangs of the new birth, and know what it is by their own experience, know there is nothing in nature more real than the new birth. The apoſtle Paul ſaid, I travel in birth till Chriſt be formed in you: now don't you think the apoſtle had this metaphorical expreſſion of ſomething real; the apoſtle's travelling in birth muſt be ſomething analogous to the natural birth; muſt I ſay there is no ſuch thing as pangs becauſe I don't feel them: I am fearfully and wonderfully made, that my ſoul knows right well; and in reſpect to the new birth we may ſay, I am fearfully and wonderfully redeemed by Chriſt, and renewed by the Holy Ghoſt; the new life imparts new principles, a new underſtanding, a new will and new affections, a renewed conſcience, a renewed memory, nay, a renewed body, by making it the temple of the living God, an habitation of God through the Spirit, and walking in newneſs of life; if I am not miſtaken, it implies a progreſſive motion, going from ſtrength to ſtrength, from one degree of grace to another, paſſing from glory to glory, for grace is only glory in the bud, till grace is ſwallowed up in endleſs glory. A perſon that walks, though he may not walk equally faſt as others, yet may get ground: hence, not to go forward is to go backward. Enoch walked with God; it beſpoke the habitual tendency of his heart, the actual exerciſe of grace, that he was kept in a lively frame, walked with God among a very wicked generation, dared to be good when all were wicked around him, and he was ſo favoured, as to be tranſlated to heaven; this was the caſe with Elijah. Moſes, ſays the Lord, go up to the mount and die: God made him undreſs himſelf, and put on his own grave clothes, gives him a ſight of Canaan, but to let him know that he even to the very laſt would chaſtiſe his people, when he is even taking them to heaven; tells him, thou ſhalt not go into the earthly Canaan, but I will take thee to the heavenly one, which is far better. Being baptized into the death of Chriſt, beſpeaks the habitual tendency and practice of the heart and life; the old man muſt die, hence the new man muſt live; it muſt be emptied of ſelf, that there may be more and more room for God; now I appeal to your hearts, how far you have experienced this. I believe the world pretty well knows the temper of my mind, both in reſpect to politics, and church-government, and church-principles: I am a profeſſed avower of moderation, and I heartily wiſh that all who are concerned in church and ſtate, may particularly take care to let their moderation be known to all men, for if we quarrel with one another, we ſhall only make ſport for the devil, and occaſion deſtruction. I don't care whether you go to church or meeting; I am, I profeſs, a member of the church of England, and if they will not let me preach in the church, I will preach any where; all the world is my pariſh, and I will preach wherever God gives me an opportunity, but you will never find me diſputing about the outward appendages of religion; don't tell me you are a Baptiſt, an Independant, a Preſbyterian, a Diſſenter, tell me you are a Chriſtian, that is all I want; this is the religion of heaven, and muſt be ours upon earth; I ſay, are there any of you under the gallery, or in the green-ſeat, or any where, I will try to find you out before I have done my ſermon, though you are come in the dark.
But I will juſt at preſent ſpeak to you who underſtand the goſpel, to you that are my brethren, though in all probability, my elder brethren in the goſpel. Methinks there is ſomething ſolemn in meeting in the evening, ſomething ſolemn in coming to worſhip after we have been in the labours of the day; and I verily believe, that when weekly preaching is baniſhed from London, that all Chriſtianity will be baniſhed, it cannot be very long after it, there have been ſuch inſtances, you may die before to-morrow. I think a good tradeſman, whether he deals largely or not, will take care to keep his day-book well, if a man will not keep his day-book well, it is ten to one but he loſes a good deal when he comes to count up his things at Chriſtmas; now I take it for granted, a good ſpiritual tradeſman will keep his ſpiritual day-book well: can you ſay, this day I hope I have died a little more to the world than yeſterday, this day I hope I have been a little more lively to God than I was yeſterday; and yet when I look upon my family, whether a man trades wholeſale or retail, when he finds he has done but little buſineſs that day, great going out, and little coming in. I hope when you die but little daily, that you go to bed begging pardon, and begging grace, that you may die more to yourſelves and the world, and live more to God to-morrow; for I am ſure I can call you to witneſs, that you never lived ſo comfortably as when you lived near to God; you may as well pretend to ſay, that a perſon in a cold winter's day is warmeſt when he keeps from the fire, as to ſay, a ſoul can live near to God when he does not die daily to ſin. O, ſays one, don't tell me of your frames, don't mind them; I will tell you of them, don't mind your frames, I don't in reſpect to juſtification, but I will to the well-being and comfort of my ſoul: a man that has got but very little ſpirits may be alive, but there is a wide difference between having a diſorder that one can hardly ſpeak, having no ſpirits at all, or but very few, and having ſolid health: God grant we may be ſolid Chriſtians; the more you live to God, the more you will have health; be not angry with me; aſſure yourſelves a lukewarm Chriſtian does more hurt to religion, than all the open infidels in the kingdom; we have God himſelf aſſerting this, Thou art neither hot nor cold, I would thou waſt either cold or hot, but becauſe thou art neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm, I will ſpew thee out of my mouth; what an expreſſion is that! what a nauſeous thing is lukewarm water to a ſick ſtomach! I will come and remove my candleſtick from you. Therefore, I believe it is the opinion of all judicious men, that if we ſhould have a ſevere rod of correction to ſtir us up, it is becauſe the lukewarmneſs of moſt Chriſtians: my brethren, God make us all alive to Chriſt to night; come, come, if your ſoul is for Chriſt, to arms, to arms, put on your cockades, you that have them in your pockets, for fear you ſhould be known to be Chriſt's. O you cowards; many ſoldiers put off their cockades, as if they were not ſoldiers; as many of our clergy affect to dreſs like the laity, that they may go to the plays, that the orange-women may not know them, and they don't care whether God ſees them or no. I deſire you will all appear in your proper dreſſes, let us ſee it is plated on the breaſt-plates of your hearts by the bleſſed monitor, the eternal Spirit of God; I don't want you to ware them as the Papiſts, upon your faces, no; you that are for infant-baptiſm, were ſigned with the ſign of the croſs, for what? that you might, when you come of age, prove Chriſt's faithful ſoldiers to the end: God grant, the nearer we come to the end the bolder we may be for Chriſt.
If there be any of you here that are formaliſts, that have a name to live and are dead, the Lord grant, that our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who was raiſed from the dead by the glory of his father, cauſe a ſtirring among theſe dry bones. … what it will be to go to hell to-night, to want a drop of water, wherewith you was ſprinkled, to cool your tongues in hell; think what it will be to go to hell by the way of heaven, which is the worſt way you can take; think what it will be to be juſt at the threſhold, and not have religion enough to take you over; my heart bleeds for you. Had you a ſon; a father, a mother, a relation, to be tried at the Old-Baily this ſeſſion, how would you be concerned, how carefully would you enquire when your relation would be tried, how anxious would you be to hear whether he is condemned or no; and if ſomebody was to come and tell you, now he is about to be tried and caſt, and now the judge is going to put his cap on, to paſs ſentence on him, how would you bear it? I believe ſome of you would drop a tear, and ſay, O that this poor creature ſhould be born for this; and can you blame a poor miniſter of Chriſt, a poor ſinner that has been redeemed by the blood of Chriſt, and I humbly believe and hope, has been made a partaker of the Spirit, will you blame me for being concerned for you, my brethren and my ſiſters, for you and I ſprung from one father and mother, Adam and Eve, the common parents of us all; can you blame me for pouring out my ſoul, can you blame me for ſpeaking a little home, when the Judge is juſt ready to mount the throne, when the books are open, when I ſee the elements melting with fervent heat, when I ſee all nature concurring to uſher in the awful coming of the Son of God. Sinners in Zion, baptized heathens, profeſſors but not poſſeſſors, formaliſts, believing unbelievers, talking of Chriſt, talking of grace, orthodox in your creeds, but heterodox in your lives, turn ye, turn ye, Lord help you to turn to him, turn ye to Jeſus Chriſt, and may God turn your inſide out tonight; may the power of the higheſt overſhadow you, and may that glorious Father that raiſed Chriſt from the dead, raiſe your dead ſouls. Turn the text into a prayer, go home and ſay, for what purpoſe have I lived? into what have I been baptized? I have not ſo much as yet been baptized into Jordan; I have never led a life one day of reformation but when I was obliged to it: bleſs God that you are not now among the damned; bleſs God that you are not now howling in hell; bleſs the Lord that Jeſus ſtands with pitying eyes, and outſtretched arms to receive you now? will you go with the man? will you accept of Chriſt? will you begin to live now? may God ſay, Amen; may God paſs by, not in anger but in love; may he, as he hath hitherto ſeen you in your blood, has ſaid to you, live, and has preſerved you in your natural ſtate, may that ſame God of love, mercy, and life, paſs by you, and caſt the ſkirts of love over you, and ſay to you dead ſinners, come forth, live a life of faith on earth, live a life of viſion in heaven; even ſo, Lord Jeſus. Amen.