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Infants, then, may be disciples of the Christ. They are an integral part-nay, the larger part-of THE NATIONS, more than half our race dying in infancy. God commands to make disciples of all the nations, and therefore infants ought to be made disciples of. "Train up a child (*) in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it " Prov. xxii. 6.

We now come to another question concerning infant baptism: Whether it be, or not, the appointed means of making a disciple of the Lord? I ask again, what were the disciples of the Lord in the days of his suffering in the flesh? Were they any thing more than baptized men; to whom it had been taught, in the river Jordan, and in the ministry of the greatest of men, "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and the Christ shall give thee light?" for John verily baptized (baptism of repentance), saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus" (Acts xix. 4). Were they any thing more than baptized men? It has been shewn already that they were nothing more. Or were they "believers?" Observe, that it is written, in the last year of the ministry on earth (John vii. 5), "Neither did his brethren believe on him ;" and (in chap. xvi. 31), "Do ye now believe?" and this was years after they had been called disciples both of himself, themselves, and others. St. Peter is found still unconverted in Luke xxii. 32: and was not St. Thomas a disciple when he said, " Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe?" He was; for he has often been called so, and, for example, in Matt x. 1 et seq., John xi. 16, &c. Nay, of the twelve called "disciples," in those and in many other places, one was a thief and a traitor-even Judas Iscariot-(Matt. xxvi. 47; Mark xiv. 48; Luke xxii. 47; John xviii. 2).

There is nothing named in sacred history, or in the Scriptures, which may (during this life) outwardly define and identify a disciple, unless it be the primeval rite of baptism, or resurrection out of water. Wherefore in John iv. 1, the making and the baptizing are mentioned as synonymous: "Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples." And hence, when it is said in the statute of Matt. xxviii. 19, "Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them; "it is no otherwise than as we say, "Make this little child thy son, adopting him; Make this man his

* Ty (Pagninus)" Puer, post viginti quatuor menses, quibus perficitur lactatio,"- -a boy after twenty-four months, when it is just weaned.

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majesty's soldier, giving him of the king's money; Heal the sufferer, anointing him with oil (or administering medicine) in the name of the Lord; Make that individual thy slave for ever, boring through his ear to the door-post with an awl" (Exod. xxi. 2-6). These are the means unto the end. He that hath his ear bored, or opened (as in Psa. xl. 6), is therein made a servant for ever (as in 1 Cor. xv. 24-28). He that hath administered to him any medicine in the name of the Lord, is therein healed to the glory of the Lord (James v. 14). He that receiveth the king's bounty is, in the act of receiving it, made the king's servant, and deservedly shot as a deserter if he should flinch from his engagement. He that is in outward form and legal rite adopted, is therein made a son. He that is baptized, is therein made a disciple.

They utterly mistake, who look upon baptism as a thing done and completed, and all over, so soon as the outward visible ceremony is accomplished. They so thoroughly mistake the ordinance that they do not believe, and cannot explain, the words of the Creed, "The one baptism for the remission of sins."

Baptism is in deed and in truth, and in eternal consequence, commenced, and, for any thing known amongst men to the contrary, complete, so soon as the outward rite is performed; for God, and not man, performs it; but that the one baptism for the remission of sins is then and there consummated, as past, accomplished, and gone by, in the visible rite, is utterly a mistake; the Scriptures contradicting such an abominable tenet from the beginning to the end of their harmonious page.

The act of binding an apprentice, or making a servant, is complete, but not past, in the signing of the instruments of law. The installation of an officer or dignitary is complete, but not past, in the enlistment of the soldier or any other servant of the crown. Baptism, as God's own deed, is complete, but not past, in the ceremony of washing or dipping; for the church also concerning adults testifieth, saying, "In token that hereafter," &c.

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Baptism does not consist essentially in the application of water after this or that method; for we have one example of baptism in the holy Scriptures in which the water was not applied at all to the persons of the nation baptized. Moreover, brethren," says the Apostle Paul, in his First Epistle to the Corinthians (x. 1, 2), "I would not that ye should be ignornant how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." And if we refer to the history of this example of baptism in Exodus xiv., we find it stated as follows:-Israel is presented to us, with the sea before them and the hosts of Pharoah in their rear, crying unto Jehovah in the language of dying men (ver. 12): the angel of God in the cloud passes from before their

faces, and stands behind them; henceforth the defensive presence of Jehovah; their Guide, though continually insulted; their Guard, though incessantly distrusted; their Saviour, though repeatedly forsaken. The Prophet stretches forth his hand over the sea it divides, and the children of Jacob go through the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: the waters are a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left. The Egyptians, essaying to do the same, have sunk as lead in the mighty waters.

Here is an instance, a colossal instance, of BAPTISM-so denominated by the Holy Ghost-although there was no application of water; for indeed we find in it the true essence of baptism (failing us in no one instance wherein the term is employed, from the beginning to the end of inspired Scripture): for, behold the RESURRECTION of the people of God out of the tomb of Pharoah and his hosts: behold the presence of Jehovah, from henceforth their Redeemer, their Protector, their Leader, their Defence; whether acknowledged or denied, invariably and constantly about them.

Similarly we read in Luke xii. 50. "I have a baptism," saith the Lord Jesus, "to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!"-namely, in reference to his death, burial, resurrection, and anointing; but by no means in reference to the application of water, either by one or by another method.

BAPTISM is resurrection out of death-out from among the dead-first begun (to the apprehension of our faith) in the eloquent act done through the invocation of the Triune Name, by Christ's right hands on earth, in his presence specially promised, by his authority and in his name, and as his wisdom ordained it, in the element which alone admits of resurrection, and which I doubt not he created for this use.

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Nor is it merely begun in that act, but also therein complete ; every act of God is complete, from the moment of its actual enactment, and for evermore. Complete, I say, but not the less enduring, for baptism, or the resurrection-estate, is continued-or indeed I ought to say, therefore it is continued-as we see it continuing in the wilderness, no less in respect to those with whom God was displeased, than to Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh (1 Cor. x. 3, 4; Deut. xiv. 1 et seq.; Jer. iii. 19, 22), for the presence of Jehovah encompassed them all alike.

As often as we renounce our own names and use ANOTHER'S; as often as we prostrate ourselves, and return to the dust out of which we were taken, and ascend in the name of Jesus the Risen One, into the present audience of the court of heaven, there to offer up and there to receive answers to our petitions, our baptism appears to the eye of faith-yea, even to the eye of Jehovah-com

plete, as in the outward rite that first exhibited its essence; but not past. Still it endures, still it avails-the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. "The life which we now live in the flesh we live by the faith of the Son of God:" it is that resurrection which was seen in our baptism: it is the life of men dead to the world; of "pilgrims and sojourners here, who look for a city whose builder and maker is God:" it is a life in the enacted promise and assured hope of the redemption of the body, in the real and actual avasaris of our souls.

Wherein, then, is baptism consummated? Is it in the exercise of the gifts of Pentecost, any more than in an honest prayer? Nay, it can only be consummated and perfect in the day of the adoption, for which we wait, in (the wavηyvpis, Heb. xii. 23); the complete convocation of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven.

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Our baptism in water, our baptism in the Spirit, our baptism at that day in the fire, are all one magnificent act of God; BAPTISM FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS."

This great eternal act of the Majesty of Heaven, in bringing us out of the first Adam, through death, into the Second Adam, determined to be the Son by his consummated resurrection (AVASTαOIL EK TWV Vɛкρwv), shall manifest us also, and determine us to be the sons of God: it was virtually commenced in the eternal councils of the Godhead, and even then complete to the apprehension of God: it is perfected when God is all in all it terminates never!

Being put to death, buried, and raised into the name of God, we are "the children of God, being the children of the resurrection" (Luke xx. 36). "Beloved, now are we the sons of God" (1 John iii. 2), " born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John i. 13). In the outward and visible ceremony we are the sons of God, to our own sight and to all men's utmost scrutiny. "Woe be to him that shall strive against his Maker," and call this act of God undone. In the manifestations of the power of Christ's Spirit we are no more; only it is more completely manifest what we are. In the first resurrection what more can we be? "We know that we shall be like Him, seeing Him as he is" (1 John iii. 2).

First, If baptism were consummated as past in the outward rite, then it could not be for the remission of sins committed after its performance. Hence no one ought, in theological accuracy, to say (unless in reference to the outward sign only), "I was baptized," as if his baptism were a past transaction. We do not say of God that " He was :" He does not call himself "I was that I was," for He is THE ETERNAL; therefore he delivered his name to Moses "I AM THAT I AM." And in speaking of his act, his eternal act, upon us, we ought to say,

"I am baptized; I am risen with Christ; I am a disciple; I am a son: God is my Father," &c.

Secondly, Baptism could not be for the remission of sins at all, if it were not performed upon us by the members of Christ and right hands of God; for "who can forgive sins but God only" (Mark ii. 7; Isa. xliii. 25; Psal. xli. 4; John xx. 22, 24): and being the performance of God, it is complete, and enduring, or perennial, as hath been shewn.

For these two reasons baptism may not be repeated, even in outward ceremony for this would imply that in the former instance it had been consummated, and was past; or that it was not complete and of God; not to mention the monstrous error of inculcating a second death and resurrection therefrom to one and the same individual. There is a second death for one and the same man (Rev. xx. 14), but no second Resurrection, no second Baptism in all eternity.

It has now been made obvious that BAPTISM is a transaction out of all time or limitation of grammatical tenses (like the new covenant of Heb. viii. 10, 12); an act of God, in which, correctly speaking, He alone acts; an eternal act, perennial in its development, and nothing less than Resurrection out from amongst the dead;-that the outward act in which (so far as sense is concerned) it commences does not essentially consist in the application of water, and is not past or perfected in itself;-but that it is, nevertheless, the appointed form for making the disciples of The Risen Christ; one method of teaching the Gospel; applicable alike to infants and to adults; and absolutely prescribed, in the Divine statute or positive ordinance of Matt. xxviii. 19, 20, and Mark xvi. 15 et seq., unto all the NATIONS, infants unquestionably included.

Let us now attempt to solve any remaining difficulties, and to reply to any objections (whether arising from inadvertence of mind or perverseness of heart) with which we may have found the question of infant baptism encumbered, in our reading, in our misapprehension of the order of the Established Church, or in our past experience as individuals.

Many have hastily and rashly opposed the foregoing arguments, and denounced them at one word, with all that share of false confidence which is the usual characteristic of precipitate judgment, for the same reason, and with the same hollow audacity, with which they strenuously resist the gracious and faithful testimony of the Church of England saying the following words, in respect to every adult or infant, so soon as he may have been outwardly baptized: "Seeing now, dearly beloved brethren, that this child is regenerate, and grafted into the body of Christ's church, let us give thanks to Almighty God for these

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