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A. Yes. It is an ancient, a pious, and a charitable Use or Custom.

Q. Is it an ancient Custom ?

A. Yes. It is of so great Antiquity, that it is hard to trace out the true Original thereof. The Learned Arch - Bishop that now is, tells us, that it seems to have been in use in the Times of the Apostles.

Q. Is it a pious Custom, and such as tends to promote Godliness ?

A. Yes. Pro. xxii. 6. Train up a Child in the Way that he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Q. Is it a charitable Custom, such as tends to the Good of Children?

A. Yes. For Godliness is profitable unto all things, having the Promise of the Life that now is, and also of that which is to come. I Tim.iv. 8.

Why the Ufe of them is continued in the Church.

tion.

Catechist. Now to make fome Ufe of this, Applica as the Christian Name serves to mind you of your Profession, so it should engage you to be true and faithful to it. If you call yourselves Christians, why are you not fuch indeed? If you are not such indeed, why are you called by that worthy Name? Why call ye me Lord, Lord, faith Chrift, and do not the things that I fay? Know ye not, faith the Apostle, that to whom ye yield yourselves Servants to obey, his Servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of Sin unto Death, or of Obedience unto Righteousness? Rom. vi. 16. Our Practice must determine and thew

shew whom we serve, whether Christ or Belial. In vain do we profess to have Chrift for our Lord and Master, if we obey him not, nor hearken to his Instructions. For he tells us, that not every one that faith Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that doth the Will of his Father which is in Heaven. See, then, that in your Hearts and Lives, you be such as you profess and call yourselves, Christians, i. e. Followers and Disciples of the Holy and Blesled Jesus, denying all Ungodliness and worldly Lufts, and living soberly, righteoufly, and godly in this World. And whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good Report, or praiseworthy; as the Christian Religion enjoineth all these things, so we who do profess it, must think of them, and do them.

Sect. 2. Of the Benefits of Baptism.

Wherein I was made a Member of Christ, the Child of God, and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Catechist. The Advantages of Christian Baptism are exceeding great, and many; especially those three that are specified in this Place: And to make this clear, I shall here distinguish of a threefold Baptifm, viz.

1. External 2. Internal 3. Complete

Baptifm.

1. There

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1. There is a Baptism which is only external, viz. The visible ceremonial Washing, that is performed by Man. This is what was meant by S. John Baptist, saying, I indeed baptize you with Water, Mat. 3. 11. And by the Figure Synecdoche, it is put for whole Baptifm. This imperfect Baptifm, or rather outward Part thereof, is the initiating Sign and Seal of the Covenant of Grace, to confirm the Promises that God hath made unto his People. For by this Ordinance they are not only sealed to us, but also visibly represented by what is evident to our Senfes. But as the Promises are conditional, so also is this Sacrament. In this Sense, therefore, i. e. Conditionally and Sacramentally, they who are baptized are made Members of Christ by Baptifm, Children of God, and Heirs of Heaven: i. e. By this Means, they are assured of these Privileges, they performing the Conditions required of them. Now Baptifm, in this Sense, is a Sign and Seal of the Christian Covenant, but not the Covenant itself. And so it is not that saving Baptifm, that the Catechism here meaneth. We are not Children of God, Members of Christ, and Heirs of Heaven, by being only baptized with Water. Simon Magus had this visible and outward Baptifm. And yet he remained then in the very Gall of Bitterness, and Bond of Iniquity. Aft. viii. 23.

2. By Baptifm is sometimes meant in Scripture, the internal Part thereof; namely, that Grace of God, and Duty of Man, that is signified and represented by the visible and outward Signs. This S. Peter Speaks

of

of in Contradistinction to Water-Baptifm; saying, Baptifm saveth us, not the putting away of the Filth of the Flesh, but the Answer of a good Confcience towards God. And they who have this Inward Baptism, viz. the Purity of the inward Man, though through want of Opportunity, or involuntary Ignorance, they have not the outward Sign or Ministerial Washing, yet in the Sight of God, to whom all Hearts be open, they have a Right and Title to eternal Life, or Happiness. For he that believeth in the Son of God, hath everlasting Life. But in foro Ecclefia, in the Eye or Judgment of the Church, they have neither the Name, nor outward Privileges of Believers. For, not to appear, and not to be, is all one in the Judgment or Sight of Men.

3. Christian Baptifm, in the full and proper Sense thereof, is an Ordinance of God, that consisteth of both these. For as in Man's Nature there are two essential Parts, viz. a visible Body, and an invisible Soul, so Baptism hath two Parts, in answer to both these: viz. A visible or outward Sign, which answers to the Body, and a Spiritual or inward Grace, which answers to the Soul. And both these conjoined are complete • or perfect Baptifm.

Now Baptism in this Sense is the Covenant of Grace in Christ, betwixt God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and a peni tent believing Sinner, or the Infant of fuch, being washed with Water, in the Name of the Sacred Trinity, according to Christ's Appointment, for the Solemnizing thereof.

In this full and proper Sense it is spoken of by

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by Christ, Mark xvi. 16. He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved. And thus we must understand it in this Part of our Catechism.

Now they who are thus baptized, or have covenanted with God by Baptifm, are privileged thereby to be Members of Chrift, Children of God, and Heirs of Heaven.

1. By this their Baptifm, they are Members of Chrift mystical, i. e. of Christ and his Church. For Chrift and his Church, which are all true Believers, are all in Union with one another, as the Head and Members of our Bodies. Christ by his Holy Spirit first unites himself to them, whereby he dwelleth in them, and they are all one Spirit: And then they by a lively Faith do unite and close with him, whereby this their Union is more confirm'd and strengthened.

And forasmuch as such Faith does operate or work by Love, they are thereby also united with one another.

Now by vertue of this Union that Believers have with Christ, they are all enlightened and enlivened by him. And as our natural Members have Life and Sense from the Head, so all that are true Believers have Grace and Help from Christ. That Fulness of Grace and Holiness that is originally in him, is derived down to them according to their Measure. For he is the Head over all things unto his Church. And from thence the whole Body, by Joints and Bands having Nourishment ministred and knit together, increaseth with the Increase of God. Col. ii. 19. Now this being spoken of the People or Church of God, even such as have made

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