to prepare his way, by turning their minds to see the necessity, and to a desire and readiness for the reception of, and submission to, this his baptismal purification; and then expressly to decrease, as the substance should increase the type to give place to the antitype; seeing signs and symbols were ever intended to vanish out of the way, when the substance signified by them was fully come: they being only as a schoolmaster, to lead unto Christ; who is, to every one that believeth in him, the full end of the law of commandments, contained in ordinances. Because they are complete in him, without any of those representative observances, which only pointed at him, but can have no place in him, nor in his pure gospel dispensation.

II. Because the Greek word en, the common word for in, might have been used in the commission, as on other occasions, where in simply was intended, if this baptism had been only into water, verbally in the Lord's name. But the word eis being here used, signifying directly into, and so used in many other passages, shows the baptism is into the name, the virtue, life, and power of God; into holiness, meekness, purity, gentleness, divine wisdom, true judgment, and whatever communicable grace or virtue a christian receives by ingraftment into Christ, when "cut out of the olive tree, which is wild by nature; and grafted, contrary to nature, into a good olive tree," as Rom. xi. 24. The ingraftment is plainly into Christ. The baptism is several times expressly declared to be into him. Nor need we doubt but the common word for teach, to wit, didasko, would have been used in this commission, had it not meant a converting, discipling, baptizing kind of teaching, which gathers souls into God, their habitation, refuge, and strong tower.

III. Because the apostles were not and could not be qualified to administer this baptism, till they were endued with power from on high: could not impart, minister, or communicate the holy ghost, but when and as they were baptized or filled with it themselves. Hence were they commanded to tarry at Jerusalem, till qualified by the outpouring of the spirit upon them; and thus to wait for the promise of the Father, which they had heard of Christ, that "John baptized with water, but they should be baptized with the holy ghost." And it is very absurd

to suppose Christ, in directing them how and where to wait, and what for, in order to their qualification to administer his baptism, would expressly point their attention from and beyond that of water, to that of the holy ghost, had he been then giving them directions about preaching the gospel, and baptizing in

water.

IV. Because in all the after instances of baptism in water, (through condescension,) there is not one, wherein the form of words in this commission is made use of; which it must have been in every instance, where the commission was duly observed, had it meant water, and established a form of words to be used in its administration. And how can we suppose those, who now use water, better know, are more bound by, or more duly observe the commission, than the disciples? The disciples were so far from understanding it of water, that they never once used water, as under it; never once used the words of it, as a form in any wise proper to an outward or mere figurative performance. And does not this their total omission of those words evince that they were of a high and heavenly import, meaning nothing less than a real baptism into the divine nature, the very life and substance of the Godhead, and by no means applicable to the mere outward and visible sign of this inward and spiritual immersion, ingraftment, and purification? But men now presume to apply these expressions to a mere outward ceremony, and dignify immersion in water, a most unstable element, with the title of a gospel ordinance; yea, a sacrament of Christ Jesus.

V. Because when the holy ghost fell on Cornelius and his household, through Peter's speaking to them in the life and power of the same, he was immediately made to remember, doubtless by the great and promised remembrancer, the words of Christ respecting the baptism of the holy ghost. Thus clearly applying them to the falling of the holy ghost on those Gentiles, through his ministry, that is, through the words spoken by him, whereby they should be saved, as foretold by the angel. And as only the baptism of the holy ghost is saving; as they did evidently receive this through Peter's ministry; as the angel told

Cornelius, Peter should tell him words by which they should be saved; and as Peter really understood the baptism they then received, (through those words by him spoken, and by which they were to be saved,) to be the one saving baptism of the gos pel, the very same promised by Christ, in the words which were thereupon brought to his remembrance; it is evident the baptism of Christ is only inward. And more especially, as at this very time, in regard to the baptism of water, which was John's, and was for Christ's manifestation to Israel, Peter so far doubted the propriety of its administration to the Gentiles, that he even appealed to the judgment of men about it, (which, how would he have dared to have done, had it been his Lord's command ?) and though none did forbid it, yet he only commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord, (the Greek word here is en,) and not into the name of the Father, and of the son, and of the holy ghost; these words in no wise suiting the nature and design of that outward administration.

VI. Because Peter not only never baptized any in water afterwards, that we have any account of, but expressly declares the saving baptism; both negatively, what it is not, to wit, "putting away the filth of the flesh," the proper effect of water; and positively, what it is, and by what it is effected; it effects, in its complete operation, such a thorough purification, as establishes in the soul, the answer of a good conscience towards God, and is effected by that which only can do this, the "resurrection of Jesus Christ," the light, and life, and hope of glory in us. And it will forever be in vain for any to suppose they have received christian baptism, unless they thus know him to be truly and experimentally "the resurrection and the life" in themselves; for this alone can produce the true sanctification and baptism of the gospel. A figure cannot save us. All the washings in water are figures. And one figure is not the sign of another figure. Neither any of the divers Mosaic washings, nor John's immersion, (being all but figures,) pointed to the baptism of the gospel, as an outward figurative plunging in water, but as (which in truth it is) an inward, spiritual washing, in

the true laver of regeneration. And I think the old Mosaic typical laver might be as properly continued under the gospel, as sprinkling or dipping in water.

VII. Because Paul, a most eminent apostle, not a whit behind the chiefest, and who received his commission and his knowledge of Christ by immediate revelation, (God revealing his son in him,) and thereby knew his will, and the true spiritual nature of his baptism, speaking of that with water, declares positively, that "Christ sent him not to baptize, but to preach the gospel;" and even thanks God he had baptized no more; which would have been an high presumption, and misdemeanor, had he not known that baptism in water was no more an ordinance of Christ, than circumcision made with hands. But knowing the circumcision, and baptism of the new covenant, were altogether inward, he says, writing to the Colossians, "Ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power, in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ; buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him, through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." chap. ii. 10, 11, 12. Thus plainly rejecting both outward circumcision and baptism; the one as much as the other; and showing that the inward, wherein they are complete in Christ, is a real putting off the body of sin, a death unto it, a real burial with Christ, and rising with him; which is so far from dipping under, and rising out of the water, that it is only by a faith that is so living, and so much above all that is outward, and merely of man, that it is truly and powerfully of the very operation of God in the soul. Here is that resurrection of Christ, by which the good conscience is witnessed in christian baptism. And having thus shown believers' baptism to be as entirely inward as their circumcision, he immediately and very pertinently reminds them of Christ's "blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances," and taking "it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;" cautions them to let no man judge them in respect to those putward things, which are but "a shadow of things to come," and then roundly queries of them, " Wherefore, if ye be dead with Christ,

from the rudiments or elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, are you subject to ordinances?". This shows, "dead with Christ," or "planted in the likeness of his death," is not a burial into the rudiments, or elements, as in outward baptism, but "dead with Christ, from the rudiments;" therefore he immediately enjoins, "touch not, taste not, handle not, which all are to perish with the using, after the commandments and doctrines of men." By all which we not only perceive his full rejection of all the mere shadowy ordinances, but that he was so far from esteeming water baptism to be Christ's, that he was truly thankful to God that he had never used it, even in condescension, but in a very few instances; and that he considered the real baptism into Christ to include a death with him from all those rudimentary or elementary things which perish with the using; and which, therefore, are not to be touched, tasted, or even handled, as ordinances, nor by any means subjected to, by those who are dead to them by baptism into death with Christ.

VIII. Because all those who truly believe, and in this faith of the operation of God are baptized according to the commission, are hereby saved, as promised by Christ, in giving the commission; which is not true of all who are baptized in water. Simon the sorcerer both believed and was baptized; and yet, at the same time, was so far from having any lot, part, or portion, in gospel faith or baptism, that he was in the very "gall of bitterness, and bond of iniquity;" which no doubt has been the case with too many beside Simon: whereas all who are baptized according to the commission, and therein witness the floor of the heart thoroughly cleansed, are baptized into Christ, have put him on, the "whole armour of light," and thus being planted in the likeness of his death, are alive in the likeness of his resurrection, in true newness of life.

IX. Because we have no account, nor the least reason to believe, the first apostles were ever baptized in water, after John baptized them; for "Jesus himself baptized not.". And we have heard of none else authorized to baptize them therein, but John; and so they being outwardly baptized only into John's baptism, if Christ's was also outward, and John's was not it, they never had it.