366 The Subld f ri4fls ¿oc7rixre taketh Gods principali aim in the husbandry whichhe beilovved upon theChurch of Ifrael , that it thould bring forth good fruit, though in the event it did not ? How oft would I bave . gatheredyou, faith Chrifl toJerufalem, Muth. z 3. 37.Thefe things, faith he, have Ifpoken toyou, thatye might be laved: But ye will not come to me, that ye might have fe, John ç. 34, 40. in thole words intimatingno.lefle then this,That it was his full intent byhis preaching togather and to fave thofe veryparticular men that in the end were not gathered nor Pa- ved through the contempt or neglea of Chriftsminiftery; Touching the(f)Sacraments,this is alto theùfe and end for which they were ordained:as we may lee , Luke 7.3o. where we have thefe words, Butthe Scribes and Pharifees andex- pounders ofthe Law defpifed the counfel ofGod againft them felves,and were not baptised ofjohn. In which words thus much is evidently included,That itwas Gods counfel & pore inJohnsbaptifine to bring them to Chrift, and in him toheaven.Somuch all() is Paidofhis baptifine,Mark 1.4.John didbaptise in the wilderneffe andpreach the baptifme of re- pentanceandremiffion offinnes. If this were the end ofJohns, much more is it the endof Chrifts baptifine ; it being More excellent then Johns was,notin fubltance, but in the fulneffe ofgrace adminrflred and difpenfed by it All that have been baptised into Chsift(faith the Apoftle)have beenbaptised in . to hisdeath, Rom. 6.3. ,rill ye that have been baptised into Chri(t, have put on Chrifi, GaI.3. 27. The very phrafes there ufed thew that Baptifine is in its originall intention an inttru- ment ofuniting men to Chrift,and giving them communion withhim in the benefits of his death. Except a man be born againofwater, faith our Saviour,and ofthe Spirit, hecannot &c.John 3.5.1nwhich words are there two things: r.The ne- ceffitieofregeneration,Except a man bebornagain.. r. The working caufe ofit: Efficient , the Spirit; Inftrumentall, the Sacrament of Baptifine, therecalledhater from theout. ward matter of it. Baptifme therefore is appointed to be a means ofregeneration to all thofe that arebaptized ; ,& doth effe&itin all whodo not put an obitacle in theway tohinder it. So much doth theApoftle afcribe to Baptifine, Eph.5.26. and for this caufe Both fignifie it with this title, The laver of regeneration, Tir. 3.5. I will thutup thiswith AEEls 2. 38. where Peter laith,Bepent,andbe baptised everyone ofyoufor the remit ,vn offins , plainly implying , that therefore is Ba- ptifiue ordained to be received, that tholeWho do receive it might have their fins remitted.- This
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