Vert q. the fixth Chapter of the R Ö M A N S. 'performing our duties to men ; As 24. 26. Herein do .1 exereilee my 'fe f tohave alwayf a conf fence void of once toward God and,toioard men. 3. It is an heavenly life, Phil. 3. 20. Oar converfation is in Heaven.. Our great work is to prepare for everlauling Life; feeking, rejoycing in that endlefs Happinefs we Thal[ have with God ; a living for or upon the unfeen everlafting Happinefs, as purchafed for us by Chrift, and freely given us of God. We live for it, as we feek after it with our utmoft diligence ; Ads 26.7. Vigo which promifis the twelve Tribes, inflantly ferving God day and night, hope to come. We live upon it, as fetching thence all our fupports; folaces and incouragements 5 2 Cor. 4. 18. While we looknot at the things which are feen; but at the things which are not feen ; for the things which are feen are temporal but the things which are not feen are eternal. H. How ftrongly we are obliged by Baptifm to this kind of life. Baptifm bath three Offices, it reprefenteth, fealeth, undertaketh ; it reprefenteth as a fignifying Sign , feal- eth as a confirming Sign , undertaketh as a Bond , wherewith we bind our Caves when" we fubmit to it. Firfi, What it reprefenteth, primarily and principally the Death of Chrift, and fe. condarily his Refurreetion, the one in order to the other. a. TheDeath of Chrift, which is the meritorious Caufe of all the Grace , and good which is communicated to us in this or any other Sacrament, or Myftery of the Gofpel. We are told , t Pet. 2. 14. That he himfelf bore oar own fins in his body on the tree, that we being dead to fin , might be alive to rigbteoufnefs. I told you before , that Chrifts Death may be confidered as an inftance of his Love, or as the Price paid for the Blef- fings of the new Covenant : as an inflame of his Love it worketh morally, as the Price of our bleffings meritorioufly : as it worketh morally and exciteth our gratitude, we fhould not go on in that courfe which brought thefe fufferings on Chrift ï but live ho- lily, in gratitude ro him, and kindnefs to our felves, left we bear our own fins, which are fo hateful to God. This confideration we exclude not, but to make this all the fenfeof the Place, no Chriftian heart can endure : therefore we go to the fecond Con= federation , as the Price and Rankin of our own Souls , and of the Bleffmgs we hand in need of: he purchafed Grace to mortifie fin , and quicken us to the duties of Holinefs , that the love of fin might be weakened in our hearts ; and we might be quickened to live to God in the Spirit. hlow,if this be reprefented in Baptifm , then furely it ftrotigly obligeth us to improve this Grace for thofe ends and purpofes and that thins reprefented , is evident ; for in the Apoftles interpretation Baptifm is a fort of Burial: and firft it is a Commemoration of the Burial of Chrift ; who when hisSoul was feparated from his Fleth he was buried , his Sacred Body was laid up in the Cham bers of the Grave. This was neceffary not only in compliance with the Types, Mat: 12.40. As Jonas was three days and three nights in the whales belly; fe (hall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Chrift was found to be the true Meflias by his Refurreetion from the Dead , as 7onas was authorized to be a true' Prophet of the Lord by his miraculous deliverance : Prophecies of this you may fee; PM. 16.9. My fiefs alfo( hall refi in hope. HI 53. 9. He made his grave with the wic44ed1 and with the rich in' his death. But allo this was neceflàry for the confirmation of the reality of his Death paft, and the verity of his Refurreetion fuddenly to follow. There- fore in Baptifm the truth of his Death is reprefented as the ground of all our hopes. 's The next thing which is reprefented, is the Truth of his Refurre &ion. Chrift that purchafed this Grace, is rikn to apply it, he is a Saviour merito r'r efftcaeiâ, his Merit immediately depended on his Death, and his Power for effeêual application (though mediately on that too) depended immediately on his Refurreltion : for Chrift rote on purpole to turn men from their iniquities, AFfs 3.26. God having railed up his Son plus , bath fent him to biefs ou , in turning away every one of you from his iniquities) Chrifts Relurreltion bath a twofold regard. t. It is a Pattern. 2. It is a Pledge. 1. It is a Pattern of our riling from the death of fin to newnefs of life. If Chrift that was dead and buried role again, and caft off the burden of our fins, which for our fakes he undertook, or caft off the form_ of a fervant, we muff not only be dead and buried, but we mutt rife alto. Chrifts Refeerrecion is every where made a Pattern of the new Birth, 1 Pet. 1.3. He hath begotten sts to a livelyhope by the refurreition of Christi from the dead, that is the influential Caufe and Pattern of ir. So a Pet. 3. at. The like ftgnre Ccccc where.
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