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CHRTSTTAN
BAPTISM.
[SEAM.
Vr?.
"
blood
of sprinkling
;"
Heb.
xii.
24.
Now this
is
par-
ticularly applied`
to
baptism
;"
Acts
xxii.
16.
"
Ananias
said to
Paul,
arise
and
be
baptized, and
wash away thy
sins, calling on the
name
of
the Lord Jesus." Therefore
baptism
is
called
the
"
baptism
of
repentance
for the
remission
of
sins."
Mark
i.
4.
2.
"
God
bath
also provided, for
the.
removal
of
the
principle of
sin,' which defiles
the soul
of
man,
by
the
persuasive arguments
of
his
gospel, which was
revealed
by
the Spirit
of
God, and
by the powerful
operations of
this
Spirit
on
his
heart."
It
is
the
Spirit
of God,
who
is
appointed
to
work
on
the
dark
and.
sinful mind
of
man,
to
change
his
corrupt nature,
enlighten
his mind,
and
give him
a
new
bent and
bias_
toward
holiness.
This
is
called
"
renewing
us by his
Spirit,
regenerating
us,
or
causing
us
to
be born
again
by
the Spirit,
giving
us
a new
heart
and
a
new
spirit, sprinkling clean water
upon
us,
and
making. us
clean,
and pouring
out
his
Spirit upon
men,
and their
seed
;"
Johnwiii.
3,
6.
Ezek.
xxxvi.
25.
Is.
xliv.
3.
This
also
is
in
scripture applied
to the
ordi-
nance
of
baptism, and
therefore
we
are
said to
"
be
born
of
water, and
öf
the Spirit
;"
John
iii. 5.
And the
"
washing
of regeneration'
is
explained
by
the renewing
of
the
Holy
Ghost
which he shed on us
abundantly;"
iii.
-5,
6.
But
here
I
would stay to observe,
that
though
both the
cerérnonies
of
the gospel,
baptism
and
the
Lord's-
supper,
do
in
some'sort represent
both
these
methods
of
purifica-
tion from
sin,
that
is,
by
the
atoning
blood
of Christ
and
by
his
sanctifying
Spirit
:
yet the
Lords-
supper more
ex-
pressly
represents the death and
blood of
Christ, and
so
more naturally and properly
spews
forth our
pardon
and
justification
from the
guilt of
sin
by
the
atonement
which
Christ
bath made, whereas it
is
the
more peculiar
office
of
baptism, to
represent our regeneration
or sanctifica-
tion
by
the
Spirit
of God
or
the cleansing
Our
natures
from
the,
power and principle
of
sin, by
pouring
the
Holy
Spirit upon
us
under
the
emblem
of
water;
by
which emblem
in
scripture
the
Spirit
of
God
is
often ex-
hibited
to us.
However,
in
general.
it
is
to be acknowledged,
that
Christian
baptism
in
the 'completeness
of
it,
implies
a
be-
lief of
both these
blessings,
even these
provisions.of Gott