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CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.
{SERI.
VII.
are
of
great
use
and
importance
again.
When
we
are
baptized into the name
of
the
Father,
Son
and
Spirit,
we
do
humbly
accept of God,
the
God
and
Father of our
Lord Jesus
Christ,
as
our
Father
and
our God
:
We
accept of
the
Son
of
God
as
our Saviour, especially by
the
blood
of
his sacrifice,
and
of
the Holy
Spirit
as
our
Sanctifier
by his gospel,
and
his
powerful influences..
4.
Baptism implies also
by
necessary consequence,
a
"
profession
of
our obligation
to
God
the
Father,
the
Son and the
Holy
Spirit and
our
engagement to
act
con-
sistently
with this
solemnity
;"
that
is,
to
live
agreeably
to
these
favours
we
receive
from
God,
Nz
iz.
the
pardon
of
our
sins,
and
the
sanctification of
our
souls;
to watch
.
against
sin
for
time
to come,
to abstain
from all
pollutions
of
flesh
and spirit
:
for
we
are not
washed
by
the
blood
and
Spirit
of
Christ
that
we
may defile ourselves
again.
We
engage to
carry
on
the
work
of repentance
and
mor-
tification
of
sin
all
our
lives,
as well
as
to
live
upon
Christ
by
faith for the remission
of
daily rising
transgres-
sions.
In
short,
it
includes ,a holy resolution
through
the
grace
of
Christ, and
by
the aids
of
his
Spirit to
follow
every
other
means
which
God
bath appointed for
the
rooting out of
sin,
with all its
defilements from the soul,
and restoring
us
to purity and
holiness,
and the
likeness
of
God. Thus
baptism
becomes a seal
of
the
covenant
of
grace between
God
and
men,
an acceptance
of
his
blessings, and
engagement
to
their correspondent
duties,
even as circumcision
was
to Abraham,
"
a
seal
of
his
justification
by
faith
;"
Rom..
iv.
11.
and an
eminent
proof
and assurance
of
his
obedience.
Persons
who
desire
baptism, and yet
will
not take
these
obligations
upon
them, have no
claim
to this
ordinance
:
And
therefore
John
dFove
away
the
scribes
and pharisees
from
this
baptism, because they would
not
"
brim,;
forth
fruits
meet
for
repentance
;"
Mat.
iii. 7
-9.
5. Baptism being significant
of
all these blessings
and
these
duties,
"
it
becomes
the appointed
ceremonyyand
sign
of
professing the whole
Christian
religion,
and
the
`rite
or form
of
entering into the
visible
church
of
Christ."
Those
who
are baptized
are
professed christians
;
they
are
avowed
disciples
of
Christ. And herein
also
the
sa-
cred
names of
Father,
Son
and Spirit
have
their proper
plain
significancy.
Baptism
is
a
profession
of
the reli-