112 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. sinner ; that he is guilty in the sight of God, and lies exposed to his anger, that he is unfit to converse with him or to stand before him. So the Jews who attended on the ministry of John ; Mat. iii. 6. were baptized of him in Jordan; confessing their sins; and therefore they came to the water seeking to he purified. The foundation of our hope and salvation is laid in the acknow- ledgment of our misery. This acknowledgment is eminently macle to God the Father as sustaining the character of su- preme Governorof the worldwhomwe have offended by sin. II. "Baptism implies a belief of the blessed provision which God hath made in his gospel for thepurification of our souls from sin and all its defilements. I. " He provided for the removal of the guilt of sin ;" for he sent his own Son Jesus Christ to take flesh and blood upon him that he might die to make atonement for the sins of men, and that God without dishonour to his governing justice might pardon repenting sinners. This is sometimes called in scripture, washing away our sins by the blood of Christ; 1 John i. 7. Rev. i. 5. And for this reason the blood of Christ is called the blood of.sprinkling ; Heb. xii. 24. Now this is particularly ap- plied 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. Thereforebaptism is sailed the baptism ofrepentance for the remission of sins; Mark i. 4. 2. " God hath also provided for the removal ofthe principle of sin, which defiles the soul of man by the persuasive arguments of his gospel which was revealed by the spirit ofGod, and by the powerful operations of this Spirit on his heart." It is the Spirit ofGod who is appointed to work on the dark and sinful mind of man, to change his corrupt nature, enlightenhismind, andgive him a newbent and bias towardholiness. This iscalled 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, sprinklingclean water upon us, and making us clean, and pouring out his Spirit upon men and their-seed; John iii. 3-6. Ezek. xxxvi. 35. Is. xliv. 3. This also is in scripture applied to the ordinance of bap- tism, and therefore we are said to be born ofwater and ofthe Spirit; John iii. 5. And the washing of regeneration is explain- ed by the renewing of the Holy Ghost which, he shed on us abundantly; Tit. iii. 5, 6. But here I would stay to observe, that though both the cere- monies of the gospel, baptism and the Lord's-supper, do in some . sort represent both these methods of purification from sin, that is by the atoning blood of Christ and by hissanctifying Spirit ; yet the Lord's-supper more expressly represents the death and blood. ajf Christ, and so more naturally anti properly shews forth our
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