The Second Thing I obferve from these Words is this, That our Saviour here fo puts his Propofition, as to make Baptism as neceffary a Condition of Salvation as Believing; for he doth not fiy, Whosoever believeth fhall be faved, but thus, Whojoever believeth, and is baptized, fhall be faved: He joins them both together. What are we to learn from hence? that Jesus Christ has laid as great a Strefs upon an outward Ceremony, as he hath done upon an inward Virtue? No, by no means: But this; that the Belief of Chriftianity, without taking the Profeffion of it upon us, and obliging ourfelves to live according to it, is not fufficient. A Man will perhaps tell you, that he believes the Hiftory of our Saviour to be a true Hiftory, and that he hath a great Efteem for his Perfon, and looks upon his Doctrine as the moft excellent, and useful, and divine Morality that was ever deliver'd to the World. Why now this feems a pretty fair Account of the Man's Religion in Comparison of what we can have from others. The Gentleman that makes this Confeffion of his Faith, is civil to our Lord Jesus Christ. But yet this extremely falls fhort of what one must do that means to have any Benefit by our Saviour. How great a Refpect foever a Man pretends to have for the Gofpel, yet if he do not take the Profeffion of it upon him, that is to fay, if he do not

enter

enter himself into the Number of Chrift's Difciples by Baptifm, vowing all Obedience to Chrift Jefus as his Lord and Mafter, and owning his Religion upon all Occafions, and communicating in his Worship and Service, we cannot fay that he is a Chriftian, tho' he may be a Well-wisher to Christianity.

Examine the Scriptures, and fee what it was that made one to be a few, or an Ifraelite in the old Time; Was it enough to think honourably of the Law of Mofes? No; but a Man must become circumcifed, and oblige himself to live according to that Law. The Cafe is juft the fame as to our Christianity. I will fpeak the Thing as plainly as I can; and in what I fhall fay, you will have a full Account of the Meaning of the Words of my Text. The Bufinefs of our Lord Jefus, as our Redeemer, was to mediate or procure a new Covenant between God and Man, and to feal it with his Blood. God's Part in this Covenant was this; He was to grant unto all thofe that enter'd into this Covenant the Forgiveness of their Sins, and the Grace and Allistance of his Holy Spirit, for the enabling them to live a holy Life; and laftly, an eternal Inheritance in the Kingdom of God. This was God's Part. The Condition of this Covenant on Man's Part was this, That all they who expect to partake of thofe Benefits, fhould believe in Jefus Chrift, and own

him for their Saviour, and affent to all his Doctrines, and endeavour to frame their Lives according to thofe Rules he hath prescribed them. This is that gracious, that happy Covenant which God cftablish'd with Mankind thro' the Mediation of our Lord Jefus. Well, now here is a Covenant made, an everlafting Covenant between God and Man, fealed with the Blood of the Son of God. All Mankind that will be eternally happy, are to be enter'd into this Covenant; actually and particularly enter'd, not the Father for the Children, but every one for himself, as it was in the Covenant of Circumcifion. But how is that to be done? Why, our Saviour himself hath taken Care to order and prescribe the Way of it; Go, faith he, difciple ■ll Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Gboft. Baptifm then is the Way which he hath appointed for the entring into this Covenant; and great Reafon there was for it. Our Saviour found, when he came into the World, that his Countrymen the Jews had ufed that Ceremony of Baptifm many Ages, for the Admiffion of Profelytes into the true Religion. He, therefore, that came to take all Nations, and Peoples, and Languages into his Covenant, laid hold of that Ceremony, which he already found to his Hands ufed for that Purpofe, and applies it to his own Inftitution, ordering all Per

fons

fons from henceforward to enter into his Covenant by Baptism.

But what then? Was there no more required to the making Men Partakers of the Benefits of this new Covenant, but only to be baptized into it? I anfwer, No more, if we truly underftand the Importance of Baptifm; but a great deal more, if you take Baptifm only for the washing or fprinkling with Water. St. Peter, in his firft Epistle, chap. 3. ver. 12. tells us exprefly, that Baptifm faves us; and by telling us that, he faith as much as our Saviour here faith, that Whosoever believeth, and is baptized, fhall be faved. But then, that he might not be misunderstood, he immediately explains himself, Not, faith he, the washing away the Filth of the Flefb: it is not that Baptifm which faveth us, but the Answer of a good Confcience towards God; that is to fay, the folemn Answers that were made by thofe that took the Vow of Baptism on them to the Interrogatories that were then put to them concerning the forfaking the Devil and his Works, and owning Chrift Jefus and his Religion, and walking according to the holy Laws he delivered. It was the performing thefe Anfwers with a good Confcience that would fave Men effectually in the Day of the Lord Jefus. The outward Ceremony of washing with Water would fignify little, but that with

the

the Things fignified by it, that is, a holy and a pure Life, fuitable to the Chriftian Faith, that would be effectual for the Salvation of all Men.

To apply now all this to our Business: When our Saviour faith, He that believeth, and is baptized, fhall be faved, his Meaning is this, That the bare Affent to his Doctrine is not enough to give a Man a Title to that Salvation which he hath purchased and promifed: But there is a Neceffity of entring into that Covenant which he procured of God for Mankind by his Death. The outward Ceremony of entring into that Covenant is outward Baptifm, and therefore all Chriftians must be baptized. But the main Thing intended in that Covenant, and fignified by that Baptifm, is a hearty owning of Jefus Chrift, and a holy, and pure, and innocent Life, conformable to the Doctrines of the Gospel. Whofoever thus believes in Jefus Chrift, and is thus in Covenant with God, and thus endeavours to perform thofe Conditions which by that Covenant are on his Part required, every fuch Man fhall be saved. But whofoever continues an Infidel or Unbeliever upon the preaching of the Gospel, every fuch Man fhall be damned. This, as I take it, is the full Importance of our Savi.ur's Words in my Text.

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