thing father than is here stated, be done. No information in the understanding, however correct and full; no conviction in the conscience, however strong, if not attended, or followed, by "faith which worketh by love," is so much as a beginning of that "good work, which "he who hath begun, will perform until the day of "Christ."*"With the heart man believeth unto right"cousness." The truth must be received, as well as assented to; received as good, as well as acknowledged to be true; received with the full consent of the will, and the desire and choice of the heart. Even when this is the case, the business of religion is not completed,' though it is effectually begun. We do indeed maintain, that he who thus believes in Christ, "hath everlasting "life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is "passed from death unto life." We, however, decidedly hold, that in order to obtain, and habitually possess an inward assurance of being in this happy state; to evidence the sincerity of our faith and love; to grow more and more meet for heaven; to enjoy the delightful earnests of our inheritance; to glorify God; to "adorn "the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things," and to do "good to all men," as we have opportunity: 'not only much remaineth to be done, but that which infi'nitely exceeds the natural powers' of fallen man. And here we are happy to find, that his Lordship coincides with us in sentiment. We would therefore continually exhort those who have believed, "Giving all diligence, "to add to their faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; "and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, "brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, char 66 "ity."* We would say to them, "Whereunto ye have "attained, walk by the same rule:" we would urge them to "press forward;" "to abound more and more:" "to be stedfast; unmoveable, always abounding in the "work of the Lord; forasmuch as we know, that our la"bour is not in vain in the Lord."t P. xxviii. 1. 15. 'As many, &c.' The word rendered power, is not Juvau, but.¶-1. Licentia. 2. Auctoritas. 3. Potestas, jus. 4. Magistratus, facultas, ab licet (Hederic)—Licentia, licence, permission. (Ainsworth.) Though frequently rendered power, in the New Testament, it far more frequently signifies authority; as, if needful, might easily be shown. Many have explained the word, in the text under consideration, to mean privilege; but jus, or, right, (for a gift, confers a right to the thing given, however freely,) seems to be its proper import. It cannot, however, I think, with deference to more competent judges, signify a physical power, enabling the man to perform some action, of which he before was incapable: (for by what act of their own, subsequent to believing, do men become the sons of God?) but a right to the adoption, which may be pleaded at the throne of grace. "Ye are all "the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ," and not by any subsequent act or course of action. "And "because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of "his Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father."|| 'Wherefore they, which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God, be called according to God's purpose, • 2 Pet. i. 5-10. † 1 Cor. xv. 58. Phil. iii. 14-16. 1 Thes. iv. 1, 2. As many as received him, to them gave he power to become " the sons " of God, even to them that believe on his name:" bare belief therefore in 'Christ did not make them "the sons of God,"-' this was to be the ef. "fect of power from on high" given subsequent to belief.' § John i. 12. 10. Eph. i. 21. Gr. ¶ Matt. xxviii. 18, Rom. xiii. 1. 1 Cor. ix. 4. 6. 12. 18. xi Gal. ii. 26. iv, 6. by his Spirit working in due season; they through ' grace obey the calling; they be justified freely; they 'be made the sons of God by adoption; they be made 'like the image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ; they walk religiously in good works."* The order and arrangement, in this passage, of the several particulars, require peculiar notice. The text under consideration gives us, likewise, the right view of saving faith. They who believe in Christ, "receive him as their Prophet, l'riest and King," they thus become partakers of Christ,† "Of him are they in "Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto them, Wis"dom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemp"tion." For "This is the record that God hath given " unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son: he that "hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of "God, hath not life." They become "all one in Christ Jesus," and so "the children of God."¶ P. xxix. 1. 13. "Repent, &c."| The apostle's exhortation intimates nothing like the lines which follow, not as a comment, but as if spoken by Peter, and which are an evident addition to the word of God. The persons addressed were not called believers; but they were exhorted" to repent and be baptized," (as professing faith in Christ,)" for the remission of sins, and "thus receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Did they at all believe in Christ, before they repented of having • Art, xvii † Heb. iii. 14. ¶ Gal. iii. 26-28. # 1 Cor. i. 30. Il Acts ii. 38. § 1 John v. 11, 12. "Repent, and he baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, "for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost,” 'without which, your present belief cannot be improved into that true and lively faith which is essential to salvation. The rite of baptism was or dained by Christ himself; and its twofold office is here described by his apostle, namely, that it washes away the guilt of former sins, and imparts die Holy Ghost to those who skall previously have repented and believed.” crucified him? And would baptism of itself improve such an impenitent faith into that true and lively faith which is essential to salvation;'* Does baptism itself wash away the guilt of sins? Is this "the Fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness?"+ Ananias indeed said to Saul," Arise and be baptized, and wash away "thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord:" but surely his sins were washed away, not in the baptismal water, but by the blood of Christ the Lord, through faith in his name, which he professed in baptism, and in answer to his prayer. "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from "all sin."S "Unto him that loved us, and washed us "from our sins in his own blood."¶ "These-have "washed their robes, and made them white in the blood "of the Lamb." To ascribe that to the opus operatum of baptism, which is so expressly in scripture ascri. bed to the blood of Christ, is in fact to return to the ceremonies of the Mosaick law, "which stood only in "meats and drinks, and divers baptisms:" (BATIONS:) whereas "the blood of Christ, who through the eternal "Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purges the "conscience from dead works to serve the living "God."** Baptism, as the outward and visible sign ' of an inward and spiritual grace,' namely a death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness,'t† may with some propriety be called "the laver of regeneration:" but it can in no sense be the laver of atonement,' in which we may wash away the guilt of sin.' "This is "he that came by water and blood; not by water only, "but by water and blood:"‡‡ but of "the blood,” and faith in the blood of Christ, the Lord's supper is the outward and visible sign.' Baptism is a sign of . * Remarks on p. 22. Refut. Rom. x. 9-14. ix. 10-14. (βαπτισμοις:) ¶ 1 John i. 7. tt Ch. Catechism. Rev. i. 5. vii. 14. # 1 John v. 6. ' regeneration, or new birth, whereby, as by an instru'ment, they that receive baptism rightly, are grafted 'into the church: the promises of the forgiveness of sins, ' and of our adoption to be the sons of God, are visibly 'signed and sealed.'* Whether baptism imparts the Holy Ghost or not, will be considered in the remarks on the next chapter. P. xxix. 1. 24. 'It had been foretold, &c. John Baptist said, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me-shall bap"tize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." The baptism with water is here expressly distinguished from the baptism "with the Holy Ghost and with fire:" and, however the water of baptism may convey the supernatural assistance of the Holy Spirit,' it cannot surely be" baptizing with fire." The words certainly imply something, which Christ could or would do; but which John could not. "John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many "days hence." The promise was here made by our Lord to the apostles, a promise, that they themselves should be "baptized with the Holy Ghost;" not that they should baptize others with the Holy Ghost, which they were no more able to do, than John Baptist had been; however Christ might accompany the baptism with water, as administered by them, with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. The outward sign man may impart; but God alone can give the thing signified. It is never said that the apostles, or that any man except • Art. xxvii. It had been foretold by John the Baptist, that Christ' should baptize 'with the Holy Ghost, meaning that the baptism instituted by Christ, and 'administered by his apostles and their successors, should convey the super'natural assistance of the Spirit of God.' |