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SERMON XXV,

NECESSITY AND BENEFITS OF BAPTISM.

MATT. xxviii. 18, 19, 20.

And Jesus came, and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

BESIDES those commandments of a moral nature, which are enjoined by almighty God, and which it is the duty of all men to observe; there are two ceremonial ordinances instituted for the use of those, who hope for salvation through

faith in Christ, as means of present grace and of future happiness. I allude to the sacraments of Baptism, and the Lord's Supper; by the former of which we are admitted into covenant with God, and by the latter are continued in covenant with him. A consideration of the former of the two sacraments, namely Baptism, is proposed for the subject of the present discourse; wherein I shall endeavour to show you the necessity of our partaking in it, and the great benefits, which it hath pleased almighty God to annex to it: and shall then make some remarks on the practice, which our Church agreeably to the practice of the primitive Church observes, of admitting infants to that holy ordinance.

I. 1. The first ground, upon which I shall endeavour to establish the necessity of Baptism to those who would be partakers of Christian salvation, is the commandment of our blessed Saviour, as contained in the text. "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore," said he to his Apostles, " and teach (or rather make disciples of) all nations, bap

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tizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." We have here an injunction from Christ to his Apostles, who were at that time the only ministers of his Church, to "go and make disciples of all nations;" for so the word, which we render "teach," in the 19th verse, should be rendered; nor will it properly bear any other significa tion.

We find that the way, wherein disciples were to be made, is specifically pointed out; they were to be "baptized," or washed with water, "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." We hear him farther requiring, that the persons, so made his disciples, should be instructed in the things, which he had commanded his Apostles. hear him moreover promising, that his blessing should accompany the performance of this his injunction; "lo! I am with. you alway;" and we understand, that this promise of his blessing was not to be con

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fined to the persons of his Apostles, but was to accompany those, who should succeed the Apostles in their ministry, as long as the world should stand; "lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." From this particular inspection of the words of our Saviour in the text, we perceive a general command, that persons should be made his disciples by Baptism; and we perceive a general promise, that his blessing should attend the legitimate per-formance of the ceremony.

2. Secondly in the Gospel of St. Mark we find a similar injunction delivered by Christ to his Apostles, accompanied with a promise more specifically expressed of the blessing, which was to be made the companion of Baptism. "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned a." By these words, which are very remarkable, we perceive, that

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Mark xvi. 15, 16.

our Lord Christ himself, He, by whom alone it is possible for any man to be saved, makes Baptism as necessary as faith, to salvation. He saith indeed, "he that believeth not, shall be damned;" but he does not say, "he that believeth shall be saved," whether he be baptized or not; but "he that believeth and is baptized;" as surely all must be, or at least must desire. to be, who truly believe in him. For all who truly believe in Christ for their salvation, must believe what he has said to be true; and accordingly do whatsoever he requires in order to it. But he requires all that would be saved by him, to be first baptized into him. Baptism is the ceremony, which we see him appointing here as before the specific blessing which he promises to annex to it is "salvation."

3. Nay, further; it is not only that this blessing is annexed to Baptism, He also tells us, that the blessing is not to be had without it. For speaking in another place of Baptism, as made up of "the outward visible sign and the inward spiritual grace,”

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