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sign that their sins were washed away, and a seal of the covenant of promise. When the multitude of Jews were converted by St. Peter, on the day of Pentecost, and earnestly inquired-What shall we do? his answer was, Repent, and be 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. Repentance alone was not sufficient, they must receive baptism also, in obedience to the Saviour's command. Then they that galdly received his word were baptized; and the same day there were added unto them three thousand souls. When the Ethiopian Eunuch was converted by the preaching of Philip, his first inquiry was, What doth hinder me to be baptized? The answer of the evangelist is, If thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest; because Christ himself hath said, He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved.

When Cornelius and his household were converted by the preaching of Peter, the apostle asks, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.* In this instance, receiving the Holy Ghost was not enough; being baptized of the Spirit did not preclude the necessity of being baptized with water. They had alreadly received the "inward spiritual grace;" but they must also receive the "outward and visible sign;" a manifest proof that those err, who think that there can be no need of external observances, provided there be divine grace in the heart. To understand more clearly the nature of baptism, it

*Acts x. 47, 48.

may be well to consider briefly the covenant entered into by Jehovah with "the father of the faithful." At the time God called Abraham from among the idolatrous nations, and made his family the repository of the divine promises, he instituted circumcision as the sign and seal of the covenant then made. Abraham and all his household were commanded to be circumcised. "The infant of eight days old, and the aged parent, were required to submit to the same sacramental rite." From whence it is plain that children are not incapacitated from entering into a covenant, "by reason of their tender age." And if they are capacitated for one covenant, why not for the other? The covenant of circumcision was as much of a spiritual nature as that of baptism; faith was as much the condition of the former, as of the latter. No more is required to enter the Christian church, than was required for admission to the Jewish church. "Circumcision was heretofore a real sacrament of initiation into the covenant of grace, a seal of the righteousness of faith, just as baptism is now ;" and we doubt not that, "though the ordinance be changed, yet the subjects and privileges of it continue still the same."

Of the privileges of baptism, the first is, remission of past sins. Thus St. Paul, immediately after his conversion, is commanded to arise and be baptized, and to wash away his sins; and the direction to the three thousand, converted by the sermon of St. Peter, was, repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins. From which texts it is evident that the pardon of sins is one benefit conferred by baptism; but this, in the case of adults, always pre-supposes repentance, faith,

and obedience; as the apostle expresses it, baptism doth also now save us, (not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.*

A second privilege of baptism is admission into the Church and family of God; or, in the language of our catechism, we are thereby "made members of Christ, children of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven;' "members of Christ," by being united to that mystical body, the Church, of which he is the Head; "children of God," by having thus "received the adoption of sons; and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven;" for, “if children"-so the apostle argues- "then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ."

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Another privilege of baptism is the gift of the Holy Spirit; such of its ordinary influences, as are continually necessary for our sanctification, guidance, and comfort. Repent, and be baptized, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost," was the language of the apostle to the Jews, on the day of Pentecost, when the multitude "were pricked in their heart." We are said, by St. Paul, to be saved by the washing of regeneration, or baptism, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. And our Saviour himself tells us that “ except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Thus inseparably is the "inward grace" connected with the "outward sign," where baptism is rightly administered, and worthily received.

The last privilege of baptism is, a resurrection unto eternal life. So the apostle Paul assures us; we are

*

1 Pet. iii. 21.

† Tit. iii. 5.
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+ John iii. 5.

buried," he says, "with Christ by baptism into death. If we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.”* Thus numerous and important are the privileges to which baptism gives us claims.

Hence in the language of our Baptismal service, "we may perceive the great necessity of this sacrament, where it may be had." Nor does the Church transcend the declarations of scripture, when in her catechism she says that it is "generally necessary to salvation;" for our Divine Redeemer has said, He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; and Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

The duties which baptism imposes upon all its recipients, are excellently expressed in these words," Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life." It becomes thenceforward our bounden duty, in the impressive admonition with which the service concludes, to "remember always, that baptism doth represent unto us our profession; which is, to follow the example of our Saviour Christ, and to be made like unto him; that as he died and rose again for us, so should we, who are baptized, die from sin, and rise again unto righteousness; continually mortifying all our evil and corrupt affections, and daily proceeding in all virtue and godliness of living."

* Rom. vi. 4, 5.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE CATECHISM.

The next of the occasional offices of the Church, is the "CATECHISM; that is to say, an instruction, to be learned by every person before he be brought to be confirmed by the Bishop."

A moment's reflection will convince us that the Church has made abundant provision for training up her members in all godliness, from their earliest infancy, and that her charitable intentions would certainly be answered, were parents and sponsors faithful to their sacred trust.

In the first place, the rubric in the ministration of Private Baptism directs that parents "defer not the Baptism of their children longer than the first or second Sunday next after their birth, unless upon a great and reasonable cause;" so anxious is she to have them received, as soon as possible, into the fold of the blessed Redeemer. And not only are parents and sponsors exhorted, in the Baptismal office, to see that their children be virtuously brought up to lead a godly and a christian life," but at the conclusion of the service they are enjoined "to take care that they be brought to the bishop"-at a suitable age and with suitable qualifications-" to be confirmed by him." That is, they are to make use of such means as are consistent with moral freedom; such suasive in

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