Use 3d. Of exhortation. (1.) We that are baptized, let us labour to find the bless- ed fruits of baptism in our own souls : let us labour not only to have the signs of the covenant, but the gi'ace of the covenant- Many glory in this, that they are baptized. The Jews gloried in their circumcision, be- cause of their royal privileges; to them be- longed the adoption, and the glory and the covenants, Rom. ix. 4. ; but many of them were a shame and rej)r()ach to their circum- cision, Rom. ii. 24., " For the name of (Jod is blasphemed among the (ientiles through you." The scandalous Jews (though cir- cumcised) were, in (Jod's account, as hea- thens ; Amos ix. 7., " Are ye not as chil- dren of the Ethiopians to me ? saith the Lord." Alas ! What is it to have the name
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of Christ, and want his imaj^e? What is baptism of water, without the baptism of the Spirit? Many baptized Cliristians are no better tlian heathens. O labour to find tlie fruits of baptism, — that Christ is form- ed in us, Gal. iv. 19., that our nature is chaiigfed, we are made holy and heavenly ! Tliis is to be baptized into Jesus, Rom. vi. 3. Such as live unsuitable to their baptism, may go with baptismal-water on their faces, and sacramental bread in their mouths, to hell.
(2.) Let us labour to make a right use of our baptism.
First use of baptism. Let us use it as a shield against temptations. " Satan, I have given up myself to God by a sacred vow in baptism ; I am not my own, I am Christ's ; therefore I cannot yield to thy temptations, but I break my oath of allegiance which I made to God in baptism." Luther tells us of a pious woman, who when the devil temptid her to sin, she answed Satan, Bap- lizata sum, — " I am baptized ;" and so beat back the tempter.
Second use of baptism. Let us use it as a spur to holiness. By remembering our bap- tism, lot us be stirred up to make good our ba|)tisui;il engagements; renouncing the world, llesli, and devil, let us devote our- selves to God and his service. To be bap- tized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, implies a solemn dedication of ourselves to the service of all tiie three per- sons in the Trinity. It is not enough that our j)arents dedicate us to God in baptism, but we must dedicate ourselves to him ; this is called a living to the Lord, Rom. xiv. 8. Our life should be spent in wor- Rliip|)ing God, in loving God, in exalting God ; we should walk as becomes the gos- pel, Piiil. i. 27. Sliine as stars in the world, and live as earthly angels.
7 liird use of baptism. Let us use it as an
argument to courage. We should be ready to confess that holy Trinity into whose name we were baptized. With the conver- sion of the heart, must go the confession of the tongue, Luke xii. 8., " Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of (Jod." Peter o])enly confessed Christ cru- cified, Acts iv. 10. Cyi)rian, a n)an of a brave si)irit, was like a rock whom no waves could shake, like an adamant whom no sword could cut : he confessed Christ before the proconsul, and suffered himself to be proscribed, yea, chose death, rather than he would betray the truths of Christ, lie that dare not confess the holy Trinity, shames his baptism, and God will be ashamed to own him at the day of judgment.
W. use. See the fearful ness of the sin of apostasy ! 'Tis a renouncing of our bap- tisui. Tis damnable perjury to go away from God, after a soleuni vow : 2 Tim. iv. 10., " Ucmas hath forsaken me." He turn- ed renegado, and afterwards became a priest in an idol-temple, saith Dorothcus. Julian the apostate ((iregory Nazianzen observes) bathed iiimself in the blood of beasts oiT'er- cd in sacrilicc to heathen-gods; and so, as much as in him lay, washed olf his former baptism. The case of such as fiill away al- ter baptism, is dreadful : Ileb. x. 2^., " U any man draic bach" — the (J reek word, lo draw back, alludes to a sohlier that steals away from his colours — so, if any man steal away from Chri.st, and run over to the de- vil's side, " my soul shall have no pleasure in him ;" that is, I will be severely aveng- ed on him ; I will make my arrows diunk with his blood. If all the jdagues in the Bible can make that nian miserable, he shall be so.
II. Tiie sccoiul sacrament wherein Jesus Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption, is the Lord's sui)per.
OF THE LORD'S SUPPLU. Mark xiv. 22. And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, §*c.
HAVING spoken to the sacrament of the Lord's supper. The Lord's supper is baptism, I come now to the sacrament of the most spiritual and sweet ordinance that
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