2. The improvement of baptism is the best preparation for the Lord's Supper : John xiii. 8, ' If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.' That washing had a spiritual meaning; and presently after it the sacrament of Christ's body and blood was instituted, to the participa- tion of which this spiritual w^ashing was necessary. In the supposition, if I icash thee not, is implied baptism ; in the commination, thou hast no part with me, is implied the Lord's Supper, which Christ was then about to institute. In/oro ecclesice, before the church, none but bap- tized persons have a right to the Lord's table ; in foro coeli, before God, none but those who have the fruit of baptism have right to the benefits thereof ; they tliat are sanctified by the Spirit of Christ have only right to the benefits purchased by his blood. Our Lord would remind his disciples of this before he would admit them to his table.
3. If we improve it not, our baptism will be a witness to solicit vengeance against us ; as the gospel itself is preached either ' for a witness ' to us. Mat. xxiv. 14, or ' for a witness' against us, if we obey it not, Mark xiv. 9. So baptism, instead of being a witness to us, will be a witness against us if we mind it not. And in the judgment we shall fare no better than the heathen ; for all the difference between us is, that they are uncircumcised in flesh, and we in heart, Jer. ix. 25, 26 ; they are not waslied in water, and we are not cleansed from our sins. I remember a passage in Victor Uticensis concerning one Elpidophorus, who had revolted from Catholicism to the Vandal Arians : the deacon who had baptized him showed him the stole, or linen clothes in which he was baptized, saying, Hce te accusahunt cum majestas venerit judicantis, &c. — 0 Elpidophorus ! these shall be a witness against thee to all eternity, for thy just perdition, when the Judge Cometh. What wilt thou do, wretch, when the people of God shall be admitted to the joys of heaven, and thyself thrust out ? (fee. If we have been baptized, and lived directly contrary to our baptismal vow, as if we were in covenant with the devil, the world, and the flesh, rather than with Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, what will become of us in the judgment ?
But how shall we improve it ?
First, We must personally and solemnly own the covenant made
470 HOW OUGHT WE TO IMFEOVE OUR BAPTISM ? [ACTS II. 38.
with God in infancy. Every one of us should choose the Lord for our sovereign lord and portion ; and Christ Jesus for our Kedeemer and Saviour ; and the Holy Ghost for our guide, sanctifier, and comforter. Every one must personally thus engage himself to God ; it is not enough that Christ engage for us as the common surety of all the elect, Heb. vii. 22. Something he did for us, and in our names ; but every one must take a bond upon himself before he can have the benefit of it. You must yield up yourselves to the Lord, 2 Chron. xxx. 8. It is not enough that the church engage for us as a visible political body, or a com- munity and society of men, who are in visible covenant with God and Christ : Ezek. xvi. 8, ' Thou enteredst into covenant with me, and be- camest mine ;' meaning it of the body of the church ; but every indi- vidual person must also enter into covenant with God, and become his : Ezek. XX. 37, ' I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.' Where there is an allusion to the sheep passing out of the fold when they were to be tithed for God, Lev. xxvii. 32 ; they were to be told with a rod, one, two, three, &c., and the tenth was the Lord's. God will not covenant with us in the lump and body, but every one was to be particularly minded of his duty; it is not enough that our parents did engage for us in baptism, as the Israelites, in the name of their little ones, did avouch God to be their God, Deut. xxix. 10-12. No man can savingly transact this work for another, we nmst ratify the covenant in our own persons, and make our own professed subjection to the gospel of Christ, 2 Cor. ix. 13. This work cannot be done by a proxy or assigns ; our parents' dedication will not profit us without some personal act of our own, if we live to years of discre- tion. Once more, this must be done not only in words, or visible exter- nal rites, which may signify so much as personal covenanting with God, but a man must engage his heart to God, Jer. xxx. 21. Yea, this is a business that must be done between God and our own souls, where no outward witnesses are conscious to it. God speaketh to the soul in this transaction, Ps. xxxv. 3, ' Say unto my soul, I am thy sal- vation ;' and the soul speaketh to God, Lam. iii. 24, ' Thou art my portion, saith my soul ;' and Ps. xvi. 2, ' 0 my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my God ;' thus the covenant is carried on in soul-language. Now upon this personal inward covenanting with God our right to all the privileges doth depend.