1. Of baptism, which inferreth an obligation. All those that profess faith in Christ, and an interest in him, are by baptism taken into the number of his disciples, and visibly joined into his church : Acts ii. 41, ' Then they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the
VeR. 5.J SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. 185
same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.' And therefore they are bound to rise from the death of sin to the life of grace, and to make use of the virtue purchased by Christ's death, and evidenced by his resurrection, to this end and purpose, and to use all good endeavours to subdue sin ; and a double woe and curse shall befall us unless we verify and make good this vow and profession by our constant practice. And therefore all the members of the visible church are to be put in mind that they are planted into the likeness of his death, and engaged to walk in newness of life : 1 John ii. 6, ' He that saith he abideth in him, ought to walk also as he walked/ Not only he that abideth in him, as a real member of his mystical body, but he that saith he abideth in him. All that profess com- munion with Christ, their profession bindeth them to a resemblance of Christ, otherwise their baptism is but a mockery, and their profession a dissembling and counterfeit respect to Christ's name and memory. It may be said to them, as Alexander said to one that bore his name, but was a coward, Either lay aside the name, or put on greater courage. So either do as christians, or do not pretend to be christians.
2. As to regeneration figured by baptism. In regeneration there is planted in us, or put into us, a principle destructive of sin, and impul- sive to holiness. Now the working and urging of this principle should not be restrained or obstructed.
[1.] As to the destruction of sin, the checks of the new nature should be observed: 1 John iii. 9, ' Whosoever is born of God doth not com- mit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.'
[2.J As to the perfecting of holiness, where the life of holiness is begun, we should give way to its operations ; and when the new nature would break out with operations proper to itself, we should obey these motions : 1 John ii. 5, ' But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected ; ' that is, l)reaketh out into its consummate and perfect effect. So 2 Peter i. 8, ' For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that you shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.' Grace in its vigour will put you upon fruits becoming a christian ; this vigour should not be quenched, which is our internal baptism.
Thirdly, This union sealed in baptism inferreth a likeness and con- formity to Christ. I prove it thus : —
1. Surely we are cut off from our old stock, and planted into a new one to better our condition, that it may be otherwise with us in Christ than we were when we merely belonged to Adam. This improvement of our estate and condition cometh from our being planted into a new stock, and partaking of his virtue and influence, and that inferreth a likeness : 1 Cor. xv. 49, ' As we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.' As we grew upon our natural root, we were like Adam ; but when cut off and planted into a new root, we are made like Christ. How like Adam? Gen. v. 3, ' Adam begat a son in his own likeness ; ' corrupt man begat a corrupt sun, mortal man begat a mortal child. So by proportion we may conceive of the image of the heavenly, first made holy, then happy creatures. In the first we had the seed and pledge of death and cor-
186 * SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. [SeR. IV.
ruption, and in the second the seed and pledge of incorruption, immor- tality, and life.
2. Christ was fit to be a pattern to whom all the rest of the heirs of promise should be conformed, for this reason, because he was the head of the renewed state. Primum in unoquoque genere est mensura et regula cceterorum — the first and best in every kind is the measure and rule of the rest. He is a fountain of grace set up in our nature : Rom. viii. 29, ' He hath predestinated us to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be TrpcororoKo^, the first-born among many brethren,' that principal new man to whom we might be conformed. In every case wherein one thing beareth the image and likeness of another, there must not only be similitude, but deduction, or a means of conveying that likeness. Both are in Christ, therefore Christ is set up as a pattern in our nature, who lived among men in the same flesh that we have, to teach us a life of holiness and patience, and contempt of the world.