2. When you are confessing your sins, depend upon him as your advocate, as one that died for your sins, and is ready to appear before God, to plead for you, and put all your debts upon his score. Let us be sure to arraign and accuse ourselves : we must confess our sins, 1 John i. 9, and then Christ will plead for the pardon of them. If we think to be our own advocates, and do deny, extenuate, or excuse sin, it will never succeed well with us ; but if Christ be our advocate, how can we miscarry ? There will not want accusers to lay sin to our charge : * But we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.'
It is not a servant or a friend, but the dearly beloved of his soul that pleadeth for us , one that pleadeth not by way of entreaty, but merit : he is Jesus Christ the righteous. Now ' the prayer of a right- eous man availeth much,' James v. 16, but much more the prayer of a righteous Saviour ; he that hath fully sufi'ered for thy sins, that can bring blood to the mercy-seat, he prayeth for no more than he liath paid for. Oh, who shall condemn ? Rom. viii. 33, 34, ' Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect ? It is God that justifieth : who is he that conderaneth ? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
VeR. 38.] SERMONS UPON ACTS II. 37, 38. 279
intercession for us.' Here is comfort enough, if we were in a condition to beg it, nay, if we were in a condition to need it ; for this comfort is for poor burdened souls.
The next clause in this verse is remission of sins ; but this being handled in the first and second sermons of the twenty that were printed in quarto, and in tlie Lord's Prayer, and on 1 John ii. 11 in this volume,4t is omitted here.
SERMON VI.
Be hapiized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. — Acts ii. '38.
In Peter's answer we have two things — (1.) His advice ; (2.) The encouragement.
In his advice we have two things — (1.) Repent every one of j'ou ; (2.) ' Be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.'
The second part of the advice I shall now insist upon : ' Be baptized every one of you,' And here I shall speak to three questions.
Quest. 1. Why is baptism mentioned rather than faith, and other things more internal and necessary to salvation ?
Ans. 1. Faith is implied : Mark xvi. 16, 'He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.' For baptism is an open and real profession of faith in Christ crucified ; so that it must be explained thus : Be baptized, believing on the name of the Lord Jesus, for the remission of sins. Surely he would not have them dissemble, and seek remission of sins without faith in Christ, by the bare submission to the outward rite of baptism.
2. Baptism is mentioned, because it was the visible rite of receiving proselytes to Christ. Now it imported them who were convinced as persecutors to turn professors, if tliey would have ease for their con- sciences ; and not only to believe with the heart, but to make their profession manifest and open by submitting to this way : Rom. x. 10, ' For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.'
Quest. 2. Why in the name of Christ only ? The Father and the Holy Ghost are not mentioned, according to the precept, Mat. xxviii. 19, ' Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.'
An.s. He speaketh not of the form of baptism, but the use and end thereof. Now the great use of baptism is, that we may have benefit by the mystery of redemption by Christ ; therefore we are said to be baptized into Christ, Rom. vi. 3, and Gal. iii. 27, ' For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.' He is the head of the church, and by baptism we are planted into the mystical body.
^ All contained iu prior volumee of this Edition. — Ed.
280 SERBIONS UPON ACTS II. 37, 38. [SeR. VI.
Quest 3. Doth not this put too great an honour and necessity upon baptism to entitle remission of sins to this act, as if every one that were baptized had his sins forgiven him ?
Ans. When we submit to the gospel covenant, we believe that God for Christ's sake will forgive us our sins : in testimony of this faith we receive baptism, which, supposing that we do not ponere oMcem, lay any block in the way, that we repent and believe the gospel, doth seal and deliver a pardon to us ; it doth seal, that is, confirm us in the expectation of it, and deliver it to us. It is our legal investiture ; it is the rite by which we are first solemnly put in possession of it. Supposing that we have a promise before, as all that repent and believe have, it doth seal and deliver. But because most are baptized in infancy, it doth excite and oblige us to take the way whereby we may obtain pardon according to the new covenant ; doing what is necessary, it assures and confirms us that he will be as good as his word.