Boot. That baptism hath an especial use and respect unto this benefit of obtaining remission of sins in the name of Christ.
To evidence this unto you, I must take it for granted for the present that baptism belongeth to the gospel or the new covenant ; or, if you will have it confirmed, that place doth it fully which was mentioned before : Mark xvi. 16, ' Go, preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be damned.' "Whence it followeth clearly and undeniably that baptism belongeth to the gospel or new covenant. Supposing this, let me take my rise a little higher.
1. That God hath ever delighted to deal with his creatures in the way of a covenant, that we might know what to expect from him, and we might look upon ourselves under the firmer bonds of obedience to his blessed majesty ; for in a covenant, which is the most solemn transaction between man and man, both parties are engaged ; God to us, and we to God. It is not meet that one party should be bound and the other be free ; therefore both are bound to each other, God to bless, and we to obey. Indeed, in the first covenant the debit um poence, the debt of punishment, is only mentioned, because that only took place : Gen. ii. 17, ' In the day thou eatest thereof thou slialt surely die.' But the other part is implied, Do and live, sin and die.
2. Because the first covenant was broken on our part, God was pleased to enter into a second, wherein he would manifest the glory of his redeeming grace and pardoning mercy to fallen man. This was brought about in Christ : 2 Cor. v. 19, ' God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.' And therefore this second covenant was called a covenant of peace, as being made with us after the breach, or with man obnoxious to the wrath of God : Isa. liv. 10, ' The covenant of my peace shall not be removed, saith the Lord.' Man needeth such a covenant, and Christ ofTereth it to us.
3. In this covenant of peace, both the privileges and duties are suited to the state in which man was when God invited him into covenant with himself. Man was fallen from his duty, and obnoxious to the wrath and displeasure of God, and therefore the new covenant is a doctrine of repentance and remission of sins. What is ' preach
VeR. 38.] SERMONS UPON ACTS 11. 37, 38. 281
the f^ospel to every creature/ in Mark xvi. 15, is in Luke xxiv. 47, ' That repentance and remission of sins shoukl be preached in his name among all nations.' That is the gospel, or the new remedial law of our Lord Jesus ; repentance to heal us and set us in joint again as to our duty, and remission of sins to recover us into God's favour; and both these benefits we have by the Redeemer : Acts v, 31, 'Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins.' He giveth the one simply, and both gives and requires the other ; so that by the new covenant remission of" sins is conveyed to all true penitents.
4. The more distinctly to understand the nature of this covenant, we must consider both the duties and privileges thereof ; for in every covenant there is ixitio dati et accepti, there is something promised and given, and something required ; and usually the promise con- sisteth of somewhat which the party is willing of, and the duty or condition required is that to which he is more backward, and loath to submit unto. So in the covenant of grace ; in the promise God respecteth man's want ; in the duty, his own honour. Every man would have pardon, and be saved from hell, but God will have sub- jection : every corrupt nature is not against desires of happiness ; these God maketh use of to gain us to holiness. All men naturally greedily catch at felicity, and would have impunity, peace, comfort, glory, but are unwilling to deny the flesh, and are unwilling to renounce the credit, profit, or pleasure of sin, or to grow dead to the world and worldly things. Now God promiseth what we desire on condition that we will submit to those things we are against. As we sweeten bitter pills to children that they may the better swallow them ; they love the sugar, though they loathe the aloes ; so doth God invite us to our duty by our interest. Therefore whoever would enter into the gospel state must resolve to take the blessings and benefits offered for his happiness, and the duties required for his work. Indeed, accepting the benefits is a part of the condition, because we treat with an invisible God about a happiness that lietli in another world ; but it is but part, for there are terms : Heb. x. 22, ' Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.'