Yet notwithstanding, Noah was thought a wise man when the flood came ; so when destruction comes, then they are wise that get into the ark, that get into Christ before. Many such resemblances there be. I name but a few, because I go on.
' The like figure whereunto baptism also saveth us,' &c.
Here, first of all, in a word, is a description of the means of salvation, how we are saved : * baptism saveth us.'
Then there is a prevention of an objection, 'not the putting away of the filth of the flesh,' the outward part of baptism.
Then he sets down how baptism saves us, but ' the answer of a good conscience.'
And then the ground of it, ' by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.'
The former I pass over, that I may come to that which I specially intend. I come, therefore, to the prevention* of the objection, which I will not speak much of, but somewhat, because it is a useful point. When he said that baptism saves us, he saith, not that baptism which is a putting away ' the filth of the flesh ; ' insinuating this, that baptism hath two parts. There is a double baptism : the outward, which is the washing of the body; the inward, which is the washing of the soul ; the outward doth not save without the inward. Therefore he prevents them, lest they should think that all are saved by Christ that are baptized, that have their bodies washed outwardly with water. The apostle knew this, that people are naturally prone to give too much to outward things. The devil in people is in extremes ; he labours to bring people to extremes, to make the sacraments idols or idle, to make the outward sacrament a mere idol, to give all to that, or to make them idle signs. The devil hath what he would in both. The apostle knew the disease of the times, especially in his time, they attributed too much to outward things. St Paul, writing to the Galatians, he is fain twice to repeat it, ' Neither circumcision availeth anything, or uncircumcision, but a new ci*eature,' Gal. v. 6. You stand too much on outward things. That that God requires especially is the 'new creature.'
So in the Old Testament, when God prescribed both outward and inward worship, they attributed too much to the outward, and let the inward alone. As in Ps. 1. 16, God complains how they served him ; therefore, saith he, ' What hast thou to do to take my covenant into thy mouth, and hatest to be reformed?' And so in Isa. i. 13, and Isa. Ixvi. 3, we see God's peremptory dealing with them : ' I will none of your new moons, I abhor your ofierings.' And in Isa. Ixvi. 3, ' It was as the cutting ofi" of a dog's neck, the ofiering of sacrifice ; ' and yet they were sacrifices appointed by God himself. What was the "reason of this ? They * That is, ' anticipation.' — G.
480 THE DEMAND OF A GOOD CONSCIENCE.
played the hypocrites with God, and Rave him only the shell ; they brought him outward performances, they attributed too much to that, and left the spiritual part that God most esteems. So our Baviour Christ to the Pharisees, we see how he takes them up : ' Say not with yourselves, We have Abraham to our father,' I\Iat. iii. 9. They boasted too much of their outward privileges. You see through the current of the Scriptures, those especially that belong not to God, they are apt to attribute too much to outward things. It were well if they would join the inward too, which they neglect. There are two parts of God's service, outward and inward, that is iiarsh to flesh and blood. As in baptism thereare two parts, out- ward and inward washing ; and iu hearing the word, is the outward man and inward soul, when it bows to hear what God saith ; so in the Lord's Supper, there is outward receiving of bread and wine, and inward making of a covenant with God. Now people give too much to the outward, and think that God is beholding to them for it ; but now for the inward, be- cause they are conscious of their lust, they care not for that.
But more particularly, the reason is in corrupt nature.
First, Because the outward part is easy and f/lorious to the eye of the jcodd. Every one can see the sacrament administered, every one can see when one comes and attends, and hears the word of God. They are easy and glorious in the eye of the world.
Second, And then again, people rest in them, because somewhat is done by it to daub conscience, that would clamour if they should do nothing, if they were direct atheists. Therefore, say they, we will hear the word, and perform outward things, and being loath to search into the bottom of their conscience, rest in outward things, and satisfy conscience by it. These and the like reasons there are.
Use. Let us take notice of it, and tahe heed of the corniption of nature in it ; let us know that God regards not the outward without the inward, nay, he abhors it. He abhors his own worship that he hath appointed himself, if the inward be not there, much more devices and ceremonies of men's own devising. Popery is but an outside of religion. They labour to put off God with the work done. They have an opinion fit to corrupt nature ; that is, that the sacrament administered confers grace, without any dispos- ing of the party. One of the chief of them, a great scholar, he will have the water itself to be elevated above its own nature to confer grace, as if grace had any communion with a dead element {a). And thus they speak, to make people doat too much upon outward things. I will not stand to confute this opinion. This very text sheweth that the outward part of baptism, without the inward, is nothing ; not the washing of the body, but * the answer of a good conscience,' saith St Peter.