66 there not much analogy between the baptism of Christ in the Jordan, and the baptism of any disciple, if his soul after some years of faith perceives that he has been ignorant in this matter, and has not understood the doctrine of Christian baptism? When we add to this the reason which Christ assigned why he was baptized, we see that his authority directly recommends, sanctions, and (as I think) commands, that those who find out that they are unbaptized, because only sprinkled in infancy, should, like Jesus, be afterwards baptized. He said when John remonstrated with him, as superior to himself and not needing to be baptized by him, Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." He did not mean that there was anything especially righteous, especially great, especially devoted, in being baptized; but that it was comparatively a trivial thing, as it seems to me, that it was a light duty compared with many, -as compared with faith and devotedness. It was but the external profession. Nevertheless, he says, "It becometh us to fulfil the least command as well as the greatest!" When, therefore, our Lord assigned this as a reason, why he, not needing it, should yet be baptized, he said in effect to all his followers, "You may think that having made a profession in other ways, you need it not,-that you have confessed Christ at the table of the Lord, or in your intercourse with the world; nevertheless, it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness,' to keep all the commands of Christ, to honour every ordinance that God has given; and if you need it not for yourselves, at least in respect to his authority be baptized, that you may express your willingness to be obedient to him in all things." In looking, too, at the example of our Saviour, I have seen that he regarded the influence of his act on others; for we never stand alone in our conduct. Others may be influenced by us for good or evil, and we have, as Christians, to recommend our fellowsinners-those who have as yet not turned "from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God". to believe, and to be baptized, as a profession of that faith. Now, if we were ourselves unbaptized, they would naturally evade the command of Christ, and say, "You do not submit to this publicity, you do not acknowledge this ordinance, you have escaped this pain, and therefore why should not we?" And they would be disposed to evade a command of Christ under the sanction of our example. And this is especially true of ministers, whose business it is to preach Christ to the unconverted, and to preach baptism to those who may turn to him in truth. But how can a minister urge his fellowsinners to be baptized, if he is himself an unbaptized person? Besides, it being a minister's duty to administer this ordinance to those who are prepared for it and desire it, a scruple and doubt might arise in the minds of many, perhaps perplexing them with many troubles in long years, if they should be baptized by an unbaptized minister. It seemed to me, therefore, necessary for others, no less than expedient for myself, that I should fulfil this command of Christ. There is one other argument, to which I have already alluded, which has had weight with me, and I doubt not with others of my brethren and sisters now about to be baptized. In common with almost all other churches of Christ, there are those baptist churches who are of strict communion, and who believe, in common with the great majority of Christians, that they must not receive to the Lord's Supper those who are in their view unbaptized. I believe this to be an error, but since it is shared by them in common with | in heaven, because thou hast promised almost all churches, it is only to be respected as an opinion, and not to be condemned as a fault. Consequently, each Christian ought to desire to be in full communion with those churches. They are not more narrow in their minds than other Christians, because almost all Christians are of the same opinion; and consequently we ought not to shrink from their communion, but seek it. Let me add to this, that I believe, amongst the multitude of those who, as ministers of Christ, have seen it right to renounce the doctrine of infant baptism, as an abuse in the church, which has no sanction in scripture, there are very few, if any, who have not also felt it their duty to be baptized. On these grounds, it has seemed to me to be my duty not to shrink from a public acknowledgment of Christ's authority; but with my brethren around to be baptized, to acknowledge that he has a right to our subjection. The meaning of the rite is, however, far more important. My dear friend, the minister in this chapel, has just brought some of its prominent features before our minds. Let me add to what he has said, by referring to a paper which I have drawn up, expressive of my own feelings-the feelings, I doubt not, of those about to be baptized, and which, I trust, may be your feelings too. "O Lord God Almighty, I accept with humble gratitude-as a sinner who has deserved eternal death, and who cannot cease to deserve it-the rich, free, and eternal salvation which thou in thy goodness hast provided for me. I look to thee, O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to save me from the punishment of sin and its power; from the curse which thy law has justly pronounced upon me; from my own faults; from all temptations; and to bring me to a life of holy bliss all this to those who come to thee, as I now do, through Christ. In dependence on the merit of thy Son Jesus Christ— upon the aid of thy Spirit, and on thy truth, I look to thee for the eternal salvation of my body and of my soul; and I humbly accept thee as my chief guide to all eternity. O God, the Son, my Redeemer, who didst expiate my sins by thy death, thou wast made sin for me, that I might be made the righteousness of God in thee; thou hast redeemed me from the curse of the law, being made a curse for me, and having rescued me from eternal death by thy death, thou dost now live to bring me to eternal life. Believing in thy power and love, I trust to thy merit and intercession to secure for me the favour of God, to impart to me thy Holy Spirit, to enrich me with all the blessings of the new covenant, and to prepare me for heaven; and thus I accept thee as my only and all-sufficient Saviour. Though Christ I likewise thankfully receive thee, O God the Spirit, to be my sanctifier. For his sake thou dost dwell with those who believe in him; and believing on him, I look to thee to teach me all needful truth, to incline my heart to what is just and right, to set my affections on God and on spiritual things, to direct and control my will, to form my character, to sanctify me wholly, to preserve me through all temptations, and to bring me into the presence of my Redeemer in glory. Thus, I heartily accept thee, O God, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, as my shield and my exceeding great reward; and I humbly trust, according to thy promises, to be made happy by thee for both worlds. On the other hand, being so blessed and favoured, I, as a redeemed and pardoned transgressor, desire to make a public profession of faith in thee, and publicly to dedicate myself to thy service, ac cording to Christ's appointment, by immersion. First, I renounce all sin for ever. By my sins I have displeased and dishonoured thee; they have checked my efforts to improve my character, they have hindered me from doing good, they have injured my peace and usefulness, they have been my disgrace, and but for thy mercy, they would have been my ruin. I have been unreasonable, corrupt, and ungrateful in disobeying thee, and am brought by nature and by practice to such a condition, that nothing but the blood of Jesus Christ could blot out my guilt. Thou hast so hated sin, that thou hast sentenced sinners to eternal death, and unless Jesus Christ had suffered for it, they could not have been saved. It is unnatural, depraved, and rebellious, exposing them to thy just wrath and curse; it has occasioned the death of Christ, it has made the world hate him, it opposes his dominion; he came to rescue us from its power, and he feels an irreconcilable hatred to it. It is contrary to the nature of the influence of the Holy Spirit, by whom it is progressively destroyed in each believer; and by whom it must ultimately be eradicated from the world. Thy word condemns it. It is worse in thy children than in others, because they must sin against clearer light and repeated promises, after experiencing the aids of grace, and after tasting the pleasure of obedience. I therefore desire to forsake it for ever, and thenceforth to do, say, and think nothing which is contrary to thy will. As Christ died for my sins, and was buried in the grave, so shall I be buried in the water, in token that I die with him to the sins which caused his death, that I may never again serve sin. At the same time, I mean, by thy help to lead a new life. As Christ rose from the grave, so shall I rise from the water to a nobler and better life than before. VOL. XII.-FOURTH SERIES. Thou didst not give my faculties to be wasted in aimless inactivity, but, rescued from active corruption, to be employed in all that is useful and ennobling. Henceforth, my opinion and judgment of things being formed by a supreme regard to thy will, I desire to cherish every right principle, to pursue every honourable and useful end, to do what is just and true, what is humane and benevolent, to set my affections on all that is the most worthy to engage them, to love all that is good, to seek holiness and heaven, to live for eternity, and look to thee to be directed in all things by thy word, to be conformed to the example of Christ, and to aim at being perfect, as my Father in heaven is perfect. As Christ my Redeemer is in heaven, I will set my affections there; as he is holy, just, and good there, I will endeavour to be so here; as he glorifies thee there, I will seek to glorify thee here; as he loves believers, I will love them; and as he is head over all things to the church, I will live to serve the church; and thus, by thy help, I will rise with Christ to a new life. Further, as I am about to be baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit—that is, to profess, by immersion, that I am thy worshipper and servant, I now consecrate myself to thy service for ever. I give myself unreservedly to thee, O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Relying on thy mercy to accept me through Christ, and on the aid of thy Spirit to enable me to adhere to my resolution, thy will, O God, shall be mine: I mean to please thee in all things: I count thy enemies my enemies, thy friends my friends. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Only make me know thy will, and by thy help I will do it; thou art my owner, and to please and serve thee shall be my highest end. I give myself also unreservedly to thee, my gracious and loving 4 A Saviour, who art one in nature, design, | filthy rags, and each day I must need and feeling with thy Father. As thou thy forgiveness. Now, therefore, I dehast lived and died for me, I wish to sire, by being baptized in the name of live for thee; as thou wilt give me glory Christ, to express my dependence on his in heaven, I desire to give thee glory merit and mediation, to assume by faith on earth. Before long I hope to see the robe of his righteousness, and to be thee in thy kingdom; meanwhile, may one of those of whom the apostle Paul I love, serve, trust, and delight in thee, has said, 'As many of you as have been as my ever-present Redeemer. To obey baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.' thy commands, to copy thy example, to Look on me as one who depends on Him promote thy cause, to help thy servants, alone; let his righteousness be imputed to honour thee, in the use of all my to me; let it hide from thee all my guilt. faculties, possessions, and time; all this Thus engaged in thy ennobling service, is my fixed intention, by the aid of thy with a happy assurance that I am thy Spirit. Thou hast bought me by thy adopted child, may I have that joy and blood, I am thine. Further, I give peace in believing which in the case of myself to thee, O Holy Spirit of God. others has followed this open confession It is my desire and purpose to be led by of Christ. As on the day of Pentecost, thy teaching and to be conformed to three thousand who were baptized were thy will. May thy holy influence sur- filled with gladness-as the jailer and round me wherever I may be! May I his family rejoiced believing in thee, on never grieve thee by neglect or sin, by the night of their baptism—and as the hardness or unbelief, but may I be Ethiopian treasurer, after receiving immersed in a flood of light and love, baptism, went on his way rejoicing-so as the three disciples were immersed in may I, in thus putting on the uniform the bright cloud on the Mount of of Christ as his soldier, experience such Transfiguration. May I be baptized in joy and peace in believing, as all the thee! Pervade all my faculties; conse- trials of life shall not be able to destroy. crate my whole being to thyself. Since In this profession may I, through thy I have thus been enabled to believe, O grace, be stedfast to the end of my life, Lord God, and am about to profess my and only grow stronger in faith as nafaith by immersion into thy name, I ture decays. Finally, as I am about to look to thee to fulfil the promises which be received into the communion of thou hast made to me in thy word. saints, as a member of a Christian Jesus, when on earth, said, 'He that church, assist me to live answerably to believeth and is baptized shall be saved;' this privilege. Make me to love my receive me, therefore, now, and own me brethren, and to be loved by them in at the last day, as one of thy pardoned return. Never may I sow discord and accepted children. Thy apostle among those whom divine grace has once said to an anxious multitude, united; but, on the contrary, be a peace'Repent, and be baptized for the remis-maker among those whom human sion of sins, and ye shall receive the infirmity separates. Never may I envy gift of the Holy Ghost;' repenting of the gifts and the graces of my comall my sins, and being about to be bap-panions, but feel humble gratitude to tized in token of that repentance, may I have the assurance that my sins are removed, and be sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise to the end. My righteousness must ever continue like thee for every manifestation of thy goodness to them or to myself. Make me according to my ability to promote the happiness of the church of which I shall form a part, cheerfully sharing in to every work of benevolence, and uniting my prayers with the prayers of thy people, for a copious effusion of thy Spirit upon us all. Finally, may the memory of this solemn baptism refresh me during all my future course. If ever I am tempted to backslide, may these solemn vows occasion deep contrition, and recal me to fidelity; and when I reflect that I have thus heartily consecrated myself to thy service, may I feel disposed to renew this act of consecration with more entire devotedness, and with more triumphant faith. Now unto thee, who art able to keep me from falling, and so present me faultless before the presence of thy glory with exceeding joy; to thee, the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." every evangelical labour, contributing | really converted, will feel the necessity of making essentially this profession before God. Let us all be united in that, and if there are any here who have been only attracted by a spectacle, and only came out of curiosity, may they listen to what my dear friend has already said. It is too solemn a thing to trifle about, this salvation of the soul; and if you see others that are in earnest about it, go to your homes this evening, and put up a prayer to God, that you may be earnest too. Whether you think us right or wrong in this particular act, you know that it is right to care for the soul; you know that it is right to serve God; you know that it is right to seek eternity. Go and do that you know to be right. Go and ask God for grace to live for him; and then, whether after examination you come to the conviction that it is your duty to be baptized, or not, we may meet in glory, owned as the disciples of Jesus Christ, and may hold familiar fellowship and brotherhood with one another while we are fellow soldiers and fellow pilgrims on the earth. Now, my beloved brethren, all may not see it to be their duty to make this profession, or enter into this covenant of God by baptism; but I am sure every person taught of God, living for eternity, THE TIME OF THE CREATION; AND THE JEWISH MONTHLY FESTIVALS. BY MR. JOHN FREEMAN. In the ancient Jewish feasts of pass-, lord of clean beasts, at the annual serover, pentecost, and tabernacles, we vice on the first of Tisri, we behold behold the time of future events most Immanuel with the constituent parts of minutely predicted, as shown by the his nature in intimate union before he writer in the Baptist Magazine for became Christ in paradise and Christ April, June, and October, 1848. In in the tomb; while in two bullocks at connexion, however, with the gospel the monthly service on the first of Tisri, dispensation, we find nothing to warrant and at every other monthly service, we the conclusion that the ancient Jewish behold Jesus, after death had rent the festivals on the first day of every month corporeal part of his nature from what prefigured events happening at twelve was spiritual and divine, and had thus or thirteen beginnings of months. In proclaimed him two, not only to the those festivals, indeed, time was pre-existing generation of mankind, but to dicted; but the variations of that time all subsequent generations. As the feast of passover, like the |