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been found out for their Salvation. And therefore we must know,

2. That all the Right and Title we have, or can pretend to this heavenly Kingdom, is deriv'd to us intirely thro' the Mercy and Merits of Jefus Chrift: For the Apoftle tells us, That we are Sons and Heirs only thro' Chrift, Gal. 4. 7. and elsewhere, Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done, but according to his Mercy he fav'd us, by the wafbing of Regeneration, and the Renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he fed on us abundantly thro' Fefus Christ our Saviour; that being justify'd by his Grace, we should be made Heirs according to the Hope of eternal Life: Tit. 3. 5, 6, 7. So that we must know,

3. That by this means, we have a firm and indefeafible Title to the Kingdom of Heaven: for as an Heir hath a legal Right and Claim to his Inheritance, so hath God vouchfaf'd to his Heirs thro' Chrift a legal Claim and Title to his Kingdom in Heaven.

as,

But how come they by this Claim? Why, fundry ways;

(1.) They have it by a Right of Purchase: not indeed their own, for they have nothing of value fufficient for such a Purchafe; but our bleffed Saviour's, whofe Merits were fufficient, not only to atone for the Sins, but to procure the Happiness of all Mankind: For he laid down his Life, and gave himself a Ransom for all ; 1 Tim. 2. 6. And hed his own precious and invaluable Blood, as the Price of their Redemption; 1 Pet. 1. 18, 19. By which means, we are bought with a Price out of the hands of our Enemies, and Heaven is become our purchas'd Poffeffion, Eph. 1. 14. Again,

:

(2.) The Children of God may claim this Inheritance by a Right of Promife, it being made over to them by the Word back'd with the Oath of God, for their greater Security For fo the Apoftle tells us, That God willing to fhew to the Heirs of Promife the Immutability of his Counsel, confirm'd it by an Oath; that by two immutable things, wherein it was impoffible for God to lye, they might have the Stronger Affurance and Confolation: Heb. 6. 17, 18.

Laftly, This Inheritance is made theirs by a Deed of Gift: for tho it be purchas'd by Chrift, and promis'd by our heavenly Father; yet, in refpect of us, 'tis purely a Gift, who could neither merit nor effect it for ourselves. Fear not, little Flock, faith our Saviour, 'tis your Father's Pleasure

Pleasure to give you a Kingdom, Luke 12. 32. All carthly Princes receive their Crowns from him; and all the Saints owe this Crown of Glory intirely to his Good-will and Pleasure.

Hence the Apoftle ftyles eternal Life the Gift of God; Rom. 6. ult. "Twere Arrogance to afcribe this either to the Merit of our Works, or the Purchase of our own Industry; who can neither deferve or do any thing in Proportion to it. By Grace ye are fav'd, faith the fame Apoftle, not of your felves, is is the Gift of God, Eph. 2. 8. And not by Works of Righteousness which we have done, but by his Mercy he fav'd us; by the Wafbing of Water, and renewing of the Holy Ghoft Tit. 3. 5, 6.

Thus I have fhew'd you fomewhat of the Glory of this Kingdom, the Title we have to it, and the Tenure we hold it by.

But ftill it may be afk'd, How these great things are made over to us in Baptifm? Are all that are baptiz'd, Partakers of thefe great Privileges? No! For

Tho thefe great things are promis'd and tender'd to all, yet this Promife is not abfolute, but conditional; fome thing is to be done on our Part, to make us capable of them: Baptifm is the Seal of the Covenant, in which these things are fign'd and feal'd on God's part; but fome Duties and Conditions are requir'd to be perform'd by us, without which we are never like to be the better for them, as will be fhew'd hereafter. In the mean time we may learn hence,

ift, The Sense and Truth of thofe Words of St. Peter; in the ift Epift. chap. 3. ver. 21. The like Figure whereunto, even Baptifm, doth now also fave us; not the putting away the Filth of the Flefb, but the Answer of a good Confcience towards God. Where the faving of Noah and his Family in the Ark from the common Deluge, is made a Type or Figure of that Salvation we now receive by Baptifm in both which there is a Salvation by Water, as well as from it; for the fame Water that was the Deftruc tion of fome, was the means of Salvation unto others, by bearing up the Ark that preferv'd them. And as they in the Ark were fav'd from perifhing by Water; fo we now in the Church, by the Waters of Baptifm, are sav'd from everlasting Destruction.

Another Figure hereof, was the Children of Ifrael's paffing thro' the Red Sea, where the fame Water that

drown'd

:

drown'd the Egyptians, became a Wall of Defenfe to the Ifraelites fignifying to us, that this Element, which hath been, and is to fome, the Inftrument of Deftruction, is by confecrating of it to the holy Purposes of Baptifm, become falutary to us, and the Means of our Salvation.

Moreover, the Apostle here tells us, what it is in Baptifm that now faves us, and the manner how it becomes effectual to that end; which is not by the outward washing or putting away the Filth of the Flefh, but by the inward Purity of the Heart, reprefented there by the Anfwer of a Good Confcience towards God.

2dly, From what hath been faid upon this Head, we learn the exceeding great Honour and Dignity that Chriftianity brings its Followers to: it makes them Heirs at present, and will fhortly enter them into the Poffeffion of a Kingdom; not an earthly Kingdom, whofe Glory foon fades and vanifhes away; but a never-failing Kingdom in Heaven, where a Scepter of Righteoufnefs fhall be put into their Hands, and a Crown of Glory fit for ever upon their Heads, Now we are the Sons of God (faith the Apoftle) but it doth not yet appear, what we shall be; but we know, that when he hall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall fee him as he is: 1 John 3. 2. The Vifion we fhall then have of him, will not only transport, but transform us too, into the fame Image: And when he who is our Light Shall appear, then shall we appear with him in Glory.

3dly, From hence we learn farther, what a high Value we ought to fet upon this facred Rite of Baptifm, which initiates us into all thefe Rights, and inftates us in the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God: 'tis by this alone. that we are receiv'd into the Ark of Chrift's Church, and thereby kept from finking into everlasting Perdition; by this we receive the Adoption of Children, and a Title to an everlafting Inheritance. And how can we have too high an Efteem for this Holy Ordinance, that helps to inveft us in all these noble and invaluable Privileges?

4thly, We learn from hence, not only the Excellency, but Neceffity of Baptifm; for as we are thus highly favour'd by it, fo we are miferable and undone without it. Baptifm now faves us, by entring us into the Church, and making us Members of Chrift's Body, whereby we derive Grace and Strength from him as our Head: but before and without this, we are out of the Church, and fo out of the ordinary way of Salvation; being in

the

the State of Heathens and Infidels, without God and without Christ, and fo without Hope in the World. Our Saviour exprefly tells us, That except a Man be born again of Water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God; John 3. 5. They that enter not by this Door into the Kingdom of Grace here, can never enter into the Kingdom of Glory hereafter. Wherefore,

Lastly, The weight and neceffity of this Sacrament should carefully lead all Men to it, where it may be had; and caution every one against a wilful Neglect of it. We read in the beginning of Chriftianity, how all Men flock'd to John's Baptifm; how our Saviour dignify'd this Ordinance by fubmiting to it himself; and how all his Followers have been receiv'd this way to the Christian Church ever fince. Yea, we find Chrift himself declaring, that they who do not follow him in the Regeneration now, fhall not follow him when he fhall be reveal'd in his Glory at the laft day.

Let all then that are unbaptiz'd, no longer defer it, but come with all speed to this neceffary and beneficial Ordinance; and let all Parents take heed how they hazard the Salvation of their Children, by denying or delaying of it.

Thus I have done with the fecond Queftion and Answer in the Catechifm, which contains thofe high and invaluable Bleffings and Privileges promis'd and confer'd on God's part in our Baptifm; wherein we are made the Members of Chrift, the Children of God, and Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven.

The next will lead us to the Duties or Conditions requir'd on our part to make us capable of them; of which hereafter.

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I

DISCOURSE X.

JAMES IV. latter part of the 7th Verse.
Refift the Devil, and he will fly from you.

Finish'd the last time the fecond Queftion and Anfwer in the Catechifm, containing the ineftimable Bleffings and Privileges promis'd on God's part, and confer'd in the Baptifmal Covenant, viz. Church Membership, Adoption, and a Right to the Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven: All which being feverally treated of, I proceed now to the

Third Queftion and Anfwer in the Catechifm, containing the Terms and Conditions of the New Covenant, requir'd on our Part, in order to our being made Partakers of thofe foremention'd Privileges: For this Covenant (as I before hinted) is not abfolute, but conditional; nor is Baptifm alone fufficient to intitle us to the Mercies and Bleffings promis'd in it, without the Anfwer of a good Confcience in discharging the Duties engag'd in it. The

Third Question then is, What did your God-fathers and God-mothers then for you? To which the

Anfwer is, They promis'd and vow'd three Things in my

Name:

ift, That I fhould renounce the Devil and all his Works, the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World, and all the finful Lufts of the Flesh.

2dly, That I fhould believe all the Articles of the Chriftian Faith.

3dly, That I fhould keep God's Holy Will and Commandments, and walk in the fame all the Days of my Life.

Which Words contain the Terms and Conditions of the Covenant required on our part, which are to be promis'd by the Adult in their own Perfons, who are baptiz'd in their riper Years; and for Children by their Sureties, who are baptiz'd in their Infancy.

Now

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