whom he baptizes, and precifely as much scripture for drowning, as for burying. The very fame paffage, might he fay, which commands burying, commands drowning, commands " death."

In the prefent mode of plunging, the resemblance is almoft entirely loft. What is the resemblance between laying a dead body in a rock, covering it with a great ftone, fealing it in a folemn manner; all things continuing in this ftate, three days and three nights; what is the refemblance between this, and fuddenly plunging a living body into water, and inftantly lifting it out of the water. What poffible likeness is there between a living perfon in the water, and a dead body in a rock. The fimilitude is little better than that of the blind man, who fuppofed the light of the fun was like the noife of a cannon. We have accordingly endeavored to fhow in the introduction, that the elegant fcholar, the christian orator of Tarfus, had no thought of any such refemblance; his object was to fhow that in regeneration or fpiritual baptifm, which is followed with newness of life" or a new life, "through faith which is the operation of God," we are dead and buried to fin, and raised or made alive to God, as Chrift was. The evident defign of the text is to illuftrate the preceding verfe, which speaks of fpiritual circumcifion made without hands. This baptifm is that by which we are raised with Chrift; but in water baptifm we are not always rifed with Christ. If men are plunged they may generally be raifed from the water; but this has no neceffary connexion with " rifing with Chrift." This baptifm is alfo effected" through faith which is the operation of God;" but a man may be raised out of an ocean of water, every day of his life, and re

main deftitute of faith; therefore, the text has no reference to water baptifm. In thefe remarks may be seen the importance of literature to found divinity. Ignorance is the parent of error.

3. The excellence of the chriftian character fhows the divine original of the chriftian fyftem.

His

The gofpel when it has due influence on the mind produces a new life, a new creature. heart breathes a new temper, and his life is adorned with new actions. Can any fiction of men produce fuch an effect? Has any fystem of human philofophy or religion been found adequate to fuch a purpofe? Will the facrifices of Pagans, will the fplendid fancies of Mahometans produce fuch a glorious change in the human mind? Let all the fystems of human philofophy and religion combine and exert their united energy on one man, they never can effect fuch a change of character; they never can form a humble difciple of Jefus Chrift. They may prefent us a Tully, a Socrates, or a Cato; but they never can form a Nathaniel without guile, a Jofeph without refentment, nor a Daniel without ambition. All the fires of philofophy and falfe religion do not furnish a spark of that inextinguishable zeal, which inceffantly glowed in the bofom of St. Paul.

4. Do not the excellent effects of internal baptism, and that "faith which is the operation of God," reprove many chriftian profeffors?

Ye are, my friends, crucified, and dead, and buried with Chrift. Like him fhould you be feparate from fin, holy, harmless, and undefiled. Like him fhould you walk with God. Yet how often do many pollute their hearts with worldly affections, their lips with worldly converfation, and their hands with

worldly conduct. How often do they defcend from the elevated dignity of the christian character to be weak in virtue as other men. Inftead of being crucified with Christ, they seem like Judas to be alive to worldly gain. Instead of being dead to the world, they feem almost ready to barter future glory for human applaufe. Defcending from their high communion with God, they feek felicity in the beggarly elements of this world. By fuch profeffors Chrift is wounded in the house of his friends. He knocks, he cries for entrance at the door of their hearts, his head wet with the dew, and his locks with the drops of the night. Such profeffors not only forfake their firft love, wound their own peace, diftrefs their own confciences, and cloud their own hopes of eternal life; but by their backfliding, the gospel is reproached, finners are prejudiced and hardened in their fins, the people of God are afflicted and difcouraged, and the holy spirit is grieved from our churches.

5. From the character of God's people we fee how natural it is for them to commune together.

Characters, who are alike, always harmonize. Persons united in Jesus Christ, as neceffarily have fellowship, as fimilar founds are always in unifon. It is the comfort and joy of chriftians to commune in the truths of God's word, in the duties of life, and in the inftitutions of religion.

It is, therefore, an object of defire, and a purfuit of life with the people of God, actually to hold communion in devout converfation, in religious fervices, and in all the things of God. This is one reason why they are glad to hear their friends fay, "let us go up to the house of the Lord, and enquire in his holy temple."

God alfo commands his people to commune together, especially in the ordinance of "the fupper." "This do in remembrance of me. Of what unhallowed violence then are thofe guilty, who feparate the children of God, who fay to one part of their chriftian brethren, "stand by, while we fit down at our father's table. This is our father's table, and we charitably believe you to be the children of our father; yet we difcard you from our communion, from our fociety, not for want of evidence, that you are real faints; but becaufe more water was applied to us in baptism than to you."

So do men make themfelves believe, that a bafon, a cistern, or a river, are effential circumftances in the chriftian character, effential to chriftian privileges. May not the Roman Catholic with as much reafon make the fign of the crofs, neceffary to church communion? So often has it been proved and proved, that "baptize," that " many waters," "that going to the water," that coming from the water" do not neceffarily prove plunging, that a mind must be, peculiarly, organized to fuppofe, more proof is needed. To infift, therefore, on this mode of baptifin, as neceffary to chriftian communion, is to show a temper, which cannot be mistaken, yet need not be named.

That a mode, a ceremony, a certain quantity of water, or a certain extent of water on the body, fhould be confidered effential to chriftian communion in the glimmering light of the fixteenth century, is not very ftrange; but that such ideas should continue to the prefent time, is a melancholy phenomenon in the religious world.

To separate those children from the table of their heavenly father, who are, confeffedly, animated with the fame faith, comforted with the fame hope, and adorned with the fame holy character, may seem more like the aufterity of a merciless eye fer vant, than the brotherly kindness of a faithful stew ard.

The compaffionate Redeemer teaches, that his children are branches of the fame vine; is it not unmerciful to tear off a part of the branches, leaving the vine, to be buffeted by the ftorms, and the branches to wither, and languish, and die? The compaffionate Redeemer teaches, that his children are the members of his body; is it not cruelty and murder by "clofe communion" to tear off the limbs from the body? Is it not rending Jefus Chrift himself limb from limb? Will not the bleeding, mangled, dying members of Chrift, be fwift witneffes againft fuch treatment?" Is it not a violent "offence" to the "little caes" of Chrift; is it not distress and death to that facred union, which exifts among the members of Chrift's body?

May we all, my brethren, ftudy the things, which make for peace; may the watchmen of Zion lift up their voice in unifon, and fee eye to eye; may He, who walks in the midst of the golden candlefticks, bid the wilderness and folitary place be glad, the defert rejoice and bloffom as the rofe, the wolf dwell with the lamb, and the leopard with the kid, and the whole earth be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the fea. AMEN.