It is evident, that in order to baptifm, the Evangelift required faving faith in Christ, and that of one also who was not a heathen. It seems, hence, clearly to follow, that of those to whom the gospel is preached, no one is to be baptized but the believer, and he only upon giving credible evidence of his faving faith in Chrift Jefus. This agrees with the most obvious fenfe of the commiffion, Matth. xxviii. 19. Mark, xvi. 15, 16. "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. And he faid unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel unto every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be faved; but he that believeth not fhall be damned."

It accords with the doctrine Chrift taught long before, fee John, iii. 5. "Jefus anfwered and faid unto him, Verily, verily, I fay unto thee, except a man be born again he cannot fee the kingdom of God. Jefus anfwered, Verily, verily, I fay unto thee, except a man be born of water, and of the fpirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

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It also feems to have been the uniform practice of all the apostles, according to the inspired records of their conduct. Acts, ii. 38-41. Then Peter faid unto them, repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jefus Chrift, for the remiffion of fins, and ye fhall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized; and the fame day there were added unto them about three thousand fouls."

True repentance neceffarily implies a change of heart; therefore to give up ourfelves to be baptized in the name of Jefus Chrift, as called upon G

in the text, pre-fuppofes a faving faith.-It presupposes that faith, which is connected with the forgiveness of fins. But to clearly determine the matter, it is added in the 41ft verfe," then they that gladly received the word," which is the fame as believing with all the heart, "were baptized." Here it is manifeft that the apostles baptized none of the many thousands, who heard them preach on that folemn occafion, but those who appeared cordially to embrace the gospel, Acts, viii. 12, 13. "But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jefus Chrift, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himfelf believed alfo," &c. Simon was baptized only on the fuppofition of faving faith, and was rejected immediately when it appeared, that he was in the gall of bitternefs, and bonds of iniquity. I find no example in this facred hiftory, of adult perfons, who were baptized, but what confirms the fame thing.*

Upon the whole, it is very evident, that though the apostles preached the gospel to every creature, to Jews and Gentiles, yet they baptized no adult perfons, unless they made a profeffion of real religion, and gave credible evidence of faving faith in the Lord Jefus Chrift. Thus it appears from fcripture, that nothing fhort of true and faving faith renders an adult person a proper fubject of christian baptism.-I fhall now proceed,

II. To argue the neceffary qualifications for adult baptifm, from the nature, ufe, and defign of the facred inftitution.

Under this head I fhall endeavor to fhew, from

Sa the inftance of Lydia and the Jailer--Acts, xvi. 15-34

a variety of confiderations, that faith in Christ, and nothing short of it, qualifies an adult perfon for baptifm.

This will appear, first, from the use of baptism as an initiating ordinance into the church. Our bleffed Saviour, fpeaking of adult perfons, fays, John, iii. 3. "Except a man be born again he cannot fee the kingdom of God." In the 5th verse"Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. And in John, xviii. 36. "Jefus anfwered, my kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then would my fervants fight, that I fhould not be delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from hence." The apoftle alfo afferts, Titus, ii. 14, "That Chrift gave himself to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

If the church of Chrift is to confift of a peculiar people, separated from the world-if a man must be born of the Spirit to enter into this kingdom, it must follow that baptifm, which introduces an adult perfon into the vifible church, as a qualified member, ought not to be adminiftered to any of these but upon credible evidence, that they are thus qualified. This is exactly agreeable to the anfwer of our question, in the Shorter Catechifm, which fays, "That baptifm is not to be administered to any who are out of the visible church, until they profess their faith in Chrift, and obedience to him."

2. From the defign of baptifm, as a feal of the covenant of promife, both on God's, and on our part. In this covenant are promises to the church in general, and to the believer in particular, for

himself and his children, as I fhall fhew on another occafion. But nothing fhort of faith in Christ brings an adult perfon into this covenant, and entitles him to the promises. The promises are "yea and amen, only in Chrift Jefus, agreeably to 2 Cor. i. 20. Since it is by faith only that a person, who acts for himself, or who, according to the gracious constitution, acts for others, agrees to the covenant, or takes hold of the promise, it is a great abfurdity to administer baptifm, which is a feal of the covenant to any adult unbeliever. Faith, therefore, in Christ, or an hearty agreement to the covenant on our part is abfolutely neceffary to baptifm.

3. Adult baptifm is a public folemn profeffion, that we do forfake our fins, that we renounce our idols, and give ourselves and ours to God through Jefus Chrift. But no perfon actually does this except he has faith in Jefus Chrift. Philip, therefore, faid, "If thou believeft with all thine heart thou mayest" be baptized. Confequently true faith is a neceffary qualification in adult baptifm. But to fum up the whole, and bring it before before you in one view-If adult baptifm fignifies any thing spiritual on the part of the baptized, if it feals to him any promife for himself, or for his children, it must fuppofe real faith. For example: the washing away of our fins by the blood of Chrift must certainly suppose faith in Christ, or else it fignifies that which is not true. If it feals to adults the promifed bleffings of the new covenant for themselves, or for their children, it is only through Chrift, and neceffarily fuppofes faith. In whatever light we confider the fubject, faving faith appears to be a qualification effentially neceffary for adult baptifm. All the inftances of adult baptifm, we have record

ed in the facred fcriptures, are full on this point. They clearly fhew, that the apoftles, and primitive difciples of Chrift did not baptize any to whom they preached the gofpel, on the fuppofition of a mere historical faith, or because they were only feriously affected. Felix trembled, but was not baptized. And, no doubt, many others trembled under the powerful preaching of the apoftles on the day of Pentecoft; but we do not read that any of them were baptized, except those who gladly received the word. When the apoftles went out to the Gentiles, they preached the gospel to vast multitudes; but we do not find that they baptized any adults, either men or women, except thofe who made a credible profeffion of their faith in Christ.

We have fufficient light, therefore, whether we look directly to the fcriptures, or reafon on the nature, ufe, and defign of this inftitution, to fhew us that faith is an effential pre-requifite to adult baptifm; or that this ordinance must not be administered to any but through the qualifying influence of this grace. The reafon is obvious. All the promised bleffings of the covenant of grace are treasured in Chrift for his church and people, and flow out to them only through faith. This alone unites us to him, and gives us a gracious title to the privileges and bleffings granted to believers, either for themselves or their children. The apoftle addreffed the multitude on the day of Pentecoft, exactly in this connexion.

Preffing on them the call to repentance, faith, and baptism, by this very argument, he faid, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jefus Chrift, for the remiffion of fins→→→