baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death? We have then been buried with him by baptism into his death; that, as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been allied to him in the likeness of his death, so shall we be also in the likeness of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, so that we should no longer be in subjection to sin; for one who is dead is freed from sin. But if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall live with him; knowing that Christ, having been raised up from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died in respect to sin once for all; but in that he liveth, he liveth in respect to God. Thus also consider ye yourselves dead indeed in respect to sin, but alive in respect to God, through Christ Jesus.

The expressions, baptized into Jesus Christ, and baptized into his death, require explanation. These phrases are more usually considered as meaning, baptized into an acknowledgment of Jesus Christ, with an implication of subjection or discipleship to him ;* and, baptized into an acknowledgment of his death. The commentary proposes a somewhat different explanation: thus; "As many

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of us as have been baptized into Jesus Christ;" that is, as many of us as have become devoted to Christ by baptism;" "or taken upon as a peculiar relation to him by being baptized."+ We have been baptized into his death; "that is, we have, as it were, been made partakers of his death by baptism," "we have engaged to die unto sin, as he died for it; we have a communion or participation in death to sin."

I prefer the more usual and more simple explanation. The expression baptized into death, or into his death [elç Tor Júvarov], may be compared with the expression which occurs in Matt. 3: 11, I baptize you unto repent

ance [sis perάvolar], that is, into repentance. The meaning of this declaration I understand to be this, I baptize you into an acknowledgment of repentance; so that by this baptism you acknowledge yourselves to be in a state of repentance; in other words, by submitting to this baptism you profess repentance and bind yourselves to a life of amendment. So, to be baptized into the death of Christ, is to be baptized into an acknowledgment of his death and into an acknowledgment of the obligations resulting from that death.

I subjoin, for the sake of clearness, the following free and paraphrastic translation.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means. How shall we who have become dead in respect to sin, live any longer subject to it? Do ye not know, that so many of us as have been baptized into an acknowledgment of Jesus Christ, were baptized into an acknowledgment of his death, or have by our baptism engaged to die unto sin, as he died for sin? By baptism, then, which acknowledges his death, we have been buried, as he was buried; that, as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, so we also having been raised up from our burial, should lead a new life. For if we have become like Christ as to his death, that is, if, as he died for sin, we have died to sin; we shall be also like him as to his resurrection; that is, as he arose to a new and heavenly life, so shall we lead a new and holy life. This obviously follows from what we know; namely, that as Christ was crucified, so our inward carnal man has been subjected to a moral crucifixion for the destruction of our sinful propensities, so that we might no more be in subjection to sin. For a person, who has departed this life, who is dead, is freed from the temptations and sins of the present life. Now if we have died to sin, as Christ died for sin, we believe that as he arose to a new life, we shall also lead a new life; knowing that Christ, having been raised up from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no longer dominion over him. For in that he died, he died on account of sin once for all, so as to destroy its power; but in that he liveth, he liveth in respect to God, so as to advance his

glory. In like manner also consider ye yourselves dead in respect to sin, but alive in respect to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The design of the apostle in these verses was, to meet an objection which might be raised against the statements of the preceding chapter. In that chapter, he had largely shown that the grace of God vastly superabounds over the sins of men; and that the abounding of sin had proved an occasion of the superabounding of divine grace. If this be the case, some one might say, may we not still go on to sin, so that God's grace may still more abundantly be exhibited? The apostle's reply is very simple. It consists of two parts; 1. The internal character of Christians forbids such an objection; they are dead to the influence of sin. 2. Their external profession of Christianity opposes it; by their very baptism they have, as being dead to sin, symbolically been buried and raised up again, thus making an acknowledgment, that, as Christ was buried and rose again to a heavenly life, so they, as his followers, having by baptism been buried and raised again, were bound to lead a new, a spiritual life.

It is contended, that the burying, mentioned by the apostle, is not an external one, but an internal, a moral burying; and that this phrase, we are BURIED, is used only to express more strongly the idea of having become dead. This opinion seems effectually opposed by the circumstance, that the burying is performed by baptism, an external rite. The preposition, which is here employed in the original, leads us to this view. It is dia Tov Baлrloμatos BY baptism that we are buried, not AT our baptism. It is not, that baptism merely furnished a suitable occasion for showing our being wholly disinclined to sin, so that, when we professed Christianity, we might be said to be buried in respect to sin; but

baptism is here represented as the very thing, the very instrument, or, more properly, the very act, BY which, or, BY MEANS OF which, we were buried. The apostle seems to present two things, a death and a burial, which are clearly kept distinct; and the burial is an external thing, consisting in the fact, that we have been baptized into an acknowledgment of Christ's death. To continue in sin would, then, be inconsistent with our character and our religious profession. It does not seem an adequate representation of the apostle's language to say, that having become dead to sin, we have completed this work of moral dying by publicly professing Christianity and promising at baptism to renounce sin; so that by our consummating the work of dying we may consider ourselves as buried. He seems to say, that besides having become dead to sin, we have also been buried by baptism into an acknowledgment of Christ's death.

This very obvious view is too much disregarded. If the apostle had simply said, we are dead to sin and are buried in respect to it, or we are dead and buried in respect to sin, his language would require a different interpretation. But the apostle himself explains what he means by burying, when he adds, by baptism, dia Tov Bantlaμaros. It is with much pleasure I here avail myself of the language of my respected colleague, Prof. Chase, in a note attached to his sermon on the Design of Baptism.

The language is figu

"Buried with him by baptism. rative. The word ovverάonuer means we were interred, or covered up in a grave, or laid in a tomb,' or buried with Christ. How? By baptism, the apostle adds; and this addition modifies the figure, and makes the sense as clear as it is possible for express words to make it. In, or by baptism, then, Paul and the Christians

To be crucified to the

whom he addresses were buried. world, or dead to sin, is the character of the Christian; but to be buried with Christ by baptism, is the appointed emblematical profession of that character. The apostle does not teach that believers are crucified with Christ, or are dead with Christ, or possess a mortified temper, by baptism. To have such a state of soul, to be dead in respect to sin, is one thing; and to be buried with Christ by baptism, is quite a different thing; for this is external, whereas the other is internal. The one is a sign; the other, the thing signified. It is only by confounding what the apostle has kept distinct, that there can be any mistake concerning this passage."*

But let us examine in detail the arguments by which Prof. Stuart would show, that the burying here mentioned, has no necessary reference to the immersion of the early Christians.

*It is important to bear in mind, that the burying is performed by baptism, and thus refers to an external act. This thought will remove the obscurity which Scott's commentary throws around this passage. In attempting to show that the words, we are buried with him by baptism, do not require immersion as necessary to baptism, he says, 'we are also said to be crucified with Christ, and circumcised with him.' Mr. Scott, I apprehend, has fallen into an error as to the last expression, 'circumcised with him,' that is, Christ. I have searched in vain for this expression in the Scriptures. As to the expression, we are crucified with Christ,' it is substantially correct. But the verse in the Epistle to the Romans, now under consideration, does not contain the simple expression, we are buried with him ;' but, 'we are buried with him by baptism.’ Now to make the other passage parallel with this it ought to be, not simply, crucified with Christ;' but,' put to death with Christ by crucifixion.' A comparison of these forms of expression clearly shows, that something peculiarly significant was intended by employing the phrase 'buried with him by baptism.'