baptifm that I am baptized with: but to fit on my right hand and on my left, is not mine to give, but it fhall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. Matt. xx. 22, 23. I have a baptifm to be baptized with, and how am I ftraitened till it be accomplished. Luke xii. 50. We are buried with him by baptifm into death. Rom. vi. 4.-This baptism, in relation to the bonds of the law, and the redemption-difcipline, though it be abfolutely neceffary to our falvation, and is included in the holy purpofe of God in Chrift, is ftill widely different, and, in the fcriptures, is clearly diflinguifhed from the baptifm of the Holy Ghoft-which baptifm characterizes diftinctly the gospel difpenfation, as, thereby, we receive power to become the fons of God, and are made partakers of the earnefts and fruits of glory. Thus, it is faid, Acts i. 3-5. 10 whom alfo hè fhewed himself alive after his paffion, by many infallible proofs, being feen of them forty days, and fpeaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God; And being affembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerufalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, faith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye fhall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence. Alfo Acts xiii. 24. John first preached before his coming, the baptifm of repentance to all the people of Ifrael. Again, Acts xviii. 24-26. And a certain Jew named Apol los, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the fcriptures, came to Ephefus.

This man was inftructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the fpirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptifm of John. And he began to fpeak boldly in the fynagogue. Whom when Aquila and Prifcilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God MORE PERFECTLY. Apollos, before he was met by thefe difciples of Paul, was inftructed in the way of the Lord; i. e. The Lord Jefus; and he appears to have well understood the whole fyftem concerning Chrift, as antecedent to the gift of the Holy Ghost; to which matter our baptifm moft indifputa. bly relates, together with all the distinguishing glories of the gospel church.

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And again, it is faid, Acts xix. 1-6. And it came to pass, that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having paffed through the upper coafts, came to Ephefus: and finding certain difciples, He faid unto them, have received the Holy Ghost fince ye believed? And they faid unto him, We have not fo much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghoft. And he faid unto them, unto what then were ye baptized? And they faid, unto John's baptifm. Then Jaid Paul, John verily baptized with the baptifm of repentance, Jaying unto the people, that they fhould believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Chrift Fefus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jefus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghoft came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophefied.

It appears, therefore, both from the theo ry and the fcriptures, that, from the doctrine of Christ, in relation to diftinct parts of the divine will, there arifes two baptifms; which twofold nature and operation of the holy doctrine, may explain the manner of expresfion used by the apoftle. Hebrews vi. 1, 2. Therefore, leaving the doctrine of the beginning of Chrift, let us go on to the perfect end; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, Of the doctrine of BAPTISMS, &C.

The baptifm, as under the bond of the covenant, or the fervice-work and forfeiture of the law, is ever reprefented, by dark and tempeftuous' clouds, with their flood-caufing rains; by the waters of the river, ftrong and many; and by the fwelling and rolling of the deep; or, as being a cup of forrows, an im merfion, a burial, &c. But, according to the promife of the Father, and the grace of the kingdom of heaven, the baptifm of the Holy Gholt is reprefented by the pouring, dropping, or fprinkling of waters; by a refreshing rain, and the waters of Shiloah that go foftly; or as being an influence from hea ven, kind and gentle, As the dew of Hermon, that defcended upon the mountains of Zion, where the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

And as there are, fubftantially, two bap tifms, differing fo much the one from the o ther; fo likewife, there are two baptifmal figns, which agree with, and in the most exact and striking manner, reprefent and fhew forth the great and folemn things thereby

fignified-the one of which, in relation to the humiliation and fuffering of Chrift, is, as it were, a fign from the deep beneath; and the other, in relation to his exaltation and glory, is a fign as from heaven above. All the figns and tokens of the covenant, have a plain relation to one or both, of thefe distinct parts of the divine will; and, confidered feparately, they are all calculated to exprefs and fhew forth, in the moft instructive and sensible manner, the different parts; and, taken together, they exhibit, in the strongest and most natural view, the whole of the divine theory. Ifaiah, with the glorious truth of Immanuel in view, and with evident regard to these states of humiliation and exaltation, or to his defcending and afcending, and fpake unto Ahaz, faying, Afk thee a fign of the Lord thy God; afk it either in the depth, or in the height above. Ifai. vii. 11. See the connection.

The first fign or token of the ministration of Christ, as from his throne above; or of the ministration of the fpirit through righte bufnefs, was given in the rainbow; and it may justly be confidered as one of the clearest tokens of the New Testament establifhment, which has ever existed. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have fworn, that the waters of Noah fhould no more go over the earth; fo havé I fworn, that I would not be wrath with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness fhall not depart from thee, neither fhall the covenant of my A a a

peace be removed, faith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. Ifai. liv. 9, 10. As the waters of Noah, by the word and promise of God, folemnly ratified by the bow in the cloud, were interdicted from ever again going over the earth; in like manner, the tribulations and distreffes, which are now flowing in and deluging the church, fhall foon ebb away and retire to the dark abyfs-and by the covenant of peace, and the fign of the Son of Man, which will then appear, thefe great waters, like thofe of the flood, fhall be bound in their place, and fhall nev

er, never more return.

The rainbow is formed by the fhedding down, or fprinkling of rain-when the tempestuous cloud has paffed over, and the fky is in the state of clearing up, in a fhort time after the ceafing of the great drops of water, there may be obferved to distill a thick, uniform and small rain, very distinguishable from the unequal and bustling drops that had preceded which fill fmall rain is that which forms the bow. This kindly rain is obferved to proceed from a fmooth and bright cloud, which is feparate from the dark and compreffed body, and is formed in a higher fky; which is fo nigh to it, however, that the small rain defcending from it, is affected in its courfe by the air of the denfe cloud, until it approaches nearer the earth, when it is again governed by the natural current of the air. This feparate part, from which the fine and gentle rain diftills, appears fometimes to fkirt the whole cloud;