some time, would have been mentioned. Something would have been said about going from the place of worship; something about a change of garments, or some instances wherein baptism had been delayed, on account of sickness, or extremity of weather, as we often find it is by those who practice immersion now. But here all is silent; not a circumstance is any where, or at any time mentioned, which is necessarily The proof of it, therefore, is in

connected with immersion.

sufficient.

SECTION XX.

MODE OF BAPTISM—ARGUMENTS FOR SPRINKLING, CLEAR AND UNDENIABLE.

Arg. 1. Immersion is always more or less inconvenient; sometimes endangers health, and even life, and sometimes cannot, with propriety or safety, be performed at all. In many instances, people on beds of sickness, and near the close of life too, do either experience religion, or else have their former hopes so renewed and strengthened, that, in the judg ment of charity, are proper subjects of baptism, and have an earnest desire to leave their dying testimony in favor of their dying Saviour, by rceiving baptism, professing his name, and uniting with his church here on earth. And shall these, with feelings more tender, and desires more ardent than can be described, be denied the privilege of near and intimate communion with their God and Saviour, only because they cannot endure the severity of a total immersion under water? We ask, then, is it consistent with the tender compassion of our heavenly Father, who will have mercy, and not sacrifice, to appoint in his church, an ordinance which would not be easy, convenient, and safe for all persons, and in all circumstances of health or sickness, and at all seasons of the year? Humanity shudders at the thought; and the plainest dictates of common sense decide, that immersion was never of divine appointment.

Arg. 2. Under the former dispensation, when the pollution

of man was the same as now, and the divine purity the same as now, God was pleased to appoint sprinkling to purify his people for visible communion with him in holy ordinances. The blood of the paschal lamb, Exod. 12, 48, one of the most distinguished emblems of the blood of Christ, must be sprinkled on the door posts of the houses, when the destroying angel passed over them. This consecrated the family. The blood of the sin-offering, Exod. 29, 20, must be sprinkled. The leper, Levit. 14, 7, must be sprinkled. The water of separation, Num. 19th chapter, which was a purification for sin, must be sprinkled. We will here quote only what St. Paul mentions concerning sprinkling. Heb. 9, 19: "For when Moses had spoken to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves, and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, saying: "This is the blood of the testament, which God hath enjoined unto you. Moreover he sprinkled, likewise, with blood, both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry." All these, and others which might be mentioned, were figures, types, symbols, patterns, and emblems of gospel purifications, and of the blood of Christ, and do most clearly shew, that the christian purification, viz: baptism, must be by sprinkling also.

Arg. 3. Prophecies, which speak of the gospel dispensation, expressly foretell an ordinance of sprinkling, which can be none other than baptism. Isaiah 44, 3: “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. I will pour my spirit on thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.' Here is a perfect coincidence between the application of the water, and of the spirit. Both are by pouring. Again, Isaiah 52, 13: "Behold my servant shall deal prudently; he shall be exalted, and extalled, and be very high. So shall he sprinkle many nations." one can doubt, that this is a prophecy of Christ, and the gospel dispensation. Again, Ezek. 36, 25: "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you. And I will put my spirit within you." Christ and the gospel state of his kingdom are the burden of these prophecies, and water sprinkled is the symbol of the blood of Christ for the remission of sins. On these words, "I will

Νο

sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean," Mr.
Henry has this comment: "Both the blood of Christ, sprink-
led upon the conscience to purify that, and to take away the
seuse of guilt, as those that were sprinkled with the water of
purification, were thereby discharged from their ceremonial
uncleanness; and the grace of the spirit, sprinkled on the
soul, to purify it from all corrupt inclinations and disposi-
tions." Mr. Henry is here speaking of the thing signified.
The sprinkling of water was the sign, but the other, viz: the
sprinkling of the blood of Christ, or the grace accompanied,
was the thing signified. These prophecies foretell an insti-
tution of pouring, and of sprinkling clean water, and of the
sprinkling of many nations; whereas, only one nation, the
Jews under the former dispensation, had the benefit of sprink-
ling ordinances. The water must be clean or pure, to de-
note the cleanness or purity of the spirit. St. Paul has these
prophecies in view, when he says, Heb. 10, 22: "Having
our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies
washed (sprinkled) with pure water.' Again: Under the
former dispensation, mixed water was sprinkled, but in the
before-mentioned prophecies, it is foretold, that the time should
come, when pure, simple, unmixed, or clean water should be
poured or sprinkled upon God's people: yes, upon many
nations, which never took place until gospel times. Now,
prophecy is the sacred declaration of God himself, concern-
ing what must, not concerning what may, but concerning
what must take place. So sure as it is spoken, so sure it
must be fulfilled, and we are bound to conform to it. Why
must Jesus be born in Bethlehem-go into Egypt-stop at
Nazareth on his return-be betrayed for thirty pieces of sil-
ver-his garments divided, and lots cast for his raiment, &c.,
but to fulfil the prophecies? The apostles considered a pro-
phetic declaration, concerning practical duty, the same as a
command from the Lord. Acts 13, 47: "Lo we turn to
the Gentiles, for so the Lord hath commanded us, saying:
"I have set thee for a light to the Gentiles." We are, then,
under the same binding obligation to administer the ordinance
by sprinkling, as the apostles were to go to the Gentiles to
preach the gospel. Again: As the water of separation was
an emblem of purification for sin by the blood of Christ, in af-

ntism the chi

sin, is an emblem of the same blood of Christ, now already shed, Acts 2. 38, "for the remission of sins." As the blood of atonement was sprinkled, so we, according to the prophecies and apostolic example, Heb. 12, 24, "come to the blood of sprinkling ;" and 1st Pet. 1, 2, "to the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." When the apostle says: "Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water," he evidently speaks in allusion to the before-mentioned prophecy, where God says: "I will sprinkle clean water upon you.' Clean water and pure water are the same thing. So also sprinkling and washing are the same thing. We are said, Rev. 1, 5, to be washed from our sins in the blood of Christ; but as we have seen, the same thing in other passages is expressed by sprinkling. "We come to the blood of sprinkling"-" to the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." This is further evidence, that the apostles did, in conformity to the prophecies, administer bap. tism by sprinkling clean, or pure water. It is not the water, either less or more, but the blood of Christ, which takes away sin. The water is the sign, the blood of Christ the thing signified, and a few drops of water sprinkled are a more perfect sign, than a vast quantity, which cannot be sprinkled.

It may be useful here to repeat, that washing and sprinkling are used for the same thing. Psalm 51, 7: "Purge me with hissop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." These expressions allude to the ordinance of cleansing the leper, or one who has touched a dead body, which was by sprinkling him with a bunch of hissop dipped in the water of separation. But what we wish to remark here is, that this act of sprinkling, is expressly called washing. So also, Rev. 1, 5: "Unto him that loved us, and washed us in his own blood." But if we compare this with Heb. 12. 24, this being was shed in the blood of Christ, is to be sprinkled with the blood of Christ. Washing and sprinkling are used interchangeably, or synonymously the one for the other.

Arg. 4. The Greek words bapto, baptizo, and baptismos, being often used for a partial wetting, and also for sprinkling, we may conclude that in the religious use and applica

*

ing section, we have entered into a full investigation of their meaning, it is unnecessary here; which, if the reader does not recollect, he is requested to turn back, and again refresh his mind with what was there said concerning them.

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Arg. 5. The descent of the Holy Ghost, upon the hearts of men, is expressly called baptism. "I, indeed," said John, baptize you with water; but he (Christ) shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire." This is a wonderful passage. The same word baptize, is here used to express the manner of purifying both with water and with the spirit. The meaning of the word then, especially in the religious and sacramental use of it, must of course be the same in both. "I, indeed, baptize you with water; but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost." Each baptism is perfectly conformable, the one to the other-John's with water, Christ's with the spirit. The passage before mentioned, is of such importance, that we find it recorded in each of the four Gospels, viz: Mat. 3, 11; Mark 1, 8; Luke 3, 16; John 1, 33. The same passage is also quoted Acts 1, 5, and applied expressly to the pouring out of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost; and is again expressly called baptizing them, with the Holy Ghost, in a manner answering to John's baptizing with water. There must then, have been a perfect conformity, or likeness, as far as mode or manner was concerned. It would have been incongruous, in translating these passages, to have used the word plunge. I, indeed, plunge you with water, but he shall plunge you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire. Or, to say, I, indeed, plunge you with water, but he shall sprinkle you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire, (which like cloven tongues shall sit upon you,) would totally destroy the unity of the sentence. But, if the sense be thus, I indeed baptize you, with water sprinkled, or poured upon you; but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, which shall descend upon you, and with cloven tongues as of fire, which shall descend and sit upon you, there is then nothing incongruous, because the coming of the spirit, upon the heart, to change, to renew, and to sanctify it, is by affusion, and is represented by the falling of the rain, and the dew. Peter says, Acts 2, 17, that God had fulfilled his ancient promise, that he would pour out his spirit. And again, verse 33: "Having receiv