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Thoae too large to be entirely included in one expoaura are filmed beginning in the upper left hand comer, left to right and top to bottom, aa many framee aa required. The following diagrama illuatrata the method: Lea cartae, planches, tableeux, etc., peuvent Atre filmAe A dee taux de rAduction diff Arents. ^rsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un aaul clichA, il est flimA A partir da Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en baa, en prenant ia nombre d'imegee nAcessaire. Im diagrammea suivanta iiluatrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 8 6 m fv. > 3lJ *'•" * ^jr.T' ITL. ww^rw^ A DISCOURSE ON THE BAPTISM OF 1SDB ^JUPI^iOSL # OB, INFANT BAPTISM CLEARLY PROVED. ■^ . * ima TUB BVtSnMscm or a si^uion dbutsriid at ma TAsn- ITACLB; tiVMM mSBT, SAIMlr JOHN, K. >., MAT 30^ 1841 S Am AMO viuiiyiom» at cabutoA. S^'- '^i BV T8B BBTA J> 8L ▼.»iK, [independent minister op said CHUllCH AND OONGREQATION. i VtnUdMMMB WW MMWnBMTm PIUI{TED BY ROBERT SHIVES,,AT THE OFHCE 09^; Is* -^ <"% Jf ■^\ -?.■ r. '■■■ ■'%* -«''--T--^-jif;^ Sl'3' ■; ^-'^MP!-* '•mn •in ..\^ ..f. ' '..1. *. ', -■.,. : .•»t^i' .s«^!''; ■ ,*; '>%■ t V This Sermon was delivered to a very large congregation, antjy under very interesting circumstances. It was at the public baptism of two yoMig ladies, whose minds had been previously agitated on ,rthe subject of Dipping, but had become fully persuaded of the pro- 'prietyvand truly scriptural mode of sprinkling clean water upon them, as an emblem of the blessed influences of the Holy Spirit. At the time of its delivery, it was much blessed to many of the preacher's hearers— and his prayer is, that the good Spirit of God may attend it now when it is going out into the woirld. / ■ '•'. trnm^'"'- '"f ^•a :\' 1. -.•J"; i * J. B. AMBLER. ""Am stripes ; he had rejoiced Th remar] sacred Paul miaist: preacl minds the in ,L" f . ''.' '^■y. ri*^fr.^ •^ar f-' r\ '■ ' 'i , '-^, "^ ..;». dlf%f .H;-*^;'AvV/ «ii :^0^i< "t;^* . ,Sf,.;,-^ ' ■.■.< 1 Wl^, . tei ;■''', <«l»i;%. -tl2 "SERMON. ^' And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their •stripes ; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway." " And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house." — Acts xvi. 33. The words we have read as the foundation of these remarks, are connected with a most interesting piece of sacred history. The circumstances are as follows : — St. Paul and his companion, Silas, in the course of their ministry came to Philippi, but in consequence of their preaching producing such wonderful effects upon the minds of the people, and especially in its interfering with the interests of- certain influential individuals, a vfoient persecution was raised against them, and they were both arrested — dragged before the magistrate — condemned, and publicly whipped and cast into prison. But hark ! at midnight God appeared for them; an earthquake shook the foundations of Mie prison — the bars and bolts of the prison-house start'ora their hold — the doors fly open — the iron chains drop from their prisoners and no longer hold their captives — the jailor is alarmed, his mind is filled with consternation, he is at the very point of commiting suicide, but is arrested by the voice of his prisoners, cry- ing " do thyself no harm." His mind, as if under the power: of magic, thunderstruck and confounded to find all hie prisoners safe, is led to see the hand of God in the dispensation, and under a deep conviction of the enormity of his offences against God, he cries out, " men and bre- thren what shall I do to be saved ?" This enquiry led the Apostle ta apply the balm which God has provided for every wounded conscience and every enquiring mind, which is this, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."....., .,.., . ■':.7 ■ -■.-«*: ^-1 A W ''■. iF^. / The result of these disturhances was the conversion of the jailor, and the baptism of his whole household. The happy effects of his conversion are stated in the text we have selected as the foundation of these remarks — ^" And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes ; and was baptized, he and all hi?, straightway." " And when he had brought them into bis house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house." Let me call your attention to I—THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. As to the subjects of Baptism, they are believers and their children. 1 — Believers. In the first ages of the church, the persons to whom the gospel was to be preached, were all either Jews or Gentiles. If either of these parties became christians, they were to manifest this change in their religious opi- nions and character, by making a public profession of their faith, and receiving the external rite of water bap- tism. This you know was the case with those who were converted on the day of Penticost,and many others under the preaching of the first ministers of the cross. It is of importance to observe, that the faith reguired by the apos- tles of those who became converts to iheir religion, was not what we call saving &ith — ^but a/bare assent to the fact that Jesus was the Messiah. This, I think, is per- fectly clear from the consideration that both Jews and Gentiles denied that Jesus was the Messiah. The com- mission our Lord gave his disciples, was to proselyte them as far as possible to the christian faith ; and when once proselyted, they were to be received into the chris- tian church by being baptized. Hence, the commission reads, " Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." — Matt, xxviii. 19. 20. The original word, translated — teach — at the be- ginning of this passag3, is different from that at th<; end, 'Ji: tyi , _'-i/ -LfA. rfii:^ - Vi' -.^.i'\k'i'"^M*'.-' 7"^^ yfv'^ -.'-STT^^^ iversion of aid. The lie text we w — " And ished their lightway." use, he set xl with all JM. ievers and 8 to whom >r Jew» or christians, igious opi- ofession of ivater bap- ! who were lers under It is of y the apos- igion, was sent to the nk, is per- Jews and The com- proselyte and when the chris- smmission japtizing Ion, and of all things xxviii. 19. at the be- lt th(^ end, which is rendered by the same English verb ; the one signifies to make disciples, and the latter to communicate instruction. But you will, and cannot but see, that wo are placed in very different circumstances from these Jews. As I have already observed, the whole world were at that time either Jews or Grentiles, who denied Jesus Christ as the true Messiah ; but with regard to the present genera- tion, most of whom have been baptized in their infancy, and are at least circumstantial believers, the doctrine of baptism does not apply, as all are thus Christians by ex- ternal profession at least, and have no need of baptism ; for surely Christ did not mean to baptize those who were already members of the visible church. As the Jews had only one circumcision, so in the christian church there is only one baptism. 2 — Children. The question then is on what ground do you baptize little children ? I answer, on the same ground and for the same reason that we baptize adults ; but it is said we have no command. But let us understand what is meant by a command. By a command, I understand a positive injunction, requiring some duty to be done,^onM habit l^or sin to be given up, made by a duly authorised per- son. On this principle, there is no positive command to baptize any person, either infant or adult, m the New Testament. The commission to baptize all nations, ap- plies as much to infents as to any other V'vidual. It would be a very strange nation indeed, in which in&nts or children are not found, and especially when the com- mand is to baptize all nations. Again, if you are to do nothing but what we have a plain and positive command to do, you cannot but see that a great many both of our religious and social duties of life must be given up. For instance, we have no command to keep the first day as a Christian Sabbath ; but would you give up this glorious institute upon that account ? We have no command for a female to come to the Lord's table, but would you ex- clude them on that account ? In feet, if you are willing to do nothing but what you have a plain and positive /■■v?:* <:.l l> .*.■.■ ••"^'.^Hfc 'ifcw-****-:. :^^^s;ir jifiiii;-?> e / command for, you are, I am afraid, willing to do but Ikp lie for God aiKl ihe generation in which you live. Every one must see by a monient's reflection, that most of our reliofious and social duties arise from mere inference, on Taking for granted principles ; and if we should have a positive command for every thing we do or say, the whole world could not contain the books that would be neces- sary to record our duties and actions. With these explana- tions I proceed to remark — l-^It is ihe indispensable duty of parents to instrzict their children in the knoioledge of God. -- :«>;": This is not only an acknowledged fact as a common principle planted in our nature, but we have the express command of God so to do. " Train up a child in the way ho should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." It is also spoken by way of commendation of Abra- ham — " that he would command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord." But if it is our duty to educate and instruct our children in the christian religion, common sense teaches us that the best and most effectual way is to bring them ' into and under the immediate care and instruction of the churc^ Now^as baptism is the external rite of intro- duction into* the churcl^, and means of instructioii in the^ knowledge of the christian religion, is there any thing more reasonable, more consistent, more becoming the du- ty of parerlts, than to bring their children to this chris- tian ordinance, that as they grow in years, they may grow * in the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. And is it not also perfectly clear that the children of all those parents, where one or both make a visible pro^'.ssion of religion, are not only to be baptized, but it is their right to be so baptized. And that children are en- titled to these privileges is also evident, where only one of whose parents is a professed believer, appears from 1 Cor. vii. 14. — "For the unbelieving husband is sancti- fied by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband, else were your children unclean, but now are they holy." To be unclean in the scripture language, is to be out of the visible church. See Acts x. 14. jut Ut- Evety of our ICO, on. have a s whole I neces- xplana- tct their •ommon express the way j)art from of Abra- and his ay of the struct our 36 teaches :ing them ion of the , of intifo- tioiiin the|^ any thing tng the du- this chris- may grow om he hath le children ce a visible ;ed, but it is Iren are en- :e only one (pears from nd is sancti- sanctifiedby an, but now re language, V 2 — The original covenant which God made with our fa- ther Abraham^ teaches us the doctrine of Infant Bap- tism. God is one and is of one mind and changes not. " He is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever the same." As one unchangeable being, you must observe God never had but one church on earth, and all the covenants and promises he ever made with this church ara binding upon him forever. Any other idea of God than this would de- stroy all confidence in him, and the church would soon become extinct. It is true, the outward signs of this covenant may change, as this must depend in a large de- gree upon the country and climate in which the church is planted ; but this docs not change the covenant maker, or his obligations to fulfil his promises. This is the case with the outward sign of the covenant w^hich God made with our father Abraham, the father of the faithful. The covenant to which I refer, reads as follows : " I will es- tablish my covenant betvveen me and thy seed after thee, in their generation, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee." " This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you, an4 thy seed after thee ; every man child among ypu shall be circumcised." Now, for the perpetuity of this covenant, read the following most interesting portion in the New Testament : — " Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the reimssion of sins ; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." "For the promise is unto you and your children, and to all that are afar off. even as many as the Lord our God shall call." — Acts ii. 38-39. Now, in order to understand this promise, you must keep in mind that the parents and their children are here both joined together; he does not say, the promise is now to you, and shall be to your children when grown up ; but " the promise is to you and your children" — by which he plainly expresses the present privileges of the children above those of the unconverted Gentiles. The context informs us that many of Peter's hearers were Jews. They had been accus- tomed for many hundred years to receive infants by cir- Wfc.1 f.^* 1 1. wtm/if* V : I,.' AW ■J: 8 cumcision mto the church, in virtue of the proiniae made to Abraham — " I will be a God to thee and to thy seed." They had understood this promise as including parents and their infant offspring. When, therefore, one of their own nation says to them, " The promise is now unto you and your children," is it possible they could consider him as meaning any thing different ? It was so understood by Moses — Deut. xxviiii. 10-15, in these words, " Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel. Your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water." " That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the Lord thy God maketn with thee this day. That he may establish thee to-day for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath, but with him that standeth here with us this day before the Lord our God ; and also with him that is not here with us this day." This is th^ nature and character of the covenant which God has made with the whole human family, their wives and children. The prophet Isaiah, predicting the future glory of the church, says, " They are the seed of the blessed of the tiord, and their offspring with them." Thus you see that the covenant made with our father Abraham, includes the same privileges in all generations to the^nd of time; and what the Apostle means by these promises, he informs us. Acts iii. 25., " Ye are the chil- dren of the covenant which Grod made with Abraham ; and in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be bles- sed." But, perhaps, some may say, why not continue the bloody rite of circumcision ? The reason of the discontinuance of the one and the institution of the other is perfectly plain. Our Lord Jesus Christ having shed )iis blood once for all in the sacrifice of himself upon the cross, has by^ this one act forever abolished all bloody > '„..,j«:i :'.;■< ^■■p % . { ^•' 9 -^.& lei ese lil- Im; sacriiSces ; and thus at one stroke forever put an end to the shedding of blood. 3 — The attention which Christ paid to little children. That our Lord paid marked and particular attention to little children, is a fact that no one will attempt to deny. Hence, we find our Saviour " took little chilaren in his arms, and blessed them, and said, ' suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kind- dom of God.' " And if our Saviour thus blessed little children, shall we, shall any man in the fom* of a minis- ter of the gospel, deny these dear lambs of the flock the right and the privilege of the church, purchased by his own blood. But perhaps, you say children are incapable of understanding the nature and design of the ordinance of baptism, and so they were incapable of understanding the nature and design of the Saviour's attentions, yet he blessed them and pronounced them the subjects of his kingdom. And su were the children of Abraham incapa- ble of understanding the nature and design of circumci- sion, yet God enter^ into covenant with them and pledg- ed to oe their Grod for ever. And may I not ask, who is the man that dare be so hardened as to deny to children privileges given by God himself) and ratified by the blood of Christ? „ . 4 — 7%e practice of the Apostles in baptizing whole households. . We read in the scriptures not only of individuals, but of whole households being baptized, and from the gene- ral understanding of the term, that of a whole household, . we naturally include, more or less — children. This we find was the case with the jailor, and also with Lydia,and with the household of Stephanus. Now it requires no depth of knowledge, nor any extraordinary amount of penetration, to be able to see that by the term household, we are to understand a man and his wife and children. — This is certainly the meaning of it in ordinary life, and also when used in the Bible; — so we understand it in the following passages : " By faith, Noah prepared an ark to .^4ixm •.«slliR.; •H.. ■,■ 10 '% X the saving of his house." Both children aiid parents are here included. Pharaoh says, " Take your father and your waggons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father and come." That households included children appears from the following passages in the history of Ruth. " The Lord make the woman that is come into thy house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel ; and let thy house be like the house of Pharoah, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of these young women." In 1 Tim. iii. 4 we have the term again ex- plained : " One that ruleth well his OAvn house, having his children in subjection." Thus it appears evident that under the term household, as used in scripture, children are included ; and so it is in all common life and common sense. 5 — Children are capable of being Disciples of Christ, subjects of regeneration, and heirs of eternal life. This fact is evident from the following testimony, "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength." And many thousands of cases occur in the church, where the grace of God appears not only strik- ing, but wonderful, in the conversion of young children. In this respect, " God sometimes condescends to teach chil- dren knowledge, and to make them to understand doc- trine, who are but newly weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts." — Isa. xxiv. 9. And as evidences of the truth of these remarks, we need only to refer you to the fact that the prophet Jeremiah was sanctified from the womb, and Timothy was well acquainted with the holy scriptures from childhood. If then children are capa- ble of understanding doctrine — of receiving religious im- pressions, of being acquainted with the scriptures, and of being subjects of divine grace aiid heirs of eternal life, I maintain that they not only ought to be baptized, but that it is a positive violation of christian duty, in the parents that keep them back from this ordinance, and that they and the minister that refuses to administer it to t) sm, are both highly criminal in the sight of God. c U o pi in sti th',,; .i...iiiriv;4;. 11 » l> 6 — The commission Christ gave to his disciples to preach the gospel to every creature. Now if the gospel is to be preached to every creature, and all nations are to be baptized, surely among all na- tions we shall find not only children but little children. It would be absurd in any man to Suppose a nation, and especially all nations upon the face of the globe, and not include children, and children of all ages and sizes. 7 — The Baptism of John implies it. The ministry of John the Baptist proves the same thing, but as I do not consider the ministry of John a gos- pel ministry, nor his baptism a gospel baptism, I will not insist upon it. Once r iore let me close these remarks by calling you to look at the effects of this ordinance upon a community, when properly administred at a suitable time and place. Perhaps there is not in the world, a sight more interest, ing than that of an infant offered up by believing parents to God in baptism. The helpless circumstances of the child ; the peculiar tendemes of the relation existing be- tween it and the parents ; the strong expressions of their faith in God, in giving up their beloved offspring to him, devoting it to his service, and engaging to train it up for his glory ; the exhibitions of their reliance on the blood * of Christ, and the agency of the spirit of truth to cleanse it from its original pollution ; the affecting manifestation of the divine mercy and goodness in permitting us thus to offer up our children to God ; — united to the solemnity of the day, the place, and the action — form a combination of facts and doctrines and duties, scarcely paralleled in the present world. On the minds of parents, particularly the impressions made, cannot fail, unless through very gross stupidity or gross wickedness, of powerfully persuading them to the duties involved if the dedication. Of the same nature are the impressions which will very natural- ly be made on those who are present at the administration. Persons hitherto dedicated to God in baptismal obliga- tions, while those who have dedicated them, will realize* also the privileges to which they and cheir offspring havQ ^ v«-' I w I ).' J «<* ■ iB'i^.,J ! "^"J 1-1 ■ '■' 1m^ fulmitted ; the en^gements wl .'v they have made; jtula the duties which in a peculiar ruriQim they at^^ Qv^X^ to perform. And here 1 must observe, tfai^t:^b>;:Hc;>'if ^♦^^.^^l.^^^"'' ', y-. '■ ^} ^ij^'r^m]^ mMtilLii^ -''^■.Mi:.^ h. I •*. q.:^j^t|P^i,