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' being baptized,' will require a fuller consideration hereafter but the apostle adds, " and renewing of "the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly, "&c." Now "the renewing of the Holy Ghost" evidently denotes something distinct from baptism, if not subsequent to it.-The apostle writing to the Christians, who had been baptized, says, "Be ye "transformed in the renewing of your mind." "That ye put off, as concerning the former con❝versation, the old man, which is corrupt according "to the deceitful lusts;' and be renewed in the "spirit of your mind." "The inward man is re"newed day by day;" that is, "Beholding, as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we are changed into "the same image, from glory to glory, even as by "the Spirit of the Lord."" • That we, being thy

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children by adoption and grace, may daily be ' renewed by the Holy Spirit.' But Calvinists in general do not maintain, that all who are regenerate, and in a measure renewed by the Holy Spirit, are ' certain of salvation.' We indeed believe, that they will certainly be saved; but it is only by diligence in every good thing, that they can obtain, or preserve, the assured hope of final salvation, or be certain of it in their own minds.*

P. xxxix. 1. 17. The same observations will apply 'to the passages, "Baptism doth now save us."-The outward baptism admits into the visible church; the inward grace of baptism admits us into "the church "of the first-born, whose names are written in

1 Rom. xii. 2. Eph. iv. 23.

2 2 Cor. iii. 18. iv. 6. 3 Col. Christ. Day. 4 Heb. vi. 11, 12. 2 Pet. i, 6-10.

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"heaven:" in the same manner, as Noah entered into the ark, and was saved. He was not actually safe from all perils, on first entering the ark; for it might have been wrecked, had not the covenant and promise of God secured both it and him.2 For these "were immutable things, in which it was "impossible for God to lie." Yet Noah had to endure various privations, hardships, and apparent perils; and if his faith had not been very strong, many alarms also. Thus, as we think, every true christian, every one, who has the inward grace of baptism, is "saved." His salvation is secured by the promise and covenant of God, and will certainly be accomplished, though he have to pass through many trials and temptations, perils and alarms, in the mean while.

Mercifully look upon this child:

wash him and sanctify him with the Holy Ghost, that he, being delivered from thy wrath, may be received into the ark of Christ's church; and, being stedfast in faith, joyful in, hope, and rooted in charity, may so pass the waves of this troublesome world, that he may finally come to the land of ' everlasting life.'-' Ye have heard, that our Lord Jesus Christ has promised in his gospel to grant all these things, which ye have prayed for. If then we have prayed, not only for the child's admission into the ark, but for his preservation to eternal life: why should we assume, that Christ has fulfilled his promise and answered our prayer, in the first particular; and yet doubt whether he will ever

1 Heb. xii. 23. - 2 Gen. vi. 18, 19.
✦ Baptismal service,

3 Heb. vi. 17, 18.

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fulfil his promise and answer our prayer, as to all the subsequent particulars? "He is faithful, who "has promised:" and whatever we expect and pray for in true faith, according to his promise, will assuredly be granted. "The like figure whereunto, " even baptism, doth also now save us; not the "putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer "of a good conscience towards God." If one professing faith in Christ, was sincere in doing it, he had "the answer of a good conscience towards "God;" and, being baptized on this profession, he was saved, in the same sense, as Noah was in the ark. This was the case of the Ethiopian treasurer.” If any one, on the other hand, made this profession, hypocritically, or, with a mere notional and dead faith, “ he had the washing away the filth of the flesh,” but not "the answer of a good conscience towards "God;" and so was not saved. This was the case of Simon Magus, as recorded in the same chapter. Both were baptized by the same person, and both rightly, in this sense: yet one had the inward washing by the Holy Spirit, the other the outward washing of water alone.

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P. xxxix. 1. 18. "We are saved by hope." The words may be rendered "We have been saved in "hope. Ahope that maketh not ashamed, "because the love of God is shed abroad in our "hearts by the Holy Ghost.”

1 Pet. iii. 21.

2 Acts viii. 37-39. 3 Acts viii. 13. 4 Art. xxvii. xxviii. 5 Rom. viii. 24. Τη ελπιδι εσωθημεν. Whether the first aorist, in this connexion, can bear to be interpreted in a future sense, the learned must determine.

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The persons, &c.'1

Had no

P. xxxix. 1. 21. persons the means of salvation, except those," who "were reconciled to God by the death of his Son?" The means of salvation are afforded to all, who have the word of God sent to them." They who believe, with a penitent obedient faith, " pass from death to "life," from condemnation to justification; they' are reconciled to God, and adopted as his children, and are "made heirs according to the hope of eternal "life.." Thus, "They are called and saved with "an holy calling." But others "put" "the word "of salvation" "from them, and judge themselves "unworthy of everlasting life." As, however, the latter may not finally persevere in unbelief; so, I' would not, in this place, assume, that the former always persevere in obedient faith. Our general sentiments on this subject are well known; though many things relating to particulars are lamentably misunderstood: but this is not the proper place for discussing the subject. The language, in these scriptures, taken from the epistles, is exactly similar to that of our Lord. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on "him that sent me hath everlasting life, and shall "not come into condemnation; but hath passed "from death unto life."7 66 Verily, verily, I say

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The persons here spoken of, were not actually and com'pletely saved, but being "reconciled to God by the death of "his Son," they had now the means of salvation, of which they <could not fail but through their own neglect.

a Acts xiii. 26.

• Acts xiii. 46.

3 John v. 24. 4 Tit. iii. 7. 52 Tim. i. 9.

7 John v. 24.

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"unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life." "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood hath everlasting life."1 "And I give "them eternal life, and they shall never perish." " And to that of John Baptist: "He, that believeth "on the Son of God, hath everlasting life." It must strike any impartial man, as very remarkable, that so many passages of scripture, on this subject, should, evidently by design, be put either in the present or past tense; when the future seems so much more suitable, in the judgment of our numerous and learned opponents.

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P. xl. 1. 2. The gospel is called in scripture,' "the way which leadeth unto life," a new and living way, and the way of salvation.'-Whether Christ himself, "the Way, and the Truth, and the Life," rather than the gospel, be not meant, in the second of these texts, the reader will determine. P. xl. l. 9. In this quotation, &c.' There is some doubt, what quotations are here referred to; for the latter does not occur, within four preceding pages. It is not, however, the opinion of modern

John vi. 47.54. 2 John x. 23. 3 John iii. 36.

• In this quotation, St. Paul says, "by grace ye are saved;" ' and in the preceding he commanded the converts to "work "out their salvation:" "In this, says Dr. Jortin, there is no "inconsistency. Men are saved by grace, because without God's "favourable assistance and acceptance of their imperfect endea66 vours, they could not of themselves acquire eternal life; and at "the same time it is no less true that they work out their salva❝tion, because unless they exert their own powers, the grace of "God alone will in no wise force them to be saved. Thus God's "working in or with us, and our working together with God, "are easily reconciled."

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