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Sacraments
207. Confirmation is undoubtedly a gospel institution and
sacrament too, and it is the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, that is the
confirmation that Christ has instituted. Children, as soon as ever they
are capable of it, should come and publicly make what was done in their
baptism — their own act. And he is confirmed by him who has the care of
his soul, when he admits him to that ordinance and administers it to
him. Christ Jesus likewise hereby confirms him and seals over again the
same covenant, and to a worthy partaker gives the seal of the Spirit.
Christ appointed it for that very end, to confirm and renew the covenant
sealed in baptism, his covenant with them and theirs with him, and to
confirm their union with the church (signified in baptism) by this holy
communion with them in the bonds of love and peace. And what is there
that is pretended to be done in episcopal confirmation that Christ did
not design the Lord’s Supper for. And what need of any new invented
confirmation? Is Christ’s institution less conducing to the end of it
then theirs?
595. Baptism. If an adult person does sincerely and
believingly dedicate the infant to God, baptism seals salvation to it…
so if a parent did sincerely and with his whole heart dedicate his child
to God, he will afterwards take thorough and effectual care in bringing
up his children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, continuing in
prayer and dependent on God for them… ordinarily they shall obtain
success. A parent that has believingly and earnestly given up his child
to God, yet may not be absolutely certain of the salvation of his child,
if it die in infancy. As an adult person that has truly given up himself
to God may not be certain whether he was sincere in it. Though the
promise of the salvation of a baptized child that died in infancy to a
parent that thoroughly dedicates it to God be absolute, yet there is
reason why the parent should earnestly pray for its salvation, as an
adult believer may have reason earnestly to pray for his salvation and
when dying to commend his spirit into Christ’s hands as Stephen did…
Note. A parent may himself be a true believer and yet not entirely
give up his child to God. A person may be a true believer that yet has
not acted that faith for his child that he has for himself (those things
about baptism doubtful).
694. Mode of Baptism. That the pouring of water on the person
to be baptized is properly called baptism in the Scripture use of the
phrase, and is also a more lively representation of the thing signified
by baptism than dipping or plunging are both evident by the words of
John the Baptist, who said to the Pharisees and Sadducees, “I indeed
baptize you with water: but he that cometh after me, shall baptize you
with the Holy Ghost and with fire.” Here John’s baptizing, and the
baptizing with the Holy Ghost, are both called “baptizing,” and the one
is the anti-type and end of the other. But what is here called the
baptizing with the Holy Ghost is the pouring out of the Holy
Ghost upon them, which was also typified by the pouring of oil on the
heads of those that were anointed. And it was especially fulfilled on
the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost was so remarkably poured out
on the Christian Church. Because that baptizing with water was designed
as a shadow of baptizing with the Holy Ghost, therefore both were
conjoined (?) when Christ was baptized. When John baptized him with
water, God remarkably poured out the Spirit from Heaven upon him. And it
seems to me much the most probable therefore, that John baptized by
affusion and not by dipping or by plunging, and that so there was a
greater agreement between the type and the anti-type that were then
conjoined, than there would have been, if John had baptized by dipping. |
