the doctrine of baptism/chapter 22

committed to historic Baptist & Reformed beliefs

history

documents

library

biography

A Plain Christian Treatise, explaining
the Doctrine of Baptism, and the two
Covenants made with Abraham, and
his two-fold Seed.

THE NEW COVENANT PROMISES SPIRITUAL POWER TO
ENABLE BELIEVERS TO WALK IN CHRIST'S COMMANDMENTS

Here the Apostle presses a Church Union and does mention these particulars that are essential to a visible Church-union. Without these they could not walk together, if not in these things agreed. Here a people, in all these particulars, are one. No other thing coming should make a breach of their union.

But some will object and say, that Believer's baptism is an Ordinance of God, and they do well who are drawn out to practice it by a power from God. But he says, I lack a divine power upon my heart drawing me out to the practice of the same. That is the holdback and hindrance in me.

This objection is grounded upon an error and a mistake. It takes for granted that a man may be a believer and in a state of grace, and yet void of the spiritual power to perform obedience to the Commands of God. It holds that a man who is a Christian may know such a thing to be a Command of God, and yet left without the ability to perform obedience to the same.

I judge this is a dangerous error and contrary to Scripture. God does at the very first in conversion, put His Law in the heart of His child, Heb. 8:10 and Ezek. 36:26,27. God puts His Spirit in them to cause them to walk in his ways. Therefore, in some measure, doubtless, God does give His people power to obey Him, Ezek. 11:19, 20:

I will give them one heart, and I will put a new Spirit within them, and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and I will give them an heart of flesh, that they may walk in my Statutes, and keep my Ordinances, and do them, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Here you may observe that God's main drift in making His Covenant and putting His Spirit into the hearts of His people is, that they may keep His Ordinances, and be able to walk in His ways.

Therefore, at the Conversion of Paul, God first puts in him a disposition to obedience. Paul says, "Lord what wouldst thou have me to do?" in Acts 9. Also in Acts 2:37, when they, through the belief of Peter's sermon, were pricked at the heart, they cried out, "Men and Brethren, what shall we do?" So you see there was first a disposition of heart in their Conversion to do what God should command and teach them to be His will. So we find God gives them power to submit as soon as His will was revealed. If not so, we should lay an aspersion upon God that He should enter into a covenant with a Soul, by way of engagement, and yet neglect to make good His promise, which is to put His Spirit in him, and to cause him to walk in His ways.

Again further, God gives to every believer the power of believing. By this virtue he is enabled to fetch more virtue from Christ his head, to strengthen him to duty and to resist sin. Therefore, the Apostle thus reasons in 2 Cor. 7:1,2, "Dearly Beloved, seeing you have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

Observe, the Apostle takes for granted that the soul, having great and precious promises and faith to draw virtue from them, should thereby oppose sin and perfect holiness in the fear of God. For, though it is true, God works to will and to do of His good pleasure, yet it is constantly and unfailingly His good pleasure to work more or less, in a soul that is in Him by faith.

A believer, by faith, ought to look at himself in a capacity to draw Water out of those Wells of salvation. If not, what is the difference between a child of God and a wicked man, between the form of godliness and the power, if a child of God must be forced to live in a course of disobedience to the solemn worship of God for lack of power to obey? By the same rule, we must take for granted that a child of God may be in a state of grace and lack power to resist sin. Upon this ground the ungodly may plead an excuse for drunkenness, covetousness, theft, or uncleanness, and say though he is a believer, yet he lacks power to resist and conquer these sins.

Beloved, for any to plead thus would be very absurd and contrary to the truth and to the nature of a Christian in a state of grace. Further, observe the deceit lying in this objection.

Has not God given a soul power to hear the word of God, and to read, and to meditate, and to pray sometimes earnestly and fervently to God? Upon due examination, is it likely that there lacks power to perform obedience to this Ordinance of baptism, any more than you do perform prayer or other duties which require the same spiritual power? What enabling power is required in the one, more than in the other?

Again, consider, you do in this walk by sense and not by faith,contrary to the Apostle who, 2 Cor. 5, says, We walk by faith, not by sight.. It is a very childish thing in a Christian to walk by sense only. When he feels strength and power sensibly, then is he to think himself able to perform duty, and resist sin? But when he feels not ability and power, then to neglect them? Whereas contrary to this, Christ says to Paul in 2 Cor. 12, "My power shall be made perfect in your weakness, my grace shall be sufficient for you," and as after, Paul expresses himself, "When I am weak then am I strong."

When Paul was made most sensible of his own weakness in himself then was the time for him to be made most strong by Faith, by the strength of another. Therefore, in Isa. 45:24, "In thee Lord have I righteousness and strength. In him shall they boast." And the Psalmist says in Psalm 73:24, "Though my heart fail and flesh fail, yet God will never fail, he is the strength of my life, and my portion for ever." So that when in a man's own sense, his heart fails, his flesh fails, then is the only time for God's strength to appear in his weakness. This is the way of living by faith. This is the way which God's believing children have been carried. Therefore, we find Jonah, when in his own sense, cast out of God's sight. Then he resolved to look towards God's Holy Temple. He cried to God out of the belly of Hell, Jonah 2. This objection has no weight in it.