What Is Baptism?

Answ. Baptism is a sacrament, wherein the washing with water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, doth

signify and seal our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to be the Lord’s.

Q. What does the word baptism signify? A. Wash’

tng, dipping, or sprinkling, Mark vii. 4. Heb. ix. 10.

Qj Did not the Jews of old baptize or wash their proselytes when they received them?

A. Ye?-, but they did not use this as a divine ordinance.

Qj When did baptism become a divine ordinance?

A. When John the Baptist began his public ministry.

Q. Was the baptism of John the same in substance with that of the apostles? A. Yes; though it did not

so clearly point forth the Trinity, nor Christ’s actual incarnation, Matth. iii. Luke iii.

£). What divine warrant have we for baptism?

A. Christ’s express command and example, and the apostolical practice, Matth. iii. 16. John iv. 2.

Q. What is Christ’s express command for baptism?

A. To teach all nations, baptising them, &c.

Q. What is the outward sign in baptism?

A. Water applied to the body, Acts viii. 37.

Q. Is the water in baptism as well applied by sprinkling, (particularly on the face, which represents the whole person), as by plunging our whole body in it? A. Yes ‘, for what is signified by baptism is called the sprinkling of the blood of Christ; the apostles baptized many, where there appears no opportunity of dipping their whole bodies, as Cornelius, the jailor, &c. y and in cold climates dipping might endanger the life of infants, 1 Peter i. 2.

Q. How then is it said that in our baptism we are buried with Christ? A. That signifies the burial of

sin in our soul by our union to Christ, Rom. vi. 4, 5, 6.

Q. Doth not the scripture tells us, that sundry went down into, or came up out o/*the water, at their baptism? A. These places might as justly be rendered, they went down to, or came from the water, Matth. iii. Acts viii. Q. What is signified by the water in baptism? A. The blood and Spirit of Christ, John iii. 5, 6. Q^ Wherein doth water represent Christ’s blood and Spirit? A. As water refreshes and cleanses our body,

so do Christ’s blood and Spirit refresh and cleanse our soul*

Qj. How doth Christ’s blood or righteousness refresh and cleanse our soul? A. When applied to our soul,

it takes away the guilt of sin, quiets our conscience, delivers from the terrors of God’s wrath, and from the law as the-strength of sin, Heb. x. 22. 1 John i. 7. and ii. 1.

Q. How doth Christ’s Spirit refresh and cleanse our soul? A. He takes away the filth and power of sin,

and allays the heat of our indwelling lusts, Titus iii. 5.

Q. In whose name are we baptized?

A. In the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

£). What is signified by our baptism in the name of these three persons?

A. Our baptism by the authority, and into the belief and profession of these three persons as one God, and distinctly concerned in the work of our salvation, and made over to us, as our all in all *. together with our dedication of ourselves to their service, and renouncing their rivals, the devil, the world, and the flesh.

Q. In what manner are the three divine persons made over, and to be received by us in baptism?

A. The Father as our Father, the Son as our Saviour, the Holy Ghost as our Sanctifier: and all three in one, as our God -and portion, 2 Cor. xiii. 14. John xvi. 14, 15.

p. What blessings are sealed to us in baptism

A. Our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, Gal. iii. 27.

Q. What do you understand by ingrafting into Christ?

A. Our union to him, as a branch to the root.

Qj On what root do jye naturally grow?

A. On the root of the first Adam as a covenant-breaker, which conveys corruption and death to all its branches.

Q How are we cut off from this poisonous root?

A. By God’s changing our nature and state.

Q. What benefits of the covenant of grace are most directly signified and sealed in our baptism?

A. Regeneration, justification, and adoption, Tit. iii. 5. Gal. iii. 2fT* —

Q. Are all these included in our ingrafting into Christ?

A. Yes •, in .our union to him as owjjfe we have regeneration*, In our u -non to him as the Lord our righlsnusness.: we Uve justification j and in our union to him as our Father, and & •lder.Br other 3 we have adoption.

O. What engagements do we come under in baptism?

A. We solemnly swear to be wholly and only the Lord’s.

Q. What about us do we in baptism devote to the Lord?

A. Our whole man, estate, and time.

Q. How is our soul devoted to the Lord?

A. It is devoted to be a temple and throne for him, andtohaveallitspowerseinployedin his service, Ps.xxxi.5.

Qj. How is our body devoted to the Lord?

A. Our eyes are devoted to behold his works, and view his word; our ears to hear his voice; our mouth to speak for and to him; our feet to run his errands j and our hands to do his will, 1 Cor. vi. 20.

O. How is our estate to be devoted to the Lord?

A. All we have is to be laid out for the advancement of his glory, as he calls for it, Prov. iii. 9. Isa. xxiii. 18.

Q> How is our time devoted to the Lord? A. We

are bound to employ it wholly in his fear and service.

Q. Are not then baptized persons great robbers of God, n employing their soul, body, estate, and time, so much in the service of Satan? A. Yes, Mai. iii. 8, 9.

Q. How often is baptism to be administered to the same person? A. Once only, Tit. iii. 5. 1 Pet. iii. 21.

£). Why so? A. Because the benefits mostdirectly

signified and sealed in it, are onlyonce bestowed.

Q. Why is baptism necessary!“‘” A. God commands it j and it tends much to his glory, and our good.

p. How doth our baptism tend to the glory of God?

A. Therein he solemnly displays his holiness, justice, and love •, and we acknowledge his sovereignty.

Q. How doth our baptism tend to our advantage?

A. It solemnly declares us members of Christ’s church, encourageth us to plead the promises, come bodily to the throne of grace, resist temptations, &c.

Q. Doth baptism bring us into God’s covenant?

A. No; it supposeth us within it, and seals it to us.

Q. Is it absolutely necessary to salvation? A. No.

Qj How prove you that?

A. It is no converting ordinance; Cornelius was accepted of God before his baptism; and Christ says, He that believe! h and is baptised, shall be saved: and he that believeth not (but doth not add, is not baptized) shall be damned, Mark xvi. 16.

Q. Is it not gross ignorance and Popish error, to

maintain, that all infants, or others dying unbaptized, shall be damned? A. Yes For in Christ Jesus neither

circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision but A new creature, Gal. vi. 15. 1 Peter iii. 21.