maid: thou hast loosed my bonds.' Why me, O Lord, why me? What am I, or what is my father's house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?" "Low in adoration bending, Now our hearts our God revere; QUEST. 93. Which are the sacraments of the New Testament? ANS. The sacraments of the New Testament are, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper. MARK XVI. 16. He that believeth and is the Lord that which also I delivered unto baptized shall be saved. you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in 1 Cor. xi. 23-26. For I have received of which he was betrayed took bread, etc. The New Testament sacraments come in place of those under the Old Testament. They refer to the same spiritual truths, but occupy a different position. The one class pointed to the future, the other points to the past. Circumcision referred to the spiritual cleansing, as Baptism does; and the Passover was a feast upon the lamb slain, as the Lord's Supper is a feast upon the bread and wine, emblems of the body and blood of Christ. I. Baptism was appointed by Christ himself as an ordinance or sacrament of his Church.-Though John baptized, yet it was not Christian baptism. It was not in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Christ expressly appointed the formula of baptism: Matt. xxviii. 19. II. The Lord's Supper was instituted by Christ.-This was done on the night on which he was betrayed. The apostle refers to this as his authority for the sacred ordinance: 2 Cor. xi. 23. III. These are the only sacraments of the New Testament appointed by Christ. -They have an outward visible sign, and an inward spiritual grace. No other ordinances in the New Testament have such appointed signs. LESSONS. 1. The way of salvation is the same under the New as under the Old Testament. 2. The sacraments point to the same essential truths of salvation. ANECDOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. Circumcision was instituted about nineteen hundred years before the incarnation of Christ, and doubtless looked forward to Him who was to It was a sign of the covenant which God made, or rather renewed, with Abraham his friend in the hundredth year of his age: Gen. xvii. come. Circumcision represented our natural pollution and depravity, together with the necessity of regeneration, or of being cut off from the first Adam as a federal head and representative, and of being ingrafted into Christ, the second Adam, and washed in his all-cleansing blood: Rom. ii. 28, 29. It was the initiatory sacrament under the Old Testament dispensation, as baptism is under the New. Both substantially represent the same thing—the one the putting off of the sins of the flesh, and the other the washing of them away in the blood of Jesus. "The Passover was instituted on the occasion of the deliverance of the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; and it had a most important meaning with respect to Christ, who was to come: Ex. xii. No sooner did the destroying angel observe the blood sprinkled where it ought to be, according to the divine command, than he viewed it as their refuge; so that this evidenced obedience to the divine command, and faith in the blood of Christ which was to be shed. And without doubt this sprinkling of blood typified that it is only in virtue of the blood or satisfaction of Christ that the danger arising from sin can be averted-namely, the curse of the law and the wrath of God, which shall assuredly overtake all those who are not under the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus: Rom. v. 9."-Paterson. The five additional sacraments of the Romish Church were not appointed as ordinances by Christ. Confirmation, by the laying on of the bishop's hands, along with the sign of the cross and the anointing with oil, has no scriptural authority. Penance, or repentance, is a state of mind, and not an outward form. Con trition, auricular confession, satisfaction, and absolution by a priest, are not of divine appointment. Sacred orders, or ordination to office in the Church, was instituted by Christ, but is no symbol of grace. Matrimony is no special institution of the Christian Church, but is common to all mankind. Extreme unction, or the anointing of a dying person's eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, hands, feet, etc., with olive oil by a priest, has no appointment by Christ. These have no claim to be sacraments in the Church, and some of them are connected with fundamental errors condemned by the Scriptures. When Sir Ralph Abercromby was ordained an elder in the Church of Scotland, he said to the minister: "Sir, I have often been intrusted by my sovereign with honourable and important commands in my profession as a soldier, and his majesty has been pleased to reward my services with distinguished marks of his royal approbation; but to be the humble instrument, in the office of an elder, of putting the tokens of my Saviour's dying love into the hands of one of the meanest of his followers, I conceive to be the highest honour I can receive on this side of heaven." "Come, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Honour the means ordained by thee; But of thy Spirit's ministry."-C. Wesley. QUEST. 94. What is baptism? ANS. 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. ACTS x. 46. Then answered Peter, Ver., free; and have been all made to drink into 47. Can any man forbid water, that these one Spirit. should not be baptized? MATT. xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 1 COR. xii. 13. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or I. The sign used in baptism.—Water. 1. Because of its cleansing properties. ROM. vi. 3. Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Ver. 4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 2. Because it is thus made to represent the blood and Spirit of Christ, which cleanse the soul. The mode of baptism is by pouring, sprinkling, or dipping. II. The formula of baptism.-The words to be used were prescribed by Christ himself, and to be in name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. The three persons in the Godhead are equally engaged in salvation. III. The design of baptism. — It teaches great truths connected with salvation. 1. It signifies and seals our ingrafting into Christ. closely united to Christ as the branch is to the tree. Christ to all his believing people. The soul must be as 2. It signifies and seals our partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace. These are, pardon of sin, Acts ii. 38; regeneration, Titus iii. 5; and the resurrection to life everlasting, Rom. vi. 4. 3. It signifies and seals our engagement to be the Lord's. (1.) It is a profession of faith in him as our Saviour. (2.) It is a public form of joining the communion of the visible Church. (3.) It binds us, therefore, to be the Lord's. LESSONS. 1. The baptism of the Spirit is essential: John iii. 5. 2. All who are baptized into Christ should put on Christ: Gal. iii. 27. ANECDOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. "It is admitted-1. That baptism is a sign, and that the blessing which it signifies is purification from sin. 2. That the theocratical purifications, having the same general import, were effected by immersion, affusion, and sprinkling. 3. That the soul is cleansed from the guilt of sin by the blood of Christ. 4. That under the Old Testament the application of the blood of the sacrifices for sin was expressed by the act of sprinkling. It was sprinkled on the people (Ex. xxiv. 8) for whose benefit the sacrifices were offered; it was sprinkled upon the altar; and, by the high priest, upon the mercy-seat. In the New Testament the application of the blood of Christ is expressed by the same word: 1 Peter i. 2; Heb. xii. 24. 5. It is admitted, further, that the purification of the soul from the moral pollution of sin is effected by the renewing of the Holy Ghost. 6. It is admitted that the communication of the sanctifying influences of the Spirit is expressed in the use of two familiar figures, that of anointing with oil, and that of the pouring of water. Kings, priests, and prophets were anointed. The people of God are called his 'anointed': 1 John ii. 20, 27. The other figure is no less familiar: Isa. xxxii. 15; Joel ii. 28. The Spirit's influences are compared to rain which waters the earth, and to the dew which falls on the mown grass. From all this it appears that the truth symbolized in baptism may be signified by immersion, affusion, or sprinkling; but that the ordinance is most significant and most conformed to Scripture when administered by affusion or sprinkling."-Hodge. Philip Henry drew up this form of a baptismal covenant: "I take God the Father to be my chief good and highest end. I take God the Son to be my Saviour. I take God the Holy Ghost to be my sanctifier, teacher, guide, and comforter. I take the Word of God to be my rule in all my actions, and the people of God to be my people in all conditions. I do likewise devote and dedicate unto the Lord my whole self, all I am, all I have, and all I can do. And this I do deliberately, sincerely, freely, and for ever.' He taught this to his children; and when they learned to repeat it, he would add his own "Amen," and say, "So say, and so do, and you are made for ever." The Rev. Titus Coan, D.D., missionary at the Sandwich Islands, in the course of forty years baptized 13,000 persons. Of these, 5,000 were baptized in one year, and 1,700 in one day, at a great period of awakening in 1838. Of the last number he says that more water flowed from their eyes than he sprinkled on their faces. "What means the water in this font? What means this simple, sacred rite? "We claim no power to change the heart, He must the gift divine impart By whom our children's spirits live. "This institute of gospel grace Proclaims our nature soiled by sin; QUEST. 95. To whom is baptism to be administered? ANS. Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him; but the infants of such as are members of the visible church are to be baptized. ACTS viii. 36. And as they went on their | believing wife is sanctified by the husband: way, they came unto a certain water: and else were your children unclean; but now the eunuch said, See, here is water; what are they holy. doth hinder me to be baptized? Ver. 37. And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. ACTS ii. 41. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. 1 COR. vii. 14. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the un Acrs xvi. 15. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us. Ver. 33. And he [the jailer] took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 1 COR. i. 16. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas. I. The visible Church contains all those, together with their children, who in all places profess the Christian faith. II. Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible Church, till they profess their faith in Christ and obedience to him. 1. The ordinance derives its significance from faith in Christ, and is not to be administered to the unbelieving or unchristian. 2. It is to be administered to those who profess faith in Christ and obedience to him. To profess faith in Christ, is to acknowledge him as the Saviour. To profess obedience to him, is to pledge submission to his law in all things. III. The infants of members of the visible Church are to be baptized. 1. Infants were received into the Old Testament Church by a sacrament: Gen. xvii. 10. 2. When the New Testament Church was formed, children were especially included in the promise: Acts ii. 39. 3. Christ regarded them as subjects of grace: Mark x. 13-16; Luke xviii. 15, 16. 4. One believing parent is said to sanctify the children: 1 Cor. vii. 14. 5. The apostles baptized households: Acts xvi. 15, 33; 1 Cor. i. 16. LESSONS. 1. Parents and children are under great responsibility by baptism. 2. Baptism should be carefully improved. |