Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
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A85810
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A treatise of baptisme: wherein is clearly proved the lawfulnesse and usefulnesse of believers baptisme; as also the sinfulnesse and vanity of infants baptisme. With many usefull instructions, concerning the same matter. Grounded upon Ephes. 4. 5. One lord, one faith, one baptisme. / By Robert Garner.
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Garner, Robert.
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1645
(1645)
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Wing G263; Thomason E314_16; ESTC R200501
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29,978
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40
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God acting faith in them in this Ordinance doth not onely clear up to them more sweetly the pretiousnesse of the death of Christ but also confirm to them more richly their interest in the same to wit the remission of all their sinnes and their peace with the Father through Jesus Christ Hitherto I conceive tends that of Peter to his perplexed hearers Acts 2.38 Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes He doth not say neither dare I say that baptisme is a remedy to remit sinnes for then I should run into the mistake of such who pleading for their Infants baptisme do say Baptisme is a remedy to take away that sinne which they as the sons of Adam have conveyed to them But this Scripture I conceive holds forth to us especially two things First that repentance and remission of sins are preached given only in the Name or through the Name of Iesus Christ There is sufficiency of grace and strength in the Lord Jesus and in him onely to give you repentance and remission of sinnes And so it will agree with what is written by Luke 24.47 And that repentance and remission of sinnes should be preached in his Name among all Nations beginning at Ierusalem Secondly that the Lord Iesus doth in baptisme confirm or witnesse unto Believers in some comfortable measure the forgivenesse of their sins in his Name And therefore he commands them to be baptized partly for this end that in baptisme he may confirm to them in some measure by his Spirit acting faith in them the remission of their sinnes For when a Believer is baptized in the Name of Christ and the Spirit of God acts faith in him in his baptisme then is his heart more sweetly assured that through this Name all his sins are remitted and he is at peace with God And to this purpose I conceive we are to understand that Scripture Acts 22.16 Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins calling on the Name of the Lord. Not that baptisme doth wash away sinnes for it is the bloud of Christ onely received by us through the faith of the operation of God that washeth or cleanseth us from all sinnes But thus Be baptized and in thy baptisme call on the Name of the Lord that is act faith in the Lord Iesus in whose Name thou art baptized that through faith in his Name in this Ordinance thy heart may be further confirmed in this assurance that all thy sinnes are washed away in his pretious bloud And to this purpose I conceive we are to understand Mark 1.4 and Luk. 3.3 concerning Iohns baptisme Only Iohns baptisme did point at Christ yet to come and that which Christ after gave in Commission did hold forth Christ already come And this priviledge or benefit believers have doubtlesse found in baptisme Hence it is that the Eunuch after he was baptized went on his way rejoycing Acts 8.39 He had found something of Christ in this Ordinance which gave him occasion of rejoycing It was not a uselesse but a gainefull Ordinance through Christ to him And so it was said of the Iaylor and all his house after they were baptized He rejoyced believing in God with all his house Some increase of faith and some witnesse of the Love of Christ they had found ministred to them by the Spirit in this Ordinance And as it was given to our Lord Iesus straightway after his baptisme to see heaven opened and to heare the love of the Father witnessed from heaven to him by the holy Spirit Even so the like mercie in a lesse measure is given to believers in and after their baptisme Neither is this fruit onely to be found in the present administration of baptisme but in respect of this benefit amongst others baptisme hath an influence into the whole life of a believer And truly the grace of God is very observable in this respect for by baptisme or straight way upon it believers are called out to wrestle with Satan as it were in the open feild they are set as a But for Satan and the world to shoot against and therefore they had need be Armed with the strength and love of Christ given into their hearts by the holy Spirit in this Ordinance Thus much concerning the explication of this priviledge Instruction Hence believers may be instructed to act faith dayly in the Lord Iesus in this Ordinance and to expect a renewed power of the Spirit of God inabling them in the faith to looke often upon Christ therein As also witnessing afresh to their hearts in such actings of faith the remission of all their sinnes through him in whose Name they are baptized for baptisme is not onely usefull to believers in the present administration of it but for future times also The comfort and benefit of it through the power of the holy Spirit whose Name is called upon them therein hath an influence into the whole life of a believer Therefore let believers account their baptisme to be of great use and comfort to them through Christ by the operation of the holy Spirit in them therein Tryall Againe the clearing up of this priviledge may serve as a fixth Touchstone for the tryall of Infants baptisme whereby the unlawfulnesse thereof will be further discovered I lay downe this conclusion to wit Baptisme may be lawfully administred to none but to such whom the Lord Iesus hath made meet in some measure to be partakers of such a priviledge in baptisme to have the remission of their sinnes through the Name of Christ confirmed or witnessed to their hearts by the power of the holy Spirit whose Name is called upon them in this Ordinance Are Infants meet to have repentance and remission of sinnes preached to them through the Name of Christ and to be baptized in his Name for the remission of sinnes are they meet to have remission of sinnes through Christ witnessed to their heart in baptisme by the holy Spirit who neither know their sinnes nor know Christ nor know the holy Spirit in his gratious and comfortable operation Therefore the baptisme of Infants is not of God for I affirm as I said before that baptism can lawfully be administred to none but such whom the Lord Jesus hath made meet in some measure to receive remission of sinnes in baptisme I meane to have the remission of sinnes through the Name of Christ witnessed and confirmed to their hearts in some comfortable measure by the holy Spirit working gratiously in them in that Ordinance And Surely at the least it is needfull that they know their sinnes and know Christ and know the holy Spririt and know his operations when he puts forth his grace and power in them Now how these things will agree to Infants I leave to the Iudgement of the Wise Thus much concerning the priviledges or benefits which the Lord Iesus gives in a gratious and meet proportion unto believers in their
the Sonne and of the Holy Spirit carry the force of a promise in them for in that the Lord hath commanded his servants to baptize believers in his Name to Put or Call his Name upon them in baptisme he saith Amen to it he confirmeth the word of his servants he performeth what he promiseth to them Agreeable to what he saith by Moses Numb 6.27 They shall put my Name upon the Children of Israel and I will blesse them Now the summe of what the Lord promiseth or saith Amen to and which his servants declareth in his Name unto believers in baptisme is this to wit The Lord is your Father and Master and Lord requiring honour and feare and service and Obedience from you there is his Authoritie And not onely so but likewise promising loving kindnesse mercy truth peace blessing strength teaching and preservation to you there is his Grace And indeed as his Name alone is excellent in respect of Authority so in respect of Grace also The second thing which is implyed is this to wit Believers in baptisme do professe to put or call the Name of the Lord that is his Authority and Grace upon themselves for in baptisme there is as it were a promise on their parts And it is as much as if they should openly declare before the Lord and his servants thus we do now professe the Lord alone to be our Lord our God our Father and our Master and our selves to be his Children his servants his people and that we give up our selves wholly and onely to him to serve him to love him to feare him to honour him there is an acknowledgment of his Authority and not onely so but likewise to depend upon him and to trust in him onely for mercy righteousnesse peace blessing strength Wisdedome preservation and all good things there is an acknowledgment of his Grace And thus or to this purpose believers are said to put on Christ in baptisme as it is expressed by the Apostle Gal. 3.27 And thus as the Lord hath taught me I have shewed you what it is for Disciple or Believers to be baptized in the Name of the Lord. And therein I have briefly declared to you one of those glorious priviledges which the Lord Jesus gives to Believers in baptisme And indeed such to whom the Lord gives a spirituall understanding will acknowledge that this is a glorious priviledge Instruction That which I have said for the clearing up of this priviledge is usefull to instruct believers who are under the obedience of this Ordinance as believers to look upon their baptisme neither as shamefull nor beggarly but as honourable and precious through Christ whose Name is called upon them in the same Therefore be not ashamed of your baptisme but own it continually and before all men as an honourable and rich priviledge to you through the Lord Jesus And again let Believers be instructed to walk answerably to this priviledge which the Lord Jesus gives them in their baptisme Let them in all things and at all times be subject to him as their Lord and Master let them be subject to none other in the things of Christ but Christ only whose Authority only they have professed in baptism to be subject to Let them in all their ways relations walk according to the Lord Christ whose commandements they have professed to be subject to Let them likewise look for all supply of Grace from the Lord Iesus that in his grace and strength they may serve him in all things and at all times that in all their conversation they may shew forth the praise and honour of their Lord and Master whose Name is called upon them Tryall Again This priviledge which Believers have in baptisme through Christ may serve as a third Touchstone of Infants Baptisme for I thus conclude Baptisme may lawfully be administred to none but unto such onely whom the Lord hath made meet to be partakers of such a priviledge as to have his Name called upon them in Baptisme And who are these But first such as know the Lord such as know the Father and the Sonne and the Holy Spirit such as know the Authority and Grace of the Lord Iesus such as know what the Lord declareth and promiseth to them and what they promise or professe before the Lord and his people in baptisme as I have above shewed Secondly such whom the Lord hath inabled in some measure to walk answerably to such a priviledge and such a profession as the Lord puts upon them and they take upon themselves in baptisme from thenceforth to walk as the servants of the Lord whose Name therein is called upon them being subject in all things to him and depending for all things upon him onely Now then the baptism of Infants being wisely and sincerely applyed to this Touchstone it will evidently appear to all discerning humble spirits not to be of God but of men onely for hath the Lord made them to be meet partakers of this Ordinance Do they know the Lord Do they not want this necessary thing How then shall his name bee called upon them How shall his Authority and Grace be declared to them in Baptisme and they promise and professe before the Lord and his people from thenceforth to be subject unto him and depend upon him seeing they do not know him Do not therefore such as command and practise Infants baptisme goe a direct contrary course from the mind of the Lord Jesus I leave it to the consideration of the wise And heare I may take occasion to deale with such in a word or two who plead so earnestly for the baptisme of the Infants of believers upon this ground because they are holy to wit say they with a foederall holynesse by vertue of their Parent or Parents being believers which holynesse say they gives them a Right to baptisme Their alone ground is from the Apostles words 1. Cor. 7.14 else were your children uncleane but now are they holy I might answer first that not such a holynesse neither any other but a naturall holynesse contrary to a naturall uncleanesse is there intended by the Apostle as will evidently appeare to such to whom the Lord gives a discerning Spirit Secondly I might say the Apostle speaks not the last word concerning baptisme neither was it to his purpose in that Chapter But Thirdly if I grant to them seeing they are so earnest upon it that the Infants of believers are foederally holy yet this will be no advantage to them concerning the baptisme of these Infants seeing I may affirme from the Lord Iesus according to cleare scripture that no holynesse whatsoever can admit any to baptisme but a professed holynesse or knowledge or faith or repentance in their owne persons onely Yea I may boldly affirm that if the Lord should witnesse from heaven to our knowledge that such an Infant of such Parents was an elect vessell one ordained to eternall life an heire with the Lord Jesus