Baptism can only be regarded as an emblem of moral purification. The poet Milton, speaking of the Saviour's commission, has given us the full import of the figure.

"To them shall leave in charge

"To teach all nations what of him they learned,

"And his salvation; them who shall believe

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Baptizing in the profluent stream, the sign

"Of washing them from guilt of sin to life

"Pure; and in mind prepared, if so befall,

"For death, like that which the Redeemer died.”

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Rosenmuller justly remarks, " Immersion in the water of baptism and coming forth out of it, was a symbol of a person's renouncing his former life, and, on the contrary, beginning a new one."

Now if we are totally depraved by nature; and if we be "thoroughly washed" for our iniquity by grace, nothing can be an emblem of the purity effected by regeneration, but a total immersion of the body.

Another design of the ordinance is to express by the act our faith in the burial and resurrection of Christ and of consequence, in our resurrection from the dead in the likeness of his most glorious body.

Thus I understand the apostle when he says in the 15th chapter of 1st. Corinthians, “Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead; if the dead rise not, why are they then baptized for the dead?" That chapter, you well know, is devoted almost exclusively to the doctrine of the resurrection. And this question is addressed to their common sense, in reference to their practice. If the dead rise not, why have you in baptism represented that which has no reality in point of fact? What significancy was there in your baptism?

To the same import, I consider the words of Peter, when speaking of the ark of Noah. He says, "The like figure whereunto baptism doth now save us, (not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

But directly and fully to the point are the words of our text and context: "But we are buried with him by baptism." Remarkably similar is a passage from the same inspired pen in the epistle to the Col. ii. 12: "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead."

I will give you the opinion of several pious and learned pedobaptists on the phraseology of these passages.

Luther, speaking of baptism as a symbol of death and resurrection, says, "On this account I could wish that such as are to be baptized, should be completely immersed into water, according to the meaning of the word and the signification of the ordinance; not because I think it necessary, but because it would be beautiful to have a full and perfect sign of so perfect and full a thing; as also without doubt it was instituted by Christ."

Basil inquires, "How then shall we accomplish a descent into the grave? By baptism, imitating the burial of Christ; for so the bodies of the baptized are buried in water."

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Pool, in his synopsis, says " By baptism we represent the burial of Christ. Paul shews that not only the words of baptism, but its very form intimates this. For the immersion of the whole body in the water, so that

it is no more seen, presents an image of the burial of the

dead. Paul alludes to that rite of immersion, in which the body is as it were buried, and is presently raised out again, as from a sepulchre."

Mr. Burkitt, in his exposition, makes these judicious remarks: "The apostle no doubt alludes to the ancient manner and way of baptizing persons in those hot countries, which was by immersion, or putting them under water for a time, and then raising them up again out of the water; which rite had also a mystical signification, representing the burial of our old man sin in us, and our resurrection to newness of life."

Dr. Doddridge, commenting on the phrase, “Buried with him by baptism," says, "It seems the part of candor to confess, that here is an allusion to the manner of baptizing by immersion."

I will give you but one quotation more on this part of my subject. It is from McKnight, the learned author of a commentary on the Epistles. "In baptism the person baptized is buried under the water, as one put to death with Christ on account of sin. Moreover in the same rite, the baptized person being raised out of the water, after being washed, he is thereby taught, that he shall be raised from the dead with Christ by the power of the Father. Christ submitted to be baptized, that is, to be buried under the water of Jordan, and to be raised out of it again, as an emblem of his future death and resurrection. In like manner the baptism of believers is emblematical of their own death, burial, and resurrection."

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These, and the scores of similar modern testimonies, cannot fail to shew that the foregoing is the natural and obvious sense of the text, and parallel passages. For as the authors of these expository remarks them

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selves practised sprinkling, they were interested in making out a different explanation, if they could have done it with apparent fairness."

And the connexion in which our text stands, gives us fully to understand that there was an entire uniformity in the church concerning the mode of baptism. The passage is not written with regard to a few individuals, but with reference to the collective body, including himself: "Know ye not that so many of us." The church had not two or three different methods of administration, giving each candidate his choice; but as many as were baptized at all, were "buried with Christ in baptism."

If these were the designs of the institution, in no other mode could the instruction be imparted which it is intended to convey-in any other mode, all the significancy and beauty of baptism are lost. I cannot conceive why baptism should be administered at all, if not to shew forth our inward purification, and to express in the rite our belief in that fundamental doctrine of Christianity, the resurrection from the dead. But such a representation we have seen can be given only by immersion.

I am aware that it has often been said, that the phrase “buried with him by baptism," has respect to spiritual baptism. We think the persons spoken of had evidently "received the Holy Ghost" previously. But supposing we were to admit that this is spiritual baptism, yet as by the same persons who plead for this interpretation it is admitted that external baptism is a sign of the internal, the evidence would still be as clear for immersion, for this obvious reason: there must always be

a resemblance between the sign and the thing signified. If then spiritual baptism is a burial, water baptism, the sign of it, must be a burial also.

IV. THE FIGURATIVE USES OF THE WORD BAPTISM, AS CLEARLY LIMIT ITS MEANING TO IMMERSION.

The passage of the Israelites through the red sea is figuratively called a baptism, from its external resemblance to that ordinance, and from being appointed to serve a like purpose, as well as to figure the same thing. "Moreover," says Paul, "I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." Here they are said to be baptized. There can be no doubt, therefore, that there is in their passage through the sea, something that resembles both the external form, and the purpose of Christian baptism. It was a real immersion-the sea stood on each side, and the cloud covered them. The going down of the Israelites into the sea, their being covered by the cloud, resembles the baptism of believers, which served a like purpose as attesting their faith in Moses as a temporal saviour, and figured the burial and resurrection of Christ and Christians, as well as Christian baptism. It has been argued by some, that the Israelites were baptized by the rain from the cloud, or the spray from the sea. But this is quite arbitrary for there is nothing said about rain from the cloud or spray from the sea. It is not in evidence that any such things existed. It is travelling out of the record; it is being wise above what is written, to make the assertion. On the contrary, as the sea was

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