1

SERM.tained: Not that the Apostles were in IV. trufted with any Power, to pardon of condemn any man according to their own Pleafure For This even For This even our Saviour himfelf, does only according to the Will of the Father which fent him: But the meaning is, that they were intrusted to preach That Doctrine of Repentance, by the Terms of which it was to be determined, whofe Sins fhould be pardoned and whose retained. A like Expreffion is ufed by our Saviour to St Peter, Mat. xvi. 19; I will give unto thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; and whatfoever thou fhalt bind on Earth, fhall be bound in Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on Earth, fhall be loofed in Heaven: Not that St Peter, or Any, or All the Apoftles, had Power to let whom they pleased into Heaven; but that they were appointed and commiffioned to preach That Doctrine, by the Terms of which, Men were to be admitted into, or excluded out of Heaven.

ye,

Go and Teach all Nations: The Word, Teach, fignifies in the original, Make Difciples: In like manner, as

Acts

IV.

Acts xiv. 21; When they had preached the SER M.
Gospel to that City, and had Taught many;
in the original it is, and had made many
Difciples.

TEACH, All Nations: The words, All Nations, fignify primarily, the Nations of the Roman Empire; and then, in a larger Senfe, all the Kingdoms of the World. Rom. x. In St Mark it is, Preach the Gospel to every Mar. xvi. Creature. And, in the 1 chapter to the 15. Coloffians, what in the 6th verse is expreffed, the Gospel came into All the World, is at the 23d verfe faid to have been preached to every Creature under Heaven. The meaning of which is fo obvious, that it would hardly need to be mentioned, but that it helps to illuftrate a more difficult paffage in the viiith to the Romans; where, when the Apostle had faid at the 21st verfe, The creature itself alfo fhall be delivered from the bondage of Corruption, into the glorious Liberty of the children of God: He adds, ver. 23; And not only they, but ourselves alfo which have the Firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourfelves, waiting for the Adoption, to wit, the Redemption of our Body.

SERM. Body. So that the words, Creature or IV. whole Creation, feem to fignify those ma

L

ny Nations, or the Bulk of Mankind, to whom the Gospel was afterwards to be preached; in contradiftinction to the Firstfruits, who received it in the Apostle's Time.

6

4thly, HERE is the Doctrine, which all Nations were to be taught, and into which they were to be Baptized; Baptizing them, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft. This is that brief Summary of Christian Faith, which in the Apostle's Time, Men were taught, and profeffed, and had explained to them at their Baptifm; and the Explication of it was afterwards well expreffed in that Form of Sound Words, which is now ufually called the Apostles Creed. To be Baptized in the Name of the Father, is to profefs our Belief ( as St Paul words it) in the One God and Father of all, who is Above All, and Through All, and In All, even the Father Almighty, the Maker, and Lord, and Supreme Governour of all things. To be Baptized in the Name of the Son, is to profess our

Belief

I

Belief likewife in the One Lord, Jefus SER M.
Chrift, the only-begotten Son of God, the IV.
Meffiah that was to come, the Redeemer
and Saviour of Mankind, the Author and
Purchaser of Forgiveness to Sinners, or
of the Acceptation of Repentance through
his Blood; our great High Priest or In-
terceffor with God, and by the Appoint-
ment of the Father, our Judge at the last
day. To be baptized in the Name of
the Son, fignifies alfo further, to be Bap-
tized into his Death: Know ye not, faith Col. ii, 1 2.
St Paul, that fo many of us as were bap-
tized into Jefus Chrift, were baptized into
his Death? Rom. vi 3. And what That
means, he tells us in the following verfe;
We are buried with him by Baptism into
Death, (that the Body of Sin might be
destroyed, ver. 6;) that like as Chrift was
raised up from the Dead by the Glory of the
Father, even fo We alfo fhould walk in new-
nefs of Life. Laftly, To be baptized in
the Name of the Holy Ghoft, fignifies our
Acknowledging the Holy Spirit of God, to
be the Infpirer of the Apoftles and Pro-
phets; the Comforter, and the Director
of Chriftians; that we fubmit ourselves
VOL. VI.
H

to

IV.

Joh. iii. 3,

1 Cor. vi.

II.

13.

SERM. to his Holy Guidance, receive the Doc trine infpired by him into the Apostles and Prophets, expect to be juftified from 5. our paft Sins by the renewing of the Holy Ghoft, and to be preserved from Sin for Tit. iii. 5 the future by his Sanctification and ALfiftance; that we obey his good motions, take great care not to grieve or quench and drive him from us; and, forafmuch 1 Cor. xii. as by one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body, -and have been all made to drink into one Spirit, that therefore we endeavour by mutual Charity and Forbearance, to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace. This is the Meaning, of being baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft, with refpect to the feveral Offices of these three Divine Perfons, in which Regard it is that the Scripture always fpeaks of them: As to their Metaphyfical Nature; the Vanity of Men, fpeculating about That beyond what is written, has been the Occafion of many foolish Errors: Some have imagined three co-ordinate Beings, which is the Impiety of Polytheism, and directly contrary to that Fundamental Ar-`

ticle,