2. That the sacraments are not rendered effectual by any virtue in the administrator. 1 Cor. iii. 7.-" Neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase."

3. That the sacraments are rendered effectual by the blessing of Christ. Matt. iii. 11.—“He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire."

4. That the sacraments are made effectual by the operation of the Spirit of God. John vi. 63.-"It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing."

5. That the sacraments become effectual to those only who receive them by faith. Mark xvi. 16.-"He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved."

EXPLANATION.

Obs. 308.-The sacraments are effectual means of salvation.

A means of salvation is an appointment of Jesus Christ the King and Head of the Church, in the use of which salvation is begun, carried on, and perfected.—See Acts ii. 37, &c.; 1 Cor. x. 16.

The difference between the Word of God as a means of salvation, and the sacraments as means of salvation, is this: the Word of God is a means which respects both saints and sinners; but the sacraments are means which respect the saints alone, in the sight of God. The Word is designed as a means of convincing and converting sinners; the sacraments, of comforting saints and confirming them in their most holy faith. The Word must precede the sacraments, which are designed only for those who believe; and faith cometh by hearing the Word of God read or preached. The Word must appear to be an effectual means of salvation, before we ought to meddle with the sacraments.

The sacraments are not only means, but they are effectual means of salvation to all whom they concern. And this is verified in the experience of not a few who hold sensible communion with Christ in the breaking of bread; which is a season of great joy to their souls; and the comfort thus received through them, is a pledge of a full salvation and of full communion with Christ in the Church triumphant.

Obs. 309. The sacraments possess no virtue in themselves. The sacraments of themselves have no virtue or efficacy to confer salvation; being only among the outward and ordi

nary means by which the benefits of redemption are communicated to sinners. They can confer no saving benefit of themselves, any more than the rainbow can prevent a second deluge; it being only a pledge given by God, that he will not again drown the world. That they cannot confer saving grace, is evident; for if they had this power in themselves, all that partake of them would have grace; which we know is not the case.-1 Pet. iii. 21. This clause seems to have been inserted in opposition to those who hold it as a favourite tenet, that the sacraments of the New Testament are the true, and proper, and immediate causes of grace; and that the efficacy of them flows from the sacramental action of receiving the external elements; or, in other words, who foolishly imagine that the sacraments are converting ordinances. But see the state of Simon Magus after baptism.Acts viii. 13, 23.

Obs. 310.-The sacraments are not rendered effectual by any virtue in the administrator.

The best of men cannot render efficacious any divine ordinance which can be administered by them; nor was it ever designed that this should be the case. Man is only an instrument in the hand of God, to do what he hath commanded; but the virtue of any ordinance rests entirely upon God himself.-See 1 Cor. iii. 6, 7. If the administrator of divine ordinances could confer grace, or withhold it, with respect to the receivers of them, it would place the administrator in God's stead, whose prerogative alone it is to render the means of salvation effectual for the purposes designed by them. And this idea seems to have been inserted in opposition to that most dangerous tenet maintained by the Church of Rome, which asserts, that the efficacy of the sacraments depends upon the intention of the priest or administrator; thus ascribing to him the power of conferring or withholding grace, which belongs to God alone. But were this the case, it could not be known whether the sacraments would be accompanied with any benefit at all, because none can be absolutely certain about the intention of another, seeing the secrets of the heart are known to God alone.-Acts i. 24.

Obs. 311.-The sacraments are rendered effectual only by the blessing of Christ and the operation of his Spirit.

1. The sacraments derive their efficacy from the blessing of

Christ. Without this, or without that divine life and power with which he has promised to accompany the sacraments, they are but a dead letter in themselves; having no life, until spirit and life be put within them by Him who taketh of the things of Christ and showeth them unto us.

2. The sacraments derive their efficacy from the working of Christ's Spirit. By this we are to understand, not his work in implanting grace in the soul in a day of effectual calling, which also is his work; but particularly his calling forth this implanted grace into lively exercise when the sacraments are dispensed. And when the graces of the Spirit are thus drawn forth into lively exercise, and fixed on the objects exhibited in the sacraments, then the Spirit may be said to work in them that receive them.

The sacraments are effectual means of salvation to those only who receive them by faith,-to those only who apply to themselves those things which are exhibited in them, or Christ and the benefits of his redemption.

INFERENCES.

From this subject we learn,-1. That the sacraments are valuable means of salvation. 2. That they are useful and necessary. 3. The necessity of faith and of the Spirit. 4. That the sacraments receive their virtue or efficacy from Christ and his Spirit. 5. That we must not rest in the sacraments, but look to the end of them.

Of the New Testament Sacraments.

The sacraments of the New Testament are baptism and the Lord's Supper.

ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,

1. That baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament. Matt. xxviii. 19.-" Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them."

2. That the Lord's Supper is a sacrament of the New Testament. 1 Cor. xi. 23-25.-"I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread: and,

when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat ; this is my body, which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup when he had supped, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood; this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me."

EXPLANATION.

Obs. 312.-The sacraments of the Old Testament, which exhibited the same blessings that those of the New Testament exhibit, were circumcision and the passover.

1. Circumcision was instituted about 1900 years before the incarnation of Christ; and doubtless looked forward to him who was to come. It was the sign of the covenant which God made or rather renewed with Abraham his friend, in the hundredth year of his age.-Gen. xvii. 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 allcleansing 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.

2. 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.-Exod. 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.

The following are some of the things which it was necessary to observe in eating the passover; and they showed it to be at that time an ordinance of a very peculiar nature, and typical of Christ our passover.

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1. It was necessary that the passover lamb should be "without blemish."-Exod. xii. 5. This showed, that although our sins were imputed to Christ, yet he himself was holy, and harmless, and undefiled. And hence he is called a Lamb without blemish and without spot."-1 Pet. i. 19. 2. It was necessary that the passover lamb should be "kept for a season before it was killed."-Exod. xii. 3, 6. During this period, according to the Jewish writers, the lamb was tied to their bed-posts, that, by its continual bleating, the Israelites might be called to remember their severe bondage in Egypt, and the great mercy of deliverance from it; and, moreover, to excite them to look forward by faith to the sufferings which Christ was to endure. And with respect to the Lord's Supper, we are to prepare for it by frequently considering our misery by sin, and what Christ suffered that it might not be our ruin.

3. It was necessary that the passover lamb should be "slain," or killed by blood shedding.—Exod. xii. 6. In like manner it behoved Christ to suffer a violent death; his blood must be shed to satisfy divine justice.-Luke xxiv. 26.

4. It was necessary that the passover lamb should be "roasted with fire."-Exod. xii. 8, 9. This represented, in a very significant manner, the exquisite sufferings of Christ, which he endured without the least abatement or intermission, until all was over. And we may here remark, that the spit, on which the passover lamb was roasted, was in the form of a cross. How wonderfully did the type correspond with the antitype!

5. It was necessary that the passover lamb should be "eaten entirely or wholly," and none of it left.-Exod. xii. 10. This represented Christ as a complete Saviour; that faith must apply a whole Saviour in all his offices, as made of God unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.-1 Cor. i. 30.

6. It was necessary that the passover lamb should be cr 'eaten with bitter herbs and unleavened bread."-Exod. xii. 18. This represents to us, that Christ must be received with the exercise of genuine repentance.

7. It was necessary that the passover lamb should be "eaten the same night in which it was slain."-Exod. xii. 8. This clearly shows, that Christ ought to be received and applied to the soul without delay, as soon as we hear of him as a sacrifice slain for sin.