CHAPTER III.

BURIAL WITH CHRIST. ITS IMPORT.

In our last chapter we set forth the design of baptism, and showed conclusively that it is to represent the work of the Holy Spirit upon the soul, and that his influences are invariably represented as coming down, either sprinkled or poured, upon the subject. And the inquirer will recollect the admitted principle, that the type and antitype should correspond.

We are aware that Immersers make baptism to be a sign of fellowship with Christ in his burial, and to be the main design. This view they found upon two passages-Romans vi. and Colossians ii. 12. A glance at these passages, in their connection, will show that great difficulties, at least, stand in the way of this conclusion.

The first question is, whether these two passages more clearly teach that burial is the grand design, than those numerous passages which we have quoted teach that purification is the grand design. Let the inquirer look over those passages, and compare. And in this connection we will observe, that the two ideas of burial in a grave and purification by water are incongruous. Both cannot be held. Purity contrasts with the corruption and filth of the grave.

2. But supposing this difficulty surmounted, another presents itself. Before Immersers can draw their inference, it must be proved that the apostle in these passages refers to water baptism. Their whole argument rests on this assumption-and yet it is a mere assumption. And if it should turn out that the apostle means by baptism a spiritual purification,

(i. e. a spiritual baptism,) as most surely he does, then all semblance of an argument from these texts would vanish; for we have seen how spiritual baptism is performed.

It is

3. This difficulty being surmounted, another comes. a question not so easily settled, as to what the likeness shall be. If the reader will turn to the passage, he will see that there is a comparison with death, with crucifixion, with burial, &c. Suppose we insist that baptism shall imitate the form of Christ's death, and not his burial, (for surely the two things are very distinct,) what would the Immersers say? Paul says, BAPTIZED INTO HIS DEATH; and if the passage is in any way decisive of the mode of water baptism-if this reasoning from it is conclusive-it concludes both ways: that baptism must imitate crucifixion, or at least, after the Papists' mode, bear the sign of the cross; and must also imitate his burial.

4. This difficulty being surmounted, another comes. How shall we baptize in a way to imitate a burial? Nations have various modes of burial, but in no case do they bury by thrusting the body through the soil. The common modes of burial are more like pouring or sprinkling. The body is placed in an open grave, and the earth is poured or sprinkled upon it. The classical emblem has been (jactus pulveris) a handful of earth tossed in the air. Our Episcopal friends represent a burial by sprinkling earth upon the coffin.

5. This difficulty being surmounted, another comes. If baptism must imitate the form of any burial, it must imitate that of Christ; and Christ was not buried in the common way. His body was not sunk in the ground, but merely laid away on a shelf in a chamber of an excavated rock.

These are some of the difficulties that meet any intelligent mind, on the first glance at the subject. In order to set this subject well before the mind, we will state the true meaning of the apostle, and then point out the sources of the Immersers'

error. The two passages are alike. Take the case in Romans: what is the drift of Paul's remarks? He is showing that the doctrines of grace do not warrant one to continue in sin, that grace may abound. He is attributing to the baptism of which he speaks, effects which water baptism is inadequate to produce. His main idea is, that such is the nature of a union with Christ,—a union brought about by the purification of the heart, i. e. spiritual baptism,-that to speak of those thus baptized continuing in sin, is as great a contradiction as to speak of a living dead man. "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?" Mark the effects which he attributes to the baptism of which he speaks. This baptism is followed necessarily by death to sin. It is not enough to say, such ought to be dead to sin; the certainty that they will be is essential to the argument. Indeed, the argument is good for nothing without ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY. Now does that certainty follow water baptism? Far from it. It follows spiritual baptism, and no other.

It is as if he had said-How shall they who have received spiritual baptism, (in other words, who have been brought into spiritual union with Christ,) continue in sin? They are united to Christ in his death to the world. Taking fire at the thought, he gives utterance to his feelings in a variety of strong expressions of the certainty of that death, and consequent insensibility to the inducements to continue in sin. "What is the effect of natural dissolution? Is it not the interruption of all our former appetites? What is the condition of a man buried? Does he hunger or thirst any more? Will beauty move his love? Will the tabret or the harp, the richest wines or the most luxuriant viands, entice him beyond the bounds of temperance? Load the coffin with gold, clothe the skeleton with scarlet and ermine; will this awaken his avarice, or will these elevate his pride? Surely, if the soul perceives at all the objects which surround her recent

dwelling, she perceives them but to recognise their utter vanity, and to feel that these are not the things which can any longer contribute to her happiness!" Such are the

effects of that death to sin which follows a union with Christ; and in this sense the apostle says of true Christians, that they are crucified, dead, and buried.

The above remarks make it clear, that the passage in Romans refers to a spiritual baptism and purification, and can decide nothing as to the form in which water is to be applied.

The passage in Colossians still more clearly bears this meaning. Read it. "In whom also ye are circumcised, with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ : buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him, through faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." Now here observe that the Colossians are said to have been circumcised in Christ, and to be buried with him in baptism, and in such a way, as to show that the circumcision and baptism refer to the same thing. That the circumcision imports a spiritual purification is certain; for it is a circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of sin. And if the circumcision is a purification made without hands, most surely is the baptism one made without hands; for both are put in the same relations, and import the same thing. And, further, they are said to be buried with Christ in baptism, and then risen with him through faith of the operation of God. Now, as is the burial, so is the resurrection. If it is a literal burial in the water, the resurrection is a literal rising out of the water. But they had risen through faith of the operation of God. Yet persons immersed do not thus rise by faith. The passage then, by necessity, imports a death to sin, and a resurrection to newness of life; and has no reference to the outward application of water, and determines nothing as to the manner in which water should be applied.

Now, having given the true meaning of the apostle in these passages, we are prepared to examine the sources of the Immersers' error, touching them.

1. The first source of error is the imagination. The person has heard these words so frequently repeated at the immersion of individuals, that they have made an impression upon his mind, and he fancies some analogy between immersion and Christ's burial. Few are aware how much imagination has to do with this subject, and how much impression has been made by pictorial representations. And as error has been promoted in that way, may not the friends of truth learn a lesson as to their duty of securing the imagination on the side of truth? And why should not our children be taught, by arguments addressed to the eye, the analogy between the falling drops of water and the influences of the Spirit, which are represented as coming down like the rain upon the grass?

2. The second source of error is a literal understanding of the apostle's language. Now, if the burying is to be taken literally, so also the other phrases must be, such as death, crucified, planted, &c. Mark it, if the burial is literal, the death is literal also. If there must be a literal burial, there must be a literal death!!! Again, the effects, as we have already seen, are such as water baptism cannot produce. These brief hints are sufficient to satisfy every intelligent reader that the literal interpretation cannot be maintained.

3. Among those who admit a figurative sense, there is another source of error. The figure must have a basis; and some say, that, unless it is founded on some outward form, it can have no basis. Why use the figure buried, they ask, if the apostle had not in his mind's eye something which looked like burial? We answer: The mind, in framing figurative language, as frequently fixes on the effects produced, as upon any outward circumstance. For example, Cicero said of the conspiracy of Cataline, which he had crushed-"It is dead,