Object. 4. The baptism in this commission cannot be the baptism of the Spirit, because it is to be administered in the name of the Spirit.

Ans. The Greek word is not ", which signifieth in; but is, which signifies into: so that the baptism here commanded is to baptize into the name, into the Father's name, into the Son's name, into the Spirit's name, by turning them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God; and then the power and life of God's holy Spirit comes over their hearts and minds, and breaketh the power of Satan, and washeth their consciences from that which is dead, and plungeth or dippeth them into that which is living.

Now as God made them able ministers of the New Testament (which is a spiritual ministry, an inward ministry,) and gave them the heavenly treasure of life and of his Spirit to minister with; so he required and expected of them the work of the spiritual ministry, which was the spiritual teaching and spiritual baptizing into the inward name.

But that there was also a baptizing with outward water, that I do not deny; and that it was of use, as a type, to the weak and ceremonious state the Jews were in (when Christ sent forth his apostles to gather them out of the law-state into the gospel-state) I am also satisfied in: but it hath been since corrupted, and set up above its place and every one should consider and wait on the Lord, to know what God requires and will accept of him. For the kingdom of God stands not

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in meats or drinks, or any outward washings, nor comes in the way of man's observation, but in an heavenly seed, and in the Holy Spirit and power of life; which, happy are they who are made partakers of, baptized with, and led by. God will try every man's religion, work and practices, by the true reed or measuring line: blessed is he whose religion will bear that trial!

It is a great matter to know the gospel-state and ministration, the gospel-Spirit and power, the gospel-church and ordinances, the words of the holy prophets concerning the day of the gospel, the words of Christ concerning the kingdom and power of God, the words of the apostles concerning the mystery of faith, and the Word which was from the beginning.

These are weighty things, and of great concernment, about which men may easily miss and wrest the scriptures, unless they be enlightened by the Lord in the renewing of their minds, and their eye kept to the holy anointing, that they may not out-run (and so imagine and conceive of themselves according to their own ability of understanding,) but know and keep to the gift and inspiration of the Almighty, which giveth true understanding. For as no man knoweth the mind of a man, but man's own spirit within him; so the mind of God (in the words which his Spirit spake,) no man knoweth but his Spirit. And there is a key of knowledge to open the words of scripture by, which they cannot be opened without; I mean, such scriptures as relate to the mystery of life and salvation, which was

always hid from the wise and prudent in every age.

The Pharisees had got a great deal of knowledge and understanding of the law of God, and prophecies of things to come, from the words of Moses and the prophets; but they had not the key of knowledge; and "so they erred, not knowing the scriptures," (notwithstanding all their diligent reading and studying them,) nor the power of God.

Every one had need be wary lest he err after the same manner, and so set up his own apprehensions from the scriptures, instead of God's truth and the mind of his Holy Spirit; for then he cannot but also oppose that which is indeed his truth, and truly agreeable to the scriptures, though to man's mis-biassed judgment it may seem different or contrary.

The Lord beget in people's hearts true desires after himself, and guide them into the way wherein they may obtain all the desires of their souls, which he begets in them; and the Lord preserve all that fear him, from clashing against the present dispensation of his life and power in their day and generation! The Pharisees little thought they would have killed the prophets, had they lived in their days: nay, they greatly condemned their fathers for so doing; and yet they themselves crucified Christ. And many now little think they would have crucified Christ, had they lived in the days of his flesh; and yet they disdain, reproach, and persecute the appear. ance of the same Spirit, life and power, as it now appeareth in the saints, whom he hath

redeemed and dwelleth in, and in whom he manifesteth himself, preacheth and suffereth, whatever men think of them.

Oh! blessed are they that are not offended in Christ, in the present appearance of his life and power! For they are not offended at him who gives life in the Father's name to all that receive him and wait upon him, and worship in the quickenings and virtue of his Spirit.

BRIEF EXTRACTS FROM A PIECE ENTITLED, THE NEW COVENANT OF THE GOSPEL DISTINGUISH ED FROM THE OLD COVENANT OF THE LAW.

THAT Covenant which God made with the Jews at Mount Horeb, when they came out of the land of Egypt, was not to be perpetual; but to make way for that covenant, priesthood, lawgiver, and law, which were to be perpetual. That law, so given forth, made nothing perfect; but was a continual hand-writing of ordinances against the Jews; and the very salvation of the Jews was by another covenant, and by the laws thereof, Deut. xxx. 11. by which covenant, and by which law, they might be made perfect, and come to the better hope. Which other covenant is the covenant of grace, or the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, or the word which is nigh in the mouth, and in the heart, and speaks life to them that can hear and believe the joyful sound of it.

Now that this former covenant was not to abide, but to give place to the other, see Heb. viii. which treateth of the new covenant: for God's speaking of a new covenant importeth that he himself hath made the first old, ver. 13. It had a long continuance among that people of the Jews; but now against the coming of Christ, who was to be Mediator of a better covenant, ver. 6. even a new covenant, yer. 8. as it had been long decaying, and waxing old, so now it was ready to vanish away,

as ver. 13.

And indeed it was necessary it should pass away; for it was not faultless. How! not faultless? Was there any sin in the holy law and ministration of God by Moses? Can there any just blame be found in any thing that proceeded from the Lord? Nay, surely the ministration of Moses was holy, and without blame; but it was weak through the flesh, Rom. viii. 3. and therefore God would lay that aside, so far as it was weak, and suited to the weakness of a fleshly people, and bring instead thereof a ministration of the law in the Spirit, which should be lively and powerful, and effectual in the spirits of his people.

That which God aimed at in a covenant, was to keep him and his people together. Now this covenant was weak on the people's part; they continued not in it, and so, according to that covenant, God disregarded them, Heb. viii. 9. Now God finding this covenant not able to effect his purpose of love towards his people, he finds fault with it, bringing forth another or second, which this gives place to,