To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
Verses 3, 4. Know ye not, that all wee which haue bene baptised into Iesus Christ, haue bene baptised into his death? Wee are buried then with him by baptisme into his death, that like as Christ was raysed vp from the dead by the glory of his Father, so we also should walke in newnes of life.
VVHat is the purpose and scope of this text?
To proue that beleeuers are
dead to sin, by their communion with Christ and with his death, whereof baptisme is a sure and effectuall pledge, the reason stands thus; all beleeuers are partakers of Christ himselfe (baptisme being a testimony of their communion with him.) But whosoeuer are partakers of Christ, are also partakers of his death for mortification of sin, as well as of his resurrection for quickning to a new life: therefore all beleeuers are dead to sin by the vertue of Christ his death communicated to them by the Holy Ghost, and therefore cannot liue in sinne.
What doth this text contayn as subiect and substance of it?
The doctrine of sanctification, which is declared and set foorth three wayes; first by the parts; secondly by the cause; thirdly by the testimony or pledge of it.
What be the parts of sanctification?
Three; first, the death or mortification of sinne. Secondly, the buriall of sin, which is the progresse of mor∣tification. The third and last part is newnes of life or vi∣uification, which is our quickening to a newe and godly life.
What do ye call mortification or the death of sin?
It is that action or worke of the Spirit, whereby the tyranny and power of sin is weakned and taken down, that though sin do still liue in the faithfull, and tempt them to euill; yet it is truely sayd to be dead, because in mortifi∣cation, the strength and vigour of sin is so broken and a∣bated, as it can euer recouer his old force againe, but wa∣steth dayly till it be consumed; as we vse to say of one that cannot recouer his health, that hee is a dead man, though yet he breathe and liue.
Tell vs now which is the second part of Sanctifica∣tion?
The buriall of sinne, which is a new worke of the spirit, whereby sinne already mortified, doth still more and more consume and moulder (as a dead body wastes in the Graue:) the buriall of sinne being the proceeding
of the death of sinne, till it be abolished and brought to nothing, as the buriall of the body is the progresse of naturall death.
What is the third part of Sanctification?
It is newnesse of life, whereby the soule is quick∣ned and enabled to leade a new life that is; to liue god∣lily and iustly.
What is meant heere by the glory of the Father?
The power of God, which was then chiefely declared to his glory, when Christ was raised from the dead; and in vs it is shewed manifestly, when casting a∣way sinne, we liue vncorruptly and holily.
What is signified by newnesse of life?
The blamelesse life of Christians, or purenesse of liuing.
By the word [Walking,] what doth he teach?
That of a pure and blamelesse life there be certain degrees, as in walking there is a going forwards to a certaine place; so there must be a profiting in Christia∣nity more and more.
Thus farre of the parts: now tell vs the true and pro∣per cause of our Sanctification.
Our communion with Christ Iesus, dead, buri∣ed, and raised againe, or our fellowship with the death, buriall, and resurrection of Christ; which is meant by those phrases of being baptised into the death of Christ, and of being buried with him, heereby signifying vnto vs thus much: both that Christ when hee dyed and was buried, was in our stead as our surety; and also still com∣municateth the merite and vertue of his death and resur∣rection to such as are one with him, for the destruction of sinne, as well as for remission.
Shew vs this more plainly what your meaning is?
They which are the members of Christ by faith, there is a power and vertue deriued and conueyed into them, from his death and buriall, for the beating downe and consuming the strength of sinne; and from his resur∣rection,
to the quickning and raising vp their minds and wils to the study and loue of godlinesse.
Tel vs now distinctly and particulerly, how doeth the death of Christ auayle to the mortifying and killing of sin?
Thus: Christ Iesus consists of two Natures, hee is God and Man, as man hee dyed. Now the power of his Godhead did in his death vphold his manhood from sin∣king, and gaue merit to his death: and the same Diuine power workes in his members, for mortifying sin tho∣rough his death.
How doth his buriall profit to the buriall of sinne, or to progresse of mortification in vs?
Christes bodie buried, was by his diuine power kept from corruption in the graue, and that verie power of Christ buried, workes the continuall wasting of sinne, that it may dye by little and little in his people.
Shew vs now how our raising to a newe life is effected by Christ his resurrection?
That diuine power that raised the dead bodye of Christ out of the graue, worketh in the elect the re∣surrection of their soules, from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse.
What doth follow of all this?
First, that Christ is a Sauiour, not by merit one∣ly, but also by vertue and efficacie. Secondly euery chri∣stian that desireth to partake in the merit of Christs death for Iustification, must labour to haue fellowshippe with him in his death for mortification, and to feele the Ver∣tue of his resurrection vnto newnesse of life. Thirdly, such as haue fellowship with his death, for the leauing of sinne, with a hatred of it; and with his resurrection for the leading of a godly and a iust life, out of a loue vnto God and to his Law, do thereby declare, that they are one with Christ himselfe grafted in them.
How is our Sanctification made knowne to a Mans selfe, and vnto others?
By two pledges and testimonies, the one inward,
the other outward: the inward, is the change of our af∣fections, when the heart loatheth the sinnes it was wont to loue, and striueth against them; and loueth such Ver∣tues and duties as once it did abhorre, endeauouring to do them with a desire to please and glorifie God. The outward pledge is baptisme, which is no empty & bare, but a powerfull pledge and instrument thereof. There∣fore it is said, We are baptized into his death, that is to say, it is an effectuall pledge of our fellowship with Christ in his death, aswell to Sanctification as to Iustification.
Declare how Baptisme is a pledge of our sanctificati∣on in all parts of it?
The holy Ghost by the water of Baptisme (be∣ing sprinkled vpon the childe) as by an instrument, not onely sealeth but worketh Sanctification, by linking & knitting the elect nearer vnto Christ, from whome they draw vertue and power, not onely for the mortifying & the burying of their sinnes, but for the pleasing of God in a new course of life. Or thus: the death of sinne is ef∣fectually represented by the water cast on vs at our bap∣tisme; and buriall of sinne, by our being vnder the Wa∣ter: and by our comming out of the water, is signifyed our arising out of our sinnes to a better life, thorough the power of the holy Ghost, applying Christ his death and buriall for the beating downe of our corrupt Na∣ture; and his resurrection or our quickning to godlinesse of liuing.
Then the power of Baptisme dependeth not vpon the Element of water, or on the Minister, or actions performed in the ministration?
No surely, but vpon the ordinance of Christ, ap∣pointing it to be a pledge of remission of sinnes and re∣pentance: and vppon the Spirite and diuine power of Christ, working by his ordinance a straighter Coniunc∣tion betweene himselfe and the elect beleeuers.
Whereof should this put vs in minde?
That such parties as are baptized, are much be∣holden
to God for such a testimony and instrument of his grace; and in this regarde, stand bound to depart from sinne, and to liue godlily, especially hauing made a solemne Vowe and couenant in their Baptisme, that they will not serue sinne in the lust thereof, but God in keeping his word, and doing his will therein reuealed, to the vtmost of that Grace which they haue receiued.