A help to holy walking, or, A guide to glory containing directions how to worship God, and to walk with him in the whole course of our lives / by Edward Bury.

3. Direct. In this Duty aim at God's Glo∣ry, the strengthening of thy Faith, and the good of thy own, and thy Childrens Souls: Many a good Action is spoyled for want of a good End, as I told you, the Fasting, Prayers, and Alms of the Pharisees were, Mat. 6.1,2, &c. In this Ordinance God aims at the fore∣said Ends; his Glory is his ultimate End, and should be ours: He annexes this Seal to his Covenant to strengthen our Faith; use it therefore to this End. And by this our Chil∣dren are Entered into Covenant: As we Live, and Move, and have our Being from him, so we should Live, and Move, and Act for him; not only in this, but in all other Duties: This is a Seal of the Covenant of Grace, and in this it excels all the Water in the World: For our Baptismal water, though not in regard of it's Essence, yet in it's Use and Efficacy, pas∣seth all other, though never so precious: others may Comfort the Heart, but cannot Sanctifie it; Abana and Pharpar, Rivers of Damascus, may be more beautiful to the Eye, than the River Jordan, yet cannot heal Naaman's Le∣prosie; it had not that Sanctive virtue put into it by God. So this Baptismal water is set apart, and Sanctified to an Holy Use; even to Seal the Covenant of Grace to Believers, in which Covenant God offers Christ, to be our Lord, and Saviour; and promises with him to give us pardon of Sin, Regeneration, Adoption, Sanctification, and Redemption; yea, Hea∣ven, and Glory; and thereupon sets to his

Seal in this Sacrament: And Man, on his part, promiseth to take Christ as he is offered in the Gospel, to be his Lord and Saviour; and pro∣mises to believe in him, to be Ruled by him, to forsake all other for him, and to be his Faith∣ful Servant to his Death; and thereupon ac∣cepts of the Offered Element, and so puts to his Seal to the Covenant, and by so doing de∣votes himself to his Service. So that this Sa∣crament is an engaging Sign, and Seal of the Covenant between God and Man: All the Blessings of the New Covenant are included here; for the Seal is of as large an extent as the Covenant it self, and as a Seal accepted to an Evidence, makes it Authentick; much more God's Seal annexed to his Word, is firm and sure; Heaven and Earth may pass away, but God's Word, thus Ratified, shall never fail. We have God's Promise, under Hand and Seal, and if we perform on our part, doubtless, God will never fail on his; he as∣sures us hereby, that he will be a Reconciled Father to us in Christ; and we shall be his Adopted Sons and Daughters, he will be our God, which is more than can be expressed in words, or conceived in mind. Now, from this Covenant thus ratified, a Believer in the saddest Affliction may fetch Comfort, and re∣freshing. The Spirit it self being the Keep∣er of this Seal, produceth it many times to a Christians Comfort; and enables him to read his Name in the Covenant, and shews him the Great Seal for it. Thus David could fetch

Comfort from his Circumcision, when he was to Encounter with Goliath; what is this Ʋncir∣cumcised Philistine, &c. And why may not we from our Baptism, in our Conflicts with the Goliath of Hell? God is not a Man, that he should lye, nor the Son of Man, that he should Repent. Now, that this is a Seal of the Covenant, see Rom. 4.11. where Circum∣cision is Called the Seal of the Righteousness of Faith, in which place Baptism succeeds. See also, Col. 2.11,12. wherein we see, We are Buried with him in Baptism, and with him also raised again. And that all the Blessings of the New Covenant are Sealed by this is evi∣dent also, Gal. 3.27. For as many of you as have been Baptized into Christ have put on Christ, Rom. 6.4,5. where the Benefits both of his Death and Resurrection are promised; as al∣so Remission of Sins, Mark 1.4. Yea, Salva∣tion also, Tit. 3.4. By this Ordinance we give up our selves unto Christ, Rom. 6.34. Now, what are the Ends thou aimest at in this Ordinance, when thou presentest thy Child to be Baptized? Is it the Duty, as well as the Priviledge thou regardest? Dost thou Enter him into the Covenant, with an intent to De∣dicate him to the Lord, and Train him up in his fear; to bring him into God's Family, and make him a Member of his Mystical Body? 1 Cor. 1••.13. For by one Spirit we are all Baptized into one Body, to make him a Mem∣ber of the Church, Gal. 3.27. That he may be Holy, to Marry him unto Christ, &c? 'tis

well. If only Custom, not Conscience, move thee, thy Ends are bad, and thy Actions Sin∣ful.