fire, which Christ promised at his ascension into heaven.

And this is the only baptism wherein all the church of the New Testament are to partake with Christ: I say, not the baptism of water, but of the Spirit: he and we drinking into one Spirit, and the same Spirit descending on us as did on him. The pouring out of the Spirit on the flesh of Christ, was his New Testament baptism, and it is ours too; and all our true and sound comfort and happiness lies in this, that we are baptised with the same Spirit that he was; for it would be as little spiritual comfort to be dipped in the same water with Christ, as to eat with him at the same table, or to drink with him in the same cup, or to go along with him in the same ship, as Judas did, and divers of the unbeliving Jews; but to drink with him in one Spirit, is to partake of one Spirit with him, and to be one Christ with him; and this is a comfort indeed.

Now the outward instrument of Christ's, or Spirit-baptism, is not material water, but the word, as Christ shews, Mat. xxviii. where he saith, "Teach and baptise;" shewing, that teaching the word is the outward means of baptising with the Spirit. And again, John xvii. 3. "Now are ye clean through the word," not which Moses but "which I have spoken unto you," (and therefore is the gospel called the ministration of the Spirit, because it proceeds from the Spirit, and communicates the Spirit, and Christ baptises with the Spirit, through the ministration of the Spirit, which is the preaching of the gospel) and Eph. v. 26.

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"Christ gave himself for his church, that he might sanctify and cleanse it, Τω λυτρω το υδαττος εν ῥηματι, with the washing of water by the word ;" that is, Christ cleanses his church by such a washing of water, as is brought about by the word and the water, with which the word washes in the Spirit; for by the word the Spirit is given; and the word cleanses by the Spirit, and the Spirit by the word: and therefore it is also said, I Cor. vii. 1. "Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit.

From all this it appears, that Spirit-baptism is not to be performed by water, but by the word; and no man under the New Testament, receives the Spirit through the baptism of water, but through the ministry of the New Testament, which is the only ministration of the Spirit.

To conclude this baptism of the Spirit, that is performed only by the word, is that baptism of which so many excellent things are spoken in the New Testament. As,

1. This baptism of the Spirit gives a new nature, and this nature is a divine nature, or the nature of God; and hence it is said, "Except a man be born of water and the Spirit ;" so that the baptism of the Spirit gives a new birth, and so a new nature: and again, "That which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit;" so that the baptism of the Spirit makes us Spirit, and through the baptism of the Spirit, we become that which the Spirit itself is; and so the true foundation of Christianity begins from faith and a new creature, and not from water-washing.

2. This baptism gives a new name, not John or Thomas, &c. but as Christ saith, Rev. iii. 2. "I will write upon him, το όνομα με το καινον, my new name. Our own name is sin and ignorance, and pride, and injustice, and envy, and covetousness, and uncleanness, and all evil; and this is the name which the first Adam wrote upon us; but the name the second Adam writes on us, is righteousness, and holiness, and truth, and love, and meekness, and wisdom, and all good; and this is the name the second Adam writes on us, or his own new name; for Christ himself was baptised by the Spirit into the name of God; that is, was taken up into God and the things of God, which are himself, as into the truth, wisdom, justice, mercy, power, &c. and all the whole flesh or humanity of Christ, even all his members are baptised into the same name of God with him, and so are called by his new name; so that this name of Christ, this new name, which is given us by God, through the baptism of the Spirit, is infinitely better than that name which is given us by parents or god-fathers in waterbaptism.

3. Christ's baptism translates us into a new world: "Except a man be born of that water, which is the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." No man can possibly enter into the church of the New Testament, which is the kingdom of God, but through the baptism of the Spirit; the baptism of the Spirit makes a new creature, and this new creature enters into a new world, which is the new Jerusalem that comes down from God out of heaven.

4. Spirit-baptism enables us to the same work

with Christ; that is, to the ministry of the New Testament; saith Christ, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he hath anointed me to preach," Isa. lxi. I. And he began his ministry from his Spirit-baptism, which did immediately follow his water-baptism, but was in no sort one baptism with it; and having through the opening the heavens received the Spirit which taught him the Name of God, he presently began to teach the name of God to others; and Christ himself was not a minister of the New Testament, but through the baptism of the Spirit. Now all believers that are anointed with him in his unction, or, which is all one, are baptised with him in one baptism of Spirit, are anointed and baptised to the same ministry for the anointing of the Spirit is the teaching of God, and they that are taught of God themselves ought also to teach others; and the Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of Prophecy, and they that have received that Spirit must prophesy, as it is written, "It shall come to pass in the last days, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy;" which very place Peter, Acts ii. applies to the baptism of the Spirit; so that this Spirit-baptism of Christ makes all prophets that partake of it.

5. Spirit-baptism makes all those one with 'Christ the Head, who partake of it, Gal. iii. 27. "As many as have been baptised into Christ, have put on Christ;" so that by the true baptism of the New Testament, we do actually put on Christ, and are made one with Christ: and this is not done by any water-washing, but by the

Spirit; for through the gift of the Spirit only we are made one flesh with Christ, yea, through this we necessarily become one Spirit with him too, as it is said, "He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit;" so that not through water, but Spirit-baptism do we put on Christ, the Spirit carrying us into Christ, and bringing Christ into us, and being one and the same Spirit in both; and this is to be baptised into Christ.

Now this baptism that makes us one with Christ, makes us to partake both of his death and resurrection.

First, Through baptism of the Spirit we are dipt into the death of Christ, Rom. vi. 3, 4. "Know ye not, that so many of us as are baptised into Jesus Christ, are baptised into his death?" And this is, as the apostle unfolds it, ver. 6. “The crucifying of the old man with him, that the body of sin may be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin ;" and all this is done, not through any water-washing, but through the gift of the Spirit; for it is through the Spirit only, that we are able to mortify the deeds of the flesh; and nothing but the presence of the Spirit in us is the destruction of sin; so that the Spirit of Christ baptises us into the death of Christ.

Secondly, Spirit-baptism makes us partakers. of his resurrection as well as of his death, yea, therefore do we die with him, that we may live a better life, Rom. vi. 3, 4. "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism (that is, Spirit-baptism) into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father