them with men), and by relation and obligation. God had never a church on earth of which infants were not infant members, since there were infants in the world.

6. To be baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, is no less than by solemn covenant to give up one's self to God the Father, as our Father reconciled by Christ, our chief owner and ruler, and chief benefactor, even as our God; and to Christ as our Saviour, and the Holy Ghost as our sanctifier. And merely to consent to learn of Christ makes one a baptizable disciple.

7. Baptism is christening, and is the badge of those that must love and take each other for Christians; and the terms of church unity, till it be nullified by verbal or actual apostasy. And it is church tyranny and schism to make canons which shall exclude those from the Church of Christ whom he taketh in by baptism; before they impenitently nullify that covenant, in whole, or in some essential part, namely, by proved denying essentials of faith, or forsaking some essential part of obedience.

8. He that consenteth heartily and unfeignedly to the baptismal covenant, is regenerate and justified, and shall be saved. And he that doth consent but with the mouth and outward sign, or leaveth out some essential part in his heartconsent, is regenerate only sacramentally, and a visible member of the church, but is not justified, nor

shall be saved.

9. The general command to the disciples of teaching all nations Christ's commands, includeth writing the Scriptures, without which they could not teach posterity in all nations his commands.

10. It maketh them his intrusted apostles, from whose fidelity we may believingly receive his commands; and therefore it includeth the promise of his Spirit to make them true and credible reporters.

11. It implieth that his commands are the universal laws for his catholic (i. e. whole) church. And no man or men have authority to make laws for the universal church on earth but he.

12. Yet the precept of observing his commands forbids not the observing of the commands of any lawful limited local rulers under him, not crossing his commands; parents, masters, pastors, princes, must be obeyed in their provinces and places, even about God's worship. If men make subordinate laws, according to God's general laws of love, concord, edification, order, they must be obeyed.BAXTER.

READER. Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven aud in earth.-See

Psalm cx. 1; Eph. i. 20, 21. By this is expressed his dominion and rule as Prince of Peace, the alone king of his church, her supreme lawgiver and mighty protector, and the conqueror of all his enemies;

were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and h suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.

¿ Luke iv. 33.-c Mat. vili 29.-d ver. 34.-e ch. ix. 20. Mat. viii. 14. Luke iv. 38.-g Mat. viii. 16. Luke iv. 40.- ch. iii. 12. Luke iv. 41. See Acts xvi. 17, 18. Or, to say that they knew him.

The leading features of the his

tory of the poor demoniac,—namely,

the sufferings to which he had been exposed, and the recognition of Christ by the evil spirit, and the ejection of that spirit by his divine power, bear a strong resemblance to those of the miracle performed in the country of the Gergesenes, recorded in Matt. viii. 28-34, and in the fifth chapter of this Gospel. See § XXX.

Matthew VIII. 28-34.

And § XXIX.

Matthew VIII. 14-17.

35 And 'in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

36 And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.

him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.

k

38 And he said unto them,

Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.

39" And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.

40 "And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.

42 And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.

43 And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;

44 And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

city but was without in desert places and they came to him

from every quarter.

5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be for

a

AND again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.

2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.

3 And they come unto him, 1 bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.

4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.

6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?

d

9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee: or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?

10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)

11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.

12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

13 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.

17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to pentance.

a Mat. ix. 1. Luke v. 18.-h Job xiv. 4. - Mat. ix. 4.-d Mat. ix. 5-e Mat. ix, 9.Luke v. 27. Or, at the place where the received.-g Mat. ix. 10.- Mat. ix. 12, 13; Juke v. 31, 32; & xix. 10. 1 Tim. i. 15.

See § XXXI.

Matthew IX. 1-13.

re

Is. xliii. 25. Mat. ix. 9. custom was & xviii, 11.

$ CIII.

CHAP. II. 18-28.

Christ excuseth his disciples for not fasting; and for plucking the ears of corn on the sabbath day.

18 And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast; and they come and

say unto him, Why do the dis ciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?

19 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

21 No man also seweth a piece of "new cloth on an old garment else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.

23 And it came to pass,

that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, 'to pluck the ears of

corn.

24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful.

25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read " what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?

26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, "which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them

which were with him?

27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath :

28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

Mat. ix. 14. Luke v. 33. Or, raw, or, unwrought.

Mat. xii. I. Luke vi. i.-Deut. xxiii. 25.-m 1 Sam. xxi. 6.- Ex. xxix. 32, 33. Lev. xxiv. 9.-o Mat. xii. 8.

See § XXXII.

Matthew IX. 14-17.

And § XL.

Matthew XII. 1–8.

3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, + Stand forth.

4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save

life or to kill? But they held their peace.

5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the 'hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he strecthed it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

с

6' And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

7 But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea : and a great multitude from