Page:Short illustration of the commission given by Jesus Christ to his apostles.pdf/15

 The apostles speak of the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, of the blood of sprinkling which speaketh better things than that of Abel. But this language is highly figurative; and he that would interpret it literally, would not only profane the holy scriptures, but conceal the grand and glorious truth intended to be conveyed. This language is borrowed from the law, and is designed to shew that in Christ, as the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth, every prefiguration of him is fulfilled; that the Israelites had the shadow, but that christians have the substaucesubstance [sic]. To contend that the mode of baptism is to be sought for in the language of the law, figuratively applied to the sacrifice of Christ and its glorious effects, is as absurd as to seek for the living among the dead. Because his blood is spoken of as sprinkled, is it a fair conclusion, that this is the pattern for baptizing? This is founding it upon a mere jingle of words. Where do we find the least authority for the doctrine, that because the atonement is represented by various figures, therefore baptism must be an external representation of these figures? Besides, in none of the passages quoted is there the least mention of water baptism, except in Heb. x. 22. and here it is the "bathing of the body with pure water," To seek for the mode of baptizing where it is not so much as spoken of, is a strange way of establishing a plain institution, and shows the sophistry that is necessary to support an unfounded practice.