Page:Short illustration of the commission given by Jesus Christ to his apostles.pdf/17

 the repenting believer, the remission or washing away of his sins in the blood of Christ. Accordingly Peter exhorts the convicted Jews,—Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. In Acts xxii. 16. Ananias in his address to Paul expresses this still stronger. This manner of speaking will appear very extravagant to many now-a-days, who look upon baptism as a mere empty rite or arbitrary precept. Baptism exhibits the and  of Christ, whereby he fulfilled all righteousness, together with the Christian’s  with, and  to him therein. The Apostle expressly declares and chiefly insists upon this, in Rom. vi. 4. and Col. ii. 12. to which the reader is requested to turn. These passages exhibit to us in a figure, what the gospel declares by way of Testimony: that Christ was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification, This is what was represented by his own baptism, as appears from the reason he assigns to John, — "Suffer it to he so now; for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness."

Our limits will not permit entering farther into this branch of the subject; but those who wish to enquire into it more largely, may consult with much profit the late Mr Illustration of the Commission, (from which the greater part of these pages have been extracted;)