Chapter Three: Baptized Into The Name Of The Holy Trinity Or Into Whose Name Is Baptism Administered?

                               CHAPTER THREE

                 Baptized Into The Name Of The Holy Trinity

                                     Or

                  Into Whose Name Is Baptism Administered?

The third essential in this Ordinance of Baptism is what is meant by the name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost? The Command is that the Minister must dip them into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. That which the Lord Jesus commands must be essential to this Ordinance. I shall endeavor to show you what is meant here by name.

                  The Trinity is Made Known by Their Names

The Father, Son, and Spirit are made known as a man is, by his Name. That is here understood. By the names Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, we know the Gospel does hold forth one God, yet distinguished into Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The name here is to be so understood. The Gospel does so set forth God and describe Him as the Subject Matter of our Faith, Acts 9:15. "But the Lord said unto Ananias, Go thy way, for he is a chosen Vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles, and Kings, and Children of Israel, for I will shew him how great things he must suffer for My name's sake."

                            The Name Makes Known

By Name in this place and in the Commission, is to be understood that heavenly mystery of the Gospel by which God is discovered and made known even as a man is by his name.

   The Discovery of the Father's Name With His Distinguishing Particulars

One part of the Gospel Mystery consists of a Discovery of the Father's name by which He is distinguishably made known from the Son and Spirit, in these particulars.

First, in ordaining the Son, 1 Pet. 1:18;

Secondly, in choosing and electing the Son, Isaiah 28:16 with 1 Pet. 2:5;

Thirdly, in sending the Son, Gal. 4:4, John 3:16,17;

Fourthly, in promising the Son, Isaiah 9:6;

Fifthly, in bruising the Son and putting Him to grief, Isaiah 53;

Sixthly, in laying all our iniquities upon the Son,

Seventhly and to justify and freely accept such as believe in the Son. This I understand is the Name of the Father.

     The Discovery of the Son's Name and His Distinguishing Particulars

By the Son's Name is to be understood,

First, that by which He makes known Himself to the Sons and Daughters of men, as to take Flesh, Heb. 2:14, Rom. 9:5 and 1:3.

Secondly, He kept the Law in order to die as that Just One, or as a Lamb without spot;

Thirdly, His making His Soul an offering for sin, as a perfect offering for the sins and transgressions of His people, Heb. 10:12,14; Isa. 53;

Fourthly, that He did not only die for our Sins, but rose again for our Justification, Rom. 4:25;

Fifthly, He ascended into Heaven;

Sixthly, He makes intercession for us, Heb. 2:25;

Seventhly, He pours down the Spirit and gives gifts unto men, Zech. 12:10, Eph. 4:10-12. In all this the Son makes Himself known by His name distinguishably from the Father and the Spirit.

   The Discovery of the Spirit's Name and His Distinguishing Particulars

In the last place the Spirit is made known in the Gospel as the One Who in the First place convinces the world of sin, John 16:8, and pricks men in their hearts with a sense of sin, and the wrath of God due for sin, Acts 2:37 and 29.

Secondly, another work of the Spirit by which He is made known, is the revealing of the Father, and the Son, and those great Mysteries unto the soul of a poor, convicted Sinner. Christ says, "the Spirit of God shall lead you into all truth, He shall take of Mine, and show it to you," John 16. No man does understand the things of a man, but the spirit of a man, that is within him. So none shall or can understand the things of God, but by the Spirit of God. For the Spirit of God searches out all things, even the deep things of God, 1 Cor. 2:9,10.

Thirdly, the Spirit does not only discover man's misery and his lost estate by reason of sin, but discovers a remedy which lies in the great love of God in Christ (as before mentioned) and produces in the heart true faith and repentance, disposing the heart to obedience.

This is the proper work or office of the Spirit by which He is distinguishably known from the Father and the Son.

       The Believer Comes and Manifests These Truths to the Preacher

When the Soul shall come to the Preacher and make known to him that the Spirit has experimentally made known unto him his lost and damnable estate by sin, and that the same Spirit has discovered unto him the great love of God the Father in the gift of Christ to be a propitiation for sin, as one dying for the chief of Sinners, and the Spirit of God has made known all this to him and has wrought faith in his heart to believe it, and has changed his heart from a course of sin to renewed obedience; for no soul can declare to a Minister the true work of Conversion, but he must in so doing discover his knowledge of the work of the Father, Son, and Spirit. Into this does the Minister baptize him, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. This much for these three particulars.