Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1843-02-11
sop rns AMERfcAS.
ARGUMENTS ON TTH MODE or RspTJSN

bsi'e meaning. We read in the Prophet uaal,
chap 2, " 70, 90: at shsoeae 10 pass adae2 wards.
fhsti will pour on, my spirit vpan al Hcsh- &c.
In Matthew 8. Ill. we read rhst John the Brpt st
ssid: 4 indeed bsTdae You with wotcr," &C, "bui
He (ChrisD shsil hspiEe ycU with rbe Hoiy Ghost
and fire. W. learn from Ac,s. chap 2, that on the
day Of Pencost, when The disciples sssen,tted,
rhcy hen,d sound resembling lha, Of mighty
wind, which sound fned, was hca,d oin ell the
hou-e." (nhe original namely shows ,ha,scio, is
the nomnaitre Of ephroosen-- the verse, without
siu'erce, admits Of no other construction, ss the
clause hosp1 TO binias Is evijentiy psrenthc,ic in
sisni6rston.) The Aames were seen--,he spirit
%, on (,bs he ID Of each Of them. This was the
spirit ftoid by Joel. for Peter himself one Of the
inspired that occasion. declared this to IL. -. ne
case V. .ls seq. "This was - Sat which was spo.
ken BY ~ c.Iopne, Joel" &c. Now this WAS, too
the baptism the Holy Ghost of which John had
spoken. Here we have the passages in jux'sposi.
ticn-that which Joel and Peter called a pouring
out, John called Baptism. This seems to he
conclusive. We have no higher authority ,han
inspiration, and here inspiration decides the casc.
The inspired servants of God certainly understood
the language which they spoke. Bapti-o cannot
mean dip, else John would seem 10 say IL indeed
dipyou (bopfiso) in water, bot he that comtth of,
ter me will dip you by pouring out (bapfizo) the
Holy Ghost" But il baptizo simply means to
pour out, then John correctly said II indeed pour
out( (bnpfiro) water. but he of whom Joel spesks,
wiz pour out (6apfiso) the Holy Ghost"
As VIC have commenced this subject, at the risk
Of being thought tedious, we must introduce one
passage more. Indeed. the importance of having
correct views on the subject, must be our apology.
We read in Luke l2, so: II have baptism to be
baptized wh." &c. This is q beautiful illustra.
tion Of the mode Of baptism by spHnkling or pour
Ing. Our Saviour is speaking Of his sufierngs and
death. He may have resolved in his mind that
ms'kalie prophesy Of Isaiah, comprised in the latter
part Of the Sad and The whole of the 63d chapter,
where his sufftiass and death pa,heticaly
described. eve hsse smother affecting instance of
our Savioui's meditations en- the ancient prophe.
sizes. The 22d Psalm is eminsutiy prophetic Of the
circumstances of his death, psstic0tsry ~ q, z, g.,
is, sqq This psalm wa, no doubt, present TO his
mind when he repeated the first verse on the cross.
Be Matthew ~, 46. The case before Us is sini
lar) He may have REQUIRED to the commencement
Of his ministry. when the water had been poured on
him at his baptism, and had thought that in the
language Of tie prophet, Isaiah SO, l2, "he would
soon pour out his sosl unto DEATH" He thought
Of the vills of divine wrath that would be poured
out oo the world unless he would "pour out his
soul unto desth." In Ezekiel 7,s. it stood: SHOW
will shortly pour my fury upon thee" He
thought Of that hour when his sweat would lie, as
il were, greet DROPS OF blood, in the language Of
Luxe IA, ~ Ealing down to the grourd and
to him. He thought OF the llood that would soon
pour down, and flow from his wounded hands fee,
mud sle--of the blood which he woaid shed for us
lie saw the resemblance which wac found an the
act of pouring in Holy Bsptisan--he noticed il
and hence called his suierinss a Baptism. .
His sufferngs are now oves-that blood, which
flowed so freely, was poured out FOR us--thc pro
phesy Of Isaiah, (52, l5.) $50 she'll he spFiakl'
missions his diciples: Go, bsptze (or sprinkle,
all nst,ors" 10 signify that. de water of pn'ifca
iion. when spsmded. eiesnsed in the Old covenant
80 his tlood shall cleanse from oil sin. l John
~ "Swinke all nations" said he, 40 sg,fy th
sprirkilg Of my bcod." How notlra is il, there
fore, for Peal 10 say, Heb. l2 "a "Ye are come I
Jesus, the mediator Of the new coven nt and to h
blood Of spinkling of my blood Of spriikling, .ha
speaketh better things than that Of Abel" Hence
too, Peter. who at the washing Of the fee. toi
by our Saviour, that water spplied to but pan {
the body, was sufficient to express his desgl
John IS, 10, says: Elect according to .!.r for
knowi.dge Of God the Father, through ssnctlic'
.ion of the Spirit, unto Obedience and sprrnklIng
The blood Of Jesus Christ" -.r -. ... .
In Peles |, ., see also Heb. Q, 10, Ia, the 81
nifesncy apd beauty Of the sprnking and Pourir
are app,an, The sp.inkine Of water on all nation
is an expressive figure Of the sPrinkling OF
blood Of EaIist
Where do wo hss dipping even slightly Hi'ud
to. or read of dipping, Fssae.ng IN 'he ''o"a
Carisii How has the woyi ID L'od peeh h''su
ders,ood! OnIy with .easrset We've es.' we u"'
stand ahe bcaaufui .paophesy OF Eza-sl, IN eh'
Sc, IS, s9q. How,e1prsssive and solemn Is n c
Iemony of baptism, ri,e., spfinklng or Ponning' q
inappropriate the gIoss &C, Of dipping!
Are we no, ihen justified ia nainisln'ne, tina
We arc to he guided by the Scriptures. bsp'ue Ct
not. possibly. mean immeIsel Mist have We
found 10 Ie.a 10 that ides' Are poi, sa lar. all