Sign or Seal of the Covenant.
By John C. Day
IN Vol. IV, No. 16, of the Review, I endeavored to show in my article on the cov., that the cov. and ch. of God are essentially the same under the present dispensation as under the former. I now pass to consider, more particularly, the connected subject of baptism, a question of some importance, whether baptism has come in place of circumcision. 1. Baptism is now, as circumcision anciently was, an instituted pre-requisite to a regular standing in the visible church. In the present dispensation, baptism is required, as was circumcision under the ancient, in order to regular membership. In this respect, then, baptism is certainly in the place of circumcision. 2. Baptism, under the present dispensation, is of the same significance with circumcision under the ancient. As a sign, circumcision signified the renovation of the heart, or regeneration. Circumcise, therefore, the foreskin of your heart, said Moses, and be no more stiff-necked. And again, the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul that thou mayest live. This injunction is evidently equivalent with that in Ezekiel to make them new hearts; and the assurances that the Lord would circumcise their hearts and the heart of their seed is, also, of the same import with the promise in Ezekiel. A new heart, also, will I give thee, and a new spirit will I put within thee. Accordingly the Apostle to the Romans says, He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart, in spirit and not in the letter. Now as circumcision signifies the renovation of the heart, or regeneration, so baptism signifies the same thing. Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, said Christ to Nicodemus, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. In this passage, being born of water, or baptized with water, and being born of the Spirit, or baptized with the Spirit, are presented together, the one as the sign, the other as the thing signified; for by one spirit, says the Apostle, are we all baptized into one body. By his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the holy Ghost. This is evidently equivalent to being born of water and of the Spirit. As it is in renewing the heart that the holy Spirit applies the great atonement, for cleansing and justification, so baptism alludes not only to the influence of the Spirit, but also to the blood of Christ as an atonement for sin. Evident reference was also had in the bloody rite of circumcision. And as baptism is now an instituted sign to be used in the church, signifying by the blood of Christ, as circumcision anciently was; in this respect, again, baptism has taken the place of circumcision. 3. Baptism, under the present dispensation is a seal of the same thing, of which circumcision was under the ancient. We have the express declaration of the Apostle that circumcision was a seal of the righteousness of faith; of that faith which Abraham had before he was circumcised, as well as afterwards, and of which every true believer is the subject. There is but one righteousness of faith, or which is the subject of true faith; namely, the righteousness of Christ, by which believers, in all ages, have been, and will be, justified. Of this righteousness, circumcision was an instituted seal; of the same righteousness of faith, baptism is now also a seal; the inward seal of the righteousness of faith, is the holy Spirit renewing and sanctifying the heart, and applying the blood of Christ; and as baptism is a sign of this gracious operation of the Spirit, it is also an outward seal of the same, righteousness; for says the Apostle, For as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on175Christ. The righteousness of faith in a word, includes all the promised blessings; and baptism now as circumcision anciently was, is undoubtedly a seal of God's gracious covenant with his church and in this respect therefore, the one has taken the place of the other. 4. That baptism has come in the place of circumcision we are decisively taught by the Apostle in Col. ii, 10-13. And ye are complete in Christ who is the head of all principality and power, in whom ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him, through the faith of the operation of God, who raised him from the dead. And you being dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened together with him. The plain, obvious ideas, which lie upon the face of this passage, are these: circumcision and baptism signify the same thing; the thing signified by faith is the renovation of the heart, or the resurrection from spiritual death to spiritual life; and this renovation of the heart, is the fruit of the special operation of God, and this special operation is signified by the outward sign of baptism as it anciently was by circumcision, hence the one has taken the place of the other. I submit the four arguments in proof, as amply sufficient to establish the point. If baptism is now, as circumcision was then an instituted pre-requisite for regular membership in the church, if it is a sign of the same significance, if it is a seal of the same covenant blessings, and if, as the Apostle plainly teaches us, being baptized is, in effect, the same thing as being circumcised, then notwithstanding any dissimilarities, of a circumstantial nature, the conclusion is obvious and invincible, that baptism holds the same place in the church of God which circumcision anciently held.