A practical exposition on the 130th Psalm

After the Entrance of this Ordinance in the Ministry of John, the Lord Christ takes it into his own hand, and commands the observation of it unto all his Disciples. I dispute not now, who are the proper immediate objects of it; whether they only who actually can make profession of their faith, or Believers with their infant seed. For my part, I believe that all whom Christ loves and pardons are to be made partakers of the pledge thereof. And the sole Reason which they of old insisted on, why the infants of Believing Parents should not be ⟨p. 181⟩baptized; was because they thought they had no sin, and therein we know their mistake. But I treat not now of these things; only this I say is certain, that in the prescription of this Ordinance unto his Church, the great Intention of the Lord Christ was to ascertain unto us the forgiveness of sins. And sinners are invited to a participation of this Ordinance for that End, that they may receive the pardon of their sins; that is an infallible pledge and Assurance of it, Acts 2. 38. And the very nature of it declareth this to be its End, as was before intimated. This is another engagement of the Truth and Faithfulness and Holiness of God, so that we cannot be deceived in this matter. There is, saith God forgiveness with me; saith the soul, how Lord shall I know, how shall I come to be assured of it, for by reason of the perpetual Accusations of Conscience, and the Curse of the Law upon the guilt of my sin, I find it a very hard matter for me to believe: Like Gideon I would have a Token of it: why behold saith God, I will give thee a pledge and a token of it which cannot deceive thee. When the world of old had been overwhelmed with a deluge of waters by reason of their sins, and those who remained, though they had just cause to fear that the same Judgement would again befall them or their posterity, because they saw there was like to be the same cause of it, the thoughts and imaginations of the hearts of men being evil still, and that continually; to secure them against these fears, I told them that I would destroy the earth no more with water; and I gave them a token of my faithfulness therein, by placing my bow in the cloud. And have I failed them? though the sin and wickedness of the world hath been since that day unspeakably great, yet mankind is not drowned again, nor ever shall be: