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 With
this sixth “quote” from the Scotch Baptist, Archibald
McLean, we find the material a bit complicated, and the “cutting”
made necessary by our lack of space makes it worse. But the time
of writing (1786), and the relation of McLean to “Restoration”
history, makes this interesting; and the exegesis is as good or
better than that on many library shelves. Here McLean continues
on “Import and Design of Baptism.” (Correction: Matt. 3:15
reads “us,” not “me.” rft)
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“3.
It exhibits the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ,
whereby he fulfilled all righteousness; together with the
Christian’s communion with and conformity to him therein.
(Rom. 6:3-f., Col. 2:l2-l3).... This is what was represented by
his own baptism, as appears from the reason he assigned. . .“to
fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15), q.d., “Permit me to
be baptized; for my baptism is a figure of the work which I have
undertaken to finish; for in like manner as I am buried under
and raised again out of the water, even so it becometh me to
fulfill all righteousness, by dying and rising again from the
dead.”
From
the before-cited passages we also learn, (2) That the baptism of
believers represents their union and communion with Christ in
his death, burial, and resurrection... As to communion with
Christ in his death, the Apostle says, “We are dead to sin —
dead with Christ” (Rom. 6:). When, therefore, it is said “our
old man was crucified with him,” it imports, that Christ by
his death hath freed us from the law as the condition of
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life, by satisfying all
its claims upon us in this respect; that he hath expiated our
sins by bearing the punishment due, to them in our stead, with a
view to free us also from the indwelling power and service of
sin, and consequently hath delivered us from that death which is
the wages of sin and the curse of the law ...
As
to communion with Christ in his resurrection, the same apostle
says, “God, who is rich in mercy, for the great love wherewith
he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us
together with Christ (by grace ye are saved), and hath raised us
up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in
Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:4-7).... Accordingly, believers are
exhorted to reckon themselves thus connected with... Christ both
in his dying and living: “For in that he died, he died unto
sin once; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise
reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin; but alive
unto God (en) in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:10-11). And
this reckoning answers to what was just a little before declared
to be the import of their baptism; for their burial in, and
rising again out of, the water, exhibited what Christ underwent,
not singly, but as involving them in it, nay, as passing upon
themselves, even as if they had undergone it in their own
persons. Such is the intimate connection between Christ and his
members in his dying and rising, and such is the reckoning which
believers are called to make of their baptism; the faith which
answers to the mystery of it according to the word of God.”
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