23 tism of the Spirit, as the apostle elsewhere shews, saying, 1 Cor. xii. 13. “ For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, and have been made all to drink into one Spirit.” Now this Spirit baptism did not go along with John’s water baptism, but followed it about four years after, as you have heard, and as appears by the forementioned place of Christ, Acts i. 5. where he tells his disciples, saying, “John verily baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence.” And this promise of Christ, and of the Father, was fulfilled at the day of Pentecost, when the apostles being all met together, “ There came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the house where they were sitting, and there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Spirit,” &c. Here w^as the first beginning of Christ’s or Spirit baptism, for it began not till after the ascension of Christ into heaven, and his sitting down on the throne of God ; and John the apostle also witnesses to this, chap. vii. 39. saying, “ The Spirit was not yet given, because Christ was not yet glorified:” but as soon as he was glorified, then did he begin to baptize with the Spirit, not the apostles only, but also the Jew's and Gentiles, and all sorts of people that did believe in his name through the word of the gospel: so that then Christ’s baptism began to take place, and to prevail, as you may see, Acts viii. 14, 15, 16. “When the apostles that were at Jerusalem had heard that Samaria had received the word of God by the preaching of Philip, they sent unto them Peter and John, who w hen they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for as yet he was fallen on none of them, (only,” saith the text, “they were baptized in the name of die Lord Jesus,” i. e. they had only been baptized with John’s baptism, who only baptized with water, saying, that they should believe on Christ that was to come after : for John’s baptism was yet usual, inasmuch as Christ’s baptism w'as but new begun) “then did the apostles lay their hands on them, and they re- *civcd the Holy Spirit: so that here now was the prog
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