risen from the dead, and ascended into heaven. And therefore Christ, after he was risen from the dead, and immediately before he was to ascend into heaven, though his disciples had used water baptism, or John’s baptism, for above three years, yet affirms that which John had said of him, touching his baptizing with the Spirit, was not y£t fulfilled, but was shortly to be fulfilled, as appears in Acts i. 4, 5. “ Christ being assembled with the apostles, commanded them, that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which,” saith he, “ you have heard of me ; for John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Spirit not many days hence and this was fulfilled at the day of Pentecost. Whence it is evident, that Christ’s baptism did not go along with John’s, and make that up one entire baptism with itself, seeing it followed almost four years after, and therefore John’s baptism and Christ’s must needs be distinct. 3. It is evident, that Christ’s baptism and John’s were distinct, inasmuch as the baptism of Christ was necessary for those very persons who had before been baptized with the baptism of John; whereas, if John’s baptism had been one and the same with Christ’s, that only had been sufficient; but now those whom John had baptized with water, Christ was to baptize again with the Spirit, as in that place before mentioned, “ I have baptized you with water, but one comes after me, who shall baptize you with the Spirit;” even you whom I have before: baptized with water : and this was not a second baptism, but the first baptism of the New Testament, John’s baptism being more legal than evangelical; and evangelical only insomuch, as it pointed out this baptism of Christ at hand. Again, the Baptist himself saith, “ I have need to be baptized of thee so that the very author, or chief minister of water baptism, stood in need of spiritual baptism, himself: Paul also, Acts xix. when he found certain disciples baptized only with the baptism of John, he baptized them again in the name of Christ, because they had not received the Spirit; and this baptism into the
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