by the blood of Christ and by the renewing of the Holy Ghost, he appointed baptism to be, not only the sign, but also the seal and pledge of those exceeding great and precious promises. No believer in the Bible can look on the rainbow without having his faith strengthened in the promise that a deluge shall never again destroy the earth. No pious Jew could witness the rite of cir- cumcision administered, or advert to that sign in his own person, without an increased confidence that Jehovah was his God. And no Christian can recall his own baptism, or witness the baptism of others, without having his faith strengthened in the great promises of redemption. Every time the ordinance of baptism is administered in our presence, we hear anew the voice from heaven proclaiming, "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin ; " " He saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost."
3. Baptism, however, is not only a sign and seal ; it is also a means of grace, because in it the blessings which it signifies are conveyed, and the promises of which it is the seal, are assured or fulfilled to those who are baptized, provided they believe. The Word of God is declared to be the wisdom and power of God to salvation ; it is the means used by the Holy Spirit in conferring on men the benefits of redemption. Of course all who merely hear or read the Word of God are not saved ; neither do all who receive the baptism of water experience the baptism of the Holy Ghost ; but this is not inconsistent with the Word's being the means of salvation, or with baptism's being the washing of regen- eration. Our Lord says we are sanctified by the truth. Paul says we put on Christ in baptism (Gal. iii. 27). When a man receives the Gospel with a true faith, he receives the blessings which the Gospel promises ; when he receives baptism in the ex- ercise of faith, he receives the benefits of which baptism is the sign and seal. Unless the recipient of this sacrament be insin- cere, baptism is an act of faith, it is an act in which and by which he receives and appropriates the offered benefits of the redemption of Christ. And, therefore, to baptism may be prop- erly attributed all that in the Scriptures is attributed to faith. Baptism washes away sin (Acts xxii. 16) ; it unites to Christ and makes us the sons of God (Gal. iii. 26, 27) ; we are therein buried with Christ (Rom. vi. 3) ; it is (according to one inter- pretation of Titus iii. 5) the washing of regeneration. But all this is said on the assumption that it is what it purports to be, an act of faith. The gospel of our salvation is, to those who believe not, a
590 PART III. Ch. XX. — THE MEANS OF GRACE.
savour of death unto death. Circumcision to the unbelieving Jew, was uncircumcision. Baptism, without faith, is without effect. Such being the case, it is plain that baptism is as truly a means of grace as the Word. It conveys truth to the mind ; it confirms the promise of God ; and it is the means in the hands of the Spirit of conveying to believers the benefits of redemption. Hence it is a grievous mistake and a great sin to neglect or undervalue it.
All this is plain so far as adults are concerned. But if the sav- ing benefits of baptism are suspended on the condition of faith in the recipient, what benefit can there be in the baptism of infants ? To this it may be answered, —
1. That it is the commandment of God. This should be enough. It might as well be asked what benefit could there be in the cir- cumcision of infants under the law. Paul tells us that the benefit to them as well as to others was much every way. It secured their membership in the commonwealth of Israel, which was a greater honour and privilege than the highest peerage on earth. So baptism secures the membership of infants in the visible Church of God, which is a still greater distinction and blessing.
2. Infants are the objects of Christ's redemption. They are capable of receiving all its benefits. Those benefits are promised to them on the same conditions on which they are promised to their parents. It is not every one who says Lord, Lord, who shall enter into the kingdom of God. It is not every baptized adult who is saved ; nor are all those who are baptized in infancy made partakers of salvation. But baptism signs, seals, and actu- ally conveys its benefits to all its subjects, whether infants or adults, who keep the covenant of which it is the sign. As a be- liever who recalls some promise of the Scriptures which he has read or heard, receives the full benefit of that promise ; so the in- fant when arrived at maturity receives the full benefit of baptism, if he believes in the promises signified and sealed to him in that ordinance. Baptism, therefore, benefits infants just as it does adults, and on the same condition.
It does not follow from this that the benefits of redemption may not be conferred on infants at the time of their baptism. That is in the hands of God. What is to hinder the imputation to them of the righteousness of Christ, or their receiving the renewing of the Holy Ghost, so that their whole nature may be developed in a state of reconciliation with God ? Doubtless this often occurs ; but whether it does or not, their baptism stands good ; it assures them of salvation if they do not renounce their baptismal cove- nant.