I. Baptism viewed as a COVENANT.

It evidently bears this character in our church. In our articles and formularies we may very distinctly perceive all the characteristics of a covenant. We have

Baptism as the "instrument,”—

God and man as the covenanting parties,

Promises on God's part, and pledges on man's part,— The church and ministers as spiritual agents,

The proceeding throughout bearing the character of a covenant,

and

Suitable admonitions grounded on the faith of it.

1. The instrument.

Baptism is a sign and seal of a public engagement. This is the doctrine of the 27th Article:- 66 Baptism is not only a sign of profession and mark of difference, whereby Christian men are discerned from others that be not christened; but it is also a sign of regeneration or new birth, whereby as b, an instrument they that receive baptism rightly are grafted into the church; the promise of forgiveness of sin, and of our adoption to be the sons of God by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed; faith is confirmed and grace increased by virtue of prayer unto God." The same view is given in the 25th Article:"Sacraments ordained of Christ be not only badges or tokens of Christian men's profession: but rather they be certain sure witnesses and effectual signs of grace and God's good will towards us, by the which he doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken but also strengthen and confirm our faith in him. The sacraments were not ordained,-but that we should duly use them. And in such only as worthily receive the same, they have a wholesome effect or operation: but they that receive them unworthily, purchase to themselves damnation, as St. Paul saith." And in the 26th Article, we have these words:"Neither is the effect of Christ's ordinance taken away by their (ministers) wickedness, nor the grace of God's gifts diminished from such, as by faith and rightly do receive the sacraments ministered unto them; which be effectual, because of Christ's institution and promise, although they be ministered by evil men."

On the above extracts we may observe, that sacraments

are

Tokens of Christian men's profession,

Witnesses and signs of grace and God's good will,— Means by which he worketh invisibly in us; and that baptism is

A sign of profession and of regeneration,—

A signature of God's promises of adoption and pardon,

An instrument by which we are ingrafted into the church.

2. The parties,-God and the candidate.

All the baptismal offices, and the office for confirmation, appear to hold forth the same view of baptism, that is, as the door of entrance into the covenant of grace: at least, they contain all the essential requisites of a covenant admission. For though the office of "private baptism" may seem to form an exception, inasmuch as it pronounces baptism to be valid and efficacious, although it be administered without the usually required sponsors, yet we can scarcely view it as any exception to the general requisites implied in the covenant. It may be true, that the Second Charles's "commissioners," who introduced the admission of regeneration without express sponsion, went farther in their own private judgments, than the church before their time authorised, yet we are still inclined to think that it may be fairly reduced to the same thing.

It is, in the first place, only viewed as a matter which "need shall compel" the parents to, under the apprehension of the child's danger;-secondly, the needful engagement for the child seems to be implied, as Hooker supposes, on the part of those who desire to have it thus privately baptised. Otherwise, as Bishop Burnet remarks, in allusion to the earliest custom, it may be doubted whether it be a legitimate baptism;-and, thirdly, this presumption of sponsion seems to be acted upon on the part of the church; because, should the child live, it is to be brought into the congregation, where the usual requirements are afforded on the child's behalf. It must still be admitted that the declaration,—that "the congre

the

gation may be certified of the true form of baptism by him privately before used,"-seems not to look towards engagements, but the "form" of baptism. Nevertheless, as the exception at most appears in fairness to apply only to infants dying in their infancy, we can have no wish to dispute the assumed efficacy of baptism, so far as they are concerned. Only we must protest against the exception being drawn in as the rule for other cases not analogous.

This being premised, we would observe respecting the parties, that the offices suppose and assert, that the Almighty God and the unbaptised and unregenerate person, have been at enmity, and are now about to become friends. And the church and her ministers are hereby exhibited as the friends of both, to negociate and effect a public reconciliation. God is addressed and prayed to as ever ready, and willing to embrace "in the arms of his mercy" all that with true repentance and faith come unto him. And the candidate is treated as a person fully aware of the evil and corruption of his nature, and of the divine displeasure under which he lives while in a state of nature; and as one earnestly desirous of becoming the friend of God, and of being admitted into his holy church as an openly professed disciple.

3. The church.

"The visible church of Christ," says the 19th Article, " is a congregation of faithful men, in the which the pure word of God is preached, and the sacraments be duly administered according to Christ's ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same."

Here we have the church of Christ "a congregation of faithful men." This church is "the pillar and ground of the truth," or the conservator of God's pure word, which it faithfully preaches to the world; and it administers the sacraments by his authority and in his name to those who desire to become its members.

4. The process.

"Chosen witnesses" are present to testify the solemn vow, promise and profession, which the persons baptised now make with God, before the congregation, assembled to behold this important transaction-the transaction of an immortal soul surrendering itself up to the divine Saviour, by "an everlasting covenant" which is never to be

broken and at the same time the gracious "promises of the forgiveness of sin and of their adoption to be the sons of God by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed." Yes, this covenant and vow, to be the Lord's faithful soldiers and servants unto their lives' end, is solemnly and deliberately entered into on the part of the persons baptised; and the church testifies, that "Jesus Christ hath promised" all the things prayed for,-that this "promise, he, for his part, will most surely keep and perform,' that "he will favourably receive" the "persons present, truly repenting and coming unto him by faith,-that he will grant them remission of their sins, and bestow upon them the Holy Ghost,-that he will give them the blessing of eternal life, and make them partakers of his everlasting kingdom."

We need not adduce more in detail with respect to the process: but we shall subjoin a few observations.

First, It appears evident that a true and genuine covenant is supposed and considered to be entered into in baptism, both on the part of God and man,—that the church conducts the ceremony, and that chosen witnesses attend to observe the application of the "instrument" by which all the blessings and conditions of the covenant are "visibly signed and sealed:"

Secondly, That the character of this covenant, including perpetual friendship and obligation, is of the nature of a marriage union between Christ and the new born spiritual members of his church. "Repentance whereby we forsake sin" is a spiritual divorce from the world and the devil, whose devices and lusts they renounce. "Faith in the promises of God made to them in that sacrament," is a spiritual union of the heart with the Saviour. And the engagement to be "baptised in this faith," joined with the assurance that they "will obediently keep God's holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of their life," is, as the ancient fathers say, a pledging of the soul to the conditions which are to be "performed as long as we live :”.

Thirdly, That the blessings of this covenant are the unsearchable riches of Christ," embracing every thing that he has done and purchased for his church and people,-forgiveness of sin-adoption into God's familybeing heirs of God and inheritors of everlasting salvation,

together with the fulness of divine grace to lead them safely to the possession of eternal glory ;

Fourthly, That the persons to whom these privileges strictly belong are truly regenerate, having been "born of water and of the Spirit," being such as have come to Christ's holy baptism, not only professing, but also really exercising repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ." Whether the grace of regeneration, which is both a gift bestowed by God, and a duty required of man, be strictly possessed, according to Scripture language, only after persons have been baptised, we have considered already, and may more particularly inquire into hereafter.

The remarks we shall make on this part of our subject are the following:

1. Whatever blessings are pronounced or claimed at baptism, are subsequent to and dependant on the engagement by which persons enter into covenant with God. They are indeed covenant blessings. They belong, therefore, as such, to those only who are in the covenant, and who in the present case are supposed, according to the whole proceeding, to have truly and spiritually entered into covenant with God in baptism. The church therefore pronounces, and God's word pronounces, that such persons are blessed as heirs of the covenant of grace.

2. But such announcement of blessings necessarily supposes and implies the sincerity and spirituality of those who enter into these solemn covenant engagements: and this internal state of mind, according to Scripture, and also our church, is always necessarily supposed to accompany the profession then made.

3. The statement, therefore, which is made after the persons are baptised, respecting spiritual regeneration, remission of sins, adoption into God's family, and being made heirs of eternal life, is of course not absolute, but conditional; all these blessings being dependent on the state of the heart in the sight of God, or as the fathers say, on "the faith of the heart," which man cannot with certainty ascertain.

4. But forasmuch as persons profess to come to God penitent and believing, the church admits the profession and pronounces such persons blessed. But she does not pronounce this as a fact or an absolute truth, but hypo