tinually contracting; this is but the outward sign; but that I have the thing signified also, a conscience answering all those questions in sincerity towards God which were proposed to me at my Baptism; evidenced by the spiritual resurrection of my soul, "from a death of sin to a life of righteousness," after the image of my risen Saviour. And can I be too thankful for so blessed a privilege as this? My Baptism is not a mere sign; it seals me for heaven; for the thing signified, "a death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness" is my evidence that I have not been baptised in vain. So again, Tit. iii. 5, 6.-" Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour," &c. In this exquisite passage I have the whole privilege of my Baptism, the outward sign and the inward grace. I am saved by mercy; I am justified by grace, not by any works whether of nature before by my Baptism, or of grace since; no, "not by works of righteousness which I have done," neither of charity, or prayer, or praise, "but according to his mercy he saved" me; simply by his mercy, which he has sealed and confirmed by my Baptism to my soul, first by its outward sign, "the washing of regeneration in its consecrated water; and next in the blessed evidence of this " effectual sign," the "renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he has shed

on me abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour." Here my Baptism is the channel, and seal, and pledge of my salvation by mercy, and of my justification by grace; for God has graciously marked me for his own, by the full virtue of his Sacrament. I have not only the outward sign, but the inward grace also; as a regenerated soul, and a renewed Spirit abundantly testify to me. My Baptism is the assurance of my blessed

ness.

Yes, says a modern objector; but the Apostle is here speaking of real Baptism. To be sure he is; when the Scripture mentions Baptism, it always means real Baptism, both in the sign and the thing signified; and when the Scripture speaks of the baptised, it always speaks of those who are really baptised; even of Simon as well as others, for it gives men credit for sincerity of profession, and does not charge them with hypocrisy, assuming them to be hypocrites; but on the contrary assuming them to be sincere, it ascribes to them in a judgment of faith and charity the real virtue of baptismal privilege; and with the outward sign ascribes to them the inward grace, the total Sacrament: whether it be Simon or Lydia, the first of the three thousand baptised on the day of Pentecost, as well as the last. It knows nothing of the jealousy of modern unbelief. It trusts to the promises of God, applies the Sacraments as their seal, and assuming that the man is what he professes to be, and believes what he professes to believe,

assigns to him the full benefit of the Sacraments: leaving secret things to Him, to whom alone they belong. The unbelief which doubts the reality of the blessing, whether in the Baptised, the Parents, the Sponsors, or the Church, is the very worm which eats out the core of the blessing, and deprives the Baptised of it. If he does not believe, he has no blessing; for it is as faith accepts and improves the blessing, that he really has it. 1

And this view of Baptismal blessedness is fully held by our Church throughout her Liturgy, in all her formularies from the first Service to the last. She will never permit us to doubt, but is ever urging us to the full assurance of faith in the divine promises, on which the privileges of Baptism are founded. In her exhortation she says, "Doubt ye not therefore, but earnestly believe that he will likewise favourably receive this present Infant,"&c. -"nothing doubting but that he favourably alloweth this charitable work of ours "-let us faithfully and devoutly give thanks unto him

It is readily admitted that warnings are given on this as on every other privilege, that he "that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall;" as above, that Baptism does not consist in "the putting away the filth of the flesh," &c. 1 Pet. iii. 21. that neither "circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love." Gal. v. 6. “That he is not a Jew which is one outwardly," &c. Rom. ii. 28. But what instance have we recorded in Scripture where the professing Candidate for Baptism is rejected, or rather is not encouraged to believe and to be baptised.

"We give thee humble thanks, for that thou hast vouchsafed to call us to the knowledge of thy grace, and faith in thee," &c. So again after the Baptism, she expresses her joyful assurance in thanksgiving, breaking forth in uninterrupted sequence immediately after the Lord's Prayer, "We yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this Infant with thy Holy Spirit, to receive him for thine own child by adoption, and to incorporate him into thy holy Church," &c. The Church can admit no doubt of Baptismal blessedness, but assumes it as actually conferred on the Infant: and as an evidence of the same, continues its whole education in the same strain of thankful assurance; teaching the Infant accordingly as soon as it can lisp what the blessings of its Baptism really are, instructing it to pronounce as its first word its Christian name, and to assert that it was then actually "made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven;" so that the child is not required to act for life, according to the modern perversion of our Catechism Explanations, but from life or grace actually imparted by the Spirit in conferring on it these three privileges at its Baptism; in return for which, and not in the way of merit or purchase the child is reminded of his three Baptismal vows; and being asked, whether he thinks himself bound to believe, and to do as his Sponsors promised for him, he is taught to break out with holy

joy and thanksgiving; "Yes, verily;" Ay, indeed I do; " and by God's help so I will, and I heartily thank our heavenly Father that he hath called me to this state of salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour," &c. He is then consistently taught that he is "not able to do these things of himself," "without God's special grace," which "he must learn at all times to call for by diligent prayer," that he may feel a personal interest in this Baptismal blessedness; and that while "water is the outward sign, or form" of his Baptism in the name of the Trinity, the inward and spiritual grace of the same Baptism, is, " a death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness; for being by nature born in sin, and the child of wrath, he is hereby made the child of grace;" and as "a child of grace" it is required of him. to "repent and forsake sin; and stedfastly to believe the promises of God made to him in that Sacrament." Here he sets about the work of his sanctification, not that he may be a child of grace, but as already made a child of grace at his Baptism, he is to set about his repentance and, faith, as a "member of Christ," &c. drawing special grace out of him by diligent prayer, "that God may give him his grace to continue in this state of salvation unto his life's end." Here the faith of the child in his Baptismal privileges is again and again encouraged as the ground of his growing sanctification and perseverance, or "continuing " in the same.