His
disciples stands wholly upon their relation to Him as members of
His "mystic body, the Church." It is in this respect only that they
are "one with Him;" and there can be no identity of Christ with
"little children" but by virtue of the same relation, that is, as
they are members of His mystical body, the Church; of which
membership baptism is now, as circumcision was then, the initiatory
rite.... The benefits of this Sacrament require to be briefly
exhibited. Baptism introduces the adult believer into the covenant
of grace and the Church of Christ; and is the seal, the pledge, to
him, on the part of God, of the fulfilment of all its provisions,
in time and in eternity; whilst on his part, he takes upon himself
the obligation of steadfast faith and obedience. To the infant
child, baptism is a visible reception into the same covenant and
church, a pledge of acceptance through Christ--the bestowment of a
title to all the grace of the covenant as circumstances may
require, and as the mind of the child may be capable of receiving
it; and as it may be sought in future life by prayer, when the
period of reason and moral choice shall arrive. It conveys also the
present blessing of Christ, of which we are assured by His taking
children in His arms, and blessing them; which blessing cannot be
merely nominal, but must be substantial and efficacious. It
secures, too, the gift of the Holy Spirit in those secret spiritual
influences, by which the actual regeneration of those children who
die in infancy is effected; and which are a seed of life in those
who are spared to prepare them for instruction in the word of God,
as they are taught by parental care, to incline their will and
affections to good, and to begin and maintain in them the war
against inward and outward evil, so that they may be divinely
assisted, as reason strengthens, to make their calling and election
sure. In a word, it is, both as to infants and adults, the sign,
and pledge of that inward grace, which, though modified in its
operations by the difference of their circumstances, has respect
to, and flows from, a covenant relation to each of the Three
Persons in whose one name they are baptized,--acceptance by the
Father--union with Christ as the head of His mystical body, the
Church--and