sted strength is wholly detestable, contrary to the very first
principles of all true religion, whether Jewish, Christian, or even
Pagan. We are miserably fallen creatures, we are by nature
corrupt,--we dare not talk even of children being naturally pleasing in
God's sight. And if we wait till children are in a condition to bring
something to God, in payment (so to say) of His mercy to them, till
they have faith and repentance, they never will be baptized; for they
will never attain to that condition. To defer Baptism till persons
actually have repentance and faith, is refusing to give medicine till a
patient begins to get well. It would be hard indeed, if Satan be
allowed to have access to the soul from infancy, as soon as it begins
to think, and we refuse to do what we can, or what promises well,
towards gaining for it the protection of God against the Tempter.

On this first view of the case then, from the original corruption of
our nature, from the need which all men are under from their birth of
pardon and help from God, from Baptism being a promise of mercy just
suited to our need, and from the impossibility of any one (let him be
allowed to live unbaptized ever so long) bringing any self-provided
recommendation of himself to God's favour; on all these accounts, I
say, since God has given us no particular directions in the matter, but
has left it to ourselves, it seems, on the first view of the case, most
fitting and right to give children the privilege of Baptism.

2. But, in fact, we are not, strictly speaking, left without positive
encouragement to bring infants near to Him. We are not merely left to
infer generally the propriety of Infant Baptism; Christ has shown us
His _willingness_ to receive children. Some men have said (indeed most
of us perhaps in seasons of unbelief have been tempted in our hearts to
ask), "What good can Baptism do senseless children? you might as well
baptize things without life; they sleep or even struggle during the
ceremony, and interrupt it; it is a mere superstition." This, my
brethren, is the language of the world, whoever uses it. It is putting
sight against faith. If we are assured that Baptism has been blessed
by Christ, as the rite of admittance into His Church, we have nothing
to do with those outward appearances, which, though they might prove
something perhaps, had He not spoken, now that He has spoken lose all
force. To such objections, I would reply by citing o