ristian parents as being
"holy," in a favoured state, a state of unmerited blessing; and because
he seems to have baptized at once whole families, where the head of the
family was converted to the faith of the Gospel[4].

To conclude. Let me beg of all who hear me, and who wish to serve God,
to remember, in their ordinary prayers, their habitual thoughts, the
daily business of life, that they were once baptized. If Baptism be
merely a ceremony, to be observed indeed, but then at once
forgotten,--a decent form, which it would neither be creditable, nor
for temporal reasons expedient to neglect,--it is most surely no
subject for a Christian minister to speak of; Christ's religion has no
fellowship with bare forms, and nowhere encourages mere outward
observances. If, indeed, there be any who degrade Baptism into a mere
ceremony, which has in it no spiritual promise, let such men look to it
for themselves, and defend their practice of baptizing infants as they
can. But for me, my brethren, I would put it before you as a true and
plain pledge, without reserve, of God's grace given to the souls of
those who receive it; not a mere form, but a real means and instrument
of blessing verily and indeed received; and, as being such, I warn you
to remember what a talent has been committed to you. There are very
many persons who do not think of Baptism in this religious point of
view; who are in no sense in the habit of blessing God for it, and
praying Him for His further grace to profit by the privileges given
them in it; who, when even they pray for grace, do not ground their
hope of being heard and answered, on the promise of blessing in Baptism
made to them; above all, who do not fear to sin after Baptism. This is
of course an omission; in many cases it is a _sin_. Let us set
ourselves right in this respect. Nothing will remind us more forcibly
both of our advantages and of our duties; for from the very nature of
our minds outward signs are especially calculated (if rightly used) to
strike, to affect, to subdue, to change them.

Blessed is he who makes the most of the privileges given him, who takes
them for a light to his feet and a lanthorn to his path. We have had
the Sign of the Cross set on us in infancy,--shall we ever forget it?
It is our profession. We had the water poured on us,--it was like the
blood on the door-posts, when the destroying Angel passed over. Let us
fear to sin after grace given, lest a worse t