the deepest curse; they must be either dwellers with God, co-heirs with Christ, or they must be apostates, reprobates, "twice dead," to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever *

Our Church is far from holding the Romish doctrine of the opus operatum. She teaches not that regeneration accompanies baptism in all cases, ex opere operato, or from the bare external administration of the rite, but only in the case of adults, where there is the presence of actual repentance and faith, and in the case of infants where there is the promise of them, and who, since they have an innocence or exemption from actual guilt inseparable from their condition, cannot put any bar to the grace of God; such infants she considers entitled to make this promise, and so to enjoy this blessed privilege, as are either born within her pale, of Christian parents, or who, in respect of their Christian profession, are adopted by Christians in communion with the Church, who become their sponsors; thus, providing, so far as she is able, that they shall be brought up and "lead the rest of their life according to this beginning." And it is not to the virtue of the consecrated element, but to the word of God, that the Church ascribes that baptism is the ordinary and certain means of salvation in infancy: to that word of God which does not return unto him void, but accomplishes the purpose for which it was

sent.

That persons fall into impurity notwithstanding the grace conferred in baptism can readily be accounted for. None are so regenerated as to extinguish absolutely all irregular desires; "the flesh will still lust against the Spirit," but then God gives also "the Spirit to lust against the flesh," (Gal. v. 17.) He leaves this corruption to try and exercise us, but so that He en

*See HOOKER, Eccl. Pol., v., s. 60.

gageth to enable us to get the better through this new nature implanted in us, if we will improve it, and follow the dictates of his Holy Spirit; but by neglect, or wilful compliance with the flesh, we may lose this grace again our gracious Father hath already done his part, and will do it more and more as we are capable of receiving it.

It requires indeed much exercise of faith to believe in baptismal regeneration, when, to all appearance, so many derive no benefit from it; but it is of the very essence of faith to believe, not because we discern, but because God hath said. Yet if sponsors are chosen through a sordid regard to rank, wealth, or other worldly motives, and children left to grow up without any care to awaken their consciences, in utter ignorance of the solemn vow, promise, and profession which they have made, it is not wonderful that an impression should be conveyed to the mind, derogatory to the soundness and efficacy of this Sacrament. And yet who shall charge the majesty of God with indifference to their souls? There is nothing more striking in the lives of persons that have gone headlong into sin, than the acknowledgment of warnings, arousings of conscience, gleams of conviction, persuasion of hope*. Whence did these proceed, but from the spirit of God grieved, not quenched? Do they not show that a grace given freely in baptism is not easily withdrawn? And why should it follow in the spiritual, any more than in the natural world, that because a gift was rendered useless for want of cultivation, therefore it had never been given? We see daily that great intellectual powers are gradually destroyed by the abuse or neglect, or trifling of their possessors; or by being employed upon petty or unworthy objects, and being subservient to vanity or sense, are at last lost; and this, * See Life of Rev. John Newton, and others.

doubtless, (as is everything in nature,) was meant as an emblem of things unseen, a warning to us to take heed to our spiritual faculties, "lest the light which is in us should become darkness."

In other offices the LORD'S PRAYER is generally placed at the beginning, in this office it is reserved until the end; because we can more properly call God our Father with respect to the infant, when it is by baptism adopted as a child of God, and solemnly received into the Church, and this is exactly conformable to the primitive Church; for the catechumens were never allowed to use this prayer till they had first made themselves sons by regeneration in the waters of baptism, wherefore this prayer is frequently, by ancient writers, called, "the prayer of the regenerate," or believers, as being, properly speaking, their privilege and birthright.

We conclude with ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND PRAISES, in imitation of the Jews and the primitive Christians, who did not question the effect of this Sacrament, not even in adults, till their future conduct declared they had broken their covenant. How much more, then, ought we to believe this in the case of infants, who can put no impediment to the grace of God, and are all alike; so that either all or none receive these blessings?

THE EXHORTATION TO THE GOD-PARENTS at the close of this office, instructs them in the duties which they have to perform towards the child for whom they are sureties, which consists of three distinct parts. 1st, To see that he be instructed in the nature of the covenant into which he then entered by them, and in those of matters both of belief and practice, which he then by them promised that he would believe and.doand the twofold manner of fulfilling this duty is pointed out, the causing the child to join the public assem

blies of the Church, there to hear the principles of his religious belief and practice declared and explained by the authorized minister of God's word; and next, to provide him with more special religious instruction, the particulars of which are the creed, Lord's prayer, ten commandments, and other parts of the Church catechism, which when thoroughly learned, so as to be understood, and properly digested, may be well said to contain "all things which a child ought to know and believe to his soul's health.” 2nd, As in the former case, they were to take care that the child should receive such instruction as is generally necessary to salvation, so in the present, are they to provide that this instruction operate on the practice of the child. As they were before required to employ all the means they could command towards instructing the child in the nature of the covenant into which he had entered; so are they to employ the same means towards inducing him to fulfil the conditions of the covenant. 3rd, To take care that the child be brought to the bishop to be confirmed, as soon as he can say the creed, the Lord's prayer, the ten commandments, and the Church catechism-a duty which completes the charitable task they have undertaken, and which, if they shall have conscientiously executed what was before required of them, they will cheerfully perform. This view of their duties will show that, in appearing at the font, they are not merely offering an idle compliment, or engaging in an affair of momentary form and ceremony, but on the contrary, that they are voluntarily entering on a sacred engagement, and that they will have to answer to God and their own consciences for the destruction of any child to whom they have neglected the duty which they had solemnly pledged themselves to fulfil.

Seeing that the duty of sponsors is so serious,

pious persons are not to imagine themselves justified on this account in refusing to undertake it. If they feel religious scruples on the subject, it is probable that they are the very persons who are aware of its duties, and will be most anxious and likely to perform them. The responsibility is comparatively small when the parents are conscientious persons, and live to perform their duty. Where, however, the parents are taken away before the children come to years of discretion, or if they are unconscientious or unholy persons, then the advice, example, and prayers of conscientious sponsors are more needed. I will mention three reasons for their not declining this office. 1st, They themselves had sponsors at their baptism,others have entered into security for their Christian education and conduct, and therefore, they may with reason be expected, both by God and man, to do as much for others. (See Matt. vii. 12.) So that in many cases, they may, perhaps, not be justified in declining, there may be even a danger to their own souls, as well as to the souls of others, in their declining it. 2nd, They perform, by the discharge of it, one of the highest acts of Christian benevolence and charity; for what greater act of kindness can one mortal do for another, than direct him in the way that leads to immortality? They are doing that for which they daily pray God's blessing; they are endeavouring to promote "his will on earth, as it is done in heaven," and to establish here, as there, his kingdom. Lastly, they are securing a blessing on themselves, as well as on the person whom they represent; for it is written, that "he who shall convert a sinner from the error of his way," and consequently, we may infer, he who shall prevent a sinner from falling into that error, "shall save a soul from death, and hide a multitude of sins," James v. 20; and that, "they who turn many to righteousness,

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