Baptism in _adults_, is a means of making a public profession, of
previous faith, or of being received into the visible church, as well
as a pledge and condition of obtaining those blessings purchased by
Christ, and offered to all who repent, believe in him, and profess his
name by baptism.
Baptism in _infants_, is the pledge of the bestowment of those blessings
purchased by Christ for all. " As in Adam all die, even so in Christ
shall all be made alive." And "The promise is to you and your
_children_," Acts ii. 39. These blessings are forgiveness of sins, or
exemption from the penal consequences of natural depravity, (which would
at least be exclusion from heaven on account of moral disqualification
for admission,) reception into the visible church of Christ, grace to
help in every time of need, and special provision for the nurture and
admonition in the Lord, to which parents pledge themselves.
The language of the Saviour to Nicodemus, John iii. 6, "_Unless a man be
born of water and the spirit_" doubtless refers also to baptism, which
had been known to the Jews, and practiced by John the Baptist, before
the ministry of Christ, as a mode of _public reception_ of proselytes,
who were then said to be new born. Its import is to inform Nicodemus,
that he must _publicly_ profess the religion of Jesus by baptism, and
also be regenerated by the Holy Spirit, if he desired to enter the
kingdom of heaven.
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