3. That although Christ, the Head of the Church, sows only good seed in His field, His enemy has succeeded in sowing tares among the wheat; and thus it comes to pass, that evil men are in the Visible Church mingled with the good. Hence we learn, that neither baptism nor any outward Ordinances are _necessarily_ attended with spiritual blessings. “All were not Israel, who were of Israel.” “He was not a Jew, who was one outwardly; neither was that circumcision, which was outward in the flesh.” And we have seen that the “baptism” which “saves,” is “not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God.” Simon Magus, though baptized, was not sound in heart from the beginning. And if during the life-time of the Apostles, and when persons were baptized upon their own profession, men thus found admission into the Church, who “had the form of godliness, but denied its power,”—no wonder that in later times, and since baptism has been administered almost exclusively to infants, the case should have been the same. For we have met with no promise that God will give His grace to any particular persons, except in connection with the state of mind and the character which He prescribes. In no place of Scripture has God bound the first communication of His grace to any Ordinance, time, or circumstance whatsoever:—and for this simple, but sufficient reason, that if He had done so, it would have been an abdication of His authority; His sovereignty would have ceased; and man would have become—what in truth he wishes to be—the virtual ruler in God’s Kingdom. God no where promised to circumcise the hearts of all the children of the Israelites, although He commanded them to be circumcised in the flesh. And with respect to the baptism of children, how can _any thing absolute and unconditional_ be predicated concerning it, since no command or direction was given for it? The administration of baptism to infants is certainly most agreeable with the spirit of Christ and of His Dispensation, and it is but a continuance of what was begun in the family of Abraham. But resting, as it does, upon inference and analogy, it is not possible to assign any specific spiritual influence with absolute certainty to it. 4. That with respect to the advantages and uses of baptism,—besides its being appointed by Christ as the door of admission into His Visible Church, and the practical purposes to which it is applied in the course of the Christian’s conduct and experience,—very little particular instruction is given in Scripture. To the corresponding rite of circumcision, therefore, we chiefly look for direction here. It may be said, then, of baptism, as of circumcision,