Westminster Confession of Faith - 28

Brothers,

The WCF - 28 makes the following statement, "Baptism is a sacrament . . . to be unto him [the one baptized] a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, of his ingrafting into Christ . . ."

Is this intended to assert or otherwise imply, that:

The sacrament is not received (in the true sense) until such time (and only at such time) as the one baptized, upon reflection, accepts as truth that which is signified by the baptism - and only at such a time does the baptism function as a seal of the covenant of grace and all else that follows, as described in WCF-28. In such circumstances the sacrament would minister grace to the baptized.

Stated differently. If an infant is baptized with water, but that person, upon maturing, never accepts as truth that which is signified by the baptism, then that person has not received the sacrament, and in such a case, it never functions unto the baptized as a sign or seal? Under these circumstances (the baptized never accepting the truth of the thing signified) there would be no grace ministered to the baptized through the baptism.

I have intentionally left regeneration out of the discussion above. It seems obvious to me that the working of the Spirit will determine which set of circumstances described above plays out for any particular individual. But I am hoping to learn, more specifically, how we are to understand the workings of the sacrament upon the elect verses the reprobate.

Or is my entire line of thought askew?

According to 28.6, "...the grace promised is not only offered, but really exhibited...;" both which would seem to apply to any to whom the sacrament is rightly administered. There is a physical reception here of a real presentation. What "waits" is a full, spiritual reception by the baptized. And also, there should be considered the growing reception of the same over time. Was this sign and seal unto him as full when he first acknowledged it, as it is today perhaps after many years?

The words of 28.6 continue: "...and conferred by the Holy Ghost to such (whether of age or infants) as that grace belongeth unto, according to the counsel of God's own will, in his appointed time." This conferring is exclusive to the elect. And it is not for us to determine the fullness or the efficacy of any moment of the hidden will of God's counsel; but it is all referred to "his appointed time."

It does not seem to me proper to say the sacrament was not received by the infant, but only later when he believed the promise; because this needlessly separates the physical reception from the fullness of spiritual reception, as this relates to one of God's elect. And we simply do not know at what level God's regenerative work is beginning with any person, young or old.

The elect infant cannot, indeed, relate to the sacrament as sign and seal as yet, for these things are cognitively appreciated. The non-elect infant has some-kind of reception by the physical application; but it cannot be a complete reception, neither at the time nor any time in the future. And yet, there could be some non-regenerate but still intellectual apprehension of what "sign and seal" constitute over time, before apostasy manifests. Such are "common operations" of the Spirit (10:4), that are not properly grace.

I'm not sure we are meant to be able to finely determine (in advance of eschatology) the quality of the Spirit's work; but only the general contours. And the issue is really no different if the recipient of baptism is "of age."

It would have been something less than a confession of faith to speak of what is incomplete and in part. The Confession speaks of baptism in the fulness of its scriptural expression and spiritual experience, and therefore properly relates to those who have faith and confess it. We might say that it is credo-baptist in the proper objective sense of the term.

A general maxim which I find helpful is that a sacrament is a sign to the senses and a seal to faith. This means the sacrament is genuinely received by non believers in the visible exhibition of it; but the grace itself is conferred only on those who have the inward work of the Holy Spirit bringing them to exercise faith in Christ.