In baptism, each of the triune Persons witnesses and seals the following truths to the believing Church (Church Invisible):

God the Father -witnesses and seals that He establishes an eternal Covenant of Grace with the elect and adopts them to be His children and heirs of His kingdom. He also assures them that as their heavenly Father, He will protect and guide them forever in His special providence.

God the Son -witnesses and seals that He washes them from all their sins through His blood and incorporates them into the saving benefit of His death and resurrection. He also assures them of their righteousness with God in His substitutionary work.

God the Holy Spirit -witnesses and seals that He will dwell in them, sanctify them, and apply unto them the daily renewing of their lives earned by Christ for them -the mortification of their old nature and the enlivening of their new nature. He also assures them that He will preserve them and work in them throughout their life and finally bring them into heaven.

In short, baptism seals to the elect Church the fulfillment of God's covenant promise, their full and complete salvation. As a baptized person, do you value your external benefits? Above all, have you personally received its saving reality?

The Form for the Administration of Baptism

The Form for the Administration of Baptism in the Reformed liturgy produces misunderstandings at times, due to its inclusivesounding terminology. For instance, when the following portions of the form are read in the baptismal service, some become confused, believing that the form speaks of baptismal regeneration, or that it views all baptized infants as saved children of God.

• "Holy baptism witnesseth and sealeth unto us the washing away of our sins through Jesus Christ. Therefore we are baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

• "And although our young children do not understand these things, we may not therefore exclude them from baptism, for as they are