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46* A*Covenantal*View*of*Baptism*and*Its*Relationship*to*Evangelism**God’s*grace*in*his*dealings*with*mankind.*This*fits*with*Paul’s*teaching*(Eph*2:8:10)*that*it*is*“by*grace*you*have*been*saved*through*faith”*and*that*even*the*faith*we*may*have,*is*itself*a*gracious*gift*of*God.****A*continuity*of*God’s*dealings*with*mankind*is*upheld*between*the*Old*and* New* Testaments* while* carefully* preserving* the* differences.* The*administration*of*the*“covenant*of*grace”*was*in*the*OT*in*“shadow”,*pointing*forwards*until*the*death*of*the*testator,*the*Lord*Jesus*Christ*(Heb*9:15:17).*The*“substance”*belongs*to*Christ*himself*(Col*2:17)*which*is*manifested*in*the*gospel;* therefore* the* new* covenant* is* the* fulfilment* of* this* covenant*succession,*but*it*is*the*same*“covenant*of*grace”.*It*is*now*to*be*administered*differently,*and*indeed*with*greater*simplicity,*but*also*with*greater*spiritual*efficacy,* clarity* and* power,* with* the* promised* Holy* Spirit* (Heb* 8:6:12).* The*new* covenant* promises* more* for* the* church,* and* not* less,* than* the* old*dispensation.*The*ordinary*means*of*grace*are*the*preaching*of*the*Word*of*God,*the*sacraments*and*prayer*(Matt*28:18:20;*Acts*2:42;*1*Cor*11:23:25).**It*is*at*this*point*of*theology*concerning*God’s*covenants*and*the*extent*of*continuity*and*discontinuity*that*exists*between*the*two*testaments,*that*different* understandings* of* baptism* mainly* arise.* Covenant* theology* could*be*understood*as*a*kind*of*theological*crossroads*for*different*branches*of*the*church.**Chapter* 27,* “Of* the* Sacraments”,* is* a* second* one* of* significance* in* the*Confession*and*it*precedes*the*chapter*on*baptism.*The*sacraments*are*signs*and* seals* of* the* “covenant* of* grace”* and* they* are* to* be* applied* to* make*visible* the* difference* between* the* church* and* the* world.* Both* sacraments*have* their* roots* in* the* previous* dispensations:* the* Passover* being* the*precursor* to* the* Lord’s* Supper* and* circumcision* being* the* foreshadow* of*baptism.* Paul* teaches* in* his* Letter* to* the* Romans* that* Abraham* “received*the*sign*of*circumcision*as*a*seal*of*the*righteousness*that*he*had*by*faith”*(4:11).*Sacraments*are*signs*to*all*people*observing*their*administration,*but*they*are*only*“seals*of*righteousness”*to*those*to*whom*they*do*belong.*This*rich* comprehension* of* the* sacraments* found* in* the* Confession* does* not*permit* a* notion* that* they* are* naked* or* hollow* signs,* but* rather* that* they*declare* the* “priority* of* grace* over* faith”.* Furthermore,* baptism* and* the*Lord’s*Supper,*rightly*used,*do*not*only*exhibit*the*grace*of*God,*but*upon*the*words*of*institution*given*by*Christ*and*the*work*of*the*Holy*Spirit,*this*grace*is*anticipated*to*be*conferred,*according*to*the*promises*of*God*(WCF,*27:3).*It*is*unnecessary*to*emphasise*the*relevance*of*Chapter*28*“Of*Baptism”*to*our*subject.*However,*it*has*been*important*to*give*this*background*prior*to* discussing* baptism.* A* doctrine* of* Christian* baptism* should* encompass*fruitful* connections* for* a* biblical* theology* and* this* is* where* a* covenantal*view*excels.*Baptism*in*the*NT*applies*the*new*covenant*name*of*God,*“the*Father,*and*of*the*Son,*and*of*the*Holy*Spirit”*(Matt*28:19),*to*the*recipient,*as*a*sign*pointing*to*their*adoption*into*God’s*family.*An*ordained*minister*of*