Pilgrim

Something else I thought I needed to mention that is helpful to me at least, is the LBCF “Of Baptism” should be understood in light of the rest of the Confession.
For example Chapter 14, ‘Of Saving Faith. "The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word; by which also, and by the administration of baptism and the Lord's supper, prayer, and other means appointed of God, it is increased and strengthened."

This paragraph shows that baptism is for the increasing and strengthening of faith. Such faith is wrought before baptism by the work of the Spirit via the Word. As I indicated earlier the chapter on baptism needs to be understood in light of this preceding chapter. When it says that baptism is a sign to the party baptized of his engrafting into Christ, etc., then it's with the assumption that the party baptized is in fact a believer.
This of course is not a guarantee that the party being baptized is a true believer. That of course is impossible to know with absolute certainty. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper cannot strengthen the faith of someone who is not a believer.

Tom