BAPTISM OF CHILDREN.

Minister. Let us sing to the praise and the glory of God:-" How large &c." [pronouncing the two first lines of the following hymn:-or, referring to some other, and pronouncing the two first lines of it.]

[All stand.]

1. How large the promise, how divine,
To Abr'am and his seed!

"I am a God to thee and thine,
Supplying all their need!"

2. The words of his extensive love
From age to age endure;

The angel of the covenant proves,
And seals the blessings sure.

3. Jesus the ancient faith confirms,
To our great father given;

He takes our children to his arms,
And calls them heirs of heaven.

4. O God, how faithful are thy ways!
Thy love endures the same;
Nor from the promise of thy grace,
Blots out our children's name.

[The assembly sit.]

Minister.-Let us now read a selection of Passages from the Word of God bearing upon this Ordinance.

And God said unto Abraham, I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee, in their generations. This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you, and thy seed after thee: Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed: he that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised; and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.-[Genesis, 17: 7, 9-14.]

And they brought young children to Jesus, that he should touch them and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them: Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.-[Mark, 10: 13-16.]

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying; All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am

:

with you alway, even unto the end of the world: amen. [Matthew, 28: 18-20.]

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.-[John, 3: 5.]

Then Peter said unto them; Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized; and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.-[Acts, 2: 38-41.]

And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women who resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God, heard us; whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.-[Acts, 16: 13-15.]

Then he called for a light and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was baptized, he and all his straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.-[Acts, 16: 29-34.]

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.[1 Corinthians, 10: 1, 2.]

Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.-[Ephesians, 5: 25-27.]

[Some of the passages given in the Presentation, or Dedication of Infants should also be read on this occasion.]

[Here let the Minister give an Address.]

Minister. Let us Pray.

[All kneel.]

Minister.-Almighty God who hast given great and precious promises to poor sinners in thy Holy Word, through thy Beloved Son Jesus Christ,-look upon us, we beseech thee at this time, in thy tender love, through Him who died for our sins, and who rose for our justification.

Assembly.-O Lord, behold us at this time in thy tender compassion, through our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Minister.-O Lord God, thou hast promised to every poor sinner who repents and believes in thy Son Jesus Christ, the pardon of all his sins, and the gift of everlasting life. O God, may it be the happiness of all now assembled here to know Jesus Christ and his salvation, and to be truly reconciled to thee in him.

Assembly.-O Lord, let all here present be reconciled to thee, in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Minister.-O Lord, we adore thee for promising in

thy word to thy servant Abraham, and to all who like him put their trust in thee, that thou wilt be a God and a Father unto them, and also to their seed after them in their generations. O Lord, be thou our God and our Father, and be thou the God and the Father of our children, and of our children's children unto the latest generation.

Assembly.-Lord God, fulfil thy promises, and be a God and a Father unto us, and to our children for

ever.

Minister.-Almighty God, trusting in thy faithful promises, and earnestly desiring thy blessing for our dear children, we have brought one [some] here into thy house at this time, to present it to the Lord, to dedicate it to our God, and to baptize it in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. O Lord, be with us, and bless this dear child, and hear all our prayers on its behalf.

Assembly. O Lord, be with us, and bless this dear child, and hear all our prayers on its behalf.

Minister. O God, we beseech thee, to grant, that this child may truly know Thee, the Father, the Eternal God, into whose dread and hallowed Name it is now to be baptized. May it understand and know thy glorious character, so far as thou hast revealed it. May it know that thou art Light, and that in thee there is no darkness at all.

Assembly. Almighty and Ever Blessed God, grant that this child may know thy glorious character.

Minister. O God of Mercy and of Love, grant that this child may know thy Son, thy Other Self, as the Man Christ Jesus, who died for guilty men, and who made an atonement for sin by his death, and who brought life, and immortality, and pardon, and justification to light, by his rising again from the dead, and sitting down in his place with Thyself in glory.