should touch them that brought them. and his disciples rebuked those 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.] Honour thy Father, and thy Mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.[Exodus, 20: 12.] Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.-[Proverbs, 22: 6.] And the Lord said, shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do? Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him that he will command his children, and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.-[Genesis, 18: 17-19.] Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your hearts, and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.-[Deuteronomy, 11: 18, 19.] And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God hath commanded you? Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand; and the Lord shewed signs and wonders great and sore upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes: And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers. And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God as he hath commanded us.- -[Deuteronomy, 6: 20-25.] For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they thould make them known to their children: that the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments and might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.-[Psalm, 78: 5-8.] And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli, all things which I have spoken concerning his house, when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.-[1 Samuel, 3: 11-14.] Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea he shall give delight unto thy soul.—The rod and reproof give wisdom; but a child left to himself, bringeth his mother to shame.-[Proverbs, 29: 17, 15.] And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.-[Ephesians, 6: 4.] A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children.-[Proverbs, 13: 22.] And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you: Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.-[Jeremiah, 35: 18, 19.] But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.—[1 Timothy, 5: 8.] I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers, night and day; Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that in thee also.-[2 Timothy, 1: 3-5.] Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. -[2 Timothy, 3: 14, 15.] [Here the Minister will give an Address.] Minister.-Let us Pray. [All kneel.] Minister.-Almighty God, thou art our Creator, thy hands have formed us, and thy spirit has breathed into us the breath of life. O God, we are wonderfully formed, and we are wonderfully sustained every moment of our lives. O Lord, how helpless is our race when we come into the world! But, blessed be thy name, thou hast provided help for us in others during our helpless days. O God, give us eyes to see thy gracious arrangements, and enable us to adore thee in them all. Assembly.-O God, thou art our Creator, and we adore thee for thy gracious arrangements for our welfare. Minister.-Thou, O God Almighty, hast called into existence these Infants now in thy presence. Before thee, O Lord, do we present them, to thee do we dedicate them, and we commend them most earnestly to thy mercy and compassion. O put thy hands upon them, wash them clean from all guilt in the precious atoning blood of Christ, put thy Spirit into them, and may all the riches of thy grace rest upon them. Preserve them, O God, from the many spiritual and temporal dangers to which they are exposed in their early days, preserve them through life; and, O may they live for ever before thee. Assembly. O God, bless these Infants now in thy presence, in time and in eternity. Minister. O Lord our God, be gracious to these Parents who now present to thee their dear Babes for thy blessing. O give them thy Spirit that they may know how to teach their children in the ways of heavenly wisdom, that they may train them. up for the service and the enjoyment of God in this world, and for glory everlasting. May they be earnest in prayer before thee for their children, and may all their prayers be abundantly answered. Assembly.-Lord, give thy blessing to these Parents, that they may train up their children For Thee. Minister. O God of our Life, we give thanks to thee, for thy merciful goodness to the Mothers of these children during their trying hour, and we thank thee for the Lives of these Children. O God, may it please thee to spare the Parents of these children, for a blessing unto them in their earlier and later days; and spare these children, we beseech thee, for a blessing to their parents, in all the dealings of thy providence. May the parents so teach their children, and so live before their children, that they may prove a temporal, a spiritual, and an eternal blessing unto them. May they be duly impressed with the solemn responsibility they incur in respect to their offspring, and do thou guide them, and aid them, and bless them, in the discharge of their great and important duties. Assembly.-O Lord, we thank thee for the Lives of these Mothers and of these children; and pray thee to give a rich blessing to the Parents and to the Children, for time, and for eternity. Minister.-O Lord our God, be pleased to grant unto these children, that they may early understand the salvation wrought out for mankind by our Lord Jesus Christ. May they early in life confess their faith in the atoning sacrifice of our Blessed Redeemer, before God, and before man, and be baptized into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. May they live a life of obedience and of holiness in the Lord Jesus Christ, not considering themselves their own, but bought with his precious blood. May they honour the name of Jesus our Lord before men, and may they at last be honoured by him at his appearing and glory. Assembly.-Grant, O God, that these children may early know thee, may glorify thee on earth, and be glorified with thee in heaven. Minister.-Merciful Father, be gracious to all Parents now before thee who have children under their trust. Make them faithful and successful in the discharge of their duties. Grant also, O Lord, thy blessing to all children now present who have been dedicated unto thee, in sincerity and earnestness, under whatever form. O may all of them be most truly thine, both here and hereafter. Assembly. O Lord, grant thy blessing to all parents, and to all children now in this assembly, that they |