the gofpel, Baptifm and the Lord's Supper. What infinite reafon have we to adore the wifdom of God, and give thanks to his goodness, who hath appointed fuch fenfible helps to our faith, fuch fenfible memorials of his grace and our duty. But fome may probably object to infant Baptism, because children are incapable of understanding the defign of the ordinance. They can have no conception either of the bleffings fealed by God in the covenant of grace, or the duties required of the heirs of promife. All this is granted. But ftill we know that neither did the children of Ifrael who were circumcifed under the law of Mofes understand the meaning of that religious rite, and yet it was exprefsly enjoined by God to be observed under the feverest penalties. And though an infant cannot understand the meaning of Baptism, yet, if God pleases, it may partake of the bleflings of his covenant fealed in that ordinance. The little children that Chrift took up in his arms understood not our Saviour's meaning, but ftill they enjoyed his bleffing. So we read in Mark x. 16. " He

CL put his hands upon them and bleffed them." And how encouraging are our Saviour's words. on this occafion, "Suffer little children to come

unto me and forbid them not." We all know, that a legacy, an inheritance, or any other valuable gift, may be conveyed to a child in the cradle, to be enjoyed by him upon certain conditions ftipulated in the deed of conveyance. Precifely in this light is the facrament of Baptifm to be viewed when adminiftred to infants. And though at prefent, children cannot understand either the bleffings conferred upon them, or the duties required of them, it is a mighty fatisfaction to a pious parent, to reflect that he has taken the earliest opportunity to dedicate his infant offspring to the Lord, as it will be his care afterwards to train them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and to explain to them the nature and obligations of that covenant into which they entered at Baptism.

BAPTIS M.

FORM VI.

I HOPE you are duly fenfible that

your children are a great trust committed to you by the Lord. Remember that when God beftows a child upon you, he fays to you in effect as Pharaoh's daughter faid to the mother of Mofes, "Take this child and nurfe it for "me." Now this is a great and weighty truft indeed, for in your hands are depofited the hopes of the next generation. Families are the feminaries and nurferies both of church and state. If then, they are once corrupted, other focieties cannot long continue in a flourishing state. By many ties, parents are bound to attend to their education of their children. It is a duty repeatedly enjoined in fcripture to in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (Prov. xxii. 6. Eph. vi. 4.) Our

train them

up

Η

children are parts of ourselves: to us, as inftruments in the hands of God, they owe their existence in the world, and therefore we are bound to make every exertion to promote their happiness and to prevent their mifery. To this we are also bound, by the vows we take when we present them to be baptized, which would otherwise be a folemn mocking of God. And it cannot be denied, that parents have many advantages for difcharging this duty. Children while young and teachable, are immediately under their parents eye: Youth is the moulding age; the heart is then tender and impreffible: a young twig may easily be reduced to any form, but when once it grows up to a tree, it will be difficult to bend it; it will become ftiff and untractable.

Further, parents have power and authority over their children, in as much as they depend upon them for protection and fubfiftence; and fure their authority should be exerted in a special manner to promote the spiritual improvement of their offspring. Remember how God was provoked with Eli for his indulgence