Bertha and Her Baptism. Nehemiah Adams

generations.

      But the day of types and symbols was succeeded by another era, in which the church of God comes forth with the glory of God risen upon her, and all the nebulous matter of types and ceremonies is gathered together into two permanent sacraments; for human nature was not beyond the need and help of outward signs. Now, in the earlier of the two ages of the church, the child was recognized by a rite of the church; the child, with that rite inscribed on him, was the sign-bearer of the church's perpetuity. Yet, in the age following, the child was as dear to the parent as ever; the Christian parent was as much concerned to have religion flow through his seed, as were his predecessors; the salvation of the child was regarded with the same solicitude, and the principle of perpetuating religion by the family constitution was still the same.

      But did God withdraw from the children of his servants, from the most hopeful of all the sources of his church's increase on earth and in heaven, all token of his regard in any sacramental act? Is parental affection, under the reign of Immanuel, debarred the enjoyment of one of its most valuable privileges, the sealing of the child to be the Lord's by the use of a divinely-appointed symbol? Had no ordinances and symbols been allowed after the institution of Christianity, this question would not arise; the inference would have been that human nature, under the Gospel, will no more need the aid of rites in religion. But there are Christian rites, expressly and solemnly instituted. Is not that most important relation of a believer's child to God perpetuated; and is it not still to be sealed by the use of one of the Christian ordinances?

      In considering this question, and the many interesting topics connected with it, the writer will be allowed to take his own way, following an historical order in the occurrences which may be supposed to have made the subject interesting and clear to the minds of two parents.

Chapter Second.

       Table of Contents

      The Grandfather's Letter.

      THE NATURE, GROUNDS, AND INFLUENCE, OF INFANT BAPTISM.

      If temporal estates may be conveyed

       By cov'nants, on condition,

       To men, and to their heirs; be not affraid,

       My soule, to rest upon

       The covenant of grace by mercy made.

      George Herbert—"The Font."

      —No finite mind can fully comprehend the mysteries into which his baptism is the initiation.—Coleridge—"Aids," &c.

      Christian faith is the perfection of human reason.—Ibid.

      My dear Daughter Bertha:—I am glad that you think of taking your little namesake to the house of God for baptism. You wish to know my views about it in full. My new colleague having relieved me of many cares and labors, I shall hope to write more frequently; but not often so long a letter as I fear this will be; for I wish to tell you of some conversations which I have had on the subject in question. This will show you the common difficulties, in which, perhaps, you share, and my way of removing them; and also set before you the privileges and blessings connected with the baptism of your child.

      A man and his wife—sensible, plain people—came to our house one evening last July, when the "vines with the tender grape gave a goodly smell," through that trellis which you and Percival have such pleasant reason to remember. We were all sitting there in the moonlight, when this Mr. Benson and his wife came up the door-way, and were welcomed into our little group. After a few words of mutual inquiry and answer, he said:

      "Wife and I, sir, thought that we would make bold to come and trouble you a little to tell us about baptizing our boy. He is getting to be four months old, and we are not willing to put it off much longer. Still, we would like to know the grounds of it a little better. People, you know, do not think much about it till it comes to be a case in hand.

      "But I do not know," said he, looking round on your mother and the children, "but that we do wrong to take this time for it. It will be rather a dry subject for these young friends to hear."

      Pastor. Not at all. They owe too much to what was done for them when they were little children, to dislike it. Besides, there is nothing dry about it, as I view the subject. It is one of the most beautiful things in religion.

      Mrs. Benson. It is next to the Lord's Supper, I always thought, if people take the right view of it.

      Pastor. It makes you love God the Father in some such way as the Lord's Supper makes you love the Saviour. I think, sometimes, that the baptism of children is our heavenly Father's Sacrament.

      Mr. B. I like that; but there is so much to study and learn about the "Abrahamic covenant," that I feel a little discouraged. I have had books lent me on the Abrahamic covenant, and I began to read them; but they looked hard; so I told my wife that perhaps you would make the thing more clear, and bring it home to our feelings, and that we would come and get your ideas about it.

      Pastor. How glad I am that you came! But tell me what you take the Abrahamic covenant to mean.

      Mr. B. I suppose it means that God told Abraham to circumcise his children, and infant baptism comes in the place of it, and we must do it if we are Abraham's spiritual children. But I wish to see the use of it. I am willing to do it, but I should like to feel it more; and I want to know how baptism comes in the place of circumcision, and a great many other things.

      Pastor. I think that you may possibly have what may be called some Jewish notions about the Abrahamic covenant, though I trust you are right in the main. That phrase sounds foreign and mysterious, and I never use it except in talking with people who I know have the thing itself already in their hearts.

      I called Helen to me, and told her to say the hymn which she had repeated to me the last Sabbath evening.

      She cleared her voice, leaned against me, and twisted her fingers in my hair behind, and, with her eyes fixed there, she said this hymn:

      "Begin, my tongue, some heavenly theme,

       And speak some boundless thing;

       The mightier works or mightier name

       Of our eternal King.

       "Tell of his wondrous faithfulness,

       And sound his power abroad;

       Sing the sweet promise of his grace,

       And the performing God.

       "Proclaim salvation from the Lord

       For wretched, dying men;

       His hand has writ the sacred word

       With an immortal pen.

       "Engraved as in eternal brass

       The mighty promise shines;

       Nor can the powers of darkness rase

       Those everlasting lines.

       "He who can dash whole worlds to death,

       And make them when he please,

       He speaks, and that Almighty breath

       Fulfils his promises.

       "His very word of grace is strong

       As that which built the skies:

       The voice that rolls the stars along

       Speaks all the promises.

       "He said, 'Let the wide heavens be spread;'

       And heaven was stretched abroad.

       'Abra'am, I'll be thy God,' he said;

       And he was Abra'am's God.

       "O, might I hear thy heavenly tongue

       But whisper, 'Thou art mine!'

       Those gentle words should raise my song