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THE COTTAGE LIBRARY. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 THE 
 
 SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM, 
 
 BY THE / 
 
 REV. ASHTON^XENDEN, 
 
 LATE CURATE OF BAR HAM, KENT. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 J. HATCHARD AND SON, 187, PICCADILLY. 
 
 1846. 
 
LONDON : 
 
 G. J. TMMy.R^ rniNTER, SAVOVSTREBT, RTRAND. 
 
TO THE 
 
 PARISHIONERS OF BARHAxM, 
 
 AMONG WHOM THE AUTHOR WAS PERMITTED TO 
 
 MINISTER DURING SEVEN OF THE HAPPIEST 
 
 YEARS OF HIS LIFE, 
 
 THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY 
 
 DEDICATED, 
 
 WITH AN EARNEST PRAYER, 
 
 THAT GOD WILL NOT ALLOW IT 
 
 TO GO FORTH WITHOUT 
 
 HIS BLESSING. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 
 CHAP. PAGB 
 
 1. A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE TWO 
 
 SACRAMENTS 1 
 
 2. THE APPOINTMENT OF BAPTISM. 5 
 
 3. THE PERSONS TO BE BAPTIZED. 11 
 
 4 SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF BAP- 
 TISM 23 
 
 5. SERIOUS ADVICE TO PARENTS. . 41 
 
 6. A FEW PLAIN HINTS FOR GOD- 
 FATHERS AND GODMOTHERS. 52 
 
 7. ADVICE TO THE BAPTIZED, WHEN 
 
 OLD ENOUGH TO RECEIVE IT. 60 
 
VIll CONTENTS. 
 
 <HAJ'. PAGE 
 
 S. PRAYERS. 
 
 1. FOR PARENTS, BEFORE THE 
 
 BAPTISM OF A CHILD. . /O 
 
 2. FOR PARENTS, AFTER THE 
 
 BAPTISM OF A CHILD. . 72 
 
 3. FOR A SPONSOR, BEFORE 
 
 BAPTISM. ...... 74 
 
 4. FOR A SPONSOR, AFTER BAP- 
 
 TISM 76 
 
 5. FOR A BAPTIZED PERSON. . 78 
 

 
 '< 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE TWO 
 SACRAMENTS. 
 
 I DARE say there may be some 
 persons, into whose hands this little 
 Book may fall, who hardly know 
 that there are two Sacraments. 
 They have, perhaps, been in the 
 habit of calling the Lord's Supper 
 " the Sacrament," as if there was 
 no other ; forgetting that Baptism 
 is also a Sacrament. 
 
 But what do we mean by " a 
 
 B 
 
Z A FEW WORDS ABOUT 
 
 Sacrament?" We mean by it an 
 outward sign of some imuai^d bless- 
 ing. Mere words and commands 
 are apt to be forgotten by us ; 
 therefore our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 who well knew our weakness, ap- 
 pointed certain outward ceremo- 
 nies, which we can see, to bring be- 
 fore our minds, and convey to our 
 souls, certain inward and spiritual 
 blessings, which ice cannot see. 
 
 The word Sacrament has also a 
 further meaning. It was formerly 
 used to signify the oath, by which 
 Soldiers bound themselves to be 
 faithful to their General. And thus, 
 when we partake of the Sacraments 
 of the church, (that is, Baptism, and 
 the Lord's Supper,) we do in fact 
 pledge ourselves to be true and 
 
THE TWO SACRAMENTS. 3 
 
 faithful soldiers of Christ, who is 
 the great " Captain of our salva- 
 tion." 
 
 Now, in what I am going to say- 
 in the following pages, my great 
 wish is to speak so that plain peo- 
 ple may understand me. Therefore 
 I shall not puzzle you with long 
 words, but use very simple lan- 
 guage. 
 
 But before we go any farther, I 
 must ask two things of my Reader. 
 The first is, that he will give me 
 his whole attention ; for, merely 
 skimming over these pages will do 
 him no good whatever. The se- 
 cond is, that he will just pause for 
 a moment, and lift up his heart to 
 God, praying that what follows 
 may convey some real instruction 
 to his soul. 
 
A FEW WORDS, &C. 
 
 THE READER'S PRAYER. 
 
 O Almighty God, who well knowest 
 all my blindness and ignorance, be 
 pleased to prepare my mind for instruc- 
 tion, by giving me thy Holy Spirit. 
 Grant that whatever is true in this 
 book may come home to my heart. 
 I confess that I have not thought 
 enough, in time past, about those holy 
 Sacraments, which thou hast given us. 
 Enable me, henceforth, to feel as I ought 
 concerning them ; and to look upon 
 them with more seriousness and thank- 
 fulness. H ear me, O Lord ; and guide 
 me whilst I am reading, for Jesus Christ's 
 sake. Amen. 
 
CHAPTER 11. 
 
 THE APPOINTMENT OF BAPTISM. 
 
 We may be quite sure that no- 
 thing is commanded in the Gospel, 
 which is useless or unmeaning. And 
 yet, it is to be feared, that many see 
 no meaning in Baptism ; but only 
 look upon it as an outward cere- 
 mony, which, merely for custom's 
 sake, ought to be kept up. This 
 arises from ignorance. Now my 
 wish is to explain to you what Bap- 
 tism is ; and then, I think, you will 
 agree with me, that it is a very 
 holy, and also a very comfortable, 
 
 B 3 
 
6 APPOINTMENT OF BAPTISM. 
 
 means of grace ; and perhaps you 
 will wonder, that you could ever 
 have thought so lightly of it. 
 
 First of all, it is well to inquire. 
 Who appointed it ? It was our 
 Lord Jejsus Christ himself. 
 
 Even before his coming, how- 
 ever, it was sometimes practised by 
 the Jews. For, when any of the 
 gentiles, or heathens, were con- 
 verted from their idolatry, the Jews 
 used, not only to circumcise, but 
 also to baptize them with water. 
 And when John the Baj)tist* came 
 to " prepare the way of the Lord," 
 he also baptized with water those 
 who were converted by his preach- 
 ing, and desired to become his fol- 
 
 * He was so called, on account of the mul- 
 titude of followers whom he baptized. 
 
APPOINTMENT OF BAPTISM. 7 
 
 lowers. This was to show them 
 that, as water washes the body 
 from its filth, so the soul has need 
 to be cleansed from its guilt. Look 
 at Matthew iii. 4, 5, 6. 
 
 Among those whom John bap- 
 tized, was one Person, far greater, 
 and holier, and better, than any 
 one who had ever before appeared 
 on earth. This was Jesus himself 
 For though he had nothing like a 
 sin to be washed away, yet as he 
 came on earth " to fulfil all righ- 
 teousness," and to set us a perfect 
 example, he commanded John to 
 baptize him, before he entered 
 upon his glorious work. I refer 
 you to Matthew iii. 13 — 17. 
 
 And then, when Jesus began to 
 gather around him a small, but 
 blessed, band of followers, he mark- 
 
8 APPOINTMENT OF BAPTISM. 
 
 ed them for his own, and set them 
 apart for his service, by the rite of 
 Baptism. This you will see for 
 yourself, by turning to John iii. 
 22, 26; and iv. 1, 2. 
 
 After our Lord's departure into 
 heaven, Baptism became a most 
 important and blessed sacrament in 
 the Christian Church. For this was 
 the command He left with his dis- 
 ciples, " Go ye, and teach (or make 
 disciples of) all nations, baptizing 
 them in the name of the Father, 
 and of the Son, and of the Holy 
 Ghost." Matthew xxviii. 19. And 
 this is the reason, why the ministers 
 of Christ ever since, in joyful obe- 
 dience to the command of their 
 great Master, have baptized those 
 who are brought to them, using the 
 very words which He desired, " I 
 
APPOINTMENT OF BAPTISM, 9 
 
 baptize thee in the name of the 
 Father, and of the Son, and of the 
 Holy Ghost." 
 
 But some persons object to our 
 manner of performing the cere- 
 mony. They say we ought not to 
 sprinkle^ but to dip, those whom we 
 baptize. Now, if you look in the 
 Prayer-book, you will see that the 
 Ministers of our church are direct- 
 ed to dip the child in water, if the 
 parents certify that their child can 
 well bear it. But as we consider 
 that, in this country, there would 
 be danger in doing so, and as our 
 Lord gave no command as to the 
 quantity of water to be used, we 
 do not hesitate to sprinkle instead. 
 Surely the benefit cannot depend 
 upon the measure of water which 
 is used, but upon the blessing of 
 the Lord upon his own ordinance. 
 
10 APPOINTMENT OF BAPTISM. 
 
 A false notion, something like 
 this, seems to have been in Peter s 
 mind, when our Lord came to 
 wash his feet. Jesus, however, 
 instantly removed it. Look at John 
 xiii. 8, 9, 10. 
 
 I shall now close this chapter, 
 by once more reminding you, that 
 it is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, 
 who commands Baptism to be ad- 
 ministered. We shall speak next 
 of the persons for whom it was in- 
 tended. 
 
11 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE PERSONS TO BE BAPTIZED. 
 
 Having seen that the holy Sa- 
 crament of Baptism was given to 
 us by our most gracious Lord, and is 
 therefore worthy of our very se- 
 rious consideration, we now come 
 to the question, who are the per- 
 sons, FOR WHOM IT IS INTENDED ? 
 
 1. Those Grown-up Person.% who 
 were not baptized when they were 
 young. You probably know that, 
 in the Prayer Book, there is a se- 
 parate service, specially for " such 
 as are of riper years.'* 
 
12 PERSONS TO BE BAPTIZED. 
 
 In heathen countries, the Minis- 
 ters of our Church meet, of course, 
 with many such Persons. And as 
 soon as they begin to feel the bless- 
 ings of the Gospel, and show a 
 a real and earnest desire to become 
 the Followers of Christ, we then re- 
 ceive them into His Church by the 
 ordinance of Baptism. Such was 
 the case in the countries where the 
 Apostles preached. The religion 
 of Jesus Christ was quite a new 
 thing among them. And this is 
 the reason, why almost all those 
 baptisms, which are mentioned in 
 the Acts of the Apostles, are the 
 ha])t\8ms of Adults.^ And this is 
 just what we should have expected* 
 
 * By " Adults " we mean Grown-up per- 
 sons, 
 
PERSONS TO BE BAPTIZED. 13 
 
 Again, there are sometimes cases, 
 in our own country, of men and 
 women, who were not christened 
 in their infancy. Their parents 
 neglected the blessed privilege of 
 bringing them to Christ, in his own 
 appointed way; and thus they have 
 remained for years separated from 
 his Church. Now, how do we act 
 with such Persons? If they desire 
 this blessing, and seem to be really 
 anxious to serve Christ, and show 
 signs of having a truly penitent and 
 believing heart, then we are ready to 
 receive them. This was the manner 
 of the Apostles : for it is written, 
 (Acts ii. 38,) " Repent and he bap- 
 tized for the remission of sins, and 
 ye shall receive the gift of the Holy 
 Ghost:" and again, (Mark xvi. 16,) 
 
 c 
 
14 PERSONS TO BE BAPTIZED. 
 
 "He that helieveth, and is baptized, 
 shall be saved." 
 
 But, in a Christian country, there 
 is another class who enjoy the pri- 
 vilege of Baptism. And these are 
 the persons, who are usually brought 
 into our churches to be baptized. 
 I mean, 
 
 2. The Children of Christian 
 Parents. The blessings of Christ 
 are not only bestowed on Believers 
 themselves; but their Little Ones in 
 some degree become sharers also. 
 It is true there is no direct com- 
 mand in scripture to baptize in- 
 fants. Our Saviour does not plain- 
 ly tell us so in as many words. 
 And, on this account, some have 
 doubted, whether children ought in 
 any case to be baptized. 
 
PERSONS TO BE BAPTIZED. 15 
 
 I shall, therefore, give you some of 
 the reasons, why our Church acts as 
 it does. For although all Christians, 
 I believe, excepting the Baptists 
 and the Quakers, have always held 
 to Infant Baptism ; and although 
 you may feel sure, that your own 
 Church would appoint nothing con- 
 trary to Scripture, or to the prac- 
 tice of the early Christians, yet it 
 is well for you to have some of the 
 reasons placed before you. 
 
 First Reason. Because, in the 
 days of Abraham,^ God allowed 
 children to be the sharers of His 
 covenant ; as you will see by turn- 
 
 * The covenant of grace, under which we 
 are now living, is, in fact, the same as that 
 under which Abraham lived, only it is now 
 come to perfection. 
 
16 PERSONS TO BE BAPTIZED. 
 
 ing to Genesis xvii. 9 — 14. We 
 find Moses also speaking thus, in 
 the 29th chajiter of Deuteronomy, 
 "Ye stand this day, all of you, be- 
 before the Lord your God, your 
 captains, your tribes, your elders, 
 and your officers, with all the chil- 
 dren of Israel, your little ones, your 
 wives, and the stranger that is in 
 thy camp ; that thou shouldest enter 
 into covenant with the Lord thy 
 Godr As an outward sign of this 
 blessing, God commanded men in 
 those times to circumcise their chil- 
 dren, at eight days' old. This was 
 the way, by which He chose that 
 they should be admitted, when as 
 yet infants, into His Church. When 
 our Lord came. He gave us some- 
 thing better — even Baptism, of 
 
PERSONS TO BE BAPTIZED. 17 
 
 which circumcision was only the 
 type.* What circumcision did for 
 the Jews formerly, Baptism does 
 for us Christians now ; only it 
 brings with it far more precious 
 blessings. Read Colossians ii. 11, 
 12. 
 
 If, then, little children were for- 
 merly received as members of 
 the Jewish Church, how much 
 more shall little children be ad- 
 mitted now into the Christian 
 Church! 
 
 We can fancy that a Jewish Mo- 
 ther, if she loved her Child, would 
 feel very happy, that she could be- 
 
 * A type is a thing which shadows forth, 
 or represents, some greater thing. Thus the 
 offering of Isaac was a type of the offering 
 of Christ. The Passover Lamb was a type of 
 Christ, the true Lamb of God. And so cir- 
 cumcision also was a type of Baptism. 
 
 c3 
 
18 PERSONS TO BE BAPTIZED. 
 
 hold it thus, in its earliest days, 
 taken into covenant with God. But 
 hap23ier still should the Christian 
 parent feel, that she is allowed to 
 claim for her helpless Infant a 
 place in the covenant of grace, 
 and a shelter within the bosom of 
 Christ's holy Church. 
 
 Second Reason. Because it was 
 foretold concerning Christ, that He 
 would show affection and mercy 
 even to the very lambs of his fold ; 
 that is, to the youngest members 
 of His church. Isaiah says, "He 
 shall gather the lambs with his arm, 
 and carry them in his bosom." And 
 surely we all remember that beau- 
 tiful instance of his kindness, and of 
 his willingness to receive little chil- 
 dren, mentioned in the 10th chap- 
 ter of St. Mark. There we are 
 
PERSONS TO BE BAPTIZED. 19 
 
 told, that, when they brought little 
 children to him, He suffered them 
 to come to him ; and actually took 
 them up in his arms, put his hands 
 upon them, and blessed them. 
 
 Now, when we bring our infants 
 to be christened, we in fact bring 
 them to Christ, feeling that although 
 He is now in heaven, he can still 
 " receive them into the arms of his 
 mercy," and give them his own rich 
 blessing. And, in the charge which 
 our Saviour gives to Peter, he does 
 not say, " feed the lambs ;" but he 
 says, "feed mij lambs." 
 
 Third Reason. Because our Lord 
 does not, by any word He ever 
 spoke, shut children out from hea- 
 ven. No, on the contrary, when He 
 speaks of them, He says, *' Of such 
 is the kingdom of heaven." If 
 
20 PERSONS TO BE BAPTIZED. 
 
 then children may enter God's 
 heavenly Kingdom, surely they may 
 be admitted into his Church on 
 earth. 
 
 Fourth Reason. Because we read 
 in Scripture, that the apostles bap- 
 tized whole households or families. 
 For instance, we learn from Acts 
 xvi. 15, that when Lydia's heart 
 was opened by the grace of God, 
 " she was baptized, and her house- 
 hold'"' Again, in the same chapter, 
 we read of another case. It was 
 that of the Jailor at Philippi, whom 
 it pleased God to convince of the 
 truth of the Gospel, whilst he was 
 watching over Paul and Silas in 
 prison. We are told in the 33rd 
 verse, that " he (the Jailor) took 
 them, the same hour of the night, and 
 washed their stripes, and was bap- 
 
PERSONS TO BE BAPTIZED. 21 
 
 tized, he and all Ms, straightway. 
 Then, again, St. Paul tells us, in 
 1 Corinthians i. 16, that Stephanas 
 and his household were baptized. 
 Now, it is but natural to suppose, 
 that there were some children in 
 these families. 
 
 Fifth Reason, Because we know 
 that, for the first thousand years 
 after our blessed Lord went up into 
 heaven, it was always the practice 
 to baptize the Children of Christian 
 Parents. And is it likely that, during 
 those years, the w^hole Church can 
 have been altogether wrong, on such 
 a plain point ? 
 
 Since that time, an objection has 
 been made, as I have already told 
 you, by a certain sect of Christians, 
 who are called Baptists ; and also 
 by the Quakers, who hold that Bap- 
 
22 PERSONS TO BE BAPTIZED. 
 
 tism and the Lord's Supper are 
 neither of them necessary. 
 
 As I have much more to say, I 
 shall make no remark on these 
 five reasons. I think they will speak 
 for themselves. 
 
 We believe, then, that the Chil- 
 dren of Christian Parents are pro- 
 per subjects for Baptism. And also 
 such Grown-wp Persons, as have 
 neglected it when young ; and who 
 now give satisfactory proof, that 
 their hearts are in a penitent and 
 believing state. And here we close 
 our chapter. 
 
23 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF BAP- 
 TISM. 
 
 How often have we heard pa- 
 rents say, " I will take my child to 
 be named next Sunday." And how 
 many a Father and Mother have 
 asked their Clergyman to christen 
 their Child, under some such feel- 
 ing as this — " We should be sorry 
 that our Little One should die with- 
 out a name.'' Well, it is true that 
 we give a new name — a christian 
 name — at Baptism. But it is great 
 ignorance to suppose that this is all. 
 
24 SOME OF THE BENEFITS 
 
 There is something more in it than 
 this ; something more to be gained 
 thsn just a name. The fear is, not 
 that our children should die with- 
 out a name, but lest they should 
 die without being brought to Christ, 
 in the way which He has chosen. 
 
 Is it not very sad to think, how 
 many Parents desire their children 
 to be christened, they scarcely know 
 why ? And yet hundreds can give 
 no better reason than this — " Such 
 is the custom ; and the same was 
 done for us, when we were young." 
 But surely, no thoughtful person 
 can suppose, that Baptism is no- 
 thing more than a custom ; a mere 
 empty, useless, unmeaning cere- 
 mony. You were told, at the be- 
 ginning of this book, that it was a 
 Sacrament, And we have seen that 
 
OF BAPTISM. 25 
 
 the Lord himself appointed it, and 
 charged his disciples and followers 
 to continue it. Oh then, must it 
 not, think you, be something of 
 importance to us ; something very 
 blessed and holy? 
 
 What then are the benefits 
 which Baptism brings with it ? 
 There are many ; but I shall just 
 mention ^\e. 
 
 1. Our sin J which we brought 
 with us into the world, and which 
 came to us from our father Adam, 
 is pardoned. This is what we mean, 
 w^hen we say every Sunday, " I be- 
 lieve in one Baptism, ybr the remis- 
 sion of sins'' When St. Paul re- 
 pented, and believed in Jesus 
 Christ, it was necessary for him to 
 be baptized ; so Ananias said to 
 
 D 
 
26 SOME OF THE BENEFITS 
 
 him, " Arise, and be baptized, and 
 wash away thy sins'' Acts xxii. 
 16. And when the people were 
 " pricked in their hearts," after 
 hearing St. Peter's sermon, what 
 did he say to them ? " Repent, 
 and be baptized, every one of you, 
 in the name of Jesus Christ, for the 
 remission of sins ; and ye shall re- 
 ceive the gift of the Holy Ghost." 
 Acts ii. 88. 
 
 Thus, Baptism and Forgiveness 
 of Sins seem to go together. In 
 the Scriptures the Lord again and 
 again declares, that He is a pardon- 
 ing God; and that "there is forgive- 
 ness with him." But, in this ordi- 
 nance of Baptism, he formally and 
 publicly pronounces his will to for- 
 give us individually. Just as an 
 offended Parent, though he is al- 
 ways willing to pardon his penitent 
 
OF BAPTISM. 27 
 
 child, yet calls him up, and in the 
 presence of the other members of 
 his family, assures him that he is 
 forgiven. In fact, Baptism is the 
 seal or pledge of our pardon. God 
 gives a promise, that he will pardon 
 sin for Christ's sake; and by Bap- 
 tism He puts his seal to it. 
 
 I will try to make this still more 
 plain to you. We will suppose, 
 that some unhappy Debtors are con- 
 fined in prison, without a hope of 
 being able to pay the debt them- 
 selves. A very kind and rich Friend 
 pays the debt for them. The King 
 sends an order that they may be 
 set free. And, as the matter is of 
 great importance, he not only signs 
 the order, but puts his seal to it. 
 They feel very thankful for the 
 offer of liberty ; and if they are 
 
28 SOME OF THE BENEFITS 
 
 disposed to doubt its really coining 
 from the king, they say to them- 
 selves, " Here is the king's own 
 seal, which is a pledge to assure us 
 that he intended it." It is hardly 
 necessary to explain myself. We 
 are the poor hopeless Debtors. Sin 
 is our debt. Christ is our kind 
 Friend, who is rich in mercy ; and 
 who, with the price of his own 
 blood, has discharged our debt. 
 The King of heaven sends offers 
 of mercy and forgiveness. And 
 Baptism is the seal, by which God 
 pledges himself to fulfil his pro- 
 mise. 
 
 2. We are made Christians, or 
 members of Christ's Church. I do 
 not say, that we all become good 
 Christians ; for many baptized per- 
 sons live quite as wickedly as hea- 
 
OF BAPTISM. 29 
 
 thens ; nay, even more wickedly in 
 the sight of God, because they have 
 been entered into his army, and 
 then have deserted him. But 
 what I mean is, that in Baptism 
 Christ marks us as His. We pub- 
 licly give ourselves to Him ; and 
 we become His property, and are no 
 longer our own. 
 
 You know how it is, when a Far- 
 mer purchases a number of lambs. 
 He has them marked with his own 
 name : and then he places them 
 among the rest of his flock, and 
 every one knows them to be his. 
 Now it is by Baptism that we are 
 received into Christ's fold. This is 
 the mark, by which He distinguishes 
 his own from strangers ; and we 
 are then " signed with the sign of 
 the cross." Our Catechism tells us, 
 
 D 3 
 
30 SOME OF THE BENEFITS 
 
 tliat we are made " members of 
 Christ," that is to say, members of 
 his Church, or Body. And we read 
 in the 27th Article,* " They that 
 receive Baptism rightly are grafted 
 into the Church." 
 
 When you see a Vine, growing 
 up the side of a house, with its 
 spreading branches, some young 
 and tender, and some full-grown, 
 then think of Christ and his Church. 
 For, in the 15th of John, our Lord 
 says, " I am the Vine ; ye are the 
 Branches." We are grafted into 
 
 * At the end of your Prayer Book, you will 
 find the "Articles of Religion." There are 
 thirty-nine of them ; and these contain the 
 chief doctrines of our Church. I heartily 
 wish, that these Articles were more carefully 
 read and examined. Then people would see, 
 how faithfully our Church follows the teach- 
 ing of Holy Scripture. 
 
OF BAPTISM. 31 
 
 Him (the Vine) by Baptism. We 
 are received into His covenant. 
 But, our Lord himself tells us, 
 there are many branches in the 
 vine, which are barren and worth- 
 less. And therefore, whilst the 
 good branches remain for ever 
 joined to the stem, and nourished 
 by it, the bad ones shall one day 
 be removed ; for it is written in 
 that same chapter, " Every branch 
 in me that beareth not fruit He 
 taketh away." So, you see, we must 
 not only be grafted into Him, but 
 we must abide in Him, living on 
 Him by faith, clinging to Him as 
 our blessed and hourly support ; 
 for again he says, " If a man abiae 
 not in Me, he is cast forth as a 
 branch, and is withered." And 
 this clearly shows, that a man may 
 
32 SOME OF THE BENEFITS 
 
 by this ordinance be grafted into 
 Christ's Church, or be made a 
 Christian, and yet never be ad- 
 mitted into His blessed Kingdom 
 above. For without holiness " no 
 man shall see the Lord." It is only 
 the faithful servant of Christ who 
 shall dwell where He is ; only the 
 man who has been united to Him 
 by a living, active, earnest faith. 
 
 3. We are received into God's 
 family on earth. We become, as 
 our Catechism states, the " children 
 of God." But here again let us 
 remark, that, although by this 
 Sacrament we M^ere made children, 
 we do not all prove to be good, and 
 faithful, and obedient children. 
 
 How was it with the circumcised 
 Jew ? We are told in the Bible, 
 10 
 
OF BAPTISM. 33 
 
 that God reckoned all the Jews as 
 his peculiar family. " To them 
 belonged the adoption." Though 
 many of them were wicked and 
 rebellious children, yet they were 
 God's children still. So it is with 
 us Christians. We are now God's 
 family. We are permitted, not 
 only to look upon Him as our 
 Master, but as our Father. He 
 watches over us with a Father's 
 eye; protects us with a Father's 
 care ; guides us with a Father's 
 hand ; and gives us a Father's bless- 
 ing. God will withhold nothing 
 from us, if we are faithful to Him. 
 And is not this a vast privilege ? 
 Oh well is it, if we are living up to 
 it ! The great question is, " Are 
 we now living and acting as God's 
 children ? Are we desiring to be 
 
34 SOME OF THE BENEFITS 
 
 taught, and guided, and led, by His 
 Spirit ?" Otherwise we are only 
 deceiving ourselves. We are false, 
 and not true, children; for it is 
 written, "As many as are led by 
 the Spirit of God, they are the sons 
 of God." 
 
 4. Heaven becomes our Land of 
 Promise. We are made " inhe- 
 ritors (or heirs) of the kingdom of 
 heaven." All Christian blessings, 
 as I said before, are placed within 
 our reach ; even heaven itself. It 
 is our proper home, our " Father s 
 house." And there Christ has pre- 
 pared " many mansions " for those 
 whom He graciously calls his Bre-^. 
 thren. But the actual enjoyment 
 and possession of heaven will only 
 be secured to those among us, who 
 are walking in the one appointed 
 
OF BAPTISM. 35 
 
 way, and are earnestly seeking to 
 enter in by the strait gate of faith 
 and holiness. 
 
 5. In Baptism we are said to he 
 regenerated.^ This is a strong ex- 
 pression; but it is a scriptural 
 one. We find, too, that the early 
 Christians used it, when speaking 
 of Baptism ; and so does our own 
 Church. It does not surely mean, 
 that our hearts and natures are 
 changed : but that our state is so al- 
 tered, that it is like a new birth to us. 
 
 By nature, we are born " the 
 children of wrath;" in baptism, we 
 are made " the children of grace." 
 By birth the child inherits a curse ; 
 
 * Strictly speaking, I should not have 
 called this a distinct blessing, for it includes 
 all the others. But I feel it to be important 
 to speak of it under a separate head. 
 
36 SOME OF THE BENEFITS 
 
 by baptism he receives a blessing. 
 Instead of belonging only to Adam, 
 he now belongs to Christ. He is 
 no longer " afar off," but " brought 
 nigh" to God ; and may enjoy all 
 the privileges of his church. He 
 has new blessings, new duties, new 
 hopes, and new prospects before 
 him. He receives the promise of 
 the Holy Spirit, to strengthen him 
 in his warfare. He has the blessed 
 and ever-bright assurance, that 
 God is his Father and his Friend. 
 And is not this a change indeed? 
 Is not this worthy to be called 
 " regeneration ?" * 
 
 * The word " regenerate" means ^"^ re- 
 born," or " born again." Some persons ob- 
 ject to this word being used in our service 
 for Baptism. This is, 1 think, owing to its 
 meaning being misunderstood. The fact is. 
 
OF BAPTISM. 37 
 
 What has been said about the 
 benefits of baptism chiefly refers to 
 
 that the word has a twofold meaning. 
 
 1st. Itsignifiesjnits fullest aridhighe^t sense, 
 thatinward and spiritual change, whenthesoul 
 is quickened by God's grace, and the man 
 becomes " a new creature," and altogether a 
 changed character. Now, we know from ex- 
 perience, that every baptized person is not 
 thus changed. 
 
 But 2dly, it signifies also the admission 
 into a new state and new privileges, although 
 the heart and character may remain un- 
 altered. This probably is the sense in which 
 the word was originally used. And this, I 
 believe, is the '^ regeneration" which takes 
 place at baptism. Thus, in our Collect for 
 Christmas-day, we pray, " Grant that we, 
 being 7'egenerate,{ihat is, being already rege- 
 nerate by baptism,) and made thy children 
 by adoption and grace, may daily he renewed 
 by thy Holy Spirit, (that is, may become re- 
 generate in the highest and fullest sense of 
 the word). 
 
 E 
 
38 SOME OF THE BENEFITS. 
 
 those, who are baptized in their in- 
 fancy. 
 
 I trust I have now said enough to 
 show you; what a privilege it is to be 
 a baptized member of Christ's church 
 on earth. But there is a wide dif- 
 ference, in the sight of God, be- 
 tween the greatest privileges and the 
 inward renewing of the heart unto 
 holiness. Privileges are not salva- 
 tion. It is not enough to have been 
 made " a member of Christ." But 
 it is further necessary to come to 
 Him by faith, and to close with Him 
 as our righteousness, that so we may 
 be '' rooted and grounded in Him." 
 Faith is the golden thread, which 
 binds the believer to Christ. We 
 must be savingly united to Christ : 
 and this can only be, by helieving 
 in Him with the heart. 
 
OF BAPTISM. 39 
 
 You see then, that many and 
 great blessings have been made 
 over to us. But how often are they 
 trampled under foot, and made of 
 none effect ! Possibly, dear Reader, 
 you may have done this. If so, I 
 pray that God may have stopped 
 you in your course, and brought 
 you to your senses, by His convert- 
 ing grace ! Happy is it for you, if 
 you have been led by his Spirit to 
 feel deep repentance and contri- 
 tion of heart ; so that you now ear- 
 nestly exclaim, " I will arise, and go 
 to my Father, and say unto Him, 
 Father, I have sinned, and am no 
 more worthy to be called thy son !" 
 Happy is it, if you have been brought 
 truly to feel your sins, and to mourn 
 over them ! And happy for you, if 
 you can now see the preciousness 
 
40 BAPTISM. 
 
 of Christ's atonement, and your great 
 need to be washed from your sins 
 in his blood, and to be daily renewed 
 by his Holy Spirit ! 
 
41 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 SERIOUS ADVICE TO PARENTS. 
 
 The following advice is aifection- 
 ately offered to every Father and 
 Mother of a new-born child. 
 
 The situation you are now placed 
 in is a very blessed one. You may 
 look upon the gift of a child as a 
 token of God's favour to you ; for 
 it is written, " Lo, children are an 
 heritage of the Lord, and the fruit 
 of the womb is his reward." You 
 have now a solemn duty to dis- 
 
 E 3 
 
42 SERIOUS ADVICE 
 
 charge ; but, blessed be God, you 
 have many a precious promise to 
 encourage you. 
 
 It w^ould be most unnatural, if 
 you were not to feel concerned 
 about your child's hodily health. 
 Those must indeed be hard- 
 hearted Parents, who do not count 
 it a pleasure, as well as a duty, to 
 do their best for the clothing and 
 feeding of their Little One. But is 
 there not a further duty ; a duty 
 still more solemn and important ? 
 Your child is born with a body, that 
 must die ; but also with a soul, 
 
 THAT WILL LIVE THROUGH ALL ETER- 
 NITY ! It has A SOUL, THAT WILL 
 EITHER BE SAVED, OR LOST, FOR 
 EVER ! ! 
 
 Indeed, this is enough to make 
 you very anxious ; for how much, 
 
TO PARENTS. 43 
 
 under God, will depend upon you ! 
 From the moment of his birth, you 
 should determine that nothing shall 
 be wanting, on your part, to bring 
 him up as a servant of God. But 
 remember, you yourselves are very 
 weak. Pray then to God, that he 
 may teach, and direct, you how to 
 perform your duty. Remember, too, 
 your Little One, like every child of 
 fallen Adam, has a corrupt heart, 
 and is ready to " go astray as soon as 
 he is born." Beseech the Lord then 
 to bestow upon him his almighty 
 grace. And oh ! are you not thank- 
 ful that there is a means appointed 
 by the Saviour himself, hj which you 
 may at once place him in His hands 
 for this very purpose ? That kind 
 heavenly Friend has said, '* Suffer 
 little children to come unto me." 
 
44 SERIOUS ADVICE 
 
 And this is the way for you to bring 
 them — by baptism. 
 
 It is now the custom, in many of 
 our churches, to administer the sa- 
 crament of baptism, in the presence 
 of the whole congregation. And 
 surely for this every parent should 
 feel thankful. For, is it not a com- 
 fort to you to believe, that other 
 hearts are lifted up to God besides 
 your own ; that your Child has the 
 prayers of many of God's people in 
 its behalf? 
 
 And here it may be well to say 
 a word about "Private Baptism." 
 In case your Child should be seized 
 by illness, and be likely to die, be- 
 fore you can have an opportunity of 
 taking it to God's house, our church 
 allows it to be privately baptized. 
 
 Now, some persons call this being 
 
TO PARENTS. 45 
 
 " ^a//-baptized." But this is a very 
 foolish and unmeaning name to give 
 it. We might as well say of those 
 who receive the Lord's Supper pri- 
 vately, that they only Aa//" receive it. 
 The fact is, that when the holy ordin- 
 ance is thus administered, the child 
 is fully and perfectly baptized. Then 
 afterwards, if its life is spared, it is 
 brought to the church, not to be bap- 
 tized over again, but to be admitted 
 as a member of that church to which 
 it is brought. Let us then, in fu- 
 ture, speak of '* privately baptiz- 
 ing," and not " half- baptizing," our 
 children. 
 
 The next point I would urge 
 upon you is, to be very careful and 
 anxious to choose those persons for 
 Godfathers and Godmothers, who 
 show by their lives that they are 
 
46 SERIOUS ADVICE 
 
 true and faithful servants of Jesus 
 Christ. You should try and find 
 such Persons as are most Jikely, in 
 case you die, to care for your child's 
 soul; and who will see that he is 
 trained up as a Christian, so that 
 you may have a good hope that he 
 may one day join you in Heaven. 
 Having done this, w^hen the ap- 
 pointed Sunday draws near, ask 
 God to prepare your minds, so that 
 you may go to church with holy and 
 devout feelings. Then, take your 
 Child to God's Minister with full 
 assurance of faith ; seeking for, and 
 expecting, a rich and lasting bless- 
 ing on your beloved infant. " Be 
 not faithless, but believing." " Ask, 
 and ye shall have." " Tlie promise 
 is unto you, and to your chil- 
 dren." 
 
TO PARENTS. 47 
 
 But this is not all. When the 
 service is over, and your child bap- 
 tized, think not that your duty is 
 over too. Do you recollect ^vhat 
 was said, in the third chapter, about 
 the Farmer's custom, ^hen any fresh 
 lambs are brought, and are added 
 to his flock ? We said that he would 
 have them marked with his name, 
 and placed within the fold. But 
 would he be content, do you think, 
 to leave them there ? Would he not 
 wish to have them watched, and 
 looked after ? Would not his Shep- 
 herd provide for them a whole- 
 some pasture, in which there are no 
 poisonous plants to hurt them ? 
 Would he not be very careful to 
 keep them away from any danger- 
 ous pits and holes, into which they 
 might otherwise fall ? And would 
 
48 SERIOUS ADVICE 
 
 he not use every caution to prevent 
 them from going astray? We know 
 that he would. Then, should not 
 w^e take the same care for the souls 
 of our children ? Christ has said, 
 " Feed my lambs." He seems to 
 say, " They are mine ; called by my 
 name ; marked with the sign of my 
 Cross, in token that they should be 
 my followers. Now then, bring them 
 w^ for me, as if you really believed 
 them to be heirs of my kingdom." 
 
 You may read, in the second chap- 
 ter of Exodus, of Pharaoh's daughter 
 finding the infant Moses in some 
 bulrushes by the river's side. When 
 she had discovered him, she imme- 
 diately felt pity for him, and seeing 
 a woman (who afterwards proved 
 to be his own Mother) standing 
 near, in order to watch him, Pha- 
 
TO PARENTS. 49 
 
 raoh's (laughter said unto her, "Take 
 this child, and nurse it for me, and 
 I will give thee thy wages." And 
 so Jesus, when your child is brought 
 unto him, seems as it were to give 
 him back to you, to take and rear 
 him in his name. It is your duty, 
 and your comfort, to bring up your 
 child ybr Christ. Your determina- 
 tion should be the same as pious 
 Hannah's, " As long as he liveth, 
 he shall be lent unto the Lord." 
 
 Happy will be your task if it is 
 undertaken with these feelings ! 
 Treat your child, as one that has 
 been given to God, an heir of his 
 heavenly kingdom. Tell him, as 
 soon as he can understand you, that 
 he was born in sin, but that Christ 
 hath redeemed his soul. Tell him, 
 
50 SERIOUS ADVICE 
 
 that he has been offered to Jesus, to 
 be his servant. Tell him, that Hea- 
 ven is the bright prize held out to 
 him. Tell him, that his Saviour 
 loves him. Teach him, that even 
 the smallest sin will make him un- 
 happy, and shut out God from his 
 heart. Show him that the best, 
 and most precious, of all knowledge 
 is to know Christ ; and this only the 
 Spirit of God can really teach him. 
 Prove to him by words, but much 
 more hy your christian example, 
 that the ways of God are full of 
 blessedness and peace. It is won- 
 derful how the youngest child will 
 watch, and notice, and imitate, the 
 conduct of its Parent. Oh ! then, 
 how very cautious you should be ! 
 One short word, one single act of 
 
TO PARENTS. 51 
 
 yours, may make an impression on 
 his mind, which days and years will 
 not wipe out. 
 
 Above all, never let a day pass 
 without commending your Child to 
 God. Pray that his heart may be 
 touched, and filled with the grace 
 of the Holy Spirit, and that, as he 
 grows in years, he may grow in like- 
 ness to Christ. 
 
52 HINTS FOR GODFATHERS 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 A FEW PLAIN HINTS FOR GOD- 
 FATHERS AND GODMOTHERS. 
 
 Scripture says nothing about 
 Si3onsors. I mean by " Sponsors" 
 what are commonly called God- 
 fathers and Godmothers. We are 
 not told, whether there was any such 
 office in the days of the Apostles. 
 It is very certain, however, that the 
 Christian church in early times 
 found it necessary, and it has been 
 kept up ever since. Certainly, such 
 
AND GODMOTHERS. 53 
 
 was the custom in the church four- 
 teen hundred years ago, and per- 
 haps even before that time. 
 
 Do you ask, what is the use of 
 having Sponsors ? I will try to tell 
 you. It is that we may be doubly 
 sure, that each child will be taken 
 care of, and brought up as a Chris- 
 tian. As for the Parents of the 
 child, we, of course, consider them 
 as already bound, by the ties both 
 of nature and religion, to attend to 
 its spiritual welfare. But the ad- 
 vantage of having God-parents also 
 is that, in case the natural parents 
 should be neglectful, or should die 
 during the infancy of their child, 
 there should be others, authorized 
 by the church, to discharge this 
 christian duty. 
 
 F 3 
 
54 HINTS FOR GODFATHERS. 
 
 But, what is the particular duty 
 of Sponsors f Not to declare that 
 the child will for certain lead a 
 godlj life ; for this they cannot 
 know. Not to become answerable 
 for its sins. God forbid ! When 
 you stand for a child, I will tell 
 you what you do. You become a 
 surety for its Christian conduct. 
 You pledge yourself to use your 
 influence, that it shall be brought 
 up according to the laws of Christ's 
 church ; and so live the life of a 
 true Christian. 
 
 Let me give an example of this 
 in worldly matters. About fifty 
 years ago, it so hapi)ened that the 
 laws of the French Nation were 
 altered. The people were one 
 day assembled in great numbers, 
 
AND GODMOTHERS. 55 
 
 and the King appeared before them, 
 and solennily took an oath, that he 
 would henceforward rule the coun- 
 try according to this new system of 
 laws. The Queen was there also, 
 and the young Prince. And she held 
 him up to the people, and declared 
 in his name, that he too, if he should 
 ever live to be king, would be faith- 
 ful to this new government. He 
 was too young to speak for himself ; 
 so, you see, she acted in this case 
 as Ms surety, or sponsor. And 
 what did she mean by this ? She 
 could not know the little child's 
 feelings. But she meant, that she 
 would see that he was brought up, 
 and educated, according to the i3rin- 
 ciples which the people required. 
 
 Now it is yow duty to see that 
 your godchild is brought up, accord- 
 
56 HINTS FOR aODFATHERS 
 
 ing to the principles which God 
 requires. It is your duty to give 
 his Parents advice, if needfiil ; and 
 to the child also, when he is old 
 enough to receive it. It is your 
 duty to i:>ray for him. You should 
 feel, that he is, in some measure, 
 under your care, till he is old 
 enough to declare with his own 
 mouth, at Confirmation, that he will 
 faithfully follow Christ. Then the 
 Bishop will lay his hands upon him, 
 and give him his blessing ; and he 
 will be received as a confirmed and 
 full member of the church. 
 
 Think, then, how solemn your 
 duty is, when you attend your God- 
 child at its baptism ! 
 
 First, you promise, that he will 
 renounce, or give up, the service of 
 
AND GODMOTHERS. 57 
 
 the devil, the pomps and vanity of 
 the world into which he is enter- 
 ing, and all the sinful lusts and in- 
 clinations of the flesh. See, then, 
 that you have from your heart 
 given up these things, and have de- 
 voted yourself to God. 
 
 Secondli/, you promise, that he 
 shall be a believer in Christ's ofos- 
 pel. Examine yourself, whether 
 you are resting with simple and 
 humble faith on that Saviour, whom 
 the Gospel offers to you. 
 
 Thirdly^ you promise, that he 
 shall keep God's commandments. 
 And here let me beg you to search 
 and try your ways ; and see whether 
 you are living in sincere and faith- 
 ful obedience to the will of your 
 heavenly Father. 
 
58 HINTS FOR GODFATHERS 
 
 It is, indeed, enough to make one 
 shudder to see those, whom we know 
 to be ungodly persons, coming to 
 the font as godfathers and god- 
 mothers. They dare to promise for 
 others, what their own consciences 
 tell them they have no desire them- 
 selves to perform. We tremble, too, 
 for Parents who choose such Guar- 
 dians for their children. 
 
 Nothing has been said, it is hoped, 
 to keep back serious and thoughtful 
 Persons from undertaking this duty. 
 The office is solemn, but the Lord's 
 grace is sufficient to enable you to 
 discharge it faithfully. It is your 
 duty, who really love the Lord 
 Jesus, not to shrink from it. On 
 the contrary, you should feel glad 
 to lend a hand, as it were, in build- 
 ing up His spiritual Church. Look 
 
AND GODMOTHERS. 59 
 
 upon it rather as " a work of faith," 
 and "a labour of love;" for, as our 
 Prayer Book says, it is '' a chari- 
 table work." 
 
60 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 ADVICE TO THE BAPTIZED, WHEN 
 OLD ENOUGH TO LISTEN TO IT. 
 
 It ought to make you very thank- 
 ful, to think that you have long 
 been placed within the shelter of 
 Christ's Fold. You have been wel- 
 comed into the family and church 
 of God, by the Holy Sacrament of 
 Baptism. It is your privilege now 
 to look upon G od, as your God ; 
 upon Jesus, as your Saviour ; upon 
 the Holy Spirit, as your Guide and 
 Sanctifier; upon Heaven, as the 
 
ADVICE TO THE BAPTIZED. 61 
 
 bright and happy home, where you 
 11] ay dwell for ever. 
 
 This, I say, should make you feel 
 thankful. But it should make you 
 very thoughtful too. For, can it 
 be a light thing to belong to Christ; 
 to engage yourself as His servant; 
 to have been publicly enlisted into 
 His army ; to be one of His mem- 
 bers? All this took place when 
 you were very young. You could 
 then promise nothing for yourself. 
 But your kind Friends, who knew 
 what was best for you, promised for 
 you, that you would become the 
 servant and follower of Jesus Christ. 
 They became bound for you; pledg- 
 ing themselves, that nothing should 
 be wanting on their part to lead 
 you into this blessed service. 
 
 And now let me solemnly ask 
 
 G 
 
62 ADVICE TO THE BAPTIZED. 
 
 you, whether you are keeping these 
 promises, or breaking them. 
 
 Two paths are before you. 
 
 One path is very easy to find, 
 and it is very easy to continue in it. 
 The Bible says of it, " Wide is the 
 gate, and broad is the way ; and 
 many there be that go in thereat." 
 The road is for the most part 
 downhill. Little or no toil is ne- 
 cessary for those who walk in it. 
 There are many gay flowers and 
 delicious-looking fruits to entice 
 you by the way. But, then, some of 
 these only last for a moment ; and 
 others, which taste sweet at first, 
 soon turn into gall. It is true, 
 there are crowds of fellow travel- 
 lers to be met with ; and yet, in one 
 sense, you must journey on alone. 
 I mean, you will be without Christ. 
 
ADVICE TO THE BAPTIZED. 63 
 
 And, every step you take, you will 
 be getting farther from him. But 
 now comes the great question, 
 Whither will this road lead us ? 
 
 To DESTRUCTION ! ! 
 
 The other path is very different. 
 We cannot even find it of our- 
 selves. The Spirit of God must 
 enlighten us to see the way; and 
 He alone can give us a desire to 
 w^alk in it. It is written concern- 
 ing this road, " Strait is the gate, 
 and narrow is the way, and few 
 there be that find it." It is uphill 
 at times. There are here and there 
 rugged and steep places, where we 
 need the arm of Some One, stronger 
 than ourselves, to lean upon. And 
 yet it is a safe road ; a way too of 
 pleasantness, and a path full of 
 peace. Every pilgrim is expected 
 
64 ADVICE TO THE BAPTIZED. 
 
 to give up his own will, to resist 
 his own inclinations, and to struggle 
 manfully against his enemies ; and 
 these enemies are many, and they 
 try all they can do to turn us from 
 our course. 
 
 But there is a Friend always 
 near to help us, to cheer us on, to 
 give us counsel, and to clear the 
 way for us. He can support us 
 when we are weak, and comfort us 
 when we are cast down. He seems 
 to be for ever whispering in our 
 ears, " This is the way ; walk ye in 
 it, when ye turn to the right hand, 
 and when ye turn to the left." 
 
 Oh ! there is joy and blessedness 
 to be found in this path, which the 
 other promises, but cannot give. 
 And it becomes brighter and brighter 
 as we journey on ; for " the path of 
 
ADVICE TO THE BAPTIZED. 65 
 
 the just is as the shining light, 
 which shineth more and more unto 
 the perfect clay." And whither 
 will it lead us? to eternal 
 LIFE ! ! ! 
 
 Now, my dear Reader, if your 
 friends, who took you to be chris- 
 tened, had pledged themselves that 
 you would follow the first of these 
 paths, would they have acted a kind 
 part towards you? No; certainly 
 not. And therefore they promised 
 in your name, that you would be a 
 traveller on the other road, which 
 leads to heaven. 
 
 And is it not truly a happy thing 
 to be a Follower of Christ ? Is it 
 not a great honour to belong to 
 Him, and to be a member of His 
 Church and Family ? " Behold, 
 what manner of love the Father 
 
 g3 
 
66 ADVICE TO THE BAPTIZED. 
 
 hath bestowed upon us, that we 
 should be called the sons of God !" 
 
 How careful, then, and how 
 watchful you should be, lest you 
 disgrace that holy name by which 
 you are called ! How eagerly you 
 should look to your own heart, +o 
 see whether Christ, and Christ 
 alone, is ruling there ! To have re- 
 ceived the blessing of Baptism, and 
 yet not to be serving Christ, is to 
 be in a most awful condition. This 
 is making our very Baptism a wit- 
 ness ao^ainst us. I fear there are man v 
 baptized persons who have " lifted 
 up their eyes, being in torments." 
 
 Think not, then, that you are 
 truly Christ's, unless your life 
 and conversation show that you are 
 His ; for " if any man have not the 
 Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.' 
 
ADVICE TO THE BAPTIZED. 67 
 
 I feel it necessary to give this 
 warning. But I hope that my dear 
 Reader is not merely bearing the 
 name of Christ, and wearing His 
 livery ; but is also living the life of 
 a Christian. Then it is well with 
 you. Go on in your blessed course. 
 You are called to pass through a 
 dangerous world ; but fear not. 
 Only keep your eyes steadily fixed 
 on your Lord ; for He is very near 
 you, though you see Him not. In 
 all your weakness cling to Him; 
 for He has said, " My grace is suffi- 
 cient for you ; for my strength is 
 made perfect in weakness." " I 
 will never leave you." 
 
 When sin entices you, (and this 
 it most assuredly will do,) think to 
 yourself, " I am God's child ; how 
 then can I do this great wicked- 
 
68 ADVICE TO THE BAPTIZED. 
 
 ness, and sin against my heavenly 
 Father ?" When Satan troubles 
 you, fly to your Saviour for sup- 
 port. And, when the world offers 
 you a bribe, think of that better 
 world — your own true Home — to 
 which you are hastening. Tel J 
 those who would lead you astray, 
 that you are already pledged to 
 Christ; that you find His yoke 
 easy, and His burden light; that 
 you have been signed with the sign 
 of His cross, in token that you 
 should be faithful to Him. Tell 
 them, that He gives you a comfort 
 and a peace even now, which the 
 world cannot give; and that you 
 are looking forward to your pro- 
 mised rest in heaven, where you 
 hope to be received, being washed 
 from all your guilt in the blood of 
 
ADVICE TO THE BAPTIZED. 69 
 
 the Lamb, and clothed with His 
 righteousness. 
 
 And now, dear Reader, I take my 
 leave of you. If there has been 
 any truth in these pages, if there 
 has been anything said to do you 
 good, then think of these things. 
 Most heartily do I commend you to 
 God. May you become a true and 
 faithful member of His Church ; so 
 that, having been admitted into His 
 Kingdom here, you may hereafter be 
 welcomed to a higher and better 
 Inheritance above. And va^yyour 
 ear be one day gladdened by that 
 heavenly voice, which shall say to 
 you, " Come, ye blessed of my Fa- 
 ther, inherit the kingdom prepared 
 for you from the foundation of the 
 world !" 
 
70 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 PRAYERS. 
 
 1 . For Parents^ before the Baptism 
 of a Child. 
 
 Almighty Father, we thank 
 thee for thy great goodness in hav- 
 ing given us this dear Chikl. Make 
 us to feel a deep concern for the 
 well-being of his^ soul. Oh, how 
 great is thy mercy, in sending thy 
 Son from heaven to die for us ! 
 Grant that, by His precious blood, 
 
 * "His" may be changed for "her/' &c. 
 
PRAYERS. 71 
 
 both we and our children may be 
 cleansed from our sins. 
 
 Thou hast promised to give thy 
 Holy Spirit to them that ask thee ; 
 and thou hast promised to pour 
 that Spirit upon our offspring. 
 Lord, fulfil thy promise at this 
 time. May all who are dear to us 
 be dear to thee. Especially we pray 
 for this our Infant, whom we now 
 desire to bring to thy holy Baptism. 
 We know that he was born in sin ; 
 but w^e ask thee, gracious Lord, to 
 bestow thy pardon on Jdm^ for 
 Christ's sake. Wash Mm from his 
 guilt, and sanctify him by thy Holy 
 Spirit. 
 
 thou great and good Shepherd, 
 we bring this Lamb to thee. Re- 
 ceive him into the arms of thy 
 mercy, and carry him in thy bosom. 
 
72 PRAYERS. 
 
 Sow tlie seed of eternal life in his 
 heart, and make him thine for ever. 
 Guard Aiwz bythy230wer. Guide A^;?^ 
 by thy wisdom. Keep him by thy 
 grace. Strengthen him by thy help. 
 A nd, as he grows in years, make him 
 to grow in grace, and in likeness to 
 Thee his Saviour; to whom, with 
 the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be 
 all honour and glory for ever. 
 Amen. 
 
 2. For Parents, after the Baptism 
 of a Child, 
 
 O MOST holy and gracious God, 
 we come to thee in the name of 
 thy dear Son. Hear us for His 
 sake. Both for ourselves, and. also 
 for our dear Child, we offer thee our 
 hearty thanks. 
 
PRAYERS. 73 
 
 We have solemnly given him 
 up to thee in Baptism : and thou 
 hast graciously received him into 
 the number of thy flock. Oh give 
 us grateful hearts to praise thee 
 for these thy mercies. Enable us 
 to feel, that our child is no longer 
 our own, but thine. Our desire 
 now is, that thou wilt enable us to 
 bring him up for thee. Lord, give 
 us much wisdom ; and show us how 
 to act concerning him. Do thou 
 mercifully teach its, so that we may 
 teach hhn. May our words and our 
 example be such as to lead him in 
 the right path. 
 
 thou blessed Spirit, dwell with- 
 in him. Open his eyes, that he may 
 early see the hatefulness of sin. 
 Create in him a new heart; and 
 may that heart be given to thee. 
 
 H 
 
74 PRAYERS. 
 
 Fill Mm with love towards Ms Sa- 
 viour. Make Mm a blessing and 
 comfort to Ms Parents ; useful to 
 those around him ; and faithful to 
 his heavenly Master. 
 
 Oh be thou with Mm in every 
 stage of his life. And, after thou 
 hast safely carried him over the 
 troublesome waves of this world, 
 receive Mm into everlasting rest, 
 through the merits of Jesus Christ, 
 our blessed and only Saviour. 
 Amen. 
 
 3. For a Sponsor, before Baptism. 
 
 O God, thou delightest in show- 
 ing mercy to thy people ; and thou 
 teachest us to be kind towards our 
 brethren. Make us to feel more 
 and more that "we are members 
 
PRAYERS. 75 
 
 one of another." Give me grace 
 now to discharge rightly the solemn 
 office, which I have undertaken. 
 When I go presently to thy house, 
 give me a serious and praying heart. 
 Take away all my coldness and un- 
 belief; and grant me grace heartily 
 to believe thy promises. 
 
 Thou hast taught us, heavenly 
 Father, to pray for one another. 
 Receive, then, the prayers which I 
 offer for him whom we are about 
 to present to Thee. Do thou gra- 
 ciously receive him. Wash him in 
 the blood of thy dear Son. Let 
 thy Holy Spirit rest upon him, and 
 dwell within him. Make him not 
 only a Christian in name, but a 
 Christian also in heart and in life. 
 O Lord, direct his parents ; and give 
 him thy heavenly blessing, both 
 
76 PRAYERS. 
 
 now and ever, for Jesus Christ's 
 sake. Amen. 
 
 4. For a Sponsor, after Baptism. 
 
 O Lord Jesus Christ, thou didst 
 suffer little children to come unto 
 thee when thou wast upon earth ; 
 and thou hast graciously appointed 
 a way for bringing them to thee 
 now. I heartily thank thee that 
 thou hast permitted us to approach 
 thee, in the Holy Sacrament of 
 Baptism. 
 
 Blessed be thy name, that this 
 Child hath been received into the 
 Christian fold. Grant that, " being 
 buried with Christ in Baptism," he 
 may live the life of Christ. - Make 
 Mm to walk in the path of holi- 
 ness. Make him happy. Give 
 Jd77i a spiritual mind ; and may he 
 
PRAYERS. 77 
 
 earnestly set his affections on things 
 above. 
 
 heavenly Father, thou knowest 
 the temptations to which he is ex- 
 posed ; shelter him under thy wings, 
 and keep him thine for evermore. 
 
 Give me grace to do my duty, in 
 this solemn office. May I be faith- 
 ful to my trust, feeling that thine 
 eye is upon me. Lord, I know my 
 exceeding weakness. Do thou help 
 me in my endeavours, and then 
 pardon all my failings. And now, 
 hear me, my God, in these my 
 imperfect prayers ; and do for me, 
 and for this dear child, more than 
 I can ask or think, for the sake 
 of Jesus Christ, our ever-blessed Re- 
 deemer. Amen. 
 
78 PRAYERS. 
 
 5. For a Baptized Person. 
 
 Almighty Father, I thank thee 
 that I am allowed to draw near to 
 thee as thy child, and to call thee 
 my Father. 1 was once a poor out- 
 cast, a child of wrath, but thou 
 didst mercifully receive me into 
 thy family. 
 
 1 confess. Lord, that I have not 
 lived up to my high calling. Though 
 I am a Christian in name, I have 
 not always been a Christian in con- 
 duct. Father, I have sinned. I 
 have dishonoured thee, and have 
 not been a faithful follower of my 
 Saviour. My own heart condemns 
 me. Oh ! forgive, for Christ's sake, 
 all my weakness, my ignorance, and 
 
PRAYERS. 79 
 
 my sins. And make me more obe- 
 dient, more watchful, and more 
 holy. Give me more of the mind 
 of Christ. Form me, and shape 
 me according to His blessed image. 
 May I be Christ's ; and may Christ 
 be mine. May I live by faith on 
 the Son of God. 
 
 Blessed Saviour, I have been 
 marked with thy Cross. Oh ! let 
 me never be ashamed of Thee. En- 
 able me to fight the good fight, and 
 to be faithful unto death. As I 
 have been buried with thee in bap- 
 tism, may I now be truly risen with 
 thee; and may I seek those things 
 which are above. Send down thy 
 Holy Spirit, to be my daily Guide 
 and Teacher. 
 
 my God, never leave me to my- 
 self whilst I am here. And at 
 
80 PRAYERS. 
 
 length, take me to thyself, to dwell 
 with thee for ever. Grant this, I 
 beseech thee, for Jesus Christ's 
 sake. Amen. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED BY O. J. PALMER, SAVOY STREET, STRAND. 
 

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