Bertha and Her Baptism, page 39 by Nehemiah Adams
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world is peopled with them. "Of such is the kingdom of heaven." Peace be with you. All send love.
Chapter Third.
BERTHA'S BAPTISM.--CHANTING AT BAPTISMS.--PUBLIC AND PRIVATE BAPTISMS.--WEEK-DAY BAPTISMS.--A DAUGHTER'S LOVE.--BAPTISM OF A DEAF-MUTE INFANT.--FIDELITY OF A BAPTIZED CHILD.--SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM.--THE MODE.--IMPROBABILITY OF IMMERSION, IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.--ON BEING BURIED IN BAPTISM.--NEW VERSION OF THE SCRIPTURES.--OUR DIVISION INTO SECTS.--A MOTHER'S PLEA FOR INFANT BAPTISM.
Where is it mothers learn their love? In every church a fountain springs, O'er which th' eternal Dove Hovers on softest wings.
O, happy arms, where cradled lies, And ready for the Lord's embrace, That precious sacrifice, The darling of his grace!
KEBLE.
We took Bertha to church when she was two months old. The minister, being fond of music, had, for some time, requested the choir to chant select passages of Scripture at baptisms.
So, as we came up the aisle with the child, the choir breathed out those words, "And I will establish my covenant between thee and me, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant; to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee." "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God." "And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them." And, as we turned away from the font, they added, "So shall he sprinkle many nations." "The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children." "But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments, to do them."
How I loved that choir, and the congregation! for, many a face did I see bathed in tears, and others beaming with smiles and love,