The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-03-17
FOR THE CENTRlL PRESBYTERIAN.
THE CHrLDREN'S BLESSING.
No. 2.

No. 2.
In former article on this subject, | en-
deavored to show by Scriptural arguments
that the blessing which Jesus bestowed o.
little children was something more than
pledge of providentsl mercies-more thai
the establishment or recognition of legal
external relationship between himself AM
them; that his blessing was real, spiritua
and full Of power, reaching to the very foun
tains of their being; comprehendiug thei
whole life and destiny; securing to them eter
nal life, and making them members of hi
spiritual kingdom. From this transaction
| drew the conclusion that Christ then ant
there established great law for his church
on earth, by which he has made it the duty
of every believer to seek and obtain the very
same blessing for his little ones, and tha
every Christian parent may now give hiI
child's soul to Christ as freely, as fully ant
as confidently as he gives him his own soul
in the act of saving faith.
That such is the clear teaching of the
Scriptures Ibelieye cannot be seriously ques.
toned. Indeed this Doctrine might be easily
deduced from otber Scriptures than those on
which l have princip9lly relied. No Chris
tian doubts that God'requires him to train
his children to lsse and obey Him. And
yet how can child, whose soul is unre-
newed, love and obey God This is SIM
pie impossibility. Tie parent should there.
fore seek first, that God would change the
nature Of his child, h1d thus make it possi.
bic for him to bring it up in the nurture and
admontion of the Lord. The Lord does not
require of any one an impossibility. He has
abundantly provided for our little ones all
the grace they need, and instructs us to take
it for them as We take that which he has
provided for US.
The most plausible objection which can be
urged against these views is that we find
them so frequently disproved by experience
thatth children of godly parents often grow
up and long continue in open rebellion
against God, and sometimes die without Civ
ing any sign of repentance. From these
facts some insist thatwe should adopt diff
ferent definition of the children's share in
the blessing and kingdom of Christ, and
should understand him to pledge in their be.
half only such mercies as are beneficial helps
and restraintS-not such as have certain
or necessary connection with saving grace.
But we dare not fix on any such rule fol
interpreting Gods word, or of measuring his
fidelity to his promises We dare not say
that his promises, in any case, mean no more
than weak and erring man may make o.
them. Let God be true and every man 8
liar We know full well that there il
enough of shortcoming In the faith and con
duct of every parent, whose child thus strayi
from the fold, to account for that miscar
riage, and thus leave Gods covenant unim
peached.
! l have already alluded to the deplorablt
defect in the Church's teaching on this sub
ject, and the consequent defect in the faitl
and practice of Christian parents. desire
to give striking illustration of this from {
work which is found in the house and hand
of almost every Presbyterian family in thi
country. l allude to Dr. Alexander's bool
on "Religious Experience. In the earl,
chapters of that work he discusses this sub
iect, and shows that there is no reason VIII,
our children may not be regenerated during
infancy" off" says be, "piety may com
mence at any age how solicitous should pa
rents be for their children that God woul
bestow his grace upon them even before the
know their right hand from their left i! An
when about to dedicate them to God in hol
baptism, how earnestly should they pray tina
they might be baptized with the Holy Ghost
that while their bodies are washed in the en-
blematical laver of regeneration, their SOU
may experience the renewing Of the Hol
Ghost, and the sprinkling of the blood
Jesus!'
And yet this great, good and wise teacht
goes on, almost Immediately after the pa
. sage which l have quoted to impair and hil
r der the blessed exhortation by declaring th'
t "the education Of children should proceed 9
, the principle that they are IN an@nregensra
8 state uata Evidences Of piety clearly appea
r in which case they should be sedulously che
o ished and nurtured." l believe that ninet
q nine out of every hundred of Christian p
!, rents do exactly what DR.. Alexander ne
recommends: they educate their childr'
). on the principle-in other words they b
Q lieve themselves, and teach their children