every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.— Gen. xvii.

And now Israel what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day, for thy good?- -Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

Deut. x.

Circumcision verily profiteth if thou keep the law but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? and shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh But he is a Jew which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men but of God.-Romans ii.

EPISTLE FOR THE DAY.

The promise that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham or to his seed, through

the law, but through the righteousness of faith.— Romans iv.

GOSPEL FOR THE DAY.

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel, before he was conceived in the womb.--St. Luke ii.

BAPTISM.

Our Lord's Baptism. —I indeed have baptized you with water, but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him and there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.-St. Mark i.

Our Lord's declaration. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. St. John iii.

Our Lord's command.

Go ye, and teach (disciple) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. St. Matthew xxviii.

Our Lord's promise.-He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.-St. Mark xvi.

INFANT BAPTISM.

Our Lord's acceptance of young children.—They brought young children to him, that he should touch them and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.— St. Mark x.

Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. -Whoso receiveth one such little child in my name, receiveth me.

-Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. It is not the will of your Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.-St. Matthew xviii.

He took a child, and set him in the midst of his disciples; and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me; and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.- -St. Mark ix.

The testimony of the Prophets.-All thy children

shall be taught of the LORD, and great shall be the peace of thy children.-Isaiah liv.

They shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. — Jeremiah xxxi.

Testimony of the Apostles.—I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.-1 John ii.

Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; for the promise is unto you and to your children.—Acts ii.

A certain woman, named Lydia,- -was baptized and her household.The Philippian jailor

took Paul and Silas the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.-Acts xvi.

The Church witnesses to the practice of infant baptism from the earliest down to the present times. The twenty-seventh article of our Church says, that "The Baptism of young children is in anywise to be retained in the Church, as most agreeable with the institution of Christ."

INWARD GRACE OF BAPTISM.

Testimony of Scripture.-Be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins.-Acts ii.

And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.-Acts xxii.

And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.-1 Cor. vi.

Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.

Gal. iii.

Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious Church.-Eph. v.

In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses. Proper Lesson, Col. ii.

After that the kindness and love of God our