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of all degrees to the weak as well as the strong, to babes in faith no less than to full-grown men. Take, then, the case of a child who from the first dawn of consciousness is reared among those who love the Lord, and whom the mother, while feeding him with the nutritive milk of her breast, feeds also with the richer milk of her heart, even her faith in the Saviour, and why should we doubt that, from the moment he opens his eyes to gaze into hers, such a child is a shoot on the mystical vine of Christ? Yes, long before either parent has uttered one word of instruction, have the mother's eyes been preaching to him in the truest sense of the term. And oh how much an eye can express the eye of a mother—a mother's eye, which Jesus has enlightened! The deep peace of mind, the holy resignation, the purified love, reflected in the eye of a Christian mother, all penetrate through her suckling's, as he gazes on it, and go straight into his heart. How much soul, too, there is in such a mother's voice when she soothes her babe, and how its holy tones reach his inmost being long before he rightly apprehends the meaning of the words! Add to all this the silent and irresistible discipline which the manners of a Christian household never fail to exercise upon the members, and the daily observation of a life purified by the Spirit of Jesus, in father and mother, brothers and sisters. Ah! I am persuaded we lay far too much weight upon preaching aloud with words, and far too little upon preaching silently with works. As the flower in a dark cellar is attracted by a mysterious thirst towards the chink which admits the ray-as the infant himself, upon entering the world, and before he has opened his eyes to the material light, turns to the side on which it shines-even so, I believe, before the intellectual powers have been roused to action, may the infant soul be drawn by a mysterious instinct towards the great source of spiritual light, and imbibing its beams, be unfolded for eternity. The apostle himself says of the children of Christian parents that they are "holy." Nay, he tells us that "the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing

1 1 Cor. vii. 14.

1

wife," in respect that mere fellowship with a Christian soul cannot but have a blessed effect even upon a heathen. And how then should the tender flowers of childhood, reared upon the soil of Christian faith, and in the atmosphere of Christian love, remain unblest?

Only let parents, when presenting their children to Jesus in baptism, present them in true faith, and for the sake of their faith, Jesus, I believe, will receive the little ones, graciously make Himself known to them, and bless them, however young. Nor will the bond of intimacy which He then forms with their souls be broken, at however early an age He may see fit to transplant them from the garden of earth to the garden of heaven. Of God's great garden this earth is but one small bed; and if into that garden He have once by holy baptism admitted a little plant, so will He also not fail to select for it the bed most propitious for its growth. Hence, O my child, I shall not be dismayed even though it should please the Lord to withdraw thee soon from my care. I know that He will intrust thee to a better care than mine. I have buried thee with Christ by baptism unto death. Now then thou art dead, and thy life is hidden in Jesus, but sooner or later He will bring it to the light.

Little one, thou art now not mine only; thou art also the babe of Christ. No more a child of low degree, thou art henceforth the offspring of a great King, and we owe thee reverence. I have received thee from the hand of Jesus, and into the hand of Jesus must I deliver thee back. When our Lord beheld the young daughter of Jairus upon the bed, "The damsel," He said, "is not dead, but sleepeth ;" and recalling her departed spirit, He restored her to her parents, that they might give her food, and invigorate her reawakened life.1 Even so, my child, He who is our common Lord has roused thee from thy sleep and consigned thee to my hands, that I may nurture and train thee up. Oh, when I this day call to mind the woe which He has pronounced against those who shall offend a little child, how my soul is overpowered by its

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weight! It may be that thou wilt forsake thy Master, but God forbid that thou shouldst ever have cause to charge me with having offended thee! Little one, as thy sponsor, I have today declared in the sanctuary I believe, and by so doing have become answerable for thy faith. Now, therefore, it must be my concern and endeavour that thou mayest one day appear in the sanctuary for thyself, and in thine own name confess, I believe. But God be thanked! this concern pertains not to me only. No; He who woke thee from thy slumber, and consigned thee to my hands, has heard my prayer—heard me acknowledge that of myself I am unequal to the task. God be thanked the child is His as well as mine.

Kind and gracious Master, oh what a debt of gratitude I owe Thee for providing my little one, at his very entrance into life, with such a shelter and defence! I will repeat to him from day to day that he no longer belongs to me alone. I will remind him whose hand has been laid upon his head, whose blessing he has received, and into what a goodly vineyard grace and pity have transplanted him. Yes, my child, thou art indeed come into the land flowing with milk and honey. That is the sweet food of all who dwell in the region of grace; and hence the custom in the ancient Church of giving milk and honey to the babe they were baptising. I will tell him what a solemn engagement I have undertaken in the sanctuary. Surely he will be unwilling that my word should be broken. And even though he might not scruple thus to put to shame his father on earth, never, surely, will he think of putting to shame that heavenly Father by whom he has been adopted. No; he will enter the battle like a hero, having now a Captain to lead him on. Nor does he require to fight in his own strength. He will fight in the strength of his Prince, who is the Prince of Life. In the baptism of the ancient Church they anointed the child with oil. It was an emblem of that unction of the Holy Ghost by which he will now be enabled to run his race and not be weary. "When I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood,

Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live." 1 O my child, it is the almighty God of heaven and earth who allures thee with such language. Canst thou resist? Remember thou didst not first love Him. No, He first loved thee, and, moved by love alone, drew thee to Himself, arrayed thee when naked in a royal robe, put bracelets on thine arm, a chain about thy neck, and a crown upon thy head. All this He did, not only without desert of thine, but before thou couldst even choose between good and evil. And against such loving-kindness canst thou harden thy heart? It cannot be. Thou wilt yield to the love of Jesus. It will govern thy heart and guide thy life. It welcomed and embraced thee on thy entrance into the world, and thou, to show thy gratitude, wilt cleave unchangeably to it, drawing from it supplies of vital strength to invigorate thy weakness.

Oh that it may be my lot with thee, and with all who are and who may yet be mine, one day to enter His presence, and say, "Behold, O Lord, here am I, and the children whom Thou hast given me"! 2

Take this babe whom we present,

Lord, to Thee, and own him Thine.
On his heart Thine image print,

On his brow Thy seal divine;

That when the deadly foes assail,

Thy name and sign may turn them pale.

Flesh of flesh, of Adam's race,

Naked thou wert born and blind;

Chosen now by sovereign grace,

And for child of God designed,
Where is the seraph in the skies
Who dares thy lineage despise ?

Forth into the war of life,

Now for thee there's no retreat;
Yet to shield thee in the strife,
Wear the sign that wards defeat.
Lo! as the drops thy brow bedew,

Methought a conqueror's wreath they grew.

1 Ezek. xvi. 6.

2 Isa. viii. 18.

Child, thy pedigree survey,

Offspring both of heaven and earth,
And when mingling in the fray,

Ponder well thy twofold birth.
This will a watchful care inspire,
With courage that thy bosom fire.
If the foe shall tempt to slumber,
Bent thy soul by stealth to slay,
Show him thou dost well remember
That the feeble child of clay

To watch and strive has constant need,
In such an arduous war to speed.

But if open force he try,

Counting thee an easy prey,
Then assert thy lineage high,

Prove thy heavenly birth, and say,
He whom God to crown engages,
Laughs at Satan when he rages.

COL. ii. 6, 7.

71.

Profession of Faith.

The food with which the babe is nursed,
As still in arms he lies,

The mother's self partakes of first,
Then from her breast supplies.

An infant at the mother's breast
I've been until this day,

And faith's sweet manna, her repast,

Has nourished me alway.

And I have fared so well that now,
When free a change to try,

That food, I at the table vow,

SHALL FEED ME TILL I DIE.

66 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: rooted and built up in

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