Reid, M.A., Bellary, India, on the death of their child, in 1833:

With regard to your precious little darling, all is well. He is not lost, — not lost even to you. He is only gone home before you; and in the everlasting home you will by and by find him. . . . It is a delightful thought, that of having part of ourselves with God before us. And then the confidence is so perfect, so entirely free from all misgivings, so sweetly tranquil, unruffled by the least breath of doubt, in regard to "little children." Did not you hear the compassionate Redeemer saying to you, as He was loosing the band of life, "Suffer your little child to come unto me”? He said this when on earth. He says it from heaven, when He thus takes away the "babes and sucklings" of His own people's fond affections, that "out of their lips" He may "perfect praise above.

REV. DR. ALEX. MACLEOD, BIRKENHEAD.

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"Your little ones, which ye said would be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither.” —Deut. i. 39.

You are in circumstances to welcome light from whatever quarter on the destiny of children dying at the age of yours.

I have lying before me the analysis of an argument from Analogy on this subject, which made a great impression on me at the time I first saw it, and may be of use to you at present. The argument is based upon the admission of children into the promised land.

I need not remind you that there is an analogy between the land which was once the land of promise to the Jews, and our heavenly home. From that land, for their sins, the fathers were excluded, Caleb and Joshua alone excepted. But of the children it is said, "They shall go in thither." If this was so in the case of the earthly Canaan; if the children of parents, who themselves were excluded, were favored in this way; if they were the subjects of mercy, while their fathers were the objects of punitive justice, — how much more may we expect it to take place in respect to the heavenly Canaan? The point here is, that the exclusion of children does not follow the exclusion of parents. If it did, all would have been excluded except the children of Caleb and Joshua.

The reason assigned by God for this procedure is one which will be applicable at the day of judgment. "Your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in." It is true they were

living when their fathers rebelled against God; but they were not partakers in the rebellion. In the day of provocation they were gambolling about the green fields in innocent ignorance of what was taking place: they were not yet capable of distinguishing between good and evil, and, therefore, they were not excluded. But since we are speaking of the dealings of the unchangeable God, we may safely conclude that He will acknowledge the force of the same reasons in the final judgment. The infants who die, carry with them towards the judgment throne no knowledge of good or evil, no experience of the bitterness of offending God. And they will not be involved in the condemnation of the wicked.

If you next consider the purposes for which children were admitted into Canaan, you will see that similar purposes require fulfilment in their admission into heaven. One of these purposes is referred to in the verse quoted at the top: "Your little ones, which ye said should be a prey." If you read carefully the fourteenth chapter of Numbers, verses 1-3, you will understand the force of the rebuke. Sin had blotted out their faith in God. "Their children were sure to perish!" They themselves, too, would perish. So they thought. And they were indeed to perish. But the helpless

ones, the innocent, the unpartaking, were to go free. Now the admission of the children into Canaan, after the expression of unbelief on the part of the parents, was a vindication of God's ways, an answer to the unbelief of the parents, and a perpetual token that God deals with infants on the ground of saving mercy. It is glorious to think that God is preparing a reply to the doubts and disbeliefs of all who are far from Him, by a similar exercise of grace. Sceptics, infidels, heathens, expect nothing for their children but death, temporal and eternal. How will they be amazed when they discover, in another state, that God has been better than their thoughts; and although they (because of their sins) are excluded, their children have been admitted into His presence. Still further, God had this purpose in bringing the children into Canaan, that they should advance His standard into new territory, build up His kingdom, and be the organ of His praise. Has He not the same purpose in respect of heaven? He chooses not to be alone throughout eternity. And (blessed prospect!) from the mouth of babes and sucklings He ordains the strength of His eternal hallelujahs. He who could raise up children to Abraham from the stones, will not want the power to fill heaven with their loving and delightful songs.

REV. DR. ALEX. WALLACE, GLASGOW.

I HAVE often been struck with the following passage in connection with the subject of infant salvation: "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger." (Ps. viii. 2.) The enemy and the avenger referred to here is, I think, Satan, who would avenge himself, if he could, by destroying the whole human race. But his revengeful desires have been thwarted, inasmuch as many helpless babes have been made the subjects of renewing grace. More than this: I suppose the majority of our race die in infancy; these, I believe, are all lambs of the "Good Shepherd," and are taken to Himself: "for of such is the kingdom of God." In this way the Father of mercy "ordains strength, stills the enemy and the avenger;" because, in the salvation of infants, the number of the saved is greater than the lost. Our Saviour quoted this ancient oracle, when the children sung His praises in the temple, and He silenced those who were instigated by the "enemy and the avenger” to find fault with the children and their songs. Many children now sing the praises of the "Good