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He is our pattern, as well as our Saviour; and we are to copy his example, as well as rely on his precious blood for our salvation."

"But did not Jesus receive little children when he was upon earth?"

"Yes, but not to christen, or baptize them. He took them up in his arms, prayed for them, blessed them, and it is very probable that he healed their diseases. And though he is in heaven, he will receive you, if you really desire to be saved from your sins; and go alone and pray to him, feeling as if he was present in the room, and was listening to every word you say. Prayer is the heart talking with God; telling him what it feels, what it fears, and what it desires. God listens to all such prayers, and blesses all such praying children. I hope, my dear, you will remember, that the whole of the will of God is made known in the bible. All that you should believe about God, or sin, or the Saviour, or ordinances, or any other religious subject, is to be found there. Also, all that you should do, so far as religion is concerned, is to be found there too. God does not require you to believe anything but what is in the bible; nor does he require you to do anything which he has not commanded there. Therefore, turn to your bibleand to your new testament especially-when you want to know if any religious service is right; and if you do not find it there, you may safely reject it. Christening, or infant baptism as some call it, is an invention of men ; it is not to be found in the bible; and is therefore no

part of the religion of Jesus Christ. It does no good.

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It never did any good. But it has led to many mistakes, and done a very great deal of harm. If you should be spared to grow up, I trust the Lord will give you repentance for sin, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ; and that then you will be baptized, as your Lord and Saviour was. You know how the apostles baptized, for the Holy Spirit has given you a very particular account of the baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch. Philip preached unto him the gospel; he believed in Jesus, and felt great love to the Saviour in his heart. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the Eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still; and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the Eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the Eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.'

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Then, when shall I be baptized, father?"

"As soon as ever you give proof that your heart is changed. When I know that you daily retire to pray, when you hate sin and forsake it, when you love Jesus, and obey him from the heart; then I shall rejoice to see the minister of Christ lead you down into the water, that you may be buried with Christ by baptism,' and" rise again to live a new life of holiness and love."

A MOTHER'S PRAYER ANSWERED.

Read this to your Mother.

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"THAT is a pleasing case," said a deacon, the other day, pointing out to me a young woman in the vestry, nursing her infant. What case is that?" I asked. "O," said the deacon, "she was once a thoughtless girl, but she is now a pious young woman, and a member of the church at HI well remember," continued he, "attending her mother's funeral. Her mother was one of the 'excellent of the earth,' a woman strong in faith, giving glory to God.' She did not neglect praying for her children. I knew that well, and took the opportunity of speaking to her daughter on the important subject of religion, not omitting to remind her of the many prayers which had been offered up by her mother on her behalf. Time rolled on, and I saw nothing of the thoughtless girl until a short time ago, when I met her in the street. She came to me with tears in her eyes, and began her simple tale by asking whether I remembered speaking to her at her mother's funeral. Ah,' said she, 'I thought but little of the subject then, and went carelessly on, till coming into chapel one sabbath-day, while you were reading the verse,

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'Though seed lie buried long in dust,
It sha'nt deceive their hope;

The precious grain can ne'er be lost,
For grace insures the crop,'-

My mother's prayers came immediately into my mind, and made such an impression as, I trust, has ended in

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my conversion to God. And O!' said she, while the tears ran down her cheeks, what a joyful meeting it will be when I meet my mother in heaven.' This," said the deacon," is her short history: she is walking in the ways of God, and is, no doubt, herself become a praying mother."

Will not this short narrative encourage parents to pray for their children? How many parents have been called to leave the world without having seen their prayers answered; but who will say they will not meet their children in heaven, as the fruit of their prayers? and if so, what joyful meetings those will be!

And should not this little fact encourage parents to talk of the great things of redemption to their children? Depend upon it, you shall not talk to them in vain. And you must talk to them as well as pray for them. This will shew them that you are in earnest; and there is no one who can talk to a child like its own mother. Every child always regards its mother as its best friend, and will listen to her when it would not listen to anyone else. If a mother tells her child of the love of Christ in her own kind and tender manner, that child will never forget it. No: years may pass away, but in that child's heart will remain the remembrance of that mother's earnest desire. Let parents, then, pray for their children and talk to their children, and they will have a rich reward.

Eye.

Our lips shall tell them to our sons,

And they again to theirs;

That generations yet unborn
May teach them to their heirs.

S. G.

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