Young Christians Reflections.


A LITTLE girl ten years of age some months

  since asked, "How old children should be,

  to be proper subjects for baptism?" We 

 rejoice to know that the Holy Spirit is 

awakening conviction in the tender hearts of 

dear little children upon the great subject of the

 religion of the Bible.

This question led me to some reflections upon

 the early experience, godly life and peaceful 

death, of one who gave her little heart to God

 when only about eight years of age. Esther M.

 was blessed with Christian parents. When at the

 young age of which we speak, she was one day

 listening to the sound of the gospel, and as the

 words fell from the lips of the good minister, her

 mind was strongly impressed with a desire to be

 a Christian. Attentively she followed the man of

 God as he pointed out the way of life, till she 

said to herself, "I will be a Christian."

That moment a change came over her. Light,

joy, and peace broke into her willing and yielding

heart. To her the gracious promise was verified,

"I love them that love me; and those that seek 

me early shall find me." With a heart overflowing

with love to God, she arose before the meeting

closed, and spoke of her happy change, and of 

the wondrous love of the dear Saviour.

A few months following this she was baptized

and received into the Baptist church, where she

 remained a member till she with her parents left

 it in 1844, in expectation of the immediate 

coming of the blessed Redeemer. In 1849, she 

embraced the present truth with her parents, 

brothers and sisters, under the labors of Elder

 Joseph Bates. Her walk with God was close,

 steady and consistent. To her, Jesus was 

"altogether lovely," "the chiefest among ten

 thousand." She was often heard to say, "I count

 all things loss for the excellency of the 

knowledge of Christ."

In 1855 she connected her earthly interests with

mine. The comforts of a good home, of a warm

and happy fireside, were cheerfully sacrificed to

travel, labor and toil, with unworthy me. Though

often enfeebled and much worn by disease, her

whole soul was in the work of her divine Master.

Her fervent prayers, spiritual exhortations,

 gushing tears and holy life, live in lively 

remembrance in my heart today. In our darkest

 and most discouraging hours she ever 

whispered "courage," and pointed me forward to

 the land of bliss and endless rest. She stood at

 her post, till two years and a half since, when 

she fell asleep in Jesus, seventy miles from 

home and relatives. Peacefully and happily she

 sunk to rest for a little season.

"Then burst the fetters of the tomb,

To wake in full, immortal bloom."

Thus young, even in the early dawn of 

accountability, commenced the useful and happy

 life of the subject of this brief narrative. Her 

love for secret prayer was great from her first 

acquaintance with the Saviour. Here she was 

heard of our Heavenly Father, and rewarded 

"openly."

May the youth and little ones be encouraged to

fly now to the outstretched arms of mercy; to

 embrace the hope of eternal life, to seek the 

Lord early, and they shall find him. Heretofore

 God has graciously blessed little children; he 

waits to do it now. Come, then, O come to his 

embrace, that he may fold you in his loving arms,

 and bear you to the mansions of endless felicity.





A. S. HUTCHINS.


Barton Landing, Vt.