tle children, is proved by the quotation of this scripture in Matthew's gospel, and its application to those of "two years old and under” that were slain by Herod : "Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Ramah was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not." Matt. 2: 16-18.

Then

The only "land of the enemy" from which these children could come, is the land of death, "the last enemy" the saved will encounter. As the resurrection and salvation of Herod's innocents are thus affirmed, it follows that all of like age will also be saved. And hence the word of comfort uttered to Rachel, may be laid hold of by all parents bereaved of infants, as applicable to themselves.

Infant Salvation Inferred from the Abundant Provisions of

Grace.

The abundant provision which Christ has made for the redemption of our fallen race, encourages us to believe that those shall be partakers of "the free gift" who die before they are capable of deliberately rejecting it. Jesus is the Saviour of the world.” He "gave himself a ransom for all." He "tasted death for every man;" "and He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." In the fifth chapter of Paul's Epistle to the Romans, there is a chain of reasoning on this point, which seems to lead to the inevitable conclusion that the infantile dead are included in the provisions of mercy. The apostle argues that the glory of Christ's work is more illustriously displayed in overcoming the accumulated effects of the many personal offences of actual transgressors, than in simply overcoming those of the single offence of Adam. He takes for granted the redemption of those who had "not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression," when reasoning on the transcendent grandeur of the plan of mercy, as embracing the remission of "the many offences" of actual

transgressors. On the full glory of the plan, as thus most impressively exhibited, he delighted to dwell, and what he says of the circumstances of infants, is introduced chiefly for the sake of illustrating this higher manifestation of "the exceeding riches" of divine grace. In arguing for the greater, he takes for granted the less. He cannot but be considered as teaching us, that the scheme of redemption shields from the penal consequences of Adam's sin, separately viewed, or where they are not connected with actual sin and final impenitence, seeing he maintains that its object extends, not to this only, but much further. We infer, therefore, that, under the present dispensation, no exclusion occurs, where nothing additional to the sin of Adam has taken place, since all obstructions in the way of the honorable exercise of mercy and grace have been completely removed, by the infinitely precious sacrifice of Christ. "For if through the offence of one many be dead, MUCH MORE the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath ABOUNDED unto many." "But where sin abounded, GRACE DID MUCH MORE ABOUND."

THE REAPER.

THERE is a Reaper, whose name is Death,
And, with his sickle keen

He reaps the bearded grain at a breath,
And the flowers that grow between.

"Shall I have nought that is fair," saith he; "Have nought but the bearded grain? Though the breath of these flowers is sweet to

me,

I will give them all back again."

He gazed at the flowers with tearful eyes,
He kissed their drooping leaves:

It was for the Lord of Paradise

He bound them in his sheaves.

"My Lord has need of these flowerets gay,"
The Reaper said, and smiled;
"Dear tokens of the earth are they,
Where he was once a child.

"They shall all bloom in fields of light,
Transplanted by my care,

And saints, upon their garments white,
These sacred blossoms wear."

And the mother gave, in tears and pain, The flowers she most did love;

She knew she should find them all again In the fields of light above.

O, not in cruelty, not in wrath,
The Reaper came that day;
'T was an angel visited the green
And took the flowers away.

earth

LONGFELLOW.

THE WANDERER RECLAIMED.

A shepherd long had sought in vain
To call a wandering sheep:
He strove to make its pathway plain
Through dangers thick and deep.

But yet the wanderer stood aloof,
And still refused to come;
Nor would she ever hear reproof,
Or turn to seek her home.

At last the gentle shepherd took

Her little lamb from view!

The mother gazed with anguished look

She turned and followed too!