To Mr. K——
Remarkable visit of the«8pirit — A new heart given to a little child — “I want to pray more” — An accusation of the tempter — Little W Infantile anticipation — Propriety.
Dear Sir, — Were you not praying for us as a family the evening I parted with you? Soon after my return home, while at supper, an unusual sense of the divine presence came upon me, and a heaven of love and sweetness seemed to fill the house. Being later than usual for supper, all the members of my family, with the exception of my two young-A Little Girl with a New Heart.
est children, (who had reth-ed for the night,) had gone to meeting. As I left the parlor and went lip to my room, about eight o’clock, to my surprise I found our daughter still awake, and, at her earnest call, I went to her room. Her eyes looked as though she had for some time been weeping bitterly, but she was now smiling amid her tears. *’ 0 ma!” she exclaimed, “I have been asking God for a new heart, and he has given it to me.” I questioned her, but could see no reason to doubt that the Lord had indeed visited her with his salvation. Among other things, she said, “But Satan told me some tiling very naughty.” She hesitated for a moment as thouo-h it were somethins: that she hardly dared repeat, and then obser^ed, “He said that I should never go to heaven; but I asked the Lord, and he told me if I loved and served him I should.” She seemed very happy in the love of the Saviour, and as I observed before, the whole house seemed filled with a heaven of love.
Little W then called me to his room, and a
divine influence seemed to be resting upon him also. “0 ma!” said he, “I want to pray more than my own prayers.” I remained some time instructing him in answer to his many inquiries, some of which surprised me much, inquiries which I knew must have been prompted by the direct influences of the Holy Spuit on his heart.
In consequence of not being home as early as” What is it to give my Heart to God ’
usual, I had not conversed with these little ones as I generally do, especially on sabbath evenings. It was clear to my mind, therefore, that the feelings of my dear children had not been produced by any external influence.
The accuser had been suggesting, that in not being with them when they retired, I had neglected an obvious duty, for that which was questionable; but on finding them so unexpectedly receiving the gracious teachings of the Spirit, the Holy Comforter said to my heart,
“Fix on God’s work thy steadfast eye,
So shall thy work be done.”
I should not like to answer your question, that is. Are these children Christians? unhesitatingly. But I will say, that from their earliest existence we have given them up to God. We believe that the Lord in some special manner recognizes the surrender, and gives the more direct influences of the Holy Spirit as a consequence of their being set apart for his service.
They love to talk about spiritual things, and from the dawn of reason have manifested much interest, and sometimes deep emotions, while I conversed with them. A few months since, little W.
asked this question,” What is it to give my heart
to God?” Bishop H- was with us, and he
took the child on his knee, and with most heavenly sweetness told him in a manner suited to his capa-I mean to be a Minister.’
city just what it was to give his heart to God.
After which, W, in a solemn and impressive
manner, said, “I give my heart to Jesus Christ.” This was a memorable period, and he since says that he has given his heart to God, and I would not dare say he has ngt done so, When he is asked, as is often the case with such little creatures. What do you intend to be? His almost invariable reply, whether to wordlings or others, is, “I mean to be a minister, if God will make me oney
We have set him apart for that work, with the prayerful desu-e that he may be called of God, as was Aaron. “The harvest is great, but the laborers are few,” In view of the need of faithful laborers it seems most reasonable, and not unauthorized by the spirit of the word, that pious parents shoidd thus set their children apart, not with an idea that they are to decide the matter, but to order their entire moral and religious training in such a manner as may best fit them for the service of the sanctuary; and then, if the thus consecrated one is not sure in after life that he is “moved by the Holy Ghost to preach the gospel,” he will, by pious culture, have been fitted for other work in the ldneyard of the Lord.
But if a case should occur in which a person thus dedicated to the ministry should not be called, it would be unlike any case I have yet met with. In reference to little W, we cannot help treawish I was in Exico.” Sunday News.
suring up in our hearts these indications that he has received something like a baptism into the Spirit, of what may be his work, and we take courage. This morning he said, “I wish I was in * Exko’ (Mexico;) they fight there!” I felt troubled at his saying what seemed so unhke
himself; and chidingly said,” Why, W, they
are wicked there because they fight, and if they do not take care they will soon all go to the bad place together:” “I thought I might go and tell them that it is wicked to fight he replied. On sabbath morning a boy was crying” Sunday Morning News’*
past the door. W came to me with a saddened
countenance and said, “Do you not think I had better run and tell him that it is wicked to sell papers on Sunday? it may be he does not know how wicked it is.” This is but a specimen of the way in which he often talks. I think you will with us conclude, that God is not unmindful of the consecration which we have made of our children to his service. And it is because we think this a most important matter that I have so much at length answered your inquiries.
Yours, &c.
An Undivided Saviour.