llel. The light of
nature almost teaches us the propriety of infant dedication, in the use
of the prevailing religious rite. The only wise God manifested his
goodness and wisdom, in establishing his covenant with the children of
those who love him, as really as in creating a companion for Adam.

There were other sights, on this baptismal occasion, besides Henry
Ferguson and his mother, and the young couple with their child.

A woman, in the habiliments of the deepest mourning, went up the aisle,
leading with her finger a little boy between two and three years old,
followed by a noble son of fifteen, and his sister of twelve. Our
pastor's rule, as to the limit of age within which children may be
admitted to baptism, is this: So long as a parent, or guardian, or next
friend, has the immediate tutelage of a child, so as to direct its
instruction and government, and thus continues to exercise parental
authority, he may properly offer the child for baptism; and therefore,
as children differ as to degrees of maturity within the same ages, no
express boundary of time can be prescribed to limit those baptisms which
are by the faith of another.

The father of these three children had been lost at sea on a whaling
voyage. The seaman's chest had come home, and so the last star of hope
as to his return had set. The mother had become a Christian; she felt
the need of a covenant-keeping God for her children. There she stood, a
sorrow-stricken woman, and her household with her, to receive for them
the sign of the covenant from the God of Abraham.

There was another sight in that group: A man and woman, honest, good
people, in humble circumstances, had had bequeathed to them, by a
widowed sister of his, who was not a professor of religion, a
feeble-minded youth of about ten years; and this uncle and aunt had
adopted him as their child. They also came, the husband leading the boy
along, with his arm over the boy's shoulder to encourage his hesitating
steps, and the wife behind them. He was a member of a Sabbath-school
class; by no means an idiot, yet deficient in some respects. He was
entrusted with affairs about a farm which did not require much
responsibility.

Little Henry Ferguson began to coo and crow, as they came successively
and stood, in a half-circle, round the table with the silver basin upon
it. The feeble-minded youth was mostly occupied with the actions of
Henry, who, on seeing his face covered with uncontrollable exp