Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1844-02-09


The INFANT IN HEAvEN.-Dr. CHALMERS
furnishes the following touching expression Of
his opinion on the subject of Infant Salvation.
1t is expressed in strong and beautiful lam
guage:
This affords. we think. something more than
dubious glimpse into the question that is Of
ten put by distracted mother, when her babe
is taken away from her, when all the converse
it ever had with the world. amounted 10 the
gaze upon it Of few months, or a few open
ing smiles, which masked the dawn of felt en-
joyment; and ere it had reached perhaps the
lisp Of infancy, it all unconscious OF death, had
TO wresile through period Of sickness with
It's power, and at length 10 be overcome by 1t.
Oh, it little knew what an interest it had crea-
ted in that home where it was so passing a
visitant; nor, when carried to its early grave,
what Il tide Of emotion it would raise among
the few acquaintance it left behind it! On
i, toe, baptism was impressed as seal, and
sight was never falsifed. There was no
positive unbelief in its bosom-no love at all
for the darkness rather than the light-nor had
ityet fallen into thatgre condemnation which
will attach itself to all that perish because Of
nnbelef, that their deeds are evil. 1t is inter-
esting 10 know that God Instituted circumcis-
ion for the infant children of Jews, and at least
suffered baptism for the infan. children of those
who profess Christianity. Should the child
die in infancy, the use of baptism as sign
has never been thwarted by it; and may We
not be permitted to indulge hope so pleasing,
as that the use of baptism as seal remains in
all its entireness-that he who sanctioned the
afhxing of it to babe, will fulfil upon it the
whole expression Of this ordinance And when
we couple with this the known disposition of
our great forerunner-the love that he mani
tested to children on earlh--how he suffered
them to approach his person, aud lavishing en-.
dearment and kindness upon them in the streets
Of Jerusalem, told his disciples that the pres
ence and the company of such as these in hea.
ven fromed one ingredient of the Joy that was
set before hm-teIl US if Christianity does not
throw a pleasing radiance around an infants
tomb! and should any parent who hears US
feel soitened by the touching remembrance of
light that twnkled few short months under
his roof, and at the end Of its little period ex-
pired; we cannot think that we venture too
far when we say that he has only to persevere
IN the faith and in the following of the gospel,
and that very light will again shine upon him
in heaven. TIE blossom which withered here
upon its stalk, has been :ransplanted there to
place OF endurance; and it will then gladden.
mat eye which now weeps out the agony of
an affection that has been sorely wounded /;
and in the name of Him, who if on earth would
have wept along with them, do we bid all be.
Levers present, to sorrow not even as others
which have no hope, but to take comfort in
the thought Of that country where there is no
sorrow and no separation.
0, when mother meets on high,
The babe she lost iii infancy,
Hath she not then, for pains and fears
The day ofwo, the watchful night
For all her sorrow, all her fears
An, l.l