Year: 1870

When a true-hearted mother feels, for
the FIRST time, her first born's breath" she not
only is conscious Of her tender relation di-
rectly to that newborn creature, but feels a
new tenderness and sacredness added to her
relation TO her husband Dear as the babe
is, considered simply as her own, it is yet
more precious because it is his Closely aud
tenderly as she was united to him before,
she feels the union to be closer and tcnderor
now.


In still higher sense does a Christian
mother find that her experience Of maternity
gives a new preciousness and sacredness to
her relation to God. She was His creature
before, now she is the mother Of His creature
The great God has come near to her. He
has made her the subject Of the most marvel
Gus exercise Of His power which nature ever
exemplics. However lightly and prolanely
this may be treated by some, the Bible teaches
as to regard it with the utmost reverence and
solemnity.


The birth Of child is q more wonderful
event than the creation Of a material world
God causes a new human life to begin in mys-
terious connection with the life Of the mother
1t is possible to receive such n gift with a
natural joy without duly regarding the divine
giyer. 1t is possible to feel the gush Of that
new fountain Of affection, without thought
fully considering who has opened it. 1t is
perhaps possible for a mother to look upon
her own child, aud feel the pleasing emotions
connected with the thought, that it is her
child, without solemnly remembering that it
is gift from God. 1t must not be so with
Christian mothers They should remember
that God has come near to them in a wonder.
iul manner, and has brought them into a new
and peculiar relation to Himself This rea-
tion is distinctly recognized in His word, aud
He has made it the subject Of a special cove
naut. This covenant is indeed with both the
parents, if they both are believers. would
fain encourage all such to take a strong hold
upon Gods promise, that He will be a God
to thom aud TO their seed after them. But
in order to claim this promise, Christian
mother, you must make the same unrcserved
commitment Of your child to God, which you
are required to make Of yourself This, when
you view God rightly, will be your highest
privilege You will commit your child to
God more trustfuly, more joyfully, than you
lay ii in the arms Of its father. This may
involve your consent 10 painful separation.
You may be called to give up your child, in
death, to Him who gave it or you may be
called to consent that the winds and waves
shall bear that child far away from you to
some distant heather land, where the Lord
hath need Of him" There are many moth
ers, who know by experience, that, keen as
the pang Of such parting is, there is also a
peculiar new joy, which springs up from it,,
like a clear fountain, and flows on in serene
and steady stream of precious experience
through all the life.


When Christ is so precious toyou that you
freely give to Him, not only yourselves, but
your chidren-those dearer selves when
you have learned to think of them as His,
and to train them as His, and to love them
as His,-even as you have always thought
Of them and loved them as the children Of
Him who, of all men, is the object Of your
strongest afiection-then will you know how
sacred, and how sanctifying, and how heaven
y God has designed and fitted the maternal
relation to be.-Rcr Dr. Nelson in Fran
geli1