THE PENNY POST. He should flee from the Devil and all his long train, I'll take the child home, he shall speak when he can." The absurd and unscriptural practice of sprinkling unconscious babes, and of appointing sponsors to promise for them that which it is utterly impossible they can ever perform, and affirming that by this popish ceremony they are regenerated, cannot be too strongly denounced, or too often exposed. That men and women were baptized is evident, Acts viii. 12: but there is no precept or example in all the bible for baptizing infants: nor are adults to be baptized till they evidence repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. See Mat. iii. 8, and xxviii. 19; Mark xvi. 15, 16; Acts ii. 37, 38, and viii. 36, 37, also xvi. 30-31. The Penny Post. J. C. N. [Here we insert letters from any of our poorer friends, who wish to tell their temporal or spiritual troubles, or make remarks on what they conceive might remove them. The Penny Post is also open to letters or any other subjects calculated to benefit the cottager and his family.] TROUBLES OF THE POOR.-It is an old and true saying that "one half of the world know not how the other half live." And this is true to a great extent. A Poor Villager, with a large family, after wishing the Editor success and every blessing in Christ, says, "As for me, the cares of the world well nigh swallow me up; but I must still trast in God and hope for better days. I have had seven children ill of the measles, and my dear wife confined of her tenth child, eight of whom are living, and trade is in a very depressed state. Truly my circumstances are very trying, and I cannot get a supply of the common necessaries of life for my dear family. None can tell what such trials are but those who have to pass through them. Nevertheless the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. I am engaged every sabbath at the school as a teacher, and have now joined the little flock at the baptist place of worship. We have a neat commodious meeting house, but the Lord of the Manor, the Earl of P, is claiming the ground, and says he will go to law about it. Our minister works at the same craft as I do. We are not rich to resist, and are often perplexed what to do. So you see we are not very comfortable. Indeed I am sometimes almost overwhelmed with trouble, and cannot help wishing that I and my wife and family were safe across the Atlantic on a more promising shore; for we see no prospect of being better in our circumstances here. But I would leave all to my Heavenly Father; for I desire to manifest the spirit of a christian in all my troubles, though they are not few, looking for an incorruptible and unfading inheritance in heaven at last. 'Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for His grace; Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face."" THE CHILDREN'S CORNER. The Children's Corner. THE SAVIOUR OF CHILDREN. Jesus Christ shed his blood for them. All children are sinners. They are born in sin, and shapen in inquity. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. Then he died to save children; for he said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." The blessed Saviour would have his little lambs fed, fed not with bread and milk, such as you have for your breakfast, that is not meant, but fed with spiritual food, Grace, Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding; that they may be made wise unto salvation, and be prepared for eternal glory. Jesus Christ loves children, and would have them go to heaven. May'st thou live to know and fear him, Trust and love him all thy days; Then go dwell for ever near him, See his face, and sing his praise. THREE LITTLE GRAVES. As through the grave-yard's lone retreat, I walk'd with slow and cautious feet Three little graves ranged side by side, On death's long dreamless sleep, A mourner came to weep. Her form was bow'd, but not with sears, A prattling boy, some four years old, And from my heart the tale he told 66 Mother, now you must love me more, My other sister died before, And brother too, you said. Mother, what made my sister die? She lov'd me when we play'd, You'd show me where she's laid." And she can hear no sound." "Mother, why can't we take her up, And put her in my bed? And then she won't be dead. In this dark grave to-night, And then her spirit quickly fled To God, by whom 'twas given; But sister lives in heaven." And keep them clean and neat? Can never come to you. Once the good Saviour said, MY BIRTH DAY'S VISIT. THIS 14th day of November is my annual visit unto thee. I have to warn thee, as usual, of the flight of Time, which is fast closing up behind thee; and of Eternity, which is rapidly opening before thee. This is the twenty-eighth warning which I have brought thee; and I again call on thee seriously to consider the value of thy soul, and the importance of its salvation. For if saved thy bliss will be unspeakable. But Oh! if lost-what a loss-tongue cannot describe it! Take thee to-day a review of thy past life. How hast thou spent it? Up to about the tenth year of my visit to thee, thou could'st not discern my designs. I did not, therefore, say much to thee. But since then God hast given thee nearly one thousand Sabbath-days in which to learn the way of life, and discern between good and evil. How hast thou improved them, and how many hast thou wilfully wasted? Oh, it is of the Lord's mercy that thou art not consumed. But I must say that thou hast had some good thoughts towards the Lord God of Israel. In thy nineteenth year thou didst boldly profess the name of Jesus. Secret prayer then was thy soul's delight, the worship of God's house was thy highest happiness-then thou wast the hope of thy pious parents, whose joy it was to see their only child a follower of the meek and lowly Jesus. The prayer-meeting was regularly attended by thee, and many a prayer didst thou offer there for the prosperity of Zion-the public praise of God's house was then conducted by theeand sabbath-school teachers esteemed thee as an ornament of their ranks. So zealous wast thou, and diligent, and successful, that all things prospered in thy hands, and thy modest behaviour gained thee the esteem of thy senicr brethren, so that if one might judge by appearances, thou hadst the good-will of all. But alas! ye did run well, what hath hindered you? Pride crept in-carnal security got hold of thee-secret prayer was neglected the service of God's house became a burthen -other things (innocent amusements they called them) attracted thy attention-jesting, which is not convenient, was indulged -levity trod close in its steps-and vice followed, disguised at first, but open, avowed, and unblushing, at last. Thus by walking in the counsel of the ungodly, and by standing in the way of sinners, thou camest at last to sit in the seat of the scornful. Lewdness and abominations found a nest in thy heart; Oh, the depths of satan-in that heart once given MY BIRTH-DAY VISIT. and publicly to God; in one word, thou wast a son of Belial, and of course wast disowned of the church, amidst the bitter tears of thy aged parents, whose hopes were thus all blighted. For their only child, who once took pleasure in joining their family devotions, returns not until a late hour to the parental roof. They wait, and groan, and weep-and weep, and groan, wait, but he comes not-they listen for his footstep, but he comes not the clock strikes its greatest number, but he comes not-at length he comes-but he avoids a father's virtuous reproach, and a mother's tearful glance—and darts up stairs in the dark, there to hide his shame and sin—but the eye of ONE is on him! I have seen thee since that time lamenting thy folly with such bitter stings of conscience, that they almost drove thee to distraction. But on meeting with some of thy guilty associates, they soon passed away. Thy life was then thy misery. When thou wast alone, the misery of thy mind was almost unbearable; at one time seeking pleasure from dissipation, and at another time gloomy and wretched, thou wast unstable in all thy ways. I saw thee once, while under the upbraidings of thy guilty conscience, low in the dust, as it were, at the feet of Jesus, an humble supplicant for his mercy - groaning because of the hardness of thy heart-longing, if it were possible, to shed one tear for thy sins; and one morning, (dost thou not remember it) while on the road to thy work, thy heart engaged in prayer, wishing to have one view of the Saviour, when, suddenly, there appeared as it were before thee thy much-desired Redeemer, stretched on the bleeding cross. Then was thy heart melted into tenderness, and thy tears flowed forth apace. Then peace-the peace of God, which had long left thee, again returned to bless thy soul. Now thou didst hate the sins which made thy Saviour bleed, and thou wast happy in the love of God. And yet thou wast not perfect. Since then, let me remind thee, that thou hast not been free from sinful thoughts, and sometimes sinful actions, which, though perhaps, little in the sight of men, are all great in the sight of God. For remember that with him every deviation from right is a token of a bad state of heart. Man looketh at the outward appearance, but God looketh at the heart. And now let me, for this is my special message on this visit, let me forewarn thee of the wiles of satan. He has not given thee up He will visit thee again. But he will not ask thee now to do some great sin. He may even come as an angel of light. When he does appear, however, try him by the Word A POETICAL LETTER. -touch him with it, as with Ithuriel's spear, and the monster will start up in all his hideous deformity, and will fain flee away with all speed. And take heed of thy own heart. Temptation will not hurt thee, except there be in thy own heart first a desire for sin. Mind that. And to keep out sinful desires, let thy heart be filled with good thoughts, and thy hands with good works. By the grace of God do more good than thou hast ever done harm. Above all, live nearvery near, to God-trust not in thyself besure thee, but in the grace of Christ alone; love Him, serve Him, delight in Him, and He will bless thee, and then as often as I am permitted to visit thee I shall find thee more and more happy, and more and more ready for thy great change, and then when it comes I shall visit thee no more on earth, but having seen thee safe into that state of being where days and years are unknown, I hope thou wilt remember, as the cycles of a blissful eternity revolve, the faithful admonitions of THY BIRTHDAY. A POETICAL LETTER, Written by Mr. JOHN RYLAND, sen., Baptist Minister of Northampton, to Mr. WILLIAM CHRISTIAN, of Sheepshead, Leicestershire; a few days after the return of the former from the Association of Ministers and Churches, in 1764. MY DEAR BROTHER CHRISTIAN--whom much I esteem, As you, when we parted, desired that I Would write very soon, I now would comply. If my verse be but awkward, my friendship is true, To my friend, Mr. Guy, I have briefly sent word, By the power of God's Spirit, five persons reveal'd, |