promises of His word with double power, when your prayers ascend not
merely for yourself, but for another immortal being whom he has so
intimately associated with you. You are accustomed daily to seek from
Him holy influences; you pray that you may grow in grace and knowledge,
and be kept from the evil that is in the world, and from dishonoring
your Savior. Can you not offer these same petitions as a mother, and beg
all these blessings in behalf of your child, who is to take character
from you? Can you not consecrate yourself in a peculiarly solemn manner
to the Lord, and viewing the thousand influences which may affect you,
pray to be kept from all which would be adverse to the best good of the
precious soul to be intrusted to you, and believe by all you know of
your Heavenly Father and of his plan of grace, that you will be accepted
and your petitions answered? And then can you not _act_ upon that faith?
Desiring your child to be a man of prayer, will you not, during the
years in which you are acting directly on him, give yourself much to
prayer? Hoping that he may not be slothful, but an active and diligent
servant of his Lord, will you not give your earnest soul and busy hands
to the work which you find to do? Wishing him to be gentle and lovely,
will you not strive to clothe yourself with meekness? In short, will you
not cultivate every characteristic that is desirable for the devoted
Christian, in order that, at least, your child may enter on life with
every possible advantage which you can give him? And since a sane mind,
and rightly-moving heart, are greatly dependent on a sound body, will
you not study to be yourself, by temperance and moderation, and
self-denial and activity, in the most perfect health which you can by
any effort gain?

Who does not believe that if all Christian mothers would thus believe
and act, most blessed results would be secured? The subject appeals to
fathers also, and equal responsibility rests upon them.