MR. ALCOTT. Can you not refrain from these elaborate pictures? I prefer to have the thoughts which the reading suggests.

EDWARD J. I saw Joseph and Mary carry the pigeons and lay them on the altar; and the priest took a knife and killed them, and offered them. Simeon had Jesus, and was sitting down praying; and Anna the prophetess was praying.

MR. ALCOTT. Did you like to hear the reading? EDWARD J. I like to hear every thing in the Bible. WILLIAM B. I thought of Mary going into the temple, with one hand up to her eyes, and her baby in the other. She was thinking what her child was going to be, and how she should educate it, and Joseph was thinking the same things, and the Priest was thinking what great things the child was going to do.

ALEXANDER. I only had a picture.

MR. ALCOTT. We will omit it.

WELLES. I had thoughts, but I cannot express them, about the priests in the pulpit, and the offering of the doves.

(Several had pictures also, and were omitted.) FREDERIC. William B. expressed all my thoughts. EDWARD B. I cannot separate my thoughts from the picture.

MR. ALCOTT. If you think there are thoughts mingled with your picture, you may give it.

EDWARD B. The temple was four times as large as this room, and the altar was about a quarter as large. The priest had a large knife, and cut the child a little; but Jesus did not cry as other children would have done, because God gave him power to bear it. There was nobody in the temple but the parents, and Simeon and Anna. Simeon said he could now lay his head down in peace, because Jesus had come. He knew he had come to the spirits of men,

while other people thought he was to come to drive out the Romans

a great warrior and conqueror.

Was he not a conqueror ?

MR. ALCOTT.

Self-Control. EDWARD B. Only over spiritual enemies.

MR. ALCOTT. What spiritual enemies?
EDWARD B. Revenge, and anger, and –

MR. ALCOTT. Impatience?

EDWARD B. Impatience is not a sin.

MR. ALCOTT. Who else think Impatience is not a sin?

(Almost all held up hands.) (See Note 110.) But is not Impatience the beginning of arger?

(They agreed and said it was wrong, except Charles.) CHARLES. I am only impatient because other people are, and I do not think impatience is a sin. 111.)

(See Note

(Some personal conversation followed.) LEMUEL. God did not give us so much patience as he did Jesus Christ.

MR. ALCOTT. Did Jesus do any thing to get it?
LEMUEL. He had it at first.

MR. ALCOTT.

LEMUEL. Yes.

Did he do any thing to keep it?

MR. ALCOTT. Do you do any thing to keep yours? LEMUEL. No, not much. (See Note 112.)

Self-Sacrifice.

LUCIA. I thought when Jesus was coming to the temple, he was borne by his parents, who seemed to be like servants to him. When they carried him into the temple, Simeon spread out his arms and took him, and blessed God, and Jesus, and the parents. So did Anna. There was a large altar, and wood burning on it; and the two pigeons were just dead, and put upon the fire. And the priest took a long sharp knife, and cut the child a little, but he did not cry.

MR. ALCOTT. You seem to think that Jesus began to teach patience at eight days old, by not crying when he was hurt? What is meant by the cutting?

CHARLES. It showed that it was of small consequence, whether the body was hurt or not.

EDWARD B. It was to distinguish the Jews from other nations; but it was very, very cruel, I think.

Emblems.

MR. ALCOTT. Was there any spiritual meaning in it ?

SOME. It was to teach patience. (See Note 113.) MR. ALCOTT. What were the doves offered for? SEVERAL. An emblem of the child's innocence.

SOME. An emblem of the mother's love.

Inspiration.

MR. ALCOTT. Simeon was told by the Holy
Ghost, that this was the Saviour.

the Holy Ghost ever tell you any thing?
(A few raised hands.)

Spiritual
Triumph.

(See note 114.)

Does

MR. ALCOTT. What is meant by "the falling and rising of many in Israel"?

WELLES. It means the falling and rising of spirits in goodness.

MR. ALCOTT. It means perhaps the lowering of the proud, and the raising of the humble. What is meant by saying, that "the thoughts of many hearts should be revealed "?

ONE. Holiness should be brought out of hearts by the sight of Jesus' sufferings. (See Note 115.)

Temperance.

ANOTHER. Did Anna fast all the time ?— never eat any thing?

MR. ALCOTT. Fasting, in the Bible, often

means, very temperate living.

CHARLES. I think Anna was rather superstitious, fasting in the temple all the time.

RECORDER. There were many servants in the temple, as you will find by reading Moses' laws. They lived

there, and were supported by the sacrifices brought, for the things were not entirely destroyed upon the altar.

Self-Renewal.

MR. ALCOTT. She spoke to those who looked for "the redemption." What is

spiritual redemption?

ONE. Relief from the load of sin.

MR. ALCOTT. Self-renewal by temperance and ho

liness.

Spiritual
Growth.

MR. ALCOTT. What is meant by "waxing

strong in spirit”?

SEVERAL. Having

holiness.

Having knowledge, wisdom,

MR. ALCOTT. What is the grace of God?

SEVERAL. Blessing. Favor of God.

(Mr. Alcott here read a paraphrase, and referred to the subject of the next conversation.*)

The reader will bear in mind, that in every conversation, much more was always said, than could be preserved for the record. In this and several of the preceding conversations, but fragments are given. And it may be difficult in some instances to perceive the connexion of the remarks of the children with the general subject of the reading for the day; the intermediate links often being lost, and the subject but imperfectly discussed. These omissions are, however, supplied in part in the Appendix. ED.

CONVERSATION XII.

ADORATION OF SPIRIT BY HALLOWED GENIUS.

INFANT HOLINESS.

Reverence

Review. Adoration of the Wise Men, from the Sacred Text. of Childhood. Type of the Star. - Star of Holiness.— Dreams, prophetic and retributive. - Vision of Eliphaz. - Treachery. tronomy. - Phrenology. Sovereignty of Holiness. Joy at Birth.ration of Infant Holiness. Maternal Love. - Childhood a Type of Holi

ness.

Review.

Astrology. As- Ado

MR. ALCOTT. What do you remember of our last conversation?

Several answered, and recalled among them the principal points of the conversation, especially their thinking that Jesus did not cry when he was circumcised, and that impatience was a sin.

Mr. Alcott then read

Before the Vulgar Æra, 5. Julian period, 4709.

Bethlehem.

Jerusalem.

THE ADORATION OF THE WISE MEN.

Reverence of

Childhood.

MATT. ii. 1– 12.

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4 And when he had gathered all the Chief Priests and Scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

5 And they said unto him, in Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet.