Our old ministers used to lay this vow on all
fathers and mothers at the time of baptism, that they were to pray both
with and for their children. Now, that is a fine formula; it is a most
comprehensive, and, indeed, exhaustive formula. Both with and for. And
especially with. With, at such and such times, on such and such
occasions, and in such and such places. At those times, say, when your
boy has told a lie, or struck his little brother, or stolen something, or
destroyed something. To pray with him at such times, and to pray with
him properly, and, if you feel able to do it, and are led to do it, to
tell him something after the prayer about yourself, and your own not-yet-
forgotten boyhood, and your father; it makes a fine time to mix talk and
prayer together in that way. Charity is not easily provoked, but the
longer she lives and keeps the table in the House Beautiful the more she
is provoked to think that there is far too little prayer among pilgrims;
far too little of all kinds of prayer, but especially prayer with and for
their children. But hard as it was to tell all the truth at that moment
about Christian's past walk in his house at home, yet he was able with
the simple truth to say that he had indeed prayed both with and for his
children, and that, as they knew and could not but remember, not seldom.
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