le.

The father, Mr. Blair, had been greatly tried during his stay at the
hotel where his wife was sick. There was only one church in the village.
The administration of the Lord's Supper occurring while he was there, he
went to avail himself of a stranger's privilege at the table of Christ.
He found, however, that the ordinance was not to be administered till
the afternoon, and, moreover, the hymn-book, and some things in the
sermon, disclosed to him that the church was one which closed its doors
against communicants who had not been baptized by immersion, on
profession of their faith.

He was strongly inclined to partake of the ordinance, without saying
anything respecting his baptism. But, on the whole, he concluded that it
would be respectful to intimate his situation to one of the church,
peradventure they had a rule favorable to such a case as his, or, at
least, had agreed to shut their eyes, and ask no questions, in such
circumstances.

He, therefore, introduced himself to a venerable man, who, he inferred,
was a deacon. He frankly told him who he was, and that he wished to
partake of the Lord's Supper.

The good man said to him, "I am sorry that you said anything about it;
but, so long as you have, I don't see how I can consistently encourage
your partaking of the ordinance."

_Stranger._ On what ground, sir?

_Deacon._ Why, we do not hold you to have been baptized.

_Stranger._ I was baptized in infancy, by believing parents, and have
been a professing Christian fifteen years.

_Deacon._ That is not believers' baptism, as we view it. The Lord's
Supper, in our communion, is for baptized persons only. We hold to no
baptism but by immersion.

_Stranger._ I certainly would not intrude, and I will not ask you to act
inconsistently with your principles. But I am a wayfaring man. I have
not had the opportunity to partake of the Lord's Supper for several
months. The life and health of my wife have been remarkably preserved in
this village. Here is the birthplace of my first-born, a place never to
be forgotten by us. I wish to make a Bethel of it. I wish to come to my
Saviour's table with my thanksgivings, and pay him my vows, which my
lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble. I
rejoiced when I heard that this was your sacramental Sabbath.

_Deacon._ Your church would not admit an unbaptized person to the Lord's
table, however much he might plead for admission.

_Stranger._ O, my d