preachings, Sabbath-schools, or teaching others, whilst his wife is left to struggle with her family alone, unable either to get to a place of worship herself, or to see that her children attend one. If the Apostle, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has said, in reference to temporal things, "If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel;" (1 Tim. v. 8;) can we suppose, that he who spends his Sabbath from home, so as, on that day especially, to neglect the eternal concerns of his family, can be doing his duty any where else, or that he is clear from the blood of his own children? I make not this remark to damp the zeal of those benevolent persons who devote a portion of their Sabbath hours in labouring to promote, in different ways, the benefit of their fellow-creatures; but as a caution, that they may weigh well their own domestic calls and responsibilities. And let heads of families recollect that their first call is to their own household; let them not shrink from those duties, for the performance of which, both nature, and God's written law, render them, and only them, responsible; which they have no authority to transfer to another, and which it is at the peril of their souls to neglect: nor, in their plans for doing good, lose sight of what will be effected by the beautiful example of a well-trained and well-instructed family, or of the evils that arise from the neglect of family training.

Very bad effects, it is to be feared, too frequently arise from the misguided zeal of him who, spending his Sabbath abroad, throws an unequal share of the mutual burden on his partner. The mind of the wife naturally gets soured at, what appears to her, the neglect of her husband. Her piety, if ever she possessed any, declines; her courage sinks, depressed by a burden, unalleviated by the mutual aid of him whose it is in common with herself; whilst at the same time she pines, cut off from those refreshing streams found in the public services of the sanctuary, which might revive her graces, and save her from a total departure from God. Is this for a "man to love his wife, even as Christ loved the church?" Ought not the soul of your wife to be as dear to you as your own? And can you fulfil the promise made before the altar of God, in the solemn service when of twain you became one flesh, unless you consider her case as your own, and, by taking your proper share of domestic duties, aid her in working out her salvation? Nor is the effect less manifest in the children; for, too frequently the dispirited mother gives up the hopeless struggle, and, throwing the reins on the necks of her children, leaves them to pursue the bent of their passions and inclinations. A fact, some time ago, came within my own knowledge. A pious man, father of a family, who had obtained some degree of distinction in his official character, was unhappily in the habit of spending his Sabbaths from home. His children were left in the care of his wife, a weak but well-meaning woman, who had no proper control over them. On his return, however, he would

call them to account, and punish them severely for their misconduct. But what was the issue? His sons had become drunkards; and their children had sunk into the depths of depravity. It might, perhaps, be too much to say absolutely that the father's absence from his family on the Sabbath-day was the cause of the ruin of his children; yet still such a fact furnishes a subject for the serious consideration of parents.

II. The end proposed in the text is, to "train up a child in the way he should go." The figure is taken from the culture of trees. As the skilful gardener trains the young shoot, and fixes it in the direction which he wishes it to take, so children are to be trained, directed, and established, in the way they should go, by the pains, skill, and labour of their parents. The moral and religious character is to be formed; and the training should have reference both to time and eternity. Children have to act their part in this life, and require to be trained so as to become good and useful members of civil society; to practise all moral virtues of justice, truth, uprightness, benevolence, and charity, and to fulfil all relative duties towards their superiors, inferiors, and equals. But they are also immortal beings, and destined to an eternal state; so should they be trained up in the knowledge, fear, and love of God, in the practice of religious duties, and in a constant course of preparation for heaven. The conversion of the soul to God is absolutely necessary to form the character of a Christian; nor can there be any moral virtue that has not true religion for its basis. And it is the coming down of the Holy Spirit into the believer's heart that creates him anew, and brings forth in him the fruit of the Spirit,— "love," to both God and man; "peace," both inward and outward; "joy, long-suffering, gentleness, faith, meekness, and temperance." Parents, it is true, cannot at their pleasure command the Holy Spirit to descend upon their offspring; but in the use of the means that God himself has appointed, they are justified in expecting his gracious assistance to second their endeavours, and render them effectual. For, in the order of God, means and their end are connected; and if the former be used, the latter will not fail to follow in course.

III. The principal means to be employed for accomplishing this end may be classed under four heads :-1. A proper use of your authority and influence. 2. Setting before them a good example. 3. Religious instruction and training; and, 4. Lastly, prayer.

1. A proper use of your authority and influence. Young children, through ignorance, are incapable of choosing for themselves, and directing their own conduct. Your knowledge is to be their guide, your judgment and decision their law; and, that you may rule them in all things, it is necessary that you should establish over them an absolute authority and control. When a parent has fully established his authority, and his child shows neither wish nor intention to disobey,

great allowances should be made for such seeming irregularities as will arise from the natural thoughtlessness, buoyancy of spirits, or playfulness of childhood, as well as for their antipathies and preferences. And though it will be the duty of a parent to correct every irregularity, and give, as far as possible, a proper direction to every feeling, yet nothing but the manifest act of disobedience can merit severe reproof or punishment.

In the use of your authority and influence, great skill and prudence are necessary. The young mind is tender, and may be crushed by being handled too roughly, as well as left to run to ruin by neglect. The natural temper of your child should be carefully studied, and taken into account in every act of discipline that you may exercise; for the method to be pursued with one kind of disposition would utterly fail with another. Times, seasons, and concurring circumstances should not be overlooked: what at one time would be pleasant for your child to do, at another would be exceedingly irksome; and what under favourable circumstances would make a deep impression, under other circumstances will produce no effect at all. By skill and management you may often secure cheerful obedience, when an inconsiderate enforcement of your authority would raise up such resistance as could be subdued only by much suffering to your child, and pain to yourself. Affection and tenderness should temper the use of your authority; nor should you ever use your power needlessly, to cross the inclination and will of your child. If what you command him to do be painful to his feelings, endeavour to convince him of its necessity, and show him that you would not have required it of him had it not been so. Try to make it appear to your children, that you wish them to enjoy all the gratification that you can afford them, consistently with their good. Be ready to give them all due encouragement when they endeavour to please you; and do not be too difficult to please, as this would discourage their efforts. When punishment is necessary, let it be administered with tenderness; and proportioned to the fault, not a heavy punishment for a small offence, or the reverse, and not continued longer than is necessary to secure amendment. A hasty and inconsiderate severity, whether in the enforcement of your commands, or in the infliction of punishment, will irritate and harden rather than soften and subdue. Corporal punishment should be the strange work under parental government, and never called into exercise except as a last resort, and then to be used with great prudence, moderation, and prayer. Great firmness will often be required. The natural heart is unwilling to acknowledge any authority except its own; and sooner or later there must be an understanding between you and your child, whether his will or yours must sway. The 'conflict may perhaps be severe; but the victory once fairly decided for you, will, in all probability, prevent the pain of a second great conflict. The movements of the heart must, however, be carefully observed, and every symptom of rebellion judiciously crushed. Never

should the hand of a parent seem to waver, or give up its power. There should also be uniform perseverance in the plans which you adopt: not to caress at one time for what you frown at another; nor at one time to be lax and indulgent in your discipline, and at another harsh and severe. Your child will never be able to understand such want of consistency, will feel himself at a loss how to act, and either grow careless or get dispirited. A correct knowledge of the end at which you should aim, and of the means to be employed for its attainment, is necessary. If you know not at what you should aim, you cannot proceed with certainty: but supposing your knowledge of the end to be correct, yet if you have not also a competent knowledge of the means by which you may reach it, your efforts, however well intended, will prove fruitless. With the best intentions you may fail for want of skill. To knowledge must be added entire self-control. He who cannot govern himself is ill qualified to govern others. There will frequently arise acts of disobedience, that carry with them such an air of obstinacy, or contempt of parental authority, as will, if you are not on your guard, be apt to irritate and provoke you: but the impulse of rising passion should be carefully checked; nor should your feelings ever be allowed to carry you beyond the dictates of a calm, sober, and well-informed judgment. Parental authority, like that of God himself, is to be employed for the prevention or cure of evil, and the promotion of good; and the pious parent will always study not to abuse his power, but to use it so as best to secure the end for which it is given him, with the least possible pain to his children, and the greatest amount of happiness.

If parents, however, can but succeed in establishing, towards themselves, an affectionate confidence from their children, this will give them such a control as will generally answer all the purposes of domestic government, without resorting to the stern mandate of naked authority. When your children feel, not only that your authority is absolute, and must be obeyed, but that it is their interest and happiness to obey you; that you are wise and good in all you require; and are continually planning and seeking to promote their welfare; when they turn to you immediately and instinctively on every occasion as to their first, dearest, and greatest earthly friend, opening to you their hearts, and telling you all their little wants and wishes, joys and sorrows, under the most confident persuasion that you will take an interest in them all, that you will rejoice in their joys, grieve for their sorrows, redress what is wrong, and minister to their pleasures; they are then laid entirely under your power. This affectionate confidence in you unlocks the heart, lays open to your inspection all its secret movements, and invests you with almost irresistible power to control the rising thought,

"To teach the young idea how to shoot,

And fix the gen'rous purpose in the glowing breast."

Besides, it will cut up deceit by its roots, and prevent the almost uni-
versal sin of children, lying; for where no interest is felt in concealing
the truth, there can be no temptation to do so; the child's will blends
with that of the parent, and obedience becomes that of love and of
choice. But to secure this kind of confidence from children, parents
must, in a certain degree, become children themselves. Children inhabit
a little world of their own, where little minds are kept in continual
occupation by little things; and, to gain the ascendancy over them, you
must descend into this little world, see with your children's
eyes, hear
with their ears, sympathize with them in all their pains and pleasures,
and take a share in the interest excited by their sports, pastimes, and
amusements. Such condescension as this, with a view to meet children
on their own ground, may appear utterly beneath the dignity of parental
authority, and the grave pursuits of manhood; but, no! it is at once
both godlike and angelic. The Redeemer stooped down to our low
estate to save us; and angels are our ministering spirits, and have
charge of us. Nor is there any improbability that these higher intelli-
gences see as much weakness and folly in the pursuits of the most
distinguished men on earth, as we fancy we do in the infantile
occupations and amusements of children. Thus sung one of our
poets:

"Superior beings, when of late they saw
A mortal man explain all nature's law,
Admired such wisdom in a human shape,
And show'd our Newton as we show an ape,"-

an animal of superior intelligence.

You may not have patience to suspend, what you think, your higher and more important engagements, to take an interest in some boyish exploit, to consult with your child on the colour of his toy, or to sympathize with him in some little mishap that may have befallen his favourite scheme; and yet these things, in his eyes, are as important to him, as your graver occupations appear to be to you: and if you would have him for your companion, secure his friendship, and gain the dominion over his heart, it is on this ground you must meet him; and in such like things manifest a mutual sympathy with him. The end attained will give the character to the means employed to secure it, and show your apparent childlike folly to be true wisdom. you, however, pursue an opposite course; and, bearing yourself far above your children, not deign to notice their infantile engagements, wants, or wishes; treat all their applications to you on these subjects as interruptions and annoyances, and disregard alike those little things which may minister to their pleasures or pains; what will be the effect? You will wound their feelings, produce an estrangement between them and you; you will send them to seek for society among those of congenial views and feelings with their own; and thus lose the

Should