will be so caught or so imitated by the child, as to administer to the gratification of his evil passions.— Is the parent energetic? Let him guard against his child's adopting his energy as an engine of pride or ambition. Is he jocose? His playful humour may be imitated by the child, for the purpose of putting aside serious thought or vigorous application; or of indulging in ridicule or satire; or of practising tricks not consistent with simplicity and sincerity of character, and employed probably for selfish purposes. Nay, unless care be taken, piety itself in a parent, that child of Heaven, may lead to fanaticism, or cant, or hypocrisy in a child. Certain tones and gestures, which (though, as I think, to be avoided) are in the parent the accompaniment of true communion with his Maker, often become quite pitiable or disgusting in the child, not being connected with those deep devotional feelings which can alone make them tolerable; or, if so connected, being utterly unsuited to his age.

This subject might be pursued farther; but enough has been said to excite the reflections of well-meaning parents; and those reflections will naturally point to the particular circumstances of each individual, and be far more useful than any thing I could add. No one can doubt the deep responsibility of every parent to make a good use of his power over the dispositions and affections of his offspring. And since, in exercising that power, nothing will be so operative as his own example, how earnest should he be, that the light which shines in him may be the true

light of the Gospel, purified as much as may be from every thing that may obscure or defile it! And also how earnest should he be to join to such an example a sagacious watchfulness, and even a holy jealousy, to prevent his child from misunderstanding it, or the principles and motives from which it springs; and to prevent a perverse or deceptious use being made of it!

4*

CHAP. III.

General Observations-Parents to guard against their Faults in the Presence of their Children-Children not to be made Playthings-The Child's Good, and not the Parent's Ease, to be the Object-The Heart to be had in View rather than the outward Act-Guard against a Child's Artifices-Study Consistency of System-Intercourse with your Children-Freedom of conversation-Study of Character-Personal Exertion in Ed

I

ucation.

SHALL proceed to offer to parents some general recommendations, which may guard them against evils not uncommon in families, and may shorten my remarks on many of the details of education in subsequent parts of this essay.

1. Let a parent be particularly on his guard against his faults and weaknesses when in the bosom of his family.

The cir

The reverse is not seldom the case. cumspection and restraint practised abroad, are often greatly relaxed at home. Here liberties and self-indulgences are thought more allowable; wrong tempers are not instantly repressed in the bosom, and are suffered to deform the countenance, and also sometimes to break out in unchristian tones, expressions, and conduct. We must all have observed this in others; and few of us, I conceive, are unconscious of having been sometimes taken by sur

prise on the entrance of a friend, and of having felt that it was necessary to recal both the mind and the face to greater serenity and benignity, in order to receive him properly. Now, can we seriously think, that a heart and a countenance unfit for our friend, was fit for our children, who surrounded us before his arrival? Can we estimate the mischief which such moral deformity, placed before their eyes in the person of their father, may produce? Some one says, that no man is a hero before his valet-dechambre. I will not stop to inquire what is becoming in a hero; but a Christian certainly ought, if possible, to be more a Christian before his family, where his influence is greatest, and the effects of his example the most important, than in any other situation. Juvenal has said, "Maxima debetur pueris reverentia ;"* though his view of education was only to prepare youth for an upright and able discharge of their common duties in this life, with little regard to God or eternity. How deep then ought his max. im to sink into the heart of a Christian, whose views are so much higher, and who is to educate beings called to perform all their duties as those who now sit in heavenly places, and are kings and priests unto God!

2. Never make mere playthings of your children. Many fathers treat their little ones as if nothing was to be sought in their society but mutual amusement. All is good humour when they are together;

*The most circumspect deportment should be maintained in the presence of children.

and therefore all is supposed to be right, though there be little besides folly and self-indulgence on one side, and improper liberties, caprice, self-will, or artifice, on the other. In short, there seems to be a sort of conspiracy between the parties to indulge the natural man. The child is often even taught to be indec orous, and mischievous, and saucy, for the amusement of its parent. What excuse can be made for such a scene? The poor child is greatly to be pitied: but really the parent, if we were to look no further, would appear to be a sort of monster, devoid of prin ciple, of feeling, and of common sense. Follow him, however, to his serious occupations, and you may find him a useful and respectable man. What a shame, that he is insensible to the high destiny and unspeakable value of the little creature whom he is spoiling, for the sake of half an hour's foolish trifling! What would he say of any one who threw about his gold repeater as if it were a ball, or sported with his wife's jewels as if they were marbles? And yet his own folly is infinitely greater. The creatures whom he is placing in such danger for his sport, are infinitely more precious than gold, which perisheth; and pearls. and diamonds are worthless compared with them. One would think that mere selfishness might restrain such absurdity even in a man who did not extend his view beyond this world. The time may come,

when the evil fostered in the child will be a scourge to the parent, and when his sufferings will excite the less compassion in others, from their recollection that these scenes of egregious folly had undermined