bodies will have crumbled away in the tomb; the possessions, which they have inherited, will have shrunk into the narrow inclosure of a coffin. And is there nothing more? Surely, I see them existing anew in another state, whither they have carried, from this world, the character of their souls. And

what is this, and whence came it? It bears your stamp ; it proclaims your care, or your neglect; and, in their destination, you may read something of your

own.

Fathers, says the apostle in my text, bring up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. This, surely, can be interpreted as nothing less, than a precept for the religious education of those, who are committed to your care. It shall be my present object, then, with God's blessing, to offer you some considerations on this interesting subject; to show you, how you may previously secure the greatest weight to your lessons; to guard you against some of the most common faults in this branch of education; and to point out some of the most suitable topics and modes of instruction. These are the three divisions of our subject.

I. 1. If, then, parents, you would train your children up to be religious beings, and give the greatest weight to your instructions, the first preliminary undoubtedly is, that they should have the highest respect for your characters, entire confidence in your knowledge, and an affectionate sense of your regard for their everlasting good. To any species of education this is an important preliminary; but, to a christian education, it is indispensable. This early deference to the character of the parent, it is, perhaps, the more necessary to inculcate, as the progress of manners and opinions, for many years past, has tended much to reduce it. If you would preserve in the minds of your offspring this permanent confidence and respect, they must early be sensible of a

control, easy and equable, impartial and systematic. You must not fluctuate in your rules, or counteract them by your example. Your commands must appear the result of affection; and, especially, your instructions must be supported and enforced by a consistent conduct. For what is more idle, than to talk seriously to your children, when you are not serious yourselves; or to recommend to their regard the interests of eternity, when they see you exclusively solicitous for their present gratification?

2. A second preliminary to the religious education of children, and without which it will be impossible, I fear, to train them up successfully to christianity, is, that, from their earliest years, they should receive a deep impression of its importance. In order to this, they should see, that christianity is a subject, which lies near your hearts; that you mention not the name of God or of our Saviour without respect; that you cannot easily tolerate in your presence the levity, which treats the gospel with indifference, or the impiety, which treats it with contempt. They must see, that you repair with delight to the assembly of God's worshippers, and hear you often acknowledging, in their presence, the obligation and the pleasure of devotion. But, nothing, nothing, which I can recommend, will tend so effectually to generate this early sentiment of reverence, as the performance of family devotion, to which your children should be admitted, as soon as they are old enough not to interrupt it. This will place them, even in infancy, exposed to the most favourable impressions, and the kindest influences of grace. Religion will make a part of their notion of life, and of their course of conduct: christianity will seem to them, from the first, as a necessary circumstance in the character.

3. A third preliminary to the religious instruction of your children, of not less importance to give your lessons their due weight, is this, that they should

clearly see, that it is your religion, which is the source of all that they respect in your character, and is the spring of the tranquillity and happiness of your life. This latter circumstance is especially important; for, if your religion does not make you happy, you cannot expect, that your mere lessons should be favourably received. Let them see, then, ye fond parents, that it is here you derive your purest pleasures, and your surest consolations. If they discover, that religion appears to be an interruption to your ordinary course of life; that it comes in only at stated times, to chill all your animation, and congeal the flow of your enjoyment, how can it ever be recommended to their gay and pleasurable spirits? It will appear to them as nothing better, than a severe pedagogue, coming, with its tasks, its rods, and its rules, to interrupt the festivities of life. Let them see, then, I say, that your re1 ligion is the source of complacent and amiable dispositions. When you talk to them of God, let your countenance light up; let them see, that you take pleasure in referring all your enjoyments to his bounty, and that you feel inexpressible consolation in commending them to his care. Let them discover, that you have a perpetual confidence in his protection; and, if ever you find yourselves with them in circumstances of anxiety and impending danger, they should be impressed with the conviction, that your tranquillity results from a consciousness of his presence, under whose overshadowing wing they and you are defended.

4. Lastly, all these advantages will be of little value, unless you begin with them, as soon as they are susceptible of instruction. As I have repeatedly touched upon this subject before, I will say little, now, on the necessity of early education. But, if any thing should be taught soon, it is surely that which ought never to be forgotten. The cup will be tinctured with the liquor which it first receives. The

earliest age is that, which imbibes the most copiously, and retains the longest. If, then, you would succeed in training them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, begin before the heart is hardened by prejudices, or polluted with vice. If you intend them to be christians, let them know it, as soon as they can understand the idea of a God; let them know, as soon as the intellect expands, that there are some truths, eternal and immutable, which are never to desert them; truths, which time has sanctioned, genius embraced, learning illustrated, piety cherished, and the world reverenced, in every age. The first light, which strikes them, should be the light of heaven. The mind will be pre-occupied, if you are a moment idle. The mind of the child cannot be shut up, till you are ready to furnish it. No! strange prejudices, and curious and unaccountable opinions will gain an early ascendancy in the neglected understanding of your children; and, though it is hard to make them learn, you will find it still harder to make them forget what they should not have received.

II. I proceed, now, agreeably to our plan, to point out some of the most common mistakes on this subject of the religious education of the young.

1. The first is, an opinion, which too easily prevails, that the habits only of your children are to be regarded, and that, in time, principles will follow of course; that, if they only learn to behave well, it is of little importance to trouble their weak heads with reasons, or to furnish them with a stronger argument, than the example, or the command of their parents. But who does not know, that habits, unsupported by principles, are, even in the maturest mind, the most precarious and insecure of our possessions? As soon as you change your child's company, if you have left him without instruction, you change his character. Send him from his father's house, and you send him, innocent, indeed, but naked and unshielded, into the

midst of enemies in ambush, and weapons flying in mid air. An amiable temper, unfortified by principles, and good habits, strong only because they have not been tried, is the richest and the easiest prey of the polluting harpies of profligate society. A child may uniformly speak the truth, because it has been your maxim in its education, that it should never be exposed to the temptation of a lie; but how much more secure is the honesty of that child, who has been taught, that there is a God in heaven, who, afar off, discerns even an equivocation, and a world to come, where all falsehood will be disclosed. Indeed, parents, to be careful of forming your children to correct habits and fair demeanour, without implanting early principles of piety, is nothing better, than raising the walls of a citadel, which you intend to leave ungarrisoned, uncommanded.

2. A second mistake on the subject of education is, that, because many of the subjects of religion are beyond the capacity of children, to instruct them in christianity is only to load their memories with words, and, by the irksomeness of such a lesson, to give rise to an antipathy, which, in after life, may extend to every thing which wears the complexion of seriousness. But, even if it should be granted, that the primary truths of religion were not completely intelligible to the youthful capacity, it ought not to be therefore inferred, that tuition is vain. In many branches of human learning we acknowledge it enough, that the memory is stored with rules, the reasons of which remain to be explained; with facts, the application of which lies beyond the present reach of their capacities; and with words, which shall only facilitate the future progress of the understanding and be used in the future operations of the intellect. Of this kind is the far greater part of the studies, which employ the first years of children. Indeed, if every kind of instruction were deferred, till its nature and use could