fore the Lord. He chose rather to have his family poor, than to have them proud and vicious.Hardships which might ferve to keep them mindful of their fituation here, he judged advantageous: Therefore the charge he left with them.

PIOUS parents do not generally leave fuch things in charge to their children. They do not, however, neglect the concerns of religion, or leave their families ignorant of them, or their obligation to regard them. They teach them to fear the Lord, and live in all good confcience before him.

II. IN the hiftorical sketch here given of the Rechabites, we fee how good people of old, were influenced by parental authority-how they confidered themselves bound to remember and obey the injunctions of religious ancestors, as they wished the bleffing of God. Where such injunctions are difregarded it is an evidence of great depravity.

SAD inftances of this kind we sometimes witness

in this degenerate age. We sometimes fee godly parents, who had labored before in vain to render their children truely religious, fpend their laft hours in urging them not to receive the grace of God in vain-fee them with deep concern, and with their dying breath,' charging them to mind the things of religion, and not rest until they have found the Savior. Though at first some impresfion feems to be made, it often foon wears off, and the warnings and counfels of those who loved them as their own fouls, are forgotten and neglected !

COULD these things be foreseen, sense of duty would only extort fuch admonitions from a pious parent, at the folemn period of his departure; for like a neglected gofpel, they are "a favor of death unto death," to those who hear them!

BUT this is not always the cafe. No means have a more direct and powerful tendency to awak. en the secure, and excite the attention of the carelefs, than the dying concern and counsel of the faints. Perhaps no other means are oftener blessed to this end. This leads us to observe,

III. THAT the part we act here may have confequences, long after we fhall have gone off the ftage. This venerable Kenite left a folemn charge to his posterity; but who could foresee the effect? There was little reason to expect that his defcendants would regard it, and be advantaged by it for centuries; yet it seems to have been the cafe! His counfels, ftrengthened by his example, made an indelible impreffion, and were means of diftinguishing his family for many generations!

THIS fhould encourage others to follow his example-to charge their children to "keep the way of the Lord, and walk in his ordinances and commandments blameless." Who knows that his pofterity may not imitate thofe of this man of God? And for as long a term? Who can determine that his good example, and counfels may not do good on earth, when his body fhall be mouldering in the grave, and his foul rejoicing in the presence of his God,"

On the other hand, there is more than equal reason to expect that a parent's bad example will be no less extensively influential to mischief. Many are feduced to their ruin by the contagion of evil example; nor is any other more perni ciously prevalent than that of a parent, or progen

itor.

Be it then the concern of all who fear the Lord to charge their children to fear him, and to fet them the example of " ftanding before the Lord." So to do, is to fow the feeds of virtue and piety. A harveft may follow, even after expectation hath failed. If no other advantage accrues, the faithful will deliver his own foul; he may be the occafion of delivering others; of "converting finners from the error of their ways; faving fouls from death, and hiding multitudes of fins."*

IV. THE honorable mention made of the Rechabites, and the bleffings promised them, should influence children to liften to the pious counsels of their parents, and attend the duties which they confider important, and charge them to attend, efpecially at the close of life.

THAT the godly when on the verge of eternity, are divinely influenced to warn their friends, and predict the good or evil before them, was an opinion which prevailed among the ancients. Therefore the facred attention paid to their dying words, and fcrupulous regard of their dying counfels. Whether we admit, or reject the fentiment, the

* James v. 19, 20.

counfels which are given at fuch seasons are seri. ous, folemn, and the effect of love unfeigned. Those to whom they are given commonly view matters in the fame light, and confider them as interesting realities, when they come to be them. felves in fimilar circumftances.

HAVE Our pious ancestors left ought in charge to us? It concerns us to confider their counsels and injunctions; and unless we have clear and ftrong reasons forbidding, we are bound to obey them.

CHILDREN are usually safe in following the laft counfels of their parents. Few who fuftain that endearing relation, are devoid of concern for the honor and happiness of their offspring. However they may have themselves conducted, while in the pursuit of worldly objects, or under the influence of appetite or paffion, when they come to ftand on the brink of another world, the fascinating charms of this, lose their power-the infinite difference between time and eternity appears; and the true value of objects is seen and estimated. Then the counsel which is given is that of wisdom-it points to duty-to peace and honor-to joy and glory.

IT is further obfervable that rich promifes are made in fcripture to those who honor and obey their parents, and dreadful curfes denounced against those who despise and disobey them. "Honor thy father and thy mother, that it may be well with thee and that thou mayeff live long upon the earth. This is the first commandment with promife. The eye that mocketh at his father, and de

fpifeth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley fhall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it." These scriptures are not of private interpretation.

V. WHERE the bleffing of heaven hath long rested on a family, and religion been prevalent in it for many generations, the right way becomes comparatively easy. Those born there, grow up in the fear of God, and are early taught to know and ferve him. But how aggravated the guilt of those who under fuch circumftances forfake the way of the Lord-cut of the entail of mercy and entail a curfe on their pofterity-fhut up the king. dom of heaven against their own offspring; neither going in themselves, nor suffering those who are entering to go in?

LOST to the fear of God, fuch hardened finners may cry peace, but there is no peace to them! It concerns them to look to themselves, for evil is before them! A defcent from pious ancestors will not turn away the wrath of God, from those who harden themselves in fin. No-It increaseth their guilt and will increase their condemnation. The Jews flattered themselves "because they had Abraham to their father; but many came from the eaft and from the weft and fet down with Abraham in the kingdom of God, and the children of the kingdom were caft out"-Yea, having filled up the measure of their fins, wrath came upon them, to the uttermoft, in this world; and in that to come, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha than for them.