This is one of the few moral subjects, concerning which all men are agreed. The writers of all ages and of all countries, have taught us with a single voice, that to the common eye of mankind, no object is more amiable, or more delightful, than a dutiful and virtuous child. This charming object commends itself, at first view, to the natural feelings, the judgment, and the conscience,, of all men. It commends itself at once, without deliberation, and without doubt. It has commended itself to persons of every character, in every age, and in every country. It is esteemed: it is loved. The affection which it excites, and the reputation, which it produces, are sincere, solid, and permanent. Nothing more certainly generates esteem: nothing more uniformly creates friends. It is a kind of glory, surrounding the child, wherever he goes, seen, felt, and acknowledged, by all men, and conferring a distinction, otherwise unattainable. All persons presage well of such a child and he is expected, of course, to fill every station, to which his talents are suited, with propriety, and honour.

An undutiful child, on the contrary, brands his own character with odiousness and infamy. No person secs him, or thinks of him, without pain and disgust. No parent is willing, that his own children should become his companions. The vilest persons regard him with contempt and abhorrence; the best, with pity and indignation. A parent, on his death-bed, hardly knows how to ask a blessing for him: and those, who survive, are still more unable to believe it will descend upon his head.

2. Considerate children will find another powerful reason for filial duty in the Pleasure, which it gives their parents.

Nothing, which takes place in human life, creates a higher, more genuine, or more unmingled, pleasure in the minds of parents, than the pious and dutiful conduct of their children. It is indeed impossible, that a child should form adequate conceptions of the delight, which such conduct awakens in the parental heart. Experience only can completely teach the nature of this emotion. Still, children cannot but know, that their parents in this manner find exquisite enjoyment; nor can they be ignorant, that to produce it is one of their own chief blessings, as well as one of their indispensable duties. Filial Piety is a continual feast; an ample reward for every parental care, toil, watching, anxiety, and prayer. It sweetens all the bitterness of human life; and adds an exquisite relish to every comfort. The burdens of life it makes light and easy; and is the most supporting stay, on this side of heaven, to the weary steps of declining age.

An undutiful child, on the other hand, is a broken reed, on which, if a man lean, it shall thrust through his hand, and pierce him. A foolish son is a heaviness alike to his father and his mother; a spot on their character; a trial of their patience; a blast upon their hopes; a nuisance to their family; and a thorn in their hearts.

3. The demands of Gratitude present a combination of such reasons to every such child, for the same conduct.

Parental love is unrivalled by any affection of the human breast in its strength, its tenderness, its patience, its permanency, and its cheerful self-denial. The labours which it undergoes, and the willingness with which it undergoes them, are unexampled in the concerns of man. No other affection toils with the same readiness and patience, or voluntarily encounters the same watchings, cares, pains, and anxieties. None prompts so many prayers: none awakens so many tears. Most of human life, after we arrive at adult age, is spent in providing for the wants, alleviating the sufferings, removing the diseases, furnishing the education, guarding the conduct, securing the safety, accomplishing the settlement, and promoting the salvation, of children. More is done by parents, and daily done, than children can ever realize, until they are called to do the same things for their own offspring. All, at the same time, are efforts of tenderness merely. These efforts are almost without number; this tenderness almost without degree. What child, who remembers that he is indebted to his parents for his being, and under God for almost every blessing which he enjoys, for almost all that he is, and almost all that he has, can fail to feel, and to acknowledge, that the utmost, which he can do in the proper course of filial piety, is an imperfect requital for such affections, and such blessings, as these? That there are such beings I am reluctantly compelled to confess. Children they ought not to be called. They are unworthy of the name. They are monstrous productions, out of the course of nature; and, like all such productions, fill the mind only with loathing and horror. Let such children remember, that they are objects of still more abhorrence to God, than to men. Let them remember, that this great and awful Being, who has styled himself the Father of mankind, and who has imaged his own tenderness for his creatures by that of a father to his children, will, at the final day, vindicate the parental rights in a terrible manner by inflicting the severest punishment on undutiful children.

4. The great Advantages of filial piety present strong reasons for the practice of it to children of every character.

Of the text St. Paul observes, when enjoining the duties of it upon the children of the Ephesian Christians, that it is the first Commandment with promise. Accordingly, he urges their obedience to it upon the very ground of this promise, that their days also might be long upon the land, which the Lord their God had giv en them. This promise, therefore, to such an extent, that an Apostle thought proper to urge it upon the Ephesian Christians, extends to the Gentiles. The promises to the Jews, in most instances, announced temporal blessings only. Those, which are made to Christians, chiefly convey spiritual blessings. But that, which is contained in the text, conveys temporal blessings also. In con

versing with the plain people of this country, distinguished for their good sense, and careful observation of facts, I have found them, to a great extent, firmly persuaded of the verification of this promise in our own days; and ready to produce a variety of proofs from cases, in which they have seen the blessing realized. Their opinion on this subject is mine; and with their experience my own has coincided.

Indeed, no small measure of prosperity seems ordinarily interwoven with a course of filial piety. The comfort which it insures to parents, the harmony which it produces in the family, the peace which it yields to the conscience, are all essential ingredients of happiness. To these it adds the approbation of every beholder, the possession of a fair and lasting reputation; the confidence, and good-will of every worthy man; and, of consequence, an opportunity of easily gaining those useful employments, which worthy men have to give. Beyond this, it naturally associates with itself that temperance, moderation, and sobriety, which furnish a solid foundation for health and long life. In my own apprehension, however, these are not all its blessings. I do not believe, that miracles are wrought for its reward. Neither will I say, that purer gales breathe, to preserve its health; nor that softer suns arise, or more timely rains descend, to mature its harvests; nor that more propitious winds blow, to waft its ships home in safety. But I will say, that on the tide of providence multiplied blessings are borne into its possession, at seasons when they are unexpected, in ways unforeseen, and by means unprovided by its own forecast, which are often of high importance; which altogether, constitute a rich proportion of prosperity; and which, usually, are not found by persons of the contrary character.

At the same time, those, who act well as children, almost of course act well as men and women; and thus have taken, without design, the cion of happiness from the parental stock, and grafted it upon other stems, which bear fruit abundantly to themselves. Here, in the language of Dr. Watts,

"It revives, and bears

A train of blessings for their heirs."

It is also never to be forgotten, that filial piety, if derived from an evangelical source, is entitled to the peculiar favour of God in the present world, and to the everlasting blessings of the world

to come.

5. The Declarations of God concerning this important subject, furnish reasons at once alluring and awful, for the exercise of filial piety.

The text is an illustrious example of this nature, of the most persuasive kind. Deut xxi. 18, gives us a terrible one concerning the stubborn and rebellious son. The eye, says Agur, that VOL. III.

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moeketh at his father, and refuseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

One of the most interesting accounts of this subject to be found in the Scriptures, as it has struck my mind, is exhibited in the 35th Chapter of Jeremiah. Jonadab, the son of Rechab, commanded his children, and their posterity, neither to drink wine, nor to build houses, nor to sow seed, nor to plant vineyards, but to dwell in tents from generation to generation. The Rechabites obeyed his voice; and, at the time of Jeremiah, had, for three hundred years, lived in the manner which their Ancestor enjoined. As a reward of their filial obedience, the Prophet Jeremiah was sent unto the Rechabites with this remarkable message. Thus saith JEHOVAH of hosts, the God of Israel; because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab, your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according to all that he hath commanded you; therefore thus saith JEHOVAH of hosts, the God of Israel, Jonadab the son of Rechab, shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.

6. The Example of Christ is a reason, of the highest import, to compel the exercise of filial piety.

This wonderful person, notwithstanding his great and glorious character, and sublime destination, was the fairest specimen of obedience to parents, ever seen in the present world. Let children remember, that, if they have not the Spirit of Christ, they are none of his. He was subject to his parents, as a child of their family, until he was thirty years of age; and forgot not, when he hung on the cross, to provide an effectual support and protection for his Mother. Let all children remember, when they are weary of labouring for their parents, that Christ laboured for his; when they are impatient of their commands, that Christ cheerfully obeyed; when they are reluctant to provide for their parents, that Christ forgot himself, and provided for his mother, amid the agonies of crucifixion. The affectionate language of this Divine example to every child is, Go thou, and do likewise.

SERMON CXI.

FIFTH COMMANDMENT.-DUTY OF PARENTS.

PROVERBS xxii. 6.-Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it.

IN the preceding discourse, I gave a brief account of the Duties of Children. I shall now proceed to consider the Duties of Parents. This, also, I must consider in a very summary manner, notwithstanding the copiousness, and importance, of the subject.

In this passage of Scripture, parents are directed to train up their children in the way in which they should go: and, to encourage them to this duty, a promise is given, that their children, if trained in this way, will not depart from it. The word, train, originally denotes to draw along by a regular and steady course of exertions; and is, hence, very naturally used to signify drawing from one action to another by persuasions, promises and other efforts, continually repeated. In a loose and general sense, therefore, it may easily include all the duties of Parents to their children.

The way in which a child should go, is undoubtedly the way, in which it is best for him to go, with respect both to his temporal and eternal well-being.

These duties are customarily, and justly, distributed under three heads:

The Maintenance;

The Education; and,

The Settlement; of Children.

The Maintenance of Children must unquestionably be such, as the circumstances of the parents will admit, consistently with the dictates of prudence; and such as will secure comfort to their children. Their food and raiment, their employments and gratifications, ought to be all such, as to promote their health. They are carefully to be nursed in sickness, and guarded from danger. Their enjoyments of every kind ought invariably to be innocent; reasonable in their number and degree; evident testimonies of parental wisdom, as well as of parental affection; such as shall prevent them from suffering unnecessary mortification; and such as shall not flatter pride, foster avarice, or encourage sloth or sensuality. They ought also to be such, as to place them upon the same level with the children of other discreet parents in similar circumstances.

The education of children involves their Instruction, and Govern

ment.

The Instruction of children includes,