coffers, and unsheathed his sword in defence of American liberty;
and when he visited us again, triumphal arches were reared in me-
mory of his kindness, and the grateful shouts of thousands rung
upon his ears. And when beyond Jordan, you meet with those
who cheered you in this vale of tears, and held you up amidst the
perils of your pilgrimage, will you not greet them? Has not
Elijah, think you, had, ere this, a joyful interview with that angel,
who fed him under the juniper tree, that he might not die? O breth-
ren, if we are Christians indeed, we know not the glories which
await us.

"Oh angels, I want to be there,
Where sorrow and sin bid adieu,
Your joy and your friendship to share,
To wonder and worship with you."

Finally. Let the impenitent know, that it is a fearful thing to live in a world like this. Great things are going on. This earth is a theatre. on which important business is transacting. Mighty, eternal concerns, are depending here. The God of creation has been upon this earth, in the habiliments of a man, and died, that man might live. The Holy Spirit is abroad, making men willing to be saved. Good angels are abroad, taking care of the heirs of salvation, and guiding them to their home to the skies. And devils are abroad, to darken foolish hearts, obstruct the work of the gracious spirit, and lure souls to death. It is a fearful thing to be in such a place as this. It may seem a trifling thing to live, and in the hurry and bustle of life, you may forget where you are. But know, my friends, it is a fearful thing to live; know that this is a state of probation; know that devils would destroy you, and angels rejoice over your repentanee; and know also, that "the things of your peace will soon be hidden from your eyes."

O that you would feel these things, that the angels now around us, might bear the glad tidings on high. Gladly would they do it. Gladly would those who announced the Saviour's birth to the Shepherds, ministered to him in the wilderness, sustained him in the garden, and rolled away the stone from his sepulchre; gladly would they shout. "this, our brother, was dead, and is alive again, was lost, and is found."

Sinner-dying sinner, shall they sing that song over you? O, how much better the melody of that song, than the sneers and taunts of devils, and the wailings of the pit!

"When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that in thee also."

2. Tim. i. 5.

THE Apostle here expresses confidence in the personal faith or holiness of Timothy ; and by affirming that two of his nearest relations had been also sincere believers, intimates that there was a connexion between his faith and theirs; or that theirs was in some way causative or instrumental of his :-an intimation which accords with experience. What of true religion has existed among men, has, with little exception, been found among the descendants of the faithful. And this is only what might be reasonably expected from the nature of holiness, and of the parental relation, and from the ordinances, declarations and promises of God.

The connexion, however, between parental and filial religion, is very far from being invariable. Some religious parents have unbelieving and profligate children; others have large families, with scarcely one religious child; and an extended family circle, with no irreligious member is uncommon. That religion has increased among men, shows that family religion has been advancing; but had the children of pious parents been invariably pious, the Church long since would have had possession of the world.

Why is it that the connexion in this case is broken; that the un-feigned faith which dwells in parents, has too often no lodgment in the hearts of their offspring?

It is very true, and may be very appropriately said, at this place, that piety does not descend like depravity from parents to children, by a principle of nature, or a divine constitution, or any fixed law, positive or natural. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, whether

the progenitors be spiritual persons or not. It is written of the saints, the sons of God, that they were by nature, the children of wrath, even as others; and that their difference from others, is referrible to a birth, which was not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. In confirmation of which all the instances of irreligious offspring from holy ancestors, may be justly adduced.-It is, therefore, not the mere consideration of piety in parents, that should lead us to look for piety in their children. Parents generally transmit, in some measure, their physical peculiarities, and so lay a foundation in their children, for natural excellence or degeneracy, for refined and elevated, or for comparatively low constitutional propensities. But holiness is always the immediate product of the renewing and sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit. The only child ever born into this world, who did not need to be born again, was the Holy Child Jesus, and the fact that no moral pollution was contracted in his unparalleled generation, is thus explained by the angel to his virgin mother. The Holy Gost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God.

This important fact, however, does not suffice as an answer to our question, unless it be true,-Either that renewing grace is withheld in some instances by the arbitrary will of God; or that in some instances this grace is inadequate; or that in some instances parents cannot, or finally, that they do not, through voluntary negligence avail themselves of its proffered aid.

The first is not true. No design, arrangement, agency, or decree of God, can be assigned as responsible for the fact, that pious parents have unholy children. God has declared himself averse to it, has made provisions against it, and has appointed means for its prevention. And it cannot be, that he has a secret purpose, adverse to the efficiency of his own appointments. This sufficiently shows that it cannot be accounted for simply by resolving it into the will of God.

The second is not true; namely, that the Divine provisions against native depravity, are sometimes in themselves, inadequate. It is manifest, that all children are not alike in respect to the disadvantages of the original guilt. Some from the beginning have unhappy physical peculiarities. Some seem naturally inclined, others disinclined to piety. But it surely cannot be that God gives us children, of such constitutional qualities, that even in defiance of his grace, they must perish. However favorable to piety may be early indications in some children, they will not become true saints without the grace of God: and however unfavorable may be these indications in other children, Divine grace surely

can sanctify them. Parental piety should neither presume in the one case, nor despair in the other. In both cases the course of wisdom and of duty is the utmost diligence in waiting on God for his blessing.

The third, we must think, is not true; that is, that though God's grace be adequate, there are cases in which parents, to whom the advantages of this grace are offered, cannot, in any way, avail themselves thereof in behalf of their children. We must reject this supposition, because it impeaches God of tantalism in his overtures of grace. For such tantalism there palpably is, if there be in fact the alleged impracticability.

It remains, therefore, that the evil be referred to parental delinquency. We are reduced to this conclusion, apparently by the force of irresistible demonstration. We see not how it can be evaded. Parental delinquency breaks the connexion between parental and filial piety, or solves the melancholy and painful fact, that holy parents have unbelieving and irreligious children.

The importance of this conclusion, however, in its practical relations, depends on what is meant by parental delinquency. It will deprive it of all power, to understand by it a mere coming short of perfection in the business of education. Since, if perfection were the condition of the Divine favor, all men would feel compliance impracticable, and would thus be hindered by despair from seriously attempting it. If this were what is meant, to make out, that the irreligion of children is owing to delinquency on the part of parents, were to do what in practical application would amount to nothing.

But perfection, under the economy of grace, is not the condition of the promises-a condition which never was, never will be, and metaphysical precision apart, never can be fulfilled: and nothing were more reproachful to the Divine mercy than to conceive of it as refusing its blessing to all endeavors on our part, which are in any respect or degree defective. The delinquency in question, therefore, must be one not from simple perfection, but from a practicable faithfulness-a faithfulness to which parents by the grace of God can attain. The truth then, before us, in demonstrative evidence, is, that the children of the pious become in too many instances irreligious and die in unbelief, not from the arbitrary will of God, nor from inadequacy in his provisions against such a consequence, nor from incompetency in parents to avail themselves of these gracious provisions, but from avoidable and criminal default on the part of parents; these epithets being applied in no technical sense, but as they are freely used in common conversation.

This is a proposition, confirmed by all we can know of God, from both reason and revelation; and also by the Divine economy to

ward mankind. It is a recorded fact, that before God would suffer the human race to commence its generations under the power of the Fall, he introduced his remedial system; and it is impossible for us to doubt, that if mankind had availed themselves of the advantages of that system, as they might, and ought to have done, the disastrous influence of the apostasy would have been counteracted and the race recovered. A different belief from this is inconsistent with all just conceptions of the Deity, as a being of pure benevolence.

We will now proceed with our main design in this discussion, namely, to remark in some particulars on such mistakes or defaults in educating children, as we have already generally characterised as avoidable and inexcusable. We enter on a wide field, but we shall limit our views to such things as we deem of the highest concern, and most to our edification, and these we shall reduce to a few distinct heads.

I. Doubtless one of the chief causes of inefficiency in conducting this great business, is, mistake, or at least indefiniteness of conception, as to its just purpose, or object. That object, ultimately, is to prepare our children for the sublime end of their creation-to glorify God, and enjoy him forever in heaven. But as the way to heaven lies through the earth-as man's eternity takes its stamp from the manner in which he fulfils his part on the present stage of existence-the object to be directly pursued is preparation for action here-aptitude and furniture for meeting the calls, exigencies, and conflicts of this life.

Is it not to be feared that this idea of the design of Christian education has been too often absent, or at least so vaguely and feebly received, as to have little practical influence? The future existence of children which, generally, alas, is disregarded in their education, seems, in some instances, to have so filled the minds of parents in their religious care for them, that their present existence could hardly have place as a legitimate object of that kind of care. The two states of beings have been rather regarded as antagonistic to each other, than as what they truly are in effect, one and the same state. Education of course, so far as religion has to do with it, has, exclusively, respected in some sort, eternity, not time; nay, it has been so managed as to give disqualification for all just intercourse with time and its affairs. The natural consequence is, that the children either become visionary recluses, or what is much more common, the victims of worldly temptation and corruption.

Not only should the education be conducted with this life in thought, definitely and distinctly, but discrimination should be made between the different parts of life; and that particular part