Children come into the world ignorant and uninformed. The principles and rudiments of religion must be gradually implanted in them, as they grow up to a capacity of receiving them. And to whom does it so naturally belong to implant these seeds, as to you, under whose care and authority God has placed them? You can best address yourselves to their capacities; you have the most frequent opportunities to converse with them; and their affection for you and confidence in you will give your instructions a peculiar advantage. Therefore God has given it in solemn charge, "that you diligently teach them his laws, and talk of them, when you sit in your houses, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you arise."

This work must be begun early, before their minds are warped by corrupt opinions, and hardened by vicious habits. "Whom shall you teach knowledge, and make to understand doctrine ?-Them who are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breast."

You must gently lead them along from the more plain and easy to the more difficult and sublime truths of religion." There must be here a little, and there a little." Plunge them not at once into deep mysteries, nor load them too fast with a multitude of precepts, lest they be discouraged. Our Saviour spake the word to the people in parables, as they were able to hear it. He taught the truth to his disciples gradually, as they could bear to receive it. He was careful not to put new wine into old bottles, lest the bottles should burst, and the wine be lost.

Think not that this attention is due to your children only in their first years; continue it as long as they are under your care. "Precept must be upon precept,and line upon line," that they may hear the word of the Lord.

2. Content not yourselves with giving your children good instructions; but endeavor, by arguments, ex

hortations and reproofs, to form their lives according to your instructions.

If you

Carefully watch their temper and manners. discover in them a vicious propensity, check and restrain it, before it is grown into a habit. Let not parental fondness make you blind to the faults which appear in them, or deaf to all complaints made against them. But to avoid this partiality, you must not run into extreme severities, or unreasonable jealousies.

Ever carry a steady hand, and maintain a temperate discipline.

You may have occasion to use your parental authority; but see that you use it with prudence, moderation and dignity. Give your children tokens of approbation or dislike, as they do well, or ill. But take not severe notice of trivial mistakes and accidental slips; this would discourage them. Neither connive at great and dangerous faults; this would tend to harden them.

Solomon says, "The rod and reproof give wisdom." Hasty reproofs and passionate corrections should be avoided. These bring government into contempt. But then, to avoid rigor, you must not wholly let go the reins of government: A child left to himself, brings himself to ruin and his parents to shame. "David displeased not his son Adonijah, at any time, saying, why hast thou done so ?" But the good king had cause to repent of his indulgence, when he saw this son attempt to usurp the kingdom. Small faults, indeed, had better be overlooked entirely, than reproved and punished with sharpness and severity. But where a fault is great in itself, often repeated, or obstinately persisted in, there lenity and connivance become criminal.

Eli, the priest and judge of Israel, used a very unbecoming moderation, when he thus rebuked the scandalous behaviour of his sons; Why do ye such things? I hear of your evil dealing by all the people;

nay, my sons, for it is no good report that I hear of you; you make the Lord's people to transgress.” God therefore declares, “I will judge the house of Eli for ever, for the iniquity which he knoweth, because his sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not."

Let your discipline be cool and dispassionate, that it may appear to proceed from tender concern, not from wrath and revenge.

Frequent threatenings you must forbear. These weaken authority far more than they deter from in, iquity.

Choose the fittest seasons of addressing your children. The Lord's day, an awakening providence, a family affliction and the deaths of young persons, may be improved to give weight and energy to your counsels.

3. Regulate the diversions of your children.

They are not to be excluded from all amusements. Too severe restraints would discourage them. But then be careful, that their recreations are innocent in their nature; that they are well timed; and that they are used with moderation. Thus they may contribute to health, cheerfulness, urbanity and benevolence. Diversions of the opposite description injure the body, corrupt the mind, and vitiate the manners.

Guard your children against the snares of evil company. Restrain them from all intimate society with the profane, the lewd, the intemperate and the scoffers at religion." He who walketh with wise men, will be wise; but a companion of fools will be destroyed."

66 Blessed is he who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful; but he delighteth in the law of the Lord, and therein doth meditate day and night."

4. Maintain the worship of God in your houses. This is a mean of religion: And religion can never flourish where the means of it are neglected.

The young members of your family will form their sentiments in a great measure from your practice. If you neglect prayer to God, they will easily cast off the fear of him. If they entertain an idea that you are indifferent to religion, your serious exhortations and reproofs will be unfelt and disregarded. Abraham, who commanded his children after him, preserved a sacred intercourse with God. Wherever he pitched his tent, there he erected an altar. It was the resolution of Joshua, that as for him and his house, they would serve the Lord. The Apostle exhorts Christians to pray always with all prayer." If there are any reasons to worship God at all, there are reasons for family worship. Whoever denies his obligation to this, will naturally discard all forms of devotion. God therefore ranks among the Heathens such families as call not on his name. Every Christian family should be a church, as the Apostle intimates, when he salutes masters of families, and the churches in their respective houses.

Let your domestic worship be maintained steadily, without unnecessary omissions, and performed solemnly, without any appearance of levity. Let it not, however, be protracted to a tedious length, lest it weary the attention and excite a disgust in tender minds; but let it be prudently adapted to the circumstances of the several members of your household, that it may tend to edification, not to discouragement.

5. Let your conversation be exemplary.

It was David's resolution, "I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way; I will walk within my house with a perfect heart; I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes." Happy if you can appeal to your children in the language of the Apostle to the Thessalonians, "Ye are witnesses, how holily, justly and unblameably we have behaved ourselves among you." And to the Philippians, "those things which ye have learned and received, and heard and seen in me, do, and the God of peace will be with you."

Without example, your instructions and reproofs will be languid and inefficacious. They will be heard with inattention, and treated with neglect.

6. Train up your children to diligence in some honest business.

This is not only necessary to their support and usefulness in life, but important in a religious view. Idleness is the bane and ruin of the young. It begets an indolence and deadness to every thing great, manly and virtuous, and invites every temptation and vice. "The devil, says one, "tempts the active and vigorous into his service, knowing what proper instruments they are to do his drudgery; but the slothful and idle, no body having hired them and set them on work, lie in his way; he stumbles over them, as he goes about. They offer themselves to his service, and, having nothing to do, they even tempt the devil to tempt them, and take them in his way."

Be not, however, rigorous in your exactions; bind not on them heavy burdens, lest they be discouraged; but be reasonable in your requirements, allow them proper relaxations, and give them time, and furnish them with means, for the culture of their minds, and for their improvement in useful knowledge.

Finally Commend your children to God, and to the word of his grace, who is able to bless them, and make them blessings in this world, and to prepare them for, and bring them to an inheritance among them who are sanctified.

Remember, that there is a special promise annexed to the command, which enjoins the reciprocal duties between children and their parents. If you bring them up in the ways of God, and they under your prudent care and influence walk therein, it will be well with them; and in their prosperity you will have a reward. The scripture contains many promises of divine concurrence with parental government, and of the divine blessing on filial obedience. If you wish to see