the bad. And that they may love as well as fear him, they should be often told, that his unseen hand bestows all their comforts, protects, and feeds, and clothes them, and that he gave his son to die for them. These are great, but very simple truths. Children can receive them among the first ideas of reflection; and their tender minds will not fail to be greatly affected by them. If impressions of this kind can be made on their minds, it will then be easy to show their duty to such a Benefactor. "Is he so great a Being, the parent may say, and does he continually look upon you and observe you? how careful then should you be to fear and honor him. Do you receive from him every thing which you enjoy? Then every day you should thank him for his mercies. Do you depend upon him for every thing you hope in this world or the next? Ask and you shall receive; for he giveth liberally and upbraideth not.— Pray to God, and he will grant you all the reasonable desires of your hearts. Pray to him, and if he should not make you so rich as some, he will make you good and happy, which is more than riches can do." In simple conversations of this kind with little children, the principles of piety, with the divine blessing, may be early instilled, and habits of devotion early fixed. The thoughts and expressions can scarcely be too simple. Milk is for babes. And while they are taught the duty of private devotion, they should have a daily example of it in the family, and be taught to attend constantly upon public worship, and to keep their minds intently engaged in every part of it. If children be thus in fluenced to piety and devotion by precept and example, there is every probability, with the blessing of God, that, being thus trained in the way in which they should go, when they are old they will not depart from it. Thus have I endeavored to excite a solicitude in parents to inculcate upon children, and to form in them the dispositions and habits of modesty, of pure and sincere speech, of diligence, of compassion and pity, of piety and devotion. And the scriptures give the greatest encouragement to hope, that if these be wrought into the minds and tempers of children, they will grow with their growth, and strengthen with their strength through life; and not only so, but will naturally branch out into all the christian graces and virtues. The possibility of a failure should not damp, but increase the ardor of the anxious parent. In closing this discourse, let me say to parents, that there is no subject on which I could address them, which more deeply concerns the interests of religion and society, than that of the moral and religious education of their children. The dearest interests of their children in both worlds are involved in it. The neglect of this duty, on their part, almost ensures their children to become vicious and miserable. I would hope there are none, who neglect this duty altogether. I fear there are few, who render to it the attention its unspeakable importance demands. Shall I not say, that this education of your children, by your personal attention, is not to be considered as a work for leisure time, that it should not be deferred for a day. It must not give place to any other business, for nothing is so important. To this greatest and noblest work, then, let me exhort parents to devote themselves. You are willing to compass sea and land to provide a subsistence and inheritance for them, and this zeal for them is amiable but those things are perishable. A far greater service will you do them, by inculcating, with ceaseless solicitude and care, the dispositions and habits mentioned in this discourse. If you succeed, these will be to them an imperishable inheritance, and the joy of your hearts while you live. There is no greater joy than to see children walking in the truth. The task before you is plain, but cannot be discharged without patient exertion. The object is great, and is worth all your care. Instruct them in familiar dialogues; teach them the principles, and form them to the practice of the gospel. If you feel unequal to do this in language of your own, helps are at hand for you. Impressing on the minds of your children these truths and duties, you will revive and deepen the same on your own. Let me entreat every parent of my charge, to engage with zeal in this great duty. And particularly at this time, when the sabbath school will afford you its important aid. Two things parents can do of the utmost importance to their children; to see that they attend the sabbath school; and at home to see that they carefully and correctly commit to memory their sacred lessons. For several seasons, great has been the success of this interesting school, therefore, great is the benefit of it. This benefit let not one child, or youth fail to enjoy, nor one parent withhold his personal attention to secure it to his children. * * * * * * * If parents are not wanting in resolution to send their children, and in care to assist them at home, we may indulge the hope to see, through the blessing of God, the rising generation enlightened, virtuous, and pious. And let me add, that parents may the more confidently hope that this will be the case, if to their care and instruction they add the influence of a spotless example. Without this, indeed, other means will have but little effect. "For even children, as a wise observer of human nature remarks, have so much sense and sagacity as to understand, that actions are more real than words, and a more certain indication of what a man doth truly and inwardly believe. With what reason, continues he, canst thou expect that thy children should follow thy good instructions, when thou thyself givest them an ill example. Thou dost but, as it were, beckon with thy head and show them the way to heaven by thy good counsel; but thou takest them by the hand and leadest them in the way to ruin by thy example. You weaken the authority of your commands, and lose all reverence and obedience by contradicting your own precepts." But I must hasten abruptly to a conclusion of this important subject. May God in infinite mercy grant to every parent grace, wisdom, and patience to do his duty to his children, and the happiest fruits of having done it, in seeing them walking according to the truth. Amen. SERMON XI. TO THE AGED. PSALM, xcii. 14. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age. In these words, the psalmist is speaking of the righteous. In the preceding verses, he describes their flourishing condition, and its cause. "The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those, that be planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of our God." It is added in the text-"They shall still bring forth fruit in old age." They, who are such constant visitants in the sanctuary, as to be almost said to be planted there, shall derive from the spiritual nourishment, there received, such vigor as to be fruitful in the most unpropitious season of life. Such is the current meaning of the text. My object, in selecting the passage at this time, is to notice some of those precious fruits, which should charac |