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ercising and developing the physical strength of their body and limbs, which must be nourished by wholesome food; they also need a certain quantity of assistance in the cultivation of their intellectual faculties, and examples of morality and virtue in those with whom they associate; accompained by instruction how they are to seek for true wisdom at the throne of grace, and in "the fountain of truth." A child who grows to maturity, without the protecting influence of those, his natural leaves, can no more be expected to have arrived at the degree of perfection, which the Almighty intended, when he endowed him at his birth, with a healthfully constituted body, and a brain which had no indications of idiotcy, than the gooseberry, whose leaves have been devoured by a caterpillar.

The fruit of a man is also frequently used in the sacred writings to express his good or bad actions. St. Paul in writing to the church at Galatia after enumerating a series of sins and crimes, which he calls, "works of the flesh," thus continues, "of the, which I tell you, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." As a tree cannot be expected to produce fruit, until it has arrived at a certain age, so a man's actions cannot be judged of, until he is old enough to act independently: in fact, until he is a full grown man. "old heads cannot be expected on young shoulders, "therefore, for the first twenty-one years of a man's life, he requires a degree of controul and guidance to keep him in the right path, which he ought not to require after that period to in

*Galatians v. 21, 22, 23.

fluence his actions. If his moral sentiments, reasoning faculties, and veneration have been well developed, in the course of his training or education, he ought to be a good man at the age of twenty-one; and ought not to require the laws of any earthly government to influence him. If placed in any position of strong temptation, he ought to be a law unto himself, and whatever way he may wish to occupy his hands or his head, he ought not to take a pleasure in doing any thing that would interfere with the commandment, "love thy neighbour as thyself."

But of course the fruit, in this case also, cannot be expected to be good, if deprived of its natural leaves. We would think that a gardener tried a very ridiculous experiment if he were to strip a vine of all its beautiful foliage, and to tie over its stem, a parcel of cabbage leaves. Yet, how frequently do parents in the old world resemble such a gardener. Let us suppose a case. The Earl and Countess of Lovesport have four children, (one at a time of course.) The Countess does not like any occupation which would interfere with her attending the opera regularly, as she is devotedly fond of music; and she never likes to refuse an invitation to a ball, as she is passionately fond of dancing. She has also a very large circle of acquaintance, who expect her to make morning calls frequently, and she likes to take a ride in the park occasionally. So as she has plenty of money, she hires nurses successively for her four infants, as soon as they are born. She still continues to enjoy "the pomps and vanities of the wicked world," as her children are growing older, and she has a great dislike to the noise of children; but as her town house and country house are both large, she has appropriated a spacious nursery and school-room in each, for "training up her

children in the way they should go," and she pays liberal salaries to the best nursery governesses and school-room governesses that she can procure; spares no expense on toys, books, music, &c., and expects her children will grow up perfect models of what the human race ought to be, in this enlightened age. All goes on quietly, until Miss Noland informs her ladyship one fine day, that the Honourable Mr. George Lovesport (the son and heir) now ten years old, is become so unruly that she can no longer manage him; that he is only spoiling the other children, and that he ought to be sent to school. He is forthwith sent to Eton, from thence to Oxford; and as his father is wealthy, several hundred pounds are expended on his education until he has arrived at the age of twenty-one, when he is a finished gentleman, and is able to enjoy horse-racing, hunting, shooting, billiard-playing, &c.; and is only anxious for his father's death that he may enjoy the earldom. The second son of this noble family is sent to a military college, in order that he may learn the most scientific method of breaking the sixth commandment, "Thou shalt do no murder."

He afterwards gets a commission in a hussar regiment, and is killed in a duel.

Lady Grace, and Lady Julia, the daughters of the countess, have had a great deal of money spent on their education, know several languages, and are as good musicians, as a woman of their mother's exquisite taste could wish them to be; but Lady Grace caught cold at a ball-room window, and died of consumption; and Lady Julia ran away with a cornet in her brother's regiment, which caused much affliction to all her family. Such are the fruits of this cabbage-leaf system of training, of which I have seen such frequent examples, that what I

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have stated, can hardly be called a fiction. Let us now enquire what are the occupations in which the servants of the Lord may be engaged, consistently with the precept, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." *

Thus we learn that the a fit occupation for one He was also commanded

When Adam was placed in Eden, his occupation was merely to dress and keep a garden; therefore as he was formed in the image of God, and as God appointed him this as his chief occupation, there was no danger of his defacing the image of God, by spending as much of his time in this pursuit, as was necessary for his individual sustenance, and that of his wife and children, until his sons were old enough to learn from him, how to contribute to their own support by assisting him in his labours. He was also given an exercise for his intellectual faculties, by finding out names for the different creatures of the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms which he was made king over. study of the book of nature is of the kings of the creation. to rest every seventh day from the labours of his garden, in order that he might have time to worship his Creator, and to reflect on his wonderful works. This was his priestly occupation. Solomon is given us as an example of a wise king, and we find, by referring to the inspired volume, how he obtained his wisdom: In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said, thou hast showed unto David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And now, O Lord

* Matthew v. 48.

my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father; and I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or to come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad; for who is able to judge this, thy so great a people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself a long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; behold I have done according to thy words; lo I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour; so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. And Solomon awoke; and behold it was a dream.” *

We find in the next chapter how the prayer was granted, and the promise fulfilled. "And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the seashore. And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that

* 1 Kings, iii. 5—15.

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