Then

the grass, as willows by the water-courses." soon, "one shall say, I am the Lord's ; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob, and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.”

So may God grant, through Jesus Christ, the great shepherd, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

SERMON X.

MORAL EDUCATION OF CHILDREN.

PROVERBS iv. 1, 2.

Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

There is scarcely any subject, on which a minister can address his people of more eventful importance, than that of the moral and religious education of the young; and this is the reason why I address you more frequently on this topic, than any other.Those of us, who have children, need to have our minds frequently incited to the important duty we owe to them. The most diligent and faithful parent too often relaxes his watchfulness, and slumbers over his task; and while he sleeps, the enemy comes and sows tares in his field. The exhortation in the text is addressed to children-Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.But the obligation of children, presupposes the advan

tage of careful instruction. The exhortation to children, therefore, implies the duty of parents.

For several years I have preached on the subject of、 religious education, just as we were about to open the Sabbath School, that great and important means of improving the young, which all over the christian world is producing such happy results. The success of the Sabbath School depends mainly on the co-operation of parents. It is not, therefore, a substitute for parental instruction, but an auxiliary; it is not to relax their exertions, but to aid and encourage them, that it has been instituted and sustained. In two important rerespects let parents afford their co-operation with the. Sabbath School, this day to be opened-First, in securing the attendance of their children-and, secondly, in explaining to them the practical end of all their sabbath lessons; that they are not words merely to be engraven on the memory, but instructions in what they must believe and do, in order to be happy. If parents will, to the best of their ability, do this, great will be their reward.

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But I pass to the particular object of this discourse; which is, to suggest a few important things, which should be kept constantly in the mind of the parent, in conducting his children from early childhood, to that time of life in which they must be resigned to the conduct of themselves; a period of life perhaps the most important of all, as then the dispositions of the mind take their direction and bias, and the habits fix their I shall not pretend to mention in one discourse,

root.

everything which is important; but urge the careful inculcation, in childhood and youth, of the following few dispositions and habits, as tending, with the blessing of God, to the moral perfection of character. I mean the disposition and habits of modesty, of purity, and sincerity of speech-diligence, compassion, and pity-piety and devotion.

Let us consider the vast importance of each. And 1. Of modesty. This is a disposition thought to be natural to children; and that parents have little more to do, than carefully to preserve it. But what is modesty? I may define it to be a fear of shame or disgrace. If it be not properly a virtue, it is a great preservative from vice. Those children are generally regarded most promising, who have the quickest sense of shame after the commission of wrong. There is but little hope of a child who has worn out this dispos~ ition, and who not only conducts himself indecently and wickedly, but is willing and proud to have it known. Parents, therefore, cannot with too much care and watchfulness preserve this temper in their children. To do this requires judgment and delicacy. It is not by crying shame to the child upon the commission of a little fault; the child may not be able to see any indecency in the behaviour reprehended; and may be hardened by a disproportioned rebuke. Of small faults, a gentle notice only should be taken, and rebuke should be reserved for something alarming and palpable, in order to preserve modesty, or the sensibility to

shame.

This lovely disposition, carefully preserved, will greatly assist the parent in preserving in his children, 2. Purity and sincerity of speech. By purity of speech, I would be understood to mean a freedom from unchaste and profane words. How corrupt must be the fountain which can send forth such streams! It surely cannot be necessary to exhort parents to use extreme caution to preserve their children from words and expressions, which must disgust every person of delicacy, and shock every person of pious feeling. Indecent language in childhood is a mark of great coarseness of mind, and almost a certain omen of profligacy in after life. Childhood is the age of modesty, and proper care in precept and example, would purify the language of the young. A parent, who has a modest child, to preserve him such, must withhold him as much as possible from the sight and hearing of all such rude companions, as glory in their shame. A familiarity with them will soon check the rising blush of delicacy, till it shall cease to rise and modesty in the child shall be converted into that shamefulness, which in youth, must be expected to appear in a very criminal and disgusting form.

Children should be kept from companions indecent in their language, because such are commonly profane also. When persons have ceased to regard man, it is no wonder if they have also escaped from the fear of God. The habit of profaneness is acquired wholly from example. It cannot, I think, be otherwise. For there is no temptation to this impious vice from any