or a tinkling cymbal.' He leaves the parents without encouragement or assistance, the children without knowledge, or motives to acquire it; and even his religious opinions, of which he boasts as having the peculiar sanction of truth, depend entirely for their extension upon the operations of chance, or the formal harangues of the pulpit. The work of the Lord cannot prosper in such hands; the canker-worm of indifference must gradually consume the very vitals of religion; and those, who commence the career of life without religious principles, will almost invariably continue it without moral practice. The ministers of the gospel, therefore, are peculiarly bound, by the most sacred and awful responsibility, to watch over the education of the rising generation; to aid and encourage parents in the diligent discharge of their arduous duties; and to diffuse around them the invaluable blessings of an early piety.

Religious sentiments, however, ought never to be inculcated as mere abstract principles. They should be constantly associated in the mind with moral feelings, and the active discharge of moral duties. Wanting this connexion, they are as a tree without fruit. The guardians of the young, therefore, should constantly labor to associate the filial fear of God with a reverence for his commandments, and the love of the Saviour with goodwill towards mankind. The important relative duties of integrity and truth, of generosity and kindness, of forgiveness and charity, ought to be enforced as the very end and essence of true religion. Above all things, the prevalent and degrading vice of falsehood should be carefully repressed, as offensive to God, destructive to the peace of society, and disgraceful to themselves. No

exertion, no vigilance, on the part of parents, can be too great to secure an inward love and habitual observance of truth. Where this great virtue is wanting, all other honorable principles must be deficient; and wherever it is to be found, we may confidently look for its natural attendants, integrity and benevolence. Kind and considerate treatment is always the most likely to secure the interests of truth; for I am persuaded that all falsehood has its origin in fear -the fear of punishment, or disapprobation. I would, therefore, pardon almost any folly or offence, not involving gross impiety or moral turpitude, in order to secure a habit of candor and veracity.

Next to the social virtues, those of a more immediately personal character may be very early inculcated; and upon these a large portion of human happiness necessarily depends. No period of life, above merc infancy, is too early for teaching self-denial and patience of control. Thousands of the hot and ungovernable spirits, that have brought sorrow upon themselves, and inflicted miseries upon others, owe their misfortunes and their crimes to uncorrected passions, and unsubdued peevishness of temper, in the very earliest stages of existence. The same wisdom of experience, which prevents a child from thrusting its hand a second time into a flame, would, under proper management, prevent it from indulging in violent bursts of passion. And I am persuaded, (for I have witnessed the fact,) that children might be almost as easily taught to refrain from tasting forbidden sweets by a salutary fear of incurring displeasure, as to avoid the repetition of actions accompanied by personal suffering.

But it may be inquired—if it be so easy a task to teach those early lessons of piety, morality, and self-restraint, why are not young persons universally trained up in such salutary habits? I answer because some parents are criminally negligent, others injudiciously rigorous, many culpably indulgent, and almost all mistaken with regard to what ought to be the grand objects of human pursuits.

It is much to be lamented, that many persons, in all ranks of society, are criminally indifferent with respect to the principles and education of their children. This, however, is especially the case at the two extremes of the social scale. The lowest classes, fatigued with daily toil, harassed with returning wants, destitute of all the nobler aspirings of nature, and too frequently ignorant of the inestimable advantages of religious and moral culture, are contented if they can supply their children with the coarsest fare and scanty raiment. They have never themselves risen above the station in which they were born; they anticipate no higher destiny for their children; and they do not imagine that any very extensive endowments, either intellectual or moral, are necessary to the success of mere manual industry. Such persons are much more the objects of compassion than of censure, but the same palliation cannot be offered for the conduct of those in the other extreme of society, who are too often equally neglectful. Occupied with the enjoyments or the vanities of life, they too frequently commit the entire care of their offspring to mercenary hands; they are content with occasional reports of their progress, and rest satisfied that all must be well, when they are passing through the ordinary routine of fashionable education.

The minds of their children may remain a comparative blank, whilst their hearts are over-run with the rank weeds of irreligion and vice; and thus, those who are to influence the destinies of thousands are, not unfrequently, amongst the worst educated men in the community. Honorable exceptions to this statement, I am well aware, may easily be found, where persons of the highest rank are remarkably distinguished for their parental fidelity; but these exceptions are not of ordinary occurrence, and cannot invalidate the general rule.

Excessive rigor and injudicious severity on the part of parents are less common, but not less certain sources of irreligious feeling and immoral practice. Whilst some persons are so weakly affectionate as to perceive no failings in their children, others are so unnaturally harsh as to see nothing but imperfections. Influenced by an overweening vanity, they desire to see their children superior to all others, and are therefore subjected to incessant chagrin. Disappointed in their talents, discontented with their progress, and irritated because they want the polish of the world and the steadiness of age, they cast the blame of their own absurd mortification upon their unoffending offspring. With a wild impatience and tyranny, they demand exertions beyond their strength, expect a gravity beyond their years, refuse the most salutary indulgences, and, if they happen to be what is termed religious, exact a formality of devotion equally unnatural and absurd. The inevitable result of such a system is, that their children view them with terror instead of affection, hate those studies which are the perpetual sources of sorrow, endeavor to deceive those whom they cannot propitiate, and turn hypocrites in re4

VOL. IV. NO. II.

ligion to avoid the penalty of sincerity. The perverted ingenuity of man could devise no plan of education more destructive of all piety and morality. The moment that a young person so educated is set free from the fetters with which he has been bound, and escapes from the unnatural tyranny by which he has been enslaved, he is prepared to give the reins to every passion, and to cast all religious and moral restraint to the winds.

It must be admitted, however, that culpable indulgence is a much more prevalent source of erroneous education, than that which I have just described. The natural, the laudable desire of the parental heart is, to confer happiness. Youth requires indulgence, and it would be equally barbarous and unwise to refuse it. Judicious kindness is the best instrument of human instruction; it calls forth all the native tendencies of the heart; nothing is hidden from the eye of affection. The entire character lies open to inspection; so that every virtuous tendency may be encouraged, and every vicious propensity restrained. To parental indulgence, therefore, I would prescribe no limits but those which would render it truly conducive to the happiness of its object. Now let it be considered, that in making a due estimate of happiness we must view the whole course of human life. should never call that conducive to a man's happiness, which afforded him the enjoyment of a day at the heavy cost of miserable years. Upon this principle, the gratification of every appetite and desire on the part of the young, is but a wretched preparation for the vicissitudes of the world. In the busy haunts of men, every hand will not bring supplies like that of a gentle mother, nor every voice speak kindness like that of an indulgent

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