us, or they weaken it; they excite us to love or to dislike something, and according as that thing so loved or so disliked is good or evil, so is our education advanced or hindered. Thus, a parent's example of covetousness, or love of pleasure, or of passionate temper, or of any other fault, is very far more powerful than the schoolmaster's instructions; he uneducates much more than the schoolmaster educates. And thus while we subscribe for schools, we do in fact destroy our own work so far as by any evil or folly of our own we set an evil example instead of a good; encouraging places of religious instruction on the one hand, hindering religious education on the other. But then will nothing less than such a general co-operation of all classes ensure the great work of Christian education; and can we look to schools in themselves as to nothing more than to places of Christian instruction, and not of education? It is most true that without such co-operation, schools, however good in themselves, can never become generally, far less universally, the effective means of Christian education. But let us observe again, that the great good of Christian instruction they will give to all; and we may add, that the far higher blessing of Christian education they will give to many. They will give it to many, and the number will be increased according as the schools become in themselves better and better. A school does its best to educate as well as to instruct, when not only does the teacher's example agree with his teaching, but when he does his endeavour to make the example and influence of the boys themselves—a far greater matter than his own-agree with it also. If he can succeed in this, his school will be to many a place of real Christian education; it will have taught them to know Christ, and helped them to love and obey Him. And though, whilst other influences remain as they are, the example and influence of boys on each other will always be of a mixed character, partly bad as well as partly good; and although therefore a great many will go from school instructed in some degree, but not educated; yet if we multiply schools, and every one sends forth only a few who have really received the blessing of a Christian education, the few so educated by each will be a great many educated by all; and will be by God's blessing a leaven working in the mass of the meal, till, I dare not say the whole of it, but a larger and still a larger part be leavened. RYDAL CHAPEL, January 24, 1841. SERMON I. THE PRIVILEGES OF YOUTH. ST. LUKE, xii. 19. I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. We know well the parable from which these words are taken, and the answer which in the parable is immediately returned to them: "But God said, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?" But I have not made these last words a part of my text, because, as I have often said before, no argument comes with so little force to a young mind as that which would dwell on the possibility of early death. It is at once admitted that early death is possible, but we cannot say generally that it is probable; and the mind attends but little to what may happen, if it does |