dismiss trifles from your sight and your thoughts. Never carry amusements into school, nor into chapel; let no toys, no sweetmeats, be seen there. I observed a boy going to school one day with a box of insects, or worms, in each pocket, and one in his hand. He surely might have parted with his idols for two or three hours. He could not want them at school, because they must take away the attention of others as well as himself, from the exercises of his education. Some children carry their kites, and others their tops and balls to school. These idols should be left behind, when you have lessons to learn, copies to write, and sums to perform. Take care of spending too much time on the Sabbath on your little birds, beasts, and insects.

4. Remember the first and second commandments which I introduced at the beginning of the Lecture.

God will not hold those guiltless that break these commands, "for he is a jealous God, visiting the sins of the fathers on the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him, and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love him and keep his commandments."

Can you then break these commands, and think that a holy and powerful God will suffer you to go unpunished? Take heed of setting up another god. Take heed of loving any thing in the world more than you do God. Oh! see that you keep yourselves from all those idols that have been mentioned, and from every other which your own conscience tells you that you have set your heart and your love upon too much. Guard against those things that you most delight in, that you are so immoderately fond of; you know what they are better than I can tell you. Read over these commands, and frequently think upon them.

I shall now conclude,

V. With a short address to parents and children.

1. To parents.

A little thing may become a great idol. Lawful things may become idols. A certain minister once said to fond and indulgent parents, "Beware of the idols in white frocks." There are many parents who make idols of their children, their hearts are set upon them, they are wrapt up in them. It is difficult for affectionate parents to help loving them too much. Children, especially good and amiable, steal our affections, and twine about our hearts in such a tender and endearing manner, that there is much need to take care of not making them our idols. They are the desire of our

M 2

hearts and the delight of our eyes; and in addition, we are told that they are the heritage of the Lord, and that he who gave them to you can take them again. He gave them to be brought up for him, in his nurture and admonition, to be taught to fear, and love, and serve him.

There are two or three things which ought to be attended to by parents in this country with regard to idols.

1. Parents should do all in their power to prevent and discourage the attendance of their children on the Hindoo festivals.

By their attendance on Hindoo festivals, they are apt to imbibe the idea that all religions are alike; that there are different ways to heaven-that the Hindoos have one way and we another, and yet all will go to heaven when they die. If they are not told that Christ is the only way to the Father -that we cannot go to God, but through him-how will they know the true way from the false? Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. There is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. There is one God and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

2. The practice of some parents in giving money to their children to spend for toys on these occasions, is improper.

If the children must have toys, they can be obtained at another time, for they are apt to associate in their minds the festivals and the pleasure of having toys at this particular time, and the worst consequences may be expected to follow.

3. What a fine opportunity presents itself on these occasions to pious parents, for them to converse with their children on the vanity and folly of idols, and shew them the truth, the beauty, the simplicity, and superiority of the Christian religion, when compared with that noisy, dark, and degrading religion, which they behold around them.

What, if we trace the globe around,
And search from Britain to Japan,
There shall be no religion found,

So just to God, so safe for man.

* A friend of mine, who has a large family of children, made use of the following means to divert their attention from Churruck Poojah. The younger children were very desirous of going to see the natives swing, and he said to them, "Come now, sit down round the table, and your sister shall read you one of those pretty books which Mr S. has given you. They sat down round the table, and their sister read to them, The history of Henry and his bearer. Some of them wept; all were very attentive; and nothing more was heard about going to see the tumashu.

Not the feign'd fields of heathenish bliss,
Can raise such pleasures in the mind;
Nor does the Turkish Paradise

Pretend to joys so well refin'd.-Watts.

4. Parents may impress upon the minds of their children the important duties of prayer and praise.

Prayer to God for thousands of poor little children around them, who know not the true and living God. When I ob. served the multitudes of poor little Hindoo children that filled the streets of Calcutta on my first arrival in India, it was with tears of pity in my eyes. When I met them in crowds, with toys in their hands, as I was walking along, they looked up in my face, and seemed to say by their looks, "no man careth for our souls." The following lines from one of Doctor Watts' Divine Songs for children, seemed to strike my mind in all their force :

How do I pity those that dwell,

Where ignorance and darkness reigns:
They know no heav'n, they fear no hell,

Those endless joys, those endless pains.-Watts.

Let me now address a few words to the children of such parents as profess to serve the living and true God, and who are called christians. Can you behold the crowds that fill the streets at this season with any pleasure? Why then those signs of joy? Why do your eyes sparkle with delight at the noise of the tum-tums, and other heathen music? Why hasten to the doors and windows to see the idols pass? They look very fine as they pass; but in less than half an hour they are stripped of all their finery, and thrown into the river. Oh, my dear children! "keep yourselves from idols."

These are the gods that thousands of poor children are taught to worship. Oh! pity them, and pray for them. Let the sound of the music be the signal for you to retire to your chambers, "and pray to your Father who seeth in se-cret,' that he would turn their hearts from the worship of dumb idols to serve the living and true God; that he would be pleased to bring them out of pagan darkness into the marvellous light of his glorious gospel.

Lord, I ascribe it to thy grace,

And not to chance as others do;
That I was born of christian race,
And not a heathen or a Jew.-Watts.

Remember that if you do not serve him as you ought, these very children ment against you and condemn you.

God aright, and love will rise up in judgeYou have been taught

the will of the Lord; but you have not done it, therefore you will be beaten with many stripes. "For the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. For he will pour out his fury upon the heathen that know him not, and upon the families that call not upon his name. Once more, little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

A hymn of praise for education in the knowledge of the true

God.

Great God, to thee my voice I raise,
To thee my youngest hours belong;
I would begin my life with praise,

Till growing years improve the song.
'Tis to thy sovereign grace, O Lord!
That I ascribe the mercy giv'n;
That I was taught to read thy word,
And learn the only way to heav'n.
I would not change my native land,
For rich Peru with all her gold;
A nobler prize lies in my hand,
Than East or Western Indies hold.

How do I pity those that dwell,

Where ignorance and darkness reigns;
They know no heav'n, they fear no hell-
Those endless joys, those endless pains.

Thy glorious promises, O Lord,

Kindle my hopes and my desire;
While all the preachers of thy word,

Warn me to 'scape eternal fire.

Thy praise shall still employ my breath,
Since thou hast mark'd my way to heav'n;

Nor will I run the road to death,

And waste the blessings thou hast giv'n-Watts.

LECTURE XI.

THE ADVANTAGES OF EARLY RELIGION.

1 JOHN ii. 28.-And now, little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear, ye may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

"BEHOLD I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." These are the words of Jesus; and I wish you to remember that he is now acting as he here describes, at the door of your consciences. I begin my discourse thus, to excite your greater attention to what may be said, and to fix the instructions of scripture and religion deeply in your hearts.

If you would be happy, you must be really good, and then you will be as happy as the days are long.

If you would enjoy much real happiness while here below, you must love Christ, seek him early, and endeavour to be found in him in the morning of your days.

When we devote our youth to God,

'Tis pleasing in his eyes;

A flow'r when offer'd in the bud,
Is no vain sacrifice.

In directing your attention to the text, I shall consider, 1. What is meant by abiding in Christ.

To abide is to tarry, to stay, to keep in one place. Stay, my dear children, stay; why do you run away from Christ? He is your best friend; stay and hear how good he is, and what he will do for you. There are some children who do not like to hear about Jesus Christ; therefore they will not