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will regret it; but not a single friend of truth, virtue and mankind. It is certainly happy for our children and the world, if the force of their education is turned to the way in which they fhould go, fo that in manhood and age they will not depart from it.

The parent who educates his children, or fuffers them to be educated, in irreligion, will have fad conviction, from their behaviour, either that he hath no rightful command over them, or that their education has been effentially wrong. For if they, as parents, are entitled to honour and reverence, whence is the title derived? You reply, From the order of nature. But if there is not an author of nature, and one who prefides over it, it has no law nor order. If there is an author of nature, whofe kingdom is over all, then he is the former of our bodies, and the father of our fpirits. Now if he be a father, where is his honour? Is HE, who is above all, and through all, and in us all, entitled to no honour? and fhall earthly fuperiors, notwithstanding, claim this from their inferiors? Or if HE juftly claims fupreme reverence, will you not teach your children to pay it to him? On what ground can you otherwise expect that they will honour you?

The order of families and fociety therefore depends upon religious education. What account can those parents who neglect it give to God, to their children, or to the community? Or what account can they give, if their example is a conftant contradiction to any religious inftruction they may impart ?

When children become capable, in a measure, to judge for themselves, their judgment may ftill be much affifted by the mature advice of parents and others. Would they guard against an hafty judgment and rash determinations, they must distrust their own opinions, when oppofed to the judgment of those who have had more opportunity and fuperior means of information. We cannot efteem the child

or youth who appears to contemn his parents and teachers. Any improvements in knowledge, connected with modefty, a mind open to advice, is pleafing.

If family and civil order depend upon moral and religious education-if the neglect of it breaks the bonds of fociety would level all property, and confound all the relations of life would take away all fecurity for our reputation and perfonal fafety, let it not be faid that liberality and freedom of mind forbid a virtuous and pious education. If free thinking confifts in being fet loose from all principle-in difowning all dependence on, and accountableness to, a Maker and Governour of the world-all connection with, and obligation to, the Mediator between God and menin opening the flood-gates of vice-then indeed religion is opposed to free enquiry. But if fuch licentious talk can proceed only from an atheift, let not the objection be urged by any who are not atheifts. Let not the flaves of luft and of Satan undertake to teach us what is liberty; nor the bigots of fcepticifm talk of liberality.

The fubject will be profitably improved, if parents are put upon recollecting their omiffions of family inftruction in religion, and excited to greater circumspection and fidelity in this highly important duty. Have they taught and warned their children, as they fhould have done? Have they permitted no iniquity in them, which they might have reftrained? Have they done what was in their power, that their children might be an inftructed feed to ferve the Lord? Or have they injured those whom they tenderly love, by withholding from them Chriftian inftruction? Has the adorning of their bodies, rather than the ornaments of the mind, been the concern of parents? Have treasures which corrupt, canker, and flee away, been laid up with much care, while the true riches have been carelessly thought of for them, if indeed at all thought of? Have parents been very folicitous that

their children might be promoted in the world; but been too unmindful of that facred text, Them that honour me, I will honour? They who defpife me, fhall be lightly esteemed?

Do any of you who are parents complain, that your children neither fear God, nor honour you? Examine what blame may lie at your own door. Did you begin early with inftruction and government, and continue the fame as their advancing capacity, difpofition and years required? If you have taken pains to have them furnished for their intended employment in life, have you also instructed them to acquaint themselves with God, and be at peace? If fond affection has not indulged them too far--if you have not, by misjudged feverity, discouraged them, and difaffected them to right paths-if you have fulfilled your duty, but not been fuccefsful; pious parents have had the fame affliction. But be fure to examine faithfully, whether, or how far, you may have been the blameable caufe of the wickedness of your children, by your neglect, or any mproper conduct.

The forest grief of parents is fometimes from children, who might be their greatest joy. Whatever can be done to prevent an affliction fo great, fhould be done while there is hope, Let it be the conftant care of parents fo to guide and guard their children, that thefe may account it their honour and felicity to have defcended from them; and make it their ambition to be the joy and crown of their parents. Make it your unwearied endeavour to lay before them fuch arguments and motives in behalf of undiffembled piety and found morals, as may be adapted to fill them with a growing efteem of every good path; that when you fhall fleep with your fathers, they may take your place, and do more for God. Your encouragement to the cheerful performance of this parental duty is, that a child trained up in the way he should go, will not depart from it when he is old.-AMEN.

SERMON III.

REFLECTIONS OF THE AGED ON THE
EARLY CHOICE OF RELIGION.

PSALM, Ixxi. 16, 17, 18.

I WILL GO IN THE STRENGTH OF THE LORD GOD: I WILL MAKE MENTION OF THY RIGHTEOUSNESS, EVEN OF THINE ONLY. O GOD, THOU HAST TAUGHT ME FROM MY YOUTH; AND HITHERTO HAVE I DECLARED THY WONDROUS WORKS. NOW ALSO WHEN I AM OLD AND GRAY-HEADED, O GOD, FORSAKE ME NOT; UNTIL I HAVE SHEWED THY STRENGTH UNTO THIS GENERATION, AND THY POWER TO EVERY ONE THAT IS TO COME.

THIS

HIS facred paffage contains the reflection of an aged faint on his early choice of God, and the divine goodness to him from youth to old age-his refolutions refulting from this reflection—and his concern to tranfmit religion to after times.

FIRST, We have the reflection of an aged faint on his early choice of God, and the special providence over him from youth to old age. Thou hast taught me from my youth. Hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.

David begins the pfalm with calling to mind his early trust in God and devotedness to him, the peculiar providential care which he had experienced from the beginning of life, and through all its fucceeding ftages and circumstances. His early choice laid the foundation of proficiency in the path of true wisdom. Hence he could charge his fon, "Know thou the God of thy "father."

Early habits of piety, ftrengthened in manhood, and matured in age, render hoary hairs both honourable and comfortable. David, when old and gray

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