es the secret of assuming as many shapes, as there are characters in those with whom he lives in so ciety, and with an unblushing countenance can call evil good, and good evil, is applauded and caressed in fine, why the lone widows and her orphans pine in starving solitude, whilst vice sits. rioting at a feast, or lording it in all the insolence of galling pride.

O hope of immortality, thou art indeed our early, our anticipated Heaven! Without thee we can do nothing; and with thee, animating, supporting, and strengthening us, we can do and suffer all things. I have tired your patience, and gone beyond the limits of an ordinary discourse. I hasten, therefore, to conclude, by addressing myself to you, my auditors, in the beautiful language of the moralist. "Ye noble few, who here unbending stand beneath life's pressure; yet bear up a while. Dispute it bravely, quit yourselves like men. Yet bide the pelting of this pitiless storm, and lash the saucy waves of discontent and murmuring, which throng and press to wrong you of your prize; the storms of wintery time shall quickly pass, and one unbounded spring encircle all."

But I reflect that in the latter part of this discourse, I have appealed perhaps more to your passions than to your religion. Let me then bring you back to that only source of consolation. under afflictions, the Gospel of your Redeemer. In this he declares," Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted."*"Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdon of Heaven."+ How sweet, how glorious, the rest that remain eth for the people of God in those blissful man+ Mat. 10.

* Mat. v. 5.

sions, which are prepared for their everlasting habitation!" For God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow, shall be any more, for the former things are passed away.' And may he grant, that all of us after having weathered out the storms of adversity, and passed through that sea of troubles which separates the heavenly land from ours, may arrive safe in the haven of eternal rest. And may we ever experience it to be a faithful saying, that if we suffer with Christ, we shall also remain with him. Amen.

* Apoc. xxi. 4.

SERMON VI.

SUNDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF THE
EPIPHANY.

On the Education of Children.

And Jesus proceeded in wisdom and age, and grace, with God and Men. Luke ii. 52.

OUR divine Redeemer in becoming man, submitted to all the infirmities and evils incident to human nature, sin excepted. He passed through the different stages of life, wishing thereby to instruct those who were to pass through them after him, in their respective duties. Accordingly as Jesus Christ grew up, he developed that eternal wisdom proportioned to his age, to shew himself a model for all ages. It is not, alas, according to this model, that the generality of Christians form their children! We behold them principally intent on procuring for them worldly accomplishments, while they totally neglect to make them acquainted with the great duties of Christianity. And as nothing is of greater necessity, than that children and young people should be introduced by times, and in

the best manner to religion, if they are to be rendered as wise, as generally useful, and as happy, as they are capable of becoming; my design at present is to give you, by the divine assistance and blessing, some direction to induce you to make them such; a direction the more necessary, as the generality of parents and preceptors are so negligent in this important article of education.

And thou, O God, from whom, through whom, and to whom are all things! Benefactor and Father of mankind! to know thee, to love thee, to obey thee, is our highest honour and greatest happiness. It is this alone that diffuses light, joy, hope, and consolation over the dark and toilsome path of our terrestrial life. Yes, O God, in knowing thee, we know the source of whatever is great, good, beautiful, and perfect. In loving thee, we love him who unites in himself whatever merits our veneration, gratitude, affection, and confidence. In obeying thee, we obey the wisest, the most righteous, the kindest sovereign, whose laws tend solely to our good. Assist us then, O merciful Father, to fulfil with ex'actitude our duty, which is at the same time our felicity, and grant particularly to those among us, who are employed in the education of children, the grace to infuse into their hearts above all things, the reverence and love of thy holy law, and train them up sincere followers of thy blessed Son.

Whatever others may think, we who are Christians must be of opinion, that the human mind cannot be too early impressed with religious principles. The prudent will, indeed, be cautious of making that a burden, which should be a pleasure, of forcing children with much labour, to imprint on their memory subjects which they

do not at all understand, lest these subjects should become disgusting and loathsome to them; they will be content at an early period, to teach them the leading articles of faith, and the great lines of duty, which are simple, intelligible, and obvious, to the weakest understandings; they will not only instruct them in the contents of the gospel proportionably to their age and capacity, but will likewise make this doctrine, and Jesus Christ who revealed it to us, amiable to them; they will form their minds on the model of his, and endeavour to lead them to the observance of his precepts, and the imitation of his example; they will bestow on the infant mind that portion of instruction, which may be necessary first to unfold its faculties, and afterward to possess it with those most essential of all principles -the fear and the love of God.

But though every day's experience teaches us, how perverse, headstrong, and irregular, youth commonly is, unless the passions have been early directed to their only proper objects; unless their attachment to the pomps and vanities of this wicked world has been moderated, and their minds impressed with a sense of God, and a knowledge of their Redeemer: yet, where shall we look for a conduct conformable to these impressions? Where do we perceive the salutary effects of such a conviction? Were I to refer you to the higher classes of society, and bid you search among them for a religious system of education, I am afraid, except in some few solitary instances, that you would return from the inquiry much disappointed and dissatisfied: you would find, indeed, an attention to those exteriorgraces and accomplishments, which are requisite to finish the man of rank and station, (an attention not uncommendable, I must allow, when it does