will keep a man from public worship, when, perhaps, a hurricane will not keep him from an election meeting→→→ if he chooses to take phyfic, or give it to his children, on the Lord's day, when it could be done with equal cafe on the day before or after-if he will more readily allow his fervants to pay a vifit to their friends on that day than any other, though he has reason to believe they will fpend it in junketing and idleness-it will not be caly to avoid fufpecting that worldly advantage is what deter+ mines his choice.

Take an example or two more on this head. Sup pofing a man ufually to worship God in his family; if he fometimes omit it-if he allow every little business to interfere with it-if company will make him difpenfe with it, or fhift it from its proper feafon-believe me, the idea of religion being every man's firft and great concern, is in a good meafure weakened, if not wholly loft. It is a very nice thing in religion to know the real connection between, and the proper mixture of fpirit and forin. The form without the fpirit is good, for nothing: but, on the other hand, the fpirit without the form never yet exifted. I am of opinion that punctual and even fcrupulous regularity in all thofe duties that occur periodically, is the way to make them eafy and pleasant to those who attend them. They also become, like all other habits, in fome degree neceffary: fo that those who have been long accustomed to them, feel an aneafinefs in families where they are generally or frequently neglected. I cannot help alfo mentioning to you the great danger of paying and receiving vifits on the Lord's day, unlefs when it is abfolutely neceffary. It is a matter not merely difficult, but wholly impracticable, in such cases, to guard effectually against improper fubjects of converfation. Nor is this all; for let the conversation be what it will, I contend that the duties of the family and the clofet are fully fufficient to employ the whole time;, which muft therefore be wafted or mifapplied by the intercourse of strangers.

I only further observe, that I know no circumstance

from which your opinion of the neceffity of religion will appear with the greater clearness, or carry it in greater force, than your behaviour towards and treatment of your children in time of dangerous ficknefs. Certainly there is no time in their whole lives when the neceffity appears more urgent, or the opportunity, more favourable, for impreffing their minds with a fenfe of the things that belong to their peace. What fhall we fay then of those parents, who, through fear of alarming their minds and augmenting their diforder, will not fuffer any mention to be made to them of the approach of death, or the importance of eternity? I will relate to you an example of this. A young gentleman of eftate in my parish was taken ill of a dangerous fever in a friend's houfe at a distance. I went to fee him in his illness, and his mother, a widow lady, intreated me not to say any thing alarming to him, and not to pray with him, but to go to prayer in another room, wherein the wifely obferved, it would have the fame effect. The young man himself foon found that I did not act as he had expected, and was fo impatient that it became neceffary to give him the true reafon. On this he infifted in the most pofitive manner, that all reftriction fhould be taken off, which was done. What was the confequence? He was exccedingly pleafed and compofed; and if this circumftance did not haften, it certainly neither hindered nor retarded his recovery.

Be pleased to remark, that the young gentleman here fpoken of, neither was at that time, nor is yet, fo far as I am able to judge, truly religious; and therefore I have formed a fixed opinion, that in this, as in many other inftances, the wisdom of man disappoints itself. Pious advice and confolation, if but tolerably adminiftered in fickness, are not only useful to the foul, but ferve particularly to calm an agitated inind, to bring the animal fpirits to an eafy flow, and the whole frame into fuch a state as will beft favour the operation of medicine, or the efforts of the conftitution, to throw off or conquer the disease. Suffer me to wander a little from my fubject, by ob

ferving to you, that as I do not think the great are to be much envied for any thing, so they are truly and heartily to be pitied for the deception that is ufually put upon them by flattery and falfe tendernefs. Many of them are brought up with fo much delicacy, that they are never fuffered to fee any miferable or afflicting object, nor, fo far as can be hindered, to hear any affecting ftory of dif trefs. If they themselves are fick, how many abfurd and palpable lies are told them by their friends? and as for phyficians, I may fafely fay, few of them are much confcience-bound in this matter. Now, let the fuccefs of these measures be what it will, the only fruit to be reaped from them is to make a poor dying finner mistake his or her condition, and vainly dream of earthly happiness, while haftening to the pit of perdition. But as I faid before, men are often taken in their own craftinefs. It oftentimes happens that fuch perfons, by an ignorant fervant, or officious neighbour, or some unlucky accident, make a sudden discovery of their true fituation, and the fhock frequently proves fatal.-Oh! how much more defirable is it how much more like the reafon of men, as well as the faith of Chriftians, to confider and prepare for what must inevitably come to pafs? I cannot eafily conceive any thing more truly noble, than for a perfon in health and vigour, in honour and opulence, by voluntary reflection to fympathife with others in diftrefs; and by a well founded confidence in divine mercy, to obtain the victory over the fear of death.

2. You ought to live fo as to make religion appear refpectable. Religion is a venerable thing in itself, and it fpreads an air of dignity over a perfon's whole deportment. I have feen a common tradesman, merely because he was a man of true piety and undeniable worth, treated by his children, apprentices, and fervants, with a much greater degree of deference and fubmiffion, than is commonly given to men of fuperior ftation, without that character. Many of the fame meanneffes are avoided, by a gentleman from a principle of honour, and by a good man from a principle of confcience. The firft keeps out of VOL. II. No. 5. E

the company of common people, because they are befow him; the last is'cautious of mixing with them, because of that levity and profanity that is to be expected from them. If, then, religion is really venerable when fincere, a refpectable conduct ought to be maintained, as a proof of your own integrity, as well as to recommend it to your children. To this add, if you please, that as reve→ rence is the peculiar duty of children to their parents, any thing that tends to leffen it, is more deeply felt by them than by others who obferve it. When I have feen a parent, in the presence of his child, meanly wrangling with his fervant, telling extravagant ftories, or otherwise expofing his vanity, credulity, or folly, I have felt juft the fame proportion of fympathy and tenderness for the one that I did of contempt or indignation at the other.

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. What has been faid,, will in part, explain the errors which a parent ought to fhun, and what circumftances he ought to attend to, that religion may appear respectable. All meanneffes, whether of fentiment, conversation, drefs, manners, or employment, are carefully to be avoided. You will apply this properly to yourself. I may, however, juft mention, that there is a confiderable dif→ ference in all these particulars, according to men's different ftations. The fame actions are mean in one station that are not fo in another. The thing itself, however, ftill remains; as there is an order and cleanliness at the table of tradefmen, that is different from the elegance of a gentleman's, or the fumptuoufnefs of a prince's or nobleman's. But to make the matter ftill plainer by particular examples. I look upon talkativeness and vanity to be among the greatest enemies to dignity. It is needlefs to fay how much vanity is contrary to true religion; and as to the other, which may seem rather an infirmity than a fin we are exprefly cautioned against it, and commanded to be swift to hear, and flow to speak. Sudden, anger, too, and loud clamorous fcolding, are at once. contrary to piety and dignity. Parents fhould therefore acquire, as much as poffible, a composure of spirit, and meeknefs of language; nor are there many circum

tances that will more recommend religion to children when they fee that this felf-command is the effect of prin ciple and a sense of duty.

There is a weakness I have obferved in many parents to fhow a partial fondness for fome of their children, to the neglect, and, in many cafes, approaching to a jeaJoufy or hatred of others. Sometimes we fee a mother discover an exceffive partiality to a handsome daughter, in comparison of those that are more homely in their figure. This is a barbarity which would be truly incredible did not experience prove that it really exists. One would think they should rather be excited by natural affection, to give all poffible encouragement to thofe who labour under a disadvantage, and bestow every attainable accomplishment to balance the defects of outward form. At other times we fee a partiality that cannot be accounted for at all, where the moft ugly, peevish, froward child of the whole family is the favourite of both parents. Reafon ought to counteract these errors; but piety ought to extirpate them entirely. I do not ftay to mention the bad effects that flow from them, my purpofe being only to fhow the excellence of that character which is exempted from them.

The real dignity of religion will alfo appear in the conduct of a good man towards his fervants. It will point out the true and proper diftinction between condefcenfion and meannefs. Humility is the very fpirit of the gospel. Therefore, hear your fervants with patience, examine their conduct with candour, treat them with all the humanity and gentleness that is confiftent with un remitted authority: when they are fick, vifit them in perfon, provide remedies for them, fympathife with them, and show them that you do fo: take care of their interefts; affift them with your counfel and influence to obtain what is their right. But, on the other hand, never make yourself their proper companion: do not seem to taste their fociety; do not hear their jokes, or afk their news, or tell them yours. Believe me, this will never make you either beloved or esteemed by your fervants