mence with an introduction, adapted to promote that affection of the heart which is necessary as the mainspring of action. But every mother or father, who is worthy of the name, already possesses such an affection, which, in every Christian parent, is strengthened and sanctified by love to God. Surely, then, we do not presume too much, when we assure ourselves of the kind and candid attention of parents, while we remind them and ourselves of the two following points, viz. Wherein the real welfare of their children consists; and, By what means it may be best promoted.

We need not say that health, and a portion of worldly riches, are in themselves desirable. These, and all earthly blessings, mankind are accustomed rather to overrate than undervalue. But while your ideas of human welfare include earthly good, in such measure as God may see fit to bestow it, you remember that whatever relates to the mind, the heart, the soul of man, is, beyond all comparison, more important than those things which respect only the perishing body, and this transitory world.

If your children are expected to move in the upper or middle ranks of society, it is not absolutely a matter of indifference, whether they possess the faculty of entering and leaving a room without embarrassing awkwardness; yet a graceful deportment, facility of conversation on unmeaning topics, skill at the harp or organ, with ability to sing or squall after the most approved Italian or other models, with twenty other accomplishments, some really pleasing, and others indebted solely to whim and fashion for their imaginary charms,-all such accomplishments, good, bad, or indifferent, will prove lamentably insufficient substitutes for a mind stored with useful knowledge, and a heart

imbued with virtuous and holy principles.

Were we required to give our opinion in few words on the subject of human welfare, and in one short sentence to say wherein the true happiness of man, under every possible variety of circumstances, consists, we should not hesitate to adopt. the words of the Apostle Paul, as expressing not an opinion, indeed, but unquestionable truth and fact; and would say, in reference both to ourselves and our children,—“ Yea, doubtless, we count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord." Were we further desired to give our reasons for holding this sentiment, we should readily assign the two following, as comprehensive of all good; one of them having respect. to the life that now is, and the other to that which is to come.

1. The knowledge of Christ includes good morals and genuine satisfaction of mind.

The Christian code of morality is undoubtedly the purest and best ever taught on earth. It is perfect and complete. It sanctions no vice, and overlooks no virtue. It takes cognizance of the motives of action, as well as of outward conduct. It is invested with the authority of the Supreme Ruler, whom it presents to the mind as ever observant of his creatures, as recording every act and every thought, and as having appointed a day in which he will judge every man according to his works. This system of morals is written on the heart of every true disciple of Christ, and is exemplified in his life and conduct. Let a child become a Christian, and he will be in future life, according to his situation in the world, and the relations he may sustain, a dutiful son, a kind father, a faithful servant, a good master, and an honest tradesman: contented, if poor; be

neficent, if rich. He may be visited with sickness, but from those diseases which intemperance brings, he will at least be free. He may be visited with distress and affliction in various forms, but amidst all his sufferings he will enjoy consolations, to which the wicked, in the height of their prosperity, are strangers.

Herein the unrivalled excellence of the Gospel of Christ is seen, even in relation to the present life. All earthly good is inconstant and fleeting. Health may languish, and friends may die. You will leave your children, if possible, enough of this world's goods to provide for their comfortable support; but riches may make to themselves wings and fly away. Something conducive to happiness is wanting, that shall not be subject to the casualties of time; something is wanting that shall stay with us, though health, friends, and riches, should all be taken from us. If you can leave your children in possession of such a treasure, they will indeed be rich and happy: rich in poverty, and happy in the midst of trouble. Such a treasure is found in the Gospel of Christ, and no where else. Neither the palaces of kings, nor the schools of the wise, nor the coffers of the rich, can furnish it. It comes from heaven. It is bought without money and without price. He who knows Christ, and trusts in him, possesses, and shall never lose this invaluable treasure.

2. The knowledge of Christ can alone secure a happy immortality.

"This is life eternal, to know the only true God,and Jesus Christ whom he has sent. No man can come to the Father, but by him." None can worship God acceptably here; none can be admitted into his blissful presence in heaven, except through the Mediator.

Do not these facts show that the real welfare of your children consists in their becoming true Chris

tians? Possibly you may see reason to doubt, whether you are yourself a partaker of the grace of God in truth: but the vital importance of genuine piety you cannot question. Since, therefore, your love to your offspring is undeniable, and love necessarily prompts those who are the subjects of it, to seek the good of those who are the objects of it, and real religion is admitted to be the highest good; will you not admit, as an axiom, which is to constitute the basis of education, that every thing in the management of the young must be subservient to the interests of piety; every object pursued, and every method adopted, must either directly tend to the promotion of godliness, or at least not be opposed to it.

Another preliminary matter which it is desirable to adjust before we proceed to consider the means by which the welfare of children may be best promoted is, the degree of influence which parents and instruc-tors have over the future character and happiness of their youthful charge. It is an opinion, not very uncommon, and highly acceptable to the human heart, as serving to take away responsibility, to cancel the guilt of negligence, and to encourage idleness, that the moral power which man has over man is very small; and that the future character of chil dren is determined by causes with which the efforts of instructors have little connexion. Undoubtedly, al} events are foreseen by the Almighty, and all good is foreordained and bestowed by him. Neither the use nor the neglect of labour, on the part of man, can frustrate or alter the divine purpose. But it is equally certain, that all the steps which lead to any given object, are as much decreed by the Almighty as the object is to which those steps lead. The decrees of God, considered abstractedly, cannot be the guide of

human conduct, since whatever is to be a rule of action must be itself known; and the decrees of God, with regard either to human actions or to the result of such actions, are not known till those actions are performed, and that result takes place, The divine purpose, with respect to the destiny of a human being, can be known only by the one or the other of these two means-by express revelation, or by matter of fact. None but a few visionary astrologers and soothsayers will pretend that the fate of a man is in any way foretold to him his destiny then cannot be certainly known till it actually takes place. Our plans, therefore, in reference to the young, must be regulated by something better known to us than the divine purposes. Not the decrees of God, which are not known; but the commands and promises of God, which are known, are to be our guide. The command is, "Train up a child in the way he should go;" and the promise, "When he is old, he will not depart from it." If God has addressed certain precepts to parents in reference to their children, those precepts are, by the very fact of their being commanded, obligatory, irrespective of consequences but if, in addition to the Command, it appears, from God's gracious declarations, and from actual experience, that the use of certain means is associated in the divine purpose with the accomplish ment of certain ends, two inferences are inevitable; first, that without the use of the means appointed, the desired object is not to be looked for; and, secondly, that in the use of those means, a cheering hope may be entertained of the result. The encouragement which preachers of the Gospel have to believe that their labour shall not be in vain in the Lord, is great; but the encouragement offered to parents is much greater. We are desirous of impress

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ing this conviction on the minds of our readers, as one which is calculated to animate their zeal. We fear that some Christian parents harbour thoughts on this subject far more desponding than truth requires, and that hence their exertions for the spiritual wel fare of their children are proportionably languid. Two considerations may be advanced in support of the sentiment, that parents have more encouragement to hope for success in the communication of instruction, than even the ministers of Christ have in their work. First, there is a closer connexion between a parent and child, than between a pastor and his flock. God has not said to a pastor, I will be a God to thee and to thy flock with thee; but he has said to a pious father, in ancient times, "I will be a God to thee, and to thy seed after thee;" and we are not disposed so far to lower the New Covenant beneath the Old, as to imagine the federal bond between parent and child to be cut asunder by the Gospel. Secondly, the means which a parent can employ for the welfare of his child are more numerous than those which are at the command of a Christian preacher. It is for the most part only on one day in the week, that the minister has access to his congregation; the parent, on the contrary, either the mother or the father, is, or should be, usually with his children every day; not, indeed, always giving them direct instruction; but having such a general superintendence of them as may furnish innumerable opportunities for promoting their truest welfare. Add to this, as the most important means of usefulness, the combined feeling of profound veneration and ardent love with which almost every parent, who is worthy, is regarded by his offspring.

We cannot be ignorant that some children of pious parents seem to be

exceptions to the promise quoted above, and it would be difficult to give a satisfactory explanation of this distressing anomaly, without deepening the sorrows of those who are already full of heaviness. We are convinced, however, that the proportion such cases bear to those of the opposite character is not so great as is commonly imagined. Very many are the families in which, from age to age, genuine religion has flourished, and not few are the instances of individuals of several successive generations being actively employ ed in the cause of Christ.

(To be concluded in our next.)

ON ATTACHMENT TO THE HOUSE OF GOD.

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A TRUE Christian is a man of reason and experience. He will not blindly adopt a sentiment, or pursue a line of conduct merely upon the opinion of others, and out of compliment to their example. This would, in many cases, be following a multitude to do evil." But his opinions are taken from the divine word, and his practice is founded on the example of the best of men of various ages of the Church, but who appear to have been led by the Spirit," and were therefore "the sons of God." The language of truth and devotion is the same in every period of the Church; and to this universality of sentiment and feeling we should appeal, in re ́erence to ourselves and others, who appear to be actuated by the same Spirit, and to walk by the same rule." Now let the Psalmist be permitted to speak, and he will utter a sentiment in which the real Christian will immediately coincide:-"I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord." (Psa. exxii. 1.) And the believer can give his reasons, can state the grounds of his attachment, like David, to the house of God. For with

out stating a number of minor in ducements, personal, relative, or civil, why he should adopt such a sentiment, he can fetch them from the passage itself.

One ground of his attachment is, the sacred character of the place"the house of the LORD." Happily freed from ceremonial bondage, and ushered into "the glorious li berty of the children of God," he is not now under that slavish super stition, which led many of the Jews to maintain, that "in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to wor ship." He now listens attentively to his Saviour, who assures him that "the hour is come, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him." And as his mind becomes more imbued with Christian sentiments and feelings, he is less concerned about the peculiar sanctity or relative holiness of any mere place of worship whatever. He may occasionally or frequently be called to worship the Father in a field-a ship-a barn-a cottage a meeting-house--a chapel-—á church-a cathedral. But he con siders that these are relative or sectarian terms, of earthly and not heavenly origin. Hence he concludes, as led by his great teacher, that "God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.' Will he now stop to quibble about the publicity of a field, the novelty of a ship, the vulgarity of a barn, the poverty of a cottage, or the simplicity of a meeting, as compared with the venerable gothic of a church, and the overwhelming grandeur of a cathedral? Impossible; if his only object be to worship the Father, "who dwelleth not in temples made with hands," and who imperatively requires spirit and truth in the souls of all his worshippers.

A Christian therefore justly ar