studiously endeavour, by every mark of attention to their comfort, to gain their confidence, to win their affection, that by thus inspiring them with a favourable impression of the new principles he has embraced, he may be the instrument of leading them also to see their value, and thus be partakers of that salvation which is the joy and rejoicing of his own heart. The spiritual condition of his beloved parents will be the frequent subject of his fervent supplication at the throne of divine mercy; and though he will feel it a duty which requires the utmost delicacy, for a child to address any thing in the form of admonition to a parent, he will not omit it, but will watch those softer moments of parental tenderness, to suggest some useful hints respecting the necessity of a personal interest in the salvation of the gospel to our present comfort and our future hope.-Such attempts on the part of Christian children have not always been in vain; some have enjoyed the high satisfaction of being instrumental of leading their own parents to the knowledge of that truth which alone can make them happy for ever. I recollect hearing of a remarkable instance of this occurring several years ago in our neighbouring kingdom. A young clergyman, whose father also was of the same profession, some time after he entered the church, had his mind impressed with a sense of the importance of the things pertaining to his eternal peace. After he became convinced that there is no name given among men by which any one can be saved, but the name of Jesus, and no safety but by faith in his atonement, he could not avoid communicating his discovery to his venerable parent, who, through the means of his son's correspondence with him, was led to adopt the same views of divine truth. The good old man was so sensible of the benefit he had thus derived from the letters and conversation of this most valuable correspondent, and that it was through his instrumentality that he had been led to discern the way of acceptance before God, that he ever afterwards used to address him as his beloved father in the gospel. And is it possible to conceive a higher honour conferred on a human being, than that of being the instrument of communicating to those who gave him birth the knowledge of that truth by which, in the language of inspiration, men are said to be born again, and interested in those blessings which shall last through eternity. The possibility of attaining an object so transcendently interesting and glorious, must be, to Christian children placed in the circumstances we are now supposing, the most powerful incitement to fervent prayer, accompanied with persevering assiduity and unceasing watchfulness." [pp. 72-75.] We regret that our limits will not allow us to follow the excellent author through all his important observations on that class of duties which belong to parents. We think him perfectly correct in calling the attention of mothers especially to this momentous subject, for children are chiefly with them in the early part of life, when the basis of a religious and judicious course of instruction and discipline must be carefully laid; and we doubt not that many of our readers, as well as ourselves, have been struck with the circumstance, that in the accounts given in by young ministers at their ordination, of their religious experience, many have referred their earliest impressions of divine things to parental instruction, and chiefly to the tender and affectionate exhortations and counsels of pious mothers.-We may trace the piety of some of the most illustrious characters in scripture to the same source. Samuel, one of the greatest prophets Israel ever saw, was not a little indebted to the pious solicitude of his mother Hannah; and through the early instructions of his grand-mother Lois, and his mother Eunice, Timothy was from a child acquainted with the Holy Scriptures. We are not disposed to insinuate that the best method. of instruction possible, most diligently and conscientiously pursued, will secure the renewal and salvation of the child, or that the very worst, or even the neglect of education altogether, will prevent it. We are not prepared, with some, to ascribe to a religious education an efficacy that belongs alone to the grace of God, or to limit by any system, however excellent, the Holy One of Israel;-but we must place it very high in the scale of means, and lay much stress upon it, as frequently blessed to the formation of a character truly pious, and the ultimate salvation of the soul. We call that a religious education, of which the Bible is the basis-the text book-and the guide-in which its doctrines and its duties are made the principal, and deemed the most important branches of instruction; in which the acquisition of human knowledge and accomplishments is regarded as a secondary consideration; and the main object is, the formation, not of the elegant female, the accurate scholar-the successful tradesman, or the polished gentleman-but of the genuine Christian,-a character formed, not for the passing scenes and perishable interests of time merely, but for the enduring and unchangeable realities of eternity. And all that is necessary to train the individual for success, and usefulness, and even admiration, in the pursuits of life and circles of society, is perfectly compatible with this, and nothing need be taken or withheld from the polish of the gentleman, or the skill of the man of business, to form the character, or feed the piety of the Christian. But we confess we have been not a little grieved to observe an education of a very different character prevailing amongst persons professing to be truly religiousand we must be permitted to lift up our voices, however feeble they may prove, against what we conceive a growing evil of serious magnitude. The kind of education to which we refer, is that in which religion, if it be not excluded, yet comes in only as it were by accident-in which no pains are taken to shew its importance, or explain its meaning while the attempt is never made, with earnest prayer for divine assistance, to awaken the conscience to its awful considerations, and impress its solemn truths upon the heart. If the child remain beneath the paternal roof, the defect may frequently be traced to the ignorance and the indolence of the parents-often to the want of a judicious distribution of time and arrangement of domestic duties, by the mother, in consequence of which she is too much occupied, or fancies that she is too much occupied, in household affairs, to give that attention to the spiritual interests of her children which they imperiously demand; or to the entire absorption of the father in the bustle of ther world, or the concerns of the religious and benevolent institutions to which he is attached. We pity, while we censure, such a father, and would not feel his bitterness of soul another day, when, reflecting on what he has done for others, but has neglected to do for his own family, he shalb exclaim they made me the keeper of vineyards, but my own vineyard have I not kept." The neglected education which we deplore, must necessarily be the result, if, parents professing godliness, will send their children from under their own observation and tuition, to be instructed by persons who feel not themselves the paramount importance of eternal things above all the learning and accomplishments of time. It will be seen from the following extract, that Mr. Innes's sentiments on this subject are in perfect unison with our own. "In few things does the influence of genuine Christianity more strikingly appear, than in the way in which those who feel its power bring up the children whom God hath given them. Men whose portion avowedly is in this life, and who do not profess to look beyond it, act quite in character, while all their instructions to their children exclusively relate to their worldly prosperity, and while all their views, regarding their future prospects, are bounded by the present passing scene. But Christians profess to have higher prospects. Their language is, "This is not our rest. Here we have no continuing city; but we seek one to come." All that we require then of Christian parents is simply, that they act consistently with this profession. Let them shew then, in all their intercourse with their children, that while they are not indifferent to their present happiness, the salvation of their souls is that which lies nearest to their hearts; that they act under the full persuasion that no measure of earthly prosperity can make any man truly happy unless he is interested in the favour of Him in whose favour is eternal life. Let the whole tenor of their conversation in their families decidedly wear this aspect. Let it clearly indicate that their citizenship is in heaven, and that, as they profess to have their treasure there, their hearts are there also. Let their children never be led to imagine that a man's life (his happiness) consisteth in the abundance of the things that he possesseth." [pp. 125, 126.] In connection with all their judicious and unwearied efforts to promote the best interests of their children, Mr. Innes presses upon pious parents the vast importance of a holy example, and of fervent prayer. And it is a consideration that should animate and encourage the prayer of faith, even though it seem to be in vain, that the answer may be given after they have entered into their rest, while the knowledge of it will contribute to heighten their enjoyment in another world. We remember to have met, somewhere, with an anecdote which strikingly illustrates this remark. A pious parent had three sons, who, notwithstanding all his admonitions and instructions, mingled with many prayers and tears, grew up to manhood, in scepticism and profligacy. The father died-and, conceiving that it might, perhaps, produce a good impression upon the minds of his abandoned children, to let them see how a Christian diesthe friends of the family introduced them to the bed-side of their expiring parent. But, to their unspeakable grief, the good man died under a cloud, and destitute of those strong consolations which believers usually experience in the closing scene. It was naturally enough supposed, that the effects of this melancholy circumstance on the young men would be to confirm them in their prejudice against religion, and afford them in their opinion, a sufficient evidence that it is all a cunningly devised fable. It was not so, however---for a few days after the funeral, the younger brother entered the room in which were the other two, and VOL. IV. No. 8. 2D observing that he had been weeping, they asked the cause of his grief." I have been thinking," said he, "of the death of our father." "Ah!" they said, "a dismal death it was; what truth or reality can there be in religion, when such a man as he died in such a state of mind?" "It has not affected me in this way," replied the younger brother; "we all know what a holy life our father led, and what a gloomy death he died now I have been thinking, how dreadful our deaths must be who live such a wicked life!" The observation was like an arrow to their consciences-they began to be alarmed. They repaired to the ordinances of religion, which in their father's life-time they had despised, and ultimately became as eminent for piety as their exemplary parent had been. The whole of the last two sections of this little work is truly valuable. They embrace the duties of servants and masters. We think, indeed, they would be very useful if published separately in the form of tracts-particularly that on the duties of servants, as it would bring the advice, addressed to that class of persons, more within their reach. As we are confident the author's great aim is usefulness, we need offer no apology to him, for throwing out this suggestion; and shall be truly happy to find that he has not neglected it. We cordially recommend his work to the perusal of our readers, and to the divine blessing. AMERICAN LITERATURE AND THE kindness of one of our most valuable American correspondents, has enabled us, in another part of our journal, to present our readers with the Farewell Sermon of Dr. Mason, of New York. His retirement from the important station in the church of God, which he occupied for so many years, with faithfulness, ability, and zeal rarely equalled, never perhaps excelled in modern times, has, however, created so strong a sensation on the other side of the Atlantic, that we cannot withhold from those who knew and duly estimated his worth and usefulness, on this, some further communications upon the subject, with which we have been favoured, partly from the same, and in part from another |