confidence and love, and let him run into your arms. "Fathers," says the Apostle, (for this fault lies mostly with our sex,) "Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, lest they be discouraged." The other is indulgence—a foolish fondness or connivance at things actually wrong, or pregnant with evil. This often shows itself with regard to favourites. And here, ye mothers, let not your good be evil spoken of. Do not smother your darlings to death with kisses; and let not your tender bosom be an asylum for delinquents appealing from the deserved censures of the father. The success of such appeals, with kind but weak minds, is very mischievous: it makes preferences where there should be an evenness of regard, and tends to check and discourage wholesome reproof; and he that spareth the rod hateth his son, but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes." "Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying." Here Eli failed: "his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not." Here also David erred; he had not displeased Adonijah at any time in saying, "Why hast thou done so ?" When the head of a family cannot prevent the introduction of improper books; the visits of infidel, or profane companions; the indulgence of ensnaring usages, and indecent discourse; the putting forth pretensions above his rank; the incurring of expenses beyond his income ;-does he bear rule in his own house? Is it thus that he puts away evil from his tabernacle? Is it thus that he blesses his household?

For what is Abraham commended? "I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the ways of

the Lord to do justice and judgment." Not that he was the tyrant; and terrified his family with the blackness of his frown, or the roughness of his voice. We no more admire a despot in the house, than in the state but he was decided and firm; not only telling his servants and children what they were to avoid or what they were to perform, but requiring and enforcing obedience by the authority of his station. But proper authority requires dignity, as well as power. What can he do, whose levities, and follies, and ignorance, and weakness, deprive him of all awe, and all influence, and all impression? Are we to smile or sigh at the thought of some children being in subjection to their parents; and of some wives being called upon to reverence their husbands? Is there no law to protect females and children? As to children, the case with them is not voluntary; they deserve pity. But no sympathy is due to females who throw themselves into the empire of folly and weakness; and willingly choose a condition, whose duties it is sinful for them to neglect, and impossible for them to perform.

Fourthly, By Instruction. "For the soul to be without knowledge, it is not good." And this holds supremely true of religious knowledge. Hear the address of Moses : "These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt

write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates." Here observe not only the duty, but the manner in which he has enjoined the performance of it. He would make it a constant, a familiar, an easy, a pleasing exercise-a recreation rather than a task. In another place he says, "When thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments which the Lord our hath God commanded you? Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh's bond-men in Egypt; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. And the Lord shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes: and he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers. And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God as he hath commanded us." Nothing can be more natural than this recommendation. The curiosity of children is great, and will commonly, if judiciously treated, furnish you with sufficient opportunities to inform them. Their questions will show you the bias of their disposition, the state of their minds, and the nature and degree of the information it is proper to administer; and in various cases, it is less necessary to go before them, than to follow. Events too are always turning up; and these will afford a wise parent a thousand hints of natural and seasonable improvement. Yet there are those who levy a tax upon every thing their avarice, sagacity, and zeal can

find, to promote the temporal interest of their offspring; who never seize, and turn to a religious account, any of those occurrences of the day, and of the neighbourhood, whether pleasing or awful, that might so easily be made to speak not only to the understanding, but to the imagination and the heart.

Fifthly, By securing their attendance on the Means of Grace. Servants should be allowed opportunities of publick worship and instruction, as often as circumstances will allow; and we admire the plan of our forefathers, who disengaged their domestics as much as possible on the Sabbath from the preparations of the table, that they might be at liberty to go themselves, and get food for their souls. Children also should be led to the house of God-though there is a proper time for their "shewing unto Israel." In determining this, it is not easy to draw the line. If they are taken too early, besides hindering the attention of those who have the charge of them, there is danger that holy exercises will become irksome by frequent and long detensions, before they can feel any interest in them. Yet an early attendance is valuable, as it tends to render the habit natural; and impressions may be occasionally made, even upon infant minds, sufficient to lead them to inquire, and to aid you much in your endeavours to instruct them at home.

Lastly, By Domestick Devotion. This service ought to be performed every morning and evening. It includes prayer. Prayer is not only to be made for your family-(though this is a duty, and a privilege, and enables you to obtain for your household a thousand blessings,) but also with them. It takes in also reading the Scriptures. Mr. Henry goes fur

ther: "They," says he, "who daily pray in their houses do well; they that not only pray, but read the Scriptures, do better; but they do best of all, who not only pray, and read the Scriptures, butsing the praises of God." This exercise is very enlivening, and tends to throw off the formality which adheres perhaps more to domestic worship than either to publick or private devotion, as it allows of less variety. If singing be not practicable, a psalm or hymn may be read. It will often produce a good effect, by impressing the minds of servants and children. The whole of the service will help you in performing what we have previously recommended, the duty of teaching and admonishing your families. The psalm or hymn will furnish them with sentiments and sentences. The reading of the word will store their minds with facts and doctrine. While the prayer itself will be no inconsiderable instructer. The very engagement will remind them of the presence and agency of God. of God. Your addressing him for pardon, will convince them of guilt; your interceding for your country, will teach them patriotism; for your enemies, forgiveness of injuries; for all mankind, universal benevolence. Thus a man may bless his household.-Let us consider,

II. THE REASONS WHICH SHOULD ENGAGE HIM TO ATTEMPT IT.

For this purpose, let us view Domestic Religion, First, In reference to God. To him it has a relation of responsibility. We are required to glorify God in every condition we occupy; in every capacity we possess. A poor man is required to serve him but if he becomes rich, his duty is varied and