tioned as a pre-requisite, to a persevering and successful communication of them to others. The principles of revelation are to be so incorporated into the character, as to exhibit themselves in habits, actions, and conversation-they are to produce a facility and readiness in the communication of inspired doctrine : They are to cause our doctrine to drop as the rain, our speech to distil as the dew; as the small rain on the tender herb, and as showers upon the grass.

In regard to domestic education, there is perfect agreement between the religion of Moses, and that of Christ. By the latter, as well as the former, parents are required to bring up their children"in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

The rising generation may doubtless be taught from other books besides the Scriptures. If oral instruction may be conveyed in words, different from those of inspiration, so doubtless may written instruction. It is on this ground, that religious dissertations and discourses have been made public, in every age. Summaries of the Christian faith, seem likewise to have been used in all periods of the church. It cannot be easily conceived, either that a Christian parent should suffer his children to remain ignorant of Christianity, until, by reading, he shall be enabled to instruct himself; or, that he should, in conveying instruction, as to the plainest doctrines of the Bible, fear to vary in any measure, from the language in which they are expressed. Still a broad and distinct line should be cautiously drawn between the oracles of God, and any symbol or abstract of Christian doctrine, formed by men uninspired, and therefore liable to err in judgment. If we desire, that God's words, and his Spirit should not depart from our posterity and successors, they should be assiduously taught to make this distinction. It was not more advantageous to Timothy, than honorable to her who had superintended his youth, "that from a child he had known the Holy Scriptures." By means of such education he was, by grace, enabled to possess and cultivate the same faith, which first dwelt in his pious progenitors.

3. That the words and Spirit of God may not depart out of the mouth of our seed, or of our seed's seed, it is emphatically

necessary, that family prayer be maintained; and that it often have reference distinctly to them. To enumerate that variety of ways, in which the prayers and intercessions of parents may be advantageous to their children, would itself require more time, than can be allowed to this whole discourse.

Prayer is practical piety. You teach your family the being, perfections, and government of God. They see that you acknowledge his existence, adore his perfections, and implore his superintending care. You teach them that all have sinned; and you confess before God your own demerit. You instruct them concerning the offices of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. They hear you offer prayers, in which these offices are recognized, and corresponding petitions are made. You teach them that devout dispositions, and holy desires,-that ability to make an acceptable offering, is, with humble gratitude, to be ascribed to a divine influence, which "helpeth our infirmities, and maketh intercession." They occasionally observe in you, that 'enlargement, feeling, and copiousness in prayer,—that lively sense of things invisible, that consciousness of obligation, and those affecting views of redeeming mercy, which your religious belief ought to inspire, but in the actual existence of which, they perceive evidence of the presence and agency of God. Scarce any thing tends more directly to impart just ideas, both as to the theory and power of religion, than the prayers of consistent, judicious, enlightened Christians. No instruction, it is believed, which can be imparted to the minds of our children, has greater effect in forming their religious character, than that, which they derive from family worship.

But prayer is to be considered, not merely, or chiefly, as a means of instruction, but as application to a God, infinitely wise and all-sufficient. Parental intercession for children is made, either when the latter are present, or when they are not. In the former case, that mixture of devotion to God with affectionate concern for their welfare, which is likely to be exhibited in these intercessions, is peculiarly adapted to arrest the attention, to excite inquiry, and to produce religious anxiety. Why should

the parent be solicitous for the child, if the child has no reason to be concerned for himself? Besides, to whom should application be made, that the words and Spirit of God may never be withdrawn from our seed, but to God himself, the source of light and divine influence? God requires prayer, as a part of worship, and allows his servants to hope for a gracious answer, to such prayers as are offered with faith and submission. As God has appointed parents to be the guardians and instructors of their children, he requires them to perform the duties of such a relation, relying on his strength, and expecting from him a joyful issue. It is not the habit of God to require his people to pray, and then to disregard their prayers.

When Christian parents, having peculiarly strong desires that their children may experience a moral renovation, supplicate the grace of God, with corresponding importunity and perseverance, they can read with peculiar pleasure and animated hope, such promises as are contained in the following language: I will pour my Spirit on thy seed, and my blessings on thine offspring; and they shall spring up, as among the grass, and as willows by the water-courses. One shall say, I am the Lord's, and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall sub→ scribe with his hand to the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.

But children should find instructors and guardians, not in their parents only, but likewise in the church of Christ. That those who have received the ordinance of baptism, sustain to the church a relation different from that of other children, will not be denied by any who believe that the ordinance is to be administered to infants. The treatment which they receive from the church, should doubtless correspond with their relation to it. If the one is peculiar, so likewise should be the other. Such, it appears, was the prevalent opinion among the fathers of New England. "The General Court of Massachusetts in the year 1677, considered the neglect of care over the children of church members, as among the causes which brought down the judgments of God on the land; and recommended a re

formation to the elders and brethren." The opinion of such a body clearly shows what had once been, not only the common sentiments on this subject, but the customary practice. The judgments of God, under which the province was then laboring, would not have been attributed to the negligence of churches, unless such negligence, either in whole or in part, had been peculiar to the age, then present, unless it had been a departure from the practice of better times. In what manner the offspring of the church are to be distinguished, and in what way it is most expedient, that the duties which we owe them should be performed, it becomes not me to determine. Perhaps I may be allowed to inquire, whether a general agreement among churches, to assemble at stated periods, such children as pertain to them respectively, for the purpose of instruction, admonition, and prayer, would be either impracticable, or without use. Can churches very confidently hope, that the word and Spirit of God will not depart from their seed forever, if no special efforts are made to teach them these words-if no seasons are devoted to prayer for the effusions of divine grace?

4. If Christians of the present generation, are desirous that religion should flourish among their descendants, they must now make it apparent, both by word and deed, that they themselves hold it in high estimation. By which I mean, that they must not only speak of religion, as that in which they feel a lively interest, but must be constant in their use of its means and ordinances, and be ready to make pecuniary sacrifices for its support. If permanent establishments are now made for the advancement of religion, they will be our witnesses in years to come; they will indicate to posterity our views of religion, and augment their ability to maintain it.

It is a fundamental maxim in Christianity, that no man liveth to himself. Our care, next to that which has for its object our own salvation, is naturally directed to our families, and to those parts of the Christian church, with which we are respectively united. But here must not be the limits by which, either our attention, or beneficence is to be circumscribed. The waste

places of Zion are to be sought out, visited, and, if possible, repaired. The whole of religion is, by our Saviour, comprehended in love to God, and our neighbor. This elevated principle will not suffer us to be indifferent, either to the divine honor, or to human salvation. Many places there are, in our country, which, either through inability, or indisposition, the Christian religion is not preached-its ordinances are not enjoyed. The Sabbath may be distinguished from other portions of the week, by indolence, apathy, or dissipation, but not by public worship, or private devotion. Domestic religion does not usually long survive the stated worship of the sanctuary. The Scriptures will not long be read with interest in the family, when they have ceased to be explained in public assemblies. All, indeed, which constitutes the difference between a Christian, and pagan community, will gradually disappear. As Christianity retires, men lose sight of immortality, and a retribution; restraints are removed from human passions; present advantage or gratification, is contemplated as the only good; the character of man is exchanged for that of an animal, soon to perish; and all practical morality is comprehended in this sentence: Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die. It is no ordinary or light guilt, which is contracted by Christians, when, without an effort to prevent it, they suffer desolations like these, to occur within the sphere of their influence. If the apostles had good reasons for attempting to convert pagans to Christianity, we, so far as the prevention of it lies within our power, can never be justified in suffering Christianity to be exchanged for paganism. The opinion, that the obligations of a Christian, as to supporting the institutions of religion, are all circumscribed within the limits of a single parish, though it seems long to have been acquiesced in, can be reconciled, neither with the dictates of reason, nor the commands of Scripture. Christianity is a boon, originally bestowed on men without their seeking. But they who do not desire the gospel, you say, do not deserve it. But, neither did the Jews deserve it, to whom it was first proclaimed; nor the Gentiles, to whom the apostle was nevertheless commanded to