follows, when a flame of any kind is once kin- to move another, the involuntary man tells dled. Is it also true, you may ask, that the religi. ous spirit propagates itself, or tends to propagate itself in the same way? I see no reason to question that it does. Nor does any thing in the doctrine of spiritual influences, when rightly understood, forbid the supposition. For spiritual influences are never separated from the laws of thought in the individual, and the laws of feeling and influence in society. If, too, every disciple is to be an "epistle known and read of all men," what shall we expect, but that all men will be somehow affected by the reading? Or, if he is to be a light in the world, what shall we look for, but that others, seeing his good works, shall glorify God on his account? How often is it seen, too, as a fact of observation, that one, or a few good men, kindle, at length, a holy fire in the community in which they live, and become the leaven of a general reformation! Such men give a more vivid proof, in their persons, of the reality of religious faith, than any words or arguments could yield. They are active; they endeavour, of course, to exert a good voluntary influence; but still their chief power lies in their holiness, and the sense they produce in others of their close relation to God what you are doing in a hundred ways at once. A hypocrite endeavouring to exert a good influence, only tries to convey by words what the lying look and the faithless affectation or dry exaggeration of his manner perpetually resists. We have it for a fashion, to attribute great or even prodigious results to the voluntary efforts and labours of men. Whatever they effect is commonly referred to nothing but the immediate power of what they do. Let us take an example, like that of Paul, and analyze it. Paul was a man of great fervour and enthusiasm. He combined, withal, more of what is lofty and morally commanding in his character than most of the very distinguished men of the world. Having this for his natural character, and his natural character exalted and made' luminous by Christian faith and the manifest indwelling of God, he had of course an almost superhuman sway over others. Doubtless he was intelligent, strong in argument, eloquent, active to the very utmost of his powers, but still he moved the world more by what he was than by what he did. The grandeur and spiritual splendour of his character were ever adding to his active efforts an element of silent power, which was the real and chief cause of their efficacy. He convinced, subdued, inspired, and led, because of the half divine authority which appeared in his conduct and his glowing spirit. He "fought the good fight," because he "kept the faith," and filled his powerful nature with influences drawn from higher worlds. . . . . . I have protracted the argument on this subject beyond what I could have wished, but I cannot dismiss it without suggesting a few thoughts necessary to its complete practical effect. It now remains to exhibit the very important fact, that where the direct or active influence of men is supposed to be great, even this is due, in a principal degree, to that insensible influence by which their arguments, reproofs, and persuasions, are secretly invigorated. It is not mere words which turn men; it is the heart mounting uncalled into the expression of the features-it is the eye illuminated by reason, the look beaming with goodness. It is the tone of the voice, that instrument of the soul, which changes quality with such amazing facility, and gives out, in the soft, the tender, the tremulous, the firm, every shade of emotion and character. And so much is there in this, that the moral stature and character of the man that speaks are likely to be well represented in his manner. If he is a stranger, his way will inspire confidence and attract good-nigh transparent; and what you are within you will. His virtues will be seen as it were gathering round him, to minister words and forms of thought; and their voices will be heard in the fall of his cadences. And the same is true of bad men, or men who have nothing in their character corresponding to what they attempt to do. If without heart or interest you attempt One very obvious and serious inference from it, and the first which I will name, is, that it is impossible to live in this world and escape responsibility. It is not they alone—as you have seen-who are trying purposely to convert or corrupt others, who exert an influence; you cannot live without exerting influence. The doors of your soul are open on others, and theirs on you. You inhabit a house which is well are ever showing yourself to be without, by signs that have no ambiguous expression. If you had the seeds of a pestilence in your body, you would not have a more active contagion than you have in your tempers, tastes, and principles. Simply to be in this world, whatever you are, is to exert an influence-an influence, UNCONSCIOUS INFLUENCE; A SERMON. 87 work of his Spirit, to make you "lights in the world." His greatest joy is to give you character, to beautify your example, to exalt your principles, and make you each the depositary of his own almighty grace. But in order to this, something is necessary on your part-a full surrender of your mind to duty and to God, and a perpetual desire of this spiritual intimacy: having this, having a participation thus of the goodness of God, you will as naturally communicate good as the sun communicates his beams. Our doctrine of unconscious and undesigning influence shows how it is, also, that the preach too, compared with which mere language and persuasion are feeble. You say that you mean well; at least you think you mean to injure no one. Do you injure no one? Is your example harmless? Is it ever on the side of God and duty? You cannot reasonably doubt that others are continually receiving impressions from your character. As little can you doubt that you must answer for these impressions. If the influence you exert is unconsciously exerted, then is it only the most sincere-the truest expression of your character. And for what can you be held responsible, if not for this? Do not deceive yourselves in the thought, that you are at least doing no injury, and are therefore living of Christ is often so unfruitful, and espeing without responsibility; first make it sure that you are not, every hour, infusing moral death insensibly into your children, wives, husbands, friends, and acquaintances. By a mere look or glance, not unlikely, you are conveying the influence that shall turn the scale of some one's immortality. Dismiss, therefore, the thought that you are living without responsibility; that is impossible. Better is it frankly to admit the truth; and, if you will risk the influence of a character unsanctified by duty and religion, prepare to meet your reckoning manfully, and "receive the just recompense of reward." The true philosophy, or method of doing good, is also here explained. It is, first of all and principally, to be good-to have a character that will of itself communicate good. There must and will be active effort where there is goodness of principle; but the latter we should hold to be the principal thing, the root and life of all. Whether it is a mistake more sad or more ridiculous to make mere stir synony'mous with doing good, we need not inquire; enough to be sure, that one who has taken up such a notion of doing good is, for that reason, a nuisance to the Church. The Christian is called a "light," not lightning. In order to act with effect on others, he must walk in the Spirit, and thus become the image of goodness: he must be so akin to God, and so filled with his dispositions, that he shall seem to surround himself with a hallowed atmosphere. It is folly to endeavour to make ourselves shine before we are luminous. If the sun without his beams should talk to the planets, and argue with them till the final day, it would not make them shine: there must be light in the sun itself, and then they will shine of course. And this, my brethren, is what God intends for you all. It is the great idea of his gospel, and the cially in times of spiritual coldness. It is not because truth ceases to be truth, nor, of necessity, because it is preached in a less vivid manner; but it is because there are so many influences preaching against the preacher. He is one, the people are many; his attempt to convince and persuade is a voluntary influence; their lives, on the other hand, and especially the lives of those who profess what is better, are so many unconscious influences, ever streaming forth upon the people, and back and forth between each other. He preaches the truth-and they, with one consent, are preaching the truth down; and how can he prevail against so many, and by a kind of influence so unequal? When the people of God are glowing with spiritual devotion to him, and love to men, the case is different: then they are all preaching with the preacher, and making an atmosphere of warmth for his words to fall in "great is the company of them that publish" the truth, and proportionally great its power. Shall I say more? Have you not already felt, my brethren, the application to which I would bring you? We do not exonerate ourselves; we do not claim to be nearer to God, or holier than you; but, ah! you know not how easy it is to make a winter about us, or how cold it feels! Our endeavour is, to preach the truth of Christ and his cross as clearly and as forcibly as we can. Sometimes it has a visible effect, and we are filled with joy; sometimes it has no effect, and then we struggle on, as we must, but under great oppression. Have we none among you that preach against us in your lives? If we show you the light of God's truth, does it never fall upon banks of ice, which if the light shines through the crystal masses are yet as cold as before? We do not accuse you that we leave to God, and to those who may rise up in the last day to testify against you. If they shall come out of your own families; if they are the children that wear your names, the husband or wife of your affections; if they declare that you, by your example, kept them away from Christ's truth and mercy, we may have accusations to meet of our own, and we leave you to acquit your selves as best you may. I only warn you here of the guilt which our Lord Jesus Christ will impute to them that hinder his gospel. SAVIOUR. Judge puts the question to a third. "And what did you preach for ?" "Lord," saith he, "I neither aimed at the great things of this world, though I was thankful for the conveniences of life which thou gavest me; nor did I preach that I might gain the character of a wit, or of a man of parts, or of a fine scholar; but I preached in compassion to souls, and to please and honour thee; my design, Lord, in preaching, was, that I might win souls to thy blessed Majesty." The Judge was now described as calling out, "Room, men; room, angels! let this man come and sit with me on my throne; he has owned and honoured me on earth, and will own and honour him through all the ages of eternity." The ministers went home much affected, resolving that, through the help of God, they would attend more diligently to the motives and work of the ministry than they had before done. THE FAMILY.* A GENTLEMAN stated, at a meeting of the Religious Tract Society, that a few years ago he met with Mr Colemeister, who had laboured among the Esquimaux for thirty-four years, and had first translated the four Gospels into the Esquimaux language. Among a variety of interesting questions which he put to him, he thought that he would question him upon a point WHETHER as regards the comfort and happiness of of some curiosity and difficulty, respecting his transthe working classes themselves, or the prosperity of || lation. Knowing how imperfect barbarous languages the community at large-the right management of are, and how inadequate to express any abstract idea, their families is a subject of overwhelming interest. he requested him to say how he translated the word Look first at its bearing on the happiness of the workSaviour in the Gospel. Mr Colemeister said, "Your men themselves. How infinitely more is a man's happiness affected by the state of his house and famiquestion is remarkable, and perhaps the answer may ly, than by the form of government, or the constibe so too. It is true the Esquimaux have no word to tution of parliament! "It is a sad thing for a man," represent the Saviour, and I could never find out it has been truly said, "to pass the working part of that they had any direct notion of such a friend. his day with an unkind, exacting master; but still, But I said to them, Does it not happen sometimes, if the workman returns at evening to a home that is when you are out fishing, that a storm arises, and his own, there is a sense of coming joy and freedom some of you are lost, and some saved?' They said, labour." Undoubtedly there is, if the home be a that may support him through the weary hours of O yes! very often.' 'But it also happens that you happy one; if he expects to find things comfortable are in the water, and owe your safety to some brother on his arrival; if the scene which his fancy paints be or friend, who stretches out his hand to help you?'-not a filthy room in a state of confusion, an illVery frequently.' Then what do you call that friend? They gave me in answer a word of their language, and I immediately wrote it against the term Saviour in Holy Writ, and ever after it was intelligible to them.” ་ WHAT DID YOU PREACH FOR? A MINISTER, in the early part of the seventeenth century, was preaching before an assembly of his brethren; and in order to direct their attention to the great motive from which they should act, he represented to them something of the great day of judgment. Having spoken of Christ as seated on his throne, he described him as speaking to his ministers; examining how they had preached, and with what views they had undertaken and discharged the duties of the ministry. "What did you preach for ?" "I preached, Lord, that I might keep a good living that was left me by my father; which, if I had not entered the ministry, would have been wholly lost to me and my family." Christ addresses him, "Stand by, thou hast had thy reward." The question is put to another, "And what did you preach for ?" "Lord, I was applauded as a learned man, and I preached to keep up the reputation of an excellent orator, and an ingenious preacher." The answer of Christ to him also is, "Stand by, thou hast had thy reward." The tempered wife, and squalling rebels of children-but a room clean and tidy, with its cheerful fireside, and a family, one of whose chief enjoyments it is to welcome their father home. With such a prospect in reserve for him at the close of each working day; and with the privilege of spending each seventh day entire in the bosom of such a family; and still further, with the hope of an eternal life, of whose enjoyments these peaceful hours are but the shadow; the lot of the working man, even though otherwise it were as bad as possible, would have enjoyments that peers and princes might envy. In regard to the welfare of the community at large, the effects of the proper regulation of families are not less striking and important. God leaves communities to settle for themselves a great many points connected with their social state; but the family arrangement is God's own ordinance, and cannot be set aside. Suppose for a moment that the family arrangement were set aside-that (as certain sects of Socialists have proposed) there were no marriage between parents, and that the children, instead of being racks, not under parents, but public officers-every reared in families, were trained in hospitals or barone must see that the entire ruin of the community would result from such a scheme. Parents are the parties whom God has made responsible, in the first instance, for the training of the young; and, in proportion as parents are attentive to their duties, the *From an exceedingly interesting and useful little work Just published, entitled, "Sir Lectures addressed to the Working Classes on the Improvement of their Temporal Condition. By the Rev. W. G. Blaikie, Pilrig Free Church." THE FAMILY. community will be prosperous and happy. On the other hand, if the duties of parents are neglected, and children allowed to grow up as they please, disorder and misery will certainly ensue, and rapidly increase. There can be no doubt that an immense proportion of the grosser crimes and lesser irregularities of the day, are to be attributed to neglect, or at all events to defects, in family training. The number of youthful criminals is one of the most appalling signs of our times. The number of mere children undergoing punishment in jails and penitentiaries, is utterly incredible. In London, many thousand children of the class for whom Ragged Schools are provided, gain their livelihood by stealing. Another very large class of young offenders are those degraded females who live upon the wages of their iniquity. In London, their number is reckoned at 80,000; and as they usually die after four or five years of such a life, it follows that from fifteen to twenty thousand enter every year upon that path of ruin in London alone. Such multitudes of youthful criminals could not exist if there were not an awful neglect of parental duties. If children were trained up in the way they should go, so many of them would not depart from it when they are old. There is no doubt, too, that an immense share of the other irregularities and vices of the day, Sabbath-breaking, intemperance, violence of temper, improvidence, want of economy, pride, cruelty, and other producers of disorder and suffering-may be traced to the same cause. It is a remarkable fact, that the countries in Europe where disorder and tumult prevail most, are those in which families are regulated worst. We refer to such countries as France, Ireland, and Spain. Of the disorders of France, we need hardly speak. We have no doubt that the cold-blooded atrocities which make one shudder in reading the history of the first French Revolution, may be traced, in a large measure, to the early loosening of family ties, to the violence done, mainly by the Popish confessional, to nature's method for making men "kindly affectioned one to another." If there be one symptom more than another fitted to create alarm for the destinies of our own country, it is the sad, and apparently increasing, evil of domestic neglect. Depend upon it, this is just one step in a downward career, which, if not arrested, will, by and by, place many of the mothers of this country on a level with the unnatural monsters of India and the South Seas, among whom the murder of their children was found to be a usual practice. In that awful state of darkness and corruption into which the world had sunk before the coming of our Saviour, the "turning of the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers," is declared to be necessary, to prevent God from coming and smiting the earth with a curse. We believe the same thing to be true of the present day. If we would avert a threatened curse from our land, the great thing to be attempted is, to turn the hearts of the parents to the children, and the hearts of the children to the parents. The practical regulation of the details of the working man's family is mainly the charge of the working man's wife. In respect of mere bodily exertion, her duties are heavy in a family of ordinary size; and she is well entitled to the sympathy of her husband when weak health or exhausted strength prevents her from doing all that she could desire. Much need has she of the help of God, not only for bodily strength to meet her many duties, but for the mental energy and cheerfulness that will shed a constant radiance around the dwelling, and for divine wisdom and grace to enable her to secure the affections and form the character of her children. The question has sometimes been put, Whether a worthless father or a 89 worthless mother be the greater evil to a family? We do not think lightly of the dreadful evil of a worthless father; but, in the working classes especially, we do not hesitate to say, that a worthless mother is decidedly the greater evil. Not only does a worthless mother often alienate the father from his home, but her corrupting influence on the children is more constant and more hopeless. Experience shows that, in ordinary cases, the mother's influence in forming the character of the children, whether for good or evil, is more powerful than the father's. It was one of Napoleon's pithy remarks, "What France needs for her regeneration is-Mothers." Abbot relates that, some years ago, a body of young men preparing for the ministry felt interested in ascertaining what proportion of their number had pious mothers. They were greatly surprised and delighted to find, that out of 120 students, more than 100 had been carried by a mother's prayers, and directed by a mother's counsels, to the Saviour. It is wonderful what an influence the example and efforts of the mother are sometimes found to have, many many years after the parental roof has been left. A minister records the case of a dying profligate, whose hard heart would not yield to all his efforts to soften it, till-overpowered by early recollections-he burst into tears at the question, "Have you a mother?" The picture of family misery which we are now about to lay before you, carries an instructive lesson to some. In a parliamentary report on the condition of children and young persons employed in mines and manufactories, there is some remarkable evidence given by a man who had himself risen from the state of life which he describes. He relates that his mother had been a clever and industrious young woman of pleasing and attractive appearance, and a great favourite among the young men in the manufactory in which she worked. She married at an early age, and rapidly had a large family of eleven children. But she was deficient in domestic knowledge; and the consequence was, her fireside was never happy. As the family increased, comfort gradually disappeared; and her husband, unable to find comfort at home, took to the alehouse--became a drunkard-and neglected his family. The poor mother had now often to wash all night and work all day, in what kind of spirits may readily be conceived. Frightful poverty, constant quarrelling, and a bad example, contributed to ruin the children. They were put out to work as soon as they could earn a shilling a-week, receiving, of course, little or no education. All this in a family that, under judicious and Christian management, might have enjoyed a fair share of comfort, and become a credit to the community. In striking contrast to this sketch, we would place the picture of a well-trained humble family, from the introduction to that beautiful little essay on the Sabbath, The Pearl of Days. This little work was composed by a Scottish labourer's daughter, who had received scarcely any instruction, except what she got from her mother. In the sketch of her life prefixed to the essay, she gives a most interesting account of her parents, particularly her mother. It was the constant aim of this excellent woman to make home a scene of comfort and enjoyment to her family, and especially to her husband; and so far did she carry this, that she used to say that "it was disagreeable and improper to be bustling about while father was within, and when he was gone out the work must be done up." Too poor to provide schooling for her numerous family, she herself became their instructor; and her daughter relates, that "four times a day usually each of us had our short lesson; and if it be considered that the whole of the labour of the house devolved upon our mother, it will be believed that this could be no light task. Nothing, however, was allowed to interrupt our lessons, and it was no uncommon thing to see her busy at the washing-tub, while we, by turns, took our place beside her; one child would be found attending to the baby-another gathering sticks and keeping the fire alive-a third engaged in reading-and a fourth bringing water from a pure soft spring at some distance from the house-while our eldest brother assisted father in the garden."-(Pp. 9, 10.) In this well-ordered family, the Sabbath was uniformly a day of bright and peculiar enjoyment; it was a wellspring of comfort and peace, that, besides its own peculiar joys, increased the relish of other blessings, and sweetened the bitterness of many trials. It may readily be conceived, that for such constant exertions as those of the parents a strong sustaining influence was requisite; that influence was LIVING PIETY, fed amid the calm and holy exercises of a well-spent Sabbath. Of all the outward requisites for a comfortable dwelling, none stands so high as cleanliness. An old proverb says, that "Cleanliness is next to godliness;" and there is much force in the statement. Cleanliness is certainly the type or emblem of godliness. No figure is more frequently used in Scripture than cleanness or purity to denote true holiness. Now, there ought to be ever a visible connexion between the type and the antitype-the emblem and the reality. We cannot say at present that wherever there is cleanliness there is godliness, nor even that wherever there is godliness there is cleanliness; but unhesitatingly we say, wherever there is godliness there ought to be cleanliness. We can hardly conceive how any one can have a very high sense of the value of inward purity and order, and yet not be offended by outward filth and confusion. Notwithstanding this, however, and notwithstanding that the working classes in Scotland usually stand higher than those of England in intelligence and religion, our Scotch dwellings are usually far inferior to those of England in tidiness and cleanliness. ..... Habits of order and regularity, with a stern purpose to adhere to them, will go a great way in promoting cleanliness and tidiness, even under very disadvantageous circumstances. Benjamin Franklin's rule may be given as an excellent one, both for housekeepers to practise and to teach their children: "Do every thing at its proper time, keep every thing in its proper place, use every thing for its proper use." It is generally with a lazy, indolent, self-indulged spirit the spirit that is only for doing the work it fancies, and that puts off what is disagreeable till it cannot be avoided-that lays hold of any excuse or expedient to save trouble for the moment- that wastes time in idle gossiping or gadding about; we say it is generally with this kind of spirit, that we have to connect a disorderly and disagreeable house. This spirit must be remorselessly rooted out before comfort and order can appear in the dwelling. The next point to which we would advert, as connected with a comfortable and happy family, is the right management and training of the children. Certain it is that children were intended to be a blessing, not a curse; to gladden the fireside by their lively mirth, and lessen the burdens of age-not to fill the home with misery, or bring down grey hairs with sorrow to the grave. From the manner in which some parents act towards their children, one would think that they regarded them as necessary evils, and that they had much the same view of the way to treat them as the keeper of a menagerie has of the way to treat his wild beasts-the great matter being to keep them in the cage or on the chain Seldom will children be found to contribute to the real comfort of a home, unless both parents are impressed with a deep conviction that an immortal spirit is lodged within each one of them; that God has committed the care of that inestimable treasure to their hands; and that a thing so precious should be handled both carefully and wisely. Hence we hold that any directions or suggestions as to the training of a family, would be no better than mockery if they did not start from this fundamental positionThe parents should be living Christians themselves; and their great and constant desire for their children should be, that they be living Christians too. If no duty can be rightly discharged by the unregenerate, it is very plain that they are unfit to discharge the duty of training children. While consciously in a state of enmity and rebellion againt God, they can neither ask nor expect his blessing in their exertions on behalf of their children. To every parent, then, desirous of being faithful, our first and most earnest advice is this-Enter personally into a state of reconciliation with the God with whom you have to do. Your children then, instead of being under the second commandment's descending curse, will be under its descending blessing; wisdom and grace for training them will be bestowed on yourselves, and a heavenly Father's ear will be constantly open to hear your applications for direction in every season of perplexity. It is a common error among parents to take too narrow a view of what children should be taught. Many seem to think that all that a child needs to be taught systematically, is to read, write, and count; to exercise the memory, by repeating hymns or chapters; and to become expert at a trade, or, in the case of females, at domestic work. But the truth is, much more should be taught. Parents should aim at teaching their children to observe and to think. For example, if a chapter be read or repeated, it should be explained in a way adapted to the children's capacity, and its bearing on their own conduct indicated, so as to exercise their thoughts, their conscience, and their feelings. One of the most vital parts of education is to train the young to right feelings. To get them filled with a love of what is good; to get them to admire what is honest, lovely, and of good report; and to abhor what is false, cruel, or impure-is the great masterstroke in education, which, when successful, makes the rest mere matters of detail. Yet how little is this realized! If it were generally felt, parents would be always on the alert to attain this end. Every Bible lesson would be improved for instilling into the child's heart love and admiration of the good, hatred and detestation of the vile. The sight of a man treating his horse with cruelty would be improved for planting in the child's breast abhorrence of cruelty in every form. The humbling sight of a man intoxicated, suggesting a picture of the misery so produced-the broken-hearted wife, the ragged, starved children at home-would be used to lodge in the child's bosom a hearty loathing of intemperance. So would other exhibitions of vice and passion. But, further, a conviction of the indispensable need of the child's heart being affected, would stir the parents to incessant prayer for the renewing grace of God. Feeling that it belongs to God only to lodge in the corrupt heart of man true love of the good and pure-true love of him who is Goodness and Purity-that grace would be implored, with the conviction that without it all would be lost. The habit would be acquired of asking, and depending on, God's grace, in connexion with every occasion on which a good feeling was sought to be implanted. Whatever might be the immediate result, in due time such a union of prayer |