persons under their charge, whose religious knowledge depends chiefly on their exertions : and secondly, with regard to those who having grown up to youth or manhood, have yet not fully embraced the offer of Salvation through Christ, nor have learnt to consider all things as lost when put in comparison with the excellency of the knowledge of their Saviour. First then, I would address those on whom the Christian education of others does in a great measure depend.

-When a parent sees his or her child first born into the world, let him think that he has given birth to an immortal creature, which must now exist for ever and ever, and must enjoy through all eternity the greatest happiness, or must suffer through all eternity the greatest misery. But, as a Christian, he may and ought to regard his child as an heir of everlasting life; as a sharer in the Promises, as one whom God is ready to receive into his Covenant of Love. With such feelings he should take him to his baptism, and when he sees him washed with the water of regeneration, received into the number of Christ's flock;-when he hears the assurance of the good will of his heavenly Father towards that infant, and the promise of the Holy Spirit to continue the work which was then begun; let him think how greatly, how

solemnly, he is bound to do his part for his child, lest through the neglect of his earthly father, the mercies of his heavenly Father should have been offered to him in vain. For some time after baptism we can do little service to our child's spiritual welfare, except by our prayers; yet the sense of right and wrong is felt earlier than many people suppose, and a very young mind may be made to understand something of God and of Christ. And here let me speak more particularly to those parents who are engaged in daily labour for the maintenance of their families. You may say that you have not time to attend to your children's learning as the rich have; but you must recollect that a great many fathers at least, among those whom you call rich, are as much engaged in working for their families as you are, though in a different way; and yet if they are good men they make time to attend to the instruction of their children, because they know of what consequence it is that they should do so. But indeed every one has time enough to teach his child all knowledge necessary to salvation. It is not to be done by set lessons, but by talking to him whenever an opportunity offers, by telling him that there is one greater and better than his father or his mother, who made him and them, who provides

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them with every thing that they have, who sees and hears all that is done, or said, or thought; who loves those that are good, and hates and will destroy all that are evil. A child, too, may very soon be taught to love his Saviour, and will listen with great eagerness, when he hears how Jesus Christ* came down from heaven for his sake, how he lived in poverty and sorrow, and died a cruel death, that we might be made for his sake everlastingly happy. Let him be told how Christ loved little children,-how he commanded them to be brought unto him,-how by his outward gesture and deed, he declared his good will unto them; for he took them up in his arms, he put his hands upon them, and blessed them. Nay, even the third great truth which the Gospel teaches us, the sanctification of our hearts by the Holy Spirit, can be and often is taught practically to very young children, when they are told to pray to God to

* I have almost copied the words of Miss Taylor's beautiful Hymn, beginning,

"Jesus, who lives above the sky,

Came down to be a man and die."

The knowledge and love of Christ can no where be more readily gained by young children, than from the Hymns of this most admirable woman, and, may I add? from some of the short Stories of Mrs. Cameron, such as “Amelia,” the "Two Lambs," the "Flower Pots."

make them good. Depend upon it, my brethren, you may train up your children in this saving knowledge with no expense of time, and with no other learning than the simplest acquaintance with the Gospel would give you. In fact, if you have a saving knowledge of Christ yourselves, you may give it also to your children. Do not think that you do all that is required of you, if you send your child to school, or make him learn his Catechism. You are not bound to teach him to read, and to write, because that would take up more time than you could spare, and you may not have learning enough yourselves to do it; you do enough, therefore, on these points, if you send your child, when it is in your power, to a school where he may be taught them. But for all necessary parts of Christian knowledge, such as those of which I have been speaking, as you can give them to him yourselves, so you are bound to do it, or at least, to make yourselves certain that it is done properly either by you or by others. Again, you have not done enough by seeing that your children can say the Catechism: they may say it, and not be able to understand a word of it, as is very generally the case; and, besides, a child learns his Catechism as a task, and it is the hardest thing in the world to make

very young persons connect their tasks with their practice; they cannot fancy that what they learn in a book has any thing to do with what they say and do when they are among their relations out of school. The knowledge of Christ which I have been recommending, is to be shown in the hearts and lives of your children: just as you would teach them household work, that they may be useful about the house, or teach them how to plough, that they may go out and plough, to assist you or to earn their own bread. And by accustoming them early to love God and Christ, to thank him for all good things, to pray to him against all evil things, to be anxious to gain his favour, and to be afraid of offending him, you will do what is most likely to make them grow up Christians, that is, to make them happy here, and happy through all eternity.

It remains that I should address those who have grown up to youth or manhood, without having yet fully embraced the offer of salvation through Christ. Whatever has been the neglect of your parents or instructors, you are now come to an age when you must make up for their fault by your own exertions, or else the neglect is no longer theirs, but your own. You are called upon to turn to Christ, and to believe on him; and the threatenings addressed to the un