prayer and thanksgiving their private houses, and as Solomon solemnly consecrated the temple to the living God. Sometimes it signifies to train or discipline as the soldier is taught the science of war, and reduced to habits of order and obedience to his superiors. Abraham is therefore represented as arming his trained servants, those whom he had instructed and disciplined in the art of war. There is another translation given to this word which is perfectly agreeable to the original, and adds much to the emphasis of the expression. “Train up a child at the mouth, or entrance, or beginning of his way." This phrase in the boldness of eastern style expresses that early concern which parents should manifest for the spiritual interests of their offspring: They ought to see that their first step be taken "in the narrow way which leads to everlasting life;" that they should be early directed to the choice of religion as their honor, and interest, and happiness. The sooner that religious instruction is poured into their opening powers it is usually the more successful, because the first impres sions are the most deep, and lasting.

In order to assist parents in the discharge of a duty equally pleasing and important; a duty which they owe to God who has honored them with an offspring, to the church which these children under their admonition may hereafter adorn, and to their children themselves I will attempt,

I. To illustrate the import of the injunc tion, and

II. Point out the obligation under which parents are to perform the duty recommended.

1. Parents ought to train up their offspring by an early surrender of them to Jehovah in the ordinance of baptism. The attention of the pious Jews was early directed to the dedication of their children in the rite of circumcision. Soon after the birth of Samuel we hear Hannah devoutly resolving, "I will bring him that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord." Zachariah and Elizabeth the parents of John, and Mary the mother of our Lord on the eighth day presented their children to the living God in that ordinance. And although under the christian dispensation there is no day particularly specified on which our offspring should be offered up in baptism, yet unquestionably the first opportunity should be embraced. Baptism is as positively enjoined upon us, as circumcision was upon the Jews; the promise is no less explicit to us and to our children now, than it was to them and their children formerly, and as the light is clearer under the present than under the former dispensation, the neglect of our duty in this respect is more offensive to God and more dangerous to the souls of our children. There is no weight in the objection frequently urged

"that the baptism of infants is not expressly commanded in the New-Testament scriptures." It is enough to mention that circumcision, the initiating seal of the covenant, was early improved for their seed by the believing Jews, and it therefore follows by obvious, undeniable inference that baptism, the initiating seal of the same covenant, should be early improved for their seed by believing Gentiles. There is no positive command for sanctifying, as the christian sabbath, the first day of the week, yet all christians unite in the observation of that day, because it was uniformly kept holy by our Saviour and his apostles, and is not the baptism of infants enforced by the same high authority? Were not " Lydia and her household, the Jailor and his household" baptized by those very apostles who received their commission from our Lord immediately before his ascension? Would to God that the mournful neglect of this duty on the part of parents arose merely from scruples of conscience about the propriety of the institution: There is reason to apprehend that it arises rather from a spirit of deep stupidity and slumber which has rested upon the churches: There are many parents who discover almost no concern for their own souls, therefore it is not to be expected that they can either feel or manifest much concern about the souls of their offspring.

2. We ought to train up our children by

early teaching them the great principles of religion. Gradually as the powers of the mind begin to unfold, and the child appears capable of reflection, it should be taught in the most plain, impressive manner, the leading doctrines of salvation. The human mind is essentially active, and must be employed. It is not more natural for the body to breathe than for the soul to reflect, and unless diligence is exercised to give to the thoughts of children a proper direction, they are in danger of becoming wanton, vicious, and a prey to every temptation. Parents should therefore aim at impressing upon their minds some conceptions of the living God; endeavoring to inform them that he is a being infinitely great, that he is always present with them, and therefore acquainted with their thoughts, and words, and actions; they should also teach them the near relation in which the great God stands to them as their Creator by whom their bodies and mind were formed, and from whom were derived all those powers of both by which man is so much.exalted above the beasts of the field: Children should also be early made acquainted with their fallen condition by nature, that they are "conceived in sin," born under the curse, and therefore "children of wrath:" In attempting to make them acquainted with their disease by transgression, parents ought also to exhibit the infinite remedy which grace has provided; that the Father "sent his own Son to VOL. 3. R 2.

be the Saviour of the world;" that the Eternal Son in order to become a suitable Saviour took to himself our nature, sustained that curse to which we were exposed, and hath "made peace by the blood of his cross;" that he is now "able to save to the uttermost" any of the human family who apply that redemption which is in his blood, and that he particularly invites "little children" to come to him for salvation. Youth ought thus to be taught in the most obvious, familiar manner the first principles of our holy religion, and probably this instruction cannot be given with a greater probability of success than by question and answer. This mode of imparting divine truth was early introduced into the church, and perhaps has been a principal means of propagating the true doctrine from age to age. The apostle Paul exhorts Timothy to "hold fast that form of sound words which he had heard," and he thanks God in behalf of the Romans that "they had obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which they had received,” and he also speaks of being "nourished up in the words of faith, and of good doctrine." It is therefore evident that the attention of parents ought very early to be directed to the spiritual instruction of their offspring. It is mentioned as the privilege of Timothy, and also the honor of "his mother and grand-mother" that from "a child he knew the holy scriptures," and Solomon also relates to the honor of his Father, and as a