nefs of education, or ought to be engaged in it, hereafter tafte the sweets of this reward, and be animated now by the idea of it to perfevering fidelity in the execution of this moft facred of trufts! SERMON VI. Some of the principal and moft ufual Faults in Education. GOD, by the conftitution which thou hast esta blished in nature, the children of men are born in an extremely feeble and dependent condition. Far more weak and dependent, liable to far more accidents than the beasts of the field, they make their entrance on this ftate of being. And it is only by flow degrees, not till late, that they arrive at greater strength and independence. But this alfo is the arrangement of thy wife paternal kindness. It is thy defign to elevate us far above the brute creation, by forming us into rational, moral creatures; and this cannot be effected but by intercourse with other already more evolved creatures, not without continual inftruction from them; and this intercourse, this inftruction would not take place, if thou hadst not so intimately connected us together and made us fo dependent on each other. O everlasting Father, we adore thy will, and thank thee thee for the connections in which thou haft placed us both with our parents and with our children, and for the manifold advantages thou haft granted us thereby. Bless to the furtherance of thy gracious purposes in this refpect, the confiderations in which we are now about to engage. Let us attentively and impartially hearken to the voice of truth, and with willing obedience follow her fuggestions and precepts. These and all other mercies we implore thee to grant us in the name of our faviour Jefus, who in every good leffon and example is the spotless pattern of our conduct, and who alfo taught us in what form it behoves us to present our requests unto thee. Our father, &c. EPHES. vi. 4. Ye fathers, bring them up in the nurture and admonition of AS the Lord. S the education of children, the formation of their mind and their heart, is undoubtedly the most important, fo likewife is it the most arduous task of parents. When we confider how much depends on the first impreffions that are made on the human mind; how deep they fink, and how difficult it is to efface them afterwards; when we confider how strong and almost invincible the authority of prejudice and custom is, and how much trouble it cofts us to forfake the way we have often trod, on which we have found many comforts and fatisfactions, and which we have long taken for the fafeft and the best we must infallibly perceive of what infinite moment it is, whether we imbibe good or bad, true or false principles and rules of conduct early in our youth, whether the goods and advantages of this world are reprefented to us in this manner or in that, whether we are imbued with groveling or generous fentiments, whether virtue and piety are inftilled into us, or whether our hearts are allured to vice and to a contempt for God and Christ. Everything afterwards turns out accordingly. We have accordingly more or fewer difficulties to conquer on the way of virtue; and accordingly will it be easier or harder for us to reach our destination, and to be happy here and hereafter. How important therefore on thefe confiderations must the edu cation of children be! But on the other hand how arduous the undertaking! When we confider how much attention, intelligence, care, patience and perfeverance are requifite, and how much pains it demands, to oppose the current of general, but not therefore the lefs hurtful manners and customs ; when we confider, what a diversity there is in the natural capacities, the propenfities and characters of mankind, how eafily we may run into extremes either on one fide or on the other, by being too fevere or too lenient, and how often we are tempted to indolence and relaxation in our efforts, from the uncertainty of ever reaping the fruit we expected from from them: we must foon find, that this task presupposes confiderable abilities, and is attended with much trouble. However, the more certain it is, pious hearers, that the education of children is an extremely important and difficult business, so much the more reafon had the apoftle to exhort christians to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; and fo much the lefs will you be diffatisfied with me, if I difcourfe to you to-day on a duty of fuch univerfal obligation, which is fo feldom obferved with due care, and yet on the obfervance whereof the welfare of thofe that are the deareft to us in a great measure depends. But, as the subject is too copious to be treated of at once in its full extent, I fhall do no more at present than warn you of fome of the principal and most usual mistakes in the education of children. Do thou, o God, thyself difpofe the hearts of my hearers to a ready acceptance of thefe fuggeftions, and excite them to the faithful application of them. Difpell by the light of truth, the prejudices that may have hitherto stood in their way, and let the fruit of this discourse be manifested in the virtuous conduct of the children whom thou haft entrusted to them! The first fault I obferve in the education of children is this, that fenfuality is allowed to gain the afcendancy over them, and that this fource of moral corruption is not fufficiently checked. The creator has doubtlefs given us the fenfes for wife and good purposes. They are the means whereby we acquire |