anxieties of mind, lashed by the stings of conscience. They look back upon the past with confusion; they tremble to remember "that they glorified not God, in whom their breath was, and whose are all their ways." (Dan. v. 23.) They cast their eyes towards the future, and see nothing but images of horror. Whilst shuddering and affrighted at beholding the depth of the gulf into which they are about to plunge, they cast looks of reproach and anguish upon you. "Of what avail,' they cry to you, of what avail are now all the riches, the honours, and pleasures of the world, which you were anxious to procure for me; why did you not tell me that a single Christ was better than all earthly friends? Why did you not tell me of the importance of eternal things? I now see all their consequence; but I see it too late. Fool that I was, to be blinded and rendered careless by you! but my self-reproaches are now unavailing the earth vanishes; the frowning Judge appears; hell opens to receive me.'

Thus they die in horror, and driven for ever from the presence of God, "lift up their eyes, being in torments." Parents, can any of you be so inhuman, so barbarous, so monstrous, as to neglect your children, and prepare for them this fearful doom?

Let me hope better things of you; let me hope that you will strive to lead them early to God; be faithful, and God has promised to bless your exertions. Then your children cannot fail to be happy; they will have the Lord as their friend, their guard, and protector; and Jesus Christ as their high-priest, their advocate, and redeemer. They will have those true riches which endure for ever; those durable honours which eternity will not impair; those ravishing pleasures which flow at God's

right hand. In life, they will be honoured and respected by the wise and good: in death," they will be tranquil and serene; for they will be supported by those sentiments of religion which were early felt by them, and upheld by that Saviour to whom you early directed their thoughts, and their desires. And beyond the grave they shall be ever with the Lord;. ever undefiled by sin, and unassailed by grief. Do you then love your children? "Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord;" and thus you will secure for them a happy life, a joyous death, and a triumphant eternity.

5. Finally, do you love yourselves? Do you wish to obtain the highest pleasures, and avoid the severest pains? Give your children a pious education. If the blessing of God on your tender care, render your offspring virtuous and holy, what pure delights will you experience! Their amiable and devout conduct will be a cordial to your soul, amidst the pains and decrepitude of years; the applause bestowed upon them, will afford joy to you; they will never slight, disregard, nor dishonour you; but will strive, by every grateful and delicate attention, by every expression of filial love, ennobled by religion, to gild the evening of your days. Happy parent! your years shall be prolonged, not, as it often happens, to see your comforts fall from you one by one, and to become at once old and destitute; but to taste a new pleasure, not to be found among the pleasures of youth, reserved for your age; to reap the harvest of your labours, in the duty, affection, and felicity of your dear children." [Ogden.]

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But if, on the contrary, you refuse to bring up your children in the fear of the Lord, is there not cause to apprehend, that they who are suffered to

slight and neglect God, should also slight and neglect you? Is there not cause to apprehend, that their passions may lead them into misery and guilt, which will embitter all your pleasures, and poison all your enjoyments? Is there not cause to apprehend, that the time may come, when like unhappy David, you will in vain seek for joy from the pomps and honours of the world, but must sorrowfully retire to your chamber, weeping for the irregularities of your child, and exclaiming in the bitterness of your soul, Oh Absalom! my son, my son?"

Remember too, that having lived for a short time in this mortal state, you will at last arrive at its close, and be stretched upon your bed of death. Think what delightful sensations, or what terrible pains, will then be experienced by you, according as you have performed or neglected this duty. Shall you have given your children a pious education, and seen them walking in the paths of truth and godliness, you will then be enabled to leave them without regret, and to bid them farewell with calmness; you will be able to commit them with confidence to the Father of the fatherless, knowing that they shall rest with safety under the shadow of the Almighty. You will be armed against the terrors of the approaching separation, by remembering that you have performed your duty to them, though imperfectly, yet sincerely; and by anticipating that period when you shall again be united before the throne of God, Though such a parent die," says the wise son of Sirach, " yet he is as though he were not dead; for he hath left one behind him that is like himself. While he lived, he saw and rejoiced in him; and when he died, he was not sorrowful." (Ecclesiasticus xxx. 4. 6.)

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God
God

Shall you, on the contrary, at the hour of death, be forced to remember that you have neglected your children, and by your carelessness destroyed their souls? Ah, this reflection will kindle a hell in your bosom, will give double terrors to death. gave me children,' you will cry in agony: gave me children, committed to me the care of their immortal souls, and ordered me to bring them up in his fear. At the period of their baptism, I vowed thus to do; but I have slighted my vows, and forgotten my engagements; I have been careful of their temporal interests, and anxious for their outward welfare, but have been careless of the state of their souls; I have sold them to sin and to Satan; I have been the instrument of their perdition: they are lost; but their blood is about to be required at my hands.' Parents, are you desirous that these should not be your feelings on the bed of death? Begin then instantly to bring up your children "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

Remember, finally, that the day of judgment is approaching: death shall lay your bodies and the bodies of your children in the dust; but at the voice of the archangel and the trump of God, you shall wake from the long slumbers of the grave to receive your final doom. Oh! what joy shall swell the heart of the godly parent, when the voice of the archangel shall cry, arise, thou pious father, thou holy mother! arise and re-embrace those righteous children whom death tore from your arms; arise, open your eyes upon your dear children who closed them when you expired; arise, press to your parental bosom these your descendants whom you early dedicated to God, and educated in his fear; go before them to the throne of the Judge, and exclaim in humble tri

umph, "behold us, O God, and the children whom thou hast given us." (Isaiah v. 18.) "Those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost." (John xvii. 12.). He will give you the crown of righteousness; he will cause you never more to be separated from each other, nor from him.'

But, criminal parent! these joys are not for you; for you are reserved tortures, which the heart in vain attempts to conceive. That son, that daughter, whom you are leading to perdition, will descry you amongst the assembled crowd: as they sink in the flames, they will imprecate the vengeance of God upon your head; they will cry to you in a voice that will rend your heart; wretched parent! it is you that have brought us hither! it is you who communicated to us a corrupted nature, and were careless of leading us to God, and inspiring us with holy sentiments: wretch! why didst thou call us into being? why didst thou plunge us into hell? our doom is remediless; but we will become thy tormentors! we will for ever present ourselves to thee, surrounded by those flames which consume us, weighed down by those chains of darkness with which we are bound; we will cry to thee, behold thy work! The groans, the shrieks, the howlings, which we shall through eternity pour forth, will vibrate in thine ear, will reproach thee for our misery and thy guilt, will kindle a hell within thee more intolerable than the flames in which thou shalt be enwrapped.'

But I forbear. This picture is too appalling. If the mere anticipation of such a scene freezes the blood, what, oh what, must be its reality!

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