It is indeed a great error to find fault never; for the case of no necessity occurring is not to be expected. It is an error, fatal to authority and discipline. It argues want of discrimination between what is right and wrong, want of displeasure at what is wrong, or want of courage to make it felt. With such views of a person's character, respect, confidence, and love, cannot co-exist. Jupiter's log, even, were as good and respectable a governor. Should we respect even God, if, with such infinite occasion, such necessity, he never frowned? What would He be, more than any other post, if no disobedience could move him to wrath? We should despise him, as the frogs did the impotent wood let down from Jove. What cannot scourge, cannot alarm.

It is only those blessings which are meant for tests, that fall indiscriminately on man, and so seem not to distinguish the evil from the good. Such blessings as argue favor and loving-kindness, single out the dwellings of the virtuous, and fall never on the homes of the proud. None can think the Author of Nature to be of that good, easy character, which is equally pleased with all things, and which can never give pain. Nor will it be training our pupils for life as it is, if by letting what is wrong pass unrebuked, we lead them to think that the case will always and everywhere be the same.

The discipline of school should be conformed in its spirit and end to the discipline of that higher school in which our very birth and being make us pupils, and from whose lessons, painful often, but never unwholesome, there is absolutely no escape, though they may often

be administered without profit. He is a bad instructor, whose words or actions teach that Nature and Life are all sunshine and summer; as well as he who makes the impression that all is clouds and winter. It is our duty, by effectually discriminating between the good and the bad, the silver and the dross, to make our pupils realize that all shall be rewarded according to their works; incipiently, here: fully, hereafter.

It is a good rule, not to repeat commands, except to be understood. Every repetition, beyond what is necessary for this end, weakens discipline, and is a step downward from the seat of authority, easily taken, but hard to retrace. It is the fruit of weakness, and a fruitful cause of it in all discipline. I refer to the formal annunciation of the lawgiver's will, when a crisis is at hand; and would not disparage that copiousness of instruction alike found in Nature and the Bible, which is literally line upon line, and precept upon precept. There is but one Sinai, while the proofs and authentications of the Law there given are innumerable. Nature never coaxes, never burdens the air with repeated beseechings. She has her law. Disobey, and you suffer. This makes her discipline mighty. You know on what to depend. You are certain that what gravitates, burns, drowns, freezes, to-day, will do the same to-morrow, and forever. Nor is there any ground to hope, or motive to wish, that the universal Governor might be any less exact and uniform in his moral than in his natural government; and to us belongs, not complaint, but conformity.

It is the curse of poverty to be obliged to beg; and

poor indeed in influence must that parent or teacher be, who begins by commanding, and, after exhausting all the treasures, both of Xantippe and of Eli, ends by driving a bargain for obedience, and buys for compliments or candy, what should have been rendered at command.

Is it asked, What shall be done when a command, once given, and well understood, is not obeyed? Make it obeyed, is the answer. Is it asked again, How make the pupil or child obey? Punish, if necessary, because it is necessary, and as long as may be necessary, is the answer. This is the way, and the only way, to make punishments few, the pain of inflicting them little, and the good resulting great.

A spirit of true, unaffected benevolence is essential to all beneficial and successful government. Love must dictate all, even the utmost severity of discipline. Judgment must be, and must seem to be, a strange work, and mercy a delight. The teacher that would make his authority firm and strong, must be slow to

Let him learn the great

anger, and ready to forgive. secret of the Gospel's power. It is its kindness; it is the good-will to men, inscribed on every fold of its banner, inspiring every doctrine, animating every precept, every threatening, every invitation, which the Ever-living-Spirit makes mighty to break the proudest wills, and melt the hardest hearts. It is the kindness of a God that can punish, and which would be without force if it could not; but it is kindness, real, indispu table, infinite, universal. Who knows not the power of kind looks, and kind words, over the froward, that

have long been estranged from all sense of human charity? What vast power over minds and hearts belongs to him, to whom every pupil looks, and cannot but look, as his best friend! Confidence is everything in government; confidence in our judgment, in our love. What will not the soldier do for the commander in whose judgment, skill, and kindness he can trust? An army can be led to certain death by a Leonidas, whose bosom is the first bared to every danger, who takes the lead in every toil and sacrifice, instead of imposing burdens and requiring tasks which he would not himself touch with one of his fingers.

It would indeed be a mistake to suppose that the utmost kindness, and the utmost wisdom, combined, will secure universal obedience. There is frowardness which is more than a match for infinite wisdom and infinite love, and it is found not seldom. But, while we may not expect universal success, with our highest combination and best exercise of these indispensable elements, we can expect no true success at all without them. The obedience we may seem to secure, will be mechanical, forced, not from the heart, not tending to form a habit of doing right, not leading our pupils to govern themselves.

A government, wise and kind, will always be respected, though it may not always be obeyed; and respect, real and heartfelt towards us, is vital to all our usefulness in forming character, and is a great step towards success. Without it, we can do nothing; and with it, we can do much.

To that infinite and uncreated Source, whence all

light, all love proceed, let us reverently turn our obedient souls; and let it seem in our eyes none other than the worthiest and noblest of offices to reflect of those good and perfect gifts upon waiting eyes and willing hearts around us.

What more can a mortal ask than to stand between the Divinity and his fellow creatures, and reflect his light and love on their minds, distant from his throne only by one degree? Let no teacher despise his birthright, nor sell it, like unbelieving Esau. All-judging Heaven will mete us out a just and large reward, if we be found watching for and doing our duty.