A little sister I sat near and cake, which she at first refused, but finally gave to him. then came and made a similar request, but was refused. overheard her little brother whisper in her ear, "Coax her, Jane, and you will get it." The mother was busily engaged talking with, and entertaining her visitors, and, probably to get rid of the child and his importunities, had given him the cake without thinking, perhaps, what she was about. But this habit which she was fostering in her child, was not calculated to diminish her trouble, or prevent her from similar importunities when she was particularly engaged. Instead of weighing the pros and cons in their own minds, some mothers are in the habit of making the conduct of their children the entire foundation of refusing or granting their requests. This shows a weak and perverted judgment. It is the uniform practice with some mothers to keep their children in a state of suspense, parleying with them, even when they have decided in their own minds that it is inexpedient to grant the favour desired. But this only engenders a peevish and fretful disposition in children, and often leads them to think that it is obstinacy, and not necessity, which prompted the refusal. Children usually have minds open to conviction, and when they see that their parents desire their happiness as really when they deny them, as when they yield to their wishes, they will generally acquiesce. It is true that a mother cannot always make up her judgment at once, but when she has sufficiently reflected, let her act promptly and decidedly. Even in cases where she finds she has misjudged, she should be careful not to let her child see that she has no confidence in herself. TO MOTHERS OF YOUNG FAMILIES. THE subject of Christian education is universally acknowledged to be one of paramount importance, and the station of a Christian mother, one of the highest responsibility; and yet I fear it is not felt to be such by most mothers, especially by such as have the charge of very young children. Some of the common errors of early education, I would respectfully submit to the consideration of Christian mothers. 1. It is to be feared that mothers are not sufficiently prayerful. Daily, fervent, earnest prayer should be offered for the blessing of God upon our infant families. "Oh! that" our children "may live before Thee!" should be our unceasing petition, never faltering in faith or in fervour. Without thus urgently imploring the aid of the Holy Spirit, all efforts are worse than vain: they are presumptuous. 2. Obedience, implicit, filial, loving obedience, is not strenuously enforced during the early years of a child's life. Many mothers very erroneously suppose that it is impracticable to exact strict obedience from a very young child; and those who would not hesitate to enforce obedience from a child of six or ten years of age, shrink from exacting it from a child of two. This I conceive to be a fundamental error of education; for obedience is the foundation, the corner stone of all the other virtues. Form then habits of early obedience in your infant;let it consider a parent's command as an irrevocable law, from which there is no appeal, and you can mould it as you will. A mother's law should be formed and given, only after prayer and mature deliberation ; but once given, she must permit no entreaties, not even the most persevering supplications, on the part of her little one, to induce her to relent. She must be unyielding as a rock. I know, by sad experience, how difficult it is to remain thus firm,-how hard to turn a deaf ear to the winning accents and beseeching tears of infancy; but I can give one infallible recipe to aid mothers in their resolutions. Lift up your hearts in inward and fervent supplications to your heavenly Father, and He will give you strength to triumph over every struggle. Some will call you harsh, if you persist in this firmness. Heed it not. Be invincible. You will be indeed cruel to your child if you do not; and worse even than this; you violate a solemn, sacred duty to your God,—for it is the duty of every mother to insist upon obedience from her child, as early as it is capable of yielding it;-and that is much earlier than most mothers imagine. 66 When my little girl was sixteen months old, she began to join words. Her first attempt was, "Dear mamma!" She had been able to say it for a week or two, articulating distinctly. One day her father asked her to say it for him. She shook her little head; Oh, no, papa!” she said. We unitedly entreated her to say it, for half an hour. She obstinately persisted in refusing to obey. Her father said, "You should conquer this obstinacy.' I led her by the hand into an adjoining apartment, and closed the door. She stamped with passion, and screamed loudly for about ten minutes. I then asked her if she would say, "Dear mamma!" "No, no," was still her reply. I then whipped her. She still continued perseveringly obstinate, crying "No, no," to every command to obey. She put up her lips for a kiss, but I refused to kiss her unless she obeyed me. Upon reiterating her refusal, I alternately whipped, and shut her up. It may be thought incredible, but this contest for supremacy actually lasted four hours! At last, I gained the victory. The rebellious spirit was subdued, I fully believe in answer to my silent prayers during our struggle, and the little sobbing penitent called, "Dear, dear mamma," and repeated it several times at her father's solicitation. I was encouraged to persevere, by recollecting the anecdote related in Mr. Abbott's "Mother at Home," of the little boy who would not say A. Most mothers will probably recollect it. I thank Mr. Abbott from my heart for his valuable book, but particularly for this anecdote. It has been of great service to me and my child. She is now nearly two years of age, and generally obedient. She knows that her mother is not to be trifled with. Sometimes, but rarely, she is sent into the corner of the room for disobedience, but is easily subdued. In a few minutes, she says, "I will be a good girl,—always obey my own dear mother." "Dear Now it was of no consequence that this child should say, mamma;" as regards the act itself, it was a thing unimportant; but it was of vital consequence that she should know that she must obey. This was her first lesson in obedience, and I believe it has been an impressive one. 3. Another reason why mothers do not insist more strenuously upon obedience from their little ones, I fear, has its origin in the fact, that very young children are too much left to the care of servants. I do not mean unprincipled servants,-for no Christian woman would knowingly trust her children with such. But even granting the nurse's excellent character and principles, yet she is not endowed with a mother's authority, or a mother's love. Thus, how many little gusts of passion, how many fits of obstinacy, how many traits of vanity, are passed over without correction, to say the best of it; or worse, perhaps, laughed at as affording amusement. And why? Mothers, mark well the reason! Because the mother is away,-away from her post,—a post which requires unceasing vigilance, and untiring watchfulness. Yes, young mothers, your homes are in your nurseries,-nurseries of immortal fruit, and unfading blossoms! If you do not assiduously sow the good seed, which will bring forth the golden "fruits of the Spirit," the adversary will not neglect to scatter his tares in wild profusion on the fertile and rich soil of the heart of your little ones. You must check, and, if possible, destroy the growth of noxious weeds, and strive to introduce in their stead, the tender plants of purity and holiness. Be much at home, and have your children about you. This will furnish you many opportunities for storing their young minds with divine truth, and of disciplining their hearts and tempers by the strong, but gentle sway of maternal influence. You have more power over your children than any other human being possibly can have. You are intimately acquainted with their different dispositions and habits, and you must "train them in the way they should go." I would recommend to all parents the attentive perusal of two excellent works by Caroline Fry," The Listener," and "Scripture Principles of Education." They will make every one wiser and better. Above all, dear Christian mothers, I implore of you to cultivate, both in your children and in yourselves, a humble spirit of prayer, and a spirit of submissive dependence upon the goodness of our heavenly Father, together with a firm reliance upon the efficacy of the love and intercession of our blessed Redeemer and Mediator. Philadelphia, 1834. ZILLAH. SLEEP. ADDRESSED TO THE YOUNG. My dear young friend-You sometimes, I suppose, feel grateful to the Lord for his kindness to you. If you were ever in great danger, and have been delivered, your first thoughts were naturally joy at the escape, and perhaps gratitude to Him who saved you. It may be you have at some former time been preserved from drowning-or from some terrible disease, to which others fell victims, or from a fall you escaped unhurt, when escape seemed almost impossible; and at these times, had any one asked you by what power you had been saved, you would have answered with a solemn look, and a heart touched with thankfulness, "It is the great power of God!" But, do you ever reflect on the many, many common mercies you с every day receive from the same kind Being? I will at this time recall to your minds but one of these blessings. I mean that of quiet sleep. You have, perhaps, known some persons, whom pain and distress prevented from sleeping. It may be, you yourselves were once sick, and you lay tossing from side to side, unable to rest. You then wished very much to be well, that you might sleep quietly. I don't know but you prayed to the Lord to heal you. And now you are well and strong, and almost as soon as your head touches the pillow, your senses are fast locked in slumber; but do you therefore forget to thank Him, who heard your prayer, and listened to the supplications of your friends, and bade the disease depart, and put health into your frame, and sent life and strength through all your limbs ? When then you lie down at night, and are about to forget the day and all its concerns in the unconsciousness of sleep, you ought to pray to your kind Father in heaven, who has always watched over you, that He will make you rest in peace and security during the night, and cause you to awake in the morning with new health and vigour. You should remember, with gratitude, the mercies received during the day, and the freedom from sickness and care, which you enjoy. For, there are many in the town in which you live, perhaps in the circle of your acquaintance, whose eyes must remain unclosed and their bodies unrefreshed by sleep. Some are sick-and pain will not permit them to rest. I am acquainted with a man, who was so badly hurt by a fall, that, for many day and nights, he could not rest quietly. They gave him laudanum in large quantities; but the relief this affords is very far inferior to the sweet refreshment your own sleep bestows. Again, some are kept waking by sorrow or anxiety-by distress of mind. You are free as yet from care, and you have never known the sorrow that banishes sleep from the couch of the wretched. Think also of the prisoner in his cell. There are those in our own country, and in all countries, who are doomed to die; perhaps but a few more times will they behold the rising sun; their lives are forfeited to their country's laws. Just put yourselves for a moment in their situation, think on the crimes committed, the punishment expected, and the deep disgrace; and, as you turn your head on your pillow, bless your God, that your sleep is not to be that of a condemned criminal. As you would wish to enjoy for yourself the blessed influences of quiet and untroubled rest, so should you crave from your kind Parent in heaven, the same mercies for those around you; and when in your evening prayer you say, "Grant me, O Lord, this night a calm and quiet sleep-add to the petition for yourself, one for your friends and acquaintance. Especially endeavour so to regulate your conduct and feelings during the day, that no feeling of remorse need at night disturb you; and above all, so live every day, and all the days of your life, that when the night of death comes, you may be prepared to fall asleep, as did Stephen, with the blessed hope of a glorious awakening at the resurrection of the just. It is but of trifling importance, comparatively, how the few short days and nights of earth are passed; but it is of unspeakable moment that the soul should not be suffered to slumber in its sins. The carelessness of those who do not love God, is frequently spoken of in the Bible as a sleep, and a dangerous one, and the soul is bidden to awake to its best interests. But, you will not awake to the love of God, and the mercy of the Saviour, unless the Holy Spirit from on high arouse you to a sense of your dreadful state, and a desire of holiness and bliss. Pray then, at night, not only for quiet, natural rest, but for the power of God's Spirit, to wake you from the deadly torpor of sin, to rouse you, with a resistless touch, from the stupidity of your iniquity; and implore him, of his great mercy, to send to your soul the light of truth and religion. And then, at the last, you may breathe your soul out in the arms of the Redeemer, and sleep in the grave, till the voice of the archangel call your body to immortality, and you enter the city of the blessedthe city of which it is said, "There shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light, of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign for ever and ever,"-and there shall be no more sin." S. S. J. ABOLITION OF COLONIAL Poetry. The The following Hymns have been written to celebrate this great event, on August 1st, 1834; and will be sung at Ranelagh Chapel, Chelsea, on the evening of that day; when the Associated Ministers and Congregations of Pimlico, Chelsea, and Brompton, will assemble. Address will be delivered by the Rev. John Morison, D. D., of Brompton. The two first Hymns are from the pen of J. Montgomery, Esq., of Sheffield; and the two last by the Rev. R. H. Shepherd, of Ranelagh Chapel. HYMN I. BY J. MONTGOMERY, ESQ. Ages, ages! have departed, Where their bones till judgment sleep. |