meet with individuals on whom it may be exceedingly difficult to engraft one or other of the five qualities which have been mentioned. But let them not be discouraged. A deep sense of their own frailty and propensity to evil, notwithstanding all the grace of God may have done for them; and a recollection that these same qualities, less corrected perhaps by divine grace, are inherent in their children; should lead them to expect great obstacles, and rather to wonder at their success, than at their failures. In fact, how could they succeed in any one instance, but for the divine aid? How patiently then, and with what sweetness of temper, should they bear with difficulties and hindrances among their children, praying, and waiting quietly and serenely, for the blessing of God, while they steadily and unweariedly continue to employ the means which, on full consideration, appear to them to be the best in their power! It is surprising how such conduct succeeds in the end ; children altering unaccountably for the better, and a bright dawn opening on a parent, when he thinks that a long and dark night is before him. Under discouraging circumstances, it is of the highest importance that he should possess his soul in patience, and not suffer his affection to be alienated from his child. If he fails in these respects, his ability to conduct him into the right path will assuredly be weakened,-perhaps entirely lost. He will naturally apply himself with most care to rectify what he deems most faulty. But he ought to bear it in mind, that in these points the child will find a change most

difficult. It is here, therefore, that the parent must not look for more than a very gradual improvement, interrupted probably by relapses and retrogressions, and must be particularly on his guard against haste and violence. In his other children, or perhaps in some parts of the character of the very child who causes him great uneasiness, he may find much to cheer him. Such cordials (if I may be allowed the term) he may freely use, returning thanks for them to the Giver of all good; but let him never forget, that they must not lead him to lose sight of the evil existing in his family, or relax in his endeavours to remove it.

CHAP. VI.

Means for the Support of Parental Authority and Influence. Rewards and Punishments.

HAVING mentioned the objects to be kept in view in education, it may now be proper to say something on the means which it is the duty of a parent to employ to make his authority respected, and to influence the minds of his children.

Of these means, rewards and punishments first demand our attention. Various theoretic discussions have taken place respecting the propriety of employing them. in education. I shall neither examine nor produce any theories on this subject, but found what I advance on the Divine example and the Divine command, which, I apprehend, will be far safer guides than any theory; and guides far better suited to those persons who have the management of children-persons generally much better qualified to follow a plain rule than a philosophical speculation. In the government of this our world, God manifestly employs rewards and punishments. They are held out to influence his creatures, and lead them to the performance of their duty, and to their true happiness. The punishments are used reluctantly, and for the purpose of humbling the mind, and leading it to give up forbidden objects and fly to its God. The rewards are most freely offered to those who will receive them with a right disposition of heart, manifested by right conduct

towards the gracious Donor; and are intended to premote and cherish, as well as to bless, such a disposition. They produce their effect partly by a sense of their value; but more by exciting, in the bosoms of those on whom they are bestowed, a gratitude for the boon, and a love for the Giver. These dispositions will be proportionate to their conviction of their own demerit, and of the Divine goodness; and when they have taken root in the heart, they become the most powerful motives to all christian virtue: they constrain the man, as it were, to live unto his God, and be a new creature in his service. I should trespass improperly on your indulgence, were I to quote passages to prove points which are clear from the general tenor of Scripture, and will be at once admitted.*

The parent, in training his child to christian virtue, will do well to study diligently the Divine plan for promoting the same great object among men, and to follow it as closely as the nature of the case will admit. He will find the precepts on education in the Sacred Volume, to teach his offspring-to guide them-to exact obedience from them-to command them-to correct them-but yet to "forbear threatening," and not discourage them, best illustrated by that plan, with which they are evidently in harmony.

How then should punishment be employed? Always reluctantly, and as sparingly as circumstances will

* 2 Cor. v. 14. See also, Eph. i. 3; 1 Tim. ii. 13, 17; 1 John iv. 18, 19; Rev. i. 5, 6,-vi, 6, 12, 13,

allow, and in such a manner, and with such accompaniments, that while it deters from sin, it may bring the mind into a state to be duly iufluenced by other and better motives.

And how should rewards be employed? With pleasure, and far more freely, as incentives to good; but stil! with a guard against their giving rise to habits of selfindulgence or prodigality; and with a constant recollection, that their highest use is to lead to the performance of duty from the more elevated motives of gratitude and affection.—It will be necessary to consider the heads of this general outline more particularly.

Punishments should be employed reluctantly. Will any one dispute this position? And yet how often are they inflicted in such a way, that there is not only no reluctance apparent, but they appear to afford positive gratification! It would give me pain to describe scenes which I have witnessed, when a child has been under the correction of a passionate or ill-humoured parent; nay, even of a parent, in general character, neither passionate nor ill-humoured, but out of temper at the time. Certainly, punishment under such circumstances takes a most offensive form, and is often likely to do much more harm than good. Let all of us who are parents (and I apply this sentiment very feelingly to myself,) take the utmost care that our children shall have no cause to think, that it is partly for our "own pleasure" that we correct them, and not entirely (after the example of God) for their "profit," that they "may