departed from Israel, because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said, the glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken."

We must not pass on without noticing the undeniable spirit of piety, manifested both by aged Eli and his daughter-in-law. They felt deeply, indeed, for their own flesh and blood, but neither of them were overcome till the fatal word was spoken, that the ark of the Lord was taken. This was the death of both of them, and that so it was, is an alleviation, though a mournful one, of the otherwise unmixed detail of misery. It was their last pang, we may humbly trust; for whatever may have been the infirmities of either of them, and of Eli especially, the glory of God was uppermost in their minds; and that the safety of their country rested wholly on the divine favour was their settled conviction; and "them that honour me," God says, "I will honour." Setting this aside, however, universal history will scarcely present us with another tale of wretchedness, exhibiting such an affecting complication of dreadful and distressing circumstances. An ancient house swept away at once; the heirs of the family cut off in the flower of their age; called to judgment in the height of their presumption; entailing, at the same time, by their sins, a miserable death on their nearest and dearest rela

tives; beggary on their posterity, and defeat, and slaughter, and divine wrath upon their country. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!"*

66

For, as hath appeared already, to one gross error the whole is traceable; and to this I must now confine myself. The sons of Eli knew not the Lord. And they knew him not, because they were not taught and trained to know him.

Then first, my brethren, let that grand truth be well considered, on which the whole Gospel of Christ proceeds; that man is " very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil."† Consequently, that do what we will, sin is beforehand with us; that the parents' natural joy that a man is born into the world, hath indeed something to check it; for that in the son in whom he delighteth there is something to be cured, something to be counteracted, and the question, however early you may put it, is not how shall a young man preserve his innocency, but "wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?" The poison, my brethren, may not be instantly perceivable, but there it is; and if evil communications are not to be gladly welcomed; if the world and the tempter are not to be met half way; if lust hastily conceiving is not to bring forth sin, and sin quickly finished is not to bring forth death, you must be prompt * James iii. 5. † Art. ix.

Psalm cxix. 9.

to supply the antidote: for otherwise the cockatrice' egg will be a viper before you are aware of it, and your children will know how to swear before you have taught them how to pray. Take counsel, then, of God at once. And now this is

the counsel which he gives you.

"The words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart, and thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children."* Them, ob

serve, the divine word, the truth as it is in Jesusthat to the exclusion of everything which is inconsistent with it: this is instruction. Moreover, "it is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth;"† they must be broke of their selfwill, taught obedience: this is discipline; and both together, in the useful, practical, christian sense, are education. And then for the manner of doing the work effectually, resting ultimately on God's blessing, act conformably to such general rules and principles as the following:-"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."‡ "Strive to enter in at the strait gate, for many will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."§ "The soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing, but the soul of the diligent shall be made "Watch in all things," ¶ doing the work

fat." ||

of Evangelists. Think of these directions, and remember God's testimony concerning Hezekiah, and square your practice by it. "Thus did Hezekiah, it is written, throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God. And in every "work"-the rule, you see, is of universal application" that he did in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandment, to seek his God; he did it with all his heart, and prospered."* Two parties, however, are concerned in the special matter which I would press to-day; and in coming more to particulars, as I now intend, I must apply myself to them severally. To parents, and those who оссиру the place of parents, first; and then to those who have it in their power to help parents where they need it, and on whom therefore, by the law of love, the obligation to help them lies.

And first, Parents. "Bring up your children," says the apostle, "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." You always can do something in this behalf, and nothing can discharge you from doing all you can.

God has made you watchmen. He instituted marriage that he might "seek a godly seed." That ordinarily, at least, every child born might have † Eph. vi. 4.

* 2 Chron. xxxii. 20, 21.

two guardians specially charged with it,* and specially bound to it-see that ye do the watchman's part, for their blood shall be required at the watchman's hand.

What! will ye say we are not learned? I pray thee have us excused. I tell I tell you nay. Yours it is, and yours it must be, to sow good seed in the Lord's field,-in that little plot of ground, at least, entrusted by God to your spiritual husbandry, to inculcate, I mean, right principles in your own children, each of you.

Why, ye know something surely; and is not the church door open? and are not the Scriptures read? and is not the Gospel preached? and might ye not therefore, if ye would, know more? Having these lights yourselves, surely you can tell your children that there is a God that made them, and sees them, and will call them to a reckoning; that his "eyes are in every place, beholding the evil and the good:"† that, as every one hath done, so will the Lord requite him; that the wicked shall go into hell, and the righteous into life eternal; that such things are sin, and such things duty; that if they have sinned they must be sorry for it, because they have made the great and good God angry by it; and that if they have made the great God angry, there is, notwithstanding, One between + Prov. xv. 3.

* Malachi ii. 15.