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loveft the private dwellings of Jacob, as well as the gates of Zion. Affift us in our family devotion this evening.

We thank thee for all our mercies; for the bleffings of providence, and the richer bleffings of grace-for the privileges of this holy, day. We would not defpife thine house and ordinances. We would not forfake the affemblies of thy faints. Teach us and all thy people to profit by the fervices of the fanctuary. May we know, by our own experience, that the gofpel of Christ is the power of God to falvation. May we never be afhamed of him, or of his friends; but reverence him as the wisdom of God, and the power of God; and honour them as the excellent of the earth. Neglected and reviled as he is by others, we would regard and build upon him as the foundation of our immortal hopes. Would we ferve thee day and night in thy temple in heaven, our robes must be washed, and made white in the blood of the Lamb. Through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jefus Chrift, may we obtain like precious faith as his first disciples, elect through fanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jefus Chrift.

We confefs our want of love to God, of zeal and activity in thy fervice; our forgetfulness of the Redeemer and our fouls; our formality and unbelief. We have abufed the day and means of grace, and grieved the holy Spirit. Our fins have been aggravated by the privileges we have enjoyed. Of thine infinite mercy pardon our barrennefs and unfruitfulness in the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. May we ftrengthen the things that are ready to die. Whereto we have attained, may we hold faft, that no man may take our crown. We are called to a warfare with inward corruption, with the customs and examples of the world, and with the hofts of hell. We have no might against these enemies. Lord, that the weapons of our warfare might be mighty to the pulling down of strong

holds, cafting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Chrift. May we be followers of God as dear children. By the observation of a weekly fabbath, and the services of thine earthly courts, may we be training up to unite with all the redeemed and infinite hofts of angels, in the worship of that temple which is filled with the glory of God and the Lamb.

Succeed the miniftry of the gospel in this and every place, to the converfion of finners, and to the confirmation and building up of faints in their most holy faith. Set up a standard against the foes of Zion: May her children be joyful in their King. May they fo let their light fhine, fo ftand faft in one fpirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gofpel, as to put to filence the ignorance of foolish men.

May we abide under the divine protection this night, and fee the light of another morning in health and

comfort.

May no member of our family fail of thy faving grace. May we have wisdom to inftruct our household in the principles and duties, the privileges and hopes of the gofpel. Deliver our fouls, O Lord, from the wicked-from men of the world, whofe portion is in this life. May we behold thy face in righteousness; and be fatisfied, when we awake, with thy likeness. Thro Jefus Chrift, to whom, &c.

SERMON I.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION.

DEUTERONOMY, vi. 7.

AND THOU SHALT TEACH THEM DILIGENTLY UNTO THY CHILDREN, AND SHALT TALK OF THEM WHEN THOU SITTEST IN THY HOUSE, AND WHEN THOU WALKEST BY THE WAY, AND WHEN THOU LIEST DOWN, AND WHEN THOU RISEST UP.

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EATHEN writers have faid much of the reverence due to the gods. But of what gods do they speak? What kind of reverence do they inculcate? They have faid much of private friendship and the love of our country. But what have they faid of love to all mankind? They taught the government of the paffions and appetites. But from no other than temporal motives. The things that are revealed belong to us and to our children. From revelation are derived all just thoughts of God and of man's duty. The most important things in the facred oracles are comprehended in loving God with all the heart, and our neighbour as ourselves. To believe the exiftence, perfections and providence of God, is to acknowledge that we owe him fuperlative love. Nor can there be any difficulty in understanding the precept, "Thou "fhalt love thy neighbour as thyfelf," if we keep in view the golden rule, "Whatfoever ye would that "men fhould do to you, do ye even fo to them."

Whatever belongs to piety and good morals is included in the things which Chriftian parents should teach their children. The course of inftruction is to

begin with things plain and eafy to be understood; and, from fimple fundamental truths, to go on to perfection. "Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom fhall " he make to underftand doctrine? Them that are "weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. "For precept must be upon precept; line upon line; "here a little and there a little." This implies the earliest inftruction. The earliest and principal thing to be taught them is the wisdom from above. Were they not fufceptible of this, as of other inftruction, why hath the teacher, who came from God, mentioned them as patterns of docility?" Whofoever fhall "not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he "shall not enter therein."

The food of the mind must be fuited to its faculties. The dawn of reafon calls for fome information refpecting the Former of our bodies, and the Father of our fpirits. The acquifition of this knowledge fhould be made eafy, by the frequent communication and proper enforcement of a few plain and weighty truths, not burdening the opening faculties with too great a variety. A multiplicity of documents, not underftood or digefted, promise little or no good effect. Representations of religion as gloomy and austere may ferve the cause of fuperftition; but true religion is a reasonable service. Lively ideas of the moral perfections of God and of redemption, of the worth of the foul, of the account we must give of ourselves to him with whom we have to do, are peculiarly useful.

The duty of religious education devolves on parents. They are required to take the greatest care in the performance of this duty. They are immediately addreifed in the text. Their advantages for the pious inftruction of their children are peculiar. They are firft and most interested in them. They have every inducement, and are under the strongest bonds, to give fpecial attention to this thing. All, under whofe immediate guardianship children are placed, occupy the

room of parents; and are obliged to educate them with parental and religious care; that is, to talk of the truths and duties of religion, when they fit in the house, and walk by the way, when they lie down and rise up..

We will confider, first, the source from which this inftruction is drawn.

Mofes went near and received the oracles of infalli ble truth from the mouth of God, and then declared to the people what God commanded. These words they were to teach to their children. When our Lord commiffioned his chofen minifters, he faid to them, "Go, teach all nations to obferve whatsoever I have "commanded you.'

When the Jews forfook the oracles of God and received for doctrines the commandments of men, neither the teachers, nor those who were taught, went into the kingdom. When the guides of the Chriftian church locked up the fcriptures from the people, all deceivableness of unrighteousness was introduced. The infallibility of the Roman pontiff was faid to be proved by the fcriptures, and the fenfe of fcripture determined by his infallibility. Helps for understanding the facred fcriptures may not be refufed; but to determine whether these things are fo, recourse must be had to the fcriptures, and spiritual things be compared with fpiritual.

Every teacher will of courfe inculcate his own sense of fcripture. There is the fame liberty of examination to those who are taught, fo far as they are capable of examining. The firft principles, fuch as are proper to be taught to children, are fo obvious and practical, that there is no juft room for controverfy. Whenever the fcriptures are confulted with meeknefs, these principles and maxims will always appear to be of the greateft ufe.

Such is the fource of religious inftruction. We remark,

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