sponding subordination, either as to duration, or what men would call severity? Witness the cases of Joseph and Moses, of David and Daniel, and many others. The reason of this law of Heaven is not, like some others, inexplicable. He that has been accustomed to obey is best qualified to rule; the most dutiful daughter makes the best Wife and Mother.

Notwithstanding all this, and much more than this, owing to the perversity of human nature, unhappily it seems to many Parents, that over-indulgence is actually little else than an amiable weakness. "His children," say others," are fine children; but their Father, good man, is too indulgent." Now, it has been granted that Eli was a good man; but what did this avail in the day of his calamity, when the ruin of his house, and the degradation of his family, were so directly traced up to him, and to his want of principle, displayed in over-indulgence? The following passage is often quoted, without observing that it refers directly to a good easy Parent. "He that despiseth me, shall be lightly esteemed !"

In

This disposition in Parents will be found to arise from different causes, but when traced to its source in the heart, Christian charity for it is at an end. some Parents it is to be ascribed simply to their eager desire after present personal ease, or gratification; and hence a multitude of false maxims become quite current in such families. "The children," says the Mother, " are too young yet; and the Father replies,-" True, they are but children, and what else can we expect? Poor things! one cannot find in their heart to contradict them; do let them have a little of their own will. Alas! they will not always have

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can do

this in their power." To crown the whole, of all this," says some injudicious friend, them any harm, provided you are only careful when they come to be about six or seven years of age." Thus the good easy Parents sit down to enjoy themselves, perfectly satisfied that there is nothing wrong, and that not only no time is lost, but that it is not yet time to begin.

In others, over-indulgence springs from mere animal affection. They dote on their Children till they not only become a sort of “household gods,” but the poor Children are thus daily encircled by an injudicious and blind fondness, till these very Parents prove to have been the first promoters of the self-will, if not the ruin of their offspring. All the pettish humour, and the peevish impatience, which, in future life, make them drag so heavily along, grew up luxuriantly under their Parent's eye; and they actually fostered and strengthened what ought to have been supplanted by other dispositions. Ere long the roots have struck deep, and, branching out into every avenue of heart and soul, it is beyond the power of nature to do any thing. Nay, I go farther: let the Children even be converted to God; and though a radical change then took place, which is confirmed to be divine, from its abiding, and habitual, and growing effects, yet it is almost certain, that the perversity of nature which, in Scripture, is called the body of sin, from its occupation, and the body of death, from its effect, is vastly more burdensome and grievous, entirely owing to the guilty easiness of these very Parents.

Thus, whether Parents regard the fine natural buoyancy of spirits, and the natural capacity, whether

for bearing the ills, or enjoying the comforts of future life, as men and women; or whether they regard their profession and possession of genuine Christianity in this vale of tears-oh! let them beware of overindulgence: beware of that false tenderness, which some indeed would dignify with the name of fine feeling, but which the Scriptures brand, most truly, with no other epithet than that of hatred.

3. Inequality of Treatment.-Having thus imperfectly touched on these two extremes, I still question whether the majority of failures are to be ascribed to either the one or the other. There appears still a more plentiful source of error and disappointment. It is not to be supposed that the majority of Parents do not think of their Children, and of their future well-being: but this is done periodically; and great inequality, if not entire relaxation, intervenes between these periods. At these moments of reflection, oh! could a wish but secure the end, the end would be gained at once; but then they have as yet no system, which is, in fact, equivalent to having no principle. They are resolved, however, to have a plan, and week after week it is to be acted upon, and that with determined resolution. Many go not even thus far; but whether they do so or not, all these Parents próceed without any fixed, that is, any conscientious principle. The whole of their conduct may be described as a continued series of fits and starts; and upon careful inspection, it will, I presume, be found, that thousands, nay millions, of lovely children are ruined, merely owing to this baneful inequality. The Parents do not rise into such passion as the first

extreme, nor, it may be, dote on their Children with uniform excess, or administer daily to their passions and fretfulness, like the second; but their conduct is not uniform, because they are not, themselves, governed by law, nor have they any conscientious regard to Him to whom they are to render an account. At one time they wink or smile at the little delinquencies of their Children; at another they evince want of patience and tender consideration. They smile, occasionally, when not one feature should have been relaxed; and, in haste or impatience, at another time, they not only frown, but perhaps chastise, when, more properly, they should have sat down, and calmly reasoned with the little creature; explaining and illustrating so as to prove, that they themselves are affected by sin, and are afraid of it.

In one word, their course towards their Children is not self-consistent; and imperfect though it must ever be, if it is inconsistent with itself, there are few deficiencies which Children more quickly detect, and there is not one of which they can and do take such advantage. When the Parents are in a certain humour, then they ply them for favours and indulgencies without end. When their Parents are not in this humour, they frown, or chide, or even chastise, but the Children are not humbled. No; they now know, that this is too violent to last: they give the Parents no credit for all their pains; and their day is coming when they will assuredly take the advantage, and by fawning or entreaty, they will yet have reprisals for all this storm.

So essentially, therefore, does any Family-government depend on a calm and steady uniformity of con

duct, that though the Parents be anxious in the highest degree, if they fail in this, as far as depends upon them, all must fail: since there is no treatment which will more certainly procure the displeasure of God, than that which consists in fits and starts of animal feeling. I might here ask such Parents to be themselves the judges, and answer-How would this do in a doctor with his patients? in a merchant with his business? in a farmer with his seed or his produce? and especially in a gardener with his wall-fruit when young, or his tender plants, which are daily sending forth feelers, that require to be supported? Ask any one of these, or ask all, and they will give the same reply. And is the health of the body, or the transitory business of this life, or the productions of the natural world, to have a care bestowed upon them, which you think too much or too hard with regard to the young immortals, who are now, by an indulgent Providence, committed to your culture and your care? The case is confessedly a difficult one: it is even arduous and full of responsibility; nor will any Parents acquit themselves who do not feel this. In many things, too, we offend, and in all we come short; but still there is a way, and but one right path after all. Were, however, uniformity and self-consistency only studied, however slender the outline, were that never violated; had you certain fixed laws, which could not be broken with impunity,-though you interposed, and should interpose your authority seldom, were you, at such times, sure to be obeyed; then all might and would go on as smoothly as the different dispositions under your care will admit. Yes; I have said different dispositions; for when uniformity is men