ty in them. Let your household know your authority is not an affumed power, but that it arifes from the nature and relation of things, that it is an ordinance of God, and he is the God of order and not of confufion, and therefore it is neceffary, that order and decency fhould be preferved in the whole houfe, and that every one should know his place and cheerfully perform his duty. At fi: feafons play and recrea tion is as neceffary for children, as care, induitry, fobriety and attention in more advanced life. The fuperintendence of the parent is only to fee that propriety be refpected in all these matters. When it is expedient to manifeft your authority to your children and other domestics, let them know as far as you are capable, that you are influenced by reason, and from obedience to God. Nothing can better fupport your authority than a due obfervance of this rule. The more carefully you are governed by reafon and the fear of God yourfelves, the influence over thofe entrusted to your ingreater will be your fpection. Guard against that too general weakness of our nature, a bursting forth of intemperate paffions, and indifcreet words before your children. Nothing has a greater tendency to depreciate our authority than this. Children begin to reafon, fooner than we are often apt to imagine, and they be. holding us tranfgreffing reafon by foolish paffion, it not only teaches them to be paffionate and irrational, but too often brings upon ourselves a reduction of our power. And it is a humiliating circumstance to a parent, when he muft afk pardon of his child. This does not appear to be the feeble fpiri ted Eli's crime; and he was not a man deftiute of paffions, for the laft exertion of them has always been produced as the highest symptom of his religion, that when he heard of the capture of the Ark of God, his paffions of a pious complexion arofe fo high, that he fainted, fell backward from his feat, and the fall ended his days.-Wherefore watch over your paffions. They are like the waves of the fea, ufeful in the foul, but too

often become like boisterous winds, that overwhelm it in def. truction. Wherefore a rational and moderate courfe in this bu finefs lies between a haughty rigour, a fupercilious frown, and a domineering afpect on the one hand, and angry heats, fond indulgences, and eafy weaknefs on the other. I readily grant it is difficu't for our corrupt natures to maintain at all times that dignified equanimity of foul, which reason, common sense and the holy feriptures direct, but this is what we always ought to be aiming at, praying for, and making our polar flar.

Secondly, would we wish for orderly and well governed families, wisdom is of leading importance. Wisdom is of the atmost moment in all things to direct. Hence we should labour for prudence and skillfulness in this matter. The perfon who undertakes to be the head of a family, uudertakes to govern the fame. In order wifely to perform our duty herein we ought to acquaint ourfelves with the different tempers and difpofitions of those who are under our care, not to treat every one juft in the fame way, but as prudence and difcretion may direct. Some are more intelligent, and some more dull, fome more forward and impertinent, fome backward and bashful; fome of tender, and others of stubborn difpofitions. Each one in various respects requires a different treatment. Some are best managed by love, and gentlenefs, while others have need of sharpness and feverity.-We must also obferve a due diftinction between diferent faults, and proportion our rebukes and reprehenfions to the fame; and not act according to the custom of too many, be rigidly fevere for a fmall offence, and fcarcely take notice of one which is much greater. It is an affecting maxim, "That our minds, fpirits and tempers, are "not always at our right hand." There is a family justice which ought to be maintained, as well as public justice in the common wealth. And when an equity of difpenfation in cenfures is not kept up, family government fuffers injury and is

endangered. Let us be careful that we fhew ourfelves wife parents, and that love holds the dominion in all our exercifes of government. Where our families fee that their good is our habitual end, they will be the more readily induced to yield a ready obedience. If we would have others reverence proprie ty and good order, let us be careful to refpect them ourselves. Is he fit to restrain others from paffion, drunkeness, and unfeemly conduct, who cannot restrain himself? Will not inferiors defpife reproof for crimes, of which, they see the fuperiors netoriously guilty?

Thirdly, would you maintain a right and chriftian Government in your houses, religion is an effential requifite. Mens actions generally follow the prevailing bent of their disposi tions. If we are governed by true piety ourselves, it will have a mighty influence upon the good order of those under our inspection. Let our own fouls be in fubjection to God and Jefus Chrift, and fhow a more fteady obedience to the divine precepts, than we can expect any fhould yield to ours. If we venture to disobey Jehovah why fhould others fear to disobey us? Are we more capable of punifhing mis conduct, or bountifully rewarding obedience than the most High? Take heed then that the honor and authority of God be supported in your families, and be more tender in your re bukes for faults against yourselves, than those which are against the Majefty of Heaven and Earth. This was the iniquity of Eli, that his children greatly difhonored God, and he restrained them not. Let us be earneft for the falvation of the immortal fouls of our families, and be more careful to provide for them, an interest in heaven, than an inheritance upon earth. Let us not only pray with and exhort them, but also teach them to pray. Let us frequently be dropping things in their prefence, which may have a tendency to awaken their attention to God, their fouls and eternity.

I know, my dear brethren, by long experience, that it is easier to preach than practise. A man can with facility form an excellent essay in his study, from which in practical life his deviations are numerous. However this may be, it is ufeful to have a good copy before us. Tho' we may never be able perfectly to imitate the masters line, yet it may be of the highest improvement and advantage to the learner, often to be cafting his eye upon it.

I fhall now conclude this difcourfe with fome motives to imprefs the observation of this fubject upon every head of a household that we may be all induced to practise it as far as .in our power.

If there were a proper government of families maintained what bleflings might we not expect would redound from it to fociety, to church, and ftate, to families themfelves and the world? Nature itself should deeply engage us in the careful and diligent education and government of our households. Your children are as it were parts of yourselves, your underftanding and feelings, difpofe you to love and provide for them as yourselves. Can you then be negligent of their greatest con cerns, their usefulness and comfort in this world, and their felicity in the next. Can you bear the thought of manifesting to your children mere animal affection? This the brutes of the field and the birds of the air exhibit to an higher degree in refpect to their offspring, but as foon as they are able to shift for their own fuftenance, the appearance is, they are remembered no more! Confider my brethren, it is not mere animals we have, to tame and govern, but to educate and train rational and immortal beings for the fervice of God, and the happiness of fociety. Nature teaches children fome things without our affiftance, but the God of Nature hath intrufted the most ef

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fential things to our care. It is government, difeipline, and education, that forms the man. If we only inftru&t them how to get a living for a few days or years in the world, and they are not taught the knowledge of themselves, of God and Jefus Christ, and the way to heaven, can they feel any fentiments of gratitude to you in eternity for their existence, yea, perhaps, they will rather curfe the day of their birth forever. It is in the power of parents to do their families the greatest kindness or injury. Aid them to an holy acquaintance with God, and to an intereft in the precious Saviour, and you do more for them than if you made them presidents of nations or kings of the earth. If you only inftruct them for worldly and ungodly purposes, they are as likely to perifh as if you had fold them to Satan. Many in ancient times facrificed their children in the burning brafs of Moloch's image, what do they better in modern times, who neglect the religious government, and rational and chrif. tian education of their children? The way to manage and bring up our offspring for God and happinefs, and the way to bring them up for deftruction are clearly reprefented unto us in the oracles of truth. When we indulge them in licencious courses, wink at their vices, teach them the first princi ples of gambling, and indulge them in infernal orgies, and bachanalian routs, what could we do more for their everlasting ruin, if we had studied their deftruction? Can it be probable that fuch children will be found in heaven, more than that Hophni and Phineas, those two vile fons of Eli are there? Let us be exhorted to take warning and learn every one to govern his own house. If he be worfe than an infidel who provides not food and raiment for his household, what must the monster be, who allows his children in all manner of wickedness? Nay, it would take the pencil of a Seraph, to draw the picture of such awful, inhuman, and barbarous parents. I entreat you, my dear fellow immortals, by the mercies of God, by the precious fouls of your dear children, that you be not found fuch fathers as Eli, or fuch unnatural monsters as deftroy their offspring.