and impeaches the veracity of the Most High. In such a controversy, whose decision shall stand? In such an issue, whose cause shall be maintained?

But to thwart and control the inclinations of children is cruel and unkind. Yet in what does this cruelty consist. To be cruel, is to inflict unnecessary pain. To confer a benefit, is to be kind. If your children possess dispositions that lead them into sin, it surely cannot be cruel to check those dispositions, or give them a new and better direction. It is very strange that Christian parents should deem it cruel and unkind, to refuse their children the pleasures of sin; for to this the indulgence of their perverse and froward tempers actually amounts. They, certainly, ought to know that all children, their own included in the number, have naturally corrupt passions and propensities; that such passions and propensities, without restraint, will certainly lead to sin; and sin conducts to endless ruin. They, certainly, ought to know, that the Most High regards whatever tends to sin with utter abhorrence, and that sin is that abominable thing which his soul hates. How then can they view with such complacency, what He regards with indignation; or deem that as cruel, which saves their children from the effect of His displeasure? Can they deem it an act of unkindness to teach their children habits of obedience, both to Divine and parental authority; and for this purpose to give them lessons of self-denial in the ways of sin, or even to compel them to cease to do evil, and to learn to do well? Is it an act of unkind

ness to attempt to save a soul from death? Yet such, let it be remembered, is the natural tendency of parental discipline when properly directed. I do not say that it will of itself infallibly produce this desirable effect; but certain it is, that it tends that way, and that it serves to prevent their progress in the opposite course, which leads to the chambers of death. Here, then, are powerful motives to attempt the proper government of children; motives which all parents, and especially Christian parents, ought most sensibly to feel. Yet strange as it may seem, many, who call themselves Christians, are, in these matters, as greatly delinquent, as the mere people of the world; as prone to complain of the cruelty of enforcing their commands on their offspring, and equally indulgent to their wayward caprices. Some, who make no pretensions to religion, often excel this class of persons, in correct and wholesome discipline; more effectually restrain their children from evil courses; better accustom them to useful habits; and with more scrupulosity bar the avenues to sin and ruin. But Christianity, it rightly understood and applied, ought to insure, and will insure, a better education, than mere morality, or a mere sense of propriety, can ever produce. When those, therefore, who are styled Christians, fail to train up their children to virtuous and useful habits, it is very apparent that they neglect their trust, and poorly employ the talents committed to their keeping. They wound the cause of religion, and lead the ungodly to say, if not actually to be

lieve, that religion tends to li centiousness, and presents less imposing motives to obedience, than the maxims of mere human prudence and invention.

But to insure, as far as may be, the proper behavior of his children, let every parent make it his inflexible determination, that he will be obeyed-invariably obeyed. An uniform adherence to this resolution will save him from a multitude of difficulties, and produce incalculable good. The sum and substance of good government is to be obeyed; not now and then, when the humor suits; but always, and invariably. The child should know on what it has to depend, and should not be lost in uncertain conjectures, whether you really intend to be obeyed; whether you merely hropose obedience, or actually command it. If you do not mean to enforce obedience, it ought not to be commanded; if you me.n to command it, it ought to be enforced. The connexion between your command, and his obedience, should be as certain as that between cause and effect; the one should be the unfailing consequent of the other. It is hardly necessary to say, that your commands should respect things lawful and proper to be done; for surely unlawful commands have very little to do with good government. Your commands may indeed respect things previously indifferent; but the moment you command them they lose that character, and become positive duties, the performance of which is as indispensable, as your authority to enjoin them was proper and unquestionable. But you will ask, am I to whip

and torture my children for every little infraction of my orders, and play the tyrant in order to enforce their obedience? A hard case surely-but one of your own making. Habitual obedience has no need of such severities; it is yielded readily, and as a matter of course. Nothing short of very obstinate and habitual disobe dience can bring matters to such extremities. Parents, who gov. ern well, never suffer their chil dren to arrive at such a pass, that nothing short of torture will coerce them. They commence the business in season, and enforce obedience by gentler methods; they master the disease at its first appearance, and so avoid the necessity of desperate remedies. A moderate, but eqable, regimen afterwards succeeds; such as is calculated to prevent relapses, and to invigorate the system. It is worthy of observation that parents, who govern badly, usually correct their children most; and how should it be otherwise? If children are not taught to obey habitually, how can obedience be expected from them occasionally, without resort to compulsory measures. The child that is accustomed to disobey in nine cases out of ten, will always remember that the chance of escaping punishment is in his favor, and nothing short of actual smarting will suffice to convince him that obedience is really demanded. The truth is, children always learn to obey, at first, from a sense of necessity, not from a sense of moral duty. It they consider this necessity to be uniform, their obedience will be so; if the necessity be only occasional, such also will be their obedience. Hence it hap

pens, that those parents who suf fer their children to disobey them generally with impunity, find themselves really obliged to resort to severe methods, in order to enforce their commands.

I am no friend to frequent and severe punishment; I neither consider it necessary, nor an evidence of proper discipline. But to abstain wholly from correction, except in some extraordinary cases, when probably both parent and child are extremely exasperated, affords surely no proof of suitable parental affection. It may, however, prove one point, that this parental tenderness, so much extolled, can be dispensed with, when the gratification of other passions comes into competition; while it affords little evidence of any great progress in the art of self-government.

But says one, I too am of opinion that it does no good to chastise children perpetually: the little things, as they grow in years, will grow in discretion, and -will of themselves soon learn to lay aside improper habits, and to conduct correctly. I never use the rod; when they arrive at a proper age, I endeavor to reason them into their duty. My feelings are too tender to suffer my children to be put to unnecessary pain.

This very sensitive parent must permit me to ask him one or two questions. Is it out of regard to yourself, or to your child, to save yourself or him, from pain, that you never chastise him? Is it not more from a regard to your own feelings, than to his good, that you are so very lenient in a plain case of duty? Are you willing to have the trouble of doing your duty to

your children? Have you not some whim, some prejudice, some conceit, of which you are, in reality, more tender, than you are of your children's welfare? To be frank, my own opinion is, that almost all the excuses which parents make to cover their neglect of training up their children to obedience, have their origio in sheer selfishness; in their own self-gratification and caprice, more than in any real tenderness towards those objects of their indulgence; and that they in fact prefer their own humors to their children's welfare.

But what says Divine truth on the subject of correcting children? The Spirit of inspiration, surely has given no improper directions on this topic; nor can their Heavenly Parent be supposed to have a less tender and suitable regard to his children, than have their earthly ones.. By consulting the Scriptures, we shall find that those parents do not best consult their children's welfare, who withhold correction from them, when they forsake their duty. He that spareth his rod, hateth his son; but he that loveth him, chasteneth him betimes. He begins in season, and repeats the chastening so often as there is occasion; and this, instead of showing that he has no affection for his son, proves that he loves him. Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction snall drive it from him. Withhold not correction from the child, for if thou beatest him with a rod, he shall not die. A very different sentiment from one often peevishly intimated-shal! I kill my child to make him obey me? It is believed, however, that

few children die in that way.— The rod and reproof give wisdom; but a child left to himself, bring eth his mother to shame. Another sentiment altogether oppos. ed to one very prevalent among parents, that discipline makes a child dumpish and stupid, impairs his mental faculties, and oppresses his animal spirits. But it seems that the plainest declarations of Scripture are to pass for nothing, provided our criminal negligence can find a covering. Many affect to believe that a child left to himself will bring his parents to honor; will grow up a man of spirit, superior to low and vulgar prejudices. The experience of all ages, however, proves them to be mistaken, and that in this case, as well as in others, God is true, and men, when opposed to him, are liars. So true is it that a child left to himself bringeth his mother, in other words, his parents to shame; that such a child always carries with him the badge of his own and their disgrace. His want of subordination betrays itself in every successive stage of life; at home and abroad; in his boyish pastimes, and in the pursuits of manhood; in private, and in public relations. How common is it to remark, that such an one shows his bringing up; that he betrays his breeding; that he learned his bad habits at home; and to conclude with saying, it is no wonder, for his parents always indulged him. Such remarks are not made directly to the parents themselves; they, in the mean while, are congratulating themselves secretly, and perhaps publicly, on their superior wisdom in managing, or rather not

managing their children; idolizing them in imagination, at the expense of their fellows. No fault is told a person with more reluctance, than that he fails in family government; hence he commonly continues ignorant of his mistake, till some flagrant misconduct convinces him of it, and he is usually brought to shame at a time, and in a manner, which he had least expected, and while priding himself, that his children thus left to themselves would bring him to honor. Again, it is commanded; Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. That is, defer not this duty until it shall be too late, nor let false compassion keep you from its performance. It is here worthy of remark, that an Apostle teaches Christians to infer, from the chastisements which they receive, that they are the children of God, in the same manner, and for the same reason, as they would infer, that a child which received correction from an earthly parent, was not illegitimate. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons: for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not. But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. But how many children are there among us at this day, who from the want of proper chas tisement, are more like illegiti mate than aknowledged sons; who grow up as untutored as do those unfortunate beings alluded to, cast off from the birth, unaknowledged, groping into manhood without a guide, and without a helper! Need par ents to be exhorted to rescue

themselves and their children from the imputation of such disgrace?

Let it be admitted, then, that children ought to be trained to obedience, and, if necessary, to receive chastisement: at what age shall parental authority be exerted for this purpose? I answer, there is little danger of its being exerted too soon; the dan ger is altogether on the other side. I know not that a child was ever injured by commencing the habit of obedience too young; very many have been ruined by neglecting it till too late. A child will learn either to obey, or disobey; there is no middle ground. If he learns the first, you have your desire, and your subsequent task to continue the habit will be comparatively light. First impressions ought to be good; they are easiest made, and usually strong and abiding. But if the child first acquires the habit of disobeying, you have then not only to teach him a new habit afterwards, but have also an old one to obliter ate; and you need not be told how much easier it is to establish, than to destroy, a habit. If a child is taught to obey, and knows of no way to avoid it, he will obey of course, and do it cheerfully. If you compel him only now and then to listen to your commands, and suffer him at other times to do as he pleases, he will obey you only from compulsion, and never from habit. But in beginning to establish your authority over him, it is advisable that your first commands. should be of the negative kind. Order him not to do a thing, rather than to do it. You can more easily compel him to de. VOL. X.

sist from an action, than to perform one; and in that way you es tablish your authority to the full as well, for you teach him to obey, and that is the whole which you have in view. When once taught to obey your negative commands, he will readily submit to such as are positive. I have known parents spend more time, use severer measures, and put their children to more pain, in en. deavoring to procure their submission to one single positive command, and give up the point at last, than would have been necessary to secure their obedience for life, had the business been undertaken in season, and con. ducted properly afterwards, It is unnecessary, perhaps impossible, to assign any precise age, at which this work of obedience is to be commenced. It is sufficient to say, that as soon as a child is old enough to form wishes that ought not to be grat ified, to be malignant, obstate and turbulent, if he is crossed in obtaining them, it is time to deny. him the gratification of his desires, and to restrain his resentment which may in consequence ensue. enough to be spiteful, and vindictive, when you interfere with the objects which he covets, it is time that you teach him self-denial, and reduce him to a better temper.

If he is old

Here begin; here interpose your parental authority; accustom him to be denied, and to take it patiently; habituate him to submit his will to yours, and to take pleasure in gratifying you, as well as himself. My own opinion is, that by the time a child is two years old, the im portant work of securing his obedience may and ought to be ac

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