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is a true Christian, and will finally in-every one sincerely live up to his own herit eternal life." But put the ques-scheme, and he will be safe." Which tion, What is the gospel of Christ ?- again will land one on the shores of inAnd let each one for himself, learned fidelity. and unlearned, throughout Christen- When our blessed Saviour sent his dom, give an answer, and it will be found apostles abroad into the world, it was that there is a great variety of opinions. with this commission: Go preach the And that the learned differ as much as gospel to every creature, and he that the unlearned. And that the seeming-believeth (the very gospel I send you ly devout and religious differ as much to preach) and is baptised shall be saas the more loose and profane. The ved: But he that believeth not (the vemore any man acquaints himself with ry gospel I send you to preach) shall be the state of the Christian world, at|| damned. And according to this comhome and abroad, the more he conver-mission, they went and preached, and ses with men and books, the more gathered churches, and then said, not clearly will he discern this to be the from an uncharitable disposition, but true state of the case. And now what merely viewing things in the light of their Master's words: We know that we

shall be done?

Το say, in this case, "That notwith-are of God, and the whole world lieth standing circumstantial differences, the in wickedness. And when false teachbody of professing Christians agree in ers arose, and endeavored to accomthe main, and we must not be so exact,modate the gospel scheme a little betmetaphysical and nice," is the same as ter to the taste, the natural taste of manto say, Let your ideas be so general, kind, the very chief of the apostles, as confused and indeterminate, about mat-it were, stepped forth in the view of ters of religion, as that you may not the whole Christian world, and with an distinctly discern the differences which assurance and solemnity, becoming one do in fact take place: And be so very inspired by Heaven, said, but though unconcerned about your eternal inter-we or an angel from heaven preach any est, as not to think it worth your while other gospel unto you, than that which to look things to the bottom. Go on we have preached unto you, let him be easy in this way, and cry out against accursed. As we said before, so say I and condemn all exact thinking and non again, if any man preach any othclear reasoning in matters of religion, er gospel unto you, than that ye have re as metaphysics, an hocus pocus word,ceived, let him be accursed. Gal. i. 8,9. to blacken an inquiring disposition," But what shall I do?" says a poor, and to justify an astonishing inatten- ignorant, benighted soul, anxious for tion, in a matter of infinite and ever-his eternal welfare. "Were all learnlasting concern." And this, while all men of sense agree to commend the most exact thinking and clear reasoning, on any other subject, but that of religion.

ed, religious sort of men agreed, I should think, I might safely believe as they believe. But now I am perfectly disconcerted and confounded.And is it likely such a poor, ignorant To say "it is no matter what men's creature as I am, should ever find the principles be, if their lives are but truth, and see to the bottom of these good," is the same as to say, "Pagan-controversies, so as to know what is ism and Mahometanism are as safe right and what is wrong? What shall, ways to heaven as Christianity," which I do?"

is downright infidelity.

Were the differences subsisting in To say, "Good men may differ; the Christian world really owing to any there are more ways to heaven than obscurity in divine revelation itself, I one, all equally safe; it is needless to do not see how poor, ignorant people be at pains to look things to the bot-could be to blame in being thus at a tom," is much the same as to say, "Let loss. Or indeed if after all they should

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happen to believe wrong, to mistake agreed among themselves? Nay, insome false gospel for the true one, I quire at the apostles' mouths! Indeed do not see how they could be to blame, no! They would rather call their inspimuch less so much, so very much to ration in question, than to submit to blame, as to merit eternal damnation. their decision. St. Paul found himself When therefore our blessed Saviour so so vigorously opposed by false teachperemptorily declares, “He that be- ers among the Galatians, that with all lieveth not shall be damned," let him his miracles, inspirations, and elaborate be who he will, among all mankind,|| reasonings, he could not keep up the who shall hear the gospel, it is a com- credit of his scheme, no, not even aplete demonstration, that in the judg-mong his own converts, who once were ment of our blessed Saviour, the gospel ready to pluck out their eyes for him, revelation is quite plain enough, upon rather in endeavoring to keep the truth a level with even vulgar capacities; soup, his own credit sunk by the means. that it cannot be misunderstood or mis- Gal. iv. 16. And a little before his believed, by any individual, unless the death, after full experience of the nafault is in himself. Yea, unless he is ture of error and delusion, he plainly so greatly to blame in the affair, as just- tells his son Timothy, that the case ly to merit eternal damnation. To say with some was really hopeless; sayotherwise is to charge our Saviour with ing, evil men and seducers shall wax injustice, in denouncing eternal damna- worse and worse, deceiving and being tion against every unbeliever. Which, deceived. 2 Tim. iii. 13. And while again, is no better than downright infi- the apostles were, some of them yet delity. living, numbers of their converts actually separated from their churches, numbers of their graceless converts, I

"But, how can these things be?" may an inquisitive reader say; "For if the gospel of Christ were so clearly reveal-mean. 1 John ii. 19. They went out ed in the sacred writings, how unac- from us, but they were not of us; for if countable is it, that the Christian world they had been of us, they would no doubt so greatly differ?" Not unaccountable have continued with us. at all, only granting what must be grant- Now it cannot be pretended there ed, or Christianity be given up, that the was any want of external light and evtrue gospel of Christ, contains a sys-idence, needful to discern and ascertem of sentiments, diametrically oppo-tain the truth, in that age; and, neversite to every vicious bias in the human theless, matters began to work then veheart. Such a system it contains, or it did not come from God. And if it does contain such a system, then, so long as the generality of mankind are under the influence of their vicious biasses, they will naturally seek darkness rather than light; self justifying error, rather than self condemning truth; and it is well known how apt men are to believe that to be true, which they wish to have so, in other matters, besides that of reli-with adultery, fornication, witchcraft, gion. Besides, tell me whence was it, murder, drunkenness, &c. as being that, in the apostolic age; wbence was criminal in the same sense with them. it, that, in the very days of miracles and Gal. v. 19, 20, 21. inspiration, professed Christians began to differ? Was it because the sacred writings were obscure? Why then did they not inquire at the mouths of the apostles, who were yet alive, and who

ry much as they have all along since. It is not, therefore, through want of light and evidence externally held forth, that men have gone into error, in one age and another, who have had the Bible in their hand; but it has been entirely owing to the vicious state of their minds. And therefore St. Paul reckons heresies among the works of the flesh, and gives them a place along

And indeed the sum and substance of the gospel may be reduced to two or three points, which must be in a manner self-evident to a mind rightly disposed; or to use our Saviour's

To the following Essay, written by John Hall, Esq. of Ellington, Connecticut, the prize of ten dollars was adjudged, as the second best composition, in prose, published in Panoplist, Vol. 10.

ON THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN.

words, to those who have a good and acquainted with his own heart may honest heart. For as all Christians discern the true source of all the variwere baptized in the name of the Fa-ous errors which have been broached ther, and of the Son, and of the Holy in the Christian world; for the root of Ghost, so right apprehensions of the them all is in the heart of every child character and offices of these three, is of Adam. the sum of all Christian knowledge. For he who believes God the Father, the Supreme Governor of the world, to be by nature God, and absolutely perfect, an infinitely glorious and amiable Being, infinitely worthy of that supreme love and honor, and universal obedience, which the divine law requires at our hands, and that conse- COMPLAINT is very frequently made, quently his law is holy, just and good; that habits of obedience and decorous And he who believes that God the Son, behaviour are, at the present day, less the express image of the Father, became observable in children than they were incarnate, and died to do honor to the in the days of our fathers. Allowance divine law, was set forth to be a própi- ||should be made, no doubt, for the ventiation to declare his Father's righteous-eration which we are apt to pay to ness, that he might be just, and yet the things which are past, the best side of justifier of the believer; and he who which is perhaps retained in recollecbelieves that God the Holy Ghost, istion, and the worst forgotten; but still appointed to be an Enlightener and I am inclined to think, that we, who Sanctifier, to bring sinners to under-are now on the stage, have greatly restand the truth, see it in its glory, be- laxed, in respect of education, from the lieve, love, and obey it; He who un-judicious precision of our ancestors. derstands and believes these points, The dread of being austere has carried cannot fail to understand and believe us very far towards the opposite exall the rest; for all doctrinal, experi-treme. Lest we should be too rigid, mental, and practical religion, natural-we have become too remiss. It is the ly results from these fundamental fashion of the times to be lenient, loose, truths. Besides, these fundamental licentious; and parents, out of mere truths give light to each other; so that parental affection, as they would term if once the glory of God, the Supreme it, must give their children somé porGovernor of the world, is seen, the rea- tion of that indulgence, which they alson and nature of his law will be plain : low themselves. But it is not so much and if that is plain, the design of the in-my intention to expatiate on the excarnation and death of the son of God tent of the evil, as to point out a few will be evident; and then the whole gos-causes of its existence, and to suggest pel plan will naturally open to view, and some means for its removal. appear to contain a complete system of religious sentiments, harmonious and consistent throughout, perfect in glory and beauty. And while we discern the opposition of this system of truths to every vicious bias in the human mind, the nature and necessity of the regenerating and sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit to bring us rightly to understand the gospel, see it in its glory, and love and practise it, will be easily discerned. And at the same time every one well

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The root and foundation of misconduct in children is human depravity; depravity in the parent, and depravity in the child. This ought never to be overlooked, nor forgotten, in any of our systems of education; but should be perpetually kept in view. Corrupt ourselves, we look with a more favorable eye upon the faults of our children, and feel a reluctance in conveying a censure to them, which will recoil upon ourselves. Men cannot readily ab

hor their own resemblance; they will He does not consider with what abhor

rence God beholds his criminal indifference to the growing sinfulness of his offspring; nor the dreadful impiety of treating those sins as trifling imbecili

regard it with tenderness, if not with complacency; they will palliate what they cannot entirely excuse, and but feebly rebuke what they dare not wholly pass over without notice. This is ties, which the Most High declares on the supposition that the evil is real-worthy of eternal punishment. Did ly, though dimly seen; but this is not the parent look upon sin as exceedingone half of the mischief. Human de-ly sinful, he would not regard with inpravity renders the subject of it blind, difference, and even with complacence, and callous, it makes him insensible of those strong indications of it, which evthe disorder which is upon him, and de-ery child exhibits, as soon as it begins liriously fond of his dangerous condi- to express its feelings at all. tion. It is a mad disease which allows But are children indeed so depraved its victim but few lucid intervals; and from the birth; are they naturally so the glimpses which he then has at his corrupt; that the parent's regarding true situation, serve only, in general, to their little foibles, and occasional salbring on a recurrence of his disorder. lies of harmless passion without any Others, too, languish around him un- very strong disapprobation, is to be acder the pressure of the same complaint; counted sinful, and as affording evibut their example does not abate his dence of his own depravity? Such, own malady, but rather adds to its vi- and similar questions are often asked, olence. Such being the case, how and they amount to pretty strong evishall the parent correct the child for a dence that the person, who asks them, fault, which he is not perceived to pos- is himself very far gone in depravity; sess; or which, if perceived, is lightly or at the least has been a very inattenestimated, and possibly approved?tive observer of his children's temper Even the best of parents have very inadequate conceptions of the extensive evil of sin; and those conceptions, inadequate as they are, are rendered still more vague and feeble, when applied to the tender objects of parental affection.

and disposition. We often hear parents calling their children "harmless creatures," "pretty innocents," and other fond endearing names which figuratively denote the same thing, such as "little doves," "harmless birds," The parent, indeed, sees his with a thousand other equivalent apchild conducting amiss; but then it is pellations; and, I confess, I never only a weakness deserving commiser- hear them without trembling, lest those, ation rather than censure; a moment- their unfledged offspring, should prove ary impulse which could not be avoid- birds of evil omen, if not birds of prey, ed, and which will readily cease with fitted to be taken themselves at last the occasion which produced it. But in the snare of the fowler. Take an this infantile weakness, inconsiderable infant yet unable to walk, and offend as it is deemed, soon becomes gigan- him. With every natural member of tic, and bids defiance to the puny ef- annoyance, which he is able to exert, forts which may afterwards be made|| for its coercion. The truth is, the parent cannot, or will not, believe, that his child, his offspring, his darling, is naturally dead in trespasses and sins; that his nature is corrupt, and the imagination of his heart is evil, and that only, and continually. He does not consider with what abhorrence God beholds those actions which he himself looks upon with so much indulgence.

he will give you proof palpable and positive, that he has other attributes than those which are purely innoxious. No sooner does a child begin to take notice of objects so as to be pleased with them, than he covets them, and no sooner does he covet, than he endeavors, by all means in his power, to possess them, not by gentle methods, but by force. Completely selfish, he' admits no opposite rights, nor claims.

His object is to gratify himself; and attachments and good offices are forevery thing in opposition to this is as- gotten; his impotence, and not his saulted with violence, and the interfer- gratitude, will prove his own restraint, ence of others is treated with turbulent and your protection. Offer him food resentment. Persons many times which he does not want, or when he is wonder, that infants should come into sullen; will he be pleased with it, or the world, and continue a great length will he thank you? Caress him when of time, weak and helpless, while the he is angry; will he return you his cayoung of other creatures are either im-resses, before he has gained his object, mediately, or within a very short peri-or until he has forgotten the cause of od of time, strong and active. But his anger? When he plays, is it to gratsurely a little reflection would teach us ify another, or himself? Will he give the goodness of God in this particular. up his play things before he is tired of Were infants from the birth endowed them, in order that another may play with strength and activity like the with them? Or will he scruple to deyoung of some animals, the most fatal mand, and forcibly to take, another's effects would follow. Give the child play things, whether the latter has done the strength of manhood without aba-with them or not? To prove a child's ting aught from the violence and per- depravity, it cannot be necessary to verseness of his temper; who would show, that he is constantly in a passion, willingly be his nurse, or his attend that he is every moment a fury, which ants? In such a case, instead of the nothing can withstand. Nor can any present milder measures of restraint, argument against his depravity be deyou would be compelled, for your own rived from the fact, that he often plays, safety, to resort to chains and fetters, and sports and prattles. Were he inand to invent new methods of coercion capable of pleasure, and of expressing in order to reduce him to obedience. it, he would not be human. His deIn his paroxisms of rage at some dis-pravity is always ready to manifest itappointment in his pleasures, would he self, whenever there is an occasion to hesitate, do you think, to take your life, draw it forth; and when there is no were you the cause of his exasperation; such occasion, the disposition is as reor, failing in this attempt, would he ally there, as if it were in exercise. scruple to lay violent hands on himself, If, then, both parents and children or to do some other act of direful im-are depraved, it becomes important port? Did you never see a child in that the former should be well aware, some fit of passion, who wanted noth-that this moral distemper is upon them, ing but the power to make such scenes They should not deceive themselves in real? And from what can such a dis- a matter of so much moment. The position proceed, except from the most fact will remain unaltered, whatever deep-rooted depravity? But this, you credit they may please to attach to it; reply, is an extreme case, and cannot nor is their responsibility diminished, prove a generally depraved disposition. because they do not choose to open Does he not at other times sport and their eyes to conviction. True wisplay; is he not pleased with my cares-dom would teach them to adapt themses; is he not attached to those by selves to the real state of things; to whom he is fed, and by whom he is foresce the evil, and guard against it. fondled? Undoubtedly; and the de- Let the parent be convinced, that he pravity of his temper is, for this very has in him a disposition, to that which reason, the more conspicuous. On is evil, and which, if not corrected, will these very objects of his affection, that lead him to ruin; he will then the more is, objects of affection, so long as they readily believe that his children posplease him, it is, that on turning the sess the same disposition, and will feel tables, he will vent the utmost of his the more strongly their need of his paresentment. Offend him, and all past ||rental guidance. Let him once obtain

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