above-mentioned proportion are unviolated, and the parts of similar sections thus compared are really parallel to each other. When therefore we meet with such precepts as the following, "Train up a child in the way he should go," (Proverbs xxii. 6.)-" Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord," (Eph. vi. 4.) we shall be at nɔ loss to make the deduction, so easy and natural, and yet so important, and instead of confining these precepts to those to whom they are specially addressed, we shall extend the application of them to every class in society. And how do such commands as these bind upon the heads of collective families, that is, on the governments of nations. professing Christianity, the obligation to provide for all their subjects a sound, religious and moral Education, and without interfering needlessly with the opinions of private individuals, so as to harass and perplex their minds with unnecessary restrictions, to influence the public mind and character with sound principles both of Religion and Morality.

The importance of the precept, "Train up a child in the way he should go," accompanied as it is by the promise, "when he is old he will not depart from it,” demands a fuller and more attentive consideration. It is the testimony of experience, that what is early learned is not easily lost. The mind retains the impressions of childhood with the utmost tenacity, and early prejudices are found to be the last to wear out with the friction of time, and to be obliterated by collision with the jarring

and multifarious opinions of our fellow-men. How important then is it to get the early associations and predilections all engaged on the side of Virtue, and in favour of Religion and Piety, especially as we know there is in every fallen child of Adam a propensity to evil in his very nature, leading him to receive with readiness the taints of immorality, and to suck in the poison of vice, as the ancients forcibly expressed it, with his mother's milk. While the young novitiate in the world's pollutions is thus with avidity "drinking in iniquity like water," he is exceedingly backward to adopt the suggestions of truth, stimulating him to virtuous self-denial of his appetites and passions, and prompting desires and endeavours after a devout and holy life. When therefore we have the Divine promise in favour of early religious Education, a promise which the experience of ages has verified, and which has been repeatedly fulfilled to the very letter, should we not be animated and encouraged to press forward, in the benevolent scheme of training up children in the ways of "pleasantness and peace?" Nor must we forget that this is a duty incumbent, not only upon those who are Parents, but upon the Nation at large, and especially its acknowledged representatives, the Government of the country. The same thing will appear further evident, if we consider, that in the pursuit of an object set before us, regarded as good and attainable, we are bound to follow the most direct and safest road to it; or, in other words, that wisdom teaches us to use the most advantageous means to the most important end. Now

the great end and design of all good government is to make the state happy and prosperous, and to promote the public good among all sorts and conditions of men, "that peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety, may be established among them to all generations." The best, and indeed the only safe way to accomplish this effectually, is to teach men to consult the public good in all their actions, not to be swayed by private feelings and interests, but to live for the whole community, and subordinate their own pleasures and pursuits to the great end of the general welfare of the nation. Mankind are naturally selfish. Avarice, Ambition, and Lust, sway the majority of men; in vain Philosophy teaches them to be nobly generous, and disinterestedly great, the child of clay sinks down again into his native dust and meanness, and proves that after all his boasting, what was earthy is earthy still, and that he needs a higher power than poor unassisted Reason can afford, to elevate him to his proper place in the scale of creation, as the most exalted of the tenantry of this lower world, the responsible agent, and in a certain sense the representative, of Deity upon earth, and the candidate for immortal life and glory in heaven above.. It is Christianity alone which can supply this deficiency. It teaches the sincere believer in its sacred truths, and by Divine grace effectually enables him to begin a new life, to act upon new principles, to aim at new objects, and to practise a new and vastly elevated standard of moral duty. True vital Christianity not only modifies the opinions of men, but it changes their hearts. "If any man," says

St. Paul, "be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Cor. v. 17.) A real Christian cannot live to himself: he seeks in all things the glory of God, and the good of man. The love of Christ his Redeemer constrains him to love his brethren, for whom Christ died, and the love of his brethren makes him fulfil the whole law towards them, so that "whatsoever he would that men should do to him, he does even so to them;" (Matt. vii. 12.) and this simple but comprehensive rule, outweighing in real value whole libraries of human apothegms, and maxims of carnal wisdom, so directs him in every doubtful case, that by the purest casuistry he decides at once what he ought to do, and, by reliance on Divine aid, fails not to perform it. The dictates of his conscience are the law of his lifethe precepts of the gospel are engraven on his heartthe commandments are his delight and joy. "O how he loves the sacred law! it is his meditation all the day.” (Psalm cxix. 97.) Nor is this a merely contemplative character; far otherwise. The true Christian is a most practical man he carries out all the truths of his holy religion into his daily walk and conversation. Every thing he does is weighed in the balance of the sanctuary; this gives a holy stamp of consistency to all his actions, so that by any one of them you may know him to be a man of God," zealous of, and careful to maintain good works," bearing the image of Christ Jesus his Lord, and shewing forth his heavenly faith by his pious and benevolent life. Thus Christianity, when received in its holy power and

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fulness of Divine efficacy, unimpaired by human innovations, and unconfined by the reasonings of men, will produce the very results which all sound government contemplates as its main object; and make men good subjects, good citizens, good neighbours; fulfilling every relative duty in a proper manner, obedient to the laws, honorable in their private dealings, diligent and upright in public services, sober and temperate in their mode of living, kind and charitable to all men. Now what can the best scheme of social policy conceive more than this? And how can it possibly be supposed attainable by an easier process? It is surely far better to prevent crime than to punish it; and even on the ground of economy alone, it were much more advisable to maintain, at the expense of the State, schools and other institutions for the spread of Religious Education, and instruction in the truths and precepts of Christianity, than to erect and support a train of Prisons and Bridewells, with all the accompaniments of Judges, Jailors, &c. to correct misdemeanors, and awe the offenders against the laws of their country into an unwilling and pretended obedience. But the above reasoning may appear to some nothing better than specious plausibility— theory which is unproved by practice-mere idle declamation about high sounding words—a kind of airy castlebuilding, which may amuse the speculative and visionary, but is unworthy the attention of sober-minded and practical men. Such persons will ask for the actual results of those experiments, which have already been made, as to the efficacy of the above scheme of Moral and Religious Education; and some may even be disposed to