our children may be permitted to delight themselves with the wonders of God's works, as well as be taught to store their minds with the more awful subjects of revelation. And if the works on science which we place in the way of our children be such as an enlightened Christian would write,-if they resemble "The Sacred Philosophy of the Seasons," "The Wisdom of God in Creation," and the Natural Theology of Paley, and other kindred works, we may expect our youth to grow in general knowledge and enlightened piety at the same time.

Our offspring should be united with the church, and brought into fellowship with its more enlightened and holy members, as soon as they manifest a disposition to give themselves to God. They should be admitted into the society of experienced Christians, when they meet for godly conversation and prayer. For want of this, our youth are sometimes permitted to hang loose upon the church, like broken branches on a tree, and every enemy that passes by is tempted to pluck at them. Unite them to the church, and they will both be more safe, and increase more rapidly in knowledge, in holiness, and in knowledge.

To conclude this part of our discourse, we would say, Let the subjects of your religious instructions be the plainest, the most certain, and the most important portions of divine truth. Let " points of doubtful disputation" be passed by. Let "things hard to be understood" be postponed to the years of manhood. Let the truth of God be taught as much as possible in God's own words, and in every case in God's own style and spirit. Let principles be mixed with history; that every truth and every duty may be made visible. Dwell most on those truths, and on those views of truth, which are most affecting, and which, by operating upon the hopes and fears and feelings of your children, tend most powerfully to purify their minds, and raise them up to God. Teach all things with affection, and be very patient and persevering. Live as you teach; illustrating, enforcing, and endearing all your lessons by a holy and god-like example. Avail yourself of all the helps which ministers and books and Christian fellowship may offer you, and keep

"your charge as far from the danger of evil men, and false teachers, and wicked books, as possible. Mark with what simplicity and solemnity God teaches in his Word, and follow his example; observe with what promptness and diligence, with what perseverence and prudence also, you teach your children the arts of life, and in your spiritual instructions be as excellent as in your worldly teachings. Make the Bible your companion, your best book,, your system of divinity, your guide, your counsellor, and next to the Spirit of God, your all. Let your life and tongue preach one continued sermon, and let your life and tongue preach better every day.

Such a course of instruction, under the blessing of the Almighty, will hardly fail to make your children wise unto eternal salvation.

TO THOSE WHO DOUBT THE MERCY OF GOD.

THE Sacred Scriptures always represent God as the friend of mankind. They tell us that " He is good to all, and that his tender mercies are over all his works." Expressions are borrowed from the most affecting of human relationships, to represent the tenderness of God's regard for man. He is our Father, and we are his offspring. He is the Father of the spirits of all flesh. We are taught to address him as our Father, when we pray, and to approach him with the confidence of children. And not only are we taught to believe that he has a fatherly affection for us, but we are assured that his love to us is greater than the love of earthly parents can be, "Which of you," says Christ, "if his son ask bread, will give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will give him a serpent? If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him ?"

"God is no

And this kindness of God is universal. respecter of persons." He is not the God of the Jews only, he is the God of the Gentiles also. Differences of tribe, or rank, or colour, are no differences with him. He stands in the same endearing and affecting relation to

"

all the children of men. Mankind are one great family, and the same God is the Father of us all There is not a soul on earth whom he despises; there is not one to whose interests he is indifferent. His eye is upon all the rrations of the earth, and his Spirit goes forth in blessings to every child of man.

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God is good even to the unjust and unthankful. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. He doth not leave himself without a witness in any nátion; but by giving them fruitful seasons, and filling their hearts with food and gladness, he gives them ceaseless tokens of his

existence and his love.

And God is especially kind to men's souls. He desires their bodily comfort, but he desires the happiness of their souls much more. Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn ye, turn ye from for why your evil ways; will ye die, O house of Israel?" The Apostle exhorts that prayers and supplications should be made for all men; for this is good and acceptable with God our Saviour," he adds, "who would have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth." "He is long-suffering to us-ward," says the Apostle Peter," not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.'

When Christ was on earth, he wept over those who perished in sin, and cried, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thee as a hen gathereth her brood under her wings, but ye would not !" "O that thou hadst known, even thou at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes." He stood up in the midst of a wretched world, and while he gazed on the millions whom he saw miserably wandering in the ways of sin and death, he cried, with a heart almost bursting with compassion, "Come unto me, all yes e that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, learn of me, for I am meek

and lowly, and ye shall find rest to your souls." Lest any one should fancy himself shut out from his tenderness, he exclaims, "Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out." And when he still sees some running forward in sin and sorrow, he cries after them with unutterable compassion-" Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life."

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The kindness of Christ is the true image of the love of his Father towards the whole race of men. He spoke not his own words, but the words which his Father gave him he declared unto us. And the miracles of mercy which he wrought for the afflicted and famishing, were not only intended to demonstrate the truth of his doc trine, but also to exhibit to the world a visible manifestation of the glorious goodness of his Father. Christ was the image of the invisible God; he was the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his character. His flesh was the tabernacle in which the Godhead dwelt, and the glory of the Godhead shone forth in him. The tenderness and beneficence which we behold in Christ, were no other than the tenderness and benevolence of the Deity. The works which Christ wrought were a sample of the Divine operations. Christ was "God with us;" God manifest in the flesh. He acted in a limited sphere, and in a human form, the part which the Deity acts invisibly towards the wide universe of his creatures. God brought down himself in the person of Christ to a level with man's capacity, and placed the glories of his character, and the whole scheme of his infinite providence, visibly before the eyes of men. that is invisible made himself seen; he that is infinite and unsearchable in his working, narrowed his sphere for a time, threw away the mystery of his operations, and unfolded to man's view the secrets of his own character. It is in Christ therefore that we are to look for God; it is in Christ's character that we are to behold God's glory. And when we see what Christ was while he sojourned on earth, and behold the spirit and manner of his acting towards those who were around him, we see what God is at all times, and we behold the spirit and plan of his dispensations to the children of men, He that hath seen

He

Christ hath seen God. God was in Christ, and Christ was God manifest in the flesh. The humanity of Christ was the organ employed by the Deity to make himself seen. The voice of Christ was the voice of God; the words of Christ were the words of God; the works of Christ were the works of God. Christ and his Father

are one..

Here then is fresh ground for the confidence of the awakened soul. Who that has read and understood the character of Jesus, could entertain doubts of his goodness? Who after reading the history of the Saviour, would not come to him, if he were still on earth, with the expectation of receiving some expression and token of his love? When did any one apply to him in the days of his flesh without success? He had a heart that could feel for every one, and he never turned one mournful soul away unblessed. He was made up of love, and all his business was to bless. He went about doing good unceasingly it was his meat and drink to make men happy; and this was one of his sayings, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." How then could you doubt of a blessing in coming to Christ? And how can you doubt of the mercy of God? The goodness you see in Christ is no other than the goodness of God. Christ is the book in which you read God's character. To come to Christ, and to come to God, is the same thing. It is God that you see in Christ. Christ and God are one, and God is love.

Are you afraid that there is some obstacle in the way, which will not allow God to exercise his mercy towards. you? You have no need to fear. The obstacle is removed. Christ has removed it by his death: he has made an atonement for sin; he has offered himself as a sacrifice and a propitiation to God, and God can now be just, and yet the justifier of every repenting and believing sinner. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but › have everlasting life." "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” And “ He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?***