24 REMINESCENCES OF A FAITHFUL MOTHER. assembly melted into tears. This address was accompanied with such animated, yet natural action, that it surpassed any thing I ever saw or heard in any other preacher." Happy had it been for poor Hume had he received what he then heard" as the word of God, and not as the word of man." Friendly Monitions to Parents. Reminescences of a Faithful such as this-preparing immortal souls for Mother. heaven. Our mother's faithful instructions, her THE recollections of my childhood often earnest intreaties, her fervent prayers were occupy my thoughts. The chilling breath not in vain. She it was who led us to the of the world has had no power to destroy Saviour-who pointed out the way, encour their pleasant influences. The lowly cot- aged us when faltering, and by the beauty tage, the old trees, the murmuring brook, and consistency of whose life we were the green lawn, and the early violets, are taught the reality of religion. God accomall remembered with a strength of attach- panied her words with the blessings of his ment which 1 can never entertain for simi- Holy Spirit, and if our intercourse had been lar objects. I have been in many lands sweet before, it was far sweeter now, since that were fairer-I have seen nobler trees, now our hopes, our fears, our joys, were finer crystal streams, greener lawns, and one. And much did I prize her then, but sweeter violets-but I have never loved it was not till death removed her from any as I did those; and why? The angel earth that I fully appreciated her worth, of my childhood's dreams, a tender, loving her teachings, and her example. Oft do I mother, sanctified that cherished spot. It recall to mind her precepts, and remember is with such associations that I remember her counsels, and seem to hear again her her who lulled me to sleep in infancy, and voice of prayer, and their hallowed influwhose pale, gentle face ever smiled on me ence is exerted anew upon me. It seems in my waking hours. I knew no want then to sink into my heart, to animate my hopes, that she did not supply, and I cherished no and to strengthen my resolution; and oh, love so eagerly as that which she gave me. how precious to me, are these remembranHer love and tenderness followed me from ces of a sainted mother! infancy to childhood, and still she was all the world to me. Each night bending at her knee I lisped my evening prayer, and then courted sleep on her loving bosom. How sweet were the Sabbath evenings in those happy days, when our little group gathered around our mother, and eagerly listened while she spoke of God and heaven -of the bright angels and the dear friends who dwell in that land, and while she pointed out to us the way, and directed our steps thither! Many were the tears we shed when she urged us to flee from the wrath to come, and devoutly did we join in her simple and earnest prayer that we might meet a united family circle around the throne of God. Oh, how delightful is such a scene! In what higher, nobler occupation can a mother engage than in Need I urge you, mothers, to be faithful to the precious little ones committed to your care-to lead them to Jesus, the life, the truth, the way,-to prepare them for usefulness here and happiness hereafter? Are not the spiritual welfare of your offspring, and the commands laid upon you by God, motives sufficient to enlist all your energies in so holy a mission? Let this be an encouragement to you, that, if faithful while spared to them, your influence shall not cease to be felt when you are taken from them-that though your voice be hushed in death, a word of warning, of advice, or encouragement, once spoken by you, shall reverberate in the heart of your child, and control its emotions so long as that heart shall continue to beat. But remember, too, that your influence shall AN AFFECTIONATE SPIRIT. live on, whether it be for good or evil. How great then your responsibility-how watchful should you be of what you say and do! You, it may be, control the destiny of your offspring by the most seemingly trivial word or deed. Study then to speak and act aright, and may your children have occasion to thank God, as I do, for one of his best gifts to man—a faithful, pious mother.-Mother's Magazine. Maxims,-Moral Training. REMEMBER always the force of example. During the minority of judgment, imitation is the agent of the soul: those that are less capable of reason are always most swayed by example, says Lord Bacon. Such as is the master, so will be the school: the turn of your eye, the movement of your hand, will be copied faithfully. The boy either makes the master his model, or the butt of the ridicule; when he does the latter, his progress in moral and mental discipline is hopeless. The child is the father of the man, The teacher is the father of the child's mind, and therefore ought to have a higher character than even the parent. What more is necessary to show the importance of the teacher to the parent and to himself. The first book to be placed in the hands of children, should contain anecdotes of great and good men, and their morally heroic deeds. Such is the Bible. The only moral lessons which can work into their characters, are lessons of example; which excite them to imitation, with love and admiration of the act imitated. Drill him with ethical precepts and sage maxims, of which he cannot see the beauty, and he will look upon them with disgust. Beware, then, you impose upon the inexperience of the child, what is only fit for the experience lest of the man. A little child once said, "I do like the Bible so, because there are many pretty stories in it." It is indeed the child's book as well as the man's: but it is the miracles, the providences, the judgments, the examples of holy men, the retribution that falls on the evil, through which he drinks religion. Cain and Abel, Esau and Jacob, Hagar and Ishmael, Joseph and his brethren, affect him with varied emotions. The dealings of God with the children of men at Sinai, at Jericho, on Mount Carmel, or Gilboa; and the transcendant actions of the Incarnate, his miracles, and his deeds of love, form the fundamentals of his creed. But we go to the abstract doctrines that arise out of the multiform experiences of the contemplative Christian, and we expect that a child should enter into these. We ask him questions upon which all the world has disagreed, and on which the wisest have lost themselves. We force him to answer without having experienced the truth of what he says, and without perhaps understanding what we mean; and then we think the child's salvation is safe. Religion is built upon convictions and experiences; therefore cultivate their exhibition; but beware of placing the elephant on the tortoise, or of attempting to put a tun of wine into a phial. and honour her with her attributes: this is Do not confound prudence with virtue, the fault of the middle ranks. Do not confound honour with virtue: this is the fault of the upper classes. Strengthen all rational motives; and the will to do good of their love towards God the child feel it is rather a privilege than a is the first: the next is self-respect. Let duty to act well.-Ibid. An Affectionate Spirit. We sometimes meet with men who seem to think that any indulgence in affectionate feeling is a weakness. They will return from a journey, and greet their families with distant dignity, and move among their children with the cold and lofty splendour of an iceberg, surrounded with its broken fragments. There is hardly a more unnatural sight on earth than one of these families without hearts. A father had better put out his boy's eyes than to take away his heart. Who that has experienced the joys of friendship, and knows the worth of sympathy and affection, would not rather lose all that is beautiful in nature's scenery, than be robbed of the hidden treasures of his heart? Who would not rather bury his wife, than bury his love for her? Who would not rather follow his child to the grave, than entomb his parental affection? Cherish, then, your heart's best affections. Indulge in the warm and gushing emotions of filial, paternal, fraternal love. Think it not a weakness. God is love! Love God. Love everybody, and everything that is lovely. Teach your children to love; to love the rose, to love the robin, to love their parents, to love their God. Let it be the studied object of your domestic culture to give them warm hearts, ardent affections. Bind your whole family together by these strong cords. You cannot make them too strong. Religion is lovelove to God-love to man. Family Worship. A family is a little community of members, bound together by the most innate relations, and no community can prosper without religion. Every head of a family ought to consider the frown of Providence as resting on his house, while family worship is not maintained; for God will pour out his fury upon the families that call not upon his name. But the members of a family in which morning and evening devotions are offered in an acceptable manner, may feel safe, under the dispensations of a prayer-hearing God, who will never wound them but in his mercy; and when he wounds, his hand will make whole. In the manner in which family worship is conducted, there is a very great diversity, 3. The exercises should be performed at regular and stated hours; that the family may be trained to punctuality and system. 4. They should be so short as not to be wearisome. 5. The prayer should be fervent, that the members of the family may feel it to be a transaction of important business with God, and not a mere form. 9. It should specify circumstances in which they are interested as a family, that they may feel that all their concerns are known to God, and all their sins manifest to him. 7. It should be offered in the name of Jesus Christ, and in humble confidence in him, through whom God can be just, and yet regard the cry of the penitent. and pardon and justify the true believer. Family worship thus conducted, teaches children religion by almost insensible degrees. While they surround the altar of God, divine instruction "drops as the rain, and distils as the dew." Such worship too, unites the parents and the children in bonds of inseparable attachment. EUPHONY.-LONG METRE. By Mr. DENNIS. Our Young people. Early Piety. "When we devote our youth to God, RELIGION never appears more lovely than when it is the ornament of the young; like the newly-blown flower, it is blooming and fragrant, at once gratifying the eye and delighting the sense of the beholder. Religion enlightens the mind, regulates the conduct, improves the manner, sweetens the temper, and renders the happy possessor of its graces, a blessing to his connexions, to the church, and to the world at large. Many young persons have started in a religious course, and for a time ran well; but, alas! some temptations have overtaken them, some worldly advantages have drawn them aside from the "paths of peace," some vain companion has seduced them from the bosom of their God, some religious sentiment has stumbled against them, or some besetting sin has overpowered them; they have gone back, "every one his own way," and walk no longer with their Redeemer; and thus manifested, that they are destitute of that holy principle, by which truly gracious characters" endure unto the end." How powerfully and gloriously does religion appear, when it not only engages the heart to the love of truth, but governs the passions, comforts the mind in all afflictions, exhilarates the spirits, excites to usefulness, and inspires the soul with joy unspeakable! These are some of the many advantages to be obtained by early piety. How delightful is it to see a young man, in the midst of prosperity or adversity, avowing his attachment to the Son of God, and showing it by all his actions; to see him meet the reproaches of the thoughtless, the worldly, and profane, undaunted; devoting his time, his talent, and his gain to the cause of his Redeemer; retiring from the world to commune with Heaven, regarding the interest of the rising generation, with delight and rapture, supporting a fair and honourable reputation, and dying in the full expectation of a blessed immortality! these are blessings that can be only known to the truly pious, and only to be obtained by "devoting our youth to God." Let the young remember the gracious promise held out to them, "I love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me," and they will be convinced that they cannot begin religion too soon, but may possibly think of it when it is too late. Oh, let them think how many youths, after leading a short career of sin, have sunk into an early grave, without either the consolation or knowledge of a Saviour, who have never sought for him, therefore will not be acknowledged by him, and it cannot fail to rouse their attention to that "one thing needful," without which, every thing else is as dross and dung. Let them, then, "remember their Creator in the days of their youth," and they shall escape many evils: and as their morning has been bright and shining, so their evening shall be calm and serene; and whether such a one dies either |