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the Evil One; so soon as he knows what is wrong."

The in

I have known

ward check he feels for the wrong is a proof that the Spirit
of God is with him, as it was with Samuel.
who served the Lord from their youth

many
who died happy in the very morning of life.

up, and many

And oh! how pleasant a sight is a holy child! If spared, what a holy man. *** Gray hairs in the service. * *"It will save you from a thousand snares." *** Benson at Kingswood. *** And oh! how pleasing also to parents! What joy must have filled good Hannah's heart as she came up year by year and brought him "his little coat!" (Chap. ii., 19.) Children! as you increase in years and stature, you ought, like the blessed Jesus, " to increase in knowledge and in favour with God and man;" for it is said of Samuel, "He grew and was in favour both with the Lord and also with men."

Now see how the Lord reveals himself to such children! He passes by Eli the priest, and chooses to speak to Samuel. What a friendship have God's children with him! Surely the Lord doeth nothing but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.-Noah, the flood. * * * Abraham, the cities. * * * When, by his judgments, he resolved to punish the house of Eli, he lodged the heavy tidings with Samuel! God can commune with none but holy men and holy children, for he is holy! "Where is there a prophet,

saith the Lord, and I will speak to him?”

"And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim that he could not see; and ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep, that the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and laid down. And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie

down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth." Samuel slept not far from Eli's chamber in the tabernacle, for it was his business to keep the lamps trimmed. He was so young that he knew not the voice of the Lord, but because he was a good child God revealed himself to him!

Oh! how often has God called you, my children, to serve him! Some, perhaps, by the loss of a parent. * * * Methinks I see God waiting in the chamber of death to observe what effect it has upon the child.-Some by sickness; and God has again restored them. *** Some by dreams-all of you by checks of conscience: did you never feel incitements to prayer? Oh! if you had followed them, God would have spoken to your young hearts. * * * Begin to serve the Lord to-day; seek him by prayer.

Some of you he is calling in another way-to minister to him in the world of spirits! The seeds of death are in you! Oh! keep the lamp well trimmed here until it blaze in glory! Parents, behold your children! Children, behold your parents!

26

SERMON XLVIII.

THE

COUNSELS

OF A DYING FATHER.

ADDRESSED TO CHILDREN.

1 Chronicles, xxviii., 9.-And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever.

THERE is a time when giddy youth will listen to the words of wisdom. A dying parent will inspire attention, and in proportion as that parent has been kind and loving you will treasure up his words. Hear, then, the dying words of David! a good man; so good as to be a man after God's own heart. He was about to go the way of all flesh, and to leave Solomon fatherless; and he was young and tender, like the ivy clinging round the parent oak, but was about to be torn from it: David therefore stood upon his feet; he mustered his little remaining strength, like dying Jacob, who strengthened himself and sat upon his bed to bless his little

ones.

Parents! are you as intent on the spiritual welfare of your children as the dying monarch? Is not your first concern their temporal advantage? There are two kinds of religious parents in the world. * * * You are anxious that they should gain applause from men, and not the approba tion of God; you seek to leave them swimming in the full tide of human prosperity, not thinking that the mighty deep may be so swelled by a blast of pride as to produce a whirlpool which will swallow them up forever and ever. What prospect has a dying parent leaving his children behind him in the broad way to hell?

Children! is this the case with your parents? Are they early instilling into your minds the notions of human greatness and neglecting your immortal parts? Do they ever summon you around the fireside, and say, "Come, ye children, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord!"—(Senti

ments of Alexander the Great.)-How many children will have to trace the cause of their eternal destruction to their parents! They are, indeed, often the cause of their temporal destruction. (The story of the boy who bit off his mother's ear!) You love them, and are careful for their health; but you would be monsters if you did not.-The love of the bear for its cubs is equal to yours, if not superior! David's superiority is in training them for heaven!

"And thou, Solomon my son." How sweet! my son! Oh! how the little heart swells at the words my son! my daughter! mine! * * "Know thou the God of thy father." Could he have recommended his God in sweeter terms? "The God of thy father!" It is well said that example is better than precept; the parent may give good counsel, but if he cannot say, "The God of thy father," it were useless.

Parents! you are, I will hope, accustomed to recommend to your little ones the fear of God; but can you do it by saying, "He is your father's God?"-" Be ye followers of me," &c., should be written on every parent's forehead!— The real parent not only calls to heaven, but leads the way! Parents! God has clothed you with a tremendous power! You may be the greatest blessing or the greatest curse to your little ones!-a help or a hinderance.

But what is it to know God? It is not merely to know that he exists. "Acknowledge him in all thy ways." But how is this to be done? David explains it in the following words: "Serve him.' ร

(It may signify either barely an act of our understanding and judgment, or also an act of our choice and affection,) &c.

But you say, "how can a child serve God? Does he need servants to wait at his table? Has God any wants? or, if he has, can a child supply them?" You also say, "I have heard of little Samuel being called to minister to the Lord when he was very young, but then it was in the tabernacle." Well, Samuel's service did not differ from the service God requires of you, and this you will see clearly if you remember what it is to serve another. Your parents have serwants, now what is their business? To obey their masters

and mistresses, to do what they require in household affairs. Now the service of God is the same; it is to do what God requires, or, in other words, to keep his commandments. How you may attain to this power I shall explain hereafter; I shall here only show what these commandments are; they are two: Love thy God, and Love thy neighbour.

I. Love God with all thy heart! love nothing like him, for you owe no one so much love as you owe him! "Oh," says Mary, "I love mamma more than any other being." Believe me, I want not to detract from your love, but remember, God gave you that good parent, and you should love the Giver more than the gift. If I were to present you with a little token of my love, I am sure you would keep it for my sake, and I dare say you would love it; but would it not be foolish in you to love the gift and not the giver? "Oh yes," say you, "I would only love the gift for the sake of the giver; I would love the giver most, but I would also prize the gift." Now this is what I want; I want you to love God most who gave you your kind parents, and yet to love them for his sake. God gave you good parents that you might be induced to love him by what you see of his love in that gift. And how often have I known God to take away the parent from an ungrateful child that would not love its God! Take care that this is not your case. By loving God supremely you will give the best proof of your love to your parents, for they may in all likelihood be preserved to you in long life, to train you up in the fear of the Lord! This, then, is the first commandment: "My son, give me thy heart!"

But what proof will you give of your love to God ?*

1. You will avoid everything which would be displeasing to him (of prayer and reading of the Bible I shall speak byand-by); improper company you will not mix with; a child that does not love God you will not take to your bosom. The speaking of improper words yourselves will not once be thought of, nor will you suffer an evil thought to have any place in your minds: the Sabbath-day will be

* See Appendix, p. 307.

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