which they have reasonably, as well as naturally, cherished. Religious instruction, admonition, and reproof; a prodigal never can give. He, who does not pray for himself, cannot be expected to pray for his family. The parent, who does not frequent the house of God, will soon see it forsaken by his children. Thus the education of his children will be deserted by the prodigal. The invaluable season of childhood and youth will be lost, and those early impressions, both economical and religious, those important habits, on which the good of this life, and of the life to come, is in a great measure founded, are never establish, ed in their minds. To their comfortable settlement, whatever may be his wishes, he has voluntarily lost the power to contribute. Before the period arrives, at which this important object is to be accomplished, his wife, if she has not died of a broken heart, and her children, usually see him a beggar; and follow him to the hovel, which has become his only shelter. Hence, if they survive the ruin of their hopes, the children are soon turned into the world, to make their way through all the thorns and briers, which regularly embarrass the path of persons in such a situation. The Hand, which feeds the young ravens, when they cry, does, indeed, usually feed them. Earthly friends, at times also, they may find; and sometimes may be regarded by strangers with compassion and tenderness, which they never experienced from him, who gave them birth. REMARKS. 1. By these considerations, Parents are taught the incalculable importance of educating their children to Industry and Economy. Revolve for a moment the miserable character, circumstances, and end, of those, who have been the subjects of this discourse. Who would be willing, who would not shudder at the thought, that such would be the character, such the circumstances, and such the end, of his own children? How shall this dreadful catastrophe be prevented? Under God, only by a faithful education of children to Industry and Economy; by habituation to some useful, active business; or some diligent, sedentary employment; by thorough instructions, and a persuasive example. These are the fountains of sustenance to human life. A fortune, bequeathed to children, or provided for them at an earlier period, instead of being a secure provision for their future wants, is commonly a mere incitement to ruin; a bounty, given to idleness; a watch-word to begin the career of profusion. The Jews are said, during some periods, at least, of their existence as a people, to have educated their children, universally, in active business; and to have adopted, proverbially, this aphorism that he, who does not bring up his child to useful industry, brings him up to be a beggar, and a nuisance. It is to be fervently wished, that all Christian Parents would adopt the same maxim, and thus prepare their children to become blessings both to themselves and mankind. It has been repeatedly observed in these discourses, that Industry and Economy are not natural to man, and can only be established by habituation. These habits must both be begun in the morning of life; or there is danger, that they will never be begun successfully. As no man, consistently with his plain duty, can be excused from being industrious and economical, himself; so no man can be justified for a moment, who does not effectually communicate both Industry and Economy to his children. He, who, at the first, made labour the employment of mankind; and who afterwards commanded to gather up the fragments, that nothing might be lost; will admit no excuse for the neglect of these duties, whether they respect ourselves, or our offspring. In this subject, Parents and children of both sexes are equally concerned. Both parents are bound to teach their children; and their children, of both sexes, are bound to learn, to be industrious, and to be economical; to fill up their time with useful employments; to methodize it, that it may be thus filled up; and to feel, that the loss of time, the neglect of talents, and the waste of property, are all serious violations of their duty to God. The parents are bound to inspire, and the children to imbibe, a contempt, an abhorrence, for that silly, worthless frivolity, to which so many children, of fashionable parents especially, are trained; that sinful waste of the golden hours of life; that sickly devotion to amusement; that shameful, pitiable dependence on trifling, te VOL. IV. 37 tu The whoshuaca Hot assume T gie, and even hat Jashicably at the doom of the unpr Every human ear ervant in the Disput sail more prone me thnghe ta bolove, that profusion= able; and to shrine Boss the amputation of niggardly There is no more absolute abandhity, than the suppres hat prodigality and generosity are the same thing. The even allied. Generosity consista in giving freely, wher Muable purpose demands it; and with a disposition, benevoMy inclined to promote that purpose. Prodigality is the squanng of property, not for valuable, but base and contempti- purposes; for the mere gratification of voluptuousness, vaniand pride. All these gratifications are mean, selfish, and picable. The generous man feels the value of property. > prodigal has no sense of this value. The generous man es, because what he gives will do real good to the recipient : prodigal, because he cares nothing about property, except at enables him to acquire reputation, to gratify his pride, to _ke an ostentatious display of wealth, or to outstrip and morva rival. In all this there is not an approach towards genesity. On the contrary, the motives are grovelling and connptible; and the manner, in which they are exhibited to the e, is disingenuous and hypocritical; a gaudy dress upon a athsome skeleton. But the prodigal fails of the very reward, hich he proposes as the chief object of his expense. In spite all his wishes, and efforts, even weak men perceive, that he . totally destitute of generosity; and those who most flatter, re the first to forsake, him: while, to shelter their own meaness and treachery, they proclaim, more loudly than any others, his weakness, faults, and miseries, to mankind. Let every youth, then, fasten his eye on this wretched character, this pernicious conduct, and this deplorable end. His own exposure let him strongly feel. Let him realize with solemn emotions of mind; that Idleness and Profusion are broad and beaten roads to ruin, both in this world and that which is to come. With these views, let him devote all his time to some useful and upright employment; and thus make every day yield its blessings. What he acquires by commendable industry, let him faithfully preserve by prudent, watchful care. In this manner he will become honourable in the sight of wise and good men, a blessing to himself, to his family, and to mankind: while he will, at the same time, fulfil one important end of his being. : SERMON CXXIII. EIGHTH COMMANDMENT. FRAUD. EXODUS Xx. 15. Thou shalt not steal. HAVING considered the Frauds, which men practise upon Themselves, and their Families, I shall now proceed to examine the II. Head of discourse, proposed at that time; viz. The Frauds, which we practise upon others. Of these, the 1. Class, which I shall mention, is those, which respect Borrowing the property of others. Frauds of this kind are so numerous, that it is impossible here to mention them all; and so common, that most persons practise them without even suspecting themselves to be criminal. Still they are frauds; and crimes, which admit of no excuse. Of this transgression persons are guilty, whenever they suffer that, which has been loaned to them, to be injured through their own Negligence. This evil is extremely common; and by a great part of mankind is scarcely regarded, unless when the injury is considerable, as being censurable at all. Still it is obviously a |