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years, those of folly will spring up in their hearts, and corrupt their morals, by which their souls shall be brought to destruction and perdition. As then you tender the salvation of your children, endeavour to promote it, by training them up in the way they should go, that when they are old they may not depart from it.

Do you hope for comfort from your children during the remainder of your days, and their affectionate support in the decline of life; be induced to give them a virtuous education. It is one of the greatest sources of consolation to parents, to hear that their family are respectable, and by their upright and steady behaviour, growing in favour with God and man. "A wise son," says Solomon, "maketh a glad father." We can only however expect to see them wise and virtuous, when they have been taught "to remember their Creator in the days of their youth." For if their minds have been suffered to remain without instruction, and their passions to operate without restraint; they generally grow up without considering the course of life which they pursue, and often involve themselves in wretchedness and misery. Such an issue of their conduct cannot but fill the hearts of parents with anguish: "a foolish son is" indeed "the heaviness of his mother." then you would receive comfort from your children, and avoid the bitterness of grief for their misbehaviour, be persuaded to train them up in the way wherein they should go.

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Finally, if you expect to meet your children with joy in the great day of the Lord, and be admitted together into the mansions of bliss; be persuaded now to bring them up in the paths which lead to everlasting life. How will your hearts rejoice if you can then say to the judge of all the earth; "lo, here am I, and the children whom thou hast given me:" I taught them to serve thee their Creator in the days of their youth, and they have persevered in the path of duty to the end; and now are they before thy throne, where they shall serve thee day and night for ever and ever. But how appalling will be the sentence which will then be pronounced, if you have neglected their education! Then will the judge say, be

hold the children whom I have given you; they were ignorant and you instructed them not; they were vicious, and you restrained them not; therefore "take the unprofitable servant, and cast him into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth." If, therefore, we would escape this doom, and have joy in ourselves and offspring at the coming of the Lord; let us train up our children in the ways of righteousness, that our latter end and theirs may be peace.

SERMON XVIII,

ON

DOMESTIC & SOCIAL CONCORD.

ECCLES. VII. 9.

Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

HUMAN nature contains in its composition various principles, which have all their proper office assigned them in directing our conduct. Some of these belong to the animal part of our nature, and prompt us to action without thought or consideration, others are the offspring of our intellectual and moral powers, and intended to influence our instinctive propensities in a right and becoming manner. These propensities are well known under the name of passions and affections, which are excited by various objects and on different occasions. They have been distributed by pneumatologists into two kinds, the benevolent and malevolent; from the mode of their operation, inclining us to do either good or evil towards others around us. The former are in general so feeble in their nature, that they need to be strengthened by constant exercise; the latter so impetuous, as to require our utmost efforts to moderate and subdue them.

Of these, the passion of anger is one of the most ungovernable, and has been the cause of so much mischief in the world, that moralists and theologians have regarded it as particularly worthy of discipline, if we would be easy in ourselves and agreeable to others. As it is a constituent part of our mental constitution, it must be in itself beneficial to our happiness; since all the faculties of

be

our nature were originally pronounced by our Creator to be very good. Accordingly, anger seems intended as a principle, by which we express our displeasure at the unworthy behaviour of those who do wrong; and thus serves to restrain the wickedness or folly of the base and inconsiderate. It is of essential use also, in checking the unprovoked aggressions of the violent and oppressive, since it prompts us to resist their attempts to injure us; or if they have committed a trespass against our rights, it induces us to remonstrate against their conduct, and endea vour to reclaim them from the error of their way. But when just indignation cannot produce this advantageous effect, anger is farther necessary to instigate us to the punishment of impenitent transgressors, by executing wrath against those who do evil; that the lawless may prevented from disturbing the peace of human society.Thus, our irrascible affections are bestowed to promote these important purposes; and if applied only on such occasions, they would be entirely justifiable in their opera tion. In this manner have they been exercised by the wisest and best of men; and even by our Saviour himself, when he acted his part in the world with the most consummate perfection. For we find, that he was sometimes displeased with his disciples for their ignorance; and that he was angry with the Pharisees, for their unreasonable prejudices, "being grieved for the hardness of their hearts." And several precepts in scripture also seem to allow anger on certain occasions; for we find our Lord declaring it blameable only when it is conceived against our brother" without a cause;" and the Apostles directing us" to be angry and sin not, and not to let the sun go down upon our wrath." These are limitations within which it may be indulged without blameworthiness; and therefore this passion ought not, as some ancient philoso phers taught, to be completely suppressed.

But, as it is so apt to instigate our malevolent feelings, on receiving very trifling injuries; hence the most vi gilant self-command is requisite to restrain it within the bounds of moderation. And in the intercourse of life, there is none of our animal principles so difficult to ma

nage in a becoming manner, so as to avoid giving offence to those with whom we are connected. For every day, we meet with provocations from the frowardness, imprudence, or caprice of our friends, which irritate our temper, and dispose us to entertain sentiments of displeasure, and utter expressions of resentment, by which social peace is often interrupted. If therefore we would not live in discord and animosity, but dwell together as brethren in unity; the regulation of our irrascible principles becomes a most necessary and important duty, and well deserving our most serious attention. For which purpose, it may be useful to consider, in the following discourse,

I. The nature of anger, and how far its indulgence is allowable.

II. The excesses to which this passion is liable, with their causes and consequences.

III. The reasons by which we should restrain our anger within the bounds of moderation.

IV. The application of the subject to practical purposes.

I. The nature of anger has often been described by ethical writers, as a perturbed state of the mind arising from the conception of an injury received, accompanied with a disposition to retaliate some degree of punishment upon the offender. There are various modifications of this passion, according to the nature of the feelings excited, and the character of the person who entertains it. Sometimes it is conceived in a hasty manner, from observing any act of indiscretion, or hearing unguarded expressions from those with whom we associate. On such occasions, it rises instinctively in the breast, and produces such agitation of the animal spirits, as for a while supersedes the exercise of reason, and prompts to the most unbecoming violence of temper. Such a degree of anger is generally found in persons of a sanguine temperament ; and though impetuous for a short season, soon subsides, when the occasion which provoked it is removed.-In others, this principle exerts itself more uniformly, by a habitual disposition to peevishness, on the least occasion of offence; which renders the man who indulges it uneasy

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