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The heaviest work of her servants she maketh light, by orderly and seasonably enjoining it. In her husband's sickness she feels more grief than she shows.

THE GOOD PARENT.*

HE continueth the care of his children till the day of his death, in their infancy, youth, and man's estate.

He showeth them in his own practice what to follow and imitate; and in others, what to shun and avoid. A father that whipt his son for swearing, and swore himself whilst he whipt him, did more harm by his example than good by his correction.

If his son prove wild he doth not cast him off so far, but he marks the place where he lights. With the mother of Moses, he doth not suffer his son to sink or swim, but he leaves one to stand afar off to watch what will become of him.

He moves him to marriage rather by argument drawn from his good, than his own authority.

In choosing a profession, he is directed by his child's disposition.

He allows his children maintenance according to their quality.

He observeth gavel-kind in dividing his affections, though not his estate.

*From the Holy State.

He doth not give away his loaf to his children and then come to them for a piece of bread.*

The knowledge that it is the tendency of affection rather to descend than to ascend, seems of considerable importance in the regulation of parental feeling. Fuller, in his chapter on moderation, says, "As love does descend," &c. Du Moulin, in his work on Peace and Content, says, "Of children expect no good but the satisfaction to have done them good and to see them do well for themselves, for in this relation the nature of beneficence is to descend, seldom to remount. Bishop Taylor, in his Life of Christ, when speaking of mothers who do not suckle their own children, says, "And if love descends more strongly than it ascends, and commonly falls from the parents upon the children in cataracts, and returns back again up to the parents but in small dews; if the child's affection keeps the same proportions towards such unkind mothers, it will be as little as atoms in the sun, and never express itself but when the mother needs it not, that is in the sunshine of a clear fortune."-Is not the expectation, that affection should ascend, often a cause of misery?

The following extract upon parent and child is from a sermon of Ogden's.

Young people are not sensible how much anguish is endured on their account. They run heedlessly forward in the broad and open path, and have no thought but of the pleasure they are pursuing. Yet stop, young man, we beg a little, to look towards thy poor parents. Think it not too much to bestow a moment's reflection upon those who never forget thee. Recollect what they have done for thee. Remember all-all indeed thou canst not: alas! ill had been thy lot, had not their care of thee begun before thou couldst remember, or know any thing.

Now so proud, self-willed, inexorable, thou couldst then only ask by wailing, and move them with thy tears. And they were moved. Their hearts were touched with thy distress they relieved and watched thy wants, before thou knewest thine own necessities or their kindness. They

THE GOOD SEA CAPTAIN.*

CONCEIVE him now in a man of war, with his letters of marque, victualled, and appointed.

The more power he hath, the more careful he is not to abuse it. Indeed a sea captain is a king

clothed thee thou knewest not that thou wast naked: thou askedst not for bread, but they fed thee. And ever since, in short, for the particulars are too many to be recounted, and too many surely to be all utterly forgotten, it has been the very principal endeavour, employment, and study of their

lives to do service to thee.

And remember, for this too is of moment, it is all out of pure, unfeigned affection. Other friends mostly expect their civilities to be repaid, and their kind offices returned with interest. But parents have no thoughts like these. They "seek not thine, but thee," Their regard is real, and hearty, and undesigning. They have no reflex views upon themselves, no oblique glances towards their own interest. If by all their endeavours they can obtain their child's welfare, they arrive at the full accomplishment of their wishes. They have no higher object of their ambition. Be thou but happy, and they are so.

And now tell me is not something to be done, I do not now say for thyself, but for them? If it be too much to

* The Sea Captain contains a short Life of Sir Francis Drake, and the following anecdote :-Francis Drake continued his course for Port-Rico, and riding within the road, a shot from the castle entered the steerage of the ship, took away the stool from under him as he sate at supper, wounded Sir Nicholas Clifford and Brute Brown to death. "Ah dear Brute," said Drake, "I could grieve for thee, but now is no time for me to let down my spirits."-From the mouth of H. Drake, Esq., there present, my dear and worthy parishioner lately deceased.

in the island of a ship, supreme judge, above appeal, in causes civil and criminal, and is seldom brought to an account in courts of justice on land, for injuries done to his own men at sea.

He is careful in observing the Lord's day. He hath a watch in his heart, though no bells in a steeple to proclaim that day by ringing to prayers.

He is as pious and thankful when a tempest is past, as devout when 'tis present; not clamorous to receive mercies, and tongue-tied to return thanks. Escaping many dangers makes him not presumptuous to run into them.

In taking a prize he most prizeth the men's

desire of thee to be good, and wise, and virtuous, and happy for thy own sake, yet be happy for theirs. Think that a sober, upright, and let me add, religious life, besides the blessings it will bring upon thy own head, will be a fountain of unfailing comfort to thy declining parents, and make the heart of the aged sing for joy.

What shall we say? Which of these is happier? the son that maketh a glad father? or the father, blessed with such

a son?

Fortunate young man! who hast a heart open so early to virtuous delights: and canst find thy own happiness, in returning thy father's blessing upon his own head.

And happy father! whose years have been prolonged, not as it often happens, to see his comforts fall from him one after another, and to become at once old and destitute; but to taste a new pleasure, not to be found among the pleasures of youth, reserved for his age; to reap the harvest of all his cares and labour in the duty, affection, and felicity of his dear child. His very look bespeaks the inward satisfaction of his heart. The infirmities of age sit light on him. He feels not the troubles of life; he smiles at the approach of death sees himself still living and honoured in the memory

lives whom he takes; though some of them may chance to be negroes or savages. 'Tis the custom of some to cast them overboard, and there's an end of them: for the dumb fishes will tell no tales. But the murder is not so soon drowned as the man. What, is a brother of false blood no kin; a savage hath God to his father by creation, though not the church to his mother, and God will revenge his innocent blood. But our captain counts the image of God, nevertheless his image cut in ebony as if done in ivory.*

and the person of his son, his other dearer self: and passes down to the receptacle of all the living in the fulness of content and joy.

How unlike to this, is the condition of him who has the affliction to be the father of a wicked offspring! poor unhappy man! no sorrow is like unto thy sorrow. Diseases and death are blessings, if compared with the anguish of thy heart, when thou seest thy dearest children run heedlessly headlong in the ways of sin, forgetful of their parents' coun sel and their own happiness. Unfortunate old man! how often does he wish he had never been born, or had been cut off before he was a father! no reflection is able to afford him consolation. He grows old betimes; and the afflictions of age are doubled on his head. In vain are instruments of pleasure brought forth. His soul refuses comfort. Every blessing of life is lost upon him. No success is able to give him joy. His triumphs are like that of David. While his friends, captains, soldiers, were rending the air with shouts of victory he, poor conqueror! "went up," as it is written, "to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said; O my son Absalom! my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee! O Absalom, my son, my son!"-Sermon xi. p. 335.

* Is not this one of the earliest intercessions on behalf of the poor slaves?

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