d of God.

* Luke xviii. 1, &c.

And when a person hath omitted nothing in his power to make his
children wise to salvation, what so natural, what so reasonable, as to
bring them to God, and pour out his soul before him, for his blessing
upon them? And what so prevalent with "him who heareth prayer?"

It is storied of Augustine, who lived in the fourth century, that
though the son of an eminently pious mother, he was a very vicious
youth--that a Christian seeing him pass in the street, spake of him as
an abandoned character, with whom it was disgraceful to associate
--which another hearing, observed, that he was the child of so many
prayers, _that he could not believe that he would be lost_--nor was he
lost. Those prayers were heard. He was called of God, and like Saul of
Tarsus, made a chosen vessel to bear God's name to a scoffing world,
and do much in the cause of the divine Redeemer. *

* Witherspoon's Sermon on Education.

The fervent prayers which godly parents offer up for their children,
ascend like the prayers and aims of good Cornelius for a memorial
before God. When sincere and persevering, they return not empty. They
often draw down the divine blessing on those for whom they are offered
up. If they fail through filial obstinacy and perverseness, they draw
a blessing on themselves, to their eternal joy.

* * * * *

These are some of the ways in which parents should seek a godly feed.
But, alas! These duties are much neglected; therefore the declension
of religion, and the prevalence of vice.

Those who enter into covenant with God, bind themselves to discharge
these duties. Others are not devoid of obligation to do the same. They
are duties which rise out of the parental relation, and are
indissolubly connected with it.

Parents have a fondness for their children, and with their felicity.
But do not some who believe them made for eternity, take care only for
the mortal part, which after all their care must ere long become food
for worms, and turn to dust! Are there not parents who neither
dedicate their children to God, nor teach them his fear, nor walk
before them in the right way, nor commend them to the divine mercy!
Cruel parents! Unhappy children! How difficult, how dangerous
their situation! By nature disposed to error--assaulted by subtil
enemies, whose temptations fall in with their natural bias, and are
strengthened by the conduct of those whom they love as friends and
revere as guides!