by his providence, which in concurrence with his word, impresses lessons of wisdom upon the heart. He further communicates instruction through the instrumentality of the wise and good, the institutions of religion, and the voice of a well informed conscienee. All the means which are found by experience to be efficacious for opening the understanding, and for fixing good principles in the heart, whether ordinary or extraordinary, are justly to be traced up to God as their author, and owe all their efficacy to his co-operating energy and blessing.

4. The character of a Father implies the exercise of wise and salutary discipline. For what son is there whom his Father chasteneth not?" They are fond and unwise parents who indulge their children in all their extravagant desires and humours, and who never restrain their follies and their passions by reproof and discipline.

But God is a Father, and he is the wisest and the best of parents, always intent upon the ultimate advantage and felicity of his

children, and therefore not foolishly fond or indulgent to their limited views or unreasonable inclinations, but with firm and steady hand conducting his dispensations to the production of the greatest ultimate good. And for this purpose discipline, prudent, faithful discipline, is often requisite." Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and correcteth every son whom he receiveth. And when he chastiseth us, God dealeth with us as with sons.

"Foolishness is bound up in the heart of man," but the discipline of adversity shall drive it far away. Affliction is needful to bring men to a just and penetrating sense of past errors and miscarriages; to promote penitence and contrition; to lay a due restraint upon pride, and folly, and passion; to mould the will into entire subjection to the will of God; to fix a just impression upon the heart, of the vanity of terrestrial objects; to excite activity, vigilance, and zeal; to purify and exalt the principles of action; to elevate the Christian character; to fill the mind with sacred awe and reve

rence of the Supreme Being; to awaken earnest desire after that better inheritance which is in reserve for them, and to quicken them in their preparation for it.

This needful and salutary discipline is administered in various methods, and in different degrees, adapted to the respective cases to which it is applied, and proportioned to the circumstances and ability of every individual. Afflictions are either bodily or mental, personal or relative, internal or external; but, whatever be their number, their nature, or their degree, let it ever be remembered that they are all sent by God. For though man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward, yet affliction doth not spring from the dust, neither doth sorrow grow out of the ground: and this discipline is ever exercised in mercy. Earthly parents are sometimes moved by passion or caprice. They sometimes treat their children with unjust severity; they seem to take pleasure in keeping them at a distance, and in making them unhappy : but our Father in heaven corrects his children "only for

their profit, that they may be partakers of his holiness;" that they may become qualified for their glorious inheritance. It is, "if need be, that we are in heaviness." His anger endureth but a moment. It is the feeling of a wise and tender parent who pities while he chastises the offending child.

And this correction is administered with consummate wisdom. No fond indulgence shall withhold the discipline which may be necessary to embitter the practice of vice, and to humble, prove, and purify the heart. Nor shall suffering be extended beyond the limit which wisdom and benevolence may prescribe, or which the strength of the sufferer can endure. "As a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." He can pour balm into the wounded spirit: He soothes and comforts the troubled mind: and saith to the billows of adversity, Peace, be still.

5. Another characteristic of a parent is forbearance and forgiveness.

A wise and good father makes all reasonable allowance for the infirmities and

follies of the child, for the weakness of reason, the violence of passion, for limited views and apprehensions, and for the power of temptation over the unguarded heart.

He pities the folly and misconduct of his erring and offending offspring, and does not hastily break out into intemperate wrath. He bears with youthful impetuosity, and even perverseness; he uses all gentle means to correct and to reclaim. And while he is firm in his purpose to chastise wilful offence and obstinate transgression, he relents at the appearance of contrition: and to sincere repentance he is eager to extend pardon for multiplied, repeated, and even aggravated transgres

sions.

And such is the mercy and forbearance of our Father in heaven. He knows all the weakness and the frailty of the human frame all the darkness of the human understanding, and all the folly that is bound up in the human heart. He sees how men are bewildered by unperceived and invincible prejudices: he knows the strong and