whenever the ungodly looked at their Maker, their conduct or their company.

4. What a noble model for imitation, is this glorious order of beings? Had our race always acted like them, how different should we be from what we now are. Man, originally, was "made only a little lower than the angels," but instead of approximating towards them, and rising in the scale of creation, he departs from them, and descends towards the brute. It becomes him to look above, not beneath-it becomes him to be like angels. How eager and indefatigable are the pure spirits in the pursuit of sacred knowledge! How lively and intense their gratitude! How ardent their love! How constant and cheerful their obedience ! Above all, what greatness and condescension, benignity and power, unite and sweetly harmonize in their characters? Though exalted far above us, and conscious of such dignity and exaltation, they willingly become the companions, and execute the humblest offices for the fallen children of Adam. To protect and cherish those who are poor, and guilty, and defenceless, and wretched, is in a sense, their professional, chosen employment. In their bosoms. pride finds no place. Weak, ignorant, sinful man, is proud, and devils are proud; but angels, how meek, and lowly, and lovely, are they! Let us imitate them, my brethren. Be quick to learn, prompt to do, and habitually condescending to those of humble estate. See in every neighbor, a friend, in every Christian, a brother.

5. How glorious a view does our subject present, of the future blessedness of the righteous! We have seen what holy angels are, and how they are employed, and inspiration says, that the children of God shall be "equal to the angels." Can it be? Do I look upon those, who shall one day have the same purity, dignity, and felicity, which angels now have? It is even so. Blessed thought. If there is a person here, in the sanctuary of God, to whom, as an heir of salvation, angels now minister, that one shall be as perfect as angels now are, when he "shires forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father." And there the Christian will associate with those angels who ministered to him here. There is something inexpressibly delightful in this. Kind offices are the firmest bond of friendship; and it may be Jehovah's wise economy to endear unto us the inhabitants of heaven, by permitting them in this world to do us good. If one confers upon you favors, how does your heart go out towards him! If, when your house was on fire, and the blazing timbers falling around you, a stranger should rush through the smoke and flames, and bear you to a place of safety in his arms, how strong would be your affection for that stranger; and if you met with him for the first time after his deed of love, in a distant country, how would you grasp his hand, and with swimming eyes acknowledge your obligations! Lafayette opened his

coffers, and unsheathed his sword in defence of American liberty; and when he visited us again, triumphal arches were reared in memory of his kindness, and the grateful shouts of thousands rung upon his ears. And when beyond Jordan, you meet with those who cheered you in this vale of tears, and held you up amidst the perils of your pilgrimage, will you not greet them? Has not Elijah, think you, had, ere this, a joyful interview with that angel, who fed him under the juniper tree, that he might not die? O brethren, if we are Christians indeed, we know not the glories which await us.

"Oh angels, I want to be there,
Where sorrow and sin bid adieu,
Your joy and your friendship to share,
To wonder and worship with you."

Finally. Let the impenitent know, that it is a fearful thing to live in a world like this. Great things are going on. This earth is a theatre, on which important business is transacting. Mighty, eternal concerns, are depending here. The God of creation has been upon this earth, in the habiliments of a man, and died, that man might live. The Holy Spirit is abroad, making men willing to be saved. Good angels are abroad, taking care of the heirs of salvation, and guiding them to their home to the skies. And devils are abroad, to darken foolish hearts, obstruct the work of the gracious spirit, and lure souls to death. It is a fearful thing to be in such a place as this. It may seem a trifling thing to live, and in the hurry and bustle of life, you may forget where you are. But know, my friends, it is a fearful thing to live; know that this is of probation; know that devils would destroy you, and angels rejoice over your repentanee and know also, that "the things of your peace will soon be hidden from your eyes."

:

state

O that you would feel these things, that the angels now around us, might bear the glad tidings on high. Gladly would they do it. Gladly would those who announced the Saviour's birth to the Shepherds, ministered to him in the wilderness, sustained him in the garden, and rolled away the stone from his sepulchre ; gladly would they shout. "this, our brother, was dead, and is alive again, was lost, and is found."

Sinner-dying sinner, shall they sing that song over you? O, how much better the melody of that song, than the sneers and taunts of devils, and the wailings of the pit !

"When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that in thee also." 2. Tim. i. 5.

THE Apostle here expresses confidence in the personal faith or holiness of Timothy; and by affirming that two of his nearest relations had been also sincere believers, intimates that there was a connexion between his faith and theirs; or that theirs was in some way causative or instrumental of his-an intimation which accords. with experience. What of true religion has existed among men, has, with little exception, been found among the descendants of the faithful. And this is only what might be reasonably expected from the nature of holiness, and of the parental relation, and from the ordinances, declarations and promises of God.

The connexion, however, between parental and filial religion, is very far from being invariable. Some religious parents have unbelieving and profligate children; others have large families, with scarcely one religious child; and an extended family circle, with no irreligious member is uncommon. That religion has increased among men, shows that family religion has been advancing; but had the children of pious parents been invariably pious, the Church long since would have had possession of the world.

Why is it that the connexion in this case is broken; that the unfeigned faith which dwells in parents, has too often no lodgment in the hearts of their offspring?

It is very true, and may be very appropriately said, at this place, that piety does not descend like depravity from parents to children, by a principle of nature, or a divine constitution, or any fixed law, positive or natural. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, whether

the progenitors be spiritual persons or not. It is written of the saints, the sons of God, that they were by nature, the children of wrath, even as others; and that their difference from others, is referrible to a birth, which was not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. In confirmation of which all the instances of irreligious offspring from holy ancestors, may be justly adduced.-It is, therefore, not the mere consideration of piety in parents, that should lead us to look for piety in their children. Parents generally transmit, in some measure, their physical peculiarities, and so lay a foundation in their children, for natural excellence or degeneracy, for refined and elevated, or for comparatively low constitutional propensities. But holiness is always the immediate product of the renewing and sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit. The only child ever born into this world, who did not need to be born again, was the Holy Child Jesus, and the fact that no moral pollution was contracted in his unparalleled generation, is thus explained by the angel to his virgin mother. The Holy Gost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God.

This important fact, however, does not suffice as an answer to our question, unless it be true,-Either that renewing grace is withheld in some instances by the arbitrary will of God; or that in some instances this grace is inadequate; or that in some instances parents cannot, or finally, that they do not, through voluntary negligence avail themselves of its proffered aid.

The first is not true. No design, arrangement, agency, or decree of God, can be assigned as responsible for the fact, that pious parents have unholy children. God has declared himself averse to it, has made provisions against it, and has appointed means for its prevention. And it cannot be, that he has a secret purpose, adverse to the efficiency of his own appointments. This sufficiently shows that it cannot be accounted for simply by resolving it into the will of God.

The second is not true; namely, that the Divine provisions against native depravity, are sometimes in themselves, inadequate. It is manifest, that all children are not alike in respect to the disadvantages of the original guilt. Some from the beginning have unhappy physical peculiarities. Some seem naturally inclined, others disinclined to piety. But it surely cannot be that God gives us children, of such constitutional qualities, that even in defiance of his grace, they must perish. However favorable to piety may be early indications in some children, they will not become true saints without the grace of God: and however unfavorable may be these indications in other children, Divine grace surely

can sanctify them. Parental piety should neither presume in the one case, nor despair in the other. In both cases the course of wisdom and of duty is the utmost diligence in waiting on God for his blessing.

The third, we must think, is not true; that is, that though God's grace be adequate, there are cases in which parents, to whom the advantages of this grace are offered, cannot, in any way, avail themselves thereof in behalf of their children. We must reject this supposition, because it impeaches God of tantalism in his overtures of grace. For such tantalism there palpably is, if there be in fact the alleged impracticability.

It remains, therefore, that the evil be referred to parental delinquency. We are reduced to this conclusion, apparently by the force of irresistible demonstration. We see not how it can be evaded. Parental delinquency breaks the connexion between parental and filial piety, or solves the melancholy and painful fact, that holy parents have unbelieving and irreligious children.

The importance of this conclusion, however, in its practical relations, depends on what is meant by parental delinquency. It will deprive it of all power, to understand by it a mere coming short of perfection in the business of education. Since, if perfection were the condition of the Divine favor, all men would feel compliance impracticable, and would thus be hindered by despair from seriously attempting it. If this were what is meant, to make out, that the irreligion of children is owing to delinquency on the of parents, were to do what in practical application would amount to nothing.

But perfection, under the economy of grace, is not the condition. of the promises-a condition which never was, never will be, and metaphysical precision apart, never can be fulfilled: and nothing were more reproachful to the Divine mercy than to conceive of it as refusing its blessing to all endeavors on our part, which are in any respect or degree defective. The delinquency in question, therefore, must be one not from simple perfection, but from a practicable faithfulness-a faithfulness to which parents by the grace of God can attain. The truth then, before us, in demonstrative evidence, is, that the children of the pious become in too many instances irreligious and die in unbelief, not from the arbitrary will of God, nor from inadequacy in his provisions against such a consequence, nor from incompetency in parents to avail themselves of these gracious provisions, but from avoidable and criminal default on the part of parents; these epithets being applied in no technical sense, but as they are freely used in common conver

sation.

This is a proposition, confirmed by all we can know of God, from both reason and revelation; and also by the Divine economy to