any age. A marriage contemplated for her, on her parents' part, for any motive, good or not, in which her affections or her conscience cannot entirely join, she is bound to forego. She has a higher obligation towards her heavenly Father, than solemnly to dedicate herself, at the will of others, where her judgment cannot coincide, or her affections cannot rest. An unholy or a worldly marriage is expressly prohibited in the word of God; and the Christian daughter will not, she dares not, obey her parents in entering upon it. "Can two walk together except they be agreed?" (Amos iii. 3.) It is a

son or daughter, so prohibited, to take up that cross, and sacrifice natural feelings, cheerfully, on this altar, as to GOD, and not man? And may it not be an opportunity of learning that God, for some wise, but as yet unknown purpose, makes use of the parent's temper, it may be, or other cause, to do this child good in the end; a good which, sooner or later, shall be made apparent, and excite thankfulness for grace given, and a victory obtained over their own desire in hearkening to a parent's will?

divine command-" Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?" (2 Cor. vi. 14, 15.) God has expressly forbidden to parents the exercise of any such authority" Thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods.” (Deut. vii. 3, 4.)

But in thus yielding obedience to God rather than man, the Christian daughter will be mindful that they still are her parents who enjoin what, for conscience sake, she dare not obey; and she will so demean herself herein, as to give no real occasion of offence, nor withhold in manner, feeling, and conduct, what shall mark respectful tenderness and filial love. She has "so learned Christ.'

Such, my brethren, seems the general

view which holy scripture calls upon us to entertain of what constitutes and adorns the character of the Christian daughter. But how opposite is that view of this near relationship which the people of the world entertain and uphold! Educated in the principles, and trained up for the pleasures and the interests of time, worldly parents have little real thought for a child's condition in eternity. If they can secure for their children earthly advantages, and human praise, their object is gained. A worldly training up of a daughter, will not be that training up in the way she should go; and if it end in the loss of a daughter's soul, surely all motives acted upon under such an issue, must be acknowledged, too late, to have terminated in " vanity and vexation of spirit."

How different the conduct, and how happy the end of those parents who, conscious of the inborn corruption of their children's souls, can dedicate them to their

Divine Saviour, with the heartfelt prayer of the Syrophenician woman, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil:" (Matt. xv. 22:) who, with her, can persevere in prayer to Christ, and using right means, in dependance upon the Spirit of all power and might, shall find their " labour not in vain in the Lord," and depart with the mercy which the blessed Jesus conferred upon this same Syrophenician woman: "O woman, great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt; and her daughter was made whole from that very hour." (ver. 28.)

Be assured, my brethren, that unless sons and daughters are brought up under a deep feeling on their parents' part, that their children are shapen in iniquity, and born in sin, and, as our own Church Article expresses it, are of their own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the spirit, (Art. 9,) that they cannot turn and prepare

themselves by their own natural strength and good works to faith and calling upon God, (Art. 10,) be assured, that until parents are themselves brought entirely to believe this great scriptural, but humbling truth, and early inculcate this same truth upon their children's minds, they must be prepared, sooner or later, to witness rebellion, and every evil work in the character of those whom by natural instinct they love. For nothing but this conviction will make them feel that it is not in themselves, nor in the external government and rules of education, to bring them to see the root of sin in their own hearts, and so to flee for sanctification to the power and converting influence of the Divine Spirit, and for justification and acceptance simply through the mediatorial office of Jesus Christ. It is for want of this great foundation being laid in early life, that so many children become a curse, and not a blessing, to those who bare them, and oftentimes