time in saying, why hast thou done so; and who therefore, I had almost said, justly rewarded him by endeavouring to usurp his kingdom, saying, I will be king. Nay, if parents content themselves with restraining licentious children only by gentle reproofs and soft admonitions, if they speak to them only in the soothing language of Eli to his profligate sons, Hophni and Phineas, Why do ye such "things, my sons? Nay, my sons, it is

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no good report which I hear of you;" they may justly expect to see their children come to the same calamitous end with those two monsters of iniquity, and, like Eli, bring a curse upon their house, because, like him, when their sons made themselves vile, they restrained them not, by the proper powers of parental authority and necessary discipline.

Lastly, to crown thy endeavours, and to sanctify thy house for obtaining a blessing and not a curse, observe stated times for daily offices of devotion, and, like Cornelius, worship the Lord with thy whole house. For who can say with holy

Job,

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Job, "It may be, perhaps, my children "have sinned;" It not only may be, but it must be, that both thou and thy children have fallen seven times a day: Remember therefore, like Job, continually to offer up daily supplications for their daily sins and thy own. And shouldst thou be disposed to say, like the prophet of old, Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, or with what form of devotion shall I bow myself before the high God, it would be easy to answer, that there are innumerable forms adapted to family devotion, and which are easy to be procured. But one there is especially, which ought to find a place in the family and closet of every Christian, I mean the Common Prayer of our Church; which expresses all the wants and supplications of a sinner in the most ardent and becoming manner, and of which we may justly say, in comparison of all other forms, what David said of the sword of Goliah, "There is none like it."

Blessed then is that devout Christian, who like Cornelius fears the Lord with

all

all his house; who encourages them by his example, directs them by his instructions, governs them by his authority, and sanctifies them by prayer! Of such a man we may safely affirm, that he is not far from the kingdom of God.

The last part of this good centurion's character is, that he gave much alms unto the people; which intimates, that his liberality extended to all among the people, whether Jews, or Greeks, or Proselytes. And indeed true charity knows no distinction of nation and country; but wherever distress and misery appear, there the god-like virtue of compassion will follow, with healing in its wings.

Again; his liberality was not only universally, but also liberally diffused: for he gave much alms unto the people. It is not however the quantity of the gift, but the intention of the giver, which constitutes true and acceptable charity. For if our alms are only done to be seen of men, however great they may be, we shall have our reward; but it will only be

.

the

the reward of the vain hypocrite. But the charitable disposition of the will adds holy wings to riches, which make them ascend for a memorial before God,

up

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who will not forget our work and labour of love.

Let none therefore refuse to exercise this charity, or plead inability to give. I well know the difficulties under whieli many labour in these times of enormous and increasing expence, and who have therefore little to spare: Yet, let them not forbear to give of that little. Let them remember, that the widow's mite has been proverbially mentioned with honour from the earliest ages of Christianity, and that a few drops of oil and wine, with the addition of two-pence, constituted the chief part of the liberality of that good Samaritan, whom Christ himself recommended to our imitation. Let them remember too, that an especial blessing is every where promised to the virtues of charity and compassion, extending even to our latest posterity. How ambitious therefore should every parent VOL. IV.

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be

be to deserve this blessing! And whilst on the one hand, he endeavours to make his children the children of God, and his servants the servants of God; whilst, as a priest over his own houshold, he makes his house a house of prayer, and offers up a daily sacrifice for himself and his dependents; so, on the other hand, he ought, like Cornelius, to crown his piety with charity, and to let his light so shine before men, that they may see his good works, and glorify his father in heaven.

Thus have I laid before you, with all plainness and simplicity, the duty of every master of a family, drawn from the example of the good centurion Cornelius. And sure I am, that neither arguments nor eloquence will be wanting, to recommend the practice of it to every man, who seriously considers the present state of things amongst us; a state of things, which, without either the exaggeration of spleen or the misrepresentation of needless terror, affords a prospect truly terrible and alarming. For surely there cannot be a more truly alarming prospect, than

when