proach he must expect from the heathen? when he must never more see his relations and must give up a young woman who was soon to have become his wife? The son fell at his feet, and humbly begged him not to draw him back into heathenism. This took place quite privately. Afterwards both

came to me.

We pointed out to the aged father the misery of heathenism, the blessedness of true Christians, and exhorted him to turn to the living God. We further convinced him that the son had come to us willingly, and that it was free to him either honestly to embrace Christianity, or to relinquish it; only that it was impossible for me or the catechist to recommend him to turn back to heathenism and destruction. "Here," said I, "stands your son, ask him what he is minded to do in this momentous affair ; by force we neither can nor will detain him." The son was questioned, and replied in a weak manner, that, he would honour his parents as before, but could not resolve to go back again to heathenism. The father was calm, and listened attentively to all that was further proposed to him concerning the way to life; but once again spoke to his son on the subject of the marriage, telling him all was settled to complete the nuptials the following month. The son said that he would gladly espouse the young person, if her relations

would give her to him as a Christian; but that if they chose to withdraw her on ac count of his Christianity, he would not resign Christianity for the sake of a wife. "If that be thy purpose," said the father, "I do not desire to constrain thee." He begged me diligently to watch over his son and thoroughly instruct him, and then parted from us in peace. However, before the young man was baptized, his elder brother arriving, took up the affair with warmth, and wanted to conduct him back to Porreiar. He ex pected to detach his brother from us by an gry words and gestures. The young man, agreeably to our recommendation, did not permit himself to be betrayed into anger, but endeavoured to pacify his elder brother by love and kind expostulations. We all likewise admonished him frequently and

fully, till at length he acknowledged that he had done wrong in endeavouring to draw his brother from the good way. He further assured us that he would entreat his parents to consent that they might all devote themselves to God. He remained with us several days, frequently conversed with the catechists, and observed the manner in which the worship of God is conducted among us. During his stay, his brother was baptized, and received the name of Solomon. The elder brother afterwards called him only by his Christian name, appeared to be satisfied, and making many good promises, returned.

ALIX.

EXTRACT FROM WARD'S ANNUAL

ADDRESS.

Is it surprising, that those, who have had little restraint laid upon their passions in their youth; who have felt no awe of a Father's frown; upon whose minds the fear of a Righteous God-and the reverence due to his name, his day, and his word, have not been deeply impressed: who have been indulged in pride and vanity, and allowed to dress in finery far above their stations: who have had their follies passed over, and their sinful humours gratified;—is it surprising, I say, that those who have not been broken

in at home, should be wild and ungovernable, when they come out into the world ?— that they should be impatient of control, discontented with their lot, envious of their superiors, lovers of pleasure, rather than lovers of God, idle, vain, disorderly, and in the end, vicious and profligate!

Oh, my dear friends, how dearly did good old Eli pay for his excessive indulgence to his children! He was the High Priest of God, and eminently pious himself; but through partial affection he had failed to correct the evil propensities of his sons; his rebukes had been too mild to be heeded by them; their wickedness was not repressed with sufficient firmness. And hence he was deemed an accomplice in their crimes, and was visited by the Divine displeasure in such an awful manner, as to make the ears of all who heard of it to tingle. His two abandoned sons, unrepenting and unpar doned, as far as we know, were both slain in one day; he himself lived just to hear, that the ark of God was taken by the Philistines-and then died of a broken heart; leaving a salutary warning to others, to the end of time, how they prefer the humours of their children to the honour of God.

And what was it that drew from David, the man after God's own heart, that exceeding bitter lamentation, "Oh Absalom, Ab

salom, my son, my son, why did I not die instead of thee ?" Something more perhaps than the yearnings of a fond father's bosom: it might be the fear, lest his undue love to that unworthy youth might have Contributed, not only to his present, but his eternal ruin! He wept over him perhaps, as twice dead!

Imagine not, I pray you, that undue indulgence will be repaid by the gratitude and love of the children, who are thus spoilt. We have on record an affecting story of a young man, whose disorderly and wicked life brought him to an untimely end; and when he was about to suffer the just sentence of the law, he desired to speak with his aged mother, who had come to the fatal spot, to take the last look of a son she had too fondly loved. But when she came near the dying man, he bitterly reproached her for her foolish fondness to him in his youth, for allowing him to have his own way, and for not checking his unruly passions, which by long indulgence had gained the mastery, and had led him through a course of violence and guilt, to a shameful and premature death.

With this sad scene let me contrast the dying bed of a sweet child, the daughter of a dear friend of mine, who had been trained in the ways of religion and truth by a parent