which they spontaneously avow. If they have once been brought to repose full confidence in their educators, all is gained; and in this course it is necessary to persevere. This first real, intentional, deliberate lie should, without a moment's forbearance, be punished with sorrowful severity of manner, and likewise every subsequent falsehood, according to the necessary gradation of punishments. When once lying has become a confirmed habit, the young person will not be easily reformed, perhaps not till after the lapse of years; nevertheless, the necessary course of treatment must be consistently persevered in. It will, at the same time, and especially in the case of hardened liars, have a good effect if they be made to feel, on all suitable occasions, the baseness and odiousness of this vice. The least inconvenience to which they can be subjected is, that they are never believed; that they receive no credit, under any circumstances, until they give evidence of amendment.

"The manner in which commands and prohibitions are given is of the utmost importance. The following principles should be carefully observed: Let there be as few commands and laws as possible; but what has once been prescribed ought to be irrevocable. If altered circumstances should require the abrogation of any rule that has been given, it should be as formally abrogated as it was enjoined. No rule should be permitted to become an obsolete statute, for which nobody has any farther respect. Hence it will be necessary to reflect maturely before any rule of conduct is prescribed; and no order should be given, to enforce which the will or the ability is wanting. By neglecting these several principles, great and extensive mischief is done by many who undertake the business of education.

"Rules for the conduct of children should be given in as few words and with as much distinctness as possible; and no flattery, or any other mixed motives which would derogate from the rules, should be employed."

Original.

THE PRAYERLESS MOTHER:

Is it then true that thou, the mother of these children, dost not implore for them the grace of God? Canst thou reflect on the hours of their birth, on their liability to sudden death, on their native depravity, on the rapid formation and development of their character, and on their need of regeneration, and yet live without prayer? Is it so that thou knowest not how to pray? Listen to their voices, and they will teach thee? Go to thy God as they come to thee. Mark how they respect thine authority, rejoice in thy love, feel their dependence, and fear thy displeasure. So do thou approach thy Saviour and theirs, for thyself and them. Oh, let not another morning look in upon thee and call thee prayerless!

A prayerless mother! Did I say mother? "Can a mother forget her sucking child, that she will not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget!" The prayerless mother not only forgets her compassion, but oh, she is cruel! Should these dear children meet thee hereafter and tell thee that thy prayerlessness slew them, and cling around thee in wrath and agony, in the dark place of wo, what emotions will harrow thy soul, what remorse dwell for ever in thy bewailing breast! I would not be a prayerless mother!

MARIA.

"Never forget that whatever may be the grade of mind allotted your children, they are placed by the appointment of God, under your protection, and that he has made it your duty to watch over, uphold and educate them according to your ability, and that for this he holds you responsible to his bar."

Original.

MATERNAL AUTHORITY.

CHILDREN, like adults, become attached to those who manifest an interest in themselves. They readily discover who strives to render them happy; and the only liability to mistake their friends arises from their ignorance of the fact that their best good is not always secured by present gratification. They very naturally suppose the refusal of a desired object to arise from the want of a disposition to please them. With their feeble capacities and inexperience, they contemplate only present wants, and are wholly improvident of the future. And as indulgence would, in many cases, come in direct conflict with their good, it becomes the duty and privilege of the mother to whom they are intrusted, and who loves them as no one else can, to cross their wishes often, in order to secure their lasting benefit. She must not only withhold some desired favors, but must require and enforce the performance of various acts, the reasonableness of which they are not able to comprehend; for children, left to follow their own. ways, endanger their health and lives by their indiscretion, and become unhappy members of the family and of society. It becomes, then, a serious question, how the government shall be maintained, thwarting, as it often must, the strongest wishes, and yet the confidence and affection of children for their mother be unimpaired. By far the greater portion of her peculiar influence over them is intimately connected with their confidence and love. If the mother is their oracle in all matters of right and wrong; if she is their umpire in all their differences; if she is their comforter in all their trials, and their chosen confidant, into whose ear they may whisper all their secret griefs, she possesses every desirable advantage for doing them good. She may almost entirely counteract the influence of every other person, and thus secure her children from the debasing influence of immorality with which they must necessarily come in contact. That she should thus be the centre of love and confidence to the forming minds under her care, is manifest to all who rightly prize the

benefits of fixing early in the minds of children a correct moral sentiment. If she be a Christian mother, she will explain to them, with a simplicity and clearness not to be surpassed, the way for a child to be saved. She watches the seed sown, and joyfully hails the first budding of spiritual life. This she waters and cherishes with a fidelity which maternal love renders both constant and delightful. What human teacher ever occupied a more favorable position? Who else can hope to teach under equally favorable circumstances?

But it has already been suggested that even the mother, in the exercise of needful discipline, is liable to lose her influence by a sort of indiscretion. Authority when most wisely administered, as it breaks in upon that feeling of independence so natural to the human mind, is exceedingly unwelcome to the child unaccustomed to be thwarted in its wishes. When, therefore, she commences the process of wholesome restraint, she encounters a repugnance which well-nigh deems her an enemy. She certainly causes grief, and seems to do it by design. This contrasts so strangely with her many efforts to please, her almost uniformly kind and conciliating manner, that confidence and love are put to a severe test, and for a time at least are in check. And we know of no way in which this difficulty can be avoided, since children always need restraint before they are capable of understanding the reason why. Still, there are modifying circumstances which will readily suggest themselves to the mind of the discreet mother, and which she will not fail to improve. As the exercise of authority is her strange work, and in itself not less disagreeable to her than to her children, she will resort to it as seldom as duty will permit, and at all times when called to the task will show by her smiles and caresses that a mother's warm, affectionate heart is not wanting. This will surprisingly counteract the tide of distrust, and give new impulse to the suspended affection.

As years advance and reason developes, the mother should embrace the opportunity thus afforded, of showing her children the reasonableness of all her coercive measures. She can teach them the nature and consequences of sin. And in doing this she

must exercise due caution to feed them with milk and not with strong meat, to say nothing which to them may seem incredible, but to explain to them the simplest principles of right, illustrating by examples, and enforcing with affectionate simplicity and

earnestness.

Incalculable benefits may accrue to the rising generation from a systematic and well-timed restraint, accompanied with all those precautions which tend to the security of affection and trust. The mother will be the chosen associate of her children, and her doctrine may distil like the dew. The subject is too serious to admit of a compliment to mothers for their ability thus to affect the destinies of the race; but we would derive from this momentous truth a most convincing argument for their zealous, untiring diligence in the fulfilment of their sacred trust.

Ballston Spa, January 2, 1844.

H. W. B.

Original.

"THE CHURCH IN THY HOUSE."

BY REV. N. E. JOHNSON.

WHETHER this expression in the salutation of Paul to Philemon, is to be understood as meaning the church composed of members under thy roof-or that portion of the church of Christ who dwell under thy roof-or the church which meets at thy house, it is an expression which suggests some pleasant thoughts respecting the connection of churches and families. In the patriarchal ages the church of God existed in the family as its natural home. On the head of the family devolved the duty of instruction and government, of the maintenance of divine worship and of offering sacrifices, and, after circumcision was introduced, of circumcising his household. To his family he was king and priest, he was magistrate and minister. As the family constitu