The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1838-03-06

standing;' they have gone TO assemblies OUT ho'
the assembly of the saints. 1t is true, they may
have gone to the house Of God; but 1t was 10 see
some gay associate, exhibit fine dress, OF display
some gliltering ornament. And why is all TINS
II is plain that they have been assiduously tram
ed ,p for pleasure, they scarcely ever sec the
lovely form of religion in the circle they frequent,
except like its divine Author, to be despised ana
rejected. Who can wonder such children 90 not
serve the Lord?
But the reverse of this should be the case
We should watch with careful eye, the hrst
onnorunItv TO inst into their tender minds the
principIes of religion-their evil proPenstles ana
early corruptons should be rooted out, as tar as
possible, by the kind hand of parental aiiecuon
their virtue carefully shielded and cherished by
n mothers wa,chiul eye. How much might we,
as mothers, do, in training upa generation Tor
God, if we realized the great advantages of pi-
GUS education! How many a mother, whose
grey hairs have been brought down with sorrow
to the grave, by profigate son or a ruined daugh-
ter might have rejoiced that she had been an IN
strunlent in peopng tho domains ofheaven, had
she trained her offspring in the path OF plety
Shall we, then, neglect the charge committed to
our care? Rather let US besiege throne OF
grace, that we may know our duty.
For my part this life is so fading and transltory,
and all its pleasures have SO sunk in my estIma-
ION, that feel anxious that we as mothers should
train up our children that they may be enabled to
shun the shoals and Quicksands Of lille, and aVoic
the errors into which many have fallen How
shall we do this unless we teach them, as fast as
principles of true religion? We should teach
them, by precept and example, that our great
business here is to prepare for our existence Pc
yoad the grave, and that we have just time
enough In acco nplish the thsll Deity has impo-
sed upon us.
What vast weight of responsibility rests upon
the mother She is ordained by Heaven, to be
guardian over the infant mind; she is commission
ed by her Maker TO be the first preacher of saliva
ton to the child. He has given her; it is hers
to teach it that it is sinner, and hers to point
it to the sacrifice made for sin. How deeply in
teresting it is to the pous mother to see with
what eagerness her little ones listen to the sound of
salvation as it falls from her lips Is this not
worth more than all the drapery of fashion or
the praises of the gay and fashionable? If a
mothers instructions should, under God, result
in the salvation of her child, would she not be
douby paid for all her trouble And have we
not to justify lis in looking for this result?
"Train up a child in the way he should CO. and
when he is old he will not depart from it,, is the
declaration of scripture. 1t may be perhaps
that this is not always the case, in the opinion of
some but the fault think lies rather in the METH
cd pursued than in the instruction given; and it
is possible that many pious parent (who has
according to the best OF her judgment followed
this injunction has been forced to weep over the
sins Of her children, and exclaim, in the bitter
ness Of her soul, Oh, my son my SOM"