You

care should be suddenly arrested by a mortal disease. call for medical aid, and while the physicians sit in council, your mind tremblingly vibrates between hope and fear. At length the melancholy, the awful decision is announced-the malady is too deeply rooted for the reach of human skill; and you must prepare to part with an object, around which the finest fibres of your heart are twined. But the preparation of your mind is not all that is necessary. While that

much loved frame returns to the dust as it was, the spirt must return to God who gave it. And how is it fittel for the solemn summons? Your son, perhaps, has reach ed the end of eight, ten, or twelve years. Has he an interest in Christ? Has he hopefully repented of sin, and sought the grace of the Redeemer? Has he been well instructed as to the nature of sin, the character and will of God, and the way of salvation? Has he enjoyed the benefit of family devotion, and parental example? Alas! all these questions must be answered in the negative. The precious opportunity for parental instruction has passed away without improvement; and now the only hope and that a forlorn one-is, that a few moments' diligence may compensate for the negligence of years! In such sad and discouraging circumstances, the Pastor is called to build where no foundation has been laid; to sow the seed of the word in soil which has never been prepared. Should you be brought into such circumstances, would not your heart upbraid you? What would you not then give for the testimony of a good conscience, to support you to the throne of grace, bearing thither in the arms of faith an expiring child!

To conclude-remember, I entreat you, that however smoothly you may pass through this life in the neglect of parental duty, you must meet your children before the judgment-seat of Christ. Though the relations and connexions which subsist among us in this life, will then have been dissolved, I doubt not they will be called to most solemn recollection. How pure and exalted, then, must be their joy, who welcome to the right hand of the Judge, those perfected spirits, whom they, in the faithful discharge of parental duty, were instrumental in preparing

for the services, the felicities, and the glories of Heaven! But oh! with what emotions of shame, remorse, and horror, must faithless parents meet their offspring on that dreadful day! How will they stand together, to receive the sentence of everlasting banishment and "destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power" and how will their Eternity be employed!

The Anxiety of pious Parents for their Children.

Though parents may in covenant be,

And have their heaven in view,
They are unhappy, till they see
Their children happy too.

Their hearts with inward anguish bleed,
When all attempts prove vain;
And they pursue the paths that lead
To everlasting pain.

They warn, indulge, correct, beseech,
While tears in torrents flow;
And 'tis beyond the power of speech
To tell the griefs they know.

Till they can see victorious grace
Their children's souls possess,
The sparkling wit, the smiling face,
But adds to their distress.

Shall cruel spirits drag thee down
To darkness and despair;
Beneath the Almighty's angry frown,
To dwell for ever there?

Saviour, the dreadful scene forbid!
Look down, dear Lord, and bless :
We'll wrestle hard, as Jacob did,
May we obtain success.

END.

I walked abroad alone, in a solitary place, for contemplation.

AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY,

AND SOLD AT THEIR DEPOSITORY, NO. 144 NASSAU-STREET, NEAR THE CITY-HALL, NEW-YORK; AND BY AGENTS OF THE SOCIETY, IT3 BRANCHES, AND AUXILIARIES, IN

THE PRINCIPAL CITIES AND TOWNS

IN THE UNITED STATES.

OF

PRESIDENT EDWARDS.

1 HAD a variety of concerns and exercises about my soul from my childhood; but had two more remarkable seasons of awakening, before I met with that change by which I was brought to those new dispositions, and that new sense of things, that I have since had. The first time was when I was a boy, some years before I went to college, at a time of remarkable awakening in my father's congregation. I was then very much affected for many months, and concerned about the things of religion and my soul's salvation; and was abundant in duties. I used to pray five times a day in secret, and to spend much time in religious talk with other boys, with whom I used frequently to meet for prayer. I experienced I know not what kind of delight in religion. My mind was much engaged in it, and had much self-righteous pleasure; and it was my delight to abound in religious duties. I joined with some of my schoolmates, and built a booth in a swamp, in a very retired spot, for a place of prayer. And besides, I had particular secret places of my own in the woods, where I used to retire by myself; and was from time to time much affected. My affections were lively and easily moved, and I seemed to be in my element when engaged in religious duties. And I am ready to think, many are deceived with such affections, and such a kind of delight as I then had in religion, and mistake it for grace.

But in process of time, my convictions and affections wore off; and I entirely lost all those affections and deHights, and left off secret prayer, at least as to any constant performance of it; and returned like a dog to his vomit, and went on in the ways of sin. Indeed I was at times very uneasy, especially towards the latter part of my time at college; when it pleased God to seize me with the pleurisy, in which he brought me nigh to the grave, and

caused me to tremble over the pit of hell. And yet, it was not long after my recovery, before I fell again into my old ways of sin. But God would not suffer me to go on with any quietness; I had great and violent inward struggles, till, after many conflicts with wicked inclinations, repeated resolutions, and bonds that I laid myself under by a kind of vows to God, I was brought wholly to break off all former wicked ways, and all ways of known outward sin; and to apply myself to seek salvation, and practise many religious duties; but without that kind of affection and delight which I had formerly experienced. My concern now wrought more by inward struggles and conflicts, and self-reflections. I made seeking my salvation the main business of my life. But yet, it seems to me, I sought after a miserable manner; which has made me sometimes since to question, whether ever it issued in that which was saving; being ready to doubt, whether such miserable seeking ever succeeded. I was indeed brought to seek salvation in a manner that I never was before; I felt a spirit to part with all things in the world, for an interest in Christ. My concern continued and prevailed, with many exercising thoughts and inward struggles; but yet it never seemed to be proper to express that concern by the name of terror.

But

From my childhood up, my mind had been full of objections against the doctrine of God's sovereignty, and other distinguishing truths of the Gospel. This and other doctrines used to appear like horrible doctrines to me. I remember the time very well, when I seemed to be convinced, and fully satisfied with them; yet never could give an account how, or by what means, I was thus convinced, not in the least imagining at the time, nor a longtime after, that there was any extraordinary influence of God's Spirit in it; but only that now I saw further, and my reason apprehended the justice and reasonableness of them. However, my mind rested in them; and it put an end to all those cavils and objections. And there has been a wonderful alteration in my mind, with respect to these doctrines, from that day to this; so that I scarce ever have found so much as the rising of an objection against them. But I have often, since that first conviction, had quite another kind of sense of these truths than