406

How to Connect Earth with Heaven.

and they are made so-not by a partial Creator-but by their education. And these early associations of the highest notions of happiness, with agreeable, domestic scenery and choice friends, and high seasoned food, and choice fruits, like those at my uncle's, these it is that most,effectually educate us for the present and the future.

But is this necessary? Shall choice friends, and rich and pleasing possessions, and rare fruits, and milk and honey, always, and of necessity, steal the juvenile heart? Is there no way of making these things and lessons bear as effectually on the formation of our characters for holiness, as they now do for earthly-mindedness? Is there no way to lift the minds and hearts of the young above the 'gay terrestrial' to things 'celestial and divine? Is there no way of making children practical christians rather than practical infidels?

I believe there is a way of accomplishing all this. I do not believe that nature's God ever intended nature should be the minister of sin. I believe that there is a certain course of conduct rather that there are certain known and important principles, which if carried out will be the means of elevating the juvenile mind above the world, as certainly as we now fix its grasp upon it.

Would you then abolish these childish attachments to place and persons? you will perhaps ask. Would you prevent these early associations in the mind? Shall the child be kept less happy and more miserable, lest he should linger among the sources of his pleasures till he becomes polluted?

No such thing. Let him make his vernal and autumnal visits. Let him think his own little home, and the spot near by where dwell the little circle of persons and objects, 'beloved by Heaven o'er all the earth beside.' Let him delight in seeing the bee house, the lambs, the goslings, and the chickens. Let him feast his eyes, and his palate too-in moderation-on the plums and the peaches; let him continue to think there are few if any so sweet this side the Allegany mountains. What harm can there be in these early attachments and prepossessions?

But let not the matter end here. These are some of the links that should connect earth with heaven. All that is wanting is that the tender parent, or fond uncle or aunt or cousin, should seize on these very objects as the means of lifting the young soul to the source whence they came. This is no difficult task, where there is a heart for it. It is the practical infidelity of the parent that is the occasion of giving up all these influences to the adversary of souls. Say what they may about love to God and man, parents are too often-perhaps I may say generally

Familiar Lesson on Religion.

407

riveted to the earth by means of rich fields, gardens or other possessions; and serve mammon as their chief God. What more is to be expected of their children?

Would you then preach to children on those subjects? I shall be asked. Would you give them sermons on the lilies of the field, the fowls of the air, the fishes of the brook, the lambs of the flock, the peaches or the plums?-Most assuredly I would. I do not say, indeed, that I would have my sermons made out in due form with their firsts, their secondlies, and their third lies. I believe there is a better way for these every day sermons. Better, because it pleases children more. Better, because they understand us more fully. Better also, because we are more likely, much more so, to reach and win the heart. But what is this better way? I will endeavor to present a few hints, for they cannot be much more.

6

My uncle Caleb, for example, might have said to me and my cousins, while eating his delicious plums; Now, children, do you know how long this plum tree has stood here?' No, I do not.' 'Do you think it has always been here?' 'No, sir.' Well, it is now so many years old. Do you know when or where the first plum tree was planted?' 'I do not.' 'Well, then, I suppose it was in Asia Minor, or as some say in Syria. But perhaps you do not know where either of these places are.' 'No, sir.' Then I will try to tell you.'

You have read about the Saviour and his apostles. They lived and travelled in a country called Palestine, almost 6000 miles eastward of us, at the eastern end of the Mediterranean sea. And nothward of Palestine, a little way, is Syria. Antioch, where many of the apostles travelled, was in Syria. It lay near the northeast corner of the sea I have just spoken of. Still farther northwest, and exactly north of the Mediterranean sea, was the country of Asia Minor. This was a very large country four times as large as all New England.

You have also read in the New Testament about Paul and Timothy. Well, these men were both of them born in Asia Minor. Paul was born in a place called Tarsus, in the southeast part of it, and Timothy in Lystra, or Latik, as it is now called, 130 miles further north. But they travelled, both of them, in almost all parts of Asia Minor; and some parts of it they travelled over a great many times.

The countries of Bithynia, Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Cilicia, Pamphylia, Pisidia, Lycaonia, Phrygia, Mysia, Troas, Lydia, Caria, Doris, and Lycia were all parts of Asia. The cities of Ephesus, Sardis, Smyrna, Laodicea, Philadelphia, Thyatira, Pergamos, &c., were also in this country.

408

Further Religious Lessons.

Now, then, as I have already told you, it is thought that the plum tree first came from Syria, or Asia Minor. And who knows but Paul at Tarsus, and Timothy at Lystra, had their plum trees like this, and loved the plums as well as you do? And yet if they did, they could but seldom enjoy them, after they became men, as they were constantly travelling. Do you know why they were so constantly travelling?-Are there any men nowadays, who travel for the same or nearly the same purposes?

Thus might my uncle have led me and my cousins, as we were regaling ourselves with his plums, to hunger and thirst after something which is of a nature far less perishable than things which pertain merely to the body. It is one of the easiest things in the world-though many, I know, think it very hard-to lead the young, in a way like this, to love knowledge; and to respect, if not desire, virtue and piety.

In eating peaches, too, my uncle might have said; Do you suppose God sees you while you are eating these peaches? Do you suppose he is pleased with your eating them? If you eat so many as to make yourselves sick, will he be pleased with that? If you eat those which are unripe, do you suppose he will notice it, or care for it? And instead of eating too many yourselves, if you should eat sparingly, and give away some to your friends-to do which you know you have my free permissionwill that be pleasing to God? Do you know of any passages in the Bible which encourage and commend the practice of giving very freely? Do you think Paul and Timothy were liberal and charitable? What makes you think so? What other persons mentioned in the Bible possessed the same disposition? Do you think the Saviour possessed it?

But these are only hints. The principle is an important one, -the particular methods are of secondary consequence, provided children are pleased and happy in the exercises. If a parent has a hearty desire to moralize on the passing occurrences of life and connect every thing with heaven-fasten the two worlds together, as it were he will scarcely fail to find means of doing it, at almost all times and in almost all circumstances.

Observations on a Little Child.

409

JUVENILE SELFISHNESS.

STRANGE what a native difference there is in children about being selfish! said Mrs Peters to me, one day.

A very great difference indeed, madam, I replied. And yet there is a far greater difference produced by their education. I do not think, said she, that education will account for some things which we see in these little creatures.

Certainly not, said I; and yet they begin to catch the feelings of those around them, from their looks and actions, much earlier than is usually supposed; and if we could know how much of human character is formed at a very early period, 1 believe we should be surprised.

I must still think, said Mrs Peters, that most of the difference we observe so early in children is born with them. Why, there is Mrs Hildreth's child, just as selfish as it can possibly beIt is in this respect the very picture of its mother. It will no more give away any thing than it will pluck off its right hand. Tell it to give Charles or Emma or grandma some of its cake, or a part of its fruit, and it will cry out no, no, as loud as it can bawl; and if you persist, it will lie down on the floor and scream. I never saw such a little lump of selfishness before in my life. Are you sure all this selfishness is natural? I said.

Why how can it be otherwise? she replied.

What is the age of the child? I asked.

About two years, she said. It will be two years old in September, and it is now the middle of July, as you know.

And do you not think that the child is old enough to have learned, before now, a great deal of selfishness?

I do not think children at that age have learned very much of any thing; said she.

I think very differently, I replied. I think the child you speak of has been learning selfishness, from those who are around it, a full year, at least. Not that I wish to be understood as supposing its friends more selfish than many other people; although I do think this is the almost universal tendency of our natures. I feel it in myself, and if we watch and study ourselves, I believe we shall all feel it more or less. I suppose the parents of the child you mention have felt it, and have exerted themselves to prevent it. But the means which parents use to this end, have only, in too many instances, the contrary effect. They tend to make them by so much the more selfish than they were before.

Perhaps I ought to explain, more fully, my meaning. Here

410

How it learns to be Selfish.

we are, living by the side of a public road, full of travellers of all sorts; some in tinsel, and some in rags; some in princely style, and some beggin'z. I am endeavoring to train up my family of little children in the way they should go; and for this purpose often tell them they must refrain from this, perform that, &c. Among other things, I take great pains to counteract in them, that native selfishness, whose effects I have so long felt, and so much deplored in myself; and to this end I continually urge them to give freely of every thing they have, to each other. On no one point do I say more to them than on this. I repeat it, I am perpetually telling them they must be liberal and charitable.

But while I am teaching all this by my precepts, how stands my example? Two or three times a day, perhaps, or at least several times a week, calls are made at the door for charity. One wants a garment, one some cider, one a meal of victuals, one a little money, &c. But whatever may be their wants, both myself and my companion are in the habit of denying them, and sometimes of frowning them away. All this our children see; and they know, full well, what it means. They are told by us to give things to their companions, while they see us refuse to give to any body whatever, whether those of our own age or others. They see, just as plainly as we see the sun at noon day, that while we tell them to do one thing, we do exactly the contrary. And now, madam, which do you think they will be most likely to follow, our precepts, or our example? Will they be most likely to act as we say, or as they see us do? No doubt, said Mrs P., they will follow our example.

Well this is a specimen, said I, of what has probably been taking place in your friend's family, ever since the child was born; and young as he is, he has probably been, for at least a year, observing his parents' inconsistency. It is true he is not old enough to state the facts which he observes in words; but you may depend upon it, his character is formed from what he sees. I do not mean to say that this is always done in the precise way I have just mentioned; far from it. It is done in a thousand ways; and that parent is wise and fortunate, who is not doing it every day and every hour.

While I admit, most cheerfully, a native difference among children, I dislike, very much, the prevalent belief that the selfishness of some is almost wholly natural; both because it appears to me to be unfounded, and because it tends to lull parents into indolence. It encourages the notion that character is formed partly by the hand of fate, and partly at haphazard; and this diminishes the sense of personal responsibility. It seems to