The rich and the poor

have their pe

culiar temptations; but I apprehend the fear of God may be as easily taught children born in humble life, as the fons of the great and opulent; and if we mean to procure the favor and protection of the great Parent and Sovereign of the universe, we must try every expedient to enforce obedience to his laws.- -You who have fhewn fuch a proper and tender attention to the education of your own children, muft have the greater fenfibility of the obligation, to take care that the families of those whofe fupport depends on you and your neighbors, be not exposed to ignorance and vice, and the calamities which attend them.

A fteady truft in the providence of God under all circumftances, and a habit of praying to him for his affiftance, have fuch a tendency to comfort and intrepidity of mind, as renders labor fweet, and

takes

takes out the fting of poverty. Thofe animated scenes of industry which you daily behold, delight the heart in proportion as they give bread to the laborious; whilft liberty fecures their property, and prevents the miferies which constantly attend on oppreffion.

But it is not labor, liberty, nor wealth alone, it is an awful reverence for the name of God. If this is not mentioned but when it is blafphemed, can we wonder if the effects are fatal? It is religion alone that makes the world habitable by rational and accountable creatures: without it, the earth would be as a wilderness of savage beasts, or an univerfal den of robbers: without it liberty could indeed have no exiftence, and all the arts of civilization would only render men the more polished brutes.

Mafters and miftreffes, as well as parents of every kind, ftand bound in the fight of God to lead young perfons in the

way they should go; and indeed how can it otherwise enter the heart of man to imagine they should find it, or continue to march through the mazes and dangerous paths of life, without becoming a prey to their own defires? Can the tree bring forth any other than its proper fruit?

The true policy of a commercial nation is to train up the people as much as poffible in their proper rank. Thofe who defcend from parents that contentedly earn their bread by manual labor, have a fair chance of being habituated to the fame kind of life. But ftill, the object which comprehends the whole of a man's existence is religion; and however it may appear to fome in the flower of youth, or the funfhine of earthly felicity, the hour is haftening towards us, when our attention to the industry, morality, and religious deportment of the poor, will be our greatest

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comfort, our highest pleasure, our truest glory, and moft intrinfic wealth.

As one means of eradicating iniquity in the education of the poor, it is much to be wished that the common people should have some sensible token of the intention of their fuperiors in regard to religion. It is therefore much to be defired, that the apprentice fee with young perfons, should be given on certain conditions, and that a part of it should be paid at a certain distance of time, of a year, or two, or three, upon a proper certificate from the minister of every parish, or congregation, that fuch apprentice can repeat the Belief, the Lord's Prayer, the Commandments, and a Morning and Evening Prayer; and whilft he makes industry a part of his religion, that he be uniformly accustomed worship on the sabbath-day.

This will be taking mankind in their own way, to unite as much as poffible

the interefts of both worlds.

It will be

a knot to bind the intereft of parent and child, master and apprentice, private and public welfare.

It is also effential to the happiness of the common people to be clean, at least one day in seven, and every day as much as their fituation admits; and always to be whole and tight in their clothing. Therefore all young perfons of the lower claffes, should I apprehend be taught to patch and mend their own garments. This in the ordinary progrefs of life will not only give occafion for a proper respect for their perfons, and prevent the horrible effects of filthinefs and rags, but also prove a fpur to industry, and promote a habit of it.

Our fea-faring people are moft frequently put to this trial; they are generally able to mend their own clothes: and we may observe, the tighter a feaman or landman is, the more alert and

bold