The Excellence of a Religious Education. vation; and that you will serve Him truly, in observance of his commands to the end of your lives. This is your promise; and I hope you will be diligent to perform it. But remember, it is God only that gives you the power to do this; and, if you neglect Him, He will withhold the power, or take it from you. He worketh in you both to will and to do; but his Spirit will not strive with them that resist Him. You must be regular in your service to Him, not only in your daily and ordinary conduct, but also in the offices of devotion, both public and private. You may depend upon this; if you neglect the duties of prayer and thanksgiving, either at church or at home; you will not regard Him in your thoughts, purposes, and actions: you will grievously and continually offend Him, and find more pleasure in following your own sinful inclinations, and pleasing a corrupt world, than in seeking His favour, who has the gift of eternal life. If you do not ask His pardon and blessing, He will not grant it; and you will live sinful and reprobate: His guardian providence will forsake you, and you will be abandoned to The Excellence of a Religious Education. to all the casualities, vicissitudes, and troubles of the natural world, without one ray of consolation from Heaven. If you do not commemorate your Redeemer's death and sufferings for you, in the way that He hath commanded, He will not send the Comforter to cleanse and sanctify your hearts, and lead you in a new and holy life; instead of yielding your members as instruments of righteousness unto God, you will yield them in subjection to a worldly mind, to do the service of sin, and of the wicked angel, whom you have promised to renounce. Need I remind you that the wages of this service is death, everlasting death? death to all that is desirable and happy both of soul and body, but life and feeling to all that is dreadful and miserable? Now, my brethren, to return to the partieular occasion of this discourse. I have shewn you the utility, and excellence, of the wisdom, which Solomon recommends, and of its necessity to make us happy both in time and eternity. If you only act under the suggestions of that reason, which God has given you, even in your corrupt nature; you will teach this The Excellence of a Religious Education. wisdom to your children; and, as you would teach it them; you will desire, and contribute every thing in your power, that it may likewise be taught the children of your fellow-subjects, and fellow-christians. Of your liberal contributions, my brethren, I may indulge the greater hope; because your own offspring have this instruction, without any expense of yours. A benefactor of your parish, who is now, we trust, reaping the rewards of his Christian charity, has amply provided this benefit for your rising families. At least, if I be rightly informed as to the funds of your school, they are abundant to give this necessary education to all the youth of this parish; and having nothing to do with the conduct or superintendence of it, I can only assume that, that is, which ought to be; and that all your children free of expense receive the education generally necessary to a Christian life, and a Christian's hope. I may, therefore, with more reason and confidence, call upon you for a liberal subscription towards affording to the children of others the same inestimable advantages; with the more confidence, I say, I may ask The Excellence of a Religious Education. ask from you an ample collection "for the Incorporated National Society, for promoting the education of the poor, in the principles of the established church throughout England and Wales." You are called upon for nothing, but a pecuniary donation, the least that any person, who has any thing to spare, can contribute to a valuable, benevolent, and godly purpose, No personal trouble is required of you; you are only entreated to put your hand to your purses, and draw from them such a contribution, as may not diminish your means for any purpose more or equally necessary, more or equally acceptable to your Heavenly Master, who hath declared that, whosoever shall give to a needy disciple a cup of cold water, shall in no case lose his reward. What is now demanded of you is something to buy the bread and water of life, for those, who have them not. Give then, and it shall be given to you more abundantly. Be not niggardly and say you have nothing to part with. You all have something; and consider whether you can withhold it without grievously offending the Universal Giver. You are not asked to pro mote The Excellence of a Religious Education.. mote an education for the poor that will render them unfit for useful labour, and low employment; that will raise their expectations above their condition, and thus secretly place before them the allurements of pride and vice; that will set their desires upon those things, which must necessarily be the attainment of few. What your liberality can contribute to procure for them is that, which will teach them humility and resignation to the Divine will, circumscribe, their views to their station, give them contentment, and patience, and industry, in any circumstances, however mean, in which providence may place them; which will make them humble, honest, and useful, in their respective callings; will raise their prospects from earth to Heaven, and help them to acquire, what might be the inheritance of all, if all would do their duty to God and each other, peace in this world, and everlasting felicity in the future. You desire that yourselves and your children may tread the road to Heaven, and, at the end of this earthly pilgrimage, enter the everlasting gates. You will, then, do all in your power to open and prepare |