and who distrusted that parent's kindness, merely on the ground of his being obliged to practise some irksome duties, and submit to some troublesome restraints, whose importance could not as yet be explained to him. Let any one but consider, which of the two would be regarded as the more amiable, and the more sensible child-such an one as this last, or the one before described, as full of confidence, love, and submission. And if the Christian feels no hesitation in deciding this question, let him next consider, which of the two it behoves him to resemble.

Placed as Man is at an immeasurable distance from the stupendous Author of our being, and in a state of infancy, compared with the future life he looks forward to, it may well be expected that he should be incapable of understanding the reasons of all God's commands, and the whole system of his dealings with his creatures. But enough may surely be understood, to convince those who are well disposed, that they may safely trust to his fatherly care and goodness-that He deserves our sincere affection and devoted obedience-and that "all things work together for good to them that love

Him." It is therefore man's duty, as well as interest, cheerfully to comply with his will, even when he neither knows the reason of his commands, nor understands why that knowledge is withheld from him.

Thus much however all may clearly understand that if this life be a state of probation, as every thing around us declares that it is, we might even antecedently expect, that, among other moral qualities, a trial should be made of our humility also,-of our patience,-of our devotion to God,-and firm trust in Him; a trial which could not take place, if men could in every instance fully understand the wisdom of the Almighty Ruler's designs, and perceive the fitness of his injunctions. The Christian then is evidently called upon in this point also, to pursue the same conduct himself which he recommends in children; resigning himself with affectionate devotion into the hands of God; not presuming to find fault with any thing he does not understand, nor giving way to distrust, wherever he perceives a difficulty."

h" A child meets with perpetual difficulties, which appear to its then comprehension unconquerable, which yet, when it

Some, however, find means practically to evade the force of that lesson, which the example of children is intended to convey. That a child is right in showing filial affection, and in submitting to parental authority, they see and

It

becomes a man, clear up and vanish of themselves. cannot be made to understand the reason or the meaning of half the things which its parents and its masters make it do or suffer.

"How is this to be reconciled, a child will naturally ask, with that kindness, and love, and goodness, which it is told to expect from its parents. Now as the child advances in reason and observation, all these difficulties solve themselves. He remembers with gratitude what he suffered with complaint.

"Look to the whole of our existence, and the wisest and oldest of us are yet but in our infancy. . . . .We know in part a certain portion of our nature, existence, and destiny we do see; but it is a portion bounded by narrow limits;-a term out of eternity. Now all such partial knowledge must be encumbered with many difficulties; it is like viewing the map of a district, or small tract of territory, by itself, and separated from the adjacent country: we see rivers marked out, without any source to flow from, and running where there is nothing to receive them. In like manner we observe events in the world, of which we trace not either cause or origin, and tending to no design or purpose that we can discover. If the child have patience to wait, many of these difficulties will in due time be explained. And this is our case. It was not necessary to the child's happiness and well-being, that it should

acknowledge, on the ground that they themselves perceive that this is for his benefit; whereas they do not perceive how God's designs tend to their benefit: not considering, that neither can the child himself fully understand this at the time; but implicitly takes it for granted. Now if we are in a condition analogous to childhood, we must put ourselves in the place of the child himself, not of a bye-stander, whose knowledge of the circumstances is more complete: we must consider, not merely whether the conduct of the child does, in fact, tend eventually to his own benefit, and is such as a person would direct, who knew better than the child himself can know, wherein the benefit consists; but we must also consider, whether the child himself, even with the imperfect knowledge which he now possesses, does not act wisely in submitting and trusting to his parent; and if it be decided that he has good reason for so doing, it is in

have, from the first, the understanding of a man ; nor is it to ours, that we should possess the faculties of angels, or those which are in reversion for us in a higher and more advanced state of existence." Paley's Sermons.

He is indebted, however, to Tucker's "Light of Nature," for the admirable illustration cited in this passage.

cumbent on those who are in a corresponding condition, and have the same imperfect knowledge, to follow his example. For if man in his present state could fully perceive and understand that what is commanded him is for his good, his case would not, then, be analogous to that of children; since they cannot, while children, understand the designs of their parents.

The question is, therefore, is it a mark of folly in children to be dutiful, affectionate, and submissive? Shall we say that such children are right indeed, but right only by accident, in thus trusting to their parents; and that they have, at the time when they do so, no just ground for reposing such confidence in them? No one would surely maintain such an opinion. If then we acknowledge the conduct of dutiful children to be wise-wise, that is, in them, under the circumstances in which they are placed-it is for us to make it the pattern of our own. An amiable, and well-disposed, and intelligent child never reasons in this manner : 'My father's designs are inscrutable to me, and therefore I cannot tell whether the steps he

66