A Sermon

DELIVERED BY THE RIGHT REVEREND THE LORD BISHOP OF London,

AT MARYLEBONE CHURCH, JANUARY 17, 1830.

Luke, xviii. 16.-" Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

human heart. Almost all persons are sufficiently disposed to admit this truth, and up to a certain extent, to act in conformity with the divine will. But what I have to enforce is, the nature and extent of that kindness which we owe to children-to point out the evils which follow from mistaken notions of our duty, and the modes by which they are to be avoided.

and concern for the welfare of children | children, but have been known to cais a feeling implanted in the breast of ress them, and to protect them from mankind by their Creator for the pur- injury. But I need not further to enpose of preserving the species. I al- force, by reasoning, so obvious a prolude not merely to the instinctive love vision which has been made for childwhich parents bear towards their off-hood in the natural sympathies of the spring; but to that ready tenderness towards the helpless age of childhood, that sympathy for its wants and weaknesses, which is too universal, and too delightful, not to proceed from an inborn principle of our nature. There can scarcely be a plainer indication of a hard heart, than cruelty or unkindness toward children; while, on the contrary, it is an almost infallible mark of a tender and good disposition, to be interested in the little joys and sorrows of that age. The utmost extremity of heathen cruelty, the most disgusting abomination of ancient idolatory, was the sacrificing of children by causing them to pass through the fire to Moloch and it has ever been held one of the triumphs of Christianity, that it has made to cease that unnatural custom practised by the most enlightened among the heathen-the exposure of their offspring. One of the most beneficial results of the diffusion of gospel truth among the Southern Islanders has been the abolition of Infanticide, and the revival of parental affection-or, rather, its return into those natural channels, which had been choked by the artifices of the great spirit of evil. And it is an evidence of its inborn composition, that there is scarcely any incident recorded in the gospel history, which goes more home to the heart than the record in the text: and it leaves a most pleasing impression of the lovely disposition of the blessed Jesus.

Perhaps there is no department of Christian charity more misunderstood, or more neglected, than this. There is no class of beings in the world to whom greater injustice is done than children. For the most part, they are regarded in their earliest years, at least they are treated, as objects incapable of moral discipline, as creatures who will, one day or other, be old enough to be put in the right way. In the mean time, it is generally considered, that to treat them kindly is to let them do as they please, and to teach them either nothing at all, or the most trifling and unprofitable lessons; leaving the correction of their temper, and the guidance of their thoughts, to the future study and judgment of the instructors to whom they may be entrusted. If this be not a faithful picture of those in the higher walks of life, unquestionably it is too correct a portraiture of the plan pursued by the generality of poor persons. I impute no blame to them, because it rarely happens that they have been taught any better: but it is the Christian duty of those who are more enlightened, to teach them better things; and the only effectual method of doing so is, by exhibiting to them, in the persons of their own children, examples of the good which is to be accomplished by early discipline and instruction.

But the Almighty Creator has indicated his tender concern for the age of childhood, not only by disposing the hearts of all men to regard it with affection, but by exercising a special providence for its preservation. For it is impossible to consider the accidents to which that age is exposed, and the wonderful manner in which it escapes, Were I to ask you, whether you dewithout recognizing the hand of good-sire that all the children of your poor ness specially interposed to rescue and neighbours should be Christians, you preserve it. It is not undeserving of would answer me, To be sure I would notice, also, in further illustration of this argument, that even those animals, which are by nature fierce and mischievous, will rarely attack young

God forbid that it should be otherwise-we desire their souls to be saved, and they can be saved only as Christians. Then I would ask, What do

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temper refers to the very earliest age at which any indications of temper are to be perceived; before an infant is capable of instruction, as the word is commonly understood.

But there is also a principle of our nature which manifests itself almost as early as temper-I mean, the principle of imitation; on which we ought to lay hold, and to improve to beneficial ends, from the very first. Good example, which is so important to all, is particularly important to young children, who will accurately copy many lessons in practice, long before they are able to learn from word of mouth. We know from observation, that children imitate those of their own age, or those but a little older than themselves, more readily than those of mature years. From these two positions it seems to follow, in the first place, that it is in the highest degree important, that children should be removed from the contagion of evil example; and in the second place, that they should have the opportunity of setting good examples to one another: for one exemplary child will do much more good to a number of children, than the best lessons of an older teacher.

you mean by making them Christians
-by bringing them to Christ? Is it
merely the initiating them into his
Church by Baptism? Does the work
of charity end there? Will they, after
having been baptized and placed in a
state which makes them capable of
salvation, grow up Christians as
matter of course, and abide in Christ
as certainly as they have been once
brought to him? Surely not-you
will say that is only the first step.
If, then, much remains to be done for
them, in order to continue their proxi-
mity to Christ, when are we to begin
the work? At what age are we to re-
gard them as capable of receding
from him, or of being brought near
to him. At what period will you fix
the commencement of their training
for the race set before them? Different
persons will assign different ages. I
assign, without the least hesitation,
the very earliest age at which the in-
fant mind can perceive that it is a
different thing to obey, and not to
obey. From that moment it becomes
susceptible of moral discipline, if not
of intellectual cultivation. Nay, it
demands it, it deserves it: for the
inborn principle of evil is from that
moment at work, and the struggle
between the flesh and the spirit is I come now to consider the process
even then commenced; and it may of instruction, which can only be com-
depend on the treatment of these early menced at an age somewhat more ad-
symptoms, whether it shall wax fierc-vanced than that which is susceptible
er and fiercer, and at last shatter the
soul; or, whether it shall, by a com-
paratively easy trial of its moral
strength, terminate in spiritual salva-
tion. We ought, therefore, to con-
template as Christians, with deep
interest, the first manifestations of
a proud rebellious spirit in the in-
fant mind, as the first efforts of the
great seducer to prepare for himself a
soul which the Redeemer desires to
make his own-as the earliest symp-
toms of an hereditary disease working
in the soul, to be kept under only by
constant care and watchfulness, and to
be subdued alone by grace. What we
are accustomed to call fancy and way-
wardness in children, are the first
germinations and developement of that
evil which, if neglected, will grow
with their growth, and be the source
of constant trouble and vexation to
their parents, to their teachers, and to
themselves. This correction of the

merely of moral culture and improve-
ment. As soon as an infant is capable
of learning any thing, it ought to learn
that which is good. From that mo-
ment are applicable all those maxims
of wisdom, those sayings of inspired
sages, which enforce the necessity of ..
early discipline. "Train up a child
in the way he should go." " Bring
up your children in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord."
"These
words thou shalt teach diligently to
thy children.”

(To be continued.)

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No. 7.]

SERMON BY THE LORD BISHOP OF LONDON.

SERMON BY THE REV. J. F. DENHAM.
SERMON BY THE REV. DR. RAFFLES.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1830.

(The Bishop of London's Sermon concluded.)
|

Even were we disposed to grant which I am by no means disposed to admit that young children are not capable of imbibing religious knowledge; still, as it is certain that they must learn something, it is desirable to teach that which, as soon as they are able to understand, is of unspeakable importance to them. And who will undertake to assign the exact period, and appointed age, at which a child shall be capable of forming such a notion of God, as may qualify him to pay religious service to his Maker? We are told by some, it is absurd, and useless, to teach young children to pray, when they know not what to ask for, nor of whom to ask. If they are taught to believe they are doing right when they pray, the habit of itself will be profitable on that account; and when they are old enough to comprehend their relation to God, it will be of great advantage to have the habit early formed. But how many points are there in education which have an exclusive reference to future periods, which we teach them, not because they are then of importance, but because they are then most easily learned.

There is surely much greater danger of our commencing the work, both of religious instruction and moral discipline, too late, than too early. The good seed ought to be sown while the soil is easily to be worked, and before it is overrun with the rank luxuriance of noxious weeds. For it is not simply a question, Shall they be taught, or shall they not be taught? They must, and will, be taught something. The real question is, Shall we, or shall we not, take care that they shall be taught that which is good? Some knowledge will be acquired, some habits will be formed by chil

VOL. I.

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dren, whether we instruct them or not. The mind, and the reason, and the instructive principle of imitation, will not lay dormant during the morning of life. And, unhappily, evil is so much more abundant in the world than good, that it is always the first to engage the affections of the young, care not being taken to give a right impulse to their first pursuits. A child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. Whatever doubts may be entertained as to the degree to which they will be initiated, there can be none as to the mischief which evil will inflict upon them.

These, then, are the general principles upon which I would enforce the importance of a very early attention, both to the moral discipline, and the intellectual culture of children; whom it is our duty first to bring to Christ, and afterwards to preserve, by every method in our power, in that humble simplicity of heart which our Saviour had in view, when he said, "of such is the kingdom of heaven."

The religious education of poor children is a duty which we owe to him who is the God of the souls of all. It is the first means of grace he affords to the children of his servants. It is an experiment which cannot altogether fail: it has not failed as far as it has been tried. By far the greater number of those unhappy persons who have incurred the extreme penalty of the law, have never enjoyed the advantage of a religious education. The proportion of criminals who have been instructed in a right system, is known to be exceedingly small. It will be smaller and smaller still, if that instruction be commenced at an earlier period of their lives; while if evil principles are suffered to spring up, it will be difficult

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to eradicate them; and to separate the
tares from among the wheat will be-
come painful, if not impracticable.
On the strength of these arguments,
I confidently submit to your notice
and support the system of infant in-
struction. Not merely, however, on
the strength of these arguments, but
on the testimony and proof of expe-
rience. All the good has been found
to result from Infant Schools which
was anticipated by their friends; and
little, if any, of the evil which was
predicted by their opponents. Those
evils were of two kinds. First, it was
said, by withdrawing from parents,
especially mothers, the children whom
Providence had committed to their
particular care and instruction, we
should remove a powerful moral re-
straint on their conduct, and weaken
the tie of natural affection which it
ought rather to draw more closely.
Certainly, if all parents were good, and
faithful, and intelligent Christians,
constantly mindful of the duty they
owe to their children, and of their
eternal interest, and fully aware of the
necessity both of instilling right prin-
ciples, and of setting a good example
in their own persons, the objection
would have some weight: it would be
unnecessary, and unkind, to withdraw
their children from such parents. But
how far is this from being the case.
How lamentably deficient are the la-
bouring classes, if not in religious
principle altogether, yet in that con-
stant and conscientious exemplification
of it, which alone would qualify them
to bring up their children in the nur-
ture and admonition of the Lord. Are
not the minds of children more likely
to be injured by the method in which
they are treated at-home, by the habits
they witness, by the language they
hear, than by their absence, the greater
part of the day, from their parents,
who have no leisure, perhaps, if they
have the desire, to attend to their
childrens' improvement?

sence of their children; whereas few things are more likely to make a salutary impression on their hearts, than the sight of their offspring growing up very differently from themselves-quiet, orderly, well-spoken, and devoutmade infinitely better than they themselves could make them.

As to the children themselves, it is truly delightful to observe the happy effects produced on their temper, even by a few weeks' subjection to the gentle and systematic discipline of these schools. Never capriciously chastised, never needlessly rebuked-never treated with partiality and favor on the one hand, nor with unkindness and neglect on the other-encouraged to befriend one another, and made to feel, in many ways, the benefit of mutual kindness their little hearts are harmonized to a contented cheerfulness, their tempers attuned to gentleness and love, and their minds swayed to prompt and ready obedience. And in many cases, as I can testify, this change has been perceptible, not only in the behaviour, but in the countenances of the children, which have been gradually expanded from a complaining expression to one of cheerfulness and innocence. The contagion of happiness spreads rapidly among those of tender age. Tempers which would have been soured by severity, yield rapidly to kindness and good example.

Is it possible to doubt whether, in promoting such a system, we are fulfilling that gracious precept of the Redeemer, "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not." Are we not initiating them into his own simplicity and benevolence of heart? Are we not training them in that straight and pleasant path of righteousness which leads to him, and through him to peace and life eternal? Is it of no importance to make religion an object of interest to their tender minds-to enlist their earliest affections in the cause of God, to inspire them with Then, as to the restraint which chil- a hatred of sin, and to bring them into dren are on their parents-I fear the habits of piety and religion. Is it imargument is drawn rather from what practicable to impress the infant mind ought to be the case, than from what with the idea of one above who made it really is. I imagine that those pa- them and who watches over them, rents who have not piety enough to and preserves them-of one who abstain from evil habits, from profane died to make them holy and happylanguage, and from violent passions, of one who sends good thoughts and will not be led to abstain by the pre-kind affections into their souls, and