I am persuaded that music is designed to prepare for heaven, to edu cate for the choral enjoyment of Paradise, to form the mind to virtue and devotion, and to charm away evil, and sanctify the heart to God. A christian musician is one who has a harp in his affections, which he daily tunes to the notes of the angelic host, and with which he makes melody in his heart to the Lord. Does he strike the chord with his hands? it is to "bid lute and heart to awake to the glory of God." The hand, the tongue, and the ear form a kind of triple chord not to be broken. Bring music, my beloved F, to this test, and your vocal hours will not be spent in vain. The instructions of your childhood will supply you through life with a fountain of pleasures, drawn from the true source of legitimate recreation. Sing the songs of Zion, and amidst the vi brations of the air may true prayer and praise ascend to heaven, and enter into the ears of the Lord God of your salvation; and then will the harmonious combination be complete. p. 18.

An interdict was placed upon those sources of gratification which he judged to be inconsistent with the spirit of religion, or a preparation for evil. The lines as drawn by him, are much closer than the generality even of christian parents are accustomed to establish, and we are not prepared to say, that in every particular we should adopt the same conclusions; but the reasoning by which they are supported, is, to say the least, plausible, and the whole spirit of the man seems to be imbued with a deep feeling of conscious obligation, such as is desirable in a far greater degree than now prevails. His prohibition extended not merely to games of chance, the theater, dancing, field sports-but also to oratorios, fishing, hunting and similar pursuits. His great maxim is expressed in these words. "Whatever has a tendency to fit my children for heaven I approve, but I must keep aloof from every thing which is likely to be a snare or temptation to them, and indispose their minds to a serious and steady pursuit of their great object." Among the amusements allowed his children, were birth days, which were kept with a proper mingling of religious feeling and cheerful hilarity. On these days he wrote to each of his children a letter of congratulation, accompanied likewise with a suitable present. These epistles were adapted to the age of the persons to whom they were addressed, and never failed to remind them of the importance of religion to their present and future happiness. We will extract a few sentences from some of the specimens contained in this interesting volume. The first is to a child then absent, although the birth day was kept as usual. He writes,

"Let not my loved little K. suppose that her father forgets her Yaxham may seem a long distance from Turvey; Glasgow is much greater, but in neither place can my heart forget my child. I remem ber little babe in arms. I loved you then. I remember you lying in your little cot, and I swung you there, and I loved you the while.

you a

I often see you in imagination, and draw fanciful pictures of your occupations in your new dwelling; but what is my love compared with that of your heavenly father. What is the strongest earthly affection, when contrasted with that which said, "Suffer little children to come anto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Has my child's heart an earnestness, a real unfeigned earnestness, to share in the love of such a father, and to come when so mercifully called to such a Savior? * While you are actively and dutifully employed in acquiring useful knowledge, "be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." In a little time you will be in your teens, and the very sound of that word should awaken you not to the usual folly and vanity of this period of life, but to the responsibility of growing years and increasing privileges; to the cultivation of holy learning and christian habits; to the love of Jesus and communion with his spirit. It is my prayer, let it be your's. And now farewell, my dear K. May you realize every fond hope, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, of

Your affectionate father, L. R.

pp. 34, 35.

The return of a birth-day, when rightly viewed, is a subject for very serious meditation: I wish it may prove so to you. We have seen, in the death of your dear brother, how little health and strength are to be trusted. Childhood, and youth, and time, are swiftly passing onward, and our journey through this vale of tears, whether longer or shorter, will soon be over. Can you too early learn the value and importance of time? Will you not hear the counsel of a father, and meditate on those things which belong to your everlasting peace? You have an immortal soul, to be lost or saved forever. You have an understanding, to distinguish between good and evil. You are therefore a responsible being, who must render an account of the deeds done in the body, whether they be good or whether they be evil. Childhood is the period when the character and habits of the future man are formed. Trifle not therefore with your childish days. Set a firm and valuable example to your younger brother: he will more or less imitate your ways and dispositions, be they better or worse. Remember! the eye of God is upon you in every place. Be where you will, do what you will, you may always say with Hagar in the wilderness-"Thou God seest

me."

p. 39.

This part of the volume well deserves perusal, and we wish it were in our power to extract more, but our limits admonish us to beware of encroaching upon other topics still in reserve for our readers.

Mr. Richmond ever exercised the utmost precaution in reference to the associates of his children. In some instances, he may be thought to have carried his views to an unwarrantable length. The maxim he adopted, and to which he most rigidly adhered, was to" allow no intercourse whatever with other families, except unVOL. V.

47

der his own watchful eye and diligent superintendence." His views are thus expressed.

I wish to make home the grand center of attraction, affection, and comfort. I would infinitely rather undertake the responsibility attached to possible and contingent evils which might occur under the vigilant and tender superintendence of parents, than those which might arise from the connections and habits formed when that restraint is withdrawn. p. 45. We agree with our author in the following remarks.

Whatever may be thought of my friend's judgment, it is impossible not to respect, admire, and love the holy integrity, the perfect simplicity and oneness of object in the man of God, and I cannot doubt that his purity of motives has been recorded in heaven, and will be owned on earth, after many days. Whatever worldly advantages, supposed or real, may have been lost to his family from the steady application of religious principle, however pushed to an extreme, an abundant compensation shall be made by that Being whose blessing invariably attends a faithful adherence to the dictates of conscience, and who hath promised "Him that honoreth me I will honor." p. 46.

With respect to Mr. R's. domestic arrangements, our author observes, "it was of importance with him, that no wicked person should dwell beneath his roof,-his domestics as far as possible were selected from persons of good principles, and they became deeply attached to the family." Another feature of these arrangements is thus related.

Mr. R. provided each child with a separate sleeping room, thus securing a comfortable place of retirement and devotion. These little sanctuaries were always accessible to himself; he often visited them to leave a note on the table; for while at home, as well as when abroad, he kept up a correspondence with his family, which he used to call his Home Mission; and to these notes he requested a reply. I have heard him explain his reasons for so singular a method of instruction; he used to say, "I feel an insurmountable backwardness to close personal conversation with my children, when I begin they are silent, and it is not long before I also feel tongue-tied; yet I cannot be easy without ascertaining the effect of my instructions, and hence I have been driven to use my pen, because I could not open my lips." p. 52.

Specimens of the correspondence thus maintained are given, from which we make the following extracts.

"Be

Your text to-day shall be," the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." No sin is too great to be pardoned; but then the soul must seek, believe and experience this mercy. There is infinite value in the blood of Christ, but the believer alone enjoys the privilege. lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." This is the way, and the truth, and the life. My dear child, what should, what could we lost sinners do, if it were not for this atoning merit. Seek

and you shall find. Lose no time,-Christ waits to be gracious, carry your heart and all its feelings to him in prayer, and when you have told him all your wants, pray for your affectionate father. p. 53.

Be not afraid to open your mind to me. Let us have an unreserved intercourse with each other. Put away childish things,-imitate your brother's love of learning, but especially his love of the bible, and his constancy in the exercise of devotion. Oh! comfort your father's heart, by truly turning to God, and seeking his salvation; and may God bless you for ever and ever, which is the fervent prayer of your affectionate parent. pp. 54, 55.

Are you to reach your sixteenth year, and not internally, as well as externally, prove yourself a partaker of the grace of God? I trust not, -but religion is not a matter of mere circumstantials, or of morals. It is the spiritual application of divine truth to the heart, producing that devotedness to God, which distinguishes the true from the nominal christian. But when, how, and where does this begin? Not until you have deep, humbling, sincere and anxious thoughts about yourself, and the favor of God; not until, by a kind of holy violence, you feel constrained to flee to Christ, as the only refuge from the wrath to come; not until prayer becomes importunate, and the study of God's word a delight; not until every other consideration yields to that infinitely important inquiry, "What must I do to be saved?" Not until the light, trifling, and thoughtless child of man be converted through grace, to the serious, conscientious, and believing state of the real child of God. Is this the case with you? I speak as a christian father and minister. What are your views of these important subjects? I wish my child to be deeply earnest; life flies apace, the period of the tomb advances. pp. 55, 56.

Mr. Richmond's discipline was truly parental. "The chief way," as we are told, "by which he marked his displeasure, was by those signs of extreme distress, which penetrated the heart of the delinquent, and softened rebellion into regret." He kept the offender at a distance, or excluded him from participation in the expressions of a beloved father's complacency, and such was their attachment to him, that no one could bear this treatment long, without melting down into submission. In connection with these particulars respecting Mr. Richmond's views, our author has given a number of very interesting letters, which evince most clearly, how much his heart was in every attempt to promote their temporal and spiritual prosperity. Mr. Richmond's epistolary style is admirable. It is the unbidden flow of the soul, sometimes playfully familiar, at others dignified and impressed with the marks of the most solemn sense of responsibilty to a judging God; at all times instructive, and calculated to recommend religion to the youthful mind. In one of these letters he observes,

Many persons, God be praised, appear at this time to be under

serious impressions, and the Lord's work in this parish is evidently progressing. I earnestly wish to see it so under my own roof, as well as in my neighbors' cottages. Yes, my F, my own loved child, I wish to witness more positive, decided, unequivocal, demonstrations of it in your own heart. Beware of substituting mere sentimentalism for vital experience; and any, however subtle, species of idolatry for the simple, sincere, unsophisticated love of Jesus. Jesus, the sinner's ref uge!-Jesus, the sinner's friend Jesus, the sinner's companion. Beware of the fascinating but dangerous tribe of poets, fictionists, storytellers, and dramatists, whose writings steal away the heart from God, secretly poison the spring of devotion, create false standards of judg ment, and rob God of his honor. Always keep a searching experimental book in private reading, to accompany the study and daily reading of the word of God. Beware of trifling and mere gossiping conversation, even with religious friends; the aforenamed thieves and robbers are never more active than under the plausible guise of unprofitable intercourse with those, whom on good grounds we esteem.

I deeply feel that our general standard of social and domestic religion is too low. It does not sufficiently partake of the more simple and pure vitality of the poor man's piety. The cottage outstrips the drawingroom, in the genuine characteristics of the gospel efficacy. **** The way that leads to eternal life is much more narrow, than many of our modern professors are aware of; the gate is too straight to allow all their trifling, and self-will, and fastidiousness, and carnal-mindedness to press through it. The gospel is a system of self-denial; they leave us hungry, that we may have wherewith to feed others; its dictates teach us to strip ourselves, that we may clothe others; and send us bare-footed among the thorns of the world, rather than silver-shod, with mincing steps, to walk at our ease amongst its snares.

pp. 65-67.

It was with no small anxiety, that this affectionate parent contemplated the removal of his children from the family circle. Brought up under his own eye, and instructed by himself, it was painful to think of placing them elsewhere. The choice of a profession, or forming a connection for life, is a subject which must naturally occasion many misgivings to one who loves his offspring. Conflicting motives are operating upon the mind, and the consciousness that on such a step depends, in no small degree, the happiness as well as usefulness of a beloved child, must make the pa rental bosom throb with no common solicitude for the final decis ion. Such was the case with regard to Mr. Richmond. His greatest desire was, that his children should devote themselves to the service of the sanctuary. "I have no concern," he used to say, "about their temporal provision, God will take care of that; but I should rejoice to see every one of my boys, actively and usefully engaged in the church of God." On sending his son to the university he observes, "What if my boy should fall a victim to associations which have blasted the fairest hopes

of many a