the wisdom and forethought of a man. A wise son maketh a glad father.-Favorite children are generally spoiled children, all their whims and fancies are complied with. They must have every thing they ask, for though it may be injurious to their health or their morals. They must not be crossed in any thing, lest they should hurt themselves by crying for it. There are many great boobies among favorite children. "A father has been known to undress and go every evening to bed with his only son, till he was ten or eleven years of age.. When the darling had by this means been courted to sleep, the parent was at liberty to creep down again to his friends or his business," How much evil arises from the partiality of parents to one child above another. It is calculated to embitter the lives of both parents and children. Its evil consequences ought to be guarded against with all possible watchfulness. and care, lest parents should have to lament the cause when they are unable to remove the effects of it. No outward mark of distinction should be made by parents in their chil dren's dress. I mean they should not show they love one child more than another by

giving them better or finer clothes than the

rest.

"Showy dress is one of those vanities which fond parents are too apt to indulge, especially when their favorite children are handsomer than ordinary. Joseph was a beautiful young man, and therefore his fond father dressed him finer than the rest of his children, to set him off to the best advantage-Ridiculous and dangerous distinction. Ridiculous be. cause nature requires no ornaments, and piety is not advanced by wearing fashionable clothes. Dangerous because it tended to excite the ha tred and envy of Joseph's brethren and to fill his own mind with pride and vanity." What a sad thing it is when children do that which is evil in the sight of God and man. Joseph acted the part of a friend and faithful brother who, when he dare not admonish his brethren himself because of his youth, told his father that he might do it" Friendly Monitors are often looked upon as enemies, those that hate to be reformed hate those that would reform them." Those that are beloved by God are often hated

*

by

See Watkin's Sacred Biography, page 165.

ཏི།

#

by the wicked. When the actions of children are bad and their conduct wicked, how can they expect their parents will love them. It is a sad thing when brothers and sisters cannot speak peaceably to each other, and yet this is frequently the case. When children tell their parents of the bad words or actions of their brothers and sisters, it should not be from a desire of telling tales, but that they may not do so again. When it is done from duty and affection then it is done from a right motive and with a desire to do good. Chil dren should strive to gain the love of their par nts by an obedient and dutiful conduct towards them, by their love to God and their brothers and sisters. Amen.

MAN HYMN.

A HYMN.

Love between Brothers and Sisters.
WHATEVER brawls disturb the street,
There should be peace at home;
Where sisters dwell and brothers meet,
Quarrels should never come.

Birds in their little nests agree,

2

And 'tis a shameful sight, When children of one family Fall out and chide and fight.

Hard names at first and threat'ning words
That are but noisy breath,

May grow to clubs and naked swords,
To murder and to death.

The devil tempts one mother's son
To rage against another,

So wicked Cain was hurried on
Till he had killed his brother.
The wise will let their anger cool,
At least before 'tis night,
But in the bosom of a fool,

It burnstill morning light.
Pardon, O Lord, our childish rage,
Our little brawls remove,
That as we grow to riper age,
Our hearts may all be love.

Watts

LECTURE

LECTURE XXXVII.

JOSEPH'S DREAMS.

GEN. 37. 19. And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

You have heard that at the age of 17 years, Joseph led a shepherd's life and fed sheep, the same employment in which his brethren were engaged; that he brought to his father a report of their conduct when absent from home, not by way of telling tales, but that his father might reprove and admonish them, which he dare not do, because he was so young. You have heard that his father loved him more than all his children, and made him a coat of many colours. When his brethren saw, that their father loved him more than all of his brethren, they hated him, and eould not speak peaceably unto him. This hatred was increased by the relation of two remarkable dreams. They seemed to have impressed the mind of Joseph so much that he could not conceal them from his father and his