very apt to think themselves wiser than their parents, and to be restive and turbulent under restraint. Two young men in England, the sons of pious and wealthy parents, wanted the family carriage to ride out and seek their pleasure on the holy Sabbath. This being repeatedly refused, they resolved to resent it; and accordingly went off with the determination to go to sea. Their father sent word to Rev. Mr. Griffin, of Portsea, requesting him to find them, and try to persuade them to return. He did so; and among other things, urged the feelings of their parents; who, after watching over them with so much care and tender anxiety, must now see all their hopes blasted. This touched the heart of the younger, and he consented to return; but the elder was obstinate. The carriage, he said, had been refused, he had made up his mind to go to sea, and to sea he would go. Mr. Griffin then requested the young man to go with him to his house, and he would get him a ship that he might go out as a man and a gentleman. This he declined, giving as a reason, that it would make his parents feel to have it said that their son went out as a common sailor; as a common sailor, therefore, he would go. “Is that your disposition?” said Mr. Griffin; “then, young man, go; and while I say, God go with you, be sure your sin will find you out, and for it God will bring you into judgment.” The younger son was restored to his parents, while all traces of the elder were lost, and he was mourned for as for one dead.

After a considerable time, a sailor called on Mr. Griffin, and informed him that there was a young man on board one of the ships in the harbor, under sentence of death, who wanted to see him. What was his astonishment, on finding the young man, who had gone to sea to be revenged on his parents for refusing him a sinful indulgence, a prisoner, manacled and guarded! “I have sent for you,” said the young man, “to take my last farewell of you in this world, and to bless you for your efforts to restore me to a sense of my duty. Would to God that I had taken your advice; but it is now to late. My sin has found me out, and for it God has brought me into judgment.” Mr. Griffin spent some time with the young man in conversation and prayer; and then hastened to London, to see if he could not get him pardoned. But, when he arrived there, the warrant had already been sent for the young man’s execution. He returned home, and arrived on the morning that the young man was to be executed. Within a few minutes after his arrival came a pardon, with which he hastened to the ship, where he met the young man’s father, in the greatest agony, as he was returning from taking, as he supposed, his last farewell of his son. Mr. Griffin entered the vessel at the moment when the prisoner, pinioned for execution, was advancing towards the fatal spot. In a few moments, he was restored to the embrace, of his father. Thus he suffered shame and ignominy, and the agonies of death, as a punishment for his disobedience to his parents; though, in consequence of his penitence, his life was spared.

Think how you will feel when your parents are gone.

A young man was lamenting the death of a most affectionate parent. His companions, to console him, said that he had always behaved to the deceased with tenderness, duty, and respect. “So I thought,” he replied, “while my parent was living; but now I recollect with pain and sorrow, many instances of disobedience and neglect, for which, alas, it is too late to make any atonement.” If you would avoid this bitter reflection, ask yourself, when disposed to do any thing that will grieve your parents, “With what feelings shall I think of this, when they are dead and gone?”

Benefit of Obedience.

A boy wishing, one afternoon, to go with some other boys, on a sailing excursion, asked permission of his mother, which was not granted. After a severe struggle in his mind between inclination and duty, he gave up his anticipated pleasure, and remained at home. The other boys went. A sudden flaw of wind capsized their boat, and two of them were drowned. The boy, when he heard of it, was much affected, and said to his mother, “After this I shall always do as you say.”

Reward of Disobedience.

Another boy was charged by his father, as he was going away, to be gone a few days, not to go on the pond. Saturday, being his holiday, he asked permission of his mother to go a skating. She told him he might skate about in the fields and by the sides of the road, on such patches of ice as he could find; “but,” said she, “be sure you do not go on the pond.” He went out; and contrary to the strict charges he had received from his parents, he went on the pond. He thought there was no danger; for the ice was a foot thick. But there was a place that had been cut open to get ice, where he and his companions fell in, and he was drowned!

Some years ago, a boy in Woburn, named William Wheat, came to a terrible end in consequence of disobedience to his parents. Three Sabbaths before his death, he left the Sabbath School, and went to a public house—a place where no boy should go, on any day, unless sent on business. The next Sabbath, his teacher reproved him, and he was very angry, and declared it was the last time he should ever enter the Sabbath School; which proved true. The next Sabbath, he did not go; and the following Wednesday, he got an old gun barrel, which his parents had repeatedly forbidden him to meddle with, and charging it with powder, applied a lucifer match, to “fire off his cannon,” as he called it. The gun burst and killed him instantly. Here was a boy of a turbulent ungovernable disposition, despising the authority of his parents and the law of God. He only came to the end to which the road, in which he walked, naturally leads.

Boys should never attempt to set up their own judgment against that of their parents. When a parent denies the requests of his children, he does it, not to deprive them of pleasure, but because he sees a good reason for it. If the child submits, he will one day see that his parents had a good reason, although he could not then perceive it. Let this reflection silence all murmuring: “My father and mother know better than I.” The truth of this is clearly proved in the foregoing cases.

Conscientious Obedience.

Some children obey their parents because it is right, and because they love them. This is true, conscientious obedience—the obedience of the heart. And those who render to their parents this kind of obedience, will be just as careful to obey them, when out of their sight, as in their presence; and they will be careful not to evade their commands. They only want to know the wishes of their parents, promptly to obey them.

The shouts of half a dozen children were heard from the piazza of one of the large boarding houses at Saratoga Springs—“O yes; that’s capital! so we will! Come on now! there’s William Hale! Come on, William, we’re going to have a ride on the Circular Railway. Come with us?” “Yes, if my mother is willing. I will run and ask her,” replied William. “O, O! so you must run and ask your ma. Great baby, run along to your ma! Ain’t you ashamed? I didn’t ask my mother.” “Nor I.” “Nor I,” added half a dozen voices. “Be a man, William,” cried the first voice,—“come along with us, if you don’t want to be called a coward as long as you live. Don’t you see we are all waiting?”

William was standing with one foot advanced, and his