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    tayxch influejnce § s possible over the otbef dispositions and the conjtect . We are not to leav ^ this fill the affections , by frequent impressions * acquire great firmness and vividness ; but to aim to give

    them their proportional influence io every stage of their progress . A child who is capable of understanding something of the inspection and agency of the unseen Q $ j * who has at all learnt to de-$ | l £ his love , and to fear his displeasure , is capable of being influenced fcv religious motives .

    That the religious affections w $ y exist without properly influencing tb « : condi ^ may be understood from what happens in the case where submission has not

    been cultivated in a child through the false indulgence of a parent . Such a child ia often found to be very affectionate * and often manifests a warmth and strength of love * which justly delight the parent's heart , and yet excite re *

    gard to a parent ' s feelings , and dispositioxis only whexe its own little selfish gratification prompts to such regard . In like manner , liysl y ^ compassion to the distressed may exist ,, and often does exist ,

    even in young persons , without exciting one active endeavour to relieve . And thus religious affections , may exist , and even with considerable liveliness , ( especially the feelings of love and gratitude , ) without acquiring any influence over the heart and life .

    Our aim must then be , to give them thia influence ; and in pro * portion as they acquire it , will the affections themselves acquire

    activity and vigour . The Apostle John says , " This i& the love of God , thai we keep his command * meats ; " and * though be obviously

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    means , not that it is thelovo itself , but that it will always be the effect of the love of God , where it has acquired its due strength and influence , yet no one can doubt , that religious obedience is the best means of cultivating , supporting

    and confirming the religious affections ; that habitual regard to the will of God , where ideas respecting God are tolerably correct , will always cherish the love of God where it exists , and will

    gradually produce it where , be * fore , it did not exist . He who is brought up in the fear of God , ( I

    do not meanterror , but reverential awe , ) and under its influence has acquired an habitual regard to his will , will not be long destitute of those feelings with respect to him , which the contemplation of the scripture declarations is cal - culated to excite in every heart unpolluted by vice , or not filled with the cares and pleasures of . the world .

    In my next paper , I shall offer some thoughts respecting the early cultivation of religious principle ; and I hope then to conclude with a few general remarks .

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    A Thirtieth of January Sermon * Sir , Aug . 2 O , 1811 . I promise myself you will judge the following passage to be not unworthy of a place in your miscellaneous department . I copy it from Salmon ' s Chronological Historian , Ed . 3 d . i . 299 , under the date of January 30 , I 699 ( 1700 ) .

    " Mr . William Stevens , Rector of Sutton in Surrey , preached before the Commons and asserted that all power was originally derived from the people and excused the murder of Ki » g Cbatftefc the

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    A Thirtieth of January Sermon . S 37

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    ? ol . vi . 3 z

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1811, page 537, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2420/page/25/