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THE RELATIVE DUTIES OF MANKIND. [Part III.

woman, subtile of heart, whose house is the way to hell, goingdown to the chambers of death ; ” * the importunities and craftof the wicked of every kind, the enticements of wine and strongdrink, the seductions of sloth, the value of industry and integrity,the opposite ways and end of the righteous and of the wicked,the use and abuse of the tongue, the sins of pride, avarice, fraud,and oppression, are all spread out as on a map before the young,by this author ; — so that, to use his own illustration, if, amid suchadvice and counsel, the young man is still so much without dis-cretion as to be caught, he is as simple as the bird caught in thesnare which itself has seen spread before its own eyes.f

The right of parental advice is especially important in regardto two particulars on which the welfare and happiness of childrenvery much depend ; to wit, the choice of the employment theyare to pursue in life, —■ and the connexions in marriage whichthey are disposed to form. In both these particulars, parentaladvice, timely and judiciously given, may be of the greatestbenefit.

Where there is nothing to prevent, reasons of conveniencewill lead the sons to pursue the employment, which their fatherhas pursued before them. This is the natural course and ten-dency of things, and it is probable that nine sons in ten engagein the employment of their father. But sometimes this is incon-venient, unsuitable, and otherwise undesirable. In giving advice,the physical endowments of the son, his natural genius and tem-per, his education, the circumstances of the times, the naturaltendencies and probable effects of the employment or profession,and, most of all, his own inclination, should be consulted andkept fully in view. Children seldom do well in an employmentinto which they have been forced or over-persuaded. If theirpartialities are gratified in this most important of all their inter-ests, the choice of their profession, they feel themselves to bethrown upon their own responsibility, and to be committed, inhonor to their parents, to justify the choice they have made bytheir good conduct and success. It is all-important, that theyshould feel the full force of this personal responsibility ; it is the

Prov. vii. 5, 10, 27.

\ Prov. i. 17.