A /articudsir Addrefs to Young Pérfosu. 243 tender companionate care. As foon as a S r R M; child knoweth any thing, he knoweth that IX. his dependence is upon his parents for what he needeth, that he muff obey their orders, and ufe his utmoft caution to avoid their anger. This parental is a low image of the fupreme divine authority, and the filial refpeét may affift you in forming an idea of the fear of God, which is nothing but an awful and affeaionate fenfe of the deity, producing the higheft honour and efteern for his glorious perfeaions, an entire confidence in him, and delire to imitate him as far as you can, a moll folicitous care to avoid his difpleafure, with a difpofition to fubmit to his will in all things; and to obey his commandments. The fear of the Lord, in the fctiptùre ftile fignifieth the whole of religious virtue, as it is injoined by the divine authority, be- ing a principle of the greateft influence to produce it univerfally. It is true the obliga -- tions of virtue may be otherwife deduced from the reafon of things, and from the hu- man frame and conftitution ; but as piety, in the ftrkteft fenfe, is an important and effen- tial part of the law of our nature, fo it is the greateft fecurity of our duty in every other part of it : Nothing can more effe tually engage us always to think on, and to pratife R 2 the
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