Special'.DireBions for the Edt~catioll of (hildrm. 545 - ------- which is cafitft and moft gr:zttful to the~ (as the Hiflory of the Scripture, a_od the ~i~es of the MHtyrs and other good men, and fame iliort_ familiar lc.tTo.ns ). For though m re~rammg rh.em. from fi 1 r, you mull go to the highefl fhp at firfi, and not rhmk to d~aw them from It by allowmg them the /raft deg,rce (for every degreedifpofeth to more, an~ none ~s to be allowed, and. a g~neral reformation is the taficft as well as abfolute::ly neceffary ). Yer m putcmg_ rhern upon the PraCbce of ReligiuiM d:ttitJ, you mufi can~ them on by.degrees, ~nd put the_~ at hrll: upon no more than they can bear ; either upon the karmng of dotlrmes too h1gh and fpmtual for them, or upon fuch duty .J//IA for quality or quantity as is ovcr-burdtnfome to them ; For if you once turn their hearts againll Re~ ligion, and make it fecm a flavery and a tedious lift: to t~em, you rake the c-ourfe to harden them 3 gainfl lf, And therefore all Children muft not be ufed ahke : as all Homachs ~utl not be forced to car a\ikc: lf you force fome to take fo much as to be€ome a finfet, they wlll'loath that fort of ml'at as long as they live. I know that nature it {elf, aJ cnrrupt, hath already an enmity to Holinefs~ and 1 know that rhis e-nmity is nor to be: indulged in Children, at all : But widull I know that mif-rcprcfc nt&tions of Rdig_io_n, and imprudent Ed~carion is the way_ to increa[t it, _and th~t the.: enmity being in rhc Hcarr, H 1S the change of rh: Mmd a~d Love _that IS the overcom~ng of Jt, and not any fuch confiraint as rendet~ not ro reconcile the_ Mm_d by Le ve. ~he who!~ sk11l of ~arents for the [i. 1 1y tducatiun of their ~h1ldrc~, ~oth confifi m t~Js,. to make rh_em concezve of Ho~zneji as the moll amiable and dejirab/e life ; whiCh JS by rcprefentmg H to thetn m words and pra:Cbcc, not only as moll Nccrjf.Jry, but alfo as moll Profitable, Honourable and Deligbtfu!. Prov. 3· i7. Her wayei are wayes of plrajdmnr{s, and all IJcr pathr are peace, &c. . §. 9· DircCi. 9· Spea~oftm to them of the bruitiJI? b.fenrji a>td fi>tful;ttfi of f/rjh-plrajing [in[uality, Dm{J. 9• 1111 dof tht greater excellency of tbe Plea{urrt r{ tlu mmd; n.../Jlcb co».jift _tn ·wifdum ~nd m domg g~od. for your chiefefi care muO: be·to fave the~ fr~m Flc~J~pleaftng; wh1ch ts not onl-y m general th_e {urn of all iniquity whatfoever, but that wluch m fpcc1al Ch1ldrcn are moll prone to. F?r the1r fltjh and fi 1 ift is as quick as ot~lCr$ : and rhey want n~t o~ly faith, ~ut :Je~r Reafoh to rcfi_ll it : And f~ ( bdidcs their natural pravtty) thecuftome of ebr;·mg Cenfe ( whtch JS m flrength) wtrhout Krafoli ·(which is ·in infancy and almofl: ufcldS ) doth much increafc this pernicious fin. And therefore fiiU ~abcur ro imprint in their minds an cdious conceit ofa ftcjhplcafing life: fpeak bitterly tO them againl1: Glu~r011y, and dru11~emuji and txafi of [port; and let thi.m oft~n hear or read the parable of the Glullon and Ldr.arm in tl:e 16 of Lz1ke : Ar.d let th<m learn WJthout book, Rom. 8. I, s., 6, 7, 8, 9, 13• 6.. Rom. 13. 13, 14. and oft repeat them. · . §• .,o. D ircd. IO· 'totbii end, .,,d alfo fer tht hc.lth of their hcdits, k"P a ftrill guard upon their Dlrelf. IO· 11 ppttiteJ (Which th€y are not able to guard tbtm{tlter:) Keep lhtm eu txal11y af )'~u c<~n to the ru/tS of reafrm, both in tbt quamity and qualityqf thtir food. Yet tell them rhe Rta[on of your refiraint, er t:Jfe thty will fecretly llrive the more to break thc:ir bounds. Moll Parents that ever I knew, of had any good account of in that point, are guilty of thC' great hurt and danger of their Childi-ens health , ,d foulr, by plujing and glutting them wi1h meat and drink: If I Owuld call them Devils and Murdtrm to their own Children, they would think I fpake too harfhly ; But I would not have them give fo great occafion for it, as by deftroying ( as far as ly<th in them) the foui; and bodies of their Children. They deflroy their fouls by accufloming them to gluttony, and to be ruled by their app<titts; which all the teaching in the world will hardly ever alter over~ come, without the fpccial grace of God. What is all the vice and viUany in the world but the pleafing of the drfiru of lhe jltjh? And when they are habituated to this, they are rooted in their jin and mifrr)•· And they drlhoy their Bodiff, by fuffering them to pleafe their appetites, with raw fruits and other hurtful things; but efpecially by drowning and overwhelming nature by excefs: And all this is throllgh !hat beajlly ignoranct joyned wilh frlfconcritrdnrfi, which maketh them alfo overthrow thcmfelvcs. Thcy ·tl}ink that their appetjte is the meafure of their eating and drinkJng and that if they drin~ but when they are thirffy (as fome Drunkards are continually) and tal but when they arc: h~ngry, it Is no cxcefi; And becaufe they are not ~reCently fick, or vomit it not up again, the Beafls dtink ll doth 1hem no harm but good: You !hall hear them like mad people fay, [I warrant them, it will do thtm no barm ttJ eat and drink_ 1rben t~ty havt lift, it will m.1kt them Jlroni and healtbfrtl : I fie not that thofe that are dyrted[o ftri[lly are any healthfuUrr than others.] When as all this while they are burdcnmg nature, and defiroying digdlion, and vitiating all the htimours of 1hc body, and !Urningthem into a dunghill of flegm and filth: which is the fcwel that b~cede!l-l and fcedeth almofl all the difeafes that after fei7.e upon them while they live; and ufuallf bring– eth them to an untimely end: (as I have fullycr opened· befbre, Tom. r. in the Directions againft Gluttcmy) lf then.fore you love either the foul! or Bodies of your Children, ufe tbtm io temperanee frPm thtir infancy. and_ let not tbtir appetiteS or craving wil/1, but your own reafon be the cho?{e;. and the meafitrt of thCJr dyet. Ufe them to eat fparingly, and ( fo it modrrotely pleafe their appe.:. tite 1 or be not fu.:h as nature 1oarhet~) let it be father of th'e coltr{cr than the finer fort of dyer: fee it meafl1rcd tO th(m your felves, and fuffer tiO fcrvant to give them ifiore i nbr to feethem eat of drink bc1wcen meals and out of feafon: And fo you will help to overcome their fenrual inclina~ ti~ns, and give rcafon the maflery of 1hcir lives; and you will t:iti'der God do as rtluch as any on~ thtrlg_can do 10 belp.rhem to a hc~lthful temper ef body, which will be. very great mercy to them; and ht th~m for the1r dury, al1 then hves~ ~· u. Direct. II· For JPort; and recreatiom let tbtm bt {11ch and fo miicb as m.1y be needful tb Virelf. 16~ Jluzr lualth and cbeerfulnejJ: bHt 1tot fo much aJ may carry away thfir mindJ from better thingt, tmd draw them from 1heir BooltJ or other dutitl ; nor fitcb as may ttmpt them t(J gamihg or cotJttoUF·· lta a a 2 neji.·
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