Of Edftcating (hildrm. any Chrifiian, that knowcth f~1e pruity of humane ~uturC", .a.nd t.he murability of young ~nf~rnilhed heads, and ,hefubtilty of deceivers, and the contag1oufncfs of fm and errour, a?d the wo~t~ of a foul and will not Go as fame Conjurers or Witches, even feU a foul ro rht Dev1!, on c:qndJtJon he may' fee and know the fa!h. ions of the world; ( which ~laS, I can quickly know enough o~ to gric:ve my heart, without tra~clling _fo far to fee t~e~ ) If an other Coumrey have more of Chnfi, and be nearer Heaven the invitation IS great: but tf It have more of fin -and Hell, I had rather know Hell, and the Suburbs of it too, by the Map of the Word of God, than by going thither. And if fuch children return I;lOt the confirmed €hildren of the Devil, and prove not the calamiry of their Coun~ trey, and the Church, let them thanlc fpecial grace, and not their Parents Gr themfclves. They over~ $47 ·'value rhat vanity which they call Breeding wl~o will hazard the fubjlance ( evea Heavenly \Vifdom, Holincfs and Sllvation) to go fo far for {o vam a fludow. . . '§. 16. Direct. 16. Teach your clnldren to k_now tbe pi'etioufoefs of Time, and [ttf[er them uot to mif DJre{l. 1~. pmd .m bour. ·Be often fptaking to them how pre1iou~ a thing_Time is, and hpw (hor~ n~ans life is, and how great his work, and how our endlLfs hfc of JO_y or ITIJfery d_cpe~derh on thts little Time: Speak odiot1tly to themof che fin of thofc that pl.zy and ,d/e aw::t.y thetr tune: And keep account of all cheir hours, and futfcr them net: to lofe any by ex:cefs of flecp, or excefs of play, or any other w•y : but engage them ftill in fomc employment that is worth their Time. 1t.Jin up your children in a life of diligence tmd labour, tmd u[e them not to eafe 611/d id~rnefs. rvhcn lt w:'l,s one of tbcy ~re y!Ju"g. Our :vandrin~ Beggarsl and too many of the Genr:y utterly und? rh~tr ch1ldren t~ew:l0 :r11;he by th1s means : EfpecJal!y th<J female Sex. They are taught no Calling, ~or exercd<d m any em~ twelve Table!, ployment, but only fuch as is mcrt for nothing but ornament ami recreauon (at the bell): and F1 !ius anc cl– therefore fhould have but re.creation-hours, which is but a [mall proportion of their time. So tine r.!ns)patris in· by the fin of their Parents, they are betimes engaged in a life of I_dlene~ , w~ich afterwa_rd it is ~,y;~an~c:~;r~ wond~ous hard for them to overcDt~e; And they arc _ta_ught to h~e, like Swme or Vermme, that ne PJ~II~<o: live only eo live, and do fmall good m the world by hvmg: To r1fc, and drtfs, and adorn them- Alioqui pa~ felves and.take a walk and fo w dinner, and thenct to Cards or Dice, or chat and idle talk, or fortJe roues mmire play, 'or vifit, or recrea;ion, and_ fo _to Supper, and to chat ag-ain and to bed,_ is the lamentable _life $~~it~;;c i~ of roo rnapy that have great obhgaoons to God, and greatt:r matters to do, If they were acquamt~ h . c:d with them: And if they do but interpofe a few hypocritical heartlefs words of prayer, they ~t~a~ic\~\,,e think they have piouOy fpent the day. Yea, the health of many is utterly ruined, by tUch idle by, !h.lll not flcfh!y edu·cation; fo that difufc: doth difablc them from any confiderable motion or txercife, which be bu~nd to is neceffuy to prcfovc: ths-ir health : It would move ones heart with pity, to fee how the houfes of keep 1~ 1 s P.a– fome of the Higher fort arc like Ho[pitals, and education hath ruade efpecially the females like the ~~~[so~he~~r.r, lame, or fick, or bedrid: fo that one pa.t of the day, that !hould be fpcnt in fome profitable em- !hall. . ployment, is fpent in bed, and the rett in doing nothing, or worfe than nothin.g; and moft oftheir Ez.ek. ss. 4.9· life is made miferable by difeafes, fo rhat if their leg• be bur ufed to carry them about, they are prcferic1y out of breath, and arc a buiden to thernfelvcs, and few of them live out little more than half tht:ir ·dayes : Whereas, poor aeatures, if their own Parents had not betrayed them into the fim of Sodom, Pride, fulneji of brea4, and abunda11ee of ldlt~~eji, thty might have been in health, and lived like hond\ Chrifiian people, and their legs and arms might have fcrvcd them for Vfe, as wtll as for integtality and ornament. §. 17. Direct. 17. LeJ ncct.JJ~ry correllion bt ufed rvitb difcrction '!Ccordhtg to tbefe foUowi~tt. Rules. Dirtl1. 17 • 1· Let it nor be fo [eldome ( it ntceffary ) as to leave them fearlc{s, and fo make it une~~..ctual : and kt it not be Cofrequent as to difcouragc them> or breed in them a hatred ofrhcir Puents. 2. Let it be different according to the different tempers of your children: Some arc fo tender and timerOus and apt to be difcouraged, rhat little or no correction may be bc!l : And fome are fo hardned and oblli~ flinate, that it mutt be much and Charp correction that muft keep them from diiTulutcncfs and can~ tempt. 'l· Let it be mote for Gn againt\ God ( as lyicg, railing, filthy fpcaking, prophanenefs, C,•c. ) than for ta.ults about your worldly bufinefs. 4· Correct them nor in pallion, but llay rill they perceive that you are calmed: For they will think elfe that your. anger rarher than your t'tafon is the eau[,·. 5· Alwayes !hew them the tendcrnefs of your Love, and how unwilling ym1 are tO correct them, if they could be reformed any eafier way : and convince them that you do it for their good. 6. Make them read thofe Texts ofScr~pture which condemn their fin) and then thofc which command you ro corre~ tl_1em. As for example, if Lying be their fin, _turn them firfi to Prov, 12. 22. Lying tips are abommatlon to the Lord, but they that deal truly are hn delight: and J j, 5· A rigbte~us m,.m b.Jteth lying: John 8. 44· Ye art of pur Father tbt Drvil,--,.hw he fpeok,etb a lye, he fpeak!th of bu QWH; for he Ma l_yar, and the Father of it. Ram. 22 . 15· For without are dogs--andwhofoevcr lov~ ttb and maketh a l)t• And 11tXt turn him to Prov. 13. 24· He thaJ JPareth biJ rod hatttb hit SoiJ hHt bf that lovetl.• him, chajinetb him betimu. Prov. 29· 15· The rod and reproof give wifdom, but a :bUd left to him(Clfhri~gftb his fvl~the: to fh'-'me. Prov. 22· 1 5· Foolijhncji is bound in the heart of a child, b: 1 t the rqd of. corrcUzon jbaU drzve tt far from bim. Prov. 23· I 3, I+· iYithbold not cJrrdiionfrom the child: for if thou beatcjt him with tbe rod, he fhaJJ.not die: 1butt jh.Jlt beat him with the rod, tJnt{jhalt deliver hi1 [oul from Hell, Prov. 19. I 8. Chilften thy Son while there it hope, and let 110t thy {o 11 1 [pare foJr hU cry~ng. ~sk him whccher he ~ould hav~ you b_r fparing him, _to diCobey God, and hate him, and dehroy illS foul. And when h1s reaf~m IS COflVmccd of the reafonablcnefs of correCTing him ic I will be the mort fuce[sful. ' I §. 18. Dire6t. 18. Let yo.ur QWn. example Jeacb your cbildrrn that holi;zefi, iJJul heavenlimfs, and D~rcl1. I8· blamrle[mefJ of tongU£ and life, whzcb Y'" drflre them to leorn and pral]if<. The example of Pa,.ents i•
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