the Old Teftament, infants were to receive the feal on the eighth day. Now there is no fet time, but common equity bids take the first opportunity, and not delay it needlefsly. The undue delay of circumcifion was punished in Mofes, Exod. iv. 24.; and the delay of baptism cannot but be difpleafing to God too, as a flighting of his ordinance.

3dly, Tender care of them, doing all things neceffary for them, while they are not capable to do for themselves, If. xlix. 15. And here it is the duty of the mother to nurse the child herself, if she be able, Hof. ix. 14. And this care of infants, the burden of which lies most on the mothers, is one great piece of their generation-work, wherein they are ufeful for God, and which they ought to look on as fpecial service for their comfort in the trouble which therein they have.

3. The duties they owe to them from the time they come to the use of reason, and fo forward.

1ft, They are to provide for them, and that aye and until they be in a capacity to provide for themselves, 1 Tim. v. 8. This arises from the natural obligation and inftinct that is common to men with beafts whereof the wildeft will feed their young till they be able to do for themselves. Thus parents are, (1.) To provide fuitable maintenance for their children for the prefent, and to lay out themselves for it, though with the sweat of their brows. (2.) And, as God profpers them, they are to lay up fomething for them, 2 Cor. xii. 14.; for though the poffeffion be their parent's entirely, yet he is ftinted to the use of a part, according to what is neceffary. Only no man is to take from prefent neceffities for future provifions; but what God has given, let men take the comfortable use of it; and what remains, let them lay by for their children, Eccl. ii. 18, 19. 24. But for people to deny themselves things neceffary and comely, that they may lay them up for their children, is a curse; and if their children fhould follow their example, to deny themselves the ufe thereof, to tranfmit them to theirs, the ufe of it fhould never be had: but ordinarily what the parents narrowly gather, and keep fo as they cannot take the conve nient ufe of it themfelves, the children quickly run through. 2dly, Civil education, that they may be useful members of the commonwealth. This we may take up in these three things.

(1.) Parents fhould polish the rude natures of their children with good manners, fo as they may carry comely and discreetly before themselves or others, Prov. xxxi. 28. It is the dishonour of parents to fee children rude and altogether unpolished as young beafts; and religion is an enemy to rudeness and ill manners, 1 Pet. iii. 8.

(2.) They fhould give them learning according to their ability, and see that at least they be taught to read the Bible, 2 Tim. iii. 15. What is it that makes so many ignorant old people, but that their parents have neglected this? But where parents have neglected this, grace and good nature would make a fhift to fupply this defect.

(3.) They should train them up to do fomething in the way of fome honest employment, whereby they may be useful to themselves or others. To nourish children in idleness is but to prepare them for prisons or correction-houses, or to be plagues to fome one family or another, if Providence do not mercifully interpofe, Prov. xxxi. 27. Chriftians fhould train up their daughters to do virtuously, ver. 29. For their own fakes, let them be capable to make their hands fufficient for them, seeing none know what straits they may be brought to. And for the fake of others to whom he may be joined, let them be virtuoufly, frugally, and actively educated, otherwife what they bring with them will hardly quit the cost of the mischief that their unthriftinefs and fillinefs will produce, Prov. xiv. 3. Whether ye can give them something or nothing, let them not want Ruth's portion, a good name, a good head, and good hands, Ruth iii. 11. Sons fhould be brought up to fome honest employment, whereby they may be worth their room in the world, Gen, iv. 2. This is fuch a neceffary piece of parents duty to their children, that the Athenians had a law, That if a fon was brought up to no calling at all, in cafe his father fhould come to poverty, he was not bound to maintain him, as otherwise he was.

3dly, Religious education, Eph, vi. 4. If parents provide not for their children, they are worse than beasts to their young; if they give them not civil education, they are worse than heathens; but if they add not religious education, what do they more than civilised heathens? When God gives thee a child, he says, as Pharaoh's daughter to Mofes' mother, Take this child and nurse it for me," Exod. ii. 9. Though

we be but fathers of their flesh, we must be careful of their fouls, otherwife we ruin them.

(1.) Parents ought to inftruct their children in the principles of religion, and to fow the feeds of godliness in their hearts, as foon as they are able to fpeak, and have the use of reason, Deut. vi. 6, 7. Such early religious education is a bleffed mean of grace, 1 Kings xviii. 12. compare ver. 3. Not only is this the duty of fathers, who fhould teach their children, Prov. iv. 3, 4.; but of mothers, who, while the children are young about their hand, fhould be dropping fomething to them for their fouls good. Solomon had not only his father's leffon, but the prophecy his mother taught him, Prov. xxxi. 1. See chap. i. 8.

(2.) They fhould labour for that end to acquaint them with the fcriptures, 2 Tim. iii. 15. to cause them to read them. Let the reading of their chapters be a piece of their daily task; and cause them read the fcriptures in order, that they may be acquainted both with the precepts and hiftories of the Bible. Let them be obliged to learn their Catechism, and catechise them yourselves, according to your ability. For teaching by way of question and answer is most easy for them.

(3.) If they afk you any questions concerning these things, do not difcourage them, but take pains to anfwer all their questions, however weakly they may be propofed, Deut. vi. 20, 21. Children are often found to have very mishapen notions of divine things; but if they were duly encouraged to speak, they might vent their thoughts, which parents thus get occafion to rectify.

4thly, Labour to deter them from fin. The neglect of this was Eli's fin, for which God judged his house, 1 Sam. iii. 13. Endeavour to poffefs their hearts with an abhorrence of finful practices, and a dread of them. Carefully check their lying, fwearing, curfing, or banning, and Sabbathbreaking. If they learn these while young, they will be fair to accompany them to gray hairs. Let them not dare to meddle with what is another man's, if it were not worth a farthing. Encourage them in taking up little things, and they may come in time to bring themfelves to an ill end, and you to difgrace.

5thly, Stir them up to the duties of holinefs, and the practice of religion. Often inculcate on them the doctrine of

their finful and miferable ftate by nature, and the remedy provided in Chrift. Shew them the neceffity of holiness, pointing out Christ to them as the fountain of fanctification. Commend religion to them, and prefs them to the study of it, as the main thing they have to do in the world, Prov. iv. 4. &c.

6thly, Pray with them, and teach them to pray. For this cause let not the worfhip of God be neglected in your families; but for your childrens fake maintain it. No wonder that thofe children feek not God who never fee their parents bow a knee. Ye fhould take them alone, and pray with them, and teach them to pray, laying the materials of prayer often before them; and let them learn the Lord's prayer, and use it as a form till fuch time as they can conceive a prayer by that directory. For though we do not think the Lord has bound us to that form, (if he has, the forms of the English liturgy are moft impertinent, which intrude themselves on us, and do not leave us to it), yet that it may not be used as a prayer, or as a form, I know none that do affirm; though it is plain it is principally intended for a directory in prayer, Matth. vi. 9.

Lastly, They fhould often be put in mind of their baptifmal vows: and I judge it adviseable, that when ye have been at pains to inftruct them in the principles of religon, and they have attained to a tolerable measure of knowledge, so that with judgment they may perfonally consent to the covenant, as a child religioufly educated may be able to do betwixt nine and twelve years of age, if not before; it would be profitable to call them before you, and folemnly declare how ye have laboured to do your duty to them, as ye engaged in their baptifm, and require them exprefsly to confent unto the covenant for themselves; taking them perfonally engaged to be the Lord's.

4. Correction, Eph. vi. 4. The Greek word there fignifies both correction and inftruction; and fo does the English word nurture. They must go together; for instruction without correction will hardly fucceed. Parents must keep their children in fubjection; if they lose their authority over them, the children will be children of Belial indeed, without a yoke, the end of which will be fad, Prov. xxix. 15. They must not only be corrected by reproof, but, when need is, with stripes, Prov. xix. 18. Begin early, as foon as they

are capable to be bettered by it; and let your love to them engage you to it, and not restrain you, Prov. xiii. 24. As ever ye would keep them out of hell, correct them, Prov. xxiii. 13, 14. I offer the following advices in this point.

(1.) Take heed ye correct not your children just to fatisfy your own paffion; for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. That is revenge, not correction. Let the end of your correction be the child's good. It were good that parents, if they find themselves in a paffion, would first beat down their own difordered fpirits before they beat

the child.

(2.) Let them know well wherefore ye correct them: for if the child know not what he has done amifs, he can never be bettered by the correction. And therefore pains should be taken to convince them of the evil of the thing; otherwise we deal not with them as rational creatures.

(3.) Confider well the difpofition of the child. That feverity may be neceffary for one, that will quite crush another. A man will not take his ftaff to thresh his corn, nor yet his flail to beat out kail-feed. Measure your correction, then, by the child's difpofition.

(4.) Go about the work with an eye to the Lord for fuccefs. Correct thy child in faith of the promise, Prov. xxii. 15. "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction fhall drive it far from him," viz. as a mean appointed and bleffed of God for that end. It is our belief, and not our blows, that will do the business. And no doubt the neglect of this is one main cause why correction oft-times does no good.

Lastly, Take heed ye correct not your children only for faults against yourselves, letting them pafs with their fins against God. Many will give them a blow for a disrespectful word against themselves, who for lying, banning, Sabbath-breaking, will never touch them. Their children's croffing of them must not go unpunished, but it will be long ere they correct them for their fins against God.

2.

5. The cafting them the copy of a good example, Pfal. ci. Children are apt to imitate their parents, but especially in evil. He that fins before a child, fins twice, for he may expect that his fin fhall be acted over again. Let them, then, not fee you do any thing ye would not have them to do, nor fpeak words ye would not have them to follow you in.