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LI.

story concerning young Cyrus: that his governor, the SERM better to make him to understand the nature of juftice, puts this cafe to him: you fee there, fays he to Cy- | rus, two boys playing, of different ftature; the leffer of them hath a very long coat, and the bigger a very fhort one: now, fays he, if you were a judge how would you difpose of these two garments? Cyrus immediately, and with very good reason as he thought, paffeth this fudden sentence, that the taller boy should have the longer garment, and he that was of lower ftature the shorter, because this certainly was fittest for them both: upon which his governor Laarply rebukes him to this purpose; telling him, that if he were to make two coats for them he faid well; but he did not put this cafe to him as a tailor but as a judge, and as fuch he had given a very wrong fentence for a judge, fays he, ought not to confider what is most fit, but what is juft; not who could make the best use of a thing, but who hath the most right to it.

This I bring partly to fhew in what familiar ways the principles of virtue may be inftilled into children; but chiefly to prove that justice is a manly virtue, and that there is nothing wherein children may be more easily misled, than in matter of right and wrong therefore children fhould be taught the general principles and rules of justice and righteousness, because if we would teach them to do justice we must teach them to know what justice is. For many are unjust merely out of ignorance and for want of knowing better, and cannot help it.

4thly, To charity; I mean chiefly to the poor and deftitute; because this, as it is an effential so it

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LII.

SERM. is a moft fubftantial part of religion. Now to en courage this difpofition in children we must not only give them the example of it, but must frequently inculcate upon them fuch paffages of fcripture as thefe, "that pure religion and undefiled before GoD " and the FATHER is this, to vifit the fatherless "and the widows in their affliction :" "that as we "fow in this kind, fo we fhall reap:" that " he "fhall have judgment without mercy who hath "fhewed no mercy" that at the judgment of the great day we shall in a very particular manner be called to an account for the practice or omiffion of this duty, and fhall then be abfolved or condemned according as we have exercifed or neglected this great virtue of the chriftian religion.

SERMON

LII.

Of the education of children.

PROV. xxii. 6.

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

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HE good education of children consists in giving them good example. This course David took in his family, as ap

Pfal. ci. 2. pears by that folemn refolution of his, "I will be"have myself wifely in a perfect way, I will walk "within my houfe with a perfect heart." Let pa

rents

LII.

rents and masters of families give good example to SERM their children and fervants, in a conftant ferving of God in their families, which will nourish religion in those that are under their care: and let them alfo be exemplary in a fober and holy converfation before those that belong to them.

And let not your children, as far as is poffible, have any bad examples to converse with, either among your fervants, or their own companions; left" by walking with them they learn their way "and get a blot to their fouls." There is contagion in example, and nothing doth more flily infinuate itself and gain upon us than a living and familiar pattern; therefore, as much as in you lies, let children always have good examples before them.

Especially, let parents themselves be exemplary to them in the best things, because their example is of all other the moft powerful, and carries greatest authority with it. And without this, inftruction will fignify very little, of it will be loft.

and the great force and efficacy

We fhall find it

We shall find it very hard to perfuade our children to do that which they fee we do not practise ourselves. For even children have fo much sense and fagacity as to understand that actions are more real than words, and a more certain indication of what a man doth truly and inwardly believe. Example is the moft lively way of teaching, and because children are much given to imitation, it is likewise a very delightful way of inftruction, and that of which children are most capable; both because it is best understood, and apt to make the deepest impression upon them.

So

SERM.

LII.

So that parents, above all others, have one argu. ment to be religious and good themfelves, for the fake of their children. If you desire to have them good, the best way to make them so is to give them the example of it in being good yourselves. For this reafon parents should take great care to do nothing but what is worthy of imitation. Your children will follow you in what you do, therefore do not go before them in any thing that is evil. The evil example of parents is both a temptation and encouragement to children to fin, because it is a kind of authority for what they do, and looks like a juftification of their wickedness.

With what reafon canft thou expect that thy children fhould follow thy good inftructions, when thou thyself givest them an ill example? thou dost but as it were becken to them with thy head, and fhew them the way to heaven by thy good counsel, but thou takeft them by the hand and leadeft them in the way to hell by thy contrary example. Whenever you fwear or tell a lye, or are paffionate and furious, or come drunk into your family, you weaken the authority of your commands, and lose all reverence and obedience to them by contradicting your own precepts.

The precepts of a good man are apt to raise and inflame others to the imitation of them, but when they come from one who is faulty and vicious in that kind himself, they are languid and faint, and give us no heart and encouragement to the exercise of thofe virtues, which we plainly fee they do not practise themselves. It is the apostle's argument, "Thou therefore that teachest another, teachest thou

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LII.

not thyself?" Thou that teacheft thy children to SERM. speak truth, doft thou tell a lye? Thou that sayest they must not swear, doft thou profane the name of GOD by customary oaths and curfes? Thou art unfit to be" a guide of the blind, a light to them that "fit in darkness, an inftructor of the foolish, and "a teacher of babes; becaufe thou thyfelf haft only a form of knowledge and of truth in the law," but art destitute of the life and practice of it. In a word, if you be not careful to give good example to your children, you defeat your own counfels and undermine the best instructions you can give them; and they will all be fpilt like water upon the barren fands, they will have no effect, they will bring forth no fruit.

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VI. Good education confifts in wife and early restraints from that which is evil, by seasonable reproof and correction. And this alfo is one way of inftruction: fo Solomon tells us, "The rod and Prov.xxix. "reproof giveth wifdom:" And though both thefe '5. do fuppofe a fault that is past, yet the great end of them is to prevent the like for the future, and to be an admonition to them for the time to come.. And therefore whatever will probably be effectual for future caution and amendment, ought to be fufficient in this kind, because the end is always to give measure to the means: And where a mild and gentle rebuke will do the business, reproof may stop there without proceeding farther; or when that will not do, if a sharp word and a severe admonition will be effectual, the rod may be spared.

Provided always, that your lenity give no encouragement to fin, and be so managed that children

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