that on which the Minister preaches :) This will grow up in Time to a confiderable Treasure of Scriptural Knowledge, which will be of unfpeakable Ufe to them in the Chriftian Life. I have known Children who from their early Years have been conftantly trained up and taught to remember a few Sentences of a Sermon befides the Text, and by this Means have grown up by Degrees to know all the diftinct Parts and Branches of a Difcourfe, and in Time to write down half the Sermon after they came Home, to their own Confolation and the Improvement of their Friends: Whereas those who have been never taught to use their Memories in their younger Parts of Life, lofe every Thing from their Thoughts when it is paft off from their Ears, and come home from noble and edifying Difcourfes, pleafed (it may be) with the tranfient Sound, and commending the Preacher, but uninftructed, unimproved, without any Growth in Knowledge or Piety.

3. THE Judgment is another natural Power of the Mind which should be exercifed and improved in Children. They should be taught to pass no Judgment on Men or Things rafhly or fuddenly, but to withhold their Judgment till they fee fufficient Reafon to determine them. To this End thew them in little common Inftances how often they are deceived when they judge on a Sudden

Sudden without due Confideration, and how often they are forced to change their Opinions. Put them in Mind how foon they have found themselves mistaken when they have given their Opinions too haftily. This will make them cautious and afraid of being fo rafh either in praifing one thing or in condemning another.

TEACH them to judge not merely by outward Shew and Appearance, but by fearching Things to the Bottom. Convince them that every Man who hath fine Clothes is not rich; and that every Man who talks hard Words is not wife or learned; that every one who wears a red Coat is not a Soldier, nor is every Perfon good-humoured who fpeaks very complaifant Things in Company. Take frequent Occafion to fhew them how much they will be miftaken if they. judge immediately by outward Appearances of Things.

TELL them that they must not judge of Things by Culom, nor by the common Opinions of the Multitude, nor by the Practices of the Rich and the Great: For all thefe Things may deceive them: But that they must judge of Things merely by Reafon, except in Matters of Religion, and there they must judge rather by Scripture or the Word of God. Let them know that Customs change and alter, and the Cuftoms of one age or of one nation differ greatly from thofe of anI 2 other

other; but that the Nature and the Reafon of Things is ftill the fame, and that Scripture is the conftant and unchangeable Rule of our Religion.

To confirm this let them be informed that it was the Cuftom of our Ancestors in England, and it is now the Cuftom in France and Spain to say their Prayers in Latin, and to worship Images: But it is a finful Custom though all the Multitudes of the common People agree in it, and though the Great and the Rich practise it also. Nor is our present Custom in Great-Britain of praying in English and worshipping no Images, to be esteemed the right way of Worship because it is the Cuftom of the Nation, but because it is agreeable to the Word of God, which forbids us to worship Images or to pray in an unknown Tongue.

TAKE every Occafion to guard them against Prejudices and paffing a Judgment on Men or Things upon infufficient Grounds.

4. THE reafoning Powers of the Mind Should be cultivated and improved in Children. This is very near a-kin to the former, and therefore I fhall be very brief here.

WHENSOEVER Children give you their Opinion of any Thing, afk them to give you alio the Reason why they are of that opinion: Whenfoever they defire or with for any Thing, or fhew an Averfion to it, enquire what is the Reafon of their Defire or

Averfion:

Averfion: When they have done any Thing of their own Will, afk them the Reason why they did it. And when you do any Thing that is for their good, fhew them the Reason why you do it, and convince them that it was fit and neceffary to be done, though perhaps it was not fo pleafing to them.

By calling their young Reafon thus into Exercise you will teach them Wisdom betimes: You will awaken manly Thoughts within them, and foon lead them to a rational and manly Conduct in their Childish Years: By this Means alfo you will always have a Handle to take hold of in order to perfwade them to their Duty, and to fave them from Mischief. But if their reasoning Powers be neglected, you will train them up like the Horfe and the Mule who have no Understanding: They will grow like Brutes in the Shape of Men, and Reafon will have but little Power over them in the following Parts of Life.

5. CONSCIENCE is another natural Power of the Soul, wherein the Principles of Virtue and Rules of Duty to God and Man are to be laid up: It is fomething within us that calls us to account for our Faults, and by which we país a Judgment concerning ourselves and all our Actions.

CHILDREN have a Confcience within them, and it should be awakened early to I 3

its

its Duty. They fhould be taught to reflect and look back upon their own Behaviour, to call themfelves often to Account, to compare their Deeds with thefe good Rules and Principles laid up in their Minds, and to fee how far they have complied with them, and how far they have neglected them. Parents fhould teach their Children to pay a religious Refpect to the inward Dictates of Virtue within them, to examine their Actions continually by the light of their own Confciences, and to rejoice when they can approve themselves to their own Minds, that they have acted well according to the best of their knowledge: They ought alfo to attend to the inward Reproofs of Confcience, and mourn and be ashamed and repent when they have finned against their light. It is of admirable Ufe toward all the Practices of Religion and every Virtue, to have Confcience well ftored with good Principles, and to be always kept tender and watchful; it is proper that Children should learn to reverence and obey this inward monitor betimes, that every wilful Sin may give their Confciences a fenfible Pain and Uneafinefs, and that they may be difpofed to facrifice every Thing else to Confiderations of Conscience, and to endure any Extremities rather than act contrary to it.

I proceed in the next Place to confider the feveral Powers of the Body which ought

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