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SERMON LI.

Of the education of children.

PRO V. 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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LI.

Have on purpose chosen this text for the fubject SER M. of a preparatory difcourfe in order to the reviving of that fo fhamefully neglected, and yet most useful and neceffary duty of catechifing children and young perfons: But I fhall extend it to the confideration of the education of children in general, as a matter of the greatest consequence both to religion and the publick welfare.

For we who are the minifters of God ought not only to instruct those who are committed to our charge in the common duties of christianity, fuch as belong to all chriftians, but likewife in all the particular duties which the feveral relations in which they stand to one another do refpectively require and call for from them.

And amongst all these I know none that is of greater concernment to religion and to the good order of the world, than the careful education of children. And there is hardly any thing that is more difficult, and which requires a more prudent VOL. IV. 5 X 2

and

SERM. and diligent and conftant application of our best care and endeavour.

LI.

It is a known faying of Melancthon that there are three things which are extremely difficult, parturire, docere, regere;" to bear and bring forth children, "to inftruct and bring them up to be men, and to 86 govern them when they arrive at man's eftate." The inftruction and good education of children is none of the leaft difficult of these. For to do it to the best advantage does not only require great fagacity to difcern their particular difpofition and tembut great difcretion to deal with them and maper, nage them, and likewife continual care and diligent attendance to form them by degrees to religion and virtue.

It requires great wisdom and industry to advance. a confiderable eftate, much art and contrivance and pains to raife a great and regular building: But the greatest and nobleft work in the world, and an effect of the greatest prudence and care, is to rear and build up a Man, and to form and fashion him to piety, and juftice, and temperance, and all kind of honeft and worthy actions. Now the foundations of this great work are to be carefully laid in the tender years of children, that it may rife and grow up with them; according to the advice of the wife man here in the text, "Train up a child in the 66 way he should go, and when he is old he will not "depart from it."

In which words are contained these two things. First, the duty of parents and inftructors of children, "Train up a child, &c." By childhood here I understand the age of perfons from their birth,

but

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LI.

but more especially from their firft capacity of in- SERM.
ftruction till they arrive at the state and age which
next fucceeds childhood, and which we call youth;
and which is the proper feason for confirmation.
For when children have been well catechized and
inftructed in religion, then is the fittest time for them
to take upon themselves and in their own persons to
confirm that folemn vow which by their fureties they
made at their baptifm.

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"Train up a child in the way he fhould go,'
that is, in the course of life that he ought to lead;
inftruct him carefully in the knowledge and prac
tice of his whole duty to GoD and men, which he
ought to obferve and perform all the days of his
life.

Secondly, here is the confequent fruit and bene-
fit of good education: "And when he is old he
"will not depart from it." This we are to un-
derstand according to the moral probability of things:
Not as if this happy effect did always and infallibly
follow upon the good education of a child, but that
this very frequently is, and may probably be pre-
fumed and hoped to be the fruit and effect of a
pious and prudent education. Solomon means that
from the very nature of the thing this is the most
hopeful and likely way to train up a child to be a
good man. For as Ariftotle truly obferves, "Mo-
"ral fayings and proverbial speeches are to be un-
"stood only ì To woλÙ, that is, to be usually and
"for the most part true."
be several exceptions,made, and inftances given to
the contrary, yet this doth not infringe the general
truth of them: But if in frequent and common ex-
perience

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And though there may

SRR M. perience they be found true, this is all the truth that

LI.

is expected in them, because it is all that was intended by them.

And of this nature is this aphorifm or proverb of Solomon in the text; and fo likewise are most of the wife fayings of this book of the Proverbs, as alfo of Ecclefiaftes: And we do greatly mistake the defign and meaning of them whenever we go about to exact them to a more ftrict and rigorous truth, and fhall upon due confideration find it impoffible to bring them to it.

So that the true meaning of the text may be fully comprised in the following propofition.

"That the careful, and prudent, and religious "education of children hath for the moft part a

very good influence upon the whole course of "their lives."

In the handling of this argument I defign by GOD's affiftance, to reduce my difcourfe to these five heads.

I. I fhall fhew more generally wherein the good education of children doth confift, and feverally confider the principal parts of it.

II. I fhall give fome more particular directions for the management of this work in fuch a way as may be most effectual for its end.

III. I fhall take notice of fome of the common and more remarkable mifcarriages in the performance of this duty.

IV. I fhall endeavour to make out the truth of this propofition, by fhewing how the good education of children comes to be of fo great advantage,

and

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