Men and Women? Can we ever do enough for him 1730. that hath done fo much for us?

Oh! how unhandfome it is, as well as irreligious and unchristian, for a young Man or Woman, when their Parents are old, and perhaps full of Aches and Pains, or otherwise in Years and in bad Health, to treat them with Scorn and Contempt, or be furly and churlish, and flout at and disobey their wholesome Counsel and Advice.

On fuch young People I have feen the heavy Hand of God in my Day, and made Obfervations thereof, many and many a Time. Oh! the many difobedient Youth that I have feen, that have been Examples and Warnings to others, of the juft Judgment of God Almighty, upon difobedient and prophane young People; and indeed too many old Ones too.

But the Youth are too apt to think and fay, Our Bones are full of Marrow, and our Veins of Blood, and our Blood is warm; we cannot be fo dull and heavy as old Men.

Well, who hath fill'd, and by whofe Providence are your Bones and Veins full of Marrow and Blood? Is it not God? Is it not in him you live, move, and have your being? What hath the Devil and Sin to do with all this? Should not God have the Marrow of your Days? And should not Youth ferve him with their pureft or fineft Blood? And fhould they not be warm, and not lukewarm or cold, in and towards the Things of God and Heaven?

Thus to be vigorus and manly in the Work of God, is truly and rightly to honour our Parents, as God commands.

It is not to honour them with the Mouth and Lips only, but with the Heart, and with ferving God; for that is the Honour fpoken of in the Holy Scripture.

None can rightly honour their Parents, who difhonour God. If a young Man or Woman is religious, and of a difcreet Conduct, and of a fober and just Converfation:

1730. Converfation: That indeed is a real Honour to, and honouring of our Parents. For, fay People, when they behold juft and religious Youths, when their Father is living, Oh! how happy is that Man in bis Children! And indeed it is an honourable Happiness! When, on the other Hand (Pity! Oh! Pity! Pity!) how many fine Youths, to look at (at a Distance, to outward Appearance) have, through their Difobedience, and vile Practice, brought down the grey Hairs of their careful and tenders Parents, with Sorrow to the Grave.

And, as if their own Ruin and their Parents was not enough, bring, through their Intemperance and Folly, Ruin and Destruction on their Pofterity alfo; and what their Parents have with great Labour gain'd to bring them up, and educate them till they come to Maturity, they in a little Time fp nd extravagantly and intemperately, as well as foolishly and inconfiderately and fo bring Ruin and Destruction fwiftly on themselves and Pofterity.

And another Subject but feldom spoken of, or handled, is the extraordinary Regard we fhould have to oblige our Mothers, and the tender Care we should take to nourish and comfort them in Age; and, not vex or grieve them, if poffible we could help it, for many Reafons, befides our religious Duty as above, in Relation of Honour to Parents. And let me remind the Youths of this Age, of either Sex, that in the Time of the Law (the Law of God under the Mofaical Difpenfation) the difobedient Youths were to be brought out of the Camp or City, and all the People were to ftone them to Death.

'Tis true, our Gofpel-difpenfation, or the Difpenfation of our sweet Jefus, is not fo rigorous but much more mild and gentle, as to the Body; yet, as to the Soul, without Repentance, the Difobedient to natural Parents in general (befides to our Father in Heaven in particular) entail upon them an eternal Curfe in the

World

World to come, and many Croffes and Difficulties in 1730. this World. And herein the Gofpel exceeds the Law, it gives Time for Repentance, mixes Mercy with Judgment, and fanctifies our Troubles, Croffes and Afflictions, to us, through Repentance and Amend ment of Life whereas the Law in 'old' Time was excuted without Mercy or Pity, and with fierce Wrath, Vigour and Anger. Oh! the ten

But to return to the tender Mother. der Soul of the tender Mother, how it yearns over the difobedient Son or Daughter! And who that hath not a Heart of Flint or Adamant, but would comply or yield to the wholefome Advice and Counfel of fo tender a Parent who brought us into the World? Affection to fuch a near Parent, one would think fhould constrain us to it.

However, if Religion or Affection is not fo predominant, let Reafon do it. First, 'Tis a rational Confideration that thy Mother fuffered many Pains, and much Sickness, which thou wert the Occafion of, even before thou wert brought forth into the World, befides the dolorous, bitter Pangs and Pains of Child birth, which have coft the Life of many a tender Mother.

And confider the first Month after thou wert born, O the Care and tender Concern, the Watching, Labour and Charge, cannot eafily be exprefs'd! What running to the Phyfician upon every Symptom or Sufpicion of being ill, or out of Order? And muft all this be forgotten? O Height of Ingratitude! which too many poor young People are guilty of.

Though bleffed be the Almighty Lord, there are fome who are truly and humbly thankful to God and their Parents for their Being, and their Well-being, believing they can never fully requite him or their Parents.

Now, after our first Month, what a deal of Fatigue and Trouble we give our Mothers, who ftill, if they give us Suck (as many Mothers do; even Queens

and

1730. and Princeffes, and many noble Women, not difdaining to give their Children Suck from their own Breafts, which certainly is the moft natural Way of bringing up and nourishing them; though, on fome Confiderations, a Nurse may be difpens'd with) how do we partake of their own Blood, to the wafting of their Spirits, and oftentimes their Flefh alfo?

Surely nothing but Love and Duty could engage a Mother to the great Care and Fatigue which he is oblig'd to in Nurfing and Suckling her Children, efpecially if before-hand in the World? Who can exprefs the Toil and Care to keep the poor unthinking little Ones quiet, and the many weary Steps and Contrivances to keep them from Crying? Although, by the Way, when they grow up, their Mothers may cry Night and Day too, and they take but too little Notice of it (i.e.) the rebellious, ingrateful, and disobedient Youth.

O Youth! must all this be forgotten? Muft all this have no Confideration with you, and bear no due Weight upon your Minds! Oh! furely no: God forbid!

The first Year being gone (which is oftentimes but the the Beginning of Sorrow to the Parents) then they cannot eafily be trufted alone, or out of Sight, except in fome good Hand; and it 'tis never fo little miffing, then cries the Mother, Ob! where's the Child? What have you done with my Child? Who bas got it? And never rests till she's fatisfy'd about it; and when 'tis brought to her, O how the embraces and kiffes it, as if fhe would wrap its Soul up in her own! and then the Heart, the Bolom, and the Breast, are all open to it. What endearing Expreffions are pour'd out to it from its tender Mother! as, My Dear, my Love, my Jewel, &c. and sometimes from fome Sort of Perfons fuch fond Expreffions as are not juftifiable.

But, O melancholy Confideration! all this Love and Tenderness is too often rewarded with Hard

heartedness

heartedness and Cruelty; the Mother may cry, and 1730. die too, if fhe will, for her Dear Love, and Precious Jewel, when grown up to Man or Woman's Eftate! From fuch Ingratitude may the Lord deliver us!

This Confideration is remarkable, as we are also the Workmanship of God, and human Creatures, That of all the Creatures God hath made, there's fcarely any fo helpless fo long as Man; fo that Man is fo much the more obliged to his Parents, and parti cularly his Mother, who feeds us when we can't feed ourfelves, and carries us long before we can go alone, and defends us from Harm, or we muft perifh. After all this, to be unkind and difobedient to our Parents, is great Ingratitude; and I fcarce ever faw it go unpunish'd, even in this World: And pray let the Youth confider how it is like to fare with them in the next; for I address myself to those who believe the facred Writings of the Holy Scriptures; for to others, fome Things herein may feem fabulous, as Judgment to come doth to the Athieft, tho' divers of them feel it begin to come before they go out of the World, as hath been the Cafe of many which might be mentioned.

From the Breaft, and the Arms, to the feventh Year of our Age, who can relate the World of Trouble our Parents have with us to keep us out of Harm's Way, to keep us from bad Company, to keep us in Health as much as layes in their Power; to clothe us and keep us whole and clean, and take Care that we learn no ill Words or Manners; for about this Time, little Youths are very apt to learn Good or Evil; and the careful, virtuous Parents, would do well to endeavour to cultivate their tender Minds, and to plant Things good and profitable in them betimes. It often turns to good Account (though not always) and when it doth not, the Parents, having done their Duty, are clear of their Blood, and of what Mischief may befal them through their Ungodliness, and Folly, and Intemperance, afterwards.

From