1730. From the Seventh to the Fourteenth Year, then the Care of wife and thoughtful Parents is to give them fuitable Learning, and to feek for the best Master that can be got for them, which indeed is a great Point of Prudence; for corrupt and intemperate Teachers are often hurtful to Youth, and Men of bad Principles may be Inftruments of inftilling the like Principles into the Children. A good Understanding, good Manners, and good Principles, a religious, wife and difcerning Parent, would efteem before Letters and Figures; although to be well inftructed in these alfo, is confiderable, but the other preferable. And here let Teachers and the Youths be careful of Idlenefs, for that is the Mother of many Mischiefs; and bad Words, bad Actions, and bad Company, ought to be avoided, which taint and corrupt the Minds of the little tender

Youths.

'Tis melancholy to think of it, that fome Youths, who never heard bad Words in their Father's House, fuch as taking the Sacred Name in vain, Curfing, Swearing, Talking rudely, &c. fhould come from School full with it, fo that the good Intention of the Parents in giving their Youth Schooling, is then circumvented in a great Degree; to regulate which, the Parents and Tutors fhould join together in a wholefome Difcipline. Some indulgent Parents mightily hurt their Youth by tying up the Hands of their Teachers from difcreet Correction. No difcreet Teacher will ufe Broom or Mop-ftick, or Door and Windowbars, to correct their Youths; that would be unmanly, as well as unwife; but the Rod never did hurt, in a fkilful Hand. And both at Home and at School, 'tis profitable for the Youth to be diligent in Reading the Holy Scriptures, which are preferable to all other Books, though other good Books are profitable alfo, and beneficial to improve the Understanding; whereas filthy and irreligious corrupt Romances, and prophane Play-Books, often poifon, and are the Bane or

Ruin of Youth; and when once they come to be in 1730. Love with those black dark Works, facred Truths are of little Value with them, which is an evident Token or Sign of the evil Tendency of evil Books: Though there may be fome Sort of Philofophy in fome of them, yet, if 'tis vain, and Lies, and Deceit, we had Need to be careful our Youth are not spoil'd therewith; and indeed thofe of riper Years are often hurt thereby, elfe why did the learned Apostle Paul write to the primitive Chriftians, to beware left any of them should be Spoil'd through (wrong) Philofophy, and vain Deceit, Col. ii. 8. If al! this Care and Pains, befides Charge, fhould be forgotten, it betokens great Stupidity,

From Fourteen to Twenty-one, more Care comes on a-fresh upon the Heart and Mind of the faithful and loving Father, and affectionate and tender Mother, that their Offspring may do well, both as to this World, and alfo to that which is to come. It is indeed commendable, and alfo a Duty in the Parents, to take Care in putting their Children in a Way, as much as lies in their Power, to live in the World; but, above all Things, to endeavour to promote their eternal Happiness and Interest in the Life to come. This is fo much the more honourable, by how much the one is external, and the other eternal. O Eternity! Eternity! that we did but think more upon it, tho' we thought lefs of the Externals; although fome think too little upon the fubftantial Part of them too, and forget to be juft in the Things of Meum and Tuum, or between Man and Man.

But to return to the Youth; and as to Trade, the Law of Nations forbids them to trade, or trade with them, till they arrive at the Years of Twenty-One, as fuppofing their Understanding not fully ripe for Bufinels till that Age; and therefore many, and fome of the wifeft Heads on the Earth, and Men of vaft Eftates, have thought it rational and proper for Youth to be put Apprentice for feven Years: This is look'd

upon

1730. upon as expedient, although they have many Thousands to give them when they come to Age: And indeed many Youths have been ruined and undone for Want of fuch Service; and fome of the brightest and fineft of our young Men have spent more before they arrived to that Age, than their Parents had to begin the World withal; nay, fome, many times more, for want of Employ in fome commendable Calling; for having fo much idle Time on their Hands, they have taken to idle Company, and become idle Companions themselves alfo ; and fo the Youth have corrupted one another, to their great Hurt and Damage, as to their outward Subftance; and which is yet worse, as to their Soul's Welfare; and fuch evil Communication corrupts good Manners; and if they were employed in Bufinefs, they in this Refpect would be out of Harm's Way, out of the Way of thofe Rooks that would make a Prey of them.

In order to the Well-doing and Being of the Youth in the Time of his feven Years Servitude, we ought to be very careful to chufe fuch Masters as are of good Report: First, as to their Religion, Ingenuity, Industry, Juftice and Temperance, and one who hath acquir'd to a Way of living well: Such a Mafter is worthy, and ought to be obey'd. It often happens, that before this Time is over, the Youth are uneasy, and are wont to go home to their Parents, with Complaints; but without a real Occafion or Neceffity. It is far better, and much more honourable for young Men to stay out their appointed Time: And then when they come to have their lawful Liberty, it will be more sweet to them; and People will be the more free and engaged to deal and trade with them, and the Parents will have the greater Encouragement to fet them up in their Calling. A common Maxim, which is generally fulfilled, is worthy of Note here (i. ex) Thofe that are good for their Masters, are good for themfelves, and it mostly happens fo.

And

And as to Mafters, fince they are generally Gainers 1730. by the Service and Work of their Servants, they ought to use them well, as to their Accommodations, and not to exact their Labour to Oppreffion, remembering we have all a Master, which is in Heaven, and that every one of us (let our Condition be what it will in this World) must be accountable for the Deeds done here on Earth, to him in his Kingdom.

It must not here be forgotten, that Servants ought not to ferve their Mafters with Eye-fervice; but juftly do their Duty as though they were actually prefent, or really in View. And as their Indentures bind against Cards and Dice, and all unlawful Games, and Gaming being very deftructive to Youth, as well as to their Mafters Intereft, it is in an efpecial Manner to be avoided; for Gaming leads into many other Evils, and, at the beft, tends to draw the Heart and Mind from heavenly to earthly Things. Alfo the Servant is not to fee his Mafter any Ways defrauded, it being all one in the Foundation, whether the Servant doth it himfelf, or fees (with Approbation) another do it; and that which would make the Time the pleafanter, and feem not fo long and tedious, is to be chearful and good natur'd, and to be fure to frequent the publick Worship of Almighty God; and Mafters would do well to let their Servants go fometimes to more private Duty; and if the Servant be confcientious, the Mafter will be no Lofer by fuch Indulgence. Alfo Servants ought to be kind to their Masters Children, which is reputable; and Mafters ought not to let their Children infult their Servants; and if the Servants merit Correction, let it be done prudently, and not in a Fury, or in the Heat of Paffion; for fuch Correction, in the Heat of Paffion, oftner hardens the Heart, than amends the Manners of the Youth fo corrected.

Both the Master and the Servant ought ftrictly to observe, and not to break their Covenants which they have mutually agreed to in their Indentures, fign'd and

Q

fealed

1730. fealed before Witneffes, or elfe they lofe their Title to Juftice, and as it is not prudent nor juft, neither is it lawful fo to do. It is a great Happiness in a Family when the Master and Mistress, Man-Servants,and MaidServants, live together in Love and Good-will, and endeavour to promote each others Intereft: Then when there is Occafion to part, the good Wifhes of each other go along with thefe who go, and ftay with thofe who itay. And the Care of Parents in this Affair, is worthy the Youth's folid Thought and Confideration.

Thus after the fine and fprightly young Man hath faithfully ferved his Apprenticeship, and is arrived to the Age of one and twenty Years, when it is lawful for him and others to deal and trade one with another, then it may be suitable for him to marry according to the Ordinance of God, and his early Inftitution in Paradise, who then faid (and his Word is the fame to this Day) It is not good for Man to be alone, whatever others may fay to the contrary. Oh! what Pity and Shame it is, that fo many (otherwife) great Wits, and fine flourishing young Men, fhould plead and practise against lawful Marriage, to their lafting Reproach and Infamy; and if they fhould have any Pofterity, it is a Scandal on them alfo, tho' they are innocent; for through their Parents Faults, they are pointed at as illegitimate: And the inevitable Confequences of fuch filthy Mixtures, are monftrous Confufion.

But let us hope and endeavour better for our prefent rifing Generation, and our hopeful and flourishing Youths: And fince the State of Marriage is an exceeding happy State of Life, if perform'd in the Fear and Love of God, and with Confent of Parents and Parties concern'd; and otherwife the Reverse: Therefore confidering the Bafhfulness of fome Youths (and fometimes to a great Fault) it might be well for the Parents in Time to propofe Marriage to their Children, who fometimes have been loft for Want of performing it in the Fear and the Love of God; and indeed

it