for establishing first principles of any kind, because then the mind is wholly disengaged from the pursuits which af terwards take possession of it. And the knowledge of right and wrong is indeed the most level to all capacities of any science whatever. For we are properly moral agents, and are naturally qualified with sufficient abilities to understand the obligations of morality, when laid before us, if we can but be prevailed with to observe them in our practice; for which purpose the most effectual method, no doubt, is to have them early inculcated upon

us.

We do not think it proper to leave our children to themselves, to find out the sciences of grammar, or numbers, or the knowledge of languages, or the art of writing, or of a profession to live by. And shall we leave them to settle the boundaries of right and wrong by their own sagacity; or to neglect, or misunderstand, a religion, which God himself has condescended to give us, as the rule of our faith and practice? What can it signify to a youth, that he go through all the liberal sciences, if he is ignorant of the rules by which he ought to live, and by which he is to be judged at last. Will Greek or Latin alone gain him the esteem of the wise and virtuous? or will philosophy and mathematics save his soul?

I know of but one objection against the importance of what I am urging, which is taken from the deplorable degeneracy, we sometimes observe the children of pious and virtuous parents run into, who have had the utmost pains taken with them, to give them a turn to virtue and good

ness.

But is it not in some cases to be feared, that parents, through a mistaken notion of the true method of giving youth a religious turn, often run into the extreme of surfeiting them with religious exercises, instead of labouring chiefly to enlighten and convince their understandings, and to form their tempers to obedience. The former, though noble and valuable helps, appointed by Divine Wisdom for promoting virtue and goodness, may yet be so managed as to disgust a young mind, and prejudice it against religion for life; but the latter, properly conducted, will prove an endlessly various entertainment. There is not a duty of morality you can have occasion to inculcate, but what

may give an opportunity of raising some entertaining ob servation, or introducing some amusing history; and nothing can be more striking than the accounts of supernatural things, of which Holy Scripture is full. And though it may sometimes happen, that a youth well brought up may, by the force of temptation, run into fatal errors in afterlife, yet such a one, it must be owned, has a much better chance of recovering the right way, than one who never was put in it. I am ashamed to add any more upon this head; it being a kind of affront to the understandings of mankind, to labour to convince them of a truth as evident as that the sun shines at noonday.

That it may unquestionably appear to be fully practicable for a parent, or tutor, to establish youth, from the tenderest years, in principles of virtue and religion, by reason, not by authority, by understanding, not by rote; I will here add a sketch of what I know may be taught with

success.

A parent in any station of life whatever, may, and ought to bestow sometime every day, in instructing his children in the most useful of all knowledge. Half an hour, or an hour every day, will be sufficient to go through a great deal of such sort of work in a year. And what · parent will pretend, that he cannot find half an hour a day for the most important of all business? At three or four years of age, a child of ordinary parts is capable of being shown and convinced, "That obedience is better than perverseness; that good-nature is more amiable than peevishness; that knowledge is preferable to ignorance; that it is wicked to dissemble, to use any one ill, to be cruel to birds, or insects; that it is wrong to do any thing to another, which one would not wish done to one's self; that the world was made by one who is very great, wise, and good, who is every where, and knows every thing that is thought, spoke or done by men; that there will be a time when all, that ever lived, will be judged by God; and that they, who have been good, will go to heaven among the angels, and those who have been wicked, to hell among evil spirits."

There are few children of three or four years of age, who are not capable of having their understandings opened, and their minds formed, by such simple principles

as these; and these, simple as they scem, are the groundwork of morality and religion.

As the faculties strengthen, farther views may by degrees be presented to the opening mind; and every lesson illustrated and inculcated by instances taken from the Bible, and other books, or from characters known to the teacher. The asking questions upon every head and bringing in little familiar stories proper for the occasion, will keep up a young one's attention, and make such exercises extremely entertaining, without which they will not be useful.

Besides all set hours for instruction, a prudent parent will contrive to apply as much spare time as possible that way, and to bring in some useful and instructive hint on every occasion; or to moralize upon the blowing of a feather, and read a lecture on a pile of grass, or a flower.

Can any one think, that such a method of giving "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little," is likely to miss having a considerable effect upon the mind, for leading it to an early habit of attending to the nature and consequences of actions, of desiring to please, and fearing to offend, which if poeple could but be brought to accustom themselves to from their youth, they would never, in afterlife, act the rash and desperate part we see many do.

Nor is there any thing to hinder a master of a private place of education to bestow generally an hour every day, and more on Sundays, in instructing the youth under his care in the principles of prudence, morality, and religion. This may be digested into a scheme of twenty or thirty lectures, beginning from the very foundation, and going through all the principal particulars of our duty to God, our neighbour, and ourselves, and from thence proceeding to a view of the fundamental doctrines, evidences, and laws of revealed religion. In all which there is nothing but what may be brought down to the apprehension of very young minds, by proceeding gently, and suiting one's expression to the weak capacities of the learners; doing all by way of question, without which it is impossible to keep up their attention, and in the manner of familiar dialogue, rather than a set harangue, or magisterial precept. Above all things care ought to be taken, that religious

knowledge be as little as possible put on the footing of a task. A parent, or teacher, who communicates his instructions of this kind in such a manner, as to tire or disgust the young mind, though he may mean well, does more harm than good. A young person will have a better chance for taking to a course of virtue and religion, if left wholly to himself, than if set against them by a wrong method of education. The mind, like a spring, if unnaturally forced one way, will, when let loose, recoil so much the more violently the contrary way.

The first Sunday evening's conversation, between the master and pupils in a place of education, might be upon happiness in general. Questions might be put to the eldest of the youth, as whether they did not desire to secure their own happiness in the most effectual way; or if they would be content to be happy for a few years, and take their chance afterwards. They might be asked, what they thought happiness consisted in, if in good eating, drinking, play, and fine clothes only; or whether they did not think a creature capable of thought, of doing good or evil and of living for ever in a future state, ought to make some provision of a happiness suitable to its spiritual part. For illustrating this, they might be asked wherein they thought the respective happiness of a beast, a man, and an angel consisted. They might be taught partly what makes the difference of those natures, and some general account given them of the nature of man, his faculties, passions, and appetites. They might be asked, whether they did not think, that the only certain means for attaining the greatest happiness mankind are capable of, was to endeavour to gain the favour of God, who has all possible happiness in his power.

The next Sunday evening's conversation might be upon the most likely means for gaining the favour of God, in order to securing happiness. The youth might be asked, whether they did not think there was a difference in the conduct of different persons, and in the effects of their behaviour upon the affairs of the world. Instances might be made use of, to show in general, that the natural tendency of a virtuous behaviour is to diffuse happiness, and that vice naturally produces confusion and miscry. They might be asked, what would be the conse

quence, if all men gave themselves to drunkenness, and other kinds of intemperance; or to cruelty and violence; and might be made to see, that if all men were wicked the world could by no means subsist. From thence they might be led on to conclude, that it was to be expected that vice would always be displeasing to God; that consequently none but the virtuous could reasonably expect to be finally happy; however they might be suf fered to pass through the present life. They might then be shown, that all the good or bad actions of men must relate either to themselves, to their fellow creatures, or to God. And that whatever action can have no effect either upon one's self, or any other person, and is neither pleasing nor displeasing to God, cannot be called either virtuous or vicious.

The subject of the third evening's conversation might be the introduction to the first head of duty, viz. that which relates to ourselves. The youth might be shown the propriety of beginning with that, as it is necessary towards a person's behaving well to others, that his own mind be in good order. They might be taught, that our duty to ourselves, consists in the due care of our minds, and of our bodies. They might be asked, whether they did not think the understanding was to be improved with useful knowledge; the memory cultivated and habituated for retaining important truths; the will subdued to obedience; and the passions subjected to the authority of reason. They might be shown in a few general instances what would be the consequence if none of these was to be done; what a condition the mind must be in, which is neglected, and suffered to run to absolute misrule. They might then be informed briefly of the uses and ends of the passions, and their proper conduct.

The conversation the fourth, and one or two succeeding evenings, might proceed to the necessity and means of regulating the several passions, whose excess, and the bad consequences of such excess, might be pointed out. The passions not to be rooted up, but put under proper regu lations. Excess in the indulgence of them, how first run into, and cautious to guard against it. Of self-love, selfopinion or pride, ambition, anger, envy, malice, revenge, and the rest; of which as I shall have occasion to treat

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