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parent, in any station of life whatever, may, and ought to beftow fome time every day, in inftructing his children in the most useful of all knowledge. Half an hour, or an hour every day, will be fufficient to go through a great deal of fuch fort 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 bufinefs? At three or four years of age, a child of ordinary parts, is capable of being fhewn and convinced, "That obedi"ence is better than perverfenefs; that good-nature is more amiable than "peevishness; that knowledge is preferable to ignorance; that it is "wicked to diffemble, to ufe any one ill, to be cruel to birds, or infects; "and that it is wrong to do any thing to another, which one would not "wifh done to one's felf; that the world was made by One who is very "great, wife, and good, who is every where, and knows every thing "that is thought, fpoke, 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 they who. "have been wicked, to hell among evil fpirits."

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 fuch fimple principles as thefe: and thefe, fimple as they feem, are the ground-work of morality and religion.

As the faculties ftrengthen, farther views may by degrees be prefented to the opening mind; and every leffon illuftrated and inculcated by inftances 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 occafion, will keep up a young one's attention, and make fuch exercises extremely entertaining, without which they will not be useful.

Befides all fet hours for inftruction, a prudent parent will contrive to apply as much spare time as poffible that way, and to bring in fome ufeful and inftructive hint on every occafion; to moralize upon. the blowing of a feather, and read a lecture on a pile of grafs, or a flower.

Can any one think, that fuch a method of giving "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little," is likely to mifs having a confiderable effect upon the mind, for leading it to an early habit of attending to the nature and confequences of actions, of defiring to please, and fearing to offend, which if people could but be brought to accuftom themfelves to from their youth, they would never, in after life, act the rash and defperate part we fee many do.

Nor is there any thing to hinder a master of a private place of educa tion to bestow generally an hour every day, and more on Sundays,

in inftructing 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 thro' 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 apprehenfion of very young minds, by proceeding gently, and fuiting one's expreffions to the weak capacities of the learners, doing all by way of queftion, without which it is impoffible to keep up their attention, and in the manner of familiar dialogue, rather than fet harangue, or magifterial precept.

Above all things care ought to be taken, that religious knowledge be as little as poffible put on the foot of a task. A parent, or teacher, who communicates his instructions of this kind in fuch a manner, as to tire or disgust the young mind, though he may mean well, does more harm than good. A young perfon will have a better chance for taking to a courfe of virtue and religion, if left wholly to himself, than if fet against them by a wrong method of education. The mind, like a spring, if unnaturally forced one way, will, when let loofe, recoil fo much the more violently the contrary way.

The firft Sunday-evening's converfation, between the mafter and pupils in a place of education, might be upon happiness in general. Queitions might be put to the difcreeter part of the youth, as, whether they did not defire to fecure 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 afked, what they thought happiness confifted in, if in good eating, drinking, play, and fine cloaths 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 ftate, ought to make fome provifion of a happiness fuitable to its fpiritual part. For illuftrating this, they might be asked wherein they thought the refpective happiness of a beast,. a man, and an angel confifted. They might be taught partly what makes the difference of thofe natures, and fome general account given. them of the nature of man, his faculties, paffions, and appetites. They might be asked, whether they did not think, that the only certain means, for attaining the greatest happinefs, mankind are capable of, was to. endeavour to gain the favour of God, who has all poffible happiness in his power.

The next Sunday-evening's converfation might be upon the most likely means for gaining the favour of God, in order to fecuring happiness. The youth might be afked, whether they did not think there was a difference in the conduct of different perfons, and in the effects of their be

viour upon the affairs of the world. Inftances might be made ufe of, to fhew in general, that the natural tendency of a virtuous behaviour is to diffuse happinefs, and that vice naturally produces confusion and misery. They might be asked, what would be the confequence, if all men gave themselves to drunkenness, and other kinds of intemperance; or to cruelty and violence; and might be made to fee, that if all men were wicked, the world could by no means fubfift. From thence, they might be led on to conclude, that it was to be expected, vice would always be difpleafing to God; that confequently, none but the virtuous could reasonably expect to be finally happy, however they might be fuffered to pass through the prefent life. They might then be fhewn, that all the good or bad actions of men muft relate either to themselves, to their fellowcreatures, or to God. And that whatever action can have no effect either upon one's felf, or any other perfon, and is neither pleasing nor displeas ing to God, cannot be called either virtuous or vicious.

The fubject of the third evening's converfation, might be the introduction to the first head of duty, viz. that which relates to ourselves. The youth might be fhewn the propriety of beginning with that, as it is neceffary toward 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 understtnding was to be improved with useful knowledge; the memory cultivated and habituated for retaining important truth; the will fubdued to obedience; and the paffions fubjected to the authority of reafon. They might be fhewn in a few general instances, what would be the confequence, if none of thefe was to be done; what a condition the mind must be in, which is neglected, and suffered to run to abfolute mifrule. They might then be informed briefly of the uses and ends of the paffions, and their proper conduct.

The converfation, the fourth, and one or two fucceeding evenings, might proceed to the neceffity and means of regulating the feveral paffions; whofe excefs, and the bad confequences of fuch excess might be pointed out. The paffions not to be rooted up; but put under proper régulations. Excefs in the indulgence of them, how firft run into, and cautions to guard against it. Of felf-love, felf-opinion or pride, ambition, anger, envy, malice, revenge, and the reft, of which, as I fhall have occafion to treat pretty copiously in the third book, I fhall add nothing further at prefent; but refer the reader thither, for a method of treating of them, which may with advantage be used in inftructing youth, excluding what may be thought too abstract for their apprehenfion. For masters are to proceed with prudence, according to the various capacities of the youth under their care; never taking it for granted, that fuch or fuch

parts

parts of moral knowledge are beyond their reach; but putting their capacities to a thorough trial, which will fhew, contrary to common opinion, how early the human mind is capable of comprehending very

noble and extensive moral views.

Of all

To treat of the due régulation of the bodily appetites, as they are commonly called, will be employment for several evenings. The love of life, of riches, of food, of strong liquors, of fleep, of the opposite fex (a fubject to be very flightly touched on) of diverfions, of finery; the due regulation of each of thefe is to be pointed out, and the fatal confequences of too great an indulgence of them, as ftrongly as poffible fet forth; with cautions against the fnares by which young people are first led into fenfuality, and methods of prevention, or reformation. which I fhall likewife have occafion to treat in the third book. The virtues contrary to the exceffive indulgence of paffion and appetite, ought to be strongly recommended, as humility, meeknefs, moderation in defires, confideration, and contentment. And it is not enough, that young perfons underftand theoretically wherein a good difpofition of mind confifts. They are to be held to the strict observance of it in their whole behaviour. One inftance of malice, cruelty, or deceit, is a fault more neceffary to be punished, than the neglect of fome hundreds of tasks. And it must appear to every understanding, that the keeping a youth under proper regulations, even by mechanical means, is of great advantage, as he will thereby be habituated to what is good, and must find a vicious courfe unnatural to him. And there is no doubt, but the minds of youth may be rationally, as well as mechanically, formed to virtue, by the prudent conduct and inftructions of mafters, where parents will give their concurrence and fanction.

Several evenings may be employed in giving the youth a view of our duty to our neighbour, under which the relative duties ought to be confidered; and particularly that fundamental, but now unknown virtue of the love of our country, very strongly recommended. Materials, and a method of inftructing the youth in the duties of negative and pofitive juftice, and benevolence, may be drawn from what will be faid on focial virtue in the third book.

Young people of good understanding may be rationally convinced of the certainty of the Divine existence by a fet of arguments not too abftract, but yet convincing. The proof a pofteriori, as it is commonly called, is the fittest to be dwelt upon, and is fully level to the capacity of a youth of parts at fourteen at fourteen years of age. An idea of the Supreme Being, a fet of useful moral reflexions upon his perfections, and an account of the duty we owe him, may be drawn from what is faid on that fubject in the following book.

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To habituate young people to reason on moral fubjects, to teach them to exert their faculties in comparing, examining, and reflecting, is doing them one of the greateft fervices that can be imagined. And as there is no real merit in taking religion on truft; but on the contrary, a reasonable mind cannot be better employed, than in examining into facred truth; and as nothing is likely to produce a lafting effect upon the mind, but what the mind is clearly convinced of; on thefe, and all other accounts, it is abfolutely neceffary, that young people be early taught to confider the Chriftian religion, not as a matter of mere form, handed down from father to fon; or as a piece of fuperftition, confifting in being baptized, and called after the Author of our religion; but as a fubject of reafoning, a fyftem of doctrines to be clearly understood, a fet of facts established on unquestionable evidence, a body of laws given by Divine authority, which are to better the hearts, and regulate the lives of men. To give the youth at a place of education a comprehensive view of only the heads of what they ought to be taught of the Christian religion, will very nobly and usefully employ feveral evenings. The particulars to be infifted on may be drawn from the fourth book.

The whole courfe may conclude with an explanation of our Saviour's discourse on the mount, Matth. v, vi, and vii. which contains the Chriftian law, or rule of life, and is infinitely more proper to be committed to memory by youth, than all the catechifms that ever were, or will be compofed.

This may be a proper place to mention, that from the earliest years, youth ought to be accustomed to the most reasonable of all fervices, I mean worshiping God. It is no matter how fhort the devotions, they ufe, may be, fo they offer them with decency and understanding; without which they had better let them alone; for they will be a prejudice instead of an advantage to them.

Befides all other improvements, endeavours ought to be used to lead young perfons to ftudy, to love, and to form themselves by the holy Scriptures, the fountain of knowledge, and rule of life. For this purpofe, fome of the time allotted for moral inftruction, in a feminary of learning, may be interchangeably bestowed in reading, commenting, and questioning the youth upon felect parts of Scripture, as the account of the creation, and flood, the remarkable characters of Noah, Lot, and Abraham, the miraculous hiftory of the people of Ifrael, the moral writings of Solomon, fome of the most remarkable prophecies, with accounts of their completions, the Gofpel-history, and the moral parts of the epiftles. An hour every morning may be very well employed in this manner. A courfe of fuch inftructions continued, repeated, and improved upon, for a series of years, must furnish the young mind with a treasure of

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