which is laid in the command of God, who requires us thus to honour our parents; and therefore, though we fhould fuppofe a parent fo unnatural as never to have done any thing to oblige the child, which can hardly be imagined, yet ftill the command of God continues in force; and if no tye of gratitude fhould lie upon ts, we are bound fill to obey it.

There is all the reason in the world, that while children want understanding to direct their choice and will, they should have no other will but that of their parents, and therefore should obey while they do not understand. Even children themfelves fee this, as foon as in the leaft degree they come to reafon: they fee that if they had been left to themfelves, they had, in many cafes, come to mifchief; and that it was therefore fit they fhould obey their parents orders and commands. People fomewhat older fee as much neceffi y that they fhou'd do fo too, and they themfelves will fee as much when they have outgrown their childish fancies; they will fee, that their parents wifdom, experience, and capacity, were much greater than their own, and that they were for that reafon fitter to rule and guide them. I believe there are few people in the world that have, while young, difputed and repined at the commands of their parents, who have not afterwards changed their minds, and found they were truly wifer, better, and more reasonable to be complied with than their own wills and humours, though for the prefent they thought otherwife. It is more likely that having lived longer, flood higher, and obferved things better, they fhould be most in the right, and give the best advice. parents must needs difcern what is more fit and proper for their children; and though they may be now and then mistaken, yet it is always fafeft to follow their inftruc. tions and commands. When children obey their parents, if they afterwards happen to mifcarry, yet they have this to comfort them, that they mifcarried in their duty, that they took the wifeft counfel, fuch as all

The

good

good people approve; and every one is more ready to pity and help fuch under their misfortunes, than fuch as fell into the like through ftubbornness, self-conceit, and disobedience. As there is all the prefumption in the world on the fide of the parents, that their advice and commands are the wifeft and most reasonable, so there is also all the certainty of the good intention and defign that can be: who should intend the benefit of the children fo much as the parents, who feem to live for no other end than to do them good? They have no other aim than their advantage; all their care and ftudy, all their thoughts are fixed on them; they fuffer a thousand inconveniencies for their fake, and choose to live fometimes penuriously, that their children may live at ease and pleasure; and who should fufpect the counfels and commands of fuch, of want of love and kindness? There is nothing more proper to perfuade, than an opinion that they do it out of love, and defign our good by it. Now no one can poffibly be fo affured of the kindness and good-will of any one befides, as of his parents, and therefore the command of no one ought to be entertain'd with a better opinion than that of parents; this would help to forward our obedience to them, were it well confider'd Young people should reflect a little, that these counfels and commands come from those that have lived a great deal longer than they have, that have made remarks, and had experience; they have had parents themfelves, and e ther followed their advice, or repented of not doing it. The du ies injoined are perhaps unacceptable to me; they are fuch as I fhould not choose, fuch as I do not like; but I have often found myself mistaken, and I have no reafon to think myfelf wifer than they who perfuade me otherwife than I am inclined. I am but of yesterday, and know little; I have no experience; and fure thefe parents have not lived fo long for nothing. Old age has fomething in it good. Wisdom and knowledge most commonly attend it, and qualify them to be counfellors. Further,

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Further, there is no body fo likely to wish me as well as they there is no body has done fo much for me, no body grieves at my mifcarriages like them, or ftudies with that concern and care to prevent them: other people, as it comes in their way, give me good counfel, and fay the fame things in effect that parents do: they warn me of the fame dangers, and exhort me to the fame duties: but I can plainly perceive there is a great deal of difference between the mind and concern with which parents speak, and thofe of other people, tho gh good friends: they speak with a lively fenfe and feeling, with force and affection, in great earneft, and from the bottom of the heart, as if they were to endure the evils they warn us to avoid, and fhare with us the miferies we fhall undergo, if we follow not their counfels. They feem to be exceedingly interested in our behalf, and yet it is evident they can make no manner of advantage of our complying with them: they can get nothing by us but content and fatisfaction. All they have already is ours in defign, and all they are getting ftill, and delire to get, is for us; wherefore we can fufpect them of no defign upon us, and all thefe things fhew us most evidently, that what they say to us, and the commands they fay upon us, proceed from the truest, most sincere and difinterested affection. They are afflicted when we are unhappy; let them be never fo wife, or rich, or honourable, our folly, fin, and disobedience will make them miferable; tho' they lofe by it neither understanding, wealth, nor places, yet fuch is their concern for us, that in all these things they are not happy, unless we will confent to make them fo, by being dutiful and obedient, and taking good and virtuous courfes. On the other fide, let us be never fo wife, or rich, or honourable, all that our parents get by it is pleasure and content; for which, inftead of taking ought away, they lift up their hands and hearts to God, and blefs us; and can I think the counfels and commands of fuch people are not the

beft

beft they can give me, the most kindly intended, and fitted for my practice and compliance?

Tho' the commands of parents do often cross the childrens defires, and hinder them from pursuing their pleafures, yet it is not because their parents envy them their pleatures, or deny them fatisfaction; but becaufe the profecution of their defires, in the forbidden inftances, is criminal, and would be hurtful to them, tho' perhaps they fee it not. They never command them to do any thing, but the doing of it tends to the childrens advantage; nor ever forbid any thing but what is hurtful in itself and confequences; and therefore tho' the children fee nothing but pleafure in what they propose, yet the parent ftands higher, and fees there is alfo fin or danger near it, and how it will operate at a distance, and what fruits it will produce. And as they remember their parents to have hindered them, when they were younger, from eating feveral meats, or drinking feveral drinks, and doing feveral things which they then liked, or defired to have, and grieved and repined at the refufal. which yet they are now fatisfied proceeded from no unkindness, but turned, as it was intended, to their be. nefit: fo might they learn to conclude, that the commanding them things for the prefent uneafy, and for. bidding them things for the prefent fweet and defirable, may be full as realonable and fit to be complied withal; and that when a little time is over-pait, and the seafon of pleasure fomewhat fpent, they will be equally fatisfied with the care and wisdom of their parents. And this young people would do well to improve; they are capable of confidering, and they ought to do it. Let them inquire of all their acquaintance that are grown up, and older than themselves, and the older till the better, and fee how many of thefe there are that will tell them, It is better, wifer, and fafer, to follow their own humours than the advice of their parents, and how many upon experience have fucceeded in difobeying their commands; how many there are that are not grieved at

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their

their difobedience, and do not wifh moft earnestly had complied with what was advised or require them. And when they find that all the world ag that notwithstanding their prefent defires, and the eafinefs of complying with the commands of par yet it is better fo to do; that they who have obeyed very much fatisfied, and they who have not, grieved and troubled, and wish they had: they wil they ought to conclude, that however unacceptable f commands of parents, may for the prefent be, y is better to yield to them, than to indulge their humours; and that the united wisdom and experi of the whole world is a fafer bottom to proceed up than any prefent longing.

For thefe reafons, chi'dren fhould themfelves, w in time they come to be parents, exact, require, and obedience at their childrens hands; this every one pects; this all are naturally led to. Where is the par that does not think it reasonable his children should o him, even against their inclinations, and fhould prefer his wisdom and experience to their own wil underftanding, and truft to his affection, love, favour, rather than purfue their own humours? U the fame grounds that any one expects obedience fi his children, he knows he ought to pay it his pare Now children and young people obferving, as t eafly may, that parents univerfally exact obedienc their childrens hands, may very well conclude that t fhould do fo too, whenever they come to be parents; that there muft certainly be good reafon in a practi which all the different nations in the world agree a center in. If they can imagine that all the world co not agree in any thing, that was not reasonable and j and yet agree in requiring children to obey their rents, they will quickly fee that it is just and reafon a for children to obey their parents; for the pare could not reasonably require it, if it were not reafon a the children fhould give it.