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lue and Worth, which lead them afterwards to entertain a Fondnefs for

are more expenfive and anities and Toys, that

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By this Time, fome little Dawning of Reafon begins to appear in the Child, Care is taken to inculcate the Principles of Anger and Malice, Refentment and Revenge, as the Child is inftructed to receive every little Contradiction, as an Injury or Affront, which he is to revenge, by giving the Nurse the Blow to execute on the Offender.

Next comes in Course to amufe the Child, a String of idle abfurd Sonnets and Ballads, which, as foon as its lifping Tongue is able to form Words, is taught to repeat.

The next Inftruction is, in a Catalogue of vain, amufing Stories, aRelation of Fairy Tales, Hiftories of Giants, Tom Thumbs,and fuch like Stuff,are the young and tender Brains and Capacities of Infants ftor'd with; as proper Rudiments to fit them for, and introduce more ingenious Lies and Romances.

The next Thing Children are early instructed in, is Rule and Authority, by teaching, and allowing them a Superiority over Servants.

A Servant tho' never fo judicious and capable of knowing what is fit and convenient for a Child, is nevertheless reftrained by many Parents from keeping Children in Subjection and Order, or croffing and disappointing their Will in any Circumftance; this manifeftly teaches the Child a Leffon of Self-will, which many never unlearn all their Lives after.

The next Cruelty we are guilty of to our Children, is Flattery (at the fame Time by Example or Precept teaching them many little and mean Artifices and equivocal Turns, unworthy a rational

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and generous, to fay nothing of a Chrif jan Mind) this is commonly practifed both by Parents and Servants, by whom Children are inftructed, adorn'd with all the Pomp and Vanity within the Parent's Reach, to fet an high Value and Estimation on themselves, on the Score of their fine Clothes, &c. or the Perfections of their Bodies, and at the fame time they are taught to defpife others, by perfwading them they are both finer and handfomer than fome others.

And now to finish and compleat a modern Education, it requires the following Accomplishments, viz. To be expert in Drefs and Dancing, Ombre or Gaming in general, to be able to make judicious Remarks on Opera Airs, and Stage Plays, and to repeat much of the Ribaldry and Prophanity they learn from thence, and reading Romances and other pernicious Books.

Add to all this, the Art of Vifiting, where after those present are much flatter'd and complimented; the Abfent, on the contrary, are as ungeneroufly dealt with, and feverely handled.

But with respect to the religious Education of Children, we do not find many Parents employ much of their Time in giving Children an Idea of the Supreme Being, fuitable to their Understanding; and as far as their little Capacities will admit, inftruct and inculcate the Principles of moral and Christian Duties. On the contrary, the Generality of Parents, seem to think they have fufficiently discharged their religious Duty, if they are careful their Children are taught to repeat the Duties the Catechifm contains; and in the fame Manner fay over a Set of Words, entitled, Prayers for Children; which they neither do nor can under

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ftand, at the Age they are taught them; and which I can't but confider as great Impiety and Irreverence in both Parents and School-miftreffes, when they teach Children to speak Words, they do not understand, to an Infinite Being; of which they, at the Time they are taught them, can have no competent Knowledge, fo as to enable them to addrefs him at all, much lefs in the Terms commonly put into their Mouths.

The Time I am confin'd to, would fail to enumerate every Inftance the Generality of Parents are culpable in, with Refpect to Injuries they inadvertently and inconfiderately do their Children, in their Infancy, &c. but I can't without a feeming Abfurdity, put them in Mind of the Juftice they owe their Children, when, with Concern, I obferve fo many fail in the Juftice they owe themselves, by the apparent Neglect of their own Souls. I defire them to permit me to recommend to each of their Serious Confiderations, the inestimable Worth and Value of your own immortal Souls, as well as thofe of your Children: For what is a Man profited, if he gain the whole World, and lofe bis own Soul? Or what fhall be give in Exchange for his Soul? No Man can give to God a Ranfom for it, feeing the Redemption is fo precious, that it ceafeth for ever, (Pfal. xlix. 7.) when once it is

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'Twould be an expreffible Happiness, where every one fenfible of this Truth; there would be then Hope that they would enter upon the great and neceffary Work our Lord recommends; that is, First that our own Tree be made good, and then the Fruit, it will neceffarily produce, will be good

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alfo: And when we find a Neceffity of doing Juftice to ourselves, in the great Duty and Care of our Souls, we fhall, I am certain, feel a very ftrong and fenfible Concern for the real Happiness of cur Offspring. Whether the Education I have been above defcribing, is agreeable to Christianity, I leave all Parents, in their ferious Moments to confider; and proceed with a Remark on the Time called Christmas; which being fo lately observed here, occafioned me to purfue a Reflection I have heretofore had at fuch Seafons. I fhall firft mention an Obfervation of Alexander Cruden, a Clergyman (if I mistake not) After he has given us a Catalogue of the Feftivals obferved by the Jews, he adds; "In the Chriftian Church, we "have no Festivals that appear to have been infti"tuted by Chrift or his Apoftles: Nevertheless "Christians have always celebrated the Memory " of Chrift's Refurrection, and kept this Feaft on every First-day of the Week; which was called "the Lord's-day, fo early as in St. John's Time: "I was (lays John) in the Spirit on the Lord's❝ day."

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However, I intend not here to enquire how, or when, this, or any other Feast, came to be introduc'd among Profeffors of Christianity; but only briefly to fay, Those who obferve Days and Times, fhould, as they profefs, obferve them to the Lord.

You have a pretty large Account (in Luke) how the Birth of the holy Child was usher'd in. There were (fays he) Shepherds abiding in the Fields of Judea, near unto the Town of Bethlehem ; watching their Flocks by Night. And lo the Angel of God came upon them, and the Glory of the Lord fhone

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-round them; and they were fore afraid: And the Angel faid unto them, Fear not, for behold I bring. you glad Tidings of great Joy which shall be to all ·People: For unto you this Day is born, in the City of David, a Saviour, which is called Chrift the Lord. And fuddenly there was with the Angel a Multitude of Heavenly Hofts, praifing God, and Jaying, Glory to God in the highest on Earth Peace, Good-will to Men! Then faid the Shepherds, let us now go to Bethlehem, and fee the Thing which is now come to pafs, and which the Lord hath made known unto us; and when they had feen the Child, they made known the Saying abroad, and they that beard, wondered at the Things that were told them by the Shepherds; who returned gloryfying and praifing God, for all the Things they had heard and Jeen, as it was told them by the Angel: And when eight Days were accomplished for the the circumcifing the Child, they called his Name Jefus, (a Saviour) which was fo named of the Angel before he was conceived in the Womb; for this Reafon, because he shall Jave his People from their Sins. Here are Gladtidings of great Joy to all People, exprefs'd with the greateft Solemnity: For behold fuddenly a great Multitude of heavenly Hofts appear'd with the Angel, prailing God for his Good-will to Men; by introducing the Means of Peace on Earth, as God is, in Chrift, reconciling the World unto himself; and blotting out the Hand-writing that was against them, nailing it to the Cross; and putting Mankind into a Capacity of Salvation.

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And next good old Simeon, who it appears, had been waiting for the Confolation of Ifrael, celebrated the Birth of Chrift on this wife, Lord, now

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