most excellent saying of our blessed Saviour. John, vii. 1, 2. "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or man." God never denied himself to him that sought him by prayer and holiness of life. And when you have thus happily found this divine truth, embrace it sincerely, and follow it constantly, and be sure to give it honour by your conversation.

LOYALTY.

Next to the fear of God, the Apostle commands honour to the King, which if it be not the sum of the second table, as the other is of the first, it cannot be denied to be the principal and main pillar thereof. And let me tell thee, if thou dost honour thy father and thy mother, thou canst neither be rebel nor schismatic, disloyal to the sovereign power, or disobedient to the church.

DUTY TO PARENTS.

As for your duty to me, I doubt not but it will grow up with your understanding; and when you know how nice and curious my care hath been over your education, even to the least circumstance, my prying into your inclination, observing the bent of your soul, her very first putting forth, heightening the good, and checking the ill, placing guards upon your senses and

conversation, not only pointing out the way to virtue, by putting your feet into it, and teaching you to tread it; (I speak not of fashioning or adorning your body, for I would not have you to measure my love and care by gay clothes, noble diet, and recreation, though you enjoyed these in some measure,) when you come to know and judge of this, I have reason to expect, and therefore may boldly challenge, that if you were to choose a father, you would seek me out. Should you now so behave yourself, that as if I were to choose a son, to adopt a gentleman into my family to inherit my name and fortunes, you only 1 should pitch upon; besides the joy of beholding it, I should have a requital even to my wish. Nor were it possible for you to die in my debt, for your education, if you observe this with like care to bring up your children also, (if it shall please God to give you that blessing;) and because I have an ambition to oblige posterity, I do here charge this duty upon you, that you also lay the like charge upon yours, and they on their children successively. For ingenuous manners first made us noble, marked out and advanced our family first to honour; with equal reason and more facility, will such manners preserve us noble, which is most certainly ef fected by education, otherwise the estate I leave you will be but as rich trappings upon an ass,

and render you more ridiculous: wherefore, whatsoever you leave your heirs, (and now I speak to your posterity in you,) be sure to give them a learned and liberal education; there being, in my judgment, no other way to secure you from falling from honour, and the despite of fortune. This which I have said concerning your duty to me, is also applicable to the memory of your excellent mother, for a personal observance you cannot pay her. I most strictly charge you, often to call to mind, that you and your brother have entered into a solemn engagement unto me, under your hands, to imitate the honours and excellencies of that dear saint, the best of wives, the best of mothers and friends. Be religious in the performance of it, as you expect my blessing. Remember, Frank, she had more pangs in your bringing up, than bringing forth, and she hath been an excellent nurse to your mind, regarding more the health and straitness of that, than of your body, though this were cared for with the greatest tenderness imaginable. The truth is, you owe her so much that you cannot clear your obligation by any other way; nothing can discharge you, and acquit you to her also, but by being such to yours, as she has been to you, and thus her memory is honoured, and I profess myself satisfied.

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AFFECTION TO BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

As for your carriage towards your brothers and sisters, I must needs say, that your natural kindness towards them now, gives me great hopes that you will be a loving brother hereafter. And be so, Frank, as you expect the blessing of God, and my favour. Besides, your interest will require this from you, because a numerous, wealthy, and ancient family, entire, and agreeing within itself with all its dependants and relatives, cannot easily be wronged in such a country as this. I know very well how little it can suffer, and how much it can do; but then it must be, as I said, entire. The dying father's bundle of arrows in the fable, has an excellent moral, to show, how invincible love and union are. And that you may rightly understand me, this love of yours to them, must not only be in affectionate words, kind entertainment, and the like, but in a hearty real performance of all good offices that may tend to the advantage of their estates and reputation; study to do them good, and stay not for opportunities offered, snatch them rather and prevent their wishes. This is a noble way of obliging, and by this means you may make them your friends, a dearer name by far than that of brother or sister, and which, perhaps, may be repaid to yours, though yourself

may not need the return; for I must tell you,

kind offices have been remembered when the bestower has been rotten. And a grandchild hath been thanked, sometimes relieved, for the grandfather's kindness: insomuch as the courtesy to your brother may prove a charity to your child, think seriously of this, and remember it. But that I may be thoroughly understood in this advice, your love doth not end here, and I am not fully obeyed if you only love them in that manner as I have expressed: you must endeavour that they love one another also; to this end, be sure to put out the fire of discontent,

if any appear, or but the smoke thereof, presently, so soon as it doth appear, and be careful to put it quite out, for smothered discontents break out afterwards with more violence. And herein, after my decease, you are to show the authority of a father, as well as the love of a brother to your family; for which purpose, you ought to enable yourself with those abilities of understanding and judgment, that you may be a person fit to be sought unto, and to be relied upon. This will give you authority, and upon a presumption, these both sides will be inclined to rest and settle, being confident that your equal affection will not suffer you to deceive them, nor your sound reason to be deceived yourself.