The true and faithful discharge of relative duties, is a very great honour and ornament to the doctrine of the gospel: without, which the talk of Godliness, and profession of religion, is vain; and therefore all Christians should labour to understand their relative duties, and be careful and conscionable in the discharge of them.

Of Parents.

1. TO pray with and for their Chil∣dren. Your Children have their natural blindness and corruption from you, and should not you pray for their good? G. 17. 18.

2. To teach them the holy Scrip∣ture, and that both by reading to them, and bringing them up in read∣ing; it was the special commenda∣tion of Lois and Eunice. 2 Tim. 1. 5. 3. 15.

3. To catechise their Children, Pro. 22. 6. traine up or catechise.

4. To inculcate spiritual instru∣ctions, not only to teach, but fre∣quently, diligently, Deut. 6, 6, 7. and 11. 9.

5. To deliver to their Children those memorable passages of pro∣vidence that have been in their days, or their fathers have told them, Josh. 4. 21, 22. Deut. 4. 9. Psa. 78. 4.

6. To have their Children to the solemn Worship of God. Parents must not suffer their Children to serve the Devil while they are ser∣ving the Lord. G. 35. 3.

7. To correct their Children. They must not only charge and com∣mand their Children, G. 18. 19. but correct them if they do not observe their Commands. Prov. 13. 24. and 22. 15. and 23. 14. Elies. in∣dulgence cost him dear, 1 Sam. 2. 31.

8. Not to exasperate their Chil∣dren; Parents shonld endeavour alway to evidence that what they do is out of love. Eph. 6. 4. Col. 3. 21. 'tis an exhortation to Parents not to be over harsh and sharp to∣ward their Children, that may give them occasion rather to hate, than love them.

9. To bring them up in honest calling's Adam, that was Lord of the whole world, and the father of all living, brought up his sons in honest Callings, one was a shepherd, the other an Husband-Man. G. 4. 2. Tit. 3. 14.

10. To guide their Children in their Matches, the glory of God; the credit of Religion, the good of Chil∣dren, and comfort of Parents them∣selves, are all concerned in it; great evils have come into the world by ill Matches, G. 6. 24. how careful Abraham was, G. 24. 3. what a strict charge, Deut 7. 3. the Father is to dispose of his daughter, 1 Cor. 7. 38.

11. To provide for their Chil∣dren, G. 30. 30. 1 Tim. 5. 8. 2 Cor. 12. 14.

12. To give them good examples; the Parents actions be copies for their Children, very prevalent. David resolved, Psal. 101. 2. Good counsel's vain, without good exam∣ples.