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Chap. I.]

THE DOMESTIC RELATIONS.

149

their estates, when they shall he called away from the stage oflife. In the order of nature, too, parents are to be laid in theirfinal resting-place by the hands of their children, and the keep-ing of the reputation they have left behind them, is to be com-mitted to their guardianship. Parents look to their children forvery much of their happiness in life, and as the chief source oftheir comfort in declining years. Moreover, children are thehope of the commonwealth, which looks to them for its futurecitizens ; and they are equally the hope of the church, whichsees in them its future defenders, pillars, and ornaments. On theother hand, children are indebted to their parents for their ex-istence, for nurturing and cherishing their infancy, and whereparental duties have been suitably performed, for their education,for giving them a right direction and settlement in life, and forbringing them forward advantageously on the stage of humanaffairs.

1. The chief duties of parents to their children which it isnecessary for me to notice are, then, education, in the most ex-tensive sense of that term, and including parental advice, — someaid in the settlement of them for life, — and the rightful and ju-dicious distribution by parents of their estates among their chil-dren at their death.

Education embraces many objects besides the mere knowl-edge of books, however necessary and valuable this knowledgemay be. Milton says, “ I call a complete and generous educa-tion, that which fits a man to perform justly, skilfully, and mag-nanimously, all the offices, both private and public, of peace andwar.”* Dr. Watts understands the suitable education of chil-dren to consist in “ the instruction of them in those things,which are necessary and useful for them in their rank and station,and that with regard to this world and the world to come.”fBut it may be well to be more particular.

Every man, whatever walk of life he may pursue, requires agood constitution of body ; and very much of the attention ofparents must be given, during a considerable number of the

* Letter to Master Samuel Hartlib on Education,t Improvement of the Mind, p. 306.

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