The Family Instructor

abroad: then I resolved to tell my mind to my children, who, I expected, would not give me the trouble of commanding or using the authority of a father or governor with them; but that I might with reason and argument persuade, and with affection and tenderness invite them to a thing which must necessarily so far convince their consciences as to leave them no room to question but it was infinitely for their advantage, and for their general good, both soul and body.

Son. I knew nothing of this, sir.

Fath. Well, that's true; but, as I said, you might have known it before, if you had patience, or had thought fit to have given me time to speak to you.

Son. Nay, 1 do not understand it, now I do know it.

Fath. Your ignorance shall serve you but a short while. You can easily understand this part of it, that, without troubling you with any more of the reasons of it, I will have none that are under my roof, children or servants, stir out of my doors on the Sabbath-day after church is done. . Son. You will take it ill, perhaps, if your children should ask you the reason why they must be so confined; and your children will not fail to think it hard to be confined so, and not know the reason of it.

Fath. I might with much more justice insist upon my undoubted right to govern my own family, without giving an account to my children of what I do; also in a case so plain as this, methinks, they need not seek for a reason for such an order; but since they pretend ignorance, let them read the commands of God to keep holy the Sabbathday.

Son. Those commands were as strong before as they are now, and yet we never were thus confined before.

- Fath. The worst of that is mine, son; and all that can be said for answer to that, is, that before I was to blame, and neglected my duty. Now I resolve, God willing, to do any duty, and neglect it no longer; and, if it be otherwise, they that are guilty shall be to blame, not I.

Son. Every body may do their own duty for themselves. Fath. But it is my unquestioned duty, to make all that are under my command do their duty.

Son. I do not desire to be confined.

Fath. My desire, or my design, was not to confine you, but to persuade you to confine yourself by the rules of your Christian duty; but you have pushed it farther than I expected; and, if you will not do it yourself, I must do it for you.

Son. I hate to be confined, or to confine myself.

Fath. That makes it more my duty to confine you; and since I think your business is to obey, and not to dispute, I desire no more of your arguments, but expect to see my orders observed, since I know they are founded upon both religion and reason.

Son. You may oblige us to stay within, but you cannot oblige us to be willing.

Fath. Then I must be content with as much of your obedience as I can get.

Son. And I hope will expect it no longer than while we cannot help it.

Fath. But I will take care that you shall not help it while you call me father, for I will not bear the title without the authority.

Son. Liberty is a native right: the brutes seek it; not a bird will be in a cage, if it can be free.

Fath. Liberty to do evil is an abandoned slavery, the worst of bondage; and confinement from doing evil, is the only true liberty. But to cut this discourse short, I can give liberty no longer to any under my roof to break God's commands, or profane his Sabbath; it is not in my power. If you will not submit to my government, you must quit my dominions. And as I foresee you will be forward enough to carry it high, you are mistaken if you think I shall wait to be told by you, that you will go abroad, or that you will not stay in the family; for, unless you will submit to regulate your life after a different manner than

you have done, and to receive advice from your father for your conduct, (flatter not yourself with your father's affection;-I'll love none that hate God, nor shelter none of his rebels) my doors shall be open to let you out when you please.

Son. I care not how soon.

Fath. That's what I expected from you. My answer shall be very plain. You shall be at liberty to go this hour, son, before the next; but take this with you, whenever you go, that if ever you set your foot without the door on this account, you'll never get leave to set your foot within it again, but upon your knees with the humblest repentance and submission both to God and your father; for I am not in jest with you.

Note.-No wise father ought to suffer himself to be threatened by his children with going away from him; but rather to make their being thrust from their parents the greatest punishment they have to fear.

[The father goes out of the room, but returns again inmediately.]

Fath. I did not expect this treatment at your hands,

son.

Son. I do not know what you would have me do.

Fath. What I would have you do, is very plain, and is nothing but what your duty to God requires, viz. to submit to the regulations and orders which I shall give in my family for the worship of God, and for regulating our mos rals and our way of living; and especially for restoring a general face of religion and virtue upon our conversation, that we may, according to the scripture," live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present evil world;" and not be eminent, in the place we live in, for the loosest and most profligate family in the whole neighbourhood.

Son. I think we are religious enough. What should we do more than we do?

Fath. I think my first work is to let you know what you should not do; for if this cannot be obtained, viz. to refrain

Son. Every body may do their own duty for themselves. Fath. But it is my unquestioned duty, to make all that are under my command do their duty.

Son. I do not desire to be confined.

Fath. My desire, or my design, was not to confine you, but to persuade you to confine yourself by the rules of your Christian duty; but you have pushed it farther than I expected; and, if you will not do it yourself, I must do it for

you.