My dear children, lay this to heart. As soon as your little understanding can comprehend it, think of returning from the old rebellious man into the new man (Matt. 18:3); of the heavenly regeneration of water and of the Spirit (John 3:35); of the grace of God and improving the right time (2 Corinthians 6:1,2); of living peaceably with all men, if it be justly possible and lying in you (for the other half of peace lies with the other party); and also of holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord, or enter into Christ’s kingdom. Rom. 12:18; Hebrews 12:14.
This, my dear children, is my careful counsel and command to you, after my decease.
ARTICLE II.
The first foundation of virtue, or instruction concerning the beginning of wisdom in childhood.—Government of children.
Behold, my dear children, since you are still children in understanding, young in years, and little fitted for the knowledge of God, I now show you for the first, how you may attain to the foundation of virtue, and the beginning of wisdom, that is: Give good audience, and cry earnestly for wisdom, and ask for it; and gladly receive all good instruction from those who advise you for the best. For, behold, thus Sirach teaches: Keep only with such as fear God, whom thou knowest to keep God’s commandments, who are minded as thou art, who have compassion on thee, if thou stumble; and abide by their counsel (he says, abide by their counsel), for thou shalt find no more faithful counsel, and such an one can often see something better than seven watchmen that sit above in a high tower. Sir. 37:12. Again: The true beginning of wisdom is the desire of discipline. Wis. 6:17. And again: Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish. Prov. 12:1. Again: The ears that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. And he that refuseth correction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. 15:31,32. Moreover: He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth. 10:17. Again: A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool. 17:10. Behold, my dear children, open your ears, and receive instruction, and you shall become wise and honorable; if not, you must remain unwise, ungodly, worldly and in error, as follows here: Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction; but he that regardeth reproof shall be honored. 13:18.
Again: He that hateth to be reproved is already in the way of the ungodly. Sir. 21:6. Again: An ungodly man will not be reproved, but excuseth himself by the example of others in what he doeth. 32:17.
Behold, my dear children, what excellent instructions these are. Here you hear good counsel, how you can attain to virtue. And this you can do without many stripes of the rod, if you but attend to words, and fear your people in all they command you. Be very obedient to the people with whom you live, and beware of your innate evil nature, your wildness, your foolishness and childishness. Abandon that for which you are chastised; else you will have to be severely beaten without ceasing; for this belongs to foolish, froward and disobedient children, as follows here:
Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. Prov. 22:15. The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. 29:15. Again: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” 22:6. “Withhold not correction from the child; for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.” 23:13,14. Again: “Hast thou children? instruct them, and bow down their neck from their youth. Hast thou daughters? have a care of their body, and do not spoil them.” Sir. 7:23,24. “He that loveth his son causeth him oft to feel the rod, that he may have joy of him in the end. He that chastiseth his son, shall have joy in him, and shall rejoice in him among his acquaintance.” 30:1,2.
Behold, my children, this is what is said with regard to disobedient children. Thus must children be brought up by godfearing parents, the good with words, the evil with rods. Thus did Tobit with his son; thus was Susannah from her youth brought up in the fear of God; and to Abraham it was counted for righteousness that he should admonish his children to the fear of God after him. Sus. 2; Tob. 1:9; Gen. 18:19.
In short, this is the conclusion: Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord. And, ye parents, be not bitter against them, lest they become dull, shy, or discouraged. Col. 3:20,21; Eph. 6:1.