THE Relation you stand in to an honourable Family lays you under proportionable Obligations to exert yourself, in the best Methods, to train them up, not only in the Knowledge of sound Doctrine according to the Gospel of CHRIST, but in virtuous Practices; and carefully to detect Vice and restrain them from all Tendencies thereto. For not only the future Credit and Prosperity of your Children in this World and their eternal Welfare in the next may be connected with such a good Education; but also the Welfare of many other young Persons may greatly depend upon it. For you can't but be sensible that young People of lower Rank and Condition are much inclin'd to follow the Example of those whom they look upon above them; especially, that they will improve the bad Example of Superiours as an Argument to gratify their own corrupt Inclinations when their concern'd Parents lay them under any Restraints.—Therefore, (since your Name is kept a Secret) you cannot reasonably take it ill, but must think that I act a faithful and friendly Part, in advartizing you, from the Press, of some unhappy Things prevailing in your Family, especially considering I have no other Way to do it with so much Advantage, nor with so much Honour to you and myself.

Perhaps you are not appriz'd of it, but I can assure you, upon moral Evidence, that several of your Children have imbib'd, and, as they have had Opportunity, have vented and spread abroad diverse corrupt Opinions of dangerous Tendency, and some of them subversive of the whole Christian Religion as it is open'd in the Gospel, and Epistles.—But since I know you have oblig'd your self to teach them a Form of sound Words, and hope you are warning and guarding them against such Corruptions, I may be excused, at present, from descending into Particulars upon this Head.

But there are some Practices, in which several of your House allow themselves, that must not be pass'd over in Silence; particularly wastful Gaming and Card-playing, if not other Games wherein there is Lottery.

You can't, Sir, be insensible that you are under Covenant Engagement to use your utmost Endeavours to Convince your Children and Family of the Evil and Danger of such Practices, and, if possible, to restrain them, provided you view them in the same Light that I do.

By wastful Gaming, I don't intend those Games that are in themselves sinful, but such as are too often attended with a Waste of precious Time, which might be employ'd to much better Purpose, or which are accompanied with sotish Drinking if not some other Vices,—Now, tho' GOD allows us and we shou'd allow our Families the sober Use of the Delights of Sense and proper Recreations, yet if we give them such Allowances as to gratify their Solicitude of these Things as their best Pleasure, we virtually allow them to be Time-Wasters, if not to become Intemperate and to gratify other Lusts which are often the Concomitants of them.—Therefore, Sir, is it not more than Time to have the Practice reform'd? Is it not expedient for Parents to bring the Diversions of Children more under their Eye and see what accompanies them. For, beside the Guilt and Ruin that wastful Gaming brings upon Souls, 'tis the ready Way to undo a promising Child in his temporal Interests. The wise King of Israel assures us, he that loveth Pleasure, shall be a poorMan. And we have often seen this Proverb verefied; and who can think but that it will be respecting our Children if they agree to the Description? For their Pleasures must be maintain'd at the Expence of their Time, and often, perhaps, at the Expence of Money too. By this Means, many young Persons that have good natural Endowments and might have acquir'd a good Stock of useful Knowledge, and have been wealthy and publick Blessings in their Day, come to Poverty and Shame.

But beside such wastful Gaming, there is playing at Cards, if no other Games wherein there is Lottery, that has been practiced by some of your Family, the Evil and Danger of which is still greater than in the forementioned Diversions. For the Temptation to waste precious Time, venture Wagers, spend Money or indulge some other Lust is greater; and that because it is a Lot: for considering the Event is Contingent, the Looser, in some proceeding Games, hopes his good Fortune will turn the Card in his Favour if he makes another Trial, and therefore is tempted himself and is ready to tempt his Companions to try another Game, and so on from one to another, & visa versa. But this is not all; for the Evil and Danger of such Gaming is greater as it is sinful in it self, and that because there is Lottery in it. You know, Sir, that our best Divines who have wrote upon the Subject have esteem'd it a plain Breach of the same Command with the Sin of common Swearing; and their Opinion is founded upon solid Rea • on.—If you ask how it appears? The Answer is easy in a few Words: is swearing an Appeal to the GOD of Heaven and Earth, touching the Truth of what we affirm, promise or deny? So casting a Lot is a solemn Appeal or Reference to the GOD of Heaven and Earth touching the Issue of a contingent Event. Do common Swearers profane and villify an Act of divine Worship, when, without due Respect had to the Subject, without awful Reverence of his Majesty as GOD the Searcher of Hearts, without any serious Regard to such an Act of Religion, they dare, upon a slight Occasion, make use of his great and sacred Name? So casting a Lot is an awful profaning and villifying an Act of divine Worship, when without due Respect had to the Subject, without awful Reverence to the glorious Majesty of GOD, without proper Regard to such a solemn Act of Religion, Men do, upon a slight Occasion, refer the Event of a Contingency to 〈◊〉 Providence of GOD, as in playing at Cards, 〈◊〉 other Games of Lottery they do.— 'Tis rea 〈◊〉 y granted that taking an Oath is sometimes necessary to put an End to Strife or decide a Controversy; but in small Matters and upon slight Occasions for Men to call upon GOD to Witness the Truth of what they affirm, is a profane and abusive Treatment of his venerable Name: it argues that they have a mean and low Opinion of him, when they make him Judge in Matters of no Importance, or when they do this in a light and trifling Manner. So casting a Lot is sometime, necessary for the Decision of a Controversy and other important Concerns in the Church or State; and GOD approves of it, if it be done in a right Manner, with a sacred regard to His venerable Name and His all-disposing Providence; but in small Matters and upon slight Occasions to refer a Contingent Event to the Providence of GOD, is a profane Abuse of His Majesty; it argues that Persons have a m ••• and low Opinion of GOD and of His governing Hand in Contingencies, when they make such References in Affairs of little or no Importance.

And besides, please to consider the Consequences of a Family, so distinguish'd as yours is, being indulg'd in such sort of Games. Some of the weaker People are ready to think, when they see or hear of a Family of Character, deal so irreverently with their Maker, that there is no GOD; at least, that he does not concern himself with Affairs below, and that reveal'd Religion is a mere Pretence. Hence, our holy Religion is evil spoken of and even hiss'd at by Infidels.

Neither is this all; but the Practice opens a wide Door to many other Vices; such as profane Swearing, intemperate Drinking, Quarrelling and at last to decide the Controversy with Sword and Pistol. And these Things have been in Fact the dreadful Consequences of playing at Cards. In a Word, Sir, if the Devil were to teach our Children how to wear out or stupify natural Conscience, and keep off all Sense of GOD, Religion and Futurity, and how they might arrive to Impudence in Sinning, I think, he could not well take a more effectual Step towards it, than by encouraging them in those Sports that treat the Name or Providence of GOD irreverently, and refering themselves to GOD upon the most trifling Occasions; for when our Children are brought on thus far, he need not much fear their scrupling any Thing else. And if such Practices are wink'd at in your Family, we may justly fear our Colleges will soon be infected, in as much as the Youth, that are sent there for an Education, are very apt to copy after Families of Distinction. And if this should be the awful Case, we may expect to have the Practice common through the Country; nay, the Pulpits will not be long clear of this Evil, as some of the Episcopalians have got into it already. Hence, many sober, and conscientious Parents will not dare to give their hopeful Children a College Education, till at length, those Houses will be next to bare Walls, unless they are filled with the most profligate and vain, who wou'd be more properly disposed of in another Place.

Suffer me, Sir, to conclude by saying, that GOD is now testifying his righteous Displeasure against us, in expensive Wars and tremendous Earthquakes. Both these Dispensations call you and me to make a Pause, and consider what GOD expects of us, in a way of Means, to effect a Reformation in our own Houses and among others. And while we have a Respite given us, from threatned Vengeance, may our Souls be awakned to Duty; and no more allow those Things in ourselves or our Families that tend to bring down Sin-revenging Justice upon a guilty Land.