and if thou wouldest that thy labours and the labours of thy Children and Servants should prosper the day following then doe you ioyne together in Prayer vnto Almighty God for it for so it must be for where 2. or 3. be gathered together in his name hee hath promised not Mat. 18. onely to be amongst them but also to grant their requests hee will make thee plentious in euery worke of thy hand in the fruit of thy body thy Children shall Deut. 30. prosper also and in the fruit of thy land for thy wealth what wouldest thou more desire and it must not be done now then when thou lystest but it must dayly bee done for this is that morning and euening sacrifice which we must dayly offer vnto the eares of Almighty God euen our humble harts by the caulnes of our lipes And seeing thou art commanded Parents ought to take their children to Church with them and examine them how they spend their time there to teach thy Children at all times both sitting at home and going abroad see that thou neglect not to take them to the Church daily with thee to heare the word of God and withall that they spend not their time there idlely nor vnprofitablely but by a due examinatiō of them whē they come home or as thou walkest abroad with them know how they haue profited that so God may bee glorified in the worke your selues better instructed and your dutyes discharged And now that we haue proued that there is a duty belonging vnto Parents and that they see their charge for the performāce thereof it will not bee greatly amisse if wee see how this charge is by them performed but the consideration of these thinges maketh mee euen with griefe to Nothing more deare then time and yet see how these times abuse it lament to see how negligently idely and lewdly most men doe spend their time in these dayes that time then which nothing is more deere and precious nothing more slippery to hold nor nothing more vnrecouerable being past and for which they shall giue account this time I say which they spend in idlenesse Dicing Carding and Bowling in drunkenes whoring wherby they consume both themselues the estate both of their wiues and children for whereas God hath giuen them sixe dayes for themselues to labour in and hath reserued but one to be sāctified to his owne vse all these be too little for many of them to spend in these wicked exercises aforenamed and therefore they will lengthen out the time with the night two but not an hower to serue God in of all this time Oh wicked man how darest thou thus abuse the great patience of the good God in thus consuming thy time and robbing thy children of their patrimony by wasting those thinges whereof thou art but a steward and for which thou must be accountable vnto him But here me thinkes one doth obiect against me and sayth I am too bold in my reproofes and am in an error for though sayth he I doe spend yet I spend but mine owne not my childrens But I tell thee thou art in an error thy selfe in doing thus for what I haue spoken I can will approue to bee true by the word of God it selfe in his due place where I shall haue more occasion to speake of this matter then here What good instructions can those men giue vnto their Childrē which doe dayly runne into all wickednesse themselues I haue but what good instructions thinke you can these men giue vnto their Children which doe themselues dayly runne so dangerously euen with greedinesse vnto their owne destructions for if sault haue lost his sauour wherewith shall it bee salted Mat. 5. and such as the tree is such will be the fruit if you bee rude Mat. 7. and vnciuell like the horse and Mule which haue no vnderstanding what knowledge can your children haue then yet it cannot be denied but that the world is too full of such The wise man forbiddeth fathers to play with their children Eccle. 30. least they bring them to heauidesse but now adaies parents wil not onely play with their children but run dayly from play to play thinking it to be a good excercise for them to bring them to see stage playes interludes thus corrupting their young yeares with vices and making themselues actors in the diuells Comody Solomon forbiddeth parents to bring vp their childrē delicately yet you possesse thē Parets ought not to possesse their children with pride with so much pride in the time of their youth that many times it is the overthrow both of them and your selues yea and your selues would after redresse it and cannot Oh that you that be parents of children would be more circumspect herein and wise in your owne conversation that you might be lanthornes of light and not of darkenesse vnto them for your selues are the cause of Parents the cause of the euills that are in children all these euills which wee dayly see in youth your euill example it is which dayly corrupteth your children and you your selues will pay a deere price for it if you amend it not Is not this a miserable case that Parents should thus neglect so great a duty as this which conserneth both the good of themselues and Children little doe these men regard that the soules of their Children are in their charge aswell as their bodies yet Moses doth not record of Iacob Gen. 46. that he brought so many persons Both Parents and governors of Families are charged with the soules aswell as the bodies of those of whom they haue the governement into Egypt meaning their number but he sayth he brought so many soules thither reckoning them by their better part as of that which wee should haue most care of but what care haue those Parents of their Childrens soules which are thus carelesse of their owne and yet the very heathē Philosophers can tell vs that though what manner of children shall bee borne vnto a man lieth not in his power yet by right bringing them vp that they may proue good lyeth in our power therefore be you wise in looking to your owne waies The 13. Chapter THe wise man would haue Parents to bee better instructed to the end they may better governe their Children and to that end hee plainely setteth downe by what instructions dissipline it must be done for he telleth you that an euill nurtered sonne is the dishonor Eccle. 22. of his Father therefore would haue you bee carefull in gouerning them in the time of their youth not giuing them any liberty nor wincking at their follies he sayth That he that loueth his sonne causeth him often to feele the rod that he may haue ioy of him in the end hee that chastiseth his sonne shall haue ioy of him and shall reioyce of him among his acquaintance Eccle. 30. And hee
Amen The duty of Parents The Eleauenth Chapter THis duty of Parents The duty of Parents I haue deuided into two partâ— I haue deuided into two maine or principall poynts the one the education and gouerning of Children in the time of their youth and the other what Parents ought to doe vnto their Children when they are come to bee of a more riper age And for the first for the bringing vp of Children in the time of their youth it will be thought The first the bringing vp of Children in the time of their youth to bee but to small purpose to spend my time in such a busines and that I had more need to wright of the other then of this considering that we see dayly in this our age with griefe that wheÌ„ many Parents haue brought The second what they ought to doe wben they be of riper age vp their Children a long time with great care costs and charges and hoping that then they shall bee euen past the worst and so they to receiue some comfâ—â— by them for their long care and paynes taking with them to say plainely and truly of them 〈◊〉 many of them are then euen past the best so that if counsaile in this case may bee had it might seeme very well giuen and the paines taken in such a case well bestowed But for gouerning and bringing vp of them in their Childhood or yonger yeares it may be obiected as I sayd before to bee a needlesse thing considering that nature it selfe doth teach the very bruit beasts to nourish cherish and comfort their young and therefore men and women whom God hath endued with so many excellent gifts as knowledge vnderstanding wisedome and the rest farre aboue all the rest of his creatures besides cannot erre in this poynt of duty And againe another reason may be alleaged that there hath been so much and so long teaching to this effect that men and women in these our dayes for the most part of them haue been instructed in these things themselues euen from their youthes and every priuate mans house is furnished with Bibles Bookes to this effect so that euery man may bee his owne Schoolemaster herein will it be thought then that Parents cannot instruct their Children in these things â— surely no. Indeed I doe confesse this in What a great blessing wee inioy more then our forefathers did through the plenteous and publique teaching of the Gospel wherby we learne both how to gouerne our selues and others some sort to bee true and blesse the Lord for this his worke yeâ— be he for euer blessed for this his great mercy towards vs for that we liue in such and so happie a time wherin the word of God is so plentiful and openly taught vs euery man that wil may enioy the same at home with him to the comfort of him and his Our Fathers had not this priueledge they might mumble on their beades but not matter on their Bibles on payne of cursings but if they did they fryed for it and therefore blessed are your eyes in that they see and your eares in that they heare happy are you in whose harts these things are sowne which carefully and zealously bring forth fruit hereby to the glory of God the discharge of your owne duties herein of which number I doubt not but that God hath plenty amongst vs which doe carefully labour in the discharge of these things as well as hee had in the dayes of Eliah Seauen Thousand more 1. King 19. then hee knew of that neuer honoured Ball. But giue mee leaue a little I pray you and I will but entreate you to take a view as in a glasse of the abuses both of the Parents and the Children of our time and you shall see with griefe many that doe it not and too may that know not whether they haue a duty to performe herein or no and too many that know it and neuer regard to practise it for see we not that the Lapwing is not more forward in going before she can cast off her shell then the Impes of our time are in speaking euill before they can well speake I speake not of speaking well but of speaking Children forward to speak euill before they can scarce speake plaine for doth not the child call his owne mother drab and queane and his father foole and knaue and such like and yet the foolish Parents reioyce to heare them chat thus nay I would they did not teach them such things themselues but hereof it commeth as a iust plague for their follies that before they can well goe from their hands they heare them curse them to their face Nay looke wee further and see we not many that wheâ— they haue but learned to speake and goe they straight fall to pilfering and stealing and yet euen these things are wincked at yea defended too many leand parents for their proffits sake as they thinke as if the every were good husbandry but looke yet farther vnto them which bee of more yeares that one would thinke should haue some knowledge of God of his lawes do we not dayly heare theÌ„ as we passe almost in euery place blaspheming the holy name of God with great oathes and singing of most lewd and filthy songs full of most odious speeches to the The leaudnes of Children is the ill guiding of the Parents griefe of any good heart or chast care doth not this shew the bad and negligent guiding and gouerning them in the prime of their youth yes surely this is the very cause hereof therefore if writing or speaking will or may doe any good in this case here is cause both to wrighâ— and speake too it is high time to doe it These thinges when I had with griefe considered I could not keepe my penne from wrighting for euen for Sions sake I will not hold my tongue for Esay 62. Ierusalems sake I will not rest Moses the great Prophet and chosen servant of God being Parents ought to teach their children the lawes of God directed froÌ„ the mouth of God himselfe how to teach and instruct his people whom hee had chosen the Children of Israelâ— among other principalles of their duty this is one chiefe Deu. 11. thing wherin he often instructed Deu. 31. them that they should teach their ChildreÌ„ the lawes of God see here then thy duty what or whomsoeuer thou bee if thou be a father thou art commanded to teach thy Children and t 〈…〉 must teach theÌ„ the lawes of God Deut. â— for this was not spoken to the Priests or to the elders or the rulers Deu. 6. of the people onely but vnto al the people in generall both high and low rich and poore aswell the meanest as the greatest No man exempted from doing this but all must doe it aswell the vnlearned as the learned for none are here exempted euery man
he cast thee vnder the power authority of them to obey and serue them in his stead and to that end hath giuen thee a speciall Commandement euen from his owne mouth that thou shalt Honous thy Father and thy Mother Exod 20. Leui. 19. which is not onely vnderstood in the outward ceremoniall actions as putting off the hatt or bowing the knee but thou must The duties which good children ought to performe vnto their Parents also loue them with all thy hart feare and dread them and waite on their Commandements and seeke their worship wil and profit in all things and as it were to giue euen thy life for the contenting of them counting them worthy of all honour which thou maist procure vnto them remembring that thou art their good and possession that thou owest vnto them euen thy owne selfe all that thou art able to doe yea and more then thou art able to doe Vnderstand also that whatsoeuer thou dost vnto them bee it A good note for children to regard good or euill thou dost it euen vnto God and when thou dost displease them thou displeasest God and when they are angry with thee in aÌ„y good cause God is angry with thee neither is it possible for thee to come into the fauour of God againe no though all the Angels of heauen should pray for thee vntill thou haue submitted thy selfe vnto thy Father and Mother againe and therefore thou must be very wary and circumspect to performe this thy obedience vnto thy father with the true zeale of thy hart thou must not onely bee obedient for feare of their displeasure correction or punishment neither must thou obey them for hope of reward or some benefit which thou doest expect from them this hypocritical obedience is not that which How farre the duty of children extendeth God commandeth thee to performe and to which hee hath gieuen a blessing no I tell thee God will iudge and punish thee if thou dost not performe this obedience vnto them euen with the sinceritie of their heart and in vprightnesse of conscience for he beholdeth the heart and according to the vprightnesse of it God doth iudge For he is that powerfull God that created the heauen and the earth of nothing and that of Gen. 1. the dust of the earth hath made thee onely to serue and obey him and hee it is that commandeth thee to this obedience that thou honour thy father and thy A principall note to be obserued in God thus placing this Comman dement mother and note how hee hath placed this Commandement for it is worthy thy obseruation God hauing giuen vnto man but Ten Commandements and but foure of them concerning the duty of man vnto him the other Sixe concerning the duty of man vnto man and yet as the most principall of them all hee hath put this formest of the Sixe Thou shalt honour thy Father and thy Mother and well knew hee that placed that formest in the rancke that that was the right place for it that he that would not obey reuerence and honour his owne Parents would likewise neglect and forget his duty vnto other men and therefore as an introduction instruction to that which followeth hee doth begin with this Honour thy father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee and see the great mercy of our God which to the performers of this his Commandement vnto which we are by duty double bound to performe he is pleased to giue a blessing And as hee commandeth it Luke 2. there so likewise in many other places he doth the like the Prophets and Apostles do likewise teach the same and therefore if you will be childreÌ„ of God your heauenly Father and liue vnder the obedience of his command without which you cannot but perish euerlastingly you must performe this his will and command in this that you honour obâ—y your Parents yea ye shall Leu. 19. euery man feare his Father and Mother saith God consider in what manner you ought to performe this you shall stand in awfull dread of your Parents not of the rod or of their correction onely as I said no no such servile feare but considering their deare and naturall loue towards thee how tenderly carefully louingly they haue nourished thee euen from thy birth still do seeke thy good by all meanes possible In respect of this their great loue vnto thee which thou Worthy notes for Children to regard didst neuer deserue nor neuer canst satisfie thou oughtest likewise in thy loue to them againe to be euen so iealous of thy selfe that thou shouldest feare least in any thing thou doest thou shouldest offend such louing Parents this is that feare which thou oughtest to performe vnto them and which God requireth of thee The 19. Chapter ANd seeing wee are now entred into this duty of Children which God by his diuine wisdome hath compiled in these few words Honour thy Father and thy Mother and yet in them hath included the whole summe of all duties which ought to be performed vnto them which though I haue begun to touch in the former Chapter yet for that I am to speake vnto Children it shall not be amisse if I doe somewhat inlarge this matter for as I sayd before it is not to be vnderstood to be onely in the putting off the cap or â—owing the knee and yet these things must bee done because by these outward thinges thou dost seeme to giue honour vnto them Thou must not as too many The reverence which children ought to performâ— vnto their Parents and how to honour them proud youthes do in these daies stand in the presence of thy father mother with thy heâ—d couered yea and that amongst strangers and talke vnto them as boldly saucily as it were vnto their fellowes or equales is this the honouring thy Father thy Mother nay this is to dishonour them for in their presence thou oughtest not to stand but with great reuerence if they bee in any company thy regard should bee more in performing of this duty in giuing vnto them the more honour and because thou canst not better performe thy honour vnto them then by obeying them nor greater dishonour them then by being disobedient vnto them though I haue touched it before where I sayd thou owest vnto them euen all thy whole endeauours whatsoeuer thou canst doe therefore thou must bee ready and willing at all times in all places to performe their lawfull commandements at their becke and word to run goe and to show all good obedience vnto them that may bee Thou must not bee like that Mat. 2â— disobedient sonne whom his father â—ad to goe worke in his vineyard and hee answered hee would but did not neither must thou answer as the other did who said hee would not yet afterward went For thou must
children vnto their Parents her virginity yet at the prefixed time shee willingly came and offered her selfe vnto the hands of her father to performe his vow with her Solomon also when his mother came to speake with him so 1. King 2. soone as he saw her hee left his kingly seat and caine to meete her and reuerently bowed himselfe vnto her and caused her to bee placed on his right hand as he sate on the throne of his kingdome many such examples there bee besides these as Tâ—bâ—â— and others all teaching this duty Tob. 14. vnto children And as God hath commanded it thus to be done see how highly hee liketh of those which doe performe it the stone of the 〈…〉 bites doth plainely Ier. 35. shew where the Prophet Ieremiah from the mouth of God himselfe pronounceth these wore's vnto them T 〈…〉 Lord of hoasts the God of 〈…〉 cause you obeyed the 〈…〉 of Ionadaâ— your Father 〈…〉 How God blesseth those childreÌ„ which obey their Parents kept all his preâ—â—pts 〈…〉 〈…〉 ding vnto all that hee hath commanded you therefore thus sayth the Lord of heastâ— the God of Israel Ionadab the son of Rechaâ— shall not want a man to stand before mâ—â— for euer what neede I now â—o cite more places of Scripture to this end our Sauiour Christ himselfe Luk. 2. became a patterne vnto you in this poynt for hee became obedient vnto his earthly Parents If these things will not suffice then wil noâ—e The 21. Chapter BVt I must ye proceede a little further in this poynâ— of obedience fâ—â— there bee many which when they are come to some yeares as they thinke of discretion that then will bee no longer vnder the obedience of their Parents but to dispose of themselues at their owne pleasure nay I would to Goâ— that some of them did not thâ—â— oppose themselues against their Parents well they finde thâ— word of God doth teach them otherwise for thou must not then so dispose of thy selfe canst thou bee content to giue them leaue to nourish cherish and to maintayne thee both in sicknesse and health all the time of thy youth and wilt thou now â—e like a wilde and vnruly colt that casts off his bridle and shewes his master his foure shooes If thou didst want the vse of thy limbes or thy sight or the vse of thy speech thou cast then bee content to bee gouerned by them euen vntill thy olde age or dying day and wilt thou enioying these and all other blessings from Almighty God euen to the full when thou comest to those yeares wherein thy wisedome Children should take regard of the experimented wise counsailes of their aged Parents should shew it selfe like a flourishing oliue tree yeelding obedience and honour vnto thy Parents thereby comforting ioying their aged yeares then theâ— I say to cast them off yea that good also which might come to thee by that wise prudeÌ„t counsaile which they by long experience haue gained might to thee sure proue an anchor hold of exceeding much good And this I speake also in reproofe Children ought to be ruled by their Parents in case of their marriage yea to the reproach of those giddy headded wantons of our time which will not giue their Parents leaue to make their choyse of marriage for them nor bee ruled by them in their choyse whereupon as a iust plague vnto them it often commeth to passe that not hauing their Parents goodwill in their choyse they not onely lose that which is an vnualuable losse I meane the blessing of their Parents which though children regard not in these dayes yet in times past it was of such reuerent regard among Gods children that their fathers blessing was vnto them as precious as their What an account good children made in times past of the blessing of their Parents granfathers inheritance whereby thorough want of the fathers loue this blessing a iust plague and punishment from God for so high an offence it is commonly seene beggery followeth I speake not this vnadvisedly as of supposition for God is witnesse with me that I speake the truth I haue seene it with mine eyes to my griefe of heart Oh sinne of disobedience euen in the highest degree of nature when a sonne or daughter shall presume in priuate to take vnto themselues the estate of mariage without the consent of Parents ought not the father to know yea and to make choyse what flesh should be ioyned vnto his owne and what fruit should be grafted into his owne stocke and to see that it should bee for the good and honor thereof yes surely and those which be good and gracious Children will giue their Parents the preheminence thereof and also bee ruled by them in these things but there be some which can bee content to bee ruled by their Parents in case of marriage for the benefit of their helpe which may arise thereby but they are not willing to stay the time which their Parents shall thinke fit for them But this did not Isacke for hee Gen. 25. would not presume to make any Good childreÌ„ haue alwaies had regard to leaue the choyse of their marriage to thire Parents choyse but stayd his Fathers pleasure although it were till he was Forty yeares of age And Iacob wheÌ„ his father did appoint him then went to the place where he did appoynt him but not before where are those that doe follow the steps of these holy and chosen children of God that I many extoll them to the world alas they are not in these dayes to be found And yet the very heathen which knew not God nor his lawes yet the very light of nature taught this duty vnto them not to make their choyse of mariage Gen. 34. without the coÌ„sent of their Parents for thus did Shechem the sonne of Hamore sue vnto his Father for his good will to marry with Dinah the daughter of Iacob the servants of God had alwaies a speciall regard hereunto Samspon also would not presume Iudg. 14. to marry without the consent of his father no although he liked the woman exceeding well And as the naturall Parents haue this authority ouer their Children so doth it likewise belong vnto those which be gardians foster fathers as wee terme them which haue the bringing vp of youth whether they be of kindred or otherwise as wee see Ruth was obedient vnto her step Rut. 1. mother and vpon these and such like causes is our law grounded which permits not a ward being vnder the gouernement of his gardian to marry without his consent The 22. Chapter ANd as I haue labored to expresse this duty of obedience vnto children and yet but briefely run it ouer in respect of that which might bee spoken herein so it is needefull in some sort to shew the limitation thereof for it is not generall but is included within her bounds I did a little