harde rocke and you shall striue against both the winde and the streame Againe doe wee not see that while the plant is yong and tender a man may winde and bende it which way hee will but if you assaye this when it is growen olde it will sooner burste then bende euen so is it in the education of youth and therefore if parentes will doe their children any good and bend their crooked disposition to a comely stature they must do it while they bee tender and yong for now they wil bend now they be pliable now they will worke therefore Salomon sayth Teach a child not teach a man For how came Paul to bee so mightie a teacher in the scriptures after he was conuerted and wrote more then the rest of the Apostles but because hee was brought vp in them from his youth at the feet of Gamaliel And how came Timothie to be such a famous scholler of so worthy a master as Paul was but because hee had knowen the holy scriptures of a child And how came Daniel to be so excellent a prophet but because he was so religious being a child that he chose rather to feed vpon hard pulse thē to pollute himselfe with the kinges delicates Euerie thing groweth well in the spring time and so the best planting of any goodnesse is in the youth for then it will grow if it bee well watered and looked vnto But here I finde two principall wants in parents which greatly hinder this vertuous worke The first is the want of following continuance For many thinke that if now and then they giue their children some good instruction that then they are discharged before God that they haue performed a very great duetie but alas this is but little worth Euery trades man can easilie tell vs that no science will go forward wel except it be hardly followed And again the mindes of children are like the soft waxe the which as it will soonest take the print so it wil be soonest beaten out againe and therfore haue need often to be imprinted The second principall want is the want of gouernment as when parents teach their children good things but doe not looke diligently after the practise of them nor see howe they take roote in them this is but a dead kinde of teaching therefore loseth his fruit but they doe worst of all who after they haue taught wel suffer the cleane contrarie for these build with one hande and pull downe with the other Wherfore here the carefull parent must not only teach but continue in teaching and not onely continue in teaching but also look for the fruit of his teaching and againe not only looke for the fruite of his teaching but also wall it about with his diligent gouern that in the end it be not lost 3. The third reason is drawn frō the true end and proper good of euery child Teach a child in the trade of his way that is teach him in the trade of his owne way and that is as I haue shewed you in some honest profession in good nourture and godlines This is called a childes waye not because hee of his owne will inclineth vnto it but because the Lord who is only wise and most louing hath of his great grace appointed out this way for him to walke in for his owne good Nowe you tender parentes would it not grieue you that your children shoulde take a wrong course and drudge and droyle for other men all the dayes of their life without any profite or pleasure to themselues but now it were well with them if they were mens drudges for if they misse of their owne waye and of their owne trade for want of good guiding and instruction they fall presently into the Diuels way because there be but two waies and now they are become the diuels packe-horse bearing his burden vnto hell gates shal they not be well paied for their paines when they come there wherefore good parents if you would not haue your children to bee the diuels drudges and to labour all their liues for his profite then teach them in the trade of their owne way and hold them in it 4. The fourth reason is fetched from the speciall blessing of God vpon the parent for this vertuous care of instructing his children as we may reade in the eighteenth chapter of Genesis and the seuenteenth verse Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I doe for I knowe him that hee will commaunde his sonnes and his houshoulde after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to doe righteousnesse and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him Heere wee see plainelie to no small encouragement to good parentes howe the Lord referreth to godly instructing of families as vnto the meane of his working not onely the imparting of his blessed secrets but also all other blessings in generall that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him Now what was that he had spoken vnto him why the promise of all his blessings both temporall and spirituall as we may reade Gen. 12. I will make of thee a great nation and will blesse thee and make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing I will also blesse them that blesse thee and curse them that curse thee and in thee shall all families of the earth bee blessed O great is the blessing that commeth by the meane of this vertuous teaching the fruite of it shall remayne with our posteritie euen long after we are gone and the benefite shal be poured out from age to age vnto the worlds end Godlines maketh great housen for the Lorde hath promised his blessing to a thousand generations of them that loue him and keepe his commandements But on the contrarie what is the cause why the Lord hideth his secrets keepeth backe many a heauenly instruction withholdeth great blessings from most parents but because they will not doe as Abraham did they haue no care that these blessed monuments may not die but bee deriued from age to age to Gods eternall glorie Wherefore thou good parent goe thou forwarde in this vertuous education of thy children and then GOD shall hide no necessarie secret or instruction from thee and he shall withhold no good blessing from thy posteritie thou shalt be a father of the faithfull as Abraham was if thou hast the same care for thy children and familie that he had 5. The fifth reason to stirre vp dull and carelesse parents to this their duetie are those punishmēts and hard threatnings of God in holy scripture denounced against both parēt and childe failing in their dueties Salomon sayth Pro. 17. Hee that begetteth a foole begetteth himselfe sorrowe and the father of a foole can haue no ioy Here by the word foole is not meant an innocent or idiot but the child that is foolish and vntaught as Salomō expoundeth
the rose the worme to the apple and the caterpillar to the leafe so the common spoyle to all youth is the contrarie to this yoke which is idlenes Therefore S. Bernard worthily calleth idlenes the mother of all euils and stepdame of all vertues The Prophet Ezechiel in his sixteenth chapter teacheth that idlenes was one of the principall sinnes of Sodome which pulled downe fire and brimstone from heauen vpon their heads this idlenes is the diuels confederate for euen as the trayterous seruant while his maister is a sleepe and all things at rest setteth open the dore for the theefe to enter in vpon him and spoyle him at his pleasure so idlenes while wee are not aware lying soft vpon the pillowes of security openeth the dore for y e diuell to enter into vs with full swing to the destruction both of body soule Saint Matthew saith chapter 13 that while men slept the enemie came and sowed tares among the wheate so the fittest time that the diuell can finde to worke vpon vs is when we are idle for that is the sleep of the soule In the 11. chapter of the 2. Sam. Wee reade that while Dauid tarried idly at home in the beginning of the yeare when Kings vsed to goe forth to battell hee was soone ouertaken with those two foule sinnes of adulterie and manslaughter Oh that men saw to how many vices and euils they shut the dore when they cease to be idle and giue themselues to honest labours So long as Sampson warred with the Philistines hee could neuer be taken or ouercome but after that he gaue himselfe to idlenes and pleasure hee not onely committed fornication with the strumpet Dalilah but also was takē of his enemies and had his eyes miserably put out If these two which were such excellent men indued of God with singular giftes the one of prophecie and the other of strength and such as no labour or trouble could ouercome were notwithstanding ouerthrowne and fallen into grieuous sinnes by yeelding for a short time to ease then what crimes what mischiefes and inconueniences are not to bee feared of them who all their life long giue themselues to idlenes and loytering But such hath alwaies been the peruerse incredulitie of mans heart as Haymo repeateth out of Origen that they will not beleeue that other men haue perished vntil they themselues perish also If we be vtterly voyde of vnderstanding let vs goe to the brute creatures which want those helpes of reason and gouernemēt that man hath and learne of them Goe to the Pismire O sluggard saith Salomon beholde her waies and bee wise for shee hauing no guide nor ruler prepareth her meate in the summer and gathereth her foode in the haruest Let vs set before our eyes the looking glasse of all creatures the birdes flye the fishes swim the wormes creepe the heauens turne the elements moue yea the earth it selfe which is the most brute and senseles creature of all other neuer ceaseth her working bringing forth her burden in summer and labouring inwardly all the winter concocting and digesting her nourishment for the next spring What should I speake of the strange operation of stones and mettals and herbes whereof one is called the Load stone and the Magnet stone of his mighty force and working God who is the first mouer of all things seeing all excellencie to lye in mouing being of himselfe infinite good cannot but create all things good and as the nature of the efficient cause is to make his effect like vnto himselfe so God being excellent in motion and working hath made all his creatures indued with this bonitie of nature Now seeing God hath made all his creatures in this perfection and seeing himselfe is the continuall mouer of al things as the Apostle saith Actes 17.28 In him we liue and moue and haue our being then there can nothing bee more contrarie to Gods working and mans perfection then the priuation thereof which is idlenes God beloued sustaineth and vpholdeth the whole frame of the world by his dayly and continuall working and if he should draw his hand backe but one minute all creatures would presently fall to nothing from whence they first came Why doe wee not then see that idlenes is the ruine and destruction of all things and how can we perswade our selues that we are the sons of God when by our idle life wee shew our selues most contrarie vnto him who is alwaies in working The perfection and excellencie of euery creature is his working and therefore the wise Grecians call the soule of man which the prophet Dauid calleth his glorie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a continuall working yea so excellent a thing is it and so fit to set foorth Gods glorie that hee hath ordained most forcible meanes to stirre vp and thrust forward man vnto it as all manner of wants and necessities For what is the great glorie of God but his omnipotencie and power and how is his power seene but by working and how should wee see Gods working and how should we come to the vnderstanding of his omnipotencie except wee sawe it in his creatures for the Apostle sayth that the inuisible things of God as his eternall power and God-head are seene by the creation of he worlde being considered in his workes and therefore when I see so many millions of thousands in the worlde moouing vpon the face of the earth and all occupied in such varietie of trades one this way another that way when I consider the straunge monuments of warre the mightie works of peace the curious inuentions of Arts and the manifolde chaunges of gouernment disposition and actions from age to age I must needes acknowledge that there is an high and supreme power which is called omnipotencie which worketh all in all these things and that that mā which is the greatest imitator of God in honest and vertuous working commeth neerest vnto the diuine nature most setteth forth Gods glorie and shall haue the greatest reward both in this life in the life to come but the idle and slugglish soule who hath receiued power of God and vseth it not in some honest labour he obscureth Gods glorie hee oppresseth as in him lieth his omnipotencie and power and in that wherein I compare him he is worse then the diuell for hee neuer ceaseth compassing the world Iob. 2.1 Pet. 5. Wherefore thou good parent if thy desire be to haue thy sonne to bee Gods sonne and to follow his working and to haue him brought vp in al good nurture and instruction and if it bee the death of thy heart to see thy deare child drowned before thine eies in that deadly lake of all filthie vices in the hardnes of his heart in stubbornes in rebellion in Atheisme in whoredome and other impietie then now while thou hast time lay the yoke vpon his necke lay it vpon him while hee is young and tender for now he will
the teaching of good manners is our conference And here the first rule which we must learne is to keepe silence while our betters are in place vntill wee be spoken vnto and thē we must make answer in few words without vnnecessarie circumstances and directly vnto the matter This is taught Prouerbs 17. A man of knowledge refraineth his wordes and a man of vnderstanding is colde of spirit 2. The second rule is to giue our elders and betters leaue to speake before vs. Example of this wee haue in Elihu that wise young man Iob. 32. Now Elihu had waited till Iob had spoken for they were more auncient in yeres then hee and hee sayd I am young in yeares and yee are ancient therefore I doubted and was afrayd to shew mine opinion For I sayd the dayes shall speake and the multitude of yeares shall teach wisedome 3. The third rule is not bee loude babling or hot in speech but colde and milde For Salomon sayth A man of vnderstanding is cold of spirit 4. The fourth rule is not to interrupt or trouble others while they are inspeaking For Salomon sayth Seest thou a man hastie in his wordes there is more hope of a foole then of him Prou. 29. Wherefore then if we will keep the bounds of good manners wee must not bee streporous or troublesome in talke but euery man must obserue and take his due time and course and if there be any thing spoken vnto which wee would willingly make answer wee must either curteously craue leaue of him that speaketh or els wee must carrie it in remembrance vntill our turne commeth to speake which is the better of the twaine 5. The fift rule is to giue an entercourse of speech vnto others we must suffer others to speake by vs. For as there is a time for a man to speake so there is a time to keepe silence and to heare others speaking He that will haue all the talke passeth the bounds of good manners and breaketh the rule of Saint Ambrose who requireth three things in the gouernment of our speech that is a yoke the ballance and the metewand the yoke to holde it in grauitie the ballance to giue it weight of reason and the metewand to keepe it within measure that it bee neither too long nor too short And thus much for the dueties of good manners in our speech The second generall head of good manners which parents ought to teach their children is the framing of their gesture to a reuerent and duetifull behauiour towards others which consisteth in these sixe poynts 1. The first is to meet those that are comming towards vs. And of this wee haue example in holy Abraham Gen. 18. where it is written And hee lifted vp his eyes and looked and loe three men stoode by him and when hee sawe them hee ranne to meete them from the tent doore Againe this example we find euen in K. Salomon sitting vpon his regall throne 1. King 2.19 Bathsheba therefore went to King Salomon to speake vnto him for Adonijah and the King rose to meete her 2. The second is to rise vp to our elders and betters when they passe by vs. And this is taught Leuit. 19. Thou shalt rise vp before the bore head and honour the person of the olde man and dread thy God I am the Lord. But now here I must warne you of a great abuse which is committed amongst you and which tendeth to the high dishonor of God which is this that you know not y e time of your duties but you will then rise vp to men when you should kneele downe to God as if one that is more honorable among you shal come into the Church while you are vpon your knees in prayer vnto God presently you start vp and leaue God to reuerence men Is this religion is this deuotion becomming Gods house is not this all one as if a man should say stay God here comes in my worshipfull neighbour and my good friend to whom I am much beholding I must doe my dutie vnto him I must rise vp till he be past and then I will come to thee againe What is this but to preferre men before God I haue forewarned you of this vice before but some spurned at mee for it and the rest haue not reformed themselues Wherefore I call the stones of the walles of this house to witnes against you that if you continue still in this obstinacie you are louers of men more then God and you that take this duetie and reuerence vpon you are robbers of Gods honour and you shall answere him for it Is there no time to shew our duetie towards men but euen then when we are about Gods seruice why know thou that when man standeth before God how honourable soeuer he be he is but dung and filth and not to be regarded and learne you this wisedome that while wee teach you duties towards men it is not to robbe God of his worship but there is an appointed time vnto euery dutie and purpose as Ecclesiastes in his third chapter well admonisheth To all things there is an appoynted time and a time to euery purpose vnder the heauen It is recorded of Leuy to his eternal praise Deu. 33. that in Gods cause he said of his father mother I see him not neither knew hee his brethren nor his owne children Euen so beloued our eyes and our mindes and deuotions should bee so fixed and intent vpon God whē we are in his seruice that wee should not see or regard any mā in that while And again we read in the 2. chapter of the Gospell after S. Iohn of our Sauiour himselfe who though hee was the most dutifull child that euer was borne of woman yet when he was about his fathers busines he saith vnto his mother Woman what haue I to doe with thee which examples well teach vs that whē we are about Gods seruice all other duties must sleep and be layd apart 3. The third dutie of good manners to be obserued in our gesture is to stand while our betters are sitting in place Example of this we haue in holy Abraham our father Gen. 18. where it is written of his entertaning of the two strangers And he tooke butter and milke and the calfe which hee had prepared set before them and stood by himselfe vnder the tree and they did eate Well may Abraham be called the father of the faithfull for giuing his children so good example For if we consider the circumstances we shall finde this to be a most rare example and going beyond all the curtesies of these our daies For these mē were but strangers vnto him hee knewe not from whence they came nor whither they would againe this was at his owne house and at his own table and the common prouerbe is that euery man is a Lord in his owne house yet so much did curtesie and ciuilitie
they fall to their earth againe Here you must teach your children that whē all we euen al the nations of the world were in the hole of Adams side and as yet vncut out God gaue vnto Adam and so vnto vs being in his loines a law with two conditions the lawe was this that wee should not eate of the tree of knowledge of good and euill standing in the middest of the garden of Eden as we may read Gen. 2. The conditions of this law were these the one life euerlasting if we would keepe this law figured out vnto vs by the tree of life of which it was lawfull for vs to eate euery hower the second was that in the same daye wherein wee shoulde breake this law we should dye the death It was not long after this lawe was made but Adam broke it as we may read in 3. chapter of Genesis and so death presently seazed vpon Adam and al vs his posteritie being yet in his loynes according vnto Gods word who said in the same day that thou shalt eate of it thou shalt dye the death and as it is saide 1. Cor. 15. In Adam all di and as it is said Rom. 5. By one man sinne entered into the world and death by sin and so death went ouer all in whom all men haue sinned So that now if wee would looke vnto our fountaine and to our original pit from which we were first digged we should soone see our miserable estate which is nothing els but deadly And now that we might come to the bottom of this pit that so wee might the more fully and cleerely see all our miserie to humble vs vnder the mightie hand of God I must shewe you howe death hath entred vpon vs and howe it hath killed vs and giuen vs the deadly wounde euen while wee liue and yet wee perceiue it not This death hath first seazed vpon our reason and vnderstanding and put out the light of it so that nowe wee bee as blinde as a stocke to beholde anie heauenly thing For Saint Iohn sayth in his first chapter of the Gospell The light shineth in the darkenesse and the darkenesse comprehended it not that is Gods word shineth into our minds and yet wee cannot see it so blinde are wee of our selues Now if we cannot see the light it selfe though it shineth into vs which light is the cause why all other things are seene as the Apostle sheweth Ephesi 5. For it is light that maketh all thinges manifest then much lesse can wee truely beholde any other thing else And whereas the Apostle here calleth our reason and vnderstanding darknes which is all the light of our soules if it were light then howe great is our darkenesse Our Sauiour sayth in the fift of Matthew The light of the bodie is the eye wherefore if the light that is in thee be darkenesse how great is that darkenesse so wee may here say if our reason and vnderstanding which is the eye of the soule bee darkenes how great is this darkenes oh death hath killed vs it hath put out all our light in heauenly things Secondly our miserie which hath fallen vpon vs through this death is so much the greater for that though all our light be put out yet we thinke we see and therefore we doe not with the two blind men in the gospell crie out vnto our Sauiour O Lord the sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon vs. For the whole hath no need of the phisition and so we walke in blindnes all our dayes to our destruction and goe on without anie mistrust euen as the sheep that are driuen vnto the slaughter vntill we fall from the darknes of this life vnto that vtter darknes in the life to come where is nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth Oh great misery A demonstration of this doctrine wee haue in the ninth chapter of the gospell after Saint Iohn where our Sauiour saith I am come vnto iudgment into this worlde that they which see not might see and that they which see might bee made blind Then some of the Pharisies saide are we blind also They could not beleeue that they were blinde and therefore our Sauiour there telleth them that their sinne remained And thus much to shew you how death hath taken the possession of the minde and reason of man in so much that it hath spoyled it of al light in heauenly vnderstanding Secondly this death hath passed from the vnderstanding and reason and hath entred vpon the will and affections and giuen them also the deadly blow so that now we cannot will or affect any thing that good is and profitable to life eternall no more then a stone that is without life vntill such time as Gods preuenting grace repaireth vs and giueth vs a new power from heauen And therefore our Sauiour saith in the sixt of Iohn No man can come to me except the father which hath sent mee drawe him And Saint Augustine vpon these words saith Non trahimus nisi nolentem Wee doe not drawe any thing but that which is vnwilling So that now we hauing lost the life of our will we must be haled and drawen by Gods grace euen as men hale and drawe a logge that hath no moouing in it or else we can neuer come to heauen This doctrine is confirmed by the saying of the Apostle Rom. 7. where hee speaketh of the same thing Who shall deliuer me from the body of this death as if hee should haue saide all is dead euerie part and member of it Moreouer this death hath not onely made the will vncapable of all good things but also it hath so disturbed it that it is become like a furious or mad man repugning and striuing against all reason and therefore the Apostle sayth Gal. 5. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirite against the flesh and these are contrarie one to another so that yee cannot doe the same things that ye would And againe Rom. 8. The wisedome of the flesh is enimitie against God for it is not subiect to the law of God neither in deed cā be 3. This death hath not rested in the reason will but it hath gone further takē hold on the body also euery member of the body and strooken them all out of frame so that now our eares are the eares of folly our eies are the eies of vanity our hands are the hands of strife our mouth is a mouth of cursing our lippes are full of poyson our throate is an open Sepulchre and our feete are swift to shed bloud and generallie al our members are the instruments and weapons of vnrighteousnesse as the Apostle speaketh Roman 6. euery one being captiues to sinne and standing fighting against God and our owne saluation so that now if the Lord shold streightly marke what were amisse in vs Oh Lorde who shall stande 4. This death hath not onlie
our text I will shew you why the holy Ghost here rather vseth the word feare then the word seruice saying that thou maiest be feared rather then that thou maiest be serued This is for that the Lorde thereby might the better prepare vs vnto his seruice and being prepared might continue and hold vs in the same as it were with a bridle from running out And therfore we see in holy Scripture that when the Lord would make any man fit for his seruice he as it were manureth him first by his feare as we may see first in the Prophet Esay as wee may reade in his 6. chapter where when the Lord called him to beare his hard message vnto the children of Israel he appeared vnto him in a fearfull vision sitting on his throne of maiestie to the ende that this sight might strike so deepe an impression into his heart that neuer after hee might forget the bounds of his calling Woe is me sayth hee for I am vndone because I am a man of polluted lippes for mine eyes haue seene the King and Lord of hostes Againe in the calling of Ezechiel as we may reade in his first chapter wee may see what a fearefull vision hee had so that he fell downe vpon his face before the Lord and could not stand vp any more vntill Gods spirite had entred into him and helde him vp And againe in the 19. of the first book of the Kings when the Lord called his seruant Eliah to go about a dangerous and hard peece of seruice which was to annoynt two Kings and both against his Lord and soueraigne Achab to be auenged of him and his bloudie wife Iezebel for destroying his Prophets y t he might not at any time flye out from his charge as Ionah did the Lord prepared him before with fearefull signes first he sent a mightie strong wind which rent y e mountaines brake y e rockes before him 2. after the wind he sent an earthquake after the earthquake there came a fire after the fire whē Eliah was now sufficiētly humbled prepared came a still and a soft voice then he receiued his message In like māner also whē the Lord gaue the law of this his seruice vnto his people vpō moūt Horeb what fearefull signes did he send before there were thunderings lightnings y e earth quaked vnder thē the ayre was rent aboue thē by reason of the horrible noise of the trumpet of God and fearefull thundercracks and before their eyes all was of a smoake and burning fire in so much that Moses himselfe though hee was a man very well acquainted with God and accustomed with wonders yet he also feared and quaked as the author to the Hebrewes sayth and all the people fled back Thus then you now see euen by the Lords owne methode and proceeding how necessarie the feare of God is for his true and faithfull seruice yea so necessarie is it that without it there is no seruing of God aright The wise man Salomon in the first chapter of the Prouerbes sayth The feare of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and the Hebrue phrase saith it is the head of knowledge which signifieth not onely the beginning but also the chiefe and principall parte thereof from whose fountaine the very life of all good vnderstanding is deriued euen as the head giueth continuall sense and mouing to all the members of the bodie 2. Secondly this feare of God is not only the beginning of Gods seruice but it is also the continuer and conseruer of it holding vs alwaies within our limites who like wilde horse are readie at euery step to runne out of the way For this cause Moses after the giuing of the law as wee may see in the 20. chap. of Exodus teacheth the Israelites the true vse of those fearefull sightes which they had seene which was that Gods feare might continue with them to be euer after a bridle vnto them to withhold them from sin and that his feare may be before you that you sin not So that now take away gods feare from before our eies presently we wil fal into sin break off gods seruice though we haue made neuer so good an entrance The force of this bond of feare when Iacob behelde hee toulde his vncle Laban plainelie Genesis 31. that except the feare of Isaac had beene with him meaning the feare of God who was Isaacs feare hee would haue sent him away empty and euen so beloued it is with vs all except Gods feare remaine and continue with vs though the Lorde hath deserued neuer so much at our handes yet wee like vnthankefull Labans would send him emptie away and robbe him of the praise of all his blessings and graces bestowed vpon vs. Moreouer this feare of God was of such account amongst the holy Patriarches that it was taken then to be the onely bonde in the worlde and therefore when Ioseph would perswade his brethren before they knew him to leaue one of them behinde in prison till they had cleared themselues of suspition which was obiected against them as wee may reade Genesis 42. he also to giue them to vnderstande of faithfulnes on his part vsed this onely reason vnto them For sayth hee I feare God as if hee should haue saide I dare not doe to the contrarie Againe in the 50. chap. of Gen. when Iacob their father was dead Iosephs brethren fearing then that hee might seeke to bee reuenged of them for their vnkinde and inhumane handling of him they came to make supplication vnto him prostrating themselues before him desiring him to forgiue them their offence to whome hee answered Feare not for am not I vnder God as if he should haue said I feare God and therfore you neede not feare me 3. The feare of God is not onely the beginning of Gods seruice and the continuance of Gods seruice but also it is the end of Gods seruice and endureth for euer as the Prophet Dauid saith Psal. 19. The feare of the Lorde is cleane and endureth for euer and our text sayth that thou maiest bee feared Againe Salomon in the 14. chapter of the Prouerbes extolling the excellencie of the feare of God sayth The feare of the Lord is as a well spring of life to auoid the snares of death Here then is the fountaine from whence all the streames of Gods seruice and euerie parte of his worship are first fetched And againe in the 16. chapter hee saith By the feare of the Lord we depart from euill So that now as you see all goodnes commeth by Gods feare it is the beginning of Gods seruice it is the continuance and conseruation of Gods seruice it is the end of Gods seruice it is the walles of Gods seruice whereby both the enemie is kept from vs and we from running to the enemie and what shall I saye more it is the irons and boltes wherewith
the olde man is manacled and it is the bridle wherwith our stubborne and effrenate affections are helde in and whereby we are gouerned and directed in the new and liuing way as the Apostle speaketh So excellent a thing is the feare of God that nothing may be compared vnto it Whereupon Ecclesiasticus saith well Chap. 40.26 Riches and strength lift vp the mind but the feare of the Lord is aboue them both there is no want in the feare of the Lord and it needeth no helpe 27. the feare of the Lord is a pleasant garden of blessing there is nothing so beautifull as it is Wherefore you good fathers which haue a desire to teach your children and seruants the true seruice of God in token of thankfulnes to their maker and redeemer Christ Iesus for so great benefits and graces receiued you must enter them with the feare of God and you must hold and continue thē in the same with the feare of God if you laye not this foundation all your labour is lost Gods seruice shall eftsoones slide away from them and then they might better neuer to haue knowen the way of righteousnes without this there is no stay or helpe from apostasie which state is most miserable of all other This maketh vs to tread surely in all the waies of the Lord whereas the forwarde children which haue no feare catch many a fall For Gods loue looke well to this point and euer carrye in your mind that most holesome saying of the Apostle in the second chapter of the Epistle to the Philipians Make an end of your saluation with feare trembling and Pro. 28.14 Blessed is the man that feareth alway Titus 2.11.12 For the grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that wee should deny vngodlines and worldly lustes and that wee should liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present world HItherto I haue spoken of the beginning and true foundation of Gods seruice now it followeth in order that I should teach you the whole buildinge with all the partes thereof that so good parents might goe forward in their dutie vntill they haue brought their childrē to a comly frame in Gods house But here first before we come to these partes we must speake something of the connexion of this text with the former and of the words of the text as they lye in order This word the grace of God is al one in effect with that which is translated mercie in the 130. Psalme and they both tend to one end that is to stirre vp men to the seruice of God the one noting out vnto vs the relenting and pitifull affection in God vpon the sight of our miserable estate into which we had cast our selues helplesse the other the gladsomnes of our heauenly father in bestowing this his mercie vpon vs which is signified vnder the worde grace From the nature of which two words I gather this double fruitful exhortation First that seeing our God which was our iudge and not onely our iudge but also the partie grieued offended did notwithstanding yearne in compassion towards vs pitie our miserie and forgaue vs all our debt and trespasse so now wee in token of thankfulnesse to him againe should yearne and grieue within our selues to see his name dishonoured And secondly whereas God hath bestowed his grace so frankely and gladsomelie to saue vs so now we being saued by his grace it should bee our ioye to serue him for it in all obedience and in euerie good duetie And whereas the Apostle saith that this grace hath appeared or as the Greeke verbe saith shined hee noteth out vnto vs the magnificence thereof as if the Lorde had reared it vp in the middest of the firmament like the sunne to giue light vnto all the partes of the world Great is this grace of GOD in Christ Iesus which hath shined and appeared vnto all nations knreds and tongues and vnto all kindes of men honourable and inhonourable And teacheth vs that wee should denie vngodlines and worldly lustes In these words the holy Ghost layeth downe the true and onely methode of proceeding in this seruice of God which is that wee should first wash out of the heart all vngodlinesse and worldly lustes that so there may be a conuenient roome for his worship to come into For euen as a foule and stinking viall infecteth the pure good ointment which is put into it euen so the worship of God if it be placed in a foule heart it will soone corrupt and shortly turne into flat idolatrie impious dissembling Agreeable to this the holy Ghost teacheth 1. Cor. 5. Purge out therefore the olde leauen that yee may bee a newe lamp And againe in the sixt verse a little leauen leaueneth a whole lumpe so a little vngodlines and wordly affections sowreth the whole masse of Gods seruice and maketh it vnpleasant vnto him Wherefore all must bee cleansed out And againe in the fifteenth of the Actes the Apostle speaking of the working of the holy Ghost in gathering into his Church the polluted Gentiles saith hauing purified their harts by faith So that now we see he y t will keep his vessel holy vnto the Lorde and prepare his heart aright to serue God he must wash it and rince it and purifie it before hee cannot make it too cleane for the seruice of God is the purest thing in al the world And here that wee may the better stirre vp our selues vnto this diuine seruice of God let vs diligently obserue the phrase of the holy Ghost The grace of God teacheth vs that wee should denie vngodlines and worldly lustes This is a metaphoricall speech taken from militarie affaires and is answerable vnto the worde abandon For when the good Captaine findeth iust cause of disliking in his souldiers he is said to abandon them that is to thrust them out of his band and to put them from their pay and so turne them away Again on the other side when the good souldier shall see the misgouernment of his captaine and his bad cause in hand hee leaueth his captaine and turneth to the iust cause denying and defying by solemne sacramentall othe of warre his former colours Without this denying the souldier shall not bee receiued but shall be taken and held as a spie and a traytor and so reiected Euen so beloued when we haue once renounced the black colours of the diuell the world and the flesh and are turned to the Lord Iesus because we see his cause is iust and his pay best now this great captaine and Lorde generall of heauen and earth before hee will admit vs into his band he requireth of vs that we should deny and defie our former colours that is all vngodlines and worldly lustes vnto which wee haue hitherto borne weapons For no man can serue two masters as our Sauiour saith in the gospell And therefore thou whosoeuer thou
himselfe chap 19. verse 13. A foolish sonne is the calamitie of his father And againe chap. 29.15 A child set at libertie maketh his mother ashamed Wherefore oh you good children you that haue more vnderstāding then the rest take pitty vpon your deere parents y t haue taken so much paines for you suffer them not by your dissolute life to be made a spectacle of shame a gazing stocke vnto all others Againe Salomon speaking of vnnurtured children sayth Pro. 20. Hee that curseth his father or his mother his light shall be put out in obscure darknes that is in the vtter darkenes where is weeping and gnashing of teeth Againe in the 30. chap. he saith The eye that mocketh his father and despiseth the obedience of his mother the rauens of the valley shall iob it out and the eagles shall eat it vp that is he shal be slaine in the field and the birdes of the aire shall deuout him Againe Iob speaking of wicked and vngodly parents in his 27. chap. saith If his children bee multiplied they are multiplied to the sword and his posterity shal not be satisfied with bread Againe the Lord in y e prophesie of Amos saith Though they bring vp children yet will I depriue them from being men yea woe to them when I depart from them And againe verse 13. Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer Now from whence commeth all this mischiefe and the cause of this great miserie both vpon children and parents what is the cause of this ruthful sorrow whence springeth this mothers shame and how commeth it to passe that the parents own doung is cast in their faces by their own children in mocking despising of thē and whence arise all these heauie plagues and iudgements of God vpon their children to y e consuming of their eies but from this their owne negligence in bringing vp their children for it is euen iust with God that seeing they haue offended him in his greatest blessings they shuld be plagued in the same thing wherein they offended with his greatest iudgments O you vnnaturall parents Diues in hell shall rise vppe against you in the day of iudgement and condemne you for he being in hel had a care of his fathers house that they might bee forewarned and therefore desired Abraham to send Lazarus to his brethren to testifie vnto them that they came not into that place of torment but you will not admonish your children you wil not teach them Moses and the prophets you wil not shew them the danger of Gods heauie displeasure hanging ouer their heads and therefore your owne children shall be one of the furies in hel to torment you The Lord open your eyes to foresee and flie these fearefull iudgements 6. The sixt and last reason to moue parents to this excellent dutie which is the principall scop of this text is y e diuturnity of this good their children shall be the better for it al their liues after nay the worlde to come shall reape this benefite for such children as you now bring vp such parents shall they bee after you when you are gone and looke what parents you leaue behinde you the like children againe shall they reare vp Wherefore O you parents you are either the making or the marring of the world for if your children learne no good erudition at your hands how should they be good fathers after you and how should they leaue that to their posteritie by the right of inheritance which they neuer receiued from their auncestors Let no man think that I dwell too long in this thing For this is so profitable both for you and your children and for the whole Church of God as that if I should turne aside from it I know not what ground I should choose to bee so profitably occupied in againe this is a most excellent course to this busines I will lay both my shoulders and if this did so much moue you as it doth me we should shortly see a wonderfull change in Gods Church Oh whose heart would it not reioyce to see the walles of Gods kingdome raised vp Wherefore yee that are the Lordes remembrancers keepe not silence and giue him no rest vntill he repayre and set vp Ierusalem the praise of the world call vpon the Lord to moue the hearts of parents and call vpon parents to remember their duties and you parents hearken when you are called vnto and stop not your eares like the deafe Adder Your children are the seede of Gods husbandrie We together are Gods labourers saith the Apostle Ye are Gods husbandrie and Gods building Now euen as it is in the husbandrie of this world the good husband before he reapeth his crop will plowe and prepare his ground for another haruest to follow that and when he hath prepared his ground his next care is for his seede that it may be of the best he dresseth it and sifteth all the vnprofitable soile out of it that so in time to come he might receiue the more happie encrease euen so you good parents you must not liue so careles as though the world should ende with your selues no you must plow and fallow and prepare your seede for another haruest before you reape your owne crop the Lords husbandrie must not die to the end of the world and hee hath made you his plowman together with his ministers and your children are the seede Againe you parents are the Lords orchard and vineyard as we may reade Cant. 4. Esay 5. and therefore your children are the nurserie vnto it The olde trees cannot alwaies stand and the time shall come when all wee shall be cut downe with the axe of death Now as hee that will continue his orchard of good fruites vnto his posteritie will alwaies keepe a nurserie of young impes to succeede as the old shall decay and as he will be more carefull for them then for his older trees because they by reason of their tendernes may sooner catch hurt for if they should be bitten and nipped while they bee young or the canker should take them they should prooue but scrubbed trees and would neuer be fit for their roomes euen so you parents which are both the Lords husbandry and his husbands if you doe not keepe a nurserie for the Lords orchard and if you doe not looke well to your children which are the young oliue plants in this spirituall garden the canker-worme of euill vices shall catch them and the wilde beasts of the forrest the heard of diuels which stray continuallie seeking whome to deuoure shall so bite them that they shall not after vs be fit to come into our roomes and so the Lords vineyard should in time to come growe waste For Gods sake good people looke well to this if your owne children doe not moue you yet let Gods Church and his glorie for many yeares to come preuaile with you Now adaies