then to be acting in all the holy exercises of the day according to their understandings as in reading discourse about good things prayer singing of Psalms blessing their meat and such like Leviticus 19. 3. every one without limitation is charged you shall every man fear his Father and every man his Mother and as a fruit and pledge of it keep my Sabbaths See more Deut. 31. 11 12. Joshua 8. 35. Deut. 16. 10 11 16. It was the devill in Pharaoh who would not have had the Israelites Children to have gone with them to sacrifise in the wilderness but to have stayed in Egypt the while their parents went about it Exod. 5. 3. with 10. 11. and no doubt he was too busie with Christs own Disciples when they would have hindred the good peoples Children from their neer approaches to Christ Mark 10. 13 14. and it s from Sathan that some now adays would not have Children whilest Children taught the ways or things of God Catechistically or practically as to pray or the like contrary to the very grain of that Scripture Prov. 22. 6. 7. Let them be trained up to some honest callings especially to the Ministry if of parts that way 7. let parents look well to it that none of their Children whilest young live idly but that they be trained up to some honest and laudable callings and imployments Adam trained up his sons to husbandry Gen. 4. 1 2 3 4. and such of your Children as may be men capable of learning let parents set them apart for learning David had his Tutors for his sons 1 Chro. 27. 32. Such capacity and dispositions in youth for Scholastick indouments and imployments they also are Talents of God bestowed upon children would not be buried in the earth and oftentimes as it fareth with lustier soil being not answerably husbandred it brings forth more weeds than other ground So in Children of good naturall parts and not well ordered and imployed in learning and arts they often prove the worse yea albeit such naturall parts should not be abused thus but better imployed yet as Prov. 16. 21. the sweetness of the lips ability of sweetness aptness and elegancy of expression it addeth an ornament and grace and force to what is spoken it increaseth learning and indeed in an ordinary way of common prudence and providence although parents in some conditions may strain hard to bring up their sons to be Scholars it is in it self a far better portion than barely to leave them such a portion of mony or goods or Lands God himself accounts such liberal sciences among the number of his chiefer gifts Dan. 1. 17. speaking of Daniel and his three companions as for these four Children God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdome It s spoken in the commendation of Moses by Stephen Acts 1. 7. 22. that he had skill in all learning of the Aegyptians verily it was well for the Church in Moses his time and for the Church in Daniels time that Daniel and Moses when they were young were so well educated and gifted with skill in all learning and wisdome God will reward good parents also as well as bad according to the fruit of their doings John 17. 10. if by the fruit of your education blessing of God upon the education of your Children to learning they come to do much more good either in Church or common-wealth all that good will be partly put upon the good parents account also as well as added to the good Childes score and in particular the more to incourage Christian parents to educate and sequester their Children which have good naturall parts unto learning in reference to the ministry in speciall sort let me adde a word or two let such remember Hannahs example who in setting apart her son Samuel presently upon his comming to be trained up under Elies tuition for the Ministry she is sayed herein to lend him to the Lord 1 Sam. 1. 24 28. compared and cap. 2. 20 21. it appeareth that she lost nothing by this loan Remember also what a favour and wonder of bounty and faithfulness of God is extended to you that God will take any of your children for such an imployment of his and of his Church namely for the Ministry amongst three of the most notable acts that God did for Israel next to that of bringing them up out of Egypt to that of destroying the Canaanites for them Amos 2. 9 10. this is reckoned one I raised up of your sons for Prophets to conclude remember also what an honour God putteth upon your Children and what favour he sheweth them therein 1 Tim. 1. 12. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord saith Paul who enabled me for that he counted me faithfull putting me into the Ministry when God would honour Phinehas he putteth this upon him as by a perpetuall Covenant that he and his children shall be the Lords Priests Numb 25. it was the honour also that God put upon the tribe of Levi that for Levies zeal in that business at Massah and Meribah his Vrim and Thummim his Priestly indowments and ornaments of Priestly imployments should be upon him Deut. 33. 8 9. it was the honour at first put upon Israels first-born only to be the Lords and for the Lords Ministeriall service whence Exod. 24. 5. and he sent the young men of the Children of Israel their first born who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of Oxen unto the Lord afterwards indeed in honour of the Levits the Levits were taken to be the Lords or for the Lords Ministeriall service and bestowed upon Aaron and his sons who successively were to be Gods high Priests 3 Numb 12. 41. and cap. 8. 16 19. compared it must needs be an honour to the ministers calling and such as are therein conscionably imployed that the blessed God in his counsels respecting the souls welfare of his people which in themselves and by nature were rebellious to the intent that by his blessing upon the Ministry in their hearts God might come to dwell amongst them he ordered it thus that Christ dying and rising again should ascend into heaven and there receive from his father as an honourable boon of favour gifts for men even for his people in themselves Rebellious that God might by his blessing thereupon dwell amongst them Psalm 68. 18. upon his actual ascension as Paul expresseth it Eph. 4. 8 11 12 13. He gave those gifts so received to men to his people and Church That is as the Apostle expoundeth those gifts to be vers 11. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and a perfect man c. No greater honour surely than this to be given as a Coronation-mercy to Christ ascending and from Christ given back again as
sollicitous to hold up their Aged and miscarrying Father Noahs Honour yea though tempted by their brother Chams derisive tale about their Father to have disrespected him yet see their conscientious care of maintaining their respect and reverence to their Father in avoyding any occasion as sight of his nakedness which might have drawn on contempt of him in them Gen. 9. 22. And Ham the Father of Canaan saw his Fathers nakedness and told his two brethren without vers 23. And Shem and Japhet took a garment and laid it upon their shoulders and went backwards and covered the nakedness of their Father and their faces were backward and they saw not their Fathers nakedness 3. When good Children do even thirst after 3. If Children thirst after Parents souls welfare their carnall Parents souls welfare and peace above others and are ever and anon contriving which way to help on that also Thus did Abraham what in him lay to help out his Idolatrous Father Terah from his course and way as might be shewed by comparing Acts 7. 3 4. with Gen. 11. end and 12. 1. and John 24. 2 3. 4. When they are as willing and joyfull to Honour 4. If as willing to Honour them as to be Honoured or rewarded by others Parents all the just wayes of Honour of them as they are to partake of any benefit of their parentall respects or bounty as they are to have it be well with them here or hereafter as they are to live long upon the earth or as they are to have the like due honor put upon them by children which they already have or may come to have themselvs 5. When they do not so soon forget their Parents after they are dead and gone Sarah was 90. years old when she bare Isaac Gen. 17. 17. And lived 37. years after For she died when she was 127. years old Gen. 23. 1. then Isaac was 37. years old he was 40. years old when he maried Rebeckah Gen. 25. 20. Which was three years after his Mothers death and when he married or took Rebeckah to wife then it was that Isaac was comforted after his Mothers death Gen. 24. 67. For three years space then this pious Son was ever and anon mourning in thoughts of his good Mothers death and God made this his sweet companion Rebeckah a speciall comfort to him against that trouble about his Mothers death A third use is of exhortation and that to Parents 3. Use Of exhortation 1. To Parents to further this their due Honour 1. By preventing their being either corrupted or dismayed in matters of Religion to indeavour what in you lieth to help forward your Children in their Conscionable performance of this their duty of Honour of Parents and for this end 1. Take very speciall care to prevent whatsoever either may corrupt them or any wayes discourage them in the matter of the Honour of God himself or of his word For if they grosly fail in the matter of the Honour of God of his word they will as grosly fail in the matter of Honour of Parents As we see in Elies Sons who were vilely corrupt in the matters of Religion as those of common honesty 1 Sam. 2. 12 13 14 15 16 17 22. and vers 25. they were as vile transgressours against the fifth Commandement requiring Honour to Parents they hearkened not to the voice of their Father Imitable therefore is that care of the Godly Fathers of the two Tribes and half to remove occasions of discouraging their Children from the fear or worship of God Josh 22. 25 26 27 28. And if we have not rather done it built this Altar of witness saying in time to come your children say they to the Fathers of the ten Tribes there met may say to our Children what have you to do with the God of Israel ye have no part in the Lord so shall your Children make our Children cease or be discouraged and Apostatise from fearing or worshiping the Lord. Oh! that Christian Parents would the rather keep out Anabaptistical principles and doctrines as from their own hearts so as much as may be from the eares and minds of their Children lest being told thereby that they have nothing to do with the God of Israel and they have no part in the Lord they are made thereby to cease or be discouraged from the fear or worship of the Lord but that by the way 2. Redress what in you lyeth if you did not 2. By redressing disorders in them one towards another prevent disorderly carriages of your Children towards one another for if they are inured to carry it badly one toward another they will also carry it dishonourably towards Parents Gen. 37. 23 24. Jacobs Sons who before their conversion carried it so unworthily towards Joseph they carried it as malepertly towards their Father Gen. 34. When vers 30. their sorrowfull Father had expressed his fears of the ruine of him and of his house which might be occasioned by his Sons Murther of the Shechemites they saucily answer vers 31. Should he deal with our Sister as with an Harlot Absolom that will carry it so cruelly and perfidiously towards his brother Amnon 2 Sam. 13. 28 29. He proved as very a perfidious and cruel wretch towards his own Father not many years after Cap. 15. Rebeckah's care therefore was imitable to prevent or remove the continuall discords and jarrs and mischiefs which might arise from that heart-grudge between Esau and Jacob which because she could not heal she sends away Jacob from Esaus company Gen. 27. 42 43 44 45. 3. Labour to be fearers and honourers of God your selves as an heavenly Father and then you 3. By being fearers of God themselves have the advantages of the promises of God that your Children shall be blessed also and consequently furnished with this spirituall blessing a spirit of Honour of Parents Psal 112. 2. The generation of the upright shall be blessed that they shall be a comfort to you as Vine-branches issuing from the wombs of your wives yielding in time grapes of Consolation to Parents in the wayes of due honour to God or Parents c. Psal 128. 1. Blessed is every one that feareth God c. And vers 2. happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee And vers 3. Thy wife shall be as a fruitfull Vine by the sides of thine house thy Children as Olive-plants round about thy Table which is not barely a promise that their wives shall have Children or many Children as if that made them so peculiarly happy as is promised they should be for ungodly persons are full of Children Ps 17. 14. They send forth their Children like a flock Job 21. 11. No but it s a promise of making the fearer of God happy in the qualification of his Children that they shall be such as shall yield wine of consolation to them in what they shall be to God and to their Parents and to
relations so much in his way will not you honor them in your way Deu. 4. 2. Because he loved thy Fathers therefore he chose their seed after them to one and the same persons belong the glory and the Covenants Ro. 9. 4. to whom belong the glory the covenants if Gods the Churches covenant be long to Children the glory belongs to them take away Covenant church privileges ye take away their glory as the Israelites did when they would have dealt with the little ones of Judah as if they had rather been Pagans and out-Lawes than fellow-brethren in covenant-respects so they purposed to have kept sons their daughters under as bond-men women 2 Chro. 28. 8 9 10. They might only have of the heathen for bond-men and women Le. 25. 44. but not any of their brethren the Children of Israel they might not rule over them with rigour as over bond men and women v. 46. though waxen poor they must not be compelled to serve as bond-servants ver 39. Yea but for Israelites to take that course they intended was to make them as the heathen and so to take away their glory of Covenant and Church-privileges as Junius expounds that Mi. 2. 9. Of late my people are risen up as an enemy c. and from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever he referreth it in this way to that story 2 Chro. 28. 8 9 10. Now if by good Parents Children come to shame in such Honour and 3. Childrens lifts to their faith by means of good Parents glory they may well in way of gratefull retribution Honour their good Fathers and Mothers 3. In that Children have a mighty lift to their very faith in what ever concerneth their welfare outward or inward and that in all cases and charges from the covenant of God with their Parents therefore honor your Christian Parents hence Exod. 32. 13 14. In that almost desperate case of Israel Moses exerciseth his faith and thence pleadeth the Covenant with Abraham Isaac and Jacob remember saith he Abraham Isaac and Jacob c. Mic. 7. 20. The Prophet setteth his faith on work for himself and people upon that Covenant Thou wilt saith he perform the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworn to our Fathers from the dayes of old and this his faith therein was the ground of that which he believed vers 29. He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast their sins into the depths of the Sea 2 Chro. 33. 12 13. Manasseth that notorious miscreant When in his affliction he besought the Lord his God viz. His God in the Covenant of his Father Hezekiah And humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers And prayed to live and he was intreated of him he then prayed in faith for hee prevailed with God but here was his hold and prop God was his God in the Covenant of his Father and Ancestors and therefore he will wrestle strongly with him for mercy even to surh a notorious sinner as he now seeth and feeleth himself to be Solomon's hold and bottome of his prayer in his case is this Let thy promise unto David my Father be established c. 2 Chro. 1. 9 10 11. So Kings 8. 25 26. And now Oh Lord God of Israel let thy word I pray thee be verified which thou spakest to thy servant David my Father David twise pleads his Mothers interest in God Psal 86. 16. Save the Son of thy handmaid Psal 116. 16. Truly Lord I am thy servant and the Son of thy hand-maid thou hast loosed my bonds Prov. 14. 26. In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence and his Children viz. The Children of him that feareth God shall have place and refuge No case so sad or so bad which such Children of fearers of God whose eyes and hearts God openeth in some measure to see and be sensible thereof but they have an asylum to fly too they have the Covenant and promises made and ratified in Christ to their Godly Fathers and Mothers to repair too and to keep up their faith at the deadest lift lift up Parents then high in Honor by whose Covenant-interest your faith may in saddest cases have such lifts 4. In that Children are many waies blessed and bettered by occasion of their Parents 4. Blessings of Children by good Parents prayers pleas Covenant-interests c. therefore Honour them Gen. 49. 26. The blessings of thy Father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors Every godly Ancestour addeth something to the Common stock of blessings of grace laid up for their posterity the latter still superadding somewhat more than the former left Psal 115. 14. The Lord shall increase you more and more you your Children Psal 102. 1 2 3. The generation of the upright shall be blessed Psal 103. 17. Gods righteousnesse or faithfulness in his Covenanted mercies is unto Childrens Children Deut. 4. 40. Thou shalt therefore keep his Statutes that it may go well with thee and with thy Children after thee So cap. 12. 28. If God then Honour you with such blessings for your good Parents sakes you may well Honour your Parents yea sometimes the very worst Children who had been many a time debased as low as hell by the destroying judgements of God yet are not out of Gods respect to their Parents or Ancestors Covenant-interests God would not destroy the house of David in wicked Jehoram's time because of the Covenant which he had made with David 2 Chro. 21. 6 7. And so the very worst might be provoked to Honour their good Parents for had it not been for their sakes its likely such had been in the lowest hell ere this let children of good parents know that by grace through your Parents instrumentally you have God for your God if not rejecting your interest if having hearts to improve the same for your help to Honour God and them Gen. 17. 7. 5. In that it is the ready way for Children to be Honoured by others to Honour their Parents 5. Childrens honour from others thereby and therefore Honour them Ruth 4. 14 15. The good woemen say of Obed Ruth's Son that his name shall be famous in Israel and adde that as an incouraging Argument to Naomi his Grand-Mother and he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life and a nourisher of thine old age a very observant and gratefull Grand-childe and no wonder then if his name would be so Honourable in Israel God records it in Scripture in honorem in the eyes of God Angels and men concerning Sem Japhet Joseph and others that they were such Honourers of Parents The very Pagan Grecians honoured Aeneas his piety to his aged Father so as that they honourably rewarded it with the gift of all his other estate which else was the Conquerers right 6. In that it is the ready way for Children to
of it more wayes than one Oh that children would think of it and do like service of love for them then would there never be such grumbling with children as there is with too many as if every thing were too much or too harsh which they are put to do for supply of parents wants Parents never needed urging or forcing no nor their childrens calling upon them to be doing for them and their good let children do like for like let none parents or others need to urge you with many arguments or compel you by blowes or mulcts to be doing this compensatory service but let it be as a very naturall fruit arising freely from an innate principle and root within Parents needed no eye of man of their children or of others to look after them and see that they were diligent in their service of love for their children no when none were by as well as when any were present still they plied it hard for the supply of their childrens wants for their childrens welfare let children do like for like very servants to Masters should not do eye service Col. 3. 22. and it would be a shamefull and loathsome thing most of all in children to do eye service for parents 3. Parents were constant and unwearied in Constantly and unweariedly their labours for their childrens good they thought nothing they did or could do too much or scarce enough for their childrens good Oh that children would but give like for like to parents then would there never be such counting upon so much and so much which children have done for parents Many a poor honest parent hath even worn out themselves and wasted and exhausted their very strength in their service of love for their children and it would be a monstrous thing if children should not now do all that ever they can to maintain these their decayed decrepit exhausted parents I had almost said servants 4 Parents in their service of love on behalf of their children condescended to meanest offices and imployments such indeed they were especially when their children were little were diseased or many wayes bodily distempered and ill at ease that none else but tender hearted parents Fathers and Mothers would have done for them let children do like for like for parents as they may have use or stand in need of them As in the parable oft made use of in this discourse the Son when come to rights he was willing to be as his Fathers servant yea the meanest of servants as his hired servant Luke 15. 17 18 19. 2. In being a comfort to them in their sorrows and sufferings A second way of such grateful recompencing of parents is by being a comfort to them against their sorrows and sufferings As when parents meet with any sad losses crosses reproaches persecutions for Christs sake when exiled imprisoned or the like let children cheer them up all they can Gen. 5. 29. Lamech called his Sons name Noah saying this Son shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed Let children be as so many Noahs comforts and comforters against whatsoever miseries or calamities which may befall their parents Ruth 4. 15. this shall be a restorer of thy life and a nourisher of thy old age the grand-child Boaz must be his grand-mothers cherisher succourer and supporter under God against all her faintings sinkings and troubles of her elder times when that sad news of Josephs supposed death came to Jacobs eares All his Sons and daughters rose up to comfort him Children are branches of their Parents as of a Vine Psal 128. 3. thy wife shall be as the fruitfull Vine by thy house side whose branches yeeld such grapes such fruit from which choycest wine is made whereby mans heart is cheared quickned and inlarged let children then yeeld such chearing quickening strengthning and inlarging fruit to their parents when sad when their Spirits are ready to fail and sink within them through troubles inward or outward As other wine or fruit of the Vine is for those that are of a heavy heart Prov. 31. 6. So children as children as receiving a being from their parents as of the Vine of which they came are to yeeld comforting fruit especially to their sorrowfull parents children should carry it so and be such to sad and suffering parents as they may make up many other losses and crosses to them As it was said of Ruth whose story is often occasionally made use of in this discourse Ruth 4. 15. for thy daughter-in-Law which loveth thee which is more to thee than seven Sons hath born him Naomi had lost her two dear Sons yea but Ruth is such a succourer and supporter and comforter to her that she is instead of many Sons that way to her Eve loseth her hopefull Son Abel and her wound is the greater in that his brother Cain murthered him yea but Seth is given her as one appointed of God to be another seed to her instead of Abel whom his brother Cain slew Gen. 4. 25. she looketh for all that good and comfort from him which Abel might have ministred to her and so doubtless she found it made good to her children in this also must vicem rependere pay and give in like for like Ah the bowels of parents towards children when any evill or calamity befalleth them when any way ill at ease when sad through-outward or inward troubles or pressures they put their souls in their souls stead they would not suffer them to lie grieving and wasting themselves with grief if with all their wisdom and grace and ability they had inward or outward they could redress the same when their children were litle such comforts and cordials were parents unto them and when their children are adult they were the same to them let children then repay like for like to their grieved afflicted parents If to him that is melting away with trouble as that Hebrew word in Job 6. 14. signifieth such expressions of sympathy should be shewed from a friend to his friend much more from a child to a parent if a brother be born for adversity Prov. 17. 17. Is it not one end of a childs being born from his parents to be a help and succour to them in adversity Children should be as eyes to their dim-sighted parents as strength to them when weak Feet to them when lame nourishers to them when in need of meat and refreshment sweet melody to them to make their very hearts dance within them and a very flaffe to their age as it is said that Scipio Africanus was unto his Father If Christ himself account so of each of his Disciples who do the will of his Father to be his Brother Sister and Mother not alone in the faithfull respects and service of the love of such to him-ward but in respect of his own respects and services of love succour and sympathy towards them as of a
Senacheribs sons did it as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his God they smote him with the sword 2 King 19. 37. Surely the Law even all the Curses and Judgments of the Law must needs be the portion of such Paricides 2 Tim. 1. 9. Who so ill requite their tender-hearted Parents and causes of their lives A second use serveth for exhortation 1. To 2. Use of exhortation Parents Do you what lieth in you to further and look 1. To parents to further this gratitude in their Children 1. By leaving them the choycer blessings of God that you no way do any thing to hinder your children in this duty of gratefull recompencing of Parents for which end 1. Take speciall care to leave your children the good blessings of God respecting their souls welfare for this will lie as a strong ingagement upon your childrens hearts the rather gratefully to recompence you their Parents Thus God required of them of old that they should so carry it that they might leave the Land of Canaan a Type of blessings of an higher nature for an inheritance to their Children for ever The like is charged 2 Chron. 28. 8. This was the gratious care of the Fathers of the two tribes and half to detain their children in the way of Gods worship and fear and to prevent whatsoever might hinder or discourage their posterity from the same Josh 22. 25 26 27 28. And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing saying in time to come your children might speak to our Children saying what have you to do with the Lord God of Israel yee have no part in the Lord So shall your Children make our Children cease from fearing the Lord. Therefore we said let us now prepare to build us an altar not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifice but that it may be a witnesse between us and you and our generations after us that we might do the service of the Lord before him c. This was Joshuah's care also for his Josh 24. 15. But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord And this was Abrahams care Gen. 28. 29. I know him saith the Lord that he will command his Children and household after him and they shall walk in his waies that God may bring upon Abraham namely in his posterity what he hath promised him 2. Use all lawfull meanes industry and providence to leave your Children in such places and 2. By leaving them inabling meanes and wayes for it in such callings and if it may be with such portions that they may not alone be the more ingaged but inabled also in an ordinary way of providence to discharge such a duty of filial recompence to the utmost Thus Jacobs care was to provide for his house Gen. 30. 30. and he had children solicitous and industrious to provide for him in his straits in that time of famine witness their journeyes for that end into Egypt Gen. 42. and 43 and 44. But in a most eminent way it was seen in his Son Ioseph whose great care was that way Gen. 45. 9. Thus saith thy Son Joseph Come down to me and tarry not and vers 10. Thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen and thou shalt be near to me thou and thy Children and thy Childrens Children and thy flocks and herds and all that thou hast vers 22. and there will I nourish thee for yet there are five years of Famine lest thou and thy household and all that thou hast come to poverty 3. By distilling into Children principles of gratitude to others and curbing the contrary in them 3. Distil into your children principles of gratitude to others especially unto progenitors So did Ruth into Obed her Son whence that prophetical speech of good women present at Obeds birth which they spake to his Grandmother Naomi Ruth 4. 15. He shall be to thee a restorer of thy life and a nourisher of thy old age for thy Daughter-in-law which loveth thee and therefore will be instructing him that way hath born him And if Parents perceive any expressions of an ungratefull Spirit in their Children though towards others let them be sure to rebuke their children for it and seasonably to root up such sprouts of so bad a Spirit So did good Jethro in his Daughters when they told him what kindness Moses had done to them Exod. 2. 19 20. saith he to his Daughters and where is he why is it that ye left the man call him that he may eat bread 4. Be you exemplary to your Children in this 4. By being examples thereof to Children gratefull recompence of your Parents Hence also their Argument concerning Obed that he would prove such a pious child to his Grandmother Naomi Ruth 4. 15. He will be a nourisher of thy old age For thy Daughter which loveth thee which is better to thee then seaven sons and in her exemplary piety towards thee hath born him If children are continually taught by Parents examples of piety to their parents as well as by their Instructions to be thus pious they will assuredly learn as Pauls phrase is 1 Tim. 5. 4. to shew piety at home and to requite their Parents 5. Be it far from you to be so ungracious towards 5. By avoiding any thing favouring of unnaturalness to them your godly children as not to shield off blowes from them what in you lieth like the Father and Mother of the blind man leave him to shift for himself with He is of years let him answer for himself John 9. 21 22. So did not Joash who in that honest cause of his son Gideon stood in his defence Iudg. 6. 31. Joash said to all that stood by him against his Son will you plead for Baal will you save him he that will plead for him let him be put to death whilest it is yet morning if he be a God let him plead for himself because one hath cast down his Altar But much less let any Parent requite good children so ill as themselves to undermine their childrens safety or liberty Luke 21. 16. Yee shall be betrayed by Parents c. 2. It is of exhottation to children 2. Exhortation to Children gratefully to recompence Parents Motives to it Be you stirred up to piety and gratefull recompence to your Parents And that you may be stirred up hereunto besides that it is honourable in the sight of God Angels and Men so to do whence such Records kept of gratefull Children in honorem as of Joseph and others Consider 1. That by the very light of nature it hath been 1. Naturall light strongly urged and exemplarily practised as we have hinted before Plato in his 8. Book de Republica sheweth that a Child oweth to the Father all things respecting his outward maintainance and comfort as a recompence for his Birth and Education and Tully saith We are not born for our selves but partly for our Country partly for
Honour of Respect Reverence Obedience and Recompence to Fathers of our flesh and such carrying of it so by Children as it redoundeth to parents honour as we have largely declared O what Honour of Respect Reverence Obedience and holy Recompence to him and what manner of carrying of it so as may redound to his Honour doth God expect from you his Chldren to whom he is not only a Father of your Spirit or Soul as he is to all others but a Covenant-Father If God require that to Parents from their Children upon pain of life and death he much more requireth this from you his Covenant and Church-Children upon pain of loss of eternal life and undergoing eternal death But is that the Honour of Respect which you who are degenerate Children give to this your Father to have no desire of the knowledge of his wayes As it is said of that degenerate generation in Job 21. 14 15. whether those in Jobs own time or those before the floud of whom Job 22. 15 16 17 18. but to wish rather what those wretches there mentioned that God might depart from you in respect of any such motions which he maketh and convictions and restraints upon your Spirits which sometimes you meet with and to take no delight at all in God in his word worship wayes daies government Saints and Servants Or is this the honour of Reverence which you give him to be awless fearless of his presence when you are in his house when at Prayer with your Parents or the like and to be constantly fearless of his displeasure or of sinning against him Or is this the Honour of Obedience which you give him to obey the motions of your own hearts lusts of your Companions of Seducers and of the very Divell himself but as for Gods charge or Commands you make light of them So that God may say of you as he did of that degenerate generation of old and speak of it as inter horrenda Hear O Heavens and give ear O earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished Children and they have rebelled against me the Oxe knoweth his owner the Ass his Masters Crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Ah sinfull Nation Children that are corruptors they have forsaken the holy one they are gone away backward Isa 1. 2 3 4. And as Isa 30. 9. This is a rebellious people lying Children Children that will not hear the law of the Lord. Or is this the honour of holy Recompence which you should have rendered to him for all his benefits towards you to depart from him to vex and provoke his holy Spirit which is striving with you as he was with that degenerate generation in Gen. 6. 2 3. to corrupt your selves as did that other generation mentioned Deut. 32. 5. whose spot was not the spot of Children or of right-bred children of God who were a crooked and perverse generation Surely God may and doth say to you as he did by Moses to them vers 6. Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise is not he thy Father that hath bought thee hath not he made and established thee finally is this your being an honour to God your heavenly father to cause the name of God to be blasphemed and the way of truth to be evill spoken of for your sakes as it may be said of you which was said of those degenerate Jewes Rom. 2. 23. Thou that makest thy boast of the law through breaking of the law dishonourest thou God vers 24. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you when such as you are by your vile speeches carriages opinions or courses of life shall occasion the prophaner sort or enemies to God and his Church Ironically to say as they of old did of those degenerate Jewes Ezech. 36. 20. These are the people of the Lord So by your meanes others now a daies to say of you Yea these are your younger generation of the Church these are those that are in the Covenant of grace these are your Church-members these are they which in their Infant-Baptism were devoted to the faith and worship of Father Son and Holy Ghost these are the brood of such Puritan Ministers and other precise followers and the like blasphemous sarcasmes wherin the Lords precious name together with his Truth Covenant Saints and Servants are also vilely reproached Again as such Children are Gods Servants and Children so they are by externall calling Covenant and Church Interest his subjects also Of them is Gods kingdome Luk. 18. 16 17. Now for His Subjects such as you are who are the subjects of the Lord thus to break your Oath or Covenant of Allegiance and to reject his goverment over you by his Word Spirit or Discipline like those degenerate Jewes who said of the promised Messiah Jesus Christ We will not have this man to rule over us Luke 19. 27. Hereby you do but rebel against your Lord and Soveraign and what is rebellion but as the sin of witchcraft 1 Sam. 15. 23. even a hellish execrable and damnable crime But to proceed to the other branches of the evill of sin in this degeneration of such Children In which we shall be more brief 2. Hereby you become breakers of Covenant 2. It is a breach of Covenant with God with God with whom you are confederate Yea you hereby tear off the very seal of the Covenant even your Baptism Thus God when telling Moses how that people would degenerate he saith Deut. 31. 20. They would break his Covenant so Isaiah charging the degenerate generation in his daies also with their sin he saith Isa 24. 5. They have transgressed the Lawes they have broken the everlasting Covenant And as for invalidating after a sort of the Covenant-seal thereby you may see it in those degenerate ones mentioned even now Rom. 2. 25. If thou be a breaker of the law thy Circumcision which to them was the seal of the Covenant and of the righteousness of faith as Baptism is to us Gen. 10. 11 13. Rom. 4. 11. is made uncicumcision and so ineffectuall It is as it were torn off and trampled under foot through that sin of theirs Now if this be so heinous a thing with men to break Covenant with Princes to tear off tread under foot their broad seals how evill is this in Gods sight and if that breach of a Covenant made before God even with a tyrant by Zedechiah were so grievous to God that as Ezech. 17. 15 16 17. he saith Shall he escape that doth such things or shall he break Covenant and be delivered So I may say here to these degenerate Children of the godly shall such as you are escape the fiery displeasure of God that do such things or shall you that break Gods Covenant be delivered from wrath to come no assuredly unlesse the Lord give you repentance unto life And consider of it in the fear of God
that Isaiah made account that for the sins whereby those degenerate ones brake Gods everlasting Covenant Isa 24. 3. The earth should reel to and fro like a Drunkard and that the trangression thereof shall be heavy upon it vers 20. Now if such Covenant-breaking sins of degenerate ones be such as they are a burthen too heavy for the very earth to bear and such as maketh the very earth to stagger under it like a Drunkard me thinks the burthen of such a sin should make your backs and hearts ake and crack and even reel under it if it do not so now yet let all degenerate ones know that God will one day awaken your consciences when you shall say with that terrified Apostate degenerate Cain My punishment or my sin is greater than I can bear 3. Hereby you become grosly unfaithfull yea 3. It is unfaithfulness and treachery to God Ancestours posterity and the whole Church treacherous to your God to your Ancestours to your Parents to posterity to the whole Church God made you his Trustees and so did Ancestours and Parents make you their spirituall Trustees under God to hold up Religion Truth the Worship Waies and Goverment of Christ when they should be gathered to their Fathers they look at and leave you their Children to be a seed of the Church to be as plants to hold up Gods Orchards as Churches are called Cant. 4. 12 13. and as lesser sets and slips to maintain the Lords Gardens of which Cant. 8. 12 to be the Lords hand and theirs also to receive his Truth Worship and Government from them under God and faithfully and intirely to deliver the same to your posterity and so to help to propagate the same to such as come after you Psal 78. 5. The Lord established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel which he commanded our Fathers that they should make them known to their Children vers 6. That the generation to come might know them even the Children which should be born who should arise and declare them to their Children vers 7. That they might set their hope in God The like course of continuation and propagation of his wayes and truth among the Gentiles doth the Lord pitch upon Psal 22. 30 31. A seed shall serve him It shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation they shall come and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born that he hath done this hence that twofold censure of God upon the two houses of Israel and Judah Hos 11. 12. Ephraim compasseth me about with lies and the house of Israel with deceit but Judah yet ruleth with God and is faithfull to the Saints namely past present and to come that Tribe was more faithfull in the matter of Gods charge left with them and they were faithfull to their godly Ancestors or Parents who left also the things of God to them and they were therein also more faithfull to posterity who would come to be spirituall gainers thereby hitherto Abijahs speech is appliable also 2 Chro. 13. 11. We of Judah keep the charge of the Lord our Ged but yee Israelites have for saken him hence that degenerate generation in Deut. 32. 20. are said to be Children in whom is no faith or fidelity or trustiness and truth in the matter of their holy charge delivered to them and truly if it were no more for a sprinkling of a better generation here and there of the godly than for such as you are what in an ordinary way would become of the way of God of religion of Church within a few years And such as you are do what in you lyeth to break and ruine posterity and the succession of Churches It s true indeed if all such fail as Matth. 3. 9. God is able out of stones to raise up Children unto Abraham by unlikely wayes and means to raise up another seed of the Church but yet in regard of second causes and Gods ordinary way of dispensation if all such plants and nurceries fail Gods Orchard and Garden-Churches must fail 4. It is going a whoring from God 4. Hereby you go a whoring from God Rejoyce not O Israel for joy as other people for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God saith God to those degenerate ones Hos 9. 1. You are by Covenant as married to God as God spake of that Apostate degenerate posterity when he would quicken them up to return to him Jer. 3. 14. Turn O back-sliding Children saith the Lord for I am married to you yea but in respect of you that marriage Covenant is broken as by spirtuall whoredome of which Jam. 4. 4. Speaking of professors and members of Churches that yet were turned aside from God Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses saith the Lord. Now how odious a sin is Adultery with men and surely this spirituall whordome is very heinous in Gods sight and deeply provoking hence that Psal 73. 27. Thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee 5. Hereby you become stumbling blocks to others 5. It occasioneth much sin in others and occasion in them both evils of commission and omission Oh it s an Attractive a load-stone to draw company of other youngsters why there will be such and such a members a Ministers an Elders Son or Daughter there It hardens others in their evill why I drank not I plaid not such a Lords day or the like alone such and such members Elders Sons or Daughters did so as well as I. I wear not such long hair alone I go not in such and such fashions alone I hold not such and such opinions which you Judge corrupt alone but such and such Church Members and their Children do as much 1 Sam. 2. 17. The sin of Elies Sons it s said was very great before the Lord for men abhorred the offering of the Lord. 6. Hereby you not alone cross what in you 6. It is a crossing even of God's expectation lyeth the Churches the Churches Officers your Parents your godly instructors and friends expectations but you do in a sense also cross the Lords expectations touching you like that degenerate posterity Esay 63. 8. God said of them surely they are my people Children that will not lie so he was their Saviour ves 10. but they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit So Esay 5. 3 4. Wherefore when I looked for grapes did it bring forth wild grapes God maketh account speaking after the manner of men and according to the way of his generall will and to second causes and the like that surely they would be trusty to him and his truth and way and they would be fruitfull but they proved otherwise so may God say of such as we are now speaking of but as that was most grievous in them before God severely punished in them so is this in these degenerate ones your crime is heinous your punishment will be most dreadfull if you speedily repent not Now
Covenant may be attended by their Children and so the whole Covenant fully effected in the promised mercies of it also to them and to their Children Now this duty of good education of Children being so weighty and being a furtherance to the other duty in hand even Childrens beeing an honour Rules concerning good education of Children to their Parents every way besides former things occasionally hinted Let us here propound 1. Some few rules about it 2. Some motives to it As for Rules about education 1. Let Parents wisely observe and pry into the 1. Observe the genious bent and capacity of Children genius as I may call it and bent and capacity of their Children which way they are most biased in their spirits and of what they are most capable Prov. 20. 11. Even that Child is known by his doings whether his work be pure or whether it be right that is as is well noted in the Synod Bible Children shew betimes whether they be inclined to good waies or bad and must be dealt withall accordingly When Themistocles was a very boy Plutarch tells us that he would not play with the boys but compose their differences So Alexander the great when he was a boy at play with other boys and was asked whether he would wrestle after the manner of the Olympick games yes gladly saith he If I might wrestle with a King Such speaking signes gave they of an Heroick and Princely Spirit when they were little and so many others do no doubt in other things 2. When Parents by wise observations do perceive 2. Carry it wisely and suitably towards them as that their disposition requireth the bent and bias of their Children now let them carry it towards them accordingly If they be strongly bent to some vice more than others as Lying as it is said of some Psalm 58. 3. They go astray from their birth speaking lies admonish them betimes in the evill of it represent to them what God speaketh in especiall wise against it what sad examples and sequels in Scripture and otherwise both in poynt of sin and in point of judgements are found thereof after which course taken then watch them the more narrowly and spare them not for it if they fall into lying again and do the like in case of a slandering disposition or of a venerious or lustfull disposition or a proud spirit shewing its lofty bent after gay apparell great and high things in the world or a covetous spirit shewing it self in expressions of a greedy having and craving spirit in them when Children in a gripple and nigardly temper and the like or a scoffing spirit or a profane spirit or an intemperate spirit in matter of meat and drink or a whimficall brain-sick disposition even in their Childhood and youth spare no seasonable rebukes or correction whereby to curb such vile dispositions in them seasonably and thoroughly Prov. 23. 13 14. With-hold not correction from the child thou shalt beat him and save his soul from hell and 22. 15. folly is bound up in the heart of a child but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him It 's Gods ordinance for the seasonable and true redress of such evill dispositions and the cure of such distempers of nature If Cham had curb'd that slandring disposition earlier in his Son Canaan it had been better for them both if Isaac had seasonably curb'd Esau's voluptuous disposition Gen. 25. 25. And David Amnons lustfull disposition that mischief had not fallen out in both their Families mentioned Gen. 26. 35. and 2 Sam. 13. 1 2 4 15 17. If the Jewes had curb'd those buddings out of their sons and daughters pride or Josiah had done so with that of his Children the whole Land had not so sinned and smarted by it as it did Esay 3. 5 16 17. and Zeph. 1. 8. If Absoloms aspiring spirit had been seasonably observed and crushed by David in his child-hood and youth It had never grown so impetuous and mischievous as is spoken 2 Sam. 15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 11 12 13 c. It was those Jew parents horrid sin that they were covetous themselves and so rather cherished than curbed a covetous spirit in their Children untill the Lord seeing them all from the greatest to the least eldest to the youngest given to covetousness he undertaketh the punishing thereof to their cost Jer. 6. 13 c. If those parents who might well enough have discerned a jeering spirit in those boyes before it brake out so far as afterwards had seasonably curbd it in them the wild bears of the wood had never been such executioners of the Prophets just curse against them for that flout of theirs come up thou bald-head come up thou bald-head 2 Kings 2. 23 24. And doubtless that was not the first time that the blasphemous Son of the Israelitish woman mentioned Levit. 24. 10 11. had declared the profaness of his Spirit which if timely corrected and curbed It had not broken out in so capitall a way as then it did And I might say the like of all other folly or foolish dispositions which are in Childrens hearts naturally which as they outwardly appear if duly corrected and curbed they would be removed or driven far away Prov. 22. 15. If Children either by common or saving influences of the Spirit are more ingenuous spirits and of better and more hopefull dispositions Oh let parents as they discern the same incourage the same all the prudent and pious wayes that may be thus wise and gracious Rebeccah perceiving in her Son Jacob the specimen and signall tokens of a plain honest single open-hearted spirit she expresseth and enlargeth her love far more to him than to her Eldest Son Esau whom she perceived to be of a more haughty and voluptuous spirit Gen. 25. 27 28. and amongst other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tokens by which to Judge and accordingly to incourage such laudable ingenuity and hopefull disposition of Children or youth mind and observe the nature and scope of their questions and how ready they shew themselves thereby to search and seek after and to understand the best things and of weightier concernment to their souls as a worldly covetous frame of heart is discovered by answerable questions whence that character given of worldlings there be many that say who will shew us any good even any worldly good Psal 4. 6. and as their graceless spirit is described by their omission of enquiries and asking after God Esay 65. 1. So an inquisitive disposition after soul-matters in Children as a better and more hopefull Omen in them is to be incouraged by parents Exod. 12. 26. and 13. 24. Josh 4. 21. when thy Son shall ask thee in time to come what meaneth this or that then you shall say the Lord did thus and thus so let parents mind and encourage some better speeches which sometimes beyond expectation will fall from very Children those rarer speeches and answers of
and serve other gods putting me upon that temptation to it But by leaving our Children under good ordinances and goverment we do hereby greatly further them in the best things and thereby also in becomming an honour to us For 1. They are furthered that way by your godly Ministers there and the pure dispensation of the word and ordinances by them when such Fishers are upon the Churches banks your fish of all hand great and small are wont to be caught and drawn to the Land Ezek. 47. 8 9 10. by John Baptists Ministry as we before shewed all is brought to rights 'twixt Children and Parents Mal. 4. 6. He shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the Children and the hearts of the Children to the father 2. They are much helped that way by the Churches and Saints Christian watch over them Counsels instructions and seasonable admonitions of them and prayers for them Peter as an Apostle having all virtuall Apostollical and Church power in him is charged with the feeding teaching and ruling of Christs Lambs as well as elder sheep Joh. 21. 15 16. The Children of the Church have a beneficiall privilege that they must be watched over kept from wanderings searched out if started aside and brought in if gone astray healed if diseased cherished and nourished up by all holy meanes of which they are capable kept to their pasturage watering folding and the like 3. They will be much helped by the good civill governours meanes also who is a nursing Father unto the Church and to her little Children Jsa 49. 23. and who is to take magistraticall care in speciall sort of the education of Children As even the heathen Aristotle saies it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist polit l. 8. c. 1. That it is an unquestionable thing to all men that it especially concerneth the civill Law-giver to look to and make lawes about the education or disciplining of youth which being not attended saith he in States it overthroweth them It was one of Lycurgus his Lawes to restrain the carelesness of Parents in educating their children that after Children were seaven years old their Parents should not breed them up as they list but they should be disposed to certain companies of Children to be excercised to good instructions and discipline and when grown up to be Youths they should mispend no time without instructions and regulations and no doubt that Spartan state flourished the better for that and other like Laws of Lycurgus as stories tell us God himself maketh account that a godly ruling Eliakim is of great use to his people in respect of their offspring or Children whence that in Esai 22. 20 24. in a word the Lord doth promise it as a most advantageous privilege in the daies of the Gospel both to the godly returning Jewes and to their Children that they shall be in his Church and under his blessed ordinances in his Church in which he will be present his sanctuary shall be amongst them Ezek. 37. 25 26. and that they shall be under the goverment of Christ under the name of David Ibid. and that not alone ecclesiasticall in the Church but civill also in their Christian-state and Common-wealth all goverments civill and sacred being in a diverse respect Christs delivered to him of the Father Matth. 28. 18. and by him to Christian rulers Prov. 8. 15. as King of Kings and Lord of Lords 3. Let Christian Parents for the furtherance of their Children being an Honour to them take special care to maintain peace among their Children and to take away all occasion of breaches among them in after times this was Abrahams care in his life time to give Returahs Children their portions and so to send them away farther off from Isaac who was to hold on Abrabrahams Honour as a Covenant and Church-Father c. Gen. 25. 5 6. In defect of such Parentall care worse matters have fallen out in Christian Families to their Parents great dishonour 4. Let Christian Parents also for the end mentioned take speciall care of the well disposing of their Sons and Daughters in Matiage So did Abraham for his only Son as God in a sense called him Isaac Gen. 24. 1 2 3 c. So did Isaac and Rebeckah for Jacob Gen. 28. 2 3 c. Having smarted for the contrary neglect in Esau Gen. 27. 46. and both Isaac and Jacob proved an Honour to their Parents but Ishmael and Esau not looked after that way by their Parents were rather a reproach to them who begat them Hence that charge of God to Jewish Parents to look much to the disposing of their Children in Mariage Deu. 7. 3. Lastly let Christian Parents who would have their Children be an honour to them lay up many prayers for them for that end and accordingly exercise faith also in Gods promises for bringing the same to passe Psal â—0 16. Let thy glory appear to our Children and then vers 17. Let thy beauty be upon us so Psalm 144. 12. It is one great part of the matter and scope of their prayer that they may have an hopefull honourable and usefull posterity even as growing plants and as choise polished corner pieces of a Palace and when Hannah was now about disposing of young Samuel under Elies Tuition 1 Sam. 1. 23. all Hannahs prayer is this onely the Lord establish his word even that which he hath promised respecting this our Son And the godly Psalm 102. 28. are brought as acting of faith for this end the Children of thy servants shall continue and their seed shall be established before thee and if thus to continue before God then such as should honour Parents also both in a direct and reflect way as a meanes under God of their living long and continuing of them in the Land which God giveth them Thus much for the Exhortation respecting Parents 2. It is of Exhortation also to Children or unto persons as in the relation of Children whether Children in years or grown persons to be an honour to your godly Parents especially by imitation of what is good in them and following their gracious counsels and by holding on in the truths and waies of God wherein they have taught and led you without ever turning aside therefrom For which end let me briefly propound 1. Some motives 2. Some helpes The Motives to it may be such as these 1. In that such good interest of Children and such godly precepts and examples of Parents which are layed before them they are a special talent of mercy and therefore God expects that you should make an honourable inprovement of them Solomon speaketh of the same thus as his mercifull advantage Prov. 4. 3. For I was my Fathers Son vers 4. He taught me also and verse 10. Hear O my Son and receive my instruction and the yeares of thy life shall be many and so be an honour every way of Parents as a meanes to that end and then addeth vers 11. I have taught thee
indeavour and unto him and to his grace I commend thee Christian Reader resting Thine in him THOMAS COBBET Lyn in New-England this 1. of Novemb. 1654. The heads of the Chapters the particular Contents whereof stand in the Margin of the Book at their proper places they refer to Chap. 1. Of the Explication of the fift Commandement Where 1. The Terms of the fifth Commandement are explaned and it is shewed that by Father and Mother are principally intended all naturall parents in generall and such who are in covenant and Church estate in speciall and that By Honour is understood both Honour in generall and Honour in special both in a direct way as honour of Respect of Reverence of Obedience of Recompence in a reflect way in being such and carrying of it so as maketh for parents especially good parents honour 2. The weight of the duty of honour of parents is shewed Chap. 2. Of Honour in generall due to Parents Where Is shewed Negatively what honour is not due to parents Affirmatively what Honour is due to parents Use is made for Reproof Of Childrens dishonouring of parents instancing in 7. wayes whereby it is done and 4. mischiefs attending it Of Parents undermining that their honour and that 7. wayes Of corrupters of youth Examination where are 5. marks given of due honour given to parents Exhortation To parents to further this their honour and that 7. wayes To Children to give parents that honour where are Motives 6. Helps 7. Chap. 3. Of Honour of Respect due to Parents Where It is set forth as consisting in eight things Use is made for Reproof Of Childrens unnaturalness to Parents Of parents too much occasioning the Alienation of their childrens hearts from them and that 5. wayes Exhortation To children to cherish due respects to parents where are propounded Motives 3. Helps 5. Cautions To parents to carry it so as may win respect from Children and that 5. wayes Chap. 4. Of Honour of Reverence due to parents Where Is set forth The outward Reverence due in 7. things The inward Reverence due in 7. things Use is made for Reproof Of Childrens Irreverence to parents Of parents undermining that Filial Reverence 4. wayes Exhortation To Children to Reverence parents where are Motives 3. Helps 3. To parents to further filial Reverence and that six wayes Chap. 5. Of Honour of Obedience due to Parents Where It is set forth as consisting in 5. things The manner of it is shewed in 5. particulars Three Reasons are given for it Use is made for Reproof Of Childrens Meerly pretended Obedience Disobedience Of parents occasioning childrens disobedience and that 3. wayes Examination where are given 6. marks of true and due filiall obedience Exhortation To parents to further due filial obedience and that six wayes To Children to yeeld that obedience where are Motives 6. Helps 5. Chap. 6. Of Honour of Recompence due to Parents Where It is set forth as consisting especially in 5. things The manner of it also is shewed 4. Reasons of it are given Use is made for Reproof of Childrens ingratitude in Generall 4. Particulars Exhortation To Parents to further that Filial gratitude and that 5. wayes To Children to recompence Parents gratefully where are 3. Motives 2. Helps 3. Cautions 3. Marks Chap. 7. Of Honour in a reflect way due to Parents or of childrens being such and carrying of it so as maketh for even Godly Parents Honour Where It is set forth as consisting in 10. things the two later whereof are most urged 2. Generall Reasons are given thereof in which are sundry particulars Use is made for Reproof Of Parents too much furthering Childrens dishonourable carriages and courses and that 6. wayes Of Childrens reflecting dishonour upon Parents yea and godly Parents yea and some of those Children formerly hopefully good which is done many wayes the last of them namely degeneration of the Children of the godly being largely urged wherein are shewed The Evils attending such degeneration and those both Of Sin and In Children of the godly in generall and that in 6. things In hopefull ones in speciall and that in 8. things Of sorrow where respecting the Former sort are 7. Later sort are 5. Exhortation To Parents to further their Childrens being an honour to them in the chiefest wayes thereof which parents do five wayes but the first is most insisted upon namely good Education of Children where are Rules 7. Motives 4. To Children to strive to be such an honour to parents in the best way Herein are Motives 3. Helps 3. AN EXPOSITION OF THE FIFTH COMMANDEMENT SHEWING The principall duties of Children to Parents firstly therein intended and what God also requireth in regard thereof from Parents towards their children CHAP. I. OF the weight of the duty of Childrens Honouring of their Parents Exod. 20. 12. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee The words which I have Read are obvious to every common eye and intelligible by every ordinary understanding and therefore time need not be spent in any large opening of any obscurity of phrase in them The parts of the Text also are as plainly manifest to be two First a Precept Honour thy Father and thy Mother Secondly a promise incouraging to obey that precept that thy daies may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee In the precept you have First the duty it self injoyned Honour Secondly the persons to whom the duty is injoyned even the children to these Fathers and Mothers yea each Child of what ranck or condition soever who is yet in the Land of the living is required to perform this duty to living Father and Mother and therefore it is put in the second person singular Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long c. Thirdly the persons who by divine command are to be honoured by each Child namely each Childs Father yea and as well each Childs Mother Honour thy Father and thy Mother The main terms then to be further considered of are First that of Father and Mother Secondly that of Honour and then we shall briefly explain the promise By Father and Mother most interpreters understand all superiours First such as are above others yet without Authory properly over them as such as are others superiours by much in years as are Antient men and women to those that are young 1 Tim. 5. 1. or such as are others betters by much in eminency of parts powesse experience bounty grace c. Gen. 45. 8. Job 31. 18. 1 Chron. 4. 14 21. 2 Rings 13. 14 15. Secondly such as are others superiours having Authority over them whether private And that either by the Law of nature as naturall Fathers Who are firstly here intended by Father and Mother even naturall Parents and Mothers who are principally here intended Or by way of private contract as Husbands who are wives superiours specially Masters whether
in the Family 2 Kings 5. 13. or in the School and College 2 Kings 2. 12. who are as Fathers to to their Servants Scholars and Pupils Or Secondly publick even such as have more publick Authority over others either in the Common-wealth as civill Rulers Esay 22. 21. 1 Sam. 24. 12. or in the Church as Church officers teaching and ruling Acts 22. 1. Judg. 18. 19. 2 Kings 6. 21. Now though with Musculus I will not restrain the meaning of the 5th Commandement as only intending naturall Fathers Mothers and the honour due to them from their Children yet because it is undeniable to all that these are principally intended here the other onely in a second place and respect I shall therefore God willing in the insuing discourse attend to that as firstly and mainly aimed at here and plainly and simply expressed in the very letter of the Text. Touching the other word Honour It is to be What is meant by Honour Even considered both in generall and in a restrained sense All meet honour and every kind of regular honour being due from Children to Parents The Lord doth not say love thy Father and thy Mother or fear them or obey them or recompence them or be an honour to them any one of these being too narrow to reach so large a duty as parentall relations call for from their children and each of these being separable from the other and may be in other relations where all the other are not so properly requisite yet no one of these are excluded but all and every of them included in the notion of Honour Filiall Honour is the center wherein they all meet and whence again they are all drawn out to their respective objects Father and Mother Filiall honour must season them each must savour of Honour Filial Honour must regulate them all they must go so far as that goeth and no further Filial honour Honour in the Generall and Honour in speciall both must be their common stamp the impression whereof each must bear Due Filial honour must be their touchstone by which they must receive their triall Honour then in the Generall is Parents due from their children So is Honour in speciall whether that which is more direct or that which is in a more reflect way Honour in a direct way is in Scripture language 1. Direct fourfold even Honour First of Respect Secondly of Reverence Thirdly of Obedience Fourthly of Recompence and are all and each of them included in this generall term Honour 1. Honour of high Respect and love is understood as 1. Honour of Respect in that Psal 15. 4. He honoureth them that fear the Lord that is he highly esteemeth and respecteth he most dearly loveth and affecteth them 1 Tim. 5. 17. The Elders that Rule well count them worthy of double Honour i. e. of respect as well as that of Recompence 1 Pet. 3. 7. Giving Honour to them as to the weaker vessels i. e. having a tender respect to them 2 Sam. 6. 22. Of them shall I be had in Honour i. e. highly esteemed respected and intirely beloved So here Honour thy Father and thy Mother i. e. highly prise and respect and most dearly love thy Father thy mother yea so as it be in a way of Honour to them as Parents and not barely as others not so nearly related 2. Honour is taken in Scripture for Honour of Reverence and fear So when God speaketh of 2. Honour of Reverence his Honour as to a Master he calleth it fear Mal. 1. 6. if I am a Master where is my fear or Honour as a Master hence that of Saul to Samuel 1 Sam. 15. 30. Yet Honour me before the people or let the people see that thou doest reverence me Hence that Levit. 19. 32. honour the face of the old man i. e. reverence it So here Honour thy Father and thy Mother i. e. reverence and awe them in an honourable way to them as Parents and not as others meerly not so nearly related 3. Honour is taken in Scripture for Honour of 3. Honour of Obedience Obedience So Mat. 1. 6 if I am a Father where is my Honour i. e. of obedience It being spoken to those Respectless Awless and also disobedient Priests and People there mentioned So Eph. 6. 1. to prove that Children should obey their Parents in the Lord the Apostle brings in the fifth Commandement v. 2. Honour thy Father and thy Mother because if to Honour Father and Mother then to obey them for obedience is in part the honor due to them only they are to obey them so as Honour of Parents may be seen and read as in large Characters in all the Acts and passages of that obedience 4. Honour is taken in Scripture for Honour of 4. Honour of Recompence Recompence and thankfulness Numb 22. 37. cannot I Honour or recompence thee Honourably saith Balack to Balaam It is the same Hebrew word with this in Exod. 20. 12. Judg. 13. 17. That when this is come to pass I may Honour thee i. e. make thee some gratefull recompence 1 Tim. 5. 17. Count them worthy of double Honour i. e. that of Recompence as well as that of respect So here Honour thy Father and thy Mother 2. Reflect Honour or being an Honour to them and carrying of it so as maketh for Parents Honour i. e. as they need and as thou art able hast opportunity make them thankfull recompence onely so as all may be as Honour to them as Parents and not in the least savouring or holding forth any dishonour to them Honour in a Reflect way is to be such or to carry it so as may redound to anothers Honour whom we are bound to Honour 1 Sam. 15. 30. Honour me before the people i. e. carry it so before them as may not redound to my disgrace but honour So in that also if I am a Father where is my Honour Mal. 1. 6. i. e. why are not you as my Children an Honour to me not such a dishonour to my name that my holy name and ordinances suffer reproach and contempt by you or why do not you carry it more honourably so as may make for my honour and not so basely as maketh for my great dishonour Ester 6 6. The man whom the King will honour i. e. enact and do something making for his Honour Judg. 13. 17. that I may do thee Honour i. e. do something making for thine Honour It is the same Hebrew word and in the same conjugation with this verb in Exod. 20. 12. So here Honour thy Father and thy Mother i. e. be an honour to them carry it so as may redound to their honour and no way to their disgrace The promise followeth That thy daies The promise explained may belong in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee this further declareth who are firstly concerned in the precept namely such whose God the
Lord is in speciall sort such like as the Jewes to whom this land was first solemnly promulged as in Exod. 20. is expressed who were a people in especiall Covenant with God children of God and of the Church and of the Covenant who professed to look not for a Portion in this world so much as by that Land of promise to be led to a more spirituall and heavenly Canaan and rest of which that earthly Canaan was but a shadow Heb. 4. though this Law being given to Adam in innocency and ingraven in his heart and the rootstep and impression of it being yet left in the hearts of all men by nature and being one of Gods Morall Laws it bindeth all and every Child of man one or other in general and in particular In this promise he doth not say that thy life may be long in the world but that thy dayes may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee which to the Jews was the Land of Canaan to others the Land of their possession wherein if honourers of Parents children shall live long if good for them or if ordered by God to live less while they shall have the blessing of long life And so much for explication of the words the doctrine which we shall through divine Assistance prosecute is this That children Honour their Parents It is a duty The main doctrine The weight of the duty of Honour of Parents proved of greatest moment and concernment Let us first evince the weightiness of this duty and then more fully handle the duty it self Four reasons amongst many may be given to prove the weight of this duty Honour thy Father and thy Mother 1. Because it is placed by the Law-giver himself 1. Because next in order to the Commandements of the first Table and before the Commandements of the second Table immediately next to the commandements of the 1. Table as next in order to them and before all the other Commandements of the 2. Table as in order of duty and dignity preceding the same It is made a sweet closure bond and sementing to both Tables binding and fastning each to other inviolably and inseparably As this is more fast or loose so are mens spirits more girt to the duties of both Tables or more loose from them He that conscientiously honoureth his Parents he is assuredly conscientious of honouring of God in the first place and his Parents for conscience sake unto the Lord Piety to God-ward as a cause precedeth in him to this blessed duty piety towards Parents as to its effect And therefore the Lord doth not without cause stile the duty of Children to Parents by the name of piety 1 Tim. 5. 4. let them learn of shew piety to them at home and to requite their Parents Piety being in the root it is piety in the fruit yea this blessed fruit is a furthering means also to promove all the acts of piety which spring out of that root if Children honour their Parents fully and as they ought they will in observance of their Parents counsels and commands be more carefull of whatsoever God commandeth respecting the first or second Table hence that for the first Table Levit. 19. 3. Ye shall fear every man his Mother and every man his Father and keep my Sabbaths where under the notion of Gods Sabbaths kept not alone the observation of the Sabbath it self is understood but as in Scripture language the whole worship of God is meant So Esay 56. 4. the Eunuches that keep my Sabbaths i. e. observe my whole worship so Ezek. 44. 24. so Ezek. 20. 24. despising and polluting his Sabboths is despising and polluting his worship hence that is there added and their eyes are towards their Idols Observable it is also that in Levit. 19. 2. God saith be ye holy as I am holy and then addeth verse 3. ye shall fear every man his Mother and his Father From that piety originally springeth this yet again annexeth to this ye shall keep my Sabbaths In the Decalogue that is first Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath and then Honour thy Father and thy Mother Here it is Fear every man his Mother and his Father and keep my Sabbaths that Radicall piety being laid in the heart now this other piety exceedingly furthereth the exercise of particular acts of piety towards God one pious towards Parents will be carefull of all naturall worship to call upon God to love him to fear him to put his trust in him required in the 1. Commandement he wil conscientiously observe all Gods instituted worship avoiding all worship of mens inventing according to the tenour of the 2. Commandement he will reverently and faithfully improve Gods attributes titles words and works avoiding the contrary abuse thereof as it is injoyned in the 3. Commandement he will also as faithfully and fruitfully sanctifie the Lords dayes resting from the works of his calling and especially from vain sports which is that which the 4. Commandement requireth the like may be said of the Commandements of the 2. table which will all be duly attended if this duty of the fifth Commandem be faithfully observed both are implyed in that place of which we shall make much use in this discourse Gen. 18. 19. I know Abraham that he will command his children and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do judgement and justice if Abrahams children honour his parentall Authority so that they are at his command then they keep the way of the Lord then they do judgement and justice whatsoever path God chalketh out for them to walk in towards God or towards men they will be keeping in it And indeed who better servants in that relation to Masters then those that were good children to Parents who more obedient subjects to lawfull Authority and Fathers of the Common-wealth then such as learned and practised filiall obedience to Parents at home who more respective to Ministers then those that were and are conscientiously respective to good Parents who more tender of their own and others lives and healths of their own and others chastity of their own and others estates and names avoyding the contrary evills to a very sinfull motion looking that way then such as have been Conscientious honourers of their Parents hence on the contrary dishonour of Parents is made a Ring-leading sin a very spring and root of manifold wickedness Ezek. 22. 7. when the Prophet would charge upon all sorts in Jerusalem their most notorious crimes he beginneth thus In thee have they set light by Father and Mother and then goeth on in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger in thee have they vexed the fatherless and widow Ibid. thou hast despised mine holy things and hast profaned my Sabbaths verse 8. In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood vers 9. In vers 10. 11. he chargeth them with horrid fleshly filthiness in vers 12. with
joyes and delights as of the kingdome of grace here so of that of glory hereafter so in Deut. 30. 15 19. I set before thee life Rom. 8. 6. To be spiritually minded is life Act. 11. 18. Repentance unto life Psal 36. 9. With thee is the fountaine of life John 3. 36. He shall not see life CHAP. II. Of Honour in generall due to Parents HAving explained the words of the 5. Commandement shewn the weight of the duty therein injoyned to Children we now come to make further inquiry into the duty it self which we shall consider of in the method propounded 1. More Generally 2. More particulaly First then of Honour of Parents in a generall consideration wherein we shall 1. Consider what kind and manner of honour this honour of Parents so generally considered must be 2. Make some uses thereof To the first inquiry we answer 1. Honour not due to Parents which is 1. In way of dishoner to God Negatively what Honour is not due to Parents 2. Affirmatively what manner of Honour is due In a negative way we say the Honour of Parents 1. It must not be in any way of dishonour to God either by sinnes of Omission or of Commission Children must not so respect esteem and love Father or Mother as to love and prefer them in their respects to the Lord. He that loveth Father or Mother more then me is not worthy of me saith Christ Matth. 10. 37. Children may not be so transported with affection to Parents as thereby to be hindered from a call of Christ or attending upon it As he in Luk. 9. 65. when called to follow Christ would have gon first and buried his Father but vers 60. is answered by Christ Let the dead bury their dead but go thou and preach the Kingdome of God or as the other in Luk. 9. 61. that would ingage to follow Christ but he would first bid farewell to those at home namely Parents Kindred c. But Jesus Christ accounteth such inordinacy of affection in those who professe to set their faces towards heaven to be a looking back to the world and the like and therefore vers 62. Jesus said unto him No man having put his hand to the Plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdome of God Children may not have such carnall affection to Parents or be so glued to them as not to be able to part with them and forsake them and deny themselves in them for the sake of Christ when they are thereunto called The Spouse of Christ Solomons Antitype must forget her Kindred and Fathers house for her Lords sake and nearer Communion with him Psal 45. 10. Children may not so love Father or Mother as out of respect to them to forsake Christs truth or faith or to imbrace any thing contrary to the faith or truth of Christ a sin too common amongst the Children of Papists and other Heretiques and Opinionists this is also to love them more then Christ Better that the Daughter in such a case of Christs faith and truth be at variance against the Mother that she contend even with her for Christs truth for the faith once delivered to the Saints that she beat down with all her might the Mothers errors and evils In which case also Christ saith Matth. 10. 35. He commeth to set a man at variance against his own Father and the Daughter against her Mother He that more desireth after his Parents presence then after the Lords or more delighteth in them then in the Lord himself or is more moved in their causes then in the Lords or is more troubled for them and their disgrace then for the Lords dishonour or the like he doth not honour his Parents according to Gods mind and heart yea he that comparatively and where the love of Father or Mother and the love of Christ are not compatible where the condition and case is so qualified that love to Parents and love to Christ become flat contraries and must one give place to the other one or the other must be laid aside in such a case He that hateth not his very Father and Mother cannot be Christs Disciple Luk. 14. 26. In such a case Godly zealous Levi is commended Deut. 33. 9. Who said to his Father and his Mother I have not seen him The like might be said in that honour of Reverence and Fear Children may not be so afraid of Parents or of their frownes or blowes or distastes or disinheritings c. as not to be afraid of Gods displeasure but to adventure that in some way of sin rather then run the hazzard of â— Fathers or Mothers displeasure Christ 〈…〉 his Mothers displeasure or rebuke so as 〈◊〉 her sake to omit any duty to God his Father or to neglect his heavenly Fathers business 〈◊〉 in answer to that check of Maries Luk. 2. 48. Son why hast thou thus dealt with us behold thy Father and I have sought thee sorrowing he sayth vers 49. Wist ye not that I must be about my fathers business 〈◊〉 was a notable speech of that Pagan Priest Câ—râ—alus being to sacrifice and at the same time required to come away to his Father he boldly answered He must first dispatch the duties of publick Religion or of Religion which was of publick Concernment and after that those of private piety to Parents Children must indeed honour their Parents Counsels and Commands with the honour of obedience and observance yet not so as in a way of dishonour to God to neglect what he requireth or to do any thing which he forbideth Ahaziah King of Judah is branded for this 2. Chron. 22. 3. That he walked in the waies of the house of Ahab for his Mother was his counsellour 2. It must not be in way of Inaequality to either Parent The Father is not to be preferred 2. With In equality to either Parents by the Child as a Child before the Mother or the Mother more loved reverenced obeyed or recompensed then the Father The Parents are equally Parents and equall causes of the Children and so by the law of nature as Parents they are to share equally in the honour of such instrumentall causes of the be ing of their Children Hence though in Exod. 20. 12. Honour thy Father and thy Mother the Father is set before the Mother yet in Lev. 19. 3. which is an exposition of the 5. Commandement the Mother is set before the Father Yee shall fear every man his Mother every man his Father to shew that the Father being set before the Mother for honour which comprehendeth fear and the Mother being set before the Father for fear which is a speciall branch of honour they are both alike for honour in the generall and for fear in speciall This Willet in his sixfold Commentary upon Leviticus and Ainsworth in his notes upon Levit. 19. 3. They both do note from Maimony So Musculus in his common places and exposition of this fifth Commandement he
matter be good and right As if he were very sollicitous of Right twixt man and man but withall telleth them there is none deputed by the King to hear thee Now he beginneth closely to scatter seeds of prejudice and discontent in the subjects against the present government set over them then vers 4. wisheth in their hearing Oh that I were Judge in the Land that every man which hath any sute or cause might come to me and I would do him Justice now he speaketh a good word for himself to be thought of and put in some chief place in the state and vers 5. every subject that cometh near him must have his hand he must take him he must imbrace him and kiss him and no wonder that now he hath as v. 6. even stollen away the hearts of the men of Israel Oh thinketh every one what a worthy and hopefull Prince is this how sollicitous that every man do right and have right done him how marvellous kind and condescending to the meanest subject he would surely make us in time a very good King c. Now Absolom hath plaid his game well thus far it remaineth onely that Absolom in pretence at least give his Father the Honour of going by his leave to Hebron a place fittest to hatch the Treason against his Father which he hath been all that while brooding and where that fire may flame out best which he hath been kindling this leave is easily gained from his Father vers 7 8 9. he hath 200 men to attend him to Hebron and when thither come Achitophel is sent for the conspiracy is ripened and numbers of Associates daily increase and good David soon perceiveth his mistake in his Sons pretended submission and obeisance Yea but the fifth Commandment would cut off all such Attractives to selfish Honour of Parents and therefore saith Honour thy Father and thy Mother namely poor or rich high or low as well I that hath nothing to give and leave thee as that hath never so much hence when Christ would shew upon what as upon their bottome and basis all the commands of God either respecting God or men do hang and depend he saith Matth. 22. 37 38. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all tby heart this is the first and great Commandement and vers 39. the second is like to this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self and vers 40. On these two Commandements hang all the Law and the Prophets those are the two wel-springs of all obedience to the Law and word of God and therefore all the particulars are reducible to those two heads if the Honour of respect reverence or obedience which we give to God be not from love to our selves or to our own ends but to himself then it is honouring of God indeed so if our honour which we give to our Parents be not from love to our selves but it is from intire love to them that we shew forth such respect or reverence or obedience or thankfulness to them now it is Honour of Parents indeed Again as it must not be Honour of Parents from self-love as opposed to intire love of Parents so it must not be from self-love as opposed to love of God the love of whom especially should put Children upon Honouring the Image of his Father-hood in their Parents hence in that Levit. 19. 3. Ye shall fear every man his Mother and Father why so I am the Lord thy God and so thy Father in Covenant and Covenant-mercies and priviledges a Father of mercies promised and offered to them c. therefore out of love to me Honour every one of you his Parents And as Childrens honour of Parents must not be selfish in reference to love of self-profit and preferment or the like so neither in reference to love of self-ease or meer immunity from punishments or corrections in any contrary way of dishonour whether from Parents privately or the civil Magistrate publickly if Childrens Honour of reverence and obedience which they outwardly hold forth should be extracted chiefly from the force of Parents austere carriage or threats or blows or the dread of the correction from civill Authority or the like it is a slavish and not a filiall Honouring of them when Paul would express in a word that Timothy served with him in the Gospel neither formally nor feignedly nor selfishly nor slavishly nor forcedly but freely sincerely and regularly he expresseth it thus Phil. 2. 22. As the Son with the Father he hath served with me in the Gospel the Honour then of a Son to the Father is or should be neither feigned formall selfish nor slavish 2 In an affirmative way we say the Honour Honour of Parents must be 1. Cordiall of Parents 1. It must be cordiall not alone God as a Father must have each of his Childrens hearts in all the Honour they give him as his Sons and Daughters but Solomon as a Father may groundedly say as Prov. 23. 26. My Son give me thy heart namely as that which must crown all the Honour which thou my Son must give me as thy Father thus Timothy serveth with Paul in the Gospel as with his Father by grace as an ingenious Son with his Father at any other work namely with all his heart Phil. 2. 22. 2. It must be constant as long as the relation 2. Constant holdeth firm twixt Parent and Child which is as long as they Coexist in this world and till one of the Relates are taken away by death Parents from Children or Children from Parents they must obey this morall precept which bindeth semper ad semper alwaies and to all times Honour thy Father and Mother hath no prefixed time set to it It is not Honour thy Father and Mother whil'st a little one whil'st a youth whil'st so or so old whil'st in a single condition or with the like limitations no but it is without restraint and limitation to ages sexes conditions places relations callings imployments it is for term of life and that to which each one Male or Female younger or elder married or unmarried learned or unlearned godly or ungodly high or low Prince or Peasant rich or poor is bound unto hence also that Prov. 23. 22. despise not thy Mother when she is old when she was young yea when she was middle aged or the like thou prisedst and respectedst and didst reverence and obey her do it as well when she is old hold on doing of it to the last Age may wear and waste a Mothers beauty strength parts senses limbs estate c. but her relation of a Mother is as the Sun when he goeth forth in his might for the ever of this life that is alwayes in its meridian and knoweth no evening the person may be gray-headed but her Motherly relation is ever in its flourish It may be Autumn yea Winter with the woman but with the Mother as a Mother it is alwayes Spring Look as that
Fathers curse light especially upon his posterity by Canaan than Sem himself is exempted from his Father Noahs blessing though he were also blessed in his posterity especially by his Son Eber and so Terah Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Yea this sin putteth you under the dint of the imprecation of the Church and Saints of God Deut. 17. 16. Cursed be he that setteth light by his Father or his Mother and all the people shall say Amen Ah miserable case of such as you are who are by Gods command to be cursed by all the people of God! 3. It brings the exclusion of you and of your 3. It brings exclusion from Gods Church posterity from the Church of God and the priviledges thereof Cham a dishonour of his Father is in that respect as an outlary and God will not have his Church to have any near civill much less Sacred and Church-Communion with his posterity by Canaan Deut. 7. Cain who flung off his Fathers Counsels commands rebukes and watch and went from his Fathers house like a very vagrand Gen. 4. 16. His posterity are in opposition to those of the Church stiled the sons and daughters of men not of God Ishmael who regarded not his Father Abrahams displeasure witness his mocking at his dearly beloved Son Isaac he and his are cast out and aftewards left out as outlaries from the Church of Abraham Esau likewise who honoured not his Parents witness his cross matching against their minds he and the Edomites which came from him are excluded Church priviledges The Moabites and Ammonites of Lots daughters who so vilely dishonoured their Father Lot were also by Gods command excluded Gods congregation for many generations 4. It bringeth commonly with it the vilest 4. It brings vilest outward conditions outward conditions either for reproach under which such Children by Gods just hand do lie Shame is the portion of such who resuse instruction especially of Parents Prov. 13. 18. Or for poverty poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction ibid. Like as to him in the Parable Luke 15. Who was brought to less than a morsell of bread to husks and draff Or for extreamest and basest servitude like that prodigall scornfull Son that would have been glad of the meanest hired servants place with that Citizen Luke 15. 15. And is set about as mean imployment to feed his swine and as for his food he must either eat with the swine or fast and sterve vers 16 17. Thus Cham in his posterity by Canaan the beginner in that vile act of dishonour to Noah he is destinated to become the vilest of servants or a servant of servants Gen. 9. 2â— Prov. 17. 2. a wise servant shall have rule over a Son that causeth shame A Son that any way dishonoureth or reproacheth his Parents shall be put under the rule of a servant made a servant of a servant Or finally this bringeth vilest conditions in respect of hasty and vilest deaths and ends following the same as was hinted before from Prov. 30. 17. and as is manifest in Absoloms end 2 Sam. 18. 2. This use serveth for reproof of Parents who 2. Reproof of Parents undermining this Honour of theirs 1. By bad examples of theirs any way undermine this Honour in generall which is due to them from their Children And that 1. By giving them bad examples of dishonour to their own Parents So did Cain to his posterity and thence also was it that they were so bad every way both to God-ward and likewise to man-ward their measure of sin was full Gen. 6. 5. And so the flood swept that whole generation away yea the posterity of Seth did the like at that time witness their taking wives of all that they themselves liked not Honouring their Parents with their proper right namely to choose wives for their Sons when fit to be disposed in marriage Gen. 6. 1 2. And no wonder that their Children begotten in that 120. years space of Gods patience vers 3. they prove no better than those their Parents for a little before the very entrance of Noah into the Ark Noah onely is seen righteous of all that generation Gen. 7. 1. and all the rest of the generation Fathers and Children perished Cham the Grand-father and Canaan the Father of the cursed race of the Canaanites were both derisive spectators and informers of old Noahs nakedness and thence also the Canaanites their cursed posterity they became in after times so notorious and shameless in that very way and sin of dishonour of Parents for hence is it that Levit. 20. 9. When God had forbidden Cursing of Father and Mother and vers 11. The uncovering of a mans own Fathers wifes nakedness or that of a mans own Mothers Sisters nakedness vers 9. vers 23. He chargeth the Jewes not to walk in the manners of the Nations which he casteth out before them namely the Canaanites for they committed all these things namely which were mentioned from vers 9. to 22. Amongst which were those Acts of highest dishonour to Parents ' even now instanced in for which the Lord abhorred and rejected the Canaanites The like might be said of the posterity of Ishmael Esau like Parents for exemplary dishonour to Parents like Children and posterity or rather each posterity successively worse that way than their Fathers As it was in Jobs case that Father or chief ruler sometimes of the people he was had in derision of some younger men Job 30. 1. And no wonder for vers 8. he saith they were Children of fooles and of base men who were more vile than the earth their Parents therefore being as vile in their manners as in their outward estates no wonder that their Children had their civill Father in derision So if Parents are vile towards their own naturall Fathers and Mothers their Children commonly prove as bad that way also as themselves And it were good for Parents when to their grief they see their Children are ready to curse or slight or any way dishonour them to consider whether they themselves have done as much to their Parents and so beside the evill example which they possibly set before their very children that way they have thereby provoked God to mete out to them by their children according to that measure of dishonour that their Parents had from them According to that word of Christ Luke 6. 37 38. With the same measure that yee mete withall it shall be measured to you again And like as Solomon telleth Masters when they hear that their servants dishonour or curse them that oftentimes their own hearts know that themselves likewise have cursed others even that were their Masters also Eccles 7. 21. And so they might the less wonder at such hard measures from their servants the like might be said to Parents in cases of their dishonour from their Children that if your hearts know that you have been faulty that way towards your Parents it is no wonder
the Jewes who taught the Sons who had Fathers and Mothers living and needing their help that yet they needed not to relieve them or to give ought to them but instead thereof either to give somthing to the Corban or treasury for temple-uses and that would exempt them and excuse them from the other work of relieving their Parents and so teaching them to deny to their Parents the Honour of recompence due to them they made the 5 th Commandement Honour thy Father and Mother void and of no force and Authority or place as Christ reasoneth Mark 7. 9. to 14. There are too many such like corrupters of Children not aloue amongst Papists who hold forth the same in substance which is there instanced in as might be shewed in their Principles who would have men give away their whole estates to Religious uses as they call them and so dis-enable themselves to relieve their Parents in what need soever they may stand thereof they would also have young Men and Women without Parents Consent to become their Votaries and when once such no way to Minister to their Parents any more though sick or otherwise needing their Childrens help but I fear there are too many other petty Antichristian Spirits in these daies who by other erronious tenents wherein they pretend to be for Christ but are indeed against Christ they leaven their Disciples and such as they can subtilly draw after them with a Spirit of Alienation even from their own good Parents if they will not be of their corrupt Judgments and opinions but as those seducers among the Jewes notwithstanding their goodly pretences to Religion are branded by Christ to be Hypocrites according to that of Solomon Prov. 11. 9. The Hypocrite with his mouth or the corrupt principles and perswasions uttered by his mouth destroyeth his Neighbour And as Christ charged them to be such bold and high-minded sinners as by those corrupt speeches of theirs did what in them lay make void the Commands of God so doubtless are such like seducers to be justly charged with the like guilt of prevailing and ruling Hypocrisie and rebellion against the Lord. And Jesus Christ who when on earth did doctrinally charge and impeach them in such sort will assuredly at the last day Judicially sentence men and Angels for the same wickednesse if they seasonably seriously and sincerely repent not of the same As for others who by their Counsels as well as scandalous examples are Corrupters as of others so of youth also and as in other matters so in this which respecteth the honour which they ow to their Parents these shew themselves to be the Children of Belial or of the very Devill as of one who is amongst all yoaks in Church or State or Familie they were Children of Belial in 1 Sam. 10. 26 27. who despised Saul that Father of the Common-wealth of Israel and they are no better who act or teach contempt of Fathers of Families As Elies Sons those ring-leaders in such wayes of dishonour of Fathers of Families 1 Sam. 2. 25. they are called men of Belial vers 12. Such Corruptors of youth in the matter of Honour due to Parents be their profession of Religion what it may be or give they never such good hopes of the truth thereof as one while Achitophel did who was Davids equall all one heart with him as he thought his guide his most intimate acquaintance one with whome he took sweet Counsell in sacred as well as Civill things and walked to the house of God in Company with him Psal 55. 13 14 Yet if a Counsellour to Absolom a Son in way of high dishonour to David his own Father as he was in that Counsel he gave Absolom to defile his Fathers bed 2 Sam. 17. 20 21 22 23. and to seek his Fathers very life as well as throne 2 Sam. 17. 1 2 3 4 21. I say such a vile Counsellour of Children any way to dishonour their Parents he is no doubt a desperate Apostate ripe for the very Imprecation of a godly Parents as in Davids case 2 Sam. 15. 31. Lord turn the Counsel of Achitophel into foolishnesse Such Corrupters of youth also as well of others you are surely impenitent obdurate persons persons of a seared Conscience past hope of good and refuse persons in Gods sight Jer. 6. 28 29 30. They are Brass and Iron they are all corrupters the bellowes are burnt the Led is consumed of the fire the Founder melteth in vaine for the wicked are not plucked away reprobate silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them You are soul-murtherers Prov. 12. 5 6. The Counsels of the wicked are deceit The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood even the very souls of men Prov. 11. 9. An Hypocrite with his mouth or with the words Counsels and principles uttered by his mouth destroyeth his Neighbour even his Neighbours soul also and shall such bloody and deceitfull men such crafty soul-murtherers escape no Assuredly If sowing discord amongst brethren be singled out from the rest as one speciall thing which is an abomination to the Lord Prov. 6. 16 19. compared O how abominable is this unto the Lord for you by your vile corrupting speeches tenents or Counsels to lay the seeds of Alienation of Childrens hearts from their own dear Parents As the City or civill polity and society is too oft overthrown by the mouth or corrupt speeches principles and Counsels uttered by the mouth of the wicked Prov. 11. 11. So is the Family also And shall such enemies to mankind escape unpunished no assuredly Prov. 17. 20. He that hath a perverse tongue to give such like or any other perverse Counsel falleth into mischief Prov. 13. 2. As a man a good man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth or by the good words principles or Counsels proceeding from his mouth so by way of opposition the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence they shall be paid in their own coin and reap the fruit of all the cursed speeches or Counsels which proceeded from their mouths Prov. 10. 31. The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdome namely in those whom they instruct rebuke perswade or Counsel but the froward tongue which uttereth naughty counsels and tenents c. shall be cut out And commonly such bad Counsellours of Sons or Daughters unto any waies of dishonour to their Parents they come to dishonourable and vile if not desperate ends as did that bad Counsellour Achitophel who dyed by a halter but which was worst of all he was his own hangman 2 Sam. 17. 23. And O! that all bad Counsellours of Children against their Parents might in time take warning by that and many other dreadfull examples mentioned in Histories of the sad ends of such like Counsellours A second use of the point may serve for examinaon whether any have or do rightly Honour their Parents This is the rather to be considered in that there is a
formall Pharisaicall Honour of Parents there is an Honour of Parents common not alone to Hypocrites but to very Pagans also who from meer naturall principles have done much this way in Honour of Parents and have been very eminent and famous therein But to passe them by at present and instance in others Paul before his conversion was an exact Moralist touching the letter of the Law and so of the 5th Commandement he was blamelesse Phil. 3. 6. So that young man in his sense had kept all and o the 5th Commandment according to the letter of it Mark 10. 19 20. Yet a meer unregenerate person Now if persons in the relation of Children rightly honour their Parents it may be discerned Marks of due honour of Parents by such markes as these 1. If Conscience to God and to his command 1. If from a good conscience hath the greatest stroak in the Honour given to Parents by their Children If rightly honoured they are honoured in the Lord as in that branch of this Honour it is said Eph. 6. 1. Children obey your Parents in the Lord. So it is true in Honour in generall or in any other particular of Honour due to Parents they must be respected reverenced and recompenced c. in the Lord. Or so as it be from a good Conscience and may stand with a good Conscience 1 Tim. 1. 5. the end or scope of the Commandement even of the whole Law specially that of the second Table and particularly this of the fifth Commandement also is Love to whom Matth. 22. 37 38 39 40. all the duties of the Law are referred as to their head out of a pure heart and a good Conscience and faith unfeighned True it is the Law of nature and Nations also may and must have a strong hand in the Honour of Parents by their Children but must not have the chief hand therein respect may and must also be had to the blessing of life and that it may be well with us Eph. 6. 2 3. Honour thy Father and Mother that thou maist live long and that it may be well with thee We may and must aime at this that it may be well with us in our souls bodies estates names occasions relations changes prosperity adversity life death and after death but yet conscience to God and his command together with chief respect had to the glory of God must be the great wheel which carrieth us on in this good way Paul thought to gain eternall life by his Morall Righteousness that set him so hard to this and other works of the Law Ph. 3. 6 7. The yong mans question intimateth what was uppermost in his heart in all his keepings of the Law namely the getting of eternall life onely Mark 10. 17 19 20. And therefore these were notright in any of their acts of obedience to this fifth Commandement or to any of the rest of the ten Commandements Now if this Honour to Parents be indeed from a good conscience it will be also from faith unfeigned This is discerned if from Faith for they are joyned 1 Tim. 1. 5. When the interest which children have in the Lord and in his gracious covenant and promises is a main ground of the Honour of Reverence or of any other Honour which persons as in the Relation of Children do give unto their Mother or to their Father this is suitable to Gods mind Levit. 19. 3. Ye shall fear every man his Mother and every man his Father why so or what should move them to that it followeth I am the Lord your God Because they believe him to be their blessed Covenant Father in the Messiah they are therefore the rather to put all the Honour they can upon the Image of his Father-hood in their Parents Now it is as God would have it So when persons as in If from love of God the relation of Children do respect prise and love their Christian Parents the more because they love the Lord who requireth this at their hand now it is well a so or when an holy fear attendeth them lest not alone their good Parents hearts If from fear of Sin but lest the Lord also and his Spirit should any way be grieved or displeased by their expressing or carrying it towards them in any way contrary to due Honour of Parents they are afraid to carry it irreverently disobediently disrespectfully or ingratefully towards them even when some way tempted thereto lest the eyes of Gods glory should thereby be provoked now also it is well Or when at any time they espie any dishonourable If kindly broken and Abased when the contrary in them is discerned thought or stirring in their minds or spirits or take notice of some speech or carriage of theirs savouring of dishonour to Father or Mother and this melteth their hearts kindly before the Lord and maketh them ready to confess the same ingenuously to living Parents as well as to the Lord and that in all the aggravations thereof yea when a very shadow of such dishonour of Parents or the remembrance of any passages savouring thereof though past long ago and possibly before God touched their hearts effectually as well as since that these also are matters of heart Abasings breakings and bitter complaints before the Lord this argueth a good conscience in this particular also When they also do watch their spirits and hearts to keep them to the Rule as well as over If watching over their spirits also so that end their speeches gestures and actions to keep them as close as may be to that rule Honour thy Father and thy Mother this also argueth Honour of Father If there be no outward thing frighting or chiefly drawing to it and Mother from a good conscience In a word when there is no other thing of an inferiour nature either to affright and force them to it or on the other hand to bribe them to it as say riches preferments patrimony or the like humane Attractives and yet they are inwardly moved and strongly and prevailingly carryed out in a way of Honour of Parents All these do undoubtedly evince that now at least there is a blessed Spirit and habit of Honour of Parents wrought in such Children by the speciall efficacy of the Holy Ghost from which such do now at least Act in matters respecting their Parents Honour and that now at least a good conscience and conscience to God and to his Command doth set them about this blessed work The clearing of this first mark which indeed is the main of all might satisfie us but for further help in this discovery let us adde three or four marks of Honour rightly given to Parents A second mark then hereof is when Children 2. If holding up Parents Honour when aged and decayed are conscientiously carefull to hold up Parents Honour when they are Aged yea and when through infirmity Parents some way miscary As Sem and Japhet were cordially
others as the Vine-branches do yeeld the grapes which yeeld the chearing wine to mans heart and that they shall be such as shall be an honour to their Parents by their manner of walking towards God Parents and others as Olive-plants yeeld that oyle of Olive which maketh mans face to shine I forbear to instance in other promises 4. Pray much and plead earnestly with God 4. By praying and pleading with God much for Children for your Children that God would write his Law and so the Law of the fifth Commandement also in their hearts ingrave the Law of grace in them to dispose and inable them to obedience to all his Commandements 5. Act your faith upon the promises of God 5. By acting faith in Gods promises for Children undertaking for your Childrens best welfare as Esay 61. 9 and 65. 23. Gen. 17. 7. Acts 2. 38 39. Esay 59. ult cap. 44. 3 4. Which as they are made to the whole Church as an homogeneall whole so to each part of which that whole consisteth If the woman of Canaan can believe And for her daughter she may have not only that mercy of disposessing the devill but what she will for her Matth. 15. 28. Oh woman great is thy faith be it to thee as thou wilt If that man in Mark 9. 21 22 23 24. Can believe that Christ can help his Son at that or any other dead lift all things are possible to him that believeth even to a Parent believing for his Child Eveu that could believe for her very babe whom out of faith she called Seth for God said she hath appointed me another seed or good and godly Child instead of Abel whom Cain slew she faled not of what she believed for him for he proved a most worthy man to God and man-ward So did Noah prove of whom his father when born could believe therfore in faith called him Noah saying this Son shall comfort us concerning our work and toyl of our hands c. Gen. 5. 29. So did Moses prove a man eminent not alone for honour of God but for honour of Parents witness those Acts of Honour to his very Father in Law Jethro mentioned Exod. 4. 8. and cap. 18. 7. and Numb 10. 31 32 33. Concerning which Moses when he was a very babe his own Parents acted their faith and from that faith used that means to become an instrument of speciall honour Heb. 11. 23. They in Psal 102. That believed for their Children that their Children should continue vers 28. The Children of thy servants shall continue must needs believe for their help and grace to obey the fifth Commandement which is made by God himself a very speciall means of continuing and living long in the Land which the Lord thy God shall give them 6. By good education of Children 6. Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord hence those two joyned Eph. 6. 1 2 3. Children are charged with this Honour thy Father and thy Mother Parents with their duty in lieu thereof and as a means to further it vers 4. Likewise ye Parents provoke not your Children to wrath and that way hinder your children in it but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and that way further your Children in it Isaac that was so well educated by his Father in what a high degree doth he honour his Father with this Honour of obedience when at his Command though being in the flowre of his youth about 30. years old he could easily have escaped his old Fathers hand yet is content to let him bind him to be offered up as a sacrifice unto God Gen. 22. 9. So Noah's Shem and Japhet whom he had educated well though Cham proved a wretch yet they proved eminent examples of Honour of Parents witness their act formerly mentioned Gen. 9. 23 24. So Solomon who was so well educated and instructed both by his Father David witness the Records which he kept of the principle things his Father instructed him in mentioned Prov. 4. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. and of his Mother Bathsheba witness his Records of some speciall Patheticall Counsels of her to him mentioned Prov. 31. 1. to 10. How eminent he proved in this way of Honour of Parents let that act of his towards his Mother mentioned 1 Kings 2. 19. declare though a King upon his throne yet the King rose up to meet her and bowed himself to her c. the like might be said of Jacob's Joseph so well educated by his Father witness the earliness of grace in him Gen. 37. 1 2 3 4 c. How eminent he was in this way of Honour of Parents his story shewes Gen. 47. 12. be nourished his father c. And cap. 48. 12. and Joseph bowed himself viz. to his Father with his face toward the earth But concerning Parents education of Children we shall speak largely to it God willing afterward 7. It is good also that as Manoah in that case 7. By advising with best Ministers what is best for that end inquired of the Angel concerning their Son Sampson Judg. 13. 8 12. How they should order the Child and how they should do to live so let Christian Parents be taking the best advise and help they can of their able and faithfull Ministers how they should order their Children as may be for the best every way for Gods glory and their Honour 2. Use Exhortation To Children 2. To Children to give Parents such due Honour Motives to it to endeavour to give this Honour in general due by the Command of God from you to your Parents for which consider 1. Of some Motives to it And 2. Of some helps and means to this duty only remember I speak to the Children of the Godly to the Children of the Church though not altogether excluding others Motives to this duty are such as these 1. In that God hath placed the image of his father 1. Gods image in Parents hood upon parents therfore honour them he that honoreth God wil honor an especial Image of any divine excellency of his the father-hood of God is a choice relative divine excellency of his witness that name of honor not alone respecting us his adopted Children yea his begotten ones by grace but respecting his only beloved Son only begotten by nature let this Image hereof in the parents of our Persons be the rather venerable and honourable in our eyes Hence that Argument of God Mal. 1. 6. A Son Honoureth his Father If I be a Father where is my Honour my Fatherly Image is Honoured by a Son in his Father and will not you who are in a sense my Sons Honour my own father-hood whereof that in others is but 2. Childrens Covenant-interest by their good Parents an Image 2. In that God taketh Children into his Covenant even from the respect he hath to their Godly Parents if God honor parentall
Children have nothing to give Parents to be a temptation to bribe their affections to them nor are they of any power to curb them any way to enforce respects to them and so they are more pure Whereas in both these regards Childrens respects to Parents may be leavened Yea Parents as Parents are instruments in Gods hands of their Childrens Souls being in their bodies and so of the faculties of their Souls and so of their naturall affections in them and of that affection of love and fear amongst the rest and therefore they may well chalenge the honourable improvement of them to themselves so far as God alloweth the same To conclude Children will never honour Parents with the honour of Reverence Obedience or Recompence or the like unlesse they give the honour of respect love due to them therefore give them this their due Now that Children may be helped and furthered in doing this Helps to it 1 Dread of the vile sin of unnaturalnesse 1. Possesse your hearts with a deep sense and dread of the heinous nature of the sin of unnaturalness which is wont to be accompanied with the vilest sins against God and Man as by comparing Rom. 2. 28 29 30 31 32. and 2 Tim. 3. 2 3 4. may be discerned Such persons who are without naturall affections commonly proving Blasphemous against God ingrateful to God and men unholy truce and Covenant-breakers whisperers back-biters false accusers of others they are commonly given to uncleanness and wantonness they are fierce and furious of a cruell Salvage unmercifull implacable spirit they are despisers of those that are good they are even haters of God they are haters of other men of a spightfull malicious quarrelsome and envious Spirit in a word They are full of all unrighteousnesse and deceit themselves and inventors of evill things evill opinions evill practises ringleaders in sin authors of sin to others If sundry of these scandalous persons in old and new England were closely search'd into they would be found to be persons who have been are unnaturall to their Parents 2. Take heed of any leading causes which breed and feed unnaturalness and undermine naturall 2. Avoiding causes of unnaturalnesse of affection as 1. Ignorance affection to Parents such as are 1. Ignorance of God and of his word and of the matters of Religion Rom 1. 31. without understanding without naturall affection if without understanding what wonder if without naturall affection 2. Self-love for they that are so full of self-love 2. Self-love have never a due proportion of love left for God or man for Parents or others 2 Tim. 3. 2. For men shall be lovers of themselves and verse 3. without naturall affection 3. A worldly covetous Spirit ibid. Covetous 3. Covetousnesse without naturall affection a Spirit of the love of the world will eat out as the love of the Father of our Spirits John 2. 15. so that of the Father of our flesh also whose Fatherhood is an Image of that in God Such if they shew respect to Parents it is but for their own advantage and gaine and if the respect to them may not stand with their gain or must be to their outward losse then adieu respect to Parents 4. A proud Spirit 2 Tim. 3. 3 4. Without naturall affection high-minded Absolom who was so Pride high-minded what wonder is it if he prove so unnaturall to his Father 5. A Voluptuous Spirit ibid. Without naturall affection lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God Voluptuousnesse They that respect their pleasures so much they never respect God as they shold nor their parents Esaus inordinatenesse of affection to his hunting brings him to that Gen. 25. that he despiseth his birth-right as his Fathers eldest Son and therein virtually despiseth his Father and his voluptuous desires after the Canaanitish women make him carelesse of grieving his Father and Mother and so far unnaturall to them Gen. 26. 3. Getting their hearts truly turned to the Lord. 3. Labour to get your hearts turned to God effectually and in love with him as a Father and then whatsoever alienations of heart there were in you from your Parents before yet then Childrens hearts will be also turned fully to your good Parents Ma. 4. 6. Jo. Baptist its said by the blessing of grace upon his Ministry turning persons to the Lord to the faith to the wisedome of the Just as Luke hath said it Luk. 1. 17. he shall turn the hearts of the Children to their good Fathers which whilest the Children were wicked they could not well abide to be controuled reproved curbed and corrected as they were by them and so their good Fathers also whose hearts were much taken off from those Children for their vilenesse should be turned towards their Children or as some say the unnaturall distances bred betwixt Parents and Children by many sects and opinions too rife among the Jewes when by sound doctrine they were brought to rights and to the truth those alienations should be healed Only Cautions about Childrens love to Parents 1. Not such as to approve sin in Parents in the love of Children to Parents let these cautions be observed 1. Look that it be not such as to approve of the evill saiyings principles or practises of your ungodly or of your seducing or seduced Parents It s blamed in them Psal 40. 13. their posterity approve their sayings Jer. 7. 18. The Children gather wood and the Fathers kindle a fire and the women knead the dough to make Cakes to the Queen of heaven 2 King 15. 13. Asaph loved his Mother well as his Mother but he hateth her Idol he destroyeth and burneth it Abraham loveth his Father Terah well but will not go after his way of Idol-worship Josh 24. 2 3. God commendeth it in the Son who seeth all his fathers sins and considereth and doth not such like Ezek. 18. 14. 2. Let it not be such as to follow their evill Of 2. Such as to follow their sinfull Counsell Counsel in any thing as Ahaziah who walked in the waies of Ahab for his Mother was his Consellour 2 Chron. 22. 3. And as Herodias who being before instructed of her Mother said to Herod give me here John Baptists head in a charger Mat. 14. 8. 3. Let it not be so as to keep their dangerous Or 3. Such as to keep their sinfull Counsel and wicked Counsel in any way of wickednesse but rather seasonably to reveal it Michol Sauls Daughter did well in this to tell her husband David of her Fathers Sauls bloody design against him so that he escaped 1 Sam. 19. 11 12. The like did Jonathan to David Cap. 20 3 4. 4. That it be not so as when you are called of Or 4. Not to bear seasonable witness against their evils God to it then not to bear seasonable witnesse against their sin as in case of Parents seducing Children from the Lord and his
worship In case of grosse Idolatry or the like then zealous Levi saith to his Father and to his Mother I have not seen him Deut. 33. 9. And Asaph an highest Civill Ruler called to do justice without respect of persons he removeth Maacha his Idolatrous Mother from her Regency 1 King 15. 13. 5. That it be not so as when you are called Or 5. Such as for them to neglect just respects to others to maried conditions then for Parents sakes to neglect just respects to your spouses and regard to your Families welfare Gen. 30. 30. in that case Jacob will say to Laban his Father-in-Law when shall I provide for my house and that Law Gen. 2. 24. taketh here place for this cause shall a man forsake Father and Mother and cleave to his Wife 2. Of exhortation to Parents to carry it so 2. To Parents to carry it so as may win respect as may even win and gain such respect and love from your Children which is due from them as for instance 1. Be frequently instructing your Children in the best things in their Soul-matters this won Solomons heart the more to his Father David insomuch that he keepeth a honourable record of his Fathers instructions Prov. 4 4 5 6 c. The bond of love is doubled when natural Fathers by Gods blessing upon their instructions and admonitions become spirituall Fathers of their Children and a twofold cord is not easily broken 2. Be ever and anon incouraging your Children 1. By incouraging them in good in any good thing hence that Allusion Isa 66. 13. as on whom his Mother comforteth which as they are more abundantly encouraged by them so enlarged also in affections to them Famous is the example of William Hunters Mother as he was leading to the stake for Christ Son William saith she I think thee as well bestowed as ever any Mr. Fox Acts and Mon. Child that I bare in my womb and that example of the Mother of that little Child which was Martyred with Romanus who stood by incouraging her Child and when all others almost wept to see the Childs tortures she stood by rejoycing and when that fatall act of cruelly was to be done upon the Child to take away its Head after she had taken her Child and kissed it she stood by singing All laud and praise with heart and voice O Lord we yield to thee To whom the death of all thy Saints We know most dear to be bidding the Child also to remember the children of Bethlehem who were martyr'd for Christ 3. Be ready to defend and vindicate Children 3. By defending them in a just cause in any just cause as Joash did his Son Gedeon against those that complained of him for throwing down Baals Altar Judg. 6. 29 30 31. and Joash said to them will yee plead for Baal will ye save him he that will plead for him let him be put to death if he be a God let him plead for himself the blind-mans Parents did not thus who out of a base fear put off all to their Son he is old enough let him answer for himself John 9. 21. yea let Parents vindicate their children from unjust slanders as the Father of the wronged Damsel was to do Deut. 22. 13. to 9. this must needs win love 4. Be conscionable sollicitous of your childrens 4. By care of their outward weal. outward welfare as was Jacob of his Sons Ge. 37. 14. and Jesse of his Son 1 Sam. 17. 17. this also much gaineth upon childrens hearts 5. Carry it towards your children with much 5. By Compassionatness toward them tenderness and bowels as need and prudence requireth Numb 11. 12. Carry them in thy bosom as a nursing Father the sucking child Psal 103. 13. as a Father patieth his children Mal. 3. 17. as a Father spareth his Son that serveth him this as it breaketh every way-ward heart of a child so it winneth the Son as it is in the fruit of Gods bowels expressed to his children so in mens to theirs CHAP. IV. Of Honour of Reverence due from children to Parents WE have handled that first branch of Honour of Parents in a direct way we now proceed to the second which is the Honour of Reverence for so Honour is taken as we shewed in the 1. Chapter Observe then as a second branch of the generall point that Children are to Honour their Parents with the Honour of Reverence Levit. 19. 3. Ye shall fear Honour of Reverence due to Parents every man his Mother and every man his Father Heb. 12. 9. the Fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them due reverence For the better handling of this part of Childrens duty we shall first shew wherein this Reverence of Parents consisteth and is expressed and 2. Make use of it Touching the first we say this Reverence due to Parents is either outward or inward 1. Then outward Reverence is due from children 1. Outward as to Parents and so 1. Children are to rise up and to stand bare before their Parents when they come to them or speak to them for if of Fathers in age God saith Rise up before the hoary head and Honour the face of the old man Levit. 19. 31. Rising to Parents he surely requireth it of children to their own Parents Henre the excuse of Rachel though a married woman from unavoidable necessity as reason why she rose not up to her Father Laban Gen. 31. 35. And Rachel said to her Father Let it not displease my Lord that I cannot rise up before thee for the custome of women is upon me it must be some avoidable necessity that must be a just reason that children rise not up before their Parents else Parents have just reason to be displeased when Achsah daughter to Caleb is to request a thing of her Father she keepeth not her posture of sitting in which she was before but lighteth off the beast she rode upon and then speaketh her mind to her Father Judg. 1. 13 14 15. It stands not with Parents Honour for children to sit and speak but rather they should stand up when they speak to Parents 2. If Parents be comming towards children they 2. To meet parents comming are to prevent them and meet them 1 Kings 2. 19. Bathsheba went to Salomon to speak for Adonijah and the King rose up to meet her 3. They are to bow to them so Salomon 1 Kings 3. To bow to them 2. 19. he bowed himself to his Mother So Joseph Gen. 48. 12. and Joseph brought them out from between his Fathers knees and he bowed himself with his face to the earth So Moses to his Father-in-Law did obey sance and all these their Sons were great men yet not too great or high to stoop in way of Honour of Reverence to Parents 4. They must speak Reverently both to their 4. To speak to them and of them reverently Parents and of them
to others To them thence those titles of Honour expressed in childrens speeches to Parents as in Rachels to Laban Gen. 31. 35. let not my Lord be displeased So in Isaac's to Abraham Gen. 22. 7. my Father c. So in Davids to Saul 1 Sam. 24. 11. moreover see my Father c. And cap. 26. 28. wherefore doth my Lord thus pursue after his Servant c. So in speaking of them Prov. 31. 28. her children rise up aad call her blessed 5. To attend duly to their counsells 5. They are to attend reverently to their counsels or instructions Prov. 4. 1. hear ye children he instruction of a Father and attend to know understanding and vers 20. My Son attend to my words 6. They must meekly and humbly subject 6. To subject to their Corrections themselves to their seasonable corrections Heb. â—2 9. if Fathers of our flesh correcting us we gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits correcting of us and live 7. To express filial shame and blushing to Parents 7. To blush and be ashamed of faults upon occasion of faults and sins against them especially when Parents deal with children for the same the Greek word in Heb. 12. 9. we gave them reverence it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies we turned away our face by reason of shame Numb 22. 14. if her Father had spit in her face should she not be ashamed Hitherto belong humble confessions to Parents with shame and blushing of unworthy acts of children against them especially Like the Prodigall in the parable who Luke 15. 21. saith to his Father Father I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be call'd thy Son in this sense is the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used Company not with them that they may be ashamed even outwardly also confess and take holy shame for their scandals So Tit. 2. 8. that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed having no evill thing to say of you 2. Inward Reverence is due from Children to Or inward as inwardly to fear Parents Levit. 19. 3. ye shall fear every one his Mother and his Father and so Children 1. They are inwardly to own the very persons 1. Their persons and parentall relations and Authority of their Parents ye shall fear every man his Mother and Father that is their very persons relations and Authority 2. They are inwardly to awe the commandâ— 2. Their words reproofs threats and corrections of Parents thiâ— is filial and not slavish fear Jer. 35. 6. Jonadab's posterity even when tempted to do otherwise yet the awe of his commands made them not to dare to transgress them 3. They are inwardly to fear to lose parents favour 3. To lose their favour or to incur their just displeasure by giving them any just offence as Jacob Gen. â—7 12. My Father peradventure will feel me and I shall seem to him as a deceiver and I shall bring a curse upon me and not a blessing 4. They are to fear to cross any weighty intents 4. To cross their just intents purposes or desires of parents especially when in sacred matters so Jephtah his daughter Judg. 11. 36. and she said My Father if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth 5. They are to fear that trouble or heart-grief 5. To grieve them should be occasioned to parents if they can prevent it So Saul 1 Sam. 9. 5. Come let us return lest my Father leave caring for the Asses and take thought for us So Judah Gen. 44. 34. how shall I go to my Father and the Lad be not with me lest peradventure I see the evill that shall come upon my Father 6. They are to fear to fall short of their blessing 6. To fall short of their blessing and benefit of parents prayers and of their godly parentall wishes and Counsels hence when Joseph heard that his Father Jacob was so sick he made such haste to him carrying his sons with him that he and they might not miss of Jacobs blessing even rude Esau was amazed when he heard that his Father had blessed his brother instead of him Gen. 27. 34. hence that bitter cry Bless me even me also O my Father 7. They are also to be inwardly as well as outwardly 7. To be inwardly also ashamed of faults before them ashamed that parents have just cause of distaste against them at any time so giving reverence to parents Heb. 12. 9. may according to the Greek word used there be rendered being ashamed before them hence the derivative from that verb is used 1 Cor. 6. 5. and 15. 34. to signifie shame inward and outward as there I speak this to your shame even of heart also So here the Awfull childe like that prodigall occasioning just distaste in his Father against him he is inwardly ashamed of it and therefore confesseth his sin against his Father and unworthiness to be called his Son All which is clearly seen in the presidentiall filial fear of Gods children to their heavenly Father they inwardly fear his Fatherhood and Fatherly Authority his commands reproofs threats and corrections the loss of his favour and incurring of his displeasure by their offending of him at any time they are affraid to cross his mind in any thing or to grieve his Spirit themselves or that it should be grieved by others they are affraid to fall short of his Fatherly blessing and are inwardly ashamed and even confounded that at any time they offend displease grieve or provoke him The use of this branch of the point serveth Use 1. For reproof 1. Of childrens irreverence 1. For Reproof 1. Of Children for all that rudeness and irreverence of yours towards your parents as if you had forgotten that you were children or as if principles of piety yea of morality were extinct in you And this alas how common an evill is it in children even of professours how rudely do they sit before their parents and how irreverently do they carry it in their gestures before them how loud will too many be gabling laughing and flouting even in their parents presence how forward are they to prevent or interrupt their parents in speaking or to answer them again if rebuked by them whereas those in Job time even Princes and Nobles refrained talking in his presence or whil'st he as a civill Father of the state was speaking Job 29. 9 10. and vers 22. after his words they spake not again Elihu when in the presence of Fathers to him in Age is affraid to speak much more to interrupt them whil'st speaking Job 32. 4 6 7. And dare children word it so before their parents Again how over-familiar do too many children make themselves with their parents as if hail-fellow well met as they say
consider 1. Of some Motives 2. Two or three helps Motives 1. It will breed and feed in you due Motives to it 1. It furthereth reverence to other superiours Reverence to all other superiours hence in the fifth Commandement Honour of Parents and therein Honour of Reverence of them is put for the like Honour of Magistrates Ministers and Masters from their subjects people and servants if the one be in persons in truth in the former relation it will be in them in the latter 2. It wil be a notable means to prevent many other 2. It preventeth other sins sins of yours which would be dishonourable to parents Moses having rehearsed many abominable practices of the Canaanites in Levit. 18. and in the last verse said ye shall not commit any of those abominable customes Chap. 19. 3. he chargeth them to fear every man his Mother and his Father and vers 4. also adjoyneth that they should not turn to Idols c. or apostatise from God and his worship Surely then that Reverence unto Parents is inserted as a help both against the former and against the later evils and scandals and wofull experience evinceth this that where this hedge of childrens Reverence and awe to Parents is broken down there is a free inlet of vilest and most scandalous 3. The power of Parents to bless or curse children courses 3. There is in your Parents some paternall power if justly used to bless and to curse you Gen. 49. is a record of Jacobs blessing of his Sons and in an ordinary way there is a proportion thereof in other Parents and therefore the rather Awe your Parents Helps this way may be such as these Helps to it 1. Awe of God 1. Labour for a filial awe of God as your Father and so of his Fatherly commands and consequently of this his command as his command and of his displeasure against you if it be not attended and observed 2. Labour you for more holiness of heart It 2. Holiness is profaness of heart God-ward which breedeth and feedeth irreverence to Parents and so contrariwise the more holy God-ward the more awfull of Parents Levit. 19. 2. be ye holy for I am holy and vers 3. yea shall fear every one his Mother c. 3. Present your Parents so to your minds as 3. Eye the Image of God in Parents bearing the Image of Gods Father-hood and that also will help on your filiall awe and Reverence to them 2. It serveth for exhortation to Parents to carry 2. Exhortation to Parents to further filial Reverence in their children 1. By your piety it so as may gain Reverence and awe from your children for which end 1. Carry it very piously in your places for that will gain awe in your inferiours children or others Job 29. 7. when I prepared my seat in the street saith holy Job the young men saw me and hid themselves vers 8. let but any other Godly man come suddainly where rude persons are met how doth the very sight of him oftentimes appale them as experience witnesseth the Image of Gods holiness in any is venerable 2. Season your children betime with principles 2. By right principling of them of religion of their duty to God to Parents to others so did Eve her Seth and Seth his Cainan and Cainan his Mahaleel c. and all of them proved well to God and man-ward 3. Bring them oft to Gods aweful and awing 3. By inuring them to holy Assemblies Assemblies where they will hear and learn Reverence to God or men Deut. 31. 12. gather men women and children that they may hear and learn and fear the Lord thy God and observe to do all the words of this Law even this of the fifth Commandement also Honour Father and Mother with the Honour of Reverence 4 Correct them wisely and seasonably as for 4. By correcting irreverence in them other sins so for those which savour of irreverence to Parents this by the Lords blessing will help on filial Reverence hence those two joyned Heb. 12. 9. we had Fathers of our flesh who corrected us and we did them Reverence there is a great deal of folly and so a bundle of irreverence also in a childs heart naturally but God saith the rod of correction shall drive it far from him Prov. 22. 5. Acquaint your Children ever and anon 5. By minding children oft of Gods judgements with Gods more awing and dreadfull providences especially respecting Children which gave not their Parents reverence as of Cham Absolom and others The punishment of a stubborn Son by mans hand must be so as all Israel may hear and fear Deut. 21. 21. So let all our Children hear of Gods hand this way that they may fear the sins of dishonour of Parents 6. Inure them to awfull subjection and obeysance 6. By inuring them to filiall subjection to you as Parents betimes early practising of filial Reverence will strengthen and stablish a very habit of it hence the requisit in Church officers or elders and deacons 1 Tim. 3. 4. 12. having their children in subjection with gravity or honesty they must see they be inur'd to reverence and seemly carriages towards them and before them and then others that come to their houses will find this to the Elders Honour CHAP. V. Of Honour of Obedience due to Parents NOw we come to the third branch of direct Honour of obedience due to parents Honour namely Honour of obedience for so Honour is taken in Scripture as we shewed before Observe then as a third branch of the generall point that children are to Honour their Parents with the Honour of obedience Honour thy Father and Mother saith Exod. 20. 12. but obeying them is Honouring of them say other Scriptures as we shewed Chap. 1. therefore children are bound to yield obedience to their Parents For the fuller handling of this particular we shall inquire 1. Wherein this Honour of filial obedience It consisteth consisteth 2. What manner of obedience it is which must be yielded 3. Why children must yeeld it 1. In childrens being content to be set about meanest imployments 4. What use is to be made of this branch of Honour of Parents To the first I answer that filial obedience consisteth 1. In childrens being content to be set about meanest imployments even as though they were servants their Parents so requiring it hence that Mal. 3. 17. his son which serveth him Neither Rebekah nor Rachel though of able Parents thought much to keep their Fathers sheep Gen. 24. and Chap. 29. neither did Christ himself refuse to be subject to his Parents in their meaner imployments Luke 2. 51. Matth. 13. 55. his reputed Father Joseph was a Carpenter of a very mean Trade hence that Is not this the Capenters Son but Mark 6. 3. these neighbours and Countreymen of Christ as man who had most cause to note his usuall imployments they
say of him Is not this the Carpenter the Son of Mary surely then he learned and commonly practised that mean Trade with his reputed Father and so was therein also subject to his Father and Mother Look as Gods children yea look as Jesus Christ himself the pattern of all true filial obedience to Parents refused not to stoop to the meanest offices and services in obedience to the Father of Spirits so must children carry it in like sort to their Parents All know how many mean and despicable offices Parents do about their children whilest babes and little ones and when sick c. And there is no cause for any childe to think much of the meanest office and service which Parents may call for from their hands Parents Authority is of no mean descent the rise or originall of it is from God even the greatness of the greatest in other respects doth not alter much less make null filial relations If any be ashamed of the Lords words of him will he be ashamed another day Mark 8. 38. Now this Children obey your Parents in the Lord according to the Lords will and word is one of the Lords words Eph. 6. 1. Let none therefore be ashamed of obedience to Parents in meanest 2. In their being content to be crossed in their wills things 2. In Childrens being content to be crossed in their own desires or wayes and to yeeld to and obey Parents minds and wils in matters lawfull although the particulars seem to be very harsh to their own sense or reason as in that instance Gen. 48. 17. At first it displeased Joseph to see his Father lay his right hand upon Ephraims head and he held up his Fathers hand to remove it to Manasses his head and v. 18. Joseph said not so my Father for this is the first born put thy right hand upon his head v. 19. And his Father refused and said I know my Son I know it he also shall become great but his brother shall be greater then he And so he gave Ephraim the yonger Son the priority in his blessing and Joseph said no more but rested satisfied therein If Jacobs Sons are injoyned by their Father to feed their flock even in Shechem in the very mouth of danger by reason of the late slaughter of the Shechemits by their hands yet they are contented with it and do not mutter or object against it Gen. 37. 14. nor do they object against the hazzards of that long Journey into Egypt but if required by their Father to go they contentedly obey Gen. 42. 23 It was contrary to dictates of flesh and blood and reason for Isaac to yeeld to be offered up in Sacrifice by his Father but it was first no doubt made known to him by his Father to be Gods mind and seconded by his Fathers command and he quietly yeeldeth to his Father therein Gen. 22. 9 10. So in case of a daughters vow unto the Lord in something which is lawfull and which she earnestly desireth should be done before the Lord if the vow be not heard by her father when it was made and after dissallowed by her Father God will have her even in this case to sit down contentedly resigning her will to her Fathers although she cannot perform what she vowed and desired and God himself passeth it by because it was not her Fathers mind that she should perform it Gen. 30. 5. Gods children are a pattern to mens children herein who resign and submit their will to his will children are to look at good Parents as Gods Oracles unto them such by means of whom he imparteth his counsell to them and maketh wiser then themselves in matters respecting their occasions and changes Obedience to Parents in this way is to be as to Superiours yea as to the mind and Authority of the highest in their mandates which also is implied in that speech Eph. 6. 1. Children obey Parents in the Lord yea even in all things as is expressed Col. 3. 20. namely which are meet and lawfull so to obey them it is wel-pleasing to God albeit in doing of it children oft displease themselves David is blamed that he never displeased Adonijah his Son 1 King 1. 5 6. surely then Adonijah had been too blame if he had not yeelded to his Fathers mind in things displeasing to himself 3. In yeedling espccially to Parents minds in the matter of marriage So Isaac matcheth with Rebekah 3. In marrying according to good Parents minds according to his Fathers mind Gen. 24 6 7. 63. compared So Jacob marrieth Labans daughter according to the mind of his Parents Isaac and Rebekah Gen. 28. 1 2 3. compared with Chap. 29. the like was done by many others mentioned in Scripture 4. in obeying chiefly in things of God as injoyned 4. In obeying in things of God to children in Gods name by their Parents whether respecting the knowledge of God in Christ mortification or in any other means or parts of the souls welfare In which especially Solomons Son must keep his Fathers Commandement and not forsake the Law of his Mother Prov. 6. 20. and 1 Kings 2. 3. David chargeth Solomon his Son to keep the charge of the Lord his God to walk in his ways Ch. 3. 3. Solom loved the Lord walking in the statutes or according to the statutes and commands of David his Father David charged him also with all the work of Gods Temple which he duly and diligently performed 1 Chro. 22. 11. build the house of the Lord thy God which he hath said of thee and he did so as 2 Chr. 5. and cap. 6. sheweth if Abraham command his children the Lord concludeth they shall keep the way of the Lord as in that place oft referred to Gen. 18. 19. I know Abraham that he will command his children and they shall keep the way of the Lord. Hence Joshuah is so confident of his house and so of his children Josh 24. 15. but I and my house we will serve the Lord he requiring it of them he is confident that they will do it Jonadabs posterity in living so in Tents like pilgrims and strangers in refusing to drink wine or strong drink they lived a mortified life a weaned life from the world but they did it because so injoyned by their Father Jonadab and so by their next Parents successively as we see in that place oft occasionally referred to in this discourse 1 Jer. 35. 6 c. In such a way God as a Father is especially honoured and no wonder that there is his secret blessing and grace conferred to inable to such like obedience to Parents commands As in Gen. 18. 19. now mentioned Abraham will command his children and they shall walk in the way of the Lord. It strengthens the bond of childrens obedience to Parents commands when Parents shew such soul-love to children and intire love and faithfulness to God as to improve their parentall Authority thus for God which
is also included in that speech Eph. 6. 1. Obey your Parents in the Lord especially injoyning what the Lord requireth 5. In childrens yeelding humbly meekly and 5. In submission to parents just corrections quietly to Parents just reproofs and corrections Heb. 12. 9. The Fathers of our flesh corrected us and we gave them reverence even in way of awfull subjection to them therein whence this is added shall we not much more be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live for what are such actings of Parents but fruits of their obedience to God their Fathers eommands who chargeth Prov. 19. 18. Chasten thy Son while there is hope and Prov. 23. 13. withhold not correction from the child and v. 14. thou shalt beat him and Prov. 29. 17. Correct thy Son and he shall give thee rest yea they are fruits o◠Parents love to their children Heb. 12. 6 7. Prov. 13. 14. he that loveth his Son chasteneth him betimes What are they but Gods ordinance and appointed means to rescue children from sin and ruin Prov. 23. 13. if thou beatest him he shall not die v. 14. thou shalt beat him and deliver his soul from Hell Prov. 22. 15. foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child but the rod of correction shall drive it out Prov. 29. 15. the rod and reproof give wisdome but a child left to himself bringeth his Mother to shame and in a word it would be greatest folly and danger to Children not to yeeld and obedientially to hearken to such rebukes Prov. 15. 8. A fool despiseth his Fathers instruction and v. 10. Correction is grievous to him that forsaketh the way and v. 32. He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul To the second query with what manner of This obedience must be obedience are children to obey Parents I answer more briefly 1. With a kind of universall and unlimited obedience 1. Universall falling under the compass of lawfull things so Col. 3. 20. Children obey your Parents in all things one as well as another being all lawfull there is no exception or limitation made 2. With a Sedulous obedience Phil. 2. 22. Paul 2. Sedulous alluding to this saith of Timothy as a Son with the Father he hath served with me in the Gospel i. e. very diligently so Jacobs sons followed their Fathers business diligently sparing no pains to remove their flock hither and thither for his best advantage Gen. 37. 17. 3. With a ready and cheerfull obedience Gen. 3. Cheerfull 37. 13. Come I will send thee to thy brethren saith Jacob to Joseph here am I saith Joseph he is as ready to do it as his Father to command it So in a like case David injoyned by his Father Jessai 1 Sam. 17. 20. He ariseth early in the morning and leaving his sheep with a keeper he took and went as Jessai had commanded Gen. 42. 2. Get you down into Egypt to buy us corn saith Jacob to his Sons v. 3. And Josephs ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt and Chap. 47. 31. swear unto me saith Jacob to Joseph and he sware unto him such ready obedience yeelded they to their Father 4. With a resolute obedience Children are not 4. Resolute to be diverted from lawfull obedience to Parents either by frowns or flattering perswasions of others if Jeremiah a man of God will set before Rechabs Sons pots of wine and bid them drink it Jer 35. 5. such a tempting and trying of them will not prevail with them vers 6. but they said we will drink no wine for Jonadab the Son of Rechab our Father commanded us saying you shall drink no wine neither you nor your Sons for ever 5. With a conscientious obedience namely to 5. Conscientious parentall Authority as of God and as to Gods command requiring it of you to Honour Father and Mother with such Honour of obedience and injoyning children to obey their parents in all tbings Col. 3. 20. To the second query why children must give Reasons of it this Honour of obedience to Parents I answer also briefly they must do it 1. Because it is pleasing to God Gal. 3. 20. 1. It is wel-pleasing to God Children obey your parents in all things for this is well pleasing to the Lord. It s an incouragement to children to do such or such things for Parents when they know it will please them very well but most of all when they understand that God himself is well pleased therewith God himself is very well pleased with filiall obedience to Parents as seeing therein his own Image of Fatherhood Honoured his own authority and command requiring this attended and Honoured and a ready way hereby made in children to all other obedience to the Lord himself And who would not endevour that they might thus at once Crown the Lord himself and their Parents with their due Honour and be crowned not so much with parentall as divine acceptance 2. Because this is right or just or meet Eph. 2. It is just and right 6. 1. Children obey your Parents in the Lord for this is right in the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just due by the Law of God of nature and of nations It s a due debt children owe obedience to their Parents as a debt and must be paying it all their dayes Children who have received their whole man soul and body instrumentally from their Parents ow the service of both in an obedientiall way to their lawfull commands It s not a matter of liberty or curtesie but due debt which is daily due to be paid in part Justice which requireth to give every other person his due requieth children to give Parents also their due of which this is part even filiall obedience 3. Because manifold blessings and benefits do 3. Many blessing attend it attend due and true filial obedience unto Parents Children obey your parents in the Lord Eph. 6. 1. v. 2. Honour thy Father and thy Mother and v. 3. that it may be well with thee and that thou maist live long on earth Giving this Honour of filiall obedience as it is a means of long life as Prov. 4. 4. 10. Keep my Commandements saith David to Solomon and live and vers 10. Hear O my Son and receive my sayings and the years of thy life shall be many and as it is a means of bodily health Pro. 4. 22. Parents lawfull and gracious commands observed by Children are health to all their flesh and sickly times often befall the yonger sort as here with us where filiall obedience and observance is too much wanting But I say besides that the Apostle inlargeth the benefit thereof in that expression that it may be well with thee namely not alone in matter of bodily health but in that of name also of estate of family relations of personall callings and occasions of generall calling as Christians and as members of the Church
yea also in those spirituall matters of their souls in the things and comforts of God and of his word and seals and services c. The way to have body and soul to do well and prosper yea the way to have God himself shining and smiling upon children to have Gods blessing upon childrens reading hearing and meditating of the word to have God answering even their prayers to have God ordering all things for good to them which befall them to have God to be with them and bless all they do take in hand to do well by them in life and death is to yeeld due and true obedience to Parents Prov. 15. 5. is verified in obedientiall hearkning to Parents counsels or rebukes the eare that heareth reproof abideth among the wise It is amonst the number of them else that care or person would not hearken but which is more it abideth among them such an one doth not apostatize from the company and condition of persons truly wise I fear if the bottom of the Apostasie of many promising professors now a daies were searched into this would be found there they were or are disobedient children to their parents but as for the obedient God is so well pleased with them that he thinks he can never deal well enough with them Now in the third place we shall make use of 1. Use of reproof of childrens this branch even of siliall obedience the use whereof serveth 1. For reproof and that first of children 1. Of such who in shew express obedience to 1. Pretended obedience your Parents commands but in reality do it not like the Son in the Parable who when bid by his Father to go and work in his Vineyard he saith I go Sir but went not Matth. 21. 30. Or if you do any thing which for the matter of it is injoyned by your Parents yet formally and properly it s not filial obedience but rather yeelding obedience to some lust of your own which biddeth you do such and such things which Parents enjoyn As when a covetous lust will put you on to do your Fathers will and work that you may have the gain of it or the like or if you do at length what Parents require in a better manner yet it may abase you that you did it not more readily and seasonably you first were too disobedient in your carriage like the Son in the parable that said at first he would not Matth. 21. 28 29. Afterward indeed he repented and went and so at last did the will of his Father But it was to him and by proportion should be to you a ground of penitent shame and sorrow that at first you were so disobedient 2. Of such children who are plainly disobedient 2. Disobedience to parents to your Parents and persist in it or at least continue too long in it without repentance for the same Some there are that when their Parents do even stoop somewhat below themselves and not command so much as intreat them to do this or that lawfull thing at their request yet will boldly deny their parents desires like the Elder Son in the Parable who when his Father commeth out to him and intreateth him to come in will not come in Luk. 15. 28 29. Some when their Parents would have them of an honest calling or course of life as more fit for that and such as may be more serviceable to God and men in it yet will not be ruled no they must take to some other course that their foolish hearts like better or else their Parents cannot be in quiet like Adonijah that contrary to God and his Father Davids mind would needs be a King when yet he was no way fitted for it 1 King 1. Some will like those in Gen. 6. 2. be matching but as themselves only foolishly fansie and Parents cannot be at rest for them but they must needs have such a one like Sampson Judg. 14. 2. He came and told his Father and Mother saying I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistins now therefore get her for me to wife and when his Parents wisely and faithfully replyed vers 3. Is there never a daughter among all my people that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistins Sampson saith to his Father get her for me for she pleaseth me or is right enough in mine eyes Some children are grown to such an height of disobedience as they are grown stubborn resolute wilful in their disobedience they are long habituated in it they will not now be counselled commanded reproved or corrected by Parents they are above that they are past that they will be no longer curbed or controlled not they by Mother or Father either but little do you consider what a black brand you do carry herein upon your selves of your reprobation and as a token thereof of your judiciall hardening It was said of Esau Esau have I hated or in my counsell rejected Rom. 9. and what a grief of mind was he to his Parents by disobedient carriage in his matches Gen. 26. When God hath a mind to ruinate Elies Sons as men of Belial whom he abhorred 1 Sam. 2. 25. It s said they hearkened not to the voyce of their Father they would on in their course say the old man what he will to the contrary because the Lord would slay them Their counsels commands checks rebukes yea and corrections too are not hearkened to but all slighted to make way for the fatall ruin of children devoted and destinated to saddest ends either by the hand of some enemies as in the case of Hophni and Phineas 1 Sam. 2. 25. compar'd with Chap. 4. 11. or by the hand of civill justice as Deut. 21. 20 21. they bring out their stubborn Son that will not be ruled by them and he is stoned to death sometimes by some more immediate hand of God as that disobedient yong man which would none of the voyce of his teachers parents or others he hated their reproofs c. He is smitten by dreadfull horror of conscience inwardly whence that dolefull mourning at last when it is too late Prov. 5. 11 12 13. and with lothsome diseases outwardly he even rotteth above ground and pineth away his flesh and body is consumed ibid. And hence we might give instances of very dreadfull examples of the lives and deaths of stubborn and disobedient children and what other can be expected when they are in that black rowl of persons given up of God to a reprobate mind Rom. 1. 28. He gave them up to a mind void of judgement to do those things which are not convenient being filled with all unrighteousness v. 29 c. disobedient to parents v. 30. 2. It serveth to reprove parents who any way 2. Of parents occasioning childrens disobedience 1. By abusing their Authority occasion disobedience in children 1. By abusing their authority in giving out unjust commands to them which the
filial obedience as Solomon saith of him Prov. 4. 3 4. I was my Fathers Son and he taught me also saying keep my Commandements and live but v. 10 11. He records other words of his Father saying thus I have taught thee in the way of wisdome and so in this of filiall obedience as vers 4. I have led thee in the right paths and how obedient a Son Solomon proved let his works declare in his exact observing all his Fathers mind in that of building and furnishing of the Temple 1 Chro. 22. and Chap. 29. with 2 Chro. 5. and 6. and in that solemn charge of his to him touching exemplary justice upon Joah and Shimei 1 King 2. 5 6 7 8 9. which he accordingly executed v. 31 32 33 34 35 36. 44 45 46. and in the great charge of his Father to keep the Lords charge c. v. 3. and Chap. 3. 3. Solomon loved the Lord walking in the statutes of David his Father The Rechabites parents which first yeelded filial obedience to their Father Rechab and taught their children practically as well as preceptively filiall obedience had a posterity successively by that means of parents doing the like from parent to child famous some ages after for filiall obedience 3. By inuring children to obedience to God 3. Inure your children to wayes of obedience unto the Lord be you frequently curbing their disobedience to Gods commands Abraham who was famous for the Lords attestation of his care to improve his authority this way in laying his command upon his houshold to walk in the way of the Lord Gen. 18. 19. as he had an obedient houshold of his servants in the relation of a master Gen. 14. 23 24. Not one of them offers to plunder to the worth of a shooe-latchet Abraham having vowed to the contrary so had he as obedient a child to him in the relation of a Father who laid down his neck to the very block is willingly bound to become Gods sacrifice at his Fathers command Gen. 22. 9 10. Jonadab who laid the weight of his parentall authority upon his children in matters savouring of an heavenly weaned and mortified Spirit had a most obedient posterity Parents are injoyned to lay out the weight of thelr authority this way Deut. 32. 46. You shall command your children to do all the words of this Law This was Davids practice 1 Chro. 28. 9. And thou Solomon my Son know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart c. And so 1 King 2. 3. and Prov. 4. 5 6 7. he said to me get wisdome get understanding c. Jos 24. 25. I and my house will serve the Lord Josuah dareth undertake it God hath given Josuah experience what parentall and masterlike commands also can do that way to bring them under obedience and service to the Lord and so to him also as a Father of the Family injoyning and requiring such serving of God 4. Use holy wisdome in giving your parentall 4. By using pathetical words in giving out commands to them commands to your children namely in the most moving expressions which may help on affectionate attendance and observance thereof thus good Bathshebah when she would draw Solomon to follow her gracious directions even in his place of a King to which he was devoted see how she circleth him with her pathetical expressions Prov. 31. 1. c. The prophecy which his Mother taught him v. 2. What my Son and what the Son of my womb and what the Son of my vowes hence that parenthesis in Jacobs charge to his Son Joseph Gen. 48. 7. And as for me when I came from Padan Aram Rachel Josephs deer Mother died in the Land of Canaan in the way when yet there was but a little way to come to Ephrath and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath c. He would in a holy wise insinuate and get within Josephs heart hereby And then his eares and heart will be open to all he hath to give him in charge 5. Do you readily yeeld to the just desires even 5. By yeelding to childrens just desires of your children and it will notably prevail with your children most readily to yeeld to any just commands of yours As Caleb who giveth to his daughter Achsah the upper and nether springs at her request Iud. 1. 15. As it was good counsell given to that Father of the Common-weal Rehoboam 2 Chro. 10. 3 4 7. to be kind to his people to please them speak good words to them in way of answer to their request and they would be his servants for ever So is it in this case of Fathers of Families wise and seasonable condescendencies sometimes in parents to children It winneth their hearts and ingageth them to constant obedience 6. Do you also sometimes hearken to the good 6. By hearkening sometimes to childrens good advice advice which even your children do seasonably and in a suitable manner give to you and this also will exceedingly win your childrens hearts to an obedientiall submission to your just commands Thus did Terab Abrahams Father yeeld to Abrahams advise in the matter of his remove from Vr in Mesopotamia to Haram towards Canaan as Act. 7. 1 2 3 4. compared with Gen. 11. 31 32. and 12 1. sheweth So did Rahabs parents follow her advice they repaired to her house when Jericho was besieged by Josuah and being there they stirred not out of dores according as the spies had Counselled Rahab her self to look that it might be so done Josh 2. 18 19. compared with Chap. 6. 23. 2. Exhortation to Children to yeeld such obedience 2. This use serveth for exhortation to Children that you would be stirred up to the duty of honour of filiall obedience to your parents else all other outward expressions of respect to them are but bare Complements this is in speciall sort a reall honouring of them As it is in the children of God in reference to their heavenly Father It is more than all formalities of offering sacrifices to him or the like as he said to Saul 1 Sam. 15. 22. Behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to harken then the fat of Ramms As the contrary disobedience is as iniquity and Idolatry verse 23. So is it in the case of the Children of men their obedience to Parents is all in all their disobedience and stubbornesse to Parents is vilest iniquity Now the better to further Children in giving this honour of filial obedience we shall Motives to obedience to Parents propound 1. Some motives 2. Some helps to it As for motives thereunto let it be considered 1. That the Lord himself doth highly honour such as honour their parents by honour of obedience 1. God and Men honour such as yeeld it and he ordereth for them speciall honour from others Prov. 1. 8 9. The instruction of a Father and the Law of a Mother harkened unto he saith
shall be an ornament to a Sons head and as precious chaines about his neck a badg and pledg of honour in the eyes of his people Prov. 13. 18. He that hearkneth to reproof of a Parent especially shall be honoured Hence God causeth so honourable a Record to be kept in Scripture of the Acts of obedience to Parents in Isaac Jacob Joseph and others Memorable is that Jer. 35. 18 19. Where God chargeth Jeremiah to tell the Rechabites Because you have obeyed the commandement of Jonadab your Father and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he hath commanded you therefore thus saith the Lord the God of Israel Jonadab the Son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever namely so long as that state and Church of Judah should stand as they should not he rooted out as Jer 31. 36. There is the like phrase in a like sense so they should be be honourably imployed according to that phrase in a like sense Jer. 33. 17 18. 2. That the Lord sometimes taketh occasion 2. God manifesteth great things to such in such a way to manifest such speciall grace to children whilest in this way of filial obedience as either was not at all or not in that measure shewed to them before Observable is that in Jacob whose journey to Padan Aram is put upon the account of his filial obedience even by his malicious Brother Esau Gen. 28. 7. now as he in his obediential way journyed from Bershebah towards Haran v. 10 11. there he seeth the ladder set upon the earth and the top of it reached to heaven and behold the Angels of God ascending and descending upon it and behold the Lord stood above it and said I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac thy Father the land whereon thou liest will I give it to thee and to thy seed v. 12 13. and vers 14. He promiseth to multiply his seed and that in him and his seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed and vers 15. Behold I am with thee saith God and I will keep thee in all places whither thou goest and will bring thee again to this land for I will not leave thee untill I have done that which I have spoken to thee of and vers 16 17. Jacob awoke and said Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not this is none other then the house of God this is the gate of heaven Never had Jacob that we finde before this time so glorious a manifestation of the promised Messiah to be God and man in one person as that one Ladder with its top reaching to heaven and its bottome on earth to be as a blessed Medium and Mediator by which God and Man heaven and earth should be joyned together as by a Ladder set on earth yet reaching up to heaven to be he by whom the Angels minister unto us and by whom all graces and spirituall blessings descend upon us and our hearts and spirits our prayers praises and other holy services yea and our whole persons one day ascend up to Heaven Never had Jacob such glorious promises of blessing upon him and his seed before Never was he in such a Corner of Heaven before And who then would not be incouraged to filial obedience and to be found in the way there of wherein others have found more of God and Christ than ever before 3. That Gods speciall presence and blessing 3. Gods special presence and blessing is with such is with you in a way of filial obedience to your parents so in this Scripture mentioned Jacob had Gods gracious promise of his presence with him and preservation of him in all places whither he went and that his seed with him should be blessed 4. Promises made to children with their parents come by that meanes to be fulfilled 4. That it tendeth to the ratification and accomplishment of the promises made to you in your godly parents As to Abrahams children in case of their obedience of his godly commands Gen. 18. 19. I know Abraham that he will command his Children and household after him And they in obedience to his command shall keep the way of the Lord that the Lord may bring upon Abraham even in his children after him that which he hath spoken of him even his promises respecting him and his seed Deut. 32. 46. Set your hearts to all the words which I testifie among you this day which you shall command your children to observe to do all the words of this Law vers 47. For this is not a vain thing for you because it is your life and through this thing you shall prolong your daies in the land which yee go to possess Albeit God had made so many promises of their injoyment of Canaan and many blessings of grace protection peace and the plenty there upon them and their posterity yet the meanes of accomplishment of all must be 1. That parents themselves must set themselves to obey all Gods Commands 2. They must lay their authority upon their Children to require of them also obedience to all Gods Commands 3. The Children in obedience to their parents commands under God they must observe to do all the words of that Law 1 King 2. 1 2 3. David chargeth his Son Solomon saying Keep the charge of the Lord thy God to walk in all his waies c. that by keeping this charge of God as given in charge by me thy Father according to God thou maiest prosper in all thou doest and vers 4. that the Lord may confirm his word which he spake concerning me namely in respect to my Children saying If thy Children take heed to their way to walk before me in truth with all their heart and soul there shall not fail thee said he a man on the throne of Israel 5. That your examples of filial obedience in 5. It will be a meanes of the like obedience in other Children you may be a meanes to work somewhat at least upon other Children yea even upon disobedient ones as Jacobs did upon Esau Gen. 28. 6 7 8. He never considered his disobedient course of matching with Canaanites against his parents minde But when he saw that Isaac his father had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Padan Aram to take him a Wife from thence and not to take a Wife of the Daughters of Canaan and that Jacob obeyed his Father and Mother and was gone to Padan Aram and Esau seeing the Daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaack his father vers 9. Then went Esau to Ishmael and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abrahams Son to wife Now he thought his matching thus unto the family of Abraham might better please his Father and so did it 6. In that else in a contrary way of dishonour 6. The contrary will expose the very place where they are to Gods curse of parents you will what in you lieth
our Parents and partly for our Children c. 2. Consider that those that are not gratefull to 2. Else not gratefull to ones Country their Parents will never be grateful to their country or self-denying for its good Hence that also of Tully It conduceth much to the welfare of our country that Children be pious to their Parents 3. Consider that therefore the Lord inableth 3. Childrens abilities given for this end you the rather with bodily strength with gifts and parts with Estates with advantageous places and callings that you may be fit for such a service of gratefull recompence of your Parents That blessed man Joseph concludeth thus of all his great Preferments and Abilities which God brought him to in Egypt that it was all for this very end Gen. 45. 7 8 9 10 11. God sent me before your face saith he to his Brethren to preserve you a posterity in the earth c. So then it was not you that sent me hither but God and he hath made me a Father to Pharaoh and Lord of all his house and a Ruler throughout all the Land of Egypt Haste you and go up to my Father and say to him thus saith thy Son Joseph God hath made me Lord of all Egypt Come down to me and tarry not c. And there will I nourish them c. 4. Consider that there is nothing lost by what 4. Nothing is lost by it you do deny your selves in out of gratitude to your Parents but much gained every way thereby 2 Tim. 5. 4. And to requite their Parents for this is good and acceptable before God It s good with the goodness of advantage as well as honesty or honour before God It is acceptable before God and therefore surely most beneficiall from Helpes 1. Serious meditations of what Parents have done for them God to Children And for your helps this way It were good for you to think very much and often and that with much seriousness of intention of mind upon the many unexpressible invaluable irrecompensible benefits and kindnesses which you have from your Parents O when the people thought of that service of love of Jonathan to them all and should any discourtesie be offered to such a one no by no means 1 Sam. 14. 45. Shall Jonathan dye who hath wrought this great Salvation in Israel God forbid So in like sort the thoughts of what good Parents have been instruments of to Children they will crush temptations to ingratitude and provoke to gratitude Besides be you conscious in giving your Parents 2. Give their other honour of Respect Reverence Obedience their due honour of Respect Reverence and Obedience and then there is no doubt but you will be put upon it to give them this other part also of direct Honour even the Honour of Recompence Cautious Let it be with greatest 1. Bowels only look to it that what you do this way in gratefull Rccompence to Parents 1. That it be with greatest bowels and tenderness Parents did so in ministring to you what you wanted do you repay them like for like 2. That it be with greatest meekness and patience 2. Meekness bearing with frailties and waywardness of age as Parents did with waywardness in ministring to you in infancy and child-hood so repay them like for like 3. That it be with much humility stooping to the meanest offices of love for them as Parents did 3. Humility for you whil'st little do you herein repay them like for like To conclude Children may also discern their Marks of right doing it conscientious piety to Parents 1. If when you your selves are in disconsolate 1. If when Children in saddest conditions are cordially sollicitous of Parents help yea desolate conditions yet you are then very cordially carefull of your Parents outward welfare as David of his Parents safety with the King of Moab 2 Sam. 22. when himself is as an outlaw or as it was with the Son of David when upon the Crosse in all that sorrow and pain c. yet how carefull was he that his poor Mother be provided well for Joh. 19. 26 27. Man saith he to John behold thy Mother 2. If your effectuall care of your parents 2. When carefull this way in married conditions comfortable beeings be not alone in your single conditions whil'st unmarried but flourish when you are marryed So it did in Joseph in David in Ruth and others 3. If when you are in a very high and more honourable 3. When carefull this way in highest conditions place than parents then you be nourishers of them yea if you are perswaded in your very hearts that God the rather exalted you thus for your parents sakes that in their straights you might have abundantly and sufficiently to supply them withall and the rather do it Thus it was in Josephs case he thought that God made him a Lord in all the Land of Egypt to preserve his Father and his houshold alive in that time of famine and upon that ground sends to him to come to him promising to nourish him Gen. 45. 7 8 9 10 11. and accordingly he did it Gen. 47. 12. And Joseph nourished his Father and his brethren and all his Fathers houshold with bread according to their Families To conclude this with that memorable speech of Cyrus mentioned by Plutarch in his Apothegms he used to say and that which is the truth he is not fit to rule over others who is not profitable to his parents CHAP. VII Of Honour in a Reflect way due from Children unto Parents HAving dispatched the direct Acts and wayes of Honour of parents we come now to that Honour of Parents which is due to them in a Reflect way For so honouring another is taken in Scripture for being such or carrying it so towards another whom men are to Honour as it may make for such an ones Honour as we shewed in the 1. Chapter So here in the 5th Commandement this indefinite word Honour thy Father thy Mother taketh in Honouring of parents in a reflect way and bindeth Children to be such to their parents and to carry it so as may redound to their Honour especially being such parents as the covenant Jewes were in Church State and many of them godly to whom this Law of the 5th Commandement was first solemnly promulged and to whom it was more solemnly established Whence note That its the duty of children Children of good Parents especially bound to be such and to carry it so as maketh for their Parents Honour and that 1. By minding prising and storing up parents instructions especially the children of godly parents and such as are in covenant and Church-estate to be such and to carry it so as may redound to their parents honour Now here also let us shew 1. How this is to be done 2. Why it must be so And 3. Apply and make use of this so weighty a point
Concerning the first such children especially are bound 1. To be observing minding prising and treasuring up such parents good speeches as so many oracles of God which will evidence to all that their Children honour them Job 15. 18. which wise men have told from their Fathers and have not hid it a sign then that those wise Children minded well and stored up their godly Fathers counsels so Psal 44. 1 2. We have heard with our ears Oh God our Fathers have told us what thou didst in their dayes c. So Psal 78. 2 3. I will utter mysterious sayings of old which we have heard and known and our Fathers have told us Prov. 4. 3 4. For I was my Fathers Son he taught me also and said to me retain my words keep my Commandements and live Get wisdome yet understanding c. To which purpose also children must in case of any difficulty or doubt arising to them repair firstly to their godly parents for counsell and resolution How oft is that mentioned when thy Son asketh thee in time to come saying what mean the Testimonies and the Statutes which the Lord our God hath Commanded you then thou shalt say thus and thus to thy Son c. Deut. 6. 20 21 22 23 24 25. So Exod. 13. 14. Josh 4. 6 21. This reflecteth much Honour upon parents wisdome and ability that they are able to give forth Gods mind to their children and upon their piety and fidelity that they make conscience to do it and upon their holy industry and vigilancy that they are ready to take all occasions to help on their Children in the things of God 2. To acquaint parents in the first place with 2. By acquainting them with their secrets all their Secrets which are of weight It s implyed in Sampsons speech speaking of his Riddle Judg. 14. 16. I have not told my Father nor my Mother and should I tell it thee This evidenceth that Children magnifie their parents wisdome and fidelity above others that their breasts shall be the only prime Cabinet of the Childrens Secrets 3. To ask leave of their parents at least whil'st 3 By asking their leave for what they do Children are under their tuition for what they do Ruth 2. 2. Let me go I pray thee saith Ruth to Naomi to glean in his field in whose eyes I shall find favour and she said go my Daughter Exod. 4. 18. Let me go saith Moses to Jethro and return to my brethren which are in Egypt and see whether they be yet alive and Jethro said to Moses go in peace 2 Sam. 13. 26. Let my brother Ammon go with us saith Absolom to David though out of a bad end and Chap. 15. 17. Let me go I pray thee and pay my vow unto the Lord in Hebron saith Absolom to his Father though out of a base end If Dinah as its probable did without leave from her parents go to see the daughters of the Country then was it no wonder that being out of her way she so miscarried as Genesis 34. 1 2. Shechem saw her took her and lay with her and defiled her This also redounds to the Honour of the Parents Authority that Children shew thereby that they dare not attempt any thing without their likings yea and their wisdome-fidelity is hereby honoured that they know better what is meet for Children to do than themselves and will order their wayes better than they can do themselves 4. To set forth to parents praise what is good in 4. By setting forth the praise worthiness in parents them as occasion requireth and to maintain their names even when they are dead all they can Prov. 31. 28. Her Children rise up and call her blessed 5. To vindicate any wrongs injury or dishonor 5. By vindicating parents wrongs done to parents so far as it lyeth in the compass of Childrens calls places thus Amaziah 2 Kings 14. 5. as soon as confirmed in his Kingdome he slew his servants who had slain Jehoash his Father 6. To do parents all the honour they can at 6. By honouring them at their death their death Genes 25. 9. Abrahams Sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the Cave of Machpelah So Gen. 35. 29. Isaacs Sons Esau and Jacob buried him Gen. 50. 8. And Joseph went up to bury his Father and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh and all the Elders of his house and all the Elders of Egypt and all the house of Joseph and his Brethren and his Fathers house only they left their little ones their flocks and herds in the land of Goshen they and their wives also went so 7. By thankfull rendring notable mercies shewed to parents great a journey to solemnize the old Fathers Funerall and to do him Honour there 7. To maintain a thankfull remembrance of remarkable mercies extended to parents or Ancestors Esay 38. 19. The living the living he shall praise thee as I do this day saith Hezekiah when he recovered from so great a death the Father to the Children shall make known thy truth God would have them of old to perpetuate their Ancestors deliverance out of Egypts bondage Exod. 13. 8 9 10. From the slaughter of their first born there which to the succeeding posterity were also Fathers Exod. 12. 25 26 27. So Est 9. 21 22 23 24 26 27. Care was taken for the perpetuation of a thankfull remembrance succesfully for their Ancestors delivery from the mischiefs of Hammons bloody plot And if our Fathers had more Honour put upon them in our thankfull solemnizing the memoriall of their deliverance from the horrid mischief of that devilish Powder-plot in the year 1605. it might do well Surely it redoundeth to parents Honour if they are of so high esteem and respect in their Childrens eyes that any notable mercy extended to them shall be for ever kept in thankfull remembrance by their posterity 8. To improve godly persons interest in the 8. To make best improvement of the holy interests Lord and in his Covenant by faith and to plead them in their prayers this act of Children redoundeth exceedingly to parents Honour holding forth their parents to be persons so highly honoured of God as to be deeply interested in him in his Covenant and Grace and to be of such faith in God and in his Covenant thus did David twice Psalm 116. 16. Truly Lord I am thy servant the Son of thy handmaid Psal 86. 16. give thy strength to thy servant and save the Son of thy handmaid In the former he in a holy wise glorieth in his Mothers interest in the latter he pleadeth her interest in the Lord 1 Kings 8. 25 26. Therefore now Oh Lord God of Israel keep with thy servant David my Father that which thou promis'dst him So Jacob pleaded his Grand-Fathers and his Fathers interest Gen. 32. 5. And Jacob said Oh God of my Father Abram God of my Father Isaac c. 9. To imitate all
eyes c. and vers 33. 34. they bring him into that snare In exposing rhem to temptations to them of Incest and they made their Father drink wine and the first night the Elder the next night the younger daughter went in and lay with her Father The like was the failing of the good old man Judg. 19. 23 24. behold here is my daughter saith he to those Sodomiticall Benjamites I will bring her out to you and humble her c. Levit. 19. 29. Do not prostitute thy daughter to be a whore lest the land fall to whoredome and the land become full of wickedness Such a blast of God followeth upon such sinfull acts of Parents And the like may be said of other evils of oppression pride c. when Parents professing Religion will put on your Children upon taking of oppressing wages prices upon new-fangled fashions such a generation commonly proveth degenerate and the shame of their Fathers houses 2. When you will be ingaging of your Children 2. By rash ingagements laid upon them in wayes which tend to insnaring of them as too many amongst Papists do their Children in vowes of virginity when not being able to contain they are insnared in wayes of unnatural pollutions and other filthy practices in secret and too oft of horrid Murthers of the fruit of their bodies in this way Jephtah was to blame who rashly vows Judg 11. 31. That whatsoever commeth out of his house to meet him returning in peace from the Children of Ammon shal surely be the Lords even the Lords votaries if they be persons or that he would offer it up for a burnt-offering namely if it were a meet thing to be offered for so the particle vau is to be read disjunctively for or and not conjunctively for and and so it is in the Margin of your larger Bibles of the New Edition and a little to digress for the cleering of this place Shindler Junius Mr. Perkins and others do so render and understand this vow of Jephtah's and the words of that Scripture And its usuall in Scripture so to take the particle vau disjunctively as Gen. 26. 11. He that toucheth this man vau or not and his wife shall die Ex. 20. 10. thou shalt not do any work thou or thy Sons or thy daughter c. Exod. 21. 15. he that smiteth his Father or his Mother shall dye if he smite not his Father yet if he smite his Mother its death Exod. 12. 5. yee shall take your Lamb out from the sheep or from the goats It is not and conjunctively as if there were to be taken a Lamb from the Sheep a Lamb from the Goats and so two Lambs Deut. 17. 1. yee shall not sacrifise to the Lord any Bullock or Sheep wherein is blemish It is disjunctive though they should not sacrifise a Bullock that is blemished yet if a blemished Sheep be sacrifised its culpable God had indeed provided a remedy in the law as for a Male Person so for a Female Person which any man had by vow devoted to God he was to pay in lieu of her 30. Sheckels Levit. 27. 2 4. And so Jephtah might have redeemed his daughter from this vow of virginity but he either was ignorant of it or in his rashness attended it not and therefore saith as vers 35. that he hath opened his mouth to the Lord and cannot go back which his daughter crediting yeeldeth to his rash vow v. 36. if so saith she do to me according to that which proceeded out of thy mouth and v. 37. Let me go two moneths up and down the mountains I and my fellows and bewail my virginity She saith not let me go and bewail my life as indeed she had greatest cause if her Father had been so bereft of all humanity as to intend to offer her up for a burnt-offering or so grosly haereticall as to think that any such forbidden unnaturall Murther might have been as a Sacrifice to God But let me go and bewail my Virginity to which she was now devoted and wherein she was offered to the Lord to be only sequestred to him and never to marry and have Children which to them was a great reproach and hence vers 40. The Daughters of Israel went out yearly namely to the house where she lived without the City apart from all company to talk with her so it is in the margin of the greater Bibles though rendred to Lament And so it is in Arias Montanus his interlineary Bible ad confabulandum to talk together So Buxtorfius in his Hebrew Lexicon renders it and quoteth Kimchi for it also as rendring this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad confabulandum and so Judg. 5. 11. the same word in the same conjugation is rendred there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confabulabuntur they shall reherse together the righteous acts of the Lord not they shall lament those acts 3. When you are too neglectfull of your holy 3. By neglecting their holy watch over them watch over your Children to keep a wise and straight hand over them and that in time before your Children are grown too stiff and inflexible or too much hardned in ways tending to their Parents reproach when you carelesly leave your Children too much to themselves if they will pray or read the Scriptures or hear the word or attend unto it or give account of what they heard or read well but if they will not you do not much regard it If your Children are affected with their naturall state with things of Christ with their need of Christ so if otherwise you do not much inquire into it If your Children be secretly naught if they be company-keepers scoffers at purity and the like you look not narrowly after those things and so leave your Children in a manner to themselves and what wonder then if as Prov. 25. 11. A Child left to himself bringeth his Mother to shame 4. When you provide not seasonably and suitably 4. By not providing seasonably for them in marriage for your Children in Marriage or possibly having consented to the disposall of your children in marriage will rashly assay to cross your Children and break their conjugall Ingagements which with your consent they have made How frequently do reproaches arise to Parents from dishonourable consequences thereof in their Children Lot was too blame that he looked not out seasonably for some fit matches for his two daughters which had formerly minded marriage witness the contract between them and two men in Sodom called therfore for his Sons in Law which had married his daughters Gen. 19. 14. for they seeing no man like to come in to them in a conjugall way as v. 30. there is no man to come in to us after the manner of all the earth then they plotted that incestuous course whereby their Father was so highly dishonoured v. 32. come therefore let us make our Father drink wine and we will come and lie with him
tremble to think of the issue of such speaking Symtomes of degeneration and Apostasie what for you now to be as he that confessed Prov. 5. 14. I was utmost in all wickedness in the middest of the Congregation or like those in Isaiah 26. 10. Let favour be shewed to the wicked yet will he not learn Righteousness in the Land of uprightness shall he deal unjustly and will not behold the majesty of God and will not this be bitterness to you in the latter end but that I may quit my hands and heart of the blood of the souls of any such and if blood must needs lye that it may lie upon the heads of your selves who are degenerate Children give me leave to do two things To represent somewhat first of the evill of sin in such degeneration of yours Secondly of the mischiefs attending the same And because we Evils of sin in the degenerating of the Children of the godly in generall propounded the use of Reproof as respecting first all degenerate Children in general Secondly such degenerate ones in speciall who have had their inward workings upon their Spirits seen much felt much promised much and given great hopes of comming to good we shall therefore begin with the former sort and then fall upon the latter sort Concerning degeneration 1. It is unsuitable to what God and his people may challenge from them of the posterity of the godly in generall I say That it is most cross and unsuitable to what God and his people also may challenge from you and therefore very evill and sinfull it may be said to you as it was to that degenerate generation Mica 2. 7. O thou that art named the house of Israel is the Spirit of the Lord straightned are these his doings do not my words do good too them that walk uprightly or as he said in another case Nehe. 6. 11. Should such a man as I flye so should such men and women as you of such and such Parents and interests be so and so degenerate or as he said to him in that case 2 Sam. 13. 4. Why art thou being the Kings Son so As by externall calling and covenant interest lean from day to day so here why are such and such of you being Sons and Daughters of spirituall Princes and Priests before God so declining so degenerating from day to day And that this your sin may even in this first respect further appear seriously consider 1. That such as you are you are in and through Holy and devoted to God your Parents an holy devoted and speciall people to God above others and should such be as bad or worse than others thus when God would disswade that generation of Abraham Isaac and Jacob from fellowship with the Canaanites persons or practices Deut. 7. 1 2 3 4 5. This is the Argument v. 6. For thou art an holy people to the Lord thy God thy God hath chosen thee to be a speciall people unto himself above all other people So Deut. 14. 1. Ye are the Children of the Lord your God ye shall not cut your selves nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead heathenish and Idolatrous customes For vers 2. Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God So vers 21. Ye shall not eat any thing that dieth of it self c. For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God c. 2. Such as you are are near unto God in Covenant Near unto God and Church respects how ever formerly in pagan Ancestors far off hence that speech to that degenerate posterity of Abraham Esay 57. 19. I create the fruit of the lips to be peace peace to him that is far off namely to the gentile to him that is near namely to the Jewes which though in their sinfull and naturall estates as far off as the Gentile yet in Covenant and Church respects near to the Lord. Now should such as in some respects are so near God by their degenerate principles and practices remove your selves so far from God what a vile evill must this needs be hence that way of Gods Aggravation of the sin of that degenerate posterity of Jacob Esay 43. 21 22 23 24. This people have I formed for my self they shall shew forth my praise But thou hast not called upon me O Jacob but thou hast been weary of me O Israel thou hast caused me to serve with thy sins and wearied me with thine iniquities and Oh that God had not too just a cause to take up this heavy complaint against many of you that are the posterity of the godly in these dayes that though made for himself and formed for his praise yet you have not worshipped him or called upon him but have been weary of him flung off his yoke cast his words behind your back tyred out his patience in awaiting your return from your vain and sinfull principles and practices whil'st you have made God to wait the leasures and pleasures of your lusts if he look for any service at length from you 3. Such as you are by externall calling Gods His servants houshold servants as it s said of the like Levit. 25. 42 55. They and their Children are my servants saith the Lord. Now as Mal. 1. 6. a Servant honoureth his Master if I then am a Master saith God to that degenerate generation so to you where is my fear If Iob accounted that so grievous in his servants in way of commission and of omission Iob 19. 15 16. They that dwell in my house my Maids count me for a stranger I am an Alien in their sight I called to my servant but he gave me no answer I intreated him with my mouth O how ill doth God take this at your hands and how grievous and loathsome is it that such as dwell in his house in his Church count him for a stranger he is in your sight an Alien you will not come at this your blessed Master you will not come nigh him you will not understand what he saith to you though he call you beeing his servants by externall calling as he did that degenerate Apostatising generation Hos 11. 7. My people are bent to backsliding from me though they his Prophets called them to the most high none at all would exalt him namely by Repentance Faith and Obedience no more will any of you being servants of God by calling make God any such obedientiall Answer yea though the Lord instruct you with his mouth as it s said 2 Cor. 5. 20. As though God did beseech you we pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled to God yet how few of you regard these blessed beseechings and intreaties of the glorious and high God Besides you also are by externall calling Gods Children to whom God saith as to those degenerate ones in Malac. 1. 6. If I am a Father His Children where is my Honour And if the fifth Commandement require such
to keep his due order in your hearts words and wayes and what remedy of any soul-mischiefs where conscience is put out of its place surely if ever God mean your souls good he will put conscience again into is place 5. Is not this to disgrace the wayes and word 5. It is the casting of dirt upon Gods wayes of God and to cast dirt upon them and to make the world believe that upon triall you find them not worth the looking after or cleaving too hence that querie made to those degenerate ones Mic. 2. 7. Do not my words do good to them that walk uprightly You by your course would make men believe otherwise but is not the affirmative the very truth that they do good indeed to them that keep close to them God therefore chargeth those Apostate and degenerate Jewes Psal 50. 16 17. With contemptuous casting his words behind their back as refuse things as words that have no Authority over them to curb and controll them in their wayes and just so do you deal with Gods words but will God think you take this well at your hands and not make you as well as those Psal 50. 21. to know it to your cost 6. Is not this to deal worse with God his truth 6. It is worse dealing with God than Idolaters deal with their Idols and wayes than ever Idolaters dealt with their Idols and Idoll worship as God reasoneth with those degenerate ones in Jer. 2. 9 10 11. hath a Nation changed their Gods which yet are no Gods It is also to deal worse with Gods word truth than Heretiques and Opinionists do with their Heresies and Errors who are wont to hold them stedfastly and constantly as that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in Revel 2. 14. signifieth which hold Balaams doctrine that is hold it fast hold it strongly and unmovably and must not this be very evill in Gods sight 7. Is not this to put your godly instructors 7. It is to make all godly instruments to be losers Parents Ministers c. to saddest loss even to lose the spirituall things which instrumentally they have wrought in you as it is said 2 Joh. 8. Look to your selves that we lose not the things which we have wrought and must not this also be very evill in Gods sight 8. In a word is not this to play the beasts and 6. It is to play the very Beasts to fulfill that proverb the dog is turned to his vomit and the washed sow to her wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2. 21 22. When as in former times you were so far inlightned and wrought upon that out of trouble for your sins you cased your selves of them and cast them off and washed and purified your outward course and conversation but now have defiled your selves again with them and can this be other than loathsome to the pure eyes of the Lord And now having represented to degenerate Mischiefs attending the degeneration of the children of the godly in generall ones in generall and speciall the evill of sin which is in their degeneration let me also shew them the mischiefs attending the same And first those which attend degeneration in generall Now all degeneration of such Children of the Church and of the godly being a sin against more light means and offers of grace yea more grace it self it is therefore the greater sin and must assuredly provoke the Lord to more fierce displeasure against degenerate ones than against others the servant which knew his Masters will and did it not is beaten with more stripes Luke 12. 47. Hence when God speaketh of that degenerate brood of Children in whom was no trustiness no faith Deut. 32. 20. vers 19. He saith and when the Lord saw it he abhorred them because of the provocation of his Sons and Daughters And it is given by God as a generall threat Heb. 10. 38. If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him but that we may press on a little here let all or any such degenerate off-spring of the godly know 1. That God taketh exact notice of all your 1. God layeth up this their sin against an evill day degenerate Acts he narrowly and throughly eyeth them and layeth them up against a season of Justice thus God concludeth concerning their degenerating De. 32. 34. Is not this laid up in store with me among my treasures and vers 35. their foot shall slide in due time the day of their calamity is at hand 2. That you cannot have any just excuse for any 2. They can have no excuse for this their sin such degenerating of yours yea such like words and warnings which you have had to the contrary now or at any other time will one day come in as evidences against you Deut. 31. 19. 21. That warning Song and Sermon of Moses at the plaines of Moab it s said should testifie against them as a witness in case of their degeneration and Apostacy from the good wayes of God 3. That the evils of sins of omission or commission 3. The sins of succeeding posterity will be charged upon them in the posterity which doth succeed you will be charged also upon your accounts as occasioned by your unfaithfulness and degeneration God in making search into mens sins doth it that he might give to every man according to the fruit of his doings as well as according to his wayes so that if that be the fruit of your degenerate doings that being unfaithfull in the charge of God and godly Ancestors and Parents under God which they committed to your trust also your posterity and the succeeding generations become profane irreligious superstitious erroneous or hereticall God will render to you also according to these fruits of your doings you shall be accounted and proceeded against as children that are gone backward and corrupters thereby also as well as otherwise of others Isay 1. 4 5. As it was sometimes charged upon Lachish possibly in respect of the Apostacy of the Danites the Antient Inhabitants thereof Judg. 18. That it was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion for the transgression of Israel was found in her Mic. 1. 13. So in like sort will you be charged as the beginners of the sins of your posterity And alas have you not sins enough of your own to Answer for but must you answer for others sins also 4. That Gods judgements will be more bitter 4. Gods punishments both of losse and sense will be most sad and bitter to such and sad to you than to others In that punishment of loss when the degenerate children of the Lords Kingdome shall be cast out of it Mat. 8. 11. There amongst them shall be sorest weeping gnashing of teeth the sorest sharpest and vexingst griefs are with them you will be ready to curse the day that ever you came of such good Ancestors and Parents that ever you had so
judge the world namely of the ungodly and so their ungracious Children also among the rest neither Son or Daughter wil then be respected by them and if zealous Levi in that way of divine Justice here Know not his own Children Deut. 33. 9. much more hereafter where Godly zeal shall be in its perfection and without any drosse of sinfull nature cleaving to it Godly Parents in attesting and gladly owning the righteous sentence of Jesus Christ against all and every sinner saying Depart from me ye cursed into everstasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels Matth. 25. 41. They shall know neither Son nor Daughter Now in all these mischiefs attending degenerating Mischiefs attending the degeneration of the hopeful Children of the godly from the waies of God and precepts and examples of godly Parents those degenerate ones who have given good hopes of better thnigs you also have you share with others but I would adde and present a few things more unto your sad and serious consideration 1. That it is very questionable whether ever 1. God may never come so near to them again God will come so near you again yea or no he may wholy with draw and return no more as in the case of degenerate Saul Rehoboam Iehoash and others 2. That if he should return again the work 2. The work will be the more painfull will be more difficultly painfully brought on You have broken Gods Prison and if brought in again you must expect more of Gods Irons to be clapt upon you God was in setting your bones and you foolishly breaking them again it will be more painfull to have them set again you have falsifyed your trust with God and he will more hardly be drawn to trust you again with such mercies 3. You will be more apt to be hardened in the 3. They are rather most apt to be hardened in their way way of degenerating and apostacy when you once begin to turn away you will be apt to superadde other sins and likewise many excuses for that which drawes you away from God and good which will but fasten and further you more in your way of degenerating 4. That you will be more afraid of God or to 4. They will be the more afraid and discouraged to come nigh to God come nigh to him being privie to your selves how far how long and against how much light you have gone from him yea you will grow discouraged and at length at a point with God even desperate in your course As those degenerate ones who Ier. 2. 25. say There is no hope but we will walk after our own devices or like those of a like stamp in Ezech. 33. 10. Who when called to come to God they say if we pine away in 5. Commonly the latter end of such is worse than their beginning our iniquities and our sins be upon us how shall we then live 5. It is well if God leaving you such as you are upon your leaving of him it befall not you which is parabolically represented to befall that degenerate generation that the unclean spirit being to mans view gone out of them being restlesse he resolveth to return as to his own house and finding them empty of the Spirit indwelling in them though swept from many pollutions of the world and garnished with goodly common gifts of the Spirit and the like he returneth with seven worse spirits and so their latter end becommeth worse than their beginning Matth. 12. 43 44 45. We have done with the use of reproof We come now to the second use which serveth for exhortation 1. To Parents 2. To Children Use of exhortation to Parents to use all good meanes to farther this reflect Honour from their Children First then let godly and Christian Parents be exhorted So to be and so to carry it in your place of Parents as may further that reflect Honour due to you from Children especially in this respect that your Children may rise up after you to hold up purity power of Religion as your selves do desire indeavour to doe and that your children may not degenerate there from neither whilest you are with them nor after your selves shall be moved from out of this world And for this end First and chiefly let good Parents take speciall care use the utmost diligence you can about the 1. By their good godly education matter of the good and godly education of your Children I have lightly touched this formerly I shall now more fully prosecute the same this is expresly charged and that as the especiall duty respecting Parents in their place in regard of the honour due to them from their children in their place Ep. 6. 2 3 4. Honour thy father thy Mother saith God to Children hereupon annexeth And you Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath so to hinder your Children from honouring of you but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and so further your due honour from them Prov. 22. 6. Train up a Child in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Would you have your Children to understand the Scriptures and to make profitable use thereof to their own and others best good train them up thereunto betime So was Timothy by his good Mother Eunice witness that 2 Tim. 3. 15. And that from a Child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise to Salvation through faith in Christ. Or would you have your Children afterwards to pray or to praise God and Christ aright then inure them to that also betime As those godly Parents did theirs whence that in Matth. 24. 15 16. There were Children crying in the Temple saying Hosanna to the Son of David and you may see there how Christ took it and that he justified it and grounded it upon the Scripture Psal 8. 2. Out of the mouths of Babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies that thou maist still the Enemy and Avenger Christ made account that his praise was much perfected by the Hosannahs of Children which they have been taught to utter by their good Parents God had much glory by the prudent answer of that Child who spake as we formerly mentioned at the martyrdome of Romanus the enemie had much confusion as Mr. Fox saies well in his first Book of Martyrs If you would have them believe in their old age further them in it in their childhood and Youth So did the Parents of David a type of Christ further him this way Whence that speech Psalm 2 2. 10. I was cast upon thee from the Womb thou art my God from my Mothers belly and vers 4. thou madest me hope when I was upon my Mothers breasts that is very early very betimes in my very Childhood Hence the blessed succession of the indwelling of faith first in the
grandmother Lois and then in her Daughter Eunice and then in her young Son Timothy 2 Tim. 1. 5. This holy Parentall industry in such instructions and education of their Children it is Gods own ordinance Eph. 6. 4. and Prov. 22. 6. and therefore one of Gods ordinary waies and means to effect saving good in Children therefore in an ordinary way his Blessing is upon it as upon any other Ordinance of his Hence that engagement of God Train up a Child in the way he shall go Parents do you instruct and educate your Children well and through my Blessing it shall come about that they shall not alone be towardly for a time but in their old age it will stick by them they will not apostatize nor degenerate therefrom Hence that ingagement of the Lord touching Abrahams faithfull care and endeavour with his Children Gen. 18. 19. I know Abraham that he will command his Children and his household after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord that God might bring upon Abraham that which he hath promised And here give me leave a little to clear up that place in Gen. 14. 14. He armed his trained servants born in his house trained servants namely to his religion not to warlike affaires onely or chiefly so in the Margen of your greater Bibles it is well rendred instructed it is the same Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used there as is used in Prov. 22. 6. Train up a Child c. Or as the Geneva notes have it there Train up a Child virtuously when he is young Nor is that Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his trained ones Gen. 14. 14. is taken ever used so farr as I can find in Scripture but in a religious sense it is used for dedicating a thing to holy use Numb 7. 10 11 84 88. 1 King 8. 63. 2 Chron. 7. 5 9. Ezra 6. 16 17. Nehem. 12. 27. Deut. 20. 5. Psalm 30. Title It is used in Dan. 3. 23. for the consecrating of that Idoll which though an abuse yet still the word noteth a religious sense of it and possibly godly Jared the Father of Enoch did therefore call his Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a dedicated a devoted one one to be trained up and initiated from a very Child to the Lord and to his use as it seemed he was proved a very worthy man one that walked long with God himself Gen. 5. and was of publick good use to others as Judg. 11. sheweth I have the more largely insisted upon these passages respecting Abraham and his Family 1. Because Abraham hath his name to be a Father of all believers Gen. 17. 5. Who amongst them have that blessing amongst others to be accomplished which is mentioned Gen. 12. 3. In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed which as in the first place it looketh to Christ comming out of Abrahams Loins in whom they should all be blessed so in a second place in and through Christ it is fulfilled in all and each of Abrahams beleeving seed who becoming Fathers Mothers of Families shall also become by the blessing of grace upon their Covenant-interests Prayers and holy diligence in matters of education Blessings to their respected Families throughout all the earth So that hence also godly Parents may be incouraged to take paines in Vertuous and Religious education of their Children in that it is a Covenant-blessing to them in their Father Abrahams Charter for them that they shall become Blessings to their Families Hence also in one tespect among others Christ sayed This day is salvation come to this house for as much as he also Zacheus is become a Child of Abraham Lu. 19. 9. Hence also that Act. 16. 31. Beleeve in the Lord Jesus thou shalt be saved thy house 2. That it might appear what a Family-church Abraham had in his house the adult circumcised ones were all proselited and such as from very Childhood gave pledges of fearing God through their good education for they were Sons of his house or born there most of them Gen. 14. 14. with 17. Gen. 23. He circumcised all that were born in his house Such as Eliezer is said to be Gen. 15. 3. A Son of his house or born there and how godly a man he was let his works declare Gen. 24. 2 9 12 15 21 26 27 33 42 43 44 45 48 49 52 56. and how godly the rest were may be gathered by their conscionable obedience to Abraham who therefore could undertake that on all their behalf mentioned Gen. 14. 23. The Angel spake also of Abraham by experience of what was already when he sayed Gen. 18. 19. I have found him such an one by experience That he will command his Children and household after him they shall keep his way he that had so done will do so and indeed beeing most of them Sons of his house or born there therefore faithfull Abraham must needs see them so educated from their very Childhood that they might walk in Gods wayes 3. That it may be seen in our Father Abrahams Church how exactly carefull God was that the Children of godly proselites and members of the Church might be admitted to the seal of the covenant of the righteousness of faith as it is called Gen. 17. 11 13. My Covenant in their flesh i seal of it Ro. 4. circumcision the seal of righteousnesse of faith Yâ—â— was Abrahams Church no Jewish Church all but Abraham and Sarah being not of Eber but of other Ancestors Nor was it a nationall Church for they were all one intire congregation in covenant with God and each other implicitly at least and meeting constantly in one place to wor-God together as 600 might very well do if that 300. Genesis 14. were doubled that the weight of such pious educating of Children may appear namely to be Gods appointed means of good of grace in Children as the meanes for the full effecting of the promises of grace as the end which promises are made to godly Parents with respect to their children namely that God will be a God to them c. Gen. 17. 7. and 18. 19. For so God saith to this Father and pattern believer He will command his Children and they shall walk in his waies that God may bring upon Abraham in his Children also what he hath spoken of him with respect also to his Children Hence David in his instructing of Solomon taketh up the like speech 1 King 23. 4. and keep the Charge of the Lord that God may confirm his word and that promise in the generall Gen. 17. 7. being not of an absolute but of a conditionall nature So that the greatest love and faithfulness which Parents as Covenanters can shew to God and to their Children who in and with themselves are joynt Covenanters with God is so to educate them that what in them lieth the conditions of the
Jesus Christ when a lad of 12. years old Luke 2. 42 49. though Mary his Mother did not so understand at first the full scope of them v. 50. yet she kept them all in her heart she had many a pondering and thought about the same 3. Let parents carry it with a very jealous eye 3. Carry a jealous eye over them in point of sin and hand over their Children in the matter of known sin against Gods rules as Job did over his Job 1. 5. he sanctified them daily in that feasting time of theirs saying It may be my Sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts and let parents by no means be drawn in to consent to their Children in any evill way of theirs as Jacob said of his cruell Sons Gen. 49. 6. O my soul come not thou into their secret unto their Assembly my honour be not thou united nor by any means let them own their Children in any way of an evill spirit as Levi who Deut. 33. 9. said of his children I have not known them Zech. 13. 3. Deut. 13. 6. 4. Let Christian parents be often Catechizing 4. Be often Catechising them and as they can best conceive and remember teaching them in the best things of their souls their children in the principles of Religion and instructing them in the best things of their souls under that head of bringing up Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Eph. 6. 4. some take in this of Catechising It was the practice of Jewish parents of old hence that Rom. 2. 18. being instructed out of the Law or as in the Greek being Catechized Aegysippus saith That by vertue of Catechizing there was never a Kingdome but received alteration in the heathenish religion within forty years after Christs passion Julian when he would have suppressed Religion suppressed partly Catechizing of Children partly Schooles of Learning the Papists as it appeareth in the Popes Bull before the Trent Catechize acknowledge that by Catechizing the Protestants got the start of them this milk is appointed of God for the benefit of such Christians which have not their senses so raryfied as to discern so well of good or evill Heb. 5. 12. compared with 6. verse where the heads of Catechizing publickly and privately in the Apostles dayes are mentioned and let parents be often talking of good things and choyce passages of the word diligently to their Children Deut. 6. 6 7. thou shalt teach these words diligently to thy Children when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up especially be pressing them to look after the weightier matters of their souls as David did his son Solomon to get wisdome that principal thing even the saving knowledge of God in the Messiah Prov. 4. 4 5 7. So David Psal 34. 11 12 13 14. Come ye Children unto me and I will teach you the fear of the Lord c. onely in teaching thus let parents take the best and easiest way that may be for their capacity and memory that they may best conceive receive and retain their holy instructions it must be dropped in by little and little teaching proper and fittest for Children is by precept upon precept precept upon precept line upon line line upon line here a little and there a little Es 28. 9 10 11. Aelian telleth Lib. 2. cap. 29. that the Cretenses as they taught their more weighty matters as their Laws their Praises of their heathenish Gods and famous acts of their worthies so for the manner of it that they might more cheerfully Learn and better remember the same they taught them in way of Musicall and Melodious Song even Moses also when to commend the weighty counsels of God to be commended by them to their Children it is in a way of a Song Deut. 31. 19 22. now therefore write you this Song for you and teach it to your Children 5. Let Parents be sure that Children whil'st 5. Let them be taught to read the Scriptures duly Children be taught to read well the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3. 13. From a child Timothy was taught to understand and as a means of it to read the Sriptures through and through over and over often diligently and heedfully Oh the unexpressible wrong done to many Children by their parents neglect to have them taught to read the Scriptures when they were young here the English proverb may take place Better unborn almost than untaught onely let parents help Childrens understandings all they can in what they have read or heard further the due application of it to themselves their soul estate condition and be often calling them to an account of what they have read or heard to see what they remember understand or improve thereof like Christ as a Father to his Children the Disciples inquiring of them Matth. 13. 51. Have ye understood all these things 6. Let parents be putting their Children betimes 6. Put them betimes upon holy exercises upon actuall exercise and practice of religious principles and rules which have been taught by their parents what religious practices and precepts you would have them to attend and not depart from them when they are old train them up practically to those very godly exercises when they are young Prov. 22. 6. Heathen Agesilaus when asked by one What youth should learn in their youth answered such things as when they are men they have most use of Deut. 32. 46. You shall command your Children even whil'st Children to observe to do all these words and therefore to practice piety to call upon God in Prayer to praise him and give thanks to him to sanctifie the Sabbath in all the holy exercises thereof in publique in the assembly in private with the rest of the Family and in secret in their own closets apart by themselves Adam and Eve had trained up Cain and Abel their sons to the practicals of Religion betimes witness that their sacrificing Gen. 4. 3 4. as its likely before either of them were married men Vers 16 17. compared Those godly Jewish parents had taught their Children to pray witness that short Prayer of theirs Mat. 21. 15. taken from Psal 118. 25. which in the Hebrew is Hoshia-na rendred by the Greek Hosanna save O Lord I beseech thee namely the blessed Messiah rescue him from all his enemies from all mischiefs whatsoever carry him through his work so as that he may save others and the like This practice of Children Christ there justified and defended Not alone old men and young men and maidens but children also are charged to praise God Psal 148. 12 13. and if to praise God then also to pray to him praising being but a part of prayer In the 4th Commandement God expresly chargeth the heads of Families to look to it that not themselves alone but their sons and daughters keep holy his day of rest and if to keep it holy
his Coronation Favour and Bounty to his Church for such high holy and honourable ends nor need I say more in honour of your children If becomming faithfull Ministers their Scripture titles do Emblazon that sufficiently Ministers being called Angels Rev. 2. 1. Embassadours 2 Cor. 5. 20. Stewards 1 Cor. 4. 1. Watchmen Ezek. 3. 17. Co-workers with God 1 Cor. 3. And many other titles of honour which he is pleased to crown Ministers withall As for motives I will but name two or three Motives to good education of Children 1. They are the Lords more than ours 1. Our Children are more the Lords than ours by Covenant-right by our own act of devoting them to him in Baptism Matth. 28. 19. and many other waies Ezek. 16. 20. Let Parents therefore bring up their Children for God in the best way they can 2. Education will greatly difference our Children 2. That will honourably distinguish them from others from others not so well educated as Lycurgus when he would convince the Lacedaemonians of the benefit of education he taketh two whelpes of one litter the one he traineth up to Hunting the other not the one proved of use to the field the other was good for nothing but for a cur in the Kitchin and experience witnesseth that ordinarily persons well educated become of very publick and good use more waies than one where ever God casteth their habitation others not so educated are little serviceable in any matters of publick concernment Socrates used to say that many Mens Sons who were without education were like couragious Horses without well ordering and government becomming very Asses or as it might be added resty Iades I need not apply it it s easily understood 3. The honour of good education will be 3. Children also will have the honour of it the sin of the contrary will lie upon the Parents partly the Childs and will partly reflect honour upon the Parents As that of Augustus who so well educated his Sones that what they spake he would have them speak it openly and then have the Speech as matter of worth and note publickly recorded But in neglect of good education Childrens sins will be charged upon Parents As in Elies case of neglect of well educating and Fatherly watching over his Sons Hophni Phineas 1 Sam. 2. 29 30. he is charged with kicking at his sacrifices why have ye kicked at my sacrifices c. The very Heathens by natures light so took this hence the Lacedaemonian Ephori they punished a certain Father for suffering two of his Sons to fall out and to fight one with another 4. It may somewhat awaken and move Christian 4. Even Heathens have been much for good education Justin l. 3. Parents to a more conscionable care in this matter of well educating your Children to consider some of the Lawes Acts and speeches of the very Heathen about this very particular Lycur-the Spartan Law-giver commanded that Youth should be brought into the field not into the Markets that they should spend their first year not in Lxury but in work and Labours And the Spartans had another Law that if any of their Free-men neglected the discipline of youth he should be disenffranched Aelian also speaketh of another sore punishment which the conquering Mytilenesians imposed upon their revolting associates that their Children should not be trained up to the liberall Sciences Plato was wont to reprove this as a grosse evill in those of his times that men would bestow all their care and paines in getting Riches but took little or no care about their Children unto whom they were to leave their Riches When one answered Aristippus that for a thousand drachmes which he demandded to bring up his Son to Learning that he could buy a servant nay saith the Philosopher you shall have two servants to wit him that you buy and your own Son too Diogenes sometime said he had rather be a Ram or sheep of a Megarensian than his Son whereby he declared that the Megarenses took more diligent care of their Cattel than of their Children To conclude with one admonitory Item to some in these daies who are secret enemies to catechizing Children and bringing them up in Learning Let them tremble to think with how like a spirit they are acted to that of that notorious Apostate Julian who designing the extirpation of the Christian Religion thought no way better than to put down catechising and Schooles of Learning as for other Parents who would full gladly bring up some of their Sones who have naturall partes for Learning but through Idlenesse or Voluptuousnesse or the like they will not be drawn to attend it or to be trained up to it let then some other way punish them with suitable epressions of Parentall distast and displeasure Solons law this way was somewhat too harsh that if Sons would not be drawn by their Parents to Learning their Parents should deny them necessaries but yet Christian Parents would do somewhat this way that such Children should know themselves and sufficiently see cause to bewail their folly and errour I have been long in this first way of Parents furthering Children in being an honour to them because it is of great moment we shall be briefer in the rest 2. Then let Christian Parents as a help to the said end be sure to leave your Children under 2. By leaving Children under Gods ordinances and good government Gods ordinances purely powerfully dispensed in the Church and under good government in the civill state The Children of Israel would not leave one of their Children in Egypt Exod. 10. 9 10. Where God pure Religion was not nay where sacrifices to the Lord was an abomination Exod. 8. 27. and where the government of the state was tyrannicall these better-minded people of Israel when the godly Priests were put down by Jeroboam and removed to Judah under Rehoboham and when Jeroboam set up corrupt unworthy fellowes to be priests they also removed themselves and families to Jerusalem 2 Chron. 11. 13 14 15 16. Hence that enquiry of the company of the godly Canticles 1. 7. Tell me O thou whom my Soul loveth where thou dwellest and where thou causest thy flock to rest at noon that parching time of enemies raging against the truth waies and people of Christ to which Christs answers vers 8. Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock the rest of my people and feed thy kids itttle ones by the shepheards godly Magistrates Ministers tents Alas for us and ours to go where Gods pure ordinances or goverment is not it is to expose our selves and them to to soul-ruines as David said in that case 1 Sam. 6. Cap. 16. They have cast me out this day from the Lords inheritance where his ordinances and Ministers and people are saying Go and serve other Gods their actions in driving me out amongst strangers to Gods pure Religion and Lawes do even as it were say Go
in the way of wisdome namely instructively I have led thee in the right paths namely exemplarily the like holy advantage did they make of that counsel and doctrine of their Fathers Psalm 144. 1. and David likewise maketh advantage of his Mothers interest in God Psalm 86. 16. and Psalm 116. 18. Now if this be a talent it must be accounted for one day and Children had need look that they make answerable returnes Parentall nurture and admonition and Christian education is an holy advantage to such Children above others that want the same As being Gods ordinance for Childrens best welfare as was shewed before When Solomon had charged his Son to keep his Fathers command and not to forsake the Law of his Mother Prov. 6. 20. verse 23. he addeth this reason for the commandement even of a godly Father is a lamp and the Law even of a godly Mother is light and reproofs of instruction given by Parents also to Children are the way of life Prov. 29. 11. The rod and reproof give wisdome namely as Gods appointed means in the use whereof he will give it to Children Godly examples are also very forcible and helpfull hence the godly are said to be blessings in all places where they are cast Isa 19. 2. As Husbands may be wonne to God good while they behold the Godly and wise conversation of their wives 1 Pet. 3. 1. So may a child by the gracious example of godly Parents yea such children have the superadded advantage of their good Parents and Ancestours Covenant interest Prayers and blessing Gen. 49. 26. The blessings of thy Father saith Jacob to his Son Joseph have prevailed above the blessings of my Progenitors every godly Ancestour and Parent contributeth something to the Childs blessed stock besides the blessed advantage which such Children have to be an Honour to God and to their Parents by the very Entail of grace by Promise and Covenant of God from their Parents unto them Deut. 30. The Lord will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love him c. and Isa 59. 21. The word and spirit in the mouth of the Ancestours is promised to the suceeding Children let Children then of the Church of the godly look you husband this holy advantage the rather to Gods and godly Parents Honour 2. In that the posterity of Papists and Mahumetans will follow the tract of their parents instructions and examples and will by no means depart therefrom and shall not such children as you are much rather follow your godly teaching and leading Parents without departing from their blessed counsels and examples God forbid any should do otherwise 3. In that otherwise if you will not do thus to the honour of your godly parents verily then all the blessed words which your good parents have urged and charged and that as from God by their parentall authority upon you their children they will come in another day as evidences against you according to that phrase concerning Gods word delivered by Moses to the Israelites and by them to be commanded to their Children successively in case of their Apostacy it 's said this Song shall be Gods witness to testifie against them Deut. 31. 19 21 26. Touching the helps to further you in being such an honour to godly parents they may be such as these 1. Take heed of what tendeth to dishonourable degenerating and Apostacy from the gracious counsels and examples of your godly Parents and Ancestors and for this end take heed of 1. corrupt principles or practices in Religion for they tend to Apostacy hence the Apostacy of those hopefull beginners in 2 Pet. 2 19. 20. whil'st corrupt libertine principles are distilled into them and imbraced by them they are intangled again and fall off 2 Tim. 21. 16 17. Timothy must avoid such profane and vain bablings such the Apostle termeth their false doctrines because they tend to ungodliness and their word and doctrine like a Canker eateth out the heart and life of Religion where it taketh 2. A worldly spirit that causeth degenerating in hopefull persons that hopefull young man in Mark 10. 20 2â— was spoiled by it so was Saul Judas Ananias and Saphira Demas and all those professors which so far out-go those of the high way and stony hearers even those of the thorny soyl they come to be choaked by the thorny cares desires occasions and contentments of the world so that no fruit of theirs ever commeth to perfection 3. Pride this ushereth in even this fall also instead of him whose bea rt is lifted up in Hab. 2. 4. it is in Heb. 10. 35. if any man draw back the one ushereth in the other let Children hopefull ones specially beware of this 4. Wantonness under outward prosperity plenty peace liberty civill and sacred Deut. 32. 11. Jesurun waxed fat and kicked turned against God So those Nehem. 9. 22 26. Hence God warneth them then to take heed that when in Canaan they have all they can desire in a manner that then they forget not and forsake not the Lord Deut. 8. 10 11 12 13 14. let the posterity of the godly here and elsewhere take heed of this spirituall wantonness which ushereth in Apostacy 5. Bad matching this caused Jehoram good Jehoshaphats Son so vilely to degenerate namely his matching into wicked Ahabs stock 2 Chro. 21. 1 2. bad wives out-landish women caused even wise Solomon to sin and for a time to degenerate Nehem. 13. 26. let young persons especially take heed of this 2. Let such Children of the Church of the godly engage themselves personally in solemn wise before the Lord and his people also as well as privatly to walk according to God and those godly counsels and examples of their good Parents and Ancestors and by his strength and help never to turn away there from good Ruth did so privatly when she so solemnly vowed before God and her Mother-in-Law that she would go with her be with her partake in weal and woe with her own her God and people and only them for hers and nothing but death should hinder the same Ruth 1. 15 16. whither thou goest thither I will go thy God shall be my God and thy people my people God do so to me and more also if ought but death part me and thee she engages implicitly to all honour of her both direct to honour her with all honour of respects reverence obedience and recompence and reflectly to be an honour to her also all which may be very well gathered out of that speech of hers as I might particularly evince but I forbear Nehem. 10. 28 29. the Children of the Church there their sons and daughters that could understand as well as their Parents came publickly to enter into an oath and curse to walk in Gods Laws to observe and do all his Commandements and if Churches would call upon their Church Children who are of understanding personally to renew the Covenant of God made by their Parents on their behalf such a bond would the more engage and unite their hearts by the Lords blessing to the good wayes and things of God to his and their Parents Honour 3. Let such Children according as the Lord helpeth them eye and plead with God his own words undertaking this in effect that they shall walk after the blessed precepts and practices of their godly Parents and Ancestors and so be an honour to them this is held forth in that promise of God made with reference to his Kingdom and Church in all Nations amongst the Gentiles Psal 22. 27. with vers 30 31. their seed as the Geneva reads it shall serve him it shall be counted to the Lord for a generation they shall come and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born that he hath done this if God undertake that this seed of Gentile-believers shall hold up Religion after their Parents and convey it to their next generation what can godly Parents desire more for their Children or their children desire for themselves they shall hereby greatly honour God his truth wayes and government and greatly honour their godly Parents their instructions examples and prayers beside that good that will thereby come to themselves and their own souls and posterity also O let such children then intrench themselves within this and such like blessed strong holds and places of spirituall refuge And so at length we have dispatched our discourse about this so necessary a subject and the blessing of our gracious God be upon it FINIS Imprimatur Edm. Calamy 30. March 1655.
last saying how have I hated instruction It is the reproof he hath had but despised how hath my heart despised reproof it is the voyce of his teachers which he hath heard but not obeyed I have not obeyed the voyce of my Teachers If one might lay ones ear in the other world at the mouth of the bottomless pit one should hear many such desperate moans and yellings out such complaints so that though poor Parents suffer by such wretches as you are at the present yet a time will come when you your selves shall thus clear them and condemn your selves 3. Such Children of Christian Parents who take to deboist company and take up any Ruffianly 3. For deboist company and courses customs or courses in your hair in your garb in your jovialling and rioting Prov. 17. 2. A wise servant shall have rule over a Son that causeth shame a deboist Son who is not fit to be trusted with any business of his Fathers putteth shame even upon his Father and Family as well as upon himself Christians are spiritual Priests unto God 1 Pet. 2. 5. truly as it was of old Num 21. 9. the daughter of any Priest if she profane her self she profaneth her Father so it is here such profane Children as you are you do even profane your very good Parents Or as it is in the case of Elders of Churches it s put upon their account of blame if their Children be accused of Riot or are unruly and therefore it s said Tit. 1. 6 7. If he be blameless having Children not accused of riot or unruly for a Bishop must he blameless c. So is it true of other godly Parents some blemish and blame reflecteth upon them when their Children are so culpable such scandalous Children of the Church as you are It is no wonder that you get no good by your Education if given to such loose companions and their Counsels this is the cause of the other as it was in Rehoboam when those young blades gave him that boisterous counsell 2 Chron. 11. 4. He slighted the grave counsell of those Ancient Fathers of the State so it is here hang it will such companions say what needst thou care what the old man saith nor is it likely that ever such a Son should be better so long as knit to such comrades Prov. 9. 6. Forsake the foolish and live and go in the way of understanding yea but first those companions must be cashiered yea this also is the cause of the first branch of dishonour cast upon your Parents by deriding of their good Children Psal 1. 1. There is a gradation 1. A man walketh in the counsell of the ungodly 2. Then he standeth in the way of sinners then 3. He taketh up his chair he sitteth in the seat of the scorners such snares are there in the way of the froward to others as well as to themselves Prov. 22. 5. And so true is it that evill communication corrupteth good manners 4. Such Children as match dishonourably to 4. For matching dishonourably your Parents even to your Christian Parents profession and gracious interests so did that posterity of Seth the Children of the Church in matching with the posterity of out-cast Cain Gen. 6. 2. The Sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair and took them wives of all which they chose thus did Esau dishonour that blessed stock of which he came to match into the cursed brood and Family of Cham Gen. 26. 34 35. And Judah did too much this way Gen. 38. 2. and God put dishonour upon him in that vile brood which came of his Canaanitish wife Shuah even Er and Onan whose vile wickedness God immediately revenged Vers 7 9 10. And no wonder since he so much dishonoured his Father and Fathers house by that match and so mingled the holy seed with the people of the lands as it s called Ezra 9. 2. And they said truly though they spake it guilefully Gen. 34. 14. We cannot give our Sister to one that is uncircumcised for that were a reproach when such matches are made by your selves yet your Parents are supposed if not censured by others either to abuse their parentall Authority in way of Commission contrary to Gods Rules forbidding such unequall matchings or to neglect their Authority in way of sin of omission of duty for prevention of such an evill and so your Parents come hereby to suffet reproach besides by such unworthy matches vile practices come to arise which yet were more reflect upon your godly Parents Honour As was too evident in that posterity of the Sons of God and Daughters of men Gen. 6. 2 3 4 5. and in Judahs brood by Shuah now mentioned and in that mungrell generation which spake half the Jewes Language and half the Language of Ashdod This also tendeth to undermine those direct Acts of Honour due to your Parents such bad Husbands will be hindring the wives due respect to her good Parents or any due reverence to them or filiall obedience to them or any filiall recompence of them and the like mischief will a bad wife do in that way to her husband to withdraw him from giving due Honour to his good Father or Mother as too common experience maketh it good but God will pay such of you home either by laying you as low as hell in troubling and terrifying your consciences for such courses of which there are sometimes examples or if not that way yet by some notable judgements of his exposing you to contempt as he did those of the old world 5. Such persons are especially to be reproved 5. For degerating from the good precepts and practices of their godly parents and Ancestors who being Children of the Church Children of godly Parents and Ancestors yet walk not after the precepts which they often gave you nor in the blessed paths wherein they exemplary led you yea you steer a contrary course unto that of your gracious Fathers or Mothers Grand-fathers or Grand-mothers yea some of you who possibly have been convinced of the evill of your State by nature and have been so far wrought upon as to give good hops of the best things to bebegun in you yet you also come afterwards to degenerate like those Sons of God Sons of the Church Gen. 6. 2. who receive not so much as the Footsteps of any of the gracious wayes of their good Ancestors such a generation are spoken of Judg. 2. 7 10 12 17. And the people served God all the daies of Joshuah and all the dayes of the Elders that outlived Joshuah And all that generation died and there arose another generation after them which knew not the Lord. And they forsook the Lord God of their Fathers they turned quickly out of the way which their Fathers walked in obeying the Commandements of the Lord but they did not so Your Parents and Ancestors made conscience of reading and hearing the word of God
and due meditation upon it but you their Children at least some of you hardly ever look into the Bible the great things of Gods Law there written are as a strange thing to you Hos 8. 12. If with much ado you drop in into an Assembly where the word is taught there you fit as careless high-way-side hearers mind not what is said lay not up what you hear mind most such young men and womens garbs and gestures c. And as for any serious meditation upon the word you are strangers wholly to it your godly Parents were exercised in godly conference but you in frothy discourses as soon as ever you are out of the Assembly and when ever you meet with other companions like your selves God is never in your mouths unless in way of profaning some way of his blessed name Your Parents were wont to be much in Prayer not alone in publick in the Assembly or in private in the Family but in secret by themselves alone in their closets but you their Children make no conscience of Prayer God seldom or never heareth of you by your selves alone in a corner bemoaning your selves or earnestly desiring that he would turn your hearts unto him and to his wayes how conscionable were your Parents of Sanctifying the Sabbath of which you make none you care not if you may do it unseen of others how vainly or profanely you mispend that sacred time how conscionable were your Parents of what they spake at any time and of their thoughts if possible not to yeeld to a vain and carnall thought but to suppress it but you regard neither what you think nor speak you let your minds drive and rove after all manner of vanity and folly and your lips even powr out foolishness how observant were your good Parents what company they came into or were familiar with that they were godly or hopefull persons but no company commeth amiss to you unless they be now and then a godly person who rather putteth you into your dumps How tender were your good Parents of their dealings with men to discharge a good conscience therein of their very outward garb what they ware and in what fashion and the like but you their Children regard not what you do nor how you deal with others nor what you wear nor of what Fashion so the newest As it was said of those degenerate ones Deut. 32. 17. They sacrificed to devils not to God to new Gods whom their Fathers feared not so it may be said of you you give up your selves to walk after the sight of your own eyes and after the desire of your own hearts Eccles 11. 9 You give up your selves to serve your own vain imaginations and lusts of the flesh of the eye and of the pride of life which your Fathers subjected not themselves unto if one should ask many such Children of godly Ancestors did ever your good Father or Grand-father wear such ruffianly hair upon their heads did they ever transform themselves like Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4. 3â— into the manner of beasts to be so careless of their seasonable and suitable cutting their hair as you do that as it s said of him your hairs are grown like Fagles Feathers which yet are not so long as womens hair nor indeed according to the ordinary causes in nature can mans hair ever be so long as womens who are naturally of a moyster temper and if that were all in 1 Cor. 11. It s a shame to a man even by natures law and light to have long hair that is say our Ruffianly haired men to have it as long as women but that need not to be forbidden by Paul or any other for nature forbiddeth that among the number of things not in ordinary causes usuall or possible but this by way of digression or did your godly Parents frisk from one new fangled fashion to another as you do surely no or did they ever give you examples of such loosness prodigality scurrility and the like lewdness which you practise assuredly no nay if your godly Ancestors and Parents were now existing upon the earth would they now know you their posterity theirs Sons their Daughters surely no You are so strangely Metamorphozed from any likeness to your good Parents or Ancestors It may be confessed as it was of their Ancestors Esai 63. 16. Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel acknowledgeth us not as some would have it expounded we are so degenerate that if Abraham or Israel were now alive again they would not know or own us to be their posterity John 8. 39 40. Yea do not too many of you now a dayes degenerate whil'st your good Parents are with you Praying and weeping many a time over you and for you before God and giving many a pull at you before Gods throne if it might be to rescue you from the bottomless pit into which they fear you are hasting and many a time with tears sometimes the Father sometimes the Mother in holywise adjuring and sometimes meekly and lovingly intreating and beseeching such or such a Son or Daughter Ah dear Son dear Daughter that you would once at length look out seriously after the salvation of your souls after God after Christ that you would but once set upon the blessed work of Faith Repentance and Gospel-obedience will you not leave these and these vain courses and customs fashions and companions will you not be more conformable to Gods holy Rules when shall it once be and truly if the arising generation now a daies too many of them begin to grow so rude and graceless and so far to degenerate whil'st godly Parents Masters Tutors Kind red Magistrates and Ministers are with them Alas what will they do when they are gone as Moses once said to that degeneration race of Abraham Isaac and Jacob Deut. 31. 27. Behold while I am yet alive with you this day you have been Rebellious against the Lord and how much more after my Death so we may too justly fear concerning too many of this arising Generating of Christians that if whil'st we are with them they so fast decline and degenerate they will much more do it after we are gone Alas what wrack did those seven famous Asian Churches soon suffer in their degenerate posterity and Ah! that we had not too much cause to fear as much of ours If it were the case onely of a few of the younger generation of the very Churches that they onely were degenerated it were the less to be feared But when degenerating from godly Parents and Ancestors Paths and Principles waxeth so common and even Epidemicall in Protestant Churches here and elsewhere under so much light and help to the Contrary who can but fear the worst yea when Children grow so bold if not impudent in their impieties and iniquities as not secretly but openly not in any way of blushing but even in a shameless way to be casting off the yoak of Jesus Christ who would not