curteous towards their equals to be gentle and lowly to their inferiours and louing and kind to all This is another part of the trade of childrens way and this is no lesse needfull for youth then their meate and their drinke And if this trade and way of nurture bee not taught our children while they bee young when they be old they shall be found so head-strong that they will not bee gouerned but this consequent must needes follow that all order shall bee taken away and then confusion must needes insue For if nurture be neglected then our elders and gouernours shall not be reuerenced if they be not reuerenced they will not be regarded if they be not regarded they will not bee obeyed and if they be not obeyed then steps in rebellion and euery one will doe what he lusteth Now is fulfilled that heauie curse which the Prophet Esay threatned against the children of Israel The people shall be oppressed one of another and euery one by his neighbour the children shall presume against the ancient and the vile against the honorable now the bandes of the Common-wealth are broken and now is such a nation subiect to be rooted out to bee ouerrun of euery enemie or to bee destroyed of it selfe For whence comes warres whence comes seditions enuies braules quarrels fightings whence comes strife and lawings whence comes all manner of loosenes of life and whence comes it that one neighbour can not liue quietly by another but he pineth away and is the worse euery time he seeth his brother All this mischiefe springeth from the neglect of this duetie for that the hearts of such people were not broken and brideled while they were yong by good nurture Now one neighbour like a cur dogge leapeth in the face of another whereas if he had beene trained vp in ciuilitie and good manners though he neither feared God nor loued mā yet euen very shame would hold him from committing this follie Oh beloued good nurture and manners they are the cords and bands of the Common-wealth they are the nurserie of sweete loue and concord they are the preparation to religion it selfe For nurture a child wel breake his affections and teach him awfulnes at home and when hee commeth to Church and heareth the preacher denouncing the heauie threatnings of God against sinne he will by and by beginne to tremble he wil lay it to his heart and feare least he fall afterwards into the same danger whereas the childe that is not thus prepared and manured before when he commeth he careth not whether hee heareth or no but is readie to toy and play with euery bable that runneth in his eye and though at sometimes whether he will or no the word beateth vpon his eares and he must needes heare yet it goeth in at one doore and out at another he careth not for it but goeth away as lewd and reachles as he came and why because hee hath not bin trained vp in awfulnes hath not been so much as instructed and gouerned in ciuill dueties Againe hereof springeth an other mischiefe that euen those which haue imbraced christianitie for want of this good education doe not liue so louingly together as becommeth For when one neglecteth dutie and reuerence towards another by and by there arise dislikings dislikings breede contempt and contempt stirs vp bitter hatred and dissensions So that what is the cause why euen the best professors many times fall out amongst themselues they embrace a religion which is not diuided but one they all thinke one thing and speake one thing but this clownish rudenes and want of ciuilitie will not suffer them long to agree together So that take away good nurture and ciuilitie and there will be no quiet and orderly liuing either in the Church of God or Common-wealth And therefore the Apostle diligently calleth vpon this dutie In giuing honour goe one before another As if he should haue sayd studie and striue who may bee most dutifull For hee which is most dutifull excelleth others and is most honourable Againe S. Peter sayth worthily honour all men where the Apostle by the wisedome of the holy spirit taketh away a double obiection This first is made in the person of the honorable What doe I owe duetie to those that are so farre my inferiours they are to honour mee and I am not to honour them The holy Ghost here steppeth in and sayth honour all men There are degrees in honour and he is most vnworthie which receiueth much and cannot bee content to returne some part backe againe neither is there any kinde of men so base which retaine the least part of Gods image for in the image of God made hee man but they are worthie of some honor for the image sake The second obiection is made in the person of the common people labouring together in poore estate and base trades What must we honour one another it is enough for vs to reuerence our betters small duetie will serue among vs. The holy Ghost here againe replieth honour all men As if he should haue sayd in more words let there be no degree or societie of men so barbarous as to contemne and auoyd all reuerence honor all men honour thy poore equals and thy poore inferiours But now adaies when neighbours meet there is no curteous salutatiō there is no preuenting of duetie but some one bolde word or other cast out and as they meet with rudenes so they depart with clownishnes O if men would vse ciuilitie and curtesie one towards another regard it it would so linke their mindes together in friendship and good wil that no smal offence or dammage should breake them asunder But here let vs find out the cause why this disorderly rudenes so fast springeth vp amongst vs. Truely the onely cause is the negligence of parents in instructing their children And againe what is the cause of this negligence of parents but that either they themselues were brought vppe so rudely too so they teach their children no more because they knowe no better themselues or els this commeth of a muckish minde because the hearts of parents are so set vpon this world that so their busines be done by their children and seruants they care not what language they giue them nor how vnmannerly they stand before them they doe not teach them to honor thēselues at home and therefore there is no dutie and reuerence toward others abroad Wherefore you parents knowe your estate let not the drosse of this world so blind your eyes that you should forget your honour know that the Lord hath made you parents and giuen you to look for duetie and reuerence from your children and seruants and though you doe not regard this dutie your minds be so base that you look not after any reuerence yet for your childrēs sake require it that so they may bee brought vp in the knowledg of their duetie receiue the blessing
preuaile with this reuerend olde father exceeding rich and mightie that hee waited and stoode there where hee might haue commaunded a seate 4. The 4. dutie is to bend the knee in tokeÌ„ of humilitie and subiection Example of this Mar. 10. And when hee was gone out on the way there came one running and kneeled to him and asked him good master what shall I doe that I may possesse eternall life Againe this kind of courtesie is shewed euen from the kings throne that no degree might holde scorne of faire and comely manners 1. King 2. and the King rose to meete her and bowed himselfe vnto her And Abraham the great Patriarch bowed himselfe down to the ground to his guests Gen. 18.2 5. The fift thing is to giue the chiefe place to our betters and to offer the same to others in curtesie And example of this wee haue in King Salomon and who would not learne manners of a King as we may reade 1. King 2 where wee reade that when he had rose from his throne and dutifully saluted his mother which came to him hee caused a seate to bee set for her at his right hand Againe our Sauiour himselfe giueth this good precept of nurture in the 14. of Luke When thou shalt be bidden of any man to a wedding set not thy selfe downe in the chiefest place least a more honorable man then thou bee bidden of him and hee that badde both thee and him come and say to thee giue this man roome and thou then with shame begin to take the lowest roome but when thou art bidden goe and sit downe in the lowest roome that when he which bad thee commeth he may say vnto thee friend sit vppe higher then shalt thou haue worship in the presence of them that sit at meate with thee For whosoeuer exalteth himselfe shall bee brought low and hee that humbleth himselfe shall bee exalted Agreeing to this are the wise Prouerbes of Salomon chap. 16.18 Pride goeth before destruction and an high minde before the fall And chap. 15.33 before honour goeth humilitie 6. The sixt duetie is to vncouer the head And though wee finde no example for this in holy Scripture as being not vsed in those former times yet seeing the thing is ciuill and comely one of the speciall curtesies of our daies we will confirme it also with the authoritie of Gods word Phil. 4. Whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are of good report those things doe And againe 1. Cor. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let all things be done decently and according to order But this kind of ciuilitie is both decent and according to order as also honest and of good report therefore warranted and coÌ„mended by Gods word and so worthie to bee followed And here in these words of the Apostle we haue a generall rule for the teaching and gouerning of all good ciuilitie If it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of a good forme deceÌ„t and comely then is it curtesie and good manners but if it bee toyish new-fangled or french-like it hath no warrant out of Gods worde and so not to bee regarded of any modest Christian and rather to be laughed at then to be imitated Hitherto I haue shewed you al the parts membâ—â—s of good manners yet this is but as a dead man or as a bare anatomie consisting of bones and sinewes and therefore now we must put a spirit and life into them to moue all these good parts in a comely order Now this spirit which must giue life and mouing to all these is loue For the Apostle saith 1. Tim. 1 The end of the commandement is loue out of a pure heart As if he should haue sayd loue is the principal and chiefe thing in al our duties and in whatsoeuer is commanded Without this all our curtesies manners are but shadowes of curtesies and pictures of manners and there is no more life in them then is in a dead carkasse but if thy curtesie commeth from a louing and willing minde it moueth all men and stirreth vp others to render the like dutie againe Now lastly it remaineth to teach you the helpes of good manners which serue for their ayde and vpholding and these are three in number 1. The first is meeknes of minde whereby euery man must esteeme others better then himselfe And this is commaunded Philip. 2. That nothing bee done through contention or vaine glorie but that in meeknes of minde euery man esteeme others better then himselfe Without this helpe wee may teach manners neuer so long and yet all our labour will be but lost in the end For so long as the mind swelleth with the vaine shadow of his owne estimation euery man will looke for dutie reuerence from others but yeeld none himself And therefore if parents will haue their children to bee brought vp in good nurture they must keep downe their high and loftie affections and not hold scorne to teach them their duetie euen to those that are meaner then themselues as Abigaile made cursie to Dauids seruants 1 Sam. 25.41 2. The second help is to cast our eyes vpoÌ„ our brothers vertues that so we might be stirred vp to reuerence the good gifts of God in them And this is commanded in the same 2. chapter to the Philipians and the verse following Looke not euery man on his own things but euery man also on the things of other men What is the cause why there is so little curtesie and so great strangenes amongst vs many times as though wee were scarse men why euery man lookes vpon his owne things and yet indeede they bee not his owne for what hast thou which thou hast not receiued the rich man he looks vpon his wealth the strong maÌ„ vpon his strength the welfauoured man vpoÌ„ his beautie the Nobleman vpon his birth the officer vpon his office the learned man vpon his knowledge the wittie man vpon his coÌ„ceits euery man because he dwelleth neerest himselfe can easily see his owne gifts but no mans els and from hence it commeth that there be so many which gape for duties so few that performe them Whereas if euery maÌ„ would looke one vpon anothers gifts as the holy Apostle here commaundeth euery man should render mutuall duetie and kindnes to each other and then should bee fulfilled that sweet saying of the Apostle Rom. 13. Owe nothing to any man but to loue one anether 3. The third helpe is to looke vpon God his ordinance For now while we looke only vpon men wee see no such reason why wee shold so humble our selues in dutie vnto theÌ„ but when our eyes are turned vnto God and behold him inuesting our superious and gouernours setting them in his owne throne giuing them his owne name as in calling our Princes and Iudges Gods Psal. 82. and in calling our Ministers his Ambassadors and such
LECTVRES Or Readings vpon the 6. verse of the 22. chapter of the Prouerbs concerning the vertuous education of Youth A treatise very necessarie for all parents in this corrupt and declining age of the world AT LONDON Printed by Felix Kingston for Thomas Man 1602. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR THOMAS EGERTON Knight Lord Keeper of the great Seale of England and one of her Maiesties priuie Councell my very good Lord health and prosperitie with the increase of grace in this life and eternall happines in the life to come NOn datur beneficium nisi propter officium saith a learned Father Wherefore hauing performed this small part of my dutie in the house of God now at last I am bold to offer it to your good Lordship first as a signe of my dutie for your good Benefice in Suffolke lately bestowed vpon me and secondly for patronage For whereas since my going into Suffolke by meanes of some of my friends I was discouered to my enemies in the flesh but not in the Lord to be the author of this booke which at the first came forth like a fatherlesse orphan vnworthily I was cast vpon the obloquie of all men they seeing in me nothing worthie of this meanenes and behinde my backe was bought and sold for a vaine glorious man Thus while I shunned the title of vaineglorie and would not be like those Philosophers which as Tully saith put their names to the bookes which they make in contempt of glory ere I wist as Iob saith the thing which I feared fell vpon me Notwithstanding taking patience for my buckler and a cleare conscience for my defence I satisfied my selfe though I could not satisfie mine aduersaries Now so it is come to passe that all the first fatherlesse edition is spent and the vertuous call vpon the Printer and the Printer calles vpon me for a second presse exhorting me to make some addition or correction if I were so disposed that so it might come forth the second time with a happier successe The which thing hauing performed according to my weake measure I am bold to present it to your Lordships patronage to couer my simplenes vnder the shadow of your wing and to craue protection both for the worke and my selfe which if your Lordships fauour shall vouchsafe you shall encourage a poore Minister beginning at low steps to ascend higher in religious duties the young infants which as yet sucke vpon their mothers breasts shall thanke God for you and my selfe shall be alwaies bound to pray for you Your Honours in all dutie most bounden ROBERT SHELFORD READINGS VPON THE SIXT VERSE OF THE 22. chapter of the Prouerbs for the vertuous education of Youth Teach a child in the trade of his way and when he is old he shall not depart from it THis verse of which wee are here to speake at this present naturally deuideth it selfe into two heads The first is a precept or commaundement The second is the reason of the precept The precept is contained in y e former part of the verse Teach a child in the trade of his way The reason followeth in the latter part and when he is old he shall not depart from it Now first for the precept because it is set downe indefinitly the question may be moued who should teach to whom this charge and commandement is here directed The Magistrate is not heere spoken vnto because his office is not to teach and instruct by word of mouth but to rule and gouerne by lawe neither euer haue wee heard of any ciuill law giuen to childrē first for by reason of sooner instruction they are not yet fit and capable of it and secondly for that they are vnder the gouernment of those that are commaunded by it Againe these words doe not properly binde the Ministers of the Church first because this dutie is no where expresly commaunded vnto them in Gods word secondly because their duetie is to teach the parent how to bring his children vp and thirdly because the subiect of this teaching is more then belongeth to the profession of the Minister It is to teach a childe in the trade of his way which is not onely to instruct him vnto godlines but also vnto all other humane duties Wherefore this dutie then belongeth vnto parents and they are here bound by these words of this text and this we will proue both by reason and conference of holy Scripture For who should teach and informe the childe but they which haue the gouernment and commaunding of him But it is well knowne that parents only haue the gouernment and commaunding of their childrē or such as they shal procure for their better education and therefore this precept lieth vpon them and they must look vnto it Againe this is apparant euen by the generall law of nature which hath taught the very brute beasts to bring vp their owne young And further this duetie is yet enforced from the oportunitie of the thing commanded For euen as a plant will sooner take nourishment and thriue better in the soyle where it first grew sprong vp then in any other groūd because it liketh his owne soyle best so children will sooner take instruction and good nurture from their parents whom they best like and from whom they had their first being then from any other and therefore you parents are in fault if your children are not well taught For whatsoeuer good commeth from the parent to the childe is naturall and kindly no otherwise then the warme milke from the mothers dugge You shall sooner be heard of your children then either the sage counsell of the ancient or the forcible mouing speech of the learned Lastly the rule of iustice doth require that euen as the first parent Adam and so all other after him haue been a meane of falling to all their posteritie in begetting children in their own image which according to the law of creatiō should haue been borne in Gods image so now in lue of this al parents should lend their hands to lift them vp againe and neuer cease vntill they see in some measure the beautie of the first image and the vertue of the second Adam This is a thing so euident and so ingraffed in nature as that the holy Ghost thought it not a matter of necessitie to expresse here the name of parent But now let vs goe forward to confirme the same by testimonies of holy Scripture In the fourth chapter of Deuteronomie the Lord commandeth parents to teach their children the wonders of his law and that they might not trifle this ouer and make no great reckoning of it and thinke it but a childes matter the Lord there laieth a great weight vpon this charge in exhorting them to doe this with all diligence and carefulnes Take heede vnto thy selfe and keepe thy 〈◊〉 that thou doest not forget those things which thine eyes haue seene and that they doe not depart from thy heart all the
the teaching of good manners is our conference And here the first rule which we must learne is to keepe silence while our betters are in place vntill wee be spoken vnto and thē we must make answer in few words without vnnecessarie circumstances and directly vnto the matter This is taught Prouerbs 17. A man of knowledge refraineth his wordes and a man of vnderstanding is colde of spirit 2. The second rule is to giue our elders and betters leaue to speake before vs. Example of this wee haue in Elihu that wise young man Iob. 32. Now Elihu had waited till Iob had spoken for they were more auncient in yeres then hee and hee sayd I am young in yeares and yee are ancient therefore I doubted and was afrayd to shew mine opinion For I sayd the dayes shall speake and the multitude of yeares shall teach wisedome 3. The third rule is not bee loude babling or hot in speech but colde and milde For Salomon sayth A man of vnderstanding is cold of spirit 4. The fourth rule is not to interrupt or trouble others while they are inspeaking For Salomon sayth Seest thou a man hastie in his wordes there is more hope of a foole then of him Prou. 29. Wherefore then if we will keep the bounds of good manners wee must not bee streporous or troublesome in talke but euery man must obserue and take his due time and course and if there be any thing spoken vnto which wee would willingly make answer wee must either curteously craue leaue of him that speaketh or els wee must carrie it in remembrance vntill our turne commeth to speake which is the better of the twaine 5. The fift rule is to giue an entercourse of speech vnto others we must suffer others to speake by vs. For as there is a time for a man to speake so there is a time to keepe silence and to heare others speaking He that will haue all the talke passeth the bounds of good manners and breaketh the rule of Saint Ambrose who requireth three things in the gouernment of our speech that is a yoke the ballance and the metewand the yoke to holde it in grauitie the ballance to giue it weight of reason and the metewand to keepe it within measure that it bee neither too long nor too short And thus much for the dueties of good manners in our speech The second generall head of good manners which parents ought to teach their children is the framing of their gesture to a reuerent and duetifull behauiour towards others which consisteth in these sixe poynts 1. The first is to meet those that are comming towards vs. And of this wee haue example in holy Abraham Gen. 18. where it is written And hee lifted vp his eyes and looked and loe three men stoode by him and when hee sawe them hee ranne to meete them from the tent doore Againe this example we find euen in K. Salomon sitting vpon his regall throne 1. King 2.19 Bathsheba therefore went to King Salomon to speake vnto him for Adonijah and the King rose to meete her 2. The second is to rise vp to our elders and betters when they passe by vs. And this is taught Leuit. 19. Thou shalt rise vp before the bore head and honour the person of the olde man and dread thy God I am the Lord. But now here I must warne you of a great abuse which is committed amongst you and which tendeth to the high dishonor of God which is this that you know not y e time of your duties but you will then rise vp to men when you should kneele downe to God as if one that is more honorable among you shal come into the Church while you are vpon your knees in prayer vnto God presently you start vp and leaue God to reuerence men Is this religion is this deuotion becomming Gods house is not this all one as if a man should say stay God here comes in my worshipfull neighbour and my good friend to whom I am much beholding I must doe my dutie vnto him I must rise vp till he be past and then I will come to thee againe What is this but to preferre men before God I haue forewarned you of this vice before but some spurned at mee for it and the rest haue not reformed themselues Wherefore I call the stones of the walles of this house to witnes against you that if you continue still in this obstinacie you are louers of men more then God and you that take this duetie and reuerence vpon you are robbers of Gods honour and you shall answere him for it Is there no time to shew our duetie towards men but euen then when we are about Gods seruice why know thou that when man standeth before God how honourable soeuer he be he is but dung and filth and not to be regarded and learne you this wisedome that while wee teach you duties towards men it is not to robbe God of his worship but there is an appointed time vnto euery dutie and purpose as Ecclesiastes in his third chapter well admonisheth To all things there is an appoynted time and a time to euery purpose vnder the heauen It is recorded of Leuy to his eternal praise Deu. 33. that in Gods cause he said of his father mother I see him not neither knew hee his brethren nor his owne children Euen so beloued our eyes and our mindes and deuotions should bee so fixed and intent vpon God whē we are in his seruice that wee should not see or regard any mā in that while And again we read in the 2. chapter of the Gospell after S. Iohn of our Sauiour himselfe who though hee was the most dutifull child that euer was borne of woman yet when he was about his fathers busines he saith vnto his mother Woman what haue I to doe with thee which examples well teach vs that whē we are about Gods seruice all other duties must sleep and be layd apart 3. The third dutie of good manners to be obserued in our gesture is to stand while our betters are sitting in place Example of this we haue in holy Abraham our father Gen. 18. where it is written of his entertaning of the two strangers And he tooke butter and milke and the calfe which hee had prepared set before them and stood by himselfe vnder the tree and they did eate Well may Abraham be called the father of the faithfull for giuing his children so good example For if we consider the circumstances we shall finde this to be a most rare example and going beyond all the curtesies of these our daies For these mē were but strangers vnto him hee knewe not from whence they came nor whither they would againe this was at his owne house and at his own table and the common prouerbe is that euery man is a Lord in his owne house yet so much did curtesie and ciuilitie
art that wilt bee a good souldier of Christ Iesus and doe him true and faithfull seruice because he hath raunsomed thee from the tyrannie of the diuel thou must renounce and denie from thy heart all vngodlines and that is all that prophanenes of mind wherein before thou diddest liue whē thou regardedst not God nor religion and all worldly lustes that is all the lustes of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life as Saint Iohn teacheth vs 1. Epist. 2.16 all which are the verie armes ensignes which the deuill the prince of darknes beareth against thy deere Sauiour and redeemer Now after that thou hast washed thy hands from all vncleanenes and renounced the deuill with all his adherents the world the flesh art now become embāded in the Lords troups now thou must next learne how to stand in Gods aray what is the whole duety seruice which he requireth at thy handes This consisteth in these three parts as we are here taught in this text first in liuing soberlie to our selues secondly in liuing righteouslie to our neighbours and thirdly in liuing holily or godly towards god In these three points wholy standeth the seruice of God so much as of man is required The first second parts are contained in the second table of Gods law the third is contained in the first Now in the first part of Gods seruice following the order of our text beginning at our selues and rising as it were by steps from the lowest to the highest is to liue soberly towards our selues this is to gouern our own bodies and persons in such measure and comely behauiour as that the Lord who is the continuall beholder of all our actions as well priuate as publike and as well secrete as open bee not offended at vs. Wherefore here euery man must learne to temperate and moderate himselfe in his speech in his gesture in meate and drinke in apparell in pleasures in paines and labors and generally in whatsoeuer concerneth a mans owne person and in all his lawfull liberties so that our speech may not be too rough nor too ridiculous our gesture may not be too light nor too lowring our meate and drinke neither too much nor too delicate our apparell not too gay nor too sluttish our pleasures neither too long nor in bad causes our sorrowes not for euery vain losse nor in any defect or excesse and our labours such as may rather preserue life then quench it in all which we must alwaies hold this rule to consider not what we are able to doe but what is most meete to bee done agreeable with our estate wherein wee may not flatter our selues and seemelie both before God and man This sweete sobrietie is the honest grace and flower of our life which whosoeuer wanteth hee commeth too short of that duetie which God requireth at his handes being vnthankefull to God who hath redeemed him to liue in such an honorable estate offensiue to men and angels and hurtfull to his owne soule and body For what is the cause why our soules corrupt and stinke in the filthie lustes and pleasures of the flesh in al manner of excesse riotous kind of liuing but because they want this sale of sobriety wherby they shold be kept sweet why canst thou not endure to beare the labours of Gods seruice why dooest thou waxe faint in prayer why doest thou thinke it long to heare why doest thou thinke much to streine thy heart vnto God in the zeale of thankesgiuing and why canst thou not away to carie patiētly the easie yoke of Christ Iesus why thou hast not beene acquainted with sobrietie which is as it were the yoke to holde all men within their religious and vertuous endeuours Againe let vs come to the duties of the second table and aske what is the cause why wee cannot liue within the compasse of them Why doe some lift vp the heele against their gouernours like the vntamed horse why doe others liue in continual contentions and fightings like the sauage wolues and Tygers Why do some wast their strength in pleasures as the flame which consumeth the tallowe and why doe other neglecting the tender budde of their decaying stocke draw all through their owne throats while their wife and children starue for hunger and why doe other enuying the age to come gape vpon all things present like Behemoth as though they would make an end of the world with themselues and why do other some kindle such discord amongst their neighbours by that fire of the tongue as Saint Iames calleth it that it can neuer after bee quenched vnto the death and why is hell let loose within our selues to disturbe all the powers and sences about vs with wicked thoughtes lusts why this vertue of sobriety is absent from vs. So that take away sobriety and you vndoe all Religion Wherefore you good parentes you which haue a care of the posteritie and of the Church of God to come and you which thinke nothing too deere for the redemption of your own soules and the soules of your children shewe your thankefulnes vnto GOD in instructing your houshold teach them holines towards God and righteousnes towardes men and teach them not onely holines and righteousnes towardes God and men but also traine them vp in sobrietie towards themselues for this is the locke and key to religion it is the yoke of our life it is the salt of our soules it is the grace of all our actions O you good youth I call to you which loue the Lorde I call to you which honour all those which giue you good instruction and I call to you who had rather dye an honest and godly death while you are young then to liue in the filthie pleasures of sinne for a season and in the ende to bee cast awaye eternallie embrace this noble vertue of sobrietie if there bee anie vnderstanding if anie loue of vertue if anie zeale of chastitie if anie courage for good thinges fulfill my desires in the Lorde who loue your soules so deerely and God almightie raine downe a blessing vpon you 2. The second part of Gods seruice is to liue righteously towardes men and that is to giue euery man his due and right Giue to euerie man his due saith the Apostle Rom. 13. Tribute to whome yee owe tribute custome to whom custome feare to whome feare honour to whome vee owe honour Owe nothing to anie man but to loue one another for hee that loueth another hath fulfilled the lawe Nowe this whole duetie of louing our brethren and in giuing euery one his due we may generally comprehende in this diuision First in honouring and obeying our superiours and gouernours secondly in relieuing our inferiors and all such as stand in neede of our helpe and thirdly in being kinde to our equalles and louing to all For the dueties towardes our superiours the subiect must honour his magistrate with obedience
honorable and heauenly deseruings at our hands wee cannot doe it If our gracious Prince to shew her puissance against a forraine power should call forth one or two of her subiects who are most beholding vnto her to iust and turnie in her presence for her honour would they not straine all their strength in this seruice yea and their liues too Now shall wee doe more for our Prince then we would for God Hath not our God called vs out by name to fight for his honour to bee a chosen and peculiar people vnto himselfe to stand on his parts to shew foorth his vertues and to bee zealous of good workes yea and that wee might the better performe this seruice hee hath furnished vs with his owne armour and weapons yea and his owne hand is with vs too though all men see it not and shall not we now doe valiantly for our God and shall not wee nowe endeuour our best to answere the expectation of our heauenly King O my deare brethren see the ende of your calling You are not called to shewe your owne strength or your owne vertues or your own holines but you are called to shewe foorth the strength and the vertues and the holines of the almightie and to bee zealous of good workes But what is this zeale that we may know it and followe it This zeale as the Spouse in the last chapter of the Canticles teacheth vs is no small matter but a most ardent and burning loue vnspeakable ouercomming all the affections in man Loue is strong as death and zeale is cruell as the graue the coales thereof are fierie coales and a vehement flame yea the flame of God as the Hebrew worde signifieth Much water cannot quench loue neither can the flouds drowne it Now then beloued you see the end of your redemption and calling it is not only to do good works but to be zealous of good works you are called and redeemed to the heate and fire of good works you are called and redeemed to such a burning loue of them that nothing may quench it nay euen as death and the graue ouercome all things so this zeale in vs of good workes should ouercome and cast downe before vs all the lets and impediments which stand vp against vs in the seruice of our God for loue is strong as death zeale is cruell as the graue Wherefore O you redeemed of the Lorde not with golde and siluer as Saint Peter speaketh but with the pretious bloud of his owne sonne lay this vnto your hearts and stirre vp your selues vnto Gods seruice you that haue eares to heare heare and you that haue zeale within you bee inflamed for euery one cannot I call vpon you all as the Apostle Saint Iohn writeth I call vpon you little children because you are well acquainted with your fathers deare loue and tendernesse towards you I call vpon you young men because your affections are strong in you and you are best able to beare the Lordes burthen and I call vpon you olde men because you by reason of your long experience haue most knowledge of your dueties giue the Lorde his due and right and abound in all manner of good workes which he hath ordained for vs to walk in to the glorie of his holy name Teach a child in the trade of his way and when he is olde he shall not depart from it Pro. 22.6 When I began to read this verse vnto you I told you it consisted of two parts of a precept and the reason of the precept Hitherto I haue spoken of the precept and of the necessarie circumstances belonging vnto it and now I am come to speake of the reason of it that so I might stirre vp the life of the precept in his working in you And when he is olde he shall not depart from it that is if thou faithfully instructest him in his way while hee is young he shall haue the benefit of it all his life after But now that parents might bee compassed about with a cloude of exhortations I haue thought good here not onely to presse forth the principall scope of this text but also to sucke out of the bowels thereof the more hidden and abstruse collections and to gather the like arguments out of other scriptures because the whole scripture is one and lendeth hand to it selfe 1. The first reason which should moue parents to take in hand this dutie of instructing their children in this trade of their waye is drawne from the necessitie of the precept because euery child naturally is conceiued and borne out of the way as the Prophet Dauid teacheth vs Psal. 51.5 Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me And the Apostle Saint Paule sayth Ephes. 2. That we are by nature the children of wrath And Moses in the 6. chapter of Gen. teacheth vs that all the thoughts and imaginations of mans hart are continually euill and the Apostle sayth 1. Cor. 2. that the naturall man cannot perceiue the thinges which are of the spirite of God And againe Rom. 8. hee telleth vs that the wisedome of the flesh is enimitie against God for it is not subiect to the lawe of God neither indeed can be Wherefore now you see plainely how euery mothers child is borne into the world blind in his vnderstanding froward in his will and affections corrupt in all the motions of his hart dead in the life of God wholy possessed with sin so that except now his nature be changed by good education hee cannot possibly applye himselfe vnto any good waye but hee must needs all his life long runne astray and in the end fall headlong into hell fire Wherefore O you parents as you haue giuen your children the worse so giue them the better also as you haue brought them forth the children of wrath and death so now teach them howe they may become the children of grace and life teach your children in the trade of their way they must needes bee taught for except their education and teaching bee better then their birth they are cast away for euer and they may curse their parents that euer they brought them into the world 2. The second reason to moue parents to this vertuous teaching of their children is taken from the oportunitie thereof For if euer they will doe their children good nowe they must doe it while they bee children The Smyth must strike wile the iron is hot and the Plowman must plowe while his ground will worke and the Sayler must saile when hee hath winde and tide and as you see euerie trade hath his proper oportunitie so this trade also of education hath childhood for his fittest time to worke vpon If you doe not teach your children and traine them vp in good nourture while they bee yong all your laboure shall bee but lost afterwardes you shall strike vpon the colde iron you shall plowe in the
harde rocke and you shall striue against both the winde and the streame Againe doe wee not see that while the plant is yong and tender a man may winde and bende it which way hee will but if you assaye this when it is growen olde it will sooner burste then bende euen so is it in the education of youth and therefore if parentes will doe their children any good and bend their crooked disposition to a comely stature they must do it while they bee tender and yong for now they wil bend now they be pliable now they will worke therefore Salomon sayth Teach a child not teach a man For how came Paul to bee so mightie a teacher in the scriptures after he was conuerted and wrote more then the rest of the Apostles but because hee was brought vp in them from his youth at the feet of Gamaliel And how came Timothie to be such a famous scholler of so worthy a master as Paul was but because hee had knowen the holy scriptures of a child And how came Daniel to be so excellent a prophet but because he was so religious being a child that he chose rather to feed vpon hard pulse thē to pollute himselfe with the kinges delicates Euerie thing groweth well in the spring time and so the best planting of any goodnesse is in the youth for then it will grow if it bee well watered and looked vnto But here I finde two principall wants in parents which greatly hinder this vertuous worke The first is the want of following continuance For many thinke that if now and then they giue their children some good instruction that then they are discharged before God that they haue performed a very great duetie but alas this is but little worth Euery trades man can easilie tell vs that no science will go forward wel except it be hardly followed And again the mindes of children are like the soft waxe the which as it will soonest take the print so it wil be soonest beaten out againe and therfore haue need often to be imprinted The second principall want is the want of gouernment as when parents teach their children good things but doe not looke diligently after the practise of them nor see howe they take roote in them this is but a dead kinde of teaching therefore loseth his fruit but they doe worst of all who after they haue taught wel suffer the cleane contrarie for these build with one hande and pull downe with the other Wherfore here the carefull parent must not only teach but continue in teaching and not onely continue in teaching but also look for the fruit of his teaching and againe not only looke for the fruite of his teaching but also wall it about with his diligent gouern that in the end it be not lost 3. The third reason is drawn frō the true end and proper good of euery child Teach a child in the trade of his way that is teach him in the trade of his owne way and that is as I haue shewed you in some honest profession in good nourture and godlines This is called a childes waye not because hee of his owne will inclineth vnto it but because the Lord who is only wise and most louing hath of his great grace appointed out this way for him to walke in for his owne good Nowe you tender parentes would it not grieue you that your children shoulde take a wrong course and drudge and droyle for other men all the dayes of their life without any profite or pleasure to themselues but now it were well with them if they were mens drudges for if they misse of their owne waye and of their owne trade for want of good guiding and instruction they fall presently into the Diuels way because there be but two waies and now they are become the diuels packe-horse bearing his burden vnto hell gates shal they not be well paied for their paines when they come there wherefore good parents if you would not haue your children to bee the diuels drudges and to labour all their liues for his profite then teach them in the trade of their owne way and hold them in it 4. The fourth reason is fetched from the speciall blessing of God vpon the parent for this vertuous care of instructing his children as we may reade in the eighteenth chapter of Genesis and the seuenteenth verse Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I doe for I knowe him that hee will commaunde his sonnes and his houshoulde after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to doe righteousnesse and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him Heere wee see plainelie to no small encouragement to good parentes howe the Lord referreth to godly instructing of families as vnto the meane of his working not onely the imparting of his blessed secrets but also all other blessings in generall that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him Now what was that he had spoken vnto him why the promise of all his blessings both temporall and spirituall as we may reade Gen. 12. I will make of thee a great nation and will blesse thee and make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing I will also blesse them that blesse thee and curse them that curse thee and in thee shall all families of the earth bee blessed O great is the blessing that commeth by the meane of this vertuous teaching the fruite of it shall remayne with our posteritie euen long after we are gone and the benefite shal be poured out from age to age vnto the worlds end Godlines maketh great housen for the Lorde hath promised his blessing to a thousand generations of them that loue him and keepe his commandements But on the contrarie what is the cause why the Lord hideth his secrets keepeth backe many a heauenly instruction withholdeth great blessings from most parents but because they will not doe as Abraham did they haue no care that these blessed monuments may not die but bee deriued from age to age to Gods eternall glorie Wherefore thou good parent goe thou forwarde in this vertuous education of thy children and then GOD shall hide no necessarie secret or instruction from thee and he shall withhold no good blessing from thy posteritie thou shalt be a father of the faithfull as Abraham was if thou hast the same care for thy children and familie that he had 5. The fifth reason to stirre vp dull and carelesse parents to this their duetie are those punishmēts and hard threatnings of God in holy scripture denounced against both parēt and childe failing in their dueties Salomon sayth Pro. 17. Hee that begetteth a foole begetteth himselfe sorrowe and the father of a foole can haue no ioy Here by the word foole is not meant an innocent or idiot but the child that is foolish and vntaught as Salomō expoundeth