Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A56510
|
Oeconomica sacra, or, A parænetical discourse of marriage together with some particular remarks on the marriage of Isaac and Rebecca.
|
J. P.
|
1685
(1685)
|
Wing P62; ESTC R6
|
38,180
|
146
|
remembred his Covenant for ever the word which he commanded to a Thousand Generations which Covenant he made unto Abraham and his Oath unto Isaac and confirmed the same unto Jacob for a Law and to Israel for an everlasting Covenant saying Vnto thee will I give the land of Canaan the lot of your Inheritance And when God blessed Jacob I will pour my Spirit on thy seed Isa 44.3 and my blessing on thine Off-spring Now as these are the Promises and Blessings of God on the one hand so 't is the Parents Duty on the other to express their Obligations and Thankfulness in the Education and Care of their Children Prov 20.3 like Solomon's Just man who walketh in his Integrity and his Children are blessed after him How does he consult all wayes and methods to make his Children truly happy By Integrity we may understand that faithfulness a Father oweth to his Children in giving them a religious and sober Education Nurture is as necessary for Children as Nourishment which if Parents neglect they are Peremtores potius quam parentes Qûo semel est imbuta recens servabit odorem testa diu Prov. 22.6 rather Paricides than Parents but the good Father takes Solomon's Advice and trains up his Child in the way he should goe and with that wise Spartan Prince when he was asked what he should teach his Children made Answer Agesilaus Xenoph. Those things that they should make use of when they became men For Youth is like soft Wax Tanquam abrasa tabula takes any Impression therefore it ought to be season'd with Religion and Learning as the Spring is the fittest seed-time for Grain and Planting so Youth is the most convenient season to scatter the Seeds of Knowledge upon the ground of the mind And this Integrity also takes in the good Example of the Parent for good Examples are very prevalent with Children It is recorded for the honour of Joshua Magis intuentur quod fecit Jupiter quam quid docuit Plato that he took care of his Children and 't was his good resolution That he and his House would serve the Lord Lycurgus commanded all his Citizens to dine publickly where their Children heard no idle Speeches but grave discourse about the Government of the Common-wealth The good Parent is an utter Enemy to evil Customs he well knows what arguments are brought from thence to support ill actions for Custome as the Lord Verulam calls it is the dumb Idol of the world Idolum Theatri the great Mart of Error wherein Men unthriftily take up on trust and at last break by too much relying on the bankrupt security of a Fashion the Ignis fatuus and blaze men play about as Flies about a Candle 'till they burn their wings He will therefore be sure to give his Children a good Example and abolish bad Customes Virgil brings in Aeneas advising his Son Ascanius Lib. 12. Disce puer virtutem ex me verosque labores Virtue and Patience learn of me my Son So Homer represents Hector Praying for his Son Let it be said here 's a good Son indeed That did his noble Father far exceed And if Heathens profest this sort of Piety how much more should Christian Parents bring up their Children in the Admonition and Fear of the Lord How much was it to the honour and glory of Abraham when God gives this Testimony of him For I know him Gen. 18.19 that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord and do justice and Judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him Which was that in him should all the Families of the Earth be blessed As if God should argue How shall I fulfill my promise to Abraham unless Abraham instruct his Children and what Parent will Wilfully obstruct his own and Childrens happiness 1 Kings 2.2 3. So David charged Solomon Be thou strong therefore and shew thy self a man And keep the charge of the Lord thy God to walk in his ways to keep his Statutes his Judgements and his Testimonies as it is written in the Law of Moses and that he might the rather embrace his charge he adds the reason that thou maist prosper in all thou doest Majori sollicitudine me parturiebat Spiritu quam peperat carne parturiebat carne ut in hanc temporalem nascerer corde ut in aeternam lucem re nascerer Aug. Lib. 2. confes ch 3. and whithersoever thou turnest thy self And St. Austin reports of his Mother Monica that she ceased not do her endeavours every way that he might be truly religious and as well Gods Child by Grace as hers by Nature This is that Domestick care that is incumbent on all Parents to teach their Children their Duty to God himself to Honour their Parents to reverence their Superiours be courteous to their Equals and that in all their Actions they should have Oculi in Metam and so be recti in curiâ the Wise-man also tells us what Instructions he received from his Parents Prov. 4. To study Wisdom and to shun the path of the Wicked and further tells us that whoso loveth Wisdom rejoyceth his Father chap. 29. and this Wisdom is the fear of the Lord as we find afterwards The fear of the Lord Prov. 9.10 that is Wisdom and the Knowledge of the Holy is Vnderstanding The good Parent well considers Religion as most essential to his Childrens Happiness that in the end of their days when all other things fail then God may be the strength of their Heart and their Portion for ever That Antistes Sacrorum the Reverend Dr. Vsher used prayer in his Family four times a day and on Frydays Cathechized them as remembring that charge which God commanded the old Israelites These Words which I command thee this day shall be in thine Heart Deut. 6.6 7. And thou shalt teach them diligently to thy Children and thou shalt talk of of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up And next after Religion his care is manifest to learn them Arts and Sciences knowing that Ignorance brings Idleness Idleness brings ill Company which the Devil useth as an Engine to Dethrone men from the safe and honourable seat of Virtue to the precipice of ruine and destruction and so enchanting their Understanding their Misery attends them incognito whereas good and wise Associates are our second Genius to goodness Phil. de Comines Ab. 34. or as another expresseth it 'T is an Indication of a good and virtuous disposition to choose learned and virtuous Companions which made Alexander so highly esteem Aristotle Themistocles his Anaxagoras and Scipio his Canutius And he recommends virtue to them as the complement of a happy life and only Immortal thing that belongs to Mortality and represents it to
something of the Illustrious Effects of Marriage we proceed to inquire what method we are to take to render it blessed propitious and satisfactory which brings us to peruse the Prayer of Eliezer for constituting a Family in which Government was first erected and if still preserved is the best means to preserve National Discipline which was derived from it GEN. 24. v. 12. And he said O Lord God of my Master Abraham I pray thee send me good speed this day and shew kindness unto my Master Abraham THe words contain a pathetical Prayer of Eliezer Abraham's Servant for a good Wife for his Masters Son I pray thee c. The Context and preceding Verses give us an account of Abrahams direction and Eliezer's entrance on this design here we find Abraham's Servant begining with his Supplication to the Lord God of his Master Abraham for success in this undertaking The Explication being so obvious we only take notice of four particulars 1. His Solemn Address to God for success 2. His Prayer is strengthened by this Expression O Lord God of my Master Abraham 3. The Object and Design of his Prayer to have good success this Day 4. That particular kindness God would vouchsafe unto Abraham in the concession and gratification of his request And shew kindness unto my Master Abraham And First of the First of these viz. 1. His Solemn Address to God for Success this is Eliezer's method and as the best way and means to accomplish his desires is to address himself to God who is the Author and giver of every good thing He and He only can give success to our Undertakings or blast and disappoint our most resolved Designs and Intentions Prayer is a Duty which keeps the trade of Religion a going and 't is our happiness that God puts it into our hearts to Pray which is no other than a religious Speech directed to God after a due sort concerning things appertaining to his glory and our good and it is the Key of Heaven and Conduit of Mercy a Perfume and sweet Savour in Gods Nostrils and the Messenger of the Soul to the Throne of Grace Damascen tells De Orth. Fid. lib. that in Prayer the Will is filled with desire and the desires flame and blaze upwards to God and though Prayer is an act of the Will yet it hath its conception in the Heart and is serviceable to the Soul like the animal Spirits to the Body It is and hath been the Method and Usage of Gods Servants in all Ages to Pray to God on all occasions Gen. 13.4 Thus Abraham for Ishmael and when he removed his Family to Bethel and Beersheba he built an Altar and Called on the Name of the Lord And David after he had settled the Ark returned to bless his House that is to Pray for his People so good Nehemiah First I Prayed unto the Lord and then I spake unto the King And 't is the Apostles Exhortation In all things by Prayer and Supplication let your requests be made known unto God 2. His Prayer is strengthened by this Expression O Lord God of my Master Abraham 'T is very Emphatical and gives us to understand Gods great affections to his eminent Servants and the seed of the Faithful And this place more particularly refers to Gods promise to Abraham concerning Isaac Gen. 19.17 and 't is very probable this was a great Topick with Eliezer Isaac being the Son of the Promise and such forms of Invocation were very common in those times in Abraham's charge to his Servant Verse 7. he encourages him in his undertaking by recounting Gods Promises to his Seed And we find often times in Gods appearance to his Servants he is pleased to express himself as remembring his Promises when he appeared to Isaac Gen. 26.24 I am the God of thy Father fear not and Jacob when afraid of Esau strengthened himself by this Invocation Gen. 32.9 O Lord God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac the Lord which said unto me I will deal well with thee So Moses fearing the Aegyptians would not believe him Exo. 4.5 but God to confirm his Faith and the Israelites was pleased to work Miracles That they may believe says God that the God of their Fathers the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob hath appeared unto thee 3. The Object and Design of his Prayer To have Good speed this day Fac ut se mihi ossert quod peto Zenochius in Locum Good speed is an indefinite wish and refers to several Objects but here particularly signifies success in choosing a good Wife for his Masters Son and some render it That he might obtain what he asked others That what he desired might be prosperous and successeful Prosperum fac mihi occursum Vatablus in Locum Both which are Synominous and 't is very aptly and significantly rendred Good speed because the choosing and enjoying a good Wife is so essential a part of a mans happiness this prompted Abraham to that wonderful care in seeking out a good Wife for his Son Verse 3. and nothing could be more satisfactory to Isaac than the enjoyment of this blessing Jacobs seven years seemed but a few dayes for the Love he bare unto Rachel And all Ages of the World have subscribed to this Doctrine 4. That particular Kindness God would vouchsafe unto Abraham Fac misericordiam significat non alio jure fretum hoc audire nisi qua Deus gratiam suam Abramae pollitius fuerat and shew Kindness unto my Master Abraham We are here to enquire what kindness the accomplishment hereof would be unto Abraham And nothing can please better and be more acceptable to a Father than to see his Son happy in a good Wife A noter on the place well expresseth himself And a Father that hath taken so much care and pains in the education and bringing up of his Son who is so dear to him and to whom he hath given so good an Example when his Son is well married and his Father sees him prosecuting those admirable Instructions he received from him and with the help of a good Wife how does he esteem himself happy in his Sons happiness whose Wisdom and conduct may render even his Posterity happy To which the Wise man alludes Pro. 24.23 The Father of the Righteous shall greatly rejoice and he that begetteth a wise Child shall have joy of him Having spoken something by way of Explication we pass on to the Observations and each concluded with a short Inference Prayer is a great and Indispensable Duty Observ 1. A Tribute we owe in recognition of the Divine Soveraignty 't is the Just Prerogative God may expect from his Creatures The other parts and pieces of the Creation pursue the design of their beings the Sacred Poet tells us Psal 19.1 The Heavens declare Gods Glory the Sun rules the Day and the Moon the Night the Elements observe