of to be the first Commandement with promise Mal. 6.6 A son honoureth his Father If I be a Father where is my honour But how should this Honour and Reverence be exprest may some say I answer first in words Secondly in actions and gestures First in words Children must reverence their Parents by using few words in their Parents presence or hearing Silence for the generall well becomes the younger sort before the Elder but more properly Children before their Parents And when they speake to them they must make use of the choicest expression that may be to hold forth their dutifull respect by And for their Action too they must be full of Humility as rising up before them and standing in their presence if they expect it being uncovered so long as they think fit and making obeysance on all occasions by shewing all filiall and Child-like dispositions to them by harkening to all their grave Counsels and Admonitions with diligent attention Prov. 1.8 Chap. 5.1 As also by submitting and subjecting themselves to all their godly reprehensions and by treading in their religious steps and imitating their unblameable examples and by covering all their imperfections and weaknesses as Shem and Japhet did when their Father lay drunke and naked in his Tent. Solomon is a singular example of honouring his Mother in another kind 1 Kings 2.19 The second duty of Children to their Parents In the second place it is the duty of Children to obey their Parents in all things lawfull and that with all readinesse Children obey your Parents in the Lord Eph. 6.1 Children obey your Parents in all things for this is well pleasing unto the Lord Col 3.20 Now this must be a cheerefull obedience without contending Isaac will submit to his Father though it be in matter of death Gen. 22 9 10. And so will the Daughter of Jephtha Judg. 11 39. The Rechabus obey Jonadab their Father in things that required a great deale of selfe-deniall Ier. 35.5 6 7. which the Lord rewards them for in ver 18 19. A Bishop must rule his own house well and have his Children in subjection 1 Tim. 3.4 Now subjection of all Children to Parents is as much a duty as it is in the children of the Ministers of the Gospell And of this obedience unto Parents we have an example beyond all presidents in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ of whom it is said he went down with his Parents to Nazareth and was subject to them Luk. 2.51 Children must not make their own wils a rule of their actions but the Commandements of God and the Precepts of their Parents that are not contrary to the revealed will of God they must also quietly submit to such correction as they shall think fit to inflict on them for their faults In the third and last place it is the duty of Children to their Parents to labour to provide safty for them in the times of danger The third duty of Children to their Parents and competent maintenance in their necessitous conditions to their utmost abilities for the first take a president from Rahab the Harlot which is laid down at large in Josh 2.12 13. where she doth indent with the Spies sent to view the land to save her Fathers house and to preserve her Father and her Mother c. And for the duty of Children to relieve their Parents in their want consider what the Apostle saith in 1 Tim. 5.4 That to requite our Parents is good and acceptable before God When Parents have been at great paines and charge to bring up their Children and then come to poverty which perhaps may be occasioned by such charge it is not only against grace but against good nature too to cast them off without due care to relieve them it was the pestilent doctrine of the Pharisees to maintaine that Children were discharged from their duty herein provided they did offer a gift at the Altar which was indeed but to fill their pouches Mar. 7.11 12 13. Which practice of theirs as well as their doctrine our Saviour there condemnes We may learne a better example from the practice of Ioseph when he was in prosperity and his Fathers house in want Gen. 47.11 12. For he nourished his Father and his whole Family in Ramases which was the most fertile place of all Egypt When Naomi returned very poore out of the Land of Moab into the Land of Israel Ruth 1.21 then her Daughter in Law wrought hard and tooke great paines to gaine provision for her maintenance God condemnes the formall fasts of the Children of Israel as for other things so for this that they did hide themselves from their own flesh Isa 58.6 7. Now Parents may be more truly said to be our own flesh than others in common can be said to be our Saviour in that place of Marke makes it one kind of honouring Parents to relieve them in their want and to honour our Parents you have it proved before to be a duty from children There be other duties which children owe unto their Parents but they may be included in these If these be conscientiously performed they will be all discharged The duties then which children owe unto their Parents which are obvious to your eye are first to reverence them Secondly to obey them Thirdly to labour to preserve them from danger and to maintaine them in their wants In the last place we are to proceed to discusse the duties which servants owe unto their Masters c. and then we shall draw to a conclusion of this poore Treatise and so leave all upon your hearts to practice in your lives The first duty that servants owe unto their Masters The first duty of servants to their Masters c. is the same that children owe to their Parents that is Honour and Reverence this duty all Inferiours owe to their Superiours and therefore it must be a duty here Now that it is so consider the fore quoted place Mal. 1.6 A son honoureth his Father and a Servant his Master If I be a Master saith God where is my feare or Reverence Implying that honour and reverence is a duty servants owe to their Masters and that they are obliged to the performance of it That place in 1 Tim. 6.1 is much to be observed for this purpose where the Apostle requires all servants that are under the yoke to count their own Masters worthy of all honour and then adds a reason for the same which is this That the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphâ—med Then it is very cleare that such servants as make no conscience to performe this duty of giving honour to their Masters do expose the name and word of eternall God to contempt and to be blasphemed and how shall such servants ever be able to answer for this sin of theirs before the great and all-powerfull God who is alwaies armed with divine vengeance to be powred down upon the heads and hearts of
preserved from the evill of punishment the patience of God will be but his omission of punishment and not the remission of thy sin Reas 4 The fourth and last Reason to induce thee to the practice of these duties to thy Family may be taken from that respect thou maiest in due place have to the recompence of reward for if thou be an instrument of the glory of God in the conversion of soules thou maiest through free grace expect an interest in that promise of God That they that are wise shall shine as the firmament but they that convert many to righteousnesse shall shine as the stars for ever and ever Dan. 12.3 And what knowest thou but thou maiest have the presence and assistance of the spirit of God with thee in thy discharge of these duties if thou be consciencious therein both for the information of thy Children and Servants and the reformation of their lives Thus much for the Reasons or Motives to actuate and provoke your spirits to the discharge of those duties you owe to your Children and Servants First taken from the command of God Secondly From those bowels of Compassions to their soules that ought to be in you Thirdly From that account you must passe to God for their soules if they perish by your default And lastly from that respect you may have to the recompence of reward We shall come to a few words of Application before we proceed to the ensuing matter This in the first place may serve for Information Use 1 to let you see the originall cause and the cursed and impoysoned root from whence doth spring all the abominations of these times the profanation of Gods Sabbaths drunkennesse pride uncleannesse hating of the power of Godlinesse and all other sins Even from hence that Parents and Masters neglect their duties to their Children and Servants in Catechizing and instructing them in the waies of God as also that they pray not with them nor for them nor walke before them giving them good examples but rather the contrary and lastly in that they use no meanes to reclaime them from vicious waies but leave them to themselves laying the raines of corrupt liberty on their necks whereby they run a full careere into all waies of sin and so to hell at last The Lord hath cause to complaine of the multitude and hainousnesse of the sins of these times as once he did of the sins of Israel Amor â— 13 Behold saith God I am pressed under you as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaves and truly it is only his mercy that the Land doth not spue us out Lev. 18 28. And that which aggravates our sins is that after the faithfull Ministers of God in the later and this present Age have cried out against the horrid sins of the Times and have spent the strength of their Reines and wasted their best spirits that they may sit down and mourne over us and say they have spent their labour in vaine and their strength to no purpose Isa 49.4 For custome in sin doth bring a necessity to sin and that in such an habituall way that no meanes without a miracle of mercy can reforme the evill manners of most for the Ministers of the Gospell cannot preach down sin nor the Civill Magistrate cut it down with the sword of justice But Beloved how easily by the blessing of God might many if not all the Exorbitances of these times have been prevented by the Christian and prudent care of Domestique Governours they might have broke the Egge betimes and so have prevented it from bringing forth a Serpent they might have taken and dash'd Babylons little ones against the stones Psal 137. ult Every Family is a little Nursery to the great Orchards of Church and Common-wealth Now Family Discipline is the pruning ingrafting Enoculating and digging about the root of the tender Imps to qualifie and fit them for transplantation into either or both the foresaid Orchards But if the meanes before-mentioned be not used instead of removing fruitfull trees you shall replant Crabs bryers and thornes and such Vines as shall bring forth no Grapes but such as Moses mentions in his Song Deut. 32.32 Their Vine is of the Vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah their grapes are grapes of gall their clusters are bitter They shall bring forth such grapes as the Lord complaines of Isa 5.2 Now as Parents and Masters may be charged to be the originall cause of all the sins beforesaid and of the sins of the like kind so may all the Errours fundamentall and circumstantiall now maintained with a Whores forehead be brought and laid down at their doores likewise for had they taken more paines with their Children and Servants to season their hearts and informe their judgements by a Catechisticall way in the solid and profound truths of God both concerning faith and life things to be believed duties to be practised there might by the blessing of God on their sincere endeavours have been better fruit expected in these daies of sadnesse and sorrow than declining pure truth vilifying Gods Ordinances and faithfull Ministers raging against and worrying of the tender Lambs of Christ In which they take the same diabolicall course that some heathens of old tooke that is cloathed the Saints in the skins of Beares and other wild beasts that so their dogs might fasten their impoysoned fangs in their tender hearts so these calumniate such who by the grace of God walke closer to the Rule than themselves with many opprobrious and vile but notoriously false aspersions they are say they enemies to the State disturbers of the peace of a Nation and many other hellish accusations they have against them which I forbeare to name not doubting but in Gods time the guilt of their abominations will settle in their owne bosoms and so clap to their hearts and so sting their soules that by the goodnesse of God they shall be awakened to see their evill and repent of it before it be too late By reason whereof all their beagles and bloud-hounds take the sent not by the feet of the non-guilty from the cursed vomit of the accuser of the Brethren and run with so much hellish fury at them that did not God graciously and the precious Laws of the times preserve them they must inevitably perish but blessed be God there is yet hopes in Israel concerning this thing Ezra 10.2 For in order to the reforming of the destructive errors of these times the higher powers do declare their sense of the same and do protest against them and we hope they will make a hedge of thornes against them Now as wicked Parents and Masters have by their neglect of their duties occasioned all the evils of sin before-mentioned and pointed at so they have been the occasion by good consequence of all the evill of punishments that this day the righteous God hath inflicted on the Nation for sin is the Antecedent of
punishment for the plagues and vengeance of God do follow sin as the thread doth the needle And here we might run in Infinitum in making this clear from Scripture demonstrations some we shall produce and but a few to what we might Read Deut. 28. the whole Chapter consider Lam. 3.39 also 2 Chron 36.14 15 16. and Hos 4.1 2 3 5. lastly Mat. 23.37 38. Thus for the first Use In the second place it may serve for just reproofe Use 2 and to speake terrour and horrour to the consciences of all Parents and Masters who are guilty of the cursed neglect of the duties before-mentioned which they owe unto their Children and Servants in reference to the good of their soules You have seene that by this meanes you are accessary to the overflowing enormities of every kind and horrid crimes of the times and are the meritorious cause of the inundation of the miseries that is now by the hand of the all-just God fallen upon us in these our daies which without infinite mercy will bury every man and mothers Child in their own justly-deserved ruine and hast thou whosoever thou art a heart of stone insensible of thy own condition Art thou worse than a Stoick Hast thou like Jonah set the sea of the world all in a raging And art thou fast asleep Ah poore soule thy condition is to be lamented with teares of bloud both in regard of thy guilt and also of thy punishment thou art guilty first of the sins of thy Family and by their bad examples of the sins of whole Townes Cities Counties and of the whole Nation thou art guilty of the precious bloud of their soules thou hast sent soules to hell by Millions and Legions thou hast cramm'd and ramm'd soules into hell Oh thou unmercilesse Canniball what hast thou done Hast thou married a wife to send her to Hell Hast thou begot Children to make them fewell for Hell Hast thou hired Servants to thrust them head and shoulder as we say into Hell Ah thou blood-hound thou hell-hound dost thou lye under so much guilt and yet hast an Adamantine soule Oh how infinitely miserable art thou by reason of sin But that is not all yet I must confess the evill of sin is worse than the evill of punishment thou art lyable to undergo more punishment than men or Angels can conceive much lesse acquaint thee with He that shall cut the throat or otherwise murther but one man the Laws of men will both sentence him to and execute death on him how then shalt thou escape at the Bar of Gods Tribunall for thy cutting the throats of such multitudes of multitudes of poore precious soules one whereof is worth more than worlds of treasure Dost thou thinke that the Judge of all the World will not do right Gen. 28.25 Foster not in â—hy selfe such a thought for God will araigne â—hee sentence doome and damne thee to Hell â—t the Bar of his terrible Tribunall seat from whence thou must go pinion'd mancled and â—ettered to hell guarded with the infernall â—rew of devils thy companions in sin and torment and at thy first entrance into that pit of â—erdition thou shalt rouze up all the damned Ghosts to make way for thee read that place â—a 14.9 it may make thy loines to tremble â—hy knees to smite one against another and the â—aire of thy head to stand on end and for such â—f thy relations to whom God gave no repenâ—ance Oh how will they salute thee and upâ—raid thee and say here is my cursed Husband â—ill thy Wife say Oh here is my cursed Faâ—her saies thy poore Children and say the â—ervants here is my cursed Master Oh say â—hey all had he instructed us in the waies of God prayed with us and for us lived a holy â—fe for an example to us and used all meanes â—reclaime us from our evill waies though he â—ad beat us black and blew and given us stripes within the bowels of the belly Prov. 20.30 â— look the old Translation he might have saâ—ed us from hence but now we are irrecoveâ—ably lost for ever After all which down thou â—nkest with mountaines of sins and curses into â—he bottomlesse pit when the hatches of hell â—hall be shut upon thee and then thou shalt be â—ormented with a vengeance with forked Inâ—â—ruments with iron teeth with Serpents and Scorpions and the biting and gnawing of the worme of conscience then thou shalt not have one drop of water to coole thy tongue nor one breath of aire to refresh thee with and that which will aggravate thy misery will be this that the time of thy torments in hell will be Millions of Millions of yeares nay it will be beyond time even all time for ever and for evermore and therefore well said a Reverend Moderne Divine that this word ever kils the heart Thus much likewise for the use of reproofe and terrour Use 3 In the third place this may be for a use of Lamentation to bewaile that spirit of Antipathy that is almost in all men of all Estates and conditions against the performance of Religious Family duties for there is a spirit of opposition rising in the hearts of men and women too against not only the duties before mentioned but also against the persons of those who desire conscientiously to discharge them they will labour to cast a damp on the spirits of such persons by speaking evill of this way of God and by belching out with their black mouth all the hellish filth and foame that possible they can They will scoffe at the people of God nickname them raile at them and revile them even for their care and paines to save the soules of such whom the great God hath committed to their charge But know that to speake against the performance of any duty that God requires is to speake against God himselfe who requires obedience thereunto and what is that but blasphemy in a high degree for hereby thou dost derogate from the infinite wisdome of God and arrogate to thy own but know thou that the foolishness of God is wiser than men 1 Cor. 1.25 Yet mistake not the Apostle as if he did grant that in God there were a deficiency in understanding for that cannot be for if God were imperfect in any one of his Attributes it would make the duty it selfe null and so God could not have an essentiall being but the Apostle speakes after the manner of men as if he did grant that which must not be granted by way of supposition yet saith he that deficiency or that foolishnesse which foolish and wicked men thinke to be in God is wiser than all the Wit parts and understanding that the wisest men in the world have What a degenerate Creature then art thou whosoever thou art that once darest enter the lists of dispute against thy Creator as thou dost that censurest such as obey God in any kind to be fooles and ridiculous and absurd fellows for that if
not worse is thy language I am certaine that by this meanes thou commest within the lists of that woe Isa 5.20 Woe unto them who call evill good and good evill c. Thou condemnest Gods waies and justifiest thy own waies Let men walke in the waies â—o get wealth or pleasure or carnall profit or worldly honour or run apace in the high road â—o hell These ungodly persons before spoken of will not dishearten them but rather encourage them by keeping company with them but let any men or women whose hearts God hath warmed with zeale for his glory and tender love to such poore soules as are under them let them but lend them a little finger to guide them or but a small sparke of light to conduct them by in the way to heaven then they are in their Bedlam-fits not knowing how to contain themselves within the bounds of civility But these men have either never learned or soon forgotten that place of our Saviour The Kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Mat. 11.12 and other places Luk. 13.24 Heb. 12.14 Luk. 11.52 Such opposite spirited men and women as these will by no meanes endure that any Child or Friend of theirs shall come within the wals of a godly Family to live in for feare they should become Puritans as they call them but to conclude this Point or Use let me tell them that without abundance of repentance for and reformation of this sin they shall have as large a share if not more of those inconceivable miseries which are imperfectly mentioned in the use of reproofe and terrour as the portion of such as do any way neglect the performance of those duties they owe unto Children and Servants and it may be they shall have a larger share than the others because for ought can be known such scoffing Ishmaels as these have been a special cause of hindring many from the performance of their duties to their Family-relations which otherwise would have set themselves to the discharge of those duties The use in the last place may be for exhortation Use 4 to stir up Christian Parents and Masters First to labour to be well acquainted with those duties which they owe unto their Children and Servants And then to set themselves with much diligence paines and care to the performance of them The duties have been laid down and fully demonstrated from divers Scriptures there hath been some Illustrations and Amplifications of them and divers undeniable reasons to urge the performance of them Now what shall I say This paines as in order to thee is lost if thou sit still and come not forth to the performance of them When David had made a large preparation for building the House of God in Jerusalem having got together abundance of materials for that Magnificent Worke what saith he to his Son Solomon Arise saith he therefore and be doing and the Lord be with thee 1 Chro. 22.16 Now if without offence I might allude to to this I may say I have endeavoured as God hath graciously enabled me to prepare in some poore measure some materials to help thee to â—uild God a temple or Church in his own Family unto which I desire thou maiest adde in thy retired Meditations Now I also say to thee arise and be doing and the Lord be with â—hee Thou wilt say thou art a poore weake creature thy knowledge is little and thy parts â—re small let me advise thee to gaine good formes of Catechisme be studious in them be diligent to improve them for the good of all under thee by this meanes if thou be consciencious indeed and seeke to approve thy selfe to God in thy discharge of these duties and abundantly desirest to yield furtherance to the soules of thy Wife Children and Servants By this meanes I say thou shalt find that in teaching others thy owne knowledge shall encrease and thou hast a promise from the mouth of Christ for this that to him that hath more shall be given and he shall have in abundance Mat 13.12 We have a good proverbe applicable here that is Use legs and have legs and thou saiest thy parts are weake if thou canst not pray with thy Family but in a very weake manner then I say pray to God to teach thee to pray pray in secret for both the spirit and gift of prayer that thou maiest be able to Performe it in thy Family but beware thou set not too high a rate on the gift of prayer for it often goes alone without the Spirit thou wert better of the two have the Spirit of Prayer than the gift but both together doth best especially in relation to edifying others Simon Magus desired to purchase a power to give the Holy Ghost to whom he pleased his ends were base as well as his tender vile he did aime as good Divines thinke at popular applause besides a cursed gaine Truly I much feare popular applause and vaine ostentation is too too much the aime of some in our Times where I see a gift of prayer yea and of preaching too and a spirit of predominant pride I must take the liberty to think of such a man as I do apprehend cleare ground for This last passage I do insert for this end principally to take off the inordinate affections of any poore soule from the gift of prayer sincerity in all thy walkings with God will comfort thee in the midst of all defects and what knowest thou deare Christian but God will joine his strength with thy weaknesse and make thee an instrument of begetting soules to God as well as bodies and so make thee in a sense a spirituall Father as well as a bodily and enable thee at the last day to say to God Behold here am I and the Children whom thou hast given me where we may allude to that which the Apostle applies and makes proper to Christ Heb. 2.13 Now in the last place for it deserves no other by thy religious care to further thy Children and Servants in the waies of God thou maiest make such Children and Servants very profitable to thee in outward respects Paul takes notice that Onesimus was no profitable servant to his Master when he was gracelesse but after he was converted he tels Philemon that now he was profitable Phil. 11. There is much crying out in the world and not without cause against stubborne disobedient and undutifull Children and against refractory and unprofitable Servants But may not the neglect of Parents and Masters about making their Children in the use of meanes Gods Children and their Servants by the foresaid meanes the servants of God may not I say this be a speciall cause of all this confusion doubtlesse yea for it is just with God that when thou wilt not make thy Children and Servants to answer Gods ends at least so far as possible thou maiest that thy owne should be wholly frustrate Thus much for the uses Beloved be pleased to
remember that we have urged Parents and Masters to the performance of divers duties both to Children and Servants jointly together but that those duties did relate to the good of their soules only but now there remaine some duties relating to their outward good and because some of them have reference to Children particularly in which Servants can make no claime And some others do belong to Servants but I cannot say peculiarly because Children have an interest in them we shall therefore endeavour to advance toward the handling of them likewise leaning on God for assistance In order whereunto we shall labour to give Children the precedency for Grace and Nature doth teach the same The 1 duty of Parents to their Children in outward respects The first duty which Parents owe unto their Children in relation to their outward Estate is to further them in the meanes for their attaining of a competent measure of Learning for such condition and state of life as God shall call them to whether in Church or Common-wealth An illiterate man can receive no content in himselfe neither can he be profitable to others a man without learning is like a man who hath but halfe an eye he seeth divers things but in a confused and rude forme even men walking like trees like him in the Gospell Mar. 8.24 but he that hath good eies discernes things in a transparent way to the great satisfaction of his mind so a man without Learning sees things that have much beauty in themselves but to him they are cloathed and shadowed in darke and black colours he sees nothing but an outside whereas he who hath Learning seeth through and through them as we say he hath a distinguishing knowledge of them he can anatomize them and dive into the nature of them he can gaine by every Creature and squeeze out the quintiscence and benefit of every Calling he can improve all times all changes and all things to his advantage Secondly a man without learning cannot be profitable to others such a man is like a stone that is digg'd out of the quarrey and not squared nor any way fitted for the building fit for nothing but to be laid by and over-look'd or to use in common imployment no way qualified for publique service but a man of Learning is like a stone squared polished and carved that is very usefull for the choicest building such a man especially if he be of good life is principled and in a choice capacity for the highest imployments in Church and State take a few instances what Moses was for learning see Acts 7.22 And what he was in publike service the Scriptures will demonstrate for under God he was the most eminent deliverer of the Church from a state of bondage and slavery that any Age since the Creation can produce and therefore is said to be King in Jesurun when the heads of the people and Tribes of Israel were gathered together Deut. 33.5 It is said of Daniel and the other three Children that God gave them knowledge and skill in all Learning Dan. 1.17 Then in vers 19. they were preferred to stand before the King and in Chap. 2 48 49. they were put into the highest places for command in the whol Province of Babylon So Paul of all the Apostles was the most learned man being brought up at the feet of Gamaliel which was a place of learning Acts 22.3 And all men know he was the most eminent amongst them for parts and paines and himselfe doth modestly confesse that he was not a whit behind the very chiefest Apostles 2 Cor. 11.5 and for paines he did outstrip them all for he wrote more Epistles to the Churches than all the other and shewed more Rhetorick in that short Epistle of his to Philemon than you shall meet with in large Volumes Truly he had greater gifts then they who boast of the spirit but what spirit they are led by is not hard to guesse at and yet he prizeth his books as well as his Parchments which Parchments were as some conceive some sermon Notes 2 Tim. 4.13 But if it be objected that it is not of necessity to give Children more learning then the Calling which they are like to be put into doth require nor secondly to give them more learning than their Parents estate can beare I answer it is true there is no necessity for Children to have much Learning to help them in managing some meane and common Callings but it is necessary in any Calling to be able to read in their mother-tongue as we say and to write to but had they more it would be no burden to them it might fit them for society and choice discourse with those of higher breeding than themselves for in persons of the greatest parts there would be some condescention to those lesse parted And also true it is Parents are not tyed to ruine themselves nor any of their Children to breed up others great Schollers And yet I could heartily wish that Parents would strive to give their Children good breeding this way though it should be their greatest outward portions I have been the larger in this particular because it may be observed frequently that there are some who are very rich men but yet so glew'd to their cursed earthly-mindednesse that they will spare nothing or very little to give their Children learning they may leave them good estates whereby they may wear good cloathes but all that know them may point at them and say they are the arrantest clownes and meanest bred fellows in or neare the places where they dwell It was falsely said of Paul that much learning did make him mad Act 126.24 But it may be truly said that such persons as we speake of for want of Learning they are the unusefullest persons of any to be Instrumentall for the good of Church or Common-wealth and their Parents deserve the least respect of all others in the places where they live And therefore thou who art a Parent mind it that it is thy duty in a speciall manner to thy Children to vouchsafe them the meanes of Learning and be carefull to discharge thy duty herein The second duty Parents owe unto their Children for their outward estate Secondly it is the duty of Parents to provide for their Children some honest Callings either in Church or Common-wealth wherein they may both do and receive good that by them God may have glory and others benefit and themselves comfort for all persons of what quality or condition soever must eate their bread in the sweat of their own brows for this is the Ordinance of God himselfe and so indispensable with Gen. 3.19 Yet this must be granted that there is the labour of the mind as well as the labour of the body and such as labour with the head and heart may be as truly said to eat their bread in the sweat of their faces as they that strike many a heavy blow or groan under many a
the Palsie and grievously tormented he goes in person to Jesus Christ who was a Physitian both for body and soul and humbly beseecheth him for his servants cure and through the free grace of Christ obtains it its good to goe to God in the first place for supplyes of all the wants of our selves and our relations Hee that is in misery ought to bee comforted of his neighbour as it is in the Geneva Translation Job 6.14 Now if Neighbours must put forth themselves to comfort or relieve and help such as are in any misery How much more must Governours of Families labour to perform this duty to their sick and distempered servants the inference is undenyable A good man is mercifull to his beast saith one Translation And another saith A righteous man regardeth the life of his Beast Proverbs 12.10 And how much better is a man than a sheep Mat. 12.12 But it is much to be bewailed that many servants who have in their health and strength well discharged their duties to their Masters yet find small comfort and regard from them when the hand of God is fallen upon them for they are then either sent home to their poor and indigent Parents to take care after or else mued up in a hole and small attendance and lesse allowance of means for their good provided for them such Governours of Families are cursed and hard-hearted persons and pity it is that ever good servants should step over their Thresholds to serve them for such have neither mercy nor justice in them neither grace nor good nature And yet of this stamp and hell-bred crew there are great swarms but let them take heed God is just their owne children be not so served when they are servants to others but I wish them better speed We might here adde a Word concerning seasonable Recreations to be allowed to servants for they may stand in great need of them sometimes after long and sore labour to quicken their spirits and to enliven them with all alacrity to return to their imployment we say Whet is no let And without doubt if Masters would grant it them they would be rather gainers by in the quick and wel-managing their businesses than losers But when Masters grant this liberty as before said I would advise them to take much care that the Recreations allowed be lawfull the time seasonable and their servants company civill or else both Masters and servants may repent the one that they gave the liberty and the other that they so ill improved the same In the second place it is the duty of Masters c. The second outward duty that Masters owe to their servants to allow their servants sufficient wages for their labour and to pay it to them when it is due If they have not sufficient wages they cannot maintaine themselves for the preservation of health and decency both which must be allowed nay and more too if their deserts challenge the same servants may spend thoughts of changing their estate we say service is no heritage and must they make no preparation in order thereunto That were absurd to thinke would you that are Masters have your servants barely live You would not like that if you would be pleased to put your selves in their condition But in the second place it is the duty of Masters to pay their servants their wages in due time and that is when it is due by the conditions of the Contract betweene you and them Mal. 3.5 God threatens to be a swift witnesse against this particular sin of oppressing the hireling in his wages amongst other sins Now a man may be guilty of this sin as well in deteining due wages in relation to time of paiment of it as in over-reaching a servant in contract for it turne to that place Deut. 24.14 15. Thou shalt not oppresse an hired servant at his day thou shalt give him his hire neither shall the sun go down upon it The Labourer is worthy of his hire Luk. 10.7 Masters give unto your servants that which is just and equall Col. 4.1 James tels you that the detaining wages from Labourers cryeth and the cries of them are entred into the cares of the Lord of Sabbath James 5.4 And surely when ever the Lord gives an eare to cries whether the cry of Innocent bloud as that of Abel Gen. 4.10 or any other occasion some fearfull vengeance doth fall upon the heads of such as cause them to ascend and therefore the Apostle James bids those worldlings houle for those miseries that should come upon them Now you that are Masters c. as you would keep off the curse prevent the cry The third duty of Masters to their Servants In the third and last place the dutie of Masters c. to their servants is to be liberall to them at times of parting in case they have been servants a considerable time and have been diligent and faithfull and so a blessing to them Deut. 15.12 13 14. So Prov. 17.2 There be many Masters who are strangers to this duty even in the knowledge of it and more in the practice thereof Yet some I dare not say in conscience to the performance of this duty but rather from the freenesse of their nature doe upon the matter that which is equivalent hereunto namely those that if their servants part from them by Marriage will give them beneficiall wedding dinners and sometimes divers peeces of necessary houshold-stuffe which is a great advantage to them and this is so laudable a thing that I could wish all would more practice the same provided they prevent all abusivenesse of the Creature by luxury and excess and disorder of every kind at such meetings Thus you see that Governours of Families do owe three duties to their servants in relation to their outward conditions First to allow unthem meat drinke and all other necessaries for their comfortable subsistance Secondly to yield them sufficient wages And lastly to be liberall to them at time of parting And thus by the gracious assistance of God we have finished all that was proposed at first to be considered of by such as desire to enter into the Marriage estate relating to the duties which each person in that condition of life owe one to another and both of them to such as God shall set under them viz. to children and servants But here it will be of some concernment to take notice of what duty children and servants owe unto Parents and Masters that they may call upon them to performe the same where we shall first observe the duties Children owe unto their Parents and then the duties of Servants to their Masters c. In the first place it is the duty of Children to yield unto their Parents all due Reverence and Honour The first duty Children owe unto their Parents this duty is expresly commanded by God in Exod. 20.12 Honour thy father and thy mother which the Apostle Eph. 6.2 takes notice
such as are offenders in this kind and such are all servants that discharge not the duty here mentioned Now if servants would know how and in what way this duty should be performed for their help therein I refer them to those means briefly nominated for direction to children in the performance of this very duty to their Parents and by the way it is worth observing that in a reall and true sence it may be said and proved that Masters c. are Parents to then servants as well as to their children yet with a great deale of difference In the second place it is the duty of servants to be obedient unto their Maners c. This duty hath some affinity with the former for if servants do not readily obey their Masters they cannot honour them they rather vilifie them and expose them to contempt and disgrace there are many Scripture texts that offer themselves to confirme this truth Servants be obedient to your Masters according to the flesh Eph. 6.5 Servants obey in all things your Masters according to the flesh Col 3.22 Exhort servants saith Paul to be obedient to their Masters in all things not answering againe Tit. 2.9 The Apostle Peter doth further presse this duty Servants saith he be subject to your Masters with all feare not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward 1 Pet. 2.18 From all these places you may see this duty hath the Word of God for its foundation The Centurion which we read of in the Gospell had choice servants for their readinesse to obey him for he tels Christ that if he bid one go he went and if another come he came and if he bid his servant do this he did it we must not doubt of the truth of what he said though he spake those things to illustrate and set forth the power of Christ over all sicknesses and all things for he doth acknowledge that that sicknesse that had arrested his servant was the servant of Christ that as it did afflict his servant when Christ commanded it so to do so it must leave his servant and depart when Christ should require the same Mat 8.8 9. It were much to be wish'd that every Master had such a servant or such servants as this Centurion had there would be more quietnesse in Families and better successe in all their imployments than now there is But many servants in our times will go and come at their owne pleasures and do what is good in their owne eyes Their Masters must be subject to them and not they to their Masters but such servants will be the greatest losers at last Marke what the Apostle saith Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your soules as they that must give an account that they may do it with joy and not with griefe for that is unprofitable to you Heb. 13.17 which is an exhortation in generall yet it concernes servants in speciall Servants must not do any thing contrary to their Masters minds though they give no particular command to the contrary Elisha did not command his servant Gehazi not to go after Naaman to receive a gratuity yet he went and did receive a Talent of Silver and two changes of rayment of him but he could not crack of his profit as we say for he had the plague of Leprosie with them into the bargaine 2 Kings 5.20 22 24 25 26 27. Can any man with any shew of reason conceive that this example of disobedience in Gehazi to his Master and of the severe hand of God on him for it doth stand upon Record for nothing Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning Rom. 15.4 And this was written to terrifie rebellious and disobedient servants whereof the world is full but gratious servants will learne and practice better The third duty of servants to their Masters In the third and last place it is the duty of servants to their Masters to shew all diligence fidelity and faithfulnesse in the discharging their businesses and answering the trust committed to them and that as in the presence of God When the Apostle in that place of Eph. 7.5 9. which we made use of before had exhorted servants to be obedient to their Masters according to the flesh with feare and trembling in singlenesse of heart as to Christ he addes Not with eye-service as men pleasers but as the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart the very same you find in Col. 3.22 In Tit. 2.9 10. Exhort servants saith the Apostle to be obedient to their Masters not purloyning but shewing all good fidelity that they may adorne the doctrine of God When servants serve their Masters not with eye-service but with all faithfulnesse and singlenesse of heart with a good conscience they also serve Jesus Christ who will plentifully recompence the same either in temporall or spirituall blessings or in both he is a blessed servant who obeyes his Masters commands chiefly in relation to Gods injunctions such a one no doubt was the servant of Abraham and Jacob to his Father Laban and Joseph to Potiphar and after to the keeper of the prison Gen. 30.27 Chap. 39.3 ult There be divers waies and meanes by which servants must shew themselves faithfull to their Masters and Dames First by praying for them Secondly by being diligent in the dispatch of their businesse Thirdly by preserving their Estates and in helping to encrease them Fourthly by labouring to protect their persons from violence to their power And fifthly by labouring to preserve their reputations in order whereunto they must keep their secrets undisclosed and their infirmities from being published But such servants as walke in waies contrary hereunto it were incomparably better for a Christian Housholder to have them out than in his Family and indeed it were far better that such servants should lye under the cudgell of a Turkish patron than set their feet under an honest mans Table Thus we have with much brevity past through the duties which servants owe unto their Masters and Dames First they must labour to honour them Secondly they must submit to them and obey them Thirdly and lastly they must shew all diligence fidelity and faithfulnesse to them in doing their businesse and in answering the trust committed to them Now to come to a full period of all and conclude we shall endeavour to make some application of that which hath been before laid down by way of duty Use 1 In the first place this may serve for just reproofe to most men in our times who do thrust themselves into the honourable Estate of Marriage without any consideration at all as if it were an estate fit for every man that will to enter into Truly I do exceedingly like those sweet expressions in the Preface to the ancient Forme of Marriage in the Church of England where having affirmed the Estate of Marriage to be honourable
beforesaid And if so then judge you what singular care should fill your hearts and heads when you mind Marriage and use the meanes conducible for that end Deare hearts I cannot but thinke it necessary to acquaint you concerning this poore piece ensuing which is denominated Conjugall Counsell that the Originall Copy of it was compil'd sixe and twenty yeares since which being then brought into a compendious way and truly it is little more now I did present it not only to very intelligible private Christians but to three very Orthodoxe Divines for their Approbation of it it being then in my intentions to make it publique which approbation of theirs I had and counsell from one of them to print the Booke who did also put me in a faire way to accomplish the same and it had been extant but that those times did obstruct it since which time it hath laine even as dead and buried But my choisely beloved ones Now God having in the riches of his grace bestowed you on me who are as deare to me as my own soule what could I do lesse than seeke your compleat happinesse And I apprehending this poore work might contribut a small mite thereto by the blessing of God I could not be so unjust to detaine it from you Truly next the seeking the glory of God I have chiefly for your sakes made it obvious to publike view I must confesse the good of all poore soules I desire to prize and if any receive benefit by this my poore paines I desire to take it as a very large engagement to my poore soule to praise the Lord for his infinite goodnesse and grace herein Further I must acquaint you that I have in some things altered this from the first Copy and I hope it is not for the worst but for the better And now my poore hearts on whom can I so properly bestow it as on you who are bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh I have two speciall reasons amongst many to write this Epistle Dedicatory to you First to manifest my Cordiall love to your soules Secondly that hereby I may oblige you to endeare it the more and to make it your Rule to walke by Now if either you or any others should marvell I should make my selfe so pupiller as to make use of your names at the beginning and my owne at the end of this Epistle And secondly that I should affix my Effigies at the Front of this Booke to both I shall give a candid answer But first I must tell you that it was not to gaine popular applause for first I know nothing in it that can advance so course an end Secondly I do professe I desire with my soule to abominate all popularity I can with much comfort averre that my sincere designe is to avoid it for nothing is more contrary to my mind than to set so much as halfe a foot on the stage of this world But to give you a briefe but reall positive answer of the first It was that it might take the deeper and more kindly impression on the hearts of you my poore Children that you may looke on all contained both in this Epistle and in the Treatise as the Counsell of your own deare Father That you may say this Counsell these directions these reproofes c. were directed to us from our Father and they were all evidences that we were deare to him and we plainely see he loved our poore soules which I hope by the grace of God will be to you as a spur to quicken you to practice all But for my Effigies I have desired that should stand in the place beforesaid to be a meanes to preserve the memory of my selfe alwaies fresh upon your hearts who are my Children For I am not ashamed to confesse if it were before all the world that I desire my Children in yeares to come if God see it good may be able to take notice what kind of man their Father was even in person I care not who bury me in oblivion so my Children do not But these things being only circumstantials let them passe without more said to them Now if you my deare Children or any other should be unsatisfied in relation to the uncouth Method of the following directions in reference to the duties of Superiours and Inferiours each to others it being contrary to the order not only of the way of all Elaborate Writers on such a Subject but also to the way of the Holy Ghost to lay down the duties of Superiours in the first place and then of Inferiours I desire to passe this account for it You may be pleased to mind what is my chiefe aime in the foresaid discourse Truly it is to provoke such as desire to enter into the Marriage estate not only to mind their Call unto the same and to informe them in the way they must walke in and the meanes they must use tending to atchieving their desires but also to put them upon an earnest endeavour to be acquainted with the duties that their consciences will then be bound to the performance of Now it is clearely necessary that every Christian man should first learne what his own duties are that he may discharge them and then the duties of others that within his place and Calling he must teach and stir them up to performe the same Thou that teachest another teachest thou not thy selfe Rom. 2.21 He that reproveth another had need to be unreprovable our Saviour teacheth as much Mat. 7 3. Much endeared Children you cannot but remember that I have acquainted you that I cannot but conceive my abode here with you is short and I may truly say my desire is to depart this life and to be with Christ which for me is best of all yet to remaine in the flesh is more profitable for you Phil. 1.23 24. But however the Lord be pleased to deale with me I hope your Mother will discharge her duties toward you both for soule and body and will endeavour to walke before you in good examples and that may prove to you all matter of joy and singular comfort But you my deare Son I must here take the liberty to tell you and I cannot do lesse that you are descended from the Loynes of a most choice and precious Mother who by divine providence lost her naturall life in being a meanes to bring you forth to live in this World Truly I might here dip a golden Pen in Odoriferous Oyle and therewith write an Encomium of her both of her life and of her death She was indeed a Margaret by Name and much more by sweetnesse of Nature But above all by the super-abundant grace of God toward her and in her she was of a most transcendent exemplary and holy life She did through the grace of God walke sweetly with her Saviour in all pious waies she did highly prize the meanes of grace She did really hold forth the power of godlinesse in an unblameable
ponderous burden so that one way or other every one must be exercised in a lawfull Calling David was a Shepheard to look to Sheep before the shepheard over the house of Israel Psal 78.70.71 Peter and Andrew and other of the Apostles were fishermen Mark 1.16.19 before fishers of men Paul was a Tent-maker Acts 18.1 2 3. Joseph the husband of Mary was a Carpenter Mat. 13.54 55. And it is somewhat probable that our Saviour himself before he entred into his Ministeriall Office did work at his Fathers Trade Mark 6.3 You see then that there is a command from God that all persons must have honest Callings Secondly here are presidents enough to make it cleare from all exceptions And therefore it is the duty of Parents to labour to provide for their Children honest and lawfull Callings but in your endeavours this way let me advise you to take care of three things First Be carefull to gaine for them such Masters as feare the Lord for else thou maiest feare that all thy paines thou hast taken with them for the good of their soules may be lost Secondly Be carefull to put them to such Callings as they are most capable of Some Histories report that the Jews before they would put their Children to any Calling would first bring them into a large Roome which they did furnish with all Artificers tooles and if there they did take up any toole and seeme to take delight therein they would put them to that Calling unto which the same did belong Thirdly and lastly thou must take care to put them to such Callings as require no more stock of money to mannage them than thou art like to leave to them for else when their Time is out they can make no benefit by their Trades unlesse they remaine in a state of servitude by working under others The Apostle saith Art thou called a Servant care not for it that is be not dejected therefore but if thou maist be free use it rather 1 Cor. 7.21 And then in the 23. verse he addes Ye are bought with a price be not servants of men Therefore thou that art a Parent let thy care be such for thy children that thou make them servants to others but for a convenient time that after they may live in a free and honourable way The third duty Parents owe unto their Children for their outward estate The third Duty Parents owe unto their Children is to labour to provide them fit Marriages in seasonable time And for this we have first a word of Command from God Secondly command from Christian Parents In Jeremiah 29.6 God requires his People to take Wives for their Sonnes and to give their Daughters in Marriage Thirdly for examples mind the practice of of Abraham before made use of Gen. 24.3.4 Consider the practice of Isaac and Rebecca his wife for Jacob in Gen. 27.46 And then in the first verse of the next Chapter the carriage of Naomi for Ruth is a singular example Shall I not seek rest for thee saith she that it may be well with thee which was a Husband as doth after appear Ruth 3.1 By which Scriptures it doth appear clearly to be the duty of Parents in seasonable time to labour to provide Marriages for their Children Now there are some symptomes of this seasonable time whereof I shall name and onely name four First fulnesse and maturity of body Secondly solidity of understanding Thirdly their Constitutions And lastly the seeming delight they take in keeping company with the contrary sex This shall suffice for this third duty of Parents to their Children The fourth and last duty Parents owe unto their Children in relation to their outward condition is to provide for them The fourth duty of Parents to their Children in outward respects and to bestow on them competent maintenance if not more Jacob will travail for his own house Gen. 30.30 Prov. 13.22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his Children but the eldest Son must have the double portion Deut. 21.16 17. unlesse he dis-inherit himself by any prophanenesse as Esau Heb. 12.16 And this maintenance must be bestowed on them in seasonable time not too soon as the Father of the Prodigall Sonne did Luke 15.12 but when they have necessary occcasion to use it as when with their parents consent they shall begin to look out for themselves in worthy imployments though before Marriage But especially at the time of marriage such are sordid Parents that will part with nothing till death they doe much discourage their children and provoke them to wrath against the Apostles Injunction Ephes 6.4 These are Persons without naturall affection and to be hist at as they goe Here then you see Parents must perform foure Duties to their Children in relation to their outward condition First to bring them up to learning Secondly to provide for them honest and lawfull Callings Thirdly to labour to further them in the change of their conditions by marriage And fourthly and lastly to make provision for them by competent maintenance The first outward duty that Masters owe to their servants The next thing in order to what was first propounded is to consider what duties Governours of Families doe owe unto their servants for their outward comfortable subsistance And In the first place it is the duty of Masters c. to provide for their servants wholsome and well-conditioned Meat and Drink in due time and sufficient of that too as also lodging and washing and what else is necessary for to maintain life and livelihood In order to which the wife must take notice that the chief care of this in reference to the distribution of it and the well-ordering of all things herein concerns her selfe And therefore the Holy Ghost puts upon record the practice of the good Huswife in Proverbs 31.15 of whom it is said That she riseth whilst it is yet Night and giveth meat to her Houshold and a portion unto her Maids For doubtlesse the comfortable allowance of these things is one speciall means by the blessing of God to maintain health and to make them able and strong in body and chearfull in mind to performe such service as is required of them But if it please the Lord to visit them with sickness or lameness in body or limbs and thereby to abate strength and vigour of body and spirit then it is the duty of their Masters and Dames to look out in the use of means for their recovery to make use both of Physitians and Physick and all helps Providence may provide for comfort under affliction and restoration to health again Naaman a servant to the King of Syria being afflicted by the Plague of Leprosie his Master writes a letter in his behalfe to the King of Israel and sends it by the hand of Naaman in order to the recovery of his health again 2 Kings 5.5 The good Centurion we read of in Matth. 8.6 8. when his servant was sick of