Lord is in speciall sort such like as the Jewes to whom this land was first solemnly promulged as in Exod. 20. is expressed who were a people in especiall Covenant with God children of God and of the Church and of the Covenant who professed to look not for a Portion in this world so much as by that Land of promise to be led to a more spirituall and heavenly Canaan and rest of which that earthly Canaan was but a shadow Heb. 4. though this Law being given to Adam in innocency and ingraven in his heart and the rootstep and impression of it being yet left in the hearts of all men by nature and being one of Gods Morall Laws it bindeth all and every Child of man one or other in general and in particular In this promise he doth not say that thy life may be long in the world but that thy dayes may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee which to the Jews was the Land of Canaan to others the Land of their possession wherein if honourers of Parents children shall live long if good for them or if ordered by God to live less while they shall have the blessing of long life And so much for explication of the words the doctrine which we shall through divine Assistance prosecute is this That children Honour their Parents It is a duty The main doctrine The weight of the duty of Honour of Parents proved of greatest moment and concernment Let us first evince the weightiness of this duty and then more fully handle the duty it self Four reasons amongst many may be given to prove the weight of this duty Honour thy Father and thy Mother 1. Because it is placed by the Law-giver himself 1. Because next in order to the Commandements of the first Table and before the Commandements of the second Table immediately next to the commandements of the 1. Table as next in order to them and before all the other Commandements of the 2. Table as in order of duty and dignity preceding the same It is made a sweet closure bond and sementing to both Tables binding and fastning each to other inviolably and inseparably As this is more fast or loose so are mens spirits more girt to the duties of both Tables or more loose from them He that conscientiously honoureth his Parents he is assuredly conscientious of honouring of God in the first place and his Parents for conscience sake unto the Lord Piety to God-ward as a cause precedeth in him to this blessed duty piety towards Parents as to its effect And therefore the Lord doth not without cause stile the duty of Children to Parents by the name of piety 1 Tim. 5. 4. let them learn of shew piety to them at home and to requite their Parents Piety being in the root it is piety in the fruit yea this blessed fruit is a furthering means also to promove all the acts of piety which spring out of that root if Children honour their Parents fully and as they ought they will in observance of their Parents counsels and commands be more carefull of whatsoever God commandeth respecting the first or second Table hence that for the first Table Levit. 19. 3. Ye shall fear every man his Mother and every man his Father and keep my Sabbaths where under the notion of Gods Sabbaths kept not alone the observation of the Sabbath it self is understood but as in Scripture language the whole worship of God is meant So Esay 56. 4. the Eunuches that keep my Sabbaths i. e. observe my whole worship so Ezek. 44. 24. so Ezek. 20. 24. despising and polluting his Sabboths is despising and polluting his worship hence that is there added and their eyes are towards their Idols Observable it is also that in Levit. 19. 2. God saith be ye holy as I am holy and then addeth verse 3. ye shall fear every man his Mother and his Father From that piety originally springeth this yet again annexeth to this ye shall keep my Sabbaths In the Decalogue that is first Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath and then Honour thy Father and thy Mother Here it is Fear every man his Mother and his Father and keep my Sabbaths that Radicall piety being laid in the heart now this other piety exceedingly furthereth the exercise of particular acts of piety towards God one pious towards Parents will be carefull of all naturall worship to call upon God to love him to fear him to put his trust in him required in the 1. Commandement he wil conscientiously observe all Gods instituted worship avoiding all worship of mens inventing according to the tenour of the 2. Commandement he will reverently and faithfully improve Gods attributes titles words and works avoiding the contrary abuse thereof as it is injoyned in the 3. Commandement he will also as faithfully and fruitfully sanctifie the Lords dayes resting from the works of his calling and especially from vain sports which is that which the 4. Commandement requireth the like may be said of the Commandements of the 2. table which will all be duly attended if this duty of the fifth Commandem be faithfully observed both are implyed in that place of which we shall make much use in this discourse Gen. 18. 19. I know Abraham that he will command his children and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do judgement and justice if Abrahams children honour his parentall Authority so that they are at his command then they keep the way of the Lord then they do judgement and justice whatsoever path God chalketh out for them to walk in towards God or towards men they will be keeping in it And indeed who better servants in that relation to Masters then those that were good children to Parents who more obedient subjects to lawfull Authority and Fathers of the Common-wealth then such as learned and practised filiall obedience to Parents at home who more respective to Ministers then those that were and are conscientiously respective to good Parents who more tender of their own and others lives and healths of their own and others chastity of their own and others estates and names avoyding the contrary evills to a very sinfull motion looking that way then such as have been Conscientious honourers of their Parents hence on the contrary dishonour of Parents is made a Ring-leading sin a very spring and root of manifold wickedness Ezek. 22. 7. when the Prophet would charge upon all sorts in Jerusalem their most notorious crimes he beginneth thus In thee have they set light by Father and Mother and then goeth on in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger in thee have they vexed the fatherless and widow Ibid. thou hast despised mine holy things and hast profaned my Sabbaths verse 8. In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood vers 9. In vers 10. 11. he chargeth them with horrid fleshly filthiness in vers 12. with
in the Family 2 Kings 5. 13. or in the School and College 2 Kings 2. 12. who are as Fathers to to their Servants Scholars and Pupils Or Secondly publick even such as have more publick Authority over others either in the Common-wealth as civill Rulers Esay 22. 21. 1 Sam. 24. 12. or in the Church as Church officers teaching and ruling Acts 22. 1. Judg. 18. 19. 2 Kings 6. 21. Now though with Musculus I will not restrain the meaning of the 5th Commandement as only intending naturall Fathers Mothers and the honour due to them from their Children yet because it is undeniable to all that these are principally intended here the other onely in a second place and respect I shall therefore God willing in the insuing discourse attend to that as firstly and mainly aimed at here and plainly and simply expressed in the very letter of the Text. Touching the other word Honour It is to be What is meant by Honour Even considered both in generall and in a restrained sense All meet honour and every kind of regular honour being due from Children to Parents The Lord doth not say love thy Father and thy Mother or fear them or obey them or recompence them or be an honour to them any one of these being too narrow to reach so large a duty as parentall relations call for from their children and each of these being separable from the other and may be in other relations where all the other are not so properly requisite yet no one of these are excluded but all and every of them included in the notion of Honour Filiall Honour is the center wherein they all meet and whence again they are all drawn out to their respective objects Father and Mother Filiall honour must season them each must savour of Honour Filial Honour must regulate them all they must go so far as that goeth and no further Filial honour Honour in the Generall and Honour in speciall both must be their common stamp the impression whereof each must bear Due Filial honour must be their touchstone by which they must receive their triall Honour then in the Generall is Parents due from their children So is Honour in speciall whether that which is more direct or that which is in a more reflect way Honour in a direct way is in Scripture language 1. Direct fourfold even Honour First of Respect Secondly of Reverence Thirdly of Obedience Fourthly of Recompence and are all and each of them included in this generall term Honour 1. Honour of high Respect and love is understood as 1. Honour of Respect in that Psal 15. 4. He honoureth them that fear the Lord that is he highly esteemeth and respecteth he most dearly loveth and affecteth them 1 Tim. 5. 17. The Elders that Rule well count them worthy of double Honour i. e. of respect as well as that of Recompence 1 Pet. 3. 7. Giving Honour to them as to the weaker vessels i. e. having a tender respect to them 2 Sam. 6. 22. Of them shall I be had in Honour i. e. highly esteemed respected and intirely beloved So here Honour thy Father and thy Mother i. e. highly prise and respect and most dearly love thy Father thy mother yea so as it be in a way of Honour to them as Parents and not barely as others not so nearly related 2. Honour is taken in Scripture for Honour of Reverence and fear So when God speaketh of 2. Honour of Reverence his Honour as to a Master he calleth it fear Mal. 1. 6. if I am a Master where is my fear or Honour as a Master hence that of Saul to Samuel 1 Sam. 15. 30. Yet Honour me before the people or let the people see that thou doest reverence me Hence that Levit. 19. 32. honour the face of the old man i. e. reverence it So here Honour thy Father and thy Mother i. e. reverence and awe them in an honourable way to them as Parents and not as others meerly not so nearly related 3. Honour is taken in Scripture for Honour of 3. Honour of Obedience Obedience So Mat. 1. 6 if I am a Father where is my Honour i. e. of obedience It being spoken to those Respectless Awless and also disobedient Priests and People there mentioned So Eph. 6. 1. to prove that Children should obey their Parents in the Lord the Apostle brings in the fifth Commandement v. 2. Honour thy Father and thy Mother because if to Honour Father and Mother then to obey them for obedience is in part the honor due to them only they are to obey them so as Honour of Parents may be seen and read as in large Characters in all the Acts and passages of that obedience 4. Honour is taken in Scripture for Honour of 4. Honour of Recompence Recompence and thankfulness Numb 22. 37. cannot I Honour or recompence thee Honourably saith Balack to Balaam It is the same Hebrew word with this in Exod. 20. 12. Judg. 13. 17. That when this is come to pass I may Honour thee i. e. make thee some gratefull recompence 1 Tim. 5. 17. Count them worthy of double Honour i. e. that of Recompence as well as that of respect So here Honour thy Father and thy Mother 2. Reflect Honour or being an Honour to them and carrying of it so as maketh for Parents Honour i. e. as they need and as thou art able hast opportunity make them thankfull recompence onely so as all may be as Honour to them as Parents and not in the least savouring or holding forth any dishonour to them Honour in a Reflect way is to be such or to carry it so as may redound to anothers Honour whom we are bound to Honour 1 Sam. 15. 30. Honour me before the people i. e. carry it so before them as may not redound to my disgrace but honour So in that also if I am a Father where is my Honour Mal. 1. 6. i. e. why are not you as my Children an Honour to me not such a dishonour to my name that my holy name and ordinances suffer reproach and contempt by you or why do not you carry it more honourably so as may make for my honour and not so basely as maketh for my great dishonour Ester 6 6. The man whom the King will honour i. e. enact and do something making for his Honour Judg. 13. 17. that I may do thee Honour i. e. do something making for thine Honour It is the same Hebrew word and in the same conjugation with this verb in Exod. 20. 12. So here Honour thy Father and thy Mother i. e. be an honour to them carry it so as may redound to their honour and no way to their disgrace The promise followeth That thy daies The promise explained may belong in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee this further declareth who are firstly concerned in the precept namely such whose God the
Bribery Usury Extortion c. if therefore the bond of the fifth Commandement be broken men rush upon breach of the sixth Commandement witnesse their bloodiness mentioned v. 9. upon breach of the seventh Commandement witness their filthiness instanced in vers 10. 11. upon breach of the eighth Commandement witness their oppression usury bribery extortion v. 12. upon breach of the nineth Commandement witness their carrying of tales to shed blood v. 9. yea upon breaches of all the Commandements of the first Table witness their despising the holy things of God and profaning his Sabbaths v. 8. Deut. 21. 20. the Parents are brought in complaining This our Son is stubborn he will not obey our voice he is a glutton and a drunkard It is no wonder that children who honour not Parents are given to those or to any other vices to which loose and lewd companions will readily draw them Surely it is justly to be feared to be too much our case in New England where many of the youth grow so rude and profane so regardless of Superiours in the family as masters in the State as Magistrates in the Church as Elders where many of them are so vainly given so loose in their company so proud and supercilious in their carriages so new-fangled in their fashions and ruffianly in their hair nay jearers many of them at the best persons and things in a word where is so little yet appearing of God or good in too many of them I say it is justly to be feared that children here are not honourers of Parents Here Parents are commonly put more to it to make use of their childrens hands and help and so children here being naturally apt to count too much upon what they do for Parents they are as apt to set the more light by them and by their instructions and admonitions and so an open way is made thereby to any other wickedness amongst them Hence also malefactors when at the Gallows they have made their dying Confessions they have laid on hardest upon this sin as the rise of those which brought them at length to that sad end that they regarded not their Fathers they despised their Mothers were unruly and disobedient Children to their Parents Ah will some then say the good counsels which our fathers or our mothers gave us but wretches that we were we would never hearken to them nor regard them Let all good people take warning by us and let all young men or women that hear us for ever take heed by our example how you despise your Parents or slight their Counsels or rebukes The second reason is taken from the law and 2. Because this is made of such weight by the Law and light of nature and of nations light of nature and nations which have put a like weight upon this duty of Honour of Parents making it as next to the honour of God himself Pythoragus having given the priority to the worship of the Gods as the poor Pagan calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so goeth on speaking of their divine worship and then immediatly addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is in short but thus First honour nour God as by the Law is appointed then hothy Parents And mind his speech that he maketh this by Law appointed even by the Law of nature and nations For no other Law had these Heathens So Phocyllides in his admonitory Poem also saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First honour God and after that thy Parents So Plato in his booke of Lawes first he provideth for the worship of God and in the next place for the Honour of Parents So Aristotle Eth. l. 8. c. 16. He joyneth Honour of Parents next to that of God and saith That to neither can sufficient honour be given onely he that according to his utmost ability honoureth them he is saith he the truly pious person to God and to Parents So Isocrates in his Admonitory Oration to Demonicus counselleth and chargeth him thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fear God honour also Parents Aelian in his 3. book c. 21. telleth a story that when the Greeks took Troy pittying the miseries of their captives they caused it to be proclamed that every free Citizen should carry out some one principall thing which they should most desire hereupon Aeneas neglecting other matters carried out his Gods as they call them the Greeks liking well his piety permitted him to take some other thing which he should most desire he then taketh up his aged Father and carrieth him out next upon his shoulders with which act they were so affected that they gave him all his goods and treasures also thus by the dim light of corrupt nature the poor Pagan is directed to place Parents honour next to Divine But our glorious Lord and Law-giver to shew the great weight of this duty he will not leave it to be inforced by natures Law or light only but he will adde his morall sanction of it as his own promulged Law and he will not doe it in more obscure termes or so as only to be drawn by Consequence but this shall be expressed in so many words It shall be written as in Capitall Letters that every one that runneth may read it and none may plead excuse or exemption yea the Command it self shall be expressed in so few and so familiar words that the least Child who can remember any thing shall be able to remember this and even with its milk almost drink in this principle of Honour of Parents 3. Because the Lord annexeth no particular promise to any other of the ten Commandements 3. Because a promise is added only to this Commandement but to this In which sense the Apostle speaking of this Commandement saith It is the first Commandement with promise Eph. 6. 2. It s a signe then that this duty above many others is of great account with God and of greatest concernment unto man and that the blessings of promise are wont more manifestly and plentifully to follow the obedience to this Commandement then to any of the rest of the Commandements of the second table at least which have no promise at all 4. Because the blessings promised to this are of greatest moment annexed to them neither generall or speciall 4. Because the blessing here promised and made as the Argument to move to obedience to this Commandement is of so great moment and concernenent as being life it self and the continuance of it and blessing upon it And what more desirable of all temporall blessings then life Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life What more usefull a blessing then this whereby a man hath so much opportunity afforded and continued to him to get and to do the best and the most good and to bring in the most glory to God What more delightfull a blessing then this the very notion whereof is used in Scripture to expresse the glorious and transcendent
the Jewes who taught the Sons who had Fathers and Mothers living and needing their help that yet they needed not to relieve them or to give ought to them but instead thereof either to give somthing to the Corban or treasury for temple-uses and that would exempt them and excuse them from the other work of relieving their Parents and so teaching them to deny to their Parents the Honour of recompence due to them they made the 5 th Commandement Honour thy Father and Mother void and of no force and Authority or place as Christ reasoneth Mark 7. 9. to 14. There are too many such like corrupters of Children not aloue amongst Papists who hold forth the same in substance which is there instanced in as might be shewed in their Principles who would have men give away their whole estates to Religious uses as they call them and so dis-enable themselves to relieve their Parents in what need soever they may stand thereof they would also have young Men and Women without Parents Consent to become their Votaries and when once such no way to Minister to their Parents any more though sick or otherwise needing their Childrens help but I fear there are too many other petty Antichristian Spirits in these daies who by other erronious tenents wherein they pretend to be for Christ but are indeed against Christ they leaven their Disciples and such as they can subtilly draw after them with a Spirit of Alienation even from their own good Parents if they will not be of their corrupt Judgments and opinions but as those seducers among the Jewes notwithstanding their goodly pretences to Religion are branded by Christ to be Hypocrites according to that of Solomon Prov. 11. 9. The Hypocrite with his mouth or the corrupt principles and perswasions uttered by his mouth destroyeth his Neighbour And as Christ charged them to be such bold and high-minded sinners as by those corrupt speeches of theirs did what in them lay make void the Commands of God so doubtless are such like seducers to be justly charged with the like guilt of prevailing and ruling Hypocrisie and rebellion against the Lord. And Jesus Christ who when on earth did doctrinally charge and impeach them in such sort will assuredly at the last day Judicially sentence men and Angels for the same wickednesse if they seasonably seriously and sincerely repent not of the same As for others who by their Counsels as well as scandalous examples are Corrupters as of others so of youth also and as in other matters so in this which respecteth the honour which they ow to their Parents these shew themselves to be the Children of Belial or of the very Devill as of one who is amongst all yoaks in Church or State or Familie they were Children of Belial in 1 Sam. 10. 26 27. who despised Saul that Father of the Common-wealth of Israel and they are no better who act or teach contempt of Fathers of Families As Elies Sons those ring-leaders in such wayes of dishonour of Fathers of Families 1 Sam. 2. 25. they are called men of Belial vers 12. Such Corruptors of youth in the matter of Honour due to Parents be their profession of Religion what it may be or give they never such good hopes of the truth thereof as one while Achitophel did who was Davids equall all one heart with him as he thought his guide his most intimate acquaintance one with whome he took sweet Counsell in sacred as well as Civill things and walked to the house of God in Company with him Psal 55. 13 14 Yet if a Counsellour to Absolom a Son in way of high dishonour to David his own Father as he was in that Counsel he gave Absolom to defile his Fathers bed 2 Sam. 17. 20 21 22 23. and to seek his Fathers very life as well as throne 2 Sam. 17. 1 2 3 4 21. I say such a vile Counsellour of Children any way to dishonour their Parents he is no doubt a desperate Apostate ripe for the very Imprecation of a godly Parents as in Davids case 2 Sam. 15. 31. Lord turn the Counsel of Achitophel into foolishnesse Such Corrupters of youth also as well of others you are surely impenitent obdurate persons persons of a seared Conscience past hope of good and refuse persons in Gods sight Jer. 6. 28 29 30. They are Brass and Iron they are all corrupters the bellowes are burnt the Led is consumed of the fire the Founder melteth in vaine for the wicked are not plucked away reprobate silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them You are soul-murtherers Prov. 12. 5 6. The Counsels of the wicked are deceit The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood even the very souls of men Prov. 11. 9. An Hypocrite with his mouth or with the words Counsels and principles uttered by his mouth destroyeth his Neighbour even his Neighbours soul also and shall such bloody and deceitfull men such crafty soul-murtherers escape no Assuredly If sowing discord amongst brethren be singled out from the rest as one speciall thing which is an abomination to the Lord Prov. 6. 16 19. compared O how abominable is this unto the Lord for you by your vile corrupting speeches tenents or Counsels to lay the seeds of Alienation of Childrens hearts from their own dear Parents As the City or civill polity and society is too oft overthrown by the mouth or corrupt speeches principles and Counsels uttered by the mouth of the wicked Prov. 11. 11. So is the Family also And shall such enemies to mankind escape unpunished no assuredly Prov. 17. 20. He that hath a perverse tongue to give such like or any other perverse Counsel falleth into mischief Prov. 13. 2. As a man a good man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth or by the good words principles or Counsels proceeding from his mouth so by way of opposition the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence they shall be paid in their own coin and reap the fruit of all the cursed speeches or Counsels which proceeded from their mouths Prov. 10. 31. The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdome namely in those whom they instruct rebuke perswade or Counsel but the froward tongue which uttereth naughty counsels and tenents c. shall be cut out And commonly such bad Counsellours of Sons or Daughters unto any waies of dishonour to their Parents they come to dishonourable and vile if not desperate ends as did that bad Counsellour Achitophel who dyed by a halter but which was worst of all he was his own hangman 2 Sam. 17. 23. And O! that all bad Counsellours of Children against their Parents might in time take warning by that and many other dreadfull examples mentioned in Histories of the sad ends of such like Counsellours A second use of the point may serve for examinaon whether any have or do rightly Honour their Parents This is the rather to be considered in that there is a
relations so much in his way will not you honor them in your way Deu. 4. 2. Because he loved thy Fathers therefore he chose their seed after them to one and the same persons belong the glory and the Covenants Ro. 9. 4. to whom belong the glory the covenants if Gods the Churches covenant be long to Children the glory belongs to them take away Covenant church privileges ye take away their glory as the Israelites did when they would have dealt with the little ones of Judah as if they had rather been Pagans and out-Lawes than fellow-brethren in covenant-respects so they purposed to have kept sons their daughters under as bond-men women 2 Chro. 28. 8 9 10. They might only have of the heathen for bond-men and women Le. 25. 44. but not any of their brethren the Children of Israel they might not rule over them with rigour as over bond men and women v. 46. though waxen poor they must not be compelled to serve as bond-servants ver 39. Yea but for Israelites to take that course they intended was to make them as the heathen and so to take away their glory of Covenant and Church-privileges as Junius expounds that Mi. 2. 9. Of late my people are risen up as an enemy c. and from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever he referreth it in this way to that story 2 Chro. 28. 8 9 10. Now if by good Parents Children come to shame in such Honour and 3. Childrens lifts to their faith by means of good Parents glory they may well in way of gratefull retribution Honour their good Fathers and Mothers 3. In that Children have a mighty lift to their very faith in what ever concerneth their welfare outward or inward and that in all cases and charges from the covenant of God with their Parents therefore honor your Christian Parents hence Exod. 32. 13 14. In that almost desperate case of Israel Moses exerciseth his faith and thence pleadeth the Covenant with Abraham Isaac and Jacob remember saith he Abraham Isaac and Jacob c. Mic. 7. 20. The Prophet setteth his faith on work for himself and people upon that Covenant Thou wilt saith he perform the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworn to our Fathers from the dayes of old and this his faith therein was the ground of that which he believed vers 29. He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast their sins into the depths of the Sea 2 Chro. 33. 12 13. Manasseth that notorious miscreant When in his affliction he besought the Lord his God viz. His God in the Covenant of his Father Hezekiah And humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers And prayed to live and he was intreated of him he then prayed in faith for hee prevailed with God but here was his hold and prop God was his God in the Covenant of his Father and Ancestors and therefore he will wrestle strongly with him for mercy even to surh a notorious sinner as he now seeth and feeleth himself to be Solomon's hold and bottome of his prayer in his case is this Let thy promise unto David my Father be established c. 2 Chro. 1. 9 10 11. So Kings 8. 25 26. And now Oh Lord God of Israel let thy word I pray thee be verified which thou spakest to thy servant David my Father David twise pleads his Mothers interest in God Psal 86. 16. Save the Son of thy handmaid Psal 116. 16. Truly Lord I am thy servant and the Son of thy hand-maid thou hast loosed my bonds Prov. 14. 26. In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence and his Children viz. The Children of him that feareth God shall have place and refuge No case so sad or so bad which such Children of fearers of God whose eyes and hearts God openeth in some measure to see and be sensible thereof but they have an asylum to fly too they have the Covenant and promises made and ratified in Christ to their Godly Fathers and Mothers to repair too and to keep up their faith at the deadest lift lift up Parents then high in Honor by whose Covenant-interest your faith may in saddest cases have such lifts 4. In that Children are many waies blessed and bettered by occasion of their Parents 4. Blessings of Children by good Parents prayers pleas Covenant-interests c. therefore Honour them Gen. 49. 26. The blessings of thy Father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors Every godly Ancestour addeth something to the Common stock of blessings of grace laid up for their posterity the latter still superadding somewhat more than the former left Psal 115. 14. The Lord shall increase you more and more you your Children Psal 102. 1 2 3. The generation of the upright shall be blessed Psal 103. 17. Gods righteousnesse or faithfulness in his Covenanted mercies is unto Childrens Children Deut. 4. 40. Thou shalt therefore keep his Statutes that it may go well with thee and with thy Children after thee So cap. 12. 28. If God then Honour you with such blessings for your good Parents sakes you may well Honour your Parents yea sometimes the very worst Children who had been many a time debased as low as hell by the destroying judgements of God yet are not out of Gods respect to their Parents or Ancestors Covenant-interests God would not destroy the house of David in wicked Jehoram's time because of the Covenant which he had made with David 2 Chro. 21. 6 7. And so the very worst might be provoked to Honour their good Parents for had it not been for their sakes its likely such had been in the lowest hell ere this let children of good parents know that by grace through your Parents instrumentally you have God for your God if not rejecting your interest if having hearts to improve the same for your help to Honour God and them Gen. 17. 7. 5. In that it is the ready way for Children to be Honoured by others to Honour their Parents 5. Childrens honour from others thereby and therefore Honour them Ruth 4. 14 15. The good woemen say of Obed Ruth's Son that his name shall be famous in Israel and adde that as an incouraging Argument to Naomi his Grand-Mother and he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life and a nourisher of thine old age a very observant and gratefull Grand-childe and no wonder then if his name would be so Honourable in Israel God records it in Scripture in honorem in the eyes of God Angels and men concerning Sem Japhet Joseph and others that they were such Honourers of Parents The very Pagan Grecians honoured Aeneas his piety to his aged Father so as that they honourably rewarded it with the gift of all his other estate which else was the Conquerers right 6. In that it is the ready way for Children to
consider 1. Of some Motives 2. Two or three helps Motives 1. It will breed and feed in you due Motives to it 1. It furthereth reverence to other superiours Reverence to all other superiours hence in the fifth Commandement Honour of Parents and therein Honour of Reverence of them is put for the like Honour of Magistrates Ministers and Masters from their subjects people and servants if the one be in persons in truth in the former relation it will be in them in the latter 2. It wil be a notable means to prevent many other 2. It preventeth other sins sins of yours which would be dishonourable to parents Moses having rehearsed many abominable practices of the Canaanites in Levit. 18. and in the last verse said ye shall not commit any of those abominable customes Chap. 19. 3. he chargeth them to fear every man his Mother and his Father and vers 4. also adjoyneth that they should not turn to Idols c. or apostatise from God and his worship Surely then that Reverence unto Parents is inserted as a help both against the former and against the later evils and scandals and wofull experience evinceth this that where this hedge of childrens Reverence and awe to Parents is broken down there is a free inlet of vilest and most scandalous 3. The power of Parents to bless or curse children courses 3. There is in your Parents some paternall power if justly used to bless and to curse you Gen. 49. is a record of Jacobs blessing of his Sons and in an ordinary way there is a proportion thereof in other Parents and therefore the rather Awe your Parents Helps this way may be such as these Helps to it 1. Awe of God 1. Labour for a filial awe of God as your Father and so of his Fatherly commands and consequently of this his command as his command and of his displeasure against you if it be not attended and observed 2. Labour you for more holiness of heart It 2. Holiness is profaness of heart God-ward which breedeth and feedeth irreverence to Parents and so contrariwise the more holy God-ward the more awfull of Parents Levit. 19. 2. be ye holy for I am holy and vers 3. yea shall fear every one his Mother c. 3. Present your Parents so to your minds as 3. Eye the Image of God in Parents bearing the Image of Gods Father-hood and that also will help on your filiall awe and Reverence to them 2. It serveth for exhortation to Parents to carry 2. Exhortation to Parents to further filial Reverence in their children 1. By your piety it so as may gain Reverence and awe from your children for which end 1. Carry it very piously in your places for that will gain awe in your inferiours children or others Job 29. 7. when I prepared my seat in the street saith holy Job the young men saw me and hid themselves vers 8. let but any other Godly man come suddainly where rude persons are met how doth the very sight of him oftentimes appale them as experience witnesseth the Image of Gods holiness in any is venerable 2. Season your children betime with principles 2. By right principling of them of religion of their duty to God to Parents to others so did Eve her Seth and Seth his Cainan and Cainan his Mahaleel c. and all of them proved well to God and man-ward 3. Bring them oft to Gods aweful and awing 3. By inuring them to holy Assemblies Assemblies where they will hear and learn Reverence to God or men Deut. 31. 12. gather men women and children that they may hear and learn and fear the Lord thy God and observe to do all the words of this Law even this of the fifth Commandement also Honour Father and Mother with the Honour of Reverence 4 Correct them wisely and seasonably as for 4. By correcting irreverence in them other sins so for those which savour of irreverence to Parents this by the Lords blessing will help on filial Reverence hence those two joyned Heb. 12. 9. we had Fathers of our flesh who corrected us and we did them Reverence there is a great deal of folly and so a bundle of irreverence also in a childs heart naturally but God saith the rod of correction shall drive it far from him Prov. 22. 5. Acquaint your Children ever and anon 5. By minding children oft of Gods judgements with Gods more awing and dreadfull providences especially respecting Children which gave not their Parents reverence as of Cham Absolom and others The punishment of a stubborn Son by mans hand must be so as all Israel may hear and fear Deut. 21. 21. So let all our Children hear of Gods hand this way that they may fear the sins of dishonour of Parents 6. Inure them to awfull subjection and obeysance 6. By inuring them to filiall subjection to you as Parents betimes early practising of filial Reverence will strengthen and stablish a very habit of it hence the requisit in Church officers or elders and deacons 1 Tim. 3. 4. 12. having their children in subjection with gravity or honesty they must see they be inur'd to reverence and seemly carriages towards them and before them and then others that come to their houses will find this to the Elders Honour CHAP. V. Of Honour of Obedience due to Parents NOw we come to the third branch of direct Honour of obedience due to parents Honour namely Honour of obedience for so Honour is taken in Scripture as we shewed before Observe then as a third branch of the generall point that children are to Honour their Parents with the Honour of obedience Honour thy Father and Mother saith Exod. 20. 12. but obeying them is Honouring of them say other Scriptures as we shewed Chap. 1. therefore children are bound to yield obedience to their Parents For the fuller handling of this particular we shall inquire 1. Wherein this Honour of filial obedience It consisteth consisteth 2. What manner of obedience it is which must be yielded 3. Why children must yeeld it 1. In childrens being content to be set about meanest imployments 4. What use is to be made of this branch of Honour of Parents To the first I answer that filial obedience consisteth 1. In childrens being content to be set about meanest imployments even as though they were servants their Parents so requiring it hence that Mal. 3. 17. his son which serveth him Neither Rebekah nor Rachel though of able Parents thought much to keep their Fathers sheep Gen. 24. and Chap. 29. neither did Christ himself refuse to be subject to his Parents in their meaner imployments Luke 2. 51. Matth. 13. 55. his reputed Father Joseph was a Carpenter of a very mean Trade hence that Is not this the Capenters Son but Mark 6. 3. these neighbours and Countreymen of Christ as man who had most cause to note his usuall imployments they
say of him Is not this the Carpenter the Son of Mary surely then he learned and commonly practised that mean Trade with his reputed Father and so was therein also subject to his Father and Mother Look as Gods children yea look as Jesus Christ himself the pattern of all true filial obedience to Parents refused not to stoop to the meanest offices and services in obedience to the Father of Spirits so must children carry it in like sort to their Parents All know how many mean and despicable offices Parents do about their children whilest babes and little ones and when sick c. And there is no cause for any childe to think much of the meanest office and service which Parents may call for from their hands Parents Authority is of no mean descent the rise or originall of it is from God even the greatness of the greatest in other respects doth not alter much less make null filial relations If any be ashamed of the Lords words of him will he be ashamed another day Mark 8. 38. Now this Children obey your Parents in the Lord according to the Lords will and word is one of the Lords words Eph. 6. 1. Let none therefore be ashamed of obedience to Parents in meanest 2. In their being content to be crossed in their wills things 2. In Childrens being content to be crossed in their own desires or wayes and to yeeld to and obey Parents minds and wils in matters lawfull although the particulars seem to be very harsh to their own sense or reason as in that instance Gen. 48. 17. At first it displeased Joseph to see his Father lay his right hand upon Ephraims head and he held up his Fathers hand to remove it to Manasses his head and v. 18. Joseph said not so my Father for this is the first born put thy right hand upon his head v. 19. And his Father refused and said I know my Son I know it he also shall become great but his brother shall be greater then he And so he gave Ephraim the yonger Son the priority in his blessing and Joseph said no more but rested satisfied therein If Jacobs Sons are injoyned by their Father to feed their flock even in Shechem in the very mouth of danger by reason of the late slaughter of the Shechemits by their hands yet they are contented with it and do not mutter or object against it Gen. 37. 14. nor do they object against the hazzards of that long Journey into Egypt but if required by their Father to go they contentedly obey Gen. 42. 23 It was contrary to dictates of flesh and blood and reason for Isaac to yeeld to be offered up in Sacrifice by his Father but it was first no doubt made known to him by his Father to be Gods mind and seconded by his Fathers command and he quietly yeeldeth to his Father therein Gen. 22. 9 10. So in case of a daughters vow unto the Lord in something which is lawfull and which she earnestly desireth should be done before the Lord if the vow be not heard by her father when it was made and after dissallowed by her Father God will have her even in this case to sit down contentedly resigning her will to her Fathers although she cannot perform what she vowed and desired and God himself passeth it by because it was not her Fathers mind that she should perform it Gen. 30. 5. Gods children are a pattern to mens children herein who resign and submit their will to his will children are to look at good Parents as Gods Oracles unto them such by means of whom he imparteth his counsell to them and maketh wiser then themselves in matters respecting their occasions and changes Obedience to Parents in this way is to be as to Superiours yea as to the mind and Authority of the highest in their mandates which also is implied in that speech Eph. 6. 1. Children obey Parents in the Lord yea even in all things as is expressed Col. 3. 20. namely which are meet and lawfull so to obey them it is wel-pleasing to God albeit in doing of it children oft displease themselves David is blamed that he never displeased Adonijah his Son 1 King 1. 5 6. surely then Adonijah had been too blame if he had not yeelded to his Fathers mind in things displeasing to himself 3. In yeedling espccially to Parents minds in the matter of marriage So Isaac matcheth with Rebekah 3. In marrying according to good Parents minds according to his Fathers mind Gen. 24 6 7. 63. compared So Jacob marrieth Labans daughter according to the mind of his Parents Isaac and Rebekah Gen. 28. 1 2 3. compared with Chap. 29. the like was done by many others mentioned in Scripture 4. in obeying chiefly in things of God as injoyned 4. In obeying in things of God to children in Gods name by their Parents whether respecting the knowledge of God in Christ mortification or in any other means or parts of the souls welfare In which especially Solomons Son must keep his Fathers Commandement and not forsake the Law of his Mother Prov. 6. 20. and 1 Kings 2. 3. David chargeth Solomon his Son to keep the charge of the Lord his God to walk in his ways Ch. 3. 3. Solom loved the Lord walking in the statutes or according to the statutes and commands of David his Father David charged him also with all the work of Gods Temple which he duly and diligently performed 1 Chro. 22. 11. build the house of the Lord thy God which he hath said of thee and he did so as 2 Chr. 5. and cap. 6. sheweth if Abraham command his children the Lord concludeth they shall keep the way of the Lord as in that place oft referred to Gen. 18. 19. I know Abraham that he will command his children and they shall keep the way of the Lord. Hence Joshuah is so confident of his house and so of his children Josh 24. 15. but I and my house we will serve the Lord he requiring it of them he is confident that they will do it Jonadabs posterity in living so in Tents like pilgrims and strangers in refusing to drink wine or strong drink they lived a mortified life a weaned life from the world but they did it because so injoyned by their Father Jonadab and so by their next Parents successively as we see in that place oft occasionally referred to in this discourse 1 Jer. 35. 6 c. In such a way God as a Father is especially honoured and no wonder that there is his secret blessing and grace conferred to inable to such like obedience to Parents commands As in Gen. 18. 19. now mentioned Abraham will command his children and they shall walk in the way of the Lord. It strengthens the bond of childrens obedience to Parents commands when Parents shew such soul-love to children and intire love and faithfulness to God as to improve their parentall Authority thus for God which
shall be an ornament to a Sons head and as precious chaines about his neck a badg and pledg of honour in the eyes of his people Prov. 13. 18. He that hearkneth to reproof of a Parent especially shall be honoured Hence God causeth so honourable a Record to be kept in Scripture of the Acts of obedience to Parents in Isaac Jacob Joseph and others Memorable is that Jer. 35. 18 19. Where God chargeth Jeremiah to tell the Rechabites Because you have obeyed the commandement of Jonadab your Father and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he hath commanded you therefore thus saith the Lord the God of Israel Jonadab the Son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever namely so long as that state and Church of Judah should stand as they should not he rooted out as Jer 31. 36. There is the like phrase in a like sense so they should be be honourably imployed according to that phrase in a like sense Jer. 33. 17 18. 2. That the Lord sometimes taketh occasion 2. God manifesteth great things to such in such a way to manifest such speciall grace to children whilest in this way of filial obedience as either was not at all or not in that measure shewed to them before Observable is that in Jacob whose journey to Padan Aram is put upon the account of his filial obedience even by his malicious Brother Esau Gen. 28. 7. now as he in his obediential way journyed from Bershebah towards Haran v. 10 11. there he seeth the ladder set upon the earth and the top of it reached to heaven and behold the Angels of God ascending and descending upon it and behold the Lord stood above it and said I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac thy Father the land whereon thou liest will I give it to thee and to thy seed v. 12 13. and vers 14. He promiseth to multiply his seed and that in him and his seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed and vers 15. Behold I am with thee saith God and I will keep thee in all places whither thou goest and will bring thee again to this land for I will not leave thee untill I have done that which I have spoken to thee of and vers 16 17. Jacob awoke and said Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not this is none other then the house of God this is the gate of heaven Never had Jacob that we finde before this time so glorious a manifestation of the promised Messiah to be God and man in one person as that one Ladder with its top reaching to heaven and its bottome on earth to be as a blessed Medium and Mediator by which God and Man heaven and earth should be joyned together as by a Ladder set on earth yet reaching up to heaven to be he by whom the Angels minister unto us and by whom all graces and spirituall blessings descend upon us and our hearts and spirits our prayers praises and other holy services yea and our whole persons one day ascend up to Heaven Never had Jacob such glorious promises of blessing upon him and his seed before Never was he in such a Corner of Heaven before And who then would not be incouraged to filial obedience and to be found in the way there of wherein others have found more of God and Christ than ever before 3. That Gods speciall presence and blessing 3. Gods special presence and blessing is with such is with you in a way of filial obedience to your parents so in this Scripture mentioned Jacob had Gods gracious promise of his presence with him and preservation of him in all places whither he went and that his seed with him should be blessed 4. Promises made to children with their parents come by that meanes to be fulfilled 4. That it tendeth to the ratification and accomplishment of the promises made to you in your godly parents As to Abrahams children in case of their obedience of his godly commands Gen. 18. 19. I know Abraham that he will command his Children and household after him And they in obedience to his command shall keep the way of the Lord that the Lord may bring upon Abraham even in his children after him that which he hath spoken of him even his promises respecting him and his seed Deut. 32. 46. Set your hearts to all the words which I testifie among you this day which you shall command your children to observe to do all the words of this Law vers 47. For this is not a vain thing for you because it is your life and through this thing you shall prolong your daies in the land which yee go to possess Albeit God had made so many promises of their injoyment of Canaan and many blessings of grace protection peace and the plenty there upon them and their posterity yet the meanes of accomplishment of all must be 1. That parents themselves must set themselves to obey all Gods Commands 2. They must lay their authority upon their Children to require of them also obedience to all Gods Commands 3. The Children in obedience to their parents commands under God they must observe to do all the words of that Law 1 King 2. 1 2 3. David chargeth his Son Solomon saying Keep the charge of the Lord thy God to walk in all his waies c. that by keeping this charge of God as given in charge by me thy Father according to God thou maiest prosper in all thou doest and vers 4. that the Lord may confirm his word which he spake concerning me namely in respect to my Children saying If thy Children take heed to their way to walk before me in truth with all their heart and soul there shall not fail thee said he a man on the throne of Israel 5. That your examples of filial obedience in 5. It will be a meanes of the like obedience in other Children you may be a meanes to work somewhat at least upon other Children yea even upon disobedient ones as Jacobs did upon Esau Gen. 28. 6 7 8. He never considered his disobedient course of matching with Canaanites against his parents minde But when he saw that Isaac his father had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Padan Aram to take him a Wife from thence and not to take a Wife of the Daughters of Canaan and that Jacob obeyed his Father and Mother and was gone to Padan Aram and Esau seeing the Daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaack his father vers 9. Then went Esau to Ishmael and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abrahams Son to wife Now he thought his matching thus unto the family of Abraham might better please his Father and so did it 6. In that else in a contrary way of dishonour 6. The contrary will expose the very place where they are to Gods curse of parents you will what in you lieth
that good of grace as of faith 9. By imitating all that was truly good in them love and holiness righteousness patience meekness courage constancy humility zeal of Gods glory holy fervency diligence fidelity and the like which children have beheld and seen in their parents Prov. 4. 12. Saith David to Solomon I have led thee in the right paths even by holy example also Joh. 8. 39. If ye were Abraham's children ye would do the works of Abraham if they were genuine children of Abraham they would shew it by the honour they really put upon him by making him an holy exemplar and pattern to themselves how to walk before the Lord and to be upright It was a noble speech of a good daughter-in-Law to her Mother Naomi a godly Matron Ruth 2. 16. Thy God shall be my God and thy people my people she would honour all that was honourable in her her Religion her faith in God and worship and service of him and obedience to him as also her union and communion with the Church and love to them and the like 10. Not to suffer themselves to be drawn aside 10. By cleaving to their good wayes without degenerating and Apostatising or to Apostatise or degenerate from that of God and Christ and his grace truth worship and wayes which their Parents have held forth to them in word and deed precept and practice and have frequenrly given in charge to their children This is charged upon children Prov. 6. 20. My Son keep tby Fathers Commandements and forsake not the Law of thy Mother And Prov. 4. 2. Forsake you not my Law Prov. 1. 8. My Son hear the instructions of thy Father and forsake not the Law of thy Mother This was commended in those of Judah the posterity of godly Ancestors Hos 11. 12. Judah ruleth yet with God and comparatively to Israel is faithfull to the Saints viz. their godly Ancestors who delivered their faith to their successors to be kept and carryed and conveyed to posterity successively according as they had taught them by precept and practice It s faithfulness to Ancestors and so honoureth Ancestors when posterity continueth to hold out what was most honourable in them and doth not degenerate them-from Hence that also Jer. 35. 13 14. will you not hearken to my words saith the Lord The words of Jonadab the Son of Rechab that he commanded his Sons are performed for unto this day they drink no wine but obey their Fathers Commandement As if he had said they put this Honour upon their Ancestors from Jonadabs time who first practised it and gave it in charge to his children who also left it as their practice and precept to their Children and so successively from Parent to Child it hath been observed without alteration to this day nor will they by any temptation or triall even of Jeremiah himself be drawn aside from that their mortified practice of weanedness from the worlds delights and contentments but you will not Honour me so much as to follow the Counsels and godly examples of my Prophets by whom time after time I have called upon you to wayes of holy obedience These two last wayes of Reflect Honour of Parents by their Children being the main we shall therefore in the prosecution of the point chiefly attend them The Reason hereof may be taken from the titles Reasons hereof from childrens Titles calling for it given to Children in Scripture which hold forth as much that in Gods appointment Children as child should be an honor to their parents 1. Hence they are called Parents and Ancestors Crowns Prov. 17. 6. Childrens Children are the Crown of old men A badge and pledge of their holy royalty dignity and excellency as Crowns are to Princes heads and Hos 9. 11. They are called Parents glory their glory shall flee away viz. their Children from the birth womb and conception v. 12. I will bereave them of their Children which they bring up 2. They are called Stars Gen. 37. 9 10. The glory of the firmament where they are the Families where they are albeit not of equall glory to the Father and Mother of the Family which are theirs as the Sun and Moon as Jacob and his wife and eleven Sons are in Josephs dream the Sun Moon and eleven Stars 3. They are Parents rewards from God and so appointed to be as rewards are to others for their Honour so are they in Gods intent godly Parents heritage and heritages redound to the possessors Honour 4. They are in Gods appointment to be as Olive plants about their Table a badge and pledge of Honour to their Parents such as from whom commeth that which will make their parents faces to shine as Oyle-olive will a mans face They are as Arrows in the hand of a Gyant which become instrumental to many an honourable Trophe and Lawrell Crown of theirs such as Parents need not beashamed of but glory in even in despite of envy and malice it self Psal 127. 4. 5. As Arrows are in the hand of a Gyant so are Children of youth happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them they shall not be ashamed but they shall speak with the enemies in the Gate 5. Children are in Scripture account builders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath built Isay 49. 17. Genev. Transl not only in respect of holding up the Family and the like but in that their work is to contrive compose advance adorn replensh or occasionally to repair that goodly piece their Parents Honour as well as safety comfort peace prosperity or the like 6. Children are in Scripture account as polished stones of a Palace Psal 144. 22. redounding much to the Honour of Parents who instrumentally formed and framed them Reason 2. May be taken from Parents they are 2. From Times of Parents in Scripture their Childrens glory Prov. 17. 6. and the glory of Children are their Fathers and if good Parents are such an Honour to their Children Children should be a glory and Honour to their godly Parents yea the Honour put upon Parents redounds to their Children the more glory is upon the Parent the more is upon the Children whose glory their Fathers are so that the more Honour Children are to Parents and the better they carry it in way of Honour to their Parents the more Honour they put thereby upon themselves The use of this point serveth first for reproof Use 1. For Reproof and that and that first of Parents who are many of you too guilty of your Childrens dishonourable courses and carriages namely 1. When you unadvisedly expose your Children 1. Of Parents too much furthering Childrens dishonourable carriages and courses to dishonourable practices or temptations thereunto as Gen. 19. 8. I have two daughters saith Lot to those beastly Sodomites which have not known man let me I pray you bring them out to you and do yee to them as is good in your own
eyes c. and vers 33. 34. they bring him into that snare In exposing rhem to temptations to them of Incest and they made their Father drink wine and the first night the Elder the next night the younger daughter went in and lay with her Father The like was the failing of the good old man Judg. 19. 23 24. behold here is my daughter saith he to those Sodomiticall Benjamites I will bring her out to you and humble her c. Levit. 19. 29. Do not prostitute thy daughter to be a whore lest the land fall to whoredome and the land become full of wickedness Such a blast of God followeth upon such sinfull acts of Parents And the like may be said of other evils of oppression pride c. when Parents professing Religion will put on your Children upon taking of oppressing wages prices upon new-fangled fashions such a generation commonly proveth degenerate and the shame of their Fathers houses 2. When you will be ingaging of your Children 2. By rash ingagements laid upon them in wayes which tend to insnaring of them as too many amongst Papists do their Children in vowes of virginity when not being able to contain they are insnared in wayes of unnatural pollutions and other filthy practices in secret and too oft of horrid Murthers of the fruit of their bodies in this way Jephtah was to blame who rashly vows Judg 11. 31. That whatsoever commeth out of his house to meet him returning in peace from the Children of Ammon shal surely be the Lords even the Lords votaries if they be persons or that he would offer it up for a burnt-offering namely if it were a meet thing to be offered for so the particle vau is to be read disjunctively for or and not conjunctively for and and so it is in the Margin of your larger Bibles of the New Edition and a little to digress for the cleering of this place Shindler Junius Mr. Perkins and others do so render and understand this vow of Jephtah's and the words of that Scripture And its usuall in Scripture so to take the particle vau disjunctively as Gen. 26. 11. He that toucheth this man vau or not and his wife shall die Ex. 20. 10. thou shalt not do any work thou or thy Sons or thy daughter c. Exod. 21. 15. he that smiteth his Father or his Mother shall dye if he smite not his Father yet if he smite his Mother its death Exod. 12. 5. yee shall take your Lamb out from the sheep or from the goats It is not and conjunctively as if there were to be taken a Lamb from the Sheep a Lamb from the Goats and so two Lambs Deut. 17. 1. yee shall not sacrifise to the Lord any Bullock or Sheep wherein is blemish It is disjunctive though they should not sacrifise a Bullock that is blemished yet if a blemished Sheep be sacrifised its culpable God had indeed provided a remedy in the law as for a Male Person so for a Female Person which any man had by vow devoted to God he was to pay in lieu of her 30. Sheckels Levit. 27. 2 4. And so Jephtah might have redeemed his daughter from this vow of virginity but he either was ignorant of it or in his rashness attended it not and therefore saith as vers 35. that he hath opened his mouth to the Lord and cannot go back which his daughter crediting yeeldeth to his rash vow v. 36. if so saith she do to me according to that which proceeded out of thy mouth and v. 37. Let me go two moneths up and down the mountains I and my fellows and bewail my virginity She saith not let me go and bewail my life as indeed she had greatest cause if her Father had been so bereft of all humanity as to intend to offer her up for a burnt-offering or so grosly haereticall as to think that any such forbidden unnaturall Murther might have been as a Sacrifice to God But let me go and bewail my Virginity to which she was now devoted and wherein she was offered to the Lord to be only sequestred to him and never to marry and have Children which to them was a great reproach and hence vers 40. The Daughters of Israel went out yearly namely to the house where she lived without the City apart from all company to talk with her so it is in the margin of the greater Bibles though rendred to Lament And so it is in Arias Montanus his interlineary Bible ad confabulandum to talk together So Buxtorfius in his Hebrew Lexicon renders it and quoteth Kimchi for it also as rendring this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad confabulandum and so Judg. 5. 11. the same word in the same conjugation is rendred there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confabulabuntur they shall reherse together the righteous acts of the Lord not they shall lament those acts 3. When you are too neglectfull of your holy 3. By neglecting their holy watch over them watch over your Children to keep a wise and straight hand over them and that in time before your Children are grown too stiff and inflexible or too much hardned in ways tending to their Parents reproach when you carelesly leave your Children too much to themselves if they will pray or read the Scriptures or hear the word or attend unto it or give account of what they heard or read well but if they will not you do not much regard it If your Children are affected with their naturall state with things of Christ with their need of Christ so if otherwise you do not much inquire into it If your Children be secretly naught if they be company-keepers scoffers at purity and the like you look not narrowly after those things and so leave your Children in a manner to themselves and what wonder then if as Prov. 25. 11. A Child left to himself bringeth his Mother to shame 4. When you provide not seasonably and suitably 4. By not providing seasonably for them in marriage for your Children in Marriage or possibly having consented to the disposall of your children in marriage will rashly assay to cross your Children and break their conjugall Ingagements which with your consent they have made How frequently do reproaches arise to Parents from dishonourable consequences thereof in their Children Lot was too blame that he looked not out seasonably for some fit matches for his two daughters which had formerly minded marriage witness the contract between them and two men in Sodom called therfore for his Sons in Law which had married his daughters Gen. 19. 14. for they seeing no man like to come in to them in a conjugall way as v. 30. there is no man to come in to us after the manner of all the earth then they plotted that incestuous course whereby their Father was so highly dishonoured v. 32. come therefore let us make our Father drink wine and we will come and lie with him
Honour of Respect Reverence Obedience and Recompence to Fathers of our flesh and such carrying of it so by Children as it redoundeth to parents honour as we have largely declared O what Honour of Respect Reverence Obedience and holy Recompence to him and what manner of carrying of it so as may redound to his Honour doth God expect from you his Chldren to whom he is not only a Father of your Spirit or Soul as he is to all others but a Covenant-Father If God require that to Parents from their Children upon pain of life and death he much more requireth this from you his Covenant and Church-Children upon pain of loss of eternal life and undergoing eternal death But is that the Honour of Respect which you who are degenerate Children give to this your Father to have no desire of the knowledge of his wayes As it is said of that degenerate generation in Job 21. 14 15. whether those in Jobs own time or those before the floud of whom Job 22. 15 16 17 18. but to wish rather what those wretches there mentioned that God might depart from you in respect of any such motions which he maketh and convictions and restraints upon your Spirits which sometimes you meet with and to take no delight at all in God in his word worship wayes daies government Saints and Servants Or is this the honour of Reverence which you give him to be awless fearless of his presence when you are in his house when at Prayer with your Parents or the like and to be constantly fearless of his displeasure or of sinning against him Or is this the Honour of Obedience which you give him to obey the motions of your own hearts lusts of your Companions of Seducers and of the very Divell himself but as for Gods charge or Commands you make light of them So that God may say of you as he did of that degenerate generation of old and speak of it as inter horrenda Hear O Heavens and give ear O earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished Children and they have rebelled against me the Oxe knoweth his owner the Ass his Masters Crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Ah sinfull Nation Children that are corruptors they have forsaken the holy one they are gone away backward Isa 1. 2 3 4. And as Isa 30. 9. This is a rebellious people lying Children Children that will not hear the law of the Lord. Or is this the honour of holy Recompence which you should have rendered to him for all his benefits towards you to depart from him to vex and provoke his holy Spirit which is striving with you as he was with that degenerate generation in Gen. 6. 2 3. to corrupt your selves as did that other generation mentioned Deut. 32. 5. whose spot was not the spot of Children or of right-bred children of God who were a crooked and perverse generation Surely God may and doth say to you as he did by Moses to them vers 6. Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise is not he thy Father that hath bought thee hath not he made and established thee finally is this your being an honour to God your heavenly father to cause the name of God to be blasphemed and the way of truth to be evill spoken of for your sakes as it may be said of you which was said of those degenerate Jewes Rom. 2. 23. Thou that makest thy boast of the law through breaking of the law dishonourest thou God vers 24. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you when such as you are by your vile speeches carriages opinions or courses of life shall occasion the prophaner sort or enemies to God and his Church Ironically to say as they of old did of those degenerate Jewes Ezech. 36. 20. These are the people of the Lord So by your meanes others now a daies to say of you Yea these are your younger generation of the Church these are those that are in the Covenant of grace these are your Church-members these are they which in their Infant-Baptism were devoted to the faith and worship of Father Son and Holy Ghost these are the brood of such Puritan Ministers and other precise followers and the like blasphemous sarcasmes wherin the Lords precious name together with his Truth Covenant Saints and Servants are also vilely reproached Again as such Children are Gods Servants and Children so they are by externall calling Covenant and Church Interest his subjects also Of them is Gods kingdome Luk. 18. 16 17. Now for His Subjects such as you are who are the subjects of the Lord thus to break your Oath or Covenant of Allegiance and to reject his goverment over you by his Word Spirit or Discipline like those degenerate Jewes who said of the promised Messiah Jesus Christ We will not have this man to rule over us Luke 19. 27. Hereby you do but rebel against your Lord and Soveraign and what is rebellion but as the sin of witchcraft 1 Sam. 15. 23. even a hellish execrable and damnable crime But to proceed to the other branches of the evill of sin in this degeneration of such Children In which we shall be more brief 2. Hereby you become breakers of Covenant 2. It is a breach of Covenant with God with God with whom you are confederate Yea you hereby tear off the very seal of the Covenant even your Baptism Thus God when telling Moses how that people would degenerate he saith Deut. 31. 20. They would break his Covenant so Isaiah charging the degenerate generation in his daies also with their sin he saith Isa 24. 5. They have transgressed the Lawes they have broken the everlasting Covenant And as for invalidating after a sort of the Covenant-seal thereby you may see it in those degenerate ones mentioned even now Rom. 2. 25. If thou be a breaker of the law thy Circumcision which to them was the seal of the Covenant and of the righteousness of faith as Baptism is to us Gen. 10. 11 13. Rom. 4. 11. is made uncicumcision and so ineffectuall It is as it were torn off and trampled under foot through that sin of theirs Now if this be so heinous a thing with men to break Covenant with Princes to tear off tread under foot their broad seals how evill is this in Gods sight and if that breach of a Covenant made before God even with a tyrant by Zedechiah were so grievous to God that as Ezech. 17. 15 16 17. he saith Shall he escape that doth such things or shall he break Covenant and be delivered So I may say here to these degenerate Children of the godly shall such as you are escape the fiery displeasure of God that do such things or shall you that break Gods Covenant be delivered from wrath to come no assuredly unlesse the Lord give you repentance unto life And consider of it in the fear of God
as for those degenerate ones in speciall which notwithstanding the hopefull working they Evils of sin in the degeneration of the more hopefull Children of the Godly have had formerly in their souls yet have degenerated to the dishonour as of God and themselves so of their godly Parents let such seriously weigh the evill thereof for besides those six particular aggravations which your sin in degenerating admitteth of in common with others and of which we even now spake there are some peculiar aggravations to be superadded to your sin in speciall for as it s said of Solomon the Son of David a man after Gods own heart when he was in that degenerating way 1 Kings 11. 9. The Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel who had appeared to him twice so I may say in some respect to you God must needs be the more angry with you because he hath shewed so much of your hearts and of himself to you and so oft been dealing with your hearts so in the case of Rehoboam Solomons Son who as 2 Chron. 11. 17. for three years space was very hopefull and with the rest of those of Israel who repaired to him and those of Judah walked in the way of David his Father and in the first way of Solomon his Father but as 2 Chron. 12. 1. afterwards forsook the Lord and all Israel with him Joash how hopefull a young man was he when as it is said 2 Chron. 24. 2. He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord for the matter of it all the dayes of Jehoiadah the Priest but vers 17 18. upon occasion of the flattering Courtiers counsell the King hearkned to them and they left the house of the Lord God of their Fathers and the like is said of Vzziah a very hopefull young man 2 Chro. 26. 5. He sought God in the dayes of Zechariah who had understanding in the visions of God but v. 16. When he was strong his heart was lifted up to his destruction c. And how many such Children of good Parents are there now a dayes who divers years ago gave great hopes of their saving good to their Parents and Friends now how evill a thing is this in such as you are and how bitter will it prove to you in the end that thus leave off to be wise and to do good as it is said Psal 36. 2. And as he said in another case you begin in the Spirit and end in the Flesh Gal. 3. As if it were not as good alwayes to be zealously affected in a good thing as for a little spurt of time but that we may set this part of the admonition the closer upon the hearts of such Children who were sometimes so hopefull and now so much degenerated let me shew them the heinous nature of such a manner of degenerating or rather Apostatizing from such hopefull beginnings workings and practices 1. Your sin is against the Holy-Ghost albeit 1. It is a sin in special against Gods spirit not the sin the very unpardonable sin against the Holy-Ghost for you sin against him as inlightning your minds to see so much of your selves and wayes of God and Christ and his wayes as you did and in a sort drawing you from your youthfull lusts and delights and sinfull practices and bringing you on in the best things and wayes so far but now you have made head against him as did those degenerate ones of old of whom it is said Nehem. 9. 30. that they would not give ear to the Spirit speaking against their degenerate courses by his Prophets or as it is said of that degenerate brood Acts 7. 51. You have alwaies resisted the Holy-Ghost as your degenerate Fathers did so do yee this sin as it is a resisting so it is a rebelling against the Spirit as it is said there of whom then God said they are Children that will not lie Es 63. 5. But they degenerating it is said vers 10. But they rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit they therefore hereby rebelled against the Spirit and that did not barely grieve him but which is a high degree of distasting they vexed Gods Holy Spirit Now how vile is your sin thus to resist and rebell against and thereby so deeply to vex him and why should any of you vex your blessed inlightner and one that might and was willing to be your quickener converter sanctifier strengthner supporter and comforter had not you your selves been wanting to his motions and means which hee used God may say to you as he said to those degenerate ones with whom his Spirit had been tampering Mic. 2. 7. Oh thou that art named the house of Israel is the Spirit of the Lord â—â—raightned Could not he breath and shine more abundantly into your minds and hearts in the Ministry of the word but that you will be thus grieving and vexing of him but why do you sin against your own souls in sinning against him who alone must make them capable of all blessing grace and glory And is this your observance and owning of that Holy-Ghost unto whom in your Baptism you are devoted 2. This is a speciall sin against the grace of Jesus 2. It is a speciall sin against the grace of Jesus Christ Christ who in those workings and movings of yours was also sweetly calling and gathering you to himself for your souls welfare as he was dealing in like sort with that degenerate generation Matth. 23. 7. How often would I have gathered you as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings but ye would not But where could you or can you find better soul-food than with that blessed Hen to which he likeneth himself there where can you meet with more soul-warmth than with Jesus Christ and under his blessed wings or where can you expect to partake of more sweetness and kindness of bowels and love than with the Motherly Hen yea do not you as much as in you lyeth at once contradict Christs word and the end of his comming of which Mal. 9. 13. I came to call sinners convinced sinners to Repentance You were indeed convinced sinners but have worn out your convictions and troubles and never went any further to a through work of Repentance but rather gone away further from God and good and would give in a manner the lie to Christ in that gracious speech of his 3. Is not this a breaking of that bond of Gods 3. It is a breaking the bond of Gods fear fear which should have kept you close to God and from starting aside from his truth word or way So he supposing that Job was degenerate said thou castest off fear thou restrainest Prayer Job 15. 4. And must not this needs be very grievous to the Lord 4. Is not this to cast off the Authority of an awakened Conscience as a vicegerent of God 4. It is a casting off the Authority of conscience
grandmother Lois and then in her Daughter Eunice and then in her young Son Timothy 2 Tim. 1. 5. This holy Parentall industry in such instructions and education of their Children it is Gods own ordinance Eph. 6. 4. and Prov. 22. 6. and therefore one of Gods ordinary waies and means to effect saving good in Children therefore in an ordinary way his Blessing is upon it as upon any other Ordinance of his Hence that engagement of God Train up a Child in the way he shall go Parents do you instruct and educate your Children well and through my Blessing it shall come about that they shall not alone be towardly for a time but in their old age it will stick by them they will not apostatize nor degenerate therefrom Hence that ingagement of the Lord touching Abrahams faithfull care and endeavour with his Children Gen. 18. 19. I know Abraham that he will command his Children and his household after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord that God might bring upon Abraham that which he hath promised And here give me leave a little to clear up that place in Gen. 14. 14. He armed his trained servants born in his house trained servants namely to his religion not to warlike affaires onely or chiefly so in the Margen of your greater Bibles it is well rendred instructed it is the same Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used there as is used in Prov. 22. 6. Train up a Child c. Or as the Geneva notes have it there Train up a Child virtuously when he is young Nor is that Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his trained ones Gen. 14. 14. is taken ever used so farr as I can find in Scripture but in a religious sense it is used for dedicating a thing to holy use Numb 7. 10 11 84 88. 1 King 8. 63. 2 Chron. 7. 5 9. Ezra 6. 16 17. Nehem. 12. 27. Deut. 20. 5. Psalm 30. Title It is used in Dan. 3. 23. for the consecrating of that Idoll which though an abuse yet still the word noteth a religious sense of it and possibly godly Jared the Father of Enoch did therefore call his Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a dedicated a devoted one one to be trained up and initiated from a very Child to the Lord and to his use as it seemed he was proved a very worthy man one that walked long with God himself Gen. 5. and was of publick good use to others as Judg. 11. sheweth I have the more largely insisted upon these passages respecting Abraham and his Family 1. Because Abraham hath his name to be a Father of all believers Gen. 17. 5. Who amongst them have that blessing amongst others to be accomplished which is mentioned Gen. 12. 3. In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed which as in the first place it looketh to Christ comming out of Abrahams Loins in whom they should all be blessed so in a second place in and through Christ it is fulfilled in all and each of Abrahams beleeving seed who becoming Fathers Mothers of Families shall also become by the blessing of grace upon their Covenant-interests Prayers and holy diligence in matters of education Blessings to their respected Families throughout all the earth So that hence also godly Parents may be incouraged to take paines in Vertuous and Religious education of their Children in that it is a Covenant-blessing to them in their Father Abrahams Charter for them that they shall become Blessings to their Families Hence also in one tespect among others Christ sayed This day is salvation come to this house for as much as he also Zacheus is become a Child of Abraham Lu. 19. 9. Hence also that Act. 16. 31. Beleeve in the Lord Jesus thou shalt be saved thy house 2. That it might appear what a Family-church Abraham had in his house the adult circumcised ones were all proselited and such as from very Childhood gave pledges of fearing God through their good education for they were Sons of his house or born there most of them Gen. 14. 14. with 17. Gen. 23. He circumcised all that were born in his house Such as Eliezer is said to be Gen. 15. 3. A Son of his house or born there and how godly a man he was let his works declare Gen. 24. 2 9 12 15 21 26 27 33 42 43 44 45 48 49 52 56. and how godly the rest were may be gathered by their conscionable obedience to Abraham who therefore could undertake that on all their behalf mentioned Gen. 14. 23. The Angel spake also of Abraham by experience of what was already when he sayed Gen. 18. 19. I have found him such an one by experience That he will command his Children and household after him they shall keep his way he that had so done will do so and indeed beeing most of them Sons of his house or born there therefore faithfull Abraham must needs see them so educated from their very Childhood that they might walk in Gods wayes 3. That it may be seen in our Father Abrahams Church how exactly carefull God was that the Children of godly proselites and members of the Church might be admitted to the seal of the covenant of the righteousness of faith as it is called Gen. 17. 11 13. My Covenant in their flesh i seal of it Ro. 4. circumcision the seal of righteousnesse of faith Yâ—â— was Abrahams Church no Jewish Church all but Abraham and Sarah being not of Eber but of other Ancestors Nor was it a nationall Church for they were all one intire congregation in covenant with God and each other implicitly at least and meeting constantly in one place to wor-God together as 600 might very well do if that 300. Genesis 14. were doubled that the weight of such pious educating of Children may appear namely to be Gods appointed means of good of grace in Children as the meanes for the full effecting of the promises of grace as the end which promises are made to godly Parents with respect to their children namely that God will be a God to them c. Gen. 17. 7. and 18. 19. For so God saith to this Father and pattern believer He will command his Children and they shall walk in his waies that God may bring upon Abraham in his Children also what he hath spoken of him with respect also to his Children Hence David in his instructing of Solomon taketh up the like speech 1 King 23. 4. and keep the Charge of the Lord that God may confirm his word and that promise in the generall Gen. 17. 7. being not of an absolute but of a conditionall nature So that the greatest love and faithfulness which Parents as Covenanters can shew to God and to their Children who in and with themselves are joynt Covenanters with God is so to educate them that what in them lieth the conditions of the
then to be acting in all the holy exercises of the day according to their understandings as in reading discourse about good things prayer singing of Psalms blessing their meat and such like Leviticus 19. 3. every one without limitation is charged you shall every man fear his Father and every man his Mother and as a fruit and pledge of it keep my Sabbaths See more Deut. 31. 11 12. Joshua 8. 35. Deut. 16. 10 11 16. It was the devill in Pharaoh who would not have had the Israelites Children to have gone with them to sacrifise in the wilderness but to have stayed in Egypt the while their parents went about it Exod. 5. 3. with 10. 11. and no doubt he was too busie with Christs own Disciples when they would have hindred the good peoples Children from their neer approaches to Christ Mark 10. 13 14. and it s from Sathan that some now adays would not have Children whilest Children taught the ways or things of God Catechistically or practically as to pray or the like contrary to the very grain of that Scripture Prov. 22. 6. 7. Let them be trained up to some honest callings especially to the Ministry if of parts that way 7. let parents look well to it that none of their Children whilest young live idly but that they be trained up to some honest and laudable callings and imployments Adam trained up his sons to husbandry Gen. 4. 1 2 3 4. and such of your Children as may be men capable of learning let parents set them apart for learning David had his Tutors for his sons 1 Chro. 27. 32. Such capacity and dispositions in youth for Scholastick indouments and imployments they also are Talents of God bestowed upon children would not be buried in the earth and oftentimes as it fareth with lustier soil being not answerably husbandred it brings forth more weeds than other ground So in Children of good naturall parts and not well ordered and imployed in learning and arts they often prove the worse yea albeit such naturall parts should not be abused thus but better imployed yet as Prov. 16. 21. the sweetness of the lips ability of sweetness aptness and elegancy of expression it addeth an ornament and grace and force to what is spoken it increaseth learning and indeed in an ordinary way of common prudence and providence although parents in some conditions may strain hard to bring up their sons to be Scholars it is in it self a far better portion than barely to leave them such a portion of mony or goods or Lands God himself accounts such liberal sciences among the number of his chiefer gifts Dan. 1. 17. speaking of Daniel and his three companions as for these four Children God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdome It s spoken in the commendation of Moses by Stephen Acts 1. 7. 22. that he had skill in all learning of the Aegyptians verily it was well for the Church in Moses his time and for the Church in Daniels time that Daniel and Moses when they were young were so well educated and gifted with skill in all learning and wisdome God will reward good parents also as well as bad according to the fruit of their doings John 17. 10. if by the fruit of your education blessing of God upon the education of your Children to learning they come to do much more good either in Church or common-wealth all that good will be partly put upon the good parents account also as well as added to the good Childes score and in particular the more to incourage Christian parents to educate and sequester their Children which have good naturall parts unto learning in reference to the ministry in speciall sort let me adde a word or two let such remember Hannahs example who in setting apart her son Samuel presently upon his comming to be trained up under Elies tuition for the Ministry she is sayed herein to lend him to the Lord 1 Sam. 1. 24 28. compared and cap. 2. 20 21. it appeareth that she lost nothing by this loan Remember also what a favour and wonder of bounty and faithfulness of God is extended to you that God will take any of your children for such an imployment of his and of his Church namely for the Ministry amongst three of the most notable acts that God did for Israel next to that of bringing them up out of Egypt to that of destroying the Canaanites for them Amos 2. 9 10. this is reckoned one I raised up of your sons for Prophets to conclude remember also what an honour God putteth upon your Children and what favour he sheweth them therein 1 Tim. 1. 12. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord saith Paul who enabled me for that he counted me faithfull putting me into the Ministry when God would honour Phinehas he putteth this upon him as by a perpetuall Covenant that he and his children shall be the Lords Priests Numb 25. it was the honour also that God put upon the tribe of Levi that for Levies zeal in that business at Massah and Meribah his Vrim and Thummim his Priestly indowments and ornaments of Priestly imployments should be upon him Deut. 33. 8 9. it was the honour at first put upon Israels first-born only to be the Lords and for the Lords Ministeriall service whence Exod. 24. 5. and he sent the young men of the Children of Israel their first born who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of Oxen unto the Lord afterwards indeed in honour of the Levits the Levits were taken to be the Lords or for the Lords Ministeriall service and bestowed upon Aaron and his sons who successively were to be Gods high Priests 3 Numb 12. 41. and cap. 8. 16 19. compared it must needs be an honour to the ministers calling and such as are therein conscionably imployed that the blessed God in his counsels respecting the souls welfare of his people which in themselves and by nature were rebellious to the intent that by his blessing upon the Ministry in their hearts God might come to dwell amongst them he ordered it thus that Christ dying and rising again should ascend into heaven and there receive from his father as an honourable boon of favour gifts for men even for his people in themselves Rebellious that God might by his blessing thereupon dwell amongst them Psalm 68. 18. upon his actual ascension as Paul expresseth it Eph. 4. 8 11 12 13. He gave those gifts so received to men to his people and Church That is as the Apostle expoundeth those gifts to be vers 11. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and a perfect man c. No greater honour surely than this to be given as a Coronation-mercy to Christ ascending and from Christ given back again as
and serve other gods putting me upon that temptation to it But by leaving our Children under good ordinances and goverment we do hereby greatly further them in the best things and thereby also in becomming an honour to us For 1. They are furthered that way by your godly Ministers there and the pure dispensation of the word and ordinances by them when such Fishers are upon the Churches banks your fish of all hand great and small are wont to be caught and drawn to the Land Ezek. 47. 8 9 10. by John Baptists Ministry as we before shewed all is brought to rights 'twixt Children and Parents Mal. 4. 6. He shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the Children and the hearts of the Children to the father 2. They are much helped that way by the Churches and Saints Christian watch over them Counsels instructions and seasonable admonitions of them and prayers for them Peter as an Apostle having all virtuall Apostollical and Church power in him is charged with the feeding teaching and ruling of Christs Lambs as well as elder sheep Joh. 21. 15 16. The Children of the Church have a beneficiall privilege that they must be watched over kept from wanderings searched out if started aside and brought in if gone astray healed if diseased cherished and nourished up by all holy meanes of which they are capable kept to their pasturage watering folding and the like 3. They will be much helped by the good civill governours meanes also who is a nursing Father unto the Church and to her little Children Jsa 49. 23. and who is to take magistraticall care in speciall sort of the education of Children As even the heathen Aristotle saies it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist polit l. 8. c. 1. That it is an unquestionable thing to all men that it especially concerneth the civill Law-giver to look to and make lawes about the education or disciplining of youth which being not attended saith he in States it overthroweth them It was one of Lycurgus his Lawes to restrain the carelesness of Parents in educating their children that after Children were seaven years old their Parents should not breed them up as they list but they should be disposed to certain companies of Children to be excercised to good instructions and discipline and when grown up to be Youths they should mispend no time without instructions and regulations and no doubt that Spartan state flourished the better for that and other like Laws of Lycurgus as stories tell us God himself maketh account that a godly ruling Eliakim is of great use to his people in respect of their offspring or Children whence that in Esai 22. 20 24. in a word the Lord doth promise it as a most advantageous privilege in the daies of the Gospel both to the godly returning Jewes and to their Children that they shall be in his Church and under his blessed ordinances in his Church in which he will be present his sanctuary shall be amongst them Ezek. 37. 25 26. and that they shall be under the goverment of Christ under the name of David Ibid. and that not alone ecclesiasticall in the Church but civill also in their Christian-state and Common-wealth all goverments civill and sacred being in a diverse respect Christs delivered to him of the Father Matth. 28. 18. and by him to Christian rulers Prov. 8. 15. as King of Kings and Lord of Lords 3. Let Christian Parents for the furtherance of their Children being an Honour to them take special care to maintain peace among their Children and to take away all occasion of breaches among them in after times this was Abrahams care in his life time to give Returahs Children their portions and so to send them away farther off from Isaac who was to hold on Abrabrahams Honour as a Covenant and Church-Father c. Gen. 25. 5 6. In defect of such Parentall care worse matters have fallen out in Christian Families to their Parents great dishonour 4. Let Christian Parents also for the end mentioned take speciall care of the well disposing of their Sons and Daughters in Matiage So did Abraham for his only Son as God in a sense called him Isaac Gen. 24. 1 2 3 c. So did Isaac and Rebeckah for Jacob Gen. 28. 2 3 c. Having smarted for the contrary neglect in Esau Gen. 27. 46. and both Isaac and Jacob proved an Honour to their Parents but Ishmael and Esau not looked after that way by their Parents were rather a reproach to them who begat them Hence that charge of God to Jewish Parents to look much to the disposing of their Children in Mariage Deu. 7. 3. Lastly let Christian Parents who would have their Children be an honour to them lay up many prayers for them for that end and accordingly exercise faith also in Gods promises for bringing the same to passe Psal â—0 16. Let thy glory appear to our Children and then vers 17. Let thy beauty be upon us so Psalm 144. 12. It is one great part of the matter and scope of their prayer that they may have an hopefull honourable and usefull posterity even as growing plants and as choise polished corner pieces of a Palace and when Hannah was now about disposing of young Samuel under Elies Tuition 1 Sam. 1. 23. all Hannahs prayer is this onely the Lord establish his word even that which he hath promised respecting this our Son And the godly Psalm 102. 28. are brought as acting of faith for this end the Children of thy servants shall continue and their seed shall be established before thee and if thus to continue before God then such as should honour Parents also both in a direct and reflect way as a meanes under God of their living long and continuing of them in the Land which God giveth them Thus much for the Exhortation respecting Parents 2. It is of Exhortation also to Children or unto persons as in the relation of Children whether Children in years or grown persons to be an honour to your godly Parents especially by imitation of what is good in them and following their gracious counsels and by holding on in the truths and waies of God wherein they have taught and led you without ever turning aside therefrom For which end let me briefly propound 1. Some motives 2. Some helpes The Motives to it may be such as these 1. In that such good interest of Children and such godly precepts and examples of Parents which are layed before them they are a special talent of mercy and therefore God expects that you should make an honourable inprovement of them Solomon speaketh of the same thus as his mercifull advantage Prov. 4. 3. For I was my Fathers Son vers 4. He taught me also and verse 10. Hear O my Son and receive my instruction and the yeares of thy life shall be many and so be an honour every way of Parents as a meanes to that end and then addeth vers 11. I have taught thee
Children have nothing to give Parents to be a temptation to bribe their affections to them nor are they of any power to curb them any way to enforce respects to them and so they are more pure Whereas in both these regards Childrens respects to Parents may be leavened Yea Parents as Parents are instruments in Gods hands of their Childrens Souls being in their bodies and so of the faculties of their Souls and so of their naturall affections in them and of that affection of love and fear amongst the rest and therefore they may well chalenge the honourable improvement of them to themselves so far as God alloweth the same To conclude Children will never honour Parents with the honour of Reverence Obedience or Recompence or the like unlesse they give the honour of respect love due to them therefore give them this their due Now that Children may be helped and furthered in doing this Helps to it 1 Dread of the vile sin of unnaturalnesse 1. Possesse your hearts with a deep sense and dread of the heinous nature of the sin of unnaturalness which is wont to be accompanied with the vilest sins against God and Man as by comparing Rom. 2. 28 29 30 31 32. and 2 Tim. 3. 2 3 4. may be discerned Such persons who are without naturall affections commonly proving Blasphemous against God ingrateful to God and men unholy truce and Covenant-breakers whisperers back-biters false accusers of others they are commonly given to uncleanness and wantonness they are fierce and furious of a cruell Salvage unmercifull implacable spirit they are despisers of those that are good they are even haters of God they are haters of other men of a spightfull malicious quarrelsome and envious Spirit in a word They are full of all unrighteousnesse and deceit themselves and inventors of evill things evill opinions evill practises ringleaders in sin authors of sin to others If sundry of these scandalous persons in old and new England were closely search'd into they would be found to be persons who have been are unnaturall to their Parents 2. Take heed of any leading causes which breed and feed unnaturalness and undermine naturall 2. Avoiding causes of unnaturalnesse of affection as 1. Ignorance affection to Parents such as are 1. Ignorance of God and of his word and of the matters of Religion Rom 1. 31. without understanding without naturall affection if without understanding what wonder if without naturall affection 2. Self-love for they that are so full of self-love 2. Self-love have never a due proportion of love left for God or man for Parents or others 2 Tim. 3. 2. For men shall be lovers of themselves and verse 3. without naturall affection 3. A worldly covetous Spirit ibid. Covetous 3. Covetousnesse without naturall affection a Spirit of the love of the world will eat out as the love of the Father of our Spirits John 2. 15. so that of the Father of our flesh also whose Fatherhood is an Image of that in God Such if they shew respect to Parents it is but for their own advantage and gaine and if the respect to them may not stand with their gain or must be to their outward losse then adieu respect to Parents 4. A proud Spirit 2 Tim. 3. 3 4. Without naturall affection high-minded Absolom who was so Pride high-minded what wonder is it if he prove so unnaturall to his Father 5. A Voluptuous Spirit ibid. Without naturall affection lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God Voluptuousnesse They that respect their pleasures so much they never respect God as they shold nor their parents Esaus inordinatenesse of affection to his hunting brings him to that Gen. 25. that he despiseth his birth-right as his Fathers eldest Son and therein virtually despiseth his Father and his voluptuous desires after the Canaanitish women make him carelesse of grieving his Father and Mother and so far unnaturall to them Gen. 26. 3. Getting their hearts truly turned to the Lord. 3. Labour to get your hearts turned to God effectually and in love with him as a Father and then whatsoever alienations of heart there were in you from your Parents before yet then Childrens hearts will be also turned fully to your good Parents Ma. 4. 6. Jo. Baptist its said by the blessing of grace upon his Ministry turning persons to the Lord to the faith to the wisedome of the Just as Luke hath said it Luk. 1. 17. he shall turn the hearts of the Children to their good Fathers which whilest the Children were wicked they could not well abide to be controuled reproved curbed and corrected as they were by them and so their good Fathers also whose hearts were much taken off from those Children for their vilenesse should be turned towards their Children or as some say the unnaturall distances bred betwixt Parents and Children by many sects and opinions too rife among the Jewes when by sound doctrine they were brought to rights and to the truth those alienations should be healed Only Cautions about Childrens love to Parents 1. Not such as to approve sin in Parents in the love of Children to Parents let these cautions be observed 1. Look that it be not such as to approve of the evill saiyings principles or practises of your ungodly or of your seducing or seduced Parents It s blamed in them Psal 40. 13. their posterity approve their sayings Jer. 7. 18. The Children gather wood and the Fathers kindle a fire and the women knead the dough to make Cakes to the Queen of heaven 2 King 15. 13. Asaph loved his Mother well as his Mother but he hateth her Idol he destroyeth and burneth it Abraham loveth his Father Terah well but will not go after his way of Idol-worship Josh 24. 2 3. God commendeth it in the Son who seeth all his fathers sins and considereth and doth not such like Ezek. 18. 14. 2. Let it not be such as to follow their evill Of 2. Such as to follow their sinfull Counsell Counsel in any thing as Ahaziah who walked in the waies of Ahab for his Mother was his Consellour 2 Chron. 22. 3. And as Herodias who being before instructed of her Mother said to Herod give me here John Baptists head in a charger Mat. 14. 8. 3. Let it not be so as to keep their dangerous Or 3. Such as to keep their sinfull Counsel and wicked Counsel in any way of wickednesse but rather seasonably to reveal it Michol Sauls Daughter did well in this to tell her husband David of her Fathers Sauls bloody design against him so that he escaped 1 Sam. 19. 11 12. The like did Jonathan to David Cap. 20 3 4. 4. That it be not so as when you are called of Or 4. Not to bear seasonable witness against their evils God to it then not to bear seasonable witnesse against their sin as in case of Parents seducing Children from the Lord and his
worship In case of grosse Idolatry or the like then zealous Levi saith to his Father and to his Mother I have not seen him Deut. 33. 9. And Asaph an highest Civill Ruler called to do justice without respect of persons he removeth Maacha his Idolatrous Mother from her Regency 1 King 15. 13. 5. That it be not so as when you are called Or 5. Such as for them to neglect just respects to others to maried conditions then for Parents sakes to neglect just respects to your spouses and regard to your Families welfare Gen. 30. 30. in that case Jacob will say to Laban his Father-in-Law when shall I provide for my house and that Law Gen. 2. 24. taketh here place for this cause shall a man forsake Father and Mother and cleave to his Wife 2. Of exhortation to Parents to carry it so 2. To Parents to carry it so as may win respect as may even win and gain such respect and love from your Children which is due from them as for instance 1. Be frequently instructing your Children in the best things in their Soul-matters this won Solomons heart the more to his Father David insomuch that he keepeth a honourable record of his Fathers instructions Prov. 4 4 5 6 c. The bond of love is doubled when natural Fathers by Gods blessing upon their instructions and admonitions become spirituall Fathers of their Children and a twofold cord is not easily broken 2. Be ever and anon incouraging your Children 1. By incouraging them in good in any good thing hence that Allusion Isa 66. 13. as on whom his Mother comforteth which as they are more abundantly encouraged by them so enlarged also in affections to them Famous is the example of William Hunters Mother as he was leading to the stake for Christ Son William saith she I think thee as well bestowed as ever any Mr. Fox Acts and Mon. Child that I bare in my womb and that example of the Mother of that little Child which was Martyred with Romanus who stood by incouraging her Child and when all others almost wept to see the Childs tortures she stood by rejoycing and when that fatall act of cruelly was to be done upon the Child to take away its Head after she had taken her Child and kissed it she stood by singing All laud and praise with heart and voice O Lord we yield to thee To whom the death of all thy Saints We know most dear to be bidding the Child also to remember the children of Bethlehem who were martyr'd for Christ 3. Be ready to defend and vindicate Children 3. By defending them in a just cause in any just cause as Joash did his Son Gedeon against those that complained of him for throwing down Baals Altar Judg. 6. 29 30 31. and Joash said to them will yee plead for Baal will ye save him he that will plead for him let him be put to death if he be a God let him plead for himself the blind-mans Parents did not thus who out of a base fear put off all to their Son he is old enough let him answer for himself John 9. 21. yea let Parents vindicate their children from unjust slanders as the Father of the wronged Damsel was to do Deut. 22. 13. to 9. this must needs win love 4. Be conscionable sollicitous of your childrens 4. By care of their outward weal. outward welfare as was Jacob of his Sons Ge. 37. 14. and Jesse of his Son 1 Sam. 17. 17. this also much gaineth upon childrens hearts 5. Carry it towards your children with much 5. By Compassionatness toward them tenderness and bowels as need and prudence requireth Numb 11. 12. Carry them in thy bosom as a nursing Father the sucking child Psal 103. 13. as a Father patieth his children Mal. 3. 17. as a Father spareth his Son that serveth him this as it breaketh every way-ward heart of a child so it winneth the Son as it is in the fruit of Gods bowels expressed to his children so in mens to theirs CHAP. IV. Of Honour of Reverence due from children to Parents WE have handled that first branch of Honour of Parents in a direct way we now proceed to the second which is the Honour of Reverence for so Honour is taken as we shewed in the 1. Chapter Observe then as a second branch of the generall point that Children are to Honour their Parents with the Honour of Reverence Levit. 19. 3. Ye shall fear Honour of Reverence due to Parents every man his Mother and every man his Father Heb. 12. 9. the Fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them due reverence For the better handling of this part of Childrens duty we shall first shew wherein this Reverence of Parents consisteth and is expressed and 2. Make use of it Touching the first we say this Reverence due to Parents is either outward or inward 1. Then outward Reverence is due from children 1. Outward as to Parents and so 1. Children are to rise up and to stand bare before their Parents when they come to them or speak to them for if of Fathers in age God saith Rise up before the hoary head and Honour the face of the old man Levit. 19. 31. Rising to Parents he surely requireth it of children to their own Parents Henre the excuse of Rachel though a married woman from unavoidable necessity as reason why she rose not up to her Father Laban Gen. 31. 35. And Rachel said to her Father Let it not displease my Lord that I cannot rise up before thee for the custome of women is upon me it must be some avoidable necessity that must be a just reason that children rise not up before their Parents else Parents have just reason to be displeased when Achsah daughter to Caleb is to request a thing of her Father she keepeth not her posture of sitting in which she was before but lighteth off the beast she rode upon and then speaketh her mind to her Father Judg. 1. 13 14 15. It stands not with Parents Honour for children to sit and speak but rather they should stand up when they speak to Parents 2. If Parents be comming towards children they 2. To meet parents comming are to prevent them and meet them 1 Kings 2. 19. Bathsheba went to Salomon to speak for Adonijah and the King rose up to meet her 3. They are to bow to them so Salomon 1 Kings 3. To bow to them 2. 19. he bowed himself to his Mother So Joseph Gen. 48. 12. and Joseph brought them out from between his Fathers knees and he bowed himself with his face to the earth So Moses to his Father-in-Law did obey sance and all these their Sons were great men yet not too great or high to stoop in way of Honour of Reverence to Parents 4. They must speak Reverently both to their 4. To speak to them and of them reverently Parents and of them