reuerence and common maintenance so the people must honour their pastour the child his parent the wife her husband and the seruant his master All these must bee honoured and obeyed of vs not sleightly but seriously and vnfeynedly euen as purposing to honor God in them for this also is a part of Gods seruice and the dueties which wee giue vnto them wee must giue as vnto God himselfe setting God alwaies before our eyes whome in all thinges wee ought to worship and reuerence And on the other side superiours must know so to carie themselues towardes their inferiours in gouerning teaching and defending of them in all wisedome and grauitie that they may seeme worthie of those honours which according to Gods ordinance are bestowed vpon them Secondly for the helping and relieuing of our brother wee must not doe it by halfes but fully as God himselfe hath commaunded We must not aide him in his bodie and hurt him in his goods and wee must not helpe him in his goodes and offend him in his name and lastly wee must not care for him in his bodie goodes and name and suffer his soule to perish by vs for want of our spirituall counsell and exhortation but wee must labour to vpholde and defend him in all these together but especially in his soule because this is more pretious then all the other For euen as one member of our own bodie is as deere vnto vs as another so should all our brothers things be vnto vs because we are all members of our deere Sauiour who hath loued vs all alike in giuing his whole selfe for vs all Thirdly and lastly so shoulde wee loue all men as well those which haue no neede of vs as those which stand in need that no offence being giuen on either side wee liuing as lightes in the worlde and shewing forth the vertues of him that hath called vs out of darkenesse into his marueilous light as Saint Peter sayeth all men maye haue iust cause to praise GOD for vs and so God to be honored all in all 3. The third highest part of our seruice is to liue holily towardes God and this is to set vp and exalte the Lorde onelye in our heartes and to establish his kingdome and gouernement in our soules banishing and auoyding from within vs all forraine powers of the world the flesh and the diuell that so there may be but one sole and absolute regiment of Gods spirit within vs that hee onely may commaund forbid controule chastize and direct in all his waies And secondly that as hee onely is wise to prescribe so wee should giue our selues wholy to serue him not as wee our selues thinke best but as hee commaundeth in his worde that is spiritually inwardly and vnfainedly and in such particulars as hee himselfe setteth downe vnto vs. And thirdly because hee is such a great GOD holding all the worlde vnder his obedience saying to the king as it is in Iob 34. Thou naughtie man and to the nobles you wicked men therefore now we should vse his name with all holy reuerence and neuer presume to speake of him but with titles of maiestie and honour And fourthly and lastly wee must performe all our homage and seruice vnto him in frequenting his courts diligently in hearing his word preached gladly in praying to him deuoutly in receiuing his holy Sacraments reuerently in casting our selues downe at his feete acknowledging all our possessions wealth honours priuiledges and whatsoeuer els wee enioy that good is all to bee held from his gracious hands most heartily thanking him for the continuance of them vnto vs and being readie whensoeuer hee shall call to surrender them vp vnto him againe In this present world Now in that the holy Apostle restraineth his exhortation to the time of this present world he teacheth vs that there is no longer deferring to serue God but wee must euen now at this present instant change our hearts and set vpon his worke for this present instant is a parte of this present world and so you see here that the Lord hath left vs no time in this life to serue our owne lustes and pleasures Secondly the Apostle here setteth foorth vnto vs the common stade of Gods seruice which is this present life This present life and this present world God hath appoynted out for seruice and that which is to come hee hath ordained for reward and rest Wherefore now if men will serue God they must serue him in this life or els they shall neuer serue him I know well that many could be content to serue God after they bee dead so they might enioy and follow their pleasures in this present world then they would liue soberly and righteously and holily but then it is too late For this present world as I sayd is the time of seruice and the next is the time of reward the reward of glorie and rest to such as haue serued God in this world and the reward of vengeance and torment to such as haue disobeied him Verse 13.14 Looking for that blessed hope and appearing of that glorie of that mightie God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ who gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeeme vs from all iniquitie and purge vs to bee a peculiar people vnto himselfe zealous of good workes NOw hauing taught you what the whole seruice of God is and what is required at our hands for our saluation redemption because our hearts are so heauie and sluggish that few of vs regard these things And againe such of vs as regard them can better talke of them then performe them and considering the lets of Christianitie to bee many I haue thought good here to vse such forcible motiues as I can best gather out of Gods worde whereby our colde zeale may bee enflamed and wee violnttlie thrust forward to laye hand vpon Gods busines 1. The first motiue which the holie Ghost here offereth vnto vs is the lifting vp of our eyes vnto the marke or reward which is set vp for vs at the ende of our race to drawe vs forward with all our might For as it is in the game of running which similitude the Scripture often vseth there is a marke or crowne of rewarde erected vppe on high on some pillar at the race end to the end it might be seene a far off and that it might bee alwayes in the eye of the runner like the load-stone to drawe him forward with all his might and power euen so vnto vs Christians which runne in the spirituall race of Gods seruice wherein the great God and his Angels are lookers on there is a great price set vppe for vs euen in the height of the heauens which is here called the blessed hope and the glorie of the mightie God which at that day shall breake forth as a floud of light from his owne glorious maiestie to glorifie all his saints And for the more efficacie of this motiue I will bring
loue and fauour vnto the end All these three poynts pertaine vnto the trade of euery mans way and euery childe must be trayned vp in all these three otherwise Gods ordinance is peruerted and his commaundement broken and then we can looke for no blessing vpon our children but shame and confusion and vtter destruction Hauing shewed how euery parent is to bring vp his childrē in the trade of their way which signifieth first an occupation secondly good manners and thirdly godlines now it falleth so out by mans lamentable corruption that many parents themselues know not what these things are nor how to teach their children the same and therefore here I think it will bee the best part of my duetie to lay downe such rules and draw such a methode out of Gods word as may best helpe the parent to teach and the child to learne For the first part that is for the trade of occupation I will so entreate as the scope of a Diuine and the nature of the thing will permit exhorting industrie painfulnes and diligence chasing away idlenes and furnishing the parent with conuenient and meete helpes for this part of education And to this end for the more sensible teaching I will adioyne this text to the former Lamentations of Iere. 3.26 It is good for a man that he beare the yoke in his youth HEre by the yoke is vnderstood not only the crosse and afflictions as the speciall application of the text doth pretend but generally all manner of paines and labours whereby the minde of man may bee brought to patience and quietly to beare the Lords burthen of what kinde soeuer it be and to be held in from running out into any manner of extremitie Wherfore this yoke in one particular which wee here purpose to follow is the yoke of gouernment and painfull education Whosoeuer is not vsed to this yoke while he is young shall neuer bee fit for any good seruice either in the Church or common-wealth when he is old For as the brute oxe and asse would neuer endure their hard labor except they were held in by their yoke but would stray euery way so vnbrideled mā if he be not in his youth held in by the yoke of painfull labour he will neuer abide it when he is old but will run out into euery path of destruction For what is the cause why our land is so oppressed with rogues and theeues and beggers which are worse then beasts because they cut themselues from the meane of saluation which is the word and Sacrament And what is the cause why the greatest part of the world vseth vnlawful and damnable meanes to liue by as to lie to sweare to forsweare to forge to dissemble to cousen to counterfeit to bribe and a hundred such like but because they cannot endure to beare the yoke and why can they not endure it but because they were not streightly held with it while they were young Wherefore O you good parents you that desire to haue your childrē good old men like to your selues and to liue in the Lordes holy ordinance which is the path-way to heauen hold their neckes vnder with the yoke of painfull labour while they be tender lay it vpon them euen from their cradle then they will not forsake it to their graue How came Alexander y e great by such a puissant armie whereby he conquered the world but by hauing children borne and brought vp in his campe whereby they became so well acquainted and exercised with weapons from their swadling cloutes that they looked for no other wealth or countrie but to fight euen so if thou wouldest haue thy children either to doe great matters or to liue honestly by their owne vertuous endeuours and not to gape vniustly after other mens goods but to be content with the blessing of God vpon their owne labours thou must acquaint them with the yoke euen from their cradle Some men set their children to learning some place them in offices some binde them prentices but many of these proue not because they were not first well held in by their parents with the yoke of painefull education so that breake the yoke and deliuer all youth to vndoing There is no function and no exercise either of bodie or minde that hath not neede of this yoke Let vs examine the matter familiarly and not hold scorne of the plaine steppes of the truth What is the cause why some prentice can endure with hard fare now and then beare a deserued blow and take a thousand reproches and chidings vpon his shoulders without murmuring and carrie all the hardnes of seruice vntill he hath gotten his freedome science the crowne of his labours and some other againe rather thē he would endure this he will runne as farre as his legges can carrie him or saile ouer sea to take sanctuarie against his happines the one hath been vsed to the yoke the other hath not Againe why doth the poore mans childe arise in learning why is he called to beare office in the Church of God and Common-wealth and the children of Noblemen and great gentlemen refused the one by reason of his former paines in vertuous studies can beare this honorable burthen the other wanting this meane hath neither will nor power to sustaine it Moreouer what is the reason why euen in the seruice of God one Christian goeth before another why can one better beare the crosse then an other why doe some mens zeale so farre exceede others and why doe some mens labours shine in Gods Church before others There can no other cause be rendred but the reason of the yoke This breedeth such a hard braune in the soule that no paines can pearce it Wherefore bee yee comforted in your honest trauailes you good husbands of the countrie you are the staple of the land you raise vppe the pillars thereof by your honest labours the king is maintained you furnish the Church of GOD with painfull Ministers you garnish the Common-wealth with wise and graue Counsellors you prouide all necessaries for the good of the countrie by your thriftines and painful education of your children For without labour how should Schooles be maintained how should lawes bee executed and how should all honest functions stand and where should that honourable troupe of vertues shewe themselues where should liberalitie bee praised where should sobrietie and grauitie bee reuerenced and where should that kinglie magnificence be extolled doe wee not see that painfull labour is the fayre handmayde to all these and ministreth matter for them to worke vpon so that take away painfull labours and you loosen the cordes of the Common-wealth you exile all vertues and then wee must liue like wilde beastes and feede vpon hearbes deuouring and being deuoured one of another Now the contrarie to this yoke of good education is idlenes And as in all things naturall there is one thing or other which is the spoyle of it as the canker to
entercourse of gods mercy iudgement most healthfull to the soule of euery Christian. Mercie and trueth haue mette together righteousnes and peace haue kissed ech other Let all Christians reioyce at this happy meeting Let the sea make a noise and al that is therein let the flouds clappe their handes and reioyce their fill let the mountaines skip before the Lord like yong rammes and let euery mouth confesse vnto the Lord and sing mercy and iudgement Oh if Gods mercy had not met his iustice by the way and kissed and imbrased it wee had all of vs bin swept away with the whirlewinde of his wrath long ere this day but with thee is mercy saith the Prophet Gods mercy hath staied his iustice from dealing extremely with vs. Who can sufficiently praise this mercie of God The Lord is gratious righteous saith the prophet therfore will be teach sinners in the way Oh what a glory is it to the Lorde to saue poore soules that were wandring downe to hell and oh what cause haue we now aboue all creatures to sound out the praise of this mercifull God who were brought euen to deaths doore are nowe lifted vp againe by his grace this name gratious and mercifull is Gods sweete name and soundeth as much as Iesus whom y e church in the 1. of the Canticles describeth after this manner Thy name is as ointment poured out therefore the virgins loue thee because God hath mercie in store for poore sinfull creatures therefore wee will runne after him by the smell of his garments and remember his loue more then wine all our talking shal bee of him and his mercie and of his praise there shall be no ende Wherefore now you good parents you which are the Lords deputies sing mercie and iudgement to your families continually and sing not onely mercie but sing iudgement also and againe sing not iudgement alone but sing iudgement and mercie both together If you teach your children Gods iustice and iudgements only then they shal fall vpon the rockes of despaire and so goe mourning downe to hell Againe if you learne them onely Gods mercie then will they sinke in the sands of securitie and so bee cast away eternally Wherefore if your desire be to haue your children passe the dangerous sea of this world that so they may arriue in the quiet hauen of blessed rest you must teach them to saile both by Gods iustice and mercie And now hauing taught you out of the former verse the way by the streight line of Gods iustice now we are come to the calme and pleasant sea of his mercie But with thee is mercie Now then looke to your wounds for here is the baulme of Gilead whereby our soules are cured euen Gods mercie Is the candle of thy soule the light of thy mind put out through the darknes of sin so that thou canst not tel how to walke in the course of this life acceptably to God and inoffensiuely to thy neighbour here is Gods mercie in Christ Iesus readie to enlighten thee but with thee is mercie As if the Prophet should haue said with thee is Christ Iesus in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge With thee is mercie with thee is Christ Iesus who is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnes With thee is mercie with thee is that light that shineth in a darke place vntill the day dawne and the day starre ariseth in our hearts With thee is mercie that is thou art hee which commanded the light to shine out darknes and thou art hee which shineth in our hearts to giue the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Christ Iesus And to conclude with thee is mercie that is thou art that louing God which doest counsell vs for our owne good to buy of thee eye salue and to annoynt our eyes therwith that the sight of our vnderstāding may recouer againe to beholde all thy wonderfull mysteries in thy sonne Christ Iesus the which the Angels desire to beholde And with thee is the well of life and in th light shall we see light 2. Secōdly are thy will affections out of frame so that thou hast no power of thy selfe to will desire any heauenly good behold Gods mercie is at hand againe to repaire thē and to put a new power and facultie in them as the Apostle teacheth Phil. 2. For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do euen of his owne good pleasure 3. Thirdly are all thy members distempred with sinne by reason of that law of sinne and bodie of death which hath setled it self in euery part member about thee so that thou criest out with the Apostle O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death Christ Iesus the son of this merciful God being sent down from heauen by his mercifull father hath taken vpon him our whole nature euery power of our nature and hath sanctified it all for vs as the Apostle teacheth vs Heb. 2. For he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one wherefore he is not ashamed to call them brethren And againe in the same chapter For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud he also himselfe likewise tooke part with them that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the diuell So that now if thou wile lay holde on Gods mercie and Christs merits which he once purchased for thee in thine owne nature the power of sinne shall euery day more and more dye in thee and thou shalt grow into the image of Christ thy Sauiour all thy members which before were the instruments and weapons of vnrighteousnes now they shall be chaunged into the instruments of righteousnes fight for God Now thine eyes shall beholde the thing which is right now thine eares shall be open to heare the word now thy hands shall make peace now thy lippes shall speak truth thy mouth shall blesse thy feete shall be swift to all goodnes and euery member shall bee sanctified vnto the Lord. Oh great is this mercie of God that hath giuen his son Christ Iesus to doe so great things for vs. 4. Fourthly doth the multitude of thy sins which thou hast brought forth out of this bodie of death lye boyling in thy conscience so that thou cāst take no rest neither night nor daye come againe hither to the mercie of God In that day saith the Prpohet Zachary there shall bee a fountaine opened to the house of Dauid and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for vncleannes That day is this blessed time of the Gospell in which wee now liue hauing his pretious word sounding vnto vs on both eares this fountaine is that pure righteousnes and merits of his sonne Christ Iesus which he wrought for vs while he
the olde man is manacled and it is the bridle wherwith our stubborne and effrenate affections are helde in and whereby we are gouerned and directed in the new and liuing way as the Apostle speaketh So excellent a thing is the feare of God that nothing may be compared vnto it Whereupon Ecclesiasticus saith well Chap. 40.26 Riches and strength lift vp the mind but the feare of the Lord is aboue them both there is no want in the feare of the Lord and it needeth no helpe 27. the feare of the Lord is a pleasant garden of blessing there is nothing so beautifull as it is Wherefore you good fathers which haue a desire to teach your children and seruants the true seruice of God in token of thankfulnes to their maker and redeemer Christ Iesus for so great benefits and graces receiued you must enter them with the feare of God and you must hold and continue thē in the same with the feare of God if you laye not this foundation all your labour is lost Gods seruice shall eftsoones slide away from them and then they might better neuer to haue knowen the way of righteousnes without this there is no stay or helpe from apostasie which state is most miserable of all other This maketh vs to tread surely in all the waies of the Lord whereas the forwarde children which haue no feare catch many a fall For Gods loue looke well to this point and euer carrye in your mind that most holesome saying of the Apostle in the second chapter of the Epistle to the Philipians Make an end of your saluation with feare trembling and Pro. 28.14 Blessed is the man that feareth alway Titus 2.11.12 For the grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that wee should deny vngodlines and worldly lustes and that wee should liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present world HItherto I haue spoken of the beginning and true foundation of Gods seruice now it followeth in order that I should teach you the whole buildinge with all the partes thereof that so good parents might goe forward in their dutie vntill they haue brought their childrē to a comly frame in Gods house But here first before we come to these partes we must speake something of the connexion of this text with the former and of the words of the text as they lye in order This word the grace of God is al one in effect with that which is translated mercie in the 130. Psalme and they both tend to one end that is to stirre vp men to the seruice of God the one noting out vnto vs the relenting and pitifull affection in God vpon the sight of our miserable estate into which we had cast our selues helplesse the other the gladsomnes of our heauenly father in bestowing this his mercie vpon vs which is signified vnder the worde grace From the nature of which two words I gather this double fruitful exhortation First that seeing our God which was our iudge and not onely our iudge but also the partie grieued offended did notwithstanding yearne in compassion towards vs pitie our miserie and forgaue vs all our debt and trespasse so now wee in token of thankfulnesse to him againe should yearne and grieue within our selues to see his name dishonoured And secondly whereas God hath bestowed his grace so frankely and gladsomelie to saue vs so now we being saued by his grace it should bee our ioye to serue him for it in all obedience and in euerie good duetie And whereas the Apostle saith that this grace hath appeared or as the Greeke verbe saith shined hee noteth out vnto vs the magnificence thereof as if the Lorde had reared it vp in the middest of the firmament like the sunne to giue light vnto all the partes of the world Great is this grace of GOD in Christ Iesus which hath shined and appeared vnto all nations knreds and tongues and vnto all kindes of men honourable and inhonourable And teacheth vs that wee should denie vngodlines and worldly lustes In these words the holy Ghost layeth downe the true and onely methode of proceeding in this seruice of God which is that wee should first wash out of the heart all vngodlinesse and worldly lustes that so there may be a conuenient roome for his worship to come into For euen as a foule and stinking viall infecteth the pure good ointment which is put into it euen so the worship of God if it be placed in a foule heart it will soone corrupt and shortly turne into flat idolatrie impious dissembling Agreeable to this the holy Ghost teacheth 1. Cor. 5. Purge out therefore the olde leauen that yee may bee a newe lamp And againe in the sixt verse a little leauen leaueneth a whole lumpe so a little vngodlines and wordly affections sowreth the whole masse of Gods seruice and maketh it vnpleasant vnto him Wherefore all must bee cleansed out And againe in the fifteenth of the Actes the Apostle speaking of the working of the holy Ghost in gathering into his Church the polluted Gentiles saith hauing purified their harts by faith So that now we see he y t will keep his vessel holy vnto the Lorde and prepare his heart aright to serue God he must wash it and rince it and purifie it before hee cannot make it too cleane for the seruice of God is the purest thing in al the world And here that wee may the better stirre vp our selues vnto this diuine seruice of God let vs diligently obserue the phrase of the holy Ghost The grace of God teacheth vs that wee should denie vngodlines and worldly lustes This is a metaphoricall speech taken from militarie affaires and is answerable vnto the worde abandon For when the good Captaine findeth iust cause of disliking in his souldiers he is said to abandon them that is to thrust them out of his band and to put them from their pay and so turne them away Again on the other side when the good souldier shall see the misgouernment of his captaine and his bad cause in hand hee leaueth his captaine and turneth to the iust cause denying and defying by solemne sacramentall othe of warre his former colours Without this denying the souldier shall not bee receiued but shall be taken and held as a spie and a traytor and so reiected Euen so beloued when we haue once renounced the black colours of the diuell the world and the flesh and are turned to the Lord Iesus because we see his cause is iust and his pay best now this great captaine and Lorde generall of heauen and earth before hee will admit vs into his band he requireth of vs that we should deny and defie our former colours that is all vngodlines and worldly lustes vnto which wee haue hitherto borne weapons For no man can serue two masters as our Sauiour saith in the gospell And therefore thou whosoeuer thou
art that wilt bee a good souldier of Christ Iesus and doe him true and faithfull seruice because he hath raunsomed thee from the tyrannie of the diuel thou must renounce and denie from thy heart all vngodlines and that is all that prophanenes of mind wherein before thou diddest liue whē thou regardedst not God nor religion and all worldly lustes that is all the lustes of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life as Saint Iohn teacheth vs 1. Epist. 2.16 all which are the verie armes ensignes which the deuill the prince of darknes beareth against thy deere Sauiour and redeemer Now after that thou hast washed thy hands from all vncleanenes and renounced the deuill with all his adherents the world the flesh art now become embāded in the Lords troups now thou must next learne how to stand in Gods aray what is the whole duety seruice which he requireth at thy handes This consisteth in these three parts as we are here taught in this text first in liuing soberlie to our selues secondly in liuing righteouslie to our neighbours and thirdly in liuing holily or godly towards god In these three points wholy standeth the seruice of God so much as of man is required The first second parts are contained in the second table of Gods law the third is contained in the first Now in the first part of Gods seruice following the order of our text beginning at our selues and rising as it were by steps from the lowest to the highest is to liue soberly towards our selues this is to gouern our own bodies and persons in such measure and comely behauiour as that the Lord who is the continuall beholder of all our actions as well priuate as publike and as well secrete as open bee not offended at vs. Wherefore here euery man must learne to temperate and moderate himselfe in his speech in his gesture in meate and drinke in apparell in pleasures in paines and labors and generally in whatsoeuer concerneth a mans owne person and in all his lawfull liberties so that our speech may not be too rough nor too ridiculous our gesture may not be too light nor too lowring our meate and drinke neither too much nor too delicate our apparell not too gay nor too sluttish our pleasures neither too long nor in bad causes our sorrowes not for euery vain losse nor in any defect or excesse and our labours such as may rather preserue life then quench it in all which we must alwaies hold this rule to consider not what we are able to doe but what is most meete to bee done agreeable with our estate wherein wee may not flatter our selues and seemelie both before God and man This sweete sobrietie is the honest grace and flower of our life which whosoeuer wanteth hee commeth too short of that duetie which God requireth at his handes being vnthankefull to God who hath redeemed him to liue in such an honorable estate offensiue to men and angels and hurtfull to his owne soule and body For what is the cause why our soules corrupt and stinke in the filthie lustes and pleasures of the flesh in al manner of excesse riotous kind of liuing but because they want this sale of sobriety wherby they shold be kept sweet why canst thou not endure to beare the labours of Gods seruice why dooest thou waxe faint in prayer why doest thou thinke it long to heare why doest thou thinke much to streine thy heart vnto God in the zeale of thankesgiuing and why canst thou not away to carie patiētly the easie yoke of Christ Iesus why thou hast not beene acquainted with sobrietie which is as it were the yoke to holde all men within their religious and vertuous endeuours Againe let vs come to the duties of the second table and aske what is the cause why wee cannot liue within the compasse of them Why doe some lift vp the heele against their gouernours like the vntamed horse why doe others liue in continual contentions and fightings like the sauage wolues and Tygers Why do some wast their strength in pleasures as the flame which consumeth the tallowe and why doe other neglecting the tender budde of their decaying stocke draw all through their owne throats while their wife and children starue for hunger and why doe other enuying the age to come gape vpon all things present like Behemoth as though they would make an end of the world with themselues and why do other some kindle such discord amongst their neighbours by that fire of the tongue as Saint Iames calleth it that it can neuer after bee quenched vnto the death and why is hell let loose within our selues to disturbe all the powers and sences about vs with wicked thoughtes lusts why this vertue of sobriety is absent from vs. So that take away sobriety and you vndoe all Religion Wherefore you good parentes you which haue a care of the posteritie and of the Church of God to come and you which thinke nothing too deere for the redemption of your own soules and the soules of your children shewe your thankefulnes vnto GOD in instructing your houshold teach them holines towards God and righteousnes towardes men and teach them not onely holines and righteousnes towardes God and men but also traine them vp in sobrietie towards themselues for this is the locke and key to religion it is the yoke of our life it is the salt of our soules it is the grace of all our actions O you good youth I call to you which loue the Lorde I call to you which honour all those which giue you good instruction and I call to you who had rather dye an honest and godly death while you are young then to liue in the filthie pleasures of sinne for a season and in the ende to bee cast awaye eternallie embrace this noble vertue of sobrietie if there bee anie vnderstanding if anie loue of vertue if anie zeale of chastitie if anie courage for good thinges fulfill my desires in the Lorde who loue your soules so deerely and God almightie raine downe a blessing vpon you 2. The second part of Gods seruice is to liue righteously towardes men and that is to giue euery man his due and right Giue to euerie man his due saith the Apostle Rom. 13. Tribute to whome yee owe tribute custome to whom custome feare to whome feare honour to whome vee owe honour Owe nothing to anie man but to loue one another for hee that loueth another hath fulfilled the lawe Nowe this whole duetie of louing our brethren and in giuing euery one his due we may generally comprehende in this diuision First in honouring and obeying our superiours and gouernours secondly in relieuing our inferiors and all such as stand in neede of our helpe and thirdly in being kinde to our equalles and louing to all For the dueties towardes our superiours the subiect must honour his magistrate with obedience
honorable and heauenly deseruings at our hands wee cannot doe it If our gracious Prince to shew her puissance against a forraine power should call forth one or two of her subiects who are most beholding vnto her to iust and turnie in her presence for her honour would they not straine all their strength in this seruice yea and their liues too Now shall wee doe more for our Prince then we would for God Hath not our God called vs out by name to fight for his honour to bee a chosen and peculiar people vnto himselfe to stand on his parts to shew foorth his vertues and to bee zealous of good workes yea and that wee might the better performe this seruice hee hath furnished vs with his owne armour and weapons yea and his owne hand is with vs too though all men see it not and shall not we now doe valiantly for our God and shall not wee nowe endeuour our best to answere the expectation of our heauenly King O my deare brethren see the ende of your calling You are not called to shewe your owne strength or your owne vertues or your own holines but you are called to shewe foorth the strength and the vertues and the holines of the almightie and to bee zealous of good workes But what is this zeale that we may know it and followe it This zeale as the Spouse in the last chapter of the Canticles teacheth vs is no small matter but a most ardent and burning loue vnspeakable ouercomming all the affections in man Loue is strong as death and zeale is cruell as the graue the coales thereof are fierie coales and a vehement flame yea the flame of God as the Hebrew worde signifieth Much water cannot quench loue neither can the flouds drowne it Now then beloued you see the end of your redemption and calling it is not only to do good works but to be zealous of good works you are called and redeemed to the heate and fire of good works you are called and redeemed to such a burning loue of them that nothing may quench it nay euen as death and the graue ouercome all things so this zeale in vs of good workes should ouercome and cast downe before vs all the lets and impediments which stand vp against vs in the seruice of our God for loue is strong as death zeale is cruell as the graue Wherefore O you redeemed of the Lorde not with golde and siluer as Saint Peter speaketh but with the pretious bloud of his owne sonne lay this vnto your hearts and stirre vp your selues vnto Gods seruice you that haue eares to heare heare and you that haue zeale within you bee inflamed for euery one cannot I call vpon you all as the Apostle Saint Iohn writeth I call vpon you little children because you are well acquainted with your fathers deare loue and tendernesse towards you I call vpon you young men because your affections are strong in you and you are best able to beare the Lordes burthen and I call vpon you olde men because you by reason of your long experience haue most knowledge of your dueties giue the Lorde his due and right and abound in all manner of good workes which he hath ordained for vs to walk in to the glorie of his holy name Teach a child in the trade of his way and when he is olde he shall not depart from it Pro. 22.6 When I began to read this verse vnto you I told you it consisted of two parts of a precept and the reason of the precept Hitherto I haue spoken of the precept and of the necessarie circumstances belonging vnto it and now I am come to speake of the reason of it that so I might stirre vp the life of the precept in his working in you And when he is olde he shall not depart from it that is if thou faithfully instructest him in his way while hee is young he shall haue the benefit of it all his life after But now that parents might bee compassed about with a cloude of exhortations I haue thought good here not onely to presse forth the principall scope of this text but also to sucke out of the bowels thereof the more hidden and abstruse collections and to gather the like arguments out of other scriptures because the whole scripture is one and lendeth hand to it selfe 1. The first reason which should moue parents to take in hand this dutie of instructing their children in this trade of their waye is drawne from the necessitie of the precept because euery child naturally is conceiued and borne out of the way as the Prophet Dauid teacheth vs Psal. 51.5 Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me And the Apostle Saint Paule sayth Ephes. 2. That we are by nature the children of wrath And Moses in the 6. chapter of Gen. teacheth vs that all the thoughts and imaginations of mans hart are continually euill and the Apostle sayth 1. Cor. 2. that the naturall man cannot perceiue the thinges which are of the spirite of God And againe Rom. 8. hee telleth vs that the wisedome of the flesh is enimitie against God for it is not subiect to the lawe of God neither indeed can be Wherefore now you see plainely how euery mothers child is borne into the world blind in his vnderstanding froward in his will and affections corrupt in all the motions of his hart dead in the life of God wholy possessed with sin so that except now his nature be changed by good education hee cannot possibly applye himselfe vnto any good waye but hee must needs all his life long runne astray and in the end fall headlong into hell fire Wherefore O you parents as you haue giuen your children the worse so giue them the better also as you haue brought them forth the children of wrath and death so now teach them howe they may become the children of grace and life teach your children in the trade of their way they must needes bee taught for except their education and teaching bee better then their birth they are cast away for euer and they may curse their parents that euer they brought them into the world 2. The second reason to moue parents to this vertuous teaching of their children is taken from the oportunitie thereof For if euer they will doe their children good nowe they must doe it while they bee children The Smyth must strike wile the iron is hot and the Plowman must plowe while his ground will worke and the Sayler must saile when hee hath winde and tide and as you see euerie trade hath his proper oportunitie so this trade also of education hath childhood for his fittest time to worke vpon If you doe not teach your children and traine them vp in good nourture while they bee yong all your laboure shall bee but lost afterwardes you shall strike vpon the colde iron you shall plowe in the
harde rocke and you shall striue against both the winde and the streame Againe doe wee not see that while the plant is yong and tender a man may winde and bende it which way hee will but if you assaye this when it is growen olde it will sooner burste then bende euen so is it in the education of youth and therefore if parentes will doe their children any good and bend their crooked disposition to a comely stature they must do it while they bee tender and yong for now they wil bend now they be pliable now they will worke therefore Salomon sayth Teach a child not teach a man For how came Paul to bee so mightie a teacher in the scriptures after he was conuerted and wrote more then the rest of the Apostles but because hee was brought vp in them from his youth at the feet of Gamaliel And how came Timothie to be such a famous scholler of so worthy a master as Paul was but because hee had knowen the holy scriptures of a child And how came Daniel to be so excellent a prophet but because he was so religious being a child that he chose rather to feed vpon hard pulse thē to pollute himselfe with the kinges delicates Euerie thing groweth well in the spring time and so the best planting of any goodnesse is in the youth for then it will grow if it bee well watered and looked vnto But here I finde two principall wants in parents which greatly hinder this vertuous worke The first is the want of following continuance For many thinke that if now and then they giue their children some good instruction that then they are discharged before God that they haue performed a very great duetie but alas this is but little worth Euery trades man can easilie tell vs that no science will go forward wel except it be hardly followed And again the mindes of children are like the soft waxe the which as it will soonest take the print so it wil be soonest beaten out againe and therfore haue need often to be imprinted The second principall want is the want of gouernment as when parents teach their children good things but doe not looke diligently after the practise of them nor see howe they take roote in them this is but a dead kinde of teaching therefore loseth his fruit but they doe worst of all who after they haue taught wel suffer the cleane contrarie for these build with one hande and pull downe with the other Wherfore here the carefull parent must not only teach but continue in teaching and not onely continue in teaching but also look for the fruit of his teaching and againe not only looke for the fruite of his teaching but also wall it about with his diligent gouern that in the end it be not lost 3. The third reason is drawn frō the true end and proper good of euery child Teach a child in the trade of his way that is teach him in the trade of his owne way and that is as I haue shewed you in some honest profession in good nourture and godlines This is called a childes waye not because hee of his owne will inclineth vnto it but because the Lord who is only wise and most louing hath of his great grace appointed out this way for him to walke in for his owne good Nowe you tender parentes would it not grieue you that your children shoulde take a wrong course and drudge and droyle for other men all the dayes of their life without any profite or pleasure to themselues but now it were well with them if they were mens drudges for if they misse of their owne waye and of their owne trade for want of good guiding and instruction they fall presently into the Diuels way because there be but two waies and now they are become the diuels packe-horse bearing his burden vnto hell gates shal they not be well paied for their paines when they come there wherefore good parents if you would not haue your children to bee the diuels drudges and to labour all their liues for his profite then teach them in the trade of their owne way and hold them in it 4. The fourth reason is fetched from the speciall blessing of God vpon the parent for this vertuous care of instructing his children as we may reade in the eighteenth chapter of Genesis and the seuenteenth verse Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I doe for I knowe him that hee will commaunde his sonnes and his houshoulde after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to doe righteousnesse and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him Heere wee see plainelie to no small encouragement to good parentes howe the Lord referreth to godly instructing of families as vnto the meane of his working not onely the imparting of his blessed secrets but also all other blessings in generall that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him Now what was that he had spoken vnto him why the promise of all his blessings both temporall and spirituall as we may reade Gen. 12. I will make of thee a great nation and will blesse thee and make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing I will also blesse them that blesse thee and curse them that curse thee and in thee shall all families of the earth bee blessed O great is the blessing that commeth by the meane of this vertuous teaching the fruite of it shall remayne with our posteritie euen long after we are gone and the benefite shal be poured out from age to age vnto the worlds end Godlines maketh great housen for the Lorde hath promised his blessing to a thousand generations of them that loue him and keepe his commandements But on the contrarie what is the cause why the Lord hideth his secrets keepeth backe many a heauenly instruction withholdeth great blessings from most parents but because they will not doe as Abraham did they haue no care that these blessed monuments may not die but bee deriued from age to age to Gods eternall glorie Wherefore thou good parent goe thou forwarde in this vertuous education of thy children and then GOD shall hide no necessarie secret or instruction from thee and he shall withhold no good blessing from thy posteritie thou shalt be a father of the faithfull as Abraham was if thou hast the same care for thy children and familie that he had 5. The fifth reason to stirre vp dull and carelesse parents to this their duetie are those punishmēts and hard threatnings of God in holy scripture denounced against both parēt and childe failing in their dueties Salomon sayth Pro. 17. Hee that begetteth a foole begetteth himselfe sorrowe and the father of a foole can haue no ioy Here by the word foole is not meant an innocent or idiot but the child that is foolish and vntaught as Salomō expoundeth
himselfe chap 19. verse 13. A foolish sonne is the calamitie of his father And againe chap. 29.15 A child set at libertie maketh his mother ashamed Wherefore oh you good children you that haue more vnderstāding then the rest take pitty vpon your deere parents y t haue taken so much paines for you suffer them not by your dissolute life to be made a spectacle of shame a gazing stocke vnto all others Againe Salomon speaking of vnnurtured children sayth Pro. 20. Hee that curseth his father or his mother his light shall be put out in obscure darknes that is in the vtter darkenes where is weeping and gnashing of teeth Againe in the 30. chap. he saith The eye that mocketh his father and despiseth the obedience of his mother the rauens of the valley shall iob it out and the eagles shall eat it vp that is he shal be slaine in the field and the birdes of the aire shall deuout him Againe Iob speaking of wicked and vngodly parents in his 27. chap. saith If his children bee multiplied they are multiplied to the sword and his posterity shal not be satisfied with bread Againe the Lord in y e prophesie of Amos saith Though they bring vp children yet will I depriue them from being men yea woe to them when I depart from them And againe verse 13. Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer Now from whence commeth all this mischiefe and the cause of this great miserie both vpon children and parents what is the cause of this ruthful sorrow whence springeth this mothers shame and how commeth it to passe that the parents own doung is cast in their faces by their own children in mocking despising of thē and whence arise all these heauie plagues and iudgements of God vpon their children to y e consuming of their eies but from this their owne negligence in bringing vp their children for it is euen iust with God that seeing they haue offended him in his greatest blessings they shuld be plagued in the same thing wherein they offended with his greatest iudgments O you vnnaturall parents Diues in hell shall rise vppe against you in the day of iudgement and condemne you for he being in hel had a care of his fathers house that they might bee forewarned and therefore desired Abraham to send Lazarus to his brethren to testifie vnto them that they came not into that place of torment but you will not admonish your children you wil not teach them Moses and the prophets you wil not shew them the danger of Gods heauie displeasure hanging ouer their heads and therefore your owne children shall be one of the furies in hel to torment you The Lord open your eyes to foresee and flie these fearefull iudgements 6. The sixt and last reason to moue parents to this excellent dutie which is the principall scop of this text is y e diuturnity of this good their children shall be the better for it al their liues after nay the worlde to come shall reape this benefite for such children as you now bring vp such parents shall they bee after you when you are gone and looke what parents you leaue behinde you the like children againe shall they reare vp Wherefore O you parents you are either the making or the marring of the world for if your children learne no good erudition at your hands how should they be good fathers after you and how should they leaue that to their posteritie by the right of inheritance which they neuer receiued from their auncestors Let no man think that I dwell too long in this thing For this is so profitable both for you and your children and for the whole Church of God as that if I should turne aside from it I know not what ground I should choose to bee so profitably occupied in againe this is a most excellent course to this busines I will lay both my shoulders and if this did so much moue you as it doth me we should shortly see a wonderfull change in Gods Church Oh whose heart would it not reioyce to see the walles of Gods kingdome raised vp Wherefore yee that are the Lordes remembrancers keepe not silence and giue him no rest vntill he repayre and set vp Ierusalem the praise of the world call vpon the Lord to moue the hearts of parents and call vpon parents to remember their duties and you parents hearken when you are called vnto and stop not your eares like the deafe Adder Your children are the seede of Gods husbandrie We together are Gods labourers saith the Apostle Ye are Gods husbandrie and Gods building Now euen as it is in the husbandrie of this world the good husband before he reapeth his crop will plowe and prepare his ground for another haruest to follow that and when he hath prepared his ground his next care is for his seede that it may be of the best he dresseth it and sifteth all the vnprofitable soile out of it that so in time to come he might receiue the more happie encrease euen so you good parents you must not liue so careles as though the world should ende with your selues no you must plow and fallow and prepare your seede for another haruest before you reape your owne crop the Lords husbandrie must not die to the end of the world and hee hath made you his plowman together with his ministers and your children are the seede Againe you parents are the Lords orchard and vineyard as we may reade Cant. 4. Esay 5. and therefore your children are the nurserie vnto it The olde trees cannot alwaies stand and the time shall come when all wee shall be cut downe with the axe of death Now as hee that will continue his orchard of good fruites vnto his posteritie will alwaies keepe a nurserie of young impes to succeede as the old shall decay and as he will be more carefull for them then for his older trees because they by reason of their tendernes may sooner catch hurt for if they should be bitten and nipped while they bee young or the canker should take them they should prooue but scrubbed trees and would neuer be fit for their roomes euen so you parents which are both the Lords husbandry and his husbands if you doe not keepe a nurserie for the Lords orchard and if you doe not looke well to your children which are the young oliue plants in this spirituall garden the canker-worme of euill vices shall catch them and the wilde beasts of the forrest the heard of diuels which stray continuallie seeking whome to deuoure shall so bite them that they shall not after vs be fit to come into our roomes and so the Lords vineyard should in time to come growe waste For Gods sake good people looke well to this if your owne children doe not moue you yet let Gods Church and his glorie for many yeares to come preuaile with you Now adaies