feel the parents hand Trust me the abuse is not light § 10. We may observe them very quarrelsome striking one the other and very commanding over servants though during their minority or nonage they differ not Their words should be intreaties they must be commanded not command If they strike they must feel the blow from the hand to whom it doth belong One commander is enough in a house and the childe must be taught awfully to observe that one whether him or her Remember still that a Aug. decivit 14. 12. Obedience is the best lesson that a parent can teach the childe And look he must that the childe learn it as he looks to have him prove a peaceable man here-after else he will prove a great troubler of the house perhaps of the whole state § 11. We may observe children very ready to uncover that which Nature hath hid no point of their innocency this at these yeares to shew their nakednesse which heathen have shamed to do b Cic Ossic 1. p. 53. Aug. de Civil 14. 17. Clem. Alex. paed l. 2. c. 6. p. 125. c. 10 p. 141. lib. 3. p. 187. Zanch. cap. 1. Gen 1. 21. Nature hath taught us so much at this point and they who had no other light that I need but point at it and referre to the margent But beleeve me children must have instruction and correction at this point they will need both § 12. Children will mock scorn and scoff very ordinarily especially sâ—ch as are poore impotent or deformed as if such had not the same flesh with them or as if God made not the difference We see it dayly thus If God doth afflict any laying them low such these children will have in derision they will as Iob c Effraenate in me invecti sunt quasi immissis vel excussis haâ—enis Job 30. 11. saith let loose the bridle before such poore-ones speaking reproachfully with their lips We know the danger and our duty let them not scape by any meanes it is very evil in it self and it tends to more I would children were onely faultie here and that they did not learn it of their Elders who not onely too d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We must use our servants as we would be used for they are men as we are Clem. Alex. paed 3. cap. 11. A noble man was wont to make his servants drudge like horses and when they were at their drudgerie his manner was to curse them and to call them by no other name then dogges Not long after falling sick his voice was taken from him and when he would speak he barked Camer tells this story chap. 86. p. 436. as a judgement wrought amongst them and which he saw which may teach us so to speak to and so to use our servants as fellow-servants for so they are as one saith Inferiours to us but men with us servants but fellow-servants Macrob. Sat. lib. 1. cap. 11. imperiously command those that are in subjection to them but also too often abuse some poore silly creatures yet of the same mould and image with them as the Philistines did Samson fetching them out to make them sport Assuredly the lowest of men is too high and noble a creature for the highest man on earth to vilifie or trample upon Though yet not to speake of some in a lower orbe so the proudest man on earth for he saith he is as high above Princes as the Sun is above the Moone hath dealt with those whom God had exalted putting them under his foot and he said he hath Scripture for it Psal 91. 13. But there is a Scripture fits him better and will hold him Proud and haughty scorner is his name who delighteth in proud wrath Prov. 21. 24. Note we this That as in the body naturall so in the body politick God hath set no one higher then the head and no one lower then the foot he must not be set under he must not be slighted scorned or contemned He that made him made thee He doth thee service here contemne him not for that but blesse God that made thee the head Remember also we have all one Master in heaven before whom we must appeare after we have layne together in the earth § 13. We may observe children very ready to curse others and wish the plague and pox upon them They consider not what a devourer the one nor how loathsome and defacing the other Indeed they know no other plague but the rod so they account it and let them feele how soveraign a remedy that is against the plague of the tongue for it is a plague indeed there is no more to be said to it but what hath been said that must be done We may observe also that children are very apt to curse themselves for they know not what they say A childe will ordinarily say I would I might never stirre hand or foot They will wish I would I might never speake I would I were dead and yet worse then these I would I might be hanged and yet worse The Divell take me All this these poore children will say who sees them and heares them not saying even so They consider not how soone God can wither Câ—ap 4. §. 13. the legge as well as the hand The King shall stretch it forth but cannot get it in againe They know not how soone He can stop the mouth and hold the eye and restraine this little vapour our breath and then where is man that speaks so proudly They know not how soone God can say Be it so as ye have desired Children must be taught That in God they live move and have their being In His hands is their breath and all their wayes e Dan. 5. 23. Him they must glorifie And for the better inforcing hereof the parent may note for the childes instruction foure examples of those who spake rashly and were payed home in that they spake against themselves †1. We reade Numb 14. There in a discontent the people murmured and wished themselves dead verse 2. At the 28. verse The Lord saith As ye have spoken in mine eares so will I do unto you so their carkeises fell in the wildernesse †2. We know who answered and said His bloud be upon us and our children f Matth. 27. 25. even so it was An heavy imprecation and most heavy it lyeth upon them even unto this day It pursues them saith g Tanquam aâ—â—cnitos â—rrefactos Aretius upon that place so as we may know the Iews and distinguish them from all others in the world for they looke as men affrighted and astonished They are an astonishing example of Gods smoaking wrath and written for our example who come the neerest to that Mother-Church in our receits and returnes I meane in mercies and in sinnes And this may teach us also that we speake not rashly against our selves nor reject the Counsell of God against our soules
like Treatises This Author hath more punctually and pertinently handled all kinde of duties from ones first entrance into this world to his going out thereof then any of the fore-named Authors or any other that have written of the like subject Such varietie of matter is here couched as it will prove usefull to all of all sorts that will reade and heed it The Lord give a blessing to this and all other like labours of his faithfull servants Amen William Gouge THE CONTENTS OF THE BOOK CHAP. I. WHat the Parents dutie when it begins Gods gracious work upon the Childe framing it in the wombe and giving it its due proportion of parts what thanks therefore pag. 1. 2. How Sinne defaceth Gods Image How repaired Of Baptisme and the solemnitie thereof The Mother the Nurse to pag. 4. The Mother is most imployed about the head of the Childe my head my head saith the Childe carry him to the Mother saith the Father 2 Kings 4. 19. The Mother is charged with the head Father and Mother both with the heart and this work is for the closset pag. 4. What Infancy is called an Innocent Age but miscalled Something may be done even then for the rectifying the Childes body and his heart too Grave considerations pressing to that Dutie from pag. 5. to pag. 9. CHAP. II. CHild-hood and youth how they differ whereâ—â— they agree unhappy Ages both The period of this Age not easily defined The Parent makes it longer or shorter as their care is more or lesse pag. 10. Parents not discharged in point of care when they have charged the Schoole with their childe how vain that thought pag. 12. How preposterous the Parents care How much Father and Mother both do crosse their own ends What a point of wisdome it is well to Time our beginnings When the Seed-Time what their imployment there to pag. 15. CHAP. III. A Two-fold imployment which lyeth in the order of Nature and right reason Lets hindring this twofold dutie two fondnesse fiercenesse extreames yet ordinarily in one and the same Parent I. Of fondnesse what causeth it Youth more profitable Child-hood 〈◊〉 delightfull * Fructuosior est adolescentia liberâ—rum sed Infantia dulcior Sen. epist 9. What hurt fondnesse doth The Divels â—â—â—â—theâ—ing engine to pag. 18. Foure mightie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fortifie us against it from pag. 19. to pag. 2◠〈◊〉 â—xamples evidencing how destroying it is to pag â—â— Repeated concluded in Mr. Bâ—ltoâ—s words with some use of the whole to all Parents to page 26. II. Fiercenesse whose fruit it is and how much it hinders to pag. 27. It helps not to unroot evill but rather roots it more in to pag. 29. It hinders much the Implanting of good to pag. 30. Considerations which may help to calme a Parent when in heat of spirit he is about to unroot evill are three very worth his consideration to pag. 33. Considerations which may arrest a Parents hand when he is about the implanting of good are foure which being considered will command an answerable practise to pag. 35. CHAP. IIII. OVr nature like a soyle fruitfull of weeds what they are and how unrooted 1. Pride the heart-string of corruption Chrysostomes note upon it how cherished how the contrary grace may and ought to be instilled to pag. 38. 2. Frowardnesse a spice of the former The Parents dutie here how the contrary grace may be inforced to pag. 40. 3. The way of lying and the way the Parent must take to prevent the course of it a great work if it may be done if not the Childe is fit for no societie to pag. 41. 4. Idlenesse how corrupting and provoking Labour how naturall to a man how he is provoked thereunto to pag. 43. 5. A bad Maligâ—us comeâ— quamvâ—s candâ—do simplici râ—biginem suam suam affricuit Sen. epist 7. companion how infectious and corrupting he will defile the best and most candid nature with his foule example pag. 44. 6. The evill of the Tongue prevented by teaching the Childe silence and this the Parent must teach himself and his Childe under five notions The briefe of that which concernes the Childes Instruction is while it is a Childe let its words be answers Nature teacheth much at this point and they more who walked by an higher light pag. 47. 7. An oath a word cloathed with death in a Childes mouth the Parent as in all so here very exemplary yea yea nay nay The Friers note upon those words No more must be heard from a Childe pag. 48. 8. The Childe must be taught what weight there is in those words yea yea c. A good hint there-from to teach the Childe to abhorre that religion which gives no weight to words nor oathes neither pag. 51. 9 10 11 12. Nick-names and abuses that way are ordinary with Children and a fruit of corrupt nature so quarrelling uncovering their nakednesse mocking scorning the meaner sort Great evills to be corrected and prevented in Children betimes a notable example to presse us thereunto to use our Inferiours kindely to pag. 53. 13. Cursing a great evill so imprecations against our selves Foure great examples full of instructions who spake rashly and were payed home in that they spake to pag. 57. 14. As Childrens Tongues must be watched over for the Tongue is a world of wickednesse so must their hands They will spill more then they eate how to teach Children to prize the good creatures pag. 59. 15. Children delight in the pain and vexation of those weake creatures that are in their power A great evill to be looked unto and prevented betimes considering our natures what they are page 61. 16. Nature fruitfull of evills more then can be pointed at or prevented but that is the true and genuine order of nature to prevent the evills thereof first pag. 62. 17. Teaching by examples the best way of teaching and the shortest they make the deepest impression pag. 64. CHAP. V. THe implanting of good the order therein The foure seasons in the day seasonable therefore 1. How uncomfortable darknesse is how comfortable the light A notable lesson there-from wherein our light and the true light differ to pag. 67. The Sun knoweth his appointed Time what that teacheth The Sun is glorious in his rising and refresheth how that instructeth pag. 68. Sin and sorrow will sowre the sweetest earthly Blessings where the root of our comfort pag. 69. The Sun a publique servant teacheth man so to be even to serve his brother in Love and to shew to him the kindnesse of the Lord what the Idol of the world what makes man an abomination from pag. 69. to pag. 71. The Morning the first fruits of the day our season what a Mercy to have it but a greater to take it what our first work and with whom what our engagements to set about it what may be instilled by continuall dropping from pag. 71. to pag. 77. CHAP. VI. VVE eat bread at Noon What that implieth
old man instructed his sonne by way of example and that way Exemplis vitiorum quaeque no 〈…〉 we may take nay we must if we intend the information of children Thus much touching a parents first work with his childe which is the watching over him for the rooting out of evils what these evils are and the way to prevent them CHAP. V. The implanting of good The order therein foure seasons in the Day very seasonable for this work THe childe is yet in his flower and first spring And that is the season of sowing and planting the seed of instruction which is the next work and now followeth The Preacher gives us a good lesson and incouragement both In k Eccles 11 6. the Morning sow thy seed and in the Evening withhold not thine hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that or whether they both shall be alike good In this hope the parent proceedeth and according to his rule and charge Deut. 11. 19. Foure seasons there are in the day very seasonable for instruction according as they shall minister matter so a parent may fit his occasionall instructions These seasons are as we finde them lie in the Text though not in the same order I. In the morning when thou risest II. At noon or the season when thou sittest at the table III. When thou walkest by the way IIII. At night when thou liest â—own § 1. In the morning when thou risest There is no season in the day fitter for instruction then is the morning nor fuller thereof Now the Sunne is returning and begins to appeare on this our side of the Globe making all light and lightsome about us oh how comfortable is it to see the light and how safe to walk by it Before darknesse covered the earth and masked the face of the same and then we could not discern in what order things lay nor what way to settle about them Many doubts we have and feares in darknesse some reall though the most imaginary for it is our nature in darknesse if we finde them not there to frame them there Our way in the dark is uncertain and hazardous full of danger Learn hence What darknesse is to the outward man so is ignorance the key of some mens l Reade our Jewell 27. Art Religion to the inward I know not whereat I may stumble nor wherein I may fall nor falling how dangerously I may fall nor how irrecoverably Onely this difference there is and it is a great one betwixt him that walks in darknesse and him that lives in ignorance the darknesse of the minde He that walks in darknesse walks charily and cautelously feeling his way with one hand and fencing his face and the choice ornament thereof with the other because he hath no light to guide himself by and he knows he is in darknesse and is sensible of the danger Therefore it falls out ordinarily that he scapeth and preventeth danger because he is so sensible of the same what I feare most is like to do me least hurt for it is likely I am prepared for prevention It is not so with a man walking in ignorance and darknesse of minde He goes on boldly and confidently according as the proverb is he discernes no danger he cannot fear it The former by his carefulnesse may not fall The latter by his ignorant carelesenesse must needs fall it is not possible to be otherwise The former if he fall he will surely rise again for he knoweth he lieth not where he would The other falling lieth still and can never rise again till a light appeare unto him the one knoweth where he is and what he doth the other knoweth nothing as he ought to know There is one we may call that one as Satan called himself Legion for that one is many who holdeth ignorance to be the mother of devotion but that one is the mother of fornications and thence it is that she prevaileth with them and deceives so many for as she hath gained so she holds all she hath gained by the tenure of ignorance There is a farre greater difference betwixt a well knowing and conscientious man and an ignorant person then is betwixt a man walking in the Sun and working by it and another walking in the night when neither Moon nor Starre appeares The one clearely setteth forth the other he that worketh by the Sunne seeth all cleare about him where he is and what he doth and why he doth it he that is in darknesse discerneth nothing nor can do any thing as he ought to do and yet which is much worse living in the darknesse of ignorance he discerneth not his danger He that doth in any part understand what ignorance is and the fearfull effects of the same this ignorant man doth not will pray for himself and his as they who were upon the sea and in great danger They wished for the day m Acts 27. 29. Send forth Lord thy light and thy truth through thy tender mercie let the Day-spring from on high visit us Thus he wisheth for the day And now This Day-spring from above hath visited us we that once walked in darknesse have seen a great light and the glory thereof we have seen as the glory of the onely Sonne of God upon us who dwelt in the shadow of death hath this light shined Oh happy are the people then that are in such a case how blessed are they to whom the Sun of righteousnes hath appeared they are children of the day and of the light it is day with them alwayes day though neither Moon nor Starres appeare that is though they finde no influence from the earth or regions bordering thereupon But clean contrary it is with them to whom this Sunne of Righteousnesse appeareth not or against whom they shut their eyes as some will do though as the proverb is we should shew them the n Lact. 7. 1. Nec si Solem in manibus gestemus fidem commodabunt ei doctrinae Sun in our hands seeing but will not see How miserable are the people that are in such a case they sit in darknesse as they do on the other side of the globe when the Sun is with us nay worse then so they dwell in a land dark as Aegypt was even in the land of the shadow of death For though they have the Moon and Starres upon them I mean the confluence of all outward things yet they sit in darknesse in deep darknesse For as the Sun is to this outward world so is the Lord Christ the Sun of Righteousnesse to the world of beleevers without Him it is all dark with Him it is still light like the land of Goshen happy are the people that are in such a case blessed are the people whose God is the Lord Send forth thy truth Lord and thy light and through the tender mercy of our God let the Day-spring from above visit us This may take up our
without his blessing nor a childe stubborn and undutifull to prosper Hist of the World 2. 13. 5. pag. 361. The debts of crueltie and mercy are never left unsatisfied saith one in another case we may say the same in this case Disobedience to parents ever receives its due punishment No lesse then a thousand witnesses give in cleare evidence hereunto and it is worth our giving our eare unto them and our eye also For therefore are judgements wrought in the earth that they might be had in continuall remembrance like a great mountain still in the Travellers Eye It was written for our Instruction That he who rose up against his father left behinde him no other then an heape of stones a monument of his shame and a pillar the onely 2 Sam 18. 17 18. memoriall of his name Examples there are an heape of them of more fresh and bleeding memory which I shall passe over and recall to minde Times further off and give instance only in two who because they are very great examples examples are rules and yeeld us the shortest plainest and most certaine Instruction being persons of the highest ranke and qualitie are I conceive the fuller of use to those of the meanest The first is concerning Robert Duke of Normandy eldest sonne to William the first of England so famous for his conquest there This sonne was stain'd saith my Author with this only fault Disobedience to his father if I forget not he tooke up Armes against him thrice and once un-hors'd his father and wounded him in his arme ignorantly saith the Author not knowing him to be his father for when he did he hasted to remount him humbly craving pardon this now requires our mark This Roberts younger brothers S. Daniel p. 41. succeeded in their Fathers Throne William the second and Henry the first Robert puts hard for the Crown against King Henry his youngest Brother and obtains the payment of three thousand Marks by the yeer and the reversion of the Crowne a succession in his Brothers Throne in case he survived Thus they capitulated and on these termes they stood for the present Robert safe in Normandy and Henry in England But contentions betwixt brothers and betwixt them for a Crown are like the Barrs of a Castle once two never one again Quickly after the fire of contention raked under cold Embers burnt out again betwixt the two brothers Kings love not to know their heire unlesse he come out of their own bowels and consumed divers worthy men in a mightie battell whereby England won Normandy and one the same day such are the turnings in humane affaires whereon fortie yeers before Normandy overcame England And here Robert who stood in a faire possibilitie of two Crowns of England and Ierusalem was deprived of his hopes there in both places and of his Dutchy also of all he had But there ended not his Tragedy Out of Normandy he was brought prisoner into England and committed to the Castle of Cardiffe where to adde to his misery he had the misfortune of a long life surviving after he had lost himselfe twentie six yeers whereof the most part he saw not having his eyes put out whereby he was only left to his thoughts A punishment barbarously inflicted on him for attempting an escape but wherein we may see the righteous Acts of God withering those armes which were reached forth against the hands which embrac'd him in his swadling clothes as the old Father speaks to his Andronicus See Turkish Story pag 158. and suffering those eyes to be pickt out that set so light by him out of whose loynes he descended Gods Iudgements are as the great deepe and we are too shallow to conceive of them but what lyeth on the top or surface as it were we may take for our use and that we have heard The next is concerning Edward the third of England He stept over his Fathers head to his Throne That was not the Sons fault saith the Author for he had the Crown by resignation from his Father But Crowns are not easily parted with The sonnes of Zerviah were too hard for him The Father was over-powred so just was Gods judgement upon him that before gave up his power to the lusts of others who quickly set that under-foot which is every mans The Law is every mans master M. Aâ—rel Ant. lib. 10. Medâ—t 25. pag. 171. master and so made their King and people miserable and then he must resigne what he could not keepe so the Sonne was put in the Throne and the Father thrust out And persons of such eminency seldome finde a meane betwixt the highest floud of honour and the lowest a No meane between highest and nothing Tacit. supple p. 8. ebbe of disgrace If they â—all from their pinnacle seldome do they meet with any stop till they fall to the bottome The Father now unking'd was most miserably contemned most despitefully used and then in a most hideous manner murdered He was forc'd such instruments defac'd Majestie meet with-all to sit on a Mole hill whilst he was shaven and washed with cold water out of a ditch but indeed he told them that in despight of them he would have warme water at his Barbing and therewith shed aboundance of teares Other vile reproaches were put upon him as if he had not been anoynted with oyle b 2. Sam. 1. 21. and quickly after his savage â—aylour muthered him by thrusting up an hot Iron into his bowels thorow an hollow instrument whereby no outward note might appeare to bewray how he came by his death so they gave out that he dyed of extreame griefe and so he did indeed and of paine to boote Though this were not the sonnes fault so saith the Relatour and it needs not our debate yet the sonne had a punishment and in a most high kinde which requires our marke for having so plentifull and able an Issue-Male as none before him or since seven sonnes whereof five lived to have issue he had not yet a sonne of his own to sit upon his seat He left his kingdome worse then he found it and a great Inheritance like a large summe divided into Fractions all was rent from him before he died excepting onely the poore Town of Calais So concludeth the storie and his life which secureth those of the highest degree a Gen. 41. 32. That their Throne is established in righteousnesse a conclusion doubled twice as the dreame b Prov. 20. 28. 25. 5. 29. 14. because of its certaintie And it instructeth those of the lowest degree That they be subject to the fathers of their bodies and that the sonne thrust not into his fathers place before he be fairely removed and cold in his grave It teacheth the childe to honour the father and to seâ— to it That no despight be done unto him which the childe can possibly keepe off And so much that thou mayest learn to honour thy mother and thy
speaks to informe man and therefore to his capacity for he is dull and slow to understand That which we will not have forgotten nor omitted nor slipt over we will note in a book and set it before our eye In thy book all my members were written Had the Lord left out of His book thy eye thou hadst wanted it and then thou wouldst have said Oh what a mercy it is to have windows to look out of for now my body is to me a dungeon and the world a prison Had he left out thy tongue thou hadst wanted it and then as thou maist use it thou hadst wanted thy glory though otherwise and by abuse it is a world of wickednesse But had'st thou wanted it thou wouldst have said Oh what a mercy is it what an happinesse to have whereby to expresse my self Whereas now a Shepheard takes more content with his dogge then with me one that cannot deliver my meaning a Aug. de Civ Dei l. 19 c. 7. It is so with the eare too had it been left out thou hadst stood amidst the people like a Statue or walked with them but converse thou couldst not In His book were all thy members written and thou mayest say as follows How great is the summe of them how great thinkst thou put them all together as they are and behold them and thy self an epitome of the whole world the Index of all the creatures and therefore well mayest thou take the following words speaking them to His praise How great is the summe of them Nay should I call Man the great world and the visible world before us the little world I should say no more but what a Greek Father Nazianâ—e hath said before me So excellent and beautified a creature is man when he hath all his parts comelinesse and proportion in all I could be large here but praise would be the summe of all and praise is comely Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodnesse and the wonderfulnesse of his works even in this behalf touching our outward frame Consider now and so I conclude this also Hath God written all thy members in His book not one is left out Hath He set them in a comely and decent rank and posture And is this order and uniformity comely and goodly to behold as Souldiers well disciplined or as an Army with Banners We must needs grant it is so it is gracefull in the eyes as the contrary an inconformity and disorder in parts would have been as unseemly as to see Souldiâ—rs breaking their Ranks or an Army routed Then consider but this what then is the beauty of a well-ordered soule Think but so and certainly thou wilt think that nothing in this world is of sufficient worth to put us out of frame This thought set home may carry the soul like the Sunne which worketh upon all inferiour things but is not wrought upon by them above forms and stormes too in an uniform way in a constant course and tenor like it self sutable to its own dignitie and keeping its distance We take a view now of the way we have gone and of the observations in our passage This first that it was the Lord who curiously formed thee in the wombe He brought thee thence and yet thy engagement to thy parents no whit the lesse He gave thee a being amongst the creatures and those of the highest ranke He put thee into an house like a rich Heire ready furnished a See Chrysost Hom 8. in Gen. He crowned thee with honour and gave thee dominion over the works of his Hands In His book were all thy members written thou doest not want one of them and how great is the summe thereof so great that thou art the epitome of this great world the Index of all the creatures which sets deep upon thy score thou hast much to return unto the Lord if thou doest return according to that thou hast received So God hath exalted thee so shouldst thou exalt the Lord and all this from thy outward frame the site and posture thereof And so farre we are gone and before we go further we must take fuller notice of things we have passed briefly over for they are observable § 1. We are Gods workmanship His building wonderfully were we made by b Isa 45. 11. Him accordingly should we strive to live unto Him if we ask more grace He will not deny us it A strong argument it is c Psal 138. 8. We are the workmanship of thy hands and as strong is this Created in Christ Iesus unto good d Ephes 2. 10. works †1. 2. He brought us forth thence where many miscarried because there was no power that our praise might be alwayes of Him And He gave our parents charge over us and them a strong affection to discharge that trust though we were froward and like perverse children which engageth mightily to honour the parents to obey them in the Lord. And to do what possibly we can and all too little for their good if they shall need it and for the promoting their comfort in the childes well-doing the very garland of their hope and sore travell under the Sunne and a very cordiall to their drouping spirits § 2. His exceeding patience to us-ward in sparing us so long and His good providence over us all this time but specially then when we could have none for our selves when we foresaw nothing no not a pit before us For mark I pray you that little thing such an one I was so wast thou and let us not carelesly behold him If now he be out of the cradle and the armes and can do more then creep by the wall we shall see it still in harmes-way now puddering in the fire then in the pot of seething liquour then up the stairs it will creep and down again it tumbles with little or no harm And if it can break the mothers prison we shall see it marching in the streets presently in the Carts way or under the horses heels perhaps as his strength is upon their backs or upon some Ladder or some Tree where he ventreth his necke for an apple or a lesse matter Like a Lapwing it is Squerill headed still skipping into danger not so quicke to get from it Such like and many more dangers attend that silly age So that this is a sure thing which I shall tell you It was not the care of the earthly Father though he was carefull with all his care nor the tender hand and eye of the Mother though both still helpfull and wakefull neither this nor that was it which provided for the childe and secured its safety but the providence of the Almighties eye 2. Kin. 4. 13. His good hand upon the childe that kept it That that was it and to that we must sacrifice that we have been preserved where so many have fallen and escaped those snares and dangers wherein so many have been taken
him low d Acts 12. 23. Worms have consumed them They have with the Serpent e Dan. 4. Reade Hist of the world book 3. § 11. p. 17. licked the dust Nebuchadnezzar is a great example hereof so is Herod He also who was a great f Zâ—ch 4. 7. Mountain before the Lutherans and quickly made a plain He bent his hand against the Apple oâ— g Zâ—ch 2. 8. Gods-eye and he both commanded and armed that hand which thrust forth the Apple of his hereon a story depends which for some reason I relate not here he that can may reade it at large or very little abridged Epitomies h Advanc 2 p. 3 are as the Noble Advancer saith but mothes corruptions and cankers of Historie by O sâ—aander cent 16. lib. 3. cap. 34. But we may look into a place nearer hand and a fitter looking glasse for a woman where we may see how the Lord did retaliate those proud dames Esay 3 proportionating their punishment to their sinne and to the severall parts wherein they offended verse 24. Thus childe I have been more particular touching this sinne The causes The workings of it The remedies against it That in something or other some instruction or other may take hold and perswade with thee That thou mayest take heed of pride and vain glory as all is vain that is in and of the Creature That glory is not good Glory belongs to God Souls i Anima sâ—xum non habet have no sexes in the better part male and female they are both men to man shame and confusion God will not give His Glory to another if man do take it it will be his destruction Thankfulnesse must be our return to God for His blessings whether of body minde or goods If they lift us up we provoke God highly fighting against him with His own weapons which will be as a sword in our bones Consider again by what hath been spoken how true it is and what reason there is for it That the proud the fool and the sinner are convertible terms through the whole sacred Scripture The Lord make us wise by it purge out all pride in self-pleasing and self-seeking That in whatsoever we do and in whatsoever we have in all and for all we may give all the honour and glory to the onely wise God to whom all honour belongs and is due Take heed of taking from God to set up thy self put not that to thy account which belongs to Him take heed of sacrificing to thy strength or parts acknowledge that all the excellence of all thy actions is of Him God is very jealous of His honour and oftentimes leaves His people to feel their own weaknesse because they honoured not His strength If the faculties of thy soul bring in willingly and plentifully offerings unto God say with David when so much store with much freenesse was brought-in by the people to build the Temple Now k 1. Chron. 29 14 16. Lege Cal. Inst 2. 21. sect 11. our God we thank Thee for all things come of Thee and of Thine own hand have we given Thee All things come of Thee we give-back but what Thou gavest first Without Thee nothing we have and nothing we can do This acknowledgement befitteth us who have spent and cast away all our stock and do sit now at the receit of a free-mercie And this debasing of our selves so low that we can go no lower even to a l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caâ— â—â—st 2. 5. 13 â— nothingnesse in our selves is farre from being a base thing This abasement if it be in truth and sinceritie is an excellent grace the very root of grace springing-up and so setting-out and adorning the whole man All the parts powers faculties of all But a root it is which groweth not in our own soil No As every good and perfect gift so this comes down from above God gives it and to such He gives it it is Avila's m Spir. ep pag. 201. note Who digge deep in their own dung taking up and rumating upon their faults and frailties amongst those poverties and miseries is this pretious jewell to be found for prying narrowly thereinto a man shall see cause enough not onely to be humbled but even confounded And then he that before could not live with any body no nor with himself in peace can now live with all the world keeping the unitie of the Spirit in that bond for he hath learned mercy and judgement and to walk humbly with his God And this humble walking is the very note and character of a good and holy man It was the mark whereby the Anchorite n Beda lib. 2 c. 2. reade our Jewell 3. Art pag. 186. would have his countreymen judge of Augustine Englands supposed saint If saith the Anchorite he be gentle and lowly of heart he carrieth the yoke of the Lord and offereth to you to carry the same But if he be disdainfull and proud so they found him then it is certain he is not of God you need not regard him Such a distinguishing qualitie Humilitie is O then be clothed with humilitie let it come within thee as water and like oyl into thy bones it will soften and mollifie thee It will make thee fruitfull like a garden watered from the clouds It will beautifie the whole outward man setting it and keeping it in good frame and order The eye will be low thy spâ—ech soft meek and gracious thy gate comly thy whole deportment as befitteth a Christian exalting the dignitie of that Name as pride doth folly for certain it is as was pointed at before The more true grace comes into the heart the more as it is in the filling of vessels the aierie and windie conceits go out The higher indeed and in truth the lower in our own appearance the viler in our own eyes and yet we are content to be more vile that God may be the more glorified The Trees of righteousnesse are just like that tree we reade of whose root was just so much beneath the earth as the top * Virgil. A Eâ— â— The higher in vertues the more lowly in minde c. Isid Pelusit lib. 2. ep 151. was in height above it The higher they grow up to perfection the deeper they take root downward in * â—umilitie considering they have nothing of their own but sinne and it were foolish and impious to be proud thereof I conclude this with that of the Wise man * Prov. 16. 19. Better it is to be of an humble spirit then to divide the spoile with the proud Better indeed for with such an on the high and loftie on doth dwell o Esay â—7 15. 1. 2. 66. So little for it is little which man can say or do to the plucking up this root of bitternesse which so defileth and the planting in the contrary grace that root of holinesse which so beautifyeth and adorneth §. 2. Our
in one house arise families and from them Common-wealths And now we have againe the blocke in our way though we have remooved it before I know well that a family may be so governed as we heard and as it should be It is required that these two in one house should bee one in one house with one soule with one mind with one heart serving the Lord. This blessing and gift from above for a good husband as a good prudent wife are both the gift of God and a speciall favour q Singulari modo Trem. Prov. 19. 14. Chap. 18. 22. my prayer is that thou maist receive But if not thou hast heard thy charge and withall how patient thou must bee under that want Thou must waite when God will give Repentance and use all meanes that may hasten the same as the Common adversary doth our destruction and never dispaireth of it while there is place for hope as the Father sweetly and elegantly shewing the duty of Ministers But it concernes all in these Chrysost de Lazar Conc. 1. â— cases wives especially that the unbeleeving husband may be wonne by the chaste conversation of the wife and so I leave thee now and thy charge in this supposed condition as I would have thee and them under thee found thee sweetly commanding in the Lord and they willingly obeying and in the Lord still I leave thee I say in thy family like a little Common wealth r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. A good housewife is an excellent ornament in an house she is a grace to her husband and her self In that house all rejoyce children in theiâ— mother husbâ—nd in the wife the wife in children and husband all in God Clem. Alex. Pâ—d lib. 3. cap. 11 p. 183. revâ—rencing thy husband ruling thy Children commanding thy servants and all in and for the Lord which will finde thee worke enough to keepe thee waking in the season for it and to imploy the strength of thy parts and most pretious time and so both thy time and parts will be well spent in so behoovefull a service Now passe on to the last stage of our life which is Old-age CHAP. VII Old Age. Two periods thereof pressing to dutie both Comfort in death whence distilled AND now we are come like a ship from out of the maine Sea of the world which lyeth open to stormes and gusts and rideth at Anchor under the Leeside where the passengers may looke out and see their harbour Wee must now doe in the first place as Sea-faring men should doe in such cases they tell what they saw and what they felt even His wonders in the deepe and they declare these workes of the Lord with rejoycing Å¿ Psal 107. 22. So they who are brought safe to this port or stage of time Old-Age must recount and record the Mercies of the Lord and what deliverances Hee hath wrought for them in their way thitherward This is the first thing to be done even to sacrifice the sacrifice of thankesgiving and to declare his works also with rejoycing And Child I began the Register of Gods Mercies towards thee where thou tookest thy beginning and first entrance into the world at thy Birth and Baptisme There I considered thy outward frame of Body and inward frame of minde where I leâ—t off then there I begin now to teach thee to recall to minde and record the mercies of God to thee ever since that time And though this recording of Mercies be proper to every person that is growne up to the yeares of understanding and not to every Age only but to every yeare and month and weeke and day therein yet this is a duty which seemes more to presse upon us the more and the faster yeares doe presse on And therefore though it doth concerne All in generall and every age and person in speciall yet being specially intended because that which is spoken to all is counted as spoken to none I shall bend my words to Thee whom I must suppose now stricken in yeares the Sun of thy day farre passed the Meridian and its shaddow gone downe many degrees towards the place where anon it must set Thou must then consider how wonderfully the Lord hath maintained thy life and preserved the same ever since thy comming into the world and that this consideration may presse the more thou must consider what this life is and that of so small a bottome the Lord should spinne out so long a thred Had he not drawne it out of his owne power as the Spider doth her web out of her owne bowels it had been at an end the second minute The maintaining the Radicall Moysture that Oyle which feeds the Lampe and light of thy life is as great a miracle as was the maintaining the Oyle in the Cruse of the poore widow But He did not maintaine this life only and at His owne proper cost But defended and protected thee also tooke thee under His Wings as the hen doth her chickens to shelter thee from those many dangers thy life hath been exposed to We cannot tell how many but this thou must know that there are principalities and Powers both in the plurall number to shew they are Legions and in the Abstract to shew they are armed with power as they are swelled with malice And to this their malice and power thou wast liable every moment of thy life and thou hadst felt both their malice and their power as quick and fierce against thee as Iob and others have done if the Lord had not charged them concerning thee Touch her not and how canst thou be sufficiently thankfull for this Againe consider how many dangers and casualties thou hast scaped from the Earth the severall creatures on it from the Water from the Fire from the Aire also how often have the Arrowes of Death come whisking by thee Tooke away those next thee and yet have missed thee perhaps thou hast seene some Deare yeares of time as thy forefathers have done When a thousand have falne at thy right hand and ten thousand at thy left When Gods Arrests have seized upon some walking talking and yet have spared thee And if not so yet consider thine owne body and the humours thereof They had every day overflowne and drowned thee as the waters the earth if God had not said unto them stay your proud Waves In a word if thou consider what thy life is and the dangers thou art subject to thou must acknowledge that the preservation thereof is as great a wonder as to see a sparke maintained alive amidst the waters So Chrysostome speakes of Noah t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tom. 5. ser 6. As great a wonder as to see a glasse that hath been in continuall use gone through many hands and hath had many knocks and fals to be kept for forty fifty sixty yeeres whole and unbroken As great a wonder as to see a Candle in a paper lanthorne in a