whereunto thou turnest thee and 1 Chron. 28.9 And thou Solomon my Sonne know thou the God of thy Fathers and serve him with a perfect heart and a willing mind in both which places he first gives him charge of the service of God before any matter of his Kingdome Philo the Jew reporteth to the commendation of the Jewes that they were liberorum cultores cultrices and it is Chrysostomes simile that as men will patch up their own buildings and piece up ruinous and rotten houses so they should be more carefull of the Lords house and if he punish the neglect of repairing his materiall Temple then will he be more offended and displeased for the neglect of his spiritual as our selves and our children be 1 Cor. 6.19 How justly then are those carelesse Parents to be reproved who as if their children consisted altogether of body and had no soules take care onely to scratch and scrape a little goods together for them Dum esset diserius non curabat licet esset Dei culâ—urâ deserius Aug. lib. 2. confess cap. 3. Majori follicitudine me parturiebat Spiritu quà m peperat carne parturivit carne ut in hanc temporalem nascerer corde ut in aeternam lucem renascerer August but never care for having them taught how to use it Austin confesseth that his Father was not much better for thus he saith of him that he spared no cost that he might be learned but he cared not much though he were lewd and wicked But for Monica his mother in whose heart he saith the Lord had begun to build his Temple she ceased not to do her uttermost endeavours every way that he might be truly religious and as well Gods child by grace as hers by nature And surely where this duty is neglected children neither know their duty towards God their Parents or any body else as appeareth in the History of a certain old man of Athens that came before Solon a Judge at that time and in that place where he lived and complained that his son was undutiful and disobedient which he knowing to be a foul fault caused the young fellow to be called in to see what he could say for himself and my Author saith he was not able to deny it whereupon he decreed that because he had shewed no duty while he lived therefore he should enjoy nothing by his Father when he died and so deprived the young man of his inheritance for his disobedience sentence being past the young man answered for himself that howbeit he could not altogether deny the fact yet it was not altogether his fault but partly his Fathers because he never afforded him any education instruction or good bringing up whereby he might learn to do his duty either to him or others which being likewise affirmed by the Son and not disproved by the Father he punished him also and deprived him of the solemnity of his Funeral It is not enough for Parents to excuse themselves from this work of instructing their children saying they will do it hereafter but they must take the soonest time they have opportunity We know it is a practise among Husbandmen and Gardeners Quo semel est imbuta recens servabit odorem Testa diu to set and sow both trees plants and seeds in the spring of the year so we are to sow the seed of the true knowledge of God and of Religion in children in the spring of their age Teach a child in the trade of his way and when he is old he will not depart from it Prov. 22.6 That a child is capable of instruction may appear in that he is apt to learn rude rhymes immodest songs dances and the like as children are capable to mock and scoffe 2 Reg. 2. as the children that mockt Elisha so also to cry Hosannah as those did to Christ Math. 21.15 and though children do not so readily encline to good as to evil yet childhood is not so corrupt as a riper age and for any man to say it is not good to set an old mans head upon a young pair of shoulders I say that it is never too soon to learn good things they that neglect it when they be young are uncertain where they shall live to learn being old Eccles 11.6 therefore it is good to make use of the present time In the morning sow thy seed Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth Eccles 12.1 1. It will be easie and familiar to them Lam. 3.27 it is easie for a man to bear the yoke from his youth for thus by use and custome which is another nature grave jugum will become suave jugum as our Saviour tells us Math. 11.29 Tender twigs are easily bowed but old trees sooner break than bend The Lord commandeth a Parent not to withhold correction from his child Prov. 23.13 for if thou smite him with the rod he shall not die Now if they are to be corrected betimes for vices then also are they capable of instruction and ought betimes to be instructed So God requireth that they should be taught concerning the Passeover It shall come to pass Exod. 12.26 27. that when your children shall say unto you What mean you by this service that you shall say It is the sacrifice of the Lords Passeover who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians and delivered our houses And Exod. 13.14 It shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come saying What is this that thou shalt say unto him By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt from the house of bondage 2. All men are to provide for their Families and he that provideth not for his family 1 Tim. 5.8 is worse than an Infidel Now good nurture is as necessary to children as nourishment and even as they cannot live without meat so they cannot do well without the knowledge of God and his Word which is Cibus mentis their spiritual food as Gregory calls it that Common-wealth neither cannot well stand where the good education of children is neglected 1. How justly are those Parents to be condemned that let their children grow old in years but still be young in knowledge like Rehoboam and season them not at first with good things but cocker them whereby they have as little comfort of them as Eli had of his sons who were sons of Belial and knew not the Lord and were destroyed Negligent Parents onely desire to have children and then no matter whether they be instructed in the knowledge of God or no and so good or bad heirs of heaven or hell whereas they should desire to have a holy seed to furnish the Earth with Saints and Heaven with Citizens carelesse Parents that onely desire to have children and no more are like ill husbands that cast their corn into the ground and then never care what becomes of it whether the birds
is but foolishnesse 4. Knowledge is the Mother-grace 1. It is the Mother of faith If a man know God he will believe and trust in him They that know thy name will trust in thee Psal 9.10 we have known and believed saith the Apostle 1 John 4.16 Bellarmine saith Whosoever sees the Son and believes in him shall have everlasting life Joh. 6.40 that Faith â—ariseth from ignorance rather then from knowledge because saith he Faith is the evidence of things not seen but I say we first know a thing before we can believe now whereas the Apostle Heb. 11.1 saith Faith is the evidence of things not seen you are to understand that the Apostle doth not there define faith but onely describe it by one of the effects of it because it makes things clear and evident which it never saw as by faith we do believe the creation of the world though we never saw it sight and knowledge is no hinderance of but a help to faith 1 Joh. 4.8 Visus est prima amoris linea Quisquis te cognoscit amat te plus quam se venit ad te ut gaudeat de te Hinc est Domine ut non tantum diligo quantum debeo quia non ptenè cognosco te quia parum cognosco parum diligo as Stephens faith was not any whit lessened but rather helped by his fight of Christ sitting at the right hand of God 2. Knowledge is the root of love he that loveth not knoweth not God saith the Apostle he that knoweth God most loveth him best therefore many men do not love him because they do not know him there he two feet on which we must walk to heaven saith one if ever we mean to come there viz. Faith and Love he that wants faith is lame on the right foot and he that wanteth love is lame on the left foot and both these follow after knowledge A man that knoweth God in Covenant and as an all-sufficient God cannot chuse but love him till a man knoweth Christ in the fulnesse of his perfections as Mediatour he cannot truly love him For as men naturally love the children of their own body so men are apt to dote upon the brats of their own brain and to be in love with their own imaginations till they come to know the Lord naturally man hath an operating fancy to set up somewhat in his understanding and in his heart above and besides God till he comes to a distinct knowledg of God in Christ It is true it is not knowledge that makes a man a good man but love and sanctified affections 1 Cor. 13.1 2. August Soliloqu cap. 1. for though I speak with the tongues of men and Angels and though I have the gift of Prophesie and understand all mysteries and all knowledge c. and have not love I am become as sounding brasse or a tinckling cimball and all this profiteth me nothing the devill and wicked spirits know much and yet have no love to God yet there can be no love to God where the knowledge of God is not 3. Knowledge is the root of obedience as soon as Abraham knew the Lord Gen. 12.1 Sit. 3.3 he obeyed the voyce of the Lord when God called him to get out of his countrey from his kindred and from his Fathers house the foolish and disobedient are put together by the Apostle disobedience springs from folly as obedience springeth from wisdom what is the reason 1 Cor. 2.14 the naturall man scorneth at the things of the spirit and they are foolishnesse to him it is because he cannot perceive the excellency of them Behold the fear of the Lord that is wisdom and to depart from evill Job 28.28 Haec irae impetum cohibet sisperbiae tumorem sedat that is understanding After true knowledge followeth obedience of the heart and life the end of learning The Commandement of God is obedience for if the end of all practicall knowledge be obedience then much more the end of the commands of God The knowledge of Christ is the only means to suppresse sin and vice 5. Knowledge is the only way to true happinesse 1. Tim. 2.4 5. it is the will of God that all men should be saved saith the Apostle but how may some say he addeth in the next words and to come unto the knowledge of the truth and it is not only the way to true happinesse but it is true happinesse inchoate John 17.3 this is life eternall to knoâ— thee the only true God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ saith our Saviour Moses first prayes to God Lord tell me thy name he beggeth acquaintance with God and then saith he afterwards Lord shew me thy glory they that be wise Dan. 12.3 shall shine as the brightnesse of the Fâ—rmament saith Daniel Revel 4.8 there are no ignorant fools in Emmanuels land Glorified creatures are said to be full of eyes within seeing eternal happinesse consisteth in vision they must be full of heavenly light and knowledge Now we know but in part but then shall we know as we are knowne 1 Cor. 13.12 6. Knowledge is very usefull and necessary to the soule 1. To direct and guide a man as God hath put the Sun and Moon in the Firmament to rule the day and the night so he hath put knowledge into the soul to guide and govern men in their practises and to dictate to them what is to be done what is to be avoyded A man without knowledge is like a blind man wanting a guide to direct him if the understanding be clear and good the man is safe but if the understanding be darkened then he falls into the pits of sin and errour Matth. 6.22 The light of the body is the eye saith our Saviour if therefore thine eye be single the whole body shall be full of light but if thine eye be evill thy whole body shall be full of darknesse The meaning is that as the eye is the light and guide of the body so is the understanding the guide of the soule and as the body followeth the fortune of the eye if the eye be single that is clear and good the whole body is full of light and every member will be able to do its proper work as if it had an eye in it but if the eye be evill or blinded then the whole body is full of darknesse that is every member mistaketh in its operations as the eye in the body guideth the feet â—â—w to walk and the hand how to work and every member how to do his part and duty and the whole body to decline and avoyd danger so rectified reason and a single eye will guide our wills and affections teaching them what to chuse and what to refuse and if the judgement be cleared from corrupt principles then the whole soule will be full of light and the whole life of man will be good for as where the
to bring others unto Christ now with the very reversion of this Feast not only the needy on earth but the very Angels in heaven were made merry Luke 15.7 But I dare not strain it thus farre with Stella It was a great Feast saith Calvin not so much for the multitude of guests as for the variety of cheer which doubtlesse he being of ability would provide to manifest his love and duty by way of thankfulnesse to Christ that had entertained him into his service as the manner is of servants inviting their Masters to this Feast he inviteth many of his old companions labouring to draw them also unto Christ So David first professeth that he will praise the Lord himself saying I will alwayes give thanks unto the Lord his praise shall be in my mouth continually Psal 34.1.3 Cant. 1.3 and then presently he addeth praise ye the Lord with me let us magnify his name together So the Spouse in the Canticles promiseth that if Christ would draw her she would procure company to go with her True Christians are not like Rayles but like Partriges that fly in companies together This was prophesied that it should be the disposition of those that should be brought in by the Gospel into the Christian Church one should provoke and call upon another come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord Isa 2.3 Zech. 8.21 and they that dwell in one City shall go to another saying up let us go and pray before the Lord of Hosts Joh. 7.38 These are the rivers of water that flow out from the belly of a true believer Psal 66.16 Come ye hearken to me saith David and I will tell you what God hath done for my soule Therefore let everyone that hath knowledg communicate it to others labour thou according to thy calling according to the measure of knowledg which thou hast received to work upon others by advice and counsel by entreaty and perswasion to bring them to the saving knowledge of God and his ways Art thou a Magistrate thou must labour to reclaim men from the works of darknesse Art thou a Minister thou must feed the flock 1 Pet 5.1 2 taking the oversight thereof thou must feed them with the bread of knowledg and of understanding thou must make it thy work to winne soules and to turn the people from the wayes of folly and ignorance Art thou a husband thou must dwell with thy wife as a man of knowledge husbands must instruct their wives with the knowledge of God Art thou a Master of a family thou art to instruct thy children and servants at home and bring them out to wisdomes gates to Gods Ordinances abroad that so if it may be thou mayest bring them to the knowledge of God that they may be saved The Apostle exhorts Parents to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Fathers Eph. 6.4 provoke not your children too much by tyrannizing over them Inutilis est animadversio ubi silent verba saeviunt verbera Marlorat and immoderately exercising your authority over them using all correction and no instruction being silent in words yet being more sharp and severe many times then there is just cause whereby the discipline is spoyled but bring them up in the instruction and admonition of the Lord teach them how to carry themselves towards God in the duties of his service and in civility and courtesie towards men in the common affaires and dealings of the world so shall they keep a good conscience before God and get themselves credit before men Now as Parents must not use too much severity and austerity so neither must they use too much lenity whereupon as many mischiefs and inconveniences ensue as upon the former for as it is said of the Ape that she having but two young ones kills one of them with over-much kindnesse so some fond and foolish parents if they do not kill yet they spill their children by too much cockering them where of we have an example in old Eli towards his sonnes 1 Sam. 2.23 24 25. 1 Reg. 1.6 and in David who was to blame too both towards Adonijah and Absalom He that desireth a good crop of corn must not only sow good seed but also weed it and use other good husbandry about it and he that desireth his son may prove a good man and a profitable member in the Church and Common-wealth must procure him a good Tutour and must himself be continually dropping good and wholesome instructions and directions upon him for the soul of a child is as Aristotle saith tanquà m abrasa tabula as a smooth table or like a piece of wax apt and fit for any impression Thus have the godly done from time to time and so it seemeth Adam instructed his sonnes concerning the worship of God else what should move them to offer sacrifice Genes 4. Thus did Abraham God himself giving this testimony of him I know Abraham Gen. 18.19 that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do judgement and justice that the Lord may bring upon A braham that which he hath spoken of him thus also Isaack Jacob and the rest of the godly Patriarchs and we may very well suppose that they would never have suffered themselves to be circumcised had they not been formerly instructed in the law of the Lord and made acquainted that it was the Lords will and pleasure So Joshua I and my house saith he will serve the Lord. Solomon was taught by his Father David Prov. 4.4 and by his Mother Prov. 31. 2 Tim. 1.5 2 Tim. 3.15 Timothies Faith was derived from his Grandmother and Mother and it is said of him that from a child he knew the holy Scriptures Every Master of a Family hath charge over the soules of his children and servants this God commanded the old Israelites these words which I command thee this day Deut. 6.6 7. shall be in thy heart and thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house and when theu walkest by the way when thou liest down and when thou risest up thus doth King David charge his sonne Solomon telling him that he was going the way of all flesh take heed to the charge of the Lord thy God and walk in his wayes and keep his Statutes and Commandements and Judgements and Testimonies pressing him with many words of the same signification that he might the rather remember the substance of his charge 1 Reg. 2.2 he addeth a reason that thou mayest prosper in all thou doest Josephus saith that the children of the Jews knew how many letters were in the Old Testament and that they could recite them as readily as their owne names Joseph lib. 2. cont Appian Chrysoft Homil. de Anna Samueli tducationi and in every thing
rent that happened in Israel when ten of the twelve Tribes revolted from Rehoboam the Sonne of Solomon because he refused the grave and wise Counsell of the Ancient Nobles that had attended on his Father and harkned to the rash advice of the green-headed youths brought up with himself and of his own standing when young men therefore doe excedere ex Ephebis as the Poet speaks or be adulti as they say at the Universities they should remember what Plutarch saith in his book de liberis educandis of bringing up of children that they do not abjicere imperium sed tantùm mutare imperatorem i. e. being freed from the Ferula and discharged from subjection to a Tutour that even they be left to the guidance of their own discretion 2 Tim. 2.22 whereby they must follow Pauls counsell to his Schollar Timothy to fly all youthfull lusts and labour being well instructed in the grounds of true Religion as they grow in yeares to grow in wisdome and knowledge then shall no man have cause to despise their youth as the same Apostle speaketh 1 Tim. 4.12 But the wisdome of their young yeares shall be their Crowne and Glory As Virgil said of Aeneas his Sonne Sequitur Patrem non passibus aequis he followeth his Father not with even and equall steppes so it may be said of most of the children of faithfull Parents Let me presse this upon you that are old to teach the young do you not read that the Psalmist speaks often that the praises of the Lord should he declared from generation to generation Psal 22.31 Psal 79.13 And so the very Heathen understood that it was the duty of the old to teach the young Jura senes norint Praecipere mitem convenit pueris senem Seneca quid liceátque nefasque Fásque sit inquirant legémque exanima servant Ovid. Old men are or should be very knowing it belongeth to them to teach and to youth to learne of them this is chiefly to be observed among Christians hence it appeareth how grossely old men sinne if they who ought to informe others do themselves know little or nothing of those things that appertain to everlasting salvation and if they have neglected the meanes of knowledge and in their old age are so rude and ignorant that they had need to bee taught by children the heads of Catechisme which sometime happeneth what will they be able to answer to the righteous Judge of all the world when he shall aske them how they have done their duty upon the earth Let every christian now be conscientious in this duty to exhort and instruct one another to edify one another and provoke to love and to good works to stirre up one another to the wayes and work of godlinesse And to move you all hereunto I desire you to confider 1. The great benefit that will come to such as truly performe this duty the Lord hath made a gracious promise to it Jer. 23.22 if we stand in his counsell and cause his people to heare his words i. e. if we faithfully instruct them in the knowledge and feare of the Lord then we shall turne them from their evill way and from the evill of their doings Happy is that man that can turne a sinner from evill wayes and evill doings to the wayes of godlinesse This is the Reason why the Apostle will not have the believing husband or wife to separate one from another because by dwelling together they may instruct and do good one to another 1 Cor. 7.16 for what knowest thou O wife whether thou shalt save thy husband or how knowest thou O man whether thou shalt save thy wife 2. If thou canst winne but one soule to Christ Isa a. 28. thou shalt bring much glory to God Solomon saith that in the multitude of poople is the Kings honour So herein is the great King of heaven honoured when many people shall go and say Come ye and let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walke in his pathes he that converteth a sinner shall save a soule from death and cover a multitude of sins Jac. 5.20 3. It will bring in great peace and comfort to your own soules what greater comfort in the world then to see those that sate in darknesse to have the eyes of their understandings opened to see those that were dead translated from death to lise to be new borne to be converted unto God Oh what abundance of comfort will this consideration work upon thy heart However let Ministers do their duty Parents their duty Husbands their duty Christians their duty in their respective places and then let the successe be what it will we shall have comfort therein Ezek. 2.5 Ezek. 2. God commands the Prophet to speak to the people whether they would hear or whether they would forbear and thus saith the Prophet Isaiah though I have laboured in vain and spent my strength for nought Isa 49 4 5. yet surely my judgement is with the Lord and my work or my reward with my God though Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my strength Thanks be to God saith Paul which alwayes causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest by us the savour of his knowledge in every place for we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ 2 Cor. 2.14 15. Heb. 3.13 in them that are saved and in them that perish Therefore exhort one another daily while it is called to day Do not think it a duty onely belonging to the Minister to instruct and stir up others in the wayes of Religion it is his duty principally Per hoc nal aliud est scientia nostra quam culpâ—â— Salvian but it is thy duty also Do not say with wicked Cain Am I my brothers Keeper If thou seest thy neighbour lying in the pit of ignorance and thou hast that which might help him out and doest it not thou art guilty of his perishing by this our knowledge is no thing else but a fault saith Salvian Labour with all thy might to help thy Wife and Children Servants and friends and neighbours out of this dark dungeon Direct 7 Hath God enlightened you with saving knowledge Eph. 5.8 See that you walk as children of the light If a man have never so much knowledge if he walk not answerable to it it is but a glow-worm light if thy head be full of light and thy workes be full of darknesse it is an evidence that the light that is in thee is no better than darknesse The night is farre spent saith the Apostle the day is at hand let us therefore cast off the workes of darknesse Rom. 13.12 Pareus in loc and let us put on the Armour of light Pareus by night understandeth our estate of ignorance