for example our Sauiour himselfe who being the author and finisher of our faith vsed this helpe through all his way as wee may reade Heb. 12. Who for the ioy which was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the throne of God Againe this helpe that worthie light of the Church the Apostle S. Paul vsed Philip 3. I forget that which is behinde and endeuour my selfe vnto that which is before and follow hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus But what is this marke and what is this price which is alwaies so in the eye of the Apostle that he forgetteth all other things and regardeth nothing but it This marke is that palme branch which is giuen vnto all those faithful seruants of Christ Iesus who haue ouercommed all the difficulties and hardnes of this life and this marke is that immortall inheritance and vndefiled and which withereth not reserued in the heauens of which S. Peter speaketh 1. Epistle 2. chapter and this marke is the fulnes of ioye as the Prophet Dauid sayth Psalm 16. In thy presence is the fulnes of ioye and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore and this marke and this blessed hope is the crowne of righteousnes layd vp for all Gods faithfull seruants against the day of this appearing of the glorie of this mighty God our Sauiour Iesus Christ From hence forth is layd vp for me sayth the Apostle the crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous iudge shall giue me at that day and not to mee onely but to all those that loue that his appearing 2. Tim. 4. O if a man had a crowne alwaies in his eye what would hee not doe to come by it Why doe wee then stagger vnder our burthens and why doe we waxe faint in the Lords seruice why wee doe not looke vppe vnto our blessed hope and wee doe not set that glorious appearing of our Sauiour Christ Iesus alwaies before our eyes whose presence shall wipe away all teares from our cheekes This would holde vp our hands if there were any life in vs. Cast your eyes then vpon your inheritance which shall not wither What seruice can be sufficient for a kingdome what dutie for the crowne of heauen what loyaltie for the adoption of the sons of God and what paines taking for the fulnes of ioye O you Christians that you saw and knew your happines that you might loue and serue the Lord. 2. The second motiue is taken from that exceeding loue of Christ in giuing himselfe so freely for vs and therefore now we should giue our selues and all our things vnto him againe as wee are taught of our mother the Church Canticles 6. I am my welbeloueds and my welbeloued is mine O if Christ Iesus that heauenly bridegroome hath bestowed himselfe vpon vs and giuen himselfe for vs which sometimes were more vile then the clay in the streete how can wee now denye him any seruice or any thing which is within vs shall the heire of eternitie and the son of God bestow himselfe vpon vs with a full dowrie of the kingdome of heauen and all the ioyes of the life to come and with the fruition of the diuine nature as S. Peter saith and shall not we now bestow our selues and our liues vpon him againe for that loue of Christ constraineth vs sayth the Apostle because wee thus iudge that if one bee dead for all then wee are all dead and hee died for all that they which liue should not hence foorth liue vnto themselues but vnto him which dyed for them and rose againe O had not wee neede now bee a deare and louing spouse vnto our husband Christ who hath bought our loue with his owne death would not this meditation constraine any reasonable heart vnto all duetifull seruice wherefore now I speake like a troubled soule out of the affection of my heart I had rather be hanged in the ayre I had rather bee burnt in the fire I had rather bee torne with the racke yea I had rather run through hell it selfe then I would willingly offende and displease this mercifull Lorde who hath loued mee and giuen himselfe for mee For I was dead but now I am aliue I was lost but now I am found I was forsaken but now am I beloued What doe you weeping and breaking my heart saith the Apostle for my life is not deare vnto my selfe so that I may fulfill my course with ioye Oh we haue not halfe franke hearts to deale with God wee thinke much to serue God with our persons our soules and our bodies and as for our goods we lay them to aside they may not goe with vs into the Lords Sanctuarie for feare of losing and yet our Lorde hath not only giuen soule and bodie to raunsome vs but also hath stripped himselfe naked of al his heauenly royaltie and riches and tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant as the Apostle teacheth Phil. 2. O where is now that constraining loue of the Apostle to stirre vp our dull and cold hearts 3. The third motiue to stirre vs vp with al cheerefulnes vnto Gods seruice are those great and vnspeakeable paines and labours which our deare Sauiour hath taken vpon him to beare and goe thorow with for our redemption Who gaue himselfe for vs sayth the Apostle that is who gaue himselfe to endure all manner of torments calamities and sufferings for our redemption and all manner of painefull seruice for our iustification Now hath Christ our Sauiour giuen himselfe to doe so much for vs and shall wee giue our selues to securitie and liue as wee lust hath Christ watched for vs and shall wee giue our selues to sleepe hath Christ fasted for vs and shal we giue our selues to banquetting hath Christ bin tempted for vs and shall we yeeld to euery suggestion hath Christ suffered persecution shal we look to line at ease and hath Christ so liued here vpon earth for our sakes that he wold not please himselfe Rom. 15. and shall wee sport in the delights of this life and the sensualitie of our owne flesh and hath Christ not onely suffered all the troubles of this life but also tooke vpon him the torments of the life to come to free vs from that dreadfull lake of eternall iudgement now shall we cast our selues down vnder the greene boughes of the pleasures of this world and shunne the heate and burden of the day and giue our selues to idle loytering when God calleth vs foorth to labour in his vineyard O what a shame were this to Christians at whose hands the Lord hath deserued so great duties through his infinit labours and sufferings If Christ our Sauiour had redeemed vs without any paines taking as easily as a rich man pulleth out twentie pounds out of his pocket to ransome a poore captiue whom
curteous towards their equals to be gentle and lowly to their inferiours and louing and kind to all This is another part of the trade of childrens way and this is no lesse needfull for youth then their meate and their drinke And if this trade and way of nurture bee not taught our children while they bee young when they be old they shall be found so head-strong that they will not bee gouerned but this consequent must needes follow that all order shall bee taken away and then confusion must needes insue For if nurture be neglected then our elders and gouernours shall not be reuerenced if they be not reuerenced they will not be regarded if they be not regarded they will not bee obeyed and if they be not obeyed then steps in rebellion and euery one will doe what he lusteth Now is fulfilled that heauie curse which the Prophet Esay threatned against the children of Israel The people shall be oppressed one of another and euery one by his neighbour the children shall presume against the ancient and the vile against the honorable now the bandes of the Common-wealth are broken and now is such a nation subiect to be rooted out to bee ouerrun of euery enemie or to bee destroyed of it selfe For whence comes warres whence comes seditions enuies braules quarrels fightings whence comes strife and lawings whence comes all manner of loosenes of life and whence comes it that one neighbour can not liue quietly by another but he pineth away and is the worse euery time he seeth his brother All this mischiefe springeth from the neglect of this duetie for that the hearts of such people were not broken and brideled while they were yong by good nurture Now one neighbour like a cur dogge leapeth in the face of another whereas if he had beene trained vp in ciuilitie and good manners though he neither feared God nor loued mā yet euen very shame would hold him from committing this follie Oh beloued good nurture and manners they are the cords and bands of the Common-wealth they are the nurserie of sweete loue and concord they are the preparation to religion it selfe For nurture a child wel breake his affections and teach him awfulnes at home and when hee commeth to Church and heareth the preacher denouncing the heauie threatnings of God against sinne he will by and by beginne to tremble he wil lay it to his heart and feare least he fall afterwards into the same danger whereas the childe that is not thus prepared and manured before when he commeth he careth not whether hee heareth or no but is readie to toy and play with euery bable that runneth in his eye and though at sometimes whether he will or no the word beateth vpon his eares and he must needes heare yet it goeth in at one doore and out at another he careth not for it but goeth away as lewd and reachles as he came and why because hee hath not bin trained vp in awfulnes hath not been so much as instructed and gouerned in ciuill dueties Againe hereof springeth an other mischiefe that euen those which haue imbraced christianitie for want of this good education doe not liue so louingly together as becommeth For when one neglecteth dutie and reuerence towards another by and by there arise dislikings dislikings breede contempt and contempt stirs vp bitter hatred and dissensions So that what is the cause why euen the best professors many times fall out amongst themselues they embrace a religion which is not diuided but one they all thinke one thing and speake one thing but this clownish rudenes and want of ciuilitie will not suffer them long to agree together So that take away good nurture and ciuilitie and there will be no quiet and orderly liuing either in the Church of God or Common-wealth And therefore the Apostle diligently calleth vpon this dutie In giuing honour goe one before another As if he should haue sayd studie and striue who may bee most dutifull For hee which is most dutifull excelleth others and is most honourable Againe S. Peter sayth worthily honour all men where the Apostle by the wisedome of the holy spirit taketh away a double obiection This first is made in the person of the honorable What doe I owe duetie to those that are so farre my inferiours they are to honour mee and I am not to honour them The holy Ghost here steppeth in and sayth honour all men There are degrees in honour and he is most vnworthie which receiueth much and cannot bee content to returne some part backe againe neither is there any kinde of men so base which retaine the least part of Gods image for in the image of God made hee man but they are worthie of some honor for the image sake The second obiection is made in the person of the common people labouring together in poore estate and base trades What must we honour one another it is enough for vs to reuerence our betters small duetie will serue among vs. The holy Ghost here againe replieth honour all men As if he should haue sayd in more words let there be no degree or societie of men so barbarous as to contemne and auoyd all reuerence honor all men honour thy poore equals and thy poore inferiours But now adaies when neighbours meet there is no curteous salutatiō there is no preuenting of duetie but some one bolde word or other cast out and as they meet with rudenes so they depart with clownishnes O if men would vse ciuilitie and curtesie one towards another regard it it would so linke their mindes together in friendship and good wil that no smal offence or dammage should breake them asunder But here let vs find out the cause why this disorderly rudenes so fast springeth vp amongst vs. Truely the onely cause is the negligence of parents in instructing their children And againe what is the cause of this negligence of parents but that either they themselues were brought vppe so rudely too so they teach their children no more because they knowe no better themselues or els this commeth of a muckish minde because the hearts of parents are so set vpon this world that so their busines be done by their children and seruants they care not what language they giue them nor how vnmannerly they stand before them they doe not teach them to honor thēselues at home and therefore there is no dutie and reuerence toward others abroad Wherefore you parents knowe your estate let not the drosse of this world so blind your eyes that you should forget your honour know that the Lord hath made you parents and giuen you to look for duetie and reuerence from your children and seruants and though you doe not regard this dutie your minds be so base that you look not after any reuerence yet for your childrēs sake require it that so they may bee brought vp in the knowledg of their duetie receiue the blessing
which God hath promised vnto them for it Honour thy father and thy mother that thy daies may bee prolonged in the lande which the Lord thy God hath giuen thee This is the first commaundement with promise saith the Apostle Ephes. 6. that he might especially allure vs to the obseruing of it But here we must vnderstand that as this commandement is a commaundement with promise so the promise is with a condition which is of honouring our parents so that if children do not honour their parents they haue no promise of life but stand subiect euery houre and moment to haue Gods wrath powred downe vpon them O then you that are parents haue pitie vpon your dear childrē teach them their dutie teach them good nurture teach them reuerence both towards your selues and others for if you do not you do as much as in you lieth cut off your childrens liues For God beloued hath care of his Church and if hee should suffer rude children to increase they would become rude parents rude parents would againe bring vp rude children and thus confusion would spread it selfe ouer all the world and therefore the Lord to meete with this mischiefe hath promised his blessing onely to the dutifull and obedient and all other stand out of his protection subiect to the violence of euery danger The 3. and last part of the trade of the way in which the Lord here commandeth parents to bring vp their children is godlines namely that they should teach them to know God their dutie towards him And this instruction is that which parents ought aboue all things to regard The former instruction serueth to teach them how they might liue ciuilly and decently with men but this instruction prepareth them to liue and walke with God Wherefore this trade is the head of all trades and happie is that soule which can learne it Salomon saith The feare of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge Although a man hath neuer so much worldly wisedome and policie and ciuilitie yet if hee want this the feare of God and true godlines he is the greatest foole in all the world for the more wise that he is without religion the more foole he is because he doth not apply his wit vnto that which is the head originall of al wisedome and without which al other wisedome is foolishnes and confusion Againe Salomon saith worthily Pro. 14. The feare of the Lord is as a well spring of life to auoyd the snares of death And againe in the 3. chapter speaking of this diuine heauenly instruction he saith Blessed is the man that findeth wisedome that is this godly wisedome whereby a man learneth to knowe God and his duetie towards him For saith he The marchandise thereof is better then the marchandise of siluer and the gaine thereof is better then golde it is more pretious then pearles and all things that thou canste desire are not to bee compared vnto her Length of daies is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and glorie Her waies are waies of pleasure and all her paths prosperitie She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her and blessed is he that retaineth her O what honorable profits and commodities come by this instruction this is that which I said vnto you before that this trade is the head of al trades O you parents that are wise-hearted come you hither I know that euery parent would gladly haue his childe brought vp in the best trade and that which shall one day bee most profitable for him O here is a trade that hath the profits of all other trades vnder it Godlines saith saint Paul is profitable vnto all things and hath the promise of the life present and of the life to come O you parents you are more then mad if you finde not out this trade for your children First it is a rich trade Salomon saith that the marchandise of it is better then the marchandise of siluer and the gaine therof is better then gold it is more pretious then pearles and all things that thou canst desire are not to be compared vnto it Secondly it is an easie and pleasant trade Her waies are waies of pleasure saith Salomon and all her paths prosperitie Thirdly it is an honorable trade because Salomon saith that glorie is in her left hand If glorie be in her left hand then what is in her right hand but the life eternal Fourthly this trade is not like vnto other trades which if they bee hardly followed in time weare away mans strength but this increaseth life and vigour to al those that occupie it it is a tree of life to al those that lay hold on it Fiftly and lastly this trade is the most certaine trade in al the world it neuer faileth and it neuer changeth because S. Paul saith it hath the promise of this life and of the life to come All other trades be they neuer so profitable yet they are subiect to the course of this world now good now bad now profitable now againe as beggerly besides how many ventures and casualties they are subiect vnto such as haue experience in them can better tell then I can but this trade I know wel can neuer faile because God hath sealed vp his promise to it S Paul saith it hath the promise of blessing both of the life present and of that which is to come O you wise children heare my words though your parents will not bind you to this trade yet come you offer your selues of your owne accorde embrace it and catch hold on it with both your hands for if euer you will come to happines this is the way Now then I hope you that are parents see the scope of this text and what the Lord here requireth at your hands Teach a child in the trade of his way that is first teach him the trade of occupation that thereby he may get a competent maintenance of things necessarie for this life that so he may liue well among his neighbours another day without iniuring any man or vsing any vnlawfull meanes or if he hath no need of this that thē by the trade of his education hee may bend his endeuour to profit the Common-wealth which will alwaies haue neede of men well trained vp in some good Art or other Secondly Teach a child in the trade of his way that is teach him nurture and good manners teach him his dutie towards all men that so hee may another day liue an honest comely and well ordered life amongst his neighbours without contentions braules and quarrels which are the diseases both of Church and Common-wealth And thirdly and chiefly Teach a childe in the trade of his way which is as much to say as teach him godlines and the feare of the Lord that hee may liue and dye Gods seruant that he may know his saluation in Christ Iesus continue in his
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