A Childs Patrimony, Part 1 · Chapter 4

A Childs Patrimony · Part 1 · Chapter 4

p. 35CHAP. IIII. Our nature, like a ſoil fruitfull of weeds: What her evils are: How unrooted or prevented.

NOw we look to the preventing of evils, which, while they are but in the ſeed, may be cruſhed, as it were, in the egge, before there comes forth a flying Serpent or Cockatrice: and I begin with that, which is moſt radically in us, and firſt ſheweth it ſelf; that is

† 1. Pride; it is the ſinne of our nature and runs forth to p. 36ſeed, rank and luxuriant the ſooneſt of any. It is the firſt ſinne which declares its life in a childe, and laſt dies in a man. We read ^a that Abimelechs skull was broke with a milſtone thrown down upon him by the hand of a woman; Judg 9. 34.Judg 9:34then he called out haſtily unto his Armour-bearer, Slay me, that men ſay not, A woman ſlew him: Obſerve, ſaith Chryſoſtome, aaTom. 6. ſer. 1.The man was dying, yet his pride would not die. Indeed it is the very heart-ſtring of our corrupt Nature; cut it, and that beaſt will die: but, like the heart in the body, it will hold out the longeſt. I ſhall ſpeak more hereof in my ſecond part, where we ſhall ſee the root of this ſinne and the fruit of it too. In this place, being upon the dutie of a parent, I ſhall onelyonly ſhew how farre we parents fall ſhort at this point, and what our folly is: for what we ſhould ſooneſt ſuppreſſe in children, we firſt cheriſh and maintain. Indeed, all that are imployed about them bbQuint. de claris Orat., are, for the moſt part, teachers of vanity unto them, but of nothing more then of priding themſelves, and over-valuing their worth, which is nothing: whereto, I conceive, this makes a way verie ready and compendious.

† 1. If a childe have ſome portion in the world above its fellows, then it is preſently a maſter or miſtreſſe, and others its ſervants. He (I include both ſexes) is taught to command, when he ſhould learn to obey; and hath titles of reſpect given unto him, before he knows how to deſerve them, or give them where they are due; he hath others under him, when he ſhould be under others, and not differ from a ſervant ccGal 4. 1, 2Gal 4:1Gal 4:2, (in point of ſubjection and obedience, it is the old and ſtanding rule) though Lord of all. This inhanceth our nature above the worth of it, and makes the childe think it ſelf ſome body, ddforeign. Acts 8. 9.Acts 8:9ſome great one, when it is a very little one, to that he thinks himſelf, a very nothing. I have obſerved, they, that have been maſters, when they were but Boyes, and in their ſeaſon to learn ſubjection, have proved the baſeſt ſervants afterwards, and boyes all the dayes of their life.

† 2. Another way there is to blow up this little bladder, which is, by putting on the childe ſuch ornaments (ſo the p. 37parent intends them) as ſerve, neither for neceſſitie, nor ornament, nor decency, and then bidding the childe, looke where foreign. &c. Chryſ hom. 41. m Gen 18.Gen 18it is fine; An ordinary cuſtome, and very effectuall to lift up the minde; To teach the childe ſo much to looke on it ſelfe, that afterwards it cannot looke of.

I remember a merry fellow, if he did intend hurt to any perſon, would then give him a rich ſute of apparell: AEutrapolus, cuicunque nocere volebat, veſtimenta dabat pretioſa. Hor. ſtrange kinde of injury, a man would thinke, but he found it a ſure way and certain to hurt; He ſhould finde his enemy looking work enough; he would ſo looke upon his fine coſtly cloathes, that he would forget the vileneſſe of his body; And, for the minde of this man, ſo prancked-up now, it would be as new and as gay as his cloathes, and then he would hurt him, ſure enough: For, this is a compendious way to take hurt, or a fall; To looke upon the cloathes, and forget a mans ſelfe, and his firſt principles. S^r. Thomas More tells us of a countrey, wherein the men went very plaine; but the children were as gay, as jewells, bracelets, and feathers would make them; It was his fiction, but it findes ſome realitie and truth amongſt us, with whom children are ſo decked up, and ſome alſo, who paſſe for, and walke as men; of whom, we may ſay, as the Prophet in a caſe not very different (for, they alſo laviſh gold out of the bag, to adorne their Idoll) Remember this, and ſhew your ſelves men. But ſure enoughIſa. 46. 8.Isa 46:8 our rule teacheth us otherwiſe, touching our children; That they are worſe truſted with ſuperfluities, till they have learnt from us, the nature, uſe and end of apparell; why it was firſt put on, and ſince continued.

In the meane time, an handſome, neat, but plaine dreſſe doth beſt, and is the ſafeſt garb. A wiſe man can ſee his way here, and guide himſelfe and his childe, between a cynicall affected plainneſſe, ſcanting themſelves; and a pageant like oſtentation, fomenting pride, and ſtrange conceits; aaReade Chryſoſt. upon Gen. 3. 1 verſ. 21. Hom. 18.Gen 3:1Abuſing that moſt fearefully, to moſt contrary ends, which God hath given to make us humble and thankfull. Our Proverbe forbids us to ſtirre up a ſleeping dogge; and the Greeks have another to the ſame purpoſe; We muſt not caſt p. 38up fire with a ſword; Both the one and the other teacheth us, not to foment, or ſtirre up corrupt nature, but, by all fittingforeign. Plut. de Educat. meanes, to keep it down, ſo may we prevent this evill. But we ſee the contrary is practiſed, we doe ſtirre fire with a ſword, we doe foment corrupt nature, by vain and phantaſticall faſhions; ſuch, as, if the Divell were in mans ſhape (they were the words of a grave and learned Divine) heD. G. could not be more diſguiſed then now, in mans cut and garb. A great and a provoking evill, this; our dutie is to prevent it, what may be, and betimes.

Here is a fit place to plant in the Grace of humilitie, lowlineſſe of carriage, how the viler a man is in his own eyes, the more gracious he will be in every mans eye beſides. The lower his deportment is (ſo it be in truth and ſinceritie, and not below himſelfe) the higher he is in true judgement. With the lowly is wiſedome; and the eye of the Lord is towards him for good. More fully this in the ſecond part.

But here, let the childe, have ſome old leſſons, with his new cloathes, for that is all, beſides his ſports, he takes delight in. It may be told, That as the man muſt honour theforeign, &c. Chryſ. ad pop. Am Hom. 19. VVe commend not an horſe for his trappings, nor muſt we a man for his clothes; what availeth a body well clad, and a ſoul naked? 1 Pet. 3. 3. Aug. confeſſ. lib. 1. cap. 7.1 Pet 3:3 houſe, not the houſe the man; ſo the perſon muſt put a grace upon his apparell, not the apparell upon the perſon. It is a poore ornament, and not worth the looking on, which is put-on, and off with the cloathes. The inward ornament is the grace indeed. And if the Parent ſhall intend principally, the beautifying of the inward man, his own, and his childes, he ſhall reap the comfort of both. And ſo much to the firſt, which ſheweth my ſcope, to propoſe a way onelyonly, not to determinate the ſame.

2. There is a ſpice of this pride, which ſhews it ſelfe in children before their teeth, in a froward ſtubborn carriage. The Parent muſt be as ſpeedy in obſerving what ſignes the childe gives hereof, either in words or geſture (thereby it is declared very much): And he muſt leave nothing remaining (ſo farre as he can help) of this yron ſinew; out with it, and ſpare him not; The childes future good, and the Parents comfort depend upon it. Let him ſee and feele, that it is very p. 39unprofitable and bootleſſe, to be ſullen, froward, obſtinate: leave him not till he be as ſoft as a pumpion, that is the counſell, and the way to prevent this evill, which will make him as unfit to rule hereafter, as he is to obey now.

The Parent muſt be very watchfull and active here; but now remembring he looks upon his owne picture, as was ſaid, his own Image right. Now heart anſwers heart, as face to face in water, or in Chryſtall; And therefore, we ſhall the leſſe feare the fathers paſſion. All compaſſion will be uſed, which is neceſſary and required; And ſo the ſtubborn ſpirit, which worketh all our woe, as was ſaid, may be taken down, through Gods bleſſing, who is lookt up unto; for that, w^ch is crooked, no man can make ſtraight: And the contrary, grace may be inſtilled and inforced, I meane, gentleneſſe ofVt ameris ama. Mar. carriage, meekneſſe of behaviour; oh how winning, how commendable it is! Love is the whet-ſtone of Love, an attractive thereof ^a; I will tell thee, ſaid one, how thou maiſt make another love thee without a love-potion; aaEgo tibi monſtrabo amatorium, ſine medicamento, &c. Si vis amari, ama. Senec. epist. 9. If we would be beleeved, we muſt live honeſtly: If we would be beloved, we muſt love heartily; Iſid. Peluſit. lib. 2 epiſt. 148.Be pleaſing and loving to others, and thou ſhalt have love againe. A meeke and loving carriage, will win the love, and draw the eyes of all unto us (as a cleare Sun-ſhine upon a faire Diall) where as, a rough, ſtout, and boyſterous nature, doth thruſt out a rough and haſty hand againſt every man, and will finde every mans hand as boiſterous, and rough againſt him; but gentleneſſe ſinks into the heart and wins it, makes the cleareſt Demonſtration of a Gentle-man. Others may aſſume the name, but it is the Gentlemans right, his, whom gentleneſſe, calmeneſſe, ſweetneſſe of carriage doth denominate.

There are other meanes to work and mould the ſpirit this way, which I cannot thinke of, but we muſt remember ſtill, that there is no way like this; The looking up to the Lord, the ſpreading this crookedneſſe and peremptory bent of nature, before Him, who onelyonly can ſubdue it, and ſet it ſtraight. But the Parent muſt do his part, elſe God is lookt-up unto in vaine. He muſt ſet the 21 chapter of Deut. before the childe, there to reade the puniſhment of a ſtubborn childe. He muſt p. 40informe him, how unſociable a Nabal-like diſpoſition isaa1. Sam. 25. 17. Latrant, non loquuntur; Cic. Brut. pag. 161. fol. Stridet non loquitur. Cal. epiſt. 339.1 Sam 25:17; How bb2. Sam. 23. 6, 7. Vt ſpina, ex quacun que parte con ſpexeris, habet aculeos: Sic ſervus Diabo…. Chryſoſt. in Matt. 7. Hom. 9. lat. aut.2 Sam 23:62 Sam 23:7Matt 7untractable ſuch a perſon, who is of the nature of a thorne. But above all things the Parent muſt bid the childe behold; how God raiſeth valleys, and takes down hills; Repreſſeth the preſumptuous, and giveth grace to the modeſt.

3. Spare not the childe for his lye; children are ſtrangely addicted to it, becauſe they are children and underſtand not; he is a childe, though a man threeſcore yeers old, that uſeth it. It is the winding crooked courſe; the very going of the ſerpent, which goeth baſely upon the belly, and eats the duſt. There is no vice doth more uncover a man to the world, and covers him with ſhame; It out-faces God, and ſhrinks from man; and what can be more childiſh? It unmans a man, debaſing his glory, and making it his ſhame: It makes a man moſt unlike God, moſt like the Divell. I know not how a Parent can diſpoſe of a lying childe; he is unfit for any ſocietie. We take more content with our Dog, then with one, whoſe language we underſtand not, ſaithDe Civi…. li…. 18. cap. 7. Auſtin; I adde, And then with one, whoſe words we cannot truſt: A Parent muſt labour hard for the rooting out of this evill. He may tell the childe; That God is truth, And that He commands and loves the ſame in His creatures, and in our converſe one with another; That He ſees the ſecrets of mans heart, and will bring every ſecret thing to judgement: The Parent may ſhew the childe, as on a theater, Gods judgements on lyers; how quick and ſharpe God hath been againſt this abuſe of the Tongue, puniſhing it with Leproſie, and ſudden death. And that He hath allotted to lyers a place without, amongſt Dogs: becauſe they have abaſed themſelvesReve. 22. 15.Rev 22:15 below men, &c.

But perhaps the rod is the onelyonly thing, which yet the childe feares, and underſtands, and let him feel it now for the preventing of this great evill, but yet ſo handle the childe that it may not run further into the thicket, and ſhift the more, as he, we ſpake of, did into the houſe; Thereby the childe will be the more hardened againſt the next time. A childe hath no more wit but to think as too many old p. 41folk do, That an evill is cured with an evill; which, as one ſaith, is a moſt abſurd conceit, there being no remedie againſtIſid. Peluſ lib. 2. epiſt. 145. foreign, &c. Iſid. the evill of ſinne, this ſpecially, but confeſſion, and repentance; Therefore handle the child with great diſcretion at this point. And let the childe finde ſome profit in ſpeaking the truth, and incouragement that way; that, if poſſibly, it may be prevailed with by gentle meanes. Children that will not lie, ſo He was their Saviour, Iſa. 43. 8. A parent may hit on a better way then I can point unto him; many waies he muſt try; and I am confident, nothing will more poſe him, then the way to take, whereby to pluck downe the childes ſtomack, and to fetch out his lye. And yet, in caſe he cannot do both, ſpecially the latter, he will be poſed as much, how to diſpoſe this childe for afterwards. The Lord direct the Parent, and bleſſe the childe.

4. Suffer not the childe to be idle, nor vainely imployed; keepe him in exerciſe and in breath. Accuſtome him to fitting and moderate labour in the morning of his life, and of the day. Labour is the pickle of vertue, it keeps our facultiesLabor muria vn tutum. of body and ſoule, ſweet and freſh, as the pickle keeps fiſh or fleſh. Idleneſſe and ſloth, like ſtanding waters, putrifies. It is the very ruſt and canker of the ſoule; The Divels cuſbion, Hic motus aquas maris à putreſactione tuetur, Magir.his very Tide-time of temptation, wherein he carries with much eaſe, the current of our corrupt affections, to any curſed action: The very houre of temptation, wherein Satan joynes with our imaginations, and ſets them about his work to grinde his greeſe: for, the ſoul, as a mill, either grindes that, which is put into it, or elſe works upon it ſelf, our imagination, is the ſoules firſt wheele, ever turning, and naturally, it is evill continually; and yet, as that moveth, ſo the other wheeles ſtirre; we are ever weaving Spiders webbs, or hatching Cockatrices Egs, that is, naturally, we are alwayes imagining vanitie or miſchiefe. Therefore it is good and ſafe to finde the minde imployment, and imployment to good purpoſe: for an unimployed life (like a Serving-man, whoſe only worke is to hold a trencher, and carry a cloake) will p. 42prove a burden to it ſelfe, or to the earth that ſupports and maintaineth it.

We muſt look to this betimes in children, by giving them fitting worke, and uſing them to ſome hardneſſe, elſe the inconveniences will not be ſmall. I have obſerved, when a childe, put forth to learne a Trade, could not indure the toyle (for every labour is a toyle to him, whoſe chiefe work was to lye by the fire, or in the ſtreet, and field taking his pleaſure) ſo home he returnes, to his pottage, and bread and butter, whence he had his growth, and the worſt part of his breeding. This kinde of Culture, will cauſe an infection, which, if it takes the childe now, will not out of the bone hereafter: it is the diſeaſe, the ſturdy beggar complained of, but when he was ſearched (for ſo he was) it was found to be idleneſſe. Camerarius hath that pleaſant Story (ſo he calls it) in his 16 Chap. and it may teach us ſo much in earneſt; That, if we imploy not our children when they be young, they will make head againſt our deſignes, when they are growne up; and chooſe rather to beg then to worke. Let the childe heare often that of the Wiſeman, He that is ſlothfull in his work, is brother to him that is a great waſter. And thatProv. 18. 9.Prov 18:9 alſo, cap. 22. 29. Seeſt thou a man diligent is his buſineſſe? he ſhall ſtand before Kings: he ſhall not ſtand before mean men. And it will not be amiſſe, if the father take the childe by the hand, and ſo go together unto the Ant, that they may conſider Prov. 6. 6. Parvula, nam exemplo eſt, &c. Hor. Ser. lib. 1. Sal. 1. See Chryſoſt. ad pop. Antio. Hom. 12.Prov 6:6her wayes & be wiſe, for ſo they are commanded. Let the child often heare the Apoſtles rule, 2. Theſſ. 3. 10. If any will not worke, neither ſhould he eate. And let him underſtand, what the Apoſtles meaning is. Eph. 4. 28. Let him that ſtole, ſteale no more, but rather let him labour, &c. Remembring ſtill; that the childes calling, is, to fit him for a calling; and his work, to fit him for both, for his calling, and labour in his calling, Job 6. 7.Job 6:7whereto he is borne, as the ſparks flye up-ward. Other notes there are of ordinary obſervation, which a childe may obſerve, from himſelfe and the creatures about him; All the members of the body are active in their places, for the good p. 43of the body; and all the creatures aaforeign, &c. Chryſost. Tom. 6. in vet. Teſt. pag. 54 2.in their courſes ſerve for the good of man; how unreaſonable and unbeſeeming a thing is it, That onelyonly man ſhould be a ſlug, amidſt ſo many monitors, which call upon him for diligence? Beſides, God is a pure Act alwaies doing, I and my Father worke hitherto; And the liker we are to Him, the more we are verſed in well-doing. But remember this, and you have all; That **Math. 25. 26.Matt 25:26wicked and ſlothfull go together.

5. Looke well with whom the childe doth converſe; There is a companion bbLege Iſid. Peluſ. lib. 3. epiſt. 124. & lib. 4. ep. 35., whoſe words fret like a gangrene, and corrupt like a plague ſore, from whom the childe receivesan impreſſion quickly, which will not quickly out again. If the Ayer be infectious; if the place not wholſome, we will remove our children quickly: we are not ſo carefull for their ſouls, ſaith Chryſoſt. ccDe Vit. Mon. lib. 3. cap. 7.but that is our great blame, for the breath of a wicked companion is more contagious, then is unholſome Ayer. Above all things avoyd that peſt or plague of the minde, bad company ſaith Lyp ddAnte omnia peſtes illas animorum ſodales malos. Cent. 1. ep. 78. & 82.. The companion of fooles (that is of wicked men) ſhall be deſtroyed eeProv. 13. 20.Prov 13:20. A wicked man (he is ever the foot in Scripture phraſe) continuing a foot, that is, in his wickedneſſe, ſhall be deſtroyed, that's out of doubt. But why; The companion of fooles? that's the doubt and All the queſtion. The anſwer is eaſie, for, The companion of a foole, will be a foole, he will learne folly, it needs no queſtion, for wiſedome hath ſpoken it. It is an old ſaying and true, we cannot come fairely off, from ffforeign. Epict. foreign, &c. Theog.foule company. We muſt ſtill remember, Evill words corrupt good manners. Evill ſoakes into the heart by the eare, and eye, as water into wooll; like a teare ggRemovenda ab aſpectu ne tanquam lachryma ab oculis in pectus cadant. Strad. lib. 1. Prolus. 3. p. 719., it falls from the eye downward upon the breaſt. hhforeign, &c.Plutarch in the life of Demetrius hath an excellent obſervation; I note it, becauſe it cometh double to a Chriſtian. The old Spartans were wont, upon feſtivall dayes, to make their ſervants drunk (whom they called Ilotae) and to bring them in before their children, that to their children might beware of that diſtemper, which takes away the Man, and leaves a Swine in the roome. The Author Cenſures this cuſtome, and that in the obſervation; (We p. 44do not think this an humane correction of a vice, which is ſo prepoſterouſly taken, from ſo depraved a faſhion and diſtemper. It cannot become a man; It is not a man▪ like conceit, to thinke, that a childe will learne temperance, by obſerving intemperance, ſo farre out of Plutarch. Wickedneſſe is both more inſinuative, and more plauſible then vertue; eſpecially, when it meets with an untutored Iudge, &c. ſaith Biſhop Hall. It is certain, A bada Cenſure of Travel. ſect. 3. ſee ſect. 4. example hath much more ſtrength to draw unto ſinne, then a good example hath to draw unto vertue, as one will draw faſter down-hill, then foure can draw up, which tells us the reaſon alſo; our naturall bend and weight tends, and doth Bias us, that way bbOmne in praecipiti vitium ſtetit. Juv.. And thence it is, that one bad companion (which was the old complaint) teacheth more evill, then foure inſtructors good ccPlus nocet Gorgias quam prodeſt Cratippus. Our nature is like unto fire, which if there be any infection in a roome, draws it ſtrait to it ſelfe: or like jet, which omitting all precious objects, gathers up ſtraws and duſt. D^r. H. Cenſure of Travell. ſect. 21. Corrupt diſpoſitions, out of a naturall fertilitie, can both beget and conceive evill alone, but if it be ſeconded by examples, precepts, incouragements, the Ocean it ſelfe hath not more ſpawn; Ibid. Vt aqua in areolâ digitum ſequitur praecedentem: ita aetas mollis flexibilis, & quocunque duxeris, trahitur. Hier. lib. 2. epiſt. 16. p. 201. Vix artibus honeſtis pudor retin…tur, nedum inter certamina vitiorum. Tacit. An. 14. 4.. Servants teach children much hurt, I mean, ſuch (for I have no low eſteeme of any office in an houſe, be it never ſo low and drudging) who caſt off their Lords ſervice, and ſerve the baſeſt maſter in the world; ſuch, who (as S^r. Tho. More ſaith) are worſe then old lumber in an houſe; They do not fill up a roome only, but do much ill ſervice; A childe with ſuch foule companions, fits as ill, as the Fuller with the Collier, it will be blackt with them; They will be alwaies opening their rotten wares before it, ſo impoyſoning the childe with language as black as Hell: The childe is not ſafe in the Kitchin with theſe, but if the ſervant, he or ſhe, be good and faithfull; of a grave and wiſe deportment: Then the parent hath a Treaſure; and a good Spyall; He ſhall the better watch over his childe, and ſee into his diſpoſition.

6. There is a ſickneſſe of the fancie as well as of other faculties, and the diſtemper thereof is quickly ſhewen by the tongue, which is but one member, but a world of wickedneſſe; it quickly runnes out and commits a riot, and leaves us to wiſhing, that we could recall our ſelves, which (now the word is out) is as impoſſible, as to recall a bird upon p. 45her wing. It is good to look to this betimes in children; and, becauſe it is a childe and cannot ſpeak, teach it ſilence. And this the parent may teach himſelf and the childe under theſe notions.

† 1. That the tongue is called a mans glory; and, that it may be, as it is called, he muſt make his watch ſtrong▪ He muſt examine his words before they have leave to paſſe their barres, pale, or incloſure, (a minute after is too late) to what purpoſe they would out.

† 2. God muſt be looked up unto here; man hath made wilde creatures tame; but the tongue no man can tame. It is the Lord that muſt ſhut and ſeal this graves mouth (the throat is, naturally, an open ſepulcher) it is He that makes the watch ſtrong; if He keepe not the mouth, as well as the City, aaPſal 141. 3. See Trem.Ps 141:3then the watch is ſet in bbFragiles ſunt noſtrae ſerae, niſi Deus illas ſervaverit, &c. Chryſ. in Matth. 24. Hom. 51. lat tantum.Matt 24vain.

† 3. And as we muſt look up to God, ſo muſt we into our ſelves; this abundance is in the heart, as we read after ccSecond part. Pro. 4. 23.Prov 4:23; the heart is the well or ciſtern, whence the mouth fils and emptieth it ſelf. The heart muſt be kept with all diligence; We muſt keep that ſpring-head cleane, as we would do the fountain, whence we do expect pure and wholeſome water ddPſal. 141. 3. Trem.Ps 141:3; as the heart is the fountain of life, ſo is it of well-living, and of well-ſpeaking: with all obſervation keep the heart.

† 4. And this conſidering, how quickly a mans tongue enſnares him, expoſeth him to trouble, even to the will of the adverſary, who lieth at the catch, and layeth ſnares, and makes a man an offender for a eeIſa▪ 29 21. foreign, Eurip. Bac. pag. 14.Isa 29:21word; that man who hath no command of himſelf here, will be ſtill in the ffProv. 19. 19. Trem. reades it otherwiſe.Prov 19:19bryars; if you help him out to day, (ſaith the wiſeman, and it deſerved our mark) he will need your help again to morrow. If you deliver him, yet thou muſt do it again. Such ſnares our words are, which muſt be conſidered.

The wiſe mans ſaying is to be noted, ggProv. 14. 3. Trem.Prov 14:3In the mouth of the fooliſh is a rod of pride: that is, a fooliſh man carrieth ſtill about him, his feruler or laſh, which will put him to paine enough, becauſe he will ſpeak in the pride of his heart: And it is obſervable which follows; A fools mouth is his deſtruction, p. 46Chap. 18. 7.and his lips are the ſnare of his ſoul. A ſlip with the foot doth not offend us ſo much, as may a ſlip with the tongue. And yet a ſlip of the foot hath ſlipt the legge out of joynt, and cauſed much pain; but a ſlip with the tongue hath cauſed ſhame and ſorrow both. Therefore he wrote well to his friend, that told him; You had better fall in your floore, or pavement, Iſid. Peluſ. 1. Epiſt. 459then by your tongue. An hurt by a ſudden fall may be quickly cured; but a fall by a raſh word hath ſo broken a man, that he could never be reſtored, ſet ſtraight and in joynt again; his raſhneſſe hath been his ruine; not his rod onelyonly, as we heard, but his deſtruction, as we have read, and known: which may be wiſely conſidered by the wiſe in heart, for it is not in the Philoſophy of fools to conſider, that an unbridled tongue is ſtorme-like, ſudden, violent, and devowring, which ſinks our ſhip quickly, or precipitates us upon the rock of offence. It is an ordinary expreſſion in Homer, but of no ordinarie uſe, What a word hath paſſed, the barres, rampier, or pale of foreign Vallum aut clauſtrum dentium.thy teeth? imploying thereby and teaching, That our teeth are ſet, not ſo much to chew our meat, as for a trench, wall, or double pale of Ivory about our tongue, to reſtrain, compreſſe and ſtop our words, leſt we utter them raſhly, before right reaſon and judgement have given a worthy paſſe unto them.

† 5. We muſt conſider alſo, that we muſt give an accountEſt aliquid quod ex magno viro vel tacente proficias. Aliquis vir bonus eligendus, & ante oculos habendus, ut ſic tanquam illo ſpectante vivamus. Sen. Epiſ. 11. leg. Cl. Alex. Paed. l. 3. c. 5. foreign. Strom. l. 7. 523. 2. Chro. 16. 9.2 Chr 16:9 count of every idle word, and that to Him, who ſeeth not as man ſeeth, therefore ſet we our ſelves ſtill as in His preſence; the maine and chief help. The Heathen man would ſay, It were good for a young man to think ſome ſage and grave Cato were at his elbow, over looking his actions, and hearing his words, that would awe him; How much more then, ſhould the eye of the Lord awe us, which runnes too and fro throughout the whole earth, to ſhew▪ himſelf ſtrong in the behalfe of them, whoſe heart is perfect towards Him? That's very moving, which Laban ſaid to Iacob: we are now upon parting, no man is with us, here is none to witneſſe what hath paſſed betwixt us, but this heap, and that is but a dead remembrancer: but the Lord▪ watch between me and thee, p. 47when we are abſent one from another; if thou ſhalt do ſo and ſo, no man is with us, ſee God is witneſſe betwixt me and thee. Nothing ſhould ſo much awe us, as that God is witneſſe of our words, if we conſider he doth watch over us, we will make our watch ſtrong, and not lightly offend with our mouth. And ſo much to teach us ſilence till we know how to ſpeak. The brief of that, which concerns the inſtruction of the child, is but this ſhort leſſon. Suffer not thy childe to ſpeak vainly, much leſſe wickedly, where-to it is very prone. Looſe words will quickly produce looſe actions aaforeign. Cl. Paed l. 2. c. 6. foreign. Stro. l▪ 1. p. 205.. Therefore give not liberty to much babling, there will be much folly; a ſea of words (as the proverbe is) but not one drop of reaſon ^b; and it leadeth to a very bad cuſtome. Remember the Preachers leſſon; Speak, **Eccleſ 327. foreign. Paed. lib. 2.young man, if there be need of thee, (thats the Rule to judge, when ſpeech is better then ſilence) and yet ſcarcely when thou art twice asked. If then it be a daughter, let her words be anſwers; ſilence ^d is a womans virtue, and there is no danger **foreign. Strom. l. 2. p. 285.there. So ſhe may learn to open her mouth with wiſedome eeProv. 31. 26.Prov 31:26, and then ſhe ſhall have joy by the anſwers of her mouth: for a word ſpoken in due ſeaſon, how good is it ffProv. 15. 23.Prov 15:23?

7 A parent muſt look to it, that an oath be not heard from the mouth of a childe; he will learn it ſooner then he will his prayers. From his mouth, it is like a word clothed with ggEccleſ. 23. 12.Sir 23:12death. Here the Father is, as he is in every thing, very exemplary, the childe muſt honour the father, and the father owes a reverence to the childe hhMaxima debetur pueris rever…ntia Juven., the elder ſort muſt carry themſelves reverently before youth; and in this point very circumſpectly, or elſe there is no hope but that the childe will practiſe, as he heares and ſees. Therefore our Lords prohibition muſt hold in the parent, elſe the childe will be looſe and runne out. Sweare not at iiMatth 5. 34.Matt 5:34all; not at all willingly, but forced by kkVel authoritate deferentis, vel duritie non credentis.authority, or incredulity; not at all, raſhly or lightly; not at all by the creature, we cannot make the leaſt that is, and if we uſe any thing in a vain and light manner, whereby God hath made Himſelf known to man, we take His name in vain, and we know what follows. I cannot but p. 48remember how often that golden-mouthed Father warnes the people of Antioch, That they ſweare not, that they beware of oathes. It is the cloſe almoſt of every Homily. And in one place, he ſpeaks very plainly, and to a childes capacity, Away, away with this wicked cuſtome of oaths, and let us give but ſo much honour to Gods Name, as we do unto our beſt clothes; it is our manner to reſerve them for ſolemne times, for ſpeciall ſervice: Good friends, let us not ſo farre contemne our own ſouls, and their everlaſting welfare; as that we uſe the terrible Name of God more diſhonourably, then we will our clothes. So that Father. All meanes muſt be taken, wherebyHom. 9 foreign. the childe may conceive the Name of God aright, to be, as it is, dreadfull and terrible. And leſſer things muſt be avoided, though they were not evill in themſelves, to prevent an evill, whereto they lead. Our Lords following words yeeld us our leſſon; Let your communication be yea, yea, nay, nay. I think of the Fryars note here, it is a good one; When the heart ſaith yea, then the tongue muſt ſay yea, that is yea, yea: and when the heart ſaith nay, then the tongue muſt ſay nay, that is nay, nay. aaQuod affirmatis nude affirmetis, quod negatis, nudè negetis.Bezaes note is to that very purpoſe, What ye do affirme, ye muſt affirm heartily, clearly, without reſervation, (a Popiſh ſleight bbLatebra perjurio Cic li. 3. pag. 143. Quae dixeris juraſſe puta.) in all ſincerity; and what ye do deny, deny it ſo too.

An ccforeign. Iſid. Peluſ. l. 2. Ep. 146. foreign. Clem. Alex. 7. p. 527, 528.honeſt mans word is as good as his oath, & of more credit. For a man to uſe his faith and troth (two ordinarie words) ſheweth a man hath no credit, for he ſets his jewels to pawne; if he had faith indeed, or truth either, or knew how pretious they were, he would not be ſo laviſh of them. Yea. yea, muſt be enough; Nay, nay, ſufficient, unleſſe the cauſe be weighty, and before a Iudge, as was ſaid, and if ſo to a parent, much more to a childe. Aſſuredly, for Chriſt hath ſaid it, Whatſoever is more then theſe, cometh of evill.

† 8. And here I do not hold it any impertinency, to teach the childe (for the Fathers ſake) as before, to hold his tongue, till he hath examined his words, and their errand: ſo here, to give words their weight, that being ſpoken, they meant what they ſaid.

p. 49A wiſe man lookes **foreign. Hom. Iliad. foreign.before he leaps, and well adviſeth before he ſpeaks but when he hath ſpoken, he will not think he hath done: We hold it a foule diſgrace if a man ſhall give us the lie; we muſt not put that diſgrace upon our ſelves, ſuffering our actions to diſagree with our words, which is to give our ſelves the lie. Lelius paſſeth a ſhort cenſure upon Cato and Socrates, but he makes a wide difference in their commendations. We have heard much from the mouth of the one, we have obſerved more from the hand of the other. **Hujus enim facta, illius dicta laudantur.The one mans words are commended, the other mans deeds. Bodin giveth a ſhorter cenſure, but no commendations upon that holy-father, Pope Alexander the ſixth, and Borgias his ſonne, The father never ſpake what he meant, The ſonne never did what he ſpake. Their Maxime was, Give thy word to all, Keep touch with none; And this was Dare verba indeed, in plain Engliſh, Knaverie by your leave. An honeſt man will not paſſe his word lightly, no not for himſelf, much leſſe for another, for then he takes the ready and rode-way to need the ſame courteſie from another. But when his word is paſſed, he holds it as firm as his oath. Shew me a man, that makes light of his words, and I will ſhew you the ſame man, that he puts no weight in his oath: if he breakes his word with you, no bands aaforeign Pind.will hold him, except one, that hath his hand in it; and the reaſon thereof is plain, becauſe he knows that is a manuduction to the priſon; he will hold with you there, becauſe he knows, if he do not, that the priſon will hold him, for that is a ſtrong hold. Remember we, that we hold it the greateſt indignitie in the world, if a man can do to us, as ſome-time he will threaten, if he can make us Eat our own words; Beware we, that we do not put this diſhonour upon our ſelves, which we could not brook from another. Of all beaſts, we have them in greateſt deteſtation, who devoure their own young (ſuch beaſts there are;) our words, what are they, but the iſſue of our own mouth? And if we reſume and recall them, what do we other then eat and devoure our own off-ſpring?

p. 50And hence a childe will learn (it is not too ſubtill for him) to deteſt their Religion, who doctrinally bbQui dogmatizant mendacia.teach; That words, how ſolemnly ſo ever pronounced, are like Gypſies knots, faſt or looſe at the Churches pleaſure, no faith, no keeping touch with any, but as it maketh for advantage: ccNulla fides n…ſi prout expedit.No; what ſay they to the three yeares famine? That is a reſolved caſe. 2. Sam. 21. ſo is that alſo, Ezek. 17. 16. 17, 18, 19. very worth the noting. And we learn too, what Pharaoh teacheth by the light of nature, ſaying thus to Ioſeph, Sith thy Father hath made thee ſweare concerning the place of his buriall, by all meanes go up and bury thy Father ddGen 50. 5. 6.Gen 50:5Gen 50:6. But let us mark that, which is moſt remarkable, that, which is to be wiſhed were forgotten, but it cannot be. How God hath reproved this breach of covenant from heaven, witneſſe that ſad, ſore and grievous ſtroake, which by a Divine hand, was inflicted upon that King eeLewis King of Hungary. Vladiſlaus., and his whole Royall army, who made an oath, taken upon the holy Evangeliſt, for the concluding a peace with the Turkiſh Sultan ffHiſt. profan. Medul. p. 8 23., but a broker to unworthy ends; yet is an oath the greateſt ſecuritie that can be given, the onelyonly chaine on earth, (as one ſaith ggS. Dan. Henry third p. 167.) beſides love, to tie the conſcience of a man and humane ſocietie together. Mark we muſt alſo, in that ſtroake, that the like vengeance was remarkably executed upon the Cardinall, who abſolved the ſaid King from the ſaid oath: for being wounded unto death, he was found lying in the high way by Gregory Sanoſe, ready to give up the ghoſt, and ſeemed but to ſtay to take with him the bitter curſes of ſuch as paſſed by, flying from the battel, as the due reward of his perfidious abſolution. What will the Pope now (for the league was diſannulled by power from the Pope) or his Cardinalls, that now are (for it was by perſwaſion of Iulian a Cardinall) what will they ſay to this vengeance? to this ſad ſtroake? forLege Barcl. Euphor. 4. p. 360. & Aſch▪ Tox. p. 26. Pſal. 15.Ps 15 as that …reach of covenant was to the reproach of the Chriſtian name ever ſince; ſo was that vengeance to the infeebleing the Chriſtians arm to this very day. Beſides all this, we muſt remember the words that are ſo plain, A good man p. 51ſpeaketh the truth from his heart, and though he ſwear to his hurt, yet he changeth not; what ſay they to all this? Nay, I cannot tell, nor themſelves neither: But this we can tell, It is as familiar for them to eat their words, as it is to drink bloud; they are infamous all over the world for both; iiSee M^r Bolton direct. pag. 232.therewith they are filled as a bottle with wine; Drunk with the bloud of the Saints. Tell the childe this, he may underſtand it, and ſo underſtand it, that he will never look back to this Sodom, never return to that Aegypt; for a ſilly fiſh (the Naturaliſts ſay) will not come to a bloudy hook.

Now for us men, if we ſhew our ſelves men, we have from hence made Davids concluſion; I have ſworn and I will perform kkPſal. 119. 106.Ps 119:106it: when we have ſworn, when our words are within that incloſure, we dare not break-out, we will perform, we are fully purpoſed ſo to do, if in licitis; llJuramentum non debet eſſe vinculum iniquitatis. Zanch. de Sponſ.if not, we know the rule: Remember we muſt ſtill what the Lord ſaith to David; for as to David, ſo to us, He hath ſworn to do His people good, yet do they provoke Him with many unkindneſſes and much hard uſage every day; and though they do ſo, ſo often break covenant with Him, yet will not He break covenant with them, nor alter the thing that is gone out of his lips mmPſal 89 34.Ps 89:34. This we muſt obſerve for our imitation, for they keep us from periſhing. And thus much, that parents may learn, and that they may teach their children how ſacred a bond an oath is.

§ † 9. We may obſerve children very abuſive one with another; they will ſeem not to know one the others name. Prevent this evil quickly in teaching them better manners; they have no excuſe for that fault, the childe knows his name, and who gave him that name, and wherefore? for diſtinction ſake he knows that he might call others, and be called by the ſame name. If a parent heare a Nick-name from a childes mouth, let the childe feel the parents hand. Tru…e, the abuſe is not light.

§ 10. We may obſerve them very quarrelſome, ſtriking one the other, and very commanding over ſervants, though, p. 52during 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 aaAug. 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. bbCic 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.Gen 1:21Nature 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 ſuch 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 ccEffraenate in me invecti ſunt, quaſi immiſſis vel excuſſis habenis. Job 30. 11.Job 30:11ſaith, 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 onelyonly faultie here, and that they did not learn it of their Elders, who, not onelyonly tooddforeign. 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 p. 53alſo, 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 p. 54even ſo? They conſider not, how ſoone God can witherChap. 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 eeDan. 5. 23.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 ffMatth. 27. 25.Matt 27:25even ſo it was; An heavy imprecation, and moſt heavy it lyeth upon them, even unto this day. It purſues them (ſaith ggTanquam ationitos & terrefactos.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 hhJoh. 7. 30.John 7:30nor trample under foot the Sonne of God, counting the bloud of the covenant an unholy thing iiHeb. 10. 29. Ch…yſoſt. ſpeaks ſadly, touching this abiding wrath upon the Jewes, and the cauſe of the ſame. 1. Tom. Hom. 37. orat. 4.Heb 10:29; for as that bloud, being ſprinkled on the upper doore-poſt, that is, on our hearts, ſpeaks better things then the bloud of Abell; ſo, being rejected and deſpiſed, as bloud caſt on the threſhold and under foot kkMr. Ainſw. Exod. 12. 7.Exod 12:7, it ſpeaks the ſoreſt wrath: witneſſe the example we p. 55are now upon, I meane the judgement of the Iews, which is become a ſigne, conſpicuous to every eye, as a Banner diſplayed, or as Enſignes lifted up llNumb. 16. 10. Exemplum omnium oculis expoſitum, ut eſt erectum ſignum. Trem.Num 16:10.

† 3. There is a third example of a Knight, who ſuffred above twentie yeares ſince on Tower-hill. I will note what he ſpake to the people at that time, when it was time to be ſerious; for he was taking his laſt leave of them, and of the world; Thus he ſpake, I was a great gameſter, and ſtill haunted with ill luck; once and it was in France, having loſt a great ſum, I ſolemnly wiſhed, would I might be hanged if ever I played againe: I quickly forgot what I had ſo ſolemnly promiſed, and fell to my game again; But now, you all ſee, how God hath payed me home; a man, not likely to breath my laſt here, in ſo open a place: ſo ſadly ſpake, that ſad Gentle-man, at a ſad time, and as ſad a ſpectacle: And, with many good admonitions, and ſavoury expreſſions, he yeelded his body to the juſtice of the Law, and his ſpirit to Him who abundantly pardoneth; and ſo dyed, as one, that had hope in his death.

† 4. Dietericus, in his Poſtills mmFirſt part imprinted, 1631. p. 410. Colum. 2., tells us a yet ſadder example; not of his own knowledge, but from anothers Relation, of much eſteeme and credit with him, The Relation is this, A young Gentle-woman of good note and breeding, portion and proportion anſwerable, had ſet her affection upon a Gentle-man, but too low for her ranke, or not rich enough, in the friends eſteeme; yet, to aſſure the young man to her, and her ſelfe to him, ſhe ſolemnly wiſhed, The Divell take her, if ſhe marryed with any other. The parents ſhortly after found out a fitter match for their daughter of their own chuſing, for the other liked them not. I remember not well, how the maide was pleaſed, but the parents were, ſo the match was concluded: This we may note by the way; If the queſtion were put to parents, what ſway reaſon doth carry in the making of matches, I beleeve they that go for wiſe-men might be poſed, or elſe aſhamed to anſwer the truth: Affections doe ſway moſt with young perſons; p. 56Money, and ſuch by-reſpects, with the old; ſo the match is made, and the childe is undone (more of this in the ſecond part) the ſequell hereof was this; To Church the maide went with another (not her own chooſing) and, with the parents conſent, to him ſhe was married; home they return, and then to dinner; By that time they were ſet, there came two gallants to the gate, and, ſeeming well appointed for a wedding ſolemnitie, in they were brought and accordingly entertained; After dinner they had their dance, and theſe ſtrangers the favour to dance with the Bride. In the midſt of the dance (and ſo the Muſick was ſpoyled) away they whipt the Bride, the friends ſaw her no more, only her cloathes they found, for the Divell had no quarrell againſt them; ſo goes the Story, And if ſo, there was a feaſt turned into mourning, and a raſh wiſh paid home. Much credit is given to the relation; but this waight certainly it hath; To bid us beware of that adverſary, who, like a roaring Lion, ſeekes whom he may deſtroy, and waiteth but his commiſſion; when that is granted, he will be as quick, as he was with Iob, to the uttermoſt extent of his chaine. And yet, as if we never read any of all this, not how he hath tormented the body; not how he delights in the vexation and paine of the creature, in proud wrath; as if we had neither heard nor read this; both young and old, ſpeake as lightly of the Divell taking them, as if he were their familiar friend, and would uſe the creature kindly: And they ſpeake as lightly of damnation, as if periſhing for ever were nothing; and everlaſting burnings but a light matter, itLege Comerarium oper. ſucc. cap. 86. pag. 482. had no more heat in it, then a glow-worm: we have heard that, which bids us beware, and inſtructs the father and the childe very much. I have done with the tongue, that unruly member, which cauſeth our trouble, and commands our watch; Childrens hands muſt be obſerved alſo, as we partly heard, and now followeth.

§ 14. We may obſerve children ſpoyling much more then they eat, like calves, that make many orts. They cannot underſtand p. 57what a bleſſing they have in their hands, therefore they cannot priſe it. But looke to them herein, ſo ſhall you prevent a great evill, and a great provocation, the treading under foot Gods good creatures: In an houſe, where I once lived, the children had their trencher full, and their hands full, and mouthes full, all at once: Some was ſpilt on the ground, and ſome upon the trencher, for commonly childrens hands are ſo foule, that none will eate after them. The parents did not well obſerve it, and ſervants worſe. There was plentie, and where that is, it is hard to pick up crums; ſickneſſe came, and tooke away the parents; and the Pariſh the children, one friend takes one, and the ſecond another; at home was nothing, there had been too much ſpilt.

This may minde us of Chriſts rule, and practiſe, That the broaken meat be taken up, and nothing kept ſo ill, that it is not fit for the priſoners basket. We may alſo conſider, If God ſend us cleanneſſe of teeth (which we may feare) it will adde much to our ſmart, That we now want, what we once ſpilt, or ſuffred ſo to be, or worſe; That, when the fuller furniſhed our tables were, the fuller of vomit and filthineſſe they were; The fuller our paſtures, the more, like beaſts, we trod down with our feet, and kicked with our heele; The more Gods bleſſings were, the more we forgat the Giver; The more ſleightly we eſteemed, the more careleſly we caſt away the fruits of His bountie towards us: The parent muſt remember, and he muſt remember the childe of it often; That the hungry ſtomack calls out for bread, bread, and accounts it for dainties; Yea, unto that ſoule, every bitter thing is ſweet nnProv. 27. 7.Prov 27:7. Water out of the rocke is ooPſal. 81. 16.Ps 81:16honey to him. So Chryſoſtome enterprets thoſe words of the Pſalme, Ad pop. Ant. Hom. 2. But bread is daintie indeed, thats the ſtaffe of life, it is All. If bread be deare, that makes a deare yeare, how cheape ſo ever other things are, Though what is cheape, when bread is deare, unleſſe it be the needy-mans houſhold ſtuffe, his diſh, or his ſtoole, &c. his cloath, or his bed, or his mill-ſtone; any thing he hath, all he hath, ſhall go for bread ppVbi panis deſicit ibi omnia ſunt venalia.. p. 58Where you finde no bread in a houſe, there looke to finde nothing, but thin cheekes, hollow eyes, and a black viſage. All goes out there, that bread may come in. A man will ſell himſelfe for bread, qqGen. 47. 19.Gen 47:19Man hath eat the off all rrIngluvies cum interaneis. 2 King 6. 25. Trem.2 Kgs 6:25or garbage of Doves, that which we caſt to Dogs, but they will ſcarce eate it; Nay, man hath eat his own fleſh for want of bread. All theſe the ſacred Scripture tells us, and it is good to tell it the childe. It is proper alſo to tell the childe what our Chronicles do report; That in King William the ConqueroursReade D^r. Gouge D. D. p. 170. dayes, 1069. there was a dearth, which eat up the inhabitants, ſo that ſome part of the land was waſted without people, none left to till the ground for the ſpace of nine yeares: In that time of diſtreſſe we reade, they did eat mans fleſh. In King Henry the thirds dayes, in the eighteenth yeare of his raigne 1234, many periſhed for want of victualls. In the ninth yeare of Edward the ſecond, 1315. the extremitie was ſuch, that horſ-fleſh was accounted great cheare, and ſome eat their own children; and the theeves in priſon did pluck in pieces thoſe, who were newly brought in. In the yeare 1440. bread-corne was ſo ſcarce that the people made bread of Fern-roots. This dearth was in the eighteenth yeare of Henry the ſixt. In the eighteenth yeare of Henry the eighth, Corn-fields and paſture were deſtroyed by the much raine, which fell in November, and December: then it was dry till the twelfth of April, and from that day, it rained both day and night, till the third of Iune, whereby the famine was ſore the yeare following.

Many ſuch ſad ſtories there are, touching the extreamitie of famine; ſſLipſius de Conſtant. lib. 2. cap. 23.Lipſius hath ſome, ſo hath Euſebius cited by M^r. Brightman on Revel. 6. 8. D^r. ttApolog. lib. 2. ſect. 4.Hackwell hath ſome of theſe before mentioned, with an addition of ſome other; But we have all ſummed up together, in that ſad Relation out of the Palatinate. If this be laid to heart, many things will be reformed, which are now quite out of order; and amongſt many, this one; Parents or Governours, will take care, ſo far as is poſſible, That there be an humble, thankfull, p. 59ſober, vvIf we take what ſufficeth nature, it is nouriſhment, pleaſure, health; if more then ſufficeth, the contrary. Chryſoſt. ad Heb. cap. 12. Hom. 29.Heb 12temperate uſe of the creatures, ſo as they may refreſh, not oppreſſe; this will be their care; And they will looke to it alſo, that the broken meat be taken up, that the leaſt crum, which can be ſaved, be not loſt; no, not a crum.

§ 15. We that are by nature children of wrath, have in our nature ſo much fierceneſſe, as that we cannot credit nor beleeve it, though another ſhould ſhed teares over xx2 King. 8. 11. Virtutes & vitia non ſunt priuſquam laceſſantur.2 Kgs 8:11it, untill the foundations of our natures are diſcovered; The occaſion offered; and the reſtraint taken off. A ſwine will keep clean in a meadow; Lime will not ſmoake till you put water to it; A Lion ſleeps waking, with his eyes open; and wakes ſleeping, with his eyes ſhut: To look to, he is as gentle as a Lambe, but if you pluck him by the eare, he will pluck you by the arme, though he ſeemes to wink; ſtirre him, or let him looſe, then you ſhall know what he is yySolve Leonem & ſenties.. I meane by all this; That we know not our natures, how fierce they are, till we are tempted by the occaſion and ſo tried. Therefore we ſhould looke to it betimes, and be jealous over our own hearts; and reſtraine in children, whatſoever leads that way, I meane, to crueltie and fierceneſſe.

And then we ſhall not ſuffer children to delight themſelves, as commonly they do, in the vexation and paine of the creature, which, the more it is in their power, the more children will vexe the creature, to ſhew their power in the torture and paine thereof, witneſſe that rude cuſtome on Shrove-tueſday; witneſſe alſo our flyes, birds, Cats and Dogs, toſſed up in blankets, or ſet on furiouſly to encounter, mangle and enter-teare each other. Children conſider not by how weake ſupports, mans life is upheld; nor, how ſerviceable, the fleſh of ſome of them is, the blood of otherſome, and the excrements of a third, the moſt approved remedy for a ſore throat; This children conſider not, nor can they think, what ill blood ſuch bloody exerciſes do breed; They conſider not, that ſuch ſports leade to crueltie, whereby we come neereſt to the Divell, who delights in the paine of the creature.

p. 60It is a knowne ſtory, and to be obſerved; That a very proud King, delighted much in his childe hood, to put out the eyes of Quailes; This King carryed himſelfe afterwards, with ſuch pride and inſolency, that he had his denomination from it; and delighted himſelfe ſo much in crueltie and bloud, that the people expelled him out of their Citie and Countrey, with proteſtation never to receive any King againe: ſo they changed the name of their Government. An Emperour after him, delighted as much to ſee the entralls of flies, he killed as many as he could catch, and tooke his times for it: So the proverb was, The zzNe muſca quidem. Suet. Dom.Emperour had not ſo much as a flye neere him; This man (or rather beaſt in ſhape of a man) delighted as much in the ſhedding of Chriſtians blood, and as cruelly abuſed Gods Image, which he had ſhamefully caſt off. Indeed there are ſome men, who are cruell to Chriſtians, and kinde to Beaſts: But they have but the ſhape of men, they are aaLege Dialog. de bello ſacro p. 339.Beaſts indeed, and therefore do they eſteeme more of Beaſts, then of Chriſtians. It is ^b reported; that a Chriſtian Boy in Conſtantinople, Had like to have been ſtoned, for gagging in a waggiſhneſſe, a long billed fowle bbLo. Ver. Eſſay. 13. p. 67..

I would perſwade but this from hence, That children be not ſuffered to bathe their recreations in bloud, (as M^r. Bolton phraſeth it) Not to refreſh their tyred mindes with ſpectacles of crueltie, nor inured to behold rufull objects without horrour. No beaſt, they ſay, takes content, in the hurting of any other, except in the caſe of hunger or anger. They ſatisfie their appetite, and rage ſometimes with crueltie and bloud, but their eyes and fancies never.

It is a debaſing of humanitie below beaſts, to pleaſe the eye, I ſay not, in beholding one man teare and mangle another, but to ſee poore beaſts encountring each other, and mangling each other, being ſet on by man; we muſt not make Gods judgements and puniſhments of ſinne (for we made the beaſts wild, our ſinne put the enmitie betwixt the Woolfe and the Lambe ccQuis ſeras f… cit niſi tu. Mor. de verit. religionis. cap. 12.) the matter and object of our recreation.

p. 61Alas, ſinfull man (it is M^r. ddDirect. 156.Boltons patheticall expreſſion) what an heart haſt thou, that canſt take delight in the cruell tormenting of a dumbe creature? Is it not too much for thee to behold with dry eyes, that fearefull brand, which only thy ſinne hath impreſt upon it? but thou muſt barbarouſly alſo preſſe its oppreſſions, and make thy ſelfe merry with the bleeding miſeries of that poore harmleſſe thing, which in its kinde, is much more, and farre better ſerviceable to the Creator then thy ſelfe? Yet, I deny not, but that there may be another lawfull uſe of this Antipathy, for the deſtroying of hurtfull, and enjoying of uſefull creatures, ſo that it be without any taint, or aſperſion of crueltie on our part; or needleſſe tormenting of the ſilly beaſts.

It is a ſure note of a good man, He is mercifull to his beaſt. And it is worth our marke, That the Lord commands a mercy to a creature, perhaps not worth two farthings, and for this He promiſeth a great mercy, the like bleſſing, which is promiſed to them, who honour their father and mother: Deut. 22. 6, 7. If thou finde a birds neſt, &c. Thou ſhalt in any wiſe let the Dam go, and take the young to thee; That thou mayeſt proſper and prolong thy dayes. This is to lead to mercy, and to take out of our hearts crueltie (ſaith M^r Ainſworth) It is the leaſt of all in Moſes law, and yet ſuch a promiſe is annexed thereunto, as we heard; ſo true is that, which the learned Knight hath, The debts of merciemercy and crueltie ſhall be ſurely paid.

Think we on this, ſo we have our duty, and we ſhall teach our children theirs: and then, though the bloud of the creature be not ſpared, for we have dominion over it, yet it ſhall not be abuſed, nor ſhall we delight our ſelves in the pain of it, which tends to much evil, which we muſt by all means, and all too little, prevent, and at the firſt, while the minde is tender, and doth eaſily receive any impreſſion.

15. It is not poſſible to point at all the evils, whereof our corrupt nature is fruitfull; nor at all the meanes, whereby to prevent the growth of the ſame. I remember how eeAd D…m. foreign &c. foreign.Iſocrates concludes his oration ſo full of inſtructions; With all p. 62our diligence, we cannot overcome the pravitie and corruption of our nature. And yet, we muſt not ſit ſtill therefore, and do nothing at all, becauſe all we do, is too little. We muſt with the husbandman caſt up the ground, and caſt out the ſtones, and thorns, that is the order; and then caſt in the ſeed, that is our duty: And we muſt look up to an higher hand, who makes the ſeed to grow, that is a parents wiſdome. We muſt not forget the order, this plucking up theſe weeds firſt, where with our nature, like the ſluggards field▪ is over-run; which will ſo choake the ſeed, as that no fruit can be brought to perfection. The Greeks have a proverb, ſome what homely, but it teacheth very much, you muſt not put ffforeign Plut. d…educat.meat into a chamber-pot. This teacheth, that good inſtructions to a ſtubborn and corrupt heart, are as good meat to a foule ſtomack, the more we put in, the more we increaſe the diſtemper: We muſt look to the cleanſing the heart in the firſt place, the keeping that fountain clean, as we would the Spring-head, whence we would fetch pure water. I remember the reproof that was given to a very looſe companion, who yet would ſit very cloſe and attentive at a Philoſophers lecture It ggforeign. Aul. Gell. 17. 19.will come to nothing, (young man) which you take in, nay, it will rather hurt then do good, becauſe you have not looked to the cleanſing of the veſſel. And this reproof is the ſame in ſubſtance with that prohibition, which we finde Ier. 4. 3. 4. hhClem. Alex. Strom. lib. 1. p. 203..

When there is no pains taken for the cleanſing of the heart firſt, but we bring our old corrupted hearts, to new and holy leſſons, they agree no better then new wine and old bottles; all is loſt, the inſtructions ſpilt, and if any good purpoſes were, they vaniſh, like the morning dew, and the heart returns again, like the ſwine or the dogge: And the very reaſon thereof we have heard.

16. We may note now in the ſhutting up hereof; that we may abridge our way, and make it ſhorter, by leaving precepts, and propoſing examples: for theſe take beſt with children, and it is the more compendious and certain way. p. 63So the ſober maſter reproves his drunken ſervant; he bids him leade his horſe to the water; when the horſe had drunk and had ſufficient; he bids his ſervant make the horſe drink again, which when he aſſayed, but could not do, he thereby corrected his ſervant, as the verier beaſt. And ſo the old man in iiLib. 1. Ser. Sat. 4. inſ…vit pator optimus hoc me &c.Horace deales with his young ſonne; for, diſſwading him from the vices, and ſinnes of the time, he propoſeth ſuch unto him, whoſe ſinne had been their ruine. See, childe, yonder poore ragged fellow; it is very truly obſerved of him, that he was a very bad husband of his time and purſe, he caſt away his time, as a worthleſſe commoditie, and his money as if it could never be ſpent; now he would recall both, but cannot. Learn thou by his example to account time pretious, and well to husband both it and thy purſe. Learn alſo to put a fitting eſteem upon thoſe creatures, which are appointed for thy nouriſhment and refreſhing; for this fellow, whom you heare crying out for one bit of bread and one drop of drink, was wont, having plenty of both, to tread his bread under foot, and to caſt his drink in the ſtreet. Behold another, he goes creeping by the wall, nothing but skin and bone, a loathſome carkeiſe, he rots above ground; It is truly obſerved of him, that he minded nothing but his pleaſure; he would do whatſoever was pleaſing in his eyes, and now, that his light is conſumed to the ſocket, and going out in a ſnuffe, and pains are upon him, he mourns. But now behold a third; ſee how well furniſhed he is; every way accompliſhed, a companion for the beſt man in the pariſh; he hearkened to inſtruction and was wiſe. After this manner the old man inſtructed his ſonne by way of example, and that wayExemplis vitiorum quaeque notando. 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.