The Honor Due from Children, Title page – To the reader
A FRUITFULL AND USEFULL DISCOURSE TOƲCHING The Honour due from Children to Parents, and the duty of Parents towards their Children.
WHEREIN, Both the Reſpective duties of Children to Parents, and of Parents to Children, are cleared from Scripture, together with what may either further or hinder the ſame; And the failings and ſins of either againſt the other; together with the manifold cauſes thereof, are diſcovered; which are accordingly applyed and preſſed.
By Thomas Cobbet Miniſter of the Word at Lyn in New-England.
Epheſ. 6 2
Honour thy Father and thy Mother (which is the firſt Commandement with promiſe.)
Verſ. 3.
That it may be well with thee, and that thou maiſt, live long upon the earth.
Verſ. 4.
And ye Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Levit. 19. 3.
Ye ſhall fear every man his Mother, and every man his Father.—
LONDON, Printed by S. G. for John Rothwell, at the Bear and Fountain in Cheap-ſide. 1656.
THE EPISTLE TO THE READER.
Chriſtian Reader,
THis diſcourſe was at firſt intended onelyonly for the private uſe of our own Congregation; but by the requeſt of ſome, it is now comming into publique view, and ſo to thy hand. When the ſeed was firſt ſown here, the Lord was pleaſed to give a bleſſed hanſell of his grace, and ſome ſprinklings of firſt fruits thereof: may he now pleaſe to bleſs the produce of that ſeed, which now is ſcattering in a large field, with a more plentifull harveſt-bleſſing in thy heart in ſpeciall, and in hearts of many others, by thy means, the unworthy ſeeds-man ſhall account himſelf well appayed, and abundantly rewarded. According as the ſubject perſons firſtly concerned in the diſcourſe, are all ſorts of perſons, ſtanding in the relation of children, and ſo children in years alſo, as well as perſons of riper Age, ſo the ſtile and phraſe is familiar and plain: children needing no ſuch high-flown, quaint, & new-coyned words as are even too much in uſe, now adayes, both in Preſs and Pulpit; but rather the plaineſt expreſſions, and eaſieſt to be underſtood. OnelyOnly remember alſo, Courteous Reader, that under the notion of children, in the diſcourſe, are underſtood, all ſuch as are in the relation of children, whether Adult perſons, or children in Age; thou maieſt alſo, Chriſtian Reader, frequently meet with the very ſame Scriptures quoted in the diſcourſe, but let not that offend thee, ſince for thy benefit, thoſe rich veines of ſpirituall mine, are but further ſearched into, to find out yet more and more treaſure, according as there is various need, and vſe thereof; and thoſe lively Oracles of God are often conſulted withall, to ſee what further of the Lords mind they hold forth, in variety of Caſes. The main heads alſo of the diſcourſe, they are obvious to every eye, touched upon by divers expoſitors upon the Commandements, and hinted alſo in many worthy Catechiſes: but neither let this be any ſtumbling block to thee, but peruſe this diſcourſe alſo, and read it over with a teachable heart; and thou maieſt find (I truſt, through grace) ſome peculiar bleſſing ſuperadded by the Lord, even upon this diſcourſe alſo. Who knoweth not, that mans dull and deceitfull heart, will not oftimes be moved with generals, and common heads of holy doctrine, or practice, lightly touched upon, but when drawn out into particulars, and thoſe being diſtinctly handled, wiſely applyed, and ſtrongly urged and preſſed upon the conſcience, the ſtrong holds of ſin and Satan, in man, come to be thrown down, through the power of God accompanying the ſame; every deceitfull reaſoning of mans heart is met withall, and refuted; and every high thing in man, which did formerly exalt it ſelf againſt Chriſt, is, by grace, captivated and ſubdued. Surely, if the plain matters herein diſcourſed of, may have that privilege, in reference to the ſoul, which meats of more common and ordinary uſe have, in reſpect to the body, namely to nouriſh moſt, and to breed the beſt blood, the diſcourſe will attain one ſpeciall end thereof. The ſubject of this diſcourſe (Chriſtian Reader) it is, in the naturo thereof, Oeconomicall, reſpecting the Family, ſpecially; but in the conſequences and concernments thereof, it may not be unfitly termed. Politicall, yea Eccleſiaſticall; as that, namely which very nearly reſpecteth, and concerneth the welfare of State and Church. The glorious creator of all things, having abundance of Spirit, he could at firſt, and at once, have made millions of people, who might preſently have conſtituted civill ſtates and Churches alſo: but he choſe that courſe rather, to lay the foundations both of State and Church, in a family, making that the Mother Hive, out of which both thoſe ſwarms of State and Church, iſſued forth. And as he begun both State and Church Entitative and Eſſentiall, in Adams Family; ſo, when God himſelf would inſtitute a more compleat and Organick Church, and Common-wealth, he laid the foundations of both in the Family of Abraham, and Iſaac, eſpecially of Jacob; the Originall Family of all, conſiſting of Parents and Children, firſtly; then of Maſters and Servants nextly. The originall then of State and Church being the Family, they are both, in that reſpect, concerned in it; yea as the Family is an Originall to States and Churches, in their Eſſentials, ſo alſo in their Morals, in their manners. As that Nurſery is better or worſe, and the plants thereof of more or leſs worth, ſo are both the Orchards of State and Church, (Cantic. 4. 12.) which are thence ſtored with Trees, better or worſe, and their fruits more or leſs wholſome; if that School be but well ordered, and the leſſer Scholars in it well principled and grounded, (Prov. 4. 4.) thoſe which afterwards come to be made uſe of, for more eminent uſe and ſervice, in State and Church, they will be the more precious ornaments to them both; if that leſſer Artillery Company of Trained Perſons (Gen. 14. 14.) be but well looked after and mannaged, the Commanders, and File-leaders, which iſſue thence, into thoſe greater Armies of State, (Job. 29. 25.) and of Church, (Cantic. 6. 4.) they commonly prove more famous in their Achievements and exploits. As the waters at that wel-head of State and Church, are more or leſs pure or wholſome, bitter or ſweet, ſo are they uſually of like ſort, in thoſe ſtreams of State and Church, which borrow their Originall and ſupply from that ſpring, Numb. 24. 7. And Oh that the Lord would ſo far bleſs this diſcourſe, that it might become inſtrumentall to the healing of any naughty waters, of any ſuch ſprings; as ſometimes he did of that at Jericho, by means of Eliſhas caſting of Salt thereinto, (2 Kings 2. 21, 22.) that there might be no more ſuch ſpirituall death and barrenneſs, as is chiefly occaſioned in Church and State, by corruptions in the Family, in theſe declining and degenerating dayes. Something, no doubt, is amiſs in parents, ſomething in Children; both may hence have healing, if the Lord but ſpeak the word; with him therefore I leave this my poor indeavour, and unto him and to his grace I commend thee, Chriſtian Reader, reſting,
Thine in him, THOMAS COBBET. Lyn in New-England, this 1. of Novemb. 1654.