Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 6 · Verse and explication 4
Verse 4. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
HE doth here, in a word, set forth the duty of parents: And because they are apt to abuse their parentall authority, and chiefly the fathers, therefore he enjoyneth to them, and by consequence to the mothers, to beware of provoking their children to wrath, or of imbittering their spirits; which is done, either by denying them that which is their due, in food, r…iment or meanes of education, Lam. 4. 3. or, by commanding things in themselves unjust, 1 Sam. 20.—31. or, by unjust and rigorous commands about things in their own nature indifferent, 1 Sam. 14. 29. or inveighing with bitter words against them, chiefly when there is no cause, 1 Sam. 20. 30. and lastly, by beating them, either unjustly, when there is no fault, 1 Sam. 20. 33. or immoderatly, unseasonably or basely, when there is a fault. Next, he doth guard them against the other extremity of too much indulgence to their children, while he exhorts them, first, to bring them up; or, as it is in the original, to nourish them, which comprehendeth not only their giving unto them present maintenance from the womb, Gen. 21. 7. but also their providing for them against the future, 2 Cor. 12. 14. and training them up in any lawfull imployment, whereby they may be able under God to sustain themselves and theirs, Gen. 4. 2. And secondly, to joyn nurture and admonition with their education: by the former whereof, is meaned the timous, seasonable and compassionate correction of children which parents are bound to dispense, Prov. 13. 24. and by the latter is meaned the information of their judgement, how they ought to carry themselves towards God in things religious, Gen. 18. 19. and how towards man in righteousnesse, civility and good manners, which is also a great piece of the duty of parents towards children, Prov. 31. 1, 8, 9. And lastly, he addeth, that their education must be in the admonition of the Lord Christ, that is, such as becometh Christians, and by which young ones are instructed chiefly in the knowledge of Gods Word, of Jesus Christ, and of the way of salvation held forth by Him. Hence Learn, 1. Such is the prevalencie and interest of sin in the soul of man now fallen, that in some it wholy extinguisheth, or much weakeneth the most intense of our natural affections, and maketh them run in a channel quite contrary unto what they ought: for, the Apostle supponeth, that even naturall affection in some parents to their own children will be so far weakened, as by their unnatural carriage to provoke and imbitter them, while he saith, Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath. 2. To provoke or stir up others unto sin, maketh us guilty before the Lord, even of those sins which others commit, being provoked thereunto by us, Hos. 6. 9. for, Paul forbiddeth, and condemneth this as a sin in parents towards their children; Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath. 3. So small command have all men naturally over their passions, especially when provoked by reall injuries from others, that the strongest of natural bonds cannot keep them in order, and at under, except they be restrained by grace, but they must transgress the bounds: even children cannot bear injuries from their very parents, without being incited thereby to sinfull anger; yea, such is the corruption of some children, that they can bear lesse at the hands of their parents than of any other else: for, so much is implied, while he saith, Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath. 4. A necessary duty is not to be neglected upon pretence that others may take occasion to sin against the Lord from it, and particularly, parents are not to withhold seasonable and necessary correction from their children, even although their children should be enraged and provoked to wrath by it: for, notwithstanding he forbiddeth fathers to provoke their children to wrath, yet he will not have them upon that pretence neglecting to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 5. As people are most ready to run from the one extream of any sin unto the other, from prodigality to sinfull parcimony, from rigiditie to too much lenity; So the servants of Christ, while they are disswading people from the one extremity, had need most carefully to guard, lest under pretence of eschewing that, people do rush upon the other: for, the Apostle, while he forbiddeth too much rigidity in parents, he seeth it necessary to guard them against the other extremity of too much indulgence and lenity, while he saith bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 6. It is the duty of parents, not only to provide for the bodies and outward estate of their children, but also, and mainly to care for their souls, endeavouring by all meanes possible to bring them up for sons and daughters to the Lord Almighty: for, as they are to bring them up or nourish them; so also to beat down sin in them, by nurture or correction, and to make them know Jesus Christ the Lord; But bring them up (saith he) in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 7. As parents are to correct their children betimes; so they ought not herein to satisfi… their own rage and passion, but to go about it with a composed minde, as a piece of service injoyned by God, aiming mainly at the amendment of the faulty childe, and, in order hereto, joyning instruction and admonition with correction; yea, and seeking the blessing of Christ to accompany it: for, the Apostle will have nurture and admonition joyned together, and both of them in the Lord: In the nurture and admonition of the Lord.