Of Domestical Duties, Treatise 1 · Section 108 – Section 112
§. 108. Of Gods ordering his fauours ſo as they may appeare to be true bleſſings.
The particular branches of Gods promiſe hauing beene How fitly proſperity and long life are ioyned together.diſtinctly opened, we will conſider them ioyntly together, for they doe exceedingly amplifie one another: proſperity ſweetens long life and makes it acceptable: otherwiſe to liue long, namely in miſery and wretchedneſſe, is very irkſome and grieuous. Againe, long life added to proſperity maketh it ſo much the greater bleſſing. For a good thing the longer it continueth the better it is. If proſperity were but as a flower, ſoone gone, the very thought of the vanity thereof would much diminiſh the ioy and comfort of it. But both of them ioyned together, doe ſhew that this is no ſmall bleſſing which is promiſed.
From the connexion of them both together, I obſerue that
God ſo ordereth his fauours as they appeare to be true bleſſings, God makes his ſauours true bleſſings. Gen. 17. 19.tending indeed to the good of thoſe vponupon whom he beſtoweth them. Thus when God gaue Abraham a ſonne, he eſtabliſhed his couenant with him, that this gift might be a true bleſſing.
The like I might inſtance in all the children of promiſe, as Sampſon, Salomon, Iohn Baptiſt, &c. So in other fauours. When God added fifteene yeares to Hezekiahs life, he alſo promiſed Iſa. 38. 5, 6. & 39. 8.him deliuerance from his enemies, and peace, and truth all his daies: And when God gaue Dauid a kingdome, he gaue him 2 Sam. 7. 9. &c.great victories and long life, and eſtabliſhed his kingdome to his poſterity: ſo alſo dealt he with Salomon. But not to inſiſt on any more particulars, excellently is this doctrine confirmed in the 28 Pſalme.
Thus God will ſhew that in louelove he beſtoweth euen the temporall bleſſings which he giueth to his Saints, that accordingly they may eſteeme them, and that their hearts may be the more inlarged both to admire his goodneſſe, and to be thankfull for the ſame.
This vſe we muſt make of thoſe things which the Lord is 1. Vſe.pleaſed to beſtow vponupon vsus, as of long life, good health, honour, peace, plenty, liberty, and all proſperity: we muſt receiue and vſe them as God beſtoweth them, namely as tokens of his fauour: and thereby be the more ſtirred vp to performe the duties he requireth of vsus, and not abuſe them to his diſhonour and our owne hurt: but rather ſo as he may hauehave honour, and we profit thereby.
§. 109. Of Gods high account of dutifull children.
More particularly by this promiſe we may learne what high 2. Vſe.eſteeme, and great account God maketh of dutifull children, and of that obedience which they performe to their parents: which ought ſo much the more to prouoke children to all obedience, if at leaſt they hauehave any care of Gods fauour, and of the tokens of his louelove. Oh conſider this all yee that hauehave parents to honour: conſider how carefull, how earneſt God is eueryevery way by all meanes to draw you to obedience: he contents not himſelfe to vrge the equity of the point, the place of your parent, the charge that himſelfe hath giuen, but moſt preſſeth your owne profit: and that not only in hope for the time to come, but euen in preſent fruition for this life: and that becauſe we through our childiſhneſſe are moſt affected with things ſenſible and preſent: dealing with vsus as a tender father who prouideth not only a good calling, and a faire in heritance for his childe, but giueth him alſo plums, peares, and ſuch things as for the preſent he is delighted withall, the more to allure him.
§. 110. Of childrens doing good to themſelues by honouring their parents.
Children may further learne out of this promiſe, that in 3. Vſe.performing their dutie they doe good not only to their parents, but alſo to themſelues: they procure their owne welfare and long-life. What egregious fooles then are diſobedient children: they regard neither God, their parents, nor themſelues, but depriue themſelues of their eternall happineſſe, hinder their welfare, and ſhorten their daies. Fitly hereupon I may applie to vndutifull children theſe words of the Pſalmiſt, Marke the obedient childe, for the end of him is peace: Pſal. 37 37, 38.but the rebellious ſhall be deſtroyed: he ſhall be cut off: and theſe of the wiſe-man, I know that it ſhall be well with the dutifull Eccl. 8. 12, 13.childe, but it ſhall not be well with the diſobedient, he ſhall not prolong his daies: and theſe of the Prophet, Say ye to the obedient childe, it ſhall be well with him, he ſhall eat the fruit of his doings, Iſa. 3. 10, 11.but woe to the tranſgreſſor, it ſhall be ill with him.
§. 111. Of parents doing good to their children by keeping them vnderunder obedience.
Out of this promiſe parents may learne how to doe good 4. Uſe.for their children, how to prouide for their welfare, and long to preſerue their life on earth (a thing whereunto moſt parents are naturally giuen, and whereof they are much deſirous) namely by teaching children their dutie, by keeping them vnderunder obedience: thus hauehave they Gods promiſe to aſſure them, that it ſhall goe well with their children, and that they ſhall liue long. When parents are vponupon their death-beds they may reſt more ſecurely vponupon this promiſe then vponupon great ſtore of treaſure laid vp for them, and great reuenues reſerued for them. Many parents neglect themſelues: they moile and toile, they carke and care, they pinch and ſpare, to leaue their children ſtore of wealth, thinking thereby to doe good to their children, when as withall they too much cocker their children, giuegive the reines vntounto them, and care not how little dutie they performe. Gods curſe will lie vponupon all the ſtore that is laid vp for ſuch children, as a fire to conſume it all. Doth not daily experience verifie the truth hereof? The iudgements which are laid on ſome ſuch children, doe euidently manifeſt Gods iuſt indignation againſt all. Let not rich men therefore thinke they hauehave left their children well enough if they leaue them a large portion, but rather if they hauehave obſerued them to be obedient children: and if poore mens children be ſuch, let them not feare but that it ſhall goe well with them.
It is ſaid, that a good trade is better then houſe and land, but by vertue of this promiſe we may ſay that obedience in a childe is better then trade and all: this is the trade of a childes Prou. 22. 6.way which parents ſhould teach children. Wherefore as parents are deſirous of their childrens good, ſo they ought to be wiſe in procuring it, which is by teaching them this trade of obedience: and ſo they ſhall bring much comfort to themſelues while they liue, and good to their children after them.
§. 112. Of the perpetuitie of the ſubſtance of ſuch things as in their circumſtances reſpecting the Iewes are vaniſhed.
In laying downe this particular promiſe, the Apoſtle in ſtead of the limitation thereof vntounto the Iewes in theſe words (in the land which the Lord thy God ſhall giuegive thee) putteth a generall word, which extendeth it to all nations, namely this (in the earth) whence I gather that
The ſubſtance of theſe things which in ſome circumſtances were Doctr. Subſtance of promiſes made to the Iewes ſtill remaineth.after a peculiar manner reſtrained to the Iewes, remaineth in force to all Chriſtians. The ſubſtance of this promiſe was, that it ſhould goe well with obedient children, while here on earth they liued, and in this welfare they ſhould long liue. The circumſtance was, that in Canaan they ſhould inioy that bleſſing. Though Chriſtians liue not in Canaan, which is the circumſtance, yet well it ſhall goe with them, and long they ſhall liue, which is the ſubſtance. Thus though the circumſtance of Gods couenant with Abraham (which was circumciſion) be aboliſhed, yet the ſubſtance (which is, to be our God, and the God of our ſeed) remaineth. This might further be exemplified in many hundred inſtances: for the ſubſtance of all the Iewiſh ſacrifices, and Sacraments, both ordinarie, and extraordinarie, of their Sabbaths, of their faſts, of their feaſts, and the like, remaine, though the circumſtances, as ſhadowes, be vaniſhed away. Hence is it, that many promiſes made to them, are applied by the Apoſtles to Chriſtians, as this, I will not faile thee, Heb. 13. 5. Act. 2. 39.nor forſake thee: and in generall it is ſaid, The promiſe to you and to your children, and to all that are afarra off.
Hereby we may learne what vſe to make of the old Teſtament, Vſe.euen of thoſe promiſes and priuiledges which in ſome particular reſpects were appropriated to the Iewes: namely, by obſeruing the ſubſtance, and diſtinguiſhing it from the circumſtance; thus ſhall we finde that to be true which the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of all the things which were written afore time, namely, that they were written for our learning. In this reſpect Rom. 15. 4.the ſame Apoſtle ſaith of the things recorded of Abraham, they were not written for his ſake alone: and againe of the Rom 4. 23.things recorded of the Iſraelites, they are written for our admonition. 1 Cor. 10. 11.By this we may learne how to applie the preface to the ten Commandements, which mentioneth the deliuerance of Iſrael out of the bondage of Egypt.
Pray therefore for the ſpirit of illumination to diſcerne betwixt ſubſtance and circumſtance, in reading the old Teſtament eſpecially.