Of Domestical Duties, Treatise 1 · Section 96
§. 96. Of the meaning of the firſt verſe of the ſixt Chapter.
FRom thoſe particular duties which concerne husbands and wiues the Apoſtle proceedeth to lay down ſuch as concerne children and parents. As before he laid downe wiues duties before husbands, ſo here he beginneth with childrens (who are inferiour to their parents) and that for the ſame reaſons which were rendred *§. 10.before.
Beſides children are the fruits of matrimoniall coniunction, therefore fitly placed next vntounto Man and Wife.
That which concerneth children is laid downe in the ſixt Chapter of Eph. verſ. 1, 2, 3. The meaning whereof we will diſtinctly open.
EPHES. 6. 1. Children obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
The firſt word (children) is in the originall as proper a word foreign.at could be vſed, for according to the notation of it, it ſignifieth ſuch as are begotten and borne. Anſwerable is the other word (parents) which ſignifieth ſuch as beget and bring forth foreign. Who are to be accounted children, who parents.children. Yet are they not ſo ſtrictly to be taken as if none but ſuch as begat and brought forth, or ſuch as are begotten and brought forth of them were meant: for vnderunder the title parents, he includeth all ſuch as are in the place of naturall parents, as Grandfathers and Grandmothers, Fathers in law, and Mothers in law, Foſter-fathers and Foſter-mothers, Guardians, Tutors, and ſuch like gouernors: and vnderunder the title children he compriſeth Grand-children, Sonnes and daughters in law, Wards, Pupils, and ſuch like. For there is an honour and a ſubiection due by all who are in place of children, to all ſuch as are in place of parents, though in a different kinde, as we ſhall *Treat. 5. §. 56, 57, &c. foreign.after ſhew. This word children which in the originall is of the neuter gender, doth further include both ſexes, males and females, ſonnes and daughters: ſo as either of them are as carefully to apply the duties here ſet forth to themſelues as if in particular both kindes had beene expreſſed.
He expreſſeth parents in the plurall number, to ſhew that he foreign.meaneth here alſo both ſexes father and mother, as the law expreſſeth both: and addeth this relatiue particle your, as by way foreign.of reſtraint, to ſhew that eueryevery child is not bound to eueryevery parent, ſo by way of extent to ſhew that whatſoeuer the eſtate of parents be honourable or meane, rich or poore, learned or vnlearned, &c. their owne children muſt not be aſhamed of them, but yeeld all bounden dutie to them: if they be parents to children, they muſt be honoured by children.
The word (Obey) vnderunder which all duties of children are foreign.compriſed, according to the Greeke notation, ſignifieth with an humble ſubmiſſion to hearken, that is, to attend and giuegive heed to the commandements, reproofes, directions, and exhortations which are giuen to them, and that with ſuch a reuerend reſpect of the parties who deliuer them, as they make themſelues conformable thereto.
A dutie proper to inferiours, and implieth both reuerence and obedience: the *foreign.verbe noteth out Obedience; the *foreign.prepoſition, Reuerence.
VnderUnder this word (Obey) the Apoſtle comprehendeth all All duties of children compriſed vnderunder obedience.thoſe duties which thorowout the Scripture are required of children: as is manifeſt by his owne exemplification thereof in the ſecond verſe by the word honour which the law vſeth: ſo as this word (obey) is to be taken in as large an extent as that word (honour.)
Queſt. Why is obedience put for all the reſt?
Anſw. 1. Becauſe it is the hardeſt of all the reſt, and that which children are loatheſt to performe they who willingly yeeld to this, will ſticke at no duty.
2. Becauſe it is the ſureſt euidence of that honour which a childe oweth to his parent: and ſo of performing the fift commandement.
3. Becauſe children are bound to their parents: the duties which they performe are not of curteſie, but neceſſity. Their parents hauehave power to command, and exact them.
The clauſe added (in the Lord) is in effect the ſame which foreign.was vſed *Chap. 5. verſ. 22.before (as vntounto the Lord) and it noteth forth a limitation, direction, and inſtigation: a limitation ſhewing that childrens obedience to their parents is to be reſtrained to the obedience which they owe to Chriſt, and may not goe beyond the limits thereof: a direction ſhewing that in obeying their parents, they muſt hauehave an eye to Chriſt, and ſo obey them as Chriſt may approue thereof: an inſtigation ſhewing that parents beare the image of Chriſt, and in that reſpect children muſt the rather obey their parents.
The laſt clauſe of this verſe (for this is right) is an expreſſe foreign.reaſon to inforce the forenamed point of obedience: and it is drawne from equity: and ſheweth that it is a point agreeable to all law: yea that in way of recompence it is due: and if children be not obedient to parents they doe that which is moſt vniuſt, they defraud their parents of their right.
The former phraſe (in the Lord) implying one reaſon, this plainly noteth out another, as the firſt particle (for) declareth.