707 / 808
V
E
R.4:
Epbefiana,
Chap.6.
681
V
E
R
S
E
4. And
yee
Fathers,
provoke
not
your
children
to
s'ratb
:
VERSE
4.
but
bring
them
up
in
infirudtion
and
information
ofthe Lord.
Now
followeth the duty
of
Parents,
1.
What
they mutt
avoid,
Pa-
rents
provokethem not.
s. What
they mull
pra
5tife,bring them up,
&c.
And
two
things
muff be
marked:
I.
What
nccy
are
to doe.
2.
To
whom.
To
their children indefinitely, not this or that whom they affetl
principally.
The
firlf
teacheth
this
Chriflian
duty
:
That
Parents
muff
no
way
D.B:
give
in}afgrievance
to
the
child.
Which
is
not fuperf
uous ,
as
if
it
spurred
coo
free horfes
:
for Parents
are fubjeót erewhile
to
indu .
cretion,
and
to
want
of
natural!
affeófion
toward
fome
of
their chil-
dren;
a
moli
equal)
precept, that they
fhould
not provoke thofe that
are
their owne 9clh
fo
neerely; now
it
is
done
by
indifcreet or unna.
tural!
Parents:
for the prodigal! favours
to fome,
efpecially
when
there
is
no reafon
for it,
are offenfive
to others who
are
leffc
refpedled.
Like
as
beggers
envie aimes , fo
doe children the Parents favours
,
if
unequally dillributed
:
lofepbs
Coat:
the Prodigal!
fons
brother.
But
the
moll
frequent provoking
is
by
unkindneffe,
too much feve-
rity
in
correcting, which doth
kill
the heart
of
them like continual!
(purring, and make themnot
paffe
for
it
:
for
correEtion
is
like
Phy-
fick,
if
too
frequent
it
worketh no more then our
meat with us.
2. By unjuft denying them favours,
as
many will
not,though
they
have abundance, help their
children with
any ftock
to begin,
which
give them
liberty to change their
conditions when it
is
expedient,
will not let them
have any
thing
(which
lawfully
they might
) like
to
others
:
Now
as
a
horfc
too
ftrait reigned , will
but
rife
up on
the
forefeet
:
fo children curbed
in
thefe kindes cannot
but
take it grie-
vous.
3. By preffin
them out ofineafure,
ufing
them
as
drudges rather
then children
:
for wormes
trod
on will turne againe,and
a
child can-
not
take it
well,if
not handled fomewhat ingenuoufly.
4.
By immoderate wrath
and touchineffe
and difpleafure againff
them,
for
as fire kind
leth fire, fo
doth
anger provoke
to
anger
:
yet
this muff fo
be conceived,
as
not befriendingtheCockney
-like
cocke-
ring
of
our times
:
for men
muff
not
like Lamech
kill
and
flay,
nor yet
like Ely
omit correction
;
yea
bring
up fons,as
David
did his Adoniah,
t
Kings. But we muff walke,
that our
feverity make
us
not
juftly hate-
full, nor our indulgency
contemptuous:
wee muff
fo walke
towards
children, that
as
wee
muff
not
make
them
male-
content on the one
fide, fo we
muff
not
have them malepert on the
other.
Which
duty
may be
a
direction to Parents ,
who
have
by
partial!
Vfe
is
carriageand
lefl'e
loving hearts provoked their
children,
and driven
them either
to
call
all
riders,or lyedowne with
heartstyred,CGl.3.
20.
lie
that
fhould foyle
the mettle
of
a
horfe with
indireél
ufage, it
would grieve
him, ifa
juff man,
and how much more,
&c.
And