226 What kind of care parent, On theVVednefdayafter should haue of theirchildren. hadoccafioned to makehimfelfeKing ; and euen then whenhee ought to haue flood in feare of his difpleafure, hevndaduifedly cranes of him,to giue him his fathers Shunamite to wife : This feemed to Salomon fo foolifh and fo fhameleffe apetition, that he caufed his life to betaken fromhim. Acceptmater, The mother came. Parents commonlydelire to leaue their childrenmorerich and wealthy, than holy and religious : Amotherwould with herdaughter,rather beautie thanver- tue ; agood dowrie,thangoodendowments. Saint Auguiline faithof himfelfe, Thathe hada father that tooke more care tomakehimaCourtier ofthe earth, than ofHeauen ; & defired more,that the world fhould celebrate him for a wife and difcreetman, thantobeaccounted one of Chrifts followers. Saint Chryfi- flome faith, That ofourchildren weemake little reckoning, but of the wealth that we are to leaue them, exceedingmuch: Being likevnto that lickman,who not thinking of the danger whereinhe is, cuts him out new cloathes, and enter- tainethnew feruants. A Gentlemanwill take more careofhis Horfe, anda great Lord ofhis eftate, thanofhis children : For his Horfe, theonewill lookout agood rider, and fuchaone as fhal fee him wellfedanddreft ; Theother,a very goodSteward for his lands : but for their children, which is their belt riches, andgreaten inheritance,they are careleffein their choice ofa good Tutor or Gouernor. In his BookeDePita c*tonaflica, thefaid Doc`tourciteth the exam- ple of lob, who didnot care fo much that his children shouldbe rich,wellenee- med,and refpehted intheworld, as that they fhouldbe holy and religious ; He Job 1.5. rofe vpearly in the morning,andofferedburnt Offerings according toahenumberefthem all ; For lob thought, It may be myfins haue f coredandblaJphemed Godintheir hearts : Thus did lobeuerie day. Saint vAuguflinereporteth of his mother, That the gane great lloreofalmes,and that thewent twice aday to theChurch, and that knee- ling downe vponher knees , thee pouredforthmanywares fromher eyes ; not begginggoldnor filuer ofGod,but that he would bepleafed to conuert her fon, and bringhim to the true Faith. The receitor The mother came . Thefe herTonnes thought themfelues now cocke-lure ; a curtetie is theingaging for theyknew that our SauiourChrift had fome obligation to their mother,for ofoutrbcttie. thofekindneffes which The had done him, and forthofe good helpeswhich hee had receiued from her inhis wantsand neceffities ; deemingit as a thingof no- thing,and as a futealready granted,That he would giuethem the chiefeftplaces ofgouermentin that theirhoped for Kingdom.WhenceI infer,that toagouer, norit is a fltrewdpledgeofhis faluation,to receiueacurtefie;forthatheis there- by,as it were,bought andbound tomake requitall. Andas in him that buyes,it is not thegoodneffe or badneffeof fuch acommoditie, but themoney, that is moll hood vpon: &as ingaming,menrefpeanot fomuch the perfonsthey play with,as the monytheyplay for ; fo thisbufinefl'e ofprouidingfor our children, is akind ofbuyingtoprofit, anda greedie gaining by play. The King ofSo- Gen.14. s3. dome laid vntoAbraham, Gheemet ieperforas , and take thegoods to thy felfe :But Abrahamwouldnot take fomuch as a thred or fhooe-latchetofall that washis; and that fortwo veniegood reafons : Theone,That an Infidellmight not hereafter boaft andmakehis brag,faying, I haue madeAbraham rich, it wasI thatmade himaman. Theother,That he might not hauea tievpon him,and fobuy outhis liberty ; For guilts (as 2C zianzen faith) are a kind ofpurchafeof a mans freehold. To giuefor meereloue cannotbecondemned,becaufeit isa thingwhich God him- felfe
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