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the sooner when they come to their estates. is observed of camels, that, having travelled long without water through sandy deserts, implentur cum bibendi est occasio et in præteritum et in futurum; and so these thirsty heirs soak it when they come to their means, who, whilst their fathers were living, might not touch the top of his money, and think they shall never feel the bottom of it when they are dead.

In choosing a profession, he is directed by his child's disposition; whose inclination is the strongest indenture to bind him to a trade. But when they set Abel to till the ground, and send Cain to keep sheep; Jacob to hunt, and Esau to live in tents; drive some to school, and others from it; they do violence to nature, and it will thrive accordingly. Yet he humors not his child when he makes an unworthy choice beneath himself, or rather for ease than use, pleasure than profit.

If his son prove wild, he doth not cast him off so far but he marks the place where he lights. With the mother of Moses, he doth not suffer his son so to sink or swim, but he leaves one to stand afar off to watch what will become of him. He is careful whilst he quencheth his luxury, not withal to put out his life. The rather, because their souls, who have broken and run out in their youth, have proved the more healthful for it afterwards.

He moves him to marriage rather by argument drawn from his good than his own authority. It is a style too princely for a parent herein to will and command, but sure he may will and desire. Affections, like the conscience, are rather to be led than drawn.

He doth not give away his loaf to his children, and then come to them for a piece of bread. He holds the reins (though loosely) in his own hands, and keeps to reward duty and punish undutifulness; yet on good occasion, for his children's advancement, he will depart from part of his means. Base is their nature who will not have their branches lopped, till their body be felled, and will let go none of their goods as if it presaged their speedy death; whereas it doth not follow that he that puts off his cloak must presently go to bed.

On his death-bed he bequeaths his blessing to all his children; nor rejoiceth he so much to leave them great portions as honestly obtained. Only money well and lawfully gotten is good and lawful money. And if he leaves his children young, he principally nominates God to be their guardian, and next him is careful to appoint provident overseers.

THE GOOD CHILD.

E reverenceth the person of his parent, though old, poor, and froward. As his parent bare with him when a child, he bears with his parent if twice a child; nor doth his dignity above him cancel his duty under him. When Sir Thomas More was Lord Chancellor of England, and Sir John his father one of the Judges of the King's Bench, he would in Westminster Hall beg his blessing of him on his knees.

He observes his lawful commands, and practiseth his precepts with all obedience. I cannot therefore excuse St. Barbara from undutifulness, and occasioning her own death. The matter this. Her father, being a Pagan, commanded his workmen building his house to make two windows in a room; Barbara, knowing her father's pleasure, in his absence enjoined them to make three, that seeing them she might the better contemplate the mystery of the holy trinity. (Methinks two windows might as well have raised her meditations, and the light arising from both would as properly have minded her of the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son.) Her father, enraged at his return, thus came to the knowl

edge of her religion, and accused her to the magistrate, which cost her her life.

Having practised them himself, he entails his parent's precepts on his posterity. Therefore such instructions are by Solomon, Proverbs i. 9, compared to frontlets and chains (not to a suit of clothes, which serves but one, and quickly wears out, or out of fashion), which have in them a real lasting worth, and are bequeathed as legacies to another age. The same counsels observed, are chains to grace, which, neglected, prove halters to strangle undutiful children.

He is patient under correction, and thankful after it. When Mr. West, formerly Tutor (such I count in loco parentis) to Dr. Whitaker, was by him, then Regius Professor, created Doctor, Whitaker solemnly gave him thanks before the University for giving him correction when his young scholar.

In marriage, he first and last consults with his father; when propounded, when concluded. He best bowls at the mark of his own contentment, who, besides the aim of his own eye, is directed by his father, who is to give him the ground.

He is a stork to his parent, and feeds him in his old age: not only if his father hath been a pelican, but though he hath been an ostrich unto him, and neglected him in his youth. He confines him not a long way off to a short

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sion, forfeited if he comes into his presence; but shows piety at home, and learns (as St. Paul saith, 1 Timothy v. 4) to requite his parent. And yet the debt (I mean only the principal, not counting the interest) cannot fully be paid, and therefore he compounds with his father to accept in good worth the utmost of his endeavor.

Such a child God commonly rewards with long life in this world. If he chance to die young, yet he lives long that lives well; and time misspent is not lived but lost. Besides, God is better than his promise, if he takes from him a long lease, and gives him a freehold of better value. As for disobedient children,

If preserved from the gallows, they are reserved for the rack, to be tortured by their own posterity. One complained that never father had so undutiful a child as he had. "Yes," said his son, with less grace than truth, "my grandfather had.”

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I conclude this subject with the example of a Pagan's son, which will shame most Christians. Pomponius Atticus, making the funeral oration at the death of his mother, did protest that living with her threescore and seven years, was never reconciled unto her, se nunquam cum matre in gratiam rediisse: because (take the comment with the text) there never happened betwixt them the least jar which needed reconciliation.