The workes of the reuerend and faithfull seruant af Iesus Christ M. Richard Greenham, minister and preacher of the Word of God collected into one volume: reuised, corrected, and published, for the further building of all such as loue the truth, and desire to know the power of godlinesse. By H.H.

CHAP. LXV. Of Parents, Education of children, Gouernours of youth, and Care of posteritie.

WHen children haue infirmities, their parents are to see and consider whether they* 1.1 haue not receiued such sinnes from them. If they haue, they are rather to pray for their children, than too much to correct them, least they persecute their own sinnes in the persons of their children.

2 When Moses was to goe at the commandement of the Lord into Aegypt, he first re∣turned with his wife to his Father in law Iothro, to haue his leaue of him, thereby shewing his dutie and obediēce vnto him, that so he might giue no occasion of offence, and might auoid all appearance of euill: so must all the children of God, be carefull in the like case, and not to excuse themselues by good meanings.

3 The Lord is carefull that his workes should bee recorded, and that not for his owne cause; for he knoweth them wel, not for the age present, for that many remember it, but for posteritie to whom he would haue it to come, that in them, thereby hee might bee glori∣fied. Therefore the Lord made choyse of Iosua, to whom he would haue Moses to rehearse* 1.2 the victories which he had giuen the Israelites ouer Amaleck & his people, that he might not be proud thereof nor glorie in his owne strength, but that hee might giue the glorie wholy and onely to the Lord that gaue it. Secondly, that thereby he might be prepared to helpe the people, and to gouerne them after Moses departure. And this must teach vs to pray, that the Lord would euer prepare such as may be profitable to posteritie. And there∣fore in the 78 Psalme, God commaundeth that the workes of the Lord, should bee taught to posteritie, and so saith Paul to Timothie, deliuer this to men, which may be fit to deliuer* 1.3 it to others, &c. From whence wee may learne, that when the Lord will haue a blessing continued to any people, he wil also prepare instruments to conuey his blessings to poste∣ritie. But when the Lord will not continue his mercie, then will hee depriue them of the

meanes. Seeing then in our time men are carefull onely for themselues, and few care for them that shall come after, and that so few regard to Catechise their families: these things, I say, are signes, that the Lord will not continue those mercies to our posteritie which we* 1.4 doe now enioy.

4 Youth especially is to take heede of pleasure: for though fire be good, yet in fl••xe or tinder it is not good; so though pleasure be good, yet pleasure in youth is not good. We* 1.5 neede not plough for weedes, they will grow fast enough in the fallow. But some will take their pleasure in their youth especially, and they purpose to become good, and to liue grauely hereafter in their age. This is to make a couenant with the diuell, as the diuell said* 1.6 to Christ, I will come out: but the time is not yet come: so we will leaue pleasure when the time comes, and in the meane time he keepeth vs in a purpose. Young men make their sinnes of a double die, Crimzen sinnes, they become a disease of the bones, and custome is* 1.7 turned into a necessitie; whereupon diuers say, I would faine but I cannot leaue them, of these if one recouer, fortie rotte away.

5 If Sathan can make our youth an vnprofitable age, in all the ages following little good is to be looked for. For if yee once nip the blossome, where is the hope of the Au∣tumne? Where may we looke for fruite? Well, if we will needes vse our pleasure, then must we set downe some measure. The diuels rules neuer haue exceptions, but Gods Saints must learne restraint; we must neuer make our hearts the stewards of our affections, that our thoughts wander not in them, and least in desiring things too much, we exceed when we haue them. There must be the least lusting of these outward things, because there is least vse of them. If a man cannot want them, he will abuse them when he hath them. It is* 1.8 true that Ierom saith: The beginning is honest, but the greatnesse is deformed. And that al∣so sinne is very reasonable in the beginning & very shamefaced. Thamar went first to play the whore with a vaile before her face, but now with an open face: first honest recreation, and then a pleasure of vanitie, recreation before labour, to play before we study, we vse pleasure, but to no good end.

6 There is a generall rule, wantonnesse is the beginning of sinne. We see in Esau, to* 1.9 what great prophanenesse his wanton pleasure in hunting grew. So in the Scriptures there can be found none other beginning of Salomons fal, but this, that 1. Kin. 3. whē he had spent seuen yeeres in building the house of God, he spēt thirteene after in building an house for himselfe. This was scarce a good proportion, to bestow thirteene yeers on his own house, and seuen yeeres on God his house, and the Apes and Peacocks that he brought into the land, set the people in such vanitie, that they vanished away in their wanton thoughts. Idlenesse and trifling be the callings of Gentlemen now adaies, as also needelesse expen∣ses. 1. Tim. 5.

7 If euer we would haue the Church of God to continue among vs: we must bring it into our households, and nourish it in our families.

8 A certaine woman saying without pittie at the birth of a poore childe, here is the mouth, but where is the meate: had this saying replied on her at what time she brought forth a child which died, here is meate, but where is the mouth?

9 Wee are not to iustifie our selues before God onely by faith, but wee must also* 1.10 iustifie our selues by good workes before men: so that we must not onely labour for our selues, but endeuour to stirre vp others also, and looke one on another, as the Cherubins did, and tell things one to another, as Iohn tolde his brother. We must be carefull for one another, and that not onely for the time present, but for the time to come. This we are bound to doe, and our common dealings ought to bind vs thereunto. We prouide for our children, should we not prouide for the Church which is spiritually tied vnto vs? Surely, if we consider the plentie and peace, which we enioy, we shall see that it is not for our deserts▪ for we abound in sinne, and none iniquitie is wanting in vs, but it is the bloud of the Martyrs, who haue purchased this so dearely. For these daies did they sowe with teares, and we haue reaped them with ioy. Now, if we will not haue our posteritie to reape the teares of our liues, then let vs be carefull to sowe the good seede of godlinesse, else they shall feele the smart. The meaning is this, that they which haue

househouldes and haue beene called themselues, should labour to leaue behind them a go〈…〉〈…〉eed for the continuance of the Church, as we see in Zache, vnto whose whole house •••••• Lord Iesus brought saluation. It is a fearefull thing to hasten to be worldly, and to lin∣ger to an euill thing is an holy lingering, and to make hast to godlines is a godly hastines. Elisha must not salute any, whom he meeteth; the Apostles must not tarry to talke with a∣ny* 1.11 in their iourney, and why? The Lord requireth great hast in his busines. It is profitable to make hast to heauen, but it is no wisedome to make hast to hell, yet to doe well we finde a Lyon in the streetes, but to doe euill, there is no hoe with vs. Well, the kingdome of God suffereth violence, we must make hast to it, and beware we linger not as the foolish Vir∣gins, to store our selues with Oyle and to furnish our selues with the graces of God.

10 Iob saith, wisedome is not found in that land which liueth in pleasures. If you finde a land of good fellowes, you may seeke somewhere else, for wisedome is not there. If God hath appointed, Gen. 3. that none should eate a crumme of bread without the sweate of his browes, how much more the bread of euerlasting life? If they be not able to direct themselues, the next way is to seeke counsell of others. But, as Horace saith, This age will beare no admonition. Rehoboam thought his owne counsell best, more resolute at twen∣tie yeares, than at fiftie, yet reason is but as a gristle in vs. Set them in a good way, and yet be vnconstant in it, desirous to trie conclusions easily drawne from euill, and yet they will easily slip the coller, and turne to euill againe.

11 There is no sacrifice so acceptable to the Lord, as for youth to striue with this dou∣ble,* 1.12 triple and seuen fold corde, to abandon all pleasures, before we haue tasted of the ho∣ny with Ionathan. It is acceptable I say before a taste, not after a loathing: God loatheth such seruice, when the streame of affection is weake. Looke how many baites and snares Sathan hath for sinne, so many remedies hath God to crowne vs. But young men will haue their reasons, I will doe it, but for a while: A foolish reason, seeing the whole age of man is but short. God will not allow a minute, therefore not our youth. Againe, in our time we must not looke for longum, but opportunum, this is the time of saluation. It is in man as in o∣ther things, in breaking of Horses, luring of Haukes. Vegetius in his fourth booke De remi∣litari had rather haue a Souldier that neuer learned to fight, than one il brought vp in war∣fare. Timaeus requireth a double tuition for a Scholler, that had beene ill brought vp. The diseases of the spring are more curable than those of Autumne: So the sinnes of a young man are curable, if they take not many surfets one vpō another. In youth it is easiest to re∣sist the pleasures, which we neuer tasted of. If a young man then say, I will tarrie vntill I be old, before I resist sinne, it is as much as if he should say, I am strong now, I will stay till I be weake. This is the indignitie of our reason, Esay 2. There be sinnes called purple, cri••zen, sinnes of a deepe die. If it be right purple, it was died both in the wooll, and in the threed. So if Sathan doe die vs before we are made cloath, in our youth, whiles we be wooll if we be so died, it is like to sticke by vs. But if we will needs be died purple, we must be so died as purple is taken in the Apocalyps: purple righteous in the blood of the Lambe. When a man hath long had a trustie seruant, he is loath to forgoe him, he wil rather giue him dou∣ble wages, so is it with the diuell, and thus for their continuance. Augustine said of a young man that had liued riotously in his youth, and afterward sodainely conuerted: I grant true repentance is neuer too late, but late repentance is seldome true. Therefore to make sure worke, let vs carry the yoke in our youth. Often God doth punish the want of his feare in our youth, with the want of wisedome in our age, he punisheth the flesh with the world. Oh saith Iob, all these things that I suffer, are for the sinnes of my youth, his conscience accu∣sed him of nothing else.

Notes

• * 1.1

  See the first part of Edu∣cation.
• * 1.2

  Exod. 17. 14.
• * 1.3

  Prouide for posteritie.
• * 1.4

  Families must be Ca∣techised.
• * 1.5

  Young age is a dangerous age.
• * 1.6

  Late repen∣tance dange∣rous.
• * 1.7

  We must vse pleasure but with re∣straints.
• * 1.8

  Sinne by de∣grees growes to impuden∣cie.
• * 1.9

  Wantonnes ends in wic∣kednesse.
• * 1.10

  Against ver∣ball profes∣sors, which turne Gods graces to wantonnesse. Iud.
• * 1.11

  Haste to doe good.
• * 1.12

  Youth must renounce pleasures.