Christian behaviour, or, The fruits of true Christianity shewing the ground from whence they flow in their godlike order in the duty of relations, as husbands, wives, parents, children, masters, servants &c. : with a word of direction to all backsliders / by John Bunyan.

Of Children to Parents.

There lyeth also a Duty upon Children to their Parents, which they are bound both by the Law of God, and nature, conscientiously to observe. Children, obey your Parents in the Lord; for this is right. And again, Children, obey your Parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord; Ephes. 6. 1. Col. 3. 20.

There are these general things in which Children should shew forth that honor that is due to their Parents from them.

First, They should alwayes count them

better than themselves. I observe a vile spirit among some Children; and that is, they are apt to look over their Parents, and to have slighting & scornful thoughts of them; this is worse than heathenish: such a one hath got just the heart of a Dog or Beast, that will bite those that begot them, and her that brought them forth.

But my Father, &c. is now poor, and I am rich, and it will be a disparagement, or at least an hindrance to me, to show that respect to him as otherwise I might.

I tell thee thou arguest like an Atheist, and a Beast; and standest in this, full flat against the Son of God. Read Mark, 7. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.

Must a gift, and a little of the glory of the Butterfly, make thee that thou shalt ••ot do for, and honour to thy Father and Mother? A wise man maketh a glad Fa∣••her; but a foolish son despiseth his Mother, Prov. 15. 20. Though thy Parents be ne∣••er so low, and thou thy self never so ••igh, yet he is thy Father, and she thy Mother, and they must be in thy eye i••

great esteem. The eye that mocketh at his Father, and that despiseth to obey his mother, the Ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young Eagles shall eat it, Prov. 30. 17.

Secondly, Thou oughtest to shew thy honour to thy Parents, by a willingness to help them with such necessaries and accommodations which they need. If any have Nephews or Children, let them learn to shew pitty at home, and to requite their parents, saith Paul, for that is good and acceptable before God, 1 Tim. 5. 4.

And this rule Joseph observed to his poor Father, though he himself was next the King in Egypt, Gen. 47. 12. Gen. 41. 39, 40, 41, 42, 43.

But mark; Let them requite their Pa∣rents.

There are three things, for which, as long as thou livest, thou wilt be a debter to thy Parents.

1. For thy Being in this World: they are they, from whom immediately under God thou didst receive it.

2. For their care to preserve thee when thou wast helpless, and couldst neither

care for, nor regard thy self.

3. For the pains they have taken with thee to bring thee up. Until thou hast Children of thy own, thou wilt not be sensible of the pains, watchings, fears, sorrow and affliction, that they have gone under to bring thee up; and when thou knowest it, thou wilt not easily yeeld, that thou hast recompenced them for their favour to thee: How often have they sustained thy hunger, cloathed thy nakedness? what care have they taken that thou mightest have wherewith to live and do well when they were dead and gone; they possibly have spared it from their own belly & back for thee, and have also impoverished themselves that thou mightest live like a man. All these things ought duly, and like a man, to be considered by thee, and care ought to be taken on thy part to requite them; the Scripture saith so; Reason saith so; and there be none but Dogs and Beasts deny it. It is the duty of Parents to lay up for their Children; and the duty of Children to requite their Parents.

Thirdly, Therefore shew by all hum∣ble and son-like carriage, that thou dost to this day, with thy heart, remember the love of thy Parents.

Thus much for obedience to Parents in general.

Again, if thy Parents be godly, and thou wicked (as thou art if thou hast not a second work or birth from God upon thee) then thou art to consider, that thou art more strongly ingaged to re∣spect and honour thy Parents, not now only as a father in the flesh, but as godly Parents: thy Father and Mother is now made of God thy teachers and instruct∣ers in the Way of righteousness: Wher∣fore to alude to that of Solomon, O Son hearken to the law of thy Father, and for∣sake not the law of thy Mother; bind them continually upon thy heart, and ty them about thy neck, Prov. 6. 20, 21.

Now to provoke thee here to consider,

First, That this hath been the practice alwayes of those that are, and have been obedient Children; yea, of Christ him∣self to Joseph and Mary, though he him∣self

was God blessed for ever, Luke, 2. 51.

Secondly, Thou hast also the severe Judgements of God upon those that have been disobedient to awe thee. As 1. Ishmael, for but mocking at one good car∣riage of his Father and Mother, was both thrust out of his Fathers Inheritance, and the Kingdom of Heaven, and that with God's approbation, Gen. 21. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Gal. 4. 30.

2. Hophni and P••hinehas, for refusing the good counsel of their Father, provo∣ked the great God to be their enemy. They hearkened not to the voice of their Fa∣ther, because the Lord would slay them, 1 Sam. 2. 23, 24, 25.

3. Absolom was hanged, as I may say by God himself, for rebelling against his Fa∣ther, 2 Sam. 18. 9.

Besides, little dost thou know how heart-aking a consideration it is to thy Parents, when they do but suppose thou mayest be damned: how many prayers, sighs & tears are there wrung from their hearts upon this account?

Every miscarriage of thine goeth to their heart, for fear God should take an occasion thereat to shut thee up in hard∣ness for ever.

How did Abraham groan for Ishmael? O, saith he to God, That Ishmael might live before thee, Gen. 17. 18.

How was Is••ac and Rebekah grieved for the miscarriage of Esau, Gen. 26. 34, 35.

And how bitterly did David mourn for his Son, who died in his wickedness, 2 Sam. 18. 32, 33.

Lastly, And can any imagin, but that all these carriages of thy godly Parents, will be to thee the increase of thy tor∣ments in Hell, if thou die in thy sins, not∣withstanding?

Again, if thy Parents and thou also be godly, how happy a thing is this? how shouldst thou rejoyce that the same Faith should dwell both in thy Parents and thee? thy conversion, possibly, is the fruits of thy Parents groans and prayers for thy soul, and they cannot chose but rejoyce; do thou rejoyce with them.

'Tis true, in the Salvation of a natural Son which is mentioned in the Parable; This my Son was dead, and is alive again; was lost, and is found; and they began to be merry, Luke 15. 24.

Let therefore the consideration of this, that thy Parents have Grace aswell as thee, ingage thy heart so much the more to honour, reverence, and obey them.

Thou art better able now to consider the pains and care that thy friends have been at, both for thy body and soul; wher∣fore strive to requite them: Thou hast strength to answer in some measure the Command; wherefore do not neglect it.

It is a double Sin in a gracious Son not to remember the Commandment, yea, the first Commandment, with promise, Ephes. 6. 1, 2.

Take heed of giving thy sweet Parents one snappish word, or one unseemly car∣riage. Love them because they are thy Parents; because they are godly; and because thou must be in Glory with them.

Again, if thou be godly, and thy Pa∣rents wicked, as often it sadly falls out:

Then, first, let thy bowels yearn to∣wards them; 'tis thy parents that are go∣ing to Hell.

Secondly, As I said before to the wife touching her unbelieving husband, so now I say to thee, Take heed of a parrat∣ing tongue; speak to them wisely, meek∣ly, and humbly; do for them faithfully without repining; and bear with all child-like modesty, their reproaches, their railing, and evil speaking. Watch fit opportunities to lay their condition before them. O! how happy a thing would it be, if God should use a Child to beget his Father to the Faith? Then indeed might the Father say, With the fruit of my own bowels hath God converted my soul. The Lord, if it be his will, convert our poor Parents, that they, with us, may be the Children of God.