§. 118. Of parents seeking the good of their children.
That parents by auoiding the rocke of prouoking, fall not into the gulfe of cockering, the Apostle addeth a BVT, which is * as a stop vnto them, and teacheth them that
It is not sufficient for parents to preuent such mischiefes a•*children may fall into, but they must also seeke their good. All the precepts in Scripture charging parents to seeke their childrens good, proue the point. Herein lieth a maine difference be∣twixt the affection which parents and strangers ought to beare toward children, and the dutie which one and the other owe to them. Meere strangers ought not to prouoke them: but parents ought moreouer euery way to seeke their good.
The maine good which parents ought especially to seeke after in the behalfe of their children, is noted out in these words: Bring them vp in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
The word translated (bring vp) properly signifieth to feed *Page 157 or nourish with all needfull things; it is the same that is vsed before in the 5. chapter and 29. verse, and there translated nourisheth. Not vnfitly might the proper signification of the * word be here kept, as the best Latine translations, the French, and others haue kept.
This word ioyned with the others that follow, may seeme * at first sight to be here placed only to make vp the sense, as if he had thus said, nurture your childe in the wayes of God. But if the scope of the Apostle, and signification of the word be well weighed, we shall finde that it further implieth a generall du∣tie, which nature it selfe teacheth parents, euen this, that
Parents ought to prouide all needfull things for their children:* euen such things as tend to the nourishing of their bodies, and preseruing of their health and life: for this phrase (to translate it word for word) nourish them in discipline, or in instruction, is a concise speech, implying as much as if he had said, nourish and nurture them, or feed and instruct them. But the Apostle hath thus neerely and concisely ioyned them together, to shew that Nurture and instruction is as needfull and profitable, as food and apparell.
