The harmonie of Holie Scriptures vvith the seuerall sentences of sundry learned and vvorthy vvriters : collected for the comfort of all such as are desirous to seeke after theyr soules health / by I.B.

¶ Of honouring our Parents.

§. 1.

HOnour thy father & thy mother, that thy dayes may be prolonged in the Land which the Lord thy GOD giueth thee.

Honour thy father from thy whole hart, & forget not the sorrowes of thy mother. Remember that thou wast borne of them, and how canst thou recompence them the things that they haue done for thee?

Obey thy father [therfore] that hath be∣gotten thee; and despise not thy mother when shee is old.

For▪ the Lord will haue the father hono∣red of the children: and hath confirmed the authoritie of the mother ouer them.

§. 2.

It is the first lawe, euen of nature, (saith Valerius) that we should in all kindnes and affection, deerelie loue our parents.

And, the honour which wee owe vnto them, is no otherwise to be vnderstood, but to iudge discreetly, reuerently, and honou∣rably of them; & to esteeme wel of all their dooings: not onely because they are our elders, but chiefely because they are our parents; whom it pleased God to vse as in∣struments, to the intent, that by them wee might haue our first beginning, and natu∣rall entrance into this world: & by whom also, after our birth, wee be most tenderlie brought vp, carefully attended on, natural∣lie beloued, and most daintily fedde and nourished, both in sicknes & in health.

Also; in dutifully honouring of our pa∣rents, wee doe not onely honour the great vertue and power of God, but also the ex∣cellencie of his goodnesse, whereby we are made men, and borne into the world, euen of the blood of man.

§. 3.

Honour thy father & thy mother, (saith Sirach) in deede and in word, and in all pa∣tience, that thou mayst haue Gods bles∣sing,

and that his blessing may abide with thee in the end. For, the blessing of the fa∣ther, establisheth the houses of the chyl∣dren; and the mothers curse rooteth out the foundations.

Helpe thy father in his age, and grieue him not as long as he liueth.

And, if his vnderstanding faile, haue pa∣tience with him, and despise him not when thou art in thy full strength.

For, the good intreatie of thy father shall not be forgotten, but it shall be a fortresse for thee against sinnes.

And, in the day of trouble thou shalt be remembred: thyne iniquities also shal melt away as the y••e in the faire weather.

§. 4.

Who so honoureth his father, his sinnes shall be forgiuen him; and he shal abstaine from them, and shall haue his daily desires. And, he that honoureth his mother, is like one that gathereth treasure.

VVho so honoureth his father, shall haue ioy of his owne chyldren: and vvhen hee maketh his prayer, he shal be ••eard.

Who so honoreth his father, shall haue a long life; and hee that is obedient vnto the Lord, shall comfort his mother.

But,] hee that forsaketh his father, shall come to shame; and hee that despiseth his mother, is cursed of God.

Hee [also] that curseth his father, or his mother, shall die the death.

And, that childs light, shall be put out in obscure darknes.

Notes

• Exod, 20, 12
• Ecclus, 7, 27 28.
• Prou, 23, 22.
• Ecclus, 3, 3,
• Val. Max.
• Chilo.
• Chilo.
• Eccl{us}, 3, 9, 10.
• Ecclus, 3, 13
• verse, 14.
• verse, 15,
• verse, 16.
• Eccl{us}, 3, 4, 5,
• verse, 6,
• verse, 7,
• Eccl{us}, 3, 17
• Exod, 21, 17
• Prou, 20, 20.