The true interest of families, or, Directions how parents may be happy in their children, and children in their parents to which is annexed a discourse about the right way of improving our time / by a divine of the Church of England ; with a preface by A. Horneck.

3. Duty of Children, to be determined by their Parents as to their Calling.

Thirdly, They are to be determined by them, as to their Calling and Em∣ployment, if it be an honest and law∣ful one. Their Parents are to be sup∣posed ordinarily more wise and pru∣dent to chuse for them, than they are to chuse a Trade for themselves: They have more experience, and know the

World better than their Children do; and no doubt, they have kindness e∣nough for them to wish them well, and to design their advantage, and not to press them to any Trade or way of Life, which they believe is inconveni∣ent, and like to be hurtful to them: But if Parents should be mistaken, as to the fitness of the Employment, to which they design their Children; and supposing the Children to be sensible of the great inconveniencies thereof, which the Parents, through prejudices and partialities, do not see; in this case Children may, with all due mo∣desty, meekness, and humility, represent to their Parents what their thoughts are, and tell them what objections they have against such a Calling; that their Parents may be prevailed upon, by their Reasons, to alter their resoluti∣ons: or if they be not so fit themselves to discourse their Parents upon such a subject, they may do it by some wise and discreet Friends. And if after all; Parents be wilful in their intenti∣on and design; Children are not up∣on the account of uncertain, or pro∣bable inconveniencies, to oppose them∣selves to the Will of their Parents;

they ought to submit themselves to their Judgment, if the Trade, or man∣ner of Life, to which they design them, be not dishonest and unlawful; for then there is no farther question to be made; the case is clear: The Will of God is always to be preferred to the Will of Man. He that loveth father or mother more than me, saith Christ, is not worthy of me, Matth. 10.37. But if there be nothing of dishonesty or un∣lawfulness in such an Employment, they are to enter upon it with all the chear∣fulness that's possible; leaving all events unto God. It will afford great peace and comfort to their minds, whatever afterwards falls out, when they consi∣der, that they did what was their Du∣ty to do; they submitted their own opinion to the Judgment of their Pa∣rents, whom God hath commanded them to obey. Whatever may be their temporal loss, they are sure of spiri∣tual gain. God will plentifully reward their humble obedience, and ready com∣pliance with the Will of their earthly Parents.

* 1.1From what hath been said on this Head, we may see

how much they are to be blamed, who are so far from being determined by their Parents, in the way and manner of their living in the World, that they either wholly give up themselves to idleness, and waste their time in vain and foolish Company, or they chuse some way of living, that is either dishonest, or very inconvenient for them in many regards; or if they comply with their Parents, so far as to enter upon some honest way of li∣ving, yet they do not keep at it, but leave it, and become Prodigals; they spend their substance in riotous living; they waste and consume what their Parents bestow upon them, in drinking, gaming, and whoring, and such like extrava∣gancies, whereby they prove Robbers of their Parents; of whom, see what the Wise Man saith, Prov. 28.24. Who so robbeth his Father, and his Mother, and saith, It is no Transgression, the same is a Companion of a Destroyer. That is, he is to be look'd on as one of those who rob and murder on the High-way; as a man desperately wicked, who is disposed to act any sort of Villa∣ny, and Impiety, who will stick at nothing in pursuit of his mad and

wretched designs, that may gratifie his Lusts and Passions.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Against Children who neglect this Duty.