A20559:384
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandments gathered from the mouth of a faithful pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholar in Cambridge.The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandements gathered from the mouth of a faithfull pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholler in Cambridge.
London: printed by John Harison for Thomas Man, 1603London: printed by Iohn Harison for Thomas Man, 1603
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Secondly, for the using while one hath it, use it well, be not a slave and a drudge for his children, but let one enjoy his portion, and take his part while he lives, and rejoice in Gods benefits with thankfulness and temperateness. For it is a soul fault that one should say: O, I have many children, & what then? therefore, there is nothing but ravening and scraping: for God faith, that a good man is merciful and lendeth, and his seed enjoyeth the blessing: he is merciful first to himself, for mercy begins at home, he will not be afraid to take a good meal, and enjoy Gods benefits, because of his children, but is merciful in an honest cherishing his own body, and then he is merciful to others also abroad, he will lend, and do good to whom he can, and doing so, then his seed enjoyeth the blessing, they fare the better for it.
Secondly, for the vsing while one hath it, vse it well, be not a slaue and a drudge for his children, but let one enioy his portion, and take his part while he liues, and reioyce in Gods benefits with thankfulnesse and temperatenesse. For it is a soule fault that one should say: O, I haue many children, & what then? therefore, there is nothing but rauening and scraping: for God faith, that a good man is mercifull and lendeth, and his seed enioyeth the blessing: he is mercifull first to himselfe, for mercie begins at home, he will not be afraid to take a good meale, and enioy Gods benefits, because of his children, but is mercifull in an honest cherishing his owne bodie, and then he is mercifull to others also abroad, he will lend, and doe good to whom he can, and doing so, then his seed enioyeth the blessing, they fare the better for it.
For indeed those children are always best provided for, whose parents bear this mind, that they had rather trust God with their children, then riches with their children; and make this their hope, when we are dead, yet God is alive. Indeed if God were dead or should not look to our children, though we were living, yet we might be afraid, and think they should be undone; but so long as God liveth, use the good means we can, and he will provide for the children of his servants. Therefore one should neither withhold himself, from any works of mercy, nor niggardly and pinchingly restrain himself of any necessary thing, yea any comfortable delight for his children's sake.