The Christian-man's calling: or, A treatise of making religion ones business. Wherein the nature…

Naturalists tell us of the Mulberry tree, that there is nothing in it but what is Medicinal in some sort or other; the fruit, the root, the bark, the leaf, all are useful. Truly, so it ought to be with thee: All thy expressions, all thy actions should be instructions to thy Inferiors. Thy behaviour in private, in public towards God, towards thy Wife, towards thy Children, towards thy Servants, towards thy Neighbours, should all be Lectures to teach others Religion and Righteousness; that you may be able to say to your Children, as Seneca to his Sister, Though I can leave you no great portion, yet I leave you a good pattern.

Naturalists tell us of the Mulberry tree, that there is nothing in it but what is Medicinal in some sort or other; the fruit, the root, the bark, the leaf, all are useful. Truly, so it ought to be with thee: All thy expressions, all thy actions should be instructions to thy Inferiours. Thy behaviour in private, in publique towards God, towards thy Wife, towards thy Children, towards thy Servants, towards thy Neighbours, should all be Lectures to teach others Religion and Righteousness; that you may be able to say to your Children, as Seneca to his Sister, Though I can leave you no great portion, yet I leave you a good pattern.

Besides, one work required of thee (as I shall show thee before the conclusion of this Chapter) is, to admonish and reprove others in thy family for their faults; which with what face canst thou do, or with what hope of success, unless thou art free thy self? It was a shame to Plutarch that his Servant should say, My Master writeth falsely; he saith it is unbeseeming a Philosopher to be angry, & ipse mihi irascitur, and he himself is angry with me. If thou reprovest thy child for not praying, and thy servant for drunkenness, and art guilty thy self, though thou acquaintest them never so much with the wrath of God, which will certainly seize upon Atheists and Drunkards, they will never believe thee; for they know thou dost not believe thy ⟨p. 542⟩self. Thy words would seem to draw the nail of sin out, but thy works are such an heavy hammer, that they drive it in to the very head. When the rude Soldiers saw the Roman Senators sit gravely, and discourse soberly, they took them for gods, and were awful of them; but when they perceived one of them to grow waspish, they took them for men, and spoiled them. Herod feared Johns reproof, knowing that he was a just man,