faith, for our pride would still make unreal distinctions; and when we have in some measure realized it, we then begin to see how much more is true, of God's grace in these little ones, than we had imagined.
"The whole of the bringing up of children," says Bishop Jewel[1], "standeth in the knowledge and in the feare of God: that they may know God, and walke before Him in reverence and in feare, and serve Him in holinesse, all the daies of their life. The Jewes are a miserable people, that live in error; they die in their own blood: yet have they so much understanding, that they bring up their children in the knowledge of God, and that knowledge they teach out of the word of God. They remember what charge God gave them: 'Thou shalt teach them thy 'sons, and thy sons' sons.' Therefore, a father must teach his child what God is. That He is our Father, that He hath made us, and doth feed us, and giveth us all things needfull, both for body and soule. That He is our Lord, and therefore we must serve Him, and obey Him, and do nothing whereby He may be displeased. That He is our Judge, and shall come to judge the quick and the dead; and that all men shall come before Him, to receive according as they have done in the flesh. He must put his child in mind of his Baptisme, and teach him that it is a covenant of God's mercy to us, of our duty to God: that it is a mystery of our salvation, that our soule is so washed with the blood of Christ, as the water of Baptisme washeth our body. Let us looke upon our children as upon the great blessings of God. They are the Lord's vessels, ordained to honour; let us keepe them cleane. They are Christ's lambs, and sheepe of his flock; let us lead them forth into wholesome pasture. They are the seed-plot of heaven; let us water them, that God may give the increase. Their angels behold the face of God; let us not offend them. They are the temples and tabernacles of the Holy Ghost; let us not sufler the foule Spirit to possesse them, and dwell within them. God saith, 'your children are my children.' They are
- ↑ Treatise on the Sacraments, p. 281, 282.
