lso He
permits them to go their way, with cares and worries, and yet
succeed poorly.

[Sidenote: Training Children a Good Work]

V. Thus it is true, as men say, that parents, although they had
nothing else to do, could attain salvation by training their own
children; if they rightly train them to God's service, they will
indeed have both hands full of good works to do. For what else
are here the hungry, thirsty, naked, imprisoned, sick, strangers,
[Matt 25:35] than the souls of your own children? with whom God
makes of your house a hospital, and sets you over them as chief
nurse, to wait on them, to give them good words and works as meat
and drink, that they may learn to trust, believe and fear God,
and to place their hope on Him, to honor His Name, not to swear
nor curse, to mortify themselves by praying, fasting, watching,
working, to attend worship and to hear God's Word, and to keep
the Sabbath, that they may learn to despise temporal things, to
bear misfortune calmly, and not to fear death nor to love this
life.

See, what great lessons are these, how many good works you have
before you in your home, with your child, that needs all these
things like a hungry, thirsty, naked, poor, imprisoned, sick
soul. O what a blessed marriage and home were that where such
parents were to be found! Truly it would be a real Church, a
chosen cloister, yea, a paradise. Of such says Psalm cxxviii:
"Blessed are they that fear God, and walk in His Commandments;
thou shalt eat of the labor of thine hands; therefore thou shalt
be happy, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a
fruitful vine in thine house, and thy children shall be as the
young scions of laden olive trees about thy table. Behold, thus
shall the man be blessed, that feareth the Lord," [Ps. 128:1-4]
etc. Where are such parents? Where are they that ask after good
works? Here none wishes to come. Why? God has commanded it; the
devil, flesh and blood pull away from it; it makes no show,
therefore it counts for nothing. Here this husband runs to St.
James, that wife vows a pilgrimage to Our Lady; no one vows that
he will properly govern and teach himself and his child to the
honor of God; he leaves behind those whom God has commanded him
to keep in body and soul, and would serve God in some other
place, which has not been commanded him. Such perversity no
bishop forbids, no preacher corrects; nay, for covetousness' sake
they confirm it and daily only inven