John Trapp on Proverbs 13:24

Verſ. 24. Hee that ſpareth his rod, hateth his ſon] It is as if one ſhould bee ſo tender over a childe, as not to ſuffer the wind to blow upon it, and therefore hold the hand before the mouth of it, but ſo hard as hee ſtrangleth the childe: It is ſaid of the Ape, that ſhee huggeth her young one to death; ſo do many fond Parents, who are therefore peremptores potius quam parentes, rather Paricides than Parents. Eli would not correct his children: God therefore corrected both him and them. David would not once croſs his Abſolom, and his Adonijah, Bern. and hee was therefore ſingularly croſt in them ere hee dyed. The like befell old Andronicus the Greek Emperour, in his unhappy Nephew of the ſame name; and Muleaſſes King of Tunes, in his ſon Amida, whom hee cockered ſo long, till Abſolom-like hee roſe againſt his father;Turk hiſt. 745.747. and poſſeſſing himſelf of the Kingdome, put out his father and brethrens eyes, ſlew his Captains, polluted his Wives, and took the Caſtle of Tunes.

But hee that loveth him, chaſteneth him betimes] And this is a God-like love, Prov. 3.12. Rev. 3.19. See the Notes there. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Ariſt. Ethic. l. 2. Correction is a kinde of cure ſaith the Philoſopher, the likelieſt way to ſave the childes ſoul; where yet, curam exigeris, non curationem, ſaith Bernard, it is the care of the childe that is charged upon the Parent, not the cure, for that is Gods work alone. But hee uſually worketh by this mean, and therefore requires that it bee ſoundly ſet on, if need ſo require. A fair hand, wee ſay, makes a foul wound. A weak doſe doth but ſtir bad humours and anger them, not purge them out. In ſome diſeaſes the Patient muſt bee let blood, even ad deliquium animae, till hee ſwoon again. So here. Quintilian tells us of ſome faults in a childe that deſerve not a whipping. And Chryſippus is ill ſpoken of by ſome, becauſe he firſt brought the uſe of the rod into the Schools. It was hee (I trow) that firſt offered that ſtrict and tetrical diviſion to the world, Aut mentem aut reſtim comparandam. Either a good heart, or a good halter for your ſelf, and yours. The condemned perſon comes out of a dark priſon, and goes to the place of Execution; ſo do children left to themſelves, and not nurtured, come from the womb their priſon to the fire of hell their execution. Severitas tamen non ſit tetra, ſed tetrica: Corrections muſt bee wiſely and moderately diſpenſed. Sidonius Ep. lib. 4. Col. 4.21. Parents provoke not your children to wrath, leſt they bee diſpirited, and, through deſpondency, grow deſperate, or heartleſs. Our Henry 2. firſt crowned his eldeſt ſon Henry whilſt hee was yet alive, and then ſo curbed him, that, through diſcontent, hee fell into a Feaver, whereof hee dyed before his Father. A Prince of excellent parts, Daniels hiſt. who was at firſt caſt away by his Fathers indulgence; and afterwards by his rigour.