Exposition of the Moral Law, Book 1 · Commandment 2 · Exercitation 16
EXERCITAT. XVI. The puniſhment for the breach of the ſecond Commandement.
Exod. 20.5. Viſiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children.
IN this threatning wee have to conſider what it is to viſite here; ſecondly what ſinnes of the fathers the Lord viſiteth upon the children; thirdly who are meant by our fathers here; fourthly how the children are puniſhed for their fathers ſinnes.
What the word Viſit ſignifieth.To viſite here is a ſpeech borrowed from a Iudge who uſeth to puniſh the evill doers, and to reward thoſe who doe well; ſo the Lord the great Iudge of the world hee puniſheth idolaters and their poſterity, and he rewardeth the true worſhipers who keepe his commandements, he viſiteth in judgement, as he viſited the Egyptians, God viſiteth ſometimes in merciemercy and ſometimes in judgement.and hee viſiteth in merciemercy, as hee viſited the Iſraelites. Exod. 3.16. viſitando viſitavi, I have ſurely viſited you, that is, in merciemercy. So Gen. 21.1. The Lord viſited Sara, as hee had ſaid, that is, hee viſited her in mercy.
Children have ſin from their parents by propagation, or imitation.He viſiteh the ſinnes. Sinne is either the ſinne which the children have from their parents by propagation, or by imitation; by propagation, as originall ſinne; by imitation, as their other perſonall ſinnes. Here wee muſt put a difference betwixt that accident which is common to the nature of all men, which is called accidens naturae; Accidens naturae. perſonae.And a perſonall accident which is incident to ſome: The accident which is common to the whole nature of man is alwayes tranſmitted from the father to the child, and ſhall continue to all the poſterity of Adam, to the end. The moſt filthie leproſie that is, and which runneth long in a bloud, yet in time will weare away in the poſterity;Originall ſinne is alike in all the ſonnes of men both juſt and unjuſt, but this originall and hereditarie ſinne never weareth out, but it continues with all the children of men, and is alike in them all; the ſonnes of the juſt, and the ſonnes of the unjuſt are both alike in this originall ſinne.
But theſe which are perſonall accidents are not propagated from the father to the ſon,Perſonall accidents are not propagated from the fathers to the children. eſpecially the gifts of the minde; it may bee, that a ſtrong father begets a a ſtrong child, and the leprous father begets a leprous ſonne, but neither the defects nor the vertues of the mind are tranſmitted from the fathers to the children, as the father who is a muſitian begetteth not his ſonne a muſitian; and the father who is wiſe, begetteth not alwayes a wiſe child; as Salomon the wiſeſt man that ever was, had but a foole to his ſonne, Rehoboam; therefore he ſaith, Eccleſ. 2.19. Who knoweth whether his ſon ſhall be a wiſe man or a foole.
Seeing Adam tranſmitted originall ſinne to his poſterity, Queſt. what is the reaſon why hee tranſmitteth not his righteouſneſſe to them after his ſinne was pardoned?
Hee got grace in his ſecond eſtate, as a perſonall gift, Anſ. Adam did not tranſmit his righteouſneſſe to his poſteritie, becauſe it was not naturall, but perſonall to him.and therefore hee could not tranſmit it to his poſterity; but if hee had ſtood in integrity, hee ſhould have tranſmitted righteouſneſſe to his poſterity, becauſe then it was naturall to him, as when he fell he tranſmitted ſin to his poſterity. And hee begot a ſonne in his owne likeneſſe after his image. Gen. 5.3.
This originall ſinne the Lord may puniſh the children for it, if hee would deale in judgement with them, becauſe it is found in all children tranſmitted from their parents.
By ſinne here eſpecially is meant idolatrie, which by way of appropriation is called ſinne,By ſinne here is chiefly meant Idolatrie. See Command. 2. Exer. 5. pag. 80. By fathers are meant fathers naturall, and by example. as is ſhewn before, God viſiteth other ſinnes alſo beſides idolatrie, As all the bloud ſhed from Abel to Zachary. Mat. 23.35.
By fathers here are meant not onelyonly naturall fathers, but thoſe who are fathers by example, as Cain was a father, Core was a father, and Balaam was a father. Iude 11. Woe unto them, for they have gone into the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the errour of Balaam for reward, and periſhed in the gainſaying of Core: and in this ſenſe the devill is called a father. Ioh. 8.44. Yee are of your father the devill.
Children by nature and imitation.There are two ſorts of children; children by nature, and children by imitation: children by imitation are theſe of whom it is chiefly meant here, and they are rather called their children whom they imitate,Children by imitation are chiefly meant of here. than their children who begot them. Example, Iudg. 18.30. Ionathan the ſonne of Gerſhon, the ſonne of Manaſſeh; this Ionathan was Moſes naturall grandchild by generation, yet hee is called the grandchild of Manaſſeh, becauſe in wickedneſſe hee followed Manaſſeh, and the Iewes ſay,foreign See Exercitat. 10. Pag. 95. they would not write his name, the ſonne of Gerſhon, the ſone of Moſes, for that had beene a diſgrace to Moſes, but they wrote him to bee the ſonne of Manaſſeth, by lifting up a letter. And the Hebrewes give another example like unto this.Achaz King of Iuda called king of Iſrael, and why. 2. Chron. 28.19. And the Lord brought Iuda low, becauſe of Achaz king of Iſrael. Why is Achaz called king of Iſrael, here, ſeeing hee was king of Iuda? they ſay, becauſe he imitated the wicked kings of Iſrael in their wickedneſſe.
He viſiteth the ſinnes of the fathers upon the children.
Quest. How doth it ſtand with the juſtice of God to puniſh the children for their fathers ſinnes, ſeeing the Lord forbiddeth to puniſh the children for the fathers offences. Deut. 24.16. The fathers ſhall not bee put to death for the children, neither ſhall the children be put to death for their fathers.
The Lord reſtraineth here the power of the magiſtrate that he may not put the children to death for their fathers offences, as wee ſee. 2. King. 14.16. Anſw. The Magiſtrate may not put the child to death for his fathers ſin.And they ſlew his ſervants who had ſlaine the king his father, but the children of the murtherer hee ſlew not, according to that which was written in the Law, the children ſhall not be put to death for their fathers offences.
The magiſtrate may not put the children to death for their fathers offences,See Iunis Analyſes in Levit. 20.20. although he may puniſh them other wayes; then it ſeemeth to be a ſtrange collection. Levit. 20.20. If a woman be begotten inceſtuouſly with child, then ſhe ſhall be burnt, non expectato partu, that is, before ſhe be delivered of the child.
But they ſhall die childleſſe, Obj. this cannot be underſtood of barrenneſſe, for that were no puniſhment to them, therefore it may ſeeme to be taken in this ſenſe, ſhe and the child ſhall bee taken away together by the magiſtrate.
This cannot bee the meaning of the place, Anſ. The mother cannot be killed, the child being quick in her belly.that the mother and quicke child ſhall bee killed together; for the children may not be put to death for the offence of their father or mother; but this ſeemeth rather to be the meaning of the place, when the magiſtrate underſtandeth once that a man had lyen with his uncles wife, then hee ſhall preſently cut them off, before the woman conceive, and ſo they ſhall die without ſeede.
The Lord who is author of life and death,God may puniſh the children with temporall puniſhments for their fathers ſinne. he may puniſh the children for their fathers offences with temporall puniſhments, but hee never puniſheth the children for their fathers offences with eternall puniſhments, unleſſe they imitate their fathers ſinnes.
It may bee ſaid that children are puniſhed not onelyonly with temporall judgements, Object. but alſo with ſpirituall judgements, and that before they can imitate their fathers ſinnes. Gen. 17.14. And the uncircumciſed man-child whoſe fl…ſh of his foreskin is not circumciſed, that ſoule ſhall be cut off from his people. Here the child may ſeeme to be cut off for his fathers fault, becauſe his father neglected to circumciſe him; and, to bee cut off here, is a ſpirituall judgement, to be cut off in the wrath of God.
Anſw. In the originall it is thus, praeputiatus maſculus que non circumciderit caruem praeputij ſui, foreign qui non circumciderit, eſt ſut. Kal, a foreign but the Vulgar Latine tranſlation maketh it to be fut. Niphal a foreign qui non circumciſus fuerit.but the vulgar Latine reads it; if he be not circumciſed, he ſhall be cut off; but the right reading is, he who circumciſeth not the foreskin of his fleſh, he ſhall be cut off, for the text addeth, he hath broken my covenant, which cannot be ſaid of young infants, but of children when they are come to age and underſtanding, and when they become (as the Iewes ſay) filii praecepti, then if they deſpiſe the covenant, they are to bee cut off.
When children imitate their fathers ſinnes, then the Lord puniſheth them:Children imitate their fathers ſins two wayes. Children imitate their fathers ſins two wayes, either affirmatively, or negatively; affirmatively, when they begin to imitate their fathers ſinnes in their infancie and young yeares. Ier. 7.8. The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women kneade the dough to make cakes to the queene of heaven; here they were initiated in their fathers idolatry. So when the Iſraelites married with the wives of Aſhdod, the children ſpake the language of Aſhdod, imitating their fathers. Nehem. 13.24 Secondly, when they come to a greater maturitie of age, and then they fill up the meaſures of their fathers: Mat. 23.32.
Children are guiltie of their fathers ſins when they are not humbled for them.Secondly they imitate their fathers ſins negatively, that is, when they diſſent not from their fathers ſinnes, and when they are not humbled for them; for if ſuch children had the occaſions and temptations which their fathers had, they would doe as they did; and therefore juſtly their fathers ſinnes may bee laid to their charge. Dan. 5.22. And thou his ſonne, O Balſhazzer, haſt not humbled thine heart, though thou kneweſt all this, meaning the ſinnes of Nebuchadnezzar, and the puniſhment of them; this ſhould teach us to take notice of the corruption of our nature, and how ready wee are to follow others in wickedneſſe, and eſpecially the ſinnes of our parents; the blinde Iewes ſaid, if wee had beene in the dayes of our fathers, we would not have beene partakers with them in the bloud of the prophets. Mat. 23.30.
Ye will ſay then, Obj. that children are puniſhed for their owne ſinnes, why then are they called their fathers ſinnes?
They are their fathers ſinnes occaſionaliter, but they are their owne ſinnes cauſaliter: Anſ. they are their fathers ſinnes occaſionaliter, The ſinnes of the fathers are the childrens cauſaliter, but the fathers occaſionaliter.for God may take occaſion by the fathers ſinnes, to withdraw the grace from his children, and then they are prone and ready to follow all the ſinnes of their fathers; when God puniſheth the children for their fathers ſinnes, hee would never puniſh them if they were not ſinners themſelves; but he reſpecteth more the ſinnes of the fathers in puniſhing of them. Ioh. 9.3. Chriſt ſaith of the blinde man,God would not puniſh children for their fathers ſinne if they were not ſinners themſelves. that it was neither for his owne ſinnes nor his fathers ſinnes that hee was borne blinde, but that the workes of God might appeare; if this man had not beene a ſinner, hee had not beene borne blinde; for blindeneſſe is a puniſhment of ſinne: but yet when hee made him blinde, hee reſpected not here his ſinne, nor the ſinnes of his fathers; but that the glory of God might appeare: So when God viſiteth the ſinnes of the fathers upon the children, hee would not puniſh them unleſſe they were ſinners; but he reſpecteth more the ſins of their parents, than their owne ſinnes, when he puniſheth them; and the Lord puniſheth the fathers ſinnes in their children:God in puniſhing the children looketh more to their fathers ſinnes than to their owne. the Lawyers ſay, if the father and the ſonne bee ſuſpected of one crime, it is fit that the ſonne bee put firſt to the torture, and they held that it will make the father to confeſſe ſooner then if he were put to the torture himſelfe. See how David tooke on for Abſalon, would to God O my ſonne Abſalon that I had died for thee. 2. Sam 18.33. When the Lord puniſheth the children for their fathers ſinnes, their greateſt puniſhment is their fathers.
When the fathers ſinnes and the childrens ſinnes meet together, then there is a double puniſhment. Eſay. 40.2. Shee hath received from the Lords hand, Ciphlaijm, double for all her ſinnes.foreign Duplicia pro omnibas peccati…, id eſt, pro ſuis peccat…. & pa…entum.
The Iewes had a proverbe in their mouthes, The fathers have eaten ſowre grapes and the childrens teeth are ſet on edge. Ezek. 18.2. Iere. 31.29. the Lord ſaith, they ſhall no more uſe this proverbe, What is meant by the Iewes proverbe, that the father eat ſowre grapes &c.but the ſoule that ſinneth ſhall die. They meant that they were carried away in captivity for the ſinnes of Manaſſeh. Ier. 15.4. which he did in Ieruſalem: the Lord promiſed that they ſhould have no more cauſe to ſay ſo, For the ſoule that ſinneth ſhall die. To die, here, is taken for a temporall puniſhment, as exile, famine and ſuch, and not for ſpirituall death, for the Iewes complained only for their bodily chaſtiſements and not for ſpirituall; and the Lord anſwered that hee would puniſh them no more ſo. God may iuſtly ſet the childrens teeth on edge for their fathers offences, as he did before; and the puniſhment of the Iewes ſinnes lieth upon their poſteritie unto this day; but the Lord promiſes, that their teeth ſhould never be ſet on edge againe, that is, puniſhed in the captivity of Babel.
B…as uſeth a profane compo…on.God viſiteth the ſinnes of the fathers upon the children: It was a prophane compariſon of Bias the philoſopher, who ſaid, If the Gods ſhould puniſh the children for their fathers offences, this were all one, as if a Doctor ſhould give the child phyſicke when the father is troubled with the colicke or ſtone: but this is a fooliſh compariſon; let us then make the compariſon this wayes; the father is a leper and hee begetteth his ſonne a leper, now if the Doctor ſhould preſcribe phyſicke to the ſonne for his fathers leproſie, hee ſhould doe well; becauſe it is both his fathers leproſie and his own leproſie.
When the children follow not the fathers in their ſinnes, then the father is ſaid to die in his owne ſinne. What it is to die in his owne ſinne.Num. 27.3. Our father died in the wilderneſſe, and hee was not in the company of them that gathered themſelves together againſt the Lord in the company of Korah, but died in his owne ſinne. that is, in the common ſin of murmuring with the reſt of the people; and it is called his owne ſinne, becauſe his children followed him not in his rebellion. Num, 26.11. The children of Core died not. But when the children follow the footſteps of their father, then they die in a common ſinne.
The fathers ſinnes are imputed to their children,Fathers ſhould be ware to bring puniſhments upon their children. this ſhould be a meanes to reſtraine fathers from ſinne, and it were but for their childrens cauſe, to keepe them from puniſhment: many parents are carefull to leave inheritance to their children, but oftentimes they leave their ſinnes to them.The legacie of Ioab. It was a fearefull legacie that Ioab left to his children, that ſome of them ſhould leane upon a ſtaffe, ſome of them ſhould die of a bloody flixe, and ſome of them of a leproſie, and ſome of them ſhould begge their bread. 2. Sam. 3.29. When a man dieth and hath nothing to leave unto his children but his ſinnes, as to one his blood, to another his ſwearing, and to another his adulterie, is not this a pitifull latter will and teſtament? Some leave lands to their children, but withall they leave their fearefull ſinnes to them; and it were better for them to want their lands, then to bee heires to their ſinnes: Gehazi left a talent of ſilver behinde him to his poſterity; but he left the leproſie with it. 2. King. 5.27.
Children ſhould confeſſe their fathers ſinnes.The fathers ſinnes are imputed to the children, therefore the children ſhould confeſſe the ſinnes of their fathers. Levit. 26.41. If they confeſſe their iniquitie, and the iniquitie of their fathers. So Nehem. 1.6. Both I and my fathers houſe have ſinned; and this they are bound to doe, as farre as they can come to the knowledge of their fathers ſinnes: ſuch ſinnes of their fathers they ſhould confeſſe, which they in their owne proper perſons have committed by the example of their forefathers, for theſe ſinnes they ought to crave pardon. Pſal. 79.8. Remember not againſt us former iniquities, foreign iniquitates Praecedentiumthat is, the ſinnes which wee have committed before by imitating our fathers ſinnes: but we muſt take heed here, that we crave not pardon for our fathers who are dead; for there is no remiſſion, but that which is gotten in this life.
Laſtly the Lord not onelyonly viſiteth the ſinnes of the fathers upon the children, but alſo the ſinnes of the mother.God viſiteth not onelyonly the ſinnes of the fathers, but alſo the ſinnes of the mothers upon the children. Pſal. 109.14. Let not the ſinnes of his mother be blotted out, but when the father is an Amorite, and the mother a Hittite. Ezek. 16.3. that is worſt of all for the children: for if any of the parents be holy, then the child is holy. 1. Cor. 7.14.
Concluſion. 1 The concluſion of this is, God viſiteth the iniquities of the fathers upon the children; therefore fathers ſhould be loth to commit ſinne, leſt they tranſmit the curſe to their poſterity.
Concluſion. 2 God viſiteth their ſinnes upon the children; therefore children ſhould beware to follow their fathers footſteps in their ſinnes, leſt they bee partakers of their puniſhments.