The Honor Due from Children, Chapter 7

The Honor Due from Children · Chapter 7

p. 165CHAP. VII. Of Honour in a Reflect way due from Children unto Parents.

HAving diſpatched the direct Acts and wayes of Honour of parents, we come now to that Honour of Parents, which is due to them in a Reflect way. For ſo honouring another is taken in Scripture, for being ſuch, or carrying it ſo towards another, whom men are to Honour, as it may make for ſuch an ones Honour: as we ſhewed in the 1. Chapter. So here in the 5th Commandement this indefinite word, Honour thy Father, & thy Mother, taketh in Honouring of parents in a reflect way, and bindeth Children to be ſuch to p. 166their parents, and to carry it ſo, as may redound to their Honour, eſpecially being ſuch parents as the covenant Jewes were, in Church State, and many of them godly, to whom this Law of the 5^th Commandement, was firſt ſolemnly promulged, and to whom it was more ſolemnly eſtabliſhed.—Whence note, That its the duty of children, Children of good Parents, eſpecially bound to be ſuch, and to carry it ſo, as maketh for their Parents Honour, and that, 1. By minding, priſing, and ſtoring up parents inſtructions.eſpecially the children of godly parents, and ſuch as are in covenant and Church-eſtate, to be ſuch, and to carry it ſo, as may redound to their parents honour. Now here alſo let us ſhew,

1. How this is to be done.

2. Why it muſt be ſo.

And 3. Apply and make uſe of this ſo weighty a point. Concerning the firſt, ſuch children eſpecially are bound,

1. To be obſerving, minding, priſing, and treaſuring up ſuch parents good ſpeeches, as ſo many oracles of God: which will evidence to all, that their Children honour them; Job 15. 18. which wiſe men have told from their Fathers, and have not hid it; a ſign then, that thoſe wiſe Children, minded well, and ſtored up their godly Fathers counſels; ſo Pſal. 44. 1, 2. We have heard with our ears, Oh God, our Fathers have told us, what thou didſt in their dayes, &c. So Pſal. 78. 2, 3. I will utter myſterious ſayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our Fathers have told us. Prov. 4. 3, 4. For I was my Fathers Son—he taught me alſo and ſaid to me, retain my words, keep my Commandements and live, Get wiſdome, yet underſtanding, &c. To which purpoſe alſo, children muſt in caſe of any difficulty, or doubt ariſing to them, repair firſtly to their godly parents for counſell and reſolution. How oft is that mentioned, when thy Son asketh thee in time to come, ſaying, what mean the p. 167Teſtimonies, and the Statutes which the Lord our God hath Commanded you? then thou ſhalt ſay thus and thus to thy Son, &c. Deut. 6. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. So Exod. 13. 14. Joſh. 4. 6, 21. This reflecteth much Honour upon parents wiſdome and ability, that they are able to give forth Gods mind to their children; and upon their piety and fidelity, that they make conſcience to do it; and upon their holy induſtry and vigilancy, that they are ready to take all occaſions to help on their Children in the things of God.

2. To acquaint parents, in the firſt place, with 2. By acquainting them with their ſecrets.all their Secrets, which are of weight. Its implyed in Sampſons ſpeech, ſpeaking of his Riddle, Judg. 14. 16. I have not told my Father, nor my Mother, and ſhould I tell it thee? This evidenceth, that Children magnifie their parents wiſdome and fidelity above others, that their breaſts ſhall be the only prime Cabinet of the Childrens Secrets.

3. To ask leave of their parents, at leaſt whil'ſt 3 By asking their leave for what they do.Children are under their tuition, for what they do. Ruth. 2. 2. Let me go I pray thee (ſaith Ruth to Naomi) to glean in his field, in whoſe eyes I ſhall find favour, and ſhe ſaid, go my Daughter. Exod. 4. 18. Let me go (ſaith Moſes to Jethro) and return to my brethren which are in Egypt, and ſee whether they be yet alive: and Jethro ſaid to Moſes, go in peace. 2 Sam. 13. 26. Let my brother Ammon go with us (ſaith Abſolom to David, though out of a bad end;) and Chap. 15. 17. Let me go I pray thee, and pay my vow unto the Lord in Hebron, ſaith Abſolom to his Father, though out of a baſe end. If Dinah (as its probable) did without leave from her parents, go, to ſee the daughters of the Country, then was it no wonder that being p. 168out of her way, ſhe ſo miſcarried, as Geneſis 34. 1, 2. Shechem ſaw her, took her, and lay with her, and defiled her. This alſo redounds to the Honour of the Parents Authority, that Children ſhew thereby that they dare not attempt any thing, without their likings; yea and their wiſdome-fidelity is hereby honoured, that they know better what is meet for Children to do, than themſelves, and will order their wayes better than they can do themſelves.

4. To ſet forth to parents praiſe, what is good in 4. By ſetting forth the praiſe worthineſs in parents.them, as occaſion requireth: and to maintain their names, even when they are dead, all they can, Prov. 31. 28. Her Children riſe up, and call her bleſſed.

5. To vindicate any wrongs, injury, or diſhonor 5. By vindicating parents wrongs.done to parents, ſo far as it lyeth in the compaſs of Childrens calls, places: thus Amaziah, 2 Kings 14. 5. as ſoon as confirmed in his Kingdome he ſlew his ſervants, who had ſlain Jehoaſh his Father.

6. To do parents all the honour they can at 6. By honouring them at their death.their death, Genes. 25. 9. Abrahams Sons, Iſaac and Iſhmael, buried him in the Cave of Machpelah; So Gen. 35. 29. Iſaacs Sons Eſau and Jacob buried him, Gen. 50. 8. And Joſeph went up to bury his Father, and with him went up all the ſervants of Pharaoh, and all the Elders of his houſe, and all the Elders of Egypt, and all the houſe of Joſeph, and his Brethren, and his Fathers houſe, only they left their little ones, their flocks, and herds, in the land of Goſhen, they and their wives alſo went ſo 7. By thankfull rendring notable mercies ſhewed to parents.great a journey, to ſolemnize the old Fathers Funerall, and to do him Honour there.

7. To maintain a thankfull remembrance of remarkable mercies extended to parents, or Anceſtors, p. 169Eſay 38. 19. The living, the living, he ſhall praiſe thee, as I do this day, (ſaith Hezekiah, when he recovered from ſo great a death) the Father to the Children, ſhall make known thy truth: God would have them of old to perpetuate their Anceſtors deliverance out of Egypts bondage, Exod. 13. 8, 9, 10. From the ſlaughter of their firſt born there (which to the ſucceeding poſterity were alſo Fathers,) Exod. 12. 25, 26, 27. So Eſt. 9. 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27. Care was taken for the perpetuation of a thankfull remembrance ſucceſfully for their Anceſtors delivery from the miſchiefs of Hammons bloody plot. And if our Fathers had more Honour put upon them in our thankfull ſolemnizing the memoriall of their deliverance from the horrid miſchief of that deviliſh Powder-plot, in the year 1605. it might do well. Surely it redoundeth to parents Honour, if they are of ſo high eſteem and reſpect in their Childrens eyes, that any notable mercy extended to them, ſhall be for ever kept in thankfull remembrance by their poſterity.

8. To improve godly perſons intereſt in the 8. To make beſt improvement of the holy intereſts.Lord, and in his Covenant, by faith, and to plead them in their prayers; this act of Children redoundeth exceedingly to parents Honour, holding forth their parents to be perſons ſo highly honoured of God, as to be deeply intereſted in him, & in his Covenant and Grace: and to be of ſuch faith in God, and in his Covenant; thus did David twice, Pſalm, 116. 16. Truly Lord I am thy ſervant, the Son of thy handmaid, Pſal. 86. 16. give thy ſtrength to thy ſervant, and ſave the Son of thy handmaid. In the former, he, in a holy wiſe, glorieth in his Mothers intereſt: in the latter he pleadeth her intereſt in the Lord, 1 Kings 8. 25, p. 17026. Therefore now Oh Lord God of Iſrael, keep with thy ſervant David, my Father, that which thou promis'dſt him. So Jacob pleaded his Grand-Fathers, and his Fathers intereſt, Gen. 32. 5. And Jacob ſaid, Oh God of my Father Abram—God of my Father Iſaac, &c.

9. To imitate all that good of grace, as of faith, 9. By imitating all that was truly good in them.love, and holineſs, righteouſneſs, patience, meekneſs, courage, conſtancy, humility, zeal of Gods glory, holy fervency, diligence, fidelity and the like, which children have beheld and ſeen in their parents. Prov. 4. 12. Saith David to Solomon, I have led thee in the right paths: even by holy example alſo, Joh. 8. 39. If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham; if they were genuine children of Abraham, they would ſhew it, by the honour they really put upon him, by making him an holy exemplar, and pattern to themſelves, how to walk before the Lord, and to be upright.

It was a noble ſpeech of a good daughter-in-Law, to her Mother Naomi, a godly Matron, Ruth. 2. 16. Thy God ſhall be my God, and thy people my people, ſhe would honour all that was honourable in her, her Religion, her faith in God, and worſhip and ſervice of him, and obedience to him, as alſo her union and communion with the Church, and love to them and the like.

10. Not to ſuffer themſelves to be drawn aſide, 10. By cleaving to their good wayes without degenerating and Apoſtatiſing.or to Apoſtatiſe, or degenerate from that of God and Chriſt, and his grace, truth, worſhip and wayes, which their Parents have held forth to them, in word and deed, precept and practice, and have frequenrly given in charge to their children. This is charged upon children, Prov. 6. 20. My Son, keep tby Fathers Commandements, and forſake p. 171not the Law of thy Mother. And Prov. 4. 2. Forſake you not my Law, Prov. 1. 8. My Son, hear the inſtructions of thy Father, and forſake not the Law of thy Mother. This was commended in thoſe of Judah, the poſterity of godly Anceſtors, Hoſ. 11. 12. Judah ruleth yet with God, and, (comparatively to Iſrael) is faithfull to the Saints, viz. their godly Anceſtors, who delivered their faith to their ſucceſſors to be kept, and carryed, and conveyed to poſterity ſucceſſively, according as they had taught them by precept and practice. Its faithfulneſs to Anceſtors, and ſo honoureth Anceſtors, when poſterity continueth to hold out what was moſt honourable in them, and doth not degenerate them-from: Hence that alſo, Jer. 35. 13, 14. will you not hearken to my words? ſaith the Lord, The words of Jonadab, the Son of Rechab, that he commanded his Sons, are performed, for unto this day, they drink no wine, but obey their Fathers Commandement. As if he had ſaid, they put this Honour upon their Anceſtors, from Jonadabs time, who firſt practiſed it, and gave it in charge to his children, who alſo left it as their practice, and precept to their Children, and ſo ſucceſſively from Parent to Child it hath been obſerved without alteration to this day, nor will they by any temptation, or triall, even of Jeremiah himſelf, be drawn aſide, from that their mortified practice of weanedneſs from the worlds delights, and contentments: but you will not Honour me ſo much, as to follow the Counſels and godly examples of my Prophets, by whom time after time, I have called upon you to wayes of holy obedience.

Theſe two laſt wayes of Reflect Honour of Parents, by their Children, being the main, we ſhall therefore, in the proſecution of the point, chiefly attend them.

p. 172The Reaſon hereof may be taken, from the titles Reaſons hereof from childrens Titles calling for it.given to Children in Scripture, which hold forth as much, that in Gods appointment, Children as child. ſhould be an honor to their parents.

1. Hence they are called Parents and Anceſtors Crowns, Prov. 17. 6. Childrens Children are the Crown of old men. A badge and pledge of their holy royalty, dignity, and excellency: as Crowns are to Princes heads; and Hoſ. 9. 11. They are called Parents glory: their glory ſhall flee away, (viz. their Children) from the birth, womb and conception, v. 12. I will bereave them of their Children, which they bring up.

2. They are called Stars, Gen. 37. 9, 10. The glory of the firmament where they are, the Families where they are, albeit not of equall glory to the Father and Mother of the Family, which are theirs, as the Sun and Moon, as Jacob and his wife, and eleven Sons, are in Joſephs dream, the Sun, Moon, and eleven Stars.

3. They are Parents rewards from God, and ſo appointed to be as rewards are to others, for their Honour; ſo are they in Gods intent, godly Parents heritage: and heritages redound to the poſſeſſors Honour.

4. They are in Gods appointment, to be as Olive plants about their Table, a badge and pledge of Honour to their Parents, ſuch as from whom commeth that which will make their parents faces to ſhine: as Oyle-olive will a mans face. They are as Arrows in the hand of a Gyant, which become inſtrumental, to many an honourable Trophe and Lawrell Crown of theirs, ſuch as Parents need not beaſhamed of, but glory in, even in deſpite of envy, and malice it ſelf, Pſal. 127. 4. 5. As Arrows are in the hand of a p. 173Gyant, ſo are Children of youth: happy is the man, that hath his quiver full of them, they ſhall not be aſhamed, but they ſhall ſpeak with the enemies in the Gate.

5. Children are in Scripture account builders— foreign from foreign he hath built, Iſay 49. 17. Genev. Tranſl. not only in reſpect of holding up the Family and the like: but in that their work is to contrive, compoſe, advance, adorn, replenſh, or occaſionally to repair that goodly piece, their Parents Honour, as well as ſafety, comfort, peace, proſperity, or the like.

6. Children are in Scripture account as poliſhed ſtones of a Palace, Pſal. 144. 22. redounding much to the Honour of Parents, who inſtrumentally formed and framed them.

Reaſon 2. May be taken from Parents, they are 2. From Times of Parents in Scripture.their Childrens glory, Prov. 17. 6. and the glory of Children are their Fathers: and if good Parents are ſuch an Honour to their Children, Children ſhould be a glory and Honour to their godly Parents; yea the Honour put upon Parents, redounds to their Children, the more glory is upon the Parent, the more is upon the Children, whoſe glory their Fathers are: ſo that the more Honour Children are to Parents, and the better they carry it in way of Honour to their Parents, the more Honour they put thereby upon themſelves.

The uſe of this point ſerveth, firſt for reproof: Uſe 1. For Reproof, and that,and that firſt of Parents, who are many of you, too guilty of your Childrens diſhonourable courſes and carriages, namely.

1. When you unadviſedly expoſe your Children 1. Of Parents too much furthering Childrens diſhonourable carriages and courſes.to diſhonourable practices, or temptations thereunto; as Gen. 19. 8. I have two daughters (ſaith Lot to thoſe beaſtly Sodomites) which have not known man, let me I pray you bring them out to p. 174you, and do yee to them as is good in your own eyes, &c. and verſ. 33. 34. they bring him into that ſnare In expoſing rhem to temptations to them.of Inceſt: and they made their Father drink wine, and the firſt night the Elder, & the next night the younger daughter went in and lay with her Father. The like was the failing of the good old man, Judg. 19. 23, 24. behold here is my daughter (ſaith he to thoſe Sodomiticall Benjamites) I will bring her out to you, and humble her, &c. Levit. 19. 29. Do not proſtitute thy daughter to be a whore, leſt the land fall to whoredome, and the land become full of wickedneſs: Such a blaſt of God followeth upon ſuch ſinfull acts of Parents. And the like may be ſaid of other evils, of oppreſſion, pride, &c. when Parents profeſſing Religion, will put on your Children upon taking of oppreſſing wages & prices, upon new-fangled faſhions, ſuch a generation commonly proveth degenerate, and the ſhame of their Fathers houſes.

2. When you will be ingaging of your Children, 2. By raſh ingagements, laid upon them.in wayes, which tend to inſnaring of them, as too many amongſt Papiſts do their Children, in vowes of virginity, when not being able to contain, they are inſnared in wayes of unnatural pollutions, and other filthy practices in ſecret: and too oft of horrid Murthers of the fruit of their bodies: in this way Jephtah was to blame, who raſhly vows, Judg: 11. 31. That whatſoever commeth out of his houſe to meet him, returning in peace from the Children of Ammon, ſhal ſurely be the Lords, even the Lords votaries (if they be perſons) or that he would offer it up for a burnt-offering, namely, if it were a meet thing to be offered: for ſo the particle (vau) is to be read disjunctively for (or) and not conjunctively for (and) and ſo it is in the Margin of your larger Bibles of the New Edition; p. 175and a little to digreſs for the cleering of this place, Shindler, Junius, Mr. Perkins, and others, do ſo render and underſtand this vow of Jephtah's and the words of that Scripture. And its uſuall in Scripture, ſo to take the particle (vau) disjunctively, as Gen. 26. 11. He that toucheth this man (vau) or (not and) his wife, ſhall die; Ex. 20. 10. thou ſhalt not do any work, thou, (…) or thy Sons (…) or thy daughter, &c. Exod. 21. 15. he that ſmiteth his Father, (…) or his Mother, ſhall dye; if he ſmite not his Father, yet if he ſmite his Mother, its death; Exod. 12. 5. yee ſhall take your Lamb out from the ſheep (…) or from the goats: It is not (and conjunctively) as if there were to be taken a Lamb from the Sheep, & a Lamb from the Goats, and ſo two Lambs; Deut. 17. 1. yee ſhall not ſacrifiſe to the Lord any Bullock (…) or Sheep, wherein is blemiſh; It is disjunctive, though they ſhould not ſacrifiſe a Bullock that is blemiſhed, yet if a blemiſhed Sheep be ſacrifiſed, its culpable. God had indeed provided a remedy in the law, as for a Male Perſon, ſo for a Female Perſon, which any man had by vow devoted to God: he was to pay in lieu of her 30. Sheckels, Levit. 27. 2, 4. And ſo Jephtah might have redeemed his daughter from this vow of virginity: but he either was ignorant of it, or in his raſhneſs attended it not, and therefore ſaith, as verſ. 35. that he hath opened his mouth to the Lord, and cannot go back, which his daughter crediting, yeeldeth to his raſh vow, v. 36. if ſo (ſaith ſhe) do to me according to that which proceeded out of thy mouth, and v. 37. Let me go two moneths up and down the mountains, I and my fellows, and bewail my virginity: She ſaith not let me go and bewail my life; as indeed ſhe had greateſt cauſe, if her Father had p. 176been ſo bereft of all humanity, as to intend to offer her up for a burnt-offering, or ſo groſly haereticall, as to think that any ſuch forbidden unnaturall Murther might have been as a Sacrifice to God.

But let me go and bewail my Virginity: to which ſhe was now devoted, and wherein ſhe was offered to the Lord, to be only ſequeſtred to him, and never to marry and have Children, (which to them was a great reproach) and hence verſ. 40. The Daughters of Iſrael went out yearly (namely to the houſe where ſhe lived without the City, apart from all company) to talk with her, ſo it is in the margin of the greater Bibles (though rendred to Lament.) And ſo it is in Arias Montanus his interlineary Bible, ad confabulandum, to talk together. So Buxtorfius in his Hebrew Lexicon, renders, it and quoteth Kimchi, for it alſo, as rendring this word foreign ad confabulandum, and ſo Judg. 5. 11. the ſame word in the ſame conjugation, is rendred there foreign confabulabuntur, they ſhall reherſe together the righteous acts of the Lord; not they ſhall lament thoſe acts.

3. When you are too neglectfull of your holy 3. By neglecting their holy watch over them.watch over your Children, to keep a wiſe and ſtraight hand over them, and that in time, before your Children are grown too ſtiff and inflexible: or too much hardned in ways tending to their Parents reproach: when you careleſly leave your Children too much to themſelves: if they will pray, or read the Scriptures, or hear the word, or attend unto it, or give account of what they heard or read, well, but if they will not, you do not much regard it. If your Children are affected with their naturall ſtate, with things of Chriſt, with their need of Chriſt, ſo: if otherwiſe, you do not p. 177much inquire into it. If your Children be ſecretly naught, if they be company-keepers, ſcoffers at purity, and the like, you look not narrowly after thoſe things; and ſo leave your Children in a manner to themſelves, and what wonder then, if as, Prov. 25. 11. A Child left to himſelf, bringeth his Mother to ſhame.

4. When you provide not ſeaſonably and ſuitably 4. By not providing ſeaſonably for them in marriage.for your Children in Marriage, or poſſibly having conſented to the diſpoſall of your children in marriage, will raſhly aſſay to croſs your Children, and break their conjugall Ingagements, which, with your conſent, they have made; How frequently do reproaches ariſe to Parents from diſhonourable conſequences thereof in their Children? Lot was too blame, that he looked not out ſeaſonably for ſome fit matches for his two daughters, which had formerly minded marriage (witneſs the contract between them and two men in Sodom, called therfore for his Sons in Law, which had married his daughters, Gen. 19. 14.) for they ſeeing no man like to come in to them in a conjugall way, as v. 30. there is no man to come in to us, after the manner of all the earth: then they plotted that inceſtuous courſe, whereby their Father was ſo highly diſhonoured, v. 32. come therefore, let us make our Father drink wine, and we will come and lie with him, that we may preſerve ſeed of our Father. So in Tamars caſe, from Judahs neglect of beſtowing his Son Shelah upon her, according to his own promiſe and conſent, (pretended at leaſt) Gen. 38. 11. and verſ. 14. When Tamar ſaw that Shelah was grown, and ſhe was not given to him to wife, then ſhe went and ſate in the way, where Judah ſhould come, with her veil, as if ſhe had been ſome ſtrumpet: and verſ. 26. Judah confeſſeth p. 178it as his fault, that ſuch inceſt was committed to the ſhame indeed of his, and of his Fathers houſe. She hath been (ſaith he) more righteous than I: becauſe I gave her not to Shelah my Son. Hence the Apoſtles counſell to Parents, to diſpoſe ſeaſonably of their Virgins in marriage, 1 Cor. 7. 36. If any man thinketh that he behaveth himſelf uncomely toward his virgin, if ſhe paſs the flower of her age, and need ſo requires it, let them marry.

5. When you lay up ill gotten goods, as gain 5. By laying up ill gotten goods for mem.of oppreſſion, deceit, violence, or any injuſtice, this layeth your Children open to reproachfull courſes to themſelves and you, even by the juſt hand of God againſt ſuch injuſt gain, Hab. 2. 9, 10. Woe to him that coveteth an evill covetouſneſs to his houſe, verſ. 10. Thou haſt conſulted ſhame to thine own houſe.

6. When, Chriſtian, you ſuffer others, yea it 6. By ſuffering their judgements to be corrupted.may be too forward your ſelves to be diſtilling into them corrupt principles of Religion, or furthering them in the practice thereof: but Oh how diſhonourable muſt this needs prove to your ſelves, by the ſad and ſorrowfull conſequences thereof in your Children? like that ſad effect of Idolatry in thoſe Children, Jer. 17. 2. Whil'ſt (verſ. 2.) the Children remember their Fathers groves and altars, or like Ahaziah, 2 Chro. 22. 3. He walked in all Ahabs wayes: for his Mother was his counſellor to do wickedly: Thus Micahs Mother put him upon making that Idoll, Judg. 17. 2, 3, 4, &c. and Oh that in theſe Apoſtatiſing dayes, the ſeed of the degenerating of the poſterity of Godly Anceſtors, and of all their looſe and ſcandalous courſes, to the ſhame of their Fathers houſes, had not been firſt laid in them, by their own Parents leavening them with corrupt opinions.

p. 1792. It ſerveth for reproof unto Children, or 2. It reproeth children, eſpecially thoſe of good parents.perſons in the relation of Children: eſpecially the Children of godly parents, the Children of the Church, that even you are every way a diſhonour to your parents, and reflect and put much diſhonour upon them, and ſo ſharply reproveth,

1. Such of you as ſcoff at, and deride ſuch of 1. For deriding their good brethren or ſiſters.your godly Brethren, or Siſters, whom your Parents moſt reſpect; or do any wrong to your Brethren, or Siſters, of one, or both Parents; of the former ſort was Iſhmael, Abrahams Son by Hagar the Egyptian, whom Sarah ſaw mocking of Iſaac, that beloved Childe of the promiſe, Gen. 21. 9. Of the Latter ſort were Joſephs brethren, who before their converſion, envied godly Joſeph, (who brought their evill report unto Jacob, Gen. 37. 2.) becauſe Jacob loved him above them, verſ. 3, 4. and becauſe God had ſhewed him in two ſeverall dreams, that he would ſo highly exalt him above them, verſ. 8. And out of Envy ſold him afterwards into Egypt, Acts 7. 7. Such an one was Abimelech, Gedeons Son, who ſlew his 70. Brethren; and the Holy Ghoſt reckoneth it as a wicked and vile fact, done to his very Father, Judg. 9. 56. Gen. 42. 36. Jacob telleth his Sons, that they had bereaved him of his Children. Joſeph is not, Simeon is not, and you will take away Benjamin, all theſe things are againſt me. Such who trample upon, and rend away good Children, they trample upon, and rend away their Fathers Crown, and Glory, for ſuch are Children unto Parents, Prov. 17. 6. Hoſ. 9. 11, 12. Such reflect diſhonour upon their godly parents wiſdome, and zeal, as if they did miſplace their reſpects, upon thoſe Children who deſerved not the ſame; But God hath p. 180been wont to abaſe ſuch proud, envious, malicious Spirits, and to put as much, or more diſhonour upon them. Iſhmael, and his whole poſterity, was caſt out of the Church for it, Gen. 21, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. Jacobs Sons were brought very low, inwardly, and outwardly, when ſo roughly handled in Egypt, and for a time impriſoned, Gen. 72. 17, 30, 33. Abimelech came to a vile, and diſhonourable end, by a Stone hurled upon him from a Tower, by the hand of a woman, together with his Armour-bearers ſword, Judg. 9. 57. and 56. Thus God rendred the wickedneſs of Abimelech, which he did unto his Father, in ſlaying his 70. Brethren.

2. Such Children of Chriſtian Parents, who neglect the beſt time of your good, under the good 2. For neglecting their opportunities of good whil'ſt with their good parents.education of your Parents, under a godly Miniſtry, of whom it may be ſaid, as Jer. 8. 20. The Harveſt is paſt, the Summer is ended, and they are not ſaved; now ſuch a Son, that ſleepeth in that bleſſed Harveſt time of reaping ſo much ſoul-good, is a Son that cauſeth ſhame, even to his very Parents alſo, as well as to himſelf, Prov. 10. 5. Others who know you, will be ready to cenſure, or at leaſt to ſuſpect, that your Parents were not ſo conſcionable, in this matter of their education did not pray enough, or not ſo ſeriouſly for you, and ſo your Parents names ſuffer by ſuch unprofitable burthens of the Church as you are; but let me tell you, that it very frequently happeneth, that thoſe who get no good, under the Tuition of their godly Parents, they are left to vileſt courſes, and that without recovery. Its more rare if they come to good, who had not ſome godly ſeeds thereof in their godly Parents Families, if bred up to adult age there; nor Cain, nor Cham, nor Eſau, p. 181nor Nadab, nor Abihu, nor Abimelech, nor Hophni, nor Phineas, nor Ammon, nor Abſolom, nor Adonijah, nor ſuch like, which were not good, nor had ſeeds of good in them, whil'ſt under their good Parents wing, were ever good after. And you muſt dearly anſwer one day, for thoſe Talents of good education, and opportunities of good in your Parents Families. God will ſay as in another caſe, Prov. 17. 16. wherefore was there a price in the hand of a fool to get wiſdome, ſince he had no heart to it? And all thoſe helps and ſeaſons of good which you had in ſuch Families, will be as oyle to make your tormenting flames burn the more fiercely, and as pricks to ſtir up that raging, vexing, gnawing worm within you, as in that poor forlorn young man, in awakenings of his conſcience, liſten what it is that he howleth and roareth over, 1 Prov. 5. 11, 12, 13. Oh it is the inſtruction which he hath had from Parents, and others, but hated; and thou mourn at laſt, ſaying, how have I hated inſtruction?

It is the reproof he hath had but deſpiſed, how hath my heart deſpiſed reproof? it is the voyce of his teachers, which he hath heard, but not obeyed, I have not obeyed the voyce of my Teachers. If one might lay ones ear in the other world, at the mouth of the bottomleſs pit, one ſhould hear many ſuch deſperate moans, and yellings out ſuch complaints; ſo that though poor Parents ſuffer by ſuch wretches as you are, at the preſent, yet a time will come, when you your ſelves ſhall thus clear them, and condemn your ſelves.

3. Such Children of Chriſtian Parents, who take to deboiſt company, and take up any Ruffianly 3. For deboiſt company and courſes.cuſtoms or courſes, in your hair, in your garb, in your jovialling, and rioting, Prov. 17. 2. p. 182A wiſe ſervant ſhall have rule over a Son that cauſeth ſhame, a deboiſt Son, who is not fit to be truſted with any buſineſs of his Fathers, putteth ſhame even upon his Father and Family, as well as upon himſelf. Chriſtians are ſpiritual Prieſts unto God, 1 Pet. 2. 5. & truly as it was of old, Num▪ 21. 9. the daughter of any Prieſt, if ſhe profane her ſelf, ſhe profaneth her Father, ſo it is here, ſuch profane Children as you are, you do even profane your very good Parents. Or as it is in the caſe of Elders of Churches, its put upon their account of blame, if their Children be accuſed of Riot, or are unruly: and therefore its ſaid, Tit. 1. 6, 7. If he be blameleſs, having Children not accuſed of riot, or unruly: for a Biſhop muſt he blameleſs, &c. So is it true of other godly Parents, ſome blemiſh and blame reflecteth upon them, when their Children are ſo culpable, ſuch ſcandalous Children of the Church as you are. It is no wonder that you get no good by your Education, if given to ſuch looſe companions, and their Counſels: this is the cauſe of the other; as it was in Rehoboam; when thoſe young blades gave him that boiſterous counſell, 2 Chron. 11. 4. He ſlighted the grave counſell of thoſe Ancient Fathers of the State: ſo it is here: hang it, will ſuch companions ſay, what needſt thou care what the old man ſaith? nor is it likely that ever ſuch a Son ſhould be better ſo long as knit to ſuch comrades, Prov. 9. 6. Forſake the fooliſh and live, and go in the way of underſtanding; yea but firſt thoſe companions muſt be caſhiered; yea this alſo is the cauſe of the firſt branch of diſhonour caſt upon your Parents, by deriding of their good Children. Pſal. 1. 1. There is a gradation.

1. A man walketh in the counſell of the ungodly.

2. Then he ſtandeth in the way of ſinners, & then,

p. 1833. He taketh up his chair, he ſitteth in the ſeat of the ſcorners; ſuch ſnares are there in the way of the froward, to others, as well as to themſelves, Prov. 22. 5. And ſo true is it, that evill communication corrupteth good manners.

4. Such Children as match diſhonourably to 4. For matching diſhonourably.your Parents, even to your Chriſtian Parents profeſſion, and gracious intereſts; ſo did that poſterity of Seth, the Children of the Church, in matching with the poſterity of out-caſt Cain, Gen. 6. 2. The Sons of God ſaw the daughters of men, that they were fair, and took them wives of all which they choſe; thus did Eſau diſhonour that bleſſed ſtock of which he came, to match into the curſed brood and Family of Cham, Gen. 26. 34, 35. And Judah did too much this way, Gen. 38. 2. and God put diſhonour upon him, in that vile brood, w^ch came of his Canaanitiſh wife Shuah, even Er and Onan, whoſe vile wickedneſs, God immediately revenged. Verſ. 7, 9, 10. And no wonder, ſince he ſo much diſhonoured his Father, and Fathers houſe by that match, and ſo mingled the holy ſeed, with the people of the lands (as its called Ezra 9. 2.) And they ſaid truly, though they ſpake it guilefully, Gen. 34. 14. We cannot give our Siſter to one that is uncircumciſed, for that were a reproach; when ſuch matches are made by your ſelves, yet your Parents are ſuppoſed, if not cenſured by others, either to abuſe their parentall Authority, in way of Commiſſion, contrary to Gods Rules, forbidding ſuch unequall matchings, or to neglect their Authority, in way of ſin of omiſſion of duty, for prevention of ſuch an evill, and ſo your Parents come hereby to ſuffet reproach; beſides, by ſuch unworthy matches, vile practices come to ariſe, which yet were p. 184more reflect upon your godly Parents Honour▪ As was too evident, in that poſterity of the Sons of God, and Daughters of men, Gen. 6. 2, 3, 4, 5. and in Judahs brood by Shuah, now mentioned; and in that mungrell generation, which ſpake half the Jewes Language, and half the Language of Aſhdod. This alſo tendeth to undermine thoſe direct Acts of Honour due to your Parents; ſuch bad Husbands will be hindring the wives due reſpect to her good Parents, or any due reverence to them, or filiall obedience to them, or any filiall recompence of them: and the like miſchief will a bad wife do in that way, to her husband, to withdraw him from giving due Honour to his good Father or Mother; as too common experience maketh it good; but God will pay ſuch of you home, either by laying you as low as hell, in troubling, and terrifying your conſciences for ſuch courſes, of which there are ſometimes examples: or if not that way, yet by ſome notable judgements of his, expoſing you to contempt, as he did thoſe of the old world.

5. Such perſons are eſpecially to be reproved, 5. For degerating from the good precepts and practices of their godly parents and Anceſtors.who being Children of the Church, Children of godly Parents, and Anceſtors, yet walk not after the precepts, which they often gave you, nor in the bleſſed paths▪ wherein they exemplary led you, yea you ſteer a contrary courſe unto that of your gracious Fathers or Mothers, Grand-fathers, or Grand-mothers: yea ſome of you, who poſſibly have been convinced of the evill of your State by nature, and have been ſo far wrought upon, as to give good hops of the beſt things to bebegun in you, yet you alſo come afterwards to degenerate; like thoſe Sons of God, Sons of the Church, Gen. 6. 2. who receive not ſo much as the Footſteps of p. 185any of the gracious wayes of their good Anceſtors; ſuch a generation are ſpoken of, Judg. 2. 7, 10, 12, 17. And the people ſerved God all the daies of Joſhuah, and all the dayes of the Elders that outlived Joſhuah—And all that generation died, and there aroſe another generation after them, which knew not the Lord.—And they forſook the Lord God of their Fathers—they turned quickly out of the way, which their Fathers walked in, obeying the Commandements of the Lord; but they did not ſo. Your Parents and Anceſtors made conſcience of reading and hearing the word of God, and due meditation upon it, but you their Children, at leaſt ſome of you, hardly ever look into the Bible; the great things of Gods Law, there written, are as a ſtrange thing to you, Hoſ. 8. 12. If with much ado you drop in into an Aſſembly where the word is taught, there you fit as careleſs high-way-ſide hearers, mind not what is ſaid, lay not up what you hear, mind moſt ſuch young men and womens garbs and geſtures, &c. And as for any ſerious meditation upon the word, you are ſtrangers wholly to it: your godly Parents were exerciſed in godly conference, but you in frothy diſcourſes, as ſoon as ever you are out of the Aſſembly, and when ever you meet with other companions, like your ſelves; God is never in your mouths, unleſs in way of profaning, ſome way, of his bleſſed name. Your Parents were wont to be much in Prayer, not alone in publick in the Aſſembly, or in private, in the Family, but in ſecret, by themſelves alone in their cloſets, but you their Children make no conſcience of Prayer, God ſeldom or never heareth of you by your ſelves alone in a corner, bemoaning your ſelves, or earneſtly deſiring that he would turn p. 186your hearts unto him and to his wayes: how conſcionable were your Parents, of Sanctifying the Sabbath, of which you make none? you care not, if you may do it unſeen of others, how vainly, or profanely you miſpend that ſacred time; how conſcionable were your Parents, of what they ſpake at any time, and of their thoughts, if poſſible, not to yeeld to a vain and carnall thought, but to ſuppreſs it? but you regard neither what you think, nor ſpeak: you let your minds drive, and rove after all manner of vanity and folly, and your lips even powr out fooliſhneſs; how obſervant were your good Parents, what company they came into, or were familiar with, that they were godly, or hopefull perſons? but no company commeth amiſs to you, unleſs they be now and then a godly perſon, who rather putteth you into your dumps; How tender were your good Parents of their dealings with men, to diſcharge a good conſcience therein? of their very outward garb, what they ware, and in what faſhion, and the like? but you their Children regard not what you do, nor how you deal with others, nor what you wear, nor of what Faſhion, ſo the neweſt. As it was ſaid of thoſe degenerate ones, Deut. 32. 17. They ſacrificed to devils, not to God—to new Gods, whom their Fathers feared not; ſo it may be ſaid of you; you give up your ſelves to walk after the ſight of your own eyes, and after the deſire of your own hearts, Eccleſ. 11. 9 You give up your ſelves to ſerve your own vain imaginations, and luſts of the fleſh, of the eye, and of the pride of life, which your Fathers ſubjected not themſelves unto; if one ſhould ask many ſuch Children of godly Anceſtors, did ever your good Father or Grand-father wear ſuch ruffianly hair upon their heads, did p. 187they ever transform themſelves, like Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 4. 3….Dan 4:3into the manner of beaſts, to be ſo careleſs of their ſeaſonable and ſuitable cutting their hair, as you do? that as its ſaid of him, your hairs are grown like Fagles Feathers (which yet are not ſo long as womens hair, nor indeed according to the ordinary cauſes in nature, can mans hair ever be ſo long as womens, who are naturally of a moyſter temper, and if that were all, in 1 Cor. 11. Its a ſhame to a man, even by natures law and light, to have long hair: that is, ſay our Ruffianly haired men, to have it as long as women; but that need not to be forbidden by Paul, or any other, for nature forbiddeth that among the number of things, not in ordinary cauſes, uſuall, or poſſible, but this by way of digreſſion;) or did your godly Parents frisk from one new fangled faſhion to another, as you do? ſurely no; or did they ever give you examples of ſuch looſneſs, prodigality, ſcurrility, and the like lewdneſs, which you practiſe; aſſuredly no; nay if your godly Anceſtors and Parents were now exiſting upon the earth, would they now know you their poſterity, theirs Sons, their Daughters? ſurely no, You are ſo ſtrangely Metamorphozed from any likeneſs to your good Parents, or Anceſtors. It may be confeſſed as it was of their Anceſtors, Eſai 63. 16. Abraham is ignorant of us, and Iſrael acknowledgeth us not, as ſome would have it expounded, we are ſo degenerate, that if Abraham, or Iſrael were now alive again, they would not know, or own us to be their poſterity, John 8. 39, 40. Yea, do not too many of you now a dayes degenerate, whil'ſt your good Parents are with you Praying, and weeping many a time over you, and for you before God, and giving many a pull at p. 188you before Gods throne, if it might be to reſcue you from the bottomleſs pit, into which they fear you are haſting, and many a time with tears, ſometimes the Father, ſometimes the Mother, in holywiſe adjuring, and ſometimes meekly, and lovingly intreating, and beſeeching, ſuch or ſuch a Son or Daughter; Ah dear Son, dear Daughter, that you would once at length look out ſeriouſly, after the ſalvation of your ſouls, after God, after Chriſt, that you would but once ſet upon the bleſſed work of Faith, Repentance, and Goſpel-obedience: will you not leave theſe, and theſe vain courſes, and cuſtoms, faſhions, and companions, will you not be more conformable to Gods holy Rules, when ſhall it once be? and truly if the ariſing generation now a daies, too many of them begin to grow ſo rude and graceleſs, and ſo far to degenerate, whil'ſt godly Parents, Maſters, Tutors, Kind red, Magiſtrates, and Miniſters are with them, Alas! what will they do when they are gone? as Moſes once ſaid to that degeneration race of Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, Deut. 31. 27. Behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, you have been Rebellious againſt the Lord, and how much more after my Death? ſo we may too juſtly fear, concerning too many of this ariſing Generating of Chriſtians, that if whil'ſt we are with them, they ſo faſt decline and degenerate, they will much more do it after we are gone. Alas! what wrack did thoſe ſeven famous Aſian Churches ſoon ſuffer in their degenerate poſterity? and Ah! that we had not too much cauſe to fear as much of ours. If it were the caſe onelyonly of a few of the younger generation of the very Churches, that they onelyonly were degenerated, it were the leſs to be feared; But when degenerating from godly Parents, and Anceſtors p. 189Paths and Principles waxeth ſo common, and even Epidemicall, in Proteſtant Churches here and elſewhere, under ſo much light, and help to the Contrary, who can but fear the worſt? yea when Children grow ſo bold, if not impudent, in their impieties, and iniquities, as not ſecretly but openly, not in any way of bluſhing, but even in a ſhameleſs way, to be caſting off the yoak of Jeſus Chriſt, who would not tremble to think of the iſſue of ſuch ſpeaking Symtomes of degeneration, and Apoſtaſie? what for you now to be, as he that confeſſed, Prov. 5. 14. I was utmoſt in all wickedneſs in the middeſt of the Congregation, or like thoſe in Iſaiah, 26. 10. Let favour be ſhewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn Righteouſneſs, in the Land of uprightneſs, ſhall he deal unjuſtly, and will not behold the majeſty of God; and will not this be bitterneſs to you in the latter end; but that I may quit my hands and heart of the blood of the ſouls of any ſuch, and if blood muſt needs lye, that it may lie upon the heads of your ſelves who are degenerate Children, give me leave to do two things. To repreſent ſomewhat, firſt of the evill of ſin in ſuch degeneration of yours; Secondly, of the miſchiefs attending the ſame. And becauſe we Evils of ſin in the degenerating of the Children of the godly in generall.propounded the uſe of Reproof, as reſpecting firſt all degenerate Children in general, Secondly ſuch degenerate ones in ſpeciall, who have had their inward workings upon their Spirits, ſeen much, felt much, promiſed much, and given great hopes of comming to good, we ſhall therefore begin with the former ſort, and then fall upon the latter ſort. Concerning degeneration 1. It is unſuitable to what God and his people may challenge from them.of the poſterity of the godly in generall I ſay.

That it is moſt croſs, and unſuitable to what p. 190God and his people alſo may challenge from you, and therefore very evill and ſinfull, it may be ſaid to you, as it was to that degenerate generation, Mica. 2. 7. O thou that art named the houſe of Iſrael, is the Spirit of the Lord ſtraightned, are theſe his doings? do not my words do good too them that walk uprightly? or as he ſaid in another caſe, Nehe. 6. 11. Should ſuch a man as I flye? ſo, ſhould ſuch men and women as you, of ſuch and ſuch Parents and intereſts, be ſo and ſo degenerate? or as he ſaid to him in that caſe, 2 Sam. 13. 4. Why art thou, being the Kings Son, ſo As by externall calling and covenant intereſt.lean from day to day? ſo here, why are ſuch and ſuch of you, being Sons and Daughters of ſpirituall Princes, and Prieſts before God, ſo declining, ſo degenerating, from day to day? And that this your ſin may even in this firſt reſpect further appear, ſeriouſly conſider,

1. That ſuch as you are, you are in and through Holy and devoted to God.your Parents, an holy, devoted, and ſpeciall people to God above others, and ſhould ſuch be as bad, or worſe than others? thus when God would diſſwade that generation of Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, from fellowſhip with the Canaanites perſons, or practices, Deut. 7. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. This is the Argument, v. 6. For thou art an holy people to the Lord thy God, thy God hath choſen thee to be a ſpeciall people unto himſelf, above all other people. So Deut. 14. 1. Ye are the Children of the Lord your God, ye ſhall not cut your ſelves, nor make any baldneſs between your eyes for the dead, (heatheniſh and Idolatrous cuſtomes) For (verſ. 2.) Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God. So verſ. 21. Ye ſhall not eat any thing that dieth of it ſelf, &c. For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, &c.

p. 1912. Such as you are, are near unto God, in Covenant Near unto God.and Church reſpects, how ever formerly, in pagan Anceſtors, far off: hence that ſpeech to that degenerate poſterity of Abraham, Eſay 57. 19. I create the fruit of the lips to be peace, peace to him that is far off, (namely to the gentile) & to him that is near, (namely to the Jewes, which though in their ſinfull and naturall eſtates as far off as the Gentile, yet in Covenant and Church reſpects near to the Lord.) Now ſhould ſuch, as in ſome reſpects are ſo near God, by their degenerate principles and practices, remove your ſelves ſo far from God? what a vile evill muſt this needs be? hence that way of Gods Aggravation of the ſin of that degenerate poſterity of Jacob, Eſay 43. 21, 22, 23, 24. This people have I formed for my ſelf, they ſhall ſhew forth my praiſe. But thou haſt not called upon me, O Jacob, but thou haſt been weary of me, O Iſrael—thou haſt cauſed me to ſerve with thy ſins, and wearied me with thine iniquities; and Oh that God had not too juſt a cauſe to take up this heavy complaint againſt many of you that are the poſterity of the godly, in theſe dayes; that though made for himſelf, and formed for his praiſe, yet you have not worſhipped him, or called upon him, but have been weary of him, flung off his yoke, caſt his words behind your back, tyred out his patience in awaiting your return from your vain and ſinfull principles, and practices, whil'ſt you have made God to wait the leaſures and pleaſures of your luſts, if he look for any ſervice at length from you.

3. Such as you are, by externall calling, Gods His ſervants.houſhold ſervants, as its ſaid of the like, Levit. 25. 42, 55. They and their Children are my ſervants, ſaith the Lord. Now as Mal. 1. 6. a Servant honoureth p. 192his Maſter, if I then am a Maſter (ſaith God to that degenerate generation, ſo to you) where is my fear? If Iob accounted that ſo grievous in his ſervants, in way of commiſſion and of omiſſion, Iob 19. 15, 16. They that dwell in my houſe, my Maids count me for a ſtranger, I am an Alien in their ſight; I called to my ſervant, but he gave me no anſwer, I intreated him with my mouth; O how ill doth God take this at your hands, and how grievous and loathſome is it, that ſuch as dwell in his houſe, in his Church, count him for a ſtranger? he is in your ſight an Alien; you will not come at this your bleſſed Maſter, you will not come nigh him, you will not underſtand what he ſaith to you; though he call you beeing his ſervants, by externall calling, as he did that degenerate Apoſtatiſing generation, Hoſ. 11. 7. My people are bent to backſliding from me, though they (his Prophets) called them to the moſt high, none at all would exalt him, namely by Repentance, Faith, and Obedience; no more will any of you being ſervants of God by calling, make God any ſuch obedientiall Anſwer: yea though the Lord inſtruct you with his mouth, as its ſaid, 2 Cor. 5. 20.—As though God did beſeech you, we pray you in Chriſts ſtead, to be reconciled to God, yet how few of you regard theſe bleſſed beſeechings and intreaties of the glorious and high God?

Beſides, you alſo are by externall calling Gods Children, to whom God ſaith, as to thoſe degenerate ones, in Malac. 1. 6. If I am a Father His Children.where is my Honour? And if the fifth Commandement require ſuch Honour of Reſpect, Reverence, Obedience, and Recompence to Fathers of our fleſh, and ſuch carrying of it ſo by Children, as it redoundeth to parents honour (as we p. 193have largely declared) O what Honour of Reſpect, Reverence, Obedience, and holy Recompence to him; and what manner of carrying of it ſo as may redound to his Honour, doth God expect from you his Chldren, to whom he is not only a Father of your Spirit or Soul, as he is to all others, but a Covenant-Father? If God require that to Parents from their Children upon pain of life and death, he much more requireth this from you his Covenant and Church-Children, upon pain of loſs of eternal life, and undergoing eternal death. But is that the Honour of Reſpect which you who are degenerate Children, give to this your Father, to have no deſire of the knowledge of his wayes? As it is ſaid of that degenerate generation, in Job 21. 14, 15. (whether thoſe in Jobs own time, or thoſe before the floud, of whom, Job 22. 15, 16, 17, 18.) but to wiſh rather what thoſe wretches, there mentioned, that God might depart from you, in reſpect of any ſuch motions which he maketh, and convictions and reſtraints upon your Spirits, which ſometimes you meet with, and to take no delight at all in God, in his word, worſhip, wayes, daies, government, Saints and Servants? Or is this the honour of Reverence which you give him, to be awleſs & fearleſs of his preſence, when you are in his houſe, when at Prayer with your Parents, or the like, and to be conſtantly fearleſs of his diſpleaſure, or of ſinning againſt him? Or is this the Honour of Obedience which you give him, to obey the motions of your own hearts luſts, of your Companions, of Seducers, and of the very Divell himſelf? but as for Gods charge, or Commands, you make light of them: So that God may ſay of you, as he did of that degenerate generation of old, and ſpeak of it as inter p. 194horrenda, Hear O Heavens, and give ear O earth, for the Lord hath ſpoken, I have nouriſhed Children, and they have rebelled againſt me: the Oxe knoweth his owner, & the Aſs his Maſters Crib, but Iſrael doth not know, my people doth not conſider. Ah ſinfull Nation—Children that are corruptors—they have forſaken the holy one, they are gone away backward, Iſa. 1. 2, 3, 4. And as Iſa. 30. 9. This is a rebellious people, lying Children, Children that will not hear the law of the Lord. Or is this the honour of holy Recompence, which you ſhould have rendered to him, for all his benefits towards you? to depart from him, to vex and provoke his holy Spirit, which is ſtriving with you (as he was with that degenerate generation, in Gen. 6. 2, 3.) to corrupt your ſelves, as did that other generation mentioned, Deut. 32. 5. whoſe ſpot was not the ſpot of Children (or of right-bred children of God) who were a crooked and perverſe generation. Surely God may, and doth ſay to you, as he did by Moſes to them, verſ. 6. Do you thus requite the Lord, O fooliſh people and unwiſe? is not he thy Father that hath bought thee? hath not he made and eſtabliſhed thee? finally, is this your being an honour to God your heavenly father, to cauſe the name of God to be blaſphemed, and the way of truth to be evill ſpoken of, for your ſakes? as it may be ſaid of you, which was ſaid of thoſe degenerate Jewes, Rom. 2. 23. Thou that makeſt thy boaſt of the law, through breaking of the law diſhonoureſt thou God? verſ. 24. For the name of God is blaſphemed among the Gentiles, through you, when ſuch as you are by your vile ſpeeches, carriages, opinions, or courſes of life, ſhall occaſion the prophaner ſort, or enemies to God and his Church, Ironically to ſay, as they p. 195of old did of thoſe degenerate Jewes, Ezech. 36. 20. Theſe are the people of the Lord: So by your meanes others now a daies to ſay of you; Yea, theſe are your younger generation of the Church, theſe are thoſe that are in the Covenant of grace, theſe are your Church-members, theſe are they which in their Infant-Baptiſm were devoted to the faith and worſhip of Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt; theſe are the brood of ſuch Puritan Miniſters, and other preciſe followers, and the like blaſphemous ſarcaſmes, wherin the Lords precious name, together with his Truth, Covenant, Saints, and Servants, are alſo vilely reproached. Again, as ſuch Children are Gods Servants and Children, ſo they are by externall calling, Covenant and Church Intereſt, his ſubjects alſo. Of them is Gods kingdome, Luk. 18. 16, 17. Now for His Subjects.ſuch as you are, who are the ſubjects of the Lord, thus to break your Oath or Covenant of Allegiance, and to reject his goverment over you by his Word, Spirit, or Diſcipline, like thoſe degenerate Jewes, who ſaid of the promiſed Meſſiah, Jeſus Chriſt, We will not have this man to rule over us, Luke 19. 27. Hereby you do but rebel againſt your Lord and Soveraign, and what is rebellion, but as the ſin of witchcraft? 1 Sam. 15. 23. even a helliſh, execrable, and damnable crime. But to proceed to the other branches of the evill of ſin, in this degeneration of ſuch Children; In which we ſhall be more brief.

2. Hereby you become breakers of Covenant 2. It is a breach of Covenant with God.with God, with whom you are confederate. Yea, you hereby tear off the very ſeal of the Covenant, even your Baptiſm. Thus God, when telling Moſes how that people would degenerate, he ſaith, Deut. 31. 20. They would break his Covenant, p. 196ſo Iſaiah, charging the degenerate generation in his daies alſo with their ſin, he ſaith, Iſa. 24. 5. They have tranſgreſſed the Lawes—they have broken the everlaſting Covenant. And as for invalidating (after a ſort) of the Covenant-ſeal thereby, you may ſee it in thoſe degenerate ones, mentioned even now, Rom. 2. 25. If thou be a breaker of the law, thy Circumciſion (which to them was the ſeal of the Covenant, and of the righteouſneſs of faith, as Baptiſm is to us, Gen. 10. 11, 13. Rom. 4. 11.) is made uncicumciſion, and ſo ineffectuall: It is as it were torn off and trampled under foot through that ſin of theirs. Now if this be ſo heinous a thing with men, to break Covenant with Princes, to tear off & tread under foot their broad ſeals, how evill is this in Gods ſight? and if that breach of a Covenant made before God, even with a tyrant, by Zedechiah, were ſo grievous to God, that as Ezech. 17. 15, 16, 17. he ſaith, Shall he eſcape that doth ſuch things? or ſhall he break Covenant and be delivered? So I may ſay here to theſe degenerate Children of the godly; ſhall ſuch as you are eſcape the fiery diſpleaſure of God, that do ſuch things? or ſhall you that break Gods Covenant be delivered from wrath to come? no aſſuredly, unleſſe the Lord give you repentance unto life. And conſider of it in the fear of God, that Iſaiah made account, that for the ſins whereby thoſe degenerate ones brake Gods everlaſting Covenant, Iſa. 24. 3. The earth ſhould reel to and fro like a Drunkard, and that the trangreſſion thereof ſhall be heavy upon it, verſ. 20. Now if ſuch Covenant-breaking ſins of degenerate ones, be ſuch, as they are a burthen too heavy for the very earth to bear, and ſuch as maketh the very earth to ſtagger under it, like a Drunkard, me thinks p. 197the burthen of ſuch a ſin ſhould make your backs and hearts ake and crack, and even reel under it, if it do not ſo now, yet let all degenerate ones know, that God will one day awaken your conſciences, when you ſhall ſay with that terrified Apoſtate, degenerate Cain, My puniſhment, or my ſin, is greater than I can bear.

3. Hereby you become groſly unfaithfull, yea 3. It is unfaithfulneſs and treachery to God, Anceſtours, poſterity, and the whole Churchtreacherous to your God, to your Anceſtours, to your Parents, to poſterity, to the whole Church. God made you his Truſtees, and ſo did Anceſtours and Parents make you their ſpirituall Truſtees, under God, to hold up Religion, Truth, the Worſhip, Waies, and Goverment of Chriſt, when they ſhould be gathered to their Fathers; they look at and leave you their Children to be a ſeed of the Church, to be as plants, to hold up Gods Orchards, (as Churches are called, Cant. 4. 12, 13.) and as leſſer ſets and ſlips to maintain the Lords Gardens, (of which Cant. 8. 12) to be the Lords hand, and theirs alſo, to receive his Truth, Worſhip, and Government from them under God, and faithfully and intirely to deliver the ſame to your poſterity, and ſo to help to propagate the ſame to ſuch as come after you. Pſal. 78. 5. The Lord eſtabliſhed a teſtimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Iſrael, which he commanded our Fathers, that they ſhould make them known to their Children; verſ. 6. That the generation to come might know them, even the Children which ſhould be born, who ſhould ariſe and declare them to their Children; verſ. 7. That they might ſet their hope in God. The like courſe of continuation and propagation of his wayes and truth among the Gentiles doth the Lord pitch upon, Pſal. 22. 30, 31. A ſeed ſhall ſerve him—It ſhall be accounted to the Lord for a generation: they p. 198ſhall come and ſhall declare his righteouſneſs unto a people that ſhall be born, that he hath done this; hence that twofold cenſure of God upon the two houſes of Iſrael and Judah, Hoſ. 11. 12. Ephraim compaſſeth me about with lies, and the houſe of Iſrael with deceit, but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithfull to the Saints, (namely paſt, preſent, and to come) that Tribe was more faithfull in the matter of Gods charge left with them, and they were faithfull to their godly Anceſtors, or Parents, who left alſo the things of God to them, and they were therein alſo more faithfull to poſterity, who would come to be ſpirituall gainers thereby; hitherto Abijahs ſpeech is appliable alſo, 2 Chro. 13. 11. We (of Judah) keep the charge of the Lord our Ged, but yee (Iſraelites) have for ſaken him; hence that degenerate generation, in Deut. 32. 20. are ſaid to be Children in whom is no faith, or fidelity, or truſtineſs, and truth in the matter of their holy charge delivered to them; and truly, if it were no more for a ſprinkling of a better generation, here and there, of the godly, than for ſuch as you are, what, in an ordinary way, would become of the way of God, of religion, of Church, within a few years? And ſuch as you are do what in you lyeth, to break and ruine poſterity, and the ſucceſſion of Churches. Its true indeed, if all ſuch fail, as Matth. 3. 9. God is able out of ſtones to raiſe up Children unto Abraham; by unlikely wayes and means, to raiſe up another ſeed of the Church: but yet in regard of ſecond cauſes, and Gods ordinary way of diſpenſation, if all ſuch plants, and nurceries fail, Gods Orchard and Garden-Churches muſt fail.4. It is going a whoring from God.

4. Hereby you go a whoring from God. Rejoyce not, O Iſrael, for joy as other people; for thou p. 199haſt gone a whoring from thy God; ſaith God to thoſe degenerate ones, Hoſ. 9. 1. You are by Covenant as married to God, as God ſpake of that Apoſtate, degenerate poſterity, when he would quicken them up to return to him, Jer. 3. 14. Turn, O back-ſliding Children, ſaith the Lord, for I am married to you: yea, but in reſpect of you, that marriage Covenant is broken, as by ſpirtuall whoredome; of which, Jam. 4. 4. Speaking of profeſſors, and members of Churches, that yet were turned aſide from God; Ye Adulterers and Adultereſſes, ſaith the Lord. Now how odious a ſin is Adultery, with men? and ſurely this ſpirituall whordome is very heinous, in Gods ſight, and deeply provoking: hence that Pſal. 73. 27. Thou haſt deſtroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.

5. Hereby you become ſtumbling blocks to others, 5. It occaſioneth much ſin in others.and occaſion in them, both evils of commiſſion and omiſſion. Oh its an Attractive, a load-ſtone to draw company of other youngſters; why, there will be ſuch and ſuch a members, a Miniſters, an Elders Son, or Daughter there: It hardens others in their evill; why I drank not, I plaid not, ſuch a Lords day or the like, alone; ſuch and ſuch members, Elders Sons or Daughters did ſo, as well as I. I wear not ſuch long hair alone, I go not in ſuch and ſuch faſhions alone, I hold not ſuch and ſuch opinions (which you Judge corrupt) alone, but ſuch and ſuch Church Members, and their Children do as much, 1 Sam. 2. 17. The ſin of Elies Sons (its ſaid,) was very great before the Lord; for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.

6. Hereby you not alone croſs, what in you 6. It is a croſſing even of God's expectation.lyeth, the Churches, the Churches Officers, your p. 200Parents, your godly inſtructors and friends, expectations, but you do, in a ſenſe alſo, croſs the Lords expectations touching you, like that degenerate poſterity, Eſay 63. 8. God ſaid of them, ſurely they are my people, Children that will not lie; ſo he was their Saviour, veſ. 10. but they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit. So Eſay 5. 3, 4. Wherefore when I looked for grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? God maketh account (ſpeaking after the manner of men, and according to the way of his generall will, and to ſecond cauſes and the like) that ſurely they would be truſty to him, and his truth and way, and they would be fruitfull, but they proved otherwiſe; ſo may God ſay of ſuch as we are now ſpeaking of; but as that was moſt grievous in them before God, & ſeverely puniſhed in them, ſo is this in theſe degenerate ones, your crime is heinous, your puniſhment will be moſt dreadfull, if you ſpeedily repent not.

Now as for thoſe degenerate ones in ſpeciall, w^ch notwithſtanding the hopefull working they Evils of ſin in the degeneration of the more hopefull Children of the Godly.have had formerly in their ſouls, yet have degenerated, to the diſhonour, as of God and themſelves, ſo of their godly Parents, let ſuch ſeriouſly weigh the evill thereof: for beſides thoſe ſix particular aggravations, which your ſin, in degenerating, admitteth of, in common with others, and of which we even now ſpake, there are ſome peculiar aggravations to be ſuperadded to your ſin in ſpeciall; for as its ſaid of Solomon, the Son of David, a man after Gods own heart, when he was in that degenerating way, 1 Kings 11. 9. The Lord was angry with Solomon, becauſe his heart was turned from the Lord God of Iſrael, who had appeared to him twice: ſo I may ſay, in ſome reſpect, to you, God muſt needs be the more angry with p. 201you, becauſe he hath ſhewed ſo much of your hearts, and of himſelf to you, and ſo oft been dealing with your hearts; ſo in the caſe of Rehoboam, Solomons Son, who as 2 Chron. 11. 17. for three years ſpace was very hopefull, and with the reſt of thoſe of Iſrael, who repaired to him, and thoſe of Judah, walked in the way of David his Father, and in the firſt way of Solomon his Father: but as 2 Chron. 12. 1. afterwards forſook the Lord, and all Iſrael with him; Joaſh, how hopefull a young man was he? when as it is ſaid, 2 Chron. 24. 2. He did that which was right in the ſight of the Lord, (for the matter of it) all the dayes of Jehoiadah the Prieſt; but verſ. 17, 18. upon occaſion of the flattering Courtiers counſell, the King hearkned to them, and they left the houſe of the Lord God of their Fathers; and the like is ſaid of Ʋzziah, a very hopefull young man, 2 Chro. 26. 5. He ſought God in the dayes of Zechariah, who had underſtanding in the viſions of God, but v. 16. When he was ſtrong, his heart was lifted up to his deſtruction, &c. And how many ſuch Children of good Parents are there now a dayes, who divers years ago, gave great hopes of their ſaving good to their Parents and Friends? now how evill a thing is this in ſuch as you are? and how bitter will it prove to you in the end, that thus leave off to be wiſe, and to do good? as it is ſaid, Pſal. 36. 2. And as he ſaid in another caſe, you begin in the Spirit, and end in the Fleſh, Gal. 3. As if it were not as good, alwayes to be zealouſly affected in a good thing, as for a little ſpurt of time; but that we may ſet this part of the admonition the cloſer upon the hearts of ſuch Children, who were ſometimes ſo hopefull, and now ſo much degenerated, let me ſhew them the heinous nature of ſuch a p. 202manner of degenerating, or rather Apoſtatizing from ſuch hopefull beginnings, workings, and practices.

1. Your ſin is againſt the Holy-Ghoſt; albeit 1. It is a ſin in ſpecial againſt Gods ſpirit.not the ſin, the very unpardonable ſin, againſt the Holy-Ghoſt: for you ſin againſt him, as inlightning your minds to ſee ſo much of your ſelves, and wayes of God, and Chriſt and his wayes, as you did; and in a ſort drawing you from your youthfull luſts, and delights, and ſinfull practices, and bringing you on, in the beſt things, and wayes ſo far; but now you have made head againſt him, as did thoſe degenerate ones of old, of whom it is ſaid, Nehem. 9. 30. that they would not give ear to the Spirit, ſpeaking againſt their degenerate courſes, by his Prophets, or as it is ſaid of that degenerate brood, Acts 7. 51. You have alwaies reſiſted the Holy-Ghoſt, as your (degenerate) Fathers did, ſo do yee; this ſin, as it is a reſiſting, ſo it is a rebelling againſt the Spirit, as it is ſaid there, of whom then God ſaid, they are Children that will not lie, Eſ. 63. 5. But they degenerating, it is ſaid, verſ. 10. But they rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spirit; they therefore hereby rebelled againſt the Spirit, and that did not barely grieve him, but which is a high degree of diſtaſting, they vexed Gods Holy Spirit. Now how vile is your ſin, thus to reſiſt, and rebell againſt, and thereby ſo deeply to vex him? and why ſhould any of you vex your bleſſed inlightner, and one that might and was willing to be your quickener, converter, ſanctifier, ſtrengthner, ſupporter, and comforter, had not you your ſelves been wanting to his motions, and means which hee uſed? God may ſay to you, as he ſaid to thoſe degenerate ones, with whom his Spirit had been tampering, Mic. 2. 7. p. 203Oh thou that art named the houſe of Iſrael, is the Spirit of the Lord …raightned? Could not he breath and ſhine more abundantly into your minds, and hearts, in the Miniſtry of the word, but that you will be thus grieving and vexing of him? but why do you ſin againſt your own ſouls in ſinning againſt him, who alone muſt make them capable of all bleſſing, grace, and glory? And is this your obſervance, and owning of that Holy-Ghoſt, unto whom in your Baptiſm you are devoted?

2. This is a ſpeciall ſin againſt the grace of Jeſus 2. It is a ſpeciall ſin againſt the grace of Jeſus Chriſt.Chriſt, who in thoſe workings, and movings of yours, was alſo ſweetly calling and gathering you to himſelf, for your ſouls welfare: as he was dealing in like ſort, with that degenerate generation, Matth. 23. 7. How often would I have gathered you, as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings? but ye would not. But where could you, or can you find better ſoul-food, than with that bleſſed Hen? to which he likeneth himſelf there? where can you meet with more ſoul-warmth, than with Jeſus Chriſt, and under his bleſſed wings? or where can you expect to partake of more ſweetneſs, and kindneſs of bowels and love, than with the Motherly Hen? yea do not you, as much as in you lyeth, at once contradict Chriſts word, and the end of his comming, of which Mal. 9. 13. I came to call ſinners (convinced ſinners) to Repentance? You were indeed convinced ſinners, but have worn out your convictions and troubles; and never went any further, to a through work of Repentance, but rather gone away further from God and good, and would give, in a manner, the lie to Chriſt in that gracious ſpeech of his.

3. Is not this a breaking of that bond of Gods 3. It is a breaking the bond of Gods fear.fear, which ſhould have kept you cloſe to God, p. 204and from ſtarting aſide from his truth, word, or way? So he ſuppoſing that Job was degenerate, ſaid, thou caſteſt off fear, thou reſtraineſt Prayer, Job 15. 4. And muſt not this needs be very grievous to the Lord?

4. Is not this to caſt off the Authority of an awakened Conſcience, as a vicegerent of God 4. It is a caſting off the Authority of conſcience.to keep his due order in your hearts, words, and wayes? and what remedy of any ſoul-miſchiefs, where conſcience is put out of its place? ſurely if ever God mean your ſouls good, he will put conſcience again into is place.

5. Is not this to diſgrace the wayes, and word 5. It is the caſting of dirt upon Gods wayes.of God, and to caſt dirt upon them, and to make the world believe, that upon triall you find them not worth the looking after, or cleaving too? hence that querie made to thoſe degenerate ones, Mic. 2. 7. Do not my words do good to them that walk uprightly? You by your courſe would make men believe otherwiſe, but is not the affirmative the very truth: that they do good indeed to them that keep cloſe to them? God therefore chargeth thoſe Apoſtate and degenerate Jewes, Pſal. 50. 16, 17. With contemptuous caſting his words behind their back, as refuſe things, as words that have no Authority over them, to curb and controll them in their wayes; and juſt ſo do you deal with Gods words; but will God, think you, take this well at your hands, and not make you as well, as thoſe Pſal. 50. 21. to know it to your coſt?

6. Is not this to deal worſe with God, his truth, 6. It is worſe dealing with God, than Idolaters deal with their Idols.and wayes, than ever Idolaters dealt with their Idols, and Idoll worſhip? as God reaſoneth with thoſe degenerate ones, in Jer. 2. 9, 10, 11. hath a Nation changed their Gods, w^ch yet are no Gods? It is alſo to deal worſe with Gods word & truth, than p. 205Heretiques, and Opinioniſts do with their Hereſies and Errors, who are wont to hold them ſtedfaſtly, and conſtantly? as that word foreign, uſed in Revel. 2. 14. ſignifieth; which hold Balaams doctrine, that is, hold it faſt, hold it ſtrongly and unmovably; and muſt not this be very evill in Gods ſight?

7. Is not this to put your godly inſtructors, 7. It is to make all godly inſtruments to be loſers.Parents, Miniſters, &c. to ſaddeſt loſs: even to loſe the ſpirituall things, which (inſtrumentally) they have wrought in you, as it is ſaid, 2 Joh. 8. Look to your ſelves, that we loſe not the things which we have wrought; and muſt not this alſo be very evill in Gods ſight?

8. In a word, is not this to play the beaſts, and 6. It is to play the very Beaſts.to fulfill that proverb, the dog is turned to his vomit, and the waſhed ſow to her wallowing in the mire? 2 Pet. 2. 21, 22. When as in former times you were ſo far inlightned and wrought upon, that out of trouble for your ſins, you caſed your ſelves of them, and caſt them off, and waſhed, and purified your outward courſe and converſation, but now have defiled your ſelves again with them, and can this be other than loathſome to the pure eyes of the Lord?

And now having repreſented to degenerate Miſchiefs attending the degeneration of the children of the godly in generall.ones in generall, and ſpeciall, the evill of ſin, which is in their degeneration, let me alſo ſhew them the miſchiefs attending the ſame. And firſt thoſe which attend degeneration in generall. Now all degeneration of ſuch Children of the Church, and of the godly, being a ſin againſt more light, means and offers of grace, yea more grace it ſelf, it is therefore the greater ſin, and muſt aſſuredly provoke the Lord to more fierce diſpleaſure againſt degenerate ones, than againſt others; the ſervant p. 206which knew his Maſters will and did it not, is beaten with more ſtripes, Luke 12. 47. Hence when God ſpeaketh of that degenerate brood of Children, in whom was no truſtineſs, no faith, Deut. 32. 20. verſ. 19. He ſaith, and when the Lord ſaw it he abhorred them, becauſe of the provocation of his Sons and Daughters. And it is given by God as a generall threat, Heb. 10. 38. If any man draw back, my ſoul ſhall have no pleaſure in him; but that we may preſs on a little here, let all or any ſuch degenerate off-ſpring of the godly know,

1. That God taketh exact notice of all your 1. God layeth up this their ſin againſt an evill day.degenerate Acts, he narrowly and throughly eyeth them, and layeth them up againſt a ſeaſon of Juſtice; thus God concludeth concerning their degenerating, De. 32. 34. Is not this laid up in ſtore with me among my treaſures? and verſ. 35. their foot ſhall ſlide in due time, the day of their calamity is at hand.

2. That you cannot have any juſt excuſe for any 2. They can have no excuſe for this their ſin.ſuch degenerating of yours; yea ſuch like words and warnings which you have had to the contrary, now, or at any other time, will one day come in as evidences againſt you, Deut. 31. 19. 21. That warning Song and Sermon of Moſes at the plaines of Moab, its ſaid, ſhould teſtifie againſt them as a witneſs, in caſe of their degeneration, and Apoſtacy from the good wayes of God.

3. That the evils of ſins of omiſſion, or commiſſion 3. The ſins of ſucceeding poſterity will be charged upon them.in the poſterity which doth ſucceed you, will be charged alſo upon your accounts, as occaſioned by your unfaithfulneſs, and degeneration. God, in making ſearch into mens ſins, doth it, that he might give to every man according to the fruit of his doings, as well as according to his wayes; ſo that if that be the fruit of your degenerate doings, that being unfaithfull in the charge p. 207of God, and godly Anceſtors and Parents, under God, which they committed to your truſt alſo; your poſterity, and the ſucceeding generations become profane, irreligious, ſuperſtitious, erroneous, or hereticall; God will render to you alſo, according to theſe fruits of your doings; you ſhall be accounted and proceeded againſt, as children that are gone backward, and corrupters thereby alſo, (as well as otherwiſe) of others, Iſay 1. 4, 5. As it was ſometimes charged upon Lachiſh (poſſibly in reſpect of the Apoſtacy of the Danites, the Antient Inhabitants thereof, Judg. 18.) That it was the beginning of ſin to the daughter of Zion, for the tranſgreſſion of Iſrael was found in her, Mic. 1. 13. So in like ſort will you be charged as the beginners of the ſins of your poſterity. And alas have you not ſins enough of your own to Anſwer for, but muſt you anſwer for others ſins alſo?

4. That Gods judgements will be more bitter 4. Gods puniſhments both of loſſe and ſenſe will be moſt ſad and bitter to ſuch.and ſad to you than to others. In that puniſhment of loſs, when the degenerate children of the Lords Kingdome ſhall be caſt out of it, Mat. 8. 11. There, amongſt them, ſhall be ſoreſt weeping & gnaſhing of teeth; the ſoreſt, & ſharpeſt and vexingſt griefs are with them; you will be ready to curſe the day that ever you came of ſuch good Anceſtors and Parents, that ever you had ſo many good inſtructions, and other good means uſed with you, but to no purpoſe; that ever you were in ſo fair, ſo near and ready a way to your eternall welfare, had you not turned ſo far from it, and now you muſt ſuffer the more anguiſh and torment by it. The puniſhments of ſenſe alſo will be heavier upon ſuch degenerate ones as you are, than upon others; upon Children in whom is no faith, Deut. 32. 20. God ſaith, verſ. 23. He will heap miſchiefs upon p. 208them, and will ſpend all his Arrows upon them; As that of Famine, ſo called, Ezek. 5. 16. That of the ſword, Jer. 50. That of peſtilence, Pſal. 91. 5. that of Sickneſs, Pſal. 38. 2, 3. That of thunder and lightning, 2 Sam. 22. 14, 15. That of inward horrour of his wrath, Job 6. 4. Whence the ſad conditions and ends of the degenerate Children of the Church, of the Children of the godly, they are ſo carefully recorded in Scripture, in terrorem, that others might hear and fear; what a dreadfull condition befell wretched Cain, that he was a Magor-miſſabib, one that had terrour round about, he thought every one that met him in his vagrand courſe, would kill him? Gen. 4. How fatall a deluge befell thoſe degenerate Sons of God, Sons of the Church? Gen. 6. 2. with Chap. 7. and 8. What a wofull ſtate was that of degenerate Cham, that he and his poſterity are condemned to vileſt ſlavery, to be ſervants of ſervants? Gen. 9. What miſchief befell many others of Noahs degenerate poſterity, at the building of the Tower of Babel? how ſad was Gods judgement upon degenerate Iſhmael and Eſau, when they and theirs came to be excluded from the Church of Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob? how deplorable were the ends of the degenerate Sons of Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, who were conſumed by fire from heaven? to what ſad ends came that degenerate generation (for the body of them) in the wilderneſs, ſome by fire from heaven, Numb. 11. 1, 2, 3. Some at Kibroth Hataavah, where ſo many were ſtruck dead whil'ſt eating their quails, Numb. 11. 33. Some ſwallowed up alive into the bowels of the earth, opening it ſelf for that end, Numb. 16. 31, 32, 33. Some by the plague and peſtilence, Verſ. 46, 47, 48, 49. Numb. 25. 9. p. 209Some by fiery ſerpents, Numb. 21. How ſad were the ſtroaks of God upon the degenerate poſterity in the times of the Judges, as that whole Book ſheweth? not to mention the dreadfull ends of Hophni, and Phineas, 1 Sam. 4. and that of Abſolom, 2 Sam. 18. I might adde that remarkable hand of God upon degenerate Iehoram, the Son of good Jehoſhaphat, who dyed of ſore diſeaſes, his very bowels falling out, 2 Chron. 21. 1. 19. compared. You may ſee more of the ſad ends of the degenerate Children of godly Joſiah, Jer. 22. Latter times, even thoſe in our dayes, afford many terrible and notable examples, of like nature: but I forbear inſtances. And if ſuch ſevere judgements befall ſuch in ſpeciall here, O how inexpreſſible are thoſe hereafter, which are your peculiar portion? then to the Jew firſt, even to the degenerate Jew, above other ſinners, is Indignation and Wrath, Tribulation, and Anguiſh, Rom. 2. 8, 9.

5. That God will be fartheſt off from you, in your ſaddeſt houres, when you would have God 5. God will be fartheſt off from ſuch in ſad hours.neareſt to you, when in ſoreſt affliction, as in the caſe of degenerate Saul, 1 Sam. 28. 15. God no way anſwereth him then, God departeth from him then; ſo Deut. 31. 17, 18. He threatens thoſe degenerate ones, that in the many troubles befalling them, they ſhall from a Conſcience awakened, ſay, Are not all theſe evils come upon us becauſe God is not amongſt us? (& ſaith God) I will ſurely hide my face in that day, for all the evils which they have done in turning away to other Gods.

6. That notwithſtanding all your privileges, 6. They ſhall be looked at, & dealt with, as if very Pagans.yet by ſuch degenerating, you will come to be looked at, and proceeded againſt by God, as if but Pagans or worſe, as if a very Vipers brood, as if Children of Ammonites, or Hittites, rather p. 210than of godly Anceſtors, as if Children of the Sorcereſſe, & Harlot Church, than of the true Church; Amos 9. 7. Are ye not Children of Aethiopians unto me, O Children of Iſrael? ſaith the Lord, to degenerate Iſraelites; Iſa. 57. 3. Draw near hither ye ſons of the Sorcereſſe, and of the Whore, ſaith God to ſuch like; Matth. 3. 7. Ye generation of Vipers, ſaith John to ſuch like.

7. In a word, Conſider, how in ſuch an eſtate you will ever dare to look even your good Anceſtours 7. Even their godly Parents & Anceſtours will one day gladly joyn with Jeſus Chriſt in ſentencing them to eternall damnation.in the face at the day of Judgement (as ſometimes dying worthy Bolton ſpake to like purpoſe to his Children) or how can ſuch degenerate Children of godly Parents as you are, ever look for favour or pitty from your own Parents another day, and not rather upbraiding with what you have already injoyed, and not rightly improved? as Abraham is brought in, in the Parable, Luke 16. upbraiding his ſon Dives, with his former good things, verſe 26. Son (ſaid Abraham) Remember that thou in thy life time receivedſt thy good things. Dives can have no pitty, nor favour from him, in his torment, no, (as it is ſaid Pſal. 58. 10.) The Righteous ſhall rejoyce, (eſpecially at the day of Judgement) when he ſeeth the vengeance, (be it upon Son or Daughter) he ſhall waſh his feet in the blood of the wicked; as that good Woman (as I have heard) who had a very degenerate Son, for whom ſhe had oft prayed, and wept before God for many years together, and he rather grew worſe than better, and God at one time in prayer having quieted her heart in himſelf if it ſhould be his pleaſure even to damn him, ſhe one day called in her Son, and with ſighes and teares told him, how dear a Son he had been to her, how many meanes ſhe had uſed, time after time, p. 211both with him, and with God, to bring him home to the Lord; but now (ſaith ſhe) I am content to leave thee to the Lords pleaſure, although he ſhould damn thee, wherefore, take thy courſe now, I have done, if thou wilt needs go on in thy ſin, upon thy perill be it; a day will come, when I that have wept ſo oft to thee and over thee, ſhall yet rejoyce in the ſentence of thy juſt damnation; which very ſpeech of hers (as I was credibly informed) wrought much upon the young mans heart, and from that day forward, he proved really hopefull in the beſt things. O that the very forementioning of this might have ſome ſuch bleſſed effect, upon ſome degenerate Child or other; but verily the Saints being to be aſſeſſours with Chriſt at the laſt day, in which reſpect its ſaid, 1 Cor 6. 2, 3. that the Saints ſhall judge the world, namely of the ungodly, and ſo their ungracious Children alſo among the reſt, neither Son or Daughter wil then be reſpected by them; and if zealous Levi in that way of divine Juſtice here, Know not his own Children, Deut. 33. 9. much more hereafter, where Godly zeal ſhall be in its perfection, and without any droſſe of ſinfull nature cleaving to it; Godly Parents in atteſting, and gladly owning the righteous ſentence of Jeſus Chriſt againſt all and every ſinner, ſaying, Depart from me ye curſed into everſtaſting fire, prepared for the Devill and his Angels, Matth. 25. 41. They ſhall know neither Son nor Daughter.

Now in all theſe miſchiefs attending degenerating Miſchiefs attending the degeneration of the hopeful Children of the godly.from the waies of God, and precepts and examples of godly Parents, thoſe degenerate ones, who have given good hopes of better thnigs, you alſo have you ſhare with others, but I would adde and preſent a few things more unto your ſad and ſerious conſideration.

p. 2121. That it is very queſtionable whether ever 1. God may never come ſo near to them again.God will come ſo near you again, yea or no; he may wholy with draw, and return no more, as in the caſe of degenerate Saul, Rehoboam, Iehoaſh, and others.

2. That if he ſhould return again, the work 2. The work will be the more painfull▪will be more difficultly, & painfully brought on; You have broken Gods Priſon, and if brought in again, you muſt expect more of Gods Irons to be clapt upon you. God was in ſetting your bones, and you fooliſhly breaking them again, it will be more painfull to have them ſet again; you have falſifyed your truſt with God, and he will more hardly be drawn to truſt you again, with ſuch mercies.

3. You will be more apt to be hardened in the 3. They are rather moſt apt to be hardened in their way.way of degenerating and apoſtacy; when you once begin to turn away, you will be apt to ſuperadde other ſins, and likewiſe many excuſes for that which drawes you away from God and good, which will but faſten and further you more in your way of degenerating.

4. That you will be more afraid of God, or to 4. They will be the more afraid and diſcouraged to come nigh to God.come nigh to him, being privie to your ſelves, how far, how long, and againſt how much light, you have gone from him; yea, you will grow diſcouraged, and at length at a point with God, even deſperate in your courſe; As thoſe degenerate ones, who Ier. 2. 25. ſay, There is no hope, but we will walk after our own devices, or like thoſe of a like ſtamp, in Ezech. 33. 10. Who when called to come to God, they ſay, if we pine away in 5. Commonly the latter end of ſuch, is worſe than their beginning.our iniquities, and our ſins be upon us, how ſhall we then live?

5. It is well if God leaving you, & ſuch as you are upon your leaving of him, it befall not you w^ch p. 213is parabolically repreſented to befall that degenerate generation, that the unclean ſpirit, being to mans view gone out of them, being reſtleſſe he reſolveth to return as to his own houſe, and finding them empty of the Spirit indwelling in them, though ſwept from many pollutions of the world, and garniſhed with goodly common gifts of the Spirit, and the like, he returneth with ſeven worſe ſpirits, and ſo their latter end becommeth worſe than their beginning, Matth. 12. 43, 44, 45.

We have done with the uſe of reproof.

We come now to the ſecond uſe, which ſerveth for exhortation.

1. To Parents. 2. To Children.Uſe of exhortation to Parents to uſe all good meanes to farther this reflect Honour from their Children.

Firſt then let godly and Chriſtian Parents be exhorted, So to be, and ſo to carry it in your place of Parents, as may further that reflect Honour due to you from Children: eſpecially in this reſpect, that your Children may riſe up after you, to hold up purity & power of Religion, as your ſelves do deſire & indeavour to doe, and that your children may not degenerate there from, neither whileſt you are with them, nor after your ſelves ſhall be moved from out of this world. And for this end,

Firſt and chiefly, let good Parents take ſpeciall care & uſe the utmoſt diligence you can, about the 1. By their good & godly education.matter of the good and godly education of your Children. I have lightly touched this formerly, I ſhall now more fully proſecute the ſame; this is expreſly charged, and that as the eſpeciall duty reſpecting Parents in their place, in regard of the honour due to them from their children, in their place, Ep. 6. 2, 3, 4. Honour thy father & thy Mother, ſaith God to Children, & hereupon annexeth, And you Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath (& ſo to hinder your Children from honouring of you) p. 214but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and ſo further your due honour from them; Prov. 22. 6. Train up a Child in the way that he ſhould go; and when he is old he will not depart from it. Would you have your Children to underſtand the Scriptures, and to make profitable uſe thereof, to their own and others beſt good? train them up thereunto betime. So was Timothy by his good Mother Eunice, witneſs that, 2 Tim. 3. 15. And that from a Child thou haſt known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wiſe to Salvation, through faith in Christ. Or would you have your Children afterwards to pray or to praiſe God and Chriſt aright? then inure them to that alſo betime; As thoſe godly Parents did theirs, whence that in Matth. 24. 15, 16. There were Children crying in the Temple ſaying, Hoſanna to the Son of David, and you may ſee there how Chriſt took it, and that he juſtified it, and grounded it upon the Scripture, Pſal. 8. 2. Out of the mouths of Babes and ſucklings haſt thou ordained ſtrength, becauſe of thine enemies, that thou maiſt ſtill the Enemy and Avenger. Chriſt made account that his praiſe was much perfected by the Hoſannahs of Children, which they have been taught to utter by their good Parents. God had much glory by the prudent anſwer of that Child, who ſpake (as we formerly mentioned) at the martyrdome of Romanus, the enemie had much confuſion; as Mr. Fox. ſaies well in his firſt Book of Martyrs. If you would have them believe in their old age, further them in it in their childhood and Youth. So did the Parents of David, a type of Chriſt, further him this way. Whence that ſpeech, Pſalm. 2 2. 10. I was caſt upon thee from the Womb, thou art my God from my Mothers belly, p. 125and verſ. 4. thou madeſt me hope, when I was upon my Mothers breaſts, that is, very early, very betimes, in my very Childhood. Hence the bleſſed ſucceſſion of the indwelling of faith, firſt in the grandmother Lois, and then in her Daughter Eunice, and then in her young Son Timothy, 2 Tim. 1. 5. This holy Parentall induſtry in ſuch inſtructions and education of their Children, it is Gods own ordinance, Eph. 6. 4. and Prov. 22. 6. and therefore one of Gods ordinary waies and means, to effect ſaving good in Children; therefore in an ordinary way his Bleſſing is upon it, as upon any other Ordinance of his. Hence that engagement of God; Train up a Child in the way he ſhall go; Parents do you inſtruct and educate your Children well, and through my Bleſſing it ſhall come about, that they ſhall not alone be towardly for a time, but in their old age it will ſtick by them, they will not apoſtatize nor degenerate therefrom. Hence that ingagement of the Lord touching Abrahams faithfull care, and endeavour with his Children, Gen. 18. 19. I know Abraham, that he will command his Children, and his houſehold after him, and they ſhall keep the way of the Lord, that God might bring upon Abraham that which he hath promiſed. And here give me leave a little to clear up that place in Gen. 14. 14. He armed his trained ſervants born in his houſe: trained ſervants; namely to his religion, & not to warlike affaires, onelyonly or chiefly, & ſo in the Margen of your greater Bibles, it is well rendred inſtructed, it is the ſame Hebrew word foreign uſed there, as is uſed in Prov. 22. 6. Train up a Child, &c. Or as the Geneva notes have it there, Train up a Child virtuouſly when he is young. Nor is that Hebrew word foreign whence that word foreign (his trained ones) p. 216Gen. 14. 14. is taken, ever uſed ſo farr as I can find in Scripture, but in a religious ſenſe; it is uſed for dedicating a thing to holy uſe, Numb. 7. 10, 11, 84, 88. 1 King. 8. 63. 2 Chron. 7. 5, 9. Ezra 6. 16, 17. Nehem. 12. 27. Deut. 20. 5. Pſalm. 30. Title. It is uſed in Dan. 3. 23. for the conſecrating of that Idoll, which though an abuſe, yet ſtill the word noteth a religious ſenſe of it, and poſſibly godly Jared the Father of Enoch did therefore call his Son foreign, that is, a dedicated, a devoted one, one to be trained up, and initiated from a very Child to the Lord, and to his uſe, as it ſeemed he was, & proved a very worthy man, one that walked long with God himſelf, Gen. 5. and was of publick good uſe to others, as Judg. 11. ſheweth. I have the more largely inſiſted upon theſe paſsages, reſpecting Abraham and his Family,

1. Becauſe Abraham hath his name to be a Father of all believers, Gen. 17. 5. Who amongſt them have that bleſſing amongſt others to be accompliſhed, which is mentioned, Gen. 12. 3. In thee ſhall all families of the earth be bleſſed; which as in the firſt place it looketh to Chriſt comming out of Abrahams Loins, in whom they ſhould all be bleſſed; ſo in a ſecond place, in and through Chriſt, it is fulfilled in all and each of Abrahams beleeving ſeed, who becoming Fathers & Mothers of Families, ſhall alſo become by the bleſſing of grace upon their Covenant-intereſts, Prayers, and holy diligence in matters of education, Bleſſings to their reſpected Families throughout all the earth. So that hence alſo godly Parents may be incouraged to take paines in Vertuous and Religious education of their Children, in that it is a Covenant-bleſſing to them, in their Father Abrahams Charter for them, p. 217that they ſhall become Bleſſings to their Families. Hence alſo in one teſpect among others, Chriſt ſayed, This day is ſalvation come to this houſe, for as much as he alſo (Zacheus) is become a Child of Abraham, Lu. 19. 9. Hence alſo that Act. 16. 31. Beleeve in the Lord Jeſus, & thou ſhalt be ſaved, & thy houſe.

2. That it might appear what a Family-church Abraham had in his houſe; the adult circumciſed ones, were all proſelited, and ſuch as from very Childhood gave pledges of fearing God, through their good education, for they were Sons of his houſe, or born there, moſt of them (Gen. 14. 14. with 17. Gen. 23. He circumciſed all that were born in his houſe) Such as] Eliezer is ſaid to be, Gen. 15. 3. A Son of his houſe, or born there; and how godly a man he was let his works declare, Gen. 24. 2, 9, 12, 15, 21, 26, 27, 33, 42, 43, 44, 45, 48, 49, 52, 56. and how godly the reſt were, may be gathered by their conſcionable obedience to Abraham, who therefore could undertake that on all their behalf, mentioned Gen. 14. 23. The Angel ſpake alſo of Abraham, by experience of what was already, when he ſayed, Gen. 18. 19. I have found him ſuch an one by experience, That he will command his Children, and houſehold after him, & they ſhall keep his way, he that had ſo done will do ſo: and indeed beeing moſt of them Sons of his houſe, or born there, therefore faithfull Abraham muſt needs ſee them ſo educated from their very Childhood, that they might walk in Gods wayes.

3. That it may be ſeen in our Father Abrahams Church, how exactly carefull God was that the Children of godly proſelites and members of the Church, might be admitted to the ſeal of the covenant, & of the righteouſneſs of faith, as it is called, Gen. 17. 11, 13. My Covenant in their fleſh, (i) ſeal of it, Ro. 4. p. 218circumciſion, the ſeal of righteouſneſſe of faith. Y… was Abrahams Church no Jewiſh Church; all but Abraham and Sarah, being not of Eber, but of other Anceſtors: Nor was it a nationall Church; for they were all one intire congregation, in covenant with God and each other, implicitly at leaſt, and meeting conſtantly in one place to wor-God together, as 600 might very well do, if that 300. Geneſis 14. were doubled, that the weight of ſuch pious educating of Children may appear, namely to be Gods appointed means of good, of grace in Children, as the meanes, for the full effecting of the promiſes of grace, as the end, which promiſes are made to godly Parents with reſpect to their children, namely that God will be a God to them, &c. Gen. 17. 7. and 18. 19. For ſo God ſaith to this Father, and pattern believer, He will command his Children, and they ſhall walk in his waies, that God may bring upon Abraham (in his Children alſo) what he hath ſpoken of him, (with reſpect alſo to his Children) Hence David in his inſtructing of Solomon, taketh up the like ſpeech, 1 King. 23. 4. and keep the Charge of the Lord, that God may confirm his word, and that promiſe in the generall, Gen. 17. 7. being not of an abſolute but of a conditionall nature. So that the greateſt love and faithfulneſs which Parents as Covenanters can ſhew to God, and to their Children, who in and with themſelves, are joynt Covenanters with God▪ is ſo to educate them, that what in them lieth, the conditions of the Covenant may be attended by their Children, and ſo the whole Covenant fully effected, in the promiſed mercies of it alſo to them, and to their Children.

Now this duty of good education of Children, being ſo weighty, and being a furtherance to the p. 219other duty in hand, even Childrens beeing an honour Rules concerning good education of Children.to their Parents every way, beſides former things occaſionally hinted, Let us here propound.

1. Some few rules about it.

2. Some motives to it. As for Rules about education.

1. Let Parents wiſely obſerve and pry into the 1. Obſerve the genious bent and capacity of Children.genius (as I may call it) and bent and capacity of their Children, which way they are moſt biaſed in their ſpirits, and of what they are moſt capable, Prov. 20. 11. Even that Child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, or whether it be right, that is, as is well noted in the Synod Bible, Children ſhew betimes whether they be inclined to good waies or bad, and muſt be dealt withall accordingly. When Themiſtocles was a very boy, Plutarch tells us that he would not play with the boys, but compoſe their differences. So Alexander the great when he was a boy, at play with other boys, and was asked whether he would wreſtle after the manner of the Olympick games, yes, gladly ſaith he, If I might wreſtle with a King. Such ſpeaking ſignes gave they of an Heroick and Princely Spirit, when they were little: and ſo many others do, no doubt in other things.

2. When Parents by wiſe obſervations do perceive 2. Carry it wiſely and ſuitably towards them as that their diſpoſition requireththe bent, and bias of their Children, now let them carry it towards them accordingly. If they be ſtrongly bent to ſome vice more than others, as Lying (as it is ſaid of ſome, Pſalm. 58. 3. They go aſtray from their birth ſpeaking lies) admoniſh them betimes in the evill of it, repreſent to them what God ſpeaketh, in eſpeciall wiſe againſt it, what ſad examples and ſequels, in Scripture and otherwiſe, both in poynt p. 220of ſin, and in point of judgements, are found, thereof: after which courſe taken, then watch them the more narrowly, and ſpare them not for it, if they fall into lying again, and do the like in caſe of a ſlandering diſpoſition, or of a venerious or luſtfull diſpoſition, or a proud ſpirit, ſhewing its lofty bent after gay apparell, great and high things in the world, or a covetous ſpirit, ſhewing it ſelf in expreſſions of a greedy having, and craving ſpirit, in them, when Children, in a gripple and nigardly temper, and the like, or a ſcoffing ſpirit, or a profane ſpirit, or an intemperate ſpirit, in matter of meat and drink, or a whimficall, brain-ſick diſpoſition, even in their Childhood and youth: ſpare no ſeaſonable rebukes or correction, whereby to curb ſuch vile diſpoſitions in them ſeaſonably and thoroughly. Prov. 23. 13, 14. With-hold not correction from the child, thou ſhalt beat him, and ſave his ſoul from hell; and 22. 15. folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction ſhall drive it far from him. It's Gods ordinance for the ſeaſonable, and true redreſs of ſuch evill diſpoſitions, and the cure of ſuch diſtempers of nature. If Cham had curb'd that ſlandring diſpoſition earlier in his Son Canaan, it had been better for them both; if Iſaac had ſeaſonably curb'd Eſau's voluptuous diſpoſition, Gen. 25. 25. And David, Amnons luſtfull diſpoſition, that miſchief had not fallen out in both their Families, mentioned, Gen. 26. 35. and 2 Sam. 13. 1, 2, 4, 15, 17. If the Jewes had curb'd thoſe buddings out of their ſons and daughters pride, or Joſiah had done ſo with that of his Children, the whole Land had not ſo ſinned and ſmarted by it, as it did, Eſay 3. 5, 16, 17. and Zeph. 1. 8. If Abſoloms aſpiring ſpirit had been ſeaſonably obſerved, p. 221and cruſhed by David in his child-hood and youth, It had never grown ſo impetuous, and miſchievous as is ſpoken, 2 Sam. 15. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, &c. It was thoſe Jew parents horrid ſin, that they were covetous themſelves, and ſo rather cheriſhed, than curbed a covetous ſpirit in their Children, untill the Lord ſeeing them all, from the greateſt to the leaſt, eldeſt to the youngeſt, given to covetouſneſs, he undertaketh the puniſhing thereof, to their coſt, Jer. 6. 13, &c. If thoſe parents, who might well enough have diſcerned a jeering ſpirit in thoſe boyes, before it brake out ſo far, as afterwards, had ſeaſonably curbd it in them, the wild bears of the wood had never been ſuch executioners of the Prophets juſt curſe againſt them, for that flout of theirs, come up thou bald-head, come up thou bald-head, 2 Kings 2. 23, 24. And doubtleſs that was not the firſt time that the blaſphemous Son of the Iſraelitiſh woman, mentioned, Levit. 24. 10, 11. had declared the profaneſs of his Spirit, which if timely corrected and curbed, It had not broken out in ſo capitall a way as then it did. And I might ſay the like of all other folly, or fooliſh diſpoſitions, which are in Childrens hearts naturally, which as they outwardly appear, if duly corrected and curbed, they would be removed, or driven far away, Prov. 22. 15. If Children, either by common, or ſaving influences of the Spirit, are more ingenuous ſpirits, and of better and more hopefull diſpoſitions, Oh let parents, as they diſcern the ſame, incourage the ſame, all the prudent and pious wayes that may be: thus wiſe and gracious Rebeccah, perceiving in her Son Jacob, the ſpecimen, and ſignall tokens of a plain, honeſt, ſingle, open-hearted ſpirit, ſhe expreſſeth and enlargeth p. 222her love far more to him, than to her Eldeſt Son Eſau, whom ſhe perceived to be of a more haughty and voluptuous ſpirit, Gen. 25. 27, 28. and amongſt other foreign, tokens, by which to Judge, and accordingly to incourage ſuch laudable ingenuity, and hopefull diſpoſition of Children, or youth, mind and obſerve the nature and ſcope of their queſtions, and how ready they ſhew themſelves thereby, to ſearch and ſeek after, and to underſtand the beſt things, and of weightier concernment to their ſouls; as a worldly covetous frame of heart is diſcovered by anſwerable queſtions; whence that character given of worldlings, there be many that ſay, who will ſhew us any good? (even any worldly good) Pſal. 4. 6. and as their graceleſs ſpirit is deſcribed by their omiſſion of enquiries, and asking after God. Eſay 65. 1. So an inquiſitive diſpoſition after ſoul-matters in Children, as a better and more hopefull Omen in them, is to be incouraged by parents; Exod. 12. 26. and 13. 24. Joſh 4. 21. when thy Son ſhall ask thee in time to come, what meaneth this, or that? then you ſhall ſay, the Lord did thus and thus; ſo let parents mind and encourage ſome better ſpeeches, which ſometimes, beyond expectation, will fall from very Children; thoſe rarer ſpeeches and anſwers of Jeſus Chriſt, when a lad of 12. years old, Luke 2. 42, 49. though Mary his Mother did not ſo underſtand at firſt the full ſcope of them, v. 50. yet ſhe kept them all in her heart, ſhe had many a pondering and thought about the ſame.

3. Let parents carry it with a very jealous eye, 3. Carry a jealous eye over them in point of ſin.and hand over their Children, in the matter of known ſin againſt Gods rules; as Job did over his, Job 1. 5. he ſanctified them daily, in that feaſting time of theirs, ſaying, It may be my Sons have ſinned, p. 223and curſed God in their hearts; and let parents by no means be drawn in, to conſent to their Children, in any evill way of theirs, as Jacob ſaid of his cruell Sons, Gen. 49. 6. O my ſoul come not thou into their ſecret, unto their Aſſembly, my honour, be not thou united: nor by any means let them own their Children in any way of an evill ſpirit, as Levi, who (Deut. 33. 9.) ſaid of his children, I have not known them, Zech. 13. 3. Deut. 13. 6.

4. Let Chriſtian parents be often Catechizing 4. Be often Catechiſing them and as they can beſt conceive and remember teaching them in the beſt things of their ſouls.their children in the principles of Religion, and inſtructing them in the beſt things of their ſouls; under that head of bringing up Children in the nurture, and admonition of the Lord, Eph. 6. 4. ſome take in this of Catechiſing. It was the practice of Jewiſh parents of old, hence that Rom. 2. 18. being inſtructed out of the Law, or as in the Greek, being Catechized. Aegyſippus ſaith, That by vertue of Catechizing, there was never a Kingdome but received alteration, in the heatheniſh religion, within forty years after Chriſts paſſion; Julian when he would have ſuppreſſed Religion, ſuppreſſed partly Catechizing of Children, partly Schooles of Learning; the Papiſts (as it appeareth in the Popes Bull, before the Trent Catechize) acknowledge, that by Catechizing, the Proteſtants got the ſtart of them; this milk is appointed of God, for the benefit of ſuch Chriſtians, which have not their ſenſes ſo raryfied, as to diſcern ſo well of good or evill, Heb. 5. 12. compared with 6. verſe, where the heads of Catechizing publickly, and privately, in the Apoſtles dayes, are mentioned; and let parents be often talking of good things, and choyce paſsages of the word diligently to their Children, Deut. 6. 6, 7. thou ſhalt teach theſe words diligently to thy Children, when thou ſitteſt p. 224in thine houſe, and when thou walkeſt by the way, and when thou lyeſt down, and when thou riſeſt up, eſpecially be preſſing them to look after the weightier matters of their ſouls, as David did his ſon Solomon, to get wiſdome, that principal thing, even the ſaving knowledge of God in the Meſſiah, Prov. 4. 4, 5, 7. So David, Pſal. 34. 11, 12, 13, 14. Come ye Children unto me and I will teach you the fear of the Lord, &c. onelyonly in teaching thus, let parents take the beſt and eaſieſt way that may be for their capacity and memory; that they may beſt conceive, receive, and retain their holy inſtructions; it muſt be dropped in by little, and little; teaching proper and fitteſt for Children, is by precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, and there a little, Eſ. 28. 9, 10, 11. Aelian telleth, Lib. 2. cap. 29. that the Cretenſes as they taught their more weighty matters—as their Laws, their Praiſes of their heatheniſh Gods, and famous acts of their worthies, ſo for the manner of it, that they might more cheerfully Learn, and better remember the ſame, they taught them in way of Muſicall, and Melodious Song; even Moſes alſo, when to commend the weighty counſels of God, to be commended by them to their Children, it is in a way of a Song, Deut. 31. 19, 22. now therefore write you this Song for you, and teach it to your Children.

5. Let Parents be ſure that Children whil'ſt 5. Let them be taught to read the Scriptures duly.Children, be taught to read well the Scriptures, 2 Tim. 3. 13. From a child Timothy was taught to underſtand (and as a means of it) to read the Sriptures through, and through, over, and over, often, diligently and heedfully. Oh the unexpreſſible wrong done to many Children by their parents neglect to have them taught to read the p. 225Scriptures, when they were young! here the Engliſh proverb may take place, Better unborn (almoſt) than untaught; onelyonly let parents help Childrens underſtandings, all they can, in what they have read or heard, further the due application of it to themſelves, their ſoul eſtate & condition, and be often calling them to an account of what they have read or heard, to ſee what they remember, underſtand, or improve thereof, like Chriſt as a Father to his Children, the Diſciples, inquiring of them, Matth. 13. 51. Have ye underſtood all theſe things?

6. Let parents be putting their Children betimes, 6. Put them betimes upon holy exerciſes.upon actuall exerciſe, and practice of religious principles, and rules, which have been taught, by their parents; what religious practices and precepts you would have them to attend, and not depart from them, when they are old, train them up practically, to thoſe very godly exerciſes when they are young, Prov. 22. 6. Heathen Ageſilaus, when asked by one, What youth ſhould learn in their youth? anſwered, ſuch things as when they are men, they have moſt uſe of▪ Deut. 32. 46. You ſhall command your Children (even whil'ſt Children) to obſerve to do all theſe words: and therefore to practice piety, to call upon God in Prayer, to praiſe him, and give thanks to him, to ſanctifie the Sabbath, in all the holy exerciſes thereof in publique, in the aſſembly; in private, with the reſt of the Family; and in ſecret, in their own cloſets, apart by themſelves. Adam and Eve had trained up Cain and Abel, their ſons, to the practicals of Religion betimes; witneſs that their ſacrificing, Gen. 4. 3, 4. as its likely before either of them were married men. Verſ. 16, 17. compared. Thoſe p. 226godly Jewiſh parents had taught their Children to pray; witneſs that ſhort Prayer of theirs, Mat. 21. 15. taken from Pſal. 118. 25. which in the Hebrew is Hoſhia-na, rendred by the Greek, Hoſanna, ſave (O Lord) I beſeech thee—namely the bleſſed Meſſiah, reſcue him from all his enemies, from all miſchiefs whatſoever, carry him through his work, ſo as that he may ſave others, and the like. This practice of Children, Chriſt there juſtified and defended. Not alone old men, and young men, and maidens, but children alſo are charged to praiſe God, Pſal. 148. 12, 13. and if to praiſe God, then alſo to pray to him: praiſing being but a part of prayer. In the 4^th Commandement, God expreſly chargeth the heads of Families to look to it, that not themſelves alone, but their ſons and daughters keep holy his day of reſt; and if to keep it holy, then to be acting in all the holy exerciſes of the day, according to their underſtandings; as in reading, diſcourſe about good things, prayer, ſinging of Pſalms, bleſſing their meat, and ſuch like; Leviticus 19. 3. every one without limitation is charged, you ſhall every man fear his Father, and every man his Mother, (and as a fruit and pledge of it,) keep my Sabbaths. See more Deut. 31. 11, 12. Joſhua 8. 35. Deut. 16. 10, 11, 16. It was the devill in Pharaoh, who would not have had the Iſraelites Children to have gone with them to ſacrifiſe in the wilderneſs, but to have ſtayed in Egypt the while their parents went about it, Exod. 5. 3. with 10. 11. and no doubt he was too buſie with Chriſts own Diſciples, when they would have hindred the good peoples Children from their neer approaches to Chriſt, Mark. 10. 13, 14. and its p. 227from Sathan, that ſome now adays, would not have Children, whileſt Children, taught the ways or things of God, (Catechiſtically, or practically,) as to pray, or the like: contrary to the very grain of that Scripture, Prov. 22. 6.7. Let them be trained up to ſome honeſt callings, eſpecially to the Miniſtry, if of parts that way.

7. let parents look well to it, that none of their Children whileſt young live idly, but that they be trained up to ſome honeſt, and laudable callings and imployments. Adam trained up his ſons to husbandry, Gen. 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. and ſuch of your Children as may be men capable of learning, let parents ſet them apart for learning; David had his Tutors for his ſons, 1 Chro. 27. 32. Such capacity, and diſpoſitions in youth for Scholaſtick indouments, and imployments, they alſo are Talents of God beſtowed upon children, & would not be buried in the earth; and oftentimes as it fareth with luſtier ſoil, being not anſwerably husbandred, it brings forth more weeds than other ground: So in Children of good naturall parts, and not well ordered and imployed in learning and arts, they often prove the worſe; yea albeit ſuch naturall parts ſhould not be abuſed thus, but better imployed, yet as Prov. 16. 21. the ſweetneſs of the lips, ability of ſweetneſs, aptneſs, and elegancy of expreſſion, it addeth an ornament, and grace, and force to what is ſpoken, it increaſeth learning; and indeed in an ordinary way of common prudence and providence, although parents in ſome conditions may ſtrain hard, to bring up their ſons to be Scholars, it is in it ſelf a far better portion, than barely to leave them ſuch a portion of mony, or goods, or Lands. God himſelf accounts ſuch liberal ſciences among the number of his chiefer gifts, Dan. 1. 17. ſpeaking of Daniel, and his three companions, as for p. 228theſe four Children, God gave them knowledge, and skill in all learning, and wiſdome. Its ſpoken in the commendation of Moſes, by Stephen, Acts 1. 7. 22. that he had skill in all learning of the Aegyptians; verily it was well for the Church in Moſes his time, and for the Church in Daniels time, that Daniel and Moſes, when they were young, were ſo well educated and gifted with skill in all learning and wiſdome. God will reward good parents alſo as well as bad, according to the fruit of their doings, John 17. 10. if by the fruit of your education, & bleſſing of God upon the education of your Children to learning, they come to do much more good, either in Church or common-wealth, all that good will be partly put upon the good parents account alſo, as well as added to the good Childes ſcore; and in particular, the more to incourage Chriſtian parents to educate, and ſequeſter their Children, which have good naturall parts, unto learning, in reference to the miniſtry in ſpeciall ſort, let me adde a word or two; let ſuch remember Hannahs example, who in ſetting apart her ſon Samuel, preſently upon his comming to be trained up under Elies tuition, for the Miniſtry, ſhe is ſayed herein, to lend him to the Lord, 1 Sam. 1. 24, 28. compared, and cap. 2. 20, 21. it appeareth that ſhe loſt nothing by this loan. Remember alſo what a favour and wonder of bounty, and faithfulneſs of God is extended to you, that God will take any of your children, for ſuch an imployment of his, and of his Church, namely for the Miniſtry; amongſt three of the moſt notable acts that God did for Iſrael, next to that of bringing them up out of Egypt, & to that of deſtroying the Canaanites for them, Amos 2. 9, 10. this is reckoned one, I raiſed up of your ſons, for p. 229Prophets; to conclude, remember alſo what an honour God putteth upon your Children, and what favour he ſheweth them therein, 1 Tim. 1. 12. I thank Chriſt Jeſus our Lord (ſaith Paul) who enabled me, for that he counted me faithfull, putting me into the Miniſtry; when God would honour Phinehas, he putteth this upon him, as by a perpetuall Covenant, that he and his children ſhall be the Lords Prieſts, Numb. 25. it was the honour alſo that God put upon the tribe of Levi, that for Levies zeal in that buſineſs, at Maſſah and Meribah, his Ʋrim and Thummim, his Prieſtly indowments and ornaments, of Prieſtly imployments ſhould be upon him, Deut. 33. 8, 9. it was the honour at firſt put upon Iſraels firſt-born, only to be the Lords, and for the Lords Miniſteriall ſervice; whence, Exod. 24. 5. and he ſent the young men of the Children of Iſrael, their firſt born, who offered burnt offerings and ſacrificed peace offerings of Oxen unto the Lord; afterwards indeed in honour of the Levits, the Levits were taken to be the Lords, or for the Lords Miniſteriall ſervice, and beſtowed upon Aaron, and his ſons, who ſucceſſively were to be Gods high Prieſts, 3 Numb. 12. 41. and cap. 8. 16, 19. compared; it muſt needs be an honour to the miniſters calling, and ſuch as are therein conſcionably imployed, that the bleſſed God in his counſels, reſpecting the ſouls welfare of his people, which in themſelves, and by nature were rebellious, to the intent that by his bleſſing upon the Miniſtry in their hearts, God might come to dwell amongſt them; he ordered it thus, that Chriſt dying, and riſing again, ſhould aſcend into heaven, and there receive from his father as an honourable boon of favour, gifts for men, even for his people in themſelves Rebellious, that God p. 230might by his bleſſing thereupon dwell amongſt them, Pſalm. 68. 18. upon his actual aſcenſion, as Paul expreſſeth it, Eph. 4. 8, 11, 12, 13. He gave thoſe gifts, ſo received, to men, to his people, and Church; That is, as the Apoſtle expoundeth thoſe gifts to be, verſ. 11. He gave ſome Apoſtles, and ſome Prophets, and ſome Paſtors and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Miniſtery, for the edifying of the body of Chriſt, till we all come in the unity of the faith and a perfect man, &c. No greater honour ſurely than this, to be given, as a Coronation-mercy, to Chriſt aſcending, and from Chriſt given back again, as his Coronation Favour, and Bounty to his Church, for ſuch high, holy, and honourable ends; nor need I ſay more in honour of your children, If becomming faithfull Miniſters; their Scripture titles do Emblazon that ſufficiently; Miniſters being called, Angels, Rev. 2. 1. Embaſſadours, 2 Cor. 5. 20. Stewards, 1 Cor. 4. 1. Watchmen, Ezek. 3. 17. Co-workers with God, 1 Cor. 3. And many other titles of honour which he is pleaſed to crown Miniſters withall.

As for motives I will but name two or three.Motives to good education of Children. 1. They are the Lords, more than ours.

1. Our Children are more the Lords than ours, by Covenant-right, by our own act of devoting them to him in Baptiſm, Matth. 28. 19. and many other waies, Ezek. 16. 20. Let Parents therefore bring up their Children for God, in the beſt way they can.

2. Education will greatly difference our Children 2. That will honourably diſtinguiſh them from others.from others not ſo well educated, as Lycurgus, when he would convince the Lacedaemonians of the benefit of education, he taketh two whelpes of one litter, the one he traineth up to Hunting, p. 231the other not, the one proved of uſe to the field, the other was good for nothing, but for a cur in the Kitchin; and experience witneſſeth, that ordinarily perſons well educated, become of very publick and good uſe, more waies than one, where ever God caſteth their habitation, others, not ſo educated are little ſerviceable, in any matters of publick concernment. Socrates uſed to ſay, that many Mens Sons who were without education, were like couragious Horſes without well ordering and government, becomming very Aſſes, or as it might be added, reſty Iades. I need not apply it, its eaſily underſtood.

3. The honour of good education will be 3. Children alſo will have the honour of it: the ſin of the contrary will lie upon the Parents.partly the Childs, and will partly reflect honour upon the Parents, As that of Auguſtus, who ſo well educated his Sones, that what they ſpake, he would have them ſpeak it openly, and then have the Speech (as matter of worth and note) publickly recorded: But in neglect of good education Childrens ſins will be charged upon Parents, As in Elies caſe of neglect of well educating, and Fatherly watching over his Sons, Hophni, & Phineas, 1 Sam. 2. 29, 30. he is charged with kicking at his ſacrifices, why have ye kicked at my ſacrifices? &c. The very Heathens, by natures light ſo took this; hence the Lacedaemonian Ephori, they puniſhed a certain Father, for ſuffering two of his Sons to fall out, and to fight one with another.

4. It may ſomewhat awaken, and move Chriſtian 4. Even Heathens have been much for good education. Juſtin l. 3.Parents to a more conſcionable care in this matter of well educating your Children, to conſider ſome of the Lawes, Acts, and ſpeeches, of the very Heathen, about this very particular. Lycur-the Spartan Law-giver, commanded that Youth p. 232ſhould be brought into the field, not into the Markets that they ſhould ſpend their firſt year not in Lxury, but in work and Labours; And the Spartans had another Law, that if any of their Free-men neglected the diſcipline of youth, he ſhould be diſenffranched; Aelian alſo ſpeaketh of another ſore puniſhment which the conquering Mytileneſians impoſed upon their revolting aſſociates, that their Children ſhould not be trained up to the liberall Sciences; Plato was wont to reprove this as a groſſe evill in thoſe of his times, that men would beſtow all their care and paines in getting Riches, but took little, or no care about their Children, unto whom they were to leave their Riches. When one anſwered Ariſtippus, that for a thouſand drachmes which he demandded to bring up his Son to Learning, that he could buy a ſervant; nay, ſaith the Philoſopher, you ſhall have two ſervants, to wit, him that you buy, and your own Son too. Diogenes ſometime ſaid, he had rather be a Ram or ſheep of a Megarenſian, than his Son, whereby he declared, that the Megarenſes took more diligent care of their Cattel, than of their Children. To conclude with one admonitory Item to ſome in theſe daies, who are ſecret enemies to catechizing Children, and bringing them up in Learning, Let them tremble to think with how like a ſpirit they are acted to that of that notorious Apoſtate Julian, who deſigning the extirpation of the Chriſtian Religion, thought no way better, than to put down catechiſing and Schooles of Learning: as for other Parents who would full gladly bring up ſome of their Sones, who have naturall partes for Learning, but through Idleneſſe or Voluptuouſneſſe, or p. 233the like, they will not be drawn to attend it, or to be trained up to it, let then ſome other way puniſh them, with ſuitable epreſſions of Parentall diſtaſt and diſpleaſure. Solons law this way, was ſomewhat too harſh, that if Sons would not be drawn by their Parents to Learning, their Parents ſhould deny them neceſſaries; but yet Chriſtian Parents would do ſomewhat this way, that ſuch Children ſhould know themſelves, and ſufficiently ſee cauſe to bewail their folly and errour. I have been long in this firſt way of Parents furthering Children in being an honour to them, becauſe it is of great moment; we ſhall be briefer in the reſt.

2. Then let Chriſtian Parents, as a help to the ſaid end, be ſure to leave your Children under 2. By leaving Children under Gods ordinances and good government.Gods ordinances purely & powerfully diſpenſed, in the Church, and under good government in the civill ſtate. The Children of Iſrael would not leave one of their Children in Egypt, Exod. 10. 9, 10. Where God pure Religion was not, nay, where ſacrifices to the Lord was an abomination, Exod. 8. 27. and where the government of the ſtate was tyrannicall; theſe better-minded people of Iſrael, when the godly Prieſts were put down by Jeroboam, and removed to Judah, under Rehoboham, and when Jeroboam ſet up corrupt unworthy fellowes to be prieſts, they alſo removed themſelves and families to Jeruſalem, 2 Chron. 11. 13, 14, 15, 16. Hence that enquiry of the company of the godly, Canticles 1. 7. Tell me, O thou whom my Soul loveth, where thou dwelleſt, and where thou cauſeſt thy flock to reſt at noon? that parching time of enemies raging againſt the truth, waies, and people of Chriſt, to which Chriſts anſwers, verſ. 8. Go p. 234thy way forth by the footſteps of the flock, (the reſt of my people) and feed thy kids itttle ones by the ſhepheards (godly Magiſtrates & Miniſters) tents. Alas, for us, and ours to go where Gods pure ordinances or goverment is not, it is to expoſe our ſelves, and them to, to ſoul-ruines, as David ſaid in that caſe, 1 Sam. 6. Cap. 16. They have caſt me out this day from the Lords inheritance, (where his ordinances and Miniſters and people are) ſaying, Go and ſerve other Gods—their actions, in driving me out amongſt ſtrangers to Gods pure Religion and Lawes, do even as it were ſay, Go, and ſerve other gods, putting me upon that temptation to it. But by leaving our Children under good ordinances and goverment, we do hereby greatly further them in the beſt things, and thereby alſo in becomming an honour to us.

For 1. They are furthered that way by your godly Miniſters there; and the pure diſpenſation of the word and ordinances by them; when ſuch Fiſhers are upon the Churches banks, your fiſh of all hand great and ſmall are wont to be caught and drawn to the Land, Ezek. 47. 8, 9, 10. by John Baptiſts Miniſtry (as we before ſhewed) all is brought to rights 'twixt Children and Parents, Mal. 4. 6. He ſhall turn the hearts of the fathers to the Children, and the hearts of the Children to the father.

2. They are much helped that way by the Churches and Saints Chriſtian watch over them, Counſels, inſtructions, and ſeaſonable admonitions of them, and prayers for them. Peter, as an Apoſtle, having all virtuall, Apoſtollical, and Church p. 235power in him, is charged with the feeding, teaching, and ruling, of Chriſts Lambs, as well as elder ſheep, Joh. 21. 15, 16. The Children of the Church have a beneficiall privilege, that they muſt be watched over, kept from wanderings, ſearched out if ſtarted aſide, and brought in if gone aſtray, healed if diſeaſed, cheriſhed and nouriſhed up by all holy meanes, of which they are capable, kept to their paſturage, watering, folding, and the like.

3. They will be much helped by the good civill governours meanes alſo, who is a nurſing Father unto the Church and to her little Children, Jſa. 49. 23. and who is to take magiſtraticall care in ſpeciall ſort, of the education of Children. As even the heathen Ariſtotle ſaies it, foreign. Ariſt. polit. l. 8. c. 1.That it is an unqueſtionable thing to all men, that it eſpecially concerneth the civill Law-giver, to look to and make lawes about the education or diſciplining of youth, which being not attended (ſaith he) in States, it overthroweth them. It was one of Lycurgus his Lawes, to reſtrain the careleſneſs of Parents in educating their children, that after Children were ſeaven years old, their Parents ſhould not breed them up as they liſt, but they ſhould be diſpoſed to certain companies of Children, to be excerciſed to good inſtructions, and diſcipline, and when grown up to be Youths, they ſhould miſpend no time without inſtructions and regulations; and no doubt that Spartan ſtate flouriſhed the better, for that and other like Laws of Lycurgus, as ſtories tell us, God himſelf maketh p. 345account that a godly ruling Eliakim, is of great uſe to his people, in reſpect of their offspring or Children, whence that in Eſai 22. 20, 24. in a word, the Lord doth promiſe it as a moſt advantageous privilege in the daies of the Goſpel, both to the godly returning Jewes, and to their Children, that they ſhall be in his Church and under his bleſſed ordinances in his Church, in which he will be preſent: his ſanctuary ſhall be amongſt them, Ezek. 37. 25, 26. and that they ſhall be under the goverment of Chriſt (under the name of David) Ibid. and that not alone eccleſiaſticall in the Church, but civill alſo, in their Chriſtian-ſtate and Common-wealth; all goverments civill and ſacred, being in a diverſe reſpect Chriſts: delivered to him of the Father, Matth. 28. 18. and by him to Chriſtian rulers, Prov. 8. 15. as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

3. Let Chriſtian Parents for the furtherance of their Children, being an Honour to them, take ſpecial care to maintain peace among their Children, and to take away all occaſion of breaches among them in after times; this was Abrahams care in his life time, to give Returahs Children their portions; and ſo to ſend them away, farther off from Iſaac who was to hold on Abrabrahams Honour, as a Covenant and Church-Father, &c. Gen. 25. 5, 6. In defect of ſuch Parentall care, worſe matters have fallen out in Chriſtian Families, to their Parents great diſhonour.

4. Let Chriſtian Parents alſo for the end mentioned, take ſpeciall care of the well diſpoſing of their Sons and Daughters, in Matiage: So did Abraham for his only Son (as God in a ſenſe called him) Iſaac, Gen. 24. 1, 2, 3, &c. So did Iſaac, p. 235and Rebeckah for Jacob, Gen. 28. 2, 3, &c. Having ſmarted for the contrary neglect in Eſau, Gen. 27. 46. and both Iſaac and Jacob proved an Honour to their Parents, but Iſhmael and Eſau not looked after that way, by their Parents, were rather a reproach to them who begat them. Hence that charge of God to Jewiſh Parents, to look much to the diſpoſing of their Children in Mariage, Deu. 7. 3.

Laſtly, let Chriſtian Parents who would have their Children be an honour to them, lay up many prayers for them, for that end, and accordingly exerciſe faith alſo in Gods promiſes, for bringing the ſame to paſſe, Pſal. …0. 16. Let thy glory appear to our Children, and then verſ. 17. Let thy beauty be upon us, ſo Pſalm. 144. 12. It is one great part of the matter and ſcope of their prayer, that they may have an hopefull, honourable, and uſefull poſterity, even as growing plants, and as choiſe poliſhed corner pieces of a Palace; and when Hannah was now about diſpoſing of young Samuel under Elies Tuition, 1 Sam. 1. 23. all Hannahs prayer is this, onelyonly the Lord eſtabliſh his word: even that which he hath promiſed, reſpecting this our Son. And the godly, Pſalm. 102. 28. are brought as acting of faith for this end, the Children of thy ſervants ſhall continue, and their ſeed ſhall be eſtabliſhed before thee; and if thus to continue before God, then ſuch as ſhould honour Parents alſo, both in a direct and reflect way, as a meanes under God, of their living long, and continuing of them, in the Land which God giveth them.

Thus much for the Exhortation reſpecting Parents.

2. It is of Exhortation alſo to Children, or p. 238unto perſons, as in the relation of Children, (whether Children in years, or grown perſons) to be an honour to your godly Parents, eſpecially, by imitation of what is good in them, and following their gracious counſels, and by holding on in the truths and waies of God, wherein they have taught and led you, without ever turning aſide therefrom. For which end, let me briefly propound, 1. Some motives.

2. Some helpes.

The Motives to it may be ſuch as theſe.

1. In that ſuch good intereſt of Children, and ſuch godly precepts and examples of Parents, which are layed before them, they are a ſpecial talent of mercy, and therefore God expects that you ſhould make an honourable inprovement of them; Solomon ſpeaketh of the ſame thus, as his mercifull advantage, Prov. 4. 3. For I was my Fathers Son, verſ. 4. He taught me alſo, and verſe 10. Hear O my Son, and receive my inſtruction, and the yeares of thy life ſhall be many, and ſo be an honour every way of Parents, as a meanes to that end, and then addeth, verſ. 11. I have taught thee in the way of wiſdome, (namely, inſtructively) I have led thee in the right paths, (namely, exemplarily;) the like holy advantage did they make of that counſel and doctrine of their Fathers, Pſalm. 144. 1. and David likewiſe maketh advantage of his Mothers intereſt in God, Pſalm. 86. 16. and Pſalm. 116. 18. Now if this be a talent, it muſt be accounted for one day, and Children had need look that they make anſwerable returnes. Parentall nurture and admonition, and Chriſtian education is an holy advantage to ſuch Children, above others that want the ſame, As being Gods ordinance p. 239for Childrens beſt welfare, as was ſhewed before. When Solomon had charged his Son to keep his Fathers command, and not to forſake the Law of his Mother, Prov. 6. 20. verſe 23. he addeth this reaſon, for the commandement (even of a godly Father) is a lamp, and the Law (even of a godly Mother) is light, and reproofs of inſtruction (given by Parents alſo to Children) are the way of life, Prov. 29. 11. The rod and reproof give wiſdome: namely, as Gods appointed means, in the uſe whereof he will give it to Children. Godly examples are alſo very forcible and helpfull, hence the godly are ſaid to be bleſſings in all places where they are caſt, Iſa. 19. 2. As Husbands may be wonne to God & good, while they behold the Godly and wiſe converſation of their wives, 1 Pet. 3. 1. So may a child by the gracious example of godly Parents; yea, ſuch children have the ſuperadded advantage of their good Parents, and Anceſtours Covenant intereſt, Prayers and bleſſing, Gen. 49. 26. The bleſſings of thy Father, (ſaith, Jacob to his Son Joſeph) have prevailed above the bleſſings of my Progenitors, every godly Anceſtour and Parent, contributeth ſomething to the Childs bleſſed ſtock, beſides the bleſſed advantage which ſuch Children have to be an Honour to God, and to their Parents, by the very Entail of grace by Promiſe and Covenant of God, from their Parents unto them, Deut. 30. The Lord will circumciſe thine heart, and the heart of thy ſeed—to love him, &c. and Iſa. 59. 21. The word and ſpirit in the mouth of the Anceſtours, is promiſed to the ſuceeding Children, let Children then of the Church of the godly, look you husband this holy advantage the rather to Gods and godly Parents Honour.

p. 2482. In that the poſterity of Papiſts, and Mahumetans, will follow the tract of their parents inſtructions, and examples, and will by no means depart therefrom; and ſhall not ſuch children as you are, much rather follow your godly teaching and leading Parents, without departing from their bleſſed counſels and examples? God forbid any ſhould do otherwiſe.

3. In that otherwiſe if you will not do thus to the honour of your godly parents, verily then, all the bleſſed words which your good parents have urged, and charged, and that as from God, by their parentall authority, upon you their children, they will come in, another day, as evidences againſt you, according to that phraſe concerning Gods word delivered by Moſes to the Iſraelites, and by them to be commanded to their Children ſucceſſively, in caſe of their Apoſtacy, it's ſaid, this Song ſhall be Gods witneſs to teſtifie againſt them, Deut. 31. 19, 21, 26.

Touching the helps to further you, in being ſuch an honour to godly parents, they may be ſuch as theſe.

1. Take heed of what tendeth to diſhonourable degenerating, and Apoſtacy from the gracious counſels, and examples of your godly Parents and Anceſtors: and for this end, take heed of 1. corrupt principles, or practices in Religion, for they tend to Apoſtacy; hence the Apoſtacy of thoſe hopefull beginners in 2 Pet. 2, 19. 20. whil'ſt corrupt libertine, principles are diſtilled into them, and imbraced by them, they are intangled again and fall off, 2 Tim. 21. 16, 17. Timothy muſt avoid ſuch profane and vain bablings (ſuch the Apoſtle termeth their falſe doctrines) becauſe they tend to ungodlineſs, and their word and doctrine, like a p. 241Canker eateth out the heart and life of Religion where it taketh.

2. A worldly ſpirit; that cauſeth degenerating in hopefull perſons; that hopefull young man in Mark. 10. 20, 2…. was ſpoiled by it; ſo was Saul, Judas, Ananias, and Saphira, Demas, and all thoſe profeſſors, which ſo far out-go thoſe of the high way, and ſtony hearers, even, thoſe of the thorny ſoyl, they come to be choaked by the thorny cares, deſires, occaſions, and contentments of the world, ſo that no fruit of theirs ever commeth to perfection.

3. Pride; this uſhereth in even this fall alſo: inſtead of him whoſe beart is lifted up, in Hab. 2. 4. it is in Heb. 10. 35. if any man draw back: the one uſhereth in the other; let Children, hopefull ones ſpecially, beware of this.

4. Wantonneſs under outward proſperity, plenty, peace, liberty, civill and ſacred; Deut. 32. 11. Jeſurun waxed fat, and kicked, turned againſt God. So thoſe Nehem. 9. 22, 26. Hence God warneth them then to take heed, that when in Canaan they have all they can deſire, in a manner, that then they forget not, and forſake not the Lord, Deut. 8. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. let the poſterity of the godly here and elſewhere take heed of this ſpirituall wantonneſs, which uſhereth in Apoſtacy.

5. Bad matching; this cauſed Jehoram, good Jehoſhaphats Son, ſo vilely to degenerate, namely his matching into wicked Ahabs ſtock, 2 Chro. 21. 1, 2. bad wives out-landiſh women, cauſed even wiſe Solomon to ſin, and for a time to degenerate, Nehem. 13. 26. let young perſons eſpecially take heed of this.

2. Let ſuch Children of the Church, of the p. 242godly, engage themſelves perſonally, in ſolemn wiſe before the Lord, and his people alſo, as well as privatly, to walk according to God, and thoſe godly counſels and examples of their good Parents and Anceſtors, and by his ſtrength and help, never to turn away there from; good Ruth did ſo privatly, when ſhe ſo ſolemnly vowed before God, and her Mother-in-Law, that ſhe would go with her, be with her, partake in weal and woe with her, own her God and people, and only them, for hers, and nothing but death ſhould hinder the ſame, Ruth 1. 15, 16. whither thou goeſt, thither I will go, thy God ſhall be my God, and thy people my people; God do ſo to me, and more alſo, if ought but death part me and thee; ſhe engages implicitly to all honour of her, both direct, to honour her with all honour of reſpects, reverence, obedience and recompence, and reflectly, to be an honour to her alſo, all which may be very well gathered out of that ſpeech of hers: as I might particularly evince, but I forbear: Nehem. 10. 28, 29. the Children of the Church there, their ſons and daughters that could underſtand, (as well as their Parents) came publickly to enter into an oath, and curſe, to walk in Gods Laws, to obſerve and do all his Commandements; and if Churches would call upon their Church Children, who are of underſtanding, perſonally to renew the Covenant of God, made by their Parents on their behalf, ſuch a bond would the more engage and unite their hearts, by the Lords bleſſing, to the good wayes, and things of God, to his and their Parents Honour.

3. Let ſuch Children, according as the Lord helpeth them, eye, and plead with God, his own p. 243words, undertaking this in effect, that they ſhall walk after the bleſſed precepts, and practices of their godly Parents and Anceſtors, and ſo be an honour to them; this is held forth in that promiſe of God made with reference to his Kingdom and Church in all Nations amongſt the Gentiles, Pſal. 22. 27. with verſ. 30, 31. their ſeed (as the Geneva reads it) ſhall ſerve him, it ſhall be counted to the Lord for a generation, they ſhall come, and ſhall declare his righteouſneſs unto a people that ſhall be born, that he hath done this; if God undertake that this ſeed of Gentile-believers, ſhall hold up Religion after their Parents, and convey it to their next generation, what can godly Parents deſire more for their Children, or, their children deſire for themſelves? they ſhall hereby greatly honour God, his truth, wayes, and government, and greatly honour their godly Parents, their inſtructions, examples and prayers, beſide that good that will thereby come to themſelves, and their own ſouls and poſterity alſo: O let ſuch children then intrench themſelves within this and ſuch like bleſſed ſtrong holds and places of ſpirituall refuge. And ſo at length we have diſpatched our diſcourſe about this ſo neceſſary a ſubject, and the bleſſing of our gracious God be upon it.

FINIS.

Imprimatur,

Edm. Calamy. 30. March, 1655.

End of the text · Thomas Cobbet, The Honor Due from Children (1656)