A Treatise of Family Instruction, Chapter 4 · Section 16
SECT. 16. It is dangerous to neglect reading the Scriptures, or teaching them our Children, from this Plea, That we need do nothing more than follow the Light within us.
Object. 16 THere is a Light in all Men, Women, and Children, which will teach them to do that which is juſt and right in the ſight of God and men, and will lead them to Life and Salvation, if they do but follow the Light that is in them: So that we judge it needleſs to read the Scriptures, or to inſtruct our Families in the knowledge of the Scriptures, we do enough if we call upon them to follow the Light that is within them.
Anſw. It is a great and dangerous miſtake, for a man to neglect reading and ſearching the Scriptures, and inſtructing his Family in the knowledge of the Scriptures, from a perſwaſion that neither he nor his Family need to do any thing more towards the obtaining Salvation, than to follow the Light that is in them.
To make this evident, Conſider,
1. There is no man hath ſo much Light or Knowledge, but it is neceſſary that he ſhould give himſelf to the reading of the Scriptures, thas he may gain more Knowledge. All men may be ranked under theſe two heads, either they are ſuch as abide in their natural unregenerate condition, or they are ſuch as are converted and endued with the grace of God. As for men in their natural condition, they are deſtitute of ſaving knowledge, Rom. 3.11. There is none that underſtandeth, there is none that ſeeketh after God: 1 Cor. 2.14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are fooliſhneſs unto him; neither can he know them, becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned: Rom. 1.31. Without underſtanding. They are ſaid to be in darkneſs, 1 John 2.9, 11. He that ſaith he is in the Light, and hateth his Brother, is in darkneſs even until now—He that hateth his Brother is in darkneſs, and walketh in darkneſs, and knoweth not whither he goeth, becauſe that darkneſs hath blinded his eyes. They are ſaid not only to be in darkneſs, but to be darkneſs it ſelf, Epheſ. 5.8. Ye were ſometimes darkneſs, but now are ye Light in the Lord; walk as Children of Light. And therefore men in their natural condition had need give themſelves to reading of the Scriptures, that they may be inlightned and converted to God: Pſal. 19.7, 8. The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the Soul; the Teſtimony of the Lord is ſure, making wiſe the ſimple;— The Commandment of the Lord is pure, inlightning the eyes: And that they may be made wiſe to ſalvation; for the knowledge of the Scriptures will make men wiſe to ſalvation, 2 Tim. 3.15. From a Child thou haſt known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wiſe to ſalvation, through faith which is in Chriſt Jeſus.
As for ſuch as are inlightned, and converted to God, even thoſe of them that are endued with the greateſt meaſure of ſaving knowledge, have need to read the Scriptures daily and diligently, that they may get more knowledge; for the wiſeſt men are imperfect in knowledge. The Apoſtle Paul ſaith of himſelf, that he knew but in part, 1 Cor. 13.12. Now we ſee through a glaſs darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I ſhall know even as alſo I am known. David, who was wiſer then his Enemies, Pſal. 119 98. and had more underſtanding than all his Teachers, verſ. 99. and underſtood more than the Ancients, verſ. 100. doth acknowledge before God that he had much folly and ignorance, Pſal. 69.5. O God thou knoweſt my fooliſhneſs: Pſal. 73.22. So fooliſh was I, and ignorant, I was as a Beaſt before thee. And he prayeth with great earneſtneſs unto God, to give him knowledge and underſtanding, and to teach him his Statutes, as we may ſee Pſal. 119.18. Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law: Verſe 33. Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy Statutes: Verſ. 34. Give me underſtanding, and I ſhall keep thy Law: Verſe 125. I am thy Servant, give me under ſtanding that I may know thy Teſtimonies: And in many other places. We are commanded to grow in knowledge, as well as in grace, 2 Pet. 3.18. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt. And therefore ſeeing the Scriptures are the means whereby we get knowledge, Pſal. 119.104. Through thy Precepts I get underſtanding: And the means of increaſing knowledge, verſe 99. I have more underſtanding than all my Teachers, for thy Teſtimonies are my meditation: It is neceſſary that they who have the greateſt meaſure of Light and Underſtanding, ſhould read and meditate in the Word of God night and day, that they may grow in knowledge.
2. There are ſome ſins which that Light which is in natural men cannot diſcover, without the help of the Word and Spirit of God. As for inſtance: The firſt motions of ſin, though not conſented to, are ſin; for they are tranſgreſſions of the Law, which ſaith, Thou ſhalt not covet: The Law doth not only ſay, Thou ſhalt not conſent to, thou ſhalt not follow or yeild to thy inordinate deſires, but it forbids the motions themſelves, Thou ſhalt not covet. Now the Apoſtle Paul telleth us he had not known theſe firſt motions (which he calls by the name of luſt) to be ſin, if it had not been for the Law of God, Rom. 7.7. Nay, I had not known ſin, but by the Law; for I had not known luſt, except the Law had ſaid, Thou ſhalt not covet. Not to believe in Jeſus Chriſt, is a great ſin, it is a ſin for which God will damn men at the day of Judgment, Mark 16.16. He that believeth not ſhall be damned: Now the Light of Nature doth not convince a man that it is a ſin not to believe in Jeſus Chriſt; it is by the Scripture, which holdeth forth the damnable nature of this ſin of not believing in Jeſus Chriſt, John 3.18. He that believeth not, is condemned already, becauſe he hath not believed in the name of the onelyonly begotten Son of God. And by the help of the Spirit that we come to be convinced of the ſin of not believing in Chriſt, John 16.8, 9. And when he (that is, the Spirit, which is the Comforter ſpoken of in the former verſe) is come, he will reprove the world of Sin, of Righteouſneſs, and of Judgment; of Sin, becauſe they believe not in me. And as there are ſome ſins of which natural Light doth not convince a man; ſo thoſe ſins of which it doth convince a man, it doth not convince with ſuch clearneſs and power as the Law doth, which ſtops a mans mouth, and makes him fall down before God as as a loſt undone Creature, Rom. 3.19, 20. Now we know that what things ſoever the Law ſaith, it ſaith to them who are under the Law; that every mouth may be ſtopped, and all the world may become guilty before God: — By the Law is the knowledge of ſin.
3. There are ſeveral Points of the Chriſtian Religion of great moment, which that Light that is in natural men diſcovereth not, neither can we know them any other ways, but by the help of the Scriptures, or by immediate Revelation from God. As for inſtance: To know and believe that Jeſus of Nazareth is the promiſed Meſſiah, is of ſuch moment, as that we can't be ſaved unleſs we believe him to be the Meſſiah, John 8.24. I ſaid therefore unto you, That ye ſhall die in your ſins; for if ye believe not that I am he, ye ſhall die in your ſins. Now this knowledge, Fleſh and Blood, Nature in its higheſt improvements cannot attain, it muſt either be by Revelation from God, Matth. 16.15, 16, 17. Whom ſay ye that I am? And Simon Peter anſwered and ſaid, Thou art Chriſt the Son of the living God: And Jeſus anſwered and ſaid unto him, Bleſſed art thou, Simon Bar-jona, for fleſh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven: Or by the help of the Scriptures. And therefore when Apollos would convince the Jews that Jeſus was the Chriſt, he did it by the Scriptures, Acts 18.28. For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, ſhewing by the Scriptures that Jeſus was Chriſt. And this way the Apoſtle Paul took alſo, he alledged thoſe Scriptures that ſpoke of the Meſſiah, and explained them, and thereby proved to them that Jeſus of Nazareth was Chriſt: And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reaſoned with them out of the Scriptures, opening and alledging that Chriſt muſt needs have ſuffered, and riſen again from the dead, and that this Jeſus whom I preach unto you, is Chriſt. It is of great moment to know what that Righteouſneſs is whereby a Sinner ſhould come to be juſtified in the ſight of God: If a man be ignorant of this Righteouſneſs, he will ſeek to eſtabliſh his own, and will not ſubmit to the Righteouſneſs of God, Rom. 10.3. For they being ignorant of Gods Righteouſneſs, and going about to eſtabliſh their own Righteouſneſs, have not ſubmitted themſelves unto the Righteouſneſs of God. The Light of Nature cannot find out this Righteouſneſs, it is no where revealed but in the Goſpel, Rom. 1.16, 17. I am not aſhamed of the Goſpel of Chriſt, for it is the power of God unto ſalvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew firſt, and alſo to the Greek; for therein is the Righteouſneſs of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The Juſt ſhall live by faith. That there are Three Perſons, and yet but One God, is plainly revealed in the Scriptures, 1 John 5.7. There are Three that bear Record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoſt; and theſe Three are One. But without the help of the Scriptures, the Light of Nature can attain to but little or no knowledge of this great Myſtery. And as there are ſome Doctrines, ſo alſo ſome Duties in the Chriſtian Religion, which the Light of Nature cannot diſcover. As for inſtance: Baptizing of perſons with water, in the Name of the Father, Son, and holy Ghoſt, is an Ordinance of Jeſus Chriſt, which he would have continued, and with which he will afford his preſence to the end of the world, Matth. 28, 19, 20. So alſo is eating Bread, and drinking Wine, in the Lords Supper, and Ordinance of Chriſt, to be continued in the Church till his coming to Judgment; 1 Cor. 11.26. As often as ye eat this Bread, and drink this Cup, ye do ſhew forth the Lords death till he come. But natural Light doth not teach a man that it is his duty to be baptized, or to receive the Lords Supper: It is from the Scriptures we learn that Baptiſm and the Lords Supper are Ordinances of Jeſus Chriſt, and that the uſe of theſe Ordinances is to be continued in the Church of Chriſt to the end of the World.
4. The Light which we muſt attend unto, and follow, and by which we muſt order our Lives and Converſations, is the Mind and Will of God revealed in the Scriptures, 2 Pet. 1.19. We have alſo a more ſure Word of Prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a Light that ſhineth in a dark place; until the Day dawn, and the Day-ſtar ariſe in your hearts. Obſerve here,
Firſt, That the Light to which the Apoſtle would have us take heed, and ſaith they do well who take heed to it, is the Word of Prophecy; by the Word of Prophecy, he underſtands the Scriptures, which were written, and delivered to us by the Prophets, as is evident from the enſuing word, Knowing this firſt, that no Prophecy of the Scriptures, &c.
Secondly, It is our duty to take heed to the word of Prophecy, as long as we live in this world; Whereunto ye do well to take heed,—until the Day dawn, and the Day-ſtar ariſe in your hearts: By the Dayſtar is meant Jeſus Chriſt, Rev. 22.16. I am the bright and morning Star: By the Day, is not meant only or chiefly the day of Grace, or the day of the Goſpel, for theſe days had already dawned upon thoſe perſons to whom the Apoſtle wrot this Epiſtle, for he ſaith of them, They knew and were eſtabliſhed in the preſent truth, verſ. 12. They were not only acquainted with the Doctrine of the Goſpel, but were in a ſtate of Grace; they had Faith, as precious Faith as the Apoſtle himſelf who wrote this Epiſtle, verſ. 1. To them that have obtained like precious Faith with us.— But by the dawning of the Day, is meant the Day of Glory, which is called the Day of Chriſt, Phil. 1.9, 10. Phil. 2.16. and by way of Emphaſis, That Day, 2 Tim. 4.8. And by the Apoſtle Peter in this ſame Epiſtle, Chap. 3.12. The Day of the Lord. It is the dawning of this day that the Church and People of God long for, Cant. 2.16. Ʋntil the day break, and the ſhadows flee away: turn my Beloved, and be thou like a Roe or a young Hart upon the mountains of Bether: Rev. 22.20. Surely I come quickly, Amen: Even ſo come Lord Jeſus. By the Day-Star ariſing in their hearts, is meant their full and immediate fruition of the Lord Jeſus in the Kingdom of Heaven; for they having like precious Faith with the Apoſtle, had this Day-ſtar the Lord Jeſus already dwelling in their hearts by faith, Epheſ. 3.17. That Chriſt may dwell in your hearts by Faith: And the Apoſtle ſpeaks not of what they had already, but of what they ſhould attain unto hereafter, which is their full and immediate enjoyment of Chriſt in Heaven. Our entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven, may well be ſet out by this Phraſe, the Day-ſtar ariſing in our hearts, becauſe when we come to heaven there ſhall be great Glory revealed in us, as well as given to us, Rom. 8.18. I reckon that the ſufferings of this preſent time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that ſhall be revealed in us. And the reaſon why the Saints deſire to be in Heaven, is, That they may be with Chriſt, Phil. 1.23. Having a deſire to depart, and to be with Chriſt. The World may well be ſtiled a dark place, in oppoſition to the Kingdom of Heaven, which is called by the Name of Light; Col. 1.12. —The Inheritance of the Saints in Light; and becauſe moſt places and perſons in the world are full of Ignorance and Darkneſs: In the Pſalmiſts days, all places of the earth, except the Land of Iſrael, were dark places; Pſal. 74.20. The dark places of the earth are full of the Habitations of Cruelty. And in Iſrael, which was a Land of Viſion, the Prophet complains, Hoſ. 4.1. There is no knowledge of God in the Land. Now as long as we are in this dark place, the World, where we are compaſſed about with much ignorance, we ſhall do well to take heed to the word of Prophecv which the Lord hath given us, as a Light to guide and direct our paths, till the Day of Glory dawn upon us, and we are taken up into the Kingdom of Heaven, where there ſhall be no need of the Sun, or Moon, or any Temple, but the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, ſhall be the Light of His People for ever, Revelat. 21. 22, 23.
Thirdly, We may obſerve, That we cannot have a more ſure Rule to guide us, either in matters of Faith or Practice, than the holy Scriptures. What do we deſire to guide and direct us what we ſhould believe, or what we ſhould practiſe? Do we deſire a Viſion, a Revelation, a Voice from Heaven? The Word of Prophecy is as ſure as theſe; Yea, the Apoſtle having been ſpeaking of a Voice from Heaven, gives the preheminence to the Word of Prophecy, and ſaith, We have a more ſure Word of Prophecy — Beſides this place which I have already produced to prove that the Light to which we muſt attend, and by which we muſt order our Lives and Converſations, is the Mind and Will of God revealed in the Scriptures; I might mention ſeveral others, as Prov. 6.23. The Commandment is a Lamp, and the Law is Light: Pſal. 119.105. Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet, and a Light unto my path. The ſame alſo may be gathered from the diſcourſe of Chriſt with the Lawyer, and of Abraham with the rich man that was in Hell-Torments, Luc. 10.25, 26, 27, 28. There came a man to Jeſus Chriſt, and asked him this queſtion, Maſter what ſhall I do to inherit eternal Life? And whether doth Chriſt ſend him for direction? To the Scriptures: He ſaid unto him, What is written in the Law? How readeſt thou? Whereupon the man tells Chriſt what he had found written, and what he had read in the Law; And he anſwering ſaid, Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoul, and with all thy ſtrength, and with all thy mind; and thy Neighbour as thy ſelf: To which Chriſt gives him this anſwer, And he ſaid unto him, Thou haſt anſwered right; this do, and thou ſhalt live. Whence we may infer, That reading the Scriptures, and practiſing what we read, will guide us into the right way that leads to everlaſting life. When the Rich Man, who was tormented in Hell, pleaded with Abraham to ſend Lazarus to his Brethren, to preach to them, that they might not come into that place of torment; what anſwer did Abraham give him? Did he tell them, They had a Light in them, if they did follow that, it would lead them to Repentance and Salvation? No, he refers them to the Scriptures, Luc. 16.29. Abraham ſaith unto him, They have Moſes and the Prophets, let them hear them. He doth not mean they had Moſes and the Prophets alive, and converſing amongſt them in their own perſons, but they had the Writings of Moſes and the Prophets, and they were to attend to them, and adds moreover, If the Scriptures that were written by Moſes and the Prophets would not lead them to Repentance, the coming of one from the dead would not work upon them, verſe 31. If they hear not Moſes and the Prophets, neither will they be perſwaded, though one roſe from the dead.
5. The danger of neglecting the Scriptures, and following our own Light, without looking to, and regulating our apprehenſions by the word of God, may be further evidenced from the fallible nature of our underſtandings: We are all of us, ſince the fall of Adam, ſubject to many and great miſtakes, inſomuch that 'David cried out, Pſal. 19.12. Who can underſtand his Errours? We are ſubject to ſuch great miſtakes, that a man that walks (as he thinks) according to his Light, may commit hainous ſins, when he is peſrwaded in his mind that he doth nothing but what he is bound in conſcience to do. When the Apoſtle Paul perſecuted the Members of Chriſt, he did not do it from malice, or to pleaſe the Jews, or to get preferment; but he followed his Light, he thought verily that it was his duty to oppoſe the ways and Members of Chriſt, Acts 26.9. I verily thought with my ſelf, that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jeſus of Nazareth. A man may be ſo far miſtaken, as that he may think he doth God good ſervice, when he is committing abominable ſins. It is an abominable ſin to kill the ſervants of Jeſus Chriſt, yet ſome mens light doth ſo far miſguide them, as that they think they do God ſervice, when they kill his ſervants, John 16.2. Yea the time cometh, that whoſoever kelleth you, will think that he doth God ſervice. A man may verily think that his ways are right and good, and yet they may be ſuch as will lead him to deſtruction, Prov. 14.12. There is a way which ſeemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. And therefore we find God charging us not to lean to our own underſtandings: Prov. 3.5. Lean not unto thine own underſtanding. And commanding us to obſerve his Statutes, and not to do ſuch things as are right in our own eyes; Deut. 12.1, 8. Theſe are the Statutes and Judgments which ye ſhall obſerve to do: —ye ſhall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatſoever is right in his own eyes.
6. Satan can transform himſelf into an Angel of Light, and ſuggeſt his own evil motions under the name and notion of the dictates and motions of the Spirit of God: 2 Cor. 11.14. Satan himſelf is transformed into an Angel of Light. And becauſe Satan can transform himſelf, and make as if he were an Angel of Light, we are commanded not to believe every Spirit, but to try the Spirits, whether they be of God, 1 John 4.1. Beloved, believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits whether they are of God. And by what ſhall we try the Spirits, whether they be of God? This muſt be done by the VVord of God; we muſt have recourſe to the Law and Teſtimonies; what is agreeable to the Scriptures, we muſt own as the Will of God; what is contrary to them, we muſt reject, as coming from the Spirit of Deluſion. Iſa. 8.20. To the Law and to the Teſtimony; if they ſpeak not according to this Word, it is becauſe there is no Light in them. VVhatever Light or Spirit would draw us off from, or perſwade us to any thing contrary to This Word, that is, the Law and the Teſtimony, is to be rejected, as no true Light, nor true Spirit.
7. The Lord commandeth all ſorts of perſons to read the Scriptures, and that not in a ſlight curſory manner, but with diligence and great attention, 1 Tim. 4.13. Give attendance to reading—John 5.39. Search the Scriptures—The Greek word foreign ſignifies to weigh and conſider diligently what we read, to ſearch into the underſtanding of thoſe things that are hidden and abſtruſe. It is the ſame word which is uſed Rev. 2.23. I am he which ſearcheth the heart and reins: Such a ſearch ſhould we make into the Scriptures, we ſhould labour to have a clear and thorow underſtanding of the moſt abſtruſe and hidden truths, that are wrapped up in the Scriptures. It is not only our duty to read the Scriptures, but to do it daily, Acts 17.11. Theſe were more noble than thoſe in Theſſalonica, in that they received the Word with all readineſs of mind, and ſearched the Scriptures daily. And to continue reading ſome portion of them every day, as long as we live, Deut. 17.18, 19. —He ſhall write him a copy of this Law in a Book, out of that which is before the Prieſts the Levites, and it ſhall be with him, and he ſhall read therein all the days of his life. This is ſpoken of the Kings of Iſrael, and if they were obliged to get a Copy of the Law, and to read therein all their days, then ſurely other inferiour perſons, that have nothing ſo much buſineſs upon their hands as Kings, are obliged to ſpare ſome time every day, from their occaſions, to read ſome portion of the Scriptures. Beſides our reading the Scriptures privately by our ſelves, God commandeth them to be read publickly in the audience of all the people, both Men, and Women, and Children, Deut. 31.11, 12. And we find it was the practiſe of the ſervants of God in their publick Aſſemblies, to read the Scriptures, Joſh. 8.34, 35. He read all the words of the Law, the Bleſſings and Curſings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law; there was not a word that Moſes commanded, which Joſhua read not before all the Congregation of Iſrael, with the women, and their little ones, and the ſtrangers that were converſant among them. And this they did not at ſome extraordinary times only, but it was their conſtant courſe to read the Scriptures in their Aſſemblies every Sabbath day, Acts 1.13, 22. Moſes of old time hath in every City thens that preach him, being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day. And our Lord Jeſus approved this practice by his own example, he read the Scriptures to the Jews on the Sabbath days, Luc. 4.16, 17. And he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up, and as his cuſtom was, he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day, and ſtood up for to read, and there was delivered unto him the Book of the Prophet Eſaias.
8. As all ſorts of perſons are commanded to read the Scriptures, ſo all ſorts of perſons may reap great benefit by reading the Scriptures; Men, VVomen, Children, Strangers, all ſorts of people may learn to fear and obey the Lord, by reading the word of God, Deut. 31.11, 12. Thou ſhalt read this Law before all Iſrael, Gather the people together, Men, Women, and Children, and the Stranger that is within thy Gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and obſerve to do all the words of this Law. Reading the Scriptures is an effectual means to beget Repentance, Neh. 8.8, 9. So they read in the Book, in the Law of God diſtinctly, and gave the ſenſe, and cauſed them to underſtand the reading— All the people wept when they heard the words of the Law: And Faith, Acts 17.11, 12. They received the word with all readineſs of mind, and ſearched the Scriptures daily, whether thoſe things were ſo; Therefore many of them believed. The Lord hath promiſed his Bleſſing to thoſe that read and practiſe thoſe things which are written in the Scriptures, Rev. 1.3. Bleſſed is he that readeth, and they that hear the Words of this Prophecy, and keep thoſe things which are written therein.
9. The Light that is within us, if it be true Light, teacheth us that we ought to yield obedience to all the Commandments of God, and this is one of the Commandments of God, which he doth often inculcate upon us, That we ſhould teach his word unto our Children, and train them up in the knowledge and obedience of his Laws, as hath been already proved from Deut. 6.6, 7. Theſe words which I command thee this day, ſhall be in thine heart, and thou ſhalt teach them diligently to thy Children: Pſal. 78.5. He 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: Epheſ. 6.4. And ye Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And ſeveral other places. So that if we would follow our Light which we have received from Gods word, that will teach us to inſtruct our Children diligently in the knowledge of the Scriptures.
10. The great ignorance and folly which is in Children, ſhews that they have need of more inſtruction, than to be called upon to follow the Light that is in them; for how little Light have Children before they are inſtructed? God commands his word to be read to Children, and why? Deut. 31.11, 13. Thou ſhalt read this Law before all Iſrael, in their hearing; Gather the People together, men, women, and children— And that their Children which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as ye live in the Land whither ye go to poſſeſs. See here how little knowledge is aſcribed unto Children, ——That their Children which have not known any thing.— Obſerve alſo what means God preſcribes for the bringing Children to know and fear the Lord, and that is, reading his Law to them; Thou ſhalt read this Law before all Iſrael in their hearing, that their Children—may hear, and learn to fear the Lord. Inſtead of knowledge, there is folly in our Children, and this folly is bound up ſo faſt in their hearts, that it cannot be fetch'd out without inſtruction, Prov. 8. 33. Hear inſtruction, and be wiſe: Neither will inſtruction do it alone, unleſs correction be joyned with inſtruction, Prov. 22.15. Fooliſhneſs is bound in the heart of a Child, but the Rod of Correction will drive it far from him: Prov. 29.15. The Rod and Reproof give wiſdom: But how will that Child prove, that is left to himſelf, and hath neither inſtruction nor correction? The next words will inform us; But a Child left to himſelf bringeth his Mother to ſhame. As he that refuſeth to receive inſtruction, regardeth not, but deſpiſeth his own Soul, Prov. 15.32. He that refuſeth inſtruction, deſpiſeth his own Soul: So he that refuſeth to give inſtruction to his Children, may be ſaid to deſpiſe the ſouls of his Children. For if he did regard them, he would ſeek after their ſalvation, and if he did ſeek after their ſalvation, he would inſtruct them in the knowledge of the Scriptures, which are able to make them wiſe to ſalvation. There being much folly in our Childrens hearts, if we let them live without inſtruction, they will go aſtray, and periſh eternally: Prov. 10.21. Fools die for want of wiſdom: Prov. 5.23. He ſhall die without inſtruction, and in the greatneſs of his folly he ſhall go aſtray.