A Treatise of Family Instruction, Chapter 4 · Section 19
SECT. 19. The fear of aggravating our Childrens Condemnation, ſhould not make us neglect Family-Inſtruction.
Object. 19 THe more light my Children have, the greater their Condemnation will be, if they make not a good uſe of it; and I am afraid they will not, and therefore I am afraid to inſtruct them, leſt I ſhould aggravate their condemnation.
Anſw. I. It is true, that the more Light any man hath, the greater his condemnation will be, if he do not make a good uſe of it; Luc. 12.47. That Servant which knew his Lords will, and prepared not himſelf, neither did according to his will, ſhall be beaten with many ſtripes.
II. Though the caſe be ſo, that the more light any man hath, the greater will be his condemnation, yet this muſt not make you neglect inſtructing them, out of fear that they ſhould not improve their light, and ſo have the greater condemnation: For,
1. Some mens ſin and condemnation will be aggravated by the coming of Chriſt into the world; John 15.22. If I had not come and ſpoken unto them, they had not had ſin; but now they have no cloak for their ſin: Yet God did well in ſending his Son into the world. The preaching of Chriſt and the Goſpel, will make their condemnation more dreadful, where Chriſt and the Goſpel are not embraced, than the condemnation of the Heathen that never heard of Chriſt: John 3.19. This is the condemnation, That Light is come into the world, and men loved darkneſs rather than Light, becauſe their deeds were evil. See alſo Mat. 11. 23, 24. Yet the preaching of Chriſt and the Goſpel to the world, is a good work; and God pronounceth a wo againſt thoſe that he hath called to the Miniſtry of the Goſpel, who preach it not, 1 Cor. 9. 16. For neceſſity is laid upon me, yea wo is unto me if I preach not the Goſpel. Suppoſe it ſhould increaſe your Childrens miſery in the world to come, to have Light, if they make not a good uſe of it, yet you do well when you inſtruct them; yea a neceſſity is laid upon you, and wo be unto you if you do it not.
2. You run a greater hazard both of your own and your Childrens condemnation, by neglecting to inſtruct them, than you do of aggravating their condemnation in caſe you ſhould inſtruct them, when as you do not know whether they will make a good uſe of their Light: You hazard your own condemnation by neglecting your duty, and your Childrens by nurſing them up in ignorance; but by inſtructing them, you may promote both your own and their ſalvation, 1 Tim 4.16. The ſame argument that the Apoſtle uſeth to perſwade Wives to dwell with their Husbands, and Husbands to dwell with their Wives, 1 Cor. 7.16. For what knoweſt thou, O Wife, whether thou ſhalt ſave thy Husband? Or how knoweſt thou, O man, but thou ſhalt ſave thy Wife? The like may I uſe with Parents to inſtruct their Children, notwithſtanding all their fears of aggravating their condemnation, What knoweſt thou whether thou ſhalt ſave thy Children?
III. Whereas Satan would beat you off from inſtructing your Children, by putting you in ſear that you ſhall thereby aggravate their condemnation, this is but a vain ſuggeſtion, to hinder you in your duty; for you can't take a more effectual courſe to prevent your Childrens condemnation, and to promote their ſalvation, than to inſtruct them in the knowledge of the Scriptures; for Knowledge is a means to breed Faith, Pſal. 9.10. They that know thy Name, will put their truſt in thee: and true Repentance, Jer. 24.7. I will give them an heart to know me, —for they ſhall return unto me with their whole heart: and to obtain Remiſſion of ſins, Iſa. 53.11. By his Knowledge ſhall my Righteous Servant juſtifie many— Knowledge alſo is a means of obtaining eternal life, John 17.3. And this is eternal life, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jeſus Chriſt whom thou haſt ſent.