Several Discourses Considering the Providence of God, Discourse · Part 2 · Sermon 32
SERMON XXXII.
Pſalm CVII. 43.
Whoſo is wiſe, and will obſerve theſe things: even they ſhall underſtand the loving-kindneſs of the Lord.
I Am ſtill detained in a Diſcourſe, concerning the obſervable things of Divine Providence, Actual Providence; and more particularly, I am recommending to your obſervation, ſome things relating to its motions in the diſtributions of Rewards, and Puniſhments. I ſhall offer one thing more of this nature.
Obſervat. 19. That it is a very ordinary motion of Divine Providence, both to reward and puniſh Relations in their Correlations.
To viſit the iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children; of the Magiſtrates upon the people, &c. And ſo on the contrary, to reward the good and righteous actions of Parents unto their poſterity, &c. In the proſecution of this, keeping my method,
1. I ſhall juſtifie the obſervation, by ſeveral inſtances.
2. I ſhall ſhew you the Reaſonableneſs of this motion of Providence, and clear it from all foreign, or appearances of injuſtice, or contrariety to what God hath ſpoken in his word: with reference to the diſtribution of puniſhments.
3. Laſtly, I ſhall make ſome practical Application.
That the thing is true, appeareth from ſo plentiful a teſtimony of Scripture-inſtances; as hardly any thing is more clear, and that both as to Rewards and Puniſhments. I will begin with the firſt, but ſhall be ſhorter in that Diſcourſe; becauſe the difficulty lieth more as to the ſecond thing, viz. the diſtribution of puniſhments.
Now for Rewards, beſides many particular inſtances, we have two that are more general; thoſe of Abraham, the Father of the faithful, and David, the man according to Gods own heart. They were both great, and common Fathers. Abraham was the Father of the Jewiſh Nation: The father of many Nations, and the father of the faithful. I ſhall only conſider him in the firſt capacity. David was the father of the Kings of Judah (Sauls family, you know, was extinguiſhed preſently): Now how frequently in Scripture, do you find God declaring his goodneſs, and mercy to the Jewiſh Nation, for his ſervant Abrahams ſake; or for the ſake of Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob; or for his ſervant Davids ſake! And God heard their groaning, and God remembred his Covenant, with Abraham, and with Iſaac, and with Jacob, Exod. 2.24. Lev. 26.42. Then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob, and alſo my Covenant with Iſaac; and alſo my Covenant with Abraham will I remember, and I will remember the Land. Hence it was that the Jews gloried ſo much, that They had Abraham to their Father: and the faithful amongſt them ordinarily uſed it, as an argument to plead in prayer with God for them. It is plain concerning David, from a multitude of Scriptures, 1 Kings 11.11. God threatning to rend away the Kingdom of Solomon, tells him, that for David his ſervants ſake, he will not do it in his days; and v. 12. For David his ſervants ſake, he would give one tribe to his Son. So again, v. 32, 34. and 2 Kings 8.19. Yet the Lord would not deſtroy Judah for Davids ſake. 2 Kings 19.34. I will defend this City, ſave it for my own ſake, and for my ſervant Davids ſake; hence the Pſalmiſt prayeth, Pſal. 132.10. For thy ſervant Davids ſake, turn not away the face of thine Anointed, and ſo in many other texts of Scripture. The caſe as to puniſhments, hath yet a far more plentiful evidence from holy Writ, Exod. 17.8, 9. Amalek ſmote Iſrael when they came out of Egypt. God revengeth this ſin upon their children, and poſterity. More than 350 years after, God ſaith to Saul, 1 Sam. 15.2, 3. Thus ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, I remember that which Amalek did, how he laid wait for them in the way, when he came out of Egypt. Now go ſmite Amalek, and utterly deſtroy all that they have; and ſpare them not, but ſlay both man, and woman, and infant, and ſuckling; both Ox and Sheep, and Camel, and Aſs. God in the ſecond Commandment ſaith, that he is a jealous God, viſiting the iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children, unto the third, and fourth generation; and conformable unto this, is the whole revelation of the will of God in Scripture, and the diſpenſation of Actual Providence. 1 King. 11.11. God threatneth to rend the Kingdom away from Solomon. Foraſmuch as this is done of thee, and thou haſt not kept my ſtatutes, which I have commanded thee. v. 12. Notwithſtanding, in thy days I will not do it, for David thy Fathers ſake; but I will rend it out of the hand of thy Son; he accordingly did, 1 King. 12.16. Jeroboam, you know, had the part God rent from the houſe of David. He ſetteth up idolatry. God threatneth, 1 King. 14.9. that becauſe of this, he would deſtroy Jeroboams houſe; and cut off from him, him that piſſed againſt the wall, and would take away the remnant of the houſe of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung till it be gone. Now obſerve, how the Actual Providence of God fulfils this, 1 King. 15.25. Nadab, Jeroboams ſon ſucceedeth; he reigneth but two years; v. 27. Baaſh conſpireth againſt him, ſmiteth him, and ſlayeth him; v. 29. He ſmote all the houſe of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed until he had deſtroyed him. v. 30. Becauſe of the ſins of Jeroboam which he ſinned, and which he made Iſrael to ſin, by his Provocation, wherewith he provoked the Lord God of Iſrael to anger. The phraſe is not excluſive of Nadabs ſins; but it plainly proveth, that in Nadab, and the reſt of his families puniſhment, there was a ſpecial conſideration of Jeroboams ſins: Baaſha doth as wickedly as Jeroboam. God ſends Jehu the Prophet, who threatneth him, that the Lord would take away his poſterity, and the poſterity of his houſe; and make his houſe, like the houſe of Jeroboam, the ſon of Nebat, 1 Kings 16.1, 2, 3. He reigned 24 years. Elah his ſon ſucceeds him, and reigneth two years, as bad a man as his Father, 1 Kings 16.8, 9, 10. Zimri, one of his Captains ſlayeth him, being drunk. v. 11. the ſame Zimri, ſlayeth all the houſe of Baaſha; he left him not one who piſſed againſt the wall, neither of his kinsfolks, nor friends. And this v. 13. was for all the ſins of Baaſha. Omri ſets up againſt Zimri, and prevaileth; he reigneth 12 years: Ahab was his ſon, who reigned 22 years. He was a moſt vile man, 1 Kings 21.25. There was none like unto Ahab; which did ſell himſelf to work wickedneſs in the ſight of the Lord. God in the ſame Chapter, v. 21. threatned him, becauſe he had ſold himſelf to work evil in the ſight of the Lord, that he would bring evil upon him, and take away his poſterity; and would cut off from Ahab, him that piſſed againſt the wall, and him that was ſhut up, and left in Iſrael; and would make his houſe like the houſe of Jeroboam, the ſon of Nebat, and like the houſe of Baaſha. In the next Chapter you ſhall read that Ahab was killed in the battle at Ramoth Gilead. Ahaziah ſucceedeth him, 1 Kings 22.40. Ahaziah dieth an untimely death, occaſioned by a fall from a window; 2 Kings 1. and Jehoram his ſon ſucceedeth: v. 17. he was ſlain by Jehu, 2 Kings 9. ch. 10. Seventy ſons more of his were ſlain by the men of Samaria, at the command of Jehu. and v. 17. When he came to Samaria, he ſlew all that remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had deſtroyed him, according to the ſaying of the Lord, which he ſpake to Elijah. Jehu ſucceedeth in the Kingdom, he ſlew the Prieſts, and worſhippers of Baal; and turned the houſe of Baal into a draught-houſe, 2 Kings 10.25, 26, 27, 28. For this God rewardeth both him and his poſterity, with a Crown and a Throne, 2 Kings 10.30. But he yet kept up the idolatry of Jeroboam, 2 Kings 10.29. for this, God not only puniſhed him, in his life time, 2 Kings 10.32, 33. But threatens to avenge the blood of Jeſreel upon the houſe of Jehu. Hoſea 1.4. which came to paſs an hundred years after, in the fourth Generation. Jehoahaz Jehu's ſon reigned 17 years. Joaſh his ſon reigned 16 years. Jeroboam his ſon reigned 41 years, which added to 28 years Jehu reigned, makes a 102 years. Now you know, the ſervice Jehu did, was in the beginning of his reign. Thus you ſee this was Gods conſtant courſe of Providence, with the ſeveral families of the Kings of Iſrael. For the ſin of Eli, 1 Sam. 2.27. God threatneth him, that becauſe he had honoured his ſons above God. v. 29. He would cut off his arm, and the arm of his fathers houſe; that there ſhould not be an old man in his houſe. v. 33. And all the increaſe of his houſe ſhould die in the flower of their age. Chriſt bids thoſe that mourned for him, to weep for themſelves, and their children. In ſhort, the proof of this is very full from Scripture. And we ſhall find this done, not only in natural Relates and Correlates; Such are Fathers and Children, of which I have given you plentiful inſtances; but in ſuch as are moral Relations. Sometimes we ſhall find the people puniſhed for the Rulers ſin. Thus it was in the caſe of David, he numbred the people, the people were plagued for it. So in the caſe of Jeroboam, and Baaſha, and Ahab; they ſet up their idolatry; the people were deſtroyed, Hoſea 5.11. Ephraim is oppreſſed, and broken in judgement, becauſe he willingly walked after the Commandment, (a Text worth the ſtudying by many Divines in our age). The famine in Davids time, 2 Sam. 21.1. came for Saul, and his bloody houſe; and ten of his ſons muſt be haned to attone God. Again, you ſhall find it done, when the original guilt was in the people: this was the caſe of the Iſraelites, when they made the Golden-calf, Exod. 32.22. And when they murmured, at the report brought up by the Spies, Num. 14.33. The judgement extended to near 40 years. This is a tremendous motion of Providence, it may not therefore be out of my way to enquire,
1. What ſins thoſe are, which God doth ordinarily thus revenge on Correlates?
2. How far this Vengeance doth extend?
3. How this is reconcileable to the juſtice and goodneſs of God, and the revelation of his will?
1. As to the firſt, it is hard to ſay, what ſins God may not thus revenge. Eli was thus (as you have heard) puniſhed in his poſterity, for not duly puniſhing his Sons; David for numbring the people: but the more eminent ſins, which you read of in Scripture thus puniſhed, are;
1. Corruption in the worſhip of God, and eſpecially Idolatry, (which is the higheſt ſin in that kind) This is verified in the inſtance of the puniſhment, for the Calf made by Aaron at the importunity of the people, Exod. 32. and in all the caſes of the Kings of Iſrael, before mentioned. Princes were puniſhed for it, not only perſonally, but in their families; and the people too, for willingly walking after the commandment. The worſhip of God is a very tender thing; and God more ſeverely puniſheth no ſin, than he doth corruptions in that.
2. Blood, Cruelty and Oppreſſion, and eſpecially the blood of righteous men. God Numb. 35. commands that no ſatisfaction ſhould be taken for the life of the murderer; he tells us there, blood polluteth a land, and ſo, as that it cannot be cleanſed, but by the blood of him that ſhed it. This was the caſe of Saul, he had ſhed the blood of the Gibeonites; for this, vengeance came in a famine upon all Iſrael, and particularly upon his family. This was the caſe of Ahab alſo; he had ſhed the blood of Naboth, and of the Lords Prophets. This was the caſe of the Jews; That (ſaith our Saviour) upon you may come all the righteous blood ſhed, from the blood of Abel, to the blood of Zechariah; and the blood of Chriſt by them ſhed, lieth upon that whole people unto this day.
But ſecondly, How far may this Vengeance extend?
1. I anſwer, Not to the inward man. The ſpiritual, or eternal puniſhment of any man conſiſteth of two Eſſential parts, the ſoul and the body; both theſe are capable of puniſhment, both in this life, and that which is to come: hence ariſeth the diſtinction of puniſhment, into that which is Corporal, and that which is Spiritual; that which is Temporal, and that which is Eternal. Now I do not think, that God puniſheth the ſouls of ſucceeding generations, not going on in the ſame, or equal ſins, for the ſins of a preceeding generation; or the ſouls of correlates, for the ſins of their Relations. In this ſenſe I take that Text, Ezech. 18.4. The ſoul that ſinneth ſhall dye: the ſon ſhall not bear the iniquity of the father: nor the father the iniquity of the child. As alſo that Jer. 31.29. They ſhall not uſe this Proverb, The Fathers have eaten ſour grapes, and the childrens teeth are ſet on edge: but every one ſhall dye for his own ſin: but whether that be the ſtrict ſenſe of thoſe Texts or no, I will not diſpute: this ſeemeth to me a ſufficient reaſon for this determination. Becauſe the ſoul of the child is no part of the parent. All ſouls are Gods, and derive immediately from him. One thing which is ſaid by Divines, in maintenance of the juſtice of God, in this diſpenſation, is this, That children are the goods of their parents, and parts of them, fleſh of their fleſh; but it cannot be ſaid ſo of their ſouls. Hence it followeth, that none, for the ſins of their Parents, or Correlates, is given up to hardneſs of heart, reprobacy of mind, or vile-affections; nor to any other ſpiritual wickedneſs, nor ſhall any periſh eternally for the ſins of others.
2. For puniſhments of this life, they may extend to the third and fourth generation, even upon thoſe, who do not tread in the ſteps of their fore fathers, nor approve their ſayings. You know the words of the ſecond Commandment — viſiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation, of thoſe that hate me. There are that think, that thoſe later words are a limitation upon the former; and that God only threatens vengeance to the third and fourth generations, in caſe thoſe two generations go on to hate God; and thus the Caldee Paraphraſt gloſſeth, but this will not agree with the Hebrew. I deſire you to obſerve,
1. Thoſe that hate him (in that Commandment) are oppoſed to them that love him in the ſame Commandment; ſo that if the threatning be to be limited, only to thoſe children who perſiſt in the hatred of God, the promiſe alſo muſt be expounded only of thoſe thouſands that love God: and it would rather have been, that he would ſhew mercy to the third and fourth generation, of thoſe that love God.
2. Again, What had there been extraordinary in the commination? God will moſt certainly puniſh them that hate him, for their perſonal hatred of him; certainly God brings it as a further argument to deter men from ſin, that he would not only revenge their ſins upon them, but upon their poſterity.
3. This vengeance is not ſo neceſſary or certain, but that by the repentance, and humiliation of a preſent generation, though it will at laſt moſt certainly come, it may be deferred. The threatning againſt Ahab and his poſterity was, 1 Kings 21.22, 23. Ahab was a little ſmitten upon it; God promiſeth to defer it, but tells him it ſhould come in his ſons days. v. 29. Ahaziah ſucceedeth him, and dyed by a fall; Jehoram, or Joram ſucceedeth him: then it began to work, Jehu ſlayeth him, and alſo all the family of Ahab. God threatned Jeroboam; but becauſe there was good found in his young ſon Abijam, it fell not on him: 1 Kings 14.7, 8, 9, 16. but in his Grand-childs time it came. Hezekiah was thus threatned for ſhewing the hid treaſures to the King of Babylons ſervants. 2 Kings 20.17. Joſiah was his Grand-child, the third generation from Hezekiah; he humbled himſelf, and God yet deferred it. Thus we find vengeance of this nature coming on Jeroboam, in the ſecond generation; upon Ahab, in the third; upon Hezekiah, in the fifth or ſixth generation. We find this vengeance taken off from Abijam, by ſome good thing found in him, put off in Ahabs time by his (though hypocritical) humiliation, by Joſiahs real humiliation.
4. Laſtly, When a generation goes on, and continues in their Fathers ſins, we find vengeance following them to many generations. In that caſe (ſaith God) I will not keep ſilence, but will recompence your iniquities, and the iniquities of your Fathers together, who have burnt incenſe upon the mountains, and blaſphemed me upon the hills; therefore will I meaſure their former work into their boſome, Iſaiah 65.6, 7. This was the caſe of the Jews, Matth. 23.35. They continued ſhedding the blood of Prophets, and righteous men, and added to it the blood of Chriſt; and they continued ſtill in their blaſphemies againſt Chriſt. They are not in a ſtate indeed, to execute their malice againſt Chriſt, and his Goſpel; but their hatred and blaſphemy continueth; and the vengeance of God to this day continueth upon them, and God is this day viſiting upon them their iniquities, and the iniquities of their Fathers together. And thus much may ſerve to have ſpoken concerning the extent of this vengeance. I have but one thing more to do, before I come to the practical application of this obſervation, that is, to reconcile this motion of Divine Providence, to the juſtice and goodneſs of God, and the revelation of his will in Ezech. 18.4. and other Texts. This diſpenſation, at firſt view, ſeemeth not to comport with the juſtice of God, which muſt give every man his due, and recompence to every one, according to his work. Now the work of the Father, is not the work of the Child; how then cometh it to be recompenſed to the Child? much leſs doth it ſeem to comport with the goodneſs of God, to viſit the iniquity of the Father upon the child; and then it ſeemeth to croſs what God hath ſaid, Ezech. 18.4. The ſoul that ſinneth ſhall dye; and again, Jer. 31.29, 30. Every one ſhall dye for his own iniquity; every man that eateth the ſowre grape, his teeth ſhall be ſet on edge. But I beſeech you obſerve,
1. How ready we are to quarrel with God, for what is done every day with men, and no man accuſeth it of injuſtice; to take away the eſtates of Children, for the treaſons of Parents, for the debts of Parents, &c. How ordinarily in war do innocent Children ſuffer for their Parents? yet as to man the law of God is plain, Deut. 24.16. The fathers ſhall not be put to death for the children, neither ſhall the children be put to death for the parents; every man ſhall be put to death for his own ſin: and reaſon holds much ſtronger for Gods puniſhing, even with death, the ſin of the parent upon the child. For,
1. God can compenſate the loſs of a temporal life to the child, with an eternal life: this man cannot do. This was Auguſtines reaſon.
2. God ſeeth guilt enough in children, to juſtifie his vengeance. To man they are innocent: yet according to that barbarous cuſtom in war, nothing is more ordinary, than to take away the lives of children, for the fathers faults; yet the world doth not much clamour at this.
2. The juſtice of God is ſufficiently cleared in this, That God never puniſheth any for the ſin of their correlate, in whom there is not perſonal guilt enough, to juſtifie God in that proceeding. Every one in his puniſhment, beareth his own burden, though poſſibly his ſin, and the ſin of his father be puniſhed together.
3. Correlates are the goods of their Relations. Children are the great portion of Parents, ſo are people the riches and goods of Princes: thus Aquinas ſolveth this difficulty, Filii ſunt res parentum. Thus the learned Rivet ſaith, children have in them aliquid parentis; indeed that is ſomething more, children are not only the portion, and goods of their parents, but they are pieces of their parents, and their parents are puniſhed in them. As David was puniſhed in the death of his firſt child by Bathſheba. Some may ſay, this is ſomething, if children were only puniſhed during the life of their parents; but how are their parents puniſhed in them when they are dead, before vengeance cometh upon the child? Anſw. The fear of it all their life-time is a puniſhment. 2. Is it no puniſhment to them (though dead) to have their names blotted out?
4. The goodneſs of God is ſeen in this; That it is a rational means to do good to the parents, and parents are often advantaged by the puniſhment of the children. David was ſo, you know. If God will ſay to the child, I will puniſh you, and uſe your puniſhment to do good to your parents; what have we to ſay to it? If we ought to lay down our lives for our brethren (as St. John determines), certainly if God calls children to it, they ought to be willing to lay down their lives for their parents, if God impoſe it upon them. Debent parentibus hoc officium (ſaith Auguſtine). Plutarch diſputing the juſtice of the gods (he was a Heathen, and that his dialect) in this particular, ſaith, that Phyſitians uſe to bleed the arm for a pain in the head, and by a parity of reaſon, ſo excuſeth the Divine Juſtice. The Parents have been inſtruments of giving life to the Children; and God giveth Children many advantages for the Parents ſake.
5. In the mean time, if the children be good and holy, their afflictions are but fatherly chaſtiſements: Their deaths do but remove them to a better life, ſo that they have no wrong, not ſuffering in their ſouls, nor by eternal puniſhments for the ſins of their parents.
6. Laſtly, (ſaith Auguſtine) God by this means doth maintain diſcipline, and keep up his authority and government in ſtates, in the world, in his Church, in particular families. Now who ſhall deny God the liberty of exerciſing an act of meer Power and Soveraignty (if it were no more), when by it a diſcipline and government is kept up in the Univerſe, and by it many greater diſorders and wickedneſſes are prevented? Sinners are terrified, and the thoughts of the miſeries their children may feel for their ſins, may affright thoſe who would adventure their own skins, and necks, and ſouls too. I have now done with the Doctrinal part of this Obſervation, I come to the Practical Application of this diſcourſe.
Ʋſe 1. In the firſt place this may ſerve to ſatisfie us as to the Juſtice of God in the diſtribution of ſome rewards of this life to the worſt of men; by the rewards of this life, I underſtand riches, honours, outward proſperity and bleſſing. It is a ſaying uſually imputed to Hierom, Omnis Dives eſt vel injuſtus, vel injuſti haeres, every rich man is either an unrighteous man, or the ſon of an unrighteous man. I do not know but we may ſay the contrary, That every proſperous man is either juſtus aut haeres juſti, either himſelf a good and righteous man, or the child of ſuch a one; I mean, not the immediate child, but deſcended from ſuch a one. I will not aſſert it too univerſally, but ſhall refer it to your Obſervation. If you ſee a leud and wicked man growing great, rich, proſpering much in the world; obſerve whether he be not one, who like Jehu, hath not perſonally done ſome eminent ſervice for God: ſo Jehu did, ſo Aſſyria did, ſo Nebuchadnezzar did, he made his Army to do a great ſervice againſt Tyre. 2. If you cannot find that, enquire if he were not a deſcendent from ſome that had done ſome ſuch ſervice. Jeroboam the Son of Joaſh Jehu's Grandchild, was a naughty man, yet the Kingdom of Iſrael had no ſuch time of proſperity, as in his Reign: God did not reward any perſonal vertue in him, but he rewarded the ſervice which his Grandfather Jehu had done againſt the houſe of Ahab. The proſperity therefore of wicked men ſhould not trouble us, nor be a temptation to us: we ſhould only conclude thus: How much more will the Lord reward his faithful ſervants, who worſhip and ſerve him in truth, and with a perfect heart!
Ʋſe 2. In the ſecond place, This may ſerve to rectifie the miſtakes of thoſe who may be under a temptation to ſay with David, That they have waſhed their hands in vain, and cleanſed their hearts for nothing, or (to allude to the Apoſtles phraſe), We have been fiſhing all day, and caught nothing. The error lyeth in your miſapprehenſions, thinking you have no reward, unleſs it be made to you perſonally, yea and ſenſibly too.
1. Is it nothing, that he who feareth God and worketh righteouſneſs is accepted of him? And that you have as to this the continual feaſt of a good conſcience; no recoilings of your own breaſt, no ſowre reflections from thence? ſurely this is ſomething, you have Chriſts peace, when-as to the wicked there is no peace. This is a reward unſpeakable, paſſing all underſtanding.
2. If your ſufferings be any teſtimony for Chriſt, are they not rewards in themſelves? doth not the Lord honour that perſon whom he calleth out to be a witneſs for his name? few are called to ſuffer for Chriſt. Luther was troubled that God did not think him worthy of ſuch a Crown. The Apoſtles rejoyced, that the Lord thought them worthy to ſuffer for the Name of Jeſus Chriſt.
3. But ſatisfie thy ſelf; It may be God hath laid up the reward for thy poſterity, and thy children, and childrens children, ſhall poſſibly reap what thou haſt ſown: be aſſured, good actions ſhall not be without their reward, but rewards are not all of a kind; no man ſhall ever ſay, he hath waited upon the Lord in vain, or ſought his face for nothing.
Ʋſe. 3. This calleth upon us all to take heed of ſinning againſt the living God, eſpecially ſuch ſins as I have before inſtanced in; there are many arguments to be uſed to defame ſin, and to diſſwade from it. To them all let this be added, the curſe which ſin entails upon our poſterity: our ſins are ſometimes hid with God, and ſealed up in a bag, and the vengeance of God for them falls not upon our ſelves, but upon thoſe that come after us. Now the force of this argument lyes in that natural affection which every man hath for his poſterity: he muſt be a very debauched perſon that hath no regard to his poſterity, every one almoſt is careful to lay up ſomething for his children, take heed of laying up a treaſure of Divine wrath for them. If you will not regard your own bodies, the peace of your own breaſts, nor your eternal welfare: yet fear ſinning againſt God, becauſe of the vengeance which may for your ſin come upon your poſterity. It is a terrible Meditation, to conſider how many the threatnings of God againſt children are for the parents ſins, Job 5.3, 4. Eliphaz ſaith, I have ſeen the fooliſh taking root, but ſuddenly I curſed his habitation: His children are far from ſafety, and they are cruſhed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them. And again, Job 17.5. He that ſpeaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children ſhall fail; the triumphing of the wicked is but ſhort, and the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment, Job 5.20. verſ. 10. His children ſhall ſeek to pleaſe the poor, and his hands ſhall reſtore their goods. And Job 21.19. ſpeaking of the wicked, he ſaith, God layeth up iniquity for his children. And Job 27.13, 14. This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppreſſors which they ſhall receive from the Almighty. If his children be multiplied, it is for the ſword, and his off-ſpring ſhall not be ſatisfied with bread. David, who was a Prophet, and by the ſpirit of Prophecy, did but ſee and foretel what ſhould come to paſs, having to do with wicked and deceitful men, who, Pſal. 109.2, 3, 4, 5. opened their mouths againſt him, and ſpake againſt him with a lying tongue, compaſſed him about with words of hatred, and fought againſt him without a cauſe; for his love were his adverſaries, rewarding him evil for good, and hatred for his love; prayeth: verſ. 9, 10. Let his children be fatherleſs, and his wife a widow, let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them ſeek their bread alſo out of deſolate places. Iſa. 14.21. In the threatning againſt Babel you find theſe words, Prepare ſlaughter for his children, for the iniquities of their fathers, that they do not riſe, nor poſſeſs the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities: and Pſal. 137.8, 9. O daughter of Babylon, who art to be deſtroyed, happy ſhall he be that rewardeth thee, as thou haſt ſerved us: Happy ſhall he be that taketh and daſheth thy little ones againſt the ſtones. The Scripture is full of ſuch prophecies and threatnings, eſpecially in the caſe of ſome eminent oppreſſions or cruelties uſed by any parents, or ſome eminent corruptions in worſhip, &c. Now ſhould not this lay a law upon parents, who are ſo ſollicitous for the good and proſperity of their children when they ſhall not be? God layeth up the iniquities of parents many times for their children. In ſhort, as there is no man that can provide better for his children, than he that worketh righteouſneſs, and eminently ſerveth God in his generation. I never ſaw the righteous forſaken, ſaith David, nor their ſeed begging their bread: ſo none can provide worſe for their children, than by laying up a ſtock of ſin to be revenged upon them. Children are bound by law to pay their Fathers debts to man (that often proves heavy); but this is more dreadful, they often (as to temporal puniſhments) pay their Fathers debts alſo to the Juſtice of God: and this by the way ſheweth us the high advantage of godly parents, as the diſadvantage of thoſe who have had wicked and profane parents; the former inherit bleſſing, the latter curſing and judgment, very ordinarily upon the account of their parents.
Ʋſe 4. This obſervation calleth aloud to thoſe that are children deſcended from wicked and ungodly parents, (it may be the caſe of ſome that are before me) to be humbled for the ſins of their parents and predeceſſors. And, 2. To take heed of continuing in the ſins of their predeceſſors. Joſia was thus humbled, and the Lord turned away his wrath that it came not upon him, though it came upon his poſterity, when he was gone to his grave in peace. Daniel in his humiliation, chap 9. verſ. 16. forgets not this, Becauſe for our ſins, and the iniquity of our fathers, Hieruſalem hath been made a reproach. The Church complaineth, Lam. 5.7. Our fathers have ſinned, and are not, and we have born their iniquity. Is there any here whoſe heart it may be is otherwiſe, but they have had a Father or Predeceſſor, who hath been a cruel bloody man, a perſecutor of the People of God, an hater and enemy of Religion and Godlineſs? I would have ſuch a one think, that although his heart be otherwiſe, yet it is poſſible, his fathers iniquity may be laid up for him. The only way to prevent it, and to turn it off, is to get a tender broken heart for thy forefathers ſins; to confeſs them, and to be humbled before the Lord for them.
2. But let all men take heed, that they continue not in them. You ſhall obſerve it often repeated in Scripture; Such a one did evil, and walked in the ſteps of his Father, in all the ſins of his Fathers, &c. you ſhall conſtantly obſerve that it is ſet as a mark of diſhonour upon thoſe that did ſo, and they periſhed in their tranſgreſſions. God (according to what he threatned the Jews, Iſa. 65.7.) puniſhed upon them their iniquities, and the iniquities of their fathers together. We are very prone to walk in the ſteps of our Fathers (eſpecially if they have trodden awry, and turned aſide from the Commandments of God): and uſually in matters of Religion, though we have nothing to ſay for the ſuperſtition and vanity of former generations; yet we think it a ſufficient plea, that our fathers did thus or thus: and indeed this was the old plea of the woman of Samaria, Joh. 4. Our fathers worſhipped in this mountain. Thus the Heretick ſaid in one of the Councils, but was well anſwered—Immo errantes ab errantibus; yes, erring children, from erring parents. The wickedneſs of a preceding generation (eſpecially in the matters of Divine Worſhip) is ſo far from being a plea for us, or excuſing us, that it doth but increaſe and aggravate guilt upon us. The moſt righteous perſons may without due and ſeaſonable humiliation ſmart for the ſins of their Fathers; but if they go on in the ſame ſins, they have nothing to expect, but that God ſhould puniſh their ſins, and the ſins of their Fathers together.
Ʋſe 5. In the laſt place, This obſervation layeth upon us all a new engagement to holineſs and ſerviceableneſs to God in the ſtations in which the Lord hath ſet us. As ſin entaileth a curſe, ſo holineſs and eminent ſervice for God entaileth a bleſſing to our poſterity: Godlineſs hath not only the promiſe of this life, and of that which is to come to our own perſons; but it hath promiſes of bleſſing to thoſe that ſhall come after us: God ſheweth mercy to thouſands of thoſe who love him and keep his Commandments. Jehu was no godly man, yet his ſervice he did for God, procured him a reward to the fourth generation. Abraham was a godly man, David a perfect man, a man according to Gods own heart. Bleſſings for their ſakes came upon their poſterity to many generations. But I ſhall add no more to this Obſervation.