Commandment is for you if ye will not hear if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory unto my Name saith the Lord of Hosts I will even send a curse upon you and I will curse your blessings Whether it be a word of Command or Promise or Threatning or an Example of Gods Judgments on sinners or of his blessing bestowed on his servants tell them That these Commandments O my Children the great God that made you and that will bring you to Judgment hath given to you if you obey them he will love you and bless you and give you all good things in this world and great blessings in the world to come But if you will not hearken to his Voice but cast his Law behind your backs he will send many heavy Judgments and great Plagues upon you in this world and if they do not lead you to repentance he will cast you both Body and Soul into Hell Fire And so for the Promises tell them These great and precious Promises shall be your portion if you will believe in Jesus Christ and live holy and godly lives Gal. 3.22 1 Tim. 4.8 Do the like by the Threatnings tell them That these will surely be executed on them if they live in those-sins against which such and such Judgments are threatned For GOD is faithful and able to perform his Word and is no Respecter of persons and there is no lying hid from his all-seeing Eye nor any possibility to escape out of His Hand VVhen you meet with Examples of Gods Judgments on impenitent sinners tell them Those Examples are recorded on purpose to keep them from falling into such sins 1 Cor. 10.5 6. and to lead them to Repentance Luk. 13.1 2 3. And that if they live in the same sins they must expect to meet with the same Judgments And so also the Examples of Gods mercies towards his servants tell them That if they will serve God the same mercies and blessings that God gave Abraham or David or any other of his servants he will give them But of these things I have spoken before more largely in the Third Chapter and it will be needless to repeat them again By what hath been said there it is evident that there is much more work lieth upon Parents besides teaching them to read the Scriptures as VVatching over them Reproof Correction c. SECT 22. Instructing Children while they are young makes eminent Saints Object 22 WE may teach our Children to know and remember the Scriptures but we can't teach them obedience that is Gods work and what good will it do them to know and remember the Word if they do not obey it And besides if they should whilst they are young walk in the ways of God they will forsake them when they grow old and be the worse for their instruction and make good the old Proverb A young Saint and an old Devil Answ 1. It is true that it is Gods work to teach our Children Obedience but we must use the means Shall the Ministers of the Gospel forbear preaching the word because the conversion of souls is Gods work not theirs 2. God doth ordinarily bless the Endeavours of Parents and Masters of Families when they are diligent and faithful in their work not only to the breeding of knowledge but also to the bringing of their Children and Servants to obey the Lord and walk in his ways Gen. 18.19 He will command his Children and Houshould after him and they SHALL keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and Judgment Here God promiseth that upon Abrahams commanding his Children and Houshold they should keep the way of the Lord. And what God promiseth to Abraham he promiseth and will peform unto all that walk in Abrahams steps If persons that have had Religious Education would consult their own experience they will find that generally God instils Principles of Grace into such as are converted by means of their Religious Education 3. That Proverb A young Saint and an old Devil was of Satans coining to deter persons from seeking and serving the Lord for it is contrary to the word of God for that saith 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 None prove such eminent Saints as they that begin to seek and serve the Lord whilst they are young I will give two or three instances hereof Josiah was a very humble tender-hearted Prince he wept at the hearing of Gods Law 2 Kings 23.18 19. He was very zealous in the Reformation of Religion and destroying Idolatry Chap. xxiii ver 1. to 25. There never was such a Passover kept either in the days of the Judges or of the Kings of Israel or Judah as Josiah kept 2 Kings 23.22 23. He excelled all the Kings that lived before him and all that came after him verse 25. And like unto him there was no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might according to all the Law of Moses neither after him arose there any like him And as he was thus eminent in Godliness so he continued constant to his dying day 2 Chron. 34.2 He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of David his Father and declined neither to the right hand nor left And one reason why he proved so eminent and constant in the ways of God was this He began while he was young to seek after the Lord as is expressed in the following verse For in the eighth year of his Reign while he was yet young he began to seek after the God of David his Father Obadiah who feared the Lord from his youth 1 Kin. 18.12 I thy Servant fear the Lord from my youth attained unto a great measure of the fear of God verse 3. Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly He kept his Integrity though he lived in Ahabs House who was such a wicked Prince that he did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord. He was a great shelter to the Lords Prophets when they were persecuted and some of them put to death by Jezabel he hid an hundred Prophets in a Cave and maintained them with Bread and VVater verse 4. David began to seek and trust in God while he was young Psal 71.5 Thou art my hope O Lord God thou art my Trust from my youth And we know he proved a man after Gods own heart the instances of his exemplary piety are so many that it would be too long and so well known that it would be needless to mention them SECT 23. How to deal with Servants that hold Erronious Opinions Object 23 SOme of my Servants are tainted with Erronious Principles which I knew not of when I took them into my Family and I look upon it as labour in vain to instruct persons that are infected with Errors Answ I. It
instrumental to their Regeneration Jam. 1.18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of Truth and the rendring of them fruitful in good works Col. 1.6 Which is come unto you as it is in all the world and bringeth forth fruit as it doth also in you since the day that ye heard of it and knew the grace of God in truth And be a means of saving their Souls for it is by the knowledge and belief of the Truth that we are brought to salvation 2 Thes 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth It is said Prov. 14.25 A true witness delivereth Souls By a true Witness we may understand one that instructeth those that are under his Charge in the knowledge of the Truth The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render a Witness is sometimes used as Kircher observes pro predicatore for a Teacher and we find the word Witness used in this signification Act. 26.16 To make thee a Minister and a Witness And then the words may have this sence That teaching and instructing persons in the knowledge of the Truth is a means to deliver their Souls from eternal destruction III. Teach them Soul-saving Truths By Soul-saving Truths I mean such Truths as will be a certain and infallible means of saving your Children and Servants Souls if they be rightly understood firmly believed and sincerely practised If you ask What are those Truths which will be a means of saving our Children and Servants Souls if we teach them to our Families I answer Such as these 1. Teach them to know GOD and his Son JESUS CHRIST by so doing you shall guide them into the path of Life For John 17.3 This is life eternal That they may know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent 2. Teach them their lost and miserable condition by Nature their need of and their misery without Jesus Christ and the way and means by which they may come to be partakers of Christ For if you can draw them to Christ they shall not miss of eternal Life 1 John 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life 3. Explain to them the Covenant of Grace what great Mercies and Blessings are contained in the Covenant that their Souls may long to be brought under the Bond of the Covenant shew them also how and by what means they may get into Covenant with God for if you can bring them to lay hold upon the Covenant of Grace you shall make them Partakers of Salvation for eternal Life and Salvation is promised to such as are in Covenant with God 2 Sam. 23.5 He hath made with me an everlasting Covenant and this is all my Salvation 4. Shew them the nature necessity and excellency of faith in Christ and labour to bring them to believe in Jesus Christ If they be brought to believe in Christ they shall certainly have everlasting Life John 6.47 Verily verily I say unto you He that believeth on me hath everlasting Life 5. Teach them the nature and necessity of Repentance and press home upon them such Scriptures as may stir them up to the practice and exercise of Repentance if you can by any means bring them to a true and unfeigned Repentance you shall thereby save their Souls Ezek. 33.14 16. Again when I say to the Wicked Thou shalt surely die if he turn from his sin and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live 6. Teach them to serve and obey the Lord Jesus Christ for he will save all those that obey him Heb. 5.9 He became the Author of eternal Salvation to them that obey him 7. Teach them to love God with all their Hearts and Souls and to love Him above all Persons and Things that are in the world Eternal Life is promised to such as love God Jam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of Life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him 8. Teach them to fear and reverence the Lord and that you may breed the fear of the Lord in their Souls acquaint them with the Power Holiness Goodness Justice Omniscience and Omnipresence of God and his other glorious Attributes for the fear of the Lord ariseth from and is produced by the knowledge of God Job 37.23 24. Prov. 2.5 and put them in mind of Gods Covenant wherein the Lord hath promised to put his fear into our hearts Jer. 32.40 If you can bring your Families to fear the Lord you shall save their Souls Prov. 19.23 The fear of the Lord tendeth to life Psal 145.19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their Cry and will save them 9. Teach them to hope in God for all those good things which are promised in the Covenant of Grace and to keep up their hope in God under all their troubles and temptations by hoping in God they shall obtain the salvation of their Souls Rom. 8.24 We are saved by hope 10. Teach them the nature of Prayer to whom they must pray and for what and how they must pray if they would find acceptance with God The Lord Jesus taught his Disciples how to pray and John the Baptist did the like to his Disciples Luke 11.1 One of his Disciples said unto him Lord teach us to pray as John also taught his Disciples By teaching your Families to call upon God in an acceptable manner you shall promote their salvation For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10.13 11. Teach them to be sincere and to walk uprightly with God for if they walk uprightly they shall be saved Prov. 28.18 Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved 12. Teach them to wait upon God in all his Ordinances and to wait for the accomplishment of all his Promises They that wait on the Lord are under a promise of Salvation Prov. 20.22 Wait on the Lord and he shall save thee 13. Teach them the way to obtain the Remission of their sins for if they obtain the pardon of their sins they shall be in a blessed condition Rom. 4.7 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven And shall obtain everlasting life Rom. 8.30 Whom he justified them he also glorified 14. Teach them to avoid evil company and to walk and converse with such as fear God that may prove a means of their salvation Prov. 9.6 Forsake the foolish and live and go in the way of understanding Prov. 15.20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise 15. Exhort them to persevere in the faith of Christ and to continue in their obedience of his Commandments as long as they live for in so doing they shall assuredly obtain everlasting life Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithful unto the death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Matth. 24.13 He that shall endure to the end the same
not answer our Prayers for our Children whilst we live yet he may answer those Prayers after we are dead which we did offer up to him whilst we lived with them Our Lord JESUS CHRIST prayed for the Jews that were so vile and wicked as to put him to death Luke 23.34 Then said Jesus Father forgive them for they know not what they do And as an answer of Christs Prayer thousands of those Jews that were not wrought upon either by Christs Doctrine or Miracles or Godly Life but continued in an impenitent condition till after his death yea were so hardened as to have an hand in the crucifying of the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of Life and Glory were notwithstanding converted by the preaching of the Apostle Peter Acts 2 23.37 41. Suppose neither your Instructions nor godly Example nor Prayers should prevail for the conversion of your Children whilst you live but they should be vile and stubborn and disobedient to God and to you unto your dying day yet cease not praying for them It may be the Lord will answer your prayers by making use of others to convert them when you are laid in your Graves 4. We should sin against God if we should cease praying for our Children because we see no effect of our Prayers but do behold much stubborness and perversness in them The people of Israel were a perverse people Samuel saw little fruit of his Instructions or Prayers on their behalf they were set upon their own way and he could not disswade them from desiring a change of Government although therein they did not only reject Samuel but God himself from raigning over them 1 Sam. 8.5 6 7 8. yet he would not cease from praying for them lest he should sin against the Lord 1 Sam. 12.23 Moreover as for me God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you If Samuel was afraid to cease praying for a stubborn perverse people lest he should sin against the Lord ought not Parents to continue praying for their graceless and disobedient Children for fear if they should cease to pray for them they also should sin against the Lord 5. If you have prayed for your Childrens Conversion and cannot prevail joyn fasting with prayer Sometimes mercies cannot be obtained from God unless we fast as well as pray Mark 9.29 This kind can come forth by nothing but by Prayer and Fasting If we have a Child that is sick unto death we do not stick at seeking God by Fasting and Prayer for its Recovery 2 Sam. 12.15 16. The Lord struck the Child that Vriah's wife bare unto David and it was very sick David therefore besought God for the Child and David fasted And shall we not much more seek to God by fasting and prayer to recover our Children and Servants from the power of sin and Satan and to deliver them from everlasting Burnings This duty of Fasting rightly performed is of great use both for the obtaining direction from God in the management of our undertakings Ezra 8.21 23. I proclaimed a Fast that we might afflict our selves before our God to seek of him a right way for us and for our little ones and for our substance so we fasted and besought our God for this and he was intreated of us And also for procuring of success in what we take in hand as we may see in the case of Esther Nehemiah and several others who setting upon their undertakings with fasting and prayer prosperously effected what they took in hand though their work was very great and attended with very great difficulties God seldom lets any Fast that is performed in a right manner go without a remarkable Reward Matth. 6.17 18. And therefore it will be very much for our own and our Families advantage to set apart some days of humiliation with our Families to seek God by fasting and prayer to bless and succeed us in this Work of Family-Instruction SECT 20. The usefulness of Faith in reference to Family-Instruction Several sorts of Promises relating to our Families The Case of such as are discouraged from acting Faith upon the Promises because they see no Fruit of their Faith or Labours Direct 20 ACT your Faith upon God for the Conversion and Salvation of such as are under your charge Trust in him by vertue of his Promises to bless and prosper your Labours in teaching your Families We read of Isaac that he blessed his Children in faith Heb. 11.20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come As Isaac blessed his Children in faith so should we instruct our Children in faith believing that God will bless our Instructions for the doing their souls good To do our work in faith believing in God and resting upon God for his blessing is the way to prosper in what we do 2 Chron. 20.20 Believe in the Lord your God so shall you be established believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper By believing in the Lord we may obtain salvation for our Houshold as well as for our own Souls Acts 16.31 Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy House Which is not to be understood as though the Governours faith would avail for the salvation of such of his House as live and die in an unregenerate condition but that upon his believing and using of the means of Grace in faith he shall obtain conversion and so consequently salvation for his Houshold Wherefore seeing Faith is of such prevalencie with God as to obtain converting Grace and Salvation for our Families I shall put you in mind of several sorts of Promises which may encourage and help you to trust in God for Family-Mercies and Family-Blessings and that not only Temporal but Spiritual and Eternal Blessings As for instance 1. God hath promised not only to be a God to his People but also the God of their Families Jer. 31.1 At the same time saith the Lord will I be the God of all the Families of Israel and they shall be my People 2. The Lord hath promised to bless the several Members of his Peoples Families as the Wife the Children the Servants He hath promised to bless the Wife and to make her as a fruitful Vine Psal 128.1 2 3. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord that walketh in his ways for thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee Thy Wife shall be as a fruitful Vine by the sides of thine House Now that we may understand what is couched under this phrase Thy Wife shall be as a fruitful Vine Let us consider what the Scripture saith of the Vine in other places The Vine brings forth Wine which cheareth God and men Judg. 9.13 It casteth forth a pleasant delightful smell Cant. 2.13 To dwell under a Vine implies safety and confidence 1 King 4.25 Also a dwelling in peace without Wars Jars and Contentions Mich. 4.34 The Vine hath no
a thousand times more value than many Sparrows And seeing it is God hath done it how grievous and bitter soever it be unto your Souls you must bear it with patience Psal 39.9 10. I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou diddest it And this was no small stroke under which David was dumb because the Lord gave him the blow but it was so great as that he was even consumed with it as the next words shew Remove thy stroke away from me I am consumed by the blow of thine hand By his being consumed we may understand the greatness of his grief as Psal 31.9 Mine eye is consumed with grief yea my soul and my belly yet under this great stroke which consumed his Soul and his Body with grief he was dumb and opened not his mouth because God did it Whatsoever cometh from the hands of God must be born with silence and submission to his will although it be so sharp and bitter as that it will make us go mourning as long as vve live Isa 38.15 What shall I say He hath spoken unto me and himself hath done it I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my Soul And as vve must be patient under all our griefs so we must contentedly bear vvhatever grievous things befal our children Jer. 10.19 20. Wo is me for my hurt my wound is grievous but I said Truly this is a grief and I must bear it My Children are gone forth of me and are not II. God is righteous in vvhat he hath done to your Children although he hath cast them into eternal torments If you think it not consistent with Righteousness and Equity to punish the sins of a few years vvith endless and eternal torments consider 1. That the Scriptures assure us that the Lord is righteous in all his vvays Psal 145.18 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works And if the Lord be righteous in all his ways then also in this vvay of his Providence vvhen he condemneth vvicked men to eternal torments for the sins they committed in that short space of time they lived in the vvorld Yea more particularly vve find the Scriptures ascribing Righteousness to God in this very case vvhen he punisheth ungodly persons vvith everlasting torments 2 Thes 1.6 9. It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2. The Angels are more glorious Creatures than the Souls of Men yet vvhen they sinned against God the Lord did not spare them but for their first sin cast them down into hell 2 Pet. 1.4 God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to hell and delivered them into Chains of Darkness to be reserved unto Judgment And that they shall be punished in Hell vvith everlasting torments is evident from Matth. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And this he did vvithout affording them any means of their recovery from their sin and misery vvhich vvas granted to fallen man Heb. 2.16 For verily he took not on him the Nature of Angels but he took on him the Seed of Abraham Now seeing God cast those glorious Creatures the Angels into eternal torments for their first transgression and did not spare them one day or afford them any means of recovery after their fall shall vve think that God deals hardly vvith the Sons of men in condemning them to eternal torments vvhenas he afforded them means of grace and salvation and gave them a long time and space for their Repentance vvaiting day after day and year after year for their returning to him Is not this far greater mercy and less severity then vvas shewn to the fallen Angels 3. Sin is committed against an eternal God against an infinitely holy great and glorious GOD and therefore deserveth an infinite and eternal punishment We do not understand or at least vve do not consider what an odious thing Sin is and what a great God the Lord is and vvhat an infinite distance there is between the great and holy God and a poor sinful man vvhen vve think that the Lord deals hardly vvith sinners in punishing their sins vvith eternal torments What an hainous crime is it for man who is but a poor vvorm made of dust and ashes to affront despise and rebel against the great GOD of Heaven and Earth vvho gave him his Being and loadeth him vvith his Benefits every day To tread the Laws of God under his feet and to cast his vvord behind his back to slight all his Promises and Threatnings to contemn all his offers of Grace and Mercy and though he wait with much patience and long-suffering many days and years for his Repentance to refuse to return and obey the Voice of his Creator Doth not such a despising of the Eternal Immortal Ever-Blessed God deserve to be punished with eternal Torments 4. It is accounted no injustice among men to inflict a punishment of long continuance for a crime that was committed in a very short time If Murder Adultery Treason or some other capital Offence which was committed in the space of a few minutes be punished with perpetual imprisonment or perpetual banishment no man counts it injustice or thinks the Offender is hardly dealt with because he is so long punish'd for an offence committed in so short a time Why then should any man think that the Righteous God dealeth hardly or unjustly in punishing sinners with perpetual torments for the sins they committed those few years they lived in the world 5. It was their own choice to embrace eternal death God set before them Life and Death He told them if they did evil they should die eternally but if they would repent and do that which is good in his sight they should have everlasting life and he called upon them earnestly to chuse Life rather than Death Deut. 30.15 19. See I have set before you this day life and good death and evil Therefore chuse life He offered them Life in his Son and they would not go unto him for it John 5.40 And ye will not come to Me that ye might have life He protested solemnly to them that he was loth they should die and therefore pleaded with them Why will ye die Ezek. 33.11 Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye die O House of Israel And therefore they must blame themselves not the Lord for their being cast into eternal Torments 6. Had they been permitted to have lived for ever upon the face of the Earth they would have sinned for ever The heart of the Sons of men is fully set in them to do evil
convert your Children yet your work shall have a glorious reward from God Isa 49.4 5. He smelleth a sweet savour in your labours and accepteth graciously both your person and your work although your Children perished under those instructions which you gave them out of the Word of God 2 Cor. 2.15 III. Your Prayers are not lost although they did not prevail for the conversion and salvation of your Childrens souls for they shall be returned into your own bosom When God doth not answer those Prayers we make for others by giving them the blessings we beg on their account he answers them by returning some blessing upon our own souls Psal 35.13 But as for me when they were sick my cloathing was Sack-cloath I humbled my soul with fasting and my Prayer returned into my own bosom SECT 6. How God is faithful to his Promise I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed and yet condemneth the wicked Children of godly Parents Plea 5 I Am much troubled to reconcile Gods providence in casting away my seed with his promise where he hath said I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed Sometimes I am ready to question Gods faithfulness sometimes I am ready to think that I my self am not in Covenant with God Answ I. In all such cases where you are not able to reconcile Gods Providences with his Promises you must stedfastly believe that God is faithful and righteous although you cannot apprehend how such or such a Providence should be consistent with his faithfulness or with his righteousness Thus Jeremiah did firmly believe that God was righteous although he stumbled much at the prosperity of wicked men Jer. 12.1 Righteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously The Psalmist met with some Providences that seemed cross to Gods faithfulness Psal 77.8 Doth his Promise fail for overmore Psal 89.39 49. Thou hast made void the Covenant of thy Servant Lord where are thy former loving kindnesses which thou swearest unto David in thy truth Yet he did believe every word of God to be true Psal 119.138 160. Thy Testimones that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful Thy Word is true from the beginning and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever And there is good reason we should do thus because we poor finite Creatures are not able to comprehend the works of the infinite and incomprehensible God Divers of his Works as well as his Essence are incomprehensible Job 37.5 God thundreth marvelously with his voice great things doth he which we cannot comprehend II. It is good for you to view once and again the grounds upon which you conclude God hath taken your souls into his Covenant because it is a business of great moment wherein you cannot make too sure work and the heart of man is full of deceit yet withal know this that it is not a sufficient cause for you to conclude That God is not your God and hath not taken you into this Covenant because you have had Children that died in their sins for Isaac was in Covenant with God Lev. 26.42 Then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob and also my Covenant with Isaac And yet Esau Isaacs Son lived and died a prophane man Heb. 12.16 17. Lest there be any Fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birth-right for ye know how that afterward when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected and found no place for repentance though he sought it carefully with tears III. God fulfils his Promise in being the God of your Seed if he take any of your Seed into Covenant with himself although he should not bestow his grace upon all of them IV. If we should interpret that Promise made to Abraham I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed by Gal. 3.16 29. And understand by the Seed of Abraham to which God promiseth to be a God 1. Jesus Christ Now to Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made he saith not unto seeds as of many but as of one and to thy Seed which is Christ 2. Such as are Christs being given to him by the Father and are in due time all drawn to him If ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams Seed and heirs according to Promise This will take off the difficulty mentioned in the Plea about reconciling Gods Providence in casting off your Seed with his Promise where he saith I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed For God never casts off any of that Seed which he hath given to his Son John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Ver. 39. And this is the Fathers will which sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day John 17.2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him V. If we understand that Promise I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed of Abrahams and every godly mans natural Seed and interpret the Promise conditionally provided that thy Seed walk in the steps of thy Faith Rom. 4.12 and walk before me with perfect and upright hearts as I required thee to do when I promised to make my Covenant between me and thee Gen. 17.1 2. This also will reconcile Gods Providence with his Promise and vindicate his faithfulness in condemning the Children of godly Parents who live and die in their sins For it is their unfaithfulness in not fulfilling the Conditions of the Promise that was the cause of their condemnation Had they followed their Parents Faith and godly Coversations God would have been their God as well as the God of their Parents and have given them the same blessings he gave their Parents David was a man in Covenant with God 2 Sam. 23.15 Now these be the last words of David he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant yet he did not expect his seed should be saved if they lived and died in their sins No he told his Son Solomon plainly before his death that if he expected the blessings of the Covenant he must seek and serve God with a perfect heart but if he forsook God though he were Davids Son God would cast him off for ever 1 Chron. 28.29 And thou Solomon my Son know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts if thou seek him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for ever FINIS