no care in the education and bringing up of your children in the knowledge of the waies oâ— God ye have much to answer for at the Tribunal seat of Christ that having conveyed poyson into your children at their birth you seek not after the antidote to prevent their eternal ruine wil you be instruments to wound their souls and never seek after a Chyrurgeon to heal them shall you be the cause of giving a deadly potion that will work their undoing and never have recourse to the Physician in their behalfe to cure them Oh here 's a cursed neglect Be abashed therefore in the thoughts of this and lâ—â— not your soules be so secure as to endanger your own eternal welfare by neglecting the dutie in preventing your childrens woe but be humbled for them your selves being the cause of their inbred maladie which by you were conveyed unto them Use 3d. Exhort to stir up parents to do their utmost to work grace in their children and so to cure that deadly poyson and infection that they have conveyed into them Now for the better enforcing so necessary a dutie I will set down 1. Certain motives that may provoke them to this care 2. Discover the means that they must use to this purpose Mot. 1. Because of that natural affection that we bear to our children whereby we are moved to love them hence bowels of pitty and compassion appears towards them when we see them in any miserie And therefore the Lord hath been pleased to set forth his mercy and compassion towards his children by the compassion of a Mother Isa 4.15 Can a Mother forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb And by the compassion of a Father Psalm 103.13 Like as a Father pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that fear him He is worse then a beast that pittieth not his children and grieves not to see them in miserie Lam. 4.2 Even the Sea-monsters draw out the breast they give suck to their young ones Yea where there is not natural affection there the very light of nature is extinguished and such in the just judgment of God are given up unto a reprobate mind Rom. 1.31 Now what love can we bear to our children if we have no care of their souls the nature of Christianity is to seek the good 〈◊〉 their souls whom we love as Abraham expressed his love to Ishmael Gen. 17.18 O that Ishmael might live in thy sight which should be the desire of all godly parents Oh that my children might live in thy sight that they might fear thee and know thee and learn truly to serve thee this is the greatest portion that can be given them the largest possessions we can desire to leave them as that they may live in the sight of God For godlinesse is the greatest gain and hath the promises of this life and of a better 1 Tim. 4.8 Strive then to make your children godly and let the bent of your affections towards them lie that way and if they become once sincerely to love God then â—â—ve you shewed natural affection in the highest degree towards them which at the last will bring not only grace to them but glory for ever to your selves 2d Mot. Because the rule of justice requires that we should make them amends for the wrong we have done them if we injure any man in body goods or good name we are bound in conscience to make him satisfaction See the equitie of Gods Law in this point Exod. 21.19 He that smote him shal pay for the loss of his time and shal cause him to be thoroughly healed how much more are we to be careful to cure the inbred maladie of our children and to heal that filthy dissease which from our selves have been conveighed unto them Shal we be the causes of their miserie and not use our best endeavours to cure them It is through us that they become odious assoon as they are born in the sight of God and shal not we seek to make them amiable and lovely in his presence shall we be the progenitors of their evil and not the promoters of their good Oh far be it from us to be so forgetful of our own dutie and so neglectful in not using all means for their good This was that which good Hezekiah meant in his prayer Isa 38.18 19. The grave cannot praise thee death cannot celebrate thee the living shal praise thee and who among the living the Father to the children shal make known thy truth Hence is that of the Apostle Epb. 6.9 Ye fathers bring up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And so 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 unto their Children Let all parents therefore think of this seriously and consider that it will be a most heavy reckoning one day they must give for the neglect of their childrens souls those especially that instead of reforming them do tolerate them in most sinful courses as in lying swearing Sabbath-breaking and the like these are far from Abraham's practise Gen. 18.19 and Josuah's resolution Jos 24.15 that instructed their families and brought their children to fear the Lord. Consider then this motive you that desire to serve the Lord remember it is but justice to seek after all means to doe your children good you have wrong'd them greatly â—ow recompence that wrong you have done them by seasoning their tender years with the knowledge of Jesus Christ 3d. Because the propagation of Religion dependeth principally in the education of our children To this purpose you have a notable example of this care in the two Tribes and the half that had their possessions given them beyond Jordan Iosuah 2.24 25. we have done it set up this Altar for fear of this thing saying In time to come your Children might speak to our Children saying what have you to do with the Lord God of Israel so shall your Children make our Children cease from fearing the Lord. Concerning which you must understand that there is no man doth so much desire to have a posterity and to provide for posterity as the Lord doth And surely the meanes whereby the Lord may have a posterity raysed and preserved is to derive Religion unto them when Parents are not onely Religious themselves but be careful to provide that their Children may be so also This is that Seminary of Gods Church Here was the cause of that Commandment Deut. 4.9 Take heed to thy self and keep thy soul diligently lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thy heart all the daies of thy life but teach them thy son and thy sons sons This is made by the Prophet Malachi 2.15 to have been the cause why the Lord at the first institution of marriage appointted but one woman for one man and did so
restrain promiscuous lust that he might seek a seed of God that is that he might provide for the continuance of his Church And that is one principall end Psal 22.29 30. in converting of us Gentiles unto the Gospell and men of all sorts amongst us poor and rich that our seed might serve him and might be accounted unto the Lord for a generation that God might have a posterity and a people to serve him when wee are gone How should then this encourage us in the education of our children seeing the propagation of Religion doth thus greatly depend upon it How should wee seek to train them up in the fear of God and so season their tender years with the knowledge of Christ that they may be instruments to glorifie the God of their Fathers and to continue faithfull in their service to him all the daies of their life If Parents were but carefull in this then should they find that of the wise man to prove true Prov. 17.6 That their Childrens Children would be a crown of old age and be an enlargement of the greatest comforts unto their souls whereas on the contrary if Parents be neglective in this it will adde to the store of their confusion 4. Because of that heavie charge God hath given Parents concerning their children For this they must know that their children are not their own but the Lords Hence Ezek. 16.20 The Lord saies thy sons and thy daughters whom thou hast born unto me thou hast taken and sacrificed And as we have begotten and born them for him so hath he charged us to educate and bring them up for him And that with such a charge as the Prophet telleth Ahab in a parable that he had received for the keeping of a man committed to his trust in the battell 1 King 20.39 If by any means he be missing thy life shall be for his life If the childs soul perish through the Parents default whom God put in trust to keep and look to it the Parents soul must die for it For this is the righteous sentence of God against them whom he hath charged with the soules of others Ezek. 3.18 He shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thy hand but some will here say this charge concernes the Ministers not the Parents I answer that every Parent is as deeply charged by God with the souls of his children as any Pastor with the soules of his flock and more deeply too Exod. 13.8 Thou shalt shew thy son the meaning the end and use of the Sacrament of the passover and Deut. 6 6 7. These words which I command thee this day thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children which place discovers expresly the care that Parents should have towards their childrens soules that they might not be carelesse in their duty in their behalf to instruct and teach their children according to the command of God Oh the shamefull neglect that Parents herein are guilty of how do they suffer their children to run into all manner of wickednesse and never seek to restrain or reform them in the least measure Surely the doom will lie heavie one day on their soules for this horrible neglect of their duty in failing to instruct their Children Oh consider this betimes all you that God hath given the blessings of Children unto remember that those sweet babes are but lent to you from God that you might bring them up in his fear that they may become babes of grace and let it be your endeavours so to instruct them as that God may have the glory and your souls reap the comfort in thus discharging your duty And for further direction let us be carefull to use these means which will further us in the discharge of our duty towards curing that inbred maladie which is conveyed from our selves to our children 1. Let us seek to instruct them in the fear of God this God hath appointed to prepare their hearts and make them more capable of Grace Hence Prov. 4.3 4. Solomon saith when he was young and tender his Father taught him yea and his Mother too Prov. 31.1 yea hee oft putteth Gods people in mind not onely of the instruction and charge they receive from their Fathers but also of the Law and Doctrine of their Mothers Prov. 19.6.26 which sheweth plainly it was the practise of the Church of God then that even Mothers were teachers of their Children Hence that direction comes seasonable to Parents Prov. 22 6. Train up a child in his way saies Solomon that is that way that is fit for him according to his capacity as hee is able to receive it by little at once as pouring out liquor into narrow mouth'd bottles to move beyond the sphere of their activity is to prejudice their capacity and therefore we must be tender of their condition lest we hinder their reception of instruction Young children are like the twiggs of trees which being young wil bend to our minds but if much bowed will break in pieeces So if we do not much oppresse the memory of children they will bee ready to receive the instructions we give them but if herein wee burden them they will grow dul and weary in wel doing we must then be careful of the measure of instruction that so giving them according to their capacity they may receive comfort and benefit by it To this end we must acquaint them with the practise of religion as reading the Word and Prayer giving of thanks at their meat and singing of Psalmes We shall find Mat. 21.15 That the little children had learned of their parents to sing Hosanna part of the hundred and eighteen Psalm to the praise of Christ yea more then this parents should endeavour to restrain their children from evil and to breed in them a conscience of sin even while they are young to bring them to the publick worship of God and to examine them how they profit under the means of grace to wit how they understand plain what they hear and to make it to them and in thus doing they wil learn in time to know the wil of God and in knowing of it to come to the practise of the same to the glory of God and their own eternal comfort 2. Acquaint them betimes with the knowledge of Gods word for this is life eternal to know Christ as he is revealed in his word It is a true saying which though the expression be homely we have our children as we breed them if we suffer them to lye swear and dishonour God in their Infancy we shal see the fruits of it in riper years but if we season their tender years with the knowledge of God in his word we shal see the comfortable fruits of this in our lives the tender plants are pliable to bend Quo semel est imbutea recens servabit odorem testadiu Habitus difficulter mobiles which once grown trees become inflexible An habit in sin is
hard to be removed which by timely prevention of frequent acts in the practise of holinesse may be hindred It is therefore a seasonable advice given by Solomon Eccles 12.1 Remember thy creator in the daies of thy youth Youth being that spring time wherein should appear the hopeful blossomes of goodnesse if not blasted through the parents neglect for want of timely instruction It 's a rare character which God gives of Abraham Gen. 18.19 and takes notice of him on this score in that he knew he would instruct his children in the fear of his name Happy then are those parents that herein imitate faithful Abraham timely to acquaint their children with the knowledge of God God will own such as he did Abraham and give them the blessings of his right hand with the greatest joy and comfort Hence we may say with David Psal 127.3 Lo children are an heritage of the Lord. And verse 5. Happy is the man that hath his quiver ful of them they shal not be ashamed but they shal speak with their enemies in the gate 3. Cause them to frequent the publick worship of God when you have the spouts of grace powring forth incomparable sweetnesse and comfort on the soules of all such as shall attend and wait upon it We find Exod. 10.9 that Moses told Pharaoh that they must have the little ones with them to solemnize the worship they were to perform to God in the wildernesse It cannot but add much joy to the parents to hear their children sing the song of Sion before they have known the ditties of sin and to speak plainly the language of Canaan before they have been corrupted with the expressions of Ashdod Cause them therefore to frequent the publick worship where the presence of Christ doth most gloriously appear not only in the tender of his grace and mercy for our childrens good but in the choice embracings of their â—â—ligious endeavours who have been educated in the fear of his holy name It is a practise much to be condemned in many parents in that they are carelesse of their childrens good in causing them to frequent the publick worship of God they doe rather tolerate them to stay at home to be nursed in prophanenesse and ignorance then to cause them to frequent the publick worship of God where they may be directed to walk in the comfortable paths of grace and holinesse it is to be feared that such children one day will have cause to curse their parents indulgency yea their very parents for this neglect may expect that those darlings of theirs when they should become their greatest comforts to prove the greatest crosses and grief of heart unto them Be advised then you parents that are herein guilty remember the doctrine you have read that you conveigh nothing but corruption to your children and will you add fuell to the fire be guilty of more injury in keeping your children from the publick worship of God let this be far from you so to doe but rather endeavour as to acquaint them betimes with the knowledge of God so to cause them to frequent his publick worship where they shal find great comfort and sweetnesse administred unto their souls Fourthly Give good exâ—mple to them that by your light they may shine in a continued light of holinesse and pietie This made David Psalm 101.2 resolve to walk in his house with a perfect heart And Job Job 11.14 to say let not wickednesse dwel in thy Tabernacles The loose lives of parents do too often prove much injurious to thâ—ir childrens souls so that we may observe in the childrens practice the fathers guilt of their impietie Hence you have it in the proverb that when the child swears the Chicken crows but as it hears the old Cock and if the father reprove the child is ready to say Medice cura teipsum Father reform thy selfe if thou hadst brought me up better I had learned to be better this is the fruits of a bad example which parents must learn to avoid if they desire either to discharge their own dutie or to save their poor childrens souls Learn then Oh parents to cull out the best examples for your children be ye followers of Christ that they may follow you in the waies of Christ let your light so shine in the presence of God before them that they may see your good works to glorifie their father in heaven Do not with Samson pull down those pillars of goodnesse by your sins that shall not only quash your selfe but be the ruine of your children your facts become examples those examples laws and it is natural for your children to follow the law of fact before the law of faith a visible pattern rather then a meer audible Doctrine 5. Examine your children how they profit by the means of grace this is the means to sharpen and whet them on your children use in this case makes perfect and the more fit for the practise of holinesse A pious education is a great prevention of those gross evils which their natures are prone to commit Examination is the tryal which by grown experience encourages their practise in old age hence are they ready to praise God for the care and zeal their parents had in their education and considering the progresse they have made in the waies of Christ under God they are readie to acknowledge it from their Parents care which must needs cause great comfort to them 6. Lastly be earnest to God by prayer for them Solomons Mother Prov. 31.2 calleth him the Son of her youth She was wont to pray much for him what greater comfort can arise to the child when grown in years then to consider he was the Son of his Parents prayers they begg'd him of God and God gave a returne to their prayers in giving grace unto him There are too many herein faulty in the neglect of their duty both for themselves and their children yea they are so farre from praying for them as that they are too ready upon the least occasion to curse them bitterly What comfort can these expect from the hands of God either for themselves or children but that the Lord might justly plague them in their ofspring in suffering their children to prove the greatest crosses whom otherwise had yielded the greatest comforts Let us then with Hannah pray for our children and with Monica pray for the salvation of them prayer is requisite that we may be new born in grace and that being so born wee may grow in grace Prayer it is the Key to open the gates of Heaven and let grace out and prayer is a lock to fasten our hearts and keep grace in Let all Parents therefore be exhorted to bee earnest to God by prayer for their children So shall they wash away those stains wherewith they have polluted their childrens souls and take away that guilt they have brought upon them by conveying their corruption unto them That whereas by nature they are the children of wrath and heirs of Hell God hearing their prayers in their childrens behalf will make his promise not onely to be their God but the God of their seed in making them the sons of God and children of light to shine as starres in the firmament of glory To which he bring both us and our children for his sake who hath so dearly bought us even Jesus Christ the righteous To whom with the Father and blessed spirit three persons but one God be ascribed all glory and honor now and for ever Amen Imprimatur Edm. Calamy FINIS