of your youth God is much concern'd for young persons the Proverbs of Solomon are written to give to the young man knowledge and discretion Prov. 1.4 and one great use of the word of God is to teach young men to cleanse their way Psal 119.9 Young men and maidens and children are call'd upon to praise the Name of the Lord Psal 148.12 13. We find many mourning with holy Augustine that they loved God so late but none complaining that they loved him too soon as young as you are in heaven and hell it 's better be a young child of God than a young child of the Devil young Saints are the glory of God the fulness and accomplishment of Christ the joy of Angels the security and support of Religion the crown of their Parents and the blessing of their Generation 5. Fill your time with the fruits of the Spirit see that your hearts be fill'd with grace and then your days will be fill'd with fruit be always receiving Christ and resigning your selves to him feel your hearts continually laying hold on eternal life and live as if ye were always running to heaven spend every day so that ye may lye down in peace at night that the Lords-day may be pleasant death gainful and eternity glorious 6. Improve Gods Ordinances of worship feel your vow of Baptism always fresh and strong upon you feel the difference betwixt the Lords-day and other days see that the word Preached be mixt with faith ingrafted in your hearts that it kill your sins and reform your lives pray continually and in that duty see that ye be with the spirits of children with your Father in Heaven let all your affairs pass through praying-hearts and reckon all your own which ye sincerely pray for Sing Psalms as those that make God your song and joy and as if ye were sensible that ye are in the gates of heaven ready to enter therein to joyn with that world of blessed Angels and Saints in admiring and praising God When ye come to the Lords-Supper see all that is presented to you receive all that is offered and do all that is commanded you 7. Be saithful to the Truth and then ye need not be afraid of your selves or of any other this is your greatest safety and ye may then feel the ground firm under you and may say with David Psal 26.12 My foot standeth in an even place and if ye are called to suffer chuse it rather than sin and seeing men cannot kill your souls let not the fear of them make you destroy them your selves 8. Decline evil company do not go with them to Hell who will not go with you to Heaven but if ye are called into such company feel your selves with God whilst ye are with them and carry it as those that are sensible that there is a God in the place exercise those graces which are contrary to and do cendemn their sins be humble with the proud meek with the angry loving with the malicious that they may be reproved by your graces and that ye may not be defiled by their sins 9. Labour to be a blessing to all persons let men see that in you for which they may have cause to love and praise God bear all wrongs but do none do what in you lyes to make all persons holy and joyful but make none sinful angry or sad forgive all but let none have need to forgive you exercise their love but do not by your sins exercise their patience give all cause to bless God for you but give not cause to any to wish they had never known you 10. Dread debts do not unnecessarily bring your selves under the bondage of debtors look upon it as more just and honourable to beg than to borrow if ye are not likely to pay except in that case ye plainly acquaint the lender with your condition that he may know what adventure he makes and when ye are able pay seasonably fully and thankfully I would have none to lend to any children of mine without first advising with me except they be in a hopeful way of trade and my advice to such of you is that you be afraid of being too much trusted for it 's often seen that they who go to the length of their credit are injurious to others and prove bankrupts themselves 11. Abhor Lying This is a sin which is an abomination to the Lord whom ye should always please it 's contrary to the Divine Nature which is in every one that is born of God Ephes 4.24 It 's an abuse of your tongues which should be your glory for the use of your tongues is to express your minds but in a lye your minds and thoughts do contradict your words it 's a wrong to others whom ye would have believe you when ye do not believe your selves it makes you unfit for humane society for who will converse with those whom they cannot believe ye hereby rot your names for a lyar is one of the worst characters of the devil of hell ye destroy your bodies and souls for ever for all lyars shall have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone which is the second death 12. Do not dare to steal take nothing from any person but what ye can say ye received it from the hand of God and can praise him for it and can comfortably beg his blessing upon it kill those lusts which ye would feed with the fruit of other mens labours consider that when ye are tempted to this sin of theft ye are tempted to bring a curse on your estates and persons to thrust a dagger into your Fathers heart and to hasten your selves to an untimely and shameful death and a tormenting eternity 13. Deride and jeer no persons let your jests be harmless and make not your selves the fools of your company but whilst ye are cheerful as men and women lose not the savour of Christians 14. Haunt not Taverns or Ale-houses c. Go not into such places but when God calls you stay no longer than he will stay with you and do nothing there but what ye shall have cause to bless God for when ye come away 15. Be thankful to them who have shew'd mercy and kindness to me and you pray for them inquire how it is with their posterity and as ye are capable do them good remember Prov. 27.10 Thy own friend and thy fathers friend forsake not 16. Forgive all that have done me wrong and pray to God not to visit it on them or their posterity ye know I have had hard measure from some and I know that I have stood before God to speak good for them and to turn away his wrath from them 17. As for you that are or may be hereafter set up for your selves in a way of trade my counsel to you is this See that your persons be upright with God that ye may have a Scripture-right to the promises of the life that now is and
3. I shall give you several instances for the confirmation of it 1. I shall only give you two main Characters of godly Parents First They are conscienciously careful for their preservation Secondly For the Eternal happiness and salvation of their Children 1. They are conscienciously careful for the preservation of the natural lives of their Children as trees support and feed the branches that grow out of themselves And as it 's natural to the brutes to defend and keep their own young so nature it self teacheth and inclineth Parents to defend and preserve and provide for the fruit of their own bodies and for this end to supply them with food raiment and physick and to fit them for callings and seasonably to provide for them meet yokefellows and every way to take care that they neither perish or be made miserable but godly Parents in whom natural affections are sanctified and improved by Grace do all these out of a principle of Godliness as persons who have to do with God herein they do it in a sense of their dependance on God and pray for daily bread to feed their Children and are thankful when they feel it come warm from their Father in Heaven they do it in obedience and faithfulness to God and with a design that their Children may live to be born of God and to be a blessing to this world and be blessed in the other world As for those unnatural monsters who feed their lusts with that which should maintain their Children they are so far from being Godly Parents that they are worse than Infidels in not providing for their Families and are like the Devil who as I said is a Murderer of his own Children 2. They are conscienciously careful for the Eternal happiness and salvation of their Children for their natural affections being now sanctified do work in them for the spiritual good and happiness of their Children Prov. 4.3 4 5. I was my fathers son tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother Solomon was his fathers and mothers darling their love did run out exceedingly upon this son and he tells us which way their love and kindness was express'd he taught me also and said unto me Get wisdom get understanding He tells us also how the affections of his good mother did work Prov. 31.2 3. What my son and what the son of my womb and what the son of my vows The son of her womb was the son of her vows whom she had devoted to God those Parents who have known both states the state of Wrath and the state of Grace and have experimentally felt what it is to pass from death to life and from the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of God cannot but desire that the same change be wrought upon their children And as they who love themselves with a holy love do take God for their eternal life and happiness and Christ for their Redeemer to redeem them from all evil and to bring them to this happiness and the Spirit for their Sanctifier to fit them for this happiness So they that love their children with this holy Love will desire and endeavour that they be partakers with them of the same happiness 2. I proceed to give you three Characters of ungodly Children 1. They are such Children as will not be subject to the authority of their Parents The reverence of Children to their Parents is so incorporated into the whole body of Religion that all Religion is in vain without it this fully appears Levit. 19.3 Ye shall fear every man his mother and his father and keep my sabbaths I am the Lord your God Observe this duty is here joyn'd with keeping the Lords Sabbaths wherein Religion did always very much consist but it 's often seen that disobedient children are great prophaners of the Lords-day they are always bad but usually worst on that day and some of them may remember that their first breaking out into scandalous sins was on the Lords-day We are here further taught That this duty of Reverence to Parents is joyn'd with all Religion to God for saith God in effect it 's in vain for any to pretend to call me their Lord and their God if they do not fear their Parents and theresore wicked children are numbred among the most flagitious and worst sinners Ezek. 22.7 In thee have they set light by father and mother they villified and despised them and made nothing of them such break all the bonds of Religion and many hasten through a shameful and untimely death into a dreadful and tormenting eternity whose wickedness first began in scorning and despising their Parents 2. They are such children as will not obey the Commands of their Parents The godly Commands of Parents are the means which God hath appointed and doth often bless to make the children godly Gen. 18.19 I know Abraham that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment and God commands all children to obey all the holy and lawful commands of their parents Ephes 6.1 Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right It 's the parents right that their children should obey them and it 's Gods right that they should obey them in the Lord and this saith the Apostle Col. 3.21 is well-pleasing to the Lord so that those children do neither fear provoking God nor care to please him who will not obey their parents and so are children of their parents sorrow and of Gods wrath 3. They are such children as are unthankful to their parents the Apostle tells us 1 Tim. 5.4 That it is good and acceptable before God for children to requite their parents and they have great things for which they should labour to requite their godly parents viz. for all their care and cost and pains to keep them alive and for all their diligence and faithfulness in endeavouring to make them blessed and all the requital which the poor parents desire is that their children would but love and obey God and not damn themselves but these ungodly children are so far from requiting them that like so many Dogs and Lyons they tear in pieces the hearts and bowels of their tender parents 3. I now come to confirm this That it 's ordinary for godly parents to have ungodly children and for this end I shall first give you some instances recorded in Scripture 2dly I shall instance in several cases wherein this is verified 1. I shall only give you four instances recorded in Scripture for the confirmation hereof 1. Instance is in Adam and Eve these were both godly parents and therefore in that first Evangelical promise Gen. 3.15 we have notice of the two great parties in the world the one was the Woman and her seed and the other the Serpent and his seed and of the enmity betwixt them and though there is only mention made of the woman yet the man
godly Ministers in all ages have groan'd under this sad calamity Eli was a holy Priest of God but his two sons were Devils incarnate monsters of men scandalous sacrilegious and adulterous sons of Belial as appears 1 Sam. 2. And this is no rare thing that the Prayers Studies Sermons Examples of many good Ministers are often made successful to bring others to Heaven when they can by no means restrain their own children from running to Hell and their own children make them do the work of their Ministry with grief when often the children of drunkards worldlings and whoremongers will be their crown and glory in the day of the Lord Jesus 3. This is often true when both parents are godly indeed when either father or mother is wicked no marvel if the children be hardned in their sins by their examples but it 's usually seen that when children have both the instruction of the father and also the law of the mother and when they cry to all the Ministers and Christians about them to help them by their prayers and counsels to save their children yet all prevail not but the holy father and mother can scarce keep one anothers hearts from being broken by their stubborn and disobedient children 4. The children of godly parents often prove wicked when God doth sanctifie and bless and save the children of ungodly parents we see sometimes trees of righteousness growing in the families of the wicked when briars and thorns grow up in the families of the righteous We read Matth. 1. that Ahaz a very wicked king begat holy Hezekiah and good Hezekiah begat Manasseh who was an Idolater of the highest rate a Witch and such a bloody murderer that the Chronicle of his reign tells us 2 Kings 21.16 He shed innocent blood very much till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to the other though afterwards he is set forth to be the greatest pattern of the grace of God in the Old Testament as Paul is in the New Testament It is no new sight to see children of the best Saints in the way to Hell and children of Atheists and Persecutors in the way to Heaven Nay though some parents do persecute their own children for loving and fearing God yet they cannot debauch them when all endeavours of godly parents will not prevail to make their children hate sin and love God and this is one of the saddest instances of that great mystery of Providence mentioned Eccles 8.14 There he just men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked again there be wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous 2. Head It is a very great calamity to godly parents to have wicked and ungodly children A foolish son saith the text is a grief to his father and bitterness to her that bare him To the same purpose is that Prov. 17.21 He that begetteth a fool doth it to his sorrow and the father of a fool hath no joy a foolish son damps all his joy and Prov. 19.13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father I shall set forth the greatness of this trouble by these Eight particulars 1. By the matter of these parents grief 2. By the passions that this calamity doth move and affect 3. By comparing this with other afflictions and shewing how this exceeds them 4. By shewing that this makes these parents do all their work with grief and sorrow 5. By shewing that this embitters all their other comforts 6. By the sad concommitants of it 7. By the several aggravations of it 8. By instancing in some cases wherein this calamity is more grievous First The matter of these parents grief is very sad as appears in these seven things 1. That their children are so defiled and debauched with sin which is so loathsome to these holy parents it vexed the righteous soul of Lot to see and hear the filthy conversation of the beastly Sodomites how grievous then must it be to these godly parents to see and hear the filthiness of their own dear children it is a grievous thing to a man that loves God and Godliness and Souls to see a drunkard staggering in the streets or to hear any man blaspheming and reproaching his Maker and Redeemer but none can tell but those that feel it what a sad spectacle it is to sober and godly parents to see their own children drunk or how it torments them to hear their own children lying and blaspheming God and his Saints 2. That their children are the children of the Devil and under the power of Satan and ridden by him and carried captive by him at his will it was a lamentable case of that good Mother who came to Christ saying Matth. 15.22 Have mercy upon me O Lord thou son of David my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil yet this was not her daughters sin but only her great affliction but how doleful is it to these parents who have renounced the devil themselves and live in continual warfare with him to see the hearts and mouths and lives of the children whom they have devoted to God fill'd and possess'd with the devil whose children they are and whose lusts they will do if the devil tempt the parents their own graces will resist and overcome his temptations but they cannot secure their children from being overcome and from falling into the condemnation of the devil but with sad hearts do see the Lyon of Hell running away with the lambs of their flock and cannot recover them 3. That their children are under the wrath and curse of God it did sadly affect the father of that lunatick son mentioned Matth. 17.15 to see his son fall oft into the fire and oft into the water How would he screech at such a sight and cry Ah my dear child will be burnt my child will be drown'd but much more terrible is it to these parents who know the terrors of the Lord to know that their children have cut off the entail of the Covenant of Grace and are every moment ready to fall into the hands of the living God! when such parents are with faith reading the curses of Gods Law how doth it cut them to the heart to think that they are then reading their childrens doom 4. That their children are under those black characters which are given in Scripture to ungodly men for the faith of these parents makes all persons have that name in their hearts which they have in the Word And as God is no respecter of persons so Faith so far as it prevails respecteth not the persons of any no not of a mans own children but because they are more under their notice and observation than others and because they are more concern'd for them therefore the deeper impressions do these characters make on their hearts so that this is the misery of these parents that whilest they look on persons through the glass of the Scriptures and see many to be the
was said before they cannot be so much the joy and delight of one another but when they lye down this makes them water their bed with tears and they awake with sorrow with a wicked child on their hearts 2. They cannot take so much comfort as they would in the other children that are godly not that they love them less but rather more but their joy in them is much interrupted hereby Suppose among many children there be but one ungodly child that one is a disturbance and annoyance to the whole family that one sinner as Solomon speaks in a more general case destroys much good it grieves them to think that whereas that one child was in the same Covenant and had the same dedication to God by Baptism and the same affection and education from the parents with all the other children yet the rest are vessels of mercy but this seems to be a vessel of wrath 3. They cannot take so much comfort in the victory over their own sins when they see the same corruptions which are abhorred and mortified and forsaken by the parents breaking out and reigning in the children 4. This interrupts their joy in God and Jesus Christ when such parents must with the same faith believe Gods wrath to their children as they believe his love to themselves and when they look upon God as their Father they must look upon him as an enemy to their Children and when they say We hope Heaven is our portion and place it must grieve them that their children will not go with them thither Sixthly The greatness of this affliction appears further by the concommitants of it I shall only instance in three things that usually accompany it which make it more grievous 1. Such children do often impoverish their parents Solomon tells us that a wicked child wasteth his father and chaseth away his mother such children care not if they starve their poor parents so that they can feed their own lusts and it 's often seen that a plentiful estate is consum'd by riotous children 2. Such children do often debauch and corrupt the other children and make their brethren in nature to be their brethren in iniquity and often their brothers and sisters are easier inticed to sin by a wicked brother than drawn to God by a godly father and if any of the other children be godly these wicked ones do hate and revile and persecute them like wicked Cain who slew his brother because his works were righteous 3. They bring reproach upon that good Religion which their good parents profess and practise and thus Eli's sons made men abhor the offerings of the Lord and with some the holy lives of the parents cannot wipe off the reproach which is cast on Religion by the wickedness of their children Seventhly The greatness of this affliction appears by these eight Aggravations of it 1. It aggravates their grief to remember what pleasure and delight these children were to them in their childhood it torments them now to see their sweet and pleasant smiles turn'd into scornful and disdainful looks at their parents and their pretty broken words turn'd into oaths and lies and other rotten speeches and to think that these who once were so forward to clasp about their necks and to kiss them and to run at their commands do now lift up the heel against them 2. It aggravates their sorrow to see themselves so miserably disappointed in their former hopes of these children Hope deferred saith Solomon makes the heart sick but to be cross'd and disappointed in hopes of so great mercy doth even break the heart When these parents remember how pleasant it was to them to hear these children lisp out their Catechisms and to hear their good words of God and Christ it cannot but be very grievous to them that the same children which they did with Hannah lend to the Lord should sell themselves to the devil 3. It aggravates their sorrow that their children are so void of love to their parents and to see that the company of lyars and drunkards and whoremongers and thieves is more delightful to them than the company of their parents 4. It aggravates their sorrow to look upon the holy children of others when they may say Yonder are children that make a glad father and mother when the children of our bodies and counsels and prayers and vows and tears live as if their father was an Amorite and their mother an Hittite 5. Aggravation is in case the parents have but one child and that proves foolish and disobedient and of this there be many instances the Scripture to set forth the saddest kind of mourning compares it to the mourning for an only son Jer. 6.26 Make thee mourning as for an only son most bitter lamentation Zech. 12.10 They shall mourn as one that mourneth for an only son I know these Scriptures speak of parents mourning for the death of an only son but it 's not so sad to follow an only son to the grave as to see an only child live to the dishonour of God to be a curse to his generation and to be continually destroying his precious soul it 's a very bitter case when as much love and kindness and care and cost and pains and prayers and fastings are bestowed upon one child as other parents bestow upon many children and notwithstanding all this one child should prove such a monster of wickedness as if the sins of many ungodly children met in him 6. Aggravation When Gods holy Ministers are the Fathers of fools which I have told you often happens and this is a most dreadful case for such who have the keys of the kingdom of heaven and yet must bind over their own children to the wrath of God such know the terrors of the Lord and the torments of Hell more than others and therefore must be more affected to believe that this at present is the portion of their own children 7. Aggravation When such children whom their parents design'd to serve God in the Ministry of the Gospel do prove ungodly this is matter of great lamentation for the parents to intend them for the highest office in the Church and give them education for that end that these children should make themselves as salt without savour which is good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men 8. Aggravation When children are a grief to their parents in their old age and do as it were throw dirt upon their hoary heads which is their crown of glory it 's the command of God Prov. 23.22 Despise not thy mother when she is old Solomon tells us Eccles 12. That the days of old age are evil days their very age is a troublesome and incurable disease now the grashopper every light thing is a burden to them and therefore it must be more troublesome to them to be then tormented with wicked children when the strong men as Divines think Solomon calls the legs do
bow themselves and their children who should be a staff and support to them do break their hearts and cause their grey-hairs to go with sorrow to the grave I now come to make application of this discourse Vse 1. Let such parents praise and honour God whom God hath bless'd with wise and holy and obedient children whether by those words in Psal 144.12 David means children accomplish'd with natural or spiritual endowments or both I shall not determine but to apply them to the case in hand I say it 's the great mercy of God to you that when so many children are as noisome weeds your sons should be as hopeful plants grown up in their youth and when so many make themselves ugly and deform'd with sin your daughters should be as corner-stones in which is seen the beauty of the building and the art and skill of the workman polished after the similitude of a palace Do not hence conclude that you are better parents than others or have had more care in the education of your children than others but ascribe all to the free grace of God who will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy 2. Let none presume to censure godly parents for their wicked children To him that is afflicted saith Job pity should be shew'd him from his friend Have they not trouble enough already but will you add to their affliction They have not hereby forfeited the good thoughts and esteem which you should have of them and if you judge them for this ye must judge as wise and holy Saints of God as ever were in the world though God herein doth sharply correct them yet he will not allow you to sit in judgment and to pass sentence upon them I say to you as Job to his friends Hold your peace let them alone and leave them to stand or fall to their own Master 3. This should fill the hearts of these holy parents with revenge upon Sin and Satan which have so debauch'd and defiled and destroy'd their dear children If a man should murder your child a spirit of revenge would rise in you and you would say to such a one I will have thy life and blood for the life and blood of my child but Sin and Satan have destroy'd both the precious soul and body of the child therefore labour as for other reasons so for this also to be reveng'd of them Labour to do as David did by the Lyon and the Bear which took a Lamb out of his flock he slew both the Lyon and the Bear and delivered the Lamb so do all ye can to reseue your poor lambs out of the jaws of Satan however labour to hate Sin and Satan more to promote Gods honour and kingdom and the salvation of souls more and this is the way to be reveng'd on Sin and Satan for the ruine of your children 4. I do hence exhort all holy and obedient children to acknowledge the grace of God to them that they are or have been the joy and crown of their parents It is his distinguishing grace that made you to differ from all wicked children and perhaps from some that came out of the same womb and sucked the same mothers breasts as you did Consider four things which are great matter of praise 1. That ye are the children of holy parents that ye may comfortably come to God in prayer and say we are the children of thy servant our father we are thy servants and the children of thy handmaid our mother bless God for your parents good counsels and examples and for a great part of an age of prayers which ye are daily receiving the benefit of if your parents are dead and in heaven it may put you into a holy and spiritual frame to think of the graces of God that did shine in them 2. That the same graces which dwelt in your good parents are in you Paul speaks of it as matter of praise to God that the same faith was in Timothy which dwelt first in his Grandmother Lois and his Mother Eunice and the Apostle John rejoyced greatly that he found the children of the elect Lady walking in truth 3. That thou art freed from those stings of conscience which graceless children shall one day feel for their disobedience to their parents thou mayest joyfully reflect that thou wast the joy of thy holy parents and that their lives have been made sweeter and their crosses easier by thee that thou art the honour and seal of their holy education when wicked children are the shame and reproach of their parents 4. That thou hast a right to that rich and precious promise annext to the fifth Commandment and mention'd Ephes 6.2 3. So that thou may'st be assur'd that it shall go well with thee both in this world and in the world to come I do seriously profess I had rather have a right to that one promise made to obedient children than to the best estate and inheritance under the Sun I shall finish this discourse 1. In prescribing some means to be us'd by those that may be or are parents to prevent this calamity 2. I shall direct those parents that groan under this calamity how to bear it 3. I shall give a serious exhortation to such children who are the grief and bitterness of their parents First I shall prescribe means to be us'd to prevent this calamity 1. Use all holy prudence and care in your choice of a yoke-fellow for if ye make your selves the husbands or wives of fools ye are like in time to become the fathers or mothers of fools when before the flood the members of Gods Church married with a wicked generation Genes 6.2 they brought forth a wicked posterity but to have a holy yoke-fellow is the way to have a holy seed and therefore what ye would most desire to have for your selves that labour to find in the person who is to be one flesh with you thou wouldst have thy self born of God thou wouldst have the Image of God and the life of Christ in thy self Labour that these things be in the person whom thou chusest for thy yoke-fellow but never make choice of one for thy husband or wife whom thou shouldst not chuse for thy companion 2. Be faithful and upright with God Prov. 20.7 The just man walketh in his integrity and his children are blessed after him If you would have grace and mercy for your children love and please the God of all grace and mercy whatever secret sins are in thee kill those sins for thy poor childrens sake lest the sins you too much harbour in your own hearts do break out in your childrens lives Parents may often see their own sins against their heavenly father in their childrens disobedience to them when your children despise you remember your want of honour and fear and reverence of God when they vex and trouble you remember how ye have griev'd and provoked him when they decline your company remember how
your hearts have wandered from God in his Ordinances 3. Bewail and beg pardon of God for your failings heretofore to your parents for many do often reap from their own children what they formerly sow'd by their sins against their parents and their miscarriages to their parents do fall upon them in the wickedness of their children the best may sadly reflect upon their want of due honour and obedience and thankfulness to their parents ye may remember your peevish looks undecent behaviour to them your grieving them in quarrelling with your brethren and sisters your unjust censuring them for partiality in their love to their children and judging them to want love to you when you were wanting in your duty to them and many who are now godly parents themselves may remember that by greater sins in their youth they were the grief and bitterness of their fathers and mothers and therefore pray mightily to God to pardon you and not to visit these sins upon you in the disobedience of your children 4. Pray to God not to visit your sins upon your children When Manasseh was in Heaven Amon his son followed the steps of his unconverted estate and Jehoiakim was carried captive into Babylon for the sins of Manasseh Pray that your children may not be like you in any thing wherein ye are unlike God and that their teeth may not be set on edg for the sowre grapes that ye have eaten 5. Be deeply affected with the corruption of nature in your children For as no man will value a Saviour for himself who is not convinc'd of the sin and misery which he must be saved from so ye must be sensible of your childrens sins or else ye cannot labour for their salvation When your sweet babes are born ye rejoyce to find that in Gods book all their members were written but ye should also be sensible of that body of sin they are born with and that by nature they are young Atheists and Infidels and haters of God and basphemers and whoremongers and lyars and thieves and murderers for they are naturally inclin'd to these and all other fins and are by nature children of the wrath of the infinite God and being convinc'd of this ye will find that your chief care of them should be to save them from this dreadful state of sin and misery 6. Be convinc'd what a great deal of work lies upon you to endeavour the salvation of your children young children always make a great deal of work they make work for parents and work for servants and work for all that are about them but to save them from sin and hell is the greatest work that belongs to their parents for this purpose they have a great deal a work to do in their own hearts they must know and believe and love and obey the doctrine of salvation themselves that they may be able and sit to instruct their children therein for a man cannot train up his child in the way he should go if he do not know the way himself We read Deut. 6.6 7. These words shall be in thy heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children it 's fitly render'd in the margin thou shalt whet or sharpen them the word of God is more keen and sharp when it hath first done its work on the parents hearts and so comes from their hearts to their children Parents must keep their own graces in exercise to put authority and savour in all that they say and do for the salvation of their children Grace must work in their prayers grace must rule their tongues grace must guide the rod and grace must shine in their lives and then it 's a great work which is to be wrought in the children it is a great work for them who are born of the flesh to be born of the spirit a great work to make Religion and Godliness natural to them to make the children of the devil to become the children of God Almighty and parents must constantly labour in the use of means to accomplish this work 7. Be mighty in prayer for your children for all the good ye desire for them must come from God and therefore must be beg'd by prayer it is in vain for them to be taught of us except they be taught of God Whose words Lord saith holy Augustine were they but thine which by my faithful mother thou hast sung in my heart Pray and pray in faith and hope thy ears saith Augustine again were at my mothers heart when she pray'd for me ye must pray with tender and melting hearts the same Father tells us that his mothers tears watered the earth when she pray'd for him and ye must pray for their salvation this also Augustine calls the hinge of his holy mothers prayers for him 8. Solemnly dedicate them to God by baptism and then ye must heartily consent that God alone be the eternal life and happiness of you and your children and that Jesus Christ be their and your Redeemer to redeem you and them from all sin and misery and to bring both to God and that the Holy Ghost be their and your Sanctifier that by him you and they may have a Scripture-right unto and be made meet and fit for this happiness 9. When they are capable of it instruct them in the Covenant which by baptism they were solemnly entered into For this end ye must diligently teach them these six things 1. To know the evil and danger of sin for till they come to know what sin is and what it is to be saved or damn'd and what it is to lose or enjoy God they will not value or accept of Christ but will despise the Redeemer of the World as good for nothing ye must therefore labour to make sin odious and Christ precious to your children and then they will value Christ and obey you It was prophesied of John the Baptist that he was to prepare the way of the Lord and to turn the children to the parents so let it be your care to make way for Christ in your childrens hearts and if ye prevail in that they will be obedient to you 2. Inform your selves and them in the doctrine of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost for this is the doctrine whereinto they are baptized and by baptism they are solemnly entered into Covenant with these sacred persons against the flesh Satan and the world shew them the glory and love of God the Father in chusing ordaining fitting and sending Jesus Christ and in commanding him to be a sacrifice for us inform them that God the Father is the fountain of life for Christ lives by the Father the fountain of Authority for Christ received all power in heaven and earth from him the fountain of all the Christian Religion for Christ first heard these truths from the Father and then made them known to us and the fountain of glory for the Father hath exalted Christ and all glorified Saints are
the blessed of the Father Labour by these and all other means that God the Father have the greatest place in your childrens hearts Teach them to know and prize Jesus Christ without this they cannot be true Christians shew them all the fulness and glory of the Godhead in Jesus Christ Labour to make them see his glory as the only begotten Son of God and all that he as Mediator and Redeemer hath done in the state of his humiliation and is doing and will do in the state of his exaltation for the salvation of lost sinners Labour to imprint these great Truths upon their hearts 1. That it was the Will and Law of God the Father that God the Son in our nature should be a sacrifice for our sins this fully appears Heb. 10.5 c. A body hast thou prepared or fitted me meaning to be a sacrifice and saith he Lo I come to do thy will O God and Psal 40. Thy law is in my heart meaning that will and law of the Father which bound him to offer and sacrifice himself for our sins 2. That Jesus Christ by his obedience to the death of the cross did perfectly obey and fulfil this law and will of God the Father 3. That all salvation and happiness is by the Covenant of Grace setled upon all and only those who believe and obey the Gospel only for the sake of this sacrifice and obedience of Jesus Christ and therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 10.10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Christ once for all that is by Christs fulfilling the will of his Father in once sacrificing himself for sinners we and all true believers are sanctified that is perfectly saved Ye must also acquaint them with the office and work of the Holy Ghost which our Saviour tells us John 16.13 is to guide or lead them into all truth that is to inable them to believe and love and obey the saving-truths of God reveal'd in the Gospel for to the end that they may know and keep their baptismal-covenant they must know how all the Three sacred persons the Father Son and Holy Ghost are interested in the great work of Salvation 3dly Labour to convince your children of the Excellency of the Life of Religion and obedience to God commend this to them as the most honourable life for our Saviour tells us John 12.26 If any man serve me him will my father honour What shall be done to the man saith Ahasuerus whom the king will honour But who is able to tell what shall be done to the man whom the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ will honour Let them also know that this is the wisest life it's Jobs inquiry Where shall wisdom be found and saith he Job 28.28 Behold the fear of the Lord that is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding And further that it is the safest life for God is a shield and rock and wall to all that obey him and although such things which they have in common with other men are expos'd to danger and loss yet their persons and their whole portion is always safe and also that this is the most gainful life for hereby Saints gain God and Christ and Heaven and lose nothing for we cannot lose by a Saviour who saves us from all evil and brings us into the possession of all good and though death it self strips us naked of all things under the Sun yet death is unspeakable gain to all who live this life and ye must further assure them that this is the most pleasant life for it is a life of faith and love and praise and joy and a life of victory over sin and they who live this life have all things to please them they have God to please them Christ and his Merits to please them and a prospect of a holy and a blessed Eternity to please them ye would never be the fathers and mothers of fools if ye could perswade your children to be so wise as to prize and love a life of obedience to God 4. Commend to your children the glory and amiableness of the House and Church of God this is the body whereinto they are baptized take your child with you and go walk about Sion and go round about her and tell the towers thereof and mark well her bulwarks and consider her palaces as ye are taught Psal 45.9 Present to their view King Jesus and at his right hand standing the Queen his Church in gold of Ophir Psal 45.9 say to them as the Angel said to John Rev. 21.9 Come hither and I will shew you the bride the Lambs wife shew them that glorious sight Rev. 12.1 The woman cloathed with the Sun and upon her head that bright and glorious constellation a crown of twelve Stars that so the company of those who live in communion with God and Jesus Christ may be desirable and delightful to them and that they may forsake evil company which is often the bane of youth 5. Teach them to esteem aright of Gods Ordinances for by baptism they are solemnly admitted into that house and family which is blessed with these as the means of salvation Labour to beget in them good thoughts of Gods Ministers for ye shall ever find that those children will despise you who make light of them teach them to pray ye can never have comfort in your children till they cry to God Abba Father teach them to know and prize and long for the Lords-Supper and therein to take Christ and all Salvation in a little bread and wine teach them to honour and delight in the Lords-day as the Diamond in the ring of time those children are always the honour and joy of their godly parents who make conscience to keep holy the Lords-day 6. Make them sensible that time is short and precious that an eternity of glory and misery is at hand and that death and judgment and heaven or hell are at the door of young children I shall further add five Directions to godly parents to prevent this sad calamity 1. Labour to save your children from those sins which provoke God and will destroy them as well as from those sins which will also bring loss and reproach upon you some are sadly affected to see their children given to drunkenness or whoredom or the like sins but are not so much concern'd for their unbelief and impenitency and want of love to God and for their covetousness which shews such parents to have too much of the love of the world and too little love to God and their childrens souls but we must take our measures of the evil and danger of sin from the word of God which tells us 1 Cor. 6.9 10. that the covetous as well as drunkards and whoremongers shall not inherit the kingdom of God and this will teach parents not only to mourn over a debauch'd child but also over a covetous though he be a wealthy child 2.