be discouraged Frequently hereupon Children fall into an Athymy or despondency of mind being as it were out of all heart Whereby either first their Spirits if tender-hearted are too much sadned and this sadnesse inclosed in the heart is like a moth to a Garment or a worme to wood bringing diseases and immature death Or secondly through too much dejectednesse they are made stupid and so rendred incapable of any considerable attainments or commendable actions Or thirdly they become desperate and contumacious whereby they provoke God and God cuts them off Certainly Parents need abundance of prudence in correcting their Children If Parents will not be found wanting towards their Children they must mind their education Not only fitting them for an outward and particular calling in reference to the world and well being of their bodies But also having an eye mainly at their generall and spirituall calling in relation to God and their soules Thus the Apostle Eph. 5.4 Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And God himselfe seems to be very confident of his servants care in this particular he saith of Abraham I know him Gen. 18.19 that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him You are not inhibited the having of respect unto due decency for education doth consist in Religion Learning and Behaviour But have a care that sauce exceed not meat Every one ought to say of his naturall as John of his spirituall children 3 Joh. 3. I have no greater joy than to know that my children walke in truth A mamma corporali ad mammam spiritualem Chrys O Parents above all be mostly carefull of your childrens soules Hannah brought her Son Samuel very speedily from the naturall to the spirituall dugge so do ye Be good examples to your Children Instruct them Distâ—â—… good things into them as they are capable of receiving Children are like unto straight-neck'd bottles admitting by drops Isa 18.10 here a little there a little Yea Castigationes madicamentorum fimiles sunt non ciborum Cattw in Pro. 31.2 and correct them likewise when their is occasion Provided it be with moderation and upon necessity as Physick not frequent and famiâ—iar as daily food Such is the reiterated counrell of wise Solomon 1 Sam. 4. We know how fatall Ely's indulgence proved to his Sons being both slaine in one day and for the old man himselfe difficult it were to tell whether his neck or heart were first broken 2 Sam. 18.17 We leave Absalsm that was so much cockered up with an heape of stones upon him And it ended far from well with Adonijah 1 Kin. 2.25 whom his Father had not displeased at any time We shall discover in our children many vices which we had need to cut off whilest they are young lest they grow up with them when they are old It was said of Ptolomy that he was too young to reigne but old enough to love Harâ—ots So there are many who are in Age children but can commit sin like men Wise to do evill Jer. 4.22 but to do good they have no knowledge But O let not any nearenesse of relation make us to connive at wickednesse or be silent at sin In case of Gods dishonour we should forget our selves to be Parents and them Children using sin as a Serpent the nearer it creeps unto us the more to flye and hate it Youth is a plant very flexible but old age a tree and inflexible Youth is like soft wax fit to take a good impression but old age is hard and more unfit to take such a counterfeit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I read of Diogenes who seeing the rude carriage of a Boy did reach his Master a reall invective saying The fault is not in the Scholar but in the Master I am afraid much of the sin of Children will be laid to the charge of Parents If we have a piece of ground we will be at cost and paines in the manuring and tilling of it We take delight in ordering our Gardens and shall we neglect our Children Ought we not much more to weed sin out of them and to improve them Psal 127.3 Children we heard are the inheritance of the Lord and the fruit of the wombe is his reward and shall we reward the giver so unkindly as not to give them education O let us have a care of them while they are young lest both they and we repent afterwards when it is too late 1 Kin. 21.3 Naboth would not give the inheritance of his Fathers to Ahab Children are the inheritances given us of God take heed that through our negligence we do not what in us lyeth to give them to the Devill Commonly those Parents are most reverenced of their Children that have wisely and orderly corrected them They that have laid the reines on their necks and suffered them to go without correction are most contemned and despised of their Children afterward Correct thy Son Pro. 29.17 and he shall give thee rest yea he shall give delight unto thy soule 1 King 1. Adonijah whom David would not displease displeased his Father afterward and came at last to an untimely end A third thing required of Parents is To mixe Prayer with their Childrens Education When we carefully plough sow weed our Corn we may hopefully pray for a good harvest This was the quotidian practise of holy Job Quò multorum pignorum pateres plures sunt pro quibus deum de preceres multorum animae redimendae Cypr. He rose up earely in the morning marke this man prayed for his Children next his heart and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all he begs a particular blessing on every childs head thus did Job continually And thus Bathsheba bespeakes her beloved Son Solomon under the name of Lemuel What my Son and what the Son of my wombe and what the Son of my Vows O it is good for Children that they have praying Parents and good for Parents that they be at some proportionable expence for their Children in spirituals laying up Prayers as well as Portions for them The Prayers of faithfull Parents are as seed sown in their life-time the fruit of which their Children may reape after they are dead Christians I tell you the time is comming and now is that Parents prayers may be of more profit unto their Children than their Estates Fourthly let Parents take need and beware of idolizing their children They are given to succeed in your stead But beware you set them not up to your selves in Gods stead 1 Sam. 2.29 It was heavens complaint against Eli that he honoured his Sons above God that is did chuse to please them rather than God If any fond Parents be guilty of this
contrariwise 2 Kin. 4.14 it was a miserable blank in the Shunamites estate that she had no child 2 Kin. 20.3 And this is conceived to be one cause why Hezekiah melted into teares when he received the fatall message Even because he had no heire-male his Son Manasses being yet unborne And Abraham himselfe complaines of a great defect amidst all his fulnesse Gen. 15.2 Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I go childlesse And therefore there was a provision made in the judiciall Law Deut. 25.5 6. That if a man dyed without issue his brother should raise up seed unto him that so his name might be revived and kept alive in Israel Children are nothing else but Parents multiplied Bena Banah aedificavit est enim totius structura seu aedificatio parentum and do in some sense immortalize and perpetuate them especially Sons which have their name originally from a word which signifieth to build because they beare up the name and are a support to the Family Therefore the Church prayeth Psa 144.12 That our Sons may be as plants grown up in their youth that our daughters may be as corner stones polished after the similitude of a Palace When the Father dyeth the Child riseth up in his roome and so Parents have a kind of resurrection in their Children A fourth Reason may be this Reason 4 Scripture upon some accounts reckoneth up steriâ—ity and barrennesse as a curse And who is not utterâ—y unwilling to bespit in the face with a Curse Doubtlesse that may seeme a strange Petition the Prophet puts up in the peoples behalfe Give them O Lord Amos 9.14 what wilt thou give them Give them a miscarrying wombe and dry breasts Comparing it with the context you shall find so great is Ephraim's sin that the Prophet is almost ashamed to pray for such a people and seemes very doubting what he should pray for yet foreseeing the fearefull plagues that were to fall he supplicates a mitigation That rather than women with child should be ripped up by the enemy or they should bring forth to the slaughter and see as Zed kiah did their Children murdered before their eyes 2 King 25.7 he prayeth to God to make them barren A paralell place is that of David who in his great straight chose to fall into the hand of God 2 Sam. 24. rather than into the hand of men That is a lesser judgement rather than a greater And yet this was a sore one three daies pestilence by which there fell seventy thousand men Even so the Prophet as if he should have said O Lord this do I beg in behalfe of this people thou wilt thus much remit the stroke It is the lesser judgement of the two not to have children at all than after they are borne bred and growne to maturity to have them slaughtered and therefore seeing the decree is gone forth give give in mercy O Lord give this mitigation of barrennesse So that the Petition serves to aggravate the ensuing judgements It is a most miserable case when that which is in it selfe a curse is to be prayed for as a blessing Coniah's curse is thus threatned Write ye this man childlesse Jer. 22.30 I do not conceive Coniah dyed without issue Ver. 28. the contrary being apparent but that he had a curse which was equivalent to being childlesse and therefore very great for so it followeth in the next words A man that shall not prosper in his daies for no man of his seed shall prosper sitting upon the Throne of David and ruling any more in Judah And this must not only be spoken but written Litera scripta manet Write ye this man childlesse as a notable judgement to be left on record to Posterity And this was Michals punishment for vilifying her husbands person Because she conceived contempt against him in her heart she never conceived child in her wombe Therefore saith the Text Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death That is 2 Sam. 6.23 she was punished with perpetuall barrennesse Doubtlesse among the Jewes want of children was a reproach both to man and woman This may be gathered from that of the Psalmist Psa 127.5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them viz. his Family well fraught with hopefull children which are those polished shafts they shall not be ashamed but they shall speake with the enemies in the gate 1 Sam. 1.6 Thus Hannah her Adversary provoked her sore for to make her fret because the Lord had shut up her wombe and she cals her barrennesse her affliction O Lord of hosts Ver. 11. if thou wilt indeed looke on the affliction of thine handmaid c. And Elizabeth being with child after a long time of sterility bespeakes her selfe on this wise Thus hath the Lord dealt with me Luk. 1.25 in the daies wherein he looked on me to take away my reproach among men I would not have any gracious heart stumble at this truth so as to hurt it selfe Good men and women may be destitute both of Children and Nephews And yet this is not so great an affliction to them because God comes in and makes up this want with a far more precious supply A worthy Grectan being mortally wounded by the Spartans a friend told him he much lamented that he dyed without Issue To whom he replied my famous victories are as so many children to renew my memory But here is more for if God have denied any of his the benefit of Children yet he hath given them a name better than of Sons and Daughters Isa 56.6 They are called the children of God Mat. 5.9 They have right and priviledge to become the Sons of God Joh. 1.12 And John speaks it with admiration Behold 1 Joh. 3.1 what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God! He that hath the Spirit of Adoption and is heaven-borne that can call God Father and speake to Christ as his brother and is allied to all the Saints shall find a fulnesse in this spirituall relation A name on earth how honourable soever is perishable But a name written in heaven shall never wither but flourish for ever It is no great matter to him or her that wants Children if they themselves be the adopted ones of God But to a wicked man it must needs be a curse because he hath nothing to make up this vacuum and relieve this want He that at once is both Childlesse and Christlesse too hath reason to weepe for his Children and not be comforted because they are not Reason 5 Last of all to touch the ultimate Period of this Point frequent it is for the first-borne to be the first Dolens profere and to fit highest in Parents esteeme And there is reason with due limitation it should be so Gen. 49.3
eye towards God and say Psa 39.9 I was dumbe I opened not my mouth because thou didst it Thus Aaron upon the strange and terrible death of his Sons Aaron held his peace Lev. 10.3 Thus Eli when he heard of that black cloud that was to empty it selfe upon his house It is the Lord 1 Sam. 3.18 let him do what seemeth him good And Hezekiah under his visitation Isa 38.15 What shall I say he hath both spoken it unto me and himself hath done it Mic. 7.6 And the Church I will beare the indignation of the Lord. O content thy selfe and say with Christ Sweet or bitter I must drinke the cup my Father hath given me We should be as Adamants under afflictions indure all But because it is no easie thing to quiet our Spirits and silence the stirs and clamours of our hearts under bitter afflictions I conceive it meet to propound some considerations helpfull hereunto They may be such as these First consider God is our Father and we may not limit his chastisements We may not tell him how many stripes or lashes he must give us Children do not only take Correction patiently from their Parents Heb. 12.9 but also reverence them The Child cries out O spare good Father but may not limit him So we Mercy Lord mitigation Lord but may not limit our heavenly Father how much Thus the Church begs moderation O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger Psal 6.1 neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure Jer. 10.24 O Lord correct me but with judgement not in thine anger lest thou bring me to nothing Hab. 3.2 In wrath O Lord remember mercy Mercy is a Saints plea in affliction Let there be the presence of mercy as well as affliction Though thy rod laid on me is smart and doth draw bloud yet let not thy wrath burne like fire Besides we forâ—e him to it Parents take no pleasure in whipping their Children it goes to the heart of a tender Father to beat his Child water ost-times stands in the Fathers eyes he turnes his back and weeps Even so God doth not afflict willingly Lam. 3.33 but sees great need before he corrects For a season if need be ye are in heavines through manifold temptations 1 Pet. 1.6 No affliction befalls us but what is incident to men yea to Saints Be it never so bitter 1 Cor. 10.13 others have tasted the same bottle And in this very kind Esau was in his degree a murtherer of his mother Rebeckah Gen. 27. whilest by his ungracious carriage he made her life bitter unto her The Shunamites only Child dieth The widdow of Naims only Son deceaseth 2 King 4. Mary beholds her only Son nailed to the Crosse Luk. 7.12 And Abraham must sacrifice his own Son Gen. 22. his only Son and upon whom depended all the promises O what a lamentable sight was this to see Abraham about the killing of his only Son That a Father should be put to this extremity to be the butcher of his own only Child Let us make it our own case and it will make us all to weep Consider the conference that was between them in the way and it must needs strike Abraham to the heart Father here is fire and the wood but where is the Lambe for the burnt offering Alas my child saith Abraham in his heart thou must be the burnt offering And no doubt but the teares went trickling down his cheekes If the bowels of the harlot yearned within her when her child was to be divided by Solomons sword What did Abrahams bowels when with his own sword he must take away the life of his own Son O my Son Isaac my sweet child beautified with so many glittering graces enriched with so many precious promises A type of Christ the joy of the world and the only stay of my old age must thou be killed and by thy Fathers own hand Yea and must I burne thee which is the sharpest death of all O! No doubt this pierced the Fathers heart and touched him to the quick It was once the Prophets complaint 1 King 19. I only am left And indeed it addes much to affliction to be singular in suffering But we are compassed with a cloud of witnesses that have broken the ice before us and do draw in the same yoke with us Nay the Apostle is very bold and saith Heb. 12.7 8. What Son is he whom the Father chasteneth not But if ye be without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not Sons It is a spurious and ignominious thing to be a Bastard Bastards are despised in severall respects and many brands of infamy are set on them Being illegitimate Deut. 2 3. and neither to inherit Lands nor be advanced to office without a speciall dispensation as in the case of Jephta Judg. 11.1 Although I conceive the result of that rigour was rather to shew how God abhorred uncleannesse and to make men avoid it then to inflict a punishment upon the person so begotten if he did abhorre and forsake his fathers sin and cleave to God in sincerity Well seest thou a man without the Crosse not a finger aketh It is a great signe he is a bastard God will schoole his own children The Patriarchs Prophets Apostles yea Christ himselfe dranke of this cup and if thou be Gods child thou must pledge him There is not any one can claime priviledge This is a rule in divinity admits no exception 2 Tim. 3.12 All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution No affliction befals us but sin did deserve greater The least of sins deserts are above the greatest of our undergoings Ezra saith Thou our God hast punished us lesse than our iniquities deserve Exra 9.13 And yet whoever reads the book of Lamentations may judge of their sufferings Is any of us afflicted It is of mercy we are not consumed It may be thou hast lost an Estate a Friend a Child a Comfort Sin did deserve thou shouldst have lost all and after all thy selfe and soule in hell for ever O brother didst thou but know in what coine God paies all Sinners and how he makes even with them in another world Thou wouldst heartily bless God for the bitterest affliction that here falls to thy share Rom. 6.23 Stipendium peccati mors est The wages of sin is death Consider further No affliction so grievous but it may be increased New flies and hungry ones fall upon the same sores out of which others had already sucked their fill God can yet bring more corroding evills upon us God hath yet sharper Arrows in his quiver He can fill the cup yet fuller and add to the weight making it more bitter and burdensome God threatned Israel more than once Lev. 26. I will punish you seven times more for your sins Sad were it for a soul to make