Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	blessing_n	child_n	parent_n	2,068	5	9.3978	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65668	An essay to revive the primitive doctrine and practice of infant-baptism in the resolution of four questions I. What are the reasons of God's appointing the token of the covenant to be applyed to the infant-seed of his people? II. What is the good or benefit they receive thereby? III. What is the duty of parents towards their children as bearing the token of the covenant? IV. What is the improvement that children as grown up to years of maturity, may and ought to make of the token, as applyed to them in their infancy / by Joseph Whiston ...	Whiston, Joseph, d. 1690.	1676 (1676)	Wing W1690; ESTC R38586	159,793	270

who ruleth well his own house having his Children in subjection with all gravity 1 Tim. 3.4 the same is the duty of all Christian Parents though eminently required in the Ministers of the Gospel Some deal with their Children in soul-affaires as though they were rather in jest than earnest and no wonder though Children are neither serious nor in good earnest in ●●●ending to or practising such instructions Parents should labour to carry it so in all their words 〈…〉 as that their Children may perceive the weight and importance of the things they deal with them about Instructing and chastising Children requires the utmost gravity and seriousness 2. Shew as much love to God as also as much affection towards your Children but as little of self and passion as possibly you can the more Children are apprehensive of these things and quickly apprehensive they will be the more weight will instructions have upon their hearts the less of God and the more of self appears in any Instructions Counsels Perswasions or Commands the less will they be attended to and regarded sic vice versâ 3. Exercise Wisdom and Prudence Wisdom and Prudence is required hardly in any thing if in any thing at all more than in the education and bringing up of Children yet I shall not attempt to give any Reles in this case neither is it in the power of any man to give such Rules and Directions as may sufficiently furnish all Parents with that Wisdom and Prudence necessary to the right managing of themselves in the discharge of their duty towards their Children they must have it from God or after all they will be greatly defective therein I shall only intimate some Cases wherein special Wisdom is requried 1. In beginning with such Instructions as those principles connatural to them will subserve their imbracement of to kindle the brand if I may so speak where it hath the greatest disposition to take fire 2. Again Wisdom is required in so repeatîng and inculcating Instructions as that they may be most useful for the inlightning their minds and working upon their affections and yet may not beget tediousness or slightness of spirit 3. Again much Wisdom is required in intermingling such instructions and so administring them as may keep up their love to and delight in Religion with such instructions as may keep up a holy awe and fear in their hearts Godward 4. Again Wisdom is required in keeping up their incouragements and yet preventing their presumption and formality 5. Once again much Wisdom is required in dealing with Children according to their different tempers and constitutions some are more easily wrought upon by love others by fear some by gentle others by more severe means some need more of the rod others less and variety of the like instances might be given This is certain the success of Parents discharge of their duty towards their Children very much depends upon the Wisdom they are indued with and do exercise therein 4. Begin with your Children betimes Chasten thy Child betimes saith Solomon so instruct him betimes Parents should endeavour were it possible to anticipate Satan and put a check to the very first buddings forth of corruption Quò semel est imbuta recens c. 'T is the folly of most Parents to leave themseles only an after-game to play they sow not till the thorns have got such rooting as that they check the seed sowen their Childrens minds are so vitiated that their in structions meet with stronger opposition than otherwise they would do therefore begin with them betimes In the morning sow they seed 'T is applicable to our present purpose Children have ears to hear before they have tongues to speak That may be received by the ear and eye which the tongue cannot express hence Parents should not forbear instructions till their Children are capable of returning answers But 2. The duty of Parents more immediately respects God yet to be performed on the behalf of their Children and thus their great duty is Prayer and two things in the general they are to pray for 1. The bestowment of such endownents upon themselves as may capacifie them for the due performance fo their duty towards their Children And of all gifts and endowments they ought to be peculiarly importunate for Wisdom and Prudence He that gives wisdom to the Husband-man for the casting in the Fetches and scattering the Cummin c. when he hath plowed his ground and made plain the face thereof must teach Parents wisdom to manage their duty aright towards their Children Lower abilities managed with wisdom prove more effectual than greater without it What encouragement parents have to be importunate for this gift the Apostle James shews us Jam. 1.5 2. They are to pray for a blessing upon the performance of their duty towards their Children with the concurrence of the Spirit to make all means used effectual Prayer and Instruction yea Prayer and Correction ought to go together The most faithful diligent and wise discharge of duty will leave Children graceless unless God add his blessing Now though a Covenant-state be hereditary yet Grace is not so that 's from God given to whom he pleaseth in a cpmpliance with his eternal Purpose and Decrees But these being secret hid in the breast of God are not to be parents rule in the performance of their duty they are to perform it equally and alike unto all Let me add the more Faith there is in Prayer the more prevalent it will be and how far Faith may be acted with reference to Children may be gathered from what hath been already said Among other things they may believe that the promises of the first Grace do appertain to them indefinitely as members of that Collective Body to which those Promises are made And hence though they cannot positively believe that these Promises shall be made good to every one of their Children yet they may and ought to believe the truth and faithfulness of God and answerably act a dependance upon him with a comfortable hopethat the Good promised shall be givent to each one of their Children I shall only add two or three Motives to press Parents to a faithful discharge of their duty and so pass from this third Question 1. Consider the manifold obligations lying upon you to be faithful consciencious and diligent therein and to pass by all others an account of which I have already given let me only remind you of and a little press upon you that reference and subserviency that your discharge of your duty hath to your Childrens imbracement of the Covenant and consequently to God's bringing upon you in vouchsafing unto them the Good promised That passage of God's concerning Abraham cannot well be too often inculcated upon believing Parents Gen. 18.19 There are two things peculiarly remarkable in this Scripture 1. To mention that in the first place which is set down in the latter part of the Verse the subserviency of Parents faithful