shall be an ornament to a Sons head and as precious chaines about his neck a badg and pledg of honour in the eyes of his people Prov. 13. 18. He that hearkneth to reproof of a Parent especially shall be honoured Hence God causeth so honourable a Record to be kept in Scripture of the Acts of obedience to Parents in Isaac Jacob Joseph and others Memorable is that Jer. 35. 18 19. Where God chargeth Jeremiah to tell the Rechabites Because you have obeyed the commandement of Jonadab your Father and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he hath commanded you therefore thus saith the Lord the God of Israel Jonadab the Son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever namely so long as that state and Church of Judah should stand as they should not he rooted out as Jer 31. 36. There is the like phrase in a like sense so they should be be honourably imployed according to that phrase in a like sense Jer. 33. 17 18. 2. That the Lord sometimes taketh occasion 2. God manifesteth great things to such in such a way to manifest such speciall grace to children whilest in this way of filial obedience as either was not at all or not in that measure shewed to them before Observable is that in Jacob whose journey to Padan Aram is put upon the account of his filial obedience even by his malicious Brother Esau Gen. 28. 7. now as he in his obediential way journyed from Bershebah towards Haran v. 10 11. there he seeth the ladder set upon the earth and the top of it reached to heaven and behold the Angels of God ascending and descending upon it and behold the Lord stood above it and said I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac thy Father the land whereon thou liest will I give it to thee and to thy seed v. 12 13. and vers 14. He promiseth to multiply his seed and that in him and his seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed and vers 15. Behold I am with thee saith God and I will keep thee in all places whither thou goest and will bring thee again to this land for I will not leave thee untill I have done that which I have spoken to thee of and vers 16 17. Jacob awoke and said Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not this is none other then the house of God this is the gate of heaven Never had Jacob that we finde before this time so glorious a manifestation of the promised Messiah to be God and man in one person as that one Ladder with its top reaching to heaven and its bottome on earth to be as a blessed Medium and Mediator by which God and Man heaven and earth should be joyned together as by a Ladder set on earth yet reaching up to heaven to be he by whom the Angels minister unto us and by whom all graces and spirituall blessings descend upon us and our hearts and spirits our prayers praises and other holy services yea and our whole persons one day ascend up to Heaven Never had Jacob such glorious promises of blessing upon him and his seed before Never was he in such a Corner of Heaven before And who then would not be incouraged to filial obedience and to be found in the way there of wherein others have found more of God and Christ than ever before 3. That Gods speciall presence and blessing 3. Gods special presence and blessing is with such is with you in a way of filial obedience to your parents so in this Scripture mentioned Jacob had Gods gracious promise of his presence with him and preservation of him in all places whither he went and that his seed with him should be blessed 4. Promises made to children with their parents come by that meanes to be fulfilled 4. That it tendeth to the ratification and accomplishment of the promises made to you in your godly parents As to Abrahams children in case of their obedience of his godly commands Gen. 18. 19. I know Abraham that he will command his Children and household after him And they in obedience to his command shall keep the way of the Lord that the Lord may bring upon Abraham even in his children after him that which he hath spoken of him even his promises respecting him and his seed Deut. 32. 46. Set your hearts to all the words which I testifie among you this day which you shall command your children to observe to do all the words of this Law vers 47. For this is not a vain thing for you because it is your life and through this thing you shall prolong your daies in the land which yee go to possess Albeit God had made so many promises of their injoyment of Canaan and many blessings of grace protection peace and the plenty there upon them and their posterity yet the meanes of accomplishment of all must be 1. That parents themselves must set themselves to obey all Gods Commands 2. They must lay their authority upon their Children to require of them also obedience to all Gods Commands 3. The Children in obedience to their parents commands under God they must observe to do all the words of that Law 1 King 2. 1 2 3. David chargeth his Son Solomon saying Keep the charge of the Lord thy God to walk in all his waies c. that by keeping this charge of God as given in charge by me thy Father according to God thou maiest prosper in all thou doest and vers 4. that the Lord may confirm his word which he spake concerning me namely in respect to my Children saying If thy Children take heed to their way to walk before me in truth with all their heart and soul there shall not fail thee said he a man on the throne of Israel 5. That your examples of filial obedience in 5. It will be a meanes of the like obedience in other Children you may be a meanes to work somewhat at least upon other Children yea even upon disobedient ones as Jacobs did upon Esau Gen. 28. 6 7 8. He never considered his disobedient course of matching with Canaanites against his parents minde But when he saw that Isaac his father had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Padan Aram to take him a Wife from thence and not to take a Wife of the Daughters of Canaan and that Jacob obeyed his Father and Mother and was gone to Padan Aram and Esau seeing the Daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaack his father vers 9. Then went Esau to Ishmael and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abrahams Son to wife Now he thought his matching thus unto the family of Abraham might better please his Father and so did it 6. In that else in a contrary way of dishonour 6. The contrary will expose the very place where they are to Gods curse of parents you will what in you lieth
as for those degenerate ones in speciall which notwithstanding the hopefull working they Evils of sin in the degeneration of the more hopefull Children of the Godly have had formerly in their souls yet have degenerated to the dishonour as of God and themselves so of their godly Parents let such seriously weigh the evill thereof for besides those six particular aggravations which your sin in degenerating admitteth of in common with others and of which we even now spake there are some peculiar aggravations to be superadded to your sin in speciall for as it s said of Solomon the Son of David a man after Gods own heart when he was in that degenerating way 1 Kings 11. 9. The Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel who had appeared to him twice so I may say in some respect to you God must needs be the more angry with you because he hath shewed so much of your hearts and of himself to you and so oft been dealing with your hearts so in the case of Rehoboam Solomons Son who as 2 Chron. 11. 17. for three years space was very hopefull and with the rest of those of Israel who repaired to him and those of Judah walked in the way of David his Father and in the first way of Solomon his Father but as 2 Chron. 12. 1. afterwards forsook the Lord and all Israel with him Joash how hopefull a young man was he when as it is said 2 Chron. 24. 2. He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord for the matter of it all the dayes of Jehoiadah the Priest but vers 17 18. upon occasion of the flattering Courtiers counsell the King hearkned to them and they left the house of the Lord God of their Fathers and the like is said of Vzziah a very hopefull young man 2 Chro. 26. 5. He sought God in the dayes of Zechariah who had understanding in the visions of God but v. 16. When he was strong his heart was lifted up to his destruction c. And how many such Children of good Parents are there now a dayes who divers years ago gave great hopes of their saving good to their Parents and Friends now how evill a thing is this in such as you are and how bitter will it prove to you in the end that thus leave off to be wise and to do good as it is said Psal 36. 2. And as he said in another case you begin in the Spirit and end in the Flesh Gal. 3. As if it were not as good alwayes to be zealously affected in a good thing as for a little spurt of time but that we may set this part of the admonition the closer upon the hearts of such Children who were sometimes so hopefull and now so much degenerated let me shew them the heinous nature of such a manner of degenerating or rather Apostatizing from such hopefull beginnings workings and practices 1. Your sin is against the Holy-Ghost albeit 1. It is a sin in special against Gods spirit not the sin the very unpardonable sin against the Holy-Ghost for you sin against him as inlightning your minds to see so much of your selves and wayes of God and Christ and his wayes as you did and in a sort drawing you from your youthfull lusts and delights and sinfull practices and bringing you on in the best things and wayes so far but now you have made head against him as did those degenerate ones of old of whom it is said Nehem. 9. 30. that they would not give ear to the Spirit speaking against their degenerate courses by his Prophets or as it is said of that degenerate brood Acts 7. 51. You have alwaies resisted the Holy-Ghost as your degenerate Fathers did so do yee this sin as it is a resisting so it is a rebelling against the Spirit as it is said there of whom then God said they are Children that will not lie Es 63. 5. But they degenerating it is said vers 10. But they rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit they therefore hereby rebelled against the Spirit and that did not barely grieve him but which is a high degree of distasting they vexed Gods Holy Spirit Now how vile is your sin thus to resist and rebell against and thereby so deeply to vex him and why should any of you vex your blessed inlightner and one that might and was willing to be your quickener converter sanctifier strengthner supporter and comforter had not you your selves been wanting to his motions and means which hee used God may say to you as he said to those degenerate ones with whom his Spirit had been tampering Mic. 2. 7. Oh thou that art named the house of Israel is the Spirit of the Lord â—â—raightned Could not he breath and shine more abundantly into your minds and hearts in the Ministry of the word but that you will be thus grieving and vexing of him but why do you sin against your own souls in sinning against him who alone must make them capable of all blessing grace and glory And is this your observance and owning of that Holy-Ghost unto whom in your Baptism you are devoted 2. This is a speciall sin against the grace of Jesus 2. It is a speciall sin against the grace of Jesus Christ Christ who in those workings and movings of yours was also sweetly calling and gathering you to himself for your souls welfare as he was dealing in like sort with that degenerate generation Matth. 23. 7. How often would I have gathered you as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings but ye would not But where could you or can you find better soul-food than with that blessed Hen to which he likeneth himself there where can you meet with more soul-warmth than with Jesus Christ and under his blessed wings or where can you expect to partake of more sweetness and kindness of bowels and love than with the Motherly Hen yea do not you as much as in you lyeth at once contradict Christs word and the end of his comming of which Mal. 9. 13. I came to call sinners convinced sinners to Repentance You were indeed convinced sinners but have worn out your convictions and troubles and never went any further to a through work of Repentance but rather gone away further from God and good and would give in a manner the lie to Christ in that gracious speech of his 3. Is not this a breaking of that bond of Gods 3. It is a breaking the bond of Gods fear fear which should have kept you close to God and from starting aside from his truth word or way So he supposing that Job was degenerate said thou castest off fear thou restrainest Prayer Job 15. 4. And must not this needs be very grievous to the Lord 4. Is not this to cast off the Authority of an awakened Conscience as a vicegerent of God 4. It is a casting off the Authority of conscience
our Parents and partly for our Children c. 2. Consider that those that are not gratefull to 2. Else not gratefull to ones Country their Parents will never be grateful to their country or self-denying for its good Hence that also of Tully It conduceth much to the welfare of our country that Children be pious to their Parents 3. Consider that therefore the Lord inableth 3. Childrens abilities given for this end you the rather with bodily strength with gifts and parts with Estates with advantageous places and callings that you may be fit for such a service of gratefull recompence of your Parents That blessed man Joseph concludeth thus of all his great Preferments and Abilities which God brought him to in Egypt that it was all for this very end Gen. 45. 7 8 9 10 11. God sent me before your face saith he to his Brethren to preserve you a posterity in the earth c. So then it was not you that sent me hither but God and he hath made me a Father to Pharaoh and Lord of all his house and a Ruler throughout all the Land of Egypt Haste you and go up to my Father and say to him thus saith thy Son Joseph God hath made me Lord of all Egypt Come down to me and tarry not c. And there will I nourish them c. 4. Consider that there is nothing lost by what 4. Nothing is lost by it you do deny your selves in out of gratitude to your Parents but much gained every way thereby 2 Tim. 5. 4. And to requite their Parents for this is good and acceptable before God It s good with the goodness of advantage as well as honesty or honour before God It is acceptable before God and therefore surely most beneficiall from Helpes 1. Serious meditations of what Parents have done for them God to Children And for your helps this way It were good for you to think very much and often and that with much seriousness of intention of mind upon the many unexpressible invaluable irrecompensible benefits and kindnesses which you have from your Parents O when the people thought of that service of love of Jonathan to them all and should any discourtesie be offered to such a one no by no means 1 Sam. 14. 45. Shall Jonathan dye who hath wrought this great Salvation in Israel God forbid So in like sort the thoughts of what good Parents have been instruments of to Children they will crush temptations to ingratitude and provoke to gratitude Besides be you conscious in giving your Parents 2. Give their other honour of Respect Reverence Obedience their due honour of Respect Reverence and Obedience and then there is no doubt but you will be put upon it to give them this other part also of direct Honour even the Honour of Recompence Cautious Let it be with greatest 1. Bowels only look to it that what you do this way in gratefull Rccompence to Parents 1. That it be with greatest bowels and tenderness Parents did so in ministring to you what you wanted do you repay them like for like 2. That it be with greatest meekness and patience 2. Meekness bearing with frailties and waywardness of age as Parents did with waywardness in ministring to you in infancy and child-hood so repay them like for like 3. That it be with much humility stooping to the meanest offices of love for them as Parents did 3. Humility for you whil'st little do you herein repay them like for like To conclude Children may also discern their Marks of right doing it conscientious piety to Parents 1. If when you your selves are in disconsolate 1. If when Children in saddest conditions are cordially sollicitous of Parents help yea desolate conditions yet you are then very cordially carefull of your Parents outward welfare as David of his Parents safety with the King of Moab 2 Sam. 22. when himself is as an outlaw or as it was with the Son of David when upon the Crosse in all that sorrow and pain c. yet how carefull was he that his poor Mother be provided well for Joh. 19. 26 27. Man saith he to John behold thy Mother 2. If your effectuall care of your parents 2. When carefull this way in married conditions comfortable beeings be not alone in your single conditions whil'st unmarried but flourish when you are marryed So it did in Joseph in David in Ruth and others 3. If when you are in a very high and more honourable 3. When carefull this way in highest conditions place than parents then you be nourishers of them yea if you are perswaded in your very hearts that God the rather exalted you thus for your parents sakes that in their straights you might have abundantly and sufficiently to supply them withall and the rather do it Thus it was in Josephs case he thought that God made him a Lord in all the Land of Egypt to preserve his Father and his houshold alive in that time of famine and upon that ground sends to him to come to him promising to nourish him Gen. 45. 7 8 9 10 11. and accordingly he did it Gen. 47. 12. And Joseph nourished his Father and his brethren and all his Fathers houshold with bread according to their Families To conclude this with that memorable speech of Cyrus mentioned by Plutarch in his Apothegms he used to say and that which is the truth he is not fit to rule over others who is not profitable to his parents CHAP. VII Of Honour in a Reflect way due from Children unto Parents HAving dispatched the direct Acts and wayes of Honour of parents we come now to that Honour of Parents which is due to them in a Reflect way For so honouring another is taken in Scripture for being such or carrying it so towards another whom men are to Honour as it may make for such an ones Honour as we shewed in the 1. Chapter So here in the 5th Commandement this indefinite word Honour thy Father thy Mother taketh in Honouring of parents in a reflect way and bindeth Children to be such to their parents and to carry it so as may redound to their Honour especially being such parents as the covenant Jewes were in Church State and many of them godly to whom this Law of the 5th Commandement was first solemnly promulged and to whom it was more solemnly established Whence note That its the duty of children Children of good Parents especially bound to be such and to carry it so as maketh for their Parents Honour and that 1. By minding prising and storing up parents instructions especially the children of godly parents and such as are in covenant and Church-estate to be such and to carry it so as may redound to their parents honour Now here also let us shew 1. How this is to be done 2. Why it must be so And 3. Apply and make use of this so weighty a point
that good of grace as of faith 9. By imitating all that was truly good in them love and holiness righteousness patience meekness courage constancy humility zeal of Gods glory holy fervency diligence fidelity and the like which children have beheld and seen in their parents Prov. 4. 12. Saith David to Solomon I have led thee in the right paths even by holy example also Joh. 8. 39. If ye were Abraham's children ye would do the works of Abraham if they were genuine children of Abraham they would shew it by the honour they really put upon him by making him an holy exemplar and pattern to themselves how to walk before the Lord and to be upright It was a noble speech of a good daughter-in-Law to her Mother Naomi a godly Matron Ruth 2. 16. Thy God shall be my God and thy people my people she would honour all that was honourable in her her Religion her faith in God and worship and service of him and obedience to him as also her union and communion with the Church and love to them and the like 10. Not to suffer themselves to be drawn aside 10. By cleaving to their good wayes without degenerating and Apostatising or to Apostatise or degenerate from that of God and Christ and his grace truth worship and wayes which their Parents have held forth to them in word and deed precept and practice and have frequenrly given in charge to their children This is charged upon children Prov. 6. 20. My Son keep tby Fathers Commandements and forsake not the Law of thy Mother And Prov. 4. 2. Forsake you not my Law Prov. 1. 8. My Son hear the instructions of thy Father and forsake not the Law of thy Mother This was commended in those of Judah the posterity of godly Ancestors Hos 11. 12. Judah ruleth yet with God and comparatively to Israel is faithfull to the Saints viz. their godly Ancestors who delivered their faith to their successors to be kept and carryed and conveyed to posterity successively according as they had taught them by precept and practice It s faithfulness to Ancestors and so honoureth Ancestors when posterity continueth to hold out what was most honourable in them and doth not degenerate them-from Hence that also Jer. 35. 13 14. will you not hearken to my words saith the Lord The words of Jonadab the Son of Rechab that he commanded his Sons are performed for unto this day they drink no wine but obey their Fathers Commandement As if he had said they put this Honour upon their Ancestors from Jonadabs time who first practised it and gave it in charge to his children who also left it as their practice and precept to their Children and so successively from Parent to Child it hath been observed without alteration to this day nor will they by any temptation or triall even of Jeremiah himself be drawn aside from that their mortified practice of weanedness from the worlds delights and contentments but you will not Honour me so much as to follow the Counsels and godly examples of my Prophets by whom time after time I have called upon you to wayes of holy obedience These two last wayes of Reflect Honour of Parents by their Children being the main we shall therefore in the prosecution of the point chiefly attend them The Reason hereof may be taken from the titles Reasons hereof from childrens Titles calling for it given to Children in Scripture which hold forth as much that in Gods appointment Children as child should be an honor to their parents 1. Hence they are called Parents and Ancestors Crowns Prov. 17. 6. Childrens Children are the Crown of old men A badge and pledge of their holy royalty dignity and excellency as Crowns are to Princes heads and Hos 9. 11. They are called Parents glory their glory shall flee away viz. their Children from the birth womb and conception v. 12. I will bereave them of their Children which they bring up 2. They are called Stars Gen. 37. 9 10. The glory of the firmament where they are the Families where they are albeit not of equall glory to the Father and Mother of the Family which are theirs as the Sun and Moon as Jacob and his wife and eleven Sons are in Josephs dream the Sun Moon and eleven Stars 3. They are Parents rewards from God and so appointed to be as rewards are to others for their Honour so are they in Gods intent godly Parents heritage and heritages redound to the possessors Honour 4. They are in Gods appointment to be as Olive plants about their Table a badge and pledge of Honour to their Parents such as from whom commeth that which will make their parents faces to shine as Oyle-olive will a mans face They are as Arrows in the hand of a Gyant which become instrumental to many an honourable Trophe and Lawrell Crown of theirs such as Parents need not beashamed of but glory in even in despite of envy and malice it self Psal 127. 4. 5. As Arrows are in the hand of a Gyant so are Children of youth happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them they shall not be ashamed but they shall speak with the enemies in the Gate 5. Children are in Scripture account builders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath built Isay 49. 17. Genev. Transl not only in respect of holding up the Family and the like but in that their work is to contrive compose advance adorn replensh or occasionally to repair that goodly piece their Parents Honour as well as safety comfort peace prosperity or the like 6. Children are in Scripture account as polished stones of a Palace Psal 144. 22. redounding much to the Honour of Parents who instrumentally formed and framed them Reason 2. May be taken from Parents they are 2. From Times of Parents in Scripture their Childrens glory Prov. 17. 6. and the glory of Children are their Fathers and if good Parents are such an Honour to their Children Children should be a glory and Honour to their godly Parents yea the Honour put upon Parents redounds to their Children the more glory is upon the Parent the more is upon the Children whose glory their Fathers are so that the more Honour Children are to Parents and the better they carry it in way of Honour to their Parents the more Honour they put thereby upon themselves The use of this point serveth first for reproof Use 1. For Reproof and that and that first of Parents who are many of you too guilty of your Childrens dishonourable courses and carriages namely 1. When you unadvisedly expose your Children 1. Of Parents too much furthering Childrens dishonourable carriages and courses to dishonourable practices or temptations thereunto as Gen. 19. 8. I have two daughters saith Lot to those beastly Sodomites which have not known man let me I pray you bring them out to you and do yee to them as is good in your own
that Isaiah made account that for the sins whereby those degenerate ones brake Gods everlasting Covenant Isa 24. 3. The earth should reel to and fro like a Drunkard and that the trangression thereof shall be heavy upon it vers 20. Now if such Covenant-breaking sins of degenerate ones be such as they are a burthen too heavy for the very earth to bear and such as maketh the very earth to stagger under it like a Drunkard me thinks the burthen of such a sin should make your backs and hearts ake and crack and even reel under it if it do not so now yet let all degenerate ones know that God will one day awaken your consciences when you shall say with that terrified Apostate degenerate Cain My punishment or my sin is greater than I can bear 3. Hereby you become grosly unfaithfull yea 3. It is unfaithfulness and treachery to God Ancestours posterity and the whole Church treacherous to your God to your Ancestours to your Parents to posterity to the whole Church God made you his Trustees and so did Ancestours and Parents make you their spirituall Trustees under God to hold up Religion Truth the Worship Waies and Goverment of Christ when they should be gathered to their Fathers they look at and leave you their Children to be a seed of the Church to be as plants to hold up Gods Orchards as Churches are called Cant. 4. 12 13. and as lesser sets and slips to maintain the Lords Gardens of which Cant. 8. 12 to be the Lords hand and theirs also to receive his Truth Worship and Government from them under God and faithfully and intirely to deliver the same to your posterity and so to help to propagate the same to such as come after you Psal 78. 5. The Lord established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel which he commanded our Fathers that they should make them known to their Children vers 6. That the generation to come might know them even the Children which should be born who should arise and declare them to their Children vers 7. That they might set their hope in God The like course of continuation and propagation of his wayes and truth among the Gentiles doth the Lord pitch upon Psal 22. 30 31. A seed shall serve him It shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation they shall come and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born that he hath done this hence that twofold censure of God upon the two houses of Israel and Judah Hos 11. 12. Ephraim compasseth me about with lies and the house of Israel with deceit but Judah yet ruleth with God and is faithfull to the Saints namely past present and to come that Tribe was more faithfull in the matter of Gods charge left with them and they were faithfull to their godly Ancestors or Parents who left also the things of God to them and they were therein also more faithfull to posterity who would come to be spirituall gainers thereby hitherto Abijahs speech is appliable also 2 Chro. 13. 11. We of Judah keep the charge of the Lord our Ged but yee Israelites have for saken him hence that degenerate generation in Deut. 32. 20. are said to be Children in whom is no faith or fidelity or trustiness and truth in the matter of their holy charge delivered to them and truly if it were no more for a sprinkling of a better generation here and there of the godly than for such as you are what in an ordinary way would become of the way of God of religion of Church within a few years And such as you are do what in you lyeth to break and ruine posterity and the succession of Churches It s true indeed if all such fail as Matth. 3. 9. God is able out of stones to raise up Children unto Abraham by unlikely wayes and means to raise up another seed of the Church but yet in regard of second causes and Gods ordinary way of dispensation if all such plants and nurceries fail Gods Orchard and Garden-Churches must fail 4. It is going a whoring from God 4. Hereby you go a whoring from God Rejoyce not O Israel for joy as other people for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God saith God to those degenerate ones Hos 9. 1. You are by Covenant as married to God as God spake of that Apostate degenerate posterity when he would quicken them up to return to him Jer. 3. 14. Turn O back-sliding Children saith the Lord for I am married to you yea but in respect of you that marriage Covenant is broken as by spirtuall whoredome of which Jam. 4. 4. Speaking of professors and members of Churches that yet were turned aside from God Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses saith the Lord. Now how odious a sin is Adultery with men and surely this spirituall whordome is very heinous in Gods sight and deeply provoking hence that Psal 73. 27. Thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee 5. Hereby you become stumbling blocks to others 5. It occasioneth much sin in others and occasion in them both evils of commission and omission Oh it s an Attractive a load-stone to draw company of other youngsters why there will be such and such a members a Ministers an Elders Son or Daughter there It hardens others in their evill why I drank not I plaid not such a Lords day or the like alone such and such members Elders Sons or Daughters did so as well as I. I wear not such long hair alone I go not in such and such fashions alone I hold not such and such opinions which you Judge corrupt alone but such and such Church Members and their Children do as much 1 Sam. 2. 17. The sin of Elies Sons it s said was very great before the Lord for men abhorred the offering of the Lord. 6. Hereby you not alone cross what in you 6. It is a crossing even of God's expectation lyeth the Churches the Churches Officers your Parents your godly instructors and friends expectations but you do in a sense also cross the Lords expectations touching you like that degenerate posterity Esay 63. 8. God said of them surely they are my people Children that will not lie so he was their Saviour ves 10. but they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit So Esay 5. 3 4. Wherefore when I looked for grapes did it bring forth wild grapes God maketh account speaking after the manner of men and according to the way of his generall will and to second causes and the like that surely they would be trusty to him and his truth and way and they would be fruitfull but they proved otherwise so may God say of such as we are now speaking of but as that was most grievous in them before God severely punished in them so is this in these degenerate ones your crime is heinous your punishment will be most dreadfull if you speedily repent not Now
to keep his due order in your hearts words and wayes and what remedy of any soul-mischiefs where conscience is put out of its place surely if ever God mean your souls good he will put conscience again into is place 5. Is not this to disgrace the wayes and word 5. It is the casting of dirt upon Gods wayes of God and to cast dirt upon them and to make the world believe that upon triall you find them not worth the looking after or cleaving too hence that querie made to those degenerate ones Mic. 2. 7. Do not my words do good to them that walk uprightly You by your course would make men believe otherwise but is not the affirmative the very truth that they do good indeed to them that keep close to them God therefore chargeth those Apostate and degenerate Jewes Psal 50. 16 17. With contemptuous casting his words behind their back as refuse things as words that have no Authority over them to curb and controll them in their wayes and just so do you deal with Gods words but will God think you take this well at your hands and not make you as well as those Psal 50. 21. to know it to your cost 6. Is not this to deal worse with God his truth 6. It is worse dealing with God than Idolaters deal with their Idols and wayes than ever Idolaters dealt with their Idols and Idoll worship as God reasoneth with those degenerate ones in Jer. 2. 9 10 11. hath a Nation changed their Gods which yet are no Gods It is also to deal worse with Gods word truth than Heretiques and Opinionists do with their Heresies and Errors who are wont to hold them stedfastly and constantly as that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in Revel 2. 14. signifieth which hold Balaams doctrine that is hold it fast hold it strongly and unmovably and must not this be very evill in Gods sight 7. Is not this to put your godly instructors 7. It is to make all godly instruments to be losers Parents Ministers c. to saddest loss even to lose the spirituall things which instrumentally they have wrought in you as it is said 2 Joh. 8. Look to your selves that we lose not the things which we have wrought and must not this also be very evill in Gods sight 8. In a word is not this to play the beasts and 6. It is to play the very Beasts to fulfill that proverb the dog is turned to his vomit and the washed sow to her wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2. 21 22. When as in former times you were so far inlightned and wrought upon that out of trouble for your sins you cased your selves of them and cast them off and washed and purified your outward course and conversation but now have defiled your selves again with them and can this be other than loathsome to the pure eyes of the Lord And now having represented to degenerate Mischiefs attending the degeneration of the children of the godly in generall ones in generall and speciall the evill of sin which is in their degeneration let me also shew them the mischiefs attending the same And first those which attend degeneration in generall Now all degeneration of such Children of the Church and of the godly being a sin against more light means and offers of grace yea more grace it self it is therefore the greater sin and must assuredly provoke the Lord to more fierce displeasure against degenerate ones than against others the servant which knew his Masters will and did it not is beaten with more stripes Luke 12. 47. Hence when God speaketh of that degenerate brood of Children in whom was no trustiness no faith Deut. 32. 20. vers 19. He saith and when the Lord saw it he abhorred them because of the provocation of his Sons and Daughters And it is given by God as a generall threat Heb. 10. 38. If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him but that we may press on a little here let all or any such degenerate off-spring of the godly know 1. That God taketh exact notice of all your 1. God layeth up this their sin against an evill day degenerate Acts he narrowly and throughly eyeth them and layeth them up against a season of Justice thus God concludeth concerning their degenerating De. 32. 34. Is not this laid up in store with me among my treasures and vers 35. their foot shall slide in due time the day of their calamity is at hand 2. That you cannot have any just excuse for any 2. They can have no excuse for this their sin such degenerating of yours yea such like words and warnings which you have had to the contrary now or at any other time will one day come in as evidences against you Deut. 31. 19. 21. That warning Song and Sermon of Moses at the plaines of Moab it s said should testifie against them as a witness in case of their degeneration and Apostacy from the good wayes of God 3. That the evils of sins of omission or commission 3. The sins of succeeding posterity will be charged upon them in the posterity which doth succeed you will be charged also upon your accounts as occasioned by your unfaithfulness and degeneration God in making search into mens sins doth it that he might give to every man according to the fruit of his doings as well as according to his wayes so that if that be the fruit of your degenerate doings that being unfaithfull in the charge of God and godly Ancestors and Parents under God which they committed to your trust also your posterity and the succeeding generations become profane irreligious superstitious erroneous or hereticall God will render to you also according to these fruits of your doings you shall be accounted and proceeded against as children that are gone backward and corrupters thereby also as well as otherwise of others Isay 1. 4 5. As it was sometimes charged upon Lachish possibly in respect of the Apostacy of the Danites the Antient Inhabitants thereof Judg. 18. That it was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion for the transgression of Israel was found in her Mic. 1. 13. So in like sort will you be charged as the beginners of the sins of your posterity And alas have you not sins enough of your own to Answer for but must you answer for others sins also 4. That Gods judgements will be more bitter 4. Gods punishments both of losse and sense will be most sad and bitter to such and sad to you than to others In that punishment of loss when the degenerate children of the Lords Kingdome shall be cast out of it Mat. 8. 11. There amongst them shall be sorest weeping gnashing of teeth the sorest sharpest and vexingst griefs are with them you will be ready to curse the day that ever you came of such good Ancestors and Parents that ever you had so