Mori"ves for the good Education of Children. 519 fouls. You think the Calling of Minifters honourable and happy; and fo it is, lJecaufe they ferve Chrifi in fo high awork: But if you will not neglect ir, you may do for your childreu,.more than any MiniUer can do. This is your preaching place : Here God talleth you to exercife your parts ; even in the holy infirudion of your families: Your charge is fmall in comparifon of the Minill~rs: He bath many hundred fouls to watch over, that are fcam~red all abroad the Pariih: and will you think it much to infirutl and wareh over thofe few of your own that are under youi' Roof? You can fpcak odiouOy of unfaithful foul-brtraying Minifters: and do you not confider how cdiolis a foul·ht· tr~ying Parent iJ? IfGod intrujt you but with earthly Talents, take heed how you ufc them; for you muft be accountable for your trufi: And when he hath entruficd you with {oil11 , even your cbildrcnJ foniJ, will you betray them 1 If any Rulerr fhould bu1 forbid you the inlhu6ting and well– governing ot ym1r families, and rc11rain you by aLaW, as they would have refirained Daniel from praying in his houfe, ( Van. 6. ) then you would think them monilcrs of impiuj and inb~tmanity; and you would cry out of a Satanical perflcution, that would make men Traytors to their childrens fouls, and drive away all Religion from the earth: And yet how eafily can you neglect fuch du– ties when nom forbid them you, and·never accufe your felves of a~y fuch horrid imftitty or inhum•· Hily ? What hypocrif1e, and blind partiality is this 1 Like a lazy Minifter that would cry out of perfe· ctttion, if he were filcnced by others, and yet will not De provoked to be laborious, but ordinarily by his Oothfulnefs filence himfelf, and make no fuch matter of it : Would it be fo heynous a fin in ano· t:her to reftrain you? and is it not as heynous for you that are fo much obliged t:o it; voluntarily to refirain your felves ? 0 then deny not this necdfuy diligence to your necdlitous children, as you love • ~ their fouls, as you love the happinefs of the Church or Commonwealth, as you love the honour and intereO ofChrift, and as you lovl: your prefent and everlaning peace. Do not fee your children the llavcs ofSatan here, and the firebrands ofHell for ever, if any diligence of yours may contribute to prevent it: Do not give Confcienc:e fuch mat(er of accufation againA: you, as to fay, AU this waJ long of thee I If lhou had]! injlrulled lhtm diligenlly, and watched over 1hem, antl eom~ed them, and done tby part, ilt lik! 1hey bad nevtr come 1o t~it. You till your Fields; you weed your Gardens ; What pains take yo" about your grounds and Cattel ? and will you not take inore for your childrens fouls ? Alas, what creatures will they be if you leave them to thcrnfe1ves ~ how ignorant, carelcfs, rude and beaftly. 0 what a lamentable cafe have ungodly Parents brought the world into? Igno– rance and feltifhnefs, beafily fenfuality an,<) d,evilifh malignity have covered the face of the earth as a deluge, and driven away wifdom, and felf-aenyal, and piety, and charity, and jullice, and tem– perance almoll out of the world, confining thc,m to the breafts of a few obli;ure humble fouls; that love vertue for vertues fake, and look for their reward from God alone, and expect that by abllaining from iniquity, they make themtelves a prey to Wolves. If•· 59· '5• Wicked education hath unman'd the world, ana fitbdued it to Satan, and made it almoft like to Hell. 0 do not jeyn with the Sons of Belial~ in this unnatural"horrid wickednefs! .. ' • 1~ X:x:x CHAP.
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