.OfeducationofChildren. parents when they wereyong; whereof becaulethey haue not repented, the Lord pu nifhetlitheirfirma committed againff others, with the like finnein othersagaintthem felues. Wilt thou knowthou father , low thou maid haue that bleffing, tobe the bleed fa- ther ofa Welted !cede? wiltthou know Omother, how to auoydthat curfè,m he the cur_ fedmother ofa curled feede ? then bring thy children within the couenant , endcuour tó makethy tonneby nature, theforme ofGod by grace ; and thy daughter by nature, the daughterofGod by grace: and rememberthatGod whichonhis partprotefhed to our fa- ther Abraham, that he was all fufficient for the accompldlunent ofhis promife ,- ingluing him abided feede, requiredalloofour fatherAbraham forhis part, that hefhouldvalke before himand bevprrght. Wilt thou then haue theonepart of this couenant, that is, that God Mouldbide thee in thy feed then remember thoualfo theother parr, thatthouwalke before the Lord and be upright. Wilt thou haue thy children as the blared feede of Abraham? teach them withAbraham the commandementsof God, prayfor themwith Abraham that they may hue in the fight of the Lord i be readie to offer them with Abraham, that theymay be an holy facrifice to theLord. It is thouOman,O woman,that may&do thychild thegrca- tedgood and the greateff banne : if thouprayefl for him, and repenteft for thy felfr , the LordwillWelk thy care,the pafforspaines, and the teacherstrauaile. But if thoudefui- feft theft duties,the Lord will denie cheethofe bleflings, and the curie ofGod will bevp- onthy child athomein thyhoufe,abroad in theChurch and in thelchoole. And teeing the Lord bath promifedthat he will be thy God and blefre thy feede, if thoube fäithfull: thoumaift both hope, that thou art of thefaithful!, if thouhauea blelfed feede, and feare that thou haftnot as yet the bleffingof the couenant , when thy feede is curled. Butfomewillfay,hadnotJacobwickedehtldren ,andDauidgodlefpefonnes? Andcloth Obieltion; notdayly experienceteachvs, that wicked men liauegodly children? Yes:for befides the feceet counfell of the Lord herein,wemuffknow that neither thepromifeof theLord is ló vniuerfall, that eueryparticularchild ofa faithfuliman Mould he b within the couenant: for if of many there be but one blelfed., the promifc:is perförüed. Yeawhichniure is though that a faithfull man haue neueragoodchiide,yeti vetothe thouf.and generation therebebut one good, the couenantis notbroken, Neither muffwe tie the Lordscvorke fomuch toman, that a good man maynot hauean euill fonne;feeiug though the Lord vi- litnot his fines, yet hemayvift theNunes of [Mlle of the forefathers, to die third and fourth generation goingbefore. To the fecondIfay : that an euillfather hailing agood child;though the Lord(hew not mercie to that particular man therein, yethe may remember' his promifeto louseof the forefathers inthe thoulandgeneration goingbefore. Andthough that euillmaüIssue no turfedchilde, yet the corfe may beaccomplrfhed in the third-arid fóurth getieràtìon fol- lowing. Wherefore notfpeaking ofeleetion or reprobation, which we !caneonelyto the Lordto make good or bad, according to thegood pleafureofhis ownewill, Iexhortpa- rents to viethe ordinarie meanesto bringVI) theirchiidreó,foastheyeither by tome good tokens may fee them the children of God, aridheires Ofthe couenant ; or at the leafs be comforted in their owne confciences, if the Lord refute their children for louse cause vnknowne,in that to theirabilitie they haue vied all good meanes to bring them vp well, and offered them toGod. And ifparents issue esule tobegrieued, when thustrauailing in goodeducation they cannot fee good in their children ; howmuch more caufe ofgriefe may-theyhaue, when they bane vied no labour at allto bring them vp in the feire of the Lord. And yet manywill be grieued forthe one, thatwill not begrieued for theother. Wherefore let vs learnt (if we will conueigh Gods bleffrngs to our poi?erities) to vieall holy duties thereunto: and on thecontrary, ifwewill be loath to conueigh Gods iudge- ments to our children, let vs carefully auoide all meanes thatleade vnto it. And fiirely as it is ableffed thing inthe heureof death with Simeon to depart in peace, leaning mir wife,children and feruants fpoufes to Chrift, children toGod,and feruants tothe Lord:fo indeath noonething will be more grieuous untoa man, then the Lordhawinggiaen him 13 the
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