90 Thefaxt Sermon. the chargeand dignitie of fomany foules, tobefurthered to fatnation, that hisowne tor- Thatparents mented confciencethallpreffehim ,how,inasmuch ashe could, he hath helped themfor. mayhaeeç wardto their damnation ; and fowhich is more fearefull, heethall hauethem limingand ëxcein d eath. famingout in hisfacecontinual! curfes , in hell accufinghim for euertobe the imurtherer of theirfoules. Howbeit, I do not exempt children from all blame , fo charging the pa- rents, asthough the children werefree fromall guiltinefte herein : for I am not ignorant, that asinthe tune-of Ezckel, fo inourdayes,youth is readieenough to take vp this Pro- uerbey The fathers bane eaten fswre grapes, and the children teethare letonedge. But I affirme, tisat though tIseoccafion be offeredof fuels wicked parents, yet the caufe of de. ftruótionisHiinthechildrenthemfelues. Andbefides that, it is fure thatthe foulewhich bath finned lhall die the death. Seeing alfo there be force yong men,who notwithttan. dingthe great prophanenesof themolt, themanifoldcorruptions offered abroad,the vn- godly examples abounding at home,are fomightily preferuedby the feede ofgrace, that theyeicapefafely in anholy courfeof life,lamenting whenthey fee the leaftoccafionofe- uill, reioycing in the leaft occafionof good things : the reft who pleafe themfelues, and hopeto fhelter their fines vndertheir parents defaults, areplainely left without excufe, and areiuftly guiltieoftheblood of theirowne foules. Labour thereforeye yongmen to wipe away the tearesofgriefefrom yourfathers eyes,andflay theforrowfull feints ofyour tender mothers, and confiderwith your felues, ifyouhaue anygood naturein you, and hauenotburiedthe vfe of common reafon,whata flumeitisto beafhamevnto yourfa- thers,to whomyeought tobeaglory : and thinkeyewantonwits,that haue not raft off all naturallaffeEtions,whatacontemptit is to be a contempt veto yourmother, to whom yehaue offeredasit wetea defpightfull violence, inthat yeareas itwere a corofiuevnto her heart,when asye fhould haue bina Crowne vntoher head. The end of all thisbrieflyis thusmuch,thatparents hauingchildren not walkingeither in knowledge or inagood confcience, muftmake formevfeof fo iuftacaufe of griefe, ex- amining themfelues, and accufing theirovine foules beforethe Lord; either for that their meetingwasprophaneto foholy aneltate; or brutifh, becaufethey defired rather a feede likeunto themfelues inflefhandblood,then fuck as might be like toChrift bygrace and newbirth; or that theybegat their ofspring,asmeerenatnrallorvery carnal men ; or be- caufe theyeither prophanelynegleEtedall education,ormonliroully mifhkedthat in their childrenwhich they liked in themfelues , and-punned in them their ownecorrupt pre- cepts; or forthat theyftlfferediniuriouflytheir children to doe euill veto others, which they couldnot fuffer them todoe vnto themfelues : or vntaught that athomewhichwas taughtabroad ; or in that they do liein force finnevnrepentcdof; or elfebecaufetheyne- ver madeconfcience to bringtheir pofteritiewithin thecouenantoflaluation : but !tilllo- uedtheir ftefh intheir children, and not their foules. And childrenmull here alfo learn, thatit isone fpeciall propertie ofa liberalland ingeniousnature, to becarefullfo to liue,that in time they maybea glorietotheir fathers,andaioy totheir mo- thers : which the Lordgrant tovs allfor his glory,and our euerlaftingcomfort: through Iefus Chrift our Lord and one- ly Sauioür. FINIS, OF
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