19Z The'Bac%parts offehouah. Vengeancevpon them, and fo makesit manifefl, that howbeit hemight fees e,by parsing by theirfore-fathers , not tobedilpleafed with thofc firm( s, yet he will finde atrue to punish: yeaand which is more,after thismanner ofoutward eft-i- cing, God Bothoftentimes vifit the finnes ofan cull father vpon a godly Tonne; as when a good man left rich in the worldby an opprefsing and oue(progeni- tor,falleth intopouerty.Here isan euidence of Gods-wrath vpon the violence& conetoufueffeofthe father , though the Lord ttray :xrithallbicßèitto the bonne , and vfe it as a meansof his better hun!bling,and of drawinghim from the world' nearerveto himfelfe. This then is thatwhich the Lord affirneth here, that Inch is the fcuerity ofhis wrath againflobninare& prefumptuousgoing on in finite , that his Mice is not fatisfiedby the perfonall punifhment ofthe offender,but it extends it Elie euen tohis off-fptingandpoferity , Comet fines punilhing their foules , that they become followersof their fathers finnes, ordinarily affixing them in their outward oflate, yeathough they themfeluesbe filchasfcare him t taking filch acourir, both toinanifeft theanger againfl theirparents vilenelfe, and yçr wi. hall toweave them (rpm the worldnetter vino heaven. The next pointis,howitmaynandwiththeInfliceofGodthustodoe,topu- oils One for tite liane ofanother, eh poftenityfor the fathers lake, for theclee- ring wherof,thisI fay firil:that if we had learnedin humility to yeeld to this,that the will of God' is the Rule ofall inflict,we would not makeany quenion about this matter. This world ratisfie vs,that it is fo, and that the Lord will haue it io, and therefore it cannot bebut hull &equall,in asmuchas front a righteous God canproceede no iniquity. Andifat any tistewe felt any conceit its vspreluming to inpute any flraitnesor iniulice eeto God, we ihonldToone curb it with this , o Rout.9 ;o. Oman, whoart thouwhich pieadefl again([ Gad o ?Seeó ily,le( &lb &blood ihould yet inagine,that this,wert to snake God nobecter then a tl rant, onewhich may fatisfie his will again([ thejonnesofmen without hull canfe, therefore let vs fee whether we doe not glue hisliberty vntoosen inTome caufes, tomake the chit. dren feele the Intact oftheir fatherstrefpaffes. Wee account it noiunice, that the forme ofattaytor,thoughhe were in his cradle at thetimeof his fathers faâ, and fo was enable togitecontent unto it, ihould for all that betainted in blood, and lofehis inheritance: Weaccount filchpunifhments deuifedwith great wife- dome, to theend that theaffcftion whichnature bath taught ail mento beare to the fruit of their loyers, may be ameans tokeepe them within compalfe. It is an ordinary thing for a father to forfeithis wholeeflat,to the viler undoingof there which Mall fucccede him. Wee muff beware therefore that we doe not rye God firaighter, thenwe rye men : if in mens bufinelfes thefe thingsfeeme not vniun; why (could Gods carafe be challenged in punifhing the fathers euils in the following generations ? And left thiswhich I fay mould beedeemed onely a probability,and nofufficient plea in this cafe,whofoeuer(tall examine the begin- ning ofthe fecondchapter of Hafen, (tall fee good warrant for it. Younull vn- dernand it thus: Irisordinary in the writings and ferironsof the Prophets, for God (to(hew his loue)to tearme himfelfe the fpoufe and husband ofhis people: and for that cafe their rebellionand falling from God,is fooftencanedfornica- tion. Now the Lord hauing refpta to the Ifraelites, theybegan topleade with him, as though he had much wronged them toforfake them ; for whichcode God by theProphets vfcth this fpeech,Pleadwithynxr matber,Plead withberg:. p tal I will hatte nopittyvponber ehildrenofer theyle the children offornication P. fly their motherGod vnderlands thewhole bodyof that nate,whichby an vniuerfaldefe- aion had broken faithwith the Lord. So that Godhere reafoneth with the pert- ple, as an husband might doe with anadulterousbrood, who beingbrought to tome difgrace inthe worldby their mothers diuorce,begin tochallenge their fa- ther to hate done the injury. In fuch a cafethe father might iu(ly fay, Blamenot inr,bttt lay thefault where itit, cyan the lighenes &vnchafli9 o/yoxrmother: fo God reieaing
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