In like manner for your Children, would you have them so provided for, that you should not need to take any further care for them in that kind? Distrustful care, I mean still, and of uncertain event; for otherwise lParents ought to be careful to provide for their children; and mhe is worse, I say not, than an Infidel, but nthan a brute beast, that doth otherwise. But would you so do for them, that they may be sure not to want? which otherwise, othough you leave them never so much, they may do. Do the like for them, that you are exhorted here to do for your selves. A poor man when he hath gotten his child once into the Hospital, how glad is he? he thinketh he need take no more care for him, whether he live or die, whether he leave him ought or no; (and yet he will do his best to get somewhat to leave him;) he knoweth there he shall not want. But get your Children, say I, not into Christs Hospital, but into Gods Kingdom of Grace, and they shall then be sure indeed never to want, you shall need to take no further thought for them. Let this be thy first care, and thy principal care, as for thy self, so for them, nor how to make them ⟨p. 52⟩rich, but phow to make them religious, how to work the sincere qfear of God, and rfaith of Christ into them. This when thou hast once effected, thou needest not be troubled to think what will become of them, if thou beest taken away from them; or what thou shalt be able, when thou diest, to do for them: thou shalt leave them Gods blessing, if thou hast nothing else to leave them; (where Religion and Righteousness runneth on in a race, there sGods blessing is also hereditary with it:) and if thou leave them that, though thou leave them nought else, they shall be sure to do well, they shall never want ought. For, tThe Lord knoweth the days of the upright, or the righteous; saith David: and their inheritance shall abide for ever. They shall not be confounded in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall have their fill. And he confirmeth it further by his own experience, both concerning them and their issue. uI have been young, and am now old; yet xnever, either in my younger or elder times, have I seen any righteous man forsaken, or his seed driven to beg their bread.
In like manner for your Children, would you have them so provided for, that you should not need to take any further care for them in that kinde? Distrustfull care, I meane still, and of uncertaine event; for otherwise lParents ought to be carefull to provide for their children; and mhe is worse, I say not, than an Infidell, but nthan a brute beast, that doth otherwise. But would you so doe for them, that they may bee sure not to want? which otherwise, othough you leave them never so much, they may doe. Doe the like for them, that you are exhorted here to doe for your selves. A poore man when he hath gotten his childe once into the Hospitall, how glad is he? he thinketh hee need take no more care for him, whether hee live or die, whether he leave him ought or no; (and yet he will do his best to get somewhat to leave him;) he knoweth there he shall not want. But get your Children, say I, not into Christs Hospitall, but into Gods Kingdome of Grace, and they shall then bee sure indeed never to want, you shall need to take no further thought for them. Let this be thy first care, and thy principall care, as for thy selfe, so for them, nor how to make them ⟨p. 52⟩rich, but phow to make them religious, how to worke the sincere qfeare of God, and rfaith of Christ into them. This when thou hast once effected, thou needest not bee troubled to thinke what will become of them, if thou beest taken away from them; or what thou shalt bee able, when thou diest, to doe for them: thou shalt leave them Gods blessing, if thou hast nothing else to leave them; (where Religion and Righteousnesse runneth on in a race, there sGods blessing is also hereditarie with it:) and if thou leave them that, though thou leave them nought else, they shall be sure to doe well, they shall never want ought. For, t
- l2 Cor. 12.12.
- m1 Tim. 5.8.
- nNahum. 2.13. Thren. 4.3. Ipsae fera savissimae f•••us su••••vent, enutriunt▪ milvi pullis circumvolantes rapinis prospiciunt, Aug. de Civit. l. 19. c. 12.
- oEccles. 4.14. Amplae & regiae •pes, ubi ad malum dominum pervenerunt, momento dissipantur, Sen. de Brev. vit. c. 1. Irus & est subitò, quid modò Croesus erat. Ovid. Trist. 3.7.Eccles. 4.14. Amplae & regiae •pes, ubi ad malum dominum pervenerunt, momēto dissipātur, Sen. de Brev. vit. c. 1. Irus & est subitò, quid modò Croesus erat. Ovid. Trist. 3.7.
- pGenes. 18.19. Deut. 6.6. 1 Chron. 28.9.
- qProv. 24.21. Ephes. 6.4.
- r1 Tim. 4.6. 2 Tim. 1.5. & 3.15.
- sPsal. 115.13, 14.
- t
