The works of the reverend and faithful servant of Jesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…The workes of the reuerend and faithfull seruant af Iesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…

It is marvellous to see how greatly parents can bewail the want of one natural gift proceeding of some imperfection, and how easily they can pass over without any grief, the want of all spiritual graces, springing from corrupt education. In like manner, it is strange that men can take the matter so heavily, when their children break into such offences, as either have open shame, or civill punishment following them, and yet can make no bones, but post over such sins as are against the majesty of God, accompanied with everlasting confusion and unspeakable torments: wherein what do most part of men bewray, but their greathy pocrisie, in that neither their joy nor their grief is sound to their ⟨p. 277⟩children, and that they love themselves more in their children, than either their salvation, or the glory of God? The tender love & care whereof no doubt did increase the sorrow of David for the death of his son Absalom, who was not so much grieved for the loss of a son, as for that untimely end of his son. Let us learn therefore to correct our affections to our children, and be grieved for our ignorance, impiety and sins: whereof either our carnal compassion, the not lamenting of our own natural corruption, the want¹ of prayer for an holy seed, or profane education armed with the wrath of God, may be a most just occasion. Can a man hope for a holy posterity? or do we marvel if the Lord cross us in the children of our bodies, when we make as bold and brutish an entrance into that holy ordinance of the Lord, as in the meeting of the neighing horse with his mate, when being joined in that honourable estate of matrimony, either as mere natural men without all knowledge of God we beget our children: or as too carnal men without the fear and reverence of the Lord, neither bewailing our corruption which we received of our forefathers, nor praying against our infirmities which may descend to our posterity, we abuse the marriage bed. Lastly, when having received the fruit of the womb, we have no care by virtuous education to offer it to the Lord, that our child by carnal generation may be the child of God by spiritual regeneration? Surely no.

It is marueilous to see how greatly parents can bewaile the want of one naturall gift proceeding of some imperfection, and how easily they can passe ouer without any griefe, the want of all spirituall graoes, springing from corrupt education. In like manner, it is strange that men can take the matter so heauily, when their children breake into such offences, as either haue open shame, or ciuill punishment following them, and yet can make no bones, but post ouer such sinnes as are against the maiestie of God, accompanied with euerlasting confusion and vnspeakable torments: wherein what doe most part of men bewray, but their greathy pocrisie, in that neither their ioy nor their griefe is soūd to their