A godly and learned exposition or commentary upon the three first chapters of the…A godly and learned exposition or commentarie vpon the three first chapters of the…

Here is the third part of Christs threatening against Jezebels children: by children we are to understand properly, those which are borne of her, and were of her husband, and not her followers, for they were threatened with grievous afflictions in the former verse. It had been sufficient to have said, I will […] her children. But to note the certainty and grievousness of this punishment, he saith I will kill them (with death▪) Quest. How can this stand with the justice of God, to punish the offences of the parents in the person of the children? Ans. God deareth so for temporal punishments, not for eternal.

Here is the third part of Christs threatning against Iesabels children: by children wee are to vnderstand properly, those which are borne of her, and were of her husband, and not her followers, for they were threatned with grieuous afflictions in the former verse. It had bene sufficient to haue sayd, I will 〈…〉 her children. But to note the certainty and greeuousnesse of this punishment, he saith I will kill them (with death▪) Quest. How can this stand with the iustice of God, to punish the offences of the parents in the person of the children? Ans. God deareth so for temporall punishments, not for eternall.

And though we could not perceive the justice of God in so doing, yet we must reverence the •ame, blaming our own ignorance. Albeit, even in reason we may conceive of the equity of this course▪ for societies, as church, commonwealth, and families, are Gods ordinance, and the parties in them must be considered as members of those societies: for God conceiveth of them when he afflicteth the punishment deserved by one, upon another; as of the Prince upon the people, of the parents upon their children. This he may justly do by reason of that near bond which is ⟨p. 147⟩between the members of the same society: like as in the natural body when the stomach is distempered, the head acheth: and when the head is wounded the stomach is sick; and the body may be smitten for the errors of the tongue. Thus when David sinned the child died, and when he numbered the Israelites, the people were plagued. And thus is the child stained in blood for the fathers treason against earthly Princes: and so God punished this woman in her children, that she might know the greatness of her sins, he smote her children with death.