A Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practically resolvedA Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practicaly resolved

2. Love your Children, truly, tenderly, but yet take heed that you do not over-love them. But when is that? Certainly, when you Love them more than you Love God and Christ, you over-love them. But who does so? I shall not charge you but give me leave to ask you a question or two. Tell me, when your Gods Glory, and your Child's good are nearly concerned, for which doth your zeal most hotly glow? Are not your Affections most fiery, where they should be most cool, and where they should burn, there they freeze? Doth not your Heart make you believe, it Loves God, and gives him Pledges of your affection, while it secretly dotes chiefly on the dandled Child? Like some false Strumpet that entertains her Husband with her Eyes, and on the mean time treads on the Toe of her Paramour. Do you not often think, you love God enough, and when, your Child most, yet but enough, nay never enough: your head, heart, hand, purse, mandrakes, five messes, breasts, bowels; All, but little enough, too little for your Child, your Idol; is it so as to your God? So to Love our Child, as thereby, to lesson our Love to God, yea or to equalize it with our Love to God, ⟨p. 178⟩is not only indulgence but idolatry. And an Idol of Flesh and Blood is to be abhorred as well as that of Wood, or Sone. Assuredly the best way to quench this exorbitant Love to Children on Earth, is to set your Hearts and Affections more on your Father in Heaven; on God, his Christ, Spirit, Word, ways, rewards. Luk. 10.32. Isa. 33.6. 1 Pet. 1.24, 25. Look but directly, on that Sun and thine eyes will quickly be dazzled to these glittering glow-worms here below. Make that invaluable Pearl but thy Treasure, and thou wilt lightly esteem these Bristol-Stones. Take but Christ fully, and wholly into thy heart, and bosom, and thou wilt quickly yield, thy Child's proper place is but thy Foot, or Knee. In a word, If God in Christ be thy God indeed, thou wilt abhor the thought, and practice of making thy Child his Corrival.

2. Love your Children, truly, tenderly, but yet take heed that you do not over-love them. But when is that? Certainly, when you Love them more than you Love God and Christ, you over-love them. But who does so? I shall not charge you but give me leave to ask you a question or two. Tell me, when your Gods Glory, and your Childs good are neerly concern'd, for which doth your zeal most hotly glow? Are not your Affections most fiery, where they should be most cool, and where they should burn, there they freeze? Doth not your Heart make you believe, it Loves God, and gives him Pledges of your affection, while it secretly doats chiefly on the dandled Child? Like some false Strumpet that entertains her Husband with her Eyes, and on the mean time treads on the Toe of her Paramour. Do you not often think, you love God enough, and when, your Child most, yet but enough, nay never enough: your head, heart, hand, purse, mandrakes, five messes, breasts, bowels; All, but little enough, too little for your Child, your Idol; is it so as to your God? So to Love our Child, as thereby, to lesson our Love to God, yea or to equalize it with our Love to God,