And thirdly,1 If the sins of Parents may be the cause of such things to Children as better they had not been born,2 let those that have Children take heed that they lay not up such wrath for an Inheritance for their Children, as that their Children afterwards should even wish they never had been born of such Parents, especially if Parents be careless in the education of their Children not to bring them up in the fear of the Lord,3 hereafter their Children may curse the time that ever they were born of them, and say, Oh! that I rather had been of the off-spring of Vipers, or the generation of Dragons than that I had come of such Parents, Oh! that my Mother had had a miscarrying womb, or that she never had had breasts to give me suck. Certainly this will be the voice of many children against their Parents one day: Look to it that there be never a Father nor Mother in this place that may give cause to their Children thus to wish they had never been born of such Parents.4 And certainly if the enduring of sorrows and misery in this world may put them into such a condition, what then will sin and being the authors of miseries to others do? Those Children that are abominable and wicked in their lives, ⟨p. 267⟩and are causes of mischief to others,5 how much cause is it that it had been said, that it had been been better his Mothers womb had miscarried: as it was said of Judas, that it had been better that he had never been born: And so it may be said of abundance at this day, what abundance of evil are some at this day the cause of unto others? What woeful disturbances,6 distractions and calamities do some men bring upon a nation? had it not been better that their Mothers wombs to have miscarried, and their breasts not to have given them such?
And thirdly,1 If the sins of Parents may be the cause of such things to Children as better they had not been born,2 let those that have Children take heed that they lay not up such wrath for an Inheritance for their Children, as that their Children afterwards should even wish they never had been born of such Parents, especially if Parents be careless in the education of their Children not to bring them up in the fear of the Lord,3 hereafter their Children may curse the time that ever they were born of them, and say, Oh! that I rather had been of the off-spring of Vipers, or the generation of Dragons than that I had come of such Parents, Oh! that my Mother had had a miscarrying womb, or that she never had had breasts to give me suck. Certainly this will be the voice of many children against their Parents one day: Look to it that there be never a Father nor Mother in this place that may give cause to their Children thus to wish they had never been born of such Parents.4 And certainly if the enduring of sorrows and misery in this world may put them into such a condition, what then wil sin and being the authors of miseries to others do? Those Children that are abominable and wicked in their lives, ⟨p. 267⟩and are causes of mischief to others,5 how much cause is it that it had been said, that it had been been better his Mothers womb had miscarried: as it was said of Judas, that it had been better that he had never been born: And so it may be said of abundance at this day, what abundance of evil are some at this day the cause of unto others? What woful disturbances,6 distractions and calamities do some men bring upon a nation? had it not been better that their Mothers wombs to have miscarried, and their breasts not to have given them such?
- 1Use. 3.
- 2let not parents cause their children to wish they had never been born.let not parents cause their childrē to wish they had never been born.
- 3By neglect of good education.
- 4If better not to be born in respect of ten poral calamities; what then in respect of eternal?If better not to be born in respect of tē poral calamities; what then in respect of eternal?
- 5especially those who are authors of calamities to others.
- 6As at this day in Eng.
