Man ashiv le-Yahoweh, or, A serious enquiry for a suitable return for continued life,…

7. Believingly; When you exercise your child with the Rod, do you exercise faith upon the Promise.

¹Thirdly, In Praying much for them; many pray for Children before they have them, but neglect ⟨p. 204⟩to pray for them when God hath given them; as though their being were a greater blessing than their well-being: you must add Prayer to Instruction and Correction; for, it is not only your Instruction, nor Correction, but Gods blessing given in to fervent Prayer, that will make your Children good. When you look upon your little Infants as they are sucking at your breasts, or laughing in your faces, or playing in your arms; oh consider the seed of sin that they have in their hearts! that they, by Nature, are the children of wrath; and, when you go to pray for them, use such considerations that might make your heart to mourn over them, and for them: When you consider they are enemies to God, can you not mourn for them upon your knees? when you consider they are lost children, except mercy find them; that they are damned children except free grace save them: Can you not mourn abundantly, and pray fervently for them? Can you consider they are by Nature, without the Image and Likeness of God, and not be grieved at the heart? that your child is a little Traitor against the King of Heaven; a little Rebel against the glorious God; and, will you not pray that his heart may be changed? Could you weep and grieve if your Child were a Monster, if it had a body of one kind, and an head of another; if it had an Arm too much, or a Leg too much, or little; why, its misery is more by Nature then all this, and yet, can you not mourn in your Prayers for him?

¹Thirdly, In Praying much for them; many pray for Children before they have them, but neglect ⟨p. 204⟩to pray for them when God hath given them; as though their being were a greater blessing than their well-being: you must add Prayer to Instruction and Correction; for, it is not onely your Instruction, nor Correction, but Gods blessing given in to servent Prayer, that will make your Children good. When you look upon your little Infants as they are sucking at your breasts, or laughing in your faces, or playing in your armes; oh consider the seed of sin that they have in their hearts! that they, by Nature, are the children of wrath; and, when you go to pray for them, use such considerations that might make your heart to mourn over them, and for them: When you consider they are enemies to God, can you not mourn for them upon your knees? when you consider they are lost children, except mercy find them; that they are damned children except free grace save them: Can you not mourn abundantly, and pray servently for them? Can you consider they are by Nature, without the Image and Likeness of God, and not be grieved at the heart? that your child is a little Traitor against the King of Heaven; a little Rebel against the glorious God; and, will you not pray that his heart may be changed? Could you weep and grieve if your Child were a Monster, if it had a body of one kind, and an head of another; if it had an Arme too much, or a Leg too much, or little; why, its misery is more by Nature then all this, and yet, can you not mourn in your Prayers for him?