A practical exposition of the X. Commandments with a resolution of several momentous questions…A practical exposition of the X. Commandements with a resolution of several momentous questions…

The third Question is, How God doth execute this threatening? or, How he doth reach Children with eternal Plagues for their Parents sins?

The third Question is, How God doth execute this threatning? or, How he doth reach Children with eternal Plagues for their Parents sins?

Answ. 1. He doth it certainly, and he doth it justly: therefore the Children must not only be considered as guilty, but as guilty of the sins of their Parents, which we may thus conceive; 1. As to the Child of a wicked Parent, lying in natural Corruption, God denieth and with-holdeth his renewing and restraining Grace which he is not obliged to confer; and the Lord in this may respect the Parents guilt justly. 2. When grace is denied, then followeth the temptation of the Parents practise, the Devil stirring up, to the like sin, and they furthering their Children to wickedness by their example, advice, authority, &c. So that it cometh to pass in Gods justice, that they are given up to vent their natural corruption in these ways, and so come as it is, Psal. 49.13. to approve their Parents sayings. 3. Upon this followeth God's casting the Child, now guilty of his Parents faults, into eternal Perdition with him; and that this is the meaning of the threatening, will appear by the examples of Gods justice in this matter, when wicked Parents have Children that are not so much miserable in regard of temporal things, as they are wicked, cursed, and plagued with Ungodliness; so was Cains Children, so were the Children of Ham, and so were Esau's, who were all for a long time prosperous in the world, but following their Fathers sins (a main part of their Curse) God afterward visited them, on them, with sad temporal judgments also.

Answ. 1. He doth it certainly, and he doth it justly: therefore the Children must not only be considered as guilty, but as guilty of the sins of their Parents, which we may thus conceive; 1. As to the Child of a wicked Parent, lying in natural Corruption, God denyeth and with-holdeth his renewing and restraining Grace which he is not obliged to confer; and the Lord in this may respect the Parents guilt justly. 2. When grace is denyed, then followeth the temptation of the Parents practise, the Devil stirring up, to the like sin, and they furthering their Children to wickedness by their example, advice, authority, &c. So that it cometh to pass in Gods justice, that they are given up to vent their natural corruption in these ways, and so come as it is,