Christian directions, showing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…Christian directions, shewing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…

IV. It is the duty of Parents to rebuke their children when they do amiss, whereby you may both free your selves from the guilt of your children's sin▪ and prevent much evil in your children. For questionless the want thereof is one special cause of so much wickedness and profaneness in many children.

IV. It is the duty of Parents to rebuke their children when they do amiss, whereby you may both free your selves from the guilt of your childrens sin▪ and prevent much evil in your children. For questionless the want thereof is one special cause of so much wickedness and prophaneness in many children.

V. When reproof prevails not, you ought to correct them for their faults. This duty the Scripture often presseth upon Parents; Chasten thy Son while there is hope, ¹and let not thy soul spare for his crying; or, as the Original properly signifieth, Let not thy ⟨p. 145⟩soul spare to his destruction. Intimating, that the Fathers sparing of his child, may tend to his destruction, or as we use to say, bring him to the Gallows. So that too much lenity, may prove the greatest cruelty in the issue. An Ancient Father in the Church relates a sad story of a youth,² whose usual custom it was upon any thing that crossed him, to curse and blaspheme, and not being duly corrected for the same, he continued in that wicked course to his dying-day; and as the story noteth, the Devil was seen to carry him away. But herein two extremes are carefully to be avoided, viz. Lenity, and Severity. As Parents ought not to be too indulgent towards their children, which was Eli's fault for which, sore judgements befell both him and his children:³