An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…

And further, As in this particular so we may take occasion to make use of it other ways. Do your children prove stubborn, stout to you? Oh how many times doth the father or mother get alone into their chamber and fall a bemoaning of themselves, Oh what a stout,¹ stubborn child have we, nothing will reform him, no admonition! It may be the mother goes §1alone and wrings her hands and cries out because of the stubbornness of her child. Well, are you so sensible of this when your children prove stubborn towards you? Oh consider how sensible God is if you carry your selves stubbornly towards him. If a husband have an ill wife that is froward and troublesome, §2that grieves his spirit and loves him not, he goes alone and laments his condition and thinks himself one of the miserablest men upon the earth. Is this so grievous to you? ⟨p. 156⟩Oh how grievous is it unto Jesus Christ to have his Church so to him? And have you any friend that hath dealt unfaithfully §3with you? Oh such a friend hath dealt unfaithfully with me, was ever any served so? Oh consider how you have dealt unfaithfully with God, and as it goes to your hearts to have a friend deal unfaithfully with you, so it goes to the heart of God when you deal unfaithfully with him. This is the note then,² Our ill dealings with God and our unfaithfulness to him, is made more sensible when those that are near unto us deal unfaithfully with us. And thus much for the words under that consideration. I will make you sensible saith God of your dealings with me, if nothing will do it, it shall be by this way of mine, to bring this judgment upon you, your daughters and your spouses shall commit adultery.

And further, As in this particular so we may take occasion to make use of it other waies. Do your children prove stubborn, stout to you? Oh how many times doth the father or mother get alone into their chamber and fall a bemoning of themselves, Oh what a stout,¹