A plain and familiar exposition of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth chapters of the…A plaine and familiar exposition of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth chapters of the…

Many parents so train up their children, that they are emboldened by their example and allowance, to contemn all that God or man speaketh against their sensual and enormous behaviour. And many masters make their houses kennels of desperate ruffians, and sties of swinish drunkards, giving them a toleration, or encouragement rather, to beray their families, with their impious, filthy and vicious behaviour. Ob. It is bootless to correct them, there is no hope of their amendment, no severity will serve the turn to tame them. Answ. Yet it is not bootless to obey God, who commandeth thee to smite them: and he can turn their punishment to the profit of others, that they by the benefit thereof, may escape unpunished: and this is worth the pains, and this will overpoise all their murmurings, that thou doest discharge thy duty, righteousness is exercised by thine hand. The Lord plagueth many whom his plagues convert not, and yet he striketh not one stroke in vain, because his justice is exalted, his name is honoured, ⟨p. 94⟩and his people are either awed, or else comfortable by the same.

Many parents so traine vp their children, that they are imboldned by their example and allowance, to contemne all that God or man speaketh against their sensuall and enormous behauiour. And many maisters make their houses kennels of desperate ruffians, and sties of swinish drunkards, giuing them a tolleration, or incouragement rather, to beray their families, with their impious, filthy and vicious behauiour. Ob. It is bootles to correct them, there is no hope of their amendment, no seueritie will serue the turne to tame them. Answ. Yet it is not bootles to obey God, who commandeth thee to smite them: and he can turne their punishment to the profite of others, that they by the benefite thereof, may escape vnpunished: and this is worth the paines, and this will ouerpoise all their murmurings, that thou doest discharge thy dutie, righteousnes is exercised by thine hand. The Lord plagu•th many whom his plagues conuert not, and yet he striketh not one stroke in vaine, because his iustice is exalted, his name is honoured, ⟨p. 94⟩and his people are either awed, or else comfortable by the same.