N00593:11
Help for distressed parents. Or, Counsels & comforts for godly parents afflicted with ungodly…
Help for distressed parents. Or, Counsels & comforts for godly parents afflicted with ungodly children; and warnings unto children to beware of all those evil courses, which would be afflictive unto their parents. / By Cotton Mather. ; [Two lines of quotation in Latin]
Boston: printed by John Allen for Vavasour Harris, 1695
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
In a word; It is a sad Thing; to ⟨p. 5⟩be the Parent of a Fool: but a Godly Parent counts an Ungodly Child, a Fool; a Spiritual, and therefore an Egregious Fool: as very a Fool, as, The Wild Asses Colt.
But although the Trouble of Godly Parents mourning over Ungodly Children, be for the Pungency of it, Extraordinary; yet Alas, for he Frequency of it, it is very very Ordinary. Of this Heavy Trial, I may say with Him in another matter, It is an Evil, which I have seen under the Sun, and it is common among men. And indeed, I do not see the Rising Generation in my own Country, so free from fearful Instances of Degeneracy, but that there may be occasion enough to Discourse particularly upon such a Trial.
But although the Trouble of Godly Parents mourning over Ungodly Children, be for the Pungency of it, Extraordinary; yet Alas, for he Frequency of it, it is very very Ordinary. Of this Heavy Trial, I may say with Him in another matter, It is an Evil, which I have seen under the Sun, and it is common among men. And indeed, I do not see the Rising Generation in my own Countrey, so free from fearful Instances of Degeneracy, but that there may be occasion enough to Discourse particularly upon such a Trial.
If a Godly Parent, have many Children, it is very seldom seen that All of them do prove Ungodly; but it is very often seen, that some of them do so; and Holy David is among the Examples, that Confirm this Observation. That Great and Good Man, who was a Man after Gods own Heart, a Penman of the Sacred Scripture, a Picture of the Mighty Jesus, a Person, of whose Actions there ⟨p. 6⟩is more mentioned in the Oracles of Heaven, than any one mere Mans whatsoever; this Excellent Person, had among his Children, Two Sons that are branded through all Ages for their Wickedness, and a Third that was no Better than he should be. Nevertheless, we are Certain that several of his Children proved Godly Persons; and it is Likely enough that the most of them did so. But most of all Happy was David, in his Beloved and Renowned Son Solomon; whose Inspired Books, in the Language whereof he much followed, but in the Number thereof, Exceeded his Father, […] him to have bin, An Holy Man of God.