Yea. 'Tis the Expectation of God, that we should Bewail the Sins of Or Children, as Our Own. When David said, Remember not the Sins of my Youth, nor my Transgressions, there are some ⟨p. 23⟩who take it so; q. d. Remember not the Sins of my Young Son, which are in some sort, my own Transgressions. You make the Sins of your Neighbours, your own […] you are not, Vexed, Like Lot, and Grieved, Like David, for them. O but the Sins of your Children, are in some sort, already your own; and they will be much more so, if they do not Grieve you, and Vex you, and Cause you to Lie in the Dust before the Lord. Yea, Let a certain Horror take hold of you, to see, These poor Children, that are part of my self, do not keep thy Laws, O Lord And then, Let me tell you for your Consolation; As you should make this Use of the Ungodliness in your Children, To promote your own Repentance; Thus you may make this Use of your being Afflicted for that Ungodliness, to strengthen your Assurance. Are you much Afflicted, when you see your Children Strangers unto God, unto Christ, unto Holiness? And are you more Afflicted for their Contrariety unto God, and for the Guilt and Filth and Loss of their Souls, than for any thing else? This now, is a comfortable Mark, of a New Creature in you: it shows that your Hearts are Blazed by the Great Matters of the Eternal World. It is said, of Ungodly Parents, ⟨p. 24⟩in Job 21. […] 14. Their Children Dance; and they […] unto God, we desire not the Knowledge of thy Ways. If their Children can but be Dressed up, in few Idle Gaieties, and perhaps usel•• Accomplishments, This is all that they care for; tho' the Souls of those poor Children are altogether Unacquainted with the Ways of God. Whereas, This is it that kills You at the Heart; That poor Child of mine, is Well shaped, otherwise, but Christ is not yet Formed in the Soul of that Child! Or, That poor Child is Well clad, otherwise, but the Soul of the Child has not the Garments of Righteousness upon it! Or, This Child has Learnt many fine things! Oh! but they have not Learnt the Beginning of Wisdom yet! It shows, that you are indeed, Godly Parents; when you are thus concerned. They are Godly Parents, who are more afraid of their Children's being Ungodly, than of their being any other way Unhappy.
Yea. 'Tis the Expectation of God, that we should Bewayl the Sins of Or Children, as Our Own. When David said, Remember not the Sins of my Youth, nor my Transgressions, there are some ⟨p. 23⟩who take it so; q. d. Remember not the Sins of my Young Son, which are in some sort, my own Transgressions. You make the Sins of your Neighbours, your own 〈…〉 you are not, Vexed, Like Lot, and Grieved, Like David, for them. O but the Sins of your Children, are in some sort, already your own; and they will be much more so, if they do not Grieve you, and Vex you, and Cause you to Ly in the Dust before the Lord. Yea, Let a certain Horror take hold of you, to see, These poor Children, that are part of my self, do not keep thy Laws, O Lord And then, Let me tell you for your Consolation; As you should make this Use of the Ungodliness in your Children, To promote your own Repentance; Thus you may make this Use of your being Afflicted for that Ungodliness, to strengthen your Assurance. Are you much Afflicted, when you see your Children Strangers unto God, unto Christ, unto Holiness? And are you more Afflicted for their Contrarietie unto God, and for the Guilt and Filth and Loss of their Souls, than for any thing else? This now, is a comfortable Mark, of a New Creature in you: it showes that your Hearts are Blassed by the Great Matters of the Eternal World. It is said, of Ungodly Parents, ⟨p. 24⟩in Job 21. 〈…〉 14. Their Children Dance; and they 〈…〉 unto God, we desire not the Knowledge of thy Wayes. If their Children can but be Dress'd up, in few Idle Gayeties, and perhaps usel•• Accomplishments, This is all that they care for; tho' the Souls of those poor Children are altogether Unacquainted with the Wayes of God. Whereas, This is it that kills You at the Heart; That poor Child of mine, is Well shaped, otherwise, but Christ is not yet Formed in the Soul of that Child! Or, That poor Child is Well clad, otherwise, but the Soul of the Child has not the Garments of Righteousness upon it! Or, This Child has Learnt many fine things! Oh! but they have not Learnt the Beginning of Wisdom yet! It showes, that you are indeed, Godly Parents; when you are thus concerned. They are Godly Parents, who are more afraid of their Childrens being Ungodly, than of their being any other way Unhappy.
