The saints everlasting rest

5. Think with yourselves, what a world of comfort you may have if you be faithful in this duty: if you should not succeed, yet you have freed your own souls; and though it be sad, yet you may have peace in your own consciences: but if you do succeed, the comfort is inexpressible. For, 1. Good children will be truly loving to their parents; when a little matter will make ungodly children cast off their very natural affection. 2. Good children will be most obedient to you; they dare not disobey you, because of the command of GOD, except you should command them that which is unlawful, and then they must obey GOD rather than men. 3. And if you should fall into want, they would be most faithful in relieving you, as knowing they are tied by a double bond of nature and of grace. 4. And they will also be helpers to your souls, they will be delighting you with holy conference and actions; when wicked children will be grieving you with cursing, and swearing, or drunkenness, or disobedience. 5. But the greatest joy will be when you shall say, Here am I, and the children thou hast given me. And are not all these comforts enough to persuade you to this duty?

6. Consider further, that the very welfare of church and state lieth mainly on this duty of well-educating children; and without this, all other means are like to be far less successful. I seriously profess to you, that I verily think all the sins and miseries of the land may acknowledge this sin for their nurse. It is not good laws and orders that will reform us, if the men be not good, and reformation begin not at home; when children go wicked from the hands of their parents, in every profession they bring this fruit of their education with them. I tell you seriously, this is the cause of all our miseries in church and state, even the want of a holy education of children. Many lay the blame on this neglect, and that; but there is none hath so great a hand in it as this.