The saints everlasting rest

Do you need to teach a serpent to sting, or a lion to be fierce? Do you need to sow weeds in your garden? Will they not grow of themselves? To build an house requires skill and teaching, but a little may serve to set a town on fire: to heal the wounded or the sick, requireth skill; but to make a man sick, or to kill him, requireth but little. You may sooner teach your children to swear, than to pray; and to mock at godliness, than to be truly godly. If these parents were sworn enemies to their children, and should study seven years how to do them the greatest mischief, they could not possibly find out a surer way, than by drawing them to sin, and withdrawing them from GOD.

I shall therefore conclude with this earnest request to all christian parents that read these lines, that they would have compassion on the souls of their poor children, and be faithful to the great trust GOD hath put on them. O sirs! If you cannot do what you would do for them, yet do what you can. Both church and state, city and country, groan under the neglect of this weighty duty; your children know not GOD, nor his laws; but take his name in vain, and slight his worship: and you do neither instruct them, nor correct them, and therefore GOD doth correct both them and you. You are so tender of them, that GOD is the less tender both of them and you. Wonder not if GOD make you smart for your children's sins; for you are guilty of all they commit, by your neglect of doing your duty to reform them; even as he that maketh a man drunk, is guilty of all the sin that he committeth in his drunkenness. Will you resolve therefore to set upon this duty, and neglect it no longer? Remember Eli: your children are like ⟨p. 257⟩Moses in the basket, in the water, ready to perish if they have not help. As ever you would not be charged before GOD for murderers of their souls; and as ever you would not have them cry out against you in everlasting sire, see that you teach them how to escape it, and bring them up in holiness, and the fear of GOD.

I shall therefore conclude with this earnest request to all christian parents that read these lines, that they would have compassion on the souls of their poor children, and be faithful to the great trust GOD hath put on them. O sirs! If you cannot do what you would do for them, yet do what you can. Both church and state, city and country, groan under the neglect of this weighty duty; your children know not GOD, nor his laws; but take his name in vain, and slight his worship: and you do neither instruct them, nor correct them, and therefore GOD doth correct both them and you. You are so tender of them, that GOD is the less tender both of them and you. Wonder not if GOD make you smart for your childrens sins; for you are guilty of all they commit, by your neglect of doing your duty to resorm them; even as he that maketh a man drunk, is guilty of all the sin that he committeth in his drunkenness. Will you resolve therefore to set upon this duty, and neglect it no longer? Remember Eli: your children are like