and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do ju·ftice and judgment.

Mot. 2. They are born like wild affes colts, and have a natural bent to the way of fin and destruction: Pfal. lviii. 3. The wicked are eftranged from the womb, they go aftray as foon as they be born, Speaking lyes. It is too fond and blind a love to your children, that makes you take no notice of the corruption of their nature. And if they are naturally corrupt, what cap ye expect but that they will run to their own ruin, if ye are not at pains with them for their fouls good? Hence fays Solomon, Prov. xxix. 15. The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself, bringeth his mother to Shame.

Mot. 3. Parents propagate that corruption of nature to them, by natural generation. The finful nature of children is a glafs wherein the parents may get a humbling view of their own: Gen. v. 3. Adam begat a fon in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth. Compared with Job xiv. 4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. Have ye been inftrumental in conveying the poison to them, and will ye not be thereby ftirred up to minifter the antidote to them?

Mot. 4. They are in the midst of many fnares, entered into a world wherein offences abound, Matth. xviii. 7. Their youth makes them raw and unexperienced, and difpofes them to be rafh and héedlefs. They have need of a monitor, and instructor and guide. How fhall they learn, if they are not taught?

Mot. 5. Ye muft die; and it is like will die before them, and leave them in this evil world. Will ye not be concerned for them, that it may be well

with them when ye are away? Your concern for their temporal provifion will not make it well with them, while ye are not concerned to fow the feeds of religion in their hearts. That will be but to give much fail to an empty fhip without ballaft, that may fink her in the deep fea, as is feen in the fad experience of many.

Mot. 6. They muft die; and it may be they may die before you, and leave you; and then they will have no ufe for all the temporal provifion ye have laboured for, for them. But religion propagated by you to them, will then appear a precious treasure. But if ye have neglected that duty to them, that will then appear a criminal neglect which ye will never more be capable to mend; and it will leave a galling fting in your confcience, if ye be not quite stupid.

Mot. 7. laftly, What comfort can ye have in their cafe, while ye can have no comfortable profpect of their eternal happiness? If they were to be lords and ladies in this world, but to perish eternally in another world, what comfort can be there? The barren womb and dry breasts are preferable to the bringing forth children to the murderers; much more to the bringing forth children for hell-fire.

Let these things work upon your confciences, and on your natural affection, to beftir yourselves towards the propagating of religion to the rifing generation. If ye have any confcience of duty towards God, any humanity towards your fellowcreatures, neglect it no more. For particular directions, I propose

DOCT.

DOCT. III. ult. The true way of propagating religion, the ftanding to the rifing generation, is, that the former make God known to the latter, fo as they may betake themselves unto him, his truth and faithfulness, by faith and truft. This is the fenfe of the words of the text, and agreeable to the matter, Hezekiah's life being prolonged in virtue of that promise, 1 Kings viii. 25.-There shall not fail thee a man in my fight to fit on the throne of Ifrael; fo that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou haft walked before So this notification is not of the matter as a fpeculation, but as a practical thing, that the rifing generation may be brought to God.

me.

In difcourfing this doctrine, we fhall confider,
I. The end to be aimed at in our teaching the
rifing generation.

II. The means to be used with them for that
end.

III. Give the reasons why this is the true way of propagating religion, the ftanding to the ri fing generation.

IV. laftly, Apply,

I. We fhall confider the end to be aimed at in our teaching the rifing generation. And that is, that they may be brought to betake themselves unto the truth of God by faith and hope. This is expressly taught, Pfal. lxxviii. 6. 7. That the generation to come might know them, even the children which Should be born: who should arife, and declare them to their children: that they might fet their hope in God, and not forget the works of God; but keep

his commandments.

der,

Now, here we are to confi

1. What is this truth of God we are to endeavour to bring the rifing generation to. 2. How one, betakes himself unto God's truth, which is that we should aim to bring the rising generation

to.

First, What is this truth of God we are to endeavour to bring the rifing generation to? The truth of God may be confidered three ways.

1. In the divine doctrine in general. And thus whatever the Lord teaches in his word, is true to a tittle. Hence fays David, Pfal. cxix. 160. Thy word is true. All the, difcoveries made to us therein, are to be relied on as moft firm truth: But that truth of doctrine is not here meant ; for it belongs to the means, the object to be made known.

2. In the divine threatenings. They are not mere fcarecrows, as the wicked world looks on them, and difregards them, Deut. xxix. 19.; but fhall have a certain accomplishment in their true meaning and intention: for which caufe believers of God's word tremble at them, /. lxvi. 2. But neither is this here meant; fince it is not the object of hope, but of fear.

3. In the divine promises. These are of two forts. (1.) Law-promifes; as, He that doth them, fball live in them. This cannot be here meant neither; for no man can be happy that way, Rom. viii. 3. (2.) The gofpel-promifes; fuch as, John iii. 16. God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whofuever believeth in him, Should not perish, but have everlasting life. Heb. viii. 10. This is the covenant that I will make with

the

the houfe of Ifrael after thofe days, faith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. The belief of thefe is more difficult; but it is by them a foul can only be made happy, 2 Pet. i. 4. Therefore it is the truth or faithfulness of God in the promife of the gofpel that is here meant. That is it we are to endeavour to bring the rifing generation to.

Now, the promife of the gofpel is held forth under the notion of God's truth, on these accounts.

1. In refpect of the weight of the things promised therein. They are fo great and weighty, that were not the infallible truth of God impawned for them, they could not be believed by fenfible guilty creatures: 2 Pet. i. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promifes; that by thefe you might be partakers of the divine nature. Compared with Luke xxiv. 25. 26. Then Jefus faid unto them, O fools, and flow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not Chrift to have fuffered these things, and to enter into his glory? That the eternal Son of God should take on man's nature, and fuffer the most ignominious death therein, for finners, who could have believed on another than God's own teftimony? That God freely gives eternal life in him to finners, as 1 John V. II. who otherwise could believe?

2. The foundation of believing it is in God only. A true believer receives the kingdom of God as a little child, Mark x. 15. on the mere teftimony of his Father. There is nothing in nature's light to bring us to the belief of the gospel. So faith is called the evidence of things not feen, Heb. xi. 1. The threatening of death in the law, a na

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tural