The saints everlasting rest, or, A treatise of the blessed state of the saints in their enjoyment of God in glory wherein is shewed its excellency and certainty, the misery of those that lose it, the way to attain it, and assurance of it, and how to live in the continual delightful forecasts of it and now published by Richard Baxter ...

SECT. XV.* 1.1

4. BUt some will object: We have been brought up in ig∣norance our selves, and therefore we are unable to teach your children. Answer. Indeed this is the very sore of the Land. But is it not pitty, that men should so receive their destruction by tradition? would you have this course to go on thus still? 〈◊〉〈◊〉 pa∣rents did not teach you; and therefore you cannot teach your children; and therefore they cannot teach theirs; By this course the knowledge of God should be banished out of the world, and never be recovered. But if your parents did not teach you, why did not you learn when you came to age? The truth is, you had no hearts to it; for he that hath not knowledge, cannot value it or love it. But yet, though you have greatly sinned, it is not too late, if you will but follow my faithful advice in these 4. points.

1. Get your hearts deeply sensible of your own sin and misery, be∣cause of this long time which you have spent in ignorance and neg∣lect. Bethink your selves sometime when you are alone; Did not God make you, and sustain you for his service? should not he have had the youth and strength of your spirits? Did you live all this while at the door of Eternity? What if you had dyed in igno∣rance? Where had you been then? What a deale of time have you spent to little purpose? Your life is near done, and your work all undone. You are ready to dye, before you have learned to live. Should not God have had a better share of your lives? and your souls been more sadly regarded and provided for? In the

midst of these thoughts, cast down your selves in sorrow, as at the feet of Christ, bewa•••• your folly, & beg pardon, & recovering grace.

2. Then think as sadly how you have wronged your children: If an unthrift that hath sold all his lands, will lament it for his childrens sake as well as his own; much more should you.

3. Next, set presently to work, and learn your selves. If you can read, do: if you cannot, get some that can: and be much a∣mong those that will instruct and help you; be not ashamed to be seen among learners, though it be to be Catechized: but be ashamed that you had not learned soone••. God forbid you should be so mad, as to say, I am now too old to learn: Except you be too old to serve God, and be saved; how can you be too old to learn to be saved? Why not rather; I am too old to serve the Devil and the world? I have tryed them too long to trust them any more? What if your parents had not taught you any trade to live by? or what if they had never taught you to speak? would not you have set your selves to learn when you had come to age? Remember that you have souls to care for, as well as your children: and therefore first begin with your selves.

4. In the mean time while you are learn••ng your selves, teach your children what do you know: and what you cannot teach them your selves, put them on to learn it of others that can: perswade them into the company of the godly, who will be glad to instruct them. If French men, or Welsh men lived in the Town among us, that could not understand our language; would they not converse with those that do understand it? and would they not daily send their children to learn it by being in the company of those that speak it? so do you, that you may learn the heavenly language: Get among those that use it; and encourage your children to do so to: Have you no godly neighbours that will be helpful to you herein? O do not keep your selves strange to them; but go among them and desire their help; and be thankful to them, that they will entertain you into their company. God forbid you should be like those that Christ speakes of Luke 11.52. that would neither enter into the Kingdom of God themselves, nor suffer those that would to enter. God forbid you should be such cruel barbarous wretches, as to hinder your children from being godly, and to teach them to to be wicked! And yet alas, how many such are there swarming every where among us? If God do but touch the hearts of their

children or servants, and cause them to heare and read the Word, and call upon him, and accompany with the godly, who will sooner scorn them and revile them and discourage them, then an ungodly parent? What, say they, you will now be one of the holy brethren! You will be wiser then your parents! &c. Just such as Pharaoh was to the Israelites, such are these wicked wretches to their own children, Exod. 5.3, 8, 9. When Moses said, Let us go sacri∣f••ce to the Lord, lest ••e fall upon us with pestilence or sword, &c, Pha∣raoh answers▪ They are idle, therefore they say, let us go sacrifice: lay more work upon them &c. Just so do these people say to their children! You know, Pharaoh was the representer of the divel, and yet let me tell you, These ungodly parents are far worse then Pharaoh. For the children of Israel were many thousands, and were to go three dayes journey out of the land: but these men hinder their children from serving God at home: Pharaoh was not their father, but their King; but these men are enemies to the children of their bodies; Nay more; let me te••l you, I know none on earth that play the part of the divel himself more truly then these men. And if any thing that walks in flesh may be called a divel, I think it is a parent that thus hinderech his children from salvation. I solemnly professe I do not speak one jot worse of these men, then I do think and verily believe in my soul: Nay, take it how you will, I will say, thus much more: I verily think that in this they are far worse then the divel. God is a righteous Judg, and will not make the Divel himself worse then he is: I pray you ••e patient while you consider it, and then judg your selves, They are the parents of their children, and so is not the divel: Do you think then that it is as great a fault in him to seek their de∣struction, as in them? Is it as great a fault for the VVoolf to kill the Lambs, as for their own dams to do it? Is it so horrid a fault for an enemy in war to kill a childe? Or for a bear, or a mad dog to kill it, as for the mother to dash i•• b••ains against the wall? You know it is not: Do not you think then, that it is so hateful a thing in Satan to entice your children to sin and hell, and to discourage and disswade them from holiness and from heaven, as it is in you. You are bound to love them by nature, more then Satan is. O then what people are those that will teach their children in stead of holiness, to curse and swear, and raile and backbite, to be proud and revengeful, to break the Lords day, and to despise his wayes, to

speak wantonly, and filthily, to scorn at holiness, and glory in sin! O when God shall ask these children, Where learned you this lan∣guage and practice? and they shall say, I learned it of my father or mother; I would not be in the case of those parents for all the world! Alas, is it a work that's worth the teaching, to undo them∣selves for ever? Or can they not without teaching learn it too easily of themselves? Do you need to teach a Serpent to sting, or a Lyon to be fierce? Do you need to sow weeds in your garden? will they not grow of themselves? To build a 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 chil∣dren to swear then to pray; and to mock at godliness, then to be true godly. If these parents were sworn enemies to their chil∣dren, and should study seven yeers how to do them the greatest mischief; they could not possibly finde out a surer way, then by drawing them to sin, and withdrawing them from God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 15.