womb; their eye shall not spare children. So in the second Com∣mandement, the Lord there threatens, to visit the sins of the fathers, upon the children, to them that hate him, to the third and fourth generation.
You wil say, Why should children suffer for their parents sins?
You will kill yong Vipers and Snakes though they ne∣ver have stung. So, God sees guilt enough in the children of wicked men and of Idolaters, so that in Justice he may destroy them; but he doth rather take advantage to destroy them, because they be the children of wicked men and of Idolaters: As if a man commit TREASON, he deserves death then for his own fault; but if the King hear that his Father and Grandfather were Traitors, he shall die the rather because of them. So it's true, the chil∣dren of godly people have sin and guilt in them, as well as the children of wicked men; Yea, but the children of wicked men having guilt, and so liable to Gods Justice, God will take the advantage the rather to do them Justice because their parents was wicked and ungodly; and this is righteous enough with God.
And the children of Idolaters above all shall not be spa∣red, and especially those that live to many years, because there is no sin that is so much strengthened from their An∣cestors, and the example of their Forefathers as Superstition and Idolatry is; Why should we be wiser than our Fore∣fathers? What's the argument of our superstitious vani∣ties, but our Forefathers did thus? And therefore that's observable, That there's no Commandement in the Ten threatens Gods judgments upon the children, but the se∣cond Commandement,
Because that there's no Commandement broken from the example and plea of forefathers as the second Com∣mandement; and therefore let the children of Idolaters and false Worshipers look to it, that they repent from the sins of their forefathers; Instead of pleading for the sins of your forefathers, you should fall down and humble