Maran atha: or Dominus veniet Commentaries upon the articles of the Creed never heretofore printed. Viz. Of Christs session at the right hand of God and exaltation thereby. His being made Lord and Christ: of his coming to judge the quick and the dead. The resurredction of the body; and Life everlasting both in joy and torments. With divers sermons proper attendants upon the precedent tracts, and befitting these present times. By that holy man and profound divine, Thomas Jackson, D.D. President of Corpus Christi Coll. in Oxford.

CHAP. XLIII.

The Second Sermon upon this Text.

MATTH. 23. verse 34, 35, 36.

Wherefore, Behold I send unto you Prophets—and some of them ye will kill, &c.

That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, &c. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this Generation.

2 Chron. 24. 22.

And as he was dying he said, The Lord look upon it, and Require it.

Luke 11. 51,

Verily I say unto you, IT (that is, ver. 50. The blood of all the Prophets shed from the Foundation of the world) shall be Required of this Generation.

1. OF several Queries or Problems emergent out of these words (propo∣sed unto this Audience a year ago) One (and that one of greatest difficultie) was; How the sins of former Generations can be required of la∣ter, specially in so great a distance of time as was between the death of Abel and of Zachariah, and this last Generation which crucified the Lord of life: the Discussion whereof is my present Task.

In this disquisition you will I hope dispense with me for want of a formal

Division or Dichotomie, because the Channel through which I am to pass is so narrow and so dangerously beset with Rocks and shelves on the right hand and on the left; as there is no possibility for two to go on brest, nor any room for Steerage, but only Towage. One passage in my Disquisition must draw another after it, by one and the same direct Line.

For first, if I should chance to say any thing which either Directly, or by way of Consequence might probably inferre this Affirmative Conclusion, [That God doth at any time punish the children for the fathers sins, or later ge∣nerations for the Iniquities of former;] This were to contradict that Funda∣mental Truth which the Lord himself hath so often protested by Oath, Ezek. 18. 1, 2, &c. And the word of the Lord came unto me again, saying: What mean ye that ye use this Proverb concerning the Land of Israel, saying; the Fa∣thers have eaten sour grapes, and the Childrens teeth are set on edge? As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this Proverb in Isra∣el. Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the Father, so also the soul of the Son is mine; the soul that sinneth it shall die. And again, verse the last; I have no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn your selves and live ye.

Now to contradict any Branch of these or the like Protestations or Promi∣ses, would be to make shipwrack of Faith, more dangerous then to rush with full sail upon a Rock of Adamant.

On the other hand, if I should affirm any thing, either directly, or indirect∣ly, which might inferre any part of this Negative [That God doth not visit the sins of the Fathers upon the Children, or of former Generations upon later:] This were to strike upon a shelf no less dangerous then to dash against the for∣mer Rock; directly to contradict Gods solemn Declaration (in the second Commandement) of His Proceedings in this Case, which are no less just and equal, then the former Promise, Ezekiel the 18. By this you see the only safe way for passage through the straits proposed must be to find out the middle Line, or Mean, whether Medium Abnegationis, or Participationis; or in one word, The difference betwixt this Negative [God doth not punish the Children for the Fathers sins] and the other Affirmative [God visiteth the sins of the Fathers upon the Children, even unto the third and fourth Generation, &c.]

2. But in the very first setting forth, or entry into this narrow Passage, some here present perhaps have already discovered a shelf or sand, to wit, that the passage fore-cited, out of the second Commandement, doth better reach or fit the Case concerning Josiah his death, and the calamity of his people, then the present difficultie or Problem now in handling. For Josiah was but the third in succession from Manasseh, and dyed within fewer years, then a Generation in ordinary Construction imports, after his wicked Grand-father. But if the blood of Zachariah the son of Jehoiada, or other Prophets slain in that Age, or the Age after him, were required of this present Generation; God doth visit the sins of Fore-fathers upon the Children, after more then three or four, after more then five times five Generations, according to St. Matthew's account in the Genealogie of our Lord and Saviour. Yet this seeming Diffi∣culty (to use the Mariners Dialect) is rather an Over-fall then a shelf, or at the worst but such a shelf or sand as cannot hinder our passage if we sound it by the Line or Plummet of the Sanctuary, or number our Fathoms by the scale of sacred Dialect in like Cases. For when it is said in the Second Comman∣dement, that God doth visit the sins of the Fathers upon the Children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Him: This is, Numerus certus pro¦incerto aut indefinito: an expression or speech equivalent to that of the Pro∣phet

Amos. For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four I will not turn away the punishments thereof. For three transgressions of Tyrus▪ and for four; for three transgressions of Ammon, and for four, &c. Throughout almost eve∣ry third verse of the first Chapter, and some part of the Second. The Pro∣phets meaning is, that all the Kingdoms or several Sovereignties there men∣tioned by him, especially Judah and Israel should certainly be punished, not for three or four only, but for the multitude of their continual transgressions, and many of them, transgressions of a high and dangerous nature. Both speeches, as well that in Amos, as in the Second Commandement (reverently to compare magna parvis) are like to that of the Poet,

O ter{que} quater{que} beati;

that is, most happy. So that (unto the third and fourth generation) may imply more then seven times seven generations; as many several successions of men or families as have lived since Abels death unto this present day. All this be∣ing supposed or admitted; yet the Expression of Gods mercies in the same Commandement unto the children of such as love him and keep his Commande∣ments; is a lively Character of that Truth which we must believe, to wit, That Gods Mercie as farre exceedeth his Justice towards men, as a thousand doth three or four, unless they desperately make up the full measure of their own and their fore-fathers sins, either by positive transgressions, or by slighting, or not re∣pairing in time, unto the out-stretched wings of his Mercie. In this Case they provoke or pull down the heavy stroak of his out-stretched Arm of Ju∣stice.

3. This difficultie in the Entry into or Barre of this narrow passage being cleared, we may safely proceed by the former way proposed; that is, by searching the Mean or sounding the difference between these two Absolute Truths. 1. [God never punisheth the Children for their Fathers sins.] Secondly, [God usually visiteth the sinnes of the Fathers upon the Chil∣dren, &c.]

The most punctual difference of these two undeniable Truths, to my appre∣hension and Observation, is this: To punish the Children for their Fathers sins, implies a punishment of some persons (be they more or few) without any perso∣nal guilt in them, or actual transgressions committed by them. And thus to do in awarding punishments temporarie, whether Capital or Corporal (for with punishments everlasting, or in the world to come, I dare not meddle or inter∣pose my verdict) were open injustice. The sons of Traytors or Rebels against the Crown and dignitie of the State wherein they live, are not by humane laws obnoxious to any Corporal or Capital punishment, unless they be in some degree guilty of their Fathers treason or rebellion, not by misprision on∣ly, but by Association. And however Good Laws do deprive guiltless Chil∣dren of the Lands and Titles of honour which their Fathers enjoyed; yet are they oftentimes upon their good demeanor restored to their blood, and to the lands and dignities of their Ancestors, even by such Princes as are no fit pa∣terns of that Clemencie which becometh Princes; Not so much as good foyls to set forth or commend the clemencie and benignitie of God, if we consider it, as it is avouched by Ezekiel in the eighteenth Chapter. How∣ever earthly Princes may demean themselves towards the guiltless or well∣deserving sons of Traytors or Rebels, the reason or intendment of severest publick Laws in this Case provided, was not to lay any punishment upon the Children, but rather a Tye or bond upon their Fathers not to offend in this high kind, so often as otherwise they would do, save onely for the love they bear unto their Children and posterity, or for the fear of tainting their blood,

or dishonouring their Friends and Families. Of the equity or good intend∣ment of such Laws we have the fairest patern in the fore-cited place of Eze∣kiel, chap. 18. 31, 32. Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed, and make you a new heart and a new spirit, For why will ye die O ye house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth, saith the Lord God; wherefore turn your selves and live ye.

4. To visit the sins of the Fathers upon their Children, alwayes supposeth some degree of personal guilt in the Children: yet such a guilt or such trans∣gressions as would not be punished so greivously either for measure or manner as usually they are, unless their Fathers had set them bad Examples by sin∣ning in the same or like kind. But the Circumstances or Conditions which most aggravate or bring the heaviest visitation of Fathers sins upon the Chil∣dren are these.

First, if their Fathers have been punished citra condignum, that is, in a less measure or lower degree then their personal transgressions had de∣served.

The Second, if their Fathers punishments have been upon Register or Re∣cord so remarkably suited unto their sins, that their Children might (as they ought) have taken notice of the occasions of Gods displeasure against them or punishing hand upon them.

To draw these Generals more close unto the Hypothesis, or to joyn them together by annexing some particular Instances unto them.

Few here present can be so ignorant either of domestick or publick Statutes amongst us, but may easily observe that the same offence being re-iterated or often committed by one and the same party, is, or ought to be, more grei∣vously punished for the second Turn then for the first, more greivously for the third time then for the second, more for the fourth, then for all the three former.

This manner of proceeding in Colledges or Academical Societies, is most agreeable to the Ancient Constitutions of this Kingdom for the manner of Processes in Courts Ecclesiastick.

The not appearing upon lawful Summons in Courts Ecclesiastick, was for the first neglect, but a mulct of Twenty pence according to the Rate of mo∣ney in those dayes. The second mulct for not appearing upon like Summons did double the first; and so did the third, the second. The mulct for the fourth neglect did more then double or treble all the former. For the party thus offending the fourth time in the same kind, became liable to the Writ De Excommunicato Capiendo, without more ado. And this was an hea∣vie punishment if it were executed according to William Rufus his Consti∣tutions.

Now the Covenant of Life and Death which God made with the Seed of Abraham, or with the Sons of Jacob upon their deliverance out of Aegypt (afterwards, in more express words, with the house of David, or tribe of Ju∣dah throughout their generations) is the true Patern or Authentick leading Case of all Just and Legal Proceedings, with One and the same Partie, for often committing the same Offence; especially in Case he had been solemn∣ly fore-warned, whether without any punishment at all, or with some light punishment annexed for the first time. Every fore-warning makes the fol∣lowing offence, though in it self not so great, a great deal more hainous and liable to more greivous punishment.

5. To take a more particular view of the peculiar Aspect, which these heavenly Lights (Gods Laws I mean) had to the Seed of Jacob, or King∣dom

of Israel and Judah: For in respect of other Kingdoms or Nations their aspect admits some variation: To keep the seed of Jacob upright in the wayes of Faithful Abraham, the God of their fathers left them a Twofold Register to be perpetually continued by his Prophets or other sacred Writers. The One, containing their fore-fathers Good deeds and the prosperity which al∣wayes did attend them. The Other, of their Fore-fathers grossest sins or trans∣gressions, and of the calamities which pursued them. The former Register was to encourage them to do that which was good and acceptable in his sight. The other, to deterre them from evil, from turning aside from him and his Laws. The manner of Gods augmenting the punishments or plagues upon succeeding Generations, which would not take warning by the punishments of their fore-fathers, usually runs by the scale of seven.

Every man that seeth me (saith Cain, after the Lord had convented him for killing his brother) will kill me; whereas, there was not a man in the world besides his father and himself; But a mans Conscience (as we say) is a thousand witnesses: And his Conscience did sufficiently convict him, to have deserved Execution, whereas there was neither Witness nor Executio∣ner.

According to this Sentence engraven in this murtherous heart, did God afterwards enjoyn Noah, and gave it in express Commandement under his hand to Moses [Whosoever doth shed mans blood▪ by man shall his blood be shed.] If this Law were Just amongst the Israelites, why was it not executed upon Cain the first Malefactor in this kind? Nay, why doth God expresly exempt him from it, and punish him with exile only? Doubtless this was from His Gracious Universal Goodness, which alwayes threats before it strike, offereth favour before he proceed to Judgment, and mingleth Judgment with Mer∣cie, before he proceed in rigor of Justice. Now Cain had no former warn∣ing how displeasant murther was to God, and therefore is not so severely pu∣nished, as every murtherer after him must be. For so it is said, Gen. 4. 15. Whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him seven-fold. Yet for any of Seths Posteritie to have killed murtherous Cain, had been a sin in its na∣ture farre less then for Cain to murther his righteous brother: yet (by Rule of divine Justice) to be more greivously punished then Cains murther was; because, in him they had their Warnings.

6. The same Proportion God observes in visiting the sins of Fathers up∣on their Children. So in that Great Covenant of Life and Death made with the Israelites, Levit. 26. 14, 15, 16. After promise of extraordinary bles∣sings to the Observers of his Law, the Lord thus threatneth the transgressors; But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these Commandements: And if ye despise my Statutes, or if your soul abhor my Judgments, so that ye will not do all my Commandements, but that ye break my Covenant; I also will do this unto you, I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, &c. But if for all this they will not yet turn unto him, he will plague them still with the pursuit of their enemies. Nay it followeth, verse 18- And if ye will not hearken unto me, then will I punish you seven times more for your sins; and if all this will not reclaim them, these later plagues shall be seven times multiplied, and this third plague three hundred forty three times greater then the first: and the fourth Transgression shall likewise be multiplied by seven: So that the same Apostasie or rebellion, not amended after so many warnings (if we may call the literal meaning to strict Arithmetical Account) shall in the end be One thousand one hundred ninety seven times more severely punished then the first. But it is likely, that a Certain Number was put for an uncertain.

That the visitation of sins of Fathers upon their Children, may be conti∣nued seventy Generations, even from the first giving of the Law by Moses un∣to the worlds End, is apparent, from the verses following, Levit. 26. 37. unto This: [Yet will the Lord still remember the Covenant made with A∣braham, &c.]

For not putting this Rule or Law [of confessing their fathers sins] in practise, the Children of that Generation which put our Lord and Saviour to death, are punished this day with greater hardness of heart, then the Scribes and Pharisees were. For however They were the very Paterns of Hypocrisie, yet had they so much sense or feeling of conscience, that they did utterly dis∣like their Fore-fathers Actions, and thought to super-erogate for their Fathers transgressions, by erecting the Tombs, or garnishing the Sepulchres of the Prophets whom their Fathers had murthered or stoned to death. But these modern scattered Jews will not to this day confess their fore-fathers sins, nor acknowledge that they did ought amiss, in putting to death the Prince of Pro∣phets and Lord of Life. And their Fathers sins, until they confess them, are become their sins; and shall be visited upon them.

To confess the sins of their Fathers, according to the intendment or purpose of Gods Law, implies an hearty Repentance for them, and repentance truly hearty implies not only an Abstinence from the same or like transgressions wherewith their Fathers had provoked Gods wrath, but a zealous Desire or En∣deavour to glorifie God by constant Practise of the Contrary vertues or works of Piety. This Doctrinal Conclusion may easily be inferred from the afore-cited 18. of Ezekiel.

7. Sin is more catching then the Pestilence; and no marvel if the plagues due for it to the Father, in the course or doom of Justice seize on the Son; seeing the contagion of sin, spreads from the unknown Malefactor to his neighbors; from the Fields wherein it is by Passengers committed, into the bordering Cities or Villages; unless the Attonement be made by Sa∣crifice and such solemn deprecation of guilt as the Law in this Case appoints, Deut. 21. 1, 2, &c. If one be found slain in the Land which the Lord thy God gi∣veth thee to possesse it, lying in the field, and it be not known who hath slain him: Then thy Elders and Judges shall come forth, and shall measure to the Cities which are round about him that is slain. And it shall be, that the City which is next unto the slain man, even the Elders of that City, shall take a Heifer which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn the yoak. And that City shall bring down the Heifer into a rough valley, which is neither cared nor sown, and shall strike off the Heifers neck there in the valley: And the Priests the sons of Levi shall come neer (for them the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the Lord, and by their word shall every controversie and stroke be tryed.) And all the Elders of that City that are next to the slain man shall wash their hands over the Heiser, that is to be beheaded in the valley; And they shall answer and say; Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it; Be merciful, O Lord, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeem∣ed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy People of Israels charge, and the blood shall be forgiven them. So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from a∣mong you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the Lord. The nearer unto us Actual Transgressors be, the more they should provoke our zealous endeavors for performance of contrary duties; otherwise Gods Justice will in time over-sway his mercie; and plagues, first procured by some one or few mens sins, will diffuse themselves from the Actual Transgressors deceased unto the whole living Hoast, and be propagated from posterity to posterity,

though no personal Actors. It is matter of death to be meer Spectators or Idle By-standers, where all are bound to take their Censers and make Atone∣ment.

8. But I have gone farre enough in this narrow Passage for Clearing the Difficulties, which concern the Doctrinal part of my Text; so farre, that we may without the help of Perspective or spectacles discover the point where it opens it self into a wide Sea or Ocean of useful Applications for all Times, Places and Persons: Especially for such as sit at the Stern, or are any way interested in the Government of the great Ship of State. But the time will not serve me, or if it did, I never had list to become the States-mans Remembran∣cer out of the Academical Pulpit, not to exhort or reprove Academicks in the Court or Presence of States-men.

The residue of my message for this present is to you, (Men, Fathers and Brethren) to you especially unto whom the Lord hath delegated the Go∣vernment or over-sight of others (including my self in the number.) My message shall be very brief, only This; That we never seek to maintain, ei∣ther the dignitie of our places or means of private gain or advantages by the examples or practises of our Fore-fathers or Predecessors. For this would be the most compendious way, by which the old wily Serpent could either lead or drive us, to make up the measure of our Fore-fathers or Predecessors sins. As common charitie binds us to hope the best of their estate or persons, and not to speak the worst of their proceedings: so, True Charitie towards our own souls permits us to suppose, that many things have been done so farre a∣misse by them, as by the fore-cited Laws of God, will bind us, whilest we beseech him to forgive us our own sinnes, so to forgive us also the sinnes of our Fore-fathers or Predecessors, that if they have oppressed any by fraud or violence, or by unconscionable using advantages of human Laws; that he would give us Grace to deal our bread unto the hungrie, to cover the naked with a garment: That if they have dishonoured Gods Name by intempe∣rance or other impure manner of living, he would grant the assistance of his Grace unto our Endeavors for glorifying his Name by sanctitie of life in his sight, and by integrity of conversation amongst men. That if they have offended him by superstition, by false doctrine or heresie, he would so bless our ministerial function or other endeavors in our several Callings, that we may lead others in the wayes of truth from which they have erred or cau∣sed others to erre.

Notes

• See fol. 3729. where this was the 4 Question propounded.
• From Abels to Zachariahs death were 3000. years. from Zach. to these words spoken were 00. or 900.
• See a following Sermon, on 2 Kings 23. 26.
• A Generation contains thirty years: betwixt Manasseh's and Iosiahs death were about thirty three years.
• The Objection is hardened by taking in Abels Blood. Zechari∣ah was slain 900. years, Abel 3800. years before Christ spoke the words of the Text.
• ☞
• What it is to punish Children for their fathers sins.
• What it it is to visit the sins of fathers, &c.
• Two particu∣lars hastening and justifying the visiting of the Fathers sins upon the chil∣dren.
• Note here 1. That God made this Co∣venant with them and their Posterity in successive Ge∣nerations as with one man, or one aggre∣gate Body or Corporation. 2. It was not only a Cove∣nant of Life and Promises, but of Threat∣nings and Death also.
• God left Israel a Register of Good and E∣vil.
• How neglect of Gods Fore∣warnings past, hastens judge∣ments; See this Author's se∣cond Sermon upon Ier. 26.
• How Children are bound to repent of Fa∣thers sins. See this Authors second Sermon on Jerem. 26.
• A short Appli∣cation.