Page:On the providence of God in the government of the world.pdf/7

 the obedience or sin of the parents, by the  of God, according to this declared and often  rule, 'That he visits the iniquity of the Fathers upon  children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him; and sheweth mercy unto thousands of them that love him and keep his commandments,' Exod. xx 5, 6. & xxxiv 7. Deut. v. 9, 10. Jer. xxxiixxxv [sic]. 18.

Of this there are many examples in the scripture, not when children imitate the sin of their parents, as for, when they commit idolatry, and worship the  gods of their fathers; or, when they partake in their , in keeping that which to their knowledge was got  a curse for the injustice and extortion with which they were raised, though that injustice and extortion  unknown to them, in which case the estate may be  guilty, and the owner acquitted.

Besides all these cases, we find the Innocent children for the sins of their forefathers.

Some think it very difficult to make out the justice this proceeding.

But the sovereignty of God signifies little if it will serve to defend his justice, in making men rich or, live long or die soon: if it be not a satisfactory  for such things, that the supreme Lord gave and took away.

But this way and method of Providence may be also defended, from the usefulness of it to restrain men that believe, from the commission of sin, especially those gross and crying sins for which the sinner shall be punished not in his person only, but also in the calamities and destruction of his posterity.

Thus the wisdom of God provides, that the antidote shall grow upon the same root from which the poison springs, that the remedy against the most dangerous temptations shall be found in the same affection from whence the temptation arises.

Nothing doth more generally, powerfully and constantly affect men, that the concerns of their children: sakes they will imbitter their whole life with