The love of children if the father's blessing, and it is a great blessing. How many fathers have their hearts rent and divided by the rents and divisions that are amongst their children! It doth blast and wither all the comfort the parent hath, to see that there is no agreement of love, no correspondency or affection amongst those that came from the same bowels, the same loins. This is a blessing which was no common in the world, no not in those times. Adam had not this blessing. Adam when he had only two sons, they could not agree, but one murdereth the other. Abraham enjoyed this blessing, when he had but two sons, one is mocking the other, Ishmael is mocking Isaac. Isaac failed of this blessing, he had but two sons and one threatened to murder the other. The days of mourning for my Father are at hand, then will I slay my brother Jacob. This was not Jacob's blessing, he had twelve sons, there was one of them, Joseph the common butt of all his brethren's envy, they did all spite him, the Archers did shoot at him and grieved him and sorely hated him. They could not all agree, there were divisions among them. It is no ordinary blessing then. You see David a holy man, yet what divisions were there among his children, one murdereth another, Absalom caused Amnon to be murdered: Adonijah riseth up against Solomon, he cannot bear it, that his brother should have the crown. You see then that this is a blessing, and it is an extraordinary blessing. Therefore take notice of it, you that have an agreeing family, children that live together in love and unity, look upon it as a special blessing from God. [Joseph Caryl]
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