they think they have very fully discharged their duties O what will the language be wherewith such Parents and Children shall great each other at the Judgement Seat and in Hell for ever 3. And how many be there who are more sober and yet hate the least appearances of Godliness in their Children who instead of cherishing do all that they can to break bruised reeds and quench smoaking â—lax to stifle and strangle the first appearances and offers they make towards Christ Who had rather accompany them to their graves than to Christ doing all that in them lyes Herod like to kill Christ in the Cradle Ah Sirs ye little know what a mercy ye do or have enjoyed in Godly Parents and what a good Lot Providence cast for you in this Concernment of your bodies and souls If any shall say This was not their case they had little help Heaven-ward from their Parents To such I shall only reply three things 1. If you had little furtherance yet own it as a special Providence that you had no hinderance or if you had opposition yet 2. Admire the Grace of God in plucking you out by a wonderful distinguishing hand of mercy from among them and keeping alive the languishing sparks of Grace amidst the floods of opposition 3. And learn from hence if God give you a posterity of your own to be so much the more strict and careful of relational duties by how much you have sensibly felt the want of it in your selves But seeing such a train of blessings both as to this life and that to come follow upon an holy education of Children I will not dismiss the Point till I have discharged my duty in exhorting Parents and Children to their duties And first for you that are Parents or to whom the Education of Children is committed I beseech you mind how concerning a duty lies on you and that I may effectually press it consider 1. How near the Relation is betwixt you and your Children and therefore how much you are concerned in their happiness or misery Consider but the Scripture account of the dearness of such Relations expressed 1. By longings for them as Gen. 15. 2. Gen. 30. 1. and 2. By our joy when we have them as Christ expresses it John 16. 21. 3. The high value set on them Gen. 42. 38. 4. The sympathie with them in all their troubles Mark 9. 22. and 5. By our sorrow at parting Gen. 37. 35. Now shall all this be to no purpose For to what purpose do we desire them before we have them rejoice in them when we have them value them so highly sympathize with them so tenderly grieve for their death so excessively if in the mean time no care be taken what shall become of them to Eternity 2. How God hath charged you with their souls as well as bodies and this appears by two sorts of Precepts 1. Precepts directly laid upon you Deut. 6. 6 7. and Eph. 6. 4. 2. By Precepts laid on them to obey you Eph. 6. 1. which plainly implies your duty as well as expresses theirs 3. What shall comfort you at the parting time if they dye through your neglect in a Christless condition Oh this is the cutting consideration My Child is in Hell and I did nothing to prevent it I helped him thither Duty discharged is the only root of comfort in that day 4. If you neglect to instruct them in the way of Holiness will the Devil neglect to instruct them in the way of Wickedness No no if you will not teach them to pray he will to curse swear and lye If ground be uncultivated weeds will spring 5. If the season of their youth be neglected how little probability is there of any good fruit afterwards that is the Moulding age Prov. 22. 6. How few are converted in old age A twig is brought to any form but grown limbs will not bow 6. You are instrumental causes of all their spiritual misery and that 1. By generatJon 2. ImitatJon they lye spiritually dead of the Plague which you brought home among them Psal. 51. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive or warm me 7. There 's none in the World so likely as you to be Instruments of their Eternal good You have peculiar advantages that none other hath as 1. The interest you have in their affections 2. Your opportunities to instil the knowledge of Christ into them being daily with them Deut. 6. 7. 3. Your knowledge of their tempers if therefore you neglect who shall help them 8. The consideration of the great day shoâ—â—d move your bowels of pity for them O remember that Text Rev. 20. 12 c. I saw the dead small and great stand before God What a sad thing will it be to see your dear Children at Christs left hand O friends do your utmost to prevent this misery Knowing the terrors of the Lord we perswade men And you Children especially you that sprang from religious Parents I beseech you obey their Counsels and tread in the steps of their pious Examples To press this I offer these Consideration 1. Your disobedience to them is a resisting of Gods Authority Ephes. 6. 1. Children obey your Parents in the Lord there 's the Command your rebellion therefore runs higher than you think It is not Man but God that you disobey and for your disobedience God will punish you It may be their tenderness will not suffer them or you are grown beyond their correction all they can do is to complain to God and if so he will handle you more severely than they could do 2. Your Sin is greater than the Sin of young Heathens and Infidels and so will your Account be also O better if a wicked Child that thou hadst been the off-spring of Salvage IndJans nay of Beasts than of such Parents So many Counsels disobeyed Hopes and Prayers frustrated will turn to sad aggravations 3. It 's usual with God to retaliate mens disobedience to their Parents in kind Commonly our own Children shall pay us home for it I have read in a grave Author of a wicked Wretch that drag'd his Father along the house the Father begg'd him not to draw him beyond such a place for said he I drag'd my Father no farther O the sad but just retributions of God! And for you in whose hearts Grace hath been planted by the blessing of Education I beseech you to admire Gods goodness to you in this Providence Oh what an happy Lot hath God cast for you How few Children are partakers of your mercies See that you honour such Parents the tie is double upon you so to do Be you the joy of their hearts and comfort of their lives if living if not yet still remember the mercy while you live and tread in their pious path that you and they may both rejoice together in the great day and bless God for each other to all Eternity The Fourth
the conditions you have past through if your hearts do not melt before you have gone half through that History they are hard hearts indeed My father the guide of my youth 2. Let them be as intensively full as may be Let not your thoughts swim like feathers upon the surface of the waters but sink like lead to the bottom The works of the Lord are great sought out of them that have pleasurâ— therein Psal. 111. 2. Not that I think it feasible to sound the depth of Providence by our short line Psal. 77. 19. Thy way is in the sea and thy path in the great waters and thy footsteps are not known but it 's our duty to dive as far as we can and to admire the depth when we cannot touch the bottom It is in our viewing Providences as it was with Elijah's servant when he looked out for rain 1 Kings 18. 44. he went out once and viewed the Heavens and saw nothing but theâ— Prophet bids him go again and again â—and look upon the face of Heaven seven times and when he had done so what now saith the Prophet O now saith he I see a cloud rising like a mans hand and then keeping his eye upon it intent he sees the whole face of Heaven covered with clouds So you may look upon some Providences once and again and see little or nothing in them but look seven times i. e. meditate often upon it and you shall see its increasing glory like that increasing cloud There are divers things to be distinctly pondered and valued in one single Providence before you can judge the amount and worth of it as 1. The seasonableness of mercy may give it a very great value When it shall be timed so opportunely and â—all out in such a nick as may make it a thousand fold more considerable to you than the same mercy would have been at another time Thus when our wants are suffered to grow to an extremity and all visible hopes â—ail then to have relief given in wonderfully enhances the price of such a mercy Isa. 41. 17 18. 2. The peculJar care and kindness of Providence to us is a consideration which exceedingly heightens the mercy in it self and endears it to us So when in general calamities upon the world wâ— are exempted by the favour of Providence covered under its wings when God shall call to us in evil dayes Come my people enter thou into thy chambers as it is in Isa. 26. 20 21. When such Promises shall be fulfilled to us in times of want and famine as Psal. 33. 18 19. When others are abandoned and exposed to misery who have every way as much it may be much more visible security against it and yet they delivered up and we saved Oh how endearing are such Providences Psal. 91. 7 8. 3. The Introductiveness of a Providence is of special regard and consideration and by no means to be neglected by us There are leading Providences which how slight and trivial soever they may seem in themselves yet in this respect justly challenge the first rank among Providential favours to us because they usher in a multitude of other mercies and draw a blessed train of happy consequences after them Such a Providence was that of Jesse's sending David with provisions to his Brethren that lay encamped in the Army 1 Sam. 17. 17. And thus every Christian may furnish himself out of his own stock of Experience if he will but reflect and consider the Place where he is the Relations that he hath and the Way by which he was led into them 4. The Instruments imployed by Providence for you are of special consideration And the finger of God is clearly seen by us when we pursue â—hat meditation For Sometimes great mercies shall be conveyed to us by very improbable means and more probable ones laid aside A stranger shall be stirred up to do that for you which your near relations in nature had no power or will to do for you Jonathan a meer stranger to David clave closer to him and was more friendly and useful to him than his own Brethren who despised and slighted him Ministers have found more kindness and respect from strangers than their own people that are more obliged to them Mark 6. 4. A Prophet saith Christ is not without honour save in his own Countrey and among his own Kin and in his own House Sometimes by the hands of EnemJes as well as Strangers Rev. 12. 16. The Earth helped the Woman God hath bowed the hearts of many wicked men to shew great kindness to his people Acts 28. 2. Sometimes God makes use of Instruments for good to his people who designed nothing but evil and mischief to them Thus Joseph's Brethren were instrumental to his advancement in that very thing wherein they designed his ruine Gen. 50. 20. 5. The design and scope of Providence must not eâ—â—ape our through consideration what the aim and level of Providence is And truly this of all others is the most warming and melting consideration You have the general account of the aim of all Providences in Rom. 8. 28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God A thousand friendly hands are at work for them to promote and bring about their happiness O this is enough to sweeten the bitterest Providence to us that we know it shall turn to our salvation Phil. 1. 19. 6. The respect and relatJon Providence bears to our prayers is of singular consideration and a most taking and sweet meditation Prayer honours Providence and Providence honours Prayer Great notice is taken of this in Scripture Gen. 24. 45. Dan. 9. 20. Acts 12. 12. You have had the very PetitJons you asked of him Providences have born the very signatures of your Prayers upon them O how affectingly sweet are such mercies The Second Direction IN all your Observations of Providence have a special respect to that Word of God which is fulfilled and made good to you thereby This is a clear truth that all Providences have relation to the written Word Thus Solomon in his prayer acknowledges that the Promises and Providences of God went along step by step with his Father David all his dayes and that his hand put there for his Providence had fulfilled whatever his mouth had spoken â— Kings 8. 24. So Joshuah in like manner acknowledges that not one good thing had failed of all the good things which the Lord had spoken Jos. 23. 14. He had carefully observed what relation the Works of God had to his Word He compared them together and found an exact harmony And so may you too if you will compare them as he did This I shall the more insist upon because it is by some Interpreters supposed to be the very Scope of the Text. For as was noted in the Explication they supply and fill the sense with quae promisit the things which he hath promised and so read the Text thus
and if destitute of other helps but add those that have fallen out in their own time and experience O what a precious Treasure would these make How would it antidote their souls against the spreading Atheism of these dayes and satisfie them beyond what many other Arguments can do that The Lord he is God the Lord he is God Whilst this Work was under my hand I was both delighted and assisted by a Pious and Useful Essay of an unknown Author who hath to very good purpose improved many Scriptural passages of Providence which seem to lye out of the road of common observation Some passages I have noted out of it which have been sweet to me And O that Christians would every where set themselves to such work Providence carries our lives liberties and concernments in its hand every moment Your bread is in its Cupboard your money in its Purse your safety in its enfolding Arms and sure it is the least part of what you owe to record the favours you receive at its hands More partiâ—ularly 1. Trust not your slippery memories with such a multitude of remarkable passages of Providence as you have and shall meet with in your way to Heaven It 's true things that greatly affect us are not easily forgotten by us and yet how ordinary is it for new impressions to raâ—e out former ones It was a saying of that Worthy man Dr. Hâ—rris My memory said he never failed me in all my life for indeed I durst never trust it Written memorials secure us against that hazard and besides makes them useful to others when we are gone So that you carry not away all your treasure to heaven with you but leave these choice Legacies to your surviving friends Certainly it were not so great a loss to lose your Silver your Goods and Chattels as it is to lose your Experienâ—es which God hath this way given you in this world 2. Take heed of clasping up those rich treasures in a Book and thinking it enough to have noted them there but have frequent recourse to them as oft as new wants â—ears or difficulties arise and assault you Now it 's seasonable to consider and reâ—lect Was I never so distressâ—â— before Is this the first plunge that ever befell me Let me consider the dayes of old the years of aâ—cJent times as Asaph did Psal. 77. 5. 3. Lastly Beware of slighting former straits and dâ—ngers in comparison with present â—nes That which is next us alwayes appears greatest to us and as time removes us farther and farther from our former mercies or dangers so they lessen in our eyes just as the Land from which they sail doth to Sea-men Know that your dangers have been as great and your fears no less formerly than now Make it as much your business to preserve the sense and value as the memory of former Providences and the fruit will be sweet to you FINIS THE TABLE A. ABuse of Scripture punished by Providence Pag. 28 Abuse of Providence cautioned 95 96 AfflictJons preventive of sin 99 AfflictJons restraints from sin 110 AfflictJons how they purge Corruption 112 Adherence to creatures checked 117 AffectJons must suit Providence 148 Afflictive Providences when sanctiâ—ied 23â— Ambrose his providential relief 9â— Andreas how called to the Ministry 80 AnticipatJons by Religion advantageous 47 Assiduity of providential care 91 Aspects of Providence contrary 247 AssocJatJon of natural causes 18 19 Atheism checked by Providence 174 Augustin's strange deliverance 24 Augustin's converting a Manichee 63 B. BArbarous Nations their sad state 40 41 Bible providentially mistaken 63 Body its Elegant structure 35 36 Bolâ—on's Conversion 61 Brethren their different tempers 10â— Bruens happy Marriage 62 C. CAllings ordered by Providence 77 7â— Callings sinful in themselves 7â— Callings poor some mens advantage 82 CautJons about Civil Callings 83 84 Care of God to be eyed in Providence 143 Christ hath his hand six wayes in Providence 187 Children setled providentially in Callings 79 Childrens duties pressed 56 57 CommunJon with God in Providences Rules for it and the sweetness of it 163 Committing to God quieting to us 142 Complaints of painful Callings answered 81 Comparing Providences how melting 194 CondescensJons of God admirable 119 120 212 ConversJon two wayes 58 59 ConversJon endears places and instruments 57 ConversJon how great a mercy 74 75 Content under all Providences 153 Crying to God what it imports 4 Craft sinful providentially defeated 135 CurJosity in prying into Providence 160 161 D. DAngers in extremity 3 Dangers of death providentially prevented 102 Dependance on Creatures checked by Providence 116 Delayes of Providence relieved 156 157 Delayes sink our hearts 226 227 Devil busie with dying Christians 206 DJana's shrines what they were 78 Distrust not God in new difficulties 213 Dod's strange impulse 98 Duty to advert Providence 122 Dying hour sweetned by Providence 205 E. EAvenness of spirit how attained 247 Embryoes their condition 38 Encouragements to wait on God 228 229 Englands Encomium 41 46 47 Epicureans why they denyed Providence 14 ExpectatJon from creatures dashed 115 116 Eye how guarded by nature 102 F. FAcultJes sound a choice Providence 3â— Faithfulness of God eyed in Providence 14â— Faith two signal acts of it 207 FamilJes providentially assigned us 49 Foresight of troubles how taken 25â— Fox his wonderful relief 9â— G. GOd leaves not his in straits 13â— God to be owned in all Providences 21â— Good mens affections over-heated 11â— Greatness of God discovered 11â— H. HArmony of conjugal affections providential 8â— Harmony of Gods attributes 16â— Heavenly-mindedness in all providences 15â— Heart how melted by Providence 192 19â— Heart ballanced under prosperity 25â— Heart cheered under sad Providences 25â— Heart quieted in doubtful Providences 25â— Heart not under our Command 25â— Henry the Second punished by Providence 2â— Holiness improved by eying Providence 20â— I. IDJots the design of Providence in them 37 3â— Idle life a sinful life 7â— Jewel's strange preservation 10â— â—nterpositJons of Providence seasonable 98 â—nobservance of providence sinful 125 â—ntroductive Providences remarkable 130 â—nstruments of Providence to be noted 131 â—mmutability of God in changeable Providences 147 â—oy in God under all Providences 149 â—nterest how best secured 142 â—unJus his Conversion how effected 61 K. KEepers converted by their prisoners 164 L. LIberality the best frugality 141 M. MArrJages the appointments of Providence 86 Ministers removes ordered by Providence 66 6â— MortificatJon promoted by Providence 108 109 N. NAtural causes suspended by providence 15 16 Naaman's change how effected 60 Nativity its place providentially ordered 40 41 Neighbourly Visits improved by Providence 63 Notes of attention why affixt to Providence 123 O. OBjectJons of Vnbelief solv'd by Providence 181 ObservatJons of Providence matter of praise 124 ObservatJons of Providence endear Christ 187 Oâ—colampadJus designed for a Merchant 80 ObligatJons to duty from Providence 212 P. PArents godly what a mercy 50 51 Papists their doom 43 44 Parents advantages opened 52 Parents