THE Best Entail OR Dying Parents Living Hopes for their surviving Children grounded upon the Covenant of Gods Grace with Believers and their Seed BEING A short Discourse upon 2 Sam. 23.5 WHEREIN Is a Collection of several Covenant-Promises to support the Faith and some Pleas to direct and quicken the Prayers of Gods Covenanted People for their surviving Posterity By O. H. Minister of the Gospel Psal 90.16 Let thy Work appear unto thy Servants and thy Glory unto their Children LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside 1693. THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY To the Right Honourable Philip Lord Wharton My Lord THe concernedness your Lordship hath for the worthy Branches of your Noble Family is demonstrated to all whom you esteem Friends by the constant subscription with your own hand Remember me and my Family in your Prayers by which your Lordship at once testifies your natural Affection and true Piety Your earnest desire of the best good and the means by which that must come from God even duon the wings of a believing Prayer Your Lordships request hath the force of a command the obligations laid upon many hundreds of both Ministers and People extort from us in point of Gratitude both many thanksgivings to God and renewed supplications for your Lordship that the blessing of Abraham may successively continue in your Noble Family to be blessed and be a blessing Oh happy Family where the precious Pearl of Covenant grace Enamels the Gold-ring of worldly honour 'T is true the Divine Oracles say Not many Mighty not many Noble are called A good Lady added Blessed be God that it saith not not any Once at last God will have an Emperour a Constantine saved Augustine saith wittily a poor Lazarus is laid in rich Abrahams bosom Sacred Writ records a Noble Theophilus and an Elect Lady And Ecclesiastical History furnisheth us with a large Catalogue of Illustrious Branches of Noble Families planted in the House of the Lord and like fixed Stars of the first Magnitude have shined bright in their proper Orb and conveyed great Influence to their Inferiours In which rank God hath placed your Honour whose Morning Star of early Piety continues still shining bright to a good old Age and hath cast many resplendent Beams of favour upon Indigent Persons to spread the favour of Divine Knowledg amongst ignorant souls in the Country for which the loyns of the Poor and souls of the Instructed will bless you in this and the other world I doubt not my Lord but your gracious spirit Eccho's to the dying speech of holy David to whom a succession of Piety in his seed was more Eligible than of Royalty and large Revenues What can be compared to this one comprehensive promise I will be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee Yet this is the rich priviledg of Gods Covenanted Servants Mines of Gold Mountains of Pearl can bear no proportion to this one word My God This is light in darkness life in death an heaven in the midst of hell The sense of this is the only Cordial to the fainting Spirits of Gods afflicted Children Yea saith one if but one little drop of Divine Love should fall into a Damned Soul in Hell it would sweeten or swallow up those bitter Torments And next to the priviledg of Gods being our God His being our Childrens God claims the Preeminence For Parents anxious thoughts run out for their Childrens well-doing in this and the other world If God help us to own him he will not forsake us or ours It 's true Grace comes not by succession yet oft in succession The Line of covenant-Covenant-love reacheth to many Generations and the more numerous pious Predecessours are the greater is the shower of Blessings So a Learned man reads that paternal benediction of Jacob to Joseph Gen. 49.26 The blessings of thy Fathers are strong with the blessings of my Progenitours As the more waters run into one Channel the deeper it grows Your Lordship then may hope for multiplied accumulative blessings on your Noble Progeny If that be found Divinâ—ty which was a Maxime amongst the Jewish Rabbies That the Divine Glory rests on Noble Stemms however beams of love reflect with greatest lustre when descending on honourable Personages Therefore should we pray most ardently for those of highest rank as in the greatest capacity of doing most good and a godly man or Minister must not only with David serve his own generation by the will of God Acts 13.36 but with the blessed Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 1.15 Endeavour that posterity may be able after their decease to have Divine Truths always in remembrance This my Lord hath been the great care of your Honour and as natural motions are quickest towards the end so the nearer your Lordship approacheth to your center and Haven the more sedulous and active are you to lay a foundation of Religion in future Generations thereby also laying up in store for your self a good foundation for time to come 2 Tim. 4.19 so laying hold on Eternal Life for the accomplishing of this great End A poor inconsiderable worm casts his Mite into my Lords Treasury and prostrates himself at your Lordships Feet in this Dedication in testimony of my real gratitude for your unparallel'd kindness and condescention to so ignoble a person Withal recommending this small Treatise to your Lordship to encourage your heart and strengthen your hands in God under the smarting breaches in your Noble Family venturing it into a critical world under your Lordships auspicious Name not doubting a pardon of this boldness and a candid acceptance following it with my poor Prayers that it may obtain its desired success upon the rising Generation and provoking Parents to improve this blessed Covenant hoping that when your Lordship hath filled up your days with Grace and tranplanted your Soul into the Coelestial Paradise some of your Seed shall rise up in your room as Plants of Renown to bear your Image and Name and follow your gracious Example while Sun and Moon endure Which is the daily Prayer of My Lord Your humble and devoted Servant Oliver Heywood A PREFACE OR AN EPISTLE to the READER THere is nothing in the World I am very confident lyes so near the heart of a gracious Christian next to the Glory of God and his own Souls Eternal happiness as the Spiritual good of his dear Children nature binds him to love his own Christianity regulateth and Spiritualiseth this love fondness is not true love but faithfulness love to their bodies is but bruitish without love to their Souls i'ts like a doting on the Case and throwing away the Jewel the Soul is the man the unseen part is the best part where the Soul is lodged when parted from the Body there must the Body lodg in Heaven or Hell Oh that men understood and well digested this surely they would not so unweariedy toil and tread to get Estates for their Children
of God! I shall give some Motives and Directions 1. For Motives I beseech you consider Eph. 23. 1. That your Children are Children of wrath as well as others You begot them as Men not as Holy Men for Grace was adventitious Adam begot a Son in his own likeness Gen. 5.3 after his own Image not Gods which he had lost For Grace comes by spiritual regeneration not by natural generation You gave them a sinful and miserable being O study to give them an holy and happy being They are born in sin Travel over them till Christ be formed in them Gal. 4.19 If you cannot make them good yet lament that they are so bad You have done them a dis-kindness Labour to do them this kindness to plant Grace in them 2. Your Children are more inclined to Vice than Vertue they are born like the wild Asses Colt Job 11.12 with a byas Hell-wards and an antipathy in their nature to what is good For the carnal mind is enmity against good Rom. 8.7 Aelian tells of a Whore that boasted she could easily get Scholars away from Socrates but Socrates could get no Schollars from her Wrong is always before right naturally the left hand before the right Children need not be taught what is bad they learn that fast enough but you 'll find much ado to beat into them what is good 3 Yet they must learn Divine Truths and their Duty or never be happy One thing is needfull If they die as they are born Luke 10.4 with their backs on God they are undone for ever they are become like the beasts that perish But it 's better be a beast Eccl. 3.2 than to be a rational man like a beast The one goeth upwards to be judged by God and condemned to eternal torments but the Sensitive spirit of a beast goeth downwards to the Earth And however some think the Beast shall not lose its individuation yet it is not capable of Moral Evil and so of the Punishment of Hell as a rational but a graceless soul is Would you not have them far worse than Beasts Oh! take pains to work grace in them else no salvation Mat. 18.3 4. They are capable of Instruction For this end was the Book of Proverbs written Prov. 14. To give subtilty to the simple to the young man knowledg and discretion Aristotle indeed saith That a young man is not a fit hearer of Moral Philosophy or of Ethicks but he speaks of what is De facto non de eo quod fieri debet what is usually not what ought to be Children can learn Trades Toys why not Scriptures Catichisms It 's not enough to tell the capacity of many Children were they Idiots or Natural Fools destitute of Common Reason it were a lamentable judgment of God and a sore affliction to Parents But they have members of Body use of Reason Oh! do what you can to add Grace You are taken with their outward Feature wit Parts these qualifie them not for Heaven till Gods Image be super-induced 5. Parents have great advantage in beginning with their Children whilst young Now they are young and tender soonest reduced Like young twigs quickly bended or a young Horse easily broken or a young Hawk soonest brought to the lure Take them betimes before they be hardened in sin and you may most likely prevail but if they be let alone awhile they 'll be past dealing with Custom in sin makes them like the Aethiopian in his skin Jer. 13.23 or the Leopard spots Besides teach them betimes and they will more likely retain it It is an usual saying Liquidae sunt puerorum memoriae Quo semel est imbuta recens servabit odoremtesta diu Childrens memories are soft and soonest take impression and clear or free from disturbance and so retain it longest Season a New Vessel and it will keep that favour long Let Cloath be died in Wooll and after in Cloath the colour will be most lively and durable The Application is easie 6. Parents are betrusted with their Childrens Souls as well as Bodies Ezek. 18.4 All Souls are mine saith God and he concredits them to the tuition of Parents as a precious Talent or depositum saying as Pharoah's Daughter to Moses Mother Exod. 2.9 take this child away and nurse it for me and I will give thee thy Wages so saith God when the Child is Born and Baptized to Parents I devolve the charge of this child on thee look to it Ezek. 3.17 if it miscarry through thy default its blood will I require at thy hand thou must give an account of its Soul go then to God and say as Manoah concerning his Son Sampson Judges 13.12 how shall we order the Child And how shall we do unto him Fetch your instructions from God and assistance also for your Childrens good consider of a reckoning day 7. By this you will manifest your own sincerity or sinisterity your love to God and your Children or your hatred Remember no man is really good that is not Relatively good When thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren saith our Lord i. e. Luk. 22.32 evidence the sincerity of thy conversion by endeavouring the good of others Grace is like Fire that turns what it toucheth into its own nature if you do not your endeavour to bring others especially your seed into covenant it 's a shrewd sign you are not your selves in Covenant with God then wo be to you Oh cursed Parents of cursed Children Are you so indifferent whether Christs Kingdom be reared and erected in your Family that you 'll scarce put up a prayer or speak a word to promote it Where is your love to Christ that loved Souls so dearly And where is your true love to your natural off-spring if a Beast be fallen in a Pit will you not help him out Hast thou more care of a Swine than the Soul of thy Child 8. Satan lyes at the catch for your Children that Fiend of Hell hunteth daily for the precious Soul of thy dear Child he got possession when thy Child came into the World and he makes it his business to keep possession and will do till Christ that 's stronger than he cast him out Luk. 11.22 and wilt thou see a Dog a Bear the Lion of Hell hurry away thy Child Man and not cry out to Heaven for aid O heard-hearted miscreant doth not nature teach the Hen to fly at the glade that would take her Chickens yea the Sheep to turn upon the Dog that would catch her Lamb And art thou so far degenerated as to cast of all pity to thine own bowels Oh Monster of Mankind hast thou laid aside Humanity as well as Christianity 9. The Church and Commonwealth require this office of love from you to your Children and if you neglect their Education you take a course to corrupt both It 's worth observing that the Heathen Romans sued in their Courts
11.16 If the Root be holy the Branches are also holy So in humane Laws the Father and the Heir are but one Person of this opinion is Mr. Perkin's and produceth the testimony of the Antients as St. Augustin and Bernard saying it is meet and for the honour of God that to whom age denies their own Faith Grace should grant to them a benefit by the Faith of another Perk vol. 1. fol. 486. where he answers Bellarmine's objection That by this means Children shall be born Believers and so be conceived and born without original sin Answ Believing Parents sustain two persons one whereby they are men and thus they bring forth Children having Mans Nature with all the corruptions of nature the other as they are holy men and Believers and thus they bring forth Infants that are not so much their Children as the Children of God and Infants are Gods Children not by vertue of their birth but by means of Parents Faith which intitles them to all the blessings of the Covenant Thus he But this is not the subject of our present design and consideration CHAP. IV. What grounds of hope Parents have from the Covenant for their Adult and surviving Children THE second head in the prosecuting of this Doctrine is the proof of the point That notwithstanding the sins and sufferings breaking forth in a godly man's Family or breaking in upon it which occasion much grief to his Spirit yet he is and hath reason to be supported and satisfied from Gods gracious Gospel-covenant I am very sensible I have undertaken a difficult province and walk in an untrodden path But this I may confidently affirm that whatever befalls a covenanted Soul he may fetch all good out of this blessed treasury for 1. Either his Children shall be laid hold on by converting Grace or 2. They shall not if they be oh what cause will he have to magnifie covenant-Covenant-love on their behalf if not still he will exceedingly adore Covenant-grace on his own behalf that hath made him to differ and in the worst case will find something in the Covenant for supporting his Spirit and sanctifying his bitter cup of Affliction in the death of Children As to this latter I shall say nothing but refer you to a small Treatise of Mr. John Flavel's called the Balm of the Covenant applied to the bleeding wounds of afflicted Saints from this text But my present business is to gather up such gracious promises as a Nosegay or Posie out of the Garden of Scripture as may refresh the drooping hearts of Gods poor Children sorrowing for the miscarriages of their Children that they may turn them into Prayer or use them as a Cordial to support them till the Lord shine upon the Souls of their beloved off-spring In general observe that as the Covenant of Grace is a blessed constellation So every promise is an orient refulgent Star to give both light and influence to the weary Traveller in this dark and dismal dispensation wherein he is appalled through sad fears that his Child shall be a cast-away The Question is what grounds of hope from Scripture have godly Parents for their Children that are grown or growing up and likely to survive or out-live them The resolving of this is of exceeding great importance and having searched the Sacred Records I do find twelve sorts of Promises that may incourage Parents Hearts 1. The first and chief is God himself Gen. 17.7 For I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their Generations for an Everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee This extends both to Abraham's natural Seed and afterwards to his Spiritual Seed all Gentile-believers Rom. 4.12 18. Oh what a priviledge is this whatever God is hath or can be or do is for believers of all that 's communicable divine power wisdom goodness mercy holiness justice is the portion of Believers and their Seed whatever they can ask or expect in a God shall be in due season laid out in them and for them this one word is the substance and confluence of all good spiritual temporal eternal Deus meus omnia My God is the most extensive and comprehensive word in the World what can a man desire more and no less will give a gracious Soul content for himself and his Seed no less is in the Covenant Jer. 31.33 Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord. Psal 33.12 God in some sense may be the God of Nations Families as well as Persons and if some boast of Pedigree Wealth Honour numerous Posterity Worldly Prosperity yet let David reckon up the Epitome the summa totalis of mans felicity he will thus conclude happy is that People whose God is the Lord Psal 144.12 15. Happy Parents that bequeath such a Legacy to their Posterity though they leave them in Poverty 2. Next to that and a mean to injoy God is Jesus Christ the Mediator of the Covenant Isa 42.6 I will give thee for a Covenant of the People for a light of the Gentiles it 's true God vouchsafed to the Jewish Nation this priviledge Rom. 9.5 that of them as concerning the Flesh Christ came but they cannot monopolize this glorious gift Eph. 2.13 for now in Christ Jesus we who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ and poor Gentiles laying hold on the Covenant are become free Denizons of all Jewish priviledges that are essential to Salvation Gal. 3.28 for we are all one in Christ Jesus and promises are to us that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call Act. 2.39 even Christ himself in whom all the promises of God are yea and in him Amen 2 Cor. 1.0 Nor can any man have an interest in any one promise for himself or seed without an interest in Christ there never was or will be any Covenant betwixt God and Man since the fall but through Christ he then that hath Christ hath something to plead for his Children more than another hath Col. 3.11 he only is all and in all for our selves and ours And they shall hang on him all the glory of his Fathers House the off-spring and the issue all vessels of small quantity Isa 22.24 All believers are Gods family and by Faith in Prayer they may freely hang upon him off-spring i. e. Children Grand-children the smallest and least of the Vessels that are in their house he will not refuse them but lovingly entertain them himself will take Infants into his Arms as himself being an Infant was taken into old Simeons Arms and both old and young are blessed by him Oh happy Parents that lay surviving seed in so warm a bosom they cannot miscarry that have Christ for their Guardian 3. Another Legacy that Parents may leave their Children is the third person of the blessed Trinity the Holy Ghost Isa 44.3 4. For I will pour Water upon him that is
thirsty I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed and my blessing upon thine off-spring and they shall spring up as among the grass as willows by the water courses There 's no interest in God or Christ but by the operation of the Spirit the Holy Ghost proceeding from Father and Son teacheth believers all things convinceth of Sin reneweth the will Joh. 14.16 26.16.8 13. begetteth faith uniteth the Soul to God filleth the empty vessel with divine gifts graces influences comforts all the good things of Heaven are conveyed into the Soul by our Lords substitute the Spirit assisteth quickneth inlargeth supporteth and satisfieth yea saith the Christian I have had much experience of the Spirits help in my own Soul but what reason have I to hope for the like to my Children Look on the text again I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed it shall not come on them by drops but be poured on them abundantly they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost see the full promise in Joel 2.28 accomplished Act. 2.17 18. I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh and your Sons and Daughters shall Prophecy It 's true there 's something in that Promise Arbitrary and extraordinary suited to that dispensation but something there is also usual permanent and essentially necessary to true Christianity which God makes good to believers and their seed in all ages Oh happy Children that have the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God and the communion and communications of the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 13.14 4. Children of Believers are rightful heirs of all Gospel-priviledges I may in a sound sense say of them as Paul of the Jewish Church Rom. 9.4 who are Israelites to whom pertaineth the Adoption and the glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the Promises there are two sorts of priviledges 1. External as the Ordinances they being born within the Pale of the Visible Church have the Prayers of Gods People for them Rom. 4.11 As the Children of Abraham had the Seal of Circumcision at eight days old so Children of Believers are Baptized being Disciples of Christ Mat. 28.19 and so have Gods Sheep-mark set upon them betimes and are taken into his peculiar protection and growing up and owning their Baptismal Covenant they enjoy 2. Those Essential Priviledges that accompany Salvation as Reconciliation Adoption Justification and are in a fair way to Eternal Salvation for they lye in the Road of Free-grace under the droppings of the Sanctuary where the Spirit is wont to breathe the breath of Spiritual Life if any be proper heirs of Gods special care and Ordinances surely it 's the Children of Gods People Psal 69.35 36. For God will save Zion and build the Cities of Judah who shall have the benefit of this Salvation He answers the Seed also of his Servants shall inherit it and they that love his name shall dwell therein Parents have pray'd for the Churches Deliverance and their Children shall reap the fruit of their Prayers so Psal 102.28 The Children of thy Servants shall continue and their Seed shall be established before thee there 's a double mercy here 1. In restoring Ordinances 2. In vouchsafing this priviledge to the Children of Believers Oh what would a Child of God give to know that his Posterity should see better days You have it in the Promise and may have it in the performance if you reach out the hand of Faith to receive it for your selves and yours 5. Children of Believing Parents shall be converted to God by Ordinances Psal 110. 3. The People shall be willing in the day of thy Power i. e. in dispensing of powerful Ordinances in the beauties of holiness for holiness is full of glory from the Womb of the Morning i. e. from the beginning of Christs entrance upon his Kingdom thou hast the Dew of thy Youth i. e. those young men of the Seed of the faithful that shall be born to the Messiah resembling Dew for quality and quantity for number and strange manner of Genaration But a plainer text we have in Isa 29.22 23. Jacob shall not now be ashamed neither shall his Face now wax pale through the loss of good blood or death of godly But when he seeth his Children the work of my hands in the midst of him they shall sanctifie my name Oh blessed sight to behold Gods Image and Workmanship in the Souls of our Children this is far better than to behold our Image upon them Gods Picture is drawn by his own hand with the Pencil of his Word and Spirit the discovery of this will raise high Monuments to the glory of Free-grace Lift up thine Eyes saith God Isa 60.45 Thy Sons shall come from far and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side I know it means Gentlie-converts And 't is so much the more of concern to us Isa 49.22 Another text saith they shall bring thy Sons in their arms with great care and tenderness as nurses carry young infants in their bosoms that they be not hurt Oh what a brave sight is it to see converts flocking to Christ and into his Church like doves to their windows or lockers Isa 60.8 the Seventy Translate it as Doves with their young ones unto me You may hope for your childrens saving conversion having those encourageing promises 6. Godly Persons natural Children may and shall be useful instruments of publick good to the Church of God Isa 49.17 Thy Children shall make haste or as others render it thy builders And her Children were her builders as we read in Ezra and Nehemiah That is a glorious day when destroyers are gone and the Churches Children build Zions Temple and Walls But so it shall be Isa 58.12 And they that shall be of thee i. e. thy Children Spiritual or Natural or both shall build the old Wast places thou shalt raise the Foundations of many generations Is not this worth something to have blessed Instruments of Reformation raised out of your loyns as Magistrates or Ministers how did it glad Davids heart that his Son Solomon must build God an house 2 Sam. 7.13 He shall build an house for my name David ecchos ' verse 18. Who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto And what if a Zerobbabel or a Joshuah proceed out of thy loyns who knows but some of thy posterity may be raised up as godly Ministers to convert sinners to God hope and pray for all things are possible with God and thou hast incouragement from the Covenant CHAP. V. More grounds of incouragement to Parents from the Promises 7 ANother incourageing word to Parents for their Children is that principles of grace and profession of godliness shall continue to future generations Isa 59.21 As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall
Rom. 1.17 you must enter personally into Covenant with God repent obey the Gospel your selves or else if thou be a breaker of this Gospel-Law Rom. 2.25 thy Circumcision becomes Vncircumcision i. e. thy Priviledges are made void insignificant So God reckons uncircumcised in Heart with uncircumcised in flesh Jer. 9.26 And saith they are as the Children of the Aethiopians unto him Amo. 9.7 and in the Gospel it is repeated again and again 1 Cor. 7.19 Circumcision is nothing and Uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping the commandments of God Gal. 5.6.6.15 but faith which worketh by love but a new Creature You boast of your pious Parents as the Jews once did and bear up big with being Abrahams seed alas you may be a generation of vipers Mat. 3.7 8 9. as John Baptist tells them and of your Father the Devil as our Lord saith Joh. 8.33 44. except you have the Faith and do the works of Abraham A famous Family will avail nothing without personal piety Without holiness in your hearts and lives you cannot be saved think not that God is bound and you loose the Covenant is mutual reciprocal you cannot expect the Priviledges without performing the Conditions 3. It 's an awful observation and often proves too true that if the Children of God's People turn Apostates they become the worst of men and run deeper into sin and further from God then many yea any others The Sons of good old Eli run into unparalleled wickedness 1 Sam. 2. 13 22. We have many sad instances of Cain Cham Ishmael Esau Ammon Absolom yea Solomon Rehoboam Manasseh and few recovered and with great difficulty The Tribe of Dan Jacobs Son turned Idolaters and scarce ever returned to God therefore are not reckoned amongst the Sealed ones Rom. 7. 5 8. Because they set up Micahs graven Image and it 's observable that Jonathan the Son of Gershom Moses Grandson was Priest to the Tribe of Dan and his Sons after him until the day of the captivity of the land Judg. 18.30 31. But the Heathens observe that though this Jonathan was Moses Natural Grandson by generation yet he is called Grandchild of Manasseh whom he imitated in forgetting God not of Moses as appears by lifing up a letter in the Hebrew to make it no Moses but Manasseh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He had so far degenerated that his Godly Grandfather must not be named with him Jer. 5.28 Thus Israelites are said to overpass the deeds of the wicked i. e. of Heathens Ezek. 16.47 Ezek. 5.6 yea they go beyond Sodom and her Daughters and change Gods judgments more than the Heathen The reason is clear because these sin against more Light Love Helps Means Convictions Godly Examples Good Education and therefore are justly forsaken of God and left to greater abominations Oh tremble lest this be your case 4. The Children of Godly Parents may be cast into Eternal Torments Abraham the Father of the Faithful may have an houling Son in Hell Torment Luk. 16.24 25. Mat. 8.12 The Children of the Kingdom shall be cast out into utter darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth they that would not weep penitently here must weep despairingly hereafter they that scorned rebukes from Parents must have dreadful rebukes from God and Conscience their Education was with Saints their conclusion with Devils There 's many gone to Hell with Baptismal Water on their Face Baptized Magus Act. 8.13 20 23. is like to perish with his money he was in the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity that dragg'd him to Hell Yea the damnation of such Caitiffs will be endorst with more vengeance than others the Worm of Conscience will bite harder being fed with more materials to strengthen her the Flame will be hotter having more fewel the higher men are exalted towards Heaven Mat. 11.23 and reach it not the lower do they fall to Hell and in Hell if they plead their birth-right as he that pleaded he was a Gentleman the Judge told him he should therefore have an higher Gallows or as Lord Sturton that was hanged for Murder in a silken Halter so must these well-bred persons be dealt with Luk. 12.47 the more they know of their Masters Will the more stripes are laid on them the more they glory in their priviledges the more misery in their loss and the higher their hopes the greater their disappointment these are both hypocrites and apostates whose sin and shame is more aggravated and augmented than others Mat. 24.51 Oh what flaming Faggots and scorching Oil will Parents Prayers Tears Councils Admonitions Exhortations be to dissolute young men when they shall see Parents glorified themselves condemned read Prov. 5.11 12 13. CHAP. VIII An Vse of Exhortation or Instruction THere are four sorts of persons concerned in this Text and Doctrine that may be instructed in their respective duties from it Viz. 1. Children of Uncovenanted Parents 2. Children of Covenanted Parents 3. Persons married without Children 4 Persons that have a Posterity An hint and but an hint to all these 1. There are some Children attending on God in Ordinances whose immediate Parents were not in Covenant knew not God you may lay it to heart and lament it as your infelicity but this is no bar to your entertainment with God for how can you tell but some of your remote Ancestours might be godly and if not Grace is free those that come unto him he will in no wise cast off Joh. 6.37 you may and must venture sinners of the Gentiles are grafted into the true Olive Rom. 11.24 Jud. 11.1 2 27 28. even contrary to nature that were Wild by nature so may'st thou be Jâ—phthah was a Bastard thrust out by his Brethren but received by God Be not discouraged though thou be bad Col. 3.11 Gal. 3.28 and Parents bad yet God is no respecter of Persons Barbarian Scythian all 's one in Christ Jesus Grace makes but regards no difference And if the Grace of God hath leapt over others heads to touch your hearts 1. Adore the Soveraign actings of Free-grace give God glory discriminating Grace shall have the Crown set upon its head I was doubly polluted in my Birth from first and immediate Parents Oh that God should dispense with his ancient law Deut. 23.2 that a Bastard should not enter into the Congregation of the Lord yet God hath entertained me amongst his Saints on Earth and gives me hopes of Heaven oh wonder of Grace 2. Be humble all your days and cast down in your own eyes Young professors are apt to be proud but it ill becomes you of all persons to be proud whom God hath lifted from the Dunghill to sit with Princes the Kings Children read and apply 2 Sam. 7.18 19 20. 3. Make up your Parents defect with your own diligence what time was lost in your child-hood and youth now redeem it the more ignorant your Parents
manifested you must rest satisfied in that by which God thinks fit to Glorify himself 11. Yet further say Lord if thou refuse to hear me for this or that particular Child yet I will thank thee for Free Grace expressed to another Child or more of my Children that are-hopefull God forbid that my sorrow for our Child should drown all my Comfort in another or my complaints should silence my gratitude I will praise thee for what I enjoy and hope for more Nature teacheth persons to beg a future by acknowledging a former kindness I Bless the Lord I have a Praying Obeying Child that was born as destitute of Grace as this and I humbly take this as a pledg of more Thou hast Grace enough for all my Children I will not despond but be thankfull such a Child I hope hath embraced the Covenant of God Who am I O Lord God! 2 Sam. 7.18 19 20. and what is my house That thou hast brought me hitherto And this was yet a small thing in thy sight O Lord God but thou hast spoken also of thy Servants house for a great while to come and is this the manner of man O Lord God Thou didst not owe me any thing and yet thou hast given me the best things 'T is true I have a Cain yet I have a Righteous Abel I have a Shem as well as a Cham an Isaac as well as an Ishmael a Jacob as well as an Esau a Solomon as well as an Ammon or Absalon All my Children were born in Sin and God might have suffered all to have dyed in Sin But blessed be Free-Grace that hath pluckt this or that as a brand out of the Fire God hath heard prayers and taken of my Seed to be the Lords he hath not dealt so with all Families I own this as an higher preferment for my Children then if they were the greatest princes on Earth I will be thankful for them yet jealous of them and mix my praises with prayers the heart is very deceitfull I will give God Glory yet not glory in my Children But my jealousie shall not obscure thy Glory of this mercy Ebenezer hitherto God hath helpt I will rejoyce with trembling something God hath done that I may love and praise him and be encouraged to hope for more Much is yet to do that I may still have an Errand to the Throne of Grace thus my Lord keeps me in a waiting depending posture I must have something to evidence that God is my God and an hearer of Prayer I must not have all that I may know I am on Earth and not in Heaven It may be Religion may live in my Family when I am dead and gone And if all my Seed be not happy I hope some may However God hath done my own Soul good and laid a foundation of Grace in my heart and will lay the top Stone in Glory It was a notable speech of that gracious Minister of Christ One Mr. Avery See the life of Mr. Mather p. 131. passing to New-England in a Storm at Sea expecting every wave to bring death he lift up his Eyes to Heaven and Said Lord I cannot challeng of preservation of my life but according to thy Covenant I challeng Heaven Immediatly a wave wasted him to Heaven he his Wife and five Children being then drowned and is this nothing that thou may'st with gratitude and confidence claim a Promise for thy own Salvation If it reach no farther 12. Lastly Lord notwithstanding all the discouragement I have I will Believe Hope and Pray till thou take me off by my own death or the death of my Child As I will follow on to know and love and serve the Lord whatever thou do with me so I am resolved to Pray and Hope and wait whatever thou say to me Lam. 3.26 for I am sure 't is good for a man both to hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord God is worthy waiting on even upon my Knees I cannot be in a better excercise Say then Oh my dear Lord I am a Sinfull worm have a wicked heart am of polluted lips a sinfull life I deserve not the least crum of Bread or drop of Water I have forfeited my right to all Covenants as well as common Mercys for my self and Seed I have begot a Child in my own Image not thine it is a Child of wrath by nature as well as others but thou in thy love hast made a Covenant with believers and their Seed thou hast brought me into the bond of the Covenant the like mercy I beg for mine my Child must have thine Image as well as mine or it is undone for ever and it is not in my power to convey it but thou canst My dayly errand to the throne of Grace is to beg the blessings of the Covenant of Grace to me and mine I will not go from thy door without an alms thou shalt have a troublesom guest of me till thou grant my request O remember thy word unto thy servant Psal 119.49 upon which thou hast caused me to hope Come Lord let Covenant-Grace enter into the soul of my Child which is part of my self and I will take it as done to my self if I had not the mercy I beg under a promise I durst not ask it but thou hast made thy self a debtor and I will put thy bond in suit by Faith in Prayer Thou canst not deny thine own hand writing Thou art Faithfull and wilst perform it to some and why not to me God loves such importunate beggers and our dear Lord Jesus hath propounded two parables to provoke importunity Luke 11.5 8 9.18.1.8 therefore it is not unmannerly sauciness but holy earnestness and approved impudence wherein God much delights the End thereof is not to move God to alter his purpose but that our own Souls may have the condition of thy Promise thus the Canaanitish or the Syrophenician Woman crys out for her Daughter Have mercy on me O Lord thou Son of David my Daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil Mark 7.24 25. Mat. 15.22 28. She received a first a second a third repulse but She hangs on still and will have no nay and at last obtained her suit with an high Encomium and larg grant O Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt go thou and do likewise Obj. Alas Sir but I am faithless had I Faith as that Woman had I might prevail and you say Faith in Gods Covenant is necessary for the parent but I cannot Pray in Faith for my Child and how then should I prevail Ans There is a two-fold faith General and Objective by which you believe God is able and willing to make good his Covenant doth make it good to some and would to thee if thou hadst the condition this is absolutly necessary in all that come to God and this thou hast thou art sure that Christ is able to