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-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
were the more knowledge do you lay in The further they were from God the nearer do you get to him The more disadvantages you have had the more pains must you take for your Souls seeing it 's of absolute necessity 4. If God have laid hold on your Hearts be more laborious for the good of your families you have had sad experience of the want of careful education let not your Children have the like but instruct them pray for them do what you can to bring them into Covenant with God give not them occasion to complain of your neglect also 2. Children of Covenanted Parents God forbid you should act contrary to your Baptismal Covenant-relation or contradict your obligations that Thorns should grow instead of Lillies or stinking Weeds where sweet smelling Flowers have been it 's dreadful that cursing should be heard where Prayers have been put up or idle wanton Songs where Hosanna's have been used to the King of Heaven 1. Review and Renew your Baptismal-covenant you were timely devoted to God in minority confirm it now at age you took press-money to be the Lords Souldiers to fight against Satan World Flesh Beg the Graces and priviledges exhibited and sealed in that ordinance Regeneration Adoption Mortification Union to Christ Tit. 3.5 Rom. 6.1 2. Gal. 3.26 Act. 22.16 Remission of Sin say Lord didst thou promise before I could ask them and now wilt thou not bestow them when I am become an humble suitor for them I here produce thy Charter the deed of gift under thine own hand thou didst in thy infancy confer a right give me now possession of it let me know the Seed was sown by the crop growing up that I may at last reap the blessed Harvest 2. Repent for your breach of Covenant alas I have not walkt up to my vow in Baptism I have failed by omission trangressed by commission my Conscience condemns me God may justly censure me for transgressing his Laws Isa 24.5 changing his Ordinances breaking the everlasting Covenants I have abused his kindness rejected his gracious offers neglected his Worship and God may justly draw up a black bill of indictment against me pass the Sentence upon me and execute it as against an Apostate but Lord heal my back slidings Hos 14.4 love me freely turn away thine anger from me and deal with me according to the tenour of this New Covenant 3. Plead your Fathers Covenant Prayers Practice The Lord our God be with us as he was with our Fathers 1 Kin. 8.57 let him not leave us nor forsake us Psal 22.4 5. our Fathers trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them they cried unto thee c. blessed be God the God of my Fathers that gave them a believing praying heart and sigsig experiences of answers of Prayer I will build on that Foundation and surely my Lord will not be worse to me than he was to them How strong a plea this hath been accounted see in David 1 Chron. 12.17 Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 20.6 thus may you plead Lord my Godly Father was in many straits and still he made thee his only refuge and thou didst not leave him Oh cut not off this blessed entail from me his Child be as good to me as thou wast to him 4. Walk in the steps of your godly Ancestors plead and practise as they did say as Moses Exod. 15.2 He is my God 1 Kin. 21.3 4. Pro. 27.10 and I will prepare him an habitation my Fathers God and I will exalt him God forbid that I should sell the Inheritance of my Fathers My Fathers Friend I will not forsake by sinning or apostatising he never gave me occasion to withdraw from him Jer. 2.5 What iniquity have my Fathers found in God Shall I disoblige an old Friend to gratifie an inveterate Enemy No God forbid Act. 24.14 I will own love and serve the God of my Fathers for ever the God of my Fathers help me to stick close to my dear Lord in duty 3. This Doctrine concerns persons that are married that yet have no Children to Pray and Care for or incourage themselves about for surviving Posterity and under this head I shall also rank unmarried persons both these may learn these four practical lessons 1. Be sure you lay hold of this Covenant for your own Souls Be concerned for your selves if you have none else to care for yet you have a great charge upon your hands You are either Gods or Devils to your selves aut Deus aut Demon either God or Satan is with us even when alone Yea every man is the worst Devil to himself quisque sibi Satan every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed Jam. 1.14 Your business is therefore to secure your best interest whether you shall have Children or no and the only course is to lay hold on this Gospel-Covenant Isa 56.4 5. For thus saith the Lord unto the Eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths and chuse the thing that please me and take hold of my Covenant Even unto them will I give in my House and within my Walls a place and a name better than of Sons and of Daughters Mark it you both secure your own Souls and your name How much is this better than Absoloms Pillar which became an Eternal shame You consult honour to your selves by embracing Covenant terms practising Covenant-duties improving Covenant-promises and Spirituallizing Covenant-seals believing in Christ the Mediator of the Covenant being sprinkled with the blood of the Covenant that you may enjoy Covenant-priviledges then shall your names be inrolled in the sacred Calendar Isa 4.3 and written among the living in Jerusalem God and good men will esteem and honour you yea your name shall be had in everlasting remembrance Your memory shall be blessed on Earth Prov. 10.7 and your Souls happy in Heaven Oh how much is this better than Sons to bear up your name That 's but a Temporal this a Spiritual mercy that Common to all this peculiar to Saints that uncertain this fixed that Temporary this Eternal Be sure of this and you are happy 2. Be humble and mortified You want Children they are an Earthly blessing Psal 127. Psal 128.3 4. 3 4 5. For Children are the heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the Womb is his reward as arrows are in the hands of a mighty man so are the children of Youth happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them These are not contemptible though temporal mercies you must not throw up the head and say tush I care not I have more ease and draw a light harrow I may take my pleasure and make even with my Estate for I have none to leave it to when I dye This is naughtily spoken God would have you humbled under the want of Children tho' but a temporal mercy Gods Servants have lookt on it as an Affliction You may hereby take occasion to
of Judicature such persons as were not careful in Educating their Children Cicero laid this to the charge of Verres that he had debauched his Son by Intemperance Riot Wantonness it seems it was actionable among Heathens and it were well if it were punished among pretended Christians Wo be to that Town where the Springs are poisoned sad is the case of that Church and State where Academies and Inns of Court are corrupted yea corrupters Isa 1.4 Hos 5.7 where strange Children are begot and brought up no reformation can be expected till publick Schools be reformed It 's said of Protagoras he lived 60 years and spent 40 years in corrupting youth if not only Old Trees in an Orchard be rotten but young also what fruit can be expected It s fit they be digged up by this we may Divine what will become of a Church or Kingdom 10. The consequence is sad of Parents neglect of their Childrens due education a Child left to himself bringeth his Mother to shame Pro. 29.15 throw the Reines on the Childs Neck and whither will he not run A foolish Son is the heavinéss of his Mother Prov. 10.1 Pro. 19.15 Pro. 17.21 the calamity of his Father neither Father nor Mother have joy in a wicked Child and usually they may thank themselves for it the Switzers had a law that if a Child was condemned to dye the Parent should execute him because it 's neglect in Parents that is usually the rack of their Children it 's true a godly Man may have a bad Son but this is most ordinary Oh what shame will cover the Face and horrour fill the Conscience of a bad Father or a good Father conscious of guilt when he shall see his Child running hell-wards or roaring in those unquenchable Torments I advise you therefore to a timely care to prevent these dreadful consequences Quest What course should Parents take to restrain sin in Children principle them with Grace and bring them within the Covenant of God I answer this is a large and ordinary subject that I cannot now insist on practical Divines lay four great duties before Parents for the Education of their Children 1. Provision 2. Correction 3. Instruction 4. Prayer Supplication 1. Providing Food Rayment a Calling This though a great duty I pass as not pertinent to our case only I find this remarkable passage that the Athenians ordered in their laws that if Parents had not brought up their Children in a lawful calling they should not be bound to keep their Parents thus all were set to Trades 2. For correction I shall not inlarge on that only observe it to be done seasonably Prov. 19.18 Chasten thy Son while there is hope some put it off till he become too stubborn do it with self-reflection humiliation moderation prayer instructing them in their fault and the way to mend it I pass this also 3. Instruction this I chiefly aimed at if I had leasure an hint of 1. The Matter 2. The Manner of performing this duty 1. For Matter instruct your Children in the main fundamental principles of our Christian Religion as that there is a God concerning his nature properties persons of the God-head the creation of the World of Man the Immortality of the Soul the Nature of Sin the fall of Adam the sad fruits thereof the Remedy by Christ his Humiliation Offices Exaltation the Duty of Man the nature of a Church priviledges properties of Believers the Ordinances the state of all men after death Rewards and Punishments c. You are likewise to instruct them in the Covenant of Grace the nature use ends of it the difference betwixt this and the old Covenant of Works the Mediator of it the terms properties and conditions thereof the seals of it Baptism and the Lords Supper the priviledge and necessity of Souls being within it press them with Arguments to enter into it give directions about it 2. For the Manner of your instructing your Children you must do it 1. Isa 28.9 Timously as soon as they are capable but drawn from the breasts 2 Tim. 3.15 ab incunabulis that they may suck in knowledge with there mothers milk as Timothy 2. Frequently once is not enough but you must inculcate truths on them whet them as you go oft with the Knife upon the Whet-stone Deut. 6.7 so the word signifies 3. Experimentally not by rote hear-say work things on your hearts Eph. 4.21 learn and speak the truth as it is in Jesus speak feelingly from the Heart as one that believes thy self 4. Wisely Jud. 22.23 Col. 3.21 observe the tempers of your Children some must be drawn others driven provoke not tender-hearted to fretting discontent 5. Seasonably observe candida tempora proper melting seasons Eccl. 8.5 Psa 14.10 as a good humour affliction conviction speak to them words upon the Wheel or in some nick of time when they will be best taken 6. Lovingly winningly meekly not in passion but draw with cords of love Hos 11.3 oil them with kindness and they will go down glibly even bitter Pills rolled in Sugar will be well taken 7. Plainly familiarly not in high flown language but use similitudes speak as they are able to bear it Isa 28.10 11. come on gradually guttatim by drops here a little there a little into these narrow mouth'd vessels 8. Faithfully search the wound do not skin it over a fair hand makes a foul wound Luk. 19.22 a weak dose rather stirs than purgeth out bad humours rebuke sharply Tit. 1.14 9. Scripturally bring your authority along with you shew them chapter and verse Act. 18.24 28. Gods authority joined with yours may prevail much ◠Cor. 10. ◠5. these are Spiritual Weapons 10. Rom. 10.1 Prayingly pray solemnly before an instruction by Ejaculation in speaking it 's not your work but Gods to make it successful Be sensible that all is lost if God give it not the setting on and strike with the great hammer CHAP. X. Directions to Parents and encouragements in their pleading for their Children 4. THE last Exhortation to Parents on the behalf of their surviving Children is prayer and supplication this is a natural duty and catholick relief to the aking hearts of Godly Parents not only to obtain Children as Hanna but for Grace in Children when they go astray hence it was that holy Abraham to whom this Covenant was first made breaths out his longing Soul in a short Ejaculation for his wild Son Oh that Ishmael might live before thee Gen. 17.18 q. d. I thank God for Isaac but I am not satisfied with Isaac only I must beg Spiritual and Eternal Life for my extravagant Son Ishmael though he be not the Son of the Promise yet let him be a Son of Promise if Isaac must have the Earthly Canaan let not Ishmael be excluded out of the heavenly Thus must you plead with the Lord for Children To assist you herein I shall subjoyn
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
and take no care of their precious Souls and know not when they Dye whether he that comes after them shall be a Wise man or a Fool Eccl. 21.9 if he be a wise man a little will serve him with Gods blessing if wicked he puts a Sword into the hand of a Fool to do himself and others a greater mischief Oh how much better is it for their own peace and their Childrens profit to plead the Covenant to Instruct Correct Admonish Counsel Comfort and incourage their Children in the ways of God and use their utmost Endeavour to make them Gods Children an Ancient thus writes Sabrian ad Eccles cath lib. 3. p. 441. Disciplinam parentes deus jubet thesaurisare filijs non pecuniam perennia praecipit non peritura conferre God commands Parents to hoard up Disciplin not Money for their Children things of a perpetual not perishing nature what a base and sordid thing is it to prefer a Swine to a Son to provide for a Beast and cast out a Child and yet most Parents bestow more care of their Cattel than of their Childrens Souls they give their Children nature but deny them nurture Yea they propagate corruption to them but do not travel over them till Christ be formed in them they glory in being Fathers of their Flesh but cry not to the Father of Spirits for the best life in their Childrens dead Souls they promise at their Baptism to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord but know not what that meaneth and have no heart to learn that they may teach Oh what account will these perjured Parents give another day Remember God will call you to account what Answer will you give when he shall Say where is the Childs Soul that I committed to thy trust what care hast thou taken of it where are thy Tears Prayers Groanings Earnings of Bowels for thine own Bowels didst thou not know that thy Child had a Soul that its Soul was polluted with Sin that it must be born again not only of Water but of the Spirit or could not be Saved that though I was to be the Efficient cause yet thou must be the Instrument to begin and carry on this Work and hast thou struck one stroke in this work by faithfull endeavours or hast thou earnestly desired me to do that for thy Child that thou couldest not thou knowest thou hast done neither and therefore thy Childs Blood shall be reqiured at thy hands what Apology wilt thou then make for thy self Dost thou think to come off by Saying I sent him to School to learn or to the Minister to be Catechised this is more than some will do but is this all is not paternal care thy personal duty was not thou charged with thy Childs Soul may not God justly blast other teachers pains as a punishment of thy negligence and doth not thy bad Example at home unravel all that others teach them Wo Wo be to such wicked wretched Parents In the name of God I charge you as you will not have your Children accuse and curse you in Hell for ever concern your selves deeply about their Everlasting State think they can never do well if they do not well for another World they will never be dutifull to you till they be Obedient to God train them up for God and you consult at once Gods Glory the good of Church and Common-wealth your own Comfort and their Eternal felicity true Grace qualifys persons for every condition for he that is really good will be relatively good a good King and Subject Father and Child Master and Servant Heathens knew this that the way to form Persons into a due mould of civil Subjection is a literate and vertuous Education thus the King of Babylon conquering Judah ordered the Kings seed Dan. 1.3 4 and Princes to be trained up in the learning of of the Chaldeans and our own Historys tell us that when the Romans conquered this Island Julius Agricola brought Noble mens Sons to Rome and caused them to be educated in liberal Sciences whereby they gradually tamed the furious temper of the Brittains so that the Inhabitants here became of gentle spirit and peaceable Subjects much more will Christianity and true Piety bring persons into a regular conformity it expells Barbarity and produceth Civility Hospitality Frugality and yet a discreet liberality a divine Benediction is entailed upon Sincere Religion Godliness is profitable unto all things 1 Tim. 4.8 having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come if your Children be Godly they will be fit for any thing and all things will conduce to their good And You Oh children suffer a word of Exhortation from one that hath had Experience of childhood Youth riper age and is arrived at old age and hath been a teacher of others above forty years and may say to you as Augustus did to his mutinous Army Audite me juvenes quem juvenem senes Audierunt Hear me Young men whom sometimes Old men have heard and obeyed God forbid you should be head-strong sons of Belial Yoakless and so run headlong into the pit of destruction Be not like the wild asses colt break not thro' Parents tears Prayers counsels and commands to Hell Alas that any young persons should desperatly contradict the perswasions of Ministers the motions of the Spirit the checks of their own consciences the sad warnings of their undone companions and the rods of God on their own backs and haste through all these to the pit and never stop till they be swallowed up in that Infernal Lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone you will say what would you have us to do I answer Act as Rational Creatures inure your selves to Solemn consideration Consider that you are Creatures of an higher rank than Bruits that you have Immortal never dying Souls that God made you to Glorify and injoy him that he hath given you a rule to act by in order to another state in the other World that Sin hath depraved your natures hath diprived you of Gods Image brought you under his curse that Christ came to redeem Sinners that saving Faith doth interest Souls in Christ that Faith is the gift of God that in your Baptism you were ingaged to forsake the World Flesh and Devil Consider your sins since you were baptized confess them to God review and renew your Baptismal vow actualy renounce all other claimers and give up your Selves to the Lord understandingly Deliberately Vniversally and Perpetually improve Jesus Christ as the way the truth and the Life Espouse his interest joyn with Gods People Obey all his commands Attend on him in all his Ordinances Be sure you be sincere Exercise every Grace aim at Perfection keep a constant watch over your hearts and ways maintaining a dayly warfare against all Spiritual Enemies prepare for death and consider where you must lodg when the King of Terrours lays its cold hand of Arrest