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
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
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
the habitations of thy throne Psal 97.2 7. Yet for all this Religion must be owned and vindicated God is good to the Soul that seeks him Isa 45.9 to the Soul that waits for him He never said to the seed of Jacob seek ye me in vain Lam. 3.25 If God never shew mercy to any of my seed yet I will never justifie the wicked by saying It 's in vain to serve God Mal. 3.14 No God forbid Il wil never say that prayerless Families are as good as praying Families my own experience and thousands more besides the infallible verity of the faithful God Psal 19.11 will contradict that Atheistical Maxim in the keeping Gods commandments I have found great reward Yea I have found that the miscarriage of my Child which is the greatest cross that ever I met with hath been blessed for the good of my Soul as the good Woman said bearing my Children and my crosses have cost me dear but I could not be without either it 's not fit I should chuse my affliction and what God lays on is welcome and I will like Christ no worse for his Cross for I find these bitter Waters most medicinal and the sweetest fruit grows on this bitter Tree the badness of my Child hath helpt to make me better this heart-breaking hath proved an heart melting it 's true wicked men are hardened by seeing the Children of the Covenant thus miscarry even as divisions Mat. 10.34 35. 2 Cor. 2.14 and offences amongst Gods people are occasions of their ruine yea the Gospel-preaching is the savour of Death to some but as God is just therein to them so my Soul hath cause to bless the Physitian of Souls that so tempers this poison as to make it wholesome Physick to my poor Soul my crosses are better than their comforts I will commend Religion though I mourn over my irreligious Child Godliness is gain though I gain not Grace for my Child by it CHAP. VII An Vse of Conviction and Humiliation ALL the improvement I shall make of this point shall be 1. Of Conviction 2. Exhortation 1. Of Conviction if this be true that notwithstanding the sins and sufferings in a godly mans family which occasion much grief to his Spirit yet he is comforted and satisfied in Gods gracious Gospel-covenant Then it follows by the rule of contraries that those Families that have no right to this Gospel-covenant are in a woful state have no grounds of comfort satisfaction no hopes of Salvation so remaining they are not under a blessing but under a curse Prov. 3.33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked the Plague is in that house set a cross on that door and say Lord have mercy upon it wicked families read your doom and train of curses in Deut. 28.15 16 17 18 19. you make great reckoning of your estates alas there 's no Covenant blessing in any thing you have they are in themselves great blessings of God but to you they are cursed Mat. 2.2 If you will not hear and if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name saith the Lord of Hosts I will even send a curse upon you and will curse your blessings yea I have cursed them already because ye do not lay it to heart it 's a dreadful flaming text against impenitent inconsiderate sinners not only their persons but all their domestick concerns are under a curse your meat money houses wives children garments imployments injoyments all that you do all that you have shall be accursed this is an heavy case a grounded curse by man lyes long and lights sadly upon Successors Noah pronounced a curse on Cham's off-spring Gen. 9.25 which never left them till it rooted out the Canaanites by Shem's Posterity The subject is large and astonishing I shall say something 1. To Irreligious Parents 2. To Irreligious Children 1. There are some Parents within the bounds of the visible Church that 1. Understand not this Covenant never set themselves to consider it they bring their Infants to be baptized in a custom because others do so and it would be a shame not to have them Christened Neighbours would cry out against them but they neither know the meaning of Baptism nor Covenant nor have they any mind to know them 2. Take no pains to get their own Souls interested in this Covenant Eph. 2.12 but are strangers from the Covenants of Promise and so have no hope for themselves or seed we find great fault with prodigal Parents that imbezel and alienate their Ancestors Inheritance that should have descended to their Children but it 's a thousand times worse for Parents to cut off this blessed entail of the Gospel-covenant 3. Most are negligent in doing their duty to Children alas how few will take pains to instruct them in the principles of Religion the nature use ends of the Seals of the Covenant in praying for them as if there were no such text in the Bible or they had never made such a promise Eph. 6.4 to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Ah! wretched Father Mother out of your own mouth are you condemned that promise what you never intend to perform how notoriously do you falsifie your promise betray your trust 4. There are too too many Parents that are scandalous prophane atheistical and teach their young ones to lye swear be drunk unclean by the evil example they set before them A Child brought up with Plato coming home hearing his father in a furious passion could say I never saw or heard the like in Plato Alas sirs you lessen your esteem with your Children by sinful courses you bring guilt upon your family yea you do your endeavour to root out your family The seed of the wicked shall be cut off Psal 37.28 The whole Psalm and daily experience testifies the same Hab. 2.10 Ah sinner thou hast consulted shame to thy house and some generations hence may reap the fruits of thy folly The text saith he will visit the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate him Exod. 20.5 There are some hereditary sins and some hereditary punishments bequeathed as an heritage to their Children Divines vindicate Gods Justice in proving that God may righteously punish sins of Relations in their correlates Filij sunt res Parentum for Children say some are portions of Parents as people are the riches and good of Princes yea they have in them aliquid parentis something of the Parent they are pieces of them So David was punished in his Childs death But I shall not spend more time in this point because somuch is said by many others How can you see your Children damned in Hell through your default How can you hear their cries and see their torments in that Infernal Lake gnashing their Teeth and roaring with Flames about their Ears saying
oh cursed Parents that by your Soul-damning negligence have brought your selves and me into this lamentable state that would not speak a word to me nor plead the Covenant for me to prevent these Eternal Torments that saw me go on in sin and would not stop my course betimes by faithful admonition and sound correction nay that set me a bad Example and were content that I should perish with you cursed be the day that ever I should know such wretched Parents well had it been for me that I had never been born or had been brought forth a Beast without a rational Soul that I might have died like a Beast yea I had been comparatively happy if you my Parents had put me to death or as the Heathen Thracians lamenting my Birth buried me betimes and rejoyced at my death because of the miseries of humane life but Oh I am brought forth and fed up for the murderer the murderer of Souls I had but gone as a condemned person out of a dark prison to the place of Execution but now having lived thus long in the World I have fought against God and sunk my Soul deeper in Hell Oh wo is me that I lived under such cruel Tyrants and as the dying person said I am going to Hell and my wicked Mother must follow after And Oh the woful resentment of fellow damned Parents upon the hideous outcries of the fruit of their own bodies and bowels here neighbours fare is not good fare but the rich mans torments are aggravated by his fine brethrens coming into the same condemnation Every Screek of the Child will tear the heart of the self-condemning Father how easily might I have prevented these despairing groans by a faithful discharge of duty What if I had followed my wandring Child with sighs and tears to God and him while there was hope but now all too late all too late the guilt of my Childs blood is now required at my hands Had I whipt him so as to fetch blood at every lash it had not been so dreadful as the lashes of divine vengeance had I disinherited him for his faults it had not been so confounding as my own being banisht with him from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Oh! what is temporary punishment to Eternal torments Oh that God would strike the hearts of poor carnal Parents with bowels of pity towards their poor perishing off-spring 2. Graceless irreligious Children grown up 't is no excuse for you to be bad because your Parents are bad are you so wildly sociable as to go to Hell for company This is like the miserable Indians that leap into their Parents graves to be buried with them Or like that Italian visiting his Fathers Sepulcher washing all the parts of the Monument with lamentable tears Progenies viperarum nominat potius quam viperas ut toti ordini exprobret virulentam malitiam totum corpus damnare voluit Calv. in Harm Evan. in Mat. 3.7 1 Pet. 1.18 Jer. 6.16 fell down dead God may say who requires this at your hands But still it 's worse to follow their pernicious examples as too many Children do You may reverence your Ancestors yet examine their dictates by the word of truth and not be as the young Novice entring into a Monastery was advised tu et Asinus unum estote to be like an Ass swallow down all that comes No no you are redeemed from your vain Conversation received by tradition from your Fathers and therefore must enquire not simply for the old way but which is the good way It 's too much what Cicero the Heathen Orator thinks a commendable piece of Religion to live and die in the Religion of our Ancestors It rather becomes Children to take warning by their Fathers falls and faults to avoid them and the bad Consequences thereof Ezek. 18 14-18 So God saith If the Father beget a Son who seeth all his Fathers sins considereth turneth he shall not die for his Fathers Iniquity But if you follow their sinful courses you justifie them condemn Gods ways and damn your own Souls Yea you bring upon your selves the guilt of your Fathers sins besides your own wicked Parents are set before you as Sea-marks to avoid not as Land-marks to guide you The Heathen Orator said Parents are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as household Gods their words should be as Oracles but alas they are but men and may mistake and miscarry but God in his word is an unerring guide Follow the Lord and you cannot miss or miscarry but you may miscarry by following the best men you will certainly miscarry if you follow bad men The Woman of Samaria erroneously pleads the place of her Ancestors worship John 4.20 And Jeremiah confutes the foolish Jews fond plea from their Fathers practises Jer. 44.17 21. But I shall rather hint a few words of conviction to the irreligious Children of godly Parents Who degenerate from their Ancestors that it may be said as in Isa 63.16 Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel acknowledgeth us not i. e. as some take it if our godly Ancestors Abraham and Jacob were now alive or raised up from the dead they would not own us for their legitimate off-spring we are so unlike them I fear this is too true of the Children of godly Predecessors got to rest that tread not in their Fathers steps but take a contrary course their Fathers prayed in their families but Children have left off that trade Fathers frequent Religious Societies Children frequent Alehouses and naughty company Fathers walked closely with God Childern run away from God and his Institutions Wo Wo be to such Children 1. They are perjured faedifragous and forsworn wretches who in their Baptism ingaged to be the Lords Servants Subjects Souldiers and to fight under Christ's Banner against the World Flesh and the Devil and took Press-money but now have turned their backs on Christ and fight the Devils battles against Christ Wo be to such perfidious wretches what 's the doom of such as outrun their Colours but to be shot to Death Covenant breakers are ranked amonst the worst of Sinners Heathens Rom. 1.31 And such as make hard times in the later days 2 Tim. 3.3 If it were but a mans Covenant it 's a grand crime to disannul it much more this Gal. 3.15 Prov. 2.17 the Covenant of Marriage is in some sense the Covenant of God this more immediately and he will avenge the quarrel of his Covenant Lev. 26.25 Oh Sirs how dare you look God in the face whose Covenant ye have broken What have you to do to take his Covenant in your mouths Psal 50.16 when Conscience flies in your face 2. You have lost the benefit of your Infant-Priviledges Your Infant membership was but calculated for your Infant-State now you are grown up Adult-persons you must stand upon your own bottoms no longer on your Parents now you must live by your own faith
save to the uttermost Heb. 12.6 Jam. 1.6 7. all that come to God by him Heb. 7.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the uttermost i. e. to the utmost extent of the Covenant-grant yea saist thou I believe his ability but I question my right coming therefore 2. There is a particular persuasion that God will grant this request Ergo for this child or in this case 't is true sometimes the Lord doth impress this upon the Spirit with power that this Mercy shall be granted this Child shall be Converted but this is not necessary for the obtaining of the Mercy a godly Soul may want faith to believe the issue of his Prayer and yet be heard as you see in David Psal 31.22 I said in my hast I am cut off from before thine eyes Mark it he had no particular faith for his preservation yet he prayed still nevertheless Saith he Thou heardest the voyce of my supplication when I cryed unto thee Observe it the want of his Faith hindred not the fruit of his Prayer nor will it do of thine 2. What ailes thee to follow so hard after God Is it not a principle of Faith Hast thou not laid hold on Gods Covenant for thine own Soul What means that frequent renewing of thy Covenant with the Lord in taking God to be thy God chiefest Good and utmost End and thy dedicating thy all to the Lord This shews thou art in Covenant for this is the Essence of saving Faith and thy being so much concerned for thy Seed declares plainly thy being in Covenant Thou goest daily to the Lord in earnest pleadings for thy Children and wilt not be beat off like the foresaid woman though one while he answers not another while he gives discouraging answers And is not this sincere faith Our Lord accounted it so in the woman that weathered out so many affronts in her importunate pleas And are not thy motions still more vigorous Poor soul thou art following the Lord with tears sighs and groans for thy wandring Child saying still Mar. 9.24 Lord I believe help thou my unbelief I will still express my desires of Grace for my child or children nothing else shall serve my turn Civility will not please me nor profit them without Sanctity I am not satisfied with Gifts without Grace Common Grace without Saving Grace Carnal men are well content to see their Children Witty Ingenious Industrious and likely to thrive in the World good Husbands notable Tradesmen and likely to come to preferment But oh my Lord thou knowest my breathings I look further My soul longs for a principle of Grace and a Portion in another World This is all my desire and all my Salvation Yea you 'l say But I am afraid I offend God by being too importunate Who can tell whether my Child be Elected and if not it 's in vain to pray I cannot alter Gods Decree Deut. 29.29 I Answer The secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things that are revealed belong unto us and to our Children for ever that we may do all the words of this Law You must not make Gods hidden Councels but his holy Scriptures the Rule of your Prayers 1 Tim. 2.4 God saith he will have all men saved Thus his Will is manifested and I told you the Warrant you have to believe and pray for the Children of the Covenant and you cannot be too importunate so as you do not limit the Holy One of Israel and as longas there is life there is hope Therefore continue your Prayers the term of your natural life unless God take you off by some remarkable Providence I knew a very gracious zealous woman many years ago who was weeping and wrestling with God in an Out-house in the night for the precious Soul of her Prodigal Son who was now fallen sick and upon his Death bed and while she was groaning out her soul with tears and strong cryes she thought she heard a voyce saying to her Be content what I have done I have done She rose off her knees could not speak a word more went away quieted and upon enquiry found that her Son breathed out his last breath at that very instant in a Town two miles thence I am not credulous of such Storys but have great reason to believe the truth of it yet the instance is singular However this is a truth that God shuts up the Spirit of Prayer when he doth not intend to hear a good Woman so God had never denyed what she had asked of God in Prayer One objected a child of hers dying she replyed it's true but I could never Pray for that Child Gods assistings or withdrawings often portend the event But 't is safest for us to suspect some fault in our Persons or Prayers if God do not hear us for our Children therefore it becomes us to search our Consciences and Conversations to find out the Sin confess it beg a pardon in the Blood of Christ and Mortify it and then Pray say as Divine Herbert's Church Lock and Key I know it is my Sin which locks thine ears and binds thy hands Out-crying my requests drowning my tears Or else the chilness of my faint demands But as cold hands are angry with the Fire and mend it still So I do lay the want of my desire Not on my Sins or coldness but thy will Yet hear Oh God! only for his bloods sake which pleads for me For though sins plead too yet like stones they make His bloods sweet current much more loud to be The End