unnecessary as Young as you are And your Thoughts by thus looking Inwards will by a necessary Connexion be led to look Upwards By thinking of your selves you will be led to think and consider of God as the Author of your Beings as the great Object of your Duty as the Awful Judge before whom you must stand within a few Days and as the Blessed Center where alone you can expect Rest and Happiness How profitably how sweetly may your Thoughts run upon these Subjects And how refreshing will it be to your Expecting Parents to observe that you are Thoughtful about such Matters 2. Labour to possess your Hearts with the Early Conviction of your Miserable State by Nature As innocent as you may suppose your selves to be yet be willing to know Eph. 2.3 That by nature you are Children of Wrath as well as the worst of Sinners and that you came into the World with that Corruption and Defilement of Nature which renders you Guilty before God Rom. 3.19 Be willing to be convinced that you are so many undone perishing Souls whom God is angry with every day and who are obnoxious to his Righteous Judgment every moment Joh. 3.36 till a Change of State have past upon you Look within you and see what wretched depraved Creatures Sin hath made you Full of little but Rebellion and Enmity against God and Serious Goodness Look above you and see the Flaming Sword of Offended Justice waiting only for a Divine Commission to dislodge your Trembling Souls out of your Bodies and to send you down to the Chambers of Death Look before you and behold the Burning Lake of Infinite Wrath opening her Mouth to receive you into Vnquenchable Flames And having got a sight of your Danger and Misery argue the Case with your own Souls Is this a Condition to be rested or lingred in Is this a State to be careless or unconcerned about Who can dwell with Consuming Fire Who can in hub it with Everlasting Burnings Why art thou at ease O my Soul Why art thou secure within me Thy case is thus Dreadful and Dangerous Sequester some of the Time which is too often spent in Vanity to entertain your Minds with such Considerations and Expostulations as these and put not off the matter with a few slight Thoughts that almost perish in the Thinking but labour to press and follow the Conviction till your Awakned Souls begin to cry out Act. 16.30 Oh! what shall we do to be saved What blessed News will it be to your Concerned Parents to hear from you such an Enquiry 3. Endeavour to impress your Hearts with your absolute need of a Saviour You must know You cannot be saved now but in an humble Compliance with the Terms of the Gospel no more than others and that must be by looking after Pardoning and Healing Grace in a Redeemer pardoning Grace to deliver you from the Condemnation Healing Grace to deliver you from the Dominion of Sin Be assured that nothing short of this Grace can savingly recover you Col. 1.19 And that this Grace is not to be had but in a Mediator Make it therefore the matter of your Early Inquiry who this Redeemer is what he hath done and suffered and purchased for you and how you must come to an Interest in Him and His Glorious Purchases Act. 4.12 When you hear the Tydings of this Beloved Saviour attend thereunto as those that are sensible that you have as Needful a Concern in Him as any When he is proposed and tender'd to you upon Gospel-terms know that your Consent is expected as well as from others and that now you are past your Infant-state you must be saved in the very same way and by the very Rules as Older Persons Is a Cordial Acceptation of Christ as their onely Lord and Saviour required of others The same is expected from you Is a Sincere Resignation of themselves to be entirely the Lord's required of others The very same is call'd for from you without any Exception or Dispensation Prov. 8. from the 22 th ver to the end Labour to settle these things upon your Hearts betimes for they are your Life 4. Apply your selves to a serious Reading the Scriptures and Attendance upon Publick Ordinances As soon as you have learnt to read put your selves to Christ's School and let the Bible be the chief Book you desire to learn in The Scriptures are for your Instruction as well as for Others Read them not meerly as a Task but as the matter of your Delight not to gratisie your Curiosity 2 Tim. 3.13 but as the Blessed Means to make you wife unto Salvation Here as in a Glass you must behold your own Wretchedness and Misery Jam. 1.23 2 Cor. 3.18 And here also you must behold the Matchless Glory and Excellency of a Redeemer Rom. 7.13 1 Pet. 2.7 2 Tim. 3.16,17 In this Chrystal Mirrour you must see Sin to be exceeding sinful and here also you must see Christ to be exceeding Precious Whatever is necessary either to your present Duty or future Felicity must be all learnt from hence Make this blessed Book then your Early Companion it 's a Book to make you Wise as well as more grown Persons and you cannot be too soon acquainted with it And the better to promote your Acquaintance therewith and Improvement thereby put your selves betimes under the Dispensation of publick Ordinance Publick Ordinances must help on Private Duties The Divine Truths that you read in private may be more opened and applied with that Heavenly Light and Warmth as may not only enlighten your Understandings but inflame your Affections with an Holy Life and Love I Let it be your Delight then as soon as you are capable Prov. 8.34 to wait daily at Wisdom's Oates and to wait at the Posts of hat Doors And wait with all Seriousness and Reverence with an earnest Desire and Expectation of the Coming down of the Angel to heal your Souls and to make you Sound and Sincere Converts 5. Send up your early Cries to Heaven that you may not fail of the Grace of God During your uncapable Infancy your Parents have prayed for you now you must pray for your selves And you have both as much need and as many Encouragements to Pray as others You have as much Need to Pray as Others For being Guilty before God you stand in need of Pardoning Mercy and your Natures being depraved you stand in need of Regeneration by the Spirit of Grace as well as others And who are more obliged to Pray for these Divine blessings for you than you are for your selves Or who have a nearer Concern in you than you have in your dearest selves You have also as many Encouragements to Pray as Others For besides the blessed Encouragements common to the Generation of Seekers in general you have Special and Appropriate Promises to encourage you Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me and they that seek me early shall find me Early Seekers are the surest Finders And who would not see about so Blessed a Duty that have such Encouragements of Success Learn then to make your humble Addresses to the throne of Grace betimes and though you cannot Pray as you would yet strive to Pray as well as you can Press your Hearts with the Sense of your Wants and that will direct you to such Expressions as will be acceptable to God though they may but be Poor and Confused in themselves If you can say little yet send up your Sighs and Groans Rom. 8.26 and that Broken Inarticulate language may have Power with God and prevail When you can do no more tell him in all Humility Gen. 23.26 that you are resolved to hang at his Door and lie at his Foot until he bless you Oh! howgrateful must it be both to Heaven and Earth to see you so Early in your Bibles and upon your Knees breathing after Christ and enquiring the Way to the Heavenly Zion This is now Early Religion This is the Holy Course I would recommend to your Blooming Years both for your own and your Parent 's sake The Observance whereof will be your Crown and Joy whether you live or die If you live to arrive to more Maturity it will be your Glory and Honour that you have began so Early with God as well as you parents Delight and Joy And if you die in your tender Minority it will both be your own Peace and your Parent 's Comfort in your Latter End Finis
Dawnings of that Glorious Day but to breathe after clearer Discoveries of the Love and Favour of God in and through a Saviour This must certainly be a Frame of Soul that carries not a little Encouragement in it It 's a very encouraging Symptom in grown Persons and much more in Children What was it but the sweet Breath of a Gracious Heart when the Holy Psalmist address'd himself in such a Pathetick Prayer to Heaven Psa 106.4,5 Remember me O Lord with the Favour of thy People Oh visit me with thy Salvation that I may see the Good of thy Chosen Two Evidences of a Sincere Gracious Soul are observable in the Prayer First That no less would satisfie his Panting Heart than the Favour that was peculiar to God's own People the good of his Chosen And secondly that could not content him neither but he must have the sensible Refreshing Evidence of that Favour Such Heavenly Breathing have sometimes appear'd in young ones that nothing could satisfie them but some chearing Glimps of the Salvation of God and what can be the Spring of such Divine Bubblings but an Heart season'd with an Heavenly Tincture from above It 's an Argument that Christ lies near the Heart when the Desires are so strong after Clearness of Interest Heaven must both be understood and valued where the Soul is so sollicitous for a sure and clear Title and would not only have some Hope but rejoyce in Hope in the Glory of God 11. Willingness to be gone to be with Christ is the last Gracious Symptom I shall mention It 's not to be doubted but Death in its self must be as terrible to Children as to others The Separation of two such dear Intimates as Soul and Body cannot but look with a frightful Aspect upon them as well as more grown Persons the utter Extinction of all Worldly Relations and Earthly comforts cannot but be very unwelcome and uneasie to Flesh and Blood Isa 38.11 To be taken from the Land of the Living and lodged in the Dark and hideous Mansions of the Grave where they shall see Man no more with the Inhabitants of the Earth cannot but make recoil in them as well as others And yet it 's very remarkable how welcome this Grim and Melancholy Messenger has been to some young Ones and how willing have they been to leave the World and to go to the House prepared for all Living tho' they have but just begun to taste the Sweet and Pleasure of the World and have felt little of the Bitter to wean their Hearts from it yet how contented have they been to bid it Farewel with all its Delights and Pleasures and have entertained Death with a very sweet and resigning Composure of Mind Now what could thus reconcile the King of Terrors to them but the Thoughts and hopes of something beyond the Grave to recompence the loss of what they leave here It 's an argument of their Faith that they believe a future State and that the Happiness thereof infinitely exceeds all the Felicities of this present state of Time It 's an Evidence they have got some Peep within the Vail where they have seen great and wonderful Things far surpassing all the Enjoyments of this lower Region It 's a demonstration of their Love to and Valuation of Christ that they esteem the Fruition of him more worth than all the World and are willing to be absent from the Body that they may be present with the Lord. 2 Cor. 8. 5. It 's an argument they have some Inin God as their God they are so willing to go to Him though it be through such a Gloomy Passage And that they love their Fathers House since the Messenger is so welcome tho' but a frightful One that 's sent to fetch them thither It 's an intimation they know and have felt something of Heaven when they can be so content to exchange Things seen for unseen the visible sensible Comforts of this World for the invisible Delights of Heaven In a Word I'ts an evident Proof that Christ is their Life their Joy their Hope their Happiness their Portion their All when they can so freely throw off all the Courtships of Flesh and the World Phil. 1.23 that they may be with their Exalted Redeemer as the best of all The pale Horse of Death could not meet with such a welcome and submissive Reception but that he carries them thither whither their Hearts are already gone And siher their Hearts are Above it is an Argument their Treasure is there also It is not to be expected that Children should hove such clear and explicite Apprehensions as more mature Christians But however when they know so much as to esteem it a Being with Christ and upon that account not only Heaven is truly desirable but Death is welcome as the Way thither it cannot but be reckon'd as a very hopeful Presage And what can suggest more affecting and refreshing Hopes to Mourning Parents than to see their departing Children thus preter being with Christ before their Continuance in this Vain and Changeable World Thus I have endeavoured to take afflicted Parents by the Hand and to lead them to some of those Cordial-Springs of Hope which may minister good Encouragement as to the good Estate of their Dying Children And tho' it 's a rare Happiness to find all these Blessed Symptoms in a sweet Conjunction yet where there is any of them it may give some Support and Hope And the more that appears the higher may our Hopes advance towards an holy Confidence 2. I come now to shew In what respects these Grounds of Hope in Dying Children minister Matter of Support and Comfort to their Surviving Parents and Relations 1. Having such Grounds of Hope Parents may be satisfied that their Children are not lost but laid up It 's a Thought that oftentimes perplexeth the Minds of tender Parents not a little what becomes of their dear Children when they go hence into what Hands they fall and whither they are transported and carried And that which renders the Parting many times more Bitter and Afflictive is the Perplexity of this But having the forementioned Grounds of Hope the Perplexity is presently removed Your Children though gone out of your Sight and Care yet they are not lost but safely lodg'd up Not lost among the Infernal Apostate Fiends of Hell those Robbers and Murderers of precious Souls Malach. 3.17 but safely laid up amongst God's Jewels who will have them all forth-coming another Day Psal 57.4 Not lost in Satan's Territories among those raging Lyons of Prey but happily conducted to their Heavenly Father's Bosom where they are laid up in Peace and Safety As God has stamped the Lineaments of his own Image upon them in True though not in such Large Characters so will he not take care of those whom he has set his own Child's-mark upon Will he lose his Children whom he hath adopted into the Line of
Heaven and set his own Superscription upon or suffer the Mortal Enemy to rob him of what 's so Dear and Precious to him Joh. 10.28,29 No no they have all the Safety that Infinite Love in Conjunction with Infinite Power can give them Tho' Death have removed them from this Region of Sensible Supports and Comforts yet Death has not put an utter end to them They are not perish'd by the Removal nor relaps'd into their First nothing but still live in the Divine World and another kind of Life than they liv'd here in this Vale of Sin and Sorrow 2. Having such Intimations of Hope Parents may be comforted That their own Loss is their dear Childrens Gain We can part with our Children here to Places and Countries at a remote distance and comfort our selves with this That it is for their Benefit and Gain though but a poor Worldly Gain And may we not more comfortably part with them to Heaven where their Gain infinitely exceeds any thing we can propose here below Phil. 1.21 You Tender and Sorrowful Parents you lose their Sweet and Delightful Company you lose their Charming and Refreshing Converse And as a Person that has been conducted by the Light of a Candle in the Night is the more sensible of the Darkness when it is taken away so it may be you are the more over-clouded with Sorrow by the Loss of your Hopeful Children after the sweet of your Enjoyment than if you had never enjoyed them But do you duely consider what you do You think you express your dear Love to them in your Sorrow for parting with them But should not true Love oblige you rather to rejoyce in their Gain than to grieve for your own Loss Though you are Losers yet they are infinite Gainers And should not the Thought of that diffuse a sensible Pleasure into your troubled Minds and reduce them to a Serene Calm They exchange Earthly Parents who it may be have wanted no Tenderness towards them but it is for an Heavenly Father who is not only Loving but pure and perfect Love it self They bid adieu to their Dear but Imperfect Friends here below but it is to go to better and more desirable Friends above where there is all Perfection and Pleasure and Harmony They put off their filthy Garments of sinful Mortality but it is to be arrayed with shining Robes of Immortality and Glory They are called from a State of Sin and Sorrow and Temptation here but it is to pass into an endless State of perfect Purity and Joy in the Blessed Mansions above They are snatch'd out of your tender and Compassionate Arms but they are received into the dearer Embraces of a Glorified Redeemer They are taken from your Charge and Care but they are taken under the immediate Wing and Care of a Faithful Covenant-keeping God Oh Blessed Exchanged Who would not take Comfort at the Thoughts of their Children or Friends making such a Glorious and Happy Change 3. Having this Hope Parents may be supported that they and their Children shall meet again with Rejoycing Though you and they are separated for the present yet it 's not an Everlasting Separation You shall meet again not indeed by their Return unto you but by your going unto them 2 Sam. 12.23 as afflicted David comforts himself as to his Child And your Meeting shall be in another manner than now you part Your parting indeed is sorrowful and attended with a great deal of Bitterness and Exercise what by dying Agonies on the one side and what by cutting Resentments on the other But the Comfort of your Meeting will infinitely countervail the Sorrow of your parting You part in the vile Rags of perishing Mortality but your Meeting will be in the Royal Robes of Immortal Holiness and Glory You part in Tears and Fears and Complaints and Sorrows but you meet again with Everlasting Joy upon your Heads with all Tears wiped from your Eyes and with all Fears banish'd from your Hearts never to sin never to Sorrow any more You part so as to expect to see one another no more in this Lower Region but you shall meet again in the Coelestial Regions above never to be separated any more but to enjoy God and one another in God for ever You part from one another Mourning though bearing your precious Seed but you shall meet again Rejoycing bringing your full Sheaves with you Oh Triumphant Meeting How reviving must the Thought of it be What Mournful Breast is there whose Soul springs not within him at the Prospect of such a Meeting Set the Joys of Meeting against all the Afflictive Circumstances of Parting and refuse to be comforted it you can Having thus dispatcht the Doctrinal Part it remains now that we make some short Application 1. Let me address a few words to you Mournful Parents both you who are immediately concerned in the present occasion and all others in the like case Your Faces are covered with Sadness and your Hearts ready to bleed within you over the Loss of your Dear and Hopeful Children But let Consideration govern your Passion and while you are shewing your Parental Affection in your Mourning labour to express your Christian Moderation in carrying your selves like Mourners of Hope And therefore 1. Indulge not an unbounded Sorrow For the same Hand that hath made you to bleed hath not left you without an Healing Balsam seasonably to close up again the gaping Orifice You need not take on as those that have no Hope or as those that have bruied their Children and their Hopes both in the same Grave 1 Thess 4.13 You may not sit down in your Despondency with Hagar Gen. 21.16,19 as if you had no Well of Consolation by you when the Well is so near you though your Children be gone and gone never to return more yet God call'd them not away till they had left with you some Blessed Pledges of Hope to let you know whither they were a going Tho' you are never like to see them nor to hear from them nor of them any more till you go where they are yet they were not sufifered to leave you till they had dropt some sweet Tokens into your Bosom which may be a sensible Support till you meet again And having such Encouragement does it become you to Mourn as if the Swelling-Waves knew no Bounds There be many that Die who neither carry any good ground of Hope with them nor leave any good ground of Hope behind them to their surviving Relations And indeed I scarce know a more humbling afflictive Case that can befal Godly Persons then when they have the bitter Occasion to mourn over Hopeless Relations who neither had any Comfort in their own Death nor left any matter of Comfort behind them This was probably the wounding Ingredient 2 Sam. 2.23 that made David so passionate in his Resentments when he had lost his Absalom But this is not your Case though the
would have them by an Holy Education Can you expect to attain the End without a careful use of the means in order thereunto Has not the Holy God the Father of all our Comfort connected the Means with the End in this as well as other Cases And who dare separate what God has conjoyn'd What God may do in a way of Prerogative is one thing and what you may expect in a way of Ordinary Dispensation is another God may be Better and Kinder to your Children than your Selves are and may do that for them which you take no Care about But what Warrant have you to expect this while you are negligent in your Duty Though God promised to do great Things for Abraham his Friend and for his Posterity yet he tells you That in order thereunto he knew Gen. 18.19 that Abraham would command his Children and his Houshold to keep the way of the Lord. Intimating thereby that he was not to expect the Comfort without the Discharge of the Duty no more can you It 's in a way of diligent Performance of your Part and in an humble Dependance upon God for doing his Part that you have any Foundation for Hope that they shall be Comforts not Crosses to you It 's true it 's the Royal Prerogative of a Gracious God to give them that Grace whereby they must be rendred comfortable whether in Life or Death But tho' the Grace is his the Duty is yours and it 's by the Instrumentality of a Gracious Education that he oftentimes conveys that Immortal Seed to the Soul which though it may lie hid under the Clods for a time yet in due Season appears above Ground Though God sows the Seed you may Act in a Holy Subserviency in Cultivating the Ground in order to a Blessed Crop 2. Without this holy Care of Education you do not answer the Charge of Heaven that 's incumbent on you If you are Relious Parents your Consciences cannot but be affected with the Command of God as well as your Hearts influenced with the Consideration of Comfort Add this therefore to the former and labour to impress your Spirits with the Ponderous Thoughts thereof your Children are not so much yours as God's they are not so much born unto You as to the Blessed God Ezek. 16.20 And as they are born unto him so they are given in charge to you to train and bring up for him Prov. 22.2 Train up a Child in the way that he should go c. Eph. 6.4 Ye Fathers bring up your Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. What can be more express Your Children are not meer Gifts but a signal Trust You may not do with them nor carry towards them as you please but the Charge of Heaven is upon You to Educate and breed them up for the God that gave them And how will you answer your Neglect to the Great and Sovereign Law-giver if you live either in the Wilful or Careless Violation of so Solemn a Charge Or with what Reason can You expect Comfort either in their Enjoyment or in their Removal if You be guilty of a provoking Disobedience to so plain a Command Can God be pleased with such Parents or can You expect that He should make Your Children pleasing unto you 3. Without this Pious Care of Education you do not answer your Care for them in other Particulars You are careful to Feed and Cloath them without needing any Arguments to press you thereunto You can take Advantage of their First capacity to learn them some External Civilities and to form their flexible Years into some Decenoy of Carriage which you call good Manners You are careful to provide not only for their present but for their future Livelihood and to breed them up to some way of Comfortable Subsistence in the World as your Abilities and their Capacity will admit And while all this Care is bestowed upon the Outward Man should there not be a proportionable Concern for the better part Should the One ingross all and the Other be neglected as a Matter of no great Moment Our Saviours Rule is Matth. 6.36 Seek first the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof and all other things shall be added unto you Seek first for the Kingdom of God and if for your selves then for you Children Which should challenge the highest Care but the best Part whether of our selves or Children And whether is the better the External Mortal part or the Internal Immortal Spirit Whether is the more Valuable their Present Temporary Being If Eternity be of more Importance than Time then surely their Eternal State should be the largest Sharer in your Thoughts and Cares or how will you answer the Inequality You would have them do well in this World that is the Motive of all the Thought and Pains and Expence which you bestow upon their Outward Being And would you not have them to do well in the Eternal World Why then does not your Care for that bear some Proportion to your Concern for the other You esteem it a Natural and a most Becoming Office of Parental Affection to study and endeavour their Temporal Welfare And so it is But should not Your Love travel in more earnest Endeavours and Agonies for that which is infinitely better the Everlasting happiness of their Immortal Souls Whether should be Dearer to you the Cabinet or the Jowel The Perishing Earthly Tabernacle or the Inestimably precious Soul How then will you answer it either to your own Consciences or to the Supreme Judge if you are more Liberal in your Care about the Worse than the Better part 4. Without a Conscientious Care of Education your Affliction will be doubled in their Miscarriage As they are so Near and Dear unto you you cannot but be deeply afflicted if either they should prove Crosses in Life or should be snatch'd away in their Sins by a Premature Death But what a cutting Addition will it be to your Affliction if you have Reason to accuse your selves as being Accessory to their Ruin by your Sinful negligence It will be Grief enough to think that you have nourished and brought up Children for the Destroyer But it will be a far more sensible Grief when you are forced to take the Guilt of their undoing very much upon your selves for want or a due Performance of your Doby to them It cannot but go very near your Hear as that those who are as it were Limbs and Pieces of your selves should become a Prey to the oruel Murtherer but it must break your hearts to the very Dust when by your own Neglect you have as it were murdered them with your own Hands or at least have not done what in you lay to save them from the Murtherer's Hands That you have neither Comfort in their Life nor Hope in their Death will be Sorrow and Bitterness enough But when your own Consciences fall upon you with the outting Reflection that