a relation to him and he prays that as long as any of them dwell upon the Land of the Living they may be blessed So doth Godly persons pray for their Children is it not a great mercy to have Parents that will daily offer Sacrifice for us as Job did for his Children Job 1.5 You might have had Parents that would never have prayed for you or if they had had no Interest with God but you have such as pray often for you it may be when you cannot or do not pray for your selves and is not this a great mercy While wicked persons dedicate their Children to the service of Satan Godly Parents when God gives them Children dedicates them to the Lord and by Faith give them to be his Children for ever as Hanna did Samuel 1. Sam. 1.26 27 28. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord as long as he liveth That is the Child that God hath given me I give to God to Worship him for ever Thus do all godly Parents when God gives them Children they give them to Worship and serve God This will appear to be a very great mercy if you consider how acceptable the Prayers of the Righteous are to God The Prayers of the wicked are an Abomination but the Prayers of the Righteous are a sweet smelling savour before him Prov. 15.8 God rejecteth the Prayers of the wicked but receives the Prayers of the Godly the fervent Prayer of the Righteous a vaileth much with God God is far from wicked persons but he heareth the Prayers of the Righteous Prov. 15.29 Therefore it is a great mercy to be the Child of such Parents The third Reason It is a mercy to be the Child of godly Parents because such Children are Instructed in good things especially in the knowledge of the Scriptures and the Fundamentals of Religion As soon as the Child is capable of Instruction they begin to Instruct him and acquaint him with good things presently fall to Instruct them in the Truth of God and to make them acquainted with his mind they readily obey that command Deut. 6 6 7. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart and thou shalt teach them diligently to thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up Deut. 11.19 Psal 7.4 5 6. that is thou shalt take all opportunities to Instruct thy Children a wicked man that rejects the Commands of God out of his heart is not like to teach them his Children but godly Parents that hide the Commands of God in their hearts will be ready always to teach them to their Children the love they have to the Souls of their Children doth oblige them so to do besides they have a love to the commands of God that engageth them to spread them abroad as much as they can They deal with their Children as godly Eunice did with her Son Timothy make them from their Childhood to know the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.15 And that from a Child thou hast known the holy Scriptures Consider that the Scriptures contain the whole Mind of God and have in them every thing that concerns our Salvation that they are the words of Eternal Life and that they are able to make you wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 Wicked Parents leave their Children in Ignorance or Instruct them in Superstition and Vanity but the godly Instruct their Children in the Scriptures Is it not then a great mercy to be the Children of such Parents CHAP. III. They are instructed what sin is made acquainted with Christ with Gospel Duties with Heaven and Hell GOdly Parents in instructing their Children in the Scriptures do take special care to teach them the fundamentals of Religion and those Truths that are most necessary to Salvation and these they paticularly instructs them in and they are such as follow I. They make them acquainted with sin they do not lead them into sin but they teach them First what is sin that they may avoid it they shew them the Law of God and acquaint them with what is evil They tell them that to lie is a sin to swear is a sin c. and bid them avoyd them And this is a mercy Secondly They do not rest there but they tell them also what an evil sin is they open to them the nature of sin that it is a transgression of Gods holy Law that it is that which is contrary to God They shew them also the danger of sinning and the fruits and effects of it that it is that which made God cast our fore fathers out of Paradise and it is that which made glorious Angels become Devils It is that which makes God cast his Creatures to Hell for ever It is that which brings all the misery that is in the World Sin was that that destroyed Sodom and drowned the old World and it is that that will destroy every one that walks in it it is a mercy to know this betimes Thirdly They acquaint their Children with their natural Pollution and tell them what their condition is by sin that they are all under sin and by nature in a lost condition and if they do not get from that Condition they will be undone for ever and so put them upon looking after deliverance and is not this a great mercy for wicked Parents do neither tell their Children what is sin nor what an evil sin is nor what their condition is by sin till they drop to Hell therefore it is a mercy to have good Parents II. Godly Parents when they have acquainted their Children with sin acquaint them also with the Way and Means to be delivered from sin they tell them that there is a Fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness and that the Lord Jesus Christ came into the World to save his people from their sins Mat. 1.21 That he is able to save all those that come to him and will most certainly save them if they believe in him they describe the excellency of his Person that they may be taken with him and lay open his Offices before them shewing that he hath satisfied for sin and hath conquered all the Enemies of our Salvation and that there is strength to be had with him to overcome sin they are always speaking to them of Christ and of his love to sinners Shewing the riches and freeness of his Grace and what perfect Salvation is to be had and these things take the hearts of their Children whereas many Parents never speak of these things to their Children Therefore it is a great mercy to have good Parents III. The Children of godly Parents are made acquainted with Gospel Duties and Ordinances their Parents teach them which are the duties of the Gospel believing and obeying and shew them the necessity of performing them For he that believeth not is condemned already the fruitfulness and pleasure
of them and the great benefits of them which are Peace of Conscience Joy in the Holy Ghost and Everlasting Salvation they acquaint them with the Ordinances and bring them to them and shew them how they must be performed that it must be in Spirit and in Truth that the Heart must be engaged in every duty Many think that when they have repeated a few words they have prayed Or when they have sate in Church or House they have heard Or when they have received the Bread and Wine they have received the Lords Supper but a godly Man teacheth his that they must pray with Understanding and that the heart must be engaged in prayer and that the Word and Sacrament must be mixed with Faith Therefore it is a mercy to have good Parents Fourthly They acquaint them with Heaven and Hell they lay the Glory of Heaven before them and tell them that all Tears are wiped from the eyes of the Saints in Heaven and that they enjoy God and are continually in his presence blessing and praising his Name They tell them also that none go thithâ—r but those that are Holy and that the Way is narrow and few enter thither therefore they must strive They acquaint them also with Hell and the Torments of it that there is continually weeping and gnashing of teeth that there is an Everlasting fire They tell them also that the way is broad and many find it and that all that do not repent of their sins go thither and so bids them take heed of sin Wicked parents are Ignorant and leave their Children Ignorant of them Therefore it is a mercy to have godly Parents CHAP. IV. Other Reasons they are encouraged in good and discouraged from evil and prayed for by the godly The fourth Reason IT is a great mercy to be the Children of godly Parents for they are exhorted to and encouraged in every thing that is good Good Parents do not only acquaint their Children with the commands of God but do daily exhort them to obey them they tell them what are their duties and diligently perswade them to perform them and they also encourage them in the performance of them they are not satisfied to acquaint them with Gods mind but study all sorts of Arguments to perswade them to Obedience Wicked Parents do not exhort their Children to Holiness but at best to some outward Forms of Religion and if they find the power of Godliness in their Souls they are apt to hate them and instead of Incouraging them they discourage them Therefore it is a mercy to be the Children of godly Parents The fifth Reason It is a great mercy to be the Children of godly Parents because such are warned against all evil wacht over least they should run to evil and always discouraged in whatsoever is evil and if nothing will do then they correct them knowing how God useth to bless the corrections of his Children Prov. 22.17 Correct thy Son and he shall give thee rest yea he shall give delight to thy Soul that is God will bless thy due Correction that thou shalt find a satisfactory Fruit arising from it or however thou shalt find rest in doing the duty Such Parents know that the rod and reprooss gives Wisdom Prov. 29.15 Therefore rather then their Children should spend their dayes in folly they will give them Correction they love the Souls of their Children and therefore rather then they should be lost they will correct them following the advise of the Spirit of God Prov. 23.13 14. With-hold not correction from the Child for if thou beatest him with the Rod he shall not die thou shalt beat him with the Rod and shall deliver his Soul from Hell That is God will bless Correction to save the Child and with Correction they Instruct them and pray over them they know what a danger it is to be accustomed to sin and therefore they Principle them against sin and correct them for sin and this is a special Mercy But wicked Parents do not discourage their Children nor correct them for displeasing God although they may Correct them over-much to please their own humor Therefore it is a mercy to have good Parents The sixth Reason It is a great mercy to be the Children of godly Parents because the Saints are continually praying for them I suppose that godly Parents do go themselves and bring their Children to the Society of godly People and all the Saints pray for them Now this is a very great mercy if you Consider how the Saints Prayers do prevail with God and how Often he hears them and answers them Therefore it is a mercy to be the Children of godly Parents CHAP. V. Other Reasons they have holy examples to teach them they have the benefit of their Fathers expertences they are in Scripture called Blessed The seventh Reason IT is a great mercy to be the Children of Godly Parents because such have holy Examples laid before them Good Parents take special care to say no stumbbling-block before their children but live up to the inst uction they give them They labour to be an example to their children in word avoiding all vain and foolish words in conversation walking holily according to the commands of God in Charity that is full of love and pity to poor creatures living peaceably with all in spirit upright and sincere in spirit full of zeal and fervency in faith having an holy unfained faith in purity being pure in all their carriages 1 Tim. 4.12 So Prov. 29.7 The just man walketh in his integrity his Children are blessed after him His upright walking and holy practices conduceth to their happiness And further they take care to bring their Children to such places and companies as may give them holy examples and there is nothing conduceth more to work good on others than holy examples especially the holy examples of Parents conduce to the good of their Children Wicked Parents give evil examples to their children they swear curse lie cheat slight the Ordinances of God drink to excess riot hate and persecute Gods children and run to all mâ—nner of wickedness keep wicked company and thereby teach their Children to do so also therefore it is a mercy to be the Children of good Parents The eighth Reason The Children of godly Parents are in Scripture called Blessed therefore it is a mercy to be such children Prov. 20.7 His Children are blessed after him The Ninth Reason It is a great mercy to be the children of good Parents because such enjoy the benefits of their Parents experiences it is a mercy when men teach experiences such Parents will tell their children that they have tried sin and find it to be a great evil that they tried the World and found no satisfaction that all the pleasures of it are vain that they have found much satisfaction much real joy and comfort in walking with God and in obeying his commands that they have found the Lord Jesus to be
a gracious Soul-satisfying Redeemer they tell them that they never saw the Righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread Psal 37.25 They tell them what joy and pleasure they have found in holiness and experiences are very prevalent to perswade Souls Wicked Parents have no such experiences to teach their Children therefore it is a mercy to be the child of good Parents CHAP. VI. Other Reasons they have such as make Conscience of providing for them they are both spared and rewarded for their Parents good their estates got honestly The Tenth Reason TO be the Children of Godly Parents is a great mercy because such make conscience of providing for the good of their childrens Souls and Bodies they are conscienciously bound to educate their Children in the fear of God and to match and settle them so as they may be incouraged in those hings And so also to provide for their bodies to breed them in honest Callings and to leave them as much outward Estates as they can they are conscienciously bound to Improve their Estates in an honest way for for their Children Prov. 13.22 A Good man leaveth an Inheritance to his Children strives so to do however his Holiness and Sincerity is an Inheritance to them Believers consider that place seriously 1 Tim. 5.8 But if any provide not for his own and especially to those of his own house or kindred he hath denied the Faith and is worse than an Infidel Infidels have a natural tye on them to provide for their Families but Believers have both a Natural and Conscientious tye to provide for theirs Therefore it is a mercy to be the Children of such The eleventh Reason It is a great mercy to have godly Parents because God oftentimes rewards Children for the good of their Parents and with-holds Judgments from seizing upon them upon the account of their Parents Lev. 26.42 I will remember my Covenant with Jacob and I will remeber the Land verse 44. and I will not cast them away neither will I destroy them utterly that is upon the account of their Godly fore-Fathers 1 Kings 11.34 Howbeit I will take the whole Kingdom out of his hand but I will make him Prince all the dayes of his life for David my Servants sake whom I chose because he kept my Commands and my Statutes How is a Judgment with-held and a Mercy bestowed upon the account of the Godliness of a Father so 2 Kings 10.30 Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes thy Children to the fourth Generation shall sit on the Throne of Israel so Prov. 20.7 The Just man walketh in his Integrity his Children are blessed after him that is on the account of his Integrity Personal goodness is a good means to bring Safety Honour Wealth and many comfortable blessings on Posterity Therefore it is a mercy to be the Children of such The twelfth Reason It is a mercy to be the Children of godly Parents because their Estates come with a blessing they are gotten honestly and so God blesseth them and a little with a blessing is better than a great deal that the wicked bath Psal 3.7 A little that a Righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked because God blesseth the one and curseth the other the one is got justly and the other unrighteously Prov. 15.16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great Treasures with trouble That which is gathered in the fear of God though little is better then great Possessions got wickedly for usually it comes to nothing having a Curse going along with it therefore it is a mercy to be Children of godly Parents CHAP. VII Other Reasons there is a curse on the wicked and their Seed and the children of Believers have an interest in the Covenant The thirteenth Reason 'T Is a great mercy to be the Children of good Parents because the Seed of the Wicked are under a curse and God often-times pours down a curse upon them on the account of their Parents Exod. 20.5 Visiting the sins of the Fathers upon the Children As for eternal Judgments every one suffers for his own sins but for the Fathers sins the children are often punished in body in goods and other things which they had and derive from their Parents Numb 14.33 And your Children shall walk in the Wilderness forty years and bear your whordoms So 1 Sam. 15.3 Smite Amaleck and utterly destroy all that he hath and spare them not but slay both man and woman infant and suckling Ox and Ass Camel and Sheep Amaleck sinned and his children suffer So that you see it is a mercy to be the children of good Parents The fourteenth Reason It is a great mercy to be the children of Godly Parents because such have an interest in the Covenant of Grace the Covenant belongs to the Faith 〈…〉 their Seed Gen. 17.7 〈…〉 will establish my Covenant â—â—…een me thee and thy Seed after thee in their Generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God to thee and thy Seed after thee Jer. 32.39 where the Covenant is mentioned it is said to be for the good of them and their Seed after them And although there are none saved but the faithful children of Believers yet all the children of Believers have an interest in the external part of â—â—e Covenant They are to be baptised Many of Gods people are not 〈◊〉 my mind in â—â—is but I hope â—â—ey will not be â—â—nded with 〈◊〉 for declaâ—â—g my mind they have a foederal holiness and that gives them a title to baptism for that does seem to be the direct â—â—eaning of that place 1 Cor. â— 14 For the unbelâ—eving â—usband is sanctified by the â—elieving Wife and the unbeâ—eving Wife is sanctified by â—â—e Husband else were your â—hildren unclean but now are â—â—ey holy This husbands sanâ—â—ifying of the Wife or the â—â—fe the Husband is not â—â—…ant real sanctification for that they do not always do though God makes them instrumental to it sometimes nor are their children made really holy and gracious but faederally holy so that they may be baptized which the children of unbelievers have no title to and this is a great mercy Therefore it is good to haue godly Parents CHAP. VIII Some Uses of the Point by way of Information and Exhortation USE I. THese Reasons that I have given to prove it a great mercy to be the children of godly Parents do contain in them the duties of Parents Therefore let all Parents look to it that you pray for and instruct your Children and provide for them and educate them in the fear of the Lord will it not be a sad thing when you come to die to think that you have children that are no instructed in Gods ways or to see your children die ignorant of Christ Therefore look to it USE II. That we should all of us take special care to bring our selves under the Covenant How can any think of
A PLAIN DISCOURSE OF The Mercy of Having GOOD PARENTS With The Duties of CHILDREN that have such Parents Written by M. G. Train up a Child in the Way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Prov. 22.6 Printed in the year 1668. To the Honourable the Lady A. W. Madam YOur Honors constant and chearful attendance to these plain Truths when delivered in your Family did then incourage me in that Work and now to present them to your Honour not doubting but you will cordially receive the Truths though covered with an ordinary dress judg of them according to the End for which they were written which was the good of yours your sweet Childrens Souls and the sincere desires that accompany them that they may prove effectual to that end What I have here written your Honour can much more perfectly teach us by your own experience the Lord having by his gracious Providence made you the Daughter of holy Parents who prayed for you instructed you and from a Child made you acquainted with the Scriptures and blessing their Endeavours made you a godly Child and gave you the same unfained Faith that dwelt in your Father and Mother and made you now the gratious Mother of many sweet Children whom I hope the Lord will bless with his Grace according to your earnest desires and endeavours Be incouraraged to trust God with them to believe that he will bless them being your Children and the Grand-children of those eminent godly Persons and bring them to know him that they may be blessed for ever Now the Lord bless you and the fruit of your Womb that all your children may fear him grant that his grace may run in your Family for ever and that you and all yours may be eternally happy shall be the prayers of him that desires an Interest in your prayers and shall for ever be Madam Jan. 1. Your Honours most faithful obliged Servant M. G. 2 Tim. 1.5 When I call to remembrance the unfained Faith that is in thee which dwelt first in thy Grandmother Lois and thy Mother Eunice and I am perswaded in thee also CHAP. I. The Text opened and an Observation raised and proved THe words you see are a part of Pauls Epistle to Timothy his Son in the faith 1 Tim. 1.2 which words may be considered in two respects First Relatively and that either 1. In respect of the words foregoing and then they are the cause of Pauls Joy in the fourth verse Paul remembring the unfained faith of Timothy was filled with Joy From whence observe That Believers do exceedingly rejoyce especially those that have been Instruments of their Conversion when they see the Reality of Grace in the Souls of others Or Secondly They may be considered in relation to the following words and so they are the reason of that Exhortation in the sixth verse from which you may observe these two things 1 Observ Paul had not exhorted Timothy to preach to others but that he was perswaded of his unfained faith 2 Observ Before you teach others you must see that you have unfained Faith your selves Secondly Positively as they are in themselves and then the words contain these two things 1. Pauls remembring the unfained Faith of Timothy 2. That it dwelt first in his Grandmother and Mother which he mentions first for the comfort of Timothy and his establishment and secondly for the honour of the Family The end of the whole Discourse is to comfort and strengthen Timothy and to prepare him for the following Exhortations I shall now open the words Call to remembrance That is When I think of or remember thy faith Vnfained Faith That is real or sincere faith faith without dissimulation You have the same word used in several places as 1 Tim. 1 5. Of faith unfained that is not hypocritical 2 Cor. 6.6 By Love unfained that is sincere Love So 1 Pet. 1.22 Vnfained Love And Rom. 12.9 Love without Dissimulation or pure Love the same is spoken of the Wisdom of Christians Jam. 3.17 without Hypocrisie So that you see that the word notes a real sincere Faith without hypocrisie or dissimulation Which dwelt c. Not the same numerical faith but the same specifical or kind of faith as if he had said Thy Grandmother Lois and thy Mother Eunice had the same sincere unfained faith From the words thus opened I shall raise several Observations The first shall be from the Apostles mentioning the faith of his Grandmother and Mother Whence observe Obser 1. It is a very great Mercy to be the Child of Godly Parents of such as have unfained Faïth And that for these following Reasons The first Reason It is a great mercy to be the Children of believing Parents because there are many Promises made to such which they may lay hold on and plead with God and it is a very great mercy to have a Promise to plead with God but the Seed of the Righteous have such Promises Exod. 20.6 But shewing Mercy to thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandments That is the Lord will be merciful to the Children of those that love him So Isa 44.3 I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine Off-spring The Righteous may plead this Promise for their Children and so may their Children for themselves and is not this a great mercy You might have been the Children of such as have an interest in nothing but curses upon them and their Seed but you have blessed Promises to plead with God Therefore it is a great Mercy to be the Children of Godly Parents CHAP. II. Reasons to prove the Doctrine Godly Parents pray for their Children Instruct them in the Scripture and incourage them in all good The second Reason IT is a great mercy to be the Children of godly Parents because such Children have many Prayers for them and are dayly dedicated by their Parents to God a godly Parent considereth the state of his Child and prays earnestly for him he cries unto God as Abraham did for his Son I shmael Gen. 17 18. And Abraham said unto God O that Ishmael might live before thee so saith a Godly Father or Mother O that such a Son or such a Daughter might live before thee and though God bestows Graces upon some of their Children yet they still continue praying for the rest as Abraham did for Ishmael though he had a Promise that the Seed of Sarah should be blessed Gen. 17.16 A Godly man will not cease from praying till all his Children be gracious but cryes out to God to bless all his Seed and that for ever as 2 Sam. 7.26 Let it please thee to bless the House of thy Servant that it may continue for ever before thee and with thy blessing let the House of thy Servant be blessed for ever that is bless all my Seed for by house is meant those that are born in his house that have