and no heart but when the contrary hereunto is true that men languish and wither and fall away time is spent in vain these unprofitable hours of life or if they gain it is onely in some things and not in others Alas that men should spend time to no purpose that men live in the light of Gospel dispensations and yet walk in the darkness of their own hearts not knowing whether they must go to Heaven or Hell at last little stability little comfort by all the means they enjoy 5. When men can bear the Lords absence and hidings away of his face and not lay it to heart as the saddest evil They keep Sabbaths and enjoy no God in them yet the heart breaks not though it be thus this is sad indeed 'T is a token that the Lord is not wholly gone that he is not so gone but that he may return again when he gives a heart to mourn after him as they 1 Sam. 7. lamented after the Lord but when men can go dayes weeks nay it may be moneths together and no living communion with God and yet never cry mourn and lament after him this saith the Lord is gone indeed and so gone that unless thou awaken spedily for ought I know this very Sermon he will never return more but leave thee desolate and forsaken to die in thy sins Oh! shall the Lord depart from thee and have this to charge upon thee That he went away from thee for want of being intreated to stay with thee Vse IV. May be a word of Exhortation Oh make this your main business to keep God with you from Generation to Generation I beseech you let this be the care and prayer of every one The Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers But this Use respects both the first Generation and this other Generation 1. The first Generation that have been betrusted with the management of the Kingdome of Christ and the Interest of Religion mostly hitherto Labour to keep God still with you even as in dayes of old and also to leave his Presence with the Generations that are to come after you that you may say upon your death-beds when you are leaving the world to them that succeed as sometimes old Israel did to Joseph Gen. 48.21 Behold I die but God shall be with you Here consider a few things Motive 1. This is the great End why the Lord hath betrusted you as he hath with his Gospel and why he hath done for you such great things as he hath done that so he might propagate Religion to those that come after you Psal 78.5 6 7. It was not for your sake onely but for the sake of your Children that God made himself known unto you now I beseech you let not the Lord be disappointed of his end God hath not given his Gospel unto men that a few old Christians may enjoy something of the Presence of the Lord while they live and then carry away the Gospel and Religion as * Viz. Worthy Mr. Mitchell one said into the cold graves with them when they die No but that they might hand down Religion and engage the Lords Presence with the Generation after them It s part of the Generation-work of every Christian to do his utmost that the Lords Name and Honour may be held up to the succeeding Generation If you think that all the duty that lyes on you is respecting your selves onely you are much mistaken A godly mans work reaches further then so Psal 77.18 19. 'T is a sad sign God hath forsaken a people when they are unmindful of the work of their Generation That was Davids Spirit that he would endeavour that Gods Name should be declared to and embraced by the people that were to be afterwards Psal 45.17 and Moses his Prayer Psal 90.16 and the Lords Promise Isa 58.12 Thou shalt raise vp Hebr. settle the foundations of many Generations of Age and Age i. e. Lay such foundations of Holiness as shall endure from Age to Age. Mot. 2. To you is committed a special opportunity of propagating Religion and the Presence of God to the Rising Generation 1. In respect of the Lord himself he will do much at the Request of his old Servants A man will do much at the importunity of an ancient Acquaintance Paul thought there was something Argumentative when he writ to Philemon that he was Paul the aged and David made use of the like Argument with respect unto himself in reference to this duty Psa 71.9 18. The Lord knows not how to deny an old Disciple any thing You may go to the Lord and tell him I have served thee so many years and thou hast never denied me any good thing to this day I have asked much and had much now I come to ask for the continuance of thy Presence with the succeeding Generation deny me not now Lord. 2. In respect of men As for those that are to succeed they that are gathering to their fathers have an opportunity to do good by distilling the things of God into their hearts Joshua and the Elders their Presence did tend much to the promoting of holiness Josh 24.31 Judg. 2.7 Whilst Jehojadah lived there was an advantage in that 2 Chron. 24. God and Nature hath put an advantage into the hands of the Ancient Levit. 19.32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head and honour the face of the old man and fear thy God I am the Lord q. d. You deny me to be Lord if you do not acknowledge Age. Mot. 3. Consider that it is for a Generation that I speak and such a Generation as that by many weighty and momentous Considerations you are bound to tender As to a Generation for a Generation David thought it was matter of great moment Psal 71.18 q. d. I had rather die then outlive the opportunity of making known the Lord to the Rising Generation It is not one or two or a few but a Generation that I plead for and it is not onely a Generation but your Generation now I come near indeed a Generation that proceeds from your own loyns and from your own bowels Me-thinks this should prove a very feeling Argument 1 Chron. 28.9 Now Solomon my Son not Soloman a Son but Solomon my Son I charge thee by the Bond of Relation that thou serve the God of thy fathers And hence Solomon himself acknowledges his care and instruction What he received from his Parents was an effect of their endeared affection to him Prov. 4.3 4. Fond affections will vent themselves in foolish and temporal things but sanctified affection in care to promove holiness and engage the continuance of the Lords Presence Oh what love what affections what bowels towards your Children Have you none or if you have how do they put forth I labour they may have something to live upon when I am gone they must have House and Land c. and shall they not have a God Shall they
and speed better the Lord will suffer himself to be Commanded in this case Isa 45.11 you have very good hold of God in the Word Deut. 30.6 and when you pray you must pray feelingly i. e. with a heart sensible of their sins Let the sins of the Rising Generation be the burthen of the first Generation their Unbelief the matter of their Complaint before the Lord. Many complain their Children have not such Priviledges as they ought I pray God grant that they may all have what the Lord hath appointed for them But alas where is the man that complains that his Childe wants saving knowledge of Jesus Christ Oh where is the Parent that sayes in bitterness of Soul My Childe hath a hard Heart and a proud Will an unteachable Spirit Civil he is but alas that 's all the Religion I can see Oh that there were more of those Complaints in secret before the Lord I verily believe the Lord will awaken a Spirit of Prayer before he gives us any sure pledges of his abiding with us in all sorts of men amongst us See how David prayes for Solomon 1 Chron. 29.19 and this will fetch blessings Win it in Heaven and wear it in Earth Monica Austin's Mother after she had cried and wept to a godly Minister for her then ungodly Son was answered by that good man Fieri nequit ut filius tantarum lachrymarum pereat It cannot be that a Childe of so many Prayers and Tears should perish And it is observeable That before the Lord give out any special Generation-mercy he humbles he prepares his people for that mercy by deep humiliation he usually layes them exceeding low as in first Conversion with respect to personal mercies so with respect to Generation-mercy The continuance of the Lords Presence Generation after Generation is a very signal mercy and God the Lord will humble his people in order to this mercy and this humiliation will cause you to sanctifie Gods Name though he should take away his Presence Ezek. 3.12 Secondly He brings a sentence of death on the mercy that to the eye of Sense and Reason there is no likelihood that ever it should come to pass nay it grows more unlikely every day then other as with Israel in Egypt Exod. 5. Isaac must be bound laid on the Altar the knife at his throat that so Faith might receive him as it were from the dead Truly this makes me hope that the Lords Presence may yet continue with his people in our Generations because that mercy seems to be a dead mercy There is no likelihood that it should be so the knife is at Isaac's throat Faith can fetch Isaac from the Altar Isa 26.19 When Churches are dead and the Members of Churches are dead yet then the Covenant lives the Promise lives Oh look to the Lord in that word Isa 65.22 to the end and 62.9 5. If you would have God to be with you and yours after you then see that you each one in your respective places are with and for the Lord You have the duty and encouragement laid before you 2 Chron. 15.2 A professing People they alwayes break with God first before he breaks with them 'T is the very end of the Lords works and dispensations to you that so you might be for him Isa 43.21 Quest But you will say What is this to be with the Lord How shall we be so with or for the Lord as that we may be sure he will still be with and for us Ans Work and work for God in your several capacities Parents Husbands Wives if you do not work for him you are not with him Mark 13.34 He gave to every man his work and therefore it is that their working with God is said to be a being with God Hos 9.8 The watchmen of Ephraim was with my God i.e. they did the work of God and so walking with God as you may see by that of David 1 Kings 4. and of Hezekiah 2 King 18.6 7. 2. Be for the special interest of God Mat. 12.30 He that is not with me is against me Zech. 9.7 He that remaineth shall be for our God i.e. for his Glory for his Christ for his Cause Labour therefore for a Publick Spirit let all your own interest give way to his Oh let nothing be dear in comparison of Christ and his interest Acts 20.24 To be of a private Spirit is not to be for God 3. In a special manner see that you are for his Institutions This is called the Kingdome of God Acts 1.3 If for Christ then for his Kingdome That man is not for God or Christ that is not for Ordinances These are called the Name of Christ Acts 15.14 16. He that is not for building Gods Tabernacle would not indeed that God should have a Name amongst men Remember what you said when you came into the Church Isa 44.5 I am the Lords especially see that you be for those Institutions and Ordinances that are ordained by Christ to bring the Rising Generation into a professed subjection unto the Gospel of Christ Oh take heed how we turn them out of Gods Inheritance lest you bring a curse upon your Souls and their Souls after you 1 Sam. 28.19 When God takes them into his Covenant he saith he will be a God to them Gen. 17. Take heed how you deny them any part in the Lord lest thereby they turn to serve other gods Josh 22.24 25. Where the Lord will enlarge Covenant-mercy Oh tremble to straighten it or bound it to the Precepts of men we and our poor Children after us have need enough of all the grace of the Covenant let us not despise it or cast them out our selves from it If that be the Lords word that the children of his servants shall continue and their seed be established before him Psal 102.28 Labour not to make that Promise of no effect Most certain it is that the Lords Presence is to be sought and enjoyed in Gods Wayes and in them only Will the Lord abide with a Generation that have nothing to do with a Church-state Ordinances Ministry and the visible outward Administrations of the things of his House I know he may for a while But will he long No verily if they must have nothing to do with these God will have nothing to do with them 6. Maintain a Spirit of Love towards God and towards one another If you love he will not leave you Be not like Ephesus that lost their first love but repent and do your first works Rev. 2.3 Love is a uniting grace and will not let the person beloved go This keeps God in Heaven because nothing but love is there for where that is he will be 1 Joh. 4.18 Joh. 14.23 If ever the Lord leave you or yours after you it will be because he is not loved and if it be asked why did the Lord so soon forsake his people after that he had done so much for them the Lord will
have your Estate and not have your God to be their God Again they are a Generation of your betrustments a Generation committed to your care and charge to bring up for the Lord and so in that sense said to be the Lords Generation Ezek. 16.21 God betrusted you with them respectively to educate for himself Again are they not a Generation devoted to the Lord Prov. 31.2 Sons of vows more particularly devoted to be the Lords cast upon him from the womb Psal 22.10 Again are they not a Generation for whose sakes you ran great hazards Was it not for their sakes that many came hither was not this the end I pray consider what was the thing proposed Why came you into this Land was it not mainly with respect to the Rising Generation And what with respect to them was it to leave them a rich and a wealthy people was it to leave them Houses Lands Livings Oh no but to leave God in the midst of them Again are they not a Generation that call for the utmost care and help that may be afforded to them on all hands a poor needy Generation hard bestead it may be more then their fathers in some respects Temptations as great Corruptions as strong Hearts as bad and having been freed from such Persecutions Afflictions c. they have not had such opportunities their father had to know and see what was in their hearts Me-thinks I see them like a company of Children in a Boat that is driven out to Sea may be it may come to shore but in greater danger to sink or drown then otherwise Yea are there not sad symptomes of the Lords departure from them Is not all in hazard to be lost What think you of a Vessel at Sea that springs a leak and takes in water apace and Marriners some dead many sick a few left to keep Pump going Are they not in danger to sink and perish in the waters Is it not so here Again if you consider the time past or time to come they both put you upon the utmost care and diligence Time past How much time is gone but how little is done for the Rising Generation little Faith little Prayer little Pattern-walking Nay are there not many that lay stumbling-blocks in their way I know men are apt to complain against the Rising Generation and it cannot be denied but that there is cause enough I would to God I and all the Lords people were rightly sensible of it but I beseech you consider whether you give not too much occasion thereunto Do they not see your Pride your Worldliness your Passion your Vanity and doth not this harden and stumble them And if not so yet Duty is neglected it may be if you prayed more they would be more gracious Or with respect to time to come 't is but a little while like to be with you we may improve that of the Apostle 2 Pet. 1 13.14 shortly you must put off the earthly tabernacle therefore improve your little time for the good of them that are to come after you Mot. 4. Sincere Endeavour to continue the Lords Presence with after-Generations shall not be without some good success I dare be bold to say that the Lord will not leave your Posterity unless by your remissness you declare you do not much care whether he abide with them yea or no. Do you your duty and the Lord will not lye behinde hand in that which is his work If you begin to be glutted with the Presence of the Lord your selves that you do not think it worth the pains taking to leave Him and his Presence as the greatest Blessing to your Children after you then no marvel though he remove away But if you are resolved to keep him not onely with your selves but with yours also I tell you he cannot finde in his heart to leave either you or them Prov. 22.6 In an ordinary course of Providence it shall be so then be able to say as David to Solomon 1 Chron. 28.20 The Lord God even my God will be with thee he will not fail thee nor forsake thee Mot. 5. What Comfort will this be when upon good grounds you are perswaded the Lord will be with those that come after you even as he was with you No greater joy then that you have had a care of Posterity and that it hath not been in vain 3 Joh. 3.4 this glads the heart of godly Parents Prov. 23.15 16 24 25. See Deut. 30.2 Quest But what shall we do that we may retain the Lords Presence with us and convey the same to those after us Answ Be willing to do what you can do this makes way for all other Directions Oh! do what you can for the future Generation It s true you cannot give them regenerating and sanctifying grace but let not that discourage you from what you can and though you cannot yet know that one can who is infinitely more gracious to the Souls of men then thou art Neglect not duty because you cannot do more then your duty Oh live a great while in a little time Do more in one year then in seven before as Israel in the Wilderness made more dispatch of the way the last year then in thirty before so here respecting the Rising Generation But more particularly 1. If you would have the Presence of the Lord continued to those that are to come after you then make sure of this that you enjoy the special Presence of God your selves If you would leave Gods Presence with others you must be sure to enjoy God your selves If God in Christ be your God then you may have hopes that God will be the God of your seed according to the Promise Gen. 17.7 He that hath no interest in God cannot insure any interest to others He that hath onely a visible interest an interest in the visible Covenant he can do no more for his childe but leave that unto him he cannot believe for any more nor act faith for any more An hypocrite cannot believe that God will be the God of his childe by special grace for he that hath no faith to lay hold of God for himself hath not faith to lay hold of God for his childe Be sure therefore of this that you are under the Promise and Covenant in the Spiritual part of it You never knew yet but the Lord did take hold savingly of some at least of the posterity of those that were indeed godly David a man of great observation and experience in the world tells what he could say to this Psal 37.25 Nay it s made some kinde of evidence of Sincerity when a mans repentance is such as that father and his childe repent too Deut. 30.6 Not but that a man may repent and his childe never repent its possible that a man may be converted and children many of them never converted but it is not usual this is something a rare thing that a man should be godly and his