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
and take no care of their precious Souls and know not when they Dye whether he that comes after them shall be a Wise man or a Fool Eccl. 21.9 if he be a wise man a little will serve him with Gods blessing if wicked he puts a Sword into the hand of a Fool to do himself and others a greater mischief Oh how much better is it for their own peace and their Childrens profit to plead the Covenant to Instruct Correct Admonish Counsel Comfort and incourage their Children in the ways of God and use their utmost Endeavour to make them Gods Children an Ancient thus writes Sabrian ad Eccles cath lib. 3. p. 441. Disciplinam parentes deus jubet thesaurisare filijs non pecuniam perennia praecipit non peritura conferre God commands Parents to hoard up Disciplin not Money for their Children things of a perpetual not perishing nature what a base and sordid thing is it to prefer a Swine to a Son to provide for a Beast and cast out a Child and yet most Parents bestow more care of their Cattel than of their Childrens Souls they give their Children nature but deny them nurture Yea they propagate corruption to them but do not travel over them till Christ be formed in them they glory in being Fathers of their Flesh but cry not to the Father of Spirits for the best life in their Childrens dead Souls they promise at their Baptism to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord but know not what that meaneth and have no heart to learn that they may teach Oh what account will these perjured Parents give another day Remember God will call you to account what Answer will you give when he shall Say where is the Childs Soul that I committed to thy trust what care hast thou taken of it where are thy Tears Prayers Groanings Earnings of Bowels for thine own Bowels didst thou not know that thy Child had a Soul that its Soul was polluted with Sin that it must be born again not only of Water but of the Spirit or could not be Saved that though I was to be the Efficient cause yet thou must be the Instrument to begin and carry on this Work and hast thou struck one stroke in this work by faithfull endeavours or hast thou earnestly desired me to do that for thy Child that thou couldest not thou knowest thou hast done neither and therefore thy Childs Blood shall be reqiured at thy hands what Apology wilt thou then make for thy self Dost thou think to come off by Saying I sent him to School to learn or to the Minister to be Catechised this is more than some will do but is this all is not paternal care thy personal duty was not thou charged with thy Childs Soul may not God justly blast other teachers pains as a punishment of thy negligence and doth not thy bad Example at home unravel all that others teach them Wo Wo be to such wicked wretched Parents In the name of God I charge you as you will not have your Children accuse and curse you in Hell for ever concern your selves deeply about their Everlasting State think they can never do well if they do not well for another World they will never be dutifull to you till they be Obedient to God train them up for God and you consult at once Gods Glory the good of Church and Common-wealth your own Comfort and their Eternal felicity true Grace qualifys persons for every condition for he that is really good will be relatively good a good King and Subject Father and Child Master and Servant Heathens knew this that the way to form Persons into a due mould of civil Subjection is a literate and vertuous Education thus the King of Babylon conquering Judah ordered the Kings seed Dan. 1.3 4 and Princes to be trained up in the learning of of the Chaldeans and our own Historys tell us that when the Romans conquered this Island Julius Agricola brought Noble mens Sons to Rome and caused them to be educated in liberal Sciences whereby they gradually tamed the furious temper of the Brittains so that the Inhabitants here became of gentle spirit and peaceable Subjects much more will Christianity and true Piety bring persons into a regular conformity it expells Barbarity and produceth Civility Hospitality Frugality and yet a discreet liberality a divine Benediction is entailed upon Sincere Religion Godliness is profitable unto all things 1 Tim. 4.8 having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come if your Children be Godly they will be fit for any thing and all things will conduce to their good And You Oh children suffer a word of Exhortation from one that hath had Experience of childhood Youth riper age and is arrived at old age and hath been a teacher of others above forty years and may say to you as Augustus did to his mutinous Army Audite me juvenes quem juvenem senes Audierunt Hear me Young men whom sometimes Old men have heard and obeyed God forbid you should be head-strong sons of Belial Yoakless and so run headlong into the pit of destruction Be not like the wild asses colt break not thro' Parents tears Prayers counsels and commands to Hell Alas that any young persons should desperatly contradict the perswasions of Ministers the motions of the Spirit the checks of their own consciences the sad warnings of their undone companions and the rods of God on their own backs and haste through all these to the pit and never stop till they be swallowed up in that Infernal Lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone you will say what would you have us to do I answer Act as Rational Creatures inure your selves to Solemn consideration Consider that you are Creatures of an higher rank than Bruits that you have Immortal never dying Souls that God made you to Glorify and injoy him that he hath given you a rule to act by in order to another state in the other World that Sin hath depraved your natures hath diprived you of Gods Image brought you under his curse that Christ came to redeem Sinners that saving Faith doth interest Souls in Christ that Faith is the gift of God that in your Baptism you were ingaged to forsake the World Flesh and Devil Consider your sins since you were baptized confess them to God review and renew your Baptismal vow actualy renounce all other claimers and give up your Selves to the Lord understandingly Deliberately Vniversally and Perpetually improve Jesus Christ as the way the truth and the Life Espouse his interest joyn with Gods People Obey all his commands Attend on him in all his Ordinances Be sure you be sincere Exercise every Grace aim at Perfection keep a constant watch over your hearts and ways maintaining a dayly warfare against all Spiritual Enemies prepare for death and consider where you must lodg when the King of Terrours lays its cold hand of Arrest
draw out my heart to thee in vain when a Father bids his Child ask he designs to give thou wilt not let this blessed spirit breathe in vain in my soul Wilt thou inlarge my heart and not grant my request Psal 38.9.15 Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee In thee O Lord do I hope thou wilt hear me O Lord my God Thou hast raised my heart in Expectation wilt thou not give me the mercy I expect 8. Lord is not thy Glory concerned in this affair as well as my comfort And yet my comfort is something in thine eye For thou sayst Ps 118.15 The voyce of rejoycing and salvation is in the Tabernacles of the righteous And alas What joy can there be in a family when a foolish Son is heaviness both to Father and Mother Prov. 10.1 and a disturbance to the whole house But oh thy Name is dishonoured by my own flesh wicked men hardened some scandalized by the miscarrying of the Children of the Covenant But on the other hand if Covenant-grace be spread upon my childs heart by Converting-grace many will glorifie God Gal. 1.24 His own Soul will be the actual lively Trumpet of Divine Glory by confessing sin and turning to God thy Omniscience Grace and Omnipotency will be made glorious And who can tell how many may be won to God by his Example 1 Pet. 2 1â— 2 Thes 1 1â— and every Convert Glorifies God in the day of their visitation and at the great Day God will be glorified in his Saints Lord consult thy Glory 9. Lord thou hast given me some incouragement concerning this Child I am praying for When my Child was young he was very hopeful now he is grown up my hopes are dasht He hath now embraced the world or is fallen into bad company and courses the less are my hopes now because he is a woful Apostate and sins against more light than others and this daunts and damps my spirit however I will pray and wait still for what is a daunting to me Gen. 22.14 is rather an advantage to thee In the mount of the Lord it is seen When the knife is at Isaac's throat Hos 2.14 the valley of Achor is a door of hope When men say our bones are dryed our hope is lost Ezeck 37.11 12. we are cut off for our parts then the graves are opened and there 's life from the dead The case is mine I am saying as Jonah I am cast out of his sight yet will I look again toward thy holy Temple The other look may fetch the mercy There 's a may be in the case Can a Child of so many Prayers and Fears miscarry This brings to mind a passage in Melchior Adamus De vitis Theol. Germ. pag. 724. It is this The mother of Hunnius being with child of him had a Vision She thought she was in the Church and took up a Reed or a Straw or such a small thing While she held it in her Fingers it so increased that she was almost oppressed with its weight even to death She presently saw it turned into a Pillar of the Temple Then she was eased of her burden This was verified in her Son Hunnius who though religiously educated and hopeful in Childhood yet fell into bad Company and then into horrible Temptations and sad Apprehensions That he had committed the sin against the Holy Ghost but by Grace was recovered and proves an excellent instrument in the Church of God This may be of use to poor afflicted desponding Parents 10. Lord If thou deny my suit and glorifie thy Justice in the rejection and damnation of My child I must and will acquiesce in thy Soveraign righteous Will It 's hard to bring my heart to it but I will say Thy Will be done Rom. 11.33 Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledg of God! How unsearchable are thy judgments and thy ways past finding out I my self deserve to be forsaken and cast into Hell I have many a time told thee I must for ever justifie God with flames about mine ears if thy justice be glorified in my destruction for all my abominations And if thou deal thus with my beloved Off spring I will say The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works Dan. 9.7 Righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto me and mine confusion of faces I submit my all to thee and thank thee for grace in my own soul and hopes of Glory and if my wilful child may not bring a revenue of Glory to free Grace I will be content with thy raising up a revenue of Glory to thy Justice in his just condemnation Obj. But what tender-hearted Parent can be contented to see his Child damned Answ You must distinguish betwixt Nature and Grace Nature loves its own and cannot bear to see part of it self in misery Yea grace cannot but desire cannot but earnestly breathe after the spiritual and eternal good of our Children And 't is not only lawfull but duty to desire it Yet if God deny it Grace brings man's Will to a due submission to the Divine disposal for the more a Christian is like to God the more is his Will melted into God's Will and therefore will a Child of God rejoyce in the execution of Gods justice upon dearest carnal Relations at the great Day As sanctified Levi in the cause of God Deut. 33.9 said to his Father and his Mother I have not seen neither did he acknowledg his Brethren nor knew his own Children Nature will be in a sort swallowed by grace in Gods good pleasure That was a remarkable passage of a gracious Gentlewoman that had a vicious Son who fell into many debaucheries and into one hainous Act which sunk her tender spirit But recovering her self she said to him with some warmth Ah! my sinful Son thou hast cost me many a Tear Groan and bitter hour but a day is coming when I shall triumph in seeing the just vengeance of God excecuted upon thee this did so appall the young Gentleman that he laid it to heart repented and became a new man to the joy of his Godly Mother But 2. You must distinguish about Damnation and look on it as under a double notion 1. as a state of compleat Sinning Blaspheming and hating God to the utmost God calls you not to be content with this which is so directly contrary to the Grace of God in the Christian nor yet may you be content to have your Child separated from God the cheifest good which is the worst part of hell But 2. Hell may be considered as a place or state of torment and misery to the Rational Creature and upon this account you must not be contented simply to have your Child tormented which is abhorent to nature but your Souls must be so overr-uled with the Divine pleasure as where his will is
not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy sâ—ednor out of the mouth of thy Seeds Seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever This is a large and long-lasting charter God Spirits within his children and the owning of his name in their lips and this for ever What can godly Parents desire more Whether this Spirit import a Spirit of Prophecy or a Spirit of Sanctification surely it 's a rich kindness that it shall run in this straight line and channel to many generations that the name of God as well as your name may be kept up in your Family perpetually when you are dead and gone Oh happy Parents that have such Children Happy Children that had such Parents and blessed be God that embraceth both in the bosom of the Covenant That 's a Soul-supporting word in Hag. 2.5 According to the word that I covenanted with your Fathers yea with you when you came out of Egypt so my Spirit remaineth among you Fear ye not be not daunted there were as many and great obstructions in the way of mercy then as now yet grace overcame them and I have not taken away my Spirit from you notwithstanding your multiplied provocations this 2000. years but still it is among you and shall continue to many generations May not faith triumph in this promise 8. That great observations shall be made of and remarks upon the Children of godly Parents Isa 61.8 9. I will make an everlasting Covenant with them and their seed shall be among the gentiles i. e. Gentile Churches and their off-spring among the People all that see them shall acknowledg them that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed Men shall speak to each other Do not you see the faithful child of such a believing Father Oh how many a precious day have we had with such an ones Father Mother or Grandfather this is the Pious Child of a Zealous father you see it 's not in vain to seek and serve God I remember the prayers and tears poured out for his Child and I see the blessed fruit thereof God is a prayer-hearing God of some Children we may say as Paul to Timothy 2 Tim. 1.5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee which dwelt first in thy Grand-mother Lois and thy Mother Eunice and I am persuaded that in thee also His Grandmothers name was Lois which signifies better his Mothers name Eunice signifying victor and Timothy is the fear of God If Parents chuse the better part God will give them victory over the World Sin and Satan yea they shall have power with God and obtain God-fearing Children which others will observe and admire the grace of God in 9. Childrens Children to many generations are remembered with Covenant-kindness So in the second Commandment Exod. 20.6 Shewing mercy unto thousands i. e. of generations of them that love me and keeep my Commandments Deut. 7.9 This is transcendent mercy punishment extending but to three or four of them ver 5. you 'll say mercy and justice are Gods two Arms is the one longer than the other Answer no they are equally infinite but he maketh his Church to feel more of his mercy then of his justice with the Lord there is mercy why so Because with him is plenteous Redemption Psal 130.7 It is a Covenant of Grace and Christ interposeth as Mediator of it Oh! the overflowings of Free-grace to many generations Psal 103.17 18. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him and his righteousness unto Childrens Children Mark it it 's called righteousness to shew it is a discharge of his obligation by which he hath in some sort bound himself to Parents to do good to their Posterity Mic. 7.20 for it was mercy to Abraham to make a Covenant but it is truth and faithfulness to perform it to Jacob. and his rising seed many years after for 't is founded in his Eternal purpose and continues to Eternity and this is the reason of our hopes of the calling the Jews because they are beloved for their Fathers sake or rather because of God's Covenant with their Ancestors Rom. 11.27 28. Oh what incouragement is this to Parents that God will not utterly cast off their seed but will resume thoughts of love to them at last 10. That God will reduce the wandring Children of his People by seasonable and sanctified correction Psal 89.29 35. 2 Sam. 7.14 15. If his Children for sake my Law and walk not in my judgments i. e. if they forfeit the Priviledges promised by non-performance of the conditions then will I visit their transgression with a Rod and their iniquity with Stripes nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail God hath adopted Affliction to be a branch of Covenant affection Psa l. 119.75 ' It s a promise I will visit not so much a threatning for in faithfulness he afflicts his Children he will not take so much pains with a slave as with a Son he will make his Children thank God for a whipping Lord saith a godly Parent bring home my Child though it be by weeping cross starve my prodigal son or feed him with husks that he may reflect on his Fathers plenteous Table oh break his Leg or Arm rather than damn his Soul cast him on a sick bed rather than cast him into Hell let his Purgatory be here and his Heaven hereafter now our gracious God answers his Childrens Prayers good Hezekiah's Prayers for his extravagant Son Manasseh were answered by Gods taking him among the Thorns binding him with Fetters carrying him to Babylon till he had humbled him to purpose and made him know that Jehovah was God 2 Chron. 33.11 12 13. doubtless the natural as well as the spiritual Father of the Prodigal will welcome home the Child tho' broken on the Wheel 11. The Covenant ingageth for a blessing on Parents instruction and correction of their erring Children this is of great use 1. For instruction Prov. 22.6 Train up a Child in the way he should go There 's the Parents Duty do thy duty to set him right in the beginning of his way so some read it and when he is old he will not depart from it i. e. not easily ordinarily q. d. if thou that art the Father wilt do thy duty faithfully I will undertake to do my part set thou their faces in the right road and I will keep them in it ordinarily I will bless thy instructions admonitions counsels examples see Gen. 18.19 God saith of Abraham I know him that he will command his Children and his houshold after him you 'll say what is he better for that they 'll chuse whether they 'll obey or no nay saith God but I will undertake for them And they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and Judgment His labour shall not be in
some pleas Arguments and Encouragements not to move God but to quicken your Faith Hope and Importunity Thus then say 1. Lord this Covenant thou hast made with Believers and their Seed did spring only from the Fountain of thy Free-grace this Promise commenced before I had a Being and therefore could not depend on any worthiness in me Deut. 7.7 8. the Lord did not set his love on Israel because they were better than others but because he loved them the love of benevolence produced the love of complacency it 's an Everlasting love both in its original and duration Jer. 31.3 it hath no cause but in Gods breast and shall have no end Lord for thy words sake 2 Sam. 7.21 compared with 1 Chr. 17.19 yea for thy Servants sake viz. Christ who is Gods Essential word and according to thy own heart hast thou done all these great things hadst thou seen any stop or obstruction on my part thou wouldest have forborn making this Covenant But such a Covenant there is and Grace made it look into thine own heart Lord and as Grace only made it so let Grace perform it 2. Lord Thou art true and faithful in the performance of thy promises Mercy made this Covenant with Abraham Mic. 7.20 Numb 23.19 Psal 89.35 Truth performs it to Jacob thou art not as man that thou shouldst lye thou hast sworn by thy holiness that thou wilt not lye unto David well Lord in hopes of the performance of thy Covenant I married begot Children gave them up to God in Baptism wherein thou tookest them as thine own and dost thou now repent of thy choice Oh no thou hast told me in thy word Isa 54.9 10. that thy Covenant-promises are as sure as the Waters of Noah not overflowing the World Jer. 31.35 36 37. yea the Mountains and Hills will sooner depart than God go back from his word yea his Covenant is as sure as the Ordinances of Heaven Sun Moon and Stars as sure as day and night Lord my Soul having got such good hold of thee by Faith I will not let go this hold but stick fast till thou make good thy promise to me and my seed I am resolved to sue thy Bond by Faith and Prayer till thou pay this debt 3. Lord thou hast made this Covenant good to others thou hast performed the mercy promised to our Fathers and remembred thy holy Covenant Luk. 1.45 55 72. there hath been a performance of the things spoken by the Lord never could any stand forth and challenge thee for the breach of promise from the beginning of the World to this day and I humbly hope thou wilt not begin with me Gen. 13.16 17 18. thou madest a promise to Abraham of a numerous off-spring and inhabiting Canaan and thou didst perform all to a tittle yea to a minute the least Iota did not fail or fall to the ground and thou art as great as good as powerful as merciful now as ever Gen. 18.14 Job 42.2 thou sayest is any thing too hard for the Lord My Soul Eccho's No I know that thou canst do every thing with God all things are possible I believe Lord help my unbelief thou art able to reduce my Prodigal Child to convert my stubborn Child Oh give a proof of thy power in this great work 4. Lord thou hast made good the Promise to my own Soul my Parents improved and pleaded thy Covenant for me a sinful wretch and wilt thou not make the same good to mine I must say as once Solomon Thou hast kept with thy Servant David my Father 1 Kin. 8.23 24. that thou promisedst him thou spakest also with thy Mouth and hast fulfilled it with thy hand as it is this day Blessed be the God of my Fathers that hath not cut off his kindness from me that am the Seed of those faithful ones that are now at rest with thee I my self can rise up and bear witness to thy faithfulness Ecce signum Behold a testimony of Divine love Psal 86.16 17. thou hast shewed me a token for good who am the Son of thy handmaid and I take this as a pledge of more kindness to mine Psal 116.16 thou hast loosed my Bonds wilt thou not also knock off the Fetters of sin from my poor Child I was as wicked as any and cost my Father and Mother many a tear and groan but thou heardest their Prayer wilt thou not also hear me 5. Lord I do find all that I want for my self and seed within the compass of the Covenant for as thou hast promised to be my God and pardon sin so thou hast undertaken to work the conditions thou requirest as absolutely necessary for obtaining the priviledges of the Covenant thou say'st they shall all know me from the least to the greatest of them Jer. 31.34 i. e. as I understand it young as well as old Deut. 30.6 thou sayst the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy Seed to love the Lord thy God Again thou say'st They that dwell under his shadow shall return Hos 14.7 amongst whom are Children and that he will turn the hearts of the Fathers with the Children Mal. 4.6 so some read it this is enough Lord may my Children be savingly converted I have all my desire for this shall be their Salvation and I have these promises under thy hand and surely they are not insignificant 6. Yea Lord thou hast converted some whose immediate Parents were not in Covenant and whether their remote Parents were so who can tell I plainly discern thou sometimes leapest out of the ordinary road reaching over the heads of some nearlier related to lay hold on strangers hearts and I do not grudge them this mercy but adore the freeness of Divine Grace only my Soul fetcheth some encouragement thence Rom. 11.17 23. Hos 2.23 will my Lord graft into the true Olive some wild branches and not take in natural Wilt thou say Ammi my people to them that were not thy people and wilt thou say Lo ammi to such as cling to thee are resolved not to forgo thee Oh my Lord the exuberancy of Free-grace to strangers is an incouragement to me and thus I say will my Father give such lumps of bread to Dogs and can he not afford a crum to a Child I see some whose Parents never spake a word to God for them eminent in Grace and Monuments of free-grace and shall any of my Children which thou hast taken into thy Family be shut out of thy doors I hope not 7. Lord if thou hadst a design to deny my suit thou wouldst have shut my mouth in prayer for thy word saith Psal 10.17 Thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear An inlarged heart in Prayer is not only a mean but a pledge of gracious audience surely thou wilt not send thy Spirit into my heart and