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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	lord_n	mercy_n	psal_n	4,793	5	8.0417	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43572	The best entail, or, Dying parents living hopes for their surviving children grounded upon the covenant of Gods grace, with believers and their seed, being a short discourse upon 2 Sam. 23, 5 : wherein is a collection of several covenant-promises to support the faith, and some pleas to direct and quicken the prayers of Gods covenanted people for their surviving posterity / by O.H. ...	Heywood, Oliver, 1629-1702.	1693 (1693)	Wing H1761; ESTC R40552	56,018	114

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

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

1. A wise Son maketh a glad Father but a foolish Son is the heaviness of his Mother Yea 17. 25 he frequently repeats it other afflictions lye on the back this goes to the heart see Rom. 9.1 2 3. 3. Consciousness in Parents of their own guilt makes Childrens Miscarriages more uneasie and afflictive O I read my sin in my Childs folly alas omission of due instruction admonition correction hath brought my Child to this I may thank my self I have taught the young ones by my bad Example I have not watcht over them pray'd for them been so jealous of them to offer Sacrifice for them continually as I find Job did chap. 1. 5 3 25. who can tell but if I had been faithful I might have prevented all this Oh my Childs sin brings my youthful vanities to my remembrance thus I dealt with my Father to this pitch I arrived God punisheth my sin with my Childs I am verily guilty this cuts deep Jer. 4.18 4. The affliction is heavier because it doth in some sort weaken Parents confidence in the Covenant and endanger their faith in the Promise Godly Parents are ready to say when a Child is born and baptized as Samuel of Eliab 1 Sam. 16.6 surely the Lords anointed is before him this is a lovely child I hope this may honour God in his day but the child grows up and degenerates answers not expectations but grows debaucht and hopeless old in sin though young in years and now the Godly Parents hopes are dasht and daunted he is put to a stand and knows not what to think or say but concludes sadly with the two disciples in another case we trusted that it had been he this Child Luk. 24.21 that should have been an honour to God a comfort to me and a good instrument in the Church but oh how am I disappointed he proves the greatest affliction I have oh what 's become of the Covenant have I not some reason to question either Gods faithfulness or mine own interest This was the temptation of holy David with whom the Covenant was made expresly and immediately Psal 89.20 yea God gives him all the assurances imaginable his word his oath ver 34 35. yet ver 49. he saith Lord where are thy former loving kindnesses which thou sworest unto David in thy truth A sad expostulation as if God kept not touch with David why what 's the matter the reason was because Providences run counter to Promises crosses seemed to make void Gods Covenant ver 38. to 46. but thou hast cast off and abhorred thou hast been wroth with thine anointed c. Alas David where 's thy Faith But so it is that sense prevails in the best Saints above Faith at some seasons but most of all in this case when the Children of the Covenant cross the Ends of the Covenant and no doubt this becomes a great grief of heart to a godly Soul when he is thus sadly non plust till the light of the Covenant rightly understood unriddle this mystery the poor Christian is in great perplexity David had a promise by Samuel that he should be King yet saith in his heart 1 Sam. 27.1 I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul Why so why his present danger seemed to supersede the performance of that promise Psal 116.11 and though he said in his haste all men are liars yet when he came to himself certainly he would fret and vex himself that he should so wrong himself and Samuel yea and cast such an unworthy reflection upon God himself as though he were unfaithful to his promise thus will the Godly Soul do at last but at present he is upon a strange rack tortured betwixt hope and fear CHAP. III. What this Covenant is and what is in it to support the Christian IT would be superfluous to say much of the nature of a Covenant yet take this short description of it A Covenant is a voluntary mutual compact between two parties containing benefits to be injoyed and duties to be performed 1. It 's a compact between two parties for though a single person may make a promise yet a covenant is betwixt two or more and of parties formerly at distance this is the case betwixt God and Man so Gen. 26.28 2. It 's a mutual reciprocal compact both parties must be ingaged therefore it 's called the Bond of the Covenant Ezek. 20.87 because though they were free before yet now they are become bond 3. It 's a voluntary compact both parties were free before they were obliged by covenant covenanting is an Elective act God is a free Agent nothing but pure love induced him to covenant with Man Deut. 77 8. and though man was not absolutely free being Gods Creature and so bound to his Creator yet his actual entring into Covenant is a voluntary act Psal 110.3 Thy People shall be willing or Volunteers in the day of thy Power 4. Betwixt Covenanters there is mutual obligation to conferring of benefits and performing of duties called the habenda and the agenda things to be conferred by God and received by man and duties on mans part if he expect any benefits from God Isa 1.19 If you be willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the Land Yet in the Covenant of Grace betwixt God and Man there are two things peculiar 1. That there is an interposing Mediator our blessed Jesus the days-man that lays his hand upon both now saith the Apostle a mediator is not of one but God is one Job 9.55 Gal. 3.20 i. e. his business is to reconcile parties not only distinct but different 2. This Mediator is also surety or sponsor to be a susceptor or undertaker for both parties i. e. to perform what is necessary both what concerns conferring of benefits on Gods part not formally and performing conditions on mans part as though Christ believes and repents for us to save us a labour of repenting or believing but meritoriously purchasing these Graces for us and efficiently working them in us thus Jesus is made a surety of a better Testament Heb. 7.22 on Gods part he brings in everlasting righteousness and makes God friends with us and all his attributes amicable to us imploy'd for us on our part working gracious dispositions and actings which are the conditions of the Covenant so the whole lyes upon Christ Col. 3.11 and he is all in all he is responsible for God and Man being only able and capable as God and Man to fulfill necessary terms on both parts thus God promiseth what he requires and gives what he promiseth Jer. 3.19 But I said how shall I put thee among the Children and give thee a pleasant land a goodly heritage of the Host of Nations And I said thou shalt call me my Father and shalt not turn away from me Thou shalt there 's Gods undertaking to give filial disposition and perseverance Oh infinite contrivance of Divine Wisdom and Free grace

vain I live saith God to make his words take impression on his surviving Children when he is dead For correction you have a notable promise in Prov. 23.13 14. With-hold not correction from the Child for if thou beatest him with the rod he shall not dye I will take care of him thou shalt beat him with the Rod and shall deliver his Soul from Hell O blessed whipping surely such a scourge as fetcheth blood is easier than hell-torments but my benediction shall be upon that correction that 's a cruel Parent that will rather see his Child a flaming Faggot in the scorching fire than try to whip folly out of him that 's cruel pity better he should cry here then roar hereafter yea and curse thee for ever that wouldst not speak a word or give him a tap to prevent these intolerable torments Oh the good that seasonable correction may do if thou prevail not to make thy Child good yet thou wilt have comfort in the discharge of thy duty there 's good hopes of both by the blessing of God Prov. 29.17 Correct thy Son and he shall give thee rest yea he shall give delight unto thy Soul yet take this caution that these promises must not be understood absolutely necessarily and universally producing this effect but ordinarily so it is and this is sufficient motive to Parents to do their duty and incouragement therein 12. The last incouragement to Parents from the Covenant of God for their surviving Children is that God will take care of their outward concerns in the World Prov. 20.7 the just man walketh in his integrity his Children are blessed after him if their Father hath not heaped up riches by cunning and covetous devices and so leaves them but little in the World yet he hath left them in the hands of a good Father who will take care of them when their earthly Parents are gone for this blessed Covenant is not confined to the persons of the Godly but entailed on their Posterity Psal 112.1 2. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his commandments his seed shall be mighty upon earth the generation of the upright shall be blessed answerable to this I call to mind a passage told me by a Reverend Minister in London who knew a poor and pious Preacher in Wiltshire who had many Children and little to maintain them one askt him how he thought they could shift when he was gone he answered I am not at all afraid of that I am more afraid of them when they shall ride up and down London streets in their Coaches which came to pass for some of them came to be Aldermen of that Famous City our frequent experience confirms this truth what care God takes of his upright-hearted Servants Seed when they are laid in the dust let us take holy David's Experiment Psal 37.25 I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread If there have been some few exceptions these yet do not destroy the truth of a general proposition howbeit temporal promises were more express and positive to the Jews of old than to christians in Gospel-times which consists more in spirituals But this will remain a truth that Children of Godly Parents are usually provided for comfortably even in things that concern this life if it tends to Gods glory and their good and if God see it good in his Infinite Wisdom which limitations must always be annexed to temporal promises but if they be poor defamed sick in prisons banished yet all these work together for their good Rom. 8.28 CHAP. VI. An Answer to an Objection against the premises THE third general head in the Doctrinal part is an answer to a main objection which is this Object You have produced many promises as branches of the Gospel-covenant that the children of godly Parents shall have converting Grace that God the Father Son and Holy Ghost shall be theirs are heirs of Gospel Priviledges shall be sanctified be useful instruments in the Church shall own their profession with an holy conversation if they wander God will reduce them bless Parents instructions corrections take care of their outward concerns c. Now do we not see by daily observation the clean contrary to all these how many worthy Ministers have had worthless sons how many worthless Children are there of gracious Parents nay do we not see some Children of Godly Parents miscarry more than others of their carnal civil neighbours more proud scorners of Godliness companions of Drunkards Swearers Debaucht persons that have proved a great dishonour to God scandal to Religion grief to Godly and Heart-breaking to their Parents yea have so prejudiced the Spirits of wicked men that they say this Religion is but a fancy praying so much is needless and what 's become of the Covenant you so much boast of Nay have we not seen some Children of Godly Parents live and dye visibly graceless under tokens of Gods Wrath yea hastning their death by intemperance and overmuch wickedness How is this consistent with all that you have spoken How is God true to his Covenant This is a sad truth and cannot be denied and an awful consideration and possibly hath staggered the Faith of some and strengthened the hands of some wicked against the power of Godliness and is too palpable an observation to be denied But yet I hope to clear this tremendous providence from the holy Scriptures by propounding these seven considerations 1. Some of the Children of Gods People can set their seal to Gods faithfulness in the Covenant made to their Parents and their Seed this clears Gods truth and the goodness of Religion I doubt not but some Children of the Covenant can speak the language of Solomon in 1 Kin. 8.23 24. Lord God of Israel there is no God like unto thee who keepest Covenant and Mercy with thy Servants that walk before thee with all their heart who hast kept with thy Servant David my Father that thou promisedst him thou spakest also with thy mouth and hast fulfill'd it with thine hand as it is this day will not some stand forth and say I bless God for Godly Parents my Soul hath found the benefit of their Prayers and fruit of Gods Promise I prefer this charter to all earthly priviledges let others say their pleasure I will for ever adore Free-grace that brought me forth under so good a Covenant it 's better to me than to be born of a Royal Race and being Heir to a Crown he is my God Exod. 15.2 and I will prepare him an habitation my Fathers God and I will exalt him and cannot some Parents say 2 Sam. 7.19 God hath spoken well of his servants house for a great while to come behold I see the buds of Grace in this or that Child and a saving growing work in another blessed be Free-grace I can hold forth this token for good against all the