Divine Conduct, Head 2 · Performance 3
The Third Performance of Providence.
III.
THe next observable Performance of Providence, Providen…ial performances with respect to …he Stock …nd Family out of which we …prang.which must be heedfully adverted and weighed, is the designatJon of the stock and family out of which we should spring and rise. And truly, this is of special consideration, both as to our temporal and eternal good; for whether the families in which we grew up, were great or small in Israel; whether our parents were of the higher or lower Class, and rank among men: yet if they were such as feared God and wrought righteousness, if they took any care to educate you religiously, and trained you up in the nurture and admonitJon of the Lord, you are bound to reckon it among your chief mercies, that you sprung from the loins of such parents: for from this Spring a double stream of mercy rises to you.
(1.) Temporal and external mercies to your outward man. You cannot but know, that as Godliness entails a blessing, so wickedness and unrighteousness a curse upon posterity. An instance of the former you have in Gen. 17. 18, 20. On the contrary, you have the threatning, Zech. 5. 4. and both together, Prov. 3. 33. The Curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked, but he Blesseth the habitatJon of the just. True it is, that both these imply the Childrens treading in the steps of their Parents, according to Ezek. 18. but how frequently is it seen, that wicked men breed their children vainly and wickedly; so that as it's said of Abijam, 1 Kings 15. 3. He walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; and so the curse is entail'd from generation to generation. To escape this Curse, is a choice Providence.
(2.) But especially take notice, what a stream of spiritual blessings and mercies, …lows from this Providence to the Inner man. O it's no common mercy, to descend from pious Parents▪ Some of us do not only owe our natural life to them, as Instruments of our Beings, but our Spiritual and Eternal life also. It was no small mercy to Timothy, to be descended from such Progenitors, 2 T…m. 1. 5. nor to. Augustine, that he had such a Mother as Monica, who planted in his mind the precepts of life with her Words, watered them with her Tears, and nourished them with her Example. We will a little more particularly inspect this mercy, and in so doing, we shall find manifold mercies contained in it.
(1.) What a Mercy was it to us, to have Parents that prayed for us before they had us, as well as in our Infancy, when we could not pray for our selves? Thus did Abraham, Gen. 15. 2. and Hannah, 1 Sam. 1. 10, 11. and some here likely are the fruits and returns of their Parents Prayers. This was that holy course they continued all their dayes for you, carrying all your concerns, especially your Eternal ones before the Lord with their own; and pouring out their souls to God so affectionately for you, when their eye-strings and heart-strings were breaking. Oh put a value upon such Mercies; for they are precious. It's a greater Mercy, to descend from praying Parents, than from the loyns of Nobles. See Job's pious practice, Job 1. 5.
(2.) What a special Mercy was it to us, to have the excrescencies of corruption nipt in the bud by their pious and careful discipline? We now understand, what a critical and dangerous season Youth is, the wonderful proclivity of that Age to every thing that is evil. Why else are they called Youthful lusts? 2 Tim. 2. 22. When David asketh, Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way? it's plainly enough implyed in the very Question, that the way he takes lieth through the pollutions of the world in his youth, Psal. 119. 9. When you find a David praying, that God would not remember the sins of his youth, Psal. 25. 7. and a Job bitterly complaining, that God made him to possess the sins of his youth, Job 13. 26. Sure, you cannot but reflect, with a very thankful heart, upon those happy means, by which the corruption of your nature was happily prevented, or restrained in your Youth.
(3.) And how great a Mercy was it, that we had Parents, who carefully instilled the good knowledge of God into our souls in our tender years? How careful was Abraham of this duty? Gen. 18. 19. and David? 1 Chron. 28. 9. We have some of us had Parents, who might say to us, as the Apostle, Gal. 4. 19. My little Children, of whom I travail again in birth till Christ be formed in you. As they longed for us before they had us, and rejoyced in us when they had us; so they could not endure to think, that when they could have us no more, the Devil should. As they thought no pains, care or cost too much for our bodies to feed them, cloath and heal them; so did they think no prayers, counsels or tears, too much for our souls, that they might be saved. They knew a parting time would come betwixt them and us, and did strive to make it as easie and comfortable to them as they could, by leaving us in Christ, and within the blessed bond of his Covenant.
They were not glad, that we had Health, and indifferent whether we had Grace.
They as sensibly felt the miseries of our souls as of our bodies; and nothing was more desirable to them, than that they might say in the great day, Lord, here am I, and the Children which thou hast given me.
(4.) And was it not a special Favour to us, to have Parents that went before us as Patterns of Holiness, and beat the path to Heaven for us by their Examples? Who could say to us, as Phil. 4. 9. What things ye have heard and seen in me, that do; and as 1 Cor. 11. 1. Be ye followers of us, as we are of Christ. The Parents life is the Childs copy. O 'tis no common mercy, to have a fair copy set before us, especially in the moulding age: we saw what they did, as well as heard what they said. It was Abraham's commendation, that he commanded his Children, and his houshold after him, to keep the way of the Lord. And such mercies some of us have had also.
Ah my friends, let me beg you, that you will set special remarques upon this Providence, which so graciously wrought for you: and that your hearts may be more throughly warmed in the sense of it, compare your condition with others, and seriously bethink your selves,
(1.) How many Children there be among us, that are drawn headlong to Hell by their cruel and ungodly Parents, who teach them to curse and swear assoon as they can speak? Many families there are, wherein little other language is heard, but what is the Dialect of Hell. These, like the old logs and small spray, are preparing for the fire of Hell, where they must burn together. Of such Children, that Scripture, Psal. 49. 19. will one day be verified, except they repent, They shall go to the generatJon of their fathers, where they shall not see light.
(2.) And how many families are there, though not so prophane, who yet breed up their Children vainly and sensually, as Job 21. 11, &c. take no care what becomes of their souls, so they can but provide for their bodies? If they can but teach them to carry their bodies, no matter if the Devil act their souls: If they can but leave them Lands or Moneys, they think they have very fully discharged their duties. O what will the language be, wherewith such Parents and Children shall great each other at the Judgement Seat, and in Hell for ever?
(3.) And how many be there, who are more sober, and yet hate the least appearances of Godliness in their Children? who instead of cherishing, do all that they can to break bruised reeds, and quench smoaking …lax, to stifle and strangle the first appearances, and offers they make towards Christ? Who had rather accompany them to their graves, than to Christ, doing all that in them lyes, Herod like, to kill Christ in the Cradle? Ah Sirs, ye little know, what a mercy ye do or have enjoyed in Godly Parents, and what a good Lot Providence cast for you in this Concernment of your bodies and souls.
If any shall say, This was not their case, Object.they had little help Heaven-ward from their Parents: To such I shall only reply three things.
(1.) If you had little furtherance,Sol. yet own it as a special Providence, that you had no hinderance; or, if you had opposition, yet
(2.) Admire the Grace of God, in plucking you out by a wonderful distinguishing hand of mercy from among them, and keeping alive the languishing sparks of Grace amidst the floods of opposition.
(3.) And learn from hence, if God give you a posterity of your own, to be so much the more strict and careful of relational duties, by how much you have sensibly felt the want of it in your selves▪
But seeing such a train of blessings, both as to this life, and that to come, follow upon an holy education of Children; I will not dismiss the Point, till I have discharged my duty, in exhorting Parents and Children to their duties.
And first for you that are Parents, or to whom the Education of Children is committed, I beseech you mind, how concerning a duty lies on you: and that I may effectually press it, consider,
(1.) How near the Relation is betwixt you and your Children, and therefore how much you are concerned in their happiness or misery. Consider but the Scripture account of the dearness of such Relations, expressed (1.) By longings for them, as Gen. 15. 2. Gen. 30. 1. and (2.) By our joy when we have them, as Christ expresses it, John. 16. 21. (3.) The high value set on them, Gen. 42. 38. (4.) The sympathie with them in all their troubles, Mark 9. 22. and (5.) By our sorrow at parting, Gen. 37. 35. Now shall all this be to no purpose? For to what purpose do we desire them before we have them, rejoice in them when we have them, value them so highly, sympathize with them so tenderly, grieve for their death so excessively; if in the mean time no care be taken what shall become of them to Eternity?
(2.) How God hath charged you with their souls, as well as bodies: and this appears by two sorts of Precepts. (1.) Precepts directly laid upon you, Deut. 6. 6, 7. and Eph. 6. 4. (2.) By Precepts laid on them to obey you, Eph. 6. 1. which plainly implies your duty, as well as expresses theirs.
(3.) What shall comfort you at the parting time, if they dye through your neglect in a Christless condition? Oh this is the cutting consideration, My Child is in Hell, and I did nothing to prevent it; I helped him thither. Duty discharged, is the only root of comfort in that day.
(4.) If you neglect to instruct them in the way of Holiness, will the Devil neglect to instruct them in the way of Wickedness? No, no, if you will not teach them to pray, he will to curse, swear and lye. If ground be uncultivated, weeds will spring.
(5.) If the season of their youth be neglected, how little probability is there of any good fruit afterwards? that is the Moulding age, Prov. 22. 6. How few are converted in old age? A twig is brought to any form, but grown limbs will not bow.
(6.) You are instrumental causes of all their spiritual misery; and that (1.) By generatJon, (2.) ImitatJon, they lye spiritually dead of the Plague which you brought home among them, Psal. 51. 5. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my Mother conceive (or warm) me.
(7.) There's none in the World so likely as you▪ to be Instruments of their Eternal good. You have peculiar advantages that none other hath; as (1.) The interest you have in their affections. (2.) Your opportunities to instil the knowledge of Christ into them, being daily with them, Deut. 6. 7. (3.) Your knowledge of their tempers: if therefore you neglect, who shall help them?
(8.) The consideration of the great day, sho…d move your bowels of pity for them. O remember that Text, Rev. 20. 12, &c. I saw the dead small and great stand before God. What a sad thing will it be, to see your dear Children at Christs left hand? O friends, do your utmost to prevent this misery. Knowing the terrors of the Lord, we perswade men.
And you Children, especially you that sprang from religious Parents, I beseech you, obey their Counsels; and tread in the steps of their pious Examples. To press this, I offer these Consideration.
(1.) Your disobedience to them, is a resisting of Gods Authority, Ephes. 6. 1. Children, obey your Parents in the Lord: there's the Command: your rebellion therefore runs higher than you think. It is not Man, but God that you disobey; and for your disobedience God will punish you. It may be, their tenderness will not suffer them, or you are grown beyond their correction: all they can do, is to complain to God; and if so, he will handle you more severely than they could do.
(2.) Your Sin is greater than the Sin of young Heathens and Infidels; and so will your Account be also. O better (if a wicked Child) that thou hadst been the off-spring of Salvage IndJans, nay, of Beasts, than of such Parents. So many Counsels disobeyed, Hopes and Prayers frustrated, will turn to sad aggravations.
(3.) It's usual with God, to retaliate mens disobedience to their Parents in kind: Commonly our own Children shall pay us home for it. I have read in a grave Author, of a wicked Wretch that drag'd his Father along the house: the Father begg'd him, not to draw him beyond such a place: for, said he, I drag'd my Father no farther. O the sad, but just retributions of God!
And for you, in whose hearts Grace hath been planted by the blessing of Education, I beseech you to admire Gods goodness to you in this Providence. Oh what an happy Lot hath God cast for you! How few Children are partakers of your mercies?
See that you honour such Parents; the tie is double upon you so to do. Be you the joy of their hearts, and comfort of their lives, if living: if not, yet still remember the mercy while you live, and tread in their pious path; that you and they may both rejoice together in the great day, and bless God for each other to all Eternity.