The Best Entail, Discourse · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Directions to Parents, and encouragements in their pleading for their Children.
4. THE laſt Exhortation to Parents on the behalf of their ſurviving Children is prayer and ſupplication, this is a natural duty, and catholick relief to the aking hearts of Godly Parents, not only to obtain Children, as Hanna, but for Grace in Children, when they go aſtray: hence it was that holy Abraham, to whom this Covenant was firſt made, breaths out his longing Soul in a ſhort Ejaculation for his wild Son, Oh that Iſhmael might live before thee! Gen. 17.18. q. d. I thank God for Iſaac, but I am not ſatisfied with Iſaac only, I muſt beg Spiritual and Eternal Life for my extravagant Son Iſhmael, though he be not the Son of the Promiſe: yet let him be a Son of Promiſe; if Iſaac muſt have the Earthly Canaan, let not Iſhmael be excluded out of the heavenly. Thus muſt you plead with the Lord for Children.
To aſſiſt you herein, I ſhall ſubjoyn 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 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. 2.1…. 2 Theſ. 1.1…. 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 'tis 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 manifeſted, you muſt reſt ſatisfied in that by which God thinks fit to Glorify himſelf.
11. Yet further, ſay, Lord, if thou refuſe to hear me for this or that particular Child, yet I will thank thee for Free Grace expreſſed to another Child, or more of my Children that are-hopefull: God forbid that my ſorrow for our Child ſhould drown all my Comfort in another, or my complaints ſhould ſilence my gratitude: I will praiſe thee for what I enjoy, and hope for more: Nature teacheth perſons to beg a future, by acknowledging a former kindneſs. I Bleſs the Lord, I have a Praying, Obeying Child, that was born as deſtitute of Grace as this: and I humbly take this as a pledg of more; Thou haſt Grace enough for all my Children, I will not deſpond, but be thankfull; ſuch a Child I hope, hath embraced the Covenant of God: Who am I, O Lord God! 2 Sam. 7.18, 19, 20.and what is my houſe? That thou haſt brought me hitherto. And this was yet a ſmall thing in thy ſight, O Lord God? but thou haſt ſpoken alſo of thy Servants houſe for a great while to come: and is this the manner of man, O Lord God? Thou didſt not owe me any thing, and yet thou haſt given me the beſt things: 'Tis true I have a Cain, yet I have a Righteous Abel, I have a Shem as well as a Cham, an Iſaac as well as an Iſhmael, a Jacob, as well as an Eſau, a Solomon as well as an Ammon, or Abſalon: All my Children were born in Sin, and God might have ſuffered all to have dyed in Sin: But bleſſed be Free-Grace, that hath pluckt this or that as a brand out of the Fire; God hath heard prayers and taken of my Seed, to be the Lords, he hath not dealt ſo with all Families. I own this as an higher preferment for my Children then if they were the greateſt princes on Earth, I will be thankful for them, yet jealous of them, and mix my praiſes with prayers, the heart is very deceitfull; I will give God Glory, yet not glory in my Children: But my jealouſie ſhall not obſcure thy Glory of this mercy. Ebenezer hitherto God hath helpt. I will rejoyce with trembling: ſomething God hath done that I may love and praiſe him, and be encouraged to hope for more: Much is yet to do that I may ſtill have an Errand to the Throne of Grace, thus my Lord keeps me in a waiting depending poſture I muſt have ſomething to evidence that God is my God, and an hearer of Prayer: I muſt not have all, that I may know I am on Earth, and not in Heaven: It may be Religion may live in my Family when I am dead and gone: And if all my Seed be not happy, I hope ſome may: However God hath done my own Soul good, and laid a foundation of Grace in my heart, and will lay the top Stone in Glory: It was a notable ſpeech of that gracious Miniſter of Chriſt, One Mr. Avery, See the life of Mr. Mather, p. 131.paſſing to New-England, in a Storm at Sea, expecting every wave to bring death, he lift up his Eyes to Heaven, and Said, Lord I cannot challeng of preſervation of my life, but according to thy Covenant I challeng Heaven: Immediatly a wave waſted him to Heaven: he his Wife, and five Children, being then drowned: and is this nothing that thou may'ſt with gratitude and confidence claim a Promiſe for thy own Salvation: If it reach no farther.
12. Laſtly, Lord notwithſtanding all the diſcouragement I have I will Believe, Hope, and Pray till thou take me off by my own death, or the death of my Child: As I will follow on to know, and love, and ſerve the Lord, whatever thou do with me, ſo I am reſolved to Pray and Hope, and wait whatever thou ſay to me,Lam. 3.26. for I am ſure, 'tis good for a man both to hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord: God is worthy waiting on, even upon my Knees, I cannot be in a better excerciſe: Say then, Oh my dear Lord, I am a Sinfull worm, have a wicked heart, am of polluted lips, a ſinfull life, I deſerve not the leaſt crum of Bread or drop of Water, I have forfeited my right to all Covenants, as well as common Mercys, for my ſelf and Seed: I have begot a Child in my own Image, not thine: it is a Child of wrath by nature, as well as others, but thou in thy love haſt made a Covenant with believers and their Seed: thou haſt brought me into the bond of the Covenant: the like mercy I beg for mine: my Child muſt have thine Image as well as mine, or it is undone for ever: and it is not in my power to convey it, but thou canſt: My dayly errand to the throne of Grace, is to beg the bleſſings of the Covenant of Grace to me and mine: I will not go from thy door without an alms: thou ſhalt have a troubleſom gueſt of me till thou grant my requeſt: O remember thy word unto thy ſervant, Pſal. 119.49.upon which thou haſt cauſed me to hope: Come, Lord, let Covenant-Grace enter into the ſoul of my Child, which is part of my ſelf: and I will take it as done to my ſelf; if I had not the mercy I beg under a promiſe, I durſt not ask it, but thou haſt made thy ſelf a debtor, and I will put thy bond in ſuit by Faith in Prayer: Thou canſt not deny thine own hand writing: Thou art Faithfull, and wilſt perform it to ſome, and why not to me.
God loves ſuch importunate beggers, and our dear Lord Jeſus hath propounded two parables to provoke importunity:Luke. 11.5, 8, 9.18.1.8. therefore it is not unmannerly ſaucineſs, but holy earneſtneſs, and approved impudence, wherein God much delights: the End thereof is not to move God to alter his purpoſe, but that our own Souls may have the condition of thy Promiſe: thus the Canaanitiſh (or the Syrophenician) Woman crys out for her Daughter, Have mercy on me O Lord, thou Son of David, my Daughter is grievouſly vexed with a Devil. Mark. 7.24, 25.Mat. 15.22, 28. She received a firſt, a ſecond, a third repulſe, but She hangs on ſtill, and will have no nay and at laſt obtained her ſuit with an high Encomium and larg grant: O Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt: go thou and do likewiſe.
Obj. Alas! Sir but I am faithleſs, had I Faith as that Woman had, I might prevail, and you ſay Faith in Gods Covenant is neceſſary for the parent, but I cannot Pray in Faith for my Child, and how then ſhould I prevail?
Anſ. There is a two-fold faith, General, and Objective, by which you believe God is able and willing, to make good his Covenant, doth make it good to ſome, and would to thee if thou hadſt the condition: this is abſolutly neceſſary in all that come to God, and this thou haſt thou art ſure that Chriſt is able to ſave to the uttermoſt, Heb. 12.6. Jam. 1.6, 7.all that come to God by him, Heb. 7.25. foreign, to the uttermoſt, i. e. to the utmoſt extent of the Covenant-grant, yea, ſaiſt thou, I believe his ability, but I queſtion my right coming, therefore, 2. There is a particular perſuaſion, that God will grant this requeſt, Ergo, for this child, or in this caſe: 'tis true ſometimes the Lord doth impreſs this upon the Spirit with power that this Mercy ſhall be granted, this Child ſhall be Converted, but this is not neceſſary for the obtaining of the Mercy: a godly Soul may want faith to believe the iſſue of his Prayer, and yet be heard, as you ſee in David, Pſal. 31.22. I ſaid in my haſt, I am cut off from before thine eyes. Mark it, he had no particular faith for his preſervation, yet he prayed ſtill nevertheleſs. Saith he, Thou heardeſt the voyce of my ſupplication, when I cryed unto thee. Obſerve it, the want of his Faith hindred not the fruit of his Prayer, nor will it do of thine.
2. What ailes thee to follow ſo hard after God? Is it not a principle of Faith? Haſt thou not laid hold on Gods Covenant for thine own Soul? What means that frequent renewing of thy Covenant with the Lord, in taking God to be thy God, chiefeſt Good, and utmoſt End? and thy dedicating thy all to the Lord? This ſhews thou art in Covenant: for this is the Eſſence of ſaving Faith; and thy being ſo much concerned for thy Seed, declares plainly thy being in Covenant. Thou goeſt daily to the Lord, in earneſt pleadings for thy Children, and wilt not be beat off, (like the foreſaid woman) though one while he anſwers not, another while he gives diſcouraging anſwers: And is not this ſincere faith? Our Lord accounted it ſo in the woman that weathered out ſo many affronts in her importunate pleas: And are not thy motions ſtill more vigorous? Poor ſoul, thou art following the Lord with tears, ſighs, and groans, for thy wandring Child, ſaying ſtill,Mar. 9.24. Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief! I will ſtill expreſs my deſires of Grace for my child, or children; nothing elſe ſhall ſerve my turn: Civility will not pleaſe me, nor profit them without Sanctity I am not ſatiſfied with Gifts without Grace; Common Grace, without Saving Grace. Carnal men are well content to ſee their Children Witty, Ingenious, Induſtrious, and likely to thrive in the World, good Husbands, notable Tradesmen, and likely to come to preferment. But oh my Lord, thou knoweſt my breathings; I look further: My ſoul longs for a principle of Grace, and a Portion in another World: This is all my deſire, and all my Salvation.
Yea, you'l ſay, But I am afraid I offend God, by being too importunate; Who can tell whether my Child be Elected, and if not, it's in vain to pray, I cannot alter Gods Decree?
Deut. 29.29I Anſwer: The ſecret things belong unto the Lord our God, but thoſe things that are revealed, belong unto us, and to our Children for ever, that we may do all the words of this Law. You muſt not make Gods hidden Councels, but his holy Scriptures the Rule of your Prayers.1 Tim. 2.4. God ſaith, he will have all men ſaved: Thus his Will is manifeſted, and I told you the Warrant you have to believe, and pray for the Children of the Covenant; and you cannot be too importunate, ſo as you do not limit the Holy One of Iſrael: and as longas there is life, there is hope; Therefore continue your Prayers the term of your natural life, unleſs God take you off by ſome remarkable Providence. I knew a very gracious zealous woman, many years ago, who was weeping and wreſtling with God, in an Out-houſe in the night, for the precious Soul of her Prodigal Son, who was now fallen ſick, and upon his, Death bed; and while ſhe was groaning out her ſoul with tears, and ſtrong cryes, ſhe thought ſhe heard a voyce, ſaying to her, [Be content, what I have done I have done:] She roſe off her knees, could not ſpeak a word more, went away quieted; and upon enquiry, found that her Son breathed out his laſt breath at that very inſtant in a Town two miles thence.
I am not credulous of ſuch Storys: but have great reaſon to believe the truth of it, yet the inſtance is ſingular; However this is a truth, that God ſhuts up the Spirit of Prayer, when he doth not intend to hear a good Woman, ſo God had never denyed what ſhe had asked of God in Prayer: One objected a child of hers dying, ſhe replyed it's true, but I could never Pray for that Child; Gods aſſiſtings or withdrawings often portend the event.
But 'tis ſafeſt for us to ſuſpect ſome fault in our Perſons or Prayers if God do not hear us for our Children, therefore it becomes us to ſearch our Conſciences and Converſations, to find out the Sin, confeſs it, beg a pardon in the Blood of Chriſt, and Mortify it, and then Pray, ſay as Divine Herbert's Church Lock and Key.
I know it is my Sin, which locks thine ears, and binds thy hands
Out-crying my requeſts, drowning my tears,
Or elſe the chilneſs of my faint demands:
But as cold hands are angry with the Fire, and mend it ſtill.
So I do lay the want of my deſire,
Not on my Sins or coldneſs but thy will:
Yet hear, Oh God! only for his bloods ſake, which pleads for me.
For though ſins plead too, yet like ſtones they make,
His bloods ſweet current much more loud to be.
The End.
End of the text · Oliver Heywood, The Best Entail (1693)