The Best Entail, Discourse · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. The Doctrine cleared from the Text, ſome things premiſed.
THE principal point I propoſe from the Text concerns David's family, for 1. He mentions his houſe in the beginning of the Text. 2. The latter end of the verſe refers to his houſe, [Although he make it (i. e. my houſe) not to grow] i. e. to increaſe in number, power, honour.
The former part of the verſe is variouſly rendred, foreign nec tanta est domus mea apud Deum. Nor is my houſe ſo great, or of ſo much worth with God. Alaſs what is my houſe at beſt, my pedigree is mean and baſe. David diſdains not to reflect on his deſpicable original, though advanced to the culminating point of civil and ſpiritual promotion, as a King and Prophet: he magnifieth God, and villifieth, yea nullifieth himſelf, 2 Sam. 7.18. Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my houſe that thou haſt brought me hitherto? others thus, plus eſt quam haec domus mea ante Deum, Chaldee.Jon. i. e. there is more in the Covenant than this my houſe before God. All the Families in the World amount not to ſo much as one Meſſias, he, he only is the noble flouriſhing branch ſpringing out of my Family, that's worth us all, who conveys life and ſap to us all,Iſa. 11.1. this is the Rod out of the Stem of Jeſſe, and a branch growing out of its Roots, and they ſhall hang on him all the glory of his Fathers houſe:Iſa. 22.24. my whole family would fall to ruine but for him, on whoſe behalf it muſt be upheld, that he may be born of it: yea who only upholds it.
Others thus, [quamvis not ſit it a] i. e. Although, my Family, and Kingdom be not ſo holy, as to perform the conditions of the Covenant ſo exactly as God requireth, we are guilty in many reſpects before God, and he hath whipt us ſore, yet Gods Covenant is the ground of my hope for my Family, and I doubt not but my Lord will make it good.
And what David ſaith of his Family, any Child of God may ſay of his, except in the peculiar caſe of the Meſſiah ſpringing out of his loins. Thence we may ſafely draw this
Doct. That notwithstanding the ſins and ſufferings in a godly mans Family, which occaſion much grief to his Spirit, yet he is ſupported and ſatisfied with Gods gracious Goſpel covenant.
In handling this point I ſhall
1. Premiſe ſome things fit to be known.
2. Give the proof of the point.
3. Anſwer a main objection.
4. Make a ſhort Application.
The things to be premiſed are four,
1. What may befal a Godly mans family.
2. Why are theſe a grief to his Spirit.
3. What is the Covenant that ſupports him.
4. What is in the Covenant to bear him up.
A word of all theſe briefly.
1. What may fall out in a godly mans family that may occaſion his grief?
Anſw. I ſhall reduce theſe to two heads.
1. Corruptions breaking out.
2. Afflictions breaking in on his houſe, ſin and ſuffering, and indeed ſuffering is the proper fruit of ſinning.
1. Corruption may break out in godly families: I ſhall not need to inſtance in Adams, Noahs, Abrahams, Iſaacs, yea even in Jacobs, Aarons, Samuels, &c. I ſhall keep to David's, Alas, corruption brake out ſadly. 1. In himſelf. 2. In his Children. 1. David was guilty of, 1. Sins of Ommiſſion, poſſibly not inſtructing, reſtraining, or not puniſhing Ammon, Abſolom, and not croſſing Adonijah, 2 Kin. 13.21.1 Kin. 1.6. David was too indulgent for which he ſmarted. Yea, 2. He was guilty of foul ſins of commiſſion: as Adultery, and Murder of his faithful Servant Ʋriah, 2 Sam. 11.4, 27. raſhneſs towards Mephiboſheth, 2 Sam. 19.29. ſometimes lying, changing his behaviour, &c. 2. His Children alſo were deeply guilty, Ammons Inceſt,2 Sam. 13.23, 28. 2 Sam. 15.1. 1 Kin. 1.7. Abſolom's Rebellion, and Adonijahs Ambition. Alas that there ſhould be found ſuch groſs abominations in godly David's Family! yet this was not his caſe only, it's ſaid of Samuel, that his ſons walked not in his ways, but turned aſide after lucre, and took bribes and perverted judgment, 1 Sam. 8.3.
2. And what a flood gate of troubles did theſe ſins open, which guſhed in upon him, deep called to deep,Pſal. 42.7. all Gods Waves and Billows went over him, Remember David and all his Afflictions,Pſal. 132.1. ſaith he, how numerous, how ponderous! ſome of his deſireable Children dying in the height of their career, by the eminent hand of juſtice one died in infancy to puniſh his iniquity:2 Sam. 12.14. beſides forreign Enemies, he had a doomy morning, noon, evening, what bloody Wars with Saul, and his houſe, with Philiſtines, Ammonites! what ſad Tragedies, Inſurrections, Commotions, Confuſions, threatning a total Diſſipation and extirpation, ſo that David might call ſome Child Beriah, as Ephraim did becauſe it went evil with his houſe. 1 Chron. 7. 21, 22, 23. and ſo it hath done with many a good mans houſe.
2. Why are theſe breakings out of ſin, and breakings in of ſufferings in their Families, ſuch a grief to godly houſeholders?
An. For the firſt, it muſt needs trouble them.
1. Becauſe by ſin God is greatly diſpleaſed, his name much diſhonoured, Religion diſcredited, the hearts of the Godly ſadened, the wicked ſcandalized, hardened; Motes in Profeſſors are beams, Mountains in the eyes of Prophane; what will they ſay? they are no better than we, what are they but a pack of hypocrites, to what purpoſe is all their whining and praying? Our Children carry as civilly as theirs, where's the Covenant they boaſt of? Hence David, Pſal. 42.3. My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually ſay unto me, where is thy God?
2. They are greatly afflicted with the ſins of Children, becauſe the beloved of their Souls are endanger'd, they are pieces of themſelves, as their own Souls, how can I endure to ſee my own fleſh ſcorched, and tormented in Hell-flames? Oh! that Child that came out of my Loins, my Bowels, to be ſeparated from God, a companion with Devils, a Fire-brand in Hell, the mention of it ſinks my Spirits? Is all my labour loſt? their Souls loſt? oh who can endure to think of it? no wonder if that be the firſt of Solomon's Proverbs,Prov. 15.28. ch. 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.