The Best Entail, Discourse · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. What grounds of hope Parents have from the Covenant for their Adult, and ſurviving Children.
THE ſecond head in the proſecuting of this Doctrine is the proof of the point, That notwithſtanding the ſins and ſufferings, breaking forth in a godly man's Family, or breaking in upon it, which occaſion much grief to his Spirit, yet he is, and hath reaſon to be ſupported and ſatisfied from Gods gracious Goſpel-covenant.
I am very ſenſible I have undertaken a difficult province, and walk in an untrodden path; But this I may confidently affirm, that whatever befalls a covenanted Soul, he may fetch all good out of this bleſſed treaſury: for 1. Either his Children ſhall be laid hold on by converting Grace; or 2. They ſhall not: if they be, oh what cauſe will he have to magnifie Covenant-love, on their behalf? if not, ſtill he will exceedingly adore Covenant-grace, on his own behalf, that hath made him to differ, and in the worſt caſe will find ſomething in the Covenant for ſupporting his Spirit, and ſanctifying his bitter cup of Affliction, in the death of Children. As to this latter, I ſhall ſay nothing, but refer you to a ſmall Treatiſe of Mr. John Flavel's, called the Balm of the Covenant applied to the bleeding wounds of afflicted Saints, from this text.
But my preſent buſineſs is to gather up ſuch gracious promiſes, as a Noſegay, or Poſie, out of the Garden of Scripture, as may refreſh the drooping hearts of Gods poor Children, ſorrowing for the miſcarriages of their Children, that they may turn them into Prayer, or uſe them as a Cordial to ſupport them, till the Lord ſhine upon the Souls of their beloved off-ſpring.
In general obſerve that as the Covenant of Grace is a bleſſed conſtellation. So every promiſe is an orient refulgent Star, to give both light and influence to the weary Traveller, in this dark and diſmal diſpenſation; wherein he is appalled through ſad fears that his Child ſhall be a caſt-away.
The Queſtion is, what grounds of hope from Scripture have godly Parents, for their Children that are grown, or growing up and likely to ſurvive or out-live them? The reſolving of this is of exceeding great importance, and having ſearched the Sacred Records, I do find twelve ſorts of Promiſes that may incourage Parents Hearts.
1. The firſt and chief is God himſelf, Gen. 17.7. For I will eſtabliſh my Covenant between me and thee, and thy ſeed after thee, in their Generations for an Everlaſting Covenant: to be a God unto thee, and to thy ſeed after thee. This extends both to Abraham's natural Seed, and afterwards to his Spiritual Seed, all Gentile-believers, Rom. 4.12, 18. Oh what a priviledge is this! whatever God is, hath, or can be or do, is for believers, of all that's communicable, divine power, wiſdom, goodneſs, mercy, holineſs, juſtice is the portion of Believers, and their Seed, whatever they can ask or expect in a God, ſhall be in due ſeaſon, laid out, in them, and for them: this one word is the ſubſtance and confluence of all good, ſpiritual, temporal, eternal, [Deus meus & omnia] My God, is the moſt extenſive and comprehenſive word in the World: what can a man deſire more, and no leſs will give a gracious Soul content for himſelf and his Seed: no leſs is in the Covenant, Jer. 31.33. Bleſſed is the Nation whoſe God is the Lord. Pſal. 33.12. God (in ſome ſenſe) may be the God of Nations, Families, as well as Perſons: and if ſome boaſt of Pedigree, Wealth, Honour, numerous Poſterity, Worldly Proſperity, yet let David reckon up the Epitome, the ſumma totalis of mans felicity, he will thus conclude, happy is that People whoſe God is the Lord, Pſal. 144.12, 15. Happy Parents that bequeath ſuch a Legacy to their Poſterity, though they leave them in Poverty!
2. Next to that, and a mean to injoy God is Jeſus Chriſt the Mediator of the Covenant, Iſa. 42.6. I will give thee for a Covenant of the People, for a light of the Gentiles: it's true God vouchſafed to the Jewiſh Nation this priviledge,Rom. 9.5. that of them as concerning the Fleſh Chriſt came, but they cannot monopolize this glorious gift,Eph. 2.13. for now in Chriſt Jeſus we who ſometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Chriſt, and poor Gentiles laying hold on the Covenant, are become free Denizons of all Jewiſh priviledges that are eſſential to Salvation,Gal. 3.28. for we are all one in Chriſt Jeſus and promiſes are to us that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God ſhall call, Act. 2.39. even Chriſt himſelf, in whom all the promiſes of God are yea, and in him, Amen.2 Cor. 1.0. Nor can any man have an intereſt in any one promiſe for himſelf or ſeed, without an intereſt in Chriſt: there never was or will be any Covenant betwixt God and Man ſince the fall, but through Chriſt: he then that hath Chriſt, hath ſomething to plead for his Children more than another hath:Col. 3.11 he only is all and in all for our ſelves and ours; And they ſhall hang on him all the glory of his Fathers Houſe, the off-ſpring and the iſſue, all veſſels of ſmall quantity. Iſa. 22.24. All believers are Gods family, and by Faith in Prayer they may freely hang upon him off-ſpring, i. e. Children, Grand-children, the ſmalleſt and leaſt of the Veſſels that are in their houſe he will not refuſe them, but lovingly entertain them; himſelf will take Infants into his Arms, as himſelf being an Infant, was taken into old Simeons Arms, and both old and young are bleſſed by him. Oh happy Parents that lay ſurviving ſeed in ſo warm a boſom! they cannot miſcarry that have Chriſt for their Guardian.
3. Another Legacy that Parents may leave their Children is the third perſon of the bleſſed Trinity, the Holy Ghoſt, Iſa. 44.3, 4. For I will pour Water upon him that is 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 'tis 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. 60.8the 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.