The Best Entail, Discourse · Chapter 6
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 cavils of prophane Spirits, and againſt my own unbelieving fears.
2. God never forſakes the Children of Godly Parents, till they forſake him; poor Children run away from God before he turn them off, 1 Chron. 28.9. If thou ſeek him he will be found of thee, but if thou forſake him he will cast thee off for ever. If Solomon (or any other Child or Children of a Godly Father,) put on a Cloak of Religion, to pleaſe Parents or accompliſh a carnal end, while they live, and caſt off Religion, and perverſly turn their backs on God, and embrace wicked ways, without true Repentance, they have diſcharged God of his performing promiſe, becauſe they have voluntarily deſcarded the condition on their part; now at ripe age, when they are fit to make a choice, it's a voluntary act, proceeding from their own wilfulneſs,John 5.40. You will not come unto me; and then it becomes a judicial act in God to forſake them, becauſe they firſt forſook him: and neither they nor their Parents can find fault with God for withdrawing from them that Grace they abuſed, which he is not bound to give them.
3. Parents have no reaſon to challenge God for non-performance of the terms of the Covenant, but themſelves for their neglect of duty to their Children, this is ordinarily the reaſon of their Childrens miſcarriage: even godly Parents are too apt to miſs it, by over fondneſs, and negligence in their education, not admoniſhing, counſelling, correcting them; David had been too indulgent to Adonijah, in not croſſing him, and doubtleſs his Conſcience flew in his Face upon his Ambition: this is a plain caſe, good Eli honoured his ſons above God, 1 Sam. 2.29. by permitting them to diſhonour him, chuſing rather to offend God by connivance at their ſin, than diſpleaſe them by ſevere rebukes, effectual reſtraints, and ſevere puniſhments, for as a Father, and as a Magiſtrate he ought to have curbed them: therefore God ſaith, I will judge his houſe for ever, for the iniquity which he knoweth of, becauſe his ſons made themſelves vile, and he restrained them not. Oh what privy nips do the Conſciences of Parents give them, when their Children grow up and take not good ways! alas I ſinned againſt God, and now God leaves them to themſelves; I have no cauſe to cenſure God, but condemn my ſelf: God is Righteous, their ſin is a Glaſs to ſee my own. Lord humble me, and convince them, oh pardon my iniquity, that I may pray believingly for my Seed.
4. God may paſs by the immediate offſpring of his faithful Children and work upon their more remote poſterity: Free grace ſometimes runs under ground for a ſeaſon and breaks out at a diſtance, an immediate Son is bad, but grace layes hold on a Grandſon, Jehoſhaphat was a good man, 2 Chron. 20.32. But Jehoram his Son proved bad, 2 Chron. 21.6. Yea, Ahaziah his Son walked in the ways of the houſe of Ahab, 2 Chron. 22.3, 4. Ʋzziah did right in the ſight of the Lord, 2 Chron. 26.4. And Jotham his Son, 2 Chron. 27.2, 6. But had a bad Son Ahaz, 2 Chron. 28.1, 2. Yet Electing love broke out again in good Hezekiah, 2 Chron. 29.2. But it lay dormant for a conſiderable time, and laid not hold of Manaſſeh. 2 Chron. 33.2. Yea ſome think his forc'd Repentance was not ſincere and ſaving; however the grace of God withdrew from Amon his Son, 2 Chron. 33.20. But laid hold on good Joſiah his Son, 2 Chron. 34.2. You ſee how grace skips and leaps over the head of one, and lays its hand upon another, yea ſometimes it croſſeth hands and as Jacob guided his hands wittingly laying his right hand on Ephraim and his left hand on Manaſſeh, Gen. 48.14, 20.ſetting the younger before the Elder, contrary to Joſephs deſire and deſign: Thus God croſſeth our natural affections and expectations bleſſing ſuch as we leaſt thought of and leaving others that our hearts were moſt ſet upon, to convince us of the freeneſs of his grace: But thus his Covenant doth ſtand ſure.
5. Delays are no denials: God hath his time to bring in the Prodigal Sons of pious Parents; [nullum tempus occurrit Regi] the King of Heaven can take what time he pleaſeth to work on hearts. Saul ſhall long perſecute the Church, yet become a choſen veſſel: it's worth obſerving that the Children of many godly Parents ſowed their wild Oats in youth; even godly Jacob was guilty of many faults, ſtealing the bleſſing by a lye: Several of Jacobs Sons had foul ſpots, Ruben and Judah were guilty of Inceſt, Simeon and Levi of raſh Anger, Treachery, Murder; yet all godly Patriarchs: Several combining out of envy to ſell Joſeph: Whereby they broke their Father Jacob's honeſt heart; but let not godly Parents make too haſty concluſions: He that believes makes not haſte: It may be God defers to hear becauſe he loves your company, and would make you an Errand to the throne of grace, your Prayers are yet too cold, he thinks fit to quicken importunity: the Anſwer will come double loaden, and pay for all your pains and patience; give God the glory of his wiſdom: he knows how to husband your mercies better than you: it's worth obſerving that thoſe Women in Sacred Writ that waited longeſt for Children had the beſt as Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Hannah, Manoahs Wife, and Elizabeth: Be not prepoſterous, you may ſee Gods Salvation before you die.
6. If God never ſhews mercy to your ſeed, you muſt not ſo much murmur at his Juſtice, as adore his Soveraignty; he is abſolute diſpoſer of his own grace; ſuch an act of Prerogative may be admired muſt, not be queſtioned: The Apoſtle Paul having waded as far as Scripture led him into the unfathomable Abyſs of God's caſting of the Covenanted ſeed of believing Abraham, and adopting the forlorn, and forſaken Gentiles, ſtands on the bank of that Ocean and cries, [foreign] Oh the depth of the riches both of the wiſdom and knowledge of God! Ro. 11.33.how unſearchable are his judgments and his ways paſt finding out: The immenſity and ineffability of theſe counſels are ſuch depths, as he ſaith in Job 32.13. He giveth not account of any of his matters: They are oft unaccountable, but never unrighteous: Kings have [Arcana Imperij,] miſteries of State, not fit to be communicated to vulgar capacities: And much more the infinit God;Deut. 29.29. ſecret things belong to God: It's preſumption to pry into Gods Ark, our weak eyes cannot behold this glorious Sun: poor ſinner, down on thy knees, and ſay thus to God; Lord, I will rather adimire the riches of thy grace to my own Soul, than quarrel with thee for not giving my Child grace: It is an abſtruſe, and inſcrutable depth, my humble Ignorance or neſcience ſhall ſtop at thy pleaſure, my will ſhall be melted into thy will; if my ſeed muſt glory in thy Juſtice, I will acquieſce therein and ſay, though clouds and darkneſs are round about thee, yet righteouſneſs and judgment are the habitations of thy throne, Pſal. 97.2.
7. Yet for all this Religion muſt be owned, and vindicated, God is good to the Soul that ſeeks him; Iſa. 45.9.to the Soul that waits for him: He never ſaid to the ſeed of Jacob, ſeek ye me in vain. Lam. 3.25.If God never ſhew mercy to any of my ſeed, yet I will never juſtifie the wicked, by ſaying It's in vain to ſerve God: Mal. 3.14.No, God forbid, Il wil never ſay, that prayerleſs Families are as good as praying Families, my own experience, and thouſands more beſides; the infallible verity of the faithful God,Pſal. 19.11. will contradict that Atheiſtical Maxim: in the keeping Gods commandments I have found great reward; Yea I have found that the miſcarriage of my Child (which is the greateſt croſs that ever I met with) hath been bleſſed for the good of my Soul, as the good Woman ſaid, bearing my Children, and my croſſes have coſt me dear, but I could not be without either; it's not fit I ſhould chuſe my affliction, and what God lays on is welcome, and I will like Chriſt no worſe for his Croſs: for I find theſe bitter Waters moſt medicinal, and the ſweeteſt fruit grows on this bitter Tree: the badneſs of my Child hath helpt to make me better: this heart-breaking hath proved an heart melting: it's true, wicked men are hardened by ſeeing the Children of the Covenant thus miſcarry, (even as diviſions,Mat. 10.34, 35. 2 Cor. 2.14. and offences amongſt Gods people, are occaſions of their ruine, yea the Goſpel-preaching is the ſavour of Death to ſome) but as God is juſt therein to them, ſo my Soul hath cauſe to bleſs the Phyſitian of Souls, that ſo tempers this poiſon, as to make it wholeſome Phyſick to my poor Soul: my croſſes are better than their comforts. I will commend Religion, though I mourn over my irreligious Child: Godlineſs is gain, though I gain not Grace for my Child by it.