Parents Groans over their Wicked Children, Title page – Dedication 2
Parents Groans OVER THEIR Wicked Children. SEVERAL SERMONS On PROV. XVII. 25. Publiſhed for the Benefit of all, but eſpecially of good Parents and their Children.
By EDWARD LAWRENCE, M. A. ſometimes Miniſter of the Goſpel at Baſchurch, in the County of Salop.
1 Sam. 2.25.
—Notwithſtanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their Father, becauſe the Lord would ſlay them.
LONDON: Printed for Thomas Parkhurſt, at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapſide, near Mercers-Chappel: and Joſeph Collier at the Bible, under the Gate, on London-Bridge. 1681.
To my beloved Children, Deborah, Samuel, Edward, John, Thomas, Elizabeth, Mary, Benjamin, Nathanael; and to all the Children of Chriſtian Parents.
My dear Children!
I Am ſenſible of my unworthineſs, and unfitneſs to be ſeen in Print; it is now above Twenty years ſince, by the power and goodneſs of God, I was unexpectedly reſcued from the jaws of death, which was the reaſon I then publiſhed that little book, called, Chriſts Power over bodily Diſeaſes: and I had never been the Author of a book of this Title, had not two of you, but eſpecially one made me the Father of fools.
I ſhall here ſay no more particularly to you two, but that ſound repentance, and the fruits thereof, in a ſetled reformation of life, will yet be your glory, and my joy; but if ye hate to be reform'd, (which God forbid) I ſhall mourn till I dye for the loſs of Children, but ye will be tormented for ever for the loſs of God.
Children! I have not of the things of this world to leave you. I do acknowledge the wiſdom of God in not judging me ſit to be intruſted with theſe things; but it's enough for us if we can call God our own, though we cannot call the riches of the world our own; ſome of you do with comfort remember how we have often worſhipped God together in ſinging with delight thoſe words, Pſal. 37.16, 17, 18, 19, 20. A little that a righteous man hath, is better than the riches of many wicked, &c.
I here leave you this Letter of the counſel and advice of your aged, and loving, and faithful Father, who ſees death looking him and you in the face, and beholds the Judg before the door: this will ſpeak to you, when death hath ſilenc'd me; and it ſpeaks the ſame things which God, and Chriſt, and your own Conſciences ſpeak to you; and it ſpeaks to you (as it were) in the hearing of the world.
1. Put a true value on your own Beings, for ye cannot love God and Chriſt, if ye do not love your ſelves; ye are of that kind of creatures who are made much higher than all other viſible creatures, and but a little lower than the Angels; ye are capable to know, and chuſe, and love, and delight in God, and to ſpeak of him, and to entertain your ſelves continually with him; ye are of thoſe creatures in whoſe happineſs God glorifies all his perfections; he made this world for man; he commanded his only-begotten Son to ſacrifice himſelf for man, and ſent him to be born, and to live, and dye, and to riſe again, and to intercede in heaven for man; he hath reveal'd all the Truths of the Chriſtian Religion for the good of man; and therefore ye ſhould think it greater madneſs to ſell your precious ſouls and bodies to the Devil, and your luſts, for the ſhort and dirty pleaſures of ſin, than to ſell a purſe of gold, or a cabinet full of jewels for a bag of chaff or cherry-ſtones; and ſhould account it below you to give your ſelves to any but to God.
2. Know that as your Beings are great, ſo your happineſs or miſery will be very great; Riches or poverty, ſickneſs or health, this preſent life, or the death that deprives you of it, are things too little to make you bleſſed or miſerable; all the curſes of God, or the bleſſings of the Goſpel will be upon you preſently; and ye can neither live like men, nor like Chriſtians, till ye know what it is to be ſav'd or damn'd, and what it is to loſe or enjoy God.
3. That ye may eſcape the wrath, and obtain the glory ſet before you, let it be your chief end and intereſt to know, and honour, and enjoy God; uſe the creatures as his witneſſes, to teſtifie and declare the being and glory of God to you; for God hath not only made and appointed them to fill your hearts with food and gladneſs, but alſo that in the uſe of them ye may feel, and find, and fill your ſouls with God; but eſpecially behold the glory of God, as he is preſented to you in the glaſs of the Scriptures, that he may have that name in your hearts, which he hath in his word.
Preſent him to your ſouls as God over all bleſſed for ever, that ye may conclude that he who is ſo infinitely good, as to be his own happineſs, is ſufficient to make you happy: And that this God may be your eternal life and happineſs, ye muſt know and behold his glory in the face of Jeſus Chriſt, who is the Image of the inviſible God, the brightneſs of his glory, and the expreſs image of his perſon; and therefore behold his glory as the Father of ſuch a Son, and as the Lord of ſuch a ſervant, for Jeſus Chriſt is the Lords Chriſt, Luk. 2.26. Chriſt is Gods, 1 Cor. 3.23. and executes his office of a Mediator in obedience to the will, and to the glory of God the Father, whoſe glory ye may behold in his calling him to ſuch a high office, in his accompliſhing him for the execution thereof, in proſpering him, and making him ſucceſsful in his whole work, in giving him ſuch a bleſſed ſeed, in making him victorious over all his enemies, and in rewarding him for his great ſervice and obedience; ſo that according to the intent of the Scriptures forenamed, ye muſt labour to get ſuch a ſight of the glory of God ſhining upon you in the face of Jeſus Chriſt, as will make an impreſſion of his image in your ſouls.
And therefore loathe and abhor ſin, which is againſt the glory of God, and which is the only evil that can make you loſe ſuch a glorious God.
And for this reaſon be convinc'd of the vanity of this world, which is but a poor thing when the glory of God ſhines on your ſouls; for ye will be moſt bleſſed in him when this world ſhall be diſſolv'd and paſs'd away.
And let this make Jeſus Chriſt glorious and acceptable to you, whoſe office and work it is to redeem you from all ſin and miſery, and to make you bleſſed for ever in the likeneſs and enjoyment of this glorious God.
And let this alſo cauſe you to endeavour to fill all perſons with the great Name of God and Chriſt, that ye may gain them all the hearts, and love, and ſervice ye can; and therefore in all company let God and Chriſt have your good word.
4. Know that to love and delight in God is the beſt imployment for the days of your youth; God is much concern'd for young perſons; the Proverbs of Solomon are written, to give to the young man knowledge and diſcretion, Prov. 1.4. and one great uſe of the word of God is to teach young men to cleanſe their way, Pſal. 119.9. Young men, and maidens, and children, are call'd upon to praiſe the Name of the Lord, Pſal. 148.12, 13. We find many mourning with holy Auguſtine, that they loved God ſo late, but none complaining that they loved him too ſoon; as young as you are, in heaven and hell, it's better be a young child of God, than a young child of the Devil: young Saints are the glory of God, the fulneſs and accompliſhment of Chriſt, the joy of Angels, the ſecurity and ſupport of Religion, the crown of their Parents, and the bleſſing of their Generation.
5. Fill your time with the fruits of the Spirit; ſee that your hearts be fill'd with grace, and then your days will be fill'd with fruit; be always receiving Chriſt, and reſigning your ſelves to him; feel your hearts continually laying hold on eternal life, and live as if ye were always running to heaven; ſpend every day, ſo that ye may lye down in peace at night, that the Lords-day may be pleaſant, death gainful, and eternity glorious.
6. Improve Gods Ordinances of worſhip; feel your vow of Baptiſm always freſh and ſtrong upon you; feel the difference betwixt the Lords-day and other days; ſee that the word Preached be mixt with faith, ingrafted in your hearts; that it kill your ſins, and reform your lives; pray continually, and in that duty ſee that ye be with the ſpirits of children with your Father in Heaven; let all your affairs paſs through praying-hearts; and reckon all your own which ye ſincerely pray for; Sing Pſalms, as thoſe that make God your ſong and joy; and as if ye were ſenſible that ye are in the gates of heaven, ready to enter therein, to joyn with that world of bleſſed Angels and Saints in admiring and praiſing God. When ye come to the Lords-Supper, ſee all that is preſented to you, receive all that is offered, and do all that is commanded you.
7. Be ſaithful to the Truth, and then ye need not be afraid of your ſelves, or of any other: this is your greateſt ſafety, and ye may then feel the ground firm under you, and may ſay with David, Pſal. 26.12. My foot ſtandeth in an even place; and if ye are called to ſuffer, chuſe it rather than ſin; and ſeeing men cannot kill your ſouls, let not the fear of them make you deſtroy them your ſelves.
8. Decline evil company; do not go with them to Hell, who will not go with you to Heaven; but if ye are called into ſuch company, feel your ſelves with God, whilſt ye are with them, and carry it as thoſe that are ſenſible that there is a God in the place; exerciſe thoſe graces which are contrary to, and do cendemn their ſins; be humble with the proud, meek with the angry, loving with the malicious, that they may be reproved by your graces, and that ye may not be defiled by their ſins.
9. Labour to be a bleſſing to all perſons; let men ſee that in you, for which they may have cauſe to love and praiſe God; bear all wrongs, but do none; do what in you lyes to make all perſons holy and joyful, but make none ſinful, angry, or ſad; forgive all, but let none have need to forgive you; exerciſe their love, but do not by your ſins exerciſe their patience; give all cauſe to bleſs God for you, but give not cauſe to any to wiſh they had never known you.
10. Dread debts; do not unneceſſarily bring your ſelves under the bondage of debtors; look upon it as more juſt and honourable to beg, than to borrow, if ye are not likely to pay, except in that caſe ye plainly acquaint the lender with your condition, that he may know what adventure he makes; and when ye are able, pay ſeaſonably, fully, and thankfully: I would have none to lend to any children of mine, without firſt adviſing with me, except they be in a hopeful way of trade: and my advice to ſuch of you is, that you be afraid of being too much truſted; for it's often ſeen, that they who go to the length of their credit, are injurious to others, and prove bankrupts themſelves.
11. Abhor Lying: This is a ſin which is an abomination to the Lord, whom ye ſhould always pleaſe; it's contrary to the Divine Nature, which is in every one that is born of God, Epheſ. 4.24. It's an abuſe of your tongues which ſhould be your glory; for the uſe of your tongues is to expreſs your minds; but in a lye your minds and thoughts do contradict your words; it's a wrong to others whom ye would have believe you, when ye do not believe your ſelves; it makes you unfit for humane ſociety; for who will converſe with thoſe whom they cannot believe; ye hereby rot your names, for a lyar is one of the worſt characters of the devil of hell; ye deſtroy your bodies and ſouls for ever, for all lyars ſhall have their part in the lake of fire and brimſtone, which is the ſecond death.
12. Do not dare to ſteal; take nothing from any perſon, but what ye can ſay ye received it from the hand of God, and can praiſe him for it; and can comfortably beg his bleſſing upon it; kill thoſe luſts which ye would feed with the fruit of other mens labours; conſider, that when ye are tempted to this ſin of theft, ye are tempted to bring a curſe on your eſtates and perſons, to thruſt a dagger into your Fathers heart, and to haſten your ſelves to an untimely and ſhameful death, and a tormenting eternity.
13. Deride and jeer no perſons; let your jeſts be harmleſs, and make not your ſelves the fools of your company; but whilſt ye are cheerful as men and women, loſe not the ſavour of Chriſtians.
14. Haunt not Taverns or Ale-houſes, &c. Go not into ſuch places, but when God calls you; ſtay no longer than he will ſtay with you; and do nothing there, but what ye ſhall have cauſe to bleſs God for when ye come away.
15. Be thankful to them who have ſhew'd mercy and kindneſs to me and you; pray for them; inquire how it is with their poſterity; and as ye are capable, do them good: remember Prov. 27.10. Thy own friend, and thy fathers friend forſake not.
16. Forgive all that have done me wrong, and pray to God not to viſit it on them, or their poſterity; ye know I have had hard meaſure from ſome, and I know that I have ſtood before God to ſpeak good for them, and to turn away his wrath from them.
17. As for you that are or may be hereafter ſet up for your ſelves in a way of trade: my counſel to you is this: See that your perſons be upright with God, that ye may have a Scripture-right to the promiſes of the life that now is, and of that which is to come, which is to be prefer'd before the beſt eſtate in the world. Pray to God for his bleſſing, and ſee every cuſtomer as ſent from him, and love them as your ſelves; let all that deal with you have cauſe to ſay, that they deal with the members of Jeſus Chriſt.
18. And for you that are or may be Apprentices, my counſel and command to you is this: Let thoſe Scriptures dwell in your hearts which teach you your duty, and encourage you therein, as Epheſ. 5.5, 6, 7, 8. Col. 3.22, 23, 24, 25. Tit. 2.9, 10. 1 Pet. 2.18, 19, 20, 21. Commit them to memory, and bleſs God that he condeſcends to be a teacher of ſervants; be content with your preſent condition, which may be the eaſieſt time of your whole age; be not apt to find fault, for that will make you uneaſie to your ſelves, and to the family; let all your words, and looks, and actions, be ſuch as do witneſs that ye do in your hearts honour your Maſters and Miſtreſſes, and Chriſt in them; bear correction patiently, though ye be wrong'd; the ſufferings of Chriſt are ſet before you as your patern herein. Pray daily for your Maſters, and their families, for ye ought to improve all your intereſt in God for their good; pray to God to fit you for your calling, that he who teacheth the husbandman to plow and ſow, Iſa. 28.26. may teach you herein.
To conclude, Love one another according to all the Obligations that are upon you, but never put it in the power of any one to undo the other.
Kill all luſtings after the honours, or riches, or pleaſures of the world: Remember I have told you, that as love fulfils all the Law of God, ſo luſt fulfils the law of the Devil. I will ſay no more, chuſe him for your Father that cannot dye: And as Mr. Bolton ſaid to his children, ſo ſay I to you, Do not dare to meet me at the day of judgment in an unregenerate ſtate.
June 6. 1681. Your loving and faithful Father, EDWARD LAWRENCE
To all Chriſtian Parents.
IT is not only for the ſake of my ſelf and children, but alſo for the ſake of you and yours that I have publiſhed this little book; but eſpecially out of reſpect to the glory of God, that we may leave a ſeed to bleſs him in this world, when we are glorifying him in the better world; it will coſt you but a little money to buy it, and but a little time for you and your children to read it; if thoſe of you who are able, do give to every one of your children one of theſe books, and do likewiſe beſtow ſome of them upon the children of the poor, this will be no advantage to me; and when ye come to give your account, will be no loſs to you: I am a lover of children, and have often lifted up my heart in prayer to God for them, where I have ſeen them. I wiſh this may be a bleſſing to you and them; pray that we may leave that Religion which came originally from the Father of Jeſus Chriſt, and is reveal'd to us in the Scriptures, to our poſterity, and that they may have hearts to live according to the rules and principles of it, more than we have done. Farewell.
June 6. 1681. Your Servant for Jeſus ſake, EDW. LAWRENCE.