Divine Providence in the Early Death of Pious and Lovely Children, Title page – Address
A Devout Contemplation On the Meaning of Divine Providence, in the Early DEATH Of Pious and Lovely Children.
Preached upon the Sudden and Lamented DEATH of Mrs. Elizabeth Wainwright. Who Departed this Life, April the 8th. 1714. Having juſt compleated the Fourteenth Year of Her Age.
By Benjamin Colman, Paſtor to a Church in Boſton.
Boston, Printed by John Allen, for Joanna Perry, at her Shop on the North-ſide of the Town-Houſe. 1714.
To my Honoured FRIENDS, the Mournful RELATIVES of the Deceaſed Mrs. Elizabeth Wainwright.
IT may doubtleſs become that Paſtoral Relation which it has pleaſed the DIVINE PROVIDENCE to Honour Me with toward many of You, to give You this publick Expreſſion of my deep Sympathy in your preſent Sorrow, and to miniſter as I am able to your Support under it, and Profit from it.
I pray GOD to Sanctifie to Your Selves, & to your Families the many ſurprizing Breaches, which have within a few years been made upon that late Flouriſhing part of your Family; and in particular the ſudden Death of this Lovely BRANCH which we now mourn.
You had a great deal of Pleaſure & Comfort in Her the few days that GOD ſpar'd Her to you; nor did the Town ſhow a Child more Amiable in Perſon, or more Innocent and Vertuous in Behaviour; of a more ſweet Diſpoſition, or ſeemingly better Inclin'd: not a Child ſcarce of greater Hopes, or more univerſally Eſteem'd. So fair a Mind in ſo fair a Body was indeed worthy to be lov'd. Nor was She without the happy Signs of a Spirit of true Devotion toward GOD, as well as full of endearing Love and Goodneſs, Humility and Meekneſs toward all whom She Converſed with: thoſe Ornaments which are in the ſight of GOD of great Price.
I ſhall never forget the Agonies of Diſtreſs I found You in, as Many of you as could ſuddenly get together on the Alarm of her Unexpected Change: Nor wou'd I have You to forget your own gracious Expreſſions of Humiliation and holy Fear, Submiſſion and Adoration, in the tranſports of your Grief on that ſad Occaſion. O the Aſtoniſhing Spectacle we then had before our Eyes, of the Vanity of our Beſt Eſtate in this Life! What a poor thing are Riches, or Children and Families, or any Earthly Enjoyments to build any Expectation on: Our dayes upon Earth are as a Shadow, and there is no abiding.
Many of You, my Good Friends, are in the Prime of Life, and ſome in your Youth, juſt Entring on a Vain World, in Superior Circumſtances with reſpect to Outward Rank and Eſtate. Suffer me therefore to Exhort You to get above theſe empty tranſitory Temptations that do ſurround You, and endanger you. You have the more need to think often of Death, and of parting with every pleaſant Object of Senſe; to withdraw your Hearts from things below, and betimes to get that Faith in CHRIST, and in the Life to come, which is the Victory that overcometh the World. The more GOD has given You of this World, the more are you obliged to devote your ſelves to the Service of GOD in your Generation, as good Stewards of thoſe Talents He has put into your Hands.
Suppoſe that GOD ſhould call one or other of You to die, as ſuddenly as He call'd away your dear and blooming Relative a few days ago, amidſt your Acquiſition of Riches, and juſt as you have bro't all your Deſigns to bear for this World; have you conſidered how to give up all theſe Abortive Labours and fruſtrated Hopes? Have you ſet your Eyes and Heart upon a Better World?
I'm ſure You muſt needs agree with me, that this is your Wiſdom and true Intereſt, and will be your Honour and Comfort Living and Dying.
I heartily wiſh You this Grace; and pray GOD to make You great Bleſſings in your Day, to ſpare you long to live unto His own Service and Glory, and to Eſtabliſh His Covenant with your Children, whom He gives you to bring up in His Fear.
I am with great Affection and Reſpect, Your Obliged and Ʋnworthy Servant, in the Goſpel of CHRIST, Benjamin Colman.
TO THE Children Of the TOWN.
I take this Opportunity to Addreſs you, into whoſe hands this Sermon may come, for your Souls Good. You have ſeen many of your Own Age Buried in the Winter paſt; divers of whom died very hopefully, and made a gracious End. You have been Sick (moſt of you) your ſelves; and many of you may remember the Religious Frames you were then in, and the holy Deſires and Purpoſes you then had. Some have been ſo wrought upon by their Danger, that I hope truly they have been bro't home to CHRIST. I wiſh the number of ſuch were greater.
You are now, many of you, much affected with the Sudden Death of Mrs. Wainwright; and now while your Hearts are warm and tender, I wou'd preſs you to lay it to heart, and receive Inſtruction from it.
Which of you all are more likely or worthy to live than the Deceaſed Child was? Where is there any One among you fairer in Body or in Mind? Which of you have a fairer proſpect for this World than She had? But that which was beſt of all, ſhe appear'd to be Pious and Gracious.
I remember well with what delight and thankfulneſs ſhe once and again Entertained the good Counſels and Exhortations I have given Her about Her Spiritual State. I have the Comfort now that I did my Duty toward Her in this particular, and it much Endear'd me to Her. I now call upon you, Child, while you read theſe Lines, that you mind your Soul, and pray to GOD daily, and fear to Sin, and make Religion your Buſineſs betimes; remembring the Words of the LORD JESUS, which He ſpake when He was twelve year old, Luk. 2.49. Wiſt ye not that I muſt be about my Fathers Buſineſs!
I have reaſon to think that the deceaſed Child was accuſtomed to Secret Prayer. They who have had Opportunity to Obſerve, have told me of her careful Retirements. Nor may I forget her gracious Care and Concern for her younger and only Siſter, who lay dangerouſly Sick of a Fever but a few dayes before Her own death: Lucy, ſaid ſhe, do you pray to GOD now for your ſelf? and did you pray before you were taken Sick? This looks as if ſhe were no ſtranger unto Prayer her ſelf. Her laſt words alſo were to ask the Prayers of Others for Her.
A Praying Child is, I hope, a Gracious One. Children, do you Pray to GOD daily for your Precious and Immortal Souls? Will you not be put upon doing ſo by this Example? May you not die ſo ſuddenly as not to have time to pray at laſt? Shou'd you not Adore the GRACE of GOD that ſpares you? and Improve the ſpace He gives you? and ſay, as One of our Lovely Children did to Her Mother on this Occaſion GOD has many ways to bring Souls home to Himſelf, and it may be this is to be the means of bringing me to Him.
O that we cou'd ſee a ſerious Concern in our Children for their Everlaſting Intereſts? how wiſe and grave and amiable wou'd they then be? how happy and ſafe under the Care and Love of Divine Providence! in what Honour and Eſteem wou'd they paſs through the World? How Ʋſeful and what ſingular Bleſſings would they be in it? how pleaſant, eaſie and chearful might they live, free from vanity and the Wounds of guilt! and in what peace might they at laſt hope to Die?
This Mercy and Grace I wou'd in particular wiſh from GOD unto the Surviving Siſter, the only Immediate remaining Branch of this broken Family; Beſeeching Almighty GOD (if it may be His Will) to Reſtore Her perfectly from Her preſent Languiſhments, to Adorn Her with His Grace, and grant Her Long to Live, and be a Mother in Iſrael.