Honors that Religion Does Unto the Fruitful Mothers in Israel, Part 1 – Part 2
TO come to our Text.
ESAU begins the kind Diſcourſe, after they had Embrac'd and Wept a while. He lift up his Eyes and ſaw the Women and the Children, and ſaid— Who are theſe with thee? How pleaſant was it to them to ſee the Brothers meet ſo? In their Peace their Families had Peace and Safety. With what Joy came they forward to how themſelves alſo.
"JACOB had now Eleven or Twelve Little Ones in his Retinue, the Eldeſt of them not Fourteen Years Old. Eſau had ſeen his Servants and the Droves before, but heard nothing of this Fair Troop and Flock. Who are theſe, ſayes he?
TO this common Question Jacob return'd a very Serious Anſwer: They are the Children which God hath graciouſly, &c. Obſerve in this Anſwer, the Devotion to God in it, and the Humility to Man.
1. THE Religion and Devotion toward God in it. This was as became Jacob, the Inheritor of the Spiritual Bleſſing. He ſpake after a Godly ſort. The Holy Patriarchs moſt common Words and Actions were ordinarily thus framed. He looks upon his Children, and ſpeaks of them, (1.) As Gods Gift. (2.) The Choice Gifts of His Free Grace: which God has Graciouſly given me. This is Speech ſeaſoned with Grace, to miniſter Grace to others.
2. THE Humility toward Man in this Anſwer: The Children which God has graciouſly given thy Servant. Under the Outward Favours of Providence we ſhould be the more Meek and Lowly in Heart, in Words, in Behaviour. And Note, that ſuch Forms of Speech among Men, are no vain Modes of Compliment. Jacob in a very ſerious manner ſayes to his Brother, I am thy Servant. As Abraham before him was very Gentile in Behaviour, riſing up and bowing to the Children of Heth: So Jacob that Plain and Good Man was very Sincere in Profeſſing himſelf ready to Serve his Brother. The better Children of God we are the more humble ſhall we be to Men; and the Servant of God is the readieſt to become the Servant of all Men; 2 Cor. 4.5. Our ſelves your Servants for Jeſus ſake.
HAVING thus deſcanted on the Text; I would ask leave to make Three Obſervations from it.
[I.] That a Mother with a Train of Children after her is One of the moſt admirable and lovely Sights in the Viſible Creation of God. And Eſau lift up his Eyes and ſaw the Women and the Children, and ſaid who are theſe with thee.
[II.] That Children are among the Choice Favours and Gifts of Providence, and we ſhould have a high Senſe of the Gracious Favour of God to us in them. They are the Children which God has graciouſly given me.
[III.] Under the Outward Smiles of Providence on us and our Families, it well becomes us to be the more Humble, Meek and Lowly before God and Man. They are the Family which God has Graciouſly given thy Servant.
I. Obſer. That a Mother with a Train of Children after her, is One of the moſt lovely and admirable Sights in the Viſible Creation of God.
A very Superious Part of it in our Eyes to be ſure, if we at all honour Our Selves. But becauſe we may be Partial to our Selves, let us judge only by the Honour that God has put upon us. The Earth and all the Creatures in it were made for the Comfort, Service and Dominion of Man: Gen. 1.26. And God ſaid, let us make Man in our Image, after our likeneſs, and let him have dominion over, &c. So God Created Man in his own Image, in the Image of God created He him, Male and Female created He them: And God bleſſed them, and God ſaid unto them, be fruitful and multiply and repleniſh the Earth and ſubdue it. It was the Honour of Man, and in Token of his Dignity and Pre-eminence above the other Creatures, that he was made Laſt; for the Method of the Creation was to advance from that which was leaſt perfect to that which is more ſo; and thus Man the Lord of the lower World and the Image of the Creator in it was made the Crown of it; and as the Top-ſtone in the Noble Structure was bro't in with ſhouting; Grace, Grace unto it. The Flights of Birds in the Air are a fine and curious Spectacle, when they ſometimes cloud and cover the Skies from our Eye: The Shoals of Fiſh in the Sea are a very admirable Sight, when now and then a few only of thoſe Innumerable Inhabitants of the Waters ſhew themſelves to the Eyes of Men. Again, the Flocks and Herds and Droves of Cattel; ſuch as theſe which Jacob ſent before him, the Lambs playing about their careful bleating Dams, are a very beautiful ſight on the Plains and Paſtures where they feed: But how much more the Families and Tribes of Men, We and our Children, the Flock of God that ſhould be, the People of his Paſture and the Sheep of his hand.
MALE and Female Created He them; and bleſſed them, and ſaid, be fruitful and multiply and repleniſh the Earth. Equal in this tho Women and the Men: for tho' Adam was firſt formed and then Eve, yet Both in the Image of God alike; Eve as well as Adam. Angels were not made Male and Female, for they were not to Propagate their Kind. In the next World we ſhall be as the Angels which neither Marry, &c. But Man an Earthly Creature, an Imbodied Angel, was created Male and Female that their Nature may be Propagated and the Race continued. Thus (ſayes Mr. Henry) Fires and Candles, the Luminaries of this lower World, becauſe they waſte and go out, have a power to Light more; but it is not ſo with the Lights of Heaven; Stars do not Kindle Stars.
WHEN GOD had Created our Firſt Parents, and Look'd upon them with Love and Pleaſure then He Bleſſed them, with the Promiſe of a Numerous and Long Poſterity. Be Fruitful and Multiply. This was the Honour of our firſt Mother Eve, that She was the Mother of all Living, Gen. 3.20. The Word Adam ſignifies Earth, Mans Original; but the Name Eve ſignifies Life, becauſe by Her Life is Propagated to the many Generations that have been and are to come. "Adam bore the Name of the Dying Body, Eve of the Living Soul. It was becauſe She was to be the Mother, that She was called Life. And doubtleſs it had reſpect to that Bleſſed Seed of "the Woman, the Redeemer, the Life of all the Living, the Author of Everlasting Life unto us.
NOW the USE of this firſt Meditation might have been,
1. TO Congratulate ſome of You whom God has bleſſed with very Amiable and Lovely Conſorts, and a Numerous hopeful Family of Children. Hail you my highly favoured Friends! the Lord is with you, and bleſſed are you among Women; if together with this Outward favour of Providence you do but ſecure a Better Name than of Sons and Dau'ters; and be ſure you are among the Children of God your Selves.
2. IT ſhould direct Chriſtian Huſbands how to prize, eſteem and value ſuch a Bleſſing of Providence; both the Mother and her Train. Rejoyce in the Good you have found, the Favour you have obtained of the Lord. Happy ſhalt thou be and it ſhall be well with thee; thy Wife a fruitful Vine by the ſides of thy Houſe; thy Children as Olive-branches, &c. May you live to ſee your Childrens Children and Peace upon Iſrael. But it may be you will be too apt to Dote on the Creature and Idolize what you ſhould only Love, and thank God for; It may be therefore needful rather to inſiſt on a Third Reflection.
3. WHICH is of Caution and Reſtraint: And that,
1. To Fruitful Parents, Not to be Proud of the Favours of Heaven to them. No; be humble yet; you neither Made your Selves Parents, nor can you be Sure of the Comfort you ought to hope for in your Children, nor can you ſay how long they ſhall Live to be your Honour or your Joy if they ſhall do well.
2. LET it Caution Poorer Parents not to grow into Fears, Diſtruſts or Anxious Cares how to Provide for and ſubſiſt their Numerous Families. GOD that feeds the Ravens, will feed thine. Theſe are thy Portion upon Earth, and many a Rich and Greater Nei'bour would give half his Estate and all his Honours for Half thy Family. Jacobs Family were his diſtreſſing Care in this day, wherein he owns them the gracious Gift and Favour of Providence to him.
3. LET me add a Caution to the Barren; Not to be dejected for want of Children; as Rachel and poor Hannah were too much. For tho' it be ſuch a favour to be the Mother of many, yet there are Greater favours than this to ſet our Hearts upon; and it may be you in your Eſpouſals to Christ have much more to ſatisfie your Soul in; or at leaſt thither let me direct you. Or indeed even our preſent Life Conſiſts not in a Numerous Poſterity; that we ſhould ſay Sinfully and Extreamly fooliſhly with Rachel, Give we Children or I dye. No; you may with Hannah Pray; but you muſt be Content if you are even denied; which She was not.
4. THOSE of us that have but a Single Branch or Two, an only One (it may be) the Siender Hope and Prop of our Houſe, muſt be very Thankful to God for the ſingle Lamp in our Houſe. If We were meet for more; as meet as our better Nei'bours, God would have given us more, it may be. Let humility preſerve us, and let us be thankful for the leaſt, when we deſerve Nothing.
AND then in the … Place,
5. A Word to them that have had many but have buried all: Our Mournful Mothers that have Sorrow upon Sorrow, thoſe of Burying upon thoſe of Bearing; Be comforted in the Hopes of the Children you have in Heaven, in Glory; gathered into the Saviours Arms and laid in His Boſom. Suffer your Little Ones to go to Him; He'll take them up and bleſs them; as He has ſaid of them — That of ſuch is the Kingdom of Heaven. Believe it, (where is your Faith? And O thou of little, wherefore doſt thou Weep? believe it). That it is well worth the Sorrows and Pains of bearing and of burying too, to have a Child in Heaven: While ſo many have their Families Growing up and Branching out, of whom God only knows what they will be and prove in this Evil World.
BUT ſo I diſmiſs my Firſt Obſervation; That a Mother with a Train of Children after her is One of the moſt Lovely Sights in the Viſible Creation of GOD.
II. Obſer. THE Second Obſervation which I would make is; That Children are among the Choice Favours and Gifts of Providence, and we ſhould have a high Senſe of the gracious Regards of GOD unto us herein.
They are the Children which God has graciouſly given me.
I. THEY are among the Choice Favours and Gifts of Providence to a Perſon. Let Nature decide this; Or if that in its preſent Affections and Judgment is apt to err, let the Scripture determine it: Pſal. 127.3. Lo, Children are an Heritage, and the fruit of the Womb is his Reward. They are their Parents beſt Inheritance, and the Gift of Free Grace. Pſal. 113.9. He maketh the barren Woman to keep houſe, and to be a joyful Mother of Children; praiſe ye the Lord. Pſal. 107.41. He ſetteth the Poor on High from Affliction, and maketh him Families like a Flock. To be ſure if Providence concerns itſelf in any thing here below, it is in the Matters of our Life and Death; Who, How many ſhall be born into the World, and Where and by Whom, &c.
YET Children are by no Means to be put among or equal'd to the Saving Gifts of Gods Grace. There is a better Name than of Sons and Dau'ters. A Numerous Poſterity is the Portion of many a Wicked Perſon. Pſal. 17.14, 15. They are full of Children, and leave their Subſtance to their Babes; as for me I will behold thy face in Righteouſneſs, &c. Nevertheleſs Children are a very Gracious Gift of God to us in this Life. They are ſo,
1. IN the Formation of them in the Womb. For who knoweth the way of the Spirit, or how the bones do grow within Her that is with Child? It is not at all owing to the Parents care that there is a perfect Child formed, and quickened by a Living Soul. God that formed Adams Body out of the Ground, forms our Bodies in are their Names for ever in the Church on that Account! But could Pious Hannah or Ruth receive their Sons without their Solemn Offerings of Praiſes to God? No: Ruth 4.14. And the Women ſaid unto Naomi, Bleſſed be the Lord which has not left thee this day without a Name in Iſrael: and Naomi took the Child and laid it in her Boſom. Read alſo Hannah: tranſport of Devotion at the Dedication of her Little Nazarite, and Her Song: 1 Sam. 2. Chap.
3. IF Children are Gods Gift to us, Then they ſhould be given to God again: Dedicated to Him as His Propriety and Reſigned to His diſpoſal; to be bro't up for Him, and to Live to Him and Serve Him for ever. So Abraham Circumcis'd his Iſaac, and Hannah devoted her Samuel, and we in Baptiſm Conſecrate our Children unto CHRIST.
4. CHILDREN ſhould remember themſelves to be the LORD's, and their Bonds to Live to Him. God gave thee thy Being and thy Life; and gave thee to thy Parents who have given thee back to Him again. Be His, My Child; and ſo Gods gracious Gift to Us, and Ours and thine Own to Him again.
5. IF Children are the gracious Gift of God, then it is Lawful and a Duty to Mourn under the Holy and Awful hand of God in their Death; or in their Sinful Courſes which may be worſe than Death. Sorrow is Natural, and may be Gracious in ſuch Caſes; but it muſt be in Moderation and with Reſignation. Even Jacob himſelf was an Intemperate Mourner for Joſeph; and bitter was his Grief and deep his Shame when ſome others of his Sons ſtain'd their hands with blood, ſhed treacherouſly and cuelly. Our Dead Sorrows are often very heavy ones; like the ſhrieks at Rama, Rachel Mourning for her Children, not to be Comforted. But our Living Sorrows may be heavier far, as well as more Laſting: Prov. 10.1. A wiſe Son maketh a glad Father, but a fooliſh Son is the heavineſs of his Mother.
THIS is the Firſt Thing under the Second Obſervation; That Children are among the Special Favours and Gifts of Providence.
II. WE ought to have a high Senſe of the Grace of God expreſſed towards us in the hopeful Children which He gives us. They are Graciouſly given to us. The Gift of free Grace; without and againſt our deſerts.
THEY are a Viſible and Senſible Expreſſion of the Divine Favour to us. So we read, 1 Chron. 26.5. That Obed-Edom had Eight Sons, for God bleſſed him. Many Children are the Divine Bleſſing on a Family.
THEY are a great Pleaſure and Delight to Parents: an Honour and Reputation alſo among Men; and a Safe-guard and Protection to us as they grow up. Pſal. 127.4, 5. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty Man, ſo are Children of the Youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: — they ſhall ſpeak with the Enemies in the gate. Good Children are ſo many faithful "Zealous Seconds to their Parents, in the vigour of their Youth to ſtand up in Their defence, when They are Injuriouſly run down in Age. "As arrows in the hand of a Mi'ty man, who knows how to uſe them for his own ſafety, And as a giver full of them; ſo is his … ſuppli'd, and under the favour of Providence abides in strength.
CHILDREN are more than Riches: they are the Heirs of it: and which is, Greater, the Earth or its Owners? Moreover, we may and ought to hope well concerning our Children with reſpect to the Spiritual and Everlaſting Bleſſings of the Life to come. As Jacob here look'd upon his Children as Graciouſly given him becauſe they were Heirs of the Covenant Bleſſing; they were to build up the Church of God, and be the Patriarchs, the Fathers of the People of God. He Hop'd too that they were or would be Gracious, that they did belong to the Election of Grace; and ſo were Heirs of Everlaſting Life.
IN a Word; the least Token of Gods favour is free Grace to a Sinful Creature. Our Sins daily forfeit our beſt Mercies, and might for ever keep good things from us. It is of Gods Free, and Rich, and Sovereign Grace that He does not call our Sins to Remembrance ſo as to Slay our "Children. When God Removes our Comforts He Remembers our Sins; while He continues them to us He graciouſly Overlooks our Sinfulneſs: i. e. This is the Face and Language of His Providence:
TO Improve this Head a little.
1. PARENTS take Pleaſure in your Children, be very Tender of them, and look on 'em alwayes with Complacency and Eſteem. A very needleſs Exhortation you may be ready to think; for alas Parents are ready to be but too fond of their Offspring. But however, Love them and Delight in them they ought; and may not be without Natural Affection, which were to be worſe than Inſidels. Let us receive our Children with great Pleaſure from the Hand of God; Study their Intereſts, and Promote them, Temporal and Eternal.
Yet,
2. BEWARE of Inordinate Love. Do not give them thy heart. Make 'em not Idols. And don't Love 'em to death; by provoking God to Jealouſy by giving that Love to any Creature which is due to Him alone. Love them in Obedience to God, and as His more than thine. Mat. 10.37. He that loveth Son or Dau'ter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
3. CARRY and behave thy ſelf graciouſly under this favour of Providence; if God has filled, or is filling thy Houſe with Children.
AND therefore,
1. BE the more Devoted to God thy Self, every Child He gives thee. Renew then the Conſecration of thy Self, and thy Covenant Engagements to the Lord: it is a very Proper ſeaſon to do it Solemnly.
2. INSTRUCT and Educate well the Children that God gives thee. Bring them up for Him; in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord; this is the Grateful Offering which He requires.
3. PRAY much for them, and Over them, and Charge them to Know the God of their Fathers, & to Serve Him with a Perfect Heart and Willing Mind, &c. Pray with Abraham, O that Iſhmael may live in thy Sight! Bleſs them as Iſaac and Iſrael did. And Charge them as David did Solomon; and as his Mother too did; What my Son, and what the Son of my Womb? and what the Son of my Vows?
4. BE not Proud or Elated on this Account before Men; if God bleſſes thee with Children and builds up thy Family. Do not deſpiſe the Nei'bour who is not bleſſed in this Inſtance as you are. Hagar had no ſooner Conceived, but Sarah her Miſtreſs was deſpiſed in her Eyes. Hannahs Enemy vexed her becauſe ſhe was barren. Leah gloried over poor fretful Rachel; having ſo many Sons to ſhow and her Siſter none. Alas, tho' Childrens Children are the Crown of Old Men, yet are they nothing to be Proud of; for who knows but they may be our grief and our ſhame; as very often the Idoliz'd Child proves? Or how ſoon may the moſt fruitful Parents, that have Families like a Flock, be Written Childleſs?
BUT I ſeem to forget that I am run into the Third Obſervation Propounded from the Text, and which I would but Name.
III. Obſer. THAT under the Outward Smiles of Providence on us and our Families, it well becomes us to be the more Humble, Meek and Lowly before God and Man.
THEY are the Children which God has given thy Servant. It may be Eſau had not then ſo fair a Troop to ſhow; yet they with their Father were Eſau's humble Servants. Together they were ready to Proſtrate and lye at his feet. Humility is a lovely Grace and Vertue in the ſight of God and Man. It charms down Pride and Wrath together. And its beauty is Greateſt under the Smiles of Providence. It is the Ornament of the Soul that is of Great price in Gods Eyes, and as it exalts the Soul in His Sight, ſo it procures Exaltation in the Kingdom both of Providence and Grace. He that humbleth himſelf ſhall be Exalted. He giveth Grace to the lowly.
BE ye clothed with Humility: ſayes the Apostle, 1 Pet. 5.5. This is our glorious but decent Array whether we be in Proſperity or Adverſity-Without it the Nakedneſs of the Soul is diſcovered, and its Shame is ſeen.
WHAT is there on Earth, I beſeech you, to be Vain or Proud of? What in a corrupt and dying World! Or if we ſo vainly abuſe any Enjoyment, and fall into the Condemnation of the Devil, how ſadly do we forfeit it?
SOME under the viſible favours of Providence grow vain and hau'ty, and forget their Riſe, that they are like others of the duſt, and turning apace to it again, that they or their Fathers were Poor and low once in outward State, and in this uncertain World may ſuddenly be ſo again: The Upſtart and Mean Spirit is ready to forget the Rock whence he was hewn, and to ſcorn and upbraid the Poor, the Needy and the Afflicted. But not ſo Good Jacob, who looking over his Servants and his Flocks, and his Children cried out; O God of my Fathers, I am not worthy of the leaſt of all the Mercies, and of all the Truth, which thou haſt ſhewed unto thy Servant; for with my Staff I paſſed over this Jordan, and now I am become two Bands. Job alſo in his Proſperity and in the Months when God preſerv'd him; when the Candle of the Lord ſhined on his Head and by His light he walked thro' darkneſs; while his Children were about him, and he waſhed his ſteps in butter, &c. Even then he did not deſpiſe the Canſe of his Servant, but remembred; — He that made Him in the Womb made me, and One God faſhioned us both.
O 'tis a little and Mean Vice, but of Great Guilt, to ſwell upon a few Worldly Advantages, and bear our ſelves above Others on that Account; the King of Iſrael remembred humbly his Original and ſaid before God, Lord who am I and what is my Fathers houſe that thou hast bro't me hitherto! and that thou ſhouldeſt ſpeak of the Houſe of thy Servant for a great while to come!
WHEN Jacob Pointed to his Children, and Spake of them to Eſau with ſo much Humility; think not that he Complemented his Brother, in calling himſelf His Servant: No, that Patriarchal Age was full of Simplicity as well as Courteſie: He ſpake the Words of Truth and Soberneſs; his Heart went with his Lips; He Spake as he tho't and as he felt; the Inward Senſe of his Soul; and as became an Inferior in Outward State, and Natural Relation. He was ready and inclined to Serve him. His Fears were Great, but he had the real Love of a Brother, and the Reſpect of a Junior. And juſt now he was eſpecially Oblig'd by Eſau's Kindneſs, and full of Gratitude both to GOD and Him.
TO Conclude, We ſhould leaſt of all be Proud of our Children, becauſe our Saviour has made a Little Child the Emblem of Humility to us. Mat. 18.2, 3. He took a little Child and ſet in the midſt of his Diſciples, and ſaid to them, Whoſoever ſhall humble himſelf as this Little Child, the ſame is Greateſt in the Kingdom of God: And except ye be Converted and become as Little Children ye add in no wiſe enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. It ſeems then that Converting Grace make us as Little Children. As One ſayes, Not Fooliſh as Children, nor Fickle, nor See Mr. Newy in Lac.Playful; but as Children ready to Learn, and deſirous of the Sincere Milk of the Word; as Children Careful for Nothing but Depending on the Care of our Heavenly Father; As Children Harmleſs and Inoffenſive and void of Malice. As Children. Governable and under Command; and finally, as Children Humble and not taking State upon them. As they are Little in Body and Low in Stature; ſo Chriſtians ſhould be Low in Spirit and Little in their own Tho'ts. It would therefore be a moſt abſurd thing for us to be Proud of our Children, when Chriſt has made them the ſign of Humility to us. We are to look on them and learn Humility.
HAPPY the Man that can Say and Sing Davids Pſalm and Profeſſion of Humility, Pſal. 131.
UNDER the Favours of Providence our Heart ſhould not be hau'ty nor our Eyes loftly; we muſt neither court our own Shadow, nor envy nor deſpiſe Others; And under the Frowns of Providence, Surely we muſt behave, and quiet our ſelves as a weaned Child.
THE Child at the Age of Weaning is not come to the Acting of Pride; or the Child may take on at firſt when it is Weaned from the Breaſt; but when Once weaned it grows quiet. So Sanctifying Grace weans us from Worldly things, and Quiets us in the Poſſeſſion or in the Loſs of them. We muſt Learn to Live upon God and the Covenant of Grace, when Creatures prove Dry Breaſts to us; or when Providence puts Wormwood on the Breaſt to Wean us from it.
FINIS.
Advertiſement.
THere is now in the Preſs and Speedily will be Publiſh'd, Sacramental Exerciſes: Or, The Chriſtian's Employment, Before, At, & After the Lords Supper.
By JABEZ EARLE.
Sold by Samuel Gerriſh at his Shop on the North ſide of the Town-Houſe in King Street, Boſton. 1715.
End of the text · Benjamin Colman, Honors that Religion Does Unto the Fruitful Mothers in Israel (1715)