Honors that Religion Does Unto the Fruitful Mothers in Israel, Title page – Dedication
Some of the HONOURS THAT RELIGION Does unto the Fruitful Mothers in Iſrael. Meditated Upon the BIRTH & Preached at the BAPTISM of a CHILD.
Boſton Jan. 16. 1714, 15:
By BENJAMIN COLMAN A. M.
BOSTON in New-England: Printed by B. Green, for Samuel Gerriſh, at his Shop on the North ſide of King Street, near the Town Houſe. 1715.
To the Truly Vertuous Mrs. Margaret Sewall: The Happy Conſort of STEPHEN SEWALL, Eſqt. in Salem.
MADAM,
IF I knew any One to whom I ought rather to Inſcribe the following Diſcourſe than to Your Self, I ſhould certainly do it. For how much ſoever my known Friendſhip to You may Incline me, or Your generous Friendſhip to me may Oblige me, to this ſmall Teſtimony of my Reſpect to Your Name; yet I may venture to appeal to all that have the Happineſs of knowing Your Pleaſant Family, to ſay where I could find a more happy Wiſe & Mother to addreſs unto. For as the Divine Providence which made You for Major Sewall, form'd both Your Souls exactly to Exhibit the Felicities of the Married State; ſo has it bleſs'd You with a Numerous Offspring, You whereof yet Survive, in all … (as far as hath hitherto appear'd) You are likely to have much Comfort & Joy: not only in reſpect of that Native Goodneſs of Temper & Ingenuity which peculiarly Adorns 'em; but alſo in reſpect of their Conſpicuous Vertue and I hope Serious Piety. For as you have found Grace in GOD's Sight to be One of the beſt of Mothers, ſo alſo to be the Mother of ſome of the beſt of Children. In You as much as in any One are fulfilled thoſe Words of Solomon, Her Children riſe up and call Her Bleſſed; Her Husband alſo and He praiſeth Her.
Madam, I Pray the GOD of Heaven long to ſpare and continue You to Major Sewall, and to Your Children; and Them to You: and grant You to ſee more of the united Graces of the Sewalls and Mitchels in them all; as the Earneſt You deſire of their following You to Heaven.
Accept Madam this hearty Expreſſion of a ſincere Affection from
Your moſt Obliged Friend, and very Humble Servant, BENJ. COLMAN Boſton, Jan. 24. 1714, 15.
THE Bleſſing and Honour OF Fruitful Mothers.
GENESIS xxxiii. 5.
And he lift up his Eyes and ſaw the Women and the Children, and ſaid, Who are theſe with thee? And he ſaid, The Children which God hath graciouſly given thy Servant.
IN the beginning of this Chapter we have the Account of the Brotherly Affectionate Meeting of Jacob and Eſau. It was a ſingular Proof of Gods Empire over the hearts of Men, and of His gracious Care of good Men and anfwering their Prayers. Jacob had been Wreſtling in Prayer for this favour of Providence. His fears of his Brothers reſentments had been very Great. In his great Prudence and Wiſdom he had taken the moſt likely meaſures to Soften his Brothers heart towards him. He ſent his Preſents before him, and now put his Wives and their Children into the moſt Moving Order that could be, and himſelf as the head of them. Seven times he bowed himſelf to the Ground before his Brother; He did Obeyſance to him as his Elder Brother, and his Temporal Lord; He remembred alſo its very likely the Injury and Provocation he had on his part given tho' the thing was of God. This Humility and Reſpect of Jacob turn'd Eſau's heart within him, or rather GOD chang'd it in that Inſtant; and Eſan ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his Neck and kiſſed him, and they both wept.
THE Natural Affection which had been ſo long Suppreſs'd, now returned in the Full Tyde thereof. How good is it to ſee Brethren that have been at Enmity ſo reconciled! A Brother offended is hard to be won. He that offends is hardly bro't to ſubmit like Jacob. When God touches a Mans heart his Enmity to his Brother vaniſhes. When ſhall we ſee Brethren at diſtance meet again like theſe in our Context, and Emulate — I will not ſay the temper of Profane Eſau, — that would be a reproach — but the humility and affection of good Jacob.
THEY meet and ſay not a Word of their old differences: that would have ſoon broke the Peace again; had Eſau remembred how Jacob had Supplanted him with a Lye, or Jacob repeated Eſau's threaning to Murder him. 'Tis the Repeating a Matter that Separates Friends, and Perpetuates their Separation. A ſubmiſſive Carriage will go a great way to conquer a very Eſau and turn away Wrath. The Bullet flies over him that ſtoops: Sayes Mr. Henry.
I'M afraid, tho' Charity obliges us to think the beſt; yet I'm afraid that Eſan's carnal tho'ts of the Birthright and of the Bleſſing helpt to preſerve Jacob. He was born the Prince of the Family, and ſaw now that Birthright ſecure; Jacob with his Children lying at his Feet. This might help to make him Eaſie. His Arming and Conteſt might be for a Temporal Dominion; that's the Bleſſing that moſt People deſire. The Caſe was the ſame as that in the beginning between Cain & Abel; and God told Cain that Abels Preference in the Divine Acceptance did no ways releaſe him from the Duty and Reſpect which was owing from him as a Younger Brother: To thee ſhall be his deſire, and thou ſhalt reign over him. Jacob underſtood this well, and accordingly he did in Duty and Loyalty ſubmit to my Lord Eſau.
BUT the thing was of God, who turns Mens Hearts by a Secret, Silent, Reſiſtleſs Power, as He pleaſes. The Brethren both wept: how pleaſant are the Tears of Joy after thoſe of Anger, Grief and Fear? The Diſcord of Brethren occaſion the One, their Reconciliation the Other.