Secondly, If grown, and in some good degree hopeful ; only he did not in life, or at death, manifest, and give evidence of grace, with that clearness as you desired.
As to the case of infants in general, it is none of our concern to judge their condition ; and as for those that sprang from covenanted parents it becomes us to exercise charity towards them ; the scrip- ture speaks very favourably of them.
And as for the more adult, who have escaped the pollutions of the world, and made conscience of sin and duty, albeit they never mani- fested what you could desire they had ; yet in them, as in young Abijah, " may be found some good things toward the Lord,"" which you never took notice of. Reverence of your authority, bashfulness, and shame-facedness, reservedness of disposition, and many other things, may hide those small and weak beginnings of grace that are in children, from the observations of the parents. God might see that in them that you never saw ; he despiseth not the day of small things.
However it be, it is now out of your reach ; your concernment rather is to improve the affliction to your own good, than judge and determine their condition, which belongs not to you but to God.
Plea 9. O but I have sinned in this relation, and God hath pun- ished my sin in dissolving it. O saith one, my heart was set too
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TRUch upon it, I even idolized it, that was ray sin : and, saith another, I wanted due affections, and did not love my relation, at least not so spiritually as I ought ; that was my sin. Now God is visiting me for all the neglects and defects that hath been in me towards my relation.
Answer 1. There is no man so thoroughlv sanctified, as not to fail, and come short in many things pertaining to his relative duties : and to speak, as the thing is, the corruptions of the holiest persons are as much discovered in this, as any other thing whatsoever ; and it is a very common thing for conscience, not only to charge these failures upon us, but to aggravate them to the utmost when God hath made the separation. So that this is no more than what is usual, and very common with persons in your' case.
Jnszver 2. Admit that which the objection supposes, that God had afflicted you for your sin, and removed that comfort from you, which you idolized, and too much doted on ; yet there is no reason you should be so cast down under your affliction : For all this may be, and probably is the fruit of his love to, and care of your soul. Rev. iii. 19. He tells the afflicted, for their comfort, " Whom I " love, I rebuke and chasten."" How much better is it to have an idolized enjoyment taken from you, in mercy, than if God should say concerning you, as he did of Ephraim, Hos. iv. 17. " He is *' joined to idols, let him alone."
O it is better for you that your Father now reckons with you for your follies vvith the rod in his hand, than to say as he doth to some, let them go on, 1 will not hinder them in, or rebuke them for their sinful courses ; but will reckon with them for all together in hell at last.
Answer 3. And as to what you now charge upon yourself, that the neglect of duty did spring from the want of love to your relation ; your sorrow at parting may evidence that your relation was rooted deep in your affection ; but if your love was not so spiritual and pure, to love and enjoy them in God ; that was undoubtedly your sin, and is the sin of most Christians, for which both you, and all others, ought to be humbled.
Plea 10. God hath blessed me with an estate, and outward com- forts in the world, which I reckoned to have left to my posterity ; and now I have none to leave it with, nor have I any comfort to think of it ; tlie purposes of my heart are broken off, and the comfort of all my other enjoyments blasted by this stroke in an hour. How are the pains and cares of many years perished.
Answer 1. How many are there in the world, yea, of our ov. n ac- quaintance, whom God hath either denied, or deprived both of the comforts of children and estates too ? If he have left you those out- ward comforts, you ought to acknowledge his goodness therein, and not to slight these because he hath deprived you of the other.
Answer 2. Though your children are gone, vet God hath manv
G62 A TOKEN FOR MOUIINERS.
children left in the world, whose bowels you may refresh with what he hath bestowed upon you ; and your charity to them will doubt- less turn to a more considerable account, than if you had left a large estate to your own posterity.
Surely we are not sent into this world to heap up great estates for our children : and if you have been too eager in this design, you may now read God's j ust rebuke of your folly. Bless God you have yet an opportunity, to serve him eminently by your charity, and God deny you other executors, let your own hands be your executors, to distribute to the necessity of the saints, that the blessings of them that are ready to perish may come upon you.
Plea 11. O but the remembrance of its witty words and pretty actions, is wounding.
Anszcei' 1. Let it rather lift up your hearts to God in praise that gave you so desirable a child, than fill your heart with discontent at his hand in removing it. How many parents are there in the world whose children God hath deprived of reason and understanding, so that they only differ from the beasts in external shape and figure .^ And how many shew betimes so perverse a temper, that little com- fort can be expected from them.
Ansicci' 2. These are but small circumstances, and trivial things in themselves; but by these little things Satan manages a great design against your soul, to deject or exasperate it: And surely this is not your business at this time ; you have greater things than the words and actions of children to mind ; to search out God's ends in the affliction, to mortify the corruption it is sent to rebuke, to quiet your hearts in the will of God ; this is your m ork.
Plea 12. Lastly^ It is objected, O but God hides his face from me in my affliction : it is dark within, as well as without, and this makes my case more deplorable, greatly afflicted, and sadly deserted.
Ansicer 1. Though you want at present sensible comfort, yet you have reason to be thankful for gracious supports. Though the light of God's countenance shine not upon vou, vet you find the everlast- mg arms are underneath you ; the care of God worketh for you, when the consolations of God are withdrawn from you.
Ansicer 2. To have God hide his face in the time of trouble, is no new or unusual thing; God's dearest saints, yea, his own Son, hath experienced it, who in the deeps of inward and outward trouble, when wave called unto wave, felt not those sweet, sensible influences of comfort from God, which had alwavs filled his soul formerly. If Christ cry in extremity, " ?vly God, my God, why hast thou forsaken " me !" Then sure we need not wonder, as if some strange thing had happened to us.