1. The strict, and such as dare not offend him : Ps. ciii. 17, ' The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness to children's children.^ They that fear him, that walk exactly in his sight and presence, such are frowned upon, hated, maligned, scorned in the world ; therefore God doth take care to provide for them and theirs.
2. The just and upright. They abridge themselves of many advan- tages of gain which others hunt after. It is not lost : Ps. cxii. 2, ' His seed shall be mighty upon earth ; the generation of the upright shall be blessed.' They cannot project, and turn, and wind in the world as
470 A SEEMON PREACHED BEFORE THE SONS OF THE CLERGY.
others do, but they deal plainly ; it is not without a blessing. So Prov. XX. 7, ' The just man walketh in his integrity, and his children are blessed after him.' They transmit a clear estate, and so it thriveth.
3. The merciful and charitable : Ps. xxxvii. 26, ' He is ever merciful, and lendeth ; his seed is blessed/ When we are urged to giving, you may object, What shall wife and children do ? I answer — Give the rather ; do something the more for every child, that the blessing may be entailed upon them ; it is lent to the Lord, and it will be paid to your posterity ; your children will not have a whit the less.
4. Those that are tender of God's institutions. The second com- mandment, that provideth for God's instituted worship, the sanction of it speaketh of blessings and punishments in the posterity, and deser- vedly. Family arguments prevail with many to yield to the corrup- tions of their age. But alas 1 that which they would build they destroy ; their children are not preserved, but ruined by it. You may convey an estate, but with a curse. Much of the evil that hath lighted upon minister!) and their families had its rise hence. God, that glori- ously exalts godly ministers and their children, that would rather suffer the loss of all than yield to the least corruption in worship, doth also reckon with them and their families that are partial in his law.
Use 1. I might apply this to parents by way of advice and con- solation.
1. Be godly yourselves. Carnal parents obstruct and stop up the course of mercy from descending upon their children as much as in them lieth ; especially in giving up themselves to carnal practices and evil compliances for their children's sake. Hcereditates transeunt cum onere. Whatever hands they pass through, the burden continueth. Nay, further, this is not the best way to provide for your children, to drudge and toil like horses, and neglect heaven and happiness, to make them great, or to break God's laws to salve their interest. Besides the mischief you do yourselves, you do not profit them a whit. Fear God, be upright and charitable, careful of God's institutions, and then leave your children with God, and see if he will not provide for them. It argueth a great deal of infidelity when you think you cannot leave them well unless you leave them great. You renounce God, and set up a wedge of gold, if you think that will do them more good than the covenant and the promises of God.
2. Educate your children in God's fear. This will be the means to continue and increase the blessing. Look, as there is a double curse where the father is carnal and the son carnal, so there is a double blessing where the father is godly and the son godly ; the blessing is still increased. Abraham laid the foundation, Isaac made an addition, Jacob increased it a little further ; Joseph, who was the most eminent of all the patriarchs, he still carried on the blessing ; therefore it is said, Gen. xlix. 26, ' The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of thy progenitors.' You may have great hopes when you see children taking kindly to religion, and zealous for their father's God. So in that passage. Gen. xviii. 19, ' I know that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep
A SEKMON PKEACHED BEFORE THE SONS OF THE CLERGY. 471
tlie way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bi-ing upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.'
3. When you die, leave a charge with them : 1 Kings ii. 2, ' Keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his sta- tutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself,' &c. ; and 1 Chron, xxviii. 9, ' And thou, Solomon, my son, know thou the God of thy fathers, and serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind,' &c. It is the last time that you can do anything for God. Speeches of dying men have great weight in them, and are entertained with much reverence. Jacob's sons used that as their best plea: Gen. 1. 16, ' Thy father did command before he died, saying/ &c. So the sons of Jonadab, the son of Rechab ; Jer. xxxv. 3, ' We will drink no wine, for our father commanded us, saying,' &c. There is most esteem had to a father's dying charge ; it will stick by them far more than pregs- ing discourses at another time. As Mr Bolton charged his children, See thatnone of you meetin an unregenerate condition at theday of judgment.