There is a great deal of care taken by carnal parents here in the city (and everywhere too, but in the city especially) by covetousness, a reign- ing sin; they will not make God their God, but the wedge of gold to be their god. They labour to make their children great. If they can leave them rich men, great men in a parish, to bear office, to come to honour, that is their main endeavour ; for this they drudge, and neglect heaven and happiness. But, alas! what is this? Thou mayest leave them much goods, and the vengeance of God with them ; thou mayest leave them much wealth, and it may be a snare to them. It were better thou hadst left them nothing.
Look into the state of the city. Those that are best able in the city, do they not rise of nothing? And they that have been the greatest labourers for these outward things, that they may call their lands after their own names, Ps. xlix 11, God hath blown upon them, and all hath come to nought in a short time, because they have not made God their portion. Of all things, parents should labour 'to leave them God for their God, to leave them in covenant with him ; lay up prayers in heaven for them, lay the foundation there ; sow prayers there, that they may be effectual for them when you are gone.
And this likewise should be a comfort to poor Christians, that have not much to leave their children. I can leave my child nothing, but I shall leave him in covenant with God ; for God is my God, and always hath been, and ever will be ; he will be the God of my seed. I shall leave him God's blessing ; and a little well gotten goods that the righteous hath is better than a great deal ill gotten. God addeth no sorrow with that. There is no ' fearful expectation ' another day, as there is of that which is ill gotten ; when the father and child shall meet in hell, and curse one another ; when the son shall say to the father, You ensnared yourself to make me happy, and that turned to my ruin. This shall make wicked wretches curse one another one day. A poor Christian that cannot say he hath riches to leave his children, yet he can say, God is my God, and I am sure he will be their God ; though I have but httle to leave them else, I shall leave them God's blessing. Good parents may hope for a blessing upon their children, because God is their God, and the God of their seed. For the sacrament, a word.
The sacrament is a seal of this covenant, that God is our God in Christ, and we are his people. God to his word addeth seals, to help our faith. What a good God is this ! how willing is he to have us believe him ! One would think that a word from him, a promise, were enough; but to his promise he addeth a covenant. One would think a covenant were enough, but to that he addeth seals, and to them an oath too : 'I have Bworn to David my servant,' Ps. Ixxxix. 3. Thus he stoops to all condi- * That is, ' naughty,' = wicked.— G.
24 THE FAITHFUL COVENANTER.
tions of men ; ho condescendetli so f\\r to use all these moans that he may secure us. You know that a promise secures us, if it be from one that is an honest man. We say that we are sure to have it because of his pro- mise ; but when we have his covenant, then we are assured more, because there is somewhat drawn. Now, we have God's covenant and his seal, the sacrament ; and then his oath. If we will take him for our God, and renounce our wicked courses, we shall lose nothing by it ; we shall part with nothing for God but we shall have it supplied in him. If we lose honour, wealth, or pleasure, we shall have it abundantly in him.
What do we hear in the sacrament ? Do we come only to receive his love to us ? No ; we make a covenant with God in the sacrament that he shall be our God, and we promise by his grace to lead new lives henceforth. Wo have made a covenant with God at first in baptism, now we renew it in taking the sacrament ; and it is fit, for if he renew his covenant oft to ns in love to be ours, we should renew ours oft with him, to take him to be our God. Seven times in Genesis he renewed his covenant to Abra- ham, because he would have him trust what he said.* Then we should seven times, that is, oft, come to the sacrament, and renew our covenant with him, to take him for our God ; and remember what it is to sin after the receiving the sacrament. Sins against conscience break ofi" a covenant renewed. Sin hath an aggravation now. You that mean to receive, if you sin willingly after, it were better you had not received. What makes adultery worse than fornication ? Saith Malachi, ' It was the wife of thy covenant,' ii. 14. Adultery^ breaks the covenant of marriage. It is worse than fornication, where there is not a covenant. So you have made a covenant with God in your baptism, and now you come to renew it. If you sin now, it is an aggravation of the sin. It is adultery, it is disloyalty against God.