PATERNUS lived about two hundred years ago; he had but one son, whom he educated himself, in his own house. As they were sitting together in the garden, when the child was _ten years_ old, _Paternus_ thus addressed him.
“The little time that you have been in the world, my child, you have spent wholly with me; and my love and tenderness to you, has made you look upon me as your only friend and benefactor, and the cause of all the comfort and pleasure that you enjoy. Your heart, I know, would be ready to break with grief, if you thought this was the last day that I should live with you.
But, my child, though you now think yourself mighty happy, because you have hold of my hand, you are now in the hands, and under the tender care of a much greater father and friend than I am, whose love to you is far greater than mine, and from whom you receive such blessings as no mortal can give.
That GOD, whom you have seen me daily to worship; whom I daily call upon to bless both you and me, and all mankind; whose wondrous acts are recorded in those scriptures which you constantly read; that GOD, who created the heavens and the earth; who brought a flood upon the old world; who saved _Noah_ in the ark; who was the GOD of _Abraham_, _Isaac_, and _Jacob_; whom _Job_ blessed and praised in the greatest afflictions; who delivered the _Israelites_ out of the hands of the _Egyptians_; who was the protector of righteous _Joseph_, _Moses_, _Joshua_, and holy _Daniel_; who sent so many prophets into the world; and who sent his Son JESUS CHRIST to redeem mankind: this GOD, who has done all these great things; who has created the many millions of men, that lived and died before you was born; with whom the spirits of good men that are departed this life, now live; whom infinite numbers of angels now worship in heaven; this great GOD, who is the creator of worlds, of angels, and men, is your loving father and friend, your good creator and nourisher; from whom, and not from me, you received your being ten years ago, at the time that I planted that little _elm_ which you there see.
I myself am not half the age of this _shady oak_ under which we sit; many of our fathers have sat under its boughs; we have all of us called it ours in our turn; it stands, and drops its _masters_, as it drops its leaves.
You see, my son, this wide and large _firmament_ over our heads, where the _sun_ and _moon_, and all the _stars_, appear in their turn: if you was to be carried up to any of these bodies, you would discover others as much above you, as the stars are above this _earth_. Were you to go up or down, east or west, north or south, you would find the same height without any top, and the same depth without any bottom.
And yet, my child, so great is GOD, that all these bodies added together, are but as a grain of sand in his sight. Nevertheless, you are as much the care of this great GOD and Father of all worlds, and of all _spirits_, as if there were no creature for him to love and protect but you alone. He numbers the hairs of your head, watches over you sleeping and waking, and has preserved you from a thousand dangers, of which neither you nor I know any thing.
How poor my power is, and how little I am able to do for you, you have often seen. Your late sickness has shewn you how little I could do for you in that state; and the frequent pains of your head are plain proofs, that I have no power to remove them.
I can bring you food and medicines, but have no power to turn them into your relief and nourishment: it is GOD alone that can do this for you.
Therefore, my child, fear, and worship, and love GOD. Secure an interest in his favour, by seeking after a living faith in JESUS CHRIST his dearly beloved Son; and then He, who blessed my father before I was born, will bless you when I am dead.
I shall in a short time die, and leave you to GOD and yourself; and as I know that my Redeemer liveth, and trust that GOD has forgiven me my sins, I shall go to my dear Saviour CHRIST JESUS, and live amongst patriarchs and prophets, saints and martyrs, and wait for your safe arrival at the same place.
Therefore, my child, meditate on these great things, and your soul, through the influences of GOD’s blessed Spirit, will soon grow great and noble, by so meditating upon them.
Let your thoughts often leave these gardens, these fields, and farms, to contemplate upon GOD, and CHRIST, and heaven, to meditate upon angels and the spirits of good men living in light and glory.
As you have been used to look to me in all your actions, and have been afraid to do any thing unless you first knew my will; so let it now be a rule of your life, to look up to GOD, even a GOD in CHRIST, in all your actions; to do every thing in his fear, and to abstain from every thing that is not according to his will.