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SERM.

III.

Lastly, In his old Age, when his Joints wax feeble, and his Eyes grow dim, they will be inftead of a Staff to him, to guide him in the Way he ought to go, and to ftay and hold him up; and when he can no longer take Pleasure in any fenfual Enjoyment, yet then will he delight in the Children of his Youth, and fancy himself immortal, by furviving himfelf, and living in his Pofterity: For his Children will bear his Name, and the Glory of his Actions to fucceeding Generations, and, by imitating his virtuous Deeds and noble Atchievements, add to his Renown.

FROM all which it appears, that it is a happy and bleffed Thing to be the Parent of a numerous and hopeful Off-fpring, that Children are the Heritage of the Lord, and the Fruit of the Womb is his Reward. But here I expect it will be objected, that Experience demonftrates the quite Contrary, fo that it is grown even to a Proverb, that Children are certain Troubles, but uncertain Comforts; that the greatest Afflictions in the World proceed, either from the Lofs of a good Child, or from the perverfe and undutiful Carriage of a bad one. To which I anfwer, that the Propofition, in

the

L

the Text, is laid down in general Terms, SERM. which imply fome Limitations and Ex- III. ceptions; and it is fufficient that, for the most Part, the Matter of Fact is true, that Comfort and Bleffedness is the natural Reward of Children bred up in the Fear and Nurture of the Lord. It is a common Obfervation, that, when the best Things degenerate, they become the worft; and, therefore, it is no Wonder that, fince a good and dutiful Child is one of the most valuable Bleffings, a refractory and wicked Child fhould be one of the most grating Troubles and severest Afflictions, which can befal a Man. For the most Part, when Children are bred up virtuously and religiously, in the Fear of God, and a Senfe of Religion, they retain it as long as they live, they are udum et molle Lutum, foft and pliable Clay, and may be reduced into any Form, and are difpofed to receive any Impreffion : Train up a Child in the Way that he should Prov.xxii. go, and, when he is old, he will never de-6. part from it. When Children take ill Courfes, for the most Part, it happens through the Default of the Parents; either they are indulgent towards them, or elfe over rigorous and fevere, or else do not fow the Seeds of Virtue in their Hearts,

and

III.

SERM. and principle them in the Doctrines and Duties of Religion, and go before them by a good Example, and make themfelves a Pattern of good Works to them. From fome of these Caufes it generally happens, that Children take ill Courses; and then it is but juft in God to punish this Neglect of the Parent, by the Undutifulness of the Child, and to scourge him with that Rod, which he himself has bound up. But yet there are fome Examples where the Fault is not in the Parent, where the Soil proves fo barren and full of Thorns and Thistles, that all his Labour in manuring and cultivating it proves unfuccefsful; and, in fuch Cafes as thefe, the Parent has no Reason to be troubled or caft down, confidering, that it is not Paul that plants, or Apollos that waters, but God that gives the Increase; and that it is Part of his Duty, after he has done his utmost Endeavours to correct and reform his Child, to reft contented, and to refign up his Will to God's Divine Will, and the wife Difpofal of his good Providence. Confidering,

II. THAT God is the fole Author and Difpofer of these Bleffings: Children are his Heritage, and the Fruit of the Womb is bis Reward. The Word, Heritage, de

notes

notes to us, that they are the voluntary Gift SE RM. of God; they are not obtained by our III. own Industry, but are bestowed upon us by our heavenly Father, who has a Right to annex what Conditions he pleases to them, and to limit the Time of our Enjoyment of them. An Heritage is an Eftate got by our Ancestors, which descends down to us lineally without our Pains-taking; it is true in the latter Part of the Text they are called a Reward; but we may obferve, that the Hebrew Word in the Original fignifies, any unmerited Favour conferred upon a Man, whereby his State or Condition is altered, and is better expreffed by the Word Gratuity than Reward. And then the Words run thus, Children are the Heritage of the Lord, a Bleffing derived down to us by our heavenly Father, and the Fruit of the Womb is his Gift or Gratuity; a Gift which he bestows when he fees fit, and takes away again when he pleases; or elfe, if we like the Vulgar Tranflation, and retain the Word Reward, we must understand it of fuch a Reward as is given to us of mere Favour and Grace, not from any Debt or Obligation; and thus the Prayers and Alms-deeds of pious and religious Men may move God to give them

Children;

SERM. Children; and then the Sense and Import III. of the Words is this, that though God

has referved to himself the fole Prerogative of giving and taking away Children, when he pleases, yet he doth frequently open his Ears to the Prayers of good and virtuous Men, and fo favourably accept of their Alms-deeds, as to give them Children, even beyond, and contrary to Hope.

AND now what remains, but that, from what we have laid down, we draw fome ufeful Inftructions for the Direction of our Lives and Converfations.

1. LET thofe, who have no Children, learn from hence, to wait with Patience the Divine Pleasure, to continue in Prayer and Alms-deeds, and to be fruitful in good Works; and then, they may be affured, that God will, in his good Time, bring Things about to their nearest Intereft, and beft Advantage; either they fhall obtain that Bleffing which they pray for, or, if not, they may fafely conclude, it is beft for them to be without it. Children are indeed Bleffings, when towardly and dutiful; but God may foresee, that, if we had Children, either we fhould not perform our Duty to them, or they would be wanting in theirs to us; either we

fhould

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