THIS is the latter Part of the first Speech of Job, on the surprizing Loss, not only of his Estate; but also and more especially his Children, who no doubt were vastly the most dear to Him, and their awful and sudden Death by far the most afflicting.

See how bitterly He bewails their Loss in Chapter xxix. 2—5. Oh that I were as in Months past, as in the Days when GOD preserved me! when his Candle shined upon my Head, and when by his Light I walked through Darkness! as I was in the Days of my Youth, when the Secret of GOD was upon my Tabernacle! when the AL­MIGHTY was yet with me! when MY CHILDREN were about me.

While one in haste was telling Him, the Sabaeans had taken away his Oxen and Asses and slain his Servants work­ing with them; another comes and tells Him, the Fire of GOD had fallen from Heaven and burnt up both his Sheep and Servants with them: while this was speaking, runs a third and tells Him, the Chaldaeans had carried away [Page 6] his Camels and slain his Servants attending them: and while this was speaking, comes a Fourth with more sur­prizing News than all— How a Great Wind had blown down the House where his CHILDREN were making merry, and killed them also.

This last Message, as a judicious Expositor observes, was by the Policy of Satan reserved to the last, (1) Be­cause the Tidings for the Loss of his Goods would not have been so grievous, had He heard of his Children's Death before, to whom He hoped to have left them: And indeed when a Man lies under a Great Affliction, a Less is not much minded. (2) Because when he was more and more surpriz'd and pressed with the former heavy and successive Tidings, He would be the less able to bear this most afflicting of all, the more likely to sink down under it, and to brake forth into Impatience and evil Tho'ts and Speeches against the sovereign GOD. ( ^j)

But upon this immediately we read— ‘Then Job a­rose, and rent his Mantle, and shaved his Head, and fell down upon the Ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came I out of my Mother's Womb, and naked shall I return Thither; The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; Blessed be the Name of the LORD.’

Here we have (1) His affectionate and religious Car­riage; and (2) His wise and pious Speech on this Oc­casion.

1. His affectionate and religious Carriage.

Then JOB arose: as one that sunk not under his heavy Affliction; but that in a suitable Manner He might be­have Himself, and show his due Resentment of this afflicting Providence.

And rent his Mantle and shaved his Head: This He did as a lively Expression, both of his great Trouble, and of his penitent and contrite Frame of Spirit under so grievous a Chastisement. As for these outward Rites [Page 7] observed in those ancient Times and Places; they were particular Customs of a meer arbitrary Nature, which People of other Countries or Ages are by no Means obliged to use: But where those Rites prevailed, they were very significant and moving both to the afflicted themselves and to those who saw them. So JACOB rent his Cloaths at the supposed Death of his beloved Joseph. Gen. xxxvii. 34: And the Intent might be to signify, how his Heart was rent with Grief, and what little Comfort He took in the Things about Him. So the shaving of the Head was also used in Times of great Affliction: as in Jer. vii. 29. Cut off thine Hair O JE­RUSALEM, and cast it away, and take up a Lamentation. And it seems to be done to signify, that their Case was so deplorable, as it became them to lay by all their Or­naments; the Hair being then accounted a principal Part of their Ornament. ( ^j)

And fell down upon the Ground, and worshipped. He either fell down on his Knees, or rather prostrate on his Face; as Mercer & all the other Versions represent Him ^†. But He fell down on the Ground, to signify his low Hu­miliation under the Stroke of GOD: and He fell down, to worship in a more lowly Manner, or as a Token of the most profound Adoration and Submission. The Syriack and Arabick render it; He fell down on the Earth adoring. And worshipped: i. e. with religious Reverence He saw and humbly own'd, paid Homage and submit­ted to that DIVINE, sovereign and awful POWER which had so sorely smitten Him.

And here, his humble Worship is not meerly mental, or wholly silent; but with becoming outward Postures, it also b [...]es forth in Expressions full of lowly Sentiments about Himself, Acknowledgements of the holy Hand of GOD, and of Honour to Him under all these grievous Dispensations.

[Page 8]2. We have then his wise and pious Speech, on this Occasion.

Short indeed, but extreamly pertinent and pithy—

And said, 'Naked came I out of my Mother's Womb: with Self-abasement He looks back to the Time of his Birth; when He came naked into the World, without the Estate and Children He had since possessed, and is now without again. And naked shall I return Thither: He now as humbly looks forward also to that certain Time approaching when He must return as naked out of the World as when He came into it. By a beauti­ful Turn of Speech, He seems now to look on the Earth to which he was fallen either as his Original or Future MOTHER, and the Grave as her Womb, to which e're long He should return as naked as He was Born. As if He had said— ‘As I came naked from my Mother'sWomb; I shall return naked to This Earth to which I am fallen.’ Yea by Returning Thither, He may seem to signify; that when He should go out of this visible World, He should return to a State in the Grave like that in the Womb of his Humane Mother: (that as There He was once shut up in Darkness, waiting for a happy Deliverance; so when his Body came to be shut up naked in the Grave or Womb of his Mother the Earth, it would be There as an Embrio also, waiting for an happier Exit into a World of Glory. ( ^j)

Nor are his Tho'ts confin'd to Himself, or the Earth, or his great Affliction: But He looks up to GOD as the Orderer of whatever befell Him, and under all He Blesses this sovereign Being. The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; Blessed be the Name of the LORD.

By the NAME of the LORD is meant THE LORD HIM­SELF: as the Name is often taken for Him who bears it ^†. The Words in the Original are—JEHOVAH gave, and JEHOVAH hath taken away; Blessed be the Name of [Page 9] JEHOVAH: and in every Clause he repeats this venera­ble Name JEHOVAH, to signify, how intently his Mind was fix'd upon HIM in these afflicting Dispensations, and what a sublime Pleasure the Idea gave Him.

In these Things we see his soaring Piety in the midst of his most grievous Trials; and how by Faith it rises from the deep Resentments of Nature in sinking Sor­rows, to the Heights of Grace and Employment of Heaven in Blessing the Name of the LORD.

First his natural Passions vent themselves in rending his Mantle and shaving his Head, in spoiling Himself of his Ornaments and falling down to the Ground: There He humbles Himself and worships: He owns his naked State as He came into the World; that He had since received all his Enjoyments at the sovereign Hand of GOD; that GOD had bestowed them as tran­sient Comforts; that when He comes to Die He must part with them all; that GOD had a Right to take them away before, when He pleased; and that now they are gone, it is HE that has taken them: Yea He owns his Obligations of Gratitude to this DIVINE DISPOSER, in Giving Him his pleasant Enjoyments: and now GOD had only taken what He had kindly for a Time be­stowed; he not only humbly submits, but also retains the grateful Sense and Blesses the Name of the LORD.

All these Things seem plainly exhibited in the Ex­ample before us; and were doubtless written for our Imitation under the most heavy Bereavements, whether of Children or Others, or of any Earthly Desire whatever.

But from this latter Part of the Speech of Job, we may raise this

[Page 10]I. We should then with a humble Thankfulness and Submission own, that the LORD hath given, and the LORD hath taken away.

The sovereign Hand and Will of GOD must needs be concerned in all Events. As He made every Thing, every Spirit and every Atom in Heaven and Earth; He formed them with wise Designs, to fill up all their Pla­ces in his unbroken and consummate Scheme of Provi­dence. For his wise Pleasure they were and are created. And as He Preserves them all, for his wise Pleasure also they are Preserved. His Kingdom likewise ruleth over all, and his Dominion from Generation to Generation, even for ever. He made the whole Creation on Purpose for Dominion. And He is always equally Present every where, both to uphold and order even every Spirit of the smallest Animal, as well as the highest Arch-Angel; and every Atom, as well as the whole Globe of the Earth. It is equally easy to Him to uphold and govern continually as well as create the one as the other for wise Designs: and there is not the least among them but ever has its Influence as well as Place in his wide Dominion.

The SON of GOD assures us, that not a Sparrow falls to the Ground, or Dies, without Him, and that the Hairs of our Heads are all Numbered. Mat. x. Luke xii. So uni­versal and so perfect is his sovereign Providence. All our Comforts and all our Troubles must be ordered by Him. And when our dear Enjoyments are removed from us, we shou'd then see and own his sovereign Hand both in Giving them to us and in Taking away.

1. We shou'd then with Thankfulness acknowledge, it is the LORD who Gave them.

As we came naked into the World, whatever Com­fort we have enjoyed since, we have received from Him; we have received it from his supreme Will and Hand; and he has bestowed it on us as an undeserved Gift, with perfect Freeness and Liberality. Many of [Page 11] our Earthly Goods may seem to come by our own Fore­cast, Care and Industry, or the Hand of others; or by a great Variety of second Causes: But these are all com­prized within his Influence and Providence: It is HE that gives us Forecast and Power to get worldly Wealth or Honours: It is HE that orders those innumerable Circumstances that render our Contrivances, Cares and Labours prosperous; or that sometimes prospers us without them. It is HE also that gives us Children ^‖ and other Relatives: It is HE that form'd them with their various Geniuses, Powers and Pleasancies: And 'tis HE that gives them their Accomplishments, their Moral Virtues, and their Christian Graces; and that makes them lovely and delightful to us.

In short, whatever Creature-Comfort we have enjoy­ed, we have received from the kind and giving Hand of GOD. And their Continuance to us also is as much his Giving, as when at first Bestowed. We have been un­worthy of them every Moment: And as he has graci­ously continued them, his continuing them has been a continued Giving them.

While He Gives them, we shou'd then be constantly acknowledging his kind and undeserved Gifts with Thankfulness: Nor shou'd our Gratitude expire upon the Removal of them. When they are taken away, we shou'd still remember the Divine Benignity in Giving them at first, and in Preserving them so long: And we shou'd also call to mind the Comfort we have received in them; not to increase our Sorrow, but in the midst of Sorrows, to keep alive the Sense of our Obligations and our due Thankfulness to him that Gave them.

And here we shou'd consider the Gift of these Com­forts to us, as related to his wise Decree and Providence; that he Gave them in all their Kinds, their Measures, and their Seasons; and in those that were most wise and fitting: that he gave them to be just such Comforts to [Page 12] us, as he has made them actually to be: and that he gave them to continue for such a Time as he has continued them, and not a Moment longer. Job vii. 1. & xiv. 5.

In fine, that he had an absolute Right to Give them or not to Give them as he pleased: that he might have chosen not to have Given them at all, or not to have made them so agreable, or not to have Given us so much Comfort in them, or not to have Given them for so long a Season: But every Measure and Duration of our Comfort in them is intirely owing to his sovereign Kindness.

2. We shou'd then acknowledge with Submission also, that the same LORD who Gave has Taken them away.

What ever be the Means of their Removal, yet every Kind of Means is comprehended in his universal Pro­vidence. Shall there be Evil in the City, and the LORD hath not done it? Surely no. Amos iii. 6. I am the LORD, and there is none else: I form the Light, and create Dark­ness: I make Peace, and create Evil: I the LORD do all these Things. Isa. xlv. 6, 7. He does all these Things, either by his immediate or mediate Influence: either by himself; or by the inanimate Powers of Nature, which he ever upholds and governs; or by the holy Angels, who are the ready Doers of his sovereign Pleasure; or by Men, or evil Angels whom he restraineth, exciteth or permitteth as he pleases.

In short, the whole Creation are his Instruments in­tirely at his Disposal: They are ever under his wise Di­rection: And as He always does according to his Will among them, so not any Comfort can be taken away without him. When they are removed from us, it is the same GOD who Gave that does it. He is the sovereign LORD who kindly Gave and made them such Comforts to us; who Gave them for so long a Season, not a Mo­ment longer; who had a Right to appoint the Season, and therefore when that Season ends, to Take them away.

For as a learned Man observes; when Job confesses the LORD had Given, he signifies that GOD had so [Page 13] Given as to reserve to Himself the full Propriety and Power over them: that he does not Give us the Property of them from himself; nor yet the Enjoyment of them in any other Way than in intire Dependance on his sove­reign Pleasure. ( ^m)

The most lowly Submission therefore is most clearly due to GOD, in the most sore Bereavments of our Earthly Comforts. And in such Bereavements we shou'd eye his Sovereign Hand and Pleasure, bow down our Wills, and give up all our Scheams, Delights and Affections to Him in these trying Dispensations. (The Septuagint here adds— as it pleased the LORD, so it is done.) It be­ing the LORD who takes away, is Reason enough to si­lence every murmurnig Disposition, to calm our tumul­tuous Passions, and oblige us to resign Ourselves and our most dear Enjoyments to his Sovereign Pleasure.

And we shall both clearly see this Reason and feel this happy Efficacy of it; if we have believing Views of his adorable Perfections, his consummate Wisdom, his spot­less Holiness, and Justice, his abundant Kindness in and thorough CHRIST, his inviolable Truth, and our Cove­nant Interest in him. For then in Taking our dearest Comforts from us, we shall view him as acting in a righ­teous, holy, wise, gracious and faithful Manner: Correct­ing us indeed in his righteous, holy and fatherly Displea­sure; but therewith in Wisdom, Faithfulness and Lov­ing-kindness, for our greater present & eternal Benefit.

Yea,

II. In our most grievous Bereavments, we shou'd yet further labour after such raised and amiable Views of GOD, as even to Bless his Name.

So Job appears to rise in his pious Exercise, upon his sore Bereavments. First with low Abasement he looks backward, and then forward on his naked State, both as he enter'd and is to leave the World: Then with Thankfulness he calls to Mind and owns the Divine Fa­vour [Page 14] to him in Giving and continuing his lost Enjoyments: Then he passes on to a harder Work of Devotion still, viz. Submissively to yield to the Hand of GOD in Taking them away: And now he rises up to the Hight of Pi­ety, even under his oppressive Grief, and with an eleva­ted Voice he closes his Adoration with Blessing the Name of the LORD.

In this exalted Point of Piety he seems to act, not only above, but even contrary to the genuine Resent­ments of Nature; as to Bless the LORD who had just Taken away both his Estate and Children, and this in a very sudden, awful and aggravated Manner. One wou'd think—a low Submission to the Sovereign Hand and Will that smote him, was as much as genuine Pie­ty wou'd require or dispose him to. But immediately to Bless the SEVERE BEREAVER!—How can heavy Sor­row and chearful Blessing rise from the same Heart and Mouth together? Surely some heavenly Rays of Light must shine into his gloomy Mind; and he must have those opening Views of GOD, as made him for a while forget his Sorrows, and fill'd his Soul with Consolations.

A Mystery this seems to the carnal World: But a Scene the Sanctified are no Strangers to: They often see it; they clearly understand it; and they can easily un­fold it to one another. Their Graces work in every Passion and Affection: Their believing Views of GOD will easily set them all a moving: when their Views of GOD are lively, their Graces and Affections grow live­ly too: And a single View of his transcendent Glory in the Face of CHRIST and of their Covenant Interest in Him; one such View as Job—when he said, I know that MY REDEEMER liveth, will in a Moment raise the Heart from the Depths of Sorrow and Mourning, above all the Views of Creatures, to the Heights of Joy and Praise.

Some such View of GOD as this, it seems was given to Job, while under his oppressing Grief he is bowing down and worshipping his DIVINE CORRECTOR. [Page 15] While this pious Man is viewing and owning the Hand of GOD in Giving and Taking away, humbling himself before HIM, and bowing his Will to the Divine Plea­sure; he gains that exalted View of GOD, which moves him to break forth and Bless his Name.

And indeed a low Submission to the Sovereign GOD in dark and trying Dispensations, is the very next Door to Joy and Transport. Their great Design is to sub­due the Will to his. The more hard the Trial, the more compleat the Conquest: And the more compleat the Conquest, the more submissive and calm the Soul; the turbulent Passions layed; the End of the Trial accomplished; and the peaceful and humble Soul pre­pared for those amiable and raised Views of GOD in CHRIST, and especially as Ours, which will excite our Joy and move to Bless him.

How can the Soul disturbed with unsubmissive Pas­sions under his afflictive Hand, have amiable Appre­hensions of him? It is indeed the Want of these Ap­prehensions that make and keep us unsubmissive. He is in one Scheme of Prospect, and we in another: We are presumptuously ready to think that ours is better, and to prefer our Wisdom to his; or imagine he is not so kind or merciful as we wou'd have him to be, or as we are Ourselves: And these are some of the principal Grounds of our Dissatisfaction or Quarrelling with HIM. O that a diminutive Creature of his, infinitely inferior to HIM in Understanding and Goodness, should be so horridly arrogant and audacions!—

But when we come to have such high Apprehensions of Him, as to silence our complaining Thoughts and still our rolled Passions; the Soul subsides into a pleas­ing Calmness and Serenity, a humble Satisfaction with his holy Will and Hand: The very Sense of such a Submissiveness, Serenity and Satisfaction in us, will raise our inward Gladness for this Grace bestowed, and move our Souls and Tongues to Bless him. And then in such a State of inward Peace, there's nothing to prevent us [Page 16] from rising higher in our Views of GOD: But even those Contemplations of him which give us such a pleasing Satisfaction in his grievous Dealings with us, will incline our Minds to the more intentive Contem­plations on him: And the more we view him, the more we shall discover of his transcendant Excellence, and the higher will our Pleasure rise, to excite our Thankfulness and Praises.

Now, we see his glorious Sovereignty, his absolute Authority, his unlimited Dominion, his unspotted Ho­liness, his unblemished Justice, his unerring Wisdom, his universal Providence, his boundless Goodness, his inviolable Truth, his perpetual Mindfulness of his well­ordered Covenant, his punctual Faithfulness to fulfil it to us; in short, his absolute Unchangeableness, Eter­nity and All sufficiency to be our perfect satisfying and endless Portion: We see such an infinite Fulness of Glory and Blessedness in him, and such an infinite Free­ness to communicate of them to us through CHRIST the Mediator; that we intirely close in with him, we most highly admire and love him, we rejoice in his Glory and Happiness; we praise him for all that he is in himself, and for all that he does in the World; we wish him only to be what he is, and to do whatever he is pleased to do; we wish his Will may be the perpe­tual Rule of all his Actions; we wish his Designs may be for ever accomplished; we wish him to fulfil his most wise and universal Scheam, without the Omission of the smallest Branch or the least Iota; and we wish his Glory may be the End of all: Yea we are intirely satisfied, that all these Things shall be; we intirely acquiesce, rejoice and praise him; and to him we free­ly yield the Dominion, Power and Glory of all for ever.

This it is to Bless the Name of the LORD: And to these high Flights of Faith and Piety should we la­bour to rise, even in our most sore Bereavements, and in his darkest Dispensations.

[Page 17]For whatever be the outward Appearance of Things in this present State of Probation; yet the most Glori­ous GOD is still ever the same: He is now as Holy, Righteous, Gracious, Wise and Faithful, in all the see­ming Disorders of this lower World, as in all the Or­der and Blessedness of the Heavenly Places. The pre­sent dark, mysterious Dispensation is only to exercise and try our Faith and Patience: And when these are sufficiently tried, improv'd and brightened, we shall then be exalted into the clear Vision; where all these puzling Mysteries will open fully to the ravished Soul, to its superabundant Recompence for all its present Pains and Perplexities, and to its endless Entertainment, Admiration and Satisfaction. What I do (said CHRIST to Peter) Thou knowest not Now, but Thou shalt know Hereafter, Joh. xiii. 7. And the inspir'd Apostle tells us, 1 Cor. xiii. 12. For now we see through a Glass darkly, (or in a Riddle, as the Original signifies) But then Face to Face: Now I know in Part, But then I shall know even also as I am known.

Thus have we made a few Reflections on the anci­ent and becoming Example here exhibited, for our Instruction and Direction in our sore Bereavements. A great Number of other Particulars might be obser­ved: But the Subject is very copious, and the Heads we have mentioned are comprehensive of them.

And now for such an IMPROVEMENT as these Things wou'd lead us to. It wou'd easily spread into various Branches: But the Sum of them all may be reduced to This—

Let us Labour in our Bereavements to Go and Do so likewise.

And in Order to such a Behaviour, here we see the great Necessity of Faith, even that vital Faith which is from a Divine Operation, and of the lively Exercise thereof in our Contemplations on the Blessed GOD in the Times of our Bereavements. For 'tis this Faith in [Page 18] Exercise that gives our Souls the Evidence of HIM who is invisible. It gives the evident Discovery of his in­visible Glories in the Face of CHRIST, to the contemp­lating Mind: And when we come to see them, they will raise our Souls above our most pressing Sorrows, they will fill us with Contentment in Him: Yea they will inspire with Joy; they'l make the Soul exult, break forth in Praise and Bless his Name.

And the more mysterious and dark his Providences, the more we need to raise our Minds from Things be­low to the believing Contemplations of this Highest and most Glorious Being. When we look on Things Below, a thick and melancholly Darkness encompasses us about, which affects our Minds with Sorrow and sinks them in Dejection: But when we look up to GOD, and fix our Eyes on him, as he appears in CHRIST; we see in him a glorious Light, to chear our Spirits and raise them up to a perfect Satisfaction in him. He was absolutely happy from Eternity without any Creature; and surely in HIM we may be happy also, though be­reaved of every other Being. He need only unvail his Glories in the Face of CHRIST, to convince us of it and make us feel it. All Things in Earth and Heaven are nothing to him: As we come to know him, we clearly see it: And the more we know him, the less we esteem the most lovely Creatures in Comparison with him, and the higher we rise in our Admirations of him, and grow in Happiness.

In fine, by the lively Exercise of Faith in the Con­templations of him, we bring the delightful Vision of his Glories into our Minds; he opens them to us, to our Wonder and Complacency; we come even here into the sensible Enjoyment of him; we come into a satisfying Experience of our Interest in him; and our Hearts and Tongues can Bless and Praise him in the Loss of all Things here below.

Such a noble Flight the aspiring Asaph rose unto, and such a Satisfaction he exulted in, when he cried out [Page 19] aloud as in Psal. lxxiii. 25, 26. My Heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my Reins—Nevertheless, I am con­tinually with Thee: Thou hast holden me by my Right-Hand: Thou shalt guide me by thy Counsel, and afterward receive me to Glory. Whom have I in Heaven but Thee? And there is none upon Earth that I desire besides Thee! my Flesh and my Heart faileth; but GOD is the Strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever.

To such a Flight of Faith should we aspire, when bereav'd of the dearest of our Earthly Comforts, whe­ther it be of a Father, a Mother, a Wife, a Husband, a Brother, a Sister, a Son or a Daughter; the Two last of which were in the grievous Case of Job, when he made this humble Acknowledgment and Blessed the Name of the LORD.

And in the Taking away of our Children, we have more especial Reason to Bless him; when he has made them amiable and delightful, in their natural Constitu­tions, acquir'd Endowments, and wise Behaviour.

When he has given us Children of a lively and plea­sant Spirit, a calm and even Mind, a clear Understand­ing, an easy Apprehension, a ready Memory, an inge­nious Disposition: More especially when in the for­ming of their natural Constitution, he has given a great Measure of common Grace: By which I mean, a sweet, mild and kind Temper; a tender and honest Heart, Gentleness, Meekness, Modesty, Humility; a Tho't­ful Mind, a Thirst for Knowledge, an Aptness to ob­serve and learn, and a respectful Readiness to obey their Parents: And most of all, when growing up, he has not only restrain'd them from Youthful Sins and Follies, made them serious and considerate, discreet and cir­cumspect, cautious of offending others; but also exci­ted their Thoughtfulness about their Souls and Eter­nity, and given the lively Signs of sanctifying Grace; which in its genuine Exercise is the Height of Loveliness on Earth, will grow to Glory in Heaven, and render [Page 20] them most lovely in the Eyes of Saints, Angels and CHRIST, for ever.

When he has Given us such a Child as This, though mortal, for a transient Season, and to expire before us; He undeservedly and highly favours us, and we have additional Cause to Bless Him, though he takes it away.

And this brings me to the known Occasion of this Discourse, the Death of my Dear and eldest Daughter: On which Account I have abundant Reason, not only to bow down with low Humility and mourn my Great Loss, the awful Frown of GOD therein, and my Sins among the provoking Causes of so heavy a Stroke; but also to say with Job, and O that I might say it in a sutable Manner — The LORD hath Given, and the LORD hath Taken away; Blessed be the Name of the LORD.— To Bless Him in Giving so dear a Creature, who has been so Great a Part of the Delight of my House these Twenty Years, seem'd easy while she was continued with us: But to Bless Him now upon Taking Her away in the Flower of Life;— I find it difficult, above the Power of Nature, I need the Grace of Job to do it, and for this I earnestly desire your Prayers.

You have from her Childhood seen her grave Beha­viour in this House of GOD and other Places. You have generally known her Character, and have suffici­ently given it; especially in her Sickness, at her Fu­neral, and in your common Discourse. I need not therefore give it to this Assembly. And I am more e­specially restrained, not only by my near Relation, but also by what she spake to me one Morning early and alone about three or four Days before she Died: Said she, with all the Emotions of a grieved Heart, ‘Dear Father! I have been told, you speak to People in my Commendation: I beg you wou'dn't! I am a poor miserable Sinner! I don't deserve to have one Word said in my Favour! Pray Sir don't! I beg you wou'dn't.’ You can't think how Grievous it is to me!

[Page 21]On these Accounts I must forbare her Character: Or I might truly represent it in an amiable. Light, for the Excitation of the Children now before me: Or if I were to say, I had just now drawn it; her Acquain­tants would reply; ‘I might have justly said a great Deal more, and should Bless the Name of the LORD.’

But because GOD's Dealings with Her both before and in her Sickness have been so remarkable; I can't but think it will be for his Glory and your Advantage, to present you with some Relation of them. In which I shall chiefly show her great Infirmities, and the surpri­zing Display of his Sovereign Grace and Power in her last Extremity.

It was on Dec. 23. 1723, when He Gave her to me: And just about ten Months after, He first threatened to take Her away. This was one of the most distressing Seasons both with my Family and this Congregation. For at the very same Time lay exceeding ill, both She and her only Brother, and also your Rev. Senior Pastor: And they were all apprehended in Danger. But the merci­ful GOD was pleas'd to hear our Cries, and spare them all for near Twenty Years together. I mention this to put us in Mind of our great Obligations, and excite our Praises.

As she grew up, he was pleas'd to restrain her from youthful Vanities, to make her serious, and move her to study the BIBLE and the best of Authors both of Histo­ry and Divinity: Among the latter of which, Dr. Watts and Mrs. Row's Writings were very agreeable and familiar to Her. The SPIRIT of GOD was also pleas'd to work on her Heart by, Dr. Sewall's Mini­stry, for whom she had a high Esteem, and by other Means of Grace: Especially when she came to be a­bout Fourteen Years of Age; ‘convincing and hum­bling her (as in a Paper of hers she represents it) of all her Sins both Original and Actual, of their Great­ness and Heinousness, and of her Need of a SAVI­OUR; [Page 22] enabling her, as she hoped, to repent of her Sins and forsake them; to look on CHRIST as a compleat Redeemer; to renounce her own Righteousness, and depend on his only; and making her willing to accept Him as offer'd in the Gospel, as her Prophet, Priest and King, to instruct, intercede for and rule over Her.’

Upon this she was desirous of Renewing her Cove­nant in Publick, and coming up to all his Ordinances: But Apprehensions of her own Unworthiness and Fears of Eating and Drinking Judgment to herself, discou­rag'd and prevented her; till July 18. 1739, when she narrowly escaped being drowned in her Father's Bo­some. For as I had just received her into my Arms in a Boat, in Order to go aboard a Vessel in the Harbour bound to her Uncle Denny's at Arrowsick; the Boat shear'd off, and I fell back with her into the Salt Water Ten foot Deep, with which she was almost fill'd; and we Both continued under it out of Sight of her Bro­ther and second Sister looking on for about a Minute. And if a Couple of Strangers from Connecticut had not been Providentially near at Hand to reach Her quickly; in a Minute or two more she had been past Recovery. But now she lived Five Years and two Days longer.

Being affected with this great Danger and Delive­rance, she seem'd to be further awakened and stirred up to her Duty of Devoting Herself to her DIVINE PRESERVER, of walking in all his Commandments, and living to his Glory. And in Consequence of this, at her own Motion, she was on Lordsday the 5th of the following Month, Propounded; and the 19th Publickly Gave Herself to GOD in Covenant, and came into full Communion with us.

When Mr. Whitefield came and preached in the Fall of the Year ensuing; she, with Multitudes of Others, was excited to a livelier View of Eternity, to a greater Care of her immortal Soul, to a stricter Search into [Page 23] Herself, and a more earnest Labour after vital Piety and the Power of Godliness, and to make them more the Business of her Life. And how such Experimental and Searching Writers as Mr. Shepard of Cambridge, Mr. William Guthry of Scotland, Mr. Flavel and Mead of England, Mr. Stoddard of North-Hampton and Mr. Ma­ther of Windsor in New-England, &c, were more dili­gently read and highly valued.

She now suspected all her former Experiences; that her Heart remain'd unrenewed, and that she had not rightly received CHRIST; until Dec. 13. 1740: When on a Day of Private Prayer and Fasting, those Divine Passages were set home with surprizing and overcoming Power on her distressed Soul in Mat. viii. Mark i, and Luke v. And there came a Leper to Him, full of Lepro­sy, who seeing JESUS, fell on his Face and besought Him, saying, ‘ LORD, if Thou WILT, Thou CANST make me clean:’ And JESUS moved with Compassion, put forth his Hand, and touched Him, and saith unto Him, ‘ I WILL!—Be Thou clean!’ And as soon as He had spoken, immediately, the Leprosy departed from Him, and He was cleansed. With those Passages of Grace, there came into her such a sweet and raised View both of the Power, Willingness and Will of this Dear REDEEMER, to cleanse her from the Leprosy of Sin and save Her; as to satisfy her of it, and draw her to him in such a Manner as she never felt before. And she told her younger Sister, that if ever she rightly embraced the SAVIOUR and was converted; she thought it was at that happy Season. Tho' this I never knew 'till since her Funeral: it being one of her Infirmities to be too reserved.

Whether she had any particular Apprehension of the Shortness of her Life, I cannot tell: But GOD who knew it, seem'd to put Her on Redeeming her Time, and ea­gerly improving Opportunities of Hearing his Word both Publickly and Privately, in Season and out of Season, and in the stormiest Weather, as if she had — [Page 24] and every Opportunity wou'd be the last. Some Peo­ple blam'd Her, as being over-diligent and eager: But she had Salvation and Eternity in View, went on steadi­ly without regarding such Suggestions, seemed to grow dead to the present World, and to mind nothing so much as to make her Calling and Election sure.

Mr. Tennent's searching Preaching raised in Her, as in many Others, a great and constant Jealousy of being Deceived: And upon every spiritual Declension, a Cloud of Darkness overwhelm'd her and inclin'd her to judge she was. His insisting also that without sanc­tifying Grace, our BLESSED SAVIOUR gives none a Right to Partake at his Table, occasioned her much Perplexity. For from thence she argued; that unless she knew she had sanctifying Grace, she cou'd not knowshe had a Right: And to Partake without knowing she had a Right, would be not to Partake in Faith, but in Presumption, and this she had no Right to do. And hence when Doubts of her State of Grace arose, she dare not Participate; but onty attended with Desire, and I believe with deep Regret and Self-abasement. So though her Jealousies and Fears were troublesome; I am apt to think they were useful; not only to make her Look more into and see herself, and make her more broken, humble, and careful, but also excite her Prayers and Labours after livelier Degrees of Grace and the clearer Evidence of it.

Sometimes she had Light and Comfort: But I think oftner otherwise. And this seem'd to be another Infir­mity; that she was afraid of Comfort, lest it belong'd not to her, and she should be thereby deluded. For I think she should have humbly received every Comfort which the Sovereign GOD by the Scriptures offered her; to excite her Thankfulness, Love, Praise and Zeal, En­couragement to go on in her Christian Course, and Care to guard against ungrateful Negligence and Security.

In her lively and pleasant Frames she wrote down her happy Idaeas, and they were her choicest Writings; [Page 25] But afterwards in a Time of Decay she burnt them: And the Reason she gave to an intimate Companion and one of the Female Society to which she join'd for the most indearing Exercise of social Piety, was, be­cause, in Case she should be suddenly taken away, her Friends would think Her to be as Good as those Writ­ings represented.

But I now come to her Sickness.

On Tuesday, May 29, she was seized on a sudden with a slow Fever: And upon going up to her Cham­ber drop'd a Word, as if she should never come down alive.

From the Beginning she was much more apprehen­sive of Danger than any else: And though concerned about her Soul; yet complained of her Stupidity, Hard­ness of Heart, Blindness of Mind, Impenitence and Un­belief; censuring and condemning herself of all Good, denying she had any sanctifying Grace, but judging she had been deceiving Herself with the counterfeit Re­semblance of it.

Her Fever continued without Intermission for about a Month: And then becoming Hectical, persevered with some small Abatements in the former Part of the Day; and then rising higher in the Afternoons and Nights to a terrible Degree until she expired.

Though she had several surprizing Turns when she thought she was Dying; yet I saw no very dangerous Symptoms 'till Lord's-Day, July 1, at my Returning Home from the Afternoon Exercise: when she was grown so ill that we apprehended she was hastening to her great Change, and her Mother thought Herself o­bliged in Faithfulness to tell her our Apprehension. Upon which she thank'd her for the Kindness; but quickly fell into great Distress in the awakening Views of a near Eternity and her being unprepared for it. With Agony she cried — ‘O I am just going into E­TERNITY! And I have no Interest in CHRIST, and I can't Submit, I can't Believe! O what shall I do! [Page 26] O Dear Sir, What shall I do! &c.’ I told Her, ‘There was no other Way, but to condemn Herself at the Foot of the Allsufficient and compassionate REDEEMER, and there to lie and die imploring the Mercy he offered; and if she did so, I believ'd He would in no wise cast her off or let her perish.’— It would brake a Heart of Stone to hear her! And O the Horror of that Night! It was one of the most distress­ing I ever knew!

We were afraid of her Dying all that Night. When I was obliged to leave her that she might get some Rest, I ordered the Watcher, as at other Times, to call me, if there should be any Alteration: And when I came to Her early in the Morning, I found her ex­ceeding ill, weakened and discouraged; and that being restless she had not slept a Wink, being afraid of clos­ing her Eyes, least she should suddenly open into E­ternity. But after some Discourse and Prayers, she was perswaded to resign Herself into the Arms of JE­SUS, composed herself to rest, and slept: And upon a­waking was a little refreshed; which I improv'd to en­courage her.

However, her awful Darkness still continued. And though I reasoned with her about her former Experience, yet all in vain. ‘O Dear Father, (said she) you have better Apprehensions of me than you should have: You don't know what a vile Creature I am: I have dreadfully apostatized from CHRIST, have grown ex­ceeding negligent of religious Duties, and was return­ing to the World again.’ I told her, we did not perceive it; that I could not see those Decays she spoke of, to be inconsistent with a regenerate State, though they were Matter of deep Abasement, and she should have a Care she denied not the gracious Work of GOD within Her. ‘She beg'd me not to speak to her nor Pray for her as a converted Person, but as a wretched, unconverted Sinner; who had closed with CHRIST from meerly sensitive and selfish Motives, as Fear [Page 27] of Hell, and not from the highest Apprehension and Love of HIM as most desireable to see and enjoy.’

I told Her CHRIST as a compassionate Saviour had revealed Hell to us on Purpose, that we might be afraid of it, and by the Fear be mov'd to fly to him to save us from it; and this must therefore be a dutiful Com­pliance with his gracious Purpose; that this Kindness in discovering Hell, with his Concern and Willingness to save us from it, is a Part of his Amiableness, for which we ought to love and embrace him; though we should indeed be excited also with the higher Motives of his Personal Excellencies: But by her former Expe­rience, it seem'd to me, she had closed with him from the Views of these as well as the other. — ‘She could not deny that she had sometimes thought so; but could see nothing of his Loveliness now, and conclu­ded she had been deceived.’

I also argued from her Love to the House and Word of GOD, and to his People and Ministers; from her peculiar Love to Those whom she apprehended to be most eminent for vital Piety; especially those Mini­sters who most laid open the Hypocrisy of the Hearts of Men, who made the Hypocrites and Formalists the most uneasy, and were most zealous for the Power of Godliness: From her bitter Mourning we were Wit­nesses of for the Loss of the Rev. Mr. Cooper, though she was neither related to, nor acquainted with Him any otherwise than by a diligent Hearing his Lectures; but only because of his Eminence in Piety, Preaching, and Activity in Promoting the Doctrines of Grace, the Conversion of Sinners, Edification of Converts, and therein the Cause of CHRIST: ^† As also from [Page 28] her Choice of pious Companions, and other hopeful Signs of Grace: But all to no Purpose. And though the Rev. Dr. Sewall likewise laboured to resolve her Scruples, we found that none but the AL­MIGHTY Himself could do it: Though we believed her to be a Child of GOD, yet if HIS SPIRIT did not witness with her Spirit that she was so, she could not see it, nor could we help her to the View, and to Him we were oblig'd to leave it. Dr. Sewall observing to me, from his former Acquaintance with her, that if she shou'd die in Darkness, we should have good Ground to hope, that GOD had given her Grace and wou'd take her to Glory.

I then chang'd the Tenor of my discoursing from Day to Day: And supposing she were not converted, repre­sented her Case as indeed very dreadful, but not as de­sperate: And at several Times, as she was through grievous Illness able to bear, endeavoured to set before her the infinite Fountain of Mercy and Grace in GOD; how this Fountain is open, free, and eternally overflow­ing thorough CHRIST even to the chief of Sinners; how he delights in overflowing; how He thereby glo­rifies every Person in the Godhead, both FATHER, SON, and SPIRIT; and how he would be so far from loosing any Glory, that he would glorify more of his Perfecti­ons in Forgiving and Saving her, than in Rejecting and Damning her. I endeavoured also to set before her the wondrous Pity, Condescension, Offices, Humiliation, Suf­ferings, Sacrifice, Righteousness, Merits, Exaltation, Glo­ry, Power, Grace, Calls and Promises of CHRIST; how touched with a Fellow-Feeling of her Infirmities and Mi­series; how tenderly compassionate; how open his Arms; how earnestly inviting and intreating; how ready to receive her, bestow his Righteousness on her, intercede for and reconcile her to the HOLY GOD: That one sin­gle Intercession of his would save her Eternally: He need only say, 'O DIVINE FATHER! Here is a poor guilty, wretched, perishing and rained Sinner; for my [Page 29] Sake be reconciled to her;' and GOD would be recon­ciled immediately, that very Moment: That CHRIST only waited for her coming towards him; and as the Father of the Prodigal, he would even run immediate­ly to meet and embrace her, intercede for and reconcile her, yea bestow HIMSELF, his SPIRIT and all his Bene­fits and Graces on her.

She would reply—'O she could not come to CHRIST, 'she could not trust in Him, she could not believe, &c. I told her, If she thought she could not come to him, nor towards him; He was come to her; He was come in shewing her, her Sin, Danger, perishing Con­dition and absolute Necessity: He had done abundant­ly for her already and was ready to do infinitely more: He was now at Hand, and looked on her; and she need only look up to Him, and he would interceed and save her: Or if he had given her a Heart to cast Her­self down at his Feet, and resolve if she perish'd, she would perish There: I believ'd He would never let her perish There: He must have infinitely more Mercy than the Bowels of her own Father for her. ‘O but this Heart of mine (she said) is hard, and my Mind is blind, and I can do nothing.’ I told her, that to feel her utter Impotence and lost Condition, and con­demn Herself at the Foot of the REDEEMER, was the Gospel-Way to receive both Saving Strength and Righ­teousness from Him: What could she wish for more than those most gracious Words in 1 Cor. xi. 31. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. ‘She seem'd resolv'd to lie at his Feet, though she pe­rish'd There:’ But no Ray of Light or Comfort — nor was she able to Submit to Dye, 'till Death ap­peared.

My Dear People, You must needs be sensible of the great Distress of a Father's Heart, putting his Soul in her Soul's Place, for so many Weeks together.

Incessant Prayers were made for her both in Publick and Private by her Relatives and pious Acquaintants [Page 30] who dearly loved her: But they all till the last half Hour of her Life seem'd unanswer'd.

Some were perswaded GOD would not remove her, till he gave her Light and Peace and Joy in Believing. And these two Things especially, were Matter of Thank­fulness, of Hope and Comfort to us: (1.) That GOD was pleas'd to continue to her all along, when she was quite awake, the clear Exercise of her Understanding; as also great Calmness and Composure, unless now and then in some sudden Apprehension of Dying: (2.) That he was also pleased to enable her constantly to bare his Hand, with Meekness, Patience and Humility; condemning and abasing herself, and Justifying him; yea almost continually, upon the smallest Instances of Bodily Relief, or Kindness of others, tenderly repea­ting it— O how Good is GOD!—O how Good is GOD!—And so running up every Comfort to HIM.

But in such perplexing Darkness she continued 'till Friday July 20 about Sunset, when with Surprize she entered the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

About 5 in the Afternoon, I was hastily called up, and found her in great Distress for Want of Breath: And no Doubt she was actually Dying, though it was hid­den from me. I first ask'd her, ‘If she was yet ena­bled to Resign to the Dispose and Arms of CHRIST?’ She Replied— She hoped she was in a great Measure: Which was more than I had yet heard from her. Af­ter Prayer and some Discourse, she was a little reliev'd, and we left her to compose herself to Sleep. But sleep­ing a few Minutes; about 6, she waked in the strong Agonies of Death, and was in great Agonies all the while Dr. Sewall was Praying, and the Physician was with Her: But Blessed be GOD, in her full Senses.

When they had left her I told her, the Physician said he could do no more: And we must resign her to the Arms of Mercy. Upon this she surprizingly and calm­ly compos'd herself to Die: But now had no Strength to speak; and her Breath failing, she shut her Eyes, [Page 31] and seem'd to be dying away. And now was the most dismal Time of all!— To see her depart in Darkness, without any Gleam of Light or Comfort!—And look­ing on her, I said; ‘Dear Child! we shall never hear her speak one Word more!’

O the Distress in the Room!— But in the Hight thereof, while I was holding her Arm in my Hands; in 3 or 4 Minutes, to our great Surprize, she opened her Eyes: And recovering a small Measure of Breath, with an inward interrupted Speech, through great Dif­ficulty for Want of Breath and Strength, she had just Time to whisper to me in a new Language; which she expressed with great Earnestness, exerting herself to the utmost, and so as to be plainly heard by 4 or 5 who were nearest to her.—' O I love the LORD JESUS with all my Heart! I see such an Amiableness, such an AMIABLE­NESS in Him; I prize Him above a Thousand Worlds! All the Delights and Pleasures of the World are nothing to HIM! I ask'd her, If she could now Resign Herself to his Arms? She replied— O Yes! I Believe in Him! I Rejoice in Him! And I rejoice in all the Agonies I have borne! And tell the young People of it: Tell such a one, and such a one, and such a one, and all the Society, for the strengthening their Faith and their Encouragement to go on! Tell such a one, Not to mind the Vanities of the World, but seek to make her Hope stronger. Tell such a one, To live near [...] to GOD, and live nearer to Him: Tell such a one, Not to be so careful about worldly Mat­ters, but to be more careful after CHRIST and Grace. And having deliver'd the like pithy, pertinent and pa­thetick Messages for 5 others, I then ask'd her—'Well my Dear Child! What have you to say to me?' O Sir, said she, that you may be more fervent in your Ministry, and in exhorting and expostulating with Sinners!

All the while she said these Things in the burning Exercise of Love to CHRIST and Souls, I felt the strong Convulsions and trembling Agonies of Death in her Arm: and as soon as ever she had finished her said Wish [Page 32] for me, finding her Life a going, she had only so much Breath remaining as just to say— and now LORD JESUS! Receive my Spirit! and letting her Head fall back and dying away, we Prayed; and while we were in Prayer Resigning her Soul to JESUS, she without a Groan or Sob breathed it into his Bosom.

I repeated her Words as she deliver'd them, so as the Rest in the Room might know them: And never did I see so much Distress, especially round a dying Bed, on a sudden turn into so much Joy. I could scarce have thought it possible before, that a Father, a Mo­ther, a Brother and Sisters, could have been so trans­ported in the expiring Moments of one so near and dear to them.

O the mighty Power of GOD! O the Adorableness of his sovereign Pleasure! O the amazing Depths of his Wisdom! O the Wonders of his Pity and Grace! O the Tenderness and Loveliness of the Dear REDEE­MER! What irresistible Reason is here to admire and love and chuse and seek Him, and relinquish every Creature as Loss and Dross and Dung in Comparison with him! And O what enlivening Arguments are here, in the midst of the thickest Darkness, like the Belly of Hell, to hope and wait to the latest Breath of Life, for Mercy and Salvation!

Never let a poor, disconsolate Soul from this Time despair in the Mercy and Power of GOD; while it feels nothing else but Guilt and Filth, and Impotence and Wretchedness and Ruin within itself.

O the Glory and Divinity of the true Religion of the the Blessed JESUS! To see even a feeble, tender, dark and self-condemned Soul, patiently and meekly baring all the Anguishes of a constant Fever, with its restless Nights, accompanied with Fears of Death and Eternal Misery, for 7 Weeks and a Half together; humbly justifying the Holy GOD, and continually admiring his Goodness to her: And after all her earnest Desires of Life, that she might have a further Season of making sure of a [Page 33] happy Eternity, 'till she came into the Agonies of Death; yet then at once to lose her Fears, and even Rejoice in those very Agonies; yea chiefly to employ her few expiring Moments in expressing her dying Con­cern for their Salvation who were outliving her:— Is this in the Power of Nature, or of any meer Creature? Or is it not the clearest Evidence of a Power Divine, a bright Display of the Excellence of CHRIST, and his Religion, and a pleasing Demonstration of its happy Reality.

O what abundant Cause for all her Relatives and Friends, yea for the People of GOD who have heard of her Darkness and have pitied and prayed for her; now to Thank and Praise him, and to encourage themselves and others to seek and hope in him for the Time to come!

O what unrepliable Reasons for her nearest Friends and Relatives to submit entirely to the Sovereign, righ­teous, holy and bereaving Hand of GOD, especially when ending with such a Smile of Mercy! But alas! I find my latent Enmity to GOD too often rising in se­cret Dissatisfactions with his Dealings towards me, a­gainst the strongest Reasons and the highest Obligati­ons! O the Enmity of the Heart to GOD! And it may be none may so clearly see it, or so much sus­pect it, 'till they fall under powerful Convictions, or come to be tried with some very afflicting Providence.

My Dear People! With my most affectionate Thankfulness for your tender Pity and Kindness to us under this heavy Affliction, and your great Respect to the Dear Deceased; I desire your Prayers, that we may be supported, sanctified, comforted and quickened; that we may so behave ourselves in such a trying Dis­pensation, as to Glorify GOD; and so improve it, as to get and live in an habitual and actual Readiness for Death and Eternity. For me in particular that I may be excited to more earnest Labours for your eternal Salvation; May be enabled to answer the affectionate [Page 34] Wish of my Dying Child; and that the SPIRIT of GOD may greatly quicken and prosper me, with my Dear and Rev. Colleague in the whole of our Ministry! And may the LORD abundantly Reward you both in spiri­tual and temporal Blessings: And in particular give both to you and yours the most desireable Light of his Countenance in your dying Moments.

But I can not tell how to end my Sermon without a plain Address to you all, in the particular Characters of Parents and Children, upon this Occasion.

1. To those who are Parents.

O both now and constantly consider, your Children have immortal Souls, but very frail and dying Bodies: That they are hastening to Death and Eternity: That their present Life is the only Time of Preparation for them, and this Time is utterly uncertain: That as GOD has graciously given them to you, He has com­mitted their most precious Souls to your special Care, He will require them of you, and now is the only Sea­son you are certain of, to labour in their Preparation for that Eternity and Judgment they are hastening to.

O! do you not love your Children? Do you not pity them under their temporal Afflictions? And are you not ready to do and suffer any Thing for their tempo­ral Comfort, which is but for a few uncertain Moments? And don't you love their immortal Souls? Don't you pity them under the terrible Wrath and Curse of GOD, and the destroying Power of Sin and Satan? And can you quietly see and let them go on in Sin or Vanity, or Neglect of CHRIST, and so down to Hell? Are any of you willing they should descend to that dreadful Place, and there among Devils and damned Wretches, for ever cry and curse you, for your cruel Negligence to save them from that Gulf of Horror.

If a Child of any among you be There already, or should be There hereafter through your Neglect; O how horrible the Guilt, how bitter the Reflection! And if you should be damned with them too; O what a [Page 35] horrid Welcome will they give you, when you go down to them into the Infernal Regions! and how in­sufferably upbraid you before the World in the long Day of Judgment, and the Eternity thereafter!

O therefore, now stir up yourselves to improve the present Time to secure them from endless Misery. Tell them of the glorious Perfections of GOD who made, upholds, defends them; gives them every Comfort; observes, disposes of and will surely judge them. Tell them of the Word of GOD, of his righteous, holy, spi­ritual and extensive Law; of the fearful Threatenings and Curses in it; of Death and Judgment, Heaven, Hell, Eternity. Tell them of their immortal Souls; of their Sinfulness, Guilt and Impotence; and of their condemned, dangerous and undone Condition. Tell them of the Nature and Necessity of Renovation by the HOLY SPIRIT; of the All-sufficiency and Wil­lingness of CHRIST to reconcile them to GOD and save them. Tell them who CHRIST is, and what He has done and suffered on Earth, and what He is Doing in Heaven for their Redemption and Eternal Blessedness. Do what you can to set him forth in all his Offices, his Benefits and Glories. Tell them of the Nature and Necessity of Repenting and Believing in Him. Put them on Reading the Holy Scriptures, and the most ex­perimental and searching Writers: In all appointed Ways endeavour to lead them to the Dear REDEEMER: And never cease to Pray and Labour, 'till you see his Image formed in them.

2. To you the Children both Younger and Elder.

O Dear Children! You plainly see, you may Dye in Youth; and when you Dye you go into Eternity. GOD has made you for Eternity; he will bring you to Eternity; and when to bring you to it, wholly depends on his Sovereign Pleasure. Your youngest Age, your greatest Strength and Health, your Merriment and Con­fidence, are no Security: nor can the Skill of the best Physicians, nor the Power of Medicines, nor your most [Page 36] piteous Cries, nor the most earnest Prayers of others, secure you from Death or Eternity in your early Days. But those of you who now think yourselves the furthest off, may be the nearest to them.

And O! If any of you should be surpriz'd this Week, or in any other, when you expect it not, with some fatal and distracting Sickness unprepared; O what can you then do? It pleased GOD indeed to give my Child the Exercise of her Understanding all the while: But O how many others are soon after they are taken, deprived of theirs? And this may be the Case with you. In the Name of CHRIST I warn you of it: And in his dear Name I warn you now to de­lay no longer, but now and from this Time forward do your utmost to consider and see your dreadful Sinful­ness and Danger; and look and seek and cry unceasing­ly to Him, to show them to you and by Renewing you to save you from them.

He sees you in all your Wretchedness: He pities you most tenderly: He is loth that you should perish: His Arms are open ready to embrace you: He by me now calls you to him: He calls aloud: He calls a­gain. O if he were here in Flesh; how kindly would he look upon you! How would he stretch his Hands out towards you! How would he call you with a Flood of Tears! How rejoice in seeing you moving towards Him! And how greatly would his Heart be grieved with your refusing to come to Him, that you might be saved and be his forever!

O will you at length now hear him? Will you now resolve that you'l slight him no longer? Will you now yield to his melting Calls? Will you now Reply— ‘O Dearest JESUS! I will slight Thee no more! I will deny Thee no longer! I am willing to be thine! I desire to be thine, and that Thou mayst be mine, in­tirely and for ever! O I look to Thee! I come to Thee! I try to come! I give myself to thee! Thou LORD JESUS, hast at last made me willing! Thou [Page 37] hast raised these Desires in me! And O now answer them! Now take me to be thine! O renew my Heart, and come into it, and dwell and reign in it as thine own for ever! And I will for ever Love and Praise Thee!’

To conclude his present Calls—If you thus comply, O then CHRIST is yours, and all his Benefits are yours, and Death is yours, and Heaven is yours, Eternity is yours, and GOD is yours; They are yours for ever.