member his d.1ys , to for~et our forrowes? No fooner had he learnt to fpeak, but (contrary to our cul1omc 1 he bctook _htm to hts prayers: fo foon ha .• grace quelled t he corruption of hts nature, that bemg_yet an Infant ,1Y?U mtght fee hts proneffe to learn. nay fomeumcs to teach them thts duty, who watted on to teach hnn hts de– votio~: not long after he was fee to fchool, where he learned by book , what before he had learned by heart: the fweet care, good dtfpofitton, fincere Reltgwn , which were in this child, all may remember which call: but thetr eyes upon htm. 0 God, how hall: thou bereaved us of this Gem? Sure it is (as it was faid of another) for this caufe oncly, that it might fhine in HeAven. But this was butthe beginning of his dayes, now they are pall, they have been.] . . Go a little further, we left hnn at fchool, but now learned he Chnff, ar~d htm cru- 'Cor. 2 . 2 cifted? this was the knowledge taught him by the Spirit of God in a wonderful man~er: P[a!. 8. 2 Ottt ofthe mo;:ths ,f babes a11d fucklmgs haft thou,O God, ordamcdftrm~th. To conhder again his religious words, hts upnght achons,hts hearty devottons, hts fear of God,all then concluded, as they did of 'jahn, What manner ofchtldeJha/1 thu be ? No quelhon Lu~' 1 • 66. the grace of God was with him. If I fhould infl:ance m any of thefe , his frequency in Prayer, his reading of Scriptures, his reafoning with others to get knowledge to himfelf, we may wonder at Gods power in this childes poor weaknelfe: Excufe me while I tell nothing but truths, and I hope they will tend to our own infl:ruction. In the morning he would not fl:ir out of doors, before he had poured out his Pr~yers; at noon he would not eat any meat, before he had given the Lord thanks; at night he would not lie down on his bed, before he had kneeled down on his knee:; : we may remember thofe times, when fOJ:oetimes that he had forgotten this duty, no fooner had he been in bed, but up he would have got again, and fo kneeling down on his bare knees, covered with no garment but his linens, he would ask God forgivcnelfe for that finne of forgetfulndfe; neither have his brothers efcaped without his reprehenfion: for had they eat any meal or meat without a grace, his check was ufual: Dare you do thm? rmleffi: Ood be mcrcifd to ru, thi< bit ofbread may chu..k..m. The wife fentences, the religious words, which o£tcn dropt from his mouth like honey, can we remember them, and not grieve at the death of him that fpake them? What comfort had we in thofe dayes? \!Jhat forrow have we to think thofe dayes are done? they aregone, th.ey have been. · Thus he lived ; will you know how he died? Firfl: a lingring licknelfe feized upon him ; againll: which , to comfort him , one tells him of polfeffions that mufl: fall to his JlOrtion; A nd what are tbey .' (faid he) I had rather have thek.i"gdome of Heaven, than a thoufand fuch inJ,ritanccs. Thus he mindes Heaven; and God fo minding him, prefently fent him his ficknefs that fhould fummon him thither. And now how fhould I repeat his words, with the life that he fpakc them dying ? No (ooner had God fl:ruck his body with that fatal fickncffe, but he asks, aQ_d needs would know his fouls efl:ate: I haveheard of thef "ul,(faith he)but what i-' thefoul?the mind! hequell:ions,and qucfl:ioning anfwers, better (I fear) than many, too many gray-headed aniongfl: us; but the anfwer gtven, how the foul confifl:ed of the Will and the Underllanding, he fayes, he is fatisfied; and now ~tndc.-!7:an~s better than he did before. Another comes to him, and then h.e be– gms another quellton; now he knows the foul, he defires yet to know further, How hufmt! may befaved? 0 blelfed foul, how wifely couldfl: thou quefl:ion for thine own ~ouls good !_ The anfwer given, Byfaith applying Chrifts merits : he heard it, and had tt, anon tcllmg them, who before had taught it him. Refolved in thefe quefl:ions, he qne(h?ns no further, but will now anfwer them that go about to quellion him : One asks hnn, whether he had rather live or die -! he gives the anfwer, and not withont · PaHlsreoron; !de fire to die, (faid he) that I might go to my S~tviour. 0 bleffed Spirit, how dtdlt thou mfptre tnto thts chtlde thy wifdom and goodne!fe ! This done, his pain begms agatn to af!lict him, and this occafions another thus to quefl:ion him, whether he w.ould rather fhll endure thofe pains, or forfake his Chrifl:? Aifu (faid he) I b~1on> iM w"at to fay as a child,fo~ thefe pains might ftagger a jfro11g man : bttt !\will ffrive to mc!ure 't' beft l can. Upon thts he prefcntly calls to mind that Martyr, \Vho being in prifon, Thom Bilncjl the mght before hts burning, put his finger in the candle, to know how he could endttre t elite; 0, (fatd he) had !lived then, /would have rttn ;hroiiJh the fire to havegone to Chrift. Sweet rcfolution of a filly child! who can hear , and not wonder? wonder and n_ot defire to hear that he may wonder ftill; Blclfed child, hadfl: thou lived, tha; we tmght have wondrcd at thy wifdome! but his daycs were determined , and now is the
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