Of EleClion. 455 leaning to, and fening up an other: for that Child whom thou neglectefi .~ or ufdt hard!y, may be he, or lhe, whom God pltcheth on as his; and Chap. 8. that Child which thou cockerefi, may be one by God refufed. While ~od~ reveals himfd f thus iAdcfinitely., thou art to look upon any one as Elect· and an ro bear thofe off~cl:tons and bowels towards it, that a Parent would have 10 on EleCt Child , though thou canfi not abfolutely fay it is holy, And as whiles it was an lufaot, we were to perform all Duties unroit, as to a Saint· fo afterwards, though yet it appears not to be ho!:y, we are to do the like' as to one EleCt. And wilt thou hate, or mifufe., where God may love,and love for thy fal<e too? How unworthy of you will fuch Carriages be, and willlikewi(e grieve you, when God lhall once manifefi his love to be fet up· on that Child , which thou hail fet thy felf againfi? God is no refpecter of Perfons, neither be thou of thy Children , fo as to dote on one, and neg. led the other, God has often m the ev.ent, exceedmgly checkt the Sins of Parents this way, and cbofen crofs to what their choice was: They have been for E{a11, and God bath been for .7tlto6; !fhey have been for a beau. tiful A6falom, and God hath been for Solomon: They have lookt with Flefhly Eyes ( as Sczmtu ! did) and thought Eliflb the Child of Election; and for him have all their Prayers run , becaufe of his Countenance and Stature; but God bath taught them not to look on the outward appearance : He hath been fo r ']),,vid, whom they have fet to keep their Sheep. Eve had a Promife of the Mef!iah, and fhe thought Cai" the Man in whom it fhould be fulfilled : So fame interpret that Speech, Gmef; 4· 1. [I have gottnJ a Mfln, or [the .Man J the promifed Seed, from the Lord] however it implies fame fingular hopes lhe had of him; who yet proved the E;ldefi Son of Reprobation, and the Murderer of his Brother: But Abet, he was Godly, and after him, Seth. which fh~ws , that Gcd judgetl1 not as Man j•dgeth , I may fay as God f•id by Matflcht, M at. 2. r6. about htlli1J$_ their Wives; take heed therefore to ) 'OUr Spirits , dea! 1JOt treacherot~jly or unequally with any of your Children, for they are yours, and may be Gods. He car• ries it thus indefinitely and covertly on purpofe that you fhould perform your Duties alike to all; Not but that outward appearanees may draw out the heart, and have in a proportion their due of love , fuch love as Beauty, Wit, good Nature, f!5c. f yield that there is an allowance given to Parents to affect Child.ren for fuch refpects, as being Objects more pleali~g , and love at· tra.cting : Yet fo , as not to fway the Heart to a partial carriage to· wards them; only they may be allowed as a few Grains to incline the Ballance a little more. But toot fame other Child who pleafeth not thy Fancy and Nature fa well, is thy Child too , and fo may be Gods Child, and that becaufe he is thine, and in refpect to thee: And that give~ the Subfiantial weight that lhould keep the Scale of the Ballance everi towards him. God peradventure loves him for thy fake , and wilt not thou love him for Gods fake? What crolfnefs , and umhankful· nefs would this prove towards God ? SixthVfe, to fuch Parems as cam~ not of Godly PHents and yet are Godly themfclves ; they may here fee their Priviledge ; they may be the foundation of a Noble Family : And what an Honour is that? ·ris a great Promifo, that in lfai, 58, · 12. they that jba/J be of thee fba/J bttitd the old waft places , thou fhatt be the Formd,ztion of mfl· "J'. Ge~uratioiJs, And it is a g'cat honour to rhee .ro be the Firfl: of thy Houfe , as it was to Abrtlham , and to 'DaVJd ; and as It ts mentioned as an honour to Loi<, by 'Paul, 2 Tim. 1. 5• the Faith which tlwe!t [ firR J in thy Gr,mdmother Lois: Who likewife makerh the like honourable mention of fome that were the fir(/ fmits of A· chaia , and of being the Root to Brm:ches , &c. Amon!l Men what an honour is it to be the foundation of a Hou(e? They affeCt , and afpire to nothing more : The firfi, being· always made famous by his Succelfors, as ()ttomaiJ by his Houfe, Cofnw dt Medias by his, e!>c. So did that Romm: e!leem of it , who being upbraided with his mean Extuction by a D e· bauch't
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