Children and Relationshow to be denied. 159 have a humorous, unreafonable love to one child above the reft without defert, or to a worfe before a better, this is but a carnal, felfifh Love. 3 Love %me but with a moderate love : fuch as fhall allow God and holinefs the preheminence ; fo that when you have the molt love for your Relations, you may have more for God, at leafr in the Eftimation , Refolution, Adhesion ofyour fouls to him, if not in the pafiionate part of Love. 4. See that you fubjea them to the Goverument ofChrifl : Labour towin all other relations to him : and devote your children to him betimes that they may be his as foon as yours. Whiles they have nowils of their own toufe,they are to choofe with your wils : that is you are to make choice for them. And therefore if you unfeignedly Dedicate them to God, you have fmall reafon t odoubt of his acceptance. This all parents do virtetally, that are Godly : For he that is him- felf devoted to God by fandification, doth with himfelf de- vote all that he hath, and virtually all that ever he fhall have. And ifhe underhand himfelf,hewill do it 4Eiteolly. And hence it is that the Seedof Believers (yea of one Believer) are laid to be Holy : Not only or cheifly becaufe they are yours, born of your bodies ; nor meerly from a promife of God, that bathno prefuppofed reafon from thefubjed : But becaufe theyare the children ofone that hath devoted himfelf, and all that he hath toGod ; and ifhe underftand himfelf, doth actu- ally offer, devote, and dedicate his child toGod in the folemn Baptifm, Ordinance and Covenant. And God will lureac- cept all that upon his own invitation is confecrated andoffered to him. 5. See that youfsibmit them heartily to the difpofe of God. So that whatever he do with them, for ficknefs or health, for povertyor riches, for honour or difhonour, for life or death, you can patiently bear it, and fay as Eli, It is the Lord, let him do feemeth himgood, i Sam. 3. 18. Murmur not if God afflict and take them away, even at once, as he did the fons of Job, or if hefhouldafflict you in them as he did David in Am- non and Abfahm.Rernember that as the Refignation of Life it Pelf '11
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