Çroísnds againfi unfeafonalle GJ1/lourning (Dents; nay, though he had begun judgment ( for that was the cafe of mote trines, judgment was begun upon them) yet neverthelefs the Prophet calleth them to Falling and Weeping, and telleth them, That the Lardisgracious and merciful, and ready to forgive; andwho knoweth if he will return, and repent, and leave,a bleng behind him ? I hercfore let us do our parts, and fcckGod in truth, amend our lives, and then no quellion of this, but that Godwill return. leis an old device of Sathan, to draw men, inflead of Godsrevealed will, to lo. ht co Gods Beret will : Whether I be ab1olutely rejc&ed, or cart ofor not. But this i not the them ghc wherein a Chriflian fhould exert fe himfelf : His main bulinefs is this, to make his Calling and Bleflion fure,by all the evidences of it; by a holy life: Walk obediently to Gods revealed will, and be certain thou (halt noc be reje&cd by Gods fecret will. He never rejeð thofe by his Beret will, and puroofc, and dc- cree, to whom he givcth a heart to walk obediently to his revealedwill. So much for that. Who knoweth that the Lard will be gracious tome, that the Child may live I The incouragement is this : That the Child may live. But mark his ex serfii,,r.; Whether the Lord will begracious to [me] that the Child may live. I;he had fail nr more but this, who knoweth whether the Childmay live ? A man would have though this would fully enough have expreffed his mind, bur there is more in it that could no be expreffed without this addition, whoknorveth whether the Lordwillbegracious to mt, that the Child may live ? The life of a Child is a mercy to the Father, David exprelfeth herein both his Pit- ty, and his Piety. His pitty ; He accounteth all the good or ill that befalleth his Child, as his own if Obferve fiat death befalleth ic,he accounteth is at mifery that befalleth himfelf: If 6ckncfs befalleth Davidrpiety. his Child, he accounteth it as an áflliaionupon himfelf. This is his natural piety, that fumenatural affe&ion of a Father to his Child. See fuch an expreflion of the Mat. as. za womanof Canaan ; Have mercy on me,thou Son of David,my Daughter as mi(erably vexedof a Devil. The Daughter was miferably vexed, and the Mother cryeth ow, Have merey on gee; There is fuch a fimpathy arjfeth hencefrom the natural and free tourfe that love bath in defeending from the Father to the Chill. There are not only moral perfwafions that may invite and draw on love, but befides that, there is a courle of affe&ion, that floveeth naturally, and kindly, from the Father to the Child : As it is with chafe Rivers that fall downward, they fall more vehemently then chole.thet are carried upward: So the more natural the affe&ion is, the more vehement it expref- tech it felf in the motion to fuck obje&s.. Now when the Father erpreffetb his af- fe&ion tohisChild, this is more:vehement, becaufe it is more natural, there is more ilrength cf nature in it. I cannot Band upon this, only. a_word by way of inference, and Application to sur felves. FirB; Are natural Parents thus to their Children s Tien here is ground of Faith 'or the Children of God, that he is pleafed to Bile himCelfby theName of Father, and o receive them into the Adoption of Sons and Daughters. This was `David's expref- ionof God. As a Father bathCompaion of bts Children,fo bath the Lard on thoj s hat fear him. Au! theProphet lfáiab cxprelfeth it folly : Inall their efftiflion,he efal. as ;. ryas afflicted, and the Angels of his prefence falsest them; in his love and pitty he re- deemed them,and he bareehem all the ¿ayes ofold, he bare themupon his wings, This tfa.e;. y. ;ivech confidencc,and boldnefs to Gods Children, in making their requefls known to Mm. This was,it that incouraged the Prodigal ; I will arils and go to my Father, andfay, Fatber,Ihave dinnedagainff Hearn and before thee, &c. God (faith S.Ber_ nerd) almaytgrants.tbofe Petitionsthat are lweetned with the Name of Father, and the.affeftion of aChild. I fhould hence fpeakfames/Iliac to Çhildren,to flit them up to anfwer the Igve of their Parents; but other things that fallow forbids me any long difcourfe of this. . Secondlyhere is David; piety expreffed ín this, YYbo '(nometh whether eh; Lord s:()Verve ' K will)Dxvidrpiety;; Comfort -to Gods children
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