Some general directions for a comfortable walking with God delivered in the lecture at…Some generall directions for a comfortable walking with God deliuered in the lecture at…

Thus the immoderate partial affection of Parents, may become many times occasional and accessary to the untimely taking away of a sweet, fair and towardly child. Whereby our gracious God justly intimates unto them their intolerable unthankfulness of his mercy, and extreme indignity to his Majesty, in wickedly preferring in their love, a creature before their Creator, and mercifully teaches them, that the flower and fervour of their best and dearest affection is only due, and should be wholly devoted to the greatest Good, God himself, and those truest, unutterable, ever-during delights prepared for the Blessed, in his Word here, and ⟨p. 217⟩in the World to come hereafter, 1. Cor. 2. 9.

Thus the immoderate partiall affection of Parents, may become many times occasionall and accessary to the vntimely taking away of a sweete, faire and towardly child. Whereby our gracious God iustly intimates vnto them their intolerable vnthankefulnesse of his mercy, and extreme indignitie to his Maiesty, in wickedly preferring in their loue, a creature before their Creator, and mercifully teaches them, that the flowre and seruour of their best and dearest affection is onely due, and should bee wholly deuoted to the greatest Good, God himselfe, and those truest, vnutterable, euer-during delights prepared for the Blessed, in his Word here, and ⟨p. 217⟩in the World to come hereafter, 1. Cor. 2. 9.

Conceive proportionably of other things immeasurably desired, and delighted in. If thou dotest upon a good wit, thou mayest be stricken with distraction: if upon abundance of learning, or much worldly wisdom, thou mayest be infatuated, at least at some special times, when thou wouldest gladly do the best; or in some important business, which most concerns thee: if upon some high place, thou mayst with Haman, Shebna, and thousands moe, be thrown down into the gulf of calamity and woe, contempt and scorn: if upon a fair house, it may be levelled with the ground, by the flames of Gods wrath: if upon a beautiful face, it may be disfigured with the Pox, or other deformities: if upon a hoard of gold, it may be dispersed by fire, robbery, desolations of war: nay, if even upon thy graces with an overweening conceit of self-excellency, self-opinion, self-sufficiency; if they be only general graces, thou mayst be quite stripped of them; if saving, thou mayst be cast into a damp and desertion for a time, in respect of all comfort, sense, use and exercise, &c.