Four useful discourses viz. ... /Four usefull discourses viz. ... /

Well, but this must not come presently, the Lord would not presently bring the Evil upon them; but He would stay till He had taken away one out of the Family, ver. 12, 13. Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own House; and when thy feet enter into the City, the Child shall die. And all Israel shall Mourn for him and Bury him: For he only of Jeroboam shall come to the Grave, because in him is found some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel, in ⟨p. 204⟩the House of Jeroboam. Mark, How God takes notice of any in a wicked Family: If there be but any one, a Child, that hath some good thing in it; because but some good thing, the Lord takes special Notice of such a one in the Family. Therefore, though his House should be Destroyed, yet this Child must be taken away first, Because in him there is found some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel. Mark, It is but some good thing, and towards the Lord God of Israel, and a Child; but this was in the House of Jeroboam. Let there be but a Child that hath some good thing in a wicked Family, the Lord takes special Notice of it, and there may come a Blessing upon the Family, even for the sake of such a one.

The Reason of it is,¹ Because if there be any in a Family that Entertains the Gospel, there the Lord hath the Glory of His Name, that He doth most rejoice in. It cannot but please the Lord to have the Glory of His Name to be owned in a Family, and held forth: And if there be but any one in a Family that shall Entertain the Gospel, who knows what good such a one may do. If there be one in a Family to hold forth Christ, here is a Way and Means to draw others, to the Love of Christ. If God Convert the Husband, he may draw the Wife; or if God Convert the Wife, she may draw the Husband, 1 Cor. 7. 16. For what knowest thou, O Wife, whether thou shalt save thy Husband? Or how knowest thou, O Man, whether thou shalt save thy Wife? It is spoken in the Case of Unbelievers, where one was an Unbeliever, and the other God had Converted: And in that Case, the Question was, Whether they were to stay one with another, one being an Infidel, and the other a Believer? Yea, saith the Apostle, For what knowest thou, O Wife,