The THIRD Article in our Commemoration may be, The Benefits of God, relating to the FAMILY, which has given us our ORIGINAL, and our EDUCATION. What Parents have we had? perhaps we are not of the House of the Wicked, which has the Curse of God upon it; but in the Habitation of the Just, which is, Blessed by the Lord. We have had Parents, who have Prayed for us, before they had us; as Abraham, as Hannah, did for theirs. Yea, perhaps upon their first Apprehensions of our Conception, they did solemnly Give us up to God, that we might be for ever possessed by His Holy Spirit as the Everlasting Vessels of His Glory. But how much then have the Prayers of these our Parents been since concerned for us? And how Rich a Portion ⟨p. 52⟩have we had, in that Stock of Prayers? Little do Children think, what an Invaluable Blessing 'tis, to have Parents, that as Job, Sacrificed for his, according to the Number of them all, do pray for every one of them, and that by Name, every Day! But more than so; we have had Parents, that have Restrained us, when our Corrupt Natures would have been Exorbitant; nor Leaving us to be Children of Belial, with an Indulgence like that of Eli's. We have had Parents, that have Instructed us, and caused us to ••come well Catechised in the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ; with a Diligence, like that of David and Bathsheba, for their Solomon. We have had Parents, that have even, Travelled for us in Birth again, that Christ might be Formed in us. And what a Favour of Heaven, have we had in the Heavenly Examples of s•e• Parents! They have shown us, The Path of Life, by their own Walking in that Path, before our Eyes. Let us Imitate their Seriousness, their Prayerfulness, their •••••fulness, their Holiness, their Watchfulness, and we shall at last, Arrive to bliss, being therein Gathered unto our Fathers. Whereas, most of the Children in the World, have Parents, by whose Influence they, Go to the Generation of their Fathers, where they shall never see Light Yea, 'tis possible, that we have had Parents, who have Liberally brought us up; by their Cost and Care, we have been Educated in the Sciences, whereby we may be made singularly Serviceable to Mankind, singularly Honourable among our Neighbours. And I may add, That ⟨p. 53⟩some of us, who in our Childhood Lost our Parents, have yet found, that our God is the Father of the Fatherless:
The THIRD Article in our Commemoration may be, The Benefits of God, relating to the FAMILY, which has given us our ORIGINAL, and our EDUCATION. What Parents have we had? perhaps we are not of the House of the Wicked, which has the Curse of God upon it; but in the Habitation of the Just, which is, Blessed by the Lord. We have had Parents, who have Pray'd for us, before they had us; as Abraham, as Hannah, did for theirs. Yea, perhaps upon their first Apprehensions of our Conception, they did solemnly Give us up to God, that we might be for ever possessed by His Holy Spirit as the Everlasting Vessels of His Glory. But how much then have the Prayers of these our Parents been since concerned for us? And how Rich a Portion ⟨p. 52⟩have we had, in that Stock of Prayers? Little do Children think, what an Invaluable Blessing 'tis, to have Parents, that as Job, Sacrificed for his, according to the Number of them all, do pray for every one of them, and that by Name, every Day! But more than so; we have had Parents, that have Restrained us, when our Corrupt Natures would have been Exorbitant; nor Leaving us to be Children of Belial, with an Indulgence like that of Eli's. We have had Parents, that have Instructed us, and caused us to ••come well Catechised in the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ; with a Diligence, like that of David and Bat••sheba, for their Solomon. We have had Parents, that have even, Travelled for us in Birth again, that Christ might be Formed in us. And what a Favour of Heaven, have we had in the Heavenly Examples of s•e• Parents! They have shown us, The Path of Life, by their own Walking in that Path, before our Eyes. Let us Imitate their Seriousness, their Prayerfulness, their •••••fulness, their Holiness, their Watchfulness, and we shall at last, Arrive to •liss, being therein Gathered unto our Fathers. Whereas, most of the Children in the World, have Parents, by whose Influence they, Go to the Generation of their Fathers, where they shall never see Light Yea, 'tis possible, that we have had Parents, who have Liberally brought us up; by their Cost and Care, we have been Educated in the Sciences, whereby we may be made singularly Serviceable to Mankind, singularly Honourable among our Neighbours. And I may add, That ⟨p. 53⟩some of us, who in our Childhood Lost our Parents, have yet found, that our God is the Father of the Fatherless:
