An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…

And blessed are you of the Lord, you are our hope, that God intendeth good unto us, and that He will not let out the wild beasts to devour us, but will rebuke them for your sakes. And although perhaps many of these gracious young ones may perish, yea many have been slain already in this Cause, yet let not others that remain behind be discouraged at it, for it is in argument that there is some great and special mercy that God intendeth for us, in that He is willing to venture such precious ones for the procuring of that mercy. We may well reason so, that if so much precious young blood that might have lived to serve God, be shed in this Cause, if God come to grant unto England mercy, He will grant such mercy as will be worth all their blood; and that mercy must needs be great ⟨p. 430⟩that shall be worth all the blood of those that are so precious, which might have lived to serve God so many years here in this world.

And blessed are you of the Lord, you are our hope, that God intendeth good unto us, and that He will not let out the wild beasts to devour us, but will rebuke them for your sakes. And although perhaps many of these gracious young ones may perish, yea many have been slain already in this Cause, yet let not others that remain behind be discouraged at it, for it is in argument that there is some great and special mercy that God intendeth for us, in that He is willing to venture such precious ones for the procuring of that mercy. We may well reason so, that if so much precious young blood that might have lived to serve God, be shed in this Cause, if God come to grant unto England mercy, He wil grant such mercy as wil be worth al their blood; and that mercy must needs be great ⟨p. 430⟩that shal be worth all the blood of those that are so precious, which might have lived to serve God so many years here in this world.

And seeing God makes use of them, it is because the mercy that is to come for the next generation is so precious, that indeed such as have defiled themselves with superstitious vanities are like to have no share in it; and as they are not like to live to see it, so God will not make use of them to prepare that mercy for the next generation: But because God hath a love unto the young generation that are godly, therefore He hath reserved much mercy for many of them that are like to see and enjoy it; and others of them that are not like to see it, yet he will be so gracious to them as he will employ them in making way for that mercy: And whether it is better to be made instrumental for the glory of God and the good of another generation, or to live to see the fruit of this, it is hard to determine. Certainly those that in one generation are made so instrumental, as to lay the ground work of mercy for another generation, they are as happy as that other generation that comes to reap the fruit of their labours and sufferings; and those that do come to reap the fruit of their labours shall bless God for them, and when they enjoy the good and liberty of the Gospel, they shall say, Oh blessed be God that stirred up such a generation of young ones to shed their blood, and now we reap the fruit of it, and blessed be God for them; they will bless you to all generations. Therefore let there be no discouragement to godly young ones though it pleaseth God to cut of many by death in this Cause, for God hath some excellent end in it beyond all our reaches. Thus much for these words; Only one Note more, and that is this, That