The mourners cordial against excessive sorrow discovering what grounds of hope Gods people have…

2. The innocency of Children cannot save them. Nor is it any reason or ground of Salvation: It is not that which makes any impression, or becomes any motive on the heart of God to save them rather than others. It is then a very poor Hope that is built upon this Consideration. This, as it raiseth prejudices in some at the providence ⟨p. 77⟩of God to think that such poor innocents must die, and they are ready to murmur on this account; so it is the strength •f the Hope of a great many other; they comfort themselves after such a manner, poor Babes▪ they never did any harm in this world, Innocent Lambs that never sinned in their lives, surely then God cannot but pity and have mercy upon them, and is this all? alas! there is no reason nor plea at all in this. B•bilons Children were every whit as innocent as ours are, and yet see what is declared concerning them, Psal. 137▪ ul•. By innocence we can intend truly no more but only this, viz. that they never actually did any harm, that they have not committed any actual sin since they were born; and this is a very poor sort of innocence: why did they not so do? it was because they could not; they were not arrived to a capacity of doing either good or hurt: as not having the liberty or power of using their rational faculties for the performing of Humane acts: but in the mean while let us remember, they were only innocent vipers, that were as full of the poison and malignity of sin as ever they could hold, and would have vented this venom of theirs as soon as they had gotten a little strength and understanding; we should soon have seen what brood they were of; and therefore in themselves ⟨p. 78⟩deserved to be killed in the nest; we are told what all Adams posterity are, in their birth, Psal. 58.3. they are estranged from the womb, they go astray as soon as they are bo•n, speaking lies; and what an innocency is this?