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

2. The more fruitful and conscientious Gods people are in their Duties to their Children▪ the stronger hopes they may entertain concerning them. There are some Duties which we owe to our Children in their infancy; others are to be attended as they grow up to understanding: the former of these are under our present consideration. Now, though all our care and conscience that we exert in these Duties, cannot work the saving change in them; yet▪ as it is certain, that in order of the means, doing of duty is nearer to the blessing then the neglect of it; so a man hath a great deal more of inward tranquility upon his mind, in the faithful discharge of it, than in the omission or sl•ghty performance, Psal. 119.165. great peace have all they that keep thy law, and nothing shall offend them. And because there is a connection between the promise and the precept, the more fruitful we are in our obedience to God, the clearer is our evidence that the promise belongs unto us: Now there are Duties to and for our Infants: God hath put them under our ⟨p. 81⟩care, and expects this of us: They are to be presented to God in Baptism, that they may have the sign and the seal of his Covenant bestowed upon them: and they are to be continually brought to God in our ardent importunate prayers; and we are to begin early with them to instruct them, and drop into them the things of God, and the great things, of Salvation, according as they are capable of imbibing the same. The neglect of these things will not a little obstruct the exercise of our hope: it will be a great damp to our minds, to have such a reflection upon them as this, I did not so much as pray earnestly to God for the Soul of this Child, and now it is gone past all prayers. I do not say, that those of Gods people that have not been so solicitous as they ought, have no hope; God can give us hope too • but to be sure every such consideration will cast a damp upon our spirits.

2. The more fruitful and conscientious Gods people are in their Duties to their Children▪ the stronger hopes they may entertein concerning them. There are some Duties which we ow to our Children in their infancy; others are to be attended as they grow up to understanding: the former of these are under our present consideration. Now, though all our care and conscience that we exert in these Duties, cannot work the saving change in them; yet as it is certein, that in order of the means, doing of duty is neerer to the blessing then the neglect of it; so a man hath a great deal more of inward tranquility upon his mind, in the faithful discharge of it, than in the omission or slghty performance,