N00759:400
A token for children. Being an exact account of the conversion, holy and exemplary…
A token for children. Being an exact account of the conversion, holy and exemplary lives and joyful deaths of several young children. / By James Janeway, Minister of the Gospel. : To which is added, A token, for the children of New England. Or, Some examples of children, in whom the fear of God was remarkably budding before they died; in several parts of New England. Preserved and published for the encouragement of piety in other children.
printed for Nicholas Boone, 1700
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
15 When he was betwixt Six and Seven Years old; it pleased God to afflict him with sore eyes, which was no small grief unto him, because it kept him from School, which he loved as well as many Boys do their play; and that which was worse, he was Commanded by the Doctor not to read any Book whatsoever at home. But, O how was this poor Child grieved, that he might not have liberty to Read the Holy Scriptures! And for all their Charge, he would get by himself, and stand by the window, and read the Bible and good Books; yea, he was so greedy of reading ⟨p. 120⟩the Scripture, and took so much delight in it, that he would scarce allow himself time to dress himself; for reading the Word of God was his great delight. Yea, though he had been beat for studying so much, yet judging it God's Command that he should give himself up to reading, he could not be beat off from it, till he was so bad, that he had like never to have recovered his sight more.
16 It was his practice to be much by himself in Secret Prayer, and he was careful to manage that work, so as that it might be as secret as possible it might be, but his frequency and constancy made it to be so easily observed, upon which, One time one having a great mind to know what this sweet Babe Prayed for, got into a place near him, and heard him very earnestly Praying for the Church of God, desiring that the Kingdom of the Gospel might be spread over the whole World, and that the Kingdom of Grace might more and more come into the Hearts of God's People, and that the Kingdom of Glory might be hastened. He was wont to continue half an hour, sometimes an hour, upon his knees together.
17 He was much above the vanities that most Children are taken with, and was indeed too much a man to live long.