My Friends,
IN the general Condolence with You, upon the Sorrow, which You have lately met withal, I take a very Particular Share, and think it my▪ Duty to give you some Expressions of it.
BUT how can I better express it, than in my earnest Supplications, which I therefore make to the Glorious Lord, that he would enable You to Glorify him in the Sacrifice, which he now calls You to?
IF not a Bird of the Air falls to the Earth without the Will of our Heavenly Father; You may be sure that the Child Hatched under your tender Wing, is not fallen without the Will of Heaven Ordering of it. And You cannot have a better Proof that you are the Children of GOD, than by Your Patient Submission to his Will on such an Occasion; and your Submissive saying, The Cup which my Father has given me, shall not I Drink it? The Cup which is now given You indeed is Bitter enough; But if the sense of the ⟨p. 36⟩Hand which it comes from, and of the End which his Wisdom and Goodness has in giving it, quiets You, His Comfortable Voice unto You is, I will be a Father to You. And being thus His Children, You have a Better Name, than what the Son and Daughter he has Obliged You to part withal, could have helped You to.
IT is a great Sacrifice, that you are now put upon. But You will approve yourselves the Genuine Children of Abraham: And so prove Your Claim to the Blessings of His Covenant, if you overcome the Reluctances of Nature to it.—Withhold not the Child whom Thou hast Loved, When GOD calls you to offer it up. So it shall be said, Now I know, that thou Fearest GOD. And verily, there is more Solid Comfort in this Assurance, than there can be in the Enjoyment of any Child, whereof You might say, This same shall Comfort us. Your Blessedness in the World to come, will be in an Holy Priesthood. And that You may be in this World, Initiated for it, Your SAVIOUR, will now have You to be Holy Sacrificers. You will be notably such, when upon the Death of Lovely and Hopeful Children, You hold your Peace, and only say, The will of the Lord be Done, and beg of Him, that the Influences of his Grace may effectually Subdue all the Rebellion of yours against it.
A Trial, yea, an exquisite one, is now made, whether there be any thing, which at the plain Call of GOD you cannot resign unto Him?
My Friends,
IN the general Condolence with You, upon the Sorrow, which You have lately met withal, I take a very Particular Share, and think it my▪ Duty to give you some Expressions of it.
BUT how can I better express it, than in my earnest Supplications, which I therefore make to the Glorious Lord, that he would enable You to Glorify him in the Sacrifice, which he now calls You to?
IF not a Bird of the Air falls to the Earth without the Will of our Heavenly Father; You may be sure that the Child Hatch'd under your tender Wing, is not fallen without the Will of Heaven Ordering of it. And You cannot have a better Proof that you are the Children of GOD, than by Your Patient Submission to his Will on such an Occasion; and your Submissive saying, The Cup which my Father has given me, shall not I Drink it? The Cup which is now given You indeed is Bitter enough; But if the sense of the ⟨p. 36⟩Hand which it comes from, and of the End which his Wisdom and Goodness has in giving it, quiets You, His Comfortable Voice unto You is, I will be a Father to You. And being thus His Children, You have a Better Name, than what the Son and Daughter he has Obliged You to part withal, could have help'd You to.
IT is a great Sacrifice, that you are now put upon. But You will approve yourselves the Genuine Children of Abraham: And so prove Your Claim to the Blessings of His Covenant, if you overcome the Reluctancles of Nature to it.—Withhold not the Child whom Thou hast Loved, When GOD calls you to offer it up. So it shall be said, Now I know, that thou Fearest GOD. And verily, there is more Solid Comfort in this Assurance, than there can be in the Enjoyment of any Child, whereof You might say, This same shall Comfort us. Your Blessedness in the World to come, will be in an Holy Priesthood. And that You may be in this World, Initiated for it, Your SAVIOUR, will now have You to be Holy Sacrificers. You will be notably such, when upon the Death of Lovely and Hopeful Children, You hold your Peace, and only say, The will of the Lord be Done, and beg of Him, that the Influences of his Grace may effectually Subdue all the Rebellion of yours against it.
A Trial, yea, an exquisite one, is now made, whether there be any thing, which at the plain Call of GOD you cannot resign unto Him?
