To the Parents of the WĘ Deceafed. HEN David first received the Melancholy Tydings of his Son Abfolom's Death he burst out into Words that most aptly Reprefent, and Speak your Concern: O my Son Abfolom! my Son, my Son Abfalom: would God I had Died for thee, O Abfalom my Son, my Son *. BUT YOU, Sir! have not the fame Reafon for your Bitterness and Paffion, which that Good Man bad; His Son died in Wickedness, and actual Rebellion, against a Father, a King, and the Great God; on the contrary, the End of your Son was Peace. IGANNOT but think it a very Unfeafonable Complement, to tell you how great a share I bear in your Affliction; or to talk of Condoling your Lofs, when your Grief rather calls for Allays than Encouragments. And I am too much afraid your looking upon the foregoing Leaf has proved a fresh * Sam. ii. 18. ulta A 2 Stab, Stab, to fay any thing here that might Widen, or Rake in the Wound. you WHEREWITH then shall I feek to Comfort ? Shall I put you in Mind of that Saying of Anaxagoras, when told of the Death of his Son. Scio me genuiffe Mortalem? Or tell you there is no refifting a Fatal Neceffity? SUCH Language might become a Heathen; and might be well receiv'd by one that knew no better: but this is a poor Argument to Engage the Submiffion and Refignation of a Chriftian, compared with the Nobler ones that our Religion furnilbes us with. WE are taught humbly to bow to the Sov'raignty and Dominion of the Great God; as one that does all things according to the direction of Infinite Wisdom, and for the moft Gracious Ends *: and in this Respect tho' he lay our Relations dead at our Feet; or remove them far away out of our Sight; tho' he should ftrip us of all our Worldly Enjoyments, yea, tho' he should Slay us, yet we ought to Truft in him f. THE Confideration of our Covenant Dedication of our felves, and all that we have to God, in and thro' our Lord Jefus Chrift, bould surely Silence all our Complaints; and overcome all our Uneafineffes, under the greatest Loffes. It *Rom. viii. 28. + Job xiii. 15. be becomes us with the Pfalmift to be Dumb, and not open our Mouths; because God does it * Or with Him we pretend to be the Followers of, when we have the bittereft Cup put into our Hands to fay, Father not my Will, but thine be done f. If a Friend fhould make you an offer of fomething very valuable; and upon your accepting it, fhould begin to vex and grieve for his Lofs, you would prefently conclude he did not Design what he faid; I hope you will not behave your felves under the prefent Providence, as thofe that have gone to a Sacramental Table all their Days, only to Complement God with the repeated Proffer of that which you never meant to give up to him: but now you are called with Abraham; that wonderful Believer! to offer up your Son, (yet not your only Son) it is your Duty to be obedient to the Heavenly Call. And a Hearty Submiffion to the Appointment of the Great Lord; a Refigning of that Willingly; which otherwise is gone of Neceffity; is the way to turn a Lofs into an acceptable Sacrifice. Take the Patient Man for an Example in this Cafe; and fay as he did when he had ten Children killed at once by a Whilwind; The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; bleffed be the name of the Lord *. Thus we should blefs a Taking as well as a Giving God. *Pfal. xxxix. 9. Luke xxii. 42. * Job i. 21. A 3 MORE MOREOVER we have in the Gospel the cleareft account of a Future State; and profefs to believe that we shall meet our Relations again in another World, That their Bodies which are now in Dust and Darkness, fhall be raised up to Eternal Life * and that we shall be with them, and with God for ever. Now then how ill does it become us to Mourn as thofe that are without Hope? THAT your Son is in a happy State, the following Sermon and Account, may fully satisfy You; and All that think them worth the Reading. I COULD have wished this Work had fallen into better Hands; but fince it was the Dying Party's Defire that I should be the Perfon entrusted with the management of it; and your Request that thefe Things might be communicated to the World; I fhall make no other Apology, either for my Preaching, or Printing on this occafion. THE Account of the Converfion and Early Piety of your Dereafed Son, is what I have carefully taken out of his own Writings; the Subftance of which, you have in the Papers before fent you; but the Copy I have most had my Eye upon, is what he drew up of his own Accord, for the Perufal of the Minifter that Baptized him. I HAVE for the most part transcribed his own Words; and where I have made choice of other Ex * Καὶ τάχα δ' εκ γαίης ἐλπίζομεν εἰς φάος ἐλθεῖν, preffi preffions, 'tis not because I would say something which He has not faid; but that I may speak his Sense and Intention more intelligibly, and fully. Endeavouring to render thefe Things as useful, as might be to others, whilst I am faithfully relating what was just, and strictly due to Him. IF any one should say they fee nothing in his Cafe, but what is Ordinary and Common; yet, granting this, we have a new Atteftation and Subscription to Common Truths. And, at least, there is thus much gain'd by this Publication, as to have one Name more added to the number of Witneffes for God, and Religion. FOR my part 1 fball Rejoice to hear all that look into thefe Papers fay, (Let them but Speak Truth) that they have met with nothing, but what they knew before. Would to God we were all as well Inform'd, and as truly Serious as this young Man was and I wish too that we did not stand in need of frequent Remembrancers. · BUT whatever others may think or Say; I promife my felf, that You will kindly accept of what I have attempted; and favourably overlook my Failings and Mifcarrages. I HOPE by this opportunity of making my felf known to you, I may gain an Intereft in your Prayers. Prayers which in this Remarkable Inftance before us of their Succefs, appear peculiarly accep table, and well pleafing to God: May they Remain to be fo. what NOW, that I may not too long detain you from you are, doubtless, much more defirous to lock into; 1fball only add my Hearty Defires, For |