78. The Godly Mother Thanks God when her Child is Weaned

EXHORTATION.

A godly mother has reason to pray for her child every day, and must renew her prayer when it is to be weaned. For great was the goodness of God in permitting the mothers' milk to nourish the child, thereby causing it to grow, to gain strength, and to become so far developed that it can thenceforth be sustained without this nutriment. 1. Therefore a godly mother must thank God for having, by means of the milk, brought the child to such perfection, that it may now sustain life by means of other food.

2. If she has suckled her child herself she must thank God for having given her wholesome milk, and set his blessing upon it, so that her child has prospered.

3. She must beseech God in like manner to bless the food which the child is henceforth to receive; to let it grow up to his honor, and, as it increases in years to fill its heart with the gifts of the Holy Ghost. 4. And as children learn to walk about this time, the godly mother must pray to God to hold her child in leading strings, protect it by his holy

THE GODLY MOTHER THANKS GOD angels, keep it from hurtful falls, keep its limbs straight and sound, and suffer it to pass from stage to stage of life, under his fatherly care and guardianship.

Merciful and gracious God! how is my heart rejoiced that I have lived to see the time when my child may be weaned from the mother's breast. Loving God! In thy memory thou didst give me this child, through so many accidents thou hast preserved it, thou hast spared its tender life, and now permitted it to reach an age when it requires stronger food for its support. Praised be thy mercy, for having hitherto given thy blessing to the mother's breast, whereby it has gathered strength and flourished under thy care. Thanks for thy blessing, thanks for thy protection, thanks for thy truth and goodness. Lord, every day thou dost perform the greatest miracle when in the mother's breast thou dost convert food and drink into milk, and dost endow it with a nourishing power, so that the child is thereby refreshed and strengthened. O God! as thou hast thus permitted my child to profit by the mother's breast, bless unto it likewise the food and drink to which I would now make it accustomed; grant that it may receive it wilWHEN HER CHILD IS WEANED.

lingly, let it thrive upon it, and daily, weekly, and yearly, increase in strength. Remain with it also when it essays to walk, escort it by thy holy angel, hold it when in danger of falling, screen it from danger. O let this my child be commended unto thee in soul and body, strengthen its inward man, sanctify it by thy Holy Ghost, let it readily receive education in obedience and the fear of

God, let it not show signs of perverseness, but be ready to obey as a good and docile child; give it thy holy spirit and a pious heart, so that I may have joy of it here, and enter into glory with it hereafter. Thy goodness, Lord, is very great, which protect and keep me, I will praise it here on earth as long as I shall have breath.

Amen.

1. The Lord Almighty God, who on me has expended

The fulness of his grace, and never stopped nor ended,

I praise upon this day, when I and eke my child

Have gained in health and strength, because he on us smiled.

2. If others by distress and trouble much were harassed,

The shower of benefits alone has us embarrassed;

Up to this very day the milk of my poor breast

Has made my child to thrive, so by his goodness blest.

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ADMONITION AND COMFORT

3. In me and in my child he has wrought many a wonder,

This I must eagerly confess and inly ponder.

Our life and welfare both he has so well bethought,

And will not cease until all of his work be wrought.

4. In every time and place the Lord hath done and tendered;

Much kindness unto us, and greatest service rendered;

He helps, protects, and loves, and of our steps takes heed,

Not many a father would so loving be at need.

5. Thereof this day, O God, my heart is overflowing

With happiness and joy, and thanks beyond my showing;

Vouchsafe thy mercy still, and let us not forget

That we are ever thine! On thee our hope is set.

Admonition and Comfort for the Barren.

1. When God suffers married people to be childless, so that they can say with Abraham, "Lord, what wilt thou give me? I am without children," Gen. xv., 2. They must remember that barreness may depend on natural causes in both parties, for as God does not give the same constiFOR THE BARREN.

tution to all men, so he does not give them all the same degree of fruitfulness. If God has not infused this good gift into their system, they must be none the less contented with God, knowing that he is nevertheless their gracious God, that he loves them, and is favorably inclined towards them. How many trees, which adorn the garden though they bear no fruit, are still favorites there! So also barren married couples are the well beloved children of God, none the less that in fruitfulness they are surpassed by others. 2. They must remember that children are a gift of the Lord; he who does not receive this gift has no right to murmur against God, or to be envious of the gifts of others; God is master in his own house, and distributes his favors according to his pleasure. God has made a reservation of three keys; the keys of the grave, for God alone can awake the dead; the keys of the rains, for no idol can send rain, and no man can cause it, and the keys of the womb, which no one can open if the Lord closes it, and no one close, if the Lord opens it. As it is by the will of God that children are withheld, such married couples are especially called upon to manifest their patience, resignation, and hopefulness. 3. Barrenness is no index of the wrath of God;

ADMONITION AND COMFORT for they may see by the other blessings showered upon them, that God is not angry with them.

4. The childless must reflect that even this deprivation is a favor of God, who understands their mental and bodily constitution better than themselves. For although women may be fond of children yet God may rightly judge them too weak to bear and rear children; perhaps a child would interfere with her prayers and devotions and those of her husband, perhaps it would cause them great grief, if God in his wisdom, were to call it away again. Therefore, as God measures the strength and weakness of men better than they themselves, he therein shows them an especial favor, which it is sheer ignorance in them to regard as other than a manifestation of grace. 5. Married couples must be particularly on their guard against attempting to extort children from God with murmurs or impatient clamors.

6. Godly married women must not be misled by the expression of St. Paul in 1 Tim. ii., 15, where he says, "The woman shall be saved in child-bearing, if she continue in faith, and charity, and holiness, with sobriety." For Paul does not say that women shall be saved by bearing children; we are justified and saved by the merit of Jesus Christ, for the sake of his precious blood, Rom. iii., 28, Rom. v., 1, and not by giving birth to children. If it were otherwise, FOR THE BARREN.

a virgin could not be saved, which is contrary to God's holy word. He says this for the consolation of married women. Though, because woman suffered herself to be tempted in Paradise, she is subject to great pangs when in labor, yet God is ready to assist and deliver them out of their throes. Though, in these pangs, they experience the wrath of God, yet they shall be saved, if they are steadfast in the faith of the Lord Jesus, in the love of God and man, in the sanctification of their lives, and the sanctity of their christian walk. 7. Married couples must bide their time, and persist in prayer. Some trees bear fruit the first year after they are planted, some do not for many years. Therefore pious couples must not be too ready to despair. "Cast not away your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward." Hebrews x. 35. As God does not give temporal benefits to all men at the same time, but favors one sooner, and another at a later period; so it is with these gifts also. 8. Married couples must also be very careful not to throw blame upon each other; the husband must not ascribe the barrenness to the wife, nor the wife to the husband. It is God who withholds the fruit of their body, Gen. xxx., 2; they must love each other none the less, and be resigned unto the will of God, for neither of them can ADMONITION AND COMFORT accomplish anything without prayer, and the blessing and good will of God. They must particularly avoid suspicion, envy, or ill will, when they find their kindred already to discuss the division of the inheritance, but must persevere in sincere love, dismiss all informers, and if necessary, dispose of what they shall leave behind them, according to justice and charity. 9. If God does not bless a married couple with offspring, they should all the more increase in the love of Jesus; and as those who have children are often hindered by them in the worship of God and in self improvement, they must consider themselves favoured in being able to worship God with less interruption. 10. Parents without bodily offspring should be doubly mindful of the poor, doing good to pious children, clothing them and sending them to school, and assisting in their education; such children will praise their benefactors in the judgment day as fathers and mothers, and extol them before God, saying, "These have fed my nakedness, and given me to eat and to drink," Matthew, xxv. 11. Finally, married people must examine their own hearts to see whether they really look upon children as a gift of God. If they consider them a gift of nature which they themselves can further or advance they err, and perhaps God, FOR THE BARREN.

by withholding what they crave, intends to show them that children are his gift, for which he must be asked in prayer. If christians object that fornicators certainly do not pray for offspring and yet produce it, I answer that with them God gives nature the rein for the exposure of their shame, because they beget children not for the honor of God, but to cool their evil passions and lust. Godly married couples must do as Isaac did, of whom it is said "Isaac prayed to God for his wife, for she was barren." Isaac therefore understood that children are given by the grace of God, as also appears from what immediately followed. "And the Lord took pity on him, and Rebecca his wife, conceived," Gen. xxv., 21. These reflections pious married couples must impress upon their minds, and abstain from all murmurs and impatience.

Lord, Lord, what wilt thou give me? I am without children. O my God, I see how richly thou dost bestow thy blessing upon other married couples, and dost withhold it from me. Lord, Lord, let me patiently submit to this as being thy holy will. I know that in thy omnipotence thou canst easily give me children if thou wilt. I know that thou, my gracious God, ADMONITION AND COMFORT lovest me, and hast never yet refused thy grace, therefore I will patiently resign myself to thy will, for thou best knowest wherefore thou hast not yet vouchsafed this blessing. But if thou dost not gladden my heart with the birth of children, let me enjoy the greater happiness in thee, let me love thee. Let me abide in faith in thee, O triune God, in the love of my neighbor, in sanctification of life, and let me walk in charity and decency before all. Let thy Holy

Spirit convince my heart more and more that such is thy gracious will with me, and that I must be resigned to it from the bottom of my heart. Preserve my heart from envy, suspicion, impatience, disaffection to my partner in life, make me heartily love and regard him (her) in the place of my child, and affect him (her) more than ten sons and daughters. If it is thy will that I should wait awhile, and then become a fruitful mother, if thou dost intend to be mindful of me as of Hannah, convince my heart of this thy gracious will and pleasure. But if thou wilt not give me an heir, O Lord, let it be my heir to walk in thy ways, Jesus shall be my consolation and my part. Lord, Lord, all things are possible with thee; Sarah and Elizabeth hast thou permitted to conceive after the course of nature was past, and it is easy for thee to remove my barrenness. Lord have pity on me, and I

FOR THE BARREN.

will thank thee for thy gift all my life, and rear it to thy praise and honor. In holy baptism I

I will give it back to thee. Let me not be envious when thou fillest the houses of others with children, but let me show the greater mercy and charity to poor orphans; let me clothe, feed and provide for them. Now Lord, be thy goodness over us, in which we hope; gladden me, comfort me, help me, give me children, if it so please thee, but not in wrath, not to my shame.

If it is well for me, grant my prayer in thy mercy; but if it is not thy pleasure, I seek not to extort children from thee, I will have nothing, not even children, against thy holy will. Lord,

I have poured out my heart before thee; make it happy, and well pleasing unto thee. Let me hold my soul in patience, until thou shalt afford thy help. I am happy in my hopes, for though

God's help comes not at my call, yet has he already made his appointment, he knows the time and the goal full well, I wait upon him, and hope cannot deceive me. Amen.

1. Lord, O Lord, what wilt thou give me,

I am childless to this day.

My years, months, days, hours, and minutes

In postponement wear away.

ADMONITION AND COMFORT

All around I look on others

Hopeful fathers, happy mothers,

But myself am left alone,

None to weep when I am gone.

2. Nothing gives me greater pleasure,

Than a little child to see,

To provoke its mirthful prattle,

Or to nurse it on my knee;

Not the greatest earthly treasure

Could afford me greater pleasure;

But this joy I may not share,

For no children do I bear.

3. Why, dear Lord, art thou more lavish

Unto others than to me?

Others have so many children

With an empty granary!

Other blessings thou extendest

Unto me, and richly sendest;

But the gift which most I crave,

Still, dear Lord, I cannot have.

4 O my God I will not murmur!

Do according to thy will;

I will bear whate'er thy wisdom

Shall require me to fulfil.

Need I prompt thy keen discerning?

Well thou knowest my eager yearning:

But whatever it be on,

Let thy will, dear Lord, be done.

FOR THE BARREN.

5. Let thy will, in every season,

Lord, be present to my sight;

Let thy will be ample answer

To what my heart would indite.

Yes, whatever thou requirest,

Let it be as thou desirest;

Let me be subdued and meek,

Only hear thy wisdom speak.