Produced by Keith G Richardson _Submission to Divine Providence in the Death of Children, recommended and inforced,_ IN A SERMON PREACHED at _NORTHAMPTON_, On the DEATH Of a very amiable and hopeful CHILD, about Five Years old. _Published out of Compassion to mourning_ PARENTS. By _P. DODDRIDGE_, D. D. _Neve Liturarum pudeat; qui viderit illas,_ _De Lachrymis factas sentiat esse meis._ OVID. The SECOND EDITION. _LONDON_, Printed for R. HETT, at the _Bible_ and _Crown_ in the _Poultry_. MDCCXL. THE PREFACE. _THE Discourse which I now offer to the Publick was drawn up on a very sorrowful Occasion; the Death of a most desirable Child, who was formed in such a Correspondence to my own Relish and Temper, as to be able to give me a Degree of Delight, and consequently of Distress, which I did not before think it possible I could have received from a little Creature who had not quite compleated her Fifth Year._ _Since the Sermon was preached, it has pleased_ GOD _to make the like Breaches on the Families of several of my Friends; and, with Regard to some of them, the Affliction hath been attended with Circumstances of yet sorer Aggravation. Tho' several of them are removed to a considerable Distance from me, and from each other I have born their Afflictions upon my Heart with cordial Sympathy; and it is with a particular Desire of serving them, that I have undertaken the sad Task of reviewing and transcribing these Papers; which may almost be called the Minutes of my own Sighs and Tears, over the poor Remains of my eldest and (of this Kind) dearest Hope, when they were not as yet_ buried out of my Sight. _They are, indeed, full of Affection, and to be sure some may think they are too full of it: But let them consider the Subject, and the Circumstances, and surely they will pardon it. I apprehend, I could not have treated such a Subject coldly, had I writ upon it many years ago, when I was untaught in the School of Affliction, and knew nothing of such a Calamity as this, but by Speculation or Report: How much less could I do it, when_ GOD _had touched me in so tender a Part, and (to allude to a celebrated ancient Story,) called me out to appear on a publick Stage, as with an Urn in my Hand, which contained the Ashes of my own Child!_ _In such a sad Situation Parents, at least, will forgive the Tears of a Parent, and those Meltings of Soul which overflow in the following Pages. I have not attempted to run thro' the Common place of_ immoderate Grief, _but have only selected a few obvious Thoughts which I found peculiarly suitable to myself; and, I bless_ GOD, _I can truly say, they gave me a solid and substantial Relief, under a Shock of Sorrow, which would otherwise have broken my Spirits._