Britain is in the midst of what one thinktank has called “an epidemic of fatherlessness.” The ‘Lost Boys’ report found that 2.5 million children in in the UK have no father figure at home (almost one in five children). Although the situation is worse in some parts of the country than others, almost half of first-born children by age of 14 do not live with both natural parents. The report adds that fatherlessness in childhood has a particularly stark impact on the mental health of young men, yet boys are more likely now to own a smartphone than to live with their dad. Even in societal and personal wellbeing terms this is a crisis, and when we also factor in the spiritual dimension, the picture is bleak indeed. John Stevenson (c.1655-1728/29), a Covenanter, wrote down his life experiences for the sake of his children and grandchildren. More than just an autobiography of his eventful life, this was an expression of care for their souls, an example of parental advice and guidance where the spiritual dimension is key. The following updated extract gives just one incident from his eventful life and a summary of his advice.

My dear children and grandchildren, I cannot but leave some testimony behind me of my real concern for your never-dying souls. I choose to put this in writing, so that, when I am gone, you may at your leisure read what God has done for my soul, and from that be encouraged to set your own hope in God.

How the Lord kept me safe

For about nine years, until the Revolution, I was obliged to hide myself as much as possible from the persecutors. Knowing their wrath, and my weakness, I set apart time for prayer, and pleaded with God that He would graciously fulfil to me what He had promised to do for His church and people in days of fiery trial, particularly His great promise, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation …” (Rev. 3:10).

Some time after this, a troop of the enemy were quartered around Dailly, and five of them were quartered on my father, in Camregan. As they came to my father’s house, an informer told them that I had come that morning to the house (for there were many informers in the country, who sold themselves to betray innocent blood, and that for a piece of bread). They had told the soldiers what sort of a man I was, what clothes I had on, and what sort of hair, and it happened that I had come from my hiding place just into the house to get some refreshment.

I had not sat down, when all of a sudden, my sister and I heard a great noise at the door. We ran to the door to see what was the matter, and found three of the five dragoons. They asked if I was the man of the house, or if I belonged to the family? I answered that I was not the head of the family, but I belonged to it. I expected the next question would have been, “Are you his son?” but the Lord restrained them from it, for His wise ends and my safety. They told me they were to quarter with us, and dismounted, and were in a great rage.

The Lord ordered it such that neither my sister nor I were the least daunted before them. I spoke civilly to them, and told them to be calm and easy, and they should get plenty for themselves and their horses. I offered them either straw, or hay, or corn, for their horses, and took them into the garden, and made up a bundle for each of them of what they desired. I also made one up for myself.

I let them take up their bundles first, and return to the stable, and I just followed, but when they entered the stable door, I skipped back, and got over the garden ditch, and so escaped from them.

They were afterwards in great rage at the disappointment, and when they met with my father, they threatened to have him ruined for sheltering such a person as I in his house. But my father turned the tables on them, and threatened to tell their commander that they had let me go after they had me in their custody, which made them go quiet. So the Lord kept me from that time of temptation, as I had begged, and as He made me hope.

My dear children, these are my last pieces of advice to you, and I give you them with dying breath and care.

Let the Scriptures shape your life

First, set apart some time every day for reading God’s Word. Read it with observation, depending on God to make it useful to your soul. Compare Scripture with Scripture, and meditate in it both day and night. See that you make the effort to think, speak and act according to this law of liberty, by which you will be judged.

Ask God to show you what you need to know

Secondly, beg of God to let you see your lost state by nature and practice, before it is too late.

Embrace Jesus

Flee to the city of refuge with all speed, and join yourself to Christ as your prophet, priest ,and king, who came to seek and save those who were lost, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we can be saved.

Live by faith

Fourthly, learn to live by faith, in all the various senses in which faith is used in the Word of God.

• Believe that God is, and that He is a rewarder of all those who diligently seek him (Heb. 11:6).
• Believe all that is written in the Scripture to be the Word of God (Acts 24:14).
• Believe all the mysteries of the Christian religion which God has revealed, even if at present you cannot understand them.
• Believe firmly that God will in due time fulfil His promises, no matter how many things seem to stand in the way (Rom. 4:18–21).
• Live by a faith which trusts in God as your all-sufficient help, when all outward help and comfort are far out of sight (Hab. 3:17).
• Live by a faith which renews your choice of Christ daily, and trust on Him alone for complete salvation, giving Him employment in all His offices and relations (John 1:11–12; Gal.2:20).
• Live by a faith which depends on God’s fatherly care, for food to eat and clothes to wear (Luke 12:22–29).
• Live by a faith which adheres closely to the fundamental articles of the Christian religion, and the whole doctrine of Christianity, in your various positions in life.

O, live by faith, dear children, for without it, you must die in your sins.

Be more afraid of sinning than of suffering

Fifthly, I advise you to choose affliction rather than sin, and choose suffering, when called to it, rather than deny the faith, or make shipwreck of a good conscience.

You don’t know what fiery trials you may yet meet with for righteousness’ sake. Be valiant for the truth on earth, and the truth shall make you free. Depend on God, who gives you not only to believe but to suffer for His name, and He will help you to continue with Him in His temptations. Then you will have the testimony of a good conscience, which all your adversaries will not be able to rob you of. And if you suffer with Him, you will also reign with Him, and your light affliction, which will only be for a moment, shall work for you a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

I must confess, to God’s praise and glory, that He treated me well when He led me into the wilderness. During my nine years’ suffering, I was much filled with joy and peace in believing. I lay four months in the coldest season of the year in a haystack in my father’s garden, and a whole February in the open fields not far from Camregan, and came to no harm whatsoever from the night air. One night, when lying in the fields near Carrick Mill, I was all covered with snow in the morning. Many nights I lay in the churchyard of Old Dailly, and made a grave my pillow. And as God was very kind by night and day to my soul, so He preserved me from the enemy, which did not molest or frighten me in my solitary hiding places.

All this, dear children, is well known to your mother, who was my comforting companion in many of my tribulations. I want you to know about all this, so that you will be encouraged to follow the Lord fully.

Pray constantly to be kept faithful

Sixthly, I beseech you to be much in prayer to God, who is the hearer of prayer, and rely wholly on Christ for assistance and acceptance. Whatever others do, see that you and your houses serve the Lord. I’ve told you how the Lord frequently prepared my heart [to pray to Him] and bowed down His ear to hear, on purpose to encourage you to pray too.

Don’t give up in despair

When your soul is cast down and disquieted within you because of a sense of your indwelling sin, or the hiding of God’s face, I advise you to guard against hastily dismissing everything you’ve already experienced. Instead, trust in God that you shall yet praise Him, and let the following things be the basis of your comfort.

• Although you are really and truly guilty, you have in all honesty fled to the city of refuge, and given your consent that Christ would be yours on His own terms.
• His covenant is well-ordered, everlasting, and sure, and Christ is the surety (guarantor) of it.
• You have his promises to plead back to Him. Like Jacob, “Thou sayest, ‘I will surely do thee good’” (Gen. 32:12).
• You have his mercy to plead. “For there is forgiveness with him” (Psa. 130:4).
• You have His displays of the mercy He has shown to others in the past, in similar circumstances to yours. “Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin” (Psa. 85:2; also Psa. 105:43–45).
• Things aren’t any worse (Lam. 3:22).
• Though He chastens His people in time, He will not cast them off for ever (Lam. 3:31–32; 1 Kings 11:39).
• You can appeal to God that you are not taking any evil way out of your trouble. You can say with Job both, “He knoweth the way that I take” (Job 23:10), and “… his way I have kept …” (Job 23:11–12).

Remember the final outcome

Eighthly, I advise you seriously to consider your latter end. All sin will be bitterness in the latter end, therefore guard against it. This now is the accepted time, and the day of salvation. Spend your time now working out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Frequently think about death, judgment and eternity.

Pursue holiness

Dear children, my last advice to you is, see that you pursue holiness in the fear of the Lord. Be holy, as He who has called you is holy.

Pray much, then, for the Spirit of holiness. And, for your encouragement, remember that sanctification is promised to the Lord’s people, and therefore they may as their privilege, and should as their duty, go daily to God by prayer and seek it. In fact, it is not only promised, but it is a part of what Christ has purchased for His people.

May then the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God with dying breath that your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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