a thousand times more value than many Sparrows And seeing it is God hath done it how grievous and bitter soever it be unto your Souls you must bear it with patience Psal 39.9 10. I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou diddest it And this was no small stroke under which David was dumb because the Lord gave him the blow but it was so great as that he was even consumed with it as the next words shew Remove thy stroke away from me I am consumed by the blow of thine hand By his being consumed we may understand the greatness of his grief as Psal 31.9 Mine eye is consumed with grief yea my soul and my belly yet under this great stroke which consumed his Soul and his Body with grief he was dumb and opened not his mouth because God did it Whatsoever cometh from the hands of God must be born with silence and submission to his will although it be so sharp and bitter as that it will make us go mourning as long as vve live Isa 38.15 What shall I say He hath spoken unto me and himself hath done it I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my Soul And as vve must be patient under all our griefs so we must contentedly bear vvhatever grievous things befal our children Jer. 10.19 20. Wo is me for my hurt my wound is grievous but I said Truly this is a grief and I must bear it My Children are gone forth of me and are not II. God is righteous in vvhat he hath done to your Children although he hath cast them into eternal torments If you think it not consistent with Righteousness and Equity to punish the sins of a few years vvith endless and eternal torments consider 1. That the Scriptures assure us that the Lord is righteous in all his vvays Psal 145.18 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works And if the Lord be righteous in all his ways then also in this vvay of his Providence vvhen he condemneth vvicked men to eternal torments for the sins they committed in that short space of time they lived in the vvorld Yea more particularly vve find the Scriptures ascribing Righteousness to God in this very case vvhen he punisheth ungodly persons vvith everlasting torments 2 Thes 1.6 9. It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2. The Angels are more glorious Creatures than the Souls of Men yet vvhen they sinned against God the Lord did not spare them but for their first sin cast them down into hell 2 Pet. 1.4 God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to hell and delivered them into Chains of Darkness to be reserved unto Judgment And that they shall be punished in Hell vvith everlasting torments is evident from Matth. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And this he did vvithout affording them any means of their recovery from their sin and misery vvhich vvas granted to fallen man Heb. 2.16 For verily he took not on him the Nature of Angels but he took on him the Seed of Abraham Now seeing God cast those glorious Creatures the Angels into eternal torments for their first transgression and did not spare them one day or afford them any means of recovery after their fall shall vve think that God deals hardly vvith the Sons of men in condemning them to eternal torments vvhenas he afforded them means of grace and salvation and gave them a long time and space for their Repentance vvaiting day after day and year after year for their returning to him Is not this far greater mercy and less severity then vvas shewn to the fallen Angels 3. Sin is committed against an eternal God against an infinitely holy great and glorious GOD and therefore deserveth an infinite and eternal punishment We do not understand or at least vve do not consider what an odious thing Sin is and what a great God the Lord is and vvhat an infinite distance there is between the great and holy God and a poor sinful man vvhen vve think that the Lord deals hardly vvith sinners in punishing their sins vvith eternal torments What an hainous crime is it for man who is but a poor vvorm made of dust and ashes to affront despise and rebel against the great GOD of Heaven and Earth vvho gave him his Being and loadeth him vvith his Benefits every day To tread the Laws of God under his feet and to cast his vvord behind his back to slight all his Promises and Threatnings to contemn all his offers of Grace and Mercy and though he wait with much patience and long-suffering many days and years for his Repentance to refuse to return and obey the Voice of his Creator Doth not such a despising of the Eternal Immortal Ever-Blessed God deserve to be punished with eternal Torments 4. It is accounted no injustice among men to inflict a punishment of long continuance for a crime that was committed in a very short time If Murder Adultery Treason or some other capital Offence which was committed in the space of a few minutes be punished with perpetual imprisonment or perpetual banishment no man counts it injustice or thinks the Offender is hardly dealt with because he is so long punish'd for an offence committed in so short a time Why then should any man think that the Righteous God dealeth hardly or unjustly in punishing sinners with perpetual torments for the sins they committed those few years they lived in the world 5. It was their own choice to embrace eternal death God set before them Life and Death He told them if they did evil they should die eternally but if they would repent and do that which is good in his sight they should have everlasting life and he called upon them earnestly to chuse Life rather than Death Deut. 30.15 19. See I have set before you this day life and good death and evil Therefore chuse life He offered them Life in his Son and they would not go unto him for it John 5.40 And ye will not come to Me that ye might have life He protested solemnly to them that he was loth they should die and therefore pleaded with them Why will ye die Ezek. 33.11 Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye die O House of Israel And therefore they must blame themselves not the Lord for their being cast into eternal Torments 6. Had they been permitted to have lived for ever upon the face of the Earth they would have sinned for ever The heart of the Sons of men is fully set in them to do evil
it is evident from the word of God that all such as live and die ignorant of God having attained to years of discretion shall be destroyed for ever without having any mercy shewed to them 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Isa 27.11 It is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will have no mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Hos 4.6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge Now if the Lord will condemn our Children and Servants for their ignorance and their ignorance proceed from our neglect of instructing them are not we the cause of their condemnation Such as have the Rule and Government of Families are in the nature and condition of Watchmen as well as those that bear Rule in the Church and must give an account for those souls that are committed to their charge Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give an account And as for those that are placed in the condition of Watchmen if any persons over whom God hath made them Watchmen be lost through their neglect to instruct them in their duty or to reclaim them from their sins the Blood of those that perish shall be required at the Watchmans hands Ezek. 3.17 18. Son of man I have made thee a Watchman unto the House of Israel therefore hear the word at my Mouth and give them warning from Me when I say to the wicked Thou shalt surely die and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thine hand What Inditement is brought in against the Jews Jer. 2.34 In thy Skirts is found the Blood of the Souls of the poor Innocents I have not found it by secret search but upon all these The like may be said of many Masters of Families In their Skirts will be found the Blood of the Souls of their Children and Servants In their Skirts That is it will plainly and evidently appear unto all men at the day of Judgment that they are guilty of the Blood of the Souls of their Children and Servants for want of instructing and training them up in the fear of God VVe cannot possibly be clear from the blood of those that are committed to our charge if either through wilfulness or through sloth and negligence we forbear to instruct them in those things that are necessary to their Salvation but if we do our duty and they perish in their sins their Blood shall be upon their own head Act. 20.26 27. I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the Counsel of God Did Parents and Masters of Families seriously consider what it is to have their Children and Servants die eternally and that through their neglecting to teach and train them up in the fear of God did they also consider what it is to have the blood of Souls laid to their charge it would stir them up to be diligent in instructing their Families unless they be such as have lost all regard to their own and their Families welfare To press home this consideration with the greater efficacy I shall suggest to you three or four things more under this head As 1. The death of a Child goes near a Parents heart Hagar could not endure to see her Child die and therefore when she thought he would die she gets a great way off from him and sat down and wept Gen. 21.16 She said Let me not see the death of the Child and she sat over against him and lift up her voice and wept VVhen tydings came to David of Absolom's death he was exceedingly troubled at it 2 Sam. 18.33 And the King was much moved and went up to the chamber ever the gate and wept and as he went thus he said O my Son Absolom my Son my Son Absolom would God I had died for thee O Absolom my Son my Son VVhen Jacob did but suppose that Joseph was dead though he had eleven Sons living his sorrow was so great that he refused to be comforted Gen. 37.34 35. Jacob rent his cloaths and put sackcloth upon his loyns and mourned for his Son many days and all his Sons and all his Daughters rose up to comfort him but he refused to be comforted and he said For I will go down into the Grave unto my Son mourning Thus his Father wept for him If it be so grievous to Parents to see their Children deprived of their natural life how should it pierce their hearts to have them deprived of eternal Life If they are so grieved at the death of their Bodies how should they lay to heart the death of their Souls How should it wound them to have their Children cast into the lake that burneth with fire and Brimstone which is the second death where they shall be always burning and yet never be consumed they shall be always dying and yet never be dead yea how should it affect them when they consider that they themselves have through their negligence been the cause of their Childrens dying the second death 2. It would pierce a flinty heart to see Children dying in their Parents Arms for want of Bread VVhen Jeremiah saw little Children in the time of Famine some dying in the streets others breathing out their souls in their Mothers Bosoms for want of Bread to sustain their Lives it made him weep till his eyes and his heart failed him with grief Lam. 2.11 12. Mine eyes do fail with tears my bowels are troubled my Liver is poured upon the earth for the destruction of the Daughter of my People because the Children and the Sucklings swoon in the streets of the City they say to their Mothers Where is Corn and Wine When they swooned as the wounded in the Streets of the City when their Soul was poured out into their Mothers Bosom This is a sorrowful sight but it is far more dreadful to see Children perishing to all eternity in their Parents Houses for want of their communicating to them the Bread of Life than to see them die by Famine 3. It is an unspeakable loss for a man to lose one Soul Though he do not lose his Children and Servants Souls though he lose not one Soul besides his own the gain of the whole world will not make up this loss as appears from the fore-quoted Scripture Mar. 8.36 What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and
that which is lacking in your Faith Phil. 1.4 Always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with Joy He put up no prayer at any time but he remembred them all and it was not irksome to him so to do but he did it with Joy And as the Apostle Paul so also others of the Servants of Christ have been wont to labour and strive mightily with God in Prayer for those whom they have taught and instructed in the ways of God Col. 4.12 Epaphras who is one of you a Servant of Christ saluteth you always labouring fervently for you in prayers that ye may stand perfect and compleat in the whole Will of God He did not only pray but laboured in prayer and that fervently not sometimes but always and that not for his own concernments but for you besides it is not said in prayer but in prayers intimating that he put up a multitude of prayers for them and it was no small measure of grace that he laboured thus earnestly for on their behalf but that they might stand perfect and compleat in the will in all the will of God 3. Prayer will do great things with God for others as well as our own Souls Jam. 5.16 Pray one for another that ye may be healed the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much By praying in faith and with fervency we may obtain converting grace remission of sins and eternal life for our Children and Servants and others as well as those of our own Families 1 John 5.16 If any man see his Brother sin a sin which is not unto death he shall ask and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death This promise may give us great encouragement to pray in faith for the conversion and salvation of such as are visible and open sinners If any see his Brother sin c. If we consider 1. The persons to whom this promise is made and they are every one that believeth in the Name of Jesus Christ It is not a priviledge that did belong only to the Apostles or extraordinary men of God but it is said If any man that is any man that believeth in Christ as appeareth from the thirteenth verse 2. The persons for whom Believers may obtain Life and Salvation upon praving to God for them and they are his Brethren sinning Brethren If any man see his Brother sin he shall give him life for them He first speaks of a Brother in the singular number and then saith Life for them in the plural which shews that the word Brother is to be taken collectively as Beza observes for all or any Brother for whom a Believer shall pray to God If you ask Who is meant by a Brother I answer The Apostle seemeth to use the word Brother in this Epistle in the same latitude with Neighbour which may be proved from several passages in his Epistle as Chap. iii. 14 15 16. Chap. iv 20.21 And Piscator expounds the word Brother Fratris nomine intelligit proximum qui eandem nobiscum fidem ac proinde eundem in coelis patrem profitetur 3. He excepts no sins but the sin unto death that is as most expound the place the sin against the Holy Gaost which is a sin that shall never have forgiveness As for any other sins if Believers ask of God Repentance and Forgiveness of sins for them that have sinned that so they may have Life and Salvation God will grant them their desire Another Scripture that sheweth the efficacy of prayer in order to the obtaining for others forgiveness of sins and Grace whereby they may be qualified to receive forgiveness of sins we have Jam. 5.15 The prayer of faith shall save the Sick and the Lord shall raise him up and if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven him Ishmael was a wild Child Gen. 16.11 12. yet when Abraham prayed Gen. 17.10 O that Ishmael might live before thee God answers him verse 20. As for Ishmael I have heard thee And though the Lord adds afterward But my Covenant will I establish with Isaac Yet this as Rivet observes seems rather to be an excluding of Ishmael's Posterity than his Person from the Covenant unto whom the same day that God gave him this answer Abraham administers Circumcision the Seal of the Covenant When the woman of Canaans Daughter was grievously vexed with a Devil her prayer prevailed with Christ to deliver her Daughter from the power of the Devil Matth. 15.22 28. Objection I have prayed often to God to give my Children Grace and to convert and turn them from their sins but I do not see that my Prayers avail any thing with God for my Children they abide still in a graceless condition Answer 1. Do you instruct them diligently as well as pray for them Do you watch over them Do you shew them a good example Do you reprove them Do you give them due correction If you do not use other means as well as prayer possibly that is the reason why your prayers avail not for their conversion The Apostle Paul who earnestly desired and prayed for the salvation of the Jews Rom. 10.1 Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved joyned with his prayers the use of all means to effect their salvation Rom. 11.14 If by any means I might provoke to emulation them which are my flesh and might save some of them So must we joyn the use of all other means with prayer if we would have our prayers become effectual for the conversion and salvation of our Children 2. Though we see no present return of our prayers yet we should continue praying and not faint or be discouraged until we have obtained what we pray for Luke 18.1 He spake a Parable unto them to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint Though the Lord may be silent for a season and seem not to regard our Prayers to try our Faith and Patience yet he may purpose to give us all that we pray for He dealt thus with the Woman of Canaan when she came to him with a Request on the behalf of her Daughter at the first he answered her not a word Matth. 15.23 And when the Disciples intercede for her he seems to discourage them from making any farther request for her by saying to them ver 24. I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel and afterward when she continued to cry after him he seemeth to beat her off and reject her prayer by telling her Verse 26. It is not meet to take the Childrens Bread and cast it to Dogs Yet she still holding on her suit at length Christ yields her the whole desire of her heart Verse 28. Then Jesus answered and said unto her O Woman great is thy Faith Be it unto thee even as thou wilt And her Daughter was made whole from that very hour 3. If God should
not answer our Prayers for our Children whilst we live yet he may answer those Prayers after we are dead which we did offer up to him whilst we lived with them Our Lord JESUS CHRIST prayed for the Jews that were so vile and wicked as to put him to death Luke 23.34 Then said Jesus Father forgive them for they know not what they do And as an answer of Christs Prayer thousands of those Jews that were not wrought upon either by Christs Doctrine or Miracles or Godly Life but continued in an impenitent condition till after his death yea were so hardened as to have an hand in the crucifying of the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of Life and Glory were notwithstanding converted by the preaching of the Apostle Peter Acts 2 23.37 41. Suppose neither your Instructions nor godly Example nor Prayers should prevail for the conversion of your Children whilst you live but they should be vile and stubborn and disobedient to God and to you unto your dying day yet cease not praying for them It may be the Lord will answer your prayers by making use of others to convert them when you are laid in your Graves 4. We should sin against God if we should cease praying for our Children because we see no effect of our Prayers but do behold much stubborness and perversness in them The people of Israel were a perverse people Samuel saw little fruit of his Instructions or Prayers on their behalf they were set upon their own way and he could not disswade them from desiring a change of Government although therein they did not only reject Samuel but God himself from raigning over them 1 Sam. 8.5 6 7 8. yet he would not cease from praying for them lest he should sin against the Lord 1 Sam. 12.23 Moreover as for me God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you If Samuel was afraid to cease praying for a stubborn perverse people lest he should sin against the Lord ought not Parents to continue praying for their graceless and disobedient Children for fear if they should cease to pray for them they also should sin against the Lord 5. If you have prayed for your Childrens Conversion and cannot prevail joyn fasting with prayer Sometimes mercies cannot be obtained from God unless we fast as well as pray Mark 9.29 This kind can come forth by nothing but by Prayer and Fasting If we have a Child that is sick unto death we do not stick at seeking God by Fasting and Prayer for its Recovery 2 Sam. 12.15 16. The Lord struck the Child that Vriah's wife bare unto David and it was very sick David therefore besought God for the Child and David fasted And shall we not much more seek to God by fasting and prayer to recover our Children and Servants from the power of sin and Satan and to deliver them from everlasting Burnings This duty of Fasting rightly performed is of great use both for the obtaining direction from God in the management of our undertakings Ezra 8.21 23. I proclaimed a Fast that we might afflict our selves before our God to seek of him a right way for us and for our little ones and for our substance so we fasted and besought our God for this and he was intreated of us And also for procuring of success in what we take in hand as we may see in the case of Esther Nehemiah and several others who setting upon their undertakings with fasting and prayer prosperously effected what they took in hand though their work was very great and attended with very great difficulties God seldom lets any Fast that is performed in a right manner go without a remarkable Reward Matth. 6.17 18. And therefore it will be very much for our own and our Families advantage to set apart some days of humiliation with our Families to seek God by fasting and prayer to bless and succeed us in this Work of Family-Instruction SECT 20. The usefulness of Faith in reference to Family-Instruction Several sorts of Promises relating to our Families The Case of such as are discouraged from acting Faith upon the Promises because they see no Fruit of their Faith or Labours Direct 20 ACT your Faith upon God for the Conversion and Salvation of such as are under your charge Trust in him by vertue of his Promises to bless and prosper your Labours in teaching your Families We read of Isaac that he blessed his Children in faith Heb. 11.20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come As Isaac blessed his Children in faith so should we instruct our Children in faith believing that God will bless our Instructions for the doing their souls good To do our work in faith believing in God and resting upon God for his blessing is the way to prosper in what we do 2 Chron. 20.20 Believe in the Lord your God so shall you be established believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper By believing in the Lord we may obtain salvation for our Houshold as well as for our own Souls Acts 16.31 Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy House Which is not to be understood as though the Governours faith would avail for the salvation of such of his House as live and die in an unregenerate condition but that upon his believing and using of the means of Grace in faith he shall obtain conversion and so consequently salvation for his Houshold Wherefore seeing Faith is of such prevalencie with God as to obtain converting Grace and Salvation for our Families I shall put you in mind of several sorts of Promises which may encourage and help you to trust in God for Family-Mercies and Family-Blessings and that not only Temporal but Spiritual and Eternal Blessings As for instance 1. God hath promised not only to be a God to his People but also the God of their Families Jer. 31.1 At the same time saith the Lord will I be the God of all the Families of Israel and they shall be my People 2. The Lord hath promised to bless the several Members of his Peoples Families as the Wife the Children the Servants He hath promised to bless the Wife and to make her as a fruitful Vine Psal 128.1 2 3. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord that walketh in his ways for thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee Thy Wife shall be as a fruitful Vine by the sides of thine House Now that we may understand what is couched under this phrase Thy Wife shall be as a fruitful Vine Let us consider what the Scripture saith of the Vine in other places The Vine brings forth Wine which cheareth God and men Judg. 9.13 It casteth forth a pleasant delightful smell Cant. 2.13 To dwell under a Vine implies safety and confidence 1 King 4.25 Also a dwelling in peace without Wars Jars and Contentions Mich. 4.34 The Vine hath no
great worth and excellency there is in an immortal Soul The Soul of the poorest Child or Servant in your Families is more worth than all the substance in your houses than all the Riches you have gotten or can get as long as you live yea than the whole world Mark 8.36 What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own Soul And therefore you should spend more thoughts and pains about saving your Children and Servants Souls than you would do to gain the whole world if there were a probability that by your care and industry you might get into your possession all the good things that are in the world There is such an excellency in the Soul that when any one sinner is brought to repentance whereby his Soul is put into a state of Salvation all the Angels of Heaven rejoyce at this glad Tidings Luk. 15.10 There is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth 2. By converting your Children and Servants you shall recover their souls from the power of the Devil Before their conversion he rules and carries them captive to this and the other sin as he pleaseth Ephes 2.2 2 Tim. 2.26 But when they are converted they are freed and delivered from the power of Satan The Conversion of a sinner is the opening of his eyes and turning him from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Act. 26.18 It is Gods delivering of a sinner from the power of darkness and translating him into the Kingdom of his dear Son Col. 1.13 If your Children were under Turkish Slavery would you spare any pains or cost to redeem them from the hands of the Turks It is far worse to have them under the power of Satan than under the power of the Turks Suppose the Devil had gotten possession of your Childrens Bodies and should torture them as he did the woman of Canaan's Daughter who cried out to Christ Mat. 15.22 Have mercy upon me O Lord my Daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil or should rend and tear them as he did that young man whose Father made his moan to Christ after this manner My Son hath a dumb Spirit and wheresoever he taketh him he teareth him and he fometh and gnasheth with his teeth and he pineth away and oft times it hath cast him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him Mark 19.17 18 22. would not this cause you to mourn and fast and pray and to use all means possible to get your Childrens Bodies delivered from the tyranny of Satan And would you not be restless until you had obtained their deliverance To have your childrens Souls under the power of the Devil and to have them drawn sometimes into one foul sin and then into another is far worse and more dangerous then to have their Bodies at his command and yet this is their case as long as they remain unconverted their Souls are under the power of sin and Satan How should this cause you to strive with God in prayer night and day and labour with your utmost diligence in the use of all means to get their Souls converted to God 3. By converting your Children and Servants you shall prevent their dying in their sins and save them from the wrath of God and the torments of Hell Jam. 5.19 20. Brethren if any of you do err from the truth and one convert him let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a Soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins What a great what a good work is this to save a soul from death Shall we think any pains too much to save immortal Souls from eternal Death If you saw any of your Children ready to fall into a fiery Furnace which would consume them to Ashes in a moment you would suddenly lay hold on them and prevent if it were possible their falling into the furnace of fire Hell is called A Furnace of Fire Mat. 13.42 As long as your Children live in ignorance and in an unconverted condition they are in danger every day to fall into this furnace of fire And doth it not concern you then to prevent with all possible speed their falling into everlasting burnings 4. Consider what great pains Jesus Christ took to save and convert Souls The great end of his coming into the world and taking our Nature upon him was to save Souls Luk. 19.10 The Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost When he was upon the earth he was so diligent in teaching and instructing the people that he did not omit his work one day Luk. 19.47 He taught daily in the Temple He was so diligent to teach and instruct the people that he could not find spare time to eat his Bread which cansed some of his friends to think and say he was beside himself Mark 3.20 He was not only very diligent in preaching but was content to lay down his life to save our souls Shall not this example of Christ provoke you to give all diligence to save both your own and the souls of all that are committed to your Charge 5. God will give a greater degree of Glory to those that are instrumental to convert and save souls than to other Saints For whereas they shall shine only as the Firmament they that convert others shall shine as the Stars in the Firmament Dan. 12.3 They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to Righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever 6. You cannot approve your selves to be Righteous Persons either to God or Men if you do not regard what becomes of your childrens and servants souls A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast Prov. 12.10 If this be true how can they account themselves righteous persons who have no regard what becomes of the souls of their Children If a Beast go astray though it be not our own but our Neighbours yea our Enemies we must by no means neglect to bring it back Exod. 23.4 If thou meet thine Enemies Ox or his Ass going astray thou shalt surely bring it back to him again If we are bound so straightly to bring back an Ox or an Ass of our Enemies when he goes astray then what obligations lie upon us to bring home to God our own Children and our houshold Servants when we see them going astray from the Lord SECT 2. Such as neglect Family-Instruction are guilty of their Children and Servants Blood How great an Evil it is to be guilty of the Blood of Souls Motive 2 SUch Parents and Masters of Families as neglect to train up their Children and Servants in the fear of the Lord and in the knowledge of his word are the instrumental causes of their Damnation and their Children and Servants Blood will be laid to their charge and be required at their hands For
thy self and keep thy soul diligently lest thou forget the things that thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thine heart all the days of thy life but teach them thy Sons and thy Sons Sons especially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb when the Lord said unto me Gather me the people together and I will make them hear my words that they may learn to fear me all the days that they hall live upon the earth and that they may teach their Children 5. It will be a great support and satisfaction to Governours of Families in a dying hour if their Consciences bear them witness that they have been careful to train up those whom the Lord hath committed to their charge in the knowledge of his word It was a comfort to Hezekiah when he had received the Sentence of Death that he had done that which was good in the sight of the Lord Isa 38.3 Now this is a good thing in the sight of God to bring men to the knowledge of the Truth 1 Tim. 2.3 4. When the Lord Jesus was departing out of this world he mentions twice his giving Gods word to the men that were given to him John 17 8 14. Possibly for this reason to teach us that it will be a great comfort in a dying hour to all such as have had any persons committed to their charge to be able to appeal to God that they have taught and instructed them in the knowledge of his holy word When the Apostle Paul took his leave of the Church of Ephesus and knew he should see their faces no more though he knew that after his departing grievous Wolves would enter in among them not sparing the Flock and also that among themselves some would arise speaking perverse things yet having before been diligent in teaching them the good word of God he doth with a great deal of satisfaction of mind commend them to God and to his word knowing that Gods word was able to build them up under all oppositions and discouragements whatever Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified In like manner when Parents have taught their Children the word of God although they fore-see that after their death their Children are likely to fall into many temptations by reason of seducing spirits or other evils yet they may with much comfort commend them to God and to the word of his grace wherein they have been instructed 6. Such Parents as are careful to instruct their Families and to train them up in the knowledge and fear of God shall not only be blessed themselves but they shall be great blessing unto others Gen. 18.18 19. Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him And why The Reason is rendred in the following words For I know him that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and Judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him SECT 6. The Evils that arise from the neglect of Family-Instruction Mo ∣ tive 6 COnsider what a great evil it is for Governours of Families to neglect instructing their Families in the knowledge of Gods holy Word 1. They do shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against their Children and Servants For such as do take away the Key of Knowledge do shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against those persons from whom they do take away the Key of Knowledge as is evident by comparing Mat. 23.13 Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men for ye neither go in your selves neither suffer ye them that are entring to go in with Luk. 11.52 Wo unto you Lawyers for ye have taken away the Key of Knowledge ye entred not in your selves and them that were entring in ye hindred What a woful crime is this for a man to shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against his Family 2. Such Parents as neglect to instruct their children are more cruel than the Sea-monsters Lam. 4.3 Even the Sea-monsters draw out the brest to their young ones The daughter of my People is become cruel as the Ostrich in the Wilderness Instruction is as necessary for the Soul as the brest or other food is for the Body Yea they are worse than Infidels 1 Tim. 5.8 If any provide not for his own and specially for those of his own House he hath denied the Faith and is worse than an Infidel The providing those things which concern the Souls of our Houshold is as necessary and the neglect thereof as dangerous as the providing for their Bodies Yea they are more unnatural than the damned in Hell for they are desirous that their Relations should be instructed and that means should be used to prevent their eternal damnation Luk. 16.23 27 28. And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments and seeth Abraham after off and Lazarus in his bosom Then he said I pray thee therefore that thou wouldst send him to my Fathers house for I have five brethren that he may testifie unto them lest they also come into this place of torment 3. God accounts those Parents haters of their Children that neglect to instruct and correct them Prov. 13.24 He that spareth the Rod hateth his Son but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes Such as do not endeavour to prevent sin in their neighbours do hate them in their hearts whatever shew of love they make in their words Lev. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer sin upon him If they hate their Neighbours that suffer sin upon them do not they hate their Children that suffer them to live in ignorance of God which is a Soul-damning sin 4. Children and Servants prove great crosses when they are not trained up in the knowledge and fear of God And this comes to pass both by the just Judgment of God who punisheth Parents and Masters neglect of Family-Instruction with the disobedient undutiful carriage of their Children and Servants and also from the power of original corruption which when it is not restrained by good education breaks forth with great violence and causeth persons to be of a perverse and stubborn spirit Eli neglecting Family-Government was punished in his Children by their proving exceeding great crosses to him 1 Sam. 2.33 The man of thine whom I shall not cut off from mine Altar shall be to consume thine eyes and to grieve thine heart And as God dealt with Eli so he ordinarily deals with those Parents that neglect to train up their Children in the knowledge and fear of his Name he suffers them to prove a reproach and
way and while he opened to us the Scriptures If you endeavour to water your Families with the dew of heaven God will water your souls Prov. 11.25 He that watereth shall be watered also himself 3. If you do this work out of obedience to the command of God and act your faith on the Lord Jesus for the pardon of the imperfections that attend this work though you do not find so much comfort and delight in the doing thereof as you wish you could but are sensible of some driness and flatness of spirit yet your work shall be accepted of God Acts 10.35 In every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him 4. If you apply your selves to Jesus Christ he will take away your driness and refresh and replenish your Souls with the Graces of his Spirit It is said of Jesus Christ That he shall be as Rivers of Water is a dry place Isa 32.2 And he hath promised such of his Servants as find their Souls to be like the dry ground that he will pour out his Spirit like flouds of water upon them that is in an abundant measure Isa 44.3 I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and flouds upon the dry ground I will pour out my Spirit upon thy Seed and my Blessing upon thine Off spring SECT 14. The Plea of such as say 'T is the Ministers work to instruct their Children answered Object 14 THis is the Ministers work not mine to catechise and instruct my Servants and my Children and why then should I take it in hand Answer Besides what the Ministers of Gods word are to do in this kind it is the duty of Parents and Masters of Families to teach and instruct their Children and Servants as hath been proved already by many clear Texts of Scripture I shall re-mind you of some of them Isa 38.19 The Father unto the Children shall make known thy truth Psal 78.5 He established a Testimony in Jacob and appointed a Law in Israel which he commanded our Fathers that they should make them known to their Children Ephes 6.4 And ye Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Deut. 6.6 7. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children This Precept is not given only to the Priests or Levites but to the whole House of Israel vers 4. So that it is a frivolous excuse for any man to think to put off this work from himself by saying it is the Ministers work to catechise his Children for God commandeth all Parents to teach his Word to their Children Yea it is a notorious falsehood for any man to say This is none of my work to instruct my Family whenas the Lord hath given so many and such strict Precepts to every man to instruct his Children SECT 15. Only such as are called of God are to take upon them the work of the Ministry Family-Instruction will not bring the Ministry into contempt Object 15 IF every man should take upon him to teach and instruct his Family this would be the way to make every man turn Preacher and would cause the Ministers of the Word to be slighted and despised and this makes us not only forbear this work our selves but also to dislike it in others because we would not have any take upon them the work of the Ministry but such as are called to it and we would not have the publick Ministry brought into contempt Answ 1. Family-Instruction and the work of the Ministry are two distinct works The one belongs to every Master of a Family the other belongs only to such as are called and sent forth by God to preach the Gospel Rom. 10.15 How shall they preach except they be sent And God hath not called all men to the work of the Ministry 1 Cor. 12.28 29. God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers Are all Apostles Are all Prophets Are all Teachers We may learn from this Text 1. That none are to be Teachers in the Church but those whom God sets there 2. That God doth set some not all to be Teachers in the Church Under the Law no man was to take the Office of the Priesthood without a call from God Heb. 5.4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself but he that was called of God as was Aaron Yea God made it death for such as were not called to intermeddle with the Priests Office Numb 18.7 Thou and thy Sons with thee shall keep your Priests Office for every thing of the Altar and within the Vail and ye shall serve And the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death What work our Lord Jesus did in and for the Church of God he did not do it without a Call Heb. 5.5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high Priest but he that said unto him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And God hath ordained under the Gospel that every man should improve those gifts which he hath distributed to him within the sphere and compass of his Calling 1 Cor. 7.17 As God hath distributed to every man as the Lord hath called every one so let him walk and so ordain I in all Churches Those works which are in themselves good works become sinful when they are done by those that have no call to do them and instead of being rewarded they have been punished by the Lord. To burn Incense upon the Altar of Incense was a very good and acceptable work David wisheth that his Prayer might be like Incense Psal 141.2 Let my Prayer be set before thee as incense Yet when Vzziah undertook to burn Incense who had no Call to do it it is called a Transgression and he was punished with Leprosie all his days 2 Chron. 25.18 21. It appertaineth not unto thee Vzziah to burn incense unto the Lord but to the Priests the Sons of Aaron that are consecrated to burn incense go out of the Sanctuary for thou hast trespassed neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God And Vzziah the King was a Leper unto the day of his death The more knowledge any man hath of the Scriptures the less fear there is of his taking upon him the work of the Minstry without a Call from God what this Call is and how a man may discern when he hath it would be too great a digression if I should here undertake the explanation thereof because the Scriptures are so full so plain so express in this point That only they that are called of God should take upon them the work and Office of the Ministry So that this Objection Every man will turn Preacher if he take upon him to instruct his Family in the knowledge of the Scriptures is of no force to hinder this work of Family-Instruction 2. Neither will
sin if it had not been for the Law of God Rom. 7.7 Nay I had not known sin but by the Law for I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet Not to believe in Jesus Christ is a great sin it is a sin for which God will damn men at the day of Judgment Mark 16.16 He that believeth not shall be damned Now the Light of Nature doth not convince a man that it is a sin not to believe in Jesus Christ it is by the Scripture which holdeth forth the damnable nature of this sin of not believing in Jesus Christ John 3.18 He that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the onely begotten Son of God And by the help of the Spirit that we come to be convinced of the sin of not believing in Christ John 16.8 9. And when he that is the Spirit which is the Comforter spoken of in the former verse is come he will reprove the world of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment of Sin because they believe not in me And as there are some sins of which natural Light doth not convince a man so those sins of which it doth convince a man it doth not convince with such clearness and power as the Law doth which stops a mans mouth and makes him fall down before God as as a lost undone Creature Rom. 3.19 20. Now we know that what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God By the Law is the knowledge of sin 3. There are several Points of the Christian Religion of great moment which that Light that is in natural men discovereth not neither can we know them any other ways but by the help of the Scriptures or by immediate Revelation from God As for instance To know and believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah is of such moment as that we can't be saved unless we believe him to be the Messiah John 8.24 I said therefore unto you That ye shall die in your sins for if ye believe not that I am he ye shall die in your sins Now this knowledge Flesh and Blood Nature in its highest improvements cannot attain it must either be by Revelation from God Matth. 16.15 16 17. Whom say ye that I am And Simon Peter answered and said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God And Jesus answered and said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven Or by the help of the Scriptures And therefore when Apollos would convince the Jews that Jesus was the Christ he did it by the Scriptures Acts 18.28 For he mightily convinced the Jews and that publickly shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ And this way the Apostle Paul took also he alledged those Scriptures that spoke of the Messiah and explained them and thereby proved to them that Jesus of Nazareth was Christ And Paul as his manner was went in unto them and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures opening and alledging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ It is of great moment to know what that Righteousness is whereby a Sinner should come to be justified in the sight of God If a man be ignorant of this Righteousness he will seek to establish his own and will not submit to the Righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 For they being ignorant of Gods Righteousness and going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the Righteousness of God The Light of Nature cannot find out this Righteousness it is no where revealed but in the Gospel Rom. 1.16 17. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek for therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written The Just shall live by faith That there are Three Persons and yet but One God is plainly revealed in the Scriptures 1 John 5.7 There are Three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these Three are One But without the help of the Scriptures the Light of Nature can attain to but little or no knowledge of this great Mystery And as there are some Doctrines so also some Duties in the Christian Religion which the Light of Nature cannot discover As for instance Baptizing of persons with water in the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost is an Ordinance of Jesus Christ which he would have continued and with which he will afford his presence to the end of the world Matth. 28 19 20. So also is eating Bread and drinking Wine in the Lords Supper and Ordinance of Christ to be continued in the Church till his coming to Judgment 1 Cor. 11.26 As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew forth the Lords death till he come But natural Light doth not teach a man that it is his duty to be baptized or to receive the Lords Supper It is from the Scriptures we learn that Baptism and the Lords Supper are Ordinances of Jesus Christ and that the use of these Ordinances is to be continued in the Church of Christ to the end of the World 4. The Light which we must attend unto and follow and by which we must order our Lives and Conversations is the Mind and Will of God revealed in the Scriptures 2 Pet. 1.19 We have also a more sure Word of Prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark place until the Day dawn and the Day-star arise in your hearts Observe here First That the Light to which the Apostle would have us take heed and saith they do well who take heed to it is the Word of Prophecy by the Word of Prophecy he understands the Scriptures which were written and delivered to us by the Prophets as is evident from the ensuing word Knowing this first that no Prophecy of the Scriptures c. Secondly It is our duty to take heed to the word of Prophecy as long as we live in this world Whereunto ye do well to take heed until the Day dawn and the Day-star arise in your hearts By the Day-star is meant Jesus Christ Rev. 22.16 I am the bright and morning Star By the Day is not meant only or chiefly the day of Grace or the day of the Gospel for these days had already dawned upon those persons to whom the Apostle wrot this Epistle for he saith of them They knew and were established in the present truth vers 12. They were not only acquainted with the Doctrine of the Gospel
Commandment is for you if ye will not hear if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory unto my Name saith the Lord of Hosts I will even send a curse upon you and I will curse your blessings Whether it be a word of Command or Promise or Threatning or an Example of Gods Judgments on sinners or of his blessing bestowed on his servants tell them That these Commandments O my Children the great God that made you and that will bring you to Judgment hath given to you if you obey them he will love you and bless you and give you all good things in this world and great blessings in the world to come But if you will not hearken to his Voice but cast his Law behind your backs he will send many heavy Judgments and great Plagues upon you in this world and if they do not lead you to repentance he will cast you both Body and Soul into Hell Fire And so for the Promises tell them These great and precious Promises shall be your portion if you will believe in Jesus Christ and live holy and godly lives Gal. 3.22 1 Tim. 4.8 Do the like by the Threatnings tell them That these will surely be executed on them if they live in those-sins against which such and such Judgments are threatned For GOD is faithful and able to perform his Word and is no Respecter of persons and there is no lying hid from his all-seeing Eye nor any possibility to escape out of His Hand VVhen you meet with Examples of Gods Judgments on impenitent sinners tell them Those Examples are recorded on purpose to keep them from falling into such sins 1 Cor. 10.5 6. and to lead them to Repentance Luk. 13.1 2 3. And that if they live in the same sins they must expect to meet with the same Judgments And so also the Examples of Gods mercies towards his servants tell them That if they will serve God the same mercies and blessings that God gave Abraham or David or any other of his servants he will give them But of these things I have spoken before more largely in the Third Chapter and it will be needless to repeat them again By what hath been said there it is evident that there is much more work lieth upon Parents besides teaching them to read the Scriptures as VVatching over them Reproof Correction c. SECT 22. Instructing Children while they are young makes eminent Saints Object 22 WE may teach our Children to know and remember the Scriptures but we can't teach them obedience that is Gods work and what good will it do them to know and remember the Word if they do not obey it And besides if they should whilst they are young walk in the ways of God they will forsake them when they grow old and be the worse for their instruction and make good the old Proverb A young Saint and an old Devil Answ 1. It is true that it is Gods work to teach our Children Obedience but we must use the means Shall the Ministers of the Gospel forbear preaching the word because the conversion of souls is Gods work not theirs 2. God doth ordinarily bless the Endeavours of Parents and Masters of Families when they are diligent and faithful in their work not only to the breeding of knowledge but also to the bringing of their Children and Servants to obey the Lord and walk in his ways Gen. 18.19 He will command his Children and Houshould after him and they SHALL keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and Judgment Here God promiseth that upon Abrahams commanding his Children and Houshold they should keep the way of the Lord. And what God promiseth to Abraham he promiseth and will peform unto all that walk in Abrahams steps If persons that have had Religious Education would consult their own experience they will find that generally God instils Principles of Grace into such as are converted by means of their Religious Education 3. That Proverb A young Saint and an old Devil was of Satans coining to deter persons from seeking and serving the Lord for it is contrary to the word of God for that saith Prov. 22.6 Train up a Child in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it None prove such eminent Saints as they that begin to seek and serve the Lord whilst they are young I will give two or three instances hereof Josiah was a very humble tender-hearted Prince he wept at the hearing of Gods Law 2 Kings 23.18 19. He was very zealous in the Reformation of Religion and destroying Idolatry Chap. xxiii ver 1. to 25. There never was such a Passover kept either in the days of the Judges or of the Kings of Israel or Judah as Josiah kept 2 Kings 23.22 23. He excelled all the Kings that lived before him and all that came after him verse 25. And like unto him there was no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might according to all the Law of Moses neither after him arose there any like him And as he was thus eminent in Godliness so he continued constant to his dying day 2 Chron. 34.2 He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of David his Father and declined neither to the right hand nor left And one reason why he proved so eminent and constant in the ways of God was this He began while he was young to seek after the Lord as is expressed in the following verse For in the eighth year of his Reign while he was yet young he began to seek after the God of David his Father Obadiah who feared the Lord from his youth 1 Kin. 18.12 I thy Servant fear the Lord from my youth attained unto a great measure of the fear of God verse 3. Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly He kept his Integrity though he lived in Ahabs House who was such a wicked Prince that he did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord. He was a great shelter to the Lords Prophets when they were persecuted and some of them put to death by Jezabel he hid an hundred Prophets in a Cave and maintained them with Bread and VVater verse 4. David began to seek and trust in God while he was young Psal 71.5 Thou art my hope O Lord God thou art my Trust from my youth And we know he proved a man after Gods own heart the instances of his exemplary piety are so many that it would be too long and so well known that it would be needless to mention them SECT 23. How to deal with Servants that hold Erronious Opinions Object 23 SOme of my Servants are tainted with Erronious Principles which I knew not of when I took them into my Family and I look upon it as labour in vain to instruct persons that are infected with Errors Answ I. It
was driven from his Throne and forced to dwell among the Beasts of the field where he was wet with the dew of Heaven and did eat grass with the Oxen when his understanding returned to him again although he was about seven years under this great and unusual Judgment because he saw Justice and Truth in this stroke of God he extolled and praised the Lord Dan 4 37. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of Heaven all whose Works are Truth and his Ways are Judgment and those that walk in pride he is able to abase V. God shall have eternal Glory from them that perish as well as from them that are saved His Justice shall be glorified on them that perish and his Mercy in them that are saved When ungodly sinners are cast into Hell in great multitudes God is glorified in their destruction Isa 5.14 16. Therefore Hell hath enlarged her self and opened her mouth without measure and their glory and their multitude and their pomp and he that rejoyceth shall descend into it But the Lord of Hosts shall be exalted in Judgment and God that is holy shall be sanctified in Righteousness Now seeing God shall be glorified in them that perish this may quiet our minds and keep down all murmuring thoughts if it should be our portion to have any of our children cut off in their sins Aaron's two sons Nadab and Abihu were cut off in the act of sin while they were offering strange fire there went out fire from the Lord and consumed them and they died before the Lord yet when Aaron heard Moses speak of Gods being glorified he was silent under this heavy stroke Lev. 10.3 Then Moses said unto Aaron This is that the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me and before all the People I will be glorified And Aaron held his peace God made all things and all persons wicked as well as good men for his own glory Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself yea even the wicked for the day of evil Rev. 4.11 Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created And seeing God made all things and persons for his own pleasure and glory he may glorifie himself according to his own will and pleasure upon every one of his creatures and none may say unto him What doest thou VI. The consideration of the great and wonderful mercy of God in bestowing his grace upon our souls and taking us into his everlasting Covenant may quiet our minds however it shall please him to deal with our Families David met with great afflictions in his Family some of his children proved perverse and were very great crosses to him and died in such a state as he could have little or no hope of their salvation Amnon was such a vitious person that he ravished his own sister Tamar and was slain when his heart was merry with wine 2 Sam. 13.28 by this phrase is signified that Amnon was little better than drunk when he was slain as may be gathered from 1 Sam. 25.36 where Nabals drunkenness is expressed by his heart being merry Nabals heart was merry within him for he was very drunken Absolom who had caused his Brother Amnon to be slain rose up in rebellion against his Father and sought to take his Kingdom and Life from him and was cat off in this act of sin And how did David quiet himself under these great afflictions that befel his House It was with the Covenant that God had made with his own Soul 2 Sam. 23.5 Although my House be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my vation and all my desire although he make it not to grow The mercies and blessings of the Covenant are so great and such unvaluable mercies that when we conside the riches of Gods grace and his infinite love in taking our own souls into Covenant vvith himself this consideration may so fill our hearts vvith joy as to swallow up all our sorrows arising either from personal or family-afflictions Wine will chear such as are of a sorrowful spirit and make them forget their miseries Prov. 31.6 7. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine to them that be of heavy hearts Let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his misery no more Gods love is better and hath more efficacy to chear such as are of heavy hearts than wine Cant. 1.2 Thy love is better than Wine And if Wine will refresh such as are of sorrowful spirits yea such as are ready to perish under their affliction what efficacy is there in the love of God which he hath manifested in taking our souls into Covenant to comfort us under our greatest sorrows and miseries even such as lie heavy upon our hearts yea such as vve think vve shall perish under them SECT 2. The Case of such as are overwhelmed with grief because they fear their Children are in eternal Torments considered Gods Justice in punishing Sinners to Eternity vindicated TO these Considerations I shall add a Reply to such Pleas as those Parents whose Children have died in their sins may possibly make use of to excuse their immoderate grief and discontent and perplexity of mind under this affliction of losing their Children in such a state as that they can have no hope of their salvation And so I shall conclude this Treatise 1 Plea My Children that are dead in their sins are gone into everlasting burnings where their torments will be endless and intolerable and it so pierceth my heart and distracteth my mind when I think that those that came out of my Bowels my Children for whom I had such a dear affection should be cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone where they must remain for eternity that I am not able to bear it but sometimes I am ready to fret against God and at other times my heart is so full with grief that I think it will break in pieces and I shall die with sorrow Answ I. If your Children be cast into eternal Torments for their sins it is God hath done it He keeps the Keys of Death and Hell No person is cut off by death none after death are cast into Hell but at Gods appointment Rev. 1.18 I have the Keys of Hell and Death There is not so much as one Sparrow falleth to the ground but at the will and by the appointment of God Matth. 10.29 Are not two Sparrows sold for a farthing And one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father If a Sparrow doth not fall to the ground vvithout the vvill of God then surely an immortal Soul doth not fall into Hell Torments but at his appointment for the meanest Soul that ever was created is of
Titus unto whereby he might hope to effect this but to instruct them in the faith of Christ and rebuke them sharply Tit. 1.12 13. The Cretians are always Lyars evil Beasts slow Bellies This witness is true wherefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith If you ask How shall we manage this duty of Reproof so as to reform those persons whom we reprove I answer 1. Reprove not but upon just cause and let that cause be for something you know and can prove to be a sin against God Thus God deals with us when he rebukes us 't is for sin Psal 39.11 When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity John 16.8 When he is come he will reprove the world of sin If we commit sin though it be secretly God will not let it pass without a reproof Job 13.10 He will surely reprove you if you do secretly accept persons If your Children or Servants be guilty of lying swearing back-biting or any other sin by no means forbear to rebuke them for their sins Lev. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer sin upon him You must also know and be sure that the person whom you reprove is guilty of that sin for which you reprove him And therefore you must not reprove upon every slight and groundless report Isa 11.3 He shall not reprove after the hearing of the Ears But you must inquire whether the thing that you hear be certain and whether it be altogether so bad as is reported God teacheth us this by his own example Gen. 18.20 21. And the Lord said Because the Cry of Sodom and Gomerrah is great and because their sin is very grievous I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the Cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know And he gives us a charge to be very wary how we proceed in judging others till we have made full and certain enquiry into the matter of Fact Deut. 13.12 14. If thou shalt hear say in one of thy Cities Then thou shalt inquire and make search and ask diligently and behold if it be truth and the thing certain that such abomination is wrought among you 2. The Lord doth not always chide as the Psalmist tells us Psal 103.9 He will not always chide but takes his set times for rebuking of us such as he in his wisdom judgeth most meet Exod. 32.34 In like manner we must not be always chiding our Children and Servants lest we either break or sink their spirits or else make them careless or regardless of our reproofs but it will be our prudence when we meet with that which provoketh us to anger and deserveth reproof to defer it to a convenient season and when we reprove to do it effectually and to purpose Prov. 19.11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger 3. When you reprove your Servants or Children instruct and shew them the evil of those things for which you reprove them And put them in remembrance of some Scripture that doth set out most fully and convincingly the evil and danger of that sin for which you reprove them And if they have no such Scriptures in their remembrance it will be good to cause them to take their Bibles and turn to such Scriptures as are most pertinent to fasten upon their hearts that word of reproof which you shall give them The Apostle exhorts Timothy to joyn Doctrine with Reproof 2 Tim. 4.2 Reprove Rebuke with Doctrine When Christ reproved the Saduces for holding there was no Resurrection of the Dead he proves to them out of the Scriptures that they were in a great Error Matth. 22.29 31 32. Divers instances we have of the like nature in his reproving the Scribes and Pharisees wherein he joyns the quotation of the Scriptures with his Reproofs 4. If you see no fruit no amendment produced by those Reproofs which you give your Family you must not sit down discouraged but reprove again and again and exercise much patience and long-suffering in the performance of this duty 2 Tim. 4.2 Reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and Doctrine What God said to Moses Exod. 4.8 And it shall come to pass if they will not believe thee neither hearken to the voice of the first sign that they will believe the voice of the latter sign The like may I say here If they turn not at the first Reproof it may be they will at the second if not at the second it may be the third will prevail but if it should not you must not cease to do your duty though God should deny success but must be often dealing with them and set before them the great danger of going on in sin after they have been often reproved concerning which we meet with many awakening passages in Scripture as Prov. 29.1 He that being often reproved hardneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy Prov. 15.10 He that hateth reproof shall die See also Prov. 1.25 to verse 33. Heb. 6.7 8. Jer. 6.8 5. Do not reprove them in a fury or when you are in a passion For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God Jam. 1.20 We are all ready to pray with David Psal 38.1 O Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath neither chasten me in thy displeasure If we would not have our Lord and Father rebuke us in his wrath shall we rebuke our Children and Servants in our wrath Let this be far from us We should put on a spirit of Meekness when we set upon this work of Reproof Two Considerations may cause us to exercise a spirit of Meekness when we are to deal with Offenders First When we consider what we our selves have been by nature we are as bad as others Tit. 3.2 3. Shewing all meekness unto all men for we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another Secondly When we consider what we may be if we fall into temptation Gal. 6.1 Brethren if a man be over-taken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted Our Spirits may be meek and yet our Reproofs may be sharp if either the nature of the Offence or Offender require sharp reprehensions If we would have our Reproofs sharp such as may enter and pierce deep into their hearts the way is not to use bitter Invectives and rayling Expressions but rather 1. To convince them plainly and clearly of their sin for which we reprove them Thus Peter dealt with the Jews he gives them clear and certain demonstrations that that Person whom they had put to death was the promised Messiah and that pricked them to the heart Acts 2.36 37. Let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath
made the same Jesus whom you have crucified both Lord Lord and Christ Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart 2. To demonstrate to them out of the word of God the evil and danger of those things for which you rebuke them for Gods word is called the Sword of the Spirit Ephes 6.17 No sword cuts and pierces like the sword of the Spirit For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and the Joynts and Marrow and is a Discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4.12 6. Reprove with wisdom for when a Reproof is managed wisely it becomes more amiable and successful Prov. 25.12 As an ear-ring of Gold and an Ornament of fine Gold so is a wise Reprover upon an obedient ear Our wisdom must be discovered in taking the fittest time for giving a Reproof and doing it in a judicious manner Eccles 8.5 A wise mans heart discerneth both time and judgment We must take the fittest time we must not defer too long We must do it when we are in the best capacity to give and the offending party to receive a Reproof We must reprove with Judgement which will teach us to weigh and consider the nature of the Offence and the Offender Some persons are of a more softly yielding disposition than others a word will do more with one than many blows with another Prov. 17.10 A Reproof entreth more into a wise man than a hundred stripes into a fool Some Offences are more heinous for their own nature and for their circumstances than others In some cases we are to rebuke secretly Mat. 18.15 Go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone In some cases we are to rebuke publickly in the presence of all 1 Tim. 5.20 Them that sin rebuke before all that others also may fear Wisdom will direct us what to do in these and other such like Cases Eccles 10.10 Wisis profitable to direct And that we may manage this work the more wisely we must not go about it rashly but consult with our selves about the fittest season and best manner of giving a Reproof Neb. 5.7 Then I consulted with my self and rebuked the Nobles Prov. 13.10 With the well-advised is wisdom 7. Look to God for Direction Courage and Success in giving a Reproof and rest upon him for his blessing for the success of every work we take in hand depends upon Gods blessing And therefore we must pray to God to assist accept and prosper us in this work And as we must pray so also rest upon God for his blessing in the administring a Reproof whether it be to such as are unconverted or to such as are in a state of Grace for God hath promised to bless Reproof to both sorts To such as are gracious Prov. 19.25 Reprove one that hath understanding and he will understand knowledge To such as are yet in their sins Pro. 24.25 To them that rebuke him that is a wicked person spoken of ver 24. shall be delight and a good blessing shall come upon them 8. Reprove and tell them of their faults with a tender compassionate heart not in an insulting way or in a way of jesting or jearing but rather mourning over them and for them Phil. 3.18 Many walk of whom I told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are Enemies of the Cross of Christ When the Apostle wrote an Epistle to the Corinthians to reprove them for their indulging the incestuous person he tells them Out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears 2 Cor. 2.4 SECT 8. The Benefits of Correction Directions for Correcting Children Direct 8 IF Reproofs do not prevail with your Children to practise those things which you teach them out of the Scriptures correct them Correction joyned with Instruction rightly administred is the way to make our Children holy and gracious Prov. 19.15 The Rod and Reproof give Wisdom but a Child left to himself bringeth his Mother to shame It maketh Children prove great blessings and comforts to their Parents Prov. 29.17 Correct thy Son and he shall give thee rest yea he shall give delight unto thy Soul Correction will be a means of preventing their eternal Damnation by effecting their Reformation Prov. 23.13 14. With-hold not Correction from the Child for if thou beatest him with the Rod he shall not die Thou shalt beat him with the Rod and shalt deliver his Soul from Hell Though they be never so much addicted to any sin which seems to be deeply and fast rooted in their Souls Correction prudently and rightly administred will be a means to reform them and make them leave their sins Prov. 22.15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a Child but the Rod of Correction will drive it far from him Prov. 20.30 The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil so do stripes the inward parts of the Belly If any ask How should we correct our Children so as to make our Corrections become effectual for their good I answer 1. Begin with them betimes before they have got too great an head or are habituated to sin A Twig is easily bent and made straight whilst it is young but being let alone for some years it becomes inflexible Prov. 19.18 Chasten thy Son while there is hope Prov. 13.24 He that spareth his Rod hateth his Son but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes 2. Be not overcome with fond pity either by their crying or pleading with you to with-hold correction from them when you see it meet and necessary to correct them Prov. 19.18 Chasten thy Son while there is hope and let not thy Soul spare for his crying They had better cry and roar under your Rod than roar under Gods wrath in Hell to all Eternity 3. Joyn Faith and Prayer with your Corrections Pray to God to bless the Corrections as well as the Instructions which you give your Children and though you see no present fruit of your Corrections yet be not discouraged but rest upon Gods promises who hath promised that Correction shall make our Children leave their sins Prov. 22.15 and be a means to save their souls Prov. 23.13 14. 4. In correcting your Children imitate God in correcting his Children As for instance 1. God joyns Instruction with Correction and thereby his Corrections come to have a blessed effect upon his Children Psal 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and reachest him out of thy Law Deal thus with your Children when you chasten them teach them out of the Scriptures the evil of those things for which you correct them 2. When God chastens he doth not only shew us our sins but layeth his commands upon us to leave off our sins Job 36.8 9 10. If they be holden in cords of affliction then he sheweth them their work and their transgression that they have