Conforming to the Truths of God that are Taught by them and being obedient to them as those that watch for their souls Heb. 13.17 But more Particularly 1. Come to Hear the Word of God with more Preparation then you were wont to do knowing it is the Word of God and not the word of Men 1 Thes 2.13 as that which doth concern your Immortal Souls and your eternal state in another World 2. Come with a more teachable heart than you were wont to do submitting your Reason to the Word that is Taught you resolving to forsake every thing which shall be proved to you to be a Sin and to do every thing which shall be made appear to be your Duty Hear that you may obey and Practise what you Hear Be not Hearers only but Doers of the Word 3. Suffer not your Mâ—ndes to be filled with so many distractions in time of Hearing as they were wont to be when you sit under the Preaching of the Word let not your Hearts go after your Covetousness Ezek. 33.31 4. Make particular Application of what doth most concern your Souls more than you were wont to do Hear for your selves 5. Treasure up the Word that you Hear in your Hearts and suffer not the Devil to steal the good Seed of the Word out of your Hearts nor the Cares of the World to choak the Word of God 6. Meditate more upon the Word of God after you have heard it work it upon your heart Preparation before diligent Attention in and Meditation after Hearing will make you thrive more and be more fruitful by the Word Preached than you were for nerly when you wholly omitted or were more slâ—ght in all these SECTION VIII SUch whom God hath spared alive in this time of great Morrality may be considered in an Oeconomical capacity as Persons constituting of Families and these may be considered as Governours or those that are Governed and surely all our Families are concerned to inquire what Improvement those that are left in Families should make of Gods Signal preservation of them Hath God swept away some Families wholly not a person left and spared yours doth not this call for some return you should make to God Hath not God visited your Family and taken away some of your Children or some Servant or some Friend out of your house and hath spared you hath given life to so many whom he hath so eminently preserved When God hath sent the Plague into your house he gave it Commission to fetch such a one in your house to his or her eternal state but gave it a Charge it should not seize upon you or if it did it should not kill you and doth not this call aloud to you in all your Families for speedy thorough Reformation Consider the dismal devastations made in some Families the total subvertion of others and yet that God should keep any Families in the midst of his burning wrath should not this make every person inquire What would the Lord have me to do Now the Governours should bethink themselves What is our Duty and the Children whom God hath continued to their Parents What would God have us to do c. There is not a Member in a Family but is greatly concerned to study what is the Duty which he should excel in according to the capacity and relation he standeth in in that Family And that after such Family-Visitation there may be Family-Reformation I shall consider 1. The Duties of the Family in general in reference to their joynt-Worshipping of God 2. Their Duties in particular in the relation in which they are considered For when the Family in general and every Member in particular Live up to the following Duties they will live in some measure answerably to so great Preservation First After your Families have been in such danger and yet so many of them and so many in them are preserved it must be your care to set up the Worship of God in your Families else you cannot as a Family walk answerably to so great Preservation What hath God not turned you out of your House by Death and will you turn the Worship of God out of your House hath God spared you think you for this end that there should be eating and drinking in your Houses and not Praying and Reading in your Families That there should be Working and Labouring early and late and no calling upon God Is this to make a Family-return to God is this to give to him the Praise of his safe-keeping of you in time of danger and distress And this is chiefly incumbent upon you that are the Governours of Families to call your Children and Servants together every Morning and every Night to Worship the God of your Salvation the God that hath wrought so great Deliverance for you I beseech you in the fear of God nay in the Name of the eternal God I charge you that you carefully constantly keep up the Worship of God in your Families And that I may follow this I shall shew you Why Wherein and How you must Worship God in your Families SECT IX FIrst The Reasons why you should set up the Worship of God in your Families are such as these 1. From the example of the holy Men of God in Scripture Josh 24.15 And if it seeme evil unto you to serve the Lord choose you this day whom you will serve whether the Gods whom your Fathers served that were on the other side of the Flood or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Some will serve the God of this World that is the Devil 2 Cor. 4.4 some will serve their Bellies which they make their God Phil. 3.19 and some will serve their unrighteous Mammon which they make their God but do you take up Joshua's Resolution That you and your house will serve the Lord. 2. From the Benefit that will come to you and your house if you carefully and constantly Worship God therein God will take care of you and your family if you take care of his Worship therein Gen. 18.17 And the Lord said shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do Ver. 19. 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 3. From the great evil that hangs over your family if you should neglect the Worship of God therein God will curse your family and his wrath shall be the portion of you and your Children if the worship of God be excluded from your House though God hath spared you and your family in this late Contagion yet his Wrath is still hovering over your house if you call not upon him Jer. 10.25 Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not and upon the Families that
the Author and him who is Your servant in the Lord Thomas Vincent The CONTENTS THe Preface or Introduction p. 1 2 3. DIRECTION I. Containing two parts viz. Since you live after this Plague Be not worse but Better p. 4. I. The first part of this Direction containeth seven Questions p. 5. Question I. Whether wicked men wax worse and worse p. 6. Six things premised for Explication p. 7 8 9 10 11. Proved by Scripture Instances p. 12 to 17. Proved by Arguments p. 18 to 24. Question II. What are the several steps or gradations whereby sin grows from a low ebbe to its highest actings Or Ten Rounds in the sinners Ladder to Hell p. 24 to 35. Where seven things about Gods hardening wicked mens hearts p. 32 33. Question III. Under what Dispensations wicked men wax worse and worse p. 35. Viz. 1. Vnder Gods Providences in Prosperity p. 36 37 in Adversiâ—y 38. in Deliverances 39 40 41 42 to 46 2Vnder Ordinances Word Sacrament p. 47 48. Question IV. Why God is pleased to remove Judgements though many men are worse than they were before p. 48 to 52. Question V. What are the aggravations of this great Impiety to be worse after Gods sorest Judgments than they were before Answered in Ten particulars p. 52 to 59 Question VI. What are signs of a man waxing worse and worse Answered in 14 particulars p. 59 to 68 Where six restraints of sin which keeping from sin do not prove truth of Grace yet sin against do prove height of sin p. 63 64 65 Question VII What Considerations may be useful to stop the stream of such mens wickednesse that are waxing worse and worse p. 68 69 70 Seven Questions to such sinners p. 71 72 73 74 Six Directions to such sinners p. 75 76 Eight Corollaries from this first part of this Direction p. 77 78 II. The second part of the first Direction Since you live be better after this Judgement than you were before directed especially to the godly p. 79 Where Ten Lessons to be learned by those in the City that by reason of the Plague hath been a great House of Mourning p. 80 to 89 Ten Aggravations of Gods Peoples sin if they be worse in their spiritual condition after this Plague than they were before p. 90 91 92 Seven Positions p. 93 c. Seventeen Arguments to Gods People to be better p. 97 101 DIRECTION II. Since you live after this Plague pay your Vows and live up to your holy Purposes and Resolutions which you made in time of danger and fears of death p. 102 115 Where Seven Reasons for care to keep your Resolutions holy Purposes and Vows p. 108 Twenty Helps to perform your Resolutions holy Purposes and Vows 115 Fourteen Aggravations if you come short of your Resolutions holy Purposes and Vows p. 116 c. Where Eleven signs of a Beloved sin p. ibid. DIRECTION III. Since you live and are free from or cured of your bodily sickness look after the cure of soul-sickness take heed that you lye not under spiritual Judgments when temporal Judgment is removed p. 142 1 Sin is the souls sickness in 6 particulars p. 143 144 2 Spiritual Judgments are worse than temporal in seven particulars p. 145 149 3 How a man may know whether he be healed of Soul-sickness in six particulars p. 149 152 4 How a soul-sick sinner should do for healing in 8 particulars p. 153 The excellency of Christ our Soul-Physician in 5 particulars p. 154 c. 5 What those must do whom Christ hath healed of soul-sickness to improve this Cure to the glory of God in 4 particulars p. 158 c. DIRECTION IV. Since you live after this Plague be eminently exemplary in the capacity God hath set you p. 161 An humble Exhortation to Magistrates whom God hath preserved p. 162 163 164 Subjects Duties to Magistrates in 6 particulars p. 165 166 Ministers Duties whom God hath spared in this Plague in 4 particulars p. 167 175 Peoples Duties whom God hath continued to their Ministers p. 176 Governours of Families Duties whom God hath spared in this Plague in respect of Family Worship p. 177 Where is shewed 1 Why in 8 particulars p. 179 to 182 2 Wherein in 5 particulars p. 183 189 3 How in 4 particulars p. 190 191 Duties of Husbands and Wives whom God hath continued together after this Plague viz. Mutual Love p. 192 193 Where is shewed What manner of Love it must be p. 194 195 Why they should thus love p. 196 197 Wherein they should manifest it p. 198 199 Duties of Parents whom God hath continued to Children in 5 particulars p. 200 206 Duties of Children whom God hath continued to Parents What in 7 particulars Why in 6 particulars p. 206 209 Duties of Masters and Servants In 5 particulars p. 210 In 11 particulars p. 211 216 DIRECTION V. Since you live by Gods secret way of preservation Watch against secret sins p. 217 Perform secret Duties p. 217 Minde secret things in publick Duties p. 217 Where Fourteen Arguments against secret sins p. 219 231 Nine masked sins detected p. 221 222 Ten Preservatives against secret sins p. 232 c. Four secret Duties p. 235 236 Six secret good things in Publique Duties p. 237 238 Six secret sins in Publique Duties p. 239 240 DIRECTION VI. Since you live after this Plague be dead to the World p. 241 Viz. To the Profits of the World p. 242 243 To the Honours of the World ibid. To the Pleasures of the World p. 245 To the Wisdom of the World p. 246 How a man may know whether he be dead to the World p. 247 248 249 DIRECTION VII Since you live be dead to sin and be buried with Christ p. 250 Believers are buried in 3 respects p. 251 Two differences in burial of our Friends and of our Sins p. 252 Five things included in the Burial of sin p. 253 254 Four things for Comfort to those who are buried with Christ p. 255. DIRECTION VIII Since you live after this Plague walk in newnesse of life p. 256 What newnesse of life doth not consist in in 6 particulars p. 257 What iâ— doth consist in in Ten particulars p. 258 The Excellencies of a New Life in 10 particulars p. 261 The Hinderances of walking in Newness of Life in six particulars p. 264 DIRECTION IX Since you live after this Plague keep upon your heart a constant sense of Gods distinguishing Providence in preserving of you p. 265 Six Helps so to doe p. 267 DIRECTION X. Since you live and many of your Relations dead love God so much the more by how much you have fewer Objects of your Love than you had before p. 270 DIRECTION XI Since you live after this Plague remember what Conscience did condemn you for in time of fear of death and avoid it what it did commend you for and do it 271 DIRECTION XII Since you live after such danger of death trust God for the future
loof off from my sore and my kinsmen stand afar off This it may be hath been thy condition who readest these lines thy body was full of loathsome sores and God hath cured thee and which was worse thy soul was full of loathsome reigning sins and God hath healed thee what now doth God expect at thy hand but that since he hath given health unto thy body and grace into thy soul thou shouldest use both unto his glory which if thou conscientiously and sincerely endeavor and practise ere long thou shalt be received into the Armes of thy Lord where there shall be no more sickness in thy body nor sin in thy soul for ever DIRECTION III. HAth God spared you in time of Pestilence then if you would Live in some measure answerable to so great a Mercy Be eminenth exemplary in the Place Capacity Calling Station or Relation wherein God hath set you Every Relaâ—ion hath some Duties peculiar to that Relation and every Calling and Capacity wherein Divine Providence hath plâ—ced you hath something wherein you may be peculiarly eminent and who knowes but God hath preserved you for this end that you may excell in the Capacity and Condition God hath called you unto if your Condition be a Condition of Prosperity be eminent in Humility Self-denial and Charity if of Adversity be eminent in Submission and Patience in undergoing the Will of God But that I may speak more Comprehensively and Distinctly I shall consider that every one that is left alive after this sore Judgment stands in one or more of these following Capacities or Conditions in every one of which every Man whom God hath spared should now labour to be eminently exemplary This Capcity is either Political Magistrates or Subjects Ecclesiastical Pastors Flock Oeconomical Conjugal Husband Wife Parental or Filial Parents Children Despotical or Servile Masters Servants One of these every Person is that is preserved from the Grave and if every one would now endeavour in good earnest to do something singular but singularly good for God in his particular Relation to do the Duty which God peculiarly calls for and excell therein that you failed in and came short of before this would be a good Improvement of the Mercy and this would be in some measure to walk up unto it SECTION I. LEt us consider the Persons whom God hath in mercy spared from the Grave in their Political câ—ciâ—y and such are either 1. Magistrates and Governours for over us by God Leâ—e with humility and reverence minde you of your duty and tell you That God expecteth and requireth that since he hath intrusted you with Authority from himself and given you Life and preserved you from the Grave in the day of his sore Visitation in the City that though your Place and Office did oblige you to a less retired Life then many others yet God hath kept you from Death by Infectious Diseases Now should you not inquire what you should do for God and how you may improve your time and Talent for his Honour should not you punish Sin that is so indeed and Countenancâ— Holiness and Religion that is so indeed should not you be zealous for God in punishing of open-Prophaneness and the horrid Oathes that have cried aloud in the eares of God Men prophanely Swearing by the Sacred Name of God and Sabbath-breâ—king and violation of the Holy Day of God did not Nehemiah do so Nehem. 13.15 In those dayes saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the Sabbath and bringing in sheaves and lading Asses as also wine grapes and figs and all manner of burdens which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold Victuals Vers 1 6. There dwelt Men of Tire also therein which brought fish and all manner of Ware and sold on the Sabbath as many did Fruit openly in some places of the Streets and in Fields about London unto the children of Judah and in Jerusalem Vers 17. Then I contended with the Nobles of Judah and said unto them what evil thing is this that ye do and profane the Sabbath day Ver. 18. Did not your fathers thus and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this City yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath Vers 19. And it came to pass when the Gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath I commanded the Gates should be shut and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath and some of my servants set I at the Gates that there should be no Burden brought in upon the Sabbath day Vers 20. So the Merchants and sellers of all kind of Ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice Vers 21. Then I testified against them and said unto them Why lodge ye about the Wall if ye do so again I will lay hands on you from that time â—orth came they no more on the Sabbath This Example is worthy your Imition and oh how much good may you do and how much Sin and Dishonour to God thereby might you prevenâ— if you do indeed obey the Laws of God and Execute the good Laws of this Kingdom in that Case made and provided Should not you discourage Drunkeness and Houses notorious for uncleanness That Taverns and Ale 〈◊〉 be not so much frequented should you not be a Terror unto the Evil why Drunkenness and prophane Swearings and Brothel-houses are Evil indeed for which a Land is made to Mourn and should not you be a praise to them thaâ— do well Rom. 13.3 Are not you Gods Ministers for good to them that are good and revengers to execute wrath upon him that doth evil and can you wâ—â—k worthy of so great preservation from the Plague if you do not cut down Sin and incourage Godliness SECTION II. 2. SUbjects and People Governed Many and strickt are the Preâ—epts and Injunctions of God upon People to their Magistrates and no less then damnation is threatned by God himself to such as oppose themselves against their Magistrates Rom. 13.1 Let every Soul be subject to the Higher Powers for there is no Power but of God the Powers that be are ordained of God Vers 2. Whosoever therefoâ—e resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Vers 5. Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake True Religion we see from this Scripture doth oblige People and Subject in Duty and Obedience to their Magistrates and none will more Conscientiously obey than those that are most Religious Obedience to Magistrates from this place is required because 1. They are Ordained of God 2. They that resist them resist an Ordinance of God 3. Such as do so receive to themselves damnation 4. They are appointed of God to be a terror to the evil not to the good 5. Conscience is bound so to do 6.
Contagion would resolve to live together you would so far as concerns you in this respect live in force measure answerably to so great a mercy else you cannot Hath God spared you to be more unkind one to another To be bitter one against another To grieve one another Or do you think this is the Improvement you should make of this mercy God forbid SECT XVI SEcondly The next Relation I consider in a Family is between Parents and Children whom God hath continued after this great Mortality God hath taken away Parents from others and they are lest Orphans but God hath continued thy Parents Both or one to thee What doth God require from thee in answer to a sutable return for this mercy God hath taken away Children from others and bereaved them of those that were dear to them but God hath continued thine all or some to thee what doth God require at thy hands in answer to a sutable return for so great a mercy It is that Parents and Children should fill up the duties of this relation else you can never walk worthy of this mercy But more particularly First Parents if they would live answerable to his mercy of Children continued to them must be careful First In instructing of them in the things of God and training them up in the waies of God this is the duty of both Parents Pro. 1.8 My son hear the instruction of thy Father and forsake not the Law of thy mother Prov. 31.1 The words of King Lemuel the Pâ—ophesie that his mother taught him This mothers might do when they are dressing of their Children Do not think you do enough if you make provision for your children and get a portion for them Let me tell you that is the leâ—st part of your duty as hard as you think it is but you must give them instructions and that 1. Timelily before they are accustomed to evil they are born in natural hardness and by frequent acts of wickedness they will contract habitual hardness and then if God clap upon their hearts judicial hardness your Children are undone for ever Children before they can goe can run from God and before they can speak plainly can speak wickedly Teach them not to be proud of their fine Clothes teach them not Revenge by giving you a stroak to beat others these be the buddings of Pride and Revenge in little Infants 2. Instruct them frequently They are apt to learn evil but backward to learn any thing that is good There must be Line upon Line Deut. 6. 6 7. You must whet the things you speak unto them that they may pierce their hearts frequently inculcate the same things upon them and instil the knowledg of God into them by little and little 3. Instruct them affectionately Let them perceive when more grown up that they are matters of Weight and Moment that you speak to them about When you speak of Heaven and Hell of God and Sin let them see that your hearts are affected with what you say Secondly In Correcting of them for the evil of Sin He that spares the Rod spoiles the Childe better you correct them here than God damne them hereafter The Rod is as needful for your Children as their Food Prov. 22.15 Folly is bound in the heart of a Childe the Rod of Correction shall drive it far from him Do this 1. Timelily a young Twigg is flexible and easie to be bent break them of wicked Words and Wâ—ies betimes or else they may break your heart when they are bigger Adonijah was Davids Dâ—â—ling an â—he was wanting in correcting of him and he Rebelled before he died and usurped the Kingdom before his Fathers death 1 King 1.5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself saying I will be King and he prepared his Horsmen and Chariots and fifty Men to run before him Vers 6. And his Father had not displeased him at any time in saying Why hast thou done so Too much indulgence will make undutiful and disobedient Children 2. Proportionably to their fault Do not Correct a small offence over sharply nor an hainous sin too slightly if you are too severe for a small offence they will hate you if you are too indulgent in a great offence they will despise you This was Elyes sin that he did not correct the hainous sin and reprove the abominable practise of his Sons with greater severity 1 Sam. 2.23 And he said unto them Why do ye such things for I hear of your evil dealings by all this People Vers 24. Nay my Sons for it is no good report that I hear ye make the Lords People to transgress It is no good report that was too good a word for so hainous wicked Works it was an abominable thing that was reported by others and committed by his Sons But see what God saith to Ely Vers 29. Thou honourest thy Sons above me and God severely punished his Children for their vile offence and the Father for his so cold reproof as you may read in the following Verses 3. Compassionately do not Correct your Children in the heate of Passion but with bowels of compasion when the Rod is in your hand let there be tender love in your heart 4. Discreetly Observing the temper and disposition of your Childe which you correct if you Scourge and frown upon one as much as is needful for another you will discourage him if you scourge not another more than this that is more tender spirited you will not break him Correction is like a Medicine in which the Physitian hath respect to the constitution of the Patient Children are like Herbs some if you cut and tread will grow again but if you do as much to other Herbes you kill them 5. Seasonably There is much wisdom in Parents in timeing their Correcting of their Children if you correct them for some faults before others you will discourage them take the fittest season 6. Penitently When you correct your Children judge your self first and repent for your own sin or else you do but beat your self 7. Believingly When you exercise your child with the Rod do you exercise faith upon the Promise Thirdly In Praying much for them many pray for Children before they have them but neglect to pray for them when God hath given them as though their being were a greater blessing than their well-being you must add Prayer to Instruction and Correction for it is not onely your Instruction nor Correction but Gods blessing given in to servent Prayer that will make your Children good When you look upon your little Infants as they are sucking at your breasts or laughing in your faces or playing in your armes oh consider the seed of sin that they have in their hearts that they by Nature are the children of wrath and when you go to pray for them use such considerations that might make your heart to mourn over them and for them When you consider they are enemies to God
can you not mourn for them upon your knees when you consider they are lost children except mercy find them that they are damned children except free grace save them Can you not mourn abundantly and pray servently for them Can you consider they are by Nature without the Image and Likeness of God and not be grieved at the heart that your child is a little Traitor against the King of Heaven a little Rebel against the glorious God and will you not pray that his heart may be changed Could you weep and grieve if your Child were a Monster if it had a body of one kind and an head of another if it had an Arme too much or a Leg too much or little why its misery is more by Nature then all this and yet can you not mourn in your Prayers for him Fourthly In Choosing for them some lawful Calling and putting them forth unto some Religious familie Choose not a Calling that hath more snares and temptations attending it then usually others have and place them in such families where they may learn the way to Heaven as well as the way to be rich in the World If you put them forth to an ungodly family you may loose all your former labour in Instruction Correction and Prayer for will you give your Childe an Antidote and then care not if he run into a Pest-house among persons that have running Plague Sores or would you not judge it presumption in any so to do without a special call but the former is greater and higher and more dangerous presumption than the latter in as much as the death of the Body of your Child is endangered by the one but the damnation of his Soul is endangered by the other Fifthly In careful disposing of them in Marriage That you Match them to godly Persons and if you can into a godly family or to one that hath Religious Relations Take heed of Marrying them to the children of the Devil though their outward advantage be never so much Thus Abraham took care that his son Isaac should not take a Wife of the Daughters of the Canaanites amongst whom he dwelt Gen. 24.3 If you thus take care for your children whom God hath continued to you in this great Mortality you act in this respect in some measure answerably to so great a Mercy SECTION XVII Secondly Children if they would live answerably in their Relation to so great a Mercy as is Gods sparing their Parents and continuing them unto them must be careful of filling up the Duties of their Relation and the Duty of Children is set down in Col. 3.20 Children obey your Parents in all things for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord In which observe 1. The Charge Obedience 2. The Persons charged Children younger elder poor or rich 3. The Persons to whom this obedience is to be given Parents Father Mother whether Poor or Rich. 4. The extent of this obedience In all things 5. The limitting and enforcing Reason for this is well-pleasing to the Lord therefore the all things are to be limitted to things lawful else it would not please the Lord but they must in those things because it pleaseth God Now if you that are Children would walk worthy of Gods Mercy in sparing your Parents to you in this contagious times you must obey them in these Particulars 1. In receiving Instructions from them in hearkning to their wholsome Counsel and Advice Prov. 3.1 My son forget not my Law but let thine heart keep my Commandments Prov. 4.1 2 3 4. and 5.1 2 7. and 6.20 c. and 7.1 2 3. 2. In submitting to their Correction without murmuring and repining 3. In being content with your Diet and Apparel that your Parents provide for you 4. In yeilding them sustenance and Maintenance if they come to Poverty if you be able to supply them they gave you maintenance when you could not provide for your selves do you so for them if they need though you work hard to help them 1 Tim. 5.4 But if any Widow have Children or Nephews let them first learn to shew piety at home and to requite their Parents for that is good and acceptable before God Though Children can never fully requite their Parents for they had their being by them and what if they have help by you in outward things you had your being by them and that is more Take heed of being ashamed of your Parents if they be poor and you are raised to an higher degree in the World than ever they were but to disown them would be impious 5. In submitting to their choise of a Calling for you 6. In disposing of you in Marriage Change not your Condition without their Consent as Isaac Gen. 24. and Sampson Judg. 14.1 2. Nay Ishmael obeyed his Mother in his Marriage Gen. 21.21 and will you be worse than Ishmael 7. In all things though they be cross to your humour though it might not please you yet if it please your Parents you must do it But that I may not lay a snare for Childrens Consciences and put a Staff into ungodly Parents hands to drive their Children to Hell you must take this distinction of things viz. Things are either Simply good and necessary and these must be done though your Parents forbid you as Praying Reading Scripture c. Simply evil and unlawful and these must not be done though your Parents command you as to play or work upon the Lords day to lie and defraud in dealing Neither good nor evil in their own nature though every thing is good or evil considered in all circumstances and in all these you must obey your Parents And the reasons of this obedience to your Parents are such as these 1. Gods command Ephes 6.1 Children obey your Parents in the Lord. V. 2. Honour thy Father and Mother which is the first Commandment with Promise That is the first Command with Promise in the second Table for there is a Promise in the second Command of the First Table of shewing Mercy unto thousands c. 2. This is right or justice Ephes 6.1 Thou hadst thy being and thy education by thy Parents therefore it is justice thou shouldest obey them 3. Christs Example He was obedient to his Parents Luke 2.51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject to them 4. Gods Judgments upon disobedient Children Absalom Rebelled against his Father and God cut him off in the very act of his Rebellion 5. It is pleasing to God If it were in any thing that would displease God you must not do it for you must please your Heavenly Father rather than your Earthly but if it be pleasing unto God you must not deny it you please God when you please your Parents in things lawful 6. God might punish you with disobedient Children hereafter if you are disobedient to your Parents now Thus Children also will walk so farr answerably to so great a Mercy as
existimant se aliquod bonis suis adjicere tandem pro the sauro inventuros dei indignationem Bez in loc Question Sixth Question Seventh Corollaries from the first part of this Direction The second part of the first Direction Ten Lessons to be learned in this City that hath been a great house of mourning Verity of divine threatnings Desert of sin Mans mortâ—lâ—ty The worlds vanity The uncertainty of all relatiâ—ns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When they set forth to Sea Vâ—la daâ—t when they have done their voyage vela contra hunt Humility Parity in â—â—t â—â—d afflictions Difference â—n the â—anner Folly of delays Mortification Ten Aggravations of Gods Peoples sin if they be worse Seventeen Arguments to Gods People to be better Perform your purpose pay your vows Seven Arguments for care to keep oâ—r resolutions made in time of fear and sickness The heart is deceitful Sin is encroaching Satan will assault The world will interrupt You will meet with opposition Concurrence of many duties re-qui-red Twenty Helps for keeping our Resolutions Watch against your Darling sin Signs of a beloved sin And against Temptation Sin is as odious to God when you are well as when you were sick Holiness in acâ— pleasing to God more than in purpose Sin is prejudicial â—hâ—n you are well as when you were sick Holiness in act will be sweeter to you than onely in purpose When you are well you are stil mortal Believe judgment to come Gods eye is upon you Keep conscience tender Choose a choise friend Gods purpose always the same to you Holy courage Zeal Frequent Self-reflexions Renew your Purpose It will bring great benefits Pray for strength Mortifie self-love and use self-denial Examples Fourteen Aggravations of neglect to live up to our holy Resolutions It is great hypocrisie Double Iniquity Creaâ—â—olly It is to lye to God * Oratio quando non est conformis menti dicentis dicitur falsa ethice quando non est conformis rebus est salsa logice To sin against conscience It will make death terrible It is great unthankfulness for your life It will make you loose the benefit of affliction It is to approve of sin after dislike If thou hadst dyed in thy sickness thou hadst been damned It encourageth the devil to tempt It provoketh God Hinders Prayer Begets doubtings Since you live look after the cure of soul-sickness Sin is the souls sickness Sickness of the Soul more dreadfull than of the Body Signs of the cure of soul-sickness How to be cured of soul-sickness Christ the soul-â—hysician Directions to give to God the glory of our souls cure The Reader is desired to make the following Direction the Fourth Be Eminent in your place and Relation Subjects Duties to Magistrates Ministers should be more in Studying Praying Preaching 10 Appellations shewing the work of Ministers Living exemplarily The Peoples Duty in hearing the word Governoâ—s of families must set up Gods Worship in their houses Why Wherein In praying Four Reasons for daily prayer in families Râ—adiâ—g the Word of God 4 Reasons for reading Scripture in Families Repeating things delivered in publick In Catechizing 4 Reasons for Catechizing in Families In singing Psalms How 〈◊〉 Really For five Reasons Livelily Chearfully Constantly Duties of husbands wives whom God hath spared in this Plague The properties of their love Superlative Constant Holy Tender Forgiving love The Reasons of their love Wherein they should manifest this love ☜ Duties of Parents whom God hath continued to children viz. Instruction Correction Prayer Choosing them a Calling Disposing them in Marriage Duties of Children whom God hath continued to their Parents Reasons for these Duties Duties of Masters whom God hath continued to Servants Duties of Servants whom God hath continued to Masters Watch against secret sins Abstain from secret sins Considerations to watch against secret sins God setteth secret sins in the light of his countenance Masked sins detected 4 Properties of Gods view of secret sins Secresie is no security It is a sign of sincerity God judgeth not by outward appearances To allow secret sin is great â—mpâ—iety Secret sins provoke God And grieve the Spirit And destroy your peace Hâ—nder grace And fervent prayer and prevent audience Do harden Stop communications of Gods secrets If you make conscience of secret sin you shall have an open reward In these you have least help from others Que. 2. Helps against secret sins God his eye Eâ—e judgment to come Deep hatred True fear Uprightness of heart Design Gods approbation Be watchful Suppress first motions of sin Sense of Gods love Secret duties Secret duties Secret things in Publick duties Secret evils in publick duties to be avoided Since you live after the Plague be dead to the World To the Profits of the world Are corruptâ—ble Hurtful Unprofitable Hurtful Uncertain Easily valued Unsatisfying To the Honours of the World To the pleasures of the World To the wisdom of the World ☜ Signes of a Man that is dead to the world Since you live after this Plague be dead to sin and be buried with Christ Believers are buried in 3. respects 2 Differences between the burial of our friends and our sins 5 Resemblances Comfort to those that are buried with Christ Since you live after this Plague walk in newness of life What newness of life doth not consist in In what consisteth newness of life The excellenâ—ies of a new life Hindrances of walking in newness of life Since you live after this Plague keep upon your heart a sense of this Mercy Helpes to be sensible of the Mercy of life If you have fewer objects of love left you love God so much the more Since you live remember what were the actings of conscience in time of danger and live accordingly Since you live after you have been in such danger trust God for the future Description of trust 8 Arguments to trust in God Six special times to trust in God Since you live after this Plague give thanks to God 3 Wayes you must Praâ—se God with your Tongue Heart Life 12 Arguments to thankfulness for life Psal 6.4 5. Psal 30.9 Isa 3â— 18 19. Mat. 20.22 23. Jer. 16.7 Psal 16.5 6 Helpes to thankfulness for life
the contrary sin and some grace is drawn forth more into act and exercise than the rest yet as a Childe growes in all parts truely though not equally so it is in a good Christian And this I adde that you may endeavour to be universally good and universally better better in Faith and better in Love and Humility c. Posit 7. That those that are good should labour to be better and those that are better should strive to be best You should not rest in goodness positive but labour to have comparative goodness and when you have it in the comparative degree you should aspire after superlative goodness You see it is so in other things amongst Scholars men strive who should be the best Scholar and amongst Artificers men strive who shall be the best Artificer and now after the Plague you will perceive men to be more earnest in their Trading I pray God they may not exceed to re-gain what they lost for want of Trading And so amongst Christians every one should strive who should be the best and to quicken and provoke you hereunto lay these things to your heart Consider SECT XIX 1. YOu are not so good as once you were I mean in your Primitive condition and first creation we had more goodness as we came out of the hands of God then we had good and no evil And when God hath restored us we should labour to come up as near to what we were in Adam though not by the same Covenant as we can 2. You are not so good as you shall be You were good in Adam but you shall be better in Heaven In Adam we were perfectly good in Heaven we shall be perpetually good and should you not labour to get as much of Heaven into your heart as you can 3. You are not so good as you ought to be no not by many degrees you come farr short of what you should be in grace and goodness 4. You are not so good as you may be Though you cannot be so good as you were in Adam as you shall be in Heaven as you ought to be upon earth yet you may be better than you are You have not so many degrees of love to God but you may have more nor such strong desires after Christ but you may have more How weak is thy love how cold are thy desires how stupid is thy heart not only in comparison of what it ought to be but of what it may be Thou wantest many degrees Oh Christian put on there is much more that is yet attainable 5. You are not so good but you need to be better If thou be no better and shouldst come into some conditions thou wouldest be found not good enough to go through the same as becomes the Gospel Thou mightest be brought into those straits and assaulted by those temptations that except thou hast more Patience more Love to God more Faith in Christ thou wilt not be able to bear them nor resist them as becomes a Childe of God to doe Thy burdens might yet be greater and thy Duties greater and thy Temptations greater therefore thou shouldest hasten to be better 6. You are not so good as others are that have had but the same time and the same means and Helps as you have had nay some that have not had so much preaching as you have had nor such Examples as you have had nor so much time that did set out for Heaven after you that were bad while you were good yet have overtaken you and gone beyond you Oh Christian thou art lagging behinde put on least thou shouldest be last of all 7. You are not so good but you are as bad You have not so much grace but you have as much sin nay is not your sin more than your grace is not your unbelief more than your faith and your wandring thoughts in duty more than your fixed thoughts in duty and your dulness more than your liveliness If thou canst say truely it is not do thou go and bless God that it is not so with thee while I must go and be humbled before God because it is so with me 8. The better you are the more excellent you will be Riches is not your excellency and Learning is not your excellency and Grace is not your utmost and your highest excellency but the highest degrees of Grace is Reason makes a man differ from a beast and the more rational a man is by the improvement of Reason than others the more excellent as a man for a Fool might excell a Wise man in riches he is above other men So Grace makes a Christian differ from a man as such and the better Christian he is than others the more excellent he is than other Christians are 9. The better you are the more like to God who is the greatest the chiefest and the best good When we lost our goodness we lost our likeness unto God and when God makes us good he makes us like himself and the better God doth make us the more he makes us like himself And should not this provoke thee to be better especially considering to be most like to God is Thy greatest Duty The end of all the rest Desires Oh that I were more like to God Dignity And therefore our dignity will be greatest in Heaven because there we shall be likest unto God 10. The better you are the more you shall have Gods approbation And what will it be to be approved of God! You may by seeming goodnesse have the approbation of men but you must be really good if you will have the approbation of God and the better you are the more he will approve you God observeth the worst of men but approveth only of good men and only the good actions of good men not their sinful actions 1 King 15.5 11. The better you are the more clearly you will see that you are good Many question they are not good and the reason of their doubt is because they are no better That time you spend in complaining you fear you are not good improve in endeavouring to be better and your doubts will be sooner answered and your fear expelled 12. The better you are the more profitable you will be to all about you The better you are in your self the better it will be for your self and the better for all about you the better you are the more you will lay out your self for God and for the good of souls Others shall be the better For your Counsels You will be directing them how to do good For your Reproofs You will be telling them when they do evil For your Example You will lead them in the good Way For your Experiences You will communicate to them how good God hath been unto you and what God hath done for you 13. The better you are the more inward joy and the more established peace you shall finde The great trouble of a Christian is because he is
at home Did it not then trouble thee that thou being a Professor hadst been at nights drinking in the Tavern when thou shouldst have been praying in thy family that thy Wife and Children though they have not gone Supperless to bed yet have almost every night gone prayerless to bed except they went apart to pray in secret But did not then thy conscience tell thee that their performance of their duty would be no excuse to thee when thou shouldst stand at the Bar of God for thy neglecting of what thou oughtest to have done Didst thou not then resolve if thou shouldst live it should be so no more That thou wouldst read thy Bible more as well as look over thy Shop-books daily That thou wouldst spend some time in secret before God whereas before thou wast use to waste it in thy pleasures and taking of thy worldly delights Deal plainly man with thy self and do not flatter thy soul and daube with thy conscience Was there not some such thoughts and purposes and resolutions as these in thy heart at such a time And didst thou promise and resolve in jest and not in earnest God did afflict thee by the plague in good earnest and thou waste then affraid of death and the grave and judgement in good earnest And didst thou onely purpose in jest and resolve in jest and play with holy things when thou wast near another world and dally with God when thou didst not know but within an hour thou mightest have appeared at his Bar and been set before the terrible tribunal of the great heart-searching God But if thou wast in earnest with God when God was in earnest with thee if thou wast in earnest in promising be earnest in earnest to perform if thou didst indeed resolve to reform when thou shouldst be well then reform indeed according to thy resolution since God hath made thee well and saved thee from the Grave to which thou wast so near so very near Or if God hath been so good to thee to preserve thee from the infection of the Plague amongst the many thousands that have been visited that thou hast not been heart-sick yet thou hast often felt shootings and pains and prickings up and down in several parts of thy body and sometimes hast had such things as thou hast thought to be symptomes of the distemper and hast apprehended it to be approaching to thee that hath made thee hasten to thy bed and make use of thy preservatives and thy cordials that thou thoughtest thy self in real danger and wast possest with real fears What were thy purposes at such a time as this And what didst thou resolve to do And how to live if God would prevent the thing thou fearedst Or hadst thou no such purpose in thy heart No such resolution in thy breast that if thou livedst thou wouldst be better Was thy heart indeed so backward unto good that at such a time of fears and dangers thou hadst not so much as a purpose to be better but if thou hadst and let thy conscience be thy witness and the God of heaven that did fully know the purpose of thy heart then now perform what then thy heart did purpose to perform I am perswaded if the people in London and in Country too would live up according to the purpose of their heart in time of danger of the Plague would reform and mend as they did resolve to do we should be much better than we were before Oh what a difference would there be in the frame of our hearts and in the course of our lives What a change would there be in all our practises Those that were forward Professors of Religion and were not much more then Professors would be zealous practisers of Religious duties and in order hereunto I shall to follow this direction do three things 1. Lay down some considerations why you should be careful to keep your purposes resolutions and vows 2. Prescribe some helpes how you may perform your purposes resolutions and vows 3. Set down the aggravations of your sin if you break your purposes resolutions and vows SECT I. 1. GReat and constant diligent care should be taken in time of health to keep our purposes to perform our resolutions and to pay our vows to God which we made in time of sickness and danger and distress if you consider these particulars 1. That one great deceit of the heart of man doth appear in this in being forward to purpose in our selves and promise unto God but are backward to perform In time of sickness what resolutions do men make what purposes have they in themselves to mend and turn to God and seem to promise this with tears in their eyes and sorrow in their hearts for the evil that is past and done and seem to others and think verily themselves that they promise in good earnest and mean to do as they do speak and when they think the danger is past and their fears removed do nothing less than what they promised I have known some upon sick beds so to promise that they would be drunk no more c. and yet when health hath been restored have returned to their wickedness So did Pharaoh promise fair when the Plagues of God were upon the Land that he would let the children of Israel goe but when the Plagues have been removed he hath hardened his heart against them more than before and this he often did Exod. 8.8 15. 9.27 28 34 10.16 17 20. Now this deceitfulness of the heart is yet in part remaining in the best of men and therefore you must be carefull else though you have promised you will never perform 2. That sin is of a bewitching encroaching and alluring nature if it can prevail it will keep you from resolving against it if you do resolve it will entreat you that you would not send it farre from you that your Resolution might not be peremptory and universal that if you resolve to banish it from your heart it might be only some of its members that are not so dear unto you and reserve the rest or if it be peremptory and universal that you will part with all sin it will contend that your Resolution may not be perpetual that you send it not away for ever but only till your danger of death is over and your fears thereof are ceased that then it may be received into your heart be your Favourite again or if you do resolve to part with sin peremptorily universally and perpetually yet after a while it will solicit you to change your resolution or if you will not change it it will solicit you to abate the strength and vehemency thereof and will come and offer you so much delight and so much pleasure and so much profit if you will not be so severe against it If you are not carefull it will encroach upon your heart and insinuate and winde it self into your love and delight and
call not upon thy Name Fury is the utmost of Gods wrath and this shall not be dropped only but poured out upon your family God will poure down showres of wrath and fury upon those houses that neglect his Worship 4. From equity You would have all in your family discâ—aâ—ge their duties which they owe to you you would have your children be obedient to you and your servants be dutiful to you and do your work and serve you and is it not then reasonable that you and they should discharge your duâ—ies unto God and that you and they should serve the Lord when you and they have more dependance upon God then they have upon you 5. If you neglect your duty herein you will be guilty of the blood of the Soules of those that die in your family and are damned for ever you will be bloody Butchers to the soules of your Children and Servants God hath committed the care of their soules in great measure unto you and can you discharge your trust that God hath reposed in you in the total neglect of your duty herein hath not God charged you in the fourth Commandment that neither you your self should prophane his day and that you should see that neither your sons nor daughters neither your men-servants nor maid-servants should prophane it and if they do will not God require this at your hand 6. The total neglect of Family-Worship will be â— flat denying God to be the God of your family that you take not God to be the Master of your family would not you say That your Servants deny you to be their Master if they deny their Service to you and can you say That God is the God of your house if you in your house do not Worship him Mal. 1.6 A son honoureth his Father and a servant his Master if then I be a Father where is mine honour and if I be a Master where is my Fear if your Family disown God God will disown your Family and if God disown and cast you off will not your family be a miserable family 7. If you neglect the worship of God in your Family this will be a bad example to those that go out of your family to constitute other families when your Children shall have families of their own and your Servants shall have families of their own will not they be too apt to neglect them as they have seen you neglect yours and so your sin will have an influence upon them and you will be in some respect guilty of the neglect of Gods Worship in your Children and Servants families but if you be conscientious in your family you will be exemplary to them to do likewise 8. God will punish your neglect of his Service to him with Family-Judgments if you do not make your house a house of Prayer God will make your house an house of Contention and Strife an house of Railings and Quarrellings and will punish you with undutiful Children and disobedient servants for how can you expect that they should be good toward you when you endeavour not to make them good towards God if you would press your Children and Servants to love God and obey and serve God they would then obey you from a principle of Conscience and serve you out of fear to God they would be more faithful to you if you would call upon them to serve God Might not God justly suffer your Servants to purloin and steal from you when you and they do steal from God that time for the World which is due to God SECTION X. SEcondly The Duties wherein you should worship God in your Families are such as these In Praying unto God and that 1. ordinarily And your ordinary Praying unto God in your family should be daily and that at least twice every day every Morning when you rise and every Night before you dismiss your Family to their rest and sleep Exod. 29.38 Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the Altar Two Lambs of the first year day by day continually Vers 39. The one Lamb thou shalt offer in the morning and the other Lamb thou shalt offer at even Though the Ceremonial part of this be abolished yet the Moral abideth and is perpetual and the reasons for daily Prayer in your families are perpetual as 1. You have daily family sins and therefore in your family you should daily confess them and beg the Pardon of them that you and your family might not go about your necessary occasions all the day nor to your necessary rest at night with the guilt of sin upon your Soules 2. You have every day daily wants therefore you should daily beg supplies for your family and Christ bids you pray Give us this day our daily bread 3. You have family business every day and you should pray to God daily for his blessing upon your endeavours for the good of your family 4. You have every day family mercies and should daily bless God for them when you wake in the morning and find your house not fired in the night is not this a family mercy and should not your family be called together to bless God for this mercy in the morning you find your family all in health none of them dead in their beds and should not you since you all live all come together and bless God that sleep was not turned into death nor the darkness of the right into the darkness of Hell to any of you And have you not many mercies every day you went out well about your imployment and you returned well and God hath blest your endeavours with success and should not you give to God the praise of his Mercy before you sleep or if you have sustained some Losses should not you pray to God to sanctifie them to you and inable you patiently to bear them and submit to the will of God therein 2. Or family-Prayer is sometimes extraordinary when your family lies under some extraordinary affliction or wants some extraordinary mercy or have had some extraordinary deliverance from evil and danger then should you in your family send up extraordinary Prayer and Pâ—aises unto God so did Esther and her Maidens fast and pray Esther 4.16 And I could wish that families apart were more acquainted with and more frequent in this duâ—y In Reading the Word of God This would be betâ—er then Cards and Dice But in many Famâ—lâ—es the Bible lies upon the shelfe all the week long and scarce hâ—ve it in their hands but when they take it to go to Church and many scarce then neither God hath commanded you to acquaint your family with â—he woâ—d of God and how will you do it if you never Read it to them nor Discourse of it with them Deut. 11.18 Therefore shall you lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul and bind them for a sign upon your hand that they may be as frontless between your eyes
Ver. 19. And ye shall teach them your Children speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way when thou liest down and when thou risest up View this Scripture well ye Masters of Families and be ashamed of your neglect of reading the Scripture in your houses you should talk of it at home and abroad morning and night when your Familie should be with you You should read the Scripture to your Family for these Reasons 1. Because the Word of God is the spiritual food of the souls in your Family It is the bread of Life It is milk for the nourishing of their souls 1 Pet. 2.2 It is to be preferred above their necessary food Job 23.12 Now will you give them bread for their bodies and deny them bread for their souls Their souls can no more live without spiritual food than their bodies can without corporal Take heed you deny not bread to your children and servants souls 2. Because the Word of God is the spiritual Armour for the preserving your Family from being robbed by your spiritual Enemies the Devil Sin and the World You will have some weapon in your house to defend your self fâ—om thieves Why the Devil will play the thief in your house and will steal away the souls of your Children and will steal away the souls of your Servants and will you not put so much as a Weapon into their hands to defend themselves Your Children and Servants will be stollen away by the Spirits if you arm them not with the Word of God which is the Sword of the Spirit Eph. 6.17 3. Because the more you read the Word of God to them the better they will be to you and the better perform the duties of their Relation You complain of disobedient Children why do not you read the Scripture to them more to teach them that God requires them to be obedient to you You complain of bad Servants why do not you then read the Word of God to them more that they may know their duty better by reading the Scripture to them Make them but good Christians and then they dare not but be good Children and good Servants 4. Because the Word of God is able to make them wise unto Salvation You would have your Children wise to live in the World you would have them wise to get Riches and a great Estate You would have your Servants wise to do your work and to go about your business And would you not have them wise for their souls Would you not have them wise for heaven and the Life to come If you would then acquaint them with the Word of God 2 Tim. 3.15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus And he is wise indeed that is wise enough to save his soul In repeating what you hear in the publick Congregation in discoursing to your Family what sin was reproved and what duty was inforced and what were the Arguments and Motives thereunto What Christ preached more publickly he repeated to his Disciples which were as his Family more privately Mar. 4.10 and 7.17 Mat. 13.36 37. and the Apostle commanded Wives to ask their Husbands when they came home the things that were delivered in the Congregation 1 Cor. 14.34 35. This would keep your Children and Servants better imployed on the Lords day than to be standing Idle at your doors or walking sinfully in the fields This would make them profit more by the Word preached if you would repeat it to them and use them to give account of what they hear In Catechizing of your Family and teaching them the Principles and Fundamentals of Religion Mans Innocency by Creation Mans misery by the Fall Mans Recovery by Christ and the terms of the Covenant of Grace the meaning of the ten Commandments what sin in them is forbidden what duties are required this is Gods plain Injunction that you should do so Deut. 6.6 7 8 9. and the meaning of the Sacraments Exod. 12.25 26 27. 1. To Teach them while they are young is a good means to make them good when they are old Prov. 32.6 Train up a child in the way he should go when he is young and he will not depart from it when he is old but if you let them alone till they be accustomed to do evil it will be hard to reclaim them Jer. 13.23 Quo semel est Imbuta recens c. 2. This will be an effectual meanâ— to keep them from being seduced and led away with Eâ—â—ours and false Doctrine 3. It will be great cruelty to the souls of your Children and Servants to neglect it Will you carry your self towards your little ones as the Ostrich doth towards her young ones Job 39.14 Which speaking of the Ostrich leaveth her eggs in the earth and warmeth them in the dust Ver. 15. And forgetteth that the foot may crush them or that the wild beast may break them Ver. 16. She is hardened against her young ones as though they were not hers 4. It would be to break your Vow which you made when you brought your Children unto Baptism Did you not promise they should forsake the Pomps and Vanities of this World and that you would bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and will you dedicate them to God in Baptism and leave them to the devil all their life after Consider I beseech you it may be God in mercy and pity to your Childrens and Servants souls hath spared you in this Late-great Mortality and consider whether your conscience doth not accuse you of great neglect towards some of your Children and Servants which are now lying in their Graves it may be there hath dyed a poor servant out of your house which you never spake to in good earnest about the matters of his soul or doth not your heart wish that he were with you again that you may instruct and teach him and will you do so to those that do remain it may be some of them that have died out of your house are gone to hell through your neglect and will you have no more piâ—y upon those that yet are with you The other now are out of the reach of your Counsells and Instructions but these are not what was wanting in you towards those that are dead and gone make up to those that live and do remain In singing forth Gods praises in Psalms and spiritual Songs this is an Ordinance of God Eph. 6.19 Jam. 5.13 You must sing with grace Col. 3.16 Exercise your grace of joy in God in commemoration of Gods benefits of holy desires of Godly sorrow as the occasion and the matter of the Psalm require this is the sweetest Harmony in the ears of God You must sing with understanding with sense and feeling and to the Lord to his glory as in his presence
this would be more sutable for your Family than Ballads prophane and lascivious filthy Rymes which you should not suffer under your Roof SECT XI THirdly The manner how you should Worship God in your Family is chiefly to be minded for it is not any service that God will accept you may keep up a course of praying in your Family and yet live very unworthy of the great mercy of God in your wonderful preservation Therefore 1. In your Family worship God really and indeed with your heart and mind and all your strength do not seem to pray but pray indeed in your Family For this end consider 1. The God whom you serve in your Families is God indeed he is a real God therefore worship him indeed and in a real manner 2. The sins of your Families are real sins your own sins are real sins and your childrens sins are real sins and have real guilt therefore confess them really and mourn and sorrow for them really 3. The wants of your Family are real wants you do not seem to want outward mercies but except God supply you you will want them indeed 4. The supplies which God doth give you are real supplies God giveth you real health and real food and reâ—l cloathing for your Family therefore be real in your Family Worship 5. You and your Family are real in following of the World you work in good earnest and you buy and sell in good earnest And will you be real in the things of the World that concern your Family and will you not be real in your Family Worship 2. In your Family worship God Livelily not only with a true and sincere heart but with a lively heart take heed of dulness and formality take heed of sleeping at your prayers And here I would advise that Masters of Families would not put off their duties too long in the Morning till half the day be past nor too late in the Evening when the Family will be more disposed and inclined to sleep than to pray 3. In your Family worship God chearfully go not to Family Prayer as a task and burden but as a great favour and priviledge that you and your Children might call upon God 4. In your Family worship God constantly Some will pray on a Sabbath night but it may be not all the Week after Thus if you serve God in your Family it will be a great step to your walking in some measure answerably for so great preservation and then it will be a good discovery that God hath spared you in mercy to do him service in the Education of your Children and not in judgment to the encreasing of your sins only Thus far concerning the Duties of Families whom God hath spared in this time of Pestilence in general Of the several Relations in a Family next SECT XII SEcondly If you will live in some measure answerably to so great a mercy as Preservation from death in a time of great Mortalitie is then fill up the duties of your particular Relation wherein you stand Relative sins are very offensive unto God and a great scandal to Religion The fiâ—st of these Relations in a Family is First Conjugal betwixt Husband and Wife and the great duty incumbent upon them is mutuâ—l love in which many are deficient and many are excessive it being hard for such to let out their affections one to another so much as God commands and no more than God allows and both these extreams will terrisie conscience when such come to dye And this sin is more usually seen when death hath broken this Relation than while God continueth them together the Surviver then seeth he did not love his Wife and the Wife her Husband with that degree of love as that Relation called for or with a greater degree than was pleasing unto God when the love of this Relation did diminish the love they should have to God And how many breaches hath God made in this Relation to punish the sin of both extreams It may be thy love was Immoderate and therefore God hath taken thy Relation from thee Or it may be thy love was deficient and therefore God hath taken thy Relation from thee When thou wâ—st sick and thou thoughtest thou shouldest have died did not thy Conscience then accuse thee for one of these in thy Relation And yet hath God spared thee and thy Wife or thee and thy Husbâ—nd then what conscience did reproach thee for in this particular if thou wouldst answer Gods mercie in sparing of thee let this be reformed There are many this day may be lamenting not so much the loss of this Relation as that they did not walk sutablie in this Relation while they were in it this being the sting of their affliction Oh! methinks such as God hath continued in a Conjugal Relation in this time of great Mortality should look upon themselves now more engaged to perform their mutual duties with more care and conscience than before Such a one hath buried his Wife and such a one hath buried her Husband but God hath preserved you in your Relation you cannot live answerablie for this mercie but in a better discharge of your mutual duties How would you wish you had loved your Relation Wife or Husband if God had taken either away by death so do now when God continueth you both in life Because this conduceth so much to an answerable return for so great a mercie I will a little insist upon it And in the general if you would improve this mercie the direction is that your love and affection be such one to another as is the love betwixt Christ and the Church Eph. 2.25 Husbands love your Wives even as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it And this love of the Husband must be requited with the love of the Wife for it is reciprocal Tit. 2.4 Teach the young women to be sober to love their Husbands SECT XIII BUT more particularly I shall speak to three things What manner of love is this Why they should have this Wherein they should manifest this love one to another If you will improve this mercie God hath vouchsafed you your love must have these properties 1. It must be a Superlative love that is in respect of all sublunarie things though your love to God and Christ must be more than your love one to another else it doth sinfully exceed for if any loveth Father or Mother Husband or Wife more than Christ he is not worthie of him yet in respect of all other persons and things in this world it must be more else it is sinfully deficient A man must love his Wife above all other persons above his Estate or whatsoever is dear unto him in this world and so the Wife Thus Christ loveth his Church and a believing soul above all other persons and the Church reciprocallie loves Christ above all other things in the world 2.
It must be a Constant love it must last as long as life in both doâ—n last The longer you live in this Relation the more you should love Length of time must not wear off the commanded and allowed strength of your mutual Affection Thus Christ alwaies loveâ— his Church and the Church alwaies loves Jesus Christ 3. It must be Holy love from an holy Principle obedience to Gods command in an holy manner according to the Word of God for holy ends the glorie of God c. Carnal love for carnal ends is not the love that God requireth in this Relation Thus Christ loves the Church and the Church loves Christ with an holy love 4. It must be a tender compassionate and sympathizing love if God lay his afflicting hand upon either in sickness of bodie in terrours of mind the other is to be tender and to sympathize in those afflictions If God lay his hand upon both in Povertie and want they should not fret one against the other which is too usuall but should both with tenderness of compassion endeavour to bear the same burden and make up that which is wanting in outward enjoyments in the degree of their love And this would lighten many burdens and sweeten the bitter Cup of affliction which God may put into both their hands as the want of Conjugal affection in many doth make that heavie which is light and that bitter which is sweet Thus Christ loveth his Church and sympathizeth with her in all her afflictions Isa 63.9 Acts 9.4 5. It must be Forgiving love that shall hide and cover the infirmities of each from the world every miscarriage in this Relation should not abate the affection of one to the other Sinful Infirmities must not be allowed of in one another because they must be faithful to each others souls and yet they should not be blazed unto others because of the love to each others person Thus Christ loveth his Church notwithstanding her sinful Infirmities and because he loveth her he is readie and willing to forgive her But there is no such retaliation of this Propertie of love in the Church to Christ because he hath no such sinful infirmities but there is no such husband in the world besides Christ and therefore in our case it is reciprocal SECT XIV THe Reasons why there should be such love and mutual Affection betwixt those in a Conjugal Relation are such as these 1. Because God commands it and with gracious persons a command of God is instead of a thousand Reasons Before this Relation be entred into persons may lawfullie look after attractives and motives of love but when once they are so relâ—ted this is sufficient reason though there are others why they should love Eph. 5.25 Tit. 2.4 2. Because they are one flesh He that loveth his Wife loveth himself and she that loves her Husband loveth her self Eph 5.28 29. It is unnatural in any to hâ—te their own flesh 3. Because the comfort of their life and the sweetness of this Relation much depends upon their mutual affection 4. Because the Gospel will be much hindered by the want of this love in those that make profession of it The Gospel much suffers when wicked persons observe that Professors fill not up their relative duties Tit. 2.4 Teach the young women to be sober to love their Husbands to love their Children Ver. 5. To be discreet chaste keepers at home good obedient to their own Husbands that the Word of God be not blasphemed 5. Because else they will be more unfit for spiritual duties either together or apart When there are differences betwixt Husband and Wife it is an hinderance to them in their praying one with another in their praying one for another want of this Conjugal affection and breaches in this relation hath often straitened the heart of the party offending at the throne of grace and this professing Husbands and Wives should be careful of 1 Pet. 3.5 6 7. The Apostle had exhorted persons in a Conjugal relation to discharge their mutual duties after the Example of Abraham and Sarah and the reason he alledgeth is That your Prayers be not hindred 6. Because else they cannot comfortably dye Breaches in the duties of this Relation will make great breaches in our peace of conscience when we come to dye When you are to part at death conscience will be lashing of you God hath set thee saith Conscience in such a relation but thou hast not had the love of that Relation God gave thee such a yoak-fellow but thou diâ—st not live with that affection as he did require and now thy relation must be broken Oh theâ— saith the offendor if God would continue me a little longer in this relation how would I walk more sutably in performing the duties thereof better than hitherto I have done but do it now before death doth part you SECT XV. THe duties wherein those in a Conjugal Relation should manifest this mutual affection and they are such as are either Proper to each Common to both The Husband manifests his love in Direction in cases dubious Protection in cases dangerous 1 Sam. 30.18 Provision of things needful 1 Tim. 5.8 The Wife manifests her love in Inward Reverence Eph. 5.33 Outward subjection 1 Pet. 3.1 The duties that are common to both do either concern The body or things temporal The soul or things Spiritual 1. In the affairs of this life they should manifest their mutual love one to another In Procreation of Children Education of Children Administration of houshold affairs Times of affliction and sickness 2. In the concernments of each others souls or things spiritual their love should be especially manifested Love to the soul is the Noblest love because the soul is the nobler part to love the body and hate the soul as too many do is but cruel love Their love is highest love that love each others souls and this love is manifested 1. In Reproving one another for sin this is greatest love not to reprove is to hate Lev. 19.17 So Job his Wife Job 1.9 10. So Abigail her Husband 1 Sam. 25.36 37. where you may observe both Abigails Piety she reproved Nabal And her Prudence when the wine was out of his head 2. In comforting one another under inward terrours So Manoahs Wife comforted him Jud. 13.22 23. 3. In Provoking one another to good works of Piety and Charity This is the only allowed contention betwixt Husband and Wife who shall be best and love God most and do most good but not to provoke to wrath and wicked works as Jezabel did Ahab 1 Kings 21.7 8 9. Wicked Husbands are usually very wicked when wicked Wives stir them up to do wickedly ver 25. 4. In Praying one with another and praying one for another It is great love in such to improve their interest at the throne of grace one for another Thus if you whom God hath spared and continued life unto after thiâ—