duty may not grow chill and cold again I have been induced by the perswasion of some of your selves and others to suffer this Exhortation to be made publique for your benefit that every one of you may have something by you that may help to quicken him to the getting the knowledg of the Principles of Religion which I have the rather inclined to because as you know since this was delivered to you God has shaken me by the shoulder once and again 2 Cor. 1.9 and shewed me that my bones are not brass nor my sinews iron so far that I even despair'd of life and seemed to have the sentence of death passed against me How long God may please to reprieve me to be further serviceable to your faith is known to him alone I would willingly leave something as a pledge of my tender affections to you in Christ Jesus that when this tabernacle of my flesh shall be taken down you may have a faithfull Remembrancer with you to minde you of that which is your greatest concernment The hearts of the Galatians were once so inflamed toward the Apostle that they would even have pulled out their eyes to have done him good I shall not impose any such rigid task upon you but only desire that the eyes of your understanding may be inlightned that ye may know God your selves and your duty If I had required some difficult or costly matter at your hand it would be more excusable should you scruple my request but since the motion which I have to make is no extraordinary task and tends so directly to the saving of your precious souls I cannot but promise my self the more ready acceptance That which I am to perswade you to is the making of your selves and families acquainted with God in Christ and that you would make it your business to set up the knowledg of God in your respective families There 's none of you who would be thought careless of the good of your houshold in things that appertain to this life how much more ought ye to be solicitous for them in things pertaining to a better life The instructing of them in the Principles of Religion is of that absolute necessity that without it there can be no salvation There 's no salvation but by Christ no benefit by Christ without faith no faith in him without knowledge no knowledge but by instruction And that I may proceed more distinctly and more effectually in this so weighty a work I shall 1. Propose such Motives as may quicken Parents and Masters in this duty viz. in instructing their children and servants themselves as far as they are able and in causing them to come and yield to this work in publique by the Minister 2. I shall bring some Motives to the yonger sort which may perswade them to submit themselves both to publique and private Catechizing and Instruction 3. I shall bring such arguments as may prevail with all sorts of people of what age or degree what rank or quality soever to a chearful submission to this necessary work of Instruction in the Fundamentals of Religion 1. Branch of Exhortation I begin with those whom God hath made Parents and Masters of Families to whom I shall propose these following considerations why they ought both to instruct their Families themselves and to bring them also to publique Instruction Sect. 1. Every Father and Master is in his own house a King Motives for Parents Masters a Priest and a Prophet house a King a Priest and a Prophet He is a King to govern them a Priest to pray with them and for them a Prophet to instruct and teach them If you will take upon you to rule and govern your Families you must instruct them too you would not be justled out of your command in your own houses you must not thrust your selves out of it by neglecting your instructing office We read of Nymphas Col. 4.15 that he had a Church in his house his house is stiled a Church not only because the faithful came thither to be instructed in the Faith and to hold communion in those times of persecution but also because he did carefully instruct those of his own Family in the knowledge of Christ and trained them up in spiritual and holy Dutys Familiam suam privatam fecit ecclesiam eam pietate religione exernans So Theodoret Sect. 2. God commands that we should instruct our Children and Family in the knowledg of God Deut. 4.9 10. Deut. 6.5 6. Deut. 11.19 20. Psal 78.6 Eph. 6.8 and the matters of Religion where we may observe 1. That they were to teach them it was not a matter Arbitrary left at pleasure but a Duty 2. What they should teach them the knowledg of God of his ways and Commandments not frivolous discourses Songs Tales Romances but Gods Statutes 3. How they should teach them diligently and constantly they must whet it often upon their memories and never leave them till they have made them understand 4. The great advantage that they should gain hereby both they and their children they should live long in the Land which God gave them If those were good motives to them how much stronger have we Was the Law which discovered their sin but could not cure it so diligently to be learned and shall not the Gospel which discovers a remedy for our sin be worth our knowledge should the Inheritance of an earthly possession quicken them to gain the knowledge of Gods law and shall not the enjoyment of a perpetuall rest quicken us to get acquaintance with Jesus Christ in the Gospel Sect. 3. God commands children to learn of their Parents and to hearken to their Instruction which implyes the Parents duty to teach them Prov. 6.20 21. My son keep the Commandment of thy Father and forsake not the law of thy Mother Bind them continually upon thine heart and tie them about thy neck Mercer The Commandments of Parents that fear the Lord are the very Commandments of God himself and therefore carefully to be kept Deut 6 8.11-18 Bind them continually a phrase frequent in Scripture importing that they should never forget them but that they should be always in our eye Exod. 12.26 Exod. 13.14 in our heart as our greatest ornament Nay it is not only their duty to learn when they are taught but also to be enquiring that they may learn which is plainly hinted in those texts If children had any sence of true Religion they would be enquiring into the nature ground and end of those services which were done to God for true Religion is the exercise of mind inlightned by Faith and Knowledge and not a piece of blind and ignorant devotion Josh 4.6 Deut. 32.7 A man should be able to give some account of every thing that he doth in Gods service and why and upon what account he doth it when they ask you ought to teach them Sect. 4.
execute their wrath and malice upon poor beguiled souls O now you that have the bowels of Parents tell me whether it be not a matter of concernment to teach your children to know God and Jesus Christ Whether the joys of Heaven are not worth the having And the torments of Hell so inconsiderable that 't is not worth while to avoid them O do do not betray your own flesh and bloud and those precious souls which lodge in houses of clay by your negligence into those eternal flames nor bereave them of those eternal joys Sect. 12. Their souls will bless you when they come to Heaven for all your care and pains in sowing the seeds of Religion in their minds by a godly education If the Saints in Heaven shall know their former relations as it is probable how will your children then bless God for your conscientiousness in the discharge of your duty whereby they had the happiness of coming to the saving knowledge of that God whom now they shall enjoy to all eternity On the other hand consider how they will revile and curse you if they meet you in Hell whither they are condemned with you through the neglect of your duties Methinks I see such a miserable soul casting balls of Hell fire into his fathers face and yelling out such hideous words Cursed be the hour wherein I was conceived and the day wherein I was born thy child Hadst thou done thy duty in instructing me in the fear of God and in the knowledge of his ways I might have been a glorious Saint in Heaven whereas now through thy neglect I am become a miserable firebrand in Hell I had indeed from thee a temporary life which I had better never have enjoy'd but thou hast betrayed me to an eternal death I am undone undone for ever by thy perfidiousness and thou who wast the father of my body hast been the murderer of my soul Perdidit nos aliena perfidia Parentes sensimus parricidas Austin Ep. 23 ad Bonif. out of Cyprian in Epist de Lapsis With what face canst thou behold me frying upon these coles to which I am betray'd by thy unfatherly carelesness Had I been thy slave nay thy horse thy dog thou wouldst have provided what had been fit for me but being thy child thou hast neglected me in that which most concerned me my soul When Quintilius Varius had by his rashness and indiscretion lost three Legions of his Masters the Emperor Augustus in Germany the Emperor was observed to be long after very pensive sometimes pulling off the hair from his beard sometimes beating his head in a frantick manner against the posts and to cry out Redde mihi Legiones Quintili Vari Restore me my Legions which thou hast lost How much more bitterly shall these undone creatures cry out to their Parents in Hell Reddite nobis animas Restore us our souls which you have lost I have heard at many executions the dying Malefactors make sad complaints against their Parents negligence in this kind charging their bloud upon the not performance of their Parents duty What may be expected from such persons in the flames of Hell where all manner of respect and love is banisht I am apt to think that it will be a great part of the damneds Parents misery in Hell to hear the reproaches and revilings of their children whom their neglect of doing their duty hath betray'd unto that place of torment Sect. 13. You may then expect a blessing in them and what they undertake when they are taught to obey for conscience sake All other both natural and civil ties are too weak to keep children to their duties 2 Sam. 15 but this will do it Absalom though an own son lifted up his hand against David a man after Gods heart to destroy him 1 Sam 24.5 6. David durst not do so to Saul a father in law and a wicked tyrant who sought his life What is the reason of the great disobedience and undutifulness of children to their Parents but that Parents are so careless of teaching them to know God and have not imprinted their duties upon their consciences to restrain them from such courses I do not say that all that are so taught are obedient and a comfort to their Parents no Grace is not ex traduce by generation no more then their souls The Spirit blowes where it listeth many a gracious man hath to his grief a graceless and stubborn child But this I am sure of that they who neglect the performance of this duty toward their children which God requires cannot with any good confidence expect that duty which their children owe to them they only may expect it who conscionably make use of the means which God hath appointed them Sect. 14. You will much help forward the Minister in his publick work who shall but labor in the fire and take much pains to small purpose if you assist not in private The children are yours and you must not cast all the work upon the Ministers backs and you your selves not touch it with one of your fingers It is not one daies instruction in a week that will carry on the work you must take all occasions to put them on in private There is no time wherein you may not take some advantage to do them good when thou sittest in thine house Deut. 6.7 when thou walkest in the way when thou liest down and when thou risest up This will advance them much and you your selves shall find the profit on 't Docendo discetis as one of the Fathers acknowledges of himself While you teach them and hear them learn you will learn with them and imprint what you have learned more lastingly in your memories Sect 15. The very Heathens will rise up in judgement against you Plato de legibus Plutar. de Ed. lib. Epict. Enchir. Pythag. Aurea carm they had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian apud Epict. lib. 1. cap. 27. and condemn you for your neglect of this duty How exceeding careful the wiser sort of them were in this particular he that hath but cast an eye into their Writings will easily perceive They had their Manuals and Compendiums of their doctrine to teach them their duty both to God and man they had reduced their doctrine to some few short heads which their Scholars were to have perfectly by heart What a Pithy downright Catechisme is that of the Poets Disciteque ô miseri c. Pers Sat. 3. v. 66. Vid. Casaub Quid sumus quidnam victuri gignimur Ordo Quis datus c. That every man should be able to give an account What we are What was the end of our Creation What is the brevity and unconstancy of life and he certainty of death What and how admirable Gods Power and Wisdome and Goodness and Providence shines in the governing and ordering of the world What bounds we should put to our desires of earthly things
To what end and purpose they are serviceable and much more Of what many who profess Christianity can give but a slender account Philip of Macedon Quintus Curtius Supplem 1. cap. having found the benefit of good education himself was careful to provide the best tutors for Alexander his son especially Aristotle by whose care and industry he was so well improved that it grew into question whether Alexander owed more to Philip who begat him or to Aristotle who taught him The Persians were exceeding exact in teaching their children betimes Xenoph. de inst Cyr. in princip they labored to prepossess their minds with good things before they were poisoned with evil as being rather desirous to see them do what was good then to punish them for doing amiss Nay the very Turks themselves are exceeding careful of training up their youth Grand Signor Seraglio pub by Mr. J. Greaves p. 70 71. those especially that are to be for the more immediate service of the grand Seigneur The course that is taken with them so soon as they come into the Seraglio is admirable and nothing resembling the barbarism of Turks but beseeming men of singular vertue and discipline for they are exceeding well tutored and daily taught as well good fashion and comely behavior as they are instructed in the rites and ceremonies of the Mahometan Law and whatsoever else may tend to the enriching of their minds What will such Christians be able to answer for themselves at the day of Judgement for their neglect of this duty wherein they see themselves out-done by the purblind Heathen I come now to the second Branch of the Exhortation which is to children and servants to submit themselves to discipline and to be willing to learn that which conduceth to their souls health And that they may more cheerfully yeeld up themselves to publick and private instruction I beseech them by the mercies of God to consider Sect. 1. Your eternal salvation depends upon your knowledge of and faith in Christ what ways God hath for those who dye in their infancy we shall not be curious to inquire much less confident to determine But for such as are come to the use of reason and to years of discretion he saves none but such as can and do act faith in Christ Hos 4.6 How can you believe on him whom you do not know Want of knowledge is destructive to yong as well as to old If you reject knowledge he will also reject you Either you have Parents that put you forward or they do not if they do you are bound to obey your Parents in the Lord for this is good and right Eph. 6.1 Disobedience to Parents in things which they command agreeable to the mind of God is direct disobedience to God himself If they be backward in their duty be not you backward in yours Your souls are your own and you must give an account to God for them God will require your bloud if you dye for want of instruction at your Parents hands but you shall perish in your sins Hell torments will not be a jot the easier to you because you come into them through your Parents fault If they be careless of your eternal welfare you had need to double your diligence to make your calling and election sure You are put to your shifts to provide for your selves in your greatest concernment you must take the more pains Are you so inconsiderable that your souls are not worth the saving why of such is the kingdome of God Sect 2. You were engaged hereunto by Baptisme your Baptismal Covenant engages you to learn all things belonging to your souls health You were baptized into the name of the Father the Son and the holy Ghost and will you always be ignorant who and what that Father Son and holy Ghost are And what each of them doth toward the promoting of your eternal welfare Will you grow old in the ignorance of that ordinance which you received so yong and render it fruitless You then renounced the world the flesh and the devil Repete quid interrogatus sis recognosce quid responderis tenetur vox tua in libro viventium presentibus Angelis locutus es Amb. de initiand c. 2. and were dedicated unto Christ What will you live and dye in the ignorance of him into whose warfare you have engaged your selves Remember what was askt you remember what you promised what stipulation and covenant was made that day between God and your souls Your words were spoken in the presence of Angels and they are recorded in Heaven If the children of Israel would be asking their Parents what was the meaning of Circumcision and the Paschal Lamb those Sacraments under the Law is it commendable for you to spend all your days and never inquire what is the end use nature of Baptisme and the Lords Supper the Sacraments under the Gospel I beseech you consider the vows of God are upon you Sect. 3. You have no assurance of your lives but may be quickly taken away and have no long time to learn What will become of you if you are called to an account before you have learned what to plead for your Justification I have heard of a young man who being desirous to be instructed in Moral Philosophy which is the Doctrine of living well was disswaded from it he was told he was too young in the flower and prime of his youth to which such harsh rules were no way suitable he might apply himself to that hereafter O! but saith he what if I dye before I be elder what will become of me then Think seriously on this the Charnel house hath as many little Skuls as great ones in it there are as many young as old carried out to burying We often see as the Proverb is the old Camel carry the young Camels skin to market Parents doing that office for their Children which in the course of Nature might be expected from the Children to their Parents If you were sure of long life yet it were no wisdom to put off this work to old age you will be then harder to learn your avocations more your hindrances greater Besides you must not put off sowing your seed until it be time to reap Since your time is uncertain work while it is to day neglect not your season Sect. 4. You have much to do in a little time Ars longa vita brevis our life is but short but our lesson is long and difficult A Christians task is never at an end so long as he lives he will have something to learn or to learn better There be many things necessary to make the man of God perfect throughly furnished unto every good work The sum of Christian Religion though it may be drawn into a short Catechism yet 't is of large extent Every Article requires an age to know it throughly As there are many things to be known so many of them are
Christ 2 Tim. 3.15 1 Tim. 4.15 Though Timothy was instructed in the Scriptures from his very youth yet he was to give attendance to reading and meditation and to continue in so doing that his profiting might appear to all In the Scriptures a Lamb may wade and an Elephant may swim Heb. 5.12 There is meat for strong men as well as milk for Babes There be some easier truths for the less learned and some harder to exercise the understanding of more knowing men Eph. 2.22 Heb. 6.1 Our Christian Faith is a spiritual building where it is not enough to lay a good foundation 1 Thess 3.10 but to go on to perfection The saith of the Thessalonians was such that it was a great support to Paul in his afflictions but yet there was something lacking in their faith which he desired to supply by personal instruction But suppose your knowledg to be more then it is yet you may want quickening and liveliness to the exercise of your knowledge Iron sharpens iron Prov. 27.17 and the countenance of a man his friend as by whetting one iron against another that which was dull gets a better edge So by familiar and friendly conference especially with those whose knowledge is greater your parts grow more vigorous and active The learnedest men may gain much by discourse and imparting themselves one to another if they could not add to one anothers knowledge yet they may warm one anothers hearts Holy conference is a great improvement both of parts and piety Every Christians experience may I presume seal this truth we often meet with good old Christians whom though we be able to teach yet we have from them some such savory ex ressions as much affect our hearts and quicken us to our Duties There be many advantages which an humble Christian may gain by his frequent and familiar discourses with his faithful Pastor besides the encrease of his knowledge which yet is no small nor contemptible benefit Act. 18.24 26. Apollos himself though mighty in the Scriptures learnt much by conference with Aquila and Priscida Sect. 4. There be very many duties which God require of you in your particular standings and relations which you are altogether unable to discharge till you be throughly instructed in the business of Religion Your several Relations into which God hath cast you have their several Duties to which you are obliged In your Families you are Husbands Wives Parents Masters and to the discharge of every one of these Relations aright there is need of much holy skill Prophane persons never heed it ignorant persons cannot perform it they can neither pray with them nor for them nor instruct nor correct them according to the mind of God which they are ignorant of As you are members of civill Societies you have Duties to perform which you can never do aright till you do them upon Scripture grounds Ro. 13 5. and have learned to obey for conscience sake As you are members of a Church and are in Brotherly communion with others Mat. 18.15 there be duties too of admonition instruction exhortation c. which will seem uncouth and be unfeasable till your mind be enlightned and your hearts warmed with this heavenly knowledge Men may make a great noise and flourish in the world who have really little or no worth in them But the true trial of a Christians excellency consists much in the faithful discharge of the duties of his particular Calling and Relations Sect. 5. Christians are bound to this mutual and reciprocal act of teaching and exhorting one another 1 Thess 5.11 Heb. 3.13 Heb. 10.25 of building up one another in the faith of the Gospel as you are bound to instruct and exhort others so to submit to the instruction and admonition of others though private Christians how much more should you be ready to learn of those who are set over you in things appertaining to your souls and admonish you whom you ought highly to prize for their works sake The Apostle urges this argument in that 1 Thess 5 12 13. Sect. 6. You are bound to render a reason of the hope that is in you 1 Pet. 3.15 to every one that asks it Not that it is expected that every Christian be able to give an exact account of every article of Faith and of all the subtilties that are about it or that he is bound at all times in all places in all companies upon all occasions to give an account of his faith and hope to every captious Questionist But when he is fairly called thereunto and the glory of God and the good and confirmation of his Brethren requires it In such cases Luk. 12.8 9. he ought boldly to make profession of his Faith and to defend it by all the arguments he can though it should bring him into trouble How much more ready should you be to do it Act. 19.8 to those who enquire into your faith not to betray nor persecute you but to instruct establish confirme you and to supply what is lacking in your Faith Sect. 7. The want of this is the reason why we have so many titular Christians who enjoy the name of Christians but are utterly ignorant of the mystery of godliness it is an unseemly and unworthy thing Indignissimum est si ejus nesciamus leges placita cujus tamen nomine professione censemur Bulling in 1 Pet. 3.5 that we should be ignorant of his Laws and Ordinances whose Disciples we would be reckoned I shall give you my meaning in the words of a late learned Minister of our own now with God who having admired Gods goodness in giving 〈◊〉 the glorious Gospel 〈…〉 48. to 55. which hath now so long shone so clearly amongst us goes on to bewail that after such rich injoyments of the means of knowledge there should be so many thousands amongst us who being askt a reason of the hope that is in them cannot speak tollerable sense why they are Christians rather then professed Infidels That there should be whole Parishes who cannot afford one wise word toward the defence of our most holy Profession that many who will take it very ill if they be not accounted as good Christians as the best should think no otherways of Christ then some do of St. Patrick and S. David and other of the Saints of their own Countries He goes on to bemoan that dismal fog of Popery which doth yet darken this Island Popery which few men think of viz. that blind absurd implicite Faith of believing as the Church believes There is not saith he a pin to chuse between him that believes in gross what the Church of England beleives and him that beleives as the Synagogue of Satan the Church of Rome believes if neither know any thing explicitly what either Church believes And concludes to our present purpose I see no hope but the Colliers Faith will have the greatest number of