and it was overgrown with Thorns and Nettles cover'd the face thereof He saw it and more than so he looked upon it wistly curiously again and again and he consider'd it he laid it to his Heart and he consider'd it well and thereupon he received instruction Oh that you would do the like as to those things which you do find in the Scriptures and in the holy Discourses of your Faithful Ministers against sin and for duty and in particular for family-Family-duty consider them well that so you may receive instruction And the good Lord without whom we poor Worms can do nothing grant that what hath been and shall be said to this purpose may be accompanied with his holy Spirit and so come with such a power upon your Souls as that his glory may be a gainer and his worship may be carefully and constantly performed for the future in those Families if there be any such in this numerous Congregation in which hitherto it hath been shamefully neglected I. You that are Governours of Families Masters or Mistresses are charged with them Your Families are your Charge God hath committed them to your Care and Government as they are to act for you so you are to care for them Kings have a great power and that maketh some of them Oppressive and Tyrannical They have great Honour and that makes them Proud and Lofty but all of them have a great Trust the whole Kingdom is committed to them and they should not only indeavour to secure their own Prerogative but also publick good the peace welfare and prosperity of their people this they are all of them bound to do and those that do it are great Blessings Ministers also have a great Charge as it is an honourable so it is a weighty thing to be a Minister of Jesus Christ for the Churches of which they be Pastors are committed to them they are to look to the Flock of God over which the Holy Ghost hath made them Overseers and they are to watch for the Peoples Souls that they may feed them with understanding and sound knowledge and also preserve them from those that lye in wait to deceive and from every path of the destroyer and O that while we do all with the Apostle Paul Magnifie our Office we may all be careful to fulfil our Ministry and do the work of our Office And so that I may return to the business before us Masters and Mistresses of Families have no small Charge no little Trust for their Families are committed to them the Family is a Body bigger or less and the Master is the Head of it and he should rule order and influence all the Members thereof they have both a power and a trust a power and so set over them a trust and so charged with them and as they would not be deprived of their power so they ought not to betray their trust you that are Rulers of Families will be known in your places it is fit you should be so I pray be good in your places and as you will maintain your Authority and make use of your power be true to your trust too some of you will say in some cases that you will not abate an Ace stand as much upon it and be as exact here you will be Kings in your own Houses you ought to be so God hath made you so but be Prophets and Priests also in such a manner take and keep and use the Iurisdiction as that labouring in Prayer in the Word and Doctrine may not slip through your Fingers As Magistrates so Ministers and Parents and Masters ought to rule in the fear of God For you are to remember that you are intrusted with the Souls of your Families as well as with their Bodies and you ought to seek and endeavour the good of their Souls as well as the good of their Bodies I mean both of their Children and of their Servants yea and more too because the Soul is best and the welfare and comfort of the Body depends upon the happiness of the Soul Indeed the Soul may be in a thriving condition Godward but the Body crazy and wasting the Soul may be of an healthful Constitution but the Body sickly and weak as is clear from that of Paul 2 Cor. 4.16 Though the outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day and that this was the case of Gaius I am very apt to conclude from that kind and friendly wish of Iohn in his third Epistle I wish that thy body may prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth But if the Soul be void of Knowledge and Grace if there be not a saving Light in the Head nor the Law of God in the Heart the Body will come to lye down at last in misery and sorrow cocker and pamper it never so much care and cark for it as you will the issue will at last be dreadful the compositum i e. the whole Man will come to ruin Hos. 4.6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge not only deformed as a Person is for want of an Eye but destroyed cut off utterly ruined and undone and ought not the greatest care be taken for the prevention of that We read in 1 Tim. 5.6 If any man provide not for his own specially for those of his own house he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel Though he doth not deny the Faith in words yet he doth in deeds he hath practically renounced Christianity by his not living up to the Laws and Rules thereof and he is worse than an Infidel by his falling short of them He is defective and wanting in that which they perform though he lives in a Valley of Vision though he sits under the bright and glorious Beams of the Sun of Righteousness display'd in the Everlasting Gospel yet he is outdone by the very Heathen who have no more than the dark glimmering Light of Nature which is like a Candle burnt down to the Socket so that it is the Duty of all Parents and Masters to provide for their own Houses But here the Question will be What are they to provide What All that is convenient for them according to that Prayer of Holy and Wise Agur in Prov. 30.8 feed me with food convenient for me To be sure they must provide things necessary if it be in their power but necessary for what only for the Body Meat and Drink and Cloaths and Lodging Mony and Wages are these all the things that are necessary and convenient for them is this the supplying of all their need is this all that the Lord requires and expects at their hands surely no it is true this is a part of their duty but it is the least and lowest part this he provides for the Brute but not for the Man for the Cabinet but not for the Jewel they should so provide for them as that it may be well with them every way to all
their hands and there are too many that will be one day found with their hands full of blood there are some Men among us that do corrupt and taint the Judgments of their Children and Servants and Poyson their Minds with their Cursed Doctrines and Damnable Heresies I ask no pardon for that expression as too harsh and severe for it is Scripture Language and by their sinful practices and vile debaucheries which are as bad as Rats-bane and they shall be sure to answer for it Others there are that do starve their Souls by not teaching them the way and fear of the Lord not instilling good Principles into them by not setting holy Examples before them which they should imitate not taking them by the hand and leading them in the ways of Righteousness the midst of those Paths of Judgments in which they ought to go by living themselves like so many Heathens and Brutes and teaching others to do the same bringing them up for Hell and fitting them for destruction as if they had taken up a resolution that they would not serve the Lord nor go to Heaven no nor any that belong to them if they can prevent it and these Men likewise shall answer it to God Such shall be dealt with in the same manner as God threatned he would do with the Prophet in case of his being false to his trust and unfaithful to those unto whom he was sent You may see it in Ezek. 3.17 18 Son of Man I have made thee a Watchman to the house of Israel therefore hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me People are in eminent danger of being seduced by False Teachers of being prevailed against by Temptations of Satan and his instruments Ministers must watch over them they must go themselves to God for light teaching instruction and be faithful in teaching when taught and in giving out what they have received Now mark when I say unto the Wicked thou shalt surely die and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to warn the wicked from his evil way to save his life the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thy hands which saith Erasmus is fulmen non verbum not a word but a Thunder-bolt Duty is safe as long as that is done by Ministers they are out of danger out of harms way they shall be accepted and rewarded by God whatever the issue be as to the people among whom they labour Isa. 49.5 Though Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorius in the eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my strength but neglect and carelesness is damnable it brings upon Ministers the guilt of other mens blood and the loss of their own Lives and Souls and believe it so it will upon you who are Parents and Masters of Families Oh consider it my dear Friends Beloved and longed for seriously consider it you are as I formerly said and without doubt you your selves know Prophets in your own Houses there you are to Teach and Rule God hath made you Watchmen to your own Houses and it is your business to study their peace and safety and to seek their good it is your business to acquaint them with their Duty that they may do it and to warn them of their danger that they may avoid it you are to cause your light to shine before them that so in your light they may see light you are to instruct them that they may not be naught for lack of knowledge you are to shew them and go before them in the way that they should go that they may not wander and go directly to Hell because they had none to direct them in a word you are to make use of all means possible that both you and yours may prove and approve what is the good acceptable and perfect will of God and so be and at last found to be wise unto Salvation But if you if any of you have been and will continue to be slothful careless negligent and wanting to your duty herein your Children and Servants may die in their ignorance and iniquity but verily you shall not escape unpunished for their blood shall be required at your hands the holy and righteous God will require it who is the great avenger of blood And here are two things that I lay before you First Your wretched neglect of Family-Duties may bring upon you the Curse of your Children and Servants I have known some when they have for their flagitious Lives been Condemned to the Gallows and not far from Execution laid their ill life at the Parents door crying out of the fondness of their Mothers for winking at and concealing of their faults and of the neglect of their Fathers giving them no better Education and setting before them such wicked and abominable examples and what do you think they and others in the same case with them are and will be doing for ever in the other World in the anguish of their Souls and the midst of intolerable Torments when such poor Creatures come to be cast upon a bed of flames and in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone when they come to feel the sinking weight and scorching heat of the wrath and indignation of a provoked God they will certainly curse themselves for their former follies and wicked courses and they will curse their Old Companions whom now they take so much pleasure in and will wish they had never seen their faces yea and they will curse you too and we may rationally conclude their passionate breaking out into such expressions as these I might have done better had I been Educated and brought up better I might have done my duty to God had my Parents or my Master done their duty to me I might have been kept from the path of the Destroyer and cleansed my way and come to a Blessed Eternity had I been taught to take heed unto my self and to my way according to the word Had my Father and my Master instructed me I might have known as much and done as well as those that are now saved and in Heaven But instead of taking pains to make me good their great desire and design was to make me Rich and Great in the World and so they have made me miserable I have all my days taken wicked Courses because they never took any care to instill into me right and holy Principles Had I but seen or heard them reading the Holy Scriptures and other good books themselves or to their Families I might have taken them up and read them too and got the knowledge of God and my self and my duty but they were for Romances and Plays and Cards the Devils Books and so we spent and lost our time and our selves too Had I heard them Praying in their Families seeking the face and favour of God begging his Spirit and Grace I might have prayed too and sought God too and beg'd the
God speaking in Psal. 91. of one that loves him that loves his Name and Interest speaks of many things that he will do for him and among the rest he promiseth to honour him and he will be as good as his word it shall be done both in Time and to Eternity Secondly This is the way to instill into your Families right Principles that fear and respect which you have with them upon the other account is altogether forc'd you do by meer violence extort it from them and so it is not kindly nor will it be lasting they will reverence you before your Face but what will they do behind your Back Multiply very hard thoughts of you and speak as hard words against you where they safely may but in this way of holy Duty you take a course to rectifie their Spirits and sow in them those Seeds that may and in all likelihood will spring up to your own comfort and advantage for while you do endeavour to teach them the good will of God concerning them and to instill into their Hearts the love and fear of his holy Name they will at the same time and with the same pains and labour be taught to pay that reverence and fear which they owe to you shew them the way to honour God and they will thereby learn to give that honour which is due to you and it is to be hoped that what they do now will proceed from an inward Principle and what doth so is of all things the most durable and like to hold Thirdly Religion acted to the Life carrieth a Majesty along with it It was the Image of God instampt upon Man at first that did so excellently fit and qualifie him for the Government of this inferiour World it was this shining in his Countenance that struck an awe upon the other Creatures and made them submit to him As soon as Sin had defac'd that Image and he faln short of the glory of God they threw off the Yoke and grew stubborn and rebellious the more this Image is restored to Men the more there is of God appearing in them the more they live to God and walk with him the more will they recover their lost honour a Crown upon the Head a Sword a Scepter in the Hand will not render a Person so truly honourable as Religion will This strikes an awe even upon carnal Men when in the Company of such and often restrains them and keeps them from those exorbitances into which their own cursed Lusts would hurry them if this doth not gain you their Hearts so that they shall be knit to you it will commend you to their Consciences Let Men think and say and act as they please there is no such probable no such effectual way for the working in the minds of people a real and permanent goodness for the making of Children loving and dutiful and of Servants industrious and faithful as is an instilling into them the Principles of Religion and teaching them the good fear of the Lord when this is once done your Hearts may trust in them and you will find them devoted to the pleasing of you and set for the promoting your Interest that will preserve them from running into such sins as others do not stick at it will make them tremble at that which others will commit with greediness they shall not be supinely careless and negligent in your business nor shall they be Companions of Fools running with them into excess of Riot they shall not pilfer and steal from you that they may have wherewith to gratifie and fulfil a Lust they shall not embezzle your Goods nor betray the Trust you repose in them they dare not do these things there is a Conscience within that restrains them an Eye above which awes them You have two famous instances in Scripture for the proof of this which I shall mention the one of a great Man the other of a poor Servant The former is that of good Nehemiah What made him so excellent a Governour and so tender over the people studying their ease and comfort he had precedents enough to justifie him in another manner of Carriage toward them Neh. 5.14 15. For twelve years I and my brethren had not eaten the bread of the Governours He made not use of that which was his just allowance The former Governours which had been before me were chargeable to the people and had taken of them bread and wine besides forty pieces of silver yea even their Servants bare rule over the people so that this Oppression was grown to be a custom Why did not he keep it up The people having been accustomed to such a load would not have kicked now that was not it he did not fear the people but he fear'd God who alone was more than they and that was it that kept him from such practices as he tells us in the same Verse So did not I because of the fear of God The other instance is that of Ioseph who was indeed of a most Noble Descent the best Family in all the World but having fallen under the heavy displeasure of his envious Brethren they sold him and at this time he was a poor Servant nay of the worst sort a Slave and what would not such an one do to recover his liberty or to enlarge his comforts His Mistress burnt in Love to him and was earnestly set for an unlawful Enjoyment and thereupon tempted him to a compliance with her Lust. Carnal Reason now might have suggested here is a fair opportunity offered for advantaging your self a refusal will inrage her if you do not yield to her Love you kindle her Wrath and that will make the House too hot for you but if you do comply with the motion and accept her tender'd kindness you may be sure of a Friend you engage her favour and who knows but by having that you may recover your liberty however you may promise your self much from it but this would not take Ioseph had been taught better in his Fathers House and he had not forgot all he had brought from home with him such a Principle as was his preservation from t his fiery Dart an excellent Antidote against this insinuating Posyon and that was a Spirit of ingenuous gratitude and holy fear Gen. 39.8 9. My Master hath committed all that he hath to my hand there is none greater in his house than I neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee because thou wast his Wife how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God! You see here the power of good Principles and the blessed effect of Family Religion Whereas the neglect of this is of as malevolent influence and pernicious consequence An House where there is not holy instructions and exercises is like a Field or Garden not cultivated that will be over-run with Weeds When Masters of Families neglect their Duty to God they set their Children and Servants a wretched
Justice and he said Cut it down why cumbers it the ground But all this may be prevented if men would be Friends to themselves and study and practice those things which belong to and make for their peace before they are hidden from their Eyes But now Secondly Your worshipping of God in your Families and keeping up Religious Exercises there may be a means of preserving their peace and keeping off those Iudgments which otherwise might break in upon them Wisdom is a defence and Money is a defence but Wisdom is the better of the two for it giveth life to them that have it Eccles. 7.12 There may be other things used for our safety Locks Bolts Bars c. but that Wisdom which consists in the Fear of God in the Love and Service of God is the best He that walketh in Righteousness shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks where Ruin cannot come at him Isa. 33.16 I shall for the evidencing of this produce two great Instances The former Instance shall be holy Iob And in him we will take notice of two things his care of Duty and God's care of him We will begin with his care of Duty and God himself who is the faithful and true Witness and cannot lye did testifie thus of him That he was a perfect and upright man one that feared God and eschewed evil He was indeed a singular eminent Saint one by himself not a Man like him in all the Earth not one that had grown up to that stature attained that pitch of Holiness which he had done So much is said of him in general Iob 1.1 Yea and in vers 8. God himself gave this very report and character of him to the Devil his mortal Enemy Now let us take notice of what is more particularly recorded concerning him in vers 4 5. of that Chapter His Sons had been lovingly and like Brethren feasting at one anothers Houses and as became them invited their Sisters also Iob now could not but be greatly pleased with that Brotherly Love which was among his Children yet he was jealous over them with a godly Jealousie and had his fears lest in their feasting they should forget themselves and do something that might offend God grieve his Spirit and provoke his Displeasure against them and therefore he offered Burnt-Offerings according to the number of them all He did not offer one single Sacrifice for them all and so make short work of it but he offered for each one a Sacrifice Neither did he do this alone by himself but with them together with them therefore it is said that be sent and sanctified them but what are we to understand by that expression what may be the meaning thereof I answer negatively he did not sanctifie them by working Grace in them and infusing into them holy Habits There is never a gracious Parent but would do it for all his Children if he could He that is holy himself would have others so too I wish said Paul to Agrippa that not only thou but all that hear me this day were as I am saving these Bonds But it is not in their power none can make saving impressions upon the Adamantine Heart but he that hath an Arm of Omnipotency none can give the least Grace to Man but he that hath all Grace in himself therefore affirmatively by Iob's sanctifying them some understand his praying to God that he would sanctifie them and doubtless he did so while some altogether seek the World Greatness Riches for their Children a good Man doth above all seek Grace for himself and for his Children he will go a begging to God for his Children begging of Grace Lord whatever thou deniest my Children do thou give them Grace though thou wilt not make them great yet do thou make them good thus Abraham Gen. 17.18 O that Ishmael may live before thee that his Soul might live that he might live in thy favour and according to thy command so live as to please and obey thee and certainly this is an excellent way for the sanctifying of our own Hearts and the Hearts of others The effectual servent Prayer of a righteous Man availeth much in this case Prayer that comes from Grace in him that puts it up may obtain Grace from him on whose behalf he is a Suitor But there is a late Learned and Holy Commentator viz. Mr. Caryl understands it thus He sent and sanctified them i. e. He sent them good Instructions holy Counsels and wholesome advice gave them notice of the Sacrifice that was to be and order'd them to prepare themselves that they might be in a due frame to wait upon God in such an Ordinance so that he did not perform this Duty alone but they were to join with him in it and it is said He did this continually i. e. frequently as often as occasion for the doing of it offered it self so often he thus worshipped God himself and called his Children to bear their part with him in it We have seen the Piety of this Holy Man now let us see his Safety if any ask what he was the better for this I answer a great deal though Iob did not serve God for his Hire yet he did not serve God for Nought he did not make any temporal worldly advantages his end of serving God yet he found and felt that it was not in vain for him to serve God who is not wont to be behind-hand with the Children of Men he richly pays those that do but a Jobb of work for him so he did Cyrus much more those who are stedfast and immoveable abounding in his work Iob here takes care of his Family that they should serve and worship God and God took care of his substance Iob 1.10 The Devil that was no Friend to God nor to his Honour took notice thereof and could not but own it Hast thou not made an hedge about him and about his house and about all that he hath on every side God hath two sorts of Hedges there is an hedge of thorns and this God speaks of Hos. 2.6 I will hedge up thy way with thorns that was to keep her from Idolatry from running after the Gods of the Heathen whom she called her Lovers she should have little heart to go after them by reason of those sorrows and troubles that would meet her it is a great mercy when God orders out difficulties and pains and vexation in a sinful course when he hedgeth them about with Thorns so that they cannot wander from God and turn aside to crooked paths with the workers of iniquity without pricking their Fingers and piercing themselves thorough with many sorrows this speaks the Love of God and is one of his special favours But this Hedge which God had set about Iob was of another nature an hedge of gracious and powerful protection a strong hedge sufficient to reach its end an hedge that was no where thin and weak there was
our Translation he will command and they shall keep I must acknowledge my self to be singular and alone in the Notion having consulted some Learned Expositors upon the place and found none that take any notice of it but as those that repair to them know that is no strange nor unusual case therefore I will with humble modesty communicate my thoughts to you and submit them to the judgment of such as are able I look upon these latter words not only as Predictory foretelling what the Event would be what his command would produce and how it would work but also Promissory and so securing that good and desireable issue Abraham will teach his Children and his Houshold after him and saith God they shall keep the way of the Lord since Abraham will do his Duty I will succeed and prosper him in the doing of it he shall not lose his labour nor take pains to no purpose The truth is God will not suffer his faithful Servants to be totally disappointed and lye down in their shame at last let things issue how they will they shall not lose their reward in their Duty they shall have peace their endeavours shall be accepted and themselves shall be admitted into their Masters joy Though Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my strength Isa. 49.5 but very often God gives them to see the desires of their hearts so that they attain the end which they propounded to themselves as here since Abraham will see to it that his Children and his Household be taught God would see to it that they should learn and practice what they were taught He would set up the worship of God in his Family and maintain it there as long as he liv'd and God would so influence and order their Spirits that they should keep it up after him they should love and honour and serve God after his example and after he was dead and gone godliness should be posteritiz'd in his Family V. This one thing is the High-way to a Blessing to have the favour of God together with the pleasant fruits of that favour do but you in the sincerity of your hearts and from a gracious Principle perform your Family duties and set up the worship of God there and you may comfortably expect that God in his great goodness and mercy will pour down his blessing upon your Families and make your Family a blessing unto you First The Blessing of God shall be upon your Family it shall be upon you who are the Parents and Masters and upon yours as well as you like that precious Ointment which being poured out upon the head of Aaron from thence descended to the Skirts of his Garment there is a notable place to this purpose a place which hath a double aspect a terrible frowning one upon the wicked but a smiling and comfortable one to the godly Prov. 3.33 The Curse of the Lord is in the House of the Wicked but he blesseth the Habitation of the Iust. Let us well consider this Scripture The Curse of the Lord is in the House of the Wicked he doth not say the Curse is impendent and hangs over it nor that it is at the door ready to draw the latch but it is already in it hath made its entry and taken possession and as it is in it it spreads and goes all over it it goes into every room and mingles it self with every thing there it lights and abides upon the man and upon all that he hath if you go into the Mans House you may possibly see what will dazle your eyes there is costly Furniture Rich Hangings Great Cupboard-Heads of Plate Garments of Silk Sattin and Velvet wrought with Gold Tables spread with variety of the greatest Dainties as the Psalmist saith Psal. 73. They have more than heart can wish but there is no fear of God there instead of that there is a great deal of debauchery and prophaneness ranting roaring gaming healthing cursing swearing obscene filthy talk and as foul actions Hell it self is broke out there is the smoak the fumes of that bottomless pit and there is the curse of God too that Flying-Roul mention'd Ezek. 5.2 the length whereof is twenty Cubits and the breadth thereof ten and saith that Text it shall enter into the house and remain there it takes up its abode and it is not idle and unactive works indeed gradually and oftentimes insensibly no body perceives it but it works effectually it shall consume the House with the Timber and Stones thereof it hath strong and sharp teeth that can bite stones in pieces Psal. 37.35 36. I have seen the Wicked in great power spreading himself like a green Bay-Tree yet he passed away and loe he was not yea I sought him but loe he could not be found But let us go to the other part of the Text and see what report that makes us He blesseth the Habitation of the Righteous Observe now there is righteousness in the habitation a good man dwells there and out of the good Treasure of his heart he brings forth good things there hath been a gracious Principle Divinely inspired into him and it is his desire and endeavour to act suitably to that Principle in his House you may see not only sobriety but also righteousness towards Man and yet more than so there is godliness a making conscience of performing all that duty which they owe to God now as there is righteousness there is a blessing there too God hath blessed that man and his house in turning them from their iniquities in giving them such a Spirit and that blessing doth abide it shall never be revok'd nor revers'd God will say in this case as Isaac did with respect to Iacob Gen. 27.33 I have blessed him yea and he shall be blessed and that is not all neither the Text saith He blesseth his habitation he hath not only done it but he goeth on still to do it the old blessing remains firm and valid and God is pleased to add new ones to it and will continue doing so till he at last be what Moses said of Nepthali Deut. 33.23 satisfied with favour and full of the blessing of the Lord what may we not say of such an House Godliness is there and God himself will be there too for he is nigh unto all that call upon him that call upon him in truth He looks upon others afar off and keeps his distance but he is near these he stands at their right hand he dwells in them and with them in their heart and house and where ever he dwells the house is the better for him he always brings enough with him to make him welcom He saith peace be to this house and mercy be to this house yea and salvation be to this house he will quiet this house when there is a storm and comfort it when there is trouble and uphold it when it is
benumm'd are cast into a profound sleep and have no fear of God before their Eyes And let them know that sooner or latter the present Calm will be followed with a most terrible Storm the Wrath of God and the Rage of Conscience will cause it and that will blow away all your comforts and throw down all your hopes and who can tell but it may carry you to Hell with the People that forget God But on the other side an hearty Love to the Name Honour and Interest of God and the setting up of his Worship and Service in your Families from such an excellent and holy Principle is the direct and ready way to a sweet inward peace the way to have a Calm and Serenity in your Souls though the Clouds may be black and the Storms great which are upon your Tabernacles Let things issue how they will in your Families as to your Children and Servants whether they do get good or no whether they go to Heaven or to Hell yet this will be a quieting and comforting consideration to you that you in some good measure have done your duty I have been much taken with those words of Samuel to Israel after they had rejected the Lord from being King over them and he had made Saul King 1 Sam. 12.23 As for me God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you but I will teach you the good and the right way O! do you so my dear Friends let it be the same with you set this excellent Copy before you and write after it frequently considering with your selves what an hearty reviving Cordial it will be when you are able to say to your Families Blessed be God I have not ceased to pray for you many a Petition I have put up and many a Tear I have shed in my Closet nor have I ceased to pray with you your selves are my Witnesses how frequent and earnest a Suitor I have been to God on your behalf I have been pleading and wrestling every day morning and evening and I have also been teaching you the good and the right way that of Truth and Holiness that of God's Commandments the Scripture way which is good because it is clean and pure and right because it brings to Heaven and Happiness all those that travel and are undefiled in it And yet further it will make the Cordial much more strong and prove a singular addition to your comfort when you are able to say I have not only shewn and taught you that good and right way but I have likewise taken you by the hand and led you into it You and I have had a communion in holy Duties We have gone to the House God in company and at home we have walked in the way of God in company How chearfully may you converse together and go about the work and business of the day after you have in the morning offered up your Sacrifice unto God and how may you at night part with one another in peace and lye down to rest in your Beds after you have desir'd the spreading of the Divine Wing over you and committed your selves to the protection of that God who is the Keeper of Israel and doth neither slumber nor sleep If there be not wilful commission of known sins nor a wilful omission of other known duties but a sincere desire and endeavour of approving your selves to God in all holy Conversation a due and constant care of performing Family-duties will afford you great peace so that nothing need to offend you And let me add this that constancy in this work will be a soveraign Antidote against many of those things that cause convulsions and broils and disorders in too many houses What passions are there in them and how unruly and exorbitant by which all is put into a flame What discontents what animosities what quarrels and contentions that people are so far from enjoying one another that they cannot enjoy themselves by means whereof the nearness of the Relation becomes a great aggravation of the affliction but joynt-fellowship in Family-duties and execises of Religion may very much help in this case both to the purpose of preventing those feuds if you do but consider that of the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.8 I will that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting As you must pray in Faith so in Love You must not in wrath pray to him that is the God of Love It will also help to the repairing of a breach and healing of a wound when there is one made if you duly consider that of our Saviour Matth. 5.23 24. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee leave there thy gift before the Altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy gift Reconciliation must go before supplication if we would have audience with God How can you think your Father should be pleased if you live at variance with his Children Peter would have Love between Husband and Wife that their prayers might not be hindered 1 Pet. 3.7 They that quarrel together will not be fit to pray together Observe Iames his method laid down for general observance among Christians Iam. 5.16 Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed Seek peace with one another by confession and then peace with God by prayer But to return this Family-serving of God will promote inward peace in them that are Governours it cannot but be a comfort to you to think that while other houses have been the sink of sin yours have been the dwelling places of the most High Others have been Bethavens houses of vanity yours have been Bethels the houses of God in others there hath been the serving of divers lusts and fellowship with Devils and the unfruitful works of darkness but in yours there hath been the serving of God and a fellowship kept up with the Father and with his Son the Lord Jesus Christ. In a word while other houses have been the Synagogues of Satan yours have been the Temples of the Living God and the Churches of Christ. As we do find godly Religious Families dignified in the Scriptures and honoured with the illustrious name of Churches Thus Paul Rom. 16.3 bids them greet Priscilla and Aquila his helpers in Christ Iesus and also verse 5. the Church that was in their house And again in Col. 4.15 He ordered them to salute Nymphas and the Church that was in his house i. e. the Family which was Christian and Godly and besides their joyning together in Manual Labour and houshold business did unite and joyn together in the Worship and Service of God And I have read that in the last Century before this the House of George Prince of Anhalt for the good Orders that were observed therein was said to be Ecclesia a Church for the Religion
way whether ever they sate up so long at prayer or reading the Scripture Unto such persons I would only say these few things First As touching the Game it self I will not take upon me peremptorily to determine that playing at Cards is utterly unlawful Yet I do very well remember that in former times when Professors liv'd more up to the Rules of Religion than most now do and did not allow to themselves that latitude which many in our days take Cards were counted so by many godly learned Ministers and gracious Christians and accordingly were then call'd The Devil's Books and the use of them for play was a thing of bad report and to have a pack of them in the house was then reckoned scandalous It is true one of no small esteem for Learning and Piety whose Name I forbear to mention hath written for it but I humbly conceive he had better have spar'd his pains So pitiful a Cause did not deserve so Learned a Pen so great a Patron and what he and others have said is not satisfactory but still sub judice lis est the matter is disputable and there are more against it than for it And I am sure in matters questionable such things as will admit of a debate it is the wisdom of those who love their own Souls and desire to approve themselves unto God by an holy exact walking before him to forbear there may be sin in using but for certain there is no danger in letting them alone Though you are not sure there is Poison in a Glass of Wine yet if you do suspect it you will not drink of it Perhaps the company will jeer and laugh at you for your over-niceness and let them till they be weary better so than to have your own Consciences raging and storming at you for your over-boldness It is not good to rouze a sleepy Lion a little matter will do it But then Secondly As to any other Game which is evidently lawful and concerning which no dispute hath been raised among good men Nature doth require and God doth allow Recreations The Bow that always stands bent will grow to be a Slug. And there are Recreations in themselves very innocent and harmless that tend much to the health of the Body and not to the detriment or prejudice of the Soul yet even in these you must manage your selves with wisdom for otherwise you may sin in them What the Apostle Paul saith of the Law 1 Tim. 1.8 We know that the Law is good if a man use it lawfully I may say in the present case we know that Recreation is good if a man use it lawfully but withal we know that the greatest danger of real sincere Christians lieth inter licita among things lawful and though the Recreations which you use are lawful in themselves yet you may sin in the using of them and that many ways particularly in the using them out of season and by being too long at them Time is too precious a Jewel to be thrown away Thirdly I desire you seriously to consider whether Gaming be a good preparative for any holy duty We have been wont to blame those that would upon the Lord's-day come reeking out of their Beds to Publick Ordinances and if I be not mistaken they are as worthy of blame who immediately go from their sports to the Service of God Is this my Friends is this the way for People to get themselves into a fitness for duty their hearts into a serious solemn spiritual and holy frame Is this the way to qualifie you for an appearance in so great and glorious a Presence as is that of God and for engaging to so important and momentous a work as is that of Prayer You that love Recreations do not love them too well and you that use them let it be without abusing them do not make Play your work but use it moderately as becometh those who were sent hither for higher and nobler purposes than to sport upon Earth as Leviathan doth in the Sea and as becomes them who knows the shortness uncertainty and preciousness of Time and that your everlasting welfare and happiness in the other World depends upon a due improvement of it and as becomes those who believe you must at last render an account thereof unto the God that gave it to you And I also advise you to take special care that there be a sufficient interval or space of time between your Recreation and your Duty that so you may call your thoughts in which you had given leave to ramble and raise your Affections up which had been too much deprest and sunk to Objects so mean and low and that by holy Meditation spiritual Divine Contemplations you may recover your former warmth and chafe your selves into a due heat and be fervent in spirit serving the Lord remembring it was in the flame of Manoahs Sacrifice that the Angel did wonderfully Fourthly You that are Parents I do earnestly desire you to think with your selves and that seriously whether you are kind to your Children in playing at Cards doth this speak your love to them and care of them Is this the way to keep them from the path of the Destroyer and to bring them up for God Doth this tend to the making of them gracious or serious Do you think in your Consciences that you would be willing Death should come and find you so employed that Death should come and take you at Cards Or do you think in your Consciences that you do herein set your Children a good Example Really this deserves your thoughts for as we Ministers are to be Examples to the Flock so you Parents and Governours ought to be to your Families What manner of persons then should you be in all holy conversation in all the actions of your Lives and are you so exemplary when you play at Cards as it becomes and concerns you to be Possibly some of you think you have enough to say for your selves viz. that you do not make a Trade of it nor a common practice you do it but at one time of the year when the Nights are long and you know not how otherwise to pass away the time but by the way do not say so for that proclaims your egregious weakness and folly what have so great work to do and so much of it yet know not how to pass away the time or you satisfie your selves with this that you do not play for Mony at least not for much so that upon that score you are much at a pass whether you win or not and this may be but you cannot tell what your Children may do after you you do shew them the way and lead them in it but they may shortly go a great deal farther than you your selves either do or dare to do because they see you play at Cards they conclude it lawful and that they may do so too and accordingly do for Children are imitating Creatures
and by practising it they may fall in love with it for Childhood and youth are vanity and by consequence very apt to follow after vanity and in time they may come to love it so much as to consume and spend their time in it untill their purses be exhausted their Estates dwindled and shrunk into nothing and themselves with their Families reduced to beggery and a morsel of bread and at the same time their Souls are lost into the bargain and surely rather than that should come to pass it is a thousand thousand times more desirable that all the Cards in London in England yea in the World should with just indignation be Sacrificed in the Flames In short as to this I beg of you that you would do justly in giving to God the things which are Gods and let not Cards nor any other game hinder his Work and Service nor keep you from the performance of your Duty Many have been undone by gaming and thousands enrich'd by praying it was by this means that Iacob as a Prince had power with God and Men and did prevail Oh! that so much may suffice to be spoken to that complaint and Oh! that God would accompany it with his Spirit and Blessing There is another thing which is indeed the matter of a general Complaint and hath raised a great Cry that reached mine Ears and the Ears of many of my Reverend Brethren and that which renders it so much a Gravamen so grievous and afflictive to our spirits and those of other persons truly fearing God and concern'd for the Honour and Interest of our Religion which deserves to be dearer to us than our Lives is that it is the common yea daily custom not of the vile Debauchees of the Age the wicked and profane Crew from whom nothing is to be expected that savours of goodness and sobriety but even of sober Persons grave Citizens yea of Men eminent for their Profession Members of Churches worshipping God in that way which so many unjustly labour to fix a black brand of Infamy upon but our Heavenly Advocate will one day plead our Cause and bring forth the Righteousness of it as the Light But the thing is such Persons sitting so long as they do at Publick houses of one kind or another and spending there so much time that it is nine ten yea and often eleven of the Clock at night before they return to their home so deeply engaged are they in their Clubs and Discourses in telling and hearing of News I bless God I very seldom hear of Professors and Members of Churches being charged with Drunkenness Uncleanness or other gross Immoralities though I wish there were none of them guilty and do fear there be some who are Spots in our Communion yet this we can say we allow them not and if we did know them and there were just proof we should proceed against them according to Scripture-Rule Further to prevent my being mistaken I shall say these two things First I do not speak against mens inquiring after News or their being desirous to inform themselves concerning the State of Affairs and how matters go in the Nation and abroad and with the Church of God specially in such a time as this When the Army of Israel went out to War against the Philistines good old Eli could not stay at home but out he went and sate upon a Seat by the ways side watching for his heart trembled for the Ark of God 1 Sam. 4.13 And I look upon it as a duty yea a necessary part of duty in us all that so we may be accordingly affected and the better understand how to order our Spirits and demean our selves and how to direct our Prayers and Praises unto God that so there may be no unseemly discord and jarring between God's Providences and our Prayers but an harmony and consent Secondly I do not speak a word against Citizens having their Clubs in order to the better and more prudent management of their Trades this I am a stranger to and therefore do not meddle with for any thing I know it may be convenient for them and profitable and more than so needful but for Men to sit in those places so long and keep from their own houses till it be so late is indeed blame-worthy and calls loudly for a reformation and oh that I could help toward it I will do my endeavour and in order thereunto offer some things to your consideration First if any of you who are here present before the Lord and are Husbands be guilty of this thing and make an ordinary practice thereof I beseech you when you are most calm and composed seriously to reflect upon it and think with your selves whether this be kindness to your Wives Is this walking answerably to that near intimate conjugal relation into which you did voluntarily and of your own choice enter promising to express all love and tenderness Is this living up to the Law and doing the duty of that Relation Is this being as good as your word Is this your love and kindness to her in whose Company and Converse you ought to delight above all others except Gods Is this to be a Comfort to her as you ought to be Think that while you are abroad Merry Jocund Pleasant Delighting your self with your Friends and Wine she for want of you is at home Melancholick Concern'd Afraid Troubled lest you should Contract any Guilt or come by any Hurt at least she is solitary and alone Secondly To that thought add another While I am here doth not my Family want me May you not be more useful and do much more good at Home than you are capable of doing in one of those Publick Houses What becomes of your own Vineyard which you are bound to keep Would it not turn to a better account and prove far more advantagious both to you and yours to be teaching of your Family commending God and Godliness to them giving them good Counsels instilling into them sound Principles reading to them your selves or hearing them read the Holy Scriptures and other good Books by which they may be richly furnished for good Works and made wise to Salvation or Catechising them about the main Fundamental Points of Religion and examining them as to their knowledge in the things of God for want of due care wherein while they are young many when they come to be grown up prove unstable Souls and an easie prey to them that lye in wait to deceive Possibly you do not and I will hope that you do not Drink to Excess in those Houses nor spend too much Money upon them who will not thank you for it afterward but what saist thou Conscience Speak out to them speak plain do they not spend too much time there May they not spend it much better at home and about something else Thirdly Suppose the great and holy God should come to you at such a time and in such a place would you
great God doth thus when he had been at much cost and charge upon his Vineyard He looked it should bring forth Grapes and what Grapes it did bring forth Isaiah 5. our Lord Iesus doth so too Cant. 6.11 I went down into the garden of nuts to seek fruits of the valley and to see whether the vine flourished and the pomegranates budded And when the laborious Countryman hath Sown his Seed and committed it to the Earth he freequently goeth into the Field to see how it comes up and what crop he is like to have So when the Merchant hath sent his Commodities to Sea he longs to hear of their safe arrival at the intended Haven and then waits for a rich return and what shall your Prayers and pains be neglected and forgotten as things meerly thrown away I grant they are not worthy God's regarding but are they not worthy your own Therefore I say when you have been taking pains in your Families and scattering holy truths and counsels there which are as so much precious Seed take notice what place it hath in them and what power upon them whether it passeth away as a tale that is told or roots and abides and what good comes of it what fruit there is like to be And though you meet with no success as yet be not weary of well doing but go on duty is yours success is Gods who gives it when where and as he pleaseth follow one counsel with another one instruction with another one reproof with another and one prayer with another do not sin in ceasing and giving over Something may come of it at the last The Husbandman waiteth fâ—r the precious fruit of the Earth and hath long patience Iames 5.7 He 〈◊〉 not Sow and Reap in a day the Seed lies a considerable time in the Furrows buried under the clods follow then the Wiseman's advise In the morning Sowe thy Seed and in the evening withold not thine hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper this or that or whether they both shall be alike good Eccles 11.6 Fifthly When you set upon holy duties particularly that of prayer see that you be well composed and enjoy a calmness of Soul we are required to lift up holy hands as in faith without doubting so in love without wrath I have known and heard of some that would go chiding and scolding to their Prayer in a chafe and fret but are they like to be welcome Sure it would be more adviseable to stay till they were cooler God did in a most tremendous manner destroy Nadab and Abihu for Offering Incense with strange fire what then must thou expect who Offerest thine with Hell-fire The same Persons will fall into a scolding fit again as soon as the Prayer is over what think you doth this speak Grace in their Hearts did they pray their Hearts into Heaven had they any communion with God sure if they had they would have risen off their knees more like to him When Moses had been in the Mount with God Forty days at his coming down his face shone there was a Light Beauty and Glory upon his Countenance he did not look speak nor act like a fury besides how can such an 〈◊〉 think that others should get good by his Prayerâ— when he himself gets none or that he should 〈◊〉 any one of this Family into Godliness when he doth noâ— pray himself into quietness Thou O Man being under such a distemper wouldest not go to thy King how then darest thou go to thy God If thou beest touchy and froward at in and after thy Prayer God is not like to be pleased Psal 18.26 With the froward He will shew himself froward Sixthly Do not chuse to live in those Families where there is not the Worship of God nor Religious exercises if thou art only a Lodger in such an house deal with the Master and in a Friendly manner put him upon it if he will not be persuaded thou hast cleared thine own Soul that Family is none of thy charge therefore that neglect shall not be charg'd upon thee only be thou careful to pray by thy self and with thy Family if thou hast one yea and with his too if he either desires it or will permit it but why dost thou chuse to lodge there couldst thou find no other place to pitch thy Tent in If thou canst why dost not go to it Suppose there be where thou now art more outward conveniencies consider God is not there and it cannot be good living where God is not for the pleasantness of the place Lot had a mind to dwell in Sodom but had not God been more merciful to him he had been consumed in the Flames of that vile City It was a dismal time with the Egyptians â—â—en in every one of their Houses there was one dead and must it not of neccessity be very uncomfortable to thee if alive unto God to live in a Family where they are all dead How did David bemoan himself while in the House of Saul though a Family unto which he was related yet because wicked he reckon'd it his unhappiness to be there Psalm 120.5 Wo is me that I sojourn in Mesech that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar Seventhly Take none into your Family but those who will keep you company while walking with God Carnal respect sway with many after which much mischief follows and the repentance of an whole Life Accept not of him for thy Husband who cannot or will not live with thee as a man of Knowledge a Child of God How shall He help thee on in thy journey to Heaven who will not himself walk in the way that leads thither Neither do thou O man if fearing God take her for thy Wife who will not draw with thee in the Yoke of Christ but rather despise thee in her Heart or mock and flout at thee when serving and honouring of the Lord. Some indeed good natur'd men do take such in hope of gaining them afterward but for certain they run a desperate venture let the Portion be never so great thou hadst better be without it than fasten a Clog to thy Heel or take a Viper into thy Bosom let Birds of a Feather get together what have Birds of Paradise to do with Vultures and Owls Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain but a Woman that fears the Lord shall be praised and should be chosen The like for Servants their skill parts strength and fitness are to be look'd to but Godliness is not to be overlook'd A wicked Servant may be a curse a moth to the house whereas a gracious one will be a blessing a treasure Lastly You that are Servants in Prayerless Families supply that defect if you may have leave only do it humbly and double your respects to your Governours if leave for that be denied be more in secret Communion with your God tho' they keep a bad House keep you a good Chamber and if thou mayest honestly
Warriour And we may conceive him speaking thus to them O ye seed of Abraham if ye be given to change so am not I If after all that God hath been to you and done for you you will be so ingrateful as to forget and forsake him so will not I. He hath all along been so gracious a God to us all that he shall be my God for ever and ever I am so well so happy with him that I cannot mend my self I can be no where better no where so well therefore I will abide with him as in the Text I and my house will serve the Lord. This was his holy resolve and to this he would stand there could be no reason to the contrary and as for the example of Apostates it should wiâ—h with him be of no significancy nor would he be carried down by the stream He was and would be for God be they for whom they would In the words there are these things observable First The thing he resolved upon which he had in his heart and purpose that was to serve while others of towring and ambitious spirits are altogether for commanding and Lording it this good Man was for serving Though he was a Prince a great General yet did he not look upon it as a disparagement and below him to be a Servant No more did holy David afterward the King of Israel even when he had been called from following the Sheep and placed upon the Throne he knew how still to serve and lov'd to do it the King of Israel thought it no dishonour to serve the God of Israel and therefore he with joy took upon him the name Servant reckoning it his highest and most honourable Title Psal. 116.16 O Lord truly I am thy Servant I am thy Servant This service is made up of Acts of Worship performed to the Divine Majesty and a Life of Obedience to the Divine Will In it there is Liberty yea most perfect Freedom those that are strangers to it are the worst of Slaves in it is the highest honour To be one of God's Servants is more noble than to be one of the World's Monarchs And in it is the greatest comfort Isa. 65.13 14. Thus saith the Lord God Behold my Servants shall eat but ye shall be hungry behold my Servants shall drink but ye shall be thirsty behold my Servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed behold my Servants shall sing for joy of heart but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart and shall howl for vexation of spirit Secondly Here is the Person to whom the Service is to be performed not to Idols not to Devils not to Sin the wages of which is death not to divers Lusts which are tyrannical and cruel but Iehovah that is the word in the Original the Lord the Lord of Lords the Lord of Life and Glory the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob the Lord God of Israel whose Commandments are not grievous but his Yoke is easie and his Burden is light his Yoke being lin'd with his Love and his Burden having Wings Thirdly Here are the Persons by whom this Service is to be performed unto this God We i. e. I and my house I my self not only call others to the work but also set my own hand to it lead them the way I will serve the Lord and all that are mine shall do it together with me Rather than not serve God at all he would serve him alone Ioshua would leave Israel if they would leave God But he would not serve God alone so long as he could have company so long as there were any that he could influence any that he could rule and command they that will live in my house shall serve my God they that would enjoy the comfort of my house shall joyn in the work and duty of my house We will serve the Lord. Exemplum proponitur Gubernandae Familiae saith Masius Here is set before us an excellent Pattern or good Example for the ordering and governing of a Family Oh that it may be followed by all those who call themselves Christians and own Iehovah for the Lord their God! That a Christian Profession and Practical Atheism may not meet in them The Doctrine which I raise from these words and offer to your most serious consideration as the Truth of God to be believed by you received in Love and obeyed from the Heart is this Doct. It is the great duty of all those whom God hath made Heads or Governours of Families to set up Religious Duties and the Worship of God in their respective Families Oh that God would so assist and succeed me in the handling hereof and accompany what shall delivered with such power upon your Consciences and Hearts as by that time I have finished these Discourses there may not be one Prayerless Family belonging to this numerous Congregation How greatly then would my Soul bless God and with what comfort and joy should I look upon you It is both a wicked and miserable thing for any to be without God in the World Ephes. 2.12 He is so great so necessary a good that nothing can possibly supply the want of him Notwithstanding Moon and all the Stars it is night with us when once the Sun is departed off our Horizon God is absolutely necessary for us and our All is due to him Single persons must know it to be their duty and interest to serve and worship God in their Capacities as Publickly in the Gates of Sion which God loves in the Assemblies of the Saints unto which they ought to joyn themselves as followers of the same Lord and Members of the same Body so singly and alone let their Chambers and Closets be Witnesses for them that they do not live in an ingrateful and wicked unmindfulness of God Let Children begin betimes with God Let young Men and Maids have early converses with God waiting upon him and walking with him And when they come to alter their condition and to have Yoke-fellows and Families let them be careful to set up the Worship of God in them though let them still remember to keep up their retirements It is not enough for them to worship God in their Families but they ought to do it in their Chambers too nor is it enough for them to worship God in their Chambers but they ought to do it in their Families too Let not these jostle nor exclude one another but as Sister-duties live sweetly together under the same Roofs In private Duties the holy Soul hath the greater liberty from Family-duties God hath the greater Honour Secret duties are plainer Evidences of Sincerity Family and publick duties are of larger influence and usefulness As for me and my house we will serve the Lord We will unite in his Service not only approve of it or consent to it but joyn in it Take here with you these two things First The Service of God should begin as soon as the Family begins This I
desire Young ones to consider of who are entring into the World and setting upon House-keeping lay this down as an undeniable Maxim that it is best beginning with God so to do is both duty and wisdom That Man who doth not carry God along with him is like to miscarry by the way and at last lie down in sorrow He opens his door to the Devil that will bring very bad company along with him who at his first entrance upon House-keeping shuts God out and turns his back upon him or at least doth not invite him It is not feasting not eating and drinking together tho' that is lawful and friendly but Prayer that will prove the best House-warming Secondly As it is good beginning with God so it is as good holding on To be weary of well doing argues a bad temper of Soul to throw up duty is sin and shews plainly that a person was never upright in it never hearty to it never really tasted the sweetness of it Iob 27.10 Will the Hypocrite delight himself in the Almighty will he always call upon God No neither and because not the former therefore not the latter because God is not his delight Prayer will not be his constant business he hath in his heart no suitableness to God and therefore no pleasure in his Service but such as have been sincere in it will be stedfast and indeed they will never find any reason for the giving of it over God is as full and free as ever he was the Trade of Godliness as safe and sure and the returns as considerable God can with as much cause and boldness appeal now to those that shall desert him and throw up Religious Exercises as formerly he did to ungrateful Israel Ier. 2.5 What iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they are gone far from me and have followed after vanity and are become vain He well knew tho' he could charge vanity and folly upon them and make good the charge yet they could not justly charge iniquity upon him And so again verse 37. Have I been a Wilderness unto Israel or a Land of Darkness No no not a Wilderness but a fruitful Field not a Land of Darkness but a Goshen a Sun of Righteousness and such as have been indeed his Servants have continued firm and faithful liking him too well and loving him too dearly to leave him Will ye go away said Christ to his Disciples Peter desired not time to consider of it but had his Answer ready which he immediately returns in the names of them all Ioh. 6.68 Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of Eternal Life Ioshua had served and followed God for a great many years He was now grown old and his Experiences of God's care and goodness had more multiplied and encreast to a far greater number than his days and thereupon he saw abundant reason for resolving to continue in his Service And so did holy Polycarp the Disciple of St. Iohn for being tempted to deny Christ and return to Heathen Idolatry he briskly replied I have served my Master Christ now these fourscore years and all along found him a good Master to me therefore I will not leave him now And if you will believe David he assures you they are all of the same mind Psal. 84.4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praising thee they are and will be so always delighting in his Work and always commending and glorying in their Lord. But yet for the further opening to you the duty it self I must acquaint you with two things which are incumbent upon the Governours of Families and which they are bound carefully to look after viz. 1. That God be served in their Families 2. That they and their Families do together serve him First It is the duty of Family-Governours to take care that there be the Service and Worship of God in their Families that they themselves do serve the Lord and that their Children do serve him yea and that also their Servants do serve him That as the precious Ointment poured out upon the Head of Aaron ran down to the skirts of his Garments so Religion and at least the outward practices of Piety may sweetly descend from the Head of the House to the inferiour and meanest Members of it You Masters Mistresses and Parents ought to take care not only that your Children be respective and obedient to you nor only that your Servants be faithful to you and industrious in their working for you but likewise that both the one and the other do perform their duty to God as well as to you and be far more ready to pass by a failure in them with respect to your selves than to bear with a contempt and neglect of God Do not only see to the feeding and cloathing of your Children and Servants but as they are capable of receiving it do you feed their Minds with Knowledge and exercise them unto Godliness and let it not be your desire only or chiefly that they may live well and comfortably but that they may live holily that they may live like Christians as well as like Men. The Apostle's charge is this Rom. 12.17 Provide things honest in the sight of all men Now I will appeal to your Consciences whâ—â—her it be not so to fear and serve God to pray and seek God to worship God to perform duty to God this cannot but be honest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good very good amiable and becoming in the sight and account of all men except those that are Atheists and because of their being Atheists do not deserve the name of Men but have forfeited the name since they contradict the very Light of Nature and run counter to the dictates of Reason and are sit to herd only among the Beasts And if that notion be true which some have embrac'd and I do not reject that it is not Reason so much as Religion which is the specifical Difference and doth distinguish between a Man and a Brute because there is something of Reason to be found in Brutes at least call it by what name you please some shadow of Reason some Resemblance something that may claim a little Kindred whereas there is not to be found in them any thing that looks like Religion no appearance nor footsteeps of it then we may very well say without being guilty of injustice or doing a real injury That Atheists do deserve with Nebuchadnezzar to be driven from among Men until they have with him learnt to own praise extel and honour the King of Heaven all whose works are Truth and his ways Iudgment and those that walk in Pride he is able to abase but at the present they are degenerate and no better than Beasts in the mapes of Men. For they deny a Being to him by whom all things are to him who is the Fountain of all Being and the Author of their own they do not only cast off a
12.1 2. not only for encouragement but likewise for direction Now he had a Family his Twelve Disciples were his Family and he prayed and gave thanks at his Meats and also at other times and he prayed not only for them but with them Luke 9.16 As he was alone praying his Disciples were with him Here is a seeming contradiction that Christ should be said to be alone and yet his Disciples with him but there is no real one for that word alone must be understood as intimating no more than the multitudes being departed from him when the Miracle of Feeding Five Thousand Men with Five Loaves and Two Fishes had been wrought they having what they came for the filling of their Bellies and satisfying their Curiosity withdrew themselves and went away and they being gone he went to Prayer which was a work he greatly delighted in and in and at that Prayer his Disciples were with him I hope it may without vanity be said That in what I have spoken to you upon this Subject there is enough said for the satisfaction of any sober serious and consciencious Christian that the setting and keeping up of the Family-worship of God is the Duty of those that are the Masters or Governours of Families Wilful Cavillers against plain Truths are not worthy nor fit to be dealt with time and pains bestowed upon them is meerly thrown away Therefore as for those wicked Persons who are either of Atheistical Principles not believing but denying the Being of a God or of desperately Profane Spirits that value neither his Love nor his Wrath and so have no fear of him before their Eyes I do not now in these Discourses go about to perswade them another course must be first taken with them them I leave to the great and mighty God begging that he would have Mercy upon them in convincing them that he is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him and that there is a day coming when the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2 Thes. 1.7 8 9. So we have done with the first thing propounded viz. That Family-worship is a Duty the second part of the work before us is to prove that there is very great and cogent reasons for our performance of this Duty and that it is using the Apostle Paul's expression no other than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your reasonable service That which is to be done by rational Creatures and is most consonant and agreeable to the Principles and Dictates of right Reason and I doubt not but this will appear evidently to you if you will duly consider and weigh the Arguments which we shall draw from these Four Topicks 1. From God 2. From Governours of Families 3. From the Families themselves 4. From the Publick You will find that there do Obligations rise from all these many and strong ones for the enaging and binding you hereunto the good Lord grant we may study the Obligations and answer them by a suitable practice First You are to set up Religious Worship in your Families upon the account of the most great and glorious God who alone is the proper Object of it unto whom it is to be performed And here are three things which did immediately occur to my thoughts and which I do now offer to your Consideration I. God is the Author and Original of our Families They had their Being from God and therefore they should pay Homage and perform Service unto him this is that which doth without all Controversie lay an Everlasting Engagement upon particular Persons high and low young and old to serve God to love him with all their Hearts to fear him all the day and to worship him because he made them Children are to honour their Father and Mother but God much more because God was the principal efficient of their Being their Earthly Parents no more than Instruments in his Hand And if it be a good way of arguing in David and so in us to say as he did Psal. 119.94 I am thine save me and verse 73. Thy hands have made me and fashion'd me give me understanding It cannot but be as strong and if we be ingenuous as forcible and taking an Argument on God's side for him to say to us You are mine you were wonderfully made formed and fashioned by my wisdom and the hand of my power therefore do you serve me It is full out as good an Argument for Duty as it can be a plea for Mercy do not the Rivers send back their Waters to the Sea from which they received them And shall not Man return praise and service to God from whom he received life and strength all that he is and hath I desire you to take notice what a loud and earnest call there is and how much importunity the Prophet useth in Psal. 100. 1 2. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye Lands Be joyful be chearful it is lawful for you to be so it is allowed you to be so and if you be gracious of all persons in the World you have the greatest right to Joy only see that your Joy be directed to God and terminated in God Make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Well he goeth on vers 2. Serve the Lord with gladness come before his presence with singing Do not go to his work as Bears to a Stake nor meerly as to a Task but as to your Recreation as to your Meat and Drink so Christ did be sure that your duty be your delight And yet again he adds Enter into his Gates with thanksgiving and into his Courts with praise be thankful unto him and bless his Name We should labour to have our hearts greatly raised and enlarged in our serving of God that we have such a God so glorious so good and that he is pleased to admit us into his Service and employ us about it But why all this what reason is there for it doth any one here ask that Question let him know yea and let all men know So saith the Prophet in verse 3. Know ye that the Lord He is God He alone is God Let others be what they will never so great and high and good there is not a God among them Iehovah is God of whom and thro whom and for whom are all things It is He that hath made us and not we our selves The Hebrew reads it in the Margin His we are And Mr. Ainsworth tells us the Chaldee keeps that reading It is He that hath made us and his we are He hath the best Title to us the Supream Soveraign Right We are his People and the Sheep of his Pasture And since we are his Creatures we should be his Servants we
no gap to be found in it which an Enemy could enter in at till God afterward for wise and holy ends gave leave This must of necessity be a good Hedge because it was of God's own making thou hast set it and it also was a large Hedge fetching a great compass for it took in all it was about him his person thou hast set it about him about his Soul and his Body about his Graces and his inward Comforts his Life and Health and Strength and about his House the Habitation it self and all within Doors Wife and Children and Servants and all his Goods yea and about all that he had though at never so great a distance from home his Fields and his Cattel his Grass and Hay and Corn his great things and his little things too his Camels and Oxen yea and his Asses and Sheep and Lambs all that he had and the Scripture adds it was on every side He could look no way but he might see Salvation so that neither Devil could come at him nor any other Enemy without Divine permission Indeed afterward as that Chapter tells us when the Devil that inveterate and implacable Enemy falsly accus'd and charg'd that good Man telling God that he had all along been no better than a Mercenary and that a change of Providence would make a change in him if Providence did but frown upon him he would quickly fall a Cursing of God a very touch would turn him God did for the glory of his own Grace and the vindication of his Servants honour give the Devil leave to try what he could do by himself and his Instruments at the same instant resolving to allay the bitterness of the Cup to support him under the burden and at last to bring him off with honour and without loss or any cause of complaint which was at last done for Iob 42.12 God blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning yet he then had a Blessing and that a great one there was not only protection but likewise a benediction for Satan could not but acknowledge that God had blessed the work of Job 's hands and that he experienced the power of that blessing and reap'd the fruit of it for his substance was increased in the Land by all which you may plainly see that the Father of Lies though his design was to bespatter Iob did yet speak truth when he said Job did not serve God for nought and as he did not so no body else ever did nor ever shall God is too good and gracious to suffer that such a reproach shall never cleave to his glorious Majesty The other Instance which I told you I would bring for the proving of this that Family-worshipping of God may be a singular means to keep off present Judgments is a tremendous and very remarkable Providence which while I was studying upon this Subject I happily met with in Polanus his Syntagma liber 5. cap. 22. de terrae motu And it is this In the Year of our Lord 1584. there was an Earthquake in Switzerland in the Territory of Bern in which one Hill being removed out of its place and violently carried and dasht against another did overwhelm and bury an whole Village that consisted of fourscore and ten Houses not any of them being spared and escaping save only the part of one House in which the Master of the Family with his Wife and Children were together at that very time upon their bended Knees praying and seeking of God IV. Setting up the Worship of God in Families is the way to promote your own Interest in them for God hath made a most sweet and gracious connexion of his own glory and Mens good so that in seeking the former they find the latter in keeping God's Commandments there is great reward upon seeking first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness other things shall be added cast in as an overplus Folly Sin makes Men and Women cheap and contemptible Godliness puts a Beauty upon them makes their Faces shine and renders them amiable considerable truly great in the Eyes of those that know them But it may be some of you do think your selves not at all concerned here and that you need not take any care nor bestow any thoughts upon this for your Interest is great and safe enough and you can well enough secure and maintain it with the greatest ease are not you the Master and the Mistress and have not you the Purse and the whole power in your hands And are not all under your Roof under you so that if any of them will not know their places nor keep their distance If they will not be observant of your orders obedient to your commands nor carry towards you with a due respect you can make them smart for it by pinching them in their comforts making them feel the weight of your hand and if that will not do by turning them out of Doors Let them affront or slight you if they dare Very well my Friends this is great and you are somebody at least in your own Eyes and it must be granted that all this you may do and being done it may turn to account but all this doth not will not make things so sure nor strengthen your interest so much as you may imagine no no be assured of this that when all is done your having the Power and the Purse in your hands will not befriend you at so great a rate nor so effectually secure to you the love and fear and awe of those with whom you have to do as exemplary Piety a Religious Life and putting the Duties of Godliness in practice I well know some Spirits are very rugged and boisterous not easily drawn and bowed to their Duty all means must be used and all little enough but this is certain it is no prudence when others are applied to omit the best The Smith would shew much folly in spending his time and tiring himself in beating and knocking of cold Iron when by putting it into the Fire till it be red hot he may form and fashion it as he pleaseth It is a gross Errour in Men proceeding much from Pride and Brutish Passion and plainly discovers their Ignorance to conceive that their huffing and hectoring their ranting and raging at their Children and Servants will procure them such a respect and esteem among them as Holiness will do and Prayer and living in a consciencious discharge of the Duties of their Places and that upon a Threefold Account First It is the way to engage God on your side who hath said He will honour those that honour him Do Men study to exalt God they themselves shall be exalted if his Name be precious to them theirs shall be so to him I will honour them saith God he will do it himself and that by taking them up at last to Heaven and cloathing them there with everlasting glory yea and he will make others honour them too
hereafter he will extort it from you in a way of Vindicative Justice if you will not apply your selves to praying and reading the holy Scriptures with the teaching and instructing of your Children and Servants in the things of God you may well tremble to think of fiery indignation and of the dismal effects of it weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth which will be the portion of your Cup to all Eternity unless you do seasonably repent and reform and make your peace with God for what reason have they to promise themselves a comfortable Reward who do now live in the neglect of their Duty But then on the other side Thirdly When your Hearts have been upright with God and sound in his Statutes and walked as David resolved to do within your Houses with a perfect Heart and behaved your selves wisely in a perfect way then you need not tremble at the nearest approaches of the King of Terrours It is indeed a solemn thing to die and as it is a taking the compositum in pieces as it is the parting of those two old Friends the Soul and Body which had lived together long in great intimacy and close union Nature startles at it and they seldom are divided without an agony and struggling But yet such a Person as I have now described need not fear but as he can look back with comfort so he may look forward with boldness as Paul did 2 Tim. 4.6 7 8. I am now ready to be offer'd and the time of my departure is at hand Well Paul thou art now ready to be gone but what didst thou do while thou wast here I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith and what dost thou now please thy self with That hencefort there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which God the righteous Iudge will give unto me at that day and not to me only but to all them that love his appearing and who are they that can love his appearing as a Iudge surely none but they that have been obedient to his commands and done his work as he was their Lord and Master when you have served your Generation according to his Will you may be as willing to fall asleep as a weary Man is at Night after a hard days labour when he hath finished his work in short when you have been faithful in your little much more when you have been always abounding in the work of the Lord you may be sure that your labour shall not be in vain but you shall receive your reward even that Gift of God which is Eternal Life To this purpose I would have you consider two things First The account our Lord and Saviour could give of himself and what thereupon he did expect and ask of his Father Both these we meet with in Iohn 17.4.5 The account which he could give of himself was this Father I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do He glorified his Father in and by finishing his work Now let it be your care and mine to tread in the steps of our Lord and to write after so excellent a Copy set us by so great a Person and so dear a Saviour though we cannot equal him that is a thing impossible for us poor weak sinful Creatures to do yet let us imitate him as much and as far as we can and the good Lord help us so to do and if we will up and be doing God will be with us Will you therefore endeavour it Oh do glorifie God upon earth you have too much dishonour'd him by your sins against him by your disobedience to him by your preferring worthless trifles broken cisterns lying vanities before him mend now and for the future make it your business to glorifie him you were made for that it was the end of your Creation you were sent hither into the World for that whatever other business your hand findeth here to do this is the main and principal this doth deserve and call for your best thoughts and utmost diligence and do you glorifie him by finishing the work which he hath given you to do There is none of you but God hath given work as he casts your Lines and carves your Portions so he hath cut out your work I beseech you study it labour to know what it is and knowing it mind it set about it speedily without delay and follow it close neglect no part of it but finish it as far as you are able you cannot do all because so much of your time is already lost and your strength is so much impair'd and corruptions do so greatly clog you and your spiritual and carnal Enemies will so resist and hinder you that you cannot do all you should and will need pardon for your miscarriages and failings in what you do yet do all that you can not only the work of your general Calling as you are Christians but also the work of every particular place station and relation in which the Divine Providence hath set you whether it be Civil or Ecclesiastick Publick or Domestick Art thou a Sheriff of Justice in the Countrey a Mayor Alderman a Common-Council-Man or Constable in the City Do thou the duty of thy Place Art thou a Minister of the Gospel Do thou thine Preach the Word be instant in Season and out of Season art thou a Child a Servant Be thou obedient industrious faithful art thou an Husband a Wife a Parent a Master or Mistress the Head and Governour of a Family Do thou thine Walk within thy House with a perfect Heart rule in the fear of God He that is not good in his Relation is not good at all he that is not a good Husband a good Master is not a good Man much of the power of godliness doth consist and discover it self in the performance of Relative Duties See then that much of your care be employed about this and see that your places be not empty of Duty nor your Families void of Religion Now observe what our Savior did hereupon expect and say Father glorifie thâ—u me with thy own self Here hath been my work where now is my glory So when you have finished the work which God gave you to do when you have walked with God and lived to God when you have improved your Interest your Power and your All for God then you may say Father do thou accept of me and receive me and glorifie thou me my work is done now let me have my rest always remembring that you are not to expect this upon the score of Merit but only as a Reward of Grace for our Lord hath taught us to call our selves unprofitable Servants when we have done all that is commanded us what are we then now we fall so short and perfect not one piece of work that is put into our hands Secondly Consider that good account which the Prophet gives of
that their Minority that Sign or Token of the Covenant is not set or given to them as apprehending them to be in the same condition with those who are Aliens to the Commonwealth of Israel and Strangers to the Covenants of Promise though the truth is the Children of Believers are the holy Seed born Members of that Commonwealth and within the Covenant of Promise But I dispute not the Point with them having in mine Age something else to do than to spend my few precious hours in Controversies but this I would say to all those that are of that Perswasion that it doth very greatly concern them to be very careful and constant in the performance of Family-duties and I should be very glad to hear that they are consciencious and as diligent therein as the matter doth require Oh! that they would take pains and spend a convenient portion of time in praying with their unbaptized Children and Servants and in Instructing and Catechizing of them and in using all the means which God hath appointed and that are within the compass of their power that so they might be brought to the knowledge of God and to a believing in owning of and submitting to the Lord Jesus Christ and to a laying hold upon the Covenant that so they may when grown up have a right to the benefits of it and partake of the Blessings of it and be fit to receive the Seal of it and my hearty Prayer to the Father of Mercies and God of all Grace on their behalf is that they may lay it to their Hearts as they ought and often think with themselves how much it stands them in hand and what an obligation resulting from their own Principles lyes upon them to be very holy in their Lives and very industrious in their Places for the good of their Families and in order to the working of Knowledge in their Heads and Grace in their Hearts and Holiness in their Lives that of those concerning whom they do now say They are none of God's people God may be graciously pleas'd to say They are my people and I am the Lord their God But Secondly There are others here with and for whom I am more concerned as being of that Flock of God over which the Holy Ghost hath made me an Overseer and these are for the Baptizing of Children in their Infancy and so for an early dedication and binding of them to God and his Service you are my Charge and I can say as to many of you you are my Joy and Crown and I hope will be so in the day of Christ and it is my hearty Desire and Prayer that you may adorn the Gospel and walk unto all well-pleasing and make it your endeavour to stand compleat in all the Will of God Now I would have you all to know and do intreat you to consider and remember that as a worthy Divine as yet I hope in the Land of the Living hath observed there is an equal Tye and full out as strong an Obligation to an holy care and diligence this way lying upon those Parents that are for the Baptizing of Children in their Infancy as there is upon those that are against it you ought not to be more slack and remiss in teaching and rightly principling your Baptized Children than they are in instructing their unbaptized Children you ought to be as diligent in bringing them up graciously whom you have bound to God as they are or can be in the Education of them whom they do thus far leave at liberty though indeed you do not drive on the same design with them nor level and aim at the same end they do for as he saith and it is true Antipaedo-baptists who are consciencious and do indeed love and fear the Lord ought and will endeavour to bring up their Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and earnestly to seek their conversion and turning from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God and their personal embracing and laying hold upon the Covenant that thereupon they may be brought into a Covenant-state that they may be admitted and taken into Covenant and that they may come under the Wing and Benefit and Blessing of it Whereas those holy Parents who have their Children Baptized in their Infancy have not that in their Eye as their end for they do not doubt of their Covenant-state for they do firmly hold their being Born in Covenant with God as they are the Children of Believers and they also know that that Covenant hath been sealed to them yet notwithstanding they do reckon themselves greatly concerned and no less obliged to endeavour the Instruction and Conversion and their own personal owning and embracing of the Covenant and Cordial Chearful coming up to the terms and requiries of it and that for these Considerations and Reasons which I shall name and lightly touch and so pass on First That they might understand their Duty what it is that the Lord their God requires of them and what their Parents did in their young and tender years bind them to the observance and performance of that through their own folly and default they may not be cast out and cut off as Ishmael was tho he had Abraham for his Father and had himself been Circumcised and so it was with Esau afterwards Now these Parents do not think it enough that the Covenant between God and their Children hath been struck and sealed but they would have it established everlasting and sure they would have their Children kept preserved in a Covenant-state live and die in it Secondly It is the earnest desire of such holy and gracious Parents not only that their children might be preserved in a Covenant-state but also that they might be happy sharers in the good of it and the Benefits and Blessings thereof may descend upon them for Persons may be in a Covenant-state and yet fall short of the best and richest Blessings of it such as are the fruits of special love and distinguishing As a Man may be in Christ the true Vine and yet not partake of his sap and fatness Iohn 15. So he may be in Covenant and yet not have Covenant-grace nor a Covenant-spirit a Man may be externally in a Covenant-state and yet in an unregerate and unjustified-state and therefore that which doth most strongly engage Parents to teach their Children and endeavour the bringing them up to the terms of the Covenant is that they might so honour obey and please God as withal to reap and enjoy all those great good things precious Mercies and singular Blessings which are contained in the Covenant and conveyed by it Thirdly A being faithful to the Covenant and a living up to its terms and performing its conditions is the Duty and Interest of all those who would be savingly the better for it unto that a continuance in the Covenant is of equal necessity with an entrance and admission into it How can any
Righteousness do decay and wear off Now if the Nurseries be not minded if the young Plants there be not carefully and duely tended what will become of the Orchard and Vineyard in a little while From hence we may not without good reason conclude that private Family-care is necessary for the promoting of publick and common good Therefore I beseech you to look to your Nurseries take care of your Families Seventhly I would ask not only those that are truly gracious but likewise them that are sober and serious are you not ashamed of and troubled at those crying Abominations that are among us Can Forreigners that come hither and understand what is pure Religion and undefiled before God even the Father and do observe the Miscarriages of Men I say can they look upon this as Immanuel's Land when they see it so over-run with Weeds Briars and Thorns can they think it to be the Garden of the Lord or rather some of the Wilderness of the World some of the Devils waste might not Heathens and Pagans say they are become like some of us yea and worse than many of us The good Lord look upon us in mercy and doth it not affect and afflict you that it is thus after all the Gospel-Light that hath shined among us and after all the means that God hath used for our Resormation in a mixt way of Mercy and Judgement of Kindness and Severity I do very well know there are almost every where great complaints of Prophaneness and Debauchery and truly those complaints are not without great cause for Sin gross Wickedness doth abound in all places both in City and Country if the Court be free I shall rejoyce there are bad reports of Camp and Fleet Wickedness hoth broken in like a flood as if it would deluge us and prevail against all Piety yea and against all Morality too filling all places with Atheism and Brutishness and without doubt Men in High Places did draw up the Flood-gates for the furthering an Antichristian design Popery and Prophaneness are near a kin let men have a liberty to do what they will i. e. to commit all uncleanness with greediness and an hundred to one they will be content that those who are uppermost should chuse their Religion for them yea and also inferiour Magistrates and under Officers have pav'd its way Blessed be they of the Lord who have offered themselves willingly to give a check and stop to it and blessed be those Magistrates who encourage and assist them therein and Oh! that the work may prosper in their hands but in the mean time have not you private Men had an hand in it You do cry out against Publick Houses Taverns and Alehouses and as I hear so I believe not without much cause though some of them are in good hands and care is taken that good Orders be observed in them yet certainly the wickedness of others yea of many others is exceeding great they are the Devil's ground in which he sets his Nets and lays his Snares for the catching of his unwary Prey they are the Devils School in which Men follow his Trade and by both together young ones are taught it there it is that modesty is put off and sober Principles pluck'd up by the Roots and they learn the Mysteries of iniquity and commence Masters of that Black Art But you who do complain of these Publick-Houses look home lay your hands upon your hearts and ask your own Consciences what you have done and what you have left undone Is there not the neglect of God and the duties of Godliness in your houses there is no Drunkenness nor Whoredom no Cursing and Swearing that you do allow that is well but withall there is no Praying nor Reading the Scripture nothing of the Service and Worship of God there and by that means you do not as you ought Principle your young ones against the Vices of the Times and so you leave them too naked and open to the assaults of Temptation This I would have imprest upon your thoughts that the making of good Families is the way to make a good City and a good Kingdom Let every one make it his business to set up Religion at home and then we shall all be sure to find it when we go abroad If all our Families were good we should have good Princes and good Parliaments good Magistrates and good Ministers and good People good Husbands Wives and Children good Friends and Neighbours it would indeed be Aurea Aetas a Golden Age. Eighthly and lastly The consciencious performance of Religious duties in Families is an excellent means for the rendering of Publick Ordinances more successful I am persuaded there would much more good come of that precious Seed which the faithful Ministers of Christ scatter in their several Congregations were Masters and Mistresses of Families careful before they come to prepare the Soil for the Seed and after it is sown careful to cover it with Prayer and to water it with suitable discourses and exhortations Thorough the Divine Goodness and Bounty there is in this City and near it a great deal of excellent Preaching Confident I am no Place in the World can shew such plenty Heavenly Manna doth abundantly fall about our Tents Whatsoever there is of a scarcity as to Bread for the Body there is no Famine here oh that in every poor Countrey there were none neither of hearing the Word of the Lord. We have it upon the Lord's day and the week days too every day in the week one where or other within your reach blessed be God for it the joyful sound is continually in our Ears It would be a thousand pities that such admirable plenty of a thing so precious as the Everlasting Gospel should do any hurt and that any should wax wanton and instead of the Bread of Life be hankering after Mushrooms and Kickshaws or that they should grow nice and curious not relishing plain Truths and the Simplicity of the Gospel unless it be dress'd and sauc'd to their humour and serv'd up to them in words which Man's Wisdom teacheth Though I fear we have among us too many of that mind mark how they live and what becomes of them but be that how it will it must be granted that this place where God hath cast our Lines is a Goshen a Valley of Vision and a great many People are much very much for hearing of Sermons they run up and down to Lectures and some of them will hear four Sermons and much good may they do them It is a great encouragement to the Servants of God and a ground of hope that they shall catch some of them for their Master He hath made them Fishers of Men and the Fisher-men love to cast their Net where there is a great Shoal But I would say to these who do so much frequent Sermons two things First By way of Advice Look to your whole Duty and labour to stand compleat in all the
Will of God Hearing is not the whole work of a Christian The Scripture indeed saith Hear and your Souls shall live but if you would live you must do something more than hear Your much hearing is a sign of a good Appetite but there are some Bodies that have a caninum Appetitum a greedy ravenous Appetite and yet are meer Skelletons nothing but Skin and Bone You that have so great an Appetite will do well to look to it that you also have a good Concoction Under the Law those Beasts were by God declared clean that did chew the Cud. Hear and then ruminate do not only let Truths come crouding into your Ears for then one may thrust out another but ponder them in your hearts as Mary the Mother of our Lord did and hide them there as David did You should spend some considerable time in meditation that so what Truths you have heard you may chafe in and work upon your hearts Secondly I would speak unto you by way of Question thus When you spend all your time in hearing abroad what is done at home Where are Family-duties who is it that prays there who teaches and catechizes the young ones there Know O Soul no good thing is thy duty out of season nor art thou to prog for thy self by robbing thy house And know this also we that are Preachers of the Gospel have but little hope of doing much good upon your Children and Servants by our Labours in the Church if you who are Governours over them and have the power will be careless and negligent and do nothing at home How can we think that they will follow our counsels when you will not second them Alas their weak leaking Memories let them slip and their corrupt Natures reject them There had need be Precept upon Precept Precept upon Precept Line upon Line Line upon Line here a little and there a little and all little enough yea and all too little unless accompanied and set home by the All-conquering Power of the Eternal Spirit God indeed can do his work alone needs neither you nor us but as he did by his own Word without Means and Instruments call the World out of nothing and raise Lazarus out of his Grave so he can by the same Power in the same Way convert most obstinate Sinners and turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the Just or if he please to make use of Ministers for that end he can make them prosperous He honours us by imploying us and if he will doubly honour us by making us successful no difficulty shall be insuperable no opposition an impediment great Mountains in our way shall sink into Plains and Iron-Gates shall be opened His concurrence is enough alone through God the Weapons of our Warfare will become mighty so that strong holds shall be demolished and imaginations cast down carnal reasonings silenced and subdued together with those high things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God and every thought brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.4 And therefore though some though many of you stand idle with your hands in your bosoms we will into the Vineyard and follow our business as long as we have any being sure our Labour shall not be in vain something will come of it Though Israel be not gathered yet shall we be glorious But as Paul said in another case Phil. 4.17 We desire fruit that may abound to your account and to the account of yours even the Salvation of you all the Conversion of the Youths and from thence Comfort to the Parents And as we love our work so we would do it with delight and we shall do so when you set your hands to it because when all hands are at work we may the more hope that God will work together with us and that his Spirit and Blessing shall accompany our joynt-endeavours and while we prophesie upon dry Bones he will cause breath to enter into them so that they shall live Up therefore I beseech you up and be doing come ye forth to the help of the Lord and of his Servants against that gross Darkness those corrupt Principles that are in the Minds of Young ones and those potent Lusts that are in their Hearts Do you teach as well as we that they may know the Lord do you back our wholesom and holy Counsels that they may follow them And while the Masters of the Assemblies come with their Nails of Truth which were given by one Shepherd even Jesus Christ who is the great Shepherd of the Sheep and take much pains for the driving of them home in order to the uniting them to God by Faith and to one another by Love do you who are Parents and Governours come with your Hammers and do what you can toward the fastening of them I am now at length come to the end of this discourse wherein I undertook to prove That setting up the Worship and Service of God in our Families is no other than our reasonable service Whether I have performed what I undertook you will judge and what evidence there is in the proof if I do not mistake you will find it clear and full And now my dear Friends may I hope I am indeed very willing to hope and I shall be exceeding glad to hear that by all these pains that I have taken and all these Arguments which I have used some of you who have been altogether strangers to this work hitherto and liv'd in the total neglect thereof have been persuaded the doing thereof is without question your duty and that therefore it is your present yea your fixed Resolution through the Grace and Assistance of God to set upon the doing of it And that since you are convinced and satisfied about it in your Judgments and your own Consciences do vote and plead for it you will take it into your practice The good Lord grant it may be so And I bless his Name I do hear something to that purpose and that these Labours have not been in vain oh that I might hear more and more that so my Joy both in the Lord and in you might be increased Will you begin this Evening I say this Evening for delays in Soul-matters are by no means to be allowed Whatsoever is Duty ought to be done and if it ought to be done why not presently Possibly you think afterward will be soon enough but God is not of your mind He saith in Psal. 95. To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts and when God saith to day what art thou that thou shouldst say to morrow Come my Friends that sooner the better Hath not the great Majesty of Heaven waited long enough upon you for his Service and Honour oh do not make him wait any longer It is a dangerous thing to abuse Mercy and tire out Divine Patience Wo be to that Man concerning whom God saith My Spirit shall no more strive with
him and my Patience shall no longer wait upon him Do not therefore in this or the like case consult with flesh and blood make not carnal Reason your Counsellor listen not to Objections though never so seemingly fair and plausible for there is no sufficient Argument to be brought against any thing which really is a matter of Duty whether you owe it to God or Man All this while I have been speaking to you altogether in generals but now I shall descend to particulars and here with all the earnestness that I possibly can use I shall exhort you to these three things and give you some Directions for your help in the doing of them 1. To pray with your Families 2. To teach and instruct your Families 3. To set them a good Example in your own Lives and Conversations in order to the keeping or banishing sin and profaneness out of them together with the promoting of Morality and Godliness in them I shall begin with the great Duty of Family-prayer and oh that I might through the Grace of God persuade you all into the practice of it Oh that from this very day there may not be found one prayerless Family among you For I do not doubt to affirm that which is a prayerless Family is also a graceless Family Where there is no seeking of God there is no love to him no fear of him And that Family which is void of the Grace of God is without his Blessing and though there may be outward Plenty and Grandeur in it and the Sun of worldly Prosperity may shine upon it yet it stands open and exposed to the Wrath and Indignation of God who is and cannot but be angry with it every day seeing himself slighted and neglected by his own Creatures who live upon him and receive their All from him And there is standing upon Record in the Sacred Scriptures a dreadful Prayer against those Families which do not pray let those that are guilty read it and tremble for as it was indited by the Spirit of God so it shall be fulfilled by the Iustice of God Ier. 10.25 Pour out thy Fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the Families that call not upon thy Name The Families that do not call upon God's Name do not know him for as those that know his Name will put their trust in him so they will seek him and they may very well be reckoned Heathen-Families though they are Christian by a verbal Profession Christians in Name but Heathens in practice and over these Families there hangs a great black Cloud of Divine Vengeance which at one time or another will disgorge and empty it self upon them there shall not only be some little small drops of Anger but the pouring out of Fury and methinks danger should be enough to drive you to Duty though he is not ingenuous not of a right temper who is moved by no other consideration I would have you walk with God and in the way of your Duty not for wrath only or chiefly but for Conscience sake not only that you might avoid being bound in Chains of Wrath but because you are allur'd and drawn with the cords of kindness Though we may and should use all the Arguments we can muster and those of all sorts for the persuading of our dull and heavy hearts that are so backward unto that which is spiritually good to that end therefore consider you have Family-sins and therefore ought to joyn together in your confessing of them mourning over them and humbling your selves before God for them and you have Family-sorrows and afflictions and therefore should be joynt-suitors to God both for the sanctifying of them to you and for the removal of them from you and you have Family-mercies in which you do all share and of which you tast the sweetness and therefore you should all bear your parts in a Song of Praise and chearfully joyn together in your acknowledgments of them and thankful returns to the God that gives them And withal be sure of this that if you do exclude Family-prayer you shut out God himself and at the same time you open the door to the Devil and let in together with him a croud of sins and by conseqence of mischiefs Therefore I beseech you mind and resolve upon the great and excellent work of Family-prayer yea and make Conscience of performing it And in order to the better management thereof I shall give you these following Directions which I desire you to observe and the good Lord grant you an heart to follow them I. Live in the performance of Secret Prayer When you are in your Retirements be upon the ascent when you are alone be with God You that are Parents and Masters of Families do this your selves and heartily commend it to all under your care your Servants and your Children which are in a capacity of doing it which you will not find to be any detriment or loss to you For this you have an express Command from our dearest Lord Jesus Christ Matth. 6.6 Thou when thou prayest enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which seeth in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret will reward thee openly He doth not here take you off from praying with others but he puts you on praying by your selves that is not to be neglected and this is to be done therefore do you allow them time for it who are under your roof Let the Husband pray by himself and the Wife by her self the Children apart and the Servants apart It was a dreadful thing when in the 8th of Ezekiel the Lord in a Vision carried the Prophet from place to place and in them all he shewed him abominations in one place there was the Image of Iealousie in another place the form of creeping things Beasts and all the Idols of the House of Israel pourtray'd upon the Wall in a third place Women weeping for Tammuz and in a fourth place there were others worshipping the Sun toward the East Idolatry was committed in all those places hereupon God threatens to dwell with them in Fury But how sweet will it be when God looks into your houses and sees the Husband praying in one room and the Wife in another a Child upon his knees pouring its supplications out before him here and a a Servant doing it there this is the way to have him dwel with you in mercy and according to the exceeding riches of his Grace I desire you that are Servants to redeem some time for this work though you have enough to do your heads and hearts and hands full yet get some minutes for this for so you may comfortably expect that when you are about the business of your Calling God will strengthen you the more for it and bless you the better Wrest some time out of the hand of sleep Wrestling with God is better than an idle slothful lazying It is a thousand
times better to break thy natural Rest than to lose thy Duty One quarter of an hours hearty fervent and believing Prayer will more revive thy spirits and be a far greater refreshing to thy Soul than an hours drousing and render thee more lively more good more comfort is to be got upon thy knees than upon the pillow therefore rouze up thy self awake thy Soul and Body and say with David Psal. 61.1 O God my God! early will I seek thee Get up get up the sooner in the Morning take unto thee the wings of the Morning and flee away that so thou maist get up to thy God and be with him Let me mention two things by way of Motive First The sweetness that is in Secret Prayer You Christians that have tasted it make your reports and commend it to your Friends and Acquaintance tell them what you have found David would not conceal the Loving-kindness of his God but invited others to come and hear what had been done for his Soul so to do argues a thankful spirit and in this very particular many of you may find abundant matter to inlarge upon for it is no jejune barren Subject It is a most pleasant Converse that a gracious Soul hath when it is alone with God O the intimacy and closeness of that Communion which it enjoys when there is no body else by O the humble familiarity and holy freedom that it can at such a time use The Prophet said Psal. 39.1 He would keep his mouth with a Bridle while the wicked was before him Yea and Prudence will tell the Saints there is a necessity for their doing so when the Saints are before them and their dearest Friends they are forced to suppress many things there are such black thoughts in their minds such stirrings and workings of corruption in their Heart as are not fit to be imparted unto any upon Earth So that though their Hearts are ready to burst they cannot ease themselves by giving vent but when they are got alone and no body hears but their Father which is in Heaven they know how to pour out their complaints into his Bosom and open their case though with shame and blushing because it is so bad and fetch things up from the bottom and tell God all that is in their Hearts Psal. 38.9 Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee Secondly There is great advantage comes in by secret Prayer As sweetness in it so good by it and that in this respect as it is a means to fit a Person for praying with others when thou hast been upon thy knees with God in thy Closet thou maist comfortably hope that thou shalt find him graciously accompanying thee into thy Family and there helping thine infirmities by giving thee a larger measure of the Spirit of Grace and Supplication for thy better inablement to manage and go thorough with thy Duty there When Scholars at the University have a Speech to make in the Colledge or Schools they will say it over by themselves first Chase thy own Soul in thy Retirements that so thou maist be warm and warm others in thy Family Now in the performance of your private Devotion I commend to you an holy freedom and that in these two things First Be very ingenuous in your Confession of sin this is one great special piece of your Duty It is a singular way of giving glory to God and of easing a burden'd oppressed Conscience When therefore you go about it do it thoroughly confess thy sins with shame but be not asham'd to confess them he that covers his sin shall not prosper no not in that not in his covering them for what he covers God will reveal who loves to bring to light the hidden things of dishonesty There are two Reasons for a free and full confession of sin to God the one is Because it is in vain to keep back any since he knows them all for he searcheth the Heart possesseth the Reins understands the Thoughts afar off compasseth the path knoweth our down-sitting and up-rising is better acquainted with us than we are with our selves having our secret Sins in the light of his Countenance The other Reason is Because he is ready to forgive and hath promised whoso confesses and forsakes his sins shall find mercy as much mercy in God as he finds sin in himself Doth the penitent Confessor find crying sins in himself He shall find tender mercies in God yea a multitude of them Secondly Be large in thy desires Let not modesty prevail against thy necessity and hinder thee in thy begging but open thy Mouth wide to ask as well as to receive Consider you go to one that is a Fountain never emptied by the streams it sends forth to one that hath an inexhaustible Treasure and doth not in the least impoverish or lessen himself by inriching of others The Sun hath never the less light by shining upon the World nor hath the Ocean less Water by feeding the Rivers God is able to make thy Cup run over and thy Cistern too yet retain his own Divine Fulness which can neither be more nor less than it is because it is infinite And as thou goest to such a Fulness so to one that is thy Father It might well discourage and damp thy Spirit hadst thou to deal with a Stranger or only with a Friend but it is thy Father to whom thou dost in Prayer address such a Father as hath not his Fellow neither for Fulness nor Affection Therefore when thou art in his Presence and at his Foot speak out and carry away no burden nor want which thou dost not acquaint him therewith let him have as full an account of all from thine own Mouth as thou canst draw up that is the way to have the removal of those burdens and relief under those wants and for thine encouragement frequently meditate upon those two Scriptures Iam. 1.5 God giveth unto all men liberally and upbraideth not and that in Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Iesus Christ. II. Besides secret Prayer in your Closet or Chamber make Conscience of Family-prayer Having been alone with God and by thy self sit not down content with that but apply to the remaining part of thy Duty call those that are under thy charge and carry them to God together with thee As when the woman of Samaria had heard the discourses of our Lord Jesus while they were by themselves she was so taken with them that she left her Water-pot and went to the City and called her Neighbours to come and see him and converse with him too Would you not be willing to have your Family go to God in glory Sure you would and if so then bring them now with you to God in duty All that are capable of joining with you and of understanding what you do and say yea bring your little ones your young and
us'd to it that they must needs bungle at it and let me ask you my Friends are these Persons liberal to God Nay are they not very beggarly and penurious who will give him a visit upon that day which he hath reserved wholly and entirely for himself and set about it the Hedge of a command to keep all secular Affairs from intruding or breaking in upon it But they will not part with any of that time which he hath allowed them for the dispatch of their own business but their Work and Recreations their Eating Drinking and Sleeping shall ingross it all in short the Language of their practice is this they will pray a little when they have nothing else to do or when there is nothing else that they may do but the Law commands them to shut up their Shops and to lay by their worldly Trades but my Friends is this fair Do not you rob God of some of his time Why then will you not return him some of your own Do not you commit too many sins upon a Sabbath-day and will you not do some duty upon a Week-day Do you mingle sin with your holy things and will you not mingle Prayer and holy Thoughts with your earthly things Is this to continue instant in Prayer Is this to pray without ceasing Is this paying due homage to the Lord of your time and comforts Is this enough for depending Creatures who cannot live a day without God no not a moment The truth is Love to God should draw us frequently that we may have Communion with him and necessity might drive us that we may have supplies from him all your Springs are in him with him is the Well of Life therefore let down your Bucket of Prayer often that you may draw Water with joy You may observe that in the Lord's Prayer which Christ gave his Disciples for an excellent pattern or example by which we all should draw up ours he teacheth us to say Our Father that speaks Communion and a joining together in Prayer one Saint one Child of God may go alone to the Throne of Grace and say Father or O my Father but Our Father speaks Society and Fellowship in the duty That there are more Suitors more concerned than one And further observe that there our Lord bids us say Give us this day our daily bread from whence we may gather these three things First He bids us pray for Bread Temporal good things are to be sought of God The Dew of Heaven yea and the Fatness of the Earth Provision for our Souls and Food for our Bodies too we are to seek God and rely upon him in and for the greatest things and also the least In every thing by Prayer and Supplication we are to make our Request known to God We cannot get our Bread unless God gives it to us Secondly He bids us pray for Bread not for Dainties not Sweet-meats not Venison not Varieties Necessaries are to be sought not Superfluities nothing to feed our Pride nor to spend upon our Lusts. Feed me said wise and holy Agar with food convenient for me that which is suitable to the place in which thou hast set me Seek not great things for your selves for those great things may prove great snares Thirdly He bids us to say Give us this day our daily Bread We are to pray for Bread for to day supplies for to day and we are to say that or something to the same purpose every day He doth not bid us pray that God would give us Bread for this Week or for this Month or for this Year or for twenty Years to come but give us this day and we are to say so to morrow as well as to day and the day after that as well as to morrow and so it is to run thorough the whole course of Life Every day we are to say Give us this day c. that is as we desire to have our Bread of God every day we must ask it every day daily Bread and daily Prayer must go together God doth love to answer the occasions of his People and to supply their wants He giveth meat to them that fear him because he is ever mindful of his Covenant Psal. III. 5 but he stands upon his honour and expects to be owned and therefore said he would be sought to by the House of Israel to do it for them I have read this Story of an Heathen whose Name I cannot for the present call to mind that when he had at any time passed a day without doing some Act of Charity or Mercy he would in the evening sit down bemoaning himself and cry out perdidi diem I have lost a day Truly it is so here thou mayest at night with bitterness of Soul reflect upon that day which thou hast spent without Family-Prayer and say perdidi diem I have lost a day and he that knows the shortness the uncertainty the worth of time and how much depends upon the right improvement thereof will reckon the loss of a day to be a very great loss and we are wont to say one loss seldom goes alone what thou dost lose besides that God only knows what communion with God what answers what manifestations of Divine Love what communications of Grace what Blessings therefore I beseech you all to make Conscience of Praying in your Families every day And if at any time through forgetfulness or surprize of any kind or being oppress'd with business crowding in upon thee thou art so hindered that thou canst not perform thy duty but the Season is as it were violently wrested out of thy hands bewail the loss sigh and mourn over it let God see thou art afflicted for it and not pleas'd with thy self or the avocation and long for another opportunity in which thou mayest go and appear before thy God and when once it comes welcome it with gladness and lay hold upon it thy Soul being like the Chariots of Amminadib and then confess thy former omission and beg thy Father to cast the Mantle of his love over it and then double thy diligence and thy heaâ— then spend the more time and put forth the greater strength then do thou follow the harder after God and keep the closer to him and let it be thy desire to make up that which was lacking before that so neither thy God may lose his honour nor thy self nor thy Family the good and benefit of a duty but like the Sea what Religion loseth at one time it may gain at another IV. Be sure that you Pray in your Families Morning and Evening I would not have you from hence conclude my design is to render you so strait lac'd as not to pray oftner than so to do this and take up with doing it making that your stint your allowance resolved not to exceed no no it is your interest to study liberal things in your dealings with God for by liberal things you shall stand you cannot be
too much with God nor do too much for him you cannot pray too much so that you have a prudent and cordial respect to all his Commands and to all the parts of your Duty not suffering one to justle out another as the Body is not all one Member so Religion is not all one Duty it doth not consist altogether in Prayer nor altogether in Hearing and as that is a lame Body which wants one Member so he is a lame Christian that is careless as to any one piece of Religion such a wilful defect is a great deformity Set your hand to all the work of God and in particular be much in Prayer David gave himself unto Prayer as a Man much set for it and devoted to it Daniel the Man greatly beloved of his God was at it three times in a day Dan. 6.10 His Windows being opened in his Chamber toward Ierusalem he kneeled upon his knees three times in a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did afore-time He loved Prayer so well that neither danger nor death no not a violent death being cast into a Den of Lyons could affright and deter him from it David the Man after Gods own heart was much more at it Psalm 119.164 Surely he had great encouragement so to do from his experience he sensibly felt that it very greatly tended to his advantage he saw begging was a good trade he did thrive upon it and therefore he follow'd it close the oftner he went to God the more he got from him and of him he never rose off his knees nor returned from the Throne of Grace without an Alms. The most Praying Christian is certainly the most growing Christian as he hath his expectations I will direct my Prayer unto thee and will look up so he hath his answers and sees something is coming but let the Morning and Evening of every day be your stated and set times for Prayer there is a great deal of reason for that viz. First The Divine Order and Appointment of this we did before take notice in Exod. 29. God required there should be two Lambs offered up every day in Sacrifice the one in the morning and the other in the Evening which was called the continual Burnt-Offering and shall we be exceeded and out-done by them shall the dispensation now be more glorious and shall we be more penurious that live under it shall God now more magnifie his grace and shall we grow poorer in our returns their Sacrifices were more costly and chargeable and shall ours be fewer surely since in the times of Messiah there is a more plentiful effusion of the Spirit there should at least be an equal abounding in the work of the Lord our Sacrifices of Prayer and Praise the Calves of the Lips and the lifting up of our Hearts and hands to God should be as frequent as those bloody Sacrifices Secondly This Practice is commended to us in the Scripture we are directed to think upon those things that are of good report Now this hath obtained a good report in the World and as it is with Men so it is with things to be well spoken of by the word is more than to have all the World speak well of one look then into the 92 d Psalm 1. v. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing Praises to thy Name O thou most High to bless God to exalt God to give him glory is good it is duty it is the employment of Angels the Work of Heaven and Eternity and those that have good hearts will delight in good work If you would know what are the fittest and most convenient times for the doing of this good work for that tends much to the adorning and setting off a work every thing being beautiful in its season He tells you in the next words to shew forth thy loving kindness in the Morning and thy faithfulness every night and when we do in the sincerity of our Souls thus begin and end our days we are like to find them good throughout Thirdly God visits us every Morning it is no less than Gods humbling himself to behold those things which are above the glorious Angels much more to look upon Man sorry dust what is it then for God to visit him the Prophet admired it Psal. 8 4. What is Man that thou art mindful of him or the Son of Man that thou visitest him Great Princes are not wont to go into a Beggars Hovil they reckon it below them but the Great God stoops much lower and Oh! how necessary is this for us Iob 10.12 Thy Visitation hath preserved my Spirit By this he meant a gracious Visitation a Friendly one this reviv'd him this preserv'd him his Spirit his Life his Courage his Comforts all were upheld and maintain'd by the gracious visitations of God Again how frequent are these with us how many gracious Visits doth God bestow upon his poor People Iob 7.18 Thou visitest him every morning there is never a Morning that we miss him as often as the Morning returns God comes to visit us yea he is with us before we are up and since Gods visits are so frequent shall ours be few shall he come to see us and see to us and shall not we wait upon him shall the strangeness be on our side let us visit God every Morning and pay him visit for visit and let us be sure to carry our Family with us for so we shall be the more welcome Fourthly The continuation and constant succession of Mercies doth oblige to this and call for it Gods Mercies are new every Morning upon us and shall not our returns shall we not follow hard after him and delight in our approaches to him when he draws us with the Cords of a Man yea with loving-kindness the very pouring out of his Name which is as a precious Oyntment should make us love and run after him Oh! let the pouring out of his Grace and Mercy do it Day unto Day utters speech and Night unto Night sheweth knowledge and one would think that when both Day and Night speak in the Language of Love we should answer them and not be silent God soweth his Seed in the Morning and in the Evening he witholdeth not his hand and surely that Heart and House is a very barren Soil and near unto a Curse that doth not twice a day pay its acknowledgments to him Lastly methinks there is not any one who hath the use of reason and believes a God but hath a Monitor in his own bosom to prompt him to this and not need a Minister in a Pulpit to press it upon him or a Friend at his elbow to jog him your own reason should and would direct you to it if you did but consult and hearken to it It is fit that we should make God the Alpha and the Omega the first and the last for so he is and therefore we ought to begin
desire him to fulfil them for my sake And to the doing hereof he doth encourage us by a gracious promise of success both that he himself will fulfil such desires such Prayers For this he gives them his word and we may be sure he will be as good as his word Iohn 14.13 14. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son or by the Son whom he hath raised with his own right Hand and constituted the sole Mediator and for our greater assurance and comfort he repeated it in the next Verse If ye shall ask any thing in my Name I will do it not only take care that it shall be done but I my self will do it which is a strong Argument and clear Evidence of Christ's being God since he doth the work of God in hearing and answering of Prayer And he likewise tells us in Iohn 16.23 Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you only you must necessarily suppose that what you so ask must be according to his Will and for our Good 1 Iohn 5.14 This is the confidence which we have of him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us we shall be sure to obtain it to have the Petitions we desire of him There is a certainty of speeding when we pray aright in the Name of Christ and with Faith in that Name that which so goeth up in a Cloud of Prayer shall descend in a Shower of Mercy there is nothing shall hinder it none on Earth none in Hell can and none in Heaven will for the Father and Christ are one one in Nature and one in Will both are perfectly agreed as in other things so in this of fulfilling such Prayers you shall have your desire Christ will do it and so will the Father both will consent both concur and co-operate This is as a late worthy Divine hath observed part of that Glory which God hath put upon Christ all must be done in his Name Prayer ask in my Name Church-meetings when two or three are met together in my Name Church-censures 1 Cor. 5 4 5. In the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my Spirit with the power of our Lord Iesus Christ to deliver such an one unto Satan Ministers are to Preach in his Name and to Baptize in his Name therefore whensoever you pray to the Father be sure that you do it believingly in the Name of Christ both in publick and in private both when you are by your selves alone and when with your Families and that First For your own sakes that when you knock it may be opened to you and you may have what you ask and find what you seek that instead of being with anger rejected your Prayers may be graciously received and be sanctified by the Golden Altar and being accompanied with the Incense of our Blessed Advocate may come up as so many Odours and find the desired acceptance and do it Secondly For your Families sake that by this means they may be put upon Enquiries after this precious Lord Iesus for this will be to them an occasion of asking you and others concerning him who and what he is And so they may come to some knowledge of him whom to know is Life Eternal as the way to it and the beginning of it they may know him as the one and only Mediator between God and Man as the great Master of Requests that is at the Fathers Right Hand ready to receive all the Petitions of his poor but dear People and as ready to expunge the faults and supply the defects of them and so to present them to the Father and to back them with his own Intercession which is powerful and prevailing the Father heareth him always and this being accompanied with the Spirit and Blessing of God may prosper to the working in them some love and good liking of him and by consequence kindle in them some desires after an Interest in him as in one that is great and good as in one that they stand in absolute need of without whom they cannot be saved nor find favour with God but must everlastingly perish and be undone since there is nothing that can commend them to God but Jesus Christ no Wings that can secure them but those of this Sun of Righteousness nothing that can wash out their stains and filth but his Blood nothing that can cover their nakedness and shame but his Robe nothing that can make their Beauty perfect but his Comeliness put upon them In short in this way and with your help they may come to understand that it is not their good meanings nor their good doings not their civility and honest dealings with Men not their keeping clear of bad actions the gross pollutions that are in the World through Lust no nor their running in a round of duty that will justifie them but only the compleat perfect Obedience of Christ and his precious Blood as of a Lamb without spot and that it is not their Prayers though long and fervent that will prevail with God but only the Mediation and Intercession of Christ. And to this end I would give you this advice further content not your selves with a bare naming Christ in your Prayers but make an honourable mention of him after such a manner as this Our dear Lord Jesus Jesus who is the Lord our Righteousness who loved us and washed us in his own Blood and made us Kings and Priests unto God Jesus who dyed for our Offences and rose again for our Justification By frequent repetitions of such things in your Prayers and suitable Discourses at other times the Lord Jesus may become acceptable and precious to them through whom and for whose sake both you and they must become acceptable to God if ever ye be so Having spoken so largely to this Subject my earnest Request is that you all would set up and keep up this necessary and excellent duty of Morning and Evening-prayer every day in your respective Families carefully observing and putting in practice those Rules which have been laid down for the better performance of it and my hearty Prayer for you who do so is that you may have help from Heaven in the work and afterward receive such gracious answers and plentiful returns as may raise and fix in you a resolution of calling upon God as long as you live There is but one Objection against this holy practice which I judge worthy to be taken notice of and I will do what I can to silence the Objection and to do him good that humbly makes it Object Some poor Creature may put in and say Sir you have with much Importunity and Zeal stirred us up to the performance of family-Family-duties and in particular that of Prayer and I have with diligence attended to what hath been spoken and cannot but acknowledge there is much
Petition for the gracious supply of those wants and prevention of those dangers from all these things you may gather together a great deal of fit matter for Prayer only still beg of God that he would by his Spirit assist influence and enable you to make a right use of it IV. I dare assure thee that if thou wilt sincerely and in good earnest set thy self about the work God will not be wanting to thee do thou in obedience go out to thy duty and he will graciously come in to thy assistance our endeavours indeed and utmost activity lay no obligation upon him but his own grace and goodness do induce and move him David said Psalm 138.3 In the day when I cried thou answer'dst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my Soul Do thou O poor Soul take encouragement from thence direct thy Prayer to God and look up in the day that thou criest unto God he may answer thee too and afford thee that which at present thou labourest and groanest under the want of and as he strengthned David with strength in his Soul so he may bestow upon thee a competency of gifts and the assistance of his Holy Spirit God doth now by me call you out to the performance of this Duty Family Prayer but you complain of an unfitness for it and not without cause well remember God did once immediately call Moses out to a great work publick work to go and speak to Pharaoh and in the name of God to command him to let Israel go he was very unwilling to comply but as thou complainest of inability so did he thou thinkest thy self unfit to be the Families mouth to God Moses thought himself unfit to be Gods mouth to Pharaoh Exod. 4.10 O my Lord I am not Eloquent neither heretofore nor since thou hast spoken to thy Servant but I am slow of Speech and of a slow Tongue far from being fit to be sent upon God's Errand to so Great and Proud a Prince but mark what God answered him ver 11. Who hath made Mans mouth or who hath made the dumb or deaf or seeing or the blind have not I the Lord therefore go and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say I that made the mouth can mend it I made the Instrument and can tune it I can supply the defects and cure the infirmities of it if it be a flow tongue I can quicken it I can put to it eloquence and nimbleness Bring this now to the case in hand it is thy duty to pray in and with thy Family thou art now loudly call'd to it the great God calls thee to it by me and I do not in the least question but if thou hast any sense of a Deity thine own Conscience hath called thee to it many and many a time before now and I pray thee to bethink thy self did no body else did thy Wife never desire it of thee did thy Child never beg it of thee did none of thy Friends who lov'd thee put thee upon it and hast thou not done it yet how inexorable art thou how hard thy heart What! so loath to come to thy duty yea to that which is thy priviledge as well as thy duty this is quite contrary to the Wisdom which is from above which is easie to be intreated take shame to thy self and mend now go home and in good earnest fall to the work and I dare say God will be with thy heart yea and with thy mouth too V. Practice will be accompanied with improvement use doth greatly facilitate things How aukwardly doth a Child move the feet when it first begins to goe who can observe it without a smile but yet in a little time it hath got the knack of it and can move them regularly nimbly and with strength and knows how to walk and run as well as others There are indeed difficulties in Duty but to the sincere Soul the difficulties wear off and the duty will grow easier and easier the way of the Lord being strength to the upright so that therein they go from strength to strength After that upon the Commandment of God Moses had once gone in to Pharaoh and spoken we do not read of his complaining any more no not though God told him that he would harden Pharaoh's heart yet as often as God ordered him he went not desisting till Pharaoh commanded him to see his face no more Therefore begin Man begin and see what will come of it fall to work you will find that your labour is not in vain The Scripture saith ye shall know if ye follow on to know the Lord and I may say ye shall pray better and better if ye will but follow on to pray by means hereof you will attain to a greater knowledge of God and more intimate acquaintance with him and your own hearts and you will find inward increases and growth in grace and a changing of you into his Image from glory to glory and that will help toward the production of a more holy boldness toward God and a greater Parrhesia liberty or freedom of Speech and your hearts will be more inlarged as Sin grows by acting it so doth grace yea and gifts too Trading tends to thriving to him that hath shall be given i. e. to him that useth what he hath as he should the consciencious performance of duty is the way to bring down from God a blessing upon your parts I will add but one thing more VI. Supposing thou shouldest never be able to do thy work so well as many of thy fellow Servants can yet do not lay it aside but do it as well as thou canst The Apostle Paul speaks of diversities of gifts and diversities of administrations and diversities of operations 1 Cor. 12. So there is a diversity of degrees in Gods conferring those gifts upon Men good and faithful Servants are not made equal as we read in the Lords intrusting them with Talents one had five another had but two yet both faithful and industrious the wicked and sloathful Servant had only one yet he should have traded with it though he had but little to do he ought to have been doing So it is here God is pleased to give large parts to some so that they have a quick and fertile invention and an answerable elocution they can speak their minds freely and cloath their conceptions with apt yea curious expressions so as to charm the ears and delight the hearts of those that joyn with them but thou art poor and barren â—at a great loss both for matter and words be humble upon this account and little in thine own eyes but not altogether discouraged but fall to thy work Man Trade with thine one Talent What though thou dost not Pray so as to raise the admiration and gain the applause of them that hear thee is it not very well if thou canst so pray as to find acceptance with God what though
wrath To avoid that is their Duty and Interest but the Apostle knew what he did when he said Parents provoke not your Children unto wrath though you are above them older and stronger than they though they have their dependance upon you though you at present give them their Maintenance and must hereafter their Portion yet provoke them not do nothing to incense and inrage them A Wasp is a very little feeble Creature yet do not anger it for it hath a Sting Do not irritate your Children by too much severity remember the Authority you have over them is Parental therefore your Government should be sweet and easie you should so carry as to be both fear'd and lov'd at the same time and in order to that not rule with a Rod of Iron but draw and bind them to you with the Cords of a Man those of Reason and Kindness more particularly do not provoke your Children First Not by unreasonable requiries and hard commands lay not a Man's burden upon a Child's Shoulders exact not that which is above their ability to do Secondly Do not make unequal distributions of your kindnesses among them being all Honey to one and all Gall to another remember they are equally yours though your Affections may incline more to one than another yet conceal it as much as you can unless their goodness and obedience make an apparent difference Thirdly Provoke them not by giving them undue unreasonable Correction the Rod is sometimes as necessary as Bread but it must always be used with a prudent love let not your Rod be too smart nor your Hand too heavy convince them that your chastening of them is not for your pleasure but for their profit Fourthly Provoke them not by calling them reproachful Names as Fool Blockhead Rascal or the like which may expose them to the slight of others to the contempt of your very Servants while you hate their offences be tender of their Reputation Lastly Provoke them not by continual chiding and threatning finding fault with every thing they do overlook some smaller faults and wink at others knowing your selves are not blameless let not the Poyson of Asps dwell under your Tongues nor all your words be as sharp Swords but draw them to their duty keep them at it and encourage them in it rather by love than fear By provoking your Children unto wrath by all or any of these ways you create to your selves more grief and sorrow than you at present are aware of for by rigour and severity the minds of your Children may be alienated and estranged from you through your imprudent and unnatural Carriage it may come to pass that instead of loving reverencing and honouring you as Parents they will only fear and dread you as Tyrants so that in after-times when you shall need them as Staffs in your Hands for support they may prove Thorns in your sides piercing you thorough with many sorrows Well remember provoking your Children to wrath is forbidden therefore carefully avoid it Secondly In that Scripture there is an Injunction or something commanded that is the bringing of your Children up in the fear and nurture of the Lord. The Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The nurture and admonition of the Lord. The former word Translated Nurture doth signifie such Education or Discipline as is convenient or fit for young ones made up of wise Instructions and needful Correction The latter word by our Translators rendred admonition may be looked on as being of a double import and signifying 1. A putting something into the Mind 2. A putting of the Mind into a right frame First then It is the Duty and should be the Endeavour of Parents to put something into the Minds of their Children to stock them well to instil and drop into them something that should be there something that will be proper for them and do them good that those choice and excellent Cabinets may be filled with Spiritual Riches with goodly Pearls yea the Pearl of Price in which by Nature as it is now corrupted there is nothing but filthy dross and dung Now there is in them nothing but Vanity and Folly false Notions wrong Conceptions of things and it is pity such vain Thoughts should lodge there a thousand pities they should continue and abide there labour to get them out by degrees as soon and as fast as you can that so instead of them and in their room you may happily introduce those things which are precious and of value viz. the Truths of God Right Orthodox and Saving Principles get into these narrow-mouth'd Bottles drop by drop as they are capable of receiving them the true Notion of things for good Principles do directly tend to the producing of good Practices and a Divine Light set up in their Understandings may keep them in the way of Peace and out of the path of the Destroyer for by means thereof they will be put into a capacity of discerning the way in which they ought to go Ignorance may be the Mother of a silly Devotion that O Papists we will grant you but God having told us His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge we cannot but look upon it as the Highway to Perdition Since without knowledge the Heart cannot be good we will not stick at concluding that without it the end cannot be peace Secondly It is the duty and should be the endeavour of Parents to put the Minds of their Children into a right frame to cast them into a due Mould and set them in a proper posture It is now a dark Mind there is blackness of darkness in it your work is to illuminate it and to set up there the Candle of the Lord. It is a corrupt Mind the Scripture tells us The Mind and Conscience is defiled your work and duty is to cleanse it and rid out all the filth that is there Now that I may afford you all the help that I can in order thereto I shall propound and offer some things to your Consideration and Practice speaking first more generally then more particularly in general I advise these four things First See carefully to it that the Holy Scripture be read in your Families The Bible is the Book of Books may as well be so called as the Canticles is the Song of Songs There is an inexhaustible Treasure for the inriching of the Mind and a Golden exact Rule for the ordering of the Life That is the most blessed and full Revelation of the Mind and Will of God concerning us whereby we may by Prayer and Study come to know what things we are to believe as God's Truths and what to practice as our own Duties what to reject as Errours and what to avoid as Sins There we have the great things of the Law for our Direction and the precious things of the Gospel for our Consolation these are able to make us wise for Salvation and thoroughly to furnish us for every good work which
our heavenly Lord and Master hath cut out for us This is part of the description of a blessed Man that his delight is in the law of the Lord and in that law he doth meditate day and night Psal. 1.2 And it is the Will of God not only that you your selves should know them such Monopolizing is not grateful to the King of Glory but also teach them your Children Deut. 6.6 7. These words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart to know them and to love them but to have them in their own Hearts was not all it was not enough no no read on thou shalt teach them diligently to thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest in the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up The Word of God is to be the matter of our Meditation and of our Discourses at all times and in all places I mean in the Morning and in the Evening at home and abroad This alone is excellent Food and to other discourse it is an excellent seasoning Paul in his Epistle to Timothy speaks of his having known the Scriptures of a Child ab incunabulis almost from his Cradle he did as it were suck them in with his Mothers Milk but how came that to pass By means of Parental Care the Teachings and Instructings of his Parents for certain of his Mother in that young and tender Age. Secondly Look diligently to the Catechising of them Blessed be God that Exercise hath been for some Years kept up in our Congregation and is now singularly well performed by my worthy Brother Mr. Alexander whom you have chosen and called to that and other Ministerial Work among you the Lord grant his Blessing both to him and to it that there may be much good fruit thereof seen and felt both in young and old and by the way I cannot pass it by in silence that it is some trouble to me there are no more of your Children and Servants brought into it and I cannot but reckon it a bad sign of proud or slothful unwillingness in them or else of a wretched neglect or carelesness in some of you But I advise and earnestly desire you as to be thankful for so not to rest in what is done here but come out to our help and do your duty at home teach you your Children and Servants their Catechism and examine them in it your selves In the Assembly's Catechism which is us'd in our Congregation and which I commend to your Family use you have a Body of Divinity summarily contained the main Fundamental Principles of Religion necessary to be known in order to Salvation methodically propounded and also brought into so narrow a compass that they will not oppress and burden the memory but if blessed of God mend both head and heart To the want of this we may I doubt not in part impute it that there among us so many wicked and profane persons so many Sons and Daughters of Belial so many ungodly impudent and debauched Young ones Hos. 4.1 There is no knowledge of God in the Land to be sure then there is a great deal of villany yes verse 2. By swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing Adultery they break out and Blood toucheth Blood Darkness being in the Mind the Works of Darkness will be in the Life an uninstructed Head an unsanctified Heart and a wicked Life go together through this means so many precious Souls go down to Hell and are for ever lost they perish for lack of knowledge for lack of this the Labours of Ministers are no more successful Want of Family-Instruction is one great reason of so much unprofitable Hearing 3dly Take all possible care that none under your Charge prophane the Lord's-day That is a day which God hath sanctified by chusing it out of the rest of the days and setting it apart for holy use and it is his will that all his People should sanctifie it too as he hath made it holy they must keep it so We are to call it a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and honour it or him i. e. Honour God by honouring the Sabbath not doing our own ways upon it nor finding our own pleasure nor speaking our own words There are ways and pleasures and words proper for that day but they must not be our own no nothing of our own it must be the way of God and the pleasure of God and the word of God that we are for upon that day and not our own Isa 58.13 Neither our corrupt sinful thoughts the froth or scum of our depraved Nature nor our worldly profits nor our sensual pleasures we must bring our thoughts our minds and hearts and strength with us but lay them at the foot of God devote them to his service and engage them entirely about his work Upon that day we are not of a due elevation till above our selves and above the World nothing of our own is to be minded or done by us save works of Necessity and Mercy It is God's day and therefore to be employed about the things of God thoughts of God discourses of God the Service and Worship of God should take up the whole of that holy day To do worldly business to follow bodily recreations upon that day is no less than Sacriledge a robbing of God Therefore take care of your Families as to this do not you set your Children or Servants about the affairs of your Callings on that day see also that they mis-spend it not themselves but in the performing acts of duty preparing to wait upon God in the way of his Publick Ordinances and thither do you carry them with you not suffering them to stay lazying sleeping or playing at home or to go rambling abroad whither they themselves please no no in this case put on the Spirit of Elijah and be very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts see that That day be kept for God and when you and your Families are at home exercise your selves and them unto Godliness The continuance of Religion in England doth under God very much depend upon a care of keeping the Sabbath Many years ago when I was a young Man Famous Mr. Newcomen of Dedham told me this passage This Question was put in the Conclave What is the best way to reduce England to the see of Rome To this every Cardinal was to give his Answer beginning at the youngest Many Expedients were propounded at length an old Fox stood up and said Take away their Sabbaths and that will effectually do it This Invention was hugg'd this Medium resolv'd upon and not long after came out the Book of Sports O holy Mother Church whose Interest is promoted by such unholy means And let me tell you I do never expect to see Religion flourishing nay not living long in that Family in which there is not due regard had to the Lord's-day Therefore
to you cannot neither can they pass to us that would come from thence Now as there is a double end so there is a double way leading to them That way which leads to Life is a narrow way and the Gate strait there is not room enough for a Man and his Lusts Nature must be curb'd and the Flesh Crucified and the Body kept under and self denied That way which leads to Hell is broad and the Gate wide there a Man may take with him his Sins and his Pleasures he may fare deliciously every day and be wicked every day he may live without God in the World and have Fellowship with Devils and fulfil the Wills of the Flesh. He need not care what he doth who doth not care what becomes of him Well assure them of this that Sin ushers in Misery and the ways of Sin go down to death its steps take hold of Hell but a Life of Holiness and Duty a Life of Faith and Obedience to God carrieth to Heaven and the Happiness above Mark the perfect Man and behold the upright see the last of him for the end of that man is peace Though the way have its difficulties an up-hill way that calls for great pains and labour though it be hedg'd up with Thorns and lin'd with Enemies yet it hath a good end The good Servant that Trades with his Talent minds his business and is faithful in his little shall be made Ruler over much and when he hath finished his work enter into the Joy of his Lord. The Reward will be sure and great what will both issue in abundant satisfaction and raise the highest admirings so that the glorified Soul shall think and say as David did upon another account O Lord who and what are all my services and what my Fathers house that thou hast brought me hitherto Bring them by degrees to understand something of what it is to behold God's Face in Righteousness and to be satisfied with his Likeness to lye at the Fountain-head of Happiness and to delight ones self in the bottomless boundless Ocean of Goodness How pleasant it will be to reflect upon the troubles of the past Life the violent Storms they past thorough the scorns and abuses of a foolish and mad World the rage and fury of wicked unreasonable Men and what a change is made how ill it was how well it is how sweet it must needs be to be above the reach of all sorrows and wants of all Enemies and fears and to be incompast feasted fill'd with the best and choicest delights What a priviledge will it be to sit down as welcom Guests with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdom of God at a Feast of Glory there to take your fill of Love to all Eternity when you shall see so many shut out What an Honour will it be to sit upon Christ's Throne How easie to lye in the Bosom of Abraham How comfortable to be ever with the Lord How infinitely is this beyond all the Pleasures that Sin can afford its Votaries beyond having the Belly filled with hid Treasures Will you do this you that are Governours of Families Oh! How good is it How much your Duty and how much good may you do This is the way to render them serious and thoughtful the way to make Sin odious and abominable to them so that they shall not desire to taste of those Dainties this is the way to commend Godliness and Religion to them so that they shall be like the Chariots of Amminadab this also is the way to blunt the edge and break the force of a Temptation when it would at any time draw them away from God and take them off from the performance of that duty which they owe unto him I will here add these two things and desire you to put them in practice in order to the rendering these Instructions or Teachings the more effectual First Go over with these things again and again and insist much upon them yea though they be unwilling to hear yet be not you weary of speaking nay though they cast your words behind their Backs do you still follow them with more The Prophet Ezekiel was to continue speaking to the People of Israel though they were a Rebellious House nor might he be silent till God shut up his Mouth and struck him Dumb so must you do with your Families though they be dull and slow to learn yet teach though they be obstinate and stiff necked yet counsel and perswade let there be frequent repetitions of the same Truths and the same Advice and the same Arguments Gutta cavat lapidem Drops of Rain often falling make an impression upon a Stone Immortal Souls are so exceeding precious that the gaining the saving of one is worth the labour of a Life How long did God wait upon you And how often did he speak to you before you would hear do you the like to yours As Children must be often fed so they must be often taught Precept must be upon Precept and Line upon Line here a little and there a little The understandings of young ones are weak and therefore you must deal with them in all plainness and by degrees They are like narrow mouth'd Bottles not receptive of much at a time and you cannot pour in much at once but by little and little Drop in Truths Counsels and Instructions into them according to their ability to receive them Their Memories also are labil and slippery too tenacious of bad things but not of the best like Sieves that let the Flower go and only retain the Bran as they are not capable of receiving much at once so but weak in keeping that which they have received The Apostle saw cause of writing thus to the Hebrews Ye have forgotten the Exhortation which speaks to you as unto Children Heb. 12.5 It is certain there is too much of this to be found among Men grown Men yea grown Saints we read the Word and forget what we read we hear Sermons and forget the Sermons we hear we forget the Promises we make and the Mercies we receive and the Experiences we have had of the power care and goodness of God Men and Women are apt to forget Truths Precepts Counsels and Exhortation we did stand in need of an Ordinance the blessed Sacrament to put us in mind of Christ himself and it is no wonder then if young ones be so their Memories are leaking Vessels and those impressions which are made upon their Minds and Affections do quickly wear out again and therefore there is an absolute necessity of our going over with the same things again upon this account as well as that of the backwardness and great natural aversness of their wills from that which is good daily Instructions are as needful for them as their daily Bread Secondly Back your holy Instructions with holy Exhortations and let all your gracious Counsels be followed and prest upon them with earnest perswasions and
intreaties and so give forth and accompany the light with a due measure of heat by that means endeavouring to work upon their Hearts as well as upon their Heads that you may bring them to the knowledge of the Truth yea and to a receiving it in the love thereof to an understanding of the way wherein they ought to go and likewise to a sincere desire and fixed resolution through Divine Assistance of walking therein Whatsoever there is of wholesom and gracious Counsel which you apply to them be sure to chafe it in with a warm Hand it is sad to think how coldly some Ministers preach so that their Auditors may sit and freeze under them and also how some speak of God and the things of God in their Houses as if they were not concerned in them or rather as if they were ashamed of them do you so discourse of these things as become those who believe your selves and are affected your selves and do-know the Terrours of the Lord and are indeed in good earnest do what you can to convince them of these two things First That you have an high esteem and valuation of Religion and all that appertains and belongs to it The Truths of God and the Ordinances of God and the Day of God and the Ways of God that you do not look upon these things as trivial matters of none or but little importance but of a more excellent nature and higher concernment than any thing else in the World Again manage these Exhortations with so much prudence love and fervour as that they may be convinced Secondly That you are really and heartily set for the doing of them good and that your great aim is as the approving of your selves to God in the consciencious and faithful discharge of your duty so the doing of them good and the promoting of the Spiritual and Eternal welfare of their Souls and herein imitate David's example in the counselling of his Son Solomon 1 Chron. 28.9 And thou Solomon my Son know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts if thou seek him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for ever So much may suffice to be by me spoken as to these parts of your duty Family-Prayer and Family-Instruction the good Lord grant that what hath been declared and proved to be your duty may be forthwith and always put in practice by every one whose duty it is I now proceed to the third part of that Counsel which I purposed and promised to give unto you who are the Parents and Governours of Families and Oh! let it be acceptable to you and prevalent with you It is this Look wisely and carefully to your own Carriages and Conversations and be sure that you order them aright be circumspect curious exact think not that you may do what you please but labour to do what you should what becomes both your place and your profession in Psal. 123.2 the Prophet speaks of the Eyes of Servants looking to the hands of their Masters and the Eyes of a Maiden looking unto the hand of her Mistress for direction and supply for help and assistance I may likewise say the Eyes both of Children and of Servants are and will be upon the Lives and Actions of their Father and Mother of their Master and Mistress and therefore your Eyes should be very much upon your selves and I count it your wisdom and duty to weigh the words you speak in their hearing and the actions you do in their sight as well as in the hearing and sight of any other graver and greater Persons Never think it enough to speak to them good things as long as you set before them bad examples for they will sooner do as you do than as you say Praecepta docent exempla trahunt Precepts do but teach Examples draw This was Christ's manner of teaching he said Learn of me for I am meek and lowly Learn this by my Doctrine yea and by my Disposition also in his Mind Life and Death he sets us an example that we should tread in his steps and since that was his way of teaching it should be ours That was a good saying Oh! that it were at this day true of all those upon whom the Name of God is called Non magna loquimur sed magna vivimus we do not only speak great things but we live great things we speak of Christ and we live Christ we speak of the Gospel and we live the Gospel we profess Godliness yea and we practice Godliness know for certain it is your practising that which is good that is the best and most probable way of commending it to others by this means they may be induced to believe that Religion is not meer notion but a reality that it is a thing practicable yea and that it is pleasant It is your drawing up in your own lives a beautiful lovely Picture of Religion that is the most likely way to make them full in love with it and make it your business to see to it that there be as few spots in it as possible for however some vain Persons do absurdly think spots in their Faces are their Ornaments and set them off yet sure all will believe and grant that spots in the Life are blemishes and a meer deformity Hence it is that Wives are commanded to carry as becomes them in their Conjugal Relation Being in subjection to their own Husbands and of a chast conversation coupled with fear that if any do not obey the word they may without the word be won by the conversations of their Wives 1 Pet. 3.1 2. And this Oh! this is that which I would gladly have among all upon whom the Name of Christ is called as for the wicked and profane of the Age if they hate to be reformed and are resolved upon their way they may go on He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him be filthy still Rev. 22.11 Yes if he will let him and see what will come of it But I say as for Professors let them live up to the Principles of their Religion let them abstain from all appearance of evil let their Conversation be as it becomes the Gospel of Christ and in all things adorn the Doctrine of our God and Saviour let your Conversation be a God-honouring Conversation and a World-condemning Conversation and a Soul-winning Conversation Oh! the good that might by this be done how much might the Credit and Honour of Religion be retrieved which hath sunk and lost so much in this Degenerate Atheistical and Wicked Generation in which there is nothing more common though most unjust than for vile Wretches to take up all the dirt which they find in the Lives of some Professors and throw it in the Face of our
meat and drink to do them and yet more when besides this Faith in God they themselves have tasted that God is gracious and had experience of that advantage which comes in by religious duties I Love the Lord said David because he hath heard my Voice He hath experience of Gods goodness and a love to him because he hath inclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live Psal. 116.1 2. His mercy to me hath drawn out my love to him and my love shall influence my obedience I love him and I will cleave to him and follow after him Secondly While you are young covet after those gifts which may in some good measure accomplish you for the filling up of your duties and places and the performance of every duty It is an excellent thing for Christians to be well furnished and youth is a golden season for that purpose as for those who are not studious while they are in the morning of their age there is too much ground of fear that they will continue Fools to their latter end It is indeed too apparent that some yea too many who have good natural parts and attained to some Knowledge and Learning are thereupon wretchedly self-conceited and puft up knowing neither themselves nor any body else their pride testifieth against them to their very faces and this is their folly and their shame they have no reason to swell for they are empty and the opinion they have taken up of themselves is far above their abilities when a Wise Man comes to fathom them he finds they are very shallow and their real intrinsick worth doth fall extreamly below that price which they set upon themselves On the other side there are many that pretend to nothing and indeed there is nothing which they may pretend to being altogether ignorant weak and poor their upper room is wholly destitute and unfurnished they are not able to discourse of God and the things of God they cannot pray but want both matter and words whereas they should be rich and increased in goods they are blind and wretched and poor and miserable and whereas they should be thoroughly furnished for every good work they are furnished for none at all And from whence doth this proceed but from their own gross neglect they have not meditated as they should nor read the Scriptures nor heard Sermons as they should they did not labour to stock and store themselves while they are young and so they come to be poor and beggarly when they are old they squandred away their Golden Age and now they are come to their Silver hairs their heads and hearts are little worth I do therefore now direct my Discourse to you young ones of both Sexes and would have you better to befriend your selves and as you do now learn your Trades and your Books and to manage Household business and labour to get betimes a good insight into your several Callings and so to understand them as that you may be able afterward to set them up and carry them on with Credit and to advantage go away and do the like as to Religion and the things of God Begin betimes to mind those things which do most deserve your minding now acquaint your selves with God look into your own hearts and States and study them well get the knowledge of your Sins and Wants when you read or hear or are in company with good Men see that it turn to account and you get something by it make something your own be continually laying up though it be but by little at at a time yet it may come to something The Evangelical Prophet hath this expression Isa. 42.23 Who among you will give ear to this who will hearken and hear for the time to come Truly that is excellent Husbandry very good for Men to be before hand will you study this really it is your best way it is your interest I would advise you to nothing but what doth one way or another make for your own interest this doth so to read for the time to come and to hear for the time to come and to this end consider what you do in other cases you will labour to get Money and Land for the time to come and some of you to stock your selves with Cloaths and Linnen for the time to come and give me if you can a Reason why you should not be as desirous to get Knowledge and Gifts and Grace for the time to come are not these things as good as the other are they not better O! do it then I beseech you do it be not Wise for your Bodies and Fools for your Souls Wise for time and Fools for Eternity See that you do things now in your single capacity while you have the greatest leisure and briskness of Parts that so when you come to be Married and have Families to order and govern you may be Workmen that need not be ashamed and able to do all your Work and Duty And have a treasury out of which you may bring forth good things new and old for the inriching of others whom it should be your desire and will be your comfort to see thriving under you A Christian rich in gifts and grace is most like to do good Thirdly Study well how things stand with your selves and with them that are yours Though I might also add with the Nation and Church of God which are the Body of which you are Members the Ship in which you have so great a venture and since you have a concernment in them you ought to be daily and earnest supplicants for them If I forget thee O Ierusalem let my right hand forget her cunning if I do not remember thee let my Tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I prefer not Ierusalem above my chief Ioy. 137. Psalm 5 6. But that which I advise you at present is a care within doors see how matters stand with your Heart and with your House Be thou diligent to know the state of thy stocks and look well to thy herds 27. Proverbs 23. And if such diligence should be used such knowledge to be got of Flocks and Herds then Men should study and labour to understand their own state and the state of their yoak fellows and Children and Servants be strict observers of them and frequent in your inquiries concerning them and all that are under your charge and see how matters have been with you and them and how they are what are the providences of the day and the dispensations of God toward you and them This will supply you with matter of Prayer yea probably with variety of matter and he that hath good store of matter is most like to find good store of words to express it Though a full Vessel may for a time want vent yet when a little is given it runs apace at the tap This you may gather from those passages of Elihu Iob 23.18 19.20
remove do it the sooner the better Let not meer secular advantages keep thee there It is better being out of the warm Sun than out of Gods blessing And you that are fixed as a Wife Child an Apprentice count the want of family-Family-duty as your Affliction and groan under it as such and in your private addresses beg down if possible Mercy and Grace upon them Pray heartily for them who will neither pray for you nor for themselves the godly Wife for the ungodly Husband the gracious Child for the profane Parent and the Religious Servant for the Wicked Master or Mistress yea wrestle mightily in Prayer for them and with Iacob weep as well as make supplication and be sure to live up to the Laws of the Relations you stand in filling up your days with the duties of your places that though they will not practise Godliness they may see the power of it in its influences upon you If the Wife be peaceable and quiet loyal and loving respecting and reverencing her Husband the Children very dutiful and obedient the servants submissive diligent and faithful every one walking in the fear of God giving no cause of quarrelling with you or blaspheming Religion for your sakes In a word let your whole conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ. You see I have spent a great deal of time and taken no small pains in studying preaching and writing out all this discourse Oh! that it may not be in vain but all the better that have heard or shall read it to that end the good Lord accompany it with his Spirit and blessing bring you to this work keep you at it and help you so to manage your selves and families that after a Life of Prayer on Earth you may be taken up to a Life of Praise in Heaven where all your Wants shall be supplied all your Prayers answered and all your hopes accomplished then you will see the Word was your best rule the Ministers of Christ your real Friends and Religion your grand Interest when fury shall be poured out upon them that know not God and Hell shall receive the Families that call not upon his Name where there shall be no end of their torment and pain nor of their roaring cursing and blaspheming of that holy and righteous but terrible God whom they would not be persuaded to love seek and serve 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A POSTCRIPT HAVING said so much as I have done in this Book to the graver sort of Persons your Parents and Governours dear young ones and that not only for their sakes but yours also I have judged it fit to accompany that advice and counsel to them with a few words to you because you likewise are very nearly and greatly concerned and all means possible are to be made use of for the preventing your present miscarriage and eternal ruine You are now in the Morning of your Age and prime of your strength you have set forth and entred upon that Journey which will certainly bring you to your last home where you must take up your everlasting abode from whence there can be no remove and that will be either Heaven or Hell the Glorious Mansions above or the Bottomless Pit below where it is absolutely necessary for you to take heed to your ways and ponder all your goings to set out right at first and then to go straight on without turning either to the right hand or to the left otherwise you will be lost for if the way be not good the end cannot be peace as for such as turn aside unto their croâ—ked Paths the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity Psal. 125.5 It is too evident that multitudes of young ones through corrupt inclination and bad conduct have gone out of the way of life betimes and could never find it afterward Having made an early choice of Sin they grew harden'd in it and there being a judicial Tradition of them to the power thereof they went on to commit it with greediness living and dying its Votaries and Vassals and is it not sad to consider may it not well be matter of bitter lamentation that such Excellent Noble Creatures should be spoiled such precious immortal Souls should be irrecoverably lost that such sweet and lovely Blossoms should be utterly blasted that they who once were the hope of their Parents and might have been the Ornaments and Blessings of their Country should prove burthens and curses to them both God forbid that any of you should be so too for we have too many such already Therefore I pray God that you may and desire that you would be serious betimes get alone sit down and consider what you are where you are whether you are going what is for your interest and what against it labour to know and knowing mind those things which belong unto your peace youth will not always last nor the pleasures of it which you do now count so very sweet and delicious and run such desperate ventures for the enjoyment of A Sickness may quickly be sent of God and cover your faces with a dismal paleness pick the Marrow out of your Bones suck all the Milk out of your Breasts and convert all your strength into weakness faintness and tremblings your smiles may be turned into frowns your mirth into mourning your laughter into heaviness and your songs into sighs groans and shrieks Your own Consciences may arm against you as your enemy and God may so appear as to be your terrour and you may be then made to possess the iniquities of your youth when all the honey is spent and nothing but the sting left the pleasure is over and only the guilt remains whereby you are bound over to the suffering of the judgment written If you be not wise in this condition you may live and die and then you will see cause to wish you had never been born O! be you I beseech you be ye your own friends provide for your own peace and welfare and instead of working out your Damnation with joy jollity and self-pleasing chuse to work out your Salvation with fear and trembling since all the pleasures of Sin are but for a season do you seek out for and make sure of those which are at Gods right hand for evermore and since this life will be but short when drawn out to its greatest length do you lay hold upon that which is quite out of the reach of death that life which came from God and will be perfected in him And know how great a number soever the Prodigals and Profligate Youths of the present Age do amount to yet if you will be serious and truly religious you will not be alone there have been many choice and excellent Persons that went before you the Names of some together with their Character you meet with in the Sacred Records an Isaac who loved Meditation a Iacob that was set for the blessing and by a Vow bound