to run into all kind of evil let us endeavour to prevent these great evils by training them up in the knowledge and fear of the Lord. 5. If we bring up our Children in ignorance they can have no fellowship with or enjoyment of God who is the chiefest Good For God is Light and in him is no darkness at all 1 Joh. 1.5 And persons that have no knowledge are said to be in darkness Ephes 5.8 Ye were sometimes darkness And there can be no communion between Light and Darkness 2 Cor. 6.14 What Communion hath Light with Darkness Now what will all the good things which we give our Children whilst we live or which we shall leave them when we die avail them if they have no enjoyment of God who is the chiefest Good 6. Without knowledge our Children and Servants cannot obtain salvation but must perish eternally Psal 5.5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight Job 36.12 They shall die without knowledge Prov. 2.16 The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the Congregation of the dead That is he shall be cast into Hell and abide there among the Devils and damned persons for ever So it is expounded by R. Sel. in caetu gehennae And Menoch Videtur sensus esse cum Daemonibus futuros cum impiis hominibus ad aeterna supplicia â—amnatis That the Hebrew word which is here translated dead signifieth Hell may be gathered from Prov. 9.18 He knoweth not that the dead are there and that her guests are in the depths of Hell 7. Without knowledge our Children will not only be undone in the world to come but they are likely by their folly and indiscretion to undo themselves and their Families in this world either by idleness Eccl. 4.5 The fool foldeth his hands together and eateth his own flesh Prov. 24.30 31. Or by prodigality Prov. 21.20 There is a treasure to be desired and Oyl in the dwelling of the Wise but the foolish spendeth it up Or by Surety ship Prov. 17.18 A man void of understanding striketh hands and becometh Surety in the presence of his friend Or by Law-suits Prov. 18.6 A fools lips enter into contention Or by speaking against persons in Authority Eccles 10.12 The lips of a fool will swallow up himself Prov. 10.14 The mouth of the foolish is near destruction Or by some other rash and indiscreet carriages 8. Instructing our Children and Servants out of the word of God will remove their ignorance and make them of foolish and simple to become wise and understanding persons and so consequently will prevent all the afore-mentioned evils which will accrue both to us and them if they be trained up in ignorance Prov. 12.1 Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge Prov. 8.33 Hear instruction and be wise Psal 19 7. The Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple Prov. 1.1 4. The Proverbs of Solomon to give subtilty to the simple and to the young man knowledge and discretion Psal 119.130 The entrance of thy word giveth light it giveth understanding to the simple SECT 4. The corruption that is in children and servants proveth Family-instruction to be a necessary duty Arg. 3 THere is not only much blindness and ignorance in the minds of our children and servants but they have also very sinful and corrupt hearts That we may see and understand what sin and corruption is bound up in the hearts of our children and servants let us consider what the Scripture saith of the hearts of the sons of men The heart of man by nature is void and destitute of all good Rom. 7.18 I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing and full of evil Eccles 9.3 The heart of the sons of men is full of evil Yea the seeds of the foulest sins such as Murder Adultery Blasphemy and the like are in the heart of man which will break out if they be left to themselves Matth. 15.19 Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witness blasphemies The inclinations of the heart to sin even to the worst of sins are strong and violent so that the heart is not only set upon evil but fully set to do evil Eccles 8.11 The heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil There is such a bottomless depth of sin in their hearts that we cannot fathom it it is hard to express yea hard to understand how wicked and sinful the heart of man is Jer. 17.9 The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it And this corruption of the heart begins to work and discover it self very early even whilst we are young Gen. 8.21 The imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth Isai 48.8 I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously and wast called a transgressour from the womb Now seeing there is so much sin and corruption in the hearts of our children and servants from hence it will follow that it is our duty to train them up in the knowledge and obedience of the Word of God whereby their hearts may be purified and sanctified and that it is necessary that we should imploy all the skill and strength that we have in this work for 1. Though their hearts be exceeding sinful as we have heard before yet if we instruct them in the knowledge and train them up in the obedience of the Word of God this will be a means to purifie and sanctifie their hearts and to reform their lives for the word of God hath a sanctifying vertue in it John 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy Truth thy Word is Truth And being hid in the heart it will cleanse the heart and keep a man from sinning against God John 15.3 Now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken unto you Psal 119.11 Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee Obeying and practising the word will purifie the heart 1 Pet. 2.22 Ye have purified your Souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit If we can bring our Children to take heed to their ways and to frame them according to the word of God we need not doubt but this will cleanse their hearts and lives Psal 119.9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way By taking heed thereto according to thy word 2. If we suffer our Children and Servants to live without instruction and do not labour to bring them acquainted with God and with his holy word there is no hope that they should be reclaimed from their sins Hos 5.4 They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them and they have not known the Lord. The Prophet gives this reason why they would not frame their doings to turn to the Lord They did not know the Lord and the spirit of whoredoms was in them By the spirit of whoredoms we may
saving knowledge of God and Jesus Christ Even in those places in those families and in those Churches where persons injoy great means of knowledge if inquiry be made what understanding in the things of God such persons have attained unto there will be found much ignorance in many that have a long time injoyed great advantages to get knowledge The people of Israel had greater means of knowledge than any Nation under Heaven Psal 147.19 20. He sheweth his word unto Jacob his statutes and his judgments unto Israel he hath not dealt so with any nation yet hear how God complains of Israels ignorance Jer 4.22 My people is foolish they have not known me they are foolish children and they have none understanding they are wise to do evill but to do good they have no knowledge The Hebrews who had excellent teaching a long time in so much that in respect of the time and means they might have been Teachers of others were so raw and weak in knowledge that it was needful for them to be instructed in the first principles of the Oracles of God Heb. 5.12 When for the time ye ought to be Teachers ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God The Church of Corinth had many eminent Pastors and Teachers as Paul Apollo c. and did excel in gifts 1 Cor. 5.7 In every thing ye are inriched by him in all utterance and in all knowledge so that ye come behind in no gift Yet in this eminent Church there were some found that had no knowledge of God 1 Cor. 15.34 Some have not the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame Now in regard there is naturally much blindness and ignorance in the minds and understandings of our children and Servants it is necessary we should labour and take great pains with them to bring them to the knowledge of God by instructing them out of Gods word if we have any regard either to the glory of God or to our own good or the good of our Children and Families For 1. The permitting of our Families to remain without the knowledge of God will bring down Gods Judgments upon them for God is wont to pour out his fury upon those persons and Families that have no knowledge of God Jer. 10.25 Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the Families that call not upon thy Name Ignorance of God was one ground of the Lords controversie with the Land of Israel Hos 4.1 The Lord hath a Controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land If where the knowledge of God is wanting in a Nation God hath a controversie with that Nation may we not also conclude that God hath a controversie and will plead his controversie with those Families where there is no knowledge of God 2. Our Children will prove great Crosses and bring much grief and sorrow upon us if we train them up in ignorance Prov. 17.25 A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her that bare him Prov. 19.13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father And as they will be a great grief to their Parents who are nursed up in ignorance so they will walk in such courses as will pierce themselves through with many sorrows Hos 13.13 The sorrows of a travelling woman shall come upon him he is an unwise son 3. If we do not instruct our Children and endeavour to instil knowledge into them they will become useless persons and spend their days in vanity and do no service for God or their Generation They will be unable to undertake and manage common and easie employments Eccles 10.15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them because he knoweth not how to go to the City What is more easie to find out than the way to a City where there is much commerce and frequent going to and fro Such persons as are foolish and indiscreet though they labour and toil in common and easie things as easie as to find the way to a City they can bring nothing to any effect And as foolish children will be unable to manage any employments of themselves so so they are unfit to be employed by others Prov. 26.6 He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet and drinketh damage 4. If our Children and Servants be not taught to know the Lord they cannot live godly lives but will be alienated from the life of God Ephes 4.18 Having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart They will be so far from leading godly lives if they be brought up in ignorance of God that they will prove vitious persons when the Israelites neglected the knowledge of God they became a sinful nation a people laden with iniquity Isa 1.3 4. Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Ah sinful nation A people laden with iniquity a seed of evil doers Children that are corrupters they have forsaken the Lord they have provoked the holy One of Israel to anger they are gone away backward The Apostle ranketh such as are without understanding among haters of God and the chiefest of sinner Rom. 1.30 31. If our Children and Servants be destitute of the knowledge of God they will be easily drawn to the vilest and most abominable sins such as Idolatry Gal. 4.8 When ye knew not God ye did service to them which by nature are no Gods Blasphemy Psal 74.18 The foolish people have blasphemed thy Name Persecution of the people of God so far as to kill and destroy them Joh. 16.2 3. They shall put you out of the Synagogues yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think he doth God service and these things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father nor me Adultery Prov. 7.7 10 21 22 25. I beheld among the simple ones I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding and behold there met him a woman with the attire of an Harlot With much fair speech she caused him to yield with the flattering of her lips she forced him he goeth after her straight-way as an Ox goeth to the slaughter till a dart strike through his Liver as a Bird hasteth to the snare and knoweth not that it is for his life Such as have no instruction or being instructed do not obey the counsels that are given to them are in the ready way to run into all kind of evil Prov. 5.13 14. I have not obeyed the voice of my Teachers nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me I was almost in all evil in the midst of the Congregation and the Assembly If we tremble at the thoughts of having our Children prove Blasphemers Idolaters Adulterers Persecutors of the people of God and
understand strong and habitual inclinations to sins of uncleanness and also to Idolatry which is spiritual Adultery When the mind of a man is vehemently carried out after a thing and these impetuous motions continue and reside with him the Scripture calls this by the name of a Spirit as Numb 5.14 The Spirit of Jealousie From this passage of the Prophet Hosea we may draw this conclusion As long as persons who have strong and habitual inclinations to that which is evil which is the case of all Children and grown persons that are in an unregenerate condition continue ignorant of God there is no hope that they should frame their doings to turn unto the Lord. Our Children and Servants will be so far from reforming their lives without instruction that as long as they remain ignorant of God they will grow worse and worse Jer. 9.3 They proceed from evil to evil and know not me saith the Lord. 2 Tim. 3.13 Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse 3. If we suffer our Children and Servants to walk after their own hearts lust we shall undo them for ever for this is the broad way that leads to destruction for a man to walk after the lusts of his own heart and we shall also bring down Gods Judgments upon our selves and cause his Judgments to rest upon our Families for many Generations 1 Sam. 3.13 14. I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth because his Sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not and therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli That the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with Sacrifice nor Offering for ever 4. We had need employ all the skill and strength that we have in teaching and educating our Children in the knowledge and fear of the Lord because it is a difficult work to change their Natures and to subdue their Wills to Gods Will. Zophar compares man to a wild Asses Colt Job 11.12 For vain man would be wise though man be born like a wild Asses Colt The difficulty of taming a wild Ass his untractable ranging disposition is elegantly set forth Job 39.7 8. He scorneth the multitude of the City neither regardeth he the crying of the Driver the range of the mountains is his pasture and he searcheth after every green thing Such a wild unruly Creature is man and that from his Birth Man is born like a wild Asses Colt If he be not tamed whilst he is young he will not regard the voice of his Teachers though multitudes labour with him one after another it will be a difficult matter to bring him to any good order If our Children have added to their sinful natures a custom in sinful courses it will be as hard to reclaim them as to change the Leopards spots or to make the Ethiopian who is naturally black to become white Jer. 13.25 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Then may ye also do good who are accustomed to do evil SECT 5. Family-Instruction is necessary for the performing of Family Duties Arg. 4 FAmily-Duties cannot be performed to the glory of God and the edification of our Families without Family-Instruction and this proves the great obligation that lieth upon us to train up our Families in the knowledge and fear of the Lord. I will instance in several Duties which cannot be performed without Family Instruction 1. Prayer is a Duty to be performed in all Families the neglect of it is such a great sin that God ranks those Families among the Heathen that do not call upon him and threatens to pour out his fury upon them Jer. 10.25 Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the Families that call not upon thy Name Fury is more than wrath or anger it is the highest degree of anger God is not only angry but he is filled with fury against and will pour out his fury upon those Families that do not call upon him Now how shall our Children or Servants be able to pray without instruction Or how are they like to be edified by joyning in Family-Prayer if they be ignorant of that God to whom we pray and of Jesus Christ in whose name our prayers are offered up to God and of those things which are asked of God when we pray to him in his Sons name That knowledge is necessarily required to inable us to pray and also to joyn in prayer so as to receive edification and if knowledge then also instruction which breedeth knowledge is evident from such Scriptures as these Rom. 10.14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard And how shall they hear without a Preacher 1 Cor. 14 15. I will pray with the Spirit and will pray with the understanding also Job 37.19 Teach us what we shall say unto him for we can not order our speech by reason of darkness Ignorant worship is not accepted of God Christ reproved the Samaritans for worshipping they knew not what and tells them that such as expect Life and Salvation from God must worship him understandingly John 4.22 Ye worship ye know not what we know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews If they be wholly ignorant when they are joyning in holy Duties as in prayer or in praising God though he that performs the Duties performeth them well and in a spiritual manner yet such as are ignorant of God and the things of God will not be edified by those Duties 1 Cor. 14.16 17. When thou shalt bless with the Spirit how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest For thou verily givest thanks well but the other is not edified The Apostle speaketh here of giving thanks in an unknown Tongue but though we use a known Tongue in prayer or praising God yet if our Families have no knowledge of God they will receive little or no edification by joyning with us when we pray to or praise the Lord. If we do not train up our Families in the fear as well as in the knowledge of God though they should learn to pray their prayers will avail nothing with God John 9.31 Now we know that God heareth not Sinners but if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth Isa 1.15 And when ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes yea when ye make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of blood 2. It is the Duty of every Member of our Families to praise the Lord and to give him thanks for his mercies Psal 145.2 Let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever Psal 150.6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. 1 Thes 5.18 In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you It is a duty
against thee As is the Mother so is the Daughter So that if Mothers live religiously and shew a good example to their Children and instruct them out of Gods word there is great hope that their Children will become Religious also It is remarkable both amongst the good and evil Kings that were in Judah and Israel that the Scripture doth frequently record their Mothers names as for good Kings we may see 1 Kings 22.42 43. 2 Kings 18.2 3. and 22.12 And for evil Kings 2 King 8.26 27. 1 Kings 15.2 3. which sheweth that the Mothers example and carriage amongst her Children hath a great influence upon them to make them either good or evil 6. Mothers have greater opportunities to be instilling good things into their Children than their Fathers for they are oftener with them especially whilst they are young as they are dressing or undressing them or giving them meat or sitting with them at work or walking abroad with them they should be talking with them of the word of God Deut. 6.6 7. And every one is to do good according to the opportunities that God puts into their hands Gal. 6.10 7. Hereby Mothers may do great service for Christ in training up Children for the Lord All the good that such Children shall do in their generation shall redound to the Mothers Comfort and Reward The Apostle mentioneth the bringing up of Children by which is meant bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord amongst the first and chiefest good works which women are able to do in their generation 1 Tim. 5.10 Well reported of for good works if she have brought up Children 8. What service women do for Christ he takes as kindly as he doth what men do for him when there was a woman poured upon his head a Box of pretious Oyntment though the Disciples had indignation yet the Lord Jesus took it well from her and said that this act of the woman should be had in remembrance and be spoken of to her praise as long as the Gospel should be preached in the world Mat. 26.13 Verily I say unto you Wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world there also this that this woman hath done shall be told for a memorial of her If you that are Mothers teach Gods word to your Children and labour to bring them up in the knowledge and fear of God the Lord Jesus will take this more kindly from you than he took this box of pretious Oyntment from this woman which anointed his body against his burial And that may be evidenced several ways 1. Christ was more pleased with those that minded his word than with those that were at the cost and trouble to provide for his Body as appears from the case of Mary and Martha Mary sat at Jesus feet and heard his word but Martha was cumbred with much serving Luk. 10.38 39. Hereupon Martha complains to Christ that her sister had left her to serve alone and desires him to bid Mary to help her but Christ commends Mary's choice and her work who was employed about his word above Martha's who was employed in preparing food for his Body and those that were with him Vers 40 41 42. 2. The Lord Jesus loves your Childrens Souls as well as he loves his own Body he gave his own Body to be crucified to save your Childrens Souls And therefore doubtless it is as acceptable to see you endeavouring to save your Childrens Souls by instructing and teaching them out of his holy Word as it was to have his Body anointed with pretious Ointment 3. The Name of God and Christ is like pretious Ointment Cant. 1.3 Thy Name is as Ointment poured forth Yea it is more precious than any Ointment in the World And when you bring your Children acquainted with the Name of God and Christ by instructing them out of the Word of God you convey that to them which is beyond all the pretious Ointment in the world 4. The Ointment that was poured on Christs Body did bur little if any thing advantage the body of Christ he accepted it not so much for the advantage he had by it as he did for the Faith and Love which the Woman manifested in this work But by instructing your Children out of the Word of God you shall greatly promote the good and welfare of their pretious Souls If the Lord Jesus did so kindly accept the Womans anointing his body with precious Ointment that he recorded her praise in the Gospel and will have the Memorial thereof preserved in all Ages throughout the whole World Then doubt not you that are Mothers that if you instruct your Children in the knowledge of his Word but he will accept this very kindly at your hands and cause this good Work of yours to be had in eternal Remembrance CHAP. II. Motives to stir up Parents and Masters of Families to instruct their Children and Servants in the Knowledge and to train them up in the obedience of the Scriptures IN the former Chapter I have proved it to be the Duty of Parents and Masters of Families to train up their Children and Servants in the knowledge and obedience of the Scriptures I shall now proceed to lay down some Motives to stir up those that neglect this good work to be diligent constant and conscientious in the performance of their Duty in teaching and instructing their Familier SECT 1. Instructing our Children and Servants out of the Scriptures will be a means of their Conversion Reasons why we should endeavour their Conversion Motive 1 INstructing your Children and Servants out of the word of God will be a powerful and an effectual means to convert and save their souls For The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul Psal 19.7 And The Gospel is the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 The Commandment is a Lamp and the Law is Light and Reproofs of instruction are the way of Life Prov. 6.23 Though they be such as walk in sinful and destructive courses by teaching and instructing them out of the Scriptures they may be converted from their sins unto God Psal 5.13 I will teach Transgressors thy ways and Sinners shall be converted unto thee We read of Cornelius that both he himself and all his house were saved by the word wherewith they were instructed by Peter Act. 11.14 Who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved In like manner if Governours of Families did carefully instruct their Families out of the word of God they might in so doing both save themselves and all their house With what diligence with what speed with what alacrity with what a resolved minde to persevere therein under all discouragements should you set upon this work seeing there is hope that hereby you may save your Children and your Servants Souls That this argument may have the greater force to perswade and prevail with you to set your hearts to this work Consider 1. What