Selected quad for the lemma: father_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
father_n	husband_n	mother_n	wife_n	20,403	5	8.3061	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31087	Certain proposals humbly offered, for the preservation & continuance of the truly reformed Protestant religion, in these three kingdomes of England, Scotland and Ireland by a professor of the said truly reformed Protestant religion ...	J. B.	1674 (1674)	Wing B96; ESTC R11223	33,531	39

Questions and Answers in a Catechetical way conveyed the sound knowledge of Christ and his great Gospel-Truths into the hearts of those committed to their care Reading the Holy Scriptures also repeating Sermons singing of Psalms and calling upon God in fervent Prayer are all Sabbath-day Exercises in a Family And blessed are those Families that are alwayes so employed But the doing of this in an Interlocutory way with Children and Servants so as to make them understand what they hear and read and be enriched with the well-grounded knowledge of it O this is excellent and one of the best means imaginable to preserve the True Protestant Religion and to transmit it from Father to Son even from one Generation to another And because a clear and distinct knowledge of Fundamental and Substantial Truths with such Texts of Scripture as do most contribute to the right understanding confirmation and defence of them against all opposers whatsoever will be a most precious Antidote as well against all sorts of Er●●●● as those of Popery it self I humbly propound to the pious Readers hereof these following Considerations First Let it be considered whether it would not be time well spent if some persons of Wisdom and Ability whether engaged in any Church-Society or otherwise were appointed or themselves did it by their own voluntary undertakement to go from house to house at fit times and seasons there to discourse the weighty things of Religion with their Friends and Neighbours and so to manage this Work as still to leave the persons they thus converse with something more knowing in the great things of Religion than formerly Frequent Visits to this purpose with Line upon Line here a little and there a little would turn to a much better account both with respect to God's Glory the advancement of Christ's Kingdom in the world and the enlightning of many precious souls with saving knowledge than such vain Visits as are every where now in use In some places the Pastors and other Officers of the Churches may do something this way themselves after the example of that holy Person and worthy Servant of Christ Mr. Henry Jesse lately deceased but where the hands of Church-Officers are full of other work perhaps some others in their respective Congregations might be found and prevailed with to do their utmost in it at least so far as might consist with their necessary employments in their respective trades and callings This is brave work and doubtless will be well rewarded by the God of Heaven to the faithful and sincere-hearted Labourers in it What doth the gracious and industrious Parent know but that his continual dropping of heavenly words into his Children's ears or the religious and loving Friend or Neighbour that doth the like with all that he converseth with where a fair oportunity is offered may be a means to work some blessed Conviction yea and a through Conversion too in the hearts of those they thus discourse with Christ may be preached as much and as effectually in personal and interlocutory discourses as in set speeches or Sermons in a Pulpit nay I know many instances can be given where Discourses of this kind have done more this way than all the Sermons that have been attended though preached by men of the greatest eminency for many years as the Apostle sayes in another case 1 Cor. 7.16 What knowest thou O Wife whether thou shalt save thy Husband or how knowest thou O man whether thou shalt save thy Wife So say I What knowest thou O Parent whether thou shalt save thy Child or what knowest thou O Christian whether thou shalt save thy Friend or Neighbour thy Brother or Sister by such spiritual and well managed Discourses as these However if it be but well designed and endeavoured God takes it well though the desired effect should not follow Methinks that Passage in Dan. 12.3 should greatly move to such an undertakement and earnest endeavour therein They that be wise in the Margin Teachers shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever Secondly Let it be considered whether of all other such as are Parents of Children ought not to be frequent at such work as this I mean not only upon Sabbath Dayes and other Set Seasons for Religious Exercises but in their daily and hourly converse among them for is not this according to the Command of old given to the People of Israel as a work that their whole heart and soul should be continually engaged in What God required of them in this particular is it not recorded for our instruction in Deut. 6. from v. 4 to 7 Hear O Israel thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul and with all thy might and these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart and thou shalt teach them diligently Hebrew thou shalt whet or sharpen them unto thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house and when thou walkest in the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up Now if this be a Command that is alwayes obliging and to all Parents whatsoever as doubtless it is what then can we in a well-grounded Charity think of those Parents and Professors of Religion too that order their affairs so as very seldom even almost next to never at all are with their Children either Morning or Evening much less all the day long to perform these so frequently to be repeated duties to them Such hurries they are in such multitudes of business and employments they continually take upon them yea so fill and crowd their heads and hearts therewith that they neither have any mind nor can be at leisure for these serious matters Pretences indeed they make of being commanded to be diligent in their Callings and of a necessity lying on them with respect to providing for their Families and such like specious Arguments from abused Scriptures but whether these Arguments will quiet Conscience upon a dying Bed I very much question I know the care of providing for the Houshold lies mostly upon the man who is the Husband to the Wife and the Father to the Children and that it is the Mother's Duty as well as the Father 's to instruct the Children and to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord but will this excuse the Father from doing his part too or will it satisfie him in clogging himself with so much other employment and that in such an eager pursuit after the things of this world only as either hinders him in the performance of it or renders him unfit for it As for his poor Children and Family thus neglected by him is not the instructing them in the One thing necessary and the saving of their precious souls of far greater importance than the getting of overmuch of this world for them But if this be not enough especially in such times as