the very act of sin as they were offering up strange fire fire came from the Lord and consumed them Eli's children were such sons of Belial that their wickedness caused men to abhor the offerings of the Lord 1 Sam. 2.12 17 David met with much affliction in his children Amnon ravished his sister Tamar Absolom killed Amnon when his heart was merry with wine Absolom was cut off in the Act of his Rebellion Adonijah seeks the Crown which his father had devolved upon his son Solomon Our Lord Jesus Christ himself had a select Family consisting of twelve Apostles whom he chose out of all Israel and whom he often instructed with great power for his word was with power Luke 4.32 and yet one of them proved little better than a devil John 6.70 Have not I chosen you twelve and one of you is a devil He proved so vile that he betrayed his Master for thirty pieces of silver and then went and hang'd himself and went to his own place Elisha the Prophet had a lying servant Gehazi who went in his Masters name but contrary to his Masters mind to Naaman the Syrian and demanded and received for his own use a great sum of money as much as two men could carry and two changes of Garments 2 Kings 5.20 21 22 23. These examples with several others which might be produced do shew that though it be a great affliction to have evil children and evil servants yet it is a temptation common to men even to good men yea such as have befallen the best men that ever lived upon the face of the earth whose persons have been very dear and precious in the sight of God and their works and labours have been graciously accepted of him And therefore we should not be disquieted or cast down without measure because God doth not bless our labours with the converting and saving of all the members of our families neither should we conclude from hence that either our persons or our labours are not accepted with God III. Our children are Gods creatures as well as our children God hath a greater right to them and a greater interest in them than we have We were but Gods instruments to bring them into the world It was not we but God created and gave them their beings it was Gods hands that framed and fashioned their Bodies when they lay in their Mothers womb Psal 119.97 Thy hands have made and fashioned me 1 Cor. 12.24 God hath tempered the body together It is God that gave them every part of their Bodies as Skin and Bones and Flesh and Sinews Job 10.11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh and hast fenced me with bones and sinews And every member of their Bodies as Eyes Hands Feet c. Psal 139.16 Thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect and in thy Book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned whenas yet there was none of them It was God which created their Souls after he had formed their Bodies Zech. 12.1 Saith the Lord which stretcheth forth the Heavens and layeth the foundation of the Earth and formeth the Spirit of Man within him Ezek. 18.4 Behold all Souls are mine as the Soul of the Father so also the Soul of the Son is mine the Soul that sinneth shall die It was God that drew them out of the womb Psal 22.9 Thou art he that took me out of the womb It is God that hath preserved them alive ever since they were born Psal 66.8 9. O bless our God ye people who holdeth our Soul in life And seeing God hath a far greater right to our Children than we have shall we be discontented when he disposeth of them as he seeth good May not he say to us when we repine at any thing that he doth to our children as the good Housholder said to those that murmured at him Matth. 20.13 15. Friend I do thee no wrong Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own And as our children are the works of his hands so his mercies towards his works are beyond our mercies towards those that proceed from our bowels Psal 145.9 The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works He desires their welfare both here and for ever more than we can do Job 14.15 Thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands Deut. 5.29 O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always that it might be well with them and with their Children for ever Now if the Lord whose tender mercies are over all his works and who desireth our Childrens welfare more than we our selves do saw cause to cast away the works of his own hands into eternal torments shall we by our discontent go about to controul God in what he hath done as though we were wiser or more merciful than He IV. Though there be a great depth in Gods Judgments and such as we can't search out the reason of them why sometimes he converteth one and leaveth another to perish in his sins although both are born of the same Parents and live under the same means of grace Yet he is always Just and Righteous and True and Faithful in all his ways The Apostle was a man of a deeper insight into the mysteries of the Gospel than we are yet he confesseth some of Gods ways to be unsearchable Rom. 11.34 O the depth of the Riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his Judgments and his Ways past finding out Whatever Judgments God inflicts upon Nations or particular Persons though we may not be able to fathom the reason of them yet we must believe that all that the Righteous God doth is Just and True and that he never acts contrary to the Truth of his Word or against the Rules of Justice Rev. 15.3 They sing the Song of Moses the Servant of God and the Song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty Just and True are thy Ways thou King of Saints This Song was sung upon the pouring out of the seven last Plagues in which was filled up the Wrath of God verse 1. From hence it is evident that the Lord doth nothing beyond the Rules of Justice or contrary to his Truth when he poureth out his wrath to the utmost either upon a Nation or upon particular persons When the children of godly Parents sin against God and God casteth them away for their sins he doth not by this act pervert Justice and Equity Job 8.3 4. Doth God pervert Judgment Or doth the Almighty pervert Justice If thy Children have sinned against him and he have cast them away for their transgression Now when God doth those things which are Just and Right we should be so far from murmuring that vve should praise and honour God although vve our selves should suffer deeply by those Judgments After Nebuchadnezzar
lose his own Soul If it be such a great loss for a man to lose his own Soul what will it be for a man besides the loss of his own to be charged with the loss of the Souls of his Children and of all that ever were committed to his charge 4. Blood is a crying sin the cry of it reacheth to the Heavens and calls to God for vengeance Gen. 4.10 What hast thou done The voyce of thy Brothers Blood crieth unto me from the ground And bringeth a great curse on those that are guilty of shedding it Vers 11. And now art thou cursed from the earth which hath opened her mouth to receive thy Brothers Blood from thy hand Vers 12. A fugitive and vagabond shalt thou be upon the earth Although all Blood crieth loud yet none crieth like the Blood of Souls As much as the Soul surpasseth the Body in excellency so much greater is their sin who are accessary to the destroying of Souls than theirs who only take away the life of the Body It is spoken of as a dreadful Judgment to have the Stones and Timber of a Mans House crying out against him which will be the lot of those that get or build Houses by unrighteous means Hab. 2.11 The Stone shall cry out of the wall and the beam out of the Timber shall answer it The man that is in this case can have but little joy in his House either by night or by day But what is this to the cry of such Souls as perish byour means who will be crying out against us to all eternity What Zipporah said to Moses by reason of the Circumcision Surely a bloody Husband art thou to me Exod. 4.25 26. The like will many women say to their Husbands who perish for want of their instructing them Surely a bloody Husband hast thou been unto me and Children will cry out against their Fathers for suffering them to die and be damned for want of instruction Surely a bloody Father hast thou been unto me and Servants will cry out against their Masters Surely a bloody Master hast thou been unto me To undo a man in his Estate by oppression or violent taking away his Goods is a mighty sin there are dreadful things threatned against such as are guilty of this sin Job 20.19 to 29. Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor because he hath violently taken away an house which he built not surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly he shall not save of that which he desireth there shall none of his meat be left therefore shall no man look for his goods in the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits every hand of the wicked shall come upon him When he is about to fill his belly God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him and shall rain it upon him while he is eating He shall flee from the iron weapon and the Bow of steel shall strike him through it is drawn and cometh out of the Body yea the glistering Sword cometh out of his Gall terrours are upon him all darkness shall be hid in his secret place a fire not blown shall consume him It shall go ill with him that is left in his Tabernacle the Heavens shall reveal his iniquity and the earth shall rise up against him the increase of his house shall depart and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath To undo a man body and Soul to all eternity in the world to come is a far greater sin than to undo a man in his estate in this world And if such dreadful things are denounced against the Oppressor what shall be done to the Soul-murderer 5. He that neglecteth or refuseth to instruct his Family is as certainly guilty of the Blood of their Souls as he that suffereth his Family to starve by neglecting or refusing to give them that food which should preserve their Lives is guilty of destroying their natural Life for as surely as the Body will perish without its food so surely will the Soul perish without instruction Prov. 5.23 He shall die without instruction Prov. 29.28 Where there is no vision the people perish SECT 3. Instructing our Children out of the Scriptures instils Wisdom into them the Advantages that will come to them by being endued with Wisdom Motive 3 BY instructing our Children and Servants out of the Word of God we shall furnish them with Wisdom and Understanding whereby they will become prudent persons Though they be young and simple yet Gods word will make them wise and discreet Psal 19.7 The Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple Psal 119.130 The entrance of thy Word giveth Light it giveth understanding to the simple Prov. 1.1 4. The Proverbs of Solomon To give subtilty to the simple to the young man knowledge and discretion Prov. 19.20 Hear counsel and receive instruction that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end It was by Gods word that David attained to such eminency in wisdom that he became wiser than the Ancients and all his Teachers Psal 119 99 100. No Persons or Nations under Heaven are so wise as they that are acquainted with and give heed to the Word of God Deut. 4.6 Keep therefore and do them for this is your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the Nations which shall hear all these Statutes and say Surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding People By being acquainted with the word they shall attain to wisdom in Civil Things and Divine in things pertaining to God and to Men Prov. 31.4 My Son forget not my Law but let thine heart keep my Commandments so shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and Man Yea by instructing our Families in the knowledge of the Scriptures we shall convey to them the best wisdom that is attained by the sons of men and that is to be wise to salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 From a Child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus Seeing then that instructing of our Families out of the Scriptures will be a means of enduing our children and servants with wisdom and understanding this may be of great force to stir us up to diligence in teaching them Gods holy word especially if we consider how many and what great advantages come to our children and servants by being furnished with VVisdom and Understanding I will mention a few 1. To leave our Children endued wisdom is better then to leave them great Riches For Wisdom is better than Rubies and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it Prov. 8.11 How much better is it to get wisdom than Gold and to get understanding rather to be chosen than Silver Prov. 16.16 VVisdom is a greater Ornament and a more lovely Jewel than a multitude of Rubies and pretious Stones Prov. 20.15 There is
great worth and excellency there is in an immortal Soul The Soul of the poorest Child or Servant in your Families is more worth than all the substance in your houses than all the Riches you have gotten or can get as long as you live yea than the whole world Mark 8.36 What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own Soul And therefore you should spend more thoughts and pains about saving your Children and Servants Souls than you would do to gain the whole world if there were a probability that by your care and industry you might get into your possession all the good things that are in the world There is such an excellency in the Soul that when any one sinner is brought to repentance whereby his Soul is put into a state of Salvation all the Angels of Heaven rejoyce at this glad Tidings Luk. 15.10 There is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth 2. By converting your Children and Servants you shall recover their souls from the power of the Devil Before their conversion he rules and carries them captive to this and the other sin as he pleaseth Ephes 2.2 2 Tim. 2.26 But when they are converted they are freed and delivered from the power of Satan The Conversion of a sinner is the opening of his eyes and turning him from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Act. 26.18 It is Gods delivering of a sinner from the power of darkness and translating him into the Kingdom of his dear Son Col. 1.13 If your Children were under Turkish Slavery would you spare any pains or cost to redeem them from the hands of the Turks It is far worse to have them under the power of Satan than under the power of the Turks Suppose the Devil had gotten possession of your Childrens Bodies and should torture them as he did the woman of Canaan's Daughter who cried out to Christ Mat. 15.22 Have mercy upon me O Lord my Daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil or should rend and tear them as he did that young man whose Father made his moan to Christ after this manner My Son hath a dumb Spirit and wheresoever he taketh him he teareth him and he fometh and gnasheth with his teeth and he pineth away and oft times it hath cast him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him Mark 19.17 18 22. would not this cause you to mourn and fast and pray and to use all means possible to get your Childrens Bodies delivered from the tyranny of Satan And would you not be restless until you had obtained their deliverance To have your childrens Souls under the power of the Devil and to have them drawn sometimes into one foul sin and then into another is far worse and more dangerous then to have their Bodies at his command and yet this is their case as long as they remain unconverted their Souls are under the power of sin and Satan How should this cause you to strive with God in prayer night and day and labour with your utmost diligence in the use of all means to get their Souls converted to God 3. By converting your Children and Servants you shall prevent their dying in their sins and save them from the wrath of God and the torments of Hell Jam. 5.19 20. Brethren if any of you do err from the truth and one convert him let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a Soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins What a great what a good work is this to save a soul from death Shall we think any pains too much to save immortal Souls from eternal Death If you saw any of your Children ready to fall into a fiery Furnace which would consume them to Ashes in a moment you would suddenly lay hold on them and prevent if it were possible their falling into the furnace of fire Hell is called A Furnace of Fire Mat. 13.42 As long as your Children live in ignorance and in an unconverted condition they are in danger every day to fall into this furnace of fire And doth it not concern you then to prevent with all possible speed their falling into everlasting burnings 4. Consider what great pains Jesus Christ took to save and convert Souls The great end of his coming into the world and taking our Nature upon him was to save Souls Luk. 19.10 The Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost When he was upon the earth he was so diligent in teaching and instructing the people that he did not omit his work one day Luk. 19.47 He taught daily in the Temple He was so diligent to teach and instruct the people that he could not find spare time to eat his Bread which cansed some of his friends to think and say he was beside himself Mark 3.20 He was not only very diligent in preaching but was content to lay down his life to save our souls Shall not this example of Christ provoke you to give all diligence to save both your own and the souls of all that are committed to your Charge 5. God will give a greater degree of Glory to those that are instrumental to convert and save souls than to other Saints For whereas they shall shine only as the Firmament they that convert others shall shine as the Stars in the Firmament Dan. 12.3 They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to Righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever 6. You cannot approve your selves to be Righteous Persons either to God or Men if you do not regard what becomes of your childrens and servants souls A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast Prov. 12.10 If this be true how can they account themselves righteous persons who have no regard what becomes of the souls of their Children If a Beast go astray though it be not our own but our Neighbours yea our Enemies we must by no means neglect to bring it back Exod. 23.4 If thou meet thine Enemies Ox or his Ass going astray thou shalt surely bring it back to him again If we are bound so straightly to bring back an Ox or an Ass of our Enemies when he goes astray then what obligations lie upon us to bring home to God our own Children and our houshold Servants when we see them going astray from the Lord SECT 2. Such as neglect Family-Instruction are guilty of their Children and Servants Blood How great an Evil it is to be guilty of the Blood of Souls Motive 2 SUch Parents and Masters of Families as neglect to train up their Children and Servants in the fear of the Lord and in the knowledge of his word are the instrumental causes of their Damnation and their Children and Servants Blood will be laid to their charge and be required at their hands For
Prov. 2.1 5. My Son if thou wilt receive my words and hide my Commandments with thee Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God Would we have our Children continue in the ways of God walking with and serving God as long as they live By instructing them whilst they are young we shall obtain our desire in this thing Prov. 22.6 Train up a Child in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Would we have our Children instructed how to lead a godly and righteous Life And would we have them throughly furnished with abilities for every good work This may be done by acquainting them with the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works Do we desire our Children should be prosperous men both whilst we live and after we are dead and gone into another world This may be obtained by training them up in the knowledge and obedience of Gods word Deut. 29.9 Keep therefore the words of this Covenant and do them that ye may prosper in all that ye do Do we desire that our Children may be blessed with all manner of blessings whilst they live here in this world and do we desire to have their Souls saved when they die The way to obtain this is to train them up in a godly sort that they may know and walk in the ways of the Lord which he hath prescribed to us and to them in his holy word For 1 Tim. 4.8 Godliness is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come Prov. 10.17 He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction See also 2 Tim. 3.15 John 17.3 Deut. 28. from vers 1. to 24. SECT 5. We benefit our selves by instructing our Families Mo ∣ tive 5 BY inflructing our Families in the knowledge of the Scriptures we shall not only procure much good to our Children and Servants but shall also exceedingly advantage our own Souls and obtain many blessings from God for our selves as well as our Families When Obed-Edom entertained the Ark of the Lord in his house The Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his houshold 2 Sam. 6.11 And the Blessings that God gave Obed-Edom were so remarkable that others as well as himself took notice thereof vers 12. And it was told King David saying The Lord hath blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that pertained unto him because of the Ark of God In this Ark were laid up the Laws of God written upon two Tables Deut. 10.2 If we treasure up Gods Laws in our own hearts and teach the same unto our Families instructing them both in the Duties of the first and second Table that is in their duty to God and to Men the Lord will as surely and in as eminent a manner bless us as he did Obed-Edom for receiving the Ark wherein were the two Tables of the Law of God I will instance in some advantages and blessings which those Parents and Masters of Families shall receive that are diligent in training up their Families in the knowledge of the Scriptures 1. The Lord hath promised a long and blessed Life to them and their Children that instruct their Children in his word they shall enjoy a kind of Heaven upon Earth Deut. 11.18 19 21. Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your hearts and in your souls And ye shall teach them your Children speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way when thou liest down and when thou risest up that your days may be multiplied and the days of your Children as the days of Heaven upon Earth 2. They shall have a great reward in Heaven who are diligent in instructing those whom God hath committed to their Charge Mat. 24.45 46 47. Who then is that faithful and wise Servant whom his Lord hath made Ruler over his houshold to give them meat in due season Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Verily I say unto you That he shall make him Ruler over all his Goods If we teach our Families the Commandments of God and do also keep them our selves we shall be great Persons in the Kingdom of Heaven how mean and low soever our condition be in this world Mat. 5.19 Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments and shall teach men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven 3. Our Children and Servants will be great Comforts and Blessings to us if we train them up in the fear of God Onesimus before his Conversion was a great cross to his Master but after he was instructed by the Apostle Paul and God had wrought upon him who was a more dutiful Servant than One simus Philem. 11. Which in time past was to thee unprofitable but now profitable to me and to thee They will be great Comforts to us in this world Prov. 10.1 A wise Son maketh a glad Father Prov. 29.17 Correct thy Son and he shall give thee rest yea he shall give delight unto thy Soul The Chaldee Syriack Arabick Greek and Vulgar Latin translate the word Erudi filium tuum c. Instruct thy Son and the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to instruct as well as to correct as Psal 2.10 Be instructed ye Judges of the Earth So that the words may be as well rendred Instruct thy Son and he shall give thee rest yea he shall give delight to thy Soul What greater Comfort can a Parent have than to see his Children walking in the ways of God 3 John 4. I have no greater joy than to hear that my Children walk in truth They will also be a Comfort to us in the world to come What a Joy will it be to a godly Parent to present himself and his Children before the Lord and to say Lord here am I and the Children whom thou hast given me As it is with Ministers of the Word they shall have great joy in those they have instructed and converted to the Lord 1 Thes 2.19 20. What is our hope or joy or crown of rejoycing Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming For ye are our Glory and Joy So it will be with Parents and Masters of Families they shall have great Joy at the day of Judgment in those whom they have taught and brought home to the Lord. 4. It will keep the memory and savour of Gods word upon our hearts and breed in us a spiritual frame of heart to be often teaching Gods word to our Families Deut. 4.9 10. Only take heed to
Then all the Congregation answered and said with a loud Voice As thou hast said so must we do Apollos who was mighty in the Scriptures Acts 18.24 was very successful in the Conviction and Conversion of obstinate sinners for he mightily convinced the Jews vers 28. And in the edification of such as were converted to the faith vers 27. Who when he was come helped them much which had believed through grace SECT 2. We must teach our Families the knowledge of the principles and the practice of the Duties of Religion Nothing but the Truth Soul-saving Truths What are Soul-saving Truths Seasonable Truths Direct 2 COnsider well what Doctrine you teach your Families if you would convert and save their Souls For by taking heed to the Doctrine that you instil into them you may save both their and your own Souls 1 Tim. 4.16 Take heed to thy self and unto thy Doctrine continue in them for in doing this thou shalt save both thy self and them that hear thee If any ask What Doctrine should we teach our Families in order to the Conversion Edification and Salvation of their Souls I answer In the general teach them the holy Scriptures I have proved already that it is the Will and Command of God that we should instruct our Families in the knowledge of the Scriptures Chap. I. Sect. 1. And I have also shown that teaching Gods Word to our Families will be a means of their Conversion Psal 19.7 The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul and of their edification Acts 20.32 I commend you to God and the Word of his grace which is able to build you up And of their Salvation Rom. 1.16 I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto Salvation As the Reader may see more largely in the perusal of the first and second Chapters If any say Tell us more particularly what Doctrine we should teach our Families out of the Scriptures in order to their Conversion Edification and Salvation Answ 1. Instruct them in the knowledge of the Principles of Religion As for instance Teach them that there is a God and that this God is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him And who is the true God That there is but one God and that this one God subsisteth in three distinct Persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost That God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and Truth That God knoweth all things is every where present Almighty Eternal Holy in all his Works and Righteous in all his Ways Faithful Just Abundant in Mercy c. That God made the Heavens and the Earth and all things therein and Rules and Governs all his Creatures by his Wise and Gracious Providence That Man was created in the Image of God and sinned against God by eating the Forbidden Fruit That by Adam's Disobedience all Men were made Sinners and are by Nature the Children of Wrath and that Judgement came upon all men to Condemnation That God out of his great Love sent his only begotten Son into the World to seek and save that which was lost That JESUS of NAZARETH who was conceived of the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin MARY suffered under PONTIUS PILATE was the promised MESSIAH That He died for our Sins and rose again the third day and ascended into Heaven where he sitteth at the right hand of God making intercession for all that come to God by him from whence He shall come again to judge the World in Righteousness That God for Christ his sake hath made a New Covenant wherein he hath promised Remission of sins Sanctification eternal Life and all other good things freely to them that believe on his Son That those whom God hath ordained to eternal Life he calleth out of Darkness into Light and turneth them from their sins unto God and unites them to Christ by faith and puts his Spirit into them and causeth them to walk in his Ways and to serve him in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of their Life That there shall be a general Resurrection of the Dead both of the Just and Unjust that after the Dead are raised the whole world shall appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ that every one may receive according to what he hath done while his Soul lived in his Body That such as have lived and died in their sins without Repentance shall be cast into Hell where they shall abide with the Devil and his Angels in everlasting fire And such as have believed in Christ and repented of their sins shall be received into Heaven where they shall be ever with the Lord. It is necessary that you should teach your Children and Servants the knowledge of the Principles of Christian Religion Heb. 5.12 Ye have need that one teach you again which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God For Knowledge is the foundation of Practice Psal 119.34 Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart And Solomon tells us Prov. 29.2 Also that the Soul be without knowledge it is not good And as you must teach them the knowledge of the Principles so also the practise of the Duties of the Christian Religion as to believe in Christ to repent of their sins to love God with all their Hearts and to love their Neighbours as themselves to do the same things unto others which they would that others should do unto them to deny themselves to love their Enemies to do good to them that hate them to read hear and meditate on Gods Words to be contented in every estate c. Knowledge without Obedience will be so far from leading them to everlasting life that it will make them have the greater condemnation Luk. 12.47 That Servant which knew his Lords will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes But by teaching your Families both to know and do the will of God you shall make them partakers of eternal Happiness John 13.17 If ye know these things happy are ye if you do them Thus David instructed his Son he taught him both to know and serve the Lord 1 Chron. 28.9 And thou Solomon my Son know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart and willing mind 2. Teach them nothing but the Truth Do not pervert and wrest the Scriptures to their and your own destruction Do not give them poy son instead of the sincere milk of the Word It was the practise of Christ and of his Apostles to teach nothing but the Truth Matth. 22.16 Master we know that thou art true and teachest the way of God in truth 2 Cor. 2.17 We are not as many which corrupt the word of God but as of sincerity as of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ By teaching them the Word of God in truth you shall be
1.3 Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophecy and keep those things which are written therein 3. It is a sign they have little or no love to or esteem of the word of God who do not learn and teach their Children to read it 4. The want of ability to read is usually accompanied with very gross ignorance of God and the mysteries of salvation Thirdly If you cannot read be swift to hear Gods word and get your Neighbours to read to you and labour to retain in your memories what you have heard others read and teach that to your Families which God helps you to carry away in your memories SECT 3. The Plea of such as neglect Family-Instruction because they have disordered Families answered Object 3 Mr Family is not well inclined my Chil-Children and Servants are rude loose and disorderly If I had a Family as well ordered as some of my Neighbours I should be very willing to teach and instruct them It is the want of good inclinations and good order in my Family that keeps me from setting on this work Answ 1. If your Families are not well inclined but loose and disorderly they have the more need of instruction 1 Thes 5.14 Now we exhort you Brethren warn those that are unruly Though they have no inclinations to that which is good but walk disorderly yet you should not think much to bestow your pains to instruct them Did not Christ take great pains for us in coming from Heaven to seek and save our Souls when we had nothing of good in us but were in a sinful lost perishing condition The Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost Luke 19.10 2. Instruction will be a means to breed good inclinations in your Children and Servants and to convert them from their sinful courses unto the Lord if they be such as live in the transgression of the Commandments of God Psal 51.13 Then will I teach Transgressors thy Ways and Sinners shall be converted unto thee 3. If your Families be disordered and given to any Vice and you do not labour to reform them by instructing reproving and praying for them God will punish both you and your Families for ever them for their sins you for not restraining them 1 Sam. 3.13 I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth because his Sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not SECT 4. The plea of such as have dull Children or Servants answered How to deal with dull Persons and such as have weak Memories Object 4 Mr Children and Servants are so dull and have such weak Memories that I cannot make them understand or remember any thing and this discourageth me from instructing them Answ 1. Dulness of Understanding and weakness of Memory oft-times proceed from the neglect and disuse of those Faculties good Tools will grow rusty and unfit for service if they be not used It was the field of the slothful which Solomon saw all grown over with Thorns and covered with Nettles Prov. 24.30 31. Though a person may have good parts yet if from his youth he neglect to bend his mind to understand the things of God and to get the word of God into his memory he will find his understanding dull in apprehending and his memo-weak in retaining Divine Objects 2. Though your Children and Servants seem to be very dull and simple yet by instructing them out of the word of God they may become very wise and prudent persons Psal 19.7 The Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple Psal 119.130 The entrance of thy word giveth light it giveth understanding to the simple Solomon speaking of the word of God saith It will give subtilty to the simple to the young man knowledge and discretion Prov. 1.4 Though your children be so raw dull and ignorant that they know nothing at all of the things of God yet by instructing them out of the word of God you may bring them to know and fear the Lord Deut. 31.11 13. Thou shalt read this Law before all Israel in their hearing that their Children which have not known any thing may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God 3. If your Children and Servants be dull of apprehension and have weak memories this should not cause you to desist from instructing them but you should rather take the more pains with them Eccles 10.10 If the iron be blunt and he do not whet the edge then must he put to the more strength but wisdom is profitable to direct The duller any persons are the more need they have of being taught Heb. 5.11 12. Ye are dull of hearing ye have need that one teach you Though we are guilty of much folly and ignorance and dulness the Lord our God doth not cease from teaching and instructing us but guides and directs us continually Psal 73.22 23 24. So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast before thee nevertheless I am continually with thee thou shalt guide me with thy Counsel If God who is our Master doth not leave off instructing us because of our simplicity and dulness shall we think much to teach our Servants because of their ignorance and dulness 4. If your Children and Servants be dull and have weak memories you must suit your instructions to their capacities and seeing as Solomon observeth that when a man hath to do with blunt tools Wisdom is profitable to direct wisely consider by what ways and means you may so carry on this work of Instruction as may make most for their edification in regard of the dulness of their understandings and weakness of their memories And to this purpose I shall suggest to you these following directions 1. Let the Scriptures which you teach them be plain and easie There are some things in the Scriptures which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard to be understood 2 Pet. 3.16 And there be other things that are plain and easie Now they that are to deal with dull persons must wave those things that are hard to be understood Heb. 5.11 and must teach them such things as are plain and easie otherwise they will profit little or nothing by the instructions which you give them 1 Cor. 14.9 Except ye utter by the tongue words easie to be understood how shall it be known what is spoken for ye shall speak into the air And therefore if there be any obscurity either in the matter or in the words and phrases of those Scriptures which you teach them explain the sense and meaning thereof as the Levites did when they read the Law to the people Neh. 8.7 8. 2. Let the Scriptures which you teach them be short and such as may be easily remembred as well as easily understood Let them also be comprehensive such as comprehend much matter in few words As for instance Solomon comprehends the whole duty of man in few words when he saith Eccles 12.13
way and while he opened to us the Scriptures If you endeavour to water your Families with the dew of heaven God will water your souls Prov. 11.25 He that watereth shall be watered also himself 3. If you do this work out of obedience to the command of God and act your faith on the Lord Jesus for the pardon of the imperfections that attend this work though you do not find so much comfort and delight in the doing thereof as you wish you could but are sensible of some driness and flatness of spirit yet your work shall be accepted of God Acts 10.35 In every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him 4. If you apply your selves to Jesus Christ he will take away your driness and refresh and replenish your Souls with the Graces of his Spirit It is said of Jesus Christ That he shall be as Rivers of Water is a dry place Isa 32.2 And he hath promised such of his Servants as find their Souls to be like the dry ground that he will pour out his Spirit like flouds of water upon them that is in an abundant measure Isa 44.3 I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and flouds upon the dry ground I will pour out my Spirit upon thy Seed and my Blessing upon thine Off spring SECT 14. The Plea of such as say 'T is the Ministers work to instruct their Children answered Object 14 THis is the Ministers work not mine to catechise and instruct my Servants and my Children and why then should I take it in hand Answer Besides what the Ministers of Gods word are to do in this kind it is the duty of Parents and Masters of Families to teach and instruct their Children and Servants as hath been proved already by many clear Texts of Scripture I shall re-mind you of some of them Isa 38.19 The Father unto the Children shall make known thy truth Psal 78.5 He established a Testimony in Jacob and appointed a Law in Israel which he commanded our Fathers that they should make them known to their Children Ephes 6.4 And ye Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Deut. 6.6 7. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children This Precept is not given only to the Priests or Levites but to the whole House of Israel vers 4. So that it is a frivolous excuse for any man to think to put off this work from himself by saying it is the Ministers work to catechise his Children for God commandeth all Parents to teach his Word to their Children Yea it is a notorious falsehood for any man to say This is none of my work to instruct my Family whenas the Lord hath given so many and such strict Precepts to every man to instruct his Children SECT 15. Only such as are called of God are to take upon them the work of the Ministry Family-Instruction will not bring the Ministry into contempt Object 15 IF every man should take upon him to teach and instruct his Family this would be the way to make every man turn Preacher and would cause the Ministers of the Word to be slighted and despised and this makes us not only forbear this work our selves but also to dislike it in others because we would not have any take upon them the work of the Ministry but such as are called to it and we would not have the publick Ministry brought into contempt Answ 1. Family-Instruction and the work of the Ministry are two distinct works The one belongs to every Master of a Family the other belongs only to such as are called and sent forth by God to preach the Gospel Rom. 10.15 How shall they preach except they be sent And God hath not called all men to the work of the Ministry 1 Cor. 12.28 29. God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers Are all Apostles Are all Prophets Are all Teachers We may learn from this Text 1. That none are to be Teachers in the Church but those whom God sets there 2. That God doth set some not all to be Teachers in the Church Under the Law no man was to take the Office of the Priesthood without a call from God Heb. 5.4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself but he that was called of God as was Aaron Yea God made it death for such as were not called to intermeddle with the Priests Office Numb 18.7 Thou and thy Sons with thee shall keep your Priests Office for every thing of the Altar and within the Vail and ye shall serve And the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death What work our Lord Jesus did in and for the Church of God he did not do it without a Call Heb. 5.5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high Priest but he that said unto him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And God hath ordained under the Gospel that every man should improve those gifts which he hath distributed to him within the sphere and compass of his Calling 1 Cor. 7.17 As God hath distributed to every man as the Lord hath called every one so let him walk and so ordain I in all Churches Those works which are in themselves good works become sinful when they are done by those that have no call to do them and instead of being rewarded they have been punished by the Lord. To burn Incense upon the Altar of Incense was a very good and acceptable work David wisheth that his Prayer might be like Incense Psal 141.2 Let my Prayer be set before thee as incense Yet when Vzziah undertook to burn Incense who had no Call to do it it is called a Transgression and he was punished with Leprosie all his days 2 Chron. 25.18 21. It appertaineth not unto thee Vzziah to burn incense unto the Lord but to the Priests the Sons of Aaron that are consecrated to burn incense go out of the Sanctuary for thou hast trespassed neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God And Vzziah the King was a Leper unto the day of his death The more knowledge any man hath of the Scriptures the less fear there is of his taking upon him the work of the Minstry without a Call from God what this Call is and how a man may discern when he hath it would be too great a digression if I should here undertake the explanation thereof because the Scriptures are so full so plain so express in this point That only they that are called of God should take upon them the work and Office of the Ministry So that this Objection Every man will turn Preacher if he take upon him to instruct his Family in the knowledge of the Scriptures is of no force to hinder this work of Family-Instruction 2. Neither will
a very hard matter to come to the knowledge of Christ Crucified IV. That this Scripture doth not make void either Ministerial Teaching or Family-Instruction besides what hath been already said may further be proved 1. Because God teacheth in the use of means God could have revealed Himself and his Son in an immediate manner unto Cornelius but he puts him on sending for Peter to instruct him Acts 11.13 14. Send men to Joppa and call for Simon whose sirname is Peter who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy House shall be saved And it is his Covenant to teach his People not by his Spirit only or by his Word only but by his Word and Spirit and that as long as the world stands Isa 59.21 As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit which is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy Seed nor out of the mouth of thy Seeds Seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever 2. We see by sad experience the great ignorance and rudeness and dulness of those Children and Servants and of those Families and Places that have no instruction Though they live in Gospel-times and in the days of the New Covenant yet if they have no instruction they are as ignorant as they were that lived under the time of the Old Testament SECT 18. Though some Persons are nothing bettered by instruction yet we must continue to instruct them Object 18 WE see many Children and Servants that have good instructions prove very vile and corrupt and are never a whit the better but rather the worse for all the pains that is taken with them and therefore it is to no purpose for us to instruct our Families Answ 1. Though some are never a whit the better for the instructions and good counsels which are given them yet others are converted to God and edified thereby And who can tell but God may bless your labour unto the Conversion and Salvation of those that are under your Charge 2. If any means under Heaven will do them good instructing them out of the word of God is the most likely way and means to lead them to Repentance We think if a damned Soul should come out of Hell and declare what torments it hath felt in Hell or a Saint should come out of Heaven and declare what Joys he hath possess'd in Heaven this would work wonderfully upon our Children towards the leading of them to Repentance but the word of God which is contained in the Scriptures will do more towards the bringing men to Repentance then the rising of one from the dead would do Luc. 16.29 30 31. They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them And he said Nay father Abraham but if one went to them from the dead they will repent And he said unto him If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rise from the dead If the Scriptures will not perswade men to repent and believe such men would not repent and believe though Jesus Christ himself were on earth to speak to them John 5.46 47. Had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me but if ye believe not his writings how shall ye believe my words 3. If you should not convert your Children and Servants but they should still go on in their evil ways yet it is worth your time and pains to instruct and warn them of the danger they are in by reason of sin for hereby you shall deliver your own souls from being guilty of their Blood Ezek. 3.19 If thou warn the wicked and he turn not from his wickedness nor from his wicked way he shall die in his iniquity but thou hast delivered thy Soul 4. The word of God is to some men the savour of death unto death yet the Ministers of Christ must not cease to preach the word because all that hear them are not converted from their evil ways And when they discharge their work and duty faithfully they are a sweet savour unto God in those that perish as well as in them that are saved 2 Cor. 2.15 16. We are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish to the one we are the savour of death unto death and to the other the savour of life unto life So it is with Masters of Families they must not desist from Family-Instruction though they should see their Children or Servants continuing in their sins for if they discharge their duty faithfully and with diligence though they should have no success they shall be accepted of God in Christ Jesus SECT 19. The fear of aggravating our Childrens Condemnation should not make us neglect Family-Instruction Object 19 THe more light my Children have the greater their Condemnation will be if they make not a good use of it and I am afraid they will not and therefore I am afraid to instruct them lest I should aggravate their condemnation Answ I. It is true that the more Light any man hath the greater his condemnation will be if he do not make a good use of it Luc. 12.47 That Servant which knew his Lords will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes II. Though the case be so that the more light any man hath the greater will be his condemnation yet this must not make you neglect instructing them out of fear that they should not improve their light and so have the greater condemnation For 1. Some mens sin and condemnation will be aggravated by the coming of Christ into the world John 15.22 If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin but now they have no cloak for their sin Yet God did well in sending his Son into the world The preaching of Christ and the Gospel will make their condemnation more dreadful where Christ and the Gospel are not embraced than the condemnation of the Heathen that never heard of Christ John 3.19 This is the condemnation That Light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than Light because their deeds were evil See also Mat. 11. 23 24. Yet the preaching of Christ and the Gospel to the world is a good work and God pronounceth a wo against those that he hath called to the Ministry of the Gospel who preach it not 1 Cor. 9. 16. For necessity is laid upon me yea wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel Suppose it should increase your Childrens misery in the world to come to have Light if they make not a good use of it yet you do well when you instruct them yea a necessity is laid upon you and wo be unto you if you do it not 2. You run a greater hazard both of your own and your Childrens condemnation by neglecting to
may be their Lot was cast under your Roof that you might convert them to the knowledge and belief of the Truth therefore try both by convincing Scriptures and by a convincing Conversation to recover them from the Error of their ways And for your better Encouragement consider 1. VVhat a blessed and glorious work it is to reduce a man from Error to Truth and to bring back a stragling sheep to the fold of Christ by so doing you will be instrumental to save a soul Jam. 5.19 20. Brethren if any of you do err from the truth and one convert him let him know that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a Soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins 2. If you set your hearts to this work and labour diligently in it it is very probable that God will make you successful There is a promise that such as err shall be brought to the knowledge of the truth Isa 29.24 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding and they that murmured shall learn Doctrine And what is a more likely way to obtain this promise than to be diligent in using means to reclaim those that err from the Truth II. If you have not parts and abilities sufficient to convince them of their Errors and to perswade them to embrace the Truth get some others that have greater abilities then your selves to deal with them especially some godly Ministers who may be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers Tit. 1.9 III. If they remain obstinate and either will not be instructed or after instruction persist in their erronious Opinions remove them out of your Families 2 John 10. If there come any unto you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your House If persons that teach false Doctrine are not to be received into our Houses then such as have embraced false Doctrine and do pertinaciously adhere thereunto are to be cast out of our Houses What the Apostle adviseth concerning Church Censures Tit. 3.10 A man that is an Heretick after the first and second admonition reject The same may suit in this case if your servants hold dangerous Errors and after several admonitions and much means used to reclaim them do obstinately adhere to their corrupt Principles cast them out of your Families lest they leaven the whole Family with their evil Opinions 1 Cor. 5.6 Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump SECT 24. They that neglect Family Instruction are worse than Infidels and Idolaters Though others neglect this work we must not Object 24 NOne of my Neighbours do take this pains with their Families and why then should I Would you have me singular That is the way to be laugh'd to scorn and to be under reproach Answ 1. Take heed of bearing false witness against your Neighbour it may be several of your Neighbours make conscience of this duty of teaching and instructing their Families though you know it not It is a grievous slander to say None of your Neighbours take any care of their Families to teach them to know and serve the Lord it is in effect to say they are as bad or worse than Infidels 1 Tim. 5.8 If any provide not for his own especially for those of his own House he hath denied the faith and is worse than an Infidel The Soul is of far greater value than the Body and if so then the neglecting to provide for the Souls of those of our own House is a greater sin than the neglecting to provide for their Bodies Idolaters train up and employ their whole Families to serve their Idols Jer. 7.18 The Children gather wood and the Fathers kindle the fire and the women knead their Dough to make Cakes to the Queen of Heaven and to pour out drink-offerings unto other gods that they may provoke me to anger Here are men women and children all employed about the service of idol gods If Idolaters train up their children to serve their idol gods are not they worse than Idolaters who will not train up their Families to know and serve the true God So that you charge your Neighbours with a very great sin and an high crime when you say that none of them instruct their Families 2. Suppose none of your Neighbours should instruct their Families yet you must instruct yours Joshua resolved that though all Israel should neglect the service of the true God and turn aside to idols yet he and his House would serve the Lord Josh 24.15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord chuse you whom you will serve whether the Gods which your Fathers served that were on the other side of the Flood or the Gods of the Amorites in whose Lands ye dwell but as for me and my House we will serve the Lord. Your Neighbours neglect of their duty will not excuse you at the day of Judgment nor shelter you from the wrath of God nor mitigate your Torments in Hell if you suffer your Families to die in ignorance and so to perish eternally for want of instruction 3. You are not singular in this work for the wisest the most holy the best men that ever lived have been careful to train up their Families in the knowledge and fear of the Lord as Abraham Gen. 18.19 David Psal 34.11 Joshua Josh 24.15 Yea which of all the Saints and Servants of God ever neglected it 4. Suppose your Neighbours should reproach you for instructing your Families and call you by any odions names this should not at all dishearten you from this good work of Family-Instruction For 1. It is a blessed and happy thing to suffer reproach for doing any work that Jesus Christ sets us about 1 Pet. 4.14 If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you on their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified Matth. 5.11 12. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven 2. In this work you do Christ service and those that serve Christ shall be honoured by God John 12.26 If any man serve me him will my Father honour And if God honour you you need not care who despiseth or reproacheth you SECT 25. How to deal with such as refuse Instruction Objects 25 I Would very willingly instruct my Family if they were willing to be instructed but my Family will not submit to instruction and what can I do in this case Answ 1. Enquire whence it comes to pass that God afflicts you with this sore Judgment of rebellious Children and Servants that will not submit to instruction When God makes any members of our Families prove Crosses to us he is usually bringing some sin to our remembrance and