I shall more briefly touch upon these few things but do you ponder them First The Glory of God was the end he aimed at in all that he makes and doth Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself And well he might for there is none higher than himself none better He made all for himself as Heaven for that is his Throne so Earth for that is his Footstool And as other Creatures so intelligent rational Creatures as Angels so Men and as Persons so Families all of them for himself all for his glory and is there not reason that they whom God hath made should mind and pursue that which they were made for Those that do not live to that purpose do not live to good purpose and if they do not live to that end for which God made them will at last miss of that Reward which they are now so forward to promise themselves Secondly Other Creatures do in their kind honour God not only the irrational Creatures but also the inanimate ones the Heavens and the Firmament Psal. 19.1 The Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy-work So do the Day and the Night vers 2. Day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth knowledge yea and they go up and down doing it they compass Sea and Land doing it vers 3 4. There is no Speech nor Language where their Voice is not heard their Line is gone out through all the Earth and their Words to the end of the World And it would certainly be a shame and reproach to us if any of our Families should be mute and silent and bring him no glory Thirdly God doth expect glory from us This is the Tribute he looks should be paid him by us Mal. 1.6 A Son honoureth his Father and a Servant his Master if I then be a Father where is my honour and if I be a Master where is my fear saith the Lord of Hosts God hath been graciously pleased to put himself into all endearing Relations to his People There you read of his being both a Father and a Master and those that desire to be his Children must resolve to be his Servants and in order to an happy enjoyment of the Priviledges there must be a cordial and chearful performance of the duties We must honour him as a Father and fear him as a Master Now the fear of God doth contain in it as that inward filial and holy affection of the Soul so the outward Worship of God and they that do not so fear him do not honour him Nay let your Profession be never so great and your pretences to Religion never so high your not having his Worship in your Families is no other than so far a practical disowning and renouncing him Fourthly The Honour of God is to be dearer to us than our own Interest This should be laid at the foot of that Iohn the Baptist was most freely willing to decrease so that Christ might increase to dwindle away and vanish into a worthless inconsiderable nothing so that Christ might be exalted in the hearts of Men and it should be so with us and with all upon whom his Name is called The design of honouring God and lifting up of his Name should be uppermost and run through our whole course and be the main principal scope of all our Actions as is evident from that Scripture Precept 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatever ye do do all to the glory of God As all our Affections should meet in God as the only Center so all our Actions should be directed to his glory as the supream ultimate and most noble end But are they obedient to this Command do they walk according to this excellent Rule who do not set up the Worship of God in their Families no they are far from it they live in a direct contrariety Instead of doing all to the glory of God in their Families they do nothing they mind their own things but mind not regard not the things of God and Iesus Christ they do neither seek after God nor live unto him and what is this but vile ingratitude and most sordid baseness what is it but brutish selfishness When men are confin'd to and wrapt up in themselves do not look above nor beyond themselves they eat and drink they wake and sleep for themselves they dress and deck and finifie themselves they labour and toil and trade for themselves they scrape and hoard and lay up for themselves and in this they are unwearied and unsatisfied never think they are fine enough nor rich enough nor great enough but all this while the great God is most shamefully forgotten and neglected he is not in their thoughts nor in their designs Fifthly The Glory of God is to be sought and promoted by us to our utmost Our best is his due therefore he calls for the Heart the whole of it and for the Male of the Flock Our All is his due we have it from him and we owe it to him Deut. 6.5 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Might Where you have the Object of your Love the most proper and principal Object of it God and the Reasons why we should love him the one is his own Nature because He is the Lord Iehovah who hath his Being of himself gives Being to all things that are and accomplishment to his Word and Promises the other is his Relation to us or our Interest in him He is thy God thine in a Covenant of Grace Again there you have the Manner of your Love or the Degree of it how high it must reach how far extend to all all thy Heart to which the Scripture ascribes Understanding Wisdom and Faith all thy Soul which is the seat of the Will and Affections and with all thy Might love him as well as we can blow up our Love to God unto the hottest and most vehement flame Love him with all your ability Let your Love to God go as far as your Authority reacheth and the Power of your Hand and there let your Love express it self Honour him in your House and with your Substance By all these things it doth evidently appear the Glory of God should be exceeding dear to us and industriously served and promoted by us Now I will appeal to you in the case who are Heads of Houses and ask this one Question What better way can you take What course can you think of that will be more proper and probably successful for the advancing of the Honour of God than the setting up of his Worship and Religious Exercises in your Families What can you do more toward it what better What is there within the compass of your Power that hath a fairer a more promising aspect and tendency to this great noble End How can you better serve the Interest of God and Godliness And
your being upon whom you have your dependance and unto whom you must be accountable for your time and talents and all that you have done in the Body make God your choice this is your chusing time oh chuse well chuse God for your sweetest Companion walk with him as Noah did and Enoch and all the Saints in their several Generations When you awake be still with him be continually with him let your fellowship be with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. Eye God as the most perfect pattern and study imitation be ye followers of him as dear Children holy as he is holy and live to God as your noblest end do all to his glory if you make his glory your end he will make use of your Salvation as a means thereto so that both means and end shall be secur'd count his fear your treasure Hezekiah valued it more than his Royal Exchequer or his Peoples Purses be you in it all the day fear him now as a Father that you may not at last tremble before him as a Judge nor be glad to have Rocks and Mountains fall upon you and hide you from his face and wrath Oh! let Jesus Christ be precious to you as he is to all them that believe sell all for that Pearl of Price part with your sins and your own Righteousness all confidence in the Flesh yea and whatsoever you have in the World rather than go without him take him in all his Offices learn of him as your Prophet trust in him as your Priest and submit to him as your King follow him in all his ways and be expressive of him in your own shew forth the vertues the humility meekness patience holiness heavenly mindedness of him who hath called you unto his Kingdom and Glory Ask of God that Holy Spirit which is a Spirit of Love and Power and a sound mind that he may convince you of Sin and Righteousness and Judgment lead you into all truth help your infirmities strengthen you with all might in the inner-Man quicken and inlarge you revive and comfort you sealing you up to the day of Redemption and beware of resisting quenching or grieving him Acquaint your selves well with the Scriptures read them every day study them meditate in them pray for the opening of your eyes that you may see the wondrous things of the Law and the precious things of the Gospel make them your delight and your Counsellors receiveing no Doctrine as true but what they own nor any practice as good which they do not allow eye them as the rule of Faith and Manners hide them in your heads and hearts that you may not sin against God know the truth love and live in it Get Consciences rightly inform'd and consult them and be ready to hear them do not cross them but make it your daily exercise to keep them void of offence both toward God and toward Man remembring that Conscience is Gods Deputy which curiously observes and carefully records thoughts words and actions is more than a thousand Witnesses will be a sweet Comforter or dreadful Tormentor In short set God always before you live by faith upon him in obedience to him and communion with him frequently and seriously think of Death Judgment Heaven and Hell So carry that you may not be a curse to the World nor a grief to your Friends while you live nor a terrour to your selves when you come to die My hearts desire and Prayer for you is that God would doth bless you and make you blessings FINIS
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
his Talent in a Napkin That Gods Service is perfect Freedom and then do Men and Women walk at liberty when they keep his Precepts Whereas the Service of Sin is no better than Slavery and its work a drudgery the Sweet-Meats of Sin are wrapt up in a Curse and its most pleasant ways lead down to the Chambers of Death Whereas the Yoke of Christ is easie being lin'd with Love and his Burthen is light having both Wings and the Shoulder of God to help them to bear it In the service of Sin a poor Creature spends all at his own cost like the poor Israelites under Pharaoh and his Cruel Task-Masters who were not only forced to make Brick but likewise to find Straw to make it with and then the Wages given at last will be death Whereas God doth cut out Work for his Servants and give them strength to do it he chalks out their way and inlargeth their hearts to run it he giveth power to the faint when they have none of their own he supplies them with enough so that Paul said He could do all things thro' Christs strengthning him Shew to them the reasonableness of the Law of God which hath been given out to Man for the Directory of his Life and the Rule of his Actions that it is pure and perfect and worthy both of our obedience and our Love yea doth and will afford great singular delight to a person of a right frame and constitution and well it may seeing the Law is holy and the Commandments holy just and good Rom. 7.12 It is such a Law was fit for God to give and fit for Man to receive it being purity throughout and is suitable to the Nature of God who is an Infinite Holy and Righteous Being It was also suitable to the Nature of Man possible easie pleasant to him before he was degenerate corrupt and depraved Let us run through the Commandments and at the first view it will appear they are not grievious as the beloved Disciple saith 1 Iohn 5.3 What can be more reasonable than that we should have and own love and trust in fear and serve him for our God and him only who is God indeed and God alone besides whom there is none else What could with greater reason be forbidden than the making of any Graven Image or the likeness of any thing which is in Heaven above or in the Earth beneath or in the Waters under the Earth so as to fall down and Worship them for what can be more ridiculous than to give Divine Honour to that which Man himself gave being to what more gross and egregious nonsence than to call that a God part of which is consumed in the fire Is it not reasonable that we all should sanctifie the name of God and not prophane it nor take it in vain and that we should cheerfully spend some time in his Service who is the great Lord of time and keep holy the Sabbath Day laying out that seventh part of time which he hath chosen and sanctified and set apart for himself in his service and Worship what exceptions can be made against Honouring our Fathers and Mothers Childrens honouring their Parents Servants their Masters and Mistresses Inferiours their Superiours Subjects their Governours what more just than that Men should not kill others by violence nor themselves by intemperance and excess nay that they should not hate one another nor be angry without a cause nor too much nor too long What also can be with reason objected against that Law of God which forbids Rapine Theft Robbery Adultery and all Uncleanness all Reviling Slandering Backbiting and bearing false witness against our Neighbours and also coveting those things which are not our own but commandeth us to sit down contented with those things which we have whether they be more or less till God shall please to carve out for us a larger and more liberal allowance Surely as to all these things save only the seventh part of time the light of Nature would dictate and lead to the practice of them Reason it self doth suggest and teach that to be religious righteous good temperate chast kind meek humble and lowly is fit for Men it highly becomes them and doth greatly conduce and contribute to their honour and peace and prosperity to their welfare and comfort every way these things give them boldness make their faces shine and commend them to all that know them But on the other side injustice oppression disobedience drunkeness uncleanness theft lying subornation perjury false witness swearing debauchery and prophaneness of all sorts do offend Heaven and Earth they tend to the dishonour and displeasing of God and to the undoing of Persons and Families yea to the ruine of Societies and Kingdoms and the whole World for these things sake the wrath of God comes down upon the Children of disobedience To shut up this particular let them know there is none of Gods Commandments but what doth evidently and directly make for Mans own good it tends to the preserving of his Name that it may be like precious Ointment without a dead Flye in it and of his Life that his days may be long in the Land and of his Health that his life may be comfortable as well as long and of his Estate that that may prosper and increase and not be blasted with a Curse and so consume and melt like Snow before the Sun they have a benign and kind influence upon Mans whole interest Godliness being profitable for all things for Soul Body and Calling for Time and Eternity for the Life that now is and for that which is to come and there is nothing can be named by which we can possibly so much promote our own good as by a cordial and constant respect to all God's Commandments we shall not then be ashamed nor repent Oh! how sweet and pleasant will it be when we can in truth say with holy Paul Herein do we exercise our selves to keep a Conscience void of offence both toward God and toward Man Acts 24.16 Eightly Acquaint them with the present Advantages that come by Religion and a consciencious performance of Duty God's Israel have their Manna now and their Clusters by the way in the Wilderness as well as a Land flowing with Milk and Honey at the last As there are some drops before the Storm so First-fruits before the Harvest David saith God's Commandments are right and true more to be desired than Gold much fine Gold sweeter also than Honey and the Honey-comb and that in keeping them there is great reward Psal. 19.11 There is Meat in the very Mouth of duty he doth not say there shall be a great reward though that is true it shall be in Heaven but there is so God is now a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him and are careful to obey him his Servants shall not stay for all but have something down the Feast is to come but there are foretastes
at present We frequently see that Sin doth carry its punishment along with it Soon after Cain had kill'd his Brother the Innocent Blood cried and Judgment was in part Executed Quickly after Iudas had play'd the Traytor God made him his own Executioner While Belshazzar was impiously Carousing in the Vessels of the Sanctuary there was an Hand-writing upon the Wall and that very Night was he slain So God hangs up some Notorious Criminals as it were in Chains in terrorem that others might be warned and frighted and some restraint laid upon and bounds set to wickedness which would otherwise overflow all and that some order might be preserved and kept up in the World On the other side God doth even in this Life frequently reward good Men and both give them Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly Things and outward Blessings in Earthly Things thereby making it evident to all that have Eyes in their Heads and will observe that it is not in vain to fear God And though his upright Iob's are not so sordidly Mercinary as to serve him meerly for hire yet he is so infinitely good and gracious that they shall not serve him for nought but while they walk before him in their Integrity and make it their desire and endeavour to please and obey him he watcheth over them with a never-slumbering Eye and takes special Fatherly Care of them and doth them good they have peace in their Breasts and Families protection about them and all that they have and also Food convenient for them a supply of all their need And though some others of his People who are dear unto him and exceeding precious in his sight have but little a very little of this Worlds Goods but from Hand to Mouth yet they can be cheerful sitting down to a Dinner of Herbs and eat them with a merry Heart giving God thanks because they know they have the love of God in it and the Blessing of God with it and by consequence that little which they have is better than the Riches and great Revenues of many wicked their Brown Bread is better than the others Venison which is pepper'd hot with a Curse and their Cup of cold Water is better than the others most generous Wine because the Wrath of God is dropt into it and all shall at last be dearly paid for when Divine Justice shall bring in the Reckoning Shew them that the Service of God and a care to please him is the way to get the good things of the World both the Creatures and the Comfort of them for as we before said Godliness hath the Promises of this Life i. e. both of Life it self and what doth appertain to it And as it is the Blessing of God that maketh Rich so his Blessing is upon his People upon them and only upon them Others have no Interest in the Promise and therefore cannot lay claim to the Blessing nor groundedly expect and hope for it Profane Esau would fain have had the Blessing he ask'd it he beg'd it he wept for it but alas it was gone before Isaac had past it to his Brother Iacob and he was not to be alter'd Esau had contemned the Birthright and sold it for a Mess of Pottage and therefore he should not have the Blessing He found in his Father no place for Repentance although he sought it carefully with Tears Profaneness excludes from the Blessing But withal take some pains with them yea do all that you can to keep their Hearts from being ingaged to the World and their Affections from being wedded and devoted to these sublunary Enjoyments do not commend to them fine Cloaths gorgeous Attire and outward Bravery that is the way to make them proud but the Robe of Righteousness a putting on of the Lord Jesus Christ by Faith and Imitation and a being cloathed with Humility Do not commend to them earthly Riches which reach not the Soul which are uuncertain and take unto themselves Wings and flee away leaving the poor Owner in a worse condition than they found him but commend to them the good part that shall never be taken from them the Riches of Faith and an Interest in the Promises Not worldly Grandeur which is so slippery nor high places from which so many tumble and fall and break their Necks but great goodness great measures of Faith and Holiness great serviceableness in their several places labour to convince them of the littleness and vanity and nothingness of those things which the bewitched worldlings do so madly dote upon and so idolatrously hug and pursue still after with so much eagerness as if they could never have enough and indeed let them get never so much of them they will never find enough in them but in the fulness of their sufficiency they will be in straits Iob 20.22 Such Men are in straits during that fulness of sufficiency though they have abundance they do not think it enough their condition is high and their outward comforts are large but their spirits are too big for their condition and so they are pinch'd and pain'd like a Gouty Foot in a narrow and little Shooe And many times God chuseth that as his Season for the making both his Power and Anger known upon them when they are at the full they are eclipsed when their Cup runs over he empties them when they stand stâ—utting and vapouring as Nebuchadnezzar in his Palace Is not this great Babylon which I have built then Divine Providence trips them up and lays their Honour in the Dust. Turn away their Eyes from beholding these Vanities and direct them to more noble and amiable Objects that do better deserve their Love and will requite it at a greater rate make them to know there are other manner of Beauties and Glories to be had and therefore to be sought and looked after those Riches and Honour which are with Wisdom durable Riches and Righteousness Prov. 8.18 Tell them that one Drachm of Saving Grace is better than Thousands of Gold and Silver that Christ is better than Creatures God better than all the World and his Favour than Life his Smiles than the brightest Sun-shine therefore Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt and rather chose to suffer affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a Season Heb. 11.25 26. And David counted one day in God's Courts better than a Thousand elsewhere and would rather be a Door-keeper in the House of his God than dwell in the Tents of Wickedness Once more convince them if it be possible that beginning with God is beginning at the right end this is the best method and will be most successful To set our Affections upon things above is the directest and most compendious way of attaining those things which are here below Let a Man make sure of Christ and he may very well trust God with all his outward concerns The Lord is my shepherd let
that be the Proposition and then I shall not want is a good conclusion by no means to be denied Psal 23.1 whereas setting Affections upon things below is the way to miss of those things which are above Dunghil-rakers do not find the Pearl of Price Saul indeed seeking the Asses lighted upon the Kingdom but I think the Bible affords not such another instance Paul tells us Destruction is the end of those whose God is their belly and who mind earthly things Minding earthly things as the chiefest good is the high way to Beggary and Ruin in the end They that will be rich fall into Temptation and not seldom under Heart-wounding Heart-breaking Disappointments Our dear Lord Jesus who is the faithful and true Witness and the wisest Counsellor hath given us excellent Advice commended by a sure and comfortable Promise Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you Mat. 6.33 All these things added Yes so far as your Heavenly Father sees them necessary for you nay more so far as he seeth them good for you no good thing shall he with hold and truly that is far enough farther than so they are not to be desired farther than so they are not worth the having Lastly In your Families and among them who are committed to your Charge direct your Speech very much to the great things of the other World and that recompence of Reward which is to come God took Abram after Lot was separated from him and said to him lift up now thine Eyes and look from the place where thou art northward and southward and eastward and westward for all the Land which thou seest to thee will I give it and to thy seed for ever Gen. 13.14 15. So do you take the Members of your Families and bid them lift up their Eyes and look off from this dirty World up to that glorious Canopy over their Heads the Firmament bespangled with Sun Moon and Stars that is but the Floor or Pavement of the Presence Chamber of the King of Glory the Bride-Chamber of the Lamb the Seat of the Blessed which he will give for an Everlasting Inheritance unto them who have chosen and love and obey him Be often and often discoursing to them of Heaven the Company there the Imployment there the Felicity and Satisfaction there the Vision and Fruition that the Saints shall have there of God and Christ whom they shall see not as in a Glass darkly but Face to Face the sweet Fellowship and Communion they shall there have with God in the greatest Intimacy without the least disturbance or interruption there being no sinful withdrawings from God on their part and no angry withdrawings from them on God's part and no Enemy to divert the Mind or break the Peace or abate the Delight but a fulness of Joy they shall have in the presence of their God and Saviour and at his Right Hand Pleasures for evermore Let them know what you can of the greatness of those Preparations which he hath made for them that love and fear him even such things as Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor hath entred into the Heart of Man There is an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for them As there are all dimensions in the love which Christ bears to them heighth depth length and breadth so there are in that Happiness and Glory which he hath prepared for them Mind them of the nature of this their present Life that it is but transitory in a continual flux we die daily look how much we have liv'd so much we are already dead our Candle is burning down into the Socket and the Oil of our Lamp spends apace not a Day Hour nor Minute passeth over our Heads but it bringeth us nearer to our Grave which is the House of all the Living and unto it we are continually travelling It is a troublesome Life sin deserves it should be a lamentation thoroughout and God might make it so however they will find it checquer'd be their Morning never so fair and serene yet their Day will be overcast before Night comes and though at the first setting out they have a pleasant Gale yet they must expect to meet with many a furious Storm before they come into their Harbour Children come crying into the World Men and Women go sighing thorough it and groaning out of it Many are the afflictions of the very righteous though God will deliver them out of all It is an uncertain Life Who knows what is in the Womb of Providence or what may be the product of a day we are but short-sighted and cannot tell what stands at the Door ready to draw the Latch Samson found Honey in the Carcase of a Lion but many find Wormwood and Gall in the very Hive where they expected Honey and what they did hope would have been their greatest comfort doth prove their bitterest vexation their greatest torment and what wise Man would take up with such a Life since a better may be made sure of But again this is but a short Life a span long three or fourscore Years to come seem a great while but when past they are as a Tale that is told Few and evil said good Iacob have the days of the years of my Pilgrimage been and truly since sin and sorrow do make them evil it is a Mercy that God doth make them few But since our Lives are short we should not be covetous for a little will serve the turn a little will serve to carry us thorough our Journey See that there be but Oil in the Vessel against the Bridegroom's coming and then it is no great matter though there is but a little Meal in the Barrel let them have their Bellies filled with hid Treasures whose Portion is in this Life let them hunt after great things here who are to have their good things their all here But insisth much among them upon that Life which is to come that will know no end but hath an Eternal duration O Eternity Eternity maist thou strike us all with astonishment and fill our Souls with an aweful regard There will be another state into which we must every one pass at death that will be unalterable a state that is altogether a stranger to hope or to fear that will know nothing to abate its sorrows or to lessen its comforts that hath either Meridian brightness without any obscuring shade or scorching Flames without the least refreshing drop such a state as will be either inconceivably Happy or unspeakbly Miserable and that to all everlasting The Blessed shall from their heighth of Bliss look down without any danger of falling and the Damned shall in their Abyss of Misery and Woe look up without any possibility of rising So Abraham told the Rich Glutton in Hell Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed so that they which would pass from hence
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