Gods sparing their Parents to them if they thus obey them SECTION XVIII THirdly The next Relation I consider in a Family is the Relation of Masters and Servants whom God hath spared in this great Mortality and if you would live in some measure answerably to this Mercy as it is a Mercy to some to have Servants and it is a Mercy to others to have Masters then you must fill up the duties of your Relation First Masters Duties are set down Col. 4.1 Masters give unto your Servants that which is just and equal knowing that ye also have a Master in Heaven where you have 1. The Charge that is given to do that which is just and equal 2. The Persons to whom this Charge is given Masters 3. The Persons unto whom this justice and equity must be shown Servants 4. The Reason to enforce it knowing that ye have a Master in heaven There is no Man that is a Master but he hath a Master and that is God 1. Masters must not impose upon their Servants any thing simply unlawful that is not just to Work or carry Burdens upon the Lords day without necessity c. 2. Masters must not impose upon their Servants things above their strength though they be lawful this is not just 3. Masters must not deny their Servants convenient Food nor their due Wages this is not just 4. Masters must not turn away their Servants when they are sick who served them when they were in health and strength without their consent this is not just 5. Masters must not deny them necessary time for the performance of their necessary duties unto God this is neither just nor equal It is but equity if Servants spend their time in your service that you should allow them some time for the Service of God and the saving of their souls for to wear out their Bodies in serving you now and for want of time to Read and Pray to have their Soules damned hereafter would be a very unequal unjust and unreasonable thing SECT XIX Secondly Servants if you would live answerably for the Mercy of God in sparing you then performe the Duties God requireth at your hands towards your Masters The Duty of Servants is set down Eph. 6.5 Servants be obedient to them that are your Masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling in singleness of heart as unto Christ Vers 6. Not with eye-eye-service as Men-pleasers but as the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart Vers 7. With good will doing service as to the Lord and not to Men. Vers 8. Knowing that whatsoever good thing any Man doth the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free To this the Apostle addeth Servants obey in all things your Masters knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance for ye serve the Lord Christ Col. 3.22 23 24 25. in both which places the Apostle meets with the usual defects of Servants in their Relation which are 1. Half Service 2. Eye Service 3. Hypocritical Service 4. Prophaneness in Service 5. Irreverence in Service 6. Grudging in Service 7. Baseness of mind in Service To these are opposed Service 1. In all things 2. Not eye-service 3. In singleness of heart 4. In the fear of God 5. Trembling 6. From the heart and with good will 7. A glorious reward 1. Servants must do all the service they owe unto their Masters not to do one thing and leave another undone but you must obey in all things i. e. lawful 2. Servants must not give eye service That is onely in their Masters sight and presence but must be as careful of their Masters business in his absence as if he were looking on them they must not do their work as those that are serving Men who cannot alwaies see them but as the servants of Christ serve him who believe that he alwaies sees them and let Servants remember that though Masters do not alwaies see them yet God doth 3. Servants must performe the Works of their Masters service in singleness of heart with uprightness and without dissimulation they must not be hypocrites in Mens service as they must not in the Service of God Servants must do all from obedience to Gods Commands and yield therefore obedience to wicked Masters in lawful things 1 Pet. 2.18 Servants be subject to your Masters with all fear not onely to the good and gentle but also to the froward So to poor Masters though they can give them but mean wages 4. They must do it in the fear of God As the servants of God must pray in the fear of God and hear in the fear of God so they that are servants to Men must do their work in the fear of God then they must not Curse and Swear at their work nor talk sinfully nor speak or sing obscenely 5. Wiâ—h reverence to their Masters 1 Tim. 6.1 Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own Masters worthy of all Honour that the Name of God and his Doctrine be not blasphemed If thou serve a poor Master yet being thy Master thou art bound to honour him else thou will be a reproach to the Name of God and his Doctrine 6. They must not grudge the Service they do but do it from the heart and with good will Servants hearts must not be set upon their Masters business they cannot give away their heart from God but they must do their Work from the heart i. e. willingly cheerfully 7. They must not onely aime at the wages they have from their Masters that is poor and low and sordid to work and labour for such a reward but as those that know if they do their service be it never so mean and servile in obedience to Gods command and for his glory they shall have a reward in Heaven God will reward the mean service of a poor servant with an eternal Crown 8. They must be faithful in their Masters business they must not purloin steal and secretly convey away any thing of their Masters Estate Money or Goods or sell it at under-rate to his Masters real prejudice and dammage by private contract between himself and the buyer to consider him for his cheap Bargain Tit. 2.9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own Masters and to please them well in all things not answering again Vers 10. Not purloining but shewing all good fidelity that they may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things When thy hand is in thy Masters Box and thou art pilfring away his Money to Game to keep Company or spend any way without his knowledge this is Theft and God seeth thee though he do not and if thou hast purloined or stole any thing thou art bound to restore it if thou canst and to confess thy fault and be humbled and do so no more 9. They must be frugal for their Masters that though they steal nothing
from them yet they may sin by suffering their Masters Goods to be wasted as Food to be cast away and many things to be spent and consumed when there is no need this is not to shew all fidelity to your Masters So Jacob Gen. 31.36 37.38 39 40. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee I bare the loss of it of my hands didst thou require it whether stollen by day or stollen by night 10. They must not answer again out of a murmuring spirit nor give word for word that if their Master rebukes them for their sin they must not speak as fast as he nay though a Master should speak Wrathfully and in unjust Anger yet they must not Answer Perversely to them again but with meekness and silence except they require or give leave go about their Imployment committing their cause to God who will right them if their Masters wrong them Col. 3.25 But he that doth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done and there is no respect of Persons God regards not Mens outward conditions he regards not the Mistriss more than the Maid nor the Master more than the Man but judgeth righteously betwixt the greatest and the meanest 11. They must remember when they are obedient in their Masters Service they are serving the Lord Christ What a poor servant doth in servile Labour in the meanest lowest imployment he is serving of God and this might sweeten to him more difficult and unpleasing Work Thus I have done with this direction in which all Men in one capacity or other herein considered are concerned to make improvement of Gods Preserving of them in time of so great Contagion by being eminently exemplary in the Conditions Capacity Relations wherein they stand which if they do caeteris paribus they live in some measure answerable to so great a Mercy DIRECTION V. HAth God spared you in a time of Pestilence then if you would live answerable diligently watch against secret sins and let your special care be about the hidden and secret things in Religious Duties God hath kept you in his Chambers Isa 26.20 Come my people enter thou into thy Chambers and shut thy doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment untill the indignation be overpast God hath hid you from Judgment in the secret Chambers of his Protection and will you hide your sins in the secret corners of your hearts Or will you allow your self to sin because you are in your secret Chambers Or will this be to live worthy of Gods secret Protection of you to commit secret sins against God That you are preserved this is visible all that see you walking in the streets know this But Gods way of preserving you was not only by visible means as Antidotes and Cordials but by the invisible Guard of holy Angels Psal 91.10 There shall no evil befall thee neither shall any Plague come nigh thy dwelling Ver. 11. For he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy waies Ver. 12. They shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone The reason why you have been preserved is because God hath caused you to dwell in the secret place of the most high and hath made you to abide under the shadow of the Almightie Psal 91.1 When the Pestilence was walking in darkness and the Arrows of the Almightie were secretly shot and flying abroad He kept you in the secret of his Pavilion Psal 37.5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his Pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle he shall hide me he shall set me upon a rock As all visible means would not have been effectual for your preservation without Gods secret and invisible watching over you So abstaining only from visible sins and performing only that of duty which is visible will not be a sutable nor answerable return for this great mercie Therefore my advice unto you is that as Gods goodness to you hath been in a secret way of preservation so your care should especially be about secret things and that in two respects In abstaining from secret sins In maintaining secret duties First Be careful to abstain from secret sins Do not cherish sins in your hearts and thoughts though they should never proceed to outward act For a man whom God hath kept in time of Plague might be no open Swearer no visible Drunkard nor live in open wickedness and yet might walk unworthy of Gods mercy to him And here I shall answer these two Questions 1. What are those Considerations whereby a man should urge his heart to abstaine from heart and secret sins 2. What are the helps and means for inabling of a man to abstain from heart and secret sins Quest 1. What are those Considerations whereby a Christian should urge his heart to abstain from heart sins and secret sins not to let into the secrets of his heart what he can by watchfulness prevent and not to allow that which notwithstanding all his diligence he cannot prevent For there is great difference betwixt having sin in the heart and regarding or allowing sin in the heart Psal 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me A Christian may have yea cannot in this life but have sin in his heart but this not allowed but groaned under and lamented for shall not hinder the audience of his prayers nor the salvation of his soul But the regarding and allowing of it will prevent both SECT I. Considerations to keep you from secret sins GOD sets your secret sins in the light of his countenance Psal 90.8 You can never sin so secretlie as to hide your sins from God Study well these Scriptures Psal 139.1 to 17 vers Jer. 23.24 Heb. 4.13 Prov. 5.21 For the waies of man are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings Whether your waies are good or evil open or secret they are before the eyes of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rectà è regione right over Gods eyes He pondereth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He weigheth them in scales and many of our actions he findeth to be too light There are some sins so secret that other men might not know them and some are so secret that a man might not know them himself as sins of Ignorance Psal 19.12 Who can understand his errours Cleanse thou me from secret faults But no sin can be said to be secret in respect of God Others see some sin in you you may see more in your self But God seeth all because he is omniscient But there â—re many sins which are so secret that we our selves see them not The causes of this are 1. Imperfection of self-knowledge 2. Excess of self-love 3. Deceiâ—fulness of sin 4. Closeness of sin 5. Want of watchfulness But there is no sin can be hid from God for God seeth the Nature Number and Aggravations
call not upon thy Name Fury is the utmost of Gods wrath and this shall not be dropped only but poured out upon your family God will poure down showres of wrath and fury upon those houses that neglect his Worship 4. From equity You would have all in your family discâ—aâ—ge their duties which they owe to you you would have your children be obedient to you and your servants be dutiful to you and do your work and serve you and is it not then reasonable that you and they should discharge your duâ—ies unto God and that you and they should serve the Lord when you and they have more dependance upon God then they have upon you 5. If you neglect your duty herein you will be guilty of the blood of the Soules of those that die in your family and are damned for ever you will be bloody Butchers to the soules of your Children and Servants God hath committed the care of their soules in great measure unto you and can you discharge your trust that God hath reposed in you in the total neglect of your duty herein hath not God charged you in the fourth Commandment that neither you your self should prophane his day and that you should see that neither your sons nor daughters neither your man-men-servants nor maid-servants should prophane it and if they do will not God require this at your hand 6. The total neglect of Family-Worship will be â— flat denying God to be the God of your family that you take not God to be the Master of your family would not you say That your Servants deny you to be their Master if they deny their Service to you and can you say That God is the God of your house if you in your house do not Worship him Mal. 1.6 A son honoureth his Father and a servant his Master if then I be a Father where is mine honour and if I be a Master where is my Fear if your Family disown God God will disown your Family and if God disown and cast you off will not your family be a miserable family 7. If you neglect the worship of God in your Family this will be a bad example to those that go out of your family to constitute other families when your Children shall have families of their own and your Servants shall have families of their own will not they be too apt to neglect them as they have seen you neglect yours and so your sin will have an influence upon them and you will be in some respect guilty of the neglect of Gods Worship in your Children and Servants families but if you be conscientious in your family you will be exemplary to them to do likewise 8. God will punish your neglect of his Service to him with Family-Judgments if you do not make your house a house of Prayer God will make your house an house of Contention and Strife an house of Railings and Quarrellings and will punish you with undutiful Children and disobedient servants for how can you expect that they should be good toward you when you endeavour not to make them good towards God if you would press your Children and Servants to love God and obey and serve God they would then obey you from a principle of Conscience and serve you out of fear to God they would be more faithful to you if you would call upon them to serve God Might not God justly suffer your Servants to purloin and steal from you when you and they do steal from God that time for the World which is due to God SECTION X. SEcondly The Duties wherein you should worship God in your Families are such as these In Praying unto God and that 1. ordinarily And your ordinary Praying unto God in your family should be daily and that at least twice every day every Morning when you rise and every Night before you dismiss your Family to their rest and sleep Exod. 29.38 Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the Altar Two Lambs of the first year day by day continually Vers 39. The one Lamb thou shalt offer in the morning and the other Lamb thou shalt offer at even Though the Ceremonial part of this be abolished yet the Moral abideth and is perpetual and the reasons for daily Prayer in your families are perpetual as 1. You have daily family sins and therefore in your family you should daily confess them and beg the Pardon of them that you and your family might not go about your necessary occasions all the day nor to your necessary rest at night with the guilt of sin upon your Soules 2. You have every day daily wants therefore you should daily beg supplies for your family and Christ bids you pray Give us this day our daily bread 3. You have family business every day and you should pray to God daily for his blessing upon your endeavours for the good of your family 4. You have every day family mercies and should daily bless God for them when you wake in the morning and find your house not fired in the night is not this a family mercy and should not your family be called together to bless God for this mercy in the morning you find your family all in health none of them dead in their beds and should not you since you all live all come together and bless God that sleep was not turned into death nor the darkness of the right into the darkness of Hell to any of you And have you not many mercies every day you went out well about your imployment and you returned well and God hath blest your endeavours with success and should not you give to God the praise of his Mercy before you sleep or if you have sustained some Losses should not you pray to God to sanctifie them to you and inable you patiently to bear them and submit to the will of God therein 2. Or family-Prayer is sometimes extraordinary when your family lies under some extraordinary affliction or wants some extraordinary mercy or have had some extraordinary deliverance from evil and danger then should you in your family send up extraordinary Prayer and Pâ—aises unto God so did Esther and her Maidens fast and pray Esther 4.16 And I could wish that families apart were more acquainted with and more frequent in this duâ—y In Reading the Word of God This would be betâ—er then Cards and Dice But in many Famâ—lâ—es the Bible lies upon the shelfe all the week long and scarce hâ—ve it in their hands but when they take it to go to Church and many scarce then neither God hath commanded you to acquaint your family with â—he woâ—d of God and how will you do it if you never Read it to them nor Discourse of it with them Deut. 11.18 Therefore shall you lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul and bind them for a sign upon your hand that they may be as frontless between your eyes
existimant se aliquod bonis suis adjicere tandem pro the sauro inventuros dei indignationem Bez in loc Question Sixth Question Seventh Corollaries from the first part of this Direction The second part of the first Direction Ten Lessons to be learned in this City that hath been a great house of mourning Verity of divine threatnings Desert of sin Mans mortâ—lâ—ty The worlds vanity The uncertainty of all relatiâ—ns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When they set forth to Sea Vâ—la daâ—t when they have done their voyage vela contra hunt Humility Parity in â—â—t â—â—d afflictions Difference â—n the â—anner Folly of delays Mortification Ten Aggravations of Gods Peoples sin if they be worse Seventeen Arguments to Gods People to be better Perform your purpose pay your vows Seven Arguments for care to keep oâ—r resolutions made in time of fear and sickness The heart is deceitful Sin is encroaching Satan will assault The world will interrupt You will meet with opposition Concurrence of many duties re-qui-red Twenty Helps for keeping our Resolutions Watch against your Darling sin Signs of a beloved sin And against Temptation Sin is as odious to God when you are well as when you were sick Holiness in acâ— pleasing to God more than in purpose Sin is prejudicial â—hâ—n you are well as when you were sick Holiness in act will be sweeter to you than onely in purpose When you are well you are stil mortal Believe judgment to come Gods eye is upon you Keep conscience tender Choose a choise friend Gods purpose always the same to you Holy courage Zeal Frequent Self-reflexions Renew your Purpose It will bring great benefits Pray for strength Mortifie self-love and use self-denial Examples Fourteen Aggravations of neglect to live up to our holy Resolutions It is great hypocrisie Double Iniquity Creaâ—â—olly It is to lye to God * Oratio quando non est conformis menti dicentis dicitur falsa ethice quando non est conformis rebus est salsa logice To sin against conscience It will make death terrible It is great unthankfulness for your life It will make you loose the benefit of affliction It is to approve of sin after dislike If thou hadst dyed in thy sickness thou hadst been damned It encourageth the devil to tempt It provoketh God Hinders Prayer Begets doubtings Since you live look after the cure of soul-sickness Sin is the souls sickness Sickness of the Soul more dreadfull than of the Body Signs of the cure of soul-sickness How to be cured of soul-sickness Christ the soul-â—hysician Directions to give to God the glory of our souls cure The Reader is desired to make the following Direction the Fourth Be Eminent in your place and Relation Subjects Duties to Magistrates Ministers should be more in Studying Praying Preaching 10 Appellations shewing the work of Ministers Living exemplarily The Peoples Duty in hearing the word Governoâ—s of families must set up Gods Worship in their houses Why Wherein In praying Four Reasons for daily prayer in families Râ—adiâ—g the Word of God 4 Reasons for reading Scripture in Families Repeating things delivered in publick In Catechizing 4 Reasons for Catechizing in Families In singing Psalms How 〈◊〉 Really For five Reasons Livelily Chearfully Constantly Duties of husbands wives whom God hath spared in this Plague The properties of their love Superlative Constant Holy Tender Forgiving love The Reasons of their love Wherein they should manifest this love ☜ Duties of Parents whom God hath continued to children viz. Instruction Correction Prayer Choosing them a Calling Disposing them in Marriage Duties of Children whom God hath continued to their Parents Reasons for these Duties Duties of Masters whom God hath continued to Servants Duties of Servants whom God hath continued to Masters Watch against secret sins Abstain from secret sins Considerations to watch against secret sins God setteth secret sins in the light of his countenance Masked sins detected 4 Properties of Gods view of secret sins Secresie is no security It is a sign of sincerity God judgeth not by outward appearances To allow secret sin is great â—mpâ—iety Secret sins provoke God And grieve the Spirit And destroy your peace Hâ—nder grace And fervent prayer and prevent audience Do harden Stop communications of Gods secrets If you make conscience of secret sin you shall have an open reward In these you have least help from others Que. 2. Helps against secret sins God his eye Eâ—e judgment to come Deep hatred True fear Uprightness of heart Design Gods approbation Be watchful Suppress first motions of sin Sense of Gods love Secret duties Secret duties Secret things in Publick duties Secret evils in publick duties to be avoided Since you live after the Plague be dead to the World To the Profits of the world Are corruptâ—ble Hurtful Unprofitable Hurtful Uncertain Easily valued Unsatisfying To the Honours of the World To the pleasures of the World To the wisdom of the World ☜ Signes of a Man that is dead to the world Since you live after this Plague be dead to sin and be buried with Christ Believers are buried in 3. respects 2 Differences between the burial of our friends and our sins 5 Resemblances Comfort to those that are buried with Christ Since you live after this Plague walk in newness of life What newness of life doth not consist in In what consisteth newness of life The excellenâ—ies of a new life Hindrances of walking in newness of life Since you live after this Plague keep upon your heart a sense of this Mercy Helpes to be sensible of the Mercy of life If you have fewer objects of love left you love God so much the more Since you live remember what were the actings of conscience in time of danger and live accordingly Since you live after you have been in such danger trust God for the future Description of trust 8 Arguments to trust in God Six special times to trust in God Since you live after this Plague give thanks to God 3 Wayes you must Praâ—se God with your Tongue Heart Life 12 Arguments to thankfulness for life Psal 6.4 5. Psal 30.9 Isa 3â— 18 19. Mat. 20.22 23. Jer. 16.7 Psal 16.5 6 Helpes to thankfulness for life