Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A36281
|
Domestick devotions for the use of families and of particular persons whereunto are prefixed some earnest perswasives to prayer and devotion.
|
|
1683
(1683)
|
Wing D1842; ESTC R3307
|
94,764
|
289
|
cannot but bring it with a wicked mind k Prov. 21. 27. beside whereas a domestick Minister should by his good example and converse promote holiness and sobriety in those of the Houshold if he be himself vitious and disorderly they will be the more embolden'd to be such too or at least the Duties of Religion wherein he is concern'd will be the less regarded on his account It must therefore be remembred by all Heads of Families that having a spiritual as well as secular Government and the charge of their Houshold as consisting of Christians as well as Men it behoveth them to acquit themselves herein by taking care for Religion and Divine Worship and also that God may be so serv'd as shall be best to his honour and good liking and for the Spiritual benefit of their Families which doth mind us to add in the next place that VII The practice of Devotion in the houses of Christians as it is highly becoming their holy profession so it is a very great furtherance to their leading lives agreeable thereunto Our Religion is that general and high Calling in Christ Jesus * Phil. 3. 14. which all profess and they will grant 't is their chief business to serve God and that it ought to be their greatest care to obey and honour him by a sober righteous and godly life but if Religion be our chief Calling can it suffice to exercise the same one day in the Week Is it not rather reasonable that they be daily employ'd in it and not that their whole time should be ingross'd by worldly Callings if the Service of God be indeed their greatest business shall it not be minded every day as well as their others which are about the things of this World and is it not fit that God should be constantly serv'd by them in their houses at home and not only in the Church now and then when they cannot easily avoid it for fear of publick censure since men cannot chuse but own it should be their principal care to lead a good life well-pleasing to God without whose favour it can never be well with them they must thence think it needful that they be often exercis'd in those religious Duties which are the proper and likely means for the begetting and encrease of holiness That Family Devotions including Prayer and the Reading of the holy Scriptures are really such there needs little trouble to evince To be much conversant in Prayer doth greatly conduce to make men good because hereby there are renewed impressions made of that great and holy God to whom we pray and it leaves in the Soul awful apprehensions of him beside that it is one necessary part of Prayer to beg the Grace of God which he is ready to bestow on all who ask it of him But the holy Scripture is the most apt and efficacious means of promoting holiness being written by Gods special direction for that very purpose For it is given by inspiration and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness l 2 Tim. 3. 15 16. it is a sanctifying word as is imply'd in that Petition of our Saviour for them by whom the New Testament was to be set forth to the World Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth m Joh. 17. 17. and it is able to make a man wise unto Salvation as saith the blessed Apostle n 2 Tim. 3. 15. how these sacred Writings have their happy energy it is not hard to assign One account of it is that they make known unto us those Principles of Faith which are the fundamental reasons of practical Religion and strong enforcements to it as the being of a God and his glorious Attributes of Holiness Goodness Omniscience Power Justice the Creation of the World by him and his Providential Government of it our Redemption by Christ the immortality of our souls and the future retribution in the World to come likewise in the Scripture is the Law of God which doth plainly declare both the Duties we are to perform whether toward God our Brethren or our Selves as also the sins of all sorts to be avoided by us which is done so fully that it is thereby a complete rule of action For the Law of God is perfect o Psal 19. 7. and the Apostle teacheth that the holy Scriptures are sufficient to make the man of God perfect throughly furnish'd to every good work p 2 Tim 3. 17. also because in the word of God 't is so clearly shewn what we are to do and what not hence it follows that by it men are reproved and convinc'd of sin and thereby dispos'd to repentance and amendment of life it's convincing power is with much Emphasis thus express'd by the Apostle For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper then any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of thoughts and intents of the hearts q Heb. 4. 12. and by means hereof it reduceth men from the errours of their ways For the Law of God converteth the soul Psal 19. 7. and 't is prescribed to the young man as that which would be most effectual to reclaim him from the disorders of that vain Age. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way even by taking heed thereto according to thy word Psal 119. 9. How St. Austine that eminent Father was rescu'd from his former ill course of life on his reading the last Verses of the thirteenth to the Romans himself hath attested to the World r Confes l. 8. c. 12. Again the Scriptures do make known those severe punishments both temporal and eternal which shall be the portion of evil doers and they do also represent the many and great rewards of a good Conversation some whereof to be enjoy'd in this life but the greatest of all which is set forth with highest expressions is a Kingdom of endless Glory prepared in Heaven Now the Principle of Self-love and a desire of happiness being natural to all men it cannot be but these divine Writings should on this account have a potent influence for delivering men from sin and engaging them to Vertue and Holiness Of such admirable use are the sacred Books for rectifying the minds and governing the Lives of men and so well fitted are they for this excellent purpose and we wonder that the good Father lately nam'd did esteem them so highly and so much delight in the reading of them for after his Conversion Cicero of whom he had been extremely fond before became vile to him and he could think no Book comparable to the Bible as he hath Written of himself f Ibid. l. 3. cap. 5. lib. 7. cap. 20. 21. But it must be still understood that whatever efficacy the Scripture hath 't is but in subordination to the Grace of God It being the Sword of
Family and therefore as often as his Sons had been Feasting he suspecting that they might have transgress'd by excess did quickly after call them together to Sanctifie them and to offer burnt Offerings for them according to their number and thus did Job continually x Job 1. 5. and King David was so concern'd to have a sober and religious Court that he solemnly resolves to thrust out thence all wicked and immoral persons and to have such only to serve him as were Faithful in the Land such as walked in a perfect way y Psa 101. 6 7. 'T is also mention'd in Commendation of Cornelius while a Jewish Proselyte that being a pious man himself he had gotten a Family about him that were such too throughout a devout man saith the Text and one that feared God with all his house z Act. 10. 2. And we may observe how zealous the Masters of Families were in the first times of Christianity to bring those of their houses into the way of Salvation for no sooner were any of them brought over to the true Religion but they made it their business to draw their Families after them thus the same Cornelius when called by a Vision from Heaven to the Faith of Christ was careful to bring his Relations with him to the Preaching of Peter a Act. 10. 24. When God had opened the heart of Lydia it soon follows that her Houshold as well as she are baptized b Act. 16. 15. in like manner the Keeper of the Prison being himself converted all his were baptized together with him c Act. 16. 38. and after Crispus the Chief Ruler of the Synagogue had embrac'd the Faith his whole Houshold believed d Act. 18. 8. It was Gods command to the Jews that they should at home instruct their Families in the Law deliver'd by Moses particularly they were to do it every Morning and Evening and also to write it on the very door-Posts of their Houses and on their Gates e Deut. 6. 7 9. Now we cannot but think 't is of equal concern that those of our Religion should in like manner have the Precepts of it daily rehearsed to them nor can we suppose that Christian Governours of Families are less oblig'd then were the Jewish either to the Service of God and Religion or to set forward the Spiritual good of such as belong to them there is a general obligation on those professing the Gospel to endeavour the good and happiness of all men as they have opportunity f Gal. 6. 10. but it is more particular and binding in respect of them to whom they are more especially related for to such they owe greater love and as for Governours of Families they are not only bound in a special manner to consult the spiritual welfare of them who are of their Family some whereof are as their very selves but also on the account of their domestick Authority have a capacity and power lodged in them to inforce the pious means by which they may be set forward in the way of holiness not to regard the Salvation of the meanest Servant in their house is very uncharitable but while they omit the exercise of Religion they are extreamly unkind to the Souls of their Wives who are their own flesh g Eph. 5. 28 29. and of their Children who are pieces of themselves and in behalf of whom St. Paul hath given particular charge that they be piously educated h Eph. 6. 4. as his Disciple Timothy had the happiness to be of whom the same Apostle doth take notice that from a Child he had known the holy Scriptures i 1 Tim. 3. 15. and imbib'd the same Faith which had first been in his Grand-Mother Lais and his Mother Eunice k 1 Tim. 1. 5. but how can those Parents be thought to have any true love to their Children who mind not to have them bred up in the practice of Piety whereby they may be season'd with an early sense of God and Religion and without which they must needs be in danger of leading a dissolute life and consequently of being unhappy here and eternally miserable in the other World In the ancient times of Christianity Parents did esteem it their greatest charge and business to get their Children well instructed in Religion and that the seeds of Vertue and Piety might be sown in them betimes Thus the Father of Origen was careful that his Son might be taught in the holy Scriptures and well Principl'd in the true Religion before he would set him on any Books of humane literature He caus'd him to apply himself to some part of the Bible every day and commit it to memory so as to be able to repeat it to him and the Lad made such proficience that within a short time he would search beyond the Words into the Sense of Scripture and not content with the ordinary Readings did propound to his Father many difficult questions l Euseb Hist Eccle. lib. 6. c. 2. such were the forward indications of his great understanding and we find in the life of Constantine how concern'd he was that his Sons might be train'd up in all good Vertues which he earnestly endeavour'd as well by his own instructions as by setting such Tutors over them as were eminently religious and after they had been admited to be Partners in the Empire he did not cease exhorting them being absent by his Royal Letters to practice the wholesome precepts they had formerly receiv'd and that they would account the knowledge of God and his holy Religion of much greater value than Worldly riches and the Empire it self m Idem de vit const ilb 4 c. 5. Gregory Nazianzen in his Funeral Oration on his Brother Caesarius speaketh of his Mother the pious Nonna that as she had been Consecrated to God her self by her religious Parents so the Piety which as a Patrimony she receiv'd from them was transmitted from her to her own Children and she was instrumental in the Conversion of her Husband to the true Religion who was afterward advanc'd to the Episcopal Dignity and zealously discharg'd that Office for above forty years n Orat. 10. And 't is declar'd by the same Father how his Sister Gorgonia had follow'd the excellent Pattern of her Mother in that she was the means of instilling Piety into her Children Grand-Children and others of her Family likewise her Husband was by her won over to the strict practice of holiness o Orat. 11. Some modern Examples might here be added but I shall only mention one which may seem eminent enough to suffice instead of all I mean Sir Matthew Hale the late Lord Chief Justice a man never to be nam'd without a reverence to his memory he was certainly the honour of his Country and gave the greatest credit to the time in which he liv'd I need not tell the World how many and great his Excellencies were 't is