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
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
Commandment is for you if ye will not hear if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory unto my Name saith the Lord of Hosts I will even send a curse upon you and I will curse your blessings Whether it be a word of Command or Promise or Threatning or an Example of Gods Judgments on sinners or of his blessing bestowed on his servants tell them That these Commandments O my Children the great God that made you and that will bring you to Judgment hath given to you if you obey them he will love you and bless you and give you all good things in this world and great blessings in the world to come But if you will not hearken to his Voice but cast his Law behind your backs he will send many heavy Judgments and great Plagues upon you in this world and if they do not lead you to repentance he will cast you both Body and Soul into Hell Fire And so for the Promises tell them These great and precious Promises shall be your portion if you will believe in Jesus Christ and live holy and godly lives Gal. 3.22 1 Tim. 4.8 Do the like by the Threatnings tell them That these will surely be executed on them if they live in those-sins against which such and such Judgments are threatned For GOD is faithful and able to perform his Word and is no Respecter of persons and there is no lying hid from his all-seeing Eye nor any possibility to escape out of His Hand VVhen you meet with Examples of Gods Judgments on impenitent sinners tell them Those Examples are recorded on purpose to keep them from falling into such sins 1 Cor. 10.5 6. and to lead them to Repentance Luk. 13.1 2 3. And that if they live in the same sins they must expect to meet with the same Judgments And so also the Examples of Gods mercies towards his servants tell them That if they will serve God the same mercies and blessings that God gave Abraham or David or any other of his servants he will give them But of these things I have spoken before more largely in the Third Chapter and it will be needless to repeat them again By what hath been said there it is evident that there is much more work lieth upon Parents besides teaching them to read the Scriptures as VVatching over them Reproof Correction c. SECT 22. Instructing Children while they are young makes eminent Saints Object 22 WE may teach our Children to know and remember the Scriptures but we can't teach them obedience that is Gods work and what good will it do them to know and remember the Word if they do not obey it And besides if they should whilst they are young walk in the ways of God they will forsake them when they grow old and be the worse for their instruction and make good the old Proverb A young Saint and an old Devil Answ 1. It is true that it is Gods work to teach our Children Obedience but we must use the means Shall the Ministers of the Gospel forbear preaching the word because the conversion of souls is Gods work not theirs 2. God doth ordinarily bless the Endeavours of Parents and Masters of Families when they are diligent and faithful in their work not only to the breeding of knowledge but also to the bringing of their Children and Servants to obey the Lord and walk in his ways Gen. 18.19 He will command his Children and Houshould after him and they SHALL keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and Judgment Here God promiseth that upon Abrahams commanding his Children and Houshold they should keep the way of the Lord. And what God promiseth to Abraham he promiseth and will peform unto all that walk in Abrahams steps If persons that have had Religious Education would consult their own experience they will find that generally God instils Principles of Grace into such as are converted by means of their Religious Education 3. That Proverb A young Saint and an old Devil was of Satans coining to deter persons from seeking and serving the Lord for it is contrary to the word of God for that saith 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 None prove such eminent Saints as they that begin to seek and serve the Lord whilst they are young I will give two or three instances hereof Josiah was a very humble tender-hearted Prince he wept at the hearing of Gods Law 2 Kings 23.18 19. He was very zealous in the Reformation of Religion and destroying Idolatry Chap. xxiii ver 1. to 25. There never was such a Passover kept either in the days of the Judges or of the Kings of Israel or Judah as Josiah kept 2 Kings 23.22 23. He excelled all the Kings that lived before him and all that came after him verse 25. And like unto him there was no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might according to all the Law of Moses neither after him arose there any like him And as he was thus eminent in Godliness so he continued constant to his dying day 2 Chron. 34.2 He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of David his Father and declined neither to the right hand nor left And one reason why he proved so eminent and constant in the ways of God was this He began while he was young to seek after the Lord as is expressed in the following verse For in the eighth year of his Reign while he was yet young he began to seek after the God of David his Father Obadiah who feared the Lord from his youth 1 Kin. 18.12 I thy Servant fear the Lord from my youth attained unto a great measure of the fear of God verse 3. Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly He kept his Integrity though he lived in Ahabs House who was such a wicked Prince that he did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord. He was a great shelter to the Lords Prophets when they were persecuted and some of them put to death by Jezabel he hid an hundred Prophets in a Cave and maintained them with Bread and VVater verse 4. David began to seek and trust in God while he was young Psal 71.5 Thou art my hope O Lord God thou art my Trust from my youth And we know he proved a man after Gods own heart the instances of his exemplary piety are so many that it would be too long and so well known that it would be needless to mention them SECT 23. How to deal with Servants that hold Erronious Opinions Object 23 SOme of my Servants are tainted with Erronious Principles which I knew not of when I took them into my Family and I look upon it as labour in vain to instruct persons that are infected with Errors Answ I. It
thy self and keep thy soul diligently lest thou forget the things that thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thine heart all the days of thy life but teach them thy Sons and thy Sons Sons especially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb when the Lord said unto me Gather me the people together and I will make them hear my words that they may learn to fear me all the days that they hall live upon the earth and that they may teach their Children 5. It will be a great support and satisfaction to Governours of Families in a dying hour if their Consciences bear them witness that they have been careful to train up those whom the Lord hath committed to their charge in the knowledge of his word It was a comfort to Hezekiah when he had received the Sentence of Death that he had done that which was good in the sight of the Lord Isa 38.3 Now this is a good thing in the sight of God to bring men to the knowledge of the Truth 1 Tim. 2.3 4. When the Lord Jesus was departing out of this world he mentions twice his giving Gods word to the men that were given to him John 17 8 14. Possibly for this reason to teach us that it will be a great comfort in a dying hour to all such as have had any persons committed to their charge to be able to appeal to God that they have taught and instructed them in the knowledge of his holy word When the Apostle Paul took his leave of the Church of Ephesus and knew he should see their faces no more though he knew that after his departing grievous Wolves would enter in among them not sparing the Flock and also that among themselves some would arise speaking perverse things yet having before been diligent in teaching them the good word of God he doth with a great deal of satisfaction of mind commend them to God and to his word knowing that Gods word was able to build them up under all oppositions and discouragements whatever Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified In like manner when Parents have taught their Children the word of God although they fore-see that after their death their Children are likely to fall into many temptations by reason of seducing spirits or other evils yet they may with much comfort commend them to God and to the word of his grace wherein they have been instructed 6. Such Parents as are careful to instruct their Families and to train them up in the knowledge and fear of God shall not only be blessed themselves but they shall be great blessing unto others Gen. 18.18 19. Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him And why The Reason is rendred in the following words For I know him that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and Judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him SECT 6. The Evils that arise from the neglect of Family-Instruction Mo ∣ tive 6 COnsider what a great evil it is for Governours of Families to neglect instructing their Families in the knowledge of Gods holy Word 1. They do shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against their Children and Servants For such as do take away the Key of Knowledge do shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against those persons from whom they do take away the Key of Knowledge as is evident by comparing Mat. 23.13 Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men for ye neither go in your selves neither suffer ye them that are entring to go in with Luk. 11.52 Wo unto you Lawyers for ye have taken away the Key of Knowledge ye entred not in your selves and them that were entring in ye hindred What a woful crime is this for a man to shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against his Family 2. Such Parents as neglect to instruct their children are more cruel than the Sea-monsters Lam. 4.3 Even the Sea-monsters draw out the brest to their young ones The daughter of my People is become cruel as the Ostrich in the Wilderness Instruction is as necessary for the Soul as the brest or other food is for the Body Yea they are worse than Infidels 1 Tim. 5.8 If any provide not for his own and specially for those of his own House he hath denied the Faith and is worse than an Infidel The providing those things which concern the Souls of our Houshold is as necessary and the neglect thereof as dangerous as the providing for their Bodies Yea they are more unnatural than the damned in Hell for they are desirous that their Relations should be instructed and that means should be used to prevent their eternal damnation Luk. 16.23 27 28. And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments and seeth Abraham after off and Lazarus in his bosom Then he said I pray thee therefore that thou wouldst send him to my Fathers house for I have five brethren that he may testifie unto them lest they also come into this place of torment 3. God accounts those Parents haters of their Children that neglect to instruct and correct them Prov. 13.24 He that spareth the Rod hateth his Son but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes Such as do not endeavour to prevent sin in their neighbours do hate them in their hearts whatever shew of love they make in their words Lev. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer sin upon him If they hate their Neighbours that suffer sin upon them do not they hate their Children that suffer them to live in ignorance of God which is a Soul-damning sin 4. Children and Servants prove great crosses when they are not trained up in the knowledge and fear of God And this comes to pass both by the just Judgment of God who punisheth Parents and Masters neglect of Family-Instruction with the disobedient undutiful carriage of their Children and Servants and also from the power of original corruption which when it is not restrained by good education breaks forth with great violence and causeth persons to be of a perverse and stubborn spirit Eli neglecting Family-Government was punished in his Children by their proving exceeding great crosses to him 1 Sam. 2.33 The man of thine whom I shall not cut off from mine Altar shall be to consume thine eyes and to grieve thine heart And as God dealt with Eli so he ordinarily deals with those Parents that neglect to train up their Children in the knowledge and fear of his Name he suffers them to prove a reproach and
Eccles 8.11 They would always have gone on resisting the Spirit of God and doing those things which are grievous in the sight of God Psal 10 4 5. The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts his ways are always grievous Acts 7.51 Ye do always resist the holy Ghost They would continually have sinned against God in their hearts and lives Gen. 6.5 God saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the Earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually Time would have been so far from leading them to Repentance that the longer they had lived they would have been the more subtil and obstinate sinners and would have been longer accustomed to do evil and the longer a man hath been accustomed to do evil the harder it is to bring him to Repentance Jer. 13.23 Is there any inequality in punishing them for ever who would have sinned for ever Now if God hath dealt righteously with your Children why should you fret or be disquieted at the righteous dealings of the Just and Righteous God Was it meet that the Lord should have perverted Justice for your sake or the sake of your Children III. The Lord hath fulfilled his eternal counsel and declared his truth and faithfulness in fulfilling his Threatnings denounced against impenitent sinners by condemning your children who died in their sins unto eternal torments God hath plainly revealed it in his holy Word that it is his eternal and unchangable purpose to cast into eternal torments all wicked and ungodly persons that live and die in their sins without Repentance The Scriptures are full of Threatnings to this effect as Psal 9.17 Luk. 13.3 5. Mat. 13.41 42. Mat. 25.41 Rev. 21.8 with a multitude of other places why then should you fret at Gods fulfilling his eternal counsel and at his faithfulness in fulfilling his word As Bildad said to Job 18.4 He teareth himself in his anger shall the Earth be forsaken for thee And shall the Rock be removed out of his place The like may I say to you Why do you tear your selves in your anger Should the Lord have forsaken his eternal counsels which are more firm than the Earth or Rocks and would have brought greater confusion than the removing the Earth or the Rocks out of their places for your sakes Would you have had him altered the way and course of mans salvation for the sake of your Children Would you have had him proved unfaithful in not fulfilling his word to spare your Children from eternal torments This in effect is to have desired that he would have denied his own Being and ceased to be God rather than to have condemned your Children For if God should depart from his faithfulness he should deny his own Being 2 Tim. 2.12 He abideth faithful he cannot deny himself IV. Murmuring and fretting against God for condemning your Children who died in their sins unto eternal torments is the way to fall into the same condemnation with your Children For those that resemble Dogs by their barking and snarling and being angry at what God doth shall be shut out of heaven Rev. 22.15 Without are Dogs The Apostle cautions us against murmuring lest we should thereby provoke God to destroy us 1 Cor. 10.10 Neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the Destroyer And therefore instead of murmuring against God for destroying your Children admire his great and wonderful mercy that you as well as they are not consumed and cast into everlasting burnings Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not V. Your excessive sorrow for your deceased children who died in their sins doth not please God nor any way benefit you or your children It doth not please God he is troubled that you do not joy more in having him for your God and Portion and Saviour than you grieve at the loss of your children but that your grief for your children should swallow up your joy in God and may say to you as Elkanah did to Hannah 1 Sam. 1.8 Why weepest thou And why eatest thou not And why is thy heart grieved Am not I better to thee than ten sons When any affection exceedeth its due bounds it is sinful and that which is sinful displeaseth God Your excessive sorrow will no ways benefit your deceased children If you could shed Rivers of Tears for them they would avail nothing for their Release or the mitigation of their torments Prayers and Tears may do great things for the Living but they are not any way profitable for the Dead And as Prayers and Tears profit dead men nothing so neither can any other work that is done by any man under the Sun be any way beneficial to the Dead Solomon speaking of the dead saith Eccl. 9.6 Neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the Sun When once God hath passed sentence upon them for their eternal state no Creature can prevail with him to change his mind Job 23.13 But he is in one mind and who can turn him Not one Soul that is cast into hell can by any means be redeemed from thence again Psal 49.8 For the redemption of their soul is precious and it ceaseth for ever And as your inordinate sorrow doth not benefit your deceased children so neither do you your selves reap any advantage by it it is so far from doing you good that it hurts you both in body and soul and estate It hurts your bodies as it dries and consumes them and hastens your death Prov. 17.22 A broken spirit drieth the bones 2 Cor. 7.10 The sorrow of the world worketh death It hurts your Souls as it hinders your communion with God and your performing that service you owe to God and tends to the destroying of the Kingdom of God in your Souls which consisteth not only in righteousness but also in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 It hurts your Estates as it unfits you for the works of your Calling And therefore seeing that your excessive grief doth not please God nor benefit your Children or your selves nor any other person but you disquiet your selves in vain let this put a period to your immoderate sorrows VI. Turn your excessive sorrowing for the loss of your deceased Childrens souls into zealous endeavours after the salvation of your own soul and the souls of your surviving Children Instead of unprofitable mourning for the dead rise up and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling and save if it be possible all that are committed to your charge As the Lord called off Samuel from mourning for Saul to anoint an other King 1 Sam. 16.1 And the Lord said unto Samuel how long wilt thou mourn for Saul seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel Fill thine horn with oyl and go c. So
against thee As is the Mother so is the Daughter So that if Mothers live religiously and shew a good example to their Children and instruct them out of Gods word there is great hope that their Children will become Religious also It is remarkable both amongst the good and evil Kings that were in Judah and Israel that the Scripture doth frequently record their Mothers names as for good Kings we may see 1 Kings 22.42 43. 2 Kings 18.2 3. and 22.12 And for evil Kings 2 King 8.26 27. 1 Kings 15.2 3. which sheweth that the Mothers example and carriage amongst her Children hath a great influence upon them to make them either good or evil 6. Mothers have greater opportunities to be instilling good things into their Children than their Fathers for they are oftener with them especially whilst they are young as they are dressing or undressing them or giving them meat or sitting with them at work or walking abroad with them they should be talking with them of the word of God Deut. 6.6 7. And every one is to do good according to the opportunities that God puts into their hands Gal. 6.10 7. Hereby Mothers may do great service for Christ in training up Children for the Lord All the good that such Children shall do in their generation shall redound to the Mothers Comfort and Reward The Apostle mentioneth the bringing up of Children by which is meant bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord amongst the first and chiefest good works which women are able to do in their generation 1 Tim. 5.10 Well reported of for good works if she have brought up Children 8. What service women do for Christ he takes as kindly as he doth what men do for him when there was a woman poured upon his head a Box of pretious Oyntment though the Disciples had indignation yet the Lord Jesus took it well from her and said that this act of the woman should be had in remembrance and be spoken of to her praise as long as the Gospel should be preached in the world Mat. 26.13 Verily I say unto you Wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world there also this that this woman hath done shall be told for a memorial of her If you that are Mothers teach Gods word to your Children and labour to bring them up in the knowledge and fear of God the Lord Jesus will take this more kindly from you than he took this box of pretious Oyntment from this woman which anointed his body against his burial And that may be evidenced several ways 1. Christ was more pleased with those that minded his word than with those that were at the cost and trouble to provide for his Body as appears from the case of Mary and Martha Mary sat at Jesus feet and heard his word but Martha was cumbred with much serving Luk. 10.38 39. Hereupon Martha complains to Christ that her sister had left her to serve alone and desires him to bid Mary to help her but Christ commends Mary's choice and her work who was employed about his word above Martha's who was employed in preparing food for his Body and those that were with him Vers 40 41 42. 2. The Lord Jesus loves your Childrens Souls as well as he loves his own Body he gave his own Body to be crucified to save your Childrens Souls And therefore doubtless it is as acceptable to see you endeavouring to save your Childrens Souls by instructing and teaching them out of his holy Word as it was to have his Body anointed with pretious Ointment 3. The Name of God and Christ is like pretious Ointment Cant. 1.3 Thy Name is as Ointment poured forth Yea it is more precious than any Ointment in the World And when you bring your Children acquainted with the Name of God and Christ by instructing them out of the Word of God you convey that to them which is beyond all the pretious Ointment in the world 4. The Ointment that was poured on Christs Body did bur little if any thing advantage the body of Christ he accepted it not so much for the advantage he had by it as he did for the Faith and Love which the Woman manifested in this work But by instructing your Children out of the Word of God you shall greatly promote the good and welfare of their pretious Souls If the Lord Jesus did so kindly accept the Womans anointing his body with precious Ointment that he recorded her praise in the Gospel and will have the Memorial thereof preserved in all Ages throughout the whole World Then doubt not you that are Mothers that if you instruct your Children in the knowledge of his Word but he will accept this very kindly at your hands and cause this good Work of yours to be had in eternal Remembrance CHAP. II. Motives to stir up Parents and Masters of Families to instruct their Children and Servants in the Knowledge and to train them up in the obedience of the Scriptures IN the former Chapter I have proved it to be the Duty of Parents and Masters of Families to train up their Children and Servants in the knowledge and obedience of the Scriptures I shall now proceed to lay down some Motives to stir up those that neglect this good work to be diligent constant and conscientious in the performance of their Duty in teaching and instructing their Familier SECT 1. Instructing our Children and Servants out of the Scriptures will be a means of their Conversion Reasons why we should endeavour their Conversion Motive 1 INstructing your Children and Servants out of the word of God will be a powerful and an effectual means to convert and save their souls For The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul Psal 19.7 And The Gospel is the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 The Commandment is a Lamp and the Law is Light and Reproofs of instruction are the way of Life Prov. 6.23 Though they be such as walk in sinful and destructive courses by teaching and instructing them out of the Scriptures they may be converted from their sins unto God Psal 5.13 I will teach Transgressors thy ways and Sinners shall be converted unto thee We read of Cornelius that both he himself and all his house were saved by the word wherewith they were instructed by Peter Act. 11.14 Who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved In like manner if Governours of Families did carefully instruct their Families out of the word of God they might in so doing both save themselves and all their house With what diligence with what speed with what alacrity with what a resolved minde to persevere therein under all discouragements should you set upon this work seeing there is hope that hereby you may save your Children and your Servants Souls That this argument may have the greater force to perswade and prevail with you to set your hearts to this work Consider 1. What
it is evident from the word of God that all such as live and die ignorant of God having attained to years of discretion shall be destroyed for ever without having any mercy shewed to them 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Isa 27.11 It is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will have no mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Hos 4.6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge Now if the Lord will condemn our Children and Servants for their ignorance and their ignorance proceed from our neglect of instructing them are not we the cause of their condemnation Such as have the Rule and Government of Families are in the nature and condition of Watchmen as well as those that bear Rule in the Church and must give an account for those souls that are committed to their charge Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give an account And as for those that are placed in the condition of Watchmen if any persons over whom God hath made them Watchmen be lost through their neglect to instruct them in their duty or to reclaim them from their sins the Blood of those that perish shall be required at the Watchmans hands Ezek. 3.17 18. Son of man I have made thee a Watchman unto the House of Israel therefore hear the word at my Mouth and give them warning from Me when I say to the wicked Thou shalt surely die and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thine hand What Inditement is brought in against the Jews Jer. 2.34 In thy Skirts is found the Blood of the Souls of the poor Innocents I have not found it by secret search but upon all these The like may be said of many Masters of Families In their Skirts will be found the Blood of the Souls of their Children and Servants In their Skirts That is it will plainly and evidently appear unto all men at the day of Judgment that they are guilty of the Blood of the Souls of their Children and Servants for want of instructing and training them up in the fear of God VVe cannot possibly be clear from the blood of those that are committed to our charge if either through wilfulness or through sloth and negligence we forbear to instruct them in those things that are necessary to their Salvation but if we do our duty and they perish in their sins their Blood shall be upon their own head Act. 20.26 27. I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the Counsel of God Did Parents and Masters of Families seriously consider what it is to have their Children and Servants die eternally and that through their neglecting to teach and train them up in the fear of God did they also consider what it is to have the blood of Souls laid to their charge it would stir them up to be diligent in instructing their Families unless they be such as have lost all regard to their own and their Families welfare To press home this consideration with the greater efficacy I shall suggest to you three or four things more under this head As 1. The death of a Child goes near a Parents heart Hagar could not endure to see her Child die and therefore when she thought he would die she gets a great way off from him and sat down and wept Gen. 21.16 She said Let me not see the death of the Child and she sat over against him and lift up her voice and wept VVhen tydings came to David of Absolom's death he was exceedingly troubled at it 2 Sam. 18.33 And the King was much moved and went up to the chamber ever the gate and wept and as he went thus he said O my Son Absolom my Son my Son Absolom would God I had died for thee O Absolom my Son my Son VVhen Jacob did but suppose that Joseph was dead though he had eleven Sons living his sorrow was so great that he refused to be comforted Gen. 37.34 35. Jacob rent his cloaths and put sackcloth upon his loyns and mourned for his Son many days and all his Sons and all his Daughters rose up to comfort him but he refused to be comforted and he said For I will go down into the Grave unto my Son mourning Thus his Father wept for him If it be so grievous to Parents to see their Children deprived of their natural life how should it pierce their hearts to have them deprived of eternal Life If they are so grieved at the death of their Bodies how should they lay to heart the death of their Souls How should it wound them to have their Children cast into the lake that burneth with fire and Brimstone which is the second death where they shall be always burning and yet never be consumed they shall be always dying and yet never be dead yea how should it affect them when they consider that they themselves have through their negligence been the cause of their Childrens dying the second death 2. It would pierce a flinty heart to see Children dying in their Parents Arms for want of Bread VVhen Jeremiah saw little Children in the time of Famine some dying in the streets others breathing out their souls in their Mothers Bosoms for want of Bread to sustain their Lives it made him weep till his eyes and his heart failed him with grief Lam. 2.11 12. Mine eyes do fail with tears my bowels are troubled my Liver is poured upon the earth for the destruction of the Daughter of my People because the Children and the Sucklings swoon in the streets of the City they say to their Mothers Where is Corn and Wine When they swooned as the wounded in the Streets of the City when their Soul was poured out into their Mothers Bosom This is a sorrowful sight but it is far more dreadful to see Children perishing to all eternity in their Parents Houses for want of their communicating to them the Bread of Life than to see them die by Famine 3. It is an unspeakable loss for a man to lose one Soul Though he do not lose his Children and Servants Souls though he lose not one Soul besides his own the gain of the whole world will not make up this loss as appears from the fore-quoted Scripture Mar. 8.36 What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and
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
I shall give four or five directions 1. Let this work be done when there is greatest quiet in the Family not at such a time as the Members of the Family are distracted or cumbred with variety or a multitude of worldly business or when their Spirits are royled with passion or contention but when they are in the most quiet and composed frame Eccles 9.17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet 1 Cor. 7.35 That you may attend upon the Lord without distraction 2. Let this work be done often Mal. 3.16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another Deut. 6.7 Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children God worketh many ways and often times with us to bring about our salvation Job 33.29 30. Lo all these things worketh God often times with man to bring back his Soul from the pit to be enlightned with the light of the Living And shall we think much to be diligent and frequent in teaching our Children and Servants that their Souls may be kept from falling into the pit of Hell and that they may be enlightned with that knowledge which will make them wise to Salvation 3. It will be convenient to have fixed and stated times for the doing of this work that so the Family may be the better prepared for it and all family-occasions may be so ordered and all business set at such a stay as that every one may be at liberty and leasure to attend this work 4. Avocations and Diversions should not be easily yielded to for the putting by our intended exercise at the appointed time As for instance If Company come in though they be great Persons and such as are our Superiours we should not be ashamed to go on with our works Psal 119 46. I will speak of thy Testimonies also before Kings and will not be ashamed And if we be at any time diverted by some unexpected and urgent occasions we should redeem that loss by taking some other time for their instruction as soon as conveniently we can 5. We should take such times wherein both we and our Families are fresh and lively not over-tired with worldly business not heavy with sleep for we must be fervent in spirit when we serve the Lord Rom. 12.11 and when the Body is tired or heavy with sleep the Spirit is not likely to be servent 6. The Lords day which is to be spent in holy and Religions Exercises Isa 58.13 is a very convenient time for this work It was the Custom of the Jews to read the Scriptures in their Synagogues every Sabbath day Acts 15.21 Moses of old time hath in every City them that preach him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day And we need not doubt but they did the same in their Families seeing they were commanded by God to read some portion of his word every day as long as they lived yea their greatest men even their Kings who had the weightiest business of all other men lying upon their hands were not excused from this Law of daily reading the Scriptures Deut. 17.18 19. And it shall be when he sitteth upon the Throne of his Kingdom that he shall write him a Copy of this Law in a Book And it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the days of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to do them I shall not undertake to prescribe what other days besides Lords days Masters of Families should take for this work but shall leave that to their own prudence and discretion Only I shall say this That they for whom God hath done much and who have more spare time than others should be more frequent and abundant in this work For unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required Luk. 12.48 SECT 5. The Advantages that come by having the Word of God in our Memories Direct 5 CAuse your Children and Servants to commit to their memories those Scriptures which you teach them and to keep them in remembrance We are often commanded to treasure up Gods Word in our Memories Job 22.22 Receive I pray thee the Law from his mouth and lay up his words in thine heart Deut. 6.6 These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart And because this duty of committing Gods Word to our Memories is much neglected both by Parents themselves as well as their Children to stir up both the one and the other to the practice of it let me shew you how much this duty is urged upon us and what advantages will come by it The Prophets of God charge us in Gods name to remember the word of the Lord Mal. 4 4. Remember ye the Law of Moses my Servant which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel with the Statues and Judgments Jesus Christ when he was in the world charged us to remember his word John xv 20. Remember the word that I said unto you The Apostles also call upon us to keep in memory Gods word Jude 17. Beloved remember ye the words that were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ Acts 20.35 I have shewn you all things how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus Heb. 2.1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard lest at any time we let them slip The holy Angels when they appeared to those that came to Christs Sepulchre bid them remember the words of Christ Luke 24.6 Remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee One great benefit which we have by the holy Ghost is his helping us to remember Gods word John 14.26 The Comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you We have seen how earnestly this duty is pressed upon us now let us see what advantages will come to us by remembring Gods Word 1. It will be an help to Faith John 2.22 When he was risen from the dead his Disciples remembred that he had said this unto them and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said 2. It helps us in our obedience Numb 15.40 That ye may remember and do all my Commandments and be holy unto your God Psal 119.55 I have remembred thy name O Lord in the night and have kept thy Law 3. It is an help to Repentance Matth. 26.75 And Peter remembred the words of Jesus and he went out and wept bitterly 4. It promotes our Comfort Psal 119.52 I remembred thy Judgments of old O Lord and have comforted my self 5. It will breed a spiritual frame of heart for if Gods word be treasured up in our hearts it will be in our minds night and day Prov. 6.21 22. Bind them continually upon
made the same Jesus whom you have crucified both Lord Lord and Christ Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart 2. To demonstrate to them out of the word of God the evil and danger of those things for which you rebuke them for Gods word is called the Sword of the Spirit Ephes 6.17 No sword cuts and pierces like the sword of the Spirit For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and the Joynts and Marrow and is a Discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4.12 6. Reprove with wisdom for when a Reproof is managed wisely it becomes more amiable and successful Prov. 25.12 As an ear-ring of Gold and an Ornament of fine Gold so is a wise Reprover upon an obedient ear Our wisdom must be discovered in taking the fittest time for giving a Reproof and doing it in a judicious manner Eccles 8.5 A wise mans heart discerneth both time and judgment We must take the fittest time we must not defer too long We must do it when we are in the best capacity to give and the offending party to receive a Reproof We must reprove with Judgement which will teach us to weigh and consider the nature of the Offence and the Offender Some persons are of a more softly yielding disposition than others a word will do more with one than many blows with another Prov. 17.10 A Reproof entreth more into a wise man than a hundred stripes into a fool Some Offences are more heinous for their own nature and for their circumstances than others In some cases we are to rebuke secretly Mat. 18.15 Go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone In some cases we are to rebuke publickly in the presence of all 1 Tim. 5.20 Them that sin rebuke before all that others also may fear Wisdom will direct us what to do in these and other such like Cases Eccles 10.10 Wisis profitable to direct And that we may manage this work the more wisely we must not go about it rashly but consult with our selves about the fittest season and best manner of giving a Reproof Neb. 5.7 Then I consulted with my self and rebuked the Nobles Prov. 13.10 With the well-advised is wisdom 7. Look to God for Direction Courage and Success in giving a Reproof and rest upon him for his blessing for the success of every work we take in hand depends upon Gods blessing And therefore we must pray to God to assist accept and prosper us in this work And as we must pray so also rest upon God for his blessing in the administring a Reproof whether it be to such as are unconverted or to such as are in a state of Grace for God hath promised to bless Reproof to both sorts To such as are gracious Prov. 19.25 Reprove one that hath understanding and he will understand knowledge To such as are yet in their sins Pro. 24.25 To them that rebuke him that is a wicked person spoken of ver 24. shall be delight and a good blessing shall come upon them 8. Reprove and tell them of their faults with a tender compassionate heart not in an insulting way or in a way of jesting or jearing but rather mourning over them and for them Phil. 3.18 Many walk of whom I told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are Enemies of the Cross of Christ When the Apostle wrote an Epistle to the Corinthians to reprove them for their indulging the incestuous person he tells them Out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears 2 Cor. 2.4 SECT 8. The Benefits of Correction Directions for Correcting Children Direct 8 IF Reproofs do not prevail with your Children to practise those things which you teach them out of the Scriptures correct them Correction joyned with Instruction rightly administred is the way to make our Children holy and gracious Prov. 19.15 The Rod and Reproof give Wisdom but a Child left to himself bringeth his Mother to shame It maketh Children prove great blessings and comforts to their Parents Prov. 29.17 Correct thy Son and he shall give thee rest yea he shall give delight unto thy Soul Correction will be a means of preventing their eternal Damnation by effecting their Reformation Prov. 23.13 14. With-hold not Correction from the Child for if thou beatest him with the Rod he shall not die Thou shalt beat him with the Rod and shalt deliver his Soul from Hell Though they be never so much addicted to any sin which seems to be deeply and fast rooted in their Souls Correction prudently and rightly administred will be a means to reform them and make them leave their sins Prov. 22.15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a Child but the Rod of Correction will drive it far from him Prov. 20.30 The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil so do stripes the inward parts of the Belly If any ask How should we correct our Children so as to make our Corrections become effectual for their good I answer 1. Begin with them betimes before they have got too great an head or are habituated to sin A Twig is easily bent and made straight whilst it is young but being let alone for some years it becomes inflexible Prov. 19.18 Chasten thy Son while there is hope Prov. 13.24 He that spareth his Rod hateth his Son but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes 2. Be not overcome with fond pity either by their crying or pleading with you to with-hold correction from them when you see it meet and necessary to correct them Prov. 19.18 Chasten thy Son while there is hope and let not thy Soul spare for his crying They had better cry and roar under your Rod than roar under Gods wrath in Hell to all Eternity 3. Joyn Faith and Prayer with your Corrections Pray to God to bless the Corrections as well as the Instructions which you give your Children and though you see no present fruit of your Corrections yet be not discouraged but rest upon Gods promises who hath promised that Correction shall make our Children leave their sins Prov. 22.15 and be a means to save their souls Prov. 23.13 14. 4. In correcting your Children imitate God in correcting his Children As for instance 1. God joyns Instruction with Correction and thereby his Corrections come to have a blessed effect upon his Children Psal 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and reachest him out of thy Law Deal thus with your Children when you chasten them teach them out of the Scriptures the evil of those things for which you correct them 2. When God chastens he doth not only shew us our sins but layeth his commands upon us to leave off our sins Job 36.8 9 10. If they be holden in cords of affliction then he sheweth them their work and their transgression that they have
come 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light afflictions which are but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory The glory of Heaven doth so far exceed the sufferings of this present life that they are not worthy to be compared together Rom. 8.18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us 3. It is our happiness and not our misery to suffer Reproaches and persecutions for Christs sake and it should fill us with joy rather than cast us down with sorrow when we meet with any sufferings for Righteousness sake Matth. 5.10 11 12. Blessed are they which are persecuted for Righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall speak all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your Reward in Heaven 1 Pet. 4.13 14. Rejoyce inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy If ye be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of God and of Glory resteth upon you There is a greater excellency in suffering for Christ than in enjoying all the riches of the world and it is far more eligible to endure the sharpest afflictions than to enjoy the delights and pleasures of sin Heb. 11.25 Chusing rather to suffer Affliction with the People of GOD than to enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a season esteeming the Reproaches of Christ even those things that are most hard to be born greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt or all the enjoyments in the World 4. God will not suffer any man to be afflicted for Christ or the Gospels sake above what he will enable him to bear 1 Cor. 10.13 God is Faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able but will also with the Temptation make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it And when we do suffer for Christs sake the Lord will be with us in all our sufferings 2 Cor. 4.9 Persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not in despair Isaiah 43.2 When thou passest through the Waters I will be with thee Psalm 91.15 I will be with him in trouble c. 5. The more we suffer for Christ the more abundant consolation we shall have from Christ 2 Cor. 1.5 As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our Consolation also aboundeth by Christ And we shall find more delight in our Consolations than we do grief in our sufferings Psal 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul Fourthly Put them in mind of the great things which Jesus Christ hath suffered for them He became poor for our sakes 2 Cor 8.9 He gave his Body to be broken for us he made his Soul an offering for our sins c. The consideration of what Christ hath suffered for us and how willingly he suffered for us I gave my Back to the smiters and my Cheeks to them that plucked off the hair I hid not my face from shame and spitting Isa 50.6 will make us willing to suffer for him and keep us from fainting under our Sufferings Heb. 12.3 Looking unto JESUS the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God for consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest you be wearied and faint in your minds SECT 13. The advantage of knowing the state of our Families How we may come to know their state Direct 13 ENdeavour to know the state of every Member of your Families consider who of them are in a state of grace and who abide still in an unregenerate condition As for such as are converted see whether they make any progress and grow in grace or whether they stand at a stay or decline and go backward Prov. 27.24 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy Flocks and look well to thy Herds If a man must be diligent to know the state of his Flocks and Herds whether they be sound or diseased how much more doth it concern him to know the state of his Wife and Children and Servants whether they be in a state of Grace or a state of Nature Estius and Beda and some others apply this passage of the Proverbs to those that have the care of Souls committed to their Charge The Arabian Translation favours this interpretation Cognosce animos gregis tui cognitione perfecta And the Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The knowledge of the state of our Families will help us 1. To instruct them in those things that are most suitable to their state and will conduce much to their edification Heb. 10.24 Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works By considering and observing wherein they are deficient whether in Love or any other Grace as Meekness Patience Heavenly-mindedness Temperance or the like we have an advantage to apply our selves to them in a way suitable to their necessities that we may provoke them to seek after those things wherein they are most defective 2. The knowledge of their state will enable us to apply suitable comforts to them if they be dejected and cast down either by inward or outward troubles Col. 4.8 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose that he might know your estate and comfort your hearts 3. It will tend much to our own comfort if they be in a good estate Phil. 2.19 That I may be of good comfort when I know your state 4. It will help us in our Prayers for them and praising God upon their accompt When the Apostle understood the good estate of the Thessalonians it did greatly excite him to thanksgiving and prayer 1 Thes 1.2 3. We give thanks to God always for you all making mention of you in our prayers remembring without ceasing your work of Faith and labour of Love and patience of Hope c. The like we may see on the behalf of the Colossians Col. 1.3 4. If any say How should we come to know the state of our Families I answer 1. By communing with the several members of our Families and examing them whhat workings they have had upon their Souls and whether they have any enjoyment of God in his Ordinances and putting searching questions to them Psal 139.23 Search me O God and know my heart and vers 1. O Lord thou hast searched me and known me As Joseph inquired into the state of his Brethren Gen. 43.7 The man asked us straitly of our state saying is your Father yet alive have you another Brother So should we inquire diligently into the state of our Children and Servants by questioning with them
me for such a great man as I am to instruct my Family 4. Riches and Honour and worldly Greatness should be so far from taking off any man from any good work that they should cause him to be more abundant in every good work 1 Tim. 6.17 18. Charge them that are rich in this world that they do good that they be rich in good works Jehoshaphat who was a good as well as a great man was so far from neglecting any of the ways of the Lord because of his Greatness that his heart was more elevated and encouraged to lay out himself for God by the Honour and Greatness which God had conferred upon him 2 Chron. 17.5 6. The Lord stablished the Kingdom in his hand and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat Presents and he had Riches and Honour in abundance and his heart was lift up or as 't is in the Margin was encouraged in the ways of the Lord. SECT 11. The Plea of such as say they have no spare time to instruct their Families because they are poor or have much business or are often abroad answered Object 11 THere are many will plead They have no spare time to instruct their Families some because they are poor others because they are often from home a third sort because they are full of business who are ready to say On the week days we must attend our worldly occasions and on Lords days we must attend publick Ordinances and take some time for our private Communion with God so that we can find no time to instruct our Families Answ 1. Do you not find time to eat and drink with your Children If you can find time notwithstanding all your business to eat and drink with your Families if you had as great a delight in the word of God as Job had you would also find time to instruct them out of the word of God for he esteemed Gods word more than his food yea more than his necessary food Job 23.12 I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food Are not your Childrens Souls infinitely better than their Bodies And will you then spend all your time in providing for their Bodies and spare no time to instruct their Souls Your Childrens Souls are in as great danger to perish without Instruction as their Bodies without Food and Rayment their Bodies will die if they have no Food prepared for them so will their Souls if they be without Instruction Prov. 5.23 He shall die without instruction and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray Hos 4.6 My People are destroyed for want of Knowledge 2. Suppose you are poor your Poverty should be so far from keeping you from teaching Gods Word unto your Children that you should be the more diligent to study Gods word your selves and to teach the same unto your Children And that for several Reasons As First Gods Word will help you and your Children to bear your Poverty with Patience and Contentment The Apostle Paul exerercised much patience in his Afflictions Necessities and Distresses and the help which he had to bear his Necessities with patience was from the Word of God 2 Cor. 6.4 7. Increasing in the knowledge of God will strengthen a man with all might to suffer all sorts of afflictions with all Patience Long-suffering and Joyfulness Col. 1.10 11. Secondly If you be poor and can leave your Children nothing you have the more need to leave them instructed in the Word of God and if you leave them well instructed in the Word you leave them a good portion better then if you left them thousands of pounds in Silver or Gold Psal 119.72 The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of Gold and Silver Thirdly By laying up Gods word in your hearts and teaching it your Children and practising it in your Lives and Conversations you may come to be deliver'd from your Poverty and be blessed with Riches Prov. 10.22 The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich and who are more likely to obtain this Blessing then they that treasure up Gods word in their hearts and teach it to their Children Job 22.22 24. Receive I pray thee the Law from his mouth and lay up his words in thine heart then shalt thou lay up Gold as dust and the Gold of Ophir as the stones of the brook Prov. 24.4 By knowledge shall the Chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant Riches Fourthly If the Lord should see it best for you and your Children to be kept in a poor and low condition and should deny you the Riches of this world yet by conversing much with the word of God and instructing your Children in the knowledge of the Scriptures both you and your Children may come to be rich in faith and by being rich in faith both you and they shall become great Heirs Heirs of a Kingdom Heirs not of an earthly but which is far better of an heavenly Kingdom Jam. 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith Heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him 3. Multiplicity of Business is not a sufficient Plea for the neglect of this duty of Family-Instruction For First Next to the working out of our own salvation we can have no Business of greater importance than the training up our Families in the knowledge and fear of God Secondly A good man must order all his affairs with discretion so as one Business may not hinder another especially that which is of lesser moment must not hinder that which is of greater concerment Thirdly When a man hath an heart for this work he will easily find time to do it Want of time may be pretended but want of an heart to the work is the real cause why it is neglected Fourthly No men can have more or greater Business than Kings who have the Affairs of an whole Kingdom lying upon their hands yet David who was a King found time to teach his Children Prov. 4.3 4. yet he had much other Business besides governing the Twelve Tribes of Israel who were a very numerous People as preparing Materials to build the Temple composing of Psalms fighting of Battels there being both Civil Wars and War with forraign Enemies in his days c. Fifthly They that have most Business if they take a view of their time shall find that much of their time is lost and mis-spent either in idleness or vain unprofitable Discourse or unnecessary thoughts and cares about the affairs of this life or in some other kind Do but spend so much time in Family-Instruction as you have been used to spend unprofitably and you shall find time enough for this work 4. Suppose you be full of Employment that you can find no spare time on the week day to instruct your Families yet on every Lords day wherein you are to lay aside all your worldly Business you may find time and leasure enough to instruct your
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
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
was driven from his Throne and forced to dwell among the Beasts of the field where he was wet with the dew of Heaven and did eat grass with the Oxen when his understanding returned to him again although he was about seven years under this great and unusual Judgment because he saw Justice and Truth in this stroke of God he extolled and praised the Lord Dan 4 37. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of Heaven all whose Works are Truth and his Ways are Judgment and those that walk in pride he is able to abase V. God shall have eternal Glory from them that perish as well as from them that are saved His Justice shall be glorified on them that perish and his Mercy in them that are saved When ungodly sinners are cast into Hell in great multitudes God is glorified in their destruction Isa 5.14 16. Therefore Hell hath enlarged her self and opened her mouth without measure and their glory and their multitude and their pomp and he that rejoyceth shall descend into it But the Lord of Hosts shall be exalted in Judgment and God that is holy shall be sanctified in Righteousness Now seeing God shall be glorified in them that perish this may quiet our minds and keep down all murmuring thoughts if it should be our portion to have any of our children cut off in their sins Aaron's two sons Nadab and Abihu were cut off in the act of sin while they were offering strange fire there went out fire from the Lord and consumed them and they died before the Lord yet when Aaron heard Moses speak of Gods being glorified he was silent under this heavy stroke Lev. 10.3 Then Moses said unto Aaron This is that the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me and before all the People I will be glorified And Aaron held his peace God made all things and all persons wicked as well as good men for his own glory Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself yea even the wicked for the day of evil Rev. 4.11 Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created And seeing God made all things and persons for his own pleasure and glory he may glorifie himself according to his own will and pleasure upon every one of his creatures and none may say unto him What doest thou VI. The consideration of the great and wonderful mercy of God in bestowing his grace upon our souls and taking us into his everlasting Covenant may quiet our minds however it shall please him to deal with our Families David met with great afflictions in his Family some of his children proved perverse and were very great crosses to him and died in such a state as he could have little or no hope of their salvation Amnon was such a vitious person that he ravished his own sister Tamar and was slain when his heart was merry with wine 2 Sam. 13.28 by this phrase is signified that Amnon was little better than drunk when he was slain as may be gathered from 1 Sam. 25.36 where Nabals drunkenness is expressed by his heart being merry Nabals heart was merry within him for he was very drunken Absolom who had caused his Brother Amnon to be slain rose up in rebellion against his Father and sought to take his Kingdom and Life from him and was cat off in this act of sin And how did David quiet himself under these great afflictions that befel his House It was with the Covenant that God had made with his own Soul 2 Sam. 23.5 Although my House be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my vation and all my desire although he make it not to grow The mercies and blessings of the Covenant are so great and such unvaluable mercies that when we conside the riches of Gods grace and his infinite love in taking our own souls into Covenant vvith himself this consideration may so fill our hearts vvith joy as to swallow up all our sorrows arising either from personal or family-afflictions Wine will chear such as are of a sorrowful spirit and make them forget their miseries Prov. 31.6 7. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine to them that be of heavy hearts Let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his misery no more Gods love is better and hath more efficacy to chear such as are of heavy hearts than wine Cant. 1.2 Thy love is better than Wine And if Wine will refresh such as are of sorrowful spirits yea such as are ready to perish under their affliction what efficacy is there in the love of God which he hath manifested in taking our souls into Covenant to comfort us under our greatest sorrows and miseries even such as lie heavy upon our hearts yea such as vve think vve shall perish under them SECT 2. The Case of such as are overwhelmed with grief because they fear their Children are in eternal Torments considered Gods Justice in punishing Sinners to Eternity vindicated TO these Considerations I shall add a Reply to such Pleas as those Parents whose Children have died in their sins may possibly make use of to excuse their immoderate grief and discontent and perplexity of mind under this affliction of losing their Children in such a state as that they can have no hope of their salvation And so I shall conclude this Treatise 1 Plea My Children that are dead in their sins are gone into everlasting burnings where their torments will be endless and intolerable and it so pierceth my heart and distracteth my mind when I think that those that came out of my Bowels my Children for whom I had such a dear affection should be cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone where they must remain for eternity that I am not able to bear it but sometimes I am ready to fret against God and at other times my heart is so full with grief that I think it will break in pieces and I shall die with sorrow Answ I. If your Children be cast into eternal Torments for their sins it is God hath done it He keeps the Keys of Death and Hell No person is cut off by death none after death are cast into Hell but at Gods appointment Rev. 1.18 I have the Keys of Hell and Death There is not so much as one Sparrow falleth to the ground but at the will and by the appointment of God Matth. 10.29 Are not two Sparrows sold for a farthing And one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father If a Sparrow doth not fall to the ground vvithout the vvill of God then surely an immortal Soul doth not fall into Hell Torments but at his appointment for the meanest Soul that ever was created is of
a thousand times more value than many Sparrows And seeing it is God hath done it how grievous and bitter soever it be unto your Souls you must bear it with patience Psal 39.9 10. I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou diddest it And this was no small stroke under which David was dumb because the Lord gave him the blow but it was so great as that he was even consumed with it as the next words shew Remove thy stroke away from me I am consumed by the blow of thine hand By his being consumed we may understand the greatness of his grief as Psal 31.9 Mine eye is consumed with grief yea my soul and my belly yet under this great stroke which consumed his Soul and his Body with grief he was dumb and opened not his mouth because God did it Whatsoever cometh from the hands of God must be born with silence and submission to his will although it be so sharp and bitter as that it will make us go mourning as long as vve live Isa 38.15 What shall I say He hath spoken unto me and himself hath done it I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my Soul And as vve must be patient under all our griefs so we must contentedly bear vvhatever grievous things befal our children Jer. 10.19 20. Wo is me for my hurt my wound is grievous but I said Truly this is a grief and I must bear it My Children are gone forth of me and are not II. God is righteous in vvhat he hath done to your Children although he hath cast them into eternal torments If you think it not consistent with Righteousness and Equity to punish the sins of a few years vvith endless and eternal torments consider 1. That the Scriptures assure us that the Lord is righteous in all his vvays Psal 145.18 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works And if the Lord be righteous in all his ways then also in this vvay of his Providence vvhen he condemneth vvicked men to eternal torments for the sins they committed in that short space of time they lived in the vvorld Yea more particularly vve find the Scriptures ascribing Righteousness to God in this very case vvhen he punisheth ungodly persons vvith everlasting torments 2 Thes 1.6 9. It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2. The Angels are more glorious Creatures than the Souls of Men yet vvhen they sinned against God the Lord did not spare them but for their first sin cast them down into hell 2 Pet. 1.4 God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to hell and delivered them into Chains of Darkness to be reserved unto Judgment And that they shall be punished in Hell vvith everlasting torments is evident from Matth. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And this he did vvithout affording them any means of their recovery from their sin and misery vvhich vvas granted to fallen man Heb. 2.16 For verily he took not on him the Nature of Angels but he took on him the Seed of Abraham Now seeing God cast those glorious Creatures the Angels into eternal torments for their first transgression and did not spare them one day or afford them any means of recovery after their fall shall vve think that God deals hardly vvith the Sons of men in condemning them to eternal torments vvhenas he afforded them means of grace and salvation and gave them a long time and space for their Repentance vvaiting day after day and year after year for their returning to him Is not this far greater mercy and less severity then vvas shewn to the fallen Angels 3. Sin is committed against an eternal God against an infinitely holy great and glorious GOD and therefore deserveth an infinite and eternal punishment We do not understand or at least vve do not consider what an odious thing Sin is and what a great God the Lord is and vvhat an infinite distance there is between the great and holy God and a poor sinful man vvhen vve think that the Lord deals hardly vvith sinners in punishing their sins vvith eternal torments What an hainous crime is it for man who is but a poor vvorm made of dust and ashes to affront despise and rebel against the great GOD of Heaven and Earth vvho gave him his Being and loadeth him vvith his Benefits every day To tread the Laws of God under his feet and to cast his vvord behind his back to slight all his Promises and Threatnings to contemn all his offers of Grace and Mercy and though he wait with much patience and long-suffering many days and years for his Repentance to refuse to return and obey the Voice of his Creator Doth not such a despising of the Eternal Immortal Ever-Blessed God deserve to be punished with eternal Torments 4. It is accounted no injustice among men to inflict a punishment of long continuance for a crime that was committed in a very short time If Murder Adultery Treason or some other capital Offence which was committed in the space of a few minutes be punished with perpetual imprisonment or perpetual banishment no man counts it injustice or thinks the Offender is hardly dealt with because he is so long punish'd for an offence committed in so short a time Why then should any man think that the Righteous God dealeth hardly or unjustly in punishing sinners with perpetual torments for the sins they committed those few years they lived in the world 5. It was their own choice to embrace eternal death God set before them Life and Death He told them if they did evil they should die eternally but if they would repent and do that which is good in his sight they should have everlasting life and he called upon them earnestly to chuse Life rather than Death Deut. 30.15 19. See I have set before you this day life and good death and evil Therefore chuse life He offered them Life in his Son and they would not go unto him for it John 5.40 And ye will not come to Me that ye might have life He protested solemnly to them that he was loth they should die and therefore pleaded with them Why will ye die Ezek. 33.11 Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye die O House of Israel And therefore they must blame themselves not the Lord for their being cast into eternal Torments 6. Had they been permitted to have lived for ever upon the face of the Earth they would have sinned for ever The heart of the Sons of men is fully set in them to do evil