way and while he opened to us the Scriptures If you endeavour to water your Families with the dew of heaven God will water your souls Prov. 11.25 He that watereth shall be watered also himself 3. If you do this work out of obedience to the command of God and act your faith on the Lord Jesus for the pardon of the imperfections that attend this work though you do not find so much comfort and delight in the doing thereof as you wish you could but are sensible of some driness and flatness of spirit yet your work shall be accepted of God Acts 10.35 In every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him 4. If you apply your selves to Jesus Christ he will take away your driness and refresh and replenish your Souls with the Graces of his Spirit It is said of Jesus Christ That he shall be as Rivers of Water is a dry place Isa 32.2 And he hath promised such of his Servants as find their Souls to be like the dry ground that he will pour out his Spirit like flouds of water upon them that is in an abundant measure Isa 44.3 I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and flouds upon the dry ground I will pour out my Spirit upon thy Seed and my Blessing upon thine Off spring SECT 14. The Plea of such as say 'T is the Ministers work to instruct their Children answered Object 14 THis is the Ministers work not mine to catechise and instruct my Servants and my Children and why then should I take it in hand Answer Besides what the Ministers of Gods word are to do in this kind it is the duty of Parents and Masters of Families to teach and instruct their Children and Servants as hath been proved already by many clear Texts of Scripture I shall re-mind you of some of them Isa 38.19 The Father unto the Children shall make known thy truth Psal 78.5 He established a Testimony in Jacob and appointed a Law in Israel which he commanded our Fathers that they should make them known to their Children Ephes 6.4 And ye Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Deut. 6.6 7. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children This Precept is not given only to the Priests or Levites but to the whole House of Israel vers 4. So that it is a frivolous excuse for any man to think to put off this work from himself by saying it is the Ministers work to catechise his Children for God commandeth all Parents to teach his Word to their Children Yea it is a notorious falsehood for any man to say This is none of my work to instruct my Family whenas the Lord hath given so many and such strict Precepts to every man to instruct his Children SECT 15. Only such as are called of God are to take upon them the work of the Ministry Family-Instruction will not bring the Ministry into contempt Object 15 IF every man should take upon him to teach and instruct his Family this would be the way to make every man turn Preacher and would cause the Ministers of the Word to be slighted and despised and this makes us not only forbear this work our selves but also to dislike it in others because we would not have any take upon them the work of the Ministry but such as are called to it and we would not have the publick Ministry brought into contempt Answ 1. Family-Instruction and the work of the Ministry are two distinct works The one belongs to every Master of a Family the other belongs only to such as are called and sent forth by God to preach the Gospel Rom. 10.15 How shall they preach except they be sent And God hath not called all men to the work of the Ministry 1 Cor. 12.28 29. God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers Are all Apostles Are all Prophets Are all Teachers We may learn from this Text 1. That none are to be Teachers in the Church but those whom God sets there 2. That God doth set some not all to be Teachers in the Church Under the Law no man was to take the Office of the Priesthood without a call from God Heb. 5.4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself but he that was called of God as was Aaron Yea God made it death for such as were not called to intermeddle with the Priests Office Numb 18.7 Thou and thy Sons with thee shall keep your Priests Office for every thing of the Altar and within the Vail and ye shall serve And the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death What work our Lord Jesus did in and for the Church of God he did not do it without a Call Heb. 5.5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high Priest but he that said unto him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And God hath ordained under the Gospel that every man should improve those gifts which he hath distributed to him within the sphere and compass of his Calling 1 Cor. 7.17 As God hath distributed to every man as the Lord hath called every one so let him walk and so ordain I in all Churches Those works which are in themselves good works become sinful when they are done by those that have no call to do them and instead of being rewarded they have been punished by the Lord. To burn Incense upon the Altar of Incense was a very good and acceptable work David wisheth that his Prayer might be like Incense Psal 141.2 Let my Prayer be set before thee as incense Yet when Vzziah undertook to burn Incense who had no Call to do it it is called a Transgression and he was punished with Leprosie all his days 2 Chron. 25.18 21. It appertaineth not unto thee Vzziah to burn incense unto the Lord but to the Priests the Sons of Aaron that are consecrated to burn incense go out of the Sanctuary for thou hast trespassed neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God And Vzziah the King was a Leper unto the day of his death The more knowledge any man hath of the Scriptures the less fear there is of his taking upon him the work of the Minstry without a Call from God what this Call is and how a man may discern when he hath it would be too great a digression if I should here undertake the explanation thereof because the Scriptures are so full so plain so express in this point That only they that are called of God should take upon them the work and Office of the Ministry So that this Objection Every man will turn Preacher if he take upon him to instruct his Family in the knowledge of the Scriptures is of no force to hinder this work of Family-Instruction 2. Neither will
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
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
grief to their Parents Prov. 29.15 The Rod and Reproof give wisdom but a Child left to himself bringeth his Mother to shame Prov. 17 25. A foolish Son is a grief to his Father and bitterness to her that bare him 5. The neglect of instructing our Families and training them up in the fear of God causeth God to inflict many great and sore judgments on our Families and such as shall continue upon them from Generation to Generation 1 Sam. 3.13 14. I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth because his Sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not and therefore I have sworn unto the House of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's House shall not be purged with Sacrifice nor Offering for ever SECT 7. Family-Instruction will propagate Religion to a thousand Generations Motive 7 BY instructing our Children and Servants in the knowledge of the Scriptures and training them up in the fear of God we shall be a means of erecting many godly Families and shall greatly propagate the true Religion and Power of Godliness and shall prove great Blessings not only to the present Generation but also to the Generations that are to come For if we instruct our Children and the Lord bless our Labours and we have no cause to doubt of his Blessing if we be diligent and faithful in our work our Children will teach their Children and their Children will teach the next Generation and so by our means the knowledge of God and his Gospel will be transmitted from Generation to Generation as long as the world stands For Children are very apt to walk in all those ways that they see their Fathers walk in 1 King 22.43 And he walked in all the ways of Asa his Father he turned not aside from it doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord. Solomon gives this reason why he taught his Children his Father taught him when he was a Child Prov. 4.1 3 4. Hear ye Children the instruction of a Father and attend to know understanding for I was my Fathers Son tender and only beloved in the sight of my Mother He taught me also and said Let thy heart retain my words keep my Commandments and live That if we teach Gods Word unto our Children they will teach it to their Children and their Children will teach the next Generation and so the knowledge of God and his holy Word will be transmitted from one Generation to another is implyed in Psal 78.2 3 4 5 6. I will open my mouth in a parable I will utter dark sayings of old which we have heard and known and our Fathers have told us we will not hide them from their Children shewing to the Generation to come the praises of the Lord and his strength and his wonderful works that he hath done For he established a Testimony in Jacob and appointed a Law in Israel which he commanded our Fathers that they should make them known unto their Chidlren that the Generation to come might know them even the Children which should be born who should arise and declare unto their Children that they might set their hope in God c. And as our Children so also our Servants whom we have instructed when God shall give them Families they will teach their Housholds the ways of the Lord and such as spring out of their Loyns will tread in their steps and instruct their Families whereby the Kingdom of Christ will be greatly inlarged Solomon instructed his Servants 1 Kings 10.8 Happy are thy men happy are these thy Servants which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom And we find the Children of Solomons Servants who were generally reputed to be Profelites that had embraced the Jewish Religion spoken of in the Scriptures and giving evidence of their Piety for many Generations after Solomon's death they evidenced their Piety by adhering to the Jews who were the People and Church of the living God and that when they were in a low condition and under great misery by reason of the Babylonish Captivity 2. By their returning out of Babylon to Judah and Jerusalem Ezra 2.1 55. after they had dwelt in Babylon seventy years where they had built Houses and planted Vineyards Jer. 29.4 5. and could not leave those Houses and Vineyards without much loss 3. The Children of Solomon's Servants are reckoned up amongst those that were most forward to come out of Babylon unto Zion Neh. 7.5 6 57. 4. They went out of Babylon to Jerusalem to build the House of the Lord which was a great costly and difficult work Ezra 1.3 5. compared with Chap. 2.1 55. and that is a further evidence of their Piety that they went not up to Jerusalem for their own ends but that the Lord had stirred up their spirits to go thither to build the Lords House This example sheweth that Instruction is a means to propagate Religion to many Generations for from Solomon to the carrying away of the Jews into Babylon were thirteen Generations Mat. 1.17 and from their going into Babylon till their return from thence seventy years Jer. 29 10. And we find the Children of Solomons Servants retaining a savour of true Piety from Solomon's days till their return from Babylon By the means of Family-Instruction rightly managed what is promised Isa 60.22 A little one shall become a thousand may be verified of our Families Religion may be so propagated by training up our Families in the knowledge and fear of God that from one little Family that feareth God may in process of time arise a thousand godly Families And what is said of Israel Isa 27.6 Israel shall blossom and bud and fill the face of the world with fruit The like may be said of those godly persons that train up their Families in the fear of God they shall do much towards the filling of the face of the world with the fruits of Righteousness Religion will be so propagated from one Family to another and from one Generation to another by the means of Family-Instruction that hereby may be fulfilled what is spoken of Isa 58.12 They that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places thou shalt raise up the foundations of many Generations and thou shalt be called The Repairer of the Breach and the Restorer of Paths to dwell in And hereby we may become an Eternal Excellency the Joy of many Generations and many Children that are yet unborn shall rise up and call us Blessed and will have cause to bless God on our behalf to all Eternity It is said of Abraham who instructed his Family All the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed in him Now he became a Blessing to all Nations not only upon the account that the Messiah came out of his Loyns of which the Holy Ghost speaks Gen. 22.18 where he attributes the Blessing of all Nations not to Abraham but to his Seed In thy Seed shall all the Nations
up his Family to serve the Lord God gave him his presence whether soever he went Josh 1.9 and stuck to him all the days of his Life vers 5. and honoured and magnified him in the sight of all Israel Josh 3.7 He made him Leader of his people to carry them into the Land of Canaan He subdued mighty Kings under him and gave their Kingdoms into his hand At Joshua's Request the Sun stood still a whole day which thing God never did for any man but Joshua Josh 10.12 13 14. David who hath the character of a man after Gods own heart he was also careful to instruct his Children in the knowledge of God and to bring them up in the fear of God especially his Son Solomon 1 Chron. 28.9 And thou Solomon my Son know thou the God of thy Father and love him with a perfect heart and willing mind Prov. 4.3 4. I was my Fathers Son tender and only beloved in the sight of my Mother He taught me also and said unto me Let thine heart retain my words And God did exceedingly bless both David and Solomon his Son the Blessings he gave them were so remarkable that it is needless to recount them Cornelius who was a devout man himself trained up all his Houshold in the fear of God Act. 10.1 2. There was a certain man in Cesarea called Cornelius A devout man and one that feared God with all his House This man was in great favour with God God sent an Angel to him to tell him his Prayers and his Alms were come up for a Memorial before God Vers 4. and sent Peter to preach the Gospel to him and poured out the Holy Ghost on him and all that were present with him to the astonishing of the Jews that came along with Peter Vers 44 45. Timothy was instructed in the Scriptures while he was a Child 2 Tim 3.15 From a Child thou hast known the holy Scriptures And what an eminent man did he prove He was so eminent for Faith that the calling to mind of his Faith filled the Apostle with Joy 2 Tim. 1.4 5. He proved to be of such a publick spirit and such a Lover of the Church of God that of all the Apostles Acquaintace and Companions there was none like unto Timothy Phil. 2.19 20 22. The Apostle doth not only call him a godly man but a man of God 1 Tim. 6.11 Thou O man of God Examples have a great influence upon most men if we see a multitude going before us we are apt to follow them though that which they do be an evil thing and that also notwithstanding we have a Precept from God to the contrary Exod. 23.2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest Judgment Behold here is a Cloud of Witnesses a multitude of Gods Saints and Servants have gone before us in this good work of instructing their Families in the knowledge of Gods word and shall we be loth to follow a multitude of good men the best and wisest men that ever lived in a good work whenas we are commanded to walk in the way of good men Prov. 2.20 Heb. 13.7 If the examples of the Friends and Favourites of God of great men of wise men of holy men of men that have enjoyed the Blessing and Presence of God will do any thing with us then let the Example of Abraham Joshua David c. prevail with us to train up our Families in the knowledge and fear of God Besides these fore-mentioned Examples we have the Patern and Example of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST who is greater than Abraham or David or any Princes or Potentates that ever lived upon the face of the Earth The Apostles and Disciples of Christ that went whithersoever he went that lodged where he lodged that eat and drank with him continually were as I may so call them Christs Family they called him by the name of Master and he owned that name John 13.13 Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am He went in and out amongst them all the time after he had called them to follow him as a Master doth amongst his Servants Act. 1.21 Now if we look upon the Disciples of Christ as his Family then we have an excellent Pattern of Family-Instruction in the Example of our Lord Jesus For he was very diligent in teaching and instructing his Disciples John 17.6 I have manifested thy Name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the World And that Christ instructed them out of the word of God appears from vers 14. I have given them thy word See also Luke 4. from vers 17. to 21. He did not only teach them with others in the exercise of his Ministry but did also instruct them in private when they were alone with him Mark 4.34 When they were alone he expounded all things to his Disciples And not only before his death but also after his Resurrection his great work among his Disciples was to teach and expound to them the Scriptures Luk. 24.27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself And ves 32. Did not our Hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the Scriptures And vers 45 46. Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures and said unto them Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer c. Now every one that professeth himself to be a Christian ought to imitate the example of Christ so far as he is placed in the same relation that Christ was in 1 John 2.6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked SECT 12. Gods Judgments that have lately been upon us call for Family-Instruction and Family-Reformation Motive 12 THe great and mighty Judgments that have of late been upon this Nation as the Sword Pestilence c. do call aloud upon us to set upon this work of Family-Instruction and that on several accounts 1. The great and mighty Judgments of God call for Reformation of our Lives and learning of Righteousness Isa 26.9 When thy Judgments are in the Earth the Inhabitants of the World will learn Righteousness Now Family-Instruction is the way to Family-Reformation When Ephraim was instructed he repented and bemoaned his sins and turned to the Lord Jer. 31.18 19. And Family-Reformation would produce National Reformation For if every Family did begin to reform and turn to the Lord how speedily would the Nation be reformed Family-Reformation will draw down a multitude of Blessings both upon our selves and Families and upon the whole Nation It will bring a blessing upon our Estates Job 22.23 24. If thou return to the Almighty thou shalt be built up thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy Tabernacles Then shalt thou lay up Gold
as Dust and the Gold of Ophir as the stones of the Brooks Job's Family was broken and his Estate all gone yet Eliphaz tells him if he did return himself to God and put away iniquity from his Tabernacles he should be built up and have plenty of Silver It engageth God to become our defence vers 25. Yea the Almighty shall be thy defence and thou shalt have plenty of Silver It breeds delight in God and boldness in prayer vers 26. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty and shalt lift up thy face unto God It causeth us to be successful in prayer vers 27. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him and he shall hear thee and thou shalt pay thy Vows It makes a man prosperous in his ways and fills him with Comfort vers 28. Thou shalt also decree a thing and it shall be established unto thee and the Light shall shine upon thy ways It will cause God to shelter us and our Families in time of common calamity vers 29. When men are cast down then thou shalt say There is lifting up and he shall save the humble person Lo thus shall the man and his Family be blessed that returns to the Lord and puts away iniquity far from his Tabernacles And therefore seeing Family-Instruction will produce Family-Reformation as is intimated Vers 22. compared with Vers 23. how should this stir us up to instruct our Families in the word of God Besides these Personal and Family-Advantages Family-Reformation would remove National Judgments and procure National Mercies vers 30. He shall deliver the Island of the Innocent and it is delivered by the pureness of thy hands This as well as the foregoing Verses hath relation to vers 23. to the man that returns to God and puts away iniquity from his Tabernacles In that day wherein the Families of Jerusalem should go apart and mourn for their sins in the same day the Lord promiseth great mercies both spiritual and temporal not only to those Families but to Judah and Jerusasalem Zach. 12. 2. The late Pestilence made sore breaches in many Families it hath cut off in some Families the Root in others the Branches in others both Root and Branches Many Children are become fatherless and Orphans and have no Parents to teach them It hath made many Parents childless and they have now no Children to teach it hath swept away many whole Families And shall not we whose Families were preserved untouched or but gently visited ply this work of Family-Instruction It was one great end why God spared us and our Families that we should train them up in the knowledge of his word Isa 38.13 19. The Grave cannot praise thee Death cannot celebrate thee The Living the Living he shall praise thee as I do this day the Father to the Children shall make known thy truth From which words we may observe these two things 1. That one great end why God gives us Children and why he continueth our Lives with our Children and our Children with us is That we should teach them his word and to this agrees that note which Calvin hath upon this Text Hinc colligenda est utilis monitio hac lege sobolem dari mortalibus ut quisque liberos suos erudiendo pro sua virili propagare ad posteros studeat Dei nomen 2. When Parents have escaped with their Lives from the Pestilence or any other eminent danger they should express their gratitude to God by teaching his Truth to their Children This was Hezekiah's case he had been sick unto death and his sickness was as many think the Pestilence but he was preserved from death hereupon he praiseth God and tells us all living persons that had escaped the Pestilence should do the like and they should not only praise God in words but every Father should express his gratitude to God for preserving him and his from going down to the Grave by teaching Gods word to his Children SECT 13. The Vsefulness and Excellency of the Scriptures should excite us to instruct our Families in the Knowledge of the Scriptures Motive 13 THe Usefulness and Suitableness of the Scriptures for carrying on the work of Family-Instruction may stir us up to train up our Families in the knowledge of the Scriptures Whatsoever good thing we desire to teach our Families in order to their welfare in this world or their eternal salvation in the world to come it is contained in the Scriptures Would we train up our Families in the knowledge of the Principles of Religion The Scripture is profitable for Doctrine Would we at any time reprove them for their sins or teach them how to reprove others The Scripture is profitable for Reproof Would we correct and reform any Errors in Judgment or in their Conversations The Word of God is profitable for Correction Would we teach and instruct them how to live righteous and holy Lives The Scripture is profitable for instruction in Righteousness as the Apostle testifies 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for instruction in Righteousness The Scriptures are so framed by the infinite wisdom of God that they give directions for the doing of all good works for the avoiding of all Vices for the resisting of all Temptations the bearing of all Afflictions the instructing all persons of all ages whatever state or condition they are in Are our Children young In the word of God there is milk for Babes 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born Babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby Are they come to some maturity both in respect of their years and their knowledge In the word of God there is meat for strong men Heb. 5.14 Are the Members of our Families dull and backward and sluggish in respect of that which is good Gods word is like a goad to prick and put them forward Are they fickle and inconstant in that which is good Gods word prudently and wisely applied will be like a Nail to fasten and make them stedfast in every good work Eccl. 12.11 The words of the wise are as Goads and as Nails fastened by the Masters of the Assemblies which are given from one Shepherd Are our Children or Servants in an unconverted condition Gods word will be a means to convert them Psal 19.7 The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul Are they already converted The word of the Lord will build them up Act. 20.32 I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up Are they hard-hearted Gods word will melt and break the most rocky heart upon the face of the earth Jer. 23.29 Is not my word like as a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces Are they in a broken afflicted frame Gods word will heal them Psal 107.20 He sent his word and healed them and delivered them from
their destruction Are they of a sorrowful spirit The word of God will fill them with Joy Psal 19.8 The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart Are they ignorant The word of God will inlighten them Psal 19.8 The Commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes In a word whatever is needful and profitable either for our selves or for our Children to be acquainted withal it is revealed in the Scriptures Act. 20.20 I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you Neither we nor our Children need the knowledge of any thing more than the whole Counsel of God concerning our Salvation and this is fully revealed in the word of God Act. 20.27 I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God Whatsoever Christ heard of the Father that he taught his Apostles John 15.15 All things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you And all things that Christ taught the Apostles they are written in the Scriptures Acts 1.1 2. The former Treatise have I made O Theophilus of all that Jesus began both to do and teach until the day in which he was taken up after that he through the holy Ghost had given Commandments unto the Apostles whom he had chosen And therefore the Scriptures are a perfect Rule of Righteousness containing all things that are necessary for any man to know believe or practise in order to his eternal salvation And as the Scriptures are profitable for instruction in respect of the usefulness and suitableness of the matter contained in them so also in regard of the power that is in them to convince the Judgment and to prevail with the Conscience and to bow and bend the will to a compliance with Gods will For they carry the Authority of God with them and work efficaciously upon the stoutest hearts when God accompanies them with his Spirit Act. 18.28 He mightily convinced the Jews and that publickly shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ The Jews were exceedingly prejudiced against Christ they were so far from believing that Jesus was the Christ that they had crucified him as an Impostor and a Deceiver of the People yet Apollos bringing clear Scripture-proof for what he taught the Jews were hereby mightily convinced that Jesus was the Christ The word of God is of a more piercing nature than a sword and carrieth greater power along with it Heb. 4.12 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 of the Joynts and Marrow and is a Discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart It astonisheth the minds of men and carries out their Souls to believe in and obey the Lord notwithstanding all Oppositions and Discouragements that lie in the way either of Faith or Obedience Elimas the Sorcerer was full of subtilty and mischief and he opposed all he could the word of God which was dispenced by Paul and Barnabas and sought to turn away Sergius Paulus from the Faith but the Word of God had such power upon the Deputy that notwithstanding all the endeavours of Elimas he became obedient to the Faith Acts 13.12 The Deputy when he saw what was done believed being astonished at the Doctrine of the Lord. Of all the Jews none were more opposite to believing in Christ than the Priests for the Priests plotted and contrived Christs death Matt. 26.3 4. They sent Judas and a multitude of People with him to apprehend Christ vers 47. They suborned false witnesses against him vers 59. They held a Counsel after he was apprehended by what means they should put him to death Matth. 27.1 The Priests accused him with great vehemency before Herod Luk. 23.10 They stirred up the multitude to ask Barrabas when Pilate was willing to have released Jesus Matth. 27.20 It was the cry of the multitude that were stirred up by the Priests and the voices of the Priests that prevailed with Pilate to crucifie Christ Luk. 23.23 After the death of Christ the Priests took greatest offence at the Apostles preaching and were the chief Agents in their imprisonment Acts 4.1 And yet notwithstanding all the opposition that was in the Priests against Christ and the Doctrine of the Gospel such was the power of the Word of God that thereby a great number of the Priests were converted to the faith of Christ Act. 6.7 The word of God increased and the number of the Disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the Faith Besides this consider the excellency and weightiness of the matter contained in the Scriptures They reveal to us the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven Gods eternal Counsel concerning our salvation the gracious Covenant God hath made with man They reveal to us Gods Attributes his works of Creation and Providence the great Mystery of our Redemption They shew to us how we may serve glorifie and enjoy God which is mans chiefest happiness They treat of the Torments of Hell and of the unspeakable Joys and Glory of Heaven and shew us how we may avoid the one and get possession of the other In a word they discover to us such excellent things as the eye of man never saw the like neither did ear hear neither can it enter into the heart of man to conceive the transcendent worth and dignity of them 1 Cor. 2.9 10. They open such Mysteries as the Angels of Heaven desire and delight to look into them 1 Pet. 1.12 Which things the Angels desire to look into And shall we hide such excellent things as these are from our Children We should resolve with full purpose of heart as the godly Jews of old did concerning those glorious things which their Fathers had told them Psal 78.4 We will not hide them from their Children shewing to the Generations to come the praises of the Lord I might adde further There is nothing revealed in the Scriptures but what is of great and near concernment to us and to our Children and that as long as we and they shall live in this world Deut. 29.29 The secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our Children for ever that we may do all the words of this Law If those things that are treated of in the Scriptures did not belong to us or to our Children we might have some excuse for not teaching them the word of God But what Apologie can we make for our neglect of this Duty seeing they were revealed purposely for us and our Children to be conversant therein as long as we live They are of such near and great concernment to us as that every mans Judgment for his eternal state shall be given at the last day according to what is in the written word John 12.48 He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the words that I have spoken
that which is lacking in your Faith Phil. 1.4 Always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with Joy He put up no prayer at any time but he remembred them all and it was not irksome to him so to do but he did it with Joy And as the Apostle Paul so also others of the Servants of Christ have been wont to labour and strive mightily with God in Prayer for those whom they have taught and instructed in the ways of God Col. 4.12 Epaphras who is one of you a Servant of Christ saluteth you always labouring fervently for you in prayers that ye may stand perfect and compleat in the whole Will of God He did not only pray but laboured in prayer and that fervently not sometimes but always and that not for his own concernments but for you besides it is not said in prayer but in prayers intimating that he put up a multitude of prayers for them and it was no small measure of grace that he laboured thus earnestly for on their behalf but that they might stand perfect and compleat in the will in all the will of God 3. Prayer will do great things with God for others as well as our own Souls Jam. 5.16 Pray one for another that ye may be healed the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much By praying in faith and with fervency we may obtain converting grace remission of sins and eternal life for our Children and Servants and others as well as those of our own Families 1 John 5.16 If any man see his Brother sin a sin which is not unto death he shall ask and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death This promise may give us great encouragement to pray in faith for the conversion and salvation of such as are visible and open sinners If any see his Brother sin c. If we consider 1. The persons to whom this promise is made and they are every one that believeth in the Name of Jesus Christ It is not a priviledge that did belong only to the Apostles or extraordinary men of God but it is said If any man that is any man that believeth in Christ as appeareth from the thirteenth verse 2. The persons for whom Believers may obtain Life and Salvation upon praving to God for them and they are his Brethren sinning Brethren If any man see his Brother sin he shall give him life for them He first speaks of a Brother in the singular number and then saith Life for them in the plural which shews that the word Brother is to be taken collectively as Beza observes for all or any Brother for whom a Believer shall pray to God If you ask Who is meant by a Brother I answer The Apostle seemeth to use the word Brother in this Epistle in the same latitude with Neighbour which may be proved from several passages in his Epistle as Chap. iii. 14 15 16. Chap. iv 20.21 And Piscator expounds the word Brother Fratris nomine intelligit proximum qui eandem nobiscum fidem ac proinde eundem in coelis patrem profitetur 3. He excepts no sins but the sin unto death that is as most expound the place the sin against the Holy Gaost which is a sin that shall never have forgiveness As for any other sins if Believers ask of God Repentance and Forgiveness of sins for them that have sinned that so they may have Life and Salvation God will grant them their desire Another Scripture that sheweth the efficacy of prayer in order to the obtaining for others forgiveness of sins and Grace whereby they may be qualified to receive forgiveness of sins we have Jam. 5.15 The prayer of faith shall save the Sick and the Lord shall raise him up and if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven him Ishmael was a wild Child Gen. 16.11 12. yet when Abraham prayed Gen. 17.10 O that Ishmael might live before thee God answers him verse 20. As for Ishmael I have heard thee And though the Lord adds afterward But my Covenant will I establish with Isaac Yet this as Rivet observes seems rather to be an excluding of Ishmael's Posterity than his Person from the Covenant unto whom the same day that God gave him this answer Abraham administers Circumcision the Seal of the Covenant When the woman of Canaans Daughter was grievously vexed with a Devil her prayer prevailed with Christ to deliver her Daughter from the power of the Devil Matth. 15.22 28. Objection I have prayed often to God to give my Children Grace and to convert and turn them from their sins but I do not see that my Prayers avail any thing with God for my Children they abide still in a graceless condition Answer 1. Do you instruct them diligently as well as pray for them Do you watch over them Do you shew them a good example Do you reprove them Do you give them due correction If you do not use other means as well as prayer possibly that is the reason why your prayers avail not for their conversion The Apostle Paul who earnestly desired and prayed for the salvation of the Jews Rom. 10.1 Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved joyned with his prayers the use of all means to effect their salvation Rom. 11.14 If by any means I might provoke to emulation them which are my flesh and might save some of them So must we joyn the use of all other means with prayer if we would have our prayers become effectual for the conversion and salvation of our Children 2. Though we see no present return of our prayers yet we should continue praying and not faint or be discouraged until we have obtained what we pray for Luke 18.1 He spake a Parable unto them to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint Though the Lord may be silent for a season and seem not to regard our Prayers to try our Faith and Patience yet he may purpose to give us all that we pray for He dealt thus with the Woman of Canaan when she came to him with a Request on the behalf of her Daughter at the first he answered her not a word Matth. 15.23 And when the Disciples intercede for her he seems to discourage them from making any farther request for her by saying to them ver 24. I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel and afterward when she continued to cry after him he seemeth to beat her off and reject her prayer by telling her Verse 26. It is not meet to take the Childrens Bread and cast it to Dogs Yet she still holding on her suit at length Christ yields her the whole desire of her heart Verse 28. Then Jesus answered and said unto her O Woman great is thy Faith Be it unto thee even as thou wilt And her Daughter was made whole from that very hour 3. If God should
as we may see Luc. 18.31 32 33 34. Now if Nicodemus a Master in Israel was ignorant of the nature of Regeneration which is a work that must pass upon every one that shall be saved if the Disciples of Christ yea his Apostles after they had been a long time with him were ignorant of those plain and fundamental Truths of the Death and Resurrection of Christ had not those Masters of Families that think all in their Families are endued with such a great measure of knowledge that they want no instruction need make enquiry into their Children and Servants knowledge whether they are indeed so knowing as they think them to be Thirdly Suppose all the Members of your Families be wise understanding persons endued with a great measure of knowledge yet it is your duty to instruct them that they may get more wisdom and it will be a benefit and advantage unto them to be instructed Prov. 9.9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser teach a just man and he will increase in learning For 1. Though you should teach them nothing but what they knew before yet thereby you may edifie them whilst you stir up their Faith Hope Love Joy Thankfulness and Obedience c. by putting them in remembrance of known Truths They to whom the Apostle Peter wrote knew and were established in the Truth yet he resolved as long as he lived to stir them up by putting them in remembrance of what he had taught them before 2 Pet. 1.12 13. I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of those things though ye know them and be established in the present truth yea I think it meet as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance But 2. There is no man knows so much but he may and ought to labour to grow in knowledge David knew more than the Antients and more than all his Teachers and yet how often do we find him praying after this manner Give me understanding Teach me thy Statutes c. In the 119 Psalm where he speaks of the great measure of knowledge whereby he excelled his Enemies his Teachers and the Antients he prays 24 or 25 times to God to give him knowledge You should not rest satisfied that your Families do know the will of God but you should desire and endeavour as the Apostle did in the behalf of the Colossians that they may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding Col. 1.9 10. You should not only labour to bring them acquainted with the word of God but endeavour that it may dwell richly in them and that it may dwell in them in all wisdom Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom SECT 8. Family-Instruction must not be neglected because we have but a small Family Object 8 SOme perhaps may object My Family is so small I do not think it worth my time and pains to instruct them If I had many Children or many Servants I would take pains to instruct them but having so small a Family I do not think it worth the while to bestow my time on one or two because I can imploy my time better Answ 1. If you have but one Child or one Servant to instruct it is worth much time and pains to instruct that one person for one Soul is more worth than the whole world Mark 8.36 Now you have spent and do spend much time and pains to get a little of the world and will you then grudge the spending a little time or pains to save a Soul which is more worth than the whole world when as you willingly spend much time to gain a little of the world 2. To instruct persons in the knowledge of Christ is such a great and glorious work that the holy Angels did not think much to go to a few Shepherds to acquaint them with the time and place of Christs birth Luc. 2.8 9 10 11 12. And when one Angel was publishing this message to the Shepherds there suddenly descended a multitude of the heavenly Host as being desirous to do the same work vers 13 14. And shall any of us think much to do that which the Angels of Heaven do and rejoyce to be imployed in 3. The Lord Jesus spent much time and pains in teaching and instructing one poor woman the woman of Samarla who was a sinner and a woman of a churlish disposition that in an upbraiding manner denied him a Cup of Water notwithstanding the Well was deep and she saw that he had nothing to draw withal and this he did at such a time as he had been wearied with his journey and was both hungry and thirsty John 4.6 to 28. Now one hour of Christs time was more worth than our whole lives and shall we then think much to spend a little time in teaching one Child or one Servant whenas the Lord Jesus did not think much to spend his time when he was weary hungry and thirsty in teaching one poor woman 4. Though you have but one Child or Servant to instruct if God bless your labours so as to convert that Child or Servant that one person may be instrumental to bring great glory to God and to do good to many others When the woman of Samaria was converted by Christ she was a means of drawing a great part of the City where she lived unto Jesus Christ John 4.28 29 30. she did not only draw a great part of the City to hear him but also was a means of their conversion vers 39. Many of the Samaritans of that City believed on him for the saying of the Woman which testified He told me all that ever I did 5. Faithfulness to God and such as are under our charge is shown in discharging our duty to a few as well as to many and he that is not faithful to a few would not be faithful if he had many committed to his charge Luc. 16.10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much They that have but a few things committed to their trust if they are faithful in them shall have a great and glorious Reward as well as they that have been intrusted with much Matth. 25.23 His Lord said unto him Well done good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord. 6. Whereas you say you could spend your time better than in teaching so few as you have in your Family you should do well to consider That we are not to spend our time in those things which seem right in our own eyes Deut. 12.8 Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes But we are to