where Religion is set up that house is a Beth-el an house of God and there is the gate of Heaven Gen 28. 16. 17. not only for your Prayers ascending up to God but also for his blessings descending down upon you for he is Rich unto all persons and Families that call upon him Rom. 10. 12. Job 8. 6. whether you be small or great God is not an Austere Master but a liberal pay Master but that house wherein the Worship of God is not nor any calling upon his Name 't is not a Bethel but a Beth-Aven Hos 10. 5. an house of Sin and God will poure out his curse upon it and not his blessing Jer. 10. 25. Neglect of Family-duty doth as it were uncover the roof for Gods curse to be rained down upon a Mans Tables Beds all things he hath or doth Prov. 3. 33. yea Brimstone is is scattered upon his habitation Job 28. 15. which the wrath of God may soon give fire to Psal 11. 6. and hale in Hell at ' its Heels 15. Secondly a short word of Direction to the Governed as they stand related to the Governours 1. In General to all such whether Children or Servants c. The first Rule is account it your mercy and priviledg and not your burden that you live in Religious Families where Prayer Reading Catechizing yea order and discipline are observed Gen. 16. 8. 18. 19. Children of many Prayers and Servants of many Prayers and Spiritual helps may not say what a weariness is this Mal. 1. 13. 't was cursed Jeroboam that said 't is too much to do so 1 King 12. 28. Yea 't was the mad and raging Heathens that cryed let us break these bands asunder and cast away those cords from us Psal 2. 3. Those are Children of Belial that like not to be yoked as the word signifies no not with Christs easy yoak and those are the Redeemed of the Lord that look on Family duties not as Cords and Bands but as garters and girdles to confine them where they ought to be Rom. 7. 22. Christ left this pattern for all Families by the ordering of his own as 1 To worship God Joh. 4. 22. 2 To keep the Sabbath Luke 4. 16. 3 To pray with the Family Luke 9. 18. alone there is meant apart from the Multitude for his Disciples which were his Family were with him 4 To pray privately or secretly by himself Luke 5. 16. 5 And that morning and evening Mark 1. 35. Math. 14. 23. And 6 This was his practice and custome Luke 22. 39. yea 7 Sometimes all night long Luke 6. 12. And lastly with Submission and Devotion as a Servant of God Math. 26. 39. Governours and governed learn of him Math. 11. 29. he is your best Master all this Practice of Piety 't is no matter how dull the Scholler be if but desirous to learn so Christ himself be but your Teacher 16. Secondly in particular First to Children the second Rule is Obey your Parents Eph 6. 1. as Isaao did Abraham in submitting to be Sacrificed though he was then grown up and might have resisted and as Christ became obedient even to the death of the Cross Good Children help to lengthen their Parents days as Joseph did Jacobs God therefore in the first Commandment promises by way of requital to lengthen theirs Remember you are stars in Josephs dream who was himself a whole constellation of graces O be a bright and morning Star in Christ who is so called Revel 22. 16. be a morning-seeker in the morning of your life Prov. 8. 17. and grow in wisdom as well as in stature and in favour with God and man as the Child Jesus did Luke 2. 52. but be not a blazing meteor not a falling but a fixed Star not Sancti Juvenes Satanici Senes not degenerate plants Jer. 2. 21. Degenerating not only from your Godly Parents though a Child of many Prayers cannot easily miscarry as Ambrose told Monica concerning Austin her Son while a Manichee But from your seeming godly self in your younger years a falling Star falls not to the Earth only but as the Star wormwood Rev. 8. 11. bitter to Parents and self into the bottomless Pit also and is it not pitty that any one chip of the good old blocks should become fewel for everlasting burnings 17. The third Rule is be a Serving Son Mal. 3. 17. 't is an old and yet a true saying that God Parents and School Masters can never be requited both for your being and for your well being Parents have power to require the service of their Children and as it is the Parents priviledg to command service so 't is Childrens duty to do service even churlish Laban had serving Sons Gen. 30. 35. and so had the old seducing Prophet 1 King 13. 13. yea and the Prince or Priest of Midian had serving Daughters Exod. 2. 16. This is the honour that God commands Children to pay to their Parents Exod. 20. 12. Children can never do enough for their Parents that have done so much and also suffred so much for them 't is very remarkable that good Jonathan who was otherwise a truly serving Son was taken by Lot 1 Sam. 14. 42. the whole disposing whereof is of the Lord Prov. 16. 33. and this may well be supposed to be some Reason that God hereby did shew how tender he is in allowing the least shew of disobedience to Superiours and to make Children fear and avoid even the Rash and causeless curses of Parents which by a secret Judgment of God are sometimes inflicted a wise serving Son makes a glad Father c. Prov. 10. 1. every Son should be an Abner which signifies his Fathers light and every Daughter an Abigail which signifies her Fathers joy O then whether you be Son or Daughter do not bring down the gray hairs of your Parents with sorrow to the grave Gen. 42. 38. 44. 31. 18. The fourth Rule is you must nourish your Parents in their old Age that nourished you in your youth and as you expect that your Children should nourish you when you are old good Joseph is a blessed pattern Gen. 45. 9 10 11. Saying to his old Father come down to me and be near to me and there will I nourish thee and he did so Gen. 47. 12. and Obed was a restorer of life to old Naomai whose life had been long a lifeless life as it had been joyless and a nourisher of her old Age Ruth 4. 15. See Davids love herein 1 Sam. 22. 3. And Christs also the mystical David Joh. 19. 27. This the Apostle commends as a thing not only good before men but also acceptable unto God 1 Tim. 5. 4. and Christ reproves the neglect of it Math. 15 4. and Paul calls such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without natural affection Rom. 1. 30. 2 Tim. 3. 3. The stork hath a singular affection to the Aged sire as Pliny Relateth Lib. 10. Cap. 23. The contrary carriage
particulars hereof from this gloss upon Mark 16. 15. Preach the Gospel to every creature is meant man only as being the compendium of all Creatures Stones have a being but not life Plants have a being and life but not sense Beasts have a being life and sense but they want understanding Now Man as being a compendious Index of Gods great Book in Folio doth participate of a being with stones of life with plants of sense with beasts and of understanding with Angels and therefore is he most aptly called every creature as having all their perfections in him 5. Now the chief end why the Lord God put forth so much skill upon Man in making him such a curious piece was that Man should serve his Maker God raised up the stately Fabrick of the great World for Man he did not bring Man into an empty house but furnished it with all Creatures before he made him and his master-piece Man he made for himself and for his service This a Philosopher had the right notion of stileing Man the end of all in a Semi-circle as all things were made for Man and Man for God and that Man might serve his Maker the better he made him in his own likeness that he might not only partake of the Excellencies of all things below but of the Image of his Maker above also Thus as one said to his friend that desired to see Athens Viso solone vidisti omnia in seeing Solon you see all Athens was the Abridgment of all Greece and Solon was the excellency of all Athens so in seeing and knowing Man your self you see the quintessence of all things 6. Solomon tells us That God made all things for himself Prov. 16. 4 for serving his Glory and well he may For first he hath none above him he is higher than the highest And secondly he is not capable of being puffed up with vain-glory as we should be in such a case Now he that made all things for himself must needs make Man for himself seeing Man is the best of all things Indeed 't is the only end of Man's Creation seeing no other Creature is capable of a Religious serving of God as Man is All other Creatures do hold out the Power Wisdom and Goodness of God but Man only can hold forth the Holiness of God and he only of all other Creatures is commanded to be holy as God is holy he must be holy in quality though he cannot be so holy in equality 7. Seeing then it is the law of the Creature that we should be holy and that we should serve God instantly night and day Act. 26. 7. Bethink your self how every Creature observes the Law of their Creation The birds make their nests and breed up their young the beasts make a scuffle for their pasture and sodder the fishes float up and down the waters for their livelihood the trees herbs and flowers all answering their Makers Law in their kind the fire ascending up to its Center with all its might and the water descending hastily down into the deep the air to fill up all vacuity under Heaven the Sun Moon and Stars fulfilling each their courses assigned them 8. How then can you imagine that the great Creator who hath assigned to every thing in the world some particular end and an instinct also that have a tendency to that end and that continually should make Man the most noble Creature for whom all other things were made in vain as having no peculiar end proportionably appointed him to the true nobleness of his created quality Undoubtedly he is not made to play on the Earth as Leviathan was made to play in the Sea Psal 104. 26 nor to serve divers lusts Tit. 3. 3 as debauched persons do The Heathen Seneca could say Major sum ad majora natus sum quam ut corporis mei sim mancipium I am greater and am born to greater things then that I should be a mere slave and vassalage to the lusts of my flesh 9. Therefore you must conclude that there is some high and eminent service allotted unto Man by his Maker as the main object whereat he is to level all his aims and intentions wholly and continually even all the days of his life he must serve his Maker in holiness which is his duty to the first Table of the Decalogue and in righteousness which is his duty to the second Table thereof before him all the days of his life Luk. 1. 74 75. This is your Homage and Fealty you owe to your great Lord the Lords Rent you must pay to the Landlord of all your Mercies both as to your being and as to your well-being in the world There must be a Reciprocation betwixt Relatives as the Son owes a duty to his Father from whom he had his being and from whom he hath all things for his well-being How much more doth the Creature owe a duty to his Creator who is his heavenly Father and to whom we should not be undutiful as the worst of parents would not have their Children undutiful to them 10. It necessarily follows then that you must avouch the Lord to be your God and to walk in his ways and to keep his statutes and his commandments and his judgments and to hearken to his voice If ever you do expect that the Lord should avouch you for one of his Children and of his peculiar people Deut. 26. 17 18. Hebr. Hee Marta eth Jehovah signifies that you must promise on your part as your Maker hath promised on his part there is a mutual stipulation on both sides you want not Gods part And will a man rob God of his part Mal. 3. 8. You do truly avouch the Lord for your God when you with highest estimation most vigorous affections and utmost endeavours bestow your self upon him and give up your name and heart to his blessed service in faith and obedience Isa 4. 4. 5. When God crys Who is on my side who as 2 King 9. 32. you must answer I am the Lords and subscribe with your heart as well as with your hand unto the Lord then may you hope for protection of him and provision from him for both worlds which be his part in the Covenant 11. 'T is a plain command Prov. 3 6. In all your ways you must acknowledg God that is be evermore in the sense of his presence and in the light of his countenance and in serving your God in your generation-work ask counsel at his mouth and aim at his glory in all your undertakings This is the conclusion of the whole matter both to answer the end of your Creation and to attain a true happiness at your end Fear God and keep his Commandments Eccles 12. 13. This is the totum hominis the whole duty of Man the abridgment of all the Bible Fear God in Christ fear his goodness Hos 3. 5 as well as his power and keep his Commandments in an Evangelical obedience you cannot now
must find out that both by your own experience and by the Experiences of others It certainly availeth much though happily it availe not always God hath indeed said that the Children of Moab shall go into his Sanctuary to pray but shall not prevail Isa 16. 12. But he hath avowed before all the world that the Children of Sion shall not do so Isa 45. 19. They shall not seek the Lord in vain their Prayer shall be like Jonathans bow it shall never return empty God ever hears their Prayers always ad Salutem as Anstin saith though not ever ad Voluntatem he always hears their Prayers according to their well when he doth not hear them according to their Will 7. First the manner of Prayer Now that your Prayer may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a throughly-wrought effectual and available Prayer to work wonders in Heaven and Earth Jam. 5. 16. yea after a sort Omnipotent as Luther said take these following Directions for managing this duty aright first before duty as to the manner of it before in and after it First of those that are Antecedent or before Prayer Direct 1. You must be New born a New Creature until the Child be come out of the womb it cannot Cry no more can you Cry Abba Father so long as you are in the womb of a natural state Rom. 8. 15. God first accepts the person and then the Action or offering Gen. 4. 4. Heb. 11. 4. your person must be accepted as Abel was and then your Prayer will be acceptable you must be Righteous in Christ 't is the Prayer of the Righteous that prevaileth Jam. 5. 16. as it is the Character of the unrighteous that they call not upon God Psal 14. 4. Paul was never said to pray till Converted from his Pharisaical State Act. 9. 11. So if at any time they do pray their Prayer is an Abomination Prov. 21. 27. and therefore 't is not accounted Prayer The long Prayers that Paul had while a Pharisee were not reckoned Prayer at all you must first be a Temple of the Holy-Ghost 1 Cor. 6. 19. and then you will be an House of Prayer for so the Temple is called Naturalists tell us of a Jewel that when put into a dead mans Mouth loseth all its Vertue So prayer a pretious Jewel in it self in the mouth of one that is dead in Sin hath no force nor efficacy God will not hear Sinners Joh. 9. 31. he will not take them by the hand Job 8. 20. Margin Hebr. and Geneva Biblt 't is but a Multiplying lies daily Hos 11. 12. a compassing God with lies to call God Father when we are not his Children and while we are without Christ You must pass through the merits of the Son into the mercies of the Father 8. The second Direction before duty is prepare to meet your God in duty Amos 4. 12. The Jews had their preparation for the Passeover Joh. 19. 31. So should you have for prayer setting some time apart as well to prepare for Prayer as for prayer it self 't is coming to duty with a common Spirit and with an Ordinary frame of heart that makes us lose many a duty 2 Chron. 12. 14. Ezra did better then Rehoboam herein Ezr. 7. 10. the latter lost all the former sav'd all hereby Labour therefore your heart into a praying frame before prayer this is done by getting First the Majesty of the great God before whom you are going wrought truly and throughly upon your heart Consider seriously he is a great King Mal. 1. 6 14. and a God that will be Sanctified of all that draw nigh to him Levit. 10. 3. this may help you to a God sanctisying frame of Spirit David prepared with all his might why the reason is rendred The Temple was not to entertain man but God therefore must it be more Magnificent and he more exact in all preparations for it 1 Chro. 29. 1 2. Christ tells you he is gone to prepare a place even a Temple a Mansion of glory for you Joh. 14. 2 3. and will not you prepare a place for him in that poor heart of yours Consider also Secondly his purity that the God with whom you have to do in prayer is a God of purer eyes then to behold Iniquity Hab. 1. 13. he cannot look upon it but he must loath it he cannot behold it but he must punish it this calls for a reverential heart Psal 2. 11. Before him who is in Heaven and you on Earth Eccles 5. 2. cover your face if Angels do so that are holy and blessed Esa 6. 2. Much more you that live in an House of clay and drinks up iniquity like water Job 4. 19. 15. 16. Tremble to bring along with you any Sin unrepented of unpardoned lay aside all filthiness Jam. 1. 21. as the Serpent her poison when she goes to drink yet with this difference she after drinking reassumes it again you may not do so with the Poison of Sin when you have been drinking of the Rivers of Gods favour this is to return with the Dog to his Vomit 2 Pet. 2. 22. you must know it again no more Gen. 38. 26. nor have so much as a leering look towards it Psal 66. 18. much less allow of it or wallow in it 9. Would you have leave with God in prayer then leave Sin and that for ever you may not say concerning your Sins as Abraham did concerning his Servants and the Ass which he left at the foot of the Hill Gen. 22. 5. saying I will come again to you but you must take an everlasting farewel of your Sin when you come to your God and with David keep your self for ever from your Iniquity Psal 18. 23. and as he wash'd his hands in Innocency when he did compass Gods Altar Psal 26. 6. So must you wash your heart in that fountain that is opened Zech. 13. 1. Thus Ruth did wash and anoint her self before she went up to Boaz. Ruth 3. 3. and Esther purified and persumed her self for acceptance with Ahasuerus Esth 2. 9 12. and the Captive Damosel was to pair her nails c. Before she became a fit bride for an Israelitish Bed Deut. 21. 12 13 14. and the Rabbies say that a Man might not come into the Mountain of the House of God with his staff nor with his Shoos nor with his purse nor with dust upon his Feet hence Lavers were set at the door of the Tabarnacle for washing off defilements at their entrance thither Exod. 30. 18 19. and Bernard used to say at his entrance to his publick Devotion O wordly thoughts ad templi Januam manete vos stay ye here at the Church door alluding to Abrahams words Gen. 22. 5. and to Moses deed Exod. 3. 5. as above in Meditation Thus also Solomon saith keep your foot when you enter into the House of God Eccles 5. 1. that is look well to your affections those feet and out goings of the Soul
brings Gods curse Exad 21. 17. Deut. 27. 16. Prov. 30. 17. The infernal Ravens shall pick out the Eye of him that mocketh his Parents as cursed Cham did blessed Noah yea God oft repays them again in the same Coin as one ungracious Son I Read of that kicked his Father down the Stares and dragged him by the hair of the head to turn him out of doors and for this end opening the door the old Father then spake saying Now Son it is enough do no more for thus far I went with my Father however God will take them to task as he did Abimelech and render to them the wickedness done to their Parents Judg. 9. 5. 56. And he was a Son of more wit then grace who when his Father complained that never Father had such an undutiful Child as he had replyed yes my Grandfather meaning his Father when a Child whom he spake to 19. The fifth Rule is if you be a Son or Daughter that fears your Parents have left you Job's Legacy laying up iniquity for you as well as Inheritance Job 21. 19. as 2 Sam. 3. 29. 2 King 5. 27. and Exod. 20. 5. Yet know none shall be damned eternally for their Parents Sin Ezek. 18. 17. Gal. 5. 6. unless they make it their own either by commission or approbation yet may they be punished Temporally yea though they prove good Children as 1 King 14. 12 13. and that you may escape this you must bewail your Parents Sins Ez. 9. 6 7. Dan. 9. 4 6 8. Deut. 21. 13. and as to the goods you derive from them you should do with them as you do with fruit out of the hands of some dirty Huckster you must wash them over again and then you may use them to the pure all things are pure Tit. 1. 15. besides grace cuts of the entail though the oldest and strongest of wickedness as a good Child may come from a bad Father as Ahaz had an Hezekiah 2 King 18. 1. and Amon a Josiah 2 King 21. 21 26. So a good Child may have a sanctified use of the goods of bad Parents as those two good Sons had of the Treasures of bad Fathers 20. The sixth and last Rule is Secondly to Servants please your Masters in all things not answering again either by chatting or thwarting Tit. 2. 9. The old saying is be it better be it worse please him that bears the Purse not with Eye-service Eph. 6. 5 6. 'T is not enough for you to fear man your Master who hath power over the flesh only but you must fear God Col. 4. 22. who hath power to cast Body and Soul into Hell Math. 10. 28. not one servant went into the Ark with Noah nor out of Sodom with Lot which shows that few Servants be good O be you of the Number of the few that takes some time for your Soul If Servants under the Law did so that were Slavish bond-men and bond-women much more you under the Gospel Abraham had a faithful and a praying Servant Gen. 24. 10 16 27 45. and Jacob was no less to Laban and Joseph to Potiphar and the Centurion was happy in his Servants Math. 8. 6. O see you make your Master happy c. by your faithfulness diligence and Conscience of duty The Conclusion 1. UPon the Review of the whole If you be the governour of a Family your great concern is to see that both your self and your Family do serve the Lord in walking all those pleasant and profitable walks of a Christian Josh 24. 15. the Reasons be three 1. 'T is your duty 2. 'T is your beauty 3. 'T is your safety so to do 1. Your duty as you are Gods Tenant at Will only quamdiu te bene gesseris so long as you behave your self well your Gold is his and your Silver in his Hag. 2. 8. your Land is his Lev. 25. 23. and your house is his he appoints it you Act. 17. 26. Gen. 49. 13. God is the true proprietary of all Ezek. 21. 27. and your serving of God is your Pepper-corn you pay to your great Landlord 2. Reason 't is your beauty holiness hath a beauty in it and therefore are they oft put together 1 Chro. 16. 29. 2 Chro. 20. 21. Psal 29. 2. 96. 9. 110. 3. That Family which worships the Lord in the beauty of holiness hath a Church in their house as Rom. 16. 5. 1 Cor. 16. 19. and to turn an house into a Church is a beautiful thing 3. Reason 't is your safety 1 From Gods wrath his destroying Angel shall not break in upon you Exod. 12. 12 13. but he doth break in upon the Families that call not upon his name Jer. 10. 25. 2 From the Devils malice such houses as are haunted with evil-Spirits what-ever other Reason there may be thereof yet sure I am this is one that the worship of God hath not been duly and truly observed in that house where the fear of God is not there all evil and any Devil may prevail to play their pranks Gen. 20. 11 17. and Isa 13. 21. Babylon may be a place for Satyrs or Devils in borrowed shapes and hideous apparitions but Sion is a place of Songs No Lyon shall be there not that roaring Lyon the Devil Esa 33. 13. 35 9 10. 2 Thes 3. 3. 1 Joh. 5. 18. Psal 118. 15. 2. If you be the Father of the Family then are you as the Sun if the Mother thereof then are you as the Moon and if Children then are you of the Stars as in Josephs dream Gen. 37. 9. the Sun the Moon and the Stars as before Shows the duty of each besides the Governours of Families should be King Priest and Prophet in their own-families 1 You must be a King or a Queen if a Female to make Laws for your Family and to see to the Execution of them as you have power to make Laws so you have the Sword to Execute them Gen. 16. 6. she is in thy hand to correct her for her fault though this Lady or Queen as the word Sarah signifies shewed too much wrath to her maid and too little Reverence to her Husband in dealing so roughly with her correction given in Anger hath usually more of rigour then of right Socrates said to his offending Servant but that I am angry I would strike thee 2 You must be a Priest the word is used in Latin for he and she to Sanctify your Family and familiarity by the Sacrifice of Prayer dayly Thus did Job Chap. 1. 5. well knowing he was bound to the preservation of Gods precepts as well as to the Observation of them and to see that all his under his shadow Hos 14. 7. should keep them as well as himself he sues for pardon even of suspected Sins in his Sons and turns his suspicion into a supplication and this Job did Kolhajomim continually or every day This also was our Lord Christs custom as before not being weary of well doing yea further you must by your Priestly Office admonish offenders and excommunicate those that are Incorrigible cast out the bond-woman and her Son Gen. 21. 9. 10. The Son was a mocker and derider of the Covenant a fault it was no doubt and a great one too otherwise the Apostle would not have cal'd it persecution Gal. 4. 20. nor God have punished it with Excommunication and the Mother was likely the Author or at least the abettor of her Sons Sin in ambitiously seeking the Inheritance and therefore out they must go together Thus likewise David would not suffer a wicked Servant to tarry in his sight Psal 101. 4. 8. 3. And thirdly you must be a Prophet or Prophetess to instruct your Family in the knowledg of God and with Abraham command your Children and your houshold to keep the ways of the Lord Gen. 18. 19. The lips of the Righteous feed many Prov. 10. 21. Ruth carries her gleanings home Ruth 2. 17 18. and the Bee carries all her gatherings to the Hive so a good Housholder what he gathers abroad he carries home knowing that all the Souls in the house are given to him to care for as all the Souls in the Ship were given to Paul Act. 27. 24. 'T was a notable saying of Mr. Stocks that many Housholders in London while they are taking care of preserving the health of their own bodies in their Countrey houses they are all that time starving their Servants Souls O consider how may Servants Dog cry after and curse their Masters in Hell for Murthering their Souls which is worse then body-murther and for doing no more for them then they did for their Beasts to wit in feeding their bodies only but as Gallio not caring for better things Act. 18. 14 17. O how did the Queen of Sheba admire the order of Solomons house and the Apostle commend the order he saw in several houses and would they not as much wonder and discommend the disorder an perturbation in many houses that pray not apart Zech. 12. 10 12. but Moon and Stars above the Sun water above the Earth all Ataxies or disorder and brawling about triffles Thundrings rending the middle Region while all 's quiet in a well ordered house as in the upper Region Mox longe tarde Cede Recede Redi Such an house hath the Plague of Leprosy in it Levit. 14 35 to 42. If it be matter of choice to you depart quickly 〈◊〉 of it remove a great way from it and let it be throughly cleansed before you return to it again FINIS