come And in order to this fall upon the duty The way to pray is to pray Duty is the best preparative for duty 'T is better to use Crutches than to stand still alway but use legs and have them so we use to say Do but set your selves to the duty and the Spirit of God Ezek. 12.10 that blessed Spirit of Grace and Supplication will help you in it 'T is his great office to help poor Creatures in their infirmities as to prayer Rom. 8.26 Never did any heartily desire to pray but this Spirit enabled them to pray Do not mistake the duty it doth not lie in words in volubility of expressions in good language though it becomes us to speak becomingly to Gods Majesty in strains of Rhetorick but in the inward pantings of the heart after God 'T is not the elegant but the fervent prayer that prevails Jam. 5.16 The key opens the lock though it be made of plain mettal The Child is heard though he speaks but very brokenly and imperfectly sighs and groans must do your work and surely if you had but a sense of your personal and Family wants this you would come up to You need not teach a Beggar how to beg nor a starving man how to ask bread Be but sensible of your need of mercy and you 'l know how to speak to God Optimus or andi magister est Necessitas saith Luther Pinching necessity is the best Master to teach men to 〈◊〉 Get but a sense of this and the â—…'s asistance and I 'le secure you this inability will soon be removed So much for the pressing of the First duty which I would have every man to set up in his House viz. Family-Prayer Should I give you Directions about it I should be too tedious 'T is better to say nothing in so weighty an Argument than not to speak fully to it and that I must not do at present A Second Duty that I would commend to you is the Frequent reading of the Holy Scriptures in your Houses 'T is not enough to pray in your Families but the Scriptures must also be read in them Aaron was to burn the Incense and to light up the Lamps too Exod. 30.7 8. The Incense was a resemblance of Prayer Psal 141.2 Let my Prayer be set forth before thee as Incense and the Lamps of the Word Prov. 6.23 The Commandment is a lamp and the Law is light Psal 119.105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path Thus it must be with you the Incense and the Lamp Prayer and the Word must go together in your Houses Prayer and Reading God's Word are two duties which do so well accord and so mutually help each the other that 't is pity to part them I would here speak something to stir you up to read the Scriptures by your selves O when you are alone let the Bible be much in your hands let not a day pass over you in which you do not spend some time in this duty The Jews were to go out and gather a certain rate of Manna every day Exod. 16.4 Do you every day retire your selves from the world for the reading of the Scriptures and gathering something out of them May be you look into them a little upon the Sabbath day but then they are laid aside all the week surely this should not be so Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Hearken says Chrysostome you that are Tradesmen get you Bibles get you Bibles read the Scriptures that the word of Christ may dwell richly in you The same do I say to you O shall the Shop-book be minded and shall Gods-book not be minded shall that be altogether in your eye in your hands and this be neglected Shall News-books Plays Romances Histories Philosophical Discourses take up all your time 'T was a most blasphemous speech that of Politian that There was more in one of Pindar's Odes than in all David's Psalms This was the person who said He had never spent his time worse than when he once read over the New Testament and yet 't is reported of him that he spent three years in studying this brave Criticism Whether it should be written Virgilius or Vergilius O the desperate folly and wickedness of the man Do not many of you think and interpretatively speak that other Books are better than the Bible because you read the one so much the other so little Hierome once heard a voice speaking to him Ciceronianus es non Christianus Thou art a Ciceronian not a Christian because Tully was much the Scriptures but seldome perused by him O if such audible voices were now in use how many might expect to hear something every day to upbraid them with their great neglect of reading the Word and spending their time in other impertinent unedifying flesh-pleasing but not soul-saving Writings I intreat you to set upon daily diligent serious reading of the Scriptures Hath God in them giben you so full so plain so excellent a Revelation of his Will and will you not look into them Is such a revelation to be slighted when God hath so condescended to give it will you make nothing of it They are your Rule for Faith and Manners Isa 8.20 Gal. 6.16 They are the foundation upon which all is built Eph. 2.20 They are as a Light hung out in a dark Night to keep you off from rocks and sands the Star which must direct you to Christ the card or compass that you have to sail by the glass in which you may see not what your faces but what your hearts are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas Are you blind there 's eye-salve they are a glass that mends and cures the eye which no other glass doth Are ye assaulted with Enemies there 's an Armory a Magazine to furnish you with weapons offensive and defensive Are you sick there 's that which is Medicinal Are you hungry there 's Food Are you under wants there 's a Shop in which you may be furnished with whatever you need Are you ready to faint there are Cordials to revive and strengthen you O who would not read the Scriptures There the deep things of God the whole platform and contrivance of God about man's Salvation are revealed 1 Cor. 2.10 They are able to make men wise unto Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 that 's an high Elogium of the Scriptures 't is a commendation only proper to them All the Books that ever were pen'd cannot do this They are profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness 2 Tim. 3.16 They are God's * Quid est Scriptura Sacra nisi quaedam Epstola omnipotentis Dei ad Creaturam suam Disce cor Dei in verbis Dei Gregor Letter indited by his own Spirit written as it were with his own hand which he hath been graciously pleased to send to you and will you not
will men say What need we to trouble our selves about Prayer in our Houses when such a neighbour or such a neighbour who go for Professors omit it as well as we And will not the sad effects of this reach to thyself too will not the fervor of thy affections towards God very much abate will not grace insensibly decline will not the power of Godliness languish wilt thou not be at a stand nay wilt thou not go backwards in Heavens way canst thou do any thing more to gratifie Satan Do but observe how it is with persons who cast off Family-prayer or perform it very seldom and in a careless negligent manner and tell me then whether I speak truth or not We read of one Baldwyn Archbishop of Canterbury Pope Vrban writing to him he stiles him Girald Itiner Camb. L. 2. C. 14. Monachum ferventissimum Abbatem calidum Episcopum tepidum Archiepiscopum remissum He was whilst a Monk very fervent when an Abbot then but hot when a Bishop then but lukewarm when an Archbishop then he was key-cold That effect which preferment had upon this person the neglect of secret and Family-prayer hath upon Christians it makes them by little and little to cool in their spiritual heat and in time to come to just nothing you that profess God do not you live what ever others do without this Heavenly duty This in General to urge Family-Prayer It will be asked How often are men to pray in their Families I answer Every day morning and evening The Jews they offered burnt-offerings unto the Lord according to the custom as the duty of every day required Ezra 3.4 that is they offered burnt-offerings morning and evening See v. 3. They had their morning and their evening Sacrifice every day that 's clear from 2 Chron. 31.3 and from several other Scriptures So here you that are Masters of Families * See Whole Duty of Man p. 110. morning and evening in your Houses there must be Prayer oftner if you please but to be sure not seldomer This must be the Alpha and the Omega of every day you must begin and end all with God Hinc omne Principium huc refer exitum Horat. Prayer as one expresses it must be the key to open all in the morning and the Bar to shut up all at night Sit oratio Clavis Diei Sera Noctis 'T is not enough now and then to give God a prayer under some sudden pang of devotion but there must be a daily constant performance of it As to * Morning Prayer I cannot ope mine eyes But thou art ready there to catch My morning soul and sacrifice Then we must needs for that day make a match Herb. Poem p. 54. is it not sweet Is it not good when the body hath been refreshed by sleep in the night to get by prayer in the morning some refreshment for the Soul to begin so as to get an heavenly tincture and savour upon the heart all the day after Have not mercies been received in the night must they not be acknowledged Do not renewed mercies call for renewed praises Do not you need God in the day in sundry respects and will you not therefore go to him and plead with him * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 V Ch rond in Pythag. Fragm p. 205. Is it not reason that God should have the precedency will you serve the world before you serve God what a preposterous thing is that Is not this the way to prosper in your enterprizes to be blessed in your undertakings all the day Is not this true that work on earth is done best when work with Heaven is done first as one says Psal 5.3 O in the morning let God hear your voice in the morning do you direct your prayer to Him both alone and also with your Family 'T is the custome of some in this City they pray in their Houses at Night but not at the morning Surely this is an omission God appointed the morning as well as the Evening sacrifice Is there not reason for the one as well as the other Shall we say of Prayer what bloody Gardiner once said of the Doctrine of Justification by Faith that it was good Supper-doctrine but not so good to break fast on I say shall we say this of Prayer And then as to Prayer at Night O do not dare to lie down at night before you have sued out the pardon of the sins of the day past acknowledged mercies received and solemnly put you and yours under God's Almighty Protection Who knows what a Night may bring forth O how many amazing Accidents may fall out before the morning and therefore first commit your selves to God by fervent prayer and then lie down to take your rest I put in Fervent prayer for this indeed is the only prayer God will not be put off with dull dead sleepy devotions he will have you pray in prayer you do nothing if you do not pray with holy fervour Jam. 5.17 As neglects of Prayer are very evil so negligences in prayer are very evil also When you are about God's work take heed of doing it negligently lest you meet with a curse instead of a blessing Jerem. 48.10 I cannot dismiss this Exhortation to Family-prayer though I have been long upon it before I answer a few Objections that many are too ready to make against it 1. Object Say some We pray in secret for our selves and for our Families must we pray with them too Ans Yes Secret prayer is very good a great evidence of sincerity you do very well in making conscience of it but withal you must make conscience too of Family-prayer both are of divine Institution and the one must not thrust out the other Indeed I can hardly believe that you pray in secret See Guâ—n Christ. Arm. 3d. part ch 40. pag. 421. unless you pray in your Houses also He that is sincere in one duty will be sincere in every duty You may do your Relations much good when you are alone in praying for them but probably you will do them more good when 't is not only praying for them but praying for them and with them too for now they too are in God's way and so more capable of Divine impressions and Divine blessings 2. Obj. Others say We go to Church on the Lord's day with our Families and there we pray is not this enough Ans No That-God who requires publick prayer requires Family-prayer also and the whole will of God must be observed O how soon are men cloy'd with duty They never think they have enough of the world but they soon think they have enough of duty You do not give God all of his Sacred Time will you give him no part of your Common Time Will you be Christians on the Lords day and Heathens all the week after And wherein are you better than Heathens in your Families if no religious exercises be there performed
and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Parallel to which is that Col. 3.16 Teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Here are three words Psalms Hymns and Songs concerning the * vid. Gatak Adver Sacra l. 1 c. 10 p 124. difference or distinct notions of which Divines do somewhat differ Hierome goes one way Beza another Grotius a third Zanchy a fourth He that pleases may look into them or peruse Bodius Davenant and other Interpreters upon the Places cited for 't is not my intention to stay upon this Clearly the Apostle alludes to the Hebrew Titles or Divisions of David's Psalms They were divided into Mizmorim Tehillim and Shirim which Titles the Septuagint render by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These are the words used here by the Apostle and therefore the inference is good that David's Psalms were in his eye and that he directs Christians under the Gospel to the singing of David's Psalms when he enjoines them to speak to themselves in Psalms and Hymns and Songs these being the Titles commonly applied to those Psalmes and by which they were usually understood You have another Precept for the Duty Jam. 5.13 Is any afflicted let him pray Is any merry let him sing Psalms So that you see we have an Institution to ground our practise upon upon which the singing of Psalms becomes not only a thing lawful but also matter of duty And what the * Affirmabaâ—â— hane fuisse summam vel culpae suae vel erroris quod essent soliti stato die ante lucem convenire carmenque Christo quafi Deo dicere secum invicem Pliny in that most remarkable Epist Lib. 10. Epist Ep. 97. Tertul. speaks of Hymni antelucani Apol. c. 2. c. 39. Vt quisque de Scripturis sanctis vel de propriâ— ingenio potest provocatur in medium Deo canere This as to the manner was something extraordinary vid. Just. Mart. in Quaest. Resp ad Orthod Quaest. 107. p 462. practise of the Primitive Christians was in their Assemblies as to this is very well known out of Pliny Tertullian Justine Martyr and others I should very much swell up this Discourse should I fall upon the drawing out of the full strength of the Scriptures alledged upon the vindicating of them from all those cavils by which some would evade them upon the answering of all objections made against the duty and the explication of all difficulties about it for brevity sake I will pass by all this and only refer you for fuller satisfaction in all these things to those who have to very good purpose written upon this Argument as Mr. Cotton Ford Sydenham Dr. Manton upon James 5.13 with several others That this Singing of David's Psalms was used in the Temple-worship cannot be deny'd for 't is said 2 Chron. 29.30 Hezekiah commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the Lord with the words of David and Asaph the Seer That 't is now to be used in publick Worship as a part of it cannot be denied neither David in Psal 95. reckoning up the parts of publick Worship he instances in Prayer v. 6. in Hearing v. 7. in Singing v. 1. c. That it ought to be used in Family-Worship also cannot be deny'd neither Surely they that grant the duty must grant also that 't is very necessary proper useful in private as well as in publick O therefore let me desire you to setup this holy exercise in your Houses Pray there read the Scriptures there and sing Psalms too there The general omission of this is much to be lamented what through profaneness in some and groundless scruples in others how few Families are there in this City in which 't is practis'd How many Houses may a man pass by upon a Lord's day before he come to one where he hears this Heavenly Musick You that are Masters of Families be perswaded to make Conscience of this duty let the praises of the most High God be sung in your Families O what a blessed duty is this how is Heaven delighted with it how is the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And much he adds touching the excellent effects of this Ordinance Just Martyr ut suprà heart raised the affections excited and warmed by it how doth it please God to come in upon the soul in this as well as in other ordinances O the sweetness delight that the sincere Christian finds in it and the profit advantage that he reaps by it To my thinking saith one there is not a more lively resemblance of Heaven upon Earth than a company of godly Christians singing a Psalm together You rejoice in God you rejoice in those many mercies you receive from God Singing is the best expression of your rejoycing Are you merry let not your mirth run out in vain frothy things but in the singing of Psalms Paul and Silas were full of joy and they fall upon singing The Church upon the receipt of eminent Mercy vented her joy this way Psal 126.2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing Let it be thus with you The holy Spirit of God puts men upon this rejoicing That of the Apostle in the connexion is very observable He had dehorted from drunkenness with Wine Eph. 5.18 by way of opposition he exhorts to be filled with the spirit what will follow upon this He tells you ver 19. Speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns c. Where any are full of the Holy Ghost this will certainly put them upon holy expressions of their joy in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs Look as men that are full of Wine or Drink they 'l be singing and venting their mirth in their carnal and sinful way so they that are full of God they 'l be singing too but 't is Psalms and spiritual Songs 't is not chanting to the viol Amos 3.5 't is not Songs that God will turn into lamentation as he threatens Amos 8.10 but 't is that which is spiritual in which their holy joy doth run out It would grieve a man as he walks in your streets by your Taverns and Alehouses Lord what tearing ranting cursing singing in a scurrilous and filthy manner may he there hear from day to day 'Pray let something else be heard in your Houses you that profess God and have any sense of Religion O let men hear you singing of Psalms and therein celebrating the memorials of God's mercies to you If you be filled with the spirit you will as certainly do this as men that have drunk to excess do the other And especially upon the Lord's day let this duty be performed in your Houses this is work very proper to to the Sabbath See Psal 92. The title of it is A Psalm for the Sabbath day And how doth it begin thus It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and
to God but not yet doth in effect say he will never do it delays in this case are little better than absolute denials Gods delays to us are not denials but ours to him are so O delay no longer you say to morrow Quamdiu cras quamdiu cras quare non modd quare non hâc horâ finis turpitudinis meae Aug. Conf. l. 8. c. 12. hereafter why not now why not to day why not presently Have you not put off God and made him wait too long already Do not delays make the dedication to be more difficult * Poenitenti veniam spospondit sed vivendi in crastinum non spospondit Id. Are you sure of to morrow can you assure your selves of the gales of Grace to blow to morrow O let it be to day while it is called to day Heb. 3.13 Now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 David made haste and delayed not Psal 119.60 Possibly some in the reading of these Papers may resolve to dedicate themselves let such fall upon the duty presently 't is good striking whilst the Iron is hot 't is good to hoist up the sails whilst the wind serves Ego à multis annis crastinum non novi 'T was a good speech of one As to matters of duty for many years he had known no to morrow meaning he always presently set upon duty let it be so with you as to dedication Seneca speaks of some Malè vivunt qui semper vivere incipiunt Senec. who are always beginning to live these he says live ill so there are some who are always beginning to dedicate themselves To day they say it shall be done to morrow Caveamus hunc scopulum differre Quot hominum millia vel hanc unam ob causam malè finierunt quia distulerunt minimè differrenda Quid crastinum saluti tuae destinas Crastinus dies tuus non est Hodiernus est Hodiè quaeso hûc horâ jam age quod agendum est Gras aut perendie ubi tu eris and then they put it off to another morrow and so the conviction is smothered and the work is not done O what you find in your hearts to do do it speedily without all further delays or procrastination Thus I have directed you as to the manner how you are to dedicate your selves to God you must be entire in your Dedication without all reserves constant in your Dedication without all limitation as to time free and willing in your Dedication without constraint and backwardness and speedy and present in your Dedication without all delays CHAP. 6. Helps to further Personal Dedication THe second thing in which I propounded to give you some direction was to shew you what are those means or helps which are proper for the furtherance of this self-dedication O that some soul might be brought to an earnest desire of some faithful advice about this that some poor Creature might say well I see what my duty is I am convinced by what hath been said that I am bound to dedicate and thus to dedicate my self to God But what shall I do in order to the bringing of my heart to the real performance of it In hopes that some may herein desire satisfaction I will lay down a few directions And because I intend to be very short upon this Head I will only name three great helps towards it 1. The first is consideration the first step to sincere dedication is serious consideration the reason why so few come up to this is the want of serious weighing and considering of things 't is inconsideracy that keeps the most in their non-dedicated estate if men would but bethink themselves as 't is 1 Kings 8.47 and dwell upon things in their most fixed and retired thoughts surely they would close with God and give up themselves to him This is the foundation upon which all is built 'T was the Prodigals consideration that brought him home to his father Luke 15.17 when he came to himself he said How many hired c. first he came to himself and seriously considered what his state was and how it might be bettered and then he came to his father Parallel to this is that Hos 2.7 She shall follow after her lovers and shall not overtake them c. then shall she say I will go and return to my first Husband for then was it better with me than now Here is Penitential resolution grounded upon serious consideration So David Psal 119.59 I thought on my ways and turned my feet to thy testimonies O what a powerful influence hath this upon an holy course and indeed upon all the duties of Religion And therefore this I would urge upon you in order to Personal Dedication Do but consider what God is what a right he hath to you how you cannot be happy but in him what an excellency there is in his ways what a great nothing the world is in comparison of him how sin debases you whilst holiness is your advancement how necessary self-dedication is to the future glory Were these and other things duly weighed certainly you would not withhold your selves from God or stand off from him a moment longer Do but fix your thoughts upon what hath been laid down to press the duty upon you and by Gods blessing I trust something will be done in this great work Some sudden and transient thoughts will be ineffective the bare reading of what I have wrote will signifie but little but if the Lord will give you an heart to dwell upon things and to be seriously considerative then there will be some good success 2. Secondly Another great help is self-denial This this is the main self-denial must go before self-dedication self must be deny'd before self will be dedicated O how readily how easily doth self-dedication go on upon self-denial 'T is this self that keeps us from God and sets us against God till that be dethroned God will never be exalted Self-dedication as it furthers self-denial so 't is furthered by it Our Saviour tells us if any man will come after him he must deny himself Luke 9.23 this is not only the condition of the person or laid upon the person that comes to Christ but 't is the condition of the act or that which is requisite to the act of coming to Christ for without self-denial no man will come to Christ And so 't is in the dedicating of our selves to God As any man desires to do this first he must deny himself and this is that which makes self-dedication so difficult it depends upon that which is one of the hardest duties in the Gospel he that can deny self can do any thing Now there is a double self which must be deny'd in order to Personal Dedication that which we call sinful self and that which we call worldly self I make use of it as a common distinction but I know 't is not a good and accurate
the spirit Galat. 3.3 will you end in the flesh Will you draw back from God to the perdition of your precious souls Hebr. 10.39 I trust you will not 'T is observed both by Papists and Turks also for the latter have their religious Orders as well as the former that persons who have once entred themselves into such Orders and so dedicated themselves to God if they leave these they never prosper O Christians have you dedicated your selves in a regular scriptural way If you relinquish your dedication do you think to prosper Farewel peace joy Heaven farewel all when you forsake God and Apostatize from him That you may be thus faithful and constant and in every thing make good your dedication be much in begging of God the special assistance of his grace Praevenient grace made you true in your dedication Subsequent grace must make you true to your dedication O let none relye upon their own strength we may give resolve covenant but if we be left to our selves we shall soon leave God and undo as much as in us lies all that we have done The heart is deceitful grace is weak corruption strong Voluntate suâ cadit qui cadit voluntate Dei stat qui stat Angust temptations impetuous you need assisting and stablishing grace very much David joyned prayer with his resolution I will keep thy statutes O forsake me not utterly Psal 119.8 You have given the hands to God in stipulation lift up the hands to God in supplication for fidelity for perseverance The God of all grace who hath called us into his eternal glory by Jesus Christ after that ye have suffered a while make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you 1 Pet. 5.10 Self-dependance doth much endanger self-dedication 3. Thirdly Often renew your dedication though the first sufficiently obliges you yet all obligations are little enough to bind these treacherous hearts of ours the oftner this is renewed the greater awe it leaves upon conscience And though the command of God and the nature of duty are highly obligatory yet fresh and renewed dedications lay a farther superadded obligation upon the person O tye the knot as fast as may be many knots are not so easily loosened After repeated reiterated dedications you 'l be ashamed to be false to God There are some special cases and seasons wherein 't is good for you to renew your dedication Do you fall into some great sin Recover your selves by speedy repentance and renew your dedication These make great wounds and gashes in the soul get them healed presently These endanger the very vitals and strike at the foundation there 's no dallying in this case Great breaches must immediately be made up great sins make a great breach upon conscience upon your dedication and therefore make it up speedily Doubtless David that would renew the dedication of his house after Absaloms sins would also renew the dedication of his person after his own gross and scandalous sins Are you afflicted reduced into great straits Renew your dedication give all again to God at such a time for then you need him most to give to you When Jacob was in great straits and knew not what to do then he said If God will be with me in the way that I go and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on so that I come again to my Fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God Gen. 28.20 21. O be so wise as to renew your gift and your bond in a day of trouble and so ingenious as to make all good in a day of comfort Do you receive some eminent mercy from God Renew your dedication Say Lord thou hast renewed thy mercy and therefore I here renew my duty thou hast given me a very choice and seasonable mercy here I give thee my self for it Do you attend upon the Sacrament before and at and after that ordinance solemnly renew your dedication that 's a duty very proper at this time Indeed in every prayer we virtually do this but in sacramental work we must do it in a more solemn and explicit manner Are you cast upon times wherein there is much Apostacy professors fall off from God like leaves from the trees in Autumn Now renew your dedication that you may bind your selves the faster to God now take up new and stronger resolutions for God saying Though all forsake God you will never forsake him Other cases and seasons might be mentioned but I pass them by 4. Fourthly Adore and admire the infinite goodness of God In your giving your selves to God you do not oblige him but he obliges you when you give most you receive most first grace is given to you and then you are given to God you could not give if first you did not receive O have you devoted your selves to the Lord 'T was he that framed your hearts to this and wrought you up to it Time was when you were just as others are but God who is rich in mercy Eph. 2.4 7. for his great love wherewith he loved you even when you wholly gave up your selves to sin effectually drew you to himself That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards you through Christ Jesus O admire that distinguishing love of God which hath so freely taken hold of you And let this heighten your admiration that the great God is so willing to accept of that poor pitiful self which you tender to him 't is but the paying of a debt and yet God accepts of it as a gift Were you Angels it would be a condescension in God to accept of you but Lord What is man Psal 144.3 that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou so regardest him And that which is highest of all and which may put the soul into extatick admiration that for such a poor self given such a glorious self should be received you give your self to God and in lieu of this God gives his self to you O Saints what have you to do but to lose your selves in the admiring of God 5. Fifthly Further Personal Dedication in others You have done it your selves do what in you lies that others may do so too Do not you rejoyce in your own act Would you have it to do again for millions of worlds Where then is your zeal to further it in others who have not yet dedicated themselves to God Do you not pity such in their state and will you not endeavour to bring them out of it Can you be content to go to Heaven alone Shall the Devils factors be more diligent for him to the ruin of souls than you for God to the salvation of souls O do not let sinners alone till you have been instrumental for conversion and Personal Dedication to them So live that you may win them to God So instruct exhort perswade convince that they may
Will not God smite again if you prevent him not by Personal and Family-Reformation Might not God be owned in your Houses and you yet enjoy enough of the sweetness of Temporal Comforts If you would dedicate your Houses to God would not this have a great influence upon all about you to do the same How might you by your examples promote God's Honour and the good of Souls Did your ancient Progenitors carry it as too many of you do Will you inherit their Lands Houses Honours and their All save only their Virtues But surely my Zeal transports me Some will say this is a Digression others will say this is Presumption and I say 't is weakness to write to them who are never like to read what I write Come we to Persons who move in a lower Orb 't is to be hoped that they dedicate their Houses to God I wish they did so but upon a very easie search you 'l find the contrary There 's the poor Country-man he hath an House to live in and there he feeds when he is hungry there he sleeps when he is weary thence he goes to his labours which circulate upon him and thither he returns when he hath done his work abroad Here 's his course from day to day from year to year But where 's his Religion He goes to Church upon the Lord's-day attends upon the Worship of God hears a Sermon preached when this is done in a very pitiful way God knows home he comes and thinks he hath done enough and that which is very fair for one week his religion now like his best Clothes must be laid up till the next Sunday as he calls it But what doth he do in his House how doth he carry it in his Family O very sadly Not a Prayer in his Family not a Chapter read in his Family all the week long He rises in the morning dresses himself immediately goes to his business but he doth not first go to God to beg his blessing upon him and his He calls up his Servants hastens them to their several imployments but there 's no calling upon God He feeds his sheep fothers his cattel but starves his own soul and the souls of those that are related to him He goes to Market there he buys or sells but drives no commerce or traffick with Heaven He minds his ground but not his heart the weeds must not grow in the one but sin may grow in the other He loves to see his Grain and Cattel thrive abroad but he minds not how grace thrives at home in himself and others He pays his Tythes to his Minister but he gives not the thousandth part of his time to God his Rent to his Landlord but no Rent to God for all his mercies when the night comes he goes to bed without any religious committing of himself and Family to God's Protection just as his weary beast lies down so doth he Here 's a short account of the poor Country-man's Religion and is it not a sad one I speak not of all God forbid it should be thus with all but indeed I fear it is so with the most 't is a very rare thing in Country-Towns and Villages to find a House dedicated to God a praying Family O it would make a man's heart to ake to consider how 't is with th' generality in this respect But 't is better with the Citizen He 's a knowing person hath great advantages of being informed in his duty and quickened to it surely he 's as much above the Country-man in Religion as he is above him in his external garb and port one may expect in his House to find a due observance of God O you that are Citizens Is it thus with you Do men think and speak of you as you deserve or not Are your Houses dedicated to God Hath Religion a throne in your Family I speak it with great comfort to the glory of the grace of God that I believe there are Thousands in this City who desire unfeignedly to dedicate Self and House and all to God and they carry it accordingly But is it thus with All Is it thus with the Most Have we not even here many Houses where there is much trading but no praying many Masters of Families who can take up with a Sunday-Church-Religion I speak not agianst the thing in it self nor would I cast any disparagement upon it but doing nothing in their Houses all the week after And have we not some that profess God and yet they do but half it out in dedication-work some will pray at night but not in the morning then they are too busie some will pray in the morning not at night then they are too weary Surely though one meal a day be enough for the body yet one duty a day is not enough for the soul Although we have no common Supper at night methinks we should have an Heavenly Break-fast every morning but more of this hereafter O that all such as do profess God were sincere in this I might go over the particulars and show under each of them how few even amongst you do dedicate their Houses to God and I fear that hath been one ground of the Lord 's late Controversie within this City Upon the whole matter then it is too evident that House-dedication is very rare The most of men whether they be High or Low live in too manifest a neglect of it O let such as are in dedicated Houses bless God for themselves and pity others which are not so CHAP. IV. The Duty pressed more generally VVEE see by that which hath been spoken how things stand there are but few who make Conscience of the Duty in hand Well what is now to be done must we let men alone under this grand Omission Are there no Endeavours to be used for the removal of this sad and sinful neglect Surely it concerns the Ministers of the Gospel to put forth themselves with the greatest earnestness to make this their great work and business as far as 't is possible to prevail with Masters and Governors to set upon House-dedication that it may not always be so rare a thing as hitherto it hath been In order hereunto I shall cast in my Mite which I hope God will accept and bless And so I come to Exhortation In the managing of which let me tell you that though I design to reach all Persons whatsoever and that the Arguments used are of Vniversal extent yet in special I shall direct my Discourse to you the Inhabitants of this City Many of you are yet in your old Habitations For ever be the name of God magnified for his sparing of your Houses when all about you was laid wast and desolate Amos 4.11 you were as brands snatcht out of the common burnings As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the Lion two legs or a piece of an ear Amos 3.12 So God dealt with you You read of God's bounding of the
by Prayer and Praise And indeed the first laying is not safe or firm without this In our entrings upon New Houses we have several civil rites and customs there are * Many open House-Dedication by these Feastings See Mariana and others cited in Lorinus upon Deut. 20.5 Dedicari res dicitur quan do cum solenni aliquo ritu vel convivio rei usus inchoaatur Menoch Feastings great Entertainments Friends come and rejoice with us and send in their Provisions to be merry with us and this they call House-airing or House-warming I have nothing to say against this usage provided 1. That this be soberly and temperately managed 2. That the main duty to God be not neglected But the misery of it is this we have these external expressions of Love and Joy when the religious part is omitted This I find former * Nos hodie Conviviis Domos nostras Dedicamus parum expenden tes divinum beneficium Muscul Nunc ferè res tota versa est in luxum Conviviorum plurimas Helluationes Moller Writers much lamenting O let not your Dedications lie in eating and drinking much less in intemperance and insobriety but in Prayer and Praise 'T is observed of the * Hoc etiamnum fit à Judais sed helluando pergraecando ludendo aliisque oblectamentis potius festum agitant quà m seriâ ad Deum gratiarum actione ob reportatam ab bostibus victoriam Buxtorf Synag Judaic cap. 23. Jews that they yet keep the Feast of Dedication but how do they keep it In swilling drinking immoderate use of the Creatures and the like but as for the serious remembrance of God's mercy vouchsafed to their Nation upon which that Feast was grounded that is lost O that it was not thus amongst Christians upon other Accounts what feasting are we like to have in this City as persons shall come into their New Habitations Pray take heed of excess do not so soon forget Gods punishing of you for this which I look upon as one of the Cities sins and withall make Conscience of the main As soon as you are setled in your Houses dedicate them by Prayer and Praise David here as soon as his House was built for so I told you some Expositors time the words he falls upon the dedication of it by Prayer and Praise I beseech you do you do as he did A word to each of these First for Prayer That 's a duty always seasonable but in the present case very seasonable Howshall our dwellings be * Peccatis polluuntur precibus sanctificantur aedes Scultet sanctified but by Prayer This is the Sanctifying Ordinance 1 Tim. 4.5 As sin defiles the House Prayer sanctifies it How will you testifie your dependance upon God for mercy in your Houses but by Prayer How will you own God to be your Chief Landlord Dei se inquilinos esse fatebantur Calv. that you hold all from him that you are his and your House is his and your All is his I say how will you own God thus if you do not enter with Prayer Will you settle upon your Houses and not ask God's leave You will not enter into your Neighbours House but you will say first By your leave Is not your House Estate Goods All the Lord's and will you invade his Blessings without his Leave Do you expect Protection from God that he will keep your Houses day and night and will you not in a solemn and special manner pray for this Can you look for any blessing but in the way of Prayer O set some time apart for the solemn performance of this duty Oh let your Prayers enter Heaven as soon as you enter into your Houses and plead with God thus Lord I justifie thee in thy judicial dispensations thou wast just in turning me out of my former Habitation for I did not pay thee my rent for it I did not only deserve to have my House in Flames but to have my Soul to burn in Hell for evermore Notwithstanding former forfeitures present unworthiness thou hast provided another House for me and mine Lord I am less than the least of all thy mercies but since out of thy free mercy thou hast made this provision for me help me to own thee in it to carry it better than formerly I have done Let my House and Heart and all be sanctified let me live and walk in it with a perfect heart Let me devote it and all in it to thy glory let thy special presence be with me and thy special providence over me Secure me from all evil and from mischievous men who are set on fire with Hell Let not my House be good and my Heart naught As my House is new let my Heart be new also Lord I here dedicate my House to thee I and my House will serve thee But I must break off from this the Spirit of God will direct you and assist you when with sincerity you set upon the Duty And then as to Praise In antient Dedications they used to give gifts and to offer Sacrifices In the dedicating of your Houses to God let your Gift and Sacrifices be Praise this is more to God than all Legal or Mosaical Sacrifices Psal 50.13.14 Psal 69.30 31. 'T is of great advantage for men to enter upon their Comforts with Thanksgiving * Non potest fieri utqui Donum Dei gratus agnoscit illo abutatur Muscul Minemur hinc pro omnibus rebus pracipuè cum primùm quid in usum venit Gratias Deo agere inde sane mens amore Dei as ita ad oinnem magis pietatem accenditur simulqueadmonemur at Deâ—Ì„ Donis quà m castissim utatur Quis enim re abutatur ad luxum pro quo jam Deo gratias egit Bucer We do not so easily abuse mercies which we solemnly bless God for Get such a sense of the goodness of God upon your hearts as to call upon your selves to bless God Ah and to call in others too to bless God for you and with you This was David's practise as I might show you in several places and in the managing of this I would have you in a special manner to fix upon those mercies which have a more immediate reference to the occasion As for example your Houses were burnt but as to the most of you a considerable part of your Estates was preserved however your Lifes were not touch'd Indeed this was admirable that in so fierce so terrible a fire the Life 's of more were not destroy'd It might have been with us as with Sodom our persons as well as our Houses and Estates might have bin consumed but the merciful God ordered it otherwise Lot own'd it as a singular mercy though he lost much that his Life was spared when Sodom was burnt Gen. 19.19 'T was mercy that when we were in flames we were not in blood too that 't was not killing and murdering as well as burning Blessed be
Family-worship is a duty incumbent upon every Master or Governour he is to take care of it to see that the blessed God in his House have that Religious respect and homage which is due unto him Indeed this is the main the first thing that he is to look after The Jews besides their Temple-worship had also their Family-worship which the Master of the House was to perform The Paschal-Lamb was to be eaten in every Family there was to be a Lamb for an House Exod. 12.3 this was Family-worship in part You read of David 2 Sam. 6.20 He returned to bless his Houshold Upon the bringing of the Ark into the Tabernacle O his heart was full of joy and this he had made great discoveries of before the people now he 'l go to his own Family and bless them and spiritually rejoyce with them in Prayer and Praise in the sense of this great mercy O that every day your Housholds might be blessed by you by the administration and performance of Worship and Duty in them I will not any longer insist upon Generals but presently come to those particular Family-duties which I would press upon you The first is Prayer Family-Prayer for I intend not to meddle with the other kinds of Prayer but only to limit my self to this Set up Prayer in your Houses let your Families be praying Families O if it was the Lords will that we might not have in all this City one Non-praying Family God will have his House to be an House of Prayer Mat. 21.13 My House shall be called the House of Prayer Isa 56.7 Even them will I bring to my holy Mountain and make them joyful in my House of Prayer u. Let it be so with you let your Houses be Houses of Prayer then they will resemble the House of God You must enter upon them by Prayer that I have spoke to but besides this there must be a constant course of Prayer maintained and carried on in them 'T is true we have not any positive or express Command in the Word in which this duty of Family-Prayer is in so many Letters and Syllables enjoined but we have enough in it to ground solid Inferences upon which are sufficient to evince and prove the duty Eph. 6.18 we are commanded to pray with all Prayer and Supplication i. e. with all kinds of Prayer Family-Prayer is one kind of Prayer and therefore we are bound to the performance of it The Prophet imprecates wrath upon the Families that do not call upon God Jer. 10.25 Therefore 't is a duty lying upon Families so to do for it can only be the omission of an unquestionable duty that exposes a person to wrath Many such things might be insisted upon but I shall wave them my business being rather to exhort than to argue That I may prevail with you to set up Prayer in your Houses consider the following Motives 1. This is that which the people of God have always done Where Grace hath been in the heart prayer hath been in the House as Personal Prayer so Family Prayer hath always accompany'd the work of regeneration The Scripture sets many examples before us for the proof of this Mention is often made of Abraham's calling upon God as Gen. 12.8 Gen. 13.4 Gen. 21.33 26.25 We may well suppose that this was done sometimes in conjunction with his family they being with him in his intinerant posture Esther the Queen fasted and pray'd with her Maidens Esth 4.16 Job that offered Sacrifice continually for his Children as 't is Job 1.5 doubtless he did not omit the offering of Sacrifices with his Children What was David's blessing of his Houshold mentioned but now but his praying and praising with his family 'T is said of Cornelius He feared God with all his House and he prayed to God alway Act. 10.2 The connexion seems chiefly to refer to family-prayer If these places of Scripture and examples be not so convincing and cogent as to the duty in hand and its inseparable conjunction with the truth of Grace then you may add what your observation and experience doth readily offer to you Look abroad a little into the world observe how it is with men upon Conversion As soon as ever God hath wrought a saving work in them Behold they pray Acts 9.11 and that in their Families too Before this work alas they pray'd not in their Houses from week to week from year to year but no sooner did God seise upon them in a saving manner but immediately they set up Prayer in their Houses Vniversal experience offers it self for the proof of this Well then let this quicken you to this practise Pray in your Families for if you be gracious renewed sanctified you will do thus this is to carry it as regenerate persons this will be a good evidence that you are really God's people whereas the neglect of this will be a sad evidence that you are none of them I will trust a godly man for Family-prayer He may indeed for sometime being under the power of some Temptation or having taken in some erronious principle omit this duty but if he be a truly godly man he will come to it again 2. Family-prayer hath much excellency in it Prayer in all the kinds of it is very excellent There 's Secret-prayer that 's excellent O for the Soul to be with God alone treating with him in private about its everlasting concernments spreading its more special and particular wants corruptions temptations burdens before him Gen. 32.24 Jacob-like wrestling with him for this and that blessing surely this is excellent There 's publick Prayer when the Saints go together in a * Coimus ad Deum quasi manu factâ precationibus ambiamus Haec vis Deo grata est Tertul. Apolog c. 39. body and offer an holy violence to the Kingdom of Heaven join all their force and strength together for the obtaining of mercy this is excellent Family-prayer comes betwixt these 't is private and yet in part 't is publick 't is publick and yet in part 't is private this is excellent too In respect of its general Nature 't is excellent for 't is Prayer and all Prayer hath excellency stampt upon it in respect of its usefulness benefits precious effects 't is excellent it procures mercies keeps off judgments sanctifies all enjoyments preserves an holy awe of God in the Soul puts a savour and rellish upon all comforts furthers Grace here Glory hereafter All this is done by Family-prayer duely performed is it not excellent will you live in your Houses without it will you lose so great a part of Religion and that too which is so much to your own advantage and to the advantage also of all that co-habit with you Fire is good you 'l have it Food is good you 'l have it Air is good you 'l have it Prayer is good too nay better than all these will you not have that also 3. There are proper
and peculiar Reasons for House-Prayer you pray in secret not only because of the Command but because of those special and peculiar reasons which attend that duty Family-prayer hath the same inducements there are such and such cases circumstances considerations which this duty doth best hit and meet with and is best suited to O therefore make conscience of it There are Family-sins to be bewailed Family-miscarriages to be reformed Family-mercies to be acknowledged Family-wants to be supplied Family-undertakings to be blessed Family-afflictions to be sanctified Family-dangers to be prevented Now are there so many cases proper to a Family as a Family and shall there not be Family-prayer to reach to all these O that Masters of Families would consider what I say 4. Mercy and Justice Pity and Fidelity call upon you to call upon God in and with your Families Have you precious souls committed to you will you let them perish where 's your mercy and pity shall so many Children so many Servants be lost for ever for want of Prayer be not so cruel for the Lords sake You feed their bodies it would be cruelty to let them starve for want of food but is not this worser cruelty to starve their souls never to pray with them never to help them onwards in Heaven's way O though you have not the Grace of a Christian yet if you have but the bowels of a man methinks you should pray in your Families to prevent the ruine of those precious souls that are under your roof Besides this consideration which is proper to Mercy Justice requires this of you Family-prayer is a debt which you owe to them who are under you they owe subjection obedience and service to you you owe prayer to them The Apostle having spoke to Masters to give unto their Servants that which is just and equal presently subjoins Continue in prayer as if this was one thing that Masters in justice are to give to their Servants Col. 4.1 2. O 't is a real wrong to your Servants when you do not pray with them you are not only unmerciful but unjust in so doing not only false to God but injurious to them you may better withhold their wages from them than the duties of Religion 5. If this be nothing to you let me add further Self-love requires this of you I mean by this not so much Self-love with respect to your selves at the great day of Account though that be the main but I mean Self-love with respect to your present concerns you would have your Families blessed your Houses secured Self-love puts you upon this and can you hope for this if you neglect Family-prayer Ah you and yours lie open to judgments so long as this is neglected Jer. 10.25 Pour out thy wrath upon the Heathen and upon the Families that call not upon thy Name This imprecation is a kind of commination God will pour out his wrath upon Prayerless-families Till Prayer be set up in your Houses judgment hangs over your heads the curse of God is over you and all that belongs to you you live in the midst of dangers every moment you lie down every night liable to some sudden and sore evils O 't is not only thus with you that you are out of God's care and tuition but so long as Prayer is neglected you are under his fierce displeasure which is continually ready to break out against you O where 's your Self-love If there was nothing more than that one would think that should put you upon Family-Prayer Do you love your Selves your Houses your Estates your Relations and yet will you not fall upon the means which are proper to bring down the blessing of God upon them No Prayer no Protection from evil no communication of Good in a Covenant way The unpraying Family is the unblessed Family And are these things so what reason have I then to bewail the too general omission of this duty I speak of what is in this City Is Family-Prayer duely performed in every House in this City If one should go from House to House and ask at every House Is God here called upon Doth the Master of this House pray with his Family Oh I fear it would be answered by too many No God is not here sought unto Here we live here we feed here we trade here we rush into the world as soon as we are up and here we go to bed as soon as our business is over but here 's no Prayer O Lord how sad is this that in a City where the Gospel hath been so long so powerfully preached that in a City which hath passed under such variety of remarkable judgments there should be so many Prayerless Houses O 't is a rocky heart from which this consideration doth not fetch some sighs and tears I beseech you who have any conviction or tenderness upon your Consciences let it be otherwise with you Let the Arguments that have been used prevail with you forthwith to set up Prayer in your Houses if hitherto it hath been omitted How would it rejoice my soul might I but hear upon the reading of this That some Citizen was wrought upon to call his Family together and to say The Lord forgive me hitherto I have liv'd in the omission of Prayer with you but now the Grace of God enabling me I am resolv'd to fall upon it morning and evening we will call upon God together we will not only eat and drink together and work together but we will also pray together The good Lord work this resolution in many of you O if it be not within your doors Lord have mercy upon us there will be too much cause to write upon your doors The Lord have mercy upon you Can you read such motives as have been set down and yet not pray Have you liv'd to see and feel such terrible judgments by Plague and Fire and yet not pray Are you upon such uncertainties for the future and yet not pray I trust in the Lord some will be wrought upon 'T is your own advantage that I aime at 't is only your own souls good and your Families good that I design if you will yet go on in an ungodly course what 's that to me I have done my duty Do I come with things disputable to you do I speak as one that pursues the interest of a Party Surely no that which I urge upon you is as cleer as the light of the day and that which all parties agree in and therefore let not any reasonings or prejudices keep you off from the practise of a duty so clear so universally granted Especially you that are Professors do you pray in your Families what a Professor and not pray in thy House what a shame is this what a contradiction to thy profession what a demonstration of the unsoundness of thy Profession what mischief dost thou do to others by this how many loose and carnal persons are hardned upon thy omission what
'T is as great an affliction as can befall a godly man to see children such as have been religiously trained up by him to take sinful courses but if he can make comfortable reflections upon his practise that he hath not been accessary to this that it proceeds from the child's wickedness not from his omitting of good education this will much tend to his support and to the alleviation of his grief and burden Many a good Parent had sunk under this cross if he had not had this to bear him up You also by this may do much good to your children 'T is the most effectual and the most probable way to further their spiritual and eternal good Good Education is a great thing In his excellent Treatise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 5. Plutarch says 'T is the E 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is the first the middle the last in order to the setting of youth right you cannot expect either moral or spiritual goodness without this O the power and virtue of Religious Education when 't is sanctify'd The earth often proves according to the seed that is first cast into it The vessel retains the tincture of that with which 't is first seasoned Plutarch in loco prius eitat Lycurgus set it forth by an allusion of two doggs the one of which was bred up to the Trencher the other to Hunting which made a very great difference in them as he exemplify'd it before the Lacedemonians to show the power of Education Persons are very much when they are grown up according to the breeding that they had in their tender Age A child well educated makes a goodman and so è contrà What is imprinted upon one in his education usually 't is very permanent As in the place forecited Train up a child in the way he should go Prov. 22.6 and when he is old he will not depart from it What blessings might Parents prove to their children what excellent things might be effected by them if they did but take the advantage of their tender years and then set themselves to bring them into God Mr. Baxter's Saints Everlasting Rest Part 3. ch 14. Sect. 11. p. 350. I do verily believe saith a Reverend Author that if Parents did their duty as they ought the word publickly preached would not be the ordinary means of Regeneration in the Church but only without the Church among Infidels c. God would pour out his Grace so upon the children of his people and hear prayers for them and bless such endeavours for their holy Education that we should see the Promises made good to our seed and the unthankeful Anabaptists that will not confess that the children of Saints are any nearer God or more beholden to him than Pagans so much as for the favour to be visible Church-members should by sweet experience be convinced of their error and be taught better how to understand that our children are holy Nay thirdly by this you would do much good to publick Societies whether they be Religious or Civil Both Church and State are great gainers by good Education what excellent members would the Church have if you did but do what lies upon you in private As the Orchard is according to what the nursery is according to the usual similitude So Churches are according to what Families are Good Families make good Churches and good Education makes good Families How smoothly readily would Church-work go on if Masters of Families did but do their duty as the building goes on apace when the materials are prepared before hand Cities and Kingdoms too gain by this and it must needs be so for what are they but the whole made up of these parts The whole is such as the parts are of which it consists and so Kingdoms and Cities are what particular Houses are therefore Aristotle defines the former thus They are Societies made up of many Families and Houses put together Families are but like the book in loose sheets and Kingdoms like the book bound up the one but like Letters that are single and apart the other like Letters joyned together Now if the sheets be not good or the Letters not good the book or writing cannot be good neither The Lacedemonians made a Law Charron of VVisd lib. 3. c. 14. that when Children did amiss their Parents should be punished because they judg'd their neglect of Education was the cause of this which tended so much to the detriment and prejudice of the Common-wealth O if you neglect your duty you fill the Nation with corrupt and ulcerous and useless members whereas upon the doing of it you make your Houses good Seminaries both for Church and State Would you have a good Kingdom make those good who are under your charge Would you have a good City look to the educating of those who are related to you The way to have the City clean is for every man to sweep before his own door and so 't is in the matter I am upon Let us have the best Magistrates let them make the best Laws and back them with the best execution yet Societies will be naught so long as Parents and Masters do not do their duty in Religious Education Nay fourthly By this you do good to Posterity for hereby you keep up Religion in the World and propagate it from age to age The Papists speak much of their Oral Tradition by which they say Truth hath been conveyed downwards all along from the Apostles days the present generation handing it down to the next and so on from generation to generation Surely 't is the duty of Parents to perpetuate and convey Religion from age to age and how shall this be done but by Religious Education 'T is said of Abel Haec est vera Cabbala i. e. Traditio per manus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quando Patres filiis tradunt admonitiones c. sed hujusmodi quae aedificent c. Pet. Mart. in Gen 18.19 Being dead he yet speaketh Heb. 11.4 O if you would but rightly train up your Children being dead you would yet speaks you seasoned them and they season theirs and so Religion is transmitted and kept up in the World by your means although you your selves be dead and gone Is not this glorious service upon your not minding of Education you are the instruments of keeping up Sin Atheism Ignorance c. in the world but by your sincerity and faithfulness in this you are Instruments to continue and promote the fear of God Piety Holiness Faith from age to age Thirdly Consider Motive 3 the mischievous and sad effects that follow upon the neglect of Education They are so so many they cannot well be numbered up and so evil they cannot sufficiently be bewailed Good Lord how are Children and Servants spoiled and lost for want of this as ground proves mossy and full of weeds for want of culture and of being manur'd in time The Tree that
weeds and briars and thorns do grow upon it I wish we had not too many Instances of this some of which sometimes come very neer unto our selves Be it so though 't is a thing much to be lamented yet 't is good to do our duty to go as far as we can and then to leave events and success to him who doth what he pleaseth I had almost forgot a passage of Mr. Herbert Poems p. 4. let me bring it in here and close with it This loss springs chiefly from our Education Some till their ground but let weeds choke their Sun Some mark a Partridg never their childs fashion Some ship them over and the thing is done Study this Art make it thy great design And if God's Image move thee not let thine So much for the stirring of you up to this Religious Education I proceed to give you some Directions about it I enter upon an Argument of great weight and importance What are Parents to do in order to the religious educating of their children or wherein are they to come up to this 'T is a very serious Question and that which deserves our most serious thoughts As Socrates in Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato in Theag. fol. â—22 speaks to Demodocus There is nothing that a man can advise upon more divine and weighty than how to educate well his Children and Servants In answer to the Question I will not run out upon all the Duties of Parents and Masters towards Children and Servants but confine my self to those only which have a more direct and immediate reference to Religion And wheras the constant performance of Family Duties as Prayer and Reading the Scriptures is a great part of Religious Education they having been already spoken to it will not be requisite that I should here further insist upon them That which I have to say by way of Direction I will give you under the following Heads First Be frequent in spiritual Instruction for this is a very considerable branch of Religious Education this is like the setting or planting of the Root upon which all must grow or like the laying of the foundation upon which all is to be built Unquestionably this is the duty of Superiors towards Inferiors What the Preacher is in the Pulpit that the Master of the Family is in the House saith Origen Hom. 9. in Levitic This is a part of that * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Instruction as well as Correction 2 Tim. 3.16 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports the same too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nurture and Admonition in which Fathers are to bring up their Children Eph. 6.4 Abraham was much in this duty Gen. 18.19 And 't is said of him Gen. 14.14 When he heard his Brother was taken captive he armed his trained Servants born in his own House c. We read it his trained servants in the Hebrew 'tis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 initiatos suos his initiated or dedicated ones or as 't is noted in the margent and as * Armavit pueros suos nempe à se imbutos institutos Pagn in Verb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pagnine opens the word his instructed ones All in Abrahams Family were instructed by him O those are blessed Families where all in them are instructed in the things of God Hic locus indicat priscos ilies Patres gui â—gem Mosiâ—â— omnemque sacrum Diviâ—tium Humana um rerum Scripusram pragressi sunt solitos viâ—â— voce per Domestiâ—am institutionem Disciplinam docere filios posteros suos quaecunque ad consequendam animi salutem after namque faelicitatem scire eos id temporis atque agè â—porteret Perer. in Gen. 18.19 This was Davids practise so his Son tells us Prov. 4.4 He taught me also and said unto me Let thine heart retain my words keep my Commandments and live And Bathsheba's too Pro. 31.1 The Prophesie that his mother taught him And saith David Psal 34.11 Come ye children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. You read of Jehoash He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all his days wherein Jehoiada who was instead of a Father to him the Priest instructed him Now you that are Parents do you thus do when shall I come to that duty which is not notoriously neglected Sure this must not be it for 't is too manifest that this is generally neglected You converse much with your Children spend much time with them do you improve your converse or your time in speaking to them of the things of God You teach them your Callings learn them this and that do you teach them to know God and Jesus Christ O that this Heavenly instruction might be more minded by you when you are with your Children be instilling and dropping spiritual things into them as their capacities will bear be * Cum eum in finem homines condiderit Deus ut Se cognoscant celebrent aeternum salventur prima baec sit parentum cura ut à teneris Dei rerum ad salutem necessariarum cognitionem liberis su is instillent c. Quistorp in Ephes c 6.4 Pag. 185. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tobaeus Serm. 1. instructing of them as to what they are to know and practise Poor Creatures they come blind and ignorant into the world let pity move you to inform them and to give them an insight into the mysteries of Religion Are not these the things that are most necessary to be known Is not knowledg the way of God to Salvation Joh. 17.3 Is not ignorance a soul-destroying thing O let these things prevail with you to do what the people of God all along before you have done Let your Children be well taught as well as well fed let not a servant go un-instructed for he is a part of your charge Nay let not the meanest servant be without this As 't is said of Lewis the Ninth King of France he was found instructing his poor Skullion and being ask'd why he did so he answered I know the meanest in my Family hath a Soul as precious as mine is If you ask me Wherein you are to instruct yours Ans There are two things that the Scripture in special directs you to The Word of God and the Works of God Deut. 6.6 7. These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine Heart Is that all no And thou shalt diligently teach them unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine House c. To the same effect Deut. 11.18 19. Timothy from a child knew the holy Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.15 How came this about He had a good mother and a good grand-mother and they instructed him in the Scriptures Officium pii Patris-familias est liberos familiam educare ad pietatem docereque quomodo opera Dei rectè debeant conside
rare Piscat in Gen. 18.19 in Observ So for the works of God Psal 78.4 c. 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 to their children That the generation to come might know them even the children which should be born who should arise and declare them to their children That they might set their hope in God and might not forget the works of God but keep his Commandments Deut. 4.9 Only take heed to thy self lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen c. but teach them thy Sons and thy Son's Sons Josh 4.21 22. When your children shall ask their Fathers in time to come saying What mean these Stones Then ye shall let your children know saying Israel came over this Jordan on dry land c. Exod. 12.26 And it shall come to pass When your children shall say unto you what mean you by this service That ye shall say It is the sacrifice of the Lord 's Passeover who passed over the Houses of the children of Israel in Egypt c. Menochius relates That the Jews the night before the Passeover They were wont to discourse with their children thus Why is it called the Passeover the Father answered Because the Angel passed over us when it slew the Egyptians and destroy'd us not Why do we eat unleavened bread the Father answered Because we were forced to hasten out of Egypt Why do we eat sowre grapes To mind us of our afflictions in Egypt So again Psal 44.1 We have heard with our ears O God Our Fathers have told us what work thou didst in their days in the times of old You see how in special the Scripture instances in these two things wherein Children are to be instructed God's word and works and is not all comprehended under these two Is not here a large field for Instruction and Information Let me intreat you to be speaking much of these unto your Children Do what in you lies to acquaint them with the Holy Scriptures and those great Truths which are therein revealed especially those which do more nearly concern Salvation Tell them what there you find concerning God Christ mans fall and recovery the Covenant of Grace the conditions thereof Faith and Repentance c. Be often opening these things to them The Eagle carries her young ones to the Sun O bring your young ones to the Light of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joseph lib. 3. contra Appion and help them to look upon it and into it The Children of the Jews were very well vers'd in the Scriptures even when they were young because their Parents did frequently herein instruct them so * Josephus tells us What a shame is it that 't is so long before the Children of Christians come to any considerable knowledg of them O do not only read the Scriptures to them but often be discoursing of Matters therein disclosed and put them themselves upon the reading of them also and call them often to an account of what they read as Hierome advised Laeta in order to the religious Education of her Daughter Reddat tibi pensum quotidiè die Scripturarum floribus excerptum Hieron ad Laetam Here as an excellent way for the instructing of Children and Servants let me advise you to set up Catechising in your Families O set some time apart for Catechising Prater publicam Doctrinam etiam privato Catechizatio Domesticorom vigere debet inter nos ex Dei mandato Parcus in Gen. 18.19 't is one of the best means that I know for the advancing of Scripture-knowledg In Catechisms you have a Summary of Divinity both Doctrinal and Practical in a plain and familiar way set before you there Matters of Faith and Practise are succinctly handled and brought down to the weakest capacity There 's no such compendious way for the attaining of Heavenly knowledg as this is Whence is it that persons are so ignorant when they are men but from this they were not well Catechiz'd when they were children And whence is it that so many leave the way of Truth and desert that true Religion wherein they were bred and turn Papists and what not but because the foundation was not well laid at the first in Catechetical exercises The * Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est imbuere prima rudimenta dare erudire Frequens est apud Doctores in Piel pro instituere paulatim assuefacere quod Graeci 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicunt Pagn It nearly concerns every Parent as they will free themselves from the guilt of their Childrens undoing that they be careful to see them instructed in all necessary things To which purpose it will be fit early to teach them some short Catechism Whole Duty of Man p. 49. But above all the best way of Institution especially as to the younger sort may be performed by Catechisms Platforms of sound words by Question and Answer in a short and compendious method whose Terms being clear and distinct might be phrased out of Holy Scripture and fitted to their Capacities by a plain though solid stile and to their memories by brief expressions Morn Lect. Serm. 8. p. 196. which signifies to Catechise signifies also to teach and instruct as in 1 Cor. 14.19 Luk. 1.4 Act. 18.25 Gal. 6.6 Catechising is the best way of instructing If I could but prevail with you once a week to call your Families together and to spend some time in this exercise O how would Gospel knowledg encrease amongst us Secondly To Spiritual instruction add holy admonition exhortation good advice and counsel You must not only let them know by instruction what their duty is but you must press urge enforce this duty upon them by admonition good counsel O my child thus and thus the word speaks O do thou do accordingly O my child do not lie do not swear do not profane the Lord's day do not associate with wicked persons but fear God walk in the good ways of God keep the commandments of God I say thus admonish advise counsel those that are under your charge What abundance of good might you do by this what a prevailing influence hath good counsel when 't is duly appli'd How many are there now rejoicing in Heaven and blessing God for good Parents and Masters upon earth who gave them pious admonitions from time to time Whereas there are others burning in everlasting flames who are cursing the day that ever they had to do with those who altogether neglected this duty This also is included in that * Proprie significat Admonitionem non simpliciter sed talem quam in mentem pueri ponas ingeras quae sunt ad salutem necessaria Zanch. in Eph. 6.4 admonition
will you solemnly commit them to Gods Almighty Protection will you set up and advance Religion Piety and Godliness in them and so consecrate them to God will you devote all your Domestick mercies to God I hope what hath been said may have some good effect upon some of you to bring you to the practising of these things If you resolve upon them than I have but two things further to say to you 1. Do not only enter upon this House-Dedication but renew it as occasion and special cases shall call for it The Antients would not have Temple-dedication to be repeated or reiterated Extat inter Canones Concilii Nicaeni conscriptos à Gratiano Canon qui pracipit Ecclesias semel consecratas non iterum consecrari debere vid. Hosp de Orig. Tem. fol. 701. but surely House-dedication may be and should be repeated In three cases especially 1. Vnder some great turn or change of life Suppose it to be marriage O then there is more of duty to be performed more of comfort to be enjoyed then there is a greater need of God for the sanctifying and sweetening of the relation and therefore then 't is good for persons again solemnly and explicitely to dedicate their House and their All to God 2ly After the commission of some great sin by which the House is much defiled Dedication some make to be nothing but Purification to dedicate the House 't is to purifie the House Surely after great pollutions by sin the House should be washed and purifi'd again Many Interpreters bring in the Dedication of the Text upon this Absalom had greatly defiled David's House upon his return therefore he purifi'd it by a new dedication Great pollutions call for new dedications When Ahaz had defiled the Temple Hezekiah consecrated it again 2 Chron. 29. The like was done by Judas Maccabeus after Antiochus his polluting of the Temple as hath been shown Do you thus do as to your private Houses do not suffer sin to lie upon them of all filthiness let that be washed out when they have been defiled let them be purifi'd How By Fasting and Prayer 3ly After the receipt of some signal and eminent mercy Some make that to be the occasion of David's dedicating of his House though they do not agree in the specifying of the particular mercy Gratias agit pro restititâ valetudine Bucer Principale Argumentum bujus Psalmi videtur esse Gratiarum actio pro recuperatâ poâ—t infirmitatem salute Munst vid. Freidlib Qu. 146. in Psalm Bucer and Munster make it to be his recovery from some dangerous sickness The first and second verses in this thirty Psalm seem to point to that mercy O Lord my God I cried unto thee and thou hast healed me O Lord thou hast brought up my soul from the grave thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit * Magis credibile est c. in loc Calvin thinks this was rather his Restauration to his Kingdom and his victory over Absalom Well we cannot determine what the mercy was but some great mercy David had received and upon this he doth anew dedicate his House to God If it shall be thus with you at any time do you do the same Were you preserved when so many Thousands fell by the late Plague I think your Houses then should have been anew devoted to God Were they so miraculously kept in the late fire I think there should have been a fresh dedication of them As the dedication should be lasting for constant mercies so it should be renewed for new and signal mercies This is the first thing Then secondly I would say this to you live under a due sense of this that your Houses are dedicated and let this fill you with an holy awe Dedicantur Templa ut eis invitetur adventus Angelorum Homines in eas intrantes étiam ab exili cogitatione se contineant Alevin de Caen. Dom. citat in Gavant Thes Rit p. 4. tit 16. p. 293 of committing or permitting sin in them Alcwin tells us that the reason why Churches were dedicated was this That men being in them upon the consideration of the Sacredness of the place they might abstain from every little vain thought Surely if men did but revive this upon their thoughts that they and their Houses are dedicated they would carry it better than they do O shall I abuse the good Creatures of God to luxury and excess in that House which is dedicated to God shall I defraud exact deal dishonestly in that House which is dedicated to God Shall I suffer Atheisticall irreligious persons or practises in that House which is dedicated to God I say it would be of great advantage to you to live under a constant sense of this that your Houses are dedicated to the Lord. I will add nothing more Only I shall endeavour daily to second what here I have wrote with the most ardent and earnest prayers that God will be pleased to bless that counsel which hath been given and to make it effectual towards the attaining of that blessed end for which it is intended that these endeavours of mine may not only be a bare Testimony of my Affection to you Dear Citizens but that they may turn to a good account in the day of Jesus Christ O set upon your duty and go as far in it as you can and then whatever events you may meet withal as to your selves your Relations your Estates your Habitations you will have comfort in God in the Testimony of Conscience and in the tenure of the Covenant 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 Salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow 2 Sam. 23.5 Now unto the King eternal immortal invisible the only wise God be Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS ERRATA corrigenda First Part. PAge 19. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 42 lin 4. enables for enable p. 54. maglignity for malignity p. 99. Treasure for Treasury p. 126. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 143. lin 3. read and so there passes a mutual obligation upon both p. 189. upon which all is built dele Second Part. Pag 18. in the margent Et murorum Civitatis V. dele p. 31. lin 22. within for with this City p. 34. l. 25. an encouragement dele an p. 49. Gualt in Marc 12. read Gualtper p. 69. l. 7. for u make an c. p. 80. in the Citation out of the Whole Duty of Man at the words was so careful make an c. p. 103. l. 17. to consider these few things dele to consider p. 112. l. 10. for would not make should not or could not p. 122. faco for fuco p. 133. ut meam amplius for me amplius p. 141. soluciti for soliciti p. 167. Die Scripturarum c. for de c. p. 168. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 191. l. 2. Inconvenien for Inconveniencies Suburbanna for Suburbana abscence for absence p. 200. l. 4. more most prone dele more p. 211. lutun for lutum p. 213. Purvulae for Parvulae