Gold and a multitude of Rubies but the Lips of Knowledge are a pretious Jewel VVisdom is of that excellency that it far surpasseth all the Silver and Gold and pretious Stones in the world Job 28.16 17 18. It cannot be valued with the Gold of Ophir with the precious Onyx or the Saphir the Gold and the Crystal cannot equal it and the exchange of it shall not be for Jewels of fine Gold no mention shall be made of Coral or of Pearls for the price of Wisdom is above Rubies How desirous are most Parents to leave their Children great Estates If Wisdom be better than all the Riches of the world why should we not desire and labour more to leave them endued with VVisdom than to leave them great Riches 2. If we leave them endued with VVisdom though they be poor we leave them better than if we left them Kings and Princes destitute of VVisdom Eccles 4.13 Better is a poor and a wise Child than an old and foolish King Many persons who have aspiring minds would spare no pains to make their Children Kings and Princes if they saw any possibility to effect it why then should we be backward to convey that to our Children which will be a greater advantage to them than the promoting of them to be Kings 3. Wisdom will make our Children of an excellent Spirit Prov. 17.27 A man of understanding is of an excellent Spirit An excellent Spirit is a great Ornament to a man and to be preferred above Nobility of Birth Beauty Riches or any external Accomplishments Darius finding in Daniel an excellent Spirit preferred him above all the Princes and Nobles in his Kingdom Dan. 6.3 This Daniel was preferred above the Presidents and Princes because an excellent Spirit was in him and the King thought to set him over the whole Realm 4. Wisdom and Understanding will make the Members of our Family useful in their Generation in whatsoever places and stations they shall be fixed by the Providence of God What blessing was prayed for on Boaz his behalf by his Friends Do thou worthily in Ephratah Ruth 4.11 The same shall fall upon our Children if we train them up in acquaintance with God They shall do worthily in the places where God casts their lot although their lot be cast in evil times and sinful places Dan. 11.32 Such as do wickedly against the Covenant shall be corrupt by Flatteries but the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits By being endued with Wisdom and Understanding they will prove great Blessings to the Families Cities and Kingdoms in which they live They will be blessings to the Houses and Families where they live Prov. 24.3 Through wisdom is an house builded and by understanding it is established Yea they will be Blessings to the Towns and Cities wherein they live Eccles 9.14 15. There was a little City and a few men within it and there came a great King against it and besieged it and built great Bulwarks against it now there was found in it a poor wise man and he by his wisdom delivered the City By the means of a wise Woman the City of Abel was preserved from destruction When Joab was come against it with a great Army to destroy the place she by her wise carriage both mollified Joabs Spirit and brought over the men of the City to comply with his desire and so saved the City from ruine 2 Sam. 20.15 16 22. Yea more than this they will be Blessings to the States and Kingdoms in which they live Prov. 28.2 For the transgression of a Land many are the Princes thereof but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged Joseph being a wise and discreet man Gen. 41.39 was a great blessing to all the Land of Egypt and not to Egypt only but to all the Countreys round about who were sustained by the Provision that he had laid up against the time of that great Famine 5. Wisdom will cause our Children to live in good repute and credit all their days Prov. 3.35 The wise shall inherit Glory but shame shall be the promotion of Fools Eccl. 8.1 A mans wisdom maketh his face to shine It will procure them favour and honour and respect from all sorts of persons Prov. 4.7 8. Exalt her and she shall promote thee she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her she shall give to thine head an Ornament of Grace a Crown of Glory shall she deliver to thee Prov. 14.35 The Kings favour is towards a wise Servant 6. Wisdom will keep our Children from imbezeling away and mis-spending their Estates which we leave them and will help them to preserve increase and use well that portion of Goods or Lands that we shall bequeath to them Prov. 24.4 By knowledge shall the Chambers be filled with all the precious and pleasant Riches Prov. 21.20 There is a treasure to be desired and Oyl in the dwelling of the wise but a foolish man spendeth it up 7. Wisdom will keep them from falling into those troubles and snares wherewith foolish and indiscreet persons are intangled Prov. 22.3 A prudent man fore-seeth the evil and hideth himself but the simple pass on and are punished And when they do fall into trouble knowledge will help them to get out of their troubles Prov. 11.9 Through knowledge shall the Just be delivered 8. Wisdom will preserve them from keeping evil company that they shall not be intangled with the acquaintance either of lewd men or lascivious women which are the bane and destruction of many young men Prov. 2.10 11 12 16. When wisdom entreth into thine heart and knowledge is pleasant to thy Soul Discretion shall preserve thee and Vnderstanding shall keep thee to deliver thee from the way of the evil man from the man that speaketh froward things to deliver thee from the strange Woman even from the stranger which flattereth with her words 9. Wisdom will make our Children prove great Comforts to us Prov. 10.1 A wise Son maketh a glad Father Prov. 23.15 16. My Son if thine heart be wise my heart shall rejoyce even mine yea my reins shall rejoyce when thy lips speak right things And vers 24 25. The Father of the Righteous shall greatly rejoyce and he that begetteth a wise Child shall have joy of him thy Father and thy Mother shall be glad and she that bare thee shall rejoyce 10. Wisdom and Understanding are means of leading them to life and salvation Prov. 16.22 Vnderstanding is a well-spring of life unto him that hath it Prov. 3.21 22. Keep sound Wisdom and Discretion so shall they be Life and Grace to thy Neck John 17.3 This is Life eternal that they might know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Do we not thirst after the salvation of our Childrens Souls If we do then let us be diligent to instruct them in the Striptures which will make them wise to
estrangement from God yet he hoped that God in due time would convert them and cause them to embrace the true Religion which was continued in the Off-spring of Shem Gen. 9.27 God shall enlarge or as the word may be render'd God shall perswade Japheth and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem. So should we hope concerning our Children that God will perswade their hearts to repent of their sins though we should see them go on in evil and destructive courses a long time together and that because of his promise to circumcise not only our hearts but the hearts also of our Seed to love him with all our hearts and all our souls that both we and they may have everlasting life Deut. 30.6 2. If after all our prayers and tears and instructions and endeavours after their salvation we should see any of our Children or Servants live and die in such a condition as that we could have no hope of their salvation we may quiet our minds with such considerations as these I. Consider Gods Soveraignty He hath a soveraign power over all his Creatures to dispose of their temporal and spiritual estate according to his own pleasure we are in Gods hand as clay in the hands of the Potter Jer. 18.6 O House of Israel cannot I do with you as this Potter saith the Lord Behold as the Clay is in the Potters hand so are ye in mine hand O House of Israel And what is the power the Potter hath over the Clay Rom. 9.21 Hath not the Potter power over the Clay of the same lump to make one Vessel unto Honour and another unto Dishonour Jer. 18.4 The Vessel that he made of Clay was marred in the hand of this Potter so he made it again another Vessel as seemed good to the Potter to make it If it be in the Potters power to make every Vessel as seemeth good to him if he may make of the same lump one Vessel to honour and another to dishonour may not the great God do what he pleaseth with his Creatures May not He make of Children that are born of the same Parents and enjoy the same instructions one a Vessel unto Honour and another a Vessel of his Wrath and Displeasure for ever All Creatures in Heaven and in the Earth and in the Sea and in all other places are disposed of by God according to his will and good pleasure Psal 135.6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did he in Heaven and in Earth and in the Seas and in all deep places And shall we think much or repine against God when he disposeth of our Children or any other Member of the Family as seemeth good in his sight When the Lord said to Eli I will judge his House for ever And I have sworn unto the House of Eli That iniquity of Eli's House shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever 1 Sam. 3.13 14. This was sad tidings yet when Eli considered it was the Lord who had power to dispose of him and his Family as seemeth good in his sight he quietly submitted his will to the will of God vers 18. It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good No Parents did ever thirst more after the salvation of their Childrens Souls than Jesus Christ thirsted after the salvation of fallen man yet when he saw that it was his Fathers good pleasure to hide the Mysteries of the Gospel from some persons who were wise and prudent in worldly matters with whom he had taken much pains in preaching the Gospel he rested abundantly satisfied in the will and pleasure of his Father Mat. 11.25 26. At that time Jesus answered and said I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight From verse 19. to 24. Jesus Christ upbraids the Cities wherein most of his mighty works were done because they repented not and tells them what an heavy condemnation they should have at the day of Judgment more dreadful than Tyre or Sydon or Sodom and Gomorrah And at that time when he had done upbraiding those Cities he addresseth himself to his Father wherein he declares his perfect acquiescence in his Fathers will Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight although he had hid the Mysteries of the Gospel from the wise and prudent and we know that eternal perdition followeth the hiding of the Gospel 2 Cor. 4.3 If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost and had revealed them only or chiefly at least to such as were in comparison of the wise and prudent men in the world but Babes Now seeing our Lord Jesus did acquiesce in his Fathers good pleasure when he saw many amongst whom he had preached and done his mighty works continuing in their unbelief and impenitent condition and so perishing eternally It concerneth us to submit our selves to the will and pleasure of God if after all the pains that we have taken to convert and save our Childrens Souls he should leave some of them to perish in their sins We must know that he is God and so may dispose of us and all that belongs to us as he pleaseth and howsoever he is pleased to deal with us we must be still and silent under his hand Psal 46.10 Be still and know that I am God II. Others as good and better than we have met with the same trial viz. some of their children and servants have degenerated and proved vicious and lewd persons and have lived and died in their sins notwithstanding all the pains that their Parents and Governours have taken to convert and save their souls Adam had a Cain who murthered his own brother and was a fugitive and vagabond in the earth and hath the brand of a wicked man set upon him by the Holy Ghost 1 John 3.12 as well as righteous Abel Noah had an Ham who saw and divulged his fathers nakedness and had his fathers curse upon him and his posterity as well as a pious Shem and Japheth righteous Lot had two daughters that enticed him to drunkenness and incest Ishmael in his younger time was so vile that Abraham cast him out of his family for a scoffer Isaac had a profane Esau who sold his Birthright for a mess of Pottage a man hated of God Esau have I hated Rom. 9.13 as well as a godly Jacob. Jacob met with crosses in his Children Reuben his first-born defiled his Fathers Bed Simeon and Levi by their cruelty in slaying the Shechemites after they had drawn them to be circumcised made Jacob's name to stink among the Inhabitants of the Land Gen. 34.30 Judah lieth with his Daughter-in-law Tamar supposing her to have been an Harlot with divers other crosses in the rest of his Children as the selling of Joseph into Egypt c. Aaron lost two sons Nadab and Abihu In
spend our time in doing those works which God hath given us to do and in so doing we shall glorifie God and follow the Example and Pattern of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ John 17.4 I have glorified thee on the earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do Now this is one work which God hath given you to do to teach his Word to your Children and hath commanded you to be diligent in it Deut. 6.6 7. SECT 9. The greatness of a Family is not a sufficient Plea for the neglect of Family-Instruction Object 9 SOme also may say My Family is so numerous that I am not able to instruct them if I had a lesser Family I would do it but I know not how to carry on this work in such a great Family as I have Answ 1. The more Souls you have in your Family the more diligent you had need to be in this work of Family-Instruction for you will have the greater account to give to God at the day of Judgment The accompt we must give to God at the day of Judgment is very strict He will call us to an account for every word yea for every idle word Mat. 12.32 I say unto you That every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in the day of Judgment Now if we must give an account for every word every idle word that we have spoken shall we not much more give an account for every person whom God hath committed to our charge Is not a man of far more value than a word 2. If you neglect teaching your Family because of the multitude of persons that are in it you are not like Christ you are not of the same mind and spirit that Christ was of for the greater the number of people was which resorted to him the more his Bowels of Compassion were stirred up to teach them Mark 6 34. And Jesus when he came out saw much people and was moved with compassion towards them and he began to teach them many things Neither are you like the Righteous concerning whom Solomon saith Prov. 10.21 The Lips of the Righteous feed many 3. Your Family is not greater and more numerous than Acraham's Family was for he was able to raise more than 300 fighting men out of the Servants born in his own house Gen. 14.14 When Abraham heard that his Brother was taken captive he armed his trained Servants born in his own House three hundred and eighteen and pursued them unto Dan. And notwithstanding Abraham had such a numerous Family yet he taught them all to keep the ways of the Lord Gen. 18.19 I know him that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and Judgment And those three hundred and eighteen Servants whom he carried with him to rescue Lot mentioned Gen. 14.14 were trained or as it is in the Margin instructed Servants which may be understood of their being religiously trained up that they were instructed in the grounds of Religion as well as of their training to civil or military Employments as Ainsworth and Calvin observe Vatalbus his Note upon that Text is Pueros quos ut quidam volunt instruxerat Arte Bellicâ ac etiam Lege Divinâ And that which will confirm this exposition that these trained men were trained up in the knowledge and fear of God is this The same Hebrew word which is used here for trained men is used for Religious Education Prov. 22.6 Train up or as it is in the Margin catechise a child in the way that he should go 4. If your Family be numerous you may render the work of instruction the more easie by calling the whole Family together when you instruct them and then you may at the same time with the same ease instruct many as few Israel being a numerous people and they being all to be instructed Moses counsels the Levites to gather the people together that the work might be done with the more ease Deut. 31.11 12. Thou shalt read this Law before all Israel in their hearing gather the people together men and women and children and thy stranger that is within thy gates that they may hear and that they may learn and fear the Lord your God and observe to do all the words of this Law Do you thus if your Family be numerous at certain stated times appoint your whole Family to come together and then you may with ease instruct all of them SECT 10. Great as well as mean men must instruct their Families Object 10 I Am a great man and this work is beneath me to teach my Children and Servants Answer 1. Art thou greater than Abraham who was a great Prince Gen. 23.5 6. The Children of Heth answered Abraham saying Hear us my Lord thou art a mighty Prince amongst us and who is stiled the Father of the Faithful and a Father of many Nations Yet he did not think it to be beneath him to teach his Family Gen. 18.19 Art thou greater than David who was King of Israel Yet he did not think much to teach his Family Prov. 4.3 4. I was my Fathers Son tender and only beloved in the sight of my Mother He taught me also He did not only teach Solomon but his other Children also Psal 34.11 Come ye Children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Yea he did not think much to teach Transgressors the ways of the Lord Psal 51.13 Then will I teach Transgressors thy ways 2. The Great GOD condescends to teach the meanest and poorest of men Psal 25.8 Good and upright is the Lord therefore will he teach Sinners in the way John 6.45 It is written in the Prophets And they shall be all taught of God Isa 54.13 And all thy Children shall be taught of the Lord Doth the Great GOD condescend to teach all sorts of men the Poor as well as the Rich Children as well as grown Men yea such as are Sinners and shall any man think himself too great to teach and instruct his Family 3. It is an honour to be employed in doing any work or service for God and Jesus Christ John the Baptist was a great man Christ saith of him Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist Matth. 11.11 Yet this great man did not think himself above the meanest service that he could be employed in for Christ but thought himself unworthy to carry Christs Shoes after him Matth. 3.11 He that cometh after me is mightier than I whose Shoes I am not worthy to bear To teach the word of Christ unto our Children and Servants is more honourable work than to carry Christs Shoes after him Now if John the Baptist thought himself unworthy to carry Christs Shoes after him what great pride of spirit is it for any man to say or think it is a work beneath
the very act of sin as they were offering up strange fire fire came from the Lord and consumed them Eli's children were such sons of Belial that their wickedness caused men to abhor the offerings of the Lord 1 Sam. 2.12 17 David met with much affliction in his children Amnon ravished his sister Tamar Absolom killed Amnon when his heart was merry with wine Absolom was cut off in the Act of his Rebellion Adonijah seeks the Crown which his father had devolved upon his son Solomon Our Lord Jesus Christ himself had a select Family consisting of twelve Apostles whom he chose out of all Israel and whom he often instructed with great power for his word was with power Luke 4.32 and yet one of them proved little better than a devil John 6.70 Have not I chosen you twelve and one of you is a devil He proved so vile that he betrayed his Master for thirty pieces of silver and then went and hang'd himself and went to his own place Elisha the Prophet had a lying servant Gehazi who went in his Masters name but contrary to his Masters mind to Naaman the Syrian and demanded and received for his own use a great sum of money as much as two men could carry and two changes of Garments 2 Kings 5.20 21 22 23. These examples with several others which might be produced do shew that though it be a great affliction to have evil children and evil servants yet it is a temptation common to men even to good men yea such as have befallen the best men that ever lived upon the face of the earth whose persons have been very dear and precious in the sight of God and their works and labours have been graciously accepted of him And therefore we should not be disquieted or cast down without measure because God doth not bless our labours with the converting and saving of all the members of our families neither should we conclude from hence that either our persons or our labours are not accepted with God III. Our children are Gods creatures as well as our children God hath a greater right to them and a greater interest in them than we have We were but Gods instruments to bring them into the world It was not we but God created and gave them their beings it was Gods hands that framed and fashioned their Bodies when they lay in their Mothers womb Psal 119.97 Thy hands have made and fashioned me 1 Cor. 12.24 God hath tempered the body together It is God that gave them every part of their Bodies as Skin and Bones and Flesh and Sinews Job 10.11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh and hast fenced me with bones and sinews And every member of their Bodies as Eyes Hands Feet c. Psal 139.16 Thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect and in thy Book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned whenas yet there was none of them It was God which created their Souls after he had formed their Bodies Zech. 12.1 Saith the Lord which stretcheth forth the Heavens and layeth the foundation of the Earth and formeth the Spirit of Man within him Ezek. 18.4 Behold all Souls are mine as the Soul of the Father so also the Soul of the Son is mine the Soul that sinneth shall die It was God that drew them out of the womb Psal 22.9 Thou art he that took me out of the womb It is God that hath preserved them alive ever since they were born Psal 66.8 9. O bless our God ye people who holdeth our Soul in life And seeing God hath a far greater right to our Children than we have shall we be discontented when he disposeth of them as he seeth good May not he say to us when we repine at any thing that he doth to our children as the good Housholder said to those that murmured at him Matth. 20.13 15. Friend I do thee no wrong Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own And as our children are the works of his hands so his mercies towards his works are beyond our mercies towards those that proceed from our bowels Psal 145.9 The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works He desires their welfare both here and for ever more than we can do Job 14.15 Thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands Deut. 5.29 O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always that it might be well with them and with their Children for ever Now if the Lord whose tender mercies are over all his works and who desireth our Childrens welfare more than we our selves do saw cause to cast away the works of his own hands into eternal torments shall we by our discontent go about to controul God in what he hath done as though we were wiser or more merciful than He IV. Though there be a great depth in Gods Judgments and such as we can't search out the reason of them why sometimes he converteth one and leaveth another to perish in his sins although both are born of the same Parents and live under the same means of grace Yet he is always Just and Righteous and True and Faithful in all his ways The Apostle was a man of a deeper insight into the mysteries of the Gospel than we are yet he confesseth some of Gods ways to be unsearchable Rom. 11.34 O the depth of the Riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his Judgments and his Ways past finding out Whatever Judgments God inflicts upon Nations or particular Persons though we may not be able to fathom the reason of them yet we must believe that all that the Righteous God doth is Just and True and that he never acts contrary to the Truth of his Word or against the Rules of Justice Rev. 15.3 They sing the Song of Moses the Servant of God and the Song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty Just and True are thy Ways thou King of Saints This Song was sung upon the pouring out of the seven last Plagues in which was filled up the Wrath of God verse 1. From hence it is evident that the Lord doth nothing beyond the Rules of Justice or contrary to his Truth when he poureth out his wrath to the utmost either upon a Nation or upon particular persons When the children of godly Parents sin against God and God casteth them away for their sins he doth not by this act pervert Justice and Equity Job 8.3 4. Doth God pervert Judgment Or doth the Almighty pervert Justice If thy Children have sinned against him and he have cast them away for their transgression Now when God doth those things which are Just and Right we should be so far from murmuring that vve should praise and honour God although vve our selves should suffer deeply by those Judgments After Nebuchadnezzar