after his own Image in Righteousness and true Holiness That Adam did not continue in this estate but sinned against God by eating the forbidden fruit That all men have sinned and come short of the Glory of God That the wages of sin is death That Jesus Christ died for our sins That he rose again from the dead the third day That he ascended into Heaven and sitteth there at Gods right hand to make Intercession for us That whosoever believeth in Jesus Christ shall receive remission of sins and have eternal life That the dead shall be raised and be all judged at the last day That at the day of Judgment they that have done evil shall be cast into Hell Fire where they shall remain for ever and they that have lived godly in Christ Jesus shall be taken into the Kingdom of Heaven c. Now if you have not ability to teach them the more abstruse and mysterious points of the Christian Religion teach them those things which are plain and easie and whilst you do so God will open your Understandings and give you farther insight into the Mysteries of the Gospel 3. Your fear of wresting the Scriptures should make you diligent in using the means to get a true and right understanding of the Scriptures but it should not make you neglect your duty in teaching your Children the knowledge of the Scriptures That man who had but one Talent and out of fear did not improve his Talent but went and hid it in the Earth was not excused by his having but a mean Talent or by his pleading his fearfulness but is called by his Lord a wicked a slothful servant and was cast into outer darkness where there was weeping and gnashing of Teeth Matth. 25.24 25 26 30. He which had received the one Talent came and said Lord I knew thee that thou art a hard man And I was afraid and went and hid thy Talent in the Earth lo there thou hast that is thine His Lord answered and said unto him Thou wicked and slothful servant thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not and gather where I have not strawed thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the Exchangers that I might have received mine own with usury Take therefore the Talent from him And cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth If you ask What means should we use that we may come to the true and right understanding of the Scriptures and be kept from wresting them I answer 1. Be sensible of your own inability to understand the Scriptures of your selves and pray to God to open your understandings and to guide you into the true and right meaning of his holy word It is Gods work to open the eyes of our understandings whereby we may understand his word Luc. 24.45 Then opened he their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures Prov. 20.12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye the Lord hath made even both of them And seeing it is Gods work to enlighten our minds we must pray to God to reveal to us the meaning of his word when we give our selves to the reading of it Psal 119.18 Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law And when we do with humble and lowly minds seek unto God he will teach us and lead us into the knowledge of the truth Prov. 28.5 They that seek the Lord understand all things Psal 25.9 The meek will he guide in judgment the meek will he teach his way They are usually proud and self-conceited persons that fall into error Psal 119.21 Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed that do erre from thy Commandments 2. Read the Scriptures diligently and mark the coherence of what you read with that which went before and that which followeth after observe the scope and consider well both the words and matter of those places which have any difficulty in them this will help you to a right understanding of the Scriptures 2 Tim. 2.7 Consider what I say and the Lord give thee understanding in all things 3. Compare one Scripture with another that which is more obscure with that which is more clear that is the way to come to know the mind of Christ in the Scriptures 1 Cor. 2.13 16. Comparing spiritual things with spiritual we have the mind of Christ 4. Consider what is the general design and scope of the whole Scripture and if you would not wrest the Scriptures understand and expound particular Texts so as they may agree with and not contradict the general scope and design of the whole Scripture Now the general scope and design of the Scripture is 1. To bring us to believe in Christ and to teach us to expect eternal Life by believing on Christ John 20.31 These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his Name Prov. 22.19 20. That thy trust may be in the Lord I have made known to thee this day even to thee Have I not written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge 2. To keep us from sinning against God 1 John 2.1 My little Children these things write I unto you that ye sin not And to direct and help us to live holy and godly lives Tit. 1.1 According to the faith of Gods Elect and the acknowledging of the truth which is after Godliness 1 Tim. 6.3 If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Doctrine which is according to Godliness 3. The general design of the Scriptures is to comfort and to encourage us in all estates and conditions to hope in God Rom 15.4 Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 5. Receive such Truths as God reveals to you out of his word with love and yield sincere obedience to them When persons do not love and obey the Word God gives them up oft-times to strong delusions that they believe lies instead of truth 2 Thes 2.10 11. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved and for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie But as for such as do sincerely obey the voice of the Lord and continue therein the Lord is wont to give them good understandings and the spirit of a sound mind Psal 110.10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his Commandments John 7.17 If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self 6. Lean not to your own understandings but trust in the Lord with all your hearts rely upon him to keep you from Errour of Judgment and to lead and guide
that which is lacking in your Faith Phil. 1.4 Always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with Joy He put up no prayer at any time but he remembred them all and it was not irksome to him so to do but he did it with Joy And as the Apostle Paul so also others of the Servants of Christ have been wont to labour and strive mightily with God in Prayer for those whom they have taught and instructed in the ways of God Col. 4.12 Epaphras who is one of you a Servant of Christ saluteth you always labouring fervently for you in prayers that ye may stand perfect and compleat in the whole Will of God He did not only pray but laboured in prayer and that fervently not sometimes but always and that not for his own concernments but for you besides it is not said in prayer but in prayers intimating that he put up a multitude of prayers for them and it was no small measure of grace that he laboured thus earnestly for on their behalf but that they might stand perfect and compleat in the will in all the will of God 3. Prayer will do great things with God for others as well as our own Souls Jam. 5.16 Pray one for another that ye may be healed the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much By praying in faith and with fervency we may obtain converting grace remission of sins and eternal life for our Children and Servants and others as well as those of our own Families 1 John 5.16 If any man see his Brother sin a sin which is not unto death he shall ask and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death This promise may give us great encouragement to pray in faith for the conversion and salvation of such as are visible and open sinners If any see his Brother sin c. If we consider 1. The persons to whom this promise is made and they are every one that believeth in the Name of Jesus Christ It is not a priviledge that did belong only to the Apostles or extraordinary men of God but it is said If any man that is any man that believeth in Christ as appeareth from the thirteenth verse 2. The persons for whom Believers may obtain Life and Salvation upon praving to God for them and they are his Brethren sinning Brethren If any man see his Brother sin he shall give him life for them He first speaks of a Brother in the singular number and then saith Life for them in the plural which shews that the word Brother is to be taken collectively as Beza observes for all or any Brother for whom a Believer shall pray to God If you ask Who is meant by a Brother I answer The Apostle seemeth to use the word Brother in this Epistle in the same latitude with Neighbour which may be proved from several passages in his Epistle as Chap. iii. 14 15 16. Chap. iv 20.21 And Piscator expounds the word Brother Fratris nomine intelligit proximum qui eandem nobiscum fidem ac proinde eundem in coelis patrem profitetur 3. He excepts no sins but the sin unto death that is as most expound the place the sin against the Holy Gaost which is a sin that shall never have forgiveness As for any other sins if Believers ask of God Repentance and Forgiveness of sins for them that have sinned that so they may have Life and Salvation God will grant them their desire Another Scripture that sheweth the efficacy of prayer in order to the obtaining for others forgiveness of sins and Grace whereby they may be qualified to receive forgiveness of sins we have Jam. 5.15 The prayer of faith shall save the Sick and the Lord shall raise him up and if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven him Ishmael was a wild Child Gen. 16.11 12. yet when Abraham prayed Gen. 17.10 O that Ishmael might live before thee God answers him verse 20. As for Ishmael I have heard thee And though the Lord adds afterward But my Covenant will I establish with Isaac Yet this as Rivet observes seems rather to be an excluding of Ishmael's Posterity than his Person from the Covenant unto whom the same day that God gave him this answer Abraham administers Circumcision the Seal of the Covenant When the woman of Canaans Daughter was grievously vexed with a Devil her prayer prevailed with Christ to deliver her Daughter from the power of the Devil Matth. 15.22 28. Objection I have prayed often to God to give my Children Grace and to convert and turn them from their sins but I do not see that my Prayers avail any thing with God for my Children they abide still in a graceless condition Answer 1. Do you instruct them diligently as well as pray for them Do you watch over them Do you shew them a good example Do you reprove them Do you give them due correction If you do not use other means as well as prayer possibly that is the reason why your prayers avail not for their conversion The Apostle Paul who earnestly desired and prayed for the salvation of the Jews Rom. 10.1 Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved joyned with his prayers the use of all means to effect their salvation Rom. 11.14 If by any means I might provoke to emulation them which are my flesh and might save some of them So must we joyn the use of all other means with prayer if we would have our prayers become effectual for the conversion and salvation of our Children 2. Though we see no present return of our prayers yet we should continue praying and not faint or be discouraged until we have obtained what we pray for Luke 18.1 He spake a Parable unto them to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint Though the Lord may be silent for a season and seem not to regard our Prayers to try our Faith and Patience yet he may purpose to give us all that we pray for He dealt thus with the Woman of Canaan when she came to him with a Request on the behalf of her Daughter at the first he answered her not a word Matth. 15.23 And when the Disciples intercede for her he seems to discourage them from making any farther request for her by saying to them ver 24. I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel and afterward when she continued to cry after him he seemeth to beat her off and reject her prayer by telling her Verse 26. It is not meet to take the Childrens Bread and cast it to Dogs Yet she still holding on her suit at length Christ yields her the whole desire of her heart Verse 28. Then Jesus answered and said unto her O Woman great is thy Faith Be it unto thee even as thou wilt And her Daughter was made whole from that very hour 3. If God should
a thousand times more value than many Sparrows And seeing it is God hath done it how grievous and bitter soever it be unto your Souls you must bear it with patience Psal 39.9 10. I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou diddest it And this was no small stroke under which David was dumb because the Lord gave him the blow but it was so great as that he was even consumed with it as the next words shew Remove thy stroke away from me I am consumed by the blow of thine hand By his being consumed we may understand the greatness of his grief as Psal 31.9 Mine eye is consumed with grief yea my soul and my belly yet under this great stroke which consumed his Soul and his Body with grief he was dumb and opened not his mouth because God did it Whatsoever cometh from the hands of God must be born with silence and submission to his will although it be so sharp and bitter as that it will make us go mourning as long as vve live Isa 38.15 What shall I say He hath spoken unto me and himself hath done it I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my Soul And as vve must be patient under all our griefs so we must contentedly bear vvhatever grievous things befal our children Jer. 10.19 20. Wo is me for my hurt my wound is grievous but I said Truly this is a grief and I must bear it My Children are gone forth of me and are not II. God is righteous in vvhat he hath done to your Children although he hath cast them into eternal torments If you think it not consistent with Righteousness and Equity to punish the sins of a few years vvith endless and eternal torments consider 1. That the Scriptures assure us that the Lord is righteous in all his vvays Psal 145.18 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works And if the Lord be righteous in all his ways then also in this vvay of his Providence vvhen he condemneth vvicked men to eternal torments for the sins they committed in that short space of time they lived in the vvorld Yea more particularly vve find the Scriptures ascribing Righteousness to God in this very case vvhen he punisheth ungodly persons vvith everlasting torments 2 Thes 1.6 9. It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2. The Angels are more glorious Creatures than the Souls of Men yet vvhen they sinned against God the Lord did not spare them but for their first sin cast them down into hell 2 Pet. 1.4 God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to hell and delivered them into Chains of Darkness to be reserved unto Judgment And that they shall be punished in Hell vvith everlasting torments is evident from Matth. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And this he did vvithout affording them any means of their recovery from their sin and misery vvhich vvas granted to fallen man Heb. 2.16 For verily he took not on him the Nature of Angels but he took on him the Seed of Abraham Now seeing God cast those glorious Creatures the Angels into eternal torments for their first transgression and did not spare them one day or afford them any means of recovery after their fall shall vve think that God deals hardly vvith the Sons of men in condemning them to eternal torments vvhenas he afforded them means of grace and salvation and gave them a long time and space for their Repentance vvaiting day after day and year after year for their returning to him Is not this far greater mercy and less severity then vvas shewn to the fallen Angels 3. Sin is committed against an eternal God against an infinitely holy great and glorious GOD and therefore deserveth an infinite and eternal punishment We do not understand or at least vve do not consider what an odious thing Sin is and what a great God the Lord is and vvhat an infinite distance there is between the great and holy God and a poor sinful man vvhen vve think that the Lord deals hardly vvith sinners in punishing their sins vvith eternal torments What an hainous crime is it for man who is but a poor vvorm made of dust and ashes to affront despise and rebel against the great GOD of Heaven and Earth vvho gave him his Being and loadeth him vvith his Benefits every day To tread the Laws of God under his feet and to cast his vvord behind his back to slight all his Promises and Threatnings to contemn all his offers of Grace and Mercy and though he wait with much patience and long-suffering many days and years for his Repentance to refuse to return and obey the Voice of his Creator Doth not such a despising of the Eternal Immortal Ever-Blessed God deserve to be punished with eternal Torments 4. It is accounted no injustice among men to inflict a punishment of long continuance for a crime that was committed in a very short time If Murder Adultery Treason or some other capital Offence which was committed in the space of a few minutes be punished with perpetual imprisonment or perpetual banishment no man counts it injustice or thinks the Offender is hardly dealt with because he is so long punish'd for an offence committed in so short a time Why then should any man think that the Righteous God dealeth hardly or unjustly in punishing sinners with perpetual torments for the sins they committed those few years they lived in the world 5. It was their own choice to embrace eternal death God set before them Life and Death He told them if they did evil they should die eternally but if they would repent and do that which is good in his sight they should have everlasting life and he called upon them earnestly to chuse Life rather than Death Deut. 30.15 19. See I have set before you this day life and good death and evil Therefore chuse life He offered them Life in his Son and they would not go unto him for it John 5.40 And ye will not come to Me that ye might have life He protested solemnly to them that he was loth they should die and therefore pleaded with them Why will ye die Ezek. 33.11 Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye die O House of Israel And therefore they must blame themselves not the Lord for their being cast into eternal Torments 6. Had they been permitted to have lived for ever upon the face of the Earth they would have sinned for ever The heart of the Sons of men is fully set in them to do evil
it is evident from the word of God that all such as live and die ignorant of God having attained to years of discretion shall be destroyed for ever without having any mercy shewed to them 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Isa 27.11 It is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will have no mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Hos 4.6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge Now if the Lord will condemn our Children and Servants for their ignorance and their ignorance proceed from our neglect of instructing them are not we the cause of their condemnation Such as have the Rule and Government of Families are in the nature and condition of Watchmen as well as those that bear Rule in the Church and must give an account for those souls that are committed to their charge Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give an account And as for those that are placed in the condition of Watchmen if any persons over whom God hath made them Watchmen be lost through their neglect to instruct them in their duty or to reclaim them from their sins the Blood of those that perish shall be required at the Watchmans hands Ezek. 3.17 18. Son of man I have made thee a Watchman unto the House of Israel therefore hear the word at my Mouth and give them warning from Me when I say to the wicked Thou shalt surely die and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thine hand What Inditement is brought in against the Jews Jer. 2.34 In thy Skirts is found the Blood of the Souls of the poor Innocents I have not found it by secret search but upon all these The like may be said of many Masters of Families In their Skirts will be found the Blood of the Souls of their Children and Servants In their Skirts That is it will plainly and evidently appear unto all men at the day of Judgment that they are guilty of the Blood of the Souls of their Children and Servants for want of instructing and training them up in the fear of God VVe cannot possibly be clear from the blood of those that are committed to our charge if either through wilfulness or through sloth and negligence we forbear to instruct them in those things that are necessary to their Salvation but if we do our duty and they perish in their sins their Blood shall be upon their own head Act. 20.26 27. I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the Counsel of God Did Parents and Masters of Families seriously consider what it is to have their Children and Servants die eternally and that through their neglecting to teach and train them up in the fear of God did they also consider what it is to have the blood of Souls laid to their charge it would stir them up to be diligent in instructing their Families unless they be such as have lost all regard to their own and their Families welfare To press home this consideration with the greater efficacy I shall suggest to you three or four things more under this head As 1. The death of a Child goes near a Parents heart Hagar could not endure to see her Child die and therefore when she thought he would die she gets a great way off from him and sat down and wept Gen. 21.16 She said Let me not see the death of the Child and she sat over against him and lift up her voice and wept VVhen tydings came to David of Absolom's death he was exceedingly troubled at it 2 Sam. 18.33 And the King was much moved and went up to the chamber ever the gate and wept and as he went thus he said O my Son Absolom my Son my Son Absolom would God I had died for thee O Absolom my Son my Son VVhen Jacob did but suppose that Joseph was dead though he had eleven Sons living his sorrow was so great that he refused to be comforted Gen. 37.34 35. Jacob rent his cloaths and put sackcloth upon his loyns and mourned for his Son many days and all his Sons and all his Daughters rose up to comfort him but he refused to be comforted and he said For I will go down into the Grave unto my Son mourning Thus his Father wept for him If it be so grievous to Parents to see their Children deprived of their natural life how should it pierce their hearts to have them deprived of eternal Life If they are so grieved at the death of their Bodies how should they lay to heart the death of their Souls How should it wound them to have their Children cast into the lake that burneth with fire and Brimstone which is the second death where they shall be always burning and yet never be consumed they shall be always dying and yet never be dead yea how should it affect them when they consider that they themselves have through their negligence been the cause of their Childrens dying the second death 2. It would pierce a flinty heart to see Children dying in their Parents Arms for want of Bread VVhen Jeremiah saw little Children in the time of Famine some dying in the streets others breathing out their souls in their Mothers Bosoms for want of Bread to sustain their Lives it made him weep till his eyes and his heart failed him with grief Lam. 2.11 12. Mine eyes do fail with tears my bowels are troubled my Liver is poured upon the earth for the destruction of the Daughter of my People because the Children and the Sucklings swoon in the streets of the City they say to their Mothers Where is Corn and Wine When they swooned as the wounded in the Streets of the City when their Soul was poured out into their Mothers Bosom This is a sorrowful sight but it is far more dreadful to see Children perishing to all eternity in their Parents Houses for want of their communicating to them the Bread of Life than to see them die by Famine 3. It is an unspeakable loss for a man to lose one Soul Though he do not lose his Children and Servants Souls though he lose not one Soul besides his own the gain of the whole world will not make up this loss as appears from the fore-quoted Scripture Mar. 8.36 What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and
as Dust and the Gold of Ophir as the stones of the Brooks Job's Family was broken and his Estate all gone yet Eliphaz tells him if he did return himself to God and put away iniquity from his Tabernacles he should be built up and have plenty of Silver It engageth God to become our defence vers 25. Yea the Almighty shall be thy defence and thou shalt have plenty of Silver It breeds delight in God and boldness in prayer vers 26. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty and shalt lift up thy face unto God It causeth us to be successful in prayer vers 27. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him and he shall hear thee and thou shalt pay thy Vows It makes a man prosperous in his ways and fills him with Comfort vers 28. Thou shalt also decree a thing and it shall be established unto thee and the Light shall shine upon thy ways It will cause God to shelter us and our Families in time of common calamity vers 29. When men are cast down then thou shalt say There is lifting up and he shall save the humble person Lo thus shall the man and his Family be blessed that returns to the Lord and puts away iniquity far from his Tabernacles And therefore seeing Family-Instruction will produce Family-Reformation as is intimated Vers 22. compared with Vers 23. how should this stir us up to instruct our Families in the word of God Besides these Personal and Family-Advantages Family-Reformation would remove National Judgments and procure National Mercies vers 30. He shall deliver the Island of the Innocent and it is delivered by the pureness of thy hands This as well as the foregoing Verses hath relation to vers 23. to the man that returns to God and puts away iniquity from his Tabernacles In that day wherein the Families of Jerusalem should go apart and mourn for their sins in the same day the Lord promiseth great mercies both spiritual and temporal not only to those Families but to Judah and Jerusasalem Zach. 12. 2. The late Pestilence made sore breaches in many Families it hath cut off in some Families the Root in others the Branches in others both Root and Branches Many Children are become fatherless and Orphans and have no Parents to teach them It hath made many Parents childless and they have now no Children to teach it hath swept away many whole Families And shall not we whose Families were preserved untouched or but gently visited ply this work of Family-Instruction It was one great end why God spared us and our Families that we should train them up in the knowledge of his word Isa 38.13 19. The Grave cannot praise thee Death cannot celebrate thee The Living the Living he shall praise thee as I do this day the Father to the Children shall make known thy truth From which words we may observe these two things 1. That one great end why God gives us Children and why he continueth our Lives with our Children and our Children with us is That we should teach them his word and to this agrees that note which Calvin hath upon this Text Hinc colligenda est utilis monitio hac lege sobolem dari mortalibus ut quisque liberos suos erudiendo pro sua virili propagare ad posteros studeat Dei nomen 2. When Parents have escaped with their Lives from the Pestilence or any other eminent danger they should express their gratitude to God by teaching his Truth to their Children This was Hezekiah's case he had been sick unto death and his sickness was as many think the Pestilence but he was preserved from death hereupon he praiseth God and tells us all living persons that had escaped the Pestilence should do the like and they should not only praise God in words but every Father should express his gratitude to God for preserving him and his from going down to the Grave by teaching Gods word to his Children SECT 13. The Vsefulness and Excellency of the Scriptures should excite us to instruct our Families in the Knowledge of the Scriptures Motive 13 THe Usefulness and Suitableness of the Scriptures for carrying on the work of Family-Instruction may stir us up to train up our Families in the knowledge of the Scriptures Whatsoever good thing we desire to teach our Families in order to their welfare in this world or their eternal salvation in the world to come it is contained in the Scriptures Would we train up our Families in the knowledge of the Principles of Religion The Scripture is profitable for Doctrine Would we at any time reprove them for their sins or teach them how to reprove others The Scripture is profitable for Reproof Would we correct and reform any Errors in Judgment or in their Conversations The Word of God is profitable for Correction Would we teach and instruct them how to live righteous and holy Lives The Scripture is profitable for instruction in Righteousness as the Apostle testifies 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for instruction in Righteousness The Scriptures are so framed by the infinite wisdom of God that they give directions for the doing of all good works for the avoiding of all Vices for the resisting of all Temptations the bearing of all Afflictions the instructing all persons of all ages whatever state or condition they are in Are our Children young In the word of God there is milk for Babes 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born Babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby Are they come to some maturity both in respect of their years and their knowledge In the word of God there is meat for strong men Heb. 5.14 Are the Members of our Families dull and backward and sluggish in respect of that which is good Gods word is like a goad to prick and put them forward Are they fickle and inconstant in that which is good Gods word prudently and wisely applied will be like a Nail to fasten and make them stedfast in every good work Eccl. 12.11 The words of the wise are as Goads and as Nails fastened by the Masters of the Assemblies which are given from one Shepherd Are our Children or Servants in an unconverted condition Gods word will be a means to convert them Psal 19.7 The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul Are they already converted The word of the Lord will build them up Act. 20.32 I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up Are they hard-hearted Gods word will melt and break the most rocky heart upon the face of the earth Jer. 23.29 Is not my word like as a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces Are they in a broken afflicted frame Gods word will heal them Psal 107.20 He sent his word and healed them and delivered them from
instrumental to their Regeneration Jam. 1.18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of Truth and the rendring of them fruitful in good works Col. 1.6 Which is come unto you as it is in all the world and bringeth forth fruit as it doth also in you since the day that ye heard of it and knew the grace of God in truth And be a means of saving their Souls for it is by the knowledge and belief of the Truth that we are brought to salvation 2 Thes 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth It is said Prov. 14.25 A true witness delivereth Souls By a true Witness we may understand one that instructeth those that are under his Charge in the knowledge of the Truth The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render a Witness is sometimes used as Kircher observes pro predicatore for a Teacher and we find the word Witness used in this signification Act. 26.16 To make thee a Minister and a Witness And then the words may have this sence That teaching and instructing persons in the knowledge of the Truth is a means to deliver their Souls from eternal destruction III. Teach them Soul-saving Truths By Soul-saving Truths I mean such Truths as will be a certain and infallible means of saving your Children and Servants Souls if they be rightly understood firmly believed and sincerely practised If you ask What are those Truths which will be a means of saving our Children and Servants Souls if we teach them to our Families I answer Such as these 1. Teach them to know GOD and his Son JESUS CHRIST by so doing you shall guide them into the path of Life For John 17.3 This is life eternal That they may know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent 2. Teach them their lost and miserable condition by Nature their need of and their misery without Jesus Christ and the way and means by which they may come to be partakers of Christ For if you can draw them to Christ they shall not miss of eternal Life 1 John 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life 3. Explain to them the Covenant of Grace what great Mercies and Blessings are contained in the Covenant that their Souls may long to be brought under the Bond of the Covenant shew them also how and by what means they may get into Covenant with God for if you can bring them to lay hold upon the Covenant of Grace you shall make them Partakers of Salvation for eternal Life and Salvation is promised to such as are in Covenant with God 2 Sam. 23.5 He hath made with me an everlasting Covenant and this is all my Salvation 4. Shew them the nature necessity and excellency of faith in Christ and labour to bring them to believe in Jesus Christ If they be brought to believe in Christ they shall certainly have everlasting Life John 6.47 Verily verily I say unto you He that believeth on me hath everlasting Life 5. Teach them the nature and necessity of Repentance and press home upon them such Scriptures as may stir them up to the practice and exercise of Repentance if you can by any means bring them to a true and unfeigned Repentance you shall thereby save their Souls Ezek. 33.14 16. Again when I say to the Wicked Thou shalt surely die if he turn from his sin and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live 6. Teach them to serve and obey the Lord Jesus Christ for he will save all those that obey him Heb. 5.9 He became the Author of eternal Salvation to them that obey him 7. Teach them to love God with all their Hearts and Souls and to love Him above all Persons and Things that are in the world Eternal Life is promised to such as love God Jam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of Life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him 8. Teach them to fear and reverence the Lord and that you may breed the fear of the Lord in their Souls acquaint them with the Power Holiness Goodness Justice Omniscience and Omnipresence of God and his other glorious Attributes for the fear of the Lord ariseth from and is produced by the knowledge of God Job 37.23 24. Prov. 2.5 and put them in mind of Gods Covenant wherein the Lord hath promised to put his fear into our hearts Jer. 32.40 If you can bring your Families to fear the Lord you shall save their Souls Prov. 19.23 The fear of the Lord tendeth to life Psal 145.19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their Cry and will save them 9. Teach them to hope in God for all those good things which are promised in the Covenant of Grace and to keep up their hope in God under all their troubles and temptations by hoping in God they shall obtain the salvation of their Souls Rom. 8.24 We are saved by hope 10. Teach them the nature of Prayer to whom they must pray and for what and how they must pray if they would find acceptance with God The Lord Jesus taught his Disciples how to pray and John the Baptist did the like to his Disciples Luke 11.1 One of his Disciples said unto him Lord teach us to pray as John also taught his Disciples By teaching your Families to call upon God in an acceptable manner you shall promote their salvation For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10.13 11. Teach them to be sincere and to walk uprightly with God for if they walk uprightly they shall be saved Prov. 28.18 Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved 12. Teach them to wait upon God in all his Ordinances and to wait for the accomplishment of all his Promises They that wait on the Lord are under a promise of Salvation Prov. 20.22 Wait on the Lord and he shall save thee 13. Teach them the way to obtain the Remission of their sins for if they obtain the pardon of their sins they shall be in a blessed condition Rom. 4.7 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven And shall obtain everlasting life Rom. 8.30 Whom he justified them he also glorified 14. Teach them to avoid evil company and to walk and converse with such as fear God that may prove a means of their salvation Prov. 9.6 Forsake the foolish and live and go in the way of understanding Prov. 15.20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise 15. Exhort them to persevere in the faith of Christ and to continue in their obedience of his Commandments as long as they live for in so doing they shall assuredly obtain everlasting life Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithful unto the death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Matth. 24.13 He that shall endure to the end the same
instil Grace into their hearts and to convert them to God Psal 34.16 Come ye Children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. We should not only teach our Children to know the Lord but we must also teach them to fear the Lord. It may be you will say Can we instil Grace into our Children Can we put the fear of God into their hearts Can we give them Repentance I answer No but we may use the means and in so doing we may hope for Gods blessing If you ask What means should we use to instil Grace into and convert such of our Families as are in a graceless unconverted condition I answer 1. Warn them of the danger of a graceless unconverted condition tell them That except they be converted they cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 18.3 and that if they do not repent they will most certainly perish be cast into everlasting burnings Luk. 13.3 Mat. 13.41 42. And therefore warn them often of the danger of living and dying in an impenitent condition Warning persons of the danger and damnable nature of sin is an effectual means to prevent their dying in their sins and to bring them to repentance and salvation 2 Chron. 19.10 Ye shall warn them that they trespass not against the Lord Ezek. 3.21 He shall surely live because he is warned Ezek. 33.5 He that taketh warning shall deliver his Soul If you find that after many warnings there is no amendment yet cease not to warn them day after day and year after year and that with much tenderness till you see some fruit of your labours Act. 20.31 By the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears 2. Take all occasions to discourse with them about the things of God especially of those things wherein you have formerly instructed them out of the Word of God Good Discourse is a means of conveying Grace to those with whom we converse Ephes 4.29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister Grace to the Hearers 3. Reprove them when they do that which is contrary to the Will of God and if Reproofs will not make them reform joyn Correction with Reproof Reproof and Correction are means of instilling grace into our Children Prov. 29.15 The Rod and Reproof give Wisdom 4. Stir them up to consider their ways how contrary they are to the Word of God and what will be the fruit and effect of their sins if they repent not A serious consideration of our ways is a means of leading us to repentance Psal 119.59 I thought on my ways and turned my feet unto thy Testimonies Ezek. 18.28 Because he considereth and turneth away from all his transgressions 5. Stir them up to read and meditate upon the Word of God that may be a means of converting their Souls Psal 19.7 The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul 6. Cause them to attend upon the Publick Ministry of the Word The preaching of the Word is the usual means of working Grace in our hearts Jam. 1.18 Of his own Will begat he us with the Word of Truth Acts 10.44 While Peter yet spake these words the holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word 7. Exhort them to forsake ungodly company and to walk and converse with them that fear God Prov. 9.6 Forsake the foolish and live and walk in the way of understanding Prov. 13.20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise 8. Be earnest with God to give them saving Grace By prayer to God we may obtain Grace for others as well as for our own Souls 1 John 5.16 If any man see his Brother sin a sin which is not unto death he shall ask and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death Secondly If upon discoursing with your Families you find they profit by the Instructions you give them and that they obey from the heart that Form of Doctrine which you deliver to them and that they grow in Grace and in the knowledge of JESUS CHRIST Then 1. Be thankful to God for blessing your Labours Rom. 6.17 God be thanked that ye were the Servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered you 2. Love the Lord for causing your Family to flourish and prosper by those instructions that you give them Cant. 7.11 12. Come my Beloved let us go up early to the Vineyards let us see if the Vine flourish whether the tender Grape appear and the Pomegranates bud forth there will I give thee my loves Our Families may be compated to Vineyards the Wife is resembled by the Psalmist to a Vine and the Children to Olive-Plants Psal 128.3 The Governour of the Family is placed in this Vineyard as Adam was in Eden to dress it and to keep it Now such of us as are made keepers of Vineyards should be often looking whether the Vine flourish whether the tender Grape appear and when we go about this work we should call to CHRIST to go with us and assist us And if we find any Grapes though they be but tender yea if we perceive but any Buds any thing that gives us hope of Fruit we should give the Lord JESUS not only our love but our loves that is we should love him abundantly for 't is He that gives a Blessing to our Labours 1 Cor. 3.6 I have planted Apollo watered but God gave the increase 3. Exhort them to look to themselves that they do not lose what you have by Gods Blessing wrought in them that so neither you nor they may lose your Reward 2 John 8. Look to your selves that ye lose not those things which we have wrought but that we may receive a full Reward When Jesus saw some of the Jews believing he exhorted and incouraged them to continue in his word John 8.30 31. As he spake these words many believed on him then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed 4. Endeavour to make them more Fruitful Thus God dealeth with his Children that bring forth fruit he teacheth and helpeth them to bring forth more Fruit John 15.2 Every Branch that beareth Fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more Fruit. The more fruitful any Christian is the more glory he bringeth to God vers 8. Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit 5. Direct them to the right end in bearing Fruit which is not any selfish interest for that Fruit which is brought forth for selfish ends is in Gods account as good as none Hos 10.1 Israel is an empty Vine he bringeth forth fruit unto himself The glorifying and pleasing God is that which we must aim at in our bearing fruit Rom. 7.4 That we should bring forth fruit unto God 6. Endeavour that they may
not answer our Prayers for our Children whilst we live yet he may answer those Prayers after we are dead which we did offer up to him whilst we lived with them Our Lord JESUS CHRIST prayed for the Jews that were so vile and wicked as to put him to death Luke 23.34 Then said Jesus Father forgive them for they know not what they do And as an answer of Christs Prayer thousands of those Jews that were not wrought upon either by Christs Doctrine or Miracles or Godly Life but continued in an impenitent condition till after his death yea were so hardened as to have an hand in the crucifying of the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of Life and Glory were notwithstanding converted by the preaching of the Apostle Peter Acts 2 23.37 41. Suppose neither your Instructions nor godly Example nor Prayers should prevail for the conversion of your Children whilst you live but they should be vile and stubborn and disobedient to God and to you unto your dying day yet cease not praying for them It may be the Lord will answer your prayers by making use of others to convert them when you are laid in your Graves 4. We should sin against God if we should cease praying for our Children because we see no effect of our Prayers but do behold much stubborness and perversness in them The people of Israel were a perverse people Samuel saw little fruit of his Instructions or Prayers on their behalf they were set upon their own way and he could not disswade them from desiring a change of Government although therein they did not only reject Samuel but God himself from raigning over them 1 Sam. 8.5 6 7 8. yet he would not cease from praying for them lest he should sin against the Lord 1 Sam. 12.23 Moreover as for me God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you If Samuel was afraid to cease praying for a stubborn perverse people lest he should sin against the Lord ought not Parents to continue praying for their graceless and disobedient Children for fear if they should cease to pray for them they also should sin against the Lord 5. If you have prayed for your Childrens Conversion and cannot prevail joyn fasting with prayer Sometimes mercies cannot be obtained from God unless we fast as well as pray Mark 9.29 This kind can come forth by nothing but by Prayer and Fasting If we have a Child that is sick unto death we do not stick at seeking God by Fasting and Prayer for its Recovery 2 Sam. 12.15 16. The Lord struck the Child that Vriah's wife bare unto David and it was very sick David therefore besought God for the Child and David fasted And shall we not much more seek to God by fasting and prayer to recover our Children and Servants from the power of sin and Satan and to deliver them from everlasting Burnings This duty of Fasting rightly performed is of great use both for the obtaining direction from God in the management of our undertakings Ezra 8.21 23. I proclaimed a Fast that we might afflict our selves before our God to seek of him a right way for us and for our little ones and for our substance so we fasted and besought our God for this and he was intreated of us And also for procuring of success in what we take in hand as we may see in the case of Esther Nehemiah and several others who setting upon their undertakings with fasting and prayer prosperously effected what they took in hand though their work was very great and attended with very great difficulties God seldom lets any Fast that is performed in a right manner go without a remarkable Reward Matth. 6.17 18. And therefore it will be very much for our own and our Families advantage to set apart some days of humiliation with our Families to seek God by fasting and prayer to bless and succeed us in this Work of Family-Instruction SECT 20. The usefulness of Faith in reference to Family-Instruction Several sorts of Promises relating to our Families The Case of such as are discouraged from acting Faith upon the Promises because they see no Fruit of their Faith or Labours Direct 20 ACT your Faith upon God for the Conversion and Salvation of such as are under your charge Trust in him by vertue of his Promises to bless and prosper your Labours in teaching your Families We read of Isaac that he blessed his Children in faith Heb. 11.20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come As Isaac blessed his Children in faith so should we instruct our Children in faith believing that God will bless our Instructions for the doing their souls good To do our work in faith believing in God and resting upon God for his blessing is the way to prosper in what we do 2 Chron. 20.20 Believe in the Lord your God so shall you be established believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper By believing in the Lord we may obtain salvation for our Houshold as well as for our own Souls Acts 16.31 Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy House Which is not to be understood as though the Governours faith would avail for the salvation of such of his House as live and die in an unregenerate condition but that upon his believing and using of the means of Grace in faith he shall obtain conversion and so consequently salvation for his Houshold Wherefore seeing Faith is of such prevalencie with God as to obtain converting Grace and Salvation for our Families I shall put you in mind of several sorts of Promises which may encourage and help you to trust in God for Family-Mercies and Family-Blessings and that not only Temporal but Spiritual and Eternal Blessings As for instance 1. God hath promised not only to be a God to his People but also the God of their Families Jer. 31.1 At the same time saith the Lord will I be the God of all the Families of Israel and they shall be my People 2. The Lord hath promised to bless the several Members of his Peoples Families as the Wife the Children the Servants He hath promised to bless the Wife and to make her as a fruitful Vine Psal 128.1 2 3. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord that walketh in his ways for thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee Thy Wife shall be as a fruitful Vine by the sides of thine House Now that we may understand what is couched under this phrase Thy Wife shall be as a fruitful Vine Let us consider what the Scripture saith of the Vine in other places The Vine brings forth Wine which cheareth God and men Judg. 9.13 It casteth forth a pleasant delightful smell Cant. 2.13 To dwell under a Vine implies safety and confidence 1 King 4.25 Also a dwelling in peace without Wars Jars and Contentions Mich. 4.34 The Vine hath no
of thine Enemies that thou mightest still the Enemy and the Avenger And we find this Scripture applied by Christ to the little Children who cried in the Temple Hosanna to the Son of David Matth. 21.15 16. These little Children by the Revelation of Gods Spirit knew and understood that Jesus Christ was the promised Messiah which thing was hid from many of the Pharisees who were wise and prudent men Matth. 11.25 4. Suppose our Children should not understand for the present some of those Scriptures which we teach them yet they may understand them and reap great benefit from them hereafter it may be after we are laid in our Graves John 12.16 These things understood not his Disciples at the first but when Jesus was glorified then remembred they that those things were written of him and that they had done these things unto him And in another place we find that the Disciples after Christs death were much helped in their Faith by remembring a word that Christ had said to them in his Life time about his building of the Temple in three days after it should be destroyed John 2.22 When he was risen from the dead his Disciples remembred that he had said this unto them and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said 5. It is not a profaning of Gods Name or of his holy Word to teach our Children the Scriptures whilst they are young but it makes much for the glorifying of God When little Children cried in the Temple Hosanna to the Son of David the chief Priests and Scribes were sore displeased but what said Christ to this He justifies them he saith it redounded to Gods praise yea so far was he from counting it a profaning of Gods Name that he calls it a perfection of praise Matth. 21.16 Out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings thou hast perfected praise And therefore we should look upon this as a Temptation of Satan when we are perswaded to neglect instructing our Children while they are young lest we should thereby profane the Name of the Lord. 6. Jesus Christ hath given a Charge for the feeding of his Lambs as well as his Sheep John 21.15 Lovest thou me Feed my Lambs He was much displeased with those that would have hinder'd little Children from being brought unto him Mark 10.13 14. They brought young Children to him that he should touch them and his Disciples rebuked those that brought them but when Jesus saw it he was much displeased and said unto them Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of God It is the duty of little Children to praise the Lord Psal 149.12 13. Both young men and maidens old men and children let them praise the Name of the Lord. And how can they do this except we teach them to praise the Lord Amongst the Offerings under the Law we find several Creatures offered to God very young Samuel offered a sucking Lamb 1 Sam. 7.9 And Aaron is required to offer a young Calf Lev. 9.2 And they that were poor and could not go to the price of a Lamb were to offer two young Pigeons Lev. 5.7 This may teach us that we cannot dedicate our selves or our Children too soon to the Lord but the younger our Children are when we begin to train them up in the knowledge and fear of God the more acceptable it will be to the Lord who desireth the knowledge of God more than Burnt-Offerings Hos 6.6 7. We know not how little a time we may live with our Children or our Children may live with us and therefore 't is not safe deferring this work for All flesh is grass Isa 40.6 and grass is of a fading nature In the morning it flourisheth and groweth up in the evening it is cut down and withereth Psal 90.6 Mans life is set forth by a more transient fading thing than grass by the Apostle James What is your life It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Jam. 4.16 Whilst therefore God continueth us with our Children and our Children with us we should set upon this work of teaching and instructing them with all speed and with all our might Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave whither thou goest SECT 7. The Plea of such as neglect Family-Instruction because their Families are endued with knowledge answered Object 7 My Family are all knowing persons and are well acquainted with the Scriptures already so that it is needless for me to instruct them Answ First If the case be so indeed that all the Members of your Family be knowing persons you have great cause to bless God and to be thankful every day on their behalf 1 Cor. 1.4 5. I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ that in every thing ye are inriched by him in all utterance and in all knowledge 2. It may be if you examine the several members of your Family you shall not find all of them so eminent and abounding in knowledge as you think them to be before you have made trial Who would have thought that Nicodemus who was a Master in Israel should have been so ignorant in the Mystery of Regeneration that when Christ spake of a mans being born again or else he could not see the Kingdom of God he should reply How can a man be born when he is old Can he enter the second time into his mothers womb and be born Joh. 3.4 And when Christ had explained his meaning that he spoke of being born of the Spirit he replied afterward How can these things be Vers 9. Insomuch that our Lord Jesus wonder'd that such a man as he should shew so much ignorance in such things as these were vers 10. Jesus said unto him Art thou a Master of Israel and knowest not these things The Disciples of Christ after they had been a long time with their Master and had been often instructed by him both publickly and privately were so ignorant in the Doctrine of Christs Resurrection that they did not know what his rising from the dead should mean Mark 9.10 They kept that saying with themselves questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean And as they did not understand the Resurrection of Christ so neither did they understand of a long time that he was to die for our sins Luke 9.44 45. Let these sayings sink down into your ears for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men but they understood not this saying and it was hid from them that they perceived it not And they were not only his ordinary followers but his twelve Apostles whom he chose to be with him continually that understood not what he taught them when he spake of his Death and Resurrection
a very hard matter to come to the knowledge of Christ Crucified IV. That this Scripture doth not make void either Ministerial Teaching or Family-Instruction besides what hath been already said may further be proved 1. Because God teacheth in the use of means God could have revealed Himself and his Son in an immediate manner unto Cornelius but he puts him on sending for Peter to instruct him Acts 11.13 14. Send men to Joppa and call for Simon whose sirname is Peter who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy House shall be saved And it is his Covenant to teach his People not by his Spirit only or by his Word only but by his Word and Spirit and that as long as the world stands Isa 59.21 As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit which is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy Seed nor out of the mouth of thy Seeds Seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever 2. We see by sad experience the great ignorance and rudeness and dulness of those Children and Servants and of those Families and Places that have no instruction Though they live in Gospel-times and in the days of the New Covenant yet if they have no instruction they are as ignorant as they were that lived under the time of the Old Testament SECT 18. Though some Persons are nothing bettered by instruction yet we must continue to instruct them Object 18 WE see many Children and Servants that have good instructions prove very vile and corrupt and are never a whit the better but rather the worse for all the pains that is taken with them and therefore it is to no purpose for us to instruct our Families Answ 1. Though some are never a whit the better for the instructions and good counsels which are given them yet others are converted to God and edified thereby And who can tell but God may bless your labour unto the Conversion and Salvation of those that are under your Charge 2. If any means under Heaven will do them good instructing them out of the word of God is the most likely way and means to lead them to Repentance We think if a damned Soul should come out of Hell and declare what torments it hath felt in Hell or a Saint should come out of Heaven and declare what Joys he hath possess'd in Heaven this would work wonderfully upon our Children towards the leading of them to Repentance but the word of God which is contained in the Scriptures will do more towards the bringing men to Repentance then the rising of one from the dead would do Luc. 16.29 30 31. They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them And he said Nay father Abraham but if one went to them from the dead they will repent And he said unto him If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rise from the dead If the Scriptures will not perswade men to repent and believe such men would not repent and believe though Jesus Christ himself were on earth to speak to them John 5.46 47. Had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me but if ye believe not his writings how shall ye believe my words 3. If you should not convert your Children and Servants but they should still go on in their evil ways yet it is worth your time and pains to instruct and warn them of the danger they are in by reason of sin for hereby you shall deliver your own souls from being guilty of their Blood Ezek. 3.19 If thou warn the wicked and he turn not from his wickedness nor from his wicked way he shall die in his iniquity but thou hast delivered thy Soul 4. The word of God is to some men the savour of death unto death yet the Ministers of Christ must not cease to preach the word because all that hear them are not converted from their evil ways And when they discharge their work and duty faithfully they are a sweet savour unto God in those that perish as well as in them that are saved 2 Cor. 2.15 16. We are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish to the one we are the savour of death unto death and to the other the savour of life unto life So it is with Masters of Families they must not desist from Family-Instruction though they should see their Children or Servants continuing in their sins for if they discharge their duty faithfully and with diligence though they should have no success they shall be accepted of God in Christ Jesus SECT 19. The fear of aggravating our Childrens Condemnation should not make us neglect Family-Instruction Object 19 THe more light my Children have the greater their Condemnation will be if they make not a good use of it and I am afraid they will not and therefore I am afraid to instruct them lest I should aggravate their condemnation Answ I. It is true that the more Light any man hath the greater his condemnation will be if he do not make a good use of it Luc. 12.47 That Servant which knew his Lords will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes II. Though the case be so that the more light any man hath the greater will be his condemnation yet this must not make you neglect instructing them out of fear that they should not improve their light and so have the greater condemnation For 1. Some mens sin and condemnation will be aggravated by the coming of Christ into the world John 15.22 If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin but now they have no cloak for their sin Yet God did well in sending his Son into the world The preaching of Christ and the Gospel will make their condemnation more dreadful where Christ and the Gospel are not embraced than the condemnation of the Heathen that never heard of Christ John 3.19 This is the condemnation That Light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than Light because their deeds were evil See also Mat. 11. 23 24. Yet the preaching of Christ and the Gospel to the world is a good work and God pronounceth a wo against those that he hath called to the Ministry of the Gospel who preach it not 1 Cor. 9. 16. For necessity is laid upon me yea wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel Suppose it should increase your Childrens misery in the world to come to have Light if they make not a good use of it yet you do well when you instruct them yea a necessity is laid upon you and wo be unto you if you do it not 2. You run a greater hazard both of your own and your Childrens condemnation by neglecting to