FAMILIE EXERCISE OR The service of God in FAMILIES 1. TIM 4.8 Godlinesse is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come PSAL. 101.2 I will walk within mine house with a perfect heart For EDINBURGH and printed there by Robert Bryson and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of JONAH 1641. ⧠The necessitie of Familie Exercise IT is not onely required that every one in the house be diligently imployed in some honest and profitable businesse according to their calling In the sweat of thy face thou shall eat bread till thou return unto the ground Gen. 3.19 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein hee was called 1. Cor. 7.20 There was a certain rich man which was clothed in purple fine linnen and fared sumptuously every day Luke 16.19 And that all resort to the publick worship of God in the Congregation Wisedome cryeth at the gates at the entrie of the citie at the coming in at the doores Vnto you O men I call and my voice is to the sons of men Blessed is the man that heareth mee watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my doores Prov. 8.3 4 34. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his temple Psal 27.4 Behold the dayes come saith the Lord God that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord And they shall wander from sea to sea and from the North even to the East they shall runne to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not finde it Amos 8.11 12. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved and how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they heare without a preacher Rom. 10.14 And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministerie for the edifying of the body of Christ Ephes 4.11.12 Of his own will begat he us with the word of trueth that we should be a kinde of first-fruits of his creatures Wherefore my beloved brethren let every man be swift to heare slow to speak slow to wrath Wherefore lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtinesse and receive with meeknesse the ingrafted word which is able to save your soules Jam. 1.18.19.21 As new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby 1. Pet. 2.2 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip Heb-2 1 But one thing is needfull and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her Luke 10.42 And which is yet more That every one pray meditate and worship God apart and severally by themselves in secret But thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut thy doore pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Matth. 6.6 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed he went into his house and his windowes being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem hee kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did afore-time Dan. 6.10 For every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Matth. 7.8 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide and he lift up his eyes and saw and behold the camels were coming Gen. 24.63 Pray without ceasing 1. Thess 5.17 Watch yee therefore and pray alwayes that yee may bee accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and to stand before the Son of man Luke 21.36 Ye lust and have not Yee kill and desire to have and cannot obtain ye fight and war yet ye have not because ye ask not Jam. 4.2 But it is necessary also that the worship of God be set up and exercised in every Familie I. Because this is warranted by the word of God and by the examples of the godly And the officers shall speak unto the people saying What man is there that hath built a new house and hath not dedicated it let him go and returne to his house lest he die in the battel and another man dedicat it Deut. 20.5 A psalme and song at the dedication of the house of David Psal 30. Title For I know him that hee will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which hee hath spoken of him Gen. 18.19 And if it seem evill unto you to serve the Lord choose you this day whom you will serve whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the floud or the gods of the Amorites in whose land yee dwell But as for mee and my house wee will serve the Lord Josh 24.15 A devout man and one that feared God with all his house which gave much almes to the people and prayed to God alway Acts 10.2 And yee fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Ephes 6.4 And a certain woman named Lydia a seller of purple of the citie of Thyatira which worshipped God heard us whose heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul And when she was baptized and her houshold she besought us saying If ye have judged me to be faithfull to the Lord come into my house and abide there And she constrained us Acts 16.14.15 II. This not onely serveth for the honour of God and procureth comfort to the conscience and reverence and obedience to the commandements of the householders but also maketh the familie to be a Bethell or the House of God and bringeth upon it blessings of all sorts and safetie For bodily exercise profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1. Tim. 4 8. Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it Except the Lord keep the citie the watchman waketh but in vain It is in vain for you to rise up early to sit up late to eat the bread of sorrows For so he giveth his beloved sleep Lo children are an heritage of the Lord And the fruit of the wombe is his reward Psal 127.1 2 3. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord that walketh in his wayes For thou shalt eat the labour of
chastened him will not hearken unto them Deut. 21.18 Hee that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house hee that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight Psal 101.7 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever but the son abideth ever John 8.35 If I did despise the cause of my man-servant or of my mayd servant when they contended with me Job 31.23 And the asse said unto Balaamâ— Am not I thine asse upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day was I ever wont to do so unto thee And hee said Nay Num. 22.30 Foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a childe but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him Prov. 22.15 He that spareth his rod hateth his son but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes Prov. 13.24 V. To observe the providence of God and to make use of the works of his justice and mercy both past and present that he may bee known to bee the Lord For I know him that hee will command his children his household after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which hee hath spoken of him Gen. 18.19 Remember that thou magnifie his work which men behold Every man may see it man may behold it afar off Behold God is great and we know him not neither can the number of his years be searched out Job 36.24 25 26. VI. Private Fasting and Humiliation when by publick calamities or the private distresse of the Familie God calleth unto it And it came to passe when I heard these wordes that I sate downe and wept and mourned certaine dayes fasted prayed before the GOD of Heaven Neh. 1.4 Go gather together all the Jews that are present in Shuschan faste yee for me neither eat nor drink three dayes night or day I also my maidens will faste likewise so will I go in unto the king which is not according to the law and if I perish I perish Esther 4.16 And the land shall mourne every family apart the family of the house of David apart and their wives apart the family of the house of Nathan apart and their wives apart Zech. 12 12. And Cornelius said Foure dayes ago I was fasting untill this honre at the ninth houre I prayed in mine house and behold a man stood before me in bright clothing Acts 10.30 And for afflicting our souls and strangthening our faith the Scriptures to bee read and the prayers to be powred forth must bee pertinent for the time The dutie of the Master of the Familie TO the Master of the house belongeth not onely the ordering and ruling of the house in wisedome the providing of things needfull with diligence and the giving of good example in all godlinesse gravitie but also the performance of all the parts of Familie Exercise as to reade to catechise to pray with and for the Familie to exercise discipline to shew and set forth the works of God and to direct and order the times and manner of Humiliation And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up And when thy son asketh thee in time to come saying What mean the testimonies and the statutes and the judgements which the Lord our God hath commanded you Deut. 6 7 20. For I know him that he will command his children his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which hee hath spoken of him Gen. 18.19 Heare ye children the instruction of a father and attend to know understanding Pro. 4.1 And they said unto him Where wilt thou that we prepare And hee said unto them Behold when ye are entred into the citie there shall a man meet you bearing a pitcher of water follow him into the house where hee entreth in Luke 22.9.10 And upon just and necessary causes disabling the Master of the Familie or drawing him away they ought to be performed by some other member of the Familie Who then is a wise and faithfull servant whom his lord hath made him ruler over his houshold to give them meat in due season Mat. 24 45 And Abraham said Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I go childlesse and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus Gen. 15.2 And it came to passe from the time that hee had made him over seer in his house and over all that hee had that the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Josephs sake the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house in the field Gen 39 5. And in all these Familie Exercises whole government of the house the Mistresse of the Family hath a speciall hand I will therefore that the younger women marry beare children guide the house give none occasion to the adversary to speak reprochfully 1. Ti. 5.14 Prov. 31. from vers 10. to the end The aged women likewise that they be in behaviour as becometh holinesse not false accusers not given to much wine teachers of good things Thal they may teach the young women to be sober to love their husbands to love their children To be discreet chaste keepers at home good obedient to their own husbands that the word of God be not blasphemed Tit. 2.3 4 5. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard they took him unto them and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly Acts 18.26 The times of Familie Exercise THe fittest times for Familie Exercise must be chosen by the wisedome and discretion of the governours of the Familie as the morning before they put their hands to worke and the evening when the dayes worke is ended and the time of rest draweth on and such other houres as may bee best spared from the dueties of their particular vocation Upon the Lords day the Familie is to be brought to the Kirk they are to behave themselves quietly and religiously as in the presence of God and when the publick worship is ended the family is to be conveened and the Master of the Family beginning and ending with prayer is to take account of what they have heard with instruction admonition and exhortation that they may profit in the knowledge and obedience of the will of God But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy son nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid servant nor thy cattel nor thy stranger that is within thy gates Exod. 20.10 And the morrow after they entered into Cesarea and Cornelius waited for them and hee called together his Kinsmen and near friends Acts 10.24 The manner and
thine hands Happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee Thy wife shall be as a fruitfull vine by the sides of thine house thy children like olive plants round about thy table Psal 128.1 2 3. And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three moneth and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his houshold 2. Sam. 6.11 And thou shall know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace thou shalt visit thy habitation shall not sin Job 5.24 Hast not thou made an hedge about him and about his house about all that he hath on every side Thou hast blessed the work of his hands his substance is increased in the land Job 1.10 Even as the neglect thereof maketh families to be companies of Atheists and dens of theeves bringeth down upon them the curse of God The fool hath said in his heart There is no God they are corrupt they have done abominable works there is none that doth good Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge who eat up my people as they eat bread and call not upon the Lord Psal 14.1 4. Powre out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not and upon the families that call not on thy name for they have eaten up Jacob and devoured him and consumed him and have made his habitation desolate Jer. 10.25 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked but he blesseth the habitation of the just Pro. 3.33 The house of the wicked shall be overthrowne but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish Prov. 14.11 III. This is a great help to the Kirk and Common-wealth whereof Families are the seminarie Without it neither good Lawes in the Citie nor the word of God in the Kirk are duely regarded And God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth Gen. 6.12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial they knew not the Lord. And he said unto them Why do ye such things for I hear of your evill dealings by all this people Nay my sons for it is no good report that I heare ye make the Lords people to transgresse If one man sin against another the Judge shall judge him but if a man sin against the Lord who shall intreat for him Notwithstanding they hearkned not unto the voice of their father because the Lord would slay them 1. Sam. 2.12.23.24 25. So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem 2. Sam. 14.23 2. Sam. 15. 1. King 1. Upon these and the like reasons it vvere good that all housholders should say vvith Joshua I and my Family will serve the Lord Josh 24.15 I and my maides will do the like Esther 4.16 The parts of Familie Exercise I. THe parts of Familie Exercise are 1. reading of Scriptures in a constant course that all in the Familie may profit in godlinesse and may make the better use of the publick ministerie And that from a childe thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus 2. Tim. 3.15 Neither have I gone back from the commandement of his lips I have esteemed the words of his mouth more then my necessary food Job 23.12 II. It is not enough that the members of the Familie come to the Kirk to be catechised but they must in a plaine and easie manner bee instructed at home in the grounds of Christian Religion and that doctrine which is according to godlinesse Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right Honour thy father mother which is the first commandement with promise That it may be well with thee and thou mayest live long on the earth And ye fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture admonition of the Lord Ephes 6.1 2 3 4. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house when thou walkest by the way when thou liest down and when thou risest up And thou shal binde them for a signe upon thine hand they shall be as frontlets between thine eies and thou shalt write them upon the posts of thine house on thy gates And when thy son asketh thee in time to come saying What mean the testimonies the statutes the judgments which the Lord our God hath commanded you Then thou shalt say unto thy son Wee were Pharaohs bond men in Egipt and the Lord brought us out of Egipt with a mightie hand Deut. 6.6 7 8 9 20 21. For I know him that he will command his children his household after him they shall keepe the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which hee hath spoken of him Gen. 18.19 III. Prayer and thanksgiving morning and evening before and after meales with singing of psalmes when and where it may be had The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even Exod. 29.39 And it was so when the daies of their feasting was gone about that Job sent and sanctified them and rose up early in the morning offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all For Job said it may be that my sons have sinned cursed God in their hearts Thus did Job continuallie Job 1.5 Evening and morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud and hee shall heare my voice Psal 55.17 For every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving For it is sanctified by the word of God prayer 1. Tim. 4.4 5. And be not drunk with wine wherein is excesse but be filled with the spirit speaking to your selves in psalmes hymnes spirituall songs singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord Giving thanks alwayes for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Ephes 5.18.19.20 IV. That godlinesse may be practised there must bee exercise of discipline in vvisedome and patience by admonition reproof and correction for such faults as are proper to be censured in the Familie and if servants vvil not amend by remooving them And for this end diligent observing and vvatching over their vvayes is necessary And it was so when the dayes of their feasting was gone about that Job sent and sanctified them and rose up earely in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all for Job said It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts Thus did Job continually Job 1.5 If a man have a stubborne and rebellious son which will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother and that when they have